Kelli walked along the darkened tunnels with Tony and Perl, following after the intimidating white-armoured woman leading them back to her ship. The group were travelling in subdued silence, and she glanced to her left at Tony, worried about the big ganger. He hadn't said a word since the terrifying confrontation with Alyssa, his attention drawn to the ominous red glow that made his hands look like they were bathed in blood. Kelli's body was shrouded in white, as was Perl's, the three of them all having been highlighted in the eerie supernatural aura at the same time. Her curiosity finally overcame her wariness of the Lioness escorting them back to the starport and she quickened her pace to fall into step beside her.

"Excuse me," she asked politely, glancing up at the stunningly beautiful Asian girl. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," the woman replied with a disarming smile that made Kelli feel like everything was going to be okay. "Kelli isn't it? My name's Sakura."

"Hey, Sakura," she said, returning her smile. Hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand. "What's this white glow mean?"

Gentle brown eyes flicked to Kelli's fingers. "That's how we were able to track the three of you down. The white glow means that you're an innocent... a good person."

Kelli lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "And the red?"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Tony, saw the object of his troubled stare, then returned her gaze to the petite brunette. Those almond-shaped eyes had hardened noticeably. "It identifies the guilty."

"Could you turn it off please?" Kelli asked, unswayed by the reply.

The Asian girl stared at her for a long moment, her jaw clenching as if resisting the urge to say something. When Kelli obstinately refused to look away, Sakura's gaze softened and her eyes became unfocused for a second. Moments later the glowing aura dissipated and when Kelli glanced furtively behind her, she saw that Tony was no longer staring at his hand, although the troubled look remained.

She reached out to touch Sakura's vambrace. "Thank you."

Sakura gave her a brief nod. "You're welcome."

Pausing for a moment to let the others catch up, Kelli walked beside Tony and slipped her hand into his. He flinched at the touch, but she held on tight and gave him a reassuring squeeze. She could feel him relax a little and when she glanced up at his face, he looked at her with gratitude. Feeling pleased with herself, she looked to her right, where Perl was staring at her own hand... but for very different reasons.

"You alright?" Kelli asked, stroking the blonde's bare arm.

Perl couldn't tear her eyes away from the regenerated limb, a look of dazed wonder still lingering on her pretty face. "Am I dreaming?" she asked, her voice suddenly tinged with fear.

"No, baby," the brunette replied, her voice kind and sympathetic. "It's all real, I promise. I know it sounds crazy, but that Lioness grew your arm back... and now we're actually getting out of here."

The blonde shook her head in disbelief. "I never thought we'd make it... not really."

"We would have died for sure..." Kelli replied, raising her voice slightly. "If Tony hadn't saved us."

Sakura knew the comment was for her benefit and she turned to look at Kelli with an unreadable expression on her face. She studied her for a long moment, before those full lips turned up into a conciliatory smile.

They carried on walking for a few more minutes, arriving at the starport then heading inside. Kelli's eyes widened when she saw the gleaming white starship parked in the docking bay and she couldn't help staring at it in awe. The pristine hull was jarringly out of place in the grubby confines of Karron, the flawless metal sparkling in the illumination from the vessel's floodlights. As they approached the vast warship, a huge door in the hull began to open and it almost felt like they were standing at the gates of heaven, waiting to be admitted.

The trio of angelic guardians stood to one side, their attention on the ship as the hull door continued to rise, slowly revealing a set of shapely purple legs. Kelli continued to watch in fascination, her eyes riveted to the exotic petite girl that suddenly ducked under the door and came bounding down the ramp.

"Hey! I'm Faye, welcome to the Invictus!" she gushed, a lovely smile spreading across her elfin face.

The Karron survivors murmured a greeting in return, not expecting this effervescent alien girl for one moment.

Faye turned to the three Lionesses. "John told me all about our guests. You can leave them with me, I'll make sure they're settled in okay."

"Thanks, Faye," one of the women concealed behind an opaque faceplate replied, her mellifluous voice tinged with an exotic accent that Kelli didn't recognise. "We'll head back to rejoin him."

"They're on their way to the Power Generator. Would you like me to try to create a map for you using active scans?" Faye offered, eager to help.

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "I can find our way back to them, don't worry."

The Lionesses waved goodbye and departed, leaving Faye with Tony, Kelli, and Perl.

Faye turned her beaming smile on the guests and beckoned them towards the ship. "If you'd like to follow me, I've got some nice rooms set up for you!"

They walked up the ramp after her, entering the huge Cargo Bay and heading towards some double doors on the right-hand-side. The anti-grav tube took the Karron survivors by surprise, but Faye coaxed them inside and they ascended to Deck Four, with Kelli exchanging a startled grin with Perl as they floated upwards in the glowing blue field.

Their purple guide stepped out and glanced at a shimmering force field to the right. "We used to have a big kitchen that way, but it got blown to bits in the Battle of Terra," Faye told them conversationally. "Your rooms are just along here to the left, so if you get hungry, just use the intercom in your bedroom to let me know and I'll make whatever you want."

She skipped along the corridor and turned to point at the first three bedrooms, their doors sliding open as if in welcome. "Make yourselves at home! If you need anything, just give me a call!"

Perl yawned and swayed unsteadily on her feet. "Wow... I feel wasted."

"That's an after-effect of the healing," Faye said, reaching out to prop the blonde up. "You just need a good sleep and you'll feel so much better!"

Nodding distractedly, Perl glanced in the bedroom and her eyes widened in surprise. "It's so clean!"

"If you want to take a shower, I've left you some bathrobes and there's a fresh set of clothes in your size in the wardrobe," Faye explained with a warm smile.

Perl thanked her with a weary nod and entered the bedroom, trying not to yawn again. As she disappeared from view, Tony approached the third room and took a wary glance inside.

"I'm gonna get some rest," he muttered, a melancholy note to his voice.

Kelli watched him with concern as he headed into the room, then she turned to their hostess. "Faye, I'm actually pretty hungry... Have you got anything we could eat?"

"Of course! What would you like?" the purple sprite asked, her smile never wavering for a moment.

The brunette hesitated, amazed that they had a choice, then shrugged. "Whatever you're good at making?"

"No problem, I'll cook something tasty and nutritious!" Faye enthused. "You must all be famished after everything you've just been through."

"Yeah, nutri-bars aren't the greatest," Kelli agreed. She glanced at the first bedroom then back at Faye. "Would it be alright if I shared with Perl?"

The purple sprite gave her an indulgent smile and patted her on the arm. "No problem at all! I'll bring your fresh nightclothes and bathrobe in for you."

Kelli felt overwhelmed by a sudden surge of relief towards the cheerful girl and she gave her a big hug. "Thank you for being so nice! The Lionesses scare the hell out of me..."

Faye rubbed her back and said softly, "You shouldn't be afraid of them, they're all lovely girls." She let out a quiet sigh and continued, "But they've suffered terrible experiences at the hands of some awful people, so they have very little tolerance of anyone they think has done bad things."

"Is that why Alyssa was so angry at Tony?" Kelli asked in a hushed voice.

Gazing at her with big luminous eyes, Faye slowly nodded. "John told me they knew each other before, from when Alyssa and Sparks still lived on Karron."

"Sparks is here too?!" Kelli gasped, her jaw dropping in surprise. "I heard she was killed trying to escape from the Diablos!"

Faye gave her a bright smile. "No, I'm happy to report that she's safe and well. Was she a close friend of yours?"

The brunette hesitated for a moment then blushed. "Me and Perl... we were owned by Pitbull, the Diablos' boss. He didn't like us talking to anyone, but I saw Sparks around a lot and we chatted a few times when she was building stuff around the base. She was always nice enough with me."

"I'm sure she'd be pleased to speak to you when she returns," the purple sprite said, then cocked her head to one side as she heard splashing water. "It sounds like Perl found the shower. Why don't you get freshened up and I'll bring you some food."

"Alright... and thanks," Kelli said gratefully.

"You're welcome!" Faye watched Kelli take one last lingering glance at Tony's closed door, before the pale young woman entered Perl's bedroom.

***

"And... there we go!" Dana said with a grin of satisfaction, glancing up at the ceiling as the flickering overhead lights chased away the shadows in the reactor control room.

"Why did it shut down?" John asked, staring at the banks of time-worn dials and instruments on the dusty console. "Is there any danger of a reactor breach?"

The redhead tapped an LED display, then turned a dial and watched as the bar graphs began to level out. "The power generator has an auto-shutoff that eventually kicks in if the plant isn't maintained on a regular basis." Jerking a thumb at a clipboard on the wall, she continued, "According to that, it was supposed to be checked five days ago... but the plant workers must have legged it when the Kirrix invaded."

"It's probably setup that way to prevent another reactor explosion like the one on Tasmaris Prime," John said, nodding thoughtfully. "So it'll just shut down again once we've left?"

"In a couple of weeks, yeah," Dana agreed, turning away from the console. She opened a comms channel to Faye using her Paragon suit's HUD, the purple sprite appearing a second later. "I'm all done here and power's up again. You should be able to connect to colony administration over the internal network."

"Yep, I'm in!" the elfin girl confirmed a moment later. "I'll let you know what I find out when you get back."

When Dana ended the call, John turned to face Alyssa, who waited nervously beside Calara. "Alright, beautiful, it's time."

Her cerulean gaze reflected the nervous mix of anticipation and trepidation she was feeling. "I definitely can't talk you out of this?"

John walked over to Alyssa and clasped both her hands in his. "Forget about the risks and everything else for the moment... Would you like a chance to speak to your parents one final time?"

Not trusting herself to speak, the blonde nodded, her eyes misting up.

"Then it's settled, we're doing this," he said with a sympathetic smile. "Do you remember where you lived with your father? Calara found the address, but you obviously know Karron far better than we do."

"I haven't been back there in a long time... but I know where it is," she said quietly.

"Can you show me where your parents grew up as well?" he asked, glancing at his helmet HUD to check the names. "Your mother lived at 47 Booker's Ravine and your father's family home was in what used to be the Gearson Mine, Unit 159."

Alyssa tilted her head to one side as she tried to place the locations. "They aren't far from each other... that must be how they met." Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she reached for his hand. "I guess it's time to take a trip down memory lane..."

***

Kelli giggled with delight as she rinsed through her hair. "Real shampoo... and conditioner too!"

"I think I've died and gone to heaven..." Perl said with a contented sigh, tilting her face up to let the hot water cascade over her.

They luxuriated in the shower, washing away what felt like years of dirt. "I think the last decent shower I had was at Trixie's," Kelli said, stepping out of the cubicle and picking up a white fluffy towel from the heated rail. Wrapping it around herself, she groaned in a state of sensual bliss. "Oh my God! These are so soft!"

Perl turned off the shower and joined the brunette, giving her a tired but grateful smile as Kelli wrapped her up in another huge towel. They were drying their hair when there was a light tap on the bathroom door, drawing their attention.

Faye called out, "Dinner's ready!"

Kelli padded outside and started salivating the moment she smelt the delicious aroma coming from the trays. "That smells amazing!"

"Sirloin steak, thick-cut chips and some mixed vegetables," Faye said, unveiling the lid with a proud flourish. "This is the first time I've cooked dinner for anyone, so I really hope you like it!"

The girls hurried over to the table, eagerly grabbing their cutlery and taking a seat.

Kelli paused, staring wide-eyed at her plate. "I've never tried steak before..."

Perl couldn't wait, having not eaten anything in two days, and sliced off a piece of meat then popped it in her mouth. She whimpered with bliss, too overcome for words. After watching her friend with breathless anticipation, Kelli took her own bite and couldn't help moaning in ecstasy as her taste buds rejoiced.

Faye looked at them both quizzically, hope and worry warring for supremacy on her features. "I can't tell what those noises you're making mean... do you like it? Or are you suffering?"

Kelli rushed over to give the purple sprite a huge hug. "That's the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth!"

Perl giggled and nodded. "And we've swallowed a lot of meat..."

Returning Kelli's hug, Faye looked at the blonde in confusion. "But I thought Kelli said she hadn't had steak befo-... oh, I see!" She smiled, blushing as she picked up on the double entendre. "I'm so glad you like it."

The brunette returned to her seat and began enthusiastically devouring her dinner, Perl doing likewise.

Faye poured them a couple of glasses of peach juice, then put down the bottle. "Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. Remember, you can call me at any time using the intercom in here, or just look at the cameras out in the corridor and give me a wave. The only thing I ask is that you stay on the Guest Deck for the moment, at least until John and the girls have returned."

"Will they be gone long?" Kelli asked, looking nervous.

"They should be back soon, but they'll probably head straight to bed when they return as they have a busy day ahead tomorrow," Faye replied, walking over to her and stroking her arm. "Please don't be afraid of them. They're all incredible people, really kind and friendly... it was just unfortunate what happened between Alyssa and Tony today."

"We better check on him after dinner," Kelli said, glancing at Perl. "He seemed pretty shaken up."

The blonde nodded then looked curiously at Faye. "You're not like the others, are you?"

Faye's elfin expression wavered, momentarily looking hurt. "Well, no... that's because I'm-"

Perl quickly interrupted her, waving a hand in alarm. "No, no! I didn't mean that in a bad way! You're just super nice and cheerful... but the others are way more serious."

Looking touched and relieved, Faye took the third seat at the table. "Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." She watched them eating, then continued quietly, "But you really have the wrong impression about John and the girls; they're under a lot of stress at the moment, so they're just a bit tense. A couple of days ago, we killed hundreds-of-thousands of Kirrix liberating Carolus III and Brecken's World, then spent yesterday treating over 30,000 colonists infested with Kirrix eggs, so there's a lot happening at the moment. If your friend was tagged as a bad guy, he probably did something... unpleasant. It's rare they let anyone like that live."

The girls were stunned at the overwhelming number of battle casualties that Faye described in such a blasé fashion, but their surprise quickly evaporated as their thoughts returned to Tony.

"Yeah, but he's different now!" Perl insisted. "When he was trying to get away from the Kirrix, we were slowing him down; he could've abandoned us at any time, but he didn't."

Kelli nodded. "And he had loads of opportunity to rape us or steal our shit, but he kept us safe instead... and never asked for anything in return."

"I'm sure you're a better judge of his character than I am," Faye said magnanimously. "You might want to wait until tomorrow to see him though. There was no answer at his door when I brought him dinner, so he might have gone to sleep already."

The girls exchanged a look, then hurried to finish their dinner.

Rising from her chair, Faye waved goodbye. "Sleep tight... and don't forget, call any time if you need anything."

Kelli watched her leave, then glugged down the peach juice, sighing in delight when she'd finished. "Come on, let's get dressed and go see him."

Perl finished too and did her best to stifle another big yawn as she followed the brunette to the bed, where Faye had laid out sets of nightclothes. Kelli dropped the towel on the floor and slipped on a set of soft cotton shorts and t-shirt, the hint of her bared midriff showing between the pastel pink fabric.

"They fit really well," she murmured in surprise, then pulled on a fluffy white bathrobe.

Her blonde companion copied her, shimmying into the shorts and giving Kelli a coy smile as the brunette watched her getting dressed. Once Perl was ready in her bathrobe, they headed out of the bedroom and walked the short distance to Tony's quarters.

Kelli tapped on the door and called out, "Tony, it's me and Perl..."

There was no answer, so after waiting for a minute, she tried knocking on the door again. "We want to talk to you... open up!"

Perl sagged against the wall and whispered, "What now?"

After giving it some thought, Kelli glanced up at the cameras and waved. "Hey, Faye! Can you open his door please?"

The camera bobbed in affirmative, then the door slid open with a quiet hum.

Kelli stooped to pick up the covered dinner tray that had been left outside the door, then padded inside the dimly-lit room. "Are you asleep, Tony?" she asked quietly, glancing at the bed, then frowning when she saw it was empty.

"Over here," Perl whispered, tugging on the brunette's sleeve.

Looking around the corner, Kelli saw Tony slumped in one of the chairs, a haunted expression on his face as he stared into the gloom.

"Hey, whatcha doing sitting here in the dark?" Perl asked, her voice kind and gentle as she walked over to join him.

Kelli put the tray on the table then knelt beside his chair. "We were worried about you, Tony."

He didn't speak for a long moment and when he did, his voice trembled with emotion as he replied in a hollow whisper, "I nearly died today... She was gonna do it, I could see it in her eyes..."

"Yeah, but she doesn't know you like we do," Perl said, placing her hand on his. "Alyssa made a mistake, you're not a bad guy anymore."

Tony shook his head. "I deserved it for all the shit I've done over the years... I wouldn't have blamed her..."

The girls exchanged a worried look, neither liking the sound of his despondent tone.

Perl turned and stroked him soothingly. "You shouldn't be thinking about this stuff right now. It's late, you've not eaten in days, and Faye said that being healed makes you even more tired."

Kelli nodded, giving him an encouraging smile. "We want to get some sleep, but we can't without you to snuggle. Come to bed..."

"I just wanna be on my own for a bit," he muttered, looking away.

Kelli frowned and shook her head. "We're not leaving you, so you better get used to us being around."

Tony looked at her for a moment in resignation. "You're gonna keep badgerin' me until I do what you want, aren't you?"

She grinned at him. "Yep! So you might as well make it easy on yourself."

He let out a weary sigh. "Okay, fine... you win."

The girls stood and helped him up, then Perl paused and wrinkled her nose. "No offence, Tony, but you smell like a miner's asscrack."

He looked at her in surprise, then blushed with embarrassment. Tony started to stammer a reply before Kelli cut him off.

"Go get a quick shower, you'll feel a million times better," she said, looking up at him with an encouraging smile.

Perl nodded, then slipped off her robe and did a dainty pirouette for him. "Look, we're lovely and clean; you wouldn't want us to get all dirty... would you?" she asked with a hint of innuendo.

Tony's eyes lingered over her slender figure. "I dunno about that..."

She stood on tiptoe to give him a chaste kiss. "I don't mean to be a pricktease, but I can barely keep my eyes open right now. Let me get some sleep, then I'll take good care of you tomorrow, I promise..." The look the blonde gave him, left Tony in absolutely no doubt what she had in mind.

He ran his fingers through his short hair and nodded. "Yeah, some sleep might get my head right. I don't remember ever bein' this knackered before."

With that, he stumbled off towards the bathroom, leaving the girls to peel back the covers and chat quietly as they waited for his return. Tony took a while to finish and they were just going to get up and check on him when he emerged wearing a bathrobe, freshly shaved and showered.

Perl fanned herself and gave him a playful smile. "Wow, look who scrubs up nice!"

Kelli nodded, her eyes drinking in his face. "You look really handsome, Tony."

Flustered by the way they were staring at him like a couple of cats stalking a mouse, Tony looked away, his eyes falling on the heated tray Kelli had left on the table. Finally noticing the aroma, he lifted the lid and his eyes widened when he saw the meal Faye had prepared for him. Sliding off the bed, the girls padded over to join him at the table.

"You should eat that now while it's still hot," Kelli enthused. "Seriously, it's the best dinner I've ever had!"

Tony's rumbling stomach reminded him how hungry he was and he took a seat, wasting no time in polishing off the steak and chips, amidst groans of delight.

The girls watched him with affectionate smiles, then Perl asked, "Do you feel a bit better now?"

He hesitated for a second, then nodded. "Yeah, you were right before, a shower and food helped... Now I just need some sleep."

They led him over to the bed and Tony sprawled in the middle, still wrapped up in his bathrobe. The girls removed theirs and cuddled up with him, each using one of his broad shoulders as a pillow.

"Sweet dreams," Perl said softly, giving him a lingering kiss, before she settled down and closed her eyes.

Kelli watched her friend across Tony's chest and within thirty seconds of lying down, Perl was fast asleep. The brunette turned to look at Tony, who was staring up at the ceiling, lost in thought. "You're not really alright, are you?"

He let out a heavy sigh and slowly shook his head. "Alyssa wasn't lying... she knew everythin' I've ever done... all the worst stuff I've tried to keep secret. It made me realise that she was right, I am just a piece of shit. I've done a lot of messed up things, Kelli. Most of the time, I didn't give a fuck about the people I hurt; I just thought... better him than me..."

She turned so that she was resting her chin on his chest and looked into his eyes. "Believe me, I know what it's like having to do horrible things to survive. Karron was a really shitty place to grow up, Tony. If you hadn't fought to make a life for yourself, you would've just been chewed up and spat out like most everybody else."

With a troubled look in his eyes, he quietly replied, "It ain't the same thing. Someone forced you to do all that, you couldn't just walk away. I did have a choice and I chose to be an asshole; I fucked over a lot of people and for what? Just to make some easy credits..."

After thinking about that for a moment, the brunette said in a hushed voice, "Do you remember what you told me? That I was nobody's whore, not anymore... That I could be whatever I wanted to be."

He looked up at her pretty face and brushed his fingers through her soft brown hair. "Yeah, I remember... and it's true. You're free of all that now, you've got some credits to start you out... you can be whatever you want."

She closed her eyes and leaned into his hand, enjoying his gentle touch. When Kelli looked down at him again, she whispered, "It's the same for you."

Tony raised an eyebrow. "I don't have to be a whore anymore?"

Kelli put a hand over her mouth to muffle her giggle. "Yep, you don't have to give up your ass for anybody!"

"That's a relief..." he replied, his chest shaking as he chuckled.

Quietening down, the brunette turned serious. "You know what I mean, Tony. If me and Perl are going to be a couple of ex-whores, then maybe you can be an ex-ganger? Why not have a fresh start like us and be someone new?"

"Yeah, but the problem is... I don't deserve it," he replied, a haunted look in his eyes.

"You saved our lives," she said, leaning down to give him a tender kiss. "I don't know if that makes up for whatever you did before... but it means a hell of a lot to me."

"Helpin' you two actually made me feel good about myself," he quietly admitted. "For the first time in I don't even know how long..."

Kelli gave him an affectionate smile. "That settles it then, you're starting a new life with us." She glanced to her right at the sleeping blonde, then back to Tony. "You better get some rest, you're going to need it. Perl's gonna have you begging for mercy tomorrow... then you'll be begging her for more..."

"What about you?" he asked, stroking her cheek.

She turned and kissed his hand without breaking eye contact with him. Her soft lips sought out his thumb and slowly enveloped it, her wet velvety tongue curling around the base as she applied gentle suction. Tony couldn't help groaning with desire, his cock thickening in response to her wanton display.

"Get some sleep... lots of sleep," she purred, releasing his thumb and giving him a coy smile, before snuggling against him and closing her eyes.

***

Warden Brokurlun watched the battle unfold through disbelieving eyes. "They must have lost their minds..." he muttered under his breath, shocked to the core.

The Kirrix forces seemed evenly matched and both sides were taking a battering as the drone carriers slugged it out at close range. Swarms of drones whirled around the ugly melee, green neutron bolts spraying wildly as they fought tooth-and-nail to gain the upper hand. The only vessels not involved in the raging combat were the hive ships, which hung back from the fight as if they were reluctant to engage, clearly waiting to see which side would be victorious.

One of the drone carriers lost its shields and ugly green neutron beams began to slice through the hull, leaving what looked like claw marks on its hide. Like a pack of wolves, the rest of the drone carriers focused their fire on the vulnerable capital ship, lashing it with volley after volley of energy weapon salvos. A series of explosions rocked the ship, culminating in a titanic blast that blew the ochre vessel to pieces.

That blast wave heralded a turning point in the battle and the outnumbered side began to lose ships at a faster rate, the battlefield soon littered with burning hulks. Seeing that the outcome of the battle was now a foregone conclusion, the cluster of hive ships cowering behind the beleaguered drone carriers began to turn tail and run. Their triple-mounted engines blazed with a fierce orange glow as the ugly insectoid vessels began to head for the outer-edge of the system, desperate to escape into hyper-space. However, the winning side had achieved strike craft supremacy and squadrons of Kirrix drones rushed in pursuit, peppering the fleeing cruisers with a relentless hail of neutron bolts.

While the victorious drone carriers finished off the last of the dying capital ships, their hive ships set off after the retreating vessels. It didn't take long before the strike craft squadrons were able to overwhelm one of the fleeing hive ship's shields and they concentrated their fire on the bulky engines that dominated the rear of the monstrous ship. Chitinous armour plating ruptured under that weight of fire, and seconds later there was a bright explosion that ripped the engine from the hull in a shower of debris.

Blowing apart the propulsion systems in a flurry of lurid green energy bolts left the hive ship marooned and the drones abandoned their assault, racing off to immobilise another of the retreating vessels. Two of the chasing hive ships flanked the stranded craft, then manoeuvred closer to dock from either side and begin a boarding action.

Warden Brokurlun turned away from the devastating internecine struggle and glanced at his navigation officer. The Trankaran was staring enraptured at the Tactical Map, just like the other crewmembers present on the Command Deck of the Forge of Ukonlir.

"Set course for Trankara," Brokurlun ordered, his rumbling voice cutting across the shocked silence on the Bridge. "We must get back within comms range and report this development to Fleet Command."

"At once, Warden." The navigation officer nodded respectfully then set a new course, updating the rest of the fleet with the details.

"What madness possessed them to turn on each other like this?" Sub-Warden Nordirlum asked, stunned by everything he had just witnessed.

Brokurlun shook his head, bewilderment in his amber eyes. "I have absolutely no idea, but Queen Niskera must hear of this immediately."

***

Alyssa stopped in the street, staring in silence at the dilapidated shack that had been built from a series of pitted metal containers welded together. Windows had been cut into the sides, but the glass panels were too dirty to let in much light from the wall-mounted strips that dimly illuminated the cavern.

"I don't remember it being this bad," she murmured, slowly approaching the battered door.

"According to official records, there's been at least a dozen different occupants since you lived here with your father," Calara said quietly, shocked by the squalid living conditions.

Alyssa turned to look at the Latina, a troubled expression on her face. "Maybe I've just been looking at my memories through rose-tinted glasses..."

Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open, the metal making a grating squeal. Alyssa froze in the entrance and stared inside, momentarily overwhelmed by the prospect of returning home for the first time in twelve years.

John placed a supportive hand on her back. "Are you okay?"

Alyssa nodded but didn't reply, her attention riveted on the room beyond. John and Calara followed her inside, the external lighting on their suits casting a harsh light on the grimy interior. The first room consisted of a lounge and kitchen that had seen much better days, the linoleum floor covered in a patchwork of dark stains. John glanced around at the furniture, his eyes lingering on a threadbare yellow couch, then on to a heavily scored table surrounded by a mismatched set of uncomfortable-looking metal chairs. Against the far wall was a stove and a kitchen worktop, with a built-in sink full of dirty plates and cups.

Alyssa removed her gauntlet as she walked past the couch, her fingertips brushing over the frayed fabric. "I remember this sofa," she whispered, lost in the past. "My dad used to sit here when he got back from a shift..."

"What was he like?" John asked, watching her with sympathy in his eyes.

"He died when I was six, so I can only remember little fragments," the blonde replied in a hushed whisper. "He used to drink a lot... and was sad, so terribly sad..." Her voice caught and she swallowed a lump in her throat. "One time I asked him if mom left us because I'd done something bad... I wanted to tell her I was sorry so that she'd come back and be my mom again. He started to cry and I felt so awful... I never meant to upset him."

Calara pulled her helmet off and brushed at her eyes, overcome with sympathy for that heartbroken little girl, who longed for a mother she never knew. John put his arm around the Latina, sharing her sorrow for their grieving lover. He watched Alyssa wander over to one of the doorways leading into a bedroom at the back, the blonde immersed in memories as she gazed inside.

"I can see the echoes of him here... he looks so lost and defeated by life..." When Alyssa turned back to face them, her gaze was misty with unshed tears, her composure wavering.

She suddenly inhaled sharply, staring at them in horror... but it wasn't John and Calara she was looking at. Alyssa was transfixed by the sight of herself aged six years old, as the burly mine-foreman knelt in front of her, wringing his hardhat in his hands.

"Where's my daddy? Why didn't he come home?" the pale little girl asked fearfully, her lower lip trembling.

"I'm so sorry, sweetheart," the man replied in a choked voice. "We tried real hard to save him... but he's gone..."

Alyssa's strangled sob echoed the little girl's and she rushed across the room to throw herself into John's arms. "I saw it! When they told me about my dad and I knew I was all alone..." she wept, breaking down in tears.

John knew the significance of that moment, which marked the end of one unhappy chapter of her life and started a very dark one. "You're not alone any more, beautiful. We'll always be here for you..."

Calara hugged her girlfriend from behind, her face a mask of misery at seeing the blonde in so much pain. "We love you so much, Alyssa. I'm so sorry about your father."

Kissing the weeping girl on the forehead, John said softly, "Let's take you outside. I think you've seen enough..."

Alyssa clung to him, leaning on him for strength, and let him guide her out into the street where the rest of the girls were waiting. They looked on with sympathy, gathering around to try and console the distraught young woman. John held her in his arms, then made eye-contact with Jade and nodded.

The Nymph's pupils widened in her cat-like eyes, a fierce intensity flaring there as she stroked Alyssa's hair. *I'm ready whenever you are, Master.*

Contacting his Maliri Matriarch, John said, *I'm going to start in a few moments, Edraele. Are you ready?*

Edraele hesitated for a moment, before asking him cautiously, *I want to help Alyssa speak to her parents as much as you do, but are you absolutely sure about this, John? The fact that we discussed your plans while Alyssa was asleep, tells me that you're well aware of how dangerous this is... and that she definitely wouldn't approve.*

*She needs this,* he replied, his mind made up. *Don't worry, you won't be in any danger. I just need to tap you for energy at the start to help me get into the Astral, after that you can disengage completely and you'll be perfectly safe this time.*

*You should know by now that it's not me I'm worried about,* Edraele admonished him.

*It'll work, I'm sure of it,* he declared with more conviction than he actually felt, as he went over the plan in his mind one last time.

Edraele's worry and disapproval blazed across their bond. *Trying to mollify me with platitudes doesn't work very well when I can hear your every thought!*

Alyssa looked up at John, her tear-streaked face twisted in alarm. "You can't be serious?!" she hissed, finally privy to the full details of his planned excursion into the Astral Plane. "That's fucking crazy!"

"Yeah, but I bet those bastards won't see it coming," John said with a sly grin.

She pulled back and shook her head, golden locks tumbling around her shoulders. "No way! You're talking about risking your life just so I can get a bit of closure... it's totally insane! I forbid you from even trying it!"

He met her furious gaze, his eyes set with steely-determination. "You don't get to make that call, honey."

Her anger petered out as she realised John wouldn't be swayed and her heart felt cold with dread. "Please don't do it..." she begged him. "It's not worth getting hurt over."

John brushed his fingers against her cheek. "I'd risk a lot more to give you some peace, beautiful. You deserve this... and my mind's made up."

He glanced at Calara who took over holding Alyssa, the blonde watching him helplessly, the anguish on her face plain to see.

Turning to the rest of the girls, John said, "Alright, Ladies, prepare yourselves. If all goes well, you won't have a thing to do, but if something goes wrong..."

"We'll be staring into a portal to some hell dimension, with a load of really pissed off monsters desperate to get through," Dana finished for him. She raised her Tachyon rifle and flicked off the safety. "I'm not saying I don't have faith in you, but I sure am glad I made all those runed-up mags..."

John gave her a wry smile. "Thanks for the stirring vote of confidence."

She winked at him. "No problem!"

John stepped away from the girls and drew his sword over his shoulder in a sweeping arc. He drove it point first into the cracked asphalt beneath his feet, then leaned against the hilt as he started to gather his will. *Okay, Edraele... as we discussed, start feeding me some power.*

*I'll ramp up the transfer as you need it, John,* she quickly replied.

He felt an invigorating stream of psychic energy begin to pour across the bond and he channelled it into his blade, making the amplification runes blaze to life. "Right... let's see you try to stop this," John muttered under his breath, a fierce gleam of anticipation in his glowing eyes.

Focusing his willpower inwards, he took a firm grip on his ethereal form and tried to tug it away from his body. Almost immediately he felt his guide's presence like an anvil chained to his back, a twisted sense of glee drifting into his mind from the mental prison that housed his malignant passenger. John ignored it and buckled down, pouring more power into his efforts to enter the Astral Plane.

Managing to overcome his guide's resistance, he peeled his spirit form away and stumbled into the ethereal realm, the grey featureless expanse stretching away to the horizon. His guide hadn't given up and John sensed its grim resolve to ruin his plans and keep him anchored in the material world. He fought hard against the chains that tried to haul him back into his body, using more of Edraele's energy to fuel his stubborn refusal to give up.

After a long struggle, John finally relented and let himself be dragged back, conceding that battle, if not the war. He felt a dizzying sensation as he was dumped unceremoniously in his body, accompanied by a smug gloating that radiated from his guide. It was a conflict they'd repeated on numerous occasions before, each time with the same inevitable outcome.

"Yeah, you keep laughing..." John murmured, a feral grin spreading across his face. *Okay, let's go again, Edraele.*

*As you command, my Lord,* she replied, dispensing with her disapproval now he was fully-committed to his plans.

John felt his guide's shock as John focused his will inwards a second time, taking advantage of his Maliri Matriarch's greatly expanded energy reserves amplified by his runes. All those tender moments with the expecting Young Matriarchs made those beautiful women shine like beacons in Edraele's psychic network. She channelled that energy now, empowering him with a fresh burst of power that left him feeling giddy.

Just as John had anticipated, his guide had overcommitted to its previous belligerent attempt to prevent him taking a spirit walk. He could feel the implacable drag from those chains lessening as his mental foe began to weaken. With an inarticulate howl of outrage, the guide's ability to maintain that resistance started to fail as its energy reserves were rapidly depleted.

*That's all I can give you!* Edraele exclaimed, her voice strained with the effort.

He rushed back to his body, blurting out, *Okay, that's it, you can stop now!*

She closed off the energy transfer, leaving John feeling slightly hollow after basking in that intoxicating burst of power. Now it was his turn to gloat when he felt his guide raging at him, but those wordless threats were empty, as his guide's ability to project beyond its prison had been temporarily neutralised.

*Get some rest now, honey,* John said gratefully to the Maliri. *You earned it.*

Edraele sounded exhausted as she replied, *Thank you... and good luck.*

"Edraele and my guide are both tapped out," John informed the girls as he slowly opened his eyes. "She's disengaged now, so if anything does go wrong, she can't be used to keep one of those portals open."

Jade walked over to join him, standing at his side as he knelt on the ground. He glanced at her and nodded, then reached up to grasp the hilt of the rune sword in his left gauntlet.

"John!" Alyssa called out to him, her voice fraught with worry.

He locked eyes with her and she was brought up short, moved by the absolute resolve she saw there.

"Good luck..." she whispered, a sense of desperate hope replacing the dread.

John's gaze was suddenly filled with a brilliant blue radiance that bathed the gloomy tunnel in light. He focused himself and concentrated inwards, building up his willpower in preparation as he'd done on two previous occasions, the second of which had ended in disaster. Psychic energy began to roll down his right arm, shrouding his armoured fist in raw power. Closing his eyes, he brought his right gauntlet to the floor, and sent forth his consciousness to gather what he needed.

He began by soaking up the psychic imprints from Alyssa's old home, filtering through the strangers to find any traces of Sarah and Edward Marant. John immediately recognised the couple from the holo-images, seeing the pale blonde looking up at her husband with love in her bright blue eyes as he carried her over the threshold of their new home. He found many moments of intimacy they spent together, filled with tender words and hopes for a better future for their family... the baby daughter growing in Sarah's womb.

The psychic memories were intense, the warmth carried in their heartfelt emotions continuing right up to the moment where Sarah was rushed to the medical centre for the birth. Then John witnessed the utter desolation that threatened to drown Edward in his grief, when he lost his reason for living. John couldn't help but be moved as he watched Alyssa's father battle an all-consuming depression to try and stay strong for his infant daughter. The echoes flashed past, moving faster now as he absorbed them, painting a sad picture of a broken man and his bright little girl. Alyssa had looked at life with such hope and optimism... but that shining light was slowly smothered by darkness...

Trying to stay strong and not be distracted by her heartbreaking past, John pushed out with his will, searching for Sarah's and Edward's family homes. The runes channelled that energy, amplifying it and allowing him to reach further with his consciousness than he ever had before. Seeking out both locations, he began tapping them for more psychic echoes, giving him an impression of that tragic couple before they were married.

*Jade, I'm going to start drawing power from you,* he requested, distracted by the intense level of concentration his psychic efforts required. His eyes snapped open and he looked up at the Nymph. *Let me know the moment it becomes a strain... I won't be able to tell when it gets too much for you.* His stern tone made it quite clear that this last point was non-negotiable.

Jade nodded, placing her hand on his shoulder. *I will, I promise.*

Those adoring feline eyes began to shine with their own inner glow, the emerald green aura reminding him of enchanted forests dappled in sunlight. Energy rolled down her arm towards him, but it was tightly controlled, moving in pulsing waves as Jade guided eldritch power to her master. The moment that pulse hit his body, there was a tectonic shift in his mind, the psychic network convulsing as it was forcibly altered. John was too preoccupied to notice, but Alyssa realised the instant it happened, staring at John and the Nymph in shock as their connections were realigned.

John felt the waves of energy building in his body and he slipped effortlessly into the Astral Plane, peeling his spirit form away like it was second nature. He was thrilled at the ease with which he could move in that ethereal place, now that he'd successfully neutralised the crippling influence of his guide. Taking a deep breath, he gazed out at the horizon, then unleashed the massive amounts of psychic power that had accumulated within him. It blasted out towards the deep Astral, but not as a single beam, instead it was split into six coruscating columns of power.

*John,* Jade whispered, the nude Nymph reaching out to wrap her arms around him from behind.

He looked back at her in shock. *Jade! What are you doing here?!*

*You brought me with you for a reason,* she said softly, resting her chin on his shoulder.

*But now I'll have to protect you as well,* he protested, bewildered as to why he'd pulled her into the Astral Plane, let alone how he did it.

She shrugged and kissed him on the cheek. *Then protect me, Master.*

Recognising her request for the gentle encouragement it was, he nodded, stepping away from her to start his preparations. Glancing down at his naked body, he clad himself in rune-embossed armour, his Crystal Alyssium sword shimmering into existence on his back.

*We're vulnerable, exposed like this,* Jade murmured, walking around to face him, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.

John hesitated for a moment, then cast his gaze about, studying the strange matter that formed the endless expanse of the Astral Plane. He knew it could be shaped by force of will alone and Alyssa's pocket plane was a testament to what could be achieved if a person had the strength to manipulate the ether to their design. Elated by the feeling of freedom this alternate dimension empowered within him, he held out his gauntleted hands, the amplification runes on his armour blazing with incandescent light.

*Yes!* Jade exulted, seeing the sudden confidence in his bearing.

Raising his hands in the air, John closed his eyes and imagined thick impregnable walls, reinforced by massive stone buttresses, all surrounding a place of sanctuary. There was a low rumbling noise and the ground beneath his feet began to vibrate, a hard surface appearing there when it was insubstantial only moments before. He heard the Nymph gasp as he poured vast amounts of amplified energy into his astral construct. John worked quickly, shaping the ephemeral substance of the Astral Plane into something permanent that could endure the ravages of the beasts that roamed this place.

*I thought you two were supposed to be bringing back my parents, not building Fort Doom!* Alyssa exclaimed, the undercurrent of shock and astonishment in her voice quite impossible to miss.

*Alyssa! What are you doing here?* John asked as he opened his eyes, only to gape at his new defences in horror. *What the hell?!*

The walls were black as night, the angular fortifications like some sinister villain's dread fortress. John turned around, gaping at the onyx keep in the centre, its forbidding nature making him think there must be dungeons and torture chambers in its dank depths.

Staring aghast at his ominous construction, he stammered, *This is all wrong... it's not what I wanted!*

Alyssa whirled around and grabbed him, her expression filled with panic. *Forget about that for now, you don't have time! Your plan isn't going to work!*

John gaped at her in shock and confusion, but was suddenly roused from his daze as the six energy beams struck their target. They blasted through the ethereal barrier deep in the Astral Plane, tapping into something forbidden at multiple points, making him gasp at the strain of maintaining them all. The ancient leviathan that lurked in that unspeakable place reacted with gloating anticipation, sending forth a sickening wave that threatened to drown his consciousness in revulsion.

He felt its ponderous immensity lurch towards the point where his beam had pierced the vast wall and had to fight down the urge to flee in terror. At the last instant, he dropped the beam, pumping more power into the remaining five. The malevolent creature was reaching to hijack that connection when it disappeared and it balked in disbelief, only now realising that he'd dispersed his efforts rather than repeat his previous near-fatal mistake of using a single stream. Its outrage was a palpable thing, instilling a sense of dread that filled John's ears with the heavy thumping of his heart.

*That's not your heartbeat!* Jade shouted, whirling around to point at the onyx walls.

A flailing tentacle appeared over the battlements, crashing down on the fortifications with a thunderous boom.

Alyssa shook John's arm to get his attention. *John, you changed our psychic network! You didn't just temporarily tap energy from Jade, she's linked to you permanently now, like Edraele and me!*

He paled, realising the implications. *If that thing corrupts those energy beams...*

*It'll drain Jade into a husk fuelling another portal!* the blonde exclaimed. *You might not be able to cut off your connection to her like last time... not if that thing's expecting it!*

John felt the arcane pulses sweeping back to him along his ley-lines, but had to drop another connection as the antediluvian monstrosity surged towards it. The beast let out a terrible roar that echoed out across the Astral Plane, its frustration mounting into apoplectic fury.

Slumping his shoulders in defeat, John nodded dejectedly. *You're right, this is far too dangerous.*

He concentrated on the energy beams and dropped them all at once, preparing himself to end his spirit walk and try to bring the Nymph out with him. Except nothing happened...

*I can't stop it!* he cried out in alarm, trying again but to no avail. *What the fuck?!*

Alyssa's eyes widened and she glanced at Jade, before facing him again. *Maybe you can't end it once you're committed? Not until you're done?*

There was another rolling crash that echoed around the courtyard, but this time it was centred on the gatehouse.

John grimaced and ran for the battlements, activating his psychic speed. *You two stay out of harm's way! I'll defend the walls until I can drop the connection!*

Jade and Alyssa shared a look, then the blonde nodded and began pouring psychic power into the energy-depleted Nymph. Jade began to shimmer in a verdant haze, her form growing to immense proportions until she finally solidified as an enormous green dragon.

When John reached the parapet and looked out between the crenellations, his heart leapt into his throat. His fortress was now surrounded by billowing mists, with misshapen hordes just visible amongst the swirling fogbanks. They began their assault in earnest, pounding on the fortifications or attempting to scale the cliff-like battlements. A six-limbed abomination with a head topped by flailing tentacles stalked through the fog, towering over its much smaller brethren. It reared up and lashed the walls with the barbed appendages, battering the parapet and tearing out a chunk of black stone.

He charged towards it, the runes on his sword glowing bright as he powered up the blade. Movement across the fortress caught his eye and he saw another of the enormous behemoths attacking the far wall. Cursing under his breath, he slashed with his sword, the blade whistling through the air as it unleashed a dazzling arc of kinetic force. The razor-sharp projection carved through the nest of tentacles grappling the fortifications, severing half of them in a disgusting fountain of sticky black blood.

The ancient terror had found another of John's energy streams, so he had to pause to cut that connection, channelling more power into the remaining three. Inhuman howls and bellows echoed around the besieged castle, the monsters continuing to pound the defences in their frenzied desire to tear apart the defenders. The battlements shook under his feet as the hulking nightmare assaulted the wall, ripping out another huge block of shadowy stone from the parapet and tossing it into the fog. He darted a frantic glance across the fortress, dreading to think what was happening on the other side.

He blinked in surprise when he saw Jade's draconic form scrabbling atop the other towering monster, with half the roars coming from that side of the fortress originating from her. Her massive claws ripped quivering chunks of flesh from its hide and it flailed around in pain, trying to dislodge her from its back, all thought of continuing the attack on the battlements forgotten.

*Jade! What the hell are you doing?!* he called out in concern. *You must be nearly out of energy!*

*Alyssa topped me up!* she crowed, clamping her jaws down on the back of the monster's head. *Now I've got more than enough power to keep this form going...*

She thrashed her long reptilian neck from side to side, enormous fangs carving bloody trenches through its rubbery hide. The beast's cries of pain turned into agonised shrieks as she cut through metres of foul flesh. At the same time, a blinding flash of white light erupted from the glowing figure hovering above the gatehouse. Alyssa's energy beam throbbed for a couple of seconds as she slashed it in an arc around the base of the fortifications, obliterating scores of abominations in its wake.

*Alyssa!* John blurted out, furious at his blonde matriarch. *Why did you connect to Jade?! Now you're in danger too!*

*I'm not going to stand by and let you fight alone,* she declared obstinately. *Besides, this way Jade and I can both help defend the fortress.*

He glanced to his left as the green dragon roared in triumph, the decapitated head of the massive creature sailing away into the mists. The six-legged titan toppled over on its side, and Jade's wings snapped open as she glided to safety, swooping down outside the walls to tear into the next wave of attackers.

Realising it was far too late to prevent the girls getting involved in the fight, John turned back to the creature ravaging the closest wall. A two-handed overhead chop sent another shimmering arc of force careening across the battlements, the energy wave carving through the remaining tentacles and severing them all in an explosion of vile ichor. Their bestial owner reared back, head tossing from side to side as blood spurted all over the walls, hissing as it splattered on the stone.

John paused for a moment, shutting down a fourth energy column, so that only two pulsating channels linked him to the barrier. Although the battle seemed to be stretching out for minutes, he knew that due to the accelerated time of the Astral Plane, only seconds would have passed back on Karron. They would only have to keep this going for a little while longer and they'd be able to escape his besieged castle and return to the safety of their bodies.

He sent another powerful blast of energy lashing into the hulking creature that had backed up and was now lumbering towards the wall. The telekinetic arc struck the behemoth's flank, which exploded into gobbets of rancid meat that splattered all over the battlements. The monster's multitude of insane eyes stared vacantly as it pitched over, slamming head first into the fortifications and making the wall shake with the impact. With that threat taken care of, John glanced to his left to see if the girls needed his help.

Jade scrabbled up onto the parapet again, clutching a pair of misshapen monsters in her foreclaws. She pinned one under her massive rear claws, then grabbed the other between both forelimbs and savagely tore it apart, raining a shower of festering entrails on its baying brethren. She raked the second underfoot, then her long neck whipped down and she ripped its head off in her ferocious jaws. Turning to look at Alyssa, John could see she was preparing to unleash another blast of psychic energy, with huge amounts of power circling her fists.

His ancient foe lunged for the fifth column and John shut it down with barely a second to spare, only to be assailed by a sickening feeling of horrified despair that dropped him to his knees. He realised too late, that the unholy monstrosity had attacked both remaining ley-lines simultaneously. It latched onto the last remaining column and poured all its nauseating presence into that energy beam, the vile corruption following it back to its source... John.

He fought back the urge to vomit, his stomach convulsing as it reacted to the gut-wrenching sensation of barbed hooks digging into his eyeballs. *It's not real!* John snarled through gritted teeth, trying not retch.

There was a terrifying crackling sound as purple coils lanced along the energy column, slamming into his body. If John thought that the feelings of nausea were bad before, they got a million times worse when he was struck and he toppled off the parapet into the courtyard, landing with a thump that knocked him senseless. Through his daze, he was vaguely aware of a rapid series of deafening impacts on the reinforced gatehouse. With a splintering crash, the huge doors exploded inwards, followed shortly after by a stampede of enraged abominations.

John desperately tried to fight off the debilitating waves of sickness, knowing that he only had mere seconds left before he'd be ripped to shreds by that vengeful horde.

***

Back on Karron, Calara watched John, Jade, and Alyssa nervously, the seconds ticking by with the trio completely oblivious to their surroundings. "Do you think it's working?" she wondered aloud to the rest of the group.

Rachel gave her a reassuring smile and patted the Latina on the arm. "John put a lot of thought into this. I think there's a very good chance that-"

"-something fucked up!" Dana yelped, darting backwards as a crackling black vertical rift materialised only inches away from her.

Her eyes were like saucers as she backpedalled, the redhead hurriedly raise the barrel of her Tachyon Rifle and opening fire through the supernatural gateway. She clamped her finger down on the trigger and rune-infused rounds hammered into the grotesque horror that was charging towards the rapidly enlarging portal, the impacts punching deep into its blubbery hide. An instant later the destruction runes detonated, neatly blowing apart its legs mid-thigh.

Irillith was by Dana's side before the creature skidded to a halt, her violet eyes narrowing in concentration as she unloaded a long burst through the undulating black oval. Rachel, Calara, and Tashana joined the firing line, adding their controlled shots to the storm of bullets crossing into the Astral Plane. They gunned down the abominations trying to rush for the portal, the mangled corpses smashed aside by the next wave, or simply trodden under hoof and claw.

Sakura drew her twin ninjato and crouched in readiness, watching protectively over John and his two matriarchs. She encased her blades in ice and got ready to activate her psychic speed, just in case anything should threaten the vulnerable trio.

"Reloading!" Dana called out, ejecting the smoking magazine from her bullpup rifle and slapping another into the slot.

Calara fired a three-round-burst into the bellowing face of a tentacle horror, its head exploding a split-second later. "There's hundreds of them and they're moving so fast!" she exclaimed, her Tachyon rifle barking again and again as she mowed down dozens of targets.

"It's the time-dilation effect on the Astral!" Rachel warned them. There was an ominous click as she emptied her magazine. "Empty! Reloading..."

Dana felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach and suddenly wished she'd prepared more magazines... a lot more.

***

John rolled to one side and coughed weakly, his head ringing with the staccato blasts from hundreds of explosions in rapid succession. To his surprise, the abominations were ignoring him and rushing for the portal, seemingly intent on storming the Material Plane. With a feeling of dread, he realised he hadn't heard any more roars from Jade, or seen another dazzling flash from one of Alyssa's energy beams.

His concern for them was like being thrown a life preserver in a stormy sea and he clung to it desperately, squeezing his eyes shut as he tried to block out the relentless abuse of his senses. The waves of nausea receded and he was able to grab his sword and lurch to his feet, using the blade as a crutch. He was still being drained of energy, the leeching effect spreading across to the girls.

*Jade? Alyssa?!* he called to both matriarchs, his desperate cry met with nothing but silence.

John's gaze swept along the battlements, but he saw no sign of the Jade dragon that had dominated the castle wall only moments earlier. He started to worry that the Nymph might have pitched over the side, until he spotted a dark-green humanoid form slumped atop the fortifications. A telltale white glow from the roof of the gatehouse gave him a surge of hope that Alyssa was only unconscious and not badly hurt... or worse.

A flash of inspiration pierced through his befuddled senses and he remembered that he'd fed both girls before venturing into Karron. He rushed to focus inward, seeking out both matriarchs in his mind. Finding them both alive calmed his fears and he reached out to channel energy into countering the crippling effects of that malignant purple beam.

*I don't want to say I told you so...* Alyssa grumbled, as she shook off that debilitating aura and staggered to her feet. *But I told you this was fucking crazy!*

*I'm nearly out of energy, Master,* Jade murmured weakly, leaning heavily against the parapet wall as she tried to stand.

John gazed across the courtyard at the portal, ignoring the disgusting charnel-house the once-spotless floor had become. *We've got to shut that thing down...*

*Okay... got any ideas?* Alyssa asked, stumbling over to the interior wall to look down at the shimmering tear in reality.

He paused, wracking his brain as fusillades of hyper-accelerated slugs cut down scores of roaring monsters in an orgy of devastation. *No, nothing.*

***

"Last mag!" Dana called out, ejecting the spent magazine and loading another.

The lower barrel of her Tachyon Rifle was shimmering in a haze as the flux heat-exchangers fought desperately to cool the barrel. Firing on full auto was using up bullets at a terrifying rate and they had only started with three magazines apiece.

Sakura began pulling untouched magazines from John's and Alyssa's combat webbing. She ejected them from their rifles as well, then lobbed the ammo over to the dirt floor by the girls' armoured boots. "Here's some more!" she called out, adding her own spares to the pile.

Irillith crouched down as she ejected the empty mag from her rifle and grabbed a replacement. "Thank you," she said with a curt nod, quickly rejoining the fight.

"The portal's getting bigger!" Calara yelled, her widening eyes matching the rift.

The rippling surface of that tear in reality began to undulate in rolling waves, as the circumference expanded dramatically. From where Sakura was standing, she'd only been able to get a limited view into that alternate reality, her glimpse revealing not much more than intimidating black stone fortifications. As the portal yawned wider, she was finally able to see the slaughterhouse in the courtyard that led up to the gateway. The ground was piled high with bloody corpses, surrounded by a lake of gore and viscera that covered a writhing carpet of dismembered tentacles.

She was astonished at the sheer speed of the creatures barrelling towards them, moving at what seemed like ten times the rate she remembered seeing before. The girls needed to maintain a constant barrage of fire just to keep up with the horde pouring their way, the creatures heedless of the carnage. She spotted a flicker of green atop the battlements and realised it was Jade limping in a strangely accelerated way around the fortress wall.

Twirling her ninjato in her hands, she said decisively, "I'm going in. Jade's wounded and needs help."

"No! Don't!" Rachel blurted out, as the Asian girl stepped towards the portal.

Halting in her tracks, Sakura turned with an impatient frown. "Why not?"

"If that portal closes, you'll be trapped in the Astral Plane!" Rachel said in a rush, glancing over at John and his two matriarchs. "Only their minds are in there at the moment... if they can close this rift from the inside, they can still return to their bodies."

Clenching her swords tighter, Sakura stared at the crackling rift in mounting frustration.

***

John groaned as the psychic drain increased, feeling his energy being leeched out of him to sustain the portal in the courtyard. He clambered slowly up the stone steps to the battlements, stumbling several times before he reached the top, where Jade and Alyssa were limping arm-in-arm towards him. He knew it wouldn't be long before the ancient leviathan had exhausted their reserves of psychic energy and started consuming their life force instead.

*I'll have to cut my connections with you both,* he muttered as they collapsed together on the onyx stone. Reaching for Alyssa's hand, he squeezed it gently. *It worked last time with you and Edraele...*

She grimaced, remembering just how excruciating it had been to have their bond severed. *I can't believe we're doing this again...* She sighed in frustration. *Okay, do it. I can't see any other way either.*

John nodded, then faced Jade and looked her in the eye as he attempted to sever their newly-forged connection. Her expression was filled with dread at the thought of being separated from him, but her anguish eventually turned to confusion when nothing happened. *I didn't feel anything...*

*It's not working!* he exclaimed in alarm, trying to hack through the incandescent connection between himself and the Nymph. He didn't so much as dent the link, let alone cut right through like he had on New Eden. Trying the same with Alyssa, his heart pounded in his chest as he blurted out, *I can't break our bond... it's not letting me!*

***

Calara aimed at a hulking misshapen beast that was moving with unnatural speed, the targeting reticle struggling to keep up with the fifteen-foot-high nightmare of barbs and tentacles as it weaved between corpses. Leading the target by instinct rather than technology, she squeezed the trigger, firing a short burst of slugs into its corpulent lower torso. There were three splashes of black ooze from the gaping entry wounds as the hyper-accelerated bullets punched into its flesh, before the beast's body seemed to balloon outwards in a disgusting explosion of entrails.

Incredibly, the monster kept on coming, dragging itself across the slippery gore-streaked floor towards the portal. Calara fired her rifle again, hitting it in the back this time, the subsequent blasts severing its spine and making it collapse in on itself. Its face contorted in agony, only to be stomped into the floor a moment later by a six-legged monstrosity, which charged recklessly towards the glowing oval. She aimed at it as the beast bore down on her, only to notice the flashing red icon in her HUD, warning that she was out of bullets.

*No ammo left!* the Latina cried out in warning.

*I'll take care of this one,* Tashana said calmly, firing both Reaper pistols at the stampeding monster and cratered its head with a quartet of runic detonations. She winced when she glanced at her HUD, seeing a similarly dire situation for her own ammo reserves. *I'm out too!*

Irillith hammered the next two monsters with a sustained burst that she strafed over their rubbery hides, blowing them both to pieces. She ran out of ammo at the same time as Rachel, who picked off the two abominations trying to flank the mountainous pile of corpses.

Tashana casually discarded her pistols and stepped towards the portal. Sparks of fire appeared in the palm of her hands, then ignited with a roar that wreathed her fists in white-hot flame.

"Time to turn up the heat..." she purred, her violet eyes burning with anticipation.

***

The purple tendrils coiled and lashed around the ley-line that connected John to the far reaches of the Astral Plane. They pulsated with a sickening hunger, almost as if they were eager to feast on his soul.

He stared at the corrupted psychic tentacles for a moment, then his expression turned bleak. *I've just thought of something...*

Alyssa looked at him in horror. *No!*

John propped his sword against the wall, then waved a weary hand at it, the blade shrinking until it was no larger than a dagger. He gestured at himself and his battle armour faded away, leaving him defenceless.

*Don't do this, Master!* Jade begged him, her emerald eyes welling up. She hung heavily on his arm, trying to stop him picking up the small but deadly weapon. *My life won't be worth living without you!*

*I can't think of any other way to stop that thing,* he said with a resigned expression on his face. *This way, I can keep both of you safe by ending its connection to me. Better I don't make it than all three of us die here...*

There was a terrifying roar in the courtyard and an infernal torrent of flame blasted through the fortress and out the sundered gate, immolating everything in its path. The air was filled with the smell of scorched meat as greasy black clouds billowed up, the charred ash all that remained of the incinerated carcasses that had lined the approach to the portal.

John glanced at the roiling waves of flame with a proud smile, his thoughts on the troubled Maliri girl and how she'd turned her life around in the past few months. He looked back at Alyssa and Jade, gently cupping their tear-streaked faces. *I'm sorry it's come to this, girls. I love you both so much...*

Alyssa sobbed wretchedly, shaking her head. *You can't just give up! I love you! I'm not losing you to that sick monster!*

He looked at her oddly for a second, then his eyes flicked to the disgusting purple tendrils wrapped around the final ley-line. The very sight of them made him feel nauseated, their foul nature a reflection of the hideous monstrosity that had spawned them.

*Tap the girls out!* he demanded, looking at Alyssa's shocked face. *Give me every last bit of energy they've got!*

She nodded, a wild hope appearing in her cerulean eyes as she followed his orders. In the courtyard behind them, the raging inferno was snuffed out in an instant, leaving a blackened soot-stained trail in its wake.

John focused on the sudden flood of eldritch energy that poured into his body, feeling the subtle differences that let him identify which girl had been the source. Accompanying the underlying strength of that potent eldritch substance was a gentle warmth, the caring affection and deep love they all held for him suffusing every part of that influx of raw power. Where other Progenitors took selfishly from their thralls, John's energy was a selfless gift from them to him... making a profound difference to the final result.

Concentrating on the power stream that stretched away deep into the Astral Plane, John copied his ancient foe, hijacking the ley-line but adding his own unique twist. He groaned with the strain as he unleashed a dazzling blue beam of energy along that column, which swept past the purple tentacles and raced towards their unsuspecting creator. For an instant, John's mind touched the leviathan's and he recoiled instinctively from that alien and otherworldly consciousness that revelled in the vilest of depravities.

The creature's baffled surprise turned to utter revulsion and the ancient leviathan retched violently, unleashing a tidal wave of vomit into its own domain. The stream of loving energy being funnelled to it was such an anathema to the loathsome beast, that its entire body convulsed, stricken by agonising seizures. With its concentration shattered, the tentacles fled as if scalded, releasing their stifling grip on the ley-line.

John glanced into the courtyard and saw the portal fold in on itself with a tortured groan. He grabbed Jade and shouted at Alyssa, *Get out, now!*

She nodded, her eyes wide, letting her spirit form race away to return to her body.

He held the Nymph tight and stopped resisting the gentle but insistent tugging on his astral cord that compelled him to return to his physical form. Jade swooped back with him, her arms wrapped tight around his body as they soared across the Astral Plane, only separating when they reached the welcome sanctuary of their bodies.

John's eyes snapped open and he toppled over on the ground with a gasp, leaving his sword impaled in the asphalt road.

"Don't you ever do anything like that to me again!" Alyssa sobbed, tossing her helmet aside and falling into his arms as she hugged him in a death grip.

Jade crawled over to him, nuzzling weakly into his neck. "I was so scared, Master. Alyssa's right... please don't frighten us like that ever again!"

He was too exhausted to reply and just stroked their hair as he laboured for breath. The rest of the girls slumped on the ground around them, overcome with relief to see the trio safely returned.

John finally got his breathing back under control and he sat up with Jade and Alyssa in his arms. He hugged them both and said quietly, "I'm sorry I scared you. I was just trying to keep you safe."

Jade was too tired to say anything, but she just tilted her head up to kiss his jawline, letting him know that everything was forgiven.

Alyssa stared at him, her expression of hurt indignation slowly shifting to forgiveness as well. *Just never give up hope like that again... promise me?*

*I promise,* he replied with a nod.

She leaned in to give him a tender kiss. *Thank you.*

John smiled at her, then reached for her hand and carefully curled her thumb inwards to touch her palm. There was a rapid series of clicks as her Paragon suit unlocked and Alyssa looked at him in surprise as he removed her breastplate.

"There's someone here to see you," he said softly.

"Alyssa?" a woman asked, her voice tentative but full of hope. "Is that really you?"

Alyssa froze, her cerulean eyes going wide in shock. She stared at John fearfully, hardly daring to believe that it was true.

The girls worked with him, quickly divesting her of the last pieces of her armour. When they were done, John rose to his feet, bringing the petrified blonde with him. "Alyssa, I'd like you to meet Sarah Marant... your mother."

She turned slowly, her eyes drinking in the sight of the pretty young woman standing before her. Sarah was wearing a lovely yellow sundress, her pale skin like flawless porcelain that highlighted the rich colour of her flowing golden hair.

"Mom?" Alyssa whispered, her eyes filling with tears.

"Oh, my precious baby girl!" Sarah sobbed, rushing over to fling her arms around her daughter.

John smiled as he watched the two women wrapped up in a loving embrace, joyful tears running down their faces as they cried together. They didn't say a word as the minutes ticked by, revelling in the opportunity to simply hold each other for the very first time.

Sarah had her eyes squeezed shut, a look of bliss on her face. "I've been waiting to hold you ever since I found out I was pregnant. Every night when you were in my tummy, I'd talk to you, tell you how much I was looking forward to meeting you."

"I can't believe you're finally here," Alyssa said in a hushed voice, desperately hoping it wasn't just a dream. "I used to pray that God would finally have enough angels and let you come back to me..."

"I'm so sorry I left you, baby." Sarah whispered, squeezing her daughter tighter.

"It wasn't your fault, Mom," Alyssa said in a husky voice, hugging her back just as fiercely. "You never wanted to leave me and Daddy."

"Where is that man?" Sarah asked in mock indignation, wiping the tears from her eyes. "We've been waiting to see you for so long!"

"I'm sorry I'm late, sweetheart," Edward apologised, suddenly wrapping them both in a bear hug. "But now I've got my two favourite girls in the whole galaxy!"

Alyssa clung to him, her shoulders shaking as she sobbed. "Daddy... I love you so much! I never got to tell you that day..."

"Shh now, Pebble," he said, kissing her forehead. "Everything's going to be okay."

Sarah stroked her daughter's back and looked at her husband in awe. "Eddie... just look at our baby girl! I can hardly believe it... how did we make her so beautiful?!"

Edward pulled back and placed his hands on Alyssa's shoulders as he stared in wonder at his daughter. "She's right, Pebble... you've grown up as pretty as a picture!"

Alyssa blushed and wiped away her tears. "I must look a real mess after all the crying." She glanced down at her form-fitting jumpsuit in embarrassment. "And I wish I'd got dressed up nicely for you."

Sarah laughed, a rich throaty sound that made everyone smile. "Alyssa, you could make a canvass sack look like a ball gown!"

Giggling self-consciously, Alyssa suddenly remembered she had company. "Mom, Dad, I'd like you to meet my fiancé, John Blake."

John had removed his armour and he stepped forward to meet her parents. "Mr. and Mrs. Marant, it's an honour to finally meet you."

"You're engaged?!" Sarah gushed, flinging her arms around Alyssa again and prompting another round of tears. "My little girl is so grown up!"

Gleefully hugging her back, Alyssa's face lit up with a dazzling smile.

Edward squared up with John and offered him his hand. "I see you're a fair bit older than my little girl, Mr. Blake..." he said, a wary edge to his gruff voice.

Alyssa looked at her father starry-eyed, blissfully happy to hear him be so protective of her.

John met the handshake with a firm grip, matching Edward without overdoing it. "That's true," he admitted, looking the stern miner in the eye. "But Alyssa's an incredible woman; very bright, independent, and extremely capable. Despite the age gap, I'm under no illusions who's the real boss in our relationship."

Her father broke into a smile. "Now that's the truth if I ever heard it!" He glanced at Sarah fondly. "Like mother, like daughter, eh sweetheart?"

She rolled her eyes at him affectionately. "Eddie! You're embarrassing me in front of our future son-in-law!" Sarah turned to look at John, studying him with an appraising eye. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Mr. Blake."

"Please call me John... and the pleasure's mine, Mrs. Marant," he replied, with a friendly smile. He glanced at her husband and added, "I hope you'll forgive me for saying so, but I can see where Alyssa got her beauty from."

Edward raised an eyebrow and grinned. "I'm flattered, very kind of you to say."

Sarah chose to ignore her husband's joke and blushed as she returned John's smile with a warm one of her own. "Thank you and please call me Sarah." She looked at him speculatively and added, "What do you do for a living, John?"

"He's a very successful trader, Mom," Alyssa interjected, standing beside John to give him a loving kiss on the cheek.

"I've been very fortunate," John said magnanimously, slipping an arm around Alyssa's waist and giving her an affectionate sideways hug. "The day I met your daughter was the luckiest of my life."

Alyssa beamed at him, then her eyes darted to the left to linger on Calara. The Latina shook her head slightly and gave her an understanding smile, but that just made the blonde more resolved. She turned to face her parents and said boldly, "I'd also like to introduce you to the other love of my life. This is Captain Calara Fernandez, a highly-decorated officer in the Terran Federation navy."

Sarah and Edward blinked in surprise, exchanged a startled look, then watched as Calara removed her Paragon helmet.

The Latina approached them, a rosy bloom to her olive-skinned cheeks. "It's a real honour to meet you both, Mr. and Mrs. Marant."

Edward scratched his head and looked at her hesitantly. "I never expected Alyssa to bring a girl home, let alone a T-Fed officer... I dunno whether to shake your hand or salute you?"

Calara gave him a wry smile. "If you're anything like my father meeting the guys I brought home, we'd have a sparring match then grab a beer."

He guffawed and patted her on the arm. "We can skip the fight, but I'd have a beer with you anytime."

Sarah stepped closer and looked up into the brunette's deep brown eyes. "I saw the look you shared with Alyssa. You didn't want to embarrass her in front of us, did you?"

"I'd do anything to keep her from being hurt," Calara replied softly. "Your daughter has a big heart and lots of love to share... but I wasn't sure how you'd react to Alyssa having a girlfriend. The last thing I'd want to do is offend you, or risk you being upset with her."

"I can see how much you care about her," Sarah said, giving her a gentle kiss on the cheek. She paused and whispered in Calara's ear, "Thank you."

When she moved back, she shared a smile with the Latina.

Alyssa clasped her mother's hand and said, "The rest of these girls are my closest friends and together, they're like my family."

The girls had all removed their helmets and they smiled at Alyssa's parents as she introduced each of them in turn. She started with Jade and the twins, who were each met with wide-eyed astonishment, Edward and Sarah unfamiliar with aliens, let alone any so exotic or beautiful. It was obvious that Rachel being a doctor intimidated the Marants, as they treated her with deference and respect. Sakura being introduced as their Security Officer also left them startled, as it was rare that women would get involved in that violent line of work on the Outer Rim.

When it was Dana's turn, she rushed forward to hug Alyssa's parents. "Thank you for having such an awesome daughter!" she blurted out, her sincerity ringing in every word. "I've known Alyssa for years... she's my best friend and I love her like a sister. She's just the best person I know and I'd do anything for her!"

The Marants were shocked to have this gorgeous statuesque redhead throw herself into their arms like that, but Dana was so earnest in her praise that they recovered quickly. "You're welcome," Edward said, awkwardly patting her on the back. "I'm very proud of my little girl... she grew up right."

Sarah gazed at her daughter in admiration then flung her arms around Alyssa. "There's so much I want to know! I want to hear everything about your life; all the things you've done and all the things you're planning to do in the future!"

Alyssa hugged her back fiercely and glanced at John, who gave her a rueful shake of his head.

"I'd love to spend hours telling you everything, Mom," Alyssa said in a soft murmur, her voice thick with emotion. "I wish we could with all my heart... but I'm afraid we don't have much time."

"Are you happy, my beautiful girl?" Sarah asked, her voice breaking. "I just need to know that..."

"So happy, Mom. My life with John and the girls is wonderful; I can't even begin to tell you how much they all mean to me and how lovely they all are," Alyssa whispered, holding her mother close. "I'm just so glad we finally got to meet. You're everything I always hoped you'd be."

Sarah dissolved into tears, her shoulders trembling as she was overcome with a heady mixture of love and relief for her daughter.

Alyssa looked over Sarah's shoulder at her father. "I miss you both so much... and I never forgot you, Daddy. I think about you nearly every day."

He placed a hand on his wife's shoulder and gazed into his daughter's eyes. When he spoke, he was uncharacteristically sombre. "Our last thoughts were of you, Alyssa. I'm just so sorry I let you down..."

"It wasn't your fault," she replied, trying to keep it together. "An accident at the mine... you weren't to blame."

Edward shook his head, his eyes full of regret. "I was devastated after your mother passed away... I loved her so much and lost years in a bottle to dull the pain. By the time I pulled myself together and requested a transfer to get us off Karron, it was too late. I should never have started drinking... I could've saved that money and got you somewhere safe. That was what me and Sarah always wanted... a fresh start away from this place so you'd never have to grow up here."

"I never knew..." Alyssa sobbed, clinging to them both.

"We loved you with all our hearts, Alyssa," Sarah said, kissing her daughter on the cheek. "Always remember that..."

"I love you too!" Alyssa cried, not wanting to let them go.

John stroked her back and said quietly, "I'm sorry, honey. It's time to say goodbye."

She was too choked up to speak and just clung to her mother and father, crying in her parents arms as they both hugged her. Alyssa tried to burn this memory indelibly into her mind, so she'd always remember what it was like to hold them this last time. When they eventually released her, Alyssa turned and buried herself in John's chest, unable to watch them leave.

Sarah suddenly turned to John, a knowing look in her eyes. "Thank you... for everything."

Edward nodded to him respectfully, his face filled with gratitude. "Take care of our little girl for us."

"I will, I promise," John said, stroking Alyssa's back to comfort her.

Sarah and Edward stood hand-in-hand, peaceful smiles on their faces as they gazed lovingly at their daughter... until they finally faded away.

***

Faye waited impatiently by the open hangar door, watching the docking bay entrance for the first sign of John and the girls. She knew they were getting close from the video images recorded by their integrated cameras, even though they had all removed their helmets now, so the footage was upside down and being jostled as they walked.

Watching Alyssa's emotional meeting with her parents via those cameras had been a moving experience for the purple sprite and she'd dearly wished that she could have been there to support her friend. That disappointment was tempered by the trust John was placing in her to keep Helene, the Nymphs, and his home safe. John had a habit of thinking that Faye was a regular girl, so she was proud he still had faith in her to protect those he loved, despite the innocuous appearance of her cute elfin body. Faye certainly didn't mind John forgetting about her synthetic nature, after all, convincing him that she was a soft organic girl had been the entire point of her mobile chassis.

In Faye's estimation, Tony was not a threat to anyone aboard. Even if he were, she would be more than capable of neutralising him personally, without having to rely on the defensive subsystems aboard the Invictus. An error notice in her primary processing stream reminded her that the Sonic Cannons had been stripped from the turret mounts to be used in the treatment bay. Faye quickly configured and began a batch job on the Mass Fabricators to produce parts for replacements, instructing her maintenance bots to start construction as soon as it was finished. The existing Sonic Cannons had Crystal Alyssium gunframes, but a titanium substitution would be sufficient if they were to replace the ones in the non-combat operations of the treatment facility.

Movement across the docking bay drew her attention and she bounced on her toes, eager to welcome her friends back to the Invictus. A sudden critical warning in her mood-analysis subroutine made Faye pause and she considered the video snippets she'd seen of John and the girls after the Marants had said goodbye. The girls had all been moved to tears by the poignant reunion between Alyssa and her parents, with John also in a quietly reflective mood.

Faye guessed that excessive cheeriness was probably inappropriate in such circumstances, but she was finding it very difficult to gauge the correct behaviour without more data. She remembered that John had facilitated the same kind of encounter for Sakura, so she set all her avatars to rapidly scan through the Invictus camera footage to see how the crew behaved afterwards.

The twins were the first to appear in the docking bay, walking helmetless at the front of the group. When Faye had seen them return towards the starport like that, she knew they'd forgotten about the security cameras dotted around the built-up sections of Karron. Quickly deactivating them had been easy, especially as she had already accessed those subsystems to search for footage on the Kirrix invasion. She noticed that the Maliri girls had expressions of longing on their faces that she'd never seen before, which she assumed was related to their desire to meet their father again.

Faye pondered that link between parent and child, recognising how powerful it was amongst organics. She mused that for a child, the connection to their parents reflected a link to their past, whereas a parental bond with a child was an optimistic one, looking towards the future. It was an oddly comforting thought that resonated strongly within Faye and she thought fondly of her own extended family.

"Hi Faye," Irillith said with a warm, if rather tired, smile. "Everything okay?"

"Our guests are settled in for the night, Creator," she replied quietly, walking over to give the Maliri a hug. "Welcome home."

Irillith looked at her in surprise, then hugged the petite girl back. "I needed that, Faye. Thank you."

Faye did the same for Tashana, studying the sisters with concern. "That must have been a rollercoaster of emotions for both of you. I know you're hoping for... a similar experience."

Tashana kissed her on the cheek. "We miss our father very much. Thanks for being so considerate."

They waved goodbye and headed inside, letting the purple sprite focus on the rest of the group. Rachel, Dana, and Sakura were next, the trio carrying the stack of armour plates that made up John's and Alyssa's Paragon suits. All three appeared to be lost in thought, although they each had enough presence of mind to acknowledge Faye with a smile.

Rachel glanced at Sakura as they approached the Invictus and after a moment's hesitation, she asked quietly, "Was it like that for you when you met your parents?"

A wistful smile appeared on the Asian girl's face and she nodded in confirmation. "It was one of the most wonderful moments of my life," she whispered reverently. "I felt like I truly got to understand my mother and father for the first time. I'll never be able to repay John for allowing me to say goodbye to my parents like that."

The brunette nodded, lost in her thoughts once more, with a look of profound longing in her misty grey eyes. Dana winked at Faye as she passed, but the redhead went back to watching her girlfriend with concern, and was too preoccupied for conversation. That left John and Calara, who were carrying Jade and Alyssa in their arms, the two matriarchs physically and mentally drained after the gruelling encounter in the Astral Plane.

Faye walked over to join them, falling into step beside Calara and reaching for Alyssa's hand to give it a supportive squeeze. "I'm so glad your parents finally got to meet the wonderful woman that we all know and love," she said, looking up into those blue eyes.

"Oh, Faye... that was lovely," Alyssa whispered, tearing up as she gave the petite girl a tremulous smile.

Calara gave her a look of sincere gratitude, the Latina still highly emotional after watching her lover in so vulnerable a state. They headed towards the express elevator after the others, all the girls longing to curl up in bed.

Jade was already asleep in John's arms and he held her protectively as he strode up the ramp into the Invictus. "Any problems while we were away, honey?" he asked, greeting Faye with a smile.

The purple sprite blinked to activate the lockdown mechanism for the Secondary Hangar's massive doors, then walked with him towards the grav-tube. "No problems at all. The Karron survivors are fed, showered, clothed, and fast asleep. I collected all the cam footage I could gather from the colony administration archives and have compiled a video for you to watch that chronicles Karron's fall. Finally, I've plotted alternate flight paths towards Valia Gate or directly towards the Kirrix border, and await your decision on our next course of action."

John paused to mull that over, his expression troubled. "If I remember right, the route to Valia Gate isn't too far a deviation from a direct course to the closest crossing point on the border?"

Faye nodded. "That's right. We would need to make an abrupt course change to head for Menganus IV, as it's not in the same direction. We'd need to fly perpendicular to the border and head towards Trankaran Space to reach that planet."

"Follow the direct path the Karron forces might have taken," John said with a heavy sigh. "We owe it to the colonists to at least check that the Kirrix fleet isn't on its way back. We can turn towards Valia Gate when any further pursuit would start taking us away from the colony... How much of a time delay will that add?"

"Two hours, thirteen minutes, forty-nine seconds," Faye replied, having already plotted such a flight path. "It's 1:16 am Terran Standard Time now, so we'll stop following the Karron prisoner trail at 7:43 am... assuming that's the course the Kirrix actually took."

"Perfect, thank you," he said with a tired but appreciative smile.

Faye brushed her fingers along his arm and gave him a sympathetic look. "Get some sleep, John. Don't worry about a thing, I'll keep you all safe."

John carefully leaned down to give her a kiss, being careful not to jostle Jade. "I don't know what I'd do without you, honey. Thanks for looking after us."

She experienced a buffer overload in her 'quietly supportive' behavioural routine and couldn't help beaming back at him in delight. They headed up in the express grav-tube, passing the girls who were removing armour and stowing away their weapons. Calara was already under the covers with Alyssa when they arrived in the bedroom and John placed Jade on the bed, then greeted Helene and the Nymphs who had been waiting for them to return. When they were settled, he climbed in between his two matriarchs, joining them in sleep seconds after his head hit the pillow.

Faye Primary slipped into her usual spot in the high-back leather chair and watched the girls ready themselves for bed. She checked them off against her list once they were tucked under the covers, only relaxing when all her wards were resting under her watchful eye. With a blink, the lights in the bedroom began to dim, until there was just a faint glow illuminating the way to the bathroom. While Tertiary was confirming that their guests were fast asleep on Deck Four, Faye Secondary was busy on the Bridge, carefully reversing the Invictus back through Karron's docking tunnel.

The white battlecruiser emerged from the shadowy rock, then performed a graceful turn, before sailing through the red-tinged asteroid belt. Faye reflected on the sad fate of the mining colony as they flew away from the local gravity wells. She knew that Alyssa and Dana had suffered many hardships in Karron, and had been desperate to leave the hollowed-out asteroid, but to see a place being rendered devoid of life filled her with a strange sense of melancholy. The Invictus reached the edge of the Omicron Ceti system and with a mournful sigh, Faye activated the Tachyon drive, launching them into hyper-warp.

***

Fleet Commander Lilyana strode across the Bridge of the Galaena Serine and managed to stifle a yawn. She had risen early that morning, but members of her bridge crew had been up all night overseeing the refit and she didn't want to appear insensitive, especially after all their hard work. As the elegant Maliri officer reached her Command Chair, she froze, deeply unsettled by her train of thought. Only a matter of months ago, she wouldn't have given her crew's feelings a second thought and would have sneered in contempt at an officer that did.

Lost in her introspection, she didn't hear Almari pad across the Bridge to join her. "Might I have a word with you privately, Fleet Commander?" the assassin asked, her tone polite and respectful.

Lilyana blinked in surprise and turned to look at the blue-eyed Maliri. "Y-yes, of course," she stammered quietly.

They walked into her Command Suite, with Almari closing the door behind them to ensure their privacy.

*I can sense your anxiety, Lilyana,* Edraele said, her gentle voice reflecting her concern. *Please tell Almari what's bothering you, I'd like to help put your mind at ease.*

She turned to look at the Maliri assassin, who was watching her with sympathy. After a brief moment of hesitation, Lilyana said quietly, "It struck me this morning... just how much I've changed in the past few months." She paused, her brow furrowed in concern. "I've started pandering to the feelings of my crew, which is a sure sign of weakness in a senior officer..."

Almari's expression didn't change as she listened to the troubled Fleet Commander, relaying Lilyana's words to their Queen.

*Are you certain about that?* Edraele asked, her tone neutral and non-judgemental.

Lilyana paused and mulled that over. "Those are the tenets of command taught in the Fleet Academy," she replied a little defensively. "The most famous quote from the litany on discipline is: 'A crew that fears their Commander will do their utmost to avoid the lash'."

Edraele's remorseful sigh echoed through Lilyana's mind. *I know you're well aware I used to share such beliefs and was a fierce advocate of the effectiveness of a neural whip. Have you felt even the slightest justification to use one for enforcing discipline since your fleet left Maliri Space?*

"No... but their usage was banned months ago by your edict, my Queen," Lilyana replied in confusion.

*True, but have you been tempted nonetheless?* Edraele persisted.

Lilyana paused to consider her question, then shook her head. "No, not once. The crew have worked tirelessly to follow any orders I've given."

*That's wonderful to hear,* the Maliri Matriarch said, sounding genuinely pleased. *May I let you in on a little secret, Lilyana?* When the Fleet Commander nodded to Almari, Edraele continued, *I believe I've found a far more effective method of encouraging loyalty.*

"What's that?" Lilyana asked in a hushed voice, entranced by Edraele's words.

*Kindness...* she murmured, her enchanting voice sending shivers down Lilyana's spine.

Almari crossed the room, padding silently with the grace of a hunting feline. She stopped close to the other Maliri and her slender hand reached out towards Lilyana's battledress uniform. "May I?" she asked, those nimble fingers pausing inches away.

Realising the assassin was asking for permission to touch her, Lilyana looked into those cobalt eyes and slowly nodded. Almari's full lips lifted into a disarming smile and her fingers unclasped Lilyana's jacket before slipping inside her shirt.

*You've been doing an incredible job of commanding the fleet so far, Lilyana,* Edraele said, her effusive praise quite genuine.

"Thank you," she replied, gasping as the assassin's fingertips touched her toned stomach.

*You brought the Maliri centre-stage with your decisive leadership in our dramatic debut at the Battle of Terra,* Edraele said, while Almari continued to stroke her. *Then you did a marvellous job of representing our people with the Trankarans. It was a sensitive diplomatic mission with important new allies and I was very impressed with the tact and finesse you displayed.*

"I-I just wanted to make you proud," Lilyana stammered, her eyelids fluttering as Almari circled her navel with a gentle caress.

Edraele was earnest as she gushed, *Oh you did, Lilyana! I couldn't have handled it better myself!*

Almari looked her in the eyes from only inches away. "Does this feel nice?" she whispered, lovingly stroking her soft azure skin.

Lilyana could only moan in response, her body trembling to that gentle touch.

Edraele's voice lowered into a sultry purr, *You've been such a good girl, Lilyana. When you return to the Protectorate, one of my highest priorities is to build a telepathic bond between us. Some intimate sessions with John would expedite the process and I'm sure he can be persuaded to help such a lovely woman become part of our inner circle... you certainly deserve it.*

"He's incredible, Lilyana," Almari murmured, no mistaking the look of reverence in her eyes. "Being intimate with John is an opportunity not to be missed."

Almari slowly withdrew her hand and Lilyana steadied herself by leaning against her desk.

*Now, what do you think of a few kind words as a motivational tool?* Edraele asked, a hint of playfulness to her voice.

"Very effective, my Queen..." Lilyana replied with a giddy laugh. "I'm certainly feeling... inspired."

Edraele's jovial tone turned serious as she said, *All teasing aside, I have never for one moment thought you to be a weak leader; you have my full confidence in your ability to lead the fleet to success. Continue as you have been, Lilyana, and I shall expect nothing less than your victorious return to the Protectorate.*

The Fleet Commander nodded to herself, feeling reassured and at peace. "Thank you... and I appreciate you speaking to me about this. It really helped."

*You're quite welcome and I'm relieved that you're feeling better,* Edraele said warmly. She hesitated then continued with profound regret, *I'm well aware how I treated you in the past, Lilyana. We've avoided speaking about it, but you never deserved my tirades, or the cold indifference that followed. I can only apologise profusely for my atrocious behaviour and I'm incredibly grateful for the loyalty that you have shown me despite that ordeal.*

Despite Lilyana having witnessed the dramatic change in her matriarch's personality in the past few months, she never expected to receive such an emphatic apology. "You're very different now, Edraele. I very much like my new Matriarch."

*I wish I could take credit for those changes,* Edraele said, her words ringing with regret. *But in truth, my new outlook on life is solely due to John's influence. If you do spend more time with him, you'll notice additional... differences... to the way you've previously behaved and interacted with people.*

Lilyana studied Almari in fascination and reached up to touch her long white hair, receiving an inviting smile from the assassin before she proceeded. She brushed her fingers through, enjoying the silky softness on her skin, before turning to look the other woman in the eye. "I'm finally starting to see what the long hair truly signifies. You possess a gentle empathy that I never would have expected to find in an assassin... In that regard, both you and Ilyana always reminded me of Edraele to some extent, and now I'm beginning to understand why."

"I can certainly attribute that to John's influence," Almari confirmed, sounding proud of that fact. "Ilyana's personality has changed too, much for the better in my opinion."

The House Valaden Fleet Commander nodded thoughtfully. "To be more like the three of you would be no bad thing," she said, a flicker of admiration in her eyes.

Almari leaned forward to give her a tender kiss on the cheek. "Next time you feel anxious about anything, come and see me. I'd be delighted to... help make you feel better."

Their eyes met and the two Maliri shared a coy smile, the Fleet Commander blushing a deep blue that matched Almari's beguiling gaze.

A chime on the desk intercom interrupted their flirting and Lilyana turned to answer the call, noting it was her communications officer. "Yes, what is it?"

"We have received an incoming call from Fleet Warden Thandrun, audio only," the comms officer replied.

Lilyana walked around to sit in the chair behind the desk. "Thank you. Put him through."

The Trankaran's deep rumbling voice boomed out from the comms system. "Good morning, Fleet Commander Lilyana. I wished to inform you that we have received reports from our engineers confirming that they have completed the installation of the new shield generators and heat sinks in your fleet."

She glanced at the comms interface and scrolled through the reports from her Maliri engineers. "My capital ships are likewise outfitted with new components, Thandrun. Please pass on my gratitude to your personnel, especially those volunteering to assist with the strike craft refit; they have done us a great service that won't be forgotten. My fleet is making final preparations to depart and we shall be on our way shortly."

Thandrun's voice was heavy with regret as he said, "I wish that our forces were capable of accompanying you to the front lines. Rest assured that the star forges will be running at full capacity until all our fleets have been refitted and are ready for combat. Current estimates predict our first fleet will be upgraded and fully operational within 24 hours."

"That's excellent news, Fleet Warden. I hope that the Kirrix are adhering to the terms of Alyssa's agreement and that combat will be unnecessary, but it's good to hear that your forces will be reinforcing us so quickly," Lilyana said with a nod. "Have you heard anything from your reconnaissance force regarding the Kirrix?"

"There has been no word yet," Thandrun replied, sounding worried. "Although it will take Warden Brokurlun some time to return from Dun Gerluhr to the closest comms beacon."

The Maliri Fleet Commander steepled her fingers, tapping the first two together as she studied a holographic representation of Trankaran Space. "Perhaps it might be prudent for my fleet to head directly to Dun Gerluhr? Should you hear from him before I reach the outer-limit of comms range, we can arrange a new destination if necessary."

"That sounds like a sensible plan," he agreed after mulling it over for a moment. "May the Great Protector watch over you, Fleet Commander Lilyana."

She glanced at Almari and smiled. "Oh, I have a feeling he will be."

***

"John..."

Feeling a hand on his thigh gently shaking him awake, John's eyes flicked open and he glanced down the bed in a groggy haze to see Faye looking concerned. "Hey, Watch Commander. Everything alright?" he asked, removing his arm from behind Jade's shoulders so he could rub at his eyes.

"Up on the Bridge, there's something you need to see..." she whispered, her expression deeply troubled.

Surprised by her sombre mood, he nodded his agreement. "Just give me a moment to get dressed... I'll be right up."

Her eyes darted to his right. "Take your time, I'll meet you there." She slid off the edge of the bed and gave him a quick wave goodbye before leaving the room.

Turning to see what had drawn the purple girl's attention, John found himself looking into Alyssa's penetrating cerulean gaze.

Her eyes softened and she gave him a lovely smile. "Good morning, handsome."

Rolling onto his side so that he was facing her, John caressed her cheek. "How are you feeling after last night?"

She placed her hand on his, her thumb brushing lightly over his skin. "You risked your life just to let me speak to my parents... I never thought anyone could love me so much."

"You know I'd do anything for you," he said, returning her smile. "But I'm afraid that was a one-off... I made a promise to a beautiful girl that I'm afraid I can't break."

Alyssa let out a blissfully happy sigh. "I love you so much, John. Meeting my mom for the first time... seeing my father again... it was all just so perfect." The look in her eyes turned wistful as she added, "I'm still sad that they're gone, but when I think about them and what could have been, the pain isn't there anymore. I feel... at peace... for the first time I can remember."

John felt a surge of relief and he pulled her into a hug. "That's all I ever wanted for you, honey."

"How did you know?" she asked, pulling back to search his face in wonder.

"Just a hunch," he replied, with a self-deprecating smile. "Not knowing my parents has left me with so many questions... I figured you had to be feeling something similar. Being able to do that for you, made all the struggles and hardships we've faced seem worthwhile."

"Thank you... for everything," she said softly, echoing her mother's last words.

John leaned in to give her a tender kiss and Alyssa responding lovingly, hugging him tight. When they finally separated, he glanced at the wall-mounted chronometer and saw that it was 6:43 am. "I'll go check on Faye. You stay here and get some rest, it's still early in the morning."

Alyssa nodded and released him, turning to cuddle Calara who mumbled in her sleep and instinctively wrapped her girlfriend in a hug. John managed to climb out of bed without disturbing anyone and dressed in a hurry, wondering what could have disturbed Faye. He waved goodbye to Alyssa and left the bedroom, striding purposefully towards the grav-tube.

When John reached the Command Deck, he stepped out onto the Bridge and found Faye waiting for him at the top of the Command Podium. Jogging up the illuminated steps, he gave her a grateful smile. "Thanks for giving me a few moments alone with Alyssa. She was so overwhelmed last night, that was the first time we've had to talk about what happened."

Faye's pensive expression lightened with a brief but sympathetic smile. "I know. I watched Alyssa speaking to her parents via everyone's helmet cameras and saw how emotional she was by the end."

John stroked her arm and looked into her big luminous eyes. "Thanks, honey." He studied her face for a moment, then continued, "So, what has you so unsettled?"

"I found the Kirrix forces that attacked Karron," she replied quietly, turning to activate a holographic image in the centre of the Bridge.

Looking startled, John stared up at the glowing three-dimensional representation of deep space. "Why didn't you wake the girls too? I'd like their input if we're mounting a resc-" His words died on his lips as Faye zoomed in the image, centred on a cluster of ochre-hued vessels. "Oh no..."

Now that the image had been amplified, he was finally able to see what had upset the elfin girl. A relatively small fleet of Kirrix ships had been involved in a fierce battle, their vessels reduced to little more than darkened hulks, surrounded by a sprawling field of debris. Centremost in the carnage were a quartet of drone carriers, their battered armour scarred by scores of energy beam hits, which had ruptured decks and vented thousands of insectoid crew. Countless drone fighters had been blown to pieces, their remains scattered haphazardly in all directions.

On the outer edge of all that destruction were the remains of several hive ships, one of which had been devastated by a huge explosion, torn in half by the blast. The final pair had been eviscerated by beam weapon fire, a long-running gunfight leaving them both lifeless wrecks. It was obvious to anyone looking at those harrowing scenes of carnage that no one could have survived in those vessels.

"Who did this?" he muttered, anger creeping into his voice as he stared at the ravaged ships. "Is there another Federation fleet operating out here? Zelig never mentioned anything..."

"Every wrecked vessel in that battlefield appears to be Kirrix in origin," Faye said in a hushed voice. "The type of damage to those ships matches what we've previously seen inflicted by neutron weapons..."

"You're saying that they attacked each other?!" he exclaimed, looking at her in shock. "Why the hell would they do that?"

She shrugged helplessly. "Calara might be able to analyse the debris and tell us exactly how the battle played out, but I've no idea why they'd start shooting at each other."

John leaned against the back of his Command Chair and stared at the hive ships. "Are you absolutely sure this is the fleet that attacked Karron?"

Faye's expression turned grim and she blinked slowly and deliberately. A highlighted image zoomed in on one of the hive ships, focusing on a ragged tear in the hull. The rupture had caused an explosive decompression, blasting Kirrix troops and their cargo of prisoners out into space. There was no mistaking the ghostly pale skin of the Terrans floating lifelessly there, their faces frozen in silent horror.

"It's them."

John rubbed at his face and let out a dejected sigh. "Those poor bastards..."

Turning to look up at him, Faye's eyes were filled with sorrow as she said, "John, all the people that Dana and Alyssa ever knew were aboard those ships. What are we going to say to them?"

*I'm waking Dana... we're on our way,* Alyssa quietly informed him before John could reply.

***

The huge Trankaran guards bowed deferentially to Queen Niskera as she approached the command centre. She acknowledged them with a grateful smile before touching the glowing rune on the wall, noting that the prior damage to the vault entrance had been completely repaired. The huge five-foot-thick metal door rolled to one side with a ponderous groan, admitting her to the inner sanctuary deep within the Radiant Palace.

She spotted Thandrun immediately, the Fleet Warden cutting an impressive figure in his power-assisted armour, red runes adorning the protective plates covering his eight-foot frame. He was surrounded by advisors talking together in low rumbling voices, his command staff poring over dozens of holographic charts as they discussed the refit of their fleets. Thandrun's focus was elsewhere though as he stared longingly at a high-definition video taken earlier that morning; the vessel shown was a Maliri battleship, the runes identifying it as the Galaena Serine.

The graceful golden vessel entered the shipyard's shooting range and opened fire, scything through the derelict target vessels with a blistering array of laser beams. A second salvo caused widespread destruction, culminating in a battered cruiser being atomised by an incandescent Nova Lance blast.

"Beware the temptation of Thuldromli," Niskera cautioned playfully, as she stood beside the Trankaran officer. "Coveting that which he could not have led to madness and despair..."

Thandrun jumped with surprise when he heard her voice, having been too distracted to notice her entrance, and he glanced down at the Glowing Queen. The instant his amber eyes drank in her appearance, a look of awe appeared on his blocky face that still lingered after he'd performed a sweeping bow. "I would never do anything to risk offending the Maliri, my Queen."

A wistful smile spread across her face. "I was only attempting to tease you, Thandrun, but I realise my attempt at humour was misguided." She glanced up at the Maliri warship. "It is a magnificent vessel is it not?"

He relaxed, gradually growing accustomed to her presence once again. "The firepower at their disposal is astounding, but I must question their decision to cover the hull in windows..."

She looked at the myriad of glittering crystal domes interspersed along the length of the battleship and was as equally bemused as the Fleet Warden. Turning to face him again, she asked, "Have we completed the refit according to schedule?"

Thandrun nodded, tapping several runes on the command table before him. "The Maliri left as soon as all the new components were installed." A Sector Map appeared showing the golden-hulled fleet racing through Trankaran Space towards the Kirrix invasion corridor. He glanced at the glowing woman beside him and added, "I took the liberty of offering a temporary transfer of a hundred engineers to their carrier fleet to assist with the refit of their strike craft. We were concerned that their engineering crews lacked the manpower to install so many shield generators in time."

"Did the Maliri accept?" Niskera asked, a hopeful look in her eyes.

"I am pleased to tell you that they did," the Fleet Warden replied, enjoying seeing the look of joy appear on her face. "I thought you would appreciate the opportunity to see further cooperation between our people."

She patted him on the arm, giving him a bright smile. "Absolutely, Thandrun! Well done!"

"Those engineers will transfer back when our fleets rendezvous with the Maliri in the invasion corridor," he explained, altering the focus of the map to Dun Gerluhr. "I did not want our rock-brethren to outstay their welcome, particularly with the Maliri's secretiveness about their appearance."

"We will make a politician of you yet, my friend!" she said with a melodious laugh.

Thandrun harrumphed, but she could tell his scowl wasn't genuine.

There was a ringing chime from the command table and one of the staff studied the comms interface. "Fleet Warden, we have an incoming call from Brokurlun!"

"Put him though," Thandrun replied, sharing a look of anticipation with Niskera.

***

John put his arms around Dana and Alyssa, who stood beside him on the Command Podium staring in shock at the final resting place of Karron's citizens.

Faye looked at the two girls with sympathy as she said, "According to the date stamps on the cam footage I gathered from Karron, the Kirrix abducted the colonists from the asteroid two days ago. Knowing how far the fleet travelled and their maximum hyper-warp speed, the battle must have taken place at approximately 11:30 pm last night."

John hugged them supportively. "I'm so sorry."

"I can't believe they're all gone," Dana said in a hushed whisper. "A load of those guys were assholes... but not everybody."

Alyssa gazed up at John, a disquieted look in her eyes. "If I hadn't met you, Sparks and I would've died here..."

Rachel had been lost in thought and she said distractedly, "Actually, in all likelihood the two of you would have been victims of egg infestation. Depending on the date of your capture, you would've died during the hatching process in approximately 6 to 10 days. Without John's involvement in recent events, Alyssa's confrontation with the Hive Mind near Brecken's World wouldn't have occurred and these Kirrix wouldn't have turned on each other."

The blonde stared at the map with hollow eyes. "So this was all my fault? Those people would still be alive if it wasn't for me?"

Dana frowned at her girlfriend and shook her head disapprovingly. "Hey! We don't know for sure that's what happened!"

Rachel hesitated and bit her lip, worried about upsetting her friend further.

Alyssa sighed and gestured at the brunette to continue, "Come on, out with it, Rachel..."

John shook his head and interrupted, "Don't blame yourself for their deaths, honey." When everyone turned to look at him, he continued, "I have no reason to doubt Faye's timeline, which means we wouldn't have been able to catch up to this fleet in time to stop them fleeing towards the border. I'd already made the decision to only head in this direction so far, before abandoning the pursuit and turning towards Valia Gate."

Sakura's expression was grim as she said, "If your intervention with the Hive Mind did cause the Kirrix to start infighting, then you did those people a favour, Alyssa. Far better a quick death than being torn to pieces by Kirrix grubs."

John hugged the blonde closer, then glanced down at the Tactical Station. "What can you tell us about the battle, Calara?"

The Latina took a deep breath, then slowly exhaled as her hands darted over her console. "Faye, please can you run an interactive simulation based on the parameters I've just entered and have the vessels follow my narrative."

"Of course," the purple sprite immediately agreed.

Calara rose to her feet and walked over to the centre of the Bridge just as Faye projected an image of the Kirrix fleet. The hologram showed four drone carriers and four hive ships travelling through hyper-warp in a close formation.

"They were retreating towards the border, when one half of the Kirrix forces decide to use interdictors on the other." The simulation showed the eight ships drop out of hyper-warp into deep space and immediately initiating combat. "The debris patterns start here, with the drone carriers destroying scores of fighters as they were launched."

She gestured to the four ugly insectoid cruisers at the rear. "The hive ships stayed out of the initial phase of the battle, letting the drone carriers exchange broadsides at point blank range. Their carriers' shields were depleted at approximately the same time and you can start to see shattered armour plating from the capital ships in the trail of debris. Meanwhile their complements of strike craft were destroying each other almost as fast as they could launch, which you can see from the drone wrecks all around the capital ship duel."

Calara talked through the manoeuvres involved, which Faye mirrored in the simulation. The drone carriers started to cause significant damage to each other, with internal explosions hastening their demise. Time after time, barrages of neutron beams slashed back and forth, carving glowing channels through hulls and destroying subsystems. The brutal battle of attrition crippled one drone carrier on each side, then wore down the last two at around the same time, with the final survivor finished off by a desperate salvo from a pair of hive ships.

"When only hive ships were left, two of them attempted to flee from the battlefield, probably intending to distance themselves from the wrecks so they could use hyper-warp." Calara watched the bulbous ochre vessels turn and run. "They split up and there was a running gunfight as the pursuers attempted to knock out their shields then cripple their engines. One salvo missed and burned through the hull to hit the Power Core..."

They watched as one of the hive ships was obliterated in a massive explosion, with its pursuer caught in the blast at close range. When the dazzling flash from the blast wave faded, all that was left was a hulk torn into two separate pieces.

"At that point the other hive ship stopped trying to run. It turned and started shooting at its pursuer's hull, deliberately trying to destroy the other ship rather than immobilise it. That vessel responded accordingly and they slaughtered each other in a point-blank knife-fight that destroyed life-support on both ships."

The simulation ended, with the final positions of the devastated ships precisely matching their location in the debris-strewn battlefield.

John shook his head in disbelief. "Damn... that was horrific."

Dana's brow furrowed in confusion as she blurted out, "What the fuck were the hive ships doing?! They started out just sitting there, then they tried to wreck each other's engines, and ended up blowing the crap out of each other! It doesn't make any sense!"

"Not to us," Irillith said quietly. "But if you think like the Kirrix, their behaviour makes perfect sense."

"What do you mean?" John asked, looking intrigued.

The Maliri walked across the Bridge to join Calara, while glancing over her shoulder to say to Faye, "Can you rerun that battle simulation please."

Faye bobbed her head, blinking to reset the holographic models.

Irillith pointed at the eight ships as they flew through hyper-warp. "The Kirrix hive ships are retreating from Karron towards their own territory, each carrying thousands of prisoners, when two of the broodmothers suddenly change their minds about keeping the colonists. They realise that the only way to avoid a retributive strike from us on Kirr-Inax is to take those people back to Karron... so they interdict the ships that refuse to return their hosts."

The rest of the crew watched in hushed silence as the Kirrix dropped out of hyper-warp.

"The hive ships are each carrying approximately 3000 prisoners, which could be used as hosts to spawn 90,000 grubs. From the Kirrix point of view, that makes those vessels and their cargo more valuable than the drone carriers. The hive ships therefore stay out of the fight, with their drone carriers battling for supremacy to determine which side is victorious," Irillith explained, then watched as the battle raged around the hive ships, leaving them untouched.

"As soon as the drone carriers were destroyed, the side that refused to give up their prisoners fled from the battle. The side that was intent on returning the colonists to Karron chased after them, trying to knock out their engines so that the hive ships could be boarded." She sighed, watching sorrowfully as one of the hive ships exploded. "The shot that accidentally triggered the Power Core breach convinced the last fleeing hive ship that it must stand and fight to save its cargo of hosts. When that ship started trying to kill its pursuer, it was now too dangerous for the other side to continue trying to free the colonists and they were forced to fight to the death to protect themselves."

John shook his head as if struggling to believe what she had just explained. "It all fits... but a Kirrix civil war? One confusing skirmish doesn't necessarily prove that's true."

*It's not just one localised event, John,* Edraele murmured, no mistaking the shock in her voice. *Queen Niskera just contacted Lilyana. A Republic fleet observed Kirrix forces attacking each other near one of the besieged Trankaran worlds. The battle played out in an almost identical fashion, with the drone carriers destroying each other until the hive ships on the losing side were forced to flee. The winning side boarded the losers, then returned to Dun Gerluhr.*

Irillith listened attentively to her mother's update, then turned to look up at John on the Command Podium. "One side wants to keep their hosts, the other wants to return them to protect Kirr-Inax. I believe this is conclusive proof confirming that theory."

Tashana looked at Alyssa and frowned in confusion. "From the way you described the Hive Mind, it sounded like they provided a unified voice that guided the Kirrix. Why would they suddenly have such divergent opinions and split like that?"

Alyssa peeled away from John and slumped in her XO chair. "Because I only managed to confront half the Hive Queens..." she said in a barely audible whisper.

Rachel nodded, her grey eyes watching her matriarch with sympathy. "The Hive Mind clearly had no intention of stopping the abductions until you assaulted their astral construct. When you proved you could reach out and really hurt them, the Hive Queens you brought to your pocket plane started taking your threats against their homeworld seriously."

John squatted down in front of Alyssa so he could meet her lowered gaze. "You can't blame yourself for this. The Kirrix have been abducting and murdering sentient creatures for so many thousands of years, it's ingrained now as their way of life. The fact that you managed to intimidate even half of them into giving that up is remarkable."

She looked past him at the ochre tombs containing the tragic Karron citizens. "I bet they didn't think so..."

"But if we're right and the Kirrix are now fighting a civil war over this, how many hundreds-of-thousands of Trankaran citizens have you saved?" he asked, determined to stop her feeling guilty. "At the very least, the abductions will have stopped while the two factions fight for supremacy. That'll give the Trankarans more time to get their forces refitted and mobilised, then they can assist the Maliri with intercepting any Kirrix fleets that are refusing to return prisoners."

Dana leaned over to give her friend a hug. "None of this is on you. Everyone on Karron was doomed as soon as that fucking asshole Buckingham recalled the border fleet... he's to blame for all these people dying on the Outer Rim."

Alyssa took a deep breath and nodded. "I just wish I'd been able to grab all the Hive Queens. I could've ended this whole invasion in one go."

"You did what you could and saved a lot of people," John said, gently squeezing her hand. "No one could ask more than that."

Her cerulean eyes narrowed. "I could go back... finish the job."

John froze in alarm. "Absolutely not! After what we've just been through, you're in no shape for that... besides, if you pull that same stunt again, the Leviathan will be able to track down your pocket plane. Athena showed me... those mist monsters are searching for it."

"What about trying diplomacy?" she asked, refusing to give up. "I could visit their palace and try to get the rest of the Hive Queens to listen to reason..."

"I think they're more likely to run as soon as they see you."

Alyssa leaned forward and placed a hand on his chest. "Please, John. Just think how many lives I could save if I can convince the rest of the Hive Mind to stop fighting."

He hesitated, feeling deep reservations about the idea.

"I won't do anything dramatic! I'll just try to talk with them," she implored him, looking at John with pleading eyes. "Please! I promise I'll be careful."

Finally relenting, he nodded. "Alright... but if they attack, I want you back here immediately."

Alyssa gave him a quick kiss and a grateful smile, then sat back in her chair and closed her eyes.

***

Alyssa stepped clear of her body in her spirit form and immediately set off across the Astral Plane, racing over the featureless expanse. She knew exactly where the Kirrix construct was located and rushed towards it, taking the time to shield herself in case she was met with a violent reception.

The ochre palace appeared on the horizon, the huge building growing larger as she drew closer. The wall was still shattered where she had blasted through on her last visit, but Alyssa knew there was something else different about the palace, although she couldn't quite place what it was. It took her a few moments to notice the changes, but they became more apparent the nearer she got.

There was an unsettling feeling of decay about the building. Where the walls and columns had once been sharply defined, there was now a haziness to the edges... as though the palace was starting to bleed away. She arrived at the outer wall and approached cautiously, peeking inside the hole smashed in the side and searching for any sign of movement. The interior was desolate, the floor still strewn with debris from where she'd breached the Hive Mind's sanctuary.

Alyssa knew in her bones that the Hive Queens had never returned here. The palace looked like it had been abandoned for centuries.

***

John waited impatiently, counting the seconds as he waited for Alyssa to return, worrying that she might be attacked by the monsters that roamed the Astral.

"They're gone!" she suddenly blurted out, her eyes snapping open.

Feeling a flood of relief at her safe return, he blinked as her words sunk in, and asked, "What do you mean?"

"The Kirrix palace... it looks completely abandoned," she replied, shivering at the eerie sense of desolation she'd felt there. "The construct is starting to decay, probably because the Hive Mind has stopped maintaining it."

"Perhaps they built another?" Jade suggested, listening with interest.

Alyssa thought about that for a moment, then shook her head. "Building an astral construct like that isn't in the same league as forming your own pocket plane, but it still takes a serious amount of power. There's no way a fractured Hive Mind could have built a replacement."

John squeezed her hand and smiled. "Hey! Was that a sly dig about my fortress?"

She gave him a quick kiss. "Of course not. I was very proud of you making your little fort."

He couldn't help chuckling at her teasing. "You forgot to pat me on the head and tell me I was a clever boy."

"Sorry, I'll try to remember next time," she said, breaking into a grin.

Relieved to see her shaking off her sombre mood, John gave her a kiss on the cheek, then rose to his feet. "Okay, so it looks like we've confirmed the Hive Mind isn't unified any more. If they've given up meeting in the palace, are the Hive Queens in the two factions even coordinating with each other now?"

"Perhaps they're reaching out individually to the Broodmothers controlling the hive ships?" Alyssa suggested, looking thoughtful. "That would explain half the fleet turning on the rest."

Faye caught John's eye and asked, "Sorry to interrupt, but would you like me to set course for Valia Gate?"

He nodded gratefully. "You're right, we're wasting time sitting here like this. There's still a chance we can save the colonists on the last two worlds."

Alyssa twisted her chair so that it was facing the XO station. "Let me see if I can make any improvements to your flight path, Faye." She was finished in less than a minute and smiled at the sprite. "I managed to shave 20 minutes off our flight time. We'll arrive at Zeta Phoenicis at 8:51 am."

Faye hesitated before engaging the Tachyon Drive and glanced at the holographic image of the devastated Kirrix fleet. "Would you like me to contact the Terran Federation and notify them about the location of the Karron colonists? When the invasion is over, they could collect the bodies for burial."

Dana gave the purple sprite a hug. "Yeah, please do. They deserve that."

"That was very thoughtful, Faye," John agreed. He felt a flicker of guilt for not thinking of it himself and the irony that an AI had made such a compassionate suggestion didn't escape him.

Retro-thrusters flared along the Invictus' starboard bow, turning the white battlecruiser so that it was facing the Zeta Phoenicis system. In a swirl of Tachyon particles, it leapt into hyper-warp and began racing towards the next Outer Rim colony devastated by the Kirrix.

"Would you like me to inform our guests what happened to the rest of the colonists?" Faye asked, looking at John and the girls.

John glanced at Alyssa and asked quietly, "I know you're not a fan of Tony... What about Kelli and Perl? Did you know them from before?"

The blonde hesitated, then shook her head. "I'd seen them around a couple of times, but we never spoke. I was just Sparks' gopher, I wasn't allowed in a lot of the Diablos base."

"I know them well enough," Dana said, with a resigned sigh. "I should be the one that tells them."

"Kelli was actually asking after you," Faye said with an encouraging smile. "I think she'd appreciate a chance to talk."

"Alright, I guess I'll head there now," the redhead said, turning to walk down the illuminated steps to the grav-tube.

Faye shook her head and called out, "Wait! They're still asleep!"

John offered Alyssa a hand as she got up from her chair. "It's still pretty early. Why don't we all go back to bed and get some more rest before we arrive at Valia Gate?"

The girls all agreed, so he led them down in the grav-tube and then back to the bedroom. Alyssa had decided not to disturb the Nymphs, so they were still curled up together in a tangle of lithe green limbs and firm breasts.

As everyone started to get undressed, Alyssa cleared her throat and said, "While we're all here, can we do a quick debrief on what happened in the Astral Plane?"

"That's a great idea," John said, as he moved into his usual spot resting against the headboard. "There's a few things I wanted to discuss with everyone."

Once the girls had fanned out around him in a semi-circle, John began by describing how he'd worked out a plan with Edraele to exhaust his guide, letting him enter the Astral Plane without being constantly dragged back to his body. Next, he explained about his idea of tapping Jade directly for energy, rather than channelling it through Alyssa, to try to prevent either of them from being drained to power another portal.

"Unfortunately, that didn't quite go to plan," Alyssa said with a wry smile.

Irillith laughed and rolled her eyes. "No surprise there."

John nodded and glanced at the Nymph. "When we connected and started transferring energy, I accidentally reorganised our connections. Now I'm directly linked with Jade, so she can transfer me energy, just like Alyssa and Edraele can."

Calara put an arm around the Nymph and gave her a hug. "It sounds like you got a promotion; you're a fully-fledged matriarch now... congratulations!"

Jade smiled in delight as the girls echoed the Latinas heartfelt words. "I'm really looking forward to recruiting," she said, grinning gleefully at John.

He faked a groan and held his head in his hands. "Oh no... what've I done?"

When the laughter died down, Irillith said, "Going back to what you said about your guide for a moment, that's a major breakthrough if you can render him ineffective like that. Does that mean you're strong enough to eliminate him permanently?"

John mulled her question over for a moment before answering. "I managed to trick him into wasting lots of psychic energy and exhausting himself this time, but I imagine he'll be a lot more cautious from now on. As for challenging him? I think that's a definite possibility, but I'd like to visit Arcadia first and find out what happened to my parents before I risk a confrontation."

"That's not long..." Irillith said softly, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. "I'm looking forward to the day he's gone for good."

Alyssa nodded, clasping John's hand and giving it a supportive squeeze. "Me too."

"Yeah, he was quite the asshole," Dana agreed. "I take it you don't plan on keeping him around like Athena?"

"Ah... no," John replied with a smile.

Jade leaned forward, her emerald eyes shining with pride. "Master, do you want to tell them about the terrifying black castle you made, or should I?"

He grimaced and sighed in resignation. "Go ahead, you can tell them."

The Nymph joyfully explained how he'd shaped the astral matter like it was second nature, forming a huge astral construct using his strength of will and the energy she was supplying him. Her descriptions of the glossy black walls and sinister design of the fortress earned John more than one curious look, with Rachel in particular watching him intently.

"I never intended it to look like that," he protested. "I was just focusing on trying to make the place as resilient as possible, I wasn't really thinking about aesthetics."

"Are you worried what this might mean regarding the nature of your abilities," Calara asked him perceptively.

He made eye-contact with her and nodded, his expression troubled.

"I don't think you have anything to worry about," Rachel said, her lips twitching into a hint of a smile.

John turned to her, unable to hide his concern. "I appreciate you trying to make me feel better, but Jade wasn't exaggerating... the place looked incredibly sinister."

"I promise you, this isn't some meaningless platitude," she said, her smile broadening. "Tell me... what's the strongest material you know of?"

He thought about that for a moment, then blurted out in surprise, "The black metal in a Progenitor ship!"

"And you said yourself that you were trying to make your fortress 'as resilient as possible'. What better building material than that?" she suggested. Her bright smile turned sympathetic as she continued, "You're not intrinsically a bad person, John. You need to have more faith in yourself."

Alyssa frowned at him, radiating disapproval. "I couldn't have said it better myself..."

He heard the edge to her voice and knew she wasn't just talking about his doubts about the nature of his abilities. *Do we really need to discuss that bit?*

*Afraid so,* she said sternly.

Before John could raise any objections, Alyssa continued to recount the events in the Astral Plane. She described the monsters attacking the fortress, then the Ancient Leviathan hijacking John's ley-lines that connected him to the deep Astral. The girls were on tenterhooks as they listened, eyes widening as they heard how John had tried to end that connection and when that didn't work, how he'd attempted to break the link between himself, Jade, and Alyssa... again to no avail.

Alyssa's brows furrowed with anger as she said, "And then he came up with the bright idea of killing himself to save me and Jade!"

There was deathly silence in the bedroom as the girls all gaped at him in horror.

"You bonehead!" Dana yelled at John, throwing herself into his arms. "Don't ever even joke about doing anything like that!"

"I was completely out of options," he protested, looking around at the shocked faces. "It's not like I wanted to!"

Calara joined the redhead in giving him a fierce hug. "I had no idea it got that desperate in there!"

"How did you break its hold on you?" Tashana asked quietly, hugging her sister for comfort as they reeled at the thought of John being killed.

John stroked Dana's back and replied, "That monster's psychic attacks are horrible, they left me feeling so sickened I could barely move. I remembered how revolted it was, when I rejected its vision of thralls being drained into husks and turned those images into you girls sleeping peacefully. After the way it reacted, I wondered if a psychic attack from me would affect it the same way."

Tashana listened in fascination. "So what happened?"

He looked around the group and continued, "The psychic energy I get from all of you is a gift, it's not drained from you against your will like other Progenitors do. That changes the nature of that power and I can feel how close we are when we're connected."

"The group hugs when we've got an active connection..." Rachel said, nodding thoughtfully.

"That's right. So when I sent a burst of energy back down the ley-line to that creature, it got to experience that same feeling of love and intimacy. It wasn't impressed... and while it was busy heaving its guts out, we escaped from the Astral Plane."

Dana laughed with relief and hit him playfully on the arm. "See! There's always a way!"

He looked down at her with a strained smile. "It was a real shot in the dark, honey. If you can think of anything else I could've tried, I'm all ears."

The room went quiet again as the girls wracked their brains for alternate solutions.

After a while, Dana ruefully shook her head. "Sorry, I've got nothing. Getting that thing loved up was inspired... I never would've come up with that."

"I can't think of any ideas either, but I am curious about something else," Sakura said, looking at John in fascination. "Why did you build a gatehouse into your fortress? It's not as if you were planning to leave... If you'd only used solid walls, you could have defended against the abomination attacks indefinitely."

His mouth fell open in surprise, then he admitted sheepishly, "I never thought of that. I just designed it like a regular castle and they usually have a gatehouse."

Alyssa blushed and mumbled under her breath, "I need to have a chat with Athena..."

"I've just thought of something you could've tried," Tashana volunteered. "Why not use your time-shifting runes? That creature surprised you by attacking your final two ley-lines simultaneously, but you could've used the runes, reversed time and found a way to prevent that."

"That's a good point, but they take a significant amount of eldritch energy to inscribe," he replied with regret. "I used up all my reserves and tapped out Edraele exhausting my guide. I knew Jade would need to provide a huge amount of power to let me connect to the deep astral in six places, so I couldn't risk taking any more energy from her. The only way I could've created temporal runes beforehand was if Alyssa supplied me the power to create them and I was trying to avoid exposing her to being drained by that creature."

"But I was forced to get involved anyway," Alyssa reminded him. "Which proves how dangerous being overprotective can be."

The girls all nodded their agreement and John held up his hand to concede she was right. "Alright, that's a good point. If we'd gone in with all guns blazing at the start, it probably would have been much easier."

Her eyes narrowed as she said firmly, "And no more noble self-sacrifices!" She turned her stern gaze on the girls. "That goes for the rest of you too. No throwing your lives away trying to save everyone else... the situation is never totally hopeless!"

That was met with solemn agreement all round, which actually helped ease the tension a little.

During the discussion, Rachel had been mulling over the events in the Astral Plane. She waited for a lull in the conversation and said, "Despite how close we skirted disaster here, we actually learned some very interesting new pieces of information."

"Such as?" John asked, looking intrigued.

"Firstly, the Leviathan sent its minions to attack you and surrounded your fortress in those mists. Alyssa said herself that if you enclose someone in the Astral like that, you can drag them into your own subplane... so why didn't it do that to you?"

He thought about that for a moment, then shook his head. "I've no idea... but it sounds like you might."

She nodded, her grey eyes glinting. "I suspect that's because its primary goal was to open a portal into the Material Plane... and I would lay good money that it can't do that from wherever its pocket plane resides."

"That makes sense," John readily agreed. "So why is it so desperate to send its creatures through a portal?"

Rachel shook her head helplessly. "That I don't know. But I think we all agree that it's incredibly powerful and by far the strongest creature we've encountered in the Astral Plane..."

"You'll get no argument from me there," John said, intrigued to know what she was leading up to.

"Which makes me wonder... why doesn't it just open a portal itself?" she asked, making them all stop and think. "It's certainly strong enough to do it."

He nodded in understanding. "Because it can't..."

"That's the conclusion I came to as well. Perhaps it needs someone out here to anchor an inter-dimensional portal?" she postulated, tapping a finger on her chin. "When we tried to speak to my mother on New Eden, it did almost exactly the same thing when it hijacked your connection into the deep Astral. Whatever the reason, that creature isn't just attacking at random, there's some kind of purpose behind its actions."

Dana grimaced and said, "It's not going to be good, whatever it is."

"It's clearly connected to the Progenitors somehow," Tashana said, sitting back and thinking about her archaeological research. "Mael'nerak must have known about that creature, but there was no mention of it in the Nexus files, Valada's recordings, or any of the artefacts I discovered."

Rachel looked at John and said quietly, "As much as I'd love a chance to speak with my mother again, we can't keep risking encounters with that creature. It's far too dangerous."

He beckoned her over and Rachel joined Dana in his arms. "We'll find a way eventually, honey."

She sat up straighter and looked into his eyes. "I know you're not going to rest until then." Kissing him tenderly, she whispered, "Thank you."

Dana wriggled in his arms, turning so that she could kiss him too. "I feel too jittery to sleep," she said breathily, kissing his earlobe. "I'm still feeling freaked out from earlier..."

"I'm sorry," he said, stroking her back. "What can I do to make you feel better?"

The redhead gave him a coy smile and peeled off her top, freeing her impressive breasts. She pressed them against his chest as she began unbuttoning his shirt. "I need to be close to you right now... really close."

"How about you, honey?" John asked, looking into Rachel's grey eyes, watching them turn smoky with arousal.

"I was frightened too," she whispered, her lips brushing against his. "I need a hard, deep reminder that you're here and never going away."

"You're such good girls," he murmured, arms filled with nubile young women. "I definitely need to make it up to you."

The atmosphere in the bedroom had an electrifying intensity to it as they all removed their clothes, with Dana taking the lead and pushing John onto his back. She wasted no time in straddling his waist, lining up his achingly hard cock with her pussy and sliding him into her hot buttery depths. Letting out a shuddering sigh of contentment, she sank all the way down his shaft, until her deliciously firm bottom was resting on his quad.

She placed her hands on his muscular chest and gyrated her hips, eyelashes fluttering as he stretched her in new and thrilling ways. "Fuck... I needed this so bad..."

Alyssa leaned over to kiss her shoulder, her hand reaching up to tweak one of the redhead's swollen nipples. "Now don't be greedy... Just cum once, then let everyone else have a ride."

Dana bit her lower lip and groaned. "Just one? Come on..."

The blonde gave her a firm smack on the ass, making her squeak. "Just think about poor John for a minute. He's going to have to resist the urge to pump his cum into thirteen tight little pussies as they each take a turn cumming on his huge cock."

She looked down at John and gave him a wicked grin. "Thirteen sexy girls, with fertile wombs ready for a hot load..."

Now it was John's turn to groan as he watched her hand caress the bulge his cock had made in Dana's toned lower belly.

"And she'd look absolutely gorgeous with a big swollen tummy," Alyssa purred, her fingers delving lower and finding Dana's clit.

The redhead whimpered, her movements getting erratic as the blonde teased her. Her sky-blue eyes flashed dangerously as she hissed, "If you make me cum, it doesn't count!"

Alyssa pretended to glare at her. "You're so naughty! How dare you speak to your matriarch like that?"

Her hand moved in a blur as she strummed Dana's clit, then she spanked her again with the other hand and slipped a finger into her ass. John watched as the redhead's mouth fell open in a silent scream, her pussy clenching him like a fist as she was stunned by the intensity of her explosive orgasm. After going rigid, she seemed to melt and collapsed on top of him, lying sprawled across his chest.

Easing her finger out of Dana, Alyssa laughed and patted the quivering girl on the bottom. "She was going to cheat anyway... at least we got the first one out the way quickly." She turned to Calara and gave her a smouldering look. "Now it's your turn, baby..."

John encircled Dana in his arms, gently stroking her back as he waited for her to recover.

She eventually lifted her head from his shoulder to give him a sultry smile. "Mmm, I feel better already..."

He could see the golden coronas around her pupils as she gazed down at him lovingly, her long auburn tresses soft against his cheek. "I really am sorry I scared you."

Dana leaned down to give him a tender kiss. "I belong to you... but you belong to me too." She couldn't help an involuntary shudder. "The thought of losing you... it's just too horrible to even think about."

"I feel the same way about you," he murmured, holding her close to his chest. "So let's make sure that never happens."

She nodded eagerly and rolled her hips, sliding a few inches of his cock back and forth in her snug depths. "You and me, we're going to be together forever..."

"Just us, the girls, and all the wonderful kids we're going to have together," he said, gazing into her eyes.

Dana looked at him in adoration, slowly riding him with an expression of intense concentration on her beautiful face. "I want that so much..."

She touched her forehead to his, staring wide-eyed at him as he steadily stroked her towards her climax. This one built up in waves, starting in the pit of her belly and flooding through her senses, leaving her breathless.

"That one was even better," she murmured with a dreamy look in her eyes, as she eased off him and rolled to the side.

Rachel gave Dana a quick kiss, then left the redhead in Sakura's capable hands as she turned her attention to John. "Hello," she said with a seductive smile as she mounted him.

He returned her smile, holding her trim waist in his hands and helping to support her as she lined herself up with him. They both sighed with relief when he was fully impaled inside her, the head of his cock nudging the deepest recesses of her womb. Like Dana before her, the brunette lay down on his chest, a blissful look of contentment on her face as she relished that throbbing heat.

"Your insights today were fascinating," John said sincerely, brushing his hands through her silky hair and looking intently into her sharp grey eyes. "But I want you to know that I don't just value your brilliant mind... you're also a fantastic piece of ass."

Rachel burst into laughter and hugged him tight. "Thanks, John. A girl wants to know that she's not just valued for her big... brain."

He kissed her and they shared a smile. "I'm sorry about earlier. I didn't want Alyssa to mention what happened in the Astral Plane, it affects you girls too badly, thinking that kind of thing. I know it's linked to the Change somehow."

She nodded, trying not to wince. "It's too dreadful to even contemplate..." Glancing from side to side to make sure no one was close enough to hear, she leaned down and whispered in his ear, "I know you want to apologise to the others, but don't. Just let them enjoy being with you... trust me, it's kinder that way."

"Thank you," he said, wrapping her in a bear hug.

Rachel gazed down at him and hesitated for a moment, before saying, "John, could I ask a favour?"

"Of course, beautiful. What's on your mind?" he asked, looking up at her inquisitively.

She blushed, then leaned down to whisper in his ear, "I know we're being intimate and loving, which is wonderful, don't get me wrong... but making love with Dana is like that too. I've been craving the kind of really rough, hard pounding that only you can deliver."

He looked at her in surprise, then grinned. "You need straightening out?"

Rachel nodded, her eyes flashing. "I need it desperately..."

John slapped her ass, making her jump. "Get into position for me..."

Her breath caught and she slid off his length with a low moan that was a mixture of loss and anticipation. She quickly turned, finding a clear space on the bed between writhing intertwined girls and presented herself to him on all fours. Rachel tossed her long mane of brown hair to one side, a primal need in her eyes as she looked over her shoulder. "Fuck me hard... I want you to make me squeal!"

He loved seeing her so passionate like this, the normally reserved doctor turning into a wild woman as she succumbed to her lust. Positioning himself behind her, he grabbed her firmly by the waist to stop her wriggling away, and nudged the head of his cock against her sopping pussy. Rachel whimpered as he thrust forward, burying himself to the balls in one long womb-busting push. Her whimper turned into a startled gasp as John gathered her mane of hair in his hand then clenched his fist, tugging her head back.

She felt dominated and totally under his control as John withdrew his cock a few inches then drove all the way to the hilt, his quad slapping against her pussy. That was Rachel's last rational thought as he began fucking her furiously, with long-deep strokes that stopped her thinking about anything except the huge cock pumping into her womb. Her mewling cries drew everyone's attention, but no one objected when she climaxed over and over again, reduced to an ecstatic sex object for John to slake his lusts.

"Holy fuckkk!" Rachel shrieked as he jack-hammered into her, the teenager's bewildered pussy fluttering wildly as his broad girth stretched her wide.

Her legs were trembling with the adrenalin coursing through her veins, her body responding to the intense pounding she'd demanded. Those perceptive grey eyes that saw too much were glazed over, her incredible mind set adrift in a stormy sea of debauchery. It was everything she'd longed for.

Alyssa knelt reverently at John's side, her slender hands stroking his back, then gliding down to his pumping buttocks. "Give her what she really needs, handsome," she said softly, her fingers moving to cup his quad. "You can take care of the rest of us later... we all want to see her rewarded."

John nodded, then glanced to his side where Dana was watching them both with wide eyes, her frantic fingers busy between her legs. "Get over here, gorgeous... under your girlfriend..."

Dana nodded eagerly, scampering over the bed and sliding under the brunette. John pushed Rachel down so that her breasts were squashed against her lover's, while continuing to dominate her pussy with powerful thrusts.

"You're getting pounded like a bitch, babes..." Dana hissed excitedly.

"Sorry... need it so bad..." Rachel whimpered, screwing her eyes shut as she climaxed again with a squeal.

Dana wrapped her arms and legs around her shaking girlfriend, then pouted playfully at John over Rachel's shoulder. "No fair... I can't fuck her like this!"

"Rub her clit for me, let's see if we can really blow her mind," he said with a grin.

She nodded, sky-blue eyes smouldering as she slipped one hand under the panting girl's stomach.

John released his grip on Rachel's hair, letting her collapse on top of Dana. With the redhead's long sleek legs draped over Rachel's tanned thighs, it looked like she was keeping her lover pinned in place for him. He groaned at the incredible sight, admiring the flexing muscles in the brunette's perspiration-soaked back. Unable to resist, he dragged his nails down beside her spine, leaving faint white lines on her sensitive skin. She gasped at that provocative touch, then moaned as John took a firm grip on her waist with both hands, his thumbs circling her dimples of Venus.

Each thrust made her bottom quiver with the impact, those trembling globes framing her obscenely stretched pussy. He knew his girth meant that every ridge and vein on his shaft was being dragged over her g-spot, reducing the quivering girl to a helpless climaxing puddle. Rachel had gone limp now, docile and compliant as she waited obediently to be filled with cum. The thought of this lovely, kind-hearted, beautiful girl smiling serenely at him as she caressed her heavily pregnant belly made his quad tense up. It was thrilling to think that he could choose to make her into a mother whenever he wanted...

John's climax was so intense that he starting seeing stars and he squeezed his eyes to focus on her pussy rippling along his shaft. He heard Rachel's soft euphoric cries as she felt his spunk shooting into her, filling her womb and curving out her stomach. The heady sense of exhilaration was overwhelming as his cock pulsated rhythmically, pumping a massive load into her prone form until she was hugely swollen with cum. Dana cradled those impressive curves, whispering lovingly in her girlfriend's ear as Rachel sobbed with pleasure through a final release.

Easing his softening cock out of her gaping pussy, John collapsed backwards onto the bed, his breathing ragged.

Calara laughed and snuggled into him. "Wow! Can I have some of that next time?"

"Whatever... you want... gorgeous," he managed to pant between laboured breaths.

Alyssa knelt beside Rachel and smiled as she gently stroked the comatose girl. "You managed to put her lights out with that last one."

Dana giggled as she cuddled the brunette, arms and legs wrapped around her protectively. "Any chance I can ask for a do-over? I want some of that too!"

There was laughter from the rest of the girls and murmurs of agreement, especially from the Nymphs who were gazing at John in awe.

He turned to look at Helene and saw a look of astonishment on her pretty face. "Are you alright, honey?" he asked with concern, finally getting his breathing back under control.

She blinked and looked his way, her shocked expression turning into a self-conscious blush. "I just never thought that making love could be quite so... vigorous."

John beckoned her over. "Rachel asked me to be a lot rougher than normal. I hope that didn't frighten you?"

The aquatic girl smiled and lay down beside him, joining Calara in running her fingers over his muscular chest. "No, I wasn't scared. I was just surprised at how arousing that was."

He chuckled and stroked her back. "Good to know..."

"We'll arrive at Valia Gate in just over an hour. Why don't you have a quick nap?" Alyssa suggested to John. "We'll get topped up while you rest."

John smiled when he saw the flash of excitement in Calara's and Helene's eyes at that prospect. He relaxed on the bed with a contented sigh. "Now that sounds like a wonderful idea."

***

Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux sat cross-legged on the sofa, wearing only a white dress-shirt that was several sizes too big for her. She had folded back the sleeves and was wearing her fiancé's shirt like a dress, very much enjoying the soft fabric against her skin. Her hazel eyes flicked over the half-dozen holo-screens arrayed before her, scanning through progress reports submitted by all the admirals in High Command.

Admiral Hugo Chapman was being obstinate and stubbornly refusing to make any serious attempt to address the funding issues Lynette had raised. She understood his instinctive reluctance to abandon so many fields of military research, but the tech John was handing out like confetti would take decades, if not centuries to develop themselves. There was simply no point in blowing trillions of credits on research that would be made obsolete with a simple data transfer from humanity's benefactor. She resolved to give him another week to begin taking steps, before she stepped in and did something... drastic.

Lynette was pleasantly surprised at how enthusiastically the other senior officers were embracing her new policies. Admiral Hamilton Garbert-Smythe seemed to be on a mission to transform the Espionage Division, scything through the ineffective staff under his command in a spate of discharges or transfers. Lynette found herself looking forward to seeing what his modernised departments might accomplish when he was finished.

As much as she had been jealous of Admiral Van Den Broeck when she thought the sultry redhead was vying for Charles' affections, Lynette was forced to admit that Lina was proving to be extremely effective in her new role. Progress on the civilian sections of Olympus Shipyard was proceeding at an unparalleled pace, with contractors practically falling over themselves in their haste to bid competitively for contracts. In all her years in the Admiralty, she'd never witnessed anything quite like it.

The Propaganda Division that Lina had departed was reeling from swinging cuts to staff and resources, with many of her old staff outraged at having to transfer to new disciplines within the military. Several of her senior staff had contacted their old commanding officer, their furious messages bordering perilously close to treason. That Lina had forwarded those messages to Lynette herself had impressed the new Fleet Admiral with her loyalty, but she also realised that the redhead must be an inspirational leader, to have engendered such dedication in her own staff.

*Alyssa, do you have a moment?* she asked, as she mulled over the reports.

*Of course, beautiful,* the blonde replied, sounding pleased to hear from her as usual. *What's up?*

Lynette smiled to herself at the friendly reply, relishing the warm sense of camaraderie. *I was just wondering where John stood on additional recruitment? I've been very impressed by Admiral Van Den Broeck...*

*Your love rival?* Alyssa teased her with a melodic laugh. *I thought you wanted to claw her eyes out!*

*The very same,* the brunette replied, relaxing on the sofa. *And I've had a change of heart; she's actually a very impressive officer.*

*Oh yeah, she was a real vixen...* Alyssa purred, the sudden sultry shift in the matriarch's voice was unmistakable. *Just imagine those lovely green eyes gazing up at John as he pumps her stomach full of cum... Maybe Lina and Dana side by side, a couple of gorgeous redheads eager to be bred...*

Lynette squirmed on the sofa, feeling herself flush with arousal. *That sounds like a yes...*

Alyssa suddenly sighed with resignation. *If it were up to me, I'd agree without a second thought... assuming Lina wanted to join us of course.*

Now it was Lynette's turn to laugh. *Do you honestly think she'd turn that offer down?*

*I think John's hesitancy must be rubbing off on me... No, of course not,* the blonde replied with a telepathic grin. *Unfortunately, I know he's worried about setting up secret Lionesses, especially with Jehanna struggling being apart from us.*

*She's head over heels in love with him,* Lynette said with sympathy. *If it weren't for her concerns about her family, I think she'd give up her career and ask to join you on the Invictus.*

*We'll have to make some time for her next time we're near the Core Worlds. She obviously needs some help deciding either way,* the blonde mused.

*I agree, but I was thinking about something a little different for Lina,* Lynette said, bringing up a personnel file of the redhead and studying her picture. *Besides, more allies are always helpful and I believe we can trust her... but I'd like to be absolutely certain.*

*That's a slippery slope, Lynette,* Alyssa said with a playful lilt to her voice. *Soon you'll be asking John to turn the entire Admiralty into Lionesses. I think a few questions might be asked about affirmative action being taken a bit far if every admiral is female... barring Charles, of course.*

*But just think what we could achieve with everyone united behind us...* Lynette murmured, a wistful look in her eyes. She suddenly blinked in shock. *Oh my God! I remember John threatening to do exactly that if High Command stepped out of line... now I'm longing for it!*

*Your outlook is a little different now,* her matriarch said quietly. *You truly understand what's at stake if we fail.*

The brunette froze, her eyes wide as she stared across the room. *No... it goes far deeper than that.*

*He'd never make you choose between your loyalties, Lynette,* Alyssa said, her voice soothing. *Relax, nothing's changed.*

The Fleet Admiral nodded distractedly. *How's the liberation effort progressing?* she asked, desperate to change the uncomfortable subject.

*The Kirrix abducted almost the entire population of Karron,* the blonde replied, her voice turning bleak. *We tried to catch the fleet, but it'd been wiped out... by the Kirrix fighting amongst themselves.*

Lynette was overwhelmed by a sudden outpouring of sympathy for the young woman. *Oh, Alyssa... I'm so sorry. Karron was your home wasn't it?*

*I grew up there, but it was never much of a home,* the blonde replied sadly.

Remembering something else Alyssa had said, Lynette started in surprise. *Wait a second... You said the Kirrix attacked their own forces?! That's unheard of!*

*It seems I accidentally triggered a civil war when I confronted the Hive Mind,* Alyssa said, her voice heavy with regret. *Now the entire species is killing each other over keeping the colonists, or returning them so that we don't obliterate their homeworld in retribution.*

*My God...* Lynette muttered, as equally shocked by the revelations about the Kirrix as she was about the incredible power the blonde possessed.

*Anyway, we'll be arriving at Valia Gate soon,* Alyssa continued, shaking off her melancholy mood. *We're waiting to see what the situation is there before we decide where to head next.*

*You might be interested in a report I received from Admiral Zelig. Treatment of the infested on Carolus III is proceeding well and those colonists who were killed in the invasion have been identified and relatives notified. His fleet has also started returning citizens to Tasmaris Prime... and he wanted to let you know that they've been able to drastically reduce the waves of suicides.*

Alyssa sounded greatly relieved as she gushed, *That's great news! Please let me know about Brecken's World if you hear anything from Governor Vaughn? I'd like to know if the efforts we went to with those colonists made a difference.*

*Of course,* Lynette immediately agreed. *We're already trying to make contact with the colonies to verify their status and inform them that assistance is on the way. I've dispatched freighter fleets to the Outer Rim, bringing them an abundance of supplies. Buckingham might have abandoned those colonies, but I'm keen for them to realise that things are very different now.*

*Nice work, Lynette. They really need to know you care,* Alyssa said, her voice full of approval. *Oh, one other bit of info... The Maliri fleet completed their refit on Trankara and are heading for the Kirrix lines. Between the Maliri and the civil war, I seriously doubt the Kirrix will make any further attacks on the Terran Federation from that direction.*

Lynette brightened considerably. *Oh, excellent! Admiral Kester's been complaining about twiddling his thumbs on the border and we're desperate for operational fleets. How soon will it be until the Maliri engage the Kirrix?*

*They should reach Dun Gerluhr this afternoon, but based on Trankaran reconnaissance reports, we think the not-quite-so-bad Kirrix won in that system,* Alyssa replied, sounding thoughtful. *If those Kirrix are returning the colonists to the planet, we'll send the Maliri to liberate another occupied world. I assume you'd like to wait until the Maliri start stirring up some shit before moving Kester's fleet from the border?*

*Yes, exactly,* Lynette replied. *I don't want to take any risks denuding that border, especially after what happened on the Outer Rim.*

*Very sensible,* Alyssa agreed. *Okay, I better go, John's waking up now... unless there's anything else you wanted to discuss?*

Quickly going through her mental checklist of high-priority issues affecting the Terran Federation, Lynette replied, *I think we covered everything. Oh, one last thing! We've finished modification of our fabrication facilities and begun construction of Brimorian Shield Generators, so we'll be able to start refitting our ships tomorrow. Dacres' fleet has already been upgraded with our best heatsinks and as soon as we've installed all the new shield generators, he'll be heading to the Brimorian border.*

*Sounds good... John doesn't trust the Brimorians as far as he can throw the sneaky bastards,* Alyssa muttered.

*I've seen how strong he is,* the brunette said with a wry smile. *He could throw them pretty far!*

The blonde's amused laughter echoed through Lynette's mind. *Yeah, that's true... but still, keep an eye on them.*

*Will do,* the Fleet Admiral agreed. *Thanks for the chat this morning, it's always good to speak with you.*

*Likewise!* Alyssa said cheerfully. *Enjoy your breakfast...*

Lynette bit her lower lip and flashed a glance at the adjoining bedroom, her stomach rumbling in anticipation. *You're incorrigible...*

*I've been a good girl this morning,* Alyssa purred. *I've had mine already...*

*Goodbye, Alyssa,* Lynette said with a giggle.

Her matriarch blew her a telepathic kiss, accompanied by a loving surge that swept through the Fleet Admiral's mind and made her tingle down to her toes. Lynette sighed with contentment, feeling a lovely sense of serenity that she'd never really known until this past week. She flicked another longing glance at the bedroom, then straightened her shoulders, reminding herself she still had a job to do and her fiancé needed his sleep. Turning her attention back towards the holo-screens, she flicked through more reports and status updates, rapidly sorting through hundreds of messages.

"Lynette?" Charles murmured groggily, sounding like he'd just woken up. "Everything okay?"

She was up like a shot, bounding across the lounge and into the bedroom. "Good morning, darling!" she gushed, a dazzling smile lighting up her exquisitely beautiful face. "Did you sleep well?"

Charles had propped himself up on one elbow and he laughed as he flopped back on the bed. "How can you be so cheerful at this hour?"

"The love of a good man," she purred, prowling across the room and climbing onto the bed.

He looked at her with disbelieving eyes. "How long do you think it'll be before I stop waking up and thinking I'm still dreaming?"

She sat up on the bed and tapped a finger on her chin as if thinking it over. "Perhaps when we don't start your day with a long sensual blowjob?" Her eyes twinkled as she continued, "So basically never..."

Charles shook his head in astonishment as she ducked under the covers, then groaned as his fiancée engulfed his rapidly-hardening cock in her mouth. "I don't know about 'long', Lynette!" he gasped, running his hands through her hair as she deep-throated him effortlessly.

Her wanton moan and eager suction let him know she didn't mind a bit.

***

Lieutenant Beth Andrews approached the closed door to his quarters and pressed the door chime, then waited anxiously for a reply. She stared at the name on the embossed nameplate, realising that it had been recently updated to read "Commander Tom Walker". Rather than feel pleased for him, she felt her heart sink... Tom hadn't even told her about his promotion, let alone come to the bar to celebrate with his friends. Her heart ached for the man, knowing how much pain he was in, but as much as she longed to comfort him, she hadn't seen him in days.

Giving up on the door chime, she tried knocking instead. "Tom? It's me, Beth. You haven't been to the bar in days..."

That was met with silence, so she waited another twenty seconds and tried again.

"I'm worried about you, Tommy... please let me in."

She stared at the military-grey door that faced her impassively, a stubborn uncaring guardian that was preventing her from looking after her... friend. Beth glared at the door in frustration, then turned on her heel and strode off down the corridor. It wasn't far to her next destination and it was a place she knew well, where she'd spent many an evening... and many nights. Those days felt like an eternity ago though, a better time that seemed more innocent now.

Heaving a weary sigh, Beth stopped beside the next doorway and pressed the door chime. She'd barely had time to read the name "Commander Mason Newmont" on the embossed plate, before the door swished open.

"Oh, it's you," Mason muttered, his pensive expression barely flickering.

Beth looked at him in shock, hurt by the lack of warmth in his voice and alarmed by the way he was behaving. "Mace? What's the matter?"

"I'm fine, Beth," he replied sullenly. "What do you want?"

She knew he definitely wasn't fine, but was hardly in a position to interrogate him, especially since she'd turned down his proposal. Beth hesitated, worried about her ex-boyfriend, but not sure how to get him to open up. Tom was always the one that could reach Mason, no matter how dark his moods, but then again Tommy was always wonderful with everyone.

Mason rolled his eyes and snapped impatiently, "I've got a shift starting in ten minutes and I need to finish getting ready. Just spit it out..."

Beth took a deep breath, then said, "I'm concerned about Tom. I haven't seen him in days and when I spoke to Chen, he was worried about him too. He said Tom looked like he'd had his heart ripped out!"

Mason's eyes narrowed, his expression growing colder. "That was always our problem, wasn't it, Beth? Your 'concern' for Tom..."

She gaped at him in shock, having had no idea that he knew. "Oh God... I'm so sorry..."

"Commander Walker has been transferred off the Bridge crew, I neither know nor care what he's doing now," he said in glacial tones.

Wringing her hands together, Beth pleaded, "Mace, please, we need to talk about us. I never-"

"Leave me alone, Bethany," he snarled, whirling around and sealing the door behind him.

Beth stared at the grey door, her heart sinking like a stone. She'd tried so hard to never let either of them know how she truly felt. That was why she'd turned down Mason's engagement proposal, because as much as she cared for the handsome, loyal, dedicated man... Beth had realised that she'd fallen in love with his best friend.

A tear rolled down her cheek as she walked away, cursing herself for hurting a good man so badly.