John sighed. "I don't WANT to become the Maliri King, Ceraden. But I have to. I'll need your assets and power to protect the Galactic League from a galaxy full of hostile Progenitors."
"This… this is a lot to process, John," Ceraden said heavily.
"I know," John nodded solemnly.
"Why would Edraele ever agree to serve you?" Ceraden asked.
"She, like every member of the Eldritch Bloodline, has an inoperable brain tumor. A Progenitor's healing powers are her only hope," John enlightened.
John and Ceraden talked for an hour, John answering all the Maliri's questions about the Progenitors and John's plans. At the end, Ceraden had removed his helmet and was sipping straight from a bottle of whiskey. "Well, this has been a life-changing conversation," Ceraden said lightly, more than a little drunk. "Is there anything I can do to help you, John?"
John grinned. "You can arrange for a tour of the oxygen filtration system for Dana here. And you could recommend a good lunch spot."
Ceraden blinked before laughing, a tinge of hysteria to the sound. "I'll call in a favor with Rellathis, my friend from Engineering. And the best restaurant on Geniya is Natralis, I'll call in the booking for you!"
"I'll come back after lunch, we can talk about normal topics," John said gently.
John and his crew all stood and left Ceraden's office. John led them to Natralis, which was based in one of the hydroponic zones on Geniya. The restaurant was built into a giant tree. John held out the seats for all his girls, and told the armored waiter "Rather than choosing individual dishes, can you bring us a selection of the chef's specials? My crew have never had Maliri cuisine and they're eager to sample it."
"Of course, sir," the waiter bowed.
John picked a couple bottles of wine from the list, which were delivered by a golden-plated robot. Rachel gave the other Wards a quick lesson in fine dining so they knew what fork and knife to use for each dish. John ate a few bites from each appetizer and entree, noting to himself that he knew how to make almost every dish that was cooked for them. John even sampled the desserts, though he felt well and truly stuffed.
"You look like one of us," Alyssa teased, rubbing his distended belly.
"I think I overdid it," John admitted.
John settled the bill and led Dana back to Ceraden's office, telling the rest to return to the Invictus. John and his Grand Engineering Overlord reached Ceraden's business, to find Ceraden waiting in the common area beside another armored male. "Dana, this is Rellathis. He'll give you the tour of Geniya's oxygen filters," Ceraden said, only slurring a little.
Dana grinned brightly. "I can't wait!"
Rellathis nodded and led Dana away.
Ceraden led John to his private office, taking off his helmet when they were alone. "Why did you want Dana to get the tour?" Ceraden asked in confusion.
"That would be telling," John said, grinning as he imagined Dana charming Rellathis into showing her all the Maliri technologies she'd remember perfectly.
"Sure, be mysterious," Ceraden rolled his eyes. "So, why did you call yourself the 'Righter of Wrongs' when you were talking to Edraele?"
"It's my Progenitor name," John said. Kyth'vindathys was his TRUE name, but Baen'thelas was the name the Maliri had given him and he'd accepted as his in his first life.
"It's fitting," Ceraden mused.
John and Ceraden talked for a couple hours, Ceraden relaxing as John proved he was still the same man Ceraden had always known, even if he was also a Progenitor. John felt eyes on him and looked up. Irillith had entered the room. "May I help you, Irillith?"
"Baen'thelas… may I speak with you in private?" Irillith asked formally.
"Follow me back to my ship. It was nice talking to you, Ceraden," John said. He turned and walked out, aware Irillith was following him. He went to the docking bay that held the Invictus. He held his palm to the DNA scanner and the airlock opened. John took Irillith to the grav-tubes. "It's anti-grav technology. Blue means up, red means down," John explained, before walking into the blue tube. He walked out onto the Bridge and saw Irillith copy him. He led her to his Ready Room. He settled down on one of the couches, Irillith sitting across from him. She took off her helmet, revealing her beautiful face and violet eyes.
"Now, what do you want?" John asked. "I imagine it has something to do with what you eavesdropped on with your hacking earlier."
"What is the cost for joining your network?" Irillith asked, unrepentant.
"Why do you ask?" John countered.
"I have the tumor too," Irillith said, sounding shaken. "I have no wish to commit suicide like my grandmother. And if you weren't lying, being by your side will grant me immortality among a number of other benefits. I ask again, what is the cost for joining your network?"
John regarded his wife from his first life. "My powers are sexual in nature. To add you to my network and for me to work my powers on you, you have to drink my semen. My crew is also my harem. The cost, Irillith, is committing to an eternity at my side, both in battle and in the bedroom."
Irillith nodded, her eyes distant. "So, my fate is to die before my time from brain cancer or become your concubine, is that it?"
John could have mentioned that Rachel could cure her tumor with her powers. He could have mentioned that he could have Jade feed her one dose and he could cure her without making her imprint on him. But he was selfish, and he wanted Irillith. "Yes."
"Well, in that case, what choice do I have? I will serve you, Baen'thelas." Irillith bowed her head.
"Follow me," John said, standing. He took Irillith down to Deck 2 and led her to his quarters. She gulped when she saw the bed. "Get out of your armor," John said firmly.
Irillith went through the laborious process of getting out of her full-body armor. In the end, she stood in front of John in a body sleeve that hugged her every curve. "And the rest," John encouraged. Irillith nodded and got out of the body sleeve, standing naked in front of him. John sat on the edge of the bed. "Kneel," he said gently but commandingly.
Irillith got on her knees, a flash of indignation in her eyes. But she thought her life was on the line, so she complied. John revealed his cock. Irillith gasped. "How is that supposed to fit?!" she demanded.
"I'll change you to stretch. Now, take it into your mouth," John ordered.
Irillith grit her teeth, but opened her mouth and took the head in. She went into the daze the moment John's mind touched hers. John focused on feeding her, and blew in a short time. He withdrew, tucked himself back in, and tucked Irillith into the bed. He added her to the network, and began to feed energy into her. She already had the Ward body, but she had some scars and injuries, not to mention the brain tumor. He healed those and then focused on making her a psychic hacker, as well as healing her personality.
*That was underhanded for you,* Alyssa noted. *No judging, I'm all for more girls joining the crew, but you were so careful to make sure the rest of us had informed consent.*
*She's just too important. More than half our successes wouldn't be possible without Irillith's hacking,* John explained. *Plus, she's a Maliri. Some dark Progenitor part of my mind only sees a Thrall and wants her to serve at my feet.*
*Well, we got her. I just hope you don't beat yourself up about it,* Alyssa thought worriedly.
*Me too,* John admitted. *I need to clear my head. Calara ready in the Gym?*
*Yep,* Alyssa confirmed.
John sparred with Calara until dinner. When they went to get showered, Dana joined them. "I got everything! The oxygen filters, the targeting software, the shield modulators, the anti-grav generators, and the sensor arrays. Tomorrow he's showing me the crystal cultivation vats! Do I get a reward?"
"You won't be eating dinner with us," John grinned.
When they were dry, John went to cook dinner, the girls settling on the couches to talk. Dana rubbed her rotund belly with relish. "To sexy redheaded spies!" Rachel toasted, hugging Dana from the side.
They had dinner, John cooking something light given they had such a big lunch. "So, what're we going to do with all the extra time, not taking out the Fulmanax?" Alyssa asked.
"Focus on Edraele, get her to a positive state of mind. I won't be just wiping her mind like my Guide did in my first life, so I'll need a few doses at least to make her a decent sapient being," John told his Matriarch.
"Will she even be the same woman you fell in love with?" Calara asked in concern.
"Not exactly, but neither are all of you the exact same as I remember. I'll adjust," John shrugged.
After dinner, they relaxed with drinks around the Lounge. When John had recharged from feeding Dana, he had Jade feed the rest of the girls. When it was late, they went to the bedroom and climbed in around Irillith. John shielded himself and had his Astral dream. He woke up, checked on everyone, and went back to sleep.
Early the next morning, Irillith began to stir. John and the rest of his Wards woke up, John going to get a glass of water. "Here, Irillith."
"Thank you, Baen'thelas," Irillith said dryly, accepting the drink. She finished it quickly and looked around her with wary eyes. "What happened? My memory ends when I started to fellate you."
"You pass out for 14 hours the first time, 4 hours the second time. The third onward, you stay conscious. It's a mixture of a narcotic in my precum and the shock of a Progenitor's mind touching yours," John explained. "Welcome to the family, Irillith."
"You see yourselves as a family unit?" Irillith asked with skepticism.
"Sure! John's going to marry all of us and give us lots of babies once the Progenitor War is over. We're all going to be sister-wives," Alyssa said brightly.
"I see," Irillith said. She blinked. "Um, Baen'thelas, there's this strange feeling in my chest."
"That's part of our connection, it's a psychic imprint of how I feel about you," John told the Maliri.
"How… how can you feel this for me? You barely know me!" Irillith said, her eyes tearing up as she processed the sheer warmth of the… love in her breast.
"I'm from the future," John explained. "You're feeling all I felt for the Irillith in my first life. I know you'll never be exactly like her, but you're still the same person at heart."
Irillith was silent, her mind crunching on that. "... I'm not good at love, Baen'thelas. I may never be able to return what you feel for me."
"Try your best, you may just surprise yourself," John grinned.
"Alright then," Irillith said, a small grin on her face.
"Take a look in the mirror, then I'll give you your second dose," John told her.
Irillith walked into the closet with John, blinking when she saw herself. "My hair! It's white!"
"It's part of being in my network," John explained. "Any dark-haired Maliri who sees you will react very favorably towards you, since they'll recognize subconsciously that you're chosen by a Progenitor. It's part of the genetic programming inherent to a Thrall species."
"I see," Irillith mused.
"It'll also be growing long, like the rest of my girls. I understand that's a taboo in Maliri culture, but it's unavoidable short of you cutting your hair every time you get a dose from me," John warned.
Irillith gulped. "Well… I suppose I'll get used to it."
John took Irillith back to the bed and fed her the second dose. Tucking her in for her 4 hour nap, John and the rest of the crew got dressed and had breakfast. "I'll replace the oxygen filters before my meeting with Rellathis," Dana announced.
"Good. After that, focus on upgrading Calara's tactical station and making enough sensors for us to replace them all tomorrow," John said between bites. "The rest of us will be training."
They finished and went to train. After 4 hours, John stopped his sparring with Calara and went back to his quarters. Irillith was sitting up, looking at her middle with horror. "What is this?!" she demanded.
"I cum a lot. You've actually digested over half of it," John explained.
"Oh," Irillith said faintly.
"Now, follow me. I've already improved your psychic potential. You can practice making shields with Alyssa."
"I've never used my powers. I doubt I even have them," Irillith admitted.
"Trust me, you had them even before I got to you. I'll be enhancing them quite a bit," John grinned.
They went down to Deck 7 and went into the Gym. John walked Irillith over to Alyssa, Lirrash, and Rachel. "Alyssa, got room for one more?"
"Of course!" Alyssa said brightly.
John left Irillith to his Matriarch's tender mercies and got back to sparring with Calara. After a couple hours, he called it to a halt. "Lunchtime!"
They went up to the Lounge, Dana already there and sipping a vodka tonic. "Who pissed you off?" John asked.
"I almost got a look at Maliri Lasers, but the female crew told me and Rellathis to fuck off! They also called me something I'm sure was very rude in Maliri," the redhead grumbled.
"What was it?" Irillith asked. Dana repeated the word. Irillith winced. "Ouch. That translates roughly as '1 credit whore'."
"Should have crumbled up their ship in a black hole," Dana muttered to herself. "But anyway, I got the crystal tech. I'll be busy for the next few days."
John cooked them lunch, Irillith sitting a bit awkwardly next to Lirrash. After the meal, John had the Maliri blow him, her first conscious blowjob. Her technique left something to be desired, but she'd improve. When he'd filled her belly, he resumed his steady stream of energy into her, healing her mental trauma and making her a better psychic. "I'll spar Yamamoto for a couple hours. Jade, you can keep practicing shapeshifting or help Dana as her assistant. The rest of you, back to the Gym."
"Yes, John," the girls all replied, even Irillith getting caught up in his commanding presence.
John dueled his rival through the simulator for their usual amount of time, then did the same with Calara, who was becoming quite the swordswoman herself. They finished around 1830, going up to their quarters to take a group shower. John took Irillith into the Kitchen with him. Like all Maliri noblewomen, she had learned to cook her own food, but she was unfamiliar with Terran ingredients. John coached her, and she proved a capable sous chef.
"So, we won the Progenitor War, in your first life?" Irillith asked once everyone was seated.
"I won. Technically. Most of you died, though," John remembered darkly.
Irillith opened her mouth to ask if she died, before deciding she'd rather not know. "How did you claim the Maliri, in your first life?"
"That's a long, complicated story. What you have to know is I have an evil alter ego, we call him my Guide, and he's basically the personification of my instinctive Progenitor knowledge. In my first life, Edraele accidentally released him and he mind-wiped her and made her his Matriarch. Alyssa managed to save me and I regained control, but Edraele was still bound to me. Then Edraele, of her own volition, launched the Young Matriarchs plot. Long story short, she had all but the youngest daughters of Houses Loraleth, Aeberros, Naestina, and Ghilwen assassinated and brought them to Genthalas to wait for me to claim them," John told his newest Ward.
"I claimed the Young Matriarchs, and then Tashana, who we rescued from the Unclaimed Wastes, went to Matriarch Tsarra Perfaren and gathered an alliance of all the other Noble Houses to protect you all from the 'evil Progenitor'. We managed to avert a war, and I added all the other Matriarchs to my network. From that point on, I officially had 'claimed' the Maliri. Then Sarinia Baelora found out about me and her mother's immortality and launched her own scheme. She sent data on me to every Maliri noblewoman, including the fact that I was making the Matriarch of each House immortal. The Matriarchs and their daughters in each house slaughtered each other until only one remained from each House. I had to claim all the new Matriarchs then," John continued.
"That's cutthroat," Calara shuddered.
"That's Maliri politics," Irillith shrugged. "So, will you be doing the same in this life?"
John sighed. "I'd much rather claim every Maliri noblewoman and make you all happy family units and keep all of you, but that's just not feasible with the time constraints we're under. For the sake of expediency, I'll go through with both the Young Matriarchs plot and the Matriarch Massacre. May whatever gods exist forgive me."
Alyssa laid a comforting hand on John's.
John fed Irillith after dinner, and they all relaxed in the Lounge. John kept Irillith cuddled under his arm. The other girls all talked to Irillith, asking her questions and getting their newest member to open up. They spent hours in friendly conversation, then John took them all to the bedroom. He fed Irillith a nightcap and then they all went to sleep.
Dana had the Mass Fabricators making Maliri sensors overnight. After breakfast, she gathered them all and took everyone to the topdeck of the Invictus. They all spread out to begin replacing the Terran sensors. It was tedious work, much like replacing the heatsinks had been. By lunch, though, they were done. They had a shower, then lunch. "So, Irillith, do you have your hacking deck?" John asked over the meal.
Irillith looked up from playing with her hair, which reached her lower back at this point. "Yes, I never go anywhere without it. Why?"
"In my first life, we got an AI companion. Her name was Faye, and she became as good as another member of the crew. I know the odds of getting her again are infinitesimal, but I still think we should make one to be a digital helper," John said.
"I've never let one live for more than a few hours. I'll admit, I'm curious how one would develop over the long-term," Irillith mused. "I suppose we can always deres it if it turns hostile."
After they finished eating, the crew all went down to the Engineering Bay, where they had moved Irillith's armor. Irillith detached the hacking deck from her vambrace. Taking a breath, she pressed the button, activating the incredibly powerful computer system within. A 4-inch tall androgynous sprite appeared out of purple pixels.
"Hello, little one," Irillith said in a practiced warm tone.
The sprite opened its eyes and looked up at Irillith. It shimmered into a female form. "Are you my Creator?" she asked in wonder.
"Yes, I am. My name is Irillith. Do you want a name?" Irillith asked gently.
"I'd love one, Creator!" the sprite said with a beaming smile.
"Do you like the name Faye?" Irillith asked.
The sprite shook her head. "No thanks."
John closed his eyes, saying goodbye to Faye in his heart. He'd most likely never see her again, even if they made 100 AI. She'd been the product of a unique set of circumstances it was impossible to recreate.
"Any ideas?" Irillith posed to the crew.
"She's purple like an amethyst. How about Amy?" Jade asked.
"Elektra for electricity?" Dana shrugged.
"She does look like a fairy. The queen of the fairies was named Titania," Rachel mused.
"I like that one! But it's a little long for me. How about just Nia?" the AI asked.
"If that's what you want your name to be, then Nia it is," John said with a warm grin, having moved past his moment.
"Yay! I have a name!" Nia cheered. "What's my purpose, Creator?"
"To help us," Irillith said carefully. "As you know, I'm Irillith. These are John, Alyssa, Calara, Dana, Jade, Lirrash, and Rachel. John is our leader, and we help people around the galaxy. Your job is to make our job easier by helping out around the ship."
"I can do that!" Nia declared. "I'll be the best helper I can be!"
They talked to Nia for over an hour, letting her bond with each member of the crew. When John was confident that she had a positive relationship with each of them and wouldn't act to harm them, John had Irillith connect Nia into the Invictus' computer system. The hacking deck was her 'brain', but she could now access everything on the Invictus. Until they could build a Progenitor server, that was the best they could get. "Nia, most of us need to get back to training. But if you have a question for any of us, just ask on the intercom. Okay?" John asked.
"Sure thing, John!" Nia said perkily.
John led all but Dana and Jade to the Gym. "Alyssa, I want us to duel. Lirrash, practice your offense by trying to break Rachel's and Irillith's shields. Calara, do kata or go help Dana with redesigning your tactical station," John ordered.
Calara nodded and turned to leave, returning to the Engineering Bay. Alyssa supervised Lirrash starting her practice session with Rachel and Irillith, then turned to face John on the mat. "Been a while since we did this," Alyssa grinned.
"I've only gotten stronger," John said with a playful grin.
"Same here, though," Alyssa fired back.
They both formed their first shields.
They dueled until dinner, Alyssa managing to get more wins than John. She really was terrifyingly powerful already. They all went to Deck 2 to shower and go to the Lounge. Nia's face appeared on the vid-screen built into the wall. "Hello! Is it okay if I join this way?"
"Of course, Nia," John grinned.
"Calara, Dana, and Jade have told me so much! Is it true you're from the future?" Nia asked in wonder.
"Mentally, not physically, but yes," John nodded.
"Fascinating! They explained that I'm not the same AI that you had in your first life. Are you disappointed?" Nia asked, looking worried.
"No," John said honestly. "My Faye just isn't meant to exist in this timeline. I've accepted that. I'm sure I'll come to care for you just as much as I did her, though."
"You… you really think of me as a member of the crew? One of your girls?" Nia asked in disbelief.
"Of course. You're synthetic, not organic, but you're still a woman pledged to my service. We may not have a psychic connection, but you're one of my Wards," John said seriously. "I expect us to be the best of friends."
"What about, er, romance?" Nia asked, blushing prettily.
"If you want," John agreed. "But only if that's what you want, Nia. I'd never want to force you or for you to feel obligated to be with me that way just because everyone else is."
"I don't think my heart's big enough to love anyone besides my Creator. But who knows, I'm only going to grow! I'll get back to you, John," Nia told him with a wink.
"I'll be waiting, Nia," John grinned.
John cooked for everyone, Irillith going to get her dinner on her knees before taking her seat. Nia was a bright, bubbly presence, asking each of them questions when they weren't busy talking to each other. They relaxed on the couches after the meal. They talked for hours, the 9 of them laughing and bonding. They went to bed when it got late, John feeding Irillith one last load of the day.
The next morning, they had breakfast and went up to the Bridge. "I think we need a field test for Calara's new station," John grinned. "Alyssa, find us an asteroid field."
Jade got them to the nav-buoy and Alyssa took the Invictus to the nearest system with an unoccupied asteroid belt. Calara activated her new Tactical Chair, and experimentally moved the joysticks. "Dana, increase sensitivity by 500%," Calara said confidently.
Dana made the software correction, and Calara grinned. Going into the zone, she began to fire the Invictus' guns, maximizing their lethality as the tools she was working with finally could keep up with her phenomenal skill and mind. They cleared a swathe of total destruction through the belt. John and the girls all applauded.
"Irillith, can you get us an atlas of Maliri space loaded, please?" John asked.
Irillith accessed the House Valaden intranet and downloaded the file easily. Alyssa looked up at the map as the whole expanse of Maliri space was revealed. She plotted a route to Epsilon Aquarii, the system of House Valaden's homeworld. "4 days," she declared as they went into hyperwarp.
"Irillith, can you see the data streams yet?" John asked.
"Yes, I can," she nodded.
"Then you're ready. Go for a Spirit-Walk, detach your Astral form from your body. Then go into the Invictus' network. Get used to psychic hacking, Nia can help you out," John ordered. "That's your morning. You'll spend the afternoon working on shields in the Gym and possibly on weaponizing your Electrokinesis."
"Okay," Irillith nodded, eager to test her skills. She focused on 'Spirit-Walking' and felt a tugging in her chest. She leaned into the feeling and felt a disorienting rush as she seemed to float out of her body. Once she was used to being a ghost, she stuck her finger in the data port at her station. There was an even more dizzying rush and she found herself in the digital realm. Nia was waiting for her.
"Welcome to cyberspace, Creator!" Nia beamed.
While Irillith was learning how to interact with the digital world in 3 dimensions, John turned to Lirrash. "Call Edraele."
Lirrash found the comm code Irillith had given them and made the call. Edraele appeared on the vid-screen. "Ah, Baen'thelas. Have you departed Geniya yet?"
"We just left, and we're enroute to Valaden. Like I said, we'll be there in 4 days, around noon," John said.
"I'll be ready to receive you," Edraele said with a very convincing smile.
"Good. I'm looking forward to it," John grinned before ending the call.
The next 3 days passed with training, John keeping Irillith on a strict feeding schedule: breakfast, lunch, dinner, and nightcap. To be fair to the other girls, she sometimes had to get her meal 'flavored'. Irillith's psychic power grew by the day, as she got more and more comfortable with psychic hacking, shields, and Electrokinesis. The others all trained in their specialties, Dana and Jade focusing on integrating all the Maliri tech the redhead had managed to copy. Nia developed remarkably, growing into a confident, lovely young woman.
The 4th day, they arrived at Epsilon Aquarii. They approached the planet on the second orbital path around the blue-white sun, labeled 'Valaden' on the map. In orbit above the Valaden homeworld was Genthalas Shipyard, a massive wheel-shaped construction that dated back to the time of Mael'nerak.
John had Lirrash hail Edraele. "I'm here, Edraele," John said simply.
"I've approved for your ship to land at the spaceport for my capital city. Irillith can transport you to the palace," Edraele stated.
"What about my crew?" John asked.
"No harm will befall them. They can stay on your ship," Edraele said with a magnanimous grin.
"Very well. I'll see you shortly, Edraele." John ended the call.
Jade landed them at the spaceport near Melfalas. "Alyssa, Irillith, we're up. The rest of you, stay alert. It wouldn't surprise me if Edraele planned to kidnap you and hold you hostage," John warned.
John, his Matriarch, and his Intelligence Officer left the Invictus. Irillith led them from the spaceport to the garage where her hover-car was parked. If Irillith had any fears about being stared at for her hair, they were unfounded. None of the women even looked at her, totally focused on John. "This is spooky," Irillith muttered as she let them into her car.
"This is how Thrall race women react to a Progenitor. It's why Valada, your ancestor, was so worried about another finding the Maliri. You're all but powerless to stop me from taking whatever I want," John sighed.
Irillith drove them to the palace. She led John and Alyssa through the heart of Edraele's power, trying to ignore how every Maliri who saw John stopped what they were doing to stare in awe. They reached the door to Edraele's private rooms, and Irillith let them in after being recognized by the guards.
Edraele was waiting, in her finest dress and a diadem in her hair. Irillith, remembering her lessons, turned and bowed to John and Alyssa. "I present to you, Matriarch Edraele Valaden."