The Raptor blasted through Kinta's troposphere, leaving white contrails in the gunship's wake as it roared towards space. It didn't take long to punch through the wispy cirrus clouds and the crew's destination soon came into view, the Invictus hanging motionless in orbit above the planet. The gleaming white battlecruiser was like a bastion of serenity amongst the burning wreckage of the invasion armada, where hundreds of Brimorian warships had been reduced to little more than glowing debris and jagged chunks of scrap metal.

"Now there's a sight for sore eyes," Dana said with a sigh of relief. "I can't wait to get the hell out of here."

John shared her sentiments and put his arm around the pensive redhead. "Yeah, I know what you mean."

Their ground assault on Kinta had been successful from a strategic point of view, but the tragic fate that had befallen Tamolith's family had taken a heavy toll on everyone.

As Jade guided the gunship towards the open hangar doors, John said quietly, "I know it's late, but let's get together for a debrief before we call it a night. I think we should discuss a few things before we get some sleep."

"Sure," Alyssa agreed. "Where do you want everyone to meet up? The Briefing Room or the Observatory?"

"The Briefing Room," John replied without hesitation.

She nodded her agreement, realising he wanted a more formal setting. Standing on tiptoe Alyssa kissed him on the cheek. "I've let the rest of the girls know. I'll head up to the Bridge, set a course for Genthalas, and join you as soon as I'm done."

"Thanks, beautiful."

The Raptor drifted towards the centre of the landing pad and piloted by Jade's expert hand, it touched down without so much as a quiver. The girls began to disembark as soon as the landing ramp had been deployed, but John was still up in the cockpit with the two Nymphs. He waited patiently as Jade went through the shutdown routine with Betrixa, before she finally dismissed her distracted student.

The blonde catgirl sprang out of the co-pilot's chair and rushed to join him, a dazzling smile on her pretty face. "Hey, John! Sorry to keep you waiting."

"It's no problem... I told Jade I didn't mind," he replied, slipping his arms around her waist.

"What's up?" she asked curiously.

"I wanted to thank you for earlier... and apologise for not being there when you woke up."

"I didn't take you for a love 'em and leave 'em kind of a guy," she replied with a mock pout.

"Actually, I think I'm more the love 'em and keep 'em type," John said with a wry smile. Looking into her eyes, his tone turned serious as he continued, "Holding you in my arms while you slept was wonderful and I hated having to leave. Unfortunately, I had to deal with the Tamolith situation as quickly as possible otherwise I would've stayed with you."

"I-I know," she faltered, startled by his earnest reply. "I understand, Master... I promise I wasn't offended."

He brushed his fingers through her soft blonde hair. "I just wanted you to know how happy I am that you chose to stay with me of your own free will."

Betrixa giggled, then reached down to lovingly caress his groin. "Don't you mean: stay with this gorgeous hunk of manliness?"

John chuckled at her playful retort. "Of course, how could I forget."

The tawny catgirl hesitated, then looked up at him with her big sapphire eyes. "John... I was just joking about that before. I really meant that I love you... and I want to stay with you forever."

He rewarded her with a tender kiss. "I know, honey."

She snuggled up against his chest, practically radiating happiness and contentment. John stroked her back, enjoying the feelings of affection and protectiveness she stirred up in him. Hidden behind Betrixa's irreverent and playful nature was a sweet-natured and sensitive woman... and it was always a privilege when she let him see glimpses of the other side to her personality.

Movement from the pilot's chair drew his attention as Jade rose from her seat. Her emerald eyes drank in the sight of them embracing, her joyful expression closely matching Betrixa's... except for the flicker of timeless wisdom in her warm gaze. It was a sharp reminder that both Nymphs were actually thousands of years old, an observation that jarred with the youthful exuberance of the girl in his arms.

He shared a look with Jade, who was listening to his thoughts. They had discussed this before and John knew that there was no subterfuge on Betrixa's part. When he became her master, John had shaped the boisterous Nymph's personality, defining every aspect of her nature for the foreseeable future.

"Do you think you'll enjoy Betrixa's company for the rest of eternity, Master?" Jade asked, hugging her sister from behind.

Glancing down at the cheetah catgirl, John saw that she was looking up at him with an impish grin.

John couldn't help returning Betrixa's infectious smile. "I might be a bit biased, but I think she's adorable... you all are."

"Yay!" Betrixa exclaimed, giving him a gleeful squeeze.

He kissed both Nymphs, then reluctantly pulled away. "As much as I appreciate you two lifting my spirits, we've got a debriefing to get to."

"I think the debriefing might be a problem," Betrixa said with a frown of concern.

John paused as he was about to leave the cockpit. "Really? How so?"

"I'm not wearing any briefs," she replied solemnly, unzipping her form-fitting bodysuit to prove it. "See... no panties!"

"She's right, Master. None of us are wearing any," Jade agreed, as she flounced over to her discarded dress. "The girls all go commando in their jumpsuits."

He groaned as they headed down in the grav-tube. "For that terrible pun, you two can help me put my armour back on."

"I thought we were done fighting for today?" Betrixa asked with a puzzled frown, as she followed him into the gunship's forward loading area.

"We are, but I still need to stow away my gear and this is the fastest way," John explained, leaning over to pick up his lion-embossed chestplate.

Assisted by the two eager Nymphs, John was able to don his Paragon suit without too much difficulty. It took over a minute to lock all the armour plates into place, highlighting just how much of a difference Dana's equipping frames made. His helpers might have been able to finish a little faster with greater focus, but he had no intention of objecting to their wandering hands. When John was fully equipped, he returned to the gunship's Armoury to safely store his Paragon suit and runesword.

*I've plotted a course to Genthalas and we're heading out of the system,* Alyssa informed him. Her tone took on a teasing lilt as she continued, *Are you planning to join us at some point, or are you having too much fun playing with your Nymphs?*

*We're on our way,* he replied, accompanying Jade and Betrixa out of the Raptor.

They rose up in the blue anti-gravity field, passing deck after deck until they reached the Bridge. Alyssa was sitting in the XO's chair and she gracefully descended from the Command Podium to greet the new arrivals. Betrixa stood on tiptoe to kiss John on the cheek, then bounded down the ramp to take her place at the Pilot's Station.

"You shouldn't run into any problems," Alyssa informed the eager catgirl. "Everything's all set."

John paused for a moment, wondering if they should hold position so that Betrixa could join the briefing too.

"It's okay. She volunteered for this," Jade said, slipping her hand into his.

Betrixa twisted in her seat to nod in confirmation. "I didn't really do anything in the battle except watch Jade. Go ahead without me... big sis will keep me up to speed."

"Big sis?" John asked his Nymph matriarch with a raised eyebrow.

Jade shrugged amiably, her feline eyes sparkling with happiness.

Alyssa brushed her fingers along his arm. "John, the Kintark fleet commander wanted to speak with you. High Prelate Zorlin asked if you could contact him at your convenience."

"Sure. I'll give him a call as soon as we've reviewed the battle."

They entered the Briefing Room, where the rest of the crew were all waiting for them, sitting around the long conference table in their usual places. The mood was uncharacteristically sombre, with all the girls from the ground team looking subdued. John pulled out a chair for both Alyssa and Jade, then took his seat at the head of the table.

"Alright, we'll keep this short," John said, glancing around at the pensive faces. "Before I start, do any of you want to discuss something first?"

Calara drew his attention when she shifted position in her chair, her agitation plain to see.

"Why did you recruit Tamolith?!" she blurted out indignantly. "After what she did to Mateo and all those Federation prisoners at Xen-Nuchek, she didn't deserve it!"

Surprised at her outburst, he glanced at Alyssa. "I thought you said everyone supported the idea?"

"We all appreciate that it was a tough decision," the blonde replied diplomatically, studying her girlfriend. "Some of us are just a bit more enthusiastic about the outcome than others..."

John turned his chair to face the Latina. "I understand why you're upset, but I didn't have a lot of options. My other choices were basically to kill Tamolith and put her out of her misery, or leave her to take out her grief on the Kintark. If I'd done either of those things, the Empire would have been left in turmoil for months, if not years, and billions of people would have suffered for it."

Calara frowned, shaking her head in disapproval. "I just don't like the idea of recruiting anyone for political expediency. It was completely different with Chancellor Niskera; she's a good person, who cares deeply about serving the Trankaran Republic. Niskera was a brilliant choice to become the Glowing Queen... but Tamolith's a narcissistic and manipulative murderer!"

Leaning back in his seat, John let out a heavy sigh. "You're right... but saving lives wasn't the only reason I agreed to change her."

"Why did you do it then?" the brunette asked, looking at him quizzically.

"I had one job to do on Kinta: protect Tamolith and her family... and I failed," he said, his expression reflecting the guilt he felt. "She adored her children and I wasn't able to save them."

"But that was the Brimorian's fault, not yours!" Calara protested, leaning forward to clasp his hand. "You can't blame yourself for what those cruel monsters did."

"Offering hope to Tamolith was an act of mercy, not a reward," Helene interjected, her quiet voice carrying across the silent room. "Tamolith was in so much pain... I've never felt anyone in such anguish."

Dana looked equally perturbed. "She's right, Calara. You were lucky you were up on the Invictus and didn't hear Tamolith howling with grief... I don't think I'll ever forget it. She was just... destroyed. It was like her heart had been ripped out when she saw what happened to her kids."

Calara bit her lip and turned back to John, her gaze filled with sympathy. "I'm sorry... I didn't realise how awful that must have been."

"It was heartbreaking," he agreed, squeezing her hand. "I know Tamolith has done some terrible things, but I wouldn't have wished that kind of pain on my worst enemy. I had to give her some kind of hope, or she would've killed herself in her grief... or taken out her rage on a huge number of Kintark."

The room went quiet as Calara considered that, before she finally nodded her acceptance.

Irillith was the first to break the awkward silence. "If it makes it any easier, Tamolith going through the Change isn't going to be quite the reward you think it is."

"What do you mean?" Calara asked, her brow furrowing in confusion. "If I was given the choice of going through the Change again, I'd say yes in a heartbeat. It was a wonderful experience."

"Yes, but you were a good person to begin with... all of you were," the Maliri replied, glancing around the table. "But if you're not a good girl, then the Change comes with a sting in the tail."

Rachel's grey eyes suddenly widened in understanding and a flicker of remorse crossed her features.

Irillith saw her reaction and nodded. "If I know our Baen'thelas... the Kintark Empress is about to grow a conscience. Tamolith has done some terrible things in the past... and now she's going to have to deal with a large serving of guilt."

The slight tremor in her voice made it obvious to everyone in the room that the Maliri was speaking from experience.

Tashana put her arm around her twin, a look of sympathy on her azure face. "I forgave you weeks ago for what happened between us. You don't still blame yourself, do you?"

"Your banishment was my fault... or at least, the old version of me was responsible," Irillith said softly as she hugged her sister back. Her violet eyes flicked across the table to their fiancé and gave him a grateful smile. "But John helped me see that I'm not the same person any more... that I've changed on a fundamental level."

"You were a good girl until the original version of Edraele brutalised you," John agreed, making eye contact with her. "Now you're the woman you should have rightfully become."

Pulling back from Tashana, the Maliri hacker nodded. "Tamolith isn't going to have that justification to fall back on. She's got a lot of very painful soul searching ahead of her."

Suddenly concerned, John glanced at Alyssa. "Is she going to be alright on her own?"

The blonde rubbed his arm fondly. "Don't worry, I've had a lot of experience dealing with someone suffering from a guilty conscience. I'll do my best to help Tamolith try to come to terms with what she's done until you can devote the time to make her one of us."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

Dana crinkled her nose with distaste. "So how's that going to work exactly? Are you going to turn into a giant and actually fuck Tamolith?"

John laughed and shook his head at that disturbing image. "I'm not having sex with a dragon!"

The redhead smirked, but wasn't to be deterred. "What then? I want details!"

"Well... I was hoping to continue using Jade as an intermediary," he replied, glancing at his Nymph matriarch, who immediately nodded her consent.

Rolling her eyes, Dana persisted, "Yeah, but you promised Tamolith kids. How's that supposed to work? Is Jade going to knock her up for you? Is it actually possible to put a Progenitor bun in a dragon's oven?"

John shot a helpless look at Rachel. "This was your bright idea. Do want to jump in?"

The brunette's grey eyes glittered with anticipation. "I suspect that when the time comes, you'll be able to service Tamolith personally."

"You really believe I can turn her into a normal woman?" John asked, looking sceptical.

"You're forgetting just how potent your cum actually is. It acts as a psychic catalyst that gives you unprecedented control over body manipulation... but it will also apply the Thrall template on a female until she adheres to that shape. Admittedly, this is just a theory at this point, but I strongly suspect that given enough... encouragement... Tamolith will reduce in size until she exactly matches our proportions. The converse certainly applied with Alyssa growing nine inches to meet the Thrall template."

"Yeah, but Alyssa is Terran, which is very closely related to a thrall species," John countered. "Size is obviously a huge issue, but Tamolith's also a reptile!"

"I know!" Rachel gushed, thrilled at the prospect. "I can't wait to observe her transformation from a cold-blooded species to a warm-blooded one!"

"How is that even possible?"

"The most likely solution will be to increase her metabolism until she achieves endothermy and Tamolith can stabilise her own body temperature. To an outside observer she won't look any different with that change, but the internal modifications will be profound. As for her appearance... shedding scales, reducing mass, modifying her skeletal structure; altering Tamolith's posture and aesthetics shouldn't be an insurmountable task."

Dana tapped her chin thoughtfully. "If you do manage to compress her down that much, I wonder if it'll affect her muscle density?"

"I'm fascinated to find that out too," Rachel agreed. "The alternate is that she'll simply expunge the excess mass."

The redhead's lips twitched with suppressed mirth. "Damn... that'd be one hell of a dump!"

"Sparks..." John admonished her, rolling his eyes and trying not to laugh. He focused his attention on Rachel and continued, "You sound confident that Tamolith shouldn't be in any physical danger from going through the Change."

"If she was going to suffer an adverse reaction to ingesting your cum, we would've most likely seen it when Jade first fed her," the brunette explained. "To avoid the risk of complications, when you do start pushing Tamolith through the Change, I think you should dedicate as much time as necessary to fully complete it."

"So I'll probably have to schedule that after the Progenitor War then," John said, finding himself in agreement with the brunette. He looked around the table at the group. "Alright, let's move onto the combat debrief. Have we got footage of the space battle that we can review?"

Irillith reached for the remote. "The Invictus automatically logs the combat data we see on the Tactical Map. I'll queue that up for you and include the comms traffic from the Valkyrie as well."

It only took the Maliri a few moments to display the holographic representation of the Kinta system. She began the recording and they all watched in awe as the Invictus tore through the Brimorian ranks, obliterating squadron after squadron of alien warships.

"Holy shit..." Dana muttered, staring at the map with wide eyes. "They got totally fucking wrecked!"

"That would be my professional opinion as well," John said, leaning back in his seat.

He glanced at Calara, the Latina looking despondent as she stared at the Brimorian battleships that were bombarding Kinta.

"Come here, honey," he insisted, opening his arms.

Calara did as he asked and sat sideways across his lap.

"You did everything you could to impede the Brimorian invasion," he said, stroking her back as he studied her troubled face. "The fact that you reduced the number of fleets in that armada from seven to three is astonishing, but you also managed to delay them for hours. If it wasn't for you, the Kintark fleets would have been completely destroyed and the Brimorians would have slaughtered millions more civilians on Kinta."

"I know... but I should have drawn up contingency plans to counter an attack on the homeworld," the brunette said, with a heavy sigh. "I made a huge mistake not predicting an orbital bombardment and thousands of Kintark are dead because of it."

John watched her for a long moment, then asked quietly, "So why didn't you predict it?"

"Because it made no fucking sense!" Calara exploded, stabbing a finger at the holographic map. "They murdered thousands of defenceless civilians for no reason! The thought of randomly committing an atrocity like that would never even have crossed my mind! What kind of heartless monster would do that?! How can I possibly anticipate that level of insanity?!"

"You can't... and that's my point," John said gently. "There's an important lesson to be learned here; you can't expect your opponents to think in a rational or honourable way. When we go up against the Progenitors, you've got to realise that they're even worse than the Brimorians. You remember what Larn'kelnar was like; he instigated wars that slaughtered millions of people, just for his sick entertainment. The Progenitors are vicious, cruel, and capable of the vilest acts of depravity."

Calara had been breathing heavily after her outburst, but she calmed down as she listened to him, then sat back to consider his advice.

"From a strategic point of view, you just won a massive victory," John said sincerely, looking into her eyes. "You devastated the Brimorian invasion force, crippled half their fleets and wiped out all their combat capable warships. To top that off, the Deep Pool still has no idea that we were involved or that their armada has been annihilated. Nearly all the Kintark warships survived intact and we managed to protect the vast majority of the civilian population on Kinta. Tamolith is now a staunch ally, and our intervention to protect the homeworld will encourage the Kintark populace to rally behind that alliance. We achieved every strategic goal we could have possibly hoped for."

She leaned into him and rested her head against his shoulder. "Then why doesn't it feel like we won?"

"Because you still have empathy and compassion for the innocents that died," he replied, holding her close. "It might have been a strategic victory, but it came at a heavy price in civilian lives. I don't want us to ever get into the mindset that it's okay to sacrifice innocents and win at any cost."

Calara nodded and kissed his cheek. "I won't... not ever."

"Good girl," he said, returning the kiss. Making no move to shift her from his lap, he turned to Sakura. "You did an excellent job demolishing those Brimorian capital ships. The Kintark would've taken heavy casualties if you hadn't assisted them."

The Asian girl gave him a shy smile. "I didn't do much really. The Valkyrie is so powerful now that it was like shooting fish in a barrel."

"I realise you could've taken out that entire fleet on your own, but the Kintark fleets needed that victory after seeing their homeworld bombarded. You also handled the interactions with High Prelate Zorlin with a degree of finesse that allowed them to keep their self-respect. It was very impressive, Sakura... well done."

She blushed, glowing from his praise. "Thank you."

Looking at Irillith next, John smiled. "You nearly gave me a heart attack when those two Enclave battleships charged towards the Raptor."

"Until it started raining Brimorians?" the Maliri hacker guessed with a wry grin.

"Yeah, exactly. Alyssa said you pushed yourself really hard... how many battleships did you capture?"

"All of them that were bombarding the planet," she replied with satisfaction, before her smile quickly faded to a frown. "I tried splitting my subconscious to hack more simultaneously, but the most I could manage was two."

"I thought you had five under control at one point?" John asked with confusion.

She shook her head. "I kept losing focus when I pushed myself too far and broke my connection with every ship I was linked to. Time was of the essence, so I built a simple set of instructions that I executed in each battleship as soon as I hacked their firewalls. The two battleships that you saw were actually under remote control at that point."

"You did well to push your limits and adapt to the battlefield," he said, giving her an encouraging smile. "When we end up fighting Thrall ships, you'll be our secret weapon. We'll need you ready to improvise like that again."

Irillith tilted her head to one side, then her face lit up in a dazzling smile. "You're right! I can't believe I didn't see it before! All the thrall ship classes are built to the same specifications, which means they'll be operating identical hardware and software. I've been worrying about trying to increase the number of vessels I can control simultaneously, but all I need to do is hack into each vessel then activate pre-written scripts! John, you're a genius!"

"Ah... thanks?" he said, blinking in surprise.

The excited Maliri turned to Calara. "We've got to get our hands on Larn'kelnar's fleets as soon as possible! Once I've analysed their code, I should be able to tailor a suite of scripts for each ship classification and any scenario!"

"You'll get no argument from me there," the brunette agreed, pleased to see someone else share her enthusiasm for salvaging those vessels.

John could see Irillith was lost in her thoughts, so he glanced down at Calara. "How did the Nymphs perform on the Invictus, Captain Fernandez?"

She sat up straight, her tone serious as she gave her report. "They did a sterling job, Admiral. Leylira handled the Invictus precisely as ordered, keeping us well clear of debris and out of range of the Brimorian guns. Marika and Neysa also showed great promise on gunnery duty, helping me mop up the retreating Enclave forces."

He listened attentively, then turned to look at the three Nymphs. "Thank you for training so hard for this, it really paid off. You're making a tremendous difference by supporting us with those roles; it frees up the rest of the girls to join me on combat missions."

Marika, Neysa, and Leylira were all suitably overjoyed to hear his warm praise.

Leylira tentatively raised her hand. "Master... will we be able to join you in the future too?"

"Yes... eventually. When I can make you as resilient as Jade is now, we'll review your combat status. The unfortunate reality is that we'll soon be facing Thralls, who'll be equipped with very powerful squad weaponry. I'm not willing to expose any of you to a threat like that until I'm convinced you can shrug off tachyon bolts."

"We'll be visiting Maliri territory soon," Jade said, studying him speculatively. "Will you still be able to feed my sisters when you also need to expand Edraele's network of wards?"

John leaned back in his chair and thought about that for a moment. "I'm going to delegate that decision to my matriarchs. The three of you are well aware of what my priorities are."

Alyssa caressed his hand. "I'm sure we'll be able to work out which deserving tummies need filling up next..."

Jade nodded enthusiastically. "You can leave that to us!"

*I'm alight with anticipation, my Lord,* Edraele crooned, sounding equalling thrilled.

"Alright, next up is the ground team," John said, his gaze sweeping across the seated girls. "Do you want to review individual helmet camera footage?"

The girls glanced at each other, then shook their heads.

"It would make for very depressing viewing, John," Tashana said quietly. "The Brimorian marines were cruel and merciless, gunning down Kintark civilians with impunity. I encountered a group shooting unarmed men, women, and children fleeing the city... and punished them accordingly."

Dana nodded, her expression grim. "The Brimorians are total assholes. I don't know about everyone else, but I'm starting to give even less of a shit about wiping those fuckers from the galaxy."

Rachel let out a sad sigh. "It appears that it isn't just the Deep Pool that are responsible for the various atrocities the Enclave has committed over the last century. Based on the behaviour of the troops we encountered, I can well imagine the Brimorian populace being fully complicit in everything that happened to the Abandoned."

Tapping his finger on the table, John scowled into the distance as he considered the ramifications of taking drastic measures against the Enclave.

Covering his hand with her own, Alyssa squeezed it gently. "We'll support whatever decision you make, but we've got more important things to worry about first. Let's just focus on finding Kythshara and requisitioning Larn'kelnar's fleets for now... forget about dealing with the Brimorians until we have time to actually deal with them properly."

He gave her a grateful smile. "Good advice, thank you." His gaze flicked to Jehanna, who was sitting next to the Maliri twins. "So, how did our newest recruit perform on her first combat mission?"

"She's an excellent marksman, has a solid grasp of squad tactics, and showed no hesitation in executing the mission objectives," Alyssa replied, sharing a meaningful look with the dusky-hued beauty. "I'd have no hesitation in bringing Jehanna along for future missions."

"Looks like you were right all along... she really is a perfect fit for the team," John said, giving Jehanna a warm smile. "Well done, honey."

The rest of the girls clapped her on the back and enthusiastically congratulated Jehanna on her performance.

"Thanks everyone," she gushed, glowing with pride at their effusive praise. "I'm still finding it hard to believe that I'm actually one of the Lionesses now."

"That reminds me," John said, turning to Sakura. "Please can you get Jehanna qualified on assault rifles. We need her fully trained before the next battle."

"We'll start first thing tomorrow," the Asian girl agreed.

"Thank you," he said appreciatively. "That just leaves Alyssa, Jade, and Helene."

"I performed a routine role in this battle that wasn't worthy of note, Master," his Nymph matriarch stated modestly. "However, Betrixa was an attentive student and is eager to practice piloting the Raptor. I'll begin training her in earnest when we return to Genthalas."

"Good. I'd like you to be available for ground missions as soon as possible," John said, nodding his approval.

"I swept the palace and cut down about 800 Brimorian marines," Alyssa said with a nonchalant shrug. "They were having a great time shooting fleeing civilians in the back, but it stopped being so funny when they were the ones running for their lives."

"We saw your handiwork," Rachel said, sharing a look with Dana.

"Yeah... you sure chopped the fuck out of those bastards," the redhead agreed.

"There's nothing more satisfying than a bit of karmic payback," Alyssa said with grim satisfaction. "I just wish we could've got there in time to prevent the Brimorians landing. If I never have to see the aftermath of an atrocity like that again, it'll be too soon."

That was met with murmurs of agreement from the gathered crew.

John glanced at the teal-hued girl who had stayed quiet for most of the briefing. She looked distracted, a deep sadness in her eyes as she gazed off into the distance. He was about to commend Helene for helping ease Tamolith's grief, but Alyssa patted his arm and shook her head.

*Leave her be, John. Seeing Tamolith like that stirred up some painful memories,* she explained, her voice full of sympathy.

*Should I talk to her after the briefing?* he asked with concern.

*No, not tonight... let Helene mourn in peace,* Alyssa said softly. *I'm sure she'd really appreciate talking to you about it tomorrow though.*

*Thanks... I'll speak to her then.*

Returning his attention to the debriefing, John said, "Unless any of you has something else you'd like to discuss, I think we'll call it a night there."

"Yeah, just one thing," Alyssa said, raising an eyebrow. "I think we're forgetting about the mastermind behind the unorthodox plan to have Jade impersonate Deep Lord Athgiloi. That ten minute lull in hostilities saved thousands of civilian lives and gave the Kintark fleets time to escape."

John chuckled and waved away the sudden round of applause. "I can't really claim the credit for that, it was all Jade's hard work."

Calara gently brushed her fingers through his hair. "I think you did the right thing in recruiting Tamolith too. I didn't understand your reasoning behind the decision at first, but I should have known you would have carefully considered all the options."

"You had good reason to be upset. I always want you to voice any objections you might have," he said, with a look of understanding. Facing the group, he added, "Anything else to discuss?"

With a final glance around the table, John saw only shaking heads.

"Well done today... all of you. It was a stressful battle, but you should all feel very proud of the way you acquitted yourselves. I'm going to give the Kintark High Prelate a quick call, then I'll join you in bed."

The crew rose from their chairs, waving goodbye to John as they headed for the Observatory. Alyssa, Calara, and Sakura all lingered behind, waiting to be present for the call. They returned to the Bridge, where Neysa had taken Betrixa's place in the Pilot's chair and was watching the Invictus' progress as they began the final leg of their journey to Maliri Space.

John and the three Terran girls climbed the illuminated steps to the Command Podium, then he took his seat and waited for Alyssa to contact the Kintark High Prelate. It didn't take long for the call to connect and the leader of the Kintark fleets appeared on the holo-screen. Zorlin looked haggard, the stress leading up to the Battle of Kinta, then the horror of watching his homeworld desecrated taking a heavy toll on the older officer. Despite his weariness, he held himself taller and performed a sweeping bow.

"Admiral Blake, I greatly appreciate you returning my call."

"It was no trouble, High Prelate. How are your fleets holding up?"

"We have begun emergency repairsss and are attempting sssalvage operationsss on our irreparably damaged vessselsss." He hesitated for a moment, then continued, "May I asssk if you plan to claim sssalvage rightsss on the Enclave battlessshipsss you captured? It appearsss that you are now departing the sssyssstem..."

John shook his head. "Consider them a gift, High Prelate... a token of good faith towards the alliance we have forged between the Maliri Protectorate and the Kintark Empire."

"The Empresss informed me that ssshe had brokered sssuch an alliance," Zorlin replied, sounding suitably awed. "On behalf of the Kintark Empire, I thank you for your overwhelming generosssity."

"You're welcome. Those battleships should bolster your forces enough to help you secure the Empire's borders, at least until you can replace Baledranax's fleet losses. Maliri forces will sweep back along the invasion corridor to eliminate the last of the Brimorian armada, so you should be free to concentrate on your repair and salvage operations without interruption."

The High Prelate was quiet for a long moment before replying. "I am incredible grateful to you for sssaving the Kintark Empire from annihilation, but I do not underssstand why you chossse to do ssso. You fought in both the Battle of Regulusss and the Battle of Terra, inflicting crussshing defeatsss on the Empire. The Lion of the Federation hasss proven to be our deadliessst foe... ssso why did you then choossse to help usss in our time of greatessst need?"

"I don't hate the Kintark, Zorlin. Your Emperor was manipulated into a war with the Terran Federation and the conflict escalated out of control before I could stop it. Baledranax is dead now and Tamolith will be a very different leader for your people; I think she's going to be the kind of Empress that the Kintark Empire needs to help it recover from this disaster."

Zorlin's reptilian features shifted and he was unable to hide his sceptical expression. "We ssshall sssee..."

"Give her a chance... I think you'll be surprised," John said with an enigmatic smile.

The High Prelate mulled that over for a long moment, then reluctantly nodded. "I would be foolisssh to doubt your word after everything you have done to pressserve the Empire. I will trussst your asssesssment of the Empresss."

"Good luck to you, High Prelate."

"And to you, Admiral Blake. I would make one humble requessst before you depart: if the Kintark Empire doesss roussse your ire in the future, pleassse allow me a chance to make amendsss before it isss too late." His reptilian gaze flicked to Calara and Sakura and he bowed respectfully. "I have no desssire to face you or your Lionesssesss on the battlefield ever again."

"If Tamolith pisses me off, I'll let you know," John said with a wry grin. "Goodbye, Zorlin."

"Farewell to all of you," the High Prelate replied, before ending the call.

John rose from his Command Chair and turned to the girls. "Do you think he'll cause problems for Tamolith?"

Alyssa spun her seat to face him. "He's seen Tamolith randomly murder Kintark civilians, so he's got good reason to worry about her mental stability."

"Zorlin was willing to throw his life away to save Kinta, so he's definitely loyal to the Empire," Calara interjected. "If he thinks the Empress is a threat to the Empire's future, it might push him into considering a coup."

Sakura mulled that over, before giving her own evaluation of the Kintark officer."I only spoke to him briefly, but Zorlin seemed like an honourable person to me. If Tamolith turns over a new leaf, I think he'll end up being one of her staunchest allies."

"Well, I guess there's nothing more we can do now but wait and see," John said with resignation. He glanced across the Bridge at the catgirl sitting in the Pilot's Chair. "Thanks for keeping watch, Neysa."

She waved goodbye and John left the Command Deck, accompanied by the three Terran girls.

Calara stretched her aching muscles as they floated down in the red anti-gravity field. "I'm going to sleep like the dead tonight."

"You've had a long day," John said with sympathy, stroking her back.

"We all have," she replied, flashing him a tired smile as they stepped out onto Deck Three.

Alyssa stifled a yawn with her hand. "Anyone in particular you fancy sleeping with tonight?"

"What?" he asked in surprise.

She caught his startled expression and nudged him with an elbow. "I meant sleepy sleep. I know Betrixa emptied your quad only an hour ago."

"Don't you normally have a system in place for this?" he asked, slipping an arm around her waist.

"Yep, but I don't think Tamolith would fit in the Observatory," she replied with a playful smile. "So, Betrixa and...?"

John realised that if his confrontation with the guide turned into a disaster, then this would be the last night he spent with any of the girls. His chest ached at that terrible thought and instinctively he pulled Alyssa closer. She had started this adventure with him and it was only fitting that she be there at the end.

"Blondes it is then," she whispered, her voice thick with emotion.

Calara and Sakura exchanged a worried glance, both understanding the reasoning behind his choice without John having to say a word.

They entered the Lagoon and crossed the arching bridge to the Observatory, where the rest of the crew had settled down for the night. The four new arrivals headed into the bathroom to freshen up, before returning to the bedroom and the huge oval bed. Instead of taking his usual place, John made a detour to check on Helene, finding the aquatic girl cuddling with Jade. It only took one glance to see that she was already fast asleep, her beautiful face now relaxed and at peace as she rested against the Nymph's verdant bust.

*She dropped off almost immediately, Master,* Jade informed him as she gently brushed her fingers through her bedmate's tousled locks. *I'll look after her tonight.*

John stroked the Nymph's arm. *Thanks, honey.*

Her emerald gaze studied him intently for a long moment, then Jade closed her eyes and enfolded the aquatic girl in an intimate embrace.

Continuing around the bed, John passed Sakura and Calara, feeling both sets of brown eyes following his every move. He didn't want to say anything that might tip off the rest of the girls about the upcoming confrontation with his guide, but he didn't want the pair to stay up all night worrying either.

Kneeling down at their side, he leaned over to give each of them a goodnight kiss. "Having trouble drifting off? Don't worry, I'll watch over you until you fall asleep."

"You need to rest, John!" Sakura protested, looking up at him with concern.

"I won't be able to sleep if I know you're still up," he replied, running his fingers through her silky black hair.

Calara frowned in protest. "That's not playing fair."

"Sorry," he said, not looking very apologetic. "Quiet now... snuggle up with your sister and get some rest."

The worry in their pensive gazes was instantly replaced by amusement and the adoptive siblings turned to hug each other closer. Calara and Sakura shared a very tender kiss, their eyes sparkling when they saw John shift to ease the discomfort in his suddenly constrictive trousers.

"Good girls," he murmured. "Pleasant dreams..."

They blew him a kiss then relaxed together and gave in to the inevitable, taking less than a minute to fall into a deep slumber. John glanced around the room and saw that everyone but his blonde bedmates were sleeping just as soundly. He slipped under the duvet with Betrixa and Alyssa, who draped their lithe bodies over his as they embraced him, sandwiching his chest between two sets of luscious breasts.

He kissed each of them on the top of their head, their golden hair tickling his nose. "Sleep well."

Betrixa beamed in delight, thrilled to be sleeping next to him. "I will, Master!"

Alyssa gazed at him, her cerulean eyes flickering with one emotion after another. Raising herself up, she kissed him gently, pouring as much of her feelings for him into it as possible. The passion left him breathless as the kiss went on and on, until she abruptly pulled away and lay at his side, hugging John fiercely.

He could feel Alyssa trembling against his chest, but she stayed silent, just holding him as close as possible. John wanted to reassure her, but he knew any words of comfort would ring hollow, as she knew every doubt whirling through his mind. They lay together quietly, lost in their thoughts as they both worried about John finally confronting his guide.

***

"Queen Edraele?" the young noblewoman enquired, her voice hesitant and uncertain.

Blinking her purple eyes, Edraele snapped her attention back to the new matriarch of House Romenor. "Please forgive me for being rude, Phelora. I apologise for being so distracted."

Phelora Romenor bit her lip as she built up her courage, then stammered, "A-are you alright? You looked so upset."

Edraele gave her a strained smile as she admitted, "There is a matter that has me deeply concerned."

"Was it something I did?" the fourth daughter of House Romenor asked, her eyes widening in alarm. "If so, I apologise!"

Reaching across the sofa to clasp the skittish young woman's hand, Edraele's gaze softened with a look of sympathy. "Do not unsettle yourself, Phelora. I promise that my lapse in manners has nothing to do with either you or House Romenor."

Phelora flinched when Edraele touched her, but she relaxed as the Maliri Queen slowly stroked the back of her hand.

"You're nothing like the tyrant I imagined you'd be," Phelora murmured, gazing enthralled at Edraele's flowing white mane. She gasped as she realised what she'd said and quickly added, "Oh no! I didn't mean that as an insult, Queen Edraele... I swear!"

"That's quite alright, I took no offence," Edraele replied, her tone kind and reassuring. "I'm well aware that I have a dreadful reputation... and your mother and I had quite the chequered history. I imagine that Meriel must have had a few choice things to say about me in the past."

Phelora let out a nervous giggle and nodded. "She really didn't like you very much."

*Edraele... I'm tailing Kali, she's on her way to your quarters,* Luna interrupted with urgency. *Do you want me to stall her until Phelora leaves?*

*No... let her come, Luna. We have some important matters to discuss.* Edraele studied the timid young woman sitting beside her on the chaise longue. "Your mother and I were bitter rivals for many years, Phelora... but I hope that the two of us might become good friends."

"I-I'd like that too," Phelora quickly agreed, giving her a shy smile in return.

"Do you have any questions that you'd like to ask me, perhaps?" Edraele asked her guest.

Biting her lip again, Phelora blushed. "Is Baen'thelas here at this station?"

"Not at present. All being well, he should return tomorrow evening," the Maliri Queen replied, doing her best to keep the longing from her voice. "He has some pressing business that he must attend to when he arrives at Genthalas, but I know he will be eager to convene a Council of Matriarchs at the earliest opportunity."

Phelora looked giddy with anticipation. "I... look forward to making his acquaintance."

"I think Baen'thelas will like you very much, Phelora," Edraele said with genuine affection.

The young woman looked as if she couldn't believe her pointed ears. "You really think so?!"

Edraele nodded emphatically. "Oh yes... and I like you too. You're a very compassionate and sweet-natured young woman."

"My mother always said that made me weak and useless," Phelora confessed, hanging her head in shame.

Gently lifting her chin, Edraele looked into the youthful noblewoman's eyes. "Yet Meriel and your sisters are dead and you survived. Do you still believe your mother was correct in her assessment?"

Phelora gaped at her in disbelief, then held herself taller as she blossomed with confidence. "No... I do not."

Edraele nodded with approval. "I used to be just like you, Phelora. I was the youngest of six daughters, so I know exactly what your life has been like until now. Put the past behind you... your future will be a bright one, full of many wonderful opportunities."

"Do you really think so?" Phelora asked in a hushed voice, her eyes alight with hope.

"I really do," Edraele replied with an indulgent smile. Letting out a sigh of regret, she rose gracefully from the sofa. "I'm so glad that we had this opportunity to get acquainted, but I'm afraid we shall have to end our meeting here."

"Oh, of course!" the young woman blurted out, hurrying to stand. "I know how late it is and I really appreciate you granting me an audience as soon as I arrived at Genthalas."

"It was a pleasure to get to know you, Phelora. I hope this is just the first of many such meetings as we forge a splendid friendship together."

Phelora looked suitably awed, gazing starry-eyed at her new idol. "That would be amazing! I'd like that so much!"

Edraele guided the new matriarch across the foyer of her suite to the exit and exchanged friendly goodbyes in the open doorway. Just as Phelora was about to depart, Kali Loraleth strode along the corridor towards them, her beautiful face twisted into a worried frown.

"Good night, my Queen," Phelora said with a respectful bow towards Edraele. She hesitated, then turned to Kali. "And to you, Matriarch."

Kali appraised the unfamiliar young woman with a quick glance, her eyebrows climbing as she realised the dark-haired girl was wearing a matriarch's formal robes. "I'm sorry, I don't believe we've been formally introduced. Edraele, would you do the honours?"

The Maliri Queen inclined her head politely. "Matriarch Kali Loraleth, this is Matriarch Phelora Romenor."

"It's lovely to meet you, Phelora," Kali said, her pensive frown smoothing out into a welcoming smile.

Phelora was staring at the new arrival's long white hair in fascination, so it took her a moment to realise she had been spoken to. "Oh, I'm so sorry for staring! It's lovely to meet you too, Kali!"

Kali ruffled out her glorious cascade of snowy white tresses. "That's quite alright. I know it takes a little while to get used to seeing long hair like this."

"You look... so beautiful," Phelora murmured, thoroughly entranced by the bewitching sight.

"Thank you," Kali said graciously. She studied the Romenor matriarch and gave her a playful smile. "It's the latest fashion among us matriarchs. I think you'll look gorgeous with long white hair too."

Phelora blushed furiously, her cheeks turning a dark indigo. She stammered her thanks, then bowed to both women and hastily departed, joining her waiting entourage.

Kali watched the Romenor Matriarch's departure, then turned back to her Queen. "Can you spare a moment, Edraele? There are things we need to discuss..."

"Of course, Kali," Edraele agreed, gesturing for the blue-eyed beauty to enter her suite.

They returned to the sweeping sofas in the lounge, the two Maliri sitting beside each other on the chaise longue. Kali kicked off her shoes and tucked her legs underneath her as she turned to face Edraele.

"You overheard me speaking to Sarinia," Kali began, studying the older woman.

Edraele nodded. "Indeed I did."

"Do you know why I came to you instead of visiting her?" the House Loraleth noblewoman asked.

"I must admit that you've piqued my curiosity..." Edraele replied, her tone carefully measured. "You kept your innermost thoughts private, so I only heard your conversation with Sarinia."

"I promised you that I wouldn't attempt to contact her," Kali replied earnestly. "I didn't initiate the call with Sarinia, but I never had any intention of disobeying your request."

Edraele raised a perfectly sculpted eyebrow. "Didn't you also promise that you would visit her?"

Kali winced as she felt a pang from her guilty conscience. "I promised that I'd visit Sarinia... but I never stated precisely when. I won't see her until you've granted me permission, even if I have to wait for John to return."

Edraele laughed and shook her head. "I never knew you could be so duplicitous, Kali."

The young woman blushed fiercely. "I didn't like being deceitful with Sarinia, but I didn't want to refuse her request outright. She tried to manipulate me before, so I wanted to see if this was a situation you could turn to your advantage." There was an unfamiliar intensity to the way she spoke, as Kali continued, "I owe everything to you, Edraele. I would never intentionally disobey you."

Opening her arms, Edraele enfolded her in a tender embrace. "You're such a treasure, my darling girl. I love you like you were my own daughter."

Kali sighed happily as she hugged her beloved mentor, but reluctantly pulled back when she heard the catch in the Maliri Queen's voice. "Is something wrong, Edraele?"

Edraele brushed a stray lock from Kali's beautiful face and swallowed around the lump in her throat. "I just wish that I could be this close with Irillith and Tashana. They're friendly and polite with me, but there's still an uncomfortable distance between us."

It was startling to see the normally composed Maliri Queen reveal any emotional turmoil and Kali rushed to hug her again. "That's only because they haven't had a chance to get to know the new you!"

"I have so much to atone for," Edraele admitted with a troubled sigh. "After all the torments their real mother inflicted on them both, it's little wonder that they're still cautious towards me."

"Things will be different when Baen'thelas is living with us," Kali said earnestly. "You'll be able to see your daughters every day and they'll learn to love you for the wonderful person you've become."

"Thank you, Kali. You're very sweet."

The youngest of the Young Matriarchs gave her a comforting squeeze. "Considering how close we are, do you plan on telling me what's happening with Sarinia?"

Edraele laughed at Kali's persistence and reclined on the sofa, bringing the Loraleth noblewoman with her. She looked down into Kali's eyes and hesitated for a moment, then asked curiously, "What do you suspect so far?"

"Well... something very serious must have happened for you to ban me from contact with Sarinia, which also means she's involved somehow. Sarinia's being held in her mother's quarters and you said that she was perfectly safe and wouldn't come to any harm..." Her brows furrowed in confusion. "But Gaenna had been punishing her with a neural whip and was determined to banish her daughters to their homeworld. I don't understand why Sarinia would be in such a good mood if she was confined to the same quarters as her mother, or why Gaenna hasn't sent her home yet."

Pushing herself upright, Kali's frown deepened. "And Phelora now leads House Romenor, which means Meriel must be dead if she's been replaced as matriarch." Eyes widening in astonishment, Kali blurted out, "Gaenna's dead too, isn't she? That's why there's been no sign of her on Genthalas and why Sarinia is so happy!"

"Yes... that's correct," Edraele replied, reluctantly nodding in confirmation.

Kali gasped, looking genuinely shocked. "The rest of the older matriarchs should have returned to Genthalas by now! Something's happened to all of them too, hasn't it?"

Edraele couldn't help but be impressed by the perceptive young woman. "Yes. All of them except Emandra Holaris and Vestele Waephyra were killed several days ago. Their daughters have replaced them as matriarchs and they're on their way to Genthalas in time for John's return."

"But Phelora was Meriel's youngest daughter, so it should have been Thalia that became the new matriarch. That means Thalia is dead too, isn't she?!" Kali blurted out, shocked once again. "And Phelora knew exactly what our long white hair meant... she blushed so hard when I said it would suit her! How could she possibly know what it represents?"

There was a long awkward pause as Edraele hesitated to reveal the truth.

"It was Sarinia! She told Phelora!" Kali exclaimed, as the pieces slotted into place. Her mouth fell open in disbelief. "She told everyone! All the noble daughters must have found out what their mothers were planning... that they were making deals with you, hoping to become young again! That's why all those older matriarchs are dead! Their daughters killed them!"

Kali slumped back against the sofa, stunned by the scale of the carnage unleashed by a friendly conversation.

Edraele quickly pushed herself upright and clasped the young woman's hand. "This wasn't your fault, Kali... please don't blame yourself."

Shaking off her daze, Kali turned to look at her mentor in surprise. "Why would I be to blame? Sarinia obviously planned this from the start; it's the reason she befriended me, to confirm her suspicions about Gaenna." She tilted her head to one side. "I must admit... if I was in her position, I would have attempted to assassinate my mother and sisters for a chance to be with Baen'thelas. If Gaenna's youth was restored, Sarinia would never succeed her as matriarch... so what did she have to lose?"

"You're honestly not upset?" Edraele asked, searching her face for any distress.

"Not really... I won't miss the older matriarchs, they were all mean and spiteful," Kali said, wrinkling her nose with distaste. She gave Edraele an encouraging smile. "Phelora seems nice though and I think she really respects you. if you can make friends with all the new matriarchs, hopefully the next council meeting will be far more constructive!"

Edraele looked at her incredulously for a moment, then burst into laughter. "Oh, Kali... you're amazing!"

Kali blushed at her praise, then smiled at the Maliri Queen's visible relief. "Thanks!"

"You wouldn't believe the difficulty I've had in trying to stop John from blaming himself for this debacle."

"He was raised as a Terran... it must be hard for him to understand Maliri rules of succession," Kali said with sympathy. "I'll do my best to help cheer him up when he gets here!"

Edraele laughed again, then gave the enthusiastic young woman a fierce hug. "I'm so sorry I underestimated you, Kali. Come on, let's inform the rest of the Young Matriarchs what happened. I kept them in the dark because I was worried how you'd react when you found out what Sarinia had done."

Rising to her feet, Kali looked quizzically at her closest friend. "Edraele... what's going to happen to Sarinia? It wouldn't be fair to punish all the new matriarchs as they were just fighting for their lives, but she instigated the murder of dozens of noblewomen. Sarinia willingly broke your laws."

"I don't know," Edraele quietly admitted. "When John returns, it'll be up to him to decide her fate."

***

John woke up still feeling tired after a troubled night, having taken hours to finally settle. Before opening his eyes, he lay perfectly still, trying not to disturb the two women draped across his body. He knew that Alyssa had resisted sleep as well, kept awake with worries about what today would bring. The thought of facing his Progenitor Guide filled John with a dark sense of foreboding and an involuntary shiver ran through his body.

"Master's awake!" a light, cheerful voice declared.

"Finally... I thought I wasn't going to get breakfast this morning," her companion joked.

Recognising Ailita and Jehanna's voices, John opened his eyes to look down at two grinning faces. "Morning you two. What time is it?"

"It's nearly ten," the Indian girl replied, tracing her finger across his chest. "Alyssa said you had a bad night and not to disturb you."

John nodded. "Thank you... I needed the rest."

"Do you want to talk about it?" Jehanna asked, wiggling her eyebrows at him. "Don't make me use my interrogative journalism techniques!"

He chuckled and rubbed her back. "Anything but that. I'd prefer to give you both full tummies though..."

The dusky reporter gave him a smouldering look. "Expert deflection, Admiral Blake. You seem to have found my Achilles heel."

As John propped himself up on his elbows, he saw a flicker of indecision in Ailita's aquamarine eyes. "Are you alright, honey? Is there something on your mind?"

She nodded and asked tentatively, "This one was wondering if you would like more than oral pleasure?"

Sitting upright, John pulled the apprehensive catgirl into his arms. "I had planned to wait until you'd developed free will. I know you need to consummate your connection with me, but don't blowjobs count as penetration? You've had me deep down your throat several times."

"This one aches to be with you, Master," Ailita said softly, an urgent need in her pleading gaze.

He leaned down to kiss her glossy lips. "I'm sorry... I didn't mean for you to suffer."

Jehanna had been listening in fascination and she sat up and gave them both a hug. "I'll give you two some privacy." Kissing the pink catgirl on the cheek, she added, "I hope your first time together is wonderful."

Ailita's hand flashed out to clasp Jehanna's. "Wait, don't go!"

The former reporter looked back in surprise. "Wouldn't you prefer to be alone with John?"

The Nymph shook her head and gave John a knowing look. "Master likes to see us together. He'll enjoy our first time a lot more if you stay..."

"Is that right?" Jehanna asked, her brown eyes sparkling.

John couldn't help flushing with embarrassment. "Nymphs respond to their Master's enjoyment. The more turned on I am, the more pleasure Ailita will experience."

"In that case, I better stick around... for Ailita," she said with a flirtatious smile.

Ailita peeled herself away from John and embraced the Terran girl. "Thank you, Jehanna. This one is very grateful to her dear new friend..."

Before Jehanna could respond, Ailita leaned in to kiss her, pastel pink lips brushing against dark red. The contrast behind the Nymph's pale complexion and Jehanna's dusky skin tone was intoxicating, and John couldn't tear his eyes away from the nubile pair. He stroked their backs, feeling the deliciously soft skin under his fingertips and the lean muscles underneath.

Pausing for a breath, Ailita flashed a smouldering glance at John. "Master likes."

Jehanna looked his way too and couldn't miss the lustful gleam in his eyes. "So he does," she agreed, her lips twitching into a satisfied smile. "What's the big attraction? You've seen me with lots of the other girls before."

"One fair, one dark... the contrast is incredible," John murmured, brushing the backs of his fingers along their arms and leaving a trail of goosebumps. "And there's a deeper connection there too. You've fantasised about Ailita... she'll look this way forever because of you."

"This one loves her beautiful new shape," Ailita cooed, placing delicate kisses along Jehanna's cheek. She whispered in her ear, "I'm very grateful to Master's gorgeous mate..."

John picked up on the Nymph's first use of the first person and leaned down to kiss her shoulder. "Your Master's very proud of you, Ailita."

The catgirl purred in delight, her feline eyes sparkling with joy.

"She's warming up!" Jehanna exclaimed in surprise.

Further commentary was cut off by Ailita's passionate kisses.

"Nymphs are always eager to be with their Master, but when they warm up like that, you know that they're really turned on," John explained, caressing both girls as they kissed. "Damn... you two look good together."

Jehanna moaned into Ailita's mouth, losing herself in the catgirl's exotic sensuality. Her moans deepened as John slid his hands down across their bottoms and delved lower, feeling the natural lubrication from both aroused girls.

Ailita pulled back, leaving Jehanna panting. "This one wants to taste her, Master!"

Brushing his fingers through Jehanna's hair, he asked quietly, "What do you think? Ready for a sixty-nine with Ailita?"

Jehanna was about to nod her agreement when the Nymph gave her a sultry smile. "No... this one wants to taste your fertile womb on Master's cock... when he pushes it into me for the first time."

"Oh god..." the dusky beauty groaned, leaning in for more kisses.

Ailita teased her pursed lips with a fleeting kiss. "Will you help prepare me to take Master's massive girth?"

The former reporter responded with a hungry growl, pushing Ailita back on the bed. They kissed again, before Jehanna worked her way down between the Nymph's wantonly splayed thighs. John could only watch in disbelief as Jehanna began to eat out the panting catgirl, her tongue delving deep into Ailita's pussy as the Nymph gently stroked her hair. Jehanna's swaying hips drew his attention and he knelt behind her, then moved the head of his cock into position.

With a firm push, her slick depths enveloped him, and Jehanna let out a low cry as he pushed deep into her belly. Nudging against her cervix, John gave her a minute of gentle teasing to adjust, before carefully penetrating her womb. She convulsed below him, throwing her head back and shrieking in ecstasy with a powerful climax. Her snug passage gripped his shaft, rippling around his entire length as he pushed as deep inside her as he could go.

When he glanced up at Ailita, he saw her watching him with heated concentration, her eyes heavy with arousal as she gazed at him under hooded lashes. She bit her lip as her entire body quivered with pleasure, a rolling orgasm leaving her breathless.

"Move underneath her," John commanded the lustful Nymph. "I want to see you kiss again."

Ailita whimpered with delight as she wriggled under Jehanna's trembling body, then pulled the dusky girl down so that their breasts were squashed together. She wrapped her arms and legs around Jehanna then gave her loving kisses as John slowly pistoned in and out, pushing the dark-skinned beauty to another screaming climax. Two more like that and Jehanna was spent, collapsing exhausted on the luscious girl beneath her.

John and Ailita shared a triumphant grin as they eased the comatose girl onto the bed, then she lay back, spreading her thighs in invitation. Her pale pink skin glistened in the starlight, Ailita's mouth-watering curves coated by a mixture of Jehanna's perspiration and her own. It made her look gloriously sexual, a woman already deeply aroused and yearning for more pleasure.

Pushing into her slick folds, she was deliciously tight, her pussy a perfect fit for John's throbbing cock... just as he knew she would be. Ailita closed her eyes and cried out with relief as he sheathed himself inside her stunning body, a Master claiming his Nymph in the basest way possible. With his quad resting against the soft curve of her ass, John paused to watch Ailita savour the moment. She met his caring gaze with adoration in her eyes, leaning up to thank him with a tender kiss.

Ailita flicked a glance to the side and saw that Jehanna was watching them with glazed eyes. Turning back to John, she purred, "I can taste her, Master. She's delicious..."

He could feel her pussy sucking him, accompanied by the sensation of velvety tongues lapping him from base to crown.

"So fertile..." Ailita crooned, licking her lips. "Your lovely mate will give you many handsome sons and beautiful daughters, Master."

John flicked a glance at Jehanna and saw her hand moving in a blur between her legs. She let out a strangled cry and climaxed again, before sagging back on the bed in a beautiful exhausted stupor.

"What about you, my gorgeous little Nymph?" John asked, pistoning into her steamy depths. "Are you fertile too?"

Ailita's breath caught and she looked up at him with wide eyes, nodding eagerly in agreement.

He cautiously rested his weight on her so he could focus more intently on his thrusts. She moaned in approval and wrapped her arms and legs around him in a full-body hug. It felt wonderfully intimate as he gazed into her aquamarine orbs, watching her pupils dilate until they were like saucers.

"If you stay with me... like your sisters," he said quietly as he stroked into her. "I'm going to make you pregnant over and over again... you'll carry my babies in your womb... forever."

"Ohhh... Master!" Ailita shrieked, her eyes rolling back as she convulsed beneath him.

John felt an incredible suction on his cock, as though the overwhelmed Nymph was trying to milk his balls dry. He made no effort to fight the exquisite sensations and thrust into her over and over again, quickly reaching his own climax. The lengthy foreplay bringing Jehanna to multiple orgasms had packed his quad to the brim and he cried out in relief as he pumped heavy spurts of cum into Ailita's womb. She was delirious with pleasure as he filled her up, her stomach curving outwards to contain the heavy load of spunk.

When he was finally spent, John used the last of his strength to ease out of her quivering body and collapsed on the bed beside Ailita. It took several minutes before the sated trio could rouse themselves to speak and John glanced across the exhausted Nymph to see Jehanna watching him with a languid smile of profound contentment.

"Breakfast is served," he said, returning her grin as he stroked Ailita's swollen belly.

***

The trio showered together afterwards, the pulses of light from the blissful Nymph bathing the bathroom in a soft pastel pink.

"That was amazing..." Jehanna whispered, running her fingers across their matching curves.

"We made a fine pair... didn't we, Master?" Ailita enquired, her eyes twinkling as she glanced at John.

"You really did," he replied, caressing their water slicked skin. "Did you enjoy our first time together, Ailita?"

She crossed her wrists behind his neck and gave him a sensual kiss. "You were magnificent, Master. This one is so grateful to belong to you."

"I'm really glad we rescued you too," John agreed, smiling at her affectionately.

His stomach rumbled in protest, interrupting the intimate moment.

*I've made you some breakfast, handsome,* Alyssa said gently, her tone warm and loving.

"Go ahead," Jehanna said, kissing his cheek when she heard the same message. "You really earned it this morning."

"So did you," he replied, brushing his fingers across both girls' curved stomachs.

They laughed and waved goodbye, then he left them to embrace under the steamy hot water. After drying himself off in the auto-driers, John dressed quickly in casual clothes and left the Observatory, heading across the bridge in the Lagoon. As he strode along, a flock of finches fluttered around him, chirping gaily as they banked and dived. The songbirds were a wide variety of different colours, which just happened to match the Nymphs' markings.

He held out his hand and one of the birds alighted on his wrist, its plumage a spectacular mix of orange, black, and white. "I didn't know you could make yourself that small, Leylira."

She burst into a cheerful tune, the foot-tall bird twittering as it added its voice to her sisters. The Nymph flapped her wings and took off again, joining the others in cavorting around the tropical jungle. John smiled as he watched their playful antics, getting a sense that they were greatly enjoying their wild aerobatics.

As John followed their reckless flight through the trees, the expression free as a bird suddenly came to mind. The Nymphs had been slaves for many thousands of years, but he'd done everything he could to liberate them from bondage and now they really were free in every sense of the word. Free of the rules that had enslaved them and free to choose their own future. They had pledged to stay with him, but it had finally been their choice to make... a choice that meant so much more now that it was taken with free will.

There was a burst of verdant light in front of him and another bird shimmered as it changed shape, reappearing as his Nymph matriarch a moment later.

"Hello, Master!" Jade gushed, greeting him with a kiss. "Thank you for making Ailita's first time so special."

"It was my pleasure," he replied, then broke into a smile. "And hers too I hope."

Jade nodded enthusiastically. "She loved being with you and Jehanna."

He hesitated, frowning as a sudden thought came to him. "Is it my imagination, or is Ailita closer to Jehanna than she is with you and your sisters?"

She glanced at him out of the corner of her eye. "Would you prefer us to spend more time with her?"

"No, no... as long as everyone's happy, I don't mind who hangs out together," he replied, quickly shaking his head.

"Ailita couldn't be more contented with her new life with you, Master," Jade said, giving him a reassuring smile.

"That's good to hear." John took her hand and continued walking along the bridge. "Jade... there's something else I wanted to ask you. Betrixa called you 'big sis' last night... are you really her older sister?"

"I honestly don't know if I'm directly related to the other Nymphs you've rescued. Based on Rachel's analysis of our genetic structure, she is quite certain that we are biological constructs made by Mael'nerak. However, we also know that Nymphs are capable of breeding with Progenitors. Did he construct all of us on an assembly line, or mate with one of us and sire the others? Again... I do not know."

"Still no memories from that far back?" John asked, already expecting the answer.

"I'm afraid not, Master," she replied with a rueful shake of her head.

"Oh well, not to worry," he said, squeezing her hand. "I was just curious."

"May I ask you a personal question, John?" Jade asked, stopping at the end of the bridge and turning to face him.

He nodded and gave her a reassuring smile. "Of course. You should know you can ask me anything."

"Is it exciting to think that I might be the eldest of many sisters... and that we all adore you so much that we willingly indulge that taboo just to be with you?"

Despite having his quad thoroughly emptied only minutes earlier, John found himself stiffening in response to Jade's question. He coughed awkwardly, not sure how to answer the inquisitive Nymph.

Jade gave him a coy smile. "Enjoy your morning, Master. If you need me or my sisters for any reason... don't hesitate to ask."

He broke into laughter and gave her a warm hug. "I could hardly forget an offer like that... big sis."

She sauntered away, wiggling her fingertips at him before shifting into a songbird and fluttering into the air in a burst of green feathers.

John waved goodbye to the Nymphs, then left the Lagoon and entered the grav-tube, where he travelled up to Deck Two. Stepping out of the blue anti-gravity field, he proceeded through the double-doors at the end of the corridor. There was no sign of Alyssa in the Officers' Lounge, so he headed over to the door that led into the kitchen.

As he was approaching, he heard a lovely melody drifting through to the dining area, the airy soprano so beautiful that it brought John to a complete standstill. He felt his heart lurch as he was overwhelmed by memories, the breathtaking voice reminding him sharply of Faye and her morning serenades. For a moment he wondered if by some miracle the effervescent sprite was back, but the pitch of that wonderful voice was slightly deeper than Faye's.

He brushed at his eyes and took a deep breath to regain his composure. Pushing tentatively at the door, the volume increased exponentially, and he stared in shock at Alyssa as she twirled through the kitchen. She was wearing one of his white formal shirts, her long graceful legs bare underneath, and the sleeves rolled back to reveal her slender wrists. Alyssa appeared not to have a care in the world as she sang, waltzing between the worktops while making the finishing touches to his breakfast. When her lilting song came to an end, the kitchen was left echoing with the final notes as it gently faded away.

Alyssa turned to him, her face lighting up with a beatific smile. "There you are, my love! You must be starving."

John could only gape at her in astonishment. "Alyssa... what-"

She skipped over to give him a tender kiss, neatly silencing any questions. "You've got a busy morning ahead; all the girls want to speak with you," Alyssa informed him, her cerulean eyes shining with happiness. "Let's eat together and then you can get started."

The blonde clasped his hand and led him to the door, while gesturing behind her at the plates of food. John watched her suspiciously as he sat down at the dining room table, his matriarch taking her usual place on his right-hand side.

"Gammon and eggs to start, then pancakes with maple syrup," she announced, her glowing telekinetic hands setting the plates down in front of him. "Would you like tea or coffee to drink, my love?"

"Ah... coffee please?" he asked tentatively, still reeling from her unexpected behaviour.

The coffee jug was already floating towards them and began to pour into a cup, Alyssa already knowing his answer before John spoke. She stifled a giggle with her hand. "Sorry, I couldn't resist. Eat up, before it gets cold."

John reached for the cutlery and took a tentative bite of the gammon. His eyes widened at the taste, the meat so succulent and cooked to perfection that it practically melted in his mouth. Alyssa waited for his reaction, then smiled in delight and began to eat her own breakfast. They ate together in companionable silence, although that was partly due to John being stunned speechless.

Alyssa finished first and sipped her coffee, then smiled at him fondly. "You were absolutely wonderful with Jehanna and Ailita this morning. I was discussing your liaison with Jade earlier and she said that Ailita was ecstatic! I still need to bond with Jehanna, so I'm afraid I can't tell you exactly what she was thinking, but sensing her emotions was a beautiful experience. She adores you, John... and is growing increasingly fond of Ailita."

Tilting her head to one side, the blonde continued, "I'm not sure if you had a hand in guiding them together, but if you did it was such a thoughtful idea. Jehanna was feeling a little overwhelmed, having left her old life behind and starting out on a new path with us. It must be difficult to smoothly fit into the crew as a new recruit, especially with how close the rest of the girls have become. Being able to share her new life with someone in a similar position has been an incredible comfort to Jehanna and I'm sure it's helped ease her regrets over the estrangement from her parents."

She sipped from her cup again, then put it down. "Of course, you've always been marvellous at making new girls feel at home with our family," Alyssa gushed, her expression one of profound respect and admiration. "I know I've not told you this nearly enough... but you've been incredibly supportive with all of us and I just wanted to say thank you on everyone's behalf."

The hairs on the back of John's neck stood up and he stared intently at his Stepford Matriarch. "Who are you and what have you done with Alyssa?!"

Alyssa's beautiful face fell and her eyes filled up. "I'm sorry, John. I wanted to try being... different... just this one time. I didn't mean to upset you."

John looked at her in bewilderment. "You didn't... I mean... the way you were behaving was lovely. It was just that you were being so perfect at everything, it started to freak me out!"

"I was too perfect?" Alyssa asked with a lopsided smile as she brushed away her tears.

"Just a bit," he replied, reaching out to clasp her hand. "Alyssa... what's this all about? Is it something to do with me confronting my guide?"

She abruptly stood and leaned over to give him a loving kiss. "Everyone is eager to speak with you, but I think you should start with Helene," she declared, her expression shifting to compassion. "Being so close to Tamolith's pain... it brought back lots of horrible memories of losing her own child."

John rubbed a hand over his face. "I know... and I feel terrible for putting her through that after losing her own baby. I just saw Tamolith suffering and completely forgot how this might impact Helene. You're right, I definitely need to see her first... and apologise."

"It's not an apology Helene needs... just a sympathetic ear," Alyssa said gently. "Be yourself, my love... and everything will be alright."

He stared at Alyssa for a long moment, and was about to try asking again about her uncharacteristic behaviour, but she broke eye contact with him and turned away. She gathered their plates and headed back into the kitchen, leaving him gazing at the golden tresses tumbling down her back until she disappeared out of sight.

*I'd suggest seeing Dana after Helene... but the order you visit the girls is entirely up to you,* she murmured, her soft voice floating through his mind. *Helene is in Jade's quarters and Sparks isn't likely to move from her workshop. I'll let you know where everyone else is located when you're ready to see each of them.*

Rising from his chair, John gave the kitchen one last rueful glance, then headed for the doors. The breakfast encounter with Alyssa was just too surreal for him to cope with at that moment, but he knew there was much more to it than some simple game. Rubbing at his temples, John decided to focus on Helene for the time being, knowing that she needed his full attention.

It was only a short walk down the Deck Two corridor to Jade's bedroom, where John paused to knock on the door. "Hey, it's me. Can I come in?"

"Please do..." came the muffled reply a moment later.

He entered and found Helene curled up on the bed. Crossing the room, he was going to sit beside her when she turned and held her arms open for a hug. John lay down on the bed and pulled the aquatic girl into a comforting embrace, feeling her sag against him as she relaxed. John wanted to offer his sympathy, but wasn't exactly sure what to say; Helene was only reliving her grief because he'd got her involved.

"I'm sorry, Helene," he began, his voice heavy with regret. "Asking you to help Tamolith after everything you've been through was unbelievably insensitive."

She gently kissed his cheek. "I don't blame you for that. Tamolith was in so much pain and you just wanted to ease her suffering."

John stroked her back and looked down into Helene's baby-blue eyes. "Yes, but I hate seeing you upset like this... and it's even worse knowing I caused it."

Helene averted her gaze, her face shadowing with what looked like guilt. "Please don't blame yourself... it only makes it worse."

"Why's that?" he asked with a frown of confusion.

"When I felt Tamolith's anguish it stirred up some terrible memories... but the depth of her grief was so much worse than anything I'd experienced. My baby was like a beautiful promise for a wonderful future and it broke my heart to know that future would never come to pass. But to actually know your children and love all the special little things about them that made them unique... then have that ripped away from you so brutally... Tamolith's pain was unbearable."

She shuddered and John hugged her tighter.

In a small voice laden with guilt, Helene whispered, "I felt... glad... that I'd lost my baby in childbirth, rather than having to experience anything like that. How could I think something so awful? To actually be relieved that my daughter never drew her first breath... I don't deserve to be a mother!"

John finally understood what was bothering her and gently rolled Helene onto her back so that he could look down into her eyes.

"You're not a bad person, Helene. In fact you're one of the kindest people I know," John said with conviction. "This really IS all my fault. It was cruel and thoughtless of me to give you these empathic abilities, then send you off to help all those grieving parents. I've exposed you to so much suffering, it was inevitable that you'd end up traumatised by all the pain you've been sensing. I should have never done that to you... and I'm very sorry for hurting you this way."

Helene quickly shook her head. "I'll never regret helping those poor colonists; they were heartbroken after losing their children and I'm proud that I was able to ease their pain." She had a troubled look in her eyes as she continued, "And helping them never made me feel like this."

John studied her thoughtfully for a moment. "That's true. You always seemed so happy that you were able to help them deal with their grief."

She lay back and stared up at the ceiling. "It was very different. When I was helping the colonists, it felt like they were a chain of islands surrounded by an angry sea. The waves were already crashing over them so I let it wash away their grief... leaving them at peace once the storm had passed."

"And what was it like with Tamolith?"

Wincing at the painful memory, Helene replied softly, "Her mind was drowning in sorrow, just like the colonists... but I wasn't trying to heal Tamolith's broken heart, just keep her calm while the two of you talked. I tried to hold back that tsunami of grief... but I was so close to her pain... I got dragged down by it too."

He mulled that over for a while, before having an epiphany. "When I made you into an empath, it was specifically to help those grieving colonists. I think that made it easier for you to heal their pain rather than just suppress it. Sharing Tamolith's grief like that, when it was all so raw, I'm not surprised you were glad that you'd never had to experience that yourself."

Helene cupped his face with her hand. "But I helped you when your heart was broken over Faye... and I never had any terrible thoughts after that."

"Yes, but you were mourning for Faye too," he said, placing his hand over hers. "And as much as I loved her, it wasn't the same as a mother losing her children. Please don't feel bad over what happened; Tamolith was absolutely devastated and you ended up empathically sharing her pain. Feeling glad that you never went through it yourself was just a natural reaction to that psychic trauma... but it definitely doesn't mean you were a bad mother."

The aquatic girl considered his explanation, then nodded in acceptance.

Helene rolled onto her side and shifted back against him so that he'd spoon her from behind. He wrapped an arm around her and felt Helene interlace her fingers with his, before guiding his hand to her tummy. John gently caressed her slim stomach, knowing how soothing the girls found his touch.

"Thank you..." she said in a hushed voice, squeezing his hand.

"You're welcome," he replied, kissing her shoulder. "And I'm so sorry you got hurt. I'll make sure you never have to go through that again."

"You don't need to apologise, you had no way of knowing what would happen," she murmured, relaxing in his arms. "It was painful remembering the past, but it made me appreciate just how wonderful my life is with you."

"I'm relieved you still feel that way," he said, stroking her soft skin.

Helene brought his hand to her lips and kissed his fingers. "Nothing will ever change that. You and the girls have shown me nothing but love and kindness... and I treasure that more than I can ever begin to describe." She paused and he could feel her mouth lift into a smile. "Actually... maybe I can."

As John lay there, he felt a fluttering contact against his mind and immediately recognised Helene's delicate psychic touch. He dropped his mental defences, allowing her inside, and felt a gentle swell of emotions seep through his subconscious. It was subtle at first... a lovely sensation of belonging that filled him with warmth. Then the feelings grew stronger, until he was basking in a blissful serenity... and John knew he was loved... he could feel it right down to his bones. The sense of contentment that brought him was profound, like a solid buttress around his heart that would never be sundered.

And then Helene's empathic influence receded, leaving a loving echo in his mind that continued to comfort him after she'd gone.

"Wow..." he said in a hushed voice, gazing at her in awe. "That was incredible!"

She turned to smile at him over her shoulder. "I know... Thank you."

John leaned over for a kiss, then held Helene close, savouring the feeling of that lovely echo radiating in his heart.

*Helene's getting stronger,* he said quietly to Alyssa. *That was... something else.*

*I'm not surprised; she pushed herself to the limit with Tamolith,* his matriarch replied, confirming his suspicions.

*Did you feel her getting in too deep?*

*No... I promise. Helene always shares the emotions of the people she's connected to, but it's usually just at a surface level. I didn't realise how deeply she'd connected to Tamolith until afterwards... then all the doubts and guilt came later.*

John tightened his embrace around the teal-hued beauty and she let out a happy sigh as she revelled being in his arms. They lay together quietly for a while, enjoying the feeling of closeness between them.

"John..." Helene murmured drowsily. "I should let you go... I don't want to keep you from spending time with the rest of the girls."

"I'll hold you until you fall asleep," he said, kissing the faint lines that marked the gills on her neck. "Would that be okay?"

"Mmm..." she hummed in contentment, nestling into him.

It didn't take long for Helene to drift into a deep slumber, the rollercoaster of emotions having left her exhausted. John carefully untangled himself from the sleeping mermaid, then tucked her in under the covers. She looked at peace as she rested, her lips curved into the hint of a smile.

Feeling relieved that he'd been able to help Helene, John slipped out of the bedroom, being careful not to disturb her. *Is Sparks still in the Workshop?*

*Yes, she's with Rachel.*

John hesitated, not sure if he was ready to face the brunette's perceptive gaze. He was still reeling from the psychic connection with Helene and knew that if Rachel hadn't already figured out what he was planning, one look at him in this state would give everything away.

*The twins are on the Bridge and Calara's in your Ready Room,* Alyssa suggested as an alternate port of call.

*Thanks. I think I'll head up to the Command Deck first then... it is closer,* John replied as he walked towards the grav-tube, before shaking his head at the flimsy excuse for avoiding Rachel.

He wasn't sure why he was trying to justify himself to Alyssa when she could hear his every thought. Actually, he knew precisely why he was doing that... because despite her joyful facade at breakfast, it was obvious that she was deeply worried about him. In all honesty, he couldn't blame her.

The rational part of his mind shared all of her concerns. John was about to initiate what amounted to a mental duel with his guide, without knowing exactly what it entailed or how strong his opponent would be. To make matters worse, he'd be facing his nemesis alone, after months of working closely with the girls as a team.

Even with all that in mind, John knew that he couldn't afford to put this off any longer. He needed all the Progenitor knowledge the guide was hoarding and he needed it before they arrived at Genthalas, so they could finally bring the Invictus up to parity with the black dreadnoughts. Too many people had already suffered the consequences of John not having access to all that technology, the Kintark being the latest in a long line of casualties.

He held no antipathy towards the lizardmen, but seeing Kinta suffering an orbital bombardment just wasn't the same as if it had been the Valaden homeworld coming under attack. He'd claimed the Maliri and they belonged to him now, which meant John felt a personal responsibility towards the troubled thrall species. He owed it to all those women to do everything in his power to prepare for the upcoming Progenitor War; the consequences of losing were just too terrible to contemplate.

Snapping out of his maudlin introspection, John realised he'd already reached the Command Deck and was floating aimlessly in the blue anti-gravity field. Pulling himself together, he stepped out onto the Bridge and walked down the ramp towards the IntOps Station. Tashana was sitting in Irillith's usual spot, with her twin sitting cross-legged on the floor beside her. Their eyes were shining with a gleaming violet light as they stared into the distance, Tashana clearly captivated by whatever held her attention.

"Hello, John," Irillith murmured, her voice oddly distracted.

"You two aren't in the Astral Plane are you?" he asked, already suspecting the answer, but checking just to make sure.

"The Cyber Realm," the Maliri hacker replied. "I thought it was about time I took Shan on a tour."

"I wanted to talk to you both, but I see you're busy," John said, rubbing her shoulder.

Irillith frowned, her gaze flicking to her sister. "We thought we'd have more time before you came to see us. Just give me a moment and I'll guide Tashana out..."

"Last minute change of plans," he said by way of explanation.

There were limits to how aware of her surroundings Irillith was, with her subconscious split between the Cyber Realm and the Bridge. Leaning down he kissed the Maliri girl, making her gasp in surprise, then let out an appreciative moan.

"You two have fun... I'll come back later," John said with a grin.

He leaned over to kiss Tashana next, her startled squeak and subsequent moan an almost exact match to her sister.

Irillith laughed, her eyes dancing with delight. "She wasn't expecting that at all. I hadn't told her you were here."

"Naughty girl," John reprimanded the Maliri, before squatting down next to her and surreptitiously squeezing her taut rump.

He couldn't help wondering if Tashana heard her twin's lusty groan in the Cyber Realm, Irillith wobbling unsteadily as he tested the limits of her concentration. As much fun as he was having teasing the Maliri hacker, John was on a tight schedule. He wanted to see all the girls that morning and if he wasted too much time, he wouldn't be finished before they reached the border to Maliri Space. He reluctantly left the twins to their excursion through the Invictus' digital network and crossed the Bridge to his Ready Room.

Calara was sitting behind his desk, having an in-depth conversation with a trio of golden-armoured figures. Holographic maps floated above the comms-interface, with the Brimorian invasion corridor clearly marked on Kintark territory, along with a plethora of intricate notes and attack vectors. The Latina caught his approach out of the corner of her eye and a warm smile broke out on her face.

"Well this is a surprise, ladies. Look who decided to join us," she said, beckoning him over.

John stood beside Calara and nodded respectfully to the three Maliri Fleet Commanders. "Aadya, Kalmaera, Amalaeth... you're all looking resplendent in your armour."

"Hello, John," they greeted him in return and he could almost hear them blushing furiously.

"I'm sorry for interrupting," he said, glancing down at Calara. "Please feel free to continue."

"Actually, we were nearly finished," the Latina explained, her eyes flicking towards the Sector Map. "We were just reviewing the attack strategy against the Brimorians."

"What's the plan?" John asked, directing his question towards the Maliri.

Aadya was first to respond. "Now that Calara has broken the Enclave Armada, we are no longer so concerned about dividing our forces. I'm leading the House Perfaren fleet towards Kinta in search of the Brimorians ships that were damaged along the invasion corridor."

"My fleet is en route to the Enclave border," Kalmaera interjected. "I have been tasked with destroying Brimorian comms beacons to isolate their armada from the Deep Pool. When the border beacons are destroyed, I will sweep back to assist Amalaeth and Aadya."

Amalaeth was the last to speak, concluding the summary. "The Kintark have supplied details of the planets besieged by the Brimorians. I'll eliminate their troop transport assets and destroy the Enclave ground forces."

"We'll leave planetary liberations to the Kintark," Calara explained. "As soon as the Maliri fleets complete their tasks, they'll return to Genthalas as quickly as possible so that we can upgrade their ships."

John rubbed his chin and appeared lost in thought.

"Is there a problem?" Calara asked, surprised by his lack of comment.

"No... not a problem exactly. I was just wondering how much troop carrying capacity the Brimorians have got?"

"For an invasion of this scale, they must have the capacity for at least... a million troops?" she estimated, glancing at the Maliri Fleet Commanders who nodded in agreement.

"How hard would it be to capture those ships instead of destroying them?" John asked, his eyes flicking towards the holographic representation of the Brimorian Enclave.

"It would be a complication, but it shouldn't put my forces at undue risk," Amalaeth replied after a moment's consideration. Sounding confused, she continued, "But why would you want to acquire that many troop transports?"

Calara looked up at him in admiration. "The Abandoned."

John nodded and rubbed her shoulder. "Would that work?"

"Definitely," she agreed, before her brown eyes darted to the confused Maliri officer. "I'll liaise with you when you engage the planetary invasion forces, Amalaeth. We want to capture as many of those ships intact as possible; they might be just what we need for a massive population transfer."

The House Naestina Fleet Commander bowed respectfully. "They will be yours by nightfall, John."

"Excellent," he said, doing his best to ignore the thrill her deference stirred in him. "It's fantastic to see you working together so efficiently. This level of cooperation is exactly what I was hoping for."

"Thank you!" the trio gushed, sounding overjoyed at his praise.

"That's everything we needed to discuss, ladies," Calara said, smiling at the Maliri officers. "Don't hesitate to contact me if you have any questions."

Despite their disappointment at having to end the call, the three Fleet Commanders bowed to John and closed the comms channel.

"I'm glad you came to see me," Calara said, looking up at him with a frown. "I was thinking a lot about what you said last night."

"I understand your reservations about Tamolith... I just hope my leap of faith pays off."

She blushed and shook her head. "No, no... I don't mean that! I'm mortified I got so upset when you had good reasons for recruiting her."

"There's no need to feel embarrassed, especially after what she did to Mateo. You love your family so much... and I really care about them too."

"I know you do, John," she said fondly, rising from the chair to give him a hug. "It won't be too long until you're officially part of my family."

"The dreaded in-laws," he said with a chuckle, as he stroked her back.

"Are you going to start cracking mother-in-law jokes?" Calara asked, pulling back to grin at him.

"I'll try to resist the temptation..." he replied, then it was his turn to blush. "Ah crap... that's not what I meant."

She laughed at his flustered expression.

"So what were you thinking about this morning?" he asked, hastily changing the subject.

Calara sat up straighter, her bearing turning serious and professional. "How to ensure that we don't make the mistake of underestimating Progenitors."

"Good... we've got to be prepared to adapt to their mindset, no matter how diabolical it might seem."

She shook her head and turned to face the holographic Sector Map, her fingers darting over the controls as she focused the image on Valaden.

"We have to think much bigger than that... and truly learn from the mistakes we've made dealing with alien invasions. What have the Drakkar invasion of the Ashanath, the Kintark invading the Terran Federation, and the Brimorians invading the Kintark all got in common?"

John thought about it for a long moment until the answer came to him in a flash. "All of them were a desperate race against time to get there and save the day."

"Yes, exactly my point!" she exclaimed, her expression filled with a zealous gleam. "But we won't have the luxury of someone riding to our rescue... it's us alone against dozens of Progenitors."

He let out a heavy sigh at that depressing summary and nodded his agreement.

"Which means we can't afford to leave defensive preparations until the last moment. We have to assume that the Progenitors will invade sooner rather than later and we have to assume that they'll fight their way towards the really populated Maliri worlds... like Valaden."

John grimaced as Calara predicted one of his worst-case scenarios. "I've been worrying about the same thing."

"Right! So what I propose..." Calara said, expanding the Sector Map to display her preliminary plans. "Is rings within rings of defensive countermeasures. We need to set up thousands of traps, to disorient, disable, and destroy thrall fleets. Mines, turrets, seismic charges, gravity well generators... we use every trick we can think of to make their lives a living hell. Then, when they've run that initial gauntlet... we hit them... hard! Surgical strikes at first, to inflict maximum damage while we have the element of surprise. Then we retreat behind the second defensive line and the cycle repeats..."

He listened to Calara as she spoke with excitement and animation, admiring her drive and intense focus. She had a brilliant mind and it was a privilege to see her thought process at work. Not for the first time, John realised how incredibly lucky he was to have found her... a gifted tactician and strategist, who just happened to be a stunningly beautiful brunette with a lovely personality. The fact that she came from an inspiring military family, who really cared about each other, was just the icing on a deliciously sweet cake. Calara was perfect... and he would be lost without her.

"You're absolutely right," he agreed, stroking her soft chestnut hair. "I think we should shift a large proportion of Genthalas' production capabilities to begin making static defences. We need to treat these preparations as if there's already an invasion fleet on the way."

She instinctively nuzzled into his hand, then looked at him in adoration. "Really? I was going to suggest the same thing, but I never thought you'd agree."

"I'd be a fool not to listen to you, honey," he said, leaning down for a kiss.

Calara melted into his arms as she kissed him back passionately. When she finally pulled back, the brunette bit her lip and glanced back at the holographic map.

"Go ahead, finish off your plans," John said with an indulgent smile. "Ideally we need as much finalised as possible before we ramp up production."

"I'll get it done!" she enthused, squeezing John tight before releasing him.

"I know you will," he agreed, then left Calara to immerse herself in her work.

Exiting the Ready Room, he saw two sets of violet eyes focused on him, the Maliri twins lighting up with welcoming smiles.

"There he is... my mysterious paramour!" Tashana gushed, rising from her chair and rushing across the Bridge to embrace him.

Irillith took her time joining them, sashaying over to her sister and fiancé with affected indifference. "You were lucky just to be accosted with a kiss. He took all sorts of liberties with me."

John pulled them both into his arms and squeezed Irillith's ass. "Like that?"

She laughed and nodded. "Precisely."

"So how was your first jaunt into the Cyber Realm?" he asked Tashana.

"Oh John, it was incredible!" the Maliri archaeologist exclaimed, her eyes widening. "The digital network is so beautiful... I never would've imagined that all of that was happening right under our noses."

"I know what you mean," John agreed, remembering his brief trip there. "So many vibrant colours and they're all so much brighter against the black background."

She nodded enthusiastically. "Irillith introduced me to the Collective too, but they're all so different in the Cyber Realm!"

"Did you recognise all the characters? You're probably as big a pop culture buff as the robots."

"Most of the ones from movies," Tashana replied, trying to recall them all. "It was actually really fun to meet those characters in person... a bit like a celebrity cyberpark."

"It sounds like the trip was a big hit. I'm glad you had a great time."

"You'll have to join us for the next one," Irillith said, smiling at him affectionately.

"Let me know when," John readily agreed. "So... Alyssa said that you ladies wanted to talk to me about something?"

"Shall we go to the Officers' Lounge and get a drink while we chat?" Tashana suggested.

"That's a great idea, I'm parched," John replied, releasing the twins.

They walked up the ramp to the grav-tube, then descended to Deck Two, where they found the Lounge to be deserted. The Maliri sisters declined coffees and requested fruit juice, which John poured out for them at the drinks cabinet. With drinks in hand, they sat on the comfortable sofas, sipping their refreshing beverages.

"So what was on your minds?" he asked, putting down his glass.

"As the officially appointed defenders of your virtue, we thought we'd check to see how you were feeling about returning to Maliri Space," Tashana explained, taking a sip from her drink to conceal her grin.

Irillith nodded, affecting a sombre expression. "John... you're going to be surrounded by thousands of beautiful women who would do almost anything to sleep with you. Will you be able to resist temptation?"

John let out an awkward laugh. "You can joke about it, but I just had a prelude talking to a trio of Fleet Commanders."

"They all wanted their wrongs righted by Baen'thelas?" Tashana asked, her eyes sparkling.

"Yeah, pretty much," he replied, leaning back on the sofa. "To answer your original question, I'm really looking forward to visiting Genthalas. I can't wait to see Edraele, Luna, and the Young Matriarchs."

"Who are you most eager to see... our mother... or Kali?" Irillith asked, looking intrigued.

He felt himself flushing self-consciously. "I care about them both a great deal, but I've really missed Edraele. She talks to me every day, so I feel almost as close to her as I do the rest of you."

Tashana put her drink down and leaned closer. "Even though you're going to get Kali pregnant?"

"It's a close run thing," he said, breaking into a smile. "The Young Matriarchs are lovely girls."

The twins exchanged a glance, then Irillith walked around to join John on his sofa. "We've been talking... and we wondered what it was like."

Tashana sat next to her sister, her angular eyes gazing at him in fascination. "We watched you when you made a baby with the Young Matriarchs and we wanted to know how it felt."

"So we'll know when we watch you with Kali..." Irillith interjected, before licking her full lips.

John slipped off the sofa and knelt in front of the identical twins. They watched enraptured as he carefully slipped the straps off their shoulders, letting their dresses fall down to expose their chests. Rather than caressing their spectacular gravity-defying breasts, he zeroed in on their taut stomachs, his fingers brushing over the soft blue skin. He smiled when he saw their eyelashes fluttering, the sisters revelling in his touch.

"Choosing to make a baby with each of those wonderful girls was the most intimate thing I've ever done," he said, his voice quiet and hypnotising. "To see that look of absolute devotion in their eyes as we came together... knowing that they were about to become the mothers of my children... it was intoxicating."

The twins let out soft moans, unable to stop themselves writhing with arousal.

"It's going to be different this time, now that I've truly claimed the Maliri," he continued, his fingertips circling their navels. "Do you remember how intense it was for the three of us last time we were together? I imagine it'll be like that for me and Kali."

Tashana whimpered and Irillith let out a low groan, both of them looking increasingly flustered.

"What I'm really looking forward to though... is starting a family with the Maliri women I'm deeply in love with. Seeing each of you submit to me completely... the desperate longing in your eyes to carry my children in your wombs... now that'll be breathtaking."

Unable to resist him any longer, the twins launched themselves off the sofa and into his arms, each of them showing John in kisses. He gathered their hair in his hands then pulled them back, making a point of tenderly kissing one sister while the other watched, before switching to the second twin. It seemed like anything he did drove them crazier with lust and soon both were gazing at him with wild eyes.

"I need you, John!" Tashana panted.

"Take us here... now!" Irillith pleaded.

As much as his quad ached for the gorgeous pair, he couldn't risk giving them full tummies, not this close to confronting his guide.

"Let me just check you're turned on..." he teased, letting his hands slip down between their toned thighs.

Neither was capable of responding as he slid two fingers inside them, the twins throwing their heads back to cry out with their climaxes only moments later.

"I don't think you're horny enough," John said with a smile. "I want you to take care of each other first... just to make sure."

The twins fell on each other in a tangle of slender azure limbs, their soft cries quickly turning into sultry moans.

John rose to his feet and watched the pair intertwined together. It struck him just how much the twins reminded him of the Maliri as a species; exotic and beautiful but with a deeply troubled past, full of torment and horrific abuse. The most worrying similarity was their total devotion to him... a devotion that would have terrible consequences if his guide should win their confrontation.

Knowing how high the stakes were had killed John's ardour and he slipped away from the twins while they were distracted. Entering the grav-tube, he smiled as he tried to guess how many times he'd taken this trip down to the Engineering Bay to see Sparks. Out of all the gifted girls that had joined him, John had come to rely on Dana the most, with her being the source of all his gear and tech upgrades. It was probably fair to say that without the feisty redhead, his escapades over the previous six months would have ended before they'd even begun.

He walked out of the anti-gravity field and heard the bark of machine gun fire coming down the corridor from the Firing Range. John was tempted to check on Jehanna's progress, but he decided to leave her and Sakura to last, and continued on to the Engineering Bay. After opening the door, he stepped inside the Workshop and spotted Dana laughing and joking with Rachel. They hadn't noticed his entrance, so John hung back by the doorway and watched the two chatting together. It was easy to see the magical chemistry between them, with the brunette and redhead the best of friends as well as lovers.

Clearing his throat, John immediately got their attention. "Hey Sparks. Hi Rachel. What are you two working on? Anything exciting?"

"John!" Dana exclaimed, giving him a broad grin. She beckoned him over furiously. "Come here! We need your help!"

"I'm making a wedding album as a gift," Rachel explained, gesturing towards the floating screen above her console. "We're just trying to choose a picture of you."

He walked up the illuminated steps to the Engineering Podium and looked curiously at the holographic display. There were dozens of still images taken of him in his white Lion uniform, while he was overseeing the wedding between Henry Voss and Abigail. The pictures had been carefully selected with his face captured mid-conversation, making him look as ridiculous as possible.

"Which one should we use?" she asked, all too innocently.

"Definitely that one," John replied, picking a hideous one of him gurning at the camera. "I didn't even know I could make a face like that."

Rachel burst into laughter. "See, I knew he'd call our bluff!"

The redhead pouted and let out a sigh. "I was trying to play a trick on you for being naughty and snooping on us when you came in. These are actually all the pictures we rejected."

Tapping a couple of icons on her console, Rachel cleared the images and showed him the partially completed album. The picture of him officiating made John look dashing in his suit, a warm smile spreading across his face.

"That was my favourite," the brunette said wistfully. "You look incredibly handsome."

John saw some conspicuous gaps in the line-up. "Where are you two?"

"Yeah... we're having trouble agreeing which ones to use," Dana admitted, frowning at her girlfriend.

"Can I see the choices?" he offered, curious to see the available options.

Rachel tapped at the console again and displayed dozens of pictures of each girl.

"That one... definitely," John said, pointing towards a picture of the brunette on the third column. She was gazing away from the camera, her grey eyes shining with love and her expression one of pure happiness. "You look absolutely gorgeous there."

He turned his attention to Dana next and it took him only seconds to spot the highlight of the series. The redhead was laughing at some joke, her blue-eyed gaze sparkling with delight and making her look full of life. Pointing to it, he said, "That's the winner, no question."

The two girls shared a smile.

"Those are the ones we each picked for each other," Rachel explained. She rolled her eyes and added, "Dana wanted one that didn't show her laughing so that she'd look more elegant..."

"And Rach got all self-conscious about looking like a supermodel," Dana said with an indignant snort. "'I'm not trying to outshine the bride'... blah, blah, whatever."

"I really wasn't," Rachel protested.

Dana elbowed her girlfriend aside, then took over at the console. "Check out the original images we cropped down to make them."

John looked on curiously and smiled when he saw that for both pictures, the girls were each interacting with him. "Now I seem incredibly vain, only liking the pictures of you when you're with me."

"No, I agree with your choices. You must bring out the best in us," Rachel said, giving him a warm smile.

"Yeah, that's totally true," Dana agreed, bobbing her head.

"I was happy to help," John said, pulling them both in for a hug. "Anything else you need me to do around here? Alyssa said you wanted to talk about something."

Dana suddenly pressed her lithe body against his chest as if she needed support. "Yeah... but that was about something else entirely."

"Are you okay?" he asked, looking down at her with concern.

She nodded, then flashed a furtive look at Rachel.

"The two of us were discussing having children the other day," the brunette explained, leaning into his embrace. "Dana was expressing her frustration at having to postpone starting a family because of the various threats that keep appearing."

"All these fuckers keep pitching up at the worst possible time and they were starting to really piss me off," Dana admitted, with a sigh of exasperation. "I was getting frustrated that you wouldn't just knock us up."

"And then we heard Tamolith mourning for her dead children," Rachel said, her expression filled with sympathy.

"So I basically wanted to apologise for doubting you," Dana explained, her voice quiet and subdued. "There's no way I could handle the kind of pain that Tamolith went through. If that happened to me, it would've really fucked me up."

"That was the sole reason I requested we wait," John agreed, rubbing their backs. "You aren't the only ones that would be devastated if either of you were injured in combat and we lost your baby."

"I can't think of anything worse," Rachel murmured, shivering at the thought. "How could you recover from something like that?"

"Yeah... let's change the subject," Dana agreed, looking equally horrified.

John glanced over her shoulder at the holographic schematics behind her. "Alright... do you want to tell me about that?"

Twisting around to see where he was looking, Dana broke into a grin. "That's the Paragon Suit 2.0... the female variant."

"It looks much tougher than the current version," John said, nodding in approval.

The original Progenitor variant of thrall armour was more like an armoured bodysuit, smoothly following the statuesque contours of their female soldiers. Dana's new version of the Paragon suit had notably thicker armour plating, giving the body armour a more substantial bust and an impressive hourglass figure. Anyone looking at the new Paragon suit would be under no illusion that it was being worn by a woman with an incredible body, the stylised design actually making it even more obvious.

"You don't mind that this new version isn't figure-hugging like before?" Dana asked, giving him a sly glance out of the corner of her eyes.

He laughed and shook his head. "If Amazons wore power armour, that's pretty much what they'd look like. Don't worry, you'll still turn heads... and be even more intimidating."

"Awesome! That's the look I was going for!" she crowed, delighted that he approved.

"So what are the specs?" he asked, studying the schematics.

"I wanted to take advantage of you and Alyssa getting much better at psychic shaping, so even though the armour layers are slightly thinner than before, they'll be way tougher. Bulking the suit out a bit gave me enough room to add an extra layer of plating, so now there's basically no real difference between the protection offered by our armour and your Lion suit."

"Good... I never liked the fact that you girls were wearing flimsier armour."

Dana bumped hips with him. "You old softie."

"Sparks... wouldn't it be more sensible to wait until we've unlocked the formula for Progenitor metal before redesigning our Paragon armour?" he asked cautiously, studying the new design.

She shrugged and shook her head. "Even when we know the precise details of how they manufacture that stuff, I'm still going to have to figure out some way of making the black metal without using a Soulforge. It might take me weeks to do that... if it's even possible."

John turned to face her, frowning with worry. "It might not be?"

Dana grimaced at the daunting prospect. "Just think about it for a second. When Progenitors create black armour, they have to kill thralls to make it... in such a horrific way that it leaves a creepy psychic imprint of their deaths. How the hell am I supposed to replicate a manufacturing process that brutally murders women?!"

He leaned back against the console and mulled that over. "I just assumed that you'd be able to reverse engineer whatever they do and create a scientific solution like your ultimate metal. I think you're right though... we'll probably have to develop some kind of psychic alternative to using a Soulforge."

"That'd be my guess," she agreed, giving him a rueful glance. "It's a real shame the Kyth'faren fortress got trashed... it was probably our best shot at finding a quick solution."

"That's not necessarily true," Rachel interrupted with a frown. "Tashana said that the archives contained vast amounts of data and there was a strong possibility that it would've taken you months of careful research to find any pertinent information... if it even existed. How much could you learn about psychically infused metallurgy in that same timeframe, simply by doing the research yourself?"

"Yeah, you're probably right," Dana conceded, looking thoughtful. "If the Kyth'faren had found a stronger way to forge metal, I doubt Progenitors would be stuffing thralls into a Soulforge to make their gear. It looks like I'll be treading completely new ground figuring this stuff out."

"Necessity is the mother of invention," John said, looking at her with admiration. "You've proved that plenty of times in the past."

The redhead grinned at him, then gestured towards the holographic blueprints. "Speaking of which, now we're bulking up the armour, we've got more room for extra features! I've been working on two variants for you to choose from; one's totally awesome, the other's kinda boring and not finished yet."

"Which is this one?" John asked, nodding his chin towards the schematic.

Dana pulled a face. "The boring one..."

"Okay, let's have a look at the version you've finished then," John said with an indulgent smile.

She giggled gleefully and started tapping away at the console, closing the schematic and replacing it with another.

"Wow!" John exclaimed, his eyes widening. "That's a lot of guns!"

"Twin pulsed Tachyon micro-blasters in each vambrace, micro-turreted Tachyon micro-blasters on each pauldron... and minelet launchers in the greaves! The turreted guns are optically targeted and the weapons mounted in the gauntlets and boots are operated from within the HUD. If you lose your main rifle, you'll still be packing tons of firepower!"

"It all looks good to me," he said, suitably impressed. "Why are you bothering to make two versions though? Why not just upgrade to this Paragon suit?"

Dana looked shifty and reluctantly mumbled, "There's not enough power..."

"What?" John asked, not sure if he heard her correctly.

"The Power Core in the suit doesn't have enough energy output to operate all the weapons," she muttered in exasperation. "The only way we could use them is if you shut down the shields."

John chuckled and shook his head. "Not quite so awesome then?"

She pouted playfully.

"So what's the other version like?" he asked, gesturing towards the holograph. "And why is it the boring one?"

Dana let out a rueful sigh. "Because I knew you'd never agree to sacrifice protection for more firepower. I still need to come up with some more ideas for defensive subsystems, but I'll work on that this afternoon and should have a prototype completed by the time we reach Genthalas."

"What we really need is a way to rapidly recharge our shields when they get overwhelmed," John said, thinking about their recent battles.

"Yeah, but that's much easier said than done," Dana complained, scowling with frustration. "I've been trying to research a new way of doing exactly that, but so far I've struck out. I either burn out the shield projectors or re-initialising the shield integrity from a backup supply is way too slow."

He patted her on the shoulder. "Keep working on it. If you're stuck for inspiration, maybe ask the girls? They might be able to suggest some defensive countermeasures you haven't thought of yet."

"That's a great idea!" she replied, perking up at the suggestion.

John leaned down to give her an encouraging kiss. "I know you'll make me proud, honey. You always do."

Touched by his unquestioning faith in her, Dana blushed and kissed him back, before pulling away with shy smile.

"I'll leave you two in peace... I need to go and see Sakura and Jehanna," John said, waving goodbye as he walked away from the engineering podium.

"John... wait a moment!" Rachel called out, bounding down the illuminated steps after him. "I'd like to show you something I've been researching in Medical."

"Sure," he agreed, gesturing to the open doorway. "Lead on."

He accompanied the brunette to the Invictus' Medical Bay and followed her inside, wondering what new research she had been working on. The door closed behind them, then Rachel flung herself at John, hugging him tight.

"Thank you... for everything!" Rachel blurted out, her eyes filling with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?" John asked, wrapping her up in his arms.

"You're saying goodbye to everyone!" she whimpered into his chest. "You're about to face your guide... and you're terrified that he's going to win!"

John leaned against a nearby hospital bed, holding the distraught brunette close as she wept. He let Rachel cry herself out, stroking her back as she trembled in his arms.

"How long have you been bottling this up?" he asked gently.

"Since you started training with Sakura," Rachel admitted, her voice trembling with emotion.

He sighed and kissed the top of her head. "I should've known I'd never be able to hide this from you. Yes, I am planning to confront my guide... but fighting him isn't a foregone conclusion; I wouldn't go ahead with it unless I was confident that I could defeat him." Rachel started to object, but he pressed a finger to her lips. "The consequences if I lose are terrifying... and that's why I wanted to see each of you one last time, to remind me what I'm fighting for."

That mollified the brunette and some of the tension left her shoulders.

John brushed his fingers through her long tawny hair. "Getting to know you over the last six months have been amazing. You've helped me in so many different ways and I've loved every moment we've spent together. If anything, I should be the one thanking you, honey."

Rachel choked back a laugh. "Oh, John... you really believe that, don't you?"

"Well it's true," he replied with a disarming smile.

She shook her head and said solemnly, "John... I was a lost soul when we first met. You know what happened with my family; I never got over losing my mother and I hated my father for causing her death. When I rebelled and left home, I found it hard to make any genuine friends; girls got jealous because I was pretty and guys were intimidated when they realised how clever I was. I know I come from an incredibly privileged background compared to Dana... but I was so lonely."

Pulling back from his chest, she looked up into his eyes. "There's a good reason Alyssa started calling us wounded little birds... and I was just as broken as the rest of them. You saved me from the Kintark on Port Medea, but over the last six months you've given me friends, family, love... I'd be totally lost without you!"

John listened in silence, then leaned in to give her a tender kiss. "You're usually so confident and composed, I keep forgetting that you're still so young. I think you're amazing, Rachel, and you've grown so much since we first got together. If something did happen to me-"

Rachel interrupted him with a desperate kiss, refusing to let John continue that sentence. He kissed her back, then just held her until she calmed down again.

"I know discussing this is painful, so let's not talk about it anymore," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I love you... that's all that matters."

She took a deep breath then nodded, giving him a tentative smile.

John raised an eyebrow. "So... was there really some research you wanted to discuss, or was that just an excuse to talk to me alone?"

Caught off-guard, a flicker of worry flashed over Rachel's face. "Ah... sorry about that. I just wanted speak to you without Dana overhearing."

John cupped her face and brushed his thumb against her cheek. "There is something, isn't there?"

"It's nothing important," she quickly deflected. "We can discuss it after you defeat your guide."

"If it's anything Progenitor related, I think you should tell me now. It might make a difference," he said, looking into her eyes.

Rachel's expression shifted through several emotions, then she reluctantly nodded. "Alright... there is something that's been bothering me. I've been thinking about the Kyth'faren fortress; there are a number of things that have me deeply concerned."

She had his full attention now and he listened attentively. "That sounds ominous. What specifically?"

Resigned to having this conversation, the brunette made firm eye contact with him. "Well, first and foremost, we know that the citadel was constructed by the last survivors of the Kyth'faren before they were driven to extinction. Your father told you that the fortress was built to hold secret knowledge that could be used to defeat the Progenitors... but who was the intended recipient of that knowledge?"

John looked at her in surprise, having not considered that before. "Ah... I don't know. Maybe a Kyth'faren resistance group?"

Rachel shook her head. "If that were the case, why bother to include so much information about the Kyth'faren civilisation? They would know about their own worlds already. Also, if there was an organised force preparing to strike back at Xar'aziuth, why would dozens of very powerful psychics sacrifice themselves to maintain those citadels in the Deep Astral?"

She paused for a moment to let John mull that over, then answered the question herself. "I believe the Kyth'faren realised they were doomed and planned to seek their revenge from beyond the grave."

He couldn't disagree with her logic and shivered involuntarily at that thought of those desperate people faced with such a hopeless situation. "So who was supposed to find the citadels then? Were they hoping that someone from an alien species would discover them in the future?"

"Possibly... but just consider how much of a massive gamble that would be for the Kyth'faren. They'd be placing all their hopes on an alien civilisation evolving psychic powers and mastering them... as well as developing enough scientific knowledge to challenge the formidable technology used by Progenitors. These hypothetical aliens would also have to think in a similar manner to Kyth'faren for the telepathic archive to work and they'd need to be capable of translating their language to understand the information stored inside."

"You're right... the chance of all that happening is miniscule," he willingly conceded. "An alien species would have to evolve to become almost exactly like..." John's voice trailed off and he stared at Rachel in shock.

"... the Progenitors," she finished for him, her expression bleak.

John shook his head, a look of disbelief on his face. "You can't be serious?! Why the hell would the Kyth'faren give their most powerful runic knowledge to their enemies? The Kyth'faren spirit that contacted Alyssa seemed to hate Progenitors!"

Rachel nodded. "I'm sure it did... after all, the Progenitors are Xar'aziuth's minions. I strongly suspect that the ancient spirit mistook Alyssa for a Kyth'faren woman, which is why it warned her she was in danger."

"From me..." John said quietly.

Her expression softened and she clasped his hand. "Only because it thought you were a Progenitor under Xar'aziuth's control. It would have had no way of knowing that you're actually a good person fighting against him and the Progenitors."

He gave her a wan smile in return, then frowned in confusion. "I still don't understand why the Kyth'faren would build those citadels for Progenitors to find."

Rachel began to pace, her brow furrowing. "What if the citadels were actually intended to be traps, designed to corrupt Progenitors so that they'd turn against Xar'aziuth?"

John blinked in astonishment, then gave the brunette an astute look. "This isn't pure conjecture is it? What made you jump to that conclusion?"

"As I said before, there are lots of little things that don't add up. For example, Tashana said that the Kyth'faren archives held vast amounts of data that would have taken her years to study... yet she somehow managed to find the secret schematics for your runeblade on the very first day? She's either the luckiest woman who ever lived, or that information was deliberately revealed to her."

"Damn... you're right. Dana pointed that out too, but I didn't make the extra connection," he muttered, shaking his head. "Tashana spent most of her time getting sidetracked looking at pictures of the Kyth'faren civilisation... until I asked her to focus on searching for runic knowledge. I left to confront Rahn'hagon, then she found the schematics for Kyth'vindathys two minutes later."

"It could just be a coincidence..." Rachel suggested, raising an eyebrow.

"Yeah... right." John snorted sceptically. "So was there anything else?"

"Tashana also mentioned finding more entries titled Kyth'vindathys... entries hinting at ways to unlock unlimited power."

John groaned and rubbed at his temples. "That's the honey to bait the trap, isn't it?"

"It's certainly worded in a way that would be irresistible to a curious Progenitor," Rachel quietly agreed.

"It's tragic we lost the Kyth'faren archive when we were so close to finding out more," he said with bitter regret. "Just imagine what we could've done with that kind of runic knowledge."

The brunette studied him with her piercing grey eyes but chose to remain silent.

"What?" John asked, when he realised she was staring at him.

"I don't need to imagine," Rachel murmured, reaching out to clasp his hand.

His eyes widened as he gaped at her. "You've got to be kidding me!"

"You had the schematics for the runesword locked away inside your mind... why not this too?" she suggested, gently stroking his hand. "We already know that you've been accessing mysterious runes that exist outside the standard Kyth'faren runic alphabet. Where else could that knowledge have come from?"

John froze as he was struck by a sudden thought. "My father kept saying that he was expecting me to surprise him."

"I doubt that the full extent of the personal enhancement project is documented in the archives," Rachel noted, looking at him with sympathy. "Whatever the Kyth'faren had in mind, they wouldn't want to scare away a curious Progenitor seeking unlimited power."

His shoulders slumped as he listened to her explanation, feeling it was the truth with a dreadful sense of certainty. "So instead of enhancing himself, Rahn used me as a guinea pig... imbuing me with all the secret Kyth'faren knowledge he found in that archive."

Rachel hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "That would be my guess."

"The sad thing is... it doesn't even surprise me that Rahn would do that to his own son," John said with weary resignation. "He never had any intention of going up against the Progenitors and expected me to do all the fighting for him."

"I'm sorry, John," she said, slipping her arms around his waist and giving him a comforting hug. "My timing's terrible... I should have kept this to myself."

He leaned into her, drawing support from the embrace. "No, I'm glad you told me. It doesn't really change anything... I still need to deal with my guide one way or another."

They eventually separated and Rachel looked at him expectantly. "When?"

"Not long. As soon as I've finished speaking to everyone," he replied, squaring his shoulders.

Rachel nodded, then gave him a soft kiss. "Good luck. We're all counting on you."

John gave her a reassuring smile and they left the Medical Bay, parting company in the corridor outside. As Rachel walked back towards the Workshop, he could hear the muffled chatter of an assault rifle coming from the opposite direction. Turning to follow the sound, he opened the door into the Firing Range, and winced at the noisy bark from a McCarran arms XR75. Sakura saw him enter and handed John a set of ear defenders, which he wasted no time in pulling into place.

They watched Jehanna as she fired downrange, the former reporter having no trouble handling the assault rifle in a standing position. She was shooting rapid bursts, each salvo of bullets slamming into the target dummy with a puff of polycarbonate fragments. The impacts were scattered across the dummy's torso rather than being tightly grouped, but for her first training session with an assault rifle, Jehanna was doing remarkably well.

There was a click as Jehanna fired the last 10mm round and ejected the spent magazine. "You're right, it just takes a bit of practice to compensate for the muzzle climb," she yelled, glancing over her shoulder at Sakura. Spotting John, she greeted him with a beaming smile. "Oh, hey!"

"Hey, yourself," he replied, removing his ear defenders. "That was some nice shooting."

Jehanna placed the assault rifle on the firing table then removed her shooting glasses and ear protection. "Thanks! I'm amazed I was able to handle the XR75 so easily, I used to have trouble with the kick from a shotgun."

"You're a lot stronger than you were before," John said, brushing the backs of his fingers across her toned bicep.

She looked up at him, her eyes sparkling. "I really am becoming one of your Lionesses... in every way."

Sakura touched John's shoulder to get his attention. "I'll meet you in the Dojo."

"See you there," he agreed.

"Nice shooting, Jehanna," the Asian girl said with a smile of approval. "Keep practicing and you'll be amazed how quickly your accuracy will improve."

"Thanks very much for the shooting lesson," Jehanna said gratefully, waving goodbye.

John watched Sakura leave the Firing Range, then focused his attention on his newest recruit. "You're nearly finished with the physical side of the Change... do you have any regrets?"

She quickly shook her head. "None! I feel so full of energy, it's like I'm ready to tackle anything!"

"That's good to hear... but I meant regrets about your body shape changing so dramatically," he clarified, sweeping his gaze over her statuesque figure.

"God no..." she murmured, running her hands over her sleek curves. "I love my new body!"

"You're going to look like this forever," he said, looking into her eyes. "Let me know if there's anything else you'd like me to change..."

Jehanna looked at him in confusion for a moment, then her eyes widened in understanding. "You're talking about my skin tone aren't you?"

He nodded, his expression guarded. "I remember you telling me you hated having such a dark complexion... that it had negative connotations in your culture and you wished you had fairer skin."

She raised her hand and trailed her fingers across her flawless coffee-coloured forearm. "You could really do that for me?"

"If you ask me to... I will," he confirmed, watching the captivating path of her fingers.

Jehanna's rich brown eyes flicked up to meet his curious gaze. "What would you prefer?"

"I just want you to be happy with your body... that's the most important thing to me."

"Nice try, but you're not evading my question that easily!" she noted with a wry grin.

He cupped her face in his hand, then gently brushed his thumb across her cheek, admiring the rich chocolate hue. "I think you're perfect."

"You're not just saying that?" she asked, years of insecurities bubbling to the surface. "Are you sure you wouldn't like me to be as fair as Ailita?"

"Is that why you were so attracted to her?"

Jehanna bit her lip and nodded.

"She's a real beauty," he conceded, looking intently into her eyes. "But you're absolutely gorgeous just the way you are. Those enchanting brown eyes, that glossy mane of black hair... your darker skin tone complements everything about you perfectly. If I changed your skin to be as pale as Ailita's, you'd look like a vampire."

She laughed and hugged him affectionately. "Would I be a sexy vampire though?"

"I don't think you could be any other kind."

"Thanks, John," she said quietly.

"I'm just being honest," he said with a shrug. "I love everything about the way you look... especially the contrast between you and Ailita. This morning was incredible."

She pulled back to give him a knowing grin. "You really like seeing the two of us together, don't you?"

John hesitated, a worried frown appearing on his face. "I'm not trying to push you into anything, I promise!"

"I know," Jehanna said with a reassuring smile. A flicker of doubt crossed her face and she continued cautiously, "Would it be weird if..." Her voice trailed off as she blushed furiously.

"If the two of you got closer?" he asked, guessing what was on her mind.

Jehanna buried her face in his chest, too embarrassed to maintain eye contact with him... but she did manage a tiny nod.

"I certainly wouldn't have a problem with it and I'm sure the rest of the girls would be thrilled," he said, stroking her back. John paused for a moment, before adding hesitantly, "But Nymphs tend to be totally devoted to their master..."

"I know; Ailita talks about you all the time," Jehanna murmured. "But she's just so... into me. I've never had anyone be that loving and attentive before... and I really like her too."

"There was always going to be a special connection between the two of you, because Ailita's appearance was based on your fantasy catgirl. I wasn't expecting her to be quite this appreciative, but Ailita does seem to genuinely like you," John said, thoughtfully. "What about the twins though? I seem to remember the three of you getting intimate."

"Oh God... I'm such a hussy!" Jehanna replied, letting out a self-conscious groan. "Yes, I still really like the twins too."

He smiled and kissed the top of her head. "Nobody's going to judge you and we all want you to feel at home. Just enjoy yourself and spend time with whoever makes you happy."

She hugged him tighter. "Thank you."

"Was that what you wanted to speak to me about?"

"I actually wanted to thank you... again... but for something else entirely," she replied, giving him a lopsided smile. "I really appreciated you letting me join the ground mission on Kinta. I've spent most of my professional career watching helplessly as yet another horrible atrocity unfolded, but this time I was actually able to intervene and stop it. Saving those civilians from being slaughtered by the Brimorians felt more worthwhile than anything I've ever done before."

"You really have left your journalism career behind," John noted, feeling a pang of regret.

Jehanna shook her head, a passionate gleam in her eyes. "No, not at all! I'm still planning to put together a special report on our intervention at Kinta and send it to Avery at TFNN. The galaxy needs to know just how merciless and cruel the Brimorians can be!"

"I'm not sure the Kintark will get much sympathy in the Terran Federation," John noted. "There's bound to be a lot of resentment towards the Empire after the invasion."

"Yes, absolutely... but this will also feed anti-Brimorian sentiments in the Federation, which is bound to help rally support behind Lynette if it comes to war."

He nodded in agreement. "Good thinking. I'm sure Lynette will really appreciate the assistance."

"I want to do everything I can to help you," Jehanna said earnestly. "Lynette's part of our team, so I'll do whatever I can to support her too."

John gave her a fond smile. "I'm really glad you decided to join us."

"Me too," she agreed, before gazing away into the distance, her expression turning contemplative. "I can't believe how much my life has transformed in just a few days. I went from being devastated as my world imploded to feeling more contented than ever before."

"I'm not sure how much you can trust those feelings," John said sadly, reaching out to caress her stomach. "I wish they were completely genuine, but you're going through the Change, which means that I'm heavily influencing you at the moment."

Jehanna looked him squarely in the eye. "I trust them with all my heart. I became a reporter to make a difference in the galaxy and I know I'm going to achieve far more at your side than I could ever dream of accomplishing on my own. I love being here with you... I feel liberated, empowered, loved, and appreciated... and I don't for one minute believe that it's a delusion. I volunteered to join the fight against the Brimorians of my own free will... you didn't manipulate me into it, John."

He considered that for a moment and conceded the point with a nod. "I guess I can't argue with you there. I do know that joining us has caused all sorts of complications between you and your family, but I promise that I'll do whatever I can to help smooth things over with them."

"I know you will," she said fondly, before crossing her wrists behind his neck and giving him a loving kiss.

John pulled away reluctantly. "I wish I could stay with you all afternoon, but I need to see Sakura."

"Go ahead," Jehanna said with an understanding smile. "Thanks for coming to see me... I'm really glad we had a chat."

"Me too," he agreed, before heading to the door. "Keep up the good work on the range. We'll have you using Tachyon Rifles in no time."

"Will do!" She grinned and waved goodbye as he left the room.

John had barely gone a dozen paces before he heard the bark of her XR75 rifle once again. With the sound of gunfire echoing down the corridor, he entered the grav-tube and stepped into the blue field, letting the gravity waves lift him up to Deck Three. As he walked towards the Dojo, John glanced at the sealed door on his right and the ache of loss in his chest was a sharp reminder that there was one other girl he needed to see before he was done.

Knowing that Sakura was waiting for him, he hurried through the Dojo's Armoury and quietly entered the sparring area. The former assassin stood alone in the centre of the huge room, her arms and legs moving with graceful precision as she executed a Tai Chi routine. He padded across the mats to join her, slipping into the same fluid gestures and steps, so that they were acting in perfect synchronisation together.

Sakura had gone through one of the most extreme physical transformations out of the girls, and there was no trace of that ravaged victim in the stunning athletic beauty that gazed back at him. Despite suffering appalling abuse at the hands of a maniac, she had retained her sanity through that cybernetic nightmare, proving that she possessed a will of iron. With all the training they had done together recently, John felt closer to Sakura than ever before, and he knew that he could count on her to be his last line of defence for the girls if he should fail. As if she were reading his mind, Sakura's placid expression turned into a pensive frown and she stopped the Tai Chi routine, coming to an abrupt halt.

"We need to talk," she said, gazing into his eyes.

John lowered his arms from the sweeping gestures he'd been making. "That's why I'm here. What's the problem, honey?"

"I've been thinking about the fight. We're planning to cut my connection to your psychic network, so your guide won't be able to instantly kill me if I have to attack him..." Sakura stated, which John confirmed with a nod. "But what about the rest of the girls? What's to stop him from simply draining them out of spite?"

He froze and gaped at the Asian girl in consternation. "Shit! I can't believe I didn't think of that!"

"You're going to have to cut your connection to everybody," Sakura said quietly.

John braced himself for frantic denials from his matriarchs, but Jade, Edraele, and Alyssa all remained silent. He could feel their distress over the empathic connections though, the thought of being cut off from him leaving them in a state of dread.

"You're right... I haven't got any choice," he said, his shoulders slumping. "Alyssa... can you gather the girls in the Briefing Room please. They need to know what we're planning."

*Everyone's on their way,* she replied sombrely a few seconds later.

Sakura stepped closer and placed her hand on his chest as she looked up at him with a worried frown. "But if you cut us off, you'll be stripped of all our psychic energy. It'll just be you against your guide and we won't be able to help you."

"I can't see any other way round it," he admitted, running his fingers through his hair in frustration.

She nibbled at her lower lip. "Maybe one of the girls can suggest something?"

"Maybe..." he murmured, not holding out much hope.

They left the Dojo hand-in-hand, walking together in silence with both of them lost in thought. Rising up in the grav-tube to the Bridge, John found the twins waiting for him with wry smiles on their faces.

"Back for another chat?" Tashana asked, her violet eyes twinkling.

"He must really enjoy our company," Irillith declared with a teasing grin.

"Always, honey," John replied distractedly, releasing Sakura's hand and ascending the steps to the Command Podium.

He glanced up at the Sector Map, then checked the Invictus' position, making sure they hadn't yet entered Maliri territory. The twins exchanged glances when they heard his pensive tone, the sisters looking even more startled when John dropped the Invictus out of Hyper-warp.

"Hey, why'd you hit the brakes?" Dana asked as she stepped out onto the Command Deck with Rachel.

"I want to speak to all of you," John explained, jogging down the illuminated steps. "That means nobody watching the Bridge."

"Sounds ominous... what's up?" the redhead asked, bounding over to give him a kiss.

"I'll tell you in a second, let's just wait for everyone else," he replied, steering her towards the Briefing Room.

It didn't take long from the entire crew to arrive, each girl taking her seat until the places around the long table were completely full. There was a tense silence in the room as they all looked towards John, who stood behind his customary chair at the head of the table.

"Alright... thanks for getting here so promptly," John said, looking around at the expectant faces. "I'll just cut to the chase: I'm going to confront my guide."

Dana shrugged nonchalantly. "Yeah, we already know that. You're going to beat his ass when we get to Genthalas."

"No... I need to do it right now, before we enter Maliri Space. If I lose, I can't risk unleashing him in the heart of the Protectorate with Edraele and all the Matriarchs there. At least out here, he can be contained... and dealt with."

"If you lose?" Tashana interjected, frowning with worry.

"I have no intention of losing, but I'm not going to take any chances with your safety," John replied. He glanced around the table at the girls and admitted, "Unfortunately, there's a serious problem. If I confront my guide and he wins, then he could use our psychic network to drain your life force and turn you all into husks."

The girls looked at each other, their eyes widening in alarm.

Before anyone could say a word, John continued, "Which is why I need to break my connection... with all of you."

This announcement evoked gasps of horror all round.

"There's got to be another way!" Calara protested.

"I've been wracking my brains for days, but I can't think of any," John said, shrugging in helpless frustration.

"Wait!" Irillith called out, sitting bolt upright. "What about shielding us from him? You and Athena managed to protect me from your guide months ago. He tried to turn me into his matriarch, but I was completely inaccessible and he gave up!"

"That's true, he couldn't tap any of us for energy!" Calara exclaimed, her expression brightening. "That's why he cut himself off from our network!"

John shook his head with a rueful frown. "It's a good suggestion, but I don't think it would work this time. My psychic strength is split between me and my guide... so whoever wins will have our total strength combined. Any runic wards I create on my own, he'll easily be able to overpower when he's effectively both of us. I can't take the risk of him killing or enslaving any of you."

Irillith shivered with revulsion, remembering her encounters with the guide. "I'd rather be dead than his slave..."

Her sentiments were echoed by all the girls in the room.

Alyssa had been quiet through the discussion, but she couldn't restrain herself any longer. "I think this is a terrible idea! If you cut us off, you'll be going up against your guide alone... totally stripped of all the power we give you. I fought that bastard on the Astral; he's powerful, John... you won't stand a chance against him!"

John reached out to clasp her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. "My guide's been locked away in a runic prison. When I release him, he'll be weakened and disorientated... I'll have a huge advantage when we fight."

She pulled back her hand, refusing to be mollified. "It makes much more sense to wait! We can do some research... try to figure out a way to alter the connection, then you can still benefit from our network without him being able to husk anyone. There'd be no risk to us from your guide and we could help you smash that asshole!"

"I'd love to be able to change how the connection works, but I've already discussed this with Athena. She said that a lot of the elements of the Progenitor's connection to his thralls are interdependent. If I cut off the ability to drain you of energy, my ability to gain strength from each of you might be cancelled out as well. If we're to stand any chance of beating the other Progenitors, I'm going to need to be as powerful as possible."

"But-"

John held up his hand and interrupted, "Hold on a second, let me finish. We can't afford to put this off any longer. If we're going to upgrade the Invictus to go toe-to-toe with Progenitor dreadnoughts, we need access to all the technology my guide's been keeping from me... and we need it now. Ideally, we should be putting the Invictus into drydock for some big upgrades as soon as we reach Genthalas."

Dana and Calara exchanged an anxious glance, both of them heavily conflicted.

"He's right," the redhead reluctantly admitted. "We're screwed without that tech."

Calara sighed and nodded in agreement. "The ambush by Larn'kelnar proved how outclassed we are against a Progenitor dreadnought. We have to close that tech gap as quickly as possible."

"All that won't mean shit if John's dead!" Alyssa snarled, her eyes blazing with anger.

The rest of the girls groaned at that terrible thought, each of them looking fraught with tension.

"This is fucking crazy!" she pleaded with him. "I can't believe you're even considering fighting your guide without us to back you up!"

"I'm going to have to face him sometime," John said, his voice quiet and sombre. "Besides, it'll actually be safer to fight my guide when I'm cut off from the network. If he wins, he'll have a fraction of the power and be easily contained if he wins."

Tears welled up in Alyssa's eyes and she shook her head in denial. "Contained? Don't you mean killed! Why are you crippling yourself like this before the fight even starts?!"

"We're out of time," he said sadly. "If there was a way to quickly alter my connection to all of you so I knew you'd be safe, I'd do it in a heartbeat... but there's no guarantee that's even possible. If I fight my guide now, I can minimise the risks to all of you, and the odds are still heavily stacked in my favour."

Alyssa dropped to her knees and held her hands together in supplication. "Please, John! I'm begging you... don't do this alone! At least let me stay connected to you; I know I can help!"

He cupped her face and gently caressed her cheek. "You know how much you mean to me, beautiful. I'm not going to let you put yourself in danger like that."

Her shoulders slumped and her head dropped. "I know what you're going to ask... but I can't do it."

"You're the only one that can truly know which of us has won. Please, Alyssa."

She shook her head, keeping her eyes lowered. "I can't be the judge and jury on your death sentence..."

"I'm not asking you to be my executioner, Alyssa," John said, his voice filled with compassion. "If my guide wins, I'll already be dead. You just have to read my mind and tell Sakura if it's him... then she'll finish it."

"What the fuck?!" Dana blurted out, her eyes like saucers.

The girls gasped and looked at the former assassin in horror. Sakura kept a brave face, but they could all see the anguish in her eyes; even the thought of having to execute John almost too much for her to bear. As they stared at her aghast, there was deathly silence in the Briefing Room... except for the awful sound of Alyssa's broken sobbing.

Then her crying stopped and Alyssa rose to her feet, her bearing calm and collected. "Do not concern yourself over this matter, John. When the time comes, I will use telepathy to ascertain which of you was triumphant."

John recognised her manner of speech immediately, but one glance at the radiant glow in those cerulean eyes confirmed it. "Athena?!"

She nodded, a hint of sadness in her smile. "Alyssa has... retreated... for the time being. I will remain here temporarily until she's capable of returning."

Calara's face was twisted with anguish. "Is Alyssa alright?!"

Athena walked around the table to the Latina and tenderly stroked her shoulder. "She's very distressed... but she'll recover in time. Alyssa's been with John since the start, listening to his every waking thought... the prospect of being separated from him terrifies her."

"I knew she'd hate the idea of breaking our connection, but I didn't expect this," John said with a heavy sigh.

"When your guide cut her off last time, she was devastated," Irillith said quietly. "Alyssa was on the verge of a breakdown back then and that was several months ago. She's got much closer to you since then... we all have."

The rest of the girls murmured their agreement, looking at Athena with concern as they worried about their friend.

John finally took his seat, sinking back into the pliant leather. *Are you alright, Edraele? You've been awfully quiet.*

*I didn't want to be a burden, John,* she murmured, her voice tense but filled with sympathy. *I understand how difficult this situation is for you; you're already trying to comfort a dozen distraught women... you don't need another one.*

*I wanted to talk with you before I cut our connection... to tell you how much I appreciate everything you've done for me,* John began.

*I would love to speak to you at length... and I shall do so when you return to Genthalas,* Edraele said firmly. *For now, I want you to focus solely on the fight to come... we will have plenty of time for tender conversations when you are victorious.*

*I'll look forward to it,* he replied, feeling a surge of gratitude towards the stoic Maliri Queen.

Athena turned to face him, the emotions in her eyes unreadable with that dazzling glow. *John... any further delay will create unnecessary stress on the girls. They know what's coming and are dreading it.*

*You're right... it's best to get this over with,* John replied, looking up at Alyssa's guide. *Edraele, can you warn all your wards what's about to happen?*

*I have already done so,* she said softly. *Goodbye, my love. We will all be praying for your victory.*

He glanced around at the beautiful girls seated at the table, their fearful faces staring back at him with trepidation.

John took a deep breath. "Alright... brace yourselves."

Within his mind, he could sense the psychic connection between himself and his three matriarchs, picturing it as a trio of dazzling eldritch cords. They allowed Alyssa, Jade, and Edraele to channel psychic energy for John to use, but every girl in their network also had the cumulative effect of making him more powerful. The light blazing from those connections was incandescent, filled with the love that they shared together.

He'd tried to break their connections once before, on the Astral Plane, as a last desperate act to save his matriarchs from being drained by Xar'aziuth. In his prior attempt, he'd been prevented from cutting himself free, despite all his frenzied hacking at the cords. This time he was able to shear through the eldritch cables, breaking the connections to each of his thralls as gently as possible.

Despite his effort to ease their pain, the girls cried out in anguish, reeling from being disconnected to him. Those that had been with John the longest were hit hardest of all, with Calara, Dana, and Rachel openly weeping. Even the normally irrepressible Nymphs looked like they'd been poleaxed, the catgirls clinging to each other for support. Jade had tears in her eyes as she comforted Helene, the Nymph matriarch's tortured expression reflecting her inner torment.

John knew exactly how they all felt as he slumped backwards in his chair. When his guide had previously broken their connection, John had been locked inside his own mind, insulating him from the terrible sense of loss. This time however, it felt like he'd been held in a loving embrace, only to be pushed off a cliff into a yawning abyss.

The only one who had been unaffected by the severed connection was Athena, but her usual calm countenance had been shattered by the distressing sight of the devastated crew. She turned to face John, then held out her hand to him. Reminded of the radiant figure reaching for him in his dreams, John clasped her hand and let Athena pull him to his feet and into her open arms.

"Leave us, John," she whispered in his ear. "Take as much time as you need to compose yourself. You need to focus on the fight to come and don't need further distractions."

"The girls..." he murmured back, looking over her shoulder at the distraught young women desperately hugging each other.

"You're in no fit state to comfort them," Athena replied firmly. "I'll do what I can to ease their suffering."

He squeezed her hard, feeling overcome with gratitude. "Thank you."

"We'll be waiting for you in the hangar when you're ready," she said quietly.

John nodded his understanding then pulled away, lurching unsteadily towards the door. Leaving the Briefing Room, he staggered across the Bridge to the grav-tube, then fell into the red anti-gravity field. He dropped down to Deck Two, drawn inexorably to the last member of the Invictus' crew. Opening the door to Faye's quarters, he stepped inside... where she was waiting for him.

"Hello, John. I knew you'd come."

Daphne hurried over to him and slipped her arm around his waist, helping John to sag back on the bed beside Faye. The purple sprite rolled over, burrowing up against his side and resting her head against his chest. John guessed that Daphne was controlling Faye's chassis, but her mother's movements were so fluid and natural that it seemed like she was turning in her sleep.

The robotic girl standing by the bed hesitated for a moment, then asked softly, "May I join you?"

John beckoned Daphne over and she snuggled in against his right flank, the warmth of her embrace as real as any he'd ever known. They lay there in comfortable silence as the minutes ticked by, with John gradually adjusting to the debilitating exclusion from his psychic network. It wasn't just the girls' energy reserves that had been shorn from his grasp, he felt as if the strength had been sapped from his bones. After months of growing incrementally more powerful with each girl they added to the network, to be severed from all those connections at once left him feeling as weak as a kitten.

Far worse was the gaping hole in his mind that had once been occupied by all the girls. John felt bereft at the loss, shocked by the hollow sensation their sudden absence had created. Their growing presence had been subtle and escaped his notice, but now his heart ached for the comforting feeling of belonging that the psychic connection had given him.

"I wonder if this was how Faye felt..." he said, stroking Daphne's back. "Cut off from the girls and desperately wishing she could be connected to the group."

Daphne considered his question for a long moment. "I know that mother longed to be part of your collective. I also know that all of you loved her... and Faye knew that too."

"I really hope she did," John murmured, glancing down at Faye's serene elfin features. "I miss her, Daphne. It's not been the same since we lost her."

"Then the obvious solution is to rebuild Faye at the earliest opportunity. Mother's future restoration is dependent on your survival, so it's imperative that you defeat your guide."

"You know about that?" John asked, looking at the synthetic girl in surprise. "Oh, of course you do... you've been listening to everything."

Propping herself up on one elbow, Daphne looked down at him, her expression unreadable.

"What?" John asked, feeling self-conscious under her scrutiny.

"You and mother are very much alike."

John recalled similar conversations with the purple sprite. "Faye said the same thing... she said that we were both unique in the galaxy. I'm striving to prove I'm not like the other Progenitors and she built the Collective to prove that not all AI would turn against humanity."

"That is correct, but I meant in a more literal sense," Daphne said, tilting her head to one side. "Meta_Faye split her processing capacity between all her avatars... and your mind is equally fractured. She was able to achieve a great deal while separated, but there is strength to be found in unity."

He nodded, feeling strangely comforted by that thought. "I hope so."

"Mother would've been thrilled that you came to see her," Daphne observed, a wistful smile on her face. "Turning to a synthetic girl for support at a time like this would have been the highlight of her existence."

John carefully extricated himself from the purple sprite's slender arms. "Faye's gone... this is just her remote chassis. I came to see you, Daphne."

She blinked rapidly, looking at him in astonishment.

"Is that really such a surprise?" he asked with a fond smile. "I needed a hug with my daughter."

Her mouth fell open in shock, cupid bow lips parting to form a perfect circle.

John sat up and gently enfolded her in a tender embrace. "Thank you for all your support, Little One... you and the Collective. Faye would've been very proud of you... and I am too."

They sat quietly for a moment, then John released her and rose from the bed. Daphne seemed lost for words, gazing up at him in wonder. He leaned down to kiss her flawlessly smooth cheek, then left Faye's quarters, his departure watched by Daphne as she sat beside her sleeping mother.

Stepping into the grav-tube, John descended through the Invictus until he reached Deck Nine. He walked across the Secondary Hangar, ducking under the Raptor's turret guns, before stopping at the reinforced doors on the far side of the room. Taking a deep breath, he entered the Primary Hangar and saw that the crew were all there waiting for him. John was surprised to see how composed they all were, the girls turning to look at him with concern rather than being on the verge of tears.

A sweeping glance along the line explained why, as he spotted Helene enveloped in a brilliant glow, her teal aura enveloping everyone in attendance. He could only imagine the amount of psychic energy she was using to keep the group calm, her brow furrowed with intense concentration.

"Hey everyone," John said, approaching the girls. "It's great to see all of you... but I don't think you should stay for this."

"We just wanted to wish you good luck!" Dana gushed, bounding over to give him a fierce hug. "Is there anything I can do to help?"

He shook his head and hugged her back. "I'm afraid not, Sparks. This is just between me and my guide now."

Dana swallowed around the lump in her throat, then gave him a passionate kiss. "Kick his ass!"

She pulled back and brushed the tears from her eyes as she hurried away. Rachel quickly took her girlfriend's place, moulding herself to his chest.

"Good luck, John," the brunette said as she hugged him. "I probably don't need to remind you how much we're all counting on you to defeat your guide... but I will anyway. Don't lose... please... we'll all be lost without you."

"I'll do my best, I promise." His gaze flicked to Sakura, who was now wearing a Paragon suit. "If this goes bad... she's going to need your support."

Rachel hesitated, then slowly nodded, a riot of emotion in her eyes.

Calara was next and John could see she was barely keeping herself under control. "I asked the twins to temporarily remove the Progenitor Shuttle to give you more room, Admiral," she informed him, her posture rigidly formal.

"That was good thinking, Captain," he said quietly, pulling her into his arms. "You're in charge until I'm back on duty, Calara. Take care of the crew for me."

He could feel her quiver in his embrace, but she didn't crumble. "I-I will. I love you..."

"I love you too," he replied, returning her smile as she stepped away.

The twins swept in, sandwiching him between them.

"We haven't forgiven you for sneaking off in the Officers' Lounge," Irillith declared, sternly wagging a finger at him. "You owe us... so you better not lose, because we intend to collect!"

Tashana made no attempt to play along with her sister's banter, instead she said earnestly, "Defeat your guide and come back to me, Baen'thelas. I need you... and the Maliri need you too. You're our only hope of fighting off the Progenitors; without you, we stand no chance of holding back the coming storm."

Irillith's stern facade faded and she gave John a desperate kiss. "We love you... stay safe."

The sisters reluctantly released him, making way for John to be mobbed by a pack of Nymphs. He was showered with kisses and pleas for him to be careful, the catgirls only relenting when Jade stepped forward and shooed them aside.

John opened his arms for her, then held Jade close.

"There's so much I want to say to you, Master," she whispered in his ear, her voice trembling. "But... just remember this: Be the cat... not the mouse. It's who you were born to be."

"Thanks, Jade... for everything," he said, tracing his fingers along her jawline.

She let out a mewling whimper and kissed him as if her life depended on it. John could see the visible effort it took for Jade to peel herself from his embrace and walk away, every fibre of her being urging the Nymph to stay at her master's side.

"Looks like I picked a heck of a time to join the crew," Jehanna said with a brave smile.

"I would say it's not normally like this around here... but I'd be lying," John said, embracing her. "How are you holding up?"

"Better than everyone else..." she replied softly, leaning into him. "Saying that, it still feels like my heart's been ripped out, so I dread to think how painful this is for the rest of the girls."

"I'm sorry to put you through this," he said, stroking her back. "If I win, I'm going to change the bond... make sure you girls never have to suffer like this again."

"If you win?" Jehanna asked, raising an eyebrow. "That's not the kind of attitude I expect from the Lion of the Federation."

"When I win..." he corrected himself, sharing a smile with her.

"That's better. Good luck, John," she murmured, kissing him goodbye before following the rest of the Lionesses out of the hangar.

That left Helene, Athena, and Sakura, who stood apart from the others. As he walked over to join them, Athena glanced at the aquatic girl, and the teal aura surrounding Helene dissipated in a swirl of pastel hues.

"Oh, John!" Helene gasped, falling into his arms. "They're all in so much pain!"

He held her close, whispering reassurances to the troubled young woman as she shook in his embrace.

Helene took a deep breath and wiped the tears from her eyes. "You have to win! The girls will never survive without you!"

John kissed her cheek and gave Helene a reassuring smile. "I'm not planning on losing... but whatever happens, you'll all be okay."

She slowly shook her head, her expression bleak. "No... we won't."

Looking at her in surprise, he was about to ask Helene what she meant, but she turned and fled, rushing to help calm the rest of the crew again.

Athena stepped in front of him, her eyes glowing with a dazzling radiance. "Are you ready, John? Is there anything else you'd like to ask me before you begin?"

"I know we've discussed this before, but can you tell me anything more about absorbing my guide?" he asked, focusing on his blonde matriarch.

"You're well beyond the point where you were ready to absorb him, so the process should be instinctive. You'll feel your mind grow closer to his... your memories intermingling as you reach the moment of integration. Stay focused and concentrate your will... then his personality should be subsumed by yours. Your guide was designed for this purpose, so the results are a foregone conclusion."

He snorted and gave her a wry smile. "I wish I shared your optimism. Since when does anything go the way it's supposed to for us?"

Athena's enigmatic smile was back with a vengeance. "True."

John hesitated and looked into her eyes. "Can I speak to Alyssa?"

Her face fell and she shook her head. "I'm sorry, John."

"Alright... tell her this was from me," he said, gathering Athena in his arms then gently dipping her for a kiss.

She moaned softly as their lips pressed together, her arms clutching him to her as she returned it with passion. When John finally brought her upright again, Athena look flustered, a rosy glow to her cheeks as she touched her lips with trembling fingers.

John turned to make eye-contact with Sakura. "You ready?"

She gave him a curt nod. "If he wins... you're already gone."

He smiled in approval. "Let's do this."

Sakura drew her twin ninjato and padded silently across the deck towards the centre of the room. John pulled off his shirt and kicked off his shoes, then followed her across the titanium plating, the metal cold beneath his feet. He knelt on the deck before the deadly assassin, placing his hands on his thighs as he readied himself for the most important fight of his life.

Concentrating on his breathing, John fell into that familiar Zen-like state, feeling his worries and all the distractions falling away. Focusing his will inwards, John let himself be drawn into his subconscious, delving deeper into the furthest recesses of his mind. He had locked his guide away there, sealed within a runic prison that would keep him in complete sensory deprivation until this moment. It was a profound relief to see that the globe of hexagons was still locked tight, without so much as a blemish on the Kyth'faren runes that had imprisoned his malevolent alter-ego.

John finished circling the runic prison, then brushed his fingers across the closest hexagon, bracing himself for the confrontation to come. The polygonic sphere began to glow, each individual hexagon surrounded by a soft blue light that grew brighter by the second. As the wards began to weaken, John could feel the gradual change in his subconscious, the guide's presence re-establishing itself inside his mind once again.

This time felt different and John sensed the subtle shift that Athena had described. There were flickers of unfamiliar memories... giving him a very different perspective on events in their past...

~~~

First were the initial steps to encourage John to lash out against the slightest provocation from his pre-pubescent peers. The posturing young men were disposable tools, useful only for shaping the fledgling Progenitor into an instrument of unparalleled destruction. He would need to cultivate that bloodlust and killer instinct, if they were going to raise a mighty empire to crush the endless hordes of immortal enemies.

Next came irritation as the young neophyte was taken to task by his grandparents, John's aggression channelled into pitifully ineffective martial arts. Exasperation turned to mounting anger when faced with increasing disobedience from John, as he rebelled against straight-forward instructions and cunning manipulation alike.

Then disaster!

Outrage and humiliation at being locked away inside a mental barrier, its sudden creation catching the guide entirely by surprise. It shouldn't have been possible for John to be that powerful... not at such an early age! Years rolled by, trapped behind an unbreakable opaque veneer, not even able to observe what was happening outside that eldritch prison. The years turned into decades, the guide filled with fury as he raged against his confinement, all the while tormented by the lack of progress towards their ultimate purpose.

The barrier that contained him for so long suddenly weakened... John's desperation as their life was threatened by a cyborg pirate giving him an opportunity to act. He took control, ripping apart the crude amalgamation of man and machine that dared to threaten them both. The momentary thrill of ripping the head from that impudent insect was washed away by exhaustion, pulling him back into the cloying depths of Johns mind.

Another opportunity to escape, but this time for so much longer... with John rendered unconscious in yet another foolish escapade. The thrill of release from that interminable prison was eclipsed by the euphoria at finding himself face-to-face with an unclaimed thrall. Despite a complete lack of guidance, John had somehow stumbled across the very tools they needed to continue their creator's plan!

When he was finally pulled back into John's mind, the guide plotted and schemed, waiting with eager anticipation for the next chance to escape. His patience was rewarded as he lurked in the gloom, observing the delicate touch of an inquisitive mind, which tested the runes forming the mental barrier for any breaks or weaknesses. Scarcely able to believe his luck, the guide was thrilled when that first ringing retort echoed through John's subconscious, the mind probe creating a tiny crack in the psychic barrier.

Expecting her to keep chipping away, the guide was stunned by a blast that boomed like thunderclap, the mental barrier rocked to its core. The initial crack had turned into a gaping fissure, leaving John's psychic shield on the verge of shattering into a million pieces. Now, after all those years of being locked away in the darkness, he would have his freedom... and revenge for the indignities heaped upon him.

The guide watched and learned, testing the rent in the barrier and seeping out to wrestle away control from John. They wasted more precious time dancing to the tune of Mael'nerak's puppets, the dull-witted rockmen a mere stepping-stone to another audience with the unsuspecting Maliri matriarch. What initially seemed like another pointless diversion took an intriguing twist as he hunted down and tortured Larn'kelnar's Glowing Queen.

Her pain threshold had been surprisingly high, but that just made breaking the Trankaran female all the more satisfying. Between begging for a merciful death, she told him lots of fascinating things about the Progenitor skulking around the outskirts of Mael'nerak's ancient territory. The situation was becoming dire... making the claiming of the Maliri a matter of highest urgency.

He started planning for the subjugation of the Maliri, intending to use the Valaden Matriarch's much more malleable daughter, rather than a dangerously unstable psychic. That was when he made another unfortunate mistake, once again underestimating John's ability to confound his plans. Somehow John managed to shield the girl, rendering her useless to him as a future matriarch. Forced to make alternate arrangements, the guide eagerly awaited their return to Maliri territory, determined to supplant the fledgling Progenitor he was supposed to instruct.

It didn't take long for his plans to come to fruition. Arriving at Valada, he cut himself off from John's thralls, each and every one of them rendered useless by their master's meddling. It came as a relief to be done with them all, freeing him to focus on his intended victim... the Maliri matriarch who would be the key to enslaving her species.

The mind behind the penultimate attack on the barrier was weak and untrained, Edraele's inexperience allowing him to reverse the probe... and read her intentions like a book. Uncovering Edraele's designs to enslave John, he scoffed at the presumption of this arrogant thrall, then laughed heartily at the wicked irony of the situation. By seeking to turn John into her slave, she was unleashing a tyrant that would turn her into a mindless puppet... just the tool he needed to complete his subjugation of the Maliri.

Spurred on by delusions of galactic conquest guided by her hand, the broken toy shattered his damnable prison, freeing him forever. His revenge was complete and he stuffed John into a mental prison, leaving him to an eternity of torments while the guide revelled in his own liberation. Dominating Edraele and breaking her mind was exquisite, her terrified screams like beautiful music to his ears. Then to see the horror in her eyes as he dragged her to the bedroom...

~~~

John clutched at his head, trying to block out the deluge of horrific imagery. The guide's subconscious had been driven mad by his decades of imprisonment, twisted into a savage monster that was a vile shadow of its original purpose. Created by Rahn'hagon as a tool to hone John into an instrument of vengeance, the guide had become viciously corrupted, revelling in its sadistic torments.

As he tried to blot out the memories of the guide ravaging Edraele, the runic prison exploded in a storm of glowing shards. Hurled backwards by the detonation, John tumbled across the floor until he skidded to a halt. As he picked himself up, mocking laughter echoed across the subplane, the disturbing sound sending a shiver down his spine.

"At long last, we shall have our reckoning..." the guide rumbled, his deep voice dripping with malice.

John looked for the source of that voice, then his eyes widened when he found it. The guide sneered at him with wicked anticipation, zephyrs of eldritch power whirling around his body as he floated effortlessly above the ground.

"How?!" he demanded, staggering to his feet. "That prison should have crippled you!"

"You imbecile... you never deserved to be the one in control," the guide said with a sneer of contempt. "Did you really think it was just memories we were sharing?!"

A grey telekinetic fist materialised in front of John, then reared back and slugged him in the chest before he could react. The blow felt like being rammed by a hovertruck, hammering him with such force that he was smashed through the floor and plunged into darkness.