John and his crew sat in the Senate Chamber aboard the Kerhom's Anvil, the Trankaran flagship. John had just explained the truth of the Progenitors to Chancellor Niskera and the whole Senate. Once all the fuss over him being the same species as their 'god' had settled, things had calmed down and they were ready to start planning how to handle the Glowing Queen.
"Let's start at the beginning. When and how did the rebellion start?" John asked, steepling his fingers.
"Around 5 months ago, the Glowing Queen appeared as if from nowhere in one of our Core Worlds," Vamred spoke up, standing to Niskera's left. "From all our research and intel has suggested, she was just an ordinary miner. Then one day, she dramatically changed appearance and suddenly any Trankaran, man or woman, who laid eyes on her seemed compelled to do whatever she told them to do. Even images or video of the Glowing Queen is enough for the effect to activate. She quite simply strolled into the Planetary Governor's office, launched a public broadcast, and declared herself the new Queen of the Trankarans. She started amassing military forces at speed and expanding her reach and territory. All attempts at parlay resulted in either the envoys being converted or killed. She's currently based on our home planet of Trankara."
"Why didn't you just crush the rebellion while it was still manageable? Why not lead a full assault of Trankara while you still have the superior fleet?" John asked, not understanding the logic of the Senate's actions.
Niskera sighed. "I was hoping that a peaceful resolution could be reached and was reluctant to commit to any course that would lead to so many sparks being extinguished. Now that you've informed us of the true nature of the Glowing Queen and her master, this other Progenitor, I now see there is no other choice. Unless you can think of a better option, this fleet will make for Trankara for a full assault before the day is out."
"No need for such drastic measures," Calara spoke up, her face thoughtful.
"My Tactical Officer, First Lieutenant Calara Fernandez. A finer strategist I have not met. What you thinking, honey?" John said for the Trankarans' benefit.
"The Glowing Queen sounds like she wasn't granted any psychic powers by the rival Progenitor like we thought. She just changed appearance once she joined his network, like Irillith and Ceraden did with us, and then genetic programming left behind by Mael'nerak took effect. Every rebel is just trapped in obeying the orders of the Glowing Queen by their own DNA. So we don't need to kill every rebel in a big climactic battle. We just have to assassinate the Glowing Queen," Calara laid out.
"Or maybe not even that," Jade spoke up, an idea occurring to her. "We haven't really had a chance to experiment with this to see if it's possible, but maybe John could 'poach' the Glowing Queen from the other Progenitor."
*Jade, you seriously want to stick your fingers down her throat after I load you up and hope I can convert her to my network?* John asked incredulously in the chorus.
*Just seems like such a waste to kill her when her only crime was catching the other Progenitor's attention. If she's been forced to do all this by the obedience compulsion, she's innocent in a way. I'd prefer we save her than execute her,* Jade replied.
*She's got a point, Johnny boy,* Jonah chimed in.
John cleared his throat physically. "Whether we kill the Glowing Queen or free her from the rival Progenitor's control, the fact remains that she's the lynchpin of the whole rebellion. If she dies, the rebels should all act like they're waking up from a dream. And on the off chance I can assert my own psychic control over her, I can order her to end the rebellion. Either way, me and my crew need to get to the Glowing Queen. So let's make a plan. Where is she on Trankara?"
Thandrun did some commands on his vambrace and a holo-projector in the table activated. It showed a Planetary Map of Trankara, the Trankaran homeworld. "She's set up her headquarters in an old Senate building outside the capital city, renaming it the Radiant Palace. It's a fortress, to say nothing of the rebel fleet that guards the system," the Fleet Warden said gravely.
"I don't suppose there's a secret backdoor or escape tunnel we could sneak in by?" John asked lightly.
Niskera frowned in thought. "Actually… there is." She typed at her console and zoomed in on the relevant sections of the map. "The Radiant Palace is built on top of an old lava mine that's now abandoned. The tunnels left behind by the mine should be connected to the basement levels of the Radiant Palace."
They spent a few minutes studying the geological scans and blueprints and confirmed the route from the mine up to the Palace.
"Okay, that's how we'll get into the Palace once we're on Trankara. Now how to get on Trankara?" John mused, leaving it to the chorus to bounce ideas off each other.
"Is Demladuhr Station still active?" Irillith asked after a beat.
Grimaces took over half the Trankaran audience's faces. "Lost with all hands in a rebel ambush. It's now nothing but a tomb," Niskera said mournfully.
"But does every trader in the Republic know that, or would some still be headed there, and thus would the rebels have reason to have patrols around it?" Irillith pressed.
Vamred frowned in thought. "We've lost whole grids of our comms network as the rebels and Glowing Queen either claimed those sectors or destroyed the beacons on raids. Communications from the true government of the Republic to the general population have been sporadic. There probably are those none the wiser who would be headed for Demladuhr. Why do you ask?"
"I'm thinking the Invictus ambushes a rebel patrol near Demladuhr, which is only a few systems away from Trankara," Irillith laid out. "I can hack their systems to send a false distress beacon with sensor data showing the whole loyalist fleet is on approach. The rebel fleet would either move to meet or at least gather at the edge of the system to confront the loyalist fleet. Leaving Trankara much less defended for the Invictus to approach and sneak into the Radiant Palace."
"How devious… I love it," John chuckled. "So, in summary, we ambush the rebels at Demladuhr, bait the fleet away from guarding Trankara, then me and my crew sneak in and deal with the Glowing Queen, one way or another. And in a single stroke, the rebellion will be over."
"If you can deliver on that, your great– Commodore Blake, then what would the Republic have to pay for such a gift?" Niskera asked. She seemed to be determined to shake off the genetic programming and treat John as an equal or any ordinary, albeit extremely powerful, man. John admired her willpower.
"The very best Trankaran Engine technology, for starters," John said lightly.
Niskera frowned. "The forces generated by our best Engines would liquify your insides at half-speed. I can't in good conscience give them to you."
"I have every confidence that my Engineers will find a solution to handle the g-forces and adapt them to my and the Maliri's ships," John stated. "In addition, I'd like as much Tyrenium and Onyxium as you can afford to spare."
Niskera gave a low nod. "There's 20 tons of Tyrenium stockpiled on the Anvil alone. Will that be enough for your purposes? And I'm afraid I'm unfamiliar with 'Onyxium', though it's possible we have another name for it."
"The Tyrenium will work. As for Onyxium, it's an exotic form of Carbon, black and shiny with a hexagonal atomic matrix," John laid out.
"Vu-karam," Niskera nodded, understanding lighting up her eyes. "We've never had real use for it. You may have all that we may gather within the next couple days while you undergo this operation. Any other terms?"
John didn't want to get greedy. "No, no, that's enough."
"Then we have a bargain, Commodore Blake. End the rebellion as we've discussed, and you will receive your payment in full," Niskera nodded. "May your actions bring peace and harmony back to the Trankaran Republic."
"We'll do our best," John nodded.
They spent another hour hashing out the fine details, including getting scans of a Trankaran Cruiser to help them in the ambush on the rebel patrol near Demladuhr. When everything was as handled as it ever would be, John stood. "I thank you for listening to me, and working with us to put an end to this pointless war."
"One question before you leave, Commodore Blake," Thandrun spoke up. "Am I correct in assuming you intend to 'claim' the Maliri as the Great Maker did so long ago?"
"Indeed, I do," John nodded. At that very moment, almost every Noble House Matriarch in the Maliri Regency was gathered and waiting for him to recruit them to his network back on Genthalas Shipyard.
"Which would make you the Maliri King," Thandrun stated. "And once you're the leader of the greatest military power in the Galactic League, what will you do then?"
"Do what I can to get us ready for when this rival Progenitor stops playing around or another one shows up," John answered immediately.
"That's it?" Thandrun pressed.
John sighed. "Thandrun, I understand your caution and very rational fear of one of my kind, with all the power inherent to the Progenitors. But I'm not some tyrant out to conquer the Galactic League. Believe me, I'll have my hands full with just the Maliri. I never wanted to end up a ruler, but it seems fate had other plans. Once I am Maliri King, I hope to have a very healthy and mutually beneficial relationship with the Trankaran Republic."
Thandrun stared John down, before finally nodding. "I wish you the best then, Commodore Blake."
John and his crew finally exited the Senate Chamber. A different Associate was there to lead them back to the airlock, where they found Bhaken, Dana, and Rachel all waiting by the portal back to the Invictus. *Have fun talking with the Forgemaster?* John posed to his Grand Engineering Overlord.
*Oodles,* the redhead chuckled. *Trankarans really know their shit when it comes to working with metals. I learned about so many new ores and alloys. I can't wait to experiment with some to see if they'll improve Terran, Maliri, or even Progenitor designs. And Rachel had a good time too, didn't you babes?*
*Trankarans are very friendly. The Healer I spoke with gave me a free copy of the full Trankaran medical database when I asked,* Rachel thought brightly, flashing John a smile.
John reached the airlock, made goodbyes with Bhaken, and then led his harem back into the Invictus. In short order, they detached from the Kerhom's Anvil and Jade flew them to the edge of the gravity well. Alyssa plotted a route to Demladuhr Station and they took off into hyperwarp.
John clutched his stomach as it gurgled. *That's the last time I meet government officials on an empty stomach! Come on, everyone, time for a late breakfast.*
They all went down to the Lounge to cook up the delayed morning meal they hadn't had a chance to have before the meeting with the Senate. When John felt full and satisfied, he sat back in his chair and regarded his family. The chorus was alive with happy chatter and laughter, and he felt his heart warm that he'd somehow, someway, gone from a lone wolf on the Fool's Gold to having all these beautiful women and handsome men, inside and out, sharing their lives with him.
*All that's missing are baby bumps and munchkins,* Jonah chuckled privately through their link.
*God, I can't wait,* John thought longingly. *But we at least need to get the rival Progenitor taken care of and have the League protected from incursion by any other Progenitor.*
*We've got all eternity, knock on wood. A year or two before we get down to starting a proper family is like a blink when you think about it. And besides, plenty of fun to be had as just us adults before screaming infants and nosy tweens and broody teenagers join the party,* Alyssa reminded John brightly.
John traded a grin with his Matriarch, acknowledging her point. Then he cleared his throat and sent a mild nudge to every member of the chorus, drawing everyone's attention. *Okay, now we're all fed and watered, what's the plan? We'll arrive at Demladuhr around 1800, thanks to Alyssa's navigating and our obscenely overpowered Tachyon Drive. We'll track down the nearest rebel patrol and work to cripple it before Irillith works her magic for the false distress beacon. We'll take off from Trankara at an angle so none of the rebels see us coming. And then there's just the issue of flying in with the Raptor and working up from the lava mine to the heart of the Radiant Palace. But what's everyone going to do all day before that goes down?*
*I'll spend the day in the gym. I'm falling a bit behind with Soul Stretching and meditating and all that jazz. Plus… I think I'm close to a breakthrough for my Crown Nexus. So that's my day done, working on psychic mastery and all that fun stuff,* Jonah spoke up, figuring they could go in order they'd joined.
*I haven't really practiced my Photokinesis as much compared to the Telepathy and Telekinesis. There's the obvious use of lasers to wipe out our enemies, but I'm sure there's a few other side applications I could think of if I really get into it. So I'll be in the Gym too,* Alyssa spoke up.
*I'm reaching a wall with the forensics into the Dragon March conflict. Commodore-level clearance just isn't high enough to get into the real guts of which Admiral is ultimately behind each action,* Calara sighed. *But I had a brain wave. I can analyze the styles of Admirals Santini, Norwood, and Lynton through their past orders and then see which one is most involved in all the obvious 'traitor' missions. In a perfect world, it'll confirm that it's all Lynton fucking things up. Or it'll reveal that Santini or Norwood or even both are working with her to sabotage the Terran Federation in the conflict. If she's through the Change, she could be seducing them or using mind control or maybe they were secretly big Kintark fanboys. The point is, I'll spend all day analyzing T-Fed military archives to work out the profile for all 3 of them and then comparing to the mess with the Kintark.*
*Good luck with that,* Dana thought. *As for me, I've got my hands full planning a full refit once we're back at Genthalas. Replacing the Engines and each Laser and the new Progenitor Power Core is just the main bits, there's so many other improvements we might be able to cram in. I'm just working out all the completion times and trying to find the most efficient schedule. Plus, I need to hash out either a massive upgrade to our Inertial Dampeners or invent a whole new system so the Trankaran Engines actually don't kill us when we use them. I'm sure the Progenitors have something given their Engines are no doubt even better, but that's neither here nor there with the schematics locked up with Other John. So seems I'll just have to reinvent the wheel.*
*I'll focus on my Shapeshifting, plus I'll do some time in the Raptor on simulations,* Jade spoke up. *Also, John, I think we should seriously focus on the Engineers and Marines on getting them fully through the Change. The Marines can barely fit in their old armor, so we should try our best to get them in the right shape for Paragon Suits, don't you think?*
*Makes sense, that's today's loads divvied up,* John agreed. It was still a bit odd to think of his cum as a precious resource, but the fact was it really did have major applications and worth for the crew.
*Speaking of your fluids, I'll put in some hours with Rachel on designing the Potion Machine,* Zanthus volunteered.
*And while I'm not doing that, I can dig into the Trankaran medical data I got. Head and heartshots will work just fine as any other humanoid, but I'll look to see if there's any other obvious weaknesses for us all to target during the Radiant Palace mission,* the brunette doctor added.
*I'd like to put in a few hours in the Firing Range, just make sure I'm up to snuff. I'm getting about as good as I can get practicing Influence on the crew, making Buckley sing like a bird felt almost easy a few days ago,* Lauren stated at her turn in the group report.
*I'll spend today bonding with Faye, make sure she's learning and growing in a healthy direction,* Irillith stated. *If I have some free time, I really should start working my energy system with some meditation and Soul Stretching. Plus some actual practice with my Electrokinesis for offense and defense, I've mostly focused on the Psychic Hacking so far.*
Ceraden shrugged. *I'll join Lauren in the Firing Range, I definitely could use the practice. Otherwise, I'm still busy setting up John's investment profile to make sure we couldn't go broke if we tried.*
*Well, we've all got our jobs for the day. Let's get to it!* John thought with a rallying cheer.
After everyone cleaned up after breakfast, John loaded up Jade and, a few minutes later, focused on a small stream of energy into each of the Ashanath crew members as the Nymph fed them a dose. He tried to pace himself so he wouldn't be too exhausted for the assault on Trankara that night, but he invested more than he normally did in the interest of finally pushing the Engineers and Marines fully through the Change. In the interest of conserving energy, John went to his Ready Room rather than off to do any physical or psychic training.
Turning focus to his second Matriarch, John reached out to Edraele. *How are things, my future Queen?*
*Vexing, my future King,* was the weary reply. *These other Matriarchs and their families… I know I was just as bad if not worse just a couple weeks ago, but it's just pathetic. I needed to physically separate two noblewomen from coming to blows over the fact they were wearing the same dress! And using images or replaying your video is starting to be more trouble than it's worth. The more exposure they get to you, even via proxy, the more pronounced the genetic programming is becoming. If I pull up a still of you, they're starting to become more lustful and desperate to be with you than calm and passive. I swear, they might start trying to hump the vid-screen in a few more days if it gets any worse. So my options are dealing with them when they're vicious bitches or dealing with them while they're on heat. And the day's just getting started.*
John frowned. *Is there anything I can do to help? Maybe record a new message to help you out?* He was concerned at the exhaustion he could sense coming from Edraele given it was just the early morning.
*Honestly, I'm tempted to just lock them in a big room with your message on a loop and come back in a week to sluice out the mess. But that's just my frustration talking, I know how vital it is that they all stay in good health for you to claim them,* Edraele sighed. *Ignore my whining, Baen'thelas. You'll handle the mess with the Glowing Queen tonight and then it's a mere week back to Epsilon Aquarii with your lightning-fast Invictus. I can last that long.*
*Well, if you're sure, honey. But don't hesitate to ask. We're partners, now, co-rulers of the Maliri. If there's any way I can relieve your stress or workload and make life easier, just let me know,* John wished Edraele honestly.
Edraele's mind-voice turned rather sultry. *If that's a sincere offer, then I haven't had a good fuck literally in your lifetime. And isn't it traditional for the King and Queen of any nation to be married to each other? I'll be first in line for you to 'claim' the Maliri Matriarchs, more so than you already have in my case.*
John tried to think with the head between his ears and not his legs. *Are you sure? You'll imprint on me, we fed you through Jade up until now. Are you serious about a life as part of my harem, my future wife and mother to my children?*
*In all seriousness, Baen'thelas, what better option do I have other than you? And besides, my kind were designed to stretch around a big, thick Progenitor cock. It just makes sense, to my mind, becoming your Queen in heart as well as politics,* Edraele argued.
John got a grin. *Well, then, expect a long, thorough introduction to an eternity as my woman when I return to Genthalas.*
*I can hardly wait, Baen'thelas,* Edraele all but purred, before there was an annoyed huff. *And yet another incident demanding my attention. You better be worth all this fuss, Baen'thelas. Best of luck on Trankara, though I doubt you need it.* With that, John felt Edraele's mind focus away from their Telepathic link.
*Seducing my mother? My, my, John, should I be worried?* Irillith spoke up in the chorus teasingly.
*Um,* John thought, realizing the mess he might have just blundered into.
*Oh, relax, I don't care. I'm not exactly eager to join in, but never say never. Maliri have much looser ideas regarding incest with how limited the selection of males are. One stud servicing a whole family actually isn't that uncommon. And us women are known to seek comfort in each other's arms if we feel comfortable enough we won't get stabbed in the back,* Irillith giggled.
John's hidden incest kink reared its ugly head with fantasies of Irillith and Edraele together with John there to 'straighten them out'. And they were planning to rescue Tashana, Irillith's twin sister, from the Unclaimed Wastes at some point…
*Pervert,* Jonah all but cackled.
*Our pervert, though,* Alyssa thought warmly.
John shook his head and focused on a search of the Holonet for any new TFNN articles worth reading or watching. While meant as a distraction tactic, he actually found something rather juicy. *Huh. We got another feature from Jehanna over the Armored Cobras thing. It came out 2 hours ago and already has over a million views!*
*Seriously? Why are we so popular?* Dana marveled at that degree of celebrity over their actions.
*Probably Admiral Devereux's influence, she seems determined to claim all the credit for our actions to High Command and make herself look good in her bid to replace the Fleet Admiral someday,* Lirrash thought logically.
*Plus, we actually are the closest things to 'heroes' you're likely to find outside an action holo,* Lauren offered. *And this is, like, the third feature about John and the crew in recent months. You're not fading from public memory, you're staying 'hot' and relevant and a topic of conversation among the general population. The snowball is rolling down the hill and building. If and when we step in and expose Lynton, High Command will either hush it up to avoid embarrassment or laud us as the patriots who revealed the treasonous snake working for the Lizards. It's only going to grow from here.*
The chorus settled back to their tasks for the day, though John took the time to watch the full feature. He admired Jehanna Elani, the reporter and his not-so-hidden celebrity crush, as she did a stellar job in delivering the facts and painting the Lions of the Federation in a positive light. She seriously had talent, not to mention being distractingly pretty, and John had serious plans to make her an Angel if not necessarily part of the crew. Once that was done, John continued to browse the Holonet. He blinked at one particular article he found. *Oh, how dumb can you get? This is applied Darwinsim at its finest, I swear.*
*What is it?* Calara asked, intrigued.
*Some holo-actor's son and a bunch of his hippy friends are undergoing a voluntary excursion into Kirrix space to try and, quote, 'make restitution for centuries of senseless violence and unwarranted aggression against our innocent neighbors',* John laid out. *They're in a weaponless passenger liner named the Dove of Peace and are due to set out from Port Heracles within the week.*
*Seriously? Who in their right mind can think the Kirrix are innocent?!* Alyssa demanded. Having read the Broodmother Chivixil's mind personally, the blonde Matriarch knew beyond a shadow of a doubt how depraved, xenophobic, and downright unrepentant the Kirrix were in their mission to rape their eggs into any sapient host and increase their numbers via the host's painful death.
*You answered your own question, sweetheart,* Jonah thought with a mental shrug. *They're high on grass or other drugs with some misplaced Terran guilt over how warlike our species is and are determined to 'make up' for it somehow. You get xeno-sympathizers like this every now and then, people who delude themselves into thinking violent species are just poor and misunderstood by big, bad High Command and try to make amends. Something similar happened about 20 years ago with the Largaths. You can imagine how that turned out.*
*And they're just going to let this Dove of Peace sail out past the border? They're all doomed!* Calara thought in shock.
*Suicide isn't illegal,* John thought bluntly. *There's nothing the T-Fed can do to stop private citizens from taking off on a privately-owned ship in whatever direction they want.*
John browsed the Holonet for another hour, then went to make lunch for his family. They had a pleasant meal, and then everyone returned to their self-assigned tasks. John, having reloaded Jade to top up the Ashnath, maintained his focus on relaxing while feeding energy into each Engineer and Marine. He took time to wander around the Invictus and check in on each of his Angels. Around 1730, he summoned the Bridge crew up to the Command Deck in anticipation of their arrival at Demladuhr Station.
"We passed a LOT of wrecks on the way here," Faye spoke up from Irillith's console. "How could the rebels be so mean, shoot on their own people like that?"
John sighed. "They don't really have a choice, Faye. We're pretty sure they're trapped by genetic programming to obey any Trankaran Thrall. So all the rebels are just mindlessly obeying their orders from the Glowing Queen. And she is trapped by the obedience compulsion to obey all orders from the rival Progenitor. All this is his doing."
"But why is he doing this?! If he wanted to just conquer the Galactic League, he could manage it in his Dreadnought alone based on what Irillith's told me. Why do it so indirectly, like with the Drakkar or Admiral Lynton and here with the Glowing Queen?" Faye pressed.
"We don't know, Faye. But my gut says that this is his idea of fun. Like the kid who burns ants with a magnifying glass. He got freed from the Devourer when he entered the Shroud, and now he's having his turn to play God with 'lesser beings'," John explained.
Faye frowned. "That's bad. He's a bad man! You need to stop him, John!"
"That's the plan, Faye. But it'll take time for us to get strong enough to actually take him on in a straight fight. We're all hoping that he'll be amused enough watching us clean up after his mess and wait for us to reach that level before he forces our hand," John told the AI.
"Well, I'll do my best to assist you all the whole time!" Faye said with a determined nod.
"Thanks, honey," John wished the synthetic girl, touched by her determination to help them.
They pulled into the system that housed Demladuhr Station, once a bustling hub of Trankaran trade. But as their upgraded Maliri sensors informed them, the station seemed to have suffered an explosive decompression. Dozens of frozen bodies hung in empty space, dragged out by all the depressurized oxygen when some rebel ship had attacked out of nowhere. The sensors also showed that a Trankaran Cruiser, almost certainly in use by the rebels, was due to fly through the system in the next 10 minutes.
*Sneak up behind them and bugger them hard,* John ordered Calara and Jade. *Irillith, get ready to hack them as soon as they're in range.*
The Invictus went into 'stealth' mode of minimal energy signature and positioned themselves in the opportune spot for an ambush. The rebel Cruiser reached the system and went on what seemed like a routine sweep for any ships. A check of the chorus, and then Calara opened up by firing the Beam Lasers.
While Calara and Jade worked in sync to move the Invictus and keep their firing arcs on the rebel Cruiser, Irillith was already in the midst of a Psychic Hack. Faye was on her shoulder, deciding to take a 'field trip' and follow her Creator as she went to slave the enemy ship. Trankaran cybersecurity was robust in its own way, but up against a Maliri let alone one with psychic powers, they might as well have left the door open for them. Irillith went through the rebel's digital network, deactivating or slaving one system after another. Combined with Calara's and Jade's efforts, the rebel Cruiser was dead in space within 5 minutes. Calara, just to be certain, was using her pinpoint accuracy to shoot out each Fusion Beam and retro-thruster to leave the rebel Cruiser toothless and unable to pursue them without outright destroying the ship.
Lirrash got a hail request, but John had her ignore it. Irillith sent confirmation she'd sent a hacked distress beacon to alert all the rebels that the whole loyalist fleet had been responsible for the Cruiser's defeat. There jobs done for now, the Invictus and her crew left Demladuhr and the crippled rebel ship behind.
Alyssa had them take a slightly circuitous route that would make sure they didn't cross paths with the incoming rebel fleet and still arrive in a timely manner at Trankara. *2 hours and change,* she alerted the chorus.
*Dinner time,* John decided.
The crew had a lingering dinner, then they got ready. Deciding they needed a skeleton crew aboard the Invictus in case they were discovered by the rebels somehow, John assigned Jonah to be the Pilot and Calara to work the Invictus' guns. Everyone else, though, would be armoring up and going down in the Raptor for the mission down to Trankara. Jade all but insisted, and John finally agreed to give the 'poaching' option a try. He loaded Jade up and she stored all his release in her breasts so she didn't start digesting it.
The Invictus pulled into the home system of the Trankaran Republic, in 'stealth mode' to avoid detection from most sensors. As they'd anticipated, the vast majority of the rebel fleet had been drawn away by the fake distress beacon. Only a bare handful of ships remained in guard formation around the system, and it was simple for Jonah to pilot them through the gaps until they were just outside the sensor grid placed around Trankara.
*Let's go,* John ordered his Bridge crew. In the interest of stealth, and also because they were now too big for their armor after all John's efforts throughout the day, the Marines would be staying behind. Primus and a few others even volunteered to join them without proper armor, but John insisted none of his crew would go into battle without proper protection. For this mission, it would just be John and his harem. Even the unblooded Ceraden would be coming along, having been deemed 'passable' by Lauren who had her own battle experience.
The Raptor pulled out of the Invictus' Hangar Bay, Jade ghosting the retro-thrusters to bring them at minimal energy towards Trankara. They managed to pass the sensor grid without tripping any alarms, relying on pure momentum and gravity until they were past the barrier. Keeping them subsonic, Jade flew the dropship through the Trankaran atmosphere towards the capital city. With the flightpath leading towards the Radiant Palace, Jade took them in towards the base of the rival Progenitor's Thrall.
Rachel frowned as she read the atmospheric data. *It's a good thing Paragon Armor has its own oxygen supply. This atmosphere isn't breathable for Terrans or most other Galactic League species. Jade will be fine since Nymphs are so adaptable, but the rest of us have a time limit before we run out of air.*
*Good to know,* John thought, doing his pre-battle rituals to psych himself up for combat.
Jade landed them at the base of a tall cliff, the Radiant Palace barely visible at the peak. In front of the Raptor was a cave entrance, the way into the defunct lava mine that would be their secret passageway up to the Palace. They all went out the airlock, Jade shifting into her Tiger form while keeping John's load safely tucked away inside her body.
John took point and made sure all his lovers were ready for what was ahead. *Well… onward,* John finally ordered, leading the team into the mine.
They passed through a number of labyrinthine tunnels in a vaguely upward direction for about 20 minutes. They occasionally passed large caves where magma still flowed, but their Paragon suits had temperature control and Jade could adapt her body to almost every environment with her powers. Finally, they reached a section where the top of the mine merged with the basement levels of the Radiant Palace.
Jonah and Calara, on guard but still feeling a bit useless up on the Invictus, decided to chip in. Using the Invictus upgraded sensors, they sent a map of all lifesigns in the Radiant Palace down to the ground team's HUDs. Thanking them through the chorus, John planned their route. His hope was to completely stealth their way to the Radiant Queen and her throne room, but realistically he knew the alarm would be raised. Still, might as well get as close as they could before the red alert went up.
John and his Angels ghosted through the lower levels of the Radiant Palace. Using Punisher Railguns on 'silenced' mode, they dropped any Trankaran rebels on patrol or in guard positions with headshots. Rachel had found no obvious weaknesses compared to Terrans or other humanoids after her research, so they were just aiming for the normal spots they would on any other species.
It was as they were jogging along a bridge over a canyon that they were spotted. Trankaran rebels started to swarm, opening fire on the team.
Of course, that meant the crew of the Invictus could respond with their full might instead of playing quiet.
Alyssa ripped the guns out those aiming at her's hands and returned fire with their own weapons. Dana, in a bright idea, lowered the melting point of the frames of the Trankaran Fusion Rifles to have her own targets' weapons turning to puddles in their hands. Jade had charged into the thick of the oncoming forces and did melee combat in her various animal forms. Zanthus had raised Psychic Shields around them all to protect them from incoming fire. Rachel picked off those in her view with headshots, her powers prepared to heal anyone who got injured. Lauren was making the rebels turn and fire on their fellows through her Influence. Irillith watched their rear and sent out a literal burst of chain lightning at a charging group of rebels trying to sneak behind them. Ceraden kept his cool and focused on lining up one shot after another against the rebels in his first real combat scenario.
And John… well, John was a Progenitor on a mission.
They tore through the rebel forces like the hand of God, making their way through the rest of the Radiant Palace. When they reached the throne room, they found it empty. Luckily, Niskera and the Senate had identified a panic room within the Palace the Glowing Queen would likely retreat to if she didn't just flee in a ship. John followed the map in his HUD until they reached the panic room. *Irillith, if you would,* he prompted.
Less than a minute later, the Psychic Hack was complete and the hidden door opened. Within were 4 bulky male Trankarans armed to the teeth. And in the back, looking very frightened, was a Trankaran female in elaborate robes. Whereas all other Trankarans looked like living statues of granite, the Glowing Queen had numerous veins of molten orange light to give her the appearance of half-cooled lava. It was beautiful, but it shouldn't have been enough to hypnotize all the rebels into betraying their nation and joining her rebellion. Mael'nerak must have left genetic programming to obey any Trankaran Thrall.
John had his Angels drop the 4 bodyguards while he strode forward. "Hello. What's your name?" he asked politely.
"Gamla," the Glowing Queen replied, eyeing him like he was Death himself.
Alyssa was already on a deep dive. *She really was just an ordinary Trankaran. She got abducted one day and had a nozzle from some kind of machine shoved down her throat. Next thing she knows, it's the next day, she's all glowy, and the second coming of the Despoiler was ordering her to rip the Trankarans apart from within.*
*The Feeder,* John found himself thinking. He chased down the elusive thought. *Oh, charming. In the absence of a Nymph, apparently your average Progenitor literally jerks off into a giant vat designed to keep the cum alive for storage and he just builds up a stockpile.*
*That's kinda gross, actually,* Dana thought in distaste. *I sure as hell ain't building one even when we get the schematic.*
Alyssa was still searching through Gamla's mind, getting all the information she could find on the rival Progenitor. *His Thrall race is light green, they call themselves Larathyrans. The Matriarch is named Ailanthia. And the man in charge is… Larn'kelnar.*
*Soul Reaver,* Irillith supplied, translating the name from Ancient Maliri, which was really Progenitor.
John nodded, glad to have a name for the faceless Progenitor who was such a threat to the Galactic League. *Did he tell her anything we can use, any clue as to his intentions?*
*Literally said "Tear apart the Republic by whatever means necessary," and then dumped her ass back on her homeworld,* Alyssa frowned, having reviewed the sum total of Gamla's memories.
*Well, then, time to try something risky,* John decided. With a mental command, Jade shifted from a Tiger back into her lovely Nymph shape, her breasts swollen with one of John's loads. "Gamla, you're going to nurse from this woman. Or you can die. Your choice," John offered the Glowing Queen.
Gamla, looking a bit confused that she wasn't already dead, allowed Jade to cradle her head and pull her down to nurse. She went on auto-pilot, this being only her second taste of Progenitor cum, and passed out for 4 hours.
A bit leery at the moment of truth, John reached out to try and make a Connection with Gamla. He sensed her mind and a Connection already in place, binding her to Larn'kelnar's own network. Gathering all his considerable reserves, John tried to sever the rival Progenitor's Connection to leave Gamal free for him to claim himself.
He barely made a dent in the other Connection, the power laced into it more than all of John's own reserves by far. John, not to be deterred, borrowed energy from every Angel in his network and tried again. He felt the Connection start to give, like a few threads snapping in a rope. Then, out of nowhere, Gamla gave a tortured scream. John was distracted, but not before he felt the horrifying sensation of the Connection leeching the very life force out of Gamla. The withered husk of the Glowing Queen laid on the floor, looking like she'd had all her fluids drained and leaving her desiccated like a mummy.
John gasped. *He… he killed her. He killed her just to stop us from getting her,* he thought in shock.
*No loose ends,* Lirrash thought grimly.
*So all we've got is a couple names, apart from the end of the rebellion,* Ceraden reflected.
John shook his head. *I gathered energy from all of us, over 30 strong, and it was only just enough to start hacking through the fraction of his energy dedicated to maintaining his Connection to Gamla. That's not good. He must be so powerful, what with who knows how old he is and all the Larathyrans in his network wherever they are out there in the galaxy.*
*Well, you know the solution to a power shortage, don't ya Johnny boy? Recruit, recruit, recruit,* Jonah thought with a halfhearted attempt at humor.
*It's more than that. It'll take months of heavy recruiting unless we crack the Potion Machine just to get a network over 1000. I think… I think I need to try and edit the Connection itself. Which is all kinds of dangerous when I can't even read it, but it feels like a necessary risk,* John laid out.
Rachel went and used a specimen collector to get a skin sample from Gamla's corpse. *Well, we can do all that once we're back on the Invictus. Let's head home, shall we?*
The ground team returned to the Raptor, all Trankarans they passed looking dazed and confused. Whatever grip the Glowing Queen had on their minds had ended with her sudden death. In short order, the Raptor was tucked back in the Invictus and they were all getting unarmored. Alyssa got them on course back to Beta Cephei, alerting them they'd be back with the loyalist fleet by noon the next day.
Rachel, not in the mood for sleep despite the long day, went to her Medical Bay to run the DNA analysis for Gamla. She had her answer within an hour, after everyone was already showered and starting to nod off in their quarters. *In almost every way, she's just a run-of-the-mill female Trankaran. The only difference is her skin, which is just one gene hidden in the junk DNA of a normal female Trankaran. Larn'kelnar made a Connection and that's it, not even a hint of the Change otherwise.*
*She was just a disposable tool, not a real investment,* John thought dully. He'd been brooding since returning to the Invictus, part of his mind insisting on replaying that dreadful moment he felt Larn'kelnar kill Gamla.
Alyssa gave him a tender kiss, the feel of her soft yet strong body very distracting. *You're nothing like him, John.*
*But I could have been. If I hadn't made Other John by accident, I'd have grown up and turned out exactly like him,* John thought darkly.
*But you did, so you're not,* Jonah thought simply, pulling John into a hug from behind.
John took a moment to just savor feeling his first male and female Angels pressed up against him, the others a comforting presence on the bed and in his mind. Then he made his decision. *Alyssa, Jonah, split a load. And I'm sorry in advance for how much this will hurt everyone.*
His Patriarch and Matriarch working in unison, John eventually gave up a load of his cum to be split between two of his 3 lieutenants in his psychic network. He got into a meditative state, focusing on the Connections to both and through them the rest of his Angels apart from Edraele's portion. *I love you,* he wished everyone.
*We love you too,* his chorus wished back.
John grit his teeth and severed his Connections to both Jonah and Alyssa, and therefore all the other Angels assigned to them.
Cries of pain and anguish and abject sorrow filled the bedroom. But John couldn't afford to be distracted. Focusing as hard as he could on the Connection itself, John felt… something. He couldn't 'see' it but he could 'feel' it in his mental grasp. Thinking purely about removing the obedience and suicide compulsions, John waited until he felt something shift, then remade his Connections to Jonah and Alyssa.
And then there was power…