The Raptor glided down through Terra's atmosphere, coming to alight on a landing pad at the Citadel, the center of Terran Federation military power. News that the Lion would be attending the High Command meeting must have leaked, because there was a huge crowd waiting. John and Alyssa were wearing their Lion and Lioness uniforms. John saluted the crowd before waving, getting raucous cheers. Alyssa beamed a charming smile. They walked towards the entrance to the Citadel, the crowd almost mobbing them until they found themselves pushing up against invisible walls. John and Alyssa walked unimpeded.
"Lion! Vice Admiral Blake!" shouted one woman, with dark brown hair and green eyes. "Commander Madison Wessex, Sentinel Alpha! Please accept my application to be a Lioness!"
John paused, remembering her from his first life. He walked up to her, the crowd coming to a hush as John approached. "Madison, believe it or not, I'm not in charge of recruitment, Alyssa is. Alyssa?"
Alyssa walked up, made a show of looking Madison over, and then her eyes glowed. "Oh, sorry, you're ineligible. John would never break up a relationship by only recruiting one, and I'm afraid the crew is women-only."
"What are you talking about? I'm not in a relationship!" Madison protested.
"Really? Because I barely skimmed your memories and I can tell David Gibbons would rip out his beating heart for you," Alyssa told the leader of the ComGuard's most elite group.
"David?" Madison said in shock.
"Well, I'm afraid I can't let you join. But I'd be happy to keep in contact with you, I can always use more friends. Here's my comm code, please keep it to yourself," John said, handing over a card. "Tell me how it works out with David, he's a good man, that's why I gave him the commendation."
Madison, her world rocked, accepted the card. Then John and Alyssa resumed their journey into the Citadel. They were greeted by Maybridge's adjutant, who led them to the High Command Chamber. They were 15 minutes early, but most of the Admirals were already in attendance. There was impromptu applause when John walked into the room. John nodded and went up to Charles and Lynette. "Hey, you two."
"Lynette told me what you and Alyssa have planned. Are you sure about this?" Charles asked.
"I showed mercy in my first life, and it came back to bite me in the ass. We're cleaning out High Command," John told his friend.
The meeting came to order, Admiral Maybridge taking the lectern. "First order of business, given the crimes former Fleet Admiral Vincent Buckingham has committed, I am ordering he be arrested on charges of treason and face prosecution. I am ordering the same for Admiral Carl Weber. The existence of Tartarus has been revealed to the whole Federation, and we need to let the public see that no one is above the law."
"No thanks to the Vice Admiral here," sneered one Admiral, glaring at John.
"No speaking out of place, Admiral," Maybridge scolded. "Second order of business, I call for a vote for the election of a new Fleet Admiral. Will anyone second my motion?"
Over half the room raised their hands.
"Very well. Are there any nominations?" Eleanor asked. "Remember, you are prohibited by law from nominating yourself.
"I nominate Admiral Lynette Devereux," Charles said after raising his hand.
"All Admirals, submit your vote," Maybridge ordered. John held his breath. But Lynette had been campaigning in the background ever since Buckingham was arrested. She won the vote. "So be it. Please take the stand, Fleet Admiral Lynette Devereux," Maybridge said with a smile.
Lynette stood up and walked to the lectern, to polite applause. She gripped the lectern and got a hard look. "Thank you, all of you. Now, as Eleanor said, no one is above the law, not even High Command. The evil acts of Buckingham and Weber have made it clear that criminals can wriggle their way into even what should be the elite of humanity. We are High Command, we rule billions of people, we should be held to a higher standard. Therefore, I am going to clean house."
"What do you mean?" asked one Admiral.
"There exists a foolproof way to ascertain whether one is innocent or guilty. Lioness Alyssa, please read everyone's minds, to ascertain those who should not even be here," Lynette ordered.
There were cries of protest, but nothing could stop Alyssa. Her eyes glowing white, she sent out a psychic pulse. A disturbing number of Admirals turned red. A few tried to run, but John grabbed them all with Telekinesis, trapping them in invisible cages.
"Lioness Alyssa, please state for the record each Admiral's crimes," Lynette said, a cold grin on her face.
Alyssa pointed at each Admiral, named them, and listed off their crimes. Some took over a minute. When she finished with the last, Lynette nodded. "Marines! Escort each guilty Admiral to the holding cells. Their trials will be public, I intend to lead a transparent administration. No more will we hide in the shadows, we will stand in the light unafraid, for we will do nothing to be ashamed of."
Once the guilty were all escorted out, Lynette continued. "Now that that unpleasantness is out of the way, let me lay out what the Federation will be doing going forward." She pulled up a new budget, which made some dramatic cuts to afford her more ambitious projects. A few Admirals loudly protested their departments being almost bankrupted, but Lynette had logical arguments for each cut. The other Admirals found themselves nodding, and by the end Lynette had convinced most of them to go along with her plan.
"Now, for his actions at Port Medea and during the Second Battle of Terra, I am promoting John Blake to Admiral rank. Any objections?" Lynette asked. There were none. "Good. For her stunning tactical acumen, contributing heavily to our victory today, I am promoting Calara Fernandez to Captain rank. Any objections?"
"She's only 18!" protested one of the older Admirals.
"True, but her talent and actions speak for themselves," Lynette countered. "And there's no legal age requirement for any rank. Any other objections?" No one else spoke up. "Very well. The meeting is adjourned."
The holograms vanished as the Admirals signed out. Lynette walked up to John and Alyssa, with Charles joining them. "Well, I'm Fleet Admiral. Years of work and planning, and now I can't wait to retire to raise a family with Charles. Funny how things work out," the brunette chuckled.
"You two will have such cute babies," Alyssa cooed.
"So, Charles, will you be the best man at my wedding?" John asked.
"Which one?" Charles asked humorously, knowing John was engaged to his whole crew.
"The public one with Calara," John chuckled.
"Sure thing, if you'll be the best man at mine," Charles offered.
They were approached by Jayanti Mishra. She gulped and saluted John. "I owe you an apology, Admiral Blake. I thought you were a threat to humanity, when in reality you're possibly the best thing that ever happened to us. I'm sorry for doubting you, and I can only promise to trust you have the best of intentions for all your actions going forward."
"Thank you, Jayanti. I may not be Terran, but I'm a friend of the Terran Federation. I'll always do my best to ensure you're all safe, from threats within and without," John nodded.
"What will Larn'kelnar's next move be?" Jayanti asked.
"I'm not sure," John admitted. He'd altered things so much, the butterfly effect could have played hell with his predictions.
"Where will you be going next?" Jayanti asked.
"Kirrix space. I might be able to convince them to never step foot in Galactic League space again, I just have to track down a Hive Queen. While I'm there, I figured I'd visit my parents," John answered.
"I pulled your mother's file. Do you know how your father crash-landed on Arcadia?" Jayanti wondered.
"He declared war on the last Progenitor to rule over this region of space, Mael'nerak. Mael'nerak launched a suicide attack at Zeta Pegasus, creating the Niryean Rift. The explosion blew my father's Dreadnought to Arcadia," John told the Indian Admiral.
"How long ago was that?" Jayanti asked, curious.
"About 10 thousand years ago," John said with a shrug.
"Unbelievable," Jayanti shook her head.
Admiral Lina Van Der Broeck walked up to their group. "So, Charlie, looks like we'll be working together on the Olympus expansion. I hope we work well together." She toned down the flirting, knowing the man was engaged to the Fleet Admiral.
"Me too, Lina," Charles blushed, unable to look her in the eye.
"Would you all like to attend a party tonight?" John addressed the 4 Admirals.
Lina and Jayanti blinked. "Where and when?" Lina asked, interested.
"Tonight, on the Invictus. It starts as soon as we get back to the ship, we wanted to celebrate our victory over the Kintark. We can combine it with Lynette's promotion to make it a real special occasion," John grinned.
"We'd love to attend, right Charles?" Lynette asked her fiance.
"Of course!" Charles agreed. "Can't wait to get a look at what you've done to the old girl."
"If you're okay with me attending," Jayanti said with hesitation.
"I wouldn't have invited you otherwise," John grinned.
"A private soiree with the Lion and Lionesses? How could I turn that down?" Lina smirked.
They walked back to the landing pads, the crowd having dispersed. They got into the Raptor, and John introduced the Admirals to the grav-tubes. They got to the cockpit, where Nia was working as pilot. "Hello!" she waved over her shoulder, not taking her eyes off the controls.
"This is one of your Maliri AIs? Nia, right?" Jayanti asked.
"Yes. This is her android body, which is outfitted with a lot of defensive measures. She helped in the assault on Baledranax's Battlecarrier," John revealed.
They landed in the Primary Hangar and walked out the loading ramp. A Maliri dropship was also in the Hangar, John having invited Fleet Commander Lilyana from the Maliri fleet. Lina was looking up at the Valkyrie. "I saw the footage, but it was like watching a movie. That mech took down capital ships single-handed!"
"Don't be fooled by her size, the Valkyrie has more firepower than a Terran Battleship," John said proudly. "And I'm sure Dana has a few upgrades in mind once we get a moment of peace and can get the materials necessary."
"The girls are waiting, come on!" Alyssa encouraged them all.
They took the grav-tubes to Deck 2 and John took the Admirals into the Lounge. The girls were all dressed in smart casual, dresses or blouses and pants. The table was laid with party platters, and Obi was standing attentively by the liquor cabinet, ready to make drinks. They all turned and grinned as John entered.
"Hope you didn't start the party without me," John said jokingly.
"Just some basic mingling," Rachel shrugged.
John led the Admirals to Helene and the new Nymphs, who were on their best behavior. "These are the newest members of my crew. Helene is our Counselor, and I recruited her on Brimor. Neysa, Leylira, Betrixa, and Marika were Nymphs kidnapped and taken to Tartarus."
"These are Admirals, like the Brimorian Deep Pool, right?" Helene asked.
"High Command, the ruling body of the Terran Federation, is made up of every Admiral and led by the Fleet Admiral. I'm Lynette Devereux, the new Fleet Admiral. It's nice to meet you, Helene," Lynette said with a kind smile.
"I'm Lina. I'm afraid I don't recognize your species," Lina said.
"I'm one of the Abandoned. I'm a descendent of the colonists abandoned at the Callopean Shoals. The Brimorians sold the men, spliced Brimorian DNA into the women and bred a slave race," Helene explained with a frown.
"Oh, no!' Lina gasped. "I thought the colonists were killed, not kidnapped!"
"The Fleet Admiral at the time was covering his tracks. He didn't think going to war over 'just' a million people was worth it. The Brimorians have brainwashed the Abandoned into having huge families, 20 kids is the norm for one couple," John informed the Admirals.
"I was barren, and so ostracized by my village. Jade found me and told me about John's crew. John let me join, and I've never looked back," Helene said with a loving smile at John.
"I'm sorry that you were kidnapped. I assure you, the rest of High Command was unaware of Buckingham and Weber's actions," Jayanti told the Nymphs.
"Don't be. It brought us to Master," Neysa beamed.
"They're still trapped in their genetic programming, it'll take awhile before they're their own women like Jade," John explained to the Admirals.
John went to the only figure in the room wearing armor, trailed by the Admirals. "Lilyana, good to see you again," John grinned.
"The pleasure is mine, Baen'thelas," Lilyana bowed.
"Baen'thelas?" Charles asked, tasting the alien name.
"My title in Maliri space," John told them. He turned back to Lilyana. "It must be stuffy in that helmet. You can take it off, you're among friends here."
To the shock of Jayanti and Lina, Lilyana reached up and removed her helmet, revealing a blue face with pointed ears and short white hair. "Thank you, Baen'thelas, I hate wearing this thing," Lilyana chuckled.
Lina looked from Lilyana to the twins. "You have Maliri on your crew!" she gasped.
"It's a long story. Let's grab some food and sit down. Have fun talking with everyone, Lilyana. We have House Holaris wine if you're thirsty," John said.
John and the Admirals assembled a plate each and sat down on the couches while the girls had fun just talking and drinking around the Lounge. "Let's start at the very beginning,'" John started off. "The first intelligent species, or at least the first to discover space flight, was the Kyth'faren. They colonized the whole Milky Way. They genetically engineered themselves to be psychic. They lived in peace and harmony, developing scientific miracles. And then Xar'aziuth came along."
"Xar'aziuth began killing people, sucking their life force out of them to fuel his own reserves. He grew unstoppable, and hunted his own species to extinction. He left behind a legacy: the Progenitors and the Thralls. Progenitors are all-male, don't age, are the most powerful psychics in the galaxy, and have all the technology of the Kyth'faren at their disposal. The Thrall races are species seeded around the galaxy, made to be a Progenitor's slaves. For over a million years, Progenitors have been born, raised in and claimed a Thrall empire, and waged war against each other for Xar'aziuth's amusement."
"72 thousand years ago, a Progenitor named Mael'nerak came to this corner of space. He waged war against the Achonin. Their territory is now known as the Unclaimed Wastes. Then Mael'nerak claimed the Maliri, the Thrall race in this region of the galaxy. He grew bored over the millennia, and genetically engineered the Ashanath, the Trankarans, the Drakkar… and the Terrans. The Ashanath were an experiment in group consciousness, the Trankarans were made to be miners, the Drakkar to be shock troops, and Terrans were literally just to see what would happen."
"10 thousand years ago, my father Rahn'hagon came to this part of space and waged war against Mael'nerak. They clashed at Zeta Pegasus, and Mael'nerak overloaded his Wormhole Generator. Mael'nerak was killed, and Rahn'hagon was teleported to what's now Kirix space and crash-landed on a planet. He lived like a hermit through the years, until my mother's ship landed on the planet."
"Rahn'hagon had a plan. He got Jessica Blake pregnant and arranged for her to be found by her crew. He wanted me to be born in Terran space, grow up, claim the Maliri, and wage the Progenitor War. He wants me to kill every other Progenitor in the galaxy, until there's none left but us. I came into my powers when I met Alyssa, and ever since I've been trying to do what I can to protect the Galactic League and get us ready for the Progenitor War," John finished explaining.
Lynette and Charles knew all this already, Jayanti knew a little, and Lina was blown away. "What does it mean, that you've 'claimed' the Maliri?" Jayanti asked.
"Ever wonder why they changed their name to the Maliri Kingdom a few weeks ago?" John asked rhetorically.
"You're King of the Maliri?" Lina gasped.
"Yes, I am," John nodded. "Progenitors form psychic networks, women they can tap for psychic power. Every other Progenitor but me also uses the connection as mind control. I made all 19 Matriarchs of the Maliri Noble Houses my Wards. I got their unanimous vote to become their King. Until I die, which won't be from old age if at all, I will rule the Maliri Kingdom."
"Why the armor? Why do the Maliri hide their appearance?" Jayanti asked.
"It was an edict issued by Valada, Mael'nerak's Queen who survived his death. She wanted to protect the Maliri from being claimed by another Progenitor, by hiding their distinctive Thrall race looks behind armor," John told her.
"Why tell us all this?" Lina asked.
"Well, I was hoping you and Jayanti would agree to join my network. There's a lot of perks, but some side effects," John revealed.
"You can do to us what Larn'kelnar did to Lynton, can't you?" Jayanti asked, eyes wide.
"Who's Larn'kelnar?" Lina asked.
"A Progenitor who's come to the Galactic League. He made Lynton his Thrall and had her start the Kintark war. Anyway, I should warn you both from the start that you have to drink my semen to become my Wards. That's just how it works. I'll restore you to peak health, curing any old injuries or diseases, even old age to an extent. The catch is you'll imprint on the first man you have sex with. You'll love him until his or your dying day," John warned.
"Wouldn't that be you, since we have to drink your semen to become Wards in the first place?" Jayanti pointed out.
"Not if you drink from a container," John countered.
"How come you aren't offering this to Lynette?" Lina asked.
"Because I'm already John's Ward. He recruited me after the First Battle of Terra. I imprinted on Charles, knowing it would be for life. I picked him with care, and now we'll have a lifetime of happiness," Lynette said warmly, giving Charles a kiss. "He's the best man I know, no offense to John. I highly recommend you pick him for your imprint."
"What?" Jayanti asked blankly.
"Another side effect is bisexuality and polyamory. Lynette wants to build Charles a harem," John explained.
"I'm perfectly happy with just you, Lynette, you don't have to add more women to our marriage," Charles spoke up.
"And that's very sweet, but I'm dying to eat your cum out of another girl's freshly fucked pussy," Lynette said back with a filthy grin.
Charles turned tomato red.
"Wait a minute, wait a minute. All of your Wards are bi and are okay with sharing you…" Lina trailed off. "Your whole crew?!"
"Yes," John said without any shame. "Calara will be my 'official' wife, but behind closed doors we're all together. And in Maliri space, I have the entire Council of Matriarchs in my bed."
"How long do we have to think it over?" Jayanti asked.
"Offer's on the table. Just be aware that I won't be in the Terran Core Worlds that often," John told the Admiral. "Though once we get around to building a Wormhole Generator, things will become a little easier to negotiate."
"Wormhole Generator," Lina said in disbelief.
John talked with the Admirals for a little while longer before going to meet with Lilyana. He talked with the Maliri, getting to know her better and making her care for him more, which increased the strength of their connection. Not that that's why John did it, he just wanted to talk to someone new. When it got late, John escorted his guests back to the Primary Hangar. Lilyana took her dropship back to the Gaelina Sarine, the Valaden flagship, while John and the Admirals took the Raptor down to the Citadel. He waved everyone goodbye then returned to the Invictus to go to sleep.
When John woke up, he filled Jade and had her feed the new Nymphs and Jehanna. John invested energy into all 5, paced so he'd be exhausted by the end of the day. He and his women went to the Lounge to get breakfast, and got up to leave with the cleaning robots happily picking up after them. As far as the dozen maids were concerned, it was an insult if the crew had to even lift a finger.
"What's the plan for today?" Calara asked.
"I'll go down to the Citadel and have Edraele offer Lynette the treaty. I'll also hand over the Brimorian Shield tech while I'm there. Rachel can heal all the injured from the battle yesterday. Once that's done, I figured we'd go to Olympus so Rachel can visit her father and you could take the Raptor to visit Maria. We'll rescue Ailita from the Khatri estate then leave for Kirrix space tomorrow," John told his Latina Ward.
"Lynette's up and ready to receive you… and not the fun way," Alyssa couldn't help but add.
John dressed in Lion uniform, joined by Alyssa and Rachel, and Nia piloted them down to the Citadel. Lynette's adjutant was waiting for them and led them to her office. They entered the Fleet Admiral Office, the most famous room in the Citadel. "Janet, take Doctor Voss to Medical so she can work her magic," Lynette ordered her adjutant once she greeted them all.
"Yes, ma'am," Lieutenant Wilson agreed. She led Rachel back out of the room.
"So, should I address you as Admiral Blake or King Baen'thelas?" Lynette asked once they were alone.
"When I'm away from the Kingdom, Edraele rules in my stead. The treaty is going to come from her. Would you like to meet her?" John asked.
"Please, I'd like to see the woman you trust to be your Maliri Matriarch," Lynette nodded.
John pulled up the comm interface on Lynette's console and input a code he had memorized, the one for Edraele on Genthalas. A figure wearing the most resplendent, expensive armor John had ever seen answered. *Keep in mind, this conversation will be poured over for generations to come. I hate the necessity, but it's best to keep the secret until after the Progenitor War,* Edraele told John telepathically. "John, good to hear from you. I notice that this call originates from the Citadel. What are you doing there, my friend?" Edraele asked.
"Edraele," John nodded with a fond smile. "I'd like to introduce you to a friend of mine." John turned the console to face Lynette. "This is the new Fleet Admiral, Lynette Devereux. I was hoping you two could have a friendly chat."
"Queen Edraele of the Maliri, it's an honor to make your acquaintance," Lynette nodded politely.
"Let us dispense with titles, Lynette. Any friend of John's is a friend of mine," Edraele said, sounding like she was smiling.
"Thank you, Edraele. I'll be calling all the Terran Federation's neighbors, and John was kind enough to help me get in contact with you," Lynette stated.
"About damn time a woman led the Terran Federation, in my humble opinion. Men can be such idiots, no offense John," Edraele chuckled.
"None taken," John shrugged.
"Not to be too bold, Edraele, but the state of Terran-Maliri relations leave something to be desired. I was hoping we could renegotiate things," Lynette spoke up.
"It's funny you should say that. I've had a treaty all prepared to offer the Terran Federation for a while now. I've only held back because I was waiting for Buckingham's replacement. Our assessments of his character made it clear he would not be a good ally. I'm hopeful that you'll be much more suitable," Edraele replied.
"What are the terms?" Lynette asked eagerly.
"A mutual aid agreement. I intend to increase trade between the Maliri Kingdom and the Terran Federation, and in the event the Terran Federation goes to war then the Maliri will come to your aid much as we did yesterday at the Second Battle of Terra. Congratulations on your victory, by the way," Edraele explained.
"That is extremely generous, Edraele. We'll have our lawyers go over the written treaty, of course, and there will have to be a vote of High Command. But I can state with some confidence that we'll agree to this treaty. I can only ask why the Maliri would offer this agreement. Your abstention from the affairs of the rest of the Galactic League is well-known," Lynette asked.
"My King, Baen'thelas, is fond of Terrans. And he wishes us to take a more active role in galactic affairs. We already have formed treaties with the Ashanath and the Trankarans as well," Edraele revealed.
"I see. Well, I'll happily accept the treaty if you'll send it. I'll get the ball rolling on having it signed as soon as possible," Lynette nodded.
"I hope this is the start of a prosperous alliance between our peoples, Lynette," Edraele grinned.
"I do as well, Edraele," Lynette responded.
The call ended, and a large file appeared in Lynette's inbox. She sent a copy to the Terran Federation legal department to go over to make sure it was legit. Just following procedure, she was sure Edraele had worded it perfectly. John handed over a data chip. "Here's Brimorian shields. Charles and Henry should be able to get the refit going as soon as they can be built."
"We're already stripping the shield generators from the Kintark fleet, but these will definitely come in handy," Lynette grinned.
"Would you like me here for your calls to the other empires?" John asked.
"Please," Lynette nodded.
Lynette had a pleasant talk with both Ularean and Niskera. Then Lynette made a call to the imperial palace on Kinta, the Kintark homeworld. After a few minutes, the call was accepted. A 40 foot crimson-scaled dragoness appeared, sitting on a raised dais in a throne room. "My sincerest apologies for keeping you waiting, Fleet Admiral. I only claimed the throne yesterday, and a great many affairs demand my attention," said the dragoness.
"Am I speaking to Vilandrith or Tamolith?" Lynette asked point blank.
"I am Empress Tamolith," the Kintark royal grinned. "Vilandrith, Baledranax's widow, lost herself in her grief. She went mad, killing Baledranax's male heirs before taking her own life. The burden of the throne has passed to me until my son Zulkayr is ready to take it."
"Then it is with you that I'll discuss the Kintark Empire's surrender," Lynette said seriously.
Tamolith grimaced. "Ah, yes. What are your terms?"
"I'm sure I don't have to explain to you what a precarious position you are in. Baledranax, your predecessor, threw every warship the Empire had into his failed invasion. You have NO fleet assets at the moment. Frankly, there's nothing stopping the Terran Federation from annexing the Kintark and making you a vassal state. To say nothing of the damage the Drakkar, the Enshunu, or the Brimorians could wreak if they realize how undefended you are," Lynette spelled out.
Tamolith gouged part of the floor with her claws. "Yes, I've inherited a great many problems with the title of Empress. I ask again, what are your terms?"
"I'll be blunt: I want half your worlds," Lynette said, sending over a proposed map of the new borders.
Tamolith howled. "Unacceptable! My people would riot!"
"If you refuse, then I'll make preparations to take each system by force, which you'll be powerless to stop," Lynette said, her eyes hard as diamond. "But to sweeten the deal, I'll throw in a prisoner exchange. You may have all the survivors of the Kintark invasion fleet, as well as the ships and crews we captured at Regulus. They'll have been stripped of most of their tech, but you can refit them at your leisure. That should be plenty of ships necessary to guard your new borders. In return, you give back all Terran prisoners in Kintark space."
"It seems I have little choice, but yours is a generous offer," Tamolith finally ground out. "With a heavy heart, I agree. I'll make the preparations to have the worlds seceded to you cleared of Kintark."
"A Terran fleet will escort the Kintark ships back to the Empire, for you to do with as you please," Lynette stated calmly. "The ships from Regulus will take approximately a week to reach the Dragon March from Olympus. The invasion fleet will take a bit longer as salvage operations are completed."
"If I might ask, is John Blake available to speak to?" Tamolith requested.
John stepped into view of the camera. "Hello, Tamolith. So sorry to hear about your sister-in-law and nephews. You must be heartbroken." John tried not to sound too sarcastic.
"Oh, yes, it was a tragedy," Tamolith said MOST convincingly. "I never did get to thank you for what you did on Xen-Nuchek."
"No, you and your children left before I could talk to you. It's a shame. I was going to make you an offer that only one of my kind can provide," John said leadingly.
Tamolith perked up. "What offer?"
"Tell you what: I have some business in Kirrix space. When I'm done with that, I'll visit Kinta. We can discuss it in person," John grinned.
"I'm eager to meet you again, Progenitor," Tamolith said with a draconic smile.
Lynette ended the call. "Now there's just Deep Lord Athgiloi," Lynette sighed.
"Rachel's done with the healing, we can leave," Alyssa told John.
John gave Lynette a hug. "Take care of yourself, Lynette. If you ever need anything, don't hesitate to ask."
"Humanity doesn't deserve you, John, but we need you. I'm so happy you're the kind of man you are, the very best kind," Lynette said back.
John and Alyssa met up with Rachel and retired to the Raptor, and in minutes the Invictus was on course for Olympus.