John was brought out of sleep by the delightful sensation of a warm, wet tunnel wrapped snugly around his hard cock. Given the way it rippled and moved around his favorite organ, John knew immediately who his morning cocksucker was. As if sensing he was now awake, his fellatrix added nimble fingers to play with his quad and one slick digit sank with gentle pressure up his ass, honing in on his prostate immediately.
John enjoyed being played like an instrument by a master musician for a minute or two, then rewarded his lover with a healthy breakfast of Progenitor spunk. When he'd been milked for every drop, John opened his eyes and looked down at a triumphant Jade. *Thank you, Jade, that was a lovely way to wake up,* John sent across their private link.
*You are welcome, Master. I live to make you happy, after all,* Jade replied, slipping his wilting cock out of her mouth to flash an angelic smile.
The trip to Alpha Centauri had been nice and quiet, which was just what the crew needed after the excitement of the Kirrix, pirate ambush, and then the drama caused by learning about Mael'nerak and his legacy on the Galactic League. John had spent most of the last 4 days getting to know Jade better, feeding her 3 or 4 meals a day and flexing his psychic muscles by funneling energy into her mind. While she still felt compelled to refer to him as 'Master', she'd made a ton of progress otherwise. For example, she had stopped referring to herself in the third-person.
In terms of personality, Jade was developing into a lovely woman by all accounts. She was inquisitive, asking all kinds of questions as she developed more presence of mind and wanting to understand the world around her. She was fierce and protective, developing quite the competitive streak with John at swimming and wishing she'd had the chance to skin Hitch alive when she learned all the pirate lord had done to the innocent people of the Outer Rim and, more importantly, her sister Calara. She, needless to say, was sexually open and adventurous, always up for a bit of fun with John or any of his 'mates'. While she'd been trapped in sexual slavery to Terrans for 300 years or more, she seemed to genuinely not be bothered by the whole experience; she did seem eager to distill all her knowledge of how to drive a man absolutely wild in bed to the rest of the crew, though. And though it only appeared a few times, she had a soft and maternal side, seen when she'd cradled a sleepy Sparks or found one of the cleaning robots toppled over. All in all, she was everything John wanted in a woman, his ideal mate. Which might just be the case, she had read his mind when determining what body to take after all, she could have learned more than just that. But John decided not to worry about all that, since it was bringing nothing but happiness to the whole family for Jade to turn into the woman she was becoming.
Given her trusting nature and the bone-deep certainty John and the rest of the crew had that she would never hurt them (because to do so would hurt John, her beloved master), they'd already gotten around to all Bonding with the Nymph. Her voice in the chorus was as bright and musical as her physical voice. Alyssa revealed that Jade was almost constantly emitting positive emotions through the Empathy link between an Angel and her Matriarch. All told, Jade's presence on the crew just made everyone happier.
The rest of the crew got up and they all marched into the shower to get clean for the day. Once they were dry and dressed, they went to the Lounge to make breakfast. Feeling like they all deserved a treat, John made creme brulee french toast for the crew. The Kitchen was a bit cramped with all 6 of them, but many hands made light work and they all soon were enjoying the meal. Jade had proven a fast learner for most cooking tasks, John suspecting she'd learned long ago and the muscle memory was slowly coming back as he put her mind back in order.
*When are we due to arrive at Olympus?* John asked Alyssa, who as Navigator was the one to ask.
*1342 hours,* she answered immediately.
*I know it'll take about a day to actually install everything, but I can't wait to get my Engineering Bay! I've been chomping at the bit to start all the projects I've come up with since joining!* Sparks thought, before moaning around a bite of moist fried bread.
*So, got a plan for how we're going to seduce Charles into drinking your magic jism?* Jonah asked with his usual crass humor.
John rolled his eyes at his Patriarch's attempt to get a rise out of him. *I won't proposition him right there in his office. For one thing, cameras. For another, 14 hour nap if he does say yes. He's a Vice Admiral, he'd get rushed to Medical and then things would get real awkward real fast when they did a biopsy of my cum. The plan is to invite him out for the evening, butter him up with food, drink, maybe a little dancing and fun at a club. Then we'll take him back to our hotel room, sit him down, explain the Change and all the pros and cons of becoming an Angel. If he says yes, great. If he says no, we respect his decision. I trust him not to report us all to High Command even if he refuses.*
*Fair enough,* Calara nodded. *Though, slight logistical issue, how are we going to feed him if he says yes? If he's straight like you think, he won't exactly be eager to get it straight from the tap.*
*I have an idea,* Jade chimed in. Her eyes narrowed in focus, and her rounded tummy returned to its usual trim appearance. Her breasts, however, swelled to J cup proportions. *Master's friend can nurse from me instead.*
That was another thing. Jade's ability to shapeshift apparently wasn't limited just to taking her master's preferred female form. She'd demonstrated the ability to grow fins and gills in the pool the first time John had invited her in for a swimming lesson. She'd yet to try and shift into a completely different body entirely, but altering her existing frame seemed easy enough for her to pull off.
Alyssa was staring. *Are your boobs seriously full of John's cum right now?*
*Yes, Alyssa. I transferred Master's release from my stomach to my breasts. It seemed the best way to feed a man not interested in men to get him to join Master's network,* Jade nodded, making her swollen chest jiggle quite distractingly.
John tore his eyes away from the massive mammaries back to Jade's face. *That's a very good idea, Jade, good job. You can go back to digesting that, now.*
Jade nodded with a smile, and her boobs shrunk back to their usual 32D cup while her midriff became convex once again. The rings of light that indicated she was absorbing energy from John began to radiate from her belly a second later.
*Alright, that's that problem solved,* John thought, trying to get the conversation back on track. *Any other things anyone wants to do besides selling the Tyrenium and trying to recruit Charles as an Angel?*
*Clothes shopping. I love my new bod, and Alyssa has good taste, but I'd like to stop borrowing from her closet,* Sparks piped up.
*I'll second that, and we should bring Jade along too to get her own wardrobe,* Calara projected to the chorus.
*Yay! I'll come too. My first proper shopping spree with girlfriends!* Alyssa beamed.
*Count me out,* Jonah snorted. *I'd get estrogen poisoning. Johnny boy and I can go get some more hardware. The crew's doubled in size and it's not set to slow down anytime soon. Even if Sparks can and will make even more badass versions of each weapon for the crew, we can still get her some raw materials to work with in the form of mass-produced junk.*
*Familiarity breeds contempt. You were drooling over the chance to exploit my military-grade weapons license a month ago,* John teased the deaged elder.
*John, Red here has plans to make a working handheld railgun for us. That trumps anything McCarran Arms ever made by a lightyear,* Jonah thought most gravely.
*I just had the idea when I was looking at the Mass Drivers, I don't see why miniaturizing the design isn't a thing already,* Sparks shrugged.
They finished up the meal and went to spend their morning with their preferred leisure activities. They gathered again in the Lounge for a quick lunch, then went to the Bridge in anticipation of their arrival at Alpha Centauri. They entered the system and the FTL Drive deactivated automatically as the computers detected a gravity well.
The Invictus joined the existing space lanes leading to Olympus Shipyard, heart of the Terran Federation Navy, in orbit around the planet Gravitus on the second orbital path. Dozens of other ships, both military and civilian, were on similar approaches. A few alien vessels were even to be seen heading towards or departing from the titanic spaceport.
As they reached hailing distance, John accepted the request he'd expected from Flight Command. "Incoming Assault Cruiser, please identify and state your purpose here at Olympus," requested a military comms officer politely.
"Commander John Blake on the Invictus, requesting docking clearance at the shipyard for retrofitting," John replied clearly.
There was a pause, and then the officer said "Please approach Docking Bay 11, Commander."
John thanked the man and ended the hail. Jonah flew them on the computer-provided flightpath towards the specific berth in the six-pronged station. The drydock side of Olympus saw primarily naval traffic, and they passed many ships coming in for repairs or bays filled with ships currently under construction. All their eyes were drawn to the 3000-meter craft that seemed to be getting the finishing touches on their starboard side. The name 'Thor's Hammer' was written in 20-foot high letters on the side.
*New Dreadnought, we really must be going to war with the Kintark,* John thought grimly.
*Damn, that motherfucker's huge,* Alyssa gaped.
*What are those?* Sparks pointed at the two massive barrels that dwarfed the Invictus' own Mass Drivers. Whatever weapons they were, just the sight of them promised unspeakable devastation.
*Singularity Drivers,* Calara answered. *They need a dedicated Tyrenium Power Core just to fuel them. Basically, they create a tiny, controlled black hole in a central chamber and slingshot projectiles around it with the incredible gravitic forces, aided by electromagnets like we use on the Mass Drivers. Shells the size of your fist hit 3x as hard as a Mass Driver shell at twice the distance. They're the pinnacle of Terran weapons design.*
*Badass. Nothing on a Quantum Annihilator, but still badass,* Sparks mused, her mind already trying to picture the schematics given the information Calara had already given her.
Jonah kept the Invictus moving, and they soon settled down in Docking Bay 11. They all stood, Jade in clothes for the first time since joining the crew. Given her tail, they'd gone with a short sundress to give it freedom of movement. They all piled into the elevator, and were soon exiting the airlock into Olympus proper.
John noticed two T-Fed brass standing next to an impressive example of Terran engineering. It was some kind of dropship, he guessed, lean and ferocious with multiple jutting weapons barrels. John focused back on the two men. One was Vice Admiral Charles Harris, his friend and 'handler' for lack of a better word. John's spine automatically straightened when he recognized the epaulets on the other gentleman's dress uniform marking him as an Admiral. A member of High Command, here to see him? What was that about?
"John! Good to see you!" Charles said in greeting as they approached. His sharp blue-gray eyes flicked with interest and a flicker of amusement at the 3 extremely beautiful young women that had joined John's crew since their last meeting. "Please let me introduce Admiral Cartwright," he said, gesturing at the older man next to him.
"Commander Blake, I've been hearing good things about you," the Admiral said in a quiet voice. He had salt-and-pepper hair over a close-cropped gray beard. His face was oddly blank, as if he were an automaton or statue given life. Either that or he was entirely devoid of human emotion.
"It's good to meet you, Admiral." John said, snapping a sharp salute. "I'm sure the tales have been greatly exaggerated." he said, self-deprecatingly.
The older man looked at John with shrewd, penetrating eyes. "I don't think they have," he replied.
"So what can I do for you, Admiral?" John asked, curious as to why such a high-ranking Terran Federation officer would come to meet him.
"It's more what I can do for you, Commander," the man said. "Terran Federation High Command greatly appreciated your efforts against the Kirrix. The PR value of that battle alone is invaluable to us at the moment."
"Just happy to do our part, Admiral," John said. "Those Kirrix had to be stopped!" he said grimly.
"Yes, indeed." Admiral Cartwright said unemotionally. "In any case, I'm pleased to be able to present you with a Raptor class gunship to show our appreciation for your efforts." the admiral said, looking askance at the terrifying piece of hardware to his side.
"Thank you, Admiral!" John said, looking up at the gunship, a big grin spreading across his face.
"Keep up the good work, Commander," the distinguished older man said quietly, throwing him a salute and turning to leave. Before he had completed the turn however, he suddenly looked back. "According to Vice Admiral Harris, you've brought us another shipment of Tyrenium?" he asked, with hunger in his voice; the first real emotion that the man had displayed since their arrival.
"Yes, sir," John replied succinctly. "20 tons of it."
Admiral Cartwright's eyes gleamed. "Outstanding work, Commander. Quite outstanding..." he said, before nodding to Charles and then walking away briskly.
*Okay, creeper vibes. I call high-functioning sociopath,* Jonah spoke up in the chorus.
Ignoring his Patriarch, John turned to Charles. "We'll talk in my office, John," the mustached man said. "For now, I'd like to be introduced to your new crewmates."
"Charles, you know Jonah and Alyssa," John said, turning to his side. "This is my Tactical Officer, Second Lieutenant Calara Fernandez."
"It's an honor to meet you, Vice Admiral Harris," Calara said, snapping into a picture perfect salute.
"The honor is mine, Lieutenant. I've heard exceptional things about your talents, between tracking down the pirate base and then wiping out all those ships single-handedly," Charles said with real admiration. He returned the salute.
Calara blushed at the praise from such a senior officer. Trying to move attention off her, John continued. "This is my Chief Engineer…"
"Dana," Sparks interjected before John could say her name. *Sorry, I just couldn't stand the thought of you actually introducing me as 'Sparks' to your old boss. My new name is officially Dana.* Stepping forward confidently, the newly named Dana reached out to shake Charles' hand. "Did you get all the shipments of equipment? John told me to have them sent here in his name."
"Yes, yes, they're all stacked over there," Charles said, eyes bright and twinkling at Dana's confidence and attitude. He was used to a lot of simpering from civilians. Dana's eyes went to the crates arranged neatly in the corner. "I'll get the retrofit started as soon as we get back to my office, dear."
"Good," Dana nodded before stepping back.
*I love the name, but why'd you pick it?* Alyssa asked her friend.
*It's derived from the name of a Celtic fertility goddess. Between my hair color and the connotations, I was hooked,* Dana replied.
Hiding a chuckle at the redhead's antics, John turned to Jade. "And this is our newest addition to the crew, Jade."
"I am pleased to meet any friend of Master's," Jade grinned at Charles.
Charles blinked. He turned to John. "Um, is she the…"
"Yes, she is," John nodded, knowing what his friend was thinking of.
"You lucky dog," Charles chuckled. "Pleasure to meet you, Jade. Now, let's all go up to my office. We can relax as we talk business."
Charles led them out the Docking Bay and to the nearest elevator. They reached one of the Administrative levels for Olympus and the Vice Admiral guided them to a different office than he'd met John, Jonah, and Alyssa in last time. "New office, Charles?" John asked, just in case he was remembering wrong.
"Temporary replacement. The old one's getting expanded, a reward for my 'outstanding initiative' in selling you the Invictus. You really made a few folks in High Command happy, John, between dealing with the pirates and bringing all that Tyrenium," Charles chuckled.
They all took seats in the office, which while a similar size as Charles' original one lacked the panoramic view of Alpha Centauri. Charles' adjutant, Lieutenant Victor Adams, nodded politely to them all as they passed and brought them a tray filled with a coffee service soon after they were seated. Once everyone had a cup of the steaming beverage, Victor left them alone to talk.
"So, tell me more about Admiral Cartwright," John asked curiously. He could count the number of times he'd interacted with High Command on his fingers, so he wondered why the man had taken the time to meet John personally.
"He's very quiet, driven, obsessed with the fleet and keeping everything running smoothly," Charles gave his honest opinion. "He's here personally overseeing the shipbuilding program that's making that Echelon class Dreadnought you probably saw on your way in. Not in the running to be Buckingham's replacement as Fleet Admiral, but his voice carries a lot of weight with High Command."
"Interesting," John nodded. *If the Thor's Hammer is his baby, he probably likes us just because we sold the Tyrenium that went into building her Singularity Drivers. The fact we brought enough for 2 more sets must have brought us on his radar,* he mused to the chorus.
*Enough that he gave us a new toy, at that,* Alyssa brought up.
Reminded of the gunship, John asked Charles "What can you tell me about the Raptor? I've never heard of it before."
"She's fresh off the production lines, John. You really impressed some people," Charles said with a grin. "She's reserved for Special Forces, part of the new push towards Carrier forces and dropship assaults. She's fast, maneuverable, and packs a hell of a punch in exchange for reduced troop carrying capacity. 30 men in heavy gear, which should be more than enough for your needs."
"Probably," John agreed. He couldn't even imagine what life would be like if and when he had 30 Angels on his crew to juggle and keep satisfied.
*I'm sure you'll be up to the challenge, Commander,* Calara chuckled.
*Not like we can't keep each other entertained while you're busy with someone else, after all,* Dana added with the feeling of a suggestive wink.
Before John could get lost in thoughts of his crew 'entertaining' themselves, Charles cleared his throat. "So, let's get business out of the way. I understand you have 20 tons of Tyrenium to sell," the Vice Admiral said leadingly.
John got a slow, predatory grin. "Indeed, I do."
"Same price per ton as last time?" Charles asked hopefully.
"Well, we ran into a few mishaps along the way. I'm afraid I'll have to factor that into the price," John said mildly.
Charles' grin turned to a frown. "How much?"
"30 mil a ton ought to cover it. I'll throw in a Kirrix dropship to sweeten the deal," John said with a straight face.
"600 million credits!" Charles gaped in shock.
"And a Kirrix dropship, that must have some value to R&D. If this shipbuilding program is so important an Admiral is personally overseeing it, you must need top-tier Power Cores for a few of those ships. Am I reaching here, old friend?" John asked, knowing he had the man over a barrel here.
Charles visibly crunched the numbers. "You have a deal," he finally sighed. "I don't know whether to be awed or appalled at your blatant price gouging."
"I've got a bigger crew, more mouths to feed," John shrugged.
Charles barked a laugh. He hit a button on his desk. "You can start unloading the Tyrenium now, Sergeant," he ordered. Then he held out his hand. "Give me your credit chit, I'll authorize the transaction immediately."
John handed over his digital wallet, and less than a minute later he had over half a billion credits in his personal account. John took it back, feeling the satisfaction of a good deal and financial security for the foreseeable future.
"So, John, what're your plans? You're an extremely wealthy man now," Charles asked, curious about his friend's life.
"For now, enjoy a night on Gravitus while the Engineering Bay gets installed," John answered. "You're more than welcome to join us. In fact, I insist."
Charles blinked. "You're inviting me out to dinner?" he asked to clarify.
"Dinner, drinks, maybe even dancing. None of the girls have been to a proper nightclub yet. Come on, Charles, I owe you one for making me rich. Besides, when was the last time you took a night off to do anything recreational? I'll bet half my new fortune you can't even remember the exact date," John replied.
"Um… well, what the hell? Why not! I'm old, not dead, I can afford to clock out early and spend an evening with company," Charles agreed. "Thanks, John. When and where?"
"You can meet us in the lobby of the Magnus around 1930," John nodded, pleased. Even if he didn't get Charles as an Angel, he'd still enjoy an evening out with an old friend.
"I'll be there. And I'll remember ear plugs, those clubs are murder on your hearing and I don't have much left to lose," Charles chuckled.
John and Charles shook to close the deal and seal the agreement to meet, then they all finished their coffees and got up to leave. As they walked through the halls of Olympus back towards Docking Bay 11, they drew more than a few double takes from passing personnel. They all looked like models after all, even Jade's alien skin color gave her an exotic appeal. They reached the Docking Bay, where they found the Cargo Bay doors of the Invictus opened and a maintenance team already loading in all the crates of engineering equipment to load up to Deck 7. Almost having to drag Dana away from personally supervising the process, the crew reached the Raptor gunship. John held his hand to the DNA scanner at the airlock, assuming his genome was already loaded. It opened, and the crew stepped in.
*Ah, that new ship smell,* John grinned as the scent of freshly-oiled hydraulics hit him.
The crew took a quick tour of the Raptor. It had 2 decks. The lower deck consisted of a cargo bay, the engine room, an armory, and a loading bay with a ramp for when they wanted to land and go charging into battle. A quick elevator trip to the upper deck revealed it was smaller, and consisted of a simple cabin and the cockpit. John took the pilot's seat, and warmed up the systems. *Hmm, impressive loadout,* he said as he checked the weapons systems without activating them. *6 turreted Gatling Lasers and 2 forward-facing Laser Cannons.*
*Combined with the speed and handling, Jonah or any future pilot could do some serious damage with this baby!* Dana agreed, reading more data over his shoulder.
*On that note… Jade doesn't have an official role on the crew yet. How about to start we train her as a pilot for the Raptor, and work her up to Pilot of the Invictus?* Alyssa suggested.
*Is that something you'd be interested in, honey?* John checked with his Nymph lover.
*I would be delighted to be useful to Master, and flying sounds like fun!* Jade beamed. She maneuvered around the others and plopped herself right in John's lap in the pilot's chair. *Ready for my first lesson!*
John chuckled and gave a quick summary, explaining what he was doing to Jade as he went through the pre-flight checks. When everything came back nominal, he gently lifted the Raptor off the ground with retro-thrusters and took them out of the Docking Bay, past the atmospheric force field into outer space. Keeping well within port speed, John took the flight controls with Jade paying rapt attention and took them towards Gravitus below.
*Since we're inviting people along tonight anyway…* Alyssa thought leadingly before pulling up the comm interface and putting in a code she'd memorized. An attractive young brunette appeared a few moments later. It was Rachel, the shopgirl who had helped Alyssa their last time on Gravitus and accidentally helped the blonde realize her bisexuality.
"Rachel!" Alyssa beamed.
"Alyssa? Hey, great to hear from you!" Rachel grinned. She took off a pair of glasses and rubbed at her eyes tiredly.
"Listen, the crew is back on Gravitus and we're going out tonight. Nice dinner, then we'll hit up a club. I was wondering if you'd like to join us!" Alyssa said with her most winsome smile.
"I'm afraid I can't," Rachel said dejectedly. "I'd love to go out with you all, but I ship out for the Dragon March first thing tomorrow morning. And like an idiot, I waited until the last minute to pack. Unfortunate timing, sorry."
"Shipping out?" John asked in shock. "I didn't realize you were in the military."
"Oh, hello John," Rachel waved. "Yes, it's my first posting. I've been taking the Academy finals all week and I've finally qualified as a medic."
"Congratulations!" Alyssa wished honestly. *And she's a doctor? Can you say 'Medical Officer'?*
*Isn't having a medic a bit redundant with John's power to heal all of us to perfect health?* Calara thought.
*What if he's busy somewhere else and one of us is bleeding out? What if we run into injured civilians or allies and need to apply first aid? And let's not forget the most important duty on this crew of all: obstetrics,* Alyssa thought primly.
"Thanks, Alyssa," Rachel grinned before giving a jaw-cracking yawn.
"Get some sleep, Rachel, it's clear you've been burning the candle at both ends," John said. "And congratulations on qualifying, Doctor," he added with a grin and a wink.
"Thanks, John," Rachel grinned. "Sorry again, Alyssa."
"No big deal, I can see you're worn out. Take a nap after you get squared away! I'll keep in touch," Alyssa said brightly. Rachel nodded and waved goodbye before ending the call.
*What's the Dragon March?* Jade asked, having been paying close attention to the talk with a potential mate for John.
*It's a string of worlds on the border with the Kintark Empire,* John answered readily. *The Kintark are reptilian, and larger on average than Terrans, so the name 'dragon' stuck.*
*Won't Rachel be in danger, then, with the growing conflict with the Kintark?* Dana asked in concern.
*Well, she's a doctor. They'll want her where all the injuries are, naturally,* Jonah shrugged.
John refocused on flying the Raptor down towards the main spaceport for Gravitus, Jade watching his every action like a hawk. When they finally landed in their assigned berth, they got up and went to the elevator. On leaving the Raptor, they got in line at the taxi stand. John splurged and ordered a hover-limo for the girls on their shopping trip. All 4 gave him thank-you kisses, which caused a bit of a stir among those watching. When John could see straight again, he got a traditional cab for himself and Jonah.
The cabbie was a jovial older man, who engaged them both in cheerful conversation on the way to the Arms Emporium. It came up that John and Jonah had recently fought the Kirrix, and the driver bonded with them by recalling the Purge of '43 when he'd been in the Army. John ended up giving a 500% tip when they finally arrived at their destination, you just can't put a price on good service like that.
John and Jonah walked in, and were greeted by a familiar blonde in a smart pantsuit as they entered the foyer. "Hello again! I don't suppose you remember me?" she grinned as she walked up to them.
"Nice to see you again, Lauren," John grinned, remembering her helpful directions and harmless flirting on his last trip.
"How may I help you gentlemen today?" she asked professionally.
"Same as last time, McCarran Arms and the Steinbeck Armory," John said.
"Follow me," Lauren grinned before turning to walk them through the trading facility. "So, may I ask whether all those weapons and armor from your last trip were put to good use?" she asked conversationally.
"Oh, yes," Jonah chuckled. "We wound up tussling with some pirates who were selling slaves to the Kirrix in the Outer Rim. John even got a TFNN interview about it. When's it going to air again?"
"Jehanna said it should be sometime tomorrow morning," John answered.
"My, that sounds exciting!" Lauren blinked. "If you don't mind my asking, what exactly is it you do? Not often I meet people not in Navy or Army fatigues with a military-grade weapons license."
"Technically, I'm just a humble civilian trader," John told the shopgirl. "But just between us, I'm semi-retired from the Marines. The T-Fed lets me keep a few privileges. I get to stay outside the Chain of Command, but I'm obligated to step in and help out where I can."
"My, how interesting. An off-the-books consultant? I'm actually reading a trashy romance with the male lead in that position," Lauren chuckled. "Your life must be so adventurous!"
"I'm never bored," John shrugged.
In short order, Lauren had led them to the same stalls she'd led John and Jonah to over a month earlier. John merely tripled his previous order from McCarran Arms, getting them 9 more examples of handguns, rifles, shotguns, sniper rifles, and grenade launchers. All of which Sparks had already taken apart back on the Invictus and planned numerous upgrades to. John also bought plenty of ammunition for each type of weapon. At Steinbeck Armory, John ordered another 4 Phalanx Alpha armor suits sized for him and Jonah as well as another 8 sized for female Angels. That was enough to have 2 for each member of the current crew with some leftover for future recruits or Dana to experiment with.
Lauren led them back to the exit. "I'll be watching the newsfeeds tomorrow. I can't wait to hear more about your daring exploits in the Outer Rim," Lauren grinned. "Such a shame, we may never meet again," she added, her tone verging on brazen.
*Oh, come on, throw the poor girl a bone! Invite her along for tonight, maybe she and Charles will hit it off!* Alyssa spoke up in the chorus.
Having learned it was far wiser to just go along with everything Alyssa said than try to resist, John turned on the charm. "Actually, are you free this evening? My crew and I were going to have dinner then go out dancing. I'd really enjoy it if you could join us."
Lauren blinked, as if she hadn't expected her flirting to actually work, before she beamed. "I get off at 1830!"
"Then that gives you an hour to go home, get all dolled up, and meet us in the lobby of the Magnus at 1930," Jonah grinned. "See you there, sweetheart." John reached for her hand and gave a gentle peck to the back. Then he and Jonah turned to exit.
They took another cab to the Magnus, rebooking the same penthouse suite they stayed at last time. Jonah went to enjoy a trip to the sauna, claiming he hadn't had a proper shvitz in ages, while John enjoyed a rare bit of 'me' time in the living room of the suite. He looked out the windows at the nearby lavascape, reflecting on all the ways his life had changed since he'd met up with Jonah in that bar over 3 months ago. He'd learned so much about himself and the galaxy, discovered his psychic powers, and somehow managed to fall in love 5 times over and have it reciprocated. He was 40 years old, and yet it didn't feel like he'd properly started living until very recently. And if Michael was to be believed, he and his Angels would be living for all eternity barring injury. It was a heady thought.
John spent over an hour nursing his drink, just thinking about his incredible shift in fortune. Then Jonah and the girls all came out the elevator, breathing life and noise into the room and breaking John out of his pensive mood. He went to tip the porters who helped carry all the shopping bags, then accepted kisses from one exuberant woman after another.
*We had the best time! It was just so much more fun than last time!* Alyssa thought with a tight hug.
*Retail therapy is definitely a thing. Now that I don't have to worry about a budget, it's all fun and no worry!* Calara giggled.
*I loved spending time alone with your mates, and they helped me find many beautiful outfits to tease you with, Master,* Jade smirked, her tail wagging behind her like she was part-dog instead of part-cat.
*We did a lot of damage to your bank account, but I guarantee it was worth it,* Dana grinned after smooching his cheek.
*I'm glad you all had fun,* John projected with an honest smile. *Now, let's all get showered, then we can all start to get ready for tonight. I already made all the reservations, so we're set.*
The 6 of them went to take a shower, the luxury bathroom luckily having a stall big enough for all of them. Somehow, an innocent wash turned into Jonah and the girls all getting a share of a 'starter' from John's quad. Not that John was opposed to spontaneous shower sex, it just felt like he was breaking some kind of rule or something. Surely he wasn't actually allowed to have this kind of lifestyle for an extended period before something came along to ruin it. But he forcibly turned his mind away from those pessimistic thoughts and focused on getting dressed for dinner.
By 1915, they were all ready to go. John and Jonah were both in 3-piece suits, John in charcoal and Jonah in tan. The girls, all tastefully made-up to emphasize their already bewitching features, were in dresses that perfectly straddled the line between classy and slutty. Alyssa was in a shimmering gold halter-neck with no back. Calara was in a classic little black dress with slashes to show off her coffee-colored skin. Dana was in coral blue that brought out her eyes and showed off acres of her flesh. Jade was in a violet dress with an oval cut out from her midriff to show off her bellybutton.
*We'll stop traffic,* John chuckled.
They took the elevator down to the lobby. People did indeed stop and stare at the 2 well-dressed gentlemen with classically handsome features, both with 2 glamorous women on their arms. John escorted Alyssa and Jade to a particular couch, sitting down to wait until Charles and Lauren showed up. Jonah took Calara and Dana over to the bar, where they easily made conversation with other socialites and rich people hanging around.
At 1925, Lauren stepped into the lobby. John went to greet her, eyeing her appreciatively. She was actually dressed more conservatively than any of the other girls, in a knee-length red dress with a sweetheart neckline. It matched her lipstick and ruby earrings. She looked like a million credits, which was quite impressive considering her actual economic status. "Lauren, so glad you could make it," John said, leaning in to kiss her cheek.
She blushed prettily as his lips left her skin. She was wearing perfume, something light and floral that tickled John's nostrils in the best way. "I hope I'm not overdressed. I wasn't sure how formal this was going to be."
"You look perfect," John assured her. "Come, you met Alyssa last time. Let me introduce you to Jade." John led Lauren over to his two Angels. Both eagerly engaged her in talk, showering her with compliments. Lauren seemed quite fascinated by Jade's alien appearance, but seemed too polite to ask about it.
A full 15 minutes late, Charles strode into the lobby in his own 2-piece suit. John half-worried he'd show up in dress uniform, which while appropriate would have drawn a lot of attention. He spotted John and the crew and walked over. "So sorry, damnable meeting overran. I hope I haven't thrown off the whole schedule."
"No worries," John assured his old CO. "Charles, you've met my crew. This is my friend Lauren Rolf. Lauren, this is Vice Admiral Charles Harris. We met when we served together, probably before you were born," he added with a self-deprecating chuckle.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, sir," Lauren said with remarkable poise, offering her hand.
"Pleasure's mine, young lady," Charles said with a polite shake.
"Well, let's get this show on the road!" Alyssa giggled. They all walked out to hail a hover-limo, Alyssa electing to be on Charles' arm so Lauren and Jade could stay with John.
They broke the ice with casual conversation during the brief drive to a nearby steakhouse that had the best reviews on the planet. The maitre'd confirmed their reservation and led them to a prepared table for 8. John decided they'd all get the chef's tasting menu, including the wine pairing for each dish. Over an hour later, everyone had full bellies and were well lubricated with fine wine to facilitate talk and laughter.
Settling the bill, John led everyone back to the hover-limo and input their next destination. They arrived at the curb of Infinity, the most exclusive club on Gravitus. The line went around the block, but one look at John and his party had the bouncer unhooking the velvet rope without question. They were greeted by a professional young woman in a stunning cocktail dress. "Hello, sir! Welcome to Infinity, I'm Stephanie. How may I assist you?"
"Hello, Stephanie. I called ahead to reserve a VIP booth. John Blake?" John checked.
"Oh, yes, we've been expecting you! Please follow me," Stephanie grinned before taking them towards a sweeping spiral staircase. The VIP level looked out over the dancefloor, packed with the young, rich, and beautiful of the planet. Their booth had comfy seating built into the rim of the room, and a dancing platform about 10 feet across was raised in the middle. Stephanie took their drink orders, then showed them how to control the settings on the sound dampening field that blocked out the worst of the thumping dance music.
All the ladies but Jade rushed to the balcony, looking out on the large, beautiful, and lavishly expensive nightclub. Alyssa and Dana had never seen anything like this, growing up in abject poverty on an asteroid colony. Calara had graduated from the Academy and been shipped out to Port Heracles only a few months after becoming legal. She'd been in a nightclub before, but it was a far cry from this 5-star establishment. And Lauren wasn't ashamed to admit she'd been one of those people waiting outside praying to have the chance to get let in more than once; being in a VIP booth of Infinity felt like a dream.
The men were more focused on Jade, who'd taken one look at the platform and jumped on. She'd then proceeded to move in a manner that made it impossible to be completely high-functioning if one were a red-blooded male even tangentially attracted to the female form. She moved as if she were one with the rhythm, her body twisting in a sensual display with a grace and agility that defied belief.
"Wow…" Charles said, his jaw a little slack at the masterful display.
Alyssa looked over her shoulder at the lustful thoughts coming from John and Jonah and blinked. "Jade! You can dance?"
"I had to entertain my masters both in and out of the bedroom. Many seemed to enjoy my dancing," Jade shrugged, even as she went into a triple spin without so much as wavering.
The girls all turned and for a while all 7 of them just watched Jade dance in awe. A couple waitresses came with their drinks on hover-trays, and even they openly admired Jade's sensuous movements. When the song ended, Jade hopped down and prowled (there was no other word for it) up to John. "Did I do good, Master?" she purred.
"Very good, Jade," John said, unable to stop a hint of a growl from his voice.
"I am pleased to have pleased you," she said demurely, though her eyes blazed with tightly controlled lust. John knew if he gave her the signal, she'd happily jump him right then and there regardless of their audience. Sadly, that wasn't in the cards. Jade turned to face the other girls, though John didn't think it was an accident that the tip of her tail trailed perfectly up his leg to trace his tent. "I'm available for lessons, if anyone's interested," the Nymph offered to the other girls.
As Jade hopped back on the platform with an eager Dana, Jonah blew out a breath. *You might regret giving her free will at some point, Johnny boy. That one's dangerous, and she knows it. You are going to end up so whipped it's not even funny.*
*You say that as if I'm not already,* John chuckled. He grabbed his drink and Charles' from the nearby tray and handed the whiskey over to his dazed friend. "So, enjoying the evening?" John asked.
"Dinner was more fun than I've had in months, but what I just saw… I'll take that to my grave, John. You really are a lucky sonuvabitch," Charles said, taking a big gulp of his drink.
"I really am," John nodded. "Listen, don't get too drunk. There's something serious I need to talk to you about, back at the hotel. Another business deal, I guess you could call it."
"Why didn't you bring it up earlier, then?" Charles frowned.
"This isn't between me and the Terran Federation. It's with you, personally, Charles," John explained.
"Ok," Charles said, clearly curious but willing to wait.
While that exchange was going on, Lauren leaned in to whisper in Alyssa's ear. "What did Jade mean, when she said her 'masters'?"
"Jade's a Lenarran, or a Nymph as you might have heard them called," Alyssa answered her fellow blonde. "She's spent the past 3 centuries as a living sex toy for whatever man was lucky enough to possess her. She was owned by the pirate leader, so when John killed him he inherited her, I guess you could say."
"Oh, that poor girl!" Lauren gasped.
"Look at her," Alyssa prompted. Lauren looked and saw Jade's face all alight as she guided Dana through some beginner dance moves. "Trust me, she doesn't care. All that matters to her is being a good girl for John."
"So, he's sleeping with her? But I thought he and Jonah… I mean, Jonah kissed his cheek when I last saw them," Lauren said, worried she'd offended Alyssa somehow.
"I'll let you in on a little secret, not that we try too hard to keep it," Alyssa grinned. "John's sleeping with all of us. His crew is also his harem. Jonah, me, Calara, Dana, and Jade's just the newest addition."
"Oh, wow," Lauren blinked. She was definitely buzzed, but she didn't think she'd reached the hallucination stage of drunkenness yet or would anytime soon. "Not that there's anything wrong with that but… why would you agree to share him with 4 others? I mean, look at you. Look at all of you! You could have anyone in the galaxy, why all agree to just a fraction of his full attention?"
"In simple terms? He's worth it," Alyssa said, sending a loving smile over at John, who noticed and returned it.
"What are you two talking about?" Calara asked, back from getting her drink.
"Just illuminating Lauren about the relationship dynamics aboard the Invictus," Alyssa said lightly.
"You mean how we're all one giant entangled polycule?" Calara chuckled.
"Something like that, my love," Alyssa said brightly, darting in for a quick kiss with the Latina. "If you'll excuse me, I think it's my turn for a lesson."
"Yeah, Alyssa's like that," Calara chuckled at Lauren's gobsmacked expression.
"So… you and her… all of you?!" Lauren asked, her voice getting high and squeaky.
"How to put it?" Calara mused as she sipped her vodka spritzer. "Ok, imagine John as the sun. Each of us is just caught in his orbit. He loves each of us, and we love him back. I know for a fact he'll be asking my parents for their blessing at some point. So me and the girls are all going to end up as sister-wives, and Jonah and any future male members will be co-husbands. That being said, there's nothing saying we can't get involved with each other outside our shared relationship with John. Alyssa and I have been growing very close, to the point we'd probably be together even if John wasn't in the picture. My relationship with Jonah, Dana, and Jade is more akin to friends with benefits. Understand?"
"Um… yeah, I guess. Just… how'd this even start?" Lauren asked, at a loss at such a large group relationship.
"We'll explain everything later tonight," Calara grinned. "So, let's get you your drink. Then you can tell me more about yourself!"
They enjoyed the music, dancing, and drinks for a couple hours. Jade sadly didn't have any moves for male dancers, but Jonah got a kick of learning how to use his hips like a woman. When the energy was starting to wane, John settled the tab and guided everyone into the hover-limo, heading back to the Magnus. They took the elevator straight up to their penthouse and arranged themselves on the luxurious couches.
"Did everyone have a good time?" John asked.
"Oodles," Dana giggled, having had the most to drink.
"This was the most… memorable night of my life," Lauren finally said delicately. She kept looking between all of them, as if picturing them in various scenarios not meant for polite society.
"Now, John, what's this thing you wanted to talk about with me?" Charles asked.
"It's actually you and Lauren," John corrected.
Lauren blinked. "What kind of offer applies equally to a Vice Admiral as a shopgirl?"
"The offer to join my psychic network," John said plainly.
"Psychic network?" Charles frowned. "That some kind of slang I don't know about?"
"As you already know and just to have it on record for Lauren, I'm not human," John stated clearly, looking between his old superior and the blonde woman with a grave stare. "I recently found out I'm a Progenitor. Progenitors are a race of psychic humanoids from beyond the Galactic League. I'm still trying to figure out exactly how my mother met one and ended up pregnant with me. But a skill unique to Progenitors is the ability to forge what we call Connections, capital C, with volunteers. Under the right circumstances, I can make both of you psychic batteries, able to feed me psychic energy until the day you die. In exchange, I can put you at least partially through the Change."
"What's 'the Change'?" Lauren asked with a frown.
Jonah grabbed a holo-console from the coffee table. He accessed the Terran Federation SEC and pulled up his own profile. "This is me," he said, before handing over the portable computer.
"Pull the other one," Charles snorted, taking one look at the elderly man on the screen and immediately thinking this was a prank.
"Cycle through the images archive, back to when I turned legal," Jonah said patiently.
Charles, still very skeptical, swiped through the screens. His expression turned shocked as he found an image of a younger Jonah Bennings.
"It is you," Lauren breathed in shock. "I mean, it looks like you got some work done, but it's definitely the same guy. But that means…"
"Progenitors can rewrite a person's DNA into one of two standard templates. Women all change to look like the girls, men change to look like me," Jonah told their two stunned guests. "Part of that 'template' is being in the prime of youth. Aging is just another disease, if you think about it, and Progenitors like John can cure all that damage on top of giving you a new body entirely. Agree to join John's network, and he can use his powers to, at the very least, cure any outstanding health problems and probably add years to your lifespan in Charles' case."
"What's the catch? There's got to be a catch," Charles asked, though he seemed to at least be willing to listen.
"I want to preface this by stating I don't make the rules, and we can use an intermediary," John spoke up, about to take the plunge. "The Change is sexual. For whatever reason, a person has to drink my semen for me to work my powers directly on their DNA. If either of you agree to this, you'll have to have at least a small taste so I can make a Connection and start to heal you."
"Yeah, no, not going to happen," Charles snorted, shaking his head in firm denial.
"Even if it means getting the body of a 20 year old back?" Jonah asked with raised brow. "It's not just cosmetic, Charles. I've never felt better, not even when I was actually as young as I look. You'd really turn that down just because you need to swallow a few drops of another man's cream?"
"Before either of you decide either way, there's more," John interrupted. "There's personality changes built into the Change, which despite my best efforts I have no idea how to stop or prevent. On top of improved health, you'll also become polyamorous, bisexual, and have an increased libido. Near as we can tell, your average Progenitor spends his life assembling an army of Amazonian women as soldiers and sexual playthings. I'm the first bi Progenitor, at least that we're aware of. And… there's an obedience compulsion built into the Connection. If you agree to this, you won't be able to say no to anything I tell you to do."
"That's scary," Lauren said. "I mean, you seem like a good guy, John. But giving anyone that level of power over me… I'm not sure I can do it."
"That's fair, Lauren. This is a huge leap of faith I'm asking of you, of both of you. I'm just trying to give you all the information necessary to give informed consent. If you refuse, I won't hold it against you. This is a deeply personal, to our knowledge irreversible choice. You don't have to decide right now. I just wanted to make the offer to you both tonight," John said with an understanding nod.
Charles was frowning so hard it looked like he'd get lines. "John… what you get up to with your love life is your business. But count me out. Especially if it involves mind control, even if it's involuntary on your part. You could order me to reveal state secrets, assassinate the Fleet Admiral. I can't compromise my duty like that, I can't take that risk."
"I could," John nodded. "But do you, of all people, really think I would?"
Charles' expression became conflicted. Then it firmed up again. "It's a no from me, Blake."
"Alright," John nodded, trying to hide his disappointment.
"I… I'll have to think about it. Let me know when you're back on Gravitus," Lauren finally said.
"Ok, Lauren. I'll get you both cabs," John said, standing up. He escorted Charles and Lauren down to the lobby, paying for their fares ahead of time. He returned to the penthouse, where his Angels were still waiting. *0 for 2,* John thought with a sigh.
*It is a hard sell, especially without the 'eternity as part of your family' part as a draw,* Alyssa thought gently.
*Well, swing and a miss. Let's just go to bed,* John thought, determined not to brood. He wouldn't pollute the chorus with those negative feelings.
They all got undressed and crawled into the double-king bed, cuddling close and sharing warmth and intimacy as they all went to sleep after a long day.