The Invictus lifted off the landing pad on Sequathis' upper platform, retro-thrusters blazing bright orange amidst the blue glow from Brimor's sun. Alyssa banked the sleek battlecruiser around, departing on their initial approach vector, rather than just pointing the nose skyward and blasting them into orbit. The reason for her careful manoeuvre was not in deference to Brimorian port speeds, but simply because they had a rendezvous to keep, with a certain black stealth shuttle lurking in a dense bank of cumulus clouds. Faye raised the Invictus' Primary Hangar door as the two ships matched speeds and the shuttle glided inside.

"Jade's safely inside!" the purple girl announced, bouncing up and down where she sat on John's command console.

"Nice work, ladies," John said, finally relaxing now the Nymph was safely back aboard the Invictus. He glanced over at Dana who was engrossed with the shield status display. "Everything looking good with the shields?"

The redhead grinned at him, her blue eyes shining with delight. "I had to recalibrate the display. We blasted the fucking roof off the maximum shield status!"

"How much more have we got now?"

"Over seven times the Invictus' original shield strength... but that doesn't include the damage reduction effect from the Brimorian shielding!"

John returned the exuberant young woman's grin. "Will that make a big difference?"

"A fucking huge difference! We'll take reduced damage from Beam Lasers, making the shields last loads longer. We're also effectively immune to Terran Laser Cannon fire now and can just laugh at anything weaker than that..." She turned her beaming smile to Calara. "That basically means fighters can't do shit to us now!"

"That's fantastic news," John said, nodding appreciatively. He followed the redhead's gaze to the equally excited Latina. "Everything checking out okay with the upgraded energy weapons?"

"I'm reading everything in the green for the Pulse Cannons, Photon Lasers, and the Nova Lances!" Calara exclaimed, her brown eyes sparkling with barely contained joy. "I'd love to obliterate an asteroid belt or two for a weapons test, but there's no real need. I've never had a single weapon failure on the Invictus; our lovely Chief Engineer is just that good."

Dana tipped an imaginary hat at the Latina's compliment. "I like to take good care of my toys!" She got up and stretched, then glanced around the Bridge. "Any volunteers to help me install the new shield generators and eternity crystals in the Valkyrie and Raptor?"

There was a chorus of agreement as everyone on the Bridge offered to help, the whole crew rising to their feet in their eagerness to assist.

Alyssa glanced at Rachel, then stepped over to John and placed a hand on his wrist, intercepting him as he turned to join the others in heading for the grav-tube. "Wait a second, handsome. We can help later, but first you'll probably want to have a chat with Jade."

"Is she on her way up?" John asked, slightly unnerved by the gleam in Alyssa's cerulean eyes.

"She certainly is," the blonde replied, giving him a coy smile.

He saw her eyes dart towards the grav-tube, so he turned to greet the Nymph. His jaw dropped when he spotted a beautiful teal face framed by a mass of light green hair, peeking out from behind Jade.

"What the hell?" John blurted out, gaping at the two women.

*I brought back a sample of Helene's DNA!* Jade informed him with a telepathic giggle, barely able to contain the radiant smile on her face as she gently coaxed the wide-eyed girl onto the Bridge.

"Hey everyone," the Nymph said as she clasped her new friend's hand and squeezed it gently to reassure her. "I'd like to introduce you to Helene."

There were friendly waves and smiles all round, which Helene just about managed to acknowledge with a shy smile of her own. She was clearly fascinated by the girls, gaping in astonishment at the dazzling mix of hair and skin tones, none of which were familiar to her.

When her eyes darted to John, she gazed at him in awe, a look of pure wonder on her face. "Are you John, the Master Wizard?" she asked in reverent tones.

He shot a bewildered glance at Jade, who blushed a deep green and looked decidedly shifty. Walking down the steps from the Command Podium, he replied, "My name's John Blake. You're aboard my ship, the Invictus."

"Yes, your sky chariot!" Helene exclaimed, her baby-blue eyes widening as she paused to look around the Bridge. "This is just like the stories I heard as a child!"

Alyssa glided past her stunned lover and gave the aquatic beauty a soft kiss on the cheek. "It's lovely to meet you, Helene. My name's Alyssa... welcome to our home."

"Thank you, Alyssa," the guileless young woman replied, her lovely face lighting up in gratitude.

Turning to look at John, his blonde Matriarch arched an eyebrow. "Perhaps now would be a good time for that chat?"

He nodded mutely and waved a hand towards his Ready Room. Before they departed, Jade handed the hypo-injector to Rachel, the brunette greeting Helene with a friendly smile. The Nymph slid her arm around Helene's waist and guided her towards the Ready Room door. She stared at John in fascination as she walked past, seemingly unable to tear her eyes away from him, then she glanced back over her shoulder to watch him as long as she could before Jade led her through the doorway.

*I'm not completely sure, but I think Helene might be interested in you...* Alyssa told him, her bright blue eyes full of artful innocence.

*You knew Jade was bringing her here!*

The blonde shrugged. *Of course. It wasn't fun listening to our resident Nymph's underwater thoughts, but we were in constant telepathic communication before she made the decision.*

*We're about to go into what's likely to be the most dangerous battle we've been in so far and you two decided to bring a civilian on board?!* John balked, pouring his disapproval into the empathic bond he had with them both. *You didn't even ask me about it! What were you thinking?!*

Alyssa closed the distance between them and hugged him tight. *Please don't be mad! Helene needs your help and we've just been evicted from the Brimorian Enclave... they told us not to come back! Neither Jade or I could think of a better way of handling it and we both wanted Helene to be a surprise!*

*Well you certainly managed to surprise the hell out of me,* he muttered, frowning as he glanced towards the Ready Room.

*I'm sorry, John,* Jade told him, sounding genuinely contrite. *It took me so long to find Helene, I had no time to ask any questions about the Abandoned. This seemed like the most efficient solution.*

*So what's all this Master Wizard nonsense?* he asked them both, before spotting the guilty flash in the blonde's bright blue eyes. *I take it that was Alyssa's idea?*

She nodded, but didn't flinch away from his stern gaze. *Helene's a sweet girl, but very naive... we needed to talk to her in terms she could understand. When Jade explained the situation, it seemed like a relatively harmless way of encouraging Helene to return to the ship so we could talk to her.*

John gave her a knowing look. *And this has nothing to do with your obsession of adding as many beautiful girls to our family as possible?*

Alyssa had the good grace to blush this time. *I'll admit that might have been a passing thought...*

He groaned and rubbed at his face. *Haven't we got enough on our plate at the moment?*

The blonde stood up straighter and fixed him with a steely gaze. *No. This is important... Helene's important, I can feel it. I'm sorry I didn't ask your permission, but this is a very different situation from Niskera. Besides, you did leave me in charge of recruitment.*

*I'm never going to hear the end of that am I?* he asked with a weary sigh.

She gave him a tender kiss on the lips then gazed intently into his eyes. *Answer me honestly... have I made a bad call yet with any of the girls I've brought into your life?*

John paused then looked chagrined and shook his head. *No... they're all wonderful.*

Alyssa gently stroked his cheek. *You say we're partners, but I'm willing to defer to your judgement on every other decision in our lives. If you truly respect my judgement as well, then wouldn't it be fair to offer me the same courtesy on this single subject?*

Now it was John's turn to look guilty. *Alright, I suppose that's fair enough, but you know why I'm concerned right? Any girl I end up in a serious relationship with will probably want children and I don't want to spread myself so thin I end up unable to give them enough attention...*

*I know...* Alyssa said softly. *Just trust me; I know you better than you know yourself. Everything will be alright.*

John took a deep breath then nodded. He offered Alyssa an arm and they entered the Ready Room, to find Jade and Helene sitting patiently on one of the sofas. Helene's eyes snapped to his face and she watched his every move with a startling intensity.

Sitting on the sofa opposite, John smiled at the alluring aquatic girl to put her at ease. "I'm sorry if I was rude when we first met. I didn't know you were coming aboard, so Jade just caught me by surprise when she introduced you. As I said earlier, my name's John and it's a pleasure to meet you, Helene."

"There's no need to apologise, Master Wizard," she replied, bowing her head deferentially. "I understand you must be very busy!"

John flicked a quick glance at the Nymph beside the aquatic girl, then focused on Helene again. "What did Jade tell you about me so far?"

Helene let out a soft sigh, a starry-eyed look on her face. "That you're good and kind, and you spend your life helping as many people as you can." She hesitated for a moment, then gave him a look of profound longing. "She said that what you like doing most of all, is granting wishes to good girls."

"What would you wish for, Helene?" John asked quietly.

Her trusting eyes filled up with tears and her hands went to her slender tummy. "I... I can't have babies..." She started to tremble, her shoulders shaking with grief as she began to sob. "I'm not a proper woman any more... and it's all my fault!"

John's heart went out to the heartbroken girl and he quickly knelt down in front of her, then clasped her hand. Jade put her arm around the distraught young woman, and gave her a supportive hug.

"What happened to you?" he asked, brushing his thumb over her soft teal-coloured skin.

Helene wiped away her tears and took a deep breath to try to steady herself. When she started to speak, her voice was full of sorrow as she began her tale. "Years ago, I fell in love with a sweet handsome boy called Firon. We'd grown up together and were soulmates; everyone said that we'd be together forever and that our love would conquer all. Elder Debha told me I was too young to carry a baby and to wait a few more years, but Firon and I were so much in love..." Her voice caught, and tears rolled down her cheeks. "...I didn't listen and thought I knew my body better than anyone. I was with Firon and it was so wonderful... his seed quickened in my belly that very first night..."

Unable to continue, Helene turned and wept into Jade's shoulder as the Nymph did her best to comfort the heartbroken girl.

"You lost the baby..." Alyssa murmured, her tone gentle and full of sympathy. "Elder Myrna tried to save it, but after the bleeding it was too late... You were badly hurt, your womb not ready to carry a child to term."

Helene gaped at Alyssa in stunned disbelief. "You're a wizard too!" she gasped, her voice ragged from crying.

When John turned to glance at his blonde Matriarch, he saw her eyes were glowing with a soft white light. She was looking away into the distance, her gaze unfocused as she delved into the aquatic girl's mind.

"The Brimorians came for Firon, to punish him for damaging a female," Alyssa whispered, her anguished expression reflecting the harrowing grief of Helene's memories. "You begged for him to be spared, but they executed him as a lesson to the others..."

"It was all my fault!" Helene cried out, her face twisted in anguish. "Firon died because I was too foolish to listen to the elders!" Her body was wracked with plaintive sobs. "If only I'd waited a few more years... he'd still be with me and we would have had six babies together by now!"

John frowned at that and glanced at Alyssa.

*Firon died seven years ago. Helene's twenty-two...* she replied quietly, answering his unspoken question. *The Brimorians encourage the Abandoned females to have children every year for as long as they're fertile... they're breeding a slave race!*

His eyes widened at that shocking revelation, then turned his focus back to the weeping girl. "I'm so sorry about Firon," he said, gently squeezing her hands. "There's a lot I can do, but I'm afraid I can't bring him back for you."

Helene's face twisted with guilt and self-recrimination and she began to cry all the harder. John waited patiently for her outpouring of grief to run its course, while Jade whispered quietly in her ear, her murmured words kind and supportive.

When her tears dried up, Helene finally met John's sympathetic gaze. "I should never have come here. I'm not a good girl... if I was, my wish would have been to bring back Firon..." No longer able to meet his sympathetic gaze, she turned away, a haunted look in her eyes. "I'm so selfish... I was going to ask you to make me a woman again... but I don't deserve it."

Before John could disagree, Alyssa walked over to the heartbroken girl and gently lifted Helene's chin so that she would look into the matriarch's glowing eyes. "I've looked into your heart, Helene. You're not a bad person. You're kind, generous, and loving with all your friends and family. What happened to you and Firon was not your fault."

Helene looked shocked and shook her head. "But I-"

Alyssa leaned down and gave her a tender kiss to silence her objections. "The Brimorians are to blame for a whole host of reasons. We'll talk about it later when you're calmer, but for now I want you to trust in my magic and know that I'm telling you the truth."

"I-I do trust you and your magic, Mistress Wizard," Helene finally whispered, looking stunned as she appeared to be re-evaluating her opinion of herself and her troubled past.

"Just call me Alyssa," the blonde said with a benevolent smile.

"And please call me John," he requested, rubbing her hand in a soothing motion.

Helene nodded distractedly, appearing too shell-shocked to speak.

John glanced at the Nymph, then said, "I don't know what Jade said to you before she invited you aboard the ship, but we'll be leaving Brimorian territory for quite some time... at least a few weeks but it might be much longer. You're welcome to come with us, but if you're in a hurry to return to your home on Brimor, tell me now so that we can take you back before we fly too far away."

Her red-rimmed baby-blue eyes focused on him once more. "Jade told me I could go on an adventure with her... and I... don't want to go back. I love my family, but everyone at home looks at me with such pity! 'Poor Helene, her story is so tragic'... I know that's what they think, I've heard people talk about me when they didn't know I could hear."

"All of us have had troubled pasts so we understand," Alyssa said softly, smoothing some of Helene's light-green hair away from her face. "What happened to you was awful and if you'd like to talk about it with John, me, or any of the girls, we'll be happy to listen. We won't judge you or look on you with pity, but we will be a sympathetic ear if you need it. Does that sound okay?"

That look of awe was back on Helene's face again as she slowly nodded.

John shared a glance with Alyssa, then said to their guest, "At some point I'd like to ask you a bit about your people, but that can wait for now."

Helene shook her head and gave him a shy smile. "You may ask your questions now, I will answer to the best of my knowledge."

He studied her for a moment and saw that she seemed to be composed again. "Jade mentioned that you called this language 'the Old Tongue' and that it was forbidden?"

She flinched reflexively with that sudden reminder, then blinked as she remembered that she was now in a safe place. "The Brimorians ordered that we must only speak their language, but my people have kept the Old Tongue alive in secret. The stories say that it was hard at first; the Abandoned were watched and guarded, but now... we only really see the Brimorians for the crop harvests."

"Have you always lived on the Kelp farm?" John asked, listening attentively.

"For all my life," she replied, a conflicted expression on her face. "I mostly helped the men to gather the crops; it kept me busy and I didn't have time to think about things too much. I really loved helping look after the children in the nursery, but the pregnant women didn't like it if I spent too much time around them..." Her face fell, overcome with sadness. "They worried that I was bad luck."

John ducked his head to make eye contact with her. "That unhappy chapter of your life is over with. You have a bright future ahead of you now."

"Does your magic tell you that?" Helene asked, a flicker of hope lighting up her face.

He hesitated for a moment, unwilling to lie to the fragile young woman. "I promise I'll do my very best to make it happen."

She gave him a lovely smile. "Jade was right, you really are a good man."

Flushing self-consciously, John cleared his throat, then said, "If you're completely certain that you'd like to stay with us, then we need to help you settle in and make sure you're comfortable." He studied her for a moment, then continued, "I know you can breathe underwater, but what's the best place for you to sleep? We have a lagoon that you're welcome to make into your home, or we can give you your own room."

"I used to sleep in the shared dorms, Mas-... John," Helene said, correcting herself before calling him by his title. She looked down and looked shamefaced as she added in a soft whisper, "But it was so lonely. No one wanted to sleep with a broken woman..."

Jade grinned and hugged the troubled girl around her waist. "We all sleep together here! There'll be no shortage of volunteers to cuddle you at night."

*Jade...* John cautioned her with a frown.

"You'd really let me sleep with you!" Helene exclaimed, beaming at him with joy. She caught a glimpse of John's worried expression and her face fell. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't let you shame yourselves..."

Alyssa grinned at her and shook her head. "Ignore the Master Wizard, he gets some funny ideas sometimes. He thinks you're a stunningly beautiful girl, but he's worried that if he lets you sleep with us, the two of you will end up making love... and that he'd be taking advantage of you. He's very concerned about making sure you're happy and doesn't want you to feel hurt, or get upset."

Helene looked at him incredulously, the doubt written plain as day across her lovely features. "I-is that true?!"

John glared at Alyssa, then turned back to the breathless girl. "Yes, I do think you're very beautif-"

He didn't get to finish the sentence because Helene launched herself at him, her soft lips seeking his like a heat-seeking missile. She straddled his lap and moaned into his mouth as she kissed him passionately.

*She's from a very sexual culture, but she's been shunned by men for all her adult life,* Alyssa said softly. *Please make her first proper kiss one that she'll remember.*

John shrugged off his shock and wrapped his arms around Helene, applying just enough pressure to let her feel his strength. Her moans grew louder as he held her close and began to return the kiss, putting everything he'd learned in the past six months into practice. He used firm, insistent pressure on her lips, not enough to bruise, but enough to let her realise that she should follow his lead.

Helene's moans turned into excited mewls as she responded, and he eased off again, kissing her gently and exploring her soft lips. When she started to relax, he upped the tempo again and her eyes widened in shock when the tip of his tongue flickered across her partly open mouth before darting back. He repeated it to encourage her to respond, and when she did, he met her tongue with his. John had given her a thorough introduction to French Kissing by the time they parted and Helene's breath was coming in excited pants as she gazed at him in astonishment.

She raised her fingers to her lips, brushing over them as she felt them tingling. "I-I've never..."

"See, I told you he likes you," Alyssa said with a satisfied smile.

"We all think you're quite beautiful," Jade agreed matter-of-factly. "If you really like kisses, I'm sure you'll be able to get as many as you want."

Helene swooned into John's arms, hugging him tight. "Thank you so much!"

"I should be the one thanking you," John said, stroking her back. "That was an incredible kiss."

She blushed and shook her head, then paused as she tried to speak her thoughts. "Yes, the kiss was wonderful... I just meant thank you for letting me come with you."

John looked into her eyes and said earnestly. "If you stay with us, I'll take care of you and do my best to make sure you're happy, but your life is never going to be the same again. Now's your last chance to go back to your old life on Brimor, so think carefully before you make this decision."

"I already have," Helene said, sitting up straight and meeting his look of concern with one of absolute certainty. "I choose to stay here with you, John."

***

Deep Lord Athgiloi watched the oval map with steely black eyes, as the Invictus raced away from the Brimorian homeworld, heading directly towards the outer-edge of the Theta Columbae system. The white battlecruiser was travelling at a speed that left him and everyone in this command room reeling. Upon reaching the outskirts of the gravity well, the Invictus activated its FTL drive, leaping out of the system only a couple of seconds later. That came as a shock, but not nearly as much as seeing just how fast the white ship could travel in hyper-warp.

He'd been forewarned that the Invictus and John Blake were powerful, but the warning had been unnecessary, having already seen the footage of the man brutally exterminating Kirrix forces. Still it was different seeing such things with his own eyes, and what he'd witnessed that morning on the upper platform of Sequathis had left him shocked to the core. John hauling around multi-ton objects relying on raw strength alone had been astonishing, but not nearly as disturbing as the hovering girl performing what appeared to be magic before his bewildered eyes.

He felt a surge of relief as the Invictus rushed out of the sector and Athgiloi finally let himself relax. With a deep belly-laugh he turned around and strode out of the Command Room, the staff reacting to his mirth with amazement. He whistled a jaunty tune to himself as he walked back to his quarters, something he'd not done in over five decades. Yes, John Blake might be a powerful foe, but as he'd told the Deep Lords, there was no subtlety to the man. Manufacturing enough indignant outrage on the call had been easy enough, and he snorted with laughter at how thoroughly the vaunted Lion had been taken in by his ruse.

Entering his chambers, he smiled when Celphna bounded over to greet him, a look of reverence on her exquisitely scaled face. "This one longed for your return!" She paused and studied him for a moment, seeing his triumphant expression. "Were you successful with your plans, Master?"

"It all worked like a charm, just as I predicted," he replied with a smug grin, as he eased himself into his favourite chair.

Celphna knelt at his feet and rubbed her head affectionately against his thigh. "Master is so clever!"

He laughed with delight. "Why yes, I certainly am..." He grinned at her, loving the beaming toothy smile she gave him in return. "Why don't you tell me more about... me."

She fawned over him, planting soft kisses on his scaly hide. "Master is so powerful, so strong... there is no one like you in the entire galaxy!"

Athgiloi relaxed as he revelled in her adoration. Yes, this was turning out to be a morning he'd remember for a long time...

***

"So this is where we all normally sleep," John said, waving a hand towards the colossal four-poster bed, the quartet of crystal Alyssium pillars sparkling in the light. "Me and eight of the girls sleep on the bed... Faye keeps watch over us in the chair."

"It's so beautiful," Helene murmured, trailing her fingers over the brilliant-white bedcovers, amazed at the softness. She glanced at him, hope and longing in her eyes. "Can I really join you here tonight?"

He paused and watched her for a moment. The rest of the girls had given them some privacy for this conversation, but now he had Helene alone, John wasn't sure how to begin. "Helene... there's something really important I need to speak with you about."

She looked forlorn and said sadly, "If you've changed your mind about me being with you, I understand. I won't get upset... I promise."

"No, it's not that at all," John replied, frowning in frustration. He walked over to the bed and sat on the end, then patted a space beside him. "Please sit with me a moment, so we can talk."

Helene obediently followed his request, sitting next to him on the bed and watching him with big eyes. John could see how worried and unsettled she was, so he decided to put her mind at ease over her fear of rejection. He leaned in to give her a gentle kiss, then guided her back so that she was lying on the bed. Propping himself up on one elbow, he looked down at the pensive girl before kissing her again, but this time with meaning. She responded immediately, her arms encircling him as she tried to pull him across her lovely body.

He resisted and just focused on the kiss until she relaxed and enjoyed the experience, realising that he wasn't intending to go further at that moment. When he eventually pulled back to look at her again, her eyes had softened and she wore a look of blissful contentment on her face. She giggled when she realised he was watching her, and they shared an intimate smile.

"That one was to prove how attractive I think you are," John said, cupping her feminine heart-shaped face. "Alyssa was right earlier, I do want you, but there's something important we need to discuss first."

"I will listen, John," she told him earnestly.

John hesitated, unsure how to phrase this conversation in terms she would understand. "Earlier you talked about Alyssa and me being wizards and using magic. We actually call them psychic powers, and there's lots of things that we can do that are fantastic and hard to believe."

She gazed up at him in fascination and murmured, "Can you show me?"

He blinked in surprise, then nodded, raising his hand and turning it in front of her face. "Looks normal, right?"

"No," she replied, shaking her head. "You're so strong, but your touch is gentle and caring... I would never describe your hands as normal."

He laughed and shook his head. "That wasn't quite what I meant. Just watch for a moment, but no touching, okay?"

Focusing his will inwards, he concentrated on his hand, feeling the embers within him eager to be unleashed. Keeping a tight rein on that impulse, he let a mote of fire burst forth from his palm, the flames dancing and twisting like a living thing trying to run free.

Helene gasped, her eyes going even wider. "Your hands aren't normal at all!"

John briefly considered trying to make flame sprites with the dancing fire, but he knew he had nowhere near the same level of control as Tashana. Instead he extinguished the flame, then dropped the temperature far lower, until flakes of frost swirled around his fingertips.

"They're so pretty!" she gasped, watching in awe. "What are they?"

"Ice crystals... they form when water gets very cold." He smiled at her, then released his will, letting his hand return to normal. "It's safe to touch now," he explained, and let her examine his fingers until her curiosity was satisfied.

"I never for one moment thought I'd see real magic," she gushed, thoroughly enchanted by his impromptu performance.

"There's lots more I can do," John said, meeting her curious gaze. "But the most important abilities I have are connected to me having sex with a girl."

"You make sex magical?" she asked innocently.

He laughed when he saw the sparkle in her eyes. "You're not quite as innocent as you seem, are you?"

"Not quite," she admitted with a bloom of colour to her cheeks. "There were many times in the dorms, when I overheard the soft words that lovers share with each other."

"A girl with hidden depths... how intriguing," John said with a smile.

Helene blushed even harder and darted a glance at his hand. "Sorry, I interrupted you before."

John nodded, not wanting to embarrass her further. Bringing his fingertips to her slender throat, he stroked the velvety teal-coloured skin. "Most of my sex-related abilities revolve around a girl swallowing my cum."

He traced his fingers lower, leaving a trail of goosebumps as they followed the contours of her graceful neck, noting the closed indentations for her gills. Passing them by, he continued down across her chest and brushed between her breasts. His gentle exploration drew a startled gasp from Helene, her chest heaving as he traced a path between those deliciously soft mounds. Moving down to the oval of her abdomen, he caressed her gently, feeling the toned muscles of her athletic body. She was used to long days filled with hard labour and her lean well-muscled physique was a testimony to that work.

"If you were to swallow just once, I'd be able to heal your body," he said, his hand moving lower on her belly. "I could undo whatever damage was done to you and you'd be able to have children again."

She stared at him unblinking for a moment, then said in a hushed voice. "You really can do that, can't you?"

"Yes," he replied, his sincerity quite apparent. John let her think about that for a few minutes as she tried to accept that something she'd longed for with all her heart, for so many years, might actually be a possibility. When she didn't look quite so shocked, he stroked her tummy and continued, "Whatever happens between us, I promise that I'll heal you so that you can have children again."

Her eyes teared up and she looked overwhelmed with gratitude. "Thank you, so much!"

John smiled at her, then said quietly, "But you have other options too. Do you remember Rachel? The girl with the brown hair you met up in the Bridge?"

Helene nodded, her expression serious. "She's very beautiful... all your women are."

"Well Rachel could heal you too. If you choose her to help you instead, you don't have to be with me if you don't want to," he said quietly, gazing into her big blue eyes.

He saw the pain reflected there immediately as she took his words for a rejection. "I understand..." Helene whispered as she looked away.

John gently turned her face so that she was looking at him again. "No, you don't understand, not yet. I'm worried about you making the right choice for your future; there are side-effects and consequences if we're intimate together and I don't just mean the healing. If I feed you three times, I'll create a special link between you and Alyssa. You'll be connected to us permanently, just like all the rest of the girls on the crew are."

Helene studied him for a moment, then cupped his cheek, her thumb brushing lightly over his skin. "Why are you telling me this? I can see that it troubles you to talk about yourself and your... powers."

"I just want to be honest, so there are no surprises," John replied. "I want you to understand what it means to be with me before you make any decisions that will affect the rest of your life. I'm fighting a war against an extremely powerful enemy and by staying at my side, you'll be dragged into that battle too."

"Are you trying to scare me away because you don't want me?" she pressed, mesmerising him with her unblinking gaze.

He quickly shook his head. "Alyssa told you the truth earlier. I think you're a very beautiful woman, but I'm also trying to look out for your best interests and I don't want you to have any regrets."

She gazed into his eyes, then placed her hand on his chest, over his heart. "Are you a good person, John Blake of the Invictus?"

"I try very hard to be," he replied, his voice ringing with sincerity. "I'd never do anything to hurt you, nor would the girls."

Her face brightened with a lovely smile. "Then let us simply see what the future holds for us. No more explanations or careful warnings; Jade promised me an adventure... I long for surprises and to experience new things!"

"Are you sure?" John asked, startled by her reaction.

She nodded eagerly. "Everything is so new and exciting! I never thought life could be like this!"

He chuckled and shook his head in amusement. "You're going to be in for a wild ride. Let me know if you ever want to get off!"

Helene nodded, her expression serious. "I long for a wild ride and I'll make sure to tell you when I need to get off."

John caught that same sparkle in her eyes and she giggled when he broke into a smile. "Don't worry about that, I'll make sure you're very well taken care of."

She blushed, suddenly unsure of herself, and John realised that despite her flirtatious innuendos, she was still an inexperienced young woman. He leaned down to give her a gentle kiss, simply to defuse the situation rather than escalate to anything more. Helene responded, the tension flowing out of her as she melted into his arms.

"He's very good at that, isn't he?" Alyssa asked, her voice carrying a playful lilt.

John finished the kiss and slowly pulled away so they could turn and look at Alyssa as she climbed onto the bed with them. Helene nodded, her eyes bright and happy as she greeted the blonde with a radiant smile. That smile wavered and her eyes flashed between John and Alyssa, that same doubt in her expression again.

"A-are you sure you don't mind me kissing him?" she asked, giving voice to her insecurities.

Alyssa gave her a warm smile and shook her head. "No, I don't mind one bit. Actually, I'd really like a kiss too if you're handing them out?"

Helene's breath caught and her eyes widened as she gazed up at Alyssa. "But you're a girl! Are you sure?"

The blonde's smile widened and she leaned down to take over from where John had left off, her lips soft and gentle against Helene's flushed ones. John admired the view, just as he did whenever two of his girls were affectionate with each other. That thought caught him by surprise and he was amazed how quickly he'd shifted into thinking of this refreshing young woman as part of his family.

Alyssa pulled back and caught the look he gave her, nodding slightly to confirm she'd heard his thoughts. She turned her focus back to the girl lying between them, admiring her look of bliss with no small sense of satisfaction. "It's very different kissing a girl, isn't it?"

Helene licked her lips and nodded, then let out a soft sigh. "That was wonderful..."

"It was a lovely kiss for me too," Alyssa said, her voice kind and loving. "You made me think of a serene, peaceful ocean that could quickly become wild and untamed..."

The aquatic girl blushed furiously, but her embarrassment quickly receded when she realised that the blonde wasn't teasing her and was absolutely sincere. "I never realised that there were people like you and John," she said softly, looking at her bedmates in turn. "You've been truthful all along, haven't you? You really do like me..."

Alyssa darted a glance at John, before gazing into Helene's eyes. "You're very different from the other girls we've rescued. I can see how lacking in confidence you are, so I'm going to be completely honest with you." She brushed her hand over Helene's toned tummy. "I think you're a lovely, beautiful girl, and I want you to be happy here with us. I hope that you and John will become lovers, and I'd love for you to become the mother of his children, just like the rest of the girls on this ship are going to be."

John gaped at the blonde in shock. *You can't just drop all that on the poor girl! We only met her an hour ago!*

Alyssa met his stunned gaze, then her eyes looked pointedly at the teal-skinned beauty lying between them. John turned back to look at Helene, expecting her to be in a state of panic, but the expression on her face was enchanting. Her eyes were filled with hope, the self-doubt fading away as she looked at him in wonder.

*Helene's from a dramatically different culture to us,* Alyssa reminded him gently. *You can't just think of her as a different-coloured Terran girl. The Abandoned women long for and expect to be bred repeatedly as soon as they become adults, but Helene's had to live with rejection for seven long years, thinking that she's a failure as a woman because she can't have children. I'm not saying to rush into anything, but with a bit of luck I've helped take some of that anxiety away.*

John paused for a moment, thinking about what Alyssa had just told him. He joined the blonde in placing a hand on Helene's trim tummy. "We'll take things at whatever pace you feel comfortable with, but I'd love that future with you too."

Her eyes welled up and she flung her arms around him, overcome with her emotions. John held her as she wept against his chest, then glanced at Alyssa with concern.

*Happy tears...* she confirmed for him, as she snuggled up behind the overwhelmed young woman.

The three of them lay quietly together, John and Alyssa providing soothing reassurance to the shocked girl between them.

Helene eventually gathered herself and wiped away her tears, looking more than a little embarrassed by her outburst. "I've not cried this much in... well, in a very long time," she said with a self-conscious smile.

"We've given you an awful lot to think about," John said, stroking her arm. "I meant what I said though, about taking things at a comfortable pace; I really don't want you to rush into anything you don't feel ready for. The most important thing is that you're happy, okay?"

She nodded, looking at him with big eyes. "Are you trying to make me cry again?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Definitely not! Happy tears aren't so bad, but I really don't like hearing a woman get upset."

"The girls are making lunch at the moment," Alyssa said, tilting her head to one side. "Would you like to meet everyone?"

Helene looked uncertain at first, then nodded decisively. "Yes please. I'd like to get to know all your friends."

Alyssa rose from the bed and offered their slightly flustered guest a hand. "Let's get you freshened up, then we'll go say hello. The girls are so excited to meet you!"

John watched them leave, shaking his head at the lightning fast pace of the relationship developing with Helene. Despite everything he'd said to Alyssa before meeting the girl in his Ready Room, he'd basically committed to starting a family with the exotic beauty. He lay back on the bed, pausing for a moment to think about it more carefully. It didn't take long for him to realise that while they'd allayed Helene's fears by setting her expectations, it wasn't remotely the same thing as them actually rushing headlong into making a baby.

Relaxing a little now, he decided to try and encourage Helene to take things slowly, giving her a chance to change her mind before she committed to anything permanent. A new girl joining them raised the worrying problem of another nightmare with the astral monsters, which he'd hoped he wouldn't have to deal with for at least a few more weeks. The thought of being plunged into another dreadful battle on the Astral Plane was a sobering one, and he realised he'd have to start making preparations for that sooner rather than later. It was an issue he'd only expected to crop up if Jehanna decided to join him, but with everything else going on recently, it wasn't something he'd been treating as a high priority. He sighed as he realised that would have to change.

Memories of the luscious dusky reporter brought the smile back to his face, and he wondered how she was doing. Jehanna was a confident, famous, worldly-wise woman, her poise and sophistication part of the strong attraction he felt towards her. With a start, he realised she was almost the polar opposite to Helene in that regard, who had a charming naivety all of her own. He couldn't help wondering how the two of them would interact together. He'd missed talking to the bright-eyed reporter, and he decided to call her as soon as they got within range of the Terran comms beacons.

Lost in his thoughts, which admittedly kept drifting to him picturing the exotic aquatic girl getting very friendly with a certain TFNN lead anchor, he didn't hear the girls emerging from the bathroom.

"Come on, lazy bones, let's go get some lunch," Alyssa teased him, rousing him from his reverie.

John sat up, then gaped at Helene in astonishment. He must have been distracted for much longer than he thought, because she'd had a shower and her teal skin gleamed as it caught the light, practically glowing with health. Alyssa had brushed out that wild tangle of light-green hair and carefully braided it, sweeping the voluminous mane back from her face, so as to emphasise her delicate features. Helene possessed an ethereal natural beauty and John found himself sucked in by those beguiling light-blue eyes.

"What do you think?" Helene asked, doing a little twirl that made her aquamarine skirt flare up and reveal a tantalising glimpse of long well-muscled thighs.

"Wow... you look gorgeous!" John exclaimed, when he regained the use of his faculties.

She giggled and flashed Alyssa a warm smile filled with gratitude. John got up and then offered both girls an arm, then led them out of the bedroom and into the corridor beyond. He could feel Helene's nervousness as they walked towards the Officers' Lounge and when he glanced at her to check she was alright, he saw the apprehension on her face.

"The girls are lovely, you don't have to worry about a thing," he said, trying to sound as reassuring as possible.

Helene nodded and tried not to fidget, which got easier when she was distracted by Alyssa gesturing at the door controls with a flick of her fingers. The double doors swung open much to her astonishment and she gaped at the blonde in awe.

"That's called Telekinesis," Alyssa explained, winking at the startled young woman. "Moving things around with my mind is my speciality... all the girls have them."

"You're all wizards?!" Helene marvelled.

The blonde matriarch nodded, then flashed a dazzling smile at the man between them. "We all have psychic gifts from John for being good girls."

Helene gave John a furtive glance, watching him with a newfound respect as he guided them across the lounge to the long dining table where the first of the girls awaited them.

Alyssa pulled away from John and hugged the Latina, who had a welcoming smile ready for their guest. "This is Calara, my girlfriend," the blonde said with pride, planting a loving kiss on her lover's olive cheeks.

"It's lovely to meet you, Helene," Calara said, stepping forward to greet her with a warm hug. "Alyssa warned us that John wouldn't have eyes for anyone else after your make-over and now I see she wasn't kidding! You look so beautiful."

Helene blushed furiously, not sure whether to be grateful for the compliment, or distressed at the thought she might have offended the kind girl standing before her.

Calara sensed her apprehension and stroked her arm. "I was just joking about John, but not about how pretty you are. Don't worry about upsetting any of us, we're all delighted you decided to come back to the ship with Jade."

Dana took that moment to barge through the door from the kitchen, looking over her shoulder at Rachel as they carried through platters filled with smoked fish. "Yeah, she's smoking hot alright! Jade got her body just perfect, but not her mannerisms... I just wanna give her a big cuddle, she's so adorable!"

Rachel rolled her eyes at her girlfriend and nudged her with an elbow. "We've got company."

"Hello," Helene said with a tentative smile.

Giving her a broad grin, Dana put down the platter, then bounded over to greet her with a big hug. "Welcome to the family! You're going to love it here, I promise!"

Rachel waited for them to part and then glided over to give the newcomer a friendly kiss on the cheek. "I'm so glad you decided to come with us, Helene." She pulled back and couldn't help taking a surreptitious glance at her delicately folded fins. Trying not to embarrass their guest, she switched her focus to the aquatic girl's two-piece outfit and her braided hair. "The French plait looks so good with those clothes! Alyssa has an excellent eye, never be afraid to listen to her fashion advice!"

Helene brushed her fingers over the brunette's silk blouse, marvelling at the delicate softness, before her eyes travelled down to the tight-fitting skirt moulded to Rachel's limber thighs. "I've never seen clothes like these before... you look amazing!"

Alyssa winked at her and slipped an arm around her waist. "I'm really going to like you if you love clothes as much as I do."

Jade, Sakura, and Faye all arrived at the same time, having all been working down in the mech bay on the Valkyrie.

The Nymph beamed a brilliant smile at the Aquatic girl, bounding over to give her a hug. "I promised you an adventure; have you been having fun so far?"

"I've got so much to tell you!" Helene gasped, hugged her back fiercely. "Thank you for choosing me to come with you!"

Jade leaned in and whispered something in her friend's ear and Helene giggled, nodding exuberantly. When they separated, Helene turned her attention to the other two girls. "I'm Helene, it's so nice to meet you."

Sakura glanced down at her oil-smeared jumpsuit with a frown of apology on her face. "I'd love to give you a hug, but I'm all grubby. I don't know how these two managed to stay so clean!"

"Shapeshifting does a marvellous job at removing stains," the Nymph explained.

"And I was just overseeing my boys!" Faye exclaimed with a cheerful grin.

"There are other men here too?" Helene asked, looking at the petite sprite with curiosity.

Faye shook her head, making her purple hair flutter around her face. "Oh, no, that's just my name for the maintenance robots!" She stepped closer and wrapped her arms around Helene's waist. "Welcome aboard the ship! I keep an eye on everything around here, so if you ever need help, just call 'Faye!' and I'll be right there!"

"I'll remember that, thank you," Helene replied, hugging the diminutive sprite back.

"Are the twins okay?" John asked, glancing towards the door. "I'll go give them a hand..."

Dana and Rachel shot a guilty look at each other. "No, don't move a muscle. We'll be right back!" the brunette called out as they returned to the kitchen.

They returned a minute later with more plates full of seafood, followed by Irillith and Tashana who brought out the last of the meal.

"You look exactly the same!" Helene gasped, eyes darting from one Maliri girl to another.

The twins smiled as they put down the food, then walked over to meet her. "We're sisters... twins," Tashana explained. "I'm Tashana and this is Irillith."

"Have you never heard of twins before?" Irillith asked, as they both greeted Helene with a friendly embrace.

She shook her head. "No! I didn't know such a thing was possible... Don't people get confused which of you is which?"

The sisters shared a mischievous smile. "They used to when we were younger," Tashana replied. Irillith shrugged and continued, "Everyone here seems to be able to tell us apart easily enough."

John placed his hand on Helene's lower back and asked, "Are you feeling hungry? The twins are excellent chefs, so I'd definitely recommend trying a bit of everything they've prepared."

Helene glanced back at the spread on the table, her eyes widening. "We normally just put whatever the fishermen catch in a stew... this all looks amazing!"

In honour of the new arrival, the girls just took random seats, making sure that Helene was able to sit next to John. Jade took the seat beside her, much to Helene's delight, and the two were soon chattering away. The Nymph took some time to carefully explain what all the dishes were - with a little guidance from the twins, Helene hanging on her every word.

Seeing that their guest was quite happy, John glanced around the table and asked, "How's the refit going with the Raptor and Valkyrie?"

"We did the Raptor first," Sakura replied, then frowned as she added, "I got outvoted!"

"The Raptor was quickest and easiest to upgrade," Faye explained, with a conciliatory smile at the Asian girl. "All of us worked on that one together and we were done in twenty minutes. The Valkyrie is a bit awkward to access in some places because of its height, so my boys are wrapping that up while we have lunch."

"That's great news," John said, nodding his thanks. "We're going to need as many big guns as possible tomorrow." He glanced over at the Latina and continued, "How's the battle planning coming along?"

"I'm reviewing our footage from the Battle of Regulus at the moment, but I'll start work on projections this afternoon," Calara replied, sounding confident. "With the Maliri fleet operating in conjunction with us, we should be able to make a significant difference."

"Are you going to use regular comms, or rely on telepathy?"

Calara shared a smile with Alyssa. "We were thinking telepathy. My orders will go from me to Alyssa, then she's going to repeat everything to the House Valaden Fleet Commander as well as Almari and Ilyana. The assassins can pass any questions back to Edraele if my orders aren't clear." Her tone made it certain that she didn't expect that to happen.

John nodded, having full confidence in her tactical and strategic acumen. "I'll get in contact with Charles when we're back in Terran Space, it'd be helpful to find out what he knows about the Kintark forces."

"We'll cross the border at 5:23 this evening," Alyssa informed them. "We should be in range of the T-Fed comms beacons about the same time."

"I'd like to be there for the call if that's okay," the Latina requested. "It's important that we coordinate our forces for maximum effectiveness and I'd like as much detail on the Kintark fleet composition as possible."

"Sure, I was going to suggest it anyway," John agreed, giving her an appreciative smile.

They continued eating their lunch and when the meal wound down, Rachel cleared her throat and said quietly, "There's something else we need to discuss... I finished my analysis of Helene's DNA this morning."

John looked at her in surprise. "Why didn't you say so earlier?"

The brunette sighed, a pained expression on her face. "I didn't want to ruin the meal."

Helene glanced around the table, looking worried when she heard her name and everyone went quiet. "Did I do something wrong?"

John clasped her hand and shook his head. "No, not at all, honey. You don't have anything to worry about, I promise."

Rachel turned to look at Faye. "Please can you project the DNA sequences I was studying earlier."

"Will do!" the sprite replied, finding the files and preparing them for display.

Four sets of double-helix spirals arced across the dining room above the table, the genetic strands rotating slowly as they hovered in the air. Most of the crew were quite familiar with these kinds of presentations from their gifted doctor, but Helene gaped at the swirling patterns, her eyes drawn by the bright colours.

"Okay, the top one is a regular Terran DNA sample; actually, it was taken from me before John decided to give me the deluxe upgrade." She darted a quick look his way to make sure he knew she was only teasing.

John smiled and gestured for her to continue.

"The second is from a Brimorian. I collected a handful of shed scales from those guards on the docking platform and did some checks. The Brimorians appear to be a naturally occurring species with no genetic tampering from a Progenitor, Mael'nerak or otherwise."

"Okay, so who is the third set of DNA from?" John asked, not able to really see any discernable difference between them.

The brunette glanced at their guest, giving her a sad smile. "That came from Helene." She nodded to Faye and continued, "Can you show the highlighted DNA markers please."

The display changed, showing highlighted sections from the top two DNA sequences, the selected data then floating down to match the relevant sections of Helene's DNA.

"She's a hybrid!" Sakura exclaimed, whipping her head around to stare at their aquatic guest. "Brimorians can mate with Terrans?!"

Rachel paused for a moment as if not sure how to answer. "The Abandoned are not a naturally occurring species. Helene's DNA is very special, because it shows extensive genetic tampering... but it wasn't done by a Progenitor."

"Who then?" John asked, his eyes drawn to the fourth spiral.

"I recognised it straight away," Rachel said, her expression sombre. "It's the final piece of the puzzle and explains the true origins of the Abandoned. The fourth sample of DNA you can see was taken from Kindralax, the Kintark Emperor's brother."

"The Kintark created the Abandoned?!" John asked, gazing wide-eyed at the screen.

"Either it was the Kintark themselves, or the Brimorians traded Kintark technology so that they could do it. The fingerprints left behind by the gene-splicing revealed Kintark involvement the instant I saw it." She let out a heavy sigh and continued, "Terrans were used as the base template. They were genetically modified and cross-bred with Brimorians to create a new species adaptable to life in the ocean. Helene's DNA shows only mild mutation, so I believe she is fifth generation from the original Terran test subjects."

There was a stunned silence in the dining room as they tried to come to terms with this discovery.

John frowned as he looked at Rachel. "Fifth generation... and their women are having lots of children very young... so how long ago did this start?"

The brunette nodded, confirming that his suspicions matched her own. "It's reasonable to conclude that Helene's subspecies was created approximately a century ago..."

"First contact with the Brimorians!" Calara gasped, staring wide-eyed at John.

"The colonists on the Callopean Shoals..." John muttered, his face set in a bleak mask. "Those poor bastards..."

"But I thought you said that the colonists were killed when they refused to evacuate?" Dana asked, frowning in confusion.

"That was the official story from the Admiralty..." he replied, his mind spinning as he imagined the horrors those people must have suffered through. "The colonists supposedly died in the fighting."

Rachel spoke softly as she said, "But they didn't... they were abandoned..."

John rubbed his face with both hands, then turned to look at Helene. She looked frightened, not understanding much of what was being said, but picking up enough to realise that it concerned her and her people. He opened his arms for her. "Come here, honey. It's okay."

She sat sideways across his lap and he wrapped her up in a comforting hug. "I-I don't understand... what's making you all so sad and upset?"

He undid her braid and began brushing his fingers though her light-green hair to calm her down. "A long time ago, the Brimorians did something very bad to your ancestors."

Helene nodded thoughtfully, they looked up at him with her big eyes. "If they were bad, are they going to be punished?"

John's eyes narrowed. "Yes, you can count on it."

***

"Hoo-rah! Might of the Terran Federation!" Staff Sergeant Clint Brannigan boomed, standing atop the fortified bunker. "Gets me hard as steel every time!"

Sergeant David Gibbons joined the power-armoured soldier in gazing out over the vast field of defensive emplacements. Tanks, mechs, and troopers were deployed throughout the maze of ferrocrete-lined trenches, heavy weapons emplacements, and bunkers that surrounded the Citadel. Heavy transports loomed low in the bright afternoon sky, the ponderous spacecraft bringing in more reinforcements by the day. Darting around those lumbering beasts of burden, Rapier fighters screamed overhead, simulating strafing runs and low-altitude evasive manoeuvres.

Gibbons didn't experience quite the same... response... to that sight as his friend, but he couldn't disagree that it was an extremely impressive view. "We better head back to the barracks, I'm supposed to be meeting Wessex in ten minutes."

Brannigan didn't immediately reply, but Gibbons could see his friend smirking during the brief radio silence.

"Well, I wouldn't want to keep you from important Sentinel Alpha business," the Staff Sergeant said with a straight face, before breaking into deep guffaws.

"Let's go then," Gibbons said gruffly, turning and vaulting off the bunker's roof, the shocks in the legs of his Sentinel armour absorbing the impact when he hit the ground.

Gibbons hated being the source of Brannigan's mirth, but he knew this was all his own damn fault. He got on well with Brannigan and the two sergeants had become drinking buddies since he'd been posted with the Sentinel Battalion on Terra. During a heavy session that involved an ungodly amount of Trankaran Ale, Gibbons had drunkenly confessed to his friend what he really thought about Commander Madison Wessex - leader of the Sentinel Battalion's Armoured Infantry Company.

Everything would have been perfectly fine if he'd ranted about what a bitch their C.O. was and how much of a pain in the ass it was being assigned to her Company. Unfortunately, that's not what Gibbons had said at all. The big problem was that he'd drunkenly admitted to having fallen in love with her. Madison Wessex was gorgeous of course, there was no denying that; what with her athletic figure, wavy dark-brown hair, and that beautiful face with those enchanting green eyes. But there was far more to her than just a pretty face and spectacular body. She was so driven and confident; a pillar of strength that a man could lean on for support when times were hard, a fiercely loyal woman who David knew would always have his back.

Distracted as he was, Gibbons nearly ran headlong into a Pulveriser Mk XII artillery tank, but managed to dodge to one side at the last moment. He slowed his pace, weaving between the unit of tracked heavy artillery being repositioned on the hill. Reaching the crest, he paused for a second to admire the amazing view of the Citadel. From this vantage point he could clearly see the two massive shield generators that kept the fortress safe from orbital bombardment. He actually pitied anyone who would dare to attempt it; the dense network of planetary defence lasers surrounding the base would annihilate any ships foolish enough to try.

Brannigan clapped him on his Sentinel suit's armoured shoulder with a heavy gauntlet. "We better not hang around. Don't want you keeping your date waiting!"

Gibbons grimaced and tried to tune out his friend's braying laughter. He wouldn't have minded Brannigan's ribbing over the last couple of days about the 'happy couple', if it wasn't for the fact that Madison was quite clearly not interested in him in the slightest. She arranged long meetings with Gibbons every day, so to an outside observer, it might seem like she felt the same way as he did. While those meetings were usually tenuously related to the Sentinel Battalion, Madison always managed to find time for the real reason she wanted to speak with him.

To find out more about the Lion...

Commander Wessex had confided that in her mission to excel at everything she did, she no longer considered the Sentinel Battalion to be the most elite unit in the Terran Federation. She wanted to become a lioness, one of the Lion's hand-picked squad of super soldiers.

In truth, Gibbons had only met John Blake very briefly on Port Medea. The Lion had saved him and his squad from Kintark marines, then the two men had exchanged a few words on a couple of occasions. He'd said as much to the obsessed Commander, telling her that he didn't know John Blake personally. However, his commendation from the Lion had convinced her that there was more to the story, so she pumped Gibbons for all the information he could give her.

Admittedly, he loved gazing into her eyes while she spoke animatedly about her various plans, but he was acutely aware that she had him pegged squarely in the friend zone. Madison's primary objective was to get John Blake's attention; to find some way of standing out amongst the throng of Terran women clamouring for a chance to be with the galaxy's most eligible bachelor.

Striding down the reverse slope of the artillery bank, his heart skipped a beat when he spotted Wessex's black suit of Sentinel armour as she jogged towards them. Turning towards Brannigan, he said, "I'll see you later, Clint. Maybe get a beer?"

"Only if she hasn't worn you out, Dave," the Staff Sergeant replied, then made obscene kissing noises as he bounded away.

Gibbons sighed and cut the laughing sergeant from his comm-network, before patching in with Wessex. "Good to see you, Commander."

She grinned at the holo-camera then gestured for him to follow. "Walk with me, Sergeant."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, striding over to fall into step beside her, his autocannon leading the way.

Madison appeared lost in thought for a moment, then her eyes met his as she asked, "What can you tell me about Alyssa? She was with the Lion on Port Medea, right?"

Gibbons nodded cautiously. Okay, this was a new angle...

***

John walked along the corridor with Helene on his arm, watching as Jade skipped ahead with a spring in her step. After the grim turn the conversation had taken during lunch, he wanted to try and cheer up their guest, to make up for scaring her earlier.

Jade hit the button at the end of the corridor, opening the double doors that led into the Lagoon. "You're going to love it!" she gushed, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh wow..." Helene murmured, her eyes big as saucers as she tried to look everywhere at once. "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so wonderful!"

John guided her inside, smiling as his young companion gaped at the colourful plants and trees surrounding the artificial lake. The water was crystal clear, revealing the sandy bottom of the beautifully sculpted lagoon.

"We originally designed this for Jade," he explained, leading Helene along the path to the apex of the bridge. "She loves to swim and the pool we had before was much too small. You're free to use this room whenever you like."

The Nymph shimmied out of her dress, then gave John a cheeky smile as she dived gracefully into the water. She barely made a splash as she plunged beneath the surface, before bobbing up a few seconds later. "Come in!" she urged them.

Helene's eyes were on Jade's dress that she'd left discarded on the floor. She glanced down at her own aquamarine skirt and top, suddenly looking unsure.

"Clothing's entirely optional!" Jade called out, grinning at her new friend.

The aquatic girl blushed at first, then held herself boldly and reached behind her back to unclasp her top. Soon it and her skirt were lying in a crumpled pile at her feet, leaving her standing entirely nude.

"You're a very beautiful girl," John said, openly admiring her gorgeous teal-hued body.

After a brief hesitation, she lifted her shy gaze to meet his. "Would you like to touch me?" she asked softly.

"Very much," he agreed, imagining running his fingers over her well-defined curves.

Her baby-blue eyes flashed with mischief as she declared. "You'll have to catch me first!"

She turned and dived into the lake, her lithe body arcing through the water before she burst up above the surface. Her peal of laughter echoed around the lake, joined by Jade's as the Nymph surged through the water to join her. John was temporarily forgotten in their excitement and the two girls swirled in circles, laughing and playing with carefree abandon.

He squatted down on the bridge and just watched them having fun. It was lovely to see the two girls looking so relaxed and happy, and as much as he would have liked to have stripped off then plunged in after them, he was distracted with a lot on his mind. First and foremost was this disaster in the making within the Terran Federation. Assuming they even managed to survive what promised to be a titanic battle with the Kintark, and somehow helped the Terran Federation achieve victory, he then faced what seemed like an even bigger challenge. Just what was he supposed to do about High Command in the aftermath...

Buckingham and his cohort of Admirals had verged on being openly belligerent towards him the last time they spoke, making for a very tense encounter. Working with them cooperatively seemed to be untenable, but the current mess they were in was just the latest in a chain of disasters. The Dragon March conflict, the Nexus project, the failed attack on the Kintark Empire, their refusal to help the Trankarans, leaving the Kirrix borders exposed, and trying to conceal the Kintark invasion... Considering the pivotal role he imagined the Terran Federation was likely to play against the other Progenitor, John could not afford to let this debacle continue.

*I think you're quickly approaching the point where you have to make a decision,* Edraele said, her voice supportive but firm. *Do you keep trying to work with High Command, or do you impose your will on them to save the Terran Federation?*

*Wouldn't that make me a despot though?* he replied, lost in thought. *What right have I got to just arbitrarily sweep the Admiralty aside?*

*Do you think humanity would be best served with you ruling them or your Progenitor opponent?* Edraele asked, keeping her tone neutral.

*You're advocating 'might makes right' and suggesting a coup?* he asked, surprised at how little the idea shocked him. He would have been appalled at that thought a decade ago, but now it seemed like doing anything else was just postponing the inevitable.

There was a long pause before she answered. *As much as I'd love to be able to offer you some wise advice, we're entering an area where my experience is lacking. I believe that dealing with High Command will probably require some type of creative solution, of the kind that you usually excel at and which leave me shaking my head in admiration.*

*Well I'm stumped at the moment,* he admitted, watching as the two water nymphs competed to see who could leap the highest out of the water. *How would your predecessor handle this situation?*

*You're normally shocked when I elaborate further,* Edraele noted, her thoughts guarded. *Are you sure hearing her nefarious schemes won't alter your opinion of me?*

*Perhaps your lovely daughter was correct,* John replied, with a playful undercurrent to his voice. *Maybe I do have a thing for bad girls after all...*

Her laughter made him smile as it always did. *Alright, you've convinced me.* She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. *Edraele would have gathered information on all the key players within the Admiralty to establish which factions were vying for dominance. Then she would have used bribes, blackmail, and murder to escalate the conflict between the two factions. Every time pawns were removed, she would scheme to insert one of her own, until the leaders were left isolated and alone, surrounded by puppets under her control. At that point the faction leaders could be easily disposed of and her stranglehold over the Admiralty would be complete, without once making her presence known.*

*Truly diabolical...* he said, sending her a telepathic smile. *I'll take that course of action under advisement.*

*Happy to be of service, My Lord,* Edraele replied, pleased to hear his mood lifting.

Helene and Jade swam underneath the bridge, blowing kisses at him as they frolicked in the water. He waved back, his gaze lingering on the teal-coloured girl as she splashed the Nymph. *Now we've established how we're dealing with the Terran Federation, what do we do about the Abandoned?* he asked drily.

*Unfortunately, liberating a poorly-educated slave-labour force is quite beyond my expertise,* Edraele said with a hint of humour, but tinged with plenty of regret. *A career as a vindictive tyrant furnished me with a fairly narrow skillset.*

*I can't leave the Abandoned to be abused by the Brimorians, but I'm not sure they'd fare that much better if we brought them back to the Terran Federation,* John murmured, feeling completely out of his depth. *Do we have any suitable planets within the Maliri Protectorate we could give them as a homeworld?*

*If you mean fully or mostly oceanic worlds? Yes, there's at least a dozen I can think of, but this won't be as simple as just handing over a planet, no matter how ideally-suited it is as a habitat. The main problem would be the total lack of infrastructure awaiting them. Depending on the numbers involved, preparing housing and even rudimentary facilities could be a major undertaking,* she replied, sounding troubled.

*So you're telling me I can't just ride in there, kill the badguys, and save the day?* he asked to lighten the mood.

*Sadly, I think the post-battle work will require a much lengthier investment of time and effort. We'll need to provide personnel for critical services like medical care, as well as establish some kind of leadership structure, unless you want to simply treat them as a vassal state. In all honesty, they're probably incapable of looking after their own interests at the moment, so it might be a prudent choice in the short term.*

John rubbed his forehead as he tried to envision the logistical nightmare ahead of him, if he tried to set up the Abandoned as an independent people.

*Alright, that's enough about that for now,* Alyssa said, her voice gentle but insistent. *We'll be going into battle tomorrow morning and we need you fully focused and alert. Now isn't the time to be dwelling on the Abandoned.*

He heard the click of heels and when he glanced their way, he saw Alyssa and Dana approaching.

"Time for more therapy!" the redhead declared, with a playful gleam in her eyes.

John straightened and looked around for Rachel, wondering what the imaginative brunette had in store for him that afternoon.

Dana shook her head and winked at him. "Nah, not with Miss Smarty-Pants. This time you get some good old-fashioned Karron-girl therapy instead..."

The two girls slid their hands into his and started leading him across the bridge, giving him a coy glance over their shoulders.

John turned back to look down into the Lagoon, where Helene was watching him with a look of disappointment on her face. He held back from Dana and Alyssa to speak with the aquatic girl, but Jade swam up beside her and whispered something in her ear. Whatever the Nymph said seemed to perk Helene up considerably and she giggled in delight as she waved him goodbye.

"Jade's taking our mermaid under her wing; she'll take really good care of her," Alyssa said quietly. "Trust us, we've all got your best interests at heart."

John stopped resisting the blonde and redhead, letting them guide him into the Observatory. It didn't come as much of a surprise when they both stripped, then had him equally naked less than a minute after they'd stepped foot through the door.

Dana pressed the button to peel back the armour plating that covered the Observatory's crystal dome, revealing a breath-taking vista of the stars. She bounded into the middle of the circular bed, then knelt patiently as she waited for him to join her. Alyssa took her time as she sashayed over to the pillows, rearranging them with some specific purpose in mind, before joining her friend in sitting on the bed.

"Okay, we're all set," she said with an alluring smile, patting the bed in front of her.

John followed her lead, sitting between the two teenagers. "What are you two up to?" he asked, glancing at each of them in turn.

Dana leaned in and gave him a tender kiss. "No tricks. You and me need to unlock lots of awesome Progenitor tech, remember?"

Alyssa snuggled in behind him, wrapping her arms around his body. "And I want you to relax, so you can give it your all tomorrow."

She lay backwards, pulling him with her so that his head was cushioned on her soft warm breasts. From this angle, he was gazing up at the stars, the spectacular view through the clear crystal window quite mesmerising. Amidst the sprawl of stars was a glorious nebula, consisting of extravagant swirls of orange reds and yellows, all that remained of a star that had gone supernova hundreds of thousands of years ago. He was suddenly struck by the almost incomprehensible age of the universe and couldn't help wondering what impact, if any, he was actually making on the future. Would stopping this other Progenitor make any real difference a thousand years from now, let alone even longer?

Dana's fingers encircled his shaft and before he knew it, she was engulfing him up to the hilt in her throat. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the snug warm grip as Dana lovingly worshipped his cock.

"There you go," Alyssa purred in his ear as she massaged his head with her nimble fingers. "Forget about everything else for the moment. You're surrounded by girls who love you, that's all that really matters."

He relaxed in her embrace, losing himself in their gentle caresses. His climax was slow to build, but powerful when he reached the point of release, and when he finally opened his eyes again he was seeing a new set of stars.

"Did you feel it?" Jade asked, an excited note to her voice.

John chuckled and was about to tell her, "Of course I did!", when another less familiar voice spoke instead.

"He was throbbing in her throat!" Helene exclaimed. "How did it even fit?!"

Glancing down towards his feet, he saw the aquatic beauty kneeling behind Dana, her slender fingers gently cupping the bulge he'd made in the redhead's throat.

Dana stopped suckling and eased back so that he slipped from her lips. "Just wait till you try it... you're going to love it!"

She sat up and stretched, purposefully turning to show off the rounded curve of her cum-packed belly.

Helene let out a strangled squeak, gaping in astonishment at Dana's swollen tummy. "W-what? H-how?" she stammered, while reaching out with a trembling hand, fingers drawn to the teenager's tautly-stretched abdomen.

"I heard you wanted to be surprised. Did you like this one?" the redhead asked with a mischievous grin.

Biting her flushed lower lip, the aquatic girl nodded, darting an excited look John's way. "Yes, I really did..."

***

Grand Prelate Melkadian rose from the intricately woven prayer mat in his quarters, having gratefully thanked the gods for their continued benevolence. He'd spent all afternoon working with the Traitor, calculating the fleet strengths the Terran Federation were likely to be able to field for the upcoming battle. To hear Admiral Norwood talk, tomorrow's battle would be a foregone conclusion. Of course Melkadian had been forced to put up with the idiotic Terran's ranting about High Command, and his idealistic talk of a new republic. Melkadian had made sure to thank Tergonoth the Tolerant, for giving him enough patience to deal with the delusional fool.

The comms interface rang with a loud chime and Melkadian hurried to his desk. "Imperial Majesssty! How fortuitousss, I wasss just about to contact you. We've been planting a trail of Commsss Beaconsss asss you requesssted, and I-"

The colossal draconic visage of the Kintark Emperor took up most of the holo-screen. "I KNOW, MELKADIAN... HOW ELSE WOULD VILANDRITH AND I STAY IN COMMUNICATION?" he rumbled, his bass voice muted to a dull roar by the comms interface. "TOMORROW WILL MARK A GLORIOUS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE. WE SHALL CUT THE HEAD OFF THE TERRAN FEDERATION SNAKE, FOR ALL OUR LOYAL CITIZENS TO SEE."

Melkadian bowed respectfully. "Thisss victory will sssee you immortalisssed in the legendsss of the Kintark... you will be revered asss a god made flesssh, Imperial Majesssty."

The Emperor's maw lifted into a dangerous smile, revealing rows of enormous fangs. "AND WHAT MONIKER WOULD YOU SEE ME ADOPT AS I JOIN THE PANTHEON OF THE GODS, MELKADIAN? BALEDRANAX THE WISE? BALEDRANAX THE CONQUEROR?"

"Isss there a way of incorporating both in the title, Imperial Majesssty?" Melkadian inquired respectfully. "They are equally fitting after all..."

Those huge reptilian eyes narrowed in disapproval. "YOUR DEFERENCE BORDERS ON OBSEQUIOUSNESS, GRAND PRELATE, AND I HAVE NO USE FOR SERVILE LACKEYS. YOU HOLD YOUR POSITION BECAUSE OF YOUR COMPETENCE, NOT BECAUSE I NEED MY EGO STROKED."

Melkadian bowed again. "Pleassse forgive me, Imperial Majesssty. I meant no disssressspect."

Baledranax sighed, his breath whistling through his teeth like wind howling through a mountain pass. "IT IS I WHO SHOULD APOLOGISE, MELKADIAN. I CHAFE WITH IMPATIENCE AS I AWAIT THE BATTLE TOMORROW."

The Grand Prelate straightened and shook his head. "There are no apologiesss necesssary, Imperial Majesssty. It isss ssstrange to think that tomorrow we will finally sssee the culmination of all our planning. I must confesss to being asss equally eager to sssee the battle commence, ssso I fully underssstand what you are feeling." He cocked his head to one side. "Have you had a chance to review the battle ssstrategy I drew up with the traitor?"

"INDEED I HAVE. I SAW YOUR ADDITIONAL NOTES ON YOUR PLANS FOR OLYMPUS SHIPYARD AND AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY," the Emperor stated, a glimmer of amusement in his huge eyes. "HOWEVER, I WISH TO MAKE SOME ALTERATIONS TO THE ATTACK ON TERRA ITSELF."

Melkadian nodded. "Of courssse, Imperial Majesssty. Name them and we will make the necesssary adaptationsss to our plansss."

Baledranax began to outline the corrections he wished to make and the Grand Prelate's eyes widened as he listened.

"That'sss inssspired, Imperial Majesty!" Melkadian gushed. When he saw the Emperor view him with suspicion, he quickly waved his hands. "No, I mean it, I ssswear! The psssychological ssshockwave this will sssend through the Terran Federation will crusssh their morale! Our sssuccesssful occupation will be a mere technicality!"

"I AM GLAD YOU APPROVE, MELKADIAN," the emperor boomed with a deep chuckle of amusement, his smile widening even further.

***

John settled into his Command Chair, as Alyssa took her place to his right at the Executive Officer's station. "How long until we reach the border?" he asked the purple sprite sitting on his console, while studying the Sector Map floating in the centre of the Bridge.

"Three minutes, John!" Faye replied, giving him a bright smile. "I've picked up the Terran defence fleet on our long-range sensors. We're in range to hail them."

"Are we close enough to the T-Fed comms beacons to pick up a signal yet?"

She shook her head, purple hair moving in a flowing wave as it framed her elfin face. "Not quite yet, but very soon. Going by past experiences, I suspect we'll receive a deluge of messages the moment we're in range. I'm allocating ten of my avatars to work on reviewing them to search for anything urgent, while the other two monitor the news networks."

"Excellent. Let me know if you find anything important," he replied, brow creasing with worry. "The main priority is finding out more information on the Kintark or the Kirrix threats."

"Of course, I've set my search parameters accordingly!" she replied, her dimples showing as she beamed at him.

"Okay, please hail the border fleet on a secure comm channel," he requested, turning his attention to the holo-screen.

It only took a couple of seconds for the call to be connected and a young communications officer appeared, his face lit up with excitement. "I-I can't believe it..." he stammered, looking at John in awe. Shaking off his shock, he continued, "It's an honour to speak with you, Vice Admiral Blake! How can I be of service?"

"I believe Admiral Morgan spoke with a Maliri Fleet Commander late last night. I'd like to speak with him if possible, please," John asked politely.

"Right away, Sir!" the lieutenant replied, snapping off a hasty salute.

The holo-screen image flickered a few seconds later and a worried man in an Admiral's uniform appeared before them, seated in what appeared to be his Ready Room. "Thank God you're here!" Morgan blurted out, his anxiety overriding his usual politeness. "I've been worried sick!"

"Thank you for granting passage to Lilyana and her fleet, Admiral Morgan," John said, giving him a grateful smile. "You could have made that very awkward."

Morgan gnawed his lower lip for a second. "It was a lot to ask... Letting an alien warfleet sail unopposed through Federation space could torpedo my career!"

"If you hadn't let them through, there'd be no Terran Federation left to have a career with," John said quietly.

That did little to settle the Admiral's nerves. "What the hell's going on? It can't be that bad, surely?"

John took a deep breath, then replied, "I'm afraid it is. The Kintark have launched what appears to be a massive invasion fleet for Terra; I sent the Maliri ahead to help defend the homeworld and that's where we're headed too. The battle's tomorrow."

Morgan gaped at him in shock, unable to believe what he was hearing. "But that's impossible! What about the Dragon March fleet?! I've not heard a thing..." He blinked owlishly for a moment, then balked, "Tomorrow! You'll never make it in time!"

"The Invictus is six times faster than a Terran ship... you'll see for yourself when we're in your sensor range. Don't worry, we'll get there in time," John replied, although he wasn't anywhere near as confident as his tone implied.

The Admiral smiled, looking greatly relieved. "Well thank God for you, John! Devereux wasn't wrong, you really are the Pride of the Federation!" He hesitated for a second, then added, "You really made an alliance with the Maliri?!"

John nodded, allowing himself a smile of his own. "I'm close friends with their leaders, and I know we can trust them. We're really going to need their help for the battle tomorrow."

Morgan frowned with frustration. "I just wish we were fast enough to join you as well... I feel so useless stuck out here." His frown deepened as he continued, "The Kintark invasion... it must be why Vice-Admiral Ling's fleet was recalled from this border to the Core Worlds."

"From what we've gathered so far, all the Federation fleets have been recalled... from every border. Yours is the only exception," John explained.

The Admiral grimaced, his mouth twisted with distaste. "Yes, I suspect I know why..."

Faye suddenly gasped, her face frozen in horror. "Oh no!"

John turned to her and asked insistently, "What is it?"

"Jehanna! She's gone missing!" the purple sprite exclaimed, her face stricken with anguish.

John's heart lurched in his chest and the armrests of his chair creaked as he clamped down on them with both hands. His eyes snapped back to the holo-screen and he said, "Sorry, Admiral, I've got to go."

Morgan nodded his understanding. "Thanks for the courtesy call. I wish you the best of luck for the battle... we're all counting on you, John."

Nodding to the Terran Federation officer before he closed the call, John reached out to grasp Faye's hand. "How do you know, Faye? What happened?"

Her face was tense with worry as she turned to the holo-screen. "We got this urgent message from Avery Gibson; he's Jehanna's boss... He sent it three days ago!"

The holo-screen flickered, replaying the recorded message.

The lean middle-aged man looked distraught as he stared at the camera. "I'm trying to get hold of John Blake, the Lion... it's about Jehanna... I-" his voice trailed away and he gulped down the lump in his throat as he made a visible effort to pull himself together.

"My name's Avery Gibson, I'm Editor-in-Chief at TFNN. My Lead Anchor, Jehanna Elani, has gone missing! She went to investigate a lead on the Nymph story... she arranged to meet a contact by the name of Peterson in a car park beneath the Balcova hotel. She was supposed to check in after the meeting, but there was no call... something happened to her... I think she was abducted last night!"

He ran his hand through his hair, eyes frantic as he blurted out, "I warned her not to take any risks, but she was adamant! She wanted to do that story for you! Please help, you've got to find her!"

Faye ended the message, then turned to face John. "He's called every day since then. She's still missing and from what Avery's found out from the police investigation, they suspect a kidnapping." Her expression darkened as she added, "Witnesses also heard gunshots just before she disappeared..."

Alyssa reached over and clasped John's hand, her expression fraught with worry. "You don't think she's...?"

The sinking feeling in John's chest got a hundred times worse. "What else can you tell us, Faye? Did Avery give you any more details?"

"Apparently the police tried to check the camera footage in the garage, but all the recordings were wiped, including the archived backups!" the purple girl explained, her luminous eyes tense with worry. "They checked the street cameras surrounding the hotel, but they'd been wiped too! The whole area was under a surveillance blackout!"

"She's still alive," Sakura said assertively as she stepped out of the grav-tube, followed by the rest of the girls except Jade and Helene. When John turned his chair to look her way, she walked up the steps towards him and continued, "Alyssa just filled us in. It wasn't some crazed stalker that took Jehanna. Pulling off that kind of blanket security lockdown takes specialist skills."

Irillith nodded as she said, "You'd need to remote wipe the camera feeds, from both hotel security and municipal security, then you'd have to track down their off-site archive facilities, hack them, and make sure the backup footage was erased."

"There'd be a tight timeframe too," Sakura agreed. "You'd need to neutralise the cam footage just before your operatives were in place for the abduction, to avoid anyone investigating broken cam-feeds. You wouldn't be able to wait until after she was taken to retro-actively delete the files, in case the alarm was raised too quickly and the footage was seen before you had a chance to erase it."

"Maybe a team of kidnappers working together?" Tashana suggested.

Sakura shook her head and gazed into John's eyes. "My gut tells me this was a Federation Internal-Security operation. After they went to all this trouble to abduct Jehanna, they wouldn't just kill her... I think she's probably still alive, perhaps being interrogated."

Alyssa looked deeply troubled as she said, "Jehanna was running loads of pro-Lion propaganda pieces. She must have really pissed someone off in High Command."

John's eyes got cold and hard. "I warned those fuckers... If Buckingham or any of his cronies were behind this, they're going to wish they were dead." His gaze snapped to Irillith. "Alright, the chains come off. If they want to try to fuck with us, we'll show them what happens. I want you to bust High Command security wide open! I want to know what happened to Jehanna, what happened with the Abandoned colonists, what they know about the Kintark invasion... all of it. I want all the dirt on Buckingham you can gather... anything you can find... and I don't give a fuck if he knows about it."

Irillith cracked her knuckles, a wicked smile on her face. "Oh yeah... They won't know what hit them!" She rushed off to her IntOps Station, her violet eyes glowing before she'd even taken her seat.

John leaned forward in his seat as he looked at Sakura. "Can you track Jehanna with her ethereal cord, like you did with Calara?"

Sakura hesitated, doubt in her almond-shaped eyes. "You'd need to load me up before I can check, although we could try using the Psi-scanner instead... but I thought you only fed Jehanna once?"

"That's true, but isn't there some kind of link anyway?" John asked hopefully.

Alyssa shook her head, her expression full of regret. "I don't have an empathic connection with Jehanna. It would take three times before she's permanently linked to me."

"I'm sure you're right, but I still want to double-check to make sure," John said, with obvious disappointment. "Otherwise, we're relying on Irillith to track her down."

"I could just beat the information out of Buckingham!" the blonde offered brightly. "I suppose I could break into his mind to find out, but that won't be quite as much fun."

John couldn't help imagining how frightened Jehanna must be... if she was actually still alive. "If we can get near Buckingham, either option sounds good at this point."

"So what's our overall plan?" Alyssa asked softly, squeezing John's hand. "It seems like the shit's hitting the fan from all angles at the moment."

He was quiet as he considered their options. "It seems pretty obvious to me that the Kintark are working for the other Progenitor. Even if they aren't, we can't have them at the Terran Federation's throats, so we need to eliminate them as a threat," he replied, his jaw clenching as he suppressed his anger. "As soon as we finish the battle, we need to rescue Jehanna. Then when she's safe, we sort out High Command once and for all. After the dust has settled, we help the Abandoned and deal with the Brimorians."

"We still have the Kirrix to defend against too," Calara reminded him, perturbed by the wide array of threats lined up against them. "We also have to help the Trankarans reclaim their lost worlds."

"I warned Chancellor Niskera telepathically that the Maliri fleet would be delayed," Alyssa said, gazing into John's eyes. "We'll be adding at least three more days until they arrive, due to this diversion to Terra."

John nodded, then turned to look at Calara. "We need to keep that fleet as intact as possible... minimal casualties if you can manage it. The Trankarans desperately need their help."

The Latina hesitated as she said, "I can use them far more cautiously than I'd previously intended, but it'll limit their effectiveness in the battle against the Kintark."

"You know our medium and long term strategic objectives; I trust you to make the best judgement call," he said, meeting her apprehensive brown-eyed gaze.

"Only five months left before our retirement," Alyssa said with the hint of a smile. "Sounds like we're going to be very busy..."

"Wait a second!" Faye blurted out, a look of confusion on her elfin face. "Something isn't making sense!"

"About using the Maliri against the Kintark?" John asked, looking as bewildered by her outburst as everyone else.

"No, I don't mean them, I was thinking about Jehanna!" Faye exclaimed, turning to look at Alyssa in confusion. "John only fed Niskera once, but you just said you're able to contact her telepathically!"

"Yes, that's right," Alyssa said, nodding her confirmation, but appearing bemused at the way Faye was reacting. "What's the problem?"

Faye looked around at the sea of bewildered faces in astonishment. "What's the matter with all of you? Alyssa just said a girl needs to be fed three times to be permanently linked, but Niskera only took one time!" Her luminous purple eyes flickered as she gasped, "Oh! She's not the only one either! What about all the Maliri?! You've linked over a thousand of them to Edraele and aside from her inner circle, the vast majority were only fed once... but they're all still connected!"

Alyssa blinked, the shock behind her eyes like a light had just been switched on. "How the fuck did we miss that?!"

John frowned, gazing around at the girls. "Maybe we've subconsciously avoided thinking about it, like the way we were oblivious to the physical and mental aspects of the Change for so long."

"Thinking back now, I had an empathic connection to Jade after the first time too," the blonde said, looking thoughtful. "I remember the mosaic portrait appearing in my mind before you'd fed her three times."

Shrugging in exasperation, John said, "There's bound to be some kind of explanation, but I've no idea what it could be."

"I'll look into it," Rachel volunteered.

He nodded to her gratefully, then glanced around the group. "We've got a few hours this evening for final preparations, then we should call it a night; we have an early start tomorrow morning so I want you all well-rested. We'll arrive in the Sol System just before 7:00am, so I suggest we get up an hour earlier for a pre-battle briefing and a last-minute top-up."

They all seemed quite happy with his plan, but Sakura met his gaze as he looked at each of them in turn. "I'd like to practice fighting with a single blade. Would you be up for a sparring session?"

"Training for the Valkyrie?" John asked, receiving a nod when he guessed correctly. "Sure, we can go over some battle tactics with the sword. I'll meet you in the Dojo in a few minutes, but I need to call Charles first."

"No problem, I'll see you down there," the Asian girl readily agreed.

The group began to disperse and Calara fell into step with John as he headed to the Ready Room. He pressed the button to open the door and gestured for her to enter. "Now with a bit of luck, we can find out what the hell's been going on back on Terra..."

***

Admiral Charles Harris took his seat in the holographic meeting room, studying the members of High Command that were gathering for this Emergency Meeting. There were several other Admirals physically present in the room with him on Olympus Shipyard, but most were represented via holographic images. The atmosphere was tense, with everyone speculating about the purpose of the meeting. Charles glanced around the room looking for familiar faces and when he got to Admiral Cartwright, he saw that the canny logistics officer was staring right at him.

"Any idea what this is about, Aiden?" Charles asked his colleague.

"I was hoping you might be able to tell me, Charles," Cartwright replied in his detached unemotional voice. "I've heard some... disturbing rumours of late."

Charles frowned and shook his head. "I've had my nose to the grindstone. It's been bedlam for the last couple of weeks trying to coordinate all these civilian contractors with the refit, I haven't had time for gossip."

"How interesting..." Cartwright murmured, his shrewd, penetrating gaze making Charles feel uncomfortable. "I believe you met with Admiral Devereux shortly before her... incident. Should I believe that to be mere coincidence?"

"Wait a minute... what happened to Devereux?!" Charles blurted out, looking at the other Admiral in alarm.

Cartwright tilted his head to one side. "Very convincing... or perhaps an artful ruse?"

Before Charles could ask any more questions, a hologram of Fleet Admiral Buckingham strode into the room. The leader of High Command was currently in the Citadel on Terra, in a holographic meeting room identical to the one on Olympus.

"Ladies and gentlemen," Buckingham began, raising his arms to get the Admirals' attention. The room went silent as all eyes focused on him. "I've called this emergency meeting to discuss some urgent business and to address the wild rumours that have been circulating of late."

He began to pace back and forth. "These are dark times, my friends. The Terran Federation is beset by hostile aliens on all sides and now is the time for us to band together, for the betterment of all humanity." Buckingham froze and gazed out at his audience. "The Terran Federation has been invaded by the Kintark Empire!"

There were shocked gasps all round and Charles shared a stunned look with Cartwright.

"Why did you order a comms blackout in the Dragon March?" Admiral Eleanor Maybridge demanded furiously rising to her feet. "I've seen all the fleets gathering in the Sol System... Why aren't you dispatching reinforcements to Port Medea?!"

Buckingham turned to face her, his expression one of sympathy. "You have my most sincere condolences, Eleanor. Port Medea and the defensive fleets were overwhelmed and completely destroyed with the loss of all hands."

Her face went white as a sheet and she brought her hand to her chest as she wavered unsteady, the two Admirals helping return the horrified woman to her seat. Through his utter shock at hearing the fate of the Dragon March forces, Charles felt a sharp pang of sympathy for Admiral Maybridge; he knew her niece was stationed on Port Medea.

Returning his focus to the rest of his audience, Buckingham declared, "The Kintark invasion force is heading for Terra! I've recalled all available fleets in preparation to meet this deadly threat with the massed might of the Terran Federation. We're going to crush them in our own backyard!"

Charles didn't feel any sense of relief after solving the mystery behind the throng of fleets gathering at Olympus Shipyard; instead he felt a terrible sense of dread. The fleets had been arriving for the last few days, but it was only a four-day journey to the Dragon March from Alpha Centauri... Just how long had Buckingham known they were coming?

"When do the Kintark arrive?" he called out loudly.

Buckingham glanced at him in irritation, obviously planning to build up to that announcement. "Tomorrow morning," he grudgingly admitted.

That announcement brought chaos to the meeting room as Admirals gasped, shouted, and swore, their reactions alternating from fear to outrage.

"You're only telling us now?!" Admiral Kester roared. "You fucking fool! What the hell are you playing at?!"

Buckingham's eyes narrowed in fury as he snapped, "You'll keep a civil tongue in your head or I'll see you ejected from this meeting!"

"Fuck civility, you demented old bastard!" Kester snarled. "You can't keep High Command in the dark, we-"

His holographic image blinked out and the Fleet Admiral nodded his appreciation to Admiral Weber.

"Silence, all of you!" Buckingham demanded. The indignant roar of the crowd quieted to surly mutterings as he continued, "All precautions have been taken... We've mined the most likely approach vectors to the Sol System and we've summoned every available fleet that was close enough to Terra to arrive in time for the battle. Our forces have undergone maintenance, resupply, and rearmament at Olympus; they're all battle-ready. I have ensured that-"

Admiral Cartwright rose to his feet. "What happened to Devereux?" he interrupted, his calm but frosty voice slicing through the unsettled rumbling in the meeting room.

The Fleet Admiral held himself ramrod straight. "Lynette Devereux was conspiring with hostile aliens to overthrow High Command. I charged her with treason and she was shot while resisting arrest."

There were more shocked gasps, with High Command left reeling by his blunt declaration.

"I've never heard anything more absurd," Cartwright replied with a cold look of contempt. "Devereux was fiercely loyal, she loved the Terran Federation."

Buckingham shook his head, a triumphant smile on his face. "I told her not to go running to John Blake for help, but she ignored a direct order and attempted to do so anyway! Her 'Lion of the Federation' has been in league with the Maliri all along... Devereux was plotting a coup!"

Admiral Morgan's holographic face looked ashen. "The Maliri... they've sent a warfleet... they're heading for Terra!"

The Fleet Admiral whirled around, his eyes bulging with a mixture of anger and fear. "What did you say?!"

Morgan sounded sick as he replied, "A Maliri warfleet crossed the Brimorian border late last night. They were followed by John Blake, who left the Brimorian Enclave and entered Terran Space an hour ago."

Buckingham gaped at the man in disbelief. "You willingly permitted an alien warfleet to enter Federation territory?! You're either grossly incompetent or part of this conspiracy!"

Eyes narrowing in anger, Morgan shook his head, "The Maliri had a message from the Lion requesting safe passage! John Blake confirmed he'd take full responsibility! I spoke to him earlier... he knew about the Kintark invasion; he said he was coming to help!"

"You witless fool!" Buckingham snarled. "The only thing John Blake and the Maliri are here to do is help the Kintark rampage through the Sol System!"

"But he's only helped us so far!" Morgan objected. "Saving Terra from that rogue AI, destroying the Kintark fleet at Regulus... He's got two Stellar Clusters for God's sake!"

"And all the while his popularity has been soaring," Buckingham said condescendingly as if explaining something to a truculent child. "Paving the way for toppling High Command and establishing himself as unopposed leader of the Terran Federation. His ascendancy would be welcomed by the unwashed masses... the half-wits would be begging him to take control!"

"That's preposterous," Cartwright said, shaking his head. "I've met the man; he isn't a threat to the Terran Federation, he's an ally."

"Is that so," Buckingham replied, his voice seething with barely controlled anger. "Because I've met John Blake too and he threatened us after the Battle of Regulus! Ask Caldwell, Weber, or Mishra; they were all there and heard every word! Blake is from a highly-advanced hostile alien species, he openly confessed to it! If he was really an ally, why wouldn't he share all the technology he has on the Invictus? He's got Maliri weaponry installed on that Frankenstein ship of his... he used those guns to destroy a Terran battleship at Regulus!"

Charles sat in stunned silence as he listened to Buckingham twist events to fit his narrative. That Terran Battleship was manned by traitors allied with Admiral Lynton, but the Fleet Admiral was making it sound like John had fired on his own side. He wanted to stand up and object, tear apart these false accusations and defend his friend's good name... but this had come as a terrible shock and he knew he was ill-prepared. More than anything now, he needed to warn John what had transpired here.

Charles felt a pang of sorrow when he thought of Admiral Devereux. He'd always admired her sense of ambition, but had always kept a wary distance, not wanting to get snared up in her political games as she chased her all-consuming desire to become Fleet Admiral. By the time he realised she was actually a close ally, it had all been too late... she'd tried to warn John herself and paid the ultimate price. "I'll make sure your Lion avenges you, Lynette," he thought to himself, full of remorse.

He turned his attention back to Buckingham who was gesturing towards Admiral Caldwell. "Edwin will have full operational command of the battle in the Sol System, directing strategy from aboard the Zeus. I will be stationed in the Citadel, where I will be closely monitoring the entire theatre of battle."

The atmosphere in the room had changed to sullen brooding and when Charles glanced at the other Admirals, he saw many of them darting furtive looks around too. High Command was teetering on the brink of mutiny... he could feel it, the Admirals could feel it, and Buckingham clearly knew it too.

"What happens when John Blake and the Maliri arrive... Sir," Admiral Connor Malone asked through gritted teeth. "Are you really proposing we fire on him?"

Buckingham eyes gleamed with anticipation. "Of course! With the vast firepower we've assembled at Terra, we'll obliterate Blake and his allies if he dares to show his face!"

Malone looked at him with barely controlled disdain. "What if he arrives in the middle of the battle?"

The Fleet Admiral rolled his eyes. "You just heard Morgan's report... John Blake only crossed the border a couple of hours ago. Yes, the Invictus is incredibly fast, but even knowing the speed it can travel, he won't arrive here until..." He glanced at Mishra. "Have you got an estimate?"

"Nav-Comp predictions put his ETA at 12:30 tomorrow afternoon," she replied, studying a holo-reader.

Buckingham's mouth twisted into a sneer. "That's six hours after the battle with the Kintark is predicted to commence! We'll crush the alien invaders and prove once and for all who is the dominant power in the galaxy. With the Kintark threat dispensed with, we can stop for lunch, then bring all our guns to bear on Blake and his Maliri lackeys!"

Weber laughed at his feeble joke but was alone in doing so.

Buckingham turned his attention back to the rest of his audience and declared, "We are fighting for the future of humanity everyone! I wish you the best of fortune in the battle to come. For the Glory of Terra!"

A handful of Admirals half-heartedly mumbled the battlecry, but everyone else stayed mute in appalled silence. Buckingham frowned, having hoped for a rallying moment to leave the meeting on a high note.

"Full mission briefings will be provided immediately after this meeting. You're dismissed," he grumbled, before turning and striding from the meeting room.

The lights went up in the room and holograms of the officers flickered before being shut down. That left Charles with Admirals Aiden Cartwright, Connor Malone, Aerie Malone, and Miriam Poznanski, who all looked just as shellshocked as he felt. They filed out of the meeting room, sharing worried glances, but knowing that they were undoubtedly being monitored.

As Connor Malone walked past he whispered under his breath, "We need to talk... I'll be in touch."

Charles did his best not to react and walked wearily back to his office. He didn't have to fake his sudden sense of exhaustion; he felt like he'd aged ten years in less than ten minutes...

***

John frowned at the image of the Terran Federation insignia. "It's no use, I'm not able to contact anybody! It looks like we're being blocked from sending out messages via the comms beacons."

Calara shared a grim frown with him. "Shutting us out of the Terran Federation Communications Network is a drastic step. How aggressively confrontational do you think High Command is going to be?"

"Short of firing on us you mean?" John asked, with a heavy sigh. "After the award ceremony I thought we'd established a reasonable working relationship. I should have known there was a problem when Buckingham, Devereux, and the others were missing from the reception afterwards. If I'd known it was going to get this bad, I would've tackled the situation weeks ago."

"But what do we do if they do fire on us?" Calara persisted, her eyes tense with worry. "John... I can't fire on Terran forces!"

He put his arms around her waist and giving her a hug. "We'll just have to pray it doesn't come to that."

*Irillith's hacking the comms network,* Alyssa informed him. *She'll be done shortly.*

*Okay, thanks for letting me know,* John replied, before turning his attention back to the brunette. "At least your Dad's clear of this fight," he said, stroking Calara's back. "Mateo's with him on the Damocles isn't he?"

The Latina nodded, then stiffened with a sharp intake of breath. "Eduardo! He's patrolling the Ashanath border on the battleship Orion! He might have been recalled to defend Terra!"

John look up at her in concern. "If he is, we'll have to take steps to protect him."

She hugged him back. "Thank you!"

The comm-interface chimed and Irillith's glowing face appeared in the display. "Hello, John."

He released Calara and smiled at the cyber-realm representation of the gorgeous Maliri hacker. "Alyssa said you've been busy."

She returned his smile and nodded. "I've subverted the T-Fed comms beacons so you can now send covert messages without being tracked or having logs recorded. I also embedded a carrier signal into the message to project white noise, which will block audio pickup for electronic devices. Even if there are any bugs in Admiral Harris' office, anything you say to him will just be between the two of you."

"Fantastic work as usual, thanks honey," John replied, smiling at her appreciatively.

Irillith blew him a kiss, a playful twinkle in her violet eyes. "I live to serve, My Lord." She waved goodbye and added, "I've routed the call through; it should connect any moment."

Her beautiful face disappeared from view and was replaced by the Terran Federation insignia. That in turn melted away a couple of seconds later, and John's old Commanding Officer appeared, looking drawn and haggard.

"Everything's gone to hell, John," Charles said quietly, too numb with shock to even be surprised that his old friend had managed to get through to him. "Even you can't fix this mess..."

John leaned forward, his voice low with an uncharacteristic edge to it. "Tell me everything, Charles."

Shaking his head, Charles gazed at the screen and let out a humourless laugh. "Where do I even start...?"

"This channel's secure... you don't have to worry about being bugged," John said, worried for his old friend. "I already know about the Kintark invasion; that they'll be laying siege to Terra tomorrow. Is there anything else?"

"Devereux's dead... she got shot resisting arrest for treason," Charles replied, his features twisted with sorrow.

Calara gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "No!"

"Fuck me..." John muttered slumping back in his chair.

Running his hand through his hair, Charles let out a mournful sigh. "She came to see me, just before... we spoke in secret and she told me she was trying to help you all along. I didn't realise it at the time, but she must have already known about the Kintark invasion. She attempted to contact the Maliri and try to warn you what was coming, so Buckingham turned on her."

John felt a surge of guilt that quickly transformed into white-hot fury. "That bastard's done! Once we've dealt with the Kintark, I'm taking him down!"

Charles shook his head, a distraught expression on his face. "Buckingham just addressed High Command... he accused you of planning a coup with Devereux and the Maliri! He said you won't make it back in time for the battle... that you'll miss it by hours! He's going to ambush you and the Maliri when you arrive at Terra!"

John shared a panic-stricken look with Calara before turning back to Charles. "What time are they expecting the Kintark fleet to arrive?!"

"They're predicting 6:30 tomorrow morning, but I don't think they know for certain..." Charles replied, his face pale. "The Kintark have been destroying comms beacons all the way from the Dragon March..."

John inhaled deeply before blowing out his breath as he tried to keep himself calm. "We won't get there until 7:00. You'll have to hold the fort for thirty minutes until the cavalry arrives."

"I'm not sure there'll be much left by then," Charles muttered, looking deflated. "We were given briefing notes after the meeting; I've seen the size of the armada the Kintark are sending against us and they've got upgraded shields too! Buckingham might have recalled all the fleets to the Sol System, but I don't think it'll be enough. The Kintark destroyed Port Medea and wiped out the entire Dragon March fleet! They're out for blood!"

Calara gaped at him in shock. "Port Medea was a major strategic asset... destroying it doesn't make any sense!"

"Charles is right... the Kintark aren't planning on fighting a protracted war," John's said, his brow furrowed with concern. "They want to end this once and for all."

The Latina nodded, trying to put aside her feelings of disbelief. "I'll take that into account with my planning... the Kintark might behave differently than I'd originally anticipated."

"Charles, send us all the data you've got," John requested firmly. "Calara's going to review it all and come up with a battle strategy for tomorrow." He hesitated for a moment, then added, "Do you think Buckingham's forces would actually fire on us?"

Charles had a pained look in his eyes as he shrugged helplessly. "He seems to hate you with a passion. I'm sure he'd give the order in a heartbeat, but whether anyone would follow that order is a different question altogether. High Command is on the verge of mutiny, but all the opposition to Buckingham was rallied behind Devereux. Now she's gone... I honestly don't know."

"What about the crews in your upgraded ships?" John asked, with a pensive frown. "Who are they loyal to?"

"Nearly all of them fought in the Battle of Regulus," Charles replied, cheering up a little. "I doubt any of them would turn on you, not after you saved all their lives."

"That's something at least," John said, glad to have something to be optimistic about. "Is the refit complete?"

The older man actually looked relieved. "The entire fleet is almost fully operational, but they were still classed as undergoing a refit when Buckingham started recalling his forces to Terra. All the upgraded ships are still stationed in the drydock, getting refuelled and having ordnance loaded." He barked a short laugh and continued, "I was cursing Henry Voss just over a week ago, but if it wasn't for him and his army of technicians, we'd have never got the fleet upgraded in time."

"Do whatever you can to keep that fleet based at Olympus," Calara insisted, before looking quizzically at the weary Admiral as he nodded his agreement. "Have you got any other fleet assets at the shipyard? What about all those Kintark ships we captured at Regulus?"

Charles hesitated then shook his head. "Most of those ships were stripped of heatsinks, so their gun batteries are unusable. Besides, we don't have crews trained to man Kintark vessels." He frowned and tilted his head back, lost in thought as he considered the rest of the vessels languishing in the Shipyard. "Aside from that, there's not much else; perhaps a handful of ships too badly damaged to be repaired... oh and the Nexus fleet, but they've been mothballed. No one wanted to go near ships that were commandeered by a psychotic AI."

The Latina leaned forward, a ferocious gleam in her eyes. "We need those ships spaceworthy!"

"Which ones?" Charles asked her in confusion.

"All of them..." Calara insisted, her mind whirring.

***

Admiral Morgan sat in silence behind his desk, gazing despondently at the stars through the long window that flanked his Ready Room. He'd been fiercely loyal to the Terran Federation for over twenty-five years of service and this was the first day he'd ever seriously considered tendering his resignation. The bedrock to his faith in the military had been his respect for the chain of command, but after what he'd heard that evening, his respect for the Fleet Admiral was in tatters.

As he was mulling over that stark realisation, the door swished open and Commodore Redding strode in without preamble. Morgan glanced his way, shocked that the other man would barge into his Ready Room like that, but his rebuke died on his lips when he saw the look of devastation on the man's face. "What on Terra happened, Commodore?!"

Redding tried to speak, but he couldn't seem to find his voice. He picked up a remote off the table and pressed a button, activating a holo-screen. Pressing several more buttons, the image coalesced into the familiar sight of the TFNN newsdesk as he began the playback.

Bill Armstrong the Lead Anchor was looking panicked and dishevelled, a far cry from his usual coifed composure. "-leaked footage from the Outer Rim!" the reporter said urgently, staring into the camera. "We don't know how much longer we'll be able to stay on air, Federation troops are storming the building!"

He glanced fearfully at the wall behind him where several video feeds were prominently displayed. "I say again... sources have confirmed that Terran Federation fleets have abandoned the borders! The Kirrix have attacked multiple colonies!"

"Oh my God..." Morgan gasped in horror, staring at the video images on the back wall of the TFNN studio.

The quality of the footage varied dramatically. Some was a mix of shaky amateur photography, like the video showing Kirrix hive ships dropping through the clouds as they made planetfall, and there was feed from static street cameras, tracking ochre-coloured insectoid forces marching down streets. The contrast between the two was striking, making the alien invasion seem very stark and horrifyingly real. Each set of video footage was obviously authentic and had been deliberately left uncensored for the public to see it in all its shocking glory.

Morgan gaped at one nightmarish video stream after another, the first he watched showing terrified civilians running from insectoid troops, only to be shot in the back as they attempted to flee. When the injured were dragged away as prisoners, he knew their blood-curdling screams of terror would haunt him to the grave. The video on the screen to the right was even worse, with police and militia units shown battling the Kirrix in desperate firefights, then the Terran forces committing suicide rather than be taken alive. He finally turned away after he saw a young militiaman sob with fear and raise a pistol to his own temple before blowing his brains out.

Bill Armstrong was trembling as he tried to focus on the camera. "We know the following worlds have been hit: Menganus IV, Tasmaris Prime, Karron, Valia Gate, Carolus III, Brecken's World, and..."

His voice trailed away as he darted a frightened glance to his right. There were frantic shouts in the background, then the sharp burst of an assault rifle followed by a shrill scream. The holo-image suddenly went blank and a multi-coloured test screen replaced the frantic scenes in the TFNN studio.

Morgan turned to stare at his colleague in shock as he remembered Redding had family on one of those doomed worlds. "Oh God!... Carolus III... I'm so sorry, Doug!"

Commodore Redding's face was a mask of anguish. "Where the fuck was the fleet?! How could they abandon those planets to the Kirrix?!"

Admiral Morgan slumped back in his chair, his own expression appalled as he muttered bitterly, "We should have been there to stop them..."

***

Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy strode down the corridor with his helmet tucked under his arm, still wearing his flight suit from a long day spent in a Claymore. The cockpit might have been atmospherically adjusted for comfort, but after nine hours of intense training, his flight suit was dank with sweat. He'd barely set foot outside the cockpit when he received the order to meet Captain Lewis in his office and as much as he longed for shower and bed, orders were orders.

"Leprechaun!" a young woman called out from behind him, sounding out of breath. "Wait a second!"

Murphy recognised the voice as belonging to First Lieutenant Abbott, one of the rookies in his wing. He turned around to watch her run to catch up. "Can it wait, Lieutenant?"

Abbott grinned at him and blurted out, "I was just talking with the guys! We reckon we could feather the throttle through gate five, immediately perform a partial roll then hit full burn. We'd have to execute the strafing run at maximum velocity, but we wouldn't have to make any course corrections until the last couple of seconds and it'd shave at least three seconds off our best time!"

Leprechaun considered the suggestion for a moment, then gave her a rare smile, nodding his approval. "Yeah, that might just work! Tell the guys it sounds like a great plan, we'll try it first thing tomorrow."

The young lieutenant hesitated for a second, then asked timidly, "Want to join us for a drink? Lincoln said he's buying."

Murphy froze for a moment, suddenly realising just how much he'd missed that sense of camaraderie with his wingmates. "Actually, I really would, but I need to see the Captain. Can I take a rain check?"

She beamed a bright smile at him. "We'll be there for an hour! You'll probably need a drink if Gator gives you a bollocking!"

"See you later then," he agreed, waving her goodbye.

It didn't take him long to reach his Flight Captain's office and after knocking politely on the door, he heard his commanding officer call out for him to enter.

Captain Lewis gestured to one of the chairs facing the desk. "Take a seat, Lieutenant Commander."

Murphy was automatically on his guard, something in the other man's tone making the hairs stand up on the back of his neck. He sat down and studied his old flight instructor warily. "What is it, Gator?"

Captain Lewis sat back in his seat and steepled his fingers. "I've seen the completion times your wing has been logging on the training course. You've managed to shave seven minutes off the previous record logged in a Rapier, and you're nearly two minutes ahead of the next best score for a Claymore."

Allowing himself a small smile, Murphy shook his head. "The lead's now up to two minutes, six seconds, we set a new record this evening."

Leaning forward in his chair, Lewis fixed him with a stern gaze. "Murphy, are you cheating?"

"Fuck no!" Murphy snarled, bristling with anger. "We've been working our balls off! Anyone who says otherwise is lying and probably just jealous!"

Lewis didn't seem ruffled in the slightest by the outburst. "Yes... I've seen how many flight hours you and your wing have logged." He studied the younger man, knowing that the matter would have to be handled delicately. "I've also received a complaint... or should I say... concerns have been raised."

Murphy frowned, his mind abuzz. "This is the first I've heard about it. No one in my wing has raised any objections with me!"

"Nor would they," Lewis said quietly. "I've spoken to all of them; they hero-worship you, Murphy."

Eyes narrowing in irritation, Murphy scowled. "Binary..."

"He's worried about you, Ryan... we both are," the Captain said, giving him a look filled with sympathy. "What you've achieved with your new wingmates is nothing short of remarkable, but this kind of intensive training is bordering on the obsessive."

"They're all good people, they can handle the pressure," Murphy said obstinately. "Besides, they know what's at stake... We need to be at the peak of our game both in flight discipline and aerial marksmanship! I just wish the rest of the Wing Commanders would take training their rookies just as seriously."

Lewis watched him for a long moment. "I'll let you continue, but you need to cut back on the hours the moment any of your wing show the slightest sign of excessive fatigue."

"That's fine," Murphy agreed, fidgeting in his seat. "Is that all, Captain?"

"I also want you to get some counselling sessions," Lewis replied, his voice firm and uncompromising. "After Regulus, you didn't-"

He was interrupted by an insistent chime on the comms interface floating above Lewis' desk. The Captain glanced at the scrolling data, then he did a double-take, his eyes widened in horror.

"What is it, Gator?" Murphy asked, half-rising from his seat in alarm.

The Captain froze for a moment, then rotated the holo-interface around so that the young man could see. Murphy stared at the battle plans for the defence of Terra, feeling a deathly chill wash over his body as he realised he'd be facing Kintark in battle again... in less than eight hours.

Murphy rose from his chair, a bitter expression on his face. "Still think I was training them too hard?"

***

John stepped out of the equipping frame in the Dojo's armoury, watching Irillith as she waited for him by the door. Her face was set in a carefully controlled expression, but her angular Maliri eyes were deeply troubled.

Sakura gave him a quick hug and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. "That session was really helpful, thank you."

"Glad it was useful," John said, glancing at her and smiling. "I appreciated the distraction."

The Asian girl returned his smile, then gave Irillith a respectful nod before she departed through the door.

John watched her leave, then focused his attention on the patiently waiting Maliri girl. "I'm all yours, honey."

Irillith was about to follow after Sakura, but she abruptly changed her mind and strode into the Dojo instead. Puzzled by her choice of destination, John followed after her, then stood to one side as she programmed a new location into the holo-suite. The wooden dojo faded into blackness along with its spectacular view of mist-shrouded Mount Daisen. When the replacement scene burst into life, John had to wince against the brightness, his eyes taking a few moments to adapt. To his surprise they now appeared to be in a beautiful meadow, with radiant sunshine beaming down on what could only be described as a glorious summer's day.

The Maliri girl tilted her head back and held out her arms, as if soaking in the heat from those rays. "After everything I've just trawled through, I needed to get away from the darkness..." she said softly, before lowering her arms and letting out a heavy sigh.

John walked over and placed his hands on her hips, drawing her into a hug. "Did you find Jehanna?" he asked, his voice tense with worry.

She looked at him with a pained expression. "I'm so sorry... I couldn't find anything definitive. Whoever took her must be running some kind of black-operation where they're keeping everything off the grid. I've been through the military archives on Mars, all the key T-Fed security servers, and searched through anything linked to the Admiralty. Time is accelerated in the cyber-realm and I've just spent the equivalent of fifty hours ripping apart everything I could find with Buckingham's name on it."

"Did you get much dirt on him?" John asked tersely.

"Not much more than hints and rumours," she replied with a frustrated scowl. "He's definitely dirty, but he's also very careful and keeps anything incriminating off the network. Luckily for us, Admiral Weber isn't quite so meticulous and he's been acting as Buckingham's go-to-guy. I've seen a few veiled references to something called 'Tartarus' in Admiral Weber's data logs, but he's never gone into any detail. I sent off some data-probes to widen the search and they traced more references to Tartarus in private messages between special forces troopers... I think it might be some kind of secret base."

"Any way we can track it down?" John asked, ears pricking up.

"Not from what I've uncovered so far, but I've got some ideas to help narrow the search. I need to discuss it with Sakura and Calara, as I think their experience with Mikaboshi might come in handy." Sensing John's disappointment, she added, "I did find something else that Buckingham was involved with... it's unrelated to Jehanna, but worrying nonetheless. Do you remember Calara was trying to track the Nymphs by checking out their history?"

"Yeah, but she ran into a brick wall. It was all locked-up with Admiral-grade security clearance," John replied, before frowning in irritation. "Shit! I meant to ask Charles to look into that."

"There's no need," Irillith replied, shaking her head. "That information was supposedly classified as top secret fifty years ago, but the timestamp was fabricated. Those records were sealed only last week... it was authorised by Fleet Admiral Buckingham himself!"

"Why would he be interested in the Lenarrans?" John asked, shocked that Buckingham would get involved.

Irillith met his startled gaze with one of certainty. "Because you are? You did broadcast a public appeal asking for leads on the Nymphs... In any case, both he and Weber have been actively trying to track down any living Nymphs. Weber sent a report to Buckingham listing the names of citizens who apparently had a Nymph in their possession. I cross-checked and all four previous owners have just had unfortunate accidents and are now dead..."

"So those bastards must have taken them!" John snarled, his anger flaring. "Jehanna going missing, the Nymphs, Devereux, the Kintark, and the Kirrix... I should have put that fucker down the moment he threatened me!"

"I think you're going to need Alyssa to tear those secrets out of him. Unfortunately for us, he's been too guarded over the network for me to be a big help," she said with regret. A wicked smile slowly spread across her face as she continued, "But the military on the other hand... they place far too much trust in their cyber-security..."

Irillith smirked to herself as she remembered her assault on the Terran Federation data archives on Mars. It had been... liberating... to throw all subtlety aside and literally rip apart those data fortresses. She could only imagine the shock and horror that those server administrators must have felt, watching her demolish their pitiful defences and knowing there was nothing they could do to stop her. They had tried of course, but short of actually shutting the servers down, all their best counter-intruder applications had been like wheat before a turbo-charged threshing machine.

Irillith had a look of grudging respect on her face as she said, "Some of the things High Command's been involved in would make a Matriarch blush. The Maliri are less prone to acts of civil disobedience, so the Matriarchs have never really had to crack down on insurrections in the same way. The Terran Federation has had a long and bloody history of rebellions, and High Command is brutally efficient at ending them."

John let out a heavy sigh. "Trust me... I know."

She cupped his cheek and gazed into his eyes. "The Siege of Galon Prime... I knew you were involved in that battle, so I scoured the official and unofficial reports for as much information as I could find."

He looked away, unable to meet her look of concern or bear the sympathy he saw there. "Leave it in the past, Irillith..."

The Maliri girl slipped her arms around him and pulled him into a hug. "No, you need to hear this."

John flinched and tried to pull back. "No, I don't want to talk about it."

Irillith's eyes narrowed and she held on tight, refusing to let him walk away. "The sector governor might have been a despot and caused all those systems to revolt in the first place, but the rebel siege was causing widespread food shortages and starvation. Thousands of innocent civilians on Galon Prime were dying; lifting the siege was the right thing to do! High Command underestimated the size of the rebel forces... you just did what you had to do to win the battle."

He froze, his expression filled with pain. "It was my idea to rush the Command Ship and take them in a boarding action. The carnage on that battleship... I've never seen anything like it! The rebels refused to surrender so we were forced to wipe them out to a man. Our forces didn't do much better... out of a complement of 300 marines, 274 were killed between that boarding action and repelling attacks on the Invictus. I lost so many friends; men and women I'd known for years..."

"I know," she murmured, slowly embracing him again. "But what happened afterwards wasn't your fault."

John slowly shook his head. "We smashed the fleet and annihilated the rebels... that set the tone for the reprisals. They killed over 200,000 rebel civilians in the orbital bombardment of Ostigrad city and that was just the start..."

"I've read all the classified files, I know everything," Irillith said quietly, lifting his chin with her finger so that he'd make eye contact with her. "High Command always intended to make an example of the rebel capital; Fleet Admiral Sutton had everything planned out in meticulous detail two weeks before you even lifted the siege. The brutality of the reprisals had nothing to do with the battle you were involved in."

"Wait.. what?" John asked her in bewilderment.

Irillith's tone was firm as she continued, "Sutton was under enormous pressure at the time. Buckingham was campaigning heavily to replace him as Fleet Admiral and he wanted to make a bold move to suppress the rebellion, to show how decisive his leadership was... However, Buckingham outmanoeuvred him and started stirring up public outrage at the rampant civilian death toll. Six months after you retired, Sutton was charged with crimes against humanity and Buckingham was promoted to Fleet Admiral."

John wavered, stunned by what she'd discovered. "But I always thought..."

"Alyssa told me why you never talked about the battle, which is why I investigated," she said, stroking his back soothingly. "You did your duty and fought bravely against terrible odds, but you bear no responsibility for anything that happened to those civilians."

John was quiet for a long time, then hugged her back fiercely. "Thank you... You've no idea what a weight that is off my shoulders; I've been carrying that guilt around for years!"

*I know,* Alyssa told him, her voice swirling through his mind.

Irillith gave him a tender kiss. "I guess that's one less we owe you now," she said with no small amount of satisfaction.

"I'm not keeping score," John said, with a grateful smile.

The Maliri girl enjoyed the close embrace, then said softly, "There's more you need to know..."

He pulled back to study her pensive face. "What else?"

"I dug through everything I could find about the Brimorians, looking for clues about the Abandoned," she explained. "Rachel was right... they are definitely the descendants of Terran colonists that settled on the Callopean Shoals."

John nodded, not surprised to hear that confirmed. "She made a very convincing case, it all fit together perfectly."

"Yes, Rachel is quite remarkable," Irillith agreed, before going quiet for a moment. "John, do you remember you told us that thousands of colonists had been killed in the fighting?"

"That's what I remember reading," he said, trying to recall the archived news reports. "Obviously the colonists were still alive though, so High Command lied to keep news of their capture out of the media."

"That's not all they were lying about," the Maliri girl said, shaking her head. "A century ago, all the Gaia-class planets in the Terran Federation had already been discovered and colonised. When the Callopean Shoals were discovered, they found a dozen systems all containing beautiful atoll-covered planets that were perfect for Terran habitation. There was a huge rush of colonists all eager to stake their claim on virgin worlds..."

John froze as he realised what she was leading up to. "How many?"

"23 state-sponsored Eve-class colony ships, each containing 10,000 colonists," Irillith replied in a subdued voice. "High Command estimates place the number of colonists captured at over 264,000 when you include all the independent colonists and transport crews."

"How the hell did they keep that secret?!" he asked in stunned amazement.

The Maliri girl frowned as she replied, "Through ruthless control of the media. There were rumours of course, but they were denied or suppressed by the authorities. A handful of doggedly relentless journalists refused to give up, but they were... dealt with. Without a public outlet, the rumours quickly faded away."

"And since then, there's been five generations of Abandoned..." John murmured, his eyes widening.

"That's right," Irillith said, nodding as she saw him began to realise the magnitude of the problem facing them. "If we assume the Abandoned women are having upward of at least... twenty children each generation, we're looking at an unprecedented population explosion."

"What kind of numbers are we talking about?" he asked with trepidation.

"I've discussed it with Rachel but there are too many variables to make any kind of precise estimates..." She paused for a second, then fixed him with a solemn stare. "Best guess? Maybe a billion people... with an upper limit of perhaps ten billion."

His eyes widened in astonishment. "You've got to be fucking kidding me?!"

"I wish I were..." she replied quietly. "Out of those initial 260,000 colonists, perhaps 50,000 might be women of early child-bearing age. Assuming no fatalities in the gene-splicing process, those first generation of women might go on to have twenty children each, birthing perhaps 500,000 second generation females. Then assuming each generation after that has twenty children, you're looking at 5 million women for the third generation, 50 million for the fourth, then 500 million for the fifth."

"Helene's generation..." John murmured, astounded by the numbers involved.

"Those figures are conservative estimates," Irillith reminded him. "If a larger number of women from the initial colonists were genetically modified and each generation had thirty children each, the actual numbers could be far, far higher... From what we've gathered from Helene and her sister Yasmin, the Abandoned start getting pregnant at a young age, so it's entirely plausible."

"Breeding a slave race..." he muttered, sickened by the thought. "If their population has grown that huge, they must be spread throughout the Brimorian Enclave... I can't believe they're all confined to Brimor."

"That's a reasonable assumption," she agreed. "Even though the Abandoned are poorly educated, the Brimorians obviously find them useful as an agricultural labour-force. It would make sense to disperse your new workers to all planets where crops are grown and harvested... There's scores of oceanic worlds within Brimorian territory and they've claimed just as many continental planets which are just as viable for that kind of agriculture."

"I'll have to speak to Helene again and try to find out what I can about their towns or villages," John mused, wondering just how much the sheltered aquatic girl could tell them.

Irillith gave him a sad smile. "I found out plenty more about the Terran Federation's misdeeds, but none of it is urgent and I've dropped enough bombshells on you for one night."

John glanced up at the shining holographic sun. "I can see why you felt like you needed to cleanse yourself; I feel dirty after this conversation and not in a good way..." He turned back to Irillith and kissed her gently. "Thank you for looking into all that... and for Galon Prime."

"It was an unpleasant task, but helping you made it all worthwhile," she said, holding him close.

They embraced for a long moment, until the door behind them swished open, the quiet sound followed by the staccato click of heels. John turned and saw Alyssa waiting for him by the doorway, a fond smile on her lovely face.

Irillith gave him a quick peck on the cheek. "I'm heading off to bed... goodnight, John."

John accompanied her to the door, then politely waved her through as he offered an arm to Alyssa. "Bedtime for you too?"

"In a little while," she replied, her smile turning coy. "Let's head to the Lagoon..."

They followed Irillith out into the corridor, but instead of taking his other arm, the Maliri walked ahead of them with an exaggerated sway of her hips. John was mesmerised by the sight of those two compact globes rolling in the clinging material of her dress, knowing the pleasures to be found with her luscious body. When Irillith reached the grav-tube, she turned to glance at him over her shoulder, a satisfied smirk on her face. Her bewitching spell was finally broken when she stepped inside and floated up in the blue anti-gravity field.

Alyssa laughed, the wonderful melodic sound echoing down the corridor. "You've both got one-track minds! I enjoy getting reamed as much as the next girl, but she just adores it!"

"Perhaps I should have made Irillith my XO?" John replied with a teasing grin.

The blonde pouted, a twinkle in her eyes. "No way! You're welcome to bugger any girl you like in our XO meetings, but I'm not giving up that job!"

"You have done a splendid job with recruitment," John conceded, pulling her into a hug. His expression turned serious as he continued, "And you've worked wonders in taking care of your Commander. Thank you for working with Irillith to find out about Galon Prime and for prompting Rachel to help me deal with some of my issues... Yes, I know you were behind that too."

Alyssa took a deep breath, then looked into his eyes. John saw her drop the confident mask she normally hid behind, suddenly reminding him of her true age. She was after all, a young woman thrown into a truly exceptional set of circumstances, who was desperately trying to do her best to support him in every way she knew how.

"I'm sorry it took me a while, but we got there in the end," she said with a soft smile.

"I love you," John said, meaning it with every fibre of his being.

She melted into his arms, her sensual lips answering far more eloquently than any words ever could have done. John's lips tingled as they continued to kiss and their skin almost felt like it was crackling with electricity, such was the strength of his connection to the stunning girl in his arms. When they eventually parted, he looked at her in amazement. "We haven't had a kiss like that in a while!"

Alyssa didn't seem surprised in the slightest and actually had a playful smile on her face. "It was Athena. That kiss was so steamy, she couldn't help herself... she wanted some of that too!"

"That's what the tingling was about?!" John exclaimed, remembering the last time he'd experienced that startling sensation.

"We were close to merging back then," the blonde explained, looking unconcerned. "Now Athena is a part of me, she can come along for the ride if I give her permission."

"Was the kiss good for her too?" John asked, intrigued at the thought.

Alyssa gave him a sultry smile. "At the moment Athena's begging me for a threesome. I'd love to take you to bed and have you fuck us both senseless, but not tonight..." She reached down to brush her fingers across his pants, caressing his stiff shaft. "This belongs to Jade... it's her turn."

"The Lagoon," John said in sudden understanding.

"Well the Observatory to be more specific, but the Lagoon's on the way," the blonde replied, clasping his hand and leading him past the grav-tube. "Come on, we've kept that sexy little Nymph waiting long enough already!"

When they entered the Lagoon, John immediately spotted Jade and Helene reclining together on one of the larger sun loungers. They had been engrossed in conversation, but the Nymph paused to turn and wave to him in greeting, her face lighting up with a brilliant smile.

Alyssa squeezed his hand, then gave him a parting kiss. "While you're busy having fun, I'll go have a chat with Helene. I suppose I should find out exactly what Jade's been saying to our impressionable little ingénue."

She sashayed away, brushing fingers with Jade as the two girls passed each other. John saw the momentary flicker of eye-contact between them and wondered just how much conversation he was missing out on aboard his ship.

*Just girl's talk, handsome,* Alyssa replied with a teasing telepathic smile. *Pretty dresses and fluffy kittens, that kind of thing.*

When John saw the lusty gleam in Jade's emerald eyes, he was certain that couldn't be further from the truth.

"We can talk about kittens too, Master," Jade purred, as she grabbed his hand and practically dragged him across the bridge. "It feels like I've been waiting forever for this!"

"Wait a second, Jade," John said, pausing half-way across. "Did Irillith tell you about the captured Nymphs? That there might actually be some alive?"

She paused, her face saddened. "It sounds like they have new masters for the moment... but that is just one more in a line of many."

"But soon to be the last," John said, mouth tightening into an angry line. "We'll free them, Jade. I promise I'll do whatever I can to keep your sisters safe."

The Nymph traced a finger along his jawline, her eyes full of emotion as she caressed him. "I know you will, John... and I want them to experience the same wonder I feel every time we're together." She leaned in to kiss him. "But that's a possibility for the future and right now, I want to celebrate the present with you."

He nodded and let her lead him across the rest of the bridge and through to the Observatory. Jade wasted no time in slipping off her dress and prowling onto the bed, before turning to crook a finger and gesture for him to follow. John was still wearing training gear from the sparring session with Sakura, so it only took him a few seconds to be as naked as the horny girl lying on the covers. He stopped to admire her for a moment, his eyes following the lighter viridian lines that emphasised the incredible contours of her succulent figure. Jade's dark-green skin had a lustrous sheen to it, with tiny flecks catching the light and making her seem to sparkle, adding to her enchanting allure.

"Perhaps I should get you warmed up first?" John said while kneeling on the bed, as Jade eagerly spread her legs for him. He could see her glistening with arousal, her labia flushed and deliciously inviting. "I wouldn't want to try and enter you unless I was sure you were ready for me..."

Jade was about to protest that she was more than ready, but her objections turn into a throaty mewl as he began to lap away at her. She tasted of mint and he savoured her at length, making the Nymph's thighs tremble uncontrollably as he brought her off to an incredible release.

She looked down at him with hooded, lusty eyes, and crooned, "I think I'm ready for you now, Master."

John sat up and positioned himself at the entrance to her snug folds, then slowly penetrated her gloriously responsive body. Jade's internal muscles seemed to grasp him as soon as he'd pushed his broad head past her lower lips, then it felt like he was almost pulled inside by her rippling pussy.

"Oh, I've missed this so much!" Jade gasped, wrapping her arms and legs around him and holding him tight as he bottomed out inside her.

John held still and rested his weight on his elbows, cradling her head with his hands. "I've missed you too, beautiful. I'm really glad we finally got a chance to talk."

He was about to say more, when Jade stifled his words with a kiss, shaking her head slightly as she enjoyed teasing him with her tongue. *You know me, Master. Just think for a moment before you try to apologise for starting a family with the Young Matriarchs.*

John did as she asked, thinking about the lovely girl writhing underneath him as he enjoyed the kiss. When he finally understood her true feelings on the matter, he saw the look of profound satisfaction in the Nymph's eyes as she listened to his train of thoughts.

*Yes... you couldn't have made me any happier!* she crowed, a look of pure delight on her face. *Watching you breed those beautiful girls was thrilling! It was what I'd always hoped for and so much more...*

Her lovely features suddenly shadowed with a flash of regret and she lay back, breaking the kiss.

"What's the matter, Jade?" he asked, filled with concern when he saw her get upset.

She let out a mournful sigh. "I was thinking how incredible it would've been if you'd let me help you impregnate all those Maliri Engineers. Just imagine it, John... over a thousand of those gorgeous blue tummies swelling with your babies..."

He couldn't help chuckling at that and gave her another kiss. *You're incorrigible. I'm still new at parenthood and four's a great start!*

Jade smiled as she kissed him back, her happiness rushing over their connection and swathing all his thoughts in her joy. After a while she eased back a little and asked quietly, "Did I do the right thing bringing Helene back? I know you were very upset with me when you first met her."

John nodded, while gazing into her anxious cat-like eyes. "She's a sweet girl with a troubled past... I was powerless to resist helping her when I realised what a lovely young woman she was. Her story also helped Irillith uncover the truth about the Abandoned, so now we'll be able to help her people too. You made a good choice bringing her back to the ship."

"Your first wounded little fish," Jade said with a tender smile.

Chuckling, he nodded his agreement. "No throwing this one back though!"

"After you were so kind to her this morning, Helene's already fallen for you," Jade casually informed him.

"She has?!" John asked, looking startled.

The Nymph nodded, while showering him in kisses. *Of course, Master. You promised to give her back that which the Abandoned treasure more than anything; the ability to have children. You've also been open and honest about your attraction to her. For a woman who's been shunned and viewed as a bad omen for the last seven years, your gentle affection left her thunderstruck.*

*I feel bad about rushing headlong into this,* John replied, worried about doing anything to upset her. *We should slow things down a bit.*

*Why?* Jade asked, genuinely puzzled. *You find her beautiful and adorable, she thinks you're handsome, kind, and the most fascinating man she's ever met. The attraction between you is magnetic! Why not give her what she wants most of all and let her carry your baby?*

*It's not as simple as that, Jade,* John said with a sigh. *I could heal her and then return her to her people. She'd be able to live a normal life with her friends and family, perhaps build a relationship with one of the Abandoned men. I don't want to saddle her with all the burdens that being with me entails... If she became another lioness, she's be dragged into all the fighting... it's not fair to do that to her.*

The Nymph ceased her flurry of kisses and lay back on the bed. "You do yourself a terrible disservice, John. Being with you isn't a burden, it's a gift."

"Has Alyssa recruited you to give me a pep-talk too?" he joked with a playful smile.

Jade shook her head and gazed intently into his eyes. "Rachel and Alyssa are eager to do that, but I find this self-doubt to be disappointing. Remember that I serve you voluntarily now and you have a duty to be powerful, confident, and masterful to retain my respect."

He gaped at her in shock, astonished that she'd speak to him that way. The thought of Jade being disappointed enough in him to consider leaving crashed through his subconscious like Nexus' ship smashing into the Quantum Annihilator on the moon. Jade's eyes flashed with concern and when John saw that momentary flicker he realised she was terrified she'd gone too far. He felt a flood of relief, but was still grateful for the lesson, no matter how shocking.

"You've been a very naughty Nymph speaking to me like that," he said firmly, clasping her hands and pinning them to the mattress above her head.

She squirmed underneath him, her vertically-slitted pupils flaring widely. "Are you going to punish me, Master?" she asked between panting breaths.

He leaned down so he was only inches away from her, then rotated his hips, grinding his pubic bone against her clit. "I'm going to fuck you hard, but I won't reward you with any of my cum tonight... that's going in a more deserving tummy."

"Oh... Master," Jade groaned, quivering underneath him.

Despite John's stern words, he knew what the Nymph really wanted and was determined to give the unflinchingly loyal girl exactly that. He began thrusting inside of her with a steady, pounding rhythm, knowing she was able to take far more punishment without so much as a bruise. She arched her back and climaxed with a keening wail, her strong muscles clenching around him as she bucked back to meet each spine-tingling impact.

He suddenly realised that he'd actually climaxed more times with Jade than any other girl on his crew, what with all those weeks spent feeding the Maliri. Jade had done all the work those times, eagerly milking his quad for him, then siphoning it into desperately needy blue stomachs. He realised he had a lot of orgasms to make up for, and he focused on driving the Nymph to repeated climaxes with no intention of finding his own release. Fucking her like this was essentially the reversal of all those loving blowjobs she'd given him and it was tremendously satisfying to see her respond to being taken this way.

Losing count of her thunderous climaxes, he simply enjoyed riding such a beautiful, devoted, and loving woman. It was thrilling to fuck her statuesque body with powerful strokes and hear her respond with her ecstatic cries. He could see her love for him shining in her eyes and it made him work all the harder for her pleasure. John heard the door to the Lagoon slide open behind him, so he slowed his pace, taking Jade with languid thrusts instead. She still responded just as enthusiastically, but it was a less... animated... coupling, as John was worried about alarming their guest.

Just as he suspected, Alyssa brought Helene over to the bed, the two nude girls kneeling beside the entwined couple. John released Jade's hands then sat up, while still remaining buried inside the Nymph's spectacular verdant body.

He patted Jade on her thigh. "Take over, beautiful."

She did as he asked, arching her back and sliding up and down his length, using the incredibly strong muscles in her legs to control the pace. "You feel so good, Master..." she said with a breathy sigh.

Helene was watching with a look of awe on her face, her cheeks flushed, and her breathing erratic. John took a moment to admire her spectacular body, enthralled by the exotic colouration of her skin, the blue-green hues making her affinity with the sea obvious with just a glance. With her shapely legs tucked underneath her, it was difficult to see the fins that adorned her calves, but he could easily see the delicate fins sprouting from her forearms. He couldn't help wondering if there might be an erogenous zone or two centred around those slender frills.

"Helene and I were just having a lovely conversation," Alyssa informed him, glancing at the aquatic girl. "Would you like to tell John your decision?"

Helene's baby-blue eyes drifted up to meet his and she blushed but didn't shy away. "I'd like you to be the one to heal me... if you still want to that is?"

Jade froze mid-gyration, her lust-fogged emerald eyes watching him intently as she awaited his answer.

John placed a hand on the Nymph's toned green tummy and gently stroked her. "I'd be delighted to, Helene. I was just rewarding Jade for bringing you back to the ship and introducing us; she's been a very good girl." He gave the thrilled young woman a warm smile. "Would you like to help reward her as well?"

"I'd love to!" Helene exclaimed, beaming at him in delight.

"Well I'm going to make Jade cum again, but I know of a way to help her enjoy it even more," John replied, offering the teal-skinned beauty a hand.

Helene took it and let him pull her closer, but her eyes widened in shock as he gently lifted her with no apparent effort and repositioned her across Jade's excited face.

"What are you doing?!" she blurted out, eyes flashing from him to the supine Nymph. Those big eyes widened in astonishment as Jade began to lap away at her, her long prehensile tongue lavishing Helene's soaked pussy with loving attention. The aquatic girl could only squeak in disbelief. "Oh my gosh!"

"There you go," John said with a satisfied smile. "Now, I'd like to kiss you while we make Jade feel good."

Helene flung her arms around his neck and kissed him passionately, panting with arousal as the Nymph gently began an intimate exploration of her body. Alyssa wasted no time in pleasuring both girls with her nimble fingers and it didn't take long for Helene to cry out as she climaxed. Her orgasm was intensified even further by the vibrations of Jade's tongue as the Nymph joined her in climactic release.

"I never knew..." Helene murmured, gazing at John in starry-eyed wonder. "How can it feel that good?"

He caressed her cheek and gave her a gentle kiss on the tip of her button nose. "I promise that won't be the last time you feel like that."

She giggled self-consciously, then gasped as Jade started lapping away at her again.

"She'll keep that up all night," John said, gazing into Helene's dazed eyes. "You can enjoy the ride as long as you like, but whenever you want to stop, I'll heal you."

He smiled when he saw her indecision, truly torn between experiencing another mind-blowing orgasm or stopping to have her fertility restored. Making her mind up, she reluctantly dismounted the Nymph's glistening face. "I want to be with you, John."

"Whatever you want, beautiful," John agreed, easing out of Jade's soaked pussy.

Their bedmates wasted no time in changing position, with the Nymph cuddling up behind John as he knelt on the bed, while Alyssa went to Helene's side. John looked at each of them in turn and he honestly couldn't tell which of the trio of girls was the most excited. Helene gazed at his throbbing cock in fascination, watching as it bobbed in time to his heartbeat, glistening with the Nymph's juices.

"Let me go get cleaned up first," John offered, realising how well-lubricated he was.

As he started to get up, Helene reached out to touch his arm and shook her head. "Jade got to taste me, I'd like the chance to taste her too."

"Good choice," Alyssa praised her, putting an arm around the young woman and giving her a gentle hug. "Jade tastes minty-fresh... she's delicious!"

Helene darted a quick smile at the Nymph who was watching over John's shoulder, then ducked down so that she was face-to-face with John's cock. Her tongue flickered out for a tentative taste, and when she liked what she found, she opened wide and did her best to engulf the head. Her mouth was snug, warm, and deliciously wet, her lips forming a tight seal around his broad girth. John groaned at the slick sensation, the groan deepening as she swirled her tongue under his shaft.

John was already turned on, so the eager girl soon got her first sweet taste of his pre-cum. She moaned in ecstasy then wriggled forward, guiding him to the back of her mouth and into the entrance to her throat. Her muscles relaxed as she responded to the changes he was making in her body and after a moment of increased pressure, his length was soon sliding down her throat.

"Thank you for claiming her, Master!" Jade gasped, hugging him tight. "She's such a lovely girl, she'll make a wonderful mother for your children!"

He smiled when he heard how thrilled the Nymph was, then gently cupped Helene's head in his hands, running his fingers through her exotic light green tresses. Her eyes were glazed as she suckled on him, lips eagerly descending down his shaft on her quest to sheath his entire length in her throat.

Alyssa gave him a gentle kiss, a look of joyful relief on her face. "You don't feel guilty!"

John smiled and shook his head. "I'm helping her, you've all shown me that. It's not too late for Helene to change her mind, but for now, I can heal her body and give her back the ability to have children."

The blonde's eyes starting to glow as she asked, "Would you like to know exactly what she's feeling right now?"

"Definitely," he agreed, watching as Helene bobbed in his lap, her throat gripping and massaging his shaft as she encouraged him to fill her belly with his cum.

Alyssa placed her fingers against Helene's temple, a contented smile appearing on her face as she experienced the aquatic girl's emotional state. Before John could ask any questions, she placed her other hand on his head, bridging the connection between them.

John felt a surge of emotions over that temporary empathic link. First and foremost was overwhelming happiness, Helene's heart bursting with joy as she embraced her sexuality once again. Her subconscious was wrapped up in comforting feelings of safety, and she revelled in those sensations, knowing she was protected and cared for by her new friends. Contentment, arousal, hope... the emotions engulfed her completely, her mind floating in a sea of bliss.

"It was like that for all of us," Alyssa said softly, dampening the connection and uncoupling their minds. "We all needed you so much and then you were there, making everything better again."

He turned to look at her and was shocked to see the tears in her eyes.

Alyssa gave him a tender smile. "This is what I adore the most... Watching you help these girls just like you helped me. Thank you..."

Jade hugged him too, joining Alyssa in showering him with kisses. Through it all Helene worked tirelessly to pleasure his cock, letting out a low moan deep in her throat when he began to pump long spurts of cum into her stomach. John stroked her hair, holding her gently in place as she milked out every drop of spunk from his quad. He was barely able to hold himself upright at the end, his climax had been that intense, so Jade and Alyssa helped ease him from Helene's gently sucking mouth, before guiding them both to the bed.

John held Helene close, wrapping his arms around her and resting his hand on her swollen belly. He was connected to her now and could sense the damage done to her womb seven years ago. Now he had her swaddled in his gentle psychic embrace, he could heal those old wounds, regenerating flesh and making her whole once more.

"She's so grateful," Alyssa whispered in his ear as she spooned him from behind.

"Thank you," Jade said with a radiant smile, cuddling the sleeping aquatic beauty.

He fell asleep in moments, surrounded by happy nubile girls and sharing in their sense of contentment.

***

The black shuttle drifted into the small well-concealed hangar, following the docking lights until it touched down on the centre of a landing pad. An airlock door spiralled open and four black-clad operatives led a beautiful statuesque brunette out of the small vessel and down the exit ramp. The woman was garbed in a red evening dress, the slinky material clinging to her exquisitely curved figure.

"Are we going to visit this one's new Master now?" she asked politely, glancing at the man to her right.

"Yes, Miss," Sergeant Green replied gruffly, his jaw clenching with irritation.

The Nymph had been asking variations of the same question every fifteen minutes for the last six hours, but to Sergeant Green's relief, at least she'd stopped asking each of them if they were going to be her Master. The girl was stunningly beautiful and it had been getting increasingly difficult to say no.

They escorted her to the outer airlock door for Tartarus base, with Specialist Watts placing his hand on the DNA reader. After it recognised his genetic code and flashed green, the squad marched their prisoner past the extensive security checkpoints and worked their way deeper into the base. The holding cells were deep within the shattered remnants of Ganymede and it took some time to reach the lower levels.

"Ah, welcome back, Gentlemen!" Professor Friedrich exclaimed with a broad grin.

Green was startled by the creepy researcher's buoyant mood. Friedrich was often smirking to himself or making some sardonic quip, but he was never usually this jovial. "We eliminated her owner as ordered... the extraction was straightforward after that."

"Are you this one's new Master?" the Nymph asked, beaming a dazzling smile at the man in the lab coat.

"I'm afraid not, my dear," Friedrich replied with a frown. "You will be our guest for a time though."

The Nymph looked disappointed, her smile fading. "Will this one be meeting her new Master soon?"

Friedrich ignored her question and pushed his glasses back up the bridge of his nose. "Have her taken to holding cell 47 if you would be so kind, Sergeant Green."

The special ops Sergeant nodded to his men, who began leading the dejected brunette along the brightly-lit but austere corridor. He turned back to the scientist as they followed them and after a moment's hesitation he asked, "Who is going to be her new Master?"

"Ah, that's strictly need-to-know, Sergeant," Friedrich replied, before giving him a knowing smile. "They're certainly beguiling young ladies, aren't they?" He gazed away into the distance and sounded wistful as he added, "Absolutely devoted, unwaveringly loyal, willing to submit to any kind of depravity their partner desires... in many ways the perfect woman, wouldn't you agree?"

Sergeant Green chose not to answer as he preferred more spirit in his women. His eyes flickered to the right as they passed one of the cells and he tried to suppress a smile. The TFNN reporter certainly fit the bill and she'd proven to be a real handful. Jehanna had collapsed yesterday, which they'd presumed was from dehydration after she'd started refusing the water they'd been providing. Her collapse turned out to be a ruse and she'd managed to claw big gouges out of Adamski's face before they'd been able to subdue her and rescue the bloodied soldier. The poor bastard had very nearly lost an eye.

"Yes, the efforts to break her morale have proven less than effective," Friedrich muttered, his brow furrowing with frustration. "It's quite unfortunate... We'll just have to move straight onto the interrogation."

"Tonight?" Green asked, darting a glance at the dishevelled but unbroken reporter who stared sullenly at the one-way glass.

Friedrich stretched and shook his head. "Don't be silly, it's far too late to start that unpleasantness. I only stayed up to welcome our new guest to Tartarus." He clapped his hands together, rubbing them with a gleeful look of anticipation on his face. "Get a good night's sleep, we've got a busy day ahead of us tomorrow! Now that we've collected the last Nymph, we can finally begin experimentation! Isn't that marvellous?"

Green darted a glance at the rows of cells on the opposite side of the corridor, and knowing the hideous beasts contained within, he couldn't help shuddering with revulsion. "Yes, marvellous, Sir."

The scientist patted him on the shoulder then whistled a jaunty tune to himself as he strode away.

***

"The girls just found a lead on Jehanna!" Alyssa exclaimed, turning to look at John with a flare of hope in her eyes.

He turned off the shower and opened the stall door. "Are they all in the Combat Bridge?"

She nodded. "All fed and ready for action. Calara's got the briefing prepared and they're just waiting on us."

They dried off and returned to the bedroom, quickly dressing in the jumpsuits they typically wore beneath their Paragon armour. John headed for the grav-tube, but stopped as he passed the bed, gently stroking Helene's arm where she lay fast asleep under the covers. It had been six hours since he fed her late the previous night and her tummy still had that telltale curve, showing that she hadn't finished absorbing his load.

"I can't wait until she wakes up," Alyssa whispered, brushing her fingers through the aquatic girl's lustrous hair. "Helene's going to be so happy."

"She'll be out of it for the whole battle," John said, not sure if that was a good or bad thing.

Alyssa was more certain. "It's probably for the best. We're going to have our hands full with this one... Calara's really worried."

They shared an anxious glance, then stepped into the express grav-tube and dropped down to Deck Four. Stepping out into the armoury, they got geared up in silence, donning Paragon suits then collecting their weapons. Striding down the ramp into the Combat Bridge, John saw that the girls were already wearing their own suits of armour - all except Jade and Faye that is.

"Morning ladies, glad to have you all up here again," John said, tapping his temple. He had an active connection to all of them now and felt a satisfying sense of completeness because of it.

"Hey John!" they greeted him happily in reply, sharing that feeling of oneness.

Sakura bounced out of her seat and strode over to join him. "We've just found a big lead on Jehanna!"

John sat down in his Command Chair. "Tell me all about it."

The Asian girl darted a glance at the purple sprite perched on his console. "Faye, want to show him what we discovered?"

Faye nodded, her cute face lighting up with excitement. "We think we've identified her kidnappers!"

A holo-image appeared showing a zoomed-in view of two hover-vans, with a pair of heavy-set men visible in the front seats of both vehicles.

"Special Ops forces working for Terran Federation Internal Security. We tracked down the T-Fed military records for three out of four of them," Sakura said, gesturing towards the grim-faced figures and their corresponding military IDs that popped up beside them. "We've got them approaching the area where Jehanna was kidnapped, then picked them up leaving shortly after."

"That's amazing! How did you track them down?" John asked, staring intently at the images.

Irillith turned in her seat and replied, "Their cyber-ops specialist knocked out the cameras in a five-block radius, but Sakura gave me a timeframe needed to set up the extraction. I hacked the security camera footage in the wider metropolitan area and Faye searched for any vans and trucks large enough for the extraction team. When she identified these vehicles as potential suspects, we found this shot of the men, then started running facial recognition against classified military records."

Faye nodded exuberantly. "With all the classified data Irillith's tapped into, it was just a matter of time until we tracked them down!"

"So where did they take Jehanna," John asked, eyes narrowing as he studied the men.

"A safehouse first," Sakura explained, nodding to Faye again, then looking at the holo-map which tracked the kidnapper's route. "They stayed in that location for three hours, probably to make sure they weren't being followed, then they switched vehicles and drove to a private starport. We knew their precise arrival time, so Irillith searched through Terra flight control records and found a shuttle launch seventeen minutes afterwards. We're certain they took her off-planet."

"In a shuttle... so they wouldn't have hyper-warp capability," John said, easing back in his seat. "Which means they either docked with a spacecraft in orbit and took her out of the Sol System, or they're still there but on another planet."

Sakura shared a glance with Calara. "We think she's still in-system. The shuttle dropped its energy signature and Terra Flight Control lost contact with it as soon as they left orbit."

The Latina nodded, appearing pensive. "If they were taking her to a ship to fly out of the system, activating stealth-mode after you leave orbit seems unlikely. I don't think they were trying to hide the identity of the ship they were docking with, but the actual base itself. Like Mikaboshi with his fortress, having a secret base close to Terra makes a lot of sense, not least of which is sheer convenience. High Command has access to far more resources though and could afford to be much more brazen with the base location."

John looked at them in turn, genuinely impressed. "That's incredible work so far. Any luck on narrowing down the location."

"Not yet," Irillith replied, but she gave him a confident smile. "But bases need resources to keep them running and I'd be surprised if they were as circumspect with mundane things like ordering food and medical supplies. Anything like that leaves a digital trail... I'll keep digging until I find more leads."

"We're also looking into the deaths of the citizens who owned the Nymphs, and we'll use the same method to search for extraction teams. If they have taken the Nymphs captive, it might give us more clues to help track the location of this base," Sakura added, giving Jade a supportive smile.

"God help them if they are holding Jehanna and the Nymphs captive," John said, clenching his jaw. He glanced at the ship's chronometer and saw that it was 6:13am. "Has there been any news of the Kintark Armada yet?"

Faye shook her head. "I've been monitoring all the news channels, but it's all mundane reports this morning. The other media outlets aren't even discussing what happened with TFNN."

Rachel spun in her chair and said, "We're still out of range of the T-Fed Command Network, so we can't confirm exactly what the Terran defence forces are up to yet. We've almost certainly been barred from joining the comms network, but Irillith assures me that breaking in will be easy."

"Child's play," the Maliri hacker agreed, giving him a confident wink.

John locked eyes with Calara. "Okay, Commander, the floor's all yours."

The Latina nodded then pressed several buttons on a tactical panel, bringing up a holographic display. The ships displayed were Kintark vessels, hundreds of them, all neatly arranged into tightly-organised formations. Standing out amongst the endless ranks of shimmering green ships, was a massive spacecraft that dwarfed the rest of the vessels in the armada, and had an instantly recognisable shape - that of a Terran Federation dreadnought. Norwood's dreadnought, the Vengeance of Hera, was flanked by an escort of cruisers, the entire formation coloured green with distinctive gold flashes on their hull.

"I've reviewed the battle logs that Charles sent us, identifying every Kintark vessel that took part in the attack on Port Medea in the Dragon March. This is the full fleet listing of everything in their Armada... and it's a formidable force," she explained, glancing back at the massed legion of ships.

"They must have pressed every warship in the Empire into service," John murmured, dumbfounded by the sheer numbers involved.

Calara nodded, her mouth fixed in a grim line. "I've searched through all the military Intel Irillith provided for me, and the Kintark have brought everything from rookie training ships to older decommissioned vessels. I can only conclude that you're absolutely correct. The Kintark have committed everything to a single decisive strike, intended to topple the Terran Federation in one final battle."

John shook his head in disbelief. "I can't believe they've left the Empire completely defenceless." He shot the Latina a worried glance. "Charles said the Kintark are using enhanced shields... Can the Terran Federation fleets defend against an upgraded force of that size?"

"The Terran Federation has recalled over a dozen Quadrant Fleets to the Sol System, which means that T-Fed forces significantly outnumber the ships in the Kintark armada. Assuming equally skilled tactical leadership on each side, the Terran forces should be victorious without our intervention, although the cost in personnel and materiel will be devastating," she replied, but the worry in her eyes told him that wasn't the whole story.

"What's the problem, Commander?" he asked quietly.

"There's two problems," she replied ominously, pointing to the vast armada of Kintark vessels. "The first is that I didn't see a single troop transport in those formations. Unless the Kintark plan on bombing Terra into oblivion, they'll need a huge number of troops to conquer the Homeworld."

"What about all those troop transports in the Mar'Katrach Nebula?" Alyssa suggested, then glanced at John with concern. "Maybe sparing them wasn't such a good idea after all."

He grimaced at the thought of gunning down the defenceless transports, then reluctantly conceded, "You might be right, but it would've been like killing them in cold blood. Either way, the Kintark Empire has no shortage of loyal troops to send into battle."

"Do you really think they'll try to conquer Terra?" Rachel asked quietly.

"Occupying Terra would be a crushing blow to morale," John replied, considering the possible ramifications to the Federation. "I think it's a reasonable assumption that the Kintark would definitely choose to bring troops with them to hit the Homeworld."

"So where the fuck are they then?" Dana blurted out, frowning at the holographic display.

Calara glanced at the redhead. "Exactly... and that leads me to the second problem, which is much worse. Those Kintark ships with the gold stripes on the side are part of the Praetorian Guard; they're the most advanced vessels in the Kintark fleet, manned by elite crews."

"It makes sense that they're defending the dreadnought, but we can handle a score of cruisers easily enough," John said, not sure what had left the Latina so anxious.

She was silent for a moment, then turned around and pressed a button on her tactical display. The countless horde of Kintark ships faded away to be replaced by a much smaller set of vessels, perhaps no more than a hundred ships in total. However, there were a disproportionate number of capital ships in this force, with over a score of battleships and at least a dozen battlecarriers. Every single one was marked with those gold flashes.

"That's the Praetorian Guard... but this Intel is two years out of date. If the Emperor was preparing for war in the lead up to the Dragon March conflict, this force could be much larger... and none of these ships were part of the force that ravaged Port Medea."

There was a deathly silence on the Combat Bridge as they realised the full import of what the Latina was telling them.

"There must be a second armada!" Irillith hissed, eyes widening in shock.

John grimaced, dreading the answer to his next question. "So if you're right and the rest of the Praetorian Guard are protecting a second armada of troop transports, what's the likely outcome of the Battle for Terra?"

"I've spent hours running alternate scenarios and trying to predict all possible outcomes..." the Latina began, but her voice faded away, the pain evident in her eyes.

"I need to know, Commander," John said quietly.

Calara took a deep breath, her expression bleak as she met his troubled gaze. "The Terran forces will be outclassed and facing equal numbers... It's going to be a massacre."

***

Ailanthia glided down the corridor with a dazzling smile on her beautiful face, her happiness bizarrely out of keeping with the forbidding surroundings. The click of her high heels echoed down the lustreless onyx passageway, but she walked with an extra spring in her step, heedless of the oppressive shadows cast by the gloomy crimson lighting.

She paused by a sealed doorway, then waved her hand over a blood-red runic control on the wall. The door split apart, jagged teeth separating as the segments of the portal retreated back into the robust black doorframe. Ailanthia entered the Medical facility, her heart pounding with anticipation at the thought of being in her Master's glorious presence once again.

Then she spotted him and froze.

He was standing beside one of several occupied examination tables, his hand resting on the swollen belly of a pregnant thrall. Ailanthia instantly recognised Lymidia, which was unsurprising, as the young woman was linked to her psychic power network. What was surprising, was seeing her Master pay attention to an unremarkable thrall, one that he'd bred on a whim shortly after jumping into this segment of the galaxy.

"I felt her kicking just this morning, My Lord," Lymidia said breathlessly, gazing up at him in awe. "She'll make a strong warrior for your legions!"

Ailanthia saw his mouth twitch into a smile, the expression on his face one she'd never seen before. He caressed the young woman's curved abdomen, fingers tracing over her light-green skin with a gentleness that Ailanthia had come to adore over these last few weeks. Lymidia hesitated for a moment, then placed her hand atop his, holding him in place. Ailanthia braced herself for an explosion of rage from her master, shocked that a thrall would dare to be so bold.

"I feel her too!" he exclaimed in surprise. "I think you might be right, she'll be a strong one."

Ailanthia felt a sharp pang of envy, her previous jubilant mood shattered in an instant. "We have moved into position, My Lord," she informed him, unable to keep the sullen tone from her voice.

He turned to look at her, his smile shifting subtly, a wicked glimmer in his eyes. "Ah, Ailanthia, so good to see you." Glancing back at the thrall, he continued, "Lymidia is positively blooming in motherhood. I'll have to breed her again as soon as she's ready... don't you agree?"

His words felt like sharp daggers in Ailanthia's heart and she fought down a desperate surge of longing as she nodded. "Yes, My lord. Any woman would look radiant if she were blessed to have your progeny growing in her womb."

"Ah Ailanthia, what would I do without you... such a devoted servant," he said condescendingly, brushing his fingers across her cheek. Without a backward glance at Lymidia, he strode out into the corridor. "Don't dawdle, my loyal little Matriarch, we have a fun-filled day ahead of us today!"

"Yes, My Lord!" she replied reflexively, her mind reeling with the flood of disturbing new emotions she'd been feeling of late.

Ailanthia took a moment to glower at Lymidia in impotent fury, the thrall's dopey grin wiped away in an instant as she shrank back on the bed and averted her eyes from her Matriarch's rage. Whirling around, Ailanthia stormed out of the Medical facility, rushing to catch up with her Master.

***

Sergeant David Gibbons patched into the squad channel for Sentinel Alpha, nodding to the rest of his squadmates as he walked up the steps to the reinforced battlements. The power-armoured troopers were being held in reserve as a last line of defence around the Citadel, stationed along a sturdy ferrocrete wall, where they could be rapidly deployed to plug any gaps in the defensive line. There were bunkers and gun emplacements placed periodically along that wall, with power armoured troopers manning the battlements in-between. He and seven other soldiers were part of Commander Wessex's personal retinue, officially there to help protect her during the battle as she issued orders to the Armoured Infantry companies, but they all knew she'd be throwing herself into the thick of combat.

The creaking sound of heavy tracks made him turn around to look back behind the lines, where he couldn't fail to miss Brigadier Garcia's super-heavy command tank. The warmachine was a Titan Mk IV, massive enough to fully deserve the name as it towered over the regular heavy tanks rolling up into formation around it. The Titan tank had two enormous turrets, each possessing huge heavy-calibre weapon mounts, the muzzles of those big guns ready to roar their thunderous defiance at the enemy.

Staff Sergeant Clint Brannigan's grinning face loomed out of the comms interface. "Can't wait to see the Kintark brick themselves when the Titan opens up! Poor bastards will be begging in for mercy!"

"I hope that monster's got thick armour; looks like a bullet magnet to me," Gibbons replied, studying the enormous vehicle's imposing profile.

"Can the chatter, boys," Commander Wessex said sternly. She turned and pointed out into the valley. "If the Kintark try to storm the Citadel, this is the most logical approach, so I've positioned the Armoured Companies here to avoid a mid-battle redeployment. That plateau is ideal for unloading ground troops; it's the closest point incoming transports can reach while remaining outside the firing arcs of the Orbital Lasers. The deployment area is also relatively flat and there's only a gradual incline on this approach, so if the Kintark do attempt to storm the Citadel, I'd be willing to bet a hundred credits they do so from that direction."

"Like taking candy from a baby..." Brannigan snorted. "I'll take that bet, Commander."

Several of the other soldiers also eagerly accepted the bet, then justified their decision to each other by pointing out the merits of various other potential landing sites. Wessex just laughed at their good-natured attempts to make her doubt her prediction.

"You're awfully quiet, Sergeant," Commander Wessex, said patting Gibbons on the shoulder with a metallic clank of her armoured gauntlet. "Think you can prove me wrong?"

He looked out over the field of fortifications at the area she'd suggested, then shook his head. "No, Ma'am, I agree with your assessment. This is good ground for a killing field."

Now Wessex had pointed out the strengths of that deployment area, he could visualise the horde of bloodthirsty Kintark soldiers rolling over the defensive emplacements. He was suddenly reminded of desperate gunfights aboard Port Medea, the once pristine station burning with plasma fires, and echoing with the anguished screams of the dying.

Wessex switched to a private channel, her face filled with concern. "David, are you alright?"

Her tone caught him off-guard and shook him from his reverie. "Some ghosts from the past, Commander. I'm okay, there's nothing to worry about."

She nodded and patted him on the shoulder again, before turning to review the positioning of her troops.

***

Admiral Edwin Caldwell swiped his hand across the controls for the battle group interface, expanding his view of the Sol System and studying the astonishing numbers of vessels arrayed for battle. In his long career in the military, he'd never seen this many ships before. The closest had been the Terran Federation invasion fleet that had engaged the Kintark at Regulus, but he knew there were nearly five times that number of vessels ready to defend Terra.

The Terran Federation forces were clustered into fifteen battle groups, each under the direct supervision of the Admiral assigned to that Quadrant fleet. Caldwell himself had operational command and was directing the battle from the Terran flagship, the Retribution of Zeus. His battle group, along with those commanded by Weber and Mishra, were set back from the advanced positions, ready to respond to any surprises the Kintark threw at them.

Caldwell had prepared a few surprises of his own for the Kintark over the last several days, with squadrons of minelayers laying dense minefields across the most probable attack vectors. The magnetic mines were inert at the moment, but those deadly orbs lurked out there in the black, waiting for the Terran forces to flip the switch and unleash hell on the invaders.

"Coffee, Sir?" his adjutant, Lieutenant Scott, asked politely, offering him the mug of piping-hot drink

"Perfect, thank you," Caldwell replied, gratefully accepting. He'd got up early to review the battle plans and some caffeine would help chase the cobwebs away. He glanced at Lieutenant Commander Castelo. "Adriana, launch all our fighter wings, but hold back the bombers."

"Giving the launch order, Admiral," she replied, snapping a hasty salute.

Commander Garfield spun his chair around and called out in alarm, "We're picking up a second Kintark armada, Admiral! They're breaking away from the first!"

Caldwell expanded the System Map to view the holographic Sector Map, his eyes immediately drawn to the dense mass of sensor contacts. The sensor net surrounding the Homeworld had been tracking them for hours, monitoring the Kintark as they made their steady approach towards the Sol System. While they couldn't pick up precise numbers yet, it was obvious from the size of the sensor signals that there were a vast horde of Kintark ships in that Armada. The silver lining to that ominous cloud was that the alien forces were making a beeline for Terra, but a smaller group had changed course and were now heading for Alpha Centauri.

He felt a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He'd warned the Fleet Admiral that such a move was highly likely and stationing at least three battle groups to protect Olympus would be prudent. That suggestion had been met with a furious rebuttal from Buckingham, who had demanded that every available fleet should be moved to Terra to protect the Homeworld.

Glancing at his tactical officer, he said, "I want a breakdown of the numbers and classes of vessels in that breakaway fleet. When you've got a full listing, send the data to Olympus, they need to know what's heading their way."

The comms interface flashed, expanding outwards to show Buckingham's worried face. The Fleet Admiral was ensconced in his Fortified Command Bunker deep within the Citadel, but despite his secure location, the highest-ranked officer in the Terran Federation was still pacing nervously back and forth. "They've split their forces!" Buckingham exclaimed, before anxiously nibbling on a thumbnail.

Doing his best to refrain from yelling, "I told you so!" at his commanding officer, Caldwell merely grimaced and nodded. "I'll dispatch Weber and Mishra to Alpha Centauri. Olympus should be able to withstand an attack long enough for reinforcements to arrive."

Buckingham shook his head, eyebrows furrowing in anger. "No! We can't put Terra at risk..." His eyes suddenly lit up with excitement. "Actually, this is perfect! Those fools have split their forces! We can bring our full might to bear on that larger group, then once we've annihilated them, we can clean up the secondary group!"

"But what about Olympus?" Caldwell demanded, trying to stay calm. "We might have gained an advantage here, but the Shipyard is going to be horribly exposed. Considering the number of ships we're facing, there's going to be a protracted battle around Terra... by the time we're victorious, it'll be too late to save Olympus! We've got to send help!"

The Fleet Admiral froze and a cunning smile spread across his face. "This unforced error essentially guarantees our victory over the Kintark! Once we've wiped out their armada, we'll be able to just roll in and capture Kinta at our leisure..." He gazed into the distance, his expression one of delight. "Just imagine it, Edwin. We'll be able to annex the entire goddamn Kintark Empire!" His eyes snapped back to Caldwell as he added, "Olympus is a small price to pay for that. We'll be able to rebuild it thrice-over with all the resources we'll seize from the Kintark!"

"But it'll take decades to rebuild!" Caldwell protested. "We'll lose over half our Capital ship manufacturing capacity in a stroke!"

"You need to think of the bigger picture... the long-term gain for humanity," Buckingham replied, unswayed by Caldwell's plea. "Hundreds of new worlds ripe for the taking, a cowed and broken people ripe for exploitation as a new workforce... the potential gains are incalculable!"

Before Caldwell could reply, Commander Garfield's anxious voice called out across the Bridge. "Admiral, we've just detected another fleet of ships!"

"More Kintark?!" Caldwell snapped, sitting forward on his seat and frantically studying the huge crimson blob representing the lizardmen forces. He frowned when he wasn't able to spot a third group breaking away from the Kintark Armada

Garfield hesitated then pointed at the far side of the map. "The new fleet isn't coming from the Dragon March..."

***

Lilyana stared at the Sector Map, watching as the holographic representations of her warfleet raced across space. They were travelling far faster than any hyper-warp speed her battleship, the Galaena Serine, had ever been before, and that wasn't just because of the recently upgraded Tachyon Drive. Her Navigation officers had been astonished by the new flight path that Alyssa had sent them, chattering amongst themselves and marvelling at some new technique she called "warp tunnelling".

She found their surprise quite amusing, especially after witnessing the various miracles that the Protector and his women had managed to accomplish since he'd blazed into Maliri Space. All her Bridge crew had been there when John had managed to defuse the Maliri civil war without a single shot fired in anger, in a situation that Lilyana was sure would end in total disaster. In a moment of clarity, she realised that perhaps it was simply the discovery of the unknown that those Navigators found so intriguing.

Almari stepped closer and placed a hand on her shoulder, "Alyssa has new orders for us. If you have any questions, simply ask and I'll relay them to her via Edraele."

The House Valaden Fleet Commander turned to look at the assassin and nodded her understanding.

*Hey, Lilyana!* the youthful telepathic voice began, as it swept through her mind. *We've had a change of plans. We want you to head directly to the Sol System; I've asked Faye to transmit an updated flightpath.*

A quiet chime echoed around the battleship's Bridge and the Navigation Officer turned in her chair as she said, "New course plotted, making course corrections to compensate."

Lilyana frowned and swept her hands across the glowing map, changing the focus so that it was centred on their destination. "I thought defending Olympus Shipyard was our primary strategic goal?" she asked, noting that they were scheduled to arrive in the Sol System at 7:06 local time.

*The Federation forces defending Terra are going to get slaughtered unless we send them more help. Leave Olympus to us, we'll arrive at Alpha Centauri some time before you would anyway. Calara wants you to focus on supporting the Terran forces in the defence of Terra; she says that timing is critical and doesn't want to delay your fleet with a detour to Olympus. When you engage the Kintark, stay at maximum Beam Laser range as their plasma bolts will lose a lot of damage potential at extreme range. Your job is to strip shields from Kintark ships so the Terran forces can bring their heavy ordnance to bear; don't worry about finishing off enemy vessels.*

"Wouldn't it be more sensible to close to medium range?" the Fleet Commander asked, frowning in confusion. "Then we'd be able to utilise our Pulse Cannon batteries as well..."

Alyssa was stern as she replied, *John wants to keep your fleet out of as much danger as possible, so you can continue onwards to support the Trankarans directly after the battle. You can get close enough to protect Terran forces from strike craft with your Pulse Cannons, but don't get drawn into a slugging match with Kintark capital ships.*

Lilyana was surprised by the strength of authority in the young woman's voice and marvelled that the Terran girl was less than a sixth of her age. "We will do as you command, Matriarch Alyssa."

*Fantastic, thanks!* the blonde replied, sounding genuinely appreciative. *There's one other thing you need to be aware of... the Terran forces might open fire on you.*

The Fleet Commander stiffened, then darted a shocked glance at Almari, "We're trying to save those cretins! They'd actually have the audacity to..." she lowered her voice to a whisper, so as not to be overheard by the Bridge crew. "... start shooting at us?!"

*The Fleet Admiral has his head up his ass at the moment,* Alyssa explained with a sigh of frustration. *We'll do our best to rectify the problem, but I don't want you going into this battle with your eyes closed.*

Lilyana stepped closer to Almari and whispered furiously in her ear, "Firing on allies isn't just a 'problem'! How are you going to fix that?"

*If the Fleet Admiral doesn't have a head, he won't be a problem,* the blonde replied, her voice dripping with menace.

"That does sound like an efficient solution," Lilyana conceded with a brief chuckle. "Alright, we'll keep a vigilant eye open for any attempts at treachery."

*I knew we could count on you, Lilyana. Thank you,* Alyssa said gratefully.

The Fleet Commander frowned and after a momentary pause, she said, "I wish I had the same kind of bond with you that Edraele has with Almari. Being able to communicate both ways with telepathy in a battle would be incredibly convenient."

*Are you sure? To bond with me, you'd have to tell me all your naughtiest little secrets,* the blonde purred, her voice dropping lower and sending a delicious shiver down Lilyana's spine. *You're a strong, confident woman in a position of authority; I'd be fascinated to see how you'd respond if I took a firm hand with you in the bedroom...*

Almari heard Alyssa's seductive reply and tried not to laugh at the shocked look on Lilyana's face.

***

"Yeah! We're gonna kick some fucking lizard ass!"

Lieutenant Commander Murphy watched the rookie pilots run past, shaking his head at how eager the trio of young Lieutenants were to get into their Rapier fighters and charge into the fray. He'd been like them not that long ago, but the Battle of Regulus had given him a brutal lesson in the grim realities of war. He glanced over his shoulder at his four wingmen who were striding along behind him, their expressions serious and alert. The contrast between their sober professionalism and that of their wild colleagues was striking, and he felt a surge of pride towards these earnest young pilots.

They entered the Zeus' flightdeck and found it frantic with activity. All around them flight crews were running to their ships, while munitions teams were moving grav-sleds with empty ammunitions canisters out of the way. Murphy stopped by his Claymore, took a deep breath, then turned to face his wingmen. They all stood at attention, eyes watching his every move.

"Just remember your training," he said, his voice quiet but firm. "You've all reviewed the battle footage from Regulus, so you know what you're up against with the Kintark. They'll probably be using more of those Batakos-class heavy fighters, which are equipped with four Heavy Plasma Guns. They're nasty weapons, so avoid going head-to-head. Last time we fought them our Rapiers had a speed and manoeuvrability advantage, but we were heavily outgunned. Now we're in Claymores, it's going to be a whole different ballgame."

He looked at each of them in turn. "Any questions?" When there were none raised, he continued, "Watch each other's backs and we'll get through this in one piece. Good luck, everyone."

They gave him a sharp salute, then turned and walked briskly towards their ships. Murphy climbed onto the wing of his Claymore and paused by the stylised picture of the beautiful green girl, her radiant smile just like the one she'd given them at Regulus. He'd heard the edict from Fleet Admiral Buckingham that John Blake and his Lionesses had supposedly gone rogue, but he couldn't believe that for one second.

Pressing his fingers to his lips, he touched Jade's cheek. "I have faith in ya darlin'..." he said in his affected brogue.

He suddenly had the distinct impression he was being watched, so he turned around and saw Binary staring at him, an unreadable expression on his face. Murphy nodded to his old wingmate, then abruptly turned away, the sadness he saw in the other man's eyes making him uncomfortable. He entered the Claymore's airlock without a second glance, pulling on his flight helmet and preparing himself to face the Kintark once again.

***

Admiral Charles Harris strode into Olympus Shipyard's Command Centre with Lieutenant Adams at his side. The huge room was manned by nearly two-hundred personnel, the glow from so many different holographic panels casting a bright splash of colour across the otherwise drab grey decor. Normally it was the dozen Flight Control stations that were the centre of activity, as they directed civilian and military traffic in and out of the Shipyard. However, today it was a score of Tactical stations that were abuzz with staff. There were three operatives per station, each one controlling a subset of the formidable arsenal of weapon batteries that made Olympus the powerful battle-station that it was.

Victor cleared his throat and announced loudly. "Officer on Deck!"

All eyes turned to look at Charles, with everyone not in the middle of an urgent task stopping what they were doing, then rising to salute him. Charles acknowledged his staff with a nod and walked briskly to the Command Podium.

Commodore Kuan Ming rose from the Command Chair and stepping aside, snapping off a respectful salute as he did so. "I stand relieved, Admiral Harris."

"Any updates for me, Commodore?" Charles asked as he returned the salute, then took a seat.

"Olympus' defence grid has been activated and all gun batteries are fully operational," Ming replied, his delivery formal and precise. "Strike craft squadrons have been deployed and Rear Admiral Dacres' fleet has moved into position as instructed."

Charles nodded his approval. "Excellent. What about the Kintark?"

Ming ran his fingers through his short dark hair, then glanced at the left side of the Sector map where a mass of red dots were highlighted. "The Kintark forces have split as Commander Fernandez predicted; we have a substantial fleet enroute." He pointed over to the upper section of the map and continued, "We're also tracking the Maliri warfleet, which is now on a direct heading for Terra. Finally, we've just picked up the Invictus on the sector sensor net, they're on their way here."

Charles studied the map and fought down a sudden onrush of panic. The Kintark Armada was awfully close and the Invictus seemed to be so far away. "How long until the Invictus arrives?"

"We have an ETA of 32 minutes," Ming replied, shaking his head in amazement. "Their hyper-warp velocity is astounding! I've never seen anything move so fast!"

"That ship's full of surprises," Charles said with a wry smile.

His smile faded as he glanced at the System Map depicting the Alpha Centauri system. With the Tactical Overlay activated, he could see the full extent of the forces they had deployed to defend Olympus Shipyard. While he knew that the recently upgraded ships from the refit were much more potent than regular Terran vessels, there seemed to be so few of them, numbering only ten battleships and twenty cruisers.

Their numbers were padded out by the remnants of Nexus' automated fleet, which consisted of the battleship Loki and fourteen AI cruisers. Also joining them were hundreds of Kintark vessels that had been captured after the Battle of Regulus. While all those ships might have appeared visually impressive, lined up in formation next to Olympus, none of them were manned and they had to be towed into position by a team of tugs. To compound their ineffectiveness, the Kintark ships had been stripped of heatsinks, which meant that all their Plasma Cannons were essentially useless.

Charles wasn't sure exactly what Calara was up to, but he'd followed her instructions to the letter. He knew John trusted the gifted Tactical Officer implicitly, but he really hoped she wasn't going to try and dupe the Kintark with a bluff. It would only take one active scan for the Kintark to realise the truth about those ships, but when they remained motionless during the battle, it would be painfully obvious they were little more use than a pile of scrap metal.

"What the hell are you up to, John...?" he muttered under his breath.

***

Grand Prelate Melkadian laughed with delight, his teeth rasping together as he looked at the holographic System Map aboard the repurposed Terran dreadnought. The Kintark Armada had just dropped out of hyper-warp on the outer edge of the Sol System, and following the Traitor's advice, they had launched a spread of sensor probes. When the probes began to send out their sensor pulses, thousands of tiny dots had appeared on the map, each circled in red.

"Very impresssive, Admiral Norwood! Thossse minefieldsss were jussst where you'd predicted they'd be. How were you able to anticipate their precissse locationsss?" he asked, genuinely impressed by the treacherous Terran.

"Caldwell's an excellent Tactical Commander, but not a very creative one. He mined the obvious entry points to the system, as well as the areas we would move to if we were deliberately attempting to flank his forces. By choosing a mid-point between them, we were able to avoid his trap," Norwood explained, a smile of satisfaction spreading across his face. He glanced at the Sector Map and his pleased expression changed to one of wariness as he continued, "I still have grave misgivings about you splitting our forces... why would you send so many ships to Olympus?"

"We merely intend to sssecure the Ssshipyard," Melkadian replied, as convincingly as he could. "That way we can prevent sssabotage or ssscuttling by Terran forcesss when they realissse we have conquered Terra. Asss you sssaid before, Olympusss is pivotal to the rebuilding of Terran naval forcesss, which will be the foundation of the new Terran Republic."

Norwood pondered that for a moment, then nodded. "I suppose that's a wise precaution, but as you can see, we'll be facing roughly even numbers in the battle for Terra." He turned and gestured to the Terran formations which were pivoting around to interpose themselves between the Kintark and the Homeworld.

"Our forcesss are more than a match for theirsss," the Grand Prelate said with a snort of contempt. "You sssaw what a one-sssided ssslaughter it wasss in the Dragon March. We have sssuperior technology, sssuperior numbersss, and we're a sssuperior ssspeci-..." He rasped his teeth to catch himself and quickly corrected what he was about to blurt out. "...have sssuperior ssspecialisation of our ground troopsss."

"That reminds me... wouldn't it be more sensible to eliminate the Federation's defensive fleets first, before we consider launching a ground assault?" Norwood asked, darting a confused glance at the dense formation of green and gold vessels that were peeling away from the main armada. In their wake trailed a horde of massive troop transports, each one filled with thousands of Kintark soldiers.

Melkadian's lips peeled back in what he hoped would appear to be a benign smile. "Conquering the Citadel will be a crussshing blow to Federation morale. The psssychological ssshockwave that will sssend through Terran forcesss would prompt them to sssurrender, sssparing usss unnecesssary bloodssshed. After all, that'sss what we all wisssh for, isss it not? A sssmooth transssition from the Terran Federation to the Terran Republic with asss few livesss lossst asss posssible..."

Norwood bowed to him and returned the smile. "Once again, I'm reminded of your wisdom, Grand Prelate."

"My thanksss, but I can't claim the credit for thisss inspired plan," Melkadian replied, his reptilian eyes flicking to the massive Kintark flagship in the centre of the Praetorian Guard.

The holographic battle interface that loomed overhead showed the scaly faces of all the High Prelates in command of each of their subdivisions. On the far-right of the display, a Kintark commander in full body armour made a rasping click, drawing Melkadian's attention. Norwood glanced at the holographic portrait, which revealed that the Kintark wearing gold flashes on his armoured carapace, was called High Prelate Tekarin on the battlecarrier Jaleen'tohok.

"Grand Prelate, we will be jumping into the Alpha Centauri sssyssstem in moments," Tekarin informed them with a respectful bow of his head. "We ssshall begin our asssault on Olympusss."

***

"My God..." Caldwell muttered under his breath, gaping at the vast numbers of Kintark spacecraft that had just jumped into the Sol System. He could only watch in horror as the throng of shimmering green vessels were joined by even more, as wave after wave of Kintark forces left hyper-warp at the outer edge of the system. "Look at them all... How did they get so many ships?!"

His XO, Commander Milton, whirled around and grabbed the stunned Admiral's arm. "The mines, it's our only chance!"

Garfield turned in his chair and shook his head frantically. "They knew they were there! The Kintark missed all the minefields!"

There was a deathly silence on the Bridge as the Kintark ships increased their velocity to combat speed, with over a thousand green warships now heading straight for the Terran defenders. The lizardmen forces formed up into battle lines, with destroyers and cruisers forming a picket screen as they led the advance, the capital ships bringing up the rear.

Caldwell had arrayed his fleets in a loose cluster around Terra, knowing that the Federation ships would form up into their own battle lines when the Kintark arrived in-system. The Terran forces began to react to the Kintark's sudden appearance, one battle group after another moving into position as they readied themselves to meet that charge. Caldwell had chosen to engage with the Kintark forces well outside of heavy weapons range of Terra, to avoid stray shots from either side hitting the Homeworld.

"Sir! Part of the Kintark fleet is breaking away from the main Armada!" Garfield informed him, highlighting the scores of ships on the map. "Looks like they're going to attack Terra from a different direction!"

When the targeting overlay centred on those ships, Caldwell felt his heart skip a beat. It was the Kintark Praetorian Guard! He instantly recognised the feared ships by the golden flashes along their armoured flanks... but there were so many of them, far more than he'd been led to believe from the footage of the Dragon March battle. At their centre was a huge angular vessel, which bore intricate golden patterns along its 2km length, its armoured hull bristling with gun batteries. Following behind them was another easily-identifiable class of Kintark ships, the scores of heavy troop transports clearly identifying the purpose of this breakaway group.

Much as he loathed the idea, Caldwell was left with no choice but to commit his reserves to the battle before the first shot had even been fired. He selected the Praetorian Guard fleet with a sweep of his hand, then focused on the battle group interface. "Weber, Mishra, I want you to engage my target!"

Both Admirals were equally shocked by the size of the enemy armada, but they both nodded to acknowledge his order. They began issuing commands to their Bridge crews and moments later, the fleets under their control began to pivot, moving to engage the Kintark elite forces. Weber and Mishra's battle groups were larger than the other Terran fleets, reinforced to make a far stronger reserve force. Each Admiral's fleet consisted of over seventy destroyers and corvettes, followed by an assortment of forty cruisers, heavy cruisers, and battlecruisers, with fifteen battleships flanking a dreadnought to form the backbone of each group. At the rear of each formation were a cluster of light and heavy carriers, there to provide strike craft support.

"You heavily outnumber the Praetorian Guard forces, so you should be able to defeat them with ease. Once you eliminate their warships, destroy those transports," Caldwell ordered, focusing intently on the map.

The Kintark Praetorian Guard fleet had just over one-hundred ships, the most dangerous of which were twenty battleships, twelve battlecarriers, and the Kintark Flagship. Added together, his two reserve battlegroups outnumbered the Kintark nearly two-to-one.

"Moving to engage," Weber said curtly, before turning to listen to the captain of his dreadnought, Odin's Thunderbolt.

Mishra's attention was on the Tactical Map aboard her dreadnought, Shiva the Destroyer. "Adopting attack pattern fourteen delta," she said, sounding distracted.

Caldwell turned back to the rest of his battle line, issuing terse orders to the remaining twelve Admirals. He actually felt an odd sense of relief when he realised that Buckingham's stubborn refusal to assist Olympus might actually be a blessing in disguise... With the numbers of Kintark they were facing in the Sol System, losing Weber and Mishra's battle groups before the battle would have been a disaster. He watched the main forces closing together, bracing himself for the massive knock-down bloody brawl he knew this was going to be.

***

"Power up the ship!" Rear Admiral Dacres called out, leaning forward in his Command Chair on the battleship Nereus. "Fire at will, gentlemen!"

The Kintark had only just jumped into the Alpha Centauri system and were completely oblivious to the Olympus Defence Fleet lying in wait for them. At first glance the Terran forces looked to be in a hopeless situation, outnumbered as they were 4-to-1 by the elite Praetorian Guard fleet. However, with all the Terran ships powered down, they were invisible to sensors and caught the Kintark attack group completely by surprise.

It took nearly ten seconds to shunt power through all the Nereus' systems, with console after console flickering with light as the warship burst into life. Commander Bridgeport stared at the Weapon Loadout display, waiting impatiently for the icons representing the Beam Laser array to turn green. He hovered the targeting reticle right over the green armoured flank of a Kintark battleship, aiming in the middle of the diagonal golden flashes that decorated its hull. The moment his Beam Laser readout turned green, he squeezed the trigger on his weapon controls, firing off a full volley.

The Nereus' rear-mounted Beam Laser batteries blazed with a bright orange light, lashing the Kintark battleship with a dozen columns of energy. While the Kintark shields were far more resilient than normal, every Terran ship in the fleet had been equipped with top-of-the-range heatsinks, so those energy beams were also hitting 70% harder. It was difficult to make out how effective the individual shots from the Nereus had been, because those beams were joined by a blistering barrage of Beam Laser fire from half-a-dozen other Terran vessels.

The ten Federation battleships and twenty cruisers were in a wall formation, so that every vessel was able to hit the invaders at the same time. Dacres' fleet were positioned just within Beam Laser range and they greeted the aliens with a well-aimed fusillade, the salvos devastatingly effective against the stationary ships that had just dropped out of hyper-warp. The Kintark shields rippled with energy as the amber lances caressed their surface, until one shield after another was finally overwhelmed.

Lieutenant Commander Ridgeway pressed the thumb button on his weapon controls and the rear-mounted Heavy Cannons pounded shells into the shieldless Kintark battleship. He smiled with satisfaction as he saw explosions rippling across the flank of the enemy capital ship, reinforced plating blown to pieces by the armour-piercing shells. When the storm of debris had been blasted clear, the Kintark hull had gone from an immaculate shimmering green, to a mangled ruin of pockmarked craters and glowing trenches.

"That was an excellent start, gentlemen," Dacres said, nodding his approval to the Nereus' gunners. Glancing at his helmsman, he continued curtly, "Engine power to eighty percent and set course for Olympus. Begin snaking manoeuvres!"

The four huge Trankaran engines on the back of the Nereus flared almost as brightly as the beam lasers had done, propelling the battleship forward at startling speed. The fleet veered forty-five degrees to port, turning just enough so that the fire arcs from their port weapon batteries clipped the Kintark ships. The Nereus trembled as it unleashed a ferocious broadside of cannons, missiles, and Beam Laser fire at the stunned invaders, creating a second storm of even greater destruction. In the space of fifteen seconds, the shields had been stripped from six Kintark battleships, their hulls then pounded by shells and thunderous detonations. Eight of the green and gold cruisers had been blown to pieces, unable to withstand the ferocity of that deadly ambush.

It took the Kintark forces a moment to recover, but they were manned by elite crews and they responded with impressive speed. Immediately giving chase, the Kintark ships powered up their engines to maximum and opened fire with every Plasma Cannon at their disposal. It was like the heavens had opened as the torrent of green plasma bolts sought out their targets, the Kintark eager to pay back their tormentors with equal fury.

The Terran fleet turned sharply to starboard, retro-thrusters lighting up along their hulls and executing a very rapid course correction. A surprising number of that plasma bolt hail missed, the Kintark gunners caught out by their target's abrupt change of direction. Even the shots that did connect were robbed of much of their strength, the plasma bolts losing their integrity at such extreme range.

Unfortunately for the Kintark, the Trankaran engines mounted on the Terran fleet allowed them to travel at over twice their top speed. That meant the Federation ships could keep the Kintark fleet at extreme range, even while making exaggerated zig-zagging manoeuvres. The Kintark ships did their best to chase after them, but received a withering starboard broadside to the bow for their trouble.

Dacres watched with rapidly mounting respect for the gifted author of this one-sided pummelling.

There'd been more than one nervous objection during Admiral Harris' pre-battle briefing, but he'd gently reminded the captains about Calara's role in the victory at Regulus and the way the Invictus had recently beaten incredible odds against the Kirrix. The Terran ship captains had been mollified and followed Commander Calara Fernandez's instructions to the letter.

However, it was only now when Dacres saw Calara's plan unfolding for himself, that he could finally understand the full scale of her ruthless genius. She had carefully orchestrated the Terran Fleet crossing-the-T of the Kintark invaders, exposing them to debilitating broadsides while they were only able to use their forward gun batteries in return. Not only that, but her plan allowed the Terran Federation ships to take full advantage of their faster speed and manoeuvrability, hitting the Kintark with alternating broadsides. While the gun batteries on one flank cooled or reloaded, the Terran ships were able to pound their enemies with freshly readied weapons from the alternate flank.

What made Dacres pity the poor bastards on the receiving end of this punishment, was that it would take over ten minutes for the Kintark to advance to Olympus shipyard from the outer edge of the system's gravity well. That meant they would have to weather the storm of over 60 full broadsides, while they would only be able to use their front-mounted Plasma Cannons in return, which were also woefully ineffective at this range.

The Terran fleet shifted course again, almost like they were tacking against some cosmic wind, the swing of the bow bringing the port batteries back into action. Ridgeway opened fire, launching Heavy Cannon shells streaming across space, before they ploughed deep into the nose of the Kintark battleship and ripped a massive hole through the mangled superstructure. Bridgeport had been waiting for that opening, and his dozen Beam Lasers cored deep into the lizardman battleship, melting through deck after deck and vaporising everything they touched.

The Kintark ship yawed to starboard, obviously out of control, and rammed into a battered cruiser. The vast bulk of the battleship caused horrific damage to the much smaller vessel, smashing it apart in a riotous shower of broken pieces with the impact. Turning like that exposed the battleship's previously damaged flank, so both of the Nereus' gunners hit it with a volley from the aft gun batteries this time. There were more explosions from deep inside the mortally wounded capital ship and it was suddenly ripped apart in a colossal detonation as the Power Core went critical. That blastwave enveloped half a dozen of the pursuing Kintark ships, knocking several cruisers tumbling and severely damaging their shields.

"I almost feel sorry for them," Ridgeway said quietly, voicing Dacres earlier thoughts as he watched the huge warship explode into a million tiny pieces. "They've got another ten minutes of this to go."

"Remember Port Medea, Mr. Ridgeway," Dacres said firmly. "We'll be showing the Kintark precisely the same amount of mercy."

The Tactical Officer nodded, his eyes narrowing with anger as he lined up the next bombardment with the Nereus' starboard batteries.

***

Prelate Khardas grinned as he watched the battle for Terra unfolding, leaning over the command table on the platform that overlooked the cruiser Jernak'tor's Bridge-pit. "I've waited for thisss moment for a long time. By Paldorosss the Unrelenting, you will be avenged thisss day, High Prelate Vraktrin!"

His joyful expression was mirrored by the toothy smile on Vorgrax the Royal Guard's face. "Agreed, Khardasss, The Terran Federation will be broken once and for all!"

They watched as the forward elements of the Kintark armada began to exchange fire with the Terran defenders. The space between the two sides became a lethal killing ground, with green plasma bolts flying in one direction, while bright amber beams blazed back in return. The Kintark forces pushed on at advance speed, closing the gap to medium range to increase the lethality of their plasma barrages.

After several minutes, the vicious firefight was starting to take its toll on both sides, but with the newly installed shields on the Kintark ships they got off far lighter in the exchange. There was an almost celebratory mood on the Jernak'tor's Bridge, even though they had not yet fired a shot. The reason for their lack of involvement in the battle was that the Jernak'tor was one of a score of cruisers, providing close escort to the repurposed Kintark dreadnought, the Vengeance of Hera. With the extended range of its weapons, it was able to sit behind friendly lines and attack the Terran forces with impunity.

The Terran battleship Aeolus had just lost its shields to a focused effort by Kintark gunners, its grey titanium hull now showing hits from insidious green plasma fire. Retro-thrusters on the bow flared as the helmsman put the battleship into full reverse, attempting to take them off the front line and allow some time for their shields to recharge. It had barely begun to move when the slug from the Hera's Singularity Drivers slammed into the prow, making the Terran capital ship quake with the strength of the impact.

A second later another round cratered the battleship's bow, armour plates shredded and blown clear by the blast. The Aeolus was little more than a sitting duck as it tried to reverse and one slug after another demolished the front of the stricken Terran warship. The bow-mounted retro-thrusters were quickly obliterated, so the helmsman attempted to turn instead, exposing the battleship's flanks to further bombardment.

"There isss no place for you to run, Terran vermin!" Prelate Khardas snarled, watching with bloodthirsty anticipation as the beleaguered battleship was hammered by the Hera.

The dreadnought's gunners kept pounding the middle of the battleship, huge impact craters turning into deep rents in its armoured flanks. Khardas could imagine the Terran vessel groaning in despair as it eventually broke apart under that relentless bombardment, the ship ripping into two separate chunks.

Vorgrax chuckled, his deep laughter echoing around the Bridge Pit. "The firssst of many, Khardasss. The Terransss must be horrified at usss usssing their mightiessst weaponsss of war againssst them! And bessst of all, their dreadnoughtsss cannot fire on our capital ssshipsss becaussse our ssshieldsss are ssstill intact!"

Khardas rasped his teeth in agreement, then glanced over to his left. "Look there, Vorgrax... The Praetorian Guard will ssshow thessse Federation weaklingsss the true meaning of terror!"

They both watched as the fearless Praetorian fleet charged headlong into the Federation forces that had shifted position to cut off their route to Terra. Rather than stopping at medium range to unleash measured salvos against the enemy, the green and gold ships continued onwards at full throttle, closing to point blank range.

The Terran forces opened up with their Laser Cannon batteries, but with the advanced shielding installed on the Kintark ships, those laser bolts made no difference whatsoever. The Terran ordnance weapons were useless until the Kintark shields went down, which meant the only guns they could use were slow-firing Beam Lasers. By contrast, the Plasma Cannon broadsides were at their most lethal when fired at such close range and within a couple of minutes that section of the map was ablaze with burning Terran ships.

"Thisss day will be remembered for millennia," Khardas gloated, watching the carnage with glee.

***

"All Claymore wings set course to 270. Proceed at max speed to designated coordinates. Urgent support needed."

Murphy studied at the Tactical Map as he listened to Lieutenant Commander Castelo's honeyed voice. He'd found that voice enchanting not so long ago, but now he knew she was a herald of destruction, sending him heedlessly into the maelstrom of battle. The Tactical Map displayed two almost solid blocks of red and green, tracking the Kintark and Terran ships-of-the-line squaring off against one another and exchanging broadsides. His theatre of war was to be the end of that battleline, where the reserves had been deployed to stop a Kintark breakthrough.

"Alright everyone, you heard the lady," he called out to his wingmates. "Keep your eyes peeled for roving fighter wings."

He banked a hard left and shoved the throttle forward, the insane thrust from the Trankaran engines pushing him back into his cushioned seat. A glance at the proximity grid showed the four Claymores in his wing forming up into a neat V shape as they barrelled down the back of the Terran line. They were the frontrunners, with the rest of the Claymore reserve squadron turning and following in their wake as they responded to the call for help.

Murphy got a good glimpse of the battle as he raced along, watching burning Terran cruisers and battleships pulling back from the front lines to regenerate their shields. It was like those sickly green fires were a contagious disease, spreading from one afflicted spacecraft to the next. Some of those vessels had succumbed to the deadly plague, with noxious verdant flames burning out of control in the wreck of one battlecruiser.

Seeing those dancing fires consuming the battered hulk, he had a sudden flashback... Romeo's Rapier licked by flames, his wingmate screaming for help as he was consumed by the conflagration. Murphy shut his eyes and breathed deeply, trying to steady his racing heartbeat as those agonised cries echoed in his mind.

"Target sighted, Leprechaun!" Baker called out, his voice bringing Murphy back to the fight. "Kintark wing harassing friendlies!"

There was a beep on the proximity grid and Murphy's eyes were drawn to Baker's target, seven ships highlighted in the deadly melee. Three Rapiers were frantically dodging the four Kintark heavy fighters on their tail, a storm of plasma bolts remorselessly following their every weave and turn. Before Murphy could say a word, one of the Terran fighters was caught by that vicious hail, and the Rapier ignited in a green explosion as it was blown apart.

"Gator, we're taking that first wing," he said curtly, desperately trying to distract himself from the memories that were haunting the edge of consciousness.

"Happy hunting, Leprechaun," Captain Lewis replied. "All wings disperse and free fire. Those boys need our help!"

Murphy tapped an icon representing each of his wingmates, then allocated them targets from the Kintark wing. Lincoln and Baker weren't as accurate as Halifax and Abbott, so he assigned them both to the rearmost Kintark. The Claymores were twice as fast as any fighters the Kintark possessed, so when the two fleeing Rapiers ended up flying directly away from their salvation, his wing were still able to quickly close the gap on the pursuing aliens.

The Kintark were too absorbed in the chase to pay much heed to any incoming threats, so Murphy was able to line up his shot and pull the trigger, without any wild jinking from the enemy to throw off his aim. The three Gatling Lasers built into each wing of his Claymore span up into a furious whir, then spat a stream of laser bolts into the rear of the green Batakos fighter.

Expecting those bright orange laser bolts to tear up the Kintark's armoured hull, Murphy was shocked to see a rippling series of circles sending waves over a faint green dome. "Those bastards are shielded!" he warned his wingmates, while holding down the trigger.

He heard a simultaneous curse from Baker and saw that the young Lieutenant had opened fire with his Gauss Cannon. The slug bounced harmlessly off the shielded heavy fighter, leaving it completely unscathed. Murphy's own target had finally reacted to being lit up with laser fire, but not before its shields went down with a pop. He murmured a silent prayer of thanks to the techs that had fitted the upgraded heatsinks in his highly-modified gunship, knowing how much harder his Gatling Lasers were hitting with all that extra power pumped into them.

Halifax's youthful but confident voice filled the airwaves. "It takes four seconds of sustained fire to strip their shields!"

Wanting to end the Kintark's pursuit of the Terran Rapiers as fast as possible, Murphy hit the thumb button on his flightstick. The Claymore shuddered as the Gauss Cannon built into the fuselage opened up, hurling a hyper-accelerated slug into the Kintark fighter. The round had enough armour penetration to be able to punch through a destroyer's armour plating, so the effect it had on the heavy fighter was catastrophic. The slug ploughed straight through the fighter, shattering the power core and obliterating the Kintark ship.

He checked the proximity grid looking for new targets, but his wingmates had eviscerated the rest of the wing, leaving the Rapiers free and clear. "Nice shooting," he said quietly, turning the nose of his Claymore towards the chaotic mass of red and green dots. "Follow me in."

The Kintark and Terran capital ships were involved in a brutal knife-fight, the kilometre-long vessels pounding away at each other from point-blank range. Murphy was a fighter pilot and had never crewed one of those big ships, but he could tell at a glance how badly that fight was going for the Terran forces. The green and gold Kintark battleships had spearheaded a charge right into the middle of the Terran formation and their broad-barrelled Plasma Cannons were sending salvo after salvo of sizzling plasma bolts into the Federation capital ships.

The Claymores raced into the midst of that anarchic fight, pulling up to avoid a burning Terran heavy cruiser, then swooping below the trio of Kintark cruisers that were savaging it with plasma barrages. There was no time to allocate targets to his wingmen now and he simply picked the first Kintark fighter that crossed his path. Gently squeezing the trigger, the Claymore's six Gatling Lasers sent a whirring stream of laser bolts into the rear of the green fighter. Counting to four in his head, he saw its shields shiver and pop as they were overwhelmed, orange laser fire ripping into the iridescent green armour plating.

The heavy fighter tried some frantic evasive manoeuvres, but no matter how much the Kintark pilot tried to throw him off, he was able easily stay on its tail. Murphy had to yank back hard on the throttle to avoid overshooting his target, then tapped the button to execute the heavy fighter with a well-aimed Gauss Cannon round. The slug hit the front of the Kintark's fuselage at an oblique angle, sundering the cockpit and sucking the pilot out into space.

"Leprechaun! Watch out!"

He jumped at Lincoln's strangled cry of panic, the warning followed a second later by a grating alarm as his shields were knocked out by plasma fire. Reacting purely on instinct, he slammed the throttle forward and banked right with the flightstick, his Claymore blasting forward like a bullet from a gun.

"Still on your six, keep dodging!" Abbott yelled.

Murphy dipped the Claymore's nose and roared towards a Kintark cruiser, before pulling up at the last second, and performing a smooth loop around its angular hull. He jinked around a fire-control tower then risked a glance at the proximity grid. "I can't see him!"

Baker's laughter echoed around his cockpit. "I'm not surprised! Both of them are back here... in a million pieces!"

Blowing out his breath, Murphy glanced at his Claymore's damage status and saw that his right wing had been clipped, but he wasn't on fire and no subsystems had been damaged.

"We're forming up on you," Halifax said, sounding as relieved as Murphy felt.

"Thanks guys," he said quietly, knowing that the four rookie pilots had just saved his life.

There were murmurs of acknowledgement and when he glanced at their holographic portraits, he could see the pride in their eyes.

Murphy pulled around in a gentle arc, giving his wingmen a chance to catch up to him as he looked for more targets. He spotted a fresh quartet of Kintark heavy fighters, which were making a beeline for an unsuspecting Rapier wing that had just launched from a heavy carrier. Raising the nose of his Claymore, he levelled off on a course that would let him intercept the Kintark before they could ambush the Terran ships.

"Why aren't they stopping them?!" Abbott blurted out, her distress and bewilderment quite apparent.

"Their Rapiers are severely outclassed," Murphy replied, feeling a mixture of relief and guilt that he'd been chosen to pilot a Claymore instead of one of the older Rapiers.

"No not the Kintark fighters, those transports!" Abbott insisted.

Murphy's eyes snapped to the Tactical Map and he watched in horror as the enormous formation of Kintark heavy troop transports and a squadron of battlecarriers skirted the chaotic melee. The Terran reserve force were fighting for their lives and weren't able to untangle themselves from the battle, leaving the Kintark invasion fleet to sail past unopposed.

After Nexus had ransacked the defences around the Homeworld, two new battle-stations were being constructed as replacements, but were still only half-built. That meant that Terra only had hastily constructed defensive turrets in place to protect it from marauders. The three colossal Kintark battlecarriers were at the forefront of the invasion fleet and they opened up with their banks of Plasma Cannons, sending wave after wave of plasma bolts at the Beam Laser emplacements. By the time the transports would have been within range, the Kintark capital ships had scoured away all trace of the turrets in a series of huge explosions.

There was nothing left to stand in the way of the Kintark Empire's invasion of Terra...

***

Like every other person in Olympus Command Centre, Admiral Charles Harris was watching the Tactical Map with hushed anticipation. Dacres fleet was nearing the shipyard, with the Kintark still doggedly pursuing them but doing so at a tremendous cost. The Terran forces had hammered the hapless alien ships with one thunderous broadside after another, forcing them to pay a bloody price for every kilometre they flew closer to Olympus.

The Praetorian Guard fleet that had originally jumped into the Alpha Centauri system had originally been comprised of 25 destroyers, 60 cruisers, 26 battleships, a battlecarrier and 6 carriers. After the mauling they'd taken on their approach, 10 of those proud battleships had been reduced to broken shells, while another 28 of the cruisers and all of the destroyers had been vaporised.

The Kintark carrier group had launched wave after wave of fighters in an attempt to establish strike craft supremacy, so that they could send in the bomber wings. However, Olympus' own strike craft squadrons had been waiting for them, flying protective watch over Dacres retreating fleet. Amongst that group were 40 of the new Claymore fighters and the Kintark pilots had been given a sharp lesson in just how powerful those state-of-the-art ships were.

Considering the horrific losses that the Kintark had sustained, it was a minor miracle that the Terran defence fleet hadn't yet lost a single ship. However almost all of the ten battleships and twenty cruisers had lost their shields, leaving them terribly vulnerable to losses if they continued the firefight. Several of the ships hulls were blacked by plasma burns, where the Kintark plasma bolts had eventually managed to land on their elusive targets.

"Alright Dacres, get your ships clear," Charles said, turning his attention to the comms interface. "Recharge your shields as best you can."

"Will do, Admiral," he replied, before turning to look away from the holo-screen. "Full power to engines, divert energy from weapons to shields!"

Charles watched as the Terran fleet rushed away to safety, no longer slowing their speed with the maddening weaving that they'd been using to such great effect. Unfortunately, that left Olympus Shipyard alone as it faced the wrath of the furious Kintark warfleet.

"Hit them with everything we've got, Commodore," Charles said, nodding at the lean officer standing at his side.

Commodore Ming launched into action, issuing a series of curt orders to the Tactical Officers manning Olympus' guns. "Open fire with Arbiter Laser batteries! Beam Lasers and Heavy Cannons fire as soon as they're in range. Prep Missiles and Torpedoes for my go!"

There were fourteen of the 50-metre-long Arbiter Lasers built into the station; they'd been given that nickname because they were big and frightening enough to settle all disputes. The massive weapons were normally sunk into a planet and used for orbital defence, but Olympus was more than large enough to house them. Eight of those colossal energy weapons were now facing the Kintark fleet, the lizardmen ships charging headlong into their fire arcs.

Charles watched as blazing amber columns of energy lashed out, stripping the last of the shields from two more Kintark battleships, then leaving ugly melted scars across their bows. The Kintark kept coming, desperately eager to finally get a chance to return fire at a stationary foe. It seemed like almost every ship in their fleet unloaded on Olympus, but the battlestation's shields were incredibly strong, with vast generators built into the station to protect it from hostile marauders. The hail of plasma bolts punched into the shield, making the enormous protective dome ripple with scores of impacts like raindrops falling on a pond. Although every plasma bolt struck their target, the Kintark were still firing at maximum range, so while it looked impressive the shield strength was barely dented.

"Shields at 95%, Sir!" the Chief Engineer called out.

Acknowledging the man with a nod, Charles watched as Olympus' Beam Laser arrays and Heavy Cannon batteries opened fire. The laser gunners were focusing on stripping shields from the Kintark ships with those energy lances, exposing even more targets to the fury of the station's wide-bore cannons. Explosions blossomed across the hulls of the two battleships that had just lost their shields, the Kintark capital ships almost obliterated from sight by the ferocious might of that fusillade.

The first took a critical hit to a plasma battery, triggering a virulent green explosion that engulfed the front of the battleship in flames. The second was left horrifically battered, almost the first third of the capital ship blown to pieces by the savage bombardment. It shuddered with the impacts of over thirty high-powered shells, the repeated explosions from those detonations knocking it off course, and leaving it listing forlornly as power outages caused the lights and systems to flicker on and off.

The Terran forces around Olympus had opened the battle with devastating and astonishing success, but Charles knew the next twenty minutes were probably going to be the longest in his life...

***

"Oh yeah! Here they come, boys!" Commander Wessex crowed, lifting her Gatling Laser with her right power-armoured gauntlet and waving it in triumph. "I expect to see all those nice little cred-sticks lined up on my desk directly after we kick the Kintark's ass!"

Sergeant Gibbons paid no attention to the grumbling from his squadmates, his attention fully focused on the enormous troop ships landing on the plateau directly ahead of his squad. It was overcast that morning, but the sun's rays filtered through gaps in the grey cloudbanks and glinted off those iridescent green hulls. It would have been a beautiful sight, if he didn't know that each of those huge vessels were ferrying two-thousand Kintark marines into battle. When the first touched down on Terra's surface, it didn't escape him that this was the first time a hostile alien invasion force had ever set foot on humanity's Homeworld.

Activating the image magnification functionality in his Sentinel Armour HUD, he zoomed in on that hulking troop ship and watched as doors all around its base retracted into the hull. Green armoured Kintark marines rushed down the loading ramps, the soldiers eager to escape their confinement and get to grips with the enemy. He looked from ship to ship, seeing them disgorge their battle-ready cargo, the Kintark forces forming up into units before marching towards the Terran Defenders.

It wasn't just troops that were landing on the planet's surface. He saw a number of green grav-tanks floating down from their transports, double-barrelled Plasma Cannon turrets trained towards the Citadel. He heard the dull thump from the Pulveriser Mk XII tanks on the ridgeline behind him, the artillery greeting the invaders with the bark of their howitzers. The neat formations of Kintark troopers were literally torn apart as huge explosions wreaked havoc amongst their lines. Gibbons couldn't help grimacing as dismembered body parts rained down on the survivors amongst the shattered earth that had been blown apart by the savage blasts.

"That'll teach those fuckers!" Brannigan yelled, snorting with laughter. "Get some, you scaly bastards!"

Gibbons tightened his grip on his autocannon and watched in silence as dozens more transports dropped out of the clouds above the plateau. The artillery might be taking a terrible toll on the Kintark troops, but the survivors were still coming, and they were soon to be joined by a lot of very angry friends.

***

Admiral Jayanti Mishra leaned forward in her chair and barked, "The Hareen'tok's shields are down! Focus all fire on that battleship!"

The three-kilometre-long dreadnought swung about, bringing the twin barrels of the Singularity Drivers to bear. As it made the turn, Beam Lasers scythed across the flank of the vulnerable Kintark battleship, the Hareen'tok trembling as Heavy Cannon shells pulverised the armour plating along its port side. Green armour plating was torn to pieces, exploding outwards under that brutal barrage, only for a secondary set of detonations to burst along the hull as a storm of missiles from the dreadnought struck home.

There was a couple of seconds pause, where it seemed like the fury of Shiva the Destroyer had abated... but it was only an illusion of mercy. The Singularity Drivers opened up, hyper-accelerated slugs rocketing down the long rails and arcing across space to slam into the disfigured battleship. The force of that impact rocked the Hareen'tok backwards, a huge explosion blossoming from the incredible kinetic forces unleashed on the vessel. It was soon followed by a second, then a third, huge chunks blasted from the shattered hull as it was pulverised by the vengeful dreadnought.

One of the detonations touched off secondary explosions as a plasma missile magazine detonated amidships. The centre of the battleship bulged obscenely before plasma fire blasted out of a score of ruptures in the hull. After the horrific violence the mangled battleship had just sustained, it seemed almost peaceful the way it slowly broke apart, plasma fire turning the broken hulk into a funeral pyre for its Kintark crew.

Mishra's elation was short lived as a blaring alarm sounded off across the Bridge.

Chief Engineer Shepherd whirled around in his seat. "Shields are out, Admiral!"

"I know what it means!" Mishra snapped, trying to maintain an air of confidence even though her heart was pounding in her chest. "Pull back! We need to get some distance from them!"

All around her Terran cruisers and battleships were ablaze, the reserve force caught unprepared by the ferocity of the Praetorian Guard fleet. The Kintark elite forces had been more than willing to slug it out at point blank range with the Terran Defenders, which would normally be a suicidal move, but in this case had proven lethally effective. The Terran ships were unable to use their Laser Cannons because the Kintark shields just shrugged them off with no ill-effect, while Mass Drivers, Heavy Cannons, and Singularity Drivers were all useless until the Kintark shields were down. That meant the Terran ships were effectively fighting with less than a third of their weapon loadout, whereas the Kintark were able to make full use of their Plasma Cannons batteries.

The Shiva shook as it was struck by a volley of plasma missiles and Mishra's eyes snapped to the Tactical Map. Her eyes widened as she saw several more Kintark battleships switching targets and pursuing her dreadnought. The storm of plasma bolts converging on her ship intensified, as more Plasma Cannons were brought to bear on her vessel.

"We're being focus-fired, Admiral!" Shepherd cried out in panic. "Decks 7, 14, and 23 are on fire... we've lost our aft starboard Fire Control!"

Mishra turned her frantic gaze at her comms interface, abandoning all attempts to maintain a calm facade. "Weber! Where the fuck are you?! We need support!"

"Negative Mishra, I'm falling back to try and regenerate shields," Weber said, visibly trembling as he shook his head. "I've lost nearly all my cruisers and I'm down to half my battleships!"

She wanted to scream at him in frustration, but managed to bite back her furious outburst. "We've taken horrific casualties too... We need help urgently!"

"Sorry, I've got my hands full here," Weber replied curtly, his face white with fear.

Realising that he was no source of salvation, Mishra snarled, "You fucking coward!" She cut off her connection to him, unable to stomach another second looking at his frightened features. Locking eyes with Admiral Caldwell next, she said plaintively, "Edwin! We're getting overwhelmed! Send in the rest of the reserves to cover my withdrawal!"

Caldwell's face was taut with stress as he met her pleading gaze. "I can't, Jayanti! We just lost Poznanski... her entire battle group has been destroyed! I've already committed the Zeus and the last of the reserves to shore up the main battle line!"

Mishra froze as she realised there was no help coming... this was going to be her last stand. She looked out at her Bridge Crew, who were all staring at her, stricken with terror. Taking a deep breath, she sat up straight, lifting her chin proudly.

"Focus all starboard guns on the Armak'tok, port guns on the Delarn'tok... We'll take those bastards down with us!"

***

High Prelate Tekarin gripped the Command Platform's balcony as he roared into the Bridge Pit, "Their ssshieldsss are out! Dessstroy thossse thrice-damned lasssersss!"

The battlecarrier Jaleen'tohok had an impressive battery of Plasma Cannon turrets bristling over its green-plated topdeck and they all pivoted to aim at the closest of Olympus' massive orbital lasers. Several of the other Kintark captains had the same idea and a dozen other battleships began unloading plasma bolts at the powerful Terran weapons. Olympus had been methodically stripping shields off one attacking capital ship after another, before hammering the exposed vessels with remorseless barrages from scores of Heavy Cannon turrets, so every Kintark ship still with shields was anxious to see those weapons destroyed.

Tekarin nodded with grim satisfaction as he watched the huge weapon emplacement get pulverised by that storm of plasma fire. However, the huge explosion as it was blown to bits did little to salve his fury, not after what he'd been forced to endure over the last twenty-five minutes. After the despicable Terrans had sprung their lethal trap, catching him completely by surprise, they'd proceeded to mercilessly slaughter tens-of-thousands of the Kintark Empire's finest crews. The Praetorian leader had never felt so helpless as that Terran fleet had weaved around in front of his forces, battering his ships while seemingly taunting them to do something about it.

By the time his forces had finally managed to strip their shields and started to do some damage, they'd just sailed away without a care in the world, leaving the tattered Kintark battle group to engage Olympus shipyard. Tekarin knew the Terran fleet was withdrawing to regenerate their shields, but there wasn't a damn thing he could do to stop them. Unsurprisingly he was not in the best of moods.

When they'd drawn close to Olympus station, he'd been deeply alarmed when he spotted what appeared to be an additional defensive fleet, numbering hundreds of vessels. His concern had turned to rage when he realised that the bulk of those ships were Kintark vessels that had been captured at the Battle of Regulus, and he even recognised High Prelate Zorlin's battlecarrier, the Breklan'tohok. That crippling defeat was a dark stain on the honour of the Kintark Empire and here the Terrans were, flaunting those captured ships like some sick trophy.

At least the formation of Terran ships was nothing more than a pathetic decoy. After blowing a couple of those Terran cruisers to bits, the rest just sat there impotently not reacting in any way to the Kintark presence. Why the Terran forces didn't man what appeared to be perfectly spaceworthy vessels was beyond him, but many things this foul species did made little sense.

"Ssshould we launch our Bomber wingsss, High Prelate?" Sub-Prelate Berahok asked cautiously.

Tekarin narrowed his eyes and gesticulated wildly at the Tactical Map. "Have your fighter wingsss attained ssstrike-craft sssuperiority yet?!"

Berahok lowered his gaze and shook his head. "No, High Prelate... the Terran ssscum posssesss an infernal new gunssship that isss vassstly sssuperior to our Batakosss heavy fightersss!"

"Then why are you wasssting my time asssking me about bombersss, you imbecile?!" Tekarin bellowed, quivering with barely controlled rage. "The moment we launch them, they'll be cut to piecesss!"

Before he could further lambast the idiotic crewman, the comms interface chirped as it received an incoming call. Tekarin clamped down on his anger, then bowed his head respectfully to the august figure waiting to speak with him. "How may I ssserve you, Grand Prelate?"

"How goesss the battle?" Melkadian asked, an excited glimmer of anticipation in his eyes. "Have you... neutralisssed... Olympusss Ssshipyard yet?"

"Not yet, Grand Prelate..." Tekarin reluctantly admitted, his anger diffusing with his growing sense of shame. "There hasss been ssstiffer resssissstance here than I anticipated. We have lossst ssshipsss..."

Melkadian's eyes narrowed. "The Terransss have committed almossst all their available fleetsss to the defence of Terra! You ssshould vassstly outnumber any defendersss; how many vessselsss have you lossst?"

Tekarin slumped under that disapproving glare. "All our dessstroyersss, thirty-four cruisssersss, and fourteen battlessshipsss..."

"WHAT?!" Melkadian balked, his eyes widening in shock. "You cannot posssibly be ssseriousss, Tekarin? How many vessselsss have the Terransss lossst?"

"None..." the high prelate muttered, feeling absolutely mortified. He could see Melkadian's eyes take on a dangerous edge and he knew he was seconds away from an execution order. "The Terransss have deployed an advanced fleet! Their ssshipsss are fassster than oursss and their energy weaponsss hit much harder than normal! They harried usss all the way to the ssshipyard, but we managed to ssscare them away and have managed to knock out Olympus' ssshieldsss."

Melkadian was quiet for a moment, then asked, "Will you be able to complete your misssion?"

"They are using new fightersss too... some kind of gunssship that our own heavy fightersss are no match for. We are unable to launch bombersss..." Tekarin replied, squirming with discomfort. "We have begun crippling the ssshipyard'sss defencesss, once Olympusss isss no longer able to fight, then-"

"You know your objective, Tekarin," Melkadian said, his voice cold and menacing. "Ssstop wasssting time!"

With that the Grand Prelate cut off the call, leaving Tekarin staring blankly at the holo-screen. His orders had been quite clear and he knew what he had to do, so he turned around and walked over to the balustrade surrounding the Command Platform.

"Order all ssshipsss in the fleet to open fire on the dockyardsss! Ignore the gun emplacementsss, we mussst cripple Olympusss' ssshipbuilding capabilitiesss!"

***

"Fuck!" Murphy swore in frustration, watching helplessly as the wingless Rapier careened out of control. It trailed a plume of plasma fire until it smashed into a green and gold hulled destroyer and disintegrated with the impact.

Gripping his flightstick tighter, he squeezed the trigger, lighting up the Kintark heavy fighter that had just shot the wing off the Rapier. He saw the telltale ripple as its shields gave out, so he performed the coup-de-grace with his Gauss Cannon, punching the slug dead-centre on the rear of the enemy ship. It exploded when he ruptured its Power Core, scattering chunks of mangled green wings and shredded fuselage in all directions.

Murphy had managed to take out two of the four lizardman fighters before they'd picked off their quarry, but there were just too many of them. As he was looking for the fourth and final fighter from that wing, he spotted Lincoln chasing down another Kintark fighter, six streams of laser bolts temporarily linking the two ships together as his wingman flayed his target. He was just about to congratulate him on his shooting, when Lincoln's Claymore soared through the crossfire between a Kintark cruiser duelling with a Terran battlecruiser. A stray plasma bolt from a Plasma Cannon clipped the gunship, wiping the shields out in an instant and dousing the end of the Claymore's right wing in molten plasma.

"Shit! I'm on fire!" Lincoln yelled, terror streaking his voice.

"Bank to port, drop your throttle to 75% and manually shut down your starboard guns!" Murphy barked, while yanking his flight stick hard to port and increasing his own throttle to maximum.

The shaken lieutenant stared at him blankly, paralysed with fear. "W-what?"

"Don't think, follow my orders!" Murphy yelled, racing after the burning Claymore.

Lincoln blinked at him owlishly then followed his Wing Commander's instructions, lining himself up perfectly in front of Murphy's gunship.

Murphy squinted as he aimed his crosshairs. "Now don't move a muscle..."

His Gatling Lasers blasted a bright orange line through the flaming Claymore's wing, sawing it in half and sending the burning half spinning harmlessly away.

"You've lost your starboard guns and you'll have to compensate on the handling," Murphy said, racing past and waggling his wingtips.

"Goddamn! Nice shooting!" Baker exclaimed, a huge grin on his face as he swooped in, rejoining their formation to Lincoln's left.

Lincoln looked immensely relieved. "Thanks for saving my ass, Leprechaun."

"We're even," Murphy said with a tight smile. "Now where are Halifax and Abbott?"

"Just nailed another fighter, be right there, Sir," Halifax replied, racing to catch up to them.

Murphy glanced at the holo-interface to check on Abbott and saw a worried frown on the young woman's face. "Abbott, you okay?"

"Leprechaun... they're launching bombers!" his missing wingman gasped.

Pulling back on his flightstick, Murphy pointed the Claymore's nose towards the cluster of Kintark battlecarriers. He immediately spotted the wings of Kintark bombers pouring from those massive capital ships, like bloated green hornets rushing out of their nest.

Tapping the comms interface, he said in a rush, "Gator, bombers incoming! We've been trying to protect the Rapiers... do you want us to switch targets?!"

Captain Lewis looked strained as he yanked his flightstick around, green flashes lighting up his cockpit. "Get the bombers," he muttered distractedly, brow furrowed in concentration. "The Rapiers are gone!"

Murphy tore his eyes away from his commanding officer and stared in shock at the Tactical Map. This whole section of the battlefield was swarming with red dots, the Kintark having overwhelmed the Terran fighters and gained strikecraft superiority. He glanced out the cockpit window and stared in disbelief at the legion of burning Terran capital ships that surrounded them. He realised he'd been so caught up in the dogfight, he hadn't realised just how badly the battle had been going for the Federation fleets.

"The Shiva..." Abbott murmured under her breath, a look of horror on her face.

It only took Murphy a couple of seconds to find the titanic Terran dreadnought and when he did, his horrified expression matched that of the young lieutenant. The Shiva's grey Titanium plating was a ragged patchwork of ugly plasma burns and the once proud juggernaut of destruction was now ablaze in a hundred different places. The huge Kintark flagship was pounding the doomed vessel with non-stop Plasma Cannon barrages, with no less than five Kintark battleships joining the one-sided fight. The dreadnought was barely firing back now, the occasional beam lancing out sporadically as it tried to swat away its attackers. It was like watching some proud stag brought down by a pack of feral hounds and it broke Murphy's heart to witness it.

***

Fleet Admiral Buckingham tried to pick up a glass of water, but his hands were shaking too badly. He decided to put it down to avoid spilling it on himself and making a scene. Instead he turned back to the Tactical Map, watching wide-eyed as the scenes of carnage unfolded.

"No... it wasn't supposed to be like this," he protested weakly, trying to ignore the damning looks he was getting from the command staff in the room.

He saw contempt in those barely veiled glares, their eyes making his skin feel like it was burning. It wasn't just contempt he saw; those unfriendly stares seemed to be blaming him for this disaster, when it wasn't even his fault! The Admirals were in charge of their battle groups... he wasn't responsible if they were incompetent!

Buckingham flicked another glance at Admiral Maybridge, who was staring at him with a look of open visceral hatred. He saw blunt accusation in that stare. Maybridge obviously blamed him for what happened to her niece at Port Medea, but there was something else there too...

Her eyes narrowed when she saw him looking her way and hissed, "Devereux was right! If you'd called the Lion, this disaster could've been averted! This is all your fault!"

The Fleet Admiral turned away sharply, no longer able to meet the harsh condemnation in that judgemental glare. It wasn't his fault! All these cursed aliens were in it together... it was a conspiracy! Why couldn't she see it?! His shaking hand inched towards the pistol holstered at his waist; he had to stop her staring at him like that...

A terrified scream drew his attention back to the battle group interface and his eyes widened when he realised it had come from Jayanti Mishra. The Bridge of the Shiva was wreathed in fel green fire, a raging plasma inferno sweeping through her dreadnought. He could hear the roar of the flames, but above them came the agonised screams of the Bridge crew as they were consumed by the conflagration. Mishra darted a horrified glance behind her at the approaching blaze, then whirled around, her face a mask of terror. She was about to speak when there was a searing explosion and her image froze then died... along with the Shiva as it was blown apart in a series of rippling detonations.

"You've brought down the Terran Federation..." Maybridge said in a deathly whisper, her quiet words cutting him to the quick. "That's your legacy, Buckingham. You'll be known as the fool who destroyed humanity!"

Buckingham stifled a strangled sob and look around frantically for an ally, anyone who would tell him it wasn't so. He found no friends there. Every face shared that same look of horror and damnation.

***

John leaned forward and watched anxiously as the Invictus raced towards the Alpha Centauri system. Olympus was in the centre of a pitched battle, with a substantial Kintark fleet laying siege to the shipyard.

"Ten seconds," Alyssa murmured, staring intently at her console.

He gripped the armrests of his chair and heard the metal groan in protest. "How close can you get us?"

"Close enough to shove a Singularity round right up their ass," she muttered, making rapid corrections as she calculated the effect of all those gravity wells on their hyper-warp trajectory.

John leaned forward to place his hand on Faye's purple thigh. "You ready, honey?"

"Don't worry, you can count on me!" the sprite replied, her cute features set in a stern frown.

He looked at Irillith and she winked at him, her eyes already glowing with an unearthly violet light. "Of course I'm ready!" she said with a smirk.

The Invictus barrelled into the system and the battlecruiser immediately began to shake, the vibrations intensifying with every long second.

"Hail that command ship!" John shouted, his voice reverberating as he was jostled in his seat.

Rachel nodded, making the connection. A moment later Alyssa stabbed her thumb down, deactivating the Tachyon Drive and dropping them out of hyper-warp. John blinked as the Tactical Map was flooded with sensor data, the sprawling mass of the twenty-kilometre long shipyard appearing like a six-limbed starfish in the centre of the map. Holding position directly above it, a battle-scarred formation of green and gold Kintark warships were bombarding the Terran station, igniting a rash of plasma fires with their sizzling plasma bolts.

"Target acquired!" Calara called out.

"Establishing data connections," Meta-Faye intoned, her voice oddly distracted.

"I'm in..." Irillith murmured, head tilted to one side.

At the same time, the holo-screen flickered and the face of a triumphant Kintark High Prelate appeared in the centre of the Bridge. His resplendent gold and green armour marked him as a member of the Praetorian Guard. "You're too late, Lion!" he gloated, a fanatical gleam in his eyes. "You can't sssave-"

"Shut the fuck up," John snarled, cutting him off. "You have three seconds to stand down or we'll kill you all."

Tekarin gaped at him in shock, having never been spoken to in such a way before, even by Grand Prelate Melkadian. He recovered quickly and smirked as he hissed, "There'sss nothing you can do to ssstop usss, Lion! Olympusss isss doomed, we'll dessstroy-"

"Time's up, you're dead," John snapped, before turning his attention to the girls. "Finish this!"

Calara squeezed the trigger a second time, unleashing the roiling ball of barely-controlled power that had gathered at the bow of the Invictus. A virulent beam of bright white energy carved straight through one fully-shielded Kintark battleship, the Nova Lances literally slicing the capital ship in half. Alyssa yawed the prow, making the throbbing beam arc to starboard and burning a hundred-metre-wide chasm through a second battleship. As the beam guttered out and died, the blonde powered up the Invictus' engines and lined up the battlecruiser's bow with the next capital ship the Latina had targeted.

The Zikan'tok's shields were already knocked out, leaving it horribly exposed to the Invictus' Singularity Drivers, a vulnerability Calara had no qualms about exploiting. She started performing open-heart surgery on the Kintark battleship, the Singularity Drivers her scalpel, its Power Core the heart. She pounded the Zikan'tok midway through the aft, massive explosions tearing huge holes ever deeper into its hull until the fourth slug blasted the Power Core. It took her just four seconds to systematically obliterate that battleship, the capital ship exploding in a colossal blastwave that battered the rest of the Kintark fleet.

Meanwhile, both the Valkyrie and Raptor had launched, releasing themselves from the confines of the battlecruiser. When Faye opened up with the Invictus' full complement of Photon Lasers, Sakura and Jade joined that brilliant burst of energy, stripping shields from every last remaining Kintark vessel.

Tekarin's jaw dropped open in horrified incredulity, watching in stunned silence as Alyssa rolled the Invictus and Calara unloaded the new Heavy Quantum guns for the first time. The battleship Elnarash'tok was shelling the Olympus' drydock with plasma bolts, the crew eagerly setting as much of the shipyard ablaze as possible. The unsuspecting battleship shook violently as it was hit by a rippling sixteen-barrel broadside, the screaming shells boring through its upper flank as armour plating and superstructure were torn asunder. The repeated impacts were like a drill, digging deep into the Kintark ship and neatly vaporising the Bridge, instantly silencing the scores of Plasma Cannons.

That was when the first of the captured Kintark cruisers hyper-warp jumped into the bedraggled Praetorian Guard formations. The hijacked cruiser slammed into a Kintark one, instantly annihilating both vessels in a gigantic explosion that lit up the Tactical Map. Then one after another, more of the captured ships began leaping into hyper-warp, charging headlong into their suicide mission. It looked like the Praetorian forces had been plunged into the fiery depths of hell, such was the scale of the blossoming crimson explosions that enveloped their formation.

High Prelate Tekarin looked on in horror, as he watched the captured Kintark vessels slamming into his fleet. To use what had once been noble ships from the Kintark Empire in that way... just hurling them at his forces like disposable trash, was almost too appalling for him to bear. The terrified screams of his fleet's cruiser captains rang out around him, their death cries sounding all the louder in the horrified silence that had enveloped the Bridge of the Jaleen'tohok.

Ten seconds after the Invictus had first opened fire, the Kintark had lost every last cruiser in their fleet, the shockwaves from the hyper-warp rams ripping apart those which weren't instantly destroyed by the collisions. That was when Dacres' fleet rejoined the battle, his ten battleships and twenty cruisers pouring fire into the surviving Kintark battleships. Faye brought the Nexus fleet online and the eleven AI cruisers and the battleship Loki added their firepower to the hellacious crossfire.

Four battleships died in the Invictus' initial onslaught, with Calara exterminating two more with Singularity Drivers, and filleting a further two with Heavy Quantum Gun broadsides. All that was left were six battleships, which had sustained varying amounts of damage from the spirited defenders manning Olympus' guns.

Calara hit the closest two with a salvo from the five Heavy Cannons, cracking open their armour and leaving the unarmoured interior dreadfully vulnerable. That was when the Invictus and its escorts closed to medium range and opened up with their Pulse Cannon batteries. The Maliri weapons that had originally been intended as potent anti-strikecraft guns had been upgraded beyond all reason, now hitting harder than a standard Terran Beam Laser. The two closest battleships looked like they were taking a shower in acid rain as Faye melted through what was left of their armour, sparking off raging fires as the azure laser bolts penetrated deep into the superstructure.

The Photon Lasers were ready to fire again and the incandescent flash from thirty pulsed beams signalled the end of the Praetorian force in an orgy of destruction. Four of the six remaining battleships were cored through, the bright blue beams scything into the capital ships from bow to stern, vaporising everything in their path.

What had once been an impressive Praetorian formation of thirty-two cruisers and sixteen battleships had been brutally eviscerated, reduced to just two battleships, both of which were now ablaze. In the carrier group lurking at the back of the formation, the Kintark crews knew without doubt that the shadow of death now loomed over them, only seconds away from claiming the last of its hapless victims.

"S-ssstop..." Tekarin stuttered, barely able to find his voice he was that badly shaken.

"Sorry, what was that?" John asked, eyeing him coldly.

"Ssstop, pleassse!" the High Prelate begged. "We sssurrender!"

John paused for emphasis as if considering the request, then nodded brusquely. "Fine. Shut down all your weapons and deactivate your shield generators. Prepare yourselves to be boarded so that you can hand over control of your vessels."

Tekarin slumped in his seat, the fight beaten out of him. "Thank you..."

After a glance from John, Rachel cut off the comms channel and set up a second call. Rear Admiral Richard Dacres was the first to appear, with Charles displayed on the holo-screen a moment later, both wearing expressions that were a peculiar mix of utter shock and tremendous relief.

"Thank God you got here when you did!" Dacres exclaimed, a broad smile on his face.

Charles nodded, the stress and worry seeming to just melt off him. "I've never been more glad to see you, John!"

"Good to see you too, Charles," John replied, smiling at his old comrade in arms.

"The Invictus... I've never seen anything like it," Charles faltered, eyes widening once more. "You just tore those ships apart... they didn't stand a chance!"

"She's had a few more upgrades under the hood," John said before glancing at the Tactical Map. "What's the shipyard's status? It looks bad from up here."

"We've got fire teams working to keep the plasma fires from getting out of control," Charles replied, darting a glance across the Command Centre at Olympus' damage status. "The Kintark did a lot of superficial damage but you stopped them before they could cripple the station."

"It looks like you've got everything under control," John said, his eyes drifting to the Kintark carrier group. "Can I leave the two of you to handle the prisoners? I need to get to the Sol System..."

"Don't you want my fleet to accompany you to Terra?" Dacres asked, brow furrowing with worry. "I've been listening to the Terra Defence force's comms traffic... they're taking a hell of a beating."

"I can program the Nexus fleet to stand guard!" Faye volunteered. "If the surviving Kintark forces try and move, or power up their shields or guns, my ships will open fire!"

John thought about that for a second, then said, "Alright, that sounds ideal. Charles, you need to commandeer that battlecarrier first, that's the only real threat."

"Setting course for Terra," Dacres informed them both, his fleet turning to point at the closest Nav Beacon.

"Okay, go!" Charles said, cracking a smile. "I'll send in the marines to capture the Jaleen'tohok."

With a quick salute, John said, "You got it, Admiral. Speak to you soon."

He turned to nod towards Rachel to end the call, when Charles blurted out, "John! ... Thank you, from all of us at Olympus."

"Just doing my job, Charles," John replied and shared a look with his old friend before they ended the call.

Alyssa glanced at him, a wry smile on her face. "Your job is to rescue the Terran Federation from all their fuck ups?"

John sighed as he nodded. "Seems to be. Alright, let's head to Terra."

"Jade and Sakura are safely aboard!" Faye informed them, a cheerful grin on her face.

The blonde cranked up their engines to maximum power, the six Trankaran engines hurling the Invictus forward as they rushed towards the edge of the Alpha Centauri system.

***

The Kintark Grand Prelate watched the tide of battle rapidly turn against the Terran forces, as his armada took full advantage of their technical superiority. He was about to make some snide comment to Norwood about the quality of the Terran Federation fleets when he received an urgent comms message from High Prelate Tekarin.

Melkadian gave the Praetorian commander a toothy grin of anticipation. "Ssso, Tekarin... isss your misssion accomplissshed? Have you dealt with Olympusss?"

Tekarin was already looking haggard, but he deflated even further. "We have failed you, Grand Prelate..."

That admission was almost as shocking as it was to see the once proud Kintark leader with his spirit broken. "Failed?! You had over thirty cruisssersss and a dozen battlessshipsss when we last ssspoke, and that wasss mere minutes ago! There'sss no way you could have lossst that many ssshipsss in that ssspace of time!"

The High Prelate slowly shook his head, abject fear in his eyes. "You don't underssstand! The Lion arrived... he jussst tore usss apart!" His voice lowered into a quavering whisper, "And he'sss coming after you next..."

***

Ailanthia pointed at the edge of the holographic map. "My Lord, the Maliri have just jumped into the system."

"So he finally brings his thralls out to play, but turns up late to the party," her master tsked, turning away from the delightful scenes of destruction as the Kintark savaged the Terran fleets. He gestured at the map and the view expanded, showing the Maliri warfleet in their golden-hued glory. Brow furrowing in confusion he muttered, "Those aren't thrall vessels! Why hasn't he started constructing his Honour Guard Fleet?!"

Stepping closer to the map, Ailanthia highlighted one of the battleships and expanded it still further. "That's not a Dominator-class battleship!" She studied the flimsy-looking Maliri vessel, feeling just as bewildered as her master. "Blake took control of the Maliri last month; he should have constructed a Soul Forge weeks ago..."

Her master began to pace back and forth. "He's still flying around the galaxy in that hideous abomination of his... He should have the hull laid down for his flagship, and scores of thrall vessels should be up and running by now. What is he playing at?"

There was a terse silence between them for a minute as they both stared incredulously at the Maliri ships.

Ailanthia could see how troubled her master was, so she walked over to him and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Maybe Blake just doesn't know what he's supposed to be doing?" she suggested quietly.

Her Master gaped at her in surprise, then doubled over with laughter. "Oh Ailanthia, you're a genius!" He chuckled away, shaking his head in disbelief. "Here I was thinking he was some kind of witless imbecile, but I think you're right..."

She beamed at him as she basked in his praise, her sparkling smile widening as her master put his arm around her shoulder.

"Let's enjoy the show and watch these cretins slaughter each other for a while, then I think it might be time for a celebration!" he exclaimed, looking happier than she'd seen him in weeks.

"That would be wonderful, My Lord," Ailanthia gushed, hugging him tight.

He brushed his fingers through his Matriarch's hair, smiling as she cooed in delight. Turning his focus back to the map, he murmured, "Ah, John, you really are an enigma... What am I going to do with you?"

***

A hoarse scream echoed around the Bridge of the Zeus, cutting off abruptly as Admiral Adam Turner's holographic image flickered and winked out. Caldwell stared at the battle group interface in shock, watching helplessly as the battleship Eurus was ripped apart in a series of explosions. Turner's command ship had been ravaged by plasma fire, the infernal heat cooking the Heavy Cannon shells in one of the forward magazines and blowing the capital ship to smithereens.

Caldwell had always prided himself in his ability to adapt and overcome the odds in a difficult tactical battle, but this fight was far beyond being described as 'difficult'. The Kintark had the technological advantage of powerfully resilient shields, which had essentially neutered what used to be one of the Terran Federation's most effective assets - their munitions-based weapons. Those guns were lethal against exposed hulls, but when the Kintark shields stubbornly refused to go down, his fleets were unable to even the odds.

The Kintark had also rolled out state-of-the-art heatsinks in all the ships they'd brought to this battle, while barely a third of the Terran ships had been upgraded to parity. That meant the Kintark were hitting a lot harder, their Plasma Cannons murdering the Terran forces almost with impunity. That wasn't to say that they hadn't taken casualties, but when it took at least three Terran warships to bring down a single Kintark vessel and the numbers on both sides were even, then the battle was proving to be a catastrophe for the Terran fleets.

He grimaced as he corrected himself... the two sides had started the battle with equal numbers, but after thirty minutes of grossly uneven combat, things had gone downhill rapidly. He'd lost Admirals Poznanski, Mishra, Turner, Manolis, and Dimitrov, their battle groups either completely wiped out, or so badly mauled as to be rendered incapable of continuing the fight. Caldwell couldn't believe the scale of this horrific disaster... and he felt powerless to prevent it degenerating into a wholesale slaughter. He felt trapped and feverish, a hundred different orders dying on his lips just as his men were dying around him.

"Admiral!"

Caldwell blinked as he was physically shaken out of his daze by his Executive Officer.

"Edwin!" Commander Milton hissed in his ear. "You can't fall apart on us now!"

Shaking his head to clear the fog from his mind, Caldwell inhaled deeply and tried to pull himself together. He met his XO's desperate gaze and nodded. "I'm okay..." he replied, trying to ignore how shaky his voice sounded.

Sitting up straight, he stared at the battle group interface and wracked his brain, trying to think up some miraculous Hail Mary pass that would save the day. But he'd already committed all his reserves... His forces were heavily outnumbered now and they were still fighting at a significant technological disadvantage.

"Admiral, the Maliri fleet just jumped into the Sol System!" Commander Garfield called out, pointing at the Tactical Map.

Caldwell's eyes flickered over to the holographic depiction of the golden Maliri ships. Their graceful and elegant hulls were circled in red, labelling them as a hostile force, as per the Fleet Admiral's orders. Before he could even react, he heard Fleet Admiral Buckingham shouting at him over the comms interface.

Buckingham's eyes were disturbingly wild as he ranted, "Caldwell! I want you to pull Malone and Ramos off the battle line! You need to intercept the Maliri before they hit our flanks!"

Gaping at his commanding officer in astonishment, Caldwell couldn't believe the man was so detached from reality. Admiral Aeri Malone's forces were barely holding their own against the Kintark onslaught and were so heavily committed that withdrawing them was an impossibility. Admiral Guilherme Ramos' battle group was largely intact, but he'd been forced to retreat, his battleship crippled by a plasma missile salvo that had knocked out Fire Control for his forward batteries.

Not only that, but Buckingham was planning to send those two beleaguered battle groups against a fresh fleet, the golden ships not having a scratch on them. If those alien vessels had only been Ashanath saucers, the order would have still been highly questionable, but attacking the Maliri?! Everyone knew they were the most technologically advanced species in the known galaxy.

Under the circumstances, there was only one thing Caldwell could do.

He laughed.

In that moment Caldwell understood just how badly he'd misjudged events over the last few months. Buckingham wasn't working to protect humanity from hostile interests, the man was clearly a deranged lunatic. Instead of protecting the Terran Federation from John Blake, Caldwell had risked the entire future of humanity by blindly following Buckingham. Unfortunately, no one else seemed to find the irony of Buckingham's insanity quite so amusing.

Caldwell was forced to admit that there might have been a slightly hysterical edge to his laughter. Commander Milton looked anxious as he stared at him, clearly afraid that he was cracking up under the stress. However, Buckingham was incensed and he turned scarlet as Caldwell laughed in his face.

"W-what?! How dare you... I-I'll have you court-martialled!" Buckingham sputtered, choking back his anger.

Caldwell shook his head. "No, I don't think so, Vincent. Goodbye!" He swiped his hand over the comms interface and the Fleet Admiral's shocked face disappeared from view.

Turning to his Comms Officer, Caldwell snapped, "Hail the Maliri fleet!"

He focused on the Tactical Map again, watching on tenterhooks as those golden ships accelerated towards the maelstrom of war. With nothing left to lose he was praying on that Hail Mary pass...

***

"Get down!" Commander Wessex called out in warning, diving behind an armoured buttress.

Sergeant Gibbons ducked back behind the reinforced wall, hunkering down in cover. Searing plasma bolts fired by one of the Kintark hovertanks blasted into the defensive ridgeline, blowing big chunks out of the fortifications. He could see debris and globules of plasma thrown high in the air, the viscous green super-heated ooze spattering down like rain. The incoming fire was returned by a pair of bass booms, which he instantly recognised as belonging to the Gauss Cannons on the Titan Mk IV super-heavy tank.

Hearing a temporary lull in the crackling barks of the Kintark tank's Plasma Cannons, Gibbons poked his head up above the ferrocrete parapet. It had started drizzling earlier that morning, but the visibility was still okay. He could clearly see that the green armour of the enemy tank had been struck twice, huge holes bored through the plating as the hyper-accelerated rounds skewered the vehicle. The tank was stationary now, floating at an odd angle, the barrel half-spun to one side and pointed oddly at the ground.

His eyes widened as he saw several squads of Kintark soldiers who'd taken advantage of the covering fire to charge the forward trenches. "Squad 427 needs fire support!" he called out, raising his autocannon barrel and aiming at the charging lizardmen.

Holding down the trigger, his gun began to thump out shells, each one streaking across the gap and ploughing into the advancing enemy. The recoil from his first shot kicked up the muzzle, and by pure fluke rather than skill, the round hit a Kintark lieutenant in the head, neatly decapitating the officer. Lowering the barrel again, Gibbons compensated for the recoil and sprayed a steady stream of autocannon rounds into the onrushing Kintark marines.

The Kintark transports had been dropping more and more troops onto the plateau and while the bodies were stacked high, it seemed there were plenty more to replace them. The 20mm rounds punched big holes through the lizardmen, some of the slugs even going on to hit soldiers running behind the troops in the vanguard. All the other members of Sentinel Alpha joined that salvo, their shots ripping through the wavering Kintark troopers and sending bloodied body parts flying.

"This is like shooting Brimorians in a barrel!" Staff Sergeant Brannigan joked, his own autocannon reaping a heavy toll through the onrushing Kintark.

It didn't take long to blunt the charge, giving the soldiers in the forward trenches a chance to rally themselves. With all the clawed scaly feet running towards the forward lines, the ground was getting increasingly muddy, the wet churned up soil turning into a quagmire. That was one bit of good fortune that none of the Terran defenders were complaining about, although the Kintark had another view entirely.

"Shit! What's that?!" Corporal Zhao called out, pointing skyward.

Looking up, Gibbons' attention was immediately towards a Rapier spiralling to the ground, wings ablaze with bright green flames. It smashed into a bunker and exploded, scattering chunks of wreckage across the battlefield, while the Kintark heavy fighter that had just shot it down swooped overhead as it searched for new opponents.

Zhao elbowed him with a dull clang of metal on metal. "No, not the fighters, up there!"

Gibbons' eyes widened as he spotted the formation of colossal Kintark vessels emerging from the heavy banks of grey clouds. The thick gold stripes along their green flanks caught what little sunlight shone through, marking them as Praetorian battlecarriers. The trio dropped down into a low hover above the ground, heavily armoured doors slowly opening as they manoeuvred into position.

Activating the telescopic vision enhancement in his HUD again, Gibbons zoomed right in on the lower belly of the closest battlecarrier. He could see hulking four-legged, Kintark lizards leaping out from the vast ship, their fully-armoured bodies dropping like stones towards Terra. Gibbons had no explanation for their lemming-like behaviour and he could only look on in astonishment, his mouth agape. At the last second, orange lights flared on their glossy bodyarmour, slowing the lizards' fall and letting them land harmlessly on the plateau.

Dozens more of the fifteen-foot-long lizards were landing on the ground and gathering together into squads. Each had four muscular legs, a long sturdy tail, and would have looked like some kind of dinosaur if not for the fact that they were clad nose to tail in shimmering green body armour, with golden stripes curving around their chest. As Gibbons watched them through the telescopic sights, the first group of five suddenly lurched into a sprint, running incredibly fast towards the Terran fortifications. They were moving so fast that he lost them for a moment and it took a few seconds to relocate the huge lizards as they weaved through the advancing Kintark troopers.

"Commander, we've got trouble!" he shouted, turning to make sure Wessex had heard him. "Some kind of elite troops just dropped in."

Wessex was tracking them herself and she nodded slowly. "Yeah, I see them. Get ready, boys, they'll be coming into range soon."

Gibbons aimed his targeting reticle at the lead Royal Guard, struggling to keep it on target with the monster dodging from side to side as it charged towards the forward trenches. When the range-finder confirmed it was in range, he squeezed the trigger, pumping autocannon slugs at the bestial creature. The first three rounds sailed harmlessly wide, but the fourth was right on target, lined up with its broad chest... the perfect killshot.

Until the shell ricocheted away, deflected by a shimmering green shield that suddenly flickered into view.

"Oh shit..." he muttered, eyes going wide with fear.

***

Lilyana watched the battle of Terra unfolding in appalled silence; it seemed that everywhere she looked, the Kintark forces were battering the Federation fleets into submission. Terran fighters were being gunned down in droves and it was clear that the Kintark forces had almost achieved strikecraft supremacy, at which point the Federation capital ships would be at the mercy of marauding bombers. Her own fleet was racing to assist the Terran defenders, just as Alyssa had ordered, but she couldn't help wondering if this intervention was little more than a fool's errand.

"They've lost so many ships," Almari whispered under her breath.

"And the Kintark have invaded Terra," Ilyana murmured, sharing a troubled glance with her fellow assassin.

The Galaena Serine's Communications Officer turned in her seat. "We're being hailed, Fleet Commander."

Lilyana nodded her acknowledgement then glanced at her bodyguards and tapped her helmet. The two assassins activated the anti-glare filters in their Paragon suits, turning the clear crystal faceplates opaque. A couple of seconds later, a large holo-panel coalesced into the face of a bearded older man in Terran Federation uniform. His body language was tense and he seemed haggard, visibly bowed down with the weight of crushing responsibility. It was blatantly obvious to the House Valaden Fleet Commander that the man was under a phenomenal amount of stress.

"My name is Admiral Caldwell," he said, his voice terse. His curious gaze roamed over the armoured Maliri on the Bridge, eyes widening momentarily when he saw Ilyana and Almari's white armour. "May I ask your intentions in the Sol System?"

"We're here as a favour to John Blake," Lilyana replied, her tone cool and guarded. "He requested that we aid you against the Kintark."

Caldwell's face brightened, a flicker of hope sparking in his eyes. "Thank God! We're at breaking point, we desperately need your help!"

Lilyana's voice dropped a few octaves and she said menacingly, "John also warned me that you might have some absurd notion to open fire on my fleet... I would caution you against such idiocy. If we are attacked by Terran forces for any reason, I have no qualms about disengaging from the battle and watching the Kintark exterminate you all. Have I made myself understood?"

"I promise you, none of my ships will do anything of the kind!" he replied, giving her a grateful smile. "May I ask your name, Commander...?"

"Fleet Commander Lilyana of House Valaden," she replied with a slight incline of her head. "I have been ordered to provide fire support. We will strip the Kintark shields so that you can bring your Heavy Cannons to bear."

"Thank you, Fleet Commander," Caldwell said, the overwhelming gratitude in his voice taking her back for a moment.

***

Sergeant Gibbons fired slug after slug at a Kintark Royal Guard, but they bounced away harmlessly, deflected by its shield. Squads of those hulking lizards had been rushing through the defences, causing mayhem throughout the Terran positions as they surged towards the Citadel. The huge Kintark beast he'd just shot at leapt onto the fortifications he was stationed on, almost moving faster than he could follow, its scrabbling claws setting his teeth on edge as it gouged footholds in the rain-soaked ferrocrete. Suddenly it was over the lip of the parapet and he could only watch in horror as it pounced on Corporal Tremblay, knocking him to the ground.

The creature had hugely powerful forelimbs, each ending in foot-long claws, which it plunged down into the prone soldier's back. The power-armoured-trooper wailed in terror, before the huge lizard eviscerated the man, literally ripping him apart in a shower of blood.

"Fuck you!" Commander Wessex screamed, opening up on it with her Gatling Laser at point blank range.

The green bubble dissipated with an audible pop and the creature hissed as her laser bolts peppered the monster's flanks. It whipped around, eager to dispatch this latest threat, long tail lashing in anger as it tensed itself in readiness to charge. Gibbons and Brannigan aimed their autocannons at the beast's back and hit it with a stream of 20mm rounds. A couple of the high-calibre bullets were stopped by its thick armour plating, but one of the slugs punched a hole in its back, severing the Kintark monster's spine. It toppled over with a howl of pain, thrashing wildly on the ground as it tried to claw its way towards the Commander.

Gibbons realised that Wessex hadn't stopped firing and she strafed her laser bolts into the creature's head, several of her shots blasting it in its roaring mouth. There was a sizzling sound as those laser bolts melted flesh, burning out its brain. With a final violent convulsion, the monster lay still, smoke pouring from its lolling jaws.

"Shit, I can't believe those fuckers got Tremblay," Brannigan muttered, his previous good mood long gone.

Wessex's expression tightened with anger. "We'll mourn the dead later. Gibbons, grab his Gatling Laser, your autocannon's useless against these shielded lizards."

"Affirmative, Commander," he replied, striding over to the fallen trooper's mangled body.

Disconnecting the ammo feeds with the press of a button, he put down the autocannon and disconnected the power leads linking Tremblay's Gatling Laser to his wrecked power armour.

"Let me hook you up," Brannigan muttered, plugging the power leads into the ports on the back of Gibbon's suit.

The Sentinel suits HUD flickered as it updated, now showing a temperature bar instead of an ammo counter. "Okay, I'm all set," Gibbons said, standing and testing the heft of the Gatling Laser.

When no one replied, he glanced at his squadmates and found them all gaping skyward. He turned around to see what they were looking at, then joined them in staring at the enormous Kintark flagship that had descended from the heavens and now loomed over the battlefield. What looked like an enormous set of bomb-bay doors had opened in the belly of that vast interstellar behemoth, and Gibbons saw movement lurking within.

There seemed to be a temporary lull in the battle as combatants on both sides waited to see what was about to join the fray. Nothing could have prepared Gibbons for the sight of the vast draconic form that swooped out of the bowels of the Kintark flagship.

"They've got a fucking dragon!" Brannigan balked, his jaw hanging open in awe.

Although the enormous Kintark spaceship dwarfed the majestic creature that had just entered the battle, there was no doubt in anyone's mind which was the most impressive. It was as if the gigantic dragon had just stepped out of a storybook, its terrifying reptilian form held aloft by a pair of enormous leathery wings. This was no fantasy dragon though, its scaled hide was covered in a sleek suit of black battle armour, the barrels of two enormous Plasma Cannons jutting out over its shoulders as it glided low over the fortifications.

"It must be going for the shield generators!" Wessex yelled in alarm, the members of Sentinel Alpha ducking low as the dragon flew directly overhead.

Gibbons whirled around, watching the dragon as it tucked in its wings and dove towards the ground. The monstrous creature landed atop Brigadier Garcia's Command vehicle with a booming crash, the Titan super-heavy tank skidding backwards across the mud with the force of that impact. The dragon clamped down on the upper turret with two huge forearms, then tore the upper turret free and hurled it away across the battlefield like it was a plastic Frisbee.

It shoved a clawed fist into the gaping hole it had just torn in the tank, then opened fire with two sets of weapons at the same time. The first were the Heavy Plasma Guns built into the creature's armoured vambrace, which doused the interior of the dismantled tank with plasma fire, incinerating the cowering Command team within. The second weapons to fire were the Plasma Cannons strapped to the dragon's back, which blasted the mid-section wall of the Citadel at almost point-blank range. Exploding in a shower of masonry and boiling plasma, the blast scattered debris all across the open ground surrounding the Citadel, leaving a gaping rent in the side of the fortress.

With the interior of the Citadel exposed, the Emperor, his Imperial Majesty Baledranax the Glorious, let loose a terrifying roar of triumph which left Gibbons shaking with fear. The leader of the Kintark Empire pounced on the Citadel and started tearing his way inside, ripping huge chunks of rubble from the defensive wall and hurling them aside.

***

Admiral Norwood was filled with anguish as he watched the Terran forces slowly crumbling before the remorseless assault from the Kintark Armada. He focused on one of the battle groups in disarray and could see that its fighter screen had nearly been swept clear, with one Terran ship after another blown to bits by the Kintark heavy fighters. The destroyers and cruisers were taking nearly as brutal a battering, being both heavily outgunned and having inferior shielding. He knew they wouldn't last much longer and the Kintark bombardment would switch to the capital ships.

As much as Norwood loathed the Terran Federation, it was still a shock to watch men and women he'd fought alongside being killed in a battle when he was fighting with the opposing side. He kept reminding himself that he was doing this for the good of humanity, to build an honourable new Republic from the ashes of the corrupt Federation. However, seeing Jayanti Mishra's dreadnought being torn to pieces had finally brought home the sheer scale of his betrayal. He'd betrayed his vows of service and he'd betrayed colleagues that he'd known for years.

Now that Mishra's reserve force had been broken and Weber's was in full retreat, the Praetorian contingent of the armada had surged onwards to attack Terra itself. Norwood had been expecting the assault on the Citadel; after all, he had provided the Kintark forces with detailed maps of the geography around the base, as well as the structural layout of the fortress itself. What he hadn't been expecting was a cohort of Kintark battleships to hold position in low orbit over the Terran capital, Unity City, then start bombarding it with Plasma Cannons.

"Melkadian! Why the hell are you shelling Unity City?!" he demanded, eyes widening when he realised what the Praetorian battleships were doing. "If your forces start slaughtering civilians, the political fallout will last for decades... centuries even! How are we going to be able to forge an alliance between the Republic and the Kintark Empire if your people behave like war criminals?!"

The Grand Prelate was still fuming about the loss of the Praetorian force against Olympus and he bristled at Norwood's impudent tone. He glared at him, then threw his head back and laughed, the gloating, mocking sound sending a chill down Norwood's spine. "Sssurely you cannot be thisss ssstupid? Are you really ssso naive?"

Norwood swallowed around the lump in his throat. "Melkadian, we are allies, friends even... I don't understand."

"There will be no Republic, you gullible fool! All you've done isss help usss to crusssh the Terran Federation and handed the Kintark Empire billionsss of ssslavesss!" Melkadian gloated, his reptilian eyes gleaming with excitement. "Your name will be mocked by generationsss of Kintark and cursssed by what'sss left of your missserable people!"

Mouth dropping open in horror, Norwood shook his head as he realised just how badly he'd been played for a fool. "But you swore you had humanity's best interests at heart... you promised me!"

Melkadian sneered at him with contempt. "I care nothing for your pathetic ssspeciesss! I ssserve only hisss Imperial Majesssty! We will ssseize all of the Terran Federation'sss resssourcesss, and ssstanding on the back of your broken civilisssation, the Kintark Empire will be unrivalled in the galaxy!"

Norwood snarled in fury and launched himself at the Kintark leader. "You treacherous bastard! I'll fucking kill you!"

There was a sizzling sound and pain lanced through Norwood's gut. He howled in agony and stumbled in his charge, tripping over and sprawling across the titanium deck.

"You are a fine one to talk of treachery, Arch Traitor," Melkadian said, brandishing the ugly-looking pistol he held in a clawed hand. He smirked at the fallen Admiral, savouring Norwood's anguished cries as the man rolled on the deck, clutching the gunshot wound to his belly. "I've heard a wound from an Enssshunu pissstol isss agonisssing. I alwaysss wanted to try out thisss viciousss little weapon, but until now I've not found anyone truly dessserving of sssuch excruciating torment."

"You've taken everything from me!" Norwood sobbed through the pain, his nerves feeling like they were on fire. "Just finish it... I'm begging you!"

"No, Leonard Norwood," Melkadian replied, holstering the pistol. "You will get to watch the death throesss of the Terran Federation and witnesss the terrible dawn you have unleassshed upon your people. Only then, when you realissse the true depthsss of your betrayal, will I execute you."

A tear trickled down Norwood's cheek as he watched Unity City burn.

***

Admiral Aeri Malone jabbed a finger at her battle group interface, her brow furrowed with stress. "Captain Ford, pull back now! You're too close!"

She clenched her fists in helpless frustration as his carrier, the Pietas, was hit by a fusillade of Plasma Cannon fire from a quartet of Kintark cruisers. The carrier's shields buckled under that withering storm and a burst of bright green blasts strafed the Pietas' hull, the Kintark savaging the vulnerable vessel. There was a gigantic explosion from inside the carrier's flight deck and she could see fires raging out of control, a stray plasma bolt having struck one of the bombers waiting inside and detonated its torpedo payload.

"God dammit!" she swore, but her anger was directed at Buckingham for getting them into this mess, rather than the ill-fated Captain Ford.

Her battle group was right in the thick of combat, with enemy forces threatening to overwhelm her from several directions. Despite all her best efforts, the Kintark's new shields were making it impossible for her fleet to stand toe-to-toe with them, with even their cruisers proving incredibly resilient to Beam Laser fire. She wasn't sure how much more punishment her forces could take, with at least half of her vessels now shieldless and taking significant damage. Her battleship, the Minerva, had always felt almost indestructible, laying waste to anyone she targeted with its incredible firepower, but today she felt like someone had sapped all the strength from her capital ship.

She glanced to the left on the Tactical Map and was relieved to see that her husband, Connor, was faring better than she was. He had been assigned the Thor's Hammer after that traitor Lynton's death and was putting the dreadnought to good use supporting his fleet. Speaking of support, that was what she needed now more than ever.

Aeri activated the battle group interface, eyes locking onto Admiral Caldwell. "Edwin, I need urgent assistance! I'm not sure how much longer my battle group can hold on!"

He actually smiled at her as he said, "Help is on its way, Malone. Stand your ground for just a minute more..."

She was going to reply that after another minute it might be too late, when her peripheral vision was drawn to a spearhead formation of golden ships rushing towards her location. Whipping her head around to stare at the Tactical Map, she was amazed to see what could only be a Maliri warfleet. With their elegant golden hulls and delicate crystal domes, the design was remarkably similar to Geniya Trading Station's architecture, which she'd seen once many years earlier.

There were three battleships at the forefront of their formation, closely followed by thirty cruisers and at least as many destroyer class vessels. At the rear of the warfleet were six enormous capital ships that could only be carriers of some kind, with rows of sealed launch bays running along their length. While the Maliri craft were all beautiful in their intricate design, they also possessed an underlying predatory nature, clearly evidenced by the bristling gun decks on their gracefully curved hulls.

Aeri was astonished to see just how fast those capital ships were able to move; at least twice the top speed of the Minerva if the sensor data was to be believed. The Maliri vessels were still quite some distance from Beam Laser range, but at the rate they were travelling, they would soon close to firing range. That thought was uppermost in Aeri's mind, when the map suddenly blazed with three scintillating beams of white energy, each hundred-metre wide column lancing through her Kintark attackers.

When she was able to see clearly again, without Nova Lance beams seared across her retinas, her jaw dropped at the sheer destructive might of that opening salvo. Those unstoppable white lances of energy had blasted huge holes through anything they touched, laying waste to swathes of Kintark that had been harassing her forces. She realised she'd caught a shocking glimpse of the raw power the Maliri fleets possessed and "The Warning" in front of Geniya took on a whole new deadly meaning.

She gave her chair's armrest a reassuring pat, feeling a pang of guilt for her less than complimentary thoughts about the Minerva. Aeri had gone from feeling proud of her powerful battleship, to thinking it was slightly underpowered against the Kintark, but now it seemed positively feeble in comparison to the Maliri. Despite feeling like she was betraying a dear friend, she couldn't help wondering what it would be like to have that kind of incredible firepower at her disposal.

***

"Dacres' fleet jumped out of Alpha Centauri after us," Faye informed everyone, as she monitored the sensors. "They're following our flight path."

"We'll reach the Sol System in ten seconds!" Alyssa called out, frowning as she studied the System Map. "I'll bring us in as close to Terra as I can, but I'll have to be more careful this time, I don't know the precise locations of the Kintark and Terran fleets."

John nodded to her in acknowledgement, then glanced at the holographic image of Sakura floating above his console. "Calara will assign targets as soon as she's assessed the current state of the battle. Launch in the Valkyrie as soon as we drop out of hyper-warp."

"Will do," the Asian girl replied, giving him a confident smile.

He turned his attention back to the holographic Sector Map, watching as the three-dimensional image of his white battlecruiser raced towards the Sol System. The Invictus entered the gravitational pull of the golden yellow star and the ship began to vibrate as the view changed to the System Map. Alyssa pulled them out of hyper-warp closer to the edge of the system this time, unwilling to take the chance of accidentally ramming one of the thousands of spacecraft fighting for supremacy around Terra.

It was very fortunate she did.

The Tactical overlay updated as the sensors pulsed out, a sprawling mass of ships flooding the image with so many icons that John was dizzy just looking at them. It took him a couple of seconds to make sense of what he was seeing and he finally realised that the Kintark and Terran forces had squared off against each other in a knock-down brawl. They were fighting at close range, with the grey hulled Federation ships significantly outnumbered by their green-armoured opponents.

The map was a riot of colour, with bright green plasma bolts raining down on the Terran ships, while orange beams slashed back in defiance. Exploding missiles from both sides added their own lurid hues and amidst the ferocious firefights, hundreds of wrecks littered the battlefield, many of them still burning with flickering verdant flames. He was appalled by the sheer scale of the destruction; the carnage making the Battle of Regulus look like a childish squabble between toddlers.

"My God..." Calara murmured under her breath, sounding distraught.

Strobing blue lines caught John's attention and he followed the Beam Lasers back to their source; the golden-hulled Maliri fleet led by Lilyana. There was a searing flash and the Galaena Serine lit up the map as its Nova Lances blasted a Kintark battleship, the throbbing white energy beam slashing a 100m-wide gulf diagonally across the flanks. The glowing chunks of the green capital ship slowly spun apart, the lights guttering out in the fore section, while the rear was rocked by a series of devastating explosions. No escape pods would leave that shattered tomb.

John was relieved to see that the Terran forces in that section of the battlefield had seized the opportunity to pummel the Kintark and now seemed to be holding their own. The Maliri cruisers and battleships were stripping the shields off the opposing Kintark forces, allowing the Terran ships to batter them with Heavy Cannons and Gauss Cannons. The Kintark ships there were taking a pounding, with many trying to pull back from the Maliri to escape the ferocity of their lethal beam weaponry. However, that was just one small section of a much wider battle, and the rest was very much going the Kintark's way.

"Jade, take us in!" he said to the Nymph pilot.

She nodded and shoved the throttle forward, the Invictus leaping ahead as if anxious to get to grips with the Kintark forces.

John glanced at Calara and saw she was concentrating intently, her eyes darting back and forth as she analysed the ebb and flow of the combat. He could tell she was making predictions and calculating the best odds of victory scenarios, but the increasingly grim look on her face revealed what her forecasts were telling her.

Before he could ask the Latina to elaborate, Faye reached out and grabbed his arm, her luminous eyes wide with shock. "John! I'm picking up broadcasts from Terra! The Kintark are televising the battle and have hijacked the local system's media satellites! They're transmitting the invasion on all channels!"

"Let me see!" he urged her, sitting forward in his chair.

The holo-screen flickered to life and the crew watched in growing horror as they realised what they were seeing.

Unity City was a beautiful testimony to humanity's ability to unite as a species, constructed by all nations when they had finally gathered together and reached for the stars. Its skyline was dominated by elegant skyscrapers, the intricately sculpted buildings a glorious example of humanity's finest architectural design.

At least that's how it used to be, mere hours earlier, but not any longer... Unity City was ablaze...

A fleet of Praetorian battleships were in low orbit above Terra's capital, their Plasma Cannons raining down terrible destruction on the planet's surface. Those graceful skyscrapers had all been completely demolished, their shattered structures smashed beyond repair. All around those broken ruins, the rest of the city burned, green flames clawing at the sky as the conflagration consumed everything it touched.

John knew he was witnessing the deaths of millions...

***

Fleet Admiral Buckingham paced back and forth, his hands clasped behind him to stop them from shaking. Maybe he could call for an armistice with Grand Prelate Melkadian, arrange a temporary ceasefire like they'd done after Regulus... Surely it wasn't too late to let bygones be bygones?

As much as Buckingham rankled at the thought, he suddenly realised John Blake might still be able to save them from this disaster. The Kintark must have heard of Blake's exploits by now... so perhaps he could reveal to the Kintark the man's true nature and lie about him being a close ally. Yes... maybe the threat of unleashing a bloodthirsty Progenitor might get them to halt their assault, giving himself a chance to rebuild and rally his forces. Then, he could deal with the Kintark once and for all... He'd be able to re-establish his leadership and finally turn his entire attention to finishing that accursed traitor, Blake!

He looked up with a flare of hope in his eyes, eager to share his ingenious new plan with the other Admirals in the Command Bunker. It came as quite a shock to realise that Maybridge and all the other Admirals had abandoned him, as well as all the operations staff. He glanced about in astonishment, seeing that even the guards had deserted their posts, leaving him entirely alone.

"You'll all pay for your cowardice!" he raged, whipping his head back and forth as he searched for anyone still left in the Bunker. "Caldwell too! I'm surrounded by traitors and craven fools!"

The irony that he wasn't actually surrounded by anyone at that precise moment suddenly dawned on him, but before he could do or say anything else, Buckingham heard a terrible tearing sound. The ground beneath his feet trembled and small chunks of masonry and trickles of dust fell from the ceiling. There was another dreadful ripping noise, louder this time, and he glanced up fearfully wondering if the Citadel was on the receiving end of an orbital bombardment.

A deafening crash made him flinch backwards and cower underneath the command table, his eyes wide in terror as a huge section of the ceiling was torn away. There was a shower of debris and the lights went out, plunging the interior of the bunker into darkness. Buckingham coughed with the thick dust in the air, blinking to see in the oppressive gloom and trying to figure out what in Terra was happening. He saw that the reinforced doors to the bunker had been broken open, so he leapt from his hiding place and bolted for safety.

With the floor littered in debris and almost zero visibility in the underground room, he'd only gone five steps when he tripped over a chunk of masonry and sprawled across the ground. Wincing at the sharp pain from his twisted ankle, he slowly picked himself up, then froze when he heard a rumbling chuckle.

The hairs on the back of his neck stood up and every fibre of his being urged him to flee, but try as he might, his legs refused to obey his desperate need to run. Eyes wide with terror, he slowly turned to look at the cavernous hole in the bunker's ceiling and the colossal draconic face that was staring at him like a cat might look upon a mouse. He was paralysed with fear, transfixed by those huge reptilian eyes that seemed to glow in the darkness.

"SO, WE MEET AT LAST, FLEET ADMIRAL BUCKINGHAM..."

***

"We've got to stop those bastards bombarding the planet!" John snarled, clenching his fist as he glared at the Praetorian battleships.

Calara turned around, her face twisted with anguish. "We can't... not if we're going to save what's left of the Terran fleet. If we go after those battleships first, the Kintark armada will overwhelm the rest of the Federation forces!"

"John, something else is happening on Terra!" Faye cried out, pointing to the holo-screen.

He stared at the images, recognising the partially demolished fortress as the Citadel, High Command's seat of power within the Terran Federation. Emerging from the huge hole that had been burrowed into the side of those fortifications was a creature John had encountered before... Kindralax, the ancient dragon that ruled the Xen-Nuchek mine! He stared at the image in shock. The last time he'd seen that beast, he'd rammed his crystal Alyssium sword into its skull and incinerated its brain with eldritch fire.

"That's not Kindralax," Alyssa said in a hushed whisper. "He's dead, but he did have a brother..."

John could see the differences now. The dragon was wearing a full set of Onyx body armour, but this terrifying draconic behemoth was even bigger. It hauled itself clear of the Citadel and he could tell that its bearing was different, more regal and self-assured - considering that he was comparing it to the monumentally arrogant Kindralax, that was saying something. There was also something about those baleful eyes as they stared at the camera, burning with an inner fire that Kindralax had never possessed.

The audio suddenly amplified and a man's terrified screams filled the airwaves.

"Holy shit! That's Buckingham!" Calara exclaimed, recognising the flailing man clutched in the dragon's vast claws.

The Dragon's deep rumbling laughter drowned out the Fleet Admiral's fearful cries. "NOW BEAR WITNESS, PEOPLE OF THE TERRAN FEDERATION," the majestic creature boomed, his thunderous voice carrying over the battlefield. "I AM BALEDRANAX, EMPEROR OF THE KINTARK EMPIRE! I HOLD YOUR VAUNTED LEADER IN MY FIST, JUST LIKE THE KINTARK EMPIRE HOLDS YOUR HOMEWORLD AT OUR MERCY!"

The Emperor held Buckingham aloft then slowly squeezed his hand shut, the Fleet Admiral's cries of fear turning into agonised screams. Blood seeped between Baledranax's armoured fingers and Buckingham thrashed one final time before flopping lifelessly in the dragon's clenched fist. Baledranax's huge maw twisted into a sneer of contempt and the Emperor hurled the Fleet Admiral's broken body across the battlefield.

"HOW PATHETIC... A PUNY LEADER OF A WEAK AND CORRUPT SPECIES," the dragon bellowed, his look of disdain obvious to all. "THE TERRAN FEDERATION IS BROKEN. THE KINTARK EMPIRE CLAIMS YOUR WORLDS AND YOU WILL NOW SERVE YOUR IMMORTAL EMPEROR!"

There was silence in the Combat Bridge as all the girls turned to look at John.

"Calara and Sakura, destroy that armada, then protect Terra," John ordered, his expression bleak as he rose from his chair. "We've got no choice... we have to save as much of the Terran fleet as we can. Millions might be dying in Unity City, but billions more will die if we let the fleet get wiped out. "

"John, wait!" Sakura called out, making him pause. "Calara was just talking about the Invictus engaging the armada, she didn't say anything about the Valkyrie! Let me engage the battleships bombarding the planet!"

He looked at her incredulously. "One mech against a dozen battleships?!"

Sakura's brown eyes were filled with icy fury. "I've got to do something! Maybe I can distract them... stop the bombardment somehow."

John darted a worried glance at Calara, who slowly nodded her agreement. "She's right... we've got most of our firepower on the Invictus. As long as I can bring those guns to bear on the Kintark armada, we've got a chance of saving some of the Terran fleet."

"Okay, go!" John said, nodding his approval to the Asian girl. He looked at the rest of the girls, before he stopped at Alyssa.

Her cerulean eyes narrowed dangerously as she listened to his thoughts. *No way, you're not leaving me behind for this one! I might have a psychic link with Calara, but Jade's a better pilot than me... I'll be a lot more useful on the ground with you.*

He could see that she wouldn't be dissuaded. "Alyssa, Rachel, Tashana, you're with me."

"Are we going to go and thank the nice dragon for sorting out the Buckingham problem for us?" Rachel asked, a twinkle in her grey eyes.

"Something like that," John replied grimly, turning to jog up the ramp with the trio of girls running to catch up.

Dana had been staring intently at the map, a thoughtful look on her face. She suddenly sprang into action, grabbing her Reaper Cannon then sprinted after John and the girls. "Wait for me, I'm coming with you!"

John waved the girls past him into the express grav-tube, then turned to face the redhead. "We need you here, Sparks. The Invictus is bound to take hits... you're more useful on damage control than as another gun on the ground mission."

She grinned at him and shook her head. "I'm not coming to Terra, I've got something else in mind!"

"What?" John asked warily.

"Trust me... you're gonna love it!" she giggled, grabbing his hand and pulling him into the red anti-gravity field. "I'll explain in the Raptor!"

***

Grand Prelate Melkadian studied the frightened Terran faces around the dreadnought's Bridge, the traitor's dispirited crew too spineless to make a move. He wasn't sure if it was because they feared receiving an agonising wound from his Enshunu pistol, if they were lost without Norwood to lead them, or because he had a score of heavily armed and armoured Kintark marines watching their every move. Whatever the reason, they were still placidly following his orders... and trying to ignore Norwood's pathetic whimpering.

"Not much longer, Arch Traitor," he said with a sneer to the wounded admiral.

Glancing back at the Tactical Map, saw that the Terran Federation fighters had been almost completely swept from the battlefield. What few remained were outnumbered fifty-to-one. He turned to look at the massive cluster of battlecarriers and carriers that were at the rear of the armada, the huge vessels launching successive waves of fighters into the battle.

Broadcasting on the battle group interface, he barked, "All carriersss, launch bomber wingsss! It'sss time to finisssh thisss."

There was a buzz of activity, as the High Prelates commanding the carrier and battlecarrier fleets rushed to follow his orders. He knew it wouldn't take long and hordes of bombers would start flooding the battlefield, able to strike with impunity at the Terran capital ships. The bloodbath in the Dragon March had proven just how vulnerable the Terran forces were to the Kintark's shielded bombers, and just like before, there were barely any fighters left to stop them.

He darted a worried glance at the golden Maliri fleet that had made a dramatic and completely unexpected appearance. Melkadian wasn't sure how or why they were in the Sol System, but he was fairly sure it was to do with John Blake. He'd heard vague rumours from his extensive network of spies that the Lion of the Federation might have allies amongst the Maliri, but to actually see them leave their precious territory was a shock. The thought that the Maliri border with the Kintark empire was defended by nothing more than a bunch of freighters sporting falsified transponder readings hardly gave him any reassurance. In fact, with every Kintark fleet emptied from the Empire to attack the Terrans, the Maliri could waltz unopposed all the way up to Kinta.

Pushing that disturbing thought aside as he studied the System Map, Melkadian spotted a distinctive white battlecruiser racing towards the battle. Travelling at over four times the speed a ship of its size should be capable of, he was under no doubt who it belonged to. John Blake's ship was heading directly towards the battle lines, but two smaller vessels launched from the Invictus, each peeling away and heading directly for Terra itself.

There wasn't much he could do about the smaller vessels, but they were hardly a threat. The Invictus was a far more worrying prospect... or at least it would be if the Emperor had not taken precautions against the Lion making an appearance; very sensible ones so it seemed.

"Transmit the code!" he snarled at the Chief Engineer, who looked subdued, but reluctantly nodded as he pressed a series of buttons on his console.

Melkadian allowed himself a sinister smile in triumph as he watched the Invictus rushing towards its own demise. It took several seconds for the transmission to take effect, but the battlecruiser's status on the map immediately changed when it did. The Grand Prelate laughed in delight as the Invictus' shields deactivated, the cut-off the Brimorians had sensibly included in their Shield Generators working exactly as intended...

***

John hit the button beside the rear ramp, the whine of hydraulics filling the loading area. The door swung down, giving him a spectacular view of the battle, as hundreds of huge spacecraft fired lethal broadsides at each other. Lurid blue energy beams caught his eye, drawing his attention to the location of Lilyana's fleet. Those brilliant shafts of energy were followed by amber-hued explosions, marking the destruction of Kintark ships to Maliri guns.

*The Invictus just lost shields, but Dana's bypass worked perfectly. We're bringing them back up now,* Jade informed him, not sounding surprised in the slightest. *It looks like your hunch was right, the Brimorians did give the deactivation code to the Kintark.*

*Something else I need to have a little chat with Deep Lord Athgiloi about,* John said, sharing a glance with Alyssa.

She rolled her eyes and smirked. *Our list of badguys who desperately need killing keeps on growing, doesn't it?*

*Let's see if we can trim the list down a bit today,* he replied, performing a final check on his Quantum rifle before shouldering the weapon.

Alyssa winked at him, then copied that same sequence of checks on her own rifle. It felt like second nature to her after all the fighting over the last six months.

Dana stepped away from her hug with Rachel, then watched the blonde as she readied her bullpup weapon. "Why didn't you grab a Reaper Cannon instead?" she asked in confusion. "There's a huge difference in firepower."

"I wanted to keep a hand free for psychic abilities," Alyssa explained, hefting the Quantum rifle in one hand and waving the other in front of the redhead's face.

"Why not have two hands free?" Dana replied, glancing at the Reaper Cannon that floated beside her, then rapping Alyssa's clear-crystal faceplate with the knuckles from both hands.

Alyssa laughed and nodded. "Alright, you make a good point. Wanna trade?"

The redhead pouted and reluctantly nodded. "Yeah, I guess. I suppose I don't really need it where I'm going."

As the two Karron girls swapped weapons, Tashana twirled her Reaper pistols around her trigger fingers. "How much more powerful are my guns now they've got Eternity Crystals in them?"

"They'll hit about 30% harder, same as the Reaper Cannons," Dana replied, slipping her arm through the shoulder strap of Alyssa's Quantum rifle. "I could pump even more power in, but the barrels can't take the stress."

"Nice!" the Maliri girl exclaimed, a broad grin on her face.

Rachel smiled at her girlfriend as she locked the Reaper Cannon to her Paragon suit. "You really do give me the nicest gifts, sweetheart."

"Yeah, I thought you'd like that one," Dana said with a smirk.

Faye flickered into view, her holographic wings fluttering nervously. "We'll be reaching drop height in ten seconds, John."

He nodded, then placed a hand on Dana's shoulder and stared intently into her sky-blue eyes. "I can't believe I'm even letting you try your crazy plan. If you have any last-minute doubts, I want you to call it off, alright? You know how important you are to me, I don't want you taking any big risks..."

"You worry too much, I'll be fine!" Dana replied with an enthusiastic grin. When she realised her exuberance wasn't doing anything to reassure him, her face turned serious. "I've checked all the calculations over and over again. Trust me, it'll work."

John gave her one last look, then nodded and turned away. "Take care of her, Faye."

"You can count on me, I won't let you down," she replied, her cute elfin face uncharacteristically sombre.

He pulled Tashana and Rachel into a hug, with Alyssa mirroring him so they were drawn into a four-way scrum. "Follow me down and stick together when we reach the landing site. From what we've seen on the video footage, the Citadel forces are in big trouble. It's going to be pretty desperate down there."

The three girls nodded as they listened attentively, and when he looked at their beautiful faces, he saw absolute trust in their unwavering gaze. Even though they were about to perform an orbital drop into a warzone, there wasn't a trace of doubt in any of their eyes. That level of devotion was humbling and he was determined not to let them down.

"Love you all," he said as they broke the huddle.

The girls echoed his words, then turned and stood beside him at the rear loading ramp, gazing out at Terra. The atmospheric haze on the planet's horizon was a soft turquoise, adding a certain enchanting mystique to the beautiful blue and green planet below. John admired the view for a second, then took a deep breath and leapt out of the gunship, beginning the fifty mile drop to the surface.

***

Melkadian gaped at the icon next to the holographic depiction of the Invictus, his triumphant grin instantly wiped from his face when he saw it flash from red to green. He'd watched with glee as the Brimorian's secret transmission code had knocked out the white battlecruiser's shields, but then they powered up again only seconds later. Now the Invictus was charging towards the Kintark forces with a full set of upgraded Brimorian shields of their own.

How could John Blake have known?! Was it possible that the Brimorians had betrayed the Kintark, only paying lip-service to the fine print of their agreement? With those disturbing thoughts rushing into his mind, he began to severely doubt the wisdom in leaving the Kintark border with the Brimorian Enclave so exposed. The fleets that had once defended that stretch of space had all been stripped away and press-ganged into service with this armada.

He watched the Invictus rushing towards the battle lines and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't help remembering High Prelate Tekarin's warning... The Lion was coming after him next...

***

The Claymore banked hard to the right, narrowly avoiding the lacerated carcass of a Kintark bomber as it spun helplessly out of control. The Kintark ship smashed into the burning shell of a Terran destroyer, the explosion triggering its payload of torpedoes and obliterating the wreckage in a huge blastwave. By that time Murphy was well clear, lining up his crosshairs on the next bomber in the wing. This was the eighth he'd destroyed so far, but there were so many more lumbering after the Terran capital ships...

"Leprechaun, the heavy fighters chasing me have given up! They're hanging back to protect the bombers," Lincoln warned him. "These strafing runs won't work much longer..."

For the past five minutes, Murphy's wing had been performing full-speed attack runs against the enemy bombers, leading the Kintark fighters on a merry dance as they did so. The Batakos-class heavy fighters were barely half as fast as the Claymore gunships, so he and his wingmen had been able to pick off bombers while basically ignoring their fighter cover. The bombers had twin Heavy Plasma Guns in a rear-mounted turret, but as his wing were hitting them head-on or from the flanks, the bombers might as well have been completely defenceless.

"The fighters will probably try to go head-to-head when we get close to the bombers," Murphy replied, watching as the fighters chasing him peeled off to shadow a bomber wing. "Concentrate on evasive manoeuvres until you fly past the fighter cover, then hit the bombers with everything you've got for the last couple of seconds."

"Affirmative!" his wing called out, the four young faces tense with concentration.

"Oh fuck!" Baker suddenly gasped, his eyes going wide with fright. "Check heading 270! We've got a shitload of incoming fighters!"

Murphy's eyes snapped to the proximity grid and he saw at least fifty more fighters heading towards their dogfight. While the Zeus' Claymores had been inflicting horrendous casualties on the Kintark strike craft, the rest of the armada was not so fortunate. They'd been relying solely on Rapiers and from what he'd seen from his glances at the Tactical Map, the Terran fighters had been swept clear from the battlefield. Presumably Kintark Fighter Command had redirected this wave of fighters to help protect the bombers from the Claymores' depredations.

As he stared in shock at the incoming squadron of fighters, he spotted a wing of three Claymores chasing after a pair of bombers, orange bursts of laser fire striking the rear of the Kintark ships. The Claymore pilots were so intent on their target they hadn't spotted the deadly threat racing towards them.

Stabbing a button down on the comms interface, Murphy yelled, "Whiskey, look out! Fighters at 9 o'clock low!"

"Oh fuck me!" Whiskey gasped, his scratchy voice riven with fear.

Over a dozen Kintark fighters opened fire on the trio of unsuspecting Claymores, Whiskey's two wingmen blown to pieces in a hail of plasma bolts. Whiskey tried to escape the ambush by cranking his engines up to maximum, but there were too many incoming shots. His shields went down almost instantly and one of the gunship's engines was blown to bits in a huge fireball. Spinning wildly, Whiskey's Claymore slammed into one of the bombers he'd been pursuing and both craft just disintegrated, grey and green armour plating ripped apart with the impact.

Murphy fought against the crashing wave of grief, the loss of Whiskey bringing back awful memories of losing Angel, Romeo, and Snakebite. He knew he needed to keep it together for the sake of his wingmates, so he buried his pain, leaving him feeling numb. He stared at the squadron of approaching Kintark fighters; there were just so many of them... They couldn't fight upwards of fifteen-to-one odds and hope to survive, but the retreating dreadnought was counting on him and his men. If he let the bombers through, the Odin would be at their mercy... He knew that tens-of-thousands of Terran lives hung in the balance and with sudden clarity he realised he had no choice.

It would be a noble death, but he'd resigned himself to that fate when he saw the odds stacked against them in this battle. He'd give his wingmen the option to stay and fight; he couldn't order them to just throw their lives away, but in his heart, he knew they'd all choose to stay and fall at his side. He swallowed around the lump in his throat and blinked away the tears... this would be the hardest order he'd ever had to give.

Murphy opened his mouth to speak and a searing blue flash suddenly lit up his cockpit, making him wince against the glare. After that initial blast there were several more, the staccato azure pulses making him wonder what the hell was going on. As the blue lines seared across his retinas began to fade, he twisted urgently in his seat to find the source of those beams. Explosion after explosion distracted him, until he spotted streams of blue laser bolts carving their way through the Kintark fighters. His heart in his mouth, he followed those lines back to their source and had to restrain himself from whooping with joy when he saw the glistening white Raptor gunship. He watched it tearing through the Kintark reinforcements, the lioness appearing like a heaven-sent angel in his time of greatest need.

A crackle on the comms interface drew his attention and his heart skipped a beat, hardly believing that he'd finally get a chance to speak with Jade. It came as a shock when it wasn't the verdant beauty who had contacted him, but a man wearing an Admiral's uniform.

"Claymore wing, I order you to open fire on that Raptor gunship!" Admiral Weber yelled, the panic in his eyes undermining the authority he was trying to project in his voice.

"That girl just saved our lives!" Murphy balked, staring at the senior officer in disbelief. "You can't be serious?!"

Weber glared at him, his panic forgotten in his fury. "Blake and his lionesses are all traitors! I'm ordering you to shoot down that gunship!"

Murphy rubbed his eyebrow with his extended middle finger. "Sorry, Admiral... your signal's breaking up. I'm afraid I didn't catch that last order..."

He used that same finger to press the button to end the call, Weber's shocked face disappearing from the holo-interface. Glancing at his wingmen, he saw Baker smirking, while the rest just nodded their approval. Trying not to smile, he activated the comms interface and hailed the gunship, eager to thank their saviour. Instead of Jade's enchanting face, he was surprised when his call was answered by a stunning blue-eyed redhead. He knew she was called Dana, he'd heard her name mentioned plenty of times when his fellow pilots were discussing who was the hottest lioness.

"This is Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy," he faltered, mesmerised by her enchanting eyes. Finding his voice, he continued gratefully, "Thanks for saving us from those fighters."

"No problem!" Dana replied, her dazzling smile somehow getting wider. "We were just passing through and thought we'd lend a hand."

"Can you help us with the bombers?" he requested, glancing at the Tactical Map. "There's too many for us to take alone."

Her beautiful face fell and she slowly shook her head. "I'm so sorry, Ryan... we can't. We're needed elsewhere." She gave him a look of regret as she waved goodbye. "Good luck..."

He watched in shock as she ended the call and the white gunship rocketed off into space, heading away from Terra and the frantic battle.

***

The Invictus charged towards the Kintark forces, making a beeline for Admiral Ramos' besieged battle group, which was being attacked from three different directions. Calara carefully studied the intense firefight, her expression fraught with worry.

Irillith's eyes were shining with a bright violet glow as she murmured, "I've hacked the T-Fed Secure Tactical Network... you're all set."

"Excellent, thank you," Calara replied with a grateful nod, although she was unsure if Irillith could see her while the Maliri hacker was focused on Cyber-Space. Turning to Faye, she said, "Okay, patch me in."

Faye made the connection and a couple of seconds later, a row of Admirals appeared in the Battle Group interface, their name and ship listed below each image. The row of shocked faces gaped at Calara in astonishment; all of them recognised her Paragon-suit and knew exactly who she was.

"This is Lioness Calara Fernandez, I will now be assuming Tactical Command of this battle," the Latina informed them brusquely.

Admiral Weber recovered first and snarled, "How dare you speak to your superior officers like that, Commander Fernandez! As if I'd take orders from a filthy alien-loving whore!"

Her eyes narrowed in fury as she snapped. "Superior? Don't make me laugh! You're facing the most humiliating defeat in Terran Federation history! If you'd asked John and me for help, we could have smashed the Kintark and taken less than 10% casualties!" She gritted her teeth to control her anger at the needless loss of life, then looked at the rest of the stunned Admirals. "Weber's on his own. If any of the rest of you object to me saving your lives, please let me know now; It'll make coordinating our forces considerably easier..."

Her request was met by nervous silence, with the Admirals darting wary glances at one another, then focusing on Admiral Caldwell as if waiting to follow his lead.

Caldwell was quiet too, his eyes darting to the Tactical Map. He watched the Maliri ruthlessly stripping shields from the Kintark forces, leaving them vulnerable to the vengeful Terran fleet they were supporting. "Are the Maliri with you? Lilyana said they were doing a favour for John..."

"John's gone to Terra to confront the Emperor. I'll be providing Tactical Oversight for the Maliri forces in this battle," Calara replied, trying to rein in her impatience. "The clock's ticking Admiral Caldwell... every second you delay, the more ships and crew you lose."

He nodded to himself as he made his decision. "What are your orders, Lioness?"

"You can't be serious?!" Weber balked, eyes widening in disbelief. "She's a fucking traitor, just like Blake!"

Calara ignored his outburst and said calmly, "All battle groups, full retreat to the orbital defences around Saturn."

Weber sneered at her, his tone mocking as he said, "That's your big plan? To run away?"

Caldwell glowered at him and interrupted, "You already are, Carl! If you'd actually supported Mishra, she'd still be alive!"

Flushing red with embarrassment, Weber blustered, "I-I was just regrouping my forces!"

As if talking to a petulant child, Calara explained, "By temporarily withdrawing, you'll draw all the Kintark forces together to pursue you. With the Kintark capital ships clustered into tighter formations, our Nova Lances will be far more devastating. In any case, you're currently in severe danger of encirclement. If you continue as you are, in ten minutes your battleships will be overrun by bomber wings and Kintark cruisers will be hunting your carrier fleets."

Caldwell faced the Terran Admirals and said firmly, "Do as she says. All forces full retreat."

"Thank you, Admiral," Calara said, the tension easing in her shoulders. "Prepare yourselves to launch our counter-offensive on my mark."

Weber looked furious and started ranting, "Have you all taken leave of your senses?! I can't believe you're actually going to listen-"

Calara muted the interface, then glanced at the Tactical Map, noting that Admiral Dacres' fleet were half-way towards the Sol System. Selecting a course for him that would bring his forces in against the flank of the advancing Kintark armada, she transmitted those orders to his ship, the Nereus. A couple of seconds later, there was a chime from the interface as the order was acknowledged.

*Alyssa, can you ask Lilyana to provide covering fire for the retreating Terran fleets and use her Beam Lasers to destroy the lead elements of the Kintark forces,* Calara requested, studying the golden Maliri ships. *I want to keep the Kintark wary and cautious. Also tell her to hold off Nova Lance fire with her battleships until I give the signal.*

*Sure, passing that on!* her girlfriend replied.

Calara turned to look at Faye and said, "I'll handle the primary guns when we first engage the Kintark, then I'll hand over full control of the Invictus' weapons to you. I'm going to be too busy issuing fleet commands to concentrate on gunnery."

Faye looked shocked for a moment, then she nodded. "Of course, I'll do my best!"

Facing her green-skinned pilot next, the Latina said, "Jade, I want you to take us straight through the Kintark lines. We need to get close enough to the Hera for Irillith to work her magic."

The Nymph hesitated, her eyes locked on the Odin's Thunderbolt, watching as just over a dozen Claymores fought desperately to keep bombers away from the retreating dreadnought. "No... I'm going after Weber, he's on that ship."

Calara looked at her in shock. "What do you mean you're going after him?!"

Jade's expression grew bleak as she replied, "Now Buckingham's dead, our best shot at tracking Jehanna and the Nymphs is capturing Weber."

Calara had an anguished look on her face. "I can't save everyone, Jade! Clawing back a victory from this disaster is going to be hard enough as it is; good men will have to die to keep Weber alive... We can scour the Sol System for that base immediately after the battle!"

The Nymph slowly shook her head, a determined gleam in her eyes. "We can't let Weber get killed... Whoever's holding the Nymphs and Jehanna might kill them to tie up loose ends." Rising from her chair, she looked at the purple sprite who was listening to this exchange with a worried frown on her elfin face. "Faye, can you pilot the Invictus?"

"Of course, but I'm nowhere near as good as you," she replied, big eyes growing even wider. "Why? Where are you going?!"

"The stealth shuttle," the Nymph replied, breaking into a sprint and running up the ramp from the Combat Bridge towards the grav-tubes.

Calara turned around and watched Jade running away in shock. "Wait, come back!"

Jade paused and shook her head, her expression filled with regret. "I'm sorry to let you down, but I have to do this. I failed my sisters before, I can't fail them again..."

*Jade, what are you doing?* Alyssa asked, her voice filled with concern and sympathy.

*We need to flush out that rat and make him bolt for his nest,* the Nymph replied, darting into the express grav-tube. *I'll need Calara's help...*

***

Iridescent armoured plating slid aside on the unblemished green hull of the battleship Ralarn'tok, revealing a score of missile launch tubes. In a billowing blast those missiles streaked out, arcing across space towards their target. All across the port flank of the battleship Orion, Gatling Lasers whirred furiously as they spat laser bolts at the incoming missiles, the gunners desperate to take down those deadly warheads. One after the other the missiles were shredded by the frantic defence grid, but there were too many to intercept them all...

The Orion rocked to starboard as it was struck by several plasma missiles, deep craters blasted in the Terran battleship's armour by the initial detonation. The impact sites were then doused in superheated plasma, the insidious green substance melting through titanium plating and superstructure alike.

Chief Engineer Nguyen whirled around in his seat as alarms blared across the Bridge. "Sir, we just lost our Port Power Regulator!"

Commodore Ken Papados darted an anxious glance at the splash of red on the Orion's Damage Control display, all of it centred on the port flank. "Maintain full reverse thrust, adjust course 45 degrees to starboard."

His Executive Officer, Commander Valentina Kowalski, brushed her blonde hair away from her eyes and gave him a worried frown. "Ken, we've got two Kintark battleships advancing on our starboard flank. Are you sure that's wise?"

Papados grimaced as he stared at the Tactical Map. This battle had been one long series of disasters, starting with Admiral Ramos' battleship getting taken out of commission at the outset. "We've got no choice, Val. We can't take more hits on the port flank; we're getting skinned by the Ralarn'tok!"

"Oh shit!" their helmsman cursed, Lieutenant Prieto turning to point a shaky finger at the Tactical Map. "Sir! The other two battleships are launching missiles!"

At the same time, six Kintark cruisers were spraying the Orion's bow in plasma bolts, their Plasma Cannons glowing white hot as they maintained their barrage. As well as leaving the front of the battleship pocked and pitted with incendiary plasma, their frenzied shots took out numerous retro-thrusters, slowing the Orion's retreat.

"Down to 74% thrust," Nguyen warned, looking fearfully at the damage control status.

A score of Kintark fighters were performing strafing runs on the Orion, while two squadrons of destroyers had swept closer, pouring more fire into the wounded capital ship. It was as if they had all sensed the battleship's weakness and were eager to join in the kill. Papados shot his XO a look filled with anguish and his heart sank when he saw that same realisation in her lovely hazel eyes. With his final moments upon him, his only regret was that he hadn't made an honest woman of her.

That was when all hell seemed to break loose around them...

The Tactical Map was suddenly ablaze with colour and an incandescent column of energy slammed into the two Kintark battleships on the starboard flank, filleting the pair from prow to stern. The Ralarn'tok was pounded by a dozen pulsed beams, going from fully shielded to exposed and vulnerable in a split second. Before Papados even had time to blink, the Ralarn'tok was smashed backwards by the force of some unknown impact, lurid explosions blowing apart armour plating amidships. Those explosions continued for the next three seconds, as if someone was gouging a huge pit in the side of that Kintark battleship, until a Power-Core breach finally ripped it asunder.

More of those dazzling blue beams scythed through the six Kintark cruisers, melting glowing trenches through them and literally cutting each of them in half. Finally, a blue globe appeared to shroud the Orion in a protective embrace and just... obliterated... everything Kintark in a broad sphere around the battleship. Missiles exploded, fighters were shredded, and the destroyers turned into Swiss cheese by that unending hail of laser bolts.

By the time the terrifying azure firestorm had abated, there were no Kintark vessels left intact in any direction out to Beam Laser range.

"What the fuck?!" Nguyen blurted out, staring at the smouldering wrecks surrounding the Orion in disbelief.

"Incoming hail," Commander Kowalski murmured, clearly just as stunned as their Chief Engineer. "It's from the Invictus!"

A beautiful olive-skinned girl appeared on the holo-screen and the Bridge crew all instantly recognised her lovely face. "Good morning, Commodore! Would you please tell my big brother I said hello."

Papados managed to gather his wits enough to give her a grateful smile. "Of course, Commander Fernandez. And... thank you."

She winked at him then ended the call and his eyes darted to the Tactical Map to search for the Invictus. Sure enough, the Lion's ship roared past them, travelling at some ungodly speed. The white battlecruiser then plunged deep into the Kintark lines, leaving unparalleled levels of destruction in its wake.

He laughed and shook his head. "Eduardo's never going to have to pay for a drink again!"

Valentina reached out to squeeze his hand and gave him a knowing look. "We need to talk after the battle," she whispered, with a gentle smile.

***

Prelate Khardas chortled with glee as the green-plated dreadnought remorselessly pounded the Terran battleships with Singularity Driver rounds. The Crios had been attempting to retreat, retro-thrusters on full burn as it pulled back from the Kintark forces. It shuddered with each pounding impact, large chunks of the prow breaking away from the battleship's superstructure as the Hera systematically tore it to pieces.

"That'sss the fifth one today isssn't it?" he asked his hulking lizard companion.

Vorgrax nodded his blunt snout, the Royal Guard's lip curling back to reveal rows of very sharp teeth. "The Terran forcesss are on the verge of a complete rout. This ssshall be a gloriousss victory for the Kintark Empire."

Khardas watched the Crios buckling under the pulverising force of those mighty detonations, eagerly awaiting the final killing blow... but the steady stream of rounds came to an abrupt halt. Glancing at Vorgrax in surprise, he could see that the big lizard was as confused by the pause in destruction as he was. It seemed highly unlikely that Grand Prelate Melkadian would decide to spare the despicable Terran vermin.

Turning back to the Tactical Map to study the dreadnought to see if there was a problem, Khardas froze in shock as the Hera opened fire with its extensive Plasma Cannon batteries... on its own escorts! The cruiser flanking him was lashed by plasma bolts and even the Zekran'tor's new shields were unable to withstand the kind of punishment the dreadnought was dishing out at point-blank range. It took only two seconds for the shields to flicker out and the plasma bolts began striking the glistening green armour, blasting big chunks out of the hull. Khardas' mouth fell open in horror as the Zekran'tor exploded in a bright red and green ball, the cruiser totally destroyed.

Seeing that cruiser blown to pieces by a supposedly friendly ship sent a shiver of fear down his spine. He'd seen exactly the same thing happen before... in the Mar'Katrach Nebula.

"By Malganth the Betrayer, it'sss happening again!" he gasped, reeling from those dreadful memories.

He could still remember the terrified look on Padaar's face, the Prelate powerless to prevent his ship from attacking his allies. Padaar had claimed that his ship had been hacked, which meant that the Invictus had to be close by! Whirling around, Khardas searched frantically for the terrifying white Terran cruiser that had ambushed them in the nebula and torn his fleet apart. His blood ran cold when he spotted it, the Invictus looking even larger and more menacing than he remembered as it hurtled towards them.

The Jernak'tor trembled violently and Khardas gaped at the map in fear when he realised that the Hera had turned its formidable starboard batteries on him. Grabbing the Command Platform's balcony he leaned over the Bridge Pit and roared, "Order all ssshipsss in the essscort fleet to open fire on that-"

Prelate Khardas didn't get to finish that sentence as a brutal explosion rocked the Jernak'tor, hurling him over the balcony, his arms flailing as he fell.

***

"By the Godsss, No!" Melkadian cried out in anguish, watching aghast as his dreadnought eviscerated the escorting cruisers. Prelate Khardas had been like a son to him, and that evil witch had just gunned him down like he was a worthless bug!

"Oh yes, Melkadian," Irillith replied, a wicked smile on her holographic face as she loomed over the Bridge. "Don't worry, we're just getting started!"

The Grand Prelate gaped at her in shock. "How did you hack the Hera?! The Emperor told me it was impossible... we were promised!"

"Whoever told him that lied," the Maliri hacker said with a contemptuous smirk.

Admiral Norwood rolled over on the floor and choked out a laugh. "How does it feel to be betrayed, Melkadian?"

Melkadian shook his head, unwilling to believe the Emperor could be deceived. "No... it can't be!"

Irillith turned her pitiless angular eyes on the wounded traitor. "Hacking the Hera was easy; almost as easy as taking over the Thor's Hammer. The look on Lynton's face when I shut her down and ruined all her plans was hilarious. I wonder if she looked just as dumbfounded when the Progenitor she whored herself to blew her away..."

"You fucking bitch!" Norwood snarled, grief and rage overcoming his pain. "I'll kill you!"

She seemed to grab hold of the corners of the holo-screen, then peeled herself away, her glowing violet form landing lightly on the deck. Melkadian panicked and fired at her with his Enshunu pistol, but his wild shots passed harmlessly through her incorporeal body and ricocheted off a console behind the spectral Maliri. Irillith pointed at him with a menacing smile, and lightning shot from her hand to hit him in the chest, making him convulse and scream with pain. He collapsed on the floor, the melted pistol falling from his limp and scorched fingers, as he writhed and jerked uncontrollably.

Irillith continued her advance on Norwood, electricity dancing over her fingertips, a look of dreadful anticipation in her eyes. Norwood cowered backwards, trying to drag himself away from her and leaving a trail of blood behind on the deck. She reached for his terrified face and stopped only inches away, little blue sparks arcing between her fingers.

"You, Melkadian, and Lynton all have a lot in common," Irillith said, the smile on her beautiful face not reaching her eyes. "You're all fools who were deceived and manipulated by John's Progenitor adversary. However, you're also the worst kind of scum... traitors and mass murderers, so you deserve to see your dreams destroyed before you die."

As Norwood quailed before her, Irillith's mocking laughter echoed around the Hera's Bridge, but none of the bridge crew found the situation quite so funny. That might have been because they were now smoking corpses lying slumped over their stations, Irillith having ruthlessly electrocuted every last one of the treacherous Terran crew and their Kintark overseers...

***

Admiral Weber watched the frantic dogfight unfolding before him, scarcely believing that only a dozen Claymores were all that stood between his dreadnought and flights of torpedo carrying bombers. While the rest of his battle group were trying to fight a delaying action against the Praetorian fleet, he had been desperately trying to pull back out of the firing line. Unfortunately, the Kintark Bomber command must have been hunting for big game, because every one of the bombers had been directed towards the Odin's Thunderbolt.

Although the Claymores were heavily outnumbered, they were managing to more than hold their own, racking up an impressive tally of destroyed bombers. Their skill and bravery would normally be highly commendable, but they'd all refused to fire on the lioness in that Raptor. Weber was determined to see them all court-martialled for refusing a direct order and couldn't wait to see their smug looks wiped from their faces.

Feeling reassured that the bombers were being held firmly at bay, Weber considered rejoining the main Terran fleets, where he'd be able to safely snipe at vulnerable Kintark battleships with the Odin's Singularity Drivers. It was clearly the best way he could support the battle with his dreadnought, and had nothing to do with hiding behind the lines, well out of range of the Kintark Plasma Cannons.

The bedraggled wings of Claymores suddenly made an abrupt course change, and to Weber's shock, they all rushed away towards the primary battle line. Stabbing a finger on the Tactical interface, he contacted the fighters, desperate to know what they were playing at.

"Get back here!" he snapped at their commanding officer, watching wings of bombers approaching unopposed. "I order you and your men to attack those bombers!"

A moustachioed pilot with "Gator" written on his helmet slowly shook his head. "No can do, Admiral. My apologies, but we've been ordered to intercept bombers heading towards Admiral Malone's battle group."

"I've got seniority on Connor Malone!" Weber snarled, pointing furiously at the bombers. "Turn those Claymores around and protect the Odin!"

Calara's holographic image on the battle group interface turned to look at him. "Captain Lewis is following my orders, Admiral. His squadron will be more valuable fighting elsewhere."

Gator's piercing eyes hardened a little as he winked at Weber and gave him a half-hearted salute. "Good luck, Admiral..."

"You can't do this!" Weber blustered, feeling tendrils of icy fear digging into his heart.

The battle group interface flickered and shut down as Admiral Weber was abruptly ejected from the command network. The only image remaining before him was Calara's beautiful face, and her cold-eyed stare intensified his feeling of dread.

"We know what you've done, Carl..." she said quietly, the damnation in her tone quite clear. "Jehanna, the Nymphs, all of it..."

He froze, shaking his head in mute denial. "W-what? I d-didn't..."

Calara leaned forward, her voice dropping a few octaves. "When we're finished here, John's going to hunt you down and make you pay." She looked at him with pity. "I almost feel sorry for you... You better run and find a good place to hide."

Weber rose shakily from his chair, feeling a rising surge of panic threatening to overwhelm him. He looked around the Bridge and saw a mixture of fear and anger in all the stares directed at him, which did nothing to help calm him down. Darting a frightened glance back at the Tactical Map, he could see the approaching waves of bombers bearing down on the Odin and knew the dreadnought was doomed. His courage finally gave out and he rushed down the illuminated steps from the Command Podium, then bolted from the Bridge, running for the shuttle bay.

"Admiral!" his XO called after him, stunned that his commanding officer would just flee from his post like that.

Unbeknownst to Weber, as soon as he fled from the Bridge, Captain Lewis' Claymore squadron banked around, then barrelled towards the lead bomber wings at maximum speed.

"Thanks for playing your part in that bit of subterfuge, Captain," Calara said to him, a grateful smile on her face. "Hold on for as long as you can, help is on its way!"

***

Plasma bolts rained down on Unity City like one of the biblical plagues, the fiery green hail spreading the widespread devastation to the suburbs. It was quite clear to Sakura that the Praetorian battleship fleet was intent on wiping the Terran capital from the face of the planet. Her Valkyrie raced closer, getting into Pulse Cannon range of the waves of Kintark fighters that were supposed to be providing cover to those capital ships. The mech's two shoulder mounted turrets opened fire, hammering the opposing ships with blue laser bolts and scything through one ship after another.

The Kintark heavy fighters were out of range to fire back, so they rushed forward at maximum speed to intercept her. Dogfighting with strike craft was not her primary mission, so Sakura swept straight past them, letting her automated turrets cause more mayhem on her way. She was travelling at over four times their maximum speed, which meant that the fighters had absolutely no chance of catching up once she weaved through their ranks.

Each of the twelve Kintark battleships sported a comprehensive defence grid of rapid-firing Heavy Plasma Guns, which posed a deadly threat to attacking strike craft. However, the Valkyrie had been upgraded with the best in Trankaran thrusters, making it almost impossible for the Kintark gunners to hit the nimble mech as it dodged and weaved across space. With no other targets to fire at, every battleship in range opened fire on Sakura, creating an impossibly dense thicket of plasma bolts for her to traverse.

With that sheer volume of incoming fire, it was inevitable that some of the shots would strike the mech, but the few plasma bolts that did barely dipped the Valkyrie's shield strength. Sakura whispered her thanks to Dana for installing the Brimorian Shields and Eternity Crystals, which combined with the Maliri modulator provided an unprecedented level of protection to the mech. Undeterred she continued her reckless charge towards the Kintark capital ships.

Sakura darted a glance at the Valkyrie's HUD and quickly brought up the active scan results for a Kintark battleship. She knew she was taking a big gamble here, assuming that these Praetorian capital ships had the same configuration as the ones that their Chief Engineer had scanned after the Battle of Regulus, but she didn't have the time to take a new active scan. Her gaze darted across the detailed schematics and she narrowed her almond eyes when she found what she was looking for. Activating the targeting overlay, a superimposed image displayed the locations of those critical components on each of the battleships in the fleet.

She felt a slight flicker of guilt as she prepared herself for combat. Sakura had told John that she was going to try and distract the Praetorian battleships, and while that was true, she had no intention of just dodging around trying to draw their attention. They were going to be distracted by fighting for their lives... and Justice demanded they pay a heavy price for the atrocities the Kintark fleet had committed against Terran civilians.

Raising her right arm, she put the Valkyrie into a looping arc, the glistening white mech appearing to be on a collision course with the lead Kintark battleship. The plasma crossfire from the point-defence guns intensified, but she was so close now that she was outside the firing arcs from most of those frantically aimed shots. The shimmering green hull of the battleship Kirman'tok loomed frighteningly large in front of her cockpit and Sakura suddenly arched her back, the mech pulling up at a sharp angle with retro-thrusters flaring all along all four limbs to arrest its descent.

She made a downwards stabbing motion with her left hand just as the Valkyrie made contact with the hull, plunging the mech's fifteen-metre-long blade into the battleship's armour. The mech trembled as she skidded across the hull, but her grip on the sword never wavered as she gouged a huge trench in that green plating. When she came to a halt, she twisted sharply to the right, her eyes glowing as she activated her psychic speed. The mech performed a graceful turn, sword blade still embedded in the hull, and Sakura took off again, sprinting across the capital ship's top deck.

The Kintark defence grids had ceased fire, with most of the guns on the Kirman'tok no longer able to aim at the mech as it sprinted across its hull. There were several other battleships that had a clear shot at the Valkyrie, but ironically Sakura was now protected by the Kirman'tok's shields and the other Kintark vessels were powerless to assist. While they might have ceased fire, Sakura was just getting started...

Summoning the glacial chill that ebbed deep inside her, she was startled at how much easier it was to bring forth her Cryokinesis. Dropping the temperature of the barrels seemed almost effortless and she channelled that heart-freezing chill into her Photon Lasers, coating the weapons in a thick layer of ice. Locking onto the closest battleship, the Garran'tok, she aimed at a point near the rear, about 200 metres from the engines mid-way along its spine. Making a squeezing motion with her trigger fingers, Sakura opened up with her shoulder-mounted quad guns, sending a continuous stream of pulsed beams slamming into the Garran'tok's shields. Those shields reacted violently to the raw power behind those Photon beams, big waves rippling around the dome as the protective field tried to maintain its cohesion.

Incapable of withstanding that kind of phenomenal power, the battleship's shields gave up the fight just as Sakura made another sharp turn, the Valkyrie now charging back towards its initial point of incision. With the shields down, those brilliant blue lances of energy blasted into the Garran'tok's hull, melting glowing holes through the armour plating and penetrating deep into the guts of the Kintark battleship.

According to the targeting overlay the Power Core was located in that section of the vessel, and while Sakura lacked Calara's expert marksmanship, she didn't need to be that accurate with four continuously firing Photon Lasers. Carving the beams back and forth across the hull, she grinned when spears of orange light blasted out of the rents in the Garran'tok's shell, signalling that she'd ruptured her target. The battleship appeared to go supernova a few seconds later, torn apart by the devastating internal blast.

Holding fire with her Photon Lasers to give them some time to cool, Sakura skidded to a halt on the Kirman'tok's hull, then made a savage jerking motion with her left hand. The Valkyrie used its huge sword like a chisel, levering up the broad triangle of armour plating she'd just gouged out of the hull, and sent it spinning off into space. Levelling her right arm at the gaping hole, she aimed her Heavy Quantum gun into the breach and extended her will to the weapon, making sure it was fully coated in ice. Making a flicking motion with her thumb, she disengaged the safeties and opened up, firing the advanced weapon on full auto.

Hyper accelerated slugs smashed into the exposed superstructure, the Quantum field surrounding each round massively increasing the impact of those projectiles. The Kirman'tok trembled as Sakura pumped round after round into that jagged hole, internal explosions rocking the critically vulnerable battleship. She depressurised deck after deck, hurling debris and choking crewmen out into space as she excavated deeper into the vessel.

Unfortunately for the terrified High Prelate and the command crew of the Kirman'tok, the Bridge was still located in the middle of the vessel, supposedly the safest place for it. One of Sakura's Quantum rounds struck the Bridge above the Tactical Station and the ceiling was smashed inwards with an almighty explosion, seconds before High Prelate Shalira and her staff were blasted out into space.

The Kirman'tok lurched violently under the Valkyrie's feet, then veered to the left, retro-thrusters firing at random now that nobody was at the helm. Realising that she'd struck her target, Sakura gave a brief nod in satisfaction, having punished two of the twelve battleships guilty of war crimes. Looking around for her next quarry, she chose the Chirak'tok, then crouched and kicked off from the hull of the decapitated battleship. The Trankaran engines on her back blazed into life and she rocketed towards the next vessel requiring her judgement.

With a grim smile she noted that the Kintark must have realised the terrible danger they were in, because they had stopped firing at the civilians. If they thought that would placate her cold fury, they were very much mistaken...

***

John dropped like a stone, diving between billowing cumulus clouds as he fell towards Terra's surface. While he knew the air was howling around his Paragon suit, he'd deactivated the external audio amplifiers, so this skydive was a serene experience. The actual battlefield was obscured by a thick blanket of ominous grey rainclouds, showering the combatants. From this altitude he could see nothing of the frantic battle below, adding to the deceptive sense of peace.

He glanced over both shoulders to check on the girls and saw they were still on his tail, hurtling planetward behind him. *Are you three okay?* he asked Alyssa, briefly making eye contact with her.

Her smiling eyes answered that question for him. *Yeah, just enjoying the view. You have a great ass!* She hesitated a second, then added, *By the way, Sakura and Jade are being a bit naughty...*

*What are they up to now?* he asked, dreading the answer.

*Sakura's decided that the Praetorian battleships bombing Terra all need to be punished for bombing civilians...*

*I thought she was supposed to be following orders?!* he balked, tensing in alarm. *Going up against twelve battleships with just the Valkyrie is insane!*

Alyssa sounded proud as she noted, *Actually only ten now, she's killed two already and starting on the third. She also hasn't disobeyed any instructions, not literally anyway.*

He frowned in irritation. *What's that supposed to mean?*

*She's very bright and she was training to be a lawyer,* she said with open admiration. *I think you'll need to be a bit more careful with your orders if you don't want her to find loopholes...*

John glanced at the looming clouds. *Alright... quickly then, what happened with Jade?*

*She left the Invictus in the stealth shuttle and is hunting down Weber. Faye's taken over piloting the Invictus and she's also manning all the guns!*

His eyes widened in shock before he said sharply, *Jade! What the hell are you playing at?*

*I'm not playing any games, Master,* the Nymph said soberly. *My sisters are more important than the Federation forces... There are billions of Terrans and only four surviving Nymphs that we know of. I can't let Admiral Weber harm them!* She sounded forlorn as she added, *I'm sorry that I abandoned Calara on the Invictus. I will gladly submit to any punishment you feel appropriate...*

John saw the clouds rushing towards him and let out a heavy sigh. He could feel that she was contrite, but there had been steely conviction in her tone.*It's okay, I understand and sympathise... but we need to talk about this later, alright?*

*Of course, John,* Jade agreed quietly.

He braced himself as he plunged into the grey clouds, half-expecting them to be as solid as they looked, his brain struggling to believe they were completely insubstantial. Visibility was reduced to basically nothing now that he was inside their murky interior, but it only took a few seconds to drop through to the other side.

"Fuck me..." he muttered, finally getting an idea of the scale of the bloody battle that was being fought to the death below.

He could see vast formations of Kintark soldiers rushing towards the Terran fortifications, and from this altitude, they looked like an army of green ants marching to war. Interspersed between them were the imposing forms of green-plated Kintark grav-tanks and, at the back of the lines, were the empty hulls of the Kintark troop transports. As imposing a sight as all of that was, John was faced with a more pressing concern. Namely what to do about the colossal Kintark flagship and trio of battlecarriers that cast their ominous shadow over the battlefield...

***

Staring intently at the Tactical Map, Lilyana watched as the Terran forces began their orderly retreat, keeping cohesive formations while backing away from the Kintark armada. The Kintark were following of course and easily able to keep pace, but just as Calara had expected, those green ships were funnelling together in their pursuit. A trio of Kintark cruisers pushed ahead of the rest of their fleet, caught up in the thrill of the pursuit and their eagerness to hunt down the fleeing Terrans. They also painted a big target over themselves...

Before the Kintark ships could get close enough to start seriously harassing Admiral Malone's retreating forces, they were skewered by a multitude of Beam Lasers from the entire Maliri fleet. The energy beams blasted scores of glowing holes through each vessel, stopping them in their tracks with brutal finality. It was a massive display of overkill, but it dramatically reinforced the point that any Kintark captains that got too close would pay a very steep price for their zeal.

She shook her head in admiration for her youthful but extraordinarily perceptive commander, as the Kintark responded exactly as she had predicted they would. They began to maintain a far more cautious pursuit, giving Admiral Malone's battle group some much needed breathing space.

As if summoned by thoughts of her lover, Alyssa reached out telepathically to the House Valaden Fleet Commander. *Hey! Calara wanted to say thanks for the covering fire you're providing and to tell you that you're doing a great job. She also requested that you launch all your fighter squadrons... the Terran strike craft are getting murdered out there! She'll transmit attack coordinates once your fighters are deployed.*

Lilyana glanced across the Bridge at her Fighter Command officer. "Launch all fighters! You will receive your designated targets shortly." Turning around to catch the eye of one of her bodyguards, she continued quietly, "Please advise Alyssa that our strike craft are being deployed."

"Of course," Almari replied, inclining her head politely.

Pausing to study the assassin and her Paragon-suited compatriot, Lilyana could see that the pair were agitated and restless. "Alright, what's the matter with you two?"

Almari and Ilyana shared a look, then their angular eyes flickered over towards the System Map, focusing on Terra.

The Fleet Commander followed their worried gaze back to the planet, then nodded her understanding. "You're worried about John..."

"And the girls accompanying him," Ilyana said quietly. "I feel useless up here... I just wish I could do more."

Lilyana studied the pair then said, "As long as Alyssa doesn't object, you have my permission to join them on the planet..."

The assassins looked delighted, but Almari suddenly frowned and asked, "Won't you need one of us to pass on your responses to Calara's orders?"

"I plan to follow every one of her commands to the letter," Lilyana replied with a shrug. "If Calara has any problem with the way I'm executing her orders, Alyssa can inform me of any corrections."

Almari tilted her head to one side, lost in thought as she communicated the response to Edraele. The Maliri Matriarch then passed that message on in turn to Alyssa.

When Alyssa spoke to the Fleet Commander again, Lilyana heard the hesitation and concern in the blonde's voice. *Yeah, I guess they can join us; the more guns the merrier after all... but they better not get themselves killed, John would never forgive me.*

She glanced back at the two assassins and their steely gaze softened as they heard Alyssa's response. "Go ahead you two, I'll get the fighter wings to clear you a safe path to the planet."

Almari and Ilyana gave her a respectful bow, then sprinted out of the Bridge with an added spring in their step, as if they were rushing off to go on a date. Lilyana smiled and found herself wishing she could join them.

***

Ailanthia swiped her slender green fingers across the holographic interface. "John Blake is descending towards Terra, My Lord. The sensor probe is tracking his progress."

Her devilishly handsome companion leaned forward over the command table, his face alight with anticipation. "Let's see what he gets up to this time!"

She nodded and projected the camera footage onto the holo-screen in front of them. Crystal-clear images of John in his white Paragon suit came into sharp focus, the golden lions embossed on his pauldrons gleaming brightly even under the overcast sky. He was plunging towards the planet, followed by a trio of similarly armoured females, although their suits were nowhere near as ostentatious.

"Magnify on Blake, I have no interest in his thralls," her master said sternly, never taking his gaze from the image.

"Of course, My Lord," Ailanthia replied, her hands moving as if to grasp and stretch the image, keeping the focus on the man in white armour.

The probe's footage zoomed in closer, showing John's face frozen in concentration, his eyes blazing with a fierce blue light...

***

John centred himself as he dropped towards the massive Kintark flagship, keeping his breathing calm and controlled as he tightened his focus. *Edraele, give me as much power as you can spare.*

*Of course, John,* she immediately replied, throwing her connection to him wide open.

He gasped at the massive flood of psychic energy, his entire body tingling as that power surged through him. It was astonishing how much Edraele's reserves had grown, and prior to this moment, he'd only ever experienced this much power when both his Matriarchs had funnelled it to him at the same time. Whirling vortexes of eldritch energy swirled around his arms and he held them aloft as he fell, unleashing it into the roiling cloudbanks above them. The sky darkened ominously, intra-cloud lightning lancing across that billowing grey mass, as the electrostatic energy magnified within.

The trio of Kintark battlecarriers and the flagship were fully occupied with bombarding the Citadel, as they tried to wear down its orbital shield. The batteries along their underbellies sent a torrent of plasma bolts at the fortress, ripples undulating over that shimmering dome as it tried to resist the cascade of Plasma Cannon fire.

Alyssa, Rachel, and Tashana peeled away from John, banking to starboard as they headed for the central battlecarrier in the group of three. Glancing back at John, the blonde informed him, *Dana says to aim amidships for their Bridge, right on the spine. She reckons they'll have followed the same construction design as their battleships and it'll be in the centre of the ship somewhere.*

*Got it, thanks,* John replied, choosing an appropriate landing site on the flagship's hull.

This close to the massive vessel, he could make out all the defining features that dotted its iridescent green top deck. The point he'd chosen to aim for was between two fire control towers, on a raised section of superstructure in front of a cluster of power regulators. Further forward of that position were row after row of Heavy Plasma Cannons batteries, the very same weapons that had caused such terrible damage to the Shiva and had slain Admiral Mishra.

Arching his back, John used the anti-grav generators in his armour's vambraces and greaves to help slow and rotate him, then activated the thruster on his back to arrest his descent. He landed lightly on the Kintark vessel's hull, drawing his gleaming white sword as he did so. Glancing up at the forbidding grey shroud that blotted out the sun, he could see the untapped lightning seething inside those blackened clouds, as the electrical forces rapidly built to a crescendo. This was no natural storm brewing though and Thor himself would have been proud of the titanic power gathering in those troubled skies.

John channelled more energy into his sword, flooding it with positive charge, the air around him crackling with anticipation. He held it upraised with both hands and the thunderclouds convulsed in response, as a vast pillar of lightning arced down towards his blade. It hit the flagship's shields first, overloading them in a massive burst of energy, before the lightning bolt surged on to slam into John's raised sword. The peal of thunder around him was deafening, echoing around the heavens with its fury.

The barely controlled electricity writhed in fury, as if struggling to break free of its confinement now that it was trapped along the length of the blade. John raised the weapon above his head, then slammed it down into the Kintark ship, plunging the sword into the armour plating all the way up to its hilt. That was when he unleashed the lightning bolt, blasting the interior of the ship with the full power of the raging storm.

Explosions rippled along the top deck as power nodes were overloaded, large sections of the ship going dark as the internal grid was shorted out. John wasn't sure if the lightning stroke had actually hit the Bridge, but hundreds of subsystems had definitely been destroyed. The flagship seemed to let out a tortured groan and John felt his stomach lurch as the vessel started to fall.

Within the doomed ship it took only moments for the Bridge crew to go from gleeful arrogance to quaking terror. A riot of alarms flashed across console displays and the wail of shrill sirens drowned out feverish orders to damage control crews. There'd been some kind of terrible blast, then half the ship had shut down, leaving the vessel completely unresponsive to helm control. For the first time in many decades, fear gripped High Prelate Raktian. The Kintark war hero sat motionless in his throne-like command chair above the turmoil in the Bridge pit, watching helplessly as his ship began to fall to its doom.

Alyssa smiled as she watched John electrocute the pride of the Kintark fleet, the darkened flagship teetering over as it began to slowly drop from the sky. In her peripheral vision, a huge wall of green seemed to suddenly rush towards her, and she snapped her attention back to the battlecarrier Sharan'tohok just in time to arrest her fall. She landed gracefully on the port side of the enormous vessel, with Rachel and Tashana touching down beside her.

The blonde Matriarch grinned at the Maliri girl. "Okay, let's get to work!"

Tashana nodded eagerly, stepping closer to the edge and looking out over the battlefield below. They were floating above the Kintark staging grounds, where tens-of-thousands of troops had already been deployed and more were still pouring out of the transports. She began to gather her will, tapping into the slowly writhing flame that burned deep within her, and fanning that fire with all her psychic might until it roared into a blazing conflagration. To the Kintark troopers' shock, a dozen flame sprites burst into life in front of them, the shapely fire elementals cavorting around as they playfully chased each other.

Alyssa studied the battlecarrier on the left of the formation, her gaze darting along its length and lingering briefly on the retro-thrusters flaring to keep the capital ship aloft. Her cerulean eyes were shining with a brilliant radiant light, a jubilant smile on her face as she savoured the thrill of unleashing her immense psychic potential. Reaching out with both arms, eldritch power surged down from her shoulders to gather at her splayed hands, her slender fingers shrouded in a blazing nimbus of light.

One by one she ripped the retro-thrusters off the starboard side of the Lakran'tohok, the hull going dark as she tore each one from the battlecarrier and tossed it aside. Her fingers curled inwards into claws as she focused on the rear of the capital ship, focusing her intense glowing gaze on the massive starboard engine. There was a piercing shriek of tortured metal as she tugged at that propulsion system, armour plates buckling and snapping as she applied more of her will. With a final flexing of her phenomenal psychic strength she ripped the whole engine housing clear and sent it tumbling away.

The fifty-metre-long chunk of metal crashed to the ground, burying a squad of terrified Kintark soldiers beneath it who had no time to run clear. Those marines who had narrowly avoided being crushed to death gaped up at the critically wounded battlecarrier, watching in shock as it began to veer to starboard. With no retro-thrusters remaining on the right side of the capital ship, the thrust from those on the port side were pushing it into a slow roll, the stunned crew too shocked to correct it.

As Rachel watched her two companions, she felt a pang of regret that she didn't possess some dramatic destructive talent of her own that she could unleash on their enemy. Alyssa and Tashana were completely subsumed in channelling power for their psychic abilities, and she could see their elation as that energy coursed through them. A trio of Kintark fighters raced overhead, patrolling for any Terran Rapiers that would dare to challenge them for aerial supremacy, the deafening roar of their engines drawing the brunette's attention. She grinned as she realised she didn't need any fancy powers to cause some damage, not when she was carrying a Reaper Cannon.

The Kintark pilots were so busy looking for a strike craft threat, they were totally unprepared for the bright burst of azure laser bolts that came from the Sharan'tohok. Rachel hammered them with a stream of laser fire from her Reaper Cannon, the Paragon armour's target tracking making it easy for her to lead the fast-moving ships with her targeting reticle. Even though the ships were all shielded, that provided little protection against the deadly support weapon, and all three were blown out of the sky in rapid succession.

One of the fighters had a wing completely severed and spun wildly out of control as it spiralled down to the surface. The pilot barely ejected in time before his ship slammed into the ground, the resulting explosion enveloping a squad of Kintark marines and shredding them with debris. Tashana's flame sprites leaped joyfully over the burning wreckage, and not only were they unaffected by the blast, they almost appeared to embrace it as they capered around the battlefield.

The fiery elementals were getting larger by the second, and their playful cavorting picked up speed, each of them running faster and faster in a broad circle. As they grew huge, their forms seemed to blend together, until a crackling red wall was encircling a thirty-metre-wide area. Drawing her hands apart, the Maliri Pyrokinetic poured more of her energy into her flame constructs, the spinning barrier growing in height, the temperature intensifying. Kintark soldiers backed away from that blistering heat, giving the raging firewall a wide berth as they continued charging towards the Terran battle lines.

That was when the rapidly spinning inferno seemed to burst into life, the firestorm beginning to move as if by its own volition. The flaming tornado roared with an unquenchable hunger, then scorched its way through the Kintark ranks, sucking terrified troopers into its hellish maw. With each death the towering column of fire seemed to gain in stature, twisting and turning as it incinerated anything and everything in its path. Kintark soldiers fled in terror, their screams silenced as they were dragged back and incinerated by that hellish vortex.

Rachel watched the blazing whirlwind in awe, then patted Tashana on the shoulder. "Dana would be proud."

"It was her idea," the Maliri replied, flashing a smile at the brunette.

They heard another piercing scream of metal being torn asunder, but this time from behind them. The two girls whirled around to see what was happening now and realised that their blonde Matriarch was systematically dismantling the battlecarrier on their starboard side. With all the retro-thrusters ripped away along one side, the huge vessel had started teetering in their direction.

Alyssa turned and winked at her companions, grinning at their startled looks. "Time to move, ladies! John wants us to regroup then follow him down."

She leapt off the Sharan'tohok with Rachel and Tashana diving after her, the thrusters on the back of their Paragon suits jetting out a golden yellow flame as they activated flight mode. John was hovering above the dropping flagship, waiting patiently for the girls to join up with him again.

***

"But he hasn't enslaved the Maliri yet!" Ailanthia gasped, staring in astonishment at the psychic destruction Blake had unleashed on the battlefield. "My Lord, how is that even possible?!"

Shaking his head in bewilderment, her master watched enraptured as a twisting firestorm ploughed through the ranks of Kintark soldiers, leaving a terrible trail of incinerated corpses in its wake. Gigantic lightning bolts were arcing down from the tempestuous storm overhead, blasting the staging ground and sending twitching bodies flying with each stroke. Scores of soldiers narrowly avoided being killed by the actual impact of each blast, but were still electrocuted where they stood by the charged field surrounding the grounding site.

The Kintark flagship crashed into the ground with a deafening roar of tortured metal, the hull twisting and buckling as it was racked by internal explosions. A score of heavy troop transports were instantly flattened by that catastrophic impact, with thousands of soldiers crushed beneath the flagship's gigantic hull. At the same time, two of the battlecarriers tumbled into the one in the centre, smashing the Sharan'tohok between them in a thunderous crash that rivalled the deafening peals of thunder from the storm. Locked together, the three Kintark capital ships started to pitch over, dragging inexorably towards the ground by Terra's remorseless gravitational pull.

"Electrokinesis, Pyrokinesis, and Telekinesis," the Progenitor muttered under his breath, eyes widening as he stared at John in fascination. Glancing at his Matriarch he grinned as he added, "The whelp might have some bite after all!"

***

"Are you really sure about this?" Faye asked, turning around to give her redheaded companion a worried frown.

Dana laughed and nodded. "You're as bad as John! Just maintain a steady speed and let me handle the rest, okay?"

The purple sprite glanced nervously out of the Raptor's cockpit canopy, staring at what appeared to be an innocuous black expanse of space, dotted with thousands of sparkling stars. Appearances could be deceiving though and she knew that lurking out there in that tranquil vista was a vast minefield, just waiting for unsuspecting souls to wander into its clutches. The craziest part of their plan was that Dana knew all about the mines and wanted her to fly right through them!

"Dana..." Faye murmured, darting another anxious glance at her friend.

She was about to volunteer to check the redhead's calculations, just to be on the safe side, but she realised it was too late. Dana's eyes were ablaze with a gleaming golden glow, her face a mask of intense concentration. She had placed her armoured hand on the cockpit wall and rippling waves of energy were pouring out of her and charging the Raptor's hull.

Warning alarms sounded off throughout the gunship's cockpit and Faye watched with mounting apprehension as icons flashed on the piloting interface. The Raptor's sensors were trying to alert her that immediate course corrections were needed because they were about to be drawn into a massive gravity well, while another warned of intense magnetic fields shrouding this part of space. What Faye knew and the sensors didn't, was that there was no way of avoiding either; it was Dana charging the Raptor's hull that had sent the readings haywire...

The gunship rocketed across space and plunged headlong into the minefield. Dana had polarised the bow to repel and shunt aside the mines, while the rear drew them in with irresistible force. With a combination of gravitational pull and magnetic attraction, scores of mines seemed to take notice, catapulting after the Raptor in pursuit. Scores quickly grew into hundreds and the potent magnetic-mines followed after the gunship like a glittering train behind a wedding-dress. Faye banked the Raptor, and the sparkling white bride went hunting for an unsuspecting Kintark groom.

***

Calara's hands moved in a blur as she issued order after order to the Terran Federation forces. Admiral Aeri Malone's fleet had been saved by the Maliri's timely intervention, and the Invictus roaring through Admiral Ramos' group had rescued the Orion, but those firefights represented less than a sixth of the entire battle. Even though she had assumed full tactical command of the allied forces, the combat had been raging for over an hour, and the Federation fleets were now bruised and battered.

Feeling a disconcerting tingling at the back of her mind, she stared at the Terran flagship, watching as the Retribution of Zeus attempted to shield the battleship Summanus from persistent attack. The fleetcarrier's shields had just gone down and it was exchanging broadsides with a trio of Kintark battleships, blocking line of sight to the Summanus as the battleship limped away in retreat, plasma flames licking at its flanks.

Time seemed to draw out into dozens of frames as Calara saw the future of the Zeus playing out before her eyes in slow motion...

~~~

The lead Kintark battleship, the Limtar'tok, had lost its shields and all the Zeus' gunnery teams were focusing their fire on the exposed capital ship. Across the fleetcarrier's bow, Heavy Cannons recoiled as they blasted massive shells at the Kintark vessel. The spinal-mounted Singularity Drivers added to that ferocious barrage, punching hyper-accelerated slugs into the Limtar'tok's prow, crumpling the battleship with one stunning detonation after another.

However, while the Limtar'tok was being savagely dismembered, one of its companions crept forward, closing to short range with the Zeus. The battleship Yalarn'tok ceased fire with its underbelly-mounted Plasma Cannons and launched a volley of torpedoes, which streaked across space and slammed into the distracted fleetcarrier. In the ensuing procession of explosions that tore their way across the Zeus' hull, one of the torpedoes landed a fluke hit, penetrating deep through a plasma-scorched rent in its titanium armour.

When the warhead exploded, the blast destroyed the protective gravitational shielding in the Singularity Drivers' acceleration chamber. With nothing to keep the Zeus' contained singularity in check, the subsequent detonation vaporised half the ship.

~~~

Calara gasped at the horrifying vision, seeing the deaths of thirty-thousand crew played out before her eyes. Stabbing a finger on the battle group interface, she cried out, "Caldwell! Focus all fire on the Yalarn'tok, don't let it close on you!"

He blinked at her in shock when he heard the distress in her voice, then began yelling orders at his Tactical Officers who promptly switched targets. The Yalarn'tok had just begun its fateful charge, when it was lashed by Beam Laser fire from the Zeus and all the allied vessels in the vicinity. Its shields didn't last long against that onslaught and it was smashed backwards by the sheer weight of ordnance that tore into it a few seconds later.

The heavy projectiles burrowed deep into the thick hull plating before their delayed-fuse warheads detonated. The tail of those blasts tore through the armour, the eruptions sending a shower of green metal into space, while the real destructive power ripped apart the entrails of the Yalarn'tok. Successive explosions caused horrific destruction across multiple decks, decimating the crew and adding the listing wreck to the sea of battle debris.

Breathing easier, the Latina sighed with relief. "Thank you, Admiral."

Caldwell felt a shiver of fear run down his spine. He'd seen something in Calara's eyes when she gave that panicked order and somehow, he knew that if he hadn't obeyed her command, it would have meant his death. Badly shaken he nodded to her in gratitude and said quietly, "Thank you... Lioness."

She smiled at the shocked admiral, then turned to look at Faye. The purple sprite was staring ahead with a blank expression on her face, luminous eyes gazing unfocused across the Bridge.

"Faye! Are you alright?!" the Latina asked with concern.

Faye didn't turn to look her way and she spoke in a flat monotone, "This unit is operating with minimal supervision from Meta Faye; all processing streams are currently fully occupied. Do you require a listing of designated activities? This chassis' responses will remain limited until 'the shit stops hitting the fan'."

Calara blinked at her in surprise, then glanced at the Tactical Map. Faye was keeping the Invictus within hacking range of the Hera so that she didn't break Irillith's connection, while attempting to protect the dreadnought from counterattack by over a hundred Kintark cruisers. The Imperial ships were taking by far the worst of the exchange, losing vessels in droves to the sprite's enthusiastic shooting. Despite Faye's best efforts to dodge the bulk of the incoming fire, the standoff was starting to take a heavy toll on the Invictus' shields.

The Vengeance of Hera had moved closer to the rear of the Kintark battle line and was now taking full advantage of being well inside Plasma Cannon range. Irillith was primarily targeting vessels that had lost their shields and were trying to regenerate them by rotating out of intense firefights with the Terran fleet. Those shieldless vessels were rich pickings for the dreadnought's Singularity Drivers and with the Invictus adding to the carnage with her own hyper-accelerated slugs, Irillith and Faye were racking up a staggering tally of kills.

Looking back at the Maliri hacker sitting at her IntOps station, Calara asked, "Irillith, is everything going okay aboard the Hera?"

Those glowing violet eyes locked onto Calara's and Irillith gave the Latina a wicked smile. "We're having a hell of a time..."

***

The high-pitched whir of Gibbons' Gatling Laser competed to be heard over the cacophony of noise engulfing the battlefield. There was the periodic boom of artillery firing barrages deep into the Kintark lines, joined by the hollow thump of mortars from the surrounding bunkers. Those mortar rounds arced high into the air then split into bomblets, which rained down on the lizardman troops that were battling their way through the lines of trenches. They made sharp cracks as they hit the ground and exploded, Kintark soldiers screaming in pain as they were lacerated by razor-sharp flechettes.

Wessex had ordered a minefield to be laid in front of the fortifications, and the carnage when she'd activated those anti-personnel mines directly under the Kintark army had been horrific to witness. Soldiers had been torn to pieces by the explosions, showering thick yellow blood all over the shocked survivors. The fanatical Kintark were fearless though and kept on coming, eventually exhausting the minefield with sheer weight of numbers.

That was when they ran into the devious Commander's second surprise. Wessex had carefully sited multi-barrelled chain guns in each bunker, establishing inter-locking arcs of fire with their neighbouring emplacements. These automated monstrosities raked the ranks of lizardmen with precise enfilade fire, stalling dozens of local attacks and mowing down thousands of Kintark soldiers. The Terran bunkers soon became a priority target for fighter strafing runs and tank assaults, the Kintark desperate to stop the slaughter of their troops.

As more bunkers started to fall, the leading waves of Kintark troops eventually began to overwhelm the first lines of fortifications. Federation soldiers fell back along protected tunnels, blasting those covered passages when the last of the survivors had retreated. However, the Royal Guard had quickly reacted to this tactic, rushing across the battle lines to ambush the fleeing troops and preventing them from blowing the tunnels. Then it had been the Terran forces adding to the death cries, as the vengeful Kintark troops gunned them down with plasma bolts, accepting no surrenders.

Terran hover tanks were pulling back from their forward firing positions and coming under heavy fire from their Kintark counterparts. Gibbons saw one tank shuddering with the impact of several Plasma Cannon blasts, the front of the tank showered in the molten green residue of those hits. A hatch opened up on the back of the tank and the crew leaped out, sprinting away from the burning vehicle. They were wise to evacuate when they did, because the shells cooked off shortly after the last man had bailed out, the tank flipping into the air with the hefty boom of the explosion.

Despite all that din, the initial crash of thunder in the heavens had drawn the attention of all combatants. Both armies had watched in shock as the four Kintark capital ships were knocked out of the sky, the Terran troops joining a rousing cheer as the huge vessels crashed into the ground, causing death and mayhem in the Kintark assembling point. Immediately afterwards, Gibbons had been stunned to see jagged lightning bolts rain down on the Kintark army, his eyes going wider still when he saw the whirling firestorm that was burning through their ranks. He had never seen anything like it, but was tremendously grateful that these bizarre weather effects seemed to be limited to the plateau the Kintark were using as a staging ground.

Gibbons heard the angry sizzle of Plasma Cannons being fired behind him, quickly followed by a huge explosion to his right. The blast was strong enough to stagger him and he clutched at the pockmarked battlements to stay on his feet. When he glanced to his right, he saw that Bunker 187 had been completely destroyed, only a burning plasma-filled crater left in its wake.

Darting a fearful look behind him, he saw the gigantic black-clad dragon, perched up on top of the Citadel like it owned the place. The twin Plasma Cannon barrels on the Emperor's back were shimmering, heatsinks venting away any excess heat to cool the weapons down so they could be fired again. Baledranax didn't even look his way as the majestic dragon turned to aim at the next bunker along the final defensive wall. Gibbons wasn't sure if he should feel insulted or just incredibly relieved that he was so beneath the terrifying draconic beast's notice.

"Commander, what're we going to do about that dragon?" Gibbons asked, watching as ineffective potshots were fired at the Emperor from around the perimeter of the fortress.

"I say we do fuck all, and keep our heads down," Brannigan muttered, his earlier bravado taking a back seat to self-preservation. "Look at the size of that fucking thing! If we shoot him, we're just going to piss him off!"

Wessex glanced up at the huge monster and grimaced. "We're going to need the fleet to take out that beast. We've already got our hands full trying to stop the rest of his army from overwhelming the Citadel."

As if to reinforce her point, plasma bolts flashed around them, blasting glowing chunks out of the battlements and splashing molten plasma across the walls. A squad of Kintark soldiers were finally close enough to fire on the power armoured troopers who'd been making their advance a living hell, Wessex's squad having harassed them from afar with their support weapons.

Brannigan, Gibbons, and the rest of Sentinel Alpha returned fire, raking the Kintark soldiers with laser bolts and autocannon rounds. Wessex was too busy to fire back, instead she barked orders on the Company comms channel, ordering her power-armoured troopers back to the rearmost emplacements. Gibbons watched as the heavily outnumbered squads began to retreat, running back along the evacuation routes to the final bastion wall.

"They're here..." Wessex suddenly breathed over the comms interface, a look of wonder on her face.

Gibbons tore his eyes away from the Royal Guard he'd been shooting at, the rampaging lizard currently attempting to tear its way into one of the forward bunkers. He quickly searched the battlefield, knowing exactly who she was referring to. That was when he saw them dropping from the sky...

The Lion was wearing the same suit of armour that he'd worn in the recent footage of his fight against the Kirrix, but what had really drawn Gibbons' attention was the huge sword the man carried, sheathed as it was in dancing blue flames. Three of his Lionesses were with him, the quartet sailing through the air as if they were somehow above the petty battles being fought beneath them. Gibbons frowned as he realised that it was literally true, seeing as how John and his Lionesses were flying above the battlefield at the time.

He watched the four of them touch down at the outer edges of the Terran fortifications. With their sparkling white armour, and the bright flare of thrusters on their backs resembling glorious golden wings, their dramatic entrance made them seem like angels descending from heaven. When Gibbons glanced at Commander Wessex's awestruck expression, he realised the effect was definitely not lost on her, and his heart sunk like a stone.

***

Jade's vertically-slitted eyes darted back and forth watching for the slightest sign of movement along the Odin's flanks. The dreadnought had stopped retreating and was now moving back into range to support what was left of Weber and Mishra's ravaged reserve forces. In the distance she could see the occasional flash of an explosion in a tumultuous dogfight, where a handful of Claymore fighters were trying their hardest to keep the Praetorian bomber wings at bay. Trying not to get distracted by the bright flickers of colour and movement in the raging battle, the Nymph watched the Odin's hangar bay doors, waiting for her quarry.

And then there it was...

The black shuttle slipped out of the dreadnought and almost immediately activated its stealth mode, the tiny craft flickering out of sight on the Tactical Map. With its energy profile reduced to almost nothing, her own shuttle's sensors were unable to pick up any trace of the vessel, but Jade had never planned on relying on sensors to track this target.

Her sharp eyes never wavered from the shuttle as it crept away and she powered up her own stealth shuttle's engines and followed after it. Weber had thought he was in dire danger from the Kintark bombers and had fled for his life, just as she'd expected. The dreadnought was a mobile weapons platform, not a carrier, so it only had limited docking bays. Unless a hyper-warp capable vessel docked with the Odin to whisk Weber away, which it hadn't, then that meant he would be forced to try to flee to a location within the Sol System.

If Weber fled to one of the many starports on the populated worlds in the Sol System, Jade would simply intercept, incapacitate, and detain him before he could board a jump-capable ship. Then she would offer him up to Alyssa's tender mercies, where she was sure the powerful telepath would come up with some highly creative way of punishing him, once she'd stripped all the secrets from his mind. Should Weber run to "Tartarus", the hidden base that they suspected he was associated with, then Jade planned to take steps herself to protect Jehanna and her sisters.

The thought of being reunited with more Nymphs left her experiencing a riot of conflicting emotions. She was giddy with excitement at the prospect of being reunited with them again after so long, but felt chagrined and guilty that she had inadvertently caused their capture. Finally she could feel the anger slowly building at her sisters' treatment... the normally placid Nymph growing increasingly incensed that Buckingham and Weber would try to keep her apart from her fellow Lenarrans.

There were so many things she wished to speak with those Nymphs about and couldn't help wondering what, if anything, they might remember about Lenarra. John longed to know more about the past, so for his sake more than her own, she really hoped that they might be able to recall something of their time with Mael'nerak. Her own memories were very patchy around that time and she could remember nothing that transpired before that final meeting with her original Progenitor Master and his kind-hearted Matriarch.

After John had helped draw out Jade's personality, she'd had a few moments of introspection where she had pondered that she really might be the last surviving Nymph. Of course, John had promised her that he would give her children of her own, but the opportunity to be surrounded by her own kind was almost too wonderful to imagine. She loved John and his mates with all her heart, but she also longed for the chance to be reunited with more of her people.

Jade did her best to put such thoughts aside as she tracked Weber's stealth shuttle, watching as it changed course and headed towards Jupiter...

***

John crouched down as soon as he landed, thumping his left fist into the ground. Channelling his will into a circular telekinetic wall, he unleashed it on the shocked Kintark troops that surrounded them. The psychic blastwave rushed outwards, hurling scores of soldiers through the air and clearing a thirty-metre space around his position. A Royal Guard clung on for dear life, talon-like claws embedded in the ground to stop it being tossed away, so he darted forward and decapitated it with a swift slash of his sword. Its reptilian face was frozen in shock as the immolated head sailed into the air, ethereal blue flames making it look like a ghoulish jack-o-lantern.

As soon as the girls landed, they immediately sprang into action. Tashana reacted fastest with her Reaper Pistols, sending twin columns of blue laser bolts scything through the closest Kintark troops. Each bright shaft of energy burned wide holes through the lizardmen, simply slicing the soldiers in half as she swept those deadly blue streams through their ranks. Flame sprites danced from her fingertips into each pistol's magazine and she fired the underslung barrels like grenade launchers, the Quantum rounds penetrating deep into the enemy formations before exploding into huge fireballs.

Rachel and Alyssa levelled their Reaper Cannons at a squad of ten Royal Guards, then strafed them with a blistering hail of azure light. John spotted the tell-tale flicker of shields around the hulking lizards, but those protective fields were inadequate to the task of stopping that kind of firepower. The Royal Guard were cut down where they stood, the huge creatures barely having time to utter a death cry as they were speared through by incredibly powerful laser bolts. Each shot was nearly as potent as a ship-based Laser Cannon blast, but the Reaper Cannons were firing without pause, leaving little more than smouldering piles of glowing limbs in their wake.

John rose from his crouch and gazed across the battlefield at his target, the massive dragon looming over the Citadel like some ancient mythical wyrm guarding its treasure horde. There was a green flash of light and Baledranax fired his twin Plasma Cannons at the Terran defenders, a bunker exploding in a virulent blast of superheated plasma. He could see how dire the situation was with the remaining Terran forces on the verge of a full-scale rout as they retreated to the final defensive lines.

Glancing back at his three companions, John said over their internal comms channel, "Alright, follow me. The Kintark are about to overrun the Citadel."

Alyssa met his gaze and shook her head. "Don't wait for us, go introduce yourself to the Emperor!"

"I'm not leaving you alone in the middle of a warzone!" he balked.

"Don't worry, we can take care of ourselves!" She winked at him and let go of her Reaper Cannon, her eyes blazing with a fierce white light.

A pair of disembodied telekinetic hands appeared a moment later, grasping the floating weapon and tilting the long barrel towards the closest group of Kintark troops. Alyssa wasted no time in hosing them down with streams of blue laser fire, the energy bolts carving through rank after rank of enemy soldiers. Now that her hands were free, she gestured at a Kintark hover tank, then tightened her telekinetic grip around its long twin barrels. Hauling the tank into the air, she used it as a fifty-ton mace, slamming it down on the second tank in the formation and smashing both into the ground.

John watched the two armoured vehicles explode, flaming debris cartwheeling across the battlefield. "Alright, but call me if you get into any trouble!"

"Yep, no problem," Alyssa replied with a smile, then flicked her hand at a salvo of plasma missiles that were screaming their way. Her telekinetic swipe knocked them off course and they plummeted down into the Kintark forces, immolating a swathe of their own soldiers.

Turning around, John sprinted towards the Citadel, his psychic speed making him move in a blur. The Kintark had already overrun the first several lines of fortifications, so he kicked off hard from the smoking remains of a Federation tank and vaulted into the air. Activating flight mode, he had a clearer view of the battlefield from up here and saw that pockets of Terran troops were holding out in bunkers, fighting a series of last stands against the Kintark.

*Keep going... We'll help the Terran troops on the way,* Alyssa told him.

He glanced back and saw the three girls striding purposefully towards the closest besieged bunker, the blonde leading her wards as a brutal fire team. They carved their way through the Kintark troops, blue laser bolts mowing down any alien soldiers in their path.

***

Murphy held his finger down on the trigger, spraying the Kintark bomber with orange laser fire. The shields on the bombers were more resilient than those on the fighters and it took a while to blast through them. He had to jink and weave around to avoid the bursts of plasma from the bomber's tail-gunner, but he'd only taken a couple of hits so far and his Claymore's shields were still intact... barely.

He watched the heat indicators climbing on his weapon loadout, banking on the bombers shields giving out before he had to let his Gatling Lasers cool down. It was a close-run thing, but he saw his laser bolts suddenly burst through the shield and burn a glowing track of holes across the rear of the bomber's fuselage. Tapping the thumb control for his Gauss Cannon, he grinned as he anticipated the slug ripping through the bomber, but his happy expression faded when nothing happened. It was only then that he noticed the red warning icon flashing on his HUD, the message declaring he was out of ammo.

"Fuck!" he swore, in a mixture of anger and frustration. The bomber was nearly within optimal torpedo range of the Terran Dreadnought, but Murphy's Gatling Lasers would need at least ten seconds to cool down, leaving him with nothing left to throw at the lumbering Kintark ship. Glancing at his comms interface, he saw his wingmen's tense faces as they fought their own desperate battles. "I've stripped the shields off this bastard... can any of you help take him down?"

"Sorry Leprechaun, got three fighters on my six," Lincoln replied, his arm jerking from side to side as he performed evasive manoeuvres.

Baker shook his head. "Just killing one at the moment, Boss!"

"No can do, Sir," Abbott replied, frowning in concentration. "Binary's wing is in trouble, I'm helping out!"

"Give me two seconds, Leprechaun," Halifax said, his eyes flicking to his HUD. "I'll get him for you."

Murphy didn't acknowledge his last wingman's reply, as he was frantically scanning the Proximity Grid to find Abbott and Binary. When he saw them, he felt his heart lurch in his chest. Binary and the last remaining Claymore in his wing were being tailed by six Kintark heavy fighters, with Abbott in frantic pursuit. Even though the Terran fighters were much faster, there were dozens of Kintark strike craft in this swirling melee, so attempting to power away in a straight line from their pursuers would make them an easy target for the merciless lizardmen.

Torn between the urge to help his old friend and his duty to keep hunting the bombers who were so close to their target, Murphy was distracted enough to get sloppy with his dodging. The Kintark tail gunner let rip, twin bursts of plasma bolts taking out the last of the Claymore's shields and bracketing the cockpit. The shots on the left sailed high, but the ones on the right clipped the fighter's engine, blowing it apart in a big explosion that rocked Murphy in his seat.

"Get out of there, Leprechaun!" Halifax yelled in fright.

Murphy reacted by shoving the flightstick forward, dropping his Claymore's nose, before banking hard to starboard. He saw the flash of green plasma bolts sailing overhead, but these were coming from behind him now, not from in front.

"Three fighters on your tail," Halifax warned him. "Give me a few seconds and I'll take them down."

"Negative, Halifax," Murphy said curtly, yanking his flightstick to the left in a sharp roll. "Get that bomber..."

He saw the young man's expression tighten, but Halifax was a good kid, Murphy knew he'd obey his orders. With one engine down, he could barely match speed with the Kintark fighters, and with all the dodging, they were all over him. The one thing he did have was a much tighter turning circle, so he decided to turn the tables in the most rudimentary way he had available to him. Pulling the flightstick back, he performed a tight loop... and kept turning... and turning... bringing his crosshairs ever closer to his pursuers.

The Kintark wing split up when he got behind them, but he stayed on the leader, ignoring the other two as they rolled away. Squeezing his finger down on the flightstick trigger, Murphy's eyes narrowed as he lit up the rear of the Kintark fighter, showering it with orange laser bolts. Four seconds was all it took to strip those shields and he raked the Claymore's amber claws across the fighter's fuselage, blasting big holes in the rear of the Kintark ship. The heavy fighter tried to pull up to escape the gunship's vengeful wrath, but laser bolts stitched their way up the hull and blew out the cockpit canopy, instantly killing the pilot.

Murphy's jubilation was short lived as his Claymore jolted violently again, red warning lights splashing over his HUD. With shock he realised the two Kintark wingmen had just pulled aside to let him pass, then slotted in on his tail and blasted his gunship as he took down their wingleader. His Claymore had lost its entire left wing along with several retro-thrusters, wrecking his Claymore's agility and knocking out three of his Gatling Lasers. The only silver lining in a black cloud was that he wasn't currently on fire and he shivered as he couldn't help remembering Romeo's fate.

"Leprechaun!" Halifax gasped, bordering on panic. "Keep moving, I'm on my way..."

Murphy felt a sense of peace descend on him, a calm he hadn't felt since Regulus... or perhaps it was something he'd never known before. "Keep on the bombers, Lieutenant," he said quietly, as he pulled to port, the retro-thrusters on his starboard side still allowing him a decent turn-rate. "One fighter isn't worth a dreadnought..."

He looked at the comms interface and saw all his wingmen watching him with looks of horror on their faces... He could see they all desperately wanted to rush to his aid, but he'd trained them too well and they knew their duty.

Continuing with his last-ditch turn, Murphy glanced at the Proximity Grid and saw the green icons marking Terran ships were few and far between. There were nine green dots remaining from well over a hundred Rapiers and Claymores, the rest a red swirl of unfriendly sensor contacts. Another trio of Kintark ships rocketed towards him, obviously eager to try and steal the kill from the two heavy fighters on his tail. He laughed humourlessly... that more than anything showed how little honour the Kintark pilots possessed.

His Claymore was too battered to limp away and he knew he'd only be able to keep circling for so long before the Kintark took him down. However, he was determined to make them work for their kill; the longer he kept those bastards distracted, the more time he'd give his wingmen to hammer the bombers...

***

Calara studied the Tactical Map, watching with a brief surge of relief as Dacres' fleet jumped into the outskirts of the Sol System near Pluto. Despite the upgraded engines on his ships, it would still take him some time before he could join in the bloody battle. The Maliri fleet had proven their worth many times over, inflicting massive damage to any Kintark ship that got in range and allowing Admiral Aeri Malone's battle group to completely disengage. A few triple beamed Nova Lance blasts had done a thorough job of convincing the Kintark to stay well back and avoid grouping up at all costs.

Her sense of relief quickly faded as the first wave of Kintark bombers fell upon the rest of the retreating Terran battle groups. What was left of the Terran picket forces opened up with their Gatling Laser defence grids, but they weren't hitting hard enough to wear down the bombers' shields in time. She saw the first squadron of lumbering strikecraft launch their torpedoes, with two of the four destroyed by laser fire, but the other two slammed home in the battleship Artemis. One hit the front of the Terran vessel, the huge blast ripping away the prow, while the other blew an enormous hole in the side of the Artemis, several decks immediately experiencing explosive decompression.

Whirling around in her chair, she said, "Faye, take us back through the Kintark lines again!"

"After wrecking all those cruisers, we're down to just 24% shields," the purple sprite warned her. She took one look at the determined expression on the Latina's face. "Okay, setting course!"

Irillith gave Calara a quizzical frown. "We're inflicting massive damage with the Hera... but I'll have to break the connection if we fly out of range."

"We haven't got any choice," Calara replied, a pained expression on her face. "We need to help protect the Terran capital ships from those bombers..."

The Maliri hacker shrugged. "No problem, I'll disable the dreadnought until we can return."

"Please can you sow some chaos through the Kintark fleets on our way?" the Latina requested, turning back to look at the battle group interface.

"Are you looking for mild confusion or utter anarchy?" Irillith asked airily.

Calara managed a wry smile. "I'll leave that at your discretion."

Irillith laughed, a twinkle in her violet eyes. "Oh, this is going to be fun..."

***

Ducking under another withering hail of plasma fire, Sergeant Gibbons heard a tortured scream to his left and realised someone from his squad hadn't been so lucky. A quick glance at his HUD showed that Corporal Zhao had been the latest casualty, the man's image having vanished from the holographic display. He steeled himself and turned to check on the man, just in case there was anything he could do to save him. When he saw Zhao's contorted body he immediately wished he hadn't... The corporal's power armour had been blasted open and the bubbling plasma that had hit him in the chest had seared the flesh from the man's bones.

Gibbons swallowed down his rising bile, then poked his head over the battlements, looking for targets. He fired off a long burst at a green-armoured lizardman who was clambering over piles of corpses, the orange laser bolts hitting the Kintark soldier square in the chest, and melting fist-sized holes through his body armour. The alien pitched over face-first, dead before he hit the ground.

The Kintark were getting very close now, having overrun all but the last defensive wall. All of Commander Wessex's power-armoured squads had retreated to the final battlements, but they'd lost well over 50% of the company. The casualty rate amongst the regular soldiers was far higher and the few survivors who had managed to flee all the way back to the Citadel were barely coherent, cowering in fear behind the safety of the ferrocrete wall.

It wasn't just the infantry who'd taken a beating. The tank units had simply been outnumbered by the Kintark and worn down in a battle of attrition, their burning wreckage littering the battlefield. The Emperor himself had ravaged the artillery units, permanently silencing their guns with those ghastly Plasma Cannons strapped to his back. Gibbons didn't need to be a tactical genius to realise that they were quickly approaching the final stages of this battle and that the Citadel defenders were looking at a very deadly final stand.

He glanced at the temperature reading for his Gatling Laser and frowned with worry. The weapon was taking longer and longer to vent out heat, the red temperature bar seemingly taking forever to drop. It might have been damage to the weapon, but he couldn't really tell without getting outside his armour to check the heatsinks. He had been firing almost non-stop since acquiring the gun, so he realised the heatsinks might have just burnt out from overuse. Whatever the reason, he was essentially left with an almost inoperable primary weapon.

"Fuck! More incoming lizards!" Brannigan yelled, his autocannon swinging around to the left.

Gibbons heard the high-pitched whine of Wessex's Gatling Laser, her more heavily upgraded weapon quickly denuding the closest of the three Royal Guard of their shields. Brannigan's autocannon pumped out its 20mm slugs, blasting chunks from the closest enraged beast. The Kintark armour was tough and robbed the autocannon rounds of much of their strength, making the incredibly resilient creature even harder to take down. Other men on the wall saw the huge lizard clambering up the battlements and joined in the fusillade, eventually knocking the creature down just as it hauled itself over the parapet. It collapsed in a heap, sprawling amongst the other battered corpses lining the fortifications.

The heat on Gibbons' Gatling Laser had finally dissipated enough for him to fire too and he opened up on the second lizard assaulting the wall. Wessex had switched to that one too and under their combined fire, the laser bolts took out the Kintark's shield and tore into its chestplate. Steaming rivulets of melted armour ran down the beast's torso, dramatically weakening the armour's effectiveness. When Brannigan switched targets to join in too, he quickly took the lizard apart, his slugs blasting deep into its chest and gouting yellow blood in all directions. It toppled over backwards and fell off the wall, the fifteen-foot-long corpse landing amongst the charnel house at the fortification's base.

A red light flashed on Gibbons' HUD next to the temperature gauge for the Gatling Laser, warning him of a critical failure. When he glanced down at the weapon, he saw that ominous black smoke was pouring off it, the barrel starting to melt in several places. Realising that his Gatling Laser was useless, Gibbons dropped it on the ground and darted over to pick up the autocannon he'd previously abandoned.

A horrible scraping sound made him whirl around and he was shocked to see that the first Royal Guard he thought they'd killed was still very much alive. Somehow its wounds were closing before his eyes, the yellow streaked flesh sealing up and the scales reforming where the bullet holes had once been. Gibbons quickly raised his autocannon to finish it off with a headshot, but when he squeezed the trigger, nothing happened... He suddenly remembered that he hadn't yet had a chance to hook up the ammo feed to his Sentinel suit.

"Brannigan, look out!" he yelled in alarm.

"What the fuck?!" the Staff Sergeant blurted out, just as the Royal Guard dragged him down, slashing at his legs with cruel claws.

The scything blow dug deep into Brannigan's titanium plating, ripping a broad gouge through the man's thigh. He screamed in a mixture of pain and fear, his cries turning into a sickening gurgle as the lizard drove its claws into his torso.

"Clint!" Gibbons cried out in anguish, then leapt forward and smashed his autocannon over the Royal Guard's head.

It lashed out at him with a backhanded swipe and opened its broad jaws as it hissed with feral outrage. Gibbons winced at the force behind that blow, his armour crumpling with the impact. From the sudden sharp pain his chest, he was certain that a couple of his ribs were broken. Jamming his armoured fist into the lizard's mouth, he opened up with the 10mm minigun underslung beneath his left gauntlet. The shocked lizard convulsed violently as he blew its brains out the back of its skull, leaving a gaping tattered hole in its smoking head.

Wessex gunned down the last of the three Royal Guard that were trying to storm the wall, taking the time to decapitate each of them. Certain that they wouldn't be rising from the dead, she turned to look at Brannigan, a look of anguish on her face. "Not Clint too..." she murmured, her voice thick with emotion.

Gibbons saw her grief-stricken face on the holo-interface, but before he could reply, the battlements were showered in plasma bolts. Wessex's piercing scream shook him to the core and when he darted his frantic gaze her way, he saw her black-suited body pitch over backwards. That was when he noticed that her right arm had fallen at an odd angle, green plasma fire wreathing the armour. She continued to scream in agony and as he ran to her side, he realised she'd been hit in the right bicep, the plasma blast melting off her arm below the shoulder.

"Oh God... Madison!" he gasped, putting his arms around her body to drag her away from the wall.

She stared in horror at her melted limb and sobbed, "No! Not like this... I was so close!"

Kintark soldiers had been scaling the fortifications and begun hauling themselves over the ramparts, plasma rifles held at the ready. Gibbons aimed his left fist at the first Kintark over the wall, then sprayed it with a whirring stream of bullets. It jerked spasmodically with every round that hit, staggering backwards and collapsing with yellow blood pumping from a dozen bullet holes.

He darted a fearful glance at Wessex's holographic face, his heart lurching when he saw her eyes were closed, colour leeched from her skin. Praying that she was only unconscious, he kept pulling her back from the battlements, ignoring the shooting pain in his chest that he felt with every tug. Gibbons had to pause a couple of times to fire his minigun again, shooting at the Kintark troops that poked their heads over the fortifications. Unfortunately, the stub-nosed multi-barrelled gun was only intended to be used as a last resort, so he churned through the limited ammo in no time. He managed to kill his last Kintark with a short burst before hearing only whirring clicks as he ran out of bullets.

The buckled Sentinel suit was digging into his chest and making it hard to breathe, every movement jarring his broken ribs against the protruding metal. Although he didn't want to leave its protective embrace, Gibbons reluctantly opened the rear hatch and clambered out, wincing at the pain in his torso. He took a moment to steady himself, then glanced down at his Commander's Sentinel suit. There was no way he could haul her to safety while she was still wearing the cumbersome power armour, so he found the emergency evacuation panel by her right hip and tapped in the override code. There was a hiss as the panel at the rear cracked open, and he pulled the door wider so he could haul Wessex out.

She looked in bad shape. Aside from the ugly plasma-charred remains of her right arm, Madison was very pale, so it was with shaking hands that he reached for her neck to feel for a pulse. He sagged with relief when he felt that steady beat, overwhelmed with gratitude that she was still alive. Putting one arm around her back and the other under her knees, he started to scoop up her limp body, until the needle-like stab of agony from his ribs convinced him otherwise. When he was sure he wasn't about to pass out, he held her under the arms and dragged her clear, doing his best to ignore the pain in his chest.

The last of the Federation defenders were fighting desperately to hold the walls, leaning over the battlements to shoot at Kintark that were trying to scale them, or lobbing grenades into their serried ranks. He could see more enemy soldiers hauling themselves over the top of the wall, only to be shot point blank by Terran troopers that had ducked behind the parapet. There were lots more behind them though, and several Terran soldiers attempted to surrender, only to be shot without hesitation by the merciless Kintark marines. Gibbons knew he had to get Wessex away to safety and he pulled his Commander's body towards one of the ramps that led down from the battlements.

He glanced back at the section of wall Sentinel Alpha had been defending and was shocked to see that all the Terran troops there had been slain. As he was watching, a trio of Royal Guard clambered over the wall, and his heart skipped a beat when one of them stared in his direction, hissing at him and baring rows of sharp fangs.

***

The Valkyrie raced across the upper hull of the Larmak'tok, while all around Sakura, green explosions rippled across the Kintark vessel's armoured hide. It had taken the stunned Kintark a while to react to her furious assault, their crews unsure how to deal with an opponent fighting within their shields. In their desperation to stop her, the Larmak'tok had been the first battleship to try dropping its shields, finally letting the other Praetorian capital ships bring their guns to bear. Two of those huge craft were firing wild Plasma Cannon salvos at her mech, but so far, all they'd been able to do is mutilate their sister ship. They had left a haphazard trail of glowing plasma craters snaking all the way across the Larmak'tok's topdeck, but so far none had come close to actually hitting her.

A wing of four heavy fighters swooped low on a strafing run, spraying a curtain of plasma bolts at Sakura's sprinting mech. Due to the sheer volume of incoming fire, dodging everything would have been impossible, but she was moving quickly enough to avoid the worst of it. The few fluke shots that did manage to land on her nimble Valkyrie were easily absorbed by her reinforced shields, the Brimorian technology doing an admirable job of mitigating any plasma damage. As those fighters chased after her, the mech's shoulder-mounted Pulse Cannon turrets burst into life, ripping through the Kintark wing and destroying them all in a sustained stream of blue laser fire.

Sakura had already destroyed seven of the battleships that had bombarded Unity City, leaping from one to the next and tearing them apart with her four Photon Lasers and Heavy Quantum gun. Considering the horrific destruction she'd already inflicted, Sakura had expected them to start running, but perhaps the egos of the High Prelates commanding these vessels prevented them from considering that option. Not that it would have done them much good anyway, the Valkyrie was much quicker than the slow-moving Kintark capital ships, and there would have been no escape from her justice.

Running up to the edge of the deck, she jammed her sword into the Larmak'tok's hull, using her blade as a brake so that she could easily flip over onto the starboard flank. Out of sight of the two battleships trying to kill her, she glanced at the targeting overlay, trying to get an idea of where the Larmak'tok's Bridge would be located. Her Quad shoulder-mounted Photon Lasers pivoted to follow her retinal targeting, the ice on the barrels gleaming in the sun's bright glare.

Squeezing her trigger fingers on both hands, the Valkyrie blasted a glowing pit in the battleship's flank, pumping a relentless storm of pulsed beams into the disfigured vessel. Armour plating melted away in streams of liquefied metal, exposing the internal superstructure of the battleship to the ferocious power of those energy lances. She slashed back and forth with her Photon laser fire, doing a crude but effective job of gutting the Larmak'tok and executing its Bridge crew.

Sakura was about to kick off from the now-derelict battleship when the hull beneath the Valkyrie's feet bucked violently. She waved her arms to try and keep balance, when her mech was suddenly engulfed in a colossal explosion. One of the poorly-aimed Plasma Cannon shots from the accompanying battleships had hit the Larmak'tok in the top deck, directly above its Plasma Missile launch tubes. The burning plasma from that friendly fire melted through the armour covering and ignited those volatile warheads. The Valkyrie was blasted clear, tumbling end-over-end and throwing its dazed pilot around the cockpit.

*Sakura! Are you okay?!* Alyssa asked in a rush.

When her head stopped spinning, the Asian girl held out her arms to try and stabilise herself. *Yeah, just a bit dizzy...*

"Warning! Your shields are out," an automated voice calmly announced, Dana's dulcet tones ringing around the cockpit. "You've also busted the upper actuator in the Valkyrie's left thigh and the armour on both legs is fucked up..." There was a pause, then the recording continued, "Sakura, if you're hearing this damage report, John's probably not going to be happy..."

Sakura winced, knowing how true that was. *Can you tell Dana: Thanks for the message...*

*I'll pass that on,* Alyssa replied drily, but her concern was palpable over their empathic bond. *I'm leaving it at your discretion, but don't get yourself killed trying to take down a bunch of Kintark battleships. Bail if it's too dangerous, Sakura.*

Shaking her head to clear it, Sakura twisted around, retro-thrusters assisting the Valkyrie's turn as she rotated to face the last five battleships. *I'll be alright... Besides, I can't run, there's too many people counting on me to protect them.*

The mech jetted towards the remnants of the Praetorian fleet, with Sakura sending it spinning and weaving through space to avoid the deadly green barrage heading her way.

***

The Invictus rolled to the right, narrowly avoiding a Kintark cruiser as the battlecruiser dove through the enemy formation. Heavy Quantum guns on the underbelly opened fire, knocking out the Imperial vessel's shields and punching huge holes in its flanks. The side of the cruiser seemed to ripple as explosions inside the hull shook the ship, until a large section on the upper deck blew clear, the superstructure fragmenting under the strain.

Now that the Invictus was right in the middle of the Kintark armada, Faye was able to unload with every weapon she had, viable targets available in every direction. Staccato flashes from the Photon Lasers sent pulsed beams lashing into Kintark cruisers and battleships alike, knocking out shields in seconds and melting huge holes through their targets. Anything still intact was fair game for the Heavy Cannons and the five high-calibre howitzers pounded the Kintark capital ships with huge shells. The Invictus' defence grid fired without pause, unleashing a curtain of blue laser bolts into strike craft and destroyers, obliterating everything that crossed their path.

Faye suddenly pulled up the white battlecruiser's nose, so that they were flying perpendicular to the main Kintark battle line. That was when she unleashed a blast from the Nova Lances, boring through the densely packed formations of ships, and catching 8 cruisers, 6 destroyers, and 2 battleships in that spectacular column of destruction. Before the light had begun to fade away, Faye changed course again, heading towards the relative safety of the Terran battle line.

On the Tactical Map, the leading edge of the targeting arcs for the Invictus' Pulse Cannons finally caught up with the rear of the bomber formations, and Faye let rip with a tsunami of blue laser bolts. That deadly wave crashed over the Kintark strike craft, picking off one wing after another as the battlecruiser bore down on them. In her rush to intercept those bombers and protect the Terran Federation ships, Faye had no choice but to expose the Invictus to the vengeful fury of the Kintark armada.

"We've lost our shields," Faye advised Calara, back to her flat delivery now that she was focusing all her avatars on the raging battle.

Plasma bolts were peppering the Invictus' hull from all directions, ugly plasma burns marring the sparkling white armour. While their elfin pilot was doing her best, she didn't possess Jade's lightning-fast reflexes, or Alyssa's telepathic connection to Calara where her Prescience could guide them through safely. The Latina wouldn't have been able to help regardless, as she was fully immersed in trying to save as much of the Terran fleet as possible from the Kintark.

Irillith thinned the herd of attackers by repeatedly hacking the biggest capital ship in their path. Her approach was similar every time: blast through their firewall, throw open every door on the ship along with the airlocks and vent the crew into space. Once she'd eliminated them as a threat, she'd target another Kintark ship and hit it with a Plasma Cannon broadside, then increase engine power to maximum and charge forward to ram the nearest enemy vessel. At that point she pulled her mind back to the Invictus, so that she could begin the hacking process again on her next victim. To the Terran observers, it looked like the Kintark forces had gone completely berserk, their ships inexplicably firing on each other then smashing together in devastating collisions.

It was as the Invictus rushed to regroup with the Terran forces that disaster struck. Before Irillith had been able to finish hacking one of the Kintark battleships, the Rinlan'tok fired a full broadside at the battlecruiser as it swept past. Roiling balls of plasma slammed into the stern, two of the huge Trankaran engines exploding as they were hit multiple times. The third Trankaran engine on the starboard side was badly damaged and set ablaze, green fire licking at the white armour plating. With three of the six engines rendered inoperable, that salvo effectively halved the Invictus' top speed.

Red damage warning sirens blazed around the Combat Bridge and Calara whirled around, ignoring the battle group interface as she looked back at the sprite in alarm. "Faye! What happened?!"

Faye's robotic body suddenly burst into life and she wrung her hands together in anguish. "I'm so sorry! We've lost three engines and there's a big plasma fire in the Galley on Deck Four!"

"We need the maintenance bots to put it out!" Calara exclaimed.

"They're on their way!" Faye replied, wincing as more plasma bolts struck the Invictus now that they were so much slower.

***

Dodging under another flurry of plasma bolts, Murphy threw a quick glance at the Proximity Grid, focusing on the pair of heavy fighters pursuing him. They were skilled opponents and he knew he wouldn't be able to keep out of their gunsights for much longer. He watched as three new sensor contacts charged recklessly towards the tangled melee, the Kintark reinforcements rushing to join their fellow pilots in hunting him down.

The holographic display showed the reinforcements opening fire... but there was something wrong. It looked like those Kintark pilots must be over-excited rookies, because they were firing well-outside Heavy Plasma Gun range. Expecting the shots to dissipate harmlessly, he was stunned to see they were blue laser bolts, not green plasma, and they were definitely not harmless! The two pursuing Kintark heavy fighters were ripped to shreds, each one gunned down in seconds.

As he blinked at the Proximity Grid in shock, he realised something else... those new fighters were fast... even faster than a Claymore. The wing raced past him and his jaw dropped when he finally got a glimpse of their sleek golden hulls. They were definitely alien ships, but the design was far more elegant than anything the Kintark possessed. The trio moved with expert coordination as they executed a sharp turn, heading back towards the bulk of the Kintark strike craft. His comms interface flashed and Murphy accepted the call in a daze.

A golden armoured figure appeared in his display, and in a voice that sounded like liquid honey, she said, "Terran, I strongly recommend that you return to your carrier. Your craft no longer appears to be spaceworthy..."

"I can't... we've still got the bombers to stop," he said, slowly shaking his head. A pair of flashes on the comms interface signalled more calls, so he patched them in, seeing two more of the golden-armoured women appear a second later.

"You are brave, Terran, but your fight here is done," the second said.

The third nodded. "Leave the Kintark to us. I would hate to see such a handsome male slain for no reason."

Murphy watched the trio of alien ships open fire on the closest of the Kintark bombers and he could see that each golden fighter was equipped with three triple-barrelled cannons. They appeared to be shooting at nearly twice the maximum range of his Gatling lasers, but the distance made no difference to the accuracy or power of those shots. Streams of cobalt-blue laser bolts overcame the bomber's shields in an instant, before neatly carving up the lumbering strike craft into glowing chunks.

"Who are you?!" he finally blurted out, staring at the three women in amazement.

The first armoured girl laughed as she replied, "I am Krisalei from House Valaden of the Maliri. Lorathyra and Torvanna are correct; there is no need for you to fight to the death, our squadron has been tasked with protecting the Odin's Thunderbolt for the remainder of the battle. You and your wingmates have all sustained damage... exposing yourselves to further danger is unnecessary."

Murphy gaped at her unable to believe his ears. "You're Maliri?!"

"That is correct, Terran," Krisalei replied, the amusement quite clear in her sensual voice.

All around him on the Proximity Grid, sensor contacts were winking out as the Maliri squadron efficiently slaughtered the Kintark strike craft. Half were focused on stopping the bombers in their tracks, while the rest took apart their fighter cover.

The comms interface flashed yet again and Murphy numbly accepted the call from his commanding officer. "We've been relieved, Murphy," Captain Lewis said, rubbing the sweat from his face. "We're too badly torn up to do any more good out here. We need to get back to the Zeus."

"On my way, Gator," Murphy said with a nod, then turned to look at the leader of the Maliri wing. "Thanks for the rescue, Krisalei. Your timing couldn't have been any better."

She inclined her head politely. "In truth it was Lorathyra and Torvanna who shot down the Kintark fighters pursuing you, but your gratitude is appreciated." Without another word they closed down the call, the trio of Maliri strike craft rushing after the next wing of Kintark fighters.

Murphy watched the Maliri leave with a pang of regret, wishing he could spend more time speaking to them.

"We'll escort you back home, Leprechaun," Abbott said, looking immensely relieved, the rest of his wing forming up protectively around his battered Claymore.

***

Sergeant Gibbons could see the eager, malicious glint in the Royal Guard's eyes as it tensed in readiness. The fearsome lizard launched itself forward, claws extended and ready to slice him to ribbons. He wasn't sure which of them was more shocked when the Lion slammed down on the malevolent predator's back, impaling it to the ground with his sword. The Kintark beast let out a keening screech of agony as the blade severed its spine, frenzied eyes locking on Gibbons for a split-second before blue flames roared out of its mouth.

The stench of scorched meat filled the air as the smouldering Royal Guard collapsed to the ground with a hoarse death-wheeze, but John was already moving. He yanked his fiery sword out of the flambéed lizard, then lunged at its companion, plunging the blade into its chest. That creature was too shocked to react as it exploded in flaming chunks, but by that time John had pounced on the third, cleaving it in half with what looked like an effortless backhanded swipe of his sword.

Jaw hanging open in disbelief, Gibbons watched as John seemed to move in a blur, sheathing his sword on his back and grabbing a vicious-looking rifle instead. The Lion whirled around, raising the weapon to his shoulder and aiming at the closest of the Kintark soldiers that had breached the inner wall. He fired that monstrous rifle at the lizardman, hitting the Kintark squarely in the chest. The hyper-accelerated round hit with such severe force that the torso was obliterated, scattering dismembered limbs like matchsticks.

The Lion turned to shoot at more Kintark soldiers and while at first glance it looked like he was firing on full-auto, there was something off about the way he was shooting. Gibbons could have sworn that the man fired off a hundred well-aimed shots in the space of about twenty seconds, the bark of each round followed by the death of another Kintark an instant later. Somehow John Blake even managed to reload half way through, his hands flickering as he ejected a spent magazine and loaded a new one, moving so fast it was almost impossible to follow those precise actions. John only lowered his rifle after reloading it a second time, coolly surveying his handiwork as he did so.

Gibbons followed the Lion's gaze and was astounded to see that he'd single-handedly swept the Kintark off the battlements. John hadn't left a single lizardman alive within the compound, having mown down at least a hundred Kintark in what was easily the most impressive display of marksmanship Gibbons had ever witnessed.

The Lion met Gibbons' stunned gaze and gave him a brief nod. "Reinforcements are on their way, soldier."

As if on cue, a sleek golden dropship roared overhead, two women in form-fitting armour leaping from the back of the vessel before it landed. They were both wearing the distinctive white armour of a Lioness, the Paragon suits letting them glide down to land lightly beside their leader. Each had drawn a gleaming white sword and held a long-barrelled pistol in their off-hand.

John turned to greet the new arrivals with a warm smile, but his voice was filled with concern as he said, "Almari, Ilyana... Alyssa warned me you were inbound."

"We felt so useless up on the ship..." the woman on the left said, sounding like she was worried that he'd order them to leave.

"Please let us assist!" the second begged, her tone equally as nervous.

He glanced at each of them, then nodded. "Alright, but no heroics. The girls will be here in a few minutes, so just hold the line until then."

They both gave him a respectful nod, then bounded away, rushing towards the corpse-strewn battlements. The dropship touched down moments later and dozens of golden-armoured women stormed out, each of them carrying impressive looking rifles that looked like variants of the one the Lion was carrying. The women quickly formed into squads and moved forward in disciplined tactical bounds. Gibbons saw that the Lion was watching their rapid advance to the battle lines, a strange look of almost fatherly concern in his eyes.

Gibbons cleared his throat. "Admiral Blake..." When he saw he had the Lion's attention, he continued, "That's the third time you've saved my life. Thank you."

There was a brief flicker of recognition in John's eyes and he smiled as he said, "Corporal David Gibbons, right? We met on Port Medea." He frowned in confusion. "What did you mean by 'Third time'?"

"I'm a sergeant now, Sir," Gibbons replied, his expression grim. "After your commendation, the promotion and transfer saved my life again. If not for that I'd still have been stationed on Port Medea when the Kintark destroyed it. A lot of my friends weren't so lucky..."

John's eyes narrowed in anger, and his furious gaze flicked up to the Dragon perched atop the Citadel. "One more debt of pain I owe that bastard." He glanced back at Gibbons, then at Wessex who was cradled in his arms. "Stay by the walls, the Maliri will protect you and my girls will join them shortly."

Gibbons felt a chill run through him when he saw the fury in the Lion's glowing eyes. Even though that rage wasn't directed his way, it was still terrifying to behold. Before he could reply, Blake shouldered his rifle and drew his sword, his armour lifting him into the air.

"Baledranax!" John roared, his Paragon suit amplifying his voice so that it boomed over the Citadel.

The Emperor's attention had been entirely focused on the opposite side of the fortress, firing his Plasma Cannons at the last of the Terran bunkers on the inner walls. When he heard his name, he sat up abruptly, his huge head turning so that he could affix this upstart with a baleful gaze.

"YOU DARE ADDRESS ME, MORTAL?" he rumbled, massive draconic visage twisted into a sneer of contempt.

John pointed his sword at the dragon. "I challenge your claim to the Terran Worlds!"

Baledranax studied him for a moment, a knowing look in his huge reptilian eyes. "SO WE MEET AT LAST, LION OF THE FEDERATION... I HAVE HEARD A GREAT DEAL ABOUT YOU FROM A MUTUAL ACQUAINTANCE OF OURS."

"Yes, I'm sure you have," John replied, glancing at his sword as it burst into flame, the ethereal fire burning with an unnatural hunger. "Did he tell you what happened to Kindralax?"

The Emperor threw his head back and laughed, his deep draconic chuckles echoing over the battlefield. "MY BROTHER WAS A FOOL! IT CAME AS NO SURPRISE THAT HE FINALLY PAID THE PRICE FOR HIS LACK OF FORESIGHT." Baledranax gave him a terrifying toothy grin, one that was filled with anticipation. "I HOPE YOU WILL MAKE THIS ENTERTAINING, LION. HUMANITY'S LAST SHRED OF HOPE WILL DIE WHEN I SLAY ITS GREATEST CHAMPION!"

"I don't think you'll find this entertaining, Baledranax, it'll be over too fast!" John twisted in the air and charged towards his colossal draconic opponent, willing his psychic speed into effect.

"HOW RIGHT YOU ARE, LION..." the dragon said, his gloating grin getting even wider.

There was a flash of purple light from a black device on the Dragon's back, and John felt an oppressive aura seem to sweep over him, the thick, cloying sensation smothering his mind. To his shock, time seemed to accelerate again as his psychic speed faded away, leaving him moving normally. At the same time, the eldritch blue flames limning his sword guttered out and died...

Baledranax roared as he leapt off the citadel with a massive sweep of his wings, rushing to meet John's faltering charge.

***

"Do you want me to go faster?" Faye asked, darting a nervous glance behind her. "They're getting awfully close!"

"Just keep going... hit that fleet at a 45-degree angle," Dana murmured, her eyes radiating a brilliant golden light as she poured more psychic energy into the Raptor's hull. She could sense all those mines as they hurtled along after the gunship, their presence making tiny distortions in the gravitational and magnetic fields she'd created.

Faye kept the Raptor on the same heading, rushing toward the cluster of Kintark capital ships, which had finally begun to react to their presence. The vast Kintark carrier group was just launching its second wave of bombers, the blocky green-hulled strike craft cruising out of the dozens of open hangars that lined each carrier. There was a substantial force of fighters watching carefully over their interstellar home and two full squadrons of heavy fighters turned to intercept the onrushing gunship.

The Kintark had no idea just how powerful the Raptor was, so the fighter pilots never for one moment anticipated Faye's opening Photon Laser salvo. Pulsed azure beams scythed through the ranks, the gunship's twin shoulder-mounted weapons annihilating the first four wings in a matter of seconds. By the time the rest of the fighter squadrons realised what had happened, the two forces had closed to medium range, allowing Faye to open fire with all six of her Pulse Cannons.

Although these weapons weren't as powerful as the devastating Photon Lasers, they fired in one unending stream of blue bolts. For someone like Faye, who was a great shot, if not quite as infallible as Calara, she was still able to cause incredible destruction by just swiping those deadly blue streams through each fighter. The gunship's turrets rotated back and forth as the independently targeted weapons cut the Kintark ships to pieces.

Before they had even reached short range, where the Kintark would finally be able to bring their Heavy Plasma Guns to bear, Faye had already massacred both squadrons. The Raptor hurtled through the glowing sea of debris, rushing towards the carrier fleet beyond. The dozens of battlecarriers and carriers had been holding fire, wary about hitting their own fighters, but they wasted no time in lighting up space with plasma bolts when they saw what the Raptor had just done.

"Don't go through them, fly right by," Dana muttered, brow furrowed in concentration.

Faye nodded, lifting the Raptor's nose as they neared the closest of the battlecarriers, the gunship moving far too quickly for the Kintark gunners to track. The sparkling white gunship rocketed past, dragging the long trail of mines in its wake as she ran parallel to the carrier fleet.

Dana could feel the presence of those huge Kintark hulls, giving her an incredibly accurate picture of the carrier formation. "Keep going..." she murmured, watching as the Raptor lured its deadly cargo onwards. As soon as the gunship reached the front ranks of the carrier group, Dana's head snapped around and she met her friend's worried gaze. "Hard starboard, full throttle... go!"

Faye bobbed her head, cranking up the Trankaran engines to maximum, while retro-thrusters roared along their hull, pushing the gunship into a sharp turn. The mines attempted to follow, but Dana had cut the gravitational field and was making diametrically opposed changes to the magnetic one. Shifting polarities, the magnetic charge on the hull went from strongly attracting the mines to powerfully repulsing them. For a brief second they hung in space as the forces reversed, then Dana hurled several thousand mines into the Kintark ships, the highly-explosive orbs slamming into the fleet like a shotgun blast from hell.

Titanic explosions ripped through the Kintark force as vessel after vessel was struck by mines, the levels of destruction unparalleled. 28 battlecarriers, 62 carriers, and over a thousand bombers were obliterated in a rippling blastwave that totalled everything in the vicinity... Nearly a million Kintark crew were torn apart in a matter of seconds.

Dana wavered and sat heavily on the deck, the golden glow fading from her eyes as the tears began to roll down her cheeks...

***

Alyssa strolled across the battlefield, with Rachel and Tashana flanking her, their Reaper Cannons and pistols carving glowing tracts through every Kintark in their path. They'd left a smouldering trail of corpses in their wake, the lizardmen soldiers falling like wheat before a scythe. The Royal Guard had attempted to charge the three girls at first, leaping unnaturally quickly over trenches and around bunkers as they attacked from every direction. A few had actually got alarmingly close, but Tashana had managed to put them down with well-placed Quantum slugs, showering the battlefield with flaming hunks of roasted reptile. If she hadn't been paying such close attention things could have gone very differently.

To protect them from any more close calls, Alyssa had summoned a dozen telekinetic melee weapons, ranging from swords to axes, then sent them spinning around her like a tornado. More of the Royal Guard had come after them, then hunched down just out of range of the glowing white weapons, trying to work out if they could jump the spinning wall of death. Alyssa had simply reached out to them with her mind, then dragged them kicking and screaming into that telekinetic buzzsaw, eviscerating the massive beasts with a flurry of savage cuts. A flame sprite from Tashana finished the job, incinerating the carcasses and preventing any recovery through regeneration.

"Tank on our left," Rachel warned, as she swung her Reaper Cannon around to gun down a Royal Guard trying to batter its way through a reinforced bunker door. The lizard screeched with pain as she blasted it in the back, blistering laser bolts punching huge holes through its armoured body.

"Yep, got it," Tashana replied, whipping her head around to spot it.

Keeping a firm grip on her Reaper pistol, she gestured with three fingers from her left hand. A fiery hexagonal shield roared into existence, interposing itself between the girls and the Kintark vehicle. Tashana reacted just in time as the hovertank opened fire, the Plasma Cannon recoiling as it blasted a big plasma bolt at the three Lionesses. The roiling plasma ball slammed into her pyrokinetic barrier, making the shield buckle under the stress and shattering dozens of hexagons. The hastily erected psychic barricade had served its purpose though, absorbing the plasma bolt with a searing hiss, as green globules of plasma sprayed harmlessly across the ground.

"I'll take care of the tank, keep clearing out the troops," Alyssa told them both as she pointed at the hovertank and made a sweeping upward motion with her hand.

The armoured vehicle was yanked upright so that it was vertical, the Plasma Cannon barrel pointing straight down at the muddy ground. Alyssa was searching around for another tank to bludgeon, when she felt a disorientating wave sweep over her, scattering her thoughts and leaving her mind feeling stifled. Her grip on the tank wavered and it plunged barrel first into the ground, just as her telekinetic wall of weapons dispersed like swirling wisps. The Reaper Cannon ceased firing as her ethereal hands disappeared and she swayed with the debilitating effects of whatever had just disrupted all her active psychic abilities.

"What the fuck?!" she gasped, turning to look at the two girls beside her.

Tashana's angular eyes were wide with shock. "My barrier cut out! And my fire tornado's gone!"

"I felt it too," Rachel muttered, her voice tense. "Something's blocking us!"

"Baledranax!" Alyssa hissed, feeling a sharp pang of fear. "That fucker did something to us and John!"

Tashana pointed across the last few trenches and battered walls at the Citadel. "John's duelling the Emperor!"

Alyssa glanced that way and saw the huge dragon leap at John, clawed hands grasping for his white armoured form. She was shocked to realise she couldn't hear anything from her lover. Whatever was blocking their psychic abilities also seemed to be blocking her telepathy with John too.

"He needs backup!" she cried out, activating flight mode on her Paragon suit, the thruster on her back blasting her skyward.

***

Sakura grinned as the wingless Kintark fighter spiralled out of control and slammed into the battleship Darkan'tok, where it broke apart into thousands of pieces and left a big crater in the hull. The Valkyrie's Pulse Cannons had been firing non-stop, making deep inroads into the Kintark strike craft that were frantically trying to protect the doomed Praetorian fleet. Despite all their best efforts, the mech was still in fighting shape, although its pockmarked armour gave a dramatically different impression. Although she'd taken dozens more hits from Heavy Plasma Guns and splash damage from Plasma Cannon fire, the Valkyrie's runed armour had proven stubbornly resistant to the plasma's corrosive effects.

The Praetorian fleet had been whittled down to just two remaining battleships and Sakura knew it wouldn't take her long to dispatch those as well. She stifled a yawn as felt herself tiring, her energy reserves severely depleted after using so much to maintain her speed and the ice on her weapons. *I'm nearly done here, Alyssa. Please could you give me a bit more power to finish the last two?*

Sakura smiled as she waited for the blonde's playful response, expecting some joke about the audacity of a thrall using her Matriarch as an energy battery. To her surprise, there was no reply...

*Alyssa?*

Still nothing...

*Hey! Alyssa, are you there?!*

Unable to maintain her psychic speed any longer, Sakura let it drop, but she was far more worried about Alyssa, suddenly fearing the worst. The blonde was indomitable, but maybe something dreadful had happened to her down on Terra? Distracted by her frantic thoughts, Sakura tripped over a burning plasma crater, the Valkyrie sprawling across the Darkan'tok's top deck.

"Fuck!" she swore vehemently, twisting in the anti-grav field to flip the mech back to its feet.

The Valkyrie groaned in protest, the mangled actuator in its thigh making the self-righting manoeuvre far less graceful than it should have been. A wing of heavy fighters capitalised on her stumble, plasma bolts slamming into the scarred mech's hull and rocking her backwards with each impact. Sakura snarled in anger, aiming her Photon Lasers at the four Kintark vessels and atomising them with a quad volley of pulsed beams.

She was still exposed to Plasma Cannon bombardment by the second of the remaining battleships, so she set off running again, conscious of how much more vulnerable she was without her psychic speed in effect. The plasma blasts were getting closer now as the Makarn'tok's gunners tried to get a bead on her. One of their shots landed just by her right foot and the Valkyrie lurched violently as the blast tore off the entire leg below the knee.

Sakura wrestled with the mech's controls as she cartwheeled off the Darkan'tok's deck, just managing to activate the main engines in time before spinning off too far into space. The Valkyrie lurched forward and crashed into the flank of the Kintark battleship, the impact strong enough to cause severe injuries if Sakura hadn't been suspended in an anti-grav field. She jammed the mech's huge sword into the hull, using it as an anchor to hold herself in place as she cut power to the engines, hugging the green armour plates as she regained her breath. At least now she was out of the Makarn'tok's direct line-of-sight.

As she hauled her mech up into a crouch, Sakura glanced at the Photon Lasers and saw they were still cooling down. Activating the comms interface, she called the Invictus, desperate to know what was going on.

Faye's anxious face appeared in the holographic display. "Sakura! Are you alright?"

The Asian girl paused then gave her a quick nod. "The Valkyrie's banged up, but I'm okay. I'm more worried about Alyssa! I've lost contact with her... has she been hurt?"

"We don't know!" Faye replied, her eyes darting to the right. "Calara wants to speak with you!"

A second later the Latina appeared onscreen, her expression revealing how worried she was. "I can't contact her either! Irillith and I are both tapped out and the Invictus has taken some bad hits; we need you to get back to the Terran lines as fast as you can, to help intercept Kintark bombers!"

"Alright, I'll be there as soon as I can!" Sakura replied, turning her attention back to the battleship she was riding.

Sakura gazed at the Darkan'tok through the superimposed targeting overlay. The crash had damaged the tracking system, so she did her best to ignore the distracting flicker in the glowing holographic image. She'd already executed ten of the Praetorian battleships, so she had a pretty good feel for the location of their Bridge. Trusting more to instinct and experience than relying on the scattered overlay, she opened fire with the quad Photon Lasers, painfully aware that she wouldn't be able to just slash the beams back and forth until she hit her target.

The Darkan'tok shuddered as she bored a glowing hole through the thick armour plating, pulsed beams neatly dissecting the side of the ship. The shots lanced deeper into the hull, piercing deck after deck and sucking debris and Kintark crew out into space. Praying that she'd hit the Bridge, Sakura glanced along the hull, then deflated when she saw retro-thrusters firing as the Darkan'tok executed a roll. Looking up through her clear-crystal cockpit, she could see the Makarn'tok looming into view, the two ships working together to expose the Valkyrie to another broadside.

Shoving her Heavy Quantum Gun into the deep pit she'd excavated in the Darkan'tok, Sakura used the last of her psychic energy to freeze the weapon's barrel. When she pulled the trigger, a storm of slugs battered the interior of the battleship, explosions blossoming with each impact as she hollowed out the Darkan'tok. This time the battleship's retro-thrusters puttered out and large sections of the hull went dark as it lost power, convincing her that even if she hadn't totalled the Bridge, she'd still crippled the vessel.

Twisting around, she got ready to leap away from the lifeless hulk and take on the last battleship, when she saw energy impacts blooming on the rear shields of the Makarn'tok. A second later the Kintark capital ship was flayed by bright blue Pulse Cannon fire and the Raptor swept into view. Faye slowed the nimble white craft so that it tucked in directly behind the battleship, dodging the flurry of plasma bolts from the Makarn'tok's point defence weapons.

Some of the shots hit home, but the Raptor's shields stayed strong, harmlessly dissipating the energy of each bolt. Faye struck back by pouring an unending torrent of laser bolts into the battleship's shields, which quickly gave out, letting her hail of fire ravage the engines. They detonated one after the other, with the Raptor hamstringing the capital ship and leaving it intact, but marooned in space.

Dana's face appeared on the holo-interface a moment later and she gave Sakura a wan smile. "We better get a move on, Calara needs us."

"I'll follow you there," Sakura agreed, but she was worried about the sadness she saw in her friend's forlorn expression. "What's the matter, Dana?"

The redhead didn't reply for a long moment, then said softly, "Do you remember I used to be envious of all the amazing abilities the rest of you had? How happy I was to have my own powers?" When the Asian girl nodded, Dana sighed then continued, "After today, I almost wish I could give them back again..."

The Raptor and the Valkyrie turned and raced towards the Terran lines, rushing to catch up with the Kintark bombers before they could engage the Federation capital ships. They left a starship graveyard behind them, the dozen Praetorian battleships little more than battered derelicts, the remains of over a hundred heavy fighters shattered around the capital ships they'd failed to protect.

***

Stunned that his powers were blocked, John did his best to shake off his sense of shock, well aware that he had a far more pressing concern to deal with at that precise moment in time. Baledranax barrelled towards him, the huge dragon moving far faster than he would have expected for such a colossal creature. An enormous set of jaws as big as a hovercar snapped down at John as he spun away, and he narrowly avoided being chomped in half by those terrible teeth.

As the dragon swept past, John saw a black-armoured forepaw lash out, claws longer than his leg raking across his back. There was a horrible tearing shriek as the thruster on his back was ripped from his armour and it came as another shock to realise that Baledranax's bite had just been a feint, setting him up for the claw attack. Luckily the Paragon suit's power core was still intact, otherwise the anti-grav generators on his arms and legs would have cut out, leaving him to fall to his death. That was obviously what the Kintark Emperor had been expecting, so John felt a brief glimmer of satisfaction that all the surprises weren't totally one-sided.

Baledranax swooped past, huge leathery wings buffeting John with turbulence as the 200-feet-long dragon flew through the air. The sheer size and power of the colossal creature was terrifying, and John felt an aura of dragonfear sweep over him, a natural reaction for anyone in the presence of such a gigantic predator. However, after facing the dreadful abominations in the astral plane, it was relatively easy for John to shrug that off, and he gripped his sword with greater determination as he watched the dragon circling.

"John! We're on our way!" Alyssa cried out, her frantic face appearing in the holographic comms interface.

"No!" he replied sharply. "The Emperor's blocking my psychic powers somehow, I don't want you coming anywhere near him!"

"It's too late for that... we've all had our powers knocked out!"

John glanced down at the Citadel and the valiant Terran defenders trying to hold off the Kintark army. "The Maliri are down there. Help them protect the Terran troops defending the Citadel, they're about to be overrun!"

"Watch out!" she screamed in fright.

He snapped his head around to face his opponent as Baledranax rushed towards him again, propelled through the air with powerful sweeps of his wings. John used the anti-grav generators to levitate himself upwards, moving at a painfully sedate pace. The Emperor bared his fangs as he lunged in on the attack, jaws opening in anticipation of a quick and easy kill.

John reversed the grav-fields and accelerated downwards, dropping much more quickly than he'd been able to rise. The sudden change in direction caught the dragon by surprise, his bite and claw swipe both narrowly missing this time. Acting mostly on instinct, John lunged at Baledranax's huge left wing as it swept overhead, and it felt like his arms were going to be ripped from their sockets when his sword dug into that leathery surface.

His razor-sharp Crystal Alyssium sword sliced through the scaly membrane, tearing a jagged rip all the way through the wing. Baledranax hissed with pain as the blade bit deep, then tore its way out the other side. John tumbled through the air as the dragon swooped by, hearing a whistling noise over the rushing sound of the dragon's wings. Before he realised what that sound was, Baledranax smashed him with a passing tail slap, the impact like being run over by a freight train. His Paragon armour saved him from being instantly crushed to death, but he felt battered by the blow and knew he'd be covered in bruises.

Shaking off his disorientation, John saw that Baledranax was struggling to stay aloft with a crippled wing, and was now spiralling down towards the battlefield below. The dragon's left wing looked like a torn sail, flapping and fluttering as the air rushed by, the vast draconic monster gliding with some difficulty as the Emperor looked for a good place to land.

John sheathed his sword across his back, the magnetic field locking on to the bands around the hilt. Pulling out his Quantum rifle, he lined up a shot on the descending behemoth and squeezed off a round. The hyper-accelerated slug was deflected by a shimmering green field that surrounded the onyx-armoured terror, leaving the dragon completely unscathed. John had expected Baledranax to be shielded, just as Kindralax had been, but it was worth a shot... literally in this case.

John grimaced as he cut out his armour's grav-generators, then dropped earthbound with ever increasing speed. Simply shooting the Emperor out of the sky would have been far too easy; it looked like it was going to have to be the hard way...

***

Commander Madison Wessex sat slumped against the charred wreckage of bunker 187, her mangled arm a bundle of searing pain. Sergeant Gibbons knelt beside her, his face twisted with worry as he rushed to apply some hasty first aid with the trauma kit he'd managed to scavenge. Wessex was vaguely aware of him asking her something, but she wasn't paying attention, her focus entirely on the pair of Lionesses fighting at the wall.

And they were glorious...

Barking curt orders at the Maliri who had formed a firing line at the battlements, the two Lionesses prowled along the fortifications, overseeing the battle. They paused occasionally to fire their long-barrelled pistols, and Wessex could see the devastating results through the scorched cracks in the battlements. She'd been so proud of her Gatling Laser, considering it the pinnacle of Terran weapons technology with all the upgrades she'd had installed, but those elegant pistols put it to shame. Bright blue laser bolts sizzled through the Kintark's green armour like it was made of butter, burning big glowing holes through soldiers and Royal Guard alike.

It wasn't just the Lionesses' guns that were better, their armour was so sleek and refined, it looked more like a figure-hugging bodysuit than personal armour. Wessex had often wondered just how resilient Paragon armour actually was, but even she'd been stunned when an incoming plasma bolt was harmlessly absorbed, a shimmering blue field appearing around the white-armoured woman. To have a portable shield generator in a suit of personal armour that size was absolutely unheard of, the Paragon suits making her Sentinel Armour look like a child's costume in comparison.

A few moments later, three more Lionesses dropped out of the sky and into the fray, two of whom Wessex actually recognised from the award ceremony. Alyssa and Rachel stood brazenly atop the battlements, then pivoted around and aimed a pair of huge underslung cannons at the approaching Kintark. The Lionesses unloaded on the onrushing enemy, mowing down troops with effortless ease and even blowing apart an iridescent green hovertank which dared to try and oppose them.

To see a portable laser coring glowing tunnels through a heavily-armoured vehicle like that came as a real shock and Wessex realised she'd never be satisfied with conventional Terran equipment again. The guns and armour the Lionesses were equipped with made her own gear, which was supposedly state-of-the-art, look like a pathetic joke. But it wasn't just their equipment that made these mysterious women so fascinating, they seemed to move with a bold confidence that filled her with awe. She was astonished by their bearing and presence; it was almost as if these women were so used to being around the gods, that mere mortals no longer seemed like a real threat to them.

Wessex had longed to join their unit with every fibre of her being, but now that her hopes were dashed, she was filled with the blackest sense of despair she'd ever known. To get so close to seeing her fondest wish realised; to actually have a chance to speak with the Lion and his Lionesses... only for her dream to be snatched away at the last moment. Wessex glanced down at her crippled right arm, her eyes gazing in mute horror at the charred stump... Who knew fate could be so cruel?

"Commander, I'm giving you some more painkillers," Gibbons said, pressing the hypo-syringe to her arm. His voice was gentle, kind, and full of sympathy. "Let me know if they help."

Wessex turned away, so that he wouldn't have to see her eyes filling with tears. She knew those painkillers wouldn't do anything for the heartache she was feeling right now.

***

The decimated Terran Federation fleet limped towards Saturn, connected to their Kintark pursuers by a forest of orange beams and a hail of green plasma bolts. Several of the original battle groups had effectively ceased to exist, with the forces commanded by Mishra, Turner, Poznanski, and Dimitrov wiped out almost to a ship. The rest continued their retreat, sailing towards the battlestations and turrets that surrounded the planet.

In humanity's early years of planetary exploration, the huge gas giant had served as an excellent source of hydrogen, and many orbital mining facilities had been established to harvest and convert that element into fuel. Saturn had also long been a focus for scientific research, with dozens of bases set up to study the planet, its many moons, and those spectacular rings. To protect such valuable facilities, the defensive emplacements were extensive and had largely been kept up to date. Despite Nexus' ravaging of the Sol System, the orbital defences around Saturn had survived unscathed, as they weren't in the rogue AI's path during its assault on Terra.

As the Terran ships retreated towards that bristling wall of turreted gun batteries, the Maliri fleet seemed to be drifting, heading further out to the starboard side of the formation. At the same time, Dacres' fleet was fast approaching the port side, their shields now fully regenerated, the ten battleships and twenty cruisers all eager for action. The Invictus was still located in the vanguard and protecting the centre of the Terran lines, obliterating any Kintark battleships that got too close with a combination of Nova Lance and Singularity Driver fire. Holding position like that was taking a heavy toll on the Invictus' armour and the white battlecruiser now had hundreds of plasma scars over its pitted hull.

"We can't take much more damage, Calara!" Faye squeaked, her eyes wide with fright.

The Latina watched as the Raptor, Valkyrie, and squadrons of Maliri fighters blazed through the Kintark strike craft. They had already helped hunt the bombers to extinction and were now turning the green Batakos-class fighters into an endangered species. "We just need to hold the line a little longer..." Calara replied, eyes locked onto the Tactical Map. "Keep clearing out any Kintark fighters that get within Pulse Cannon range!"

***

Baledranax glided back towards the Citadel, his huge reptilian eyes narrowing as he watched the Lionesses amongst the golden-armoured troops. The weapons they were using were astonishingly powerful, blue streams of laser bolts melting through tank armour with almost as much ease as they were gunning down his troops. Having no desire to be on the receiving end of one of those salvos, he banked to his right, putting the partially demolished fortress between himself and those guns.

"MELKADIAN, HOW GOES THE BATTLE?" he rumbled into the comms-device hooked into his ear.

There was still no answer, the Grand Prelate having been suspiciously silent for the last few minutes.

"ANSWER ME, MELKADIAN! HAVE YOU ROUTED THEIR FLEET YET?" Baledranax rumbled as he landed behind the Citadel, his huge claws ploughing furrows through the muddy ground as he skidded to a halt.

Aside from Melkadian's frustrating lack of response, everything about this invasion had unfolded exactly as his enigmatic benefactor had predicted. While the Kintark Empire had long had a very lucrative history of dealing with the Brimorian Enclave, Baledranax had been astonished when they agreed to trade their precious shield generator technology.

He had to admit that the terms of that deal were a masterstroke of diplomacy. In exchange for those shields, the Kintark Empire promised the Brimorians unrestricted oceanic planet colonisation rights, in what was soon to be conquered Terran Federation territory. It cost the Kintark Empire next-to-nothing, as oceanic worlds were of little real value, but he had gained so much from it. The Emperor's forces had rolled through the Dragon March with almost effortless ease, proving the priceless value of that shield technology.

Furnishing Baledranax with the traitor had also been a huge boon. Norwood had come up with the foolproof plan of circumventing the Dragon March's defensive lines, allowing the Kintark forces to cut off all communications and capitalise on that surprise to rush all the way to Terra. The traitor had also sold out his old comrades by outlining their tactics and strategies, making the outcome of the battles even more stacked in the Kintark's favour.

The fleet battle around Terra was proving to be a one-sided slaughter and Baledranax knew it wouldn't be long until the last of the Federation forces capitulated. When the Federation's fleet was crushed, the Terran peoples' subjugation as a slave species would effectively begin. The totality of the Kintark Empire's victory over the Terran Federation would only add to the legend of Emperor Baledranax.

The last obstacle to breaking the Terran Federation was now facing him on the battlefield, but even then, his shadowy ally had provided everything needed to destroy this opponent. Even though Baledranax had been warned about John Blake's ability to manifest psychic powers, seeing him ignite his sword with blue fire had come as a shock. But the device the dragon had just activated worked exactly as promised, reducing the Lion to just a mere mortal... and no normal man could stand against Baledranax's vast draconic might.

Tucking his torn wing onto his back with a snarl of pain, the huge dragon felt that familiar itching sensation as his wound started knitting itself back together again. He'd spent many of his formative years brawling with Kindralax to refine his skills in combat and was used to healing vicious cuts from his brother's claws. Even Vilandrith could be a handful when she was in heat, and more than once he'd had to regenerate some savage wounds when she got more... primal... in their couplings.

Whirling around, Baledranax searched the sky for his foe, sharp eyes spotting the white-armoured figure as he plummeted towards the ground. Crouching down behind cover of the Citadel, the dragon watched John Blake dropping far too quickly, which meant he'd have to sharply arrest his fall before splattering into the ground. Baledranax didn't suspect for one moment that the Lion was going to drop to his death, so he aimed the two Plasma Cannons on his back at a point below the falling man.

Knowing he'd have to time this perfectly, he flexed the muscles in his shoulders, firing both shoulder-mounted cannons. Two huge plasma bolts shot out towards John, and Baledranax chuckled with triumph as John slowed his descent at the last minute, the roiling green balls intercepting the falling figure with a verdant plasma blast...

John was watching the ground as he activated the grav generators in his armour, waiting to time it at the last moment. He didn't see the massive plasma bolts arcing towards him until it was too late, one of them narrowly missing, but the second hit him square in the chest. His shields were blown out in an instant, unable to stand against the destructive power of the Kintark heavy weapon, and he was hurled backwards by the force of that impact.

He spun head over feet until he slammed into a ruined bunker, the crash knocking the wind out of him, and leaving him dazed. Fortunately, his shields protected him from being completely doused in boiling plasma, the few droplets that did land on his Paragon suit quickly fizzling out, their corrosive nature negated by the runes inscribed on the armour plates. John groaned at the pain he felt all over his body, having a whole new set of bruises to go with the ones from the dragon's tail slap.

Baledranax gaped at John, his jaw dropping open in utter disbelief that the man had somehow survived being shot by weapons normally mounted on a spacecraft. Even if the plasma blast didn't kill him outright, it should have melted his armour into a pile of glowing sludge, but the Lion was still alive and his white Paragon suit looked to be unscathed. The dragon shook off his shock and his lips curled back into a feral grin of anticipation at the thought of tearing John apart instead. The Emperor's massive claws dug huge trenches into the ferrocrete courtyard, as he set off in pursuit of his quarry.

As John hauled himself upright, he felt the ground tremble as the Emperor stalked towards him, Baledranax's deep mocking laughter making his hair stand on end.

"YOU DID SAY THIS WOULD BE OVER QUICKLY, LION," the Kintark Emperor boomed, his rumbling voice full of scorn. "I HAD HOPED YOU MIGHT MAKE FOR AN INTERESTING CHALLENGE... ALAS, YOU ARE JUST AS PATHETIC AS BUCKINGHAM..."

The dragon pounced forward, moving incredibly quickly as he lashed out with a powerful swipe of his claws. John tried to dodge aside, but Baledranax was too fast and his massive blow slashed John across the chest, carving great furrows across the embossed golden lion. John was smashed through the burned out remains of the bunker, ferrocrete exploding in a shower of dust and blackened debris. He tumbled across the next row of fortifications and slammed into a sundered wall, where he collapsed in a heap, his back burning with pain.

Baledranax climbed over the ruined bunker, the partially demolished walls collapsing under his great weight. "ANY LAST WORDS, LION? BILLIONS ARE WATCHING YOUR DEMISE... PERHAPS YOU SHOULD APOLOGISE TO THE TERRAN FEDERATION FOR FAILING THEM SO BADLY?"

***

Ailanthia watched in fascination as the black-armoured red dragon prowled across the battlefield, bearing down on John Blake who lay crumpled on the ground. "It looks like Blake is done, My Lord."

Her Master gripped the edge of the table, and to his Matriarch's astonishment, concern marred his handsome features. "Get up, you fool! Fight back before it's too late!"

Running her hand over his shoulder, Ailanthia purred, "Why not just let Baledranax finish him? It's nearly over now anyway... why prolong the inevitable?"

A riot of emotions passed over her master's face, many of which Ailanthia had never seen before. His expression was horribly conflicted as he glanced at the console beside him, before his gaze flickered back to the enormous dragon looming over John Blake. Torn with indecision, his hand wavered over a button that would dramatically shift the balance of power in this fight.

***

The Invictus shook violently and Faye's luminous eyes got even bigger. "We just lost a starboard power regulator!"

Irillith darted over to Calara and crouched down beside her. "I know you want to save as much of the Terran forces as you can, but destroying the Invictus and getting us killed won't help John against the Progenitor!"

"The Kintark must be getting desperate..." the brunette murmured, her hands moving in a blur over the battle group interface as she issued more orders to the Terran and Maliri forces. "After Dana wiped out their carrier groups, they're almost out of strike craft."

"We're getting pretty desperate too!" Irillith protested, glancing at the damage control status and wincing at the riot of red. "You have to pull the Invictus back!"

Calara watched as the Kintark forces seemed to throw caution to the wind and surged forwards, the cruisers and battleships charging at full speed to finish off the Terran fleets. "Launch all bombers!" she called out to all the carrier captains under her command.

All of the Terran and Maliri carrier groups had been waiting for just such an order, their bomber wings prepped and ready to launch. The largely-untouched Terran carrier forces catapulted hundreds of bombers into the battle, while the faster and nimbler Maliri bombers streaked out of six enormous carriers. At the same time, Lilyana's fleet changed course and ramped up their speed, moving around to flank the Kintark armada as it rushed the Terran lines.

"All ships engage!" Calara cried out, giving the counter-attack order to every ship in her fleets.

There was a very brief lull in the fighting, almost as if the Terran and Maliri forces had taken a collective breath before unleashing their full fury on the charging Kintark. The Galaena Serine and her two sister battleships opened the onslaught with a crippling Nova Lance salvo right across the Kintark bow. Hitting them perpendicular to their charge meant that scores of Kintark ships were in nice orderly rows, increasing the devastating impact of those incredibly powerful weapons. Whole formations of cruisers were vaporised by those concerted blasts, leaving a gaping hole in the middle of the Kintark charge. The Maliri ships were still fully shielded, so Lilyana had no qualms about bringing her fleet into medium range, hitting the stunned Kintark forces with the full might of her Pulse Cannon and Beam Laser batteries.

At the same time, Dacres' fleet ploughed into the port flank of the tattered lizardman armada. His ten battleships were armed with heavily upgraded weaponry, all the energy weapons boosted by Ashanath Power Cores and cooled by heatsinks from Kintark ships captured in the Battle of Regulus. In the Vanguard of their spearhead formation was the Hyperion, the mighty battleship hell-bent on avenging its original crew that had been slain by Kintark plasma fire. The Terran fleet was nearly able to match the carnage caused by the Maliri, skewering green armour with brilliant orange beams and ripping apart hulls with devastating Heavy Cannon salvos.

All the battlestations and gun turrets around Saturn opened fire, hundreds of Beam Lasers and Heavy Cannons pulverising the invaders. Finally, the surviving Terran battle groups reversed course, no longer retreating, but charging forward to close the gap with their tormentors. At the forefront were the Odin, the Thor, and the Zeus, bringing their full complement of guns to bear, including their Singularity Drivers which had more than enough unshielded targets to shoot at.

It was as if the Kintark forces were engulfed in a never-ending firestorm, the ships leading the charge simply disintegrating under that withering onslaught. Vessels deeper into the ranks were hardly in a better position, as they faced wave after wave of Terran torpedoes, huge explosions tearing through the Kintark cruisers and battleships. Even the Kintark command ships bringing up the rear weren't safe, finding themselves targeted by Maliri strike craft. Golden-hulled fighters cleared a path through the broken remnants of the Kintark fighter cover, leaving the swift, shielded Maliri bombers to sail in unopposed and wreak havoc with powerful torpedoes.

Calara sagged back in her seat as she watched the Kintark armada collapsing, as ship after ship was blown to pieces. The Empire had suffered a cataclysmic reversal; the battle which had once appeared to be a foregone conclusion in their favour had turned into an unmitigated disaster. The Kintark tried to fight back, targeting the Maliri and advanced Terran ships as a priority, both of which were inflicting massive damage and were closest to their forces. However, those ships were also fully shielded and almost completely unscathed, making them the best suited to safely absorb those hits.

Irillith watched the near-total destruction of the Kintark force in open-mouthed astonishment, before turning to look at Calara with newfound respect in her eyes. She patted her on the arm and said softly, "I'm sorry for doubting you. I always knew you'd win this for us."

The Latina looked forlorn as she gazed across the endless sea of smashed Terran and Kintark ships, with thousands of vessels obliterated and millions of crew dead.

"It doesn't really feel like we won..."

***

The dragon reared up, massive forepaw raised with full set of claws extended, as the Emperor prepared to deliver the killing blow. John levered himself upright, his eyes widening as Baledranax towered over him, a gloating look of triumph in that terrifying draconic gaze. He scrambled to get into a crouch, waving his arms around as he pretended to be knocked senseless, and considering how battered he felt it didn't take too much acting to be convincing.

Baledranax caught the movement out of the corner of his eye and snarled with anger, bringing his clawed hand down in a massive overarm blow. The emperor's forearm descended like a cat's paw pinning a mouse. "TIME TO DIE, LION!"

As Baledranax's huge set of claws descended, John activated flight mode and hurled himself to the side, the anti-grav generators speeding his desperate leap. The Emperor's forelimb clipped him as he dodged aside, but he narrowly avoided being crushed and impaled by claws. That scaly limb smashed into the ground, the force of that monstrous blow was like an earthquake, shaking the foundations of the nearby wall and breaking off chunks of the shattered battlements. If John had been on his feet, the tremors would have knocked him off balance.

Holding his sword in one hand and his Quantum rifle in the other, John slammed his Crystal Alyssium sword into the black armour protecting the back of Baledranax's hand, the blade shrieking as it cleaved through the thick metallic plating. Grabbing his Quantum rifle, he jammed it into that black-armoured limb then pulled the trigger, unloading at point-blank range on full auto. Close enough to be inside the dragon's shield, round after hyper-accelerated round slammed into the Emperor's black armour. The first few bullets blasted huge holes through that plating, splintered armour fragments exploding outwards with the force of each impact. Dozens more burrowed deep and bored through the forelimb, blasting a horrific exit wound on the opposite side.

Baledranax howled with the pain and lurched backwards, spraying a fountain of thick yellow blood and liquified dragonflesh from his tattered forepaw. He jerked his claw back, trying to shake off his attacker. John released his grip on the sword's hilt, flipping himself up into the air, the Crystal Alyssium blade left impaled in the back of the Emperor's mangled limb. Baledranax tried to bite him as he sailed over the dragon's shoulder, but John had just enough presence of mind to use his grav-generators to push himself aside. Those fearsome jaws slammed closed inches from his right leg as John cartwheeled past the dragon's head.

John spotted his target as he tried to stabilise himself, a flash of purple catching his eye, and instead of trying to get clear of the enraged dragon, he angled himself towards it. Crashing into Baledranax's armoured hide, he bounced across the ridged plating, each impact making him groan in pain. Hugging his Quantum rifle close to his chest, John tried to ignore everything else... the bellowing dragon, all the pain from his battered body, and the fact that he was plummeting towards the ground. Sliding past that black protrusion on the dragon's back, he aimed at the purple light and pulled the trigger.

The Quantum rifle barked again, John emptying his magazine as he fired the remaining dozen rounds. Falling headfirst as he was, John's aim was severely compromised, bullets spraying wildly over Baledranax's back. He managed to hit with two bullets, the first deflecting harmlessly off the armour plating, but the second smashed into the side of the device with a loud crack. The Quantum round pierced through the armour and into the machine's internals, destroying incredibly complex and sensitive components as it ricocheted inside.

Baledranax whirled around and batted John out of the air, sending him crashing into a pile of ferrocrete rubble. "YOU'RE ONLY DELAYING THE INEVITABLE, LION!" the Emperor roared in anger.

A moment later the purple light on the device flickered and died, deactivating the psychic dampening field surrounding the dragon. John felt a rush of energy that almost lifted him off the ground, his body fully infused with psychic energy once more. The connections from his Matriarchs were thrown wide open and he drank deep, like a man dying of thirst stumbling into an oasis.

*Oh, thank God!* Alyssa cried out in relief as their minds were connected once more.

*John! I was so worried!* Edraele exclaimed, voice fraught with panic. *Something was blocking me from you!*

*Master!* Jade gasped, sounding terrified. *Are you in danger?!*

John could feel his body rapidly healing as the energy poured through him, strained and bruised muscles rejuvenating as he tapped into the psychic power from his girls. Focusing his will, he began to accelerate, his body moving with unnatural speed. He flipped up to his feet, landing nimbly with his hand outstretched towards his sword, which was still impaled in the back of Baledranax's claw.

*Sorry girls, no time to chat now!*

***

Ailanthia grinned in delight as her master laughed uproariously; she adored the sound of his laughter as it echoed around the sombre room.

"Oh, that was marvellous!" he exclaimed, a broad grin on his face. "I haven't had this much fun in... well... forever!"

"He's surprisingly resourceful, My Lord," Ailanthia noted, watching as John Blake's eyes glowed with a bright blue light, psychic energy coursing through him once more. "If he actually harnessed his powers properly, I imagine he'd become quite the adversary."

Her master nodded his agreement, then smiled as he pressed the button on the adjacent console. There was a bright flash on the Emperor's back as the broken remains of the psychic dampening device exploded. "Looks like you're on your own now, Baledranax..."

***

The Emperor heard the loud crack from the explosion on his back and he froze, a look of horror on his draconic face. Baledranax twisted his long serpentine neck around, so that he could look back over his shoulder at the blackened ruin fastened to his back. Before he could do or say anything else, he felt a sharp tugging in his forelimb, followed by a lance of pain as that accursed sword was ripped out of his body. He hissed and whipped his head around, fixing John with a furious glare. His expression turned to one of alarm, as he saw that sword fly through the air and sail straight into the Lion's hand.

"We could have been allies, Baledranax," John said, as he slowly turned to face the dragon, ichor dripping from his blade. "We could have worked together against a common foe..." His sword burst into flame, azure fire licking hungrily up the blade as the conflagration intensified. "But you've chosen your fate now..."

The dragon reared back and sneered as it shook its head. "YOU AND YOUR TERRAN FEDERATION ARE WEAK AND PATHETIC. BOTH OF YOU ARE NOTHING BUT PREY FOR MORE POWERFUL PREDATORS."

Baledranax lowered his shoulders and squatted down, opening fire with the Plasma Cannons that jutted out over his head. The bolts blasted out, but John had sprinted clear, already closing the gap with the dragon. The Emperor tried to skitter backwards, holding himself upright with his left forelimb, the right raised defensively to protect his face from those ethereal flames.

At the last moment, John changed course, turning to his right and running up the back of Baledranax's left forepaw. Leaping in the air, sword held aloft in both hands, John plunged it down into that black armour. The blade hacked straight through metal and thick dragonscales, the flames roaring with almost feral glee as they incinerated the Emperor's flesh.

Howling in agony, the dragon tried to bat John off the back of his clawed hand with a slash from his other wounded forearm. John yanked the sword free and leapt clear, pivoting as he did so and whipping his sword around with all of his strength. The blade sliced straight through the Emperor's upper claw, shearing it off at the second knuckle.

The dragon roared with indignant rage, yellow blood spurting like a fountain from the vicious cut, until sizzling blue flames cauterised the wound. Baledranax had never known pain like it! That hideous ethereal fire burned him to the soul, the torment from those wounds beyond excruciating. Instinctively the Emperor knew that those wounds would take forever to heal.

John took advantage of the dragon's distraction and with a furious cry he put his full momentum into a two-handed swing. His blade cut deep, hacking through the Emperor's massive wrist. He jumped clear as Baledranax screeched with newfound agony, yanking back his burning forearm and the dangling claw, the few remaining sinews barely attaching both together.

That limb was now fully wreathed in fire, the ghastly wound burning and spitting as the flames ate into Baledranax's flesh. It didn't take long for the fire to complete the dismemberment, the dragon's burning claw dropping to the ground with a sickening thump, flames still licking at the end of his forearm. The Emperor looked at the smouldering stump in shock, never once thinking that their battle would turn out this way.

"Kindralax thought he was immortal," John said quietly. "Are you just as deluded?"

Crawling backwards with his blackened forelimb held at his chest, Baledranax eyed John warily now, painfully aware that he had underestimated his opponent. "YOU HAVE PROVEN YOUR STRENGTH, LION... PERHAPS IT'S NOT TOO LATE TO CONSIDER AN ALLIANCE?"

John shook his head, glowing eyes narrowed in anger. "Don't be ridiculous, it's far too late. You need to pay for the atrocities you've committed; the massacre in the Dragon March and the bombing of Unity City..."

Baledranax sneered as his wings snapped open, the jagged tear now fully healed. "YOU WILL REGRET SPURNING MY OFFER, LION. BUT THIS ISN'T OVER YET AND ONLY THE VICTOR GETS TO JUDGE HIS ENEMIES!" Kicking off the ground with his enormous rear legs, the dragon's wings beat furiously to launch him skyward.

John glanced to his left. *You got him?*

*Yep,* Alyssa replied grimly.

He watched the huge dragon soar aloft. *Take him down.*

Twin streams of bright blue laser bolts pounded into Baledranax's shield, huge rippling waves spreading across the surface as the protective device struggled valiantly against the onslaught. The Emperor's shield generator was the same as those installed in Kintark destroyers, his 200-foot-long body nearly the same size as one of those warships. However, Alyssa and Rachel were using Reaper Cannons, and it only took ten seconds of their combined fire to burn through the shield, the laser bolts suddenly penetrating inside that dome as it gave out. The two lines of fire separated, each one cutting across the dragon's wings and burning scores of glowing holes through the scaly membranes.

Baledranax snarled in pain and slowed his ascent, hanging motionless in the air for a second, despite the frantic flapping of his tattered wings. Alyssa took careful aim and strafed her Reaper Cannon across the shoulder joint, blistering laser bolts slamming into the dragon's black armour and melting glowing holes through metal, flesh and bone. The joint was neatly severed and the Emperor's right wing cartwheeled through the air before fluttering down to the ground.

The dragon was in for a far more severe return to earth and Baledranax's face twisted in fear as he plummeted towards the ground. He was a couple of hundred metres into the air when the girls shot him out of the sky, so gravity had plenty of time to do its deadly work. There was a thunderous boom when the Emperor smashed into the ground, the rippling impact shaking what was left of the shattered fortifications.

"It's over, Baledranax," John said as he approached the battered dragon.

The Emperor let out a rumbling groan and lifted his head, hate-filled defiance burning in those reptilian eyes. "ENJOY YOUR HOLLOW VICTORY, LION. YOU MIGHT HAVE DEFEATED ME, BUT THESE WOUNDS ARE JUST A TEMPORARY IRRITATION AND WILL HEAL IN TIME. THE TERRAN FLEETS HAVE BEEN SMASHED, MY OWN FORCES TRIUMPHANT..." With a grimace of irritation, he continued, "I WILL GRANT YOU SAFE PASSAGE FROM WHAT USED TO BE THE TERRAN FEDERATION IN EXCHANGE FOR MY FREEDOM."

John tilted his head to one side as he listened to Alyssa fill him in on events in space. "That's a generous offer, but I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

Baledranax sneered at him with derision. "MY FLEETS WILL-"

John interrupted, his tone calm and even. "Your fleets have been wiped out almost to a ship."

The Emperor was about to mockingly deny the Lion's claim, but something in his voice made the dragon suddenly far less certain. "THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE..."

"I brought the Maliri with me..." John said, staring into the dragon's huge eye.

"NO..." Baledranax gasped, claws scrabbling on the ferrocrete as he tried to haul himself upright. "NOOOO!"

John stepped forward and slugged the dragon in the jaw, the massive blow smashing the scales on its chin and knocking the Emperor reeling. "You were used as a pawn, Baledranax. Your ally played you for a fool and your stupidity in believing him has cost the Kintark Empire everything."

"IT'S NOT OVER! I'LL KILL YOU, YOU MISERABLE INSECT!" the dragon roared, a maniacal gleam in his feverish eyes.

*Did you get everything?* John asked, glancing at Alyssa, who stood nearby.

*Yeah, I got it all,* she replied, her eyes glowing with a radiant white light.

Grasping his sword in a two-handed grip, John stared into the dragon's eyes and intoned, "For war crimes against humanity, I sentence you to death, Baledranax."

The Emperor opened his huge jaws to spit more defiant words at his tormentor, but John lunged forward and impaled the dragon in the throat. His fiery sword plunged up through the base of Baledranax's skull and into his brain, where John unleashed the eldritch flames swathing the blade. Blue fire snorted out of the dragon's nostrils, then a second later his terrified eyes were incinerated, flames pouring out of the Emperor's charred eyesockets as his roasted head slumped to the ground.

John inhaled deeply, then let out his breath in a heavy sigh. After giving Alyssa a grateful nod, he said, *Alright, let's wrap up the battle and deal with Weber...* He paused for a second, then continued, *Jade, what's happening?*

***

Anguished sobs echoed around the Bridge of the Vengeance of Hera, the source of those cries huddled in a ball near the command table. Above the weeping figure were two holographic images, the first depicting a Tactical Map of the Sol System, the second image showing video feedback from the surface of Terra.

On the Tactical Map, an endless sea of Kintark ships were now smashed beyond repair. The huge carrier group had been obliterated without a single survivor, the proud Praetorian bombardment fleet reduced to a smattering of lifeless hulks, and the armada... Thousands of ships representing every spaceworthy warship in the Empire had been destroyed, leaving Kintark territory naked and helpless before the wrath of their enemies. There were less than a hundred ships left intact, but they had all surrendered, and were now being approached by dropships full of Terran marines.

The images from Terra were being filmed by media satellites, which the Kintark flagship had deployed in low orbit around the Terran Homeworld. That video was supposed to capture a pivotal moment in Kintark history, broadcasting the Emperor's victory across both the Empire and the Terran Federation. Baledranax had intended for this to be a triumphant moment for his people, rallying them behind him, while simultaneously crushing the spirit of the Terran civilians. Instead, the Emperor lay hacked and burning, broken on the field of battle by the Lion of the Federation.

Overcome with grief, Melkadian could only wonder how it could have gone so wrong...

Irillith peeled her psychic projection from a holo-screen, then glanced around the Bridge, her eyes drifting over the two figures by the command table. The man in a Terran Federation uniform lay still in a pool of his own blood, his skin tinged with a ghostly pallor. Admiral Norwood's final expression was one of agonised torment, a horrible mixture of utter grief, regret, and pain. To see a person succumb to such terrible anguish would have moved the Maliri hacker, but in this case, she was satisfied that the traitor had deserved every second of his last moments of misery.

Gliding over to the weeping Kintark leader, she squatted down next to him and studied the Grand Prelate. "So, Melkadian... your dreams of conquest have ended in utter defeat. The Emperor has been slain, your invasion army slaughtered, the Kintark armada destroyed, and millions of your people are dead."

Melkadian looked up at her with bloodshot eyes, and in a voice hoarse from crying, he croaked, "Don't you think I know that, witch? I've lossst everything... what elssse can you torture me with now?"

She paused for a long moment, carefully planning out her next words. "You do realise that the Terran Federation will be crying out for vengeance after what you did to Port Medea and Unity City? Annexation of the entire Kintark Empire and subjugation of your people is almost a certainty at this point..."

The Grand Prelate started to tremble, the expression on his face one of abject horror. "No! Why are you doing thisss?!"

Irillith gave him a humourless smile, her eyes narrowing dangerously. "I've hacked everything on this ship, Melkadian. I've seen your plans for slave labour camps... You really would have enslaved Terran children too?" She looked at him with disgust as she continued, "Yes, I know Baledranax wanted the conquest and the slaves, but it was you who planned to work the Terrans to death and wipe them from the galaxy... Isn't it deliciously ironic that due to your actions, the Kintark species will probably suffer that exact same fate?"

"Pleassse, no... I can't lisssten to any more," Melkadian begged, clawing at his muzzle in his grief.

"And it was all so unnecessary," she crooned, leaning closer. "John would have gladly allied with you against the other Progenitor. You could have joined forces with the Maliri, the Ashanath, the Trankarans, and the Terrans, forming a glorious alliance with all of us working together for the betterment of all. It would have heralded a golden age for the Kintark Empire... rather than the horrible nightmare that you and Baledranax have now inflicted on them."

The Grand Prelate shook, his body wracked with sobs, horrified by the enormity of the catastrophe he had inadvertently helped orchestrate for his own people.

"But don't worry, Melkadian, I'll make sure your family will be fine." Irillith gave him a malevolent smile. "I'll ask John if we can round them up and put them in a zoo; when the rest of your species are extinct, they'll make a fascinating exhibit..."

Melkadian began to shriek and wail, his mind breaking under the strain.

Satisfied that her work was done, Irillith reached out to brush her fingers over his thrashing head. A sizzling bolt of lightning blasted into the maddened Grand Prelate, making him screech with pain before going rigid and sprawling on the deck. Smoke poured off his charred body, his horrified eyes staring blankly at his merciless tormentor.

"I might have given you a quick death until I saw your plans for the Terran children," Irillith murmured as she stood up straight. "There are far too many genocidal maniacs running around the galaxy, and unlike my mother, there's no way back for you..."

She closed her eyes and recalled her mind to her body... she still had more work to do today.

***

Ailanthia watched as her master leaned back, a smile of satisfaction on his face as he gazed at Baledranax's smouldering corpse.

She darted a glance at the Galactic Map, and feeling bold, she asked tentatively, "May I, my Lord?"

He looked her way and saw what had drawn her attention. "Be my guest," he replied with a smirk, gesturing towards the brightly coloured map.

Her eyes sparkled as she reached over, slender fingers tipping over the holographic representation of a red dragon. "That's the Kintark Empire eliminated..." Ailanthia's hand wandered across the map until she reached the model of a uniformed Terran officer, then with a contemptuous backhand, knocked him over too. "And the Terran Federation too crippled to be of consequence..."

Eyes roving over the map, her master said, "Which leaves only the Brimorians and the Maliri..."

"Not for long," Ailanthia reminded him with a broad smile.

He laughed and nodded. "Yes, very true..." Leaning back in his chair, he appeared lost in thought for a while.

"Is there something on your mind, My Lord?" Ailanthia asked politely, studying his handsome face and trying to commit it to memory, as if she hadn't already memorised every exquisite detail.

Rousing himself from his thoughts, he nodded slowly. "I was thinking that it's nearly time for a little family reunion..."

Ailanthia remained silent, hoping that he might elaborate, but he chose to let the matter drop.

A calculating smile spread across his face when he saw her watching him. "Speaking of families, after today's entertainment, I feel like a special celebration might be in order..."

She felt her heart lift with joy... Surely he couldn't mean what she thought he was saying?! Ailanthia had wished for this moment for more years than she could count!

"Matriarch, select the most beautiful of my thralls, I wish to sire another child tonight," he said dismissively.

Ailanthia's joy disintegrated like a planet blasted by a Quantum Annihilator. In its place she experienced a wild surge of jealous rage, emotions she'd never felt before threatened to consume her in their wild intensity. "No!" she snapped, eyes blazing with fury. "I will not!"

"No, Ailanthia?" her master asked, a dangerous edge to his voice. "I could snuff out your life in an instant... What makes you think you can object to anything I desire?"

"Because I've served you faithfully for over four thousand years!" she screamed, shaking with anger. "I won't stand aside while you impregnate another one of those doe-eyed imbeciles! It should be my turn!"

He laughed at her, finding her indignant rage quite amusing. "My, what a temper you have, my jealous little Matriarch!"

"Fuck you!" she shrieked, hand whipping around and slapping him across the face.

They both froze, staring at one another in equal astonishment.

Then before she could say another word, her master held her in his arms and gazed deeply into her eyes. "By the stars you're beautiful when you're angry!" he exclaimed with a grin, looking at her in wonder. He pulled her in for a fierce kiss which she returned with equal abandon, moaning wantonly into his mouth as she writhed against him.

"Oh, My Lord..." she sighed when they parted, eyes sparkling with arousal.

He brought his hand around and gently caressed her toned lower belly, matching her lustful stare. "Let us retire to my quarters, my beautiful Ailanthia. It is long past time I showed you just how much you mean to me."

Ailanthia swooned, her gaze softening as she gave him a tender kiss. "I love you, Larn'kelnar."

He swept her off her feet and into his arms, then carried her away to their quarters, the lovers gazing into each other's eyes.

***

Jade kept a firm grip on the flightstick, following as close as she dared behind the black shuttle that was creeping towards its destination. That Weber was heading towards Jupiter had been an intriguing development, because the huge gas giant was uninhabitable, the planet's surface covered in raging storms. The only viable possibility for his destination seemed to be one of Jupiter's many other moons, but only Io, Europa, and Callisto were populated with conventional starbases.

She knew that Ganymede had been obliterated centuries earlier during a rogue AI rebellion, so she discounted that possibility straight away. That left several dozen tiny moons, any of which could feasibly house some kind of secret base, so Jade eventually came to the conclusion that this seemed like their most plausible destination. It therefore came as quite a surprise when the shuttle abruptly changed course as it got closer to Jupiter. The nose of Weber's shuttle swung around, pointing towards the broken remnants of what had once been the planet's largest moon... Ganymede.

***

*Alright Jade, let me know as soon as you've confirmed the location of the base,* John said, as he strode towards the debris strewn courtyard in front of the Citadel. *We'll be there as soon as we can.*

"Faye and Dana are on their way in the Raptor, they'll be a few minutes," Alyssa said, glancing at him as she kept pace at his side. "Calara said that the last of the Kintark fleet have surrendered and they've also issued a surrender order to what's left of their army. The Invictus is pretty busted up, so they're already on their way towards Jupiter. We'll catch them up in the Raptor."

"Perfect. Thanks, honey," John said gratefully as they rounded the corner of the Citadel.

An impromptu triage centre had sprung up outside the fortress, where several harried medics were reviewing the scores of Terran injured. They were trying to arrange orderlies to carry the most severely wounded inside the Citadel, to the surgeons waiting in the extensive Medical facilities within. Dozens more wounded were trickling in from all directions, adding to the chaos. John felt his stomach lurch when he spotted a couple of golden-armoured Maliri soldiers slumped amongst the injured, with one of the assassins standing protectively over them.

*Don't worry,* Edraele murmured, her voice soothing. *Almari said that they've just got some burns from plasma that splashed over their armour. It wasn't a direct hit and the injuries aren't life threatening.*

*Thank the stars for that,* he replied, feeling a surge of relief, then couldn't help feeling guilty when he saw the sheer numbers of Terran wounded.

Rachel reached out to grab his arm, bringing him to a halt and giving him a pointed look. "I want to help them..."

Knowing what she was asking, John didn't hesitate as he nodded his permission. "Go ahead, honey. We've been throwing offensive powers around all morning, I'm sure the cat's well and truly out of the bag by now."

She gave him a lovely smile, then turned and ran towards the injured soldiers. Tashana had left the battlements and was jogging towards them, but she abruptly changed direction, moving to accompany the brunette instead.

"Tashana will keep an eye on her," Alyssa explained, as John watched the Maliri pistoleer flank Rachel. "She said that the Kintark army have started surrendering too. They've been ordered to throw down their weapons and retreat to their landing site on the plateau... I figure with the state the Terran forces are in, they're not going to be able to take care of prisoners."

John smiled at her and patted her on the shoulder. "Good thinking. Tempers will be running hot on the Terran side... we want to avoid any further massacres."

Alyssa nodded absent-mindedly as she stepped back to stare at the savage rents across his breastplate, then walked around him to look at the brutal tear across his back. Many of the other armour plates were cracked or badly dented from the battering he'd taken against Baledranax.

"I didn't realise how close that was," she muttered, sounding upset. "Why didn't you just let us take him down from the start?!"

"I didn't want to risk drawing his attention to you," John explained, gathering her in his arms. "I thought I could take him alone before he blocked our powers ..."

Alyssa looked deeply worried as she said, "Yeah, and what the fuck did that? I didn't think there was anything powerful enough to knock out our psychic abilities!"

"I noticed a device light up on the Emperor's back just before our powers were blocked," he replied, remembering the start of the fight. "I managed to take it out and got all my powers back. Baledranax didn't look very happy when it exploded."

The blonde gave him a grim smile. "Yeah, I bet."

"Vice Admiral Blake!"

John turned to see an older woman in an Admiral's uniform hurrying across the courtyard towards them. He glanced back at Alyssa and said, "I was hoping to put off speaking to High Command for a few hours. I guess that plan's out the window."

*I'll go check on the girls,* she replied, meeting his gaze. *Try and speak to Dana and Calara as soon as you can. They both need you.*

*Are they alright?* John asked with concern.

She gave him a sad smile. *They just need to talk to you. This isn't something I can really help them with... sorry.*

*No problem, thanks for letting me know,* he said gratefully, releasing her from his arms and watching as she bounded away.

The older woman approached and John turned to face her then nodded in greeting. "Admiral Maybridge isn't it? I think Charles introduced us after the award ceremony. It's good to see you again."

She paused in front of him, her eyes widening when she saw the huge claw marks gouged across his chest. "How... how did you even survive that?"

John gave her a wry smile. "I guess I'm tougher than I look."

Maybridge's gaze flicked to his face and he saw a sudden look of wonder there, the woman going quiet as she seemed to forget whatever it was that had brought her over.

He waited patiently for a moment, then said, "I need to have a long talk with the Admiralty after this battle, but I've got some really important things to take care of first. Was there something you wanted to speak to me about before I go?"

Shaking off her awestruck daze, she hesitated for a second then blurted out, "Thank you for saving us!" Steadying herself, she continued in a calmer manner, "Thank you, John, for everything you've done today. I know you probably have a terrible impression of High Command after the way Buckingham treated you, but we didn't all think that way, and didn't even know what he was up to."

John let out a heavy sigh. "I know Devereux tried to warn me what was happening. I just wish... well, I guess it's too late for that now."

"We didn't know," Maybridge said, stepping forward and placing her hand on his arm. "Please believe me, most of us had no idea what Buckingham was doing. The first we heard of the Kintark invasion was last night and none of us had any way of contacting you." Her face fell, shadowed with grief as she added, "I lost my niece on Port Medea... I had no idea until yesterday..."

"I'm sorry for your loss," John said with sympathy. He studied the forlorn woman for a moment, then continued, "There's a lot more people still in danger though. Our main priority is to turn around the fleets that have left the Kirrix border and send them reinforcements."

"What about a replacement Fleet Admiral?" she asked tentatively. "The chain of command is broken."

"That doesn't matter for now," John replied shaking his head. "We can't just abandon those colonies to the Kirrix... Get those fleets back to the border and start liberating the worlds the Kirrix have invaded before it's too late."

Maybridge nodded and gave him a quick salute before turning to follow his orders. She looked startled as she glanced back over her shoulder and they shared a brief smile.

She raised an eyebrow as she looked at him. "Are you in the running for Fleet Admiral, John?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Hell no!"

"That's a pity," she replied, her expression and tone both serious. With a respectful nod, she pivoted and strode back towards the Citadel at a brisk pace.

John turned to look for the girls, then looked on in astonishment at the scene unfolding in the triage centre. His storm had blown itself out and the clouds had dissipated, so the courtyard was now bathed in glorious sunshine. There was no mistaking the Lionesses amongst the hundreds of soldiers gathered there, as their gleaming white armour sparkled in the light.

Rachel had removed her helmet, letting her long tawny hair tumble down her back. She was bathed in a soft grey aura and walked slowly through the lines of wounded, shrouding all she passed in healing mists. John could hear the startled gasps and cries of wonder from where he stood. The shocked soldiers looked on in awe as the beautiful young woman glided past them, regenerating burned skin and mending wounded flesh as she went.

It seemed that he wasn't the only one who'd grown more powerful in recent weeks. Rachel no longer needed to touch her patients to begin healing them, only needing to gesture at the wounded for their injuries to start regenerating. Like the rest of the soldiers gathered there, he watched and marvelled as the benevolent angel walked amongst the injured, performing one miracle after another.

***

Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy fought with the flightstick as his mangled Claymore limped back to the fleetcarrier. With all the damage his gunship had sustained, he could no longer turn to starboard, having lost all the retro-thrusters on the left side. Approaching the open hangar was especially tricky as even the slightest overcorrection meant having to invert the Claymore to nudge the nose back into the right direction.

As the Retribution of Zeus loomed closer, he could see all the damage the Terran flagship had sustained in the battle. The grey titanium hull was scored with dozens of ugly plasma burns, some of which still glowed with a muted verdant light. The upper port quarter of the fleet carrier was completely dark, the lack of any light from windows or retro-thrusters revealing that the Zeus had lost a power regulator in that part of the ship.

"The fleet took a real hammering," Lincoln murmured, sounding subdued.

"Check out the Invictus... Heading 284," Abbott said quietly. "How's that ship still in one piece?!"

Murphy glanced to his left where the white battlecruiser was pulling away from the Terran fleet. Half the engines had been destroyed, making the rear of the ship look lopsided with only three engines remaining on the port side. It looked like almost every part of the ship had been hit by plasma bolts and what had once been a pristine white surface was now pockmarked with hundreds of blackened scars.

His attention was drawn by the Raptor racing past his wing as the gunship headed towards Terra, and he felt a pang of guilt as he watched it leave. After Dana had saved his life, she'd subsequently left his wing to handle the bombers alone, and he'd felt a brief surge of resentment that she would just abandon them like that. He had forgotten all about the Lioness in the frenzied dogfight that followed, but Halifax had talked about what Dana had actually done as the five Claymores returned to the Zeus.

The young Lieutenant had originally thought that she was planning on attacking the carrier group, thereby distracting their fighters and to prevent the bombers from launching at their source. He'd excitedly described how she'd done far more than that, somehow completely obliterating the entire carrier group in several seconds of hellish destruction. There'd been all sorts of wild speculation about how she'd done it, the most common theory being that the Raptor was equipped with some kind of experimental ultimate superweapon. Whatever the reason, Murphy found it hard to reconcile that kind blue-eyed beauty with being capable of an act of such unparalleled carnage, even if it had basically won the battle for the Terran side.

"This is Zeus Flight Control, Claymore wing, you are cleared for landing," Lieutenant Commander Castelo said, welcoming the fighters back to their base with her dulcet tones.

Focusing on the glowing green glidepath on his HUD, Murphy grimaced as he wrestled with the stick, easing the barely-controllable wreck through the yawning hangar doorway. He finally breathed a sigh of relief as the anti-grav buffers slowed his Claymore to a halt and he dipped the nose to touch down on the landing pad.

It was over...

With that realisation the adrenalin left his body and the shakes started. He sucked in a deep breath to try and get his breathing under control, but suddenly he felt like he couldn't breathe... like he was suffocating inside the claustrophobic cockpit. He lurched unsteadily from his seat and pulled off his helmet, letting it drop to the deck with a dull thud.

He slapped his trembling hand down on the airlock emergency release, not having the patience to wait for the DNA scanner. There was a dramatic hiss and the door flew open, letting him escape from the confines of the Claymore. Staggering out onto the wing, he rolled off the edge and sank to his knees, sucking in the relatively fresh air on the flight deck. After the fetid sweat and fear-tainted atmosphere inside his gunship, it was like the sweetest of crisp mountain breezes filling his lungs.

With his eyes closed, Murphy just concentrated on his breathing, trying to calm his racing heartbeat. He was vaguely aware of someone hugging him and when he got himself under control again, he realised that Abbott was on her knees at his side, her arms wrapped around him in a tight embrace.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you..." she kept saying over and over, her eyes filled with tears.

He looked up and saw Halifax, Baker, and Lincoln looking down at him, their faces shadowed with emotion. They nodded, clearly feeling the same way as Abbott.

Murphy patted her on the arm as he glanced up at his wingmen. "I should be the one thanking all of you. You saved my life a couple of times back there... I won't ever forget it."

Lincoln offered him a hand as Halifax and Baker helped Abbott to her feet.

"Sir... we're the only wing that made it back," Lincoln said, his voice quiet.

Halifax glanced over to his right at the nearly deserted flight deck. "Binary, Gator, a couple of his wingmen... but we lost everyone else. None of the Rapier pilots survived... All 400 of them were KIA."

Baker nodded and said, "If you hadn't trained us like you did, there's no way we would've survived. The only reason any of us are still standing here is because of you."

Abbott sniffed as she brushed her hand across her eyes, then gently punched him in the arm. "Will you let us buy you that drink now? Please?"

Murphy gave them a faint smile. "Alright... I promise I'll be there, but could you guys give me a minute?"

They nodded their understanding and walked away towards the maintenance gantry.

Alone again, Murphy sat on the edge of his Claymore's remaining wing in quiet contemplation. Angel, Romeo, and Snakebite were gone, but he'd done his best to honour their memory by saving those four young lieutenants instead. He could feel the burden of guilt lifting... In his heart, he knew that Commander Angela Summers, the kind-hearted woman who'd taken a fresh young rookie under her wing, would have been proud of him today.

"Goodbye Angel... rest in peace," he murmured, brushing away the tears.

Pushing himself off the wing, he strode across the maintenance pit towards the stairs leading out. When he reached the upper level, he had planned on jogging to catch up with his wingmen, but stopped at the last moment, glancing back across the flight deck. A sad solitary figure stood by his Claymore, the man lost in grief for his dead comrades.

Murphy's heart went out to his old wingman and he walked around to the steps leading down to Binary's gunship. His friend seemed oblivious to his approach as Murphy placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm so sorry, Binary."

"I thought you were working them too hard," Binary muttered, his eyes filled with self-recrimination. "But you were right and I was wrong... my 'kindness' got all my wingmen killed."

"You can't blame yourself for that," Murphy said, no judgement in his voice. "It's a miracle any of us survived! The Rapiers stood no chance and that left the rest of us ridiculously outnumbered..."

Binary laughed, but there was no humour in that sardonic bark. "It's like we're repeating the same conversation from two weeks ago, except we're on different sides of it now..." He paused and looked Murphy square in the eye. "You told me and I didn't listen; we didn't train hard enough last time... You learned that lesson and I ignored it, but it was four young men that paid the price for my complacency."

"But Binary-"

"I'm done, Ryan. I'm going to resign my commission as soon as I can." He saw that Murphy was going to protest and shook his head. "You can't talk me out of this; my mind's made up."

Murphy knew just how heavy that oppressive burden of guilt could be and while he didn't agree with his old wingman, he could see how resolute he was. "I'm going to miss you, Binary. Thanks for looking out for me these past few weeks, I'm sorry I was so ungrateful."

Binary gave him a tight smile and shook his head, then pulled him into a hug. "Take care of yourself, Leprechaun... Angel would be very proud of you today."

Even though Murphy had just had similar thoughts, it made a world of difference to have his friend validate them too. Binary nodded to him, then turned and walked away. Murphy watched him leave, knowing that his friend needed some time and space to deal with his feelings of guilt and grief. He wasn't going to let him go without a fight though; maybe Gator could guide Binary into an instructor's position at the Academy instead of quitting. After all, training new recruits had been Murphy's salvation, so perhaps it would work for his friend too.

Murphy glanced around the painfully empty flight deck, suddenly feeling very alone as he realised he was the last survivor of Squadron 260. What the Kintark had nearly accomplished at Regulus, those bastards had come damn close to finishing at Terra. He knew there was no way he'd escape his fate a third time; nobody was that lucky.

Then Murphy had a sudden epiphany... the Kintark were done! They weren't some unstoppable nemesis that would keep hunting him down. The Kintark had thrown their all at the Terran Federation and they'd been crushed... reduced to nothing more than a spent force in the galaxy. He'd played his part, avenging his fallen wingmen by helping to bring the Empire down. Feeling unburdened for the first time in weeks, he wanted to celebrate just being alive.

Binary might be in a very different emotional place, but there were four young lieutenants that he knew were waiting for him. He left the Flight Deck with a spring in his step, finally feeling like he could look towards the future instead of dwelling in the past.

***

Sergeant Gibbons checked over Wessex one last time, making sure she was comfortable and not in any pain. He wanted to pick her up and carry her over to the triage station, but his chest hurt too much for that and he didn't want to drag her again.

"Hold tight, Commander. I'll be right back with a medic," he said soothingly, glancing with a frown at her blood-soaked dressing one last time.

Wessex nodded and turned her head away, mumbling under her breath, "Can't do anything... there's no chance now."

"You'll be fine, I promise!" he insisted, concerned that she seemed to think her injury was fatal. "They'll fix you up, Commander."

She didn't look back and slumped lower against the bunker wall. It hurt every time she looked away from him like that, and he couldn't help feeling that she blamed him for her injury. He was part of her personal retinue and his sole job had been to protect her and keep her safe. No wonder she couldn't look at him, Wessex must really hate him for allowing her to get hurt.

With a heavy heart he rose to his feet, glancing around one last time to check there weren't any Kintark soldiers lurking in the vicinity. Satisfied that Wessex would be safe where she was, he strode down the ramp to the courtyard and headed towards the Citadel. There seemed to be some sort of commotion going on at the triage station, and amongst the throng of grey-uniformed soldiers he could make out the sparkling white body armour of the Lionesses.

As much as Gibbons wanted to see the saviours of Terra and thank them profusely, he had more important duties to attend to. Glancing around the crowd in search of a medic, he spotted their distinctive red insignia on the jacket of a man, an emblem of two snakes and wings surrounding a rod. To his surprise, the medic just seemed to be gaping at one of the Lionesses in awe. Gibbons didn't think much of the man's professionalism; the medic was just ignoring his patients to stare in open-mouthed astonishment at the brunette. The Lionesses were all gorgeous, but that was still no excuse for such behaviour.

Gibbons glanced around the crowd to look for another medic, but when he spotted a woman with the same red caduceus on her jacket, she was also gazing at the Lioness with the same stupefied expression. Gritting his teeth in irritation, Gibbons walked up to the first medic he'd seen and said curtly, "I need urgent medical attention for Commander Madison Wessex. She lost her arm to a plasma blast..."

The medic ignored him, still watching the white-armoured brunette in fascination.

Gibbons poked a finger in his chest. "Hey, snap out of it! I need your help!"

The medic jumped at the contact and turned to face him, blinking in surprise. "What?"

Stifling a sigh of frustration, Gibbons said with as much patience as he could muster, "My Commander lost her arm. I've stabilised her, but she still needs urgent medical attention."

The man snorted with laughter and shook his head. "Why are you asking me? Go ask Rachel... she just made me obsolete!"

Gibbons wanted to throttle the man, but he felt a hand on his shoulder, and when he looked to his left he saw a familiar face looking at him with concern.

"Sergeant, where's Commander Wessex?" the Lion asked, studying him intently.

"O-over there, Sir," Gibbons stammered, pointing back towards the ruined bunker, his jaw clenching for a second at the band of fire in his chest. "I just need a medic to take a look at her and make sure she's alright. I'll try and find someone to help bring her to the medical station."

Suddenly the Lion was flanked by a blonde and brunette. With one look at their ravishingly beautiful faces, Gibbons could see why the medics had been stunned into inactivity.

They shared a glance with the Lion, who then smiled at him. "You're in good hands, Sergeant. Rachel and Alyssa will look after your Commander for you. If you'll excuse me, I need to check on the Maliri."

"Of course, Sir," Gibbons replied, giving him a respectful salute while trying not to wince with the sharp pain that triggered from his ribs.

"Oh, you're hurt!" Rachel said with concern, stepping closer.

"It's nothing, ma'am," Gibbons mumbled. "My Commander's hurt much worse. You should take a look at her first."

The brunette glanced at the blonde and said, "In that case, you'd better take us to her."

Gibbons turned and started walking towards the battlements with the two Lionesses flanking him.

The blonde gave him a radiant smile and said, "Do you remember me, David? I was there with John on Port Medea."

"Yes, ma'am. Your name's Alyssa, isn't it?"

"That's right," she replied, before grinning and pointing at the brunette. "You actually helped us get to Rachel just in time to save her from one of those Kintark Royal Guards. We owe you a huge favour for that."

"It's alright, ma'am-"

"My name's Alyssa," the blonde insisted with a frown. "Calling me ma'am makes me sound like I'm fifty!"

"Sorry, Alyssa. I was just saying that neither of you owe me anything; John's saved my life three times already," he replied with a blush.

She winked at him playfully. "Maybe you should start being more careful then? Anyway, we've saved a shitload of people, so that's not a big deal. But someone helping us? We don't forget that."

"I definitely won't forget it," Rachel said softly, giving him a warm smile.

They strode up the ramp to the upper section of the battlements and Gibbons immediately forgot about dazzling smiles from beguiling Lionesses as he darted over to Wessex. "Commander, I've brought you someone to help. Rachel's a medic... she's going to take a look at your arm."

Wessex didn't look up and just nodded glumly. Gibbons turned back to look at his two young companions, his expression taut with worry. "I've given her first aid, applied a trauma kit, and given her some pain relief from the hypo-injectors in the pack. Sorry, I don't know the name of the drugs..."

The blonde and the brunette exchanged another glance, but this time they shared a knowing smile.

Rachel knelt down next to her patient, while Alyssa beckoned him over. "David, could you do me a favour while we take a look at your Commander?"

"Of course, ma'a-... Alyssa. What do you need?" he quickly replied.

"Could you find John for me please? Tell him that Faye will be arriving in five minutes... he'll know what that means," Alyssa said, looking at him with a serious expression on her lovely face.

Gibbons nodded. "I'll get that message to him immediately."

Alyssa gave him a playful salute, then smiled as he strode away towards the ramp. Turning around she squatted down beside the injured woman and studied her for a second. "Wow, Commander Madison Wessex, you're gorgeous! I can see why... well, never mind about that for now."

Wessex grimaced in irritation, stern words for these medics coming to her lips; she guessed they must be fresh out of the Academy by how youthful and chirpy they sounded. Maybe when they were a bit older, they'd see what it was like to have their dreams ruined... they wouldn't be so exuberant then. She looked up, then gaped at the beaming blonde in astonishment. "You're Alyssa!"

"Hello," Alyssa said with a wry smile, before jerking her thumb at her brunette companion. "This is Rachel. Your Sergeant Gibbons saved her life, so she's going to give you a new arm."

"W-what?" Wessex stammered, unable to believe her own ears.

"This won't hurt a bit," Rachel said quietly, her grey eyes starting to glow with a soft light. The misty aura rolled down her arms and spread out over the wounded woman's body. "It might feel a little odd though..."

Wessex gasped as she felt a strange tickling sensation through her body, her lips twitching into a smile as the soothing wave swept away all her pain.

"This'll just take a couple of minutes," Alyssa said nonchalantly, before looking at the brunette.

Rachel nodded, a slight frown of concentration on her face. "While I'm regenerating your arm, I'll give you a once over, Madison. If you've got any scars, previous injuries, diseases, or genetic abnormalities, I'll clear them up and make sure you're in tip-top shape."

Wessex darted a shocked look at each girl in turn. "You're not joking, are you? You can really do this!"

The brunette smiled at her. "Regrowing new body parts takes a significant amount of energy; far more than simply closing and healing wounds, so unfortunately I can't do this for everyone. Like Alyssa said earlier, we wanted to make an exception in your case to return a favour for a friend..."

"Thank you so much!" Wessex gushed, her eyes gleaming with renewed hope. She looked at her arm and was astounded to see that the horrible charring around the stump already looked healthy again, new flesh and bone knitting together to restore the lost limb. That sense of hope flared even brighter.

"Now, anything you fancy chatting about while we kill a few minutes?" Alyssa asked airily.

Wessex turned to look at the blonde, her eyes widening as she saw the radiant white light shining in Alyssa's eyes. Clearing her throat, she replied, "This isn't quite how I imagined doing this, but I wanted to ask what the process is for applying to join the Lionesses? Should I speak with Vice Admiral Blake? Or perhaps Commander Fernandez?"

Alyssa shook her head and replied, "I'm actually in charge of recruitment. I decide who gets to join the Lionesses... with John's final say of course."

"Really?!" Wessex gasped, thrilled that she'd stumbled on the exact person she needed to speak to.

The commander was about to blurt out her next question, when she froze and her heart sank. Rachel was regrowing a missing arm apparently just by using her mind, while Alyssa obviously had equally powerful supernatural abilities. Wessex wondered what she could possibly have to offer such an exceptional group of individuals, when she was just a normal Terran woman...

"What's the matter, Madison?" Alyssa asked gently. "You looked so happy for a moment, then it looked like the bottom fell out of your world."

Wessex let out a despondent sigh, and with nothing left to lose, simply told the truth. "I've always worked hard to be the best of the best and for years I thought the Sentinel Battalion was the ultimate combat unit I could strive for. Then I heard about the Lion and his Lionesses... this incredibly elite unit that pulled off miraculous victories against impossible odds. I wanted to join you so badly, but now I finally meet you both, it's obvious I'm just not good enough. I'm an ordinary woman; I haven't got the kind of incredible abilities that you both have."

The shining light faded from Alyssa's eyes, returning those cerulean orbs to their normal bright blue. She gave the forlorn woman a kind smile. "Can I let you in on a couple of little secrets, Madison?"

"Of course," Wessex replied, looking at her curiously. "I promise I'll keep whatever you tell me confidential."

"All our abilities are gifts from John," the blonde said, sharing another smile with Rachel. "I was just a scrawny orphaned waif when he found and rescued me... I might have started from very humble beginnings, but now I'm probably one of the most dangerous women in the galaxy. I can see you're in really excellent shape, so in many ways you're already better suited for this life than I was."

"So there is a chance!" Wessex blurted out, looking overjoyed. "You'd actually consider my application to join your unit?"

Alyssa was quiet for a moment, then replied, "Madison... we're not what you think we are. The Lionesses aren't some elite combat unit like the Sentinel Battalion."

"But I've watched you in action!" Wessex protested. "I've never seen anything like it! Just you, Rachel, and that third Lioness were packing more firepower than my entire company!"

"We're very good at killing bad guys, but we're not a military unit, not like that," Alyssa said softly. She gave the older woman a coy look. "All the Lionesses are actually John's lovers..."

"You're what?!" Madison blurted out, gaping at her in shock. "But I saw the Lion Defender medal... there's nine of you!"

Rachel winked at her. "We've got a very big bed on the Invictus!"

Alyssa nodded and said, "You're a very beautiful woman, Madison, but I'm afraid John wouldn't let you join us."

"He wouldn't?" Wessex asked, the rejection stinging far more than she'd expected.

"More than anything, John wants to retire from all this fighting and raise a big family," Alyssa quietly explained, then reached out to brush her armoured fingers across Madison's toned stomach. "You'd look incredible sexy with a big baby bump, but we're planning to retire in less than five months. John wouldn't let you join us because you love your military career... you aren't even thinking about settling down to have children just yet, are you?"

Wessex glanced down at Alyssa's hand caressing her tummy, then met the blonde's inquisitive gaze. As crazy as all this sounded, she knew the young woman was being completely truthful with her. "Honestly, no... I'm not saying I wouldn't like to have a family one day, but not for several years at least."

"And that's the only reason John would say 'no'," Alyssa said quietly. "He's a good man who loves and cares about all of us. He'd never want you to give up your career for something you're just not ready for."

Wessex laughed and shook her head. "This conversation isn't anything like the way I'd imagined it."

"As long as I'm not boring you," Alyssa said with a flirtatious grin. She tilted her head to one side and looked at Wessex with an appraising eye. "I really like you, Madison, but there's actually another reason that I wouldn't let you join us..."

"There is?" Wessex asked, suddenly feeling self-conscious again.

Alyssa nodded. "Mmm hmm... You're already involved with someone else. I'd never break a couple up, no matter how much of a sexy piece of ass you are."

"But I'm not seeing anybody!" Wessex protested, looking at the blonde in shock.

Moving to one side, Alyssa glanced over her shoulder and looked down off the battlements at Sergeant Gibbons, who was briskly walking in their direction. "Really?"

Wessex followed her line of sight then flushed when she saw who the blonde was looking at. "David?! But we aren't a couple!"

"He's a smitten kitten," Alyssa said with a fond smile.

Rachel nodded. "He broke three ribs in the fighting and he's in quite a lot of pain, but he refused to let me look at him until I treated you first. It's quite obvious... the man's head-over-heels in love with you..."

Wessex gaped at Sergeant Gibbons in shock, never having even suspected.

"Come on, it can't be that much of a surprise," Alyssa said with a wicked grin. "You've been meeting him for hours every day for weeks, pumping him for information about John, me, and how to join the Lionesses. You've also been showcasing your spectacular ass with those tight-fitting trousers you wear... the poor guy never had a chance!"

Wessex gaped at her in astonishment. "W-what...? H-how did you...?!" She gulped, then tried again, "How on Terra did you know that?"

"I'm a telepath, I read your mind," Alyssa said with a shrug. Her voice suddenly got more serious as she continued, "He saved your life today. He's a brave, loyal, good-looking guy, who's totally besotted with you. Why not give him a chance?"

Before the stunned woman could reply, Rachel squeezed her hand. "There... as good as new!"

Wessex lifted her right hand, turning it back and forth as she stared at her fingers, her eyes eventually sweeping along the rest of the recently regenerated limb. "I can't believe it... thank you so much!"

Leaning in, Rachel gave Wessex a tender kiss on her cheek, then whispered in her ear, "Don't thank me, thank David. He helped save my life on Port Medea, so this is my way of paying him back."

She pulled back just as Gibbons reached the battlements.

"I passed your message on to the Lion," the sergeant said, speaking to Alyssa.

"You're a sweetheart, thank you," the blonde replied with a grateful smile, rising from her squat. She elbowed Rachel and added, "Come on, gorgeous. Patch him up, then we need to make a move. Faye will be here in thirty seconds."

Gibbons turned his attention to Wessex as Alyssa clasped the woman's new hand and helped her to her feet. "Commander, your arm! That's impossible!" he exclaimed, eyes widening in utter disbelief.

Rachel walked up to him, her eyes already glowing. The shocked sergeant gasped in surprise as her healing aura enveloped him, rapidly mending the fractured bones in his chest.

"There you go, all better," she said with satisfaction. Rachel winked at him, a broad smile on her face. "Now we're even... but I expect an invite to the wedding!"

He looked at her in confusion, having no idea what she was referring to.

Alyssa glanced up at the Raptor as it swooped down out of the sky, retro-thrusters flaring with a fierce orange light as the gunship came to a stop. It hovered just above the courtyard, the loading ramp starting to lower as Dana waved at them through the cockpit window.

"There's our ride," the blonde said, turning to wave goodbye to Gibbons and Wessex.

Rachel waved too, then the two girls leapt from the battlements, activating flight mode on their Paragon suits and gliding across to the hovering gunship.

Wessex stepped closer to Gibbons, a soft smile lifting her full lips as she studied the look of awe on his face. "David..."

He turned around to look at her, his eyes widening when he saw how close she was. "Err... yes, Commander?"

"You can call me Madison," she said in a hushed, sultry voice. "I think you've earned it after saving my life and getting me my arm back... I had no idea you had such powerful friends."

"But I don-" He never got to finish the sentence as Wessex stepped forward and gave him a very tender kiss that left him reeling.

Alyssa and Rachel grinned at each other when they glanced back and saw the kiss, the pair exchanging a high-five as they entered the gunship.

"That was too easy!" Alyssa crowed in delight. "She's going to fuck his brains out!"

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "I think she sees him as a bit more than just a fuck-buddy..."

Tashana had headed up to the cockpit, but John was waiting for the two girls in the forward loading area. "Mission accomplished?"

"Healed up and paired off," Alyssa said with a smile of satisfaction.

He pulled them both in for a hug. "Well done, girls." After pausing for a moment, he added, "Have you heard where we're heading now?"

Alyssa nodded, her joy quickly evaporating. "Jade said that it looks like Tartarus is on Ganymede..."

Rachel shook her head in confusion. "That can't be right... I thought that moon was obliterated by the fleet after the Ganymede Incident?"

"The remains of the moon were quarantined after that. It's the perfect location for a hidden base," John said with grudging admiration.

*John! Weber's arriving at Ganymede... I can see the entrance to the base!* Jade exclaimed, sounding tense with worry.

*We're on our way! We'll be there in about ten minutes,* John said, glancing at Alyssa who held up all the fingers on both hands.

There was a moment's hesitation from the Nymph before she said, *I'm going in...*