Alyssa brought the Kirrix dropship, graceful as a swan in water, to land in the Hanger Bay of the Invictus. She, John, and Jonah walked out the airlock, exhausted from their boarding action against the Kirrix Hive Ship. John noticed that the ship's full team of cleaning robots were gathered around the mound of Kirrix corpses he and Alyssa had stacked earlier. They beeped and fidgeted, their programming unable to calculate exactly how to handle this particular mess. Two of them turned at their approach and eagerly went to handle the green footprints they were leaving in their wake. Killing Bugs was a messy business, after all.
John, in the aftermath of storming the alien ship, found the robots' antics cute. He led Jonah and Alyssa to the elevator and up to the Bridge. Calara and Sparks were waiting and rushed at him until he held up a hand. *Believe me, while I'd love to feel you both in my arms, let's wait until I'm out of armor covered in Kirrix guts, shall we?*
Walking up to his Command Chair, John took off his helmet and then opened a hail to the Cruiser Indomitable, which had come as reinforcements for their raid on the pirate base in the Chendar system. The vid-screen filled with the T-Fed officer he'd met earlier that day. Had it really been less than 6 hours ago? Refocusing his muddled thoughts, John saluted. "Captain Flintlock. My thanks for your assistance against the Kirrix."
"I only regret that we didn't arrive sooner to help you with the pirates. Though it seems you hardly needed the assist," Flintlock said wryly. "According to my Tactical Officer, there's fresh debris from 13 ships in the system and you seem to have neutered the Kirrix before we even showed up to the party."
"Yes, well, I have an exceptional crew," John said with pride. "We're off in pursuit of the remaining pirates. I wish you the best, Captain Flintlock, you may have shown up late but your men may well have saved our hides on the Hive Ship."
"My, you're having a busy retirement," Flintlock chuckled. Despite his superior rank, the Captain saluted. "Godspeed, son."
John returned the salute and then ended the hail.
Jonah, their interim pilot until they filled that position, guided them to the edge of the gravity well. Alyssa had analyzed Sparks' projected route of the fleeing pirates and had their route all set up. With the press of a button, the FTL Drive activated and they launched into hyperwarp. *We should be in interdiction range within 18 hours,* Alyssa reported.
*Shower time,* John groaned, the wear and tear of both physical combat and extended use of his psychic powers hitting him all at once.
Given John, Jonah, and Alyssa had been in the thick of it on the Hive Ship and Calara and Sparks had donated energy across their chorus, the 5 of them were understandably exhausted. They trudged to the Commander's Quarters which they all shared. Sparks helpfully hosed down the combat team so all the Kirrix blood was off their armor. Once they'd finished the laborious process of unequipping the Phalanx suits, they all went nude into the walk-in shower. John audibly groaned when the hot water hit his body.
They all got clean in silence, though their Telepathy meant they were constantly sharing thoughts and emotions. *Alyssa, are you okay?* Calara checked on the blonde, who seemed the most out of it.
*How old can Kirrix live?* the Matriarch asked in reply.
*Carbon dating of upper-tier bodies is inconsistent, but the record was something like 8000 years. They live a long-ass time, honey,* John replied tiredly.
*Chivixil had so many memories. She could have been older than the Terran Federation. And she spent the whole time kidnapping, raping, and slaughtering other species in her insatiable need to procreate, not giving a single fuck about any species but her own.* Alyssa looked up at John. *John, we have eternity, assuming neither of us dies in battle. Promise me something.*
*What, Alyssa?* John asked.
*Wipe out the Kirrix. Even if it takes 1000 lifetimes. Even if we need to track down every ship, scour every planet they've conquered. They cannot be allowed to live,* Alyssa thought, her whole being behind this one request.
John was disturbed a little about his lover's desire to render a whole species extinct. But given what they'd learned about the Kirrix, the atrocities they considered a simple necessity of daily life, he couldn't deny part of him felt the same way. He leaned in and embraced his Matriarch, holding her close. He leaned down to kiss her forehead. *You have my word.* And that's all there was to it. Once he made a promise, John would never willingly break it. The other 3 were silent witnesses to the vow.
Once they were all clean, they took turns in front of the auto-dryer. Setting the alarm for 0700 hours the next morning, John and his loving crew all collapsed into their bed, dead to the world in seconds. It had been a long, hard day.
The incessant beeping from the speakers woke John from his dreamless sleep. Apparently that was a Progenitor thing. "Mute," John commanded, and the noise stopped. John opened his eyes and the first thing he did was look at his 4 bed companions. Both the alarm and his own wakening thoughts seemed to have roused them, and they all blinked open gummy eyes. John was struck by how beautiful each of their eyes were. Jonah's forest green, Alyssa's cerulean, Calara's chocolate brown, and Sparks' heterochromatic sky blue and gold. The fact that all 4 were looking at him with love just made it that much better. *Morning, my Angels,* John thought tenderly.
*Morning, John,* they each projected back.
John sat up, stretching his arms and feeling the 'pop' in his shoulders. His crew followed suit, and John happily admired the stunning sight of a muscular man and 3 chesty women stretching. *So, breakfast?* he checked.
*Coffee is vital,* Sparks grumbled. She'd never had the caffeinated beverage before joining the crew, but she rapidly seemed to be developing a dependence on it.
They all got out of bed. John, Jonah, and Alyssa went to their walk-in closet to change while Calara and Sparks went to their own rooms, which they really only used for changing clothes or to get some quiet time away from the crew. They reached the Lounge and Kitchen around the same time. Sparks went straight for the coffee machine, going through the process like she was an old hat. Eidetic memory as part of the Change came in handy for picking up new skills. John assigned Jonah to set the table and fetch everyone's preferred juice while he, Alyssa, and Calara each handled the omelets, hash browns, and pancakes. 20 minutes later, they were all seated at the dining table and tucking into the delicious food they'd made together.
*First meal after a battle, nothing like it,* John moaned after a bite of crispy potatoes and sip of unsweetened cranberry juice. He was the only one on the crew who could tolerate how tart and sour it was, but it'd been his preferred breakfast drink since childhood.
*You're telling me,* Jonah chuckled. *Plus, you're actually a 5-star chef and we're copying your skills perfectly, so this really is a great meal even without the survival factor enhancing the flavor.*
*What kind of restaurant did your grandparents run again?* Calara asked, after a bite of her omelet fluffy as a cloud.
*Wholesome diner, complete with old-fashioned jukeboxes,* John remembered fondly, thoughts going back to long hours during his childhood learning from his grandmother in the kitchen and later working shifts after school when he was old enough. *Grandpa liked to keep it fresh, though, so we had a different set of specials each week to add variety on top of classic Terran comfort food. I've had to cook the most popular dishes from almost every original country and region back on Terra before we unified into one world government.*
*Ever fool around with the waitresses?* Alyssa asked with a mix of teasing and genuine curiosity.
*Nope, most of them were kinda catty, actually. They made a game of trying to see who could get the owner's kid grandson. I was actually a virgin until I got to the Academy at 16. That first blowjob was awkward, too, I almost called EMS when she didn't wake up the next morning,* John recalled, able to laugh at himself now.
*Not that you ever have to again, but how do you jerk off? I imagine clean up must be a bitch and a half,* Sparks mused, pouring herself a third cup of joe, black as tar and strong enough to hold up a spoon.
*I did it in the toilet for a couple years, and then I almost died of embarrassment when the pipes clogged and the plumber had to explain to my grandparents it was all jizz causing the blockage,* John said, a faint blush of mortification on his face just at the memory. *And while you all may think it tastes delicious, I never had the urge to 'clean up my own mess'. I know that's a horrible double standard to expect you to drink it when I won't even taste it, but I just don't want to even try it. Our restaurant/home was near a big park. I found a nice little spot in the woods where I could feed the geese, so to speak.*
Jonah frowned. *Hmm… there may be a reason for that. Since Michael is pretty sure that every other Progenitor is straight as an arrow, maybe it's an evolutionary thing. To keep one Progenitor from force-feeding another Progenitor and stealing him and his whole network of Thralls out from under him.*
John paused. *Hmm… I find it hard to believe that simple evolution would account for that. Then again, I find it hard to believe evolution made a species as powerful as the Progenitors to begin with. So maybe we were genetically engineered a long time ago, and that was put in for just that reason, to keep each Progenitor in his own lane and not have one opportunistic guy enslaving the whole species.*
*But since you are, to our knowledge, the first bi Progenitor, you could work around that,* Alyssa thought with a grin. *Look how powerful you are already, only a couple months since making your first proper Thrall and with only 4 people in your network. If and when we run into another Progenitor, if the opportunity presents itself, you could leapfrog over his years and years of recruiting and growth to become as powerful as you and he put together!*
John frowned. *What part of 'informed consent only' is so hard for you to grasp, young lady? I would never force someone to join my network against their will.*
*John, remember your nightmare. Assume every other Progenitor out there has been conditioned by that Astral behemoth every night after they make a new Thrall. If that's any indication, most Progenitors are utter bastards. Recruiting one, willing or otherwise, could mean saving all their Thralls, which could be in the thousands or even millions, from being drained of all life force for a quick fix or abused by an uncaring master,* Calara argued logically.
John frowned. He genuinely never wanted to rape anyone or otherwise force his cum down a person's throat without their permission. But if doing it to one man could result in all those women under his command being freed from effective psychic slavery and whatever twisted lifestyle the Progenitor enforced upon his Thralls… That was harder to deny out of hand. *We'll continue this debate if and when we run across another Progenitor,* John decided, kicking it down the road.
*Fair enough,* Calara nodded.
*So, we shouldn't catch up with the pirates until mid-afternoon. What's on the agenda?* Sparks asked.
*You, Ms. Chief Engineer, are going to investigate the Kirrix dropship and all the tech we scavenged from the bodies,* John decided with casual authority. *If anyone can reverse-engineer alien tech, it's you. I'm quite curious to see what innovations you can make based on what you figure out.*
*Sounds fun!* Sparks beamed.
*Calara, you go up to the Bridge and plan the battle. It's only 7 ships total now, but the Stalingrad is part of the remaining fleet. Find a good system around the point we'll be in interdiction range and plot the perfect victory,* John continued.
*Yes sir, Commander,* the Latina lieutenant agreed.
*Alyssa, yesterday was kind of spur-of-the-moment, but you actively broke into another Telepath's mind when you confronted the Broodmother. Given I'm the lynchpin of the whole network and the obedience compulsion, if someone mind-rapes me we're all in danger. You and I are going to practice Telepathy, make sure my own mind-shield is as strong as possible,* John told his Matriarch.
*Ok, sounds good,* the blonde nodded.
*And Jonah, last but certainly not least, I want you watching the long-range scanners on the Bridge and keeping track of the pirates. They're unprofessional, and we should have the drop on them, but this Everitt Hitch or whoever their leader is might suspect we're in pursuit. I want you to make sure they don't set up an ambush on us,* John finished.
*It's not paranoia when someone really does want to kill you dead,* Jonah grinned. *Sure, I'll be on watch until we get in Interdiction range.*
*Excellent. Well, we have our tasks for the day. Let's finish up here and go do it!* John thought encouragingly.
After washing the dishes and everyone giving John a kiss for 'good luck', they all went about their assignments. John and Alyssa went to the Gym, and sat down cross-legged across from each other on the training mats. *For the purposes of this exercise, let's block each other out. Kinda defeats the purpose to try and break into my mind when I leave the drawbridge down for you,* John projected.
Alyssa nodded. "Outside voices, got it. Brace for impact," she warned. At her lover and master's nod, Alyssa went for a Spirit-Walk. She floated over to John, noting the crown of light resting on his brow. She reached out an Astral finger, tracing the whole circumference, getting a sense of the mind-shield's strengths and weaknesses. First analysis done, she returned to her body. "Did you feel that at all?" she asked.
"Not a thing," John admitted.
"First things first, you need to be aware when someone's touching your mind, even when you've got defenses up," Alyssa instructed. While psychic powers were as new to her as any of the crew, she was far and away their best Telepath with all her experience Spirit-Walking.
"Like proximity sensors and checkpoints before you even reach the entrance to the base," John nodded, naturally putting his Matriarch's advice into military terms. "Any other advice?"
"Your shield is strong, way stronger than Chivixil's was. But it's brittle, I got that much. And for all its power, it's only one layer deep. If I was determined, I could crack it if I hit at full force, then pry it open like an egg from that point of weakness. You need to make it deeper, walls on top of walls," Alyssa continued.
"Multiple layers of defense, got it. Anything else?" John asked.
Alyssa hesitated, but she had to say it. "The mind-prison around Other John is linked to your own mind-shield. If someone breaks into your head, he gets loose. Try to separate the two, make it so even if you're compromised he's locked away good and tight. If that's not possible, take it as encouragement to make your personal mind-shield as thick and impenetrable as possible."
John frowned at the reminder of his evil alter ego, which he'd accidentally created as a teen. "So a vault inside a vault, got it. Well, here goes. And while I'm meditating and trying to upgrade it, I want you to do the same. That goes for everyone. It's not as high a priority as it is for me, but I don't want any psychic in the galaxy to be able to steal our secrets or worse mind control any of you."
"Sure thing," Alyssa agreed, sending the message through the chorus.
John took a deep breath and then closed his eyes, sinking into a Zen state as he tried to hack his own mind and make it as secure as possible. Minutes flew by as he visualized all the changes he wanted to make and invested psychic energy into making them reality. He opened his eyes when he'd done everything he could think of, and noticed on the chronometer that 3 hours had gone by. Alyssa was still sitting across from him, patiently waiting.
"Apparently, an active mind-shield is different from a passive one. I'm using 2 mind-boxes to keep up the new and improved version. Luckily, I seem to have gotten 3 more overnight. Must be from using them to exhaustion yesterday on the Hive Ship," John explained.
"Makes sense, same logic as fitness and training gains," Alyssa nodded. "Well, let's try this again." Alyssa once again went for a Spirit-Walk.
She immediately noticed a difference. Not only was the crown of light bigger and looked grander than before, but 4 rotating hoops twisted around it in a seemingly random pattern. Alyssa cautiously approached, trying to find an opening. It took a few minutes of observation, but she found an opening that repeated every 37 seconds. She reached through to touch the crown at the next opportunity. To her shock, instead of feeling resistance she was sucked into John's mind. However, instead of finding herself in a sea of bubbles or any other representation of John's true mindscape, she appeared to be in a hedge maze. Curious, she started to wander through, but there was no clue she was getting anywhere closer to either the exit or the heart of the maze. A murmur of moving leaves and rubbing branches and she saw the path ahead of her close off as the maze came alive and rearranged itself. Nodding with approval, Alyssa kept moving. Out of nowhere, she felt familiar big arms wrap around her from behind.
"Found you!" John grinned, leaning down to kiss her cheek. "If you were a real intruder, I could obliterate you to leave your body an empty shell or at least hold you hostage while the others incapacitated your body."
"And if I were to fight back?" Alyssa asked archly.
"I got the home field advantage, honey," John grinned. A number of roots and vines, writhing like a sea monster's tentacles, burst out of the ground around them. While making no move to approach, the threat was clear.
"Kinky," Alyssa chuckled. "And what's stopping me from just taking off into the air?" she asked primly.
John frowned and looked at the clear sky above them. "Hmm, didn't think of that. I'll need to add patrols, giant wasps or birds or something. That or add a roof to the maze. Thanks for pointing that out, Alyssa."
"What I'm here for, poacher turned gamekeeper," she chuckled. "While I'm here, mind showing me what you've done to contain Other John?"
"I'd rather not let you get that close, but I need a second opinion," John sighed.
There was a blur, and Alyssa could feel John's mind wrap around hers and pull her deeper into his mindscape. When their surroundings settled again, they were inside what looked like a one-room cottage. The walls were made of warm wood panels, painted a cheerful shade of blue not unlike her eyes. The lone window looked out on… nothing. Just a white expanse of nothing. A couple bookshelves took up one wall, there was a fireplace with a rug and a loveseat angled so anyone sitting there would have toasty toes. A simple twin bed took up one corner, the sheets and pillows a rich, dark purple. A kitchenette was in the opposite corner, a toilet and stand-up shower crammed in, and the walls were filled with paintings and blown-up photographs.
"Best I could do on short notice," John shrugged. "Feel free to take a look around."
"You're awful cavalier about having someone else in the core of your very mind," Alyssa noted as she went to investigate.
"I trust you," John shrugged. And it really was that simple to him.
Alyssa took out a random book from the shelf and flipped it open. It was a photo album, filled with images of a middle-aged man and woman. A much younger John, looking utterly adorable on a bike or in a Halloween costume, was in a few of them. "These are your memories," she said more than she asked. She touched the edge of one photo and felt the emotion imbued into that particular instance. If she wanted to, she was sure she could sink into the memory and live it from John's perspective. Putting the album back, Alyssa went to check the paintings. They were mostly people, the 4 largest being her and the other Angels. If she focused, she could hear the whispers of thought radiating from the paintings of Jonah, Calara and Sparks. Alyssa paused on one, which was the only landscape. It showed what looked like a prison on an island in the middle of a bay.
"Tell me you weren't this cliche," she chuckled, even as she reached for the edge of the painting. As she half-expected, it swung on a hidden hinge to reveal a safe. Rather than a dial or keypad, there was only a DNA scanner sized for a single finger. Just looking at the safe, Alyssa felt a cold shudder run up her spine. Something evil, there was no other word for it, was locked behind that door. She knew it in her bones.
John silently swung the painting back to cover the safe. "Yeah, out of sight, out of mind," he said flatly.
"Well, this all seems to be in order. Not bad for your first try, not bad at all. Of course, there's room for improvement, but this should keep out any random psychic who wants to take a snoop in your head," Alyssa gave her honest opinion. "Mind letting me out of here?"
John focused, and as if a giant was gently cupping her in his palm and moving her, Alyssa found herself removed from John's mind and back in her Spirit-Walk outside his body. She returned to her own body and got out of her cross-legged seat. She was starting to get stiff from so much time in one position.
John opened his own eyes and stood. "That's my morning spent," he chuckled. He went to kiss Alyssa out of the blue. *Thanks for your help, honey. It's a relief to know that my mind is safer thanks to your expertise.*
*For a trained killer, you're very mushy in private, Mr. not-so-ex-Marine,* Alyssa chuckled, rejoicing in having John's voice back in her mind.
*You know, I didn't get my usual morning blowjob. Feel like an early lunch?* John offered with a wink.
Alyssa was on her knees immediately.
A rotund Alyssa and beaming John went up to the Lounge a few minutes later to get started on the midday meal for the rest of the crew. Everyone showed up at noon on the dot.
*No deviation from their planned route. Sparks does good work,* Jonah reported before a bite into his pulled pork sandwich.
*Of course, I'm a genius after all,* Sparks thought primly.
*And modest, too,* Alyssa, her oldest friend, needled harmlessly.
*Supremely. Anyway, I'm making good headway on the Kirrix tech. The Neutron weaponry is fascinating, but it's no better or worse than Terran ballistics or lasers pound for pound so it's not worth really digging into. The armor and the stuff their ship's made out of is the real prize. It's a remarkably resilient yet lightweight polymer, pretty sure they grow it somehow. I should be able to synthesize something similar with the Mass Fabricators once my workshop is up and running. Expect all our gear to have significantly less weight once I'm done,* Sparks continued.
*Excellent, Sparks,* John nodded with approval as he scooped up a spoonful of baked beans. *Calara, got a good idea for a battleground?*
*Irinis-Gemini would be the safest bet,* Calara told them all. *It's a binary star system with plenty of asteroid belts to hide in, and we all know Jonah would never crash us into anything. We can use guerilla tactics to take out the pirate ships piecemeal while they ineffectually try to chase or hit us through all the rocks.*
*Sounds like a plan,* John approved.
When they'd finished eating, John sent Sparks down to continue investigating the Kirrix tech while the rest of the crew went to the Bridge. John and Alyssa went to his Ready Room to continue Telepathy practice while Jonah and Calara returned to their jobs.
Not half an hour later, Jonah's thoughts spiked in alarm. *Guys! The ships just vanished!*
John opened his eyes, already frowning, and went to his Command Chair on the Bridge with Alyssa right behind him. *What's that mean?* he asked his XO.
*Possibly an unmapped black hole ate them or they inexplicably got fast enough to escape our range. Most likely explanation, though, is they realized we're on their tail and are waiting to ambush us,* Jonah told them quickly.
*What system were they nearest when they went dark?* John asked, already planning.
*Iota-Carinae,* Calara answered, already pulling up the System Map. *White supergiant, just the one ice planet in orbit.*
John calculated their options. *If they're smart, and they must be to have realized we're chasing them, they'll Interdict us right into a killbox. Sparks, soon as you're up here, full power to Shields. We'll go into the rings of the ice planet. If we're lucky, they'll split forces and we can take out our pursuers before going for the rest. If we're unlucky, that's still a good way to avoid getting shot dead while we think of a better plan. Ready, everyone?*
*Ready!* came the unanimous reply.
Sparks came out the elevator and was jogging to her station when the whole ship shuddered.
"BWOOP! BWOOP! BWOOP!" went the Interdiction alarm. John shut it up while the rest of the crew exploded into action.
Sparks got to her station and funneled enough power to Shields to get them to maximum strength. The rest she sent to the Engines. Jonah, reacting faster than any ordinary Terran, had them flying around the pirate ship directly in front of them and straight for the ice planet's rings. The pirates kept up a steady barrage, until Jonah started to fly in an utterly random pattern that made it so only the odd lucky shot managed to impact them. To John's delight, all but the Heavy Cruiser Stalingrad and the last Destroyer took off after the Invictus. *That's right, split your forces, dumb bastards,* he thought.
The Invictus was soon in the rings of the ice planet. Jonah was forced to slow down to avoid crashing into the giant hunks of frozen water, but the good news was the obstacles had an even worse effect on the pirate ships. *You know, this would actually be quite beautiful if we weren't fleeing for our lives,* Alyssa noted as she looked at the prismatic rainbows reflecting through all the ice crystals around them on the holographic display.
*We can go sightseeing afterwards, honey,* John promised. He turned his attention to Sparks. *What's the Shield strength?*
*27% and climbing,* his Chief Engineer replied.
*Jonah, when we're at 90% again, turn around. Calara, you do what you do best,* John ordered.
*Send you into a pleasure coma?* his Tactical Officer joked.
*That too, but I meant destroying our enemies,* John chuckled.
Jonah continued to lead the pirates on a merry chase, getting them on the other side of the ice planet. At Sparks' signal, the XO executed an Immelmann turn and Calara worked her magic. While all the ice particles weakened the Lasers, the Mass Drivers worked just fine once the pirates were unshielded. In short order, all 5 pirate ships were destroyed.
*Now for you,* John thought, focusing on the Stalingrad on the Tactical Map.
Jonah brought them on approach for the pirate flagship and its accompanying Destroyer. The intervening distance only gave him and Calara more time to refine their plan of attack. As soon as they were in range, the Stalingrad unleashed its full broadside of Beam Lasers. Jonah dodged them all so easily it looked choreographed. Calara focused her full attention on the Destroyer for all of 10 seconds, gutting it like a skilled fishwife. By the time the Beam Lasers on the Invictus recharged, Jonah had maneuvered them into the Stalingrad's blindspot and the Shields were still at 76% strength.
While the rear arc of the enemy Heavy Cruiser had the least coverage, that wasn't saying much. A hail of Laser Cannon and Gatling Laser fire rained down on the Invictus' protective force field. Jonah had to stay mostly still so Calara could return fire, so it became a race to see which ship's Shields ran out. To maximize their firing potential, Jonah had brought the topdeck, which had twice the weapon ports as the bottom deck, perpendicular to the Stalingrad. Calara's expression was manic as she ruthlessly ran game theory, trying to calculate the exact moment to go for the kill.
*Now!* she sent at Jonah. He tilted the Invictus immediately, bringing their forward-facing Beam Lasers to bear on the pirates. At the very best moment, which most any other gunner would have missed, Calara fired their strongest lasers. The full burst hit the Stalingrad's Shields, reducing the enemy Shield strength to 0%. The very last half-second of the Beam attack slashed like the claws of some mighty predator across a specific section of the enemy ship.
*Fire Control Tower demolished. They're toothless,* Calara reported with satisfaction.
John was about to order her to take out the Engines when there was an alert from his console for a comm link request. *This ought to be good,* he mentally grumbled, but he figured it was worth hearing what the pirate leader had to say. He pressed the right button, and the vid-screen turned on for the whole crew to see. A swarthy man with sideburns, dressed in an archaic costume of what pirates might have looked a full 1000 years ago on Terran oceans, appeared on screen. "Commander John Blake, to whom am I speaking?" John said in a clipped tone.
"Pirate Lord Everitt Hitch, at your service, sir," the criminal grinned, revealing yellowing teeth with numerous gold or silver replacements. "It seems you've damaged my fine ship some and have me at something of a disadvantage. May I request a parley?"
"Denied. You traded your own people to the Kirrix. I'm here to end you," John said in no uncertain terms.
"Be that as it may, I think you should be aware of something before you carry through on that terrifying threat," Hitch said, looking supremely unconcerned about his potential demise. The reason for his confidence was revealed when a split-screen appeared, showing live footage of what looked like a brig. Armed pirates stood guard over a solid 15 hostages. "I didn't give all my cargo to the Kirrix. I kept a small portion as insurance for just such an occasion as this," Hitch said with a smug smirk. "Power down your ship and allow me to flee unmolested or I will have my men execute them."
John grit his teeth. He was furiously thinking of a way out of this mess when he noticed a turret in the corner of the brig. An idea came to him in a flash. *Already on it!* Sparks told him almost as fast as the thought appeared in his mind. Needing to buy time for her hack, John distracted Hitch with conversation. "How much could the Bugs possibly have offered you that would justify damning hundreds of poor souls to their predations?"
"An uncut 10 carat precious gemstone per head, or thereabouts, they're not the best at weighing them," Hitch answered blithely. "I've been making out like a bandit."
"Money? Is that all you care about? Don't you know what the Kirrix DO to the people they capture?" John demanded, honestly amazed at the depravity of this man.
"No skin off my nose," Hitch shrugged, and he clearly just did not give a fuck about the fate of his victims.
"You know you're done, right? Even if you get away, almost all your ships and men are gone, and I've already reported Grant to the Terran Federation directly. Your operation is over and it's never coming back," John spat, though most of his attention was on Sparks and her lightning-fast typing at her console. If he wasn't seeing things, her hands actually seemed to be writing two different lines of code independent of each other. He was fairly sure that was supposed to be physically impossible, but when you put someone who was already a genius IQ through the Change… well, the results were clear to see.
"Fortunately, my haul from the transfer you so rudely interrupted, combined with what I already had tucked away, is enough to let me retire and live like a king for the rest of my days," Hitch said, seemingly quite happy to monologue. "I've got a gorgeous villa on a resort planet in the Brimorian Enclave all set up. White sandy beaches, blue waves, blue skies, perfect weather all year round… and most importantly, no extradition to the Terran Federation. Face it, Commander Blake. I've won, you lost. Now be a good boy and let me go, or will I have to demonstrate my resolve with a culling of the hostages? I have 15, after all."
At that precise moment, Sparks broke through the firewalls of the Stalingrad. While Hitch looked up in confusion at the cyber alarm, the turret in the brig came to life. With deadly accuracy, Sparks used the remote-controlled weapon to take out all the pirates in the brig, leaving the hostages safe.
John grinned at the suddenly pale Hitch. "Be seeing you soon, Mr. Hitch." It was not a threat, but a promise. John cut the call and went to his feet. *Sparks, disable the Engines, I want him dead in the water. Then guard the hostages in case Hitch sends more men to secure them. Calara, stay on guard just in case, no reason to be careless. Jonah, Alyssa, time for a rescue operation… then an execution.*
They went down the elevator to the Hangar Bay, Alyssa flying the Kirrix dropship they'd 'requisitioned' less than a minute later out the atmospheric force field. Guided by directions from Sparks through the chorus, Alyssa guided the small spacecraft to the underbelly of the Stalingrad. The doors to the other ship's Hangar Bay opened above them, and Alyssa glided them up into the Heavy Cruiser. A number of pirates were scurrying around, trying to reach the escape pods or load into their own dropship. A few rounds of Neutron cannon fire later and the whole room was still and empty of life.
Alyssa landed the ship on the free landing pad, and grabbed her XR75 Rifle as she went to follow John and Jonah towards the airlock. *I think I've seen more action since buying the Invictus less than a month ago than I did in my worst year serving aboard her as a Marine,* John mused as he felt his body tense in preparation for combat.
*If it makes you feel better, I've seen more action in the last month than I have in the last 18 years combined!* Alyssa thought playfully.
*That does make me feel better… and also old as dirt. Please don't remind me you're young enough to be my daughter, I'll get a complex,* John griped in his reply.
*And I'm old enough to be your grandpa, Blake, but you don't hear me complaining about May-December hangups,* Jonah snickered. *Can we just agree life on a Progenitor's crew is never boring and focus on the ship of hostile pirates we're about to storm?*
*Yes, do take this seriously. I've got fuck all to do for this operation, I'm free to nag you all into paying attention to the immediate threat,* Calara chimed in.
*Okay, okay, enough banter. These arseholes aren't going to kill themselves,* John projected, before opening the airlock. He surveyed the room through his holo-scope, confirming that Alyssa had gotten every last pirate in the room, and then jogged to the nearest elevator with his Patriarch and Matriarch in formation behind him. *Remind me to add squad tactics lessons to the training schedule, we can coordinate unlike any other team in the galaxy so we might as well all know what we're doing,* John added when he looked over his shoulder and winced at how sloppy their triangle was.
The trio of psychics reached the elevator. John pressed the 'up' button. The doors opened to reveal 4 pirates, each with hastily packed bags or satchels. They gaped in shock for a heartbeat, which is all John, Jonah, and Alyssa needed to take them out. Sweeping the bodies out of the way with Telekinesis, John led his lovers into the elevator. *Sparks, which deck is the brig?*
*Deck 3. Hitch is desperately stacking crates of his payment in his cabin on Deck 2. For the record, I think he has a bedwarmer or concubine or something, he keeps shouting at someone in his bedroom to shut up,* Sparks relayed via Telepathy.
Noting the extra person to either save or kill depending on their level of loyalty to Hitch, John pressed the right button to take them to Deck 3. The lift went steadily up, before stopping at Deck 4. The doors opened to reveal a couple panicking pirates, who reared back at the sight of them.
"Sorry, this one's full," Alyssa said sweetly before reaching out with Telekinesis. Both men's heads suddenly crashed into each other hard enough for their skulls to audibly crack. The two corpses collapsed to the floor just as the elevator doors closed again.
*Hark you with the quips,* Calara teased her female lover.
*What can I say? It's fun. Plus, they weren't worth the bullets,* Alyssa replied with good cheer.
John felt a twinge on his conscience. A complete lack of guilt over killing someone, at least if they were one of John's enemies, seemed to be one of the personality changes built into the Change. Would Alyssa and Calara be so cavalier about that murder if he hadn't accidentally rewired their brains to be remorseless?
*Head in the game, Johnny boy,* Jonah sent along their private link. *Besides, we've beaten this horse to death already, none of us would take back the Change and all it entails, and that's that.*
*Right. Sorry, kneejerk moment,* John apologized before refocusing on the mission as the elevator doors opened again.
With Sparks whispering directions directly into their minds, the team of 3 went straight for the pirate brig. They found a few bodies with large holes seared through them at the entrance, no doubt sent by Hitch to try and secure the hostages. Sparks had handled them quite effectively.
"Incoming! Commander John Blake and crew, we're here to rescue you," John called into the room before showing his face, in case the hostages were twitchy and had scavenged any guns from the dead. He stuck his head around the corner, and saw the 15 prisoners huddled in the back of the room. At least 2 pistols were pointed at him, but luckily no one fired off.
John walked into the room, confident his Phalanx armor would protect him from any accidental shots from the small-caliber weapons. "Everyone, I'm Commander Blake of the Invictus. We have incapacitated this ship and will escort you all to safety. Is anybody injured?"
The hostages all shook their heads or gave replies in the negative.
"Good! Everyone, please follow my XO Jonah Bennings and Navigator Alyssa Marant to the elevator and down to our dropship. They will protect you, but if any of you have weapons training, scavenge any guns you find from the dead pirates you pass. I'm off to deal with Hitch personally, and I'll be right behind you," John declared.
*Is it safe to be by yourself during a boarding action?* Calara asked in worry.
*Psychic Alacrity, plus this state-of-the-art armor. I'll be in and out without a scratch, honey,* John reassured the Latina and the whole chorus along with her.
John followed behind the crowd, keeping an eye out for any more pirates. When the cramped elevator closed on all 17 occupants, John activated his super-speed and went for the nearest stairwell. Before the elevator even reached the bottom deck, John deactivated his power just before reaching the door to Hitch's personal cabin.
"Commander bloody Blake… curse him to Hades!" John heard the overweight man huff.
"May this one assist in any way?" asked a voice that, while oddly high pitched, deserved to have its own phone sex ad. It was so rich and luscious and melodic that John found himself wishing he could hear more as soon as it stopped.
"Shut the fuck up!" Hitch roared, the effect of the siren speaker apparently lost on him in his panic.
Curious about who the woman who owned such a bewitching voice could be, John swept into the room. He took Hitch out with a headshot from behind, the man didn't even realize he was there. The large crate he'd been heaving fell from dead fingers, scattering a number of shiny rocks the size of ripe grapes across the floor. The Kirrix assigned no value to jewels, while Hitch had been ready to die to try and bring as many as he could in his desperate escape. Priorities, a curious thing. Giving the slaver no more thought, John strolled into what he presumed was the bedroom.
He blinked at the sight that met him. Kneeling on black silk sheets was a woman that should not exist. Her eyes were too large, her breasts were literally the size of watermelons, her skin was an unnatural white even paler than Alyssa and Sparks' original skin tone, and her hair was bubblegum pink in some overly elaborate hairdo. Her body was crammed into an old-fashioned schoolgirl uniform so tight it seemed in danger of bursting at the seams if she breathed too deeply. In short, she looked like she'd stepped out of some hentai cartoon.
"This one's old master is dead. Are you this one's new master?" the woman asked, and John was again struck by how beautiful her voice was.
"What are you, some kind of android?" John asked in confusion.
"This one needs a master!" the creature said, looking to be in a great amount of distress.
*John! The self-destruct's activated and I can't stop it! Hitch must have had a dead-man's switch linked to his vitals or something! You've got less than 3 minutes!* Sparks shouted at full volume across their mental connection.
Adrenaline spiked through John's veins as he realized the danger he was in. He didn't have time to deal with this mystery woman, but he was loath to just abandon her to die. "Fine, I'm your master! Just get up and follow me!" John barked.
Then John distinctly felt a presence brush up against his mind-shield. Surprised and in a fair amount of stress, he firmly rejected the mental probe, wondering where in the world it came from.
Before his eyes, the hentai girl shimmered with green light. Between one blink and the next, she was replaced by a short, nude woman with green skin almost entirely covered by a thin layer of darker green fur. A tail extended from her rear and a second set of feline ears poked out from her mane of green-black hair. Her eyes were a captivating shade of emerald with slit-irises like a cat. Her cherubic face was set in a sad frown. "This one could not read Master's mind to determine his ideal form. This one apologizes for her failure. This one hopes her natural form is sufficient to please Master."
John realized the truth in an instant, his long hours researching alien species trying to identify his unknown father paying off. *She's a Nymph!*
*A Nymph?! Dear Lawd, Hitch must have spent a fortune buying her off the black market!* Jonah gaped.
*Asteroid bumpkin, remember? What's a Nymph? And answer while you move, we're on the clock here!* Alyssa spoke up in the chorus.
Remembering the danger, John decided he could handle this when they all weren't in danger of being incinerated in a Power Core explosion. "That's just fine. Now hold still," he ordered the Nymph. He let his XR75 Rifle hang from its shoulder strap and went to pick up the cat-girl in a bridal carry. Once he was sure his hold was secure, John activated Psychic Alacrity again and raced for the stairwell.
Less than a minute later, he entered the Hangar Bay. He caught the tail end of a brief skirmish between the last of the pirates and his two Angels protecting the dropship and hostages. He jogged past his lovers and into the dropship, wading through the milling Terrans and sitting down in the co-pilot seat. The sight of a very naked female, even if clearly alien, caused quite a stir among the new passengers. *Alyssa, get us out of here!* John ordered.
Alyssa reached the Pilot's chair and had them moving almost before she was fully seated. With a lot of grace given she was moving as fast as feasibly possible, the dropship soared out of the open bay door and out into the Iota-Carinae system. She pushed their Engines to the max, and just barely escaped the blast radius when the Stalingrad went up in a fusion explosion.
*Phew! Close one! Now who's the alien chick John seems to have adopted?* Sparks projected to the chorus.
*She's a Lenarran, colloquially referred to as Nymphs, from the planet Lenarra,* Calara answered for both Sparks and Alyssa. *First contact was made by an exploratory vessel roughly 300 years ago, in one of the systems the Ashanath Collective gave to the Terran Federation. Lenarrans, by all appearances, are an all-female race of psychic shapeshifters. They imprint on the first man they see, transforming into his version of the perfect woman. It's not just physical, they develop personalities over time in keeping with what their 'master' finds most attractive. They're completely obedient to every command from their master, willing to do anything and everything he asks until his death and she imprints on a new man.*
*In other words, the perfect sex slaves,* John continued, thoughts turning dark as he thought about this particular chapter of Terran history. *Once word got out about the Nymphs and what they could do, there was a rush on the planet by every male with a ship and a lack of morals. The entire population was kidnapped or stolen from their original masters within a year. Many were killed in fights over their possession, and they aren't genetically compatible with any known species in the Galactic League so they can't breed. They're endangered and slowly dying out. The few that are left are jealously guarded by their masters, most of whom are on the wrong side of the law. There could be less than 100 Lenarrans left in the galaxy… and apparently, we just got one of them.*
Alyssa glanced over at the Nymph, who looked quite content laying in John's arms. *Well, speaking as one of your willing sex slaves, she could do a helluva lot worse for a replacement to Hitch. She just struck the karmic jackpot, actually. There's not a man in the universe who will take better care of her than you, John.*
*I'm hoping I can free her,* John protested.
*And if that doesn't work? You just going to hand her off to one of these hostages?* Jonah asked rhetorically.
John bowed his head as he realized the responsibility that was now his. He wouldn't trust this woman, a slave to her instincts, to any stranger. He wasn't sure he trusted himself to be the best man for her, but what choice did he have?
*Well… seems we got a new Angel, then,* John sighed in resignation.
*You could sound a bit more enthusiastic. Your first proper taste of alien pussy! At least since you got your powers, we haven't really discussed your history before you and Jonah hooked up,* Sparks spoke up, trying to lighten the mood.
John shook his head and gave an involuntary chuckle. His life was never boring, he'd say that much.