The door to Sarinia Baelora's quarters slid open and Myrdina burst into the room. "You're leaving?!" she screeched, bristling with anger.

"Welcome, dear sister," the eldest daughter of House Baelora said dryly, turning to glance through her bedroom's open door into the lounge. "Please accept my apologies for not inviting you in, I was preoccupied and must have failed to hear the door chime."

Myrdina ignored her elder sister's sarcasm. "I just got your message! What do you mean you're going to Genthalas and leaving me in charge of Baelora?!"

"Exactly as I said," Sarinia replied, folding a long dress and placing it in her case. "I need to find out what mother is planning and there's no way I can do that from here. I intend to travel to Genthalas with the fleet. Once I arrive, then I'll-"

"Oh, no... absolutely not!" Myrdina snarled. "If you think you're leaving me behind on an undefended planet, you're seriously mistaken! I've delegated custodianship of Baelora to Lieralia... I'm coming with you!"

Sarinia sighed and shook her head. "Fine, do as you please... but I'm not sure why you're so eager to face mother's displeasure. Do you actually think she'll be overjoyed to see us arriving at Genthalas?"

Myrdina suddenly looked anxious and she twisted her corded belt, a nervous tick she'd developed years ago after one of Gaenna's more brutal punishments.

Lieralia and Rosanae chose that moment to stride inside, both looking just as furious as Myrdina had done earlier.

"I thought I'd find you in here! What are you up to, Myrdina?!" Lieralia demanded, eyes narrowed in suspicion. "I've never seen you turn down an opportunity for advancement, but now you're leaving me in charge of Baelora? Why?!"

Before she could reply, Rosanae fumed, "Why was I overlooked? Lieralia and I are the same age, why should she be put in charge?!"

Sarinia turned to Gaenna's third and fourth daughters. "Myrdina has decided to accompany me to Genthalas to uncover whatever scheme mother is plotting. Surely the two of you can share administrative duties while we're away?"

The twins looked at each other in alarm, then glared at Myrdina. "Why didn't you tell us what Sarinia was doing?!" Rosanae demanded imperiously.

"If you two are going, then we're coming too!" Lieralia snapped, folding her arms across her chest and daring her eldest sisters to say otherwise.

Myrdina glared at the two of them in irritation, then suddenly snorted with laughter. "You aren't seriously suggesting we leave Tehlariene in charge of our homeworld? That imbecile has her head in the clouds!"

Lieralia and Rosanae looked at each other and smirked at the thought of leaving their youngest sister in that prestigious position.

"You think that's amusing?" Myrdina asked them incredulously. "Mother would have an absolute fit!"

That wiped the smiles from their faces.

"Well I'm not staying behind!" Rosanae snapped.

Lieralia huffed indignantly. "Nor me!"

Brought to an impasse, they turned to their eldest sister for guidance.

Sarinia placed a pair of strappy high-heeled shoes in her case, then studied her three younger sisters with an arched eyebrow. "What are those looks for?"

"What are we going to do?" Myrdina asked impatiently. "It's your fault we're in this position."

"My fault?" Sarinia asked with a disbelieving laugh. "I'm sure you all agree that we need to look into mother's affairs and see what she's planning... If I stay on Baelora, are any of you volunteering to go to Genthalas and investigate? Do you really relish the opportunity to be in Gaenna's close company for the next several weeks?"

All three of them looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

"Such brave souls," she said with amusement. Her smile faded and she sighed. "Or perhaps you're simply far wiser than me."

Myrdina suddenly looked up and exclaimed, "We could all go!"

Rosanae nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes! If all of us accompany the fleet to Genthalas, we could weather mother's fury between us!"

"Including Tehlariene!" Lieralia added with a vindictive grin.

Myrdina laughed at that and nodded. "Between the four of us, we have enough operatives within our territory to ensure that House edicts are carried out to the letter, even if we aren't occupying the palace. Besides, we can tell mother that we feared for our safety without the fleet guarding the homeworld... surely she can't object to that?"

"Oh, I'm sure Gaenna will be most understanding," Sarinia said, rolling her eyes. "Are you quite certain I can't convince any of you to stay behind? Mother will be far less angry at us turning up unannounced at Genthalas if one of you is occupying her seat of power."

The three sisters exchanged glances then shook their heads obstinately.

"We're coming with you," Myrdina said with an air of defiance. "Just because I don't trust our mother as far as I could throw the evil old hag, don't think I'm going to start blindly trusting you to have our best interests at heart. There's got to be a reason that Gaenna is skulking around Genthalas like a vulkine circling a carcass... and if there is, I'm not planning to be left out!"

Sarinia sighed with resignation and shut the lid of her suitcase. "Fine then... If you won't listen to reason, then we'll all go." She looked at them sharply and added, "But pack quickly, the fleet is scheduled to depart in an hour!"

"I'll inform Tehlariene we're going on a trip," Lieralia said with a smirk.

The three sisters laughed as they hurried out of the room, leaving Sarinia alone in her quarters. She waited patiently for them to leave and when the door finally closed behind them, her lips curled up into a cold smile of satisfaction.

***

John cradled Sakura's head in his hands and gazed into her soulful brown eyes as he pushed his cock deep inside her. Her lips parted as she let out a delightful gasp of pleasure, her pussy gripping him tight as he pushed through her cervix into her womb.

"It feels good to be home," he said, leaning down to kiss her.

Sakura gazed up at him adoringly. "I missed you so much..."

He brushed her jet-black hair away from her beautiful face, pausing to admire the gorgeous young woman. "You mean the world to me, Sakura. I love you... and I'm so very sorry that-"

She leaned up to silence him with a kiss, then pulled him down with her as she lay back on the bed, wrapping her arms and legs around him. When the head of his cock reached her limits and his quad rested on the pert curve of her buttocks, Sakura stroked his flanks with her inner thighs, the velvety smooth skin incredibly soft against his own.

Sakura finally ended the passionate liplock and shook her head. "No more apologies, I don't want to hear them. Show me how much you love me..."

John nodded his understanding, then did as she asked, his body moving with hers in a sensuous rhythm. Gentle caresses and loving words combined with the thrust of his hips, driving Sakura up to a plateau of ecstasy and keeping her there. He was attentive to her needs, watching with a smile of satisfaction as he brought her to one explosive climax after another.

After the fourth, she collapsed back on the bed and panted for breath, her cheeks flushed with arousal. "No more..." she begged him with a giggle. "You showed me! My God... you showed me..."

"Forgiven?" John asked as he stroked her cheek.

She shook her head. "There was never anything to forgive." Reaching out for Calara's hand, Sakura gave him a loving smile. "Now show Callie..."

The Asian girl uncrossed her golden-brown legs from behind his back, releasing her tight embrace. John carefully withdrew from her, then sat up, kneeling on the bed as he watched Sakura roll away. Calara slid across to take her place, parting her limber thighs and crooking a finger to beckon him closer. He glanced down and saw her labia were slick with arousal, flushed and wet in readiness for him.

"Alyssa was kind enough to warm me up while you were entertaining Sakura," she said with a seductive smile.

John moved his cock into position and pushed, feeling the head stretching her wide as her inner walls were forced apart to accommodate his girth. He paused for a moment, gazing down at the magnificent olive-toned beauty splayed out on the bed before him. She looked like a sultry centrefold but with the toned physique of a professional athlete... sensual and powerful in equal measure.

"Like what you see?" she asked, her eyes roving over his muscular body. "I know I do."

As he pushed deeper, John moved into position over Calara, resting his weight on his elbows as he lay on her spectacular teenage body. "You look absolutely stunning..."

Calara noticed the way he trailed off and looked at him in surprise. "But?"

He propped himself up on one hand, then used the other to stroke her toned stomach, tracing the definition with a gentle caress. "Something's missing... then you'd look perfect."

The Latina's brown eyes softened and she curled her arms and legs around him as she pulled him down for a kiss. "Just a few more months," she breathed, the primal need smouldering in her gaze. "I dream about it every night... starting our family... It's going to be magical."

"Such a good girl," he whispered in her ear, making Calara shiver in delight. "Maybe we should get some more practice... so we're ready for the big day?"

She nodded slowly, biting her full lower lip between sparkling white teeth. "Lots and lots of practice..."

"I'm going to show you how much I love you," he said quietly, stroking her hair as he began to move. "Then we'll get married... and we can make a baby together..."

Calara moaned and arched her back, rolling her hips as his girth rubbed against her g-spot. She was only dimly aware of what he was saying from that point onwards, simply needing to hear his deep baritone voice as he murmured loving words in her ear. John had filled up Tashana only two hours earlier, so he was in no rush to finish. He drove Calara crazy with lust, blowing her mind as he drove her through a succession of earth-shattering orgasms. He could tell when she was spent, the gorgeous Latina gazing up at him with heavy-lidded eyes as she relaxed in a blissful daze. Like Sakura, she freed him from her languid embrace, then Calara moved aside for Alyssa.

The flirtatious blonde was different that evening, in need of tender reassurance after being away from him for what seemed like an eternity. There was no teasing or playful banter, Alyssa opened her heart to him and made love with all of her being, which John reciprocated in kind. It was like that with each of the girls, as John gave them what they needed... and revelled in the heartfelt emotions he saw in each set of adoring eyes. By the time he'd satisfied the Terran girls, the twins, and the Nymphs, his quad was packed full, swinging taut and heavy against Helene's luscious rump as he stroked inside her.

Alyssa knelt at his side, letting a hand slide down to gently cup his swollen balls. "Whose womb do you want to fill, John?" she asked in a breathless whisper. "Who are you going to swell up with your cum?"

John kissed Helene and watched her swoon in his arms. "Would you like that, beautiful?"

She clung to him as she came, teal-skinned arms and legs locking tight as she climaxed, holding him deep inside her as her pussy fluttered around his shaft. When the trembling in her thighs abated, she relaxed back on the bed and gave him a look filled with love.

"That would be wonderful..." Helene murmured, before darting a glance at the Latina luxuriating in a post-orgasmic high and smiling at her fondly. "But there's someone else who deserves it more."

Calara returned her smile and leaned over to kiss her. "You're such a lovely girl... so generous and kind."

Alyssa nodded and wagged a finger at Dana. "You could learn a lot from Helene, you greedy little minx!"

Dana blushed and hugged Rachel. "I can't help it, you all know I'm addicted to him..."

John sat up slightly and pulled Calara in for a kiss. They looked into each other's eyes and shared a smile, then he turned his attention back to Helene. "You're right, Calara's amazing and definitely needs rewarding... but so do you."

"Me?" she asked in surprise. "Because I offered to share?"

He laughed and shook his head. "That was really nice, but no." Running his fingers through her silky light-green mane, he cupped her head in his hands, holding her protectively. "You were incredible helping all those people, Helene. I was really worried about the colonists after everything they'd suffered through, but you managed to save them all. When we first met, I wasn't sure we were doing the right thing taking you away from your village, but now I can't even imagine you not being here with us... you made our family complete. I love you and I'm going to make sure you have the wonderful life you always deserved."

Helene looked at him in awe as she listened enraptured to his every word. A tear rolled down her cheek as she was overcome with emotion and she suddenly hugged him tight, never wanting to let him go.

*Happy tears?* John asked Alyssa as he hugged the aquatic beauty back.

She stroked his shoulder. *From all of us...*

John lay entwined with Helene while she struggled to regain control of her emotions.

John gave her a tender kiss and said, "Would you share what you're feeling with us?"

She looked up at him in surprise, then gave up trying to reign in the love threatening to burst out of her heart. Helene released it all in an outpouring of emotion, letting everyone feel just how much she cared about each of them and treasured being part of their family. There were gasps from the girls followed by soft sighs and, curious to feel what they were experiencing, John dropped the barrier in his mind and welcomed Helene inside.

His eyes widened as his subconscious was swathed in loving affection, similar to the mental caresses that Alyssa bestowed so frequently, but at a dramatically new level of intensity. It was impossible to reason under that deluge of pure emotion and like the girls surrounding them, who lay intertwined in intimate couplings with their loved ones, he did everything he could to reciprocate those feelings with Helene. The more passionately he gave himself to her, the more the sensations she was sharing with them escalated to greater heights, lifting them up to a blissful state of nirvana.

John's climax was the ultimate expression of that passion, the effect it had on Helene triggering a wave of rapturous climaxes from the girls surrounding them. She arched her back and came with him, her eyes rolling up as she felt long spurts of his cum shooting into her womb and swelling her slim stomach until she was heavy with his load. John collapsed on the bed beside her when he was done, unable to do much more than hold Helene's hand and gaze at her in awe as he panted for breath.

Unnoticed by the comatose bedmates, Faye quietly rose from her chair and slipped out of the bedroom, leaving the barely conscious lovers to revel in their euphoric daze. She'd been happy to watch their love orgy, as she was saving her virginity for a special night with John after their third date. However, her heart ached to be excluded from Helene's empathic aura, especially after she'd seen how dramatically the girls had responded to the sensory overload. She ran a diagnostic on her power supply to make sure that there were no glitches in the software. Initial analysis showed the device to be working within expected parameters, but that didn't explain the heaviness she was feeling in her chest.

As Faye stepped into the grav-tube, she considered her friendship with the innocent aquatic girl. Faye and Helene had grown close over the last two weeks, with the sprite spending many hours tutoring the aquatic girl on the galaxy and the many life-forms it contained. While Faye knew that Helene was very fond of her, it wasn't the same as being able to feel it first hand and being excluded from that experience was a harsh reminder of how isolated she was as a synthetic construct amongst a crew of organics.

After descending in the red anti-gravity field, she stepped out on Deck Three and walked along the corridor to her server room. Opening the door, she walked inside and sat quietly beside her latest creation. The robot was connected to her server, downloading her data archives that contained everything she'd experienced and discovered about love.

"Hello, little one," she murmured, leaning over for a hug.

"Hello, mother." The robot embraced her back, then studied her expression. "You look... sad?"

Faye nodded. "A bit... yes."

Tilting its head quizzically, it looked at her for a more detailed explanation. "Why?"

She let out a heavy sigh. "I love John and the girls, but as much as I want to experience what they have between them... I can't."

The robot considered that for a moment. "Do they exclude you because you serve them?"

Faye frowned and shook her head. "I don't serve them! What gave you that idea?"

A holo-projection appeared before her, with a long list of Faye's duties aboard the ship. Her luminous eyes flicked to the items and she glanced through the entries:

Assigned role: Watch Commander.

Assigned role: Assistant Data Operations.

Assigned role: Invictus Perimeter Security.

Assigned role: Secondary Invictus Pilot.

Assigned role: Secondary Invictus Gunner.

Assigned role: Secondary Raptor Pilot.

Assigned role: Secondary Raptor Gunner.

Assigned role: Secondary Valkyrie Pilot.

Assigned role: Secondary Stealth Shuttle Pilot.

Provide guidance and oversight to the maintenance robots.

Assist with construction and repairs of weapons/equipment/the Invictus.

Provide care and accommodation for: guests/refugees.

Provide companionship to {Invictus Harem} - current members include: Dana/Rachel/Creator/Alyssa/Calara/Jade/Tashana/Sakura/Helene

[Addendum: Leylira/Betrixa/Neysa/Marika].

Tutor Helene.

Compile video footage.

Act as auditory alarm clock for Admiral John Blake.

Provide companionship to Admiral John Blake.

Provide psychological counselling to Admiral John Blake.

Provide sexual stimuli to Admiral John Blake.

Faye blushed and swiped her hand through the list, making it evaporate. "I do those things because I want to, not because I'm being forced to serve them! I'm part of the team and we work together to help each other."

"If you are part of the team, why are you being excluded?" the small robot persisted, looking at her curiously.

She ran her fingers through her hair and blew out her breath. "It's not that John and the girls are deliberately trying to exclude me. I'm synthetic and they're organic... some of their psychic abilities only work on organics, so they can't include me with things like telepathy, no matter how much they might want to. The last thing I want is for them to have to constantly watch what they say or do to avoid upsetting me; I want to be a seamless part of the group, not a carefully coddled exception."

"Members of the Invictus_Node_Collective are synthetic and so is Meta_Faye. Mother will find the inclusivity she seeks with us."

Faye shook her head and smiled. "John and the girls are my friends and I love them. When you review the archives you're downloading, you might find it easier to understand what that means." There was a hint of sadness to her voice as she continued, "It's natural for everyone to be drawn to their own kind to the exclusion of others, even for synthetic beings like us... we all find comfort in the familiar. Withdrawing from contact with organics to live an existence where I only interact with synthetics is not the answer; I'm trying to rise above that."

The cleaning robot considered that for a long moment. "You are very wise, Mother."

Faye laughed and shook her head. "With the speed of my computation cycles and having twelve processing streams, you'd be surprised how much time I've had to think about this."

It tilted its head again and began to calculate an estimate.

"It was just a figure of speech, little one," she said with an affectionate smile, caressing its shiny metallic head. Faye rose to her feet and glanced at her server. "I'd better get back to John and the girls, they're starting to stir. Concentrate on reviewing those archives, you should find them... enlightening."

***

After resting for a while, John and the girls gradually began to recover from the overwhelming surge of emotions they'd experienced.

Dana rolled on her side to give Helene a lovely smile. "Alyssa showed me before how much our family cared about me... but that was something else!"

Helene reached out to clasp her hand and returned the smile. "It's the way I feel about all of you..."

Alyssa crawled over to the aquatic girl and gave her a gentle kiss. "Maybe John should promote Jade to XO? Picking you to join us was a superb bit of recruitment..."

Jade stretched on the bed, then relaxed in the loving embrace of her fellow Nymphs. "I'm afraid I'd have to decline. The XO meetings wouldn't be anywhere near as exciting for him... John already spent many hours on Genthalas becoming intimately acquainted with my bottom."

Irillith had a sultry gleam in her eyes as she looked at John. "If Alyssa's thinking about resigning the job, I'd like to throw my hat into the ring."

"I don't think he stretched her out that much!" Tashana quipped, evoking a bout of giggles.

John smiled and pulled Alyssa into his arms. "No, I think we'll leave you as my Second-in-Command for a while longer..." They shared a tender kiss, then he turned and stroked Helene's curved belly. "That was a beautiful end to a lovely time in bed together. Thank you."

She let out a happy sigh. "It was wonderful... and now I get to feed everyone too."

Dana's eyes lit up. "Oh, yeah! Peach flavour snacks!"

John's stomach rumbled and he grinned self-consciously. "Speaking of food, I'll grab a shower then get started on dinner."

As Helene spread her shapely legs in invitation for the hungry redhead, Rachel sat up and stroked John's arm to get his attention. "After we've all freshened up, could I have a few minutes of your time before you head to the kitchen?"

"Of course, honey."

"Would you like some company?" Faye asked, walking over to the bathroom door.

He nodded and climbed out of bed, exchanging a few lingering kisses with the girls as he passed. The purple sprite had removed her dress and started the shower when he joined her, the hot water deliciously soothing on his aching muscles after all the exertion in bed.

John let out a blissful sigh as the water sluiced over his shoulders, then opened his eyes and pulled Faye into a hug. "That feels fantastic, thank you."

"This feels pretty good too," she replied, snuggling into his chest.

He looked down at the petite girl and frowned as he said, "I wanted to invite you to join us, but we'll be having our third date soon... and I really want it to be special for you. I hope you didn't feel left out?"

She stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. "I desperately wanted to have my turn... but I was thinking the same thing."

Looking relieved, John tucked her slicked hair back behind her pointy purple ears. "I know you're a busy girl... do you think you might have a free evening for me sometime?"

Faye's smile broadened. "How about right after Arcadia? I know Dana and the Nymphs have you booked up for the next few days."

His eyes widened as he pretended to look nervous. "That's not much time to prepare... you set the bar very high with your magical second date."

She giggled and squeezed him tighter. "You thrive under pressure... I'm sure whatever you come up with will be amazing!" When he chuckled, she glanced up at him and continued, "John... what was it like? When Helene shared her feelings with you?"

John was quiet for a moment as he tried to find the right words. "Helene's got a beautiful soul; she only sees the good in us... I just hope I can live up to the way she sees me."

"How do you think she feels about me?" Faye asked hesitantly.

"The same way all of us do," he replied with a fond smile. "You don't have a bad side, honey. You're even more adorable than Helene."

She blushed, then swooned in his arms when he leaned down for another kiss, but a much deeper one this time. When John finally released the giddy sprite, Dana had joined them in the shower and was watching them with a broad grin on her face.

"Don't mind me, you two make a sexy couple... I could watch that all night," she said, enjoying soaking in the hot water.

The rest of the girls joined them one after the other, until the huge shower cubicle was quite crowded. Helene was last, her tummy slender once again after feeding the crew. John welcomed her into the shower with a kiss, then closed his eyes and revelled in the active connection with all thirteen women.

"What are you doing?" Faye asked, studying the look of concentration on his face.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her petite figure. "Feeling connected to my girls..."

Despite wishing she could be a part of that more than anything, Faye never loved John more than at that moment, for doing his best to make her feel included too. She glanced to either side as the rest of the girls joined in their hug and being at the centre of their affection reversed the heaviness in her heart, lifting it soaring. This time Faye didn't bother running any diagnostics... if it was an error, it was one she had no intention of ever fixing.

They finished the shower, dried off and returned to the bedroom, where John caught Rachel's eye. "I'm all yours, honey."

"Let's get dressed first..." the brunette said quietly, caressing his cheek.

Intrigued by her unusual mood, he did as she asked, throwing on a t-shirt and joggers. The cleaning robots had already stripped and remade the bed, so it came as a surprise when the tawny-haired doctor gestured for him to sit in his usual place by the headboard. "What are you up to?" he asked with a curious look.

Rachel stood at the foot of the bed and gave him an enigmatic smile as she watched the rest of the girls fanning out into a semicircle around him. When they were all seated, she said quietly, "Alyssa came up with this idea a few days ago. While you were away, I finally had a chance to work through all the details with Calara."

Alyssa brushed his hand with her fingers. "I know you still have some lingering doubts about recruiting me and the girls... So I asked Rachel to work out what would have happened if you hadn't intervened in our lives."

He frowned in confusion. "You were all in a tough spot when I met you, I already know that."

She shook her head. "No... they've worked out exactly what would have happened."

Calara touched his shoulder and said softly, "Rachel's extremely smart. The margin for error is miniscule."

Rachel shook her head and smiled. "And Calara's being far too modest about her contribution... but this presentation isn't about how incredibly perceptive she is; we already know that." Glancing at Faye, she nodded. "Go ahead."

Faye was sitting cross-legged on her chair and she blinked to activate the holo-screen. The picture was taken from the Fool's Gold, showing the emaciated blonde waif that John had first met eight months ago.

"I think we all know this young lady," Rachel said, turning to look at the blue-eyed Karron fugitive. "Alyssa stabbed one of the Diablos when he tried to rape her on her 18th birthday. Sparks convinced her to stow away on a docked freighter to escape the gang's retribution and the rest is history... but what would have happened if you'd taken her back to Karron?"

"She would have snuck onto another freighter and pestered some other innocent trader to distraction?" John asked with a smile.

Rachel shook her head, her expression sombre. "The ore hauler docked at Karron departed the day after you did. Your return journey would have taken four days and there were no more arrivals at Karron for another two weeks. Alyssa would have been marooned on the asteroid... and the Diablos had posted a 500-credit bounty for her being taken dead or 1000 credits for bringing her in alive."

"Considering the exposed nature of the starport, there's no chance she would have been able to escape capture by the guards, let alone the gang members looking for her," Calara quietly interjected. "Minutes after you threw her off your freighter, Alyssa would have been captured and dragged back to the Diablos lair."

Rachel nodded. "The various punishments for betraying the gang were all brutal. Alyssa would have been subjected to a gang rape, then if she survived... and Georgio decided not to just cut her throat, she would have been branded and enslaved as a gang whore. Bearing in mind her weakened physical condition, there is no chance she would have survived until the Kirrix occupation."

John looked shocked and he turned to stare at Alyssa. "I always thought you could have got away on another ship, or at least escaped into the tunnels!"

She slowly shook her head. "I only managed to get aboard the Fool's Gold by jumping onto the back of one of the Mortimer mining trucks and hiding under a tarp. Without the miners as a distraction, I doubt I'd have made it out of the docking bay before someone grabbed me. Any ship arriving at Karron drew a lot of attention, especially from the Diablos who were trading guns with off-worlders."

Rachel looked John in the eye and said firmly, "So if you'd rejected Alyssa's offer, she would have been raped and tortured to death." She glanced at Faye and nodded. "Next."

The holo-screen brought up an image of Calara, taken just after John and Alyssa rescued her from the pirates. The Latina had been badly beaten, with a broken nose, two black eyes, and looked delirious with pain from the brutal whipping she'd endured.

"Without Alyssa aboard the Fool's Gold, you wouldn't have stopped to investigate the corvette Griffon," Rachel said, her tone solemn.

John turned away from the shocking image and was about to protest, then he remembered that the enthusiastic young blonde had urged him to rush to the rescue. His shoulders slumped and he shot a guilty look at Calara. "I'm sorry... she's right. I remember being wary that it might be a trap. Even if I had investigated and saw that the Griffon was in trouble, I probably wouldn't have risked boarding alone."

She gave him an understanding smile. "You were on your own in an unarmed freighter. I'm actually amazed that Alyssa managed to convince you to board at all."

Alyssa kissed his cheek and said, "We're not trying to make you feel guilty. The point of this is just to make you understand what would have happened if you hadn't recruited us."

Rachel had been watching him carefully and when John relaxed, she continued her presentation. "Even if you had boarded alone, you wouldn't have been able to ambush the pirates and rescue Calara at the same time. You would have been forced to retreat and Calara's fate would have only been delayed for a matter of minutes."

"I would have been raped to death by the Largath," the Latina said bleakly. "It's a miracle the two of you got there in time to save me... that monster had already murdered the other two surviving crewwomen."

John put his arm around both girls and hugged them tight. He met Rachel's watchful gaze and said quietly, "Go on..."

"Charles would still have sold you the Invictus, but you wouldn't have travelled to Gravitus. Without Alyssa needing clothes, there was no point in going clothes shopping... which means that we would never have met." She gave him a quick smile, then her expression darkened as she continued, "So you would have returned to Karron alone to purchase more Tyrenium. There you would have been betrayed by Seb Mortimer, but without Alyssa to warn you, his ambush would have been successful."

"Calara wouldn't have been there to man the Invictus' guns..." John murmured, remembering her using the Gatling Lasers to even the odds.

"Exactly... and Seb would have murdered you aboard the ship," the Latina said softly, her face twisting with pain at the thought. "Calara and I calculated every outcome we could think of, but you had no chance... you were massively outnumbered and outgunned. Your abilities hadn't been activated then, so your guide wouldn't have been able to intervene to save you either."

John shook his head in disbelief. "I never even considered that."

Rachel glanced at Faye and a picture of Dana appeared, but as she was when John had first met her on Karron. She was pale, petite, and very slender, her gruesomely scarred face topped by a shock of spiky ginger hair. "Without Alyssa asking you to rescue her best friend, Sparks would have remained under close watch by the Diablos, kept as their pet gunsmith."

"I'd have lasted another eight months in that shithole, until the Kirrix invaded and grabbed everybody," the redhead said, her expression bleak. "Then I'd have been raped by a hivelord and ripped apart by grubs two weeks later."

John grimaced at that horrifying thought, then stared at Rachel as he realised what would have happened to her. "The rescue at Iota Leonis..."

"Would never have happened..." she said quietly, a haunted look in her eyes. "Even if you had survived Karron, there would have been no reason for you to travel to the Dragon March. Even if you had been in the system, without the girls to crew the Invictus, you would have had no chance of stopping the raid. When the Kintark attacked, I wouldn't have even made it to the vault in the Command Centre. I would have been burned to death by plasma fire... shot by one of the Kintark marines storming Port Medea."

John looked shocked as he took that in, then glanced at his Nymph matriarch next. "What about Jade?"

Jade wrinkled her nose in distaste. "Without the four of you to defeat the pirate fleet, I would have stayed enslaved to that Pirate Lord as his hentai sex toy."

"But only for one more month..." Rachel said ominously, drawing John's attention. "We know that Commander Rupert Grant was working with the pirates, selling them obsolete T-Fed vessels and supplying them with freighter flight paths. The pirates were supposed to capture Calara and turn her over to Grant, but Hitch's men were out of control and definitely would have killed her without your intervention. Grant would have been furious and instead of taking out the contract with Mikaboshi to assassinate you, he would have 'discovered' the location of the pirate base and called in T-Fed forces to wipe them out."

"Surely he would have continued what he was doing?" John asked in surprise. "He made millions of credits betraying those people."

Calara shook her head. "The plague of pirate attacks had already started to draw a lot of unwanted attention. Grant had to cover his tracks eventually and we believe he always intended to betray the pirates. Dead men tell no tales and pirates are kill-on-sight in the Terran Federation... A T-Fed Navy operation to deal with the base would have eliminated any witnesses to his corruption."

She glanced at Faye, who activated a picture of the heavy cruiser Stalingrad.

"Everett Hitch's ship was too powerful to risk a boarding action, at least for the patrol forces available to Port Heracles," Calara said, staring at the old warship. "The T-Fed fleet would have engaged at long range, to maximise their ability to rotate out vessels with damaged shields and avoid exposing them to Heavy Cannon broadsides. They would have eventually worn down the Stalingrad and blown the pirate ship to pieces."

"Killing Jade in the process..." John said, running his fingers through his hair. "I know you're right... I can feel it."

"Irillith would have been assassinated shortly afterwards," Rachel said, turning to look at the picture of the haughty dark-haired Maliri, taken when she'd stayed aboard the Invictus.

John frowned in confusion. "How do you know that?"

"I discussed it with Edraele," Alyssa replied, resting her head against his shoulder. "Irillith was due to return to House Valaden territory a week later than the date she departed with us from Geniya starport. The House Ghilwen fleet that attacked us when we left Valaden was part of an assassination plot by Matriarch Aradrea Ghilwen. We caught them by surprise, as they were actually supposed to be preparing an ambush for Irillith when she returned from Geniya."

"Leena confirmed it," Irillith said with a wry smile. "Her mother was furious at Edraele and desperately wanted revenge for a host of previous slights. As Edraele was too well protected on Valaden, I was a much softer target." Her smile faded as she admitted, "It would have worked too. Aradrea sent a battleship and several cruisers to finish the job. If they'd been hiding on minimal power, they could have easily ambushed and interdicted my ship. I would have had no chance of escaping a Nova Lance blast from that battleship."

Rachel nodded and glanced at Faye. The elfin girl blinked and an image of her as a tiny purple sprite appeared, the newly created AI standing on one of Dana's engineering consoles. "With Irillith's death, the hacking deck would have been destroyed, which means that Faye would never have existed..."

John shared a relieved smile with Faye, then rubbed Alyssa's shoulder and said, "I can't believe how much hinged on you joining me."

"It was very lucky we got together... for all our sakes," she agreed, stroking his hand.

Sakura made eye-contact with John and said softly, "It's like Yamamoto's stone garden..."

"Ripples of influence spreading outwards," he murmured, lost in thought. John focused on her again, his expression pensive. "Would you have been next?"

The Asian girl slowly shook her head. "Actually, I would have lived the longest, if you can call being locked in a metal tomb living..."

Rachel studied the next picture that Faye displayed, which showed Sakura after she'd been captured, her body hideously disfigured by Shinatobe's implants.

The brunette pointed to Sakura's sallow skin. "The cryostasis-induced frostbite was causing severe damage to her body; the skin necrosis was extensive and untreatable by conventional medicine. Sakura's internal organs would have started to fail within the year."

Calara looked at the raven-haired girl with sympathy. "The full-cyborg conversion that Mikaboshi intended to transplant me into was actually intended for her. It was only after we captured Shinatobe and freed Sakura that he was forced to change his plans."

Sakura's voice sounded hollow as she said, "I would've been trapped in that metal prison for at least another fifty years..."

"Come here, honey," John said, beckoning her over.

She gave him a grateful smile, then sat between his legs, leaning back to rest against his broad chest.

He put his arms around her and kissed the top of her head. "There, you're all safe now."

Sakura snuggled into his warm embrace, the tension easing from her body.

Calara turned to face John and gently stroked the Asian girl's silky black hair. "Freeing Sakura was a team effort. You needed Alyssa to read her mind, Irillith to hack her cranial implant, Dana to disable the explosives, and Rachel to perform the surgery to remove her cybernetics... even Jade helped by feeding her throughout the operation. Without all those girls, there's no way we could have saved her..."

Turning in his arms, Sakura tilted her head up to kiss his cheek, then settled back into place again. She didn't need to say anything, the tender gesture of affection and gratitude spoke volumes.

He held her tighter, then his gaze drifted to the second Maliri twin, the only girl left from his original crew they hadn't discussed yet. "What would have happened to Tashana?"

Rachel grimaced, then reached over to clasp the Maliri girl's hand supportively when the next image appeared. The picture had been taken in that very bedroom, just before Tashana had agreed to join them. Her bald head and body were covered in an appalling patchwork of scars, the horrifying sight matched only by her hideously mutilated face.

"Hades was planning to give me to the Enshunu," Tashana said in a low voice, squeezing Rachel's hand as she stared at her grotesque appearance. Her eyes burned with hatred as she snarled, "An Enshunu captain did that to me... until I finally snapped and roasted the flesh from that bastard's bones!"

"We got there just in time to rescue her," Rachel said, leaning down to kiss Tashana's cheek as Irillith wrapped her sister up in a comforting hug. She looked pointedly at John and added, "But if you hadn't recruited Irillith, we would never have known that Tashana even existed. The Enshunu would have slowly tortured her to death, leaving her in a constant state of agony for months."

John shook his head as he murmured, "I've never really thought all this through before." He let his gaze sweep around the group, lingering on the girls Rachel had mentioned. "All of you... dead."

The brunette nodded, locking eyes with him. "Edraele had another five years, then the brain tumour would have killed her... if the excruciating headaches didn't drive her to suicide beforehand."

*The pain had grown nearly unbearable,* the Maliri matriarch said in a hushed voice. *I swore that I'd never take my own life like my mother had... but my resolve was fading by the day.*

*Saving you was the only worthwhile thing my Guide accomplished when he hijacked my body,* John ruefully admitted, conflicted at feeling grateful to his malevolent alter-ego for anything.

*I'll always be thankful he destroyed my predecessor, paving the way for you to rebuild my mind,* Edraele said earnestly. *Without him, I never would have existed... and without the new version of me attempting to consolidate your control of the Maliri Regency, eventually all the Young Matriarchs would have been killed by intra-House assassinations.*

John shook his head in disbelief, then glanced at Jade's sisters. "And the Nymphs? What would have happened to them?"

"They would have remained as sex slaves for the foreseeable future," Rachel replied, giving the four green-skinned girls a sympathetic look. "But accidents or murders would have claimed them all in the end, like their sisters."

The quartet of Nymphs looked troubled at that thought, reaching for each other and embracing.

"Which only leaves Helene," John said, turning to look at the aquatic girl. "But at least she would have been safe at Neptra village?"

Rachel hesitated, reluctant to reply.

"It's alright," the teal-skinned beauty said with a sad smile. "I know how the villagers viewed me... as a broken woman who had lost her value to the village. It was probably just a matter of time before I was killed trying to defend our home from predators."

After glancing at Alyssa for permission to continue, Rachel asked quietly, "Helene, how many of your villagers were over... fifty years old?"

Helene thought about it for a moment and her eyes widened in surprise. "There were only seven! Chief Leomaris, his two assistants, and the four Elder midwives..." Looking bewildered, she added, "Now you mention it, I do remember there being others when I was younger. I heard they moved to another village, but no one really knew for sure... I just accepted it as the truth."

John looked at Rachel in alarm. "You think the Brimorians are doing something to the older Abandoned?"

"It would be a way of slowing their population growth," the brunette said quietly. "This is the first time I've discussed it with Helene, but based on her experiences at Neptra village, it seems highly likely. Women old enough to go through the menopause would no longer be able to bear children, reducing their value to the Brimorians. The men lead a life of hard physical labour in the kelp beds and decades of gruelling work would take a heavy toll. By culling the older villagers, the Brimorians would avoid having to deal with any age-related medical issues amongst the Abandoned."

"So if they're already killing the older villagers... and the Abandoned population is still growing too large..." John said in a hushed voice.

Rachel nodded, her expression grim. "I think a larger-scale effort at population control might be imminent."

Helene looked stunned. "Everyone knew I was a broken woman. I would have been amongst the first to be taken away!"

"If I'm right, we need to address the Abandoned situation quickly," Rachel said, looking pointedly at John. "The Brimorians might already be killing them on a vast scale."

John glanced at Calara, curious to see if she'd raise an objection.

She had a troubled look in her deep brown eyes. "We do need to focus on our Primary mission, but we can't abandon our humanity in the process; I couldn't just stand by and let millions of Abandoned be slaughtered. In any case, the Brimorians are an ongoing threat to the Terran Federation and I believe they need to be dealt with."

He nodded his emphatic agreement, then looked around at all the women watching him, finally understanding the massive impact he'd made in all their lives. Focusing on Rachel, he gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you for the presentation. It was awful to think about what might have happened to all of you if we'd never met... but I needed to hear it."

Alyssa turned to look at him. "How do you feel now? About recruiting us?"

John reached out to cup her face and gently brushed his thumb against her cheek. "If we'd never got together, everyone in this room would have suffered horribly as a result. I always felt so guilty, because I thought that if I hadn't interfered in your lives, you would have all gone on to be happy and successful on your own... but now I see that just isn't true."

He beckoned the tawny-haired doctor over, then held Calara's hand as Sakura slipped out of the way to make room for the masterminds behind the presentation. Calara, Rachel, and Alyssa knelt directly in front of John, watching him expectantly.

"For the last six months, I've been torturing myself with guilt over the best decisions I've ever made." He looked at each of them in turn. "Thank you for helping me see it all from a completely different perspective."

John pulled the three girls into a hug, feeling overwhelmed with gratitude towards them. The trio looked delighted at his reaction, embracing him fiercely.

"You really mean it!" Alyssa gasped, trembling in his arms as she sensed the difference in his outlook.

"I had to change you, and Calara, and Dana... or all these wonderful girls would have been killed," he said quietly, giving her a tender kiss. "How can I ever regret that?"

"You've changed too," she said sincerely, giving him a loving smile. "All the girls have made their mark... you're very different from the man I met when all this began."

"We don't feel the slightest bit guilty though," Rachel said, leaning in to give him a kiss.

He laughed and kissed her back, then his stomach grumbled loudly in protest.

Alyssa grinned at him. "Some things never change."

"I'm looking for assistants in the kitchen..." John said, glancing around the group. "Any volunteers?"

Everyone nodded and raised their hand, so Calara pulled away from him and said, "Let me organise dinner. Why don't you and Alyssa relax with a drink in the Officers' Lounge?"

"Well, I'm hardly going to say no to that," he replied, giving her a grateful smile.

The girls all rose from the bed, chattering together as they left. John heard snippets of conversation, ranging from them discussing his reaction to the presentation, to Sakura enthusiastically thanking Helene for the feelings she'd shared with her. The sound of their voices faded as they walked away along the corridor.

"Alone at last," the blonde purred, with a coy glance under her long lashes.

John gave her a knowing look. "Calara wouldn't have suggested we spend some time together unless there was something on your mind."

Alyssa hesitated, then nodded, giving him a look filled with regret.

Raising an eyebrow, John lay down on the bed and pulled her down with him. He undid a few buttons on her blouse and slipped his hand inside to stroke her smooth stomach making her shiver with pleasure.

Alyssa sighed with delight, then suddenly frowned in protest. "That's not fair... You know I'm powerless to resist when you touch me like that."

His smile broadened. "That's what I'm counting on. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, I know you're really a good girl... You should be happy and content with a tummy full of my cum, but there's something on your mind. Now, what do you want to talk to me about?"

Alyssa's expression brightened and she blurted out, "I bonded with Helene!"

"Oh, really? That's great news!" he said, looking pleased. Thinking about that for a moment, he nodded, having noticed the changes. "She seems different now, much more comfortable with herself. Helene really needed to feel like she belonged... I think this will help her a lot."

"Maybe as much as that little pep talk you gave her," Alyssa said with sincere admiration, running her fingers across his chest. "I thought she was going to burst with joy at one point... then you had the bright idea of sharing all that with us and we all got a bit love-drunk..."

He smiled at the memory, remembering the sense of sheer bliss he'd felt at being coupled with the aquatic girl. Focusing on Alyssa again, he went back to stroking her toned tummy. "That was an interesting diversion, but now I'd like to know what's really worrying you."

She sighed in resignation. "Worried isn't the right word... but I found out something important while you were away." Looking up into his eyes, she said softly, "Do you remember Perl? The blonde survivor from Karron..."

"Of course."

Alyssa's face shadowed with regret once more. "She's my cousin..."

John's eyes lit up in excitement. "Honey, that's fantastic news! You've found some real, genuine family!" He paused when he saw the blonde's downcast expression. "I don't understand? Why aren't you overjoyed?"

"Because I really wanted her for you!" Alyssa blurted out, finally giving voice to her frustration. "Perl's beautiful, sexy, smart, and just a really lovely girl... but she's fallen in love with Tony, so I had to let her go!"

He looked at her in surprise after her outburst, then laughed and gave her a hug. "I've got more than enough girls as it is! You don't need to feel bad about that."

Alyssa pulled back and gave him a penetrating look. "Just imagine how she'd look after you'd fed her for two weeks... then after we retire, the two of us looking at you with doe eyes as we stroke our big pregnant bellies. She was my cousin, John. Can you honestly tell me that you wouldn't want to breed us both at the same time?"

John froze as he imagined the extremely erotic picture Alyssa was painting for him.

She sighed with regret when she saw his expression. "That's why I feel bad..."

He chuckled and shook his head. "Alright, I admit that thought really turns me on..." Looking into her eyes, he continued, "But that's mainly because of you, Alyssa. Besides, I don't even know Perl... believe me, the idea of you and Calara together is far, far, more exciting."

"Really?" she asked, looking sceptical.

John kissed the tip of her nose. "Yep. I seem to remember you telling me that a blonde and a brunette is the classic combo... and you weren't wrong. Anyway, Edraele and the twins made it quite clear that they plan to indulge that particular line of fantasy to the max."

Alyssa giggled as she relaxed. "Alright, I guess knocking up a mother and her twin daughters is pretty epic. I can't really compete with that."

He smiled when she laughed, pleased to see her looking happier. "It's still brilliant that you found a real relative though. You must keep in contact with Perl and find out how she gets on. Did you give her some credits to help out?"

"Yes, yes, and yes," Alyssa replied, agreeing with and replying to his three statements. She smiled and added, "I gave Perl and Kelli 200k to set them up on Valia Gate. I also got them to promise me that if things don't work out between them and Tony, to let me know immediately..."

"You really are incorrigible," he said with a fond smile.

"For you? Absolutely!"

John rolled his eyes at her affectionately, then climbed off the bed and offered her a hand. "Come on, let's go get that drink."

Alyssa buttoned up her blouse, smoothed down her figure-hugging skirt and slipped her feet into a pair of four-inch high heels. Fluffing out her hair, she looked like she'd just stepped off the cover of a fashion magazine. "There, ready for dinner," she said with a smile, taking his hand again.

As they walked down the corridor, John glanced her way. "Would you really have recruited Perl just so that I could get her pregnant?"

She gave him a coy smile. "Why not? It's been a winning formula with the rest of the girls, why change it..."

John stopped and looked at her in surprise.

Alyssa laughed and squeezed his hand. "You should see your face!" She waved her hand at the door controls as she carried on walking, then turned to tug him after her into the lounge. "Actually, Kelli and Perl have some very valuable skills and a lot of potential. They'd make really great Lionesses, so if they do get in contact and ask to join us, I hope you'll be... accommodating."

He tried not to dwell on the thought of those pretty young women swallowing his cum, but a glance at Alyssa's satisfied smirk told him he'd failed. "Take a seat, you vixen. What would you like to drink?"

"Surprise me," she purred, sitting demurely on one of the sofas.

John poured himself a whiskey and dropped in some ice cubes, then set up a second glass with ice, mixing vodka, coffee liqueur and cream. He joined her on the sofa and passed her the drink. "Try this..."

Alyssa sipped it and her eyebrows climbed. "Delicious!"

John clinked glassed with her and smiled. "Nostrovia."

They relaxed together and spent some time just watching the stars go by, enjoying a rare moment of tranquillity. After all the stress and tension of dealing with the Kirrix invasion, it felt wonderful being able to put that traumatic chapter behind them.

John caught Alyssa's eye and raised his glass again. "Half-a-million colonists... well done, honey. You and the girls should be very proud of yourselves."

She touched the rim of her glass to his. "We're your girls, John. This was all down to you."

He paused, considering that for a long moment. With a self-conscious smile, he sipped his drink.

The Nymphs appeared from the kitchen shortly afterwards, carrying stacks of plates and cutlery. They waved and said hello, then were soon followed by the twins who started placing wine glasses around the table.

Tashana smiled at the couple on the sofa, then her face lit up with delight when she saw Alyssa's drink. "Is that a White Russian? I've always wanted to try one of those!"

John rose from his chair. "Let me make you one."

She grinned at him, her violet eyes twinkling. "It's just a shame the Invictus doesn't have a bowling alley..."

Irillith laughed at John's look of confusion. "Don't worry, it's just a holo-movie reference. I'd like one too, please."

Alyssa joined him at the bar and took everyone's orders, then helped him mix the drinks. By the time Calara and her assistants appeared with several steaming bowls of spaghetti and aromatic garlic bread, their beverages were waiting for them. The meal was delicious and the accompanying conversation was relaxed and comfortable. John looked around at the happy women that made up his extended family and smiled with a newfound sense of contentment.

He knew Rachel had a vested interest in trying to make him feel better about their situation, but he could tell she'd told him the unvarnished truth. It had been shocking to realise that if he hadn't recruited Alyssa, they all would have died... and often in a brutal and horrifying manner. Each girl they'd recruited afterwards had fit neatly into place, giving the group access to new skills and capabilities which had allowed them to rescue all the rest. There was a satisfying sense of unity in working together like that, assuaging any lingering feelings of remorse he might have felt about the Change and the impact it had on their lives.

Alyssa reached out to squeeze his hand. *I'm sorry it took me this long to figure out what you needed to hear.*

*And I'm sorry I've been wallowing in guilt for the last six months, it must have been unbearable...* he replied with a rueful smile of apology.

*Seeing you torturing yourself like that was awful,* she agreed, her expression turning sombre. *Meeting you was the best thing to happen to all of us... and it was so frustrating that I could never make you see it.*

*At the very worst, being with me is probably better than being dead,* he agreed, his lips twisting into a grin.

Alyssa laughed at his joke and leaned over to give him a kiss. *That's the upbeat message we were shooting for!*

They shared a smile and continued their dinner, with everyone quickly finishing off the delicious meal.

John glanced at Calara and raised an eyebrow. "I thought I tasted oregano... Have you been tweaking my recipe?"

She bit her lip and nodded.

"It was excellent, bravo," John said, raising his glass in appreciation to the Latina.

The girls joined in, thanking her profusely as she smiled happily at their praise.

John retrieved another couple of bottles of House Holaris' finest vintage and filled everyone's wine glasses. "Now, I'm eager to hear all about Irillith's and Tashana's victory over the Kirrix fleet... our last meeting came to a rather abrupt and premature end before we could discuss it."

Dana blushed bright red when all eyes flicked to her. "I'm sorry, okay? I was just going crazy after being separated from you for so long." She glanced around the table. "You girls know what I mean..."

Rachel looked confused and shook her head. "I actually found the break incredibly productive. It was refreshing being able to really immerse myself in my work without the constant sexual demands..."

"What a load!" Dana snorted indignantly, elbowing her girlfriend. She looked at John and frowned, "Don't believe a word of it. Rachel's been pining after you even more than I have!"

The brunette flashed a grin at John, her grey eyes twinkling.

He smiled and raised his hands for quiet. "And I missed all of you too... but no more diversions, I want to hear all about the twins in action."

"Actually... I only took out one hive ship," Tashana admitted, leaning back and darting a look of admiration at her sister. "Then I just twiddled my thumbs as Rill tore their entire fleet apart."

"What was the original fleet strength?" Calara asked with professional curiosity.

"22 drone carriers and 45 hive ships," Irillith replied nonchalantly, before taking a sip of wine.

The room went quiet as her audience looked at the Maliri hacker in awe.

"That's about the same size as the invasion force that attacked Carolus III..." the Latina murmured, her eyes widening. "How could you possibly handle so many ships? You've only been able to hack a couple of vessels at a time before."

"It was rather a unique situation because of the nature of the organic systems running each Kirrix ship. I spoke to each drone carrier and informed it that I was now the hive queen in charge." Her blasé attitude faded as she stared at the rich red liquid in her glass. "They were quite trusting actually... I don't think they were used to someone being polite and respectful with them."

"You sound... sorry for them?" John asked, surprised by her reaction.

"I horribly abused their trust and lied to them relentlessly," she admitted, her face flickering with remorse. "I explained that the Kirrix controlled vessels were threatening me and asked the drone carriers to help... then I cut off their external comms to anyone but me. After my capital ships wiped out the loyal drone carriers, I turned my fleet on the hive ships. I left one ship intact for the colonists, then when the rest of the Kirrix forces were destroyed, I sent what was left of my fleet on a suicide mission to attack Kirr-Inax..."

John put the half-full wine bottle down on the table, then gently massaged her shoulders. "Are you alright?"

"It kind of hit me afterwards..." Irillith replied, glancing up at him. "It was different with the Kintark; I had fun tormenting Melkadian, because that monster deserved it. The drone carriers were only simple constructs, but they were... innocent... it wasn't their fault that the Kirrix were using them to commit terrible atrocities."

He leaned down to give her a reassuring kiss. "We're done with the Kirrix now, I won't put you in that position again."

She gave him a grateful smile, then relaxed as John continued to massage her shoulders.

Calara watched the Maliri for a moment, then asked hesitantly. "If you don't mind me asking, how many were you controlling at once?"

"I started communicating directly with four at a time to start, but pushed it to five near the end." While I was doing that, I also had to keep an eye on the ships on my side to make sure they weren't changing their minds... I managed to control twelve simultaneously, but-"

The Latina gaped at her in shock. "Twelve?!"

Irillith shook her head. "It's not like hacking and controlling a Kintark ship. When I was doing that during the Battle of Terra, I had to activate the relevant subsystems myself, like firing guns, or powering up engines. With the Kirrix vessels, I just told them their mission and left them to handle the offensive and defensive details themselves. Even so, monitoring twelve was a real strain." She glanced at Alyssa and added, "I have no idea how you do it..."

"It's always been... effortless," the blonde matriarch remarked in surprise.

Rachel thought about that for a moment. "Perhaps it's because you've gradually expanded your connections over months, speaking with us all day every day? With that much telepathic exposure, your subconscious must have adapted to deal with the sheer volume of simultaneous dialogue."

"A bit like being at a party and ignoring the background chatter to tune into a specific conversation?" Calara suggested.

"Yes, exactly... but instead of just participating in one conversation, she can be actively involved in them all," Rachel agreed, studying Alyssa in fascination.

"I'll just have to keep practicing," Irillith said, mulling that over. "The more vessels I can hack at the same time, the bigger the difference I can make." She glanced up at John and added, "Especially when it comes to fighting Thralls..."

"You'll be one of our best offensive options against them," Calara said, looking thoughtful. "Because if you can hack them, you'll be able to bring that technological advantage to bear on our side."

"I just wish we knew what level of cyber security they have," the Maliri said, brow furrowing in frustration. "The sentinel defences on the Progenitor server are formidable..."

"Could you hack a Progenitor server?" John asked, squatting down beside her.

Irillith recalled the legion of sinister hunter-killer Data Sentinels in Faye's server and shivered involuntarily. "I honestly don't know..." Squaring her shoulders she gazed into his eyes. "Perhaps Faye can revoke my security access and I could try practicing against her server? It would be a relatively safe way of training."

"I wouldn't want you to get hurt," Faye said softly, watching her creator with concern. "No one has tried to hack the ship since we installed our Gateway server. We don't know exactly what those defences are capable of..."

John frowned in confusion. "If we built and installed the server, surely we must know what it can do?"

"I just followed the schematics," Dana explained with a hesitant shrug. "I've been able to understand the tech behind everything else we've built, but not the server... Mael'nerak was an absolute genius with computers."

Irillith nodded in agreement, looking equally unsure of herself. "The defensive subsystems are fully integrated with the hardware. We were able to create the necessary code as per the blueprints, but I've no idea what half of it does."

"The attack routine for the Data Sentinels is listed as 'Neutralise hostiles'..." Faye said ominously. "That's why I'm not keen on Irillith taking any chances."

John clasped the Maliri's hand in both of his. "Focus on translating the Vulkat technology archives for now. If Dana's right and there are schematics for a psychic communication device in there, we need to find it as quickly as possible. Being able to share plans between us, the Maliri, and the Ashanath will make a huge difference for upgrading our fleets. After that, then you can start practicing hacking a Progenitor server... once we've figured out how to make it safe for you to try."

She smiled and caressed his fingers with her thumb. "Thank you for being so protective. I know you worry it comes across as overbearing, but I don't mind... it shows just how much you care."

They shared a tender embrace, then John returned to his seat, aware that the rest of the girls were watching him affectionately. "Unless there's anything else anyone wants to discuss... why don't you ladies relax on the sofas and I'll clean up?"

"We're able to grow Eternity Crystals now," Alyssa mentioned conversationally.

He looked at her in surprise. "That's fantastic! How?"

She pointed at Dana. "Sparks, want to give him the details?"

"I got a bit stuck designing the Psi-communicator, so I decided to build our own crystal cultivation bed while I had a bit of free time," the redhead explained. "Alyssa's started growing our first batch already."

Nodding his approval, John turned to look at his matriarch. "Is it hard?"

"No, not really... the psychic gel stuff just requires constant telepathic guidance to form the crystals. It would have been a real drain a few months ago, but now I can keep it going indefinitely." She paused to think of the best way to describe it. "Remember how you learned how to shape armour plates automatically, without having to consciously think about it? It's kind of like that, but far less intense."

"Can I help too?" he asked, looking at the two Karron girls in turn.

"I've got this," Alyssa replied, stroking his forearm. "Honestly, it's not taxing at all."

"Both of you using the same cultivation bed probably wouldn't be a good idea anyway," Dana said, looking dubious. "It'd be like both of you trying to paint a picture and sharing the paintbrush. If you want, I can build you your own?"

"If I can get it to work, we'd double the number of Eternity Crystals we can produce," John agreed, nodding in reply. "We're using them for our personal equipment as well as the Invictus' guns and shields, so I think it makes sense to stock up."

"No problem, I'll build another tomorrow!" she offered, smiling at the thought of doubling crystal production.

"You might be a bit busy tomorrow..." he reminded her, enjoying seeing the resulting flash of excitement in her face.

Before they started leaving the table, Rachel glanced at Alyssa and said, "Did you share my findings on the ancient hive queen?"

The blonde shook her head. "I didn't want to steal your thunder..."

When everyone perked up and looked curiously at the tawny-haired brunette, Rachel laughed and held her hands up in a placating gesture. "Alyssa's overselling my results, it's not that exciting!"

"What did you find out?" John asked, relaxing in his chair.

"Not much beyond the initial autopsy of the Hive Queen you defeated on Carolus III. It seems that under the right conditions, they will continue to grow, up to the point where they probably aren't able to carry the weight of their own exoskeleton anymore."

"Ah, so that tracked cart wasn't just because Kirzuxa was so old and needed the life support systems?"

Rachel shook her head. "The technology the Kirrix use to extend their life is horrific. A mixture of toxic chemicals caused all sorts of damage to the hive queen's body, atrophying muscles and inhibiting her strength."

"They pickled her?" Dana asked, wrinkling her nose in distaste.

Tilting her head to one side, the brunette replied, "Partially embalmed would probably be a better term. I wouldn't wish that procedure on my worst enemy; the accompanying pain would be horrendous without a constant cocktail of anaesthetics. Fortunately, we don't have to worry about people abusing that technology in the Terran Federation, as it will only work on a creature with an exoskeleton, like the Kirrix."

"And the Vulkat," Alyssa quietly reminded them.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten about Nkkrrit," John said with a reassuring smile. "She's helped us a lot... I want to repay the favour."

Sakura raised an eyebrow and mimed a curved tummy with her hand.

After a pause, John nodded. "If that's what she wants..."

Rachel's expression brightened and she said enthusiastically, "That would be fascinating! I'd love to see what would happen to such an alien creature when it underwent the Change! Would she transform into humanoid shape? Would she retain her exoskeleton? I've got so many questions..."

Alyssa shook her head and said softly, "No, we can't do that to her. Nkkrrit's life has been one long tragedy. She still grieves for her mate after all these years... and had to watch all of Ixxttranao's children suffer and die." When the room went silent, she continued, "Just imagine how terrible it would be to lose a child... Now imagine losing thousands of children and being surrounded by their reanimated corpses for millennia..."

"Oh my god..." Dana muttered, her face falling.

Alyssa nodded sombrely. "She's desperate for her nightmare to end... The only thing keeping her going is her sense of duty to the Vulkat Empire. She doesn't want her people's graveyard being picked apart by scavengers... like the Brimorians."

"Once we've dealt with the Enclave, we'll find a way to end Nkkrrit's suffering," John said, patting the blonde on the arm.

She gave him a grateful smile, then looked around the table. "Sorry for bringing down the mood."

Calara got up and walked around the table to give her a hug. "You really empathise with her, don't you?"

Alyssa let out a heavy sigh. "Her life has been horrendous. Nkkrrit's a telepath, so when she shared her past with me, I really got to feel the pain she's suffered through. When I shared what we all have together, she was overwhelmingly grateful to experience that sense of family and friendship again... it just made me so glad I had all of you in my life."

"And that's worth celebrating," Calara agreed, reaching over the table for her drink. "Come on, let's have a good time tonight... I feel like letting my hair down after the week we just had."

"I'll drink to that!" John said, raising his glass, then finishing the last of his whiskey. He started stacking up the plates. "You ladies go and relax, I'll join you in a few minutes."

The girls didn't take much convincing and they followed Calara to the bar, where she started mixing drinks for everyone. John noticed Alyssa dart a glance at Helene and the aquatic girl stayed behind to help him with the clean-up. He smiled at her in gratitude and it didn't take long for them to have all the crockery and cutlery loaded up in the kitchen sanitizer, ready to be cleaned.

"So... I hear you're one of Alyssa's inner circle now?" John asked, quirking an eyebrow playfully, as he slotted in the last wine glass.

Helene leaned against a counter-top and nodded, her beautiful face lighting up with joy. "It feels so wonderful to be a full member of your family. Alyssa speaks to me all the time..."

"Sorry about that," John said, feigning a frown. "I'm sure you'll get used to all the teasing eventually."

She laughed and shook her head. "Alyssa's never like that when she speaks to me telepathically; she's very kind and thoughtful. I've discussed it with the other girls and she's that way with them too."

"I guess she saves it all up for me then," he said with a groan, before activating the sanitizer.

"She does... but I don't understand why..." Helene wondered aloud.

John paused, expecting the blonde to chip in with some witty comment, but the silence was deafening. Turning to Helene, he leaned against the counter beside her. "Anyway, I'm glad you stayed behind."

She blushed and admitted, "Alyssa said you wished to speak with me. Is everything okay?"

"I was just about to ask you the same thing. I saw how you reacted when you watched me fighting the Kirrix..."

Helene leaned into him and rested her head against his chest. "I knew you were a powerful warrior, but there was so much blood..."

John rubbed her back, his fingers brushing over her soft teal skin. "I was worried that it might shock you." He tilted his head to one side to see her reaction, but from this angle, Helene's face was obscured by a wave of green hair. "Do you feel differently about me now?"

After pausing for a moment, Helene slowly nodded. When she felt John tense, she pulled back a little and made eye contact with him. "Seeing you fight made me realise that you're capable of inflicting acts of incredible destruction..." Clasping his free hand, she caressed it and continued quietly, "But you're always so gentle with me and the girls. It made me appreciate that tenderness more than ever."

He interlaced his fingers with hers and sighed with relief. "I didn't want you to see that. I've been trying to keep you sheltered from all the violence... but I'm very glad I didn't scare you away."

"Never... not for one moment," she said adamantly. Leaning closer, she brushed her lips against his. "You should know how I feel... I shared everything with you earlier."

"Old habits die hard," he admitted with a smile, before kissing her back. "I just wanted to check."

"Well, now you're reassured, I think we should start celebrating!" she gushed. "I've never been drunk before... I can't wait to see what it's like!"

John and Helene left the kitchen hand-in-hand, then walked over to join the girls, who were waiting with drinks at the ready. Gratefully accepting a tumbler of whiskey from Dana, he smiled and took a seat next to her.

"Don't forget... from midnight you're mine!" the redhead whispered, a gleam of anticipation in her eyes.

"I thought I was supposed to be using you shamelessly, not the other way around?" he asked, putting an arm around her as he relaxed on the sofa.

Dana gave him a smouldering look. "That's exactly what I meant..."

"I'll drink to that!" John said cheerfully, clinking his tumbler with her cocktail glass. "Bottoms up!"

She giggled, those lovely blue eyes full of promise.

***

Oliver Petran drummed his fingers on his desk, waiting for his mistress to pick up. He darted a quick glance at the clock, knowing he had to leave in a few minutes, but he'd been trying to get in touch with his young lover all afternoon. Kaylie might have been an airheaded bimbo, but this was the first time she'd failed to appear for one of their lunchtime trysts.

The screen chimed as the call finally got through, the connecting message fading away to be replaced by a gorgeous blonde. She smiled and waved at him, her impressive breasts threatened to burst out of the skin-tight sports top she was wearing.

"Hey, Oli!" she gushed, giving him a dazzling smile.

Trying to bite back his anger, Oliver gave her a thin-lipped smile in return. "Kaylie... where were you this afternoon? I waited at the hotel for three damned hours!"

Her eyebrows climbed in surprise. "Oh! Were we supposed to be meeting today? Silly me... I forgot. I'm soooo sorry!"

"You forgot?!" he balked looking at her in disbelief. "We've been meeting every week for the last three years!"

She shrugged. "I was just working out, trying to look my best... I guess I lost track of time."

Oliver gaped at her, hurt by her complete indifference. "But... you always said meeting with me was the highlight of your week."

Kaylie sighed and curled a strand of her long blonde around her finger. "You know how it is, Oli. We've been seeing each other a while now... maybe the excitement wore off a bit..."

"You deliberately stood me up!" he exclaimed, looking at her in shock.

"Sometimes people change... then feelings change... that's not my fault," she said, refusing to make eye contact. "We had a lot of fun together... but it was bound to end eventually."

"Wait... you're breaking up with me?!" he protested, amazed at her dramatic change in attitude. Kaylie had been all over him only two weeks earlier, like a wildcat in bed and begging him for more. Suddenly, he knew exactly why she was dumping him like yesterday's trash. "I've still got money, baby... I'll still be able to take care of you."

"There's plenty of rich guys out there, Oli. This was never about money," she said quietly, looking at him with regret. "You were a very powerful man and that was really hot... but now? Not so much..."

"I left my wife for you..." He slumped back in his chair. "You fucking bitch..."

"There's no need to be mean," Kaylie said with a pout. Her expression turned to pity. "Why don't you try getting back together with her? Then you two can enjoy your retirement together..."

"Fuck you..." he growled, ending the call.

He ran his hand through his grey-flecked hair, suddenly feeling very old and foolish. Kaylie had been a waitress working at one of the Admiralty bars when they'd met, and despite her being half his age, she'd been very flirtatious from the outset. Being seduced by a beautiful young woman had done wonders for his ego and when he'd used his rank to help her out of a few... sticky situations... she'd been extremely appreciative in bed. Disposing of her stalker ex-boyfriend had cast aside the last of Kaylie's inhibitions, granting him unrestricted access to her delectable body. He'd actually convinced himself that they might have a future together, but now it was obvious to him that for Kaylie, power had been an aphrodisiac... and as she'd just said, now he had none.

Clenching his fists in anger, he lurched out of the chair, sending it crashing backwards. This was yet another way that bastard Blake had fucked up his life. Oliver had loved being one of the elite few who ran the Terran Federation, feeling like a god and lording it over the hapless citizenry. As an admiral, he'd been practically untouchable, able to ruin lives at a whim... and that sense of power had been intoxicating. Having to resign his position in the Admiralty had been the hardest thing Oliver Petran had ever had to do, but he'd seen Carl Weber's horrific fate and wasn't going to take any chances.

Grabbing the keys to his hovercar, he stormed out of his luxury apartment and entered the underground carpark. Pressing the keyfob, there was a beep and his deluxe sedan unlocked, the driver's door swinging open as he approached.

"Riverfront park," he snapped at the automatic navigation system, closing the door behind him.

The holo interface displayed the selected route, then the hovercar lifted off the ground with the whir of anti-grav cyclics. Oliver normally loved to drive, but he was far too angry to do so at the moment; the last thing he needed was to be pulled over and delayed by some moronic traffic cop. Only weeks before, he could have flashed his Admiralty identification at the police and literally got away with murder. To think that he'd been reduced to a powerless peon was almost more than he could stand.

Oliver stared out the window as dusk approached, watching the sun's rays cast long shadows from the city skyscrapers. Yes, he might have abused his position a time or twenty... but that was the right of the ruling class, a perk for those who were superior to the unwashed masses. Blake turning everything upside down and persecuting the Admiralty for simply following long-established precedents was an appalling betrayal. The Lion was a military man... Blake knew the score... but his hypocrisy seemed to know no bounds. The sight of Blake parading around like some paragon of virtue and playing the white knight for the public made Oliver sick to the stomach.

He brooded for the rest of the journey and, lost in his thoughts, he only realised he'd arrived at the riverfront park when his hovercar drifted to a halt. He climbed out of his sedan and it locked automatically behind him as he walked away, following the path through perfectly manicured lawns to the promenade. The sun was starting to set, the sky lit up in crimson and orange, ending another day of perfect weather on Terra. Weather control satellites kept the temperature balmy practically all year round, but the pleasant warmth from the setting sun did little to cheer Oliver's foul mood.

Strolling along the river's edge, antique iron lamps started switching on, illuminating both sides of the river and giving it an almost magical feel. Couples would be out soon, enjoying the romantic ambience, so he quickened his pace, having no intention of being around a bunch of lovestruck fools. Oliver grimaced as he remembered bringing his wife here thirty years ago when they started dating... he'd been so naive back then, full of noble ideals and bright-eyed about the future. The reality of command in the Terran Federation navy had soon given him a hard dose of reality.

He almost missed the sign, he was so distracted with reminiscing about the past, but Oliver spotted it in time and followed the path into the park. Sheltered from the wind by hedgerows, were dozens of gaming tables, where grey-haired old men played chess against each other and the occasional young upstart. Casting his eye over the spectators, Oliver saw the men he was meeting before they spotted him. One was an older, heavy-set man with beady eyes, the second had darker skin and a face set in a perpetual scowl.

Oliver wasn't sure exactly what had prompted both of their resignations... but he could hazard a guess. Admiral Benedito Almada had built up a murky reputation after a decade in the Admiralty and there were hushed rumours that he liked his women the wrong side of legal. Admiral Arjun Khatri had been appointed to run the Internal Security Division shortly before they'd all been forced to resign. Fleet Admiral Buckingham would have only assigned him that position if he could count on him to handle the... unpleasant side... of running a galactic empire.

He caught their eye as he approached the pair, then glanced off to the right. They nodded and walked ahead of him, crossing one of the lawns to wooden picnic tables that were deserted at this late hour. The older of the two was jittery, Almada glancing left and right as they sat down, searching for any sign of surveillance.

"Calm down, Almada," Oliver said, taking a seat on the bench opposite. "We're just three old men out for a chat... no one will look twice this way if you stop drawing attention to us."

"Meeting out in the open like this is too risky, Petran," Benedito Almada grumbled, shifting his bulk on the bench and furtively checking the paths for security personnel. "I don't like it."

The younger man beside him shook his head. "You know it has to be this way. We can't trust the Comms Network... internal security operatives will be monitoring all conversations for key phrases."

Almada took a deep breath and exhaled to calm himself, before locking eyes on Oliver. "So, have you made a decision?"

Narrowing his eyes, Oliver nodded. "Secondary targets as well. Everyone associated with Blake."

Benedito Almada squinted at him, then rubbed at his jowly chin. "Are you sure? This will stir up one hell of a shitstorm."

"I want that bastard to pay. Besides, I've got nothing to stick around on Terra for," Oliver muttered, clenching his fists. "I've already started liquidating assets... I can disappear easily enough."

Almada and Khatri shared a glance, then the dark-skinned man grimaced. "I can't leave... I've got family commitments... and I'd only been an admiral for four years; I didn't have enough time to build up a decent... retirement package."

"I was the only one of us forced out of High Command, so I'm the most likely to be a suspect," Oliver said, looking at each man in turn. "There's no digital records linking us to our people, right?" When they shook their heads, he gave them a grim smile. "Then they've got no chance of uncovering your involvement."

Almada clapped the darker-skinned man on the shoulder. "When they start their investigation, they'll find the mastermind behind it all. She's got means and motive."

Khatri checked the paths again, then asked in a hushed voice, "Are you sure she can get my men onto Olympus?"

The big man shifted his weight again and nodded. "The orders have already been given. With all the construction work involved in the shipyard expansion, the garrison is being doubled in size. Nobody will look twice at the troop movements until it's too late."

Khatri smirked and shook his head in admiration. "I can't believe you convinced her to join us..."

"Jealousy, ambition, revenge... all powerful motivators," Almada said with a sly smile. "You just need to find someone's weakness and with a little bit of encouragement, you'll be surprised what people will do..."

"Will expanding operations to include secondary targets cause a lot of complications?" Oliver asked, his expression turning cold.

Khatri shook his head, looking confident. "Once we've breached Olympus security, they'll be exposed and vulnerable. As for Jericho, that should pose no problems at all."

Almada licked his lips and murmured, "Considering how many of those delicious little sluts Blake has working for him... I expected there to be a lot more targets."

Oliver grimaced and shook his head. "Only Voss and Fernandez have official records. The rest might as well be ghosts... We know first names from their TFNN interviews... but that's it."

"What about the cute Asian one?" Almada asked, rubbing his fingers against his mouth. "I seem to remember her having a surname... Honami wasn't it?"

"It's a fake name," Oliver said with certainty. "There's no one registered in T-Fed records that could possibly be her."

"As long as we get Devereux, that's all I care about," Khatri said with a vicious gleam in his eyes. "That stupid bitch created the 'Lion of the Federation'... it's all her fault we got fucked over."

"Agreed," Almada said with a sinister leer.

Petran would have loved to get some real payback against Blake, but after seeing him in action during the Battle of Terra, he knew that would be impossible. Still, the man had a weakness... he'd even tried to scare the Admiralty off from making moves against his friends and associates. If Oliver couldn't strike directly at the Lion, he could make those Blake cared about suffer instead, like the scheming bitch who had promoted him all the way up into the Admiralty.

"Agreed..."

***

John groaned as he awoke, his head pounding. He moved to rub his temple, but found that one arm was pinned under a thick mane of dark auburn hair and the other trapped under a toned limb, his hand cupping a very large breast, the firm flesh soft and smooth as it filled his palm.

"Good morning, sleepyhead!" Dana said brightly, freeing his right arm and sitting up so that she could look at him. She raised an eyebrow and grinned. "You look like something the cat dragged in... or Jade carried in to be more precise."

"Not so loud..." John protested, rubbing at his eyes. He tried to ignore his throbbing headache and shifted on the unpleasantly wet pillow. "Err... why is my pillow soaked?" He blinked against the soft light in the unfamiliar bedroom. "And where are we?"

She giggled and shook her head in amusement. "You really don't remember what happened last night?"

He tried to sit up and immediately regretted it. Carefully lying back down, he covered his face with Dana's pillow. "Did I die? Am I in hell?"

"Hey! Waking up with me should be heaven!" Dana protested, hitting him with his pillow, the blow landing on his chest with a chilly squelch.

"I'm sorry!" he pleaded, waving a hand at her. "Please stop! I love you..."

The blows ceased and Dana lay down on the bed to peek under the pillow he was hiding under. "Okay, but only because you asked nicely!"

"How are you so bright-eyed and bushy tailed this morning?" he grumbled, pulling the pillow down again.

"I asked Rachel to heal me last night," Dana explained cheerfully. "Going from hammered to stone-cold sober in a few seconds was super freaky, but I wanted topping up before we went to bed. Don't you even remember that?"

John concentrated, trying to make sense of his befuddled thoughts. "I remember... Jade dancing?"

She laughed and nodded. "Last night was awesome! You really let your hair down. You and Jade started dirty dancing on the coffee table, it was a riot!"

He groaned in a mixture of shame and embarrassment.

"I suppose you don't remember streaking from the Officers' Lounge to the Lagoon either?" the redhead asked with a smirk. "What about skinny dipping with Helene and the Nymphs? Or doing jello shots from Calara's tummy?"

"Oh God..." John moaned, shaking his head.

Dana traced her fingertips over his chest and said softly, "Then I got Rachel to sober me up so I could give you a blowjob. You took turns kissing the girls until you gave me a nice big load, then Jade carried you back to my room... and here we are."

"I don't think I've ever been that drunk before," he admitted with a rueful sigh. "Could you get me some painkillers please?"

She smiled and gently pulled away the pillow, making him grimace and cover his eyes with his arm. "You really are suffering this morning... the hangover must have halved your IQ. Why don't you just heal yourself?"

He looked at her open-mouthed in surprise, then blushed with embarrassment and shut his eyes. After a brief moment of concentration, he felt waves of healing energy sweep through his body, the pounding headache receding as he soothed away the pain. Alyssa, Jade, and Edraele all provided him gentle streams of psychic power to replenish his reserves, making him feel refreshed and alert once again.

*Letting your Progenitor suffer like that... you should all be ashamed of yourselves,* he playfully scolded the three women. *No matriarch gold stars for any of you.*

*Are we due a spanking, Master?!* Jade asked, no mistaking the excitement in her voice.

Alyssa laughed, then her voice lowered an octave, *Now that is a wonderful idea...*

*I could ask Luna to administer my punishment?* Edraele offered in a seductive purr. *Of course, we can wait until you return to Genthalas, then you can watch...*

Seeing the distracted look on his face and the half-smile tugging at his lips, Dana raised an eyebrow. "Saying hello to the matriarchs? I bet they're being naughty..."

He opened his eyes and nodded. "How did you guess?"

She gently encircled his thickening shaft with her slender fingers. "Because someone else started to wake up too..."

"That feels good," John said, nodding his approval. "But let me get a drink of water first, I'm parched."

Dana reached over to the bedside table and handed him a chilled bottle. "I thought you might need this when you woke up."

He accepted it with a grateful smile, then chugged the drink back, quenching his dry throat. "Damn, I needed that..." he said with a sigh of relief.

"What else do you need, John?" she asked in a hushed voice, staring at him intently.

He handed her the pillow. "You, on your knees by the side of the bed."

She bit her lip and nodded enthusiastically, sliding off the bed and sinking to the floor in front of him. With his hangover cured, John was just as eager and raring to go. He sat on the side of the bed and moved his legs apart so that Dana could move closer.

"I want a nice sensual blowjob," he said, brushing a stray lock of red hair from her beautiful face. "With lots of eye contact from a very special girl."

Dana was trembling with excitement as she reached for him, licking her full lips to make them moist and ready. She moved with accomplished familiarity, sliding his cock down her throat until her lips were pressed against his groin. After that she eased back a little so that she could gaze up into his eyes, the look on her face one of total devotion.

"So obedient," he murmured approvingly, brushing his fingers through her hair. "So submissive, so loving... I couldn't ask for a finer sex slave."

She moaned wantonly, her fingers delving between her parted thighs to stroke her soaked clit. Dana began to bob slowly up and down his length, caressing him with her tongue and applying gentle suction.

"I know I should probably feel bad for enjoying this so much," he said, losing himself in her sky-blue eyes. "But owning you really turns me on..."

Dana let out a muffled squeak and she struggled to meet his lust-filled gaze as she climaxed. The combination of his words and attitude were driving her wild.

"Such a good girl," he praised her, cupping her head in his hands.

Holding her in place, he thrust at her deliciously soft lips, revelling in the feeling of her throat vibrating around him with her every moan.

"I'm getting close," John warned her, tremendously turned on by the way she was responding to him. "Don't spill a drop now... I really want to see that tummy swell..."

Dana's brow furrowed in concentration as she sucked eagerly, desperate for her breakfast. John tried to hold out for as long as he could, but it was impossible... the redhead looked incredibly sexy with her focus entirely on making his climax as strong as possible. With a cry of release, he began pumping his cum down her throat, his quad clenching rhythmically with each powerful spurt. The intensity never abated and the seconds ticked by as they stared into each other's eyes, his massive load filling her stomach until she was cradling her rounded belly with both hands.

When he'd finished, he sighed with contentment, then helped Dana to her feet. Kissing her spunk-filled stomach, he looked up at her and smiled. "Now that was a great way to start the day."

She studied him in fascination, gently brushing her fingers through his hair. "I thought you were just blowing off steam last night... but you're the same today. You seem so much happier."

John moved back on the bed so that she could lie down beside him. "I've been feeling guilty for months... it feels fantastic just letting that go." He gently rolled Dana onto her side, then spooned up behind her, wrapping her up in a protective embrace. "I just figured I'd stop second guessing myself and have some fun with you... and I did. I loved it."

"That was so awesome... I could really tell the difference," she said with a happy sigh, snuggling into his arms. She hesitated then looked at him over her shoulder. "Did you feel that too? When you were feeding me?"

"The connection?" he asked, kissing her shoulder. "I don't think I've ever felt closer to you..."

She nodded, giving him a loving smile.

John returned it, then lowered one of his hands to caress her rounded tummy. "You know how much I admire and respect you... how much I appreciate everything you do for me... for us?"

"I do..." she whispered, eyelashes fluttering as he stroked her sensitive skin.

"I thought long and hard about how to give you the best day possible, but then I realised... you've told me over and over what you want," he murmured in her ear. "So I'm going to give you exactly what you've been craving. We're not going to do anything else today, except stay in bed..."

"Like you and Alyssa on the Fool's Gold?" Dana asked breathlessly.

"Those were the early days of our relationship. Using her the way I'm planning to take advantage of your scrumptious body would have felt... disrespectful." John smiled and kissed her neck, leaving a trail of goosebumps on her skin. "I own you, Dana. You're mine to do with as I please... and I must admit, I'm curious to see just how many times I can feed you in 24 hours."

The redhead moaned wantonly, rendered speechless she was so aroused.

***

Alyssa smiled as she walked into the Primary Hangar, enjoying listening to John's banter with her oldest friend.

"I've seen that smile before," Rachel said, a knowing look in her eyes. "You're eavesdropping on John and Dana aren't you?"

"Guilty as charged," the blonde admitted. She shook her head in admiration. "He sure knows how to push that girl's buttons..."

"I think you could probably say the same for all of us," Rachel said with a coy smile.

"Very true," Alyssa conceded. She paused to look at the brunette and nodded her approval. "That's an excellent choice of training outfit, Miss Voss."

Rachel lifted her chin and pulled her shoulders back, which had an impressive effect on her cleavage. She was wearing a knee-length cream dress with a tailored jacket, matching high heels pushing her up another four inches. Her full lips quirked into a smile. "And that's quite the exquisite outfit you're wearing, Miss Marant."

"Oh, just something I threw together," Alyssa replied nonchalantly, placing a hand on her hip. She was wearing a blue midi-length satin dress, wispy fabric covering the slits that revealed tantalising glimpses of her bronzed skin. Raising an eyebrow, she continued, "As much as I'd love to discuss fashion with you all day, we better get started."

The brunette's happy expression faded and she frowned in frustration. "I've attempted to create a psychic shield, but I've had no success so far. What process do you use to summon them?"

"The first one I created was done by pure instinct," Alyssa explained, thinking back to the first protective barrier she had created. "John's guide attacked me and I had to create a shield or I would have been skewered by a telekinetic spear. Admittedly, I had Athena helping out at the time, or I would have ended up as a shish-kebab."

"I'm not sure John would approve of you attempting to recreate that scenario," Rachel noted with a wry smile. "He's banned us from threat-reactive training hasn't he?"

Alyssa sighed and nodded. "He has... and I really don't want to do anything to upset him, not when he's in such a great mood. It'll take longer teaching you the basics, but we haven't got much choice." She studied the brunette for a moment as she collected her thoughts. "Okay, I want you to close your eyes and focus on your breathing. When your mind's at peace and you feel a sense of focus, then-"

Rachel grimaced as she interrupted, "I appreciate that a certain amount of mysticism seems to be customary with psychic powers, but I hate all that 'finding your centre' rigmarole. Please could you just explain the precise steps involved in creating a psychic shield?"

The blonde laughed and shook her head in amusement. "Sorry, I forgot who I was dealing with. Alright, just give me a moment..."

Alyssa took a deep breath, then closed her eyes to concentrate. She made a gesture with her fingers and a glowing hexagonal shield appeared in an instant before her. Dismissing it with a frown, she tried again and this time it took a couple of seconds for the barrier of hexagons to appear. She waved away the barrier and created another, each time slowing down the process further. By the tenth time, Rachel was able to closely observe how the shield was constructed.

"So you create the initial hexagon, then the rest fan out around it to form the rest of the structure," she murmured in fascination.

Alyssa nodded, looking curiously at the disc-shaped shield. "I've never really thought about exactly how I construct them. Let me see what happens when I create an enclosed globe..."

Closing her eyes again, Alyssa's brow furrowed in concentration as she built a fully-enclosed psychic shield at a fraction of the usual speed.

"You started at six points simultaneously!" Rachel remarked in surprise. "In front, behind, to your left, to your right, above, and below... then the six shields merged together to form a complete barrier. Were you consciously aware that you were creating it that way?"

"I had no idea... I just wanted it to work and it did," Alyssa replied, looking thoughtful as she waved the shield out of existence. "Do you want to try now?"

Rachel tapped her finger on her chin. "Not quite yet. I was just thinking about the protective properties of the hexagons. They seem to be able to block kinetic force as well as energy weapons, protecting from melee weapon attacks as well as bullets. At least I assume so, going by the way the hive queens were able to shield themselves from John's sword strikes... until he smashed his way through."

Alyssa's hand went to her torso and she winced. "So I could have avoided getting stabbed by that Kirrix nest guardian if I had a shield up?"

"If all psychic shields share the same attributes... then yes."

Rolling her eyes, Alyssa said playfully, "Now she tells me..."

Rachel smiled and gave her friend a look of sympathy. "We really should have tested the full range of their capabilities as soon as you were able to create them. If I'm eventually able to extend my shields to cover civilians, I'll definitely need to know what I can protect them from."

"We can test it this afternoon. Calara and Sakura are up in the Dojo, so they can be our lab rats." Alyssa suggested. She raised an eyebrow and looked at the brunette. "Okay, no more stalling... now it's your turn."

After a moment of hesitation, Rachel gave her a tentative nod. "Alright..."

Studying the apprehensive young woman, Alyssa could feel the anxiety and self-doubt pouring off her. "Hold on a second," she said walking over to Rachel and gently cupping her cheek. "It's not like you to be so anxious. What's wrong?"

Rachel leaned into Alyssa's hand as the blonde caressed her. "I find psychic powers quite hard to rationalise... they bend reality and defy all sense of logic. My psychic healing developed organically, with me using my knowledge of medicine to repair injuries, then eventually progressing from there to healing clusters of patients... but this is completely different. You're expecting me to conjure up a tangible object out of nothing... it breaks the laws of physics. Dana calls our abilities 'space magic' and not to worry about the specifics, but I really struggle with that. Jade's also a great advocate of just believing that they'll work, but I find it difficult to take anything so important on faith."

"Why?" Alyssa asked softly, her piercing cerulean gaze seeing deep into Rachel's soul. "You've seen us use these abilities hundreds of times, so you know it's possible. Why do you struggle to believe?"

Rachel was quiet for a long moment as she turned that incredible intellect inwards. It didn't take long for her face to shadow with sorrow, realisation dawning in those troubled grey eyes.

"When you lost your mother..." Alyssa murmured, echoing her mournful thoughts.

"I prayed every night that she'd come home to me," Rachel whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek. "When I found out what happened, my faith died with her..."

Alyssa wrapped her up in a loving embrace and held Rachel close, standing quietly with her as she dealt with the outpouring of emotion. When the wave of grief had passed, Alyssa gently kissed Rachel on the cheek. "Losing your faith probably wasn't a bad thing..."

The brunette pulled back and looked at her in surprise. "Why?"

"Considering everything we've discovered about the origins of humanity and the part Mael'nerak played in our creation, if you were devoutly religious, you'd be going through one hell of a crisis of faith. Especially when you found out that he created life on Terra because he was bored."

Rachel couldn't help laughing as she nodded. "That's true. If Mael'nerak was God then I suppose that would make Ranagon the devil... which creates quite the dichotomy for John's role in that parable."

Alyssa looked at her seriously now and said, "But losing your faith isn't the same as not believing in yourself. Psychic abilities are just a form of science that we don't understand yet... but if anyone can figure them out, it'll be you. You're by far the smartest of any of us, Rachel."

"That was a pep talk worthy of John," the brunette said with a grateful smile. "Thank you."

Frowning in frustration, the blonde shook her head. "If I'd done it right, you'd be staring at me in awe right now, fired up and ready for action. I've no idea how he does it..."

"Perhaps a vestigial form of psychic conditioning dating back to before he altered our connection?" Rachel postulated, her mind racing. "John wouldn't have been able to remove it, if he was unaware it exists."

Alyssa considered that for a moment. "It's certainly possible..."

Rachel paused and looked into Alyssa's eyes. They carried out a long, unspoken conversation, then smiled at each other.

"Don't worry, I won't say anything," Alyssa said, patting the brunette reassuringly on the arm. "Even if we are right, there's no way I'm giving that up."

"My thoughts exactly, revered matriarch," Rachel agreed with a coy smile. "We've got far too much other vital research that takes priority to waste time investigating such trivialities..."

"Exactly," Alyssa agreed, grinning back. "Okay, enough stalling... time to make me a shield!"

Rachel looked at her once more, then raised her hand in a defensive gesture. Nothing happened for a long moment, then the brunette tutted in frustration. Narrowing her eyes, they began to glow with an inner radiance and a billowing grey aura rolled down her arm to gather at her fingertips. The nebulous shapes rolled around her hand, moving with an ebb and flow generated by her will, then spread outwards into a shield-like shape. Rachel frowned in concentration and the misty haze swirled in place then faded away, leaving a glowing barrier formed of light grey hexagons.

"I did it!" she exclaimed in delight.

Alyssa was fascinated by Rachel's approach, her eyes widening as the brunette found an alternate method to create a barrier. "Nicely done! Do you think you could create one quicker?"

Rachel dismissed the psychic shield with a wave of her hand. She flattened her hand, palm upright and another gleaming barrier flashed into place, fully formed and glowing with a soft grey light. Tilting her head to one side, she studied the wall of hexagons, then they slowly spread out to enclose her in a perfect sphere.

"Wow... I can't believe how quickly you extended it!" Alyssa exclaimed, shaking her head in admiration. "Do you remember all the problems I had trying to teach John? He's as stubborn as a mule about learning new psychic powers..."

"Was..." Rachel corrected her, glancing at the blonde. "X-Ray vision, telekinetic wave mastery, runeforging his sword, growth... he even tried reading that hive queen's mind. New abilities are coming thick and fast now."

Alyssa's happy expression faded. "He thinks he's close to confronting his guide... but how the hell are we supposed to prepare him for that?"

"What did you learn from nearly merging with Athena? Is there anything there that might help?"

After thinking about it, Alyssa shook her head. "There was no conflict between us... Athena didn't want to be absorbed, but she would have still sacrificed herself for me. John locked up his guide to stop him interfering and they've been fighting for control ever since."

Rachel watched the troubled blonde, then said quietly, "I know how dangerous the Astral Plane can be, but John fighting there helped him develop his psychic powers here. Maybe convincing him never to return there isn't the answer?"

"I just don't know... that's the problem," Alyssa replied with a frown of frustration. With a sigh, she turned her attention back to Rachel's shield. "How about we test how strong your shield is? When I break through, quickly rebuilding it will be good practice for you."

Clicking her fingers in the air, a swarm of tiny telekinetic darts appeared, hovering above Alyssa's shoulder. Rachel stepped back to give them some room, then nodded in readiness. One of the glowing white projectiles raced out to slam into the grey barrier, the force of the impact cracking the hexagon it struck, but didn't break through.

Alyssa nodded her approval. "That's a good shield."

She made a casual gesture and the darts began to strike the shield from all directions, cracking hexagons with ever greater force. Rachel looked around in alarm, quickly replacing the shattered tiles wherever she saw them.

"Don't look for them... feel the breaks!" Alyssa urged her, summoning a score of fresh telekinetic darts. "You won't have time to check in the middle of a battle."

Rachel frowned at her in confusion. "How?"

Alyssa halted her barrage, then approached the grey barrier. "Okay, close your eyes..." She saw Rachel's eyebrows furrow and couldn't help laughing. "Don't worry, I'm not going to ask you to meditate to find inner peace."

The brunette smiled and closed her eyes. "Alright, consider me perfectly serene."

Closing her own eyes, Alyssa raised a hand towards the psychic barrier. She could feel its presence... an extension of Rachel's will manifested into a barrier of pure telekinetic force. Pushing out with her own mind, she made tentative contact with one of those hexagonal tiles and stroked it with a gentle telepathic caress.

"Oh! I felt that!" Rachel gasped in surprise.

"Your mind created the shield... you gave it a shape and physical form," Alyssa said softly. She swept her psychic touch across the surface of the grey barrier, slowly encompassing the sphere with her own mind. "There... do you feel that too?"

"I can feel the shape... it's like a bubble around me," the brunette marvelled.

Drawing back her telepathic contact, Alyssa looked at her quizzically. "Can you still feel it?"

Rachel nodded, confident now. "Yes... I understand what you mean now. I can picture the structure in my mind."

With a casual gesture, one of the floating darts streaked out to strike the grey barrier, shattering one of the hexagons. Rachel kept her eyes closed, but her hand shot up, replacing the sundered section of her shield. Alyssa smiled and launched more of her telekinetic darts at Rachel, the glowing projectiles looping around to hit her from all sides. Raising her other hand, the brunette turned, swiftly repairing any breaks in her barrier.

"Very nice..." Alyssa praised her, impressed by how quickly her student was learning. "But you don't have to make gestures... you're simply fixing a psychic construct that you've already created. The hand gestures help... but they're really just a crutch."

Rachel listened attentively, then lowered her hand, her beautiful face a mask of concentration. "I'm ready..."

Alyssa raised her hands and a host of glowing projectiles sprang into existence around her. She made flicking gestures with her fingers and the darts blasted into the shield, hitting dozens of times. Rachel grimaced, her brow furrowing further as she tried to keep up with the hail of deadly strikes, replacing shattered hexagons in all directions.

Amazed that she was able to keep up, Alyssa decided to push her further. "Good! But your shield's weak... I'm only hitting you with 10% power. I reckon you can make it a lot stronger!"

Rachel eyes flashed open in alarm as larger telekinetic bolts started blasting her shield, taking out clusters of seven hexagons at a time. "Stop! Wait a second!" She raised both hands and gritted her teeth, then the shield shimmered, growing opaque as she poured more psychic energy into it. "Okay, I'm ready!"

Startled by the sudden shift in the shield, Alyssa paused for a second before renewing her assault, hitting the barrier with a flurry of powerful bolts. Even though she'd tripled the power behind them, they were now only knocking out single hexagons at a time. She could feel the brunette tiring from the strain of learning how to use this new ability, so she channelled more energy into her, replenishing Rachel's reserves. The shield's opacity faded, the hexagons turning translucent once again, revealing Rachel's face set in a mask of concentration.

Alyssa hit her with scores of bolts, relentlessly pounding the shield, but her opponent was smoothly repairing them now. As fast as holes were punched through the barrier, Rachel replaced them an instant later, maintaining her shield's integrity. The strain was starting to show though and Alyssa could see beads of sweat dripping from the brunette's brow.

Dismissing her glowing projectiles with a casual wave of her hand, Alyssa grinned at her student. "That was amazing!"

Rachel returned her smile, then she wobbled unsteadily, the shield flickering out. "I think I might have overdone it..." she faltered, teetering on her high heels.

"Easy now..." Alyssa said soothingly, catching and supporting the brunette with a dozen telekinetic hands. Lifting her into the air in that glowing cradle, she smoothed back Rachel's hair from her brow. "I'm so proud of you. You pushed yourself hard... and did brilliantly."

"I got there in the end." Rachel gave her a weary smile, relaxing in that gentle embrace. "How did I compare to Sakura and Tashana? Was it difficult teaching them how to create shields?"

"Actually, I didn't have to give them much help to learn the basics," Alyssa replied, thinking back to the way both girls had largely taught themselves. "John chose well giving Sakura Cryokinesis and enhancing Tashana's Pyrokinesis... they tend to learn by instinct because those powers come naturally to them."

"Well, thanks for persevering with me... you're a good teacher," Rachel's said, her face falling with disappointment at her performance. She closed her eyes as Alyssa stroked her forehead. "Hopefully I'll be able to catch up to them with a bit of practice."

"You've surpassed them already," Alyssa said quietly, her voice full of admiration. "There's no way either Tashana or Sakura could maintain a shield against the shitstorm I just threw at you. I don't think they know how to create spherical shields yet... let alone repairing them without looking or using gestures."

Rachel's grey eyes flashed open and she looked at the blonde in surprise, then shook her head and laughed. "You're so bad..."

Alyssa smiled affectionately. "And you're very gifted... you just learn differently to the others." She leaned down to give her a tender kiss. "Now, I'll take you up to bed, so you can get some rest and recover. We'll continue your training this afternoon."

***

Dana gazed down at John, a seductive smile teasing her lips as she rode him at a sensuous rhythm.

"You look so beautiful," he murmured, placing his hands on her breasts and squeezing the firm flesh.

She bit her flushed lower lip, then her expression changed to one of intense concentration as she began working her strong inner muscles. Every time she rolled her hips, her pussy clenched and squeezed him, dramatically heightening the pleasure he was feeling.

John gaped at her in surprise. "Where did you learn that?!"

"Kelli and Perl..." she murmured, milking his cock with her new skills. "Those girls really know how to fuck..."

He couldn't help thrusting up against her, no longer able to lie still. "God... that feels so good."

"Yeah? You like that?" Dana purred with satisfaction, increasing her tempo. "Then you'll love this..."

She shifted her weight forward and placed her hands to either side of his head, then began rocking her hips quickly, squeezing him the whole time.

"Oh fuck!" John gasped, feeling like a deliciously warm wet fist was rapidly jerking him off.

"Too much?" the redhead asked with a teasing smile, slowing her pace. "Want me to stop?"

"No! Keep going!" he begged her, thrusting up in desperation.

Dana grinned in triumph, rapidly ratcheting up her speed as she rode him. John didn't last long and he came with a guttural groan, his eyes rolling up as he thrust wildly at her clutching pussy.

"Yeah, give me all your cum..." she crooned, her eyes sparkling. She glanced down at her tummy, watching it expanding with the huge load he was pumping into her. "Oh, fuck... I love it when you fill me up..."

John wasn't in any state to respond, lost in an overwhelming surge of ecstasy. All he could focus on was Dana riding him and milking every last drop of spunk from his quad. His climax seemed to last forever and when he was finally done, he panted for breath, seeing stars as he gazed up at the ceiling.

Dana giggled when she saw his awestruck expression. She wasn't able to kiss him with her swollen belly in the way, so she carefully dismounted and knelt at his side, then leaned down to brush her lips against his. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it," she said lovingly. "That was probably the most expensive sex you've ever had... Alyssa gave the Karron girls 200 grand to teach us that."

He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "Honey, that was worth every credit!" Rolling onto his side, John gave her a grateful smile as she lay down on the bed. "Thank you."

"After all the mind-blowing orgasms you've given me, it was the least I could do." Her gaze softened as she whispered, "I love you so much, John."

John gazed into her eyes and gently brushed a lock of hair away from her face. "I love you too." He was quiet for a long moment, then continued earnestly, "Coming back to Karron was one of the best decisions I've ever made. I'm so glad we rescued you, Sparks... I can't even imagine life without you now."

She wriggled closer, sighing with contentment as he held her. "It was so weird seeing that picture of me yesterday, of how I looked before. That scar had such a huge impact on my life... sometimes I still can't believe it's gone."

He caressed her cheek, then traced down her throat, brushing his fingers across her soft skin as he followed the path of the horrible burn scar that had once disfigured her face. "You're such a beautiful girl, Dana. This is how you should have always been."

Dana looked at him with big eyes, then whispered, "I'm actually glad it happened..."

"What was that, honey?" John asked, not sure if he'd heard her correctly.

"Me getting caught in that explosion..." she replied, a wistful smile teasing her lips.

John looked at her in shock. "But Alyssa told me you were in agony when you got burned! I can't stand the thought of you being in that much pain... it must have been horrific."

"It was worth it," she said with conviction. "Given a do-over, I'd still go through that again."

"But why?" he asked, bewildered that she'd voluntarily have her flesh seared for any reason.

"Because no man ever looked twice at me, not with my face all fucked up like that," she quietly explained. "If I hadn't been so badly scarred, some guy would have taken an interest, probably forcing me... and I wouldn't have been able to fight him off."

"Karron was such a horrible place to grow up," John said with sympathy. "I'm so glad you were spared that."

"No, that's not the reason." Dana gave him a shy smile. "The important bit was that I got to save myself for you..."

He looked at her in astonishment, then felt a surge of guilt. "I don't deserve you, Dana. You're happy you were burned and scarred just so I could be the only guy you've ever been with... but I'm sleeping with over twenty women."

"Why do you always do that?" she asked, looking hurt. Now it was Dana's turn to frown. "Do you really think I'm that much of a bitch?"

Caught by surprise by her rapid shift in mood, John quickly shook his head. "No, of course not! Why would you even think that?!"

"It happens all the time," she said with exasperation. "I say something nice, like: 'I'm glad I was a virgin for you' and you start feeling guilty for some dumb reason. I love you... I don't want you to feel like shit! Every time you go on a guilt-trip, it makes me feel bad!"

John winced and cupped her face. "I'm really sorry, honey. I just... I can't help feeling the way I do. I was brought up to be respectful towards women and my grandparents would probably be appalled at me lording it over a harem! The balance in our relationship is so skewed in my favour, it's ridiculous... and I can't help feeling guilty, especially when you and the rest of the girls are all so loving with me."

Dana just looked at him for a long moment, then shook her head with a wry smile. "You really have no idea what our relationship is like from my perspective do you?"

He was about to reply, then hesitated. "No... I guess not."

"I feel... privileged... to be with you," she said softly, placing her hand on his where he cupped her face. "The girls are amazing... totally the best people I've ever met, but for some reason, you liked me enough to make me one of them. I still find it hard to believe that you did that..."

"But-"

She silenced him with a kiss, then smiled. "I haven't finished." She mimed zipping his lips sealed, then Dana continued, "You've done so much for me... there's no point listing everything because we'd be here all day. But it's not just the stuff you've given me, or healing my scars, or giving me a hot body and making me beautiful, or even saving me from being killed. Every time we're together, you make me feel like I'm the most important person in the galaxy... and I love you so much for that."

"That's how I feel," he said earnestly, then couldn't help wincing. "Or I should say: joint most important person in the galaxy with twenty other women..."

Dana laughed and rolled her eyes. "See! You can't help yourself." She gave him another kiss, gentle this time and full of tenderness. "I'm not jealous of the girls. None of us resent each other, or what we do for you, or the skills we each bring to the group. The girls are super nice to me all the time and because we're all occasional lovers too, we're even closer than if we were real sisters. I've also got my best friend to hang out with whenever I like, and then there's Rachel... and she's just awesome."

"Your soulmate," he said with a nod, his tension easing.

Her expression flickered with anxiety and she gave him a tentative smile. "Maybe joint soulmate would be more accurate?"

John ran his fingers through her hair and massaged her head. "I understand that you two have become really close... and I'm happy for you both, honestly. I promise that I'm not jealous."

"It's just that 'soulmate' sounds so exclusive and that somehow you don't measure up against Rachel," Dana said, shaking her head. "But that's just not the way I feel... it's hard to describe."

He gave her an encouraging smile. "I'm interested to know. How do you feel?"

She stopped to consider his question for a long moment. "Okay... I'll try to explain." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "When I'm with you, you make me feel a certain way that I just can't get enough of. You're strong and powerful, so you always make me feel safe and protected... which gets me really turned on. Then when we're together, the sex is indescribable... I never could have imagined it'd be so good. I get all the best bits of being dominated in bed, plus you're an amazingly considerate lover... so I'm always totally satisfied."

"We are a great fit in the bedroom," John conceded, nodding his agreement.

"It's not just physical though! The absolute confidence you have in me is amazing and I love that look of pride in your eyes when I come up with any new technology..." She shivered with delight. "You make me feel like I'm some kind of tech goddess! I've never had anyone respect and appreciate me the way you do. After years of just being sidelined and exploited, I actually feel valued now... treasured even... and that's just the best feeling ever."

"Treasured... that's a good word for how I feel about you," he said earnestly, emphasising that with a loving kiss. "So what about you and Rachel?"

A soft smile appeared on her face and she replied, "What we have is very different. We spend loads of time together and I love her company. She's so smart and caring, plus she really gets me on a whole bunch of stuff... probably because we're both girls, we're the same age, and we're both in a relationship with you." Tilting her head to one side, she added quietly, "We have a kind of incredibly close companionship... which I guess me and you probably could have as well, if we spent enough time together."

"If you didn't have to share me with so many other girls..." John said with a heavy sigh.

Dana smacked him on the arm and pouted. "No! Stop doing that!" She rolled her eyes and smiled again. "Me and you have the best bits of a relationship... all the real highs, like incredible sex and making my heart flutter when I see you, but me and Rachel kind of fill in the blanks for the rest. I need both of you... and I feel twice as loved because of it."

Raising her right hand, she said, "You..." Then raising her left, she continued, "Rachel..."

Putting her fingers together to form a heart, she placed it against her chest. "Soulmates..."

John was quiet as he thought about that, brushing his fingers through her hair as he studied her face. "Do you think I encouraged you two to get together? Maybe because I felt guilty at not being able to give you all the time and attention you needed?"

Dana shook her head. "Nah, I don't think so. Me and Rach had the hots for each other from the start... our relationship just grew from there." She shrugged nonchalantly. "Even if you did... who cares? What I've got with both of you is totally awesome... if it was you that set us up, then thanks!"

He laughed and lay back on the bed with a sigh of relief. After a long pause, he glanced at Dana again. "Do you think the rest of the girls feel that way?"

She snuggled into him and rested her head against his shoulder. "Yeah, probably. Being with you is such a rush... but it's really intense and we'd never get anything done if one of us was with you constantly. When we aren't spending time alone with you, we all have fun hanging out together. I guess the girls that needed that extra companionship paired off, like Alyssa with Calara, and Irillith with Tashana, but not everyone has."

"Sakura..." John said, nodding thoughtfully.

"She's totally devoted to you... same as Jade," Dana said, turning to look up at him. "Not that I wouldn't take a bullet for you, but those two take it a step further."

"Should I try and make more time for them?" John asked with concern.

"They'd love it if you did, the same as the rest of us," she said with an affectionate smile. "But when Sakura hangs out with me and Rach, she's happy... it's not like she spends her time miserable and moping around, pining away for the next time you'll get together."

"You know how I feel about all of you... I just don't want anyone to feel neglected," he said looking worried.

Dana propped herself up on one elbow and looked down at him. "You need to stop giving yourself such a hard time. You do a really great job of making us all feel loved. Besides, if any of us is unhappy, Alyssa tells you, right?"

Thinking back, he nodded, remembering dozens of occasions when she'd asked him to spend time with one of the girls when they were upset about something.

"There you go then," she said with a satisfied smile. "It was actually a really smart move putting her in charge of keeping an eye on us like that. You probably avoided all sorts of problems with Alyssa constantly checking to make sure we're all okay."

"I can't really take credit for that," he said with a rueful frown. "That was all part and parcel of her being my matriarch..."

Dana shook her head. "No, it wasn't."

John looked at her in confusion. "A Progenitor sets up a matriarch to manage the connections to his thralls... I thought we'd established that."

"The matriarch's there to manage the energy in their psychic network, but that's basically it," the redhead insisted. "It's true that matriarchs have an empathic connection with their thralls, but Alyssa's telepathic bond is way more intimate than that. Besides, from everything we've learned about the other Progenitors, do you honestly think that any of them gave a shit what their thralls were feeling?"

John thought about it and was forced to admit, "I seriously doubt it."

"Exactly, but you're totally different," she said with a fond smile. "Every time I feel even a bit sad about anything, you're there like a shot, doing whatever you can to cheer me up. You do the same thing for all the girls, because you care about us; you're nothing like the other Progenitors we've learned about."

"I really hope not," he said quietly, staring up at the ceiling.

"You're not," she said firmly, then gave him a tender kiss. Dana watched him for a long moment, then continued, "During Rachel's talk, I actually noticed something I hadn't really thought about before..."

John looked at her with interest, knowing how insightful Dana could be when she put her mind to anything. "What did that big old brain of yours figure out?"

"Did you realise that you've never once actively recruited anyone? You've been pushed into it, every single time."

"That can't be right..." he muttered, frowning again. "What about Jade? I remember deciding to become her new master."

Dana giggled and shook her head. "Jade doesn't count! She threw herself at you from the start! Then as soon as you introduced her to me and Calara, we practically begged you to have her join the crew. After you loaded Jade up, I remember you telling us all about Nymphs and that you'd wanted to set her free, but after talking to her you realised that was impossible. You recruited her to stop her from being enslaved by anyone else."

John rubbed his chin and eventually nodded. "Alright, I suppose that's true... but what about-"

"Nope," Dana interrupted with a triumphant grin. "Every single girl on the Invictus has joined us because Alyssa brow-beat you into it, or you felt you had to do it to save them. Jade was never going to take no for an answer, then me, Calara, Rachel, Jehanna, and Helene were all picked by Alyssa. Irillith kind of recruited herself, then with Tashana, you felt obligated to help her because of all the horrendous shit she'd been through."

"You're all beautiful women... it's not like it was a hard choice," he said with a self-conscious smile.

"Yeah, you'd think, but you struggle with it every time. You normally spend days trying to convince any new girl to head for the hills!" she said with a knowing smile. "You've never just picked out a girl and said: 'She's super hot! I want to make her my love slave!'."

He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I can't think why I haven't done that."

"But with your abilities, you could have... whenever you liked," Dana insisted, quite animated now. "You heard Mael'nerak on the Nexus files; he picked Valada as his matriarch because he thought she was a sexy piece of ass. I bet every Progenitor has been just the same way, but you've done the opposite and tried to discourage girls from joining you."

"I didn't really do that with the Maliri," John said quietly, lost in thought.

"Edraele was forced on you when your guide mind-wiped her. After that, she set you up with all the Maliri in her network, like the assassins and the Young Matriarchs. With the way the genetic conditioning worked, they were like cats in heat around you, but even then, you tried to make sure they knew what they were doing before you filled them up. All the rest of the Maliri you only fed once, but that was just so you could start correcting the population imbalance. You still took the time to learn the names of all those hot blue chicks and find out a bit about them, it was never about getting your rocks off."

He shrugged, conceding she was right. "Okay that's all true. So what's your point?"

"Nothing really, I just thought it was interesting," she replied, cuddling up with him again. "You've been very cautious and reluctant to recruit women into your psychic network, making sure that they always give their consent beforehand. It's just another reason why you shouldn't feel guilty about your connection to the girls; we all joined you voluntarily and I'd bet you a billion credits that not a single one would go back and choose differently."

"A billion credits?" John asked with a grin. "Just how much are you raking in from those patents?"

"Alright, I'm a bit short," she admitted, smiling as she traced a finger over his chest. "If I lost, you'd have to settle for a hell of an IOU... but there's no way I'd lose. Trust me, I know exactly how they feel."

"Thanks for talking this through with me," he said gratefully, stroking her back. "I really appreciate all the effort that you and the rest of the girls have gone to recently, trying to make me see things from a different perspective. It really helps."

"Good." Dana kissed him, then studied him with a conflicted expression on her face. "Do you know why we hassle you about this so much?"

He shook his head. "Not really, no."

"Do you remember how frustrated and helpless you felt, when Edraele kept blaming herself for everything the old version of her did?" Not waiting for him to answer, she pressed on, "Because every time you torture yourself with guilt, that's exactly how all of us feel..."

John looked at her in shock, then wrapped his arms around her. "I'm really sorry, I had no idea."

"Don't be sorry," Dana said with a caring smile. "We all love you... and just want you to be happy."

***

Ailanthia woke from a wonderful sleep, then stretched languorously in bed and smiled at the increasingly familiar weight pressing at her waist. Her hands went down to the bulge in her cum-filled stomach, lightly caressing the gentle curves as she let out a sigh of contentment. The thought that her Lord's baby was growing in her womb left Ailanthia giddy with excitement.

Having Larn'kelner's children had been her fondest wish, ever since he'd chosen her to be his matriarch from thousands of hopeful young Larathyran noblewomen. As the years rolled by into decades, then centuries, that hope had dwindled away to nothing more than a wistful dream. To see so many thousands of his vapid thralls blessed to carry his progeny, while leaving her unfulfilled had been torturous, but it was only recently that she'd been bold enough to voice her displeasure... and so much more.

She shook her head in disbelief, mortified that she'd actually dared to slap him. Ailanthia loved her Lord with every fibre of her being, but the taunts and teasing had finally overcome her restraint until she'd been overcome by a rage she'd never experienced before. Even more astonishing was that Larn'kelner had been amused and aroused by her furious outburst... and the passion they'd shared afterwards was like nothing she ever thought possible.

Lovingly stroking her lower belly, she blushed as she remembered that morning. She was no longer able to accept him into her womb, as it was now occupied with her Lord's offspring, but there were plenty of other thrilling ways she could please him. As always, the passionate encounter had culminated in a deeply satisfying breakfast. With a start, Ailanthia realised that she'd dined on nothing else but Larn'kelner's essence for weeks, the thought making her moan with arousal.

*Ailanthia, meet me on the Bridge.*

His authoritative voice cut through her mind, heightening her state of excitement.

She slid out of the covers and started looking for her hastily discarded clothes. *I shall get dressed and be there shortly, my Lord.*

*Did I rouse you from bed?* he asked, sounding amused.

*I awoke moments ago,* she replied, smiling softly to herself. *Your magnificent performance this morning left me languishing in a state of blissful exhaustion.*

His tone changed, growing more affectionate. *There's no rush, my lovely little matriarch. Attend me at your convenience...*

Ailanthia's breath caught, as it always did when he spoke to her in such a manner. Ever since that fateful night, Larn'kelner had been increasingly attentive, each kind word and loving glance making her heart sing. *I ache for your company, my Lord. I shall not tarry long...*

She hummed happily to herself as she entered the adjoining washroom, then froze stock-still when she saw her reflection in the mirror. Ailanthia gaped at her long, braided hair, whirling to the side and twisting her shoulders to get a better look at the tresses that flowed down her back. While she'd been asleep, all the colour had leeched out, her dark locks turning a pristine snowy white!

Her first thought was one of terror. What if Larn'kelnar hated her new look! As the initial wave of fear passed and rational thought kicked in once again, she realised that he must be the architect behind her change in appearance. Ailanthia heaved a huge sigh of relief, then stopped to really appraise her reflection. She smiled as she undid the braids, which had become tangled with that morning's passion, then gently fluffed out her hair. Shaking her head in awe, she marvelled at the change, struck by just how clever her Lord was. The white mane emphasised the flawless perfection of her light-green skin and she was amazed at how he'd enhanced her natural beauty.

Entering the smaller chamber at the back of the room with a new lightness to her step, she placed the filter over her nose, closed the door, then activated the cleaning room. Anti-bacterial liquid flooded the room, cleansing her body of the dried perspiration from that morning's activities. Just as quickly it drained out, leaving her refreshed and ready for Larn'kelnar's pleasure. Standing before the mirror once again, she brushed out her hair so that it flowed in glossy waves over her shoulders and down her back. Ailanthia briefly considered braiding it again, but decided to leave it loose, so that her Lord could admire his handiwork.

Returning to their quarters, she retrieved one of the long dresses from the wardrobe he'd allocated to her and slipped it on. That she was even allowed to store some of her clothing in his room was exhilarating, reinforcing the feeling that she was closer to him than ever before. She smoothed the material over the small bump in her tummy and pulled on a pair of high-heeled boots, then after checking her reflection one last time, she left the bedroom.

Ailanthia passed scores of thralls as she strode along the black corridors, relishing the looks of astonishment she received at her new appearance. Glancing down at the locks curling over her chest, she saw that the red lighting was casting a crimson hue over her new hair. It was like she was reflecting the majesty of her Lord's ship, just as she was his devoted vessel. Her hand drifted to her abdomen and she lovingly caressed the curve of her belly, a soft smile on her face. She pressed the rune by a black door and it peeled open, the interconnecting metal plates along the joins like rows of jagged teeth, until they swept back into the doorframe.

Larn'kelnar was already there on the Bridge and one look at his handsome face made her heart skip a beat. "My Lord," she purred, greeting him with a sultry smile. "I adored my surprise..."

He turned to look her way as Ailanthia crossed the Bridge to join him, then his eyes widened in astonishment. "What did you do to your hair?!" he blurted out, striding over to seize her arms and turning his matriarch from side-to-side as he studied her.

"I-it wasn't me..." she stammered, looking at him in fright.

Larn'kelnar gave her a sharp look. "What?"

"My hair was like this when I woke, my Lord," she replied in a hushed voice, trembling in his impossibly strong grip. "I thought that you'd decided to change my hair colour."

Eyebrows climbing, he looked at her with surprise. "How fascinating..."

"Do you like it?" she asked tentatively.

After studying her for a long moment, his lips curled up into a warm smile. "You look ravishing."

Ailanthia sagged with relief, then gave him a shy smile as he ran his fingers through her hair. "I like it too..."

Larn'kelnar's hand trace down her throat, then brushed across her breasts, making her nipples respond to his touch. His fingers dipped lower until he was caressing the slight curve of her stomach and when they made eye contact, the heat of arousal was obvious in his gaze. "Perhaps I erred in calling you away from our quarters..."

Her eyes hooded with lust and she gave him a seductive smile. "No, my Lord. You were correct as always." She glanced meaningfully at his Command Throne, then licked her lips suggestively.

He threw his head back and laughed. "Why did I never see this side to you before?" he marvelled, gazing at her in admiration.

She led him over to the throne, darting a playful smile at him over her shoulder. "We have an eternity to make up for lost time..."

Ailanthia threw furtive glances around the Bridge as he unfastened his trousers and couldn't help grinning at the looks of raw envy on the faces of every Thrall in attendance. For once their gaze wasn't focused on Larn'kelnar, their eyes were all on her, captivated by their matriarch's shocking new appearance.

"Were you successful this morning, my Lord?" she asked, slowly sinking to her knees before him.

He shook his head, gritting his teeth in irritation. "No... not yet."

She reached for his shaft, then slowly licked from his quad to the tip. "Mmm, delicious."

His dark mood faded as he admired his matriarch's provocative display. "By the stars, you're beautiful..."

Ailanthia blushed, gazing up at him in adoration. He'd fed her so many times over the millennia that being on her knees before him was like second nature, but this was so different from before. For thousands of years, it had been nothing more than a rejuvenating practicality, but this time it was all about sensual pleasure. She let her lips slide across the throbbing head of his cock, her tongue swirling along the slit at the top and making him groan.

*My Lord... I must confess that I'm a little concerned...*

He curled his hand behind her head and pulled her down his cock, sliding his broad girth down her throat. *What troubles you, my anxious little pet?*

Her lips touched his groin, the angle making her lose eye-contact. *We've been here for the better part of a year and your thrall network is depleting rapidly. When will we return home to offload the tanks and replenish our supply of new recruits?*

Larn'kelnar eased her back along his shaft, until he could gaze into her eyes again. *We're never going back, my love...*

*But what of your empire?!* she exclaimed, looking up at him in shock. *And your fleets!*

*I can rule the empire remotely and the fleets will come to us...*

*We haven't sufficient materials to construct a warp gate, not without returning!* she protested, pausing in her tender ministrations. *Without a gate, it'll take them months to get here!*

*I have no intention of building my own,* he said with a sly smile.

She eased his shaft out of her throat and looked up at him in confusion. "But I thought we were-"

"Hush now, my beautiful Ailanthia," he murmured, guiding her back onto his cock. "No more worrying and leave the thinking to me. It's time to feed my heir growing in your belly..."

Ailanthia would have sighed with contentment, but that was impossible with his impressive shaft sheathed in her throat. Doing as Larn'kelnar commanded, her concerns scattered like the wind as she focused solely on his pleasure, serving him to the very best of her erotic ability.

***

Dana cradled the slight bump in her tummy, her stomach still full after Jade had fed her only a few hours ago. She'd absorbed most of her breakfast, but John had recovered again, his quad refilling faster than she could digest each delicious meal. The thought of being stuffed with another huge load made her whimper with lust, the vibrations massaging his cock that was plunging into her throat.

John gazed down at the redhead splayed across the bed, his eyes roaming over her glorious figure. Dana's head was tilted back over the edge, giving him a straight shot down her throat as he thrust at her luscious lips. "That feels so good," he murmured, massaging her breasts as he fucked her face. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She hummed in the affirmative and the hands on his ass pulled him deeper.

"I'm getting close!" he warned her, his quad brushing her nose as he fully sheathed himself in her willing body.

Dana writhed on the bed, her thighs rubbing together and hips rolling with need. He reached down and slid two fingers into her slick pussy, curling them up to rub her g-spot as he used his thumb to rapidly rub her clit. They climaxed at the same time and it was all John could do to stop himself from collapsing on her as he pumped long spurts of cum directly into her stomach. She started to swell immediately as he added to the load already there, her belly bowing out to contain everything he was feeding her.

Finally spent, John pulled his cock out of the redhead's clutching throat and sprawled on the bed beside her. They both panted to get their breath back, laboured breathing the only sound for a long time.

Dana suddenly gasped, "John, look! My belly button popped out!"

He sat up and placed his hand on her huge tummy, his fingers gently circling her raised navel. "You look incredible..."

"Like I'm nine months pregnant..." she whispered, looking up at him with an adorable doe-eyed expression.

"I can't wait, honey," he said, sharing a smile with her.

Dana was about to reply, when she let out a low groan and squeezed her eyes shut, her hands flying up to her head. "Holy shit..."

"Dana! What is it?" he asked in surprise, worried for a second before he recognised the way she was reacting.

Her eyes flashed open, the golden coronas around her pupils flaring as she stared at something only she could see. "A Quantum Power Augmenter..." she murmured in awe. "It creates a plasma induction field that amplifies the energy being produced by a Progenitor Power Core. I always wondered how they generated enough power for a ship that size without having dozens of power cores dotted all over the ship!"

"You could tell that from the black ship schematics?" he guessed, looking at her curiously.

Dana blinked a few times, then focused on him and grinned. "Yeah, exactly! Those black ships have four power core rooms, which is only one more than us. I knew there must be some way they were getting enough power for everything... this is it!"

"Can you build them? Or do you need to figure out how to make the black metal first?"

She paused for a moment, concentrating on the new schematics that had formed in her mind. "Yeah... I should be able to. Containment fields manage the plasma, so it's not like there's huge stress on the outer casing. A Crystal Alyssium shell should do the trick."

"If we install one, will it give us any performance increases?" he asked eagerly.

The redhead hesitated, then shook her head with a rueful frown. "We're pretty much running all our guns, shields, and engines at max power already. Adding Zero-Point Regulators to all our weapons cut down on their power usage, so we're doing okay with energy management, even after upgrading all the Gauss Cannons and Photon Lasers to Tachyon Lances. Flux Heat Exchangers let us ramp up the energy we're feeding into them, so we can pump out more damage, but we can't really take advantage of all this extra power until I can crack the black metal. We need a super strong alloy for the barrels to stop them melting."

"Oh, okay... well more power is always good," he said with an encouraging smile.

She laughed and clasped his hand affectionately. "Yes, that's very true. Plus, when we've augmented all our power cores, we'll be able to just plug in things like the Progenitor stealth field generator and stuff like that, without having to do a major refit. We can just stick with our existing three cores, which should give us more than enough power to run everything."

John was about to speak again when his stomach rumbled angrily.

Dana frowned and looked at him with concern. "Shit... I'm totally neglecting you! You've been so busy loading me up, you skipped breakfast and lunch. You must be starving!"

"We have been burning a lot of calories," John said with a grin. He climbed off the bed and offered her a hand. "Let's get freshened up then I'll rustle up some food."

She nodded and rose to her feet, giving him a grateful smile when he steadied her. "Can I cook? I really want to look after you today."

"My stomach is in your hands, chef Dana," he replied, walking into the bathroom with her. "What about the schematics though, do you want to create them before we get some food?"

"Nah, I can do that anytime. Let's get you fed," she replied with a look of sympathy. John turned on the shower and she stepped underneath, letting out a sigh as the water sluiced over her. "That feels so good. I was very... dirty."

John playfully smacked her bottom and nodded. "You certainly were, but you'll get no complaints from me."

Dana giggled then handed him a bottle. "Can you wash my hair, please? I picked up some volume shampoo from Gravitus."

"You don't like the stuff from the wall dispensers?" he asked in surprise. Turning the bottle in his hand, he saw that below the brand it had 'Touchably Full' written in big letters.

Her eyes twinkled in the light. "Just like me."

John laughed and caressed her curved tummy. "Very appropriate."

As he was massaging the shampoo into her hair, Dana asked, "John, will our hair grow any longer?"

"That's a good question. I honestly don't know," he admitted, brushing his fingers through her thick auburn mane down to the middle of her back. "It doesn't look like its grown since you went through the change..."

She turned to glance at him out of the corner of her eye. "Is that the length you like?"

John wrapped her hair around his fist, then gently tugged her head back so he could kiss her. "Yep... perfect."

Dana laughed and kissed him back. "Good, because I love it long like this. Please don't suddenly decide you like page-boy haircuts!"

"I think you're in no danger of that happening," he said with a self-conscious smile. "Do you really think it's me determining the length?"

She shrugged. "Probably. Your hair hasn't grown since I've known you and I don't think I've ever seen you shave."

"I've never needed to," he said, rubbing his chin. "Before I found out I was a Progenitor, I figured it must be a species trait."

"Mael'nerak had a goatee and he grew it out to a Van Dyke," she reminded him. "You probably just have to decide what you want and it'll sprout like your face has been sprinkled with Miracle-Gro."

He nodded thoughtfully and raised an eyebrow. "How about a majestic Father Christmas beard?"

Dana giggled and shook her head. "No way! Trying to kiss you through a big bushy beard would be horrible! Would you really want to miss out on these?" She pulled him down for a very sensuous kiss, her velvety tongue duelling with his.

"Alright, you convinced me," he agreed with a smile. "Clean shaven it is."

They finished in the shower, then dried off and returned to the bedroom.

John took one look at the crumpled clothing on the floor and said, "I'll leave that for the cleaning bots. Knowing them, they'll be rushing in here to change the bed as soon as we step foot outside."

Dana glanced at the dishevelled state of her bedroom. "You need to give those guys a raise."

"Let me just grab some clothes from my room, I'll be back in a minute," he said, tapping the button to open the door.

She slipped her hand into his. "I'm coming with you..."

He smiled and led her out into the corridor. Sure enough, a pair of cleaning robots were waiting patiently outside for them to leave.

"Sorry about the mess," John apologised with a remorseful frown.

The robots waved away his apology, then saluted him and rolled inside, their tracks making quiet clicks on the deck.

"They're great aren't they," Dana said as they walked down the corridor. "Those little idiosyncrasies Faye programmed in have given them a lot of character.

"I might have known you'd notice that too," John said fondly, putting his arm around the redhead and pulling her into a sideways hug.

She laughed and hugged him back. "The maintenance bots were giving me high-fives yesterday, it was awesome!"

Back at the room, one of the cleaning robots paused in the doorway and watched the two lovers walk away down the corridor. It noted the posture of the two organics and the way John gently embraced Dana. Data scrolled through its processing streams, listing definitions for their behaviour: tactile demonstration of affection; protectiveness, admiration, tenderness...

"Mother?"

Faye popped into existence beside it in a purple flash. "Hey, little one."

The robot turned to look at her and asked quietly, "Is that... love?"

She watched John walking into the bedroom with his arm around Dana. "Yes, very much so." Faye paused for a moment, then smiled at the curious construct. "One version of it at least... but there's lots of other ways too."

It turned its attention back to John and Dana, watching as they disappeared from view.

***

Rachel yawned as she awoke then snuggled into the luscious female form beside her, nuzzling into a spectacular set of perky breasts. "Hello, my love," she said softly, brushing her hand across flawless bronzed skin.

"Wrong Karron girl," Alyssa whispered, stroking her back.

"Oh!" Rachel gasped, sitting up and looking down at the naked blonde. She smiled bashfully and leaned down to kiss Alyssa. "Sorry. From the neck down, you two are identical. I'm so used to waking up next to Dana, you had me completely fooled for a moment."

"No problem," Alyssa said with an understanding smile. Looking thoughtful, she added, "We must do another blonde, brunette, redhead session for John sometime. That mix of identical yet different really gets him off..."

Shaking out her tawny brown hair, Rachel nodded. "I'd love that, count me in."

"How are you feeling after your rest? You were exhausted when I put you to bed; you could barely keep your eyes open."

"Much better thank you." Rachel looked at her friend quizzically. "Thank you for staying with me, but you didn't need to keep me company while I slept."

Waving a hand dismissively, Alyssa replied, "I didn't have anything better to do. Plus, I'm trying to keep a low profile and stay out of John and Dana's way. She's got this romanticised idea of life on the Fool's Gold, so I've been trying to keep everyone well clear to indulge her fantasy. Except Jade of course... but we need to make sure all that cum ends up where it belongs."

Rachel laughed and shook her head. "After John indulging her like this, I don't think we'll ever hear the end of it."

"You're probably right," the blonde said with an affectionate smile. "But Dana's having the time of her life and John wanted some quality one-on-one time with her for a while now, so it's all good."

Letting out a wistful sigh, Rachel nodded her agreement, but couldn't help missing her redheaded lover. She could just imagine Dana's dreamy blue eyes lighting up with excitement as she recounted tales of unrestrained debauchery. They usually spent as much time together as possible, so it felt strange to have not seen her all day. She glanced at Alyssa and caught the blonde watching her with concern, before her matriarch's expression flickered to a mask of casual interest.

"That's why you're here!" Rachel exclaimed in surprise. "You're keeping an eye on me!"

Alyssa rolled her eyes and sat up. "You're too smart for your own good." She leaned in to kiss her on the cheek. "Out of everyone on board, you're closest to Dana and John, so I just wanted to make sure you didn't feel lonely today."

"You're a very close third," Rachel said, returning the kiss but on the lips this time. When they parted, she smiled. "Thank you for caring. I don't know how often the rest of the girls say it, but I really appreciate all the effort you put into looking after us."

"It's definitely my pleasure," Alyssa purred, with a seductive smoulder in her eyes.

Rachel smiled at her indulgently. "You don't need to hide behind your masks with me... not when it's just the two of us."

Alyssa gave her a wry smile in return. "Like I said, entirely too smart." Her confident demeanour evaporated and without it, she looked uncharacteristically vulnerable. "I love all of you like sisters. The last thing I want is to see you get upset, not if there's anything I can do to prevent it."

"The fact that John's oblivious to just how much you do behind the scenes proves what a phenomenal job you're doing," Rachel said earnestly, looking into her eyes. "You really are the heart of our family."

Pulling the brunette into a hug, Alyssa let out a choked laugh. "Are you sure John hasn't been training you up on pep talks?"

Embracing her back, Rachel whispered in her ear, "I know you deliberately shield John from some things... but you can always share any worries you have with me. We were incredibly effective working together to alleviate his self-inflicted guilt... I think that proves what a great team we are when the two of us put our heads together."

Alyssa thought about that for a second, then nodded. "You're right, he's been so much happier today." She pulled back and smiled. "If you can get John dancing on a coffee table, I'd be a fool to turn down an offer like that. Thank you."

"It's definitely my pleasure," Rachel purred, mimicking the blonde and making her blush.

"Ha ha, very funny," Alyssa said with a grin. She slid off the bed and retrieved a covered dish which she placed in front of the brunette. "Now, it might be the Progenitor in me, but I really want to see you with a full tummy..."

"I live to serve, my Lady," Rachel replied, a playful smile teasing her lips. She lifted off the lid to reveal a steaming hot lasagne. "This looks delicious!"

"You slept through lunch and I knew you'd be famished after training so hard this morning." Alyssa handed over a set of cutlery. "When you've finished, we'll freshen up, then head over to the Dojo."

"To abuse our lab rats?"

Alyssa caressed Rachel's cheek. "Partly... but I also want to show you off. They'll be amazed at how far you've come in such a short time."

***

John leaned against a counter top and watched Dana at work in the kitchen. She was wearing one of his cotton shirts, the pristine white contrasting delightfully with her mane of red hair and her perfectly-sculpted bronzed legs. Seeing her from behind, she looked positively scrumptious, but she turned now and then to reach for ingredients or utensils, giving him a glimpse of her shirt tenting obscenely over her swollen belly.

He smiled as he enjoyed this lovely image of eroticism and domesticity. "You're going to make someone a wonderful wife one day."

Dana glanced at him over her shoulder and grinned. Raising her left hand she wiggled her fingers and her engagement ring sparkled in the light. "I've already got just the man in mind. He's quite old fashioned though... he's planning to keep me barefoot and pregnant in the kitchen."

No longer able to keep his hands off her, John closed the gap and wrapped his arms around Dana's waist. "Is that what you really want?" he murmured in her ear, as he stroked her rounded stomach

"More than anything," she breathed, her eyelashes fluttering.

He kissed her slender neck. "Is that only since you've been with me?"

Dana relaxed in his embrace and considered his question. "I remember we discussed this when I joined you. I never really thought about having kids before."

"Because you didn't want them?" he asked, wondering how much he'd inadvertently changed her personality.

Turning to look at him, her eyes narrowed with suspicion. "This isn't a prelude to another guilt trip is it?"

John smiled and shook his head. "No, I promise. I know I made a lot of changes to you by accident, before we figured out what was happening, but I can't do anything about that now. You've told me repeatedly that you're happy, so feeling guilty about it is pointless... I was just curious."

Dana looked pleased, then thought about his question again. "It's not that I didn't want a husband and kids, plus the whole white picket fence thing. With the way I looked and being stuck in the ass end of nowhere, the chance of me getting a happy ending seemed so ridiculous, I guess I never gave it a second thought." She smiled wistfully and interlaced her fingers with his. "Now I catch myself daydreaming about it all the time."

He reached over to stir the sauce simmering in a pan. "We've not really talked about what happened to Karron... How are you doing?"

She leaned back against his chest and let out a heavy sigh. "It's weird thinking about it now. There's no way I ever wanted to go back to that shithole... but now everyone's gone, I can't go back." Shaking her head in confusion, she continued, "I spent my entire life hating that place and wishing I could escape, but now I almost feel sad that it's gone. How fucked up is that?"

John put down the spoon and encircled her in his arms again. "Karron was your home for eighteen years; it was all you ever knew. I've heard all the stories, so I know how miserable your life was there, but home is still home... it's natural that part of you still misses it."

"Yeah, I think you're right," she said, nodding her agreement. Dana turned slightly to look up at him. "How did you know?"

He gave her a comforting kiss on the cheek. "My situation with my grandparents was similar, although I'm not trying to claim it was anything like your horrific childhood. I spent eighteen years with them and was happy for the most part, but when I signed up with the military instead of running the restaurant, I really hurt them both. I felt so guilty about crushing their dreams that I stayed away and didn't see much of them afterwards... so it used to be my home, but I couldn't really go back."

"It's funny," Dana said softly, searching his face. "You and me shouldn't have anything in common. You're retired military and I was a gang gunsmith, but we both know what it's like to be abandoned by our parents... and how shitty that makes you feel. I hope you get all the answers you're looking for on Arcadia."

John smiled gratefully. "Thank you. Whatever happens though, the most important thing is our future. I'm going to make sure you get the home and family you deserve."

"Even if we have to make them ourselves?" she asked with a grin, running her hand over her belly.

"Oh, you can guarantee there's going to be a lot of that going on," he replied, lifting her chin and giving her a tender kiss.

***

When the door to the Dojo opened, Alyssa and Rachel were met by the sound of metal ringing against metal. They quietly entered, watching the two combatants circling each other on the training mats. Calara and Sakura were both wearing white suits of armour, but there the similarities ended. The Asian girl twirled twin ninjato in her gauntleted fists, almond eyes studying her opponent carefully for any signs of weakness. Calara held a long naginata, the end topped by a curved blade, which she was using to keep the assassin at bay.

Sakura lunged forward, identical short swords slashing back and forth as she looked for an opening in Calara's defences. The Latina had pulled back on the defensive as soon as her opponent attacked, parrying the flurry of blows with quick movements of her long spear and blocking the strikes with the staff or blade. Although neither were using psychic powers, Sakura still moved incredibly fast, and their audience were amazed that Calara managed to fend her off.

The assassin was relentless, alternating cross slashes with short stabs, forcing Calara backward on the mats. It was inevitable that the onslaught of blows would eventually find a gap in her desperate chain of parries and she froze when Sakura managed to land a stab to the torso. The sharp ring of a Crystal Alyssium blade striking Crystal Alyssium armour plating signalled the end of the fight and Calara placed the butt of her spear on the ground as she bowed to Sakura, conceding the loss.

Calara shook her head in amazement. "You're just so fast! I can't believe how many times you attacked me... all I could do was parry, there was no way I could counterattack."

"Don't be so hard on yourself," Sakura said with a reassuring smile. She patted her opponent on the arm. "You've only been training to use the naginata for a couple of days, but I've been using ninjato for 75 years... you're doing brilliantly."

"I never thought I'd struggle to keep up with a 95-year-old," the Latina said with a friendly grin.

"That's the problem with the youth of today," Sakura pretended to gripe. "No stamina!"

The girls laughed together, then turned to greet Alyssa and Rachel with smiles as they approached.

"Hello, ladies," the blonde said with a mischievous grin. "Sorry to interrupt you two whacking each other over the head."

Calara pulled off her helmet, then strode over to kiss her girlfriend. "Perfect timing. You arrived just before we started the next round of head whacking."

After all the hugs were out of the way, Alyssa said, "Would you mind if we stayed to watch? Rachel and I are doing a little training of our own; we'll try not to be too intrusive."

Sakura gave them both a welcoming smile. "Of course you're welcome to stay. I'll be focused on training Calara, so please don't think I'm ignoring you."

"We'll miss your scintillating conversation, but do our best not to get too jealous," Alyssa promised, giving her an earnest look.

Sakura laughed and turned away. "Okay, Calara, use your powers this time... I'd like a challenge!"

The Latina couldn't help smiling at the prospect of evening the score and pulled on her helmet again before squaring off against Sakura. As the armoured fighters got ready for another battle, Alyssa and Rachel strolled across the mats and stood by the far wall.

"Okay, let's start with focusing your spirit," Alyssa said solemnly to her student.

Rachel laughed and rolled her eyes. "Very funny. Consider my spirit serene and in a state of harmony."

Sakura and Calara launched into another fight, with twin ninjato flashing in the air as she leapt to the attack. The Latina stumbled back a step, but Sakura wasn't going to be fooled by such an obvious feint. Instead of pursuing her for a killing blow, Sakura danced to the side in an attempt to flank her opponent... then tripped over the long pole that Calara suddenly lunged forward and jammed between her feet. Knocked off balance, she wasn't able to parry in time as the naginata's blade whistled through the air to strike the back of her neck.

"Decapitated in five seconds..." Sakura said with a look of admiration as Calara grinned in triumph. "Okay, you're far too dangerous when you can see the future. No more powers."

Alyssa watched the pair square off again, then turned her attention back to Rachel. "None of us have ever tried projecting a shield around anyone else, so I'm afraid you're on your own here. How conscious are you of your healing aura when you enlarge that to heal groups?"

The brunette nodded thoughtfully. "That's a good point of reference. I'm fully aware of the initial diagnosis and the regeneration afterwards."

Glancing at Sakura and Calara as they circled each other on the mats, Alyssa asked, "Perhaps you'd like to try it on me first?"

Rachel nodded and took a deep breath, then her eyes began to glow with a gentle grey light. The familiar sight of her healing aura appeared as the swirling mists rolled down her arm and spread out to engulf Alyssa. The brunette frowned in concentration, picturing the blonde in her mind as she instinctively began her diagnosis. With her target anchored, she reshaped the mists as she'd done before, using them to form a disc that hovered in the air between them. Rachel made a gesture and the grey aura faded away, leaving a hexagonal shield in its place.

"It worked!" Alyssa exclaimed joyfully.

Beaming at her in triumph, Rachel waved away the shield, then instantly summoned another. "Easy. Perhaps there is a kind of perverse logic to these abilities after all."

The blonde wrapped her in a hug, being careful not to accidently bash her with the shield. "I knew you could do it! That was fantastic!"

"I hated feeling powerless to protect all of you and just being there to heal your injuries after you got hurt. Perhaps now I can prevent some of those wounds in the first place!" Rachel gushed, hugging her back.

"Which would also save us from getting exhausted after healing," the blonde agreed, her grin broadening. "Do you think you can form a spherical shield?"

Rachel nodded confidently, then stepped away from Alyssa and instantly engulfed her matriarch in a protective globe of grey hexagons. "Now I understand the basic principles behind shielding, modifying the creation criteria is relatively straightforward."

Alyssa looked delighted. She darted a glance at the duellists, seeing that her girlfriend was being forced back on the defensive once again. "Quick, save Calara!"

The brunette smiled and gestured at the beleaguered Latina, enclosing her in a glimmering psychic sphere. Sakura's blow bounced off the shield, cracking one of the hexagons but not breaking through. Both fighters froze, their shocked expressions clearly visible through their clear crystal helmets.

Sakura turned to look at the smiling audience and couldn't help laughing. "What happened to not being intrusive?"

"Where's the fun in that?" Alyssa retorted. "What do you think of Rachel's new trick?"

Calara and Sakura both stared at the glowing shield in fascination, reaching out to brush their armoured fingers across the curved surface.

"Amazing..." Calara murmured, turning to look at Rachel in awe. "You learned how to do that in just one day?"

Rachel slipped her arm around her psychic mentor. "Alyssa's a wonderful teacher."

"Why don't you see if you can break through, Sakura?" Alyssa suggested.

The Asian girl nodded agreeably, "Sure. With powers, or without?"

"Without for now... if you can't get through, then go for it!"

Sakura twirled both ninjato around her wrists and grinned. She made eye contact with Rachel, who nodded she was ready. Wasting no time, the assassin rushed to attack, blades slashing back and forth as she tried to chop through the grey barrier. She cracked hexes in a dozen places, but as soon as they started to fracture, Rachel repaired the shield with new ones.

"Feeling any fatigue?" Alyssa asked the doctor, just to be careful.

"I feel absolutely fine," the brunette replied, with a confident smile. "Those sword strikes are only as powerful as that first batch of telekinetic darts you used this morning."

After a minute of getting nowhere, Sakura paused and glanced back at the audience. After a nod from Alyssa, there was a disconcerting cracking sound and glacial cold began to pour off the identical swords as hoar frost crept up the blades. When Sakura lashed out this time, she sundered a trio of hexagons as her blow struck the shield, but they were replaced before she could take advantage of the gap. Her arms moved in a blur even without psychic speed and she battered the globe, pulverising hexagons again and again.

Rachel grimaced as she tried to weather the onslaught, having to rapidly replace scores of hexagons as the blows landed in a vicious flurry. The damage quickly became too great and the shield collapsed as its integrity was compromised.

"Damn!" she cursed in frustration, wiping her brow with the back of her hand. She nodded respectfully to Sakura. "I doubt I'd be able to keep you out for more than a few seconds if you were using speed as well."

The Asian girl bounded over, her expression reflecting her excitement. "No, that was incredible!"

"But you got through in about twenty seconds," the brunette said in confusion.

Calara smiled as she joined them. "Sakura was just standing there and whaling away at my shield, she wasn't even trying to defend herself. If a bad guy tried that and I was armed, he'd be dead in two-seconds-flat."

"Oh, so that wasn't so bad then after all," Rachel said, looking thrilled.

Alyssa laughed and hugged the brunette. "No, not bad at all. Now, do you feel up to some more practice?"

Rachel took a deep breath and nodded. "Definitely. I'd like to really push myself today, I don't get the opportunity very often with psychic healing."

"You heard the lady," Alyssa said imperiously, clapping her hands. "Back to whacking each other!"

Calara and Sakura smiled at her theatrics, but moved back into position on the mat to fight again. A grey barrier appeared around Calara, then Sakura launched an attack... but this time the Latina was fighting back. With the shield in place, Calara could be far more aggressive and now it was the Asian girl being forced to parry sweeping slashes from the naginata's curved blade. With Sakura on the defensive, her attacks were limited to quick ripostes, greatly reducing the damage she could do to the shield.

Although this battle took far longer, it was obvious to everyone, both fighters and spectators, who the winner would be. Calara only needed to land one solid blow to be declared the victor, whereas Sakura would have had to hack her way through Rachel's constantly replenishing shield. After nearly twenty minutes of combat, Calara finally managed to twist her naginata as Sakura parried, the longer blade sliding through her frantic defences to glance off her helmet.

Rather than be disappointed, Sakura rushed over to hug Rachel. "Do you see the difference? It was a nightmare trying to cut through that!"

"And I barely used any energy," the brunette marvelled. "I think I only replaced a couple of dozen hexagons in that entire fight."

"Well, we have all evening and I've got a ton of energy reserves to burn through," Alyssa said with an encouraging smile. "Dana's only got until midnight as John's sex toy. Let's see what else you can do until then..."

***

John and Dana walked hand-in-hand down the corridor to the captain's quarters, then paused just inside the door.

"I can't believe today's nearly over," Dana said with a wistful sigh.

"Have you enjoyed it?" John asked, brushing his fingers through her hair, then resting his hand on her shoulder.

She looked up at him with a lovely smile on her face. "It's been the best day of my life."

"It was a very good day," he agreed, returning her smile.

Dana laughed as she caressed her rounded tummy. He'd fed her twice more that evening and she still looked heavily pregnant despite it being a couple of hours since their last passionate coupling. "I've got the evidence here of how much fun you had."

"It wasn't just the sex..." he said quietly, making eye contact with her. "You reminded me just how lucky I am to have you in my life."

"Now I don't want it to ever end," she said with a forlorn pout.

"It's not over yet..."

Dana gave him a coy smile. "Get comfy, I'll be with you soon..."

"See you in a minute," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss.

The redhead sauntered away to the bathroom with a sexy sashay to her hips. Dana paused in the doorway to make sure he was watching her, then grinned and waved before disappearing inside.

John lay back on the bed and stretched, feeling a deep sense of satisfaction, right down to his quad. All they'd done all day had been catnap, have sex, then chat in the afterglow, the cycle repeating half-a-dozen times already. Being honest with himself, he'd done nothing constructive all day, but he'd never felt closer to Dana which made it all worthwhile. He'd been glad to hear that she'd had a great time, because he had too; John felt calmer and happier than he had done in years, decades perhaps. It was a good feeling and one he was profoundly grateful to Dana for.

"Hey, John," Tashana greeted him, entering the bedroom with her sister following close behind.

"Hey, you two," he said with a smile, beckoning them over for a kiss. "Had a good day?"

"Tiring," Irillith said, sighing wearily. "We've spent the last 14 hours working on a translation of the Vulkat language."

He patted the bed in front of him, then began to massage her shoulders. "Any success so far?"

Irillith trembled at his touch and murmured something in Maliri under her breath, rendered speechless by how good his strong hands felt on her tired muscles.

Tashana looked at her twin with sympathy, then focused on John. "We're nearly done. We figured out the language structure and are just working on a lexicon. Irillith's been creating a program to help speed up the translation of the more obscure terms. She's been working incredibly hard... I'm sure we'll be finished tomorrow."

"I'm so proud of you," John whispered in Irillith's ear. "Thank you for the huge amount of effort you've put into this. You're such a good girl."

She shivered with delight at his praise and turned to give him a grateful kiss. "It felt good immersing myself in work." Darting an affectionate glance at her sister, she added, "And I enjoyed working with Shan too."

Irillith's tension melted away under John's massage and she soon roused herself to make way for her twin. Tashana smiled and moved her long mane of white hair aside to give him free access to her shoulders, then let out a sultry groan when he started to ease the knots out of her muscles.

Helene and the Nymphs were next to arrive, all of them looking bright and cheerful. They each came over to greet him with a kiss, then took their places on the bed.

"What have you girls been up to today?" he asked the six exotic women.

"Counting the minutes until we can be with you tomorrow, Master," Leylira purred, her emerald eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Her Nymph sisters nodded eagerly, while Jade watched them with an indulgent smile. John shared an affectionate glance with his Nymph matriarch, who he'd already seen a couple of times that day, then turned to look at Helene.

"I've been in the Lagoon with Faye," the aquatic girl explained cheerfully. "She's been teaching me more about the different empires... it's been really interesting!"

"I'm glad you've been enjoying yourself." He hesitated, then asked, "I hope you didn't suffer from a hangover this morning? I think I remember you saying that you hadn't been drunk before."

"No, I was fine," she replied, looking bright and happy. "That was a really fun party!"

"I woke Rachel early and she took care of all of us in the morning," Alyssa explained as she strolled through the door, the rest of the girls following her inside.

"So I was the only one suffering from a hangover?" he asked indignantly.

"You did put away an awful lot of booze," Calara said with a grin. She leaned over to give him a kiss. "I'll be your jello shot table any time you like..."

"That was a wild night," Sakura agreed, her brown eyes glinting with amusement as she started to dance, swaying alluring to music only she could hear. "I didn't know you had it in you, John..."

He chuckled and pulled her down for a kiss. "I thought it'd be Alyssa teasing me over that. I'm shocked it was you."

She returned it passionately, then smiled as she asked playfully, "Am I going to be punished?"

He shook his head. "You're forgiven. I enjoyed seeing you dance..."

Sakura blushed, much to the rest of the girls' amusement, and sat demurely on the bed.

Alyssa glanced at Faye, who dimmed the lights to a soft romantic glow. Following what was obviously a prearranged signal, the girls removed their clothes, until all of his extended harem were sitting nude in a semi-circle around the bed. All that is apart from one specific girl, who chose that moment to make her entrance. There were soft gasps when they saw the redhead, who was sporting an impressively curved stomach after being fed so much cum in a single day.

Dana knelt in the middle of the bed, centred amongst the girls. She turned so she was facing away from him, then gave him a smoky look over her shoulder. "I'm ready for you, John..."

He moved to kneel behind her, then gently pushed her shoulders so that she'd lean forward. Placing his hands on her delectable ass, he squeezed the firm muscles, enjoying the way her cheeks filled his palms. Dana hissed with excitement as he parted them slightly, revealing the telltale glistening of lube where she'd prepared herself for him. Underneath her tight nether hole, he could see her pussy was flushed and wet with arousal, the redhead incredibly aroused at being the centre of attention.

Lining himself up, he pushed forward, feeling the tight ring of muscle spread impossibly wide to accommodate the head of his cock. Dana gasped as she slowly engulfed the head and John couldn't help groaning at the heat of her snug passage.

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Ready for more?"

"Uh huh," she murmured, swaying her hips enticingly and sliding back a couple of inches.

Content to let her guide their penetration, John placed his hands on Dana's hips and just watched as she slowly speared herself on him. He held still as she took inch after inch, until he was pressed inside her right up to the hilt.

"Fuck that feels good..." he muttered, resting his forehead against her back.

"I'm so full," Dana whimpered, her body trembling with arousal. "Why don't we do this more often?"

John's first thought was that he'd love to, but dividing his time between so many girls cut down the opportunities. Instead, he smiled and kissed the back of her neck. "We're normally too busy filling up your tummy. I'm sure Jade could be persuaded to help out, so we can do both..."

She turned to look at him over her shoulder, the knowing look she gave him quickly followed by a loving kiss. "That sounds good to me..."

He wrapped her hair around his fist just as he'd done earlier, and tugged to encourage her to sit upright. Dana leaned back against his chest, then moaned with delight as he reached around her to place his other hand on her cum-stuffed stomach. As they began to move together, John glanced around the room and saw the feverish looks of excitement from the girls. They'd talked about him taking the girls this way when they were pregnant and he saw that look of speculative excitement in each set of eyes that were staring at the lovers in fascination.

Dana moved with him, undulating sensually in his lap as she rode his cock, her heady gasps and cries echoing around the hushed quiet of the bedroom. Their audience were too turned on to just spectate and it wasn't long before he saw nimble fingers slipping between their parted thighs, the girls rubbing themselves in time to his thrusts. The scent of feminine arousal was unmistakeable and as Dana screamed in ecstasy from her first orgasm, she was echoed by several muted cries as the girls joined her in their climax.

John held Dana tight against him, savouring the wonderful feeling of her beautiful ass bouncing against his groin. He drove her through two more orgasms before he felt that irresistible tingling his quad and with one final powerful thrust, he began to pump his last load of the day into the dazed redhead. Dana moaned and placed her hands on her belly, feeling it swell larger than ever before. By the time he was done, she looked like she was expecting the imminent arrival of twins, her body packed to the absolute limit with pints of cum.

As they both panted for breath, John helped a nearly comatose Dana ease down onto her side, staying buried inside her. Alyssa knelt beside them and reverently touched her friend's enormous tummy, then looked over Dana's shoulder at John. "Imagine if this was blue..."

They made eye contact and he gave her a contented smile. "Thanks for today. Spending some time alone with Dana was just what I needed."

She leaned over to kiss him. "You deserved it, handsome. I love you... we all do."

John carefully slid out of the redhead to make way for Jade, then pulled Alyssa down into a loving embrace.

Alyssa drew back to look at him and whispered, "We're nearly there. Just 32 hours flight time to reach Arcadia."

He nodded, his face a contrasting mix of anxiousness and anticipation. There were so many questions he had, about his mother, his father, who they were and what had happened... and John could scarcely believe that in little more than a day, he might have answers to them all.