The crew of the Invictus gathered on the Bridge, taking their stations. John settled into his Command Chair. *Okay, people, vacation's over. Time to get back to work. And I don't think anyone will disagree that it's top-priority that we visit the Maliri Regency.*
*You can say that again. With that rival Progenitor running around causing chaos, you need to become King yesterday. Even then, we might not be able to stop him from taking down the whole Galactic League as part of some sadistic game,* Jonah nodded solemnly.
*One thing at a time,* Alyssa said, determined to maintain an optimistic attitude about the future. *John, is there any particular Maliri you trust who could give us an 'in'?*
*I've traded many times with Ceraden at Geniya Station. He's a friend,* John replied. *And, I just remembered, the Noble House he's commissioned under is House Valaden. Sound familiar?*
*As in Valada, Mael'nerak's Matriarch? You don't think… that House are her and his descendents?* Calara thought in awe at the idea of the ancient Progenitor who had done so much having a surviving family in the present day.
*When Mael'nerak left to confront Rahn'hagon in his suicide charge at Zeta Pegasus, Valada was pregnant with twins,* Lirrash revealed to the chorus. *Valada already had powers as Mael'nerak's Matriarch, but nearly every generation since has demonstrated psychic prowess. They're nicknamed the Eldritch Bloodline in Maliri space. A parting gift from Mael'nerak before he left to die, we think.* Lirrash paused. *It's worth noting, also, that almost every member of the Eldritch Bloodline dies abnormally young for a Maliri, a good third of them to suicide. The Collective suspects that whatever Mael'nerak did to make his powers inheritable had some flaw or mutation that caused this phenomenon.*
*If we ever get our hands on a House Valaden member's DNA, I'll take a look. I'll need a few other baseline Maliri samples to learn how to read it, but I should be able to spot the error in the code,* Rachel volunteered.
*The point, though, is that this Ceraden could be our ticket to getting an audience with the leaders of House Valaden. The basic plan to make John King is to get every leader of every Noble House into the network, right? Might as well start with the reigning royal family,* Dana pointed out.
*Well, in that case, next stop Geniya,* Zanthus projected brightly.
*One thing first,* John said. He tapped a few commands into his chair's console. The Pilot station Jade was sitting at came online.
Jade's face lit up. *Really?! You think I'm ready?*
*You'll primarily be piloting the Raptor, and Jonah has the most experience flying the Invictus so he might take over in an emergency. But no reason not to give you more experience with different kinds of ships,* John thought warmly at his Nymph. *Take us out, Pilot.*
*Aye, Commodore!* Jade threw a playful salute before turning to do preflight checks. With a feathering of retro-thrusters, she lifted the Assault Cruiser out of the resort's hangar and warmed up the Engines to gently take them out of the Oceanus atmosphere.
The moment they got into orbit and left the comms blackout enforced around the resort world, Lirrash's console lit up like a firework.
*Over a dozen missed calls from one Peter Koeman,* the Ashanath Comms Officer noted in confusion.
Alyssa and Jonah traded guilty looks. *Crap, guess we forgot with the whole Nexus attack and then the vacation,* Jonah winced.
*Forgot what?* John asked, curious.
*He called us while we were leaving Olympus. You were 'busy' and we told him you'd call him back. He's from the Outer Rim and says he owes you one, we think he's related or friends with one of the hostages we rescued during the Hitch/Chivixil affair. Though it's a bit odd that he's this desperate to pay you back,* Alyssa said, frowning half in annoyance at her mistake and half in suspicion. She recalled how there'd been something just slightly 'off' about Peter Koeman.
*Lirrash, call him back,* John ordered, wanting his own read of the man.
The vid-screen lit up a couple minutes later with one Peter Koeman. He beamed, and something about it felt insincere. "Commander Blake! Or I suppose Commodore now. I've been most anxious to speak to you."
"My apologies, I was unavailable for the last 2 weeks and under comms blackout. My crew tells me that you feel indebted to me for some reason. Why is that?" John asked.
"You saved my sister from the Kirrix!" Koeman said brightly. "I couldn't pay you back immediately afterwards for your heroism, but I recently came into a stroke of good fortune and now I can."
"How do you mean?" John posed to the stranger.
"I'm a jewel merchant based out of Theta Serpentis." Koeman reached under his desk and pulled out a wooden case. He opened it, revealing several flawless cut gemstones. "These fell into my lap almost for free, and my first thought was to give them to you as a gift. I don't trust these to a courier, though, so I was hoping you could come visit my shop to pick them up."
*What's it say that my first thought on hearing 'jewel merchant' in association with that whole episode is the fact we never identified Hitch's fence for all the gems the Kirrix paid him with?* Calara thought suspiciously.
*You thinking it was Koeman and he's trying to lead us into an ambush for revenge?* John checked, his tone neutral. He definitely was picking up something 'fake' from Koeman's whole demeanor, like an actor reading a script. Still, he didn't jump to thinking it was revenge like his Tactical Officer had.
Dana had acted on her own suspicions and looked Koeman up in the Galactic-SEC. *No blood siblings. Not that that's a red flag, I'd have called Alyssa my sister back on Karron, but still.*
*And on a completely separate issue, Theta Serpentis is practically the other direction from Geniya,* Lauren chimed in.
Making a decision, John finally said to Koeman "I appreciate the gesture, Mr. Koeman. But I have no need for any more money, I've been very fortunate recently myself. If you want to repay me for saving your sister, then make a charitable donation with the proceeds from those jewels in my name. I'd recommend a charity that caters to orphans, since I am one myself. Does that sound okay?"
Now that their suspicions were roused, none of the crew missed the flash of panic on Koeman's face. But his grin stayed in place. "You surprise me, Commodore. But sure, if you insist. Though I don't suppose you could visit me just so I could shake your hand? I really do want to thank you in person, somehow!"
*Oh, yeah, definitely some kind of ambush,* Jonah tried not to sneer.
"I'm afraid I have urgent business elsewhere and can't afford the detour. Have a good day, Mr. Koeman," John wished before ending the call.
*I'm already pulling his financials,* Dana let everyone know, using her hacking prowess to get more information. Since he wasn't protected by the Terran Federation military, the penalties for getting caught hacking into Koeman's data were worth the risk to her mind. *Just a quick skim tells me he's definitely involved in the black market. But it'll take a few hours of really digging to confirm he was working with Hitch and the pirates.*
*Not a priority, but if you feel the need, honey,* John shrugged. The whole thing had been weird, but in the grand scheme a half-hearted bait and lure job from an old enemy just didn't rank as important to him considering everything else he had to worry about.
Refocusing on the job of flying the Invictus, Jade pulled them out of the gravity well. Taking her cue, Alyssa sent them into hyperwarp on a route for Theta Aquarii where the Maliri trading outpost Geniya was located. She tipped an imaginary hat in Dana's direction. *Many thanks for installing the Progenitor Tachyon Drive. We were already triple our original speed after getting the Ashanath knockoff. But since you cracked the real thing, now we're double even that. We're now easily the fastest ship in the Galactic League!*
*Don't thank me, I didn't invent it, just built it. Thank John for accidentally giving me the Progenitor schematics,* the redhead chuckled. *And the Ashanath for preserving Mael'nerak's old Drive for me to get a good look at to trigger the 'memory' or whatever.*
*I only wish we didn't have to go about it in such a roundabout way,* John sighed. *If it weren't for Other John, I'd be able to consciously read all those schematics myself and hand them to you in full.*
*How do you compare to him at present?* Lirrash asked, tone solemn at the thought of John's evil alter-ego he'd accidentally created and imprisoned around puberty.
*I'm a little less than half as strong as he is, which is just scary when you really think about it,* John sighed, checking the mind-prison and how many mind-boxes it consumed. *I get 2 boxes, he gets 1, since he's leeching off my own progress. I'll catch up with him eventually, but even though destroying him is a priority, I'm not quite sure I want to fight him at dead-even and risk losing.*
*There's no real rush… yet. It might come down to confronting him or losing to this other Progenitor, though, Johnny boy,* Jonah mused.
*I'm aware,* John sighed.
*Okay, enough with that depressing topic,* Rachel thought with a mental clap. *Dana, Zanthus, I'd like to work with you and the Engineers on the apparatus to start producing both the narcotic and the enzyme I got from John's body.*
*Sure thing, babes,* Dana grinned. Over the course of the Oceanus vacation, the redhead and brunette had gotten very close, in the same way Alyssa and Calara were close even without John involved. None of the other members of the harem seemed to be 'pairing off' in the same way, but John was just happy to see his lovers happy, even without him around.
*After experiencing the real ocean, swimming in the pool just doesn't appeal,* Jade mused. *I think I'll go down to the Cargo Bay and work on my Shapeshifting. I got a lot of aquatic forms into my repertoire and practice at shifting in general, but I should work on land and air creatures too to even things out.*
*Calara and I can hit the Gym,* Jonah thought, getting no complaints from the Latina.
*If you don't mind, I'd like to practice my Influence on the Marines some more,* Lauren checked with John even as the others started to get up and leave the Bridge.
*Not at all, honey, so long as they're up for it,* John nodded. *As for me, I have a session with Yamamoto in a half-hour anyway. Zanthus, you installed all the equipment in one of the rooms on Deck 3, right?*
*Yes, let me show you,* the Assistant Engineer thought before he got swept up in brainstorming with Dana and Rachel on mechanical design.
Their first day back on the clock went by pleasantly enough, everyone getting back into the swing of life on the Invictus as opposed to the Tethys resort. The next day started out much the same. Shortly before lunch, though, there was an alarm.
*That's the Distress Beacon alert,* John realized after a second to identify the particular sound coming over the speakers.
*Seriously? We're not in the Core Worlds anymore, but still, isn't this the T-Fed's job to stop crime within its borders?* Jonah grumbled even as he rushed to the Bridge.
*With all the losses in the Dragon March, maybe they're starting to strip the patrols and things are slipping through the cracks,* Calara hypothesized.
In short time, the whole Bridge crew were assembled and seated on the Command Deck. Dana analyzed the data from the long-range scanners. *A pirate Frigate attacking a passenger liner, the Excelsior. They blew out the Engines already. Probably want to do a boarding action to rob the passengers blind or take them hostage,* she thought quickly.
*9 minutes out, we're just barely in range of their signal,* Alyssa alerted John, making the course change without even having to ask.
*The pirates will be aboard the Excelsior by the time we get there. We can't just blast the Frigate, and if we board they'll have their pick of human shields,* John frowned, trying to puzzle out a solution to this scenario.
*I'm the Negotiator, right? So let me negotiate. Or at least distract them from the Invictus while you, Jade, and the Marines stealth in with the Raptor,* Lauren suggested, her young face set in determination to prove her worth.
Figuring it was as good a plan as any, John agreed. He, Alyssa, and the Marines went to get armored. The Ashanath crew had each gotten a fair few doses on Oceanus and were visibly taller than most Ashanath, but they weren't fully through the Change yet. They still fit into their old armor, but John was aware they were nearing a no-man's-land between being too big for standard Ashanath armor and too small for Paragon suits. But that was a problem for a later date, for now he grabbed Jade and had them preemptively load into the Raptor.
They pulled into the system of the pirate attack, and Jade quietly flew them out of the Hangar Bay at minimal energy. The Raptor, in 'stealth mode' as it were, followed behind the bigger, more obvious Invictus as fast as they could.
John tracked through the chorus how Jonah and Calara masterfully neutered the Frigate without doing any damage to the Excelsior it was docked with. Jonah hailed both ships, and got an answer from the Excelsior by the pirate's captain. While the Raptor snuck up to dock with the other airlock on the passenger liner, Jonah and then Lauren tried to buy time or talk down the pirates from killing all their hostages.
*How's the Influence working through a vid-call?* John asked curiously even as he, Alyssa, and the Marines lined up by the airlock to storm into the Excelsior.
*Ineffective, I don't 'feel' this guy the way I feel any of you when I try to Influence you to do something. Guess distance is a factor. Still, the fact I'm young and beautiful is enough to distract him to a degree, so work with what you've got,* Lauren thought, more than a little frustrated that she couldn't test her power on a non-psychic. The man's blatant leering and ribald jokes weren't helping her mood.
John opened the airlock for the Raptor and then used his code-breaker to open the Excelsior's. Coordinating at the speed of Telepathy, John and Alyssa each took 6 of the Marines and split up to do a sweep of the whole passenger liner. With more speed, efficiency, and sheer deadliness than most elite Special Forces squads, the two teams managed to get the drop on a few pockets of pirates who were looting or rounding up hostages. They met at the dining hall of the luxury spaceship, where Dana confirmed with the sensors on the Invictus most of the lifesigns were clustered.
The time between John and his Angels entering the room and every pirate dropping dead from either headshots or Telekinetic assault was less than 3 full seconds. The huddled, terrified mass of tourists and cruise enthusiasts blinked and stared at them in their glittering white Paragon armor in shock.
*Captain is still distracted on the Bridge,* Jonah informed John.
*I'll go deal with him,* John said. *Alyssa, be nice,* he added before taking off at a jog for the last remaining pirate.
Alyssa activated the sound system built into her helmet and spoke clearly. "Passengers of the Excelsior! I am Alyssa Marant from the Invictus. We responded to your distress beacon. Are there any injured among you?"
A rather bruised man in a tacky sailor's uniform stepped forward. "Oh, thank God you all showed up!" he breathed.
"You part of the crew?" Alyssa checked.
"Carrick Bragan, XO. And I guess I'm in charge, seeing as these bastards killed the Captain," the man said tremulously, his lip actually starting to quiver.
Alyssa felt sympathy for the poor civilian going through a traumatic experience, but she was also decidedly unimpressed at his mettle. "Any casualties you're aware of?" she asked Bragan.
"Most of the private security who were aboard bled out during the initial boarding, and they roughed up us crew and some of the passengers when we tried to resist. They executed the Captain in front of us!" Bragan reported, almost in danger of crying.
Alyssa dealt with establishing order in the dining hall with most of the passengers and crew. John took out the pirate leader and returned to take over for his Matriarch. Jade had already taxied Rachel from the Invictus to the Excelsior so she could apply first aid. Lirrash had contacted Port Cadmus, the nearest Federation outpost, and a relief force was inbound. All told, they spent the rest of the day helping out around the Excelsior until the Terran Federation ships arrived and they could be on their way.
Rachel was in a mood all during dinner.
*Honey? What is it? You're blocking us out,* John pushed through the mild barrier Rachel had erected to mute the chorus.
Rachel sighed and set down her fork. *Sorry, sorry. Just… something about this stirred up bad memories.*
*We're here if you need us,* John reminded her.
Rachel's expression softened. She relented and figured it was time she let them all know. *It was one of the children aboard. She was crying and hugging her mother, who had gotten hurt by one of the pirates. The little girl was crying over how she didn't like her mommy getting hurt. And it reminded me how my mommy got hurt… and worse.*
*What happened to her?* Alyssa asked, gentle as a feather.
*The media called them the New Eden Serpents. They were active when I was around 8. They did a lot of high-profile kidnappings and made over a billion credits in ransoms in a short span. Probably double that, actually, since a lot of people on New Eden value privacy and image above all so they probably hushed up the fact they were victims to avoid embarrassment,* Rachel explained to the chorus. *I was too young to really understand what was happening at the time, but I definitely noticed when my mother had gone missing for 2 days. I had to eavesdrop on the police chief talking with my father to learn the truth that she'd been kidnapped. And my father waited 3 days after he refused to pay the ransom to sit me down and explain how Mommy was with the angels.*
*He let her die?!* Calara gasped in horror.
*No one up to that point had refused to pay the Serpents. Maybe he thought he was calling their bluff. Or maybe money, even a comparable drop in the bucket for him, was more important than his wife's life. He hit trillionaire status when I was 3. The Serpents only asked for 20 million. But 'a Voss must never compromise',* Rachel thought, a tired sadness and bitterness bleeding through her mind-voice. *To add insult to injury, he found and married my stepmother within 6 months of the funeral. I love him, he's my Daddy… but I've hated him a little too ever since that day.*
John got up and went to pull his doctor into a tight hug, kissing her hair. *I'm so sorry that happened to you, honey.*
*Thanks, I know that's not just words with you,* Rachel projected, snuggling into her lover's arms.
*Were the Serpents ever caught?* Dana asked softly, her heart aching at the pain her girlfriend had endured.
*Vanished without a trace, the case went cold. That's what really hurts, that the arseholes got away with it. They should have payed for killing my Mommy,* Rachel thought, something sharp and cold as a knife slipping into her tone.
John couldn't fault Rachel for her desire for revenge. *I know things with the Maliri could take a while to sort out. But as soon as we can, we can go to New Eden and reopen the case. I'm sure Calara can dig through all the old case files and see things the detectives missed.*
*I appreciate that. But getting you on the Maliri throne and in a position to oppose the rival Progenitor is infinitely more important than me getting some closure over my mother's murder. Still, thanks in advance. With all of you working on it, I just know those bastards are dead men walking,* Rachel thought with a wry grin.
They finished off dinner, and John did his best to 'cheer' Rachel up. She very vocally approved.
They pulled into Theta Aquarii early the next morning, arriving a full day ahead of time if they'd still been using the Ashanath Tachyon Drive. They'd all dressed in business formal, John deciding to put on the 'independent trader' mask for this trip.
*Whoa, is that the Warning?* Lauren asked, indicating the floating wreck of a Heavy Freighter halfway along one of the spacelanes towards Geniya. The centuries-old cargo ship was over a kilometer in length and over a dozen decks high. Regardless, holes big enough to fly the Raptor through had been bored through its superstructure by some type of Maliri weaponry as a demonstration of what the aliens would do to all invaders.
*Maliri Laser technology, so far as the Collective remembers, is a watered-down version of the weapons that come standard on Thrall ships. Of course, watered-down Progenitor-level tech is still damn powerful,* Lirrash noted wryly. *All the schematics and working examples of Thrall vessels were wiped out at Zeta Pegasus when Mael'nerak blew the Wormhole Generator. Valada, in the aftermath, scraped together the 'civilian' level tech her husband left behind. And that formed the bedrock of modern Maliri technology, attempts to reverse-engineer what Mael'nerak deemed not worth using against Rahn'hagon.*
*And that was still enough to make them the clear leaders in almost every field in the Galactic League,* Jonah added.
*So, the Ashanath tried to piggyback off what survived on the Legacy. The Maliri had everyday Progenitor gadgets to tinker with. Terrans may keep messing up with Nexus' software, but I bet the reason we're somehow one of the leaders in hardware for computers is down to poking and prodding the original server. Like children playing with their parent's old toys,* Dana shook her head. *And I know at some point we'll figure out how to get proper Progenitor weapons for the Invictus, but I'm still itching to look at the schematics for Maliri Lasers to see how they work.*
*I'll see what I can do, honey,* John promised.
The Invictus flew past the Warning and reached hailing distance for Geniya. While Terrans built their space stations with Titanium, Maliri favored a unique kind of Crystal they somehow grew. In the light of Theta Aquarii's sun, the whole station glowed golden yellow. A number of domes showed large hydroponics zones. In short, Geniya looked like some massive sculpture, a work of art, more than a trading outpost.
*It looks so pretty… and familiar,* Jade frowned in thought. *I must have spent a lot of time in Maliri space between the war with the Achonin and Mael'nerak releasing me and my sisters on Lenarra.*
*Makes sense,* Alyssa agreed with the Nymph. *Part of me can't wait for you to properly remember your time with Mael'nerak. I'm dying to hear you compare and contrast his skills in bed with John's!*
*You vixen,* John rolled his eyes, before hitting the button on his console to accept a hail before Lirrash could do it from her station. A male figure, armored from head to toe, appeared on the vid-screen.
*What's with the armor? Do the Ashanath remember why the Maliri started hiding their appearance like that?* Lauren posed to Lirrash curiously.
*Even ancestral memories fade, and it has been 10 thousand years or so since the tradition started. Still, our best guess is Valada did it as an attempt to protect the Maliri from Progenitors. If another happened to enter the Shroud, he wouldn't necessarily recognize them as a Thrall race and try to subjugate them if they were never seen in public,* the former High Councilor explained.
*I mean, it worked,* John chuckled before focusing on the Maliri tech as he started talking.
"Welcome to Geniya Station! The Maliri Regency is delighted to host you, honored guest! Please could you tell me what brings you here today?" the man said, sounding genuinely cheerful.
"Hello, my name is John Blake on the Invictus. I've come to meet with the merchant Ceraden. Could you please allocate us a docking bay?" John asked the polite Flight Command tech.
"Oh, certainly! Shall I alert Ceraden that you are on your way, Mr. Blake?" the Maliri asked helpfully.
"Please do," John nodded.
"We hope you enjoy your visit!" the tech said brightly before ending a call. A flightpath was sent to Jade's Pilot station and she kept to port speed as she brought them through the intervening distance and traffic.
Zanthus gave a polite cough in the chorus. *The Engineers are excited to go shopping. Maliri circuitry and electronics are the best in the Galactic League. With our assets and the estimated time before John will defeat Other John and we'll get proper Progenitor examples, probably worth investing in enough to rewire the whole Invictus. Would you mind if I accompany them all to keep an eye on them while the rest of you meet Ceraden?*
*Sure thing, handsome,* John easily approved. *Get good deals,* he added with a wink.
Jade set them down in their assigned Docking Bay with nary a tremor despite the size and weight of the Invictus. John and his harem took the grav-tubes down to Deck 9, the Engineers and 4 of the Marines meeting them by the airlock. *We will stand guard at the airlock to discourage any attempts at commandeering our home,* Primus informed them solemnly.
*If you feel it's necessary,* John nodded. Though he knew the Maliri had a reputation of having almost crime-free trading outposts since everyone with a brain cell was scared of being on the wrong end of their Laser Rifles that were based off the same tech that eviscerated the Warning. John suspected the Marines just wanted to feel useful while the Bridge crew were busy.
They all filed out the airlock. Rachel took a deep breath of air, making her chest lift distractingly. *Notice how there's no discernable difference in oxygen quality between our ship and Geniya? Maliri Lasers might not match proper Thrall or Progenitor tech, but supplementary tech like air filters seem to be comparable.*
*In other words, I might get a few flashes since some Maliri tech is really non-military Progenitor tech,* Dana followed up after her lover's thought.
*While we're asking Ceraden to help me get an audience with House Valaden's leaders, might as well ask for a tour of Maintenance on Geniya for you,* John mused.
John, being the one most familiar with Geniya, led everyone out the Docking Bay and towards the main concourse. Most of the girls and Ashanath were fascinated when they reached the major hub of Geniya. The majority of the crew had never seen aliens except via the Holonet or other media until that point. Sensing their childlike wonder, John patiently pointed out and identified the various species who were present and walking around browsing or in business with each other and the Maliri merchants.
Alyssa noticed a Bolon in the crowd and was reminded of their friend Barya. Deciding to be polite, she reached out a Telepathic tendril to contact the fellow psychic. *Hi!*
The Bolon turned their attention in the crew's direction. It immediately shifted color from verdant green, indicating neutral calm, to a bluish-white. *G-g-greetings, Radiant One. How may this one humbly serve you?* Alyssa got the distinct impression that the Bolon, in humanoid terms, was ready to shit their pants in fear.
*Did I scare you somehow? I'm sorry,* Alyssa rushed to apologize.
*N-n-no apologies necessary, Radiant One! It's only… this one has never witnessed such glorious beings as you and your companions. How may this one help our obvious superiors?* the Bolon replied with Telepathy.
Jonah hummed in thought, tracking Alyssa's thoughts in the chorus. *Barya thought we were powerful psychics way back on Port Heracles when it was just us and John and barely starting. By now, we must look like living gods to a Bolon's senses. The poor thing sounds ready to genuflect.*
Alyssa saw the logic in that. *I just wanted to say hello. I have a Bolon friend, Barya, have you heard of them?*
*This entity is unaware of one of their kind named Barya. But citizens of the Free Nation of Bol tend to be nomadic and rarely cross paths with each other outside our government structure or various guilds,* the Bolon explained, sounding almost scared Alyssa would be mad at them.
*I see. Well, sorry to bother you. Please enjoy the rest of your day,* Alyssa wished the Bolon.
*This one will, Radiant One!* the Bolon promised, and proceeded to squelch along, trailed by its robotic porters.
*That was a little sad, actually. Like when we first met Talari. We're so powerful, people who can tell our psychic potential automatically assume we're threats,* John thought a bit morosely.
*Well, unless you want me to cough up an invisibility cloak to hide us in the Material as well as the Astral, just have to learn to deal with sensitive psychics knowing we're bigger fish,* Dana shrugged.
Rachel had noticed something. *We haven't passed a single female Maliri. And according to what Lirrash told us, 95% of the Maliri population are naturally female. That's odd, don't you think?*
*What's odd is that there's 20 Maliri girls for every boy. That's just ridiculous,* Calara thought, finding the whole idea a bit silly.
*Makes sense why the Devourer or early Progenitors made that tweak though, since they're all women-only. Maximum number of Thralls to enslave from whatever race each Progenitor ends up with,* Zanthus shrugged. The Maliri birth ratio was common knowledge in the Collective, he didn't 'get' why this was so odd to the Terran Angels to learn.
*Moving on,* John decided, thinking they'd had enough of just standing there. *Zanthus, take the Engineers and do your shopping.* John handed over a cred stick he'd already loaded with 10 million, which should be more than enough to cover any purchases they made even with how pricey Maliri tech could be since everyone in the Galactic League knew they were the best of the best.
Zanthus accepted the stick, wished them all well, and led his fellow Ashanath into the crowd. John gathered his thoughts and led the rest of the Angels towards Ceraden's office. They passed from the public concourse where foreign merchants and low-level Maliri traders set up shop to a more exclusive area where the best Maliri merchants did their business with wealthy clients.
*Seriously, where are all the women?* Rachel thought, still bothered by the utter lack of female Maliri to be seen given the skewed ratio between the sexes.
*The Maliri are a Thrall race. There's genetic programming to make them subservient to a Progenitor master, but maybe culturally they're still a lot like a Progenitor's Thralls. The Maliri men might keep their harems barefoot and pregnant back in their quarters,* Alyssa hypothesized.
*It's a matriarchal society, that we know for sure. Still, since they closed their borders, our data has gotten a little outdated. I've personally spoken with a few Noble House Matriarchs, and they were perfectly polite. The Collective remembers the history they've forgotten, but we don't really know much about modern Maliri society beyond the basics,* Lirrash admitted.
John spotted Ceraden's office, the crystal doors flanked by red silk banners with an elaborate sigil in black.
Dana blinked and squinted. *Son of the Queen's shoemaker, that's odd. Must be like a family crest dating back to Mael'nerak's time.*
*Wonder if even Ceraden knows that's what it means,* John thought idly before leading them into his friend and old business partner's personal offices. An armored Maliri male was waiting to receive them past twin fountains, standing on an elaborate rug set on the marble floor. Clearly, this was a man of means and accustomed to luxury. The Angels got their first look at Ceraden. Even accounting for the bulkiness of his armor, he was 5'10 tops and a bit on the skinny side. The armor was clearly expensive, too, with numerous gold flourishes to compliment the candy red metal.
"John! So good to meet once again! Haven't seen you since you sold me that shipment of Rylein Cagfish!" the Maliri trader said in a rich tenor, walking forward to boisterously shake John's hand.
"Hey, Ceraden. Damn, you just reminded me. Took me weeks to get the stink out of my Cargo Bay," John chuckled, meeting his friend eagerly. "They taste great, but they smell awful!"
"You're telling me, I had to fumigate my storage after I finally managed to sell them," Ceraden guffawed. "It was such a nice surprise to get the call from Fight Command that you were back on Geniya! What brings you back to my humble doorstep?"
"Business, of course," John grinned, though it wasn't the usual type they normally dealt it. "But first, let me introduce you to my crew."
"Ah, yes, your fellow Lions of the Federation. Don't think I'm unaware of your exploits in recent months, old friend. From lone wolf on a rusty Freighter to Commodore on your old Assault Cruiser! You surely are a favored son of Lady Luck to have such dramatic shifts in fortune!" Ceraden said with wry amusement.
"One thing led to another, what can I say?" John chuckled, getting past his surprise that Ceraden apparently kept tabs on him. "Anyway, this is my XO, Jonah Bennings. My Navigator, Alyssa Marant…" John went through the crew, making introductions for Ceraden. The Maliri man was a great conversationalist, and he made an excellent impression on each Angel.
"Well, let's not just stand around here all day. If we're to discuss business, let's do it somewhere comfortable with some refreshment!" Ceraden declared. He was just turning to lead them deeper into his offices when there was the sound of a slamming door.
"Ceraden! I got locked out of your console! That's the third time, I should have you lashed for your incompetence!" said a harsh female voice from around the corner.
"And I was having such a nice day," Ceraden muttered at the edge of John's hearing. Louder, he said "I told you, Irillith, each session times out every 8 hours. I'll authorize another one for you, no need to be rude. I also have guests, could you please remember your manners?"
"I'll show you manners! Remember, I can have your trading license revoked anytime I–" said the belligerent mystery woman until she came into view. Her armor highlighted the curves typical of any Thrall or female Angel, and while even more luxurious than Ceraden's it also was somehow more militaristic. The Maliri woman, Irillith, had gone stock still as soon as she entered the room. More precisely, as soon as she saw John.
John tensed, but he maintained a polite smile. "Hello," he said. He was curious how the Thrall genetic programming would manifest. The Ashanath had told him that Maliri women were putty in any Progenitor's hands. Not in so many words, but that was the general effect.
Contrary to what any of them were expecting, Irillith's hand blurred to her waist and a pistol holstered there. She aimed at John, visibly trembling. "S-stay back! Don't you touch me!" she shouted, all the harshness in her voice replaced by terror.
"Irillith! What the fuck?!" Ceraden gasped, amazed at the behavior of the woman.
John didn't feel threatened at being held at gunpoint, given all his powers, but his Angels took exception to it. Alyssa used Telekinesis to rip the pistol out of Irillith's hands, and Jonah went at psychic super-speed to put the woman in a full Nelson she had no hope of escaping. He kicked out her legs and brought her to her knees while he was at it to really make sure she wouldn't be going anywhere.
"Don't hurt her," John frowned at Jonah. "Not like I was in any real danger."
"Agree to disagree, John," Jade said flatly, a growl audible in her voice as her eyes locked onto the person who'd dared to threaten her Master.
Dana's eyes were already glowing golden as she regarded the Maliri Laser Pistol which Alyssa had handed over to her to inspect. "Cool shit. The focusing crystal's not like anything I've ever seen. The energy source is on the same tier as what the Ashanath use at the enterprise level, too. Plus this tiny thing has a computer equal to Calara's station on the Invictus. Not your average peashooter."
Rachel's eyes were glowing too as she assessed Irillith medically. "She's psychic, so she's from House Valaden. She has an inoperable brain tumor too, might explain why she didn't react properly. She's also having an anxiety attack so bad she might blackout. She really is afraid of John.
"What… what's going on here?" Ceraden asked, sounding at a complete loss.
"It's a long story, Ceraden," John sighed. *Well, guess this my excitement for the day,* he snarked privately. "Why don't we take this to your private study?"
"Um, sure," the Maliri man said. Rather awkwardly, he led John and his crew, Jonah still keeping Irillith pinned, to a room at the back of his office floor. There was a modern desk and 3 leather couches formed in a square around a crystal coffee table.
John coordinated his Angels through the chorus. *Alyssa, do a deep dive on Irillith. Lirrash, do the same for Ceraden. We're missing something big and I want intel. Meanwhile, Lauren, see if you can pacify Irillith so Jonah doesn't have to hold her the whole time.*
*Aye, Commodore,* was the general reply.
Lauren's eyes began to glow with the golden-brown that marked she was using Influence. "Irillith. Sit down. Don't move except to breathe."
Irillith went stiff in Jonah's arms. He cautiously let her go, and the armored female went to sit on one of the couches. Even through her armor, she seemed tense.
*She's resisting, but it's not as bad as even what the Engineers can pull off. I've got her handled,* Lauren informed the chorus.
John turned to Ceraden, who he felt he owed some answers. "Okay… this was unexpected. I'd hoped to ease you into things a bit smoother than this."
"What the hell are you talking about, John? Why would Irillith attack you on sight? What's with all the glowing eyes?!" Ceraden demanded.
John sighed but soldiered on. "For the record, I learned all of what I'm about to tell you after I last saw you. I never lied or kept things secret from you. But I learned quite a bit about my species and some secrets of the galaxy in the last few months, Ceraden. It's quite the tale. We should be sitting for it."
Ceraden stared at John for a beat, then went to take his seat behind his desk. He gestured at the couches. "Well, what are we waiting for then?"
John took his seat, his Angels following his lead apart from Alyssa and Lirrash, whose bodies stayed in place while their minds were busy diving into their targets' psyches.
"Let's start from the very beginning. Does the word 'Progenitor' mean anything to you?" John asked.
"That's a synonym for 'ancestor' or 'originator', no?" Ceraden replied.
"Ok, let's try again. How about Mael'nerak?" John posed.
Ceraden tilted his head. "You never expressed a great interest in Maliri culture before now, John. How do you know about that old scary story?"
"It's not a scary story, Ceraden. It's an oral history," John sighed. "Ok, I'm just going to lay it all out there. If you have questions, save them for the end. A long time ago, we don't know when, someone, we don't know who, genetically engineered the Progenitors and the Thrall races. Progenitors are all-male psychics who can form psychic networks to fuel their powers. Thrall races are slave races designed to serve in a Progenitor's army and as batteries in his network. The Maliri are a Thrall race, and Mael'nerak was the last Progenitor to rule you. And I'm a Progenitor. The business I came to discuss was how to get your help in helping me unite the Maliri Noble Houses and become your King."
"... Right. I'm not nearly drunk enough to take this seriously," Ceraden said, already sounding overwhelmed. He got up and fetched a couple decanters from the wet bar in the corner. He poured for himself and John, handed the other drink over, and pulled out some attachment he hooked to his helmet that let him sip his drink. "Proceed," Ceraden nodded after a big gulp.
"I was born and raised Terran, as you know. I accidentally came into my powers when I added Jonah to my network a few months ago. I stumbled along, picking up clues here and there, until I met the Ashanath. Mael'nerak didn't just rule over the Maliri, he created the Nymphs, Ashanath, Trankarns, Terrans, and Drakkar in his lab. The Ashanath preserved all their knowledge of Progenitors and Mael'nerak's reign while he became just a half-forgotten fairy tale to the Maliri. They explained to me about my species, how every other Progenitor not in the Galactic League rules an empire of Thralls and wages constant war amongst each other," John laid out.
Over the course of the next quarter hour, John spelled out the nature of the Progenitor War, the Shroud, how Mael'nerak had come under it and established his empire, the War of the Heavens when Rahn'hagon found him, and their theory that John was Rahn'hagon's son conceived as part of some elaborate plot. By the time he finished, Ceraden was on his third refill. Alyssa and Lirrash had also finished and were ready to debrief.
*Ceraden has lived a fairly unremarkable life for a Maliri male. I've learned a great deal about how life goes on in the Regency, but he doesn't know anything we didn't already have an inkling about or is worth mentioning at present. Alyssa, you have more luck?* the Ashanath Angel projected into the chorus.
*I need a shower, a full belly, and a good cry. Not necessarily in that order,* Alyssa shuddered. *Guys, Maliri society is a fucking travesty. The women are all cruel, sadistic harpies obsessed with climbing the social ladder. And they prefer tearing down, ruining, or outright murdering their rivals over trying to earn anything by merit. Case in point, Irillith here. She's Irillith Valaden, one of the twin daughters of the current Matriarch of House Valaden, Edraele. Edraele put Irillith in a fucking pain harness the first time she failed an espionage mission. And it only gets worse from there. She was literally tortured by her mother to mold her into the perfect underling and servant. Tashana, her twin sister, was less interested in Maliri politics. In fact, she was an archaeologist who studied Mael'nerak and Valada. Edraele and Irillith wrote her off as being obsessed with an old bedtime story. But once Tashana mentioned Progenitors had amazing healing powers, suddenly Edraele was all ears. Irillith got so jealous of all the attention Tashana was getting that, I shit you not, she framed Tashana for treason to get rid of her!*
*That's… there are no words,* Calara thought in horror.
*Though it tells us something important. I'll need blood samples and to review their genome to get hard confirmation, but I have a hunch. Remember how Lirrash mentioned that the Eldritch Bloodline all died young or killed themselves for some reason? What if the tweak Mael'nerak did to his daughters' DNA to make them and all his descendents psychic also causes brain cancer? Would explain a lot and why Irillith has a golf ball-sized malignant lump in her limbic system,* Rachel explained her thinking.
*So Tashana mentions Progenitor healing powers, Edraele thinks she's found a cure to her cancer, and focuses on Tashana. Irillith kills off Tashana just for getting their mother's favor. It's fucked up, but it makes sense. So why did Irillith react the way she did when she saw me?* John asked his Matriarch.
*Irillith never paid attention to Tashana's 'nonsense'. But she remembered enough to recognize you as a Progenitor when she saw you. And if I read her memories right, her first thought went to survival fear at being raped by an even more powerful psychic than Edraele. Tashana found more stuff closer to the Achonin genocide era than the post-Valada part of their history,* Alyssa offered her opinion. *Also… I don't know how or why, but she can see the shadow of Other John when she looks at you. She saw you and it was like seeing a monster to her subconscious.*
*I see. So what I'm hearing is that Irillith is immune to the genetic programming either since she's psychic or the tumor affecting her thinking. She saw me and it was like coming face-to-face with the Maliri boogeyman. No wonder she panicked,* John concluded.
*You bleeding heart. You're going to forgive her for pulling a gun on you?* Jonah asked incredulously.
*I didn't like it, but I understand why she did it,* John shrugged. John's focus went to Ceraden as he cleared his throat.
"John… I frankly don't want to believe that story. Only it's too detailed to be a story, and I know lying isn't in your nature. Still… you're telling me that my people were designed to be your people's slaves. What am I supposed to do with that?" Ceraden asked, sounding at the end of his tether.
"Whatever you want to," John said gently. "If you ask me to leave to process all this, I will. But the fact of the matter, Ceraden, is that I am a Progenitor and the Maliri are a Thrall race. There's dozens of hostile Progenitor Empires in the Milky Way. If and when one of them finds the Galactic League, we're doomed. I need to claim and unite the Maliri if we're going to have a prayer of not being wiped out. It might already be too late."
"Why?" Ceraden asked, sounding more tired than alarmed, simply overloaded with all the information he'd gotten.
"There's another Progenitor under the Shroud," John revealed. "He snuck Drakkar with laser-proof armor in the Ashanath Collective, he's enthralled an Admiral and she's sabotaging the war with the Kintark as well as restarting AI research, and there's also a civil war going on in the Trankaran Republic. We can't prove he's behind it all, but I know he's responsible. He's playing some kind of sick game with the whole Galactic League. If he wanted to, he could crush us like bugs with little effort with how advanced his tech is and how powerful he must be psychically. Our only hope is that I can get strong enough fast enough to stop him before he decides to stop playing around and seriously try to conquer us all."
Ceraden went to refill his glass, but the bottle was already empty. He stared at it, then sighed and tossed it vaguely in the direction of the bin. He missed and the glass shattered on the floor, but he didn't even flinch. "And I was having such a nice day," he repeated to himself. Setting his shoulders, Ceraden's helmet lifted to show he was looking right at John. "How can I help? What do you need, John?"
"You're the native to the Regency. Now you know the truth, and assuming every Maliri Irillith isn't related to will be affected by typical Thrall genetic programming, what do you think the best way to make me King would be?" John posed.
"I'd have to know exactly how strong this 'programming' is. Irillith seems immune, but she's from the Eldritch Bloodline," Ceraden sighed. "I guess I can take you to where a military crew is docked here on Geniya and test you on those women. But not today. I… I really do need some time to myself to put the pieces of my mind back together."
"Fair enough, let's plan to meet up tomorrow," John nodded. "Thank you for wanting to help," he added.
"You're a friend, John. What are friends for, no?" Ceraden managed a weak chuckle.
John gave the armored trader a warm smile. Then he turned to Irillith, who Lauren had kept frozen in her seat the whole time. "Now, to you. Well, first thing's first. Rachel, cure the cancer."
Rachel nodded and made her eyes glow. She held out her hand and a shimmering mist radiated from her palm. It touched Irillith, ignoring the barrier of the armor, the tangible cloud of psychic energy reaching into the Maliri woman's body to fix what was broken. Rachel dropped her hand a few seconds later. "Tumor's gone and not coming back," she reported proudly.
"Good job, honey," John praised. "Lauren, let her talk."
"You may speak. Do not lie," Lauren added, her voice having a slight echo.
"Why would you do that? Why heal me? Did you hope to get me in your debt?" Irillith demanded. Her voice wavered slightly, proving she wasn't as fearless as she was trying to sound.
"No, I just didn't want you to suffer needlessly," John said patiently. "Now, you heard everything I just explained to Ceraden. What are your thoughts on the matter?"
Irillith was silent for a long beat. "What would you do, if you were our King?"
"Well, for starters, make neural whips and all other instruments of torture illegal," John said soberly. "According to what Alyssa found in your memories, Maliri women treat each other atrociously. And I prefer good girls to bad girls. I'd sit you all down and make you play nice as I unite you into one people and lead you into the closest thing to a golden age that we can pull off."
"Be serious, John Blake," Irillith scoffed.
"I am," John said, staring at her visor. "The Maliri were made to be ruled. That's a simple fact. If it's not me, it'll be this rival Progenitor or any other of my kind who gets to you first. If it has to be me, then I'll do my best to do it right. End the inter-House wars, the lashings, the political murders, all of it. And while I'd love it if I could spend a solid few years fixing all the damage, the fact is we'll need to get on a war footing as soon as possible. We need to get ready to protect ourselves and the rest of the League from other Progenitors, especially the one already here."
Irillith was silent again. Just as John was going to speak again, she sighed. "If the threat of other Progenitors is as grave as you make it out, then it would seem that helping you is a matter of self-preservation. If there's one thing I'm good at, it's looking out for my own survival. Very well then. Consider me your ally, John Blake. I'll aid you however you ask to help you 'claim' the Maliri."
*She's a snake. She'll stab you in the back the moment she thinks she can get away with it. I need insurance,* Alyssa thought implacably.
*I'm not force-feeding her, or having Jade use her Shapeshifting to do the same. We'll just keep our guard up around her,* John replied, not entertaining what he knew his Matriarch was thinking.
*Well, then let's at least take away one of her most powerful tools,* Alyssa sighed, knowing there was no convincing John when he set his mind. Alyssa walked up to Irillith and bent over to grab her left vambrace.
"Unhand me, whore!" Irillith hissed.
"What did you just call her?" John asked, appropriately pissed off.
"U-um…" Irillith stuttered, apparently reminded that she found John terrifying.
"For whatever reason, long hair is seen as a sign of wanton promiscuity in Maliri culture. Irillith cuts her hair shorter than Ceraden keeps his. In her mind, me and the girls are declaring ourselves as sluts with our hair like this. Not that I care what she says," Alyssa explained distractedly. She found the right button and lifted a particular piece of Irillith's armor away.
"You have no idea how valuable that is," Irillith grit out.
"Actually, you don't. You think it's just a hacking deck. What it really is is Valada's personal console, gifted to her by Mael'nerak himself. Tashana found it on a dig and gave it to you as proof she wasn't crazy. You weren't listening, and you realized it can produce a fully sapient AI with the press of a button by pure accident," Alyssa countered. "And since we're 'allies' and all, I think I'll borrow it. You can get it back when I trust you… if that ever happens."
Irillith was about to protest again, when Alyssa made her eyes glow. Having a near Pavlovian response after all the times she'd seen that phenomenon with her mother, Irillith bowed her head submissively and shut her mouth.
"A Progenitor handheld computer? Gimme!" Dana said, making grabbing motions with her hands. With a giggle, Alyssa carefully handed it over. Dana's eyes glowed as she activated her powers to examine every detail of the device. She groaned at the same splitting headache she'd gotten when she'd toured the Legacy, but pushed past it to return to the inspection. She blinked. "Wow. This thing is upgraded from the base model that John gave me. Mael'nerak really wanted his Queen to have the best of the best."
"How powerful is it?" John asked curiously.
"Put it this way: I tried my best to hermetically seal the Invictus' network after the Nexus incident. This baby, even without activating the AI feature Mael'nerak added, could brute force its way in in less than 10 seconds," Dana said, comparing the specs on the schematic in her mind with the data her psychic microscope was relaying about Valada's computer. "It's barely bigger than a smartphone, but it has more processing power and memory than triple what we've got on our own servers. If this thing can also support an independent instance of Nexus… this is the cyber equivalent of a WMD. Any computer in the League would be ours to play with."
"Which is exactly what Irillith has been using it for," Alyssa chimed in. "She's already a good hacker by Maliri standards, and they make every other species in the Galactic League seem illiterate at code. But ever since she learned how to use the AI feature on this console, she's become the most formidable intelligence operative in the Regency. Not that anyone outside this room knows about Valada's computer, she passes it off as natural talent."
"Right… yeah, you'll get this back when you prove you won't abuse its power," John said firmly to the Maliri noblewoman.
"Very well," Irillith said, both sullen and resigned. If Tashana had been right all along, then John Blake was stronger than her mother, who was the most dangerous woman and psychic she'd ever heard of. She didn't have a prayer of fighting back against him and his crew.
John decided they'd all had enough excitement for one day. "Well, this is where we'll leave. Ceraden, I'll see you tomorrow. Irillith, same to you. Think about what you learned today, and in the morning we can discuss how to make me King with as little fuss as possible." At his mental command, all his Angels got up and left with him.