"Baen'thelas, it's so good to meet you in person," Edraele smiled, her face lighting up. She really was a fantastic actress.
"Edraele," John nodded. "You know Irillith, of course. This is Alyssa Marant, my Matriarch. A Progenitor's Matriarch is his second-in-command, maintaining his psychic network. I believe you and Irillith are descended from Mael'nerak's Matriarch, Valada."
Edraele blinked. "How interesting. Please, sit. May I interest you in some wine?"
"Is it poisoned?" John asked point blank.
"I have no desire to see you harmed. If anything, I want you in the best of health," Edraele assured him.
"Yes, as your trained Progenitor attack dog. There's one problem with your plan to mind-rape me into being your obedient slave, Edraele," John said, sitting down without a trace of fear.
"What is that?" Edraele asked, her face closing off.
"I'm stronger than you. You can't overpower me. I'll never serve you. Your best hope is to agree to a partnership with me, if not outright serve me yourself," John told her forthrightly. His eyes glowed with power for a second.
Edraele swallowed. "You requested this meeting, Baen'thelas, to discuss the terms of you healing me. I would hear them."
"It's simple. Agree to join my psychic network, and I'll cure your cancer, restore your youth, and make you Queen of the Maliri. The catch is you'll be romantically and sexually involved with me for the rest of time, or until my death, whichever comes first. Refuse, and I'll leave you to die. What's your decision?" John said plainly.
"I'm afraid I'll need you to elaborate a little, Baen'thelas," Edraele replied, her eyes wide.
"Which part, specifically?" John asked.
"What's this about a psychic network?" Edraele posed to him.
"A Progenitor's power is based on his network. When a woman drinks my seed, I can forge a lifelong connection with her. I can use her as a psychic battery for as long as we both live. When I have an active connection with a woman, I can rewrite her DNA with my powers, remaking her from the inside. Removing your tumor is the least I can do if you drink from me. I'll also restore you to the body of a 30 year old maiden and enhance your psychic potential," John explained.
"And you'll make me Queen? How?" Edraele asked.
"I intend to claim every Matriarch of every Noble House. If I'm successful, I'll make you my Queen, to lead when I'm busy elsewhere. But have no doubt, I'll be your King," John informed Edraele.
"Why would this require me to become your lover?" Edraele wondered.
"It's a side effect of drinking my semen. You'll imprint on me. It's unavoidable. So, an immortal life as Queen, in partnership with me in both politics and life, or an inevitable death. It's your decision, Edraele," John said.
Edraele poured herself a glass of the wine, downing it all in one gulp. "I'll do it," she declared.
"Excellent. Shall we adjourn to your bedroom?" John asked.
Edraele stood and led John to her bedchamber. It was luxuriously appointed, as befitting the Matriarch of the highest ranked Maliri Noble House. "I cum a half gallon at a time, it's a Progenitor thing. That dress looks tight, you'll want to get out of it," John told his potential spouse.
"Very well," Edraele agreed. She removed the dress and the diadem, leaving her naked. Like all Maliri women, she had the Ward body, though she had a few wrinkles caused by her age and scars from the abuse of her childhood.
John pulled out his cock, which Edraele gulped upon seeing. "This is the start of the rest of your life," John said solemnly.
"Don't make me regret this, Baen'thelas," Edraele said severely before getting on her knees. She took him into her mouth. Her mind-shield protected her from the daze, so her technique was amateurish. John enjoyed the attention anyway, and blew after a few minutes. He filled Edraele to the brim with the fresh load from his quad. With deliberation, he added Edraele to his network as a second Matriarch.
*Oh, wow!* Edraele thought.
*I made you a Matriarch, like Alyssa. She'll handle my crew while you handle the Maliri I'll claim. Matriarchs have a permanent telepathic connection with their Progenitor,* John projected to Edraele.
*You're so powerful, Baen'thelas. I wouldn't have stood a chance if I'd tried to fight you,* Edraele thought with wide eyes.
*Glad things didn't work out that way,* John grinned.
Edraele became aware of a wonderful feeling in her chest. "Oh! What… what is this?" she asked out loud.
"Each of my Wards feels what I feel about them," John said tenderly.
"Why would you feel this way about me?" Edraele asked, luxuriating in the incredible feeling of being treasured.
"I'm from the future," John explained. "A future where I fell in love with you."
"Time travel? How is that even possible?" Edraele asked.
"A LOT of psychic power. I tapped every Ward in my network for their life force, something I would normally never do, but I was in an all-or-nothing kind of mood," John told her. "I woke up a couple months ago."
"I see," Edraele mused. She rubbed a hand on her belly. "I'd forgotten how this felt, a warm weight in my belly."
John focused energy into Edraele. He healed her tumor first, then focused on all her scars. He restored her youth, and then focused on introducing positive energy into her damaged psyche.
Edraele blinked. "I… I can feel you changing me. I can't stop you. Oddly enough, I can't find it in myself to want to try. Already, I'm beginning to feel… happy. I can't remember the last time I was genuinely happy."
"I heal all damage to my Wards, including mental damage. Your mother and sisters tortured you, and that turned you into a bitter, hateful woman. I'm fixing all that. When I'm done, you'll be the woman you were always meant to be," John promised.
"Baen'thelas… the Righter of Wrongs. A fitting name for you," Edraele said with a hesitant smile.
John did up his pants and Edraele found a robe. They returned to the common area, where Alyssa and Irillith were waiting patiently. Edraele only just seemed to notice Irillith's hair. "Irillith… you look beautiful!"
"Thank you, Mother," Irillith blushed, unused to positive attention from her mother.
"I like long hair, so all my Wards end up with hair to their lower back. And with Maliri, it changes color when they join my network. Your hair is white already," John said to Edraele.
Edraele reached up to feel her hair. "Oh, I see."
"Irillith, why don't you go fetch the other girls? We'll be staying here with Edraele for a couple days before we leave," John declared.
"Sure thing." Irillith got a kiss from John and left Edraele's chambers.
Alyssa walked up to Edraele. "Hi, I'm Alyssa. You and I are unique in the galaxy, the only women who John trusts with his innermost thoughts. I hope you avail yourself accordingly."
"Is that a threat?" Edraele asked pointedly.
"No, it's a warning. Abuse the power he's given you, and I'll end you. Clear?" Alyssa's eyes glowed white with eldritch power.
"Clear," Edraele gulped, looking down. She could sense that Alyssa had more than enough power to kill her.
"Play nice, ladies," John chided.
"Just some Matriarch-to-Matriarch bonding," Alyssa waved off, her eyes returned to normal cerulean.
John, Alyssa, and Edraele sat on one of the chaise lounges in the common area. John poured them all glasses of wine. "Seriously, Edraele, I hope we can be friends. I'm the Matriarch of John's crew, his Lionesses. You're the Matriarch of the Maliri, John's Thrall race. We're his lieutenants, the leaders of his different harems. I want us to be able to trust each other and work well together," Alyssa said earnestly to the Maliri Matriarch.
"I don't have the best history of working with other Matriarchs, but I'll do my best, Alyssa," Edraele replied.
John, Alyssa, and Edraele talked until Irillith returned with the other girls. "Edraele, these are First Lieutenant Calara Fernandez, Dana, Jade, Lirrash, and Doctor Rachel Voss. Girls, this is Matriarch Edraele Valaden," John introduced.
"Nice to meet you," Edraele nodded, actually meaning the words.
The 9 of them settled on the lounge chairs and chatted. "Any chance we can get lunch?" Dana asked.
"I'll order something from the kitchens," Edraele shrugged, going up to go to her office and the console there. She returned after a few minutes, taking her seat at John's side. "It should be here within half an hour."
They talked, each of the girls wanting to get to know Edraele, their newest sister-wife. A servant brought in a serving tray, gaping at John in open-mouthed wonder. "Why didn't I react like that?" Edraele asked once the poor girl left.
"The same mutation that gives you psychic powers and causes the tumor makes you immune to standard Thrall genetic programming," John explained as he cut up his food.
"Where does that come from, actually? Did you ever find out?" Irillith asked.
"Near as we can tell, Mael'nerak did it for a pregnant Valada so she and their daughters could protect themselves from another Progenitor. But he was rushed and distracted, which is why it causes cancer as well," John answered.
"John, promise me something; never rush giving any of us psychic powers," Rachel asked.
"Never, honey," John nodded.
"This is fun, all of us together," Jade grinned. "All that's missing is Nia."
John had an idea. He called the Invictus on his wrist communicator. "Yes, John?" Nia answered.
"I was worried you'd be getting lonely. You can stay on a call with us for the rest of the day," John told his AI crewmate.
"Thanks, John. It was a little weird, having the ship to myself," Nia said gratefully.
"Who is this?" Edraele asked.
"Remember the hacking deck Tashana gave me? Nia is an AI made by it. John considers her a full member of the crew," Irillith explained.
"Ah. Well, I hope you're taking precautions," Edraele said.
"One must trust before they can be trusted. I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt until she does something deliberately hostile," John defended Nia.
"I would never try to hurt any of you! You guys are like family to me!" Nia protested.
"Ah, thanks Nia! You're like a sister to us too," Calara grinned at John's wrist.
They finished the food, John stacking the plates and handing them to one of the guards outside to deal with. The woman looked like she'd have cleaned a toilet with her tongue if John asked her to. John had gotten used to the effect he had on the Maliri in his first life, so he didn't let it bother him. John returned to his girls and they spent the afternoon in conversation. Edraele's belly steadily shrank. When John felt their connection end, John pulled out his cock right there in front of all of them. "Time to fill you up again, Edraele."
Edraele seemed self-conscious to have an audience, but she blew him. She moaned at the flavor of his cum when he blew, eagerly sucking every drop. Her belly rounded out again, and John went back to investing energy in her. They got back to talking, Edraele ordering dinner when John's belly grumbled.
"Any alcohol in here?" Lirrash asked after finishing her plate.
"I normally prefer wine, but I can order anything you want and you'll get it," Edraele offered. She'd gotten more and more friendly as the day went on, relaxing as well as John's influence on her mind.
They ordered a round of drinks, John accepting the tray from an overwhelmed servant. He passed them out to the girls and wrapped an arm around Edraele's shoulder as he sipped his whiskey. "Why would you have McGregor '29?"
"Just so if any of my officials wanted to drink whiskey, I could say I could provide a 50-year example from one of the best distilleries in the Terran Federation. Bragging rights, essentially," Edraele admitted.
They talked until Edraele's belly went down. John called it a night, fed Edraele a third dose, and shielded himself before they all climbed into Edraele's massive bed. John's Astral dream was the usual agony, but it could have been worse. He checked on them all when he woke before going back to sleep.
They were woken up by Edraele's alarm at 0700 local time. "I can't believe I'm waking up next to a man," Edraele sighed into John's chest. "I forgot how good it feels."
"I wish we could wake up together every day, but unfortunately you have to stay here to rule House Valaden and later the Maliri as a whole while I'm out saving the galaxy. I'm sorry I won't always be there in person. But if you ever need to talk, I'm just a thought away," John said before giving Edraele a lingering kiss.
*Every second with you will be worth it,* Edraele sent to him.
They all got out of bed, the girls able to borrow from Edraele's extensive closet since they were the exact same size. Edraele ordered breakfast for them, getting her own on her knees at John's feet. The servant didn't even notice that her Matriarch had long white hair or looked pregnant, all her attention on John. They ate, and John sighed. "I don't want to spend all day just talking in this room. Is there a gym in this palace?"
"Yes, it's used by the guards, though I could have it cleared for you in a minute," Edraele offered.
"That might be best, I wouldn't want anyone to suffer an accident because I distracted them," John said with a shrug.
Edraele ordered the gym cleared of personnel and led them all personally through the palace. John's presence left a trail of devastation in his wake, all productivity grinding to a halt as the Maliri stared at him while he was in sight and gossiped about him with each other when he was gone. They reached the gym, which was more of a complex inside the palace. There was a room devoted to just weight machines, a pool, a couple rooms for Terran ball sports, a sauna, and a room for weapons training and martial arts sparring.
"Do what you want, everyone. Calara, follow me," John said, going into the sparring room. Edraele followed them in, not wanting to leave John's side. Jade went to the pool, of course. Alyssa took Lirrash, Rachel, and Irillith into the tennis court for shield practice. Dana decided to enjoy the sauna.
John and Calara sparred all morning, Edraele watching them fight in fascination. He and all the other girls went into the showers, which of course were of the Maliri variety. "Nope, nope, nope. Not happening," Dana said when Irillith demonstrated their use, the compartment filling with water laced with cleaning solution while Irillith just floated there. "I'll just be stinky and wet until we get back to the Invictus."
John focused on his Hydrokinesis and whisked all the sweat off Dana. "There, now you'll just stink."
They returned to Edraele's chambers, ordering lunch. "I thought Maliri noblewomen cooked all their own food," Alyssa said as they accepted the dishes from the servant.
"I didn't want to bother with it, so I threatened my chef that if I was ever poisoned, her entire family down to the most distant cousins would all be tortured and killed after my death. She's very meticulous in checking each dish for any contaminants," Edraele revealed. "Plus, I've used my powers to build a cult of personality around me, so the more ignorant or suggestible of my enemies don't believe I even can be poisoned due to my psychic might."
John fed Edraele her own lunch after he finished his. That done, John asked "Where are Luna, Ilyana, and Almari?"
"Ilyana and Almari are out on assignment," Edraele answered. "Luna's here on Valaden, though. Why?"
"My Wards tend to pair off, finding love with each other to take care of each other's emotional needs when I'm not available. Luna was your lover in my first life. I figured I could add her while I'm here, so you'd have a companion when we leave to go get the Trankaran engine tech," John said, remembering Edraele's bodyguard with love.
"I see. Well, I have no objections." Edraele went to her office, summoning her most successful assassin. "She'll be here within the hour," she announced when she returned.
They talked until there was a knock on the door. A beautiful Maliri woman (but was there any other kind?) came in, moving with the grace of a predator. "Greetings, Matriarch," she said by rote, before her eyes widened when she got a good look at Edraele. Then she noticed John and her jaw dropped.
"Hello, Luna. My name is Baen'thelas. I'm a Progenitor, a race of psychics from beyond the Galactic League. The man you know as Mael'nerak was a Progenitor. Like him, I've come to claim the Maliri. Edraele is now my closest ally. I wish to claim you as well. Would you like that?" John said, his voice hypnotic to the poor Maliri.
"Yes, please!" Luna rasped, her voice damaged in a gas attack years ago.
"Come here," John crooked his finger. Luna came to him like she was in a dream. "Kneel," John ordered. Luna got on her knees without question. John pulled down his pants, his cock swinging free. "Suck." Luna obeyed immediately, taking him into her mouth. Her yellow eyes went glassy as she went into the daze. John unloaded down her throat, having recharged with some glasses of water. John added her to his network under Edraele.
Edraele gasped. "I… I can feel her."
"That's what it means to be a Matriarch. You'll feel the emotions of all the Wards in your part of the network. You can send them one-way telepathic messages from anywhere, no matter how far apart you are. Once you reach a certain level of trust, you can bond with them and make it two-way," John explained. He healed Luna's body and pushed her into peak fitness for a Maliri. He debated giving her psychic powers but figured that could wait. "She'll be out for 14 hours, let's get her tucked in."
John lifted Luna and took her to the bedroom, disrobing her and settling her into the sheets. He returned to the common area where the girls were waiting. "That was scary to watch," Irillith admitted. "Luna is the deadliest warrior in House Valaden, but she was putty in your hands."
"Xar'aziuth wasn't messing around when he made the Thrall races. He wanted the women to be slavishly obedient to their Progenitor master even without the connection enforcing obedience. A picture of me was enough to set off the Matriarch Massacre," John sighed.
"John, I've been thinking. After a Progenitor dies, the network stays intact so long as their Matriarch lives, right?" Jade asked, a contemplative look on her features.
"Yes, that's true. But most Matriarchs suicide after their master dies, so the network gets lost pretty quick," John replied.
"But what if you could claim the Matriarch before she kills herself? Wouldn't you get all the Progenitor's Thralls as your Wards?" Jade asked.
John nodded. "Exactly, and I ended up doing that. Not as many times as I'd like, but we managed to save a few networks."
"Oh, I thought I had an original idea," Jade pouted.
"It was a good idea, honey, one that didn't occur to me for a long time in my first life," John assured her.
"So, what, we kill a Progenitor and then you convince his grieving widow to blow you?" Dana asked somewhat crassly as was her way.
"The pain the Progenitor Connection causes Thralls is unbearable, and most of these Matriarchs have been brainwashed for centuries or even millennia into needing a Progenitor master. It's surprisingly easy to convince them, though half the time I just loaded up Jade and she force-fed them," John explained.
"What happened to Larn'kelnar's Matriarch?" Lirrash asked.
"We fought a battle of attrition against him, he husked every Thrall in his network. I caught up with him when he ran and offered him a choice: him or his pregnant Matriarch. He husked her. Then my Guide took over and killed him anyway," John remembered.
"That's something to consider, that the longer a fight with a Progenitor goes the more Thralls they'll burn through for energy," Calara mused.
"Believe me, Sakura and I got very good at taking them out as quickly as possible," John said, remembering his Asian lover fondly.
They talked until dinner, John feeding Edraele again, and ordered drinks. They got tipsy and bonded until late, when John took them to the bedroom. He fed Edraele one last time for the day, and warded himself. He had an Astral dream for the second night in a row. He woke up and eased himself out of the bed. He got dressed and went to the common area. He called Nia on his wrist communicator. "John? It's 0130, you should be sleeping!" Nia said in concern.
"I had my Astral dream for adding Luna and she'll wake up in a couple hours anyway. I figured I'd just stay awake. So, what did you do all day?" John asked.
"Well, the Holonet is essentially the biggest free library in the galaxy, so I've been working my way through some novels. 'Pinnochio' was interesting, seemed almost like an AI, an inanimate object suddenly gaining human-level intelligence," Nia replied.
John talked with his AI for a couple hours, getting a glass of water around the 14 hour mark for Luna. He lifted her out of the bed with Telekinesis and laid her on a chair in the common area. When she began to stir, John handed her the glass. "Drink, Luna."
She finished the glass in a rush, opening her gold-colored eyes. She grinned at him. "Thank you, Baen'thelas… my voice!" Luna gasped, her voice now smooth like honey instead of a rasp.
"I healed all the damage to your body while you were unconscious. All your scars, all your injuries, even the sterilization. You're a new woman, my woman." John leaned in and gave her a kiss to her shocked lips.
"I can't thank you enough, Baen'thelas," Luna said, filled with gratitude.
"You can thank me by keeping Edraele and yourself safe. I have plans for both of you, so I'm counting on you to keep the two of you alive," John told her solemnly.
"No one will touch Edraele, Baen'thelas. And I'm very good at staying alive when someone's trying to kill me," Luna grinned with amusement.
"Excellent. Now, we've got a few hours to ourselves. Tell me more about yourself," John prompted.
They talked until the girls stirred at Edraele's alarm at 0700, Luna's connection to John widening noticeably over the course of the conversation. John gave Edraele and Luna a kiss. "Alas, I have to go. Look after each other, okay?"
"I'll keep my promise, Baen'thelas," Luna swore.
"I won't send her on missions, she's my shadow from now on," Edraele agreed.
"I'd like to leave you both with something to remember me by," John said leadingly. He made love to both of them, alternating between thrusting into Edraele's and Luna's pussy. After he'd made both cum multiple times, he fed them both half his load. Luna passed out for 4 hours, and Edraele beamed up at him. John gave Edraele one last kiss. "Take good care of House Valaden, my Maliri Queen."
"I will, my King," she said back.
John got dressed and had Irillith lead him and his Lionesses out of the palace. They all crammed into Irillith's hover-car and returned to the Invictus. John pressed his hand to the DNA reader at the airlock. "Oh, John, how good to have you enter me again," said a sultry voice as the door opened.
"You've had too much free time, Dana," John chuckled.
They went to the Bridge. Jade got them out of Valaden's atmosphere and to the edge of the system. Alyssa put in a course for the Procyon system, Rachel's home system, and they were off in hyperwarp. "A week," the blonde told them all.
*I miss you already,* John told Edraele.
*That's sweet. Now hush. I'm drafting an edict banning neural whips throughout House Valaden territory. I need to word it just right so everyone who reads it wonders what scheme I'm working but is still too terrified to disobey,* Edraele responded.
*Yes, honey,* John thought back. "Okay, breakfast, then back to training. Irillith, take a break from psychic practice to do some time in the Firing Range. I know you've trained, but now you're a Ward you can get as good as physically possible. Nia, when you're not helping Dana, keep an eye on the long-range scanners. In my first life, we almost got ambushed by House Ghilwen on the way out of Maliri space."
"Watch Commander Nia reporting for duty, sir!" Nia saluted on the vid-screen.
They went down to the Lounge to get breakfast, John recharging and feeding Jade to dole out his cum to all the girls as was their routine. Dana and Jade went to the Engineering Bay to work on the Invictus' upgrades and Irillith took an original XR75 Rifle to the Firing Range. John and the rest of the girls went to the Gym. Alyssa, Lirrash, and Rachel had their psychic session while John and Calara sparred. The rest of the day passed like what had become the usual when they were in transit between places.
The next day, in the afternoon, Nia raised an alarm on the intercom. "House Ghilwen ships on approach vector!" They stopped what they were doing to go to the Bridge.
"Okay, Irillith, time to see if that psychic hacking practice paid off," John said encouragingly.
Irillith closed her eyes and Spirit-Walked into the digital realm. She went to the communications array and projected herself to the lead Ghilwen Cruiser. She breezed through the firewalls and sabotaged the Tachyon Drive. She returned to her body, and watched as Alyssa guided them through the gap in the line. "Someone's earned a full belly," John grinned.
Irillith had a beaming grin for the rest of the day.
They reached the Maliri border and crossed back into the Terran Federation. John began sparring with Yamamoto again now that they were in range of Terran comm beacons. John was now consistently winning. Yamamoto sighed after their last duel the day before they arrived at New Eden. "You're better than me, let's both admit it."
"Do you want to stop?" John asked.
"No, but… I used to think I was the best. Now I know for a fact I'm not. I'm just starting to wonder if dedicating the last 10 years of my life to my craft was even worth it," Yamamoto said morosely.
"You could reenter the Kendo circuit, prove your skill against fresh opponents," John suggested.
"... I never told you why I left the championships," Yamamoto finally said.
"No, you didn't," John nodded, wondering if his rival was going to open up about his wife and daughter's murder.
"Let's just say that I won't go back until a certain someone dies," Yamamoto stated coldly.
"Mind telling me who it is? I could hunt him down for you," John offered.
Yamamoto frowned. "This is my burden to bear… but if ever you cross paths with a man who calls himself Amatsu Mikaboshi, don't let him survive the encounter."
"I won't," John promised.
Yamamoto ended the simulation there, leaving John alone in the simulation room.
The next day, they had breakfast and went up to the Bridge. By 0900, they arrived in the Procyon system. Jade took them in towards New Eden, home to the richest people in the Terran Federation. "I'll take Alyssa, Calara, Jade, Rachel, and Irillith. The rest of you, stay up here," John ordered. "Full armor, we want to make an impression."
They got in their Phalanx armor suits, heavily upgraded by Dana. John and Alyssa had upped the shapings of the armor plates to deca-shaped. They grabbed their Punisher Railguns and went to the Raptor. Jade flew them in towards Avalon, the capital city. They were hailed by Flight Command. "Incoming dropship, state your purpose at Avalon."
"This is Commodore John Blake. I'm conducting an investigation. Please inform Avalon PD I'll be arriving shortly," John said sternly.
"Right away, Commodore!" said the tech.
Jade landed them at the Avalon PD headquarters, a 30-story skyscraper with plenty of landing pads. John and his Lionesses walked out and made for the building. A young detective came out just as they approached the door and gasped. "Commodore!"
"Yes, I'm Commodore Blake. Who are you?" John asked.
"Detective Karen Walsh. How can I help you?" Karen asked.
"We're investigating a cold case. I need to see your data archives," John told her.
Detective Walsh led them to the server room, her colleagues stopping what they were doing to get a look at the Lions of the Federation. Karen swiped a keycard and let them into the server room. Irillith, her faceplate opaque to mask her appearance, slid data jacks from her vambrace into the server. "Nia, run a search for these criteria," Irillith ordered, typing on a fold-out keyboard. Once the AI found the relevant files, Irillith hooked a holo-projector to the wall to display them for Calara to examine.
"You're investigating the New Eden Serpents?" Karen asked.
"They killed my mother," Rachel said coldly.
"Oh," Karen said, at a loss.
"The lead detective in all these cases is Cliff Buckley. Is he still on the force?" Calara asked.
"Yes, Captain Buckley runs the precinct now," Karen answered.
A man in a suit and a red face came into the room. "Stop what you're doing! I didn't give you permission to access our archives!"
"I'm a Commodore, I outrank you and every civilian on this planet. I don't need your permission," John said flatly.
Calara whispered in Irillith's ear, who launched a new search. Buckley glanced at the files and paled. "Commodore Blake, surely we can discuss this in my office like reasonable gentlemen…"
"He's a corrupt cop. He was working with the Serpents," Calara declared, Irillith pulling up the damning bank statements. "There's more, he arranged the hit of two detectives. They were onto him." The audio file of the call played, Buckley's voice demanding some stranger to 'take care' of two detectives. The watching officers were appalled. Buckley gulped and reached shakily for his handgun. Alyssa grabbed him with Telekinesis and lifted him off the ground.
John looked into Buckley's wide eyes. "Where are the New Eden Serpents? I won't ask twice."
"Beta Draconis! They went legit, they're a Mercenary Company, the Armored Cobras!" Buckley cracked, singing like a bird.
John nodded and turned to Rachel. "He's an accessory to your mother's murder. What do you want done with him?"
"He's a cop killer. Let his men deal with him," Rachel declared.
Alyssa tossed Buckley aside and John led his crew out of the room. Detective Walsh kept pace with them. "Where are you going now?" she asked.
"Beta Draconis, of course," John answered.