John, Calara, and Lirrash followed Talari to where the Ashanath analysts were studying the Drakkar attacks. Calara absorbed all the data in a matter of minutes and deduced that the Drakkar were based in Kappa Indarran and had 3 more Cruisers. That done, they took a transport to the drydock where the Invictus had been moved.
Dana was up to her hips in Ashanath engineers, barking orders as she tried to force as many upgrades as possible into a 2 day period. *Where are you and Jade?* John asked Alyssa.
*Out practicing in the Raptor,* his Matriarch replied. *We'll be back for lunch.*
John led Calara and Lirrash into the Invictus. "Calara, you do your own thing. Lirrash, follow me," John said once they reached Deck 2. Calara went towards the Lounge while the Gray female followed John to his quarters. John sat down on the bed, Lirrash jumping to sit next to him at his urging.
*So, are you sure you want to go through with this?* John asked his potential Ward.
*As you said, JohnBlake, this will solidify your alliance with the Ashanath Collective. I will be the bridge between you and my people. I can think of no greater honor,* Lirrash replied.
*Right, but you realize you'll be spending eternity at my side, in all likelihood becoming mother to my children someday?* John checked.
*I guessed as much, and I consider it no great sacrifice. I always wanted a family, but my duties made it difficult to find and court a romantic partner. I know what I'm getting into, JohnBlake, and I'm ready,* Lirrash told him, her mind voice resolute.
John nodded. "In that case, let's do this. Do the Ashanath remember how a Progenitor adds women to his network?"
Lirrash blinked. *Indeed,* she said, sounding a little flustered.
John took out his cock. Lirrash took him into her mouth, her mind shield protecting her from the daze. She didn't take him into her throat, too hesitant, but John couldn't fault her for that. John eventually came, and he filled Lirrash's belly with his cum. The bump looked obscene on her spindly frame. John added her to his network, her picture appearing in a compartment under Alyssa in his mind. He gathered his reserves and began to funnel energy into her body, hastening the Change.
*Oh, my!* Lirrash gasped. *I… I can feel your power, JohnBlake. It's… quite stimulating.*
*I'm going to spend the next couple days changing you into my Ward,* John told her. *By the end, you'll be the same shape as Alyssa or the rest of my girls.*
*The curvaceous goddesses, yes. I'll truly look like them?* Lirrash asked.
*Yes,* John nodded. *Now, let's go check on Calara.*
John led a waddling Lirrash to the Officers' Lounge, where they found Calara playing a game on a holo-reader. "Welcome to the family, Lirrash," Calara grinned at the rotund Ashanath.
"Thank you, Calara," Lirrash said through her mind-translator.
John sat down next to Calara, putting an arm around her shoulder. He helped Lirrash sit next to him and wrapped his other arm around her. "So, excited for the family reunion in a few days?"
"Will we even make it in time?" Calara asked.
"We're getting a state-of-the-art Ashanath Tachyon Drive, 3 times more powerful than our current one. Assuming dealing with the Drakkar doesn't take more time than I remember, we'll arrive the day of at Jericho," John reassured the Latina.
"What do you mean, longer than you remember?" Lirrash asked robotically.
John sighed. "Lirrash, this might be hard to believe, but I'm from the future. I used my powers to send my mind back in time."
"Temporal inversion is thought to be impossible to the Ashanath, but Progenitors have much greater powers than we do. I'll accept your word, JohnBlake," Lirrash said. "How far back did you travel?"
"Far enough," John answered vaguely. "I won the Progenitor War, killed every last one of the bastards. But the cost was too great. So I decided to do it all over again, hopefully with much better results."
"What was the fate of the Ashanath, in the original timeline?" Lirrash asked.
John gathered his thoughts. "We deal with the Drakkar raiders just fine. Things go quiet for a few months. Then Larn'kelnar rallies the Drakkar again, this time the whole navy. They lead an invasion, most of their ships with the black armor. The Battle of Ashana was the most bloody battle in Ashanath history, but you won, largely thanks to the help of the Invictus."
"What actions can we take to prevent it?" Lirrash wondered.
"It'll be almost impossible to stop Larn'kelnar from sending the Drakkar. But we can fight the battle much better, and the Invictus will have much better upgrades once I unlock the Progenitor schematics in my DNA," John explained.
"I see," Lirrash said, her shoulders slumping. "What a terrible burden it must be, to know bloodshed is inevitable and being unable to stop it."
"Yeah, it sucks," John said with a sigh. "Anyway, Lirrash, tell us more about you. You're part of the crew now, the family as Calara said. We want to know everything."
"My life is fairly unremarkable," Lirrash shrugged. "I was born on one of the border planets, went through schooling, and pursued a career in politics. I was elected to the High Council and have served for 7 years. That's it, really."
"Come on, there must be more than that. What about your family?" Calara asked.
"I am an only child. My father died of cancer 5 years ago. My mother is a pilot on a Freighter for one of the larger trading companies," Lirrash relayed succinctly.
John gave Lirrash a hug. "I'm sorry you lost your father. Are you close with your mother?"
"We love each other, but we don't have much in common. We contact each other once a month and are content," Lirrash stated.
"What's your happiest memory?" John asked, genuinely eager to get to know his newest Ward.
Lirrash considered it. "Going to the zoo as a young girl. I was amazed at all the different animals from all over the Galactic League. It also opened my eyes to how diverse life can be given different climates and circumstances. Other than the day I was sworn into office, I think that's the most joy I ever felt."
John grinned. "Jade is a shapeshifter. She can become all kinds of animals. I think you two will get along well."
"Was she the one with a tail?" Lirrash asked.
"Yep," John confirmed.
They talked for an hour, Lirrash slowly opening up. The whole time, John was channeling energy into her. At 1130, John stood up and asked for Calara's help in making lunch. They laid out 5 plates, and right on time Alyssa, Dana, and Jade walked into the Lounge. *Hi, Lirrash. I hope John and Calara have made you feel welcome,* the blonde projected at the Ashanath.
Lirrash blinked. *I did not expect a Terran to be able to 'speak'. But yes, Alyssa, they have.*
*I'm John's Matriarch, like Valada was to Mael'nerak. Telepathy is part of the package,* Alyssa explained. *Now, you can sit next to Dana, or in John's lap, wherever you'll be most comfortable.*
*I'll sit in the chair,* Lirrash said with a faint blush.
The crew dug into the meal. "So, Dana, how's the refit going?" John asked between bites.
"Pretty well considering we just started. My main problem right now is working out the formula for Alyssium. Finding a way to bind Onyxium, Etherite crystals, and Titanium is proving to be a bitch and a half," Dana groaned.
"You'll figure it out," John said confidently. "And once you do, we'll have a supermaterial to play with."
"True," Dana grinned, imagining all the applications of Alyssium.
"Jade, how are the piloting lessons coming?" John asked, switching focus to his Nymph lover.
"Alyssa says I'm a natural," Jade beamed. "We practiced flying in an atmosphere and also in space. She says with a few more hours she'll trust me to fly unsupervised!"
"That's great, honey! Spend the afternoon working hard on it," John encouraged.
"So, Lirrash, who's going to take your place on the High Council?" Alyssa asked, trying to include the Gray female.
"I essentially resigned in order to join this crew. I imagine they'll hold an election in my district to choose a replacement," Lirrash said through her mind-translator, which robbed all the emotion out of her voice.
"What role would you want to take on the crew, Lirrash?" John asked, wanting her input.
"I doubt you require a bureaucrat. I'll defer to your judgment and train into whatever role you deem fit," Lirrash said back.
John considered it. "Well, you'll be training for combat missions, like all my girls do. But on the Bridge, I suppose you could be Comms Officer. In my first life, we had our Medical Officer pull double-duty on that, but you could be in charge of communications if you want."
"I spent many hours a day on calls, doing my political duties. It'll be familiar work," Lirrash agreed.
Dana finished eating, grabbed a kiss from John, and walked out to return to her work. Alyssa and Jade finished too and left to go to the Raptor. John and Calara cleaned up after everyone, Lirrash a silent observer. "Well, Lirrash, you can't really even hold one of our rifles yet, so practicing with a gun is out. Would you like to watch me and Calara train?"
"Very well," Lirrash nodded.
They took the elevator down to Deck 7 and entered the Gym. Lirrash took a seat to the side and watched as John and Calara did their warm-up stretches. Then they bowed to each other and began to spar. The combat was fast-paced, their arms and legs moving like lightning to Lirrash's eyes. After 10 minutes, John lunged for an opening after Calara overbalanced, only for it to turn out to be a feint on the Latina's part. She took him to the ground and pinned him. John grinned and gave her a kiss. "First win to you, honey."
"I'm getting good at this," Calara grinned, getting to her feet and helping John stand up. "And that's without even using my Prescience."
"I'm very proud of you, you've come a long way in such a short time," John praised.
"That was like watching a fight scene from a Terran action movie," Lirrash spoke up.
"Thank you, Lirrash," John nodded. "Okay, no more Mr. Nice Guy. I'm coming for you, Calara!"
John and Calara spared for the next 2 hours, John managing to end up with more wins than Calara by the end. That done, Calara went to Lirrash while John conjured a telekinetic construct of Kyth'vindathys. "What is he doing?" Lirrash asked.
"John learned to be a swordsman in his first life. He's practicing his kata until he can get a sparring partner," Calara told the Ashanath as she wiped her face with a towel. Sparing John was sweaty work.
Lirrash admired John's body as he went through the forms of attack and defense with a blade. "Calara? Why did you join John's crew?"
"I joined the crew because Alyssa offered and it sounded like fun, being Tactical Officer on an Assault Cruiser. I joined the network and became John's Ward because he's a good man, and I wanted what he was offering," Calara answered.
"You desired immortality?" Lirrash asked.
"I didn't want to live forever, per se. But forever with John, the man who saved my life, the best man I've ever known… that was mighty tempting," Calara clarified. "And I've never once regretted it. He's been so worth it."
Lirrash laid a hand over her heart. "His psychic imprint is… comforting."
"Tell me about it," Calara grinned. "I knew from the moment I joined that he loved me. You, you're new, he didn't recruit you in his first life. But even as a fresh face, I imagine he feels affection and protectiveness for you as a member of his network."
"Indeed," Lirrash confirmed.
"John will be doing that until dinner in a few hours, he takes his training very seriously," Calara explained. The Latina gestured at the pool. "Do you know how to swim?"
"Pools are a luxury in the Ashanath Collective, but the health club I attended had one. I took lessons, I know how," Lirrash answered.
"Well, let's have some fun swimming, then," Calara grinned.
Calara and Lirrash disrobed and got in the pool. Lirrash had to take off her mind-translator, but they discovered that Calara had enough Telepathy to respond to Lirrash when the Gray had an active connection with her. They talked as they swam, having fun. They also surreptitiously ogled John as he did his swordsmanship. Around 1800, John called it a day and went to them. "I need a shower, then I'll cook dinner," he told them as they dried off and got redressed.
"We'll join you, got to get the chlorine off us," Calara said eagerly.
They went to Deck 2 and the Commander's Quarters, getting naked and going into the hot shower. John looked at Lirrash, 5'0 and proportioned like an anorexic Terran. "You finished the first load. Ready for the next?"
Lirrash nodded. *I felt it the moment I finished digesting and the connection ended. I want it back. Feeling your power suffusing my every cell is… exciting.*
John grinned. They used the auto-dryers and John fed Lirrash another load before they all got dressed again. John, Calara, and Lirrash walked to the Lounge. "I'll handle cooking, you two have drinks or something," John said, going to the Kitchen.
"Do Ashanath drink alcohol?" Calara asked, her xeno-biology not the best.
*We have a much weaker tolerance than Terrans, but yes. I'll have white wine if you have it,* Lirrash said into Calara's mind.
Calara went behind the bar and eyed their collection of wine bottles. "We've got Chardonnay, Zinfandel, and Pinot Grigio. Any preference?"
*Chardonnay, please,* Lirrash requested.
Calara poured Lirrash a glass and made a vodka cranberry for herself. They settled onto the couch, sipping their drinks. "So, you scared about the Change?" Calara asked.
*Not really. Leaving my old body behind gives me pause, but then I look at you or one of the other girls and see you in all your dazzling perfection, and I want that for myself,* Lirrash replied. *Learning to fire a gun and partake in combat missions worries me more. Ashanath are pacifistic as a culture, the thought of taking another life makes me nauseous.*
Calara sighed. "That must be hard. But it's part of being on the crew, each of us has to be able to defend ourselves and each other in the event of an attack. John's leading us into war, make no mistake. It'll be kill or be killed in that kind of scenario. If it's any consolation, part of the Change is reduced empathy for our enemies. We're not emotionless killing machines, but it'll bother you less than it should."
*I see,* Lirrash mused, sipping her wine and rubbing her bump. *Well, I volunteered for this. I'll see it through.*
Calara reached out to pat Lirrash's shoulder. "You'll always have your sisters or John to come to if you have something on your mind, remember that."
*You truly see yourselves as siblings?* Lirrash asked.
Calara waved her hand back and forth. "Sister-wives, not the same thing. We're family, but not by blood. We're united by our common love for John. We'll all be raising his children together, so it's best if we get along, don't you think?"
*I suppose so,* Lirrash chuckled.
They talked for a half hour, until John came out with plates and cutlery in his hands, a bowl of salad, another bowl of pasta, and a tray of garlic bread floating in the air behind him. *He makes Telekinesis look easy,* Lirrash marveled.
"Well, he'll be enhancing your psychic powers along with giving you the Ward body. You'll be able to carry things like that in just a few days," Calara said brightly.
*Truly?* Lirrash gaped.
"Oh, yeah. I sense you have Telekinesis, Telepathy, and Empathy in your DNA," John spoke up from where he was setting the table. "You'll absorb all the energy I give you with each dose, even after you get the Ward body, becoming a stronger psychic. Feed from me for a week and you'll be the strongest Ashanath in history. Feed from me for a year… well, I guess we'll find out!"
As with lunch, Alyssa, Dana, and Jade came in just as John finished getting everything ready. Lirrash tilted her head. "That's remarkable timing," she said through her mind-translator.
"It's not a coincidence. I can read John's every thought, and I have the same kind of permanent connection with Calara, Dana, and Jade. He told me when dinner would be ready and I coordinated all the girls," Alyssa explained.
"How can you process all that information?" Lirrash asked as she went to take her seat, carrying her half-drunk glass of wine.
"I just can," Alyssa shrugged. "Probably helps that John's upgraded my brain like he upgraded everything else. Keeping track of 4 constant conversations simultaneously just doesn't strain my focus like a normal person's. Once we trust each other enough, we can bond and get the connection too."
"Very well," Lirrash said.
"Ooh, carbonara, my favorite," Calara grinned as she spooned some of the pasta onto her plate.
"I remembered," John grinned.
They all except Lirrash began to eat. The Ashanath sipped her wine and listened as John and the girls engaged in dinner conversation. Dana ate fast, then much like at lunch she gave John a kiss and left. "Make sure she comes to bed at a decent hour," John told Alyssa.
"I'll try, but I can't guarantee she won't sneak out afterwards. She can stay up for days at a time when she gets involved in her projects, and this is the biggest one she's ever done," Alyssa sighed with a fond grin.
Lirrash rubbed her head. "Are you okay, Lirrash?" Jade asked with concern.
"My scalp itches," the Gray female said through her mind-translator.
John winced. "That's probably my fault. You're getting hair follicles as part of the Change."
"Ah. That explains it," Lirrash nodded, ending her rubbing. "I'll try my best to ignore it."
"Will she be done with the Change by the time we meet my family?" Calara asked.
"Dana only took 5 days and we have much more energy than we did when I was changing her. She should be done by then," John reasoned.
"Good. I'd hate for Lirrash to have to stay on the Invictus to avoid questions about how she grew taller or something… though we still might have uncomfortable questions. What are we going to say about Lirrash once she's a Ward?" Calara wondered.
"Are Terran-Ashanath hybrids possible?" John asked Lirrash.
"Yes, though they're rare. It's usually from an Ashanath father and a Terran mother. In the reverse case, the mother often dies from being unable to support the size of the fetus," Lirrash answered.
"So we'll just say Lirrash is a hybrid. Simple enough," John shrugged, mopping up the last of his sauce with a scrap of garlic bread.
They put their plates and dishes in the washing machine and then moved to the couches and sofas. "So, Lirrash, how was your first day as John's Ward?" Alyssa asked.
"It was… nice. Calara and I had a lot of fun, and feeling John's energy and emotions is pleasurable to the point of addiction," Lirrash said in response.
"Ooh, another cum addict. Get in line, Lirrash," Jade giggled, clearly joking.
"I'll always be willing to share a load with you if you really need it, Lirrash," John said, leaning down to kiss her cheek.
They talked for hours, Lirrash's belly going down. At 2300, a yawning John declared it bedtime. They went to their quarters, John fed Lirrash a nightcap, and then they got into bed. Dana came in, looking a bit put out, but she got naked and spooned up with Alyssa anyway. John formed his ward shield for his Astral dream. *What are you doing?* Lirrash asked, noting the hexagons that clung to John's skin.
*Are the Ashanath aware of Xar'aziuth and the Fallen Progenitors?* John asked.
*We are aware that terrible things lurk in the Deep Astral, but no specifics,* Lirrash confessed.
*Well, every time I add a girl to my network, I get dragged into the Astral. If I don't shield myself, I'll be pulled into a sub-plane and forced into a dream where I'll be pressured to make a Faustian deal with Xar'aziuth. As it is, I have to hide in the mists for hours invisibly while the Fallen Progenitors hunt for me until the block keeping me from waking up goes away,* John explained.
*That sounds like a nightmare!* Lirrash said worriedly.
*It is, but until I get the energy to make my own sub-plane, it's what I'm stuck with,* John sighed. *I'll be okay, don't worry.*
*Okay,* she said hesitantly. She got comfortable in his arms and tried to go to sleep, John closing his own eyes and relaxing. John spent a few hours trying to ignore the Fallen Progenitors in the distance, woke up to check on his women, and then drifted back to sleep.
They woke up around 0815 according to the chronometer. Dana was gone, apparently having woken up earlier and snuck out to help with the refit. Lirrash had grown 2 inches overnight and her head was covered with white bristles as her new hair began to come in. John fed Lirrash her breakfast, and went to cook some for him and his Wards.
Dana came to eat, her face bright and excited. "The Alyssium ore came in! Right after this, I need you and Alyssa to work on making armor plates for the Invictus."
"Psychic shaping, my favorite chore," John said in a deadpan.
"Well, it can't be worse than lifting weights with Telekinesis," Alyssa shrugged.
They ate, and then the whole crew went down to the Cargo Bay. A number of crates had been mag-locked into place. "You take half, I'll take half," John told Alyssa, opening the lids and seeing the glittery black ore. He lifted his half of the ore cubes into the air with Telekinesis and willed them to melt together into one sphere. He held it there, watching as white began to streak through the ore as the Onyxium was purified. In the end, he had a large orb of white metal to work with. He waited until Alyssa had her own. "How many shapings are we aiming for here?" John asked.
"I don't suppose you could aim for dodeca-shaped? Then they'd be 100% reflective and we'd be immune to laser fire!" Dana said, her eyes glowing gold as she examined the Alyssium.
"Bit too much for a first try, Sparks," John said dryly.
"How about hexa-shaped then?" Dana asked.
John focused and formed his sphere into a statue of Alyssa. "1." It melted back into a sphere, and solidified into Calara. "2." A statue of Dana formed. "3." Jade appeared in Alyssium. "4," John said, beginning to feel the strain. He made a statue of Lirrash. "5, and I think I got one more in me," John said. He melted the statue, which felt about as responsive as cold treacle, and created a floating sphere yet again. John focused and a stream of Alyssium poured out and solidified into an armor plate for the Invictus. "There. Hexa-shaped armor," John panted.
"Can you do that for all the rest? Can Alyssa?" Dana asked, seeing the effort John was going through.
Alyssa was much less creative than John, forming giant numbers for her shapings. She melted the 5 and got a sphere like John's. Her brow furrowed in concentration, she created an armor plate identical to the one John had made. "There we go," she said, feeling accomplished.
The crew watched in wonder as John and Alyssa used up all the ore making armor plates. When John's sphere was almost depleted, he used all that was left to create Kyth'vindathys. He brought the runeblade to his hands, feeling like he'd rediscovered an old friend. It was perfectly balanced for him. He channeled a little energy into the sword and the runes along its surface lit up with blue light. "Hello," John said with a fond smile.
"Okay! Show's over, folks," Dana said. "I'll work on getting these installed. The internal renovations are scheduled for today, so I need you all to not be here. John, any ideas where you all can spend the day?"
"There's a lovely waterfall I found when I visited before in the Fool's Gold. We can pack a picnic," John grinned.
"Sure, that works," Dana shrugged. "I'll have fun upgrading our home."
John went to put Kyth'vindathys away in his closet and packed a lunch for them all. They got in the Raptor, Alyssa letting Jade take the pilot's seat. The Nymph flew very carefully, following John's directions to the waterfall. They landed nearby and settled on the beach around the lake the waterfall emptied into.
*This is beautiful. I'm surprised this isn't a tourist destination,* Lirrash mused.
"I heard about it from the merchant I was trading with, it's a well-kept secret," John replied.
Jade had already shucked her clothes and dived into the water. She was in her aquatic form, and was delighting in the unexplored waters of the lake.
"For a species based off of felines, she sure enjoys swimming," Alyssa chuckled, listening to Jade's happy thoughts.
"Well, some cats evolved to hunt in rivers, so swimming is bred into them. Maybe Mael'nerak used one of those cats as the base when he created the Nymphs," John shrugged.
"It still blows my mind. Mael'nerak created 5 species, all because he was bored," Calara said, admiring the natural beauty of the scene as she talked. "If not for a whim, the Ashanath Collective, the Trankaran Republic, the Terran Federation, whatever government the Drakkar have in their territory, all of that wouldn't exist!"
"Hurts your head, doesn't it," John nodded. "I wonder if Rachel will want to experiment after we win the Progenitor War. She really seemed to love all the data we found in Mael'nerak's lab on Kythshara."
*Who is Rachel?* Lirrash asked.
"Our future Medical Officer, assuming she agrees to join that is," John told his Gray Ward. "We're going to rescue her from a Kintark attack on Port Medea right after the family reunion on Jericho."
*I see, and what comes after that?* Lirrash asked.
"A 2-week vacation on Oceanus," John grinned. "We'll have earned it, after dealing with the Drakkar and the Kintark."
They talked and swam in the water until noon, when they enjoyed the lunch John had packed for them. John fed Lirrash when she finished her morning load, the thrill of doing it outside an added bonus. They spent an hour resting, and then they got back to swimming. When the sun was touching the horizon, they dried off and took the Raptor back to the Invictus, Jade flying them again. The Assault Cruiser was white and glittering like a Christmas ornament. "Much better," John grinned as he regarded his home. "Now we just need to make her longer."
"Dana's starting to lag, I think she could use a pick-me-up," Alyssa said hintingly.
They found Dana in her Engineering Bay, coding at her console. She was wearing a maintenance suit and was utterly filthy, to the point a cleaning robot was hovering behind her. "Dana, you're getting a shower and splitting a load with Lirrash," John said, no nonsense.
"But I have to finish the programming for…" Dana trailed off when she saw the look on John's face. "Fine," she said a bit sullenly. They went to Deck 2, having to use an anti-grav platform because the grav-tubes weren't done yet. They got undressed and into the shower, the water running black when it hit Dana. John soaped up his hands and gave Dana a full-body massage to her vocal delight. When he was done, she got on her knees and took him lovingly into her mouth. She did all the hard work, coaxing John's load out, though halfway through she let Lirrash take over. "Thanks, John, I really needed that!" Dana said. "Oh, that's what I have to do!" She barely stopped to get dressed before returning to the Engineering Bay.
John and the crew had dinner and relaxed in the Lounge afterwards. Given she only had a half load for dinner, John fed Lirrash again around 2100. She'd visibly changed over the course of the day, putting on height and mass. Her robes were also getting very tight around her chest. Her hair had grown into a pixie cut length, snow white and standing out against her skin and eyes. They went to bed, Dana telling Alyssa she was going to pull an all-nighter. John allowed it and went to sleep.