John watched the last of the prisoners file out of the dreadnought and into the morning sunshine, their hands raised to shade their eyes against the brightness. Nearly a thousand Terrans had gathered outside the crashed Kirrix capital ship, appearing shocked and relieved that the worst of their ordeal was now over.

His eyes were drawn to a statuesque woman approaching him, her white armour sparkling in the sunlight as she weaved her way through the crowd of Terran civilians. She paused for the twentieth time to smile and nod as she was surrounded by grateful prisoners, not wanting to offend them by brushing off their earnest thanks, despite her mounting frustration. The black lioness holographs on her pauldrons flickered as people patted her on the shoulder, the Carolus citizens who had escaped from the Hive Queen's clutches eager to personally meet their saviour.

Sakura frowned at John when she finally reached his side. "Why did you have to go and tell everybody that it was me that grounded the dreadnought? I can't go ten paces without somebody trying to hug me!"

He reached over and gently removed her Paragon helmet, then leaned down to give her a tender kiss. "Who says I had anything to do with it?" he asked with a playful smile. "Maybe they all just think you're adorable? I know I certainly do."

She blushed furiously and bit her lower lip, then gave him a shy smile in return.

John brushed his armoured finger against her cheek. "Truthfully, one of the men thanked me and asked which Lionesses were involved in his rescue. I just mentioned your name and how to tell you apart from the other girls." His eyes flicked to the black lionesses floating above her shoulder pads, then he gave her a broad grin. "You can blame Alyssa for the vivid description of the Saviour of Unity City braving danger in her Valkyrie and single-handedly taking down the dreadnought against impossible odds."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Why on Terra did she do that?"

"You saw how grateful those people were for saving their lives," he quietly replied, meeting her curious gaze. "How did that feel? Knowing that you helped rescue them?"

She hesitated, a self-conscious smile appearing on her beautiful face.

John gave her a knowing look, then turned to watch Alyssa levitating the remains of the Hive Queen into the Raptor's rear loading bay. He put his arm around the Asian girl and asked, "How did you get on with your sweep of the ship?"

Sakura glanced back at the dreadnought. "The four of you did a thorough job slaughtering your way to the nest. There were a few stragglers, no more than a hundred or so, but it's all clear now."

"Nice work, honey," he said, his gaze lifting to the Invictus which floated like a protective angel over the city of Reitberg. Brilliant azure beams lanced down, destroying the wrecked hive ships now that all the civilians had been evacuated. "We'll be handing over to the Terran forces soon; I want them to be able to concentrate on aiding infested citizens, not fighting off Kirrix troops."

*John, sorry to interrupt,* Alyssa said, after waiting for a lull in the conversation. *We're being hailed by Admiral Zelig. His fleet will be dropping out of hyper-warp in two minutes... he wanted a word.*

*Can you ask Calara to patch him through to my suit?* he asked, raising his Paragon helmet.

*Will do!* Alyssa cheerfully replied.

Sakura's hand darted out to catch his wrist, then she leaned in and gave him a soulful kiss. "Thank you," she whispered, her brown eyes gazing at him lovingly. "It felt good... saving those people."

"We'll talk later," he said, pleased to see her uplifted mood. "Better get back to the Valkyrie before Faye wrecks it."

The Asian girl laughed and waved goodbye before bounding over to her waiting mech, Faye popping the cockpit door open for her.

John donned his helmet, then glanced at the comms interface built into the HUD, the retinal scanners reacting and accepting the flashing call. He started walking towards the Raptor as a holo image of the Terran Federation logo appeared in the top right. A few seconds later, the winged sword was replaced by a bearded man wearing an admiral's uniform.

"It's good to see you, Admiral Zelig," John said, greeting him with a smile.

"Likewise, Admiral Blake," the older officer replied. He hesitated then added, "Can we forego rank?"

"Of course, Nathan. I assume you're calling for a status update?" John asked as he approached the rear of the gunship. Crowds of civilians had gathered there to watch their rescuers depart and he saluted the grateful citizens as they waved goodbye.

Zelig leaned forward, his expression full of worry. "We haven't picked up any vessels at the outer edge of the Pi Sagittarii system, so I'm assuming that after we jump in, we'll have a grace period before we have to engage the Kirrix. How large a force are we facing?"

Pausing at the ramp, John waited for the twins as they landed and jogged over to join him. "They had 32 drone carriers, 16 hive ships, and a dreadnought."

"My God, a dreadnought!" Zelig exclaimed, his brow furrowing in alarm. "I'm not sure we've got enough firepower to engage a hostile force of that size! I only have ten battleships in my fleet..."

John smiled warmly at the Maliri girls and slipped his arms around their waists as they walked up the ramp together. "We took care of it, don't worry."

The admiral's eyes widened. "You brought down the dreadnought?!"

"Calara swept the system clear, you're free to begin the relief effort," John replied, nodding to Dana, who grinned at him and slapped her hand down on the button to close the rear ramp.

"Wait... you actually managed to run off a Kirrix force of that size?!" Zelig exclaimed, shaking his head in disbelief.

John glanced at Rachel who was crouching next to the decapitated head of a nest guardian, her expression one of intense professional curiosity as she took some preliminary scans. "No, we destroyed their entire fleet. There might be a handful of Kirrix troopers loose in the city, but the vast majority were clustered around the hive ships. We took them out when we freed the prisoners."

Zelig looked stunned, then he frowned sceptically. "I'm sorry, John. I don't want to make it sound like I'm accusing you of lying, but I find all this very hard to believe."

The twins removed their helmets and started to pull away, but John held them close, shaking his head. "You'll see for yourself in about thirty seconds," he said to the admiral with a wry smile. "In any case, we're pulling out. Alyssa confronted the entity ruling the Kirrix and believes that the entire invasion force is now in full retreat, so we might have to change our plan to rush to Menganus IV. I'll discuss it with the girls and keep you informed."

Leaning back in his seat, Zelig was quiet for a long moment before raising an eyebrow. "Do you still want me to stick to our original strategy and liberate Tasmaris Prime?"

"Yes please," John replied with a nod. "If Alyssa is right, the Kirrix will probably attempt to flee with whatever civilians they've managed to capture so far. You might want to plot an intercept course with that in mind. Actually, I'll ask Alyssa to transmit one to you; her navigation skills are exceptional... she'll be able to reduce your flight time by a couple of hours."

A warning chime echoed around the admiral's Ready Room and he turned to study the Tactical Map as his fleet jumped into the system. John couldn't help smiling when Zelig's mouth dropped open in shock, finally seeing for himself the vast sea of debris that was all that remained of the Kirrix fleet.

"But it's just one ship... how is that even possible..." he whispered in awe, his eyes like saucers.

"To be fair, she's had a few upgrades," John said dryly.

Zelig inhaled deeply, then blew out his breath. "It seems I should have had more faith in you, Lion. As you appear to have wiped out the Kirrix to a drone, I'll send down the relief teams unescorted. The bulk of our medical staff are located on the carriers, so we'll deploy dropships and transports, then lay in a course for Tasmaris Prime."

John gave him a grateful look. "Excellent, thank you for the cooperation. If there's any new developments, I'll let you know."

"You've saved a huge number of lives here, John. I might not necessarily agree with some of your methods, but please don't feel that I don't appreciate the magnitude of the debt the Terran Federation owes you for your service." The admiral paused then saluted him respectfully.

"I'd return the salute, but we're speaking via helmet cam," John said with a smile. "Thank you, Nathan."

They nodded to each other and ended the call. John reached up to remove his Paragon helmet and saw the twins watching him expectantly as he pulled it from his head. Both girls looked pensive and even if Alyssa hadn't forewarned him about the incident on the hive ship, he would've known something was bothering them.

Tashana winced and quietly confessed, "I'm sorry about my Paragon suit; I promise it looks a lot worse than it is. None of the shots actually penetrated the armour."

He glanced down at the scores of impact craters marring the white plates, his eyebrows climbing in surprise. "I'm sorry, I hadn't even noticed. My only defence is that I was mid-conversation with Admiral Zelig when you arrived."

Irillith shook her head and said softly, "Shan... that's not why he wants to speak to you."

John nodded, pulling them closer. "She's right... I'd like to discuss what happened on the hive ship with both of you. I was thinking we could get together after the debrief."

"Me too?" Irillith asked in surprise.

He gazed into her angular violet eyes and saw the flicker of guilt there. "Yes, you too."

She turned away, unable to meet his sympathetic gaze. "Okay..."

Tashana glanced at her sister with concern as she heard her troubled thoughts, then faced John and said, "We weren't in any danger when I got the flashbacks and it was a very unique set of circumstances that set me off. Please don't feel like you need to keep me from combat."

John reached up to gently caress her cheek. "I don't have any concerns about the way either of you handle yourselves in a fight, you were both incredible today." He gave her a supportive smile and continued, "I'd just like to talk it through with you. Perhaps we can find some way to help you put all those horrible memories behind you?"

The Maliri girl considered it for a moment, then gave him a rueful look. "We have shied away from my past, haven't we? I know I've been in no hurry to relive it."

"If it's too painful we can drop it," John said, his tone soothing. "But you're not the fragile, traumatised young woman I met a few months ago. You're mentally strong now... powerful even, and I think it'll make a considerable difference."

Tashana glowed as he praised her, then leaned in to give him a tender kiss. "Thank you. You're right, the memories aren't anywhere near as troubling as they used to be. We'll definitely talk later."

Dana let out a wistful sigh, drawing their attention.

"What's the matter, Sparks?" John asked in concern. "Everything okay?"

"I almost wish you hadn't fixed my target-fixation problem. I could use a good 'talking to' right now," she replied, giving him a look filled with longing.

He frowned in confusion. "We can discuss it if you want, but I don't think it's an issue any more. You were adaptable, resourceful, situationally aware... hell, you even saved Alyssa's life!"

Rachel laughed and straightened up from her examination of the Kirrix Guardian. "She's using 'talking to' as a euphemism for you screwing her brains out."

John blinked in surprise. "Wait.. what?"

The brunette sauntered over to him and brushed a fingertip across his breastplate, her look turning coy. "We all know that our deep and meaningful conversations usually end up with us having phenomenal sex..."

He blushed bright red with embarrassment. "I'm not that bad!"

"Don't be embarrassed," Tashana murmured, giving him a smouldering look under her long lashes. "I never feel more loved than after a good 'talking to' with you."

Irillith's cheeks flushed as she trembled with anticipation. "Are gravity cuffs going to be involved in our 'talk'?"

They all giggled at his flustered expression, John not sure whether he should protest or be flattered.

Alyssa chose that moment to march into the cargo area. "Hey! What's going on here?!" she demanded, her face like thunder. "You all know it's my job to tease him to distraction!"

The laughter intensified with Alyssa joining in too and John rolled his eyes at the girls, giving them all a lopsided smile.

***

On the Bridge of the cruiser Indomitable, Captain Flintlock stared at the holographic representation of the spaceship graveyard in orbit around Carolus III. His fingers moved to his command console, highlighting one of the wrecks and zooming in. The image of the drone carrier expanded, revealing the catastrophic damage that had ripped apart the capital ship. A massive rift had been blasted through the vessel from bow to stern, vaporising a hundred-metre channel through the entire length of the lifeless hulk.

He turned to his right and exchanged a look with Commander Richards, who stood silently beside him on the Command Podium. The marine officer did well to hide it, but Flintlock could tell that Richards was just as stunned as he was by the utter devastation unleashed on the Kirrix forces.

Glancing back at the white battlecruiser that raced across the system to the jump point, he said quietly, "I remember being shocked when they crippled a lone hive ship. That was only six months ago..."

Richards slowly nodded, then tapped an icon on the console, images from the city of Reitberg appearing on a holographic representation of Carolus III's surface. Thick black smoke billowed into the air from the seventeen wrecks surrounding the city and he moved his finger across the panel, selecting one for closer inspection. The image zoomed in closer to the ground, showing hundreds of blackened insectoid corpses sprawled across the plaza, their bodies horribly contorted in their final death throes. He flicked between the crash sites, revealing more massacres without the loss of a single civilian amongst the carnage.

"I joked with Blake, asking if they were planning to win the war against the Kintark single-handed... then they did," he said, an edge of bewilderment to his voice. He turned to watch the Invictus as it leapt into hyper-warp, disappearing in a swirl of blue tachyon particles. "Do you think they're going to take out the Kirrix next?"

Flintlock studied the apocalyptic scenes. "A few months ago, I would have laughed if you'd asked me that. Now? I honestly don't know..."

Richards nodded, his eyes flicking back to the images of the battlefield around one of the burning hive ships. Amidst a lake of green blood, dismembered insectoid bodies lay in gruesome piles, hacked apart in a frenzied orgy of destruction. "It doesn't seem so funny now. If Blake's planning to finish the job, I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards..."

***

Jade rushed into the rear loading area, a huge grin on her face as she locked eyes on John. "Master!" she exclaimed, running over and jumping into his arms.

He caught the excited Nymph just in time, whirling her around. "Jade! You're a sight for sore eyes. Everything okay?"

She pouted and looked at him sternly. "No! You had me so worried when the Hive Queen attacked you! I wish I'd been there to fight at your side."

Alyssa stroked Jade's back. "We could've really used your help."

John smiled and kissed the Nymph from her ear to her collarbone, until her pout turned into a warm smile. "She's right and I'm sorry I made you worry. I'm just glad you're safe."

The smooth whine of well-maintained hydraulics drew John's attention to the rear of the Raptor as the loading ramp began to descend, revealing the titanium-grey interior of the Invictus. Calara and Faye were waiting for them in the Secondary Hangar, accompanied by what appeared to be an honour guard of a dozen maintenance bots.

The purple sprite waved at them, bouncing up and down in her excitement. "Welcome home!"

John set the nude Nymph down on her feet and Jade flounced off to retrieve her dress. He strode down the ramp to greet the waiting girls, pulling them both into a hug. "It's great to be back."

Calara traced her fingers over the pitted surface of the embossed Lion on his breastplate. "The fight against the Hive Queen was terrifying..." She looked into his eyes, revealing a shadow of pain. "Thank you for saving her... I don't know what I would've done if..." her voice caught and trailed off.

"Baby, come here," Alyssa said, her voice tender and sympathetic as she wrapped her arms around her girlfriend. "I'm so sorry I scared you..."

John left the girls to their loving embrace, turning his attention back to Faye. "How's Helene doing? I heard she snuck onto the Combat Bridge."

Her luminous eyes were filled with worry as she replied, "Did I do the right thing? I know we talked about her not being involved in the fighting; I hoped that by showing her what combat was really like, it would discourage her from taking that path."

"Don't worry, I agree with you," John said, but there was a tension in his eyes. "How was she afterwards?"

"Shocked... but I think she understands your reluctance now," Faye replied, her expression sombre. "She's been playing with the Nymphs in the Lagoon for the last hour. I've seen her zoning out a few times, but she doesn't seem to be too traumatised... I haven't seen her crying or anything like that."

"Good... that's the last thing I wanted," John said with relief.

"John, watch your back!" Rachel warned him as she strode down the ramp.

He stepped aside to make room for the team of maintenance bots, then watched as they carried the corpses of a Nest Guardian and the Hive Queen out of the gunship. The macabre procession headed out of the hangar, taking the Kirrix remains up to medical for later study.

Thick green blood oozed from the cadavers to drip onto the floor and a cluster of cleaning bots raced around to mop up the mess. One of them scrubbed frantically at a big globule of viscous goup, looking irritated as it worked to restore the hangar deck to its pristine state. Faye smiled fondly at the manic robot, brushing her fingers across its curved head. It froze for a moment, almost as if it was enjoying that brief contact, then continued its work at a sedate pace, efficiently mopping up the ooze. It rinsed out the sodden mop-head with a bio-degrading foam, then followed the sticky trail out into the corridor, soaking up the gore.

The purple sprite looked up at John, who was gazing away into the distance, lost in thought. "Are you going to go up and see Helene?"

He nodded, turning to smile at her. "I'll take a quick shower then check she's okay. Thank you for looking after her, Faye. I really appreciate it."

"It was my pleasure," she replied, before stepping over and giving him a tight hug. "I really am glad you're back. It was terrifying watching you getting blasted across the room and being stuck here, powerless to intervene." She glanced over at the doorway to check that the Latina had already gone, then whispered, "Calara was going out of her mind with worry! She wanted to bring the Invictus down to ground level and blast the top off the dreadnought so she could shoot the Hive Queen!"

John cupped her face and gently stroked her temple. "I don't always appreciate how hard it must be for you, watching the rest of us in combat. Thank you for looking after everyone."

She nuzzled into his hand, closing her eyes in bliss. "I love all of you. I'll always do whatever I can to keep you safe."
He leaned down to kiss her, hearing her startled inhalation an instant before she relaxed and kissed him back. Despite this being only their second kiss, there was no awkwardness, only a lovely sense of familiarity. Faye let out a soft moan as she responded to him, pressing herself against his body.

"We'll have to have that second date soon," he said when they separated.

Her luminous eyes sparkled with delight. "Just name the time and place; I'll be there!"

They shared a smile, then he turned and headed for the express grav-tubes. Dana and the twins had already headed that way, so the door was open and he could step inside without pausing. After a stomach dropping ascent up to Deck Four, he walked out into the Armoury, where the redhead was examining Tashana's battered Paragon suit.

"Yeah, the damage is superficial," Dana said, her gaze sweeping over the patchwork of impact burns. Those sky-blue eyes blazed with a golden light and runic script flared over the armour's surface, then faded away in glowing motes. She smiled at John and added, "There... I stripped off the runes. Let me know when you've patched and reshaped the plating, then I'll rune it up again."

"Faye?" John called out, glancing up at a security camera. "Please could you get your boys to bring up some Crystal Alyssium? I need to make a few repairs later."

The camera waggled up and down in a nod, letting him know that the AI had heard his request. He drew the two-handed sword from his back, feeling the slight tug against the magnetic restraints, and placed it carefully on the weapon rack. Then he stepped into an equipping frame and unlocked his armour with a rapid series of clicks as the latching mechanisms released. Activating the robotic arms, they swung down to retrieve the armour plating and released him from his Paragon suit.

"Do you ladies fancy joining me for a shower?" he asked, running his hand through his hair as he stepped away from the frame.

Dana grinned at him, a gleam in her eyes. "Shower and a good talking to?"

He laughed and shook his head. "Just the shower for now. I want to check on Helene to make sure she's alright." Glancing at the twins as they removed their armour, he continued, "She was watching when we assaulted the Kirrix forces around the hive ships..."

All three girls looked uncomfortable, sharing worried glances with each other.

"I wasn't holding back, John," Tashana murmured, her brow furrowing. "You've seen what I can do..."

Dana nodded, her smile fading. "I really unloaded on those bastards... I hope I didn't freak her out!"

John walked into the express grav-tube, pausing for a second up in the bedroom to let the trio of girls catch up. "Faye's been keeping an eye on her. She seems okay."

They quickly stripped off and headed into the bathroom, filing into the huge shower cubicle.

Irillith looked into his eyes and there was no mistaking the concern in that gaze. "Helene's innocence is quite charming, but do you really think you can protect her forever? Considering we're in an almost constant state of escalating warfare, she's going to be exposed to far worse in the future."

He let out a weary sigh. "I honestly don't know, honey. But I feel like I owe it to her to try."

Activating the shower, he closed his eyes and lifted his chin, letting the water sluice down over his face. Fighting the Kirrix and being exposed to so much Terran misery had left him feeling sullied, so he stood there quietly, trying to wash all that pain and anguish away. Reaching out for the girls, he gathered them into his arms, hearing contented sighs from all three. When he opened his eyes again, he saw that Dana and the twins had the same idea, turning their beautiful faces up to the water. When they looked at him again, they seemed more relaxed and at ease, needing that cleansing after the horrors they'd experienced.

"Please don't let the things we do change you," John said quietly, hugging them closer. "I love all three of you exactly as you are. It would kill me to see you getting world-weary and cynical."

"There's no danger of that!" Dana exclaimed, a dazzling smile lighting up her face.

It was obvious that her exuberance was a little forced, but the playful twinkle in her eyes was quite sincere.

"I was cynical already," Irillith noted with a wry smile. "You don't have to worry about the world-weariness though... I've found the last few months to be thrilling to say the least."

Tashana nodded, leaning in to brush her full lips against his in a soft kiss. "Lots of long, hard, deep talks. That's the key to keeping us blissfully happy."

John frowned and looked at all three in turn. "I hope you know that sex is usually the last thing on my mind when we talk through your problems. All I care about is trying to help you, I promise."

Tashana's smile turned loving, her violet eyes softening. "We were only joking earlier, please don't take that to heart. I adore the time we have together, you light up my soul when I'm with you."

"No one doubts your motives," Irillith murmured, planting gentle kisses on his cheek. "I can feel how much you care every time we're together."

Dana gave him a knowing smile and reached for his hands, guiding them to the Maliri girls' blue stomachs. "You'll talk through their problems, help make them feel much better, then pump a huge load into their bellies... Just think about the adoring way they'll look at you afterwards; I know exactly what that's like, because I always feel the same way too."

John's breath caught as he caressed the twins, feeling them trembling with excitement as he brushed his fingers over their svelte figures. He savoured the gentle curves, the firm definition of their muscles and the softness of their deliciously smooth skin. When he looked up at their faces, there was no mistaking the primal hunger burning in those matching sets of violet eyes.

"You know me too well," he said with a rueful grin, pulling back his hands with real reluctance. "Let me take care of Helene, then we'll have some fun later."

"Are you going to 'talk' with her as well?" Dana asked waggling her eyebrows suggestively.

He laughed and grabbed the redhead, tickling her for her impish behaviour. Her raucous giggles broke the sexual tension in the shower and he was able to get cleaned up without any further attempts at seduction. After drying himself off in the auto-driers, he left the steamy bathroom and found the rest of the girls lounging on the bed. They got up when he appeared, pulling off their clothes and heading for a shower themselves.

"You should have joined us," John said, smiling at each girl as they kissed him in passing.

"We haven't been waiting long," Alyssa explained, bringing up the rear. "I wanted to let the four of you finish your talk without the rest of us interrupting."

He put his arms around her, enjoying the feel of her luscious body. "You know you're always welcome."

The kiss she gave him was tender and loving, her fingers gently tousling his hair. When they parted, her cerulean eyes watched him with a curious mix of sympathy and worry. *Why are you second guessing yourself about the way you interact with the girls? You've always been incredibly caring and attentive with them; you have absolutely nothing to feel guilty about.*

John hesitated for a moment, then met her concerned gaze. *I guess being worried about Helene has dredged up a few things. I've been trying to keep her away from combat, while the rest of the girls were involved in a brutal battle; it just reminded me about how much the Change has affected all of you. You know I'm sensitive about the impact I've had on your lives.*

She cupped his face and smiled. *As tyrannical Progenitors go, you've always been a real sweetheart. You should never feel bad about the way you love the girls and try to help them fix every little problem in their lives. It's one of the things I love about you the most.*

He hugged her tight before letting go, then watched as the blonde sauntered away, the seductive sway of her hips entirely for his viewing pleasure. Alyssa threw him a flirtatious grin over her shoulder, before finally disappearing into the bathroom. Alone at last, John entered the walk-in-wardrobe and threw on some comfortable joggers and a t-shirt. After fighting a battle in a tight-fitting bodysuit and Paragon armour, it felt nice to relax in some baggy clothing.

Descending in the grav-tube to Deck Two, he found himself wondering how Helene was dealing with seeing them in action. He grimaced as he imagined a worse-case scenario; the aquatic girl horror-struck and terrified by the slaughter she'd witnessed, and wanting nothing more to do with any of them. Fortunately, Faye's description of Helene's recent behaviour seemed to indicate quiet introspection, rather than that kind of extreme reaction.

Taking a deep breath outside the door to the Lagoon, he pressed the button and entered the tropical paradise, the sound of splashing and girlish laughter echoing around the room.

"It's your turn, Neysa!" Betrixa crowed in triumph. "This one got you!"

Walking into the room, he saw the Nymphs cavorting around in the shallows, Helene watching their antics with amusement. Neysa waded over to the beach and counted to ten, then whirled around and plunged into the water, chasing after her sisters. Marika yelped in panic, the tabby-striped Nymph frantically paddling away from her pursuer.

"Longer strokes, Marika!" Helene urged her. "You'll swim much faster!"

Marika darted a desperate glance back over her shoulder at Neysa, who was rapidly closing the distance. Her emerald eyes widened and she extended her stroke, quickly pulling away much to the jaguar-spotted girl's frustration. Marika's face was a picture of delight as she cut through the water, moving fluidly in a front crawl.

"Yes! That's it!" Helene gushed, overjoyed to see her pupil's look of elation. "Marika, that was amazing!"

John leaned against the doorframe, a fond smile on his face as he watched the girls having fun together. He could hardly remember the time when his every action didn't seem to have galaxy-wide implications and he envied them the simplicity of their existence.

*Ignorance is bliss?* Edraele asked him quietly. *Certainly a more pleasant idiom than 'Knowledge is terrifying'...*

*Are we talking about Helene, or the upcoming battle with my Progenitor nemesis?* he asked, watching Neysa give up on chasing Marika and switching to pusue Leylira.

*There's no way of unlearning what we know of Larn'kelnar, so let's assume that I was reflecting on your conundrum regarding the Abandoned girl. You still have the option of trying to keep her in a state of blissful ignorance,* Edraele mused. *But is that doing her a disservice?*

*You disagree with me trying to shelter her from the things we have to do?* he asked in surprise.

The Maliri queen paused for a moment to consider her reply. *Keeping her from combat is a kindness, I don't disagree with you there...*

*But you think she should be fully involved in everything else? Like our strategic planning?* John asked, watching Marika fling her arms around her swimming coach, Helene warmly hugging her back. *Faye's been teaching her about the galaxy, but we haven't touched on the Abandoned or what the Brimorians did to them. Learning about her people's history might be very distressing...*

*I haven't had the pleasure of meeting Helene yet, but from what I know of her, it sounds like she's a very resilient young woman,* his second matriarch said with surprising conviction. *Despite suffering heartbreak and loss at a tender age, then being ostracised by her people, she seems to have retained a charming purity of spirit. I know you admire her kindness and compassion, and it's a stoic individual who can hold onto those traits in the face of such hardships.*

*You're right,* he said thoughtfully, *We've pulled Helene completely out of her comfort zone, but she's taken it all in her stride. Perhaps I was being overprotective...* After pondering it for a moment, he continued, *Helene seems to be enjoying the lessons with Faye, so we'll definitely continue with those. When we do finally deal with the Brimorians and the Abandoned, Helene will hopefully be educated enough to help us decide what to do.*

*It's not a decision you have to make immediately, but it is something to consider,* Edraele agreed. *Helene's in a unique position to be able to understand the needs of her people as well as the galactic implications of any choices you make regarding the Abandoned situation.*

John was quiet for a moment, then said earnestly, *Thank you for your help in the battle today, you were there when I needed you... not that I ever expected otherwise.*

*It's always a pleasure to be of assistance,* she said, pleased and grateful for his praise. However, Edraele was unable to hide her anxiety as she added, *But the confrontation with the Hive Queen was horrendous! I had my heart in my mouth throughout that entire fight!*

*Sorry about that, we made a few mistakes there,* he admitted with a frown. *And I'm really sorry about what happened to Tashana. I should have anticipated her reacting that way to the hive ship prisoners. She just seemed to be coping so well, I didn't expect it.*

*You can't anticipate all eventualities and Tashana seems to have recovered quickly. Like Helene, she's another very strong young woman.* She let out a mournful sigh. *I just wish that my predecessor's actions hadn't put my daughter's character to the test... and such a horrific test it was too.*

John thought back to the broken girl they'd met in the Unclaimed Wastes. *She's so much better already, Edraele.*

*I know, I saw how much of a difference you'd made when we met at the rendezvous. You've gently nurtured her body and mind, restoring both and rejuvenating her spirit. It's been wonderful to see her blooming again under your tender care,* the Maliri Queen said, in an outpouring of gratitude. *I love you so much, John. I'll never be able to repay you for what you've done for me and my daughters.*

*Yes you will,* John replied with a loving smile.

He imaged them sitting together, watching a sunrise on Valaden, the golden light warming their skin. His hands followed the curves of her heavily pregnant belly, caressing her as she leaned back against him, the beautiful Maliri sighing with contentment in his protective embrace.

*I see you intend to pile the debt higher, my Lord,* Edraele murmured, her voice full of longing. *If you'll excuse me, I urgently require Luna's assistance...*

The flurry of images she sent him outlining her plans for her lover made him flush with arousal. *She's a very lucky girl... have fun.*

*We will,* she replied, her telepathic voice a lusty purr.

Pushing off from the door frame, John strode down the ramp towards the beach, making it ten paces before one of the sharp-eyed Nymphs spotted him.

"Master!" Marika gushed in delight, leading her sisters in the rush to greet him.

They met him on the beach and he was soon surrounded by fawning Nymphs. "You're all wet!" he protested with a laugh as they rubbed their dripping bodies against him.

"You have no idea, Master..." Leylira whispered, her eyes hooded with lust.

He pulled her closer for a very passionate kiss, which prompted pleading entreaties from her sisters for similar attention. When they'd each had a turn showing how much they desired his lips, John turned to look at Helene. She stood apart, watching the Nymphs nuzzling their master, her fondness for them quite apparent in her baby-blue eyes.

"Hello, Helene," John said, greeting her with a tentative smile. "I was hoping we could talk, if that's alright with you?"

A flurry of emotions flickered across her face, leaving John wishing he had telepathy so that he could hear the thoughts behind them.

She seemed more distant than usual and struggled to make eye contact with him. "Yes, of course."

John glanced up at the doors on the other side of the bridge arcing over the Lagoon. "Shall we go to the Observatory for some privacy?"

After a moment's hesitation, Helene's eyes darted towards one of the sofas on the patio area behind the beach. "Would there be okay?"

His heart sank as he realised she was now afraid of being alone with him. "Sure, that's fine."

Helene sat on one end of the sofa, leaving an inordinate amount of room for him to sit down. John's anxiety deepened as it appeared she didn't want to sit too close to him either. He sat a respectful distance away to not appear too threatening.

She frowned as he took his seat. "Why are you sitting all the way over there?" she asked in confusion, beckoning him closer and patting the cushion in the middle.

When he sat where she had requested, Helene turned and beckoned over the Nymphs who had remained on the beach, their eyes tracking John's every move. They all looked to him for confirmation and when he nodded in bemusement, the four verdant girls gleefully bounded over to join them. He was immediately flanked by Leylira and Neysa, who sat beside him and burrowed under his arms, their hands running over his chest. Betrixa and Marika sat on the floor, curling up as close as they could get against his legs, each resting her head on his thighs.

"They've been really missing you," Helene said, smiling affectionately at the Nymphs who had all started to purr, blissful expressions on their lovely faces. "I would have felt mean taking you away from them after you only just arrived."

"So you aren't scared of me?" John asked, feeling a flood of relief.

Her eyes widened in shock and she quickly shook her head. "No! Of course not! You're my soulmate, why would I be scared of you?!"

He sagged back on the sofa and chuckled as the tension eased from his shoulders. "I'm sorry... I know you saw us fighting the Kirrix and I was worried that you might feel differently now."

Helene slid over on the sofa, cuddling up behind Neysa and stroking his arm soothingly. "Awed? Yes... Frightened? Never..."

"That's great to hear," John said, awkwardly shifting his arm around the snuggling Nymph, so he could clasp Helene's teal-skinned hand. "So watching us fight didn't change the way you felt about me or the girls at all?"

The aquatic girl hesitated and gave him a reluctant nod. "Now I finally understand why you want to keep me from fighting at your side." She sighed and admitted, "It was a shock to see all of you at war with those strange alien creatures... and the fighting was... horrible. It was like nothing I'd ever imagined in my worst nightmares."

"I have a confession to make," John admitted, with a pained look in his eyes. "I hoped that when you saw us fight like that, it would discourage you from wanting to be turned into a soldier like the other girls. That's why I didn't ask Calara to escort you from the Combat Bridge and let you watch instead... but I didn't want to scare you so badly that I gave you nightmares."

Helene shook her head. "I wasn't scared... why would I be? I'm protected by ten people who are as powerful as the gods from the old stories... and I know that you love me, I can feel it in my heart." She gently squeezed his hand, her eyes tearing up as she continued, "But I feel so sorry for all of you."

"Sorry for us? Why?" John asked, listening in fascination.

"Because you had to do such terrible things to save those poor people," she whispered, her thumb stroking the back of his hand. "You've all been so kind and loving with me, so it must have been awful for you to have to fight those monsters like that! They must be worse than trolls and goblins to make all of you so angry!"

He nodded solemnly. "You're right, they're very bad monsters. They did a lot of terrible things to innocent people and we were trying to stop them hurting anyone else."
"Oh, John," Helene sighed, lifting his hand to her lips to give it a tender kiss, a tear rolling down her cheek. "I see why your people revere you as a hero. You're all so brave and selfless."

John watched her for a moment, reaching up to brush the tear away with his thumb. "Helene... I love that you care about me and the girls that much, but honey, it's not quite what you think." He let out a heavy sigh. "While it's true that the Kirrix are evil, the girls don't really feel any remorse for the way we slaughtered them all."

She frowned in confusion. "But they've been incredibly kind with me... how could such lovely people cause so much pain without feeling bad afterwards?"

Unable to meet her guileless gaze, he turned away and looked off into the distance. "When I changed the girls so that they could fight by my side, I also altered the way they think. They're largely immune to any adverse psychological toll that extensive combat can have... the only real exception I've seen was when Dana killed millions of Kintark defending Terra. Even she was overwhelmed by the sheer magnitude of that carnage."

Helene reached up to gently turn his head so that he was looking at her again. Her expression was one of frustrated incomprehension as she said, "I'm sorry, I'm afraid I don't understand... You used lots of strange words I haven't heard before. Could you explain more simply please? I can see this upsets you and I'd like to understand why..."

John gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, I was distracted; I didn't think about it." He paused to gather his thoughts, then tried to explain it in terms she would understand. "A Progenitor recruits lots of women, turning them into Thralls which he uses as soldiers in his armies. Thralls wouldn't be much use if they got very sad or frightened after a big battle... so a Progenitor changes the way they think. He makes it so that all they care about is winning the battle for their master."

"And you're worried that you changed the girls so they think like that too?" she asked quietly.

He nodded, his expression bleak. "If I trained you to fight and gave you psychic powers, I know you'd be affected the same way. You wouldn't feel any empathy for the people we fight... you'd just see them as my enemies that needed to be mercilessly crushed." The pain was obvious in his eyes as he quietly continued, "I hate that I've turned the women I love into lethal soldiers. Seeing how distraught Dana was after killing all those Kintark was awful, especially as it was entirely my fault that she was involved in the battle. I'd be heartbroken if they start hating me for exposing them to all this violence... but I couldn't blame them for feeling that way."

"I could never hate you," Helene said earnestly, then paused and gazed into his eyes. "The girls never would either. I've seen how much they all adore you; they love you far too much to ever feel like that."

John brushed his fingers through Marika's thick dark hair, stroking her affectionately. She gazed up at him, a look of utter devotion in her sparkling emerald eyes.

"Is it all just an illusion though?" he asked softly. "Take the Nymphs for example: they're besotted with their new master, but they're designed to feel that way. Their feelings aren't really real... how could they be? They barely know me." He gave Marika a reassuring smile and she settled down again, a look of bliss on her beautiful face. "Have I made the girls just like the Nymphs? I'm able to modify their minds, changing their temperaments and personalities... I sometimes wonder if I'm living in a fantasy world that I've created for my own twisted amusement."

Helene looked torn for a moment, then blurted out. "You're wrong! You're a good person, you aren't like that!"

Startled by her vehemence, he looked at her curiously. "You sound very sure of yourself..."

She ran her fingers through Betrixa's hair and said, "Jade told me what you plan to do for her sisters... how you want to change them so that they won't need a master anymore." Looking at him, she added, "You're planning to let them choose to leave you if that's what they want..."

The Nymphs fervently declared they would never leave him, but John settled them down with soothing words.

Helene brushed her fingers against his pointed ear, getting his attention again. "You're freeing the Nymphs from slavery, not turning them into slaves; that's the opposite of what you were afraid of." Before he could reply, she quickly continued, "And I think you're wrong about the changes you made to the girls too..."

"Really?" he asked with a sad smile, unable to conceal his doubt. "Why would you think that?"

"Because I watched you say goodbye to the girls before they fought the Kirrix," she replied with conviction. "I could hear in your voice how much you care about them... and I knew you were worried they would get hurt. I think that's why you changed the girls so that they think differently about fighting. This wasn't about making them better soldiers, it was about protecting the minds of the women you love."

John looked at her in astonishment, finding her argument surprisingly convincing.

Helene brushed the backs of her fingers down his neck and across a shoulder. "When we first met, you promised to heal me so that I could have babies again, but you were worried about dragging me into the fighting. You were so kind and gentle, and I knew all you wanted to do was help me. You offered to have Rachel heal me instead of you, so that I would be free to return to my village and find love again. Those aren't the words or actions of a bad person."

"I try to do the right thing, but I make a lot of these changes subconsciously..." He glanced at her to check if she knew that word.

"Without thinking about them," she translated, answering his unspoken question with an encouraging smile. "Go on..."

"I'd love to believe that what you're saying is true... but I just don't know for sure," he said with a troubled sigh.

Helene's eyes sparkled and she leaned over Neysa to give him a big kiss. "I heard what Jade said to you before the battle! She's right... You just have to believe!"

The four Nymphs surrounding him all nodded sagely. "Our sister is very wise," Neysa said, an earnest expression on her pretty face. "This one thinks that you should follow Jade's advice."

John laughed and pulled the well-meaning teal-skinned beauty into his arms, the Nymphs all giggling at his overt display of affection. "You're right... and thank you for trying so hard to make me feel better."

"Did it work?" Helene asked, her eyes searching his face.

He nodded, then gave her a rueful smile. "I came here expecting to find you shocked and scared after seeing the battle footage. I was all ready to do my best to calm you down and make you feel better; I never imagined you'd end up giving me the pep talk."

Helene let out a happy sigh as she gave him a hug. "I'm so happy I was able to help you!"

Leylira gave him a sultry look under her long lashes. "If you've finished talking, are you going to make love to all of us now?"

The tiger-striped seductress licked her lips so that they glistened in the light, then reached for his hand and sensually kissed his thumb. She opened her mouth and surrounded him in that delicious wet warmth, her cheeks hollowing as she slowly sucked on him, sinuous tongue bathing and massaging his digit.

He stared into her emerald eyes, transfixed by her shamelessly erotic display. "I'd love to," he finally murmured when he could find his voice. "But all the girls are waiting for me... we were going to discuss the battle..."

*The debrief can wait!* Alyssa exclaimed, unable to conceal her delight at Helene buoying up his spirits. *They've been very good girls cheering you up, you should reward them. I'm sure we can find some way to keep ourselves occupied until you return...*

*The twins...* John protested.

*We'll keep them distracted for now,* the blonde replied in a throaty purr. *Don't worry, they'll be in lots of safe hands...*

*You've got my sisters highly aroused, they're going to be a handful,* Jade advised him, sounding thrilled. *Would you like my assistance so that you can pleasure them all at the same time?*

"Let's go up to the Observatory," John said, stroking Leylira's tiger-striped cheek with a finger as she continued to suck his thumb. "Jade's going to join us..."

He felt a surge of delight from Jade who started running to join them. His announcement was also met with gasps of excitement from her sisters, the Nymphs all heating up as they knew exactly what he was implying.

John looked into Helene's eyes and gave her an encouraging smile. "I know Jade promised you an adventure. Exactly how adventurous are you feeling?"

Her pupils dilated and a bloom of colour appeared in her teal-hued cheeks. "As long as I'm with you, I'm willing to try anything..." she whispered, reaching for his left hand and copying Leylira in sucking his thumb. Helene was tentative at first, but quickly gathered confidence, moaning as she turned herself on with the rhythmic suckling.

Jade found them like that when she bounded into the Lagoon, a broad grin on her excited face. "This way, kittens!" she called, beckoning the rest of the Nymphs as she walked across the bridge.

After a nod from John, the Nymphs reluctantly left his side, heading for the ramp to join their Matriarch. John helped Helene off his lap, then walked hand-in-hand with her as they followed behind them. Leylira idled at a sedate pace, an alluring sway to her hips as she deliberately took her time, glancing back furtively to make sure John was watching her.

He laughed and gave her a playful swat on the rump, feeling those wonderfully firm cheeks tremble with the impact. "You've got me turned on enough already, you little tease!"

Leylira's flirtatious glance turning into one of barely controlled lust and she pounced on him, showering him with kisses.

"Not yet, naughty nymph," he said with a grin, picking her up and throwing her over a shoulder.

The tiger-striped girl moaned wantonly, writhing against him as he strolled up to the bridge. Helene glanced wide-eyed at the nymph, then giggled as she turned to look at John. "What are we going to do?"

He gently squeezed her hand. "Have some fun together. You've seen Jade shapeshift before, but she can also do some tricks in bed that are... memorable." Glancing down at the excited young woman, he continued, "Remember that if you're not happy with anything, just tell us. This is all about making you feel good."

She nodded, a nervous smile on her face, but eagerness in her eyes. "I trust you..."

He returned her smile, then led her into the Observatory, where the Nymphs were getting comfortable on the bed. Jade knelt in the middle, with three of her sisters surrounding her, their emerald eyes glinting with anticipation.

"Over here, Helene," Jade said, patting the bed beside her, a warm smile on her face.

The aquatic girl slipped off her dress and padded across the bed, dropping to her knees beside the Nymph. Meanwhile John warmed up Leylira's taut ass with a couple more smacks before putting her down, leaving the stripy Nymph almost feverish with arousal.

"You've been very patient. We'll get you off soon, beautiful," he said, stripping off his clothes and walking over to join Jade and Helene.

"Now, you lie down here, Master," Jade informed him, her eyes sparkling. When he did as she asked, she threw a leg over his waist then angled his cock upright and eased him into her steaming depths. Her pussy gave him loving squeezes, as if her body was hugging him in delight as she welcomed him home. She whimpered, eyelashes fluttering. "That feels so good..."

John groaned at the exquisite sensations, placing his hands on her hips as she sank all the way down to the base of his shaft. "God... that's incredible..."

Helene knelt at their side, staring in fascination as John slid all the way inside Jade's dark-green body. When she looked up, she saw Jade was watching her with a gentle smile on her face.

"Okay, now straddle his tummy," the nymph requested, offering Helene a hand.

"Like this?" the teal-skinned girl asked, almost sitting on Jade's lap as she faced John.

"That's perfect." Jade wrapped her arms around the mermaid and placed her lips at Helene's ear. "You've been so kind looking after my sisters. Those girls mean so much to me and they've loved spending time with you in the Lagoon. They might not be able to express it yet, but they're very fond of you; I can feel their sense of self growing deep inside..."

"They're great fun..." Helene murmured distractedly as Jade gently cupped and massaged her breasts. "and lovely company..." John joined the Nymph in caressing her, his fingers tracing a path up from her navel to join Jade in stroking Helene's breasts, making her gasp. "Oh, my!"

Helene heard a chorus of mewling cries from the Nymphs, followed by a tortured groan from John. When she looked down at him, her soulmate's face was a mask of pleasure.

"He can feel me fucking those sexy kittens," Jade purred, rolling her hips as John thrust up into her. "Look to your left... watch Leylira..."

With her eyes like saucers, Helene glanced at the tiger-striped beauty and her mouth dropped open in surprise. She watched Leylira arching her back in ecstasy as a dark green tentacle stroked in and out of her widely-stretched pussy. It slowly withdrew, making the Nymph cry out for more, but it waited there for a moment so that Helene could see that it was a perfect replica of John's huge cock.

"What's that?!" Helene asked, gaping in wonder as the tentacock pushed back into the writhing girl, Leylira bucking wildly as she climaxed.

"It's part of me," Jade whispered, nibbling at Helene's earlobe and gently pinching her painfully erect teal nipples. "Look around, John's using me to fuck all four of my sisters at the same time..."

Helene did exactly that, her head whipping from side to side as she tried to watch all four nymphs at once. She felt a gush of wetness between her legs as she stared at the trembling girls, their gasps of pleasure sending shivers down her spine.

"Do you want to join them?" the Nymph purred, a hand sliding down Helene's belly, fingers gently circling her clit. "I promise it feels just like being taken by John... and he'll experience every inch as I push my way into your gorgeous fertile body..."

Helene closed her eyes, her body shaking with anticipation. "Yes... I want that..."

She immediately felt a hard warmth nuzzling at her labia, gently spreading her open and nudging inside. All she could concentrate on was that delicious sensation of being stretched wide by that broad girth, triggering wonderful memories of making love to John for the first time.

"So wet and snug," Jade whispered, matching John's in and out stroke as she penetrated the aquatic girl. "Look down at him... he can feel the way you're squeezing that cock as it stretches you."

Helene's eyes flashed open and she saw John watching her, his brow furrowed in concentration. "Can you really feel that?" she whimpered, moaning with pleasure.

John pulled her down to him and kissed her fiercely, their tongues duelling. Their moans formed a decadent duet as they both savoured inch after inch of penetration. "You're so tight..." he gasped, bucking against Jade.

He felt Jade's representation of his cock pushing its way into Helene's womb and heard her rapturous groan as she was slowly stuffed full. Jade lay down on top of the teal-skinned girl, sandwiching her between them. Her hand sought out Helene's clit again, then began to rub her insistently, matching the cock pistoning in and out of her belly. Helene squeezed her eyes tightly closed and screamed as she came, her thighs trembling with the sudden rush of adrenalin.

"Good girl," John praised her, cupping her breasts and kneading her firm flesh. "Want to suck me too?"

Helene's eyes slowly opened and she looked at him in blank incomprehension as she rode out the waves of her spectacular climax.

"Look at Leylira again," Jade whispered in her ear, her fingers teasing Helene to another release.

Floating on a sea of sensual bliss, Helene did as she was asked, and was shocked for a second time as she watched the striped Nymph being spit-roasted by a pair of dark-green cocks. Leylira humped back at them wildly, squealing as she was pounded through a mind-blowing climax, the sexy sounds muffled by the cock spearing her throat. The chorus of lusty cries from the rest of the Nymphs revealed that she wasn't the only recipient of such pleasure. Helene felt a soft tapping on her cheek and glanced up to see another verdant cock waiting for her.

"Just kiss the tip if you'd like to know what it's like being taken by John from both ends at the same time," Jade offered, her voice warm and encouraging.

Helene gazed at John through a fog of lust. "You'll really feel this?" she panted.

"Uh-huh," he agreed, circling her nipples with his thumbs.

She licked the tip of that green cock, savouring the delicious minty taste. John groaned beneath her, feeling that wet pressure swirling over the head of his own cock deep inside Jade. His body tensed as he was overloaded with pleasurable sensations, his hands rougher on Helene's breast and making her writhe in response. Encouraged by John's reaction, she engulfed the head of the cock in her mouth, moaning with need as her tongue lashed the throbbing shaft.

Jade sighed in delight, hugging Helene closer. Her spare hand slid back to slowly part Helene's cheeks and lightly rub her untouched ass, making the aquatic girl squeak in surprise. "Once you've taken John back here for the first time, let me know when you want to try a triple penetration..."

Helene couldn't reply with the cock easing into her throat, not that she was in a state to anyway as her body was rocked by an earth-shattering orgasm. Her muffled wails joined those of the Nymphs as they came over and over again, all contributing to the orgy of stimulation Jade was delivering to her Master.

"Oh fuck!" John roared, grabbing Jade's hips and pounding into her. "I'm cumming!"

Helene felt the cock pulse in her throat, a long blast of cum pumping directly into her stomach.

"Good girl, fill your tummy!" Jade encouraged her, in a voice breathy with excitement. "Help me milk his quad dry!"

Sucking mindlessly, Helene was lost in another climax, losing count of how many. When she finally came down from that incredible high, she realised the green tentacle cocks had eased from her body and she was now lying on top of John as he panted for breath. Her pussy tingled with a delicious ache and she now had a satisfyingly full stomach, his load warming her belly.

Aware of soft green light sweeping across the room, Helene lifted her weary head to look around and saw the four nymphs curled up with their hands held protectively over their glowing stomachs. Pulses swept out to run the length of their bodies, the circles following the mouth-watering curves of their nubile figures.

"I would have loved to have fed you the full load," Jade said, stroking the gentle curve of Helene's svelte abdomen. "But my sisters need John's loving attention to grow like I did."

Helene looked at her with dazed eyes and gave her a sleepy smile. "It's okay, I want that for them as well..."

Jade's emerald gaze softened and she leaned in to gently kiss the exhausted girl. "I'm so glad I found you."

Helene returned the kiss and blushed, intertwining her teal fingers with Jade's green ones. "Me too..."

***

When John eventually roused from his post-orgasmic stupor, he found Helene cuddled up next to him fast asleep.

Wonderfully cool fingers gently massaged his temples and Jade leaned forward, her smiling face appearing directly above him. "She loved every minute of it, but she needed a nap after all those orgasms." She dropped her head down, greeting him with an upside-down kiss. "Welcome back, Master."
He smiled as he gazed into those happy emerald eyes. "I know exactly how she felt! Being with all the Nymphs at once... that was intense."

"They're responsive girls and desperate to please their master," Jade said, looking thoughtful. "I think my naughty sisters might have added their own little contribution to the sensations I was feeding you."

John carefully extricated himself from Helene, giving her a soft kiss on the cheek and pulling a blanket over her sleeping form. He looked around at the four Nymphs, who were all slumbering peacefully, serene expressions on their beautiful faces.

"I can feel you changing them," Jade whispered, hugging him from behind. "Making them just like me."

"I'll try my best, but I managed to achieve perfection on my first try. I don't think I'll be able to recreate my masterpiece," he replied, turning and wrapping his arms around her.

She blushed, sensing he was being sincere despite the playful nature of his reply. "Beginner's luck?"

"Exactly," he agreed, holding her close.

"Do your best, I've got every faith in you," she said, giving him a sensual kiss.

They rose to their feet and crept off the bed, being careful not to disturb the sleeping inhabitants. It didn't take either of them long to get dressed and they padded out of the Observatory, the door closing quietly behind them.

Jade was quiet as they crossed the bridge and headed for the grav-tube, nibbling at her lip as though building up her courage. "John... can I ask you something?"

He raised an eyebrow. "You know you don't even have to ask. What's bothering you?"

She hesitated, looking surprised at herself for even raising it. "I'm getting very fond of Helene..."

"Oh!" John exclaimed, not expecting that. He smiled and slipped his hand into hers to give it a supportive squeeze. "I've not had a problem with the other girls pairing off. You have my blessing if that's what you're asking for?"

"I just felt something between us today... but..." she trembled, unsure of herself.

John stopped and pulled her into his arms. "What's the matter, honey? Why are you acting so worried?"

"I thought I would always just be devoted to you!" she whimpered, clearly upset. "It feels like I'm betraying my Master!"

He cupped her face in both hands. "You've grown in leaps and bounds, Jade. You've become one of my matriarchs... and you're connected to your four sisters in a way that's completely new for you. Perhaps it's only natural that now you've opened your heart for those nymphs, you're willing to consider a closer relationship with one of the other girls?"

She nodded, looking thoughtful. "Maybe so."

John smiled at her and continued, "Having said that, you'll always be my devoted little Nymph and I'll always be your loving Master."

"Forever yours." Jade gave him a shy smile, looking relaxed once again.

He nodded, giving her a tender kiss. "You don't have to rush into anything. Just wait and see how things develop between you and Helene. If the two of you make each other happy, then that's great." He slipped his hand down to possessively caress her lower belly. "But she'll need to be comfortable with me keeping you constantly pregnant for decades to come..."

Jade's breathing quickened, her skin going from cool to hot in an instant. "Of course, Master..."

"Good girl," he said, grinning when he saw her face light up with a dazzling smile.

They walked into the grav-tube hand-in-hand and floated up to Deck Two. John wasn't sure what to expect in his bedroom, although he did find himself wondering if he might interrupt a Sapphic orgy.

"The orgy was earlier, handsome," Alyssa replied, waving at him with a piece of French Toast when he entered the room. "We all worked up an appetite and decided to have brunch."

Dana nodded, sipping a cup of coffee. "You gave us a delicious light snack for breakfast, but nowadays we have to share your load eight ways." She let out a wistful sigh and glanced at Alyssa. "You were so lucky having him all to yourself... breakfast, lunch, and dinner for a whole month!"

"I was a growing girl, I needed lots of protein," Alyssa replied, rubbing her bronzed tummy as she blew John a kiss.

Calara slid off the bed with a tray in her hands. "You must be starving, you haven't eaten anything today," she said with concern.

John's stomach rumbled its agreement. "This smells amazing, thank you," he said appreciatively, giving her a grateful kiss and taking the tray.

"I'll never get tired of cooking for my darling fiancé," the Latina replied, her brown eyes sparkling.

John followed her back to the bed and the girls spread out into a semi-circle, making room for him in his usual spot with his back against the headboard. There were smiling faces all round, the girls looking relaxed and happy as they finished off their brunch.

"Everyone seems in a very good mood," he cautiously observed, sipping his coffee.

Sakura nodded, a satisfied smile on her face. "We saved hundreds-of-thousands of civilians from a horrible death. I'd consider that a good morning's work."

"That it was... and it goes without saying that I'm very proud of all of you," John agreed, making eye contact with each of them in turn.

They sat up straighter as they responded to his praise, darting smiles at one another.

"Before we review the battle, I think we should discuss the Kirrix," John said looking around at the group. "We've all heard a brief summary of Alyssa's confrontation with the Hive Mind. I'd like to hear everyone's thoughts."

"I must admit, I'm intrigued to know more about this 'Shroud', and its effects on the Kirrix lifecycle," Rachel said, her grey eyes bright and alert. "Is there some kind of virus infecting the Luphids? That might explain why they're no longer viable as a host species, if they're transmitting some pathogen that inhibits the Kirrix grubs' ability to establish contact with the Hive Mind."

Alyssa slowly shook her head. "No, it's not a virus. The Kirrix seem to be under the impression that it's some sort of vast psychic dampening field." Grimacing with distaste she continued, "They seem to be using sentient hosts as a kind of... booster... to compensate for its effects."

"The area of influence must be immense if it's blanketing the entirety of Kirrix Space!" Tashana exclaimed in astonishment.

"From the brief flashes I got, I had the impression that it covers Terran Space too," Alyssa said with some hesitation. "If the Kirrix discovered that its border ended inside Federation territory, they would have thrown everything they've got into a massive invasion. They're desperate to escape from under the Shroud's influence."

The Maliri girl frowned, looking sceptical. "Surely we would have been aware of something like that? I've never felt anything inhibiting my Pyrokinesis."

"The Kirrix have been dealing with this for millennia," Alyssa replied, recalling the snippets of memories. "The Shroud was here long before we were born, so we've never known anything different."

"Any ideas on when it was created?" John asked, glancing at the blonde.

She hesitated for a moment and slowly shook her head. "Nothing concrete. I just know it's very, very old..."

"Could it be a Progenitor construct?" Irillith asked, voicing what they were all thinking. "The obvious creators would be Mael'nerak or Ranagon."

Alyssa tilted her head to one side as she considered her answer. "I'm not sure, but it's a definite possibility. I saw flashbacks of a Progenitor slaughtering the Kirrix and pushing them to the brink of extinction, so they were at war with each other in the past. The images were hazy though... they'd been passed down by members of the Hive Mind for the last ten-thousand years."

"Were any of those images associated with the Shroud?" John asked, before taking a bite of his French Toast.

"The Hive Mind only showed me their recent attempts to re-establish their old symbiotic lifecycle with the Luphids," she replied. "It ended in disaster and the drones were completely messed up. They couldn't speak to the Hive Mind and went crazy, so they had to be put down."

"So if we could neutralise this Shroud, then the Kirrix would be able to return to a peaceful existence?" Rachel asked, looking hopeful.

Sakura's almond eyes narrowed with anger. "Their ruling caste condoned the rape and murder of millions of sentient creatures! Not only that, but they butchered countless children and fed them to their young! They need to answer for all those horrific crimes."

"Are you proposing we finish what that other Progenitor started?" John asked quietly. "Genocide of their entire species?"

"I'd certainly have no hesitation executing every last member of the Hive Mind," the Asian girl said, her voice like ice. "They're part of a collective consciousness, so they're all equally guilty."

"Something messed the Kirrix up a long time ago... and that wasn't their fault," Dana said quietly. She raised a hand when Sakura started to protest and her expression turned grim. "I would feel sorry for them, but they've behaved like class-A dicks for thousands of years... Those fucking assholes deserve whatever's coming to them."

Calara had remained quiet throughout the discussion and she darted a pensive glance at John. "What do you think we should do?"

He sighed and looked up at the ceiling, mulling her question over. "My instincts tell me to wipe them out. That the Kirrix are a blight on the galaxy and should be exterminated..."

Sakura nodded her approval. "I couldn't agree more."

John's expression flickered with worry as he continued, "But I discussed this kind of scenario with Faye recently." He glanced at the purple girl and she gave him an encouraging smile. "When my instincts tell me that xenocide is the right thing to do, I'm more than a little worried where that path might lead..."

Alyssa clasped his hand supportively, interlacing her fingers with his. "I honestly don't know what to do either," she admitted, conflict in her cerulean eyes. "The Kirrix do feel remorse for using sentient creatures as hosts... but they have no intention of stopping."

Dana shrugged. "Well I can't exactly make us a Quantum Annihilator anyway, so it's not like we're about to go on a planet nuking rampage."

"I propose we treat the Kirrix exactly as we always have," Irillith suggested. "Kill any that cross our path... but I don't think it's worth our while going to the effort of wiping them out."

"What about the Shroud?" Tashana asked with interest. "Should we try to find out what's causing it?"

"Does anyone have any ideas how to investigate it further?" John asked, looking around at the group.

The girls thought about it for a moment, then each of them slowly shook their heads.

"I wasn't even aware the thing existed, so I haven't got a clue how we can find out more about it," Alyssa said with a troubled frown. "The Kirrix don't know much either, they just remember a time long ago when it wasn't there..."

John nodded, a resigned expression on his face. "I'm not inclined to go out of our way to help the Kirrix, but I don't see how we could anyway. Besides, we've already got too much on our plate without looking for more to deal with." After a reflective pause he continued, "Do any of you have other thoughts on the Shroud? If not, we can review the battle, then decide what we're doing next."

There were shakes of the head around the semicircle, so he nodded towards Faye to proceed.

She sprang from her chair and bounced over to the foot of the bed. "I've prepared the footage, so we can watch each of you in turn. Would you like to start with Calara and the fight against the fleet?"

"Sure, go ahead," John replied, before taking a big bite of his french toast.

Faye started the recording, showing footage from the Bridge alongside a holographic depiction of the Tactical Map, which re-enacted the battle as it unfolded. The Invictus ploughed through the Kirrix fleet, systematically slaughtering them with a devastating combination of laser beams and hyper-accelerated shells. Faye looked shifty when they saw Helene get escorted onto the Combat Bridge and she threw an anxious glance in John's direction and paused the video.

"I had a good chat with Helene this morning," he said, with a reassuring smile. "It shocked her to see everyone in action, but now she understands why I wanted to keep her from the fighting. She actually felt sorry for all of you, worrying that you'd be upset at having to kill so many Kirrix."

"But we barely batted an eye," Rachel said softly, reaching for Dana's hand.

John's expression was unreadable. "I know..."

The redhead glanced down at her girlfriend's fingers interlinked with hers, then looked around at the girls' sombre expressions with a confused frown on her face. "We just decided that the Kirrix were a bunch of bastards; why should we feel bad about fucking them up?"

Rachel stroked Dana's hand and murmured, "He's worried about our lack of compassion; that it's linked to the changes he made to us."

"Yeah, I get that..." Dana said, rolling her eyes and smiling disarmingly at John. "We all know you've spent months beating yourself up about being a naughty Progenitor and taking advantage of us poor defenceless little girls." Her voice turned serious and she looked around at her friends. "But the Kirrix are child killers, rapists, and murderers on a galactic scale. Why the fuck should we give a shit about slaughtering them?"

"She's right," Sakura quickly agreed. "If we felt no remorse after fighting a morally grey battle, I think we'd have cause for alarm." Her eyes locked on John and she said firmly, "But that's NEVER happened in all the time I've been with you. You've always made sure we're fighting the good fight."

Alyssa nodded, glancing at John. "She's right. I've been with you from the start; everyone we've gone up against deserved to be killed: pirates, slavers, rapists, murderers... the galaxy is a better place with them dead."

"What about the Kintark?" Dana asked, a flicker of sorrow in her eyes.

Irillith raised an eyebrow. "You mean the xenophobic monsters intent on enslaving and exterminating humanity?" She glanced at the redhead and snorted as she shook her head. "I won't be losing any sleep over what we did to them."

"They weren't all bad though," Dana insisted. "That was just that Melkadian asshole..."

Sakura gave Dana a sympathetic look and shook her head. "The Kintark armada gunned down thousands of escape pods in the Dragon March, then they incinerated millions of civilians with an orbital plasma bombardment of Unity City. It wasn't the Grand Prelate who did that... the crews of every ship involved in those massacres were guilty of war crimes."

Calara nodded, her expression grim as she locked eyes with Dana. "If you hadn't intervened, the Federation fleets defending Terra would have been wiped out to a man. Then Melkadian would have begun his plans for genocide... I doubt any of the Kintark officers would have objected, not with the Emperor there."

Irillith nodded. "I trawled the Kintark fleet archives after the battle... not a single official protest was raised over the atrocities in the Dragon March. They would have continued following the Emperor's orders like the obedient Imperial soldiers they were trained to be."

Dana's face lifted into a smile of profound relief. "So they really did deserve it? I wasn't sure if you were just telling me that to make me feel better."

"Bad guys, like I said," Alyssa agreed, nodding to her friend.

Rachel looked at John with concern, seeing him lost in thought. "John... are you okay?"

Jade gave the brunette a brilliant smile. "He's had an epiphany!"

Drawn from his reverie, John looked at the girls as if seeing them for the first time. "I was just thinking that maybe I've been looking at all this from the wrong angle." Seeing that all the crew were listening to him attentively, he continued, "There's no question that all of you have gone through profound changes. I've helped nurture you into..." he paused, looking for the right words.

"Remorseless killing machines?" Irillith offered with an arched eyebrow.

Tashana shook her head in disapproval and nudged her sister. "Don't be flippant, Rill, this is important."

Sakura's brown eyes gleamed as she stared at John. "We're your instruments of justice in an unjust galaxy."

He hesitated then slowly nodded. "As long as we make sure we're always fighting for what's right, the moral issues I've been struggling with... they no longer seem quite so important."

Dana grinned at him. "Yeah, I totally agree. We killed a shitload of bad guys today and saved a bunch of innocent people, we should be happy about that!"

Alyssa leaned over to kiss John on the cheek. "If it wasn't for you changing all of us, everyone on Carolus III would have died. You did that... you led our assault on the Kirrix to save those people."

He put his arm around her and smiled. "I can't claim all the credit, but thank you, I appreciate the thought."

Dana glanced at the frozen holographic images. "Now that we've agreed we gave the Kirrix a righteous ass kicking, can we get back to talking about how awesome the Tachyon Lances are?"

John laughed and nodded. "Go ahead."

Faye resumed the playback and the Invictus proceeded to tear apart the approaching Kirrix drone carriers with terrifying azure-beamed broadsides.

"The Tachyon Lances really are amazing, Dana," Calara said, her eyes lighting up. "The sheer power of the Nova Lances is hard to beat, but the Tachyon Lances aren't far behind and they're so much more practical! Being small enough to fit in turrets meant that I was able to unload incredible firepower from any direction. The rapid recharge rates and extended range turned the battle into a one-sided bloodbath!"

The redhead watched the unfolding battle with a smile of satisfaction on her face. "Yeah, they're badass alright."

"Speaking of the Nova Lances, is there any chance you could upgrade them?" Calara asked hopefully.

Dana thought about it for a moment, then nodded, a wicked smile on her face. "Yeah, I reckon I can come up with something fun."

Irillith frowned as she watched the Invictus filleting an ochre ship with a Nova Lance blast. "I remember you saying that Nova Lances are the Maliri's crude imitation of a Tachyon Lance... but their firepower is just... breathtaking. I don't understand how a derivative can be so much more powerful?"

The redhead listened with interest, then smiled. "Yeah, I see where you're coming from." Dana gathered her thoughts and took a deep breath before launching into her explanation. "Nova Lance tech is nowhere near as sophisticated, with crazy energy requirements, a ten-second firing initiation sequence, and long recharge times... but with all the advanced tech we've installed, we've cranked the weapon up to absurd levels." She studied the shattered Kirrix hulk. "The Progenitor Power Core, Kintark heatsinks and Vulkat Eternity Crystals combine together, resulting in ridiculous overkill."

"Is it a bit like comparing a sledgehammer to a rapier?" Sakura suggested, glancing at the Chief Engineer. "A long swing time compared to a swift stab, but the target ends up just as dead."

"More like comparing a sledgehammer against twenty rapiers with that massive difference in energy requirements," Dana replied, with a smile. "But yeah, pretty much."

"I can't wait to see what an upgraded Nova Lance will be like," Calara said, her voice filled with longing.

"We'll get together and talk design specs," the redhead agreed, sharing a grin with her. "We've got a few options, so I'd like your input on the kind of thing you're looking for."

"Any time!" the Latina eagerly agreed.

John patted the enthusiastic young woman on the shoulder. "I don't think there's much else to say about the battle itself. You made it look easy of course, but I've come to expect nothing less."
She leaned over to give him a grateful kiss. "Thank you, Admiral."

"You're welcome, Captain," he replied with a fond smile. He raised an eyebrow and added, "By the way, do you think it's worth discussing the part where you nearly got boarded?"

Calara blushed and gave him a guilty look. "I'm really sorry about that; I got complacent with the battle being so one-sided. I was very lucky that the solid-phase shields prevented the dropships from reaching the hull."

John pulled her in for a hug. "You weren't the only one getting complacent... a few of us underestimated the Kirrix, me included." When they parted, he looked her in the eyes. "It's a good lesson to remember for the future though, okay?"

She nodded, her face sombre. "Definitely."

He turned to Faye. "Okay honey, who's next?"

"I thought we'd look at the girls who weren't involved in the boarding action against the dreadnought," she replied, turning towards the twins.

"The Kirrix in the hive ships were definitely shocked when we crashed the party," Tashana said, her full lips quirking into a grin.

"We had ourselves quite the barbecue," Irillith agreed, giving her sister a wry smile. "Our Terran hosts certainly seemed to appreciate the exquisite aroma of flame-grilled Kirrix..."

Rachel groaned and pleaded, "No more bad puns, please!"

Fortunately, Faye had activated the camera playback and the audience went quiet as they watched Irillith electrocute the first hive ship and Tashana incinerate the Kirrix troops in the plaza outside.

"That wasn't as dramatic as the flame tornado on Terra, but those firewalls were still extremely effective," John said quietly, watching as she torched hundreds of insectoid troops.

"With all the civilians in danger, I had to take far more care," Tashana murmured, her eyes fixed on the dancing flames.

John turned to Irillith and asked, "Did you get a chance to try hacking the Kirrix network?"

She shook her head and gave him a rueful frown. "Electrocuting the hive ships kept them on the ground, but it also burnt out all their systems. We left too quickly for me to try hacking one of the other vessels."

"Not to worry, I'm sure there'll be another opportunity," John said, returning his focus to the holographic playback.

The footage continued, showing the twins beginning their assault on the hive ships. John glanced at Faye and she ended the playback without needing to be prompted, watching Tashana with concern. The Maliri girl looked self-conscious, knowing why they had cut the footage short.

John beckoned the twins over. "Come here a minute, girls."

They quickly moved across the bed to flank him and he put his arm around their shoulders, holding them close.

"We'll talk later about what happened on the hive ship. As I said before, you did an incredible job taking out all those Kirrix and freeing so many civilians without losing a soul. I'm very proud of you both."

The sisters each kissed him, then settled down at his side, content to stay exactly where they were.

"Sakura next?" John asked Faye, who nodded, a quick blink of her big luminous eyes setting up the recording.

Jade watched with interest as the Valkyrie was revealed to be impervious to the neutron bolts fired by the swarm of drones pursuing Sakura to the planet. "I wish I'd had those kinds of shields when I was flying the Raptor against the Kintark," she said wistfully.

The Asian girl nodded, sharing the Nymph's admiration for the new shield technology. "Being able to ignore fighters makes such a huge difference. It's incredibly stressful having strike craft squadrons picking away at your shields."

"It's even worse when they're shooting bits off your gunship," Jade admitted, sharing a smile with the mech pilot.

"I can't believe you took so many neutron beam hits at point-blank range," Calara said, shaking her head in amazement.

Sakura blushed. "I was trying my best to avoid them..."

The Latina quickly shook her head in alarm. "No, I didn't mean it like that! I wasn't criticising! I just meant that the Valkyrie's shields are incredibly resilient; the mech's probably tougher now than the Invictus was when we first got her. Considering the Valkyrie's incredible manoeuvrability and its relatively tiny size, I don't envy enemy ships trying to take that mech out of action."

"Running around on capital ship hulls does feel like I'm cheating," Sakura confided with a smile. "Being safely inside their own shields must be infuriating for anyone else trying to shoot me."

"Just don't try it on a thrall ship," Calara warned her with a worried frown. "You saw what happened to those dropships when they hit the Invictus' solid-phase shields."

Sakura's eyes widened and she gave the Latina a grateful look. "I won't forget."

The final section of camera footage showed Sakura racing from one hive ship to the next, slicing them open with her mech's gigantic sword. The speed with which she eliminated the Kirrix defenders was astonishing and she liberated prisoners from seven vessels, outperforming Jade and the twins combined. John thanked Faye with a nod when she ended the camera footage.

"That was a very impressive bit of piloting," he said to Sakura, when she turned to him for his verdict. "And you did a brilliant job taking out the dreadnought without dropping it directly on the city."

"The credit for that belongs to Faye," Sakura said, her eyes flicking to the sprite. "She worked out precisely how much lift those thrusters would have... I just had to shoot out enough of them to bring it down."

Faye tipped an imaginary hat, making them all laugh and give her a spontaneous round of applause. She grinned back at her friends, a look of delight on her elfin face.

"You were our Johnny-on-the-spot as usual, Faye," John said, making no attempt to disguise the admiration in his voice. "Dropping off the fire teams in the Raptor, immobilising hive ships, piloting the Invictus as well as manning her defence grid... you even managed to find the time to look after Helene. Saying what a fantastic job you do and how indispensible you are, barely seems like adequate praise."

Alyssa gave her a fond smile. "You're like four Lionesses rolled into one."

The sprite blushed a dark purple and a shy smile crept onto her face. "It's just wonderful being able to help all of you. I'm so glad you trusted me with all those vital roles."

Dana grabbed the petite girl and pulled her onto the bed for a tight hug. "We love you! I think that about sums it up."

"I couldn't have said it better," John agreed, enjoying seeing Faye's surprised elation as the girls took turns embracing her.

When they settled down again, Jade pretended to frown and said, "Perhaps I should have gone before Faye? I think she's going to make me look bad."

Faye shook her head. "I don't think so! I haven't got any suit camera footage for you, for fairly obvious reasons, but I tapped into a planetary security satellite and managed to get some video that way."

"Let's take a look," John said, watching with interest.

The slightly grainy footage showed Jade's enormous draconic form laying waste to a park full of Kirrix. Watching the massive dragon obliterating hundreds of troops before tearing her way into the hive ship was a sobering sight.

"Holy shit! I'm glad you're on our side..." Dana gasped, her eyes like saucers. "You just tore through that armour like it was made out of tissue paper!"

Rachel looked equally shocked. "I can't believe how many times you were hit by neutron bolts; that must have been agonising!"

"I barely felt a thing," Jade replied, giving John a starry-eyed look of gratitude. "I have you to thank for that, Master."

Sakura watched in awe as Jade pulled a thrashing Hive Lord out of the ship. The dragon ripped the big Kirrix leader in half then casually tossed aside its mangled corpse, green blood raining down across the muddy ground.

The Asian girl darted a speculative glance at John. "I know you've started feeding our new Nymphs... Are you planning on having Jade lead a flight of dragons into combat?"

"Absolutely not," John replied firmly, taking them all by surprise.

Jade gave him a fond smile. "I know you wish to protect my sisters from harm, but once you've made them strong like me, I'm sure they'll be eager to fight with us if needed."

"It's worrying enough seeing you charging into combat without any gear, I don't think my heart could take the stress if all your sisters were fighting too," he said, shaking his head. "Besides, they've suffered through a lifetime of exploitation and servitude, I'd like them to live a happy pampered existence from now on. That was my plan for you too, but you seem to take great delight in saving the day."

"You do insist on getting yourself in a pickle, Master," Jade said, reaching over to caress his thigh.

Alyssa leaned back against the headboard and said, "Let's get this fight with Larn'Kelnar wrapped up nice and fast. Then I'm sure John can find lots of fun ways to keep you and your sisters occupied."

Rachel nodded, her expression playfully stern. "You're members of an endangered species, Jade. I'm afraid only an intensive breeding program will bring the Nymphs up to a healthy population..."

Jade bit her lower lip, her hand caressing her stomach. "Alyssa's right. We must hunt down your Progenitor opponent immediately!"

John laughed and nodded. "We'll try."

Sensing that it was time to move on to the next fireteam, Faye brought up the camera footage she'd collected from Dana and Rachel.

"Dana was the star of the show," Rachel said, slipping an arm around her girlfriend's waist. "I was just there as backup with my Reaper Cannon."

"Until the Hive Queen wrecked it," Dana said, playfully wagging a finger at the brunette.

Rachel wrinkled her nose and pouted. "Ugh, don't remind me. I felt completely useless for that fight!"

Irillith looked at the redhead in surprise. "I would've expected you to be more upset at seeing one of your precious weapons get destroyed."

"Nah, Reaper Cannons are old news," Dana replied, with a dismissive wave of her hand. Her sky-blue eyes sparkled with excitement as she continued, "As soon as I get a minute, I'm going to work on the next generation version!"

"You can't pique my curiosity like that and leave me in suspense!" Irillith exclaimed with an eager smile. "What have you got in mind?"

John raised his hand and said, "Hold on, we're getting a bit sidetracked. Let's just focus on the debrief for now, okay?"

The girls nodded, but Dana pointed to Irillith and silently mouthed, "Favourite twin!"

Shaking his head in amusement, John glanced at Faye and the video of Dana and Rachel in action on the hive ships began. Everyone was suitably awed by Dana's evisceration of the Kirrix forces with fragments of exploding hull plating and they watched the playback in open-mouthed astonishment.

"How on Terra did you do that?" Calara asked, watching wide-eyed. "When that armour exploded, I thought those colonists had no chance!"

"Those glowing lines on the ground were from me massively ramping up the magnetic fields in the metal deposits underground," Dana explained. "You know what it's like when you try and stick two matching magnetic poles together... I just made the metal in the hive ship's armour match the pole in the fields protecting the prisoners. The metal was repelled and basically shredded everything in the way."

"That was a very creative use of your powers," Tashana said in admiration. "I would never have thought of using them that way."

Dana smiled affectionately at John. "I didn't appreciate how well a certain somebody knows me when he gave me my psychic abilities."

"No regrets about not being the Pyrokinetic anymore?" John asked, returning her smile.

The redhead shrugged. "Nah, Tashana's got the whole sexy flame sprite thing going on. I must admit, I wouldn't have come up with that."

Rachel let out a wistful sigh. "Don't get me wrong, being able to heal is wonderful... but I do envy you girls being able to go wild with your powers."

Irillith looked at her askance. "Have you thought about reversing your ability?"

The brunette frowned, shaking her head. "What do you mean?"

"You can mend wounds and regenerate lost limbs... so perhaps there's a way you can invert that grey aura of yours to inflict wounds and maim healthy limbs instead?" the Maliri suggested with a shrug.

Rachel looked at her aghast. "That would be horrific! I couldn't do that!"

"Sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Irillith quickly apologised, her face falling.

John stroked the Maliri's back and gave Rachel a supportive smile. "Don't worry, I'd never expect you to use your abilities that way."

Rachel nodded, still unsettled by Irillith's disturbing suggestion to corrupt her healing powers.

"Faye, I think it's time for my favourite Progenitor to take the spotlight," John said, eager to change the subject.

Alyssa smiled and shook her head. "Oh, I didn't do anything particularly exciting. You've seen me use all those abilities before."

Faye began the playback from Alyssa's helmet camera and they watched as the blonde summoned up a legion of telekinetic blades and unleashed them on the Kirrix forces. John had seen some intense combat in his time, but even he wasn't prepared for the sheer brutality on that battlefield. Glowing swords cut through the insectoid ranks like spiteful buzzsaws, hundreds of Kirrix hacked apart in a flurry of dismembered limbs. Alyssa squashed a trio of juggernauts with the engines she ripped off the hive ship, then she blasted her way inside the vessel and sent in her telekinetic minions to scour the interior for Kirrix forces.

"Damn..." Dana muttered, glancing at her friend in shock. "You really weren't fucking around, were you?"

The blonde shrugged, her cerulean eyes going hard. "The longer I took clearing the Kirrix troops meant more civilians being abused by the Hive Lords. I've seen how devastated their prisoners are after being raped... If me butchering my way through a thousand Kirrix spared one innocent person from that, it was well worth it."

Sakura gave her Matriarch a respectful nod. "I couldn't agree more."

"You did well, honey," John said quietly, patting Alyssa's thigh.

Tashana glanced at the holo-image and asked, "How were you able to hunt down the Kirrix inside the ship like that? I've only been able to manipulate my flame sprites within my line of sight."

"When I pulsed the hive ship, I found out where they were," Alyssa explained, a satisfied smile on her face as she watched footage of bewildered prisoners escaping from the hive ship. "The red aura I tagged them with lasts for a few minutes, or until I dismiss it."

"It's your turn now, Master!" Jade exclaimed, unable to contain her excitement.

Dana grinned, her eyes sparkling with anticipation. "Oh, yeah! I've been looking forward to this!"

"Okay, go ahead, Faye," John said, settling back against the headboard.

The elfin girl nodded, but she didn't turn to watch the video, her eyes were locked on him instead. She brought up two images side-by-side, one from his helmet camera, the other from the same orbital satellite that she'd used to track Jade. The footage was synchronised and as John's camera view was obscured by smoke, the overhead camera showed what looked like a meteor strike, the blast wave from the impact hurtling into the Kirrix troops. John surged out of the smoking crater and blue arcs of force ripped through the invaders, their broken bodies raining down around the plaza.

"I've seen you do that before!" Tashana exclaimed, eyes widening in surprise. "In that nightmare against the mist monsters!"

John nodded, turning to smile at his Nymph. "It was actually Jade who encouraged me to be more adventurous. She first shifted into a dragon on the astral plane, but then she was able to do it again during her assault on Tartarus."

Jade gave him a loving look. "You always had it in you, Master."

They watched him dispatch the Kirrix troops around two more hive ships, disabling the grounded vessels with lightning strikes. When he reached the last vessel, the girls watched with bated breath as John stared balefully at the ochre hull. The runes on his sword grew painfully bright and he loosed huge waves of force at the hive ship, chopping away the infestation chamber where the civilians were being held. The girls gasped in awe when he charged at the 900-metre vessel, the colossal force behind his psychically charged sword strike caving in the hull and smashing the huge Kirrix ship backwards.

"Now why didn't you do that to the Hive Queen?!" Dana asked with a wild grin.

The girls fell about laughing and John joined in, his deep baritone easily identifiable amongst their higher-pitched giggles.

Once the laughter died out, he replied, "I would've taken out half the prisoners if I tried it. Besides, there wouldn't have been much left for an autopsy."

"Speaking of which, I'll take a look at the Hive Queen and Nest Guardian this afternoon," Rachel informed them.

"Good, I'll be fascinated to hear what you discover," John said, nodding his approval. "Those Guardians were unbelievably strong. I never expected them to have psychic powers."

"Actually... I don't think they did," Alyssa said, her brow furrowed in thought.

"But they were using hex-shields and charged blades!" he exclaimed, turning to look at her in surprise.

The blonde shook her head. "When the Hive Queen powered up that massive psychic beam, the Guardians all lost their shields and we were able to gun them down with Reaper Cannons. I think the Hive Queen was throwing everything she'd got at you..."

John's eyes widened. "Which meant she was the one shielding the Guardians!"

"Yeah, that's my guess," Alyssa agreed.

Rachel looked startled by this revelation then her expression turned hopeful. "Maybe I could learn to do the same thing? I could protect the team from harm rather than wait to heal you after you get hurt."

Dana nudged her girlfriend with her elbow. "You need to figure out how to shield yourself first..."

"We can easily train you to do that," Alyssa said, looking pleased at the suggestion. "I think it's a great idea."

"What happens if I'm not able to create psychic shields?" the brunette asked, with a sudden frown. "Only John, Alyssa, Sakura, and Tashana can shield themselves so far."

Dana slid her hand over her lover's toned stomach and gave John a furtive smile. "If you can't, I know someone who might be able to help you out..."

"I'll see what I can do," he said, watching Rachel lick her lips with anticipation. Dragging his eyes away from that alluring sight, he continued, "I think we've been neglecting our psychic training. The Hive Queen was our first real psychic opponent and she caught us completely off guard."

"Would you like to skip to the footage of that fight?" Faye offered, setting up the assault on the nest with a quick blink.

John gave her a grateful smile. "Yes please." He glanced at Calara and continued, "There's not much to be said about you carving up the dreadnought, other than: nice shooting... and: I don't want to be that close to an orbital bombardment ever again!"

"You got that right!" Dana blurted out, going pale. "Big guns aren't anywhere near as fun when I'm on the receiving end!"

Calara winked at her. "It's a good job I didn't sneeze..."

Rachel shuddered at the thought. "Don't even joke about that."

The Latina was about to reply, when Faye activated the holo-video again. Calara took one look at Alyssa striding into the nest and quickly averted her eyes. "I can't watch this... not again."

"Come here, baby," Alyssa urged her, beckoning her lover over.

Calara studiously avoided looking at the images taken from Rachel's helmet camera and rushed into the blonde's arms. John rubbed Calara's back to comfort her, while watching Alyssa blaze away with her runically-enhanced fist beams.
"I'm so sorry I scared you," Alyssa whispered to her girlfriend. "I just got so mad at the Kirrix, I wanted to tear them apart for all the pain they'd caused."

"I know and I love that you care..." the Latina replied, hugging her tight. "But please don't do anything like that again! I was terrified I was going to lose you."

Alyssa looked mortified at having upset the trembling brunette so badly and held her in a close embrace.

Dana winced as she watched a Nest Guardian drive its glowing chitin blade through Alyssa's chest, the blonde's agonised shriek piercing the uncomfortable silence in the bedroom. "Damn... That must've hurt like a mother..."

Rachel turned to look at Alyssa and said sombrely, "Twelve inches higher and we would've lost you. If that creature had impaled your heart, death would have been almost instantaneous."

Alyssa looked around at the shocked, worried expressions on everyone's faces and her eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry, okay?"

It was a painful reminder for John just how young the headstrong blonde actually was. Irillith moved aside so that he could wrap Alyssa and Calara up in his arms. "It's alright, honey," he said, his voice warm and soothing. "It's just that we'd all be devastated if anything happened to you... the thought of losing you is horrifying."

The girls all murmured their agreement and Alyssa gave them a wan smile. "I'm really sorry I lost my temper... I'll try not to let it happen again."

"There's nothing wrong with channelling a bit of anger," John said, brushing his fingers through her soft hair and cupping her head protectively. "We seem to thrive through confrontation and wild outbursts of emotion... In fact, you saved me from being atomised by the Hive Queen that way."

Faye skipped forward in the playback to show John being blasted across the room and pinned to the wall by a foul yellow psychic beam. A few seconds later, Alyssa stormed towards the Hive Queen and smashed the creature backwards with a titanic punch from her radiant telekinetic fist.

Alyssa brushed her hand across her eyes to wipe away the tears. "I didn't even know I could do that..."

"Exactly, which is why I don't want to tell you to keep your temper under tight control," John said, gently stroking her. "We just have to be careful not to get so furious we expose ourselves to danger. If you'd let me take the lead into the nest, there would have been no problem at all... you could have blasted your way through all the Guardians with me there at your side to keep you safe."

"How about if I promise to be a good obedient girl from now on?" Alyssa asked him with a crooked smile.

He chuckled and hugged her close. "I seem to remember you promising me that a couple of times already."

"In that case, a stern reprimand might help keep me in line..." she suggested hopefully, her smile turning mischievous.

John let his hand drift down her back and squeezed her wonderfully taut ass, eliciting an eager moan from the blonde. "You're right, some firm discipline might do you some good..."

Dana had been watching the holo-screen and she turned to look at John with a bemused frown.

"What's the matter, Sparks?" he asked, noticing her odd reaction.

"Well, I was just thinking..." she trailed off, uncharacteristically hesitant.

He raised an eyebrow. "Thinking what?"

"The two of you are supposed to be badass Progenitors, right?" the redhead asked, looking at the embracing couple. "So how come the Hive Queen managed to kick your ass?"

John grimaced and gave her a guilty look. "I must admit I underestimated her too. I had no idea she'd be that powerful."

Alyssa pulled away from him and shook her head. "She wasn't... at least not individually."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Dana asked, her frown deepening.

"We weren't just fighting one Hive Queen... she was channelling the psychic might of the entire Kirrix Hive Mind," the blonde explained.

Dana's eyes widened in shock. "You two were slugging it out with the entire species?!"

"Pretty much," Alyssa replied, with a nonchalant shrug. "The boss creatures that rule the Kirrix were all telepathically connected to her."

"What happened to them when you fucked up that Hive Queen?" Dana asked, raising an eyebrow.

The blonde's eyes narrowed. "They felt every second of it..."

"Ouch... I almost feel sorry for the poor bastards." The redhead winced, as she remembered the Hive Queen's agonised death screams. "So you basically delivered a psychic bitch-slap to their entire species?"

"Well, they shouldn't have pissed me off," Alyssa said, her voice turning cold. "After what they did... they deserved it."

John heard the brittle edge to her voice and looked at her in alarm. "You don't just mean being attacked by that Guardian do you? What else did they do? Did something happen when you were communicating with the Hive Mind?!"

She looked at him and reluctantly nodded. "I wasn't going to say anything, but yeah. They were telling me their whole sob story and when I wasn't all that sympathetic, they forced a vision on me..."

"What kind of vision?" John asked, his expression a tense mixture of anger and concern.

Alyssa looked away and quietly replied, "They made me experience what it was like being infested by a Hive Queen... I felt it trying to hatch... ripping its way out of me..."

"Oh my God!" Calara gasped, looking at her in horror. "Why didn't you say anything?!"

The blonde didn't reply, she just looked pointedly at John.

His eyes were blazing with an incandescent blue light, his jaw clenched in fury. "They're going to pay for that..."

"They already have, handsome," Alyssa said, gently caressing his cheek to calm him. "I forced a vision on them... of us hunting down and exterminating their entire species. Either Mael'nerak or Ranagon blew away dozens of their planets and when the Hive Mind realised we were Progenitors too, they thought we were actually going to do it. I showed the Hive Mind us nuking their homeworld with a Quantum Annihilator and they almost lost it completely."

"That was an impressive bluff," Tashana said in admiration. "Remind me not to play poker with you."

Alyssa winked at her. "I don't know, a game of poke-her could be fun..."

Everyone laughed, diffusing the tense atmosphere.

Rachel looked at her quizzically and asked, "So if you inflicted a vision on the Hive Mind in return for them forcing one on you, why did you take apart the Hive Queen? More revenge?"

"That wasn't payback for them attacking me," Alyssa quietly replied. She glanced at Faye. "Did you get any footage of the prisoners when I was fucking up the Hive Queen?"

The purple sprite froze, her luminous eyes flicking back and forth. "Yes! Just give me a second..."

The holo-images were replaced by views from Rachel's, Dana's, and John's helmet cameras as they walked along the rows of prisoners, freeing them from resin manacles. Although the civilians gratefully thanked their rescuers, each and every one flicked glances to the upper platform, where agonised inhuman screams echoed around the nest chamber. There was a look of grim satisfaction on their faces, their shame and humiliation easing, if only for a moment.

"That's why," Alyssa said, looking at the civilians with sympathy.

Sakura nodded, looking at her in admiration. "You gave those people justice... hopefully it will bring them a sense of closure."

"It was the best I could come up with at the time," the blonde said with a sad sigh. Her eyes flicked to Tashana. "It's not easy getting over abuse like that."

The Maliri girl acknowledged that glance with a brief nod.

Rachel saw that Tashana was uncomfortable being the focus of attention, so quickly changed the subject. "I must admit I'm a little confused about the way psychic shields work..." When everyone was focused on her, she continued, "The Guardians were able to absorb hits from a Reaper Cannon, blows from Alyssa's telekinetic blades, and prevented her attempts to grapple them with a telekinetic hand. So how was John able to cut through with his sword? Or Alyssa blast them with those fist beams? Is shield penetration based purely on the psychic power behind each attack?"

The room went quiet as everyone mulled over her questions.

"My telekinetic blades don't hit anywhere near as hard as those beams," Alyssa explained after a moment's thought. "But the beams take enormous amounts of energy; I went through a huge portion of my reserves using them."

"I saw you using runes on your fists to amplify their strength," John said, giving her a smile of approval. "I can teach you another set to reduce the amount of psychic energy required."

Alyssa nodded eagerly. "That'd be incredibly useful, thanks!"

John turned to look at Rachel. "The Hive Queen actually managed to block my first attack against her. I was only able to batter my way through her shield when I put much more force behind each blow."

"Same with my telekinetic fist," Alyssa agreed. "When I powered that up, I was able to smash the Hive Queen's shields and give her a beat down."

Rachel raised an eyebrow and said, "So what about Dana's gravity well? Why did that affect the Guardians? The pull from that was nowhere near as powerful as the force behind a Reaper Cannon laser bolt or a blow from one of your telekinetic blades..."

The crew looked at each other in surprise, having not considered that before.

Jade tilted her head to one side and said, "Maybe because Dana was expecting it to work?"

Alyssa slowly shook her head. "I don't think this is a question of believing something and making it happen. I thought my blade legion were going to hack the Guardians to bits, but their shields still absorbed my blows."

"Perhaps hex-shields are only designed to block direct physical attacks?" Tashana suggested, glancing around at the group. "The gravity well was simply an environmental effect, so the shields were unable to prevent the Kirrix being lifted into the air?"

"Yeah, I think you're right!" Dana agreed.

"That's well worth remembering if we go up against another powerful psychic," John said, giving Rachel a grateful look. "Well done bringing that up."

She smiled at him and said, "If I'm going to focus on shielding the team, I need to know their strengths and limitations."

John looked around at everyone and asked, "Does anyone want to mention anything else before we decide what we're planning to do next?"

Sakura raised her hand, a look of disapproval on her face. "I don't think it's wise you going into battle with just your sword. I would have said something before the fight, but I'd already left for the Valkyrie when you were getting geared up."

Looking at the Asian girl in surprise, John protested, "But those telekinetic force arcs are incredibly powerful! I never would've been able to clear the Kirrix forces like that just using a Quantum rifle."

"You didn't know for sure that you could create them before the battle though, did you?" Sakura asked him pointedly.

Jade interrupted before he could reply, a look of triumph on her beautiful face. "He'd done so before on the Astral Plane! John just needed to believe in himself... and when he took that leap of faith, he was magnificent!"

"But what would've happened if you ran into another null zone device like the one the Emperor used against you?" Sakura persisted, looking at him with concern. "You'd be stuck running around at normal speed with a heavy blade you'd struggle to lift..."

"You're right," John conceded, his expression turning grim. He glanced at Jade and gave her a conciliatory smile. "Having a backup weapon is a sensible precaution."

She frowned, but made no further objections.

"You prefer rifles, right?" Dana asked, her sky-blue eyes locked on him. When John nodded his confirmation, she continued, "Just leave it with me. We've gained a bunch of new tech since I built the Reaper Cannons; I know I can design something much better!"

"Alright, I guess I'll be joining Irillith in eagerly waiting to see what you come up with," he said with an indulgent smile.

"Talking of new tech..." the redhead said, tapping a finger on her chin. "I took a look at the weird vanes on the Kirrix dreadnought. They're psi amplifiers; a bit like the ones the Ashanath use, but designed for broadcasting and receiving signals, rather than focusing a psychic's strength."

"To assist the Hive Queen in maintaining contact with the Hive Mind?" Rachel suggested, listening with interest.

Dana shrugged. "I don't know for sure, but that'd be my best guess."

"Is there any way you can modify them to let us transmit tech schematics psychically?" John asked, remembering one of Dana's current research goals.

"Not on their own, but the technology was interesting," Dana replied, looking thoughtful. "I could incorporate an improved version of those psi-emitters to make it easier for a weaker psychic to use, someone like an Ashanath Engineer."

"Great, I'm sure the Ashanath would love to get their hands on that," John said, nodding his approval. "Okay, unless there's anything else, I suggest we look at planning our next move to liberate the other planets." The girls made no move to raise any other points, so he continued, "Alyssa, are you certain the Kirrix are retreating?"

She gave him a helpless shrug. "I don't know for sure, but I scared the shit out of the Hive Mind when I threatened to blow up Kirr-Inax. While I was finishing off the Hive Queen, I might have accidentally let slip that I'd do the same thing to any others I caught in friendly territory..."

Dana snorted and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, they'll be running alright."

"But did they take the captured colonists with them?" Sakura asked, her eyes tensing with worry.

John glanced at Faye. "Please could you bring up a Sector Map? I'd like to see Menganus IV, Karron, Valia Gate, and Brecken's World."

"Sure! Just give me a moment," the helpful sprite immediately agreed.

Jade frowned in confusion. "Wasn't Tasmaris Prime invaded too?"

"We're leaving that planet for the Terran Federation forces to liberate," Calara explained, turning to look at the holographic Sector Map that Faye projected above the bed.

The systems John had mentioned were highlighted with red circles, located in a broad corridor that led towards the outer edge of Terran Federation space. The forested moon known as Brecken's World was the closest, Karron the hollowed out asteroid next, then Valia Gate and finally the dusty world known as Menganus IV.

"My original intention was to rush all the way out to Menganus IV, then work our way back towards Brecken's World." Calara said, glancing at the border to Kirrix Space. "Menganus IV was the first planet to be invaded and only has a small population; perhaps fifteen-thousand colonists. I was hoping the Kirrix would take their time to round up every last person, then we could catch the hive ships while they were still on the ground."

"But now you're worried they'll be long gone by the time we get there," John said quietly.

She nodded, her mouth set in a grim line. "There's only a few small settlements on the planet and the Kirrix have already been there for over a week. It was already a gamble that we'd get there in time before the hive ships left... but now, there's almost no chance. The situation is pretty much the same on Valia Gate, but there's about seventeen-thousand people living there... or at least there were."

John stared at the muddy-grey planet. "How long would it take us to get to Menganus IV?"

"Just over 23 hours. It'll take us 19 hours to reach Valia Gate," Alyssa replied in a hushed voice. She let out a heavy sigh, her expression forlorn. "I fucked up didn't I? If I hadn't scared the Kirrix off, we might have been able to save those people..."

Calara stroked her arm and shook her head. "It's not your fault. It was highly unlikely we were going to find the hive ships on the planet anyway. We might still be able to catch up to them on their way back to Kirrix Space." Turning to look at the green moon closest to their position, she continued, "If you did scare the Kirrix into immediately evacuating, you will have saved far more people from capture on Brecken's World. The Kirrix haven't been there long, three or four days at most, and the population is spread out in lots of small towns. There's approximately 120,000 colonists living on that planet and the Kirrix won't have taken many prisoners yet."

"Which means that if you scared the Kirrix into leaving, you saved a lot of lives. We all know what they do to any children they capture," Rachel said soberly. "Going by statistical averages for agro-worlds, roughly 15% of the population there will be children under 13-years-old, which is about 18,000 colonists."

John put his arm around Alyssa's shoulder and hugged her as he stared at the Sector Map. "So now we're faced with a dilemma... Do we head to the border to try and catch up to the Kirrix fleets as they run from Valia Gate and Menganus IV? Or do we rush straight for Brecken's World and hope we can still hit the Kirrix on the ground?"

Alyssa didn't even need to look at the map, having memorised the precise locations of the star systems already. "It'll take us three hours, seventeen minutes to reach Brecken's World."

Calara rubbed a hand over her face. "I hate doing this kind of strategic triage. Whatever decision we make, people are going to die by the thousands..."

"We also need to bear in mind incubation times for Kirrix eggs," Rachel said, knowing full-well the consequences for the colonists involved. "We'll also need to take into account how long it'll take to transfer prisoners from captured hive ships to the Invictus, as well as the time to treat infested colonists..."

John looked around at the girls and said solemnly, "Okay, let me summarise and please feel free to correct me if I get anything wrong." He took a deep breath before plunging on, "If we rush to the border, we'll probably find that the Kirrix have already left Valia Gate and Menganus IV, which means hunting down and interdicting fleeing Kirrix hive ships. There are roughly 32,000 colonists on those two worlds, many of whom will have been infested seven days ago. It'll take us a day to reach those planets, then a couple more days to track down and interdict the retreating Kirrix fleets."

"Assuming they haven't scattered," Calara interjected, a deep sadness in her eyes. "Which will dramatically increase the time it takes to intercept every hive ship..."

"So after taking maybe a week to rescue those people, we'd then have to track down the hive ships leaving Brecken's World, where the Kirrix might have murdered as many as 18,000 children," John said, his frown deepening. He glanced at the green forested moon. "Or we hit the Kirrix at Brecken's World first, where we can probably catch them in-system and cripple their entire fleet within minutes. Then a day for hive ship boarding actions and another day to treat all the infested civilians..."

"And if the Kirrix haven't fled, we stop them capturing and killing thousands of children," Rachel said, her sombre expression revealing that she'd reached the same conclusion as Calara.

"We're giving up on 32,000 people..." Dana whispered, looking appalled. "Fuck me..."

John was about to protest, then his face fell and he nodded. "I don't think we have any choice. We have to protect Brecken's World; we know we're guaranteed to save the most lives there."

***

Admiral Alexander Morgan studied the report filed that morning by the Janus' tactical officer, Commander Walker, expressing his deep concerns about Brimorian fleet movements. The team of tactical analysts aboard Morgan's flagship, the battleship Momus, had concluded that the Brimorians were just posturing, but the earnest young officer seemed adamant that there was more to those manoeuvres. Morgan glanced through the synopsis, broadly agreeing that the Brimorians should be treated with suspicion, but Walker's warning that this was the prelude to hostilities seemed premature.
He couldn't help smiling wistfully, trying to remember the days of his youth when he was an eager junior officer. Fresh out of the academy, he'd been hungry to make a name for himself, wanting to shine amongst his peers and accelerate his career towards his ultimate goal of joining the Admiralty. Where had all that enthusiasm gone? Now, over thirty years later, he'd finally achieved that goal... but the prize felt hollow compared to the glories he'd dreamed of as a boy.

Morgan had been forced to make compromises over the years, avoiding confrontations with the Fleet Admiral so as not to torpedo his own career. He'd always pitied Admiral Kester, thinking the man politically naive for voicing his often-scathing criticisms of Buckingham... but now, he found himself envying the man his integrity.

Focusing on the holo-screen again, he read through a series of reports, several of which stood out amongst the mundane. They'd received their first batch of Claymore fighters, which he knew would create quite the stir on the carriers, those advanced gunships having performed magnificently during the Battle of Terra. The next was an update from Fleet Admiral Devereux, advising him that as soon as the advanced fleet under Vice Admiral Dacres had been fully refitted, they were being sent to reinforce him on the Brimorian Border.

That news was a real boon, with those state-of-the-art vessels having proven their lethality defending Olympus and spearheading the counter-attack that wiped out the Kintark armada. Morgan had never been a particular admirer of Lynette Devereux, but he had to admit that he was impressed by the energy she was throwing into her role as Fleet Admiral. The cynical side of him wondered how long this verve would last, but there was no denying the shockwaves she had already sent through the Admiralty.

There was a bewildering update from Admiral Zelig to High Command, notifying them that the Lion had single-handedly liberated Carolus III. The Kirrix fleet losses were reported to be staggering, but Morgan had seen reports of the devastation the Lion had unleashed on the Kintark armada and could well believe the Invictus capable of such a victory. He smiled, knowing that Commodore Redding would be overjoyed to hear that his homeworld had been liberated; the man had been a nervous wreck for days waiting for news of his family.

Finally, there was a follow-up on a disturbing incident logged by Captain Bexley aboard the Janus. Morgan's eyes narrowed as he flicked through the report, the notes elaborating on the brief summary he'd received from the portly captain late the previous night. He finished reading and sighed, massaging his temples with his fingertips. As exhaustive as training in the Academy was, it hadn't prepared him for a scenario quite like this.

The door chime echoed around his Ready Room, the airy sequence of notes failing to reflect the gravity of the upcoming meeting. Looking up, he said sternly, "Enter..."

The door opened and Commodore Douglas Redding strode into the room, escorting a haggard-looking Commander Mason Newmont. Redding glared at the younger officer with thinly veiled contempt, before turning back to face Morgan. "Commander Newmont, to face charges of Dereliction of Duty and Conduct Unbecoming an Officer, Admiral."

Morgan studied Commander Newmont for a moment, who looked down, obviously deeply ashamed of his current predicament.

"Thank you, Commodore, that will be all," Morgan said, nodding to the Momus' commanding officer.

Redding hesitated, obviously expecting to attend this disciplinary meeting, but Morgan gave him a brief smile and shook his head. While the admiral appreciated the dedicated officer's support, he knew the strain the Commodore was currently under and didn't want to burden the man further.

Redding ran his finger and thumb over his goatee, then nodded respectfully to Morgan before leaving the room.

Morgan turned his attention to Commander Newmont, his gaze hardening. "Tell me, Commander... is it your intention to destroy your career and see yourself serve a prison sentence?"

"No, Sir!" Newmont hurriedly replied, his head snapping up.

"Really? Because you're going the best way about it!" Morgan barked, shaking his head in disgust. "I've just read the report from Captain Bexley... I've never been so appalled by the behaviour of a junior officer in my entire career!"

Newmont flushed red with embarrassment, cringing at the admiral's stern rebuke.

Morgan glanced at his holo-screen and began to read the report aloud. "Commander Newmont failed to attend the Bridge for his allocated night-shift, where he had been designated Officer-in-Charge of the Janus. After investigation of the Commander's quarters, Newmont was located, and found to be in a state of extreme intoxication. Upon rousing the Commander to take him to Medical, Newmont turned violent, attempting to assault the security detail assigned to him. He was heard to be shouting numerous profanities, mostly casting aspersions as to the parentage of Fleet Admiral Devereux..."

The admiral glared at Newmont, his eyes like flint. "If you disagree with this summary of events, please feel free to stop me at any time."

"Yes, Sir..." Newmont said in a subdued voice, but raised no objections.

"Upon reaching Medical, the Commander broke free from the security detail, managing to damage a medi-scanner in the ensuing melee. He was finally restrained, whereupon he delivered a litany of abuse, mostly consisting of threats aimed at High Command, until he was sedated and rendered unconscious." Looking up at the young officer, Morgan continued, "That seems to have been the ignominious conclusion to last night's drunken rampage. Now, was that report accurate?"

Newmont swallowed and nodded. "Yes, Sir."

Leaning back in his chair, Morgan steepled his fingers as he studied the man standing before him. "I know there are extenuating circumstances, with the events surrounding the death of your father and the media vultures circling for blood, but this is no way to honour his memory. If it weren't for your years of exemplary service and Captain Bexley's impassioned plea for leniency, you'd be facing serious charges."

Nodding his head, Newmont sounded despondent as he replied, "Yes, Sir. I understand."

Morgan looked at him with concern. "The most disturbing part of this whole incident is the sheer vehemence of your verbal attacks on senior members of the military. I know you were almost paralytic, but as the saying goes: in vino veritas..."

"I have no justifiable excuse for my behaviour, Sir," Newmont said in a quiet voice.

"Tell me what happened," Morgan said, his voice sympathetic. "Why did you allow yourself to get so drunk?"

There was an uncomfortable silence for a long moment. "It was hard losing my father... but then the media and the Fleet Admiral... they've been blaming him for everything! Trying to make him out to be a monster! I only intended to have one or two drinks, just to stop thinking about it all... but then..." his voice trailed off and he flushed with shame.

The admiral leaned forward and made eye contact with him. "Mason, do you still wish to serve in the Terran Federation military?"

Newmont straightened up as he nodded curtly. "Yes, Sir!"

Raising a hand, Morgan shook his head. "I want you to take a couple of days and really think it over. If you believe there's any chance of more of these... incidents... you should seriously consider resigning your commission. There would be no shame in an honourable discharge and you'd be able to make a new life for yourself outside the military. That would be a far better outcome than what will happen if you can't keep yourself under control. Do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal clear, Sir," Newmont said, standing to attention.

"Give your future some serious thought, Commander," Morgan said, looking him in the eye. "You're dismissed."

He watched Commander Newmont leave the Ready Room and couldn't help noticing the repressed anger in the young man's stiff posture, or the way his hands were clenched into fists.

***

The girls began to leave the bedroom, with Calara and Sakura collecting the trays of empty plates to return them to the kitchen.

John looked at the twins and asked, "Are you two available for a chat?"

"Of course," Tashana immediately agreed, with Irillith nodding and hugging her sister.

"I hope the three of you have a good talk," Alyssa said with the hint of a smile.

John looked up at her and frowned, then reached for her hand as she climbed off the bed, holding her back. "Wait a moment, beautiful. I'd like to speak with you too."

The twins saw the pensive expression on his face and knowing what had upset him, they both slid off the bed. "Let us do the clear up," Tashana offered, jogging over to collect the stack of trays from Calara.

Irillith ran her fingers along Alyssa's arm. "We'll give you some privacy." She glanced back at John and gave him an understanding smile. "Just let us know when you're finished."

Alyssa sat demurely on the bed, the rest of the girls departing and leaving the two of them alone. She looked back at John and said quietly, "I didn't tell you what the Hive Mind did to me, because I'd already punished them for it... and I knew you'd be furious."

John gathered her in his arms and gently laid her back on the bed. "I'm not concerned about retribution."

She raised an eyebrow, a knowing smile on her full lips.

"Alright, I do want to slaughter the Hive Mind for assaulting you like that," he reluctantly admitted, grinding his teeth in anger. Then his expression turned to one of sympathy and concern, "But much more than that, I'm worried about you. What you experienced must have been horrific! Are you sure you're alright?"

She stroked his cheek and nodded. "I snapped out of it pretty fast and before it could get really nasty. The Kirrix made a mistake in the vision they forced on me and my mind realised it was fake."

John brushed his fingers through her golden mane. "It's me, honey. You don't have to hold it in..."

Alyssa's calm facade cracked and her eyes welled up as she hugged him tight. "The pain was so intense... I've never felt anything like it," she finally admitted, her voice breaking. "They've done that to so many people, John... it's such a terrible way to die!"

He held her in his arms and let her weep, her body trembling as she clung to him for support. John tried to put aside his outrage, focusing instead on Alyssa's pain and trying to help her deal with it. He murmured soothing words, stroking her until she settled down in his loving embrace. They lay like that for a few minutes, John letting her draw strength from him until she was calm and composed once more.

"Thank you," she whispered, tilting her head up to look at him. "It felt good to just let that go..."

"Any time," he said, giving her a warm smile.

She sighed with contentment, enjoying being wrapped up in his arms. John let her relax like that for a while, then he eased back and let a hand slide across her blouse, methodically unbuttoning the buttons at her waist and working upwards.

Alyssa raised an eyebrow and glanced down at her bared midriff. "Don't get me wrong, I'm always up for some action, but telling you what happened wasn't supposed to be foreplay..."

John shook his head and peeled back the material of her blouse, exposing the tantalising oval of her toned abdomen. He placed his hand on her soft skin, the weight comforting and possessive. "Your gorgeous body belongs to me," he said firmly, gazing into her cerulean eyes. "What would happen to anyone who tried to do something like that to you?"

Her mouth lifted into a knowing smile. "You'd make what I did to the Hive Queen look like a Sunday picnic in the park."

"That's right," John agreed, his fingers slowly circling her navel and leaving a trail of goosebumps. "What the Hive Mind showed you was cruel and sadistic, but there is no possible way it could ever happen... so no nightmares, okay?"

She looked up at him with big eyes and nodded her agreement. "I promise. I know you'd never let anything like that happen to me."

"Good girl," he said approvingly, before leaning down to reverently kiss her belly.

"I belong to you..." she whispered in a blissful state of euphoria, running her fingers through his thick hair.

"That's right," he agreed, his lips lovingly brushing her skin. "I love you... and so does Calara, and so do the rest of the girls. We'd stop at nothing to protect you if you were in danger."

Alyssa arched her back, a soft sigh escaping her flushed lips. "We're all so lucky to have each other..."

He blew on her tummy and she giggled when he found a ticklish spot. John propped himself up on an elbow to smile at her. "Feel better?"

"I really do, thank you," she replied, sitting up and kissing him tenderly. She paused mid-kiss, her cerulean eyes widening. "Oh, wow! I've just had a great idea!"

"I don't suppose you're going to tell me, are you?" he inquired, raising an eyebrow.

"Let me talk to Rachel first!" she exclaimed, giving him a quick peck on the nose and slipping off the bed. Rushing out of the bedroom, she called back over her shoulder, "The twins are on their way!"

John lay back on the bed and folded his hands behind his head. He could tell that he'd really helped Alyssa to deal with the aftermath of her confrontation with the Kirrix Hive Mind and knowing that filled him with a huge surge of relief. He wished that he could help Tashana recover from her torments so easily, but after everything that poor girl had suffered through, he knew it would be a long road to recovery.

He heard the sisters approaching long before he saw them, their confident stride giving them a distinctive step as they walked along the corridor. They were speaking quietly in Maliri, the soft sounds beautiful to his ear.

John sat up as they walked through the door, greeting the identical twins with a smile. "Hello, ladies. I'm sorry for making you wait."

They were both wearing the long dresses that Maliri women favoured, showing tantalising glimpses of blue skin through the subtle slashes in the figure-hugging fabric. The sisters sat on the end of the bed, slipping off their shoes and folding their legs under them as they turned to face him.

"Alyssa needed you," Tashana said with an understanding smile. "There's no need to apologise."

"She seemed particularly ebullient, even for a Terran teenager," Irillith noted with a quirk of her lips. "Yet she didn't waddle out of here with her tummy swollen with your cum... Have you changed your methods of comforting distressed young women, John?"

"I realised I need to raise my game after the ribbing I got from you two earlier," he replied archly.

Tashana faked a pout. "How disappointing..."

The three of them shared coy smiles, the atmosphere between them charged with electricity.

John's expression turned serious and he beckoned them closer. "As much as I love bantering with you both, I'd like to talk about what happened on the hive ship."

The twins shared a pensive glance and he immediately knew that their jokes had been a way of avoiding this subject.

"Can you hold us while we talk?" Tashana asked in a quiet voice. "The physical contact helps... it makes me feel safe."

"Of course, honey," he said, holding his arms open. "Whatever's most comfortable for you."

The sisters crawled across the bed, then gently pushed John so that he was lying on his back. Each took a side, draping themselves across his body and leaning against his chest, so that they were looking down at him from above.

John encircled them in his arms, placing his hand on the small of their backs. "Does that feel okay?"

"Lovely," Tashana agreed, relaxing in his embrace.

Irillith nodded, glancing at her sister before focusing on John again. "This is good."

He stroked them reassuringly and said, "Okay, so we've all avoided talking in detail about what happened to Tashana in the past. I've not brought it up because I didn't want to trigger any painful memories. I also haven't discussed it in front of Irillith because..." He hesitated and looked at her. "Why do you think that was, honey?"

She sighed and glanced at Tashana, realising John wanted her to be honest. "Because I still feel guilty whenever I see you in pain over what happened."

John nodded. "Good girl, thank you." He glanced at Tashana. "That's one of the reasons you've avoided talking about it too, isn't it?"

Tashana nibbled at her lip and threw an anxious glance at her twin. "I know you blame yourself and I hate seeing you get upset like that."

They hugged each other, tearing up as they embraced. John just rubbed their backs to soothe them, waiting until they'd both regained their composure.

"Does it feel better getting this out in the open?" he asked, looking at each girl with concern.

Tashana nodded, darting a glance at her sister. "We've been tiptoeing around the problem for weeks... which is silly after we made that big breakthrough and bonded with each other."

"You're right... and I think I've been holding us back since then," Irillith admitted, looking shamefaced. "I was just so horrified when I experienced everything you'd been through."

John reached up to brush the tears from their cheeks. "Which is why we need to help you both get past all this."

Tashana smiled at him affectionately. "You're making it sound a lot worse than it is. I'm already feeling so much better about... everything really."

Irillith's violet eyes twinkled as they met his. "He's not going to be content until we're ecstatically happy all the time, Shan."

"That's my goal, yes," John said, looking at each of them in turn.

Tashana looked startled. "You're really serious, aren't you?"

He ran his fingers through their long, snowy-white hair, gently caressing both girls. "Maybe a constant state of ecstasy is aiming a bit high, but I definitely don't want to see either of you in pain any more. I think we managed to take the sting out of a lot of the trauma with all those psychic blocks I put in your minds. That gave Tashana a chance to recover and stopped Irillith torturing herself with the guilt. Those mental barriers have been gone for a while, but you'd both long outgrown them... you're very powerful women now."

The twins looked touched and took it in turns kissing him, a look of hope and optimism in their eyes.

"So what's the next step?" Tashana asked, clearly intrigued.

"I thought we could get together and talk through your worst experiences," John said, his tone gentle and sympathetic. "Perhaps if the three of us discuss those horrible events, it will make them less likely to cause flashbacks for Tashana." He looked at Irillith. "And I know you're aware of what happened to your sister because you experienced all of her dreadful memories. As Tashana gets more comfortable talking about her past, then hopefully, the guilt will ease for you too."

"Actually, I've got a better idea!" Alyssa announced, striding into the bedroom with Rachel at her side. "Going over everything in detail like that will be a long painful process, but I reckon we can help them get over this in one go."

The twins untangled themselves from John and the three of them sat up, looking at Alyssa quizzically.

"That sounds too good to be true," John said, an element of caution in his voice.

"Rachel thinks it'll work; don't you, beautiful?" Alyssa replied with an excited grin, putting her arm around the brunette.

Rachel frowned, her anxious expression not inspiring John with much confidence. "There's a good chance it will... but you're not going to like it," she replied, darting a worried glance at John.

"I'm definitely interested to hear any ideas either of you might have," John said, looking at each of them in turn. "My main concern is helping Tashana and Irillith... you know I'm willing to do whatever it takes to do that."
Alyssa knelt on the bed next to the twins and reached out to clasp their hands. "Okay, here's what I think we should do..."

The Maliri girls listened as Alyssa outlined her plan, growing more shocked by the moment.

John just gaped at the blonde, his eyes widening in horrified disbelief. "You're out of your mind!" he balked.

"But John, this'll help her, I promise!" Alyssa protested, wringing her hands together plaintively.

He rolled off the bed and shook his head. "I can't believe you even suggested it... absolutely not!"

Alyssa watched helplessly as John strode out of the bedroom, visibly shaken by her proposal.

***

The Maliri assassin padded onto the Bridge of the Galaena Serine, her cobalt-blue eyes drawn to the golden-armoured figure standing at its centre. The House Valaden Fleet Commander stared at a holographic Empire Map, Lilyana focusing intently on the swathe of stars overlaid in orange, designating the systems owned by the Trankaran Republic. Lilyana's fleet was shown as a gold icon emblazoned with the crossed blades of House Valaden, the Maliri forces penetrating deep into Trankaran territory.

"You called for me, Fleet Commander?" Almari asked, approaching the older woman.

"I did. My thanks for your prompt arrival," Lilyana replied, turning to smile at her. She gestured at the green flight path linking their fleet to the Republic's capital. "We are less than a day from Trankara. Please could you inform Queen Edraele that we've finally picked up a Trankaran Comm Beacon on our long-range sensors and that I'm about to make contact."

*That's wonderful news!* Edraele exclaimed, sounding elated as the assassin relayed the message. *Please attempt to speak directly to Queen Niskera, she'll be greatly relieved to hear from you.*

Lilyana nodded as she listened to her Matriarch's telepathic voice. Turning to look at the Galaena Serine's Communications Officer, she raised her golden helmet. "Initiate secure comms, I want a direct line to the Trankaran Queen."

***

Fleet Warden Thandrun paced back and forth in the Campaign Room on Trankara, frowning as he glanced at the holographic map that floated above the command table. "Are you certain, my Queen?"

Niskera gave him a reassuring smile. "I received word from Alyssa less than five minutes ago that their arrival is imminent. Have faith, Thandrun. The Great Protector has never failed to deliver on his promises... and he has promised us support from the Maliri."

The Fleet Warden's slab-like features split into a look of embarrassment. "Please forgive me, my Queen. I'm behaving like a flustered acolyte on his first posting."

She walked over to him and cupped his blocky face with a glowing hand. "There is nothing to forgive, Thandrun. Your concern for our people is a testimony to your strength of character and your dedication to the Republic."

There was a look of awe in his amber eyes as he gazed down at her. "By the Great Maker, Niskera... a few inspiring words from you and I feel like I could wrestle a Kirrix juggernaut!"

"I would pity the beast, for its death would be an inevitability," she said, her tone both solemn and sincere.

The Fleet Warden puffed up his chest with pride, then chuckled at his response and smiled at her fondly.

Niskera returned his smile, then suddenly tilted her head to one side, listening to Alyssa's flustered voice as it echoed through her mind. *Edraele will be speaking to you through Lilyana. She knows everything that's going on... just ask if you need updates on anything specific.*

Queen Niskera knew she couldn't reply directly to her Matriarch, only having an empathetic connection to the blonde Terran. Instead, she focused on feelings of confusion and concern, knowing that Alyssa would feel those emotions.

*Everything's fine with the Maliri, but things are just a bit... tense... with John and me right now,* Alyssa apologised, sounding distracted.

A comms rune flashed on the control panel and the Fleet Warden's slab-like features were flooded with relief. "We're being hailed by a Maliri warfleet! They're here at last!"

Niskera closed her eyes and tilted her face upward as she said a silent prayer of thanks.

The holo-screen flickered, displaying twin curved blades as the call was put through. A moment later, a golden-armoured woman appeared, sparkling jewels adorning her ostentatious, figure-hugging suit. The faceplate of her helmet was opaque, revealing no hint of the blue-skinned, white-haired Maliri that Niskera knew would be concealed inside.

"My name is Queen Niskera," she announced, greeting the slender woman with a deep bow. "I wish to offer you the warmest of welcomes to Trankaran Space."

The Maliri inclined her head respectfully. "I am Fleet Commander Lilyana of House Valaden. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Queen Niskera."

"Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your timely aid, Fleet Commander," Niskera said earnestly.

Lilyana hesitated, then said with regret, "My apologies for the delay in our arrival. We were forced to make a detour to assist the Terran Federation in repelling a Kintark Invasion." There was a hint of a smile in her voice as she added, "And they were nowhere near as gracious or grateful a host."

"I understand that your intervention saved many millions of lives... I could never begrudge such an act of benevolence," Niskera said, shaking her head. "When you arrive at Trankara, I would be honoured if you would meet me in person... there are many things I would like to discuss with you."

After a momentary pause, the Fleet Commander nodded. "If Queen Edraele were here, she would insist that I meet our honoured allies in person. It is with great pleasure that I accept your kind invitation."

"I long to meet with Queen Edraele in the not-too distant future," the Glowing Queen said, with a warm smile.

"I know she feels the same way about you, Queen Niskera." Lilyana turned to look off-screen for a moment, briefly nodding to her Communications Officer.

A soft chime echoed around the Trankaran Campaign Room and the runes on the control panel flashed. Thandrun looked at the comms interface, his expression turning joyful. "New tech schematics, my Queen!"

"Those are a gift from John Blake," Lilyana explained, relaxing in her Command Chair. "The shield generators are Brimorian technology which we acquired after the Battle of Terra. The second schematic is for advanced heatsinks, the best that the Kintark were able to develop."

Thandrun celebrated by smacking a fist into his open palm, the sound like a crash of boulders. "By the Great Protector! These will make an enormous difference to the effectiveness of our fleets!"

"I'm glad they meet with your approval," the Maliri Commander said a hint of amusement in her voice at the Fleet Warden's jubilant reaction. "We salvaged three of the new shield generators from Kintark capital ships and I would like to upgrade my battleships as soon as possible. If there's any way you could build shield generators sized for cruiser-class vessels in preparation for our arrival, I'd greatly appreciate it. We could upgrade my entire fleet immediately, then move to engage the Kirrix in no less than a day."

Niskera nodded, her smile widening. "Your goal is to protect Trankaran citizens; how could we refuse such a reasonable request? Our Star Forges are in full production... send us a list of all the components you require and we shall ensure you have whatever you need by the time you arrive at Trankara."

Some of the tension eased from Lilyana's shoulders. "As I said before... the most gracious of hosts."

After a moment's hesitation, Niskera asked, "I was wondering if you might have heard news from Admiral John Blake?"

Lilyana tilted her head to one side as if listening attentively. "He just liberated the first of the Terran colonies invaded by the Kirrix and is moving to engage the forces besieging another. He would have liked to have assisted in the liberation of Trankaran worlds, but the Terran forces are ill-equipped to deal with the scale of the Kirrix invasion."

"When next I speak with him, I will tell him that we never expected his personal intervention and are already grateful for everything he has done for us," Niskera replied, knowing that Edraele would pass this message directly on to John. "Our own forces are undergoing rapid refits and the first of our upgraded fleets has been dispatched to harass the Kirrix vanguard."

"The coordination of our forces against the Kirrix would be a wise topic of discussion," Lilyana suggested, sounding thoughtful. "Our objective is to save as many Trankaran lives as possible and I'm quite certain that your knowledge of the besieged systems will prove to be invaluable."

"Alas, I am no strategist," Niskera said, before glancing at the hulking Trankaran at her side. "Fortunately, Fleet Warden Thandrun is very gifted in that regard. I know he will be eager to attend the meeting to discuss the campaign with you in person."

"I'll compile as much data as possible regarding the conquered systems and what we know of the Kirrix fleet dispositions," Thandrun volunteered, studying the slender Maliri. "You will not be lacking for information on your opponents, that I can promise you."

"Our meeting should be a fascinating one," Lilyana said, her tone warm and friendly. "I find myself looking forward to it with great enthusiasm."

The Trankarans shared a smile, then Niskera said, "As do we, Fleet Commander... very much so."

***

Dana stared at the partially-completed set of tech schematics slowly rotating in the air, a look of intense concentration on her beautiful face. The Engineering Bay door slid open and she glanced back to see John stride through, his expression deeply troubled.

"Hey, what's up?" she asked with concern.

John made eye contact with her as he strode up the illuminated steps to the Engineering Podium. "Sparks, I know you and the girls discuss everything together."

She blushed and nodded. "Want to talk about it?"

"Nope."

"Good," she muttered, making her feelings on the matter quite clear. The redhead glanced back at the tech schematics. "How about being my engineering assistant instead?"

"Do I have to call you Grand Engineering Overlord?" John asked, darting a smile at her.

She bumped hips with him. "I'll give you a pass, but just this once."

He laughed, feeling better already. "Do you need me to shape any parts for you?"

Dana shook her head. "No, not yet. I'm still at the initial design stage right now."

"What exactly are you working on?" he asked, looking up at the rotating schematics.

"I thought I'd start R&D on a new rifle," Dana replied, waving a hand at the floating holographic image. "Those hex-shields blocking Reaper Cannon fire really pissed me off, so I'm working on an upgrade."

"I've never really watched you do this before," he said, looking on with interest. "What've you come up with so far?"

"Well, we acquired the new Tachyon Lance tech, so I was investigating the viability of miniaturising it for a rifle," she replied, sounding slightly hesitant as she glanced back at her preliminary work.

He stroked her back and smiled, "Not as easy as you thought?"

Dana frowned and gave him a shrug. "I figured that shooting continuous beams from a rifle wouldn't be very practical, at least not compared to blasting spaceships... so I'm a bit stuck for the moment." Her lips quirked into a playful smile. "Have you got any bright ideas?"

"You want me to tell you what I want in a rifle?" he asked sceptically.

Her expression brightened. "Well I didn't mean it quite like that, but yeah, okay!"

"Alright, I guess I could suggest a few things." John rubbed his chin for a moment as he mulled it over. "I've seen the Tachyon Lances in action, and you're right, having to wait a second before firing a constant beam isn't worth it. It's not like we're trying to melt our way through dozens of metres of superstructure. How about making them shoot in short bursts? A bit like the Pulse Cannons..."

Dana's eyes widened, and she inhaled sharply. "Pulsed Tachyon Lances! Yeah, that's a great idea!"

She whirled around and her slender fingers began to dance over the console. Two additional holographs appeared, showing an expanded view of a Tachyon Lance schematic and another of a Photon Laser. Sections of each weapon were highlighted from the images, Dana's hands working on both schematics simultaneously. John watched in fascination as the firing mechanism in the central screen began to incorporate elements from both, going through hundreds of iterations of new designs as Dana rapidly modified and discarded each prototype. Progenitor runes scrolled below at an incredible rate, moving far too quickly for him to read.

She glanced at John, a fierce gleam in her eyes. "What else?"

"How about making it double-barrelled, like the old Punisher rifles?" he suggested.

"No problem!" she agreed, nodding exuberantly. "You want a grenade launcher again?"

John shook his head. "We should be able to easily handle groups of lightly-armoured enemies with laser fire. What we really need is something to deal with very heavily protected opponents."

"Holy shit! You're a genius!" she gushed, gazing at him with newfound respect. "An underslung barrel for Runic Penetrators... That'd be fucking awesome!"

He wasn't sure exactly what she meant by that, but the jubilant redhead seemed delighted by his suggestion. "Any chance we could have a fully-fledged prototype in three hours?"

"Challenge accepted!" Dana exclaimed with a gleeful grin, cracking her knuckles. "Now, on with the show!"

John watched her for a while, losing track of time as he enjoyed seeing Dana so thoroughly engrossed in her work. The new rifle quickly took shape, with the redhead refining her design of the focusing chamber dozens of times until it met her exacting standards.

"Faye?" Dana called out, glancing up at one of the hidden cameras. "Please run a simulation using the thermal output projections I've compiled. I'd like you to test-fire the rifle 200,000 times and check for barrel stress."

The purple sprite popped into existence, sitting on the adjacent console. "Will do! Would you like me to run additional simulations to test burst fire and full auto modes?"

"Definitely!" the redhead enthused. "I've analysed the data on the energy requirements and if I incorporate a zero-point regulator, we'll have more than enough power. Could you have your boys bring up a couple of Quantum rifles please? I'll just swipe the Power Cores from them."

"They're on their way!"

"Yeah, this is coming together nicely," Dana murmured, creating a separate set of diagrams with the dimensions for the barrel and the pieces that formed the elaborate gun frame. She glanced at John and continued, "While I'm working on the final touches, could you start shaping these parts in Crystal Alyssium please? I'll start up the Mass Fabricators and make the rest of the components we need."

John studied the different shapes on the holo-screen, committing them to memory. "Sure, I'll make a start straight away. You just want enough for two?"

She thought about it for a second. "I'll just make a couple of prototypes for us right now... we've only got a couple of hours left; we won't have enough time to assemble any more."

He walked over to the ore crates, lifting the lid with a wave of his hand. "While I'm here I might as well make the rest, then you can upgrade all the Quantum rifles when you're ready." John gestured towards the block of white ore that sparkled in the light, drawing off a stream of liquid metal. "How many times am I shaping this? Fifteen?"

Dana watched him use telekinesis on the crate without thinking about it. She smiled, but kept it to herself, not wanting to distract him from the task at hand. "Yes please, we need those barrels to be as strong as possible."

John went to work, shaping and reshaping the orb of metal. It was a comfortable, routine kind of action now, a bit like squeezing a stress ball with his mind. He let himself fall into a deep state of focus as he laboured on the Crystal Alyssium, appreciating the opportunity to keep his mind occupied and distracted from thoughts of Tashana...

***

Jehanna Elani walked along the corridors of Olympus Shipyard with her luggage floating beside her, the click of her four-inch heels drawing the attention of both men and women. She could feel their eyes lingering on her when she walked on by, people recognising her from her regular appearances on TFNN, as well as just openly admiring her stunning figure. There'd been a time years ago when she'd hungered for this kind of fame, her face now a familiar one to millions of people throughout the Terran Federation.

She smiled demurely at the bolder young officers who decided to try their luck in making conversation with her, but she was too distracted to enjoy their flattery. The trip back to Terra had been a very constructive one, wowing Avery with all the exclusives she'd put together during her time on the Invictus. He'd been so impressed with the astronomical viewing figures drawn in by the Lioness interviews and the new Fleet Admiral's public debut that he was left with no choice but to fully endorse her permanent posting to Olympus as Devereux's official Press Liaison.

Despite her recent slew of outstanding professional accomplishments, Jehanna found herself wishing that she was still aboard the Invictus with John and the girls. She had never felt anything like the exhilarating sense of freedom that she'd experienced there, having grown up in a conservative family where uninhibited behaviour was frowned upon. She couldn't help a nervous laugh slipping out when she imagined what her parents would make of her budding relationship with the Maliri twins.

Biting her lower lip, she felt herself flushing as she remembered everything she'd done with Irillith and Tashana. 'Budding relationship' was just a polite euphemism for saying that those gorgeous blue vixens had fucked the living hell out of her... and she'd loved every second of it. The foursome with John and the twins had been the highlight of her sexual experiences to date, the intensity of the mind-blowing orgasms making the lovers she'd had in the past seem hilariously inept by comparison. Yes, there was no doubt that a future with John offered her sexual fulfilment on an unprecedented scale, but was she really shallow enough to consider discarding the rest of her life for the promise of ecstasy on a daily basis?

A blushing young Lieutenant rushed to hold the elevator door for her, distracting Jehanna from her thoughts.

"Deck Six please," she requested, giving him an appreciative smile.

"Yes, Miss Elani!" he gasped, fumbling for the elevator buttons and accidentally hitting the button for Deck Seven. He looked absolutely mortified, reddening even further as he hurriedly hit the correct button next.

"I'm not in any hurry," she said, taking pity on the young man. Jehanna winked at him and continued, "Actually, I have to make a difficult call when I get back to my quarters; you've given me a thirty second reprieve."

"You're welcome," he murmured, looking absolutely smitten when he realised that the dusky-hued goddess also had a lovely personality.

Jehanna's thoughts drifted as they ascended through the decks and she smiled wistfully, knowing that a life with John promised much more than just phenomenal sex. There was also love, and not just from him, which was thrilling enough, but from each and every stunning girl he surrounded himself with. They were open and trusting and kind... all the time! It was like wandering into heaven and being astonished to discover that the beautiful angels waiting for her there were also lovely people.
Her hand subconsciously drifted to her stomach as Jehanna remembered the wonderful dream she'd had last night. She had looked down in wonder at the beautiful dark-haired girl she'd cradled in her arms, the baby's soft skin like rich chocolate. John had put his arm around Jehanna's shoulders as they gazed at their baby and she'd felt such a profound sense of love... even thinking about it now took her breath away. That was another very important part of the future that John wanted with her and she longed for it with every fibre of her being.

"Miss Elani?" the Lieutenant prompted the doe-eyed young woman for the third time. "We've arrived at Deck Six..."

Jehanna blinked rapidly as she wakened from her daydream, then it was her turn to blush. "See, I told you I wasn't in a rush," she said with a self-conscious smile.

He laughed nervously and nodded. "I thought you were just being nice." Making a spontaneous decision and praying for a miracle, he blurted out, "Miss Elani, would you like to go for a drink with me sometime?"

"I'm afraid I already have a boyfriend," she replied, giving him a sympathetic smile. "Thank you, though."

The Lieutenant nodded dejectedly, his hopes dashed.

Jehanna walked out into the corridor, her luggage following obediently with the soft whir of anti-grav cyclics. She was met by a couple of broad-chested security guards, one of whom turned to bar her path.

"This is a restricted area," the stern soldier declared, eyeing her suspiciously.

"Easy, Coleridge, she has a suite here," the second soldier said, patting the man on his shoulder. He gave Jehanna a warm smile and added, "Welcome back, Miss Elani. I hope you had a pleasant trip to Terra?"

"I did, but it's great to be back, Darius," she replied, returning the friendly soldier's smile. "And just Jehanna is fine."

"Okay, just Jehanna, have a nice afternoon," Darius said with a wink.

She laughed at his joke, then looked up at his fellow guard and stuck out her hand. "Hello! I'm Jehanna Elani, who are you?"

"Private Bill Coleridge, ma'am," he replied, awkwardly shaking her hand.

"Well, it's a pleasure to meet you, Bill... and thank you for working so hard to keep me and everyone here safe," Jehanna said, her tone brimming with sincerity.

He looked surprised, astonished even, that anyone would take the time to thank him like that.

"Are you planning on getting to know all the security team on a first-name basis, just Jehanna?" Darius asked with amusement.

She leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, "I'm just hoping that if you guys like me enough, if the shit ever hits the fan, you might elbow an admiral out the way and put me in an escape pod instead!"

Jehanna grinned as both men laughed, the ice well and truly broken.

She waved goodbye and continued along the corridor towards her suite with an extra swish in her hips, knowing that they'd be admiring her ass. It might have sounded like she was joking with the soldiers, but Jehanna had just told them the honest truth. Her father had forewarned her about the priority status assigned to members of the Admiralty and bluntly explained that in an emergency, she would be a long way down the totem pole. However, if the situation became truly dire, basic human nature would win out, and young male soldiers would instinctively want to protect a beautiful young woman. So she was just helping to gently encourage those instincts.

Jehanna knew her papa was right; his long career as a close protection officer had made him deeply cautious and more than a little cynical. She loved him dearly, but he was unable to switch off his constant state of vigilance and it got a bit wearing at times. Fortunately, her mother's unrelenting optimism helped balance him out, even if she drove her father crazy. Jehanna let out a wistful sigh as she put her hand on the DNA reader, the light glowing green as it recognised her genetic code. She loved being a reporter working for TFNN, but it wasn't just her career she would have to leave behind if she retired to Maliri Space with John and the girls.

Walking through her spacious suite, she entered the bedroom and deactivated the tracking sensor in her luggage, letting it sink to the king-size bed. Jehanna flipped open the lid, intending to unpack her clothes, but she paused to stare at the laser pistol and shield belt that Dana had given her. Each was worth a small fortune, representing priceless highly-advanced technology well beyond anything available in the Terran Federation. They were a constant reminder that she was now part of something much bigger than herself... even if she hadn't fully committed yet.

Closing the lid, she activated the holo-interface projector built into the foot of the bed. Swiping across the entry marked "Home", she sat down and waited for the call to go through. Home... Her apartment on the outskirts of Unity City had never really felt like home, so she'd always been drawn back to her parents' house. This suite was very nice, but she knew that Olympus would never feel like home either. What about living on the Invictus though? Or retiring to Valaden in the heart of the Maliri Protectorate? Would her feelings change then?

Lost in thought, she didn't see the holo-screen flicker into the attractive features of the middle-aged Indian woman. But she certainly heard her...

"Jehanna!" her mother gushed. "It was so lovely to have you stay!" She turned to her right and yelled, "Ramesh! Come say hello to your daughter!"

"We only saw her this morning, Harini!" her father called back with an exasperated sigh.

Jehanna smiled at her father as he appeared behind her mother. "Hello, Papa."

"Hello, daughter," he said gruffly for his wife's benefit, but Jehanna could see the twinkle in his eyes as he gazed at the holo-screen. "How goes project: self-preservation?"

"Don't worry, I've been a dutiful daughter and heeded my father's words of wisdom," she said respectfully. "I've begun laying the groundwork by befriending the security teams."

"It's nice someone listens to me around here," he grumbled, throwing his hands up in the air. He walked off, but not before giving Jehanna a surreptitious wave goodbye.

"Oh, don't mind your father," Harini said with a laugh. "He's got a bee in his bonnet again."

"What happened this time?" Jehanna asked, unable to stop herself smiling.

Her mother rolled her eyes. "I was having a lovely chat with our new priest and his charming wife, and I invited them over for dinner next Tuesday. Your father wanted to run a background check on them first... I mean, honestly... he's a priest!"

"Well, if the priest or his wife try anything, at least Papa is loaded for bear," Jehanna said with a grin.

Harini smiled and shook her head. "I'm sure we'll have a pre-dinner briefing to cover all eventualities." She looked at her daughter fondly and added, "I love your father to pieces, but sometimes I pray that you don't follow in my footsteps and marry a military man."

Jehanna kept her expression carefully neutral. "No wedding bells planned just yet, Mama."

Her mother's eyes widened and she darted out of view for a moment, the door to the lounge shutting with a distinctive click. Harini rushed back, her face lighting up with joy. "You've met someone!"

"You're worse than Papa!" Jehanna said with a groan. "Has he been coaching you on interrogation techniques?!"

Harini adopted a mock frown. "Daughter, that's a terrible thing to say. Now, tell me all about your new man! Is he handsome? Is he from a good family? What rank is he? Will he be a good provider? Will it be long before you get married and give me some lovely grandchildren?"

Jehanna blushed, her cheeks reddening.

"You're not pregnant already, are you?!" Harini gasped, her voice treading a fine line between shock and hopefulness.

"Mother!" Jehanna protested indignantly.

Harini frowned at her, looking concerned. "Why didn't you tell me about him yesterday evening? You never said a word."

Jehanna rubbed her hands across her face. "I wanted to, I really did... but it's complicated."

Harini's expression softened and she said quietly, "Jehanna, there's only two things that really matter to me. Does he love you? And is he a good man?"

Looking up to meet her mother's questioning gaze, Jehanna relaxed and smiled. "Yes to both."

***

John carefully placed the completed piece of Crystal Alyssium gun frame next to Dana's workbench, so that she could assemble the new rifle at her leisure. "That's the last of them," he said, turning to smile at the redhead.

She nodded her thanks, then jerked her thumb towards the door, her expression conflicted. "You have a visitor."

He turned around to see Tashana standing there, the Maliri girl having clearly been watching him for some time.

"Hello, John," she said quietly, a host of emotions playing across her beautiful face as she walked towards him.

Wrapping her in his arms, he looked down into her troubled violet eyes. "Alyssa's convinced you this is a good idea... You want me to help..."

"I've spent the last couple of hours discussing it with her and Rachel," she said, an involuntary shiver running down her spine. "I thought it was a horrible idea at first, but now... I'm sure this will help put everything behind me."

"But what if it goes wrong?" John asked, unable to keep the worry from his voice. "You might end up being scared of me... hating me even! I don't want to take that chance!"

"I could never feel that way about you," she said earnestly. Brushing her fingers across her face she continued, "You remember what I looked like... after everything they did to me. You undid all that, made me more beautiful than I was before I was banished to the Unclaimed Wastes." Looking deep into his eyes she continued vehemently, "Now you can undo the worst of their tortures, turn it into something beautiful, just as you did when you healed my face!"

"I just don't know if I can do it..." he faltered, silently pleading with her to change her mind.

"Please, John... I need your help," she whispered, standing on tiptoe to plant a tender kiss on his lips. Pulling free from his embrace she gave him a brave smile. "I'll be waiting for you..."

He watched her turn and walk out, feeling horribly conflicted.

Dana slipped her arm around his waist and leaned her head against his shoulder. "You don't have to do this, John. We tease you and mess around, but everyone knows you're in charge. If you say you don't want to ever talk about this again, that'll be the end of it."

"My Matriarchs are all suspiciously quiet," John said with a snort. "Which I take as their tacit approval of Alyssa's plan. Does anyone else think this is crazy?"

She clasped his hand and squeezed it. "Just me."

He rubbed his thumb against her hand. "Well I trust your judgement, Sparks."

Dana hesitated, then shook her head and murmured quietly, "Please don't."

John looked at her in confusion. "Sorry, honey, you're going to have to explain that one?"

"I think it's a fucked-up idea, but I'm not a super-smart doctor," she replied, letting out a heavy sigh. "I know about guns, and armour, and power cores... But I don't know squat about the way a person's mind works, let alone how to help a deeply traumatised Maliri girl get over the horrific shit that a bunch of sadistic assholes did to her!"

John inhaled deeply, then slowly let out his breath, a resigned expression on his face. "You're right... and I don't know either. Alyssa and Rachel are the experts... I guess I need to trust them."

Dana looked at him with concern. "Just don't take any of this to heart, alright?"

He nodded and glanced back at the block of Crystal Alyssium, then drew off a stream of the glistening white metal. Once he had enough, he left the Engineering Bay with Dana at his side, the redhead watching him curiously. They rose up in the blue anti-grav field, with John carefully shaping the psychically malleable metal into a very specific item, identical to one that he'd created months before. Getting out on Deck Three, they walked down the corridor before entering the equipping room for the dojo.

Dana paused and turned to face him. "Alyssa says she's monitoring Tashana's mind and will be in constant communication with Rachel to make sure it all goes okay. If any of this gets too much, she'll just blanket Tashana's mind in loving thoughts and we'll end it."

John shared an anxious look with her. "Alright, I'll give it a shot."

He opened the door into the dojo, finding the room plunged into an oppressive gloom. The sight that awaited him made his heart lurch, and he stared at the restrained girl with unbridled horror. Tashana was standing on tiptoe, her legs parted and arms held aloft, wrists and ankles shackled with gravity cuffs. Stripped naked, she looked incredibly vulnerable, and he could see by the rapid rise and fall of her blue chest that she was very scared.

Logically, Tashana knew that she wasn't in any danger, but the Maliri girl was exactly re-enacting one of her most terrifying assaults. A Bolon had crept up on her while she was held captive, then psychically ramped up her fear so that the demented creature could savour every second of her terror. It had then proceeded to rape her, slithering up her body and violating the terrified young woman in every way possible. The horrifying finale had been it dividing by mitosis inside her womb, making her think that the sick monster had forcibly impregnated her.

Looking at Tashana restrained like that was like a knife in John's heart; he desperately wanted to rush over to free her, then wrap her up in his arms and keep her safe.

*You could do that,* Alyssa said softly, her voice full of sympathy. *Rachel thinks it'll help. Tashana will experience someone rushing to her rescue and saving her from the assault... something that she was begging for at the time.*

*But you want to go all the way,* he muttered, shaking his head in disbelief. *Actually go through with the ra-*

*No!* Alyssa insisted firmly, cutting him off. *We're going to twist what happened, make this a positive, loving experience for her. This is going to be like the pep-talk you gave me earlier... but a team effort on steroids!*

John's eyes locked on the frightened Maliri girl. *I just hope you know what you're doing...*

*Trust me... I won't let her get hurt,* Alyssa said adamantly.

"I could hear it... out there in the darkness," Tashana whispered, her voice shaking with her fear. "I was exposed, defenceless... and I knew what it was going to do... what they all did to me, over and over again!"

John clenched his teeth and strode across the room.

*John!* Alyssa protested. *Wait!*

*No,* he said, his tone brooking no further argument.

John placed his hand on Tashana's shoulder, making the frightened girl lurch in her restraints, her tautly stretched body twisting as if to escape him.

"Be calm... it's just me," he said, his voice steady and even. "You know I'd never hurt you."

She sagged in the grav-cuffs, her panicked breathing gradually slowing down.

"There you go, good girl," he praised her, gently stroking her shoulder. "I'm watching over you... you're totally safe."

"Thank you," she whispered, leaning into his hand as she finally relaxed.

John stood close, watching her with concern. "I've brought a gift for you, honey. Something to help remind you about your life here with me."

He shook out the sparkling white choker in his hand, a perfect match to the one that her sister owned. Showing it to Tashana over her shoulder, he saw her stare at it with obvious recognition. "Irillith's collar!"

"No, this one's yours," John whispered, leaning down to gently kiss her neck where the chain would lie. "If you want it..."

She turned to look at him, a glimmer of excitement in her violet eyes.

"Before you agree, I want to tell you what it represents," he said, letting the necklace brush over the luscious swells of her cleavage. "This isn't a token to represent your submission to me. That's something that Irillith enjoys; a fun game to give her an excuse to let her repressed sexuality out to play."

"What will it mean for me?" Tashana asked, closing her eyes and concentrating on the cool metal touching her skin.

"It's a reminder of who you have watching over you, protecting you and keeping you safe," he said firmly. "Do you remember what happened when Mikaboshi tried to take Calara from me?"

Her breath caught... and she nodded her understanding. "We tracked him down, killed all his men, destroyed everything he'd worked for over his entire life before Sakura executed him."

"We made him pay..." John agreed, gently stroking her back. "But what happened to Calara? Did he have a chance to hurt her?"

Tashana shook her head, long white hair sweeping across her shoulders. "We were too fast, hit them before they had a chance to react... ripped apart anyone threatening her."

"Would you like that kind of protection?" he whispered in her ear. "Me, Alyssa, Irillith, Dana, Calara, Jade, Rachel, Sakura, Faye... you know we'd do anything to keep you safe from harm."

"I want that so much... I never want to feel this vulnerable again..." she replied in a hushed voice.

John smiled as he carefully clicked the choker closed around her slender blue throat. "Silly girl, you already have all of us watching over you... this is just a reminder."

Tashana let out a laugh as the nervous tension eased from her body. "I'm sorry... I should never have forgotten."

"Have you forgotten your powers as well?" he asked pointedly, trailing his fingers up her arm until he enclosed the cuff and her wrist in his hand. "This is only quad-shaped; why didn't you just melt your way free? You're incredibly powerful now... you shouldn't need reminding about that either. In fact, if someone did try to kidnap you, I'd expect to find you sitting next to their incinerated ashes."

"They would suffer..." she hissed, her eyes glowing with a feral violet light.

John slipped a hand around her waist, holding it flat against her belly. "And who does this gorgeous little tummy belong to?"

"You..." she replied with a breathy sigh.

"That's right," he agreed, stroking her toned muscles. "You, me, Irillith, and Edraele... the four of us all long for the same thing."

She nodded, turning to look at him over her shoulder, a look of desire in her eyes. "Are you going to show me what I'll look like? Fill up my womb so I can feel it?"

John hesitated, wrapping her in his arms. "Do you want to try re-enacting what happened again first, but this time while wearing the collar I gave you?"

It looked like a huge weight had fallen off her shoulders. "I really do! Those memories will never be the same again..."

"If you start to get scared, just think about all of us watching over you to make sure you're safe..." he said, standing in front of her and giving her a tender kiss.

Tashana smiled at him and relaxed, completely at ease. She closed her eyes, letting herself get drawn into the memories as John backed away into the gloom. The Maliri girl started recounting her assault again, but this time her voice was strong and confident, almost as if she longed for a repeat so that she could immolate her attacker and vent her fury on the Bolon's charred husk.

*You were amazing,* Alyssa murmured, finding him in the darkness and wrapping him in a hug.

They listened to Tashana describing the Bolon skulking in the darkness, the way it slithered towards her... a sound effect that Irillith simulated a moment later, having heard the eerie, ominous squelching noises when her sister shared those memories. That noise would have reduced Tashana to a gibbering wreck, knowing that it preceded her horrendous assault, but now she was able to listen dispassionately... aside from the angry flame sprites cavorting over her fingertips.