Three Square Meals Ch. 116
- 35,902 Views
- 49 Favorites
- 30 Comments
- 33,194 Words
- www.literotica.com
Sci-Fi & Fantasy
Eighteen matriarchs sat around the long table in the royal meeting room on Genthalas, the gathered Maliri speaking quietly to one another as they awaited their hostess, the atmosphere tense. When Queen Edraele swept into the room, all conversation ceased, the matriarchs watching her approach the table.
"My sincere apologies for keeping you waiting," Edraele said, inclining her head to the seated women. "Baen'thelas enquired as to the status of our fleet refits and I wanted to finish my update before beginning this meeting, so that I could give you my undivided attention."
"Apology accepted," Meriel Romenor said with an impatient wave. "So how soon will my own fleets be refitted?"
Kali Loraleth frowned in disapproval. "They're all our fleets now, Meriel. We're all working together for the betterment of the Maliri people."
"I was speaking to Edraele, not you. If I wanted the opinion of an impudent child, I would have asked for it!" Meriel snapped, her wizened face twisting into a sneer of derision. "Of course, we just happen to be refitting the fleets by House ranking, which puts all the Valaden and Loraleth ships at the front of the queue! It's fine to spout high-minded words when your fleets have already been upgraded!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Kali said quietly, cringing in the face of the older woman's hostility. "I just meant that we're all supposed to be friends now..."
As the youngest matriarch in the room, by 150 years in some cases, Kali often had to deal with underhanded slights from her elders. However, it was the first time any of them dared do so openly in front of their Queen.
Edraele placed her hand on Kali's bare shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. "That's exactly right, Kali. We're all united under Baen'thelas' banner, working to improve Maliri lives throughout the Protectorate."
Kali brushed a lock of her long white hair away from her youthful face and looked up at Edraele with a grateful smile. The Maliri queen returned it lovingly, then as soon as Kali looked away, she turned to glare on Meriel.
*Apologise to her... now. Unless you'd like to discuss your lack of respect after the meeting?* Edraele said ominously, her purple eyes narrowing in anger.
Meriel froze as she heard Edraele's glacial telepathic voice cut through her mind, the implied threat backed up by over a century of unsurpassed cruelty. "I-I should be the one apologising, Kali," she stammered, tearing her eyes from Edraele's baleful glare. "I'm very sorry for speaking to you in such a disrespectful manner. I-I was just concerned about House Romenor's unguarded border with the Kirrix..."
Kali brightened, a lovely smile lighting up her face. "That's quite alright, I appreciate you must be worried. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that my first fleet has been dispatched to your border just this morning! My second fleet is undergoing the last stages of the refit and will be heading for the Brimorian border in two days' time."
"Thank you," Meriel said, nodding to Kali in gratitude, before darting a worried glance in Edraele's direction.
The Maliri Queen locked eyes with her for a long moment, until Meriel bowed her head and broke eye-contact, then Edraele turned and took her seat at the head of the table. "To summarise the update that I just provided to Baen'thelas: Genthalas is now running at 80% capacity, with more hangars and production facilities being brought online on a daily basis. The slight delay was simply to allow additional time to install Brimorian Shield Generators in every vessel leaving our shipyards. The refit of House Perfaren's two fleets and my third are already well underway, with Houses Aeberos' and Naestina's beginning later this afternoon."
Tsarra, Nyrelle, and Valani all nodded in confirmation, their Fleet Commanders having kept them apprised of their current state of readiness.
Edraele turned to Gaenna Baelora. "House Baelora's ships will be next in line for the refit, so please ensure they are present at Genthalas by the end of the week."
The older matriarch had a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. "I shall contact my daughters and have them dispatch my fleets."
"Very good," Edraele said, before turning to look at the group. "Now, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Baen'thelas will not be travelling directly to Maliri Space, he plans to take a detour via Kirrix territory and will be returning home to us at least a week later."
This announcement was met with groans of anguish, the expression on Emandra Holaris' face making it clear just how much she was anticipating his return. Edraele had immediately informed the Young Matriarchs when John first made the decision, so they only reacted with forlorn looks at their Queen. Kali had taken the news hardest of all, as she was longing for his return, desperate to start a family with him.
"At least a week?" Emandra asked, chewing her lip in frustration. "But he might be even longer?"
"I don't have a precise date, I'm afraid," Edraele admitted with a mournful frown. "He's eager to return to us as soon as possible but he has pressing business to attend to first. I'm well aware that you've been away from home for weeks now, so it might be prudent to return to your homeworlds in the interim to deal with House business. I will inform you of the date he'll be arriving at Genthalas as soon as he lets me know."
The Young Matriarchs darted looks of concern at Edraele, the thought of leaving each other's company not a pleasant one. She knew how close Leena Ghilwen and Tsarra Perfaren had become, their intimacy matched by Nyrelle Aeberos and Valani Naestina.
*Not you, my darlings,* she informed them with a fond smile. *John asked me to protect all of you and the only way I can do that is to keep you at my side for the foreseeable future.*
*Another eight months?* Valani asked, instinctively caressing her flat stomach.
*Oh no, he was thinking considerably longer term than that... centuries at the very least,* the Maliri Queen replied, her reassuring words met with looks of delight.
Gaenna Baelora had been furtively studying Emandra Holaris' pained expression and her eyes flicked to the House Valaden Matriarch. "Edraele, I'd like to speak with you after the meeting please."
Inclining her head, Edraele replied, "Of course." Looking around the group, she continued, "On to the next item I wish to raise with you: my fleets have reached the Ashanath Collective and the Trankaran Republic. Both of our allies have been provided with new technology, so that they can upgrade their forces and assist with the refit of my ships. Additionally, my first fleet has begun the hunt for Kirrix vessels in Trankaran Space and I've received confirmation that the insectoid vermin have commenced a civil war..."
"I know you informed us that Alyssa caused this rift amongst the Kirrix," Keishara Venkalyn murmured, a look of trepidation flickering across her face as she remembered seeing the furious blonde flying after Tashana, eldritch forces curling around her fists. "But to instigate a civil war by thought alone... the sheer power that Terran girl must possess is terrifying!"
Edraele nodded and looked around at the fourteen short-haired matriarchs. "Yes, exactly. If you ladies will indulge me, I would like to offer you some advice. I know that many of you chafe under my leadership and given the opportunity, you would gladly seek to supplant me as Queen at John's side..." She saw a cagey twitch of the lips from more than one of the older women, while the rest were simply better at concealing their emotions.
"Why, whatever do you mean, Edraele?" Emandra asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a coy smile.
The Maliri Queen laughed, a knowing look on her face. "You would never dream of such a thing?"
The House Holaris matriarch smirked. "It never even crossed my mind..."
"Yes, very amusing..." Gaenna Baelora snapped, growing impatient with Emandra's interruption. Staring at Edraele, she continued curtly, "So what's the advice?"
"I would be disappointed if any of you were brazen enough to make an attempt on my life, but hardly surprised given our history. However, do not, under any circumstances, allow the Young Matriarchs to be caught in the crossfire," Edraele said ominously, the room falling into a hushed silence. "I'm sure you've already been informed of this by your spy networks, but if not, I'm telling you now: they are carrying Baen'thelas' heirs..."
The older matriarchs looked at their five younger counterparts with a mix of wariness and shocked fascination, none of them saying a word.
Edraele nodded as that sank in, curious to see which of the matriarchs was genuinely surprised and who was pretending. "For your own sake and the continued existence of your Houses... I urge you not to put these girls at risk. Endangering them would enrage Alyssa... and bring horrific vengeance down upon your heads, the likes of which the Maliri Regency has never before witnessed."
*But I'm not pregnant,* Kali reminded her, her expression turning wistful.
*A mere technicality that we will address the moment John returns,* Edraele replied, sending a loving telepathic caress through the young woman's mind that made Kali sigh in euphoria.
Emandra studied Edraele's flawless skin, her youthful appearance indistinguishable from the nubile Maliri maiden sitting beside her. "And what about you, Edraele?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Edraele shook her head, then a coy smile appeared on her face. "No, I'm not pregnant. At least, not yet..."
"But you're into your one-sixties!" Gaenna protested, looking stunned.
"Chronologically, I'll admit to being 162... but physically? My body has been rejuvenated to that of a 30-year-old, along with the insatiable appetites of the young and the fertility to match," she declared, a gleam in her purple eyes. "Now, I appreciate that many of you are long past your child-bearing years and might no longer be interested in expanding your Houses. However, if that prospect does still hold any appeal..."
She looked around and without exception, all the Maliri in the room were starry-eyed at the mere thought of being intimate with John.
"... then I would strongly recommend staying true to the spirit of our alliance until Baen'thelas returns," she advised them, hoping that would be enough to keep the older matriarchs in line.
*Trouble, Edraele?* John asked, sounding concerned as he felt her worry over their connection.
*Truthfully, the older matriarchs are growing more belligerent,* She admitted with a sigh. *Without the control element of your connection to keep them compliant, they are highly-likely to revert to their original natures the longer you are away. There is a limit to how much authority I can exert over them without having to take... drastic measures.*
*I'm sorry I left you in that position,* John said with regret. *When I return home, I promise we'll find a long-term solution to ensure you can run the Protectorate as effortlessly as possible.*
*Well at the moment, all the older matriarchs are remembering what it was like to be a luscious 30-year-old... But soon they'll be imagining what it would be like to be bedded by you and left with a memento of that loving tryst growing in their wombs,* she purred seductively.
*Edraele...* John said, his voice lowered in warning. *What have you been promising them?*
*I've not made any promises. Have I strongly hinted at intriguing possibilities? Oh yes, absolutely...* Edraele admitted, her tone turning playful. Before he could admonish her, she quickly added, *Don't pretend that the thought of having every matriarch in the Protectorate swelling with your baby isn't one of your naughtiest fantasies. Just imagine all 19 of us looking up at you in adoration as you establish absolute control over the Maliri matriarchy... I've simply laid the foundation, should you choose to indulge your desires.*
John was quiet for a long moment, lost in fantasies of doe-eyed azure beauties.
Looking around at the council of matriarchs, Edraele gave them a warm smile. "That was everything I wished to discuss with you today. Unless any of you would like to raise a topic?" Her gaze swept over each of the Maliri women in turn, giving them an opportunity to speak. When nothing was raised, she concluded, "In that case, thank you for attending, ladies. If you do choose to return to your homeworld until Baen'thelas returns, I wish you a safe and pleasant journey, otherwise you're welcome to remain here as my guests on Genthalas."
The matriarchs nodded but didn't reply, still distracted by their Queen's intriguing proposal.
*You're a very naughty girl, Edraele,* John finally said, trying to downplay his interest.
*Very true... and there are fourteen other equally naughty women here, all waiting to be reformed into benevolent leaders and doting mothers. Just think how much good they'll accomplish when you've shown them the error of their evil ways,* she teased, enjoying hearing John's lustful thoughts and his groan of frustration. *If you ask Irillith and Tashana nicely, I'm sure they'll be happy to roleplay being belligerent matriarchs in desperate need of a firm hand...*
Gaenna Baelora circled the long table and strode purposefully towards the Maliri Queen. "Ready to talk, Edraele?"
"Of course, Gaenna. I hadn't forgotten." Giving her an encouraging smile, Edraele gestured towards the door. "If you'd like to accompany me to my study, we can speak in private."
"Lead on," Gaenna said, her voice gruff as she attempted to hide her excitement.
Edraele exchanged friendly glances with the Young Matriarchs and touched Tsarra Perfaren's hand as she passed the beautiful young woman. "I might be a little late..."
Tsarra gave her an understanding smile, but her dark-green eyes were alight with anticipation. "Take as long as you need, my Queen. I'll wait for you."
With a nod of gratitude, Edraele turned and led the House Baelora matriarch through to her study. Opening the door for her guest, she waited for her to enter then closed it behind them. "Would you care for some refreshments?"
Gaenna shook her head and said bluntly, "Let's just skip the small talk, I haven't the stomach for it. I want exactly the same deal you offered Emandra Holaris."
"Are you also proposing a trade of Holaris wines?" Edraele replied with a teasing smile. "As I seem to recall, exotic vintages are Emandra's House speciality, not yours..."
The older woman barked a grating laugh. "So that's what Emandra offered you for a chance at immortality? I thought that miserly bitch would rather sell her own soul than trade her precious House Holaris wines!"
Edraele studied the matriarch and said quietly, "The deal we made was for the restoration of her youth, not to grant her immortality."
"What about carrying one of Baen'thelas' heirs?" Gaenna asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.
Walking over to the coffee table, the Maliri Queen raised the decanter and filled a tall glass with a ruby-red liquid. "John is not a border male offering stud services to the highest bidder," she said, sipping her drink and gazing at the other woman over the rim of her glass. "He is very selective about the women he takes to his bed... and the mothers of his children are chosen with even greater care."
Gaenna's brow furrowed in confusion. "I've been researching all the old stories about Mael'nerak and it didn't sound like he was ever that discerning over who he got pregnant. Why does Baen'thelas care? After the deed is done, he'd play no further part..."
Edraele sat down on the chaise longue and patted the seat beside her. "Sit with me a moment and I will do my best to explain."
The House Baelora matriarch huffed an exasperated sigh, but crossed the room and sat next to Edraele. "Alright, go ahead."
"Do you remember the evening when you allied yourself with Baen'thelas and earned your white hair?" Edraele asked, casually toying with a tendril of her own snowy-white mane.
A flush of indigo coloured Gaenna's face. "Fragments... yes."
"If we come to some amicable arrangement and John agrees to restore your youth, he'll need to devote some time to... feeding you... repeatedly. You wouldn't be sharing him though, it would be just you and John, with all his attention focused on you alone."
The bloom in Gaenna's cheeks darkened. "That sounds acceptable," she said in a rush.
Edraele gave her a knowing smile and nodded. "I'm sure it does. However, John likes to build a great degree of intimacy with his partners... he isn't the kind of man to have a casual dalliance with a woman then discard her. For that same reason, he wants to be actively involved with his women in the upbringing of his children."
Gaenna blinked in shock, then looked at her Queen incredulously. "Why would he want to do that?!"
"He was raised in the Terran Federation," Edraele explained with a fond smile. "I'm sure you've seen the barrage of entertainment the Terrans have been broadcasting for centuries... That's not all fiction, they truly believe in pair-bonding and raising their progeny as a couple."
Her fellow Maliri shuddered, then shook her head in disbelief. "Having a man constantly underfoot? Are Terran females insane?!"
Edraele raised an eyebrow. "You'd find it objectionable to have a man on-hand... whenever you wanted him?"
Gaenna paused, a thoughtful look appearing on her face. "Perhaps Terran females are considerably wiser than I thought." Her eyes locked on her fellow Matriarch. "So that is the only point of contention? That John would wish to help raise any offspring from our union?"
Hesitating for a moment, Edraele slowly shook her head and placed her glass on the table. "I wish that it were so simple. He has concerns about being able to devote enough time to each child, having committed to fathering children with over 20 women already. In all likelihood, he would decline a request to sire a baby with you... at least for the time being. My advice would be to wait a few decades until his firstborn have matured into adults; he would be much more amenable to fathering a child with you at that point."
Gaenna nodded, grateful for what she could tell was honest advice. "Thank you, Edraele. A couple of decades would pass in the blink of an eye... and adding Baen'thelas' bloodline to my House would be worth nearly any wait." Leaning forward on the sofa, she continued with an air of desperation, "But what of being able to restore my youth? I'm 236, Edraele... I can feel the inexorable approach of my mortality."
"John wishes to increase trade between the Maliri and our neighbours," Edraele replied, carefully studying the jittery matriarch. "Wines were House Holaris' speciality, but if you were to-"
"You can have it!" Gaenna blurted out, interrupting her Queen. "Exclusive trade rights to all the Vrysandral spice that House Baelora can harvest!"
Edraele smiled and clasped one of her guest's hands in hers. "An exceedingly generous offer and one that you can discuss in person with Baen'thelas as soon as he returns."
"Will it be enough do you think?" Gaenna asked in a hushed voice, revealing an uncharacteristically vulnerable side to her caustic personality.
"I can't speak for John in such a personal matter, but I should think so," Edraele said, giving Gaenna a reassuring smile.
The House Baelora matriarch sagged with relief.
Edraele watched her reaction, then quietly continued, "To give you fair warning though, the kind of... connection... you'll develop by being with John that intimately, will have a dramatic impact on your personality as well your body."
"What do you mean?" the older woman asked, listening attentively.
Edraele gave her hand a gentle squeeze then gestured to herself. "Take me as an example, I began a relationship with Baen'thelas only a few months ago. Now, you and I have been... acquaintances... for over a century. Would you say that I'm still the same woman you've always known?"
Gaenna went very quiet, studying her perceptively. "No, of course not; your outward manner is nothing alike. You're almost maternal with the Young Matriarchs and you've been... pleasant... with the rest of us, something I never thought you even capable of." Her gold-flecked magenta eyes narrowed as she continued, "But I've seen flickers of your old strength lurking behind this facade. You might have fooled the others, but the force of will that always drove you is still there... and more potent than ever."
"It's not a facade," Edraele quickly replied, surprised but intrigued by Gaenna's impression of her.
Gaenna's expression twisted into a cynical sneer. "Oh, come now, Edraele! I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears girl like Kali. You can't honestly expect me to believe this benevolent act is actually genuine?!"
Staring directly into the other woman's eyes, Edraele quietly repeated her earlier words, "Being intimate with John will have an impact on your personality as well your body."
"You're actually serious!" Gaenna blurted out in shock.
"I wouldn't joke with you about this," Edraele said firmly, shaking her head. "You must have seen the recordings of Baen'thelas in action against the Kirrix and the Kintark, so you know how powerful he is. We're like putty in his hands, Gaenna. He can give you back those last 200 years in a matter of days, but you'll also be a kinder, more compassionate woman at the end of the process."
She squinted at the Maliri Queen suspiciously. "Why are you telling me this? Surely Baen'thelas could just change me in the way you're implying without my even being aware?"
"He would never allow you to make that choice without being fully informed of the consequences." A disarming smile appeared on Edraele's beautiful face as she added, "Besides, for all I know, you might really like being a callous bitch..."
Gaenna stared at her for a second then laughed for the first time that afternoon. "It's certainly been effective for keeping fractious daughters in line." Her smile faded as she looked at Edraele with fresh eyes. "You've given me a lot to think about today. Thank you for being so forthcoming."
Edraele held the other woman's hands and said softly, "There's one last thing I'd like to say before we part company." She took a deep breath, then continued, "I used to scoff at the very idea of love and friendship, consumed as I was by the relentless pursuit of power. It turned me into a hollowed-out shell of a woman; bitter, angry, cruel, and so very lonely. I couldn't go back to that terrible existence now, the very thought of it makes my skin crawl with revulsion. Baen'thelas delivered me from that nightmare and I'll be eternally grateful to him for doing so. I'm happy now, Gaenna... and you could be too."
Shaken by Edraele's sincerity, Gaenna could only manage a wide-eyed nod.
They rose from the sofa and Edraele led the stunned matriarch to the study door, wishing her well as she departed. Closing the door behind her guest, the Maliri Queen leaned against the wall and exhaled deeply, feeling mentally drained after the intense conversation.
*Are you alright, Edraele?* John asked with concern. *You feel pretty tense...*
*Sorry to disturb you, John, it wasn't intentional,* Edraele replied, chastising herself for accidentally sharing her emotional state with him. *I just had an interesting conversation with Gaenna Baelora, discussing the possibility of us acquiring trade distribution rights for Vrysandral Spice.*
*Let me guess... she wants to relive her youth?* John asked, a pensive note to his voice.
Edraele walked over to the crystal windows lining her study wall, where she gazed out over the gleaming spires and crystal domes of Genthalas shipyard. *The Maliri are a long-lived species by Terran standards, but we are far from immortal. A girl becomes a woman at 30, then we stay in excellent health until we reach the end of our third century, at which point we face a rapid decline as age finally takes its toll. Gaenna is 236 and has started to feel death's shadow falling over her.*
The Maliri Queen watched a trio of sleek, golden-hulled House Loraleth cruisers slowly emerge from three of Genthalas' yawning docking bays. The colossal ring-shaped space station had hundreds of identical hangars lining its vast interior wall, the majority of which were now being used for the sole purpose of upgrading Maliri spacecraft with all the new technology John had acquired. The cruisers made good use of their newly enhanced retro-thrusters and engines, pulling away from the drydock with fluid grace and closing into formation as they returned to their fleet. On their way, they passed three House Perfaren vessels awaiting their turn to be refitted, those ships appearing to move in slow motion by comparison.
A mere 6 months earlier, the sight of House Loraleth and House Perfaren warships in orbit around Genthalas would have filled Edraele with dread. The second and third ranked Maliri Houses had long been her deadliest of enemies, so the presence of their fleets deep in House Valaden territory would have heralded her imminent and grisly death. Now the sight filled her with joy, with Kali and Tsarra integral members of her close circle of friends, lovers, and stalwart allies.
*What's Gaenna like?* John asked after a lengthy pause, sounding troubled. *Is she as bad as Emandra Holaris?*
*She's a malevolent despot. During her 150 year reign as Matriarch of House Baelora, thousands of Maliri have been executed or assassinated on her orders,* Edraele said, leaning her head against the clear crystal. *But she's a matriarch, John. To attain that title and survive for any length of time in Maliri society, meant a long and bloody history of cruelty and slaughter.*
John sighed as he said, *To give Gaenna back her youth feels like I'd be rewarding a monster.*
Edraele sent him a sympathetic smile. *I'm afraid there's no easy options here, John. You could choose to rejuvenate the existing matriarchs, but you'll need to make dramatic modifications to their personalities, which I know you're uncomfortable with. Morally, the simpler choice would be to select one of their daughters to take their place, much as I did with the Young Matriarchs.* Before he could object, she quickly added, *No, I'm not suggesting you murder the existing matriarchs, but convincing them to peacefully abdicate will not be easy by any means, even for you.*
*What about letting Gaenna stay in power until she dies of old age?* John suggested, trying to find an alternate solution.
Shaking her head, Edraele turned away from the view of Genthalas. *While that decision might seem to be a reasonable one, remember that Gaenna rules over millions of Maliri in House Baelora. Those people will not see any real improvement to their lives until she is dealt with one way or another.*
John went quiet for a long moment as he mulled that over. *What would you do, Edraele?*
She smiled wryly to herself. *We already know the answer to that question, my Lord.*
His dry chuckle echoed through her mind. *Alright... let me rephrase that. What would you do if you were in my position?*
Edraele picked up her glass and took a sip of the rich crimson liquid. *If you'll indulge me, I'd like to ask you a question instead.*
*Fire away.*
*Which do you consider more important? Punishing the existing matriarchs for their long histories of dark deeds, or taking advantage of their extensive leadership experience?* She gave him a moment to consider that before continuing, *Every single one of the remaining 14 matriarchs has ruled their house for over a century; they have all the necessary skills to rapidly implement the changes to Maliri society that you want to make. If you were to give them the right outlook, they could transform the lives of the people under their rule with minimal supervision from either of us.*
*But wouldn't I be punishing them anyway if I radically reshape their personalities?* John asked. *I've spent months trying to convince you and Irillith that you're not the same people since I changed you both. Using that same logic, wouldn't I be effectively eliminating the old matriarchs if I alter their personalities and turn them into nice people?*
*Perhaps we've stumbled across an ideal solution,* Edraele mused, toying with the glass before leaving it on the table. *You can punish the matriarchs by wiping out their old personalities, while simultaneously retaining their experience to better the lives of their people.*
*But that doesn't address the morality of me quite deliberately reshaping them into completely different women,* John said in frustration.
*Unless they asked you to do so,* Edraele said quietly. *Take it from someone who knows; fear of your own mortality is a very powerful motivator. If you'd been present for my meeting with Gaenna, it wouldn't have surprised me if she dropped to her knees and begged you to make whatever changes you like in exchange for a new lease of life.*
She could sense his reluctance over their connection as John said, *You're suggesting I exploit their fear of death to manipulate the matriarchs into becoming benevolent rulers? I'm not sure I'm particularly comfortable with that.*
*Punishment, utilitarianism, and compassion all in one elegant solution,* Edraele gently teased him. Her tone turned sombre as she continued, *Unfortunately, the morally unambiguous choice risks political upheaval and the possibility of hardship for millions of Maliri. I wish there was a perfect alternative, but whatever choice you make will have drawbacks and consequences.*
*Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown...* John muttered. *I had no idea how true that expression was.*
*These choices might be difficult, but I believe that's a good thing,* she said quietly. *If making decisions like this ever becomes easy, that might be the time to start worrying.*
Edraele listened to John's thoughts, his troubled mind eventually settling.
*I'm glad we spoke about the matriarchs,* he said with gratitude. *You've given me some difficult things to think about, but I've got some time to make a decision before I return to Maliri Space.*
*I'm delighted to hear it was a productive discussion. Would you like me to make similar overtures to the rest of the matriarchs?* she asked, sensing that the conversation was over. *I won't make any promises on your behalf.*
*Yes please. I think you're right about dealing with this now rather than dragging it out for years; we'll resolve the problem as soon as I get back to Genthalas. Whether we keep the old matriarchs or replace them, I want to make sure the Protectorate is stable for centuries to come...*
Edraele felt her heart lurch in her chest as she understood perfectly well what he was implying. The only way the Protectorate could possibly be unstable is if he was no longer there to rule it... but the thought of losing John and living centuries without him was too agonising for words. Thoughts of a distraught and bitter Valada flashed through her mind, Mael'nerak's matriarch never really recovering after he cast her aside. Edraele clamped down on her connection to John to make sure he couldn't feel her anguish, not wanting to upset him too.
Alyssa's soothing voice swept through her mind an instant later. *Don't think about it, Edraele.* The blonde's words carried a tense undercurrent, but the Maliri Queen was oblivious to that as she tried to calm herself. *Just focus on enjoying John's retirement on Valaden; he's holding you in his arms and caressing your pregnant belly, whispering how much he loves you...*
Taking a deep breath, Edraele leaned heavily against the doorframe and managed to slow her pounding heartbeat. *Thank you...*
*You're welcome,* the blonde replied with sympathy, then quickly changed the subject. *So... bonding with Tsarra... it's about time!*
Edraele blushed as she left the study. *Truthfully, it slipped my mind. Tsarra joined us later than the Young Matriarchs, so I always planned to give her more time to settle in... but you know how easy it is to get distracted by events.*
*Tell me about it!* Alyssa said with a groan. *It feels like I haven't been able to even catch my breath for weeks! The Brimorians, the Vulkat, rushing back to Terra, taking out the Kintark armada, rescuing Jehanna, dealing with the Kirrix... my head's in a spin!*
*I honestly don't know how you keep on top of everything,* Edraele said with admiration, as she walked along the corridor through her suite.
*My life's so much easier than yours, that's why,* Alyssa objected. *You've got all your girls to worry about, but you're also trying to prepare the Maliri Protectorate for war and keep it from falling apart. How you keep your patience dealing with all those snippy old bitches in the matriarch council I've no idea! All I have to do is look after John, take care of my girls, and deal with any bad guys that get in our way. Besides, I've got Jade helping out now too.*
A coy smile appeared on Edraele's face. *Perhaps we should hold our own council of matriarchs when you come home?*
*Mmm, now you're talking...* Alyssa purred, sending a sultry caress through the Maliri's mind that made her nipples tingle. There was a momentary pause, then Alyssa added, *And Jade can't wait! She thinks it's an amazing idea.*
Edraele paused by her bedroom door. *Thank you, Alyssa.*
*No problem.* The blonde blew her a loving telepathic kiss. *You were wrong earlier by the way; you should have warned the matriarchs that if anyone comes after you, they'll have to deal with me...*
The Maliri Queen smiled, savouring the feelings of camaraderie as she glanced at the optical sensors built into the door. It slid open without further prompting and she entered her bedroom, finding Tsarra Perfaren and Leena Ghilwen lying on the bed engrossed in conversation. They looked up and greeted their matriarch with warm smiles.
"I'm sorry for the delay," Edraele apologised as the two young women sat up. "Thank you for keeping Tsarra company, Leena."
"It was my pleasure," the House Ghilwen Matriarch replied. The lovers shared an affectionate look, light and dark green eyes connecting for a brief moment as they unclasped their hands. After giving Tsarra a quick kiss goodbye, Leena slid off the bed. "I'll leave you two to talk. We'll prepare dinner for you later."
Tsarra made no attempt to move from the bed, watching Leena enjoy a fleeting hug with Edraele before she left the room. "Alyssa said you had a tough afternoon," she said with sympathy, patting the bed beside her in invitation.
Edraele looked at her in surprise, then smiled wryly as she sat. "I wasn't expecting Alyssa to contact you directly; I rarely speak to her girls that way."
Moving behind Edraele, Tsarra began to gently massage the Maliri Queen's shoulders. "Would you like to postpone our... union... until tomorrow? I'm sure Luna would be eager to help relax you."
After closing her eyes in bliss, Edraele shook her head. "No, I've put this off for too long already."
Tsarra leaned in and kissed her matriarch's earlobe, then whispered, "Shall we do this clothed or naked?"
Edraele turned to look at the beautiful young woman over her shoulder, the playful smile teasing her lips reflected in her purple eyes. They both quickly removed their long dresses, then slipped under the covers so they were lying facing one another. Placing a hand on Tsarra's hip, Edraele stroked her flawless blue skin, enjoying the pleasant feeling of that silky softness under her fingertips. She followed the contours of Tsarra's body until she was caressing her toned stomach, her breath catching as she thought about the life growing within the young woman... John's first child.
"Have you been experiencing any sickness or discomfort?" Edraele asked, reverently stroking her.
Shaking her head, Tsarra traced a circle on her own midriff, a beatific smile on her face. "No, nothing like that, quite the opposite in fact. I've been feeling elated ever since I was with John... although I can still barely believe that I'm pregnant, let alone that Baen'thelas chose me to be his first!"
"John fell for you as soon as you started spending time together; I know he greatly admires your intelligence and spirit," Edraele said, gazing into her eyes. "I never doubted for a moment that we made the right choice in asking you to join the Young Matriarchs."
Wriggling closer, Tsarra slipped an arm around the Maliri Queen. "I'm so grateful that you invited me into your inner circle. I've never been this happy before, Edraele. I didn't think it was even possible to feel this way."
Edraele felt Tsarra's mental defences falling away as the young woman opened her mind to her matriarch. The connection felt warm and welcoming, like a natural extension of the trust and friendship that had bloomed between them. Edraele could have begun the bond there and then, but held back for a moment, Tsarra looking at her quizzically as she felt it too.
*You're such a wonderful girl, Tsarra,* Edraele said sincerely, hugging her tight. *You've fit in so well with the Young Matriarchs. I've grown to care about you just as much as I love them.*
*I can feel it!* Tsarra gasped, pulling back to stare at her matriarch in astonishment. Her startled gaze softened, tears filling her eyes. *Oh, thank you, Edraele! Thank you so much!*
With a sigh of delight, Edraele felt those feelings being reciprocated, their minds enveloping and merging with one another. It took a huge amount of trust to lay yourself bare to another person like that, but in the sharing they both grew stronger, fortified by the knowledge that they were loved and accepted without reservation. Edraele had bonded like this with her assassins and the rest of the Young Matriarchs, but the difference this time was that Tsarra was already pregnant and head-over-heels in love with John. A tidal wave of euphoria crashed over Edraele and she gasped in ecstasy as she was swept away in that sea of bliss.
***
Faye walked along the corridor and smiled as she passed Perl's room, hearing a faint gasp, quickly followed by giggles. For the last several hours, Kelli and Perl had been teaching their enthusiastic students everything they'd learned about how to please a man in the bedroom, their lessons proving equally fascinating to the curious sprite. Unfortunately, Faye Primary had no spare avatars to monitor the video feed, as they were all busy supervising the maintenance bots. She was limited to taking brief peeks, but as soon as the Valia Gate colonists had all been treated for Kirrix egg infestation, Faye was determined to give the recordings the meticulous scrutiny they deserved.
Stopping outside the door to Tony's quarters, she hesitated for a moment, unsure of the correct etiquette in this situation. Faye knew the ganger was distraught after hearing of the Karron colonists' tragic fate, but dealing with someone suffering from loss was somewhat outside her area of expertise. Following Dana's advice to Kelli, she had left Tony alone for a few hours, but he was still upset and she wanted to try to help.
Raising her tiny hand, she considered knocking on the door, the way Kelli and Perl had the previous evening. Remembering Tony's reluctance to talk to them, she shrugged and opened the door with a blink. Padding inside, her luminous eyes flicked to the large Terran, who sat slumped in a chair, his head in his hands.
"Hello Tony," she said softly, walking over to the grieving man. "I saw how upset you were when you left Perl's room... I wanted to check you were alright."
He turned away. "I just wanna be alone."
"Are you sure?" she asked, kneeling beside him. "From what I've observed, talking about feelings of grief and loss is an important part of the healing process. However, if you'd prefer to speak to Kelli and Perl instead, I understand and I'll leave you in peace."
Tony glanced her way, a haunted look in his eyes. "I can't... they'll think I'm a total asshole."
She patted his hand. "In that case, perhaps it'd be helpful to speak with a sympathetic stranger?"
Looking at her again, his gaze swept over the cheerful bright-eyed girl. "You wouldn't understand..."
"Probably not," she agreed with an encouraging smile. "But I've been told I'm a very good listener."
Tony thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, just forget it..."
Faye studied him quietly, noting his obvious distress with concern. "Maybe you'd find it easier to trust me if I shared something personal with you first? I've got a secret I'm willing to share, if you promise you'll talk to me afterwards?"
"Why do women have to talk about every goddamn thing?!" Tony exclaimed in exasperation. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Alright, what's the big secret?"
She nibbled nervously at her lip, looking up at him with her big luminous eyes. "You promise you won't get frightened?"
He snorted an incredulous laugh as he looked at the chirpy purple sprite. "Yeah... I promise."
Faye leaned in closer and whispered, "I'm actually a robot!"
Tony stared at her in surprise for a moment, then scoffed, "Yeah, sure you are."
She grinned at him and shifted position to sit on her bottom. Raising a slender purple leg in the air, Faye tapped a point behind her knee and her calf flipped open, revealing circuitry and power cables connected to the anti-gravity generator built into her lower leg.
"What the fuck?!" Tony blurted out, stumbling backwards out of the chair and staring at her exposed limb in shock. Looking unsettled, he stammered, "Alright, so you've got some kinda... fancy bionic leg... but that don't prove you're a robot!"
Faye closed the panel and smiled as she placed her hands below her ears. "I can remove my head if you like?"
He gave her a wild-eyed look and frantically waved at her to stop. "No, don't! I believe you!"
When she lowered her hands, he peered at her warily, as if searching for more hidden panels. The purple sprite spread her arms and slowly twisted from side to side so he could satisfy his curiosity.
"You look totally real," he marvelled, shaking his head. "I thought you'd just had a derma-dyejob to be all purple like that..."
Faye shook her head, then folded her hands in her lap and looked at him expectantly. "Now, I believe we had a deal? You promised not to be frightened and that you'd talk to me after I told you my secret. In exchange, I promise I'll treat anything you tell me with the utmost discretion." Seeing he was still torn, she reached out to gently stroke his hand. Tony flinched but didn't pull away, the big ganger relaxing as her soft fingertips brushed over his skin. "You can tell me anything, Tony. Nothing will shock me and I won't judge you."
He stared at her for a moment, then sat down again, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "They're all gone... all the gang... everyone I ever knew..."
She nodded her understanding, a forlorn look on her face. "I'm so sorry..."
Tony acknowledged her sympathy with a half-hearted nod. "But that's not the worst part... when the bugs hit our base, I-I..." he faltered, swallowing thickly. "Some of those guys were like my brothers... I'd known 'em for most of my life..."
Faye clasped his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
He shook her off and curled in on himself, holding his head in his hands. "Bob... he begged me to help him. But I just ran... left him to get fucked by some fucking bug! He brought me into the Diablos... saved my life a shitload of times... but I just left him there. I couldn't handle it... I didn't wanna get raped by some goddamn monster, so I ran off like a pussy... and now he's dead... they all are..."
Raising herself up, Faye put her arms around him and gently stroked his back. It was just a simple gesture of comfort, but there was no judgement there, only sympathy. Tony's shoulders began to shake as he let go of the guilt that had been torturing him for days. Clinging to Faye he cried for his friends, the blood-brothers that he'd deserted when they needed him most.
"It must be awful losing all your friends like this, I can't begin to imagine what you're going through." Letting his grief play out, Faye finally sat back and looked up into his reddened eyes. "But I hope you realise that there was nothing you could have done to save them."
Tony let out a heavy sigh and brushed his hand across his face. "Yeah, I guess..."
"What you're feeling is called survivor's guilt," she said gently, stroking his arm. "A company of Terran Federation troops would have struggled to defend that colony against such a large Kirrix force, so lightly-armed civilians had no chance at all. There were over 13,000 people living in Karron but only three of you managed to survive the invasion... and from what I've heard, Perl and Kelli only made it because you took them with you and kept them safe. Please don't punish yourself, you didn't do anything wrong."
"What are you? A robot shrink?" he asked with a wan smile.
Faye held her arms out stiff and jerked from side to side as she said in an emotionless monotone, "Tell me about your mo-ther."
He couldn't help laughing at her impression of a robot and they shared a smile as Faye returned to normal. "That was good, thanks for the laugh."
She patted him on the knee. "You're welcome." Studying him for a moment, she asked gently, "Was what I said helpful?"
Tony nodded, giving her a rueful frown. "Yeah, I guess you were right earlier... we never really had a chance. The bugs busted through our defences and just started shootin' everybody. If I'd gone back for Bob, I guess I woulda just got shot too... but I still feel like a shitheel for runnin'."
"You mentioned that Bob had already been shot. If you had gone back, could you have helped him escape too?" she pressed, studying his face.
It only took Tony a few seconds to shake his head. "The poor bastard could barely move. I got shot in the back later on and I know how much that fucking hurt. Me, Kelli, and Perl had to walk all day to get to the deep mines... there's no way he coulda made it." Looking more at ease now, he gave the purple sprite a look of gratitude. "There really wasn't anythin' else I coulda done, was there?"
"I don't think so, not from the way you described the attack. That you managed to help Kelli and Perl escape with you was remarkable," Faye said, looking at him with admiration. She raised an eyebrow and added, "They're very beautiful girls... is that why you rescued them?"
He frowned and shook his head. "It wasn't like that! I was scared shitless... I wasn't thinkin' with my dick!"
"I didn't think so, but it's important you recognise that too," Faye said, clasping his hand again. "You had nothing to gain from helping either of them, but you did anyway, even though doing so put you at risk. If you'd been in a position to help Bob or any of your friends, I believe you would have... but you instinctively knew you couldn't save them. If you had tried, you would have been shot and captured... which would have resulted in Kelli and Perl also being raped and killed."
Tony grimaced at the thought, then nodded as that sank in.
"They're really fond of you, Tony," she said with a warm smile. "And I can see you feel the same way about them as well."
He smiled self-consciously. "Yeah, we got close, runnin' from the bugs." His smile faltered and he gave her an anxious look. "Faye... what the fuck am I gonna do? They wanna start a new life with me, going straight and shit... but I've got no education, no skills..."
Faye tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "You're worried about being able to provide for them?"
He sighed, looking depressed as he nodded. "Yeah... and who's gonna employ some asshole ex-ganger? I could maybe get some lame manual job, but I won't be able to hack that shit for more than a few weeks..."
"What about the credits the girls stole from the Diablos' vault?" she asked, studying his reaction to that idea.
Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, no way. They earned that being owned by Pitbull and putting up with his crazy shit for years. Anyway, that cash is gonna run out eventually and then what?" He clenched his jaw and said through gritted teeth, "I'm gonna end up doing shady shit again, or they go back to bein' whores... and there's no fuckin' way I'll let that happen!"
Faye nodded with sympathy, but inside her, processing streams were whirling through hundreds of possibilities. Rising to her feet, she leaned over to give him an affectionate peck on the cheek. "Perl and Kelli were right. You are a good man, Tony."
He snorted, but managed a forlorn smile. "Nah, but I'm tryin' to be."
She returned the smile, then gave him an apologetic frown. "I'm afraid I have to leave for a while. I have some important matters to attend to, but I'll be back a bit later to bring you some dinner. I hope you can forgive me for badgering you into talking about this, it seemed like you really needed someone to confide in."
Tony stood as well and shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Talkin' about all that shit was good; I'll figure somethin' out for me and the girls," He paused, blinking in surprise then looking at her askew. "It's so fuckin' weird you're a robot... I totally forgot there for a minute."
Faye held her arms stiffly again and said in a monotone, "Your counselling session is now over. You are cured. You will be billed automatically for your use of robo-shrink."
He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I shoulda known that was comin'."
She gave him a cheeky grin, delighted to see how much happier he seemed, then waved goodbye as she bounced out of the bedroom.
***
Alyssa stretched on the bed, savouring the delicious ache after using her muscles in new and intriguing ways. "I can't wait to try this on John..."
Perl brushed her fingers along the blonde's magnificently sculpted thigh. "It took me and Kelli years to train our bodies to do that. I can't believe how fast you picked it up."
"We're highly-motivated," Alyssa said with a coy smile. She affectionately hugged her petite bedmate. "And we had excellent teachers."
Kelli glanced at the door and nibbled at her bottom lip. "We should probably go check on Tony... I'm worried about him."
Faye appeared beside her on the bed in a purple flash. Her holographic wings thrummed in the air as she quickly said, "I had a long chat with Tony earlier and he's calmed down now. I wanted to make sure you were all well-fed before you depart, so I just brought him dinner... would you like me to bring you some food too?"
"That would be awesome! Thanks, Faye," Kelli replied with a grateful smile.
"Please can you bring their dinner to the Commander's Quarters?" Alyssa requested, catching the sprite's eye. She turned to look at Dana and continued, "I thought it might be nice if we all shower together and there's so much more space up in our bathroom. Could you take them up there please? I'd like a quick word with Faye, but I'll be along in a minute."
Dana grinned and sprang off the bed. "Sure! If you two would care to follow me..."
Alyssa watched them leave, then turned to smile at Faye.
***
Dana activated the huge shower and hot water sprayed over the three girls, making her petite guests coo in bliss.
"This place is amazing," Kelli gushed, running water through her long brown hair.
Dana collected some shampoo from the dispenser and massaged it into the brunette's scalp, making her groan in ecstasy. "Home sweet home..."
Perl sighed with delight as the water soothed her muscles. "Nothing beats a good shower after fucking..."
"We're in here a lot," the redhead admitted with a wink, making the two girls giggle.
"Hello, ladies," Alyssa said, greeting the threesome with a smile as she entered the shower. She stepped behind Perl and began conditioning her blonde hair.
Dana gently squeezed Kelli's shoulder. "There, you're all done."
The brunette turned to give her a grateful smile, but Kelli couldn't take her eyes off Dana's spectacular figure as rivulets of water ran between the redhead's impressive cleavage. "I should get my head examined. I can't believe I'm actually going to turn down all this..."
"It's not too late to change your mind," Alyssa purred, rinsing off Perl's hair.
Dana rolled her eyes at her friend. "You've got a one-track mind. They're giving up a lot because they love the guy, don't make it any harder."
Alyssa pouted, then wrapped her arms around Perl. "I can't help it... they're such sexy little girls."
The petite blonde giggled and leaned back into her embrace.
Kelli bit her lip and caught Dana's eye. "Sparks, would you let me wash you?"
"Sure," the redhead replied with a look of understanding. She broke into a grin and added, "You've already explored me inside, you might as well get familiar with the outside too."
The brunette gave her a coy smile, then began gently washing the taller girl's body, her delicate hands following Dana's curves. She cupped both breasts, testing the weight and exquisite firmness, not a hint of sag to be found anywhere on her glorious figure.
Shaking her head, Kelli marvelled, "You've got the hottest body I've ever seen..."
"I've got a lot to be grateful for," Dana agreed with a wistful smile. She closed her eyes and let her shower companion have free reign with her body, tactile fingers stroking and caressing every inch of her skin. When the brunette had finished, Dana reopened her eyes and looked at her under long lashes. "Thanks for this afternoon. I know you two think we're crazy for giving you so much money, but I learned a lot... and if I can make John smile, it'll be worth every credit."
"You've got it bad," Kelli said with an affectionate smile. "I never would've thought I'd see the day that Sparks was all loved up."
Dana's expression flickered, the gorgeous redhead looking hurt as she self-consciously brought her hand to a cheek.
Quickly shaking her head, Kelli leaned in to give her a kiss. "Not because of the scar! Because you always seemed to love machines more than guys."
The redhead wrapped the brunette in a fierce hug. "Thank you."
They shared an affectionate embrace, then the foursome took their time relaxing under the water. After finishing in the shower, they dried off and returned to the bedroom.
Faye was sitting on the end of the bed next to two covered plates and a pair of suitcases. She greeted them with a friendly smile. "Hey everyone!" She glanced at Alyssa and patted the cases. "All done."
"Thanks, Faye," the blonde said, walking over to the bed and flipping open the lid of the closest suitcase.
The purple sprite gave Kelli and Perl a quick hug. "I'll tell Tony you're nearly ready to leave. Enjoy your dinner, but no sneaking away without saying goodbye!"
They assured her they wouldn't and watched Faye leave, before turning to face Alyssa again.
She glanced into the case, showing them the piles of neatly folded clothing. "I stocked up on clothes in your size a few months ago, just in case John wanted to recruit any more petite girls. I asked Faye to give you enough outfits to tide you over until you can go shopping."
Kelli ran her fingers over the soft cotton. "That's amazing, thank you!"
Alyssa smiled as she walked over to the holo-projector built into the bed. She swiped her hand across the interface, glanced through the details on Faye's message, then clicked on the link. "There you go," she said, displaying the banking information on the large holographic panel. "100,000 credits each as promised."
Perl and Kelli stared at the holo-screen, disbelief and wonder warring in their eyes.
Alyssa gave them a moment to mentally adjust to their newfound wealth, then gently clasped their hands. "I know you've made up your minds, so I'm not going to try to convince you stay. I just want to say one last thing: if your relationship with Tony goes bad and you do have a change of heart, don't hesitate to call me."
"Same if you get in any trouble," Dana interjected, slipping an arm around their waists. "Get in touch and we'll come running!"
"We're usually rushing around the galaxy, but we'll help as soon as we can," Alyssa agreed.
Perl welled up, overcome with gratitude. "Why are you being so nice to us?" she asked, hugging the athletic blonde.
"We're the only ones that survived Karron, so that kind of makes us like family," Alyssa murmured, gently stroking her back. "Me and Sparks were orphans, so that means a lot to us. You're basically like my... cousin..."
The petite girl pulled back a little, smiling through her tears as she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds really nice. My cousin the Lioness."
"Kissing cousins," Alyssa said with a flirtatious twinkle in her cerulean eyes.
Perl laughed and flashed a sultry smile back. "Plus a whole lot more..."
Alyssa reluctantly separated from her and glanced at the covered plates. "You better get dressed and eat your dinner before it gets cold."
Kelli and Perl turned to their suitcases and searched through the clothes to pick an outfit. Alyssa gave them a lingering look, then headed into the walk-in-wardrobe.
*What's up with you?* Dana asked, looking quizzically at the blonde as she followed her inside. *You keep looking at them funny... it's like you're desperate for them to stay.*
Alyssa paused by the clothes rails, her expression heavily conflicted. *I asked Rachel to do a DNA test this morning just in case. She checked using their glasses from last night...*
Dana's eyes widened in shock, remembering who had been the focus of Alyssa's attention. *Perl...*
The blonde nodded and said quietly, *Distantly related, but she's still blood. She's a third cousin...*
The redhead snapped an excited glance back into the bedroom, then rushed over to hug Alyssa. *That's fucking awesome! You should go tell her now!* When Alyssa didn't react, Dana stared in confusion at her friend's sorrowful expression. *Wait... why do you look so sad?*
*I've finally got some real family, Sparks... but I can't tell Perl we're related. If she lets it slip and the wrong people find out, she'd be in deep shit; it's not like Lynette can protect her with a security detail, not way out here.*
*Okay, so she should stay with us then!* Dana said urgently.
*It wouldn't work out,* Alyssa said with a mournful sigh. *I tried convincing her to stay, but you know why I have to let her go.*
The redhead nodded and wrapped the blonde in a comforting hug.
***
"I can't believe I'm wearin' the Lion's clothes..." Tony muttered, turning to look at himself wearing tailored trousers and a crisp shirt in the mirror.
"John's got lots and Alyssa said he didn't mind," Faye said with a smile. "It's lucky you two are roughly the same build."
Blowing out his breath, Tony walked over to join her, slipping on the matching jacket and picking up his suitcase. "Okay, I'm ready."
Faye approached the door, blinking to open it as she approached. They walked out of Tony's quarters to find Perl, Kelli, and Dana talking quietly together by the grav-tube. The blonde and brunette turned to look at him and wolf-whistled when they saw his suit.
"Damn... you look fine!" Kelli gushed, looking him up and down with a grin.
"Well hello, Mr. Businessman," Perl said with a seductive smile.
Tony blushed at their admiring glances. "What? I normally wear this sh... stuff."
They all hugged each other and then it was his turn to admire their chic outfits. "You two look smoking hot... but respectable too..."
"Of course," Perl said, posing coquettishly. "We're good girls now."
"Not too good I hope," he said with a grin, making them giggle.
Dana strolled over to join them, carrying the chrome sub-machinegun in a leather shoulder harness. "You left this behind in Perl's room."
He paused and looked at the SMG, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "That's yours, Sparks."
The redhead handed it to him. "Nah, you keep it. Forget about paying me back, it's a gift." She darted a meaningful glance at Kelli and Perl. "The Outer Rim's a rough place, you need something for protection."
Tony slipped the jacket off his shoulder and fastened the harness in place. "Thanks a lot." He hesitated and looked her in the eyes. "Are we cool?"
"Yeah, totally," Dana replied with an amiable smile. "Thanks for apologising, that meant a lot."
He relaxed and gave her a grateful nod.
Turning to the blonde and brunette, Dana pulled them into a hug. "You two take care, okay?"
"We will, I promise," Perl said, returning it fiercely.
The brunette joined their embrace. "Have fun with John. Remember, if he's not begging you for more, you're doing it wrong!"
Dana laughed and nodded. "I can't wait!"
She gave them both a quick kiss, then waved goodbye and left in the grav-tube.
Faye turned to the three Karron survivors. "Alright, if you'd like to grab your bags, I'll show you out."
They collected their luggage and followed her over to the grav-tube, carefully stepping into the red field and floating down in silence. Faye darted a glance at her three companions and saw they were all lost in thought, Tony's expression somewhat pensive as he pondered their future plans. Upon reaching Deck Nine, they walked out into the corridor and turned left through the double-doors into the Secondary Hangar. There were two people waiting for them in the shadow of the stealth shuttle, an older blonde and a stocky man with a beard.
Faye turned to Tony and beckoned him to follow. "Come on, I'd like you to meet someone."
They walked over to the pair in the hangar, who turned to face the new arrivals.
The older blonde looked Tony over with an appraising eye. "So this is the fella you were telling me about, Faye?"
The purple sprite nodded exuberantly. "That's right! Tony, I'd like you to meet Valia Gate's Governor, Lucyna Novitsky."
"Nah, just call me Luce," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Not waiting for a reply, she glanced at the man beside her. "What do you reckon, Pete? He looks like he can take care of himself, despite the fancy suit."
Pete scratched at his beard and nodded. "I hear you've got a bit of a shady past... but you want to turn over a new leaf?"
"That's right," Tony replied, not sure what was happening. "We're lookin' for a fresh start."
"You any good at spotting liars and cheats?" Luce asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't much care what you did on Karron, but Pete's looking for help."
The bearded man nodded, studying the big ganger. "Job's not too hard, I can show you the ropes. Mostly we're here to keep the peace in the colony, but we get a few merchants trying to dodge trade duties or smugglers landing outside the starport. I need a reliable man, someone who can handle himself in a fight and I can trust to have my back." He frowned, his eyes shadowing with grief. "I lost one of my deputies to the bugs... Ray got shot up real bad and the bastards killed him."
"Wait... you want me to be a lawman?!" Tony asked them incredulously.
"That's right, son," the man replied with an infectious smile. "The name's Marshal Pete Coburn and I want you to work for me as my deputy."
Luce nodded, her expression sombre. "We heard how you saved these girls from the Kirrix invasion... only you three made it out of the whole damned colony. A fella with the moxie to pull off a rescue like that is the kind of man we want at Valia Gate. We're offering you a salary to keep a roof over your heads, a clean slate, and a friendly place to set up home. What do you reckon?"
Tony looked astonished, his eyes flicking from Luce to Pete. "Yeah, sounds amazin'..." He hesitated and colouring with embarrassment, he quietly admitted, "But I outta be straight with you... I've got no education... I can't read for shit."
"We can teach him!" Kelli blurted out.
Perl nodded eagerly. "Tony's really smart, he'll pick it up in no time!"
Luce and Pete exchanged a furtive smile.
"Sounds like that settles it then," the Governor said, patting Tony on the arm. "Welcome to Valia Gate, Deputy."
Pete offered Tony his hand and nodded in approval when the ganger matched his iron grip. "I got a good feeling about this, son. Report to the Marshal's office tomorrow and I'll get you started."
Tony looked shocked, but he quickly relaxed and returned the Marshal's smile.
"Can you two ladies use computers? Know your way around the Holonet?" Luce asked, studying the girls. When they both nodded, she continued, "Dealing with all the insurance and compensation claims after the invasion is gonna be a fucking nightmare. I need more people on my admin staff to deal with the damn T-Fed bureaucracy... I could really use your help, if you're interested?"
They eagerly accepted, agreeing to meet with her the following morning. With the job offers made and directions given to the hotel in town, the Governor and Marshal took their leave.
Tony watched them go, shaking his head in amazement. He turned to Faye and blurted out, "You did all that?"
She looked up at him with her big luminous eyes. "I know I should have asked you first, but you were really worried about your future and I thought if I explained how resourceful you were to the Governor, she might be able to-"
He dropped to one knee and pulled her into a bear hug. "No one's ever done anythin' like that for me before..."
Faye leaned into the embrace and whispered in his ear, "Just give those lovely girls a good life and I'll consider us even."
He looked in her eyes and nodded, then moved out the way so that Kelli and Perl could hug the sprite too. They both kissed Faye, tearfully thanking her for looking after them and being so wonderful. Faye smiled as she returned their embrace, until she saw movement by the door leading into the Primary Hangar.
"I really hope everything works out for you on Valia Gate," she said with a smile. She deliberately looked past them towards the door. "Now, there's someone else who wants to speak with you before you go..."
They turned to see Alyssa leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded across her chest as she watched them.
Perl saw Tony tense and she slipped a hand into his as she whispered, "I was wrong about her. Alyssa's really nice, she isn't going to hurt you."
He walked across the hangar to the blonde Lioness, who made no move to approach them, her eyes flicking between Tony and the two girls.
Alyssa opened her mouth to speak, but Tony dropped his suitcase and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I just wanna say somethin', okay?"
She nodded and waited with a curious look on her face.
Tony took a deep breath, then said quietly, "I know you weren't bluffin' yesterday; you were gonna fuck me up and I couldn't do shit to stop you. I guess... well, I finally know what it must've been like for you, feelin' powerless when I hit you and stole your stuff." His eyes were deeply troubled as he continued, "You never deserved that... and I just want to say that I'm real sorry I hurt you."
"If the girls hadn't intervened, you'd be dead," Alyssa stated without malice, locking eyes with Tony. "But not because of what you did to me."
"Yeah, I know," he said quietly, his voice full of remorse. "And the truth is... I woulda deserved it for all the nasty shit I've done. But I want you to know that I'm gonna do what's right from now on... try and make up for my past, even if it takes me the rest of my life."
She studied him for a long moment before replying, "I've killed a lot of bad guys over the last six months, I've actually lost count how many. Out of the thousands I've flagged with a red aura, only three are still alive today... and just one of them was innocent. The woman had an abortion when she was young, then blamed herself for letting her parents and boyfriend pressure her into it. The second survivor is now in prison awaiting execution for a double murder... and then there's you."
Tony hung his head, knowing his long history of violent crimes.
Alyssa fixed him with a steady stare. "You know what you've done, so there's no point in me listing everything." Her eyes flicked to Kelli and Perl then back to him. "You earned your second chance by saving the girls, so I really hope you make the most of it. I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Tony... please don't let me down."
Meeting her pensive gaze he nodded gratefully. "I'll be good, I promise." A faint smile appeared on his face as he added, "And I'm a lawman now, so I better start keepin' my promises."
For the first time, Alyssa broke into a smile too. "Yeah, I heard about that. Congratulations on the new job..." She pulled out an identity card and offered it to him. "Deputy Anthony Phoenix from Valia Gate."
He glanced at the card and chuckled. "'Anthony Phoenix'? I thought I was goin' legit and you're givin' me a fake ID."
"Luce added you to Valia Gate's list of registered colonists, so as far as T-Fed records show, you've lived here all your life and have no criminal record." She glanced at Kelli and Perl. "If you two want new identities as well, just ask Luce about it tomorrow."
Kelli nodded and hooked her arm around Tony's. "We might as well all start over."
Perl darted a nervous glance through the hangar door out into the colony. "I think it's amazing that we've got new jobs lined up here, but is it safe staying on the Outer Rim? We're really close to the Bugs..."
Alyssa paused before answering her question. "The Kirrix are in the middle of a vicious civil war at the moment. They've taken huge losses, so it'll probably be decades before they try another invasion. Even if they did, the T-Fed forces have returned to the border and there's reinforcements on the way, so the Kirrix won't be able to just sweep into Terran territory like last time." She looked into Perl's eyes and added, "But it's still riskier living here than the Core Worlds."
Tony put his arm around Perl and gave the petite blonde a reassuring squeeze. "Let's give this place a try for a while. Luce and Pete both seem alright. If we hate it, I'll save up some creds, buy us a berth on a freighter goin' coreward. At least if we stick around for a bit, I can get some experience as a deputy, then I could maybe get a security job in the Core."
"Sure, I guess we can give it a few months," she agreed, looking more relaxed.
Alyssa opened her arms for the girls and gave each of them a lingering hug, which they returned just as affectionately. "Please stay in touch," she whispered in Perl's ear. "I want to hear all about your new lives and how you're getting on."
The petite blonde nodded, giving her a grateful squeeze as she whispered back, "Thank you so much for everything you've done. I actually feel like we've got a good shot at a great future now; that's the first time I've ever felt that way."
They separated and Alyssa gave them a warm smile. "Good luck."
Tony, Perl, and Kelli collected their suitcases, then headed for the huge hangar door, pausing to wave goodbye before walking down the ramp and out into their new home.
Calara had been watching from afar and she walked up to her lover, slipping an arm around Alyssa's shoulder. *I'm proud of you, my love.*
*Letting her go is the hardest thing I've ever had to do,* Alyssa said mournfully, unable to take her eyes off Perl. She leaned into the Latina and let out a melancholy sigh. *Just imagine how much John would have loved getting me and my cousin pregnant at the same time. I've never wanted to recruit someone so badly.*
The Latina turned to watch the pale-skinned blonde leaving the docking bay. *I think you were right not to tell her you were related; Perl would be a huge target for anyone wanting revenge against you or John.* She stroked her girlfriend's arm and continued, *But I'm so sorry you had to let her go, I know how important family is to you.*
Alyssa turned to gaze into Calara's gentle brown eyes. *The most important thing in the world,* she agreed, pulling the brunette into a tender loving kiss.
***
John looked away from the Sector Map and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Damn... I forgot what a drag it was having to keep watch on the Bridge."
Jade stretched languidly, uncurling in the pilot's chair. "Faye does a huge amount we take for granted," the Nymph agreed, then closed the distance between them to sit sideways across his lap. "But I'm loving the company..."
He brushed his fingers over her thigh, fascinated by the faint viridian lines marking the contours of her voluptuous green body. "I couldn't imagine anyone I'd rather be here with."
She arched an eyebrow and gave him a knowing smile. "Now... that's not strictly true, Master."
John frowned and turned to face her. "I love spending time with you, Jade. I always have."
"I know," she said with a fond smile, planting a loving kiss on his cheek. She gazed into his eyes and continued, "But I must admit I've been disappointed by your lack of imagination. I had hoped you'd start to take advantage of certain special abilities."
He looked at her quizzically, confused by her apparent shift in conversation topic. "I thought I'd been doing better recently? Your advice about believing in my psychic powers was really helpful."
She giggled and shook her head. "I'm not talking about your abilities... we're discussing my shapeshifting abilities."
"Your dragon form is extremely impressive," John said, nodding in admiration. "I still struggle to believe that a cute little Nymph like you can become something so... formidable."
Jade rolled her eyes affectionately. "Master... I'm not talking about turning into a dragon either! Since you removed my constraints, I can turn into any woman that you desire..." She traced her finger along his jawline and whispered breathily, "Now, let your imagination run wild and let's see if we can have a little fun..."
John started stiffening as a series of erotic thoughts flashed through his mind, much to the Nymph's delight.
"Oh, what a wonderful choice!" Jade gushed, her body shimmering before his eyes.
He'd never held her while she was shapeshifting before and beneath that verdant glow, he could feel Jade's body undulating on his lap as she altered her form. Her dark-green skin lightened in tone, becoming a beautiful shade of blue that he knew only too well.
"I've missed you so much, John!" Edraele exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and pressing her wonderfully firm breasts against his chest. "Please don't stay away from the Protectorate for so long, I can't bear being apart from you!"
John gaped at Edraele in surprise as the Maliri matriarch showered his face in kisses.
She pulled back, a smouldering look in her beguiling purple eyes. "Perhaps we should retire to the cabin and celebrate being reunited, my Lord?" Without waiting for a reply, Edraele leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Shall I ask my beautiful daughters to join us? I'm sure Irillith and Tashana could be persuaded to help me indulge your naughtiest fantasies..."
Trying to ignore his rapidly-stiffening cock, John shook his head. "Jade, you know the reason why we haven't... gone there."
The Nymph pouted playfully. "But I'm not really related to the twins, it doesn't count!"
John shifted in his seat and coughed. "Yes, but you still look exactly like Edraele. I want the twins to rebuild their relationship with their mother, not... confuse the issue."
"Boo, you're no fun," Jade objected, her full lips turning down into a disapproving frown. Her expression brightened an instant later as she continued, "I know! If I can't interest you in the taboo, what about the forbidden fruit?"
Before he could object, she started to shift again, engulfed in a shimmering green haze. Her body felt lighter on his lap as she lost a few inches in height and John couldn't help wondering who she was changing into now. The verdant aura faded, revealing a lovely olive-toned brunette who gazed at him with deep brown eyes.
"Oh my... I appear to be naked," Maria purred, rubbing her soft thigh against his cock. "But it feels like you don't seem to mind one bit, Mr. Blake..." She glanced down and her eyes widened. "John! I had no idea you were so... impressive!"
His mouth went dry and he had to swallow the lump in his throat. "J-Jade..." he stammered, never feeling more conflicted.
"I've seen the way you look at me, John," she breathed, her face inches from his. "I noticed of course... and was very flattered that such a handsome hero might have taken an interest."
"Maria... I-I," he gasped, not sure where to put his hands as he was drawn in by the Nymph's flawless reproduction of the lovely Latina.
"Just think... a chance to slake those unrequited lusts..." she murmured, moving closer, but not letting her lips touch his skin. "But perhaps unrequited is the wrong word? After all, it implies a lack of interest on my part... which couldn't be further from the truth. Would it shock you to know that I'm just as intrigued?"
Shaking his head, he gulped. "You're married..."
"And you're engaged to my daughter," she whispered, her fingertips caressing his muscular chest. "But you can't deny the intensity of the connection between us. No one would ever know... it could just be our naughty little secret."
John blinked then turned his head away, using his hand to block his peripheral vision, so he wouldn't be distracted by her alluring figure. "Maria would never cheat on Jack and I'd lose all respect for her if she did," he said firmly as the spell was broken. Softening his stern tone, he continued, "Please turn back to normal, Jade."
Her shapely form blurred as Jade reverted to her usual appearance. "It's just a harmless fantasy, Master!"
"If I had sex with you looking like Maria, I'd never be able to look her in the eyes again," he said, shaking his head. A wistful smile appeared on his face as he continued, "It's no secret that I'm strongly attracted to her and I enjoy our relatively innocent flirting... but I'd never push for more, not while she's with Jack."
Jade groaned in frustration. "Okay, forget Maria... but there has to be someone else! I'm a Nymph... fulfilling your ultimate desires is my reason for being!"
"It used to be," he corrected her, giving Jade a sympathetic smile.
"Just because I don't have to satisfy your sexiest fantasies doesn't mean I don't want to!" Jade protested, before giving him a lingering kiss. Her face fell as she continued, "Even when I've turned into Alyssa and we've had sex, it's only been because you wanted to make me happy, not because it's what you really wanted... I feel like I've let you down, John."
Looking at her with concern, he shook his head. "You should never think that! I love you just the way y-"
She silenced his protestations with a kiss, then frowned and wagged a finger at him. "No, don't say it! We've had sex countless times with me looking like this; I refuse to believe that there isn't someone in the galaxy you'd like to have a meaningless one-night stand with!"
He looked at her in surprise, then laughed. "You're actually serious, aren't you?"
Jade cupped his face in her hands and said softly, "I've never felt like I'm truly satisfying one of your wildest fantasies and I long to experience that feeling. If you really want to rock my world, just pick a girl you want me to be, then use me shamelessly..."
The cabin door slid open behind them and Tashana called out cheerfully, "Dinner's ready!"
The Nymph groaned and sagged against him. "Perfect timing..."
John squeezed her bottom suggestively. "We'll continue this fascinating discussion later..."
Jade perked up immediately and grinned as she slid off his lap. "Should I eat light, Master?"
He shook his head. "You're going to need as much energy as you can get..."
The Nymph bit her lip and sauntered down the corridor to the cabin, glancing flirtatiously at John over her shoulder. He smiled, seeing how excited she was, then started thinking about which fantasy woman she could be. His first thought was of Lynette Devereux as she was certainly one of the most beautiful women he'd ever met. However, he quickly dismissed her as a possibility for similar reasons he'd refused Maria.
Entering the Cabin, he found Tashana sitting cross-legged on the bed, an array of Maliri dishes spread out beside her. "Hello, you two," she said greeting them with a smile. "We don't have a dining room, so Rill and I made finger-food you can eat on the bed."
"It all looks delicious," John said appreciatively, his stomach rumbling.
Tashana handed each of them a plate. "Here you go."
"Aren't you two eating with us?" John asked, noting only two plates.
"We had a very satisfying lunch," Irillith said with a coy smile as she emerged from the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
He turned to the Maliri girl and asked with a straight face, "Are you our buttler this evening?"
She smirked and nodded. "Absolutely."
"Do you have any of that berry juice I had on Genthalas?" he asked, looking hopeful.
"Natalla berries? Sure, I'll pour each of you a glass," Irillith replied, turning to head back into the kitchen. John gave her a playful smack on the bottom and was rewarded with a broad grin.
Jade licked her lips with anticipation. "Can we start?"
Tashana laughed and gestured towards the dishes. "Of course, help yourself."
Sitting on the bed, John started picking samples from every dish to put on his plate, only recognising half of them. He smiled when Jade started moaning with pleasure as she savoured the Maliri cuisine, then found himself doing the same thing as he enjoyed the delicious flavours.
Gratefully accepting the glass of fruit juice from Irillith, he drank some then turned to look at the twins. "Did Alyssa tell you what Jade and I were discussing earlier?"
They exchanged a sly glance, then two sets of violet eyes gave him very knowing looks. "We were a little disappointed you turned down Jade's initial offer..."
The Nymph giggled, her emerald eyes twinkling as she saw his reaction.
"That's... not why I mentioned it," he said, trying not to sound too flustered. "Jade offered to mimic any woman I wanted, so I just wondered if either of you could recommend any beautiful holo-movie actresses?"
The twins looked at him in surprise, then their faces lit up with glee. They activated the holo-projector built into the bed and opened the Holonet, the two of them chattering away together as they searched rapidly through holo-movie fan sites.
"Jade, can you be her?!" Tashana asked, her eyes burning with excitement.
The Nymph studied the holo-screen between bites, then shimmered for a few seconds and reappeared as a fierce-looking black woman with a Mohawk.
"Battle-Sister Asha from the War Monastery series!" Irillith gasped, gazing at her in awe. "You look exactly like her!"
Tashana giggled with glee. "Okay, now her!"
Jade smiled at them, glanced at the next image and changed into an elegant raven-haired beauty with lovely russet-toned skin.
"Dyani Spiritwing from Plasma Fire Over Caranos!" the Maliri breathed, her fingers trembling as she reverently stroked the Nymph's arm. "She was my first girl-crush..."
Irillith laughed and shot an amused glance at her twin. "So that's why you made me watch it so many times! I thought you just liked seeing the Kintark get blown up."
"Can you blame me? She was so brave... and absolutely gorgeous," Tashana murmured, her gaze sweeping over the native American girl's statuesque figure. "Jade, do you think sometime, maybe we could...?"
Jade leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'd love to, Tashana."
The Maliri let out a blissful sigh, her fingers brushing over her lips where she'd been kissed.
Turning to John, the Nymph grinned and playfully teased him, "The twins certainly know how to have fun, Master."
He nodded, admiring her exotic figure. "So I see... and they've got excellent taste too."
Jade finished her lunch and pushed the plates aside. "Would you like to get better acquainted with Dyani Spiritwing?" she asked, prowling across the bed towards him.
John glanced at Tashana. "I haven't seen that movie yet. Let's watch it together sometime, then we can reward the heroine afterwards."
Tashana nodded, gazing at the Nymph with barely contained lust.
Jade pouted and sat back on her haunches. "Are you sure I can't tempt you with a preview?"
John gathered her in his arms and pushed her back onto the bed. "No, I've got someone else in mind..."
Dyani Spiritwing's face lit up with delight as she listened to his thoughts, then she disappeared in a shimmering green haze. A few seconds later, Jade's features solidified into a strikingly beautiful blonde, her willowy figure moulding to him.
John smiled at the stunning Oceanus rep. "Hello, Felicity."
"Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Blake!" Felicity gushed, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wanted to thank you in person for saving Terra!"
"You didn't need to do that," he said kindly, caressing her cheek.
"No, but I really want to," Felicity replied, the blonde's perfect diction making every sentence a delight to hear. She gazed at him with a mixture of adoration and lust. "I've thought about nothing else for months..."
"What've you been thinking about exactly?" he asked, trailing his fingers down her throat, before gently cupping a compact breast, the delicate pink nipple stiffening to his touch.
Felicity bent her leg at the knee, then brushed his flank with the softness of her inner thigh. "A night with the Lion of the Federation, where he takes me in whatever way he wants..." She gave him a tender kiss then gazed adoringly into his eyes. "You saved my parents, John... and I want to reward you with a special gift for your heroism. The ultimate act of love... would you give me a permanent memento of our night of passion?"
John held his breath as he traced his fingers over her slim stomach, then looked at Felicity with lust in his eyes. She bit her flushed lip and answered his unspoken question with a nod. Jade's imitation of the beautiful blonde was incredibly accurate, from her lithe figure to her refined mannerisms, right down to her speech. John found himself being drawn into the fantasy and leaned down to kiss her, Felicity's feminine moans of arousal spurring him onwards.
The twins smiled at each other and cleared the plates away, leaving the lovers entwined on the bed as they slipped out of the Cabin to take over watch duty in the cockpit.
***
Perl gazed up at the evening sky in wonder, marvelling at the vast expanse of pale blue and the handful of fluffy white clouds drifting above the colony. She raised a hand to her cheek when she felt the sun's gentle warmth on her face, her heart lifting at the glorious sensation that suffused her whole being with a pleasant glow. There was a light breeze pushing the clouds onwards, the gusts cooling her skin with every gentle caress.
"I've seen pictures... but I never expected it to be like this," she whispered, squinting to protect her eyes from the unfamiliar glare of the sun. She felt a bit giddy and held onto Tony's arm to steady herself.
Kelli wobbled for a moment, then crouched down on the ground, rubbing at her head. "It's just so... open. I feel like I'm going to float away!"
Tony nodded, feeling light-headed himself. After a lifetime of living in caves, with thousands of tons of rock overhead, to see the sheer empty vastness of the sky was profoundly unsettling.
"Over there," he said, pointing to a covered arch between buildings. He reached down to grab the brunette's hand and haul her up.
"Thanks," she mumbled, refusing to let go as she followed him out of the plaza.
The three of them dropped their suitcases and leaned against the wall, trying to get themselves under control again. It felt comforting to have a roof over their heads and they relaxed, feeling the calming reassurance of having walls on either side of them too.
Tony took a deep breath and peered out at the sky again, then suppressed a shudder. "Maybe stayin' here wasn't such a great idea after all..."
Perl gave him a reassuring hug. "Alyssa and Sparks warned us about this. It feels so weird because we lived in a bunch of caves all our lives... They reckon it won't take long to wear off."
Kelli slid to a sitting position with her back against the wall. "Let's just chill and watch the clouds go by. I want to get used to looking at all that open space..."
He nodded and followed her lead, sitting on the floor and putting his arm around Kelli's shoulder. Perl sat down as well and snuggled into him, the tension easing from her body when he held her too.
"That cloud looks just like two people screwing," Kelli declared, pointing at the ephemeral paramours.
Tony snorted a laugh. "What?"
"Yeah, totally!" she insisted. "Look, she's riding the guy cowgirl!"
Perl giggled and nodded. "And there's a woman about to blow someone!"
"You two have got sex on the brain," Tony said with a chuckle.
Kelli smirked at him. "Alright... what's that one look like to you?"
He followed her finger towards the phallic shaped collection of clouds. "That's an ore train drivin' past a couple of huge boulders," he replied with a straight face.
The girls looked at him incredulously for a moment, then when he broke into a grin, they dissolved into giggles.
"I guess this isn't so bad," he said, taking another long look at the sky. "Maybe we should stay here for a bit, then find our hotel?"
His companions nodded their agreement, then tried to come up with the most outrageous interpretations of cloud formations as possible. The game helped distract them from their agoraphobia and their raucous laughter soon echoed around the plaza.
***
Dana studied Valia Gate's Comms Array with an appraising eye, as the colony's Chief Engineer talked her through his attempts to repair it.
"The primary communications node is intact, it just got shorted out when the Kirrix blasted the Comms Array," Niklas Petrov said, pointing at the soot blackened access panel. He glanced skyward and continued, "I thought if I could maybe jury-rig a satellite control interface, I could bounce the signal off one of the survey sats in orbit and use them to reach the nearest Comms Beacon instead of using the array. The signal-quality might be a bit weak, but at least we'd be able to re-establish contact with T-Fed colony administration."
The redhead tapped a finger on her chin as she mulled it over. "Are the satellites in geo-stationary orbit above the town?"
He shook his head. "Nah, one's on an equatorial orbit, the other covers the poles..." Niklas' face fell as he realised why she was asking. "Shit... we'd only have comms for 4 hours a day."
Dana nodded, giving him a sympathetic smile. "That's what I was thinking... otherwise, it was a great idea."
Throwing his hands up in the air, Niklas snorted in exasperation. "I don't see what else we can do! Look at it, those bastards blew the fucking thing to bits!"
She glanced at the huge emitter system that formed the Comms Array, or at least it had, before the Kirrix blasted it with Neutron Beams. Now it was a smoking charred ruin, huge emitter dishes lying shattered and blackened on the ground.
"Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll start running the Mass Fabricators and we'll build you a smaller scale Comms Array before we leave tonight." Dana turned to look back at the battlecruiser that loomed over the town. "We can take the hyper-pulse generator off the Invictus and hook that up, then you'll end up with even better signal quality than you're used to. I can build a replacement for the ship after we leave."
The engineer looked at her in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "There's no way you can construct a Comms Array that quickly!" He stared at the Invictus and added, "And we haven't got drydock facilities here... I'm not sure we've even got a crane big enough to reach that high!"
Dana winked at him. "Trust me, we'll get it done." She turned on her heel and started striding back to the ship, calling over her shoulder, "Come on, we've only got 4 hours!"
Niklas gaped at her for a moment, then jogged to catch up, wondering if he'd gone crazy or the redhead had.
***
Perl finished hanging up the last of her clothes in the hotel room's wardrobe, then glanced back at the case lying on the bed. "Should we unpack for Tony too?"
Kelli was rifling through the bag of cosmetics she found at the bottom of her case, grinning from ear-to-ear as she recognised all the exclusive brands. "I guess... he's been gone a while. Any idea what he's up to?"
The blonde shrugged and squatted by his case. "I'm not sure. He just said he was going out for a bit."
As she reached for the magnetic clasp to unseal the suitcase, the door swung open and Tony hurried into their bland but functional hotel room. "Hey! Come with me a minute, I want to show you somethin'!"
Perl smiled at his exuberance as she walked over to join him. "Do we get any clues?"
"Nope!" he replied with a grin, propping the door open as he ushered them into the hall.
They went downstairs and the handful of men sitting in the bar exchanged greetings with Tony as he led the girls outside.
"Making friends already?" Kelli teased him.
He shrugged. "Guys sittin' around gettin' wasted like to shoot the shit. I wanted to check what it was really like round here."
"What's the verdict?" Perl asked, slipping her arm around his.
"They like Luce... she's the real deal," he replied, turning right and leading them across the asphalt. "The colony seems alright too. They reckon land is dirt cheap, but Luce is tryin' to expand Valia Gate... get a settler rush goin'. Might be worth savin' some cash and buyin' a house outside of Forty-Seven."
The girls exchanged a glance around Tony, then Kelli frowned as she realised he was leading them away from the town and up a small hill. "Come on, Tony... tell me what's up here?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Just wait a minute, you'll see."
Taking the time to adjust to being outside had really helped, the eerie feeling that they might fall up into the sky fading away as they followed the dirt path. The trail wound its way up the grassy hill, giving them a nice view of the town and the battlecruiser parked at the starport. Pausing for a moment, they watched the bustling activity around the white vessel. A mech was working on the front of the Invictus, the humanoid figure looking relatively tiny in comparison to the enormous warship. The Valkyrie carefully detached a device from the bow, then thrusters flared in the mech's legs as it descended to the ground with the component in its arms.
It took another ten minutes for Tony, Kelli, and Perl to reach the top of the mound and the girls gasped at the spectacular view it provided over the surrounding countryside. A crystal clear river wound its way down through the valley and past the outskirts of town, then further in the distance they could see the silvery falls that had lured the original Terran colonists to settle here. When Valia Gate was first founded, the colonists had planted forests of spruce, oak, beech, and pine trees that had thrived in the rich soil, adding a welcome swathe of green to the vista.
"Oh, Tony... it's so beautiful," Perl said in a hushed voice, staring wide-eyed at the view.
He put his arm around the girls and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, the guys said it was nice up here." Nodding with his chin to a bench that had been placed at the brow of the hill, he added, "Let's sit there for a while..."
Tony sat in the middle, with Kelli and Perl snuggling up beside him.
"I think I could get used to living in a place like this," Perl said, before turning to look up at Tony. "If you had enough money to live wherever you wanted, would you still stay here, or move to the Core Worlds?"
"This is the first time I've left Karron... I dunno what everywhere else is like." He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I like Luce and Pete... they seem like they wanna help us settle in. Plus, I wouldn't exactly fit in to some fancy T-Fed colony even if I had plenty of cash... which I don't."
Kelli and Perl exchanged glances again. "Don't forget... we have money, Tony," Kelli said, reaching into her bra and producing one of the credit sticks. "I added it all up... we got nearly 25 grand from the Diablos vault."
He shook his head and looked at each of them in turn. "I want you to keep that..." Raising a hand to hold off any objections, he continued, "I'm serious. If anythin' happens to me, you'll have some cash to go somewhere safe and start over. The money we earn here should be enough to get us started, it'll just take us a while. You should open accounts with a big T-Fed bank... make sure those credits are nice and safe."
"We actually already have accounts..." Perl said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"You do?" he asked in surprise. "Oh, alright... great."
"Is it me or is it getting darker?" Kelli interrupted, looking around and suddenly feeling exposed. "What's going on?"
"It'll be night soon," Tony said, rubbing her back. "I asked the guys the best place to see the sunset."
She looked at him in shock, her eyes going wide. "You remembered!"
He smiled at her then looked across the valley towards the horizon. "Over there, Kel..."
The white sun was dipping low, the sky changing from a deep turquoise to a glorious array of red, orange, and purple. As Zeta Phoenicis descended out of sight, the sky darkened further, until all that remained of Valia Gate's sun was an enchanting amber glow bathing the horizon.
"That was a hell of a thing..." Tony murmured, his voice catching. He swallowed, then glanced down at the brunette. "What do you reckon about your first sunset?"
"I've never seen anything like it," Kelli whispered, amazed by the spectacular natural beauty. She wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek, then leaned up to kiss him. "I won't ever forget this, Tony. Thank you."
Perl nodded, hugging him tight. "I love it here... I want to stay."
He kissed her on top of her head. "We'll save up, get a nice place. Maybe we can watch the sunset every night..."
"We should start looking tomorrow!" Kelli exclaimed with a mischievous smile.
Tony frowned and shook his head. "Even with us gettin' a free room at the hotel, it's gonna take us at least 6 months to save the cash to buy some land. We'll have to build a house too... that'll take a bunch of credits."
Perl turned to look up at him and clasped one of his hands in hers. "Tony... we've got something to tell you." She nibbled her lip nervously, not sure how to begin.
"What's the matter, babe?" he asked with concern.
Kelli took his other hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember you said we didn't have to be whores anymore?"
"What happened?" he asked, looking worried. His eyes narrowed with anger. "Did one of the colonists say somethin'?"
The brunette quickly shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Alyssa and Sparks wanted some lessons on how to be good in bed... they offered to pay us to give them a few pointers."
He relaxed and chuckled, looking at the pair in admiration. "You had me worried for a minute! So you two made some cash teachin' the Lionesses how to fuck? Genius..."
Perl nodded and said quietly, "Alyssa, Sparks, and the three of us are the only survivors from Karron. The lessons were just an excuse... they wanted to make sure we had enough cash to make a good life for ourselves. Alyssa paid us 200,000 credits, Tony."
He gaped at her in disbelief, his mouth falling open in shock. Losing his balance, he fell off the back of the bench.
"Tony!" Perl called out in surprise, rushing to his side.
"Are you okay?!" Kelli gasped, falling to her knees.
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Babe, you've got it made! You and Perl won't even have to work with that kinda money!" His delight for the pair faded into a melancholy expression. "Shit... I'm like a deadweight to you two now... You should go to the Core, you could fit in there, no problem."
Perl shook her head. "No way! We're not going anywhere without you. Besides, it's our money... we're a team now."
Kelli gave him a fierce kiss. "Plus, you've got to keep us safe... you promised Alyssa."
Perl nodded, tousling his hair as she smiled at him. "Now we're loaded, we can use some of the cash to get a really nice home. We'd offer to pay you for protection, but we're hoping you'll let us pay you in trade..."
Tony looked up at them in astonishment, then smiled fondly. "Alright, sounds like a fair deal."
"Really?" Kelli asked, snuggling into him. "We're talking about a really long contract..."
"It'll last a good 70, maybe 80 years..." Perl agreed, giving him a tender kiss.
"Deputy Anthony Phoenix gives you his word," Tony said embracing them both. "I love you."
They melted in his arms, giving him loving kisses and murmuring how much they loved him too.
***
Gaenna Baelora meandered across the arboretum, lost in memories of the past. She approached one of the many benches scattered through the leafy park, then on a whim stopped to sit on the lush carpet of grass. Brushing her fingers over the soft green blades, she smiled a wistful smile, remembering the last time she'd done such a thing, over a century ago. The border male she had chosen to father her children had been a handsome rogue with a whimsical heart. Filarion always insisted that their trysts on Genwynn included at least one passionate encounter in one of the trading station's parks and Gaenna was sure that each resulted in the conception of her five daughters.
She lay back and gazed up at the transparent crystal dome that curved high-overhead, remembering the intoxicating pleasures they'd shared together. How she'd longed for him after returning to her homeworld, but as the years rolled on and the pressures of her role as matriarch increased, Gaenna had gradually let that part of her die. However, the conversation with Edraele had gently fanned those desires back to life and she felt a flutter in her belly as her thoughts turned to Baen'thelas.
John was a taller, heavier-set man than Filarion had been, and she found herself fantasising about the broad muscles in his chest and arms. Her thoughts lingered on his powerful, dominating presence... and a dark blush filled her cheeks as she knew she would submit to his every whim, just as she had found herself doing with Filarion. Lifting one of her hands, she examined her dry skin, seeing the faint lines that revealed the onset of age. How she longed to regain the lithe suppleness of youth, a gift that she would give anything for... do anything for.
Her hands smoothed down the front of her dress and she idly stroked her stomach, remembering what it had been like being pregnant with each of her girls. A smile lifted her lips, and she knew that waiting two decades as Edraele had suggested would pass in the blink of an eye. She would spend that time endearing herself to Baen'thelas, doing whatever it took to make sure he was as eager to sire an heir with her, as she was desperate to carry it.
Gaenna smiled as she decided to start preparing for John's return to Genthalas. After losing herself in thought for a while, she glanced at the holographic chronometer on her wrist and was shocked to realise she'd spent hours daydreaming about the future. Sitting up again, she glanced around self-consciously, but was relieved that this area of the park had remained deserted. She felt a little stiff getting up again after lying on the hard ground for so long, but in a matter of weeks, those aches and pains would be banished from her aging body as it was flush with the vigour of youth once again.
Returning to her quarters, she brushed past the guards and swept inside, heading straight for her office. Sinking into the ornate seat behind her desk, she activated the comms interface and initiated a call to her palace on Baelora. The connection took a moment to go through as the signal was bounced between the comms beacons and Gaenna glanced at her reflection in the mirror on the wall opposite. Her fingers instinctively went to her short snowy-white hair and she sat up straighter, imagining how she would look when it had grown out into a thick mane like Edraele's.
Growing your hair long like that had been considered taboo for millennia; as good as announcing to the world that you were an immoral slut. Yet Edraele and the Young Matriarchs wore their hair long with obvious pride... and Gaenna had seen the smouldering looks they discreetly darted at Baen'thelas when he'd attended the Council of Matriarchs. A sultry smile appeared on her face... yes, she'd be as debauched for him as a woman could be for a man.
"Yes, mother? You called?" her daughter asked with a hint of impatience.
Gaenna's reverie was shattered by that dulcet voice and she wondered how long she'd been gazing at her reflection in the mirror. It must have been a considerable amount of time for her eldest offspring to dare take that tone with her.
Ignoring the provocation, Gaenna replied, "I have some urgent tasks for you to complete. First and foremost, I want you to send the entirety of the House Baelora fleet to Genthalas to begin the refitting process."
Her daughter looked startled and quickly protested, "But what of your plans to hold a portion in reserve to protect our homeworld?"
Gaenna waved a hand dismissively. "I've changed my mind. Ships from House Loraleth are being dispatched to protect our border with the Brimorians; we can rely on Kali Loraleth to protect our territory."
That announcement was met with shocked silence, which the distracted House Baelora Matriarch took for mute acceptance of her orders.
"The second item of business is to begin shipping Vrysandral Spice to Genthalas," she declared in a matter of fact tone.
If she'd been startled before, her daughter looked absolutely stunned now. "You want to trade some of our spice with Edraele Valaden?!"
"Not some, ALL of it," Gaenna insisted, her voice firm. "House Valaden is to be our exclusive trading partner from now on."
Her daughter's golden eyes were like saucers as she gaped at her mother. "What could Edraele possibly have offered that you'd even consider sharing our most precious resource?!"
Gaenna's gaze flicked back to the mirror and she said softly, "A glorious prize... one worth paying nearly any price." She smiled distractedly at her daughter. "That will be all. Oh... and thank you for your assistance, Sarinia."
With that the House Baelora Matriarch ended the call and devoted her full concentration to her reflection. She imagined herself standing proudly at Baen'thelas' side, elegant and beautiful in the full bloom of youth, a glorious white mane of hair flowing down her back... and her hands cradling her gravid belly. Gaenna couldn't help grinning in triumph; it would all be hers, starting in a matter of weeks!
***
Aboard the Sylmenor class heavy carrier, Flight Commander Krisalei jogged towards the trio of interceptors, with Lorathyra and Torvanna keeping pace beside her. She paused on the gantry overlooking their deadly strike craft and turned to face her fellow pilots. "Remember to fly with caution, ladies. We might have new shields, but as Torvanna proved, we are far from invulnerable."
Torvanna rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous! I scored the highest kill-count ever recorded in the Elauthin Kelrona's simulators!"
"Yes, but then you got yourself killed going head-to-head with three wings of drone craft!" Lorathyra protested indignantly. "And we died trying to save you!"
Krisalei gave Torvanna a stern frown. "We're under direct orders from Baen'thelas to preserve our forces. What happens in a simulation is one thing, but I better not see that kind of recklessness against the Kirrix. Is that understood?"
Nodding and looking contrite, Torvanna said, "Yes, Flight Commander." She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to touch her leader's golden vambrace. "I would never put you at risk in a real battle, Krisalei."
Smiling at her wingmate, Krisalei patted her on the arm. "I must admit, it was interesting to find out exactly what our interceptors are capable of... and what is beyond them." She looked at each of the women in turn and continued, "Good luck and may Baen'thelas watch over us."
Torvanna and Lorathyra bowed respectfully, then they grinned and ran for their ships, sprinting along the crystal gantries that stretched out over each sleek fighter. Krisalei found herself doing the same, the anticipation of an upcoming battle sending a thrill through her body. She grabbed the overhead rail at the end of the gantry, then swung herself into the chute that dropped down to the cockpit. Anti-gravity fields slowed her descent and she slid smoothly into the padded pilot's chair.
Tapping a sequence of icons on her console, the insertion chute pivoted to one side and the crystal canopy levered shut, forming an atmospheric seal with a quiet hiss. Krisalei reached for her helmet and pulled it over her head, feeling the exhilarating thrum of the Nievath Interceptor's engines as power was routed to all the ship's subsystems.
***
The Maliri fleet dropped out of hyper-warp at the outer edge of the Beta Cygni system, a swathe of blue tachyon particles dispersing from their golden hulls as they returned to normal space. Fleet Commander Lilyana stared at the System Map, her focus on the fifth orbital track around the star. Theg Haldrim was a huge volcanic world with an extensive ring system; the dense disc of rock and ice particles was all that remained of a large moon torn apart by the planet's formidable gravitational pull.
Long-range sensors had picked up a cluster of vessels in high-orbit above Theg Haldrim, each appearing as an ominous red glyph on the three-dimensional tactical holograph. Now that Lilyana's command ship, the Galaena Serina, had dropped into the system, the sensors were able to identify the classification of those vessels.
"Ten drone carriers," Lilyana muttered, rising from her Command Chair and striding over to the map to take a closer look. "And ten hive ships landed on the surface..."
"A sizeable force," Almari agreed, darting a glance at her fellow assassin.
Ilyana had drawn her blade and was examining the keen edge. "But are they friend or foe?"
The Fleet Commander's eyes narrowed as she studied the huge ochre vessels. "Can you ask Edraele if the Kirrix have ever transferred hosts to their drone carriers? There's little point in closing for an active scan of those vessels if the Trankarans aren't going to be there."
There was a brief pause, then the Maliri Matriarch answered Lilyana directly. *No, the colonists are always kept on the hive ships for infestation by the Hive Lords. The only exception John has encountered was on a Kirrix dreadnought.*
Nodding as she made a decision, Lilyana returned to her chair and activated the fleet command interface. "Launch interceptor wings. We need reconnaissance on those hive ship landing sites; I want to know if the Kirrix are returning colonists or capturing more..."
***
Krisalei clenched her flightstick in a tight grip, feeling the tension build as she waited for the command to launch. Her Neivath Interceptor hovered above the flight deck, suspended by an anti-gravity field as it was poised to leap into battle.
*Stay safe, favoured of Baen'thelas,* Edraele whispered in her mind, the gentle voice accompanied by a loving telepathic caress.
Taking a deep breath, Krisalei forced herself to relax, loosening her fingers on the flight controls.
"Alre'nyast wing, you are cleared for launch!" the Flight Controller snapped in her ear, as the lights above the launch tube flicked from red to green.
Krisalei eased the throttle forward and the powerful Trankaran engines blazed to life, hurling the Maliri interceptor down the deployment tunnel. The arched passageway flashed past in a blur, then her strike craft rocketed out of the Elauthin Kelrona, the gleaming golden interior of the carrier replaced by the vast blackness of space. She glanced at her tactical display and icons for her two wingmates swept in to cover her rear, their interceptors creating a neat arrowhead formation.
Looking out through the canopy, she could see scores of strike craft forming up into wings, the squadrons from her carrier preparing themselves for combat. The Elauthin Kelrona was one of six heavy carriers in the fleet, with the massive capital ships bringing up the rear of the battle group. Ahead of her, Krisalei could see the cruisers and destroyers assembling into a defensive screen, set some distance behind the Shandrass class battleships at their forefront. Huge engines on the rear of those enormous vessels blazed to life and the vanguard of their fleet set course for Theg Haldrim.
There was a soft chime and the Flight Controller's voice resonated in the cockpit. "All wings, orders dispatched."
Krisalei glanced at the holographic panel that displayed the mission goals and saw that her primary objective had been updated. "Lorathyra, Torvanna, we're going to approach orbital five from an oblique and reconnoitre the Kirrix surface forces."
"Affirmative."
"Following your lead."
Pushing the throttle to maximum, her interceptor leapt forward, the acceleration pushing Krisalei back in her seat. She smiled as she relished the sheer power of the new engines, doubling the strike craft's previous top speed. The trio of interceptors dipped below a destroyer, then raced past a cruiser, the orange light from the star glinting off its golden hull. Krisalei yawed her ship to starboard and the fighter wing charged between two Maliri battleships at the front of the formation. The Galaena Serine was to her left, the Iolas Aethyra to her right, both of those mighty warships covered in a terrifying excess of Beam Laser batteries.
"The Kirrix are launching drones," Torvanna called out in warning, her voice edged with excitement.
"Hold your fire unless fired upon," Krisalei immediately cautioned her. "We're under orders not to initiate combat until we can ascertain the Kirrix's motives."
"Acknowledged," her wingmate replied, before letting out a playful sigh. "But they're just asking for trouble. If you design ships that ugly, you deserve to get shot out of the sky!"
Krisalei glanced at the bulbous insectoid capital ships and her lip curled in revulsion; their hideous aesthetics were well-suited to the sickening parasitical species. "I couldn't agree more..."
Her wing peeled away from the Maliri fleet, accompanying nine others that had been given identical orders from Flight Control. They charged towards the planet, their course taking them wide of the Kirrix defensive forces. Drone craft attempted to close the distance, but the Maliri interceptors had a significant speed advantage and left the swarm of ochre fighters trailing in their wake.
Theg Haldrim was a lesson in sharp contrasts, with the bright ambers and reds of the bubbling lava lakes a glaring change from the dark mass of granite plateaus. As Krisalei approached upper orbit, she saw a beautiful cyan curve follow the horizon as the light from the star refracted off the planet's atmosphere. Her wing dived lower, heading towards the city of Negdratin and the Kirrix hive ship that had landed on the outskirts. Billowing contrails followed the interceptors as they roared through the sky, the Maliri craft sweeping over mountain ranges as they approached the Trankaran city.
Krisalei eased back on the throttle as they neared the outer edge of Negdratin, the blocky, grey, brutalist architecture making the curved, segmented Kirrix hive ship stand out like a bloated tick on a helpless beast's hide. She followed one of the main thoroughfares through the residential areas, using the apartment complexes as cover in case the hive ship should open fire. Activating external cameras, she rocketed over the plaza adjacent to the hive ship, which was crowded with Kirrix troops and long lines of Trankaran civilians. Both alien species looking up in surprise at the three golden-hulled fighters as they roared overhead.
"The Kirrix are herding them into that hive ship," Lorathyra announced a few seconds later, a hard edge to her voice.
An image flashed on Krisalei's comms interface and she swiped across to zoom in on the frozen image that her wingmate had highlighted. Kirrix troops were holding the Trankarans at gunpoint and it was obvious they were being forced to file into the yawning opening in the side of the insectoid hive ship. Despite the dire circumstances the civilians found themselves in, they stood straight-backed and calm, unlike the Kirrix who were stooping under the crushing weight of Theg Haldrim's fierce gravity.
Krisalei found herself moved by the plight of the noble rockmen and she swiped across the comms interface, opening a channel to Flight Control. "Kirrix are abducting colonists... Repeat, the Kirrix are valid targets! Permission to engage and suppress hostile forces?"
"Negative, Alre'nyast wing, you have been assigned a new primary objective."
Her cyan eyes darted to the holographic panel and rapidly scanned through her new orders.
"Can we start blasting them, Flight Commander?" Torvanna asked, making no effort to hide her eagerness.
Krisalei yanked back on her flightstick and shoved her throttle forward, launching the Nievath interceptor towards the stratosphere, a blazing orange plume stretching out behind her engines. "We're on guard duty, Tor. Have patience... you'll be able to slake your thirst for battle soon enough."
***
"Hold position," Fleet Commander Lilyana said curtly, eyes locked on the holographic tactical overlay.
She watched the firing arcs for the Nova Lances overlap one of the hulking Kirrix drone carriers, as retro-thrusters flared across the Galaena Serine's bow, bringing it coasting to a halt. The Iolas Aethyra and the Sylvis Daenala moved to flank the House Valaden flagship, each of the three battleships now pointing directly at their Kirrix opponents.
"I wonder what they're thinking," Ilyana mused, sheathing her sword as she gazed at the Kirrix fleet. "Our reputation must be staying their hand from attack..."
Almari raised an eyebrow. "Are they even aware that the Maliri are allied to Baen'thelas?"
"We've taken an extremely aggressive posture with the fleet... they must be expecting an imminent offensive." The Fleet Commander's eyes flicked to the bomber wings making steady progress towards Theg Haldrim. "I'm sure we'll provoke a reaction by threatening their hive ships."
The Kirrix fighters had all changed course and were converging on the neat rows of Maliri bombers that were sailing towards the Trankaran planet. Lurking behind the large golden strike craft were hundreds of Maliri interceptors arrayed in aggressive V formations, looking like a hail of arrows about to rain down on their enemies. Although the interceptors were much faster than the bombers, they were matching speeds with their allies and following at a discreet distance... while staying well-within Pulse Cannon range.
Ilyana padded across the Bridge to take a closer look at the teeming swarms of drone craft approaching the Maliri flank. "They don't look happy..." she agreed, watching the two sides close inexorably with each other.
***
Krisalei's eyes widened at the sheer size of the drone swarm nearing the bombers, the Kirrix force appearing on her tactical overlay as a bewildering mass of red glyphs. She tapped an icon, muting the crimson glare and only highlighting those that the targeting computer deemed likely to intersect her present course.
"There must be at least 2000 drone craft out there," Lorathyra murmured, equally shocked by the sheer numbers involved. "We're outnumbered nearly 7 to 1..."
Krisalei noticed clusters of red dots appearing next to the Kirrix capital ships. "It looks like the drone carriers are launching another wave."
"Yeah, they saw we had 300 interceptors and didn't like the odds!" Torvanna exclaimed, the holographic image of her face lighting up with glee. "Can we start killing them now, Flight Commander?"
Narrowing her eyes, Krisalei watched as her weapon arcs drew ever closer to the flanking edge of the drone swarm. "Not yet..."
The Maliri bombers suddenly turned hard to port, pivoting away from the incoming drone swarm, with alternating rows ascending or descending until they formed a staggered wall. The Heleros class bombers had been upgraded with a host of new technology, including Trankaran engines, dramatically increasing their top speed. While they weren't as fast as the nimble drones, there wasn't a huge difference in maximum velocity, so now that the bombers were flying directly away from the Kirrix, the rapid interception had slowed to a torpid crawl.
Heleros class bombers were also equipped with upper and lower twin Pulse Cannon turrets, all of which swivelled to face their pursuers. Ten rows of ten bombers opened fire simultaneously, unleashing a blistering azure hail on the insectoid craft trying to close the distance. Krisalei watched as that deadly fusillade blasted the front ranks of the swarm, blue energy bolts melting straight through the thinly-armoured drones. Billlowing explosions rippled through the ranks as scores of ochre fighters were blown to pieces, the Kirrix unable to dodge the sheer volume of firepower unloaded on them.
"And the bait springs the trap!" Torvanna crowed, a feral grin on her pretty face.
"Fire at will, ladies," Krisalei purred, her finger caressing the trigger.
Her Nievath interceptor was armed with a Pulse Cannon on each wing and a third built into the fuselage. Triple streams of blue laser fire reaped havoc on every Kirrix fighter they touched, coring holes through the hulls and detonating volatile engines, rupturing unstable power cores or killing the insect pilots outright. The 10 wings that had flown the reconnaissance mission to Theg Haldrim tore into the starboard flank of the swarm, mowing down scores of enemy ships.
Krisalei strafed her fire through one Kirrix wing after another, then rolled her interceptor to the left and pulled backwards on the flight stick. She kept her finger depressed on the trigger, wildly spraying laser bolts through the packed formation of drones, as she brought up the nose of her fighter until she was flying parallel to the enemy. Lorathyra and Torvanna had mirrored her movements so all three were now racing away in the opposite direction to the swarm, while also staying out of range of their neutron guns.
"Ten kills!" Torvanna gasped with glee, darting a longing glance at the drone formation.
To add to the Kirrix woes, the 270 interceptors on bomber escort duty hammered the port flank of the drone swarm, catching them in a devastating crossfire. After gouging an explosion strewn arc through the beleaguered drones, they also peeled away, refusing to get close enough for the hapless bugs to fire back.
"Any chasing after us?" Krisalei asked, carefully watching the tail end of the swarm go rushing past her starboard window.
Lorathyra's eyes sparkled with the thrill of the chase. "That's a negative... they're still after the bombers!"
"Five seconds... then we loop back on their tail," Krisalei said, watching the Maliri interceptors on the far flank matching their manoeuvres. "Watch for debris."
She took her eyes away from the drones and happened to glance at the Kirrix capital ship formations just as the three Maliri battleships initiated the fleet engagement. Krisalei squinted as dazzling beams of energy blasted out from the prow of those golden warships, hitting the ochre drone carriers with a Nova Lance barrage. The coruscating shafts obliterated the Kirrix shields in an instant, then slammed into the flanks of the bulbous carriers, raking back towards the stern. Skewered from the side, the energy beams lanced straight through the stricken vessels, blasting a cavernous hole through the centre of each ship.
The carrier targeted by the Galaena Serine was annihilated by a colossal explosion as the Nova Lance beam detonated the primary Power Core. The subsequent blastwave destroyed everything in its path, sweeping away the drone craft that had managed to launch before the carrier's grim demise. Just as devastating was the shot from the Sylvis Daenala, which chopped its target in half, leaving the bow and stern to tumble away in separate glowing chunks, each rocked by secondary explosions. Finally, the shot from the Iolas Aethyra was at an awkward angle, shearing through the lower decks and effectively filleting the rear of the drone carrier. Fuel lines were ruptured, triggering a fiery inferno that raged through the stern, flames gouting through weapon ports and out of hangar doors.
Krisalei marvelled at the sheer scale of the destruction unleashed on the three Kirrix drone carriers, almost feeling a pang of sympathy for the aliens on the receiving end of that carnage. The Nova Lance beams winked out, leaving smouldering hulks where formidable capital ships had once squared off against the Maliri. The other seven drone carriers were now dreadfully aware that they were in range of Nova Lance strikes and powered up their engines so that they could close with the Maliri fleet to fire back.
Tearing her eyes away from the aftermath of the Nova Lance salvo, Krisalei rolled her interceptor and pulled back on the flightstick, feeling the g-force press her into the seat as her fighter executed a tight loop. Her wing had now rejoined the rest of the Maliri strike craft at the rear of the drone swarm, the insectoid hunters now becoming the hunted. When the interceptors rejoined the bombers in brutally culling the swarm, the Kirrix formation appeared to shatter, the drones giving up their ill-fated pursuit and turning on their tormentors.
"Here we go!" Krisalei called out, slashing Pulse Cannon fire through a sharply-banking drone, then strafing laser bolts through its wingman. "Watch each other's backs!"
"Oh yeah!" Torvanna crowed, blue laser fire scything through a wing of drones. "Eleven, twelve... and there's lucky number thirteen!"
***
"Reverse course!" Lilyana demanded, staring intently at the Tactical Map as the seven remaining drone carriers turned to face the fleet.
"Affirmative, Fleet Commander," the helmswoman replied, ramping up power to the Galaena Serine's retro-thrusters along the port bow and starboard on the stern.
The 1500m behemoth manoeuvred with a grace surprising in a vessel that size, executing a smooth turn mirrored by the pair of Maliri battleships at its flanks.
Lilyana watched the prow swing around until they were facing the outer edge of the system. "Now increase thrust to quarter power... let them start gaining on us."
She checked that her carriers, destroyers, and cruisers were maintaining their position well ahead of the battleships and staying safely out of neutron-beam range. Nodding with satisfaction, she glanced back at the bomber wings that had been forgotten in the fracas and smiled as she saw they were now racing unopposed towards the surface of Theg Haldrim.
***
Sickly yellow-brown fighters rushed past Krisalei's interceptor, hurtling by above, below, and on both flanks as the Maliri plunged into the Kirrix swarm. She could no longer just hold her finger down on the trigger, not with Maliri and Kirrix tangled together like this. Every time her crosshairs overlapped an ugly ovoid-shaped drone, she tapped the trigger, firing off short bursts to lethal effect. She piloted by instinct now, relying on five decades behind a flightstick to steer her safely through the deadly melee. Every time she scored a kill, her slender fingers nudged her interceptor aside, dodging the flaming wreckage of her target.
Green neutron bolts zipped by, too many to make it practical for her to try avoiding them, but the Kirrix's haphazard shooting was striking their own craft just as frequently. However, the elegant golden interceptors had a huge advantage with their Brimorian shields, which muted and absorbed the incoming shots, leaving the Maliri unscathed. Krisalei jinked around a wrecked drone, then ducked under another interceptor, pulling up at the last second to squeeze off a quick salvo of laser fire at the Kirrix on its tail. Her shots cored through the cockpit, blowing out the resin-like canopy and slaying the pilot before spearing the power core. The drone exploded and she winced as her interceptor was jostled by the blast.
The Flight Commander didn't have to check to see if her wingmates were still in formation. Every few seconds, bright bursts of azure bolts would scream past her ship on both sides, gunning down targets flanking her own. Steering through the vicious dogfight, her wing blasted its way clear on the other side, engines blazing as the interceptors put some distance between themselves and the Kirrix to shake off pursuers.
"Shield status!" she barked at her wingmates, glancing at her own damage display.
The muted amber glow was overlaid with a readout showing 63% shield strength. Being caught in the fiery conflagration from a drone's core explosion had taken its toll.
"85%"
"78%"
Easing back the throttle, Krisalei tugged back her flightstick. "Nice work, ladies. Keep it up, we're going back in!"
"Twenty-three!" Torvanna bragged, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
The interceptors executed a tight loop that sent Kirsalei's wing plunging back into the centre of that maelstrom.
***
The Kirrix capital ships powered up their engines to maximum thrust as they pursued the retreating Maliri fleet, quickly closing on the idling battleships. While they barrelled towards their deadly opponents, the flanks of the drone carriers were alive with activity, disgorging a second wave of drones. The strike craft assembled into formation around their carriers and when the last squadrons had been launched, they charged after the golden-hulled vessels, intent on weakening shields and crippling engines.
As the drones raced towards the Maliri battleships, the three carriers at the forefront of the Kirrix formation drew sufficiently close to get into Neutron Beam range. The segmented bows of those ochre monstrosities were festooned with weapon batteries and a forest of sickly-green beams lanced across the distance to strike the rear of the central battleship. Despite the surface of the shields rippling like a pond in a thunderstorm, they stubbornly refused to buckle, the advanced Brimorian defensive fields sapping the strength of each energy beam.
"Shields at 72%, Fleet Commander," the battleship's Chief Engineer informed her.
"Hard to port, accelerate to attack speed," Lilyana ordered, trying not to marvel at the incredible resilience of their new shields. She turned to her Tactical Officer who was waiting with feverish anticipation. "Fire at will!"
The three Maliri Battleships pivoted and answered the Kirrix attack with a devastating broadside of brilliant blue laser beams. The salvo slammed into the closest carrier, overpowering its shields and carving amber trenches through thick ochre armour. The beams cored deep, searing their way down the length of the enemy capital ship, vaporising crew and subsystems alike. Power regulators exploded as they were melted into piles of slag, blasting chunks out of the flanks and plunging the vessel into darkness.
Keeping her eyes on the Kirrix, Lilyana snapped. "Hard to starboard! Keep alternating broadsides until the Nova Lances are ready to fire."
The Maliri helmswoman grinned as she acknowledged the orders with a nod. The port batteries began to cool, Kintark heatsinks venting off the excess heat and readying the weapons to fire again, the golden capital ships smoothly turning to present their starboard batteries to the enemy. Lilyana noticed the two assassins watching her with interest and she raised an eyebrow as she returned their curious gaze.
"Mimicking Calara's manoeuvres at the Defence of Olympus?" Almari asked with a knowing smile.
The Fleet Commander watched as the Maliri battleships hammered the Kirrix with another devastating broadside. "Can you imagine facing someone that devious in battle? The thought gives me nightmares," Lilyana quietly admitted.
"Incoming drone swarm," Ilyana informed her, pointing at the swirling mass of drone craft converging on their position.
Lilyana nodded and activated the fleet interface.
***
Sub-Warden Urumir limped slowly across the plaza and put his burly arm around the shoulder of his bond-mate to give her a comforting hug. He knew that Angraekara was terrified for their two shalelings, who had been forcibly removed from them at gunpoint. Urumir had snapped three of the spindly Kirrix troopers in half before neutron gun blasts had brought him down, but he would have still fought on, if his eldest daughter hadn't begged him to stop. He could see his two girls being marched towards another door in the flank of the hive ship, along with all the other small children that had been separated from their parents.
"What are we going to do, Urumir?!" Angraekara whimpered under her breath, wincing from the gunshot wound to her stomach. "I would sooner be unmade than allow harm to befall our precious jewels!"
He hadn't taken his eyes off Gradaela, who held little Brukaeren's hand in her own. Feeling a surge of paternal pride for his brave girls, he rumbled, "The Kirrix are weak and our gravity taxes their puny bodies. They seem distracted... wait for my sig-"
The Sub-Warden didn't finish his sentence as a piercing sonic boom ripped through the air over Negdratin, Trankaran and Kirrix alike staring up at the sky to locate its source.
"There!" Angraekara gasped, pointing into the distance. The sun glinted off the gleaming hulls of a passing wave of strike craft that swooped towards a target on the opposite side of the city.
A series of high-pitched shrieks echoed around the plaza as the Kirrix hive ship opened fire with its Neutron Beams, but they were too late to catch the swift golden bombers. Grating staccato pulses followed next as neutron gun batteries sprayed green bolts skywards, but the noise was nothing compared to the deafening explosions that suddenly rocked the muddy field. Urumir fell to one knee, knocked down by the blast wave as the hive ship's engines were blown to pieces. That was just the first detonation to rock the insectoid cruiser as its bulbous power generators were hit by streaking torpedoes, shutting down all power.
Debris fragments rained down from above and Urumir grimaced as one bounced off his bulky shoulder. "Now, Angraekara!" he roared, grabbing the nearest Kirrix below its jaw.
His huge muscles tensed and he ripped out its throat, before releasing the dying creature from his burly grip and limping towards the next. His mate tore its neutron gun from spasming chitinous fingers, then Angraekara opened fire on the next ochre-hued invader. The Kirrix soldier twitched wildly, limbs convulsing as it thrashed in agony. To Urumir's surprise, the Kirrix troops were paying the rioting Trankarans no attention, their black compound eyes focused only on the sky. They were shooting wildly into the air, obviously trying to protect the hive ship from harassment by the golden bombers.
Around him, Urumir saw his rockbrethren leaping into the fray, with a ferocity that matched his own. The Trankarans fell on their tormentors, seizing weapons and grappling them in melee, fighting back with all the strength available to them. He saw two female Trankarans each grab a drone's arm and tear the spindly trooper apart between them, gouting green blood over the vengeful mothers.
Lurching after the next distracted insectoid, a brilliant flash of blue caught Urumir's eye, then the Kirrix was blasted in the abdomen, knocking it to the ground. A huge round hole had been melted in its armoured exoskeleton and as it toppled to one side, he could see the shot had cored straight through. The flailing insect was shot twice more, the kill-shot hitting the thorax, which exploded and sent dismembered limbs bouncing across the grass.
He glanced upwards, then gaped at the sky in astonishment. Ten delicate-looking bombers hovered in the air above the plaza, their hulls an unlikely composition of gleaming gold plating and sparkling crystal canopies. Turrets below the ships spun about, pouring an unending stream of blue laser bolts into the Kirrix forces in the plaza. The bombers slowly tilted upwards, until their crystal-shrouded cockpits were pointing towards the sky, at which point a second turret at the rear of the upper fuselage contributed to the massacre below.
Urumir whirled around, fearful for his daughters, but he saw them crouched down with their friends, completely untouched by the deadly hail. Gradaela was staring back at him and when they made eye-contact, she grinned, giving him a friendly wave. A deep chuckle of relief rumbled in his chest and he returned her wave as hundreds of Kirrix soldiers died around them.
***
The trio of Maliri battleships continued their deadly exchange of fire with the Kirrix, every salvo of green beams met with triple the number of blue beams... and at twice the frequency. The Kirrix drone carriers were taking a battering, now down to only four of their original ten. The drone swarm hurtled towards the battleships, desperate to close to neutron gun range and add their firepower to the exchange before it was too late. At the same time the Maliri destroyers and cruisers cut power to their engines, falling back so they flanked the capital ships.
Lilyana watched the drones charge heedlessly into the fire arcs of the Galaena Serine's Pulse Cannon batteries, which were overlapped by defence grids from the destroyers and cruisers. It was as if the heavens opened and a storm of blue laser bolts swept out to meet the ochre swarm. With Kintark heatsinks installed, the Pulse Cannons could fire continuously... and over a thousand of those elegant weapons did exactly that. Even the worst gunner in the galaxy could sweep an unceasing hail of shots over a target and hit it eventually but the Maliri were expert markswomen. The scale of the destruction was breathtaking, with the drone swarm annihilated by azure streams, two thousand drone craft wiped out in under ten seconds.
The Maliri battleships turned, battering the leading drone carrier with beam salvos that systematically eviscerated their target, slicing away glowing chunks of hull. Energy gathered on their prow as they swung about to face the last of the enemy capital ships and the Kirrix attempted to turn and flee when they were hit by the Nova Lance barrage. Those drone carriers actually died before the critically damaged Beam Laser victim, but by this point, the Maliri cruisers had swept into range. The drone carrier was hit by so many blue beams, it was blotted out on the holographic map, and when those pulsing columns faded away, there was barely anything left of their target.
***
Like pods of dolphins hunting a giant shoal of mackerel, the Maliri interceptors raced back and forth, picking off juicy prey with impunity. The nature of a space dogfight meant that the sprawling melee was constantly shifting position, which was very fortunate considering the vast sea of ochre debris marking the engagement. The Kirrix swarm was systematically torn to pieces by the faster, more agile, and dramatically tougher Maliri vessels. The fact that each Nievath interceptor was toting at least six times the firepower of a drone craft, with double the effective range, made the engagement spectacularly one-sided.
Krisalei cut down a drone trying to evade her, then yawed to starboard to avoid its flaming remnants. There were now twice as many interceptors as drones, which meant the feeding frenzy had nearly drawn to a close. Her wing swept back towards the last of the swarm in a lazy curve, Pulse Cannon fire hitting the remaining Kirrix from all angles.
"Thirty-seven..." Torvanna said with a contented sigh. "Damn that was fun."
"Aeluva got that last one, you were trying to steal her kill," Lorathyra teased her wingmate.
"I started firing first!" Torvanna protested.
Lorathrya grinned at Krisalei, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Did you see that, Flight Commander? It looks like we need to divide Torvanna's kill-count in half, to factor in all her assists..."
Torvanna's eyes narrowed with indignant anger. "Assists?! How dare you!"
Krisalei stifled a laugh and held up her hand. "Quiet a moment..." She activated the comms interface to speak with Flight Control. "Requesting permission to begin surface operations?"
"Permission granted," the Flight Control operator replied, sounding as relieved that the battle was effectively over as Krisalei was herself. "Happy hunting, Flight Commander."
Pulling the nose of her interceptor around to face Theg Haldrim, Krisalei glanced at her shield status display and watched the strength continue to regenerate. It was currently a murky orange, having dipped as low as 16% before the swarm had been wiped out. She relaxed back in the padded pilot's chair, marvelling at the incredible increase in survivability her interceptor had received.
The golden crystal plating that covered her ship was very resilient despite its delicate appearance, but it was only able to withstand a few hits from strike craft weaponry before risking hull penetration. However, in this engagement, her interceptor's shields had been struck by at least 50 neutron bolts and she hadn't taken so much as a scratch to the hull. She'd been able to fly far more aggressively in the dogfight, shrugging off the occasional hits from the drones, in exchange for dramatically increasing her lethality.
*I'm so proud of you, favoured of Baen'thelas,* Edraele whispered, her caring voice echoing through the minds of the hundreds of white-haired Maliri in the fleet.
Krisalei smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks to the Protector. It was almost as if she could feel him watching over her and keeping her safe... and not just by securing this technology for the Maliri.
***
"All squadrons reporting in... no casualties, minimal damage sustained," the fleet strike craft coordinator announced, turning to grin at Lilyana.
The Fleet Commander allowed herself a smile of victory, having pulled off the complete annihilation of the insectoid menace without losing a single Maliri.
Almari faced her and bowed with respect. "You handled that battle with consummate professionalism. The Kirrix stood no chance at all... as was clearly your intent."
"We held an insurmountable technological advantage," Lilyana said, her eyes sweeping over the forlorn Kirrix wrecks. Her smile faded as she whispered, "Pray that we never find ourselves in their position."
Almari shared a nervous glance with Ilyana, but the pair of assassins remained silent.
*We must talk, Lilyana, after the battle is concluded,* Edraele murmured, an uncharacteristic tension in her voice.
The Fleet Commander looked Almari in the eye and asked quietly, "What of the hive ships? There must be thousands of Trankarans held captive aboard those vessels. Do we begin boarding operations to rescue them, bearing in mind the risk? It will be many days before the Trankaran fleets are able to reach Theg Haldrim..."
The assassin knew the question was not for her and after passing on the message to their Queen, she reached out to give Lilyana's hand a supportive squeeze.
*I'll consult John and ask for his orders.* Edraele replied, sounding lost in thought. She paused for a moment, then her voice was rich with warmth as she continued, *But first let me say that you have truly excelled yourself, Lilyana. It will be a huge relief to inform John that we've sustained no casualties in a fleet engagement of this size. Thank you.*
Touched by her Queen's sincerity, Lilyana finally relaxed. "You're welcome, Edraele," she whispered, her eyes flicking over the untouched wings of interceptors charging towards Theg Haldrim to sweep the streets clear of invaders. "I can honestly say that it was my pleasure."
***
John lay back on the bed as he listened to Edraele's battle report, with Felicity snuggled up against him, her hugely-swollen belly pressed against his flank. He ran his fingers through her soft blonde hair and smiled as the Nymph couldn't help purring in contentment.
"Change back to normal, honey," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You should start absorbing that load."
She shimmered and shifted, her body darkening to a lustrous green. The pupils of Jade's catlike eyes were big round pools, the black discs almost completely eclipsing the emerald iris. "That was such a thrill, Master," she whispered, tilting up her head to kiss his jawline. "Thank you... I really needed it."
He shared a smile with her. "It was certainly... liberating."
Viridian lines began to pulse out from Jade's curved stomach and spread out over her body, their brilliant radiance leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. She shivered with excitement, then looked at him in surprise.
"Get some rest, my beautiful little Nymph... you earned it," he said with real affection, cupping her head and pressing it to his shoulder.
Jade nodded obediently and closed her eyes, the rumbling purrs continuing even after she fell asleep.
*... and the new shield generators made a massive difference to the survivability of our strike craft. All Kirrix fleet assets have been neutralised without us losing a single Maliri,* Edraele concluded with tremendous satisfaction.
*That's excellent news,* John said, breathing a sigh of relief. *Have all the Trankaran civilians been freed now?*
She hesitated before replying, *Bomber wings immobilised the hive ships and Kirrix forces within the city are being hunted down as we speak... but Lilyana hasn't committed ground forces to boarding actions yet. We can let the first Trankaran relief fleet handle the rescue operations, but they won't arrive at Theg Haldrim for several days.*
He understood the reason for her brief pause and mulled the decision over for a moment. *Order the ground operation please, Edraele. I already feel bad enough that I wasn't able to personally liberate the Trankaran worlds, we can't stand by and let more civilians be assaulted. Just... ask the Maliri to be cautious; you know how formidable those juggernauts are.*
*I'll inform Lilyana at once,* she replied, sounding pleased. *The Trankarans are already proving themselves to be stoic and resourceful allies. I'm glad we're in a position to alleviate the suffering of their citizens and hasten the liberation of their worlds in their time of direst need.*
*Alyssa, have you been keeping Niskera informed?* he asked his blonde matriarch.
*Ah, I thought you'd forgotten about me...* Alyssa teased him. *I couldn't help noticing how quickly you bedded a golden-haired temptress as soon as I let you out of my sight. You haven't got bored of me and started looking for a replacement already, have you?*
*Felicity is far too well-spoken, polite, and respectful,* John replied with a smile. *How would I ever manage without my blonde matriarch making fun of me every chance she gets?*
She laughed at his banter. *Ah, you love it. As for Niskera, I've been keeping her up to date. She's tremendously grateful, although I can't tell if that's directed at you, me, or the Maliri. Not being able to hold a telepathic conversation with her is incredibly inconvenient; I'll have to bond with her as soon as we get the opportunity.*
*I bonded with Tsarra earlier,* Edraele said with satisfaction. *Sharing minds with her was quite the experience.*
*She's a lovely girl,* John said, a fond smile on his face. *How's she doing?*
The Maliri Matriarch sighed happily. *Very well indeed. I was quite the love-drunk for a few hours afterwards...*
*Ah, I wondered why you didn't make any comments about Jade's offer earlier,* John said without thinking.
*What offer would that be, my Lord?* Edraele asked airily.
John flushed as he felt both his matriarchs' amusement over their empathic connection. *Moving swiftly on...* He paused for a moment, then continued in a far more serious tone, *Please ask Calara to start planning how to deal with a Thrall fleet. As Lilyana has so amply proven, being on the wrong end of a technology disadvantage is an unmitigated disaster waiting to happen. I'm worried that even if we can unlock all the major thrall tech, we won't have anywhere near enough time to fully upgrade the Maliri fleets. We need to develop tactics to deal with faster, stronger, and tougher forces.*
*Being the proactive girl that she is, Calara's already had some thoughts about that. I'll ask her to focus on it exclusively and give you an update in the next couple of days,* Alyssa quickly agreed.
*Thank you. Can you mention it to Dana too please? She might be able to provide technical solutions, rather than just relying on cunning traps and subterfuge.*
*Letting her know right now,* the blonde replied. There were a few seconds delay, then she added, *Sparks wants to know if the same deal still applies?*
John laughed quietly to himself, trying not to disturb Jade. *Yeah, if she can impress me, it'll count.*
*You sound a lot happier...* Alyssa said softly.
*I am. It feels good to be doing something,* he admitted, staring at the ceiling. *I hated that feeling of helplessness back on Valia Gate... all those people suffering and there was nothing I could do. Hopefully we're in with a shot of rescuing the Menganus IV colonists.*
*Keep fighting the good fight,* Alyssa said, blowing him a playful telepathic kiss.
*Oh and please pass on my love to my daughters...* Edraele said with artful innocence.
***
Dana hooked up the power couplings to the hyper-pulse generator, then connected her scanner's sensor probes to the control panel. As she started checking through the reams of data, she heard Alyssa's melodic laughter from up on top of the comms office.
*What's so funny?* she asked, glancing around the corner of the huge device to look for her friend.
*Nothing... just Edraele teasing John,* Alyssa replied, turning to wave at her.
Dana watched as the psychic blonde beckoned to a 30-meter-wide emitter dish, which floated through the air and neatly slotted into the waiting chassis. Once Alyssa was satisfied with the fit, she lifted the final emitter with an imperious gesture, the huge dish gliding smoothly through the air before she settled it into position. She made a twisting motion with both hands and power couplings rose from the ground like serpents obeying a snake-charmer, the black cables slotting into the comms array.
Dana had spent most of the last few hours fabricating all the parts needed and they were now in a rush to finish building the device before the last of the colonists were treated. The redhead wasn't alone in following the construction of the colony's new comms array. Thousands of people had gathered in the courtyard to watch in open-mouthed amazement, as Alyssa effortlessly assembled the huge communications device with a spectacular display of telekinetic mastery.
"I don't b-believe it..." Niklas stammered as he gaped at Alyssa.
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy..." Dana agreed with a smile, before returning her attention to the data readings. "I remember the first time I saw her using psychic powers, I totally freaked."
She noticed a dip in the energy flow through the synchroniser and frowned at the unexpected result. A golden glow appeared in Dana's eyes that matched the coronas around her pupils and she delved into the device with her mind. Projecting her consciousness through the hyper-pulse generator, she discovered hairline stress fractures snaking through the power modulator, probably caused by impact damage to the bow of the Invictus in the Battle of Terra. It took a few seconds to rearrange the sub-atomic structure, repairing fissures and strengthening the silver lattice.
Dana blinked a couple of times as she deactivated her psychic abilities, then glanced at the scanner and grinned. The dip had been reversed, now showing a performance spike that the device wouldn't have been able to achieve straight out of the factory. "There we go, all done."
"What? Already?!" Niklas exclaimed, turning to look at her in astonishment. "You can't have performed a full diagnostic, you've only been looking at it for a minute!"
She shrugged and gave him a playful wink. "I give you my personal guarantee it's in tip-top shape, but feel free to double-check if you don't believe me."
Disconnecting the sensor probes, she patted the stunned engineer on the arm and left him staring bewildered at the control panel. Dana bounded across the courtyard to join the governor, who appeared to be awestruck, gaping in astonishment at Alyssa. The blonde Lioness was shrouded in a white nimbus of light as she stepped off the roof of the comms office and floated through the air to land gracefully on the ground beside them.
"Too good for ladders now?" the redhead asked with a grin.
"Just giving my audience their money's worth," Alyssa replied, flicking a glance at the comms array. "Everything looking good?"
Dana nodded confidently. "Yep, we're all set. Full communications are restored." She jerked a thumb at the Invictus. "I've already got the Mass Fabricators churning out a replacement hyper-pulse generator, so I'll get cracking on my research. Send Calara up to my Workshop whenever she wants to have a chat."
"Thanks, Sparks," the blonde said with a grateful smile. "I'll see you inside."
The redhead gave the governor a cheerful grin, then turned and started for the Invictus.
Shaking off her daze, Luce called after her, "Thank you!"
Dana waved over her shoulder and continued jogging towards the white battlecruiser.
"Sorry, she's got a lot on her mind," Alyssa said, watching her friend rushing to get back to her research projects.
Luce chuckled and shook her head. "You don't ever have to apologise for that little girl, hell, same applies to any of you. You've done so much for all of us... unlike those bastards in High Command..."
Alyssa gave her a look of sympathy. "Fleet Admiral Devereux is sending a fleet full of supplies. They should be with you in a couple of weeks."
The governor's eyes narrowed with anger. "Fat lot of good that'll do all those poor kids who died... What the hell am I supposed to say to their parents? 'Sorry about little Johnny getting chopped up by the bugs. Here, have a nutri-bar!'..." Her hands clenched into fists as she snapped, "Those T-Fed assholes abandoned us when we needed them the most!"
"I really am sorry, Luce," Alyssa murmured, stepping closer and stroking the furious woman's arm. "I wish we could've got here in time to save them."
The older woman let out a heavy sigh and patted her hand. "None of this is your fault. You've been amazing... you all have. Where is the Lion anyway? I haven't seen him around for a while... I wanted to thank him personally for saving us."
"John went to Menganus IV to find out what happened to their colonists," Alyssa explained, already really missing him.
Luce gave her a knowing look. "He looked like he was struggling earlier. He's one of those restless types, isn't he? Always has to be doing something... or it eats him up inside."
Alyssa nodded, surprised by her perceptiveness. "It wasn't personal. He knew Rachel and Helene would be busy treating your people for most of the day, so he took a few Lionesses with him in the Raptor. They're currently tracking down the Kirrix fleet that abducted the colonists."
"Reminds me of my older brother, always rushing around to be in the thick of the action," Luce said, a flicker of sadness crossing her features. "Alex loved it in the military until he got retired after he busted up his knee. Settling down just wasn't in him... got lost in a bottle in the end."
Shaking her head, Alyssa said, "No, it's not like that with John. He really wants to settle down and raise a family. It's feeling helpless he can't stand; seeing all of you in pain, but not being able to do anything to help was wearing him down. I convinced him to go to Menganus IV just to give him a break, but now he's heading into Kirrix Space to hunt down the fleet."
Luce's eyes widened in alarm. "He's invading Kirrix Space? In a gunship?!"
Alyssa laughed nervously. "Well it's had a bunch of upgrades..." Her confident expression faltered and she started to look worried. "Shit! He's never going to be able to just scout out the Kirrix fleet then wait for us to get there..."
Luce felt a surge of sympathy for Alyssa, who suddenly looked very young and scared. She pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Jeezus... here's me putting all my worries on your shoulders and you've got more than enough to deal with. Sorry darlin', you've been an absolute angel."
She turned to look at the crowd of colonists slowly dispersing, then her eyes drifted to the fully-operational comms array. Luce was about to continue speaking when she spotted her husband strolling down the Invictus' entry ramp and walking in their direction. Her breath caught when she saw Theo's confident strut, a broad grin lighting up his handsome face.
Alyssa felt her freeze and turned to follow the governor's gaze, watching as the older man strode their way. "He looks so different..."
Luce brushed the tears from her cheeks then pulled the blonde into a fierce hug. "I never thought I'd see him like that again! Thank you!"
"It was all Helene's doing," the blonde replied with a smile.
Theo walked over to join them. "There's my beautiful wife," he said, slipping his arm around her shoulders when the two women parted. "Sorry to interrupt, Luce. I just wanted to let you know that these fine ladies have finished treating all our people."
Luce gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, then turned to Alyssa. "You go on now, chase after your man. Don't hang around here anymore for our sake... you've done more than enough." She flicked a loving glance up at her husband, then looked into Alyssa's eyes and added, "Please tell Helene... thanks... but make it sound real good. You know how much I owe her."
"I'll pass on the message," Alyssa said with a smile. "Take care, Luce. Good luck to you and the colony."
She waved goodbye, then turned and sprinted for the Invictus.
"She took off like a jackrabbit!" Theo muttered in surprise. "Was it something I said?"
Luce slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him tight. "You're just too much man for a little girl like that. You must've scared her off with your raging machismo."
He laughed and puffed out his chest. "Sounds about right," he agreed, playing along. Darting his wife a seductive smile, he continued, "It's getting late. Everyone's already starting to drift off to bed, maybe we ought to follow their fine example..."
She pulled him down for a smouldering kiss. "You're on, mister..."
They shared a grin, then walked hand-in-hand back to the town, pausing to watch and wave goodbye as the Invictus lifted off.
***
John checked that Jade was fast asleep and carefully untangled himself from the slumbering Nymph. Pulses of light were still curving over her nude body, so he pulled the covers up over her shoulders and leaned down to plant a loving kiss on top of her head. "Sleep tight, gorgeous."
Jade murmured in her sleep, a serene smile on her beautiful face.
Feeling sweaty after hours of torrid lovemaking, John slipped into the shower and had a quick wash, not interested in lingering without a nubile companion to keep him company.
*I can ask one of the twins to be your shower buddy?* Alyssa suggested.
*It's okay, I don't want to disturb Jade with a long shower.*
*I feel like I'm neglecting you,* she said quietly, an underlying tension in her voice.
John shut off the shower and grabbed a towel. *Why on Terra would you think that? Jade and the twins have been amazing.*
Her silence stretched out for a painfully long moment, then Alyssa blurted out, *What are you going to do when you catch up to the Kirrix?*
He dried himself as he mulled it over. *I guess it depends on a few factors, like the size of their fleet and if the colonists are in any danger.*
*Please don't do anything reckless,* she pleaded with him. *You're so far away from us... we'd never be able to get there in time if you run into trouble!*
Storing the towel on the heated rail, he pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. *We're in the Raptor, honey. Even if we did attack the Kirrix, I can't exactly rescue 10,000 colonists and stick them in the cargo hold. Besides, those people would have been infested with eggs at least a week ago, so there's not much we can do to save them until you join us with the Invictus.*
Alyssa relaxed and sounded much calmer as she said, *Okay, well we'll get there as fast as we can. We just took off from Valia Gate and are heading towards the border. Going with our worst case scenario, we should catch up with you sometime tomorrow evening.*
Glancing at the chronometer on the wall, John saw it was 11:04 pm. *Give the girls a kiss goodnight from me. I'll look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow.*
*I'll give them a lot more than that!* Alyssa exclaimed, blowing him a flirtatious telepathic kiss. *Goodnight, handsome.*
*Goodnight, beautiful,* he replied with a fond smile, then left the cabin with a final glance at Jade to check she was alright.
He could hear the twins speaking Maliri together in the cabin, their quiet voices reaching his sensitive ears. Their language was curious in that it could sound so haughty and disdainful when used in the clipped commands of a matriarch, but it seemed so lilting and pleasant when the twins spoke softly to each other.
Closing the cabin door behind him, he padded along the corridor to the cockpit. "Hey, you two."
They turned in the pilot's and co-pilot's chairs and greeted him with lovely identical smiles.
"Did you have fun?" Tashana asked, rising from her seat and opening her arms for a hug.
"It was... different," he replied with a self-conscious grin.
Irillith laughed and joined her sister in his arms. "The chance to have a consequence-free one-night stand with any woman you desire? That's every man's fantasy isn't it?"
"Different doesn't necessarily mean better," John said, embracing them both. "Of course the novelty of being in bed with a new girl was exciting and Jade's performance was breathtaking." He pulled them in closer and continued, "But I can't get enough of the loving looks you girls give me when we're together... especially when I feel the same way about you."
"Keep talking like that and I won't be responsible for my actions," Tashana said with a smouldering glimmer in her angular eyes.
Irillith kissed his cheek, her lips lingering on his skin before she pulled back. "We want you again before we sleep tonight..."
"Of course," he agreed, stroking their backs. "I'll want to see the two of you perform for me first..."
The twins shot excited glances at each other and their alluring violet-eyed gaze was filled with promise when they returned their focus to him.
John looked past the twins at the Sector Map. "Have you seen any sign of the Kirrix yet?"
"Nothing so far," Tashana confirmed with a shake of her head. "We would've called you if we'd spotting anything interesting."
"We're coming up on the border though," Irillith said, slipping out of his grasp and returning to the Pilot's chair. "If we can locate the nearest satellite in the sensor grid, I can review the data logs and check if the Kirrix came this way."
John sat in the co-pilot's chair and pulled Tashana down onto his lap. "They're all embedded in asteroid belts. Did you get the sensor grid coordinates from Calara?"
"I did," the Maliri said with a smile. "Let's just hope no one's been using them for weapon tests."
"What kind of interstellar vandal would do such a thing?" he asked, adopting an innocent expression.
Tashana pointed to a broad belt of asteroids floating near the border between Terran and Kirrix Space. "That's it. The satellite is meant to be in there somewhere."
She turned to face the console, squirming a little on John's lap and flashing a playful smile at him over her shoulder. He tickled her and she laughed as her slender fingers brushed over the navigation controls, altering their course towards the asteroid belt.
"Do we need to enter the field?" John asked, studying the broad sweep of misshapen rock.
Irillith hesitated, then shrugged. "The satellites are programmed to transmit their sensor data back to the beacons that route them through to the fleet. We need to view the data log, so I'll have to make a remote connection... if it's set up to accept incoming comms traffic. When we get closer, I'll broadcast a wide-band data query and see if we get any hits."
He nodded his understanding, then kept himself occupied as they approached the asteroids by kissing Tashana's bare shoulder and listening to her soft murmurs of appreciation. They dropped out of hyper-warp at the edge of the belt, then waited for Irillith to finish her transmissions.
"Fuck!" Irillith swore under her breath ten minutes later.
"That doesn't sound good," John noted, raising an eyebrow.
She shook her head, an exasperated look on her face. "It was a long shot anyway. Hacking those satellites and corrupting the sensor grid would be far too easy if you could connect to them remotely."
"So now we have to search through the haystack to find the needle?" John asked, frowning at the thousands of small asteroids scattered throughout the belt.
"What about detecting the outgoing transmissions?" Tashana suggested. "Could we find the satellite that way?"
"The Invictus could with its comms array, but the Raptor's isn't powerful enough," Irillith muttered, looking frustrated. She paused for a moment, then glanced at them with a hopeful smile. "I might be able to track it down though..."
John gestured for her to proceed and she nodded, her eyes illuminating with a violet glow. The cockpit seemed to come alive to Irillith, with brightly coloured data streams arcing over the consoles, information scrolling by at an incredible rate. She stopped to admire the beauty of the digital realm, even if this was only a superficial glimpse of the data flowing through the Raptor's subsystems. Turning to look through the cockpit canopy, Irillith focused her concentration on the sprawl of lumpen rocks hanging motionless in space.
After scouring the field for a few minutes, her eyes caught a flickering yellow line arcing away from the far corner of the asteroid belt. "Over there, Shan!"
Tashana grasped the flightstick and ramped up power to the engines, carefully guiding the Raptor around the field of rock. Following Irillith's directions, her sister approached the asteroid belt from the far side, bringing them much closer to the source of the signal.
"That big one with the recess on the bottom," Irillith said pointing out the satellite's concealed location. "It's fortunate there's no background traffic this far out in deep space, the signal was hard to spot."
The gunship coasted underneath the huge chunk of rock, external lights shining into the cave and glinting off a metal object partially buried within.
"Well done, honey," John said, giving her an admiring glance. "So what now?"
"Time for a spacewalk," the Maliri hacker replied, rising from her seat.
"Want some company?" he offered, lifting Tashana from his lap.
"You ask as if I have some choice in the matter," Irillith said, smiling at him affectionately. "You have no intention of letting me go out there alone, do you?"
"At least do me the courtesy of pretending that I'm not being overprotective," he replied with a grin, waving goodbye to Tashana as he followed her sister out of the cockpit.
Irillith stepped into the grav-tube beside him and crossed her wrists behind his neck. "Who knows what might be lurking in that scary cave, John. Would you come along to look after me please?"
"Of course, Ma'am," he replied, tipping an imaginary hat. "It'd be my pleasure."
They shared a smile, then entered the armoury and headed for the armour-equipping frames. It took a few seconds for the robotic arms to clad them from head-to-toe in their Paragon suits, then they each slung a Tachyon Rifle over a shoulder and made their way to the rear cargo area. After entering the starboard airlock, John shut the inner door behind him and the chamber was depressurised shortly afterwards, the green atmosphere light switching to red. Irillith placed her hand on the DNA reader and after it checked her genetic code, the airlock door spiralled open, letting them kick off from the deck and drift out into space.
"We're looking for a maintenance access panel," Irillith said over the suit intercom, as they floated into the cave.
John turned his head, sweeping the left side with the lights on his helmet. "How about that?" he asked, pointing to a hatch marked with chevrons.
Irillith finished her own sweep. "That must be it."
They landed beside it and John crouched down to grasp the handle. He tugged it carefully, then shook his head. "Is there a way to unlock it? If not, I can just rip it open..."
Placing her hands on the metal beside the hatch, Irillith murmured, "Let me see what I can do."
Her eyes lit up with an inner light as sparks danced over her fingertips, arcing back and forth as she channelled electricity through the metal. She raised an eyebrow as she carefully studied the metal panel, then glanced at John. "Go ahead, give it a good tug."
He tried again, being careful not to overdo it, but the hatch still wouldn't budge. Frowning in irritation, he yanked back, tearing the metal hatch from the panel. It floated away, a coil of severed electrical cabling stretched out behind it, looking like a multi-coloured tail.
Glancing inside the now open hatchway, John's eyes widened when he saw what lay within. "Shit... that's H-269! This was a booby trap!"
Irillith nodded, studying the bricks of high-explosives packed on the inside of the metal panel. "I shorted out the demolition trigger. If you'd tried to pull that free while it was still live, this whole asteroid would've been blown to pieces."
John sat back on his haunches and frowned. "So where the hell's the access panel?"
"Concealed somewhere," Irillith said with a shrug, reaching into the open portal and pressing her hand against a black box. "There's data routing through this... just give me a moment."
He nodded and waited patiently, even if he felt a bit uncomfortable sitting on a massive bomb.
"I'm in," the Maliri hacker murmured, her glowing violet eyes flicking back and forth.
"Any luck finding the data log?" John asked, watching her fully absorbed in her work.
She nodded. "I'm searching the entries from the last few days' for any sensor contacts..." A smile spread across her face a few moments later. "Got them! They did come this way!"
"It is the quickest way to Kirrix Space from Menganus IV," John said, feeling a flood of relief. "We're lucky they were in a hurry to escape."
"The sensor information is stored in raw data files, but I can translate it if you want to see?" Irillith offered, glancing his way.
"Sure, go ahead."
Irillith twisted around, the glow from her eyes projecting a violet-hued re-enactment of the sensor data she was reading. Four hive ships escorted by four drone carriers inched across the Sector Map, heading towards Kirrix Space on the direct path they'd predicted.
"That was nearly three days ago," she said, her expression sombre. "The fleet must be quite deep into Kirrix Space now."
John clenched his jaw. "They could be anywhere..."
The Maliri nodded, then accelerated the projection, the Kirrix fleet moving quickly towards the invisible demarcation line between territories. "This is the point they crossed into Kirrix Space..."
He watched as the eight ships carried on in a straight line for another minute, then made an abrupt course change, shifting heading in hyper-warp. "Wait... where are they going now?"
Irillith tilted her head to one side as if listening to someone. "Eta Tauri... Alyssa says it's the only star system directly on that course for hundreds of light years."
"This sensor data was from three days ago..." John mused, staring at the image of the Kirrix fleet. "How far away is Eta Tauri?"
*If you head there right now, they'll arrive shortly before you,* Alyssa informed him. *You'll reach the system tomorrow at 9:06 am.*
He glanced at Irillith and gave her an appreciative smile. "We got what we needed. Great work, honey."
*John... you're not seriously planning to invade a Kirrix planet?* Alyssa asked, her voice pained.
Rising to his feet, John clasped Irillith's hand and kicked off from the satellite. *We can scout the system and get the lay of the land. We'll meet you there, then launch a rescue.*
Alyssa sighed with resignation. *Okay, I'll plot a new course for the Invictus and rendezvous with you in Eta Tauri* After taking a moment to make the calculations, she added, *We'll arrive at 6:17 pm tomorrow evening.*
*Perfect! See you then,* John said with a smile, looking forward to the reunion. He floated over to the Raptor and landed beside the airlock, then helped guide Irillith through. "Ladies first."
She shut the airlock door behind him then pulled off her helmet after the chamber repressurised. "Ladies first?" she asked, her lips twitching into a coy smile.
"Oh yes, definitely. How many times is entirely up to you and Tashana," he replied, pulling her into a passionate kiss.
***
Alyssa groaned and slumped back in her dining chair. The crew had all worked through dinner to finish helping the Valia Gate colonists as quickly as possible, so they were now gathered together in the dining room for a late snack as the Invictus sped through hyper-warp towards Eta Tauri.
"What's up?" Dana asked, between bites of her burger.
"John's planning to scout a Kirrix planet; that's where the Menganus IV colonists have been taken..."
The redhead's eyes widened in shock. "Holy shit! He's crazy!"
Sakura's brow furrowed with worry. "Now I wish I'd gone with him in the Valkyrie."
Faye wrung her hands together anxiously. "John promised he was going to be careful!"
Calara reached across the dining table to hold her girlfriend's hand. "He isn't seriously considering a planetary invasion with just the Raptor, is he?"
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He's just 'scouting'..." She added air quotes for extra sarcastic emphasis.
The Latina sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess... Tashana piloting the gunship, Irillith causing mayhem with her hacking, while John and Jade paint the planet green?"
"It sounds like you've met our illustrious leader before," Alyssa said with resignation.
Rachel looked at the blonde with concern. "We better make sure we're all well rested tonight and we should probably refrain from using our powers tomorrow morning. John's likely to need as much psychic energy as he can get."
Helene looked at the other girls in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand. When warriors from our village went scouting around the borders of our land, they were looking for dangerous predators that might threaten the villagers. When they discovered a threat, they would gather a hunting party to deal with them... not attack on their own. If John says he's scouting the Kirrix, isn't that what he plans to do?"
"We don't have a great track record with scouting and stealth missions," Dana explained with a troubled frown. "They nearly always end up in a bloodbath."
Alyssa nodded and gave the aquatic girl a weary smile of resignation. "John might only be planning to do a bit of reconnaissance... but things rarely work out that way."
Helene looked bewildered, then reached out to pat Alyssa's arm. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."
"You're a sweetheart, thank you," the blonde said, nodding to her in gratitude.
They all went back to eating their meal, the girls lost in thought and concerned about John. The exception were the Nymphs, who didn't seem unduly concerned, having absolute faith in their eldest sister to keep their Master safe from harm.
Finishing her burger, Dana looked down the table at Alyssa. "Are we still on for tonight?"
Alyssa's cerulean eyes flicked to Calara, a hungry gleam in her smouldering gaze. "I could do with working off a bit of tension... what about you, gorgeous girl?"
The brunette licked her lips with anticipation. "I can't wait to find out what new tricks you've learned. You're on, baby..."
Dana shared a flirtatious smile with Rachel, then they both looked across the table at Sakura, the invitation quite obvious to all.
The Asian girl laughed and nodded. "Absolutely."
Tracing a finger over the back of her lover's hand, Alyssa turned to Helene. "Would you like to join us? You'll have a very good time... I promise."
The aquatic girl hesitated then slowly shook her head, a strained smile on her face. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I think I'll just get an early night."
"I could use a nice cuddle," Faye piped up, seeing Alyssa's look of concern for the teal-skinned beauty. "Would you like to sleep with me tonight, Helene? It sounds like the main bedroom is going to be busy!"
"That sounds lovely, thank you," Helene replied, then stifled a yawn.
Alyssa gave her a sympathetic look. "Go get some sleep, you must be exhausted."
Helene nodded and rose from her chair. "That does sound like a good idea."
The blonde stood too and pulled her into a hug. "All those people needed you today and you helped them in ways that none of us could have done. You were amazing, Helene... you should be very proud of yourself."
Trembling in her matriarch's arms, Helene suddenly began to cry, overwrought with emotion.
Alyssa looked at her in surprise then held her close. "Shush now, beautiful. Everything's going to be okay..."
***
Sarinia Baelora steepled her fingers together as she gazed across her study, the eldest daughter of House Baelora lost in thought. A soft chime echoed through the plush office, alerting her to the presence of a visitor at the door... then it chimed again and again in rapid succession.
Frowning in irritation, she rose from the chair behind her desk and called out, "Enter!"
A ruffled Maliri noblewoman blustered into the room, a furious scowl on her face. "You better have a damn good reason for disturbing me at this hour, Sarinia!"
"Welcome, dearest Myrdina," Sarinia said making a placating gesture with her hands. "I promise I have good reason to call you here."
The second sister glowered in anger. "Just because you're the eldest, you don't have seniority! Mother never put you in charge!"
"Please take a seat." Sarinia waved her over to a chaise longue, then turned to greet her next two guests.
Lieralia and Rosanae stalked inside, looking equally indignant.
"Myrdina's quite correct," Lieralia scowled. "We're not at your beck and call!"
"It's an insult demanding we come scurrying to your office in the middle of the night," Rosanae sniffed haughtily. "I feel sullied even being here!"
Conceding their points with a conciliatory nod, Sarinia said, "I did not mean to insult any of you. If you give me a chance to explain, I shall."
Myrdina stood by the sofa but refused to sit, tapping her foot impatiently. "Where is that imbecile? How dare she keep us waiting?"
"Tehlariene will be here shortly. Her quarters are in the furthest wing of the palace," Sarinia replied, leaning back against her desk.
Lieralia snorted with disgust. "Ah here she is. Thank you for gracing us with your presence... at long last."
The final sibling to enter was Tehlariene, who yawned and gave her elder sisters an anxious look of apology. "Sorry I'm late, I tried to get here as quickly as I could."
Rosanae tutted and looked down her nose at their youngest sibling. "Banning the use of neural whips was a travesty..."
"Please take a seat," Sarinia said, gesturing towards the sofa.
Tehlariene cringed away from Rosanae and quickly moved to sit where her eldest sister had requested.
"Alright, we're all here... finally," Myrdina snapped, glaring at Tehlariene. She turned to look at Sarinia. "Now stop wasting my time. What's this all about?"
Taking a deep breath, Sarinia said, "I spoke to mother earlier this evening. It was a very disturbing conversation."
This announcement was met with an uncomfortable silence.
"Disturbing... how?" Lieralia asked cautiously.
"Rather than me attempting to paraphrase what mother said, why don't you see for yourselves," Sarinia said, turning to swipe her hand over her desk console. "I recorded our call as you might expect."
All four of her sisters nodded, knowing full well how furious Gaenna Baelora could get if her orders were not followed to the letter. They waited without further complaint as Sarinia activated the recording, then watched the entire conversation in mounting disbelief.
When the call concluded, Sarinia raised an eyebrow and looked at her stunned siblings. "Now, do you still question my decision to ask you here?"
They all shook their heads.
"I don't believe it..." Myrdina said in a hushed voice, eyes wide in alarm. "She smiled!"
"Then she actually thanked you," Rosanae whispered, shooting a disbelieving glance at Lieralia.
"And she wasn't being sarcastic either," Lieralia muttered, looking deeply unsettled.
Tehlariene nibbled her nail nervously, then said, "Is this an elaborate prank, Sarinia? I don't mind if it is, but please tell me... If you intended to frighten me, you've succeeded beyond your wildest dreams."
Raising both hands to protest her innocence, Sarinia replied, "This is no joke, I promise you. My initial reaction was just the same as yours..."
Myrdina began to pace back and forth. "So, what... are you being groomed for succession?" she asked, jittery with nerves. "Is that why she was being... pleasant... with you? Is she planning to abdicate?!"
Sarinia looked at her sister incredulously. "You think Gaenna would ever voluntarily give up power?"
Blushing, Myrdina shook her head. "Alright, I admit... I'm not thinking straight!"
"She wants to trade Vrysandral Spice..." Rosanae murmured, then shivered as if someone had danced on her grave. "With Edraele Valaden!"
"I know," Sarinia said, nodding and looking solemn.
"I've never seen her so distracted," Lieralia said, looking around at her sisters. "She's getting older now... is there any chance it could be a form of mental incapacity?"
"Mother must have at least another 60 or 70 years before we have to deal with that nightmare," Rosanae replied, shaking her head. "Such cases are unheard of before your third century."
Sarinia stared at the image of their white-haired matriarch. "Her behaviour has been peculiar ever since she set up residence on Genthalas."
Myrdina snorted. "As if setting up home in the Valaden witch's home system could ever be considered normal! I think Rosanae might be right... perhaps she is finally losing her mind."
"We desperately need more information," Sarinia said, drumming her fingers on the desk. "Do any of you have active spies on Genthalas?"
The sisters all shook their heads.
"I still have a contact there... I'll see if I can find out anything else," she said, looking pensive. "In the meantime, we need to prepare the entire fleet for travel to Genthalas for the refit."
"Leaving our homeworld defenceless..." Myrdina muttered, shaking her head. "I tell you, she's gone mad."
Sarinia gave her a helpless shrug. "I don't have any answers yet, but I wanted to forewarn you of her... change in disposition."
Myrdina let out a heavy sigh, then gave her eldest sister a respectful nod. "Thank you for warning us. I apologise for my brusque manner earlier."
Lieralia and Rasanae echoed her sentiments, while Tehlariene smiled hesitantly.
"I've kept you up long enough," Sarinia said, pushing off from the desk. "I shall inform you if I hear of anything else noteworthy."
Her sisters thanked her and left her study, with Tehlariene closing the door behind her.
Sarinia returned to her desk and sank into the high-backed chair, her attention drawn inexorably to the image of her mother. Her golden eyes narrowed as she hissed, "What are you up to now, you conniving old bitch?"
"My sincere apologies for keeping you waiting," Edraele said, inclining her head to the seated women. "Baen'thelas enquired as to the status of our fleet refits and I wanted to finish my update before beginning this meeting, so that I could give you my undivided attention."
"Apology accepted," Meriel Romenor said with an impatient wave. "So how soon will my own fleets be refitted?"
Kali Loraleth frowned in disapproval. "They're all our fleets now, Meriel. We're all working together for the betterment of the Maliri people."
"I was speaking to Edraele, not you. If I wanted the opinion of an impudent child, I would have asked for it!" Meriel snapped, her wizened face twisting into a sneer of derision. "Of course, we just happen to be refitting the fleets by House ranking, which puts all the Valaden and Loraleth ships at the front of the queue! It's fine to spout high-minded words when your fleets have already been upgraded!"
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to upset you," Kali said quietly, cringing in the face of the older woman's hostility. "I just meant that we're all supposed to be friends now..."
As the youngest matriarch in the room, by 150 years in some cases, Kali often had to deal with underhanded slights from her elders. However, it was the first time any of them dared do so openly in front of their Queen.
Edraele placed her hand on Kali's bare shoulder and gave her a comforting squeeze. "That's exactly right, Kali. We're all united under Baen'thelas' banner, working to improve Maliri lives throughout the Protectorate."
Kali brushed a lock of her long white hair away from her youthful face and looked up at Edraele with a grateful smile. The Maliri queen returned it lovingly, then as soon as Kali looked away, she turned to glare on Meriel.
*Apologise to her... now. Unless you'd like to discuss your lack of respect after the meeting?* Edraele said ominously, her purple eyes narrowing in anger.
Meriel froze as she heard Edraele's glacial telepathic voice cut through her mind, the implied threat backed up by over a century of unsurpassed cruelty. "I-I should be the one apologising, Kali," she stammered, tearing her eyes from Edraele's baleful glare. "I'm very sorry for speaking to you in such a disrespectful manner. I-I was just concerned about House Romenor's unguarded border with the Kirrix..."
Kali brightened, a lovely smile lighting up her face. "That's quite alright, I appreciate you must be worried. I'm sure you'll be pleased to hear that my first fleet has been dispatched to your border just this morning! My second fleet is undergoing the last stages of the refit and will be heading for the Brimorian border in two days' time."
"Thank you," Meriel said, nodding to Kali in gratitude, before darting a worried glance in Edraele's direction.
The Maliri Queen locked eyes with her for a long moment, until Meriel bowed her head and broke eye-contact, then Edraele turned and took her seat at the head of the table. "To summarise the update that I just provided to Baen'thelas: Genthalas is now running at 80% capacity, with more hangars and production facilities being brought online on a daily basis. The slight delay was simply to allow additional time to install Brimorian Shield Generators in every vessel leaving our shipyards. The refit of House Perfaren's two fleets and my third are already well underway, with Houses Aeberos' and Naestina's beginning later this afternoon."
Tsarra, Nyrelle, and Valani all nodded in confirmation, their Fleet Commanders having kept them apprised of their current state of readiness.
Edraele turned to Gaenna Baelora. "House Baelora's ships will be next in line for the refit, so please ensure they are present at Genthalas by the end of the week."
The older matriarch had a gleam of anticipation in her eyes. "I shall contact my daughters and have them dispatch my fleets."
"Very good," Edraele said, before turning to look at the group. "Now, I'm afraid I have some bad news. Baen'thelas will not be travelling directly to Maliri Space, he plans to take a detour via Kirrix territory and will be returning home to us at least a week later."
This announcement was met with groans of anguish, the expression on Emandra Holaris' face making it clear just how much she was anticipating his return. Edraele had immediately informed the Young Matriarchs when John first made the decision, so they only reacted with forlorn looks at their Queen. Kali had taken the news hardest of all, as she was longing for his return, desperate to start a family with him.
"At least a week?" Emandra asked, chewing her lip in frustration. "But he might be even longer?"
"I don't have a precise date, I'm afraid," Edraele admitted with a mournful frown. "He's eager to return to us as soon as possible but he has pressing business to attend to first. I'm well aware that you've been away from home for weeks now, so it might be prudent to return to your homeworlds in the interim to deal with House business. I will inform you of the date he'll be arriving at Genthalas as soon as he lets me know."
The Young Matriarchs darted looks of concern at Edraele, the thought of leaving each other's company not a pleasant one. She knew how close Leena Ghilwen and Tsarra Perfaren had become, their intimacy matched by Nyrelle Aeberos and Valani Naestina.
*Not you, my darlings,* she informed them with a fond smile. *John asked me to protect all of you and the only way I can do that is to keep you at my side for the foreseeable future.*
*Another eight months?* Valani asked, instinctively caressing her flat stomach.
*Oh no, he was thinking considerably longer term than that... centuries at the very least,* the Maliri Queen replied, her reassuring words met with looks of delight.
Gaenna Baelora had been furtively studying Emandra Holaris' pained expression and her eyes flicked to the House Valaden Matriarch. "Edraele, I'd like to speak with you after the meeting please."
Inclining her head, Edraele replied, "Of course." Looking around the group, she continued, "On to the next item I wish to raise with you: my fleets have reached the Ashanath Collective and the Trankaran Republic. Both of our allies have been provided with new technology, so that they can upgrade their forces and assist with the refit of my ships. Additionally, my first fleet has begun the hunt for Kirrix vessels in Trankaran Space and I've received confirmation that the insectoid vermin have commenced a civil war..."
"I know you informed us that Alyssa caused this rift amongst the Kirrix," Keishara Venkalyn murmured, a look of trepidation flickering across her face as she remembered seeing the furious blonde flying after Tashana, eldritch forces curling around her fists. "But to instigate a civil war by thought alone... the sheer power that Terran girl must possess is terrifying!"
Edraele nodded and looked around at the fourteen short-haired matriarchs. "Yes, exactly. If you ladies will indulge me, I would like to offer you some advice. I know that many of you chafe under my leadership and given the opportunity, you would gladly seek to supplant me as Queen at John's side..." She saw a cagey twitch of the lips from more than one of the older women, while the rest were simply better at concealing their emotions.
"Why, whatever do you mean, Edraele?" Emandra asked, raising an eyebrow and giving her a coy smile.
The Maliri Queen laughed, a knowing look on her face. "You would never dream of such a thing?"
The House Holaris matriarch smirked. "It never even crossed my mind..."
"Yes, very amusing..." Gaenna Baelora snapped, growing impatient with Emandra's interruption. Staring at Edraele, she continued curtly, "So what's the advice?"
"I would be disappointed if any of you were brazen enough to make an attempt on my life, but hardly surprised given our history. However, do not, under any circumstances, allow the Young Matriarchs to be caught in the crossfire," Edraele said ominously, the room falling into a hushed silence. "I'm sure you've already been informed of this by your spy networks, but if not, I'm telling you now: they are carrying Baen'thelas' heirs..."
The older matriarchs looked at their five younger counterparts with a mix of wariness and shocked fascination, none of them saying a word.
Edraele nodded as that sank in, curious to see which of the matriarchs was genuinely surprised and who was pretending. "For your own sake and the continued existence of your Houses... I urge you not to put these girls at risk. Endangering them would enrage Alyssa... and bring horrific vengeance down upon your heads, the likes of which the Maliri Regency has never before witnessed."
*But I'm not pregnant,* Kali reminded her, her expression turning wistful.
*A mere technicality that we will address the moment John returns,* Edraele replied, sending a loving telepathic caress through the young woman's mind that made Kali sigh in euphoria.
Emandra studied Edraele's flawless skin, her youthful appearance indistinguishable from the nubile Maliri maiden sitting beside her. "And what about you, Edraele?" she asked in a hushed voice.
Edraele shook her head, then a coy smile appeared on her face. "No, I'm not pregnant. At least, not yet..."
"But you're into your one-sixties!" Gaenna protested, looking stunned.
"Chronologically, I'll admit to being 162... but physically? My body has been rejuvenated to that of a 30-year-old, along with the insatiable appetites of the young and the fertility to match," she declared, a gleam in her purple eyes. "Now, I appreciate that many of you are long past your child-bearing years and might no longer be interested in expanding your Houses. However, if that prospect does still hold any appeal..."
She looked around and without exception, all the Maliri in the room were starry-eyed at the mere thought of being intimate with John.
"... then I would strongly recommend staying true to the spirit of our alliance until Baen'thelas returns," she advised them, hoping that would be enough to keep the older matriarchs in line.
*Trouble, Edraele?* John asked, sounding concerned as he felt her worry over their connection.
*Truthfully, the older matriarchs are growing more belligerent,* She admitted with a sigh. *Without the control element of your connection to keep them compliant, they are highly-likely to revert to their original natures the longer you are away. There is a limit to how much authority I can exert over them without having to take... drastic measures.*
*I'm sorry I left you in that position,* John said with regret. *When I return home, I promise we'll find a long-term solution to ensure you can run the Protectorate as effortlessly as possible.*
*Well at the moment, all the older matriarchs are remembering what it was like to be a luscious 30-year-old... But soon they'll be imagining what it would be like to be bedded by you and left with a memento of that loving tryst growing in their wombs,* she purred seductively.
*Edraele...* John said, his voice lowered in warning. *What have you been promising them?*
*I've not made any promises. Have I strongly hinted at intriguing possibilities? Oh yes, absolutely...* Edraele admitted, her tone turning playful. Before he could admonish her, she quickly added, *Don't pretend that the thought of having every matriarch in the Protectorate swelling with your baby isn't one of your naughtiest fantasies. Just imagine all 19 of us looking up at you in adoration as you establish absolute control over the Maliri matriarchy... I've simply laid the foundation, should you choose to indulge your desires.*
John was quiet for a long moment, lost in fantasies of doe-eyed azure beauties.
Looking around at the council of matriarchs, Edraele gave them a warm smile. "That was everything I wished to discuss with you today. Unless any of you would like to raise a topic?" Her gaze swept over each of the Maliri women in turn, giving them an opportunity to speak. When nothing was raised, she concluded, "In that case, thank you for attending, ladies. If you do choose to return to your homeworld until Baen'thelas returns, I wish you a safe and pleasant journey, otherwise you're welcome to remain here as my guests on Genthalas."
The matriarchs nodded but didn't reply, still distracted by their Queen's intriguing proposal.
*You're a very naughty girl, Edraele,* John finally said, trying to downplay his interest.
*Very true... and there are fourteen other equally naughty women here, all waiting to be reformed into benevolent leaders and doting mothers. Just think how much good they'll accomplish when you've shown them the error of their evil ways,* she teased, enjoying hearing John's lustful thoughts and his groan of frustration. *If you ask Irillith and Tashana nicely, I'm sure they'll be happy to roleplay being belligerent matriarchs in desperate need of a firm hand...*
Gaenna Baelora circled the long table and strode purposefully towards the Maliri Queen. "Ready to talk, Edraele?"
"Of course, Gaenna. I hadn't forgotten." Giving her an encouraging smile, Edraele gestured towards the door. "If you'd like to accompany me to my study, we can speak in private."
"Lead on," Gaenna said, her voice gruff as she attempted to hide her excitement.
Edraele exchanged friendly glances with the Young Matriarchs and touched Tsarra Perfaren's hand as she passed the beautiful young woman. "I might be a little late..."
Tsarra gave her an understanding smile, but her dark-green eyes were alight with anticipation. "Take as long as you need, my Queen. I'll wait for you."
With a nod of gratitude, Edraele turned and led the House Baelora matriarch through to her study. Opening the door for her guest, she waited for her to enter then closed it behind them. "Would you care for some refreshments?"
Gaenna shook her head and said bluntly, "Let's just skip the small talk, I haven't the stomach for it. I want exactly the same deal you offered Emandra Holaris."
"Are you also proposing a trade of Holaris wines?" Edraele replied with a teasing smile. "As I seem to recall, exotic vintages are Emandra's House speciality, not yours..."
The older woman barked a grating laugh. "So that's what Emandra offered you for a chance at immortality? I thought that miserly bitch would rather sell her own soul than trade her precious House Holaris wines!"
Edraele studied the matriarch and said quietly, "The deal we made was for the restoration of her youth, not to grant her immortality."
"What about carrying one of Baen'thelas' heirs?" Gaenna asked suspiciously, narrowing her eyes.
Walking over to the coffee table, the Maliri Queen raised the decanter and filled a tall glass with a ruby-red liquid. "John is not a border male offering stud services to the highest bidder," she said, sipping her drink and gazing at the other woman over the rim of her glass. "He is very selective about the women he takes to his bed... and the mothers of his children are chosen with even greater care."
Gaenna's brow furrowed in confusion. "I've been researching all the old stories about Mael'nerak and it didn't sound like he was ever that discerning over who he got pregnant. Why does Baen'thelas care? After the deed is done, he'd play no further part..."
Edraele sat down on the chaise longue and patted the seat beside her. "Sit with me a moment and I will do my best to explain."
The House Baelora matriarch huffed an exasperated sigh, but crossed the room and sat next to Edraele. "Alright, go ahead."
"Do you remember the evening when you allied yourself with Baen'thelas and earned your white hair?" Edraele asked, casually toying with a tendril of her own snowy-white mane.
A flush of indigo coloured Gaenna's face. "Fragments... yes."
"If we come to some amicable arrangement and John agrees to restore your youth, he'll need to devote some time to... feeding you... repeatedly. You wouldn't be sharing him though, it would be just you and John, with all his attention focused on you alone."
The bloom in Gaenna's cheeks darkened. "That sounds acceptable," she said in a rush.
Edraele gave her a knowing smile and nodded. "I'm sure it does. However, John likes to build a great degree of intimacy with his partners... he isn't the kind of man to have a casual dalliance with a woman then discard her. For that same reason, he wants to be actively involved with his women in the upbringing of his children."
Gaenna blinked in shock, then looked at her Queen incredulously. "Why would he want to do that?!"
"He was raised in the Terran Federation," Edraele explained with a fond smile. "I'm sure you've seen the barrage of entertainment the Terrans have been broadcasting for centuries... That's not all fiction, they truly believe in pair-bonding and raising their progeny as a couple."
Her fellow Maliri shuddered, then shook her head in disbelief. "Having a man constantly underfoot? Are Terran females insane?!"
Edraele raised an eyebrow. "You'd find it objectionable to have a man on-hand... whenever you wanted him?"
Gaenna paused, a thoughtful look appearing on her face. "Perhaps Terran females are considerably wiser than I thought." Her eyes locked on her fellow Matriarch. "So that is the only point of contention? That John would wish to help raise any offspring from our union?"
Hesitating for a moment, Edraele slowly shook her head and placed her glass on the table. "I wish that it were so simple. He has concerns about being able to devote enough time to each child, having committed to fathering children with over 20 women already. In all likelihood, he would decline a request to sire a baby with you... at least for the time being. My advice would be to wait a few decades until his firstborn have matured into adults; he would be much more amenable to fathering a child with you at that point."
Gaenna nodded, grateful for what she could tell was honest advice. "Thank you, Edraele. A couple of decades would pass in the blink of an eye... and adding Baen'thelas' bloodline to my House would be worth nearly any wait." Leaning forward on the sofa, she continued with an air of desperation, "But what of being able to restore my youth? I'm 236, Edraele... I can feel the inexorable approach of my mortality."
"John wishes to increase trade between the Maliri and our neighbours," Edraele replied, carefully studying the jittery matriarch. "Wines were House Holaris' speciality, but if you were to-"
"You can have it!" Gaenna blurted out, interrupting her Queen. "Exclusive trade rights to all the Vrysandral spice that House Baelora can harvest!"
Edraele smiled and clasped one of her guest's hands in hers. "An exceedingly generous offer and one that you can discuss in person with Baen'thelas as soon as he returns."
"Will it be enough do you think?" Gaenna asked in a hushed voice, revealing an uncharacteristically vulnerable side to her caustic personality.
"I can't speak for John in such a personal matter, but I should think so," Edraele said, giving Gaenna a reassuring smile.
The House Baelora matriarch sagged with relief.
Edraele watched her reaction, then quietly continued, "To give you fair warning though, the kind of... connection... you'll develop by being with John that intimately, will have a dramatic impact on your personality as well your body."
"What do you mean?" the older woman asked, listening attentively.
Edraele gave her hand a gentle squeeze then gestured to herself. "Take me as an example, I began a relationship with Baen'thelas only a few months ago. Now, you and I have been... acquaintances... for over a century. Would you say that I'm still the same woman you've always known?"
Gaenna went very quiet, studying her perceptively. "No, of course not; your outward manner is nothing alike. You're almost maternal with the Young Matriarchs and you've been... pleasant... with the rest of us, something I never thought you even capable of." Her gold-flecked magenta eyes narrowed as she continued, "But I've seen flickers of your old strength lurking behind this facade. You might have fooled the others, but the force of will that always drove you is still there... and more potent than ever."
"It's not a facade," Edraele quickly replied, surprised but intrigued by Gaenna's impression of her.
Gaenna's expression twisted into a cynical sneer. "Oh, come now, Edraele! I'm not some wet-behind-the-ears girl like Kali. You can't honestly expect me to believe this benevolent act is actually genuine?!"
Staring directly into the other woman's eyes, Edraele quietly repeated her earlier words, "Being intimate with John will have an impact on your personality as well your body."
"You're actually serious!" Gaenna blurted out in shock.
"I wouldn't joke with you about this," Edraele said firmly, shaking her head. "You must have seen the recordings of Baen'thelas in action against the Kirrix and the Kintark, so you know how powerful he is. We're like putty in his hands, Gaenna. He can give you back those last 200 years in a matter of days, but you'll also be a kinder, more compassionate woman at the end of the process."
She squinted at the Maliri Queen suspiciously. "Why are you telling me this? Surely Baen'thelas could just change me in the way you're implying without my even being aware?"
"He would never allow you to make that choice without being fully informed of the consequences." A disarming smile appeared on Edraele's beautiful face as she added, "Besides, for all I know, you might really like being a callous bitch..."
Gaenna stared at her for a second then laughed for the first time that afternoon. "It's certainly been effective for keeping fractious daughters in line." Her smile faded as she looked at Edraele with fresh eyes. "You've given me a lot to think about today. Thank you for being so forthcoming."
Edraele held the other woman's hands and said softly, "There's one last thing I'd like to say before we part company." She took a deep breath, then continued, "I used to scoff at the very idea of love and friendship, consumed as I was by the relentless pursuit of power. It turned me into a hollowed-out shell of a woman; bitter, angry, cruel, and so very lonely. I couldn't go back to that terrible existence now, the very thought of it makes my skin crawl with revulsion. Baen'thelas delivered me from that nightmare and I'll be eternally grateful to him for doing so. I'm happy now, Gaenna... and you could be too."
Shaken by Edraele's sincerity, Gaenna could only manage a wide-eyed nod.
They rose from the sofa and Edraele led the stunned matriarch to the study door, wishing her well as she departed. Closing the door behind her guest, the Maliri Queen leaned against the wall and exhaled deeply, feeling mentally drained after the intense conversation.
*Are you alright, Edraele?* John asked with concern. *You feel pretty tense...*
*Sorry to disturb you, John, it wasn't intentional,* Edraele replied, chastising herself for accidentally sharing her emotional state with him. *I just had an interesting conversation with Gaenna Baelora, discussing the possibility of us acquiring trade distribution rights for Vrysandral Spice.*
*Let me guess... she wants to relive her youth?* John asked, a pensive note to his voice.
Edraele walked over to the crystal windows lining her study wall, where she gazed out over the gleaming spires and crystal domes of Genthalas shipyard. *The Maliri are a long-lived species by Terran standards, but we are far from immortal. A girl becomes a woman at 30, then we stay in excellent health until we reach the end of our third century, at which point we face a rapid decline as age finally takes its toll. Gaenna is 236 and has started to feel death's shadow falling over her.*
The Maliri Queen watched a trio of sleek, golden-hulled House Loraleth cruisers slowly emerge from three of Genthalas' yawning docking bays. The colossal ring-shaped space station had hundreds of identical hangars lining its vast interior wall, the majority of which were now being used for the sole purpose of upgrading Maliri spacecraft with all the new technology John had acquired. The cruisers made good use of their newly enhanced retro-thrusters and engines, pulling away from the drydock with fluid grace and closing into formation as they returned to their fleet. On their way, they passed three House Perfaren vessels awaiting their turn to be refitted, those ships appearing to move in slow motion by comparison.
A mere 6 months earlier, the sight of House Loraleth and House Perfaren warships in orbit around Genthalas would have filled Edraele with dread. The second and third ranked Maliri Houses had long been her deadliest of enemies, so the presence of their fleets deep in House Valaden territory would have heralded her imminent and grisly death. Now the sight filled her with joy, with Kali and Tsarra integral members of her close circle of friends, lovers, and stalwart allies.
*What's Gaenna like?* John asked after a lengthy pause, sounding troubled. *Is she as bad as Emandra Holaris?*
*She's a malevolent despot. During her 150 year reign as Matriarch of House Baelora, thousands of Maliri have been executed or assassinated on her orders,* Edraele said, leaning her head against the clear crystal. *But she's a matriarch, John. To attain that title and survive for any length of time in Maliri society, meant a long and bloody history of cruelty and slaughter.*
John sighed as he said, *To give Gaenna back her youth feels like I'd be rewarding a monster.*
Edraele sent him a sympathetic smile. *I'm afraid there's no easy options here, John. You could choose to rejuvenate the existing matriarchs, but you'll need to make dramatic modifications to their personalities, which I know you're uncomfortable with. Morally, the simpler choice would be to select one of their daughters to take their place, much as I did with the Young Matriarchs.* Before he could object, she quickly added, *No, I'm not suggesting you murder the existing matriarchs, but convincing them to peacefully abdicate will not be easy by any means, even for you.*
*What about letting Gaenna stay in power until she dies of old age?* John suggested, trying to find an alternate solution.
Shaking her head, Edraele turned away from the view of Genthalas. *While that decision might seem to be a reasonable one, remember that Gaenna rules over millions of Maliri in House Baelora. Those people will not see any real improvement to their lives until she is dealt with one way or another.*
John went quiet for a long moment as he mulled that over. *What would you do, Edraele?*
She smiled wryly to herself. *We already know the answer to that question, my Lord.*
His dry chuckle echoed through her mind. *Alright... let me rephrase that. What would you do if you were in my position?*
Edraele picked up her glass and took a sip of the rich crimson liquid. *If you'll indulge me, I'd like to ask you a question instead.*
*Fire away.*
*Which do you consider more important? Punishing the existing matriarchs for their long histories of dark deeds, or taking advantage of their extensive leadership experience?* She gave him a moment to consider that before continuing, *Every single one of the remaining 14 matriarchs has ruled their house for over a century; they have all the necessary skills to rapidly implement the changes to Maliri society that you want to make. If you were to give them the right outlook, they could transform the lives of the people under their rule with minimal supervision from either of us.*
*But wouldn't I be punishing them anyway if I radically reshape their personalities?* John asked. *I've spent months trying to convince you and Irillith that you're not the same people since I changed you both. Using that same logic, wouldn't I be effectively eliminating the old matriarchs if I alter their personalities and turn them into nice people?*
*Perhaps we've stumbled across an ideal solution,* Edraele mused, toying with the glass before leaving it on the table. *You can punish the matriarchs by wiping out their old personalities, while simultaneously retaining their experience to better the lives of their people.*
*But that doesn't address the morality of me quite deliberately reshaping them into completely different women,* John said in frustration.
*Unless they asked you to do so,* Edraele said quietly. *Take it from someone who knows; fear of your own mortality is a very powerful motivator. If you'd been present for my meeting with Gaenna, it wouldn't have surprised me if she dropped to her knees and begged you to make whatever changes you like in exchange for a new lease of life.*
She could sense his reluctance over their connection as John said, *You're suggesting I exploit their fear of death to manipulate the matriarchs into becoming benevolent rulers? I'm not sure I'm particularly comfortable with that.*
*Punishment, utilitarianism, and compassion all in one elegant solution,* Edraele gently teased him. Her tone turned sombre as she continued, *Unfortunately, the morally unambiguous choice risks political upheaval and the possibility of hardship for millions of Maliri. I wish there was a perfect alternative, but whatever choice you make will have drawbacks and consequences.*
*Uneasy lies the head that wears a crown...* John muttered. *I had no idea how true that expression was.*
*These choices might be difficult, but I believe that's a good thing,* she said quietly. *If making decisions like this ever becomes easy, that might be the time to start worrying.*
Edraele listened to John's thoughts, his troubled mind eventually settling.
*I'm glad we spoke about the matriarchs,* he said with gratitude. *You've given me some difficult things to think about, but I've got some time to make a decision before I return to Maliri Space.*
*I'm delighted to hear it was a productive discussion. Would you like me to make similar overtures to the rest of the matriarchs?* she asked, sensing that the conversation was over. *I won't make any promises on your behalf.*
*Yes please. I think you're right about dealing with this now rather than dragging it out for years; we'll resolve the problem as soon as I get back to Genthalas. Whether we keep the old matriarchs or replace them, I want to make sure the Protectorate is stable for centuries to come...*
Edraele felt her heart lurch in her chest as she understood perfectly well what he was implying. The only way the Protectorate could possibly be unstable is if he was no longer there to rule it... but the thought of losing John and living centuries without him was too agonising for words. Thoughts of a distraught and bitter Valada flashed through her mind, Mael'nerak's matriarch never really recovering after he cast her aside. Edraele clamped down on her connection to John to make sure he couldn't feel her anguish, not wanting to upset him too.
Alyssa's soothing voice swept through her mind an instant later. *Don't think about it, Edraele.* The blonde's words carried a tense undercurrent, but the Maliri Queen was oblivious to that as she tried to calm herself. *Just focus on enjoying John's retirement on Valaden; he's holding you in his arms and caressing your pregnant belly, whispering how much he loves you...*
Taking a deep breath, Edraele leaned heavily against the doorframe and managed to slow her pounding heartbeat. *Thank you...*
*You're welcome,* the blonde replied with sympathy, then quickly changed the subject. *So... bonding with Tsarra... it's about time!*
Edraele blushed as she left the study. *Truthfully, it slipped my mind. Tsarra joined us later than the Young Matriarchs, so I always planned to give her more time to settle in... but you know how easy it is to get distracted by events.*
*Tell me about it!* Alyssa said with a groan. *It feels like I haven't been able to even catch my breath for weeks! The Brimorians, the Vulkat, rushing back to Terra, taking out the Kintark armada, rescuing Jehanna, dealing with the Kirrix... my head's in a spin!*
*I honestly don't know how you keep on top of everything,* Edraele said with admiration, as she walked along the corridor through her suite.
*My life's so much easier than yours, that's why,* Alyssa objected. *You've got all your girls to worry about, but you're also trying to prepare the Maliri Protectorate for war and keep it from falling apart. How you keep your patience dealing with all those snippy old bitches in the matriarch council I've no idea! All I have to do is look after John, take care of my girls, and deal with any bad guys that get in our way. Besides, I've got Jade helping out now too.*
A coy smile appeared on Edraele's face. *Perhaps we should hold our own council of matriarchs when you come home?*
*Mmm, now you're talking...* Alyssa purred, sending a sultry caress through the Maliri's mind that made her nipples tingle. There was a momentary pause, then Alyssa added, *And Jade can't wait! She thinks it's an amazing idea.*
Edraele paused by her bedroom door. *Thank you, Alyssa.*
*No problem.* The blonde blew her a loving telepathic kiss. *You were wrong earlier by the way; you should have warned the matriarchs that if anyone comes after you, they'll have to deal with me...*
The Maliri Queen smiled, savouring the feelings of camaraderie as she glanced at the optical sensors built into the door. It slid open without further prompting and she entered her bedroom, finding Tsarra Perfaren and Leena Ghilwen lying on the bed engrossed in conversation. They looked up and greeted their matriarch with warm smiles.
"I'm sorry for the delay," Edraele apologised as the two young women sat up. "Thank you for keeping Tsarra company, Leena."
"It was my pleasure," the House Ghilwen Matriarch replied. The lovers shared an affectionate look, light and dark green eyes connecting for a brief moment as they unclasped their hands. After giving Tsarra a quick kiss goodbye, Leena slid off the bed. "I'll leave you two to talk. We'll prepare dinner for you later."
Tsarra made no attempt to move from the bed, watching Leena enjoy a fleeting hug with Edraele before she left the room. "Alyssa said you had a tough afternoon," she said with sympathy, patting the bed beside her in invitation.
Edraele looked at her in surprise, then smiled wryly as she sat. "I wasn't expecting Alyssa to contact you directly; I rarely speak to her girls that way."
Moving behind Edraele, Tsarra began to gently massage the Maliri Queen's shoulders. "Would you like to postpone our... union... until tomorrow? I'm sure Luna would be eager to help relax you."
After closing her eyes in bliss, Edraele shook her head. "No, I've put this off for too long already."
Tsarra leaned in and kissed her matriarch's earlobe, then whispered, "Shall we do this clothed or naked?"
Edraele turned to look at the beautiful young woman over her shoulder, the playful smile teasing her lips reflected in her purple eyes. They both quickly removed their long dresses, then slipped under the covers so they were lying facing one another. Placing a hand on Tsarra's hip, Edraele stroked her flawless blue skin, enjoying the pleasant feeling of that silky softness under her fingertips. She followed the contours of Tsarra's body until she was caressing her toned stomach, her breath catching as she thought about the life growing within the young woman... John's first child.
"Have you been experiencing any sickness or discomfort?" Edraele asked, reverently stroking her.
Shaking her head, Tsarra traced a circle on her own midriff, a beatific smile on her face. "No, nothing like that, quite the opposite in fact. I've been feeling elated ever since I was with John... although I can still barely believe that I'm pregnant, let alone that Baen'thelas chose me to be his first!"
"John fell for you as soon as you started spending time together; I know he greatly admires your intelligence and spirit," Edraele said, gazing into her eyes. "I never doubted for a moment that we made the right choice in asking you to join the Young Matriarchs."
Wriggling closer, Tsarra slipped an arm around the Maliri Queen. "I'm so grateful that you invited me into your inner circle. I've never been this happy before, Edraele. I didn't think it was even possible to feel this way."
Edraele felt Tsarra's mental defences falling away as the young woman opened her mind to her matriarch. The connection felt warm and welcoming, like a natural extension of the trust and friendship that had bloomed between them. Edraele could have begun the bond there and then, but held back for a moment, Tsarra looking at her quizzically as she felt it too.
*You're such a wonderful girl, Tsarra,* Edraele said sincerely, hugging her tight. *You've fit in so well with the Young Matriarchs. I've grown to care about you just as much as I love them.*
*I can feel it!* Tsarra gasped, pulling back to stare at her matriarch in astonishment. Her startled gaze softened, tears filling her eyes. *Oh, thank you, Edraele! Thank you so much!*
With a sigh of delight, Edraele felt those feelings being reciprocated, their minds enveloping and merging with one another. It took a huge amount of trust to lay yourself bare to another person like that, but in the sharing they both grew stronger, fortified by the knowledge that they were loved and accepted without reservation. Edraele had bonded like this with her assassins and the rest of the Young Matriarchs, but the difference this time was that Tsarra was already pregnant and head-over-heels in love with John. A tidal wave of euphoria crashed over Edraele and she gasped in ecstasy as she was swept away in that sea of bliss.
***
Faye walked along the corridor and smiled as she passed Perl's room, hearing a faint gasp, quickly followed by giggles. For the last several hours, Kelli and Perl had been teaching their enthusiastic students everything they'd learned about how to please a man in the bedroom, their lessons proving equally fascinating to the curious sprite. Unfortunately, Faye Primary had no spare avatars to monitor the video feed, as they were all busy supervising the maintenance bots. She was limited to taking brief peeks, but as soon as the Valia Gate colonists had all been treated for Kirrix egg infestation, Faye was determined to give the recordings the meticulous scrutiny they deserved.
Stopping outside the door to Tony's quarters, she hesitated for a moment, unsure of the correct etiquette in this situation. Faye knew the ganger was distraught after hearing of the Karron colonists' tragic fate, but dealing with someone suffering from loss was somewhat outside her area of expertise. Following Dana's advice to Kelli, she had left Tony alone for a few hours, but he was still upset and she wanted to try to help.
Raising her tiny hand, she considered knocking on the door, the way Kelli and Perl had the previous evening. Remembering Tony's reluctance to talk to them, she shrugged and opened the door with a blink. Padding inside, her luminous eyes flicked to the large Terran, who sat slumped in a chair, his head in his hands.
"Hello Tony," she said softly, walking over to the grieving man. "I saw how upset you were when you left Perl's room... I wanted to check you were alright."
He turned away. "I just wanna be alone."
"Are you sure?" she asked, kneeling beside him. "From what I've observed, talking about feelings of grief and loss is an important part of the healing process. However, if you'd prefer to speak to Kelli and Perl instead, I understand and I'll leave you in peace."
Tony glanced her way, a haunted look in his eyes. "I can't... they'll think I'm a total asshole."
She patted his hand. "In that case, perhaps it'd be helpful to speak with a sympathetic stranger?"
Looking at her again, his gaze swept over the cheerful bright-eyed girl. "You wouldn't understand..."
"Probably not," she agreed with an encouraging smile. "But I've been told I'm a very good listener."
Tony thought about it for a moment, then shook his head. "Nah, just forget it..."
Faye studied him quietly, noting his obvious distress with concern. "Maybe you'd find it easier to trust me if I shared something personal with you first? I've got a secret I'm willing to share, if you promise you'll talk to me afterwards?"
"Why do women have to talk about every goddamn thing?!" Tony exclaimed in exasperation. He rubbed a hand over his face. "Alright, what's the big secret?"
She nibbled nervously at her lip, looking up at him with her big luminous eyes. "You promise you won't get frightened?"
He snorted an incredulous laugh as he looked at the chirpy purple sprite. "Yeah... I promise."
Faye leaned in closer and whispered, "I'm actually a robot!"
Tony stared at her in surprise for a moment, then scoffed, "Yeah, sure you are."
She grinned at him and shifted position to sit on her bottom. Raising a slender purple leg in the air, Faye tapped a point behind her knee and her calf flipped open, revealing circuitry and power cables connected to the anti-gravity generator built into her lower leg.
"What the fuck?!" Tony blurted out, stumbling backwards out of the chair and staring at her exposed limb in shock. Looking unsettled, he stammered, "Alright, so you've got some kinda... fancy bionic leg... but that don't prove you're a robot!"
Faye closed the panel and smiled as she placed her hands below her ears. "I can remove my head if you like?"
He gave her a wild-eyed look and frantically waved at her to stop. "No, don't! I believe you!"
When she lowered her hands, he peered at her warily, as if searching for more hidden panels. The purple sprite spread her arms and slowly twisted from side to side so he could satisfy his curiosity.
"You look totally real," he marvelled, shaking his head. "I thought you'd just had a derma-dyejob to be all purple like that..."
Faye shook her head, then folded her hands in her lap and looked at him expectantly. "Now, I believe we had a deal? You promised not to be frightened and that you'd talk to me after I told you my secret. In exchange, I promise I'll treat anything you tell me with the utmost discretion." Seeing he was still torn, she reached out to gently stroke his hand. Tony flinched but didn't pull away, the big ganger relaxing as her soft fingertips brushed over his skin. "You can tell me anything, Tony. Nothing will shock me and I won't judge you."
He stared at her for a moment, then sat down again, his shoulders slumping in resignation. "They're all gone... all the gang... everyone I ever knew..."
She nodded her understanding, a forlorn look on her face. "I'm so sorry..."
Tony acknowledged her sympathy with a half-hearted nod. "But that's not the worst part... when the bugs hit our base, I-I..." he faltered, swallowing thickly. "Some of those guys were like my brothers... I'd known 'em for most of my life..."
Faye clasped his hand and gave it a comforting squeeze.
He shook her off and curled in on himself, holding his head in his hands. "Bob... he begged me to help him. But I just ran... left him to get fucked by some fucking bug! He brought me into the Diablos... saved my life a shitload of times... but I just left him there. I couldn't handle it... I didn't wanna get raped by some goddamn monster, so I ran off like a pussy... and now he's dead... they all are..."
Raising herself up, Faye put her arms around him and gently stroked his back. It was just a simple gesture of comfort, but there was no judgement there, only sympathy. Tony's shoulders began to shake as he let go of the guilt that had been torturing him for days. Clinging to Faye he cried for his friends, the blood-brothers that he'd deserted when they needed him most.
"It must be awful losing all your friends like this, I can't begin to imagine what you're going through." Letting his grief play out, Faye finally sat back and looked up into his reddened eyes. "But I hope you realise that there was nothing you could have done to save them."
Tony let out a heavy sigh and brushed his hand across his face. "Yeah, I guess..."
"What you're feeling is called survivor's guilt," she said gently, stroking his arm. "A company of Terran Federation troops would have struggled to defend that colony against such a large Kirrix force, so lightly-armed civilians had no chance at all. There were over 13,000 people living in Karron but only three of you managed to survive the invasion... and from what I've heard, Perl and Kelli only made it because you took them with you and kept them safe. Please don't punish yourself, you didn't do anything wrong."
"What are you? A robot shrink?" he asked with a wan smile.
Faye held her arms out stiff and jerked from side to side as she said in an emotionless monotone, "Tell me about your mo-ther."
He couldn't help laughing at her impression of a robot and they shared a smile as Faye returned to normal. "That was good, thanks for the laugh."
She patted him on the knee. "You're welcome." Studying him for a moment, she asked gently, "Was what I said helpful?"
Tony nodded, giving her a rueful frown. "Yeah, I guess you were right earlier... we never really had a chance. The bugs busted through our defences and just started shootin' everybody. If I'd gone back for Bob, I guess I woulda just got shot too... but I still feel like a shitheel for runnin'."
"You mentioned that Bob had already been shot. If you had gone back, could you have helped him escape too?" she pressed, studying his face.
It only took Tony a few seconds to shake his head. "The poor bastard could barely move. I got shot in the back later on and I know how much that fucking hurt. Me, Kelli, and Perl had to walk all day to get to the deep mines... there's no way he coulda made it." Looking more at ease now, he gave the purple sprite a look of gratitude. "There really wasn't anythin' else I coulda done, was there?"
"I don't think so, not from the way you described the attack. That you managed to help Kelli and Perl escape with you was remarkable," Faye said, looking at him with admiration. She raised an eyebrow and added, "They're very beautiful girls... is that why you rescued them?"
He frowned and shook his head. "It wasn't like that! I was scared shitless... I wasn't thinkin' with my dick!"
"I didn't think so, but it's important you recognise that too," Faye said, clasping his hand again. "You had nothing to gain from helping either of them, but you did anyway, even though doing so put you at risk. If you'd been in a position to help Bob or any of your friends, I believe you would have... but you instinctively knew you couldn't save them. If you had tried, you would have been shot and captured... which would have resulted in Kelli and Perl also being raped and killed."
Tony grimaced at the thought, then nodded as that sank in.
"They're really fond of you, Tony," she said with a warm smile. "And I can see you feel the same way about them as well."
He smiled self-consciously. "Yeah, we got close, runnin' from the bugs." His smile faltered and he gave her an anxious look. "Faye... what the fuck am I gonna do? They wanna start a new life with me, going straight and shit... but I've got no education, no skills..."
Faye tilted her head to one side as she studied him. "You're worried about being able to provide for them?"
He sighed, looking depressed as he nodded. "Yeah... and who's gonna employ some asshole ex-ganger? I could maybe get some lame manual job, but I won't be able to hack that shit for more than a few weeks..."
"What about the credits the girls stole from the Diablos' vault?" she asked, studying his reaction to that idea.
Tony waved a hand dismissively. "Nah, no way. They earned that being owned by Pitbull and putting up with his crazy shit for years. Anyway, that cash is gonna run out eventually and then what?" He clenched his jaw and said through gritted teeth, "I'm gonna end up doing shady shit again, or they go back to bein' whores... and there's no fuckin' way I'll let that happen!"
Faye nodded with sympathy, but inside her, processing streams were whirling through hundreds of possibilities. Rising to her feet, she leaned over to give him an affectionate peck on the cheek. "Perl and Kelli were right. You are a good man, Tony."
He snorted, but managed a forlorn smile. "Nah, but I'm tryin' to be."
She returned the smile, then gave him an apologetic frown. "I'm afraid I have to leave for a while. I have some important matters to attend to, but I'll be back a bit later to bring you some dinner. I hope you can forgive me for badgering you into talking about this, it seemed like you really needed someone to confide in."
Tony stood as well and shook his head. "Nah, don't worry about it. Talkin' about all that shit was good; I'll figure somethin' out for me and the girls," He paused, blinking in surprise then looking at her askew. "It's so fuckin' weird you're a robot... I totally forgot there for a minute."
Faye held her arms stiffly again and said in a monotone, "Your counselling session is now over. You are cured. You will be billed automatically for your use of robo-shrink."
He laughed and rolled his eyes. "Yeah, I shoulda known that was comin'."
She gave him a cheeky grin, delighted to see how much happier he seemed, then waved goodbye as she bounced out of the bedroom.
***
Alyssa stretched on the bed, savouring the delicious ache after using her muscles in new and intriguing ways. "I can't wait to try this on John..."
Perl brushed her fingers along the blonde's magnificently sculpted thigh. "It took me and Kelli years to train our bodies to do that. I can't believe how fast you picked it up."
"We're highly-motivated," Alyssa said with a coy smile. She affectionately hugged her petite bedmate. "And we had excellent teachers."
Kelli glanced at the door and nibbled at her bottom lip. "We should probably go check on Tony... I'm worried about him."
Faye appeared beside her on the bed in a purple flash. Her holographic wings thrummed in the air as she quickly said, "I had a long chat with Tony earlier and he's calmed down now. I wanted to make sure you were all well-fed before you depart, so I just brought him dinner... would you like me to bring you some food too?"
"That would be awesome! Thanks, Faye," Kelli replied with a grateful smile.
"Please can you bring their dinner to the Commander's Quarters?" Alyssa requested, catching the sprite's eye. She turned to look at Dana and continued, "I thought it might be nice if we all shower together and there's so much more space up in our bathroom. Could you take them up there please? I'd like a quick word with Faye, but I'll be along in a minute."
Dana grinned and sprang off the bed. "Sure! If you two would care to follow me..."
Alyssa watched them leave, then turned to smile at Faye.
***
Dana activated the huge shower and hot water sprayed over the three girls, making her petite guests coo in bliss.
"This place is amazing," Kelli gushed, running water through her long brown hair.
Dana collected some shampoo from the dispenser and massaged it into the brunette's scalp, making her groan in ecstasy. "Home sweet home..."
Perl sighed with delight as the water soothed her muscles. "Nothing beats a good shower after fucking..."
"We're in here a lot," the redhead admitted with a wink, making the two girls giggle.
"Hello, ladies," Alyssa said, greeting the threesome with a smile as she entered the shower. She stepped behind Perl and began conditioning her blonde hair.
Dana gently squeezed Kelli's shoulder. "There, you're all done."
The brunette turned to give her a grateful smile, but Kelli couldn't take her eyes off Dana's spectacular figure as rivulets of water ran between the redhead's impressive cleavage. "I should get my head examined. I can't believe I'm actually going to turn down all this..."
"It's not too late to change your mind," Alyssa purred, rinsing off Perl's hair.
Dana rolled her eyes at her friend. "You've got a one-track mind. They're giving up a lot because they love the guy, don't make it any harder."
Alyssa pouted, then wrapped her arms around Perl. "I can't help it... they're such sexy little girls."
The petite blonde giggled and leaned back into her embrace.
Kelli bit her lip and caught Dana's eye. "Sparks, would you let me wash you?"
"Sure," the redhead replied with a look of understanding. She broke into a grin and added, "You've already explored me inside, you might as well get familiar with the outside too."
The brunette gave her a coy smile, then began gently washing the taller girl's body, her delicate hands following Dana's curves. She cupped both breasts, testing the weight and exquisite firmness, not a hint of sag to be found anywhere on her glorious figure.
Shaking her head, Kelli marvelled, "You've got the hottest body I've ever seen..."
"I've got a lot to be grateful for," Dana agreed with a wistful smile. She closed her eyes and let her shower companion have free reign with her body, tactile fingers stroking and caressing every inch of her skin. When the brunette had finished, Dana reopened her eyes and looked at her under long lashes. "Thanks for this afternoon. I know you two think we're crazy for giving you so much money, but I learned a lot... and if I can make John smile, it'll be worth every credit."
"You've got it bad," Kelli said with an affectionate smile. "I never would've thought I'd see the day that Sparks was all loved up."
Dana's expression flickered, the gorgeous redhead looking hurt as she self-consciously brought her hand to a cheek.
Quickly shaking her head, Kelli leaned in to give her a kiss. "Not because of the scar! Because you always seemed to love machines more than guys."
The redhead wrapped the brunette in a fierce hug. "Thank you."
They shared an affectionate embrace, then the foursome took their time relaxing under the water. After finishing in the shower, they dried off and returned to the bedroom.
Faye was sitting on the end of the bed next to two covered plates and a pair of suitcases. She greeted them with a friendly smile. "Hey everyone!" She glanced at Alyssa and patted the cases. "All done."
"Thanks, Faye," the blonde said, walking over to the bed and flipping open the lid of the closest suitcase.
The purple sprite gave Kelli and Perl a quick hug. "I'll tell Tony you're nearly ready to leave. Enjoy your dinner, but no sneaking away without saying goodbye!"
They assured her they wouldn't and watched Faye leave, before turning to face Alyssa again.
She glanced into the case, showing them the piles of neatly folded clothing. "I stocked up on clothes in your size a few months ago, just in case John wanted to recruit any more petite girls. I asked Faye to give you enough outfits to tide you over until you can go shopping."
Kelli ran her fingers over the soft cotton. "That's amazing, thank you!"
Alyssa smiled as she walked over to the holo-projector built into the bed. She swiped her hand across the interface, glanced through the details on Faye's message, then clicked on the link. "There you go," she said, displaying the banking information on the large holographic panel. "100,000 credits each as promised."
Perl and Kelli stared at the holo-screen, disbelief and wonder warring in their eyes.
Alyssa gave them a moment to mentally adjust to their newfound wealth, then gently clasped their hands. "I know you've made up your minds, so I'm not going to try to convince you stay. I just want to say one last thing: if your relationship with Tony goes bad and you do have a change of heart, don't hesitate to call me."
"Same if you get in any trouble," Dana interjected, slipping an arm around their waists. "Get in touch and we'll come running!"
"We're usually rushing around the galaxy, but we'll help as soon as we can," Alyssa agreed.
Perl welled up, overcome with gratitude. "Why are you being so nice to us?" she asked, hugging the athletic blonde.
"We're the only ones that survived Karron, so that kind of makes us like family," Alyssa murmured, gently stroking her back. "Me and Sparks were orphans, so that means a lot to us. You're basically like my... cousin..."
The petite girl pulled back a little, smiling through her tears as she nodded. "Yeah, that sounds really nice. My cousin the Lioness."
"Kissing cousins," Alyssa said with a flirtatious twinkle in her cerulean eyes.
Perl laughed and flashed a sultry smile back. "Plus a whole lot more..."
Alyssa reluctantly separated from her and glanced at the covered plates. "You better get dressed and eat your dinner before it gets cold."
Kelli and Perl turned to their suitcases and searched through the clothes to pick an outfit. Alyssa gave them a lingering look, then headed into the walk-in-wardrobe.
*What's up with you?* Dana asked, looking quizzically at the blonde as she followed her inside. *You keep looking at them funny... it's like you're desperate for them to stay.*
Alyssa paused by the clothes rails, her expression heavily conflicted. *I asked Rachel to do a DNA test this morning just in case. She checked using their glasses from last night...*
Dana's eyes widened in shock, remembering who had been the focus of Alyssa's attention. *Perl...*
The blonde nodded and said quietly, *Distantly related, but she's still blood. She's a third cousin...*
The redhead snapped an excited glance back into the bedroom, then rushed over to hug Alyssa. *That's fucking awesome! You should go tell her now!* When Alyssa didn't react, Dana stared in confusion at her friend's sorrowful expression. *Wait... why do you look so sad?*
*I've finally got some real family, Sparks... but I can't tell Perl we're related. If she lets it slip and the wrong people find out, she'd be in deep shit; it's not like Lynette can protect her with a security detail, not way out here.*
*Okay, so she should stay with us then!* Dana said urgently.
*It wouldn't work out,* Alyssa said with a mournful sigh. *I tried convincing her to stay, but you know why I have to let her go.*
The redhead nodded and wrapped the blonde in a comforting hug.
***
"I can't believe I'm wearin' the Lion's clothes..." Tony muttered, turning to look at himself wearing tailored trousers and a crisp shirt in the mirror.
"John's got lots and Alyssa said he didn't mind," Faye said with a smile. "It's lucky you two are roughly the same build."
Blowing out his breath, Tony walked over to join her, slipping on the matching jacket and picking up his suitcase. "Okay, I'm ready."
Faye approached the door, blinking to open it as she approached. They walked out of Tony's quarters to find Perl, Kelli, and Dana talking quietly together by the grav-tube. The blonde and brunette turned to look at him and wolf-whistled when they saw his suit.
"Damn... you look fine!" Kelli gushed, looking him up and down with a grin.
"Well hello, Mr. Businessman," Perl said with a seductive smile.
Tony blushed at their admiring glances. "What? I normally wear this sh... stuff."
They all hugged each other and then it was his turn to admire their chic outfits. "You two look smoking hot... but respectable too..."
"Of course," Perl said, posing coquettishly. "We're good girls now."
"Not too good I hope," he said with a grin, making them giggle.
Dana strolled over to join them, carrying the chrome sub-machinegun in a leather shoulder harness. "You left this behind in Perl's room."
He paused and looked at the SMG, a flicker of doubt in his eyes. "That's yours, Sparks."
The redhead handed it to him. "Nah, you keep it. Forget about paying me back, it's a gift." She darted a meaningful glance at Kelli and Perl. "The Outer Rim's a rough place, you need something for protection."
Tony slipped the jacket off his shoulder and fastened the harness in place. "Thanks a lot." He hesitated and looked her in the eyes. "Are we cool?"
"Yeah, totally," Dana replied with an amiable smile. "Thanks for apologising, that meant a lot."
He relaxed and gave her a grateful nod.
Turning to the blonde and brunette, Dana pulled them into a hug. "You two take care, okay?"
"We will, I promise," Perl said, returning it fiercely.
The brunette joined their embrace. "Have fun with John. Remember, if he's not begging you for more, you're doing it wrong!"
Dana laughed and nodded. "I can't wait!"
She gave them both a quick kiss, then waved goodbye and left in the grav-tube.
Faye turned to the three Karron survivors. "Alright, if you'd like to grab your bags, I'll show you out."
They collected their luggage and followed her over to the grav-tube, carefully stepping into the red field and floating down in silence. Faye darted a glance at her three companions and saw they were all lost in thought, Tony's expression somewhat pensive as he pondered their future plans. Upon reaching Deck Nine, they walked out into the corridor and turned left through the double-doors into the Secondary Hangar. There were two people waiting for them in the shadow of the stealth shuttle, an older blonde and a stocky man with a beard.
Faye turned to Tony and beckoned him to follow. "Come on, I'd like you to meet someone."
They walked over to the pair in the hangar, who turned to face the new arrivals.
The older blonde looked Tony over with an appraising eye. "So this is the fella you were telling me about, Faye?"
The purple sprite nodded exuberantly. "That's right! Tony, I'd like you to meet Valia Gate's Governor, Lucyna Novitsky."
"Nah, just call me Luce," she said with a dismissive wave of her hand. Not waiting for a reply, she glanced at the man beside her. "What do you reckon, Pete? He looks like he can take care of himself, despite the fancy suit."
Pete scratched at his beard and nodded. "I hear you've got a bit of a shady past... but you want to turn over a new leaf?"
"That's right," Tony replied, not sure what was happening. "We're lookin' for a fresh start."
"You any good at spotting liars and cheats?" Luce asked, narrowing her eyes. "Don't much care what you did on Karron, but Pete's looking for help."
The bearded man nodded, studying the big ganger. "Job's not too hard, I can show you the ropes. Mostly we're here to keep the peace in the colony, but we get a few merchants trying to dodge trade duties or smugglers landing outside the starport. I need a reliable man, someone who can handle himself in a fight and I can trust to have my back." He frowned, his eyes shadowing with grief. "I lost one of my deputies to the bugs... Ray got shot up real bad and the bastards killed him."
"Wait... you want me to be a lawman?!" Tony asked them incredulously.
"That's right, son," the man replied with an infectious smile. "The name's Marshal Pete Coburn and I want you to work for me as my deputy."
Luce nodded, her expression sombre. "We heard how you saved these girls from the Kirrix invasion... only you three made it out of the whole damned colony. A fella with the moxie to pull off a rescue like that is the kind of man we want at Valia Gate. We're offering you a salary to keep a roof over your heads, a clean slate, and a friendly place to set up home. What do you reckon?"
Tony looked astonished, his eyes flicking from Luce to Pete. "Yeah, sounds amazin'..." He hesitated and colouring with embarrassment, he quietly admitted, "But I outta be straight with you... I've got no education... I can't read for shit."
"We can teach him!" Kelli blurted out.
Perl nodded eagerly. "Tony's really smart, he'll pick it up in no time!"
Luce and Pete exchanged a furtive smile.
"Sounds like that settles it then," the Governor said, patting Tony on the arm. "Welcome to Valia Gate, Deputy."
Pete offered Tony his hand and nodded in approval when the ganger matched his iron grip. "I got a good feeling about this, son. Report to the Marshal's office tomorrow and I'll get you started."
Tony looked shocked, but he quickly relaxed and returned the Marshal's smile.
"Can you two ladies use computers? Know your way around the Holonet?" Luce asked, studying the girls. When they both nodded, she continued, "Dealing with all the insurance and compensation claims after the invasion is gonna be a fucking nightmare. I need more people on my admin staff to deal with the damn T-Fed bureaucracy... I could really use your help, if you're interested?"
They eagerly accepted, agreeing to meet with her the following morning. With the job offers made and directions given to the hotel in town, the Governor and Marshal took their leave.
Tony watched them go, shaking his head in amazement. He turned to Faye and blurted out, "You did all that?"
She looked up at him with her big luminous eyes. "I know I should have asked you first, but you were really worried about your future and I thought if I explained how resourceful you were to the Governor, she might be able to-"
He dropped to one knee and pulled her into a bear hug. "No one's ever done anythin' like that for me before..."
Faye leaned into the embrace and whispered in his ear, "Just give those lovely girls a good life and I'll consider us even."
He looked in her eyes and nodded, then moved out the way so that Kelli and Perl could hug the sprite too. They both kissed Faye, tearfully thanking her for looking after them and being so wonderful. Faye smiled as she returned their embrace, until she saw movement by the door leading into the Primary Hangar.
"I really hope everything works out for you on Valia Gate," she said with a smile. She deliberately looked past them towards the door. "Now, there's someone else who wants to speak with you before you go..."
They turned to see Alyssa leaning against the doorframe, her arms folded across her chest as she watched them.
Perl saw Tony tense and she slipped a hand into his as she whispered, "I was wrong about her. Alyssa's really nice, she isn't going to hurt you."
He walked across the hangar to the blonde Lioness, who made no move to approach them, her eyes flicking between Tony and the two girls.
Alyssa opened her mouth to speak, but Tony dropped his suitcase and held up his hands in a placating gesture. "I just wanna say somethin', okay?"
She nodded and waited with a curious look on her face.
Tony took a deep breath, then said quietly, "I know you weren't bluffin' yesterday; you were gonna fuck me up and I couldn't do shit to stop you. I guess... well, I finally know what it must've been like for you, feelin' powerless when I hit you and stole your stuff." His eyes were deeply troubled as he continued, "You never deserved that... and I just want to say that I'm real sorry I hurt you."
"If the girls hadn't intervened, you'd be dead," Alyssa stated without malice, locking eyes with Tony. "But not because of what you did to me."
"Yeah, I know," he said quietly, his voice full of remorse. "And the truth is... I woulda deserved it for all the nasty shit I've done. But I want you to know that I'm gonna do what's right from now on... try and make up for my past, even if it takes me the rest of my life."
She studied him for a long moment before replying, "I've killed a lot of bad guys over the last six months, I've actually lost count how many. Out of the thousands I've flagged with a red aura, only three are still alive today... and just one of them was innocent. The woman had an abortion when she was young, then blamed herself for letting her parents and boyfriend pressure her into it. The second survivor is now in prison awaiting execution for a double murder... and then there's you."
Tony hung his head, knowing his long history of violent crimes.
Alyssa fixed him with a steady stare. "You know what you've done, so there's no point in me listing everything." Her eyes flicked to Kelli and Perl then back to him. "You earned your second chance by saving the girls, so I really hope you make the most of it. I'm putting a lot of trust in you, Tony... please don't let me down."
Meeting her pensive gaze he nodded gratefully. "I'll be good, I promise." A faint smile appeared on his face as he added, "And I'm a lawman now, so I better start keepin' my promises."
For the first time, Alyssa broke into a smile too. "Yeah, I heard about that. Congratulations on the new job..." She pulled out an identity card and offered it to him. "Deputy Anthony Phoenix from Valia Gate."
He glanced at the card and chuckled. "'Anthony Phoenix'? I thought I was goin' legit and you're givin' me a fake ID."
"Luce added you to Valia Gate's list of registered colonists, so as far as T-Fed records show, you've lived here all your life and have no criminal record." She glanced at Kelli and Perl. "If you two want new identities as well, just ask Luce about it tomorrow."
Kelli nodded and hooked her arm around Tony's. "We might as well all start over."
Perl darted a nervous glance through the hangar door out into the colony. "I think it's amazing that we've got new jobs lined up here, but is it safe staying on the Outer Rim? We're really close to the Bugs..."
Alyssa paused before answering her question. "The Kirrix are in the middle of a vicious civil war at the moment. They've taken huge losses, so it'll probably be decades before they try another invasion. Even if they did, the T-Fed forces have returned to the border and there's reinforcements on the way, so the Kirrix won't be able to just sweep into Terran territory like last time." She looked into Perl's eyes and added, "But it's still riskier living here than the Core Worlds."
Tony put his arm around Perl and gave the petite blonde a reassuring squeeze. "Let's give this place a try for a while. Luce and Pete both seem alright. If we hate it, I'll save up some creds, buy us a berth on a freighter goin' coreward. At least if we stick around for a bit, I can get some experience as a deputy, then I could maybe get a security job in the Core."
"Sure, I guess we can give it a few months," she agreed, looking more relaxed.
Alyssa opened her arms for the girls and gave each of them a lingering hug, which they returned just as affectionately. "Please stay in touch," she whispered in Perl's ear. "I want to hear all about your new lives and how you're getting on."
The petite blonde nodded, giving her a grateful squeeze as she whispered back, "Thank you so much for everything you've done. I actually feel like we've got a good shot at a great future now; that's the first time I've ever felt that way."
They separated and Alyssa gave them a warm smile. "Good luck."
Tony, Perl, and Kelli collected their suitcases, then headed for the huge hangar door, pausing to wave goodbye before walking down the ramp and out into their new home.
Calara had been watching from afar and she walked up to her lover, slipping an arm around Alyssa's shoulder. *I'm proud of you, my love.*
*Letting her go is the hardest thing I've ever had to do,* Alyssa said mournfully, unable to take her eyes off Perl. She leaned into the Latina and let out a melancholy sigh. *Just imagine how much John would have loved getting me and my cousin pregnant at the same time. I've never wanted to recruit someone so badly.*
The Latina turned to watch the pale-skinned blonde leaving the docking bay. *I think you were right not to tell her you were related; Perl would be a huge target for anyone wanting revenge against you or John.* She stroked her girlfriend's arm and continued, *But I'm so sorry you had to let her go, I know how important family is to you.*
Alyssa turned to gaze into Calara's gentle brown eyes. *The most important thing in the world,* she agreed, pulling the brunette into a tender loving kiss.
***
John looked away from the Sector Map and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Damn... I forgot what a drag it was having to keep watch on the Bridge."
Jade stretched languidly, uncurling in the pilot's chair. "Faye does a huge amount we take for granted," the Nymph agreed, then closed the distance between them to sit sideways across his lap. "But I'm loving the company..."
He brushed his fingers over her thigh, fascinated by the faint viridian lines marking the contours of her voluptuous green body. "I couldn't imagine anyone I'd rather be here with."
She arched an eyebrow and gave him a knowing smile. "Now... that's not strictly true, Master."
John frowned and turned to face her. "I love spending time with you, Jade. I always have."
"I know," she said with a fond smile, planting a loving kiss on his cheek. She gazed into his eyes and continued, "But I must admit I've been disappointed by your lack of imagination. I had hoped you'd start to take advantage of certain special abilities."
He looked at her quizzically, confused by her apparent shift in conversation topic. "I thought I'd been doing better recently? Your advice about believing in my psychic powers was really helpful."
She giggled and shook her head. "I'm not talking about your abilities... we're discussing my shapeshifting abilities."
"Your dragon form is extremely impressive," John said, nodding in admiration. "I still struggle to believe that a cute little Nymph like you can become something so... formidable."
Jade rolled her eyes affectionately. "Master... I'm not talking about turning into a dragon either! Since you removed my constraints, I can turn into any woman that you desire..." She traced her finger along his jawline and whispered breathily, "Now, let your imagination run wild and let's see if we can have a little fun..."
John started stiffening as a series of erotic thoughts flashed through his mind, much to the Nymph's delight.
"Oh, what a wonderful choice!" Jade gushed, her body shimmering before his eyes.
He'd never held her while she was shapeshifting before and beneath that verdant glow, he could feel Jade's body undulating on his lap as she altered her form. Her dark-green skin lightened in tone, becoming a beautiful shade of blue that he knew only too well.
"I've missed you so much, John!" Edraele exclaimed, throwing her arms around him and pressing her wonderfully firm breasts against his chest. "Please don't stay away from the Protectorate for so long, I can't bear being apart from you!"
John gaped at Edraele in surprise as the Maliri matriarch showered his face in kisses.
She pulled back, a smouldering look in her beguiling purple eyes. "Perhaps we should retire to the cabin and celebrate being reunited, my Lord?" Without waiting for a reply, Edraele leaned in and whispered in his ear, "Shall I ask my beautiful daughters to join us? I'm sure Irillith and Tashana could be persuaded to help me indulge your naughtiest fantasies..."
Trying to ignore his rapidly-stiffening cock, John shook his head. "Jade, you know the reason why we haven't... gone there."
The Nymph pouted playfully. "But I'm not really related to the twins, it doesn't count!"
John shifted in his seat and coughed. "Yes, but you still look exactly like Edraele. I want the twins to rebuild their relationship with their mother, not... confuse the issue."
"Boo, you're no fun," Jade objected, her full lips turning down into a disapproving frown. Her expression brightened an instant later as she continued, "I know! If I can't interest you in the taboo, what about the forbidden fruit?"
Before he could object, she started to shift again, engulfed in a shimmering green haze. Her body felt lighter on his lap as she lost a few inches in height and John couldn't help wondering who she was changing into now. The verdant aura faded, revealing a lovely olive-toned brunette who gazed at him with deep brown eyes.
"Oh my... I appear to be naked," Maria purred, rubbing her soft thigh against his cock. "But it feels like you don't seem to mind one bit, Mr. Blake..." She glanced down and her eyes widened. "John! I had no idea you were so... impressive!"
His mouth went dry and he had to swallow the lump in his throat. "J-Jade..." he stammered, never feeling more conflicted.
"I've seen the way you look at me, John," she breathed, her face inches from his. "I noticed of course... and was very flattered that such a handsome hero might have taken an interest."
"Maria... I-I," he gasped, not sure where to put his hands as he was drawn in by the Nymph's flawless reproduction of the lovely Latina.
"Just think... a chance to slake those unrequited lusts..." she murmured, moving closer, but not letting her lips touch his skin. "But perhaps unrequited is the wrong word? After all, it implies a lack of interest on my part... which couldn't be further from the truth. Would it shock you to know that I'm just as intrigued?"
Shaking his head, he gulped. "You're married..."
"And you're engaged to my daughter," she whispered, her fingertips caressing his muscular chest. "But you can't deny the intensity of the connection between us. No one would ever know... it could just be our naughty little secret."
John blinked then turned his head away, using his hand to block his peripheral vision, so he wouldn't be distracted by her alluring figure. "Maria would never cheat on Jack and I'd lose all respect for her if she did," he said firmly as the spell was broken. Softening his stern tone, he continued, "Please turn back to normal, Jade."
Her shapely form blurred as Jade reverted to her usual appearance. "It's just a harmless fantasy, Master!"
"If I had sex with you looking like Maria, I'd never be able to look her in the eyes again," he said, shaking his head. A wistful smile appeared on his face as he continued, "It's no secret that I'm strongly attracted to her and I enjoy our relatively innocent flirting... but I'd never push for more, not while she's with Jack."
Jade groaned in frustration. "Okay, forget Maria... but there has to be someone else! I'm a Nymph... fulfilling your ultimate desires is my reason for being!"
"It used to be," he corrected her, giving Jade a sympathetic smile.
"Just because I don't have to satisfy your sexiest fantasies doesn't mean I don't want to!" Jade protested, before giving him a lingering kiss. Her face fell as she continued, "Even when I've turned into Alyssa and we've had sex, it's only been because you wanted to make me happy, not because it's what you really wanted... I feel like I've let you down, John."
Looking at her with concern, he shook his head. "You should never think that! I love you just the way y-"
She silenced his protestations with a kiss, then frowned and wagged a finger at him. "No, don't say it! We've had sex countless times with me looking like this; I refuse to believe that there isn't someone in the galaxy you'd like to have a meaningless one-night stand with!"
He looked at her in surprise, then laughed. "You're actually serious, aren't you?"
Jade cupped his face in her hands and said softly, "I've never felt like I'm truly satisfying one of your wildest fantasies and I long to experience that feeling. If you really want to rock my world, just pick a girl you want me to be, then use me shamelessly..."
The cabin door slid open behind them and Tashana called out cheerfully, "Dinner's ready!"
The Nymph groaned and sagged against him. "Perfect timing..."
John squeezed her bottom suggestively. "We'll continue this fascinating discussion later..."
Jade perked up immediately and grinned as she slid off his lap. "Should I eat light, Master?"
He shook his head. "You're going to need as much energy as you can get..."
The Nymph bit her lip and sauntered down the corridor to the cabin, glancing flirtatiously at John over her shoulder. He smiled, seeing how excited she was, then started thinking about which fantasy woman she could be. His first thought was of Lynette Devereux as she was certainly one of the most beautiful women he'd ever met. However, he quickly dismissed her as a possibility for similar reasons he'd refused Maria.
Entering the Cabin, he found Tashana sitting cross-legged on the bed, an array of Maliri dishes spread out beside her. "Hello, you two," she said greeting them with a smile. "We don't have a dining room, so Rill and I made finger-food you can eat on the bed."
"It all looks delicious," John said appreciatively, his stomach rumbling.
Tashana handed each of them a plate. "Here you go."
"Aren't you two eating with us?" John asked, noting only two plates.
"We had a very satisfying lunch," Irillith said with a coy smile as she emerged from the kitchen. "Can I get you anything to drink?"
He turned to the Maliri girl and asked with a straight face, "Are you our buttler this evening?"
She smirked and nodded. "Absolutely."
"Do you have any of that berry juice I had on Genthalas?" he asked, looking hopeful.
"Natalla berries? Sure, I'll pour each of you a glass," Irillith replied, turning to head back into the kitchen. John gave her a playful smack on the bottom and was rewarded with a broad grin.
Jade licked her lips with anticipation. "Can we start?"
Tashana laughed and gestured towards the dishes. "Of course, help yourself."
Sitting on the bed, John started picking samples from every dish to put on his plate, only recognising half of them. He smiled when Jade started moaning with pleasure as she savoured the Maliri cuisine, then found himself doing the same thing as he enjoyed the delicious flavours.
Gratefully accepting the glass of fruit juice from Irillith, he drank some then turned to look at the twins. "Did Alyssa tell you what Jade and I were discussing earlier?"
They exchanged a sly glance, then two sets of violet eyes gave him very knowing looks. "We were a little disappointed you turned down Jade's initial offer..."
The Nymph giggled, her emerald eyes twinkling as she saw his reaction.
"That's... not why I mentioned it," he said, trying not to sound too flustered. "Jade offered to mimic any woman I wanted, so I just wondered if either of you could recommend any beautiful holo-movie actresses?"
The twins looked at him in surprise, then their faces lit up with glee. They activated the holo-projector built into the bed and opened the Holonet, the two of them chattering away together as they searched rapidly through holo-movie fan sites.
"Jade, can you be her?!" Tashana asked, her eyes burning with excitement.
The Nymph studied the holo-screen between bites, then shimmered for a few seconds and reappeared as a fierce-looking black woman with a Mohawk.
"Battle-Sister Asha from the War Monastery series!" Irillith gasped, gazing at her in awe. "You look exactly like her!"
Tashana giggled with glee. "Okay, now her!"
Jade smiled at them, glanced at the next image and changed into an elegant raven-haired beauty with lovely russet-toned skin.
"Dyani Spiritwing from Plasma Fire Over Caranos!" the Maliri breathed, her fingers trembling as she reverently stroked the Nymph's arm. "She was my first girl-crush..."
Irillith laughed and shot an amused glance at her twin. "So that's why you made me watch it so many times! I thought you just liked seeing the Kintark get blown up."
"Can you blame me? She was so brave... and absolutely gorgeous," Tashana murmured, her gaze sweeping over the native American girl's statuesque figure. "Jade, do you think sometime, maybe we could...?"
Jade leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. "I'd love to, Tashana."
The Maliri let out a blissful sigh, her fingers brushing over her lips where she'd been kissed.
Turning to John, the Nymph grinned and playfully teased him, "The twins certainly know how to have fun, Master."
He nodded, admiring her exotic figure. "So I see... and they've got excellent taste too."
Jade finished her lunch and pushed the plates aside. "Would you like to get better acquainted with Dyani Spiritwing?" she asked, prowling across the bed towards him.
John glanced at Tashana. "I haven't seen that movie yet. Let's watch it together sometime, then we can reward the heroine afterwards."
Tashana nodded, gazing at the Nymph with barely contained lust.
Jade pouted and sat back on her haunches. "Are you sure I can't tempt you with a preview?"
John gathered her in his arms and pushed her back onto the bed. "No, I've got someone else in mind..."
Dyani Spiritwing's face lit up with delight as she listened to his thoughts, then she disappeared in a shimmering green haze. A few seconds later, Jade's features solidified into a strikingly beautiful blonde, her willowy figure moulding to him.
John smiled at the stunning Oceanus rep. "Hello, Felicity."
"Thank you so much for agreeing to meet with me, Mr. Blake!" Felicity gushed, her bright blue eyes sparkling with excitement. "I wanted to thank you in person for saving Terra!"
"You didn't need to do that," he said kindly, caressing her cheek.
"No, but I really want to," Felicity replied, the blonde's perfect diction making every sentence a delight to hear. She gazed at him with a mixture of adoration and lust. "I've thought about nothing else for months..."
"What've you been thinking about exactly?" he asked, trailing his fingers down her throat, before gently cupping a compact breast, the delicate pink nipple stiffening to his touch.
Felicity bent her leg at the knee, then brushed his flank with the softness of her inner thigh. "A night with the Lion of the Federation, where he takes me in whatever way he wants..." She gave him a tender kiss then gazed adoringly into his eyes. "You saved my parents, John... and I want to reward you with a special gift for your heroism. The ultimate act of love... would you give me a permanent memento of our night of passion?"
John held his breath as he traced his fingers over her slim stomach, then looked at Felicity with lust in his eyes. She bit her flushed lip and answered his unspoken question with a nod. Jade's imitation of the beautiful blonde was incredibly accurate, from her lithe figure to her refined mannerisms, right down to her speech. John found himself being drawn into the fantasy and leaned down to kiss her, Felicity's feminine moans of arousal spurring him onwards.
The twins smiled at each other and cleared the plates away, leaving the lovers entwined on the bed as they slipped out of the Cabin to take over watch duty in the cockpit.
***
Perl gazed up at the evening sky in wonder, marvelling at the vast expanse of pale blue and the handful of fluffy white clouds drifting above the colony. She raised a hand to her cheek when she felt the sun's gentle warmth on her face, her heart lifting at the glorious sensation that suffused her whole being with a pleasant glow. There was a light breeze pushing the clouds onwards, the gusts cooling her skin with every gentle caress.
"I've seen pictures... but I never expected it to be like this," she whispered, squinting to protect her eyes from the unfamiliar glare of the sun. She felt a bit giddy and held onto Tony's arm to steady herself.
Kelli wobbled for a moment, then crouched down on the ground, rubbing at her head. "It's just so... open. I feel like I'm going to float away!"
Tony nodded, feeling light-headed himself. After a lifetime of living in caves, with thousands of tons of rock overhead, to see the sheer empty vastness of the sky was profoundly unsettling.
"Over there," he said, pointing to a covered arch between buildings. He reached down to grab the brunette's hand and haul her up.
"Thanks," she mumbled, refusing to let go as she followed him out of the plaza.
The three of them dropped their suitcases and leaned against the wall, trying to get themselves under control again. It felt comforting to have a roof over their heads and they relaxed, feeling the calming reassurance of having walls on either side of them too.
Tony took a deep breath and peered out at the sky again, then suppressed a shudder. "Maybe stayin' here wasn't such a great idea after all..."
Perl gave him a reassuring hug. "Alyssa and Sparks warned us about this. It feels so weird because we lived in a bunch of caves all our lives... They reckon it won't take long to wear off."
Kelli slid to a sitting position with her back against the wall. "Let's just chill and watch the clouds go by. I want to get used to looking at all that open space..."
He nodded and followed her lead, sitting on the floor and putting his arm around Kelli's shoulder. Perl sat down as well and snuggled into him, the tension easing from her body when he held her too.
"That cloud looks just like two people screwing," Kelli declared, pointing at the ephemeral paramours.
Tony snorted a laugh. "What?"
"Yeah, totally!" she insisted. "Look, she's riding the guy cowgirl!"
Perl giggled and nodded. "And there's a woman about to blow someone!"
"You two have got sex on the brain," Tony said with a chuckle.
Kelli smirked at him. "Alright... what's that one look like to you?"
He followed her finger towards the phallic shaped collection of clouds. "That's an ore train drivin' past a couple of huge boulders," he replied with a straight face.
The girls looked at him incredulously for a moment, then when he broke into a grin, they dissolved into giggles.
"I guess this isn't so bad," he said, taking another long look at the sky. "Maybe we should stay here for a bit, then find our hotel?"
His companions nodded their agreement, then tried to come up with the most outrageous interpretations of cloud formations as possible. The game helped distract them from their agoraphobia and their raucous laughter soon echoed around the plaza.
***
Dana studied Valia Gate's Comms Array with an appraising eye, as the colony's Chief Engineer talked her through his attempts to repair it.
"The primary communications node is intact, it just got shorted out when the Kirrix blasted the Comms Array," Niklas Petrov said, pointing at the soot blackened access panel. He glanced skyward and continued, "I thought if I could maybe jury-rig a satellite control interface, I could bounce the signal off one of the survey sats in orbit and use them to reach the nearest Comms Beacon instead of using the array. The signal-quality might be a bit weak, but at least we'd be able to re-establish contact with T-Fed colony administration."
The redhead tapped a finger on her chin as she mulled it over. "Are the satellites in geo-stationary orbit above the town?"
He shook his head. "Nah, one's on an equatorial orbit, the other covers the poles..." Niklas' face fell as he realised why she was asking. "Shit... we'd only have comms for 4 hours a day."
Dana nodded, giving him a sympathetic smile. "That's what I was thinking... otherwise, it was a great idea."
Throwing his hands up in the air, Niklas snorted in exasperation. "I don't see what else we can do! Look at it, those bastards blew the fucking thing to bits!"
She glanced at the huge emitter system that formed the Comms Array, or at least it had, before the Kirrix blasted it with Neutron Beams. Now it was a smoking charred ruin, huge emitter dishes lying shattered and blackened on the ground.
"Alright, here's what we'll do. I'll start running the Mass Fabricators and we'll build you a smaller scale Comms Array before we leave tonight." Dana turned to look back at the battlecruiser that loomed over the town. "We can take the hyper-pulse generator off the Invictus and hook that up, then you'll end up with even better signal quality than you're used to. I can build a replacement for the ship after we leave."
The engineer looked at her in a mixture of confusion and disbelief. "There's no way you can construct a Comms Array that quickly!" He stared at the Invictus and added, "And we haven't got drydock facilities here... I'm not sure we've even got a crane big enough to reach that high!"
Dana winked at him. "Trust me, we'll get it done." She turned on her heel and started striding back to the ship, calling over her shoulder, "Come on, we've only got 4 hours!"
Niklas gaped at her for a moment, then jogged to catch up, wondering if he'd gone crazy or the redhead had.
***
Perl finished hanging up the last of her clothes in the hotel room's wardrobe, then glanced back at the case lying on the bed. "Should we unpack for Tony too?"
Kelli was rifling through the bag of cosmetics she found at the bottom of her case, grinning from ear-to-ear as she recognised all the exclusive brands. "I guess... he's been gone a while. Any idea what he's up to?"
The blonde shrugged and squatted by his case. "I'm not sure. He just said he was going out for a bit."
As she reached for the magnetic clasp to unseal the suitcase, the door swung open and Tony hurried into their bland but functional hotel room. "Hey! Come with me a minute, I want to show you somethin'!"
Perl smiled at his exuberance as she walked over to join him. "Do we get any clues?"
"Nope!" he replied with a grin, propping the door open as he ushered them into the hall.
They went downstairs and the handful of men sitting in the bar exchanged greetings with Tony as he led the girls outside.
"Making friends already?" Kelli teased him.
He shrugged. "Guys sittin' around gettin' wasted like to shoot the shit. I wanted to check what it was really like round here."
"What's the verdict?" Perl asked, slipping her arm around his.
"They like Luce... she's the real deal," he replied, turning right and leading them across the asphalt. "The colony seems alright too. They reckon land is dirt cheap, but Luce is tryin' to expand Valia Gate... get a settler rush goin'. Might be worth savin' some cash and buyin' a house outside of Forty-Seven."
The girls exchanged a glance around Tony, then Kelli frowned as she realised he was leading them away from the town and up a small hill. "Come on, Tony... tell me what's up here?"
He smiled and shook his head. "Just wait a minute, you'll see."
Taking the time to adjust to being outside had really helped, the eerie feeling that they might fall up into the sky fading away as they followed the dirt path. The trail wound its way up the grassy hill, giving them a nice view of the town and the battlecruiser parked at the starport. Pausing for a moment, they watched the bustling activity around the white vessel. A mech was working on the front of the Invictus, the humanoid figure looking relatively tiny in comparison to the enormous warship. The Valkyrie carefully detached a device from the bow, then thrusters flared in the mech's legs as it descended to the ground with the component in its arms.
It took another ten minutes for Tony, Kelli, and Perl to reach the top of the mound and the girls gasped at the spectacular view it provided over the surrounding countryside. A crystal clear river wound its way down through the valley and past the outskirts of town, then further in the distance they could see the silvery falls that had lured the original Terran colonists to settle here. When Valia Gate was first founded, the colonists had planted forests of spruce, oak, beech, and pine trees that had thrived in the rich soil, adding a welcome swathe of green to the vista.
"Oh, Tony... it's so beautiful," Perl said in a hushed voice, staring wide-eyed at the view.
He put his arm around the girls and gave them a gentle squeeze. "Yeah, the guys said it was nice up here." Nodding with his chin to a bench that had been placed at the brow of the hill, he added, "Let's sit there for a while..."
Tony sat in the middle, with Kelli and Perl snuggling up beside him.
"I think I could get used to living in a place like this," Perl said, before turning to look up at Tony. "If you had enough money to live wherever you wanted, would you still stay here, or move to the Core Worlds?"
"This is the first time I've left Karron... I dunno what everywhere else is like." He thought about it for a moment, then shrugged. "I like Luce and Pete... they seem like they wanna help us settle in. Plus, I wouldn't exactly fit in to some fancy T-Fed colony even if I had plenty of cash... which I don't."
Kelli and Perl exchanged glances again. "Don't forget... we have money, Tony," Kelli said, reaching into her bra and producing one of the credit sticks. "I added it all up... we got nearly 25 grand from the Diablos vault."
He shook his head and looked at each of them in turn. "I want you to keep that..." Raising a hand to hold off any objections, he continued, "I'm serious. If anythin' happens to me, you'll have some cash to go somewhere safe and start over. The money we earn here should be enough to get us started, it'll just take us a while. You should open accounts with a big T-Fed bank... make sure those credits are nice and safe."
"We actually already have accounts..." Perl said, a smile tugging at her lips.
"You do?" he asked in surprise. "Oh, alright... great."
"Is it me or is it getting darker?" Kelli interrupted, looking around and suddenly feeling exposed. "What's going on?"
"It'll be night soon," Tony said, rubbing her back. "I asked the guys the best place to see the sunset."
She looked at him in shock, her eyes going wide. "You remembered!"
He smiled at her then looked across the valley towards the horizon. "Over there, Kel..."
The white sun was dipping low, the sky changing from a deep turquoise to a glorious array of red, orange, and purple. As Zeta Phoenicis descended out of sight, the sky darkened further, until all that remained of Valia Gate's sun was an enchanting amber glow bathing the horizon.
"That was a hell of a thing..." Tony murmured, his voice catching. He swallowed, then glanced down at the brunette. "What do you reckon about your first sunset?"
"I've never seen anything like it," Kelli whispered, amazed by the spectacular natural beauty. She wiped away the tear that rolled down her cheek, then leaned up to kiss him. "I won't ever forget this, Tony. Thank you."
Perl nodded, hugging him tight. "I love it here... I want to stay."
He kissed her on top of her head. "We'll save up, get a nice place. Maybe we can watch the sunset every night..."
"We should start looking tomorrow!" Kelli exclaimed with a mischievous smile.
Tony frowned and shook his head. "Even with us gettin' a free room at the hotel, it's gonna take us at least 6 months to save the cash to buy some land. We'll have to build a house too... that'll take a bunch of credits."
Perl turned to look up at him and clasped one of his hands in hers. "Tony... we've got something to tell you." She nibbled her lip nervously, not sure how to begin.
"What's the matter, babe?" he asked with concern.
Kelli took his other hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Remember you said we didn't have to be whores anymore?"
"What happened?" he asked, looking worried. His eyes narrowed with anger. "Did one of the colonists say somethin'?"
The brunette quickly shook her head. "No, nothing like that. Alyssa and Sparks wanted some lessons on how to be good in bed... they offered to pay us to give them a few pointers."
He relaxed and chuckled, looking at the pair in admiration. "You had me worried for a minute! So you two made some cash teachin' the Lionesses how to fuck? Genius..."
Perl nodded and said quietly, "Alyssa, Sparks, and the three of us are the only survivors from Karron. The lessons were just an excuse... they wanted to make sure we had enough cash to make a good life for ourselves. Alyssa paid us 200,000 credits, Tony."
He gaped at her in disbelief, his mouth falling open in shock. Losing his balance, he fell off the back of the bench.
"Tony!" Perl called out in surprise, rushing to his side.
"Are you okay?!" Kelli gasped, falling to her knees.
He laughed and pulled her into a hug. "Babe, you've got it made! You and Perl won't even have to work with that kinda money!" His delight for the pair faded into a melancholy expression. "Shit... I'm like a deadweight to you two now... You should go to the Core, you could fit in there, no problem."
Perl shook her head. "No way! We're not going anywhere without you. Besides, it's our money... we're a team now."
Kelli gave him a fierce kiss. "Plus, you've got to keep us safe... you promised Alyssa."
Perl nodded, tousling his hair as she smiled at him. "Now we're loaded, we can use some of the cash to get a really nice home. We'd offer to pay you for protection, but we're hoping you'll let us pay you in trade..."
Tony looked up at them in astonishment, then smiled fondly. "Alright, sounds like a fair deal."
"Really?" Kelli asked, snuggling into him. "We're talking about a really long contract..."
"It'll last a good 70, maybe 80 years..." Perl agreed, giving him a tender kiss.
"Deputy Anthony Phoenix gives you his word," Tony said embracing them both. "I love you."
They melted in his arms, giving him loving kisses and murmuring how much they loved him too.
***
Gaenna Baelora meandered across the arboretum, lost in memories of the past. She approached one of the many benches scattered through the leafy park, then on a whim stopped to sit on the lush carpet of grass. Brushing her fingers over the soft green blades, she smiled a wistful smile, remembering the last time she'd done such a thing, over a century ago. The border male she had chosen to father her children had been a handsome rogue with a whimsical heart. Filarion always insisted that their trysts on Genwynn included at least one passionate encounter in one of the trading station's parks and Gaenna was sure that each resulted in the conception of her five daughters.
She lay back and gazed up at the transparent crystal dome that curved high-overhead, remembering the intoxicating pleasures they'd shared together. How she'd longed for him after returning to her homeworld, but as the years rolled on and the pressures of her role as matriarch increased, Gaenna had gradually let that part of her die. However, the conversation with Edraele had gently fanned those desires back to life and she felt a flutter in her belly as her thoughts turned to Baen'thelas.
John was a taller, heavier-set man than Filarion had been, and she found herself fantasising about the broad muscles in his chest and arms. Her thoughts lingered on his powerful, dominating presence... and a dark blush filled her cheeks as she knew she would submit to his every whim, just as she had found herself doing with Filarion. Lifting one of her hands, she examined her dry skin, seeing the faint lines that revealed the onset of age. How she longed to regain the lithe suppleness of youth, a gift that she would give anything for... do anything for.
Her hands smoothed down the front of her dress and she idly stroked her stomach, remembering what it had been like being pregnant with each of her girls. A smile lifted her lips, and she knew that waiting two decades as Edraele had suggested would pass in the blink of an eye. She would spend that time endearing herself to Baen'thelas, doing whatever it took to make sure he was as eager to sire an heir with her, as she was desperate to carry it.
Gaenna smiled as she decided to start preparing for John's return to Genthalas. After losing herself in thought for a while, she glanced at the holographic chronometer on her wrist and was shocked to realise she'd spent hours daydreaming about the future. Sitting up again, she glanced around self-consciously, but was relieved that this area of the park had remained deserted. She felt a little stiff getting up again after lying on the hard ground for so long, but in a matter of weeks, those aches and pains would be banished from her aging body as it was flush with the vigour of youth once again.
Returning to her quarters, she brushed past the guards and swept inside, heading straight for her office. Sinking into the ornate seat behind her desk, she activated the comms interface and initiated a call to her palace on Baelora. The connection took a moment to go through as the signal was bounced between the comms beacons and Gaenna glanced at her reflection in the mirror on the wall opposite. Her fingers instinctively went to her short snowy-white hair and she sat up straighter, imagining how she would look when it had grown out into a thick mane like Edraele's.
Growing your hair long like that had been considered taboo for millennia; as good as announcing to the world that you were an immoral slut. Yet Edraele and the Young Matriarchs wore their hair long with obvious pride... and Gaenna had seen the smouldering looks they discreetly darted at Baen'thelas when he'd attended the Council of Matriarchs. A sultry smile appeared on her face... yes, she'd be as debauched for him as a woman could be for a man.
"Yes, mother? You called?" her daughter asked with a hint of impatience.
Gaenna's reverie was shattered by that dulcet voice and she wondered how long she'd been gazing at her reflection in the mirror. It must have been a considerable amount of time for her eldest offspring to dare take that tone with her.
Ignoring the provocation, Gaenna replied, "I have some urgent tasks for you to complete. First and foremost, I want you to send the entirety of the House Baelora fleet to Genthalas to begin the refitting process."
Her daughter looked startled and quickly protested, "But what of your plans to hold a portion in reserve to protect our homeworld?"
Gaenna waved a hand dismissively. "I've changed my mind. Ships from House Loraleth are being dispatched to protect our border with the Brimorians; we can rely on Kali Loraleth to protect our territory."
That announcement was met with shocked silence, which the distracted House Baelora Matriarch took for mute acceptance of her orders.
"The second item of business is to begin shipping Vrysandral Spice to Genthalas," she declared in a matter of fact tone.
If she'd been startled before, her daughter looked absolutely stunned now. "You want to trade some of our spice with Edraele Valaden?!"
"Not some, ALL of it," Gaenna insisted, her voice firm. "House Valaden is to be our exclusive trading partner from now on."
Her daughter's golden eyes were like saucers as she gaped at her mother. "What could Edraele possibly have offered that you'd even consider sharing our most precious resource?!"
Gaenna's gaze flicked back to the mirror and she said softly, "A glorious prize... one worth paying nearly any price." She smiled distractedly at her daughter. "That will be all. Oh... and thank you for your assistance, Sarinia."
With that the House Baelora Matriarch ended the call and devoted her full concentration to her reflection. She imagined herself standing proudly at Baen'thelas' side, elegant and beautiful in the full bloom of youth, a glorious white mane of hair flowing down her back... and her hands cradling her gravid belly. Gaenna couldn't help grinning in triumph; it would all be hers, starting in a matter of weeks!
***
Aboard the Sylmenor class heavy carrier, Flight Commander Krisalei jogged towards the trio of interceptors, with Lorathyra and Torvanna keeping pace beside her. She paused on the gantry overlooking their deadly strike craft and turned to face her fellow pilots. "Remember to fly with caution, ladies. We might have new shields, but as Torvanna proved, we are far from invulnerable."
Torvanna rolled her eyes. "You're just jealous! I scored the highest kill-count ever recorded in the Elauthin Kelrona's simulators!"
"Yes, but then you got yourself killed going head-to-head with three wings of drone craft!" Lorathyra protested indignantly. "And we died trying to save you!"
Krisalei gave Torvanna a stern frown. "We're under direct orders from Baen'thelas to preserve our forces. What happens in a simulation is one thing, but I better not see that kind of recklessness against the Kirrix. Is that understood?"
Nodding and looking contrite, Torvanna said, "Yes, Flight Commander." She hesitated for a moment, then reached out to touch her leader's golden vambrace. "I would never put you at risk in a real battle, Krisalei."
Smiling at her wingmate, Krisalei patted her on the arm. "I must admit, it was interesting to find out exactly what our interceptors are capable of... and what is beyond them." She looked at each of the women in turn and continued, "Good luck and may Baen'thelas watch over us."
Torvanna and Lorathyra bowed respectfully, then they grinned and ran for their ships, sprinting along the crystal gantries that stretched out over each sleek fighter. Krisalei found herself doing the same, the anticipation of an upcoming battle sending a thrill through her body. She grabbed the overhead rail at the end of the gantry, then swung herself into the chute that dropped down to the cockpit. Anti-gravity fields slowed her descent and she slid smoothly into the padded pilot's chair.
Tapping a sequence of icons on her console, the insertion chute pivoted to one side and the crystal canopy levered shut, forming an atmospheric seal with a quiet hiss. Krisalei reached for her helmet and pulled it over her head, feeling the exhilarating thrum of the Nievath Interceptor's engines as power was routed to all the ship's subsystems.
***
The Maliri fleet dropped out of hyper-warp at the outer edge of the Beta Cygni system, a swathe of blue tachyon particles dispersing from their golden hulls as they returned to normal space. Fleet Commander Lilyana stared at the System Map, her focus on the fifth orbital track around the star. Theg Haldrim was a huge volcanic world with an extensive ring system; the dense disc of rock and ice particles was all that remained of a large moon torn apart by the planet's formidable gravitational pull.
Long-range sensors had picked up a cluster of vessels in high-orbit above Theg Haldrim, each appearing as an ominous red glyph on the three-dimensional tactical holograph. Now that Lilyana's command ship, the Galaena Serina, had dropped into the system, the sensors were able to identify the classification of those vessels.
"Ten drone carriers," Lilyana muttered, rising from her Command Chair and striding over to the map to take a closer look. "And ten hive ships landed on the surface..."
"A sizeable force," Almari agreed, darting a glance at her fellow assassin.
Ilyana had drawn her blade and was examining the keen edge. "But are they friend or foe?"
The Fleet Commander's eyes narrowed as she studied the huge ochre vessels. "Can you ask Edraele if the Kirrix have ever transferred hosts to their drone carriers? There's little point in closing for an active scan of those vessels if the Trankarans aren't going to be there."
There was a brief pause, then the Maliri Matriarch answered Lilyana directly. *No, the colonists are always kept on the hive ships for infestation by the Hive Lords. The only exception John has encountered was on a Kirrix dreadnought.*
Nodding as she made a decision, Lilyana returned to her chair and activated the fleet command interface. "Launch interceptor wings. We need reconnaissance on those hive ship landing sites; I want to know if the Kirrix are returning colonists or capturing more..."
***
Krisalei clenched her flightstick in a tight grip, feeling the tension build as she waited for the command to launch. Her Neivath Interceptor hovered above the flight deck, suspended by an anti-gravity field as it was poised to leap into battle.
*Stay safe, favoured of Baen'thelas,* Edraele whispered in her mind, the gentle voice accompanied by a loving telepathic caress.
Taking a deep breath, Krisalei forced herself to relax, loosening her fingers on the flight controls.
"Alre'nyast wing, you are cleared for launch!" the Flight Controller snapped in her ear, as the lights above the launch tube flicked from red to green.
Krisalei eased the throttle forward and the powerful Trankaran engines blazed to life, hurling the Maliri interceptor down the deployment tunnel. The arched passageway flashed past in a blur, then her strike craft rocketed out of the Elauthin Kelrona, the gleaming golden interior of the carrier replaced by the vast blackness of space. She glanced at her tactical display and icons for her two wingmates swept in to cover her rear, their interceptors creating a neat arrowhead formation.
Looking out through the canopy, she could see scores of strike craft forming up into wings, the squadrons from her carrier preparing themselves for combat. The Elauthin Kelrona was one of six heavy carriers in the fleet, with the massive capital ships bringing up the rear of the battle group. Ahead of her, Krisalei could see the cruisers and destroyers assembling into a defensive screen, set some distance behind the Shandrass class battleships at their forefront. Huge engines on the rear of those enormous vessels blazed to life and the vanguard of their fleet set course for Theg Haldrim.
There was a soft chime and the Flight Controller's voice resonated in the cockpit. "All wings, orders dispatched."
Krisalei glanced at the holographic panel that displayed the mission goals and saw that her primary objective had been updated. "Lorathyra, Torvanna, we're going to approach orbital five from an oblique and reconnoitre the Kirrix surface forces."
"Affirmative."
"Following your lead."
Pushing the throttle to maximum, her interceptor leapt forward, the acceleration pushing Krisalei back in her seat. She smiled as she relished the sheer power of the new engines, doubling the strike craft's previous top speed. The trio of interceptors dipped below a destroyer, then raced past a cruiser, the orange light from the star glinting off its golden hull. Krisalei yawed her ship to starboard and the fighter wing charged between two Maliri battleships at the front of the formation. The Galaena Serine was to her left, the Iolas Aethyra to her right, both of those mighty warships covered in a terrifying excess of Beam Laser batteries.
"The Kirrix are launching drones," Torvanna called out in warning, her voice edged with excitement.
"Hold your fire unless fired upon," Krisalei immediately cautioned her. "We're under orders not to initiate combat until we can ascertain the Kirrix's motives."
"Acknowledged," her wingmate replied, before letting out a playful sigh. "But they're just asking for trouble. If you design ships that ugly, you deserve to get shot out of the sky!"
Krisalei glanced at the bulbous insectoid capital ships and her lip curled in revulsion; their hideous aesthetics were well-suited to the sickening parasitical species. "I couldn't agree more..."
Her wing peeled away from the Maliri fleet, accompanying nine others that had been given identical orders from Flight Control. They charged towards the planet, their course taking them wide of the Kirrix defensive forces. Drone craft attempted to close the distance, but the Maliri interceptors had a significant speed advantage and left the swarm of ochre fighters trailing in their wake.
Theg Haldrim was a lesson in sharp contrasts, with the bright ambers and reds of the bubbling lava lakes a glaring change from the dark mass of granite plateaus. As Krisalei approached upper orbit, she saw a beautiful cyan curve follow the horizon as the light from the star refracted off the planet's atmosphere. Her wing dived lower, heading towards the city of Negdratin and the Kirrix hive ship that had landed on the outskirts. Billowing contrails followed the interceptors as they roared through the sky, the Maliri craft sweeping over mountain ranges as they approached the Trankaran city.
Krisalei eased back on the throttle as they neared the outer edge of Negdratin, the blocky, grey, brutalist architecture making the curved, segmented Kirrix hive ship stand out like a bloated tick on a helpless beast's hide. She followed one of the main thoroughfares through the residential areas, using the apartment complexes as cover in case the hive ship should open fire. Activating external cameras, she rocketed over the plaza adjacent to the hive ship, which was crowded with Kirrix troops and long lines of Trankaran civilians. Both alien species looking up in surprise at the three golden-hulled fighters as they roared overhead.
"The Kirrix are herding them into that hive ship," Lorathyra announced a few seconds later, a hard edge to her voice.
An image flashed on Krisalei's comms interface and she swiped across to zoom in on the frozen image that her wingmate had highlighted. Kirrix troops were holding the Trankarans at gunpoint and it was obvious they were being forced to file into the yawning opening in the side of the insectoid hive ship. Despite the dire circumstances the civilians found themselves in, they stood straight-backed and calm, unlike the Kirrix who were stooping under the crushing weight of Theg Haldrim's fierce gravity.
Krisalei found herself moved by the plight of the noble rockmen and she swiped across the comms interface, opening a channel to Flight Control. "Kirrix are abducting colonists... Repeat, the Kirrix are valid targets! Permission to engage and suppress hostile forces?"
"Negative, Alre'nyast wing, you have been assigned a new primary objective."
Her cyan eyes darted to the holographic panel and rapidly scanned through her new orders.
"Can we start blasting them, Flight Commander?" Torvanna asked, making no effort to hide her eagerness.
Krisalei yanked back on her flightstick and shoved her throttle forward, launching the Nievath interceptor towards the stratosphere, a blazing orange plume stretching out behind her engines. "We're on guard duty, Tor. Have patience... you'll be able to slake your thirst for battle soon enough."
***
"Hold position," Fleet Commander Lilyana said curtly, eyes locked on the holographic tactical overlay.
She watched the firing arcs for the Nova Lances overlap one of the hulking Kirrix drone carriers, as retro-thrusters flared across the Galaena Serine's bow, bringing it coasting to a halt. The Iolas Aethyra and the Sylvis Daenala moved to flank the House Valaden flagship, each of the three battleships now pointing directly at their Kirrix opponents.
"I wonder what they're thinking," Ilyana mused, sheathing her sword as she gazed at the Kirrix fleet. "Our reputation must be staying their hand from attack..."
Almari raised an eyebrow. "Are they even aware that the Maliri are allied to Baen'thelas?"
"We've taken an extremely aggressive posture with the fleet... they must be expecting an imminent offensive." The Fleet Commander's eyes flicked to the bomber wings making steady progress towards Theg Haldrim. "I'm sure we'll provoke a reaction by threatening their hive ships."
The Kirrix fighters had all changed course and were converging on the neat rows of Maliri bombers that were sailing towards the Trankaran planet. Lurking behind the large golden strike craft were hundreds of Maliri interceptors arrayed in aggressive V formations, looking like a hail of arrows about to rain down on their enemies. Although the interceptors were much faster than the bombers, they were matching speeds with their allies and following at a discreet distance... while staying well-within Pulse Cannon range.
Ilyana padded across the Bridge to take a closer look at the teeming swarms of drone craft approaching the Maliri flank. "They don't look happy..." she agreed, watching the two sides close inexorably with each other.
***
Krisalei's eyes widened at the sheer size of the drone swarm nearing the bombers, the Kirrix force appearing on her tactical overlay as a bewildering mass of red glyphs. She tapped an icon, muting the crimson glare and only highlighting those that the targeting computer deemed likely to intersect her present course.
"There must be at least 2000 drone craft out there," Lorathyra murmured, equally shocked by the sheer numbers involved. "We're outnumbered nearly 7 to 1..."
Krisalei noticed clusters of red dots appearing next to the Kirrix capital ships. "It looks like the drone carriers are launching another wave."
"Yeah, they saw we had 300 interceptors and didn't like the odds!" Torvanna exclaimed, the holographic image of her face lighting up with glee. "Can we start killing them now, Flight Commander?"
Narrowing her eyes, Krisalei watched as her weapon arcs drew ever closer to the flanking edge of the drone swarm. "Not yet..."
The Maliri bombers suddenly turned hard to port, pivoting away from the incoming drone swarm, with alternating rows ascending or descending until they formed a staggered wall. The Heleros class bombers had been upgraded with a host of new technology, including Trankaran engines, dramatically increasing their top speed. While they weren't as fast as the nimble drones, there wasn't a huge difference in maximum velocity, so now that the bombers were flying directly away from the Kirrix, the rapid interception had slowed to a torpid crawl.
Heleros class bombers were also equipped with upper and lower twin Pulse Cannon turrets, all of which swivelled to face their pursuers. Ten rows of ten bombers opened fire simultaneously, unleashing a blistering azure hail on the insectoid craft trying to close the distance. Krisalei watched as that deadly fusillade blasted the front ranks of the swarm, blue energy bolts melting straight through the thinly-armoured drones. Billlowing explosions rippled through the ranks as scores of ochre fighters were blown to pieces, the Kirrix unable to dodge the sheer volume of firepower unloaded on them.
"And the bait springs the trap!" Torvanna crowed, a feral grin on her pretty face.
"Fire at will, ladies," Krisalei purred, her finger caressing the trigger.
Her Nievath interceptor was armed with a Pulse Cannon on each wing and a third built into the fuselage. Triple streams of blue laser fire reaped havoc on every Kirrix fighter they touched, coring holes through the hulls and detonating volatile engines, rupturing unstable power cores or killing the insect pilots outright. The 10 wings that had flown the reconnaissance mission to Theg Haldrim tore into the starboard flank of the swarm, mowing down scores of enemy ships.
Krisalei strafed her fire through one Kirrix wing after another, then rolled her interceptor to the left and pulled backwards on the flight stick. She kept her finger depressed on the trigger, wildly spraying laser bolts through the packed formation of drones, as she brought up the nose of her fighter until she was flying parallel to the enemy. Lorathyra and Torvanna had mirrored her movements so all three were now racing away in the opposite direction to the swarm, while also staying out of range of their neutron guns.
"Ten kills!" Torvanna gasped with glee, darting a longing glance at the drone formation.
To add to the Kirrix woes, the 270 interceptors on bomber escort duty hammered the port flank of the drone swarm, catching them in a devastating crossfire. After gouging an explosion strewn arc through the beleaguered drones, they also peeled away, refusing to get close enough for the hapless bugs to fire back.
"Any chasing after us?" Krisalei asked, carefully watching the tail end of the swarm go rushing past her starboard window.
Lorathyra's eyes sparkled with the thrill of the chase. "That's a negative... they're still after the bombers!"
"Five seconds... then we loop back on their tail," Krisalei said, watching the Maliri interceptors on the far flank matching their manoeuvres. "Watch for debris."
She took her eyes away from the drones and happened to glance at the Kirrix capital ship formations just as the three Maliri battleships initiated the fleet engagement. Krisalei squinted as dazzling beams of energy blasted out from the prow of those golden warships, hitting the ochre drone carriers with a Nova Lance barrage. The coruscating shafts obliterated the Kirrix shields in an instant, then slammed into the flanks of the bulbous carriers, raking back towards the stern. Skewered from the side, the energy beams lanced straight through the stricken vessels, blasting a cavernous hole through the centre of each ship.
The carrier targeted by the Galaena Serine was annihilated by a colossal explosion as the Nova Lance beam detonated the primary Power Core. The subsequent blastwave destroyed everything in its path, sweeping away the drone craft that had managed to launch before the carrier's grim demise. Just as devastating was the shot from the Sylvis Daenala, which chopped its target in half, leaving the bow and stern to tumble away in separate glowing chunks, each rocked by secondary explosions. Finally, the shot from the Iolas Aethyra was at an awkward angle, shearing through the lower decks and effectively filleting the rear of the drone carrier. Fuel lines were ruptured, triggering a fiery inferno that raged through the stern, flames gouting through weapon ports and out of hangar doors.
Krisalei marvelled at the sheer scale of the destruction unleashed on the three Kirrix drone carriers, almost feeling a pang of sympathy for the aliens on the receiving end of that carnage. The Nova Lance beams winked out, leaving smouldering hulks where formidable capital ships had once squared off against the Maliri. The other seven drone carriers were now dreadfully aware that they were in range of Nova Lance strikes and powered up their engines so that they could close with the Maliri fleet to fire back.
Tearing her eyes away from the aftermath of the Nova Lance salvo, Krisalei rolled her interceptor and pulled back on the flightstick, feeling the g-force press her into the seat as her fighter executed a tight loop. Her wing had now rejoined the rest of the Maliri strike craft at the rear of the drone swarm, the insectoid hunters now becoming the hunted. When the interceptors rejoined the bombers in brutally culling the swarm, the Kirrix formation appeared to shatter, the drones giving up their ill-fated pursuit and turning on their tormentors.
"Here we go!" Krisalei called out, slashing Pulse Cannon fire through a sharply-banking drone, then strafing laser bolts through its wingman. "Watch each other's backs!"
"Oh yeah!" Torvanna crowed, blue laser fire scything through a wing of drones. "Eleven, twelve... and there's lucky number thirteen!"
***
"Reverse course!" Lilyana demanded, staring intently at the Tactical Map as the seven remaining drone carriers turned to face the fleet.
"Affirmative, Fleet Commander," the helmswoman replied, ramping up power to the Galaena Serine's retro-thrusters along the port bow and starboard on the stern.
The 1500m behemoth manoeuvred with a grace surprising in a vessel that size, executing a smooth turn mirrored by the pair of Maliri battleships at its flanks.
Lilyana watched the prow swing around until they were facing the outer edge of the system. "Now increase thrust to quarter power... let them start gaining on us."
She checked that her carriers, destroyers, and cruisers were maintaining their position well ahead of the battleships and staying safely out of neutron-beam range. Nodding with satisfaction, she glanced back at the bomber wings that had been forgotten in the fracas and smiled as she saw they were now racing unopposed towards the surface of Theg Haldrim.
***
Sickly yellow-brown fighters rushed past Krisalei's interceptor, hurtling by above, below, and on both flanks as the Maliri plunged into the Kirrix swarm. She could no longer just hold her finger down on the trigger, not with Maliri and Kirrix tangled together like this. Every time her crosshairs overlapped an ugly ovoid-shaped drone, she tapped the trigger, firing off short bursts to lethal effect. She piloted by instinct now, relying on five decades behind a flightstick to steer her safely through the deadly melee. Every time she scored a kill, her slender fingers nudged her interceptor aside, dodging the flaming wreckage of her target.
Green neutron bolts zipped by, too many to make it practical for her to try avoiding them, but the Kirrix's haphazard shooting was striking their own craft just as frequently. However, the elegant golden interceptors had a huge advantage with their Brimorian shields, which muted and absorbed the incoming shots, leaving the Maliri unscathed. Krisalei jinked around a wrecked drone, then ducked under another interceptor, pulling up at the last second to squeeze off a quick salvo of laser fire at the Kirrix on its tail. Her shots cored through the cockpit, blowing out the resin-like canopy and slaying the pilot before spearing the power core. The drone exploded and she winced as her interceptor was jostled by the blast.
The Flight Commander didn't have to check to see if her wingmates were still in formation. Every few seconds, bright bursts of azure bolts would scream past her ship on both sides, gunning down targets flanking her own. Steering through the vicious dogfight, her wing blasted its way clear on the other side, engines blazing as the interceptors put some distance between themselves and the Kirrix to shake off pursuers.
"Shield status!" she barked at her wingmates, glancing at her own damage display.
The muted amber glow was overlaid with a readout showing 63% shield strength. Being caught in the fiery conflagration from a drone's core explosion had taken its toll.
"85%"
"78%"
Easing back the throttle, Krisalei tugged back her flightstick. "Nice work, ladies. Keep it up, we're going back in!"
"Twenty-three!" Torvanna bragged, her eyes twinkling with excitement.
The interceptors executed a tight loop that sent Kirsalei's wing plunging back into the centre of that maelstrom.
***
The Kirrix capital ships powered up their engines to maximum thrust as they pursued the retreating Maliri fleet, quickly closing on the idling battleships. While they barrelled towards their deadly opponents, the flanks of the drone carriers were alive with activity, disgorging a second wave of drones. The strike craft assembled into formation around their carriers and when the last squadrons had been launched, they charged after the golden-hulled vessels, intent on weakening shields and crippling engines.
As the drones raced towards the Maliri battleships, the three carriers at the forefront of the Kirrix formation drew sufficiently close to get into Neutron Beam range. The segmented bows of those ochre monstrosities were festooned with weapon batteries and a forest of sickly-green beams lanced across the distance to strike the rear of the central battleship. Despite the surface of the shields rippling like a pond in a thunderstorm, they stubbornly refused to buckle, the advanced Brimorian defensive fields sapping the strength of each energy beam.
"Shields at 72%, Fleet Commander," the battleship's Chief Engineer informed her.
"Hard to port, accelerate to attack speed," Lilyana ordered, trying not to marvel at the incredible resilience of their new shields. She turned to her Tactical Officer who was waiting with feverish anticipation. "Fire at will!"
The three Maliri Battleships pivoted and answered the Kirrix attack with a devastating broadside of brilliant blue laser beams. The salvo slammed into the closest carrier, overpowering its shields and carving amber trenches through thick ochre armour. The beams cored deep, searing their way down the length of the enemy capital ship, vaporising crew and subsystems alike. Power regulators exploded as they were melted into piles of slag, blasting chunks out of the flanks and plunging the vessel into darkness.
Keeping her eyes on the Kirrix, Lilyana snapped. "Hard to starboard! Keep alternating broadsides until the Nova Lances are ready to fire."
The Maliri helmswoman grinned as she acknowledged the orders with a nod. The port batteries began to cool, Kintark heatsinks venting off the excess heat and readying the weapons to fire again, the golden capital ships smoothly turning to present their starboard batteries to the enemy. Lilyana noticed the two assassins watching her with interest and she raised an eyebrow as she returned their curious gaze.
"Mimicking Calara's manoeuvres at the Defence of Olympus?" Almari asked with a knowing smile.
The Fleet Commander watched as the Maliri battleships hammered the Kirrix with another devastating broadside. "Can you imagine facing someone that devious in battle? The thought gives me nightmares," Lilyana quietly admitted.
"Incoming drone swarm," Ilyana informed her, pointing at the swirling mass of drone craft converging on their position.
Lilyana nodded and activated the fleet interface.
***
Sub-Warden Urumir limped slowly across the plaza and put his burly arm around the shoulder of his bond-mate to give her a comforting hug. He knew that Angraekara was terrified for their two shalelings, who had been forcibly removed from them at gunpoint. Urumir had snapped three of the spindly Kirrix troopers in half before neutron gun blasts had brought him down, but he would have still fought on, if his eldest daughter hadn't begged him to stop. He could see his two girls being marched towards another door in the flank of the hive ship, along with all the other small children that had been separated from their parents.
"What are we going to do, Urumir?!" Angraekara whimpered under her breath, wincing from the gunshot wound to her stomach. "I would sooner be unmade than allow harm to befall our precious jewels!"
He hadn't taken his eyes off Gradaela, who held little Brukaeren's hand in her own. Feeling a surge of paternal pride for his brave girls, he rumbled, "The Kirrix are weak and our gravity taxes their puny bodies. They seem distracted... wait for my sig-"
The Sub-Warden didn't finish his sentence as a piercing sonic boom ripped through the air over Negdratin, Trankaran and Kirrix alike staring up at the sky to locate its source.
"There!" Angraekara gasped, pointing into the distance. The sun glinted off the gleaming hulls of a passing wave of strike craft that swooped towards a target on the opposite side of the city.
A series of high-pitched shrieks echoed around the plaza as the Kirrix hive ship opened fire with its Neutron Beams, but they were too late to catch the swift golden bombers. Grating staccato pulses followed next as neutron gun batteries sprayed green bolts skywards, but the noise was nothing compared to the deafening explosions that suddenly rocked the muddy field. Urumir fell to one knee, knocked down by the blast wave as the hive ship's engines were blown to pieces. That was just the first detonation to rock the insectoid cruiser as its bulbous power generators were hit by streaking torpedoes, shutting down all power.
Debris fragments rained down from above and Urumir grimaced as one bounced off his bulky shoulder. "Now, Angraekara!" he roared, grabbing the nearest Kirrix below its jaw.
His huge muscles tensed and he ripped out its throat, before releasing the dying creature from his burly grip and limping towards the next. His mate tore its neutron gun from spasming chitinous fingers, then Angraekara opened fire on the next ochre-hued invader. The Kirrix soldier twitched wildly, limbs convulsing as it thrashed in agony. To Urumir's surprise, the Kirrix troops were paying the rioting Trankarans no attention, their black compound eyes focused only on the sky. They were shooting wildly into the air, obviously trying to protect the hive ship from harassment by the golden bombers.
Around him, Urumir saw his rockbrethren leaping into the fray, with a ferocity that matched his own. The Trankarans fell on their tormentors, seizing weapons and grappling them in melee, fighting back with all the strength available to them. He saw two female Trankarans each grab a drone's arm and tear the spindly trooper apart between them, gouting green blood over the vengeful mothers.
Lurching after the next distracted insectoid, a brilliant flash of blue caught Urumir's eye, then the Kirrix was blasted in the abdomen, knocking it to the ground. A huge round hole had been melted in its armoured exoskeleton and as it toppled to one side, he could see the shot had cored straight through. The flailing insect was shot twice more, the kill-shot hitting the thorax, which exploded and sent dismembered limbs bouncing across the grass.
He glanced upwards, then gaped at the sky in astonishment. Ten delicate-looking bombers hovered in the air above the plaza, their hulls an unlikely composition of gleaming gold plating and sparkling crystal canopies. Turrets below the ships spun about, pouring an unending stream of blue laser bolts into the Kirrix forces in the plaza. The bombers slowly tilted upwards, until their crystal-shrouded cockpits were pointing towards the sky, at which point a second turret at the rear of the upper fuselage contributed to the massacre below.
Urumir whirled around, fearful for his daughters, but he saw them crouched down with their friends, completely untouched by the deadly hail. Gradaela was staring back at him and when they made eye-contact, she grinned, giving him a friendly wave. A deep chuckle of relief rumbled in his chest and he returned her wave as hundreds of Kirrix soldiers died around them.
***
The trio of Maliri battleships continued their deadly exchange of fire with the Kirrix, every salvo of green beams met with triple the number of blue beams... and at twice the frequency. The Kirrix drone carriers were taking a battering, now down to only four of their original ten. The drone swarm hurtled towards the battleships, desperate to close to neutron gun range and add their firepower to the exchange before it was too late. At the same time the Maliri destroyers and cruisers cut power to their engines, falling back so they flanked the capital ships.
Lilyana watched the drones charge heedlessly into the fire arcs of the Galaena Serine's Pulse Cannon batteries, which were overlapped by defence grids from the destroyers and cruisers. It was as if the heavens opened and a storm of blue laser bolts swept out to meet the ochre swarm. With Kintark heatsinks installed, the Pulse Cannons could fire continuously... and over a thousand of those elegant weapons did exactly that. Even the worst gunner in the galaxy could sweep an unceasing hail of shots over a target and hit it eventually but the Maliri were expert markswomen. The scale of the destruction was breathtaking, with the drone swarm annihilated by azure streams, two thousand drone craft wiped out in under ten seconds.
The Maliri battleships turned, battering the leading drone carrier with beam salvos that systematically eviscerated their target, slicing away glowing chunks of hull. Energy gathered on their prow as they swung about to face the last of the enemy capital ships and the Kirrix attempted to turn and flee when they were hit by the Nova Lance barrage. Those drone carriers actually died before the critically damaged Beam Laser victim, but by this point, the Maliri cruisers had swept into range. The drone carrier was hit by so many blue beams, it was blotted out on the holographic map, and when those pulsing columns faded away, there was barely anything left of their target.
***
Like pods of dolphins hunting a giant shoal of mackerel, the Maliri interceptors raced back and forth, picking off juicy prey with impunity. The nature of a space dogfight meant that the sprawling melee was constantly shifting position, which was very fortunate considering the vast sea of ochre debris marking the engagement. The Kirrix swarm was systematically torn to pieces by the faster, more agile, and dramatically tougher Maliri vessels. The fact that each Nievath interceptor was toting at least six times the firepower of a drone craft, with double the effective range, made the engagement spectacularly one-sided.
Krisalei cut down a drone trying to evade her, then yawed to starboard to avoid its flaming remnants. There were now twice as many interceptors as drones, which meant the feeding frenzy had nearly drawn to a close. Her wing swept back towards the last of the swarm in a lazy curve, Pulse Cannon fire hitting the remaining Kirrix from all angles.
"Thirty-seven..." Torvanna said with a contented sigh. "Damn that was fun."
"Aeluva got that last one, you were trying to steal her kill," Lorathyra teased her wingmate.
"I started firing first!" Torvanna protested.
Lorathrya grinned at Krisalei, her eyes glinting with mischief. "Did you see that, Flight Commander? It looks like we need to divide Torvanna's kill-count in half, to factor in all her assists..."
Torvanna's eyes narrowed with indignant anger. "Assists?! How dare you!"
Krisalei stifled a laugh and held up her hand. "Quiet a moment..." She activated the comms interface to speak with Flight Control. "Requesting permission to begin surface operations?"
"Permission granted," the Flight Control operator replied, sounding as relieved that the battle was effectively over as Krisalei was herself. "Happy hunting, Flight Commander."
Pulling the nose of her interceptor around to face Theg Haldrim, Krisalei glanced at her shield status display and watched the strength continue to regenerate. It was currently a murky orange, having dipped as low as 16% before the swarm had been wiped out. She relaxed back in the padded pilot's chair, marvelling at the incredible increase in survivability her interceptor had received.
The golden crystal plating that covered her ship was very resilient despite its delicate appearance, but it was only able to withstand a few hits from strike craft weaponry before risking hull penetration. However, in this engagement, her interceptor's shields had been struck by at least 50 neutron bolts and she hadn't taken so much as a scratch to the hull. She'd been able to fly far more aggressively in the dogfight, shrugging off the occasional hits from the drones, in exchange for dramatically increasing her lethality.
*I'm so proud of you, favoured of Baen'thelas,* Edraele whispered, her caring voice echoing through the minds of the hundreds of white-haired Maliri in the fleet.
Krisalei smiled and said a silent prayer of thanks to the Protector. It was almost as if she could feel him watching over her and keeping her safe... and not just by securing this technology for the Maliri.
***
"All squadrons reporting in... no casualties, minimal damage sustained," the fleet strike craft coordinator announced, turning to grin at Lilyana.
The Fleet Commander allowed herself a smile of victory, having pulled off the complete annihilation of the insectoid menace without losing a single Maliri.
Almari faced her and bowed with respect. "You handled that battle with consummate professionalism. The Kirrix stood no chance at all... as was clearly your intent."
"We held an insurmountable technological advantage," Lilyana said, her eyes sweeping over the forlorn Kirrix wrecks. Her smile faded as she whispered, "Pray that we never find ourselves in their position."
Almari shared a nervous glance with Ilyana, but the pair of assassins remained silent.
*We must talk, Lilyana, after the battle is concluded,* Edraele murmured, an uncharacteristic tension in her voice.
The Fleet Commander looked Almari in the eye and asked quietly, "What of the hive ships? There must be thousands of Trankarans held captive aboard those vessels. Do we begin boarding operations to rescue them, bearing in mind the risk? It will be many days before the Trankaran fleets are able to reach Theg Haldrim..."
The assassin knew the question was not for her and after passing on the message to their Queen, she reached out to give Lilyana's hand a supportive squeeze.
*I'll consult John and ask for his orders.* Edraele replied, sounding lost in thought. She paused for a moment, then her voice was rich with warmth as she continued, *But first let me say that you have truly excelled yourself, Lilyana. It will be a huge relief to inform John that we've sustained no casualties in a fleet engagement of this size. Thank you.*
Touched by her Queen's sincerity, Lilyana finally relaxed. "You're welcome, Edraele," she whispered, her eyes flicking over the untouched wings of interceptors charging towards Theg Haldrim to sweep the streets clear of invaders. "I can honestly say that it was my pleasure."
***
John lay back on the bed as he listened to Edraele's battle report, with Felicity snuggled up against him, her hugely-swollen belly pressed against his flank. He ran his fingers through her soft blonde hair and smiled as the Nymph couldn't help purring in contentment.
"Change back to normal, honey," he said, planting a kiss on her forehead. "You should start absorbing that load."
She shimmered and shifted, her body darkening to a lustrous green. The pupils of Jade's catlike eyes were big round pools, the black discs almost completely eclipsing the emerald iris. "That was such a thrill, Master," she whispered, tilting up her head to kiss his jawline. "Thank you... I really needed it."
He shared a smile with her. "It was certainly... liberating."
Viridian lines began to pulse out from Jade's curved stomach and spread out over her body, their brilliant radiance leaving a trail of goosebumps in their wake. She shivered with excitement, then looked at him in surprise.
"Get some rest, my beautiful little Nymph... you earned it," he said with real affection, cupping her head and pressing it to his shoulder.
Jade nodded obediently and closed her eyes, the rumbling purrs continuing even after she fell asleep.
*... and the new shield generators made a massive difference to the survivability of our strike craft. All Kirrix fleet assets have been neutralised without us losing a single Maliri,* Edraele concluded with tremendous satisfaction.
*That's excellent news,* John said, breathing a sigh of relief. *Have all the Trankaran civilians been freed now?*
She hesitated before replying, *Bomber wings immobilised the hive ships and Kirrix forces within the city are being hunted down as we speak... but Lilyana hasn't committed ground forces to boarding actions yet. We can let the first Trankaran relief fleet handle the rescue operations, but they won't arrive at Theg Haldrim for several days.*
He understood the reason for her brief pause and mulled the decision over for a moment. *Order the ground operation please, Edraele. I already feel bad enough that I wasn't able to personally liberate the Trankaran worlds, we can't stand by and let more civilians be assaulted. Just... ask the Maliri to be cautious; you know how formidable those juggernauts are.*
*I'll inform Lilyana at once,* she replied, sounding pleased. *The Trankarans are already proving themselves to be stoic and resourceful allies. I'm glad we're in a position to alleviate the suffering of their citizens and hasten the liberation of their worlds in their time of direst need.*
*Alyssa, have you been keeping Niskera informed?* he asked his blonde matriarch.
*Ah, I thought you'd forgotten about me...* Alyssa teased him. *I couldn't help noticing how quickly you bedded a golden-haired temptress as soon as I let you out of my sight. You haven't got bored of me and started looking for a replacement already, have you?*
*Felicity is far too well-spoken, polite, and respectful,* John replied with a smile. *How would I ever manage without my blonde matriarch making fun of me every chance she gets?*
She laughed at his banter. *Ah, you love it. As for Niskera, I've been keeping her up to date. She's tremendously grateful, although I can't tell if that's directed at you, me, or the Maliri. Not being able to hold a telepathic conversation with her is incredibly inconvenient; I'll have to bond with her as soon as we get the opportunity.*
*I bonded with Tsarra earlier,* Edraele said with satisfaction. *Sharing minds with her was quite the experience.*
*She's a lovely girl,* John said, a fond smile on his face. *How's she doing?*
The Maliri Matriarch sighed happily. *Very well indeed. I was quite the love-drunk for a few hours afterwards...*
*Ah, I wondered why you didn't make any comments about Jade's offer earlier,* John said without thinking.
*What offer would that be, my Lord?* Edraele asked airily.
John flushed as he felt both his matriarchs' amusement over their empathic connection. *Moving swiftly on...* He paused for a moment, then continued in a far more serious tone, *Please ask Calara to start planning how to deal with a Thrall fleet. As Lilyana has so amply proven, being on the wrong end of a technology disadvantage is an unmitigated disaster waiting to happen. I'm worried that even if we can unlock all the major thrall tech, we won't have anywhere near enough time to fully upgrade the Maliri fleets. We need to develop tactics to deal with faster, stronger, and tougher forces.*
*Being the proactive girl that she is, Calara's already had some thoughts about that. I'll ask her to focus on it exclusively and give you an update in the next couple of days,* Alyssa quickly agreed.
*Thank you. Can you mention it to Dana too please? She might be able to provide technical solutions, rather than just relying on cunning traps and subterfuge.*
*Letting her know right now,* the blonde replied. There were a few seconds delay, then she added, *Sparks wants to know if the same deal still applies?*
John laughed quietly to himself, trying not to disturb Jade. *Yeah, if she can impress me, it'll count.*
*You sound a lot happier...* Alyssa said softly.
*I am. It feels good to be doing something,* he admitted, staring at the ceiling. *I hated that feeling of helplessness back on Valia Gate... all those people suffering and there was nothing I could do. Hopefully we're in with a shot of rescuing the Menganus IV colonists.*
*Keep fighting the good fight,* Alyssa said, blowing him a playful telepathic kiss.
*Oh and please pass on my love to my daughters...* Edraele said with artful innocence.
***
Dana hooked up the power couplings to the hyper-pulse generator, then connected her scanner's sensor probes to the control panel. As she started checking through the reams of data, she heard Alyssa's melodic laughter from up on top of the comms office.
*What's so funny?* she asked, glancing around the corner of the huge device to look for her friend.
*Nothing... just Edraele teasing John,* Alyssa replied, turning to wave at her.
Dana watched as the psychic blonde beckoned to a 30-meter-wide emitter dish, which floated through the air and neatly slotted into the waiting chassis. Once Alyssa was satisfied with the fit, she lifted the final emitter with an imperious gesture, the huge dish gliding smoothly through the air before she settled it into position. She made a twisting motion with both hands and power couplings rose from the ground like serpents obeying a snake-charmer, the black cables slotting into the comms array.
Dana had spent most of the last few hours fabricating all the parts needed and they were now in a rush to finish building the device before the last of the colonists were treated. The redhead wasn't alone in following the construction of the colony's new comms array. Thousands of people had gathered in the courtyard to watch in open-mouthed amazement, as Alyssa effortlessly assembled the huge communications device with a spectacular display of telekinetic mastery.
"I don't b-believe it..." Niklas stammered as he gaped at Alyssa.
"Yeah, it's pretty crazy..." Dana agreed with a smile, before returning her attention to the data readings. "I remember the first time I saw her using psychic powers, I totally freaked."
She noticed a dip in the energy flow through the synchroniser and frowned at the unexpected result. A golden glow appeared in Dana's eyes that matched the coronas around her pupils and she delved into the device with her mind. Projecting her consciousness through the hyper-pulse generator, she discovered hairline stress fractures snaking through the power modulator, probably caused by impact damage to the bow of the Invictus in the Battle of Terra. It took a few seconds to rearrange the sub-atomic structure, repairing fissures and strengthening the silver lattice.
Dana blinked a couple of times as she deactivated her psychic abilities, then glanced at the scanner and grinned. The dip had been reversed, now showing a performance spike that the device wouldn't have been able to achieve straight out of the factory. "There we go, all done."
"What? Already?!" Niklas exclaimed, turning to look at her in astonishment. "You can't have performed a full diagnostic, you've only been looking at it for a minute!"
She shrugged and gave him a playful wink. "I give you my personal guarantee it's in tip-top shape, but feel free to double-check if you don't believe me."
Disconnecting the sensor probes, she patted the stunned engineer on the arm and left him staring bewildered at the control panel. Dana bounded across the courtyard to join the governor, who appeared to be awestruck, gaping in astonishment at Alyssa. The blonde Lioness was shrouded in a white nimbus of light as she stepped off the roof of the comms office and floated through the air to land gracefully on the ground beside them.
"Too good for ladders now?" the redhead asked with a grin.
"Just giving my audience their money's worth," Alyssa replied, flicking a glance at the comms array. "Everything looking good?"
Dana nodded confidently. "Yep, we're all set. Full communications are restored." She jerked a thumb at the Invictus. "I've already got the Mass Fabricators churning out a replacement hyper-pulse generator, so I'll get cracking on my research. Send Calara up to my Workshop whenever she wants to have a chat."
"Thanks, Sparks," the blonde said with a grateful smile. "I'll see you inside."
The redhead gave the governor a cheerful grin, then turned and started for the Invictus.
Shaking off her daze, Luce called after her, "Thank you!"
Dana waved over her shoulder and continued jogging towards the white battlecruiser.
"Sorry, she's got a lot on her mind," Alyssa said, watching her friend rushing to get back to her research projects.
Luce chuckled and shook her head. "You don't ever have to apologise for that little girl, hell, same applies to any of you. You've done so much for all of us... unlike those bastards in High Command..."
Alyssa gave her a look of sympathy. "Fleet Admiral Devereux is sending a fleet full of supplies. They should be with you in a couple of weeks."
The governor's eyes narrowed with anger. "Fat lot of good that'll do all those poor kids who died... What the hell am I supposed to say to their parents? 'Sorry about little Johnny getting chopped up by the bugs. Here, have a nutri-bar!'..." Her hands clenched into fists as she snapped, "Those T-Fed assholes abandoned us when we needed them the most!"
"I really am sorry, Luce," Alyssa murmured, stepping closer and stroking the furious woman's arm. "I wish we could've got here in time to save them."
The older woman let out a heavy sigh and patted her hand. "None of this is your fault. You've been amazing... you all have. Where is the Lion anyway? I haven't seen him around for a while... I wanted to thank him personally for saving us."
"John went to Menganus IV to find out what happened to their colonists," Alyssa explained, already really missing him.
Luce gave her a knowing look. "He looked like he was struggling earlier. He's one of those restless types, isn't he? Always has to be doing something... or it eats him up inside."
Alyssa nodded, surprised by her perceptiveness. "It wasn't personal. He knew Rachel and Helene would be busy treating your people for most of the day, so he took a few Lionesses with him in the Raptor. They're currently tracking down the Kirrix fleet that abducted the colonists."
"Reminds me of my older brother, always rushing around to be in the thick of the action," Luce said, a flicker of sadness crossing her features. "Alex loved it in the military until he got retired after he busted up his knee. Settling down just wasn't in him... got lost in a bottle in the end."
Shaking her head, Alyssa said, "No, it's not like that with John. He really wants to settle down and raise a family. It's feeling helpless he can't stand; seeing all of you in pain, but not being able to do anything to help was wearing him down. I convinced him to go to Menganus IV just to give him a break, but now he's heading into Kirrix Space to hunt down the fleet."
Luce's eyes widened in alarm. "He's invading Kirrix Space? In a gunship?!"
Alyssa laughed nervously. "Well it's had a bunch of upgrades..." Her confident expression faltered and she started to look worried. "Shit! He's never going to be able to just scout out the Kirrix fleet then wait for us to get there..."
Luce felt a surge of sympathy for Alyssa, who suddenly looked very young and scared. She pulled her into a hug and rubbed her back. "Jeezus... here's me putting all my worries on your shoulders and you've got more than enough to deal with. Sorry darlin', you've been an absolute angel."
She turned to look at the crowd of colonists slowly dispersing, then her eyes drifted to the fully-operational comms array. Luce was about to continue speaking when she spotted her husband strolling down the Invictus' entry ramp and walking in their direction. Her breath caught when she saw Theo's confident strut, a broad grin lighting up his handsome face.
Alyssa felt her freeze and turned to follow the governor's gaze, watching as the older man strode their way. "He looks so different..."
Luce brushed the tears from her cheeks then pulled the blonde into a fierce hug. "I never thought I'd see him like that again! Thank you!"
"It was all Helene's doing," the blonde replied with a smile.
Theo walked over to join them. "There's my beautiful wife," he said, slipping his arm around her shoulders when the two women parted. "Sorry to interrupt, Luce. I just wanted to let you know that these fine ladies have finished treating all our people."
Luce gave him a tender kiss on the cheek, then turned to Alyssa. "You go on now, chase after your man. Don't hang around here anymore for our sake... you've done more than enough." She flicked a loving glance up at her husband, then looked into Alyssa's eyes and added, "Please tell Helene... thanks... but make it sound real good. You know how much I owe her."
"I'll pass on the message," Alyssa said with a smile. "Take care, Luce. Good luck to you and the colony."
She waved goodbye, then turned and sprinted for the Invictus.
"She took off like a jackrabbit!" Theo muttered in surprise. "Was it something I said?"
Luce slipped an arm around his waist and hugged him tight. "You're just too much man for a little girl like that. You must've scared her off with your raging machismo."
He laughed and puffed out his chest. "Sounds about right," he agreed, playing along. Darting his wife a seductive smile, he continued, "It's getting late. Everyone's already starting to drift off to bed, maybe we ought to follow their fine example..."
She pulled him down for a smouldering kiss. "You're on, mister..."
They shared a grin, then walked hand-in-hand back to the town, pausing to watch and wave goodbye as the Invictus lifted off.
***
John checked that Jade was fast asleep and carefully untangled himself from the slumbering Nymph. Pulses of light were still curving over her nude body, so he pulled the covers up over her shoulders and leaned down to plant a loving kiss on top of her head. "Sleep tight, gorgeous."
Jade murmured in her sleep, a serene smile on her beautiful face.
Feeling sweaty after hours of torrid lovemaking, John slipped into the shower and had a quick wash, not interested in lingering without a nubile companion to keep him company.
*I can ask one of the twins to be your shower buddy?* Alyssa suggested.
*It's okay, I don't want to disturb Jade with a long shower.*
*I feel like I'm neglecting you,* she said quietly, an underlying tension in her voice.
John shut off the shower and grabbed a towel. *Why on Terra would you think that? Jade and the twins have been amazing.*
Her silence stretched out for a painfully long moment, then Alyssa blurted out, *What are you going to do when you catch up to the Kirrix?*
He dried himself as he mulled it over. *I guess it depends on a few factors, like the size of their fleet and if the colonists are in any danger.*
*Please don't do anything reckless,* she pleaded with him. *You're so far away from us... we'd never be able to get there in time if you run into trouble!*
Storing the towel on the heated rail, he pulled on some shorts and a t-shirt. *We're in the Raptor, honey. Even if we did attack the Kirrix, I can't exactly rescue 10,000 colonists and stick them in the cargo hold. Besides, those people would have been infested with eggs at least a week ago, so there's not much we can do to save them until you join us with the Invictus.*
Alyssa relaxed and sounded much calmer as she said, *Okay, well we'll get there as fast as we can. We just took off from Valia Gate and are heading towards the border. Going with our worst case scenario, we should catch up with you sometime tomorrow evening.*
Glancing at the chronometer on the wall, John saw it was 11:04 pm. *Give the girls a kiss goodnight from me. I'll look forward to seeing all of you tomorrow.*
*I'll give them a lot more than that!* Alyssa exclaimed, blowing him a flirtatious telepathic kiss. *Goodnight, handsome.*
*Goodnight, beautiful,* he replied with a fond smile, then left the cabin with a final glance at Jade to check she was alright.
He could hear the twins speaking Maliri together in the cabin, their quiet voices reaching his sensitive ears. Their language was curious in that it could sound so haughty and disdainful when used in the clipped commands of a matriarch, but it seemed so lilting and pleasant when the twins spoke softly to each other.
Closing the cabin door behind him, he padded along the corridor to the cockpit. "Hey, you two."
They turned in the pilot's and co-pilot's chairs and greeted him with lovely identical smiles.
"Did you have fun?" Tashana asked, rising from her seat and opening her arms for a hug.
"It was... different," he replied with a self-conscious grin.
Irillith laughed and joined her sister in his arms. "The chance to have a consequence-free one-night stand with any woman you desire? That's every man's fantasy isn't it?"
"Different doesn't necessarily mean better," John said, embracing them both. "Of course the novelty of being in bed with a new girl was exciting and Jade's performance was breathtaking." He pulled them in closer and continued, "But I can't get enough of the loving looks you girls give me when we're together... especially when I feel the same way about you."
"Keep talking like that and I won't be responsible for my actions," Tashana said with a smouldering glimmer in her angular eyes.
Irillith kissed his cheek, her lips lingering on his skin before she pulled back. "We want you again before we sleep tonight..."
"Of course," he agreed, stroking their backs. "I'll want to see the two of you perform for me first..."
The twins shot excited glances at each other and their alluring violet-eyed gaze was filled with promise when they returned their focus to him.
John looked past the twins at the Sector Map. "Have you seen any sign of the Kirrix yet?"
"Nothing so far," Tashana confirmed with a shake of her head. "We would've called you if we'd spotting anything interesting."
"We're coming up on the border though," Irillith said, slipping out of his grasp and returning to the Pilot's chair. "If we can locate the nearest satellite in the sensor grid, I can review the data logs and check if the Kirrix came this way."
John sat in the co-pilot's chair and pulled Tashana down onto his lap. "They're all embedded in asteroid belts. Did you get the sensor grid coordinates from Calara?"
"I did," the Maliri said with a smile. "Let's just hope no one's been using them for weapon tests."
"What kind of interstellar vandal would do such a thing?" he asked, adopting an innocent expression.
Tashana pointed to a broad belt of asteroids floating near the border between Terran and Kirrix Space. "That's it. The satellite is meant to be in there somewhere."
She turned to face the console, squirming a little on John's lap and flashing a playful smile at him over her shoulder. He tickled her and she laughed as her slender fingers brushed over the navigation controls, altering their course towards the asteroid belt.
"Do we need to enter the field?" John asked, studying the broad sweep of misshapen rock.
Irillith hesitated, then shrugged. "The satellites are programmed to transmit their sensor data back to the beacons that route them through to the fleet. We need to view the data log, so I'll have to make a remote connection... if it's set up to accept incoming comms traffic. When we get closer, I'll broadcast a wide-band data query and see if we get any hits."
He nodded his understanding, then kept himself occupied as they approached the asteroids by kissing Tashana's bare shoulder and listening to her soft murmurs of appreciation. They dropped out of hyper-warp at the edge of the belt, then waited for Irillith to finish her transmissions.
"Fuck!" Irillith swore under her breath ten minutes later.
"That doesn't sound good," John noted, raising an eyebrow.
She shook her head, an exasperated look on her face. "It was a long shot anyway. Hacking those satellites and corrupting the sensor grid would be far too easy if you could connect to them remotely."
"So now we have to search through the haystack to find the needle?" John asked, frowning at the thousands of small asteroids scattered throughout the belt.
"What about detecting the outgoing transmissions?" Tashana suggested. "Could we find the satellite that way?"
"The Invictus could with its comms array, but the Raptor's isn't powerful enough," Irillith muttered, looking frustrated. She paused for a moment, then glanced at them with a hopeful smile. "I might be able to track it down though..."
John gestured for her to proceed and she nodded, her eyes illuminating with a violet glow. The cockpit seemed to come alive to Irillith, with brightly coloured data streams arcing over the consoles, information scrolling by at an incredible rate. She stopped to admire the beauty of the digital realm, even if this was only a superficial glimpse of the data flowing through the Raptor's subsystems. Turning to look through the cockpit canopy, Irillith focused her concentration on the sprawl of lumpen rocks hanging motionless in space.
After scouring the field for a few minutes, her eyes caught a flickering yellow line arcing away from the far corner of the asteroid belt. "Over there, Shan!"
Tashana grasped the flightstick and ramped up power to the engines, carefully guiding the Raptor around the field of rock. Following Irillith's directions, her sister approached the asteroid belt from the far side, bringing them much closer to the source of the signal.
"That big one with the recess on the bottom," Irillith said pointing out the satellite's concealed location. "It's fortunate there's no background traffic this far out in deep space, the signal was hard to spot."
The gunship coasted underneath the huge chunk of rock, external lights shining into the cave and glinting off a metal object partially buried within.
"Well done, honey," John said, giving her an admiring glance. "So what now?"
"Time for a spacewalk," the Maliri hacker replied, rising from her seat.
"Want some company?" he offered, lifting Tashana from his lap.
"You ask as if I have some choice in the matter," Irillith said, smiling at him affectionately. "You have no intention of letting me go out there alone, do you?"
"At least do me the courtesy of pretending that I'm not being overprotective," he replied with a grin, waving goodbye to Tashana as he followed her sister out of the cockpit.
Irillith stepped into the grav-tube beside him and crossed her wrists behind his neck. "Who knows what might be lurking in that scary cave, John. Would you come along to look after me please?"
"Of course, Ma'am," he replied, tipping an imaginary hat. "It'd be my pleasure."
They shared a smile, then entered the armoury and headed for the armour-equipping frames. It took a few seconds for the robotic arms to clad them from head-to-toe in their Paragon suits, then they each slung a Tachyon Rifle over a shoulder and made their way to the rear cargo area. After entering the starboard airlock, John shut the inner door behind him and the chamber was depressurised shortly afterwards, the green atmosphere light switching to red. Irillith placed her hand on the DNA reader and after it checked her genetic code, the airlock door spiralled open, letting them kick off from the deck and drift out into space.
"We're looking for a maintenance access panel," Irillith said over the suit intercom, as they floated into the cave.
John turned his head, sweeping the left side with the lights on his helmet. "How about that?" he asked, pointing to a hatch marked with chevrons.
Irillith finished her own sweep. "That must be it."
They landed beside it and John crouched down to grasp the handle. He tugged it carefully, then shook his head. "Is there a way to unlock it? If not, I can just rip it open..."
Placing her hands on the metal beside the hatch, Irillith murmured, "Let me see what I can do."
Her eyes lit up with an inner light as sparks danced over her fingertips, arcing back and forth as she channelled electricity through the metal. She raised an eyebrow as she carefully studied the metal panel, then glanced at John. "Go ahead, give it a good tug."
He tried again, being careful not to overdo it, but the hatch still wouldn't budge. Frowning in irritation, he yanked back, tearing the metal hatch from the panel. It floated away, a coil of severed electrical cabling stretched out behind it, looking like a multi-coloured tail.
Glancing inside the now open hatchway, John's eyes widened when he saw what lay within. "Shit... that's H-269! This was a booby trap!"
Irillith nodded, studying the bricks of high-explosives packed on the inside of the metal panel. "I shorted out the demolition trigger. If you'd tried to pull that free while it was still live, this whole asteroid would've been blown to pieces."
John sat back on his haunches and frowned. "So where the hell's the access panel?"
"Concealed somewhere," Irillith said with a shrug, reaching into the open portal and pressing her hand against a black box. "There's data routing through this... just give me a moment."
He nodded and waited patiently, even if he felt a bit uncomfortable sitting on a massive bomb.
"I'm in," the Maliri hacker murmured, her glowing violet eyes flicking back and forth.
"Any luck finding the data log?" John asked, watching her fully absorbed in her work.
She nodded. "I'm searching the entries from the last few days' for any sensor contacts..." A smile spread across her face a few moments later. "Got them! They did come this way!"
"It is the quickest way to Kirrix Space from Menganus IV," John said, feeling a flood of relief. "We're lucky they were in a hurry to escape."
"The sensor information is stored in raw data files, but I can translate it if you want to see?" Irillith offered, glancing his way.
"Sure, go ahead."
Irillith twisted around, the glow from her eyes projecting a violet-hued re-enactment of the sensor data she was reading. Four hive ships escorted by four drone carriers inched across the Sector Map, heading towards Kirrix Space on the direct path they'd predicted.
"That was nearly three days ago," she said, her expression sombre. "The fleet must be quite deep into Kirrix Space now."
John clenched his jaw. "They could be anywhere..."
The Maliri nodded, then accelerated the projection, the Kirrix fleet moving quickly towards the invisible demarcation line between territories. "This is the point they crossed into Kirrix Space..."
He watched as the eight ships carried on in a straight line for another minute, then made an abrupt course change, shifting heading in hyper-warp. "Wait... where are they going now?"
Irillith tilted her head to one side as if listening to someone. "Eta Tauri... Alyssa says it's the only star system directly on that course for hundreds of light years."
"This sensor data was from three days ago..." John mused, staring at the image of the Kirrix fleet. "How far away is Eta Tauri?"
*If you head there right now, they'll arrive shortly before you,* Alyssa informed him. *You'll reach the system tomorrow at 9:06 am.*
He glanced at Irillith and gave her an appreciative smile. "We got what we needed. Great work, honey."
*John... you're not seriously planning to invade a Kirrix planet?* Alyssa asked, her voice pained.
Rising to his feet, John clasped Irillith's hand and kicked off from the satellite. *We can scout the system and get the lay of the land. We'll meet you there, then launch a rescue.*
Alyssa sighed with resignation. *Okay, I'll plot a new course for the Invictus and rendezvous with you in Eta Tauri* After taking a moment to make the calculations, she added, *We'll arrive at 6:17 pm tomorrow evening.*
*Perfect! See you then,* John said with a smile, looking forward to the reunion. He floated over to the Raptor and landed beside the airlock, then helped guide Irillith through. "Ladies first."
She shut the airlock door behind him then pulled off her helmet after the chamber repressurised. "Ladies first?" she asked, her lips twitching into a coy smile.
"Oh yes, definitely. How many times is entirely up to you and Tashana," he replied, pulling her into a passionate kiss.
***
Alyssa groaned and slumped back in her dining chair. The crew had all worked through dinner to finish helping the Valia Gate colonists as quickly as possible, so they were now gathered together in the dining room for a late snack as the Invictus sped through hyper-warp towards Eta Tauri.
"What's up?" Dana asked, between bites of her burger.
"John's planning to scout a Kirrix planet; that's where the Menganus IV colonists have been taken..."
The redhead's eyes widened in shock. "Holy shit! He's crazy!"
Sakura's brow furrowed with worry. "Now I wish I'd gone with him in the Valkyrie."
Faye wrung her hands together anxiously. "John promised he was going to be careful!"
Calara reached across the dining table to hold her girlfriend's hand. "He isn't seriously considering a planetary invasion with just the Raptor, is he?"
Alyssa rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He's just 'scouting'..." She added air quotes for extra sarcastic emphasis.
The Latina sighed and shook her head. "Let me guess... Tashana piloting the gunship, Irillith causing mayhem with her hacking, while John and Jade paint the planet green?"
"It sounds like you've met our illustrious leader before," Alyssa said with resignation.
Rachel looked at the blonde with concern. "We better make sure we're all well rested tonight and we should probably refrain from using our powers tomorrow morning. John's likely to need as much psychic energy as he can get."
Helene looked at the other girls in confusion. "I'm afraid I don't understand. When warriors from our village went scouting around the borders of our land, they were looking for dangerous predators that might threaten the villagers. When they discovered a threat, they would gather a hunting party to deal with them... not attack on their own. If John says he's scouting the Kirrix, isn't that what he plans to do?"
"We don't have a great track record with scouting and stealth missions," Dana explained with a troubled frown. "They nearly always end up in a bloodbath."
Alyssa nodded and gave the aquatic girl a weary smile of resignation. "John might only be planning to do a bit of reconnaissance... but things rarely work out that way."
Helene looked bewildered, then reached out to pat Alyssa's arm. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."
"You're a sweetheart, thank you," the blonde said, nodding to her in gratitude.
They all went back to eating their meal, the girls lost in thought and concerned about John. The exception were the Nymphs, who didn't seem unduly concerned, having absolute faith in their eldest sister to keep their Master safe from harm.
Finishing her burger, Dana looked down the table at Alyssa. "Are we still on for tonight?"
Alyssa's cerulean eyes flicked to Calara, a hungry gleam in her smouldering gaze. "I could do with working off a bit of tension... what about you, gorgeous girl?"
The brunette licked her lips with anticipation. "I can't wait to find out what new tricks you've learned. You're on, baby..."
Dana shared a flirtatious smile with Rachel, then they both looked across the table at Sakura, the invitation quite obvious to all.
The Asian girl laughed and nodded. "Absolutely."
Tracing a finger over the back of her lover's hand, Alyssa turned to Helene. "Would you like to join us? You'll have a very good time... I promise."
The aquatic girl hesitated then slowly shook her head, a strained smile on her face. "Thank you for the kind offer, but I think I'll just get an early night."
"I could use a nice cuddle," Faye piped up, seeing Alyssa's look of concern for the teal-skinned beauty. "Would you like to sleep with me tonight, Helene? It sounds like the main bedroom is going to be busy!"
"That sounds lovely, thank you," Helene replied, then stifled a yawn.
Alyssa gave her a sympathetic look. "Go get some sleep, you must be exhausted."
Helene nodded and rose from her chair. "That does sound like a good idea."
The blonde stood too and pulled her into a hug. "All those people needed you today and you helped them in ways that none of us could have done. You were amazing, Helene... you should be very proud of yourself."
Trembling in her matriarch's arms, Helene suddenly began to cry, overwrought with emotion.
Alyssa looked at her in surprise then held her close. "Shush now, beautiful. Everything's going to be okay..."
***
Sarinia Baelora steepled her fingers together as she gazed across her study, the eldest daughter of House Baelora lost in thought. A soft chime echoed through the plush office, alerting her to the presence of a visitor at the door... then it chimed again and again in rapid succession.
Frowning in irritation, she rose from the chair behind her desk and called out, "Enter!"
A ruffled Maliri noblewoman blustered into the room, a furious scowl on her face. "You better have a damn good reason for disturbing me at this hour, Sarinia!"
"Welcome, dearest Myrdina," Sarinia said making a placating gesture with her hands. "I promise I have good reason to call you here."
The second sister glowered in anger. "Just because you're the eldest, you don't have seniority! Mother never put you in charge!"
"Please take a seat." Sarinia waved her over to a chaise longue, then turned to greet her next two guests.
Lieralia and Rosanae stalked inside, looking equally indignant.
"Myrdina's quite correct," Lieralia scowled. "We're not at your beck and call!"
"It's an insult demanding we come scurrying to your office in the middle of the night," Rosanae sniffed haughtily. "I feel sullied even being here!"
Conceding their points with a conciliatory nod, Sarinia said, "I did not mean to insult any of you. If you give me a chance to explain, I shall."
Myrdina stood by the sofa but refused to sit, tapping her foot impatiently. "Where is that imbecile? How dare she keep us waiting?"
"Tehlariene will be here shortly. Her quarters are in the furthest wing of the palace," Sarinia replied, leaning back against her desk.
Lieralia snorted with disgust. "Ah here she is. Thank you for gracing us with your presence... at long last."
The final sibling to enter was Tehlariene, who yawned and gave her elder sisters an anxious look of apology. "Sorry I'm late, I tried to get here as quickly as I could."
Rosanae tutted and looked down her nose at their youngest sibling. "Banning the use of neural whips was a travesty..."
"Please take a seat," Sarinia said, gesturing towards the sofa.
Tehlariene cringed away from Rosanae and quickly moved to sit where her eldest sister had requested.
"Alright, we're all here... finally," Myrdina snapped, glaring at Tehlariene. She turned to look at Sarinia. "Now stop wasting my time. What's this all about?"
Taking a deep breath, Sarinia said, "I spoke to mother earlier this evening. It was a very disturbing conversation."
This announcement was met with an uncomfortable silence.
"Disturbing... how?" Lieralia asked cautiously.
"Rather than me attempting to paraphrase what mother said, why don't you see for yourselves," Sarinia said, turning to swipe her hand over her desk console. "I recorded our call as you might expect."
All four of her sisters nodded, knowing full well how furious Gaenna Baelora could get if her orders were not followed to the letter. They waited without further complaint as Sarinia activated the recording, then watched the entire conversation in mounting disbelief.
When the call concluded, Sarinia raised an eyebrow and looked at her stunned siblings. "Now, do you still question my decision to ask you here?"
They all shook their heads.
"I don't believe it..." Myrdina said in a hushed voice, eyes wide in alarm. "She smiled!"
"Then she actually thanked you," Rosanae whispered, shooting a disbelieving glance at Lieralia.
"And she wasn't being sarcastic either," Lieralia muttered, looking deeply unsettled.
Tehlariene nibbled her nail nervously, then said, "Is this an elaborate prank, Sarinia? I don't mind if it is, but please tell me... If you intended to frighten me, you've succeeded beyond your wildest dreams."
Raising both hands to protest her innocence, Sarinia replied, "This is no joke, I promise you. My initial reaction was just the same as yours..."
Myrdina began to pace back and forth. "So, what... are you being groomed for succession?" she asked, jittery with nerves. "Is that why she was being... pleasant... with you? Is she planning to abdicate?!"
Sarinia looked at her sister incredulously. "You think Gaenna would ever voluntarily give up power?"
Blushing, Myrdina shook her head. "Alright, I admit... I'm not thinking straight!"
"She wants to trade Vrysandral Spice..." Rosanae murmured, then shivered as if someone had danced on her grave. "With Edraele Valaden!"
"I know," Sarinia said, nodding and looking solemn.
"I've never seen her so distracted," Lieralia said, looking around at her sisters. "She's getting older now... is there any chance it could be a form of mental incapacity?"
"Mother must have at least another 60 or 70 years before we have to deal with that nightmare," Rosanae replied, shaking her head. "Such cases are unheard of before your third century."
Sarinia stared at the image of their white-haired matriarch. "Her behaviour has been peculiar ever since she set up residence on Genthalas."
Myrdina snorted. "As if setting up home in the Valaden witch's home system could ever be considered normal! I think Rosanae might be right... perhaps she is finally losing her mind."
"We desperately need more information," Sarinia said, drumming her fingers on the desk. "Do any of you have active spies on Genthalas?"
The sisters all shook their heads.
"I still have a contact there... I'll see if I can find out anything else," she said, looking pensive. "In the meantime, we need to prepare the entire fleet for travel to Genthalas for the refit."
"Leaving our homeworld defenceless..." Myrdina muttered, shaking her head. "I tell you, she's gone mad."
Sarinia gave her a helpless shrug. "I don't have any answers yet, but I wanted to forewarn you of her... change in disposition."
Myrdina let out a heavy sigh, then gave her eldest sister a respectful nod. "Thank you for warning us. I apologise for my brusque manner earlier."
Lieralia and Rasanae echoed her sentiments, while Tehlariene smiled hesitantly.
"I've kept you up long enough," Sarinia said, pushing off from the desk. "I shall inform you if I hear of anything else noteworthy."
Her sisters thanked her and left her study, with Tehlariene closing the door behind her.
Sarinia returned to her desk and sank into the high-backed chair, her attention drawn inexorably to the image of her mother. Her golden eyes narrowed as she hissed, "What are you up to now, you conniving old bitch?"