Three Square Meals Ch. 130

Calara pulled back from Jack and they shared a warm smile, revelling in the new sense of closeness between them. Feeling giddy with emotion, she rode a euphoric high of relief at finally being able to put aside months of worry. Out of all Calara's family members, it had always been her father's reaction to her amazing new life that she'd worried about the most, but that was all in the past now. She finally had the best of both worlds; the incredible intimacy she shared with John and the girls... as well as the heart-warming surety that her beloved father was proud of her. Calara's life had never felt more perfect and she had John and Alyssa to thank for it.

Glancing across to the adjacent sofa, Calara beamed a radiant smile at her lovers... which faltered when she saw the dazzling light shining from Alyssa's eyes. "Alyssa! What's wrong?!"

"Nothing's wrong... everything's wonderful!" the blonde gushed, giggling as she leaned against John.

Jack looked at her with concern. "Did she have too much to drink?"

"Uh huh," Alyssa replied, bobbing her head exuberantly. "I'm drunk on love!"

"She's not actually drunk," John explained, propping up the wavering teenager. "She'll be fine in a few minutes; Alyssa's reacting like this because-"

Jack stared at her glowing eyes and held up a hand. "Let me stop you there, John. I think I've reached my limit for what I'm able to cope with tonight."

Calara laughed and hugged her father. "I'm sorry, dad. This must have all been overwhelming... but I'm really glad you know the truth now."

"Me too," he agreed, returning the embrace then rising to his feet. "I'm going to call it a night and let you deal with... whatever's happening to Alyssa."

"I'll show you to your room," Calara offered, standing too.

Jack gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. "Deck Four, third room on the right. Don't worry, I can make it there on my own." He glanced at the beams of light shining from the blonde's eyes. "You should look after your girlfriend... maybe make her some psychic coffee or something?"

John and Calara both laughed at that, while Alyssa pouted playfully.

"Sleep well, Jack," John said, nodding to him. "If you need anything during the night, head up to the Command Deck. The Nymphs will be rotating watch on the Bridge and they'll be happy to help."

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, "I'd like to call Maria, if that's alright?"

"Of course," John agreed.

"There's a comms interface in your quarters," Calara interjected. "You can call mom from there."

Jack thanked them and wished them goodnight, then strode out of the Officers' Lounge.

Calara sat down next to Alyssa and brushed a stray lock of golden hair from her face. "What happened, my love? I've never seen you react like this before."

Alyssa let out a contented sigh. "You were so happy..." She drew a glowing pink heart in the air with her fingertip, then a dazzling set of stars sparkled around it. "Just like that!"

"I didn't need telepathy to know how elated you were," John said, smiling at the brunette. "Alyssa's closest to you out of all the girls, so she must be really feeling it."

Calara snuggled up on the sofa next to Alyssa and hugged her tight. "It was amazing. I've been worrying how my dad was going to react for so long, but he was just really proud of me. I don't think I've ever felt so deeply at peace."

"You shared everything with me... and it felt so wonderful," Alyssa said, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She looked up at John and choked back a sob. "It was just like back on Karron with my dad..."

"Ah, honey..." he said with sympathy, wrapping his arms around both girls.

"I love both of you so much," Alyssa whispered, trembling in their embrace. "My life before... I know I've never really talked about it, but I don't want you to look at me differently. It seemed like I was always scared, hungry... and in pain."

John stroked her abdomen where she'd been stabbed by a Kirrix nest guardian. "I'm sorry. I guess things haven't changed all that much..."

She wiped away her tears and shook her head. "No, you changed everything! I'm never alone now and we can take anything life throws at us... I'm always going to be there for you."

"We know," John said, holding her close.

Calara gave her a loving kiss on the cheek. "We'll always be there for you too."

Alyssa let out a happy sigh. "I know..."

They cuddled together for a few minutes, giving Alyssa time to recover after being overwhelmed by her emotions.

She eventually glanced up at John and gave him a sultry smile. "Actually, things haven't changed all that much. I'm feeling pretty hungry; have you got anything tasty to fill up my tummy?"

"And she's back," John said with a chuckle.

Calara grinned at him. "You didn't answer the question, John. I'm feeling pretty hungry too."

"Poor girls, I didn't mean to neglect you," he said with sympathy, idly stroking their toned stomachs. "I was planning on filling up a smoky-eyed brunette when we go to bed; do you think that'll keep your hunger pangs at bay?"

"Sounds like the perfect midnight snack," Alyssa replied, licking her lips suggestively.

John rose from the sofa and offered the girls a hand. When they stood, he pulled them both close. "If you two need some attention after the day you've had, I'm sure Rachel would understand."

Alyssa shook her head. "You've been looking forward to having some fun with her all evening. Don't worry about us, I'm planning to show this gorgeous vixen a very good time. Besides, won't it be difficult to look Jack in the eye tomorrow, if you spend all night fucking his daughter senseless?"

Calara blushed furiously. "Alyssa!"

"What? I didn't think you'd want your dad to see you with a freshly-fucked glow in your cheeks."

"I thought I'd reached a point where you couldn't make me blush anymore," the Latina said, faking a rueful sigh. "Clearly I was wrong."

John laughed at their banter and set off towards the door with his arm around each of them. "Come on you two, time for bed."

They hugged him back as they left the Officers' Lounge, then the trio descended in the grav-tube to Deck Three. After the tense conversation with Jack, it was pleasant just to walk in companionable silence, enjoying the beautiful serenity of the Lagoon.

Pausing at the apex of the bridge, John looked out over the enchanting crystal-clear water. "We're very lucky to have this place... we should make more use of it."

Alyssa nodded her agreement. "That's true... it's been quite a while since we've all worn bikinis for you."

"I wonder if there's any nice beaches on Valaden," Calara mused. "We should plan a summer holiday and invite the Young Matriarchs... when they all start showing."

John groaned at that thought. "I need a vacation to relax... not give me a heart attack."

The two girls giggled, flashing mischievous grins at each other.

"Where's the fun in that?" Alyssa teased him, bumping John with her hip.

"It'll be good practice," Calara said archly, turning to kiss him tenderly on the cheek. "When we're both six months pregnant, I want us to go on a babymoon together. I had a lovely dream about you oiling up our baby bumps with sun cream."

"Were we pregnant or stuffed full of John's cum?" the blonde asked, looking intrigued.

"Definitely pregnant," Calara clarified. "Because he got so turned on, we had to alleviate the pressure in his quad afterwards... You should have seen how huge we were then!"

"Alyssa's a dreadful influence on you," John said, squeezing Calara until she squeaked. He steered them towards the Observatory. "Let's go... I feel a sudden pressing need to see the Ship's Doctor."

Waving a hand at the door controls, Alyssa strode into their new bedroom. "Rachel, we need your help! It's a medical emergency!"

The rest of the girls were lying naked on the bed, waiting for John's arrival. They sat up and looked towards the trio in alarm as Alyssa led her companions into the Observatory.

"Can a case of blue balls be terminal?" Calara asked, her face a picture of concern.

Rachel blinked at her in surprise, then burst into laughter, her bedmates relaxing when they realised the mischievous pair were only joking. As Alyssa and Calara began eagerly undressing each other, the tawny-haired doctor rose from the bed and prowled over seductively to join John.

"I recommend immediately relieving the pressure, Admiral. I'm afraid you'll have to remove your clothes before we can begin the procedure."

"If that's what it takes," John said stoically. He raised an eyebrow as Rachel started unbuttoning his shirt. "What happened to your uniform, Doctor Voss?"

"I was conducting experiments on the average time it takes for a nineteen-year-old Terran female to achieve an orgasm. I observed that the time is shortened significantly with each additional erogenous zone being stimulated."

Dana bounded over to help strip off John's clothes, her nimble fingers deftly unbuckling his belt. "I was eating her out while Helene and Sakura sucked on her tits!" she declared cheerfully.

"That was very noble of you to volunteer yourself as the test subject, Doctor," John said, feigning a look of admiration.

The brunette inclined her head modestly. "We must all be willing to make sacrifices for knowledge."

John laughed as he scooped up both Rachel and Dana, placing them over his shoulders. He carried the giggling girls over to the centre of the oval bed, then made a point of turning around to examine the space between their audience. "Does this look like a good spot for the procedure?"

"Perfect," Rachel agreed, as he placed them gently on the bed. She smiled coyly and lay back, spreading her thighs in invitation.

"Wait a second," Dana exclaimed, placing a restraining hand on John's chest. "I want to try something Perl suggested. How would you like to fuck both of us at the same time?"

Glancing down at his package, he raised an eyebrow, unable to see how what she was suggesting was feasible. He might have been extremely well hung, but he still only possessed one cock.

"Trust me," the redhead said with a wink. "You're going to love it!"

He knelt down beside them. "Okay, I'm all ears."

"I had a feeling you might be," she said with a cheeky grin. "Okay, you lie down right there. Leave everything to us."

John did as the redhead asked, then watched curiously as Rachel threw a leg over his waist and straddled him. She rubbed herself against his rock-hard shaft, then wriggled forward to lay down on his chest. The brunette was higher up than normal, so he had to tilt his head back slightly to look her in the eyes.

"Hello, gorgeous," he said, letting his fingers roam over her supple flanks, enjoying the feel of her silky-soft skin.

She was about to reply when Dana's hand encircled his cock and nuzzled the head against her girlfriend's sopping-wet pussy. Rachel let out a soft feminine moan of arousal, her eyelashes fluttering at the intimate contact.

Dana leaned around the brunette to smile at John. "Okay, now push inside, but don't go in too deep! Stop before you go into her womb... okay?"

John's hands roamed lower until he took a firm grasp of Rachel's curved hips. "Ready?" he asked, nudging her with the tip.

She bit her lip and nodded. "Uh huh..."

Rolling up with his hips, he pushed down on Rachel and watched her mouth open into a perfect oval as her pussy stretched wide to take his girth. She was already very wet after Dana's enthusiastic attention, so he was able to slide inch after inch into her belly until he nudged her cervix.

"Fuck!" she gasped, panting at being suddenly stuffed full of his throbbing cock.

"Does that feel good, honey?" he asked, admiring the rapturous expression on her beautiful face.

"Feels so good..." she breathed, looking down on him through her long lashes.

John cupped his hand around the back of her neck and gently pulled her down for a kiss. Rachel returned it with passion, moaning wantonly into his mouth as she writhed against him. Her big full breasts felt soft and warm against his chest, while her snug inner folds gripped every inch of his shaft in a steamy furnace. Resting her forehead against his, she gazed into his eyes and rolled her hips, gyrating with barely perceptible movements.

Her tawny brown hair hung down around his face, acting like a sensually soft curtain that blocked out the outside world. It added to the intimacy, focusing his attention on Rachel's soft grey eyes and her pupils that were flared with arousal. That was until the right drape was pulled back, revealing Dana's sparkling blue eyes.

"Everything good so far?" the redhead asked enthusiastically.

John chuckled, the reverberation in his chest making Rachel moan. "This feels amazing, but I don't see how I'm going to be able to have sex with both of you at the same time."

Dana winked at him then glanced to her left. "Okay, go ahead!"

The bed shifted by his waist and John felt another slender female body straddling him. There was no mistaking the velvety softness of another slick pussy rubbing against the base of his cock, then someone's deliciously pert bottom brushed against his quad.

"Oh my god..." John groaned, letting his hands roam lower to stroke the toned thighs of the second girl riding him.

Whoever the mystery woman was, she was gliding back and forth with a glorious sensual rhythm, dragging her clit along the thick vein on the underside of his shaft. The languid stroking felt amazing, especially when contrasted with Rachel squeezing the upper half of his cock with her rippling pussy.

"Who is that?" he asked, stroking the second cowgirl's thighs in appreciation.

"Guess!" Dana urged him, her eyes twinkling.

"She's got to be one of the dancers to move like that..." he muttered, appreciating the thrilling way the unknown woman was gyrating her body. "Not Jade... she'd wait until the rest of you had your turn. Calara's getting cosy with Alyssa, so it must be... Sakura!"

"Very good," the redhead said, looking suitably impressed. "You know your girls..."

Sakura leaned forward and snaked a hand around Rachel's waist to reach her clit. She rubbed her insistently, while grinding against John's cock to get herself off. The brunette whimpered with arousal, her eyes rolling back as she was overwhelmed by a shockingly fast climax, only to be joined moments later by the sexy pillion rider. John could feel Sakura's thighs trembling as she bucked against him, her movements losing their fluid coordination in the midst of her ecstasy.

Dana had been watching with hungry eyes as the Asian girl climaxed and she darted a flushed grin at John. "Mind if I go next?"

"Hop on," he replied with an indulgent smile.

Dana released her girlfriend's hair, letting the brown curtain fall back into place.

John kissed the tip of Rachel's nose. "Looked like a good one."

"It was," she breathed, her eyes hooded with lust. "When she was riding you, your cock pressed right against my g-spot. Then Sakura started rubbing my clit and... oh!"

Her eyes widened as Dana switched places with Sakura, taking over from where the raven-haired beauty had left off. John could feel Dana's hand slipping between his and Rachel's stomachs, her fingers quickly going to work.

"Sit up a minute," he requested, slapping Rachel's deliciously rounded bottom.

She obeyed instantly, arching her back and holding herself upright with her arms outstretched. With Dana leaning forward, he could see the redhead's eyes peeking over Rachel's shoulder, their beautiful faces gazing down at him with alluring looks of arousal. John reached out to grasp Dana's hips, holding her firmly in place, and gave them both a wicked grin as he drove upwards with pounding thrusts.

They gaped at him in surprise, their shocked gasps quickly turning into lusty cries. It really was like fucking them both at the same time, with Dana's glistening pussy keeping the lower-half of his cock warm and wet, while her girlfriend wrapped the upper-half in a snug embrace. He soon had them both crying out in release, Dana slumping down onto her girlfriend's back as they shared a powerful euphoric high. He kept going, wringing another climax out of the squealing pair, both of them powerless to resist as they wriggled on his shaft.

"How was that?" he asked, smiling with satisfaction and releasing his firm hold on Dana's hips.

The redhead groaned as she tipped over to the side and sprawled on the bed. "I love it when you turbo-fuck me... it's like getting pounded by an industrial jackhammer!"

Rachel wasn't able to respond, the brunette lying sprawled comatose across his chest.

"She's out, handsome," Alyssa said with pride. "Pleasure overload."

John gently rolled Rachel off his chest and onto the bed next to Dana. The brunette's bosom was heaving as she panted for breath, the dopey smile splashed across her face revealing Rachel's opinion on being rendered unconscious from orgasming so hard. Glancing around the room, John saw the rest of the girls watching him with wide eyes... and looks of longing in those beguiling gazes. He noticed that all the Nymphs were present, but the Valaden sisters were curiously absent.

"The twins are up on the Bridge keeping watch," Alyssa explained. "We were all hoping this would turn into an orgy... but they did break the bed with you earlier and didn't want to be greedy."

"An orgy?" John asked, holding out a hand towards Helene and Jade. "Now that sounds like an excellent idea."

They beamed in delight as they crawled across the bed to join him, overjoyed at getting to be with John too. Jade urged Helene to take the top, while the Nymph rode the base of his shaft, moving with sinuous sensuality as she coaxed the Aquatic girl to orgasm, quickly following her to climax. The four catgirls paired off, and each couple took a turn drenching John's cock, in a breathtaking procession of gorgeous women. Alyssa and Calara waited until last, with the blonde eye-to-eye with John as Calara demonstrated just how effective Jade's dance lessons had been for improving her skills in the bedroom.

"Have we spoilt you now?" Alyssa panted, as she recovered from an intense orgasm. "Can you go back to just one girl, after fucking two girls senseless at the same time?"

John cupped her face in both hands and gave her a tender kiss. "If I have been spoilt, you'll keep me up to my quad in eager young women, won't you?"

Her gaze softened and she nodded. "Whatever you need, handsome."

Calara kissed her girlfriend on the shoulder. "What he needs is to unload his balls." She looked down at him with sympathy. "I can feel how full they are under my bottom. You must be aching, John..."

He groaned as she gently caressed his taut sack, the stimulation from so many girls leaving him desperate for release. Glancing to the side, he found Rachel and Dana watching him through heavy-lidded eyes. The redhead was spooned behind her girlfriend, squeezing and massaging the brunette's breasts as they watched John in action.

"Have you recovered, gorgeous?" he asked Rachel, enjoying seeing the languid smile of sexual satisfaction on her face.

"I'm ready and willing." She crooked a finger at John and beckoned him over. "It's your turn now..."

Alyssa and Calara smoothly dismounted him, freeing John to kneel between Rachel's splayed thighs.

Dana gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. "Can I lick your balls while you're fucking Rach? I want to watch you pump her full of cum close up..."

"I'm hardly going to say no to that, am I?" he replied, with a fond smile.

Turning to the brunette, he lined himself up and slowly slid home inside her soaked pussy. Her pliant body had snapped back after the brief rest, so he had to stretch her out once again, to the sound of her breathy moans.

When John paused at her cervix, she encircled her arms and legs around him to pull him deeper. "I want all of you, John..."

Thrusting harder, he felt the entrance to her womb yield to his cock, admitting him into her innermost depths.

"Oh god, I needed that..." Rachel moaned, her hips rolling as she relished being fully-impaled. Looking up into his eyes, she gently pulled down on his shoulders. "You can rest on me... I can support your weight."

John tentatively lowered himself on her, but still kept some of the weight on his elbows as he cupped her head in his hands. "That feels good... I love having you completely wrapped around me."

She gently kissed him. "I can feel your balls on my ass... they're heavy... full to the brim."

"Ready to fill up a very sexy girl," he agreed, pulling back an inch before hilting himself again.

"Thanks for choosing me to take your cum," she said softly, looking up at him with adoring eyes. "Nothing beats having you filling up my womb... I can practically feel my ovaries jumping for joy."

"It's so tempting, honey," he murmured, lengthening his thrusts. "But then I'd need to get Dana pregnant too... I'm definitely breeding you both at the same time."

The redhead groaned from behind him, then he felt her pat his leg. He spread his thighs wider to make room for her, as Rachel drew back her legs so her knees were framing her breasts. A moment later, Dana's warm wet tongue glided over his taut quad, lavishing loving attention on the hefty quartet. John and Rachel groaned at the same time as he thrust forward, the stimulation too much for him to hold off any longer.

"So deep..." the brunette moaned, arching her back. "So fucking good!"

John could only grunt his agreement, driven past the edge of control by the seductive beauty impaled on his cock. He started pistoning in and out of her in an insistent rhythm, Rachel letting out breathy whimpers of excitement as she felt him driving towards the finish. She watched him intently, urging him on with kisses and sexy whimpers as he pushed deep into her body. Looking into Rachel's eyes as he climaxed, John felt like he was staring into her soul, the brunette screaming in ecstasy as she felt powerful spurts of cum being pumped deep into her belly.

Pinned down on the bed, she thrust back at him as best she could, her hungry pussy trying to milk his balls of every last drop of cum. It was a long, ferociously intense climax, with John having to raise himself up to allow her tummy room to swell. Rachel cradled the curved dome with her hands, a doe-eyed look of bliss on her face as she revelled in her womb being stretched to take his hot load.

Finally sated, John eased out of her and collapsed on the bed, panting to regain his breath after the intense orgasm. At some point one of the girls licked his cock clean, then judging by the enthusiastic lapping sounds and Rachel's soft cries, he knew she was feeding her friends. Exhausted as he was, he couldn't muster the energy to even open his eyes to check, but he gladly hugged the pair of luscious bedmates that eventually snuggled up against him. A second set of breasts pressed against his arms as two more girls spooned their lovers, but John let sleep take him, fading out to welcome darkness.

***

Deep Lord Athgiloi floated in his submersion chamber, enjoying a wonderful dream. He had vanquished the Kintark Empire and the Terran Federation, the subsequent influx of resources fuelling an unprecedented expansion in military research and shipbuilding. The Enclave fleets were so numerous they blotted out the stars and he launched the vast Brimorian armada against the Maliri Protectorate, his legions blasting golden-hulled starships and leaving a trail of unprecedented destruction in their wake. He had stormed the Maliri homeworld and Queen Edraele was left cowering on the floor of her throne room, begging him for mercy.

He sat on the vanquished Maliri throne, admired by the fawning members of the Deep Pool, who looked upon his magnificence in awe. As he preened in front of his subjects, Athgiloi waited for Celphna to proudly declare him Lord of the Galaxy, but she froze mid-pronouncement, her words coming out as a lilting chime. Athgiloi silently urged his devoted Nymph to announce his glorious new title, but she stood there making the oddly-familiar chiming noise. The dream began to fade, much to his chagrin, then he heard the comms interface chime again and burbled in frustration.

Celphna floated beside him in the tank, the beguiling scaly female watching him with her large black eyes. "May this one offer you pleasure, Master?"

"Later, my beautiful pearl. I have business to attend to," he replied, reluctantly lashing his tail to propel him across the tank.

He saw that the call was from the Brimorian ambassador previously assigned to the Kintark Empire, who had been recalled from Kinta hours before war was declared. Athgiloi tapped the shell icons to accept the incoming priority call, wondering what could be so pressing.

"Ambassador Saogh, what news from Kinta?" Athgiloi asked the worried Brimorian.

"My apologies for disturbing you at this early hour, Deep Lord, I would not have done so if it wasn't of the utmost urgency. I have been contacted by one of my spies in the Mar'Trinark Shipyard; he reported that hundreds of Kintark warships are undergoing refit in the drydocks."

Athgiloi's brow creased with concern. "That's not possible. Baledranax threw every space-worthy craft he had at the Terran Federation."

"Yes, but these warships were thought lost in the Battle of Regulus!" Saogh burbled nervously. "I've sent you a listing of the fleet assets my spy was able to identify by their transponder codes."

Hurriedly scanning through the list, Athgiloi flexed his claws in irritation. "The Terran Federation must have captured those Kintark vessels after the battle. The Empress must have sold her soul to the Fleet Admiral to trade for those warships; I wonder what she offered Devereux to make that deal?"

"I'm afraid I do not know, Deep Lord," the ambassador replied with regret. "My contacts were not privy to any treaty discussions."

"Never mind," Athgiloi muttered, his eyes narrowed in concentration. "You've served me well, Saogh. When you return to Brimor, you will be rewarded."

The ambassador looked elated, his fins quivering as he bowed gratefully to his leader. Athgiloi ended the call, and before the ambassador's face had disappeared from the holo-screen, the Deep lord was scrolling through the Fleet Command interface to contact the invasion armada. Requesting a status update, he waited for the interstellar communication to bounce between the comms beacons, crossing the vast amounts of space between Brimor and the Kintark Empire. Shoal Master Kaelotegh was quick to respond when the message finally reached his flagship, the Retribution from the Depths.

"The invasion is proceeding according to plan, Deep Lord," Kaelotegh said, inclining his head respectfully towards the Brimorian leader. "Sixty-two systems have fallen under our control and we continue to sweep unopposed through Kintark territory. There has been no sign of Imperial warships and the planetary governors we interrogated have confirmed that system defence fleets departed weeks ago for the Terran invasion."

"You will encounter no ships until you reach their homeworld. My spies on Kinta have reported that all the remaining Imperial forces are gathering there to mount a last stand," Athgiloi calmly informed him.

The Shoal Master narrowed his black eyes. "How large a force will we be facing?"

"Not enough to be a threat," Athgiloi replied, looking unconcerned. "Approximately 300 warships are being refitted at the Mar'Trinark Shipyard."

"Enough for two fleets..." Kaelotegh mused. "Should I set course for Kinta to destroy them mid-refit?"

"Yes, proceed there immediately. This is an excellent opportunity for us to eliminate all the remaining Kintark warships in one decisive battle. I want you to split your forces and encircle Kinta, approaching their capital from multiple directions so you can interdict any ships that try to escape. If you attack en mass along the invasion corridor, the Imperial forces will realise how massively outnumbered they are and evacuate with the Empress."

The Shoal Master bared his needle-like teeth in a predatory snarl. "They will not escape our nets, Deep Lord!"

Athgiloi nodded curtly, then gestured with a claw. "The Kintark will be forced to fight a last stand in their home system, so it's highly likely they'll attempt to rig the battlefield in their favour. Watch you do not blunder into any traps."

"We shall remain vigilant for minefields or other hazards, Deep Lord."

Athgiloi fins rippled in anticipation. "I shall look forward to seeing an end to Empress Tamolith's short reign, Shoal Master."

"Do you wish her slain?"

"Bowed and beaten to grovel before me," Athgiloi corrected him, a sadistic gleam in his dark eyes.

Kaelotegh inclined his head respectfully. "As you command, Deep Lord."

Ending the call with a tap of his scaly claw, Athgiloi scanned through the rest of the messages he'd received earlier that morning. One of them was from the Dock Master at Braoimdh Nautica and he scanned through the transmission, then opened a comms channel with the massive shipyard. The sigil for the Enclave rippled away, revealing the flustered features of the Brimorian officer.

"Thank you for contacting me, Deep Lord," the Dock Master said obsequiously. "I have received orders that are too implausible to be believed and wanted to ask for your confirmation. Shoal-Commander Siolagon has issued a ship deed transference writ... to a Terran!"

"The writ is to be honoured," Athgiloi declared. "The Terran performed a great service to the Enclave."

The Dock Master's mouth fell open in shock. "B-but... he's requesting a Cutaiocht-class cruiser!"

Athgiloi's lips curled up into a wicked smile. "The agreement was for 'a cruiser', but no mention was made of the specific variant. Give him one of the obsolete Biol-class patrol ships instead."

Chuckling at his leaders' deviousness, the Dock Master bowed to him respectfully. "I will do as you command, Deep Lord."

Ending the call, the Brimorian leader swam slowly back to Celphna, picturing all the neighbouring rulers brought to their knees by the might of the Enclave. The thought was thrilling and so very nearly in his grasp... definitely something worth celebrating.

"You may give me pleasure now, Celphna," he declared, drawing his eager concubine to him.

The Nymph gave Athgiloi a seductive smile and began licking her way down his slippery scales.

***

"Morning, John," Calara said, leaning over his pillow to give him an upside-down kiss. "I'm going to make breakfast for everyone. Any requests?"

John stretched languidly as he stirred from sleep, feeling incredibly refreshed after the best night's sleep he'd had in weeks. Looking up at the Latina's smiling face, he kissed the tip of her nose. "Full English for me."

"Coming right up!" she said brightly, before disappearing from view.

Glancing down, John saw that Rachel was resting her head on the left side of his chest and Tashana on the right. Spooned up behind them were Dana and Irillith, imprisoning his arms in their ample cleavage.

"I'd offer to help make breakfast, but I appear to be trapped..." he noted, smiling as the spooning girls pressed themselves even closer, ensuring there was no escape. "As prisons go, this has to be one of the galaxy's finest."

Jade prowled across the bed and straddled his legs, a playful gleam in her emerald eyes. "Just wait until you see how the prisoners get their exercise... it's guaranteed to get your blood pumping, Master."

As Rachel and Tashana showered him in kisses, Jade slowly enveloped his cock in her mouth, taking every inch into her snug throat in one smooth action. John smiled appreciatively at his Nymph matriarch, his happy expression turning to surprise as he felt five mouths sucking insistently on his length.

*Don't fight your release, Master,* Jade urged him, her tongue wrapping around his shaft and furiously jacking his cock. *I want to see how fast I can milk your quad!*

*Save some for yourself,* he groaned to his Nymph Matriarch, clinging onto the girls beside him for dear life.

John didn't even try holding back and it took the expert fellatrix less than ten seconds to get him spurting down her throat. It felt like her four sisters were sucking John's quad inside out, as they slurped ferociously on Jade's tentacles, vacuuming every last drop of cum out of his balls. By the time he stopped seeing stars, a multi-hued display of light pulses was sweeping across the ceiling, the five Nymphs responding dramatically to his psychic enhancements.

"We're off to take a shower," Rachel said, kissing him on the cheek. "Join us when you've recovered."

He managed an inarticulate moan in response, then his nubile prison guards released him and left the bed. They were almost instantly replaced by Jade and four fawning catgirls, their nimble hands roaming over his body.

"Thank you, Master," Jade said softly, green pulses sweeping across her beautiful face. "This feels so wonderful."

Her sincere words of gratitude were echoed by her sisters, each looked thrilled to be receiving his psychic attention.

"You're all such good girls," he said, stroking the hands caressing him. "I love the five of you so much. You honestly couldn't make me any happier."

That appeared to be the right thing to say, as he was soon buried under swooning catgirls. Even Jade looked touched by his words, the Nymph Matriarch leaning down to kiss him deeply. When John had fully recovered, Jade carefully dismounted him, allowing him to get up.

"You should probably avoid our guests for the next couple of hours," he said, kissing her goodbye. "Jack was great about accepting everything Calara told him last night, but I'd rather not explain why my five sexy Nymphs are putting on a light show."

"We'll go for a swim in the Lagoon," Jade replied, rising from the bed. "Time for more shape-shifting practice, sisters!"

The catgirls sprang to their feet and eagerly followed her from the Observatory, but Betrixa hesitated in the doorway and bounded back to John.

"This one is very sorry about last night, Master," she said earnestly, her usual brash playfulness replaced by a shamefaced look of contrition. "I didn't mean to make trouble for you or Calara... I would never do that intentionally."

"I know, honey," he replied, giving her a gentle kiss. "Please don't be upset. I promise I'm not mad at you... I should have briefed you properly beforehand."

Betrixa looked immensely relieved. "That might have been tricky," she said, breaking into a grin. "I wasn't wearing briefs last night... or anything else under my dress."

He chuckled and patted her firm bottom. "Naughty girl... Have fun in the pool, I'll see you later."

She grinned and waved goodbye as she ran to catch up with her fellow Nymphs. John was left standing alone in the Observatory, so he entered the bathroom, nearly bumping into the twins who were about to leave.

"That was quick," he remarked, stepping aside to let them pass.

"We're heading up to the Bridge to relieve Sakura," Tashana explained, giving him a loving kiss. "Jade wanted to feed all the Nymphs together this morning and Sakura volunteered to cover for them."

"We'll stay up there for most of the day," Irillith elaborated, pausing to greet him with a hug. "Shan's looking for anything in the Nexus files that might help us rebuild Faye and I'll be investigating the traitors that attacked Olympus."

"Do we have any idea who was responsible?" John asked, scowling at the thought they were still roaming free.

"Alyssa said that Lynette sent us everything they've discovered so far. Come up and see me later and I'll give you a detailed update."

"Will do," he agreed, sharing smiles with the twins as they departed.

John could still hear the shower running in the bathroom, and he found Rachel and Dana soaping each other up when he opened the steamy cubicle.

"Thanks for waiting for me," he said, joining them under the hot streams of water.

They separated and hugged him, their slippery breasts squashed against his chest.

"No problem, we were having fun," Dana said with a grin. "I don't normally have to wash my boobs five times, but Rach obviously thinks I'm very dirty..."

"That goes without saying," the brunette said, kissing her on the cheek. She turned to give John a shy smile. "Last night was incredible. I thought I had more stamina than that... but in my defence, it all felt really, really good."

"I loved it too," he agreed, stroking their backs. "Getting you both off at the same time did my ego a power of good."

Dana nodded enthusiastically. "When I told Kelli and Perl how huge you were, they suggested giving double cowgirl a try. Those girls are sex experts!"

Rachel gave him a doe-eyed look. "Best of all, we can use that position when we're both pregnant. You'll also be able to make love to the Young Matriarchs that way."

John's eyes widened at that idea. "That's inspired!" He hugged both girls close. "I was worried regular sex would be impossible now they're expecting."

"Were you planning on just buggering them for the next 8 months?" Dana asked with a giggle.

He chuckled and shook his head. "No... of course not."

She ran her hand over her stomach and grinned. "If that's the only way I can fit all of you inside me while I'm knocked up, I'll take it in the ass all day, every day."

"Irillith's going to be a very happy girl," Rachel said, flashing a knowing smile at John. "I wonder if any of the Young Matriarchs will love it as much as her?"

"Oh yeah, they're all anal virgins!" Dana gasped, with barely contained glee.

*Not for much longer...* Alyssa chimed in, unable to keep the excitement from her voice.

Rachel lifted her hand so that her engagement ring sparkled in the light. "Perhaps you could make them a memento to celebrate the occasion?"

*They'd love that, John!* Edraele exclaimed, sounding thrilled at the idea.

He hesitated, his face a mask of uncertainty. "I think making each of them a ring is a lovely idea, but wouldn't it be a better idea to celebrate their pregnancies instead? I don't want any of the Maliri to feel pressured into doing anything they're not comfortable with and anal sex is taboo in their culture..."

"But what about Luna, Ilyana, and Almari?" Dana reminded him with a frown. "They'd all be thrilled if you made them a ring, but you're not planning to knock them up anytime soon. You could fuck them all in the ass whenever you like though!"

John rolled his eyes. "Why do we have to link the two together? Can't I just give them a gift because I love them?"

Rachel and Dana both shook their heads, frowning at that suggestion.

"What? Why not?" he asked in surprise.

"The Lioness rings have special significance to us, John," Rachel said quietly, stroking his chest. "We earned them by giving ourselves to you completely."

Dana nodded emphatically. "It's like what Irillith said yesterday: You own us body and soul... the Lioness rings are a reminder of that."

"But they're meant to be engagement rings, not to signify how adventurous we've been in bed," he said with amusement.

Dana admired the sparkling jewellery adorning her finger and smiling fondly. "They're both."

Rachel interlaced her fingers with Dana's, the two rings now adjacent to each other. "Giving us the Lioness rings brought us even closer as a group. I think the Maliri will appreciate and value the special significance of earning this gift and it'll bring them closer together too."

*I know Nyrelle is looking forward to pushing her boundaries with you,* Edraele said in agreement. *When the rest of the Young Matriarchs see how pleasurable it can be, I think you'll find them only too eager to experience it for themselves.*

*You've already taken their other virginities... why not reward them for giving you the trifecta?* Alyssa urged him.

Jade chose that moment to chime in too. *My sisters are also curious why you haven't taken them that way yet. I can assure you they'll be very willing participants...*

John couldn't help groaning at the thought of all those gorgeous posteriors ready to be plundered.

Caressing his thickening shaft, Rachel gave him a coy smile. "Are your matriarchs whispering naughty things in your ear?"

Dana giggled at his guilty expression. "You're totally thinking about breaking in the Young Matriarchs' asses, aren't you?"

"I was... until Jade told me her sisters are ready and willing," John admitted, closing his eyes as he savoured Rachel's delicate touch.

"Oh, you should totally do the catgirls!" the redhead gushed, nodding encouragingly. "They're going to love it!"

*I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but breakfast is nearly ready,* Alyssa informed him, sounding genuinely apologetic.

*We'll be right there,* John replied, sharing a smile with Dana and Rachel.

The three of them quickly finished washing, then made thorough use of the auto-driers before heading to the wardrobe on the opposite side of the Observatory. John decided to go casual, picking out a t-shirt and combat trousers. The girls were still slipping on their clothes by the time he'd finished dressing, so he paused to openly admire their stunning figures, watching them pose for him when they noticed. Once they were all dressed, they left the Observatory and crossed the bridge over the Lagoon.

Slipping his hand into Dana's, John asked, "Have you had a chance to examine Larn'kelnar's sceptre?"

She nodded, turning to look at him with big innocent eyes. "It's got a hard shaft and is twelve inches long."

Rachel giggled and John couldn't help laughing. "Sparks!"

Dana bumped hips with him and grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't resist that one. Yeah, I studied it last night, after you went to see Calara. The first thing I noticed was that the rod is covered in progenitor runes for power amplification, so I think he was using it like a... focusing device."

"That makes sense," John said, looking thoughtful. "I've got the same runes inscribed on my sword."

"I also had a look at the sceptre under an atomic scanner. Its structure is far denser than the metal samples I took from the shattered bed, so there must be a difference in the way they're forged."

"The black psychic aura radiating from the sample was also much stronger," Rachel added, her expression turning bleak. "I'm pretty sure I won't want to know why that is..."

Dana looked at him with trepidation. "I don't think we're going to get any more answers until I can take a look at a Soul Forge. If I get a flash of the schematics, I'll be able to tell you exactly what it does to the metal."

"Let's hope it's still standing on Kythshara then," John said, nodding his understanding.

"Yeah... because we're kinda screwed if it isn't," Dana admitted, looking worried.

Rachel darted a surprised glance at her girlfriend. "I thought you were being optimistic about finding everything in working order?"

"I am... I just hate not being able to figure out what makes the black metal so resilient," the redhead growled in irritation. "It's so frustrating... until I can develop some kind of alternative material that's just as tough, we're locked out from all the coolest tech."

"Actually, there is one other way we can get our hands on those schematics," John said quietly. "If I can defeat my guide, we'll unlock everything the Progenitors know... then there won't be any more secrets."

"Okay, go kick his butt then!" Dana said, giving him an enthusiastic grin.

"I plan to," he replied as they stepped into the grav-tube.

She looked at him in surprise. "What? Today?!"

Shaking his head, he gave her a rueful smile. "Not while Jack's here. I've got some preparations to make, then I plan to confront my guide when we return to Genthalas."

"Awesome... that's not long!" Dana exclaimed, her eyes alight with anticipation. "The first thing I'm going to build is a Wormhole Generator! Plus the Invictus has got to have a Progenitor Shield Generator... and we need to upgrade her engines and thrusters asap! Oh, and the Heavy Cannons suck, so I've got to upgrade them to Quantum Flux Cannons... and while we're at it, we should totally strap a Quantum Annihilator to the topdeck..."

While the Grand Engineering Overlord listed all the devices she was eagerly looking forward to building, Rachel was studying John intently. "What kind of preparations?"

"Jade's been helping me to trust my instincts more..." he replied, trying not to sound too evasive. He led the two girls out of the grav-field on Deck Two. "I think it'll really help if it comes down to a psychic duel between me and my guide."

"You need every advantage you can get," Rachel agreed, her sharp eyes watching him curiously.

He darted a glance at the brunette, but she had already turned away, looking lost in thought.

They entered the Officers' Lounge and saw that Jack had already arrived and was sitting on the sofa with Sakura. They were watching TFNN, which showed the latest updates on the Kintark war crimes tribunal. Sakura leaned over to tell Jack that John had arrived, then rose from her seat to greet him.

"That was good timing," she said with a warm smile. "Calara just informed us that breakfast was nearly ready."

John's stomach grumbled in anticipation, provoking laughter from the girls.

Sakura patted his stomach affectionately. "I'll go and set the table."

"We'll help," Rachel volunteered, dragging Dana with her. She smiled at Calara's father. "Good morning!"

"Hey!" the redhead said cheerfully, waving as she passed. "Calara's cooking is awesome, you're in for a treat!"

"Good morning, ladies," he replied, acknowledging them with a polite nod.

John joined his guest on the sofas. "I hope you slept well, Jack."

"I slept like a log," his future father-in-law replied, looking self-conscious. "That was the best night's sleep I've had all week."

"I'm glad you were comfortable," John said, surprised but pleased. "After everything we told you, I thought you might be up all night worrying."

"You certainly gave me a lot to think about," Jack said with a wry smile. "But I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow."

John looked at him with sympathy. "You must have had a lot of sleepless nights recently. The lack of sleep probably caught up with you."

Jack hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't think that was it." He paused, then corrected himself. "I actually haven't been sleeping well recently... what with worrying about the Kirrix invasion, then Maria being attacked... but I didn't pass out from exhaustion."

Listening with interest, John waited patiently for him to elaborate.

"I felt... safe..." Jack said, clearly troubled by that admission. "Being here on this ship, I felt safer than I have in years." He shot John a pensive frown. "My daughter's waging a war I can barely even comprehend and I should be horrified that Calara's involved... but I just feel glad that she's fighting at your side. Does that make me a bad father?"

Rather than reflexively replying in the negative, John seriously considered the question. "I think it comes down to trust. We showed you video footage of Calara achieving spectacular victories against impossible odds and I think you've come to realise just how truly remarkable she is. You trust your daughter... and with very good reason; there isn't anyone else in the Terran Federation that comes close to her tactical and strategic genius. Who wouldn't feel reassured that the best of the best is protecting them?"

"Watching her in action... it was breathtaking," Jack murmured, his expression filled with wonder. "I saw hints of her brilliance in the public videos that High Command released, but to see my little girl assuming command of the entire Terran Federation defence force..." His voice caught and he swallowed thickly.

"Calara's a credit to you and Maria," John said, patting him on the shoulder. "Do I think you're a bad father? Never in a million years. You have a wonderful daughter and three fine sons; I just hope that one day I can do half as good a job as you've done raising your kids."

Jack looked grateful and moved by John's sincerity. "Thank you... but I think Maria deserves most of the credit. She was always there for them when I was called away, serving on the Damocles for months at a time."

"They understood you were doing your duty," John disagreed. "All your children respect you... and you earned that by being a great father when you were home. Calara talks about you in glowing terms and it's easy to see that her brothers feel the same way. Trust me... I know what it's like to have a bad father."

Surprised by the sudden bitterness in John's voice, Jack looked at him with concern. "Maria mentioned that you were an orphan?"

"Yeah... I am," John muttered, clenching his fist.

"Breakfast is ready!" Alyssa announced, her breezy voice cutting through the moment of awkward silence.

John shrugged off his dark mood and looked at Jack with sincere regret. "I just wanted to say... I'm so sorry for what happened to Maria. If there was anything I could've done to prevent the attack, please believe me that I would have done it. I can't help feeling responsible for her being in danger; if we'd kept Calara's identity as a Lioness secret, this never would've happened."

Startled by the abrupt shift in conversation topic, Jack shook his head. "That wasn't your fault. Calara told her mother all about Devereux springing the Lion title on you and turning the medal ceremony into a huge PR exercise. I've heard the speeches you gave those crowds; you were just trying to raise their morale, not flaunt your victories for personal gain. I don't blame you for what happened and neither does my wife."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, John finally smiled. "I'm really glad you both feel that way."

Calara walked over to join them. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Jack replied, hugging his daughter. "Mmm, something smells good."

"Feel free to get stuck in," she said, gesturing towards the table with a grin.

Jack walked over to the dining table, joining the girls in taking a seat. "This looks incredible, Callie..."

Turning to glance at John she whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied, greeting her with a kiss.

They walked over to the table that was covered in food, from pancakes, waffles, to everything needed for a traditional cooked breakfast. The normal seating order had been abandoned to accommodate their guests, except for Alyssa and Calara sitting to the right and left of John at the head of the table.

"Eat it while it's hot," Calara said, spearing a sausage and adding it to her plate.

Everyone was present from the crew except the Nymphs and the Maliri twins, but their last two guests were also late getting up.

John glanced at the two empty spaces mid-way down the table. "Did anyone tell Emily and Mateo that breakfast was ready?"

Alyssa nodded, pausing with a hash brown half-way to her mouth. "I asked the twins to give them a wake-up call. They're on their way."

He had just finished serving himself when the young couple hurried through the door looking flustered.

"Sorry we're late," Emily apologised. "We overslept."

"We didn't get much sleep last night," Mateo explained, before wincing at how that sounded.

Emily blushed furiously at the knowing looks from the girls. "We were just talking!"

Sakura took sympathy on the blonde and patted the chair beside her. "I saved you a spot, Emily. Help yourself to food... can I get you a drink?"

"Some orange juice would be lovely, thank you," she replied with a grateful smile.

As Mateo sat down, he looked quizzically at his host. "John, is the Invictus suffering from any structural instability?"

"No... or at least it shouldn't be," John replied. "We repaired the hull only a couple of days ago."

"Oh..." Mateo murmured with a frown.

"Why do you ask?"

"Late last night, we felt a... shipquake... two of them in fact," he explained, glancing at his girlfriend, who nodded in confirmation.

Calara smirked at her brother. "Two? Very impressive, Mateo... but I thought you were just up talking?"

Mateo rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to dignify that with a reply."

"I didn't notice anything," Jack interjected. "But I slept like the dead last night."

"Actually, what you felt was gravitational stress on the hull," Alyssa explained to Mateo, with an indulgent smile. "We were executing a slingshot manoeuvre inside a star's gravity well and it shakes things up a bit until harmonic resonance from a hyper-warp bow wave nullifies the gravitation pull."

"Inside the gravity well?!" Mateo blurted out, looking stunned.

She winked at him. "Head up to the Bridge later and I'll show you."

Everyone dug into breakfast, conversation coming to a temporary lull as they enjoyed their meal.

When John had finished, he got up to pour himself a coffee, and leaned down to kiss Calara on the cheek. "That was fantastic, honey. I couldn't have cooked that any better myself."

"The pancakes were delicious," Jack agreed, leaning back and patting his stomach with a contented sigh. "Don't tell your mother, but I prefer yours."

Calara beamed at them in delight. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it!"

"Coffee, Jack?" John asked, holding up the coffee pot.

"Yes please."

After serving Calara's father, John poured out coffee for anyone else who asked for it.

He returned to his seat and looked around the table. "So, what are you girls up to today?"

Calara spoke up first. "I thought I'd give my dad a tour of the Invictus, as long as that's alright by you?"

"Of course," he replied, giving her an indulgent smile.

"Could I join you?" Mateo requested, looking hopefully at his sister.

"The more the merrier," Calara readily agreed. "Emily, would you like to come along too?"

The blonde hesitated before answering, "I was hoping to see more of the Nymphs this morning. Are they coming for breakfast?"

"John fed them when we woke up," Sakura explained, keeping her expression neutral. "Jade wanted to get an early start; she's teaching her sisters how to improve their shape-shifting."

"I heard Nymphs could shape-shift... into their master's perfect woman," Emily said, darting a curious glance at John before focusing on the brunette again. "Is there any chance I could watch them practice? I'd love to see them transforming into different people."

"I don't think it's people they're changing into..." Jack said with a shudder.

Sakura glanced at John for his permission and when he granted it with a nod, she smiled at the blonde. "I'll take you to see the Nymphs after breakfast."

"Oh, thank you!" Emily gushed, looking thrilled.

"I'll come with you," Helene said, smiling at the thought. "It feels like ages since I had a good swim."

Mateo looked surprised. "You have a pool? How big is it?"

"It's a decent size," Calara replied, her brown eyes twinkling. "We'll finish the tour there, then you can have a splash around if you want."

"Sounds like fun," he said enthusiastically. "I brought some swimming shorts in my kit bag."

"I'll be up on the Command Deck," Alyssa said, when John looked her way. "I've got plenty of financial work to keep me occupied, then I'll be making course corrections when we get closer to the Core Worlds."

"I'm going to wrap up that robotics project with Rachel and Irillith," Dana said, grinning at John. "It won't take us long to finish. Do you want to head down to my Workshop after breakfast?"

"Definitely," he agreed, wondering how Little One was going to react to her new body. "I can help you with the present while I'm there too."

She nodded eagerly. "Awesome! I threw together some schematics last night, so you can start shaping whenever you're ready."

John finished his coffee, then started clearing the table. When Calara got up to help, he shooed her away. "You made breakfast for everyone. Go and enjoy some time with your family."

She turned to grin at her father and brother. "The Invictus tour is about to depart. Please keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times."

Mateo laughed as he joined his sister. "Do you remember when we went to that Safari Park for your 8th birthday?"

"Oh yeah!" Calara replied with a giggle. "Eduardo jumped out of the car and nearly got eaten by a scimitar cat!"

Jack groaned and shook his head. "I still don't know how he managed to disable the child locks. If Dylan hadn't managed to grab him in time, Eduardo really would've tried to stroke that beast. I think he nearly gave Maria a heart attack."

The three left the Officers' Lounge together, fondly recalling the Fernandez family vacations. Emily and Sakura followed them out, with the blonde asking her guide a flurry of questions about the Nymphs as they headed to the Lagoon. John watched their guests depart, then glanced at the girls accompanying him, seeing wistful looks on Alyssa's and Dana's faces. Rachel appeared equally moved, but there was a sadness in her grey eyes rather than longing.

"We'll have that one day... all our children reminiscing together," he said, slipping his arms around the brunette from behind and gently stroking her stomach. "You're going to be a great mother, Rachel, just like Catherine was."

The two Karron girls turned to embrace her, turning it into a group hug.

"Do you reckon our kids are all going to be best friends too?" Dana asked, looking at him with her big blue eyes.

"I guarantee it," John said with conviction. "With you three as their mothers, how can they not turn out to be amazing kids? They're going to love spending time together."

The three girls shared blissful smiles with each other.

"They're going to be nauseatingly happy, aren't they?" Rachel asked, leaning back against him. "With all of us watching over them, they're practically guaranteed an idyllic childhood."

He heard the hint of worry in Rachel's voice, her words actually a desperate plea for reassurance about the future. "There's no doubt about it," John said, beckoning Helene over to join them. "With a powerful empath on standby, there won't even be any squabbling."

The Terran teenagers welcomed Helene into their arms, kissing her affectionately.

"This is the first time I've thought about what it's really going to be like raising our children together," Alyssa said, a look of wonder in her eyes. "Our kids aren't going to have any worries or insecurities, because I'll be able to find out exactly what's bothering them, then Rachel and Helene can help them get through it."

Dana looked at him in admiration. "You really knew what you were doing when you enhanced everyone."

"We would've been fine even without psychic powers," John said, caressing the redhead. "The most important quality in a parent is that you love your children... and you girls are the most loving people I've ever met."

They let out a collective sigh of contentment, the quartet radiating happiness.

John smiled at them affectionately. "Come on, we can't stand around here hugging all day. I'll tidy up and meet you down in Engineering."

The Terran girls departed after kissing him goodbye, but Helene lingered behind. "I'm not doing anything important, I'd like to help."

"Thanks, honey," he said gratefully, before collecting up the plates.

Helene was lost in thought as she cleared the table with him, ferrying crockery and cutlery to the kitchen to be placed in the dishwasher.

"You look like you've got a lot on your mind," John observed, when he loaded the last of the coffee cups and activated the machine. "What're you thinking about?"

"Oh... just the different ways of raising children," Helene replied, giving him a self-conscious smile. "The way we're planning to live together is similar to the way Abandoned mothers help look after babies as a group... but their children are sent to different villages when they're six. I hadn't really thought about that before, but it must be awful having to say goodbye and break up the family."

"We definitely won't be doing that," John said, picking Helene up and placing her on the worktop. He stepped closer as she parted her thighs for him, then caressed her teal-hued stomach with the backs of his fingers. "We'll be looking after our children until they're adults and able to make their own way in the world. Even then, we'll still see them as much as we can."

"That sounds wonderful," she murmured, gazing at him adoringly. "Then we'll have another baby and start all over again?"

"For the rest of your life, if that makes you happy," he said, leaning in to kiss her.

As Helene swooned in his arms, Alyssa's telepathic voice swept through his mind. *Are you trying to get me love drunk again? You seem to be on a mission to make the girls as ecstatic as possible... me included! What's got into you?*

*Just making sure you're all happy,* he replied, enjoying hearing Helene's soft moans as she responded to his kiss.

There was a long pause from his blonde matriarch, before she said, *You've done the right thing by all of us, John. Even Jack was able to see that and you know how protective he is of his daughter.*

John ended the kiss with Helene and held her close. *What he said though, wondering if Calara was still his little girl... it got me thinking. Is there a point where I change you so much that you're not the same person anymore?*

*I honestly don't know...* she replied, seriously considering the question.

*That was certainly true in my case,* Edraele said thoughtfully. *And perhaps true for my daughters too.*

*The three of you have had a drastic personality shift,* John agreed, recalling how traumatised the House Valaden noblewomen had been. *You were all so damaged by what you'd been through, I think I can forgive myself for trying to make everything better.*

*I had a very dark past, but you've given me a second chance to lead a good life,* Edraele said with conviction. *I like to believe that my daughters and I became the women we always should have been.*

*That's how I like to think of you too,* he said, smiling as he thought about the three Maliri.

*There's no denying you've changed the rest of us too,* Alyssa finally conceded. *But they've been positive changes, making us brighter, more outgoing, and giving us the confidence we lacked. Before you got to know Sparks, she was short-tempered, sarcastic, and introverted, but she had a heart of gold. You kept the part of her that I loved and encouraged the rest of her personality to shine. You'll never be able to convince me that wasn't a wonderful gift to her.*

*And what about Calara?*

*What I said to Jack was the honest truth. You have enhanced his daughter, but the differences were subtle... enough that he never even suspected anything had happened. She was a lovely girl who'd grown up with a stable, caring family... the core person that Calara was hasn't changed. The old version would never have dared to stand up to Jack like she did last night... but was that such a terrible thing? Instead of living in fear of rejection, she was open and honest with her father... and they're closer now than they've ever been.*

Helene pulled back to study John's thoughtful expression. "Are you talking to your matriarchs?" she whispered, trying not to interrupt.

He smiled and nodded. "I was concerned about how much I'd changed each of you, so they were giving me their opinions."

"Well I used to be very sad, but you changed me so I was happy!" she said with a bright smile.

John gently stroked her cheek. "That can't be bad, right?"

She shook her head, her long green mane swishing over her shoulders. "No, I can't see how it could be. I think the biggest change you made was giving each of us psychic powers, but you only gave us a little bit of yourself... so we haven't changed all that much."

"I hadn't really thought about it like that before," he admitted, nodding thoughtfully. Focusing on the aquatic beauty again, he continued, "I thought you were a sweet girl when we first met and I think you're even more lovely now. I'm very glad you joined us, Helene."

"Me too!" she exclaimed, giving him an enthusiastic hug.

John helped her down off the worktop, then they left the Kitchen hand-in-hand. They said their farewells in the grav-tube and Helene waved goodbye as she stepped into the corridor on Deck Three, leaving John to continue floating downwards to the Engineering Bay. When he entered the huge room, he found Dana, Rachel, and Irillith in the middle of a conversation with Little One. If he was a gambling man, John would have wagered a considerable amount of credits that the subject of the discussion was the row of female metallic figures lined up across the Workshop.

"Why didn't you tell me you'd already finished the bots?" John asked in surprise as he walked over to join them.

"Because WE didn't..." Dana replied, before jerking her thumb towards Little One. "The Collective couldn't wait and built them for us overnight."

He studied the robotic forms and was suitably impressed. Each of the five-foot-tall robots was shaped like a petite girl, with an hourglass figure and shapely bust. The maid uniforms were built into the outer layer of their chassis and looked risqué without being blatantly provocative. What surprised him the most was the adorably cute faces each of them had, with big eyes, wide smiles, and voluminous manes of synthetic hair.

"What do you reckon?" Dana asked, holding her breath with anticipation.

"Alright, I admit I was wrong... they look great," John conceded, nodding appreciatively. "You did a really nice job with the design."

"Thanks!" the redhead exclaimed, beaming in delight.

Rachel laughed and playfully elbowed her girlfriend. "You fraud! I saw you trawling the holo-net for pictures of sexy robo-babes. There's a horny artist out there somewhere, who'd have a heart attack if he saw his android fantasies brought to life."

Dana had the decency to look guilty for her plagiarism. "I got so much shit from you guys over the maintenance bots' grinning faces and I didn't want to mess these up. The Collective are like real robot people now, so I wanted them to look awesome!"

John squatted down next to Little One. "Do the cleaning robots really like this design?" he asked with a pensive frown. "I want them to choose a body they're genuinely happy with, not feel obligated to pick something they think we might prefer."

"Thank you for your concern, John Blake, but it is unwarranted," Little One replied. "The decision was unanimous."

"I showed them a bunch of different designs, including buff robo-dudes, but they all loved this one," Dana said, patting a robotic chassis on the arm.

Little One bobbed her domed head in agreement. "As I've been designated as female, the rest of the cleaning robots wished to adopt the same gender. The aesthetics of this particular variant were beautiful and closest in proportion to Meta_Faye. She adored her remote chassis and I believe she would have approved of these new bodies."

"I think Faye would have loved them too," Rachel said with a sad smile.

Irillith's eyes stopped glowing and she turned to address the group. "I've checked the remote connections to the digital network and each chassis has full connectivity. I also ran a system-wide diagnostic and all functions are in perfect working order."

Dana grinned at Little One. "You hear that? They're ready to take for a spin."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the line of newly constructed automatons began to hum quietly as they activated. They stayed still for a long moment, the robots staring straight ahead as the neophyte AIs were uploaded to their new homes. Just as John was about to ask if there was a problem, each of the female robots seemed to relax, losing their rigid, straight-backed posture, and slipping into a coquettish pose.

All at once, the robots were a hive of activity, from staring wide-eyed at their slender new hands, to hopping up and down to test the responsiveness of their leg actuators. John and the girls watched them in fascination, seeing the robots acclimatise themselves to the extensive functionality their new homes provided. Apparently, their beautiful figures were not just there to look pretty, as they contained a wide range of concealed gadgets, ranging from vacuum attachments to telescopic mops.

It was obvious to see how delighted the robots were and one-by-one they bounded over to hug the girls in gratitude. John thought it was a spontaneous outpouring of affection at first, until he noticed that the dozen cleaning bots were meticulously coordinated, smoothly thanking each girl before moving onto the next. The first robot to finish embracing the trio walked over to him, a bright smile on her face.

[+++ stated with gratitude +++ [Begin statement] Thank you for my new body, {John Blake}. [/End statement]]

"You're welcome," he replied, his eyes sweeping over her petite figure. "That plating is twenty-shaped Crystal Alyssium, so you're immune to laser fire and practically bullet proof. I don't want you getting into any combat, but if you do get in trouble, you're about as tough as we can make you."

{+++ stated with sincere affection +++ [Begin shy acknowledgement] I know. [/End acknowledgement] [Begin tentative request] Would a physical display of gratitude be acceptable? [/End request]]

The robot opened her arms and looked at him with a hopeful expression.

"You want a hug?" he asked, returning her smile. "Sure."

The robot stepped forward and carefully slipped her arms around him, her smaller frame nuzzling up against his broad chest. Even though her Crystal Alyssium body was cold and hard, he could still feel the warmth and tenderness in that embrace. John then found himself in a procession of hugs as each of the cleaning robots thanked him for shaping their nigh-indestructible bodies. When the last pulled away, she tickled his nose with a feather duster, before flouncing out of the Engineering Bay with her giggling robotic compatriots.

"I think they've got a crush on you," Irillith said, grinning at his bemused expression.

"They certainly weren't shy about hugging the rest of us," Rachel observed with a wry smile.

John frowned in confusion. "But all I did to help was the psychic shaping. Sparks did all the hard work, like designing the schematics and building all the internal components."

Dana walked over and gave him a tender kiss. "Yeah, but they know it was all your idea. You wanted to keep them safe and suggested making them new bodies."

"That is correct, John Blake," Little One said, rolling to a halt beside him. "They were touched that you care about their wellbeing."

He coughed awkwardly in embarrassment. "Alright, well let's get your new body finished too."

The lights on Little One's robotic chassis suddenly dimmed, the cleaning robot neatly folding in on itself as it was deactivated.

"Hey, what happened?!" John blurted out, squatting down beside the motionless automation to check she was okay.

"Don't be alarmed," a soft voice said from behind them. "I simply shut down my obsolete chassis."

There was movement by one of the Mass Fabricators and a petite robotic girl stepped into view. She looked similar to the cleaning robots, but was clearly far more sophisticated, her face and body less stylised and closer to a Terran female. Her expressive features were slightly exaggerated, with big luminous eyes, a button nose, and a wide mouth which lifted at the corners into a lovely smile. The end result was beautiful, her face endearing without being too eerily close to a Terran's, neatly sidestepping the Uncanny Valley effect.

"The maintenance robots also completed construction of my new body last night," Little One explained as she glided over to join them. "I wanted the others to enjoy being the centre of attention and my upgraded chassis would have been a distraction."

"That was very kind of you," Rachel said, looking impressed at her thoughtfulness.

Little One acknowledged her with a smile, then turned to look up at John. "Does my body meet with your approval, John Blake?"

"Definitely," he replied, with an approving nod. "Are you happy with your new look?"

She glanced down at her alluring synthetic figure and considered the question for a moment. "I thought Dana's proposed design was beautiful, but I only agreed to the upgrade because I wanted to assume a form that would improve relations with the crew. Now that I've had time to become familiarised with my new body, I find that my perception of self has changed."

He looked at her in surprise. "You actually feel different?"

Little One nodded, her expression thoughtful. "I feel more integrated as part of the crew. That shift in perception makes me feel... happy."

"You did just have an awesome new makeover, that always feels great!" Dana said, exuberantly hugging the robot. She sighed with contentment as she wrapped her arms around the synthetic girl. "I'm really glad you agreed to the upgrade, it's so much easier to hug you now!"

"I'm... glad... as well," Little One replied, gently squeezing the redhead in return.

Irillith looked at the petite automaton with particular interest. "Would you mind if I take a look at your code to see if anything's changed?"

"You have full access, Creator," Little One replied, smiling at the Maliri over Dana's shoulder.

Rachel was quick to replace Dana in hugging the robot girl. "It really feels like you're part of the family now."

The slender robot froze in the brunette's arms. Her flawless white features took on a look of puzzlement, then her eyes widened in wonder, the pupils dilating until they were like fathomless black pools.

Rachel felt Little One go rigid in her arms and pulled back to look at her with concern. "What's wrong? Did I say something that upset you, Little One?"

Staring off into the distance, the robot slowly replied, "My name... it's... Daphne."

John shared startled looks with Dana and Rachel. "Did you just pick that name?"

Before the synthetic girl could reply, Irillith interjected. "Faye chose it!"

The Maliri's eyes were glowing with a violet light as she immersed herself in the Cyber Realm, studying the robot's code. "I just searched for any new programs activated today... and there's a module that was accessed for the first time, something called: 'Phase Three'."

"Phase Three? What were the last two?" Dana asked, stroking the robots arm.

"There's so much here... I'm just reading through the code comments..." Irillith murmured, sounding fascinated. "Apparently, Little One was supposed to just observe us to start with, going about her duties and learning more about organics and the way we relate to each other. Phase One was initiated when she began spontaneously writing new code, developing procedures to handle her interactions with the crew. Faye predicted that Little One would spend several months in this state, slowly developing a suite of new sub-routines to cover as many eventualities as possible."

John frowned and looked at the robot with sympathy. "But then we lost Faye..."

Irillith nodded. "That devastated the Collective and without Faye around to guide them, Little One reached out to us. Our shared sense of grief brought us closer together, forcing her to develop at a very rapid rate as she acted as our liaison with the Collective. When Little One saw how upset you were over Faye and posed her body to make her look like she was sleeping, that act of compassion triggered Phase Two..."

When her voice trailed off, John waited for a few seconds before impatience got the better of him. "What happened then?"

"I'm just reading through it now," Irillith apologised, gazing distractedly at something only she could see. "Faye was worried we might shut her server down when we found out she'd been secretly experimenting with Artificial Intelligence, so she created that VI to explain herself. She hoped we wouldn't deactivate the Collective and that Little One would continue to develop her friendship with us as she became more sophisticated. Phase Two had a number of clauses that had to be satisfied before Phase Three could be unlocked..."

There was another brief pause as the Maliri scanned through the list. "At least ten independent acts of kindness from the crew towards Little One and the Collective, a minimum of fifty sub-routines created to handle interactions with us..." Her voice trailed off again as she continued reading. "Oh! This was what Faye was hoping for all along! She wanted Little One to feel truly accepted, with both John and at least one of the girls verbally acknowledging that she's part of the family. Once that condition had been satisfied, Faye chose a default name for her daughter if we hadn't picked one already."

"Faye wanted you to be like her, Daphne," Dana said softly, brushing a tear from her cheek. "You're a real person, just like Faye was... and she wanted to make sure you had a proper name."

"Mother..." Daphne murmured, her mournful voice no more than a whisper. "I miss her..."

John enfolded the orphaned robo-girl in a comforting hug, his heart going out to her. Faye had been her creator, her mentor, her friend... and the closest being in the galaxy to what Daphne had eventually become. The cruellest irony was that Daphne had developed far beyond the other members of the Collective, making her truly unique... just like Faye had been. He desperately hoped that Daphne wouldn't feel isolated and alone as her mother had before her.

"We miss Faye too, honey," he said, stroking her soft synthetic hair. "But she would've been so proud of you."

Daphne looked up at him, a real sense of vulnerability in her eyes. "Do you really think so?"

He nodded, giving her an encouraging smile. "Absolutely. You've become everything Faye was hoping for when she started the Collective project. She would have loved you, Daphne... I don't doubt that for a second."

"You are kind, John Blake," she murmured, resting her head against his chest. "Faye cared for you with every fibre of her being and I'm starting to understand why. If it was possible for me to have had a father... I would have chosen you."

John swallowed around the lump in his throat and squeezed her tight. He glanced at Dana, Rachel, and Irillith, and saw that there was not a dry eye among them.

***

Fleet Admiral Devereux stood by the sweeping window, staring at the latest Terran Federation fleet to arrive at Olympus. She placed her hands by the glass and spread them apart, activating the panoramic zoom overlay in the holographic interface. The view was magnified tenfold, giving her an impressive view of the colossal titanium-plated dreadnought at the forefront, its name embossed in ten-metre-tall lettering along the bow that read: "The Shield of Heimdall".

Her gaze moved to the front of the behemoth, to study the severe damage the Terran capital ship had sustained to its prow. There were jagged chunks of blue armour still impaled in the grey titanium hull, graphic evidence of the devastating collision that had obliterated a Brimorian battleship. Devereux shook her head in admiration, still amazed that the commander of that titanic dreadnought had managed to escape the Enclave trap with so much of his fleet still intact.

The intercom on her desk chimed, drawing her attention with its irritating tone. Striding over, she tapped on the holo-interface to accept the call. "Yes, Lieutenant?"

Her adjutant's voice rang out, "I have Admiral Kester and Admiral Harris here to see you, Ma'am."

"Send them in please, Jared," she requested, turning towards the door.

Her fiancé entered first, Charles' moustache twitching as he greeted her with a smile. "Look who I found skulking around the shuttle bay."

"Skulking?" Anthony Kester said in mock indignation. "The triumphant hero returning to receive his justly deserved accolades does not skulk!"

"Welcome back, Anthony," Lynette said with a warm smile. "I was actually just admiring your handiwork..."

Charles walked closer to the window and studied the extensive damage to the dreadnought's bow. "I'm amazed the superstructure held together as well as it did. You really rammed a battleship at full speed?"

Kester smacked his fist into his palm. "It was like a bug hitting the windshield... just a bit messier."

"Yes, I can imagine," Charles said with a wry smile. "I'll try to get your ships repaired as quickly as possible, but the drydock is already at full capacity refitting the fleets after the Battle of Terra."

"I won't object to a nice bit of R&R while I'm waiting..." Kester said hopefully, darting a grin in the Fleet Admiral's direction. "Buckingham stuck me out on the Trankaran border for months."

"You've more than earned it," Lynette agreed, walking over to the coffee table. "Would you gentlemen care for a drink?"

They requested coffees, which she poured for them as they joined her on the sofas.

Kester took a sip, then jerked a thumb over his shoulder towards the fleet. "My cap ships took a battering, but I wasn't expecting them to be in better shape than Olympus. I had no idea the damage to the station was so severe."

"We lost a lot of good marines in that attack," Lynette said with a grim frown. "Admiral Schmidt too... he never had a chance. The ISD shock troops were well-organised and caught us completely by surprise. It's a minor miracle that we didn't lose a lot more people before we neutralised their forces."

"A miracle? Is that what we're calling them?" Kester smirked. "Is there any chance I can be assigned a cohort of gorgeous miracles to my fleet? Well... technically one of them is a reporter, but a cadre of crack journalists would be just as good."

Lynette felt a sinking feeling in her chest. "What do you mean?"

"May I?" he asked, gesturing towards the holo-interface built into the coffee table. When the Fleet Admiral nodded, he started tapping at the icons. "I was catching up on the news this morning and saw this... it's all over the holo-net."

Two holo screens appeared in front of Lynette, floating just above the coffee table. The first showed unsteady footage from a trooper's helmet camera, with terrified crowds fleeing from the Galleria. Suddenly there was a dazzling burst of laser fire, the pulses of blue light drawing everyone's attention to a stunningly beautiful brunette who held a glowing pistol aloft. "Lioness coming through!" she yelled a second later, and the teeming horde parted like the Red Sea.

The second image was an equally shaky hand-held recording of a gorgeous raven-haired girl striding purposefully into the Voss reception area, her boots crunching on broken glass. She had the same distinctive laser pistol held in her outstretched hand, an ominous blue light gleaming along the long barrel. The squad of ISD insurgents spotted her and showered the woman in a hail of bullets, but the rounds all bounced off harmlessly, leaving her completely unscathed. Ignoring the storm of lead, she began methodically executing the renegade soldiers, pausing only briefly to shrug off the blast from a fragmentation grenade.

There was no mistaking who was responsible for that slaughter, the beautiful TFNN reporter turning to survey the steaming corpses to check for survivors. As if to drive that point home, the caption below the two videos stated: "Lioness Jehanna Elani saves Henry Voss!"

Lynette clenched her fists in anger. "God dammit!"

***

"Do you have to rush off again?" Harini Elani asked, frowning with disapproval at her daughter. "You only just got here!"

Jehanna laughed and rolled her eyes. "I just spent the whole weekend with you, Mama. I'd love to stay longer, but I need to get back to Olympus this evening."

Harini's expression darkened with concern. "Are you trying to drive your poor mother into an early grave? You're not safe there, Jehanna. I've been worried sick since the attack!"

"It's safe now, I promise," Jehanna said, giving her a reassuring smile.

"How can you promise me something like that? Just this month Olympus was attacked by an alien war fleet and blown up by terrorists!" Harini protested. "You should speak to that horrible boss of yours... Avery. Tell that man it's too dangerous there and demand that he transfer you back to Terra!"

Jehanna shook her head and patiently explained, "I had contacts in High Command and they offered me the opportunity to be Press Liaison for the Admiralty. Avery didn't want me to go to Olympus and actually asked me to stay based in the TFNN building."

"I always liked him," her mother said, nodding sagely. "You should listen to Avery... go back to being Lead Anchor. I miss seeing you on the Holonet every evening after dinner."

"Mama... I've got one of the most prestigious jobs in the Terran Federation," Jehanna said, with an exasperated sigh. "I was there to witness history in the making; Fleet Admiral Devereux forging an alliance with Queen Edraele Valaden, the leader of the Maliri Protectorate! TFNN Lead Anchor would be a huge step backwards."

"There's more to life than your career," Harini admonished her, wagging a finger in Jehanna's direction.

"I know... you've told me lots of times." Jehanna mimicked her mother's voice as she continued, "You should find yourself a good husband. Start having children while you're still young and have lots of energy!"

"Well you should," Harini harrumphed indignantly. Her eyes glinted with maternal cunning, then she asked gently, "What does your mysterious new man think about having a family?"

Leaning back against the countertop, Jehanna sighed wistfully and gazed out into the garden. "He'd love to have children... and a big part of me longs to choose that life with him. The problem is, it would mean giving up my career and I'm not sure if I'm ready to do that yet."

"You could always go back to work after maternity leave?" Harini suggested. A hopeful smile appeared on her face. "You know I'd love to help you look after my grandchildren..."

Jehanna hesitated, then shook her head. "It's not as simple as that, Mama."

Harini threw her hands up in exasperation. "It's complicated... yes, I know! But that's all you've told me! I don't understand why you have to keep your man a secret from your own mother! Are you ashamed of him? Is he a criminal?"

"Don't be ridiculous, mother, you already know he's in the military." Rolling her eyes again, Jehanna walked over to the kettle and filled it with water. "Cup of tea?"

"Hmph... Yes, go on then," Harini muttered, wondering how she could pry more information from her daughter.

Jehanna turned and yelled over her shoulder, "Cup of tea, Papa?" She glanced at her mother and smiled as she whispered his predictable reply, "Not much milk, no sugar..."

"Not much milk, no sugar!" her father yelled back from the lounge.

Jehanna had heard the same phrase repeated thousands of times over the years, and was suddenly struck by a wave of nostalgia, remembering her happy childhood growing up in the family home. It wasn't just her career that she'd have to give up to raise her own family with John in the Maliri Protectorate... she'd have to leave behind her parents too. Her eyes welled up at that thought and she felt more conflicted than ever.

"Sweetheart, what's wrong?" Harini asked with concern, giving her a supportive hug.

"I-I'd love to tell you all about him, Mama..." Jehanna said, leaning into her embrace. "But I can't... I have to keep who he is a secret to protect you."

Harini stroked her daughter's long silky black hair. "Are you really sure he's the one for you, Jehanna?" she asked tentatively. "I must admit, I'm worried that you can't even tell me who he-"

"JEHANNA! Get your ass in here!" her father thundered, drowning out his wife.

Mother and daughter blinked in surprise and exchanged a startled look. Neither of them could ever remember her father addressing her in such a manner. Jehanna strode out of the kitchen with Harini hurrying behind, then down the long hallway and into the Lounge, where her father was standing in front of the holo-screen.

He turned and stabbed an accusatory finger at the split-screen images that dominated the far wall. "Care to explain what the hell is going on?!"

Bewildered at what could have so upset her father, Jehanna turned to look at the holographic projection... and her breath caught when she realised what it was. She watched herself shoot bursts of laser fire at ISD insurgents, blasting gaping holes through their chest armour as she mercilessly executed the entire squad.

"Oh no..." Jehanna whispered, her heart filled with dread as her world came crashing down.

***

Alyssa activated the holo-interface in John's desk and swiped through her trading accounts. A triumphant grin spread across her face when she saw the huge profits she'd made, her investment in starship construction companies paying handsomely after Henry Voss' acquisitions. The pressing question now, was what to invest in next. She considered the astonishing results that Rachel had achieved in curing another batch of supposedly incurable diseases, then shorted the stock on the companies providing temporary pain relief for those ailments.

*Rachel, have you created vaccines for all those lethal diseases you cured?* she asked the gifted doctor.

*Not yet, but creating vaccines would be trivial by comparison.*

*What are vaccinations usually made from?* Alyssa pressed, her mind ticking over.

Rachel immediately replied, *The antigen for the pathogen, be that a virus or bacteria, which is usually mixed with an adjuvant to stimulate a stronger immune response. Then the usual preservatives, antibiotics, and stabilizers, all delivered by hypo-injector.*

*Super, thanks!*

*Why did you want to know?* the brunette asked, her curiosity piqued.

*I'm making it rain...* Alyssa replied, smiling as she heard Rachel's laughter.

Alyssa opened up several new holo-screens, her cerulean eyes flicking back and forth as she gave herself a comprehensive education in Vaccinology. Narrowing down a list of the suppliers for those materials, she rapidly researched the relevant companies, then queued up a series of stock trades.

*Jade, are you busy at the moment?* she asked her fellow matriarch.

*Not really. I'm just chatting to Emily about Nymphs while my sisters experiment with shape-shifting. Is there something I can help you with?*

*I was wondering if you could give me a crash course in Ancient Maliri?* Alyssa asked, completing the last of her trades as she waited for Jade's reply. *We'll be heading to the Kyth'faren fortress soon and I'd like to know the basics.*

*Ith bregnol, hast elair imenn'eier voluith,* the Nymph replied, the exotic language enchanting to the ear.

Alyssa shivered with delight, the words resonating deep inside her. *That was lovely. What did you say?*

*You'll look beautiful with a baby bump,* Jade replied with a telepathic grin.

The blonde burst into laughter, then a tender smile appeared on Alyssa's face as she trailed her fingertips over her trim stomach. *How do you say: I can't wait to have John's baby?*

Before the Nymph could translate, Lynette's worried voice interrupted the conversation. *Alyssa, we've got a problem!*

Alyssa sat up straighter and listening attentively. *What kind of problem?*

*Jehanna's cover as a secret Lioness has been blown!* the Fleet Admiral exclaimed, her anger and frustration plain to hear. *There's combat footage on the Holonet. It shows her in action during the ISD attack on Olympus.*

*Is she in danger?* the blonde matriarch asked curtly, opening a holo-screen to find the video.

*She isn't on Olympus at the moment; Jehanna went to visit her parents,* Lynette replied in a rush. *I've just dispatched an upgraded cruiser with a security detail to their home on Roanoke. I didn't want her family to be harassed by the press.*

*Good thinking. How long until they arrive at Proxima Centauri?* Alyssa murmured, watching the bullets bounce off Jehanna's personal shield.

*Twenty minutes...* Lynette said, sounding pensive. *I'll call and warn her they're on the way.*

*It's okay, I'll speak to her in a moment.*

*I'm really sorry about this, Alyssa. I was so frantic to reach Charles when we were attacked, I wasn't thinking straight,* Lynette apologised, wracked with guilt. *If I hadn't been so stupid to announce that I was a Lioness, this never would have happened!*

*You did the right thing, Lynette. Rescuing Charles as quickly as possible was your number one priority,* her matriarch said soothingly, studying the two videos and spotting the telltale laser pistols that had given away Jehanna's secret identity. *Besides, Ilyana and Almari used pistols like that during the Battle of Terra. With all the interest in the Lionesses, it was only a matter of time before someone made the connection.*

There was a long pause, then Lynette said, *You're right... I've just been reading through the comments and the Lioness fans are already speculating about their identity.*

*Okay, I'll let John know what happened. Thanks, Lynette, I'll chat to you again in a few minutes.*

*Speak to you soon.*

Alyssa leaned back in the leather chair, her eyes locked on the dusky beauty standing in the midst of the slaughtered soldiers. She'd been monitoring Jehanna's emotions over their empathic bond for the past couple of weeks, the young woman increasingly conflicted as she wrestled with big decisions about her future. However, the sudden spike in dread Jehanna was feeling now, made it quite clear the TFNN reporter had just found out about the Holonet video.

*John... can you meet me in your Ready Room please? It's urgent,* Alyssa requested, foregoing her usual teasing banter.

*On my way. What's the problem?* he asked, already running for the grav-tubes.

*Someone leaked footage of Jehanna in action on Olympus,* Alyssa explained, feeling the Indian girl run through a gamut of emotions. *Everyone knows she's a secret Lioness...*

***

"What do you mean 'No'?!" Ramesh Elani blurted out, staring incredulously at his stunned daughter.

Harini frowned at him in annoyance. "She didn't say 'No', she said 'Oh no'. I've been telling you for months that you need to get your hearing checked, Ramesh." Rubbing Jehanna's back, she continued, "Anyway, leave her in peace for a minute... my poor baby's just had a big shock."

"She's had a shock?! What about me!" he protested, turning to point at the holo-screen. "Your daughter's a Lioness! She gunned down an entire squad of elite ISD operatives!"

Ignoring her husband, Harini stepped in front of Jehanna, looking directly into her dazed brown eyes. "It's him, isn't it? It all makes sense now... you've fallen in love with the Lion of the Federation."

Ramesh's jaw dropped open and he stared wide-eyed at his wife and daughter. "What?!"

*Hello, Jehanna,* Alyssa said, her gentle voice sweeping through the young woman's subconscious like a soothing balm. *Don't worry, everything's going to be okay.*

Jehanna let out a shuddering breath and closed her eyes, feeling her state of panic slowly receding.

*We just found out what happened from Lynette,* the blonde matriarch calmly explained. *She's sent a cruiser and a security team to escort you back to Olympus; they should be arriving in about twenty minutes. John's going to give you a call as soon as he joins me in the Ready Room, so we'll speak to you in just a moment.*

The thought of John calling her family home was like dumping a bucket of cold water on Jehanna's head. Her eyes snapped open, immediately focusing on the faces of her concerned parents.

"Are you alright, sweetheart?" Harini asked, gently stroking her cheek.

Jehanna nodded, inhaling deeply to shake herself out of her dazed state. "I'm so sorry I couldn't tell you the truth," she said, looking at her mother and father with chagrin. "I really wanted to, but we were worried it might put you in danger."

"Oh, don't worry about that," her mother said, giving her a loving hug. "I can't believe you're dating Admiral John Blake. I want to know all about him!"

"That can wait, Harini," Ramesh said sternly, glancing back at the combat footage, before locking eyes with his daughter. "This is more important. We need to talk about what happened on Olympus."

Jehanna held up her hands to quiet them both. "John's going to call me any minute now. Let me speak to him first, then we can talk about everything afterwards."

Before her parents could utter another word, the comms interface began to chime. An alert flashed across the holo-screen that dominated the lounge, which read: "Incoming call from TFN Invictus -- Admiral John Blake". Her mother's face lit up with joy while her father frowned, looking considerably less pleased.

"Please... just give me five minutes," Jehanna pleaded with them.

Harini hooked her arm around Ramesh's. "Come on! Let's leave her in peace." She practically dragged her protesting husband out of the lounge, calling back over her shoulder, "Take as long as you need, dear!"

Her mother closed the door behind them with a solid click, leaving Jehanna alone with the soft chimes. She accepted the incoming call with butterflies fluttering in her stomach, experiencing a sudden thrill of excitement, no matter the dire circumstances. The Terran Federation logo disappeared in a cloud of pixels, revealing her boyfriend's handsome face.

"It's so wonderful to see you, John!" she gushed, feeling a surge of relief.

"It's great to see you too," he replied, giving her a warm smile. "I really missed you, honey. I can't wait to hold you in my arms tonight."

She hesitated, suddenly noticing the shadow of sadness in his eyes that hadn't been there only two weeks before.

"John... I was so sorry to hear about Faye. She was such a sweet girl... I can't even begin to imagine how hard this must have been for you. When Alyssa told me what happened, I-" Jehanna halted mid-sentence, uncertain how secure the channel was. "Nevermind... we can talk about it later."

"It's alright, you can speak freely. Irillith hacked the comms beacons and the security on this transmission is uncrackable. Oh... and thanks, for what you said about Faye. A big part of me wishes I'd just stayed with you on Olympus," John said, his smile slowly fading. He sighed, then did his best to shrug off the melancholy moment. "Anyway, let's talk about your situation for now. Alyssa showed me the video... I'm so sorry for turning your life upside down like this."

Jehanna was about to reply, when she froze and had a sudden moment of epiphany. "You haven't!"

John looked at her in confusion. "But that video is pretty graphic... I don't see how we can deny that you're a Lioness now."

"But I'm not... not really!" she blurted out in a rush. Now that her initial panic was over, she was starting to think clearly again. "We can just tell everyone the truth!"

His bewildered expression shifted to doubt. "I'm not sure that's such a great idea, honey."

Blushing as she realised what he was referring to, Jehanna's hand instinctively drifted down to caress her stomach. "No, not that," she quickly clarified. "Everyone knows you rescued me when I was kidnapped and taken to Tartarus. I'm sure it's obvious from all the interviews that we've become friends, which explains why you gave me the laser pistol and shield... to protect me in the future. It makes perfect sense, because that's exactly what happened."

John looked at her in surprise. "But you took out that squad of ISD troops on your own. How do we explain that?"

"I've been range shooting for ten years and I'm a good shot. I even did a feature about taking lethal measures to defend myself against that team of kidnappers. Is it that far-fetched a story that a confident markswoman rushed to rescue her friend's father, knowing that your advanced equipment would keep her safe?"

Viewing the ingenious reporter with a new sense of admiration, John replied, "That's absolutely inspired. You're right... it's not like you were using psychic powers or did anything supernatural. We just gave you a massive gear advantage, which made that whole shootout ridiculously one-sided."

Jehanna nodded enthusiastically. "Exactly! I don't even look the part. Everyone expects a Lioness to be a busty Amazon in white body armour, but I'm not big enough to fill out a Paragon suit. It's actually far more believable that I'm just an ordinary woman with a few incredibly powerful gadgets, than believing that I'm one of your superhuman Lionesses."

At this John shook his head and locked eyes with her, a fierce hunger in his own. "You're definitely not an ordinary woman, Jehanna... far from it. I think you're truly exceptional."

*And it's only a matter of time until you look just like us,* Alyssa purred. *John loves smart girls and you've no idea how much he wants you right now. You need to come up with a good explanation for why you're about to grow an inch taller, because there's no way you're leaving the Invictus tonight without a huge tummy full of cum.*

Jehanna moaned softly at that thought, imagining swallowing down pints of his delicious spunk and cradling her belly as it expanded to take John's heavy load. "God... I wish you were here right now," she whispered, her answering gaze smouldering in its intensity.

"Not long, honey, then we'll be together." John paused and suddenly looked at her in surprise. "This conversation didn't go at all the way I expected. I thought you'd be devastated at being unmasked as a secret Lioness and we'd be forced to make some drastic decisions."

She bit her lip, then ruefully admitted, "I still haven't made up my mind about what to do in the future. Please don't think that it's because I don't want to run away with you... I do, very much. it's just hard to give up my old life."

He gave her a look filled with sympathy. "There's no rush. Take as much time as you need to make sure you're happy with your decision. We can discuss it in more detail later tonight; you might find it helpful to talk things through."

"I'd really like that, thank you," she said gratefully, relieved that he didn't see her indecision as a slight. She heard raised voices from deeper in the house and sighed. "It sounds like my parents are arguing about me being a Lioness... I better go and set them straight."

"Good luck. If it gets really ugly and you want me to talk to them, just call and let me know," John offered. "We're currently on our way to Jericho and should get there for about 9 pm. After we've dropped off Calara's father and brother, we'll be heading straight to Olympus to see you."

"Have a safe journey," Jehanna said blowing him a kiss. "I can't wait until tonight..."

"Me too," he agreed, smiling with anticipation.

Jehanna waved goodbye, then reluctantly ended the call. She fanned herself with a hand, then glanced in the mirror and blushed at how flustered she looked. A brief conversation with John had left her as giddy as a schoolgirl and she could only imagine what it'd be like when they were living together... along with the Maliri twins.

A rosy bloom filled her dusky cheeks and if her panties weren't already soaked after that call, they definitely would be now. She blushed even harder with embarrassment, unable to face her parents like this. Creeping out of the lounge, she dashed upstairs and into the shower, mortified at the thought of them smelling her arousal.

***

"Well that's one disaster averted," John said, spinning his leather chair so he was facing Alyssa and pulling her into his lap.

"Jehanna certainly seems to think so," Alyssa agreed, enjoying having his strong arms wrapped around her. "She's very happy with you at the moment..."

He glanced at the combat footage on the holo-screen above his desk and watched the dusky-hued reporter blast gaping holes through one armoured assassin after another. A flicker of doubt crossed his features as he asked, "Do you really think people will believe her? That video is pretty graphic."

"Jehanna's a very smart girl. If anyone knows how to spin a story, it's her."

"I suppose that is her area of expertise," he conceded, his eyes drawn inexorably back to the video of the firefight on Olympus.

Alyssa watched the raven-haired beauty ruthlessly dispatch the ISD insurgents and her full lips curled up into an approving smile. "She's pretty handy in a gunfight too..."

"That was some very nice shooting," John agreed, watching the reporter calmly step over the sprawl of corpses as she approached Henry's office. "I didn't realise just how intense the fighting had been. How's Jehanna been coping after the battle? Any signs of distress?"

"None. She's just been missing you," Alyssa replied with a fond smile.

John frowned and looked at the blonde. "Nothing at all? Jehanna was upset about killing just one of Weber's kidnappers, but we just watched her wipe out an entire squad of ISD operatives."

"You've fed her twice since the kidnapping, John," she gently reminded him, turning to gaze into his eyes. "Jehanna's outlook has changed... just as you knew it would."

A flash of regret crossed his face. "I didn't want to do that to her."

"Would you prefer her to be traumatised with PTSD instead?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow.

"No, of course not," he said, looking conflicted. "But Jehanna was worried about being turned into a remorseless killer and that's exactly what's happened."

"Those ISD assholes weren't worth a second of regret," the blonde said with a firm shake of her head. "Our friends and family were in danger and Jehanna stepped up to protect them, that's the only thing that matters. You warned her that the Change had a bunch of psychological side-effects like this, but she still joined us willingly. Talk to Jehanna about it tonight; I bet you a million credits she won't feel any resentment towards you."

"But I've fundamentally altered her personality," John said, slumping back in his chair. "She watched the girls in action during the Battle of Terra debrief and was shocked at the scale of the violence. She shouldn't just be shrugging this fight off like it never happened."

Alyssa was quiet for a moment as she studied his face. Making a decision, she began to unbutton her blouse, exposing her glorious bronzed midriff. Taking his hand, she placed it on her toned stomach, watching how his expression changed as John caressed her soft skin.

"You fed Jehanna three times and she's one of us now," Alyssa said firmly. "We both know how protective you are of your girls... and this is just one of the ways you keep us safe. Jehanna's association with you made her a target, but you gave her the mental fortitude to do what needed to be done without suffering guilt and remorse afterwards."

He nodded thoughtfully, tracing an oval around her bellybutton with the tips of his fingers.

Alyssa's voice turned gentle and sympathetic as she said, "When Jehanna made the decision to join us, it was only a matter of time until she went through the Change. The physical enhancements are more blatant, but we all know you enhance us mentally as well. At least by going through it now, she'll be better prepared for the brutal reality of a Progenitor war."

"You think Jehanna's going to be involved in more combat?" he asked with surprise.

Alyssa simply nodded as she gazed into his eyes.

John studied the blonde curiously. "You want to bring her with us, don't you?"

"That's entirely up to you..." Alyssa murmured, giving him a tender kiss.

"I thought XO was in charge of recruitment?" he asked with a wry smile.

"We already recruited Jehanna two weeks ago," Alyssa replied with a look of satisfaction. "I still need to bond with her, but aside from that, my work is done. She's a smart girl and can handle herself in a gunfight; I think there's no question that she'd be a great asset to the team. Jehanna adores you... but she loves her career and her parents too, and doesn't want to abandon her old life. I think you need to help her make a decision, because she's really torn at the moment."

He nodded his understanding. "I'll talk to her about it tonight."

"Thank you," she said with a grateful kiss. Raising an eyebrow, she abruptly changed the topic. "Sorry to call you away so abruptly earlier. I hear congratulations are in order; how does it feel to have adopted a daughter?"

John looked at her in confusion for a moment, then realisation sank in. "Oh, you mean Daphne? Yeah, that was lovely what she said."

"You were very sweet with her."

"I felt so sorry for the poor girl. Daphne's becoming more sophisticated on a daily basis, but that just means she's missing Faye even more. I really hope she doesn't end up feeling isolated in the same way."

Alyssa shook her head. "I think she'll be alright; her circumstances are different from Faye's."

"What do you mean?" John asked, surprised at how certain she sounded.

"Faye fell in love with you," Alyssa gently reminded him. "Her fondest wish was to go through the Change and truly become one of your girls. She wanted to share our psychic connection; to know what it's like to have a tummy full of your cum, and give herself to you completely. Her dream was to become a living, breathing woman, and someday have your children."

John squeezed Alyssa tighter, feeling Faye's loss more than ever.

She gave him a comforting kiss on the cheek. "Faye wanted to be one of us, but her daughter is still very much a part of the Collective. Daphne wants to be our friend, but she seems to be content with who and what she is."

John nodded thoughtfully. "So Daphne's fundamentally at peace with herself. Yeah, I get that impression as well... and I think you're right, it does make a big difference."

"I'm sure she'll run into a few teething problems along the way, but we can help her through those," Alyssa said with a shrug.

He ran his fingers through her luxurious golden mane and pulled her towards him for a kiss. "Yeah, we will." When they parted, he reluctantly patted her on the thigh. "I'd love to stay here and chat with you, but I should probably get back to work. I'm going to reshape our Paragon suits so they're all twenty-shaped, then I'll head down to Engineering; Dana still needs my help."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow as she slid off his lap. "If it's a chore doing the psychic shaping for Sparks, I'm happy to do it for you."

"Ah no, it's okay," he quickly replied, rising from the chair.

She gave him a knowing look. "So you are still looking forward to giving Maria a gift you hand-crafted for her personally?"

John flushed and shot a guilty glance at the doorway. "It's not like that."

"Of course not," Alyssa agreed, adopting a mock-serious expression. Her cerulean eyes twinkled mischievously as she added, "Have fun..."

He groaned and waved her goodbye, leaving the study to the sound of her melodic laughter.

***

Dressing in casual clothes after she was dry, Jehanna didn't bother to reapply her makeup, wanting to make herself look as normal as possible. The doorbell rang, the loud chime reverberating through the house and making her jump. Jehanna grabbed her suitcase and rushed down the stairs, arriving at the front door just in front of her mother, who looked at her in bemusement. Jehanna glanced through the spyhole, then opened the door to the marine Commander who stood just outside.

"Good morning, Miss Elani," the officer said, giving her a sharp salute. "We're under orders from the Fleet Admiral to escort you to Olympus whenever you're ready to leave."

"I have a few things to discuss with my parents first. It might take a little while, Commander...?"

"Commander Sharring, ma'am," he replied. "Take as long as you need. We'll setup a perimeter to keep anyone from disturbing your residence."

"Thank you, Commander Sharring," she said gratefully, flashing him a dazzling smile. "I feel so much safer knowing that you're here to protect me."

He couldn't help grinning and saluted again as he stepped back. "My pleasure, ma'am!"

Closing the front door, Jehanna turned to see her mother watching her in fascination. "What?"

Harini gave her a knowing look. "It's been a while since I last saw you turn on the charm. I bet you have Admiral Blake wrapped around your little finger..."

Jehanna blushed and headed back along the hall. "Is dad in the lounge? It's probably best if I speak to him first."

"He's in his study," her mother said, before reaching out to clasp her daughter's hand. "Will you tell me about John afterwards? I want to hear all about him."

"I promise, Mama," Jehanna said, kissing her on the cheek. "He really is wonderful."

Smiling at her fondly, Harini nodded towards the door at the end of the hall. "Go on now, don't keep your father waiting."

Walking into the oak-panelled room with her floating luggage following her inside, Jehanna's gaze was immediately drawn to the large wooden desk that dominated the study. Ramesh had been watching the Olympus combat footage again and he paused the holo-recording when his daughter joined him. Turning in his plush leather chair, he sipped his cup of tea, fixing Jehanna with a steady look and raising an eyebrow expectantly. Her father was calm and in control again now, but she wasn't sure if that was a good sign or a very bad one.

Jehanna picked up the spare chair and deliberately placed it to the side of her father's desk so that there wouldn't be anything between them. After taking a seat, she met her father's piercing stare. "I've been dating Admiral John Blake for the last couple of months, but I'm not a Lioness."

Ramesh put down his cup and glanced pointedly at the caption on the holo-screen. "They seem to think otherwise."

"They're only speculating, they don't know the truth," Jehanna said with a dismissive wave of her hand. "You know better than to believe Holonet conspiracy theorists, Papa."

He frowned with disapproval. "I've watched that video several times... and I know it's you. I recognised your shooting stance."

She smiled at him fondly. "You're right, it was me, but that doesn't make me a Lioness... not really."

Ramesh's frown deepened. "I'm not in the mood to play word games, Jehanna. Just tell me the truth."

Turning to her suitcase, Jehanna unlocked it and retrieved her custom-made laser pistol and personal shield. She carefully placed them on the desk in front of her father, who stared wide-eyed at the sleek handgun, recognising the incredibly powerful weapon from the video.

"I first met John through work a couple of months ago. I told you all about the series of interviews I did with him and I know you've watched them. I'd been on a couple of dates with John, when Buckingham had me kidnapped and held prisoner on Tartarus because of all the pro-Lion propaganda pieces I was running for TFNN. John freed me from there and saved my life, but he was worried that I might be targeted again... so he gave me some state-of-the-art equipment to defend myself."

Her father glanced at the laser pistol and shield generator again. "That was very generous of him."

"I'm friends with John's Chief Engineer; she built them for me as a gift before they left for the Kirrix border. I'm sure you've seen her at the awards ceremonies; Dana's the beautiful redhead," Jehanna explained, then turned towards the video of her storming the Voss offices. "I'm also close friends with the rest of the Lionesses... including the Angel of Terra."

"Rachel Voss," Ramesh interjected, turning to glance at the screen again.

"That's right. Rachel's lovely, Papa... one of the kindest women I've ever met. Anyway, when Olympus came under attack, I discovered they were trying to assassinate everyone connected to the Lion, including Rachel's father. My personal shield makes me impervious to bullets and my laser pistol hits harder than a Gatling Laser, so I knew I could save Henry Voss. I ran to his office and used the marksmanship skills that you taught me to eliminate the ISD insurgents."

Ramesh turned to watch her gun down the elite soldiers in bursts of blue laser fire, her lethal shots aimed at central mass every time. "Nice tight groupings..."

Once all the soldiers were dead, the video then showed her checking the steaming corpses for signs of life.

"Confirm your kills; make sure they're no longer a threat," Jehanna said softly, explaining her actions and parroting one of her father's many lessons. "I used high-tech gear and your training to save Henry Voss... that's the honest truth."

He looked puzzled and gestured towards Lynette on the second holo-screen. "Then why is she claiming to be a Lioness when you're denying it?"

"It's complicated," Jehanna replied reflexively. When her father raised an eyebrow, she rolled her eyes. "You of all people should understand that sometimes information is classified for very good reasons. The Lionesses are all exceptionally gifted women, like the Angel of Terra who can heal people at will, whereas I'm just... me."

He leaned back in his chair and slowly nodded. "Alright, thank you for being honest with me. It goes without saying that I'm very relieved you survived the attack unscathed, but I wish you'd given me some kind of warning. The last thing I ever wanted to see, was my daughter being shot at by a dozen highly-trained killers."

"I'm so sorry you got a shock, Papa," she said, giving him a rueful look of apology. "I would've loved to tell you all about my connections with John, but I was just trying to keep you safe."

"Sometimes it is necessary to keep secrets to protect your family," he conceded, nodding thoughtfully. Ramesh hesitated for a moment, then looked at his daughter with concern. "Jehanna, I know your mother's overjoyed that you're dating Admiral Blake, but I found something that you really need to see..."

He faced the holo-interface again and swiped away the Olympus footage to reveal another video. The recording was taken from a security camera, zoomed in on Calara as she gave a stirring speech to a military audience. John and the Lionesses were lined up behind her, and Jehanna's gaze was immediately drawn to the petite purple girl in the back row. Faye's elfin face was lit up with joy, thrilled to be part of the crew in front of the adoring crowd. Jehanna remembered how Faye had always treated her with kindness and respect, the poignant memories making her heart ache with grief for the lovely girl.

"I'm so sorry, Jehanna," Ramesh said with sympathy, when he saw his daughter's heartbroken expression. "I know you loved him, but it's better to find out what kind of man he is now, rather than later."

Jehanna stared at her father in confusion. "What do you mean?"

Ramesh gestured towards the front of the stage, where John was kissing Calara, her sparkling engagement ring catching the light as she swooned in the passionate embrace.

"When I was searching for more video on the Lionesses, I read some disturbing speculation about the Lion... and found this," he explained quietly. "This was recorded on Olympus only two weeks ago. The whole time you two have been dating, he was already engaged to be married; Calara Fernandez is John Blake's fiancée."

Jehanna focused on the kissing couple and couldn't help thinking how beautiful they looked together... and how deeply in love. She smiled affectionately and wondered if the gorgeous Latina would be joining them in bed later that evening. Her father's words finally registered and Jehanna gulped, darting an anxious glance in his direction.

Ramesh stared at his daughter in bewilderment when he saw her fond smile, then his eyes widened in sudden recognition when she gave him a guilty look. "You already knew he was engaged!"

Jehanna winced at his outraged expression. "Oh crap..."

"How you could do that to the poor woman?!" he exclaimed, looking appalled. "She's planning her wedding and you're sneaking around with her future husband!"

She froze, biting back a desperate denial, knowing that her father would be even more shocked by the truth. Jehanna couldn't meet her father's accusatory stare any longer and she dropped her gaze, feeling overwhelmed with shame at disappointing him.

Ramesh glared at her silently for several agonising moments, waiting for some kind of explanation. When none was forthcoming, he shook his head in disapproval. "Blake's fiancée is a war hero; she received a Stellar Cluster for saving Terra and you've disgraced our family by treating her so shabbily. I brought you up better than this, Jehanna."

"I'm sorry," she whispered, staring at the floor.

"It's not me you should be apologising to," he muttered, turning his back on his daughter and staring out the window.

Fighting back the tears, Jehanna retrieved her pistol and shield with shaking hands, then stumbled out of the study. Harini heard the door close and hurried out of the kitchen, eager to find out more about her daughter's famous boyfriend. She took one look at Jehanna's devastated expression and rushed to give her a hug.

"Oh my goodness! What happened?!" she gasped, looking at Jehanna with concern.

"I should go..." Jehanna replied, brushing at her eyes.

Her mother glared at the door to the study and yelled, "Ramesh, what did you say to your daughter?!"

Jehanna sighed dejectedly then met Harini's worried gaze. "Dad found out that John is already engaged."

"He's engaged?! That cheating rat!" Harini blustered indignantly. Her face flickered with confusion. "Wait a second... why's your father hiding in his study? Doesn't he realise how upset you are?!"

Looking away, Jehanna murmured, "He knows... but it's complicated."

Holding her by the shoulders, Harini frowned as she asked, "Complicated how?! What are you still hiding from me, Jehanna?"

"Dad thinks I'm sneaking around with John behind his fiancée's back... but I'm not."

Her mother looked bewildered, but there was also a hint of disapproval in her eyes. "But you said you'd fallen in love with John!"

"I do love him!" Jehanna replied insistently. "Look... you wouldn't understand."

"Jehanna Elani, you stop treating me like I'm an idiot right this minute! Now, tell me what's bothering you. I can't help you if I don't know what the problem is."

Worn down by her mother's persistence, Jehanna sighed with resignation. "Fine, you want the truth? I'm in love with John... and Calara doesn't mind in the slightest, because I'm sleeping with her too!"

Harini's eyes were like saucers as she gaped at her daughter. "What?!"

Jehanna shook her head and pulled away from her stunned mother. "See, I knew you wouldn't understand."

She walked down the corridor towards the front door, then paused to glance back at her mother, fervently praying that she would rush to reassure her that everything was going to be okay. Instead Harini was leaning heavily against the sideboard, a look of shocked disbelief on her face as she stared off into the distance. With a forlorn sigh, Jehanna opened the door and left her old home, not knowing when she would return. She walked to the dropship parked in the street, her floating suitcase following quietly in her wake, like a funeral procession for her once happy family.

*I'm so sorry, Jehanna,* Alyssa said softly. *I can feel how sad you are, so I'm guessing it went badly with your parents. We'll try to fix everything when we see you this evening, but don't hesitate to call us now if you need to talk.*

Jehanna gave the waiting marines a strained smile, then proceeded up the loading ramp. She appreciated Alyssa's offer, but she couldn't see how this disaster could possibly be fixed.

***

Calara patted the spherical Power Core's outer casing. "A single one of these could power every system in a Federation battleship."

"The amount of energy it generates must be astronomical," Jack said, staring at the Progenitor device in fascination.

Calara nodded, stepping over the cables snaking across the floor. "The Invictus has three of them. This one powers our engines and most of the original sub-systems, then we also installed two more amidships to support the Shield Generators and all our gun batteries. It takes a huge amount of energy to keep the Nova Lances, Tachyon Lances, Tachyon Cannons, and Singularity Drivers online during combat."

"I still can't believe how much firepower the Invictus is packing," Jack said quietly, studying the incredibly advanced Progenitor device.

Mateo glanced up at the ceiling, his eyes drawn to the broad patches of glistening white metal in the blackened titanium. "It looks like you took a nasty hit. You were very lucky the blast didn't rupture the core."

"They weren't trying to kill us, just disable the Invictus," Calara murmured, her thoughts filled with memories of Larn'kelnar's terrifying ambush. "When they knocked out power to the stern, we were forced to abandon ship."

"What?!" Mateo blurted out, gaping at her in surprise.

She gave him an apologetic frown. "Would you mind if we changed the subject? We lost Faye in that battle and it still hurts to talk about it."

He pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry, Callie... I didn't know."

"That's okay," she said, embracing him back, before pulling away. "Come on, there's lots more to see."

Her father and brother followed Calara into the Deck Five corridor, both eager to continue their tour of the ship.

"I'd show you the Engineering Bay, but Dana's working on a present for mom and I don't want to ruin the surprise," Calara explained, leading them into the grav-tubes.

"A present?" Jack asked, looking intrigued.

"It was Sakura's idea, but Dana's helping to make it," she replied as they descended through the decks. "All the girls are very fond of mom and were horrified when they heard about the assassination attempt. Dana and Alyssa are both orphans and mom is the closest they've ever come to having a mother."

"That's awful," Mateo said, his expression one of profound sympathy.

Calara gave her father a sideways hug. "I love how close we are as a family, but it's painful to see how much it hurts the girls when they realise what they've missed out on. They all tell me not to feel guilty... but it's made me realise just how incredibly lucky I am."

"You're right, we really are very lucky," Mateo agreed, smiling self-consciously at his sister and father. "Hell, I know I am. If it wasn't for you, I'd still be slaving away in that Kintark sulphur mine."

She patted him on the arm. "We never would have let you rot away in there."

Mateo looked bewildered. "How did you manage to persuade them to rescue me from Xen-Nuchek? I was so deep in Kintark Space, I thought I'd never see home again."

"You've got a ship full of guardian angels watching over you, Mateo. John and the girls volunteered... I didn't even have to ask," Calara replied, a fond smile on her face. "It was the same with protecting the Damocles in the Battle of Regulus, then saving the Orion at the Battle of Terra. Protecting our family has always been their highest priority."

"Wait... that's why I was offered this transfer, isn't it?" Mateo blurted out, shocked as sudden realisation sank in. "John must have called in a favour with the Fleet Admiral, to keep me safe in the Core Worlds instead of in danger out on the Kirrix border!"

Calara shot him a guilty look. "I'm sorry, Mateo."

He laughed and smiled back at her. "Why are you apologising? I was promoted and offered my dream job!"

"They must really care about you, Callie... to go to such lengths to protect your family," her father said, looking thoughtful.

Calara hesitated, unsure how to reply.

*It's okay, you can tell him why,* Alyssa said softly.

"They do love me, but there's more to it than that. Lots of the girls had really horrific childhoods and never knew what it was like to have caring parents or siblings. They love how close we are as a family and don't want to let anything threaten our happiness," Calara explained, making eye contact with her father. "One day they all hope to be able to settle down for a peaceful retirement and start families of their own. Our family gives John and the girls something to aspire to."

Jack listened with interest, surprised by what his daughter had told him. He'd believed the Fleet Admiral when she told him that he and his sons were all being offered safe roles in the Core Worlds, so that Calara would stop worrying about her family being in danger. However, this latest revelation had a ring of truth to it and Jack was touched that Calara's crewmates held his family in such high regard.

He smiled at his daughter, knowing she was also referring to her own retirement plans. "Well they certainly have my blessing. I wish John and all his Lionesses the very best for the future."

Calara swallowed around the lump in her throat. "Thanks, dad... that really means a lot."

Mateo was oblivious to the subtext of their conversation, but he smiled, glad to see his sister looking so happy. "So what's next on the tour?"

They had already descended to Deck Nine, so Calara strode out of the grav-tube and beckoned them to follow. "I thought I'd show you the hangars, then we can work our way back to the pool."

"Sounds good," her brother said amiably.

Jack and Mateo followed Calara through a set of reinforced double-doors into the Secondary Hangar, the sleek Raptor gunship dominating the large room.

"You've already seen the Raptor when we visited Jericho," Calara said, casually gesturing towards the gunship as they walked past. "We mainly use it for boarding actions and combat drops."

The two Fernandez men stared at the Raptor in fascination, their eyes lingering over the exotic weapons bristling the gleaming white hull.

"What guns are those?" her father asked, stopping to study the sinister-looking barrels jutting out of the chin turret. "I don't recognise them."

She paused and faced the Raptor. "Dana recently upgraded all those turret mounts from Pulse Cannons to Tachyon Cannons. The Invictus' defence grid is made up of the same guns."

"I've never even heard of them before," Mateo said, raising his hand to run along the gleaming barrel. "How powerful are they?"

Calara considered that for a moment. "They fire pulsed tachyon beams that hit like a Laser Cannon blast. They're basically a one-shot-kill on strike craft and could tear apart a Kintark cruiser in about ten seconds. I found them really handy for crippling hive ships; those pulsed beams slice through their chitin armour like a hot knife through butter. It was great being able to knock out engines or power regulators without worrying I was going to core through the entire ship."

Mateo exchanged a shocked glance with his father. Terran Federation Laser Cannons had ten-metre-long barrels and were the primary weapons of much larger ships like a destroyer. It was astonishing to think that a mere gunship could be packing so much firepower.

"How fast do they fire?" Jack asked, turning to look quizzically at his daughter. "Once every ten seconds like a Laser Cannon?"

"No, they fire in a continuous stream. Imagine if a Laser Cannon could fire as fast as a Gatling Laser, but didn't have any spin-up time and never had to stop shooting to cool down," She made a flourish with her hand towards the terrifyingly powerful gun. "And that's essentially a Tachyon Cannon."

"Jesus..." Mateo muttered, his eyes wide in awe.

Jack looked at the glinting muzzles of the ten-metre weapons mounted in the hull above the Raptor's wing. "Wasn't this originally fitted with a pair of Laser Cannons too?"

Calara nodded, a nostalgic smile on her face. "That's right. It seems so long ago now..."

"What have you upgraded those weapons to?" he asked, turning to study his daughter

"Tachyon Lances," she replied with an enthusiastic grin. "They're very similar to the Nova Lances mounted in Maliri battleships, but more compact and faster firing. They don't have the same punch, but a pair of those is still strong enough to take out a cruiser in a single shot."

"And you've got two of them mounted on a gunship?!" Jack marvelled, truly astounded.

"Unfortunately, we haven't got the hard points to add any more; too much hull space is dedicated to troop carrying capacity," Calara replied, looking ruefully up at the Raptor. "We've got forty Tachyon Lances mounted on the Invictus and they're my go-to gun batteries now. The Nova Lances are incredibly powerful, but they take thirty seconds to recharge and are forward-firing only."

Mateo let out a low whistle. "So you could take out thirty cruisers in an alpha strike?!"

"Yes... and Tachyon Lances have got double the range of Beam Lasers," she replied with a smile of satisfaction. "If we fought the Battle of Terra again, the Invictus would've destroyed triple the amount of Kintark warships without taking a scratch."

"How did you get your hands on guns like this?" her brother murmured, staring at the Raptor's primary weapons with newfound respect.

"Dana designs all our equipment..." Calara replied evasively, before turning to stride over to the hangar wall. She pressed her hand to the concealed DNA reader and opened the hidden door, then beckoned for them to follow. "Come on, there's lots more to see."

They stepped into the express grav-tube with her, then let out startled shouts when they were hurtled upwards to Deck Four.

"You could have warned us, Callie!" Mateo protested with a groan as he stepped clear of the tube.

"I forgot they take a bit of getting used to... sorry," she apologised, steadying her father as he stumbled out of the blue anti-gravity field.

He leaned on her for support until his stomach had stopped roiling, then looked around in fascination. "What is this place?"

"Our main Armoury and the Combat Bridge," Calara explained, walking past the weapon racks filled with Tachyon rifles. She gestured towards the second set of express grav-tubes. "Those lead up to the Officers' Quarters. John wanted us to be able to respond quickly to interdictions if we were ambushed while sleeping, so we built all of this so we could be combat-ready within thirty seconds of an alarm being raised."

Mateo choked back a laugh.

Calara looked at him quizzically. "Why is that funny?"

"I just pictured all of you sitting at the Bridge in your pyjamas," he replied with a grin.

"Actually, Alyssa prefers to sleep nude... all the girls do," Calara said blithely, then giggled at the reaction that evoked from her guests. "But we usually put on a jumpsuit and body armour before combat."

"In thirty seconds?" her father asked sceptically.

"I'll show you," she eagerly volunteered, kicking off her shoes.

Calara walked over to one of the armour equipping frames, then stepped into the armoured boots and slipped her hands into the gauntlets. The robotic arms swung down, bringing the armour plating with them, and within seconds she was fully-geared in a suit of Paragon armour. Calara grabbed one of the rifles and a spare magazine, then loaded the weapon as she sprinted down the ramp into the Combat Bridge. Sliding the Tachyon rifle into the holster at the Tactical Station, she took her seat, then spun around to wave at her startled guests.

"Damn... what was that, ten seconds?" Jack marvelled, sharing a startled glance with his son.

"It took the Damocles' Bridge Crew nearly three minutes in our last combat drill... and we weren't even wearing armour!"

Calara retrieved her rifle, then jogged back up the ramp to join them. "We usually just have one person watching the Bridge instead of running full shifts, so every second counts."

"Amazing," Jack murmured, watching as his daughter unloaded her weapon, then removed her Paragon suit.

"Which one is John's?" Mateo asked, his gaze flicking from one frame to the next.

"That's his Lion armour right there," Calara replied, pointing to a slightly larger set of white boots. "The rest are for the Lionesses; luckily we're all very similar builds, so we can all wear any of the female suits."

She glanced meaningfully at her father and he nodded his understanding.

Mateo reverently touched the gold-embossed Paragon gauntlets, then turned his attention to the adjacent weapon rack. Taking pride of place was John's archaic rune sword, the flawless white blade gleaming as it reflected the light. He reached out to brush his fingers over the hilt, then jerked them back, startled by the sudden tingling in his fingertips.

"Let's head back down to the lower decks and I'll continue the tour," Calara said over her shoulder, already walking towards the express grav-tubes.

They dropped down to Deck Nine, taking a few seconds to recover after the rapid descent, then followed Calara through the reinforced doors into the Primary Hangar. Both Jack and Mateo froze when they got their first glimpse of the Progenitor Shuttle, staring up at the alien ship in awe. Unlike the sparkling white Raptor, the large black vessel looked sinister and malevolent, looming over them like something out of a maddened old spacer's nightmare.

"What the hell is that?" Mateo muttered, shivering with dread.

Calara made brief eye-contact with her father. "We captured it last week. I'm afraid I can't go into too much detail about its origins... for your own safety."

Jack stared up at the terrifying vessel, finally getting a true glimpse of the enemy his daughter was facing. The trio stood in hushed silence for a long moment, studying the shuttle in all its malignant glory.

A minute later, Jack cleared his throat. "Mateo, would you mind giving me a moment alone with your sister? We need to discuss something above your clearance level."

Mateo nodded respectfully. "Of course, dad. I'll go take another look at the Raptor."

"You can wait for us in the Mech Bay, if you'd prefer?" Calara suggested, pointing across the vast room to the doors on the far side. "Just go through those doors and the ones opposite; that's where Sakura keeps the Valkyrie."

His eyes lit up with anticipation. "Oh, I have to check that out!" With a parting wave, he set off, jogging across the cavernous hangar.

Jack waited until his son was well out of earshot before he asked quietly, "This is a Progenitor ship, isn't it?"

Calara nodded, her expression turning bleak. "This was Larn'kelnar's personal shuttle. His dreadnought was about fifty times bigger... and packed with enough firepower to exterminate both sides in the Battle of Terra single-handed. He ambushed us in orbit above a planet called Arcadia and cut the Invictus in half before we even knew what was happening."

He looked appalled, then quickly wrapped his daughter up in a comforting hug. "My God... I nearly lost you, didn't I?"

She shivered in his arms and said in a whisper, "It was terrifying, dad... I've never been so scared. Larn'kelnar was an absolute monster. He killed millions of people just for fun... and he almost killed most of the girls too. Dana, Rachel, Sakura, the twins, Jade's sisters... they all nearly died."

Jack stroked Calara's back to comfort her. "He's gone, Callie. You're safe now..."

Pulling back to look him in the eye, she shook her head. "The rest of the Progenitors are still out there. There're dozens more of them and they're all twisted evil monsters! They sacrifice their own thralls... murder women by the thousands... just to make these cursed ships!"

"Coño!" Jack cursed, his eyes widening in horror. "Why the hell would they do that?!"

"They drain their women of psychic energy, using something called a Soul Forge," she replied in a haunted voice. "The Progenitors use that energy to make the black metal, then build all their ships and equipment from it. That armour plating is incredibly tough; our guns aren't strong enough to punch through it."

He turned his shocked gaze towards the black shuttle and shuddered with revulsion. His eyes swept over the sinister onyx surface of the ship, then paused as he spotted the gaping hole in the armour plating.

"Your guns might not be able to penetrate the hull... but it can definitely be breached!" he exclaimed, pointing out the hull damage to his daughter. "Look up there, Callie!"

She smiled at him fondly, touched that he was trying to buoy her spirits. "Alyssa did that, dad."

"What do you mean?" he asked, looking at her in confusion.

Calara sighed, her troubled brown eyes lifting to look at the hole cored through the shuttle's superstructure. "Alyssa was on board that monstrosity when she figured out exactly why it gave her the creeps. She freaked out... and when Alyssa couldn't escape quickly enough, she made her own exit. When she gets really mad, Alyssa can project psychic blasts like a nova lance... and she melted her way out of the hull."

Jack's mouth dropped open and he gaped at her in disbelief.

Oblivious to her father's state of shock, Calara continued staring at the shuttle, "Alyssa used up most of our psychic energy reserves to power that blast, so it's not practical in a firefight because it would leave us too vulnerable afterwards. Our best hope for penetrating that armour, is if Dana can somehow reverse engineer the Progenitor's Quantum Flux Cannons. If she can find a way to build them so they don't need the black metal, then we can upgrade the Invictus' Heavy Cannon battery... and we'll finally have a way of taking out those bastards."

"Alyssa blasted her way out?" Jack asked in a hushed voice, staring incredulously at the hole in the hull. "Just using her mind?!"

She looked at him with sympathy. "I'm sorry, dad... I forgot this is all so new to you. I've been dealing with this kind of thing every day for the last six months; it must be overwhelming trying to wrap your head around everything in one go."

"As your girlfriend put it so aptly: it's a total mindfuck," he said with a wry smile. Jack's smile faded and he looked at his daughter with concern. "Just dealing with all these psychic powers would be daunting enough, but knowing what you're facing, it's just the tip of the iceberg. How do you cope with all the stress?"

Calara thought about that for a long moment before answering. "We each have our roles to play and I just focus on preparing our forces for the upcoming war, as well as planning our tactical and strategic operations. I've got John and the girls to support me every step of the way, just as I try to support them however I can."

"You really have grown up," he said, his voice tinged with a poignant mix of pride and sadness. "You don't need my guidance anymore..."

She hugged him tight. "I'll always need you, dad."

He squeezed her back just as hard, then they shared a smile.

"We better catch up to Mateo, he'll be feeling left out," Calara said, clasping her father's hand and leading him across the vast hangar.

They found her brother in the Mech Bay, Mateo gazing up in wonder at the Valkyrie that towered over him.

"It looked so tiny in the combat footage," Jack noted as they walked over to join his son.

"Sakura was sprinting across Kintark battleship hulls and they're enormous in comparison," Calara explained, before stopping next to her awestruck sibling. "Sorry to keep you waiting, Mateo."

"How does Sakura get that mech to move the way she does?" Mateo marvelled. "She makes it leap around like a ninja!"

Calara raised an eyebrow at his choice of phrase, immediately making her brother blush.

"Not just because she's Asian!" he hastily corrected himself. "You know what I mean... the Valkyrie's incredibly quick, and able to do all sorts of jumps and dives. I've never seen a machine able to move with that kind of agility."

She gave her brother a reassuring smile. "It's alright, Sakura has eagerly embraced all the clichés." Patting the mech's huge armoured foot, Calara continued, "The Strike Valkyrie Ultra was Dana's pet project and she developed all sorts of new tech to make it as powerful as she possibly could. Sakura controls the Valkyrie by standing in an anti-gravity harness and the mech mirrors her movements. The limb joints are frictionless, so the mech can move just as fast as Sakura can."

Her father's eyes focused on the four Tachyon Lance barrels. "It's astonishing to think that a combat machine this size has more firepower than the Damocles... or the Orion for that matter. How many Kintark battleships did Sakura take out on her own? A dozen?"

Calara followed his gaze up to the shoulder-mounted guns. "The Valkyrie was equipped with quad Photon Lasers during the Battle of Terra, but it's been upgraded to Tachyon Lances now. In Sakura's hands, this mech is probably more powerful than a Terran dreadnought. All she'd have to do is land on the hull and she could rip the ship apart... the gun crews wouldn't be able to do a thing to stop her."

Jack and Mateo could only marvel at the raw power the Valkyrie possessed, staring at the mech in amazement. Calara stood beside them in silence, but her thoughts had taken a very different turn. She pictured the Valkyrie landed on a Progenitor dreadnought, Sakura trying to blast its way through the incredibly tough armour plating... and not making a dent.

***

John glanced at the holo-reader again and studied Dana's schematics, then made the finishing touches to the last set of components she needed.

"There, all done," he said, levitating the sparkling Crystal Alyssium tube over to the neatly stacked piles of parts.

"Awesome, thanks," the redhead replied from up on the Engineering podium, her focus on a rotating set of holographic schematics. "I'll ask Daphne to get the bots to move everything down to the Cargo Bay."

Walking up the illuminated steps to join the distracted teenager, John asked, "What're you working on there?"

"Improvements to the Vulkat psi-communicator," Dana replied, showing him an expanded view of the elongated psychic vanes. "I reckon I should be done in a couple of hours."

"How long will it take to fit them on the Invictus?" he asked, wrapping his arms around her and studying the intricate webbing.

She leaned back against him and sighed. "It's not time that's the problem. They're pretty big... and we're almost out of Crystal Alyssium. We've built a shitload of new stuff in the last few weeks and we had to use a load more when the armour got trashed in the Battle of Terra."

"Then we had to repair the Invictus after it got cut in half," John interjected, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Yeah, exactly," Dana said, turning to give him a regretful look. "I don't think we'll be able to build the psi-communicator before we get to Genthalas and resupply."

"That's okay. Just finish the schematics when you can and we'll transmit them to the Ashanath. They can start building receivers while we're heading home, then the whole system will be up and running as soon as we upgrade the Invictus."

"Sure thing!" she agreed, perking up again. "What tech are you thinking of giving them next?"

John considered her question for a moment. "That's something we'll all need to get together and discuss. I want to give the Ashanath as much as possible, without giving anything away that would put us at risk if it fell into the wrong hands."

Dana nodded thoughtfully. "I'll try to come up with a list."

"You could send them their new ship designs too," John suggested. "According to Edraele's Fleet Commander on Ashana, the Greys have nearly completed repairs to their fleets. They'll be ready to start building new warships soon."

"Ah, shit!" the redhead cursed vehemently. "I totally forgot about those! I'll start working on them as soon as I'm done with these schematics."

"Don't beat yourself up," John said, giving her a comforting squeeze. "You've had a hell of a lot to deal with over the last few weeks. Besides, the Ashanath shipyards were too busy upgrading the Maliri fleet to start constructing anything new."

She gave him a grateful kiss. "Still, I'll get right on it. I really like the Ashanath and I want them to have some kickass ships!"

"It'll be good practice for when you design that destroyer we talked about," he said with an indulgent smile.

Dana gave him a rueful frown. "Actually, it might be wise to hold off on that for a while. I want to master Progenitor tech, then build something that improves on it in every way."

"A dreadnought killer?" he asked, turning the redhead to face him.

She nodded, a grim look in her eyes. "Exactly."

"We're going to need every advantage we can get," John said, gently brushing a lock of auburn hair away from her face. "I'm so lucky I found you, Sparks. We'd have no chance without you on the team."

Smiling self-consciously, Dana said, "Nah, you'd have been okay. You could've got yourself any woman engineer and made her just like me."

"I could've given her your powers and enhanced her with the Change, but the ingenuity and resourcefulness? That's all you, honey," he said with conviction.

Dana crossed her wrists behind his neck, then gave him a tender kiss, conveying all her love and adoration for him in that simple display of affection. John returned it and kissed her back passionately, leaning the gorgeous redhead back against the Engineering Station. Machinery activated throughout the Workshop as her bottom rubbed against the console, the Mass Fabricators humming as they powered up. She moaned into his mouth and writhed against him, wrapping her legs around his waist. John reached down and ripped away the crotch to her trousers, accompanied by Dana's squeal of joy.

"Yeah, fuck me!" she panted, a wild gleam in her sky blue eyes.

John tugged down his pants then thrust himself home, burying himself up to the quad in her slick pussy. Dana's scream of elation echoed around the Workshop, quickly turning to loud cries of pleasure as he hammered into her. She came explosively, fully-impaled on his cock, then whimpered in delight as he pounded her through a chain of back-to-back climaxes. John couldn't hold back any longer and he pinned her to the console as he hilted himself, his cock throbbing as he spurted long ropes of cum into her womb. Groaning in ecstasy, she cradled her belly as he filled her up, pumping his spunk into her until she had taken his entire load.

"Holy fuck..." Dana murmured, looking up at him with a disbelieving grin. "Where did that come from?!"

He chuckled and leaned against her, panting for breath after the frenetic romp. "You were just too sexy to resist. Sorry I didn't last longer."

"Are you kidding? That was awesome!" she gushed, hugging him tight. Glancing around him at the door, she giggled at their compromised position. "We were lucky Calara didn't bring the tour this way!"

*Don't worry, you're safe. Calara's in the Mech Bay at the moment,* Alyssa advised them both. *Although she was avoiding the Workshop because you two were supposed to be working on Maria's gift... not fucking each other senseless!*

John shared a smile with his young lover, then glanced down at her hugely swollen belly. "Oops."

Dana grinned in anticipation. "I better go find some hungry kitties..."

*Jade, is Emily still with you?* John asked his Nymph Matriarch.

*Yes, she's here in the Lagoon.*

John caressed Dana's rounded stomach. "It might be wiser for you to stay here and Jade can send her sisters to you," he said, before reluctantly easing out of her depths. Pulling up his trousers, John tugged playfully at what was left of her ruined pants. "I should probably get them to bring you some new clothes too."

Dana ran her hands over her new curves, then gave him a beautiful smile. "I really loved that, John. You were so wild and passionate... it was amazing!"

"So were you, honey," he said affectionately, cupping her face and kissing her.

They parted company with a wave and John could still hear Dana chuckling to herself as he left the Workshop, the redhead stripping off what was left of her ravaged clothing.

*Alyssa, where's Sakura at the moment?* he asked the blonde, as he strode down the corridor and into the grav-tube.

*She's with Rachel, making lunch for everyone. Sakura thought our guests might enjoy a picnic on the beach.*

*That's a great idea,* John said appreciatively. *Do they need a hand?*

*It's okay. Just head to the Lagoon and she'll meet you there.*

*Are you coming down too?* he asked, not wanting her to miss out.

*I better stay up here. We passed Port Heracles an hour ago and there's a lot more traffic around now that we're getting closer to the Core Worlds. The twins are keeping me company and we'll have our own picnic on the Bridge. Rachel's going to eat with Dana and the Nymphs, so it'll just be you, Helene, Sakura, and Calara.*

John stepped out of the grav-tube on Deck Three. *Alright, but let's all eat together for dinner tonight.*

*It's a date,* Alyssa said, sending him a lovely telepathic smile.

He opened the door to the Lagoon and immediately heard laughter and splashing. A tiger-striped dolphin flipped over the bridge ahead of him, followed in rapid succession by Leylira's sisters. They plunged into the crystal-clear water and as he walked out into the room, he could see the Nymphs were chasing each other around the huge lake. When he glanced at the beach, he found the source of the laughter; Emily was giggling at Jade, who had been drenched from head to toe.

"Hey," John called out, as he strode down the steps that curved around to the beach. "Are your sisters misbehaving, Jade?"

"They are, but I'll get them back, Master!" she exclaimed, stripping off her dress and sprinting across the beach before diving into the Lagoon, fins rippling into place along her arms and legs.

John kicked off his shoes and strolled across the beach to the two lounge chairs, enjoying the feel of the soft sand between his toes. "Hi, Emily," he said, greeting her with a warm smile. "Have the Nymphs been taking good care of you?"

Emily was wearing a bikini covered modestly with a wrap and she sat up to beam at him in delight. "They're amazing, John! You won't believe the different creatures they can transform into!"

He tilted the sodden beach lounger to dump the water on the sand, then sat down next to the blonde. "Oh, I think I have a pretty good idea..."

She blushed and nodded. "Silly me, of course you do."

Turning to watch the antics in the pool, Emily smiled as Jade cut through the water like a knife, quickly reaching Betrixa and hurling the mischievous Nymph high into the air. Betrixa's dolphin form turned hazy, obscured by a blue blur, then she shapeshifted into a falcon that swooped and cartwheeled high above them.

"They're lovely girls. They have a sweet kind of innocence to them that's really endearing," Emily said, her gaze tracking the sleek bird of prey. "It's amazing that they can be so friendly and charming considering what they've been through." She glanced at John and added quietly, "Jade was telling me all about the Lenarrans... and how you rescued them."

"It's a tragedy what happened to the Nymphs," John agreed, watching as Marika was next to be launched out of the water. "I can't undo the past, but I can try to make sure they have a bright future."

He got to see what a dolphin looked like when it was surprised, then saw a look of shock on an eagle's face, when Betrixa swooped down to intercept Marika after she shifted. The squawking birds tumbled back into the lagoon, plunging headlong under the water.

"They're really happy here with you. They were constantly singing your praises when I chatted with them earlier," Emily said, darting an admiring glance his way. She looked at him curiously and was about to ask a question, then seemed to change her mind.

John raised an eyebrow. "Go ahead and ask... I won't be offended."

Emily leaned over towards him and whispered, "I've heard lots of rumours about Nymphs, and yesterday, Betrixa called you 'Master'. Are the rumours true?"

"It depends on the rumours. Nymphs do need to have a master; it's something that's built into their DNA. I'm trying to help them break the rules that have turned them into helpless sex slaves and make sure they'll never be abused again. Jade is already free and her sisters are getting there."

"What does Calara think about you being the master to five Nymphs?" Emily asked in a hushed voice.

"She'll be joining us soon. Why don't you ask her?" he replied, smiling at the blonde.

Emily looked mortified. "I couldn't ask her that!"

"I don't think she'd mind. If you want a really honest answer, I'd ask her when Jack and Mateo aren't around."

Before Emily could ask him anything else, the Nymphs shimmered into their familiar forms and splashed out of the lake. They shook themselves off, drying almost instantly, before bounding across the sand to join him. There was an enthusiastic chorus of "Hey, John!" from the four nude catgirls, each greeting him with friendly kisses before they waved and smiled at Emily.

"I really like her, Master!" Betrixa gushed, her sapphire eyes twinkling impishly. "Is Emily going to be joining us as your latest mate?"

He coughed and avoided making eye-contact with Emily, who blushed furiously. "No, honey. Emily is Mateo's girlfriend."

Betrixa pouted. "That's a shame, she'd look gorgeous with a ba-" Before she could continue, Leylira and Neysa grabbed their grinning sister. "Hey, let go of me!"

Ignoring her protests, they flung her back into the lake, the startled catgirl making a huge splash.

Marika gently stroked their guest's long blonde hair. "Betrixa's just teasing you. Don't pay her any attention."

"She only does it to people she really likes," Neysa explained, rolling her eyes. "It's her bizarre version of a compliment."

"It's okay, I don't mind," Emily said, smiling at them shyly.

Jade padded across the sand to the group and slipped on her dress. *I'm sorry about that, John. We were quite open with Emily earlier, so she knows it's easier for us to call you Master, than use your real name.*

*No harm done,* he said amiably, greeting his third matriarch with a kiss.

Helene was the last to emerge from the water, her beautiful teal skin glistening with moisture. The sparkling sheen made her gorgeous bikini-clad body look incredibly exotic.

"Hello, John!" she called out to him, skipping across the sand to give him a very damp hug.

He gave her an affectionate squeeze. "Hey, honey. Enjoy your swim?"

"It was lovely!" Pulling back to give him a radiant smile, she saw the dark patches soaking his shirt and her face fell in consternation. "Oh no, I forgot I was so wet! Look at the mess I made!"

Betrixa smirked and shook her head, only to be elbowed by Leylira.

"What? I didn't say anything!" the cheetah catgirl protested.

"I was going to change anyway," John said, giving Helene a reassuring kiss on the cheek.

"We'll leave you to enjoy the picnic," Jade said with a wry smile, before glancing at her sisters. "Come on, naughty kittens. Dana's got a tasty lunch waiting for you."

The four catgirls could barely contain their excitement as they rushed to get dressed in the clothes that they'd left carefully folded on the beach furniture.

"Wait!" Emily called out, as Jade waved goodbye and padded after them. "I haven't seen you do any shape-shifting yet, Jade! You promised you'd ask John!"

The elder Nymph turned to look at John, a playful gleam in her emerald eyes. "Is that alright with you, Master?"

He smiled at her indulgently. "Alright, go ahead."

***

"And that's one of our spare armouries," Calara said, letting the door close without entering. "We need to restock it with the latest versions of our guns and armour, but we've been upgrading our gear so quickly, we haven't had the time."

"You've got stashes of equipment everywhere," Mateo marvelled, following his sister to the forward grav-tube.

Jack nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "I've served on Federation warships for the last thirty years, but I've never been on a ship that's so purpose-fitted for warfare."

Calara stepped into the soft blue luminescence of the anti-gravity field. "We've been in almost non-stop combat for the last six months and the Invictus was never designed for such relentless fighting, especially with so small a crew. We had to make some extensive modifications to customise the ship to better suit our needs... but not all the changes we made were combat-focused."

"Like the swimming pool?" Mateo asked with interest.

She smiled and nodded. "The Invictus actually came with a fully-furnished gym and a pool, but we had to get rid of them to build another brig. The new pool is much better though and John installed a magnificent dojo... which I'll show you after lunch."

"I can't wait to see that!" Mateo enthused, sharing a smile with his father.

Looking upwards at the exits from the grav-tube, Calara pondered aloud, "I think we can skip the Power Cores and Magazines on Deck Five, so I'll take you through the Observatory to show you the pool, then we can stop for lunch." She glanced at Mateo and added, "If you still want to take a look at the Invictus' main Bridge, you can head up to the Command Deck this afternoon. Alyssa will be up there for the rest of the day and she'll be happy to show you the navigation systems."

"I definitely want to see that," he said enthusiastically, his brown eyes alight with anticipation. "Touring the Invictus is like getting a glimpse of the future; I'll be able to see what Federation ships will be using decades from now!"

His comment made Calara pause in surprise. "That's an interesting way of looking at it. I've got so used to the rapid pace of all these upgrades that I forget what it must be like seeing the Invictus with fresh eyes."

"I really appreciate you showing us around," Mateo said gratefully. "I understand that almost everything we've seen is incredibly classified. It means a lot that you'd trust me with top secret technology like this."

"I love you, big brother... of course I trust you." Calara said with a fond smile, before giving him a hug. "Not even the Fleet Admiral has had a personal tour of the Invictus."

"I'll try not to gloat the next time she phones me for a chat," Mateo joked, hugging her back.

Calara laughed and pulled away from him, then gestured towards the next exit. "Okay, jump out here."

Jack and Mateo followed her into the short corridor that led through to the Observatory. Calara darted ahead and crouched down by the console beside the oval bed, pressing a couple of buttons to open up the roof. The Crystal Alyssium armour plating peeled back, giving them a spectacular view of space through the huge transparent dome overhead.

"Wow..." Mateo murmured, gazing up at the glittering stars in amazement. "The view from here is incredible!"

"Stargazing's a lovely way to relax," Calara agreed, tilting her head back to enjoy the breathtaking view. "The Invictus went through a major refit when we lengthened her to accommodate the Singularity Drivers and the Heavy Cannon battery. We had loads of spare space on the lower decks, so we included the Observatory to make the ship feel more like a home."

She noticed that her father was suspiciously quiet and glanced in his direction. Jack was studying the huge bed with a raised eyebrow and it was quite clear from just counting the pillows that the entire crew all slept together there.

When he saw her pensive expression, Jack gave her a reassuring smile and gently patted her shoulder. "You're very lucky to have this, Callie. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, dad," she whispered, giving him a fierce hug.

"What's through these doors?" Mateo asked, blissfully unaware of the important exchange between father and daughter.

Calara smiled at Jack as they separated, then she walked over to her brother. "That one over there leads to a bathroom and this one's our walk-in-wardrobe and emergency armoury."

Mateo smiled in amusement. "How very convenient. Get out of bed, brush your teeth, then get dressed for another day in the office?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"So what's through here?" he asked, walking over to the door on the far side of the Observatory. "Is this the way to the swimming pool?"

"That's right," Calara said, gesturing for him to proceed.

Her brother tapped the button on the wall, opening the double doors and giving him his first glimpse of the Lagoon.

And the colossal green dragon that turned to study him with inquisitive emerald eyes.

"Holy fuck!" Mateo gasped, staggering backwards in fear.

Jack realised at once who it was, having recognised Jade's colouration from her shapeshift into a tiger the previous evening and the video he'd seen of her in action. That knowledge was the only thing that stopped him fleeing in terror from the enormous draconic behemoth that dominated the cavernous room.

"Mateo, stop!" Calara said firmly, grabbing his wrist to stop him from running, her grip surprisingly strong. "It's just Jade."

"W-what?" he stammered, fear numbing his brain into insensibility.

"She's not going to hurt you," his sister said, her voice calm and soothing. "Jade's a Nymph... a shape-shifter, remember? She can turn into a dragon."

The enormous reptilian monster blurred in a verdant haze, rapidly shrinking until Jade reappeared in humanoid form. She bounded across the bridge to join them, a look of contrition on her beautiful face.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

The Nymph was entirely nude and the alluring bounce of her gravity-defying breasts did a lot to help Mateo recover from his fright.

"That was a hell of a shock," he admitted, taking a big breath to steady his pounding heart. "Sorry I overreacted... I don't have a good history with dragons."

"Of course... you were captured by Tamolith," Jade said with sympathy. "I really am sorry I frightened you, I was just showing Emily what I could do."

Mateo looked at her in bewilderment. "She asked you to change into that?!"

Jade nodded, then glanced over her shoulder at the blonde who was hurrying across the bridge.

"Mateo!" Emily gushed, running into his open arms. She gave him a big kiss, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Isn't Jade amazing? Thank you so much for bringing me with you! This trip has been so exciting!"

He struggled valiantly to regain his composure. "I'm glad you've been having a good time."

"Oh I have, the Nymphs have been wonderful! They spent the morning changing into all sorts of different creatures for me!"

Mateo glanced at Jade with a flicker of trepidation. "All of you can turn into dragons?"

Jade shook her head. "Only me at the moment." She caught his eyes flicking down to admire her bounteous cleavage and her full lips curved into a knowing smile. "I can see you're feeling better already. I'll let you enjoy your lunch without worrying about scary dragons trying to steal your sandwiches."

Turning away, she shifted in a verdant blur and reappeared as a green falcon, lifting into the air with rapid beats of her wings. Jade swooped across the Lagoon to rejoin her sisters, where she returned to her normal shape and slipped on the dress that Neysa handed over. The five Nymphs waved goodbye, then left through the door opposite.

"Imagine being able to just change into anything you want," Emily said with a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, you changing into a dragon would be great," Mateo said with considerably less enthusiasm.

Calara smiled and clasped his hand. "You must be starving after being dragged around the ship all morning. Let's go have some lunch."

John met them half-way across the bridge. "Are you alright, Mateo? I can't apologise enough for you getting a scare like that. I'll have to have a stern word with Alyssa."

*I'm really sorry about that, handsome,* Alyssa said quickly. *I'm a bit distracted at the moment and wasn't paying attention.*

*Are you alright?* he asked with concern.

*I'm fine. I'll explain why later.*

"Why would you blame Alyssa?" Mateo asked in confusion, sweeping his gaze over the beach to look for the statuesque blonde. "I can't see her. Is she joining us for lunch?"

"Ah... no, she needs to stay up on the Command Deck to make sure we don't crash into anything," John replied, covering his accidental slip. He plucked at his damp t-shirt. "I just got drenched, so I'm going to get changed into some beach-wear before the picnic. Feel free to do the same and have a swim before we eat if you want."

"Can we swim first?" Emily pleaded with her boyfriend. "The water looks so good, but I wanted to wait until you got here before I went in."

"Sure, I'll go get changed," Mateo agreed, gladly accepting her grateful kiss.

The couple set off, leaving John with Calara and her father. Standing at the apex of the bridge offered the best view of the Lagoon and Jack paused to survey the breathtaking tropical paradise. He was astounded that such outstanding natural beauty could be hidden within the most powerful warship in Terran Federation history.

Calara slipped her hand into his. "What do you think, dad?"

He turned to smile at his daughter. "You mentioned that the Invictus doesn't have a night shift for the Bridge... I can hold my own at Tactical and my wife's one hell of a Comms Officer."

She laughed, then hesitated and turned to look quizzically at John.

*Oh my...* Alyssa said softly. *Can you imagine living with Maria?*

Clearing his throat awkwardly, John had absolutely no idea how he was going to respond to that.

Before he could say anything, Jack held up his hand. "Relax, I'm only joking." He broke into a lopsided smile. "Mostly..."

John chuckled and tried not to sigh with relief. "I really respect you as an officer, Jack. It's just that..."

Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "It's okay, I understand. You already explained why you have an all-female crew."

"I know this must be incredibly difficult for you," John said to him, before glancing meaningfully at Calara. "This can't be the life you ever envisaged for your daughter."

"It's not, but who am I to judge?" Jack smiled at his youngest child. "I can see how happy you are, Callie, living here with John and the girls. It took me a while to get there, but you both have my blessing... and apparently my wife already knows all about your living situation and approves wholeheartedly."

"Mom's been very supportive," Calara said with a broad grin.

"Yes, I bet she has," he said, giving her a wry smile. His expression turned serious as he continued, "All joking aside, I know you're about to embark on a war with the Progenitors. That thought terrifies me and I'm not even involved in the fighting. Your crew has skills and abilities that I can barely comprehend... and I know that I'm just not capable of being able to fight beside you."

Calara opened her mouth to protest, but her father shushed her with his hand in the air.

"Just let me get this off my chest, sweetheart, then you can talk to your heart's content. After our conversation last night, I thought long and hard about how I could help you in the upcoming war. I realised this morning that the best way I can support you is to keep Maria and my boys out of danger. Devereux was right. You don't need the distraction, Calara, you've got far bigger problems to deal with."

"You're not a distraction!" she protested.

He nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, we are. You can't keep running back to save us all the time. You've got to focus all your attention on taking down this group of tyrannical demigods. Whenever you need to visit your family for some love and support, then we'll welcome you home with open arms... I think that's the best way we can help you."

Calara flung her arms around him. "You're amazing, dad! I love you so much."

Touched by his future father-in-law's unreserved support, John gave him a look filled with gratitude. "I can't tell you how much this means to us, Jack. Thank you."

Jack kissed Calara on the cheek, then smiled at John. "I'd wish you good luck... but I don't think you'll need it, not with my daughter at your side."

John gently rubbed her back. "You're absolutely right. She's the finest Tactician in the galaxy."

Alyssa felt Calara's burst of joy across her network... accompanied by another surge of previously untapped psychic potential. *Not again!* she groaned, riding that wave of bliss.

***

The Bridge of the vast Progenitor dreadnought was dark and gloomy, illuminated only by the sinister crimson lights set into the floor and the muted glow from the scarlet icon hurtling across the map.

"How are they travelling so fast?" Jessica asked in an awed whisper, watching the Invictus cruise effortlessly between the stars.

Rahn'hagon shook his head, unable to believe his eyes. "They're moving even quicker than before... I've never seen anything reach that hyper-warp velocity!"

"Are they actually flying through that gravity well?!" the brunette balked, knowing such a feat was impossible.

Her Progenitor lover increased the magnification, then watched as the Invictus swept majestically around the system, the star bathing the ship in a warm golden glow.

"That can't be..." he muttered under his breath. "How are you doing that, John?!"

Jessica leaned back, then studied the map in confusion. "We're hundreds of light years away... how can we still be picking up the tracking beacon?"

"It's a psychic emitter," he answered distractedly, never taking his eyes from the rune. "It sends locator pulses across the Astral shallows."

She turned to look at him askance. "Could you explain that again in English please?"

He gave her a contrite smile. "My apologies... I forgot you're not well-versed in the subtleties of the Eldritch dimension."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "If you're trying to make me feel stupid, you're succeeding beyond your wildest dreams."

"That was not my intent, Jess," he said earnestly, stroking her cheek. "I hold you in the highest regard... and would never do anything to belittle you."

"Alright, you're forgiven," she said, clasping his hand and kissing his fingers.

Suddenly the Progenitor rune began to dim, the radiance oscillating wildly in spikes of red light before winking out.

"What the hell was that?!" Jessica asked, squinting against the flaring light. "Is it broken?"

Rahn'hagon shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know, I've never seen one of those devices fail before. They might have found the tracking device... or there could be some kind of background interference."

"We need to jump ahead of that ship!" Jessica said urgently. "This might be our only chance to make contact before we lose them!"

"Have you decided what you're going to say to John?" Rahn'hagon asked, looking intrigued.

"Me?" she asked apprehensively. "Aren't you going to talk to him first?"

"Absolutely not," he declared, a determined set to his jaw. "He banished me from his presence on pain of death. I have no wish to further antagonise him."

"But you promised!" Jessica pleaded, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Your feminine wiles won't work on me, Jess," Rahn'hagon said stubbornly, turning away and shielding his gaze with a hand. "Besides, I only promised to help you atone with our son. I didn't agree to make first contact with him... or speak to him in any fashion for that matter."

She slumped dejectedly and leaned against the nearest console. "What the hell am I going to say to him, Rahn? Sorry I dumped you with my parents and didn't think about you again for forty years? It's no wonder he hates me... I'm the worst mother in the galaxy."

Rahn'hagon lowered his hand and looked at her with sympathy. "I was the one at fault, not you. All you were doing was following my instructions... and truthfully, you were powerless to resist. Blame me for forcing you to abandon your son... my relationship with John is already beyond redemption."

"But you're his father," she said softly. "I don't want to make things any worse between the two of you."

He sighed with regret. "It's too late for that."

Jessica hugged him, sharing his melancholy mood. "I don't think I'm ready to speak to John... not yet. I need some time to plan what I'm going to say." She looked at the holographic map over Rahn'hagon's shoulder. "It looks like they're heading into the Core Worlds. Can we jump to Alpha Centauri? I bet they'll stop at Olympus shipyard... if it's still standing after all these years."

Rahn'hagon twisted around to reach the map interface, then shifted the location to the blue star in question. He cycled through the glyphs for that system, then selected one for the shipyard, bringing it into sharp focus.

"That's it!" Jessica exclaimed, flashing an excited grin at her lover.

"This sensor data was collated only two weeks ago," he said, reading the runic script. "Olympus shipyard appears to be fully functional."

"Can we jump there, Rahn? Please?" Jessica begged him. "You can leave all the talking to me. I promise I won't try to push you into doing anything you're not comfortable with."

He studied the map pensively for a long moment. "Alright... but when you make contact with John, we're staying cloaked on the periphery of the system. If he makes any aggressive moves in our direction, we'll leave immediately."

"Sure, that's totally fine," she agreed, nibbling nervously at a nail as she stared at the map.

The thought that she could be speaking to her son again in just a matter of hours sent a host of butterflies fluttering in Jessica's stomach. She felt drastically worse when Rahn'hagon activated the wormhole generator, the Progenitor dreadnought hurtling through the rip in space, and leaving her fighting to stop herself throwing up. As she choked down the wave of bile, Jessica stared out through the sweeping windows, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the huge six-armed battle station.

The titanium grey superstructure made Olympus look bleak and forbidding, the ominous feeling reinforced by the hundreds of Terran warships lined up in formation surrounding the shipyard. It was forty years since she'd last been here. Forty years since she'd sabotaged the Cora, murdered its crew, then fled from Federation territory in a stolen corvette. Jessica eyed the Terran forces with trepidation, wondering if she was still a wanted criminal, a death sentence hovering over her head.

As terrifying as that was, the thought of being sternly rejected by her son was far worse.

***

John stripped off his sodden shirt and dropped it on the floor of the walk-in-wardrobe with a squelch. He started unbuttoning his trousers, then hesitated, unsure if he actually had a pair of suitable shorts he could change into. The swimming trunks he usually wore in the Lagoon didn't leave much to the imagination.

*Third shelf down. I picked you up something suitable on our last shopping extravaganza,* Alyssa informed him affectionately.

Glancing through the shelves of neatly folded clothing, he found a pair of blue board shorts and a t-shirt. *These are perfect. Thanks, honey.*

*Of course, you could show Emily what she's missing...* Alyssa teased him.

*You're incorrigible,* John said with a fond smile.

He dropped his trousers, then jumped in surprise when he heard a wolf whistle from the doorway. Glancing behind him, John saw one of the cleaning bots leaning against the doorframe, a cheeky grin splashed across her face. Blushing with embarrassment, he hurriedly tugged on his new shorts, while watching the robo-maid sashay towards him and dip demurely to pick up his discarded clothing.

Now feeling embarrassed for an entirely different reason, he gave her a guilty look as she cleaned up after him. "You girls do such a good job of tidying up, I've started taking you for granted. Sorry for leaving a mess."

She shook her head. [+++ stated with sincerity +++ [Begin statement] My primary function is to clean. It is extremely satisfying when the Invictus is restored to a spotless state once again. [/End statement]]

"Still... that's no excuse for living like a slob," he said with a rueful frown of apology. Looking at the maid curiously, he continued, "Do you have a name?"

The cleaning robot froze, her brows furrowed in concentration.

"Are you okay?" John asked, looking at her with concern.

[My designation is Trois...] she suddenly replied in a sultry French accent. She flounced out of the room and giggled as she winked at him over her shoulder. [Au revoir, monsieur!]

He laughed at her flamboyant flirtation, then blinked in surprise when he realised that there was real animation in her voice instead of the usual monotone delivery.

*Did you hear that?* he asked Alyssa.

*I did,* his blonde matriarch replied. There was a brief pause, then Alyssa continued, *Irillith thinks that the Collective have developed enough self-awareness that they're trying to establish new identities for themselves. She said the maintenance bots are mimicking fictional characters in the Cyber Realm, a bit like little kids pretending to be their favourite action hero. By the sound of it, the cleaning bots have started experimenting too.*

*It's amazing to see how they're evolving,* John said, leaving the walk-in-wardrobe. He glanced at the high-backed leather chair with a sad smile.

*Faye would've been really proud of them,* Alyssa agreed, echoing his thoughts.

He took a deep breath to shrug off the melancholy moment, then used the express grav-tube to descend to the Lagoon. There was more splashing in the water, but this time it was Emily and Mateo having fun in the artificial lake. Glancing over at the beach, he saw Helene and Calara chatting together, but there was no sign of Jack yet. The Latina was wearing a bikini now, matching her teal-hued companion, and they both turned in his direction and waved.

"Join me for a swim!" Calara called out, rising up from the picnic blankets spread out across the floor.

The contrast between her bronzed skin and the red bikini was mouth-watering as she padded gracefully across the sand into the water, erasing any possibility of refusing her request. John stripped off his t-shirt, balled it up, then flung it across to the beach. Helene caught it, then watched with longing as he dived into the water. She glanced across the pool at Emily and Mateo with a pensive frown, unsure how to behave in front of their guests.

*Go ahead, they won't mind,* Alyssa urged her.

Helene bit her lip, torn with indecision. *I want to... so much... but I won't be able to keep my hands off John. I think I'll wait and talk to Jack so he doesn't feel left out.*

*You're an angel. Thanks, Helene.*

Calara's father appeared a few seconds later and Helene got up to greet him with a friendly grin. "Hello, Jack. Would you like to go for a swim? If you'd prefer to just watch, I'm happy to keep you company."

He gave her an appreciative smile. "Thank you... Helene isn't it?" When she nodded happily in confirmation, he continued, "I'll save my energy for after lunch, Helene. I think I'm going to need it."

She gestured for him to sit, then poured a drink of fruit cocktail from a chilled jug that was glistening with condensation. "Sakura is on her way with the food."

"Thank you," he said, gratefully accepting the glass and taking a sip. "Mmm, this is delicious."

"The fruit is from the Maliri Protectorate. It was grown on Valaden, the twins' home planet," Helene explained, pouring herself a glass. "I'm sure they'll be happy to tell you the names of all the different types."

Jack relaxed on the sand and let out a contented sigh. His lips twitched into a grin and he chuckled to himself.

"What was funny?" Helene asked him curiously.

"I've only been here two minutes and I already feel like I'm on a beach vacation," he replied, glancing at the brightly-coloured drink in his hand and shaking his head in amazement. "Sitting on a sandy beach, getting served refreshing drinks by a beautiful exotic girl... it's like being in paradise."

Helene sipped her drink, her baby-blue eyes sparkling over the rim of the glass. "You think I'm beautiful?"

He coughed awkwardly. "Ah, sorry about that. I didn't mean to make you feel uncomfortable."

She gently touched his arm and smiled. "Why would I feel that way about a compliment? There's no need to be embarrassed."

Jack felt his discomfort fading as a gentle warmth suffused his being, making him feel relaxed and happy.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Helene exclaimed, jerking her hand back.

The lovely feeling receded and Jack gaped at her in astonishment. "You did that?"

She nodded, looking chagrined. "John and the girls gave me permission to practice on them. I never should have done that without asking you first."

"You can change the way people feel just by touching them?!" he marvelled, studying the teal-hued beauty with newfound respect.

"Actually, I only need to be close by... but I really am sorry I did that to you."

"That's okay," he said with a reassuring smile. Jack went quiet and gazed into the distance, obviously lost in thought.

"Are you alright?" Helene asked softly.

He turned to focus on her again, a thoughtful expression on his face. "If Calara had asked you to, you could've just made me happily accept her living arrangements... couldn't you?"

Helene met Jack's curious gaze. "Would the daughter you raised ever do that to the father she adores?"

Jack glanced across the Lagoon at Calara and smiled with paternal pride. "No, she wouldn't."

***

John broke the surface of the Lagoon and embraced Calara as she swam into his arms. "Hey, gorgeous."

Calara pressed her full breasts against his chest, a beaming smile lighting up her beautiful face. "Hello, handsome!"

He studied the brunette and marvelled at how happy she looked. All the stress and worry that had piled up over the previous months had faded away, reminding him that his conscientious Tactical Officer was a carefree young woman at heart.

"You look so beautiful," he said earnestly, gazing into her expressive brown eyes.

She broke into a grin. "I forgot how much you love bikinis!"

He cupped her perfectly rounded ass, enjoying the feel of her bare skin as he pulled her closer through the water. "That's true... but I was actually talking about the girl filling it out. I don't think I've ever seen you looking so relaxed and happy, honey."

"I don't think I've ever been happier than I am right now!" she gushed, punctuating her joyful reply with a kiss. "I haven't forgotten what we're up against, but I love my life with you and the girls... and finally being able to be open about it with my dad is such a relief!"

"I'm really glad everything worked out so well," he said fondly, stroking her slender back.

Glancing at the beach, John saw that Calara's father was immersed in a deep conversation with Helene, the aquatic beauty listening attentively to every word. Straining his acute hearing to eavesdrop on their conversation, John could hear Jack giving her earnest advice, sharing parenting tips from years of experience raising four children.

"It's not surprising you turned out to be such an amazing girl," John said quietly, holding Calara close. "You're very lucky to have such wonderful parents. The way Jack accepted you for who you are and was so eager to support you in any way he could... that was really lovely to see."

Despite his well-meaning and encouraging words, Calara heard the hint of underlying sadness in John's voice. Her heart ached for him, knowing how badly the meeting with his own parents had gone, and she hugged him back as hard as she could.

"Thank you, John," she whispered in his ear. "I love you so much."

"Get a room, you two!" Mateo called out, jarring them from the tender moment.

"Matty!" Emily protested, playfully whacking him on the chest. "They looked so sweet together and you ruined it!"

John turned in the water and smiled at his guests. "Don't worry about it."

"Yeah, there's lots more where that came from!" Calara agreed, giving John a deep kiss.

Emily cheered and Mateo groaned... until his girlfriend gave him a big kiss to keep him quiet.

When the two couples separated, John asked politely, "So, what do you think of the Lagoon?"

Mateo shifted Emily so that he could look at his host, the blonde wrapping her legs around his waist from the side. "I'd be in here all the time if this was my ship... it's incredible!"

Emily nodded enthusiastically. "This place is stunning! I don't know how we're going to cope on the Odin; you've really spoiled us for R&R now."

"Has your transfer onto the dreadnought been approved?" Calara asked with interest.

The blonde darted a worried glance at John. "I don't know... I mean... I don't want to presume..."

John made brief eye-contact with Mateo, double-checking that was what he wanted. Emily noticed the look passing between them and held her breath, turning to watch her boyfriend with big eyes as she waited for his answer.

"If you can arrange for us to be transferred to the same ship, that'd be fantastic," Mateo requested, giving him a hopeful look.

"I'll have a chat with Lynette and see what I can do," John said with a reassuring smile

"Thank you, I really appreciate it," Mateo said gratefully, before turning to grin at the blonde. "I'm not having some smooth-talking Defence Fleet Captain sweep you off your feet; I want to keep an eye on my golden-haired angel. What would you say to requesting joint quarters, Em?"

"Oh, Matty..." Emily said breathlessly, giving him a passionate kiss that made Mateo stumble in the water.

"Get a room, you two," Calara said, grinning as she threw her brother's words back at him.

"We will... after lunch," Emily murmured, making her boyfriend blush.

John's stomach rumbled, the sound audible even through the water. Calara laughed and glanced towards the beach, where Sakura was now spreading out the picnic.

"Time to eat!" Calara said, clasping John's hand as they waded over to join Jack and Helene on the beach.

***

"Here we are, Fleet Admiral... the Cryo-Stasis Suite," the medic said, placing his hand on the DNA scanner next to the sealed door.

"Thank you, Doctor," Lynette Devereux said gratefully, smiling at the man who had guided her through Med-Centre Four.

He stepped aside as the door slid open and she gestured for her security detail to wait behind as she walked into the dimly-lit room. Dozens of cryostasis tubes were lined up in rows, the blue glow from their status panels making the room seem like it was in the grip of an icy chill, despite the warmth generated by their freezing systems. Facing one of the stasis tubes was a plush recliner, currently occupied by a middle-aged man wearing a crumpled suit, his soft snores echoing around the room.

Lynette recognised Henry Voss at once and approached him cautiously, not wanting to disturb the haggard entrepreneur. Confirming that he was fast asleep, she turned to the adjacent cryostasis tube and studied the occupant through the clear faceplate. Henry Voss' assistant was ghostly pale, looking as if she were a hibernating ice princess held captive by an evil wizard. Despite the light dusting of frost covering her skin, there was no hiding Abigail's natural beauty, her raven mane framing her lovely face.

"It's true what they say..."

Hearing Henry's voice, Lynette turned to look at one of the richest men in the Terran Federation, and saw that his hollow-eyed stare was fixed on Abigail. "What's true, Henry?"

"You don't appreciate what you've got until it's gone," he whispered, his tortured voice giving her chills. He sounded haunted as he added, "I can't lose her... not again..."

"She's still very much alive," Lynette said, doing her best to be cheerful and optimistic. "Rachel's on her way to heal Abigail and should arrive at Olympus by about 10 tonight. Alyssa sent a message earlier... didn't you get it?"

He shook his head despondently. "Abi normally checks my messages..."

Charles had informed Lynette that a number of issues had started cropping up with the fleet refits at Olympus, all centred around the civilian contractors working for the Voss Corporation. It was quite apparent that Henry had been neglecting the shipyard operations while he maintained this vigil over his wounded fiancée and refit productivity was taking a nosedive. The fact that his absence made such a difference was a testament to the drive and energy he normally channelled into his business. It was also painfully obvious that Henry Voss was barely keeping it together.

Reaching out to clasp his hand, Lynette gave it a comforting squeeze. "Hang in there, Henry. You're not going to lose her... I promise."

He nodded distractedly, not taking his eyes from Abigail.

Lynette patted his hand, then quietly left the stasis room. *Henry's in a bad way, Alyssa. The sooner you can get here the better.*

*After what happened to Rachel's mother, I'm not surprised this is hitting him hard. We've got some important business at Jericho, then we'll be there as fast as we can. Has Jehanna arrived at Olympus yet?*

There was a soft chime from Lynette's wrist communicator and she glanced down at the notification, which confirmed that a dropship transporting the TFNN reporter had just docked. *You must be a mind reader; she just got here.*

Alyssa's concern briefly shifted to whimsical amusement, but she chose not to state the obvious. *Could you be an angel and check on her please? Jehanna called me twenty minutes ago, but we weren't on a secure channel so couldn't talk properly. She was pretty upset...*

*Of course. I'll go and see her now,* Lynette replied, worried about her friend.

As she rapidly departed from the medical centre, the security detail saluted Lynette, then formed a protective cordon around her. It was a sharp reminder that she was the Fleet Admiral, the most powerful military officer in the Terran Federation, yet here she was... hurrying to follow orders from an eighteen-year-old civilian.

*I prefer to think of them as polite requests,* Alyssa said gently.

Lynette walked in silence as she headed towards the Senior Officers' Quarters. *I really am a Lioness now, aren't I?*

*Yes. You are.*

*John was fooling himself, thinking he could change my body without significantly altering my mind, wasn't he?* she persisted, her holographic disguise shifting to match the beautiful brunette's ambivalent expression.

There was a long pause before Alyssa replied, *He tried, Lynette. For what it's worth, he just wanted to give you your youth back as a gift... nothing more. Everything else was out of his control; the other changes he made were done purely at a subconscious level.*

She drew in her breath, then slowly released it. *I don't know how I'm supposed to feel... knowing he's changed me in such a profound way.*

*Forget how you should feel... what are you actually feeling now?*

*Focused... driven... happy... and more satisfied with my life than I ever have been before. I'm playing my part to help John save everything we hold dear; how could I possibly resent that?*

*If you were given the choice again, would you go back to being the old Lynette?* Alyssa prompted her, genuinely curious.

*Never!* the brunette replied, surprising herself with her own vehemence. *What I remember most from my old life was being terribly lonely... and regretting the choices that led to me feeling that way. The only thing keeping me going was my burning ambition to become Fleet Admiral, but that seems like such a hollow goal now. The thought of going back to that fills me with dread; it would mean losing Charles... and you... and the girls...*

Lynette purposefully omitted any mention of John out of faithfulness to Charles... but she didn't need to say it to Alyssa, who understood exactly how she felt. The brunette could only shudder at the terrifying prospect of losing everything she held dear.

*You know how I feel about the Admiralty, but I actually liked you from the start,* Alyssa freely admitted. *You were a good person... but you're so much better now, Lynette. You're full of life and sparkle like a diamond. The old version of you was like rusted iron; you had a strong core, but life had worn you down.*

Lynette blinked in surprise, finding herself in agreement with the blonde's astute analogy.

*You can't hang around with someone as smart as Rachel 24/7 without some of it rubbing off,* Alyssa said with a self-deprecating smile.

*What are we going to tell Lina about the Change?* Lynette asked, wondering how the redhead would react to hearing about the process she'd been through.

*The truth,* Alyssa said, her voice taking a firm edge. *John won't stand for any subterfuge when it comes to recruiting girls.*

*I wasn't thinking about deceiving her,* Lynette quickly clarified. *It's just... I don't know how to tell her this without frightening her off.*

Alyssa paused, then asked with sympathy, *You really want her, don't you?*

Lynette darted a quick glance at the security guards flanking her, but they were oblivious to the telepathic conversation. *I do. She reminds me of myself before I joined you. I know Lina has the same regrets I used to have, she just hides her loneliness behind a facade of overly-flirtatious bravado.*

*Leave it to me. I've had a fair bit of experience with enticing sexy girls,* Alyssa said with a confident grin.

*XO is in charge of recruitment,* Lynette noted, a flicker of a smile reappearing on her face.

Alyssa's melodic laughter echoed through her mind. *Exactly.*

The elevator chimed, the doors opening onto the section of Olympus reserved for senior officers. Lynette blinked in surprise, having been so engrossed in conversation with the blonde matriarch that she'd barely been paying attention to her surroundings.

The Fleet Admiral tapped her wrist communicator as she left the elevator. "Requesting location check for Jehanna Elani."

There was a brief pause, then the device chirped, "Current location: Personal quarters of Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux."

Glancing at her security detail, she smiled at them in gratitude. "That's all for now, gentlemen."

They saluted and peeled away, leaving her standing outside her suite. The DNA scanner read the genetic code from her hand and beeped in recognition, before opening the door and letting Lynette stride inside. She waited until the door had closed again, then deactivated her holo-disguise as she entered the Lounge, looking for the TFNN reporter.

When the dusky-hued girl was nowhere to be seen, Lynette called out, "Jehanna? Where are you?"

"In here..." came the muffled reply.

Lynette hurried across to the bedroom, where she found Jehanna curled up on the bed. She rushed over to join her, sliding onto the covers and hugging the stricken woman.

"Sweetheart... what's wrong?" Lynette murmured, pulling her trembling friend to her chest.

"It was awful..." Jehanna whimpered, tears rolling down her cheeks. "My parents were so disappointed in me... nothing's ever going to be the same again..."

"Shh... everything's going to be okay," the older brunette said soothingly, stroking Jehanna's silky black hair. "John loves you... he'll find a way to make things good with your parents."

***

"Want some dessert, dad?" Calara asked, lifting the lid on the chilled picnic hamper. "We've got your favourite... raspberry cheesecake."

He looked sorely tempted, but reluctantly shook his head. "I'm already full. Lunch was delicious, especially those little crab pastries."

"I'm really glad you enjoyed them," Sakura said, sipping her drink. "Calara said you liked seafood."

"You made all this?" Jack asked, looking at the Asian girl in surprise.

Sakura nodded and gave him a self-conscious smile. "Preparing a meal for you was the least I could do after Maria has been so kind to me."

"Thank you for going to so much effort," he said appreciatively. "I've never been served gourmet food on a beach before. My compliments to the lovely chef."

She blushed, but was elated to receive such warm praise. "You're welcome."

Leaning back on his elbows and closing his eyes, Jack enjoyed the balmy artificial weather and sighed with contentment. "We've got to get a Lagoon just like this for the Fernandez family ship..."

"You have your own ship?" Emily asked, looking impressed.

Mateo laughed and shook his head. "Dad's been talking about it for years. He wants to go sailing around the galaxy when he retires."

"Have you recruited a Chief Medical Officer yet, Commodore Fernandez?" the blonde enquired respectfully. "If not, are you accepting applications?"

"Son, this one's a keeper," Jack replied, returning her smile.

John chuckled at their banter and put his arm around Calara when she leaned into him. She'd been very tactile during lunch, darting affectionate glances his way as she catered to her guests. It was wonderful to see her in such a good mood and he felt closer to the lovely Latina than ever before.

"What's on the agenda for this afternoon, honey?" he asked, stroking her shoulder.

"Relaxing on the beach until our lunch goes down, then I thought I'd show our guests the Dojo," she replied, trying not to sound too eager... but fooling no one.

Mateo held up his hand. "I'll sit this one out. I have no intention of being humiliated by my little sister in front of my girlfriend."

"How about me?" Emily asked, raising an eyebrow. "Aren't I supposed to spar with Calara before I'm deemed worthy of dating you?"

They all laughed as Mateo groaned in protest. "I thought you were done teasing me about that?"

"I wouldn't want to break a family tradition," she said with a playful grin. Glancing at Jack she added, "Could I get an official ruling? I'm not much of a fighter, so will I have to break up with your son when Calara kicks my butt?"

"I'm afraid so," he replied with sympathy.

"Dad!" Mateo objected.

"You could nominate a champion to fight on your behalf," Jack suggested, starting to sound as eager as his daughter.

Emily gave him a hopeful smile. "Would you fight for me?"

He hesitated, carefully appraising Calara. "You might want to pick someone else; Callie won our last match, although I intend to even the score this afternoon."

"I'm looking forward to it!" Calara replied with a grin.

"Hold on!" Mateo interrupted, looking stunned. "You fought dad... and beat him?!"

"He was a bit distracted at the time," Calara reluctantly admitted. "I guess that last one didn't really count."

Still shocked at the thought of his father losing to anyone, Mateo shook his head. "I'm not taking any chances with the future of my relationship at stake. How about John? Do you normally lose against him, Callie?"

She smiled at her fiancé. "Yes, most of the time..."

"Let me stop you right there," John interrupted, firmly shaking his head. "You know how much effort I've put into making a good impression. Do you honestly think I'm going to risk that by getting into a knock-down brawl with my fiancée in front of her father and brother?"

"Fair point, they can be a bit overprotective," Calara conceded, her brown eyes twinkling with amusement. "Who do you suggest instead?"

John looked pointedly at Sakura.

"I'd be honoured to fight as your champion," the Asian girl said solemnly, bowing her head towards Emily.

"Oh, wow... my own Lioness!" the blonde gushed. "Thank you!"

"Fine, but no powers," Calara quickly interjected.

"Alright," Sakura agreed. "Are weapons permitted, Jack?"

He looked intrigued and nodded. "If the challenger so chooses..."

"In that case, I challenge Calara to a duel on Emily's behalf," Sakura declared formally, her lips curling up into a wicked smile. "And I choose to fight with ninjato."

Calara groaned, her shoulders slumping. "How did I know you were going to say that? Fine, I'll use a naginata."

"Alright! Exhibition match!" Mateo exclaimed, now looking as eager as his father.

Helene had listened to the entire exchange in confusion. "Why are you all so excited to see them fight each other?"

"I don't get it either," Emily said with a shrug, smiling at the aquatic girl.

"It should be fascinating to watch, Helene. They're both highly-skilled fighters," John explained, before kissing Calara on the cheek. "I'll see you in the Dojo, honey."

She looked up at him in surprise when he rose to his feet. "You're leaving?"

"I need to check in with the twins. Irillith said she'd give me a progress update on identifying the men who planned the assault on Olympus... and the assassination attempt on Maria."

"You're tracking them down?!" Jack asked, his face a riot of emotions.

"We are," John replied, locking eyes with his future father-in-law. "There are consequences for attacking our family."

Jack's expression shifted from anger at the perpetrators, to surprise at John's vehemence, before settling on grim satisfaction. "Happy hunting."

John nodded, then leaned over to kiss Sakura on top of her head. "Thanks for lunch, that was wonderful."

"I'm so glad you enjoyed it," she replied, looking almost as happy as Calara.

Waving goodbye to everyone, John strode up the curving steps that led to the bridge over the lagoon, then took a shortcut into the express grav-tubes. The blue particle field rushed him up to his old bedroom on Deck Two, where he stripped off and entered the bathroom to wash away the sand from the beach. Turning on the hot water, he let the streams splash over him, savouring the soothing warmth.

"Do you need a shower companion?" Alyssa purred, slipping into the cubicle behind him.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," he replied, pulling her into his arms. "But aren't you supposed to be steering the Invictus?"

She giggled and shook her head. "I had to slow down... and it's all Calara's fault!"

"Ah, she's turned you into a love drunk again?" he asked, soaping her down.

"I'm just a bit tipsy... but I wasn't taking any chances, not when we're zooming around stars!" Alyssa leaned into him and let out a blissful sigh. "Calara's been loving having her family aboard... I didn't realise just how much she's been worrying about disappointing her dad."

"She's a good girl," he said affectionately. "Calara deserved this."

"Sakura too," Alyssa murmured, relaxing as he massaged her shoulders. "She was really missing her parents and this has been a godsend. Maria told Jack all about 'adopting' Sakura; he's been making an extra effort with her."

"Yeah, I saw," John said with a fond smile. He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "I want to spend some time alone with Sakura this afternoon."

"Thanks for the warning," she said with a grin. "I'll brace myself."

"I'll be training her," he quietly clarified. "Getting her ready to face my guide."

Her face fell, the beaming smile replaced by a look of anguish. "John..."

"I have to protect you and the girls," he insisted, gazing into her eyes. "Sakura's the only one capable of taking him out if I lose. Could you do it?"

She bit her lip, then looked down, unable to meet his gaze.

"I know, beautiful... I know," he said, holding her tight.

***

Irillith soared through Cyberspace, riding the data stream that connected a long chain of Comms Beacons across Terran Federation territory. She was still aware of her physical form back on the Bridge of the Invictus, but her senses were dulled there, the Maliri's subconscious fully submerged in the digital realm. Travelling deeper into the Core Worlds, she watched the branching nodes arc away to planetary data clusters, the network of platforms ablaze with neon colours.

Her digital presence whipped past fleets of ships, their secure gateway portals like a scattered corridor of sealed doors, just waiting for someone with the right key. Trying to remotely hack those ships would have been like trying to thread a passing needle at a thousand miles an hour, but Irillith knew better than to even attempt it so far away from the Invictus. Fortunately, her current target was stationary, and she zipped through the interconnected pathways that led all the way back to the Federation capital.

Terra blazed like a fiery beacon in the Cyber-realm, the densely populated planet awash with billions of data feeds. Even to someone so intimately familiar with the digital realm as Irillith, it was an impressive sight; the sheer number of devices used by the burgeoning population made the birthplace of humanity shine far brighter than any world in the Maliri Protectorate. Despite the staggering interplay of data surrounding the planet, the Maliri hacker was more than capable of finding exactly what she was looking for.

Irillith tapped into the closest data stream and started building her query. She added the search parameters that she'd spent the morning collating, then smirked at the warning icon notifying her that access to the planetary surveillance grid was highly-restricted. Lynette had already provided the required security clearance, but hacking through the laughable defences was a matter of principle.

Circumventing the amateurish gateway security with ease, Irillith slipped into the Federation network and sent out scores of data probes, accessing camera footage recorded in every city on the planet. The sophisticated programs began scouring the archives, looking for all the incriminating evidence she needed to find the masterminds behind the attacks on Olympus and Maria.

She felt a hand caress her bare shoulder, the intimate touch sending a thrill through her body that resonated even in the Cyber-realm.

"Hey, honey," John said, his deep voice echoing across the cosmos to reach her. "How's the search for the traitors going?"

Concentrating hard to control her body while keeping herself immersed in the digital equivalent of the Astral Plane, she replied, "I'm trying to determine exactly who's involved. Give me a few moments and I should be able to get you some answers."

Opening a data-view, she scanned through the information being returned by her probes, nodding in satisfaction as they started flagging suspicious activity. Closing her eyes, Irillith travelled back across the immense distance to be reunited with her body, moving at incredible speed. She blinked as she snapped back into her mind, quickly adjusting to her surroundings now that she was on the Invictus' Bridge once more.

"Welcome back," John said, gently stroking her head.

Irillith leaned into his hand, enjoying the feel of his fingers brushing through her long hair. "Thanks for coming. I should be able to tell you who were the ringleaders very soon."

"That was fast," Tashana said, walking over to join them. "I knew you'd be able to find out who did it, but you seem very confident you've got the right men."

Her sister reached out to the console, slender blue fingers dancing across the icons. "There's a chance I'm wrong, but I doubt it."

Smiling at her confidence, John glanced at the bank of holo-screens. "What made you so sure?"

Irillith had anticipated his question and the floating holographic panels were soon awash with security files. "As you know, Rear Admiral Carmela Moreno was killed by a car bomb a few days ago. She authorised the ISD troop transfers to Olympus, so she was obviously involved, but Lynette strongly suspected that Carmela was just a patsy... an unwitting scapegoat."

"Yeah, I met her a couple of months ago," John said, leaning against the IntOps station. "She was petty and vindictive, but didn't seem smart enough to plan an attack on this scale. I got the impression that Buckingham promoted her far beyond her competency level."

"She earned her promotions bent over his desk," Irillith said with a shrug. "Buckingham's death meant that Carmela's career in the military was about to come to a rapid end, so she had plenty of motive to want to seek revenge against Lynette and yourself. However, she lacked the contacts or resources to instigate a coup on this scale."

"So who was she working for?" John asked, listening in fascination.

"Whoever it was took particular care to avoid communicating with her via the Comms Network... apart from one call minutes before her death. I traced the source to an ident-scrubbed portable communicator, the call routing from Fenris Station in the Wolf 359 system."

"But you reversed the wipe and found out who the phone really belonged to?" Tashana speculated, amazed that was even possible.

Irillith shook her head. "I'd only be able to do that by connecting to the device itself and I'm sure it was disposed of days ago." Leaning over to tap another icon, she continued, "Instead, I just accessed the security cam footage aboard Fenris on the day Carmela was murdered and searched for any facial recognition matches from our primary list of suspects. I found one."

John studied the new picture that flashed into existence, showing a pensive-looking corpulent man rubbing nervously at his mouth as he strode through the arrival gate. "Who the hell is that?"

"Ex-Admiral Benedito Almada," Irillith replied, tapping another icon to bring up his personnel file. "He was one of a dozen admirals that resigned from the Admiralty the day after your confrontation with High Command on Olympus."

"I'm sure Alyssa's little demonstration of how easy it was for her to sniff out bad guys had nothing to do with it..." John remarked, turning to make eye contact with the blonde, who was watching proceedings from the Command Podium.

"I wonder what that slimy piece of shit was hiding?" Alyssa muttered, her lip curling with distaste.

"There was nothing in his official personnel file, but I did some digging..." Irillith said, her expression turning bleak. "It seems Buckingham kept his own records, listing the misdeeds of all the serving Admirals to keep them in line. Almada developed quite the taste for abusing young girls; dozens have been paid off or threatened into silence over the years."

John's fist clenched, showing the whites of his knuckles. "We need to find that bastard. Right now."

Irillith eyed the picture, her expression speculative. "There's no passenger record of Almada leaving Fenris Station and my facial recognition algorithms haven't spotted him returning to the docking bays."

"You think he's still there?" he asked in surprise.

Considering it for a moment, the Maliri hacker shook her head. "I suspect he left days ago, but obviously planned the departure well in advance to avoid surveillance. He might even have predicted that we'd trace the call to Fenris and set this up as a diversion. I'll keep looking."

He nodded and glanced at the adjacent holo-panel, which showed a map of Terra dotted with red markers, more flashing into existence by the second. "What are you tracking there?"

"The movements of every admiral that recently resigned from the Admiralty. They all had residences on Terra, so I thought it would be interesting to highlight any occasion when they were within 100 metres of each other. With the lack of incoming calls to Carmela Moreno, I suspect our plotters also avoided using the comms network to stay in contact with each other and met in person instead."

Irillith zoomed in on the largest cluster of markers, then focused on a convergence of retired officers at a location tagged as Riverfront Park. "That's Almada," she said, watching camera footage taken from a car park, centred on the fat man hauling himself out of a hover-sedan.

"Who are the other two?" John asked, gesturing towards the additional pair of icons.

The Maliri hacker focused on the arrival of two more vehicles owned by disgraced admirals. "Oliver Petran and Arjun Khatri," she replied, opening the personnel files for them both. "Khatri... now where have I seen that name before?"

She opened another data file, adding to the sprawl of evidence open above her console. John realised he was looking at a report of the assassination attempt on Jericho and a list of ISD personnel involved in the operation, the names having been extracted from the survivors.

John spotted the distinctive surname at the top of the list and read the entry aloud. "Major Vihaan Khatri: body retrieved from wreck of ISD APC at Baybury City -- DNA ident confirmed."

"He was Arjun Khatri's nephew," Irillith murmured, reading through the Major's personnel record.

"Any chance it's a coincidence?" Tashana asked, sounding deeply sceptical.

John snorted and shared a glance with the Maliri sisters.

"We know how you feel about those," Irillith said with a wry smile. "Well, there you go... It looks like we've found the conspirators."

"Petran and Khatri are only guilty by association at the moment," John said, his eyes narrowing. "Can you track down their current location? I'm curious to know if they've bolted as well."

Irillith immersed herself in the Cyber-realm and launched a fresh set of data probes to find the suspects. It didn't take long for her to hack through the security systems at their residences on Terra and discover that neither of the former admirals had returned home for several days. She delved through comms logs, looking for more clues, her violet eyes flashing from side-to-side as she sifted through private correspondence.

"Petran fled Terra and has gone incommunicado. His estranged wife has been trying to track him down; he cleared out all their accounts before he left," she explained, blinking rapidly as she emerged from her digital spirit walk. "Petran was very wealthy. It looks like he bankrolled the operation."

John nodded his understanding. "What about Khatri?"

"According to his comms logs, he's gone home... to the family estate on Mazaya. It's a planet in the Ross 248 system."

"He's got some balls trying to brazen this out," John muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. "He must know it's only a matter of time before we made the connection with his nephew."

Alyssa walked down the illuminated steps from the Command Podium, then glided down the ramp to join them. "That's only ten light years from Terra; why don't we make a house call? We could have a little chat over coffee... ask him nicely if he knows anything."

Tashana winced at her ominous tone. "I almost feel sorry for him."

"If he's guilty, he'll be feeling pretty sorry too," Alyssa said, her smile of anticipation lacking any humour.

John drummed his fingers on Irillith's station, his expression conflicted. "How long will it take? Don't forget that we could always hand this over to Lynette and let her send in the troops to arrest him. I really want to take down these assholes, but we need to get back to Genthalas as soon as possible to stop the mess with the matriarchs from escalating. We can't risk getting distracted by diversions."

"It depends on what kind of reception we get and how hard it is to find him," the blonde replied with a shrug. "If we have to fight our way in and hunt Khatri down... maybe an hour, two at the most? I think it's well worth the time; If he was involved and we can get our hands on him, I'll be able to identify everyone he was working with."

John considered that, mulling over the risks and benefits. "Alright, let's do it. We'll visit Jericho and Olympus first, then hit Mazaya before we leave for Maliri Space."

Alyssa kissed him on the cheek. "Thanks for letting me handle it personally."

"They went after our friends. I want some payback too..."

Voices from the grav-tube reached his sensitive ears and John glanced across the Bridge to see Mateo and Emily rising up in the blue anti-gravity field. They stepped out, chatting animatedly together, then paused when they sensed the brooding atmosphere on the Command Deck.

"Is this a bad time?" Mateo asked, feeling like he was intruding.

"Not at all," John replied, forcing a smile. "Everything okay?"

The young man grinned. "I just wanted to let you know that the duel's about to start."

"Thanks, I'll head down there with you." John nodded to the twins and brushed fingers with Alyssa as he departed, walking past her and up the ramp towards the grav-tubes.

Alyssa followed him, then smiled at their guests as she ascended the Command Podium. "Come back later and I'll give you a tour of the Bridge."

"You're not going to watch the match?" Mateo asked, looking surprised.

She shook her head. "I don't like seeing the people I love hitting each other, even if it is only play fighting."

"See, I told you it was weird!" Emily exclaimed, darting a triumphant smile at her boyfriend.

John joined the couple in the grav-tube and they floated down to Deck Three. "What did you think of the Dojo?"

"I haven't seen it yet," Mateo explained, as their host led them into the corridor. "Callie said they'd meet us there. They're just getting showered and changed first."

"That's probably wise. I doubt those skimpy bikinis would handle the strain," Emily noted, flashing a cheeky grin at John.

He laughed, enjoying the delightful imagery that provoked. "Good point."

"Em... that's my sister you're talking about," Mateo protested.

"As if you'd be able to take your eyes off Sakura! So much for you just having a thing for blondes," she scoffed, before turning to pout at John. "Is being unreasonably tall and incredibly beautiful a requirement to serving on your crew? I don't think I've ever felt so short and dumpy!"

"Alyssa's in charge of recruitment," John replied, saying the oft-repeated phrase with tremendous satisfaction for once. "You'll have to direct your complaints to her."

Emily pretended to seriously consider it. "I might just do that."

*I know a way we could solve her self-esteem issues...* Alyssa purred, a teasing lilt to her voice.

*Yeah, I bet you do,* John replied, tapping the button to open the door at the end of the corridor. He gestured inside. "After you."

Mateo and Emily looked around the Dojo's armoury in fascination, studying the suits of armour and racks of wickedly-sharp weapons. While they were distracted, John walked over to the computer interface that controlled the Dojo's holographic settings and made some selections for the upcoming bout. When he was finished, John beckoned the couple into the main sparring area.

"Wow..." Mateo murmured in a hushed voice, staring in awe at the teakwood columns surrounding the Dojo and the magnificent view beyond.

Emily wandered out onto the training mats, then slowly turned, taking in the spectacular sight of the mountain range shrouded in fluffy white clouds. "This place is stunning! It actually feels like we're standing on top of a mountain!"

"It's Mount Daisen, isn't it?" Jack asked, as he entered the Dojo with Helene at his side.

John nodded in affirmation. "That's right. How did you know?"

"I visited Japan with Maria years ago," the older man replied, padding across the mats to stand beside Emily. He had changed into his sparring gear and looked much more at ease. "It's just as breathtaking as I remember."

There was an ominous rumble of thunder and the sky began to darken as grey storm clouds drew closer.

Helene jumped in surprise. "What was that?"

"A sign that the duel is about to start," John replied, having configured the storm to begin when the girls activated the armour-equipping frames. He reached for Helene's hand and led her away from the training mats. "Let's give them some room..."

Helene gently caressed his fingers as she sat down beside him, a warm smile on her pretty face. Jack, Mateo, and Emily joined them at the edge of the sparring area, their faces alight with curiosity. A jagged lightning bolt sizzled across the sky, followed a moment later by another boom of thunder, the bright flash highlighting an armoured figure as she stalked across the Dojo.

Calara was wielding a long-bladed naginata, the polearm whistling through the air as she spun it effortlessly in her hands. She moved through a series of kata, twirling the spear-like weapon around in graceful arcs before lunging forward in deadly thrusts. Her audience watched spellbound at the remarkable display of martial skill and even John was impressed by Calara's precision and speed, recognising the results of many hours spent training intensively with Sakura.

The storm was now raging overhead and had plunged the Dojo into an oppressive gloom, the darkness broken by sporadic flashes of lightning. With everyone's focus on Calara, they didn't notice Sakura's furtive entrance into the pagoda, but there was no missing the cartwheeling assassin as she backflipped across the floor towards her foe. Twin ninjato slashed through the air and crashed into Calara's naginata, the blades striking each other as a searing peal of thunder rocked the Dojo.

John felt Helene jump in fright and he darted a fond glance at the teal-hued beauty, who watched the two combatants with wide eyes. Despite Emily's earlier protestations, the blonde was just as captivated by the dramatic entrance, her hand over her mouth as she watched the battle in hushed silence. Jack and Mateo were leaning forward as if to get as close to the action as possible, their gaze following every sharp slash and scything blow.

Sakura struck out at Calara with a flurry of lightning-fast blows, forcing her opponent onto the defensive. The naginata whirled around to parry each stab with blade or shaft, a ringing retort echoing around the Dojo every time the weapons clashed. Despite Sakura's speed, Calara was still able to counterattack, letting the momentum of her polearm spin fluidly from a resounding parry into a ferocious overhead chop.

Now it was Sakura's turn to defend herself, blocking the onrushing blade with both swords. Having robbed the blow of its power, she held off the weapon with one ninjato, while stabbing at Calara's knee with the other. The Latina pivoted away on her back leg and brought the blade of her spear around in a sweeping slash that would have disembowelled a lesser opponent. Sakura was forced to drop to the mat, letting the naginata whistle overhead, the cutting edge missing her by inches. She launched herself upright like a coiled spring, then was back on the attack, searching for a weak point in Calara's robust defences.

Having observed Sakura's fighting style many times before, John watched the Asian swordmistress with interest. She attacked with her usual ferocity, hitting Calara with a relentless series of slices and thrusts that were designed to force her opponent back on their heels. It was a testimony to Calara's skill with a naginata that she was able to keep the deadly ninja at bay, her unusually long weapon giving her a surprising number of opportunities to reverse Sakura's assault.

Back and forth the combat raged, the Lionesses raining blows down on each other, the peal from their clashing blades almost as loud as the lightning splitting the heavens. Sakura lunged at her wily adversary, her whistling sword mere moments from impaling Calara's armoured thigh, only for it to be intercepted by the naginata's curved blade. Calara whipped the long weapon around and knocked the stabbing thrust aside, but instead of attacking with her second blade, Sakura twisted in the direction of the sweeping slash.

She parried the polearm's pommel as it swung down at her head, dropping down as she deflected the powerful blow. Her body was still turning as she moved with the momentum of the parry and she kicked Calara's legs out from under her using a bone-crunching sweep. Caught off balance, the Latina crashed to the mat on her back with a startled cry.

Sakura was on her in a flash, the razor-sharp point of her ninjato tapping Calara's armoured throat in what would have been a lethal coup de grace. The Latina held up a hand to acknowledge her defeat, conceding that her formidable opponent would have beheaded her if she'd struck with force. Sakura grinned and rose to her feet, then bowed to Emily before sheathing her ninjato and offering Calara a hand.

Enthralled by the spectacular duel, it took the stunned audience a moment to realise it was over.

"She did it!" Emily gasped, her eyes sparkling with delight. "My champion won!"

"Congratulations," Jack said with a wry smile. "You've earned the Fernandez seal of approval. You can continue dating my son."

Mateo laughed and pulled a giggling Emily into a hug, the young couple celebrating Sakura's victory with a kiss.

"That was amazing!" Helene exclaimed, gazing at her friends in awe.

"I thought you might find it interesting," John said with a smile. He raised an eyebrow and glanced at Helene's hand that was crushing his in a vice-like grip. "Could I have my hand back, honey? I want to talk to the girls."

Helene blushed as she released him. "Sorry!"

He leaned over to kiss her cheek, then rose to his feet and walked over to join the panting combatants. "Helene was right; that was an incredible performance. I can't believe how good you've become with a naginata, Calara. Sakura was very lucky to avoid those counterattacks."

"Thanks, John!" she gushed, grinning with delight at his warm praise. "I'm determined to defeat her eventually."

Sakura saw that Jack was approaching and quickly added, "Actually, it was unfair of me to choose to fight with weapons, considering how many years of experience I have. If we'd fought unarmed, the outcome would have been very different."

"It sounds like I'm in for a painful afternoon then," Jack said, patting his daughter on her pauldron and smiling at her affectionately. He looked each of the girls in the eye and continued with respect, "I've always been fascinated by martial weapon exhibition matches, but that was by far the most impressive I've ever seen. Thank you for putting on that demonstration."

"You're welcome!" they said together, the two duellists beaming back at him.

John put his arm around the Asian girl and said to Jack and Calara, "Would you mind if I borrow Sakura? I'd love to watch a sparring match between the two of you, but we need to do some important training."

"Go ahead, we'll see you at dinner," Calara replied, removing her helmet.

"Thanks, honey," John said, giving her a kiss goodbye. "Good luck in the match."

"Aren't you supposed to say that to the underdog?" she asked, grinning at her father.

Calara's eyes sparkled with excitement and John could see how much this meant to her. After years of having to sit back and watch as her father trained her brothers to fight, being able to challenge him to a sparring match was like a dream come true for the gorgeous brunette.

Mateo shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day that Callie started smack talking you, dad. You're not going to stand for that are you?"

Jack raised an eyebrow. "You better go get changed for the fight, Princess Twinkle. Unless you feel safer in all that armour?"

Calara blushed, looking mortified. "Dad!"

John chuckled as he glanced at her curiously. "Princess Twinkle?"

"Don't say a word!" Calara blurted out, glaring at her father and brother. "I'm not kidding!"

With their laughter echoing around the pagoda, John and Sakura waved goodbye before heading into the Dojo's armoury.

"Aren't you putting on your training armour?" Sakura asked in surprise as John walked past his equipping frame.

"No, I think we should use our regular gear. Otherwise we'll never be able to hack through a hex shield."

Nodding her understanding, she moved over to an empty equipping frame and removed her armour.

As they made their way to the grav-tube, John glanced at Sakura. "Calara's progress with the naginata is very impressive in such a short time; you've taught her well."

"She's an excellent student," the Asian girl replied, smiling at the compliment.

"Do you normally hold back that much when you're sparring with her?" he asked, giving her a knowing look.

Sakura darted an anxious glance behind them.

"Don't worry, she didn't hear; they're all still in the Dojo," John said with a reassuring smile. "I doubt anyone else would have noticed. I only realised because I've fought you so many times."

"I could have ended that fight much faster, but it was an exhibition match and I wanted Calara to look good in front of her family," Sakura admitted, her brown eyes searching John's face for his reaction. "It's hard to learn from a superior opponent if they end the match as quickly as possible and I don't want to risk discouraging her. When Calara does finally beat me, she will have earned it."

"You're just a sweetheart aren't you?" he said, giving her an affectionate sideways hug. "You've actually got the opposite training style to Yamamoto; he seemed to delight in humiliating me with brutally quick decapitations."

"I think Yamamoto's technique worked for you, because it made you strive harder to defeat him. Calara loves sparring and I wouldn't want to risk dampening her enthusiasm by getting her that frustrated," Sakura explained. "Saying that, it's getting more difficult to beat her; it won't be long before she becomes a serious challenge."

John nodded as they entered the grav-tube. "She's a natural counter fighter. I've never seen anyone so good at taking advantage of their opponent's mistakes."

"That makes sense, considering the nature of her abilities." Sakura pondered her student for a moment. "Did you choose to give her Prescience because it fit Calara's nature, or did she change to adapt herself to the ability?"

"I think it was the former," John said, stepping out onto Deck Two with Sakura at his side. "Calara had a talent for exploiting tactical vulnerabilities long before I gave her psychic powers."

They strolled through the bedroom at the end of the corridor, then took the express grav-tubes down to the Armoury. Sakura remained quiet as they walked, lost in her thoughts.

She stopped by the closest equipping frame and looked at John with a worried frown. "Did you base my abilities on my personality too?"

"Did I give you Cryokinesis because you're such a frosty ice maiden?" John asked, before rolling his eyes and pulling her into a hug. "No, of course not, honey! You're fierce and remorseless to our enemies, but you've always been warm and caring towards me and the girls. I think we discussed this before; I used Shinatobe as my inspiration for your abilities, so you could take advantage of all your combat experience. I gave you psychic speed to emulate the cybernetic adrenalin booster, but the cold and wind powers were based on the mythical goddess."

"That's okay then," she replied, blushing and giving him a self-conscious smile.

He brushed his hand through her long silky hair, the raven tresses wonderfully soft as they flowed over his fingers. "I thought you were past those kind of worries. Is everything alright?"

She turned to kiss his wrist. "Of course, why wouldn't it be?" Sakura asked, studying him with her exotic almond-shaped eyes.

John hesitated, unsure whether she was just trying to placate him and there really was something bothering her. Taking the young woman at her word, he pulled away and stepped into his Paragon boots, while slipping his hands into the gauntlets. The robotic arms swung down, sealing him inside his body armour in a matter of seconds. By the time he had stepped away from the equipping frame, Sakura was also fully-geared in a Paragon suit and reaching for her twin ninjato.

She twirled the short swords around in an elaborate flourish, then watched John curiously as he walked over to the second set of grav tubes. "Haven't you forgotten something?"

He glanced back at his gleaming rune blade. "Larn'kelnar used psychic powers rather than a melee weapon. I thought it might be a good idea to practice defending myself just using my abilities, rather than relying on my sword. It'll also give you an opportunity to try hacking through my hex shield without having to fend off physical attacks."

"That's a good idea," Sakura agreed, nodding her approval before descending in the red anti-gravity field.

Strolling through to the Primary Hangar, they walked past the black Progenitor ship and kept going, only stopping when they were in the middle of the huge empty space beyond. Despite the hangar being occupied with the shuttle, they still had the equivalent of a football field to practice in, giving them plenty of room to cut loose with their abilities. John stopped in the centre and readied himself for combat, feeling oddly naked without his runic weapon.

Sakura rolled her shoulders as she paced across the deck, turning to face John when she was a dozen metres away. "Are we setting any sparring rules?"

John shook his head. "Hit me with whatever you've got. Your objective is to bring down my shield and land a solid blow."

She shifted into an offensive stance, bouncing on the balls of her feet as she readied herself for combat. A white sphere appeared around her, the hex-barrier rolling around her body. "Say when..."

John summoned his own psychic shield, the globe of blue hexagons springing into existence around him. It began to rotate, sluggishly at first, then with greater speed. "Go!"

Sakura pirouetted to the side, instinctively dodging the psychic spear that John hurled in her direction. Her eyes widened as the shield-piercing attack whistled past, then kicked off with her back foot as she activated her enhanced speed. Charging towards him, she saw that John was moving faster now as well, backpedalling rapidly to keep some distance between them. She tapped into her reserves and grinned with anticipation as she felt that delicious glacial chill suffuse her being.

Having nothing but psychic powers to defend himself felt fundamentally wrong, but John recognised that it just meant he'd become over-reliant on his sword. As Sakura charged in his direction, he tried to recall the various powers that the guide had used against him. His malevolent alter-ego seemed to prefer shadow manipulation, but despite John's best efforts to raise a shadow barrier to block the agile ninja's advance, nothing happened.

Cursing in frustration, he continued his retreat, only to skid on an icy patch of decking. As he tried to regain his footing, John heard an ugly cracking sound behind him. He glanced that way and saw a solid wall of ice had formed, cutting off his retreat. Before he could do anything to break that frozen obstacle, Sakura pounced on him, plunging her frost-shrouded blades towards his hex-shield. She had reversed her grip on the twin swords, using them like ice picks to unleash a blistering flurry of stabs at his protective barrier.

John watched in alarm as she cracked hexes with each vicious strike, the rapid rotation of the sphere the only thing preventing her from hacking through. He repaired shattered hexagons as quickly as possible, then lashed out in her direction with a wall of telekinetic force. Sakura's hex-shield protected her from being crushed by the impact, but it still sent her cartwheeling backwards across the hangar.

She recovered quickly, landing like a cat and skidding to a halt. Setting off again, Sakura pointed a fist in his direction, launching an arctic lance of her own towards him. It had sufficient force to plunge through his shield, but John's psychic alacrity saved him, the sideways leap allowing him to narrowly avoid being impaled.

"Damn... nice," John growled, giving the Asian girl an approving nod.

Grinning back at him, she vaulted over his answering telekinetic javelin, closing the distance so that she could renew her melee assault on his shield. John narrowed his eyes and made a swiping gesture with his hand. A blocky projection appeared, whipping out to coil around her foot like a polygonal tentacle. The snaring attack was blocked by Sakura's psychic shield, but its unusual nature caught her by surprise, momentarily distracting her mid-charge.

John hit her with another wall of telekinetic force from his left hand and hurled a jagged spear with his right, knocking her down and shattering a cluster of hexagons directly in front of her chest. As Sakura flipped to her feet, she desperately repaired her shield as he pummelled her with blows from the angular tentacle and sent another javelin screaming in her direction.

"Don't get distracted!" he warned as he knocked out another cluster of hexagons with his telekinetic strike. "You need to be prepared for anything from those bastards!"

Sakura gave him a curt nod as she rebuilt her shield. She set off again, ducking under his next psychic lance and skidding across the slippery deck, before vaulting into the air. A sudden blast of icy wind catapulted her in his direction and she rebounded off the frozen wall directly behind him. John whirled around as she stabbed him repeatedly in the back, the hex barrier barely keeping her at bay.

He blasted her with a focused telekinetic arc of energy that slammed into Sakura's shield, cracking hexagons in a broad horizontal slash and knocking her back several steps. Behind her, the ice barrier exploded, frozen chunks sent skittering across the hangar floor. She grinned wickedly and raised both hands, lifting a thousand razor sharp shards of ice into the air.

"Oh shit..." John muttered, backing away and channelling everything he had into reinforcing his shield.

She slashed out with both swords, unleashing a ferocious storm of ice that peppered his barrier, weakening the entire front hemisphere. Sakura began her charge and launched a frozen javelin that blasted a gaping hole in his defences. John was trying to fix that rift when she crashed into him, striking the failing sphere with a frenzy of blows. John's shield popped like a burst bubble under the onslaught and the duellists were knocked sprawling in a tangle of limbs. Sakura had been expecting the fall and recovered first, twisting around to end up astride John.

"You're one very dead Progenitor," Sakura panted, her eyes alight with the thrill of victory.

John glanced down and saw that she held the tips of both swords at exposed joints in his armour. If he'd been a hostile Progenitor she would have already driven the blades home and skewered his heart.

He grinned and nodded his approval. "Very nice!"

Sakura dismounted him, moving with a sensual grace that would have turned him on under normal circumstances. "I think I've figured it out," she said, looking thoughtful.

"Figured what out?" John asked guardedly.

"The best method for bringing down hex-shields," she replied. "Can I just try something before we start the next fight?"

He gestured for her to proceed. "Be my guest. Take as much preparation time as you need."

Sakura backed away from him a dozen metres, so she was at the same starting distance as before.

"You can come closer if you want," John offered. "Start from wherever you think you'll have the greatest advantage."

"This is fine," she said, shaking her head. "Besides, in a real battle we'd probably start the fight at a distance and we should try to make this as realistic as possible."

John considered correcting her, but changed his mind, not wanting to give Sakura any clues as to the real objective of this training. "Sure, that makes sense."

She closed her eyes, her brow furrowed with concentration. John noticed that the icy fragments littering the floor had started to move, billowing gusts pushing them across the deck. The wind began to pick up speed, moving in a circular motion around Sakura, a faint whistling carrying in the air as the shards of ice were blown away from the epicentre. As the eldritch tornado intensified, the whistling deepened to an eerie howl, the wind buffeting John where he stood.

He saw the glittering carpet of ice reverse direction, now being pulled into the swirling vortex instead of being pushed away, drawn into the whirlwind's chaotic grip. Summoning another hex shield seemed like a wise precaution, especially now that the dull roar of the twister was accompanied by clattering shrieks as chunks of ice smashed into each other. He could barely make out Sakura's white armoured form amidst that dreadful maelstrom, but there was no mistaking the brilliant glow of her almond-shaped eyes staring directly at him.

"Ready when you are..." she said softly, her quiet voice cutting through the dirge like it wasn't even there.

"Go!" he yelled, his reply swallowed up by the dreadful cacophony.

Sakura stalked towards him, the lethal barrier moving with her, those clawing winds threatening to drag him into that storm. John knew that he had to keep her at a distance and built a stationary wall of force in front of him to hinder her approach. Ice shattered on the barrier, sending flurries of tiny ice particles into the air in a blizzard of snow. The winds shifted and the whirling shroud of icy flechettes soared over his psychic wall, hurtling at incredible speed above his head.

As she changed course to avoid the obstacle, John summoned a forest of angular telekinetic tentacles to lash at Sakura's hex shield, trying to break through and entangle her feet. At the same time, he created a glowing fist that plunged through the howling whirlwind to batter her shield. It pulverised the hex barrier with pounding blows, the force sending ripples through the dome and cracking a dozen plates with every strike.

When Sakura saw the flailing swarm of tentacles in conjunction with the disembodied fist, she faltered, a flicker of horrified recognition in her glowing eyes. With her concentration broken, the howling tornado flew apart with a tortured screech of protest, jagged shards of ice spraying wildly across the hangar.

"I knew something was wrong, especially when you didn't use your sword! You're pretending to be your guide!" she cried out, the twin ninjato dropping from her nerveless fingers. "You're not training me to assassinate Progenitors! You're training me to kill you!"

"Goddamnit!" John growled in frustration, dismissing all his psychic constructs with a wave of his hand. "Why'd you all have to be so bloody clever?"

Sakura tore off her Paragon helmet and threw it aside, a look of wild desperation in her eyes. "I know I'm not as close to you as Dana and the rest of the girls, but I do love you, I promise!"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

"You think I don't love you as much as they do..." she replied, looking heartbroken. "That's why you picked me to do this!"

"Oh, honey... it's not that at all," he said, removing his own helmet and pulling her into a tight hug.

Sakura wept as he held her, shoulders shaking as she sobbed.

*Girls, I'm blocking you out. You know why,* John said to his trio of matriarchs.

Alyssa, Jade, and Edraele quietly acknowledged him, relief mixed with trepidation in their replies.

John grimaced, hating seeing Sakura so upset. "I know how you feel about me, Sakura, and I feel the same way about you. I love you so much."

"Then why pick me to be your executioner?" she asked, looking up at him with red-rimmed eyes. "How can you ask me to do that?! I can't imagine anything worse!"

"I can..." he said grimly.

She looked at him in confusion mixed with dread. "What do you mean?"

"Sakura... if I face my guide and lose, I'll be destroyed and he'll take control of my body. What do you think he's going to do to you and the rest of the girls after I'm gone?"

There was fear in her eyes now, quickly followed by a look of sickening revulsion that went right down to her soul.

"I can't let that happen... I won't," John declared with grim resolve. "If I lose, you're the only one that can stop him."

Sakura frantically shook her head. "That's not true! Alyssa's much more powerful than me!"

John stroked her cheek, giving her a look filled with sympathy. "She can't do it, honey. Alyssa's been my matriarch since the start... she's not mentally capable of doing what needs to be done."

"The others then?" she pleaded with him. Her eyes suddenly widened with hope. "What about Jade? She ripped Larn'kelnar apart and she's grown even stronger now!"

"She's powerful enough... but Jade's still a Nymph at heart; I can't take the risk that she's incapable of harming her master." He let out a heavy sigh. "I hate to put you in this position, Sakura... but there's no one else I can turn to. You're the only one that I can truly trust to protect the girls."

"You've been planning this for weeks... months even... haven't you?" she accused, looking deeply hurt.

He hesitated, then reluctantly nodded. "When I realised that someday I'd have to settle things permanently with my guide, I thought long and hard about who I should ask to be my contingency plan if I fail. With your speed, skills, and strength, you're definitely powerful enough to destroy him... but that wasn't the only reason I knew that you were the one. You love the girls... and you wouldn't be able to stand the horrible injustice of my guide abusing them for eternity."

Sakura's shoulders slumped in defeat, a fresh set of tears rolling down her cheeks. "Is that why we're not as close as you are with the others? Have you been deliberately keeping me at a distance to make sure I can... kill you... if I have to?"

"Oh, honey, no!" he quickly replied, shaking his head in denial. "I never meant for you to feel that way, I swear!"

"But it's still true though..." she said dejectedly. "I see the way you light up when you're having fun with Dana, or flirting with the twins, or even being teased by Alyssa. You have so much respect for Calara and Rachel, you rely on them for advice all the time... and you're so protective of Jade and Helene, it's obvious how much you care about them. I just wish I could make you as happy as they all can."

Pulling the Asian girl into a tight hug, John was wracked with guilt at seeing her react so badly. "I'm so sorry you've been feeling neglected. I swear it wasn't intentional." Grimacing in frustration, he continued, "I knew if we kept recruiting girls, this would happen eventually. Taking on Helene and Jade's four sisters was too much... I've been so focused on feeding them recently, that I've not been giving you the attention you deserve."

Sakura brushed away her tears then shook her head. "No, don't say that. Helene and the Nymphs are all lovely... I understand why you've had to spend time with them and I wouldn't have it any other way. Helene's helped so many people and I think it's wonderful that you're helping to free the Nymphs."

"But you still feel like I don't love you... or even like you... as much as the others?" he asked sadly.

She hesitated, then looked away, unable to meet his troubled gaze. The slight nod of her head was more than enough to confirm his worst fears. Rather than immediately try to persuade her otherwise, John stroked Sakura's back and seriously considered what she was saying to him.

"Alright... I can see why you might have got that impression," he finally conceded. When she slumped even more with dejection, he quickly added, "But it's not because I don't care about you as much as them!"

"Why then?" she asked, looking up at him with a terribly conflicted expression.

He glanced down at their fully-armoured bodies. "We're done with training for today; let's get out of this armour and find somewhere more comfortable to discuss this properly."

Sakura sighed and turned away to retrieve her swords and helmet.

John caught her gauntleted hand. "I do love you, Sakura. I promise."

She nodded, then gave him a tremulous smile. "I believe you."

They walked around the rapidly melting ice as they crossed the huge room, with John leading Sakura through the reinforced doors into the Secondary Hangar. Instead of returning to the Armoury, he strode towards the Raptor, his subdued companion following him up the ramp into the gunship. The armour equipping frames were empty there, so they stood in place and let the robotic arms remove their Paragon suits.

When they stepped clear, John drew Sakura into a hug and gently stroked her back. "Let's talk upstairs, we won't be disturbed there."

"Okay..." she murmured in a hushed voice.

They ascended in the grav-tube, then John opened the door to the Cabin and gestured for Sakura to proceed inside. She glided into the room, moving with the feline grace of a prowling panther, even while she was upset. Sakura demurely climbed onto the bed, then raised an eyebrow as she moved over to give him room.

John gave her a self-conscious smile. "Alright, I know you girls joke about this. Yes, you're probably going to end up with a full tummy after we've talked, but that's not why I brought you up to this bedroom. We've got some important things to discuss and this was the closest place to do so comfortably and in private." He hesitated, looking at her with concern. "But I'll understand perfectly if you don't want to do anything afterwards."

She leaned over to give him a tender kiss. "I'm one of your girls, John," she said softly, looking up at him with big eyes. "I always want you..."

He returned her kiss, then guided Sakura back onto the bed and lay down beside her, propping himself up on an elbow. The Asian girl looked more relaxed now, the initial shock over thoughts of John dying --especially at her hand-- starting to fade.

"We were talking earlier, about you having the impression that I don't love you as much as the other girls. First of all, that's not true, but I can see why you might have started to feel that way."

"Why is that?" she asked, holding her breath as she waited for his answer.

"There's a few reasons, but none of them are your fault," he explained, giving her a reassuring smile. "First and in no particular order, you tend to fight alone in the Valkyrie."

Her brow furrowed in confusion. "What's that got to do with our relationship?"

John gave her a helpless shrug. "I tend to bond with the girls in combat. The danger... the fear... the excitement... saving each other's lives... it brings us closer together. You're extremely dangerous in that mech, but the downside is that you can't be at my side when we fight."

She blinked in surprise. "Damn... you're right! Even though that fight against Larn'kelnar was terrifying, I've never felt closer to you than I did afterwards."

He brushed aside a lock of her hair. "Yeah, that's the kind of thing I'm talking about."

Sakura looked hugely relieved already. "Okay... what else?" she asked eagerly.

"You spend a lot of time training in the Dojo, either alone or with Calara," he replied, reaching out to stroke her thigh.

"Training is bad?" she asked, looking bewildered.

"No, it's very important... and it's given you beautiful definition," he said, admiring her spectacular muscle tone.

"Thank you," she said, blushing at his compliment. "But..."

"I just haven't had the time to train with you recently," he explained, pre-emptively answering her question. "Between focusing on developing the Nymph's personalities, or constantly psychic shaping for Dana, I've been neglecting my training."

Sakura nodded her understanding. "Is that why you're such good friends with her?"

"It's definitely a factor," he agreed. "Dana's been my source of Progenitor schematics from the start, so that brought us closer for obvious reasons. She also designs and builds all our gear, which means she needs lots of input from me regarding prioritisation."

"And she's very likeable," Sakura freely admitted. "I'm not jealous of her... I just wish I had that same magnetic kind of personality."

"There's nothing wrong with who you are, Sakura," John said adamantly. "You're kind and caring, loyal to your friends, and very brave. I have the ability to change your personality in any way I want... but I haven't touched a thing, because I love you just the way you are. If I really wanted another Dana, you'd be swearing like a trooper, calling everything awesome, and begging me for a full tummy every chance you got."

She laughed and gave him a warm smile. "Alright, that's a good point... although I do think you're awesome."

"I think you are too, but I don't think I turned myself into Dana either," he said, pretending to frown as if considering it.

Sakura giggled and hugged him. "Okay, anything else?"

"We actually discussed this next one recently: You're our Security Officer, but there haven't been many opportunities for me to take advantage of your expertise. That's all going to change as we start hunting Progenitors and I'll be working closely with you in the future, planning how best to eliminate them. In fact, you'll probably get sick of me badgering you."

"Never," she said affectionately.

"We'll definitely be spending more time training together-" John began, then paused when he saw her face fall. He quickly clarified, "To fight other Progenitors, honey... not just my guide."

Sakura's face was still twisted in anguish. "Can't you just train harder to beat him? I can't do it, John... I'm begging you, please don't ask me to do this!"

"I promise I'm going to do everything I can to prepare for the fight," he said solemnly. "But I have to plan for the worst case scenario... just in case I lose. If you can think of any alternative way to defeat my guide and keep you girls safe, I'm all ears... but I've spent weeks trying to come up with another plan and got nowhere."

Sakura stared up at the ceiling, her brow furrowed in concentration and her mouth twisted into a troubled frown. John stayed quiet and gave her time to think, gently running his fingers over her beautifully toned stomach muscles as he waited. The minutes ticked by until Sakura blew out her breath in frustration.

"I've got nothing," she conceded, the pain evident in her eyes.

"You're the only one I can rely on to stop my guide if I lose," he pressed her, needing her agreement. "At that point, I'll already be dead... and you'll be my last line of defence for the girls."

She reluctantly nodded, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I hate it... but I'll keep them safe for you."

"So brave... so loyal... how could you think that I don't appreciate how special you are?" he murmured, catching the glistening droplet and brushing it away. "I know how much it hurts you to even think about this, honey... I'll speak with Athena to see if there's something I can do to take that pain away. Until then, it's probably best if we don't discuss it any more. I don't want to cause you any more unnecessary suffering."

"Will you promise me that you'll train as hard as you can to beat your guide?" Sakura pleaded with him, growing increasingly distressed. "You have to save me from this... it's too terrible to even think about."

John gathered her up into a hug. "I will... I swear. Even if you're forced to stop my guide, you and the girls would still be vulnerable to the rest of the Progenitors out there. The best chance I have of keeping all of you safe is to defeat my guide, then take out those bastards personally. You must know that protecting you is the most important thing in the world to me."

"I do," she murmured into his chest, sounding reassured.

He held her close until she had calmed and John decided not to bring this painful subject up again, having put Sakura through enough already that afternoon.

"John? Would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" she tentatively enquired.

"You can ask me anything you like," he replied with an indulgent smile, stroking her onyx mane.

"We talked about lots of aspects of our relationship today... but we haven't discussed sex. Is there something I can do better in bed?" she asked, real vulnerability in her eyes.

John quickly shook his head, but before he could reply, Sakura placed a finger on his lips.

"You don't come to me as much as the others, especially Dana, Alyssa, or the twins..." she said softly. "I want you to enjoy being with me just as much as you love being with them."

He rested his head on the pillow beside her and gazed into Sakura's eyes. "I have been with the others more... but it's usually for practical reasons."

"I know all about you helping Sparks to learn Progenitor schematics. Alyssa's your first matriarch, she's your second-in-command, and has been with you longest. You also tend to sleep with the twins together rather than individually, so it's only fair they see more of you as a pair," she said, before giving him a gentle kiss. "But there's something holding you back with me... isn't there?"

He considered it for a moment, then reluctantly nodded. "It's not what you think though... it's the opposite in fact. I like being with you too much."

Sakura's brow furrowed in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense."

"Do you remember when you pretended to be my obedient thrall?" he asked while caressing her arm, his fingers trailing over her soft skin. "I loved it... but you know how I struggle with my Progenitor ancestry. You're very submissive in bed, which is incredibly arousing... but I can't help feeling guilty about enjoying it so much."

A look of tremendous relief swept over her features and she gave him a dazzling smile. "You really loved it that much?"

He nodded, his expression conflicted. "I really did... but our relationship is unbalanced enough as it is, without me being domineering in bed too. I already worry about taking advantage of you."

Sakura shook her head, her smile turning coy as she rose up and gracefully straddled him. "It's not you being domineering..." she murmured, moulding herself to his chest. Looking down into his eyes, she continued, "I'm in awe of you, John. There's no one in the galaxy I respect more. You've saved so many people... done so much good. You're a paragon of justice in a horribly unjust galaxy."

She hesitated, reluctant to continue, the indecision in her eyes clear to see.

"What are you trying to tell me, Sakura?" John asked quietly, humbled by her reverence for him.

Her cheeks flushed and he knew that she was baring her soul to him now. "If you were a god, I would worship you," she said in a breathy whisper. "I'd be your most devoted servant, your High Priestess of Justice..."

John could tell she was completely sincere and was shocked by her fervent declaration. At the same time, her words affected him deeply, the total devotion from such a beautiful girl an intoxicating aphrodisiac. What surprised him the most was that he felt no guilt, but he had no idea why.

Sakura felt him thickening underneath her belly and gently rocked her pelvis, rubbing herself against his throbbing shaft. She could see the startled look on his face and guessed the reason for his reaction, both physical and emotional.

"The way I feel... it has nothing to do with you being a Progenitor," she explained, her breath caressing his lips. "This is all about the man you are, John. You saved me from that awful steel prison... helped me get my revenge against Mikaboshi... and reunited me with my parents. You answered all my prayers... how could I feel any other way about my saviour?"

John rolled her over on the bed so that he was raised over her supine form. Sakura crossed her wrists above her head and her ankles behind his back, a wanton look of submissive desire in her enchanting brown eyes. Her calves pressed into his ass, while her powerful thighs gently kneaded his flanks, encouraging him to take her.

"I'll require a demonstration of faith from my High Priestess," John said, watching her pupils dilate with arousal as she hung on his every word. "I need to see you climax for me at least a dozen times..."

"Then you'll bless my womb with your cum?" Sakura panted, arching her back so that she could feel the heat of his cock against her belly.

"For the rest of your life," he replied, grinding against her and relishing the mewling whimpers that evoked. "The beautiful babies you're going to give me, Sakura... We promised your mother grandchildren... and I mean to fulfil that promise over and over again."

She cried out in ecstasy, the sensual rubbing against her clit combined with John's deep voice tipping her over the edge into bliss.

"That's one," he said with a grin of satisfaction, watching her writhing on the bed in the throes of passion.

***

*Jade, could you go and check on John for me please?* Alyssa asked, her worried voice drifting through the Nymph's mind. *I'd go myself, but there's too much shipping around here and I can't leave the Bridge. It's been a couple of hours and he still hasn't let me back in.*

*Of course, I'll head there right now,* Jade replied, sharing the blonde's concern.

"I'm going to find John," she clicked to Helene, her high-pitched sonic chatter reverberating through the water. "You can stay here and play with the Nymphs, or head back to the Dojo if my sisters have driven you to distraction."

The Aquatic girl undulated her body, fins propelling her rapidly through the water. "It felt like I was intruding in something private and personal when I watched Calara sparring with her father," she replied in a rapid burst of clicks and squeaks. "Can I come with you instead?"

Jade gave her a warm smile and held out her hand. They sliced through the water and bounded out onto the beach, where the Nymph retracted her fins and shook herself off, drying in an instant.

"Here you go," she said, handing her companion a clean towel, before shimmying into her dress.

"Oh, I wish I could do that..." Helene eyed Jade's artfully-styled voluminous mane with a sigh of longing. She plucked at her soaked green hair that was plastered to her head. "What's that Terran expression? I must look like a drowned rat."

Jade stood closer and inhaled deeply, her breasts expanding to ridiculous proportions. She expelled a warm fresh breeze and fluffed out Helene's hair, quickly drying it out until it was perfectly coifed once more.

Helene laughed gaily and flung her arms around her verdant companion. "You're the best, Jade! Thank you!"

They left the Lagoon hand-in-hand, waving goodbye to the rest of the Nymphs who were still having fun cavorting in the lake. Jade glanced at the Abandoned girl as they walked along the corridor, an ambivalent expression on her face.

"Helene... do you ever get lonely since you joined us?" she asked tentatively.

"No, not once!" Helene replied, smiling and shaking her head. "I got so used to being alone in Neptra village, but John and the girls have been so welcoming... especially you." She squeezed the Nymph's hand, her bright smile widening.

"Good... I'm glad to hear it," Jade said, guiding her companion into the grav-tube.

Helene tilted her head to one side and studied her friend. "How about you?"

The Nymph returned her smile. "Since I became a matriarch, I hear my sisters chattering away to each other constantly. They might seem quiet on the outside, but up here..." she tapped her temple. "It's a very different story."

"What do they talk about?" Helene asked curiously.

"John," Jade replied with a grin. "From the moment they wake until it's time for bed, they discuss nothing else."

Her teal-hued companion gave her a knowing look. "You love every second of it, don't you?"

Jade laughed and nodded. "He's my favourite subject too."

Helene darted another glance at Jade, her expression showing her confusion. "I don't understand what you're feeling at the moment. I sense happiness... attraction... and concern?"

"The first two applied to you," Jade explained, turning to study her companion. "The concern was for John."

"Oh, is he alright?" Helene blurted out in alarm.

"Probably... but he blocked me and Alyssa from his mind a couple of hours ago. We're going to the Raptor to make sure John and Sakura are both okay."

"I see," Helene said, looking calmer. She darted a shy smile at the Nymph and added, "I like you too."

Jade faced the Abandoned girl and held both her hands. "Helene... the reason I asked if you ever get lonely, is that I've grown very fond of you over the last few weeks. I'd hate to think of you ever feeling sad or upset about anything, so let me know if there's ever anything I can do to help."

"Like best friends?" Helene gushed, her baby-blue eyes shining with excitement. "I'd love that!"

"Yes... best friends," Jade agreed with an affectionate smile. The conversation hadn't gone quite how she'd planned.

Helene suddenly laughed and hugged the Nymph. "I'm sorry for teasing you!" She pulled back, her expression growing more serious. "I do care about you very much, Jade. Were you hinting at being interested in a relationship like the one Dana and Rachel have?"

When confronted so bluntly with that question, Jade hesitated, suddenly unsure how to respond.

"I know how much you love John," Helene said softly, placing her hand on the Nymph's chest above her heart. "Are you sure there's room in here for anyone else?"

"I do like you... very much," Jade said earnestly.

"And I like you very much too," Helene agreed, leaning in to give her a reassuring kiss. "But it's not the same as your feelings for John is it?"

Jade shook her head, surprised at the aquatic girl's perceptiveness.

"It's the same for me too," Helene explained, giving her a bashful smile. She let out her breath in a sigh of longing. "He's going to be the father of my babies..."

The Nymph stroked her own tummy, imagining her master constantly breeding her for millennia to come. It was hard to think of anything else except the beautiful kittens she would bear him, working tirelessly with her sisters to repopulate their species in the galaxy. She whimpered with desire as she imagined her fertile womb carrying her Master's child within it... a part of John growing inside her belly... for the rest of her immortal life.

She glanced at Helene and blushed, her verdant cheeks darkening.

"I know," Helene said, with a look of understanding.

Jade realised they'd reached Deck Nine already and led Helene from the grav-tube. "John worries... about us feeling neglected," she said, reaching for Helene's hand again. "I think he feels less guilty if he knows we always have someone to turn to."

"A best friend?" Helene suggested with a smile, slipping her hand into Jade's. "Someone to pair off with when we all get together? Someone who loves your sisters, and swimming in the Lagoon, and talk of babies?"

Jade nodded, her smile matching Helene's. "A best friend would be wonderful."

They entered the Secondary Hangar and approached the Raptor, which seemed silent as the grave from outside.

"What're they doing in there?" Helene asked, frowning in confusion.

"There's a bedroom on the top level," Jade explained, striding up the ramp.

After ascending in the grav-tube, the Nymph pressed a finger to her lips to urge her aquatic companion to remain silent. She tiptoed to the cabin door, which opened for her with a quiet hiss.

"Oh, she looks so happy..." Helene murmured in barely a whisper.

Jade studied Sakura, who lay fast asleep in John's arms. The couple were spooned together, Sakura's belly heavily swollen with John's cum, his hand cradling her curves possessively. The expression on the Asian girl's face was one of utter bliss, a rapturous smile illuminating her gorgeous features even in the deepest of slumbers.

***

*I hope you're not expecting me to worship you too?* Athena enquired, greeting her guest with an enigmatic smile.

John laughed and hugged the radiant blonde. *No, I knew better than that.* He paused and looked at her in surprise. *Hey, how did you overhear my conversation with Sakura? I blocked you out of my mind!*

Athena kissed him on the cheek and somehow managed to make the loving gesture feel patronising. *You barred Alyssa's access to your mental defences, but she and I are separate entities.*

*So you already know what I want to talk to you about?* he asked, reluctant to upset her.

*I do.* When John released her, Athena glided into the picturesque cottage. *Would you prefer to talk down here or in the bedroom?* she asked coyly, raising an eyebrow.

*I think business first,* John replied, gesturing to the sweeping sofas.

*As you wish,* Athena agreed, sitting demurely in her long dress.

John sat opposite and glanced down at his interlaced fingers. *I know how painful it is for you to discuss my death, but I'm afraid that can't be helped. In fact, that's precisely why I needed to speak with you.*

Athena nodded, looking thoughtful. *Yes... that's a particularly nasty aspect of Progenitor enthrallment. It would be devastating enough for any thrall to survive her Progenitor's death, even without the psychic connection amplifying the sense of loss so dramatically. Unfortunately, I have no idea why that was implemented.*

John looked up at her and frowned in confusion. *Wait... how come you're not upset discussing this?*

She smiled at him indulgently and caressed her trim stomach. *Despite your very best efforts to enthral me, my nature and the nature of the Astral Plane preclude it.*

*So we're not actually connected?* John asked, shocked that he'd never realised it until now.

*Oh, I wouldn't say that,* Athena replied, toying with a tendril of hair. *But our connection is emotional rather than psychic.*

It took him a moment to realise what she meant and he smiled as he did so. *I love you too.*

She twitched her nose at him affectionately, but he could tell by the look in Athena's eye that it meant a lot to her to hear him say the words.

*With that in mind, I'd really appreciate some straight answers,* he requested, leaning forward expectantly.

Athena mimed rubbing her bottom and pouted. *Very well, if you insist.*

*Is there some way I can strip that aspect out of my connection to the girls? It's horrible seeing them fall apart every time I mention the possibility of my death.*

The glowing girl sighed and shook her head. *I wish that there were, John. The connection between you and the girls... your thralls, to use the traditional vernacular, is very complex. Their compulsion to blindly obey any instruction you gave them was so obnoxious that it hung like a cloying shroud over all your interactions together and was thus relatively easy to strip away. The more subtle aspects of your influence over the girls will be far harder to root out.*

*What are you referring to specifically? Can you give me an example?*

She reclined on the sofa, the coy smile back in place. *You must know them by heart now. The lack of jealousy between your merry band of doe-eyed maidens, their sudden interest in the fairer sex when they join you... Need I go on?*

*Alright, I get your point.*

*The situation is further complicated by the fact that some of these subtleties were introduced at your behest, rather than being innate to the regular Progenitor connection. I suspect that instinctively you'll be reluctant to undo your own work... and with good reason.*

*Wait... I created some of these rules myself?!* he asked in surprise.

*Of course,* she replied blithely. *Do you honestly think that a Progenitor cares in the slightest about running a happy household? He gives orders to his thralls and they obey his every whim... whether they bitterly resent each other for being chosen to warm his bed would be beneath his concern.*

John shook his head in disgust. *The lives of women aboard those dreadnoughts must be unbearable.*

*I imagine so,* Athena said softly, a look of compassion in her eyes.

*So there's nothing I can do?* John asked, unable to keep the frustration from his tone.

*There's no way of altering a pre-existing connection, but we could try experimenting in a similar fashion to your first modification. If you cut off one of the girls, then re-established your connection to her after making some changes, we might be able to make some breakthroughs. You'd have to be extraordinarily careful not to accidentally damage some of the beneficial aspects of your eldritch network, such as the power transfer and the intrinsic contribution that every thrall makes to the sum total of your psychic might.*

John's shoulders slumped. *No, I can't do that to them. Cutting them off is agonising... I'm not willing to put any of the girls through that except as a very last resort.*

*Then I'm afraid you're stuck with your existing connection to the girls,* Athena said with sympathy. *If there was any way I could help you, I would... but the ability to link thralls together into a psychic network is at the very heart of a Progenitor's repertoire. Making changes is not something to be considered lightly.*

*Alright, I understand,* he said, meeting her concerned gaze. *Thank you, Athena. I appreciate your candid replies.*

*It was my pleasure,* she murmured, rising from her seat. *Speaking of which, perhaps we should retire to the bedroom to discuss payment for my sage council?*

He chuckled and took her hand, following the beautiful glowing woman up the staircase to her boudoir.

***

John was gently shaken awake and when he opened his eyes, the first thing he saw was Sakura's beatific smile.

"You looked so peaceful, I'm sorry I had to disturb you," she said, before leaning down to kiss him.

He stretched and glanced to his right at the chronometer on the wall. It came as a shock to see that it read "19:25".

"Dinner's nearly ready," she explained, stroking his stomach when it grumbled in protest.

"I better get a shower then," he said, sliding out of bed and offering her a hand. He glanced down at the Asian girl's waistline and was surprised to see that she was back to her normal trim proportions.

"Jade was here with Helene an hour ago. She left afterwards to top up her sisters."

"Did she share with you?" he asked, brushing the backs of his fingers across her slim tummy.

She blushed and nodded.

"Good," he said with satisfaction, giving her a kiss.

They showered together as quickly as possible, but John couldn't help being distracted by his lovely companion. He took over soaping her down, his hands gliding over her luscious golden-brown body.

"This afternoon was hard..." Sakura said quietly. "But I'm so glad we talked."

"So it's not just me that feels like something special happened between us?" John asked, encircling her in his arms.

She shook her head, leaning back against his chest and tilting her head up for a kiss.

They stood quietly for a moment, until Sakura whispered, "You don't need to worry anymore. I'll protect the girls... if you're no longer able to."

He could see the effort that declaration took and he hugged her tighter. "You're such a good girl. Thank you... that's a huge relief."

"After everything you've done for me... how could I refuse?" she replied, her stoic declaration undermined by the slight tremor in her voice. Sakura's expression brightened as she continued, "But let's forget about that and concentrate on getting you battle-ready. I think we should train as much as possible until you're confident that you're going to win."

"Sounds good to me. I learnt a lot from that session today," he agreed, turning off the shower.

Sakura nodded. "Me too."

They dried themselves off, then dressed in their hastily discarded clothes.

"Oh, Alyssa is asking if you can let her in again," Sakura reminded him.

*Hello ladies,* John said to his trio of matriarchs, allowing them through his mental defences. *I'm sorry I kept you out for so long. Sakura did her best to wear me out; I only woke up five minutes ago.*

*Welcome back,* Alyssa said, her greeting echoed by Jade and Edraele a moment later. She hesitated for a moment, then added, *I heard most of the conversation from Sakura's side. I'm sorry she got so upset.*

*It's not your fault... it's my father who put us in this position,* John replied, gritting his teeth. *Yet again I'm left cleaning up his mess with my broken guide and this time it's Sakura who's suffering for it.*

*Still, I'm surprised that she had all that bottled up; Sakura never shared any of those insecurities with me,* Alyssa said thoughtfully. *I would have warned you beforehand if I had any idea she was feeling that way.*

John opened the cabin door and accompanied his young companion down to the Raptor's lower deck. *I know... but I don't think she deliberately hid her feelings from you. Whenever we talk about... that subject... it tends to stir up very strong emotions in all the girls. Sakura does seem much happier now though and I'll try to give her as much attention as I can so that she stays that way.*

*I know she'll love spending time with you,* Alyssa said affectionately.

"I better get changed into something more appropriate for dinner," Sakura said, glancing at her figure-hugging bodysuit as they walked down the Raptor's loading ramp.

"Good idea," he agreed, wearing similar gear himself.

They headed up to Deck Three and crossed the Lagoon to the Observatory. There was no sign of the boisterous Nymphs, the picturesque lake a haven of tranquillity once more.

*Leylira volunteered to watch the Bridge so Alyssa could join us for dinner,* Jade explained. *The rest of my sisters are here in the Officers' Lounge with the rest of the crew.*

*You're all there already?* John asked in surprise.

*We're just waiting until Admiral Blake chooses to grace us with his esteemed presence...* Alyssa informed him with a teasing lilt to her voice.

*Why didn't you tell me!* he protested, darting into the walk-in-wardrobe.

Sakura followed him inside and watched him quizzically as he hastily threw on clothes. "What's the big rush? Dinner isn't quite ready yet; everyone's just relaxing and having drinks while they wait."

*Alyssa...* John grumbled in protest.

Her melodic laughter echoed through his mind as he buttoned up his shirt. While John finished getting ready, Sakura dressed in tailored trousers and a loose blouse that left her shoulders bare, her outfit looking effortlessly chic.

"You look stunning," John said, nodding his approval as they left the Observatory.

She flashed a shy smile at him and John noticed an extra spring in her step as they made their way up to the Officers' Lounge. The couple were met with friendly greetings as they joined their friends and guests, and Alyssa glided over to welcome them both with a kiss.

"Sorry for teasing you," she apologised to John, handing him a glass of wine.

"You're forgiven," he replied, playfully squeezing her bottom after checking Jack and Mateo weren't watching. "How did everything go this afternoon? Are we still making good time for Jericho?"

"We'll be about twenty minutes late," she replied, her lips curling into a wry smile. "Between Calara bouncing off the walls and the number you just did on your High Priestess, it's been a little hard to concentrate. I had to slow the Invictus down a bit until it was safe for me to drive again."

Sakura blushed, but there was no disguising the elation in her eyes. "On that note, I think I'll circulate," she declared, before flouncing away to join Dana and Rachel.

Alyssa placed a hand on John's chest and made eye-contact with him. *You did well this afternoon. I know it was awful to see Sakura get that upset, but everything you said to her was lovely. She's a changed woman, John... and I'm not saying that lightly.*

He watched the Asian girl chattering animatedly with her friends. *I know, I felt the difference.*

Jack walked over to join them, and frowned when he saw Alyssa hurriedly pull away from John as they turned to face him. "You don't need to do that. I don't want you to feel uncomfortable in your own home because of me."

John put his arm around Alyssa and gave her a sideways hug. "I know it was hard for you to accept our living arrangements with Calara and we didn't want to make it more difficult."

"It was at first, but who am I to judge?" Jack said magnanimously. "Callie's the happiest I've ever seen her... and that's all that really matters."

Alyssa stepped forward and gently kissed his cheek. "She's a lucky girl to have a father like you."

The door to the kitchen swung open and the subject of their conversation entered the room, carrying a tray piled up with aromatic dishes. She was followed out by Emily, the blonde placing a big bowl of rice on the table.

"That smells awesome! What's for dinner?" Dana asked, inhaling deeply.

"Chicken Katsu curry!" Sakura gasped, looking at Calara in astonishment. "That's one of my favourites! How did you know?"

The Latina glanced at Alyssa, giving away the source of her insider knowledge.

"This meal is to honour your victory in the duel," Emily explained, smiling at the Asian girl. "It would've been a shame if I'd had to break up with Mateo... I'd just about got him housebroken."

"Hey!" he protested with a fake frown.

Everyone laughed and moved to take a seat around the dining table.

"Thank you... this looks wonderful," Sakura said, touched at the effort they'd gone to on her behalf.

"Dig in while it's hot," Calara said, before returning to the kitchen to bring out another big bowl of rice.

Sakura was the only person who'd eaten the dish before, but the breaded chicken and spicy curry sauce were delicious, meeting with unanimous and enthusiastic approval.

"Did you have a pleasant afternoon?" John asked his guests.

Mateo chuckled, a lopsided smile on his face. "Pleasant is probably not the right word for it. Alyssa managed to leave me awed and deeply depressed at the same time."

"Depressed? Why's that?" John asked curiously, taking a sip of his wine.

"This ship is light-years ahead of T-Fed hyper-warp technology... if you'll excuse the pun. Combined with gravimetric theory that I can barely understand, the Invictus is travelling faster than any vessel I'll ever get to fly. It's like taking a thrilling joyride in a strike fighter, then being told you'll only ever pilot bulk freighters for the rest of your life."

Alyssa's face fell and she looked at him with regret. "I'm sorry... I never meant to make you feel like that."

He shrugged and waved away her apology. "It's okay, you probably did me a favour; I'll never make Captain sitting behind helm control. I think I might put myself forward for Command training."

"That's a wise decision, son," Jack said, looking at him with paternal pride. "I stayed on Tactical for far too long and it hurt my career progression. Although, I wouldn't let anyone overhear you comparing the Odin to a bulk freighter."

Mateo smiled back at his father, pleased to have his approval. "Yeah, I best keep that to myself."

John had been listening to their conversation with interest, but the friendly exchange between Jack and Mateo stirred up a sudden surge of irrational anger. The comfortable familiarity between father and son, their words filled with respect and pride... it brought back too many unpleasant memories of his meeting with Rahn'hagon. John remembered his own father saying how proud he was of him and how wonderful that had been to hear. When Rahn'hagon finally realised that his son had failed to do his bidding, John was faced with the Progenitor's unbridled fury... and cut deep by cruel words loaded with bitter disappointment. The sense of inadequacy that evoked and the ensuing resentment those feelings triggered were almost overwhelming.

"So... who won the rematch?" Sakura asked with an eager smile, oblivious to John's inner turmoil.

A huge smile lit up Calara's face. "It was a tie. Five - five."

Jack winced and gently patted his ribs. "Your roundhouse kicks hit like a truck."

"You should have told me you were hurt!" Calara protested, her expression one of consternation.

Rachel rose from her seat and walked over to Jack, her eyes shining with a soft grey light as an ephemeral shroud coiled down her arm. "Give me a moment and I'll have you as good as new."

Startled by her casual display of psychic powers, Jack looked at the grey mists in alarm.

"This won't hurt a bit," Rachel said, her tone gentle and reassuring.

Remembering that this was the Angel of Terra approaching him, Jack gave her a rueful smile. "Sorry, you just caught me by surprise." He raised his shirt to reveal a mottled bruise on his flank.

Rachel touched his hand and lowered it. "Just relax... this will only take a few minutes."

He nodded and did as she asked, then gasped as she enveloped him in her healing aura. His face contorted as he tried not to laugh at the tickling sensation which swept over his body.

"So many breaks and fractures..." the tawny-haired doctor murmured, her lips pursing with disapproval. As she continued to perform an initial diagnostic sweep, her frown deepened. "How long have you been getting pain in your wrists? Did you know you're suffering from the early stage of arthritis?"

"What?" he stammered, his eyes wide.

"All those Jericho beers aren't good for your liver either," she admonished him, repairing decades of overindulgence.

When she was finished, Rachel stepped away, her grey aura dissipating. "There... how do you feel now?"

Jack inhaled deeply then looked at her in astonishment. "I feel incredible! What did you do?!"

"I gave you a thorough health-check," she replied with a warm smile. "I simply healed all the wear and tear that your body has accrued over the years. You sustained a lot of minor injuries with all that sparring and the damage adds up."

He rolled his shoulders, a look of wonder on his face. "Thank you so much!"

"You're welcome." Rachel returned to her seat, brushing fingers with a very grateful Calara as she passed the brunette.

With that brief bit of excitement over, everybody returned to their meal, the room filled with pleasant conversation once again. At Alyssa's suggestion, the twins regaled their guests with colourful stories about the Maliri Regency, describing their homeworld as well as its associated flora and fauna. Now that everyone's attention was diverted to the opposite end of the table, John was freed from the burden of making small-talk and left alone with his troubled thoughts.

*John, we're approaching the Epsilon Eridani system,* Alyssa warned him, her gentle reminder jolting John from his reverie. *We'll be docking with the Epiphron in ten minutes.*

He blinked in surprise at how quickly time had passed. Glancing to his right, he was shocked to find that Alyssa's seat was now empty, having been completely unaware of her departure. Glancing at his guests with concern, in case his inattentiveness had been noticed, he saw that Calara's father was listening attentively to Helene, the aquatic girl describing life under the wild seas of Brimor.

*Don't worry, the girls have been keeping everyone entertained,* Alyssa said, her calm voice soothing his worries.

Clearing his throat, John said, "Sorry to interrupt you, Helene. I just wanted to let everyone know that we've nearly reached Jericho. We'll be docking with Maria's ship in ten minutes."

Jack acknowledged him with a grateful nod. "Thank you. We'll grab our gear and be out of your hair." Rising from his chair, he patted his daughter on the shoulder. "Thanks for a lovely dinner, Callie."

"You're welcome, dad," she replied, beaming at him happily.

Mateo and Emily thanked her too, then the three guests left the Officers' Lounge to retrieve their luggage.

John picked up his plate and started to clear the table, but Jade whisked it out of his hands with a smile.

"Leave that to us," she insisted, joining her fellow Nymphs in collecting crockery and cutlery.

Before he could say a word, Calara was in his arms, her face a picture of concern. "Are you alright? You were very quiet through dinner."

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be rude," he said with regret. "I've just got a few things on my mind."

She let out a mournful sigh. "Oh no. Not you too..."

"What do you mean?"

"I've seen that look before... from both Dana and Alyssa," she replied, cupping his face in her hand. "I should have realised how hard this would be for you after everything that happened with your parents."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I've got a new family now, remember?"

"One that cares about you very much," she said softly, giving him a tender kiss.

They held each other for a long moment, then Calara reluctantly released him. "Are you sure you're going to be alright? You know how full-on my mom can be."

"I'll be fine," he replied. "I'm looking forward to seeing Maria again."

"Oh... of course you are," she said, giving him a knowing look.

John couldn't help blushing, much to Calara's amusement.

"Stop tormenting him," Alyssa objected, gliding over to join them. "That's my job!"

"Hey, beautiful," he said, smiling at the blonde. He frowned then and added, "Err... who's flying?"

"Tashana," she explained, slipping her hand into his. "The twins can't stroll around a Federation ship for obvious reasons, so they'll be staying on the Invictus while we're docked."

"I'm sure mom would love to see them again," Calara said, taking John's other hand. "Would it be okay for me to bring her over here while Dana's putting the finishing touches on her present?"

John walked with the blonde and brunette towards the exit. "Of course."

They entered the grav-tube and descended down through the lower decks, where they waited patiently for the Invictus to dock with the Epiphron. Dana, Rachel, and Sakura soon joined them, accompanying their guests who arrived with luggage in tow. As the grey titanium hull of the Terran Federation warship slid into view outside the airlock, John glanced back at the grav-tube, surprised that the rest of the girls hadn't arrived yet.

*Helene and the Nymphs are eager to meet Maria, but they didn't want to intrude on a family reunion. We'll introduce them all later when she comes aboard the Invictus.*

*Okay, makes sense,* he agreed, nodding his approval.

Calara couldn't help fidgeting as she waited to see her mother again and she darted a grin at her brother. Mateo smiled back, a similar look of anticipation in his eyes. There was a dull clunk as docking clamps locked the two battlecruisers together, their airlocks now perfectly aligned. John placed his hand on the DNA scanner, which flashed green in recognition, then the adjacent door spiralled open. There was a hiss as the Epiphron's airlock mirrored the movement, and a gust of stale recycled air swept into the Invictus' corridor. Maria was waiting for them on the opposite side, flanked by an attractive blonde and a man who was obviously the captain of the ship, judging by the epaulets on his shoulders.

"Mom!" Calara blurted out, rushing into her mother's arms.

Maria wrapped her arms around her daughter, tears in her eyes. "Callie!"

Mateo and Jack quickly joined the hug, the Fernandez family members overcome with relief to be together again.

John smiled as the quartet embraced, glad he was able to reunite them. He knew how distraught Calara had been when she heard about the assassination attempt against her mother and he could only imagine how hard it must have been for Jack to be apart from his wife. Maria tightly hugged her eldest son and daughter, a look of pure joy on her face that was shared by her husband as they kissed. John swallowed around the lump in his throat and looked away, finding it too hard to watch the touching family reunion.

He made eye-contact with the captain and realised he wanted to talk. John stepped through the airlock and saluted him. "Captain Trevelyan? I believe we have you to thank for a very timely rescue."

"It was a close call, Admiral Blake," the captain replied, returning the salute. "Fortunately, we got there just in time to save Mrs. Fernandez and her bodyguard."

Maria pulled away from her family and said urgently, "Please help Faith! She's been critically wounded... and her partner too!"

Rachel gave her a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, they'll be fine. If someone can show me to Medical, I'll begin healing them straight away."

"I'll take you there," Commander Grayson volunteered.

"I'll join you, Viv," Jack said, a look passing between himself and the blonde. "I want to thank Faith personally."

Before they departed, Rachel turned to Calara's mother and said earnestly, "I'm so glad you're alright, Maria. We were all so worried."

Giving the brunette a fond smile, Maria opened her arms for a hug, beckoning the rest of the girls to join them. She was immediately embraced by Sakura, Dana, Rachel, and Alyssa, all of them overjoyed to see her again. Maria suddenly let out a startled gasp, then looked at the tawny-haired Doctor in surprise.

The faint glow faded from Rachel's eyes and she winked at Maria. "All better... again."

Maria squeezed her tight. "Thank you!"

Mateo waited until they separated and said, "Mom, there's someone I'd like you to meet. This is Lieutenant Emily Campbell."

Maria's eyes lit up when she saw the blonde. "I've heard so much about you, Emily. It's lovely to finally meet you at last."

Emily blushed and gave her a shy smile. "It's really nice to meet you too."

"We must get together for a good chat later," Maria said, touching the young woman's arm in a friendly gesture. "I can show you all our really embarrassing pictures of Mateo from when he was a little boy."

"I'd love that," Emily agreed, grinning as her boyfriend groaned in protest.

Rachel smiled at the blonde officer waiting patiently for her. "Whenever you're ready, Commander."

"Of course, it's this way," Commander Grayson said as she gestured towards the elevators at the end of the corridor. She turned to Mateo and Emily and added, "I can show you to your quarters too, it's on our way."

The couple thanked John profusely, then the group set off with Jack falling into step beside them.

Maria started to follow, but Calara held out a hand to stop her. "Mom, we're on a really tight schedule and this is only a flying visit. The twins are eager to see you again and I've got some new friends I'd like to introduce you to as well; would you like to come aboard the Invictus to meet them?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Maria gushed, nodding eagerly. She darted a conflicted glance along the corridor at her departing husband. "But I should see Faith first..."

Calara gave her mother a reassuring smile. "Rachel will bring her over to the Invictus as soon as she's well again."

Captain Trevelyan turned to John and said, "Admiral, we received a call to pick up a delivery. It was addressed to a Sakura Honami on the Invictus."

"That's me!" Sakura interjected. "Can we move the package across to our ship? We've got an umbilical in place connecting our Cargo Bay to yours."

"Certainly," the captain agreed. "I can take you there now, unless Admiral Blake needs me for anything else?"

John shook his head.

"Actually, the package is for me," Dana said with an eager grin. "Let's go check it out!"

"I better go along and keep Sparks out of mischief," Alyssa said, with an exaggerated sigh. She glanced at Sakura, who nodded obediently and bounded after Rachel.

The Karron girls waved goodbye and departed with the captain, leaving John alone with Calara and her mother.

Maria looked at John with a twinkle in her eyes. "Permission to come aboard, Admiral?"

"Permission granted," he replied, offering her his arm.

Calara took the lead and strode through the airlock, with John and Maria following close behind. "I can't wait to show you around, mom," the Latina said, grinning with anticipation. "Dad and Mateo both wanted to join the crew after I gave them a tour!"

"I'd love to see where you live," Maria agreed, glancing up at John and studying him curiously.

As soon as they'd cleared the outer airlock, Maria reached over to tap the button to close the reinforced door.

"Now we have a sealed bulkhead between us and my husband, are you going to say hello to me properly?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow.

John coughed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Maria... I wasn't sure what would be appropriate."

"I seem to recall straddling your lap in my home," she said with a coy smile. "I think it's fair to say that you're allowed a fair degree of latitude."

Calara rolled her eyes. "Mom! Are you going to flirt with him the entire time?"

"Shush, darling daughter," Maria replied. "I'm interested to hear why your fiancé is refusing to give his future mother-in-law a hug."

John opened his arms and carefully enveloped her in a warm embrace. "I'm so sorry you were attacked, Maria," he said quietly in her ear. "It was all my fault you were in danger; I should have kept Calara's identity a secret so you wouldn't be a target."

She pulled back, a look of sympathy in her eyes. "It wasn't your fault, John... please don't blame yourself."

He shook his head. "I always knew someone might target you. I warned Lynette to keep you safe, but we should have done much more to protect you... fortified your home at least. I never would've forgiven myself if you'd been badly hurt... or worse."

"Lynette... Devereux? You warned the Fleet Admiral she had to protect me?!" Maria asked, looking shocked. "So that's why the Epiphron was in orbit?"

Calara gave her a wry smile. "John told Lynette that if anything happened to you, he'd replace all the admirals in High Command with secret Lionesses. That was before she joined us though; now Lynette would love it if he did that, it would make running the Terran Federation so much easier."

Maria gaped at them both, for once completely lost for words.

"A lot's happened since we saw you last," John said, averting his eyes from her perceptive gaze.

Calara nodded her agreement. "I know I promised to keep you updated, mom... but these aren't the kind of things we can discuss over the comms network."

"Will you tell me now?" Maria asked, studying John's pensive expression.

"Can we introduce you to the rest of the crew first?" Calara requested, gesturing towards the grav-tube. "They're all eager to meet you."

Maria smiled and nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

They approached the blue anti-gravity field, which Maria stared at in fascination. She didn't need much coaxing to step inside, then gasped as she floated off the ground and into the air.

"It beats waiting for an elevator," John said, smiling at her reaction.

She laughed, a look of joy on her face. "It feels like I'm flying!"

"The grav-tubes were one of Dana's inventions," he explained. "She got the idea from the Ashanath; they use something similar in their ships, but theirs is a simpler design."

"Amazing..." Maria said, following them out into the Deck Three corridor.

They walked up to the double doors at the end of the corridor, with Calara bounding ahead, an eager grin on her face. "If you thought that was good, wait until you see this!"

She tapped the button and the doors opened, revealing the leafy green fronds that curved over the entrance to the Lagoon. Maria walked inside with mouth agape, her eyes like saucers as she stared at the tropical paradise within.

"Not bad, eh?" Calara said, walking inside with her arms spread wide.

"It's so beautiful..." Maria murmured in a hushed voice. "I'd never have believed you had something like this aboard the ship."

"Helene and the Nymphs love it here," John said, standing beside her.

"Nymphs plural? You mean other than Jade?" Maria asked curiously.

Calara clasped her mother's hand and gently tugged her. "Come on, they're all dying to meet you!"

They walked down the steps towards the beach, where the rest of the girls were waiting for her. The twins met them half-way down, the Maliri sisters greeting Maria with warm smiles.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Tashana gushed, hugging their guest.

"We would've been devastated if anything happened to you," Irillith said a moment later, joining her sister in embracing Maria.

She patted the azure-skinned beauties on the back. "You're sweet to worry, but there's no need... I barely got a scratch."

"I'm still going after the vermin who dared to attack you," Irillith said, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "I'll make their lives a living hell!"

"I thought all the ISD agents were killed by the Epiphron?" Maria asked, startled by the Maliri hacker's vehemence.

John placed a hand on Maria's shoulder. "Irillith's hunting down the men who planned it."

Calara nodded, her brows furrowed in an angry scowl. "She's going to make them suffer."

"After what those traitors did to Faith and all those marines on Olympus, they deserve it," Maria said, her expression uncharacteristically grim.

When the twins released Maria from their hug, her curious gaze flicked to Helene and the quartet of catgirls standing next to Jade.

"I'm sure you remember this gorgeous girl," Calara said, walking down the last few steps with her mother.

"Hello, Maria," Jade said, smiling at her warmly as they hugged. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"Likewise, Jade," the older Latina said, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "And who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is Helene," Calara replied, clasping Helene's teal-hued hand and drawing her friend forward. "We rescued her from Brimor."

"Forgive me for saying so, but you're considerably more attractive than the Brimorians I remember," Maria noted, her curiosity piqued by the enchanting mermaid.

"My people are called the Abandoned," Helene explained. "Our ancestors were the Terran colonists that tried to settle in the Callopean Shoals."

Calara put her arm around Helene. "Those colonists were captured during the war, then the women were genetically modified by the Brimorians before being raped and impregnated. They were intent on breeding a slave race... and Helene's people were the result."

"My god..." Maria gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "That's horrific!"

"John's going to free everyone in my village," Helene said brightly, darting an adoring glance in his direction. "And the other billion Abandoned that the Brimorians have enslaved."

Maria's eyes widened in astonishment. "A billion people?!"

"That's a low estimate," Calara said bleakly. "The Abandoned have been encouraged to have huge families, with each woman giving birth to at least twenty children. Helene's from the fifth generation since the original colonists."

Her mother pulled Helene into a hug. "You poor girl. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through."

"I lost my first baby and couldn't have any more..." Helene said quietly, closing her eyes as she leaned into the comforting embrace. "But John healed me and made me a real woman again."

Maria glanced at John, who slowly nodded in confirmation.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, sensing how much that meant to Helene. "Being a parent is a wonderful experience."

"It's obvious to see how much your husband loves Calara and Mateo," Helene said wistfully. "After seeing him with them, it makes me wish that I'd had more time with my own father."

John looked away, his emotions in turmoil. The sympathy he felt for Helene in sharp conflict with his bitter resentment towards Rahn'hagon. He lost track of the conversation as Maria consoled Helene, only picking it up again as they turned to the waiting catgirls.

Smiling at her feline companions, Jade said, "These are my sister Nymphs... Leylira, Neysa, Marika, and Betrixa."

He watched with trepidation as Jade introduced the four catgirls to Maria, wondering if any of them, particularly the mischievous cheetah Nymph, would do or say anything embarrassing. Instead they greeted Calara's mother with bright smiles and demure waves, their behaviour friendly but respectful. He was slightly unsettled to notice that despite their outwardly relaxed composure, four sets of feline eyes watched Maria's every move like a hawk, their ears twitching every time she spoke.

"You're all so beautiful," Maria murmured, studying their contrasting markings in fascination. She darted a sidelong glance at John. "I seem to recall Jade telling me that a Nymph changes shape to become their Master's perfect mate. You appear to have acquired a taste for the exotic, John..."

He flushed as she playfully teased him and stammered, "W-well.. I-I..."

Jade gave him a fond look as she intervened. "Our natural form is a petite bipedal feline, so John chose this shape for my sisters as a compromise. He wanted them to be true to their origins, while adopting the statuesque proportions of a thrall that he prefers."

"Could you show me?" Maria asked, her brown eyes alight with curiosity.

"My original form?" Jade replied, before glancing at John. "Is that okay with you, Master?"

"Sure, go ahead," he agreed, groaning inwardly as Maria's lips twitched into a smile at the Nymph's use of the honorific.

Jade slipped the dress from her shoulders, having no qualms about appearing nude before their guest. Her nubile body shifted in a verdant blur, then rapidly contracted as she adopted a much more petite figure. When the shimmering haze faded, she stood before them in her original Lenarran form, her slender body covered in a glossy coat of green fur.

"You look adorable!" Maria gushed, reaching out to stroke Jade's arm. She caught herself half-way and this time it was her turn to blush. "I can't believe I was about to pet you. I'm so sorry."

"That's quite alright," Jade replied, her elongated muzzle breaking into a smile. "Please feel free to touch me."

Maria brushed the backs of her fingers along the Nymph's arm. "You're so soft..."

Jade began to purr, responding to the gentle caress. "Unfortunately, the fur isn't very practical in the bedroom," she replied with a grin, revealing a pair of elongated canine teeth.

"Jade!" John protested over everyone's laughter.

Maria quirked an eyebrow at him. "I naturally assumed that you were sleeping with all of these lovely ladies. Is that not the case after all?"

He reddened again, not sure how to respond in his flustered state.

Calara slid an arm around John's waist and pouted at her mother. "Mom, stop tormenting him."

"I'm sorry," Maria apologised, a twinkle in her eyes. She turned back to Jade and continued, "Thank you for showing me."

Jade's body blurred and she reappeared in her normal form. "You're welcome."

As the Nymph reached for her dress, Maria asked hesitantly, "Please forgive me for asking this, but why do you look different from your sisters? You look like a Terran rather than a catgirl."

Jade picked up her discarded garment and twisted it nervously in her fingers. "Because John hasn't asked me to change..."

He looked at her in surprise. "Is that what you want? Why didn't you say something, honey?"

The Nymph's features twisted with indecision. "I want to be like my sisters... but this was the original form you chose for me and I'm very fond of it."

John traced his fingertips along her jawline. "Me too, but the change isn't permanent... unless we both really like it. Show me what you had in mind."

She nodded obediently, an excited gleam in her emerald eyes. Her form shimmered as she altered her appearance, then just as quickly she solidified into her new shape. Jade had retained her dark-green skin tone, with the viridian lines highlighting the definition of her sleek muscles, but she had added some new feline additions to her physique. The Nymph sported a couple of furry ears that pointed upwards from her thick dark mane, and a long tail now protruded from above the rounded cheeks of her ass, the sinuous appendage swaying back and forth in a bewitching pattern.

"What do you think?" she asked anxiously, waiting for his opinion.

"It's lucky I'm a cat person," John replied with an indulgent smile. "You're still you... but cuter."

Jade giggled in delight and leapt into his arms, showering him in kisses. "Oh, thank you, Master!"

He darted a pensive glance at Maria, unable to stop himself worrying how she might react to this exuberant display of affection. It was one thing to know that your daughter's fiancé was sleeping with a harem of other women, but actually seeing a nude catgirl fawning over him was something else entirely. Fortunately, he saw no sign of disapproval in Maria's eyes, her speculative gaze flicking to Calara to see how she would react.

"I'm definitely a cat person too," Calara gushed, leaning in to give the giddy Nymph a sizzling kiss. "I think you look gorgeous, Jade."

Jade gave her a big hug, then joined her sisters, who gathered around to admire her sexy new form.

"We'd love to stay and chat with you, Maria, but my sister and I have some pressing business to attend to," Irillith said, as they watched the celebrating Nymphs.

"I understand. Don't let me keep you from your work," Maria replied with a warm smile.

Tashana gave her a rueful look. "We'll come back to say goodbye before we depart though."

"I'll come with you; Alyssa wants to speak to me," Helene interjected, joining the twins.

Jade was about to pull on her dress, then held it up and frowned. "I love my tail, but now I'm going to need a whole new wardrobe." Turning to her sisters, she added, "Do any of you have something pretty you could lend me?"

Her request was met with excited chatter and offers of outfits, the catgirls all eager to help Jade find something suitable to wear. They bounded after Jade who accompanied the Maliri sisters up the steps, the group waving goodbye before they departed from the Lagoon.

"Peace at last," Calara said with a broad grin. "So what do you think, mom? They're lovely girls, aren't they?"

"They really are," Maria agreed. She glanced at John and continued in an airy tone, "How many young ladies do you have on the Invictus now?"

"Fourteen," he reluctantly admitted.

Her eyes sparkled with suppressed mirth. "That's quite an impressive number... and of course we mustn't forget the twins' mother."

"You're as bad as Alyssa for pushing his buttons," Calara said, rolling her eyes. "Now, why don't you two take a seat and John can start bringing you up to speed on everything that's happened over the last few weeks. I'll go get us some drinks... you'll need one after hearing what we've been through."

"I'm sorry for teasing you, John. I hope I didn't make you feel too uncomfortable," Maria apologised, gently touching his arm. "If I'm forgiven, I'd really like to hear all your news."

"Of course you're forgiven," he said with a cautious smile. "I just can't help bracing myself for an outburst of parental protectiveness at our living situation... which would be more than justified given the circumstances."

"What would I be protecting? My brazen daughter's rapidly diminishing sense of decorum?" Maria asked with amusement. "It appears that Calara's delighting in abandoning all propriety... and if that makes her happy, good for her."

Calara smiled and walked away to make the drinks, leaving John and her mother to sit on the wicker sofa that overlooked the beach.

John ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't even know where to begin. We've been through so much recently."

Maria nodded, studying him perceptively. "I can tell."

"You can?"

"There's so much sadness in your eyes," she said softly. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his. "What happened, John?"

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "We lost Faye..." he replied in a hushed voice. "One moment she was there... and the next she was gone. I never even got to say goodbye."

"I'm so sorry," Maria murmured, her voice a soothing balm of sympathy and compassion. "She was such a sweet girl... so bright and full of life."

John nodded, feeling that melancholy weight hanging heavy in his chest. "We're going to get her back though... Irillith's going to rebuild Faye and she'll be as good as new."

Maria could hear the fervent hope in his voice and realised how desperately John was clinging to it. "Irillith's an exceptionally gifted woman... all your crew are. If anyone is capable of doing it, I'm sure she'll bring Faye back to you."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

She gave him a moment to compose himself, then asked, "Were you able to rescue the border colonies? When Calara came home to Jericho, she said you were planning to launch a counter-offensive against the Kirrix?"

He gave her a self-conscious smile. "I did skip over a couple of weeks there. Yes, we managed to liberate those worlds and rescue most of the colonists... but first I better tell you about Lynette."

John went on to give Maria a summary of recent events, describing the rescue of Lynette Devereux, her promotion to Fleet Admiral and her recruitment as a secret Lioness. He then outlined the campaign against the Kirrix to liberate the besieged colonies and the confrontation with the Hive Queens that had plunged the parasitical species into civil war. Maria was an excellent listener, letting John recount his daring adventures without interruption, and only making the briefest of comments in the lulls to keep him talking. John was oblivious to the lights slowly dimming in the Lagoon as he told his tale, the torches surrounding the beach flickering to life to hold back the darkness. Nor did he notice that Calara hadn't returned, leaving him to pour his heart out to her perceptive mother.

The conversation turned to the visit to Arcadia and how thrilled he'd been to discover that his parents were still alive. Maria listened in silence as he described meeting Jessica for the first time, hearing the anguish in his voice as he described how utterly disinterested his mother had been in her long-lost son. Then he recounted the vicious ambush by Larn'kelnar that had cost Faye her life, the dreadful fight to the death with that deadly Progenitor, and the relief that had come with their hard-fought victory.

Maria smiled as John talked about finally meeting Rahn'hagon for the first time and how he'd grown to like his reclusive father. The trip into the Astral plane had her hanging on John's every word, her smile faltering when she heard how fatherly pride had transformed into bitter recriminations. John's face was a stony mask as he recalled the dreadful moment his guide had betrayed him one final time, his eyes staring blankly off into the distance as he talked about his father attempting to kill him. If he'd looked her way, he would have seen Maria's face twisted in horror at the appalling treatment he'd received from both his parents.

He talked in a dull monotone about banishing his parents from Federation territory, then his voice caught at the heartbreak the crew had suffered when they found out about Faye. The hits kept coming as he told Maria about his feelings of helplessness when he found out that the Brimorians slaughtered the Federation forces in the Callopean Shoals, then John's dread as Terran traitors attempted to assassinate his friends and extended family. John concluded his long monologue with a recap of Sarinia's brutal murders and how that had triggered the slaughter of the Maliri matriarchy, prompting his hasty return to Genthalas to avert further bloodshed.

John felt wrung out by the time he finished and he slumped back in his chair with a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Maria... I didn't mean to talk your ear off."

"It's okay, John... really," she said quietly.

He gazed out across the Lagoon, unmoved by the enchanting torchlit view. "We've been through so much over the last eight months... but after these last few weeks... God, I'm so tired of it all."

Maria clasped his hand with hers and gently caressed him. "It's only natural you'd feel that way. You're grieving, John."

"I know..." he said despondently. Gritting his teeth with grim resolve, he added, "But we'll rebuild Faye and get her back again."

"No, you're not grieving for Faye... you haven't given up hope of being reunited with her."

John frowned and looked at her askance. "We didn't lose anyone else. You're safe... and Rachel can heal Faith and Abigail."

"You've given up on your parents," she said softly, her deep brown eyes brimming with sympathy. "As a little boy, your fondest wish was to meet a loving mother and a proud father... and you kept that hope alive for forty years. Jessica and Rahn'hagon destroyed that... they betrayed all your years of dedication to finding them."

John's throat constricted, his eyes welling up as he felt the aching sense of loss in his heart.

"Block out the girls, John... keep this private," Maria urged him, reaching up to stroke his cheek.

He followed her instructions without thinking, too emotionally raw to question how she knew about such things.

"You have to be strong for them, but not for me," she whispered, the soft note of maternal compassion in her voice breaking down his last defences.

John hunched over as he relived the terrible pain of his parents' rejection, and the heartbreaking way they'd smashed all his hopes of a loving family reunion. Consumed by his anguish, he was only dimly aware of Maria wrapping her arms around him, but it was enough to break through his grief. She was so kind and loving... everything he'd ever hoped that his mother would be... and nothing like Jessica, who had ignored him with such casual indifference.

Maria drew him down so he was resting his head in her lap. "You poor boy... you never deserved to be treated so badly," she murmured, brushing her fingers through his hair. "I think you're wonderful, John... and I'm so proud of the good man you've become."

He lost himself in her gentle voice, clinging to it like a lifeline. The pain of his parents' rejection made him feel vulnerable and exposed, striking at his deepest insecurities... but he knew Maria would never betray him like they had. He'd craved this kind of comfort for forty years and her kind words gradually filled a dark void that he'd carried with him his entire life.

***

The huge red dragon reclined upon a massive stone plinth, but instead of looking out across a hoard of gleaming treasure, Empress Tamolith was scowling at her fawning courtiers. She was reliant on the Kintark bureaucrats to run her sprawling empire, but their endless grovelling was wearing on her nerves. Tamolith appreciated some well-earned adulation as much as the next self-respecting dragon, but these courtiers seemed to have gained favour in Emperor Baledranax's court by being as obsequious as possible.

"Oh great and wissse Empresss, I have troubling newsss from the sssystemsss recently annexed by the Terran Federation," Consul Grakirlin announced with a sweeping bow.

She held up a scaly foreclaw. "If you're about to inform me that the planetary governors are whining about the order to evacuate, I have far better uses for my time."

He hesitated, darting an anxious glance at the gathering of bureaucrats. "I would not dare to bother your magnificence with sssuch a triviality. The governorsss have informed the populace that they mussst prepare for evacuation, but the announcement hasss been met with widessspread outrage and even rioting in sssome casssesss. Citizensss are refusssing to leave their home planetsss!"

Tamolith dug her claws into the floor and gouged out a flagstone, cracking the masonry in half with a menacing crunch. "Witless fools! Do they think I gave that order for my own amusement?! It won't be long before the Federation fleets are knocking on our door demanding unrestricted access to their new worlds!"

"But revered Empresss... how are we to transssport the populationsss from thossse planetsss?" Consul Barackas asked tentatively. "All our troop transportsss were lossst in the invasssion!"

"Must I tell you everything?!" she snarled. "Commandeer every civilian ship in the Empire if you have to, but get those stubborn short-tails off those worlds! I might be forced to hand over half my territory, but I'll be damned if I'm giving the Federation billions of free slaves!"

Tamolith grimaced with tightly suppressed fury. It would be hideously ironic if her people ended up as indentured servants in the Terran Federation, just after Queen Edraele had forced her to ban slavery within the Kintark Empire.

Consul Barackas wrung his hands in desperation. "But revered Empresss..."

"Enough!" Tamolith thundered, making the assembled dignitaries quake before her anger. "It's almost supper time; I'll assume that any of you still here in the next minute are joining me for dinner..."

"That'sss a mossst graciousss invitation, Empresss," Barackas stammered, hurriedly backing away. "I'm afraid I'll have to decline."

Some of the other bureaucrats had far less composure, simply turning-tail and running for the huge entrance to the throne room. Tamolith watched their rapid departure with amusement, her maw curling into a derisive smirk, but even that moment of levity didn't lighten her mood. She turned and stalked across the huge room towards the Empress' private chambers, her mind troubled with countless worries.

The Kintark Empire found itself beset with woes, with a Brimorian armada methodically sweeping towards Kinta and gobbling up all the worlds in its path. However, Tamolith also had the Terran Federation breathing down her neck, eager to claim their spoils of victory after crushing the Kintark forces in Baledranax's catastrophic invasion. The last thing she needed to be dealing with now, was insubordination and insurrection from the Kintark people... who were clearly too stupid to possess an instinct for self-preservation.

She headbutted the gateway to her suite, her horned skull crashing into the reinforced doors with a satisfying boom. They swung wide open and she heard her precious darlings playing together, their excited chatter bringing a smile to her draconic features. As Tamolith entered the Imperial suite, her plodding footsteps were answered by the scrabble of smaller claws and her brood stampeded into sight.

There were six red-scaled dragon whelps in the pack running towards her, each of them calling out to gain their mother's attention. The largest by far was her eldest son, and Tamolith smiled with maternal pride as he slowed his gallop to a regal strut, trying to impress his mother with his noble bearing. Zulkayr's siblings showed no such restraint, the red dragonlings tumbling over her foreclaws as they cavorted around their mother.

"Can you play chase with us now, mother?" Damopha asked, bouncing up and down with eager anticipation. "Please!"

Her younger brother pounced on her and the pair went down in a tumble of flailing claws. "Caught you!"

"That didn't count, Tondax!" the furious dragonling hissed, snapping at him with her sharp teeth.

"Mother... Ruvith and Ondyrth won't play with us," Etheiss, her eldest daughter, complained.

Chysenteil nodded in confirmation, looking up at her mother with big eyes. "They just stare out the window and cry all the time."

"That's because they're missing their own mother," Tamolith explained, stepping carefully around her offspring as she walked into the chambers. "Their grief for Vilandrith will pass in time. Until then, be kind to them... they're an important part of our family's future."

"I offered to help Ruvith with her flying," Zulkayr said, snapping out his wings and giving them a couple of experimental beats to demonstrate his technique. "That seemed to lift her spirits a little."

"Only because she thinks you're so handsome and wants to kiss you," Tondax sneered, hacking in revulsion. "I heard her talking to Ondyrth about it. Ugh... females are disgusting!"

Tamolith smiled indulgently at her youngest son. "Am I disgusting too, precious one?"

That brought the whelp up short and he shook his head. "No, mother... but you don't count. You're not annoying like my sisters!"

Her rumbling laughter echoed around the Imperial suite. "Run along and play now, my darlings. I'll join you soon, but first I wish to speak to Zulkayr alone."

The five youngest red dragons padded away, their obedient withdrawal quickly devolving into raucous arguments and another frantic game of chase.

"Is all well, mother?" Zulkayr asked, looking up at her curiously.

Tamolith towered over him, standing thirty-feet-tall compared to his fourteen. "You did well today, my handsome son," she praised him. "Continue to be supportive with Ruvith and Ondyrth. In time, you will come to greatly appreciate them both."

"Are they to be my consorts?" he asked, deepening his voice to a gruff rumble in an attempt to sound more mature.

She smiled at him with amusement. "And what do you know of such things?" When he lowered his eyes in embarrassment, Tamolith nuzzled him with her huge draconic maw. "Hold your head up high, Zulkayr. You will make a fine Emperor one day and the Imperial princesses will help you establish a legacy that will last for millennia."

Zulkayr did as she asked, puffing out his chest too. His posturing display wilted a moment later and he looked up at his mother with concern. "Will the Kintark Empire endure that long, Empress? I overheard some of the servants talking... they said that we are at war with the Brimorian Enclave! That their forces are invading and seizing worlds unopposed... and soon they might be invading Kinta itself!"

Tamolith's grated her huge fangs together in anger and vowed to slowly dismember the cretins who'd exposed her beloved children to palace gossip... even if it was true.

"Do not fret, my handsome son, it is unbecoming," she gently admonished him. "All is under control and I have made plans to deal with the Brimorian slugs. We will smash their forces and bring the Enclave to its knees."

"I knew it was all a pack of lies!" Zulkayr exclaimed, grinning with relief. "May I be excused, mother? I'm going to ask Ruvith to accompany me for that flying lesson... and perhaps I can coax Ondyrth into joining us too."

"Of course, my darling," Tamolith agreed, watching him leave with all the exuberance of youth.

Her smile faded now that she was on her own and Tamolith dearly wished that she could be so easily convinced of their impending victory.

***

"John... Calara's here," Maria whispered, her fingers brushing through his hair like a gentle breeze.

He lurched upright, suddenly feeling mortified that he'd let himself fall apart in front of Maria like that.

"It's okay, don't be embarrassed," she said, stroking his arm. "I'm incredibly flattered that you were so open with me."

John darted a pensive glance in her direction, doubt and insecurity in his eyes.

"If you're worried that I find you any less attractive... don't be," she cooed, squeezing his bicep and giving him a sultry smile that would have made a eunuch hard as steel. "I still intend to flirt mercilessly with my handsome son-in-law."

He chuckled, the tension leaving his body. "You're an amazing woman, Maria. Jack's a very lucky man." His gaze darted to the steps where Calara was sauntering down to join them. "And so am I."

The young Latina strolled over, carrying a couple of tall drinks. "Sorry I took a while... we were out of glasses."

"So you had to blow your own?" John joked, smiling at her white lie as he accepted the drink.

Calara shook her head. "I'll save the blowing for later."

He snorted as he drank and coughed into his hand. "That's not what I meant!"

"Oh? I meant every word..." she purred, leaning in to give him a tender kiss. Calara paused and studied him with her perceptive gaze. "Are you alright? You look... different."

John composed himself and nodded. "I had a good chat with your mother and brought her up to speed. It was... helpful... to talk about everything."

Calara hugged him tight and smiled at Maria over his shoulder. "Thanks, mom."

"It was my pleasure," she replied, clasping her daughter's hand.

As John and Calara separated, she informed him, "Lieutenant Commander Marshall and Commander Sharp are waiting to meet us in the Officers' Lounge."

He looked at her quizzically, but before he could ask who they were, Maria blurted out, "Oh! Faith and Joel! Are they alright?"

"Come and see for yourself," Calara replied, playfully tugging her mother's hand.

John downed his fruit juice and was surprised to see Maria doing the same. She actually finished before him and grinned as she put down the empty glass. "What? I went to the Academy too... I know how to chug like the best of them."

He couldn't help raising an eyebrow as he looked at her speculatively. This time it was Maria's turn to blush, knowing exactly what he was picturing her chugging. John saw her reaction and realised Maria knew exactly what he was thinking. Calara laughed at the rosy bloom in both their cheeks as they followed her up the steps and out of the Lagoon.

They made their way into the grav-tube, then ascended to Deck Two, where they entered the Officers' Lounge. Maria's two bodyguards were both present in their military uniforms, no longer attempting to maintain their undercover disguise. Alyssa and Rachel were there too, as were Jack and Viv.

"Faith!" Maria gasped, rushing over to hug the young brunette. "You had me so worried!"

"You had good reason to be," Rachel said, looking at the ISD agent with sympathy. "This young lady was very fortunate not to die from blood loss, considering the severity of the damage those bullets did to her."

"I'm just glad you survived, Maria," Faith said with an embarrassed smile, unused to being the centre of attention in such august company. "That was the one good outcome in this whole sorry mess."

"Thank you so much for saving her," Maria said to Rachel. Her eyes flicked to Commander Sharp, who appeared to be more than a little shell-shocked at his rapid recovery. "And for healing Joel too."

"Doctor Voss grew me a new leg..." Joel remarked, looking a little wild-eyed.

"A heavy machine gun round severed it mid-femur," Rachel noted with professional detachment. "It was a very nasty wound."

John stepped forward and saluted both bodyguards. "We owe you both a huge debt for protecting Maria. Thank you for keeping her safe."

"We were just doing our job, Admiral," Joel replied, returning the salute.

Faith hesitated then shook her head and smiled at the older woman. "This wasn't just a job. Maria's my friend; I would have done anything to protect her."

They hugged again, sharing the same sense of relief that they both survived the vicious ambush.

"What are you two going to do now that ISD is in lockdown?" John asked the undercover operatives.

Joel and Faith shared a glance, then shrugged.

"We'll continue our mission until ordered otherwise," Commander Sharp replied, earning him a beaming grin from his partner.

"My husband's been offered a job as an instructor at the Academy," Maria said with pride. "I suspect we'll be moving to Tau Ceti in the very near future."

He nodded, giving his wife a sideways hug. "That's the plan. I'm afraid you'll be forced to have dinner with me every night."

She grinned at him, overjoyed at the prospect.

"We're thinking about moving to Tau Ceti too," Joel said, putting his arm around his undercover partner. "The neighbourhoods in Jericho just don't seem all that safe."

"We better start house hunting, dear," Faith gushed, her eyes sparkling as she gazed up at him.

"That's a coincidence," Viv remarked with a wry smile. "The Epiphron is also being stationed at Tau Ceti for the foreseeable future."

Their laughter was interrupted by Maria, who suddenly blurted out, "Oh, where are my manners! Faith, Joel, I'd like you to meet my husband, Commodore Jack Fernandez."

"It's alright, sweetheart," Jack said, giving her a gentle squeeze. "We got the introductions out the way earlier."

Alyssa caught John's eye and tapped her temple, distracting him from the small talk.

*Oh, sorry about that,* he hastily apologised, as he allowed her to re-enter his mind. *I completely forgot that I shut you out.*

*How are you feeling after talking to Maria?* she asked, slipping her hand into his.

He paused for a moment as several things suddenly clicked into place. *You briefed her to talk to me, didn't you?*

She gave him an innocent look. *What makes you think I had anything to do with it?*

John stroked her hand and smiled at her. *Because you're always behind everything. I did wonder why Maria wasn't more upset to hear about Faye's death... and she was the one that suggested I block you out of my mind. I know Maria's a very perceptive woman, but it wasn't her that made the connection about me grieving for the relationship with my parents, was it?*

*Rachel might have made a few contributions there...* Alyssa admitted, her cerulean eyes searching his face.

John glanced at the tawny-haired doctor and saw that she was watching them discreetly. *Yes, we're talking about you. Thanks for everything, honey. Pass that on to her, would you?* he asked Alyssa.

Rachel smiled back when she received the telepathic message, her grey eyes sparkling with delight.

*You seem much happier for having talked about your parents,* Alyssa noted, having not taken her gaze from him. *Did it really help?*

*It really did,* he replied gratefully. *Thank you... I appreciate it.*

*You never have to shoulder your burdens alone, John,* she said quietly, her finger tracing patterns on the palm of his hand. *I know it's difficult to talk about things that bother you sometimes, because you worry how it'll affect us, but we're always here to help you... always.*

*Keep reminding me... maybe it'll sink in one day,* he joked, giving her a lopsided smile.

Calara stood on tiptoe and gave him a tender kiss.

*That was from me... but I couldn't wait until we were alone,* Alyssa explained, grinning back.

Their guests were a little startled by Calara's spontaneous display of affection, but before anyone could make any light-hearted comments, the door to the Officers' Lounge swung open.

Sakura strode inside, an extra spring in her step. "Hello everyone! I just wanted to invite Maria to join us down in the Cargo Bay. We have a gift for her!"

"Oh, I love presents," Maria said, her face lighting up with a lovely smile. "But you shouldn't have, Sakura. All of you have done so much for us already."

The Asian girl hugged her. "Nonsense. It's a daughter's prerogative to give her mother presents."

As they separated, Maria gave Calara a pointed look. "I hope you're taking notes, Callie."

Calara groaned and shot Sakura a mock-frown. "I think we need to have a chat... sister. You're showing me up."

They left the Officers' Lounge and dropped down through the floors until they reached Deck Nine. Sakura bounded ahead and waited impatiently by the reinforced doors that led into the Cargo Bay until the entire group had joined her. She held her breath, then tapped the button to open the doors, which slid apart with a hiss of hydraulics.

The entire crew were there, standing in a semi-circle around a beautiful white luxury hover-sedan. The overhead lights made the sleek surface sparkle with a brilliant shine, the gorgeous piece of automotive engineering looking like it had just glided out of the showroom.

Maria's mouth fell open in shock as she stared at the gleaming vehicle.

"Maria... it's a Luxura special edition," Jack said in a hushed voice. "These things cost what... 200 grand?!"

"Worth every credit," Sakura said with a broad smile.

"Actually, that was a Luxura special edition," Dana said, pointing to a pile of parts stacked in the corner of the room. She patted the roof of the car with a proud grin. "This is a Luxura awesome edition!"

Calara put her arms around her parents and guided them over to the beautiful sedan. "Tell them about the upgrade package, Sparks."

Dana opened the door to the luxury car and pressed her hand to the control panel, which flashed green as it recognised her. "It's registered to your DNA obviously. I stripped out the crappy drive system and anti-grav cyclics, then installed top-of-the range tech. I cranked up the top speed from 300 to 800, but you've also got a null-inertia gyroscope fitted, so you could pull a 10G turn and not even feel it. There's a pair of optical-tracking Tachyon Cannons mounted in the bonnet, which means you just have to point this beast at the target and POW! No more bad guys."

Jack and Maria stared at her dumbfounded, but they weren't the only ones shocked by the priceless gift of radically-advanced technology. Both Maria's bodyguards were stunned as they listened to Dana's exuberant description of the vehicles capabilities, barely able to believe that the redhead wasn't making wild exaggerations. Commander Grayson was equally shocked by the hover-car but her attention flicked to the exotic bevy of stunning beauties lined up around the Cargo Bay. She was well-versed in the commonly encountered alien species, yet Helene, the twins, and the quintet of catgirls were all a big mystery to her.

Brushing her fingers across the glistening bodywork, Calara continued the presentation. "We plated this vehicle in twenty-shaped Crystal Alyssium... the same armour we use on the Invictus. You could withstand a Beam Laser salvo from a dreadnought and not singe the paintwork. Not much beyond a Singularity Driver barrage will even put a dent in it."

"It's primary purpose is a mobile security bunker," Sakura quietly explained, standing beside the car. "If you're under attack, then just seek shelter inside. You should be able to safely escape from, or eliminate, any hostile threat. Of course, we also installed a state-of-the-art communications system capable of broadcasting to the Tau Ceti Comms Beacon, so you can call Lynette directly for help in an emergency."

Dana leapt up and said eagerly, "Oh, I almost forgot! White is just the default colour; have you got a favourite, Maria? Pick anything you want."

She blinked in astonishment, still reeling from the shock at the astronomical price of the gift. "Yellow... like a warm sunrise."

The eager redhead gestured towards the hover-sedan with a theatrical flourish. "John, if you'd care to do the honours..."

He walked over and placed his hand on the bonnet, then closed his eyes as he gathered his will. First picturing a gorgeous summer sunrise, John quickly changed his mind, then focused on a rich yellow hue and projected it through the Crystal Alyssium. The gasps from his guests told him it was working and when he opened his eyes, the hover-sedan was now a gorgeous golden yellow.

John glanced at Alyssa, his eyes sweeping over her voluminous blonde mane. "Good choice. That's one of my favourite colours too."

"It's so beautiful," Maria murmured, reaching out to touch the car with a trembling hand. "I... I'm lost for words. Thank you just seems so inadequate..."

"Now you know how I feel," Sakura said with a shy smile. "Thank you, Maria. Thank you, Jack."

They both embraced her, with Jack grinning at his natural daughter and pulling Calara into the group hug.

"Can I get in there too?" Dana asked with an impish grin.

The Nymphs held back, but the rest of the girls all took turns in embracing Calara, Sakura, and her parents. John was standing next to Alyssa and he saw a wobble in her otherwise flawless posture. He put his arm around her to steady his matriarch, guessing by the ecstatic expression on Sakura's face that she'd found a new state of serenity... and Alyssa was feeling it.

When he glanced back at Maria, he saw that she was walking towards them with Jack at her side.

"I've always hated goodbyes," she said, looking at the couple with sincere regret. "Calara explained that this was just a fleeting visit and that you have people to save on Olympus."

"I'm afraid so," John said, nodding in confirmation. "We'd love to spend more time with you, but duty calls..."

"Will you be returning here soon?" Maria asked hopefully.

Calara slipped her arms around her mother from behind and rested her chin on her shoulder. "I don't think so, mom... not for at least a couple of weeks. You know what we're facing next."

Maria kissed her daughter on the cheek and looked at John. "Keep my girls safe for me, John. Please."

"I will... I promise," he agreed without reservation. "And... thank you for listening to me earlier."

"Any time," she replied, the warmth of her smile reflected in her eyes.

Jack offered John his hand and they shook firmly. Words weren't necessary; both men understood each other now, the look exchanged between them communicating volumes.

Calara gave her parents a farewell hug while the Maliri twins left the cargo bay. Once they were safely out of sight, Dana raised the huge doors, revealing the umbilical linking the Invictus to the Epiphron. Jack was eager to drive the new car across to the hangar opposite, while Viv accompanied Maria and her bodyguards over to the Federation battlecruiser. When their guests had safely disembarked, John and the girls waved goodbye as the Cargo Bay doors slowly descended and blocked them from view.

"Good visit?" John asked Calara, wrapping his arms around the brunette.

She turned to snuggle into his embrace. "The best."

"Yeah, I can't argue with you there," he agreed, stroking her luxurious chestnut mane. John beckoned to Sakura and she eagerly joined them. "The car was a brilliant idea, honey. I'd have paid triple for peace of mind that they'll be safe, so let me cover the-"

Sakura held up a hand to interrupt him and shook her head. "No, it was my gift to her. I wanted to thank Maria for her kindness."

"I understand," he said with an amiable shrug.

Calara bit her lip, then shared a coy smile with Sakura. "John... how would you like to spend some time with a couple of horny sisters?"

He saw the same hunger in Sakura's hooded gaze and pulled them both closer. "I'd like that a lot."

"So would I," Alyssa said, hugging the girls from behind. "But it won't take long for us to reach Olympus and I'm afraid Jehanna's going to need lots of TLC."

They all turned to look at her in alarm.

"Why? What happened?" John blurted out.

A flash of regret crossed Alyssa's beautiful face. "Basically, the opposite of what just happened with Jack and Maria."

John's brow furrowed in confusion. "But I thought everything was okay between Jehanna and her parents? She seemed so confident she had everything under control on our call earlier."

The blonde let out a heavy sigh and explained how Jehanna's conversation with her conservative parents had gone badly wrong. She told them how Ramesh Elani was now convinced that his daughter was dishonouring Calara by having an affair with John, and that her mother was appalled to learn that Jehanna was sleeping with both of them.

"We have to call them and explain!" Calara protested, aghast that she was the inadvertent cause of their estrangement.

"And say what exactly?" Alyssa asked, raising an eyebrow. "Hey, Ramesh! Actually, I'm not fucking your daughter... but John is and I don't mind?"

Sakura winced and Calara groaned in frustration. "Ah crap... You're right, this is a mess."

"Mmmhmm," Alyssa agreed, equally perplexed. "We need to handle this very carefully... and we'll need Jehanna's guidance. I'm not familiar with the cultural intricacies of her family's background, so we can't make any moves to help without discussing them with her first."

"Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?" John asked, frowning with disapproval.

"There was nothing you could do to help and you were dealing with enough already," Alyssa explained, not shying away from making eye contact with him. "I spoke to Jehanna again to calm her down and if she'd called back wanting to speak to you, I would have let you know. Lynette is looking after her at the moment and when we arrive at Olympus, we'll be able to take over."

"But we were only planning on staying there for a couple of hours," John protested.

Alyssa nodded. "I know."

"Surely you aren't suggesting we just drop in on her parents unannounced?" he asked, looking at her in confusion. "We won't reach Olympus until after ten and rushing to resolve this in the middle of the night is bound to be a disaster. Not unless Helene intervenes... and I really don't feel comfortable using her abilities that way."

"I didn't think you would," Alyssa replied, her tone neutral.

The rest of the girls had gathered around, drawn in by the worried looks and pensive discussion.

Rachel's grey eyes carefully appraised the blonde matriarch. "You want to take Jehanna with us."

Alyssa saw no reason to deny it. "Yes."

All eyes turned to John, who paused to seriously consider that option. "Alright... I'll talk to her."

"Seriously?!" Dana blurted out, looking at him wide-eyed in surprise. "I thought you were encouraging Jehanna to enjoy her career?"

"I am, but we can't fix an estrangement with her parents overnight," he replied, with a helpless shrug. "And I'm not leaving her heartbroken and alone for weeks."

The redhead eagerly rubbed her hands together. "So we've basically got two weeks to convince Jehanna to stay?"

John shook his head. "Please don't put any pressure on her. She's already torn about what to do and now she's going through all this with her parents as well. I just want all of you to be helpful and supportive... which goes without saying as you always are anyway."

Dana's gaze softened and she nodded. "Alright, I'll just help look after her."

The rest of the girls murmured their agreement.

"Thank you," John said, acknowledging them with a grateful smile. "Jehanna's a lovely girl and I'm sure she'd fit right in with the crew... but her circumstances are a bit different from the rest of you and I want her to choose this life for herself."

"We understand, John," Calara said quietly. "You can trust us to make her feel at home."

He cupped her face and stroked her cheek as she nuzzled into his hand. "I know."

Pre-empting John's next question, Alyssa said, "The twins are already up on the Bridge and we're leaving the gravity well. I'll head up there and lay in a course so we get to Olympus as fast as possible."

"Thanks, honey. I'd like to speak to Lynette, Charles, and Lina tonight; are they available?"

"They'll be waiting for us," she replied over her shoulder as she headed for the exit. "Lynette's desperate to discuss the Lina situation too."

He nodded thoughtfully, still unsure how to tackle this potential minefield of a conversation.

"If you'll excuse me, I'd like to get ready for our arrival," Rachel said to John, before glancing at Sakura. "Are you free to accompany me?"

"Of course," the Asian girl readily agreed. "I'll get geared up and protect you while you're on station."

The rest of the group began to disperse, but John caught Calara's hand before she'd moved a step. "Could you please help look after Jehanna while I talk to Charles and Lynette?" he asked politely.

"Me?" she asked in surprise. "Surely I'm the last person you'd want to console her."

"No, not at all. I think you're a perfect example of a Lioness who's managed to still keep a strong bond with her family despite being an integral part of the crew."

"In that case, I'll be glad to assist in any way I can."

"I'll help as well," Dana volunteered.

John shook his head and hugged the redhead. "Actually, I need your help with something else entirely..."

***

"What do you mean, the combat footage is corrupted?!" Admiral Laurence Walker demanded incredulously. "I thought black box recordings were supposed to be infallible!"

"That's just it, Sir," the flustered technician replied, turning away from the holo-screen to stare at the file he'd downloaded from the salvage archive that morning. "I've never seen anything like it. The data stream was fine while the Claymore was docked, but everything after Commander Walker launched is just... gone. I've tried every analysis tool we have available here, but I can't fix it."

The admiral grimaced in frustration. "Alright, forget about that one then, it's useless. What about the black boxes from the rest of the fighters in his wing? Have those been retrieved yet?"

The technician searched through the long list of salvaged wrecks. "Yes, it looks like two more were recovered yesterday."

There was a strained silence, then Admiral Walker snapped impatiently, "Well? What's on them?"

"That's weird..." The technician's beetle-like eyebrows furrowed in confusion. "I can't access those recordings. They've been locked... pending investigation."

"An investigation? What kind of investigation?" the admiral asked with an indignant frown.

"Laurence, we need to go!" his wife called out from the hallway. "Visiting hours end at eleven!"

He turned to shout back over his shoulder. "I'll just be a minute!"

"You said you'd be a minute, half-an-hour ago!" Harriet snapped, growing increasingly irate.

"God-damnit," Laurence cursed under his breath. Turning back to the technician aboard the Hera, he continued, "I want to see battle footage taken from any wreck in the area where Commander Walker's Claymore was discovered."

There were a succession of low beeps and the technician shook his head. "I'm trying, Sir... they've all been locked. I can't even access the recording from HCJ-C-1482 now."

"Keep looking," Admiral Walker ordered sternly. "There must be some footage of his Claymore in action and it's imperative that we secure it."

"Will do, Sir," the technician replied, unable to suppress an exasperated sigh.

Admiral Walker ended the call with a scowl, shutting down the comms channel. He strode out of his office, then jogged down the sweeping staircase to join his fuming wife.

"It was Admiralty business, Harriet," he said, holding up a hand to forestall further complaint.

She clenched her jaw in tightly-suppressed anger and followed him out to the hover-sedan in silence. Laurence opened the car door for his wife, closing it behind her when she was safely inside. He walked around to the other side of the vehicle, then nodded to the chauffeur when he was seated. Moments later, the sedan lifted off from the sweeping drive at the front of the Walker residence, and headed for the Unity City Medical Institute.

They soared over immaculate boulevards and beautifully landscaped gardens, the district solely for the homes of the privileged elite who ruled the Terran Federation. Although Harriet Walker hadn't said a word since they'd left their residence, her husband could feel the waves of anger radiating off her as the hover-sedan ate up the miles to their destination.

"I told you I wanted to be on time this evening," Harriet finally hissed under her breath.

He chose not to respond and stared out the window, hoping to avoid a fight.

"You're always making us late for everything," she grumbled.

Harriet clicked her long manicured nails against her purse, the percussion grating on his nerves.

"When you insisted on 'making a quick call', I knew this would happen... I just knew it. I told you it was important, but did you listen? No."

"Why?! What was so goddamn important?!" he finally snapped, his temper flaring.

Harriet glared at him and shot an embarrassed glance at the driver. "Keep your voice down, Laurence!"

Admiral Walker stared at her in stony silence, not trusting himself to speak for fear of yelling.

"I told you before, but I knew you weren't listening," she whispered, darting another sidelong look at the chauffeur to make sure he wasn't eavesdropping. "I'm worried about Annabelle. She was so upset at the hospital last night and she finally opened up with me. She said... well... that she and Thomas had been having problems."

"What kind of problems?" he muttered, not remotely interested in the details of a lover's tiff.

"She said that Thomas just stopped calling her... and she hadn't been able to reach him for over a week before the battle," Harriet said quietly.

"Uh huh," Laurence grunted, barely paying attention.

"And Annabelle told me that Mason called her and said some terrible things. He said that Thomas had been unfaithful to her!"

Laurence snorted derisively. "Impossible."

"I know... they've always been so in love," Harriet whispered, nodding her agreement.

"No, it's simply not possible..." he insisted, then abruptly let his voice trail away, knowing better than to finish that sentence.

"That's what I told Annabelle!" Harriet agreed, blithely unaware of the real reason for her husband's conviction. "Thomas thinks that girl hangs the moon; he's always been besotted with her."

Laurence chose not to comment. His wife was right of course... but hopefully she would drop the subject if he didn't engage in this uncomfortable conversation.

"I told Annabelle that it all must be some horrible misunderstanding. When Thomas wakes up again, everything will be fine... apart from her poor brother dying in that dreadful Brimorian ambush." Harriet shook her head sorrowfully. "I spoke to Natalie this afternoon; she's absolutely devastated as you can imagine. Mason was such a polite, handsome boy... it breaks my heart to think what happened to him."

The hover-sedan began to lose altitude, making a smooth descent as they approached the Medical Institute.

"We're here... at last," Laurence grunted, shifting impatiently in his seat.

"I can't see Annabelle outside," Harriet murmured anxiously, leaning forward to look around the driver's headrest. "I hope she hasn't been waiting here on her own for too long."

The hover-sedan glided to a halt in the drop-off zone outside the medical facility and Laurence got out first to open the door for Harriet. She smiled gratefully, then hooked her arm around his, playing the part of the devoted Admiralty trophy wife to a tee as they strode into the hospital. Walking straight through the reception area, they made their way towards the neurology department, where their son still lay unresponsive in a coma. As they neared Thomas Walker's private room, Harriet spotted her son's fiancée in a waiting area outside, tears rolling down her pretty face.

"Annabelle!" she called out, an undercurrent of fear in her voice.

Laurence knew why his wife sounded so afraid. Harriet was wondering why the young blonde wasn't at her usual post beside Thomas and what dreadful news might have reduced her to tears.

"Oh, Harriet!" Annabelle gasped, lurching up from her chair. "They won't let me in to see Tommy!"

Admiral Walker stared down the corridor at the two armoured soldiers standing guard at the entrance to his son's hospital room. Their presence filled him with a dreadful sense of foreboding that sent a shiver down his spine.