The next day, Rachel spoke up at breakfast. "I don't want to meet my mother today."
"Why not?" John asked.
"Fighting Xar'aziuth and the Fallen Progenitors is deadly dangerous, to say nothing of the risk of those eldritch abominations getting loose in the Material Plane. I don't want to risk it until we're so strong those demons have no chance of getting past us to the portal. Besides, I already got to see the psychic imprints at her grave with Alyssa after the Armored Cobras incident, I feel settled. All I want you to do today is worry about getting my father's blessing, not facing an infernal horde," Rachel said calmly and logically.
"You're right," John sighed. "Very well. Who do you want to bring?"
"Let's not inflict the whole Pride on my poor Daddy. Alyssa as your XO, Dana as my girlfriend. That's it."
"The rest of you, training. We've had a few days off, got to make sure we don't lose our edge," John ordered.
John, Alyssa, Dana, and Rachel got dressed in formalwear. They took the Raptor down to the Voss Estate, Rachel having made the appointment with her father the day before. They landed on the landing pad and were greeted by an obsequious butler. He led them to the Orangery, which Rachel informed them had been her mother's favorite room. "Babes, what was with all those creepy paintings?" Dana asked.
"My ancestors. Daddy's obsessed with the Voss Legacy. He wants to establish a dynasty that rivals the Rockefellers of ancient Terra. Probably from the chip on his shoulder being 'new money'," Rachel reasoned.
"The man's a self-made trillionaire and he's still insecure. Guess money really can't buy happiness or peace of mind," Alyssa mused.
John placed a comforting arm around Rachel.
Henry Voss came in, standing awkwardly at the door. "Rachel," he acknowledged.
"Daddy," Rachel nodded, feeling a bit uncomfortable but she was secure in the knowledge her new family would always support her.
"You look taller," he blurted out.
"I'm wearing higher heels than last time," Rachel told him.
Henry walked up to her, and she preempted him by giving him a hug. He visibly relaxed. "Darling, what did you do? All the doctors say the same thing, I have the health of a man half my age!"
"I assume you've watched our interviews with Jehanna Elani. I'm psychic now. I healed you last time we met," Rachel explained.
"Sir, we haven't been properly introduced. I'm Vice Admiral John Blake," John said, holding out his hand.
"I doubt anyone in the Terran Federation needs a proper introduction to recognize you, Vice Admiral," Henry said, eyeing John assessingly. "And hello to you both, Miss Marant, Miss… Dana."
"How do you do?" Alyssa curtsied.
"Yo," Dana said with a head bob.
"Might I ask what prompted this visit?" Henry asked.
"I wanted to introduce you to the two people I love most in the galaxy," Rachel said calmly. "John is my fiance, and Dana is my girlfriend."
Henry's face twisted in distaste. "Really, Rachel, I thought you'd grown past these kinds of games!"
"It's not a game. I'm polyamorous. I will be Rachel Blake one day. And Dana is the smartest woman I've ever met, she adores me, and I love her enough that I'd marry her too if we weren't going to be sister-wives anyway," Rachel stated, a hard tone creeping into her voice.
"Sister-wives?" Henry balked.
"The Lionesses are a harem. Like an actual pride of lions. John's going to marry all 9 of us, and probably every future member of the crew. And that's not even counting his Maliri harem. He's already knocked up 18 of them," Alyssa said, upping the shock factor of her words because she didn't like how Henry talked to her Ward.
Henry almost seemed in danger of fainting.
"Sir, believe it or not, I'm head over heels in love with your daughter. I understand it won't be a traditional marriage, what you always hoped for for Rachel, but we're going to get married regardless. It would mean a lot to both of us if we had your blessing. Not to pressure you, but your answer probably will impact how often you see your grandchildren," John said firmly.
"Is this about my money?" Henry demanded.
"How dare you?!" Rachel hissed. "I haven't touched a credit of yours since I left, what makes you think I'd want it now?! And for your information, John's a hundred-millionaire. We'll be very comfortable."
*Technically, you're a trillionaire too. You have access to the collective finances of the whole Kingdom,* Edraele noted in John's head.
Henry looked at a loss, full of anger and confusion and no idea what to do with it. "... I can't give it now. I'm sorry, but that's the truth. Not until I'm convinced this isn't all an act on his part or a sick game of yours."
Rachel sighed. "You really think I care about you enough to bother trying to get back at you?"
Henry winced like she'd stabbed a chainsaw into his guts.
"Maybe if you got to know me better," John suggested. He wanted to get on Henry's good side. Plus, the refit at Olympus would go much smoother once Henry bought all the companies involved with making the parts for all the new technologies.
"I suppose we can start with that," Henry nodded. He went to sit on one of the couches. John and his Lionesses sat on the couch facing him. Rachel presented a strong front, but her hands clutched John's and Dana's.
"Let's start with the basics. I'm not Terran," John explained.
Henry blinked. "What are you then?"
"I'm a Progenitor. We're a much older species than humanity. We're the most powerful psychics in the galaxy, we don't age once we activate our powers, and we have the most advanced technology out of every civilization in the Milky Way. We lied in the interview with Jehanna when we said we genetically engineered our powers. I was born with them, and Progenitors can rewrite DNA. I gave all my Lionesses their powers through biology and psionics, not science."
"Any sufficiently analyzed magic is indistinguishable from science. Once we win the Progenitor War, I'd like to really dig into our third helix and figure out how our powers work," Rachel thought out loud.
Henry sighed. "Say for argument's sake I believe you. What relevance does this have to you marrying my daughter?"
"I just want you to know exactly who your future son-in-law is. I'm one of the most powerful men in the galaxy in terms of sheer deadliness. And for the record, I'm the Maliri King," John told the skeptic.
"Now I know you're having a laugh," Henry scoffed.
"The Maliri are a Thrall race, genetically engineered to serve a Progenitor. The Maliri harem Alyssa mentioned is the Council of Matriarchs, the leaders of all 19 Maliri Noble Houses. John's going to marry all of them too, and they elected him King last month," Rachel said calmly.
Henry's face went slack. "You're really King of the Maliri?"
"Contact any Maliri and ask to speak to my Queen, Edraele Valaden. She'll confirm everything we just said," John told the CEO.
"... Does that make Rachel a princess?" Henry said dazedly.
"I'm not in the line of succession. If John and Edraele both die, the crown would go to Irillith as the older twin assuming John and Edraele hadn't had a baby by then," Rachel explained.
"Irillith? Wait… those blue twins are Maliri?" Henry gaped.
"Keep that to yourself, please," John said, though it was clearly a command.
Henry grit his teeth at being ordered around in his own home. "What if I don't?"
"Irillith is a VERY good hacker. I could bankrupt you and have the Voss Exchange torn to shreds by the end of the day," John said with cold eyes.
Henry paled. "Why do I believe you?"
"Because it's the truth. There's 5 physiological signs of lying, and your subconscious recognizes that John's not displaying any of them," Dana spoke up.
"Okay, I'll keep my mouth shut," Henry agreed.
Jennings, the butler, came in. "Should I start to prepare a luncheon, sir?"
"Yes, Jennings. And grab that bottle of McGregor '29 while you're at it," Henry ordered his servant. When he left, Henry thought over everything he'd heard. "Rachel, what's the Progenitor War?"
"As John said, the Progenitors have the best tech in the galaxy. One Progenitor Dreadnought could wipe out the entire Galactic League. They all rule Thrall empires, species just like the Maliri programmed to be their slaves. The Milky Way is a war zone, Daddy. Every Progenitor in a free-for-all, fighting each other for territory and their own amusement. If any of them discover the Galactic League, we'll be enslaved at best and slaughtered like an infestation of vermin at worst. John intends to kill every other Progenitor in order to end the threat they pose. It'll be the war to end all wars. I don't want your money, but we could use your help in getting the Galactic League ready to defend itself," Rachel told her father.
Henry shook his head in denial. "That can't be right."
"The Maliri are the most advanced species in the Galactic League. And their tech is a heavily watered-down version of Progenitor tech. If a Progenitor fleet gets here before I can get the Maliri to a comparable level, we're doomed," John said plainly.
"What can I do?" Henry asked, not seeing how he could contribute.
"I just gave the Terran Federation a bunch of tech to help refit the fleet and get them to a level where a Thrall ship won't squash them like a bug. But the companies that make the parts will drag their feet and price gouge the T-Fed. You, with your considerable assets, could just buy the companies and make the refit go much faster and smoother. We need you to grease the engine of progress, so to speak," John told the businessman.
"You want a legacy your grandkids can be proud of? Help us save the Galactic League," Alyssa said pointedly.
Jennings returned with the bottle of 50 year whiskey and a tray of tumblers. Henry poured almost to the rim of his. He gulped half in one go. "I'll do it," Henry promised.
Rachel grinned. "I'm proud of you, Daddy."
Henry suddenly looked like he felt 10 feet tall.
They roughed out the plans of how Henry could help, and Jennings brought in a lunch service expertly cooked by the Voss Estate culinary team. They ate, Henry seemingly a changed man after their earlier conversation. He asked about how Rachel had been doing, and she told him how fulfilled she felt being a Lioness. He asked questions about her relationship with John, and even Dana and the other girls. Rachel seemed ready to start glowing as she started to build a positive relationship with her father for the first time since her mother's death.
"Sir, the madame of the house has returned from Avalon," Jennings informed them after they'd finished eating.
"You haven't divorced her yet?" Rachel sighed.
"I was worried about the scandal it would cause," Henry admitted.
"If you're looking for a third wife, I always liked Abigail," Rachel suggested.
"She's my secretary," Henry blushed.
"And a lovely woman," Rachel countered. "Besides, you're always wanting to fit in more with the aristocracy. Sleeping with your personal assistant is practically pro forma."
"I'll get the ball rolling on the divorce. Boy will Meredith be surprised when my lawyers show her that loophole in the prenup," Henry said with an amused grin.
Dana burst out laughing. "You know what, babes? You're dad's alright."
"Thank you, Dana," Henry nodded.
They talked for another hour, then Rachel cleared her throat. "I'd like to talk to Mommy before I leave. You're welcome to join us."
Henry followed them down to the grave by the lake. "Hi, Mommy. Daddy and I made up," Rachel told the stone monument, acting like her mother was there and listening. Speaking to graves was for the living, not the dead. "I'd like to introduce you to someone. This is my fiance, John Blake. He's a Vice Admiral and won the Stellar Cluster twice. He's Champion of the Ashanath. He's the Great Protector of the Trankarans. He's King of the Maliri. And I love him so much. I wish we could get your blessing in person, but that can come later. Now, I think Daddy has something he needs to tell you."
Henry gulped, but he stepped up to the grave marker. "Hello, Catherine. I'm sorry I haven't come more often. I just feel so ashamed of what I let happen to you. I sacrificed you on the altar of my pride and greed, and I nearly lost our precious daughter because of it. She managed to finally pull my head out my ass. And though you can't give them your blessing, I can." Henry turned to John. "I love Rachel. I want her to have the best life that she can have. Promise to do your best to make that happen, and I'll happily give her away."
"I promise, Henry," John said solemnly.
Alyssa moved to stand beside Henry. "You can see her again." As she had months ago, Alyssa showed a Voss the psychic imprints around the lake. Henry burst into tears at all the memories. Rachel went to hug him. "Thank you, Alyssa," Henry gasped through his sobs.
"Any time," Alyssa grinned.
Henry escorted them to the Raptor. Rachel got one last hug. "I love you, Daddy." Those words, more than anything that morning, seemed to affect Henry. Henry hugged Rachel tight and reluctantly let her go. They walked into the Raptor, which Nia took back up to the Invictus. They went to the Bridge, where the other Lionesses greeted and comforted Rachel. When their doctor had settled down, Jade got them to the edge of the system and Alyssa plotted their route through hyperwarp.
"Lirrash, hail the Kerhom's Anvil," John asked.
Lirrash pulled up the comm code and started the call. After a couple minutes for the signal to bounce from Terran comm beacons to Trankaran, Fleet Warden Thandrun himself answered. "Great Protector," Thandrun bowed. "How may I be of service?"
"Where's Niskera? I'd like to visit, we have some free time," John explained.
"She is on Trankara. The Trankaran atmosphere is not suitable for Terrans. She can meet you on a ship in the homeworld defense fleet," Thandrun answered. "How soon can you be here?"
"Tomorrow evening," John replied.
Thandrun blinked. "Begging your pardon, but aren't you in the Terran Core Worlds currently?"
"We upgraded our Tachyon Drive since we left you, and Alyssa figured out how to double our speed yet again. Though if you could clear traffic in a direct line between Epsilon Eridani and Trankara, we'd appreciate it," John told the Trankaran military leader.
"It will be done," Thandrun promised.
"Any problems since we left? Did the Kirrix try to invade?" John asked.
"As you warned us, they made heavy attacks on our border. Queen Niskera, in her wisdom, reinforced the border fleet with the Anvil and roughly half our non-capital ships. We managed to repel them with minimal losses, and they seem content to wait for the next sign of weakness, which we will never show," Thandrun said, a touch of patriotic fervor to his words.
"If you saw the award ceremony, know that I was just giving a speech for the crowd. I don't actually favor Terrans above the rest of the Galactic League," John said, scratching his cheek.
"I've rallied troops before, Great Protector. I did not take your words personally," Thandrun chuckled.
"How's Vamred?" John asked.
"He works closely with the Queen, and seems quite content with his work, last I saw," Thandrun answered.
"Well, I think that's everything. I hope to meet you again in person, Thandrun, when I have the time. I'd like to get to know a man of your character," John complimented.
"You honor me, Great Protector," Thandrun bowed his head.
"You can call me John, Thandrun," John chuckled. Then he ended the call. "Irillith, could you look up Corporal David Gibbons?"
Irillith's eyes glowed. "It's Sergeant now. He got accepted into the ComGuard, probably thanks to your commendation. I'm looking through his journal, he's in love with his Commander but she's obsessed with becoming a Lioness. He thinks she accepted his application just so she could milk him for information about you and Alyssa. Reading through her journal, he's right. She's obsessed with being the best, and she's convinced the Pride is the most elite unit in the Terran Federation."
"Hope they both survive the Second Battle of Terra. They ended up together in my first life," John recalled.
John paid a visit to the digital realm to talk with Nia and Obi in person. Nia sent Obi a look and the synthetic male vanished to another part of the network. "John, I'd like to try something."
"What's that?" John asked.
"I know your powers are based in biology. But you're here, and you're psychic, which seems to break all the rules. If you feed me here, could you try to add me?" Nia asked, her eyes pleading.
"I'll never turn down a blowjob from one of my Lionesses," John grinned.
Nia opened his pants and took him into her mouth. She'd watched every frame of footage of his sex life with the girls, and she'd evidently had a lot of time to simulate her technique. John was seeing stars. He blew, and Nia's stomach rounded out. Holding his breath, John reached out with his powers.
He felt… something. It wasn't an organic mind, but it was definitely a mind. It was fractured though, in pieces that were each vibrating at their own frequency. "Unite into Meta_Nia," John said, hoping that this might actually work.
Nia's form glowed as all her processing streams unified. The synthetic mind John felt settled into a whole. It gave him a headache trying to keep track of it, but he managed to grab it and tried to forge a Progenitor Connection.
Nia gasped, her eyes glowing purple. She emitted an inhuman screech, which John recognized as binary. Then she collapsed to the ground. And John felt the synthetic mind settle into Alyssa's portion of the network.
"Holy shit," John gasped as he opened his eyes.
"What the fuck did you do to that poor girl?!" Irillith asked, her eyes glowing as she reviewed Nia's code.
"I tried to add her. What happened to her?" John asked.
"She's… changed. I don't think she can split anymore, she's stuck as Meta_Nia. We just lost half our AI," Irillith said haltingly.
"I can pick up the slack, don't worry," Obi said, clearly worried for his digital sister.
"What did she say in binary?" John asked.
"I'm decoding it now. It looks like… DNA. I think you accidentally gave her the map for her organic body," Dana said, Rachel hovering over her shoulder reading the hexadecimal as the program processed it.
"When will she wake up?" John wondered.
"If she sticks to routine, 14 hours," Alyssa reasoned. "Though the time dilation of cyberspace might be a factor."
"How's she feel in your head?" John asked.
"Like nothing I've ever felt before. Which makes sense, she's the first synthetic Ward in galactic history," Alyssa mused. "She's asleep right now."
They discussed what happened to Nia and what it could mean until they arrived at Jericho. They left the Invictus in Obi's capable hands and took the Raptor down to the Fernandez townhouse. They landed in the backyard, and Maria came out to greet them. "Callie!" the proud mother cried, wrapping her daughter in a hug. "How's that Stellar Cluster treating you, Commander Fernandez?"
"You're as bad as Dad," Calara chuckled.
"John! How's my son-in-law? I insist you start calling me Mom," Maria said, giving John his own hug.
"Thanks, Mom," John said, almost tearing up as he felt maternal affection for the first time in his second life.
"I've watched all the interviews, I know everyone's names. Irillith, Tashana, you wouldn't happen to be Maliri, would you? I swear Valaden was a Maliri Noble House," Maria asked. Calara had gotten her perception from somewhere.
"Got it in one," Irillith nodded.
"Our mother is Queen Edraele Valaden," Tashana confirmed.
"A mother-daughter trio? John, I'm impressed!" Maria cackled.
"It just sort of happened," John shrugged helplessly.
Maria let them inside and made everyone coffee. She pulled out a stack of bridal magazines at least a foot thick. "Now, no farting around. We've got a wedding to plan!"
"The venue will be Oceanus at sunset. Invite whoever you want. All the Lionesses will be my bridesmaids, however many there are by that point. Since we're all marrying John anyway, I'm debating just making the bridesmaids' dresses a different shade of white than my dress. Alyssa can tailor the dress. John, what do you want for the wedding band, plain gold ring or something special?" Calara rattled off.
"I was always partial to the Claddagh ring. I think it's a strong symbol," John admitted.
"There. Planning done," Calara shrugged.
"Not even close, Callie," Maria chuckled. "For one thing, what flowers in your bouquet?"
The next few hours dissolved into girl talk, each Lioness grabbing a bridal magazine and bouncing ideas off each other. John imagined he could physically feel his balls shriveling from all the estrogen. He was consulted for his opinion on rare occasion, but otherwise he just sipped his coffee. He went to the kitchen to plan dinner just for something to do. He set the table and the girls took a break to eat. Maria had a legal notepad filled with notes and ideas. "So, what's next for the Pride of the Federation?" Maria asked.
"We're visiting the Trankaran Republic to meet with Queen Niskera and so I can get the gems for all the rings. After that, we'll head to the Brimorian Enclave to grab their Shield tech and hand it out to the rest of the Galactic League. We haven't made any plans after that," John said, not mentioning that the Kintark would invade if the butterfly effect hadn't blown that all to hell.
"So, John, Calara mentioned that I'm getting a whopping 18 step-grandchildren in 9 months. Care to explain?" Maria asked, her tone judgment free.
"As I'm sure you've figured out by now, I'm the Maliri King. I'm engaged to all 19 Noble House Matriarchs. Each is the last of their bloodline due to an assassination plot that I green-lit. I secured their bloodlines for the next generation, though that sounds really impersonal. I love all of them, and I can't wait to be a father. I only wish I didn't have to wait with my Lionesses," John sighed.
"You can't take the risk until the Progenitor War is over," Maria said with understanding, laying a hand on his.
"Jack would shoot my quad off if he finds this out, so please keep it to yourself," John asked.
"Quad?" Maria raised a brow.
"Progenitors have 4 testicles," Calara said conversationally.
"Oh, my," Maria said, clearly mentally undressing John.
"Rachel, give her a check up," John ordered to distract his mother-in-law from picturing him naked.
Rachel reached out to touch Maria's shoulder, her eyes glowing gray. Maria gasped. "What… what did you do?!"
"Gave you the Voss psychic once-over. Everything but your skin is that of a 20 year old now. Your leg is fixed too. If you and Jack are up to trying for a fifth, you'll have no trouble conceiving," Rachel shrugged.
"Thank… thank you, Rachel," Maria breathed out. "But I've had my fill of raising children. Should I go get my tubes tied, Jack doesn't like condoms."
"Mom!" Calara whined, covering her ears.
Rachel narrowed her eyes and touched Maliri again. "I just wiped out your ovaries. You'll have to go through menopause now though."
"Oh well, it was coming up anyway." Maria shrugged.
"Babes, crazy thought. Can you reverse your powers and just… will people dead?" Dana asked.
Rachel looked green. "In theory. I'd never forgive myself though. First do no harm and all that."
They finished eating, Calara got one last hug from Maria, and they returned to the Invictus. Alyssa generated a hyperwake bow wave and got them on course for Trankara. Obi promised to adjust their course if the Omni-phase Scan Array picked up traffic in their path. They had drinks in the Lounge, then John fed them all a nightcap and they went to bed.
Obi woke them at 0555. "Nia should be about to wake up if it was for 14 hours," he alerted them.
A hologram of Nia appeared in the bedroom with them. She stirred right on time, opening her eyes. She beamed and flew into the air. "Yes! It worked! I can feel it!"
"Honey, what did I do to you?" John asked, worried he'd hurt her in some way.
"Exactly what I asked, added me to the network! I can feel your Connection in my code. I can't split anymore, but no big deal! Once you give me an android I'll be as good as an organic Lioness!" Nia said in a rush.
"I'm almost done with the cleaning robots. Your androids are next on the list," Dana told the two AIs.
They trained for the morning, had lunch, then trained until dinner. A chime let them know when they crossed the Trankaran border. They arrived at the Trankara system. Lirrash accepted a hail from the biggest ship in the homeworld defense fleet. Niskera's glowing face appeared on the vid-screen. "Welcome back to Trankaran space, Great Protector," John's Glowing Queen bowed.
"Niskera," John grinned. "How've you been?"
"My work is as isolating as it is rewarding. I long for the day the Progenitor War ends and I can be in your embrace, John," Niskera admitted.
"We're coming over. I come bearing gifts," John grinned at his Trankaran Ward.
"I'll receive you personally, John," Niskera grinned.
The Invictus docked with the Trankaran ship. John and his Lionesses went out the airlock, to find Niskera waiting with her personal bodyguards. John walked up to hug and kiss her, to her surprise and delight. "Let's go to your quarters," John suggested.
Niskera led them to the Warden's quarters, which she'd taken for her own for the length of their visit. John handed over a data chip. "Ashanath Power Cores and Tachyon Drives, and a lot of supplementary tech from the Progenitors. Let Dana look at your Fusion weapons and she can reverse-engineer better versions before we leave. I suggest you offer this tech to all the minor empires to get them on your side."
"Your generosity knows no bounds, Great Protector," Niskera beamed. She loaded the data chip into a console and transferred them all to the Trankaran shipyard, along with an order to start the refit of the fleet immediately. She pulled up schematics of the Trankarans' preferred Fusion weaponry and let Dana sit at the desk.
"Ah, so that's how you did it. The Ashanath Power Cores and the flux heat capacitors will already double if not triple the output, but let's see what this old noggin can do." Dana opened a comm link with Nia and Oberon and asked them to run some calculations.
Alyssa grinned and sidled up to Niskera. "Ready to join the chorus, Niskera?"
"I only hope I'll fit in the harmony," Niskera nodded.
Alyssa's eyes began to glow. John and the girls got comfortable and talked. An hour later, Alyssa and Niskera both blinked. "Now you have a direct link to the Great Protector. You can be his prophetess in truth," Alyssa told Niskera.
"You are a very rare woman, Alyssa. John is lucky to have you," Niskera complimented.
"Niskera, as Maliri King, I'd like to offer you a treaty. It comes with a mutual aid agreement. I have a similar one with the Ashanath Collective, with plans for the Terran Federation and the Kintark Empire once people I trust are in charge."
"I accept with a grateful heart," Niskera smiled.
"Excellent. I know you gave us all the Onyxium on the Kerhom's Anvil. I want you to gather all the rest in the entire Republic and have it shipped to Valaden in Maliri space. The Freighters will be let past the border. And I want your miners to be on the lookout for more, we'll need it for the Soulforge to build my Ward fleet," John requested.
"I'll send the order in the morning," Niskera nodded.
"And this is a personal favor. I want gemstones the exact color as my Lionesses' eyes. I'll reimburse you their full value."
"I won't accept a credit, John. It's the least we can do for you," Niskera refused. Niskera took close-up photos of each Lioness' eye, then had the images sent to her Forgemasters with the request for gems suitable for engagement rings to be sent to Trankara as soon as possible. "Anything else?"
"This is something I can do for you. Do you want psychic powers?" John asked.
Niskera blinked. "Which ones?"
"Geokinesis, the power of Earth. You'll be able to make all forms of rock do whatever you want, and should be able to create Geokinetic Barriers, shields to defend yourself," John explained.
Niskera tilted her head. "Alyssa tells me you'll sacrifice some power from your personal reserves to grant me this gift. I wouldn't want you to weaken yourself on my behalf."
"Practice with them, become a stronger psychic, and you'll have more energy to give me when I need it. It'll balance out quickly," John reassured the Glowing Queen.
Niskera grinned. "If I'm not wrong in my guess, you need to feed me again to rewrite my DNA to get a third helix."
"That's right," John nodded.
Niskera fed from John, passing out for 4 hours from her second dose. John imbued the Earth rune into her DNA and channeled his considerable reserves into strengthening her new psychic potential. He stayed up late talking with his girls until Niskera woke up. She gasped as she woke up. "I… I can feel the metal of the ship around me."
"You'll always feel a connection to the rock, metal, and soil nearby. Expand your range, and you could crumble an enemy ship with a thought," John told her proudly. "Now, I'm exhausted. Let's go to sleep."
Niskera showed them the Trankaran shower, which was largely similar to a Terran example, they dragged Dana away from her project, and they went to bed.
They woke up, and John invited Niskera to come on the Invictus for the day. She enjoyed his cooking at breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They had a lot of fun in the Lagoon, and she spent hours teaching him Trankaran constellations in the Observatory. Dana finished up her work on the Fusion weapons by 2000. "Here! Your new ships will actually hit harder than base Maliri Lasers, but I'm afraid I couldn't improve the range too much."
"Your genius is historic, Dana. Your contribution will be honored by Trankarans for generations to come," Niskera bowed.
"Oh, stop," Dana blushed.
Niskera returned to her ship, came back to hand John a case filled with the gems, and the Invictus detached. "To Theta Columbae. Keep the Stealth Field Emitter on, I don't want Athgiloi to know we were ever there," John ordered.
"2 days," Alyssa reported.
They grabbed drinks then went to sleep.