John and the girls left the Raptor and went to get transportation. John ordered a hover-limo for the girls, to go shopping for clothes so they could stop borrowing from Alyssa. John ordered a taxi for himself to take him to the Arms Emporium. He got 4 goodbye kisses, which made him feel light-headed. He chatted with his cab driver, who turned out to be a veteran, and then arrived at the Arms Emporium.
John walked in and was greeted by a 20-something blonde in a pantsuit. "Hello, I'm Lauren. How may I help you?"
"I'm looking for McCarran Arms and the Steinbeck Armory," John replied, smiling politely.
"Follow me," Laruen said, leading him through the marketplace. They arrived at the stand for McCarran Arms. John, without blinking at price, ordered 10 XR75 Rifles. The salesman seemed on cloud 9, making his weekly quota in 10 minutes. John showed his military-grade arms license to authorize the sale and then ordered the guns to be delivered to the Invictus on Olympus. Lauren led him to the Armory next, a sway in her hips. John chuckled at her shallow interest in a big spender. John met with the saleswoman at the Steinbeck Armory stand and ordered 10 Phalanx armor suits, 2 sized for him and 8 for his women. Lauren was a helpful model, though she seemed put out when John explained his girls were taller and had bigger chests.
Lauren led him back to the doors. "Is there anything else I can help you with today?" she asked, a flirty grin on her face.
*Invite her clubbing,* Alyssa spoke up in John's mind.
*What?* John asked, shocked.
*XO is in charge of recruitment!* she reminded him.
Resisting the urge to roll his eyes, John turned on the charm. "Actually, yes. Me and my crew are going out to Infinity this evening. You wouldn't happen to be free, would you?"
Lauren looked surprised he'd actually accepted her advance, but she recovered quickly. "I get off at 1800. Give me an hour to get all gussied up, I'll be ready. I'll meet you outside the club."
"Hope to see you there," John grinned, leaning in to kiss her cheek. She blushed and John turned to walk away.
*Any particular reason you want her to join the crew?* John asked.
*She doesn't even have to join the crew, just the network. I just think it would be stupid to not at least make the offer since she's so clearly interested in you,* Alyssa replied.
*Alright. I guess the whole reason I came back was to do things differently, after all,* John agreed.
John took another taxi to the Magnus and booked the same penthouse as last time. He went up to the suite and got a drink from the minibar. He looked out the window at the lavascape outside, enjoying the brief stint of 'me' time. He reflected on the future, all the events to come, the entirety of the Progenitor War. Would he even succeed a second time, let alone without anyone he loved dying as he hoped?
He was broken out of his brooding by the arrival of the girls. They came out of the elevator carrying numerous bags. John went to kiss each of them. "We did a lot of damage to your bank account," Calara said apologetically.
"We're stinking rich, don't worry about it," John shrugged.
The girls went to get changed. John ordered a steak from room service and took a shower. Sparks answered the elevator and brought him the plate when he got out. He savored the perfectly cooked cut of meat, and then got dressed in a suit. At 1900, the girls were all ready, dressed to kill in outfits that perfectly straddled the line between classy and slutty. John led them out the hotel lobby, people turning to stare at the man with 4 gorgeous women on his arms.
The hover-limo took them to Infinity, the most exclusive club on Gravitus. The line went around the block. John got out and helped each of his Wards out the limo. Lauren was waiting uncertainly by the entrance, not part of the line. John walked up to her with a grin. "Hello, Lauren. Glad you could make it."
"Thanks for inviting me, I've never been able to get in before," Lauren grinned. She eyed John's women. "Wow. Where'd you find 4 girls all that gorgeous and the same exact shape?"
"It's a long story. I'll explain later," John said. He approached the bouncer, who opened the velvet rope without blinking, recognizing the arrival of the rich and/or beautiful. A greeter named Stephanie led them to a VIP booth. Alyssa, Calara, Sparks, and Lauren went to the edge, looking out over the dance floor. John turned his attention to Jade, who had climbed on the table and begun to dance to the music.
"Whoa! Jade, how can you move like that?" Calara gaped.
"I had to entertain my masters both in and out of the bedroom. Many enjoyed my dancing," Jade said nonchalantly. "I can teach you if you want."
While Calara got up to get a lesson from Jade, Alyssa turned to Lauren. "Hi, I'm Alyssa, John's XO."
"Lauren. What did that Jade girl mean by 'masters'?" Laruen asked.
"Jade's a Nymph. She endured 300 years of sexual slavery before she joined the crew," Alyssa told the fellow blonde.
"Oh, that poor girl," Lauren gaped.
"Her mind doesn't work like a Terran's, she's perfectly happy as long as she gets to serve John," Alyssa said.
"So he's banging her?" Lauren asked, put out that the guy she had her eye on was already taken.
Alyssa chuckled. "Honey, he's banging all 4 of us."
Lauren's jaw dropped. "What?!"
"He's not Terran. His race is polyamorous, they build harems. We all agree to share him," Alyssa enlightened the shocked girl.
"Wow," Lauren gaped. "Why would you agree to something like that?"
"In simple terms, he's worth it," Alyssa grinned, looking at John with love.
John came over. "We're going to order drinks. What do you want?"
"Rum and cola," Lauren asked. "Make it a double."
"Surprise me, handsome," Alyssa shrugged.
The evening passed with the girls taking turns having dancing lessons with Jade while John watched appreciatively. Lauren even took a turn once she'd had a couple drinks and the girls encouraged her. When they weren't dancing, the girls talked with Lauren, giving her glimpses into their lives. After 3 hours, John felt the energy begin to lag and settled the tab. He took them out to the hover-limo, including Lauren. They returned to the Magnus and went up to the penthouse.
"So, Lauren, did you have fun?" John asked once they all took off their shoes and settled down on the couches.
"Tonight was a blast!" Lauren beamed. "You're all so friendly, and the club was incredible!"
John nodded. "Now, I'm sure the girls have given you little hints about our lives. But let me lay it all out in the clear. I'm a Progenitor, a race of psychics from beyond the Galactic League. Through a long and complicated string of circumstances, I was born in Terran space. Now I'm building a psychic network, women who've agreed to lend me energy when I need it."
Lauren frowned. She was tipsy but hardly blackout drunk. "Okay… what's that got to do with me?"
"You have 3 options, Lauren. You can leave here tonight with nothing but a fun time and a crazy story. You can agree to join my network. Or you can agree to join my crew," John said clearly.
Lauren blinked. "You'd let me join your crew? Why, I'm just a shopgirl really."
"Something you need to know is that Progenitors have incredible healing powers, though for whatever reason they're based in our semen. When a woman drinks it, the Progenitor can work his powers on her body down to the DNA. If you join my network, I'll restore you to peak health and you'll be a psychic battery for me for the rest of your life. If you join my crew, I'll put you through the Change so that you look like the girls, with a body designed for combat. We can train you up if you decide to join us," John explained.
"... Are you being funny?" Lauren asked.
Alyssa sighed and went to their bedroom. She came back with a foldout ID. "This was me," she told Lauren, handing it over.
Lauren looked from the ID to Alyssa and back. "If I squint, I can see it. Wow. You're saying drinking John's cum turned you from 'this' to 'this'?" Lauren asked, gesturing from the ID photo to Alyssa in her current stunning state.
"That it did," Alyssa confirmed.
Lauren thought it over. "So, I can blow you once and you'll make me perfectly healthy, in exchange for me feeding you energy. Or I can abandon my whole life and join your crew, becoming part of your harem and one of your soldiers."
"Or you can just walk away," John added. "But yes, those are the choices you have right now."
"Is this a limited-time offer?" Lauren asked, overwhelmed.
"No, offer's on the table for the rest of your life. Just know that we won't be around that often, we have a busy schedule ahead of us," John warned.
"I think… I'll join your network tonight. I'll make up my mind about joining your crew later," Lauren decided after a minute of deliberation.
John smiled. "Thank you, Lauren, you have no idea how much that'll help."
"So, how do you want to… do this?" Lauren asked, eyeing his crotch.
"If you feed directly from me, you'll imprint on me. It'll be almost impossible to prevent you falling in love with me because of the personality changes inherent to the Change. If you drink from a container, though, you'll be unattached," John explained.
"Okay. So you're going to cum into a cup?" Lauren guessed.
"In a manner of speaking. Jade?" John asked.
Jade knelt before John, taking out his hard length. "Oh my God!" Lauren gasped when she saw his size, and she gaped even more when Jade took him to the root with no trouble. John blew about 5 minutes later, and Jade's breasts began to swell. At the end, each was filled with about a quart of John's cum. She turned to Lauren.
"Would you like some milk?" Jade asked with a maternal smile.
"Um, sure?" Lauren said, wondering at what point she'd passed out and started dreaming.
Jade cradled Lauren and guided her nipple into the blonde's mouth. Lauren went into the daze as John's mind seeped into her own. Jade funneled the cum out of her hollow breasts out her nipple into Lauren's mouth. When she was done, she detached the blonde, who was stretching out her dress around the middle.
John added Lauren to the network, she appeared in a compartment under Alyssa. He felt the energy surge, the smallest yet because Lauren didn't really care all that much about him. They tucked her into bed and got comfortable themselves. John bid his girls goodnight and shielded himself. He endured his Astral dream, waking up to check on his Wards before going back to a dreamless sleep.
In the morning, they stayed in bed and watched Terran Federation Network News, in anticipation of seeing the interview John gave to Jehanna. They watched as the pretty Indian reporter appeared on the vid-screen and showed the recording of her interview with John. To everyone's surprise except Alyssa, John credited the success of the operation to Calara. John went to fetch a case that Charles had slipped him yesterday and presented it to Calara. "Congratulations, Calara. You've been promoted to First Lieutenant and commended a Novaburst."
"But you all did so much too! I shouldn't get all the credit!" Calara protested.
"Please, I just line them up for you," Alyssa chuckled.
"All I do is swipe at a console during a fight, you do all the hard work," Sparks shrugged.
"I would not be here if not for your skills, Calara," Jade said solemnly.
John leaned in to kiss his Tactical Officer. "You earned this, honey."
"I love you all so much!" Calara said, bursting into tears. They comforted her. As the Latina calmed down, Lauren began to stir. John fetched a glass of water and handed it to the blonde after helping her sit up.
When she finished her drink, Lauren blinked. "I… I feel amazing!"
"You weren't in the best health," John said seriously. "Your liver and kidneys were damaged, probably from alcohol and drugs. You were pre-diabetic too. I fixed all that, but if you're not careful you'll lose that progress all over again."
Lauren blushed. "I liked to party and my diet isn't the best, I'll admit. Guess this is the wake-up call I need. I'll clean up my act, don't worry."
"Good, I'd hate for you to get into medical trouble," John nodded. "Anyway, I'm afraid you'll have to do the walk of shame out the hotel lobby."
They packed up all their purchases and checked out. They dropped Lauren at her apartment building and then went to the spaceport. They loaded into the Raptor and went for Olympus. They got docking clearance from Flight Command and Alyssa landed them right in the Docking Bay of the Invictus. They got out and went to Deck 2 to pack away their purchases. Then the crew all went down to Deck 7 to check out the new Engineering Bay.
Sparks got a beaming grin as she entered her new workshop. "Oh, it's just how I dreamed it." She went to the central command console and checked the systems for all the equipment. "I'm going to have a LOT of fun with this shit," she declared.
"Whatever you want, Sparks," John grinned.
Sparks frowned. "I've actually been thinking of changing my name. What did I pick in your first life?"
"Dana. It's derived from the name of a Celtic fertility goddess," John answered.
"That works. We'll keep Sparks as a nickname, but I'm officially Dana now," Dana stated with feeling.
"I love it!" Alyssa grinned, going to hug her friend.
"Anyway, let's leave our Grand Engineering Overlord to work her magic on the guns and armor," John said, leading the other girls out of the Engineering Bay as Dana went to investigate the XR75 Rifles and Phalanx suits.
They went to the Command Deck and Alyssa got them out of the gravity well. "To Ashana," John ordered. Alyssa plotted the course, and they went into hyperwarp.
"6 days," Alyssa informed them.
"I want to try something," John said, leading them to their quarters.
"I'm intrigued," Calara grinned.
"Relax, it's nothing sexy," John said. "In my first life, Alyssa discovered a phenomenon by accident. We called it 'bonding'. When she and a Ward reached a certain threshold of trust, they could join minds for an hour and walk away with a permanent telepathic bond, like what Alyssa and I have. I want to try and see if Alyssa can recreate it now."
"Okay. Who am I starting with?" Alyssa asked.
"Me. Just to give you an idea of how it works," John said. He patted the part of the bed next to him. "Care to join me?"
Alyssa joined him and they hugged each other, getting comfortable on the bed staring into each other's eyes. *Open up to me, honey,* John thought to her as he brought his mind forward, touching hers even as he let all his barriers down.
Alyssa gasped, feeling the magnitude of John's mind. It was so vast, like she was an ant looking up at a giant. But she trusted him like no other, so she lowered all her walls and brought her mind close to his. The two embraced their minds, their very souls seeming to touch. Alyssa felt all of John, his strength, his determination, his guilt, his fear, and the dark pit his Guide was locked in. John in turn felt all of Alyssa, everything that made her who she was. They lingered there together for a timeless moment, before finally pulling apart.
"That was… indescribable," Alyssa breathed, blinking dry eyes.
"I'll always cherish that," John told her with a loving smile. "Now, try it with Calara."
Calara, who'd been waiting patiently with Jade, came forward to take John's place in the bed. "Open up to me, beautiful," Alyssa said, leaning in to kiss her girlfriend.
"I love and trust you," Calara said honestly before making herself completely vulnerable.
Alyssa's eyes began to glow white as she brought her mind into contact with Calara's. They sank into the mindmeld much as Alyssa had with John. An hour later, they parted. *Did it work?* Calara wondered.
*It worked,* Alyssa thought back. *I thought it was amazing just hearing John's thoughts. Hearing yours too is incredible.*
Their stomachs gurgled, breaking the moment.
"Let's get lunch," John said from where he'd been watching.
The crew of 5 reported to the Lounge. John fed Jade lunch from his quad and cooked a filling meal for the rest of them. Dana returned to the Engineering Bay, and John and the girls went to the Gym to train. Jade expected to swim the whole time, except John pulled her aside. "I love you, Jade. I've spent days pouring energy into you, making you more than just a slave. You have the power to take any form you wish. Mael'nerak based your species off feline DNA. There's a tiger in you. Become it."
Jade closed her eyes, remembering the Siberian Tiger her former master the Collector had kept. She willed herself to take that form. She felt her whole body shift, and opened her eyes to see John looking down at her with pride. She could happily die with that look as her final memory. "Brilliant, Jade! Now spend the rest of the afternoon getting used to this new shape and switching back and forth."
Jade nodded her great feline head and prowled around the Gym.
John sparred with Calara and Alyssa, taking time to practice his kata as well with a telekinetic construct of Kyth'vindathys. He really couldn't wait for them to get Alyssium. They had dinner, and Dana bonded with Alyssa afterwards. They chatted over drinks until Jade's tummy went down, then went to bed. Alyssa bonded with Jade, and then John made love to each of them to round out the night.
They spent the next 3 days in a similar fashion, Dana working in the Engineering Bay while the rest trained. They met at meal times, Jade still getting every load. Maria Fernandez called on the second day, inviting Calara to a family reunion on Jericho in about a week's time.
The evening before they were set to arrive in Ashanath space, Dana gave a demonstration of what she'd been working on. "Behold, 2 Railguns and 2 armor equipping frames," Dana said. She stepped into the armor equipping frame and demonstrated how it could get them fully armored in under 10 seconds. Then she grabbed one of the Railguns and took them to the Firing Range. The penetration on the upgraded guns was insane.
John nodded. "Well, it's no Tachyon Rifle but it'll do."
"I did the best I could with what I have. It's not my fault your Guide locked away all the Progenitor schematics," Dana grumbled.
"I'm just kidding, honey, I'm impressed. These will come in real handy against the Drakkar," John grinned.
Jade wound up eating her dinner out of Dana's womb.
The next day, they had breakfast and went up to the Bridge. A chime let them know they'd crossed the Ashanath border. A minute later, they were hailed by an Ashanath patrol. "How'd they know we were here so fast?" Calara asked.
"The Grays have sensor nets all over the border," John answered before accepting the call. A gray-skinned humanoid with a bulbous head, all-black eyes, and no visible ears appeared, wearing a silvery jumpsuit.
"This is Leader Linnaeus, please identify and state your purpose in Ashanath space."
John set his shoulders and took the leap. "My name is John Blake. I am a Progenitor, like your creator Mael'nerak. I've come to discuss the terms of an alliance with the High Council."
Linnaeus' jaw dropped and he blinked rapidly, the Ashanath equivalent of screaming. "P-p-please hold a moment," he managed through his mind-translator before the screen went blank.
"Here's hoping they won't chase us out of their territory," John sighed.
"They'd be fools to turn you away," Alyssa comforted him.
"The Drakkar are already fucking them up, what more could you do?" Dana shrugged.
"They worked with you in your first life, John, they'll do the same now," Jade grinned.
Linnaeus reappeared on the vid-screen. "You have been granted an audience with the High Council. My patrol will accompany you. Do not deviate from this flightpath."
"Very well," John nodded. The call ended abruptly.
Alyssa altered their course to follow Linnaeus' flightpath. A trio of Ashanath saucers synced hyperwarp signatures with them and joined them on their trip. The crew stayed on the Bridge, anticipating the Drakkar attack that John remembered. The moment they were interdicted, John told Alyssa and Calara "Take them down!"
Calara fired the Beam Lasers at the Drakkar while Alyssa worked to get them out of the fire arcs of the Drakkar's own Beam Lasers. The Ashanath recovered from their surprise and joined the assault on the Drakkar Cruiser. The Drakkar's shields soon collapsed under the attack of 4 ships. And that's when things took a turn for the worse. The Drakkar's black armor proved incredibly resistant to lasers.
Luckily, the Invictus had Mass Drivers. Alyssa got them behind the Drakkar while the raiders were focused on the Ashanath, and Calara shot at their engines. The engines exploded as the hyperwarp shells impacted and detonated. Calara fired their lasers into the hole in the ship. By luck, she managed to clip the Power Core and the ship went up in an explosion. But not before it launched dropships. Calara took out one but the other managed to dock with the Invictus.
John and Alyssa went to the equipping frames and grabbed their Railguns. They took the elevator down to Deck 9, and arrived just as the Drakkar managed to break down the airlock. They began to fire their guns and use psychic powers to take down the shark-like humanoids. They all died in under a minute, even the pilot who tried to flee back into the dropship.
John and Alyssa returned to the Command Deck. John hailed Linnaeus. "Thank you for your assistance during that ambush. Let's get back on course for Ashana," John said, not even ruffled by the brutal combat.
Linnaeus gave a slow blink. "Indeed, JohnBlake."
They got back into hyperwarp, the Drakkar dropship stuck to them like a tick. John and Alyssa got unarmored and then John gathered them all in a group hug. "You all did amazingly!"
"I didn't do anything," Jade pouted.
"Alyssa will start teaching you how to fly when we get to Ashana. Pretty soon you'll be the one piloting the Invictus during the space battles," John told his Nymph lover encouragingly. "Now, how about lunch?"
They got some food, then trained for the rest of the day as usual. Dana spent her time investigating the Drakkar's tech. They met for dinner, then John took them to the bedroom for a celebration of their victory. He took Jade in the ass, which is how she learned she could form copies of John's cock when taken that way. John felt like his quad exploded as he came from all the stimulation.
In the morning, they went up to the Bridge after breakfast. They saw when they arrived at the Ashana system. A cheerful yellow star shone on the planets in its system, the Ashanath homeworld being an arid red planet on the sixth orbital path. Linnaeus hailed them. "You have been cleared to dock at the Ashanath capital. A transport will be waiting to take you to the High Council."
"Thank you for escorting us, Leader Linnaeus," John nodded.
Linnaeus nodded back and ended the hail.
Alyssa took them down into Ashana's atmosphere. They followed the flight path to a city on a large chunk of floating rock. They went into the canyon underneath the city and to a particular docking bay. Magnetic arms grabbed the Invictus and rotated them 180 degrees, but thanks to the Ashanath artificial gravity tech they didn't feel a thing.
"Well, let's go meet the High Council," John said.
They went out the airlock and walked up to a saucer waiting in the same docking bay. Their Gray pilot stayed silent, flying them to the top of the city and landing on a skyscraper topped with a rounded dome. They walked down the ramp and up to the door into the dome, where a white-robed Ashanath was waiting. John felt a knock on his mental shield. *Yes?*
*Greetings, JohnBlake. I am High Councilor Talari. Please follow me,* the Ashanath male projected. The Gray turned and walked into the building, some built-in fan keeping the red dust out. The crew followed Talari to a reception area outside two massive doors. "Please wait here while the High Council gathers. Feel free to enjoy some refreshment," Talari said through his mind-translator.
John poured his crew glasses of a pinkish wine and sipped his own glass. *So… the Council's already assembled, isn't it? They're just waiting for you to give the signal that it's safe to meet me. You're a test, to see if I've come to enslave you like Mael'nerak or if I'm a potential ally.*
*You are correct, JohnBlake,* Talari replied readily.
*How am I doing so far?* John asked.
*You are… not what we expected,* Talari admitted. *May I ask why you're traveling in an old Terran military craft?*
*I was born and raised in the Terran Federation. The Invictus was the best ship I could buy at the time. I'm a long way away from building a Soulforge and creating a Progenitor Dreadnought,* John told Talari.
*How did a Progenitor end up being born in Terran space?* Talari asked.
*You are aware that Mael'nerak led a suicide attack against the Progenitor Rahn'hagon in the Zeta Pegasus system?* John checked.
*We were unaware of the rival Progenitor's name, but yes,* Talari confirmed.
*Rahn'hagon survived. His ship was blown to what's now Kirrix space, a planet in a dense nebula. 41 years ago, my mother was part of a research crew that found and surveyed the planet. He got her pregnant and arranged for her to be found by her crew, who brought her back to Terran space where I was born,* John laid out.
*Oh my,* Talari gaped. *We didn't have hard confirmation the other Progenitor died, but we never imagined a scenario like that.*
*Anyway, I've recently come into my powers. I need allies if I'm going to protect the Galactic League from a galaxy full of hostile Progenitors. I was hoping the Ashanath would be one of them,* John explained.
Talari regarded John for a long moment. *I believe you should discuss this with the Senior Councilor.* John saw a golden thread extend from Talari's head towards the closed double doors. "The High Council is ready for you. Follow me," Talari said, leading them to the double doors. They opened into a round chamber with a large table with 9 places. Talari went to take his seat, and then the Ashanath as the head of the table stood. He had a silvery chain around his neck.
"I am Senior Councilor Ularean. We shall speak aloud for the convenience of your Thralls. You asked to meet with us to discuss an alliance, JohnBlake. State your terms," Ularean said through his mind-translator.
John set his shoulders. "Thank you for your time, High Councilors. I'll be brief. I need help if I'm going to protect the Galactic League from other Progenitors. My terms are this: the Ashanath devote every resource and asset to assisting me in my mission. In exchange, I'll protect you from other Progenitors. I'll start with the Drakkar pawns of the Progenitor Larn'kelnar."
Ularean's jaw dropped. "The Drakkar are working for a Progenitor?!" he asked, aghast.
"Larn'kelnar came to the Galactic League a couple months ago. For whatever reason, he's decided to attack through proxies instead of directly. He's snuck Drakkar raiders into your territory with advanced armor, he's started a Trankaran civil war, and he's responsible for the growing conflict between the Terran Federation and Kintark Empire. Help me to upgrade my ship, the Invictus, and me and my crew will wipe out the Drakkar," John said clearly.
Ularean conferred with his fellow councilors. After a few minutes of silence, Ularean said "We agree."
"Excellent," John grinned.
*Ahem. Recruitment?* Alyssa reminded him.
John bit back a sigh. "To solidify our alliance, I ask if any female members of the Council will agree to join my crew and become my Ward, or Thrall as you call them."
Ularean blinked. "You… you want to enthrall one of the High Council?"
"It's completely voluntary. I just figured I'd ask," John said.
John saw golden threads link the High Council's heads. After a few minutes, one Ashanath stood. "I am Lirrash. I volunteer myself," she said through her mind-translator.
"Welcome, Lirrash. I hope you'll be happy with us," John grinned. "Now, my Tactical Officer and I will go to review the data of the Drakkar attacks to ascertain the location of their base. I ask that the Invictus be moved to a drydock and you assign every engineer you can spare to a massive refit."
"It will be done," Ularean agreed.
John went forward to shake Ularean's hand. And like that, history was made.