John lathered himself up in the shower, enjoying the free show of his Angels doing the same around him in the luxuriously spacious stall. All told, it had been a very productive day. They'd met the High Council, learned a great deal about Progenitors and especially the Devourer in the Astral, gotten an alliance with the Ashanath Collective and Lirrash as an Angel in the bargain, started a comprehensive upgrade of the Invictus, and they'd all made great strides with their psionics after lunch and John opening his Crown Nexus by accident.
Until that point, John and his Angels had just been training individual powers, getting more familiar and skilled with those psychic abilities. While this was good for training their energy systems as well, since they had to use them to do the ability in the first place, Lirrash had coached them through a master class on how to directly exercise the energy system. She'd led them through half-hour long guided meditations for each nexus: how to keep it open, aligned, and flex it to make it stronger. After that was done, she explained that the energy system was inextricably linked with both the mind and every physical system. To integrate energy, balance the output of each nexus, and healthily work it into every cell, the Ashanath had developed something that roughly translated as 'Soul Stretching'. It was a lot like Yoga to John's mind, but less about exercise and more a moving meditation. Each movement, stance, and stretch had been accompanied by visualizations and specific thoughts. Sweaty from the surprisingly strenuous session, they were now cleaning themselves off before making dinner and relaxing before bed.
They had discovered, including Dana who had managed to multitask exploring her nexuses while working on the ship's many upgrades with her extraordinary mind, that all but Jonah and Dana had an open Crown Nexus. Jade and Alyssa, to John's blushing embarrassment, were pretty sure that he was their Higher Power. Jade worshiped him as her Master, an inherent need for every Nymph, and Alyssa truly saw him as her savior, the man who'd lifted her out of a life of poverty and fear into one of abundance and love. Calara, growing up in a traditional Hispanic family, had been a devout Christian and already believed in the idea of a loving universal creator. Jonah, though, had a lifetime of disappointments and witnessing the depravity of the galaxy and was very skeptical of the idea that everything happened for a reason or the very idea of surrendering to a Higher Power. Dana, meanwhile, was simply too much a scientist and born over-analyzer to just let go and believe in anything, let alone a Higher Power. Still, Lirrash coached them on how to work the Crown Nexus for if and when they did open it.
John looked at Lirrash, who was easily the shortest one in the room. Still, it was by less of a margin than it had been just that morning. Even while serving as their instructor, she'd been using her own psionic talent to speed up the Change. On just one dose, she was now 5'3, had B cup breasts instead of being flat as a pancake, and the proportions of her head and body were more like an Angel's than a baseline Ashanath. John predicted that she'd be finished, assuming a steady diet of Progenitor semen, within 48 hours at that rate.
Thoughts of keeping Lirrash 'well fed' had a predictable effect on John's body. Lirrash looked over at him, a naughty twinkle in her all-black eyes.
John walked out of the bathroom with a spring in his step, his 4 balls tingling and his whole body more relaxed between the effects of a hot shower and a blowjob. He threw on some comfy clothes from his closet, checked on Zanthus sleeping like the dead in their bed, and led his Angels to the Lounge down the hall. Even on this deck, there were teams of Ashanath engineers carrying out tasks assigned by Dana. John tried not to be too obviously amused when he saw all productivity grind to a halt as the Ashanath stared at the passing female bodies. Mael'nerak had apparently left genetic programming in the Ashanath to see any woman with the Thrall build as a goddess. If that were the case, then once Lirrash was through the Change she would probably be seen by every Ashanath male as the very epitome of physical beauty.
*And that's just on an average day,* Lirrash chuckled in his mind across their Telepathic link. *Once I'm pregnant and rounded out, I could very well stop traffic. Ashanath as a culture are obsessed with curves, we actually have a rule in beauty pageants that the contestants can't be pregnant so the added curvature won't unfairly influence the judges.*
*An Ashanath beauty pageant… that's a thing?* Jonah thought, trying to picture the alien event. Given how inexpressive and unattractive Ashanath were by Terran standards, plus their very scientific culture, he imagined it would be nothing like a Terran beauty pageant.
John rolled his eyes at the direction of his Patriarch's thoughts. *Jonah, help me make the casserole. Girls, help Lirrash relax, make her feel welcome.* Orders given, John led Jonah into the Kitchen while his women flocked around their newest future sister-wife.
*What would you like to drink?* Alyssa asked Lirrash. As Matriarch, she considered herself both the top bitch and responsible for the safety and happiness of all the female Angels she was connected to. The Alpha female of the pack, as it were.
*As I highly doubt you have any Ashanath liquor stocked, I'll have absinthe if you have it and a gin rocks if you don't,* Lirrash answered.
*Absinthe? Isn't that the one that makes you trip like psychedelics?* Dana frowned even as Alyssa went to raid the bar.
*A key ingredient of absinthe is wormwood, a mildly poisonous plant,* Calara explained. *When it's made properly, it's no more dangerous or toxic than any other kind of booze. When it's homemade or done improperly, though, the wormwood can induce hallucinations in the drinker on top of the standard effects of alcohol. For that reason, bathtub absinthe was once very popular in parts of Terra among writers and other intellectuals for its ability to 'expand' their minds. It's also nicknamed 'the green fairy'.*
*And we do have it back here,* Alyssa added in the chorus, which Lirrash had mentally tuned into by maintaining a Telepathic link to each of them individually. Until she Bonded with each of them, that was the best she could do to join their group mind. *It's officially labeled and everything, so probably no hallucinogenic properties. It's 140 proof though, so take it easy, Lirrash. We don't need you dropping dead of alcohol poisoning just as you joined the family.*
*This is hardly my first time indulging,* Lirrash chuckled.
*Which raises an important question: how old are you, honey?* John posed to her.
Lirrash let him feel how her heart warmed at the use of his preferred pet name so early into their relationship. *Not that it's important, given the Change will restore me to the prime of youth regardless, but I was born 63 years ago by Terran chronology.*
*In other words, you were old enough to drink while John was in diapers. I find that very funny,* Calara admitted with a giggle.
*I was around when Mael'nerak was alive and kicking. I think I'm safe in remaining the most geriatric of the harem by a very wide margin. Not that you can tell, I mean just look at me,* Jade piped in with a confident grin, using her hands to trace her curves in a very distracting way.
*No girl-on-girl action without Johnny boy and me there to watch! XO's orders!* Jonah spoke up mentally before any of the girls could pounce on the Nymph.
*You're no fun, grandpa,* Dana pouted.
*Don't make me spank you, young lady,* Jonah sent back lasciviously.
*Settle down, settle down. You're giving Lirrash a bad impression of our family life,* John sighed. It was like herding cats at times, he swore.
*I am well aware of what I signed up for in becoming Ambassador after reading your mind, John,* Lirrash reminded him, her mind-voice full of good humor. *In fact, I'm a bit disappointed we spent the whole day with productive activities and not initiating me with a proper orgy.*
*Day's not over yet, honey,* John thought back, his thoughts promising many lust-fueled activities once dinner was finished.
Lirrash couldn't suppress a shiver of delight and anticipation. *How does anyone get anything done on this crew?* she asked her fellow female Angels, more than a bit flustered.
*We basically keep it together during the day or when there's a crisis, then dissolve into mindless beasts on heat at first opportunity,* Alyssa chuckled, returning with everyone's drinks floating beside her via Telekinesis.
The girls settled down on the very comfy couches, taking sips of their preferred cocktails. Lirrash, naturally, took small sips of her very strong drink. *So, Lirrash, we covered psionics pretty heavily today. Do you mind telling us more about Mael'nerak and the Progenitors?* Calara asked after a comfortable silence.
*Very well,* Lirrash agreed, making sure everyone both in and out the room were paying attention. *Mael'nerak came to what we think of as the Galactic League around 72 thousand years ago. He had just vanquished a rival Progenitor's empire and the Devourer had no new orders for him. On a whim, he ventured into what, as far as he knew, was an utterly unpopulated region of the galaxy. There was no Progenitor empire in this sector, therefore it must be empty to his mind. He was simply flying along in his Dreadnought when he fell under the Shroud.*
*What's the Shroud?* Jade asked, taking her cue.
*We don't know its origin, where it comes from or where it started,* Lirrash explained. *But it functions as a sort of invisibility cloak to the Astral. When Mael'nerak entered this region of space, he was freed from direct contact with the Devourer. For the first time in literally thousands of years, he had his free will back. Determined to keep and protect his freedom, he set out to explore and conquer every system within the Shroud. He found the Maliri, claiming them as his new Thrall race and abandoning his old one. And then he waged war against the Achonin, which were the dominant life forms in this sector at the time. As you know, Mael'nerak all but rendered them extinct. The majority of their systems are now known as the Unclaimed Wastes.*
*The Wastes are where the Achonin used to live?* John asked to clarify.
*Indeed,* Lirrash confirmed.
*Guess we can thank Mael'nerak and his Quantum Annihilator for all the asteroid belts in that part of space,* Jonah thought in an off-color joke. The reality that Progenitors all seemed to have access to a weapon fully capable of making a planet explode was enough to make any sane being scared shitless, in his opinion.
*With the threat of the Achonin handled, Mael'nerak expanded his empire to cover all of what we think of the Galactic League and beyond. After a good 10 thousand years, he created the Ashanath and the Trankarans as scientific experiments. The Ashanath were an attempt to create and study a chorus, but Mael'nerak never discovered the phenomenon you refer to as Bonding and eventually decided to simply use us as custodians of his planets where the Maliri were unavailable. The Trankarans were deployed as a slave race to mine each planet of its resources. Millennia passed, until about 40 thousand years ago and he created the Terrans and seeded them on ancient Terra, purely as an experiment to see what would happen. This is around the time his old Matriarch died in an accident and he selected a new one, a Maliri woman whose only exceptional trait was a particularly pretty face. Her name was Valada.*
Lirrash's audience was enraptured as she continued the tale from ancient history. *Freed from the Devourer's negative influence under the Shroud, knowing how to protect himself everytime he created a new Thrall, Mael'nerak was the first Progenitor in history free to develop in any direction he wanted instead of sticking to the template the Devourer deemed appropriate. Up until Valada, he had functioned as the bored scientist and reigning emperor. But as he got to know her, a miracle occurred: he fell in love. He had a true Damascene conversion, changing from a merciless tyrant into a benevolent husband and leader. He gifted the Nymphs, the spies he'd created to help him topple the Achonin, with freedom on their own planet. And for a golden age, all under Mael'nerak's rule with Valada as his queen knew nothing but peace and abundance.*
John sighed, remembering this story didn't have a happy ending. *And then Ranagon found him.*
*His name is actually Rahn'hagon, a simple misunderstanding among the Trankarans who passed the story down through their religious records,* Lirrash corrected. *Whether sent by the Devourer to investigate Mael'nerak's disappearance or finding the Shroud through pure coincidence, the fact remains that Rahn'hagon discovered Mael'nerak's empire. The War of the Heavens followed. The conflict raged for approximately 2 centuries. Then, for reasons the Ashanath can only speculate, Mael'nerak led a suicide charge against Rahn'hagon in the Zeta Pegasus system. Near as we can surmise, he overloaded his Wormhole Generator and ejected it. The explosion wiped out everything in the system.*
*I'm sorry, did you say Wormhole Generator?* Dana asked in shock.
*Indeed, Progenitor Dreadnoughts were capable of instantaneous teleportation around the galaxy,* Lirrash nodded. She paused. *What I'm about to disclose is knowledge until now reserved only for the High Council and our most trusted scientists. The Ashanath investigated the wreckage of Zeta Pegasus for centuries, a perilous enterprise given the nature of the Niryean Rift, hoping to find some trace of Mael'nerak or Rahn'hagon's ships. The material Progenitors produce from a Soul Forge is inherently stealth in nature, though, so we were literally fumbling in the dark. But we struck lucky about 1000 years into the search. We found the wreckage of Mael'nerak's Dreadnought and towed it to Ashana, naming it the Legacy.*
*For 9 millennia, the Ashanath have studied the Legacy, piggybacking as best we could off the technology of Progenitors to advance our own understanding of science,* Lirrash explained. *The pinnacle of our research is our Tachyon Drives and Power Cores. I always felt vaguely guilty that the Collective were praised around the Galactic League for our technology in that field, given it was not truly our invention but our attempts at reverse-engineering Progenitor examples. For all the power of Ashanath Tachyon Drives and Power Cores, they're barely half as powerful as those on the Legacy. But they're the best we could do.*
*That's… wow,* Alyssa thought, blown away at this data dump.
*Why do you think he did it? Why sacrifice everything like that?* Calara posed to the chorus.
*He thought it was the only way to protect Valada,* John thought with utmost certainty. *It's what I would have done, if I knew I was on the losing side of a war and the woman I loved would die if I didn't do something to end it.*
*No ultimate sacrifice on our watch, Johnny boy,* Jonah thought firmly. *On a separate note, Lirrash, did you ever find Rahn'hagon's wreck?*
*We explored every inch of the system, losing thousands of crew and dozens of ships to the Niryean Rift until we had successfully searched the entire gravity well. We never found it. The prevailing theory is that the nature of the explosion, produced by a Wormhole Generator, spontaneously teleported Rahn'hagon's ship to a random system somewhere in the Milky Way,* Lirrash answered.
*So, hypothetically, Rahn'hagon could have survived? And his ship could have magically appeared in some system, say, past the Outer Rim?* Jonah pressed.
The focus of the whole chorus turned to Jonah. *You think Rahn'hagon is John's father?* Jade asked.
*If any other Progenitor had found the Shroud a good 40 years ago, we'd all have been conquered and under his thumb by now. To my mind, the possibility with the most sense is that the Cora found Rahn'hagon's ship, either floating in space or crash-landed on some planet, and Jessica Blake was the lucky woman who found it first and ran into Rahn'hagon. He pounces on his first taste of pussy in a good 10 thousand years, knocks her up, and then Jessica's crew manage to rescue her and flee back to the Terran Federation. Jessica, being a mindless Thrall at this point, gives birth to John and then stops at nothing to return to her master. Am I crazy or does that sound logical?* Jonah laid out.
John frowned even as he put the casserole dish in the heated oven. *It has the ring of truth, but something still seems off. A Progenitor, not crippled by halving his mind like I did and fully aware of what he can do… even with only 1 Thrall, I can't believe that he couldn't have stopped an ordinary group of Terrans from escaping with his new Matriarch.*
*They could have gotten her while she was away from him, or while he was sleeping, or both,* Alyssa pointed out.
*And given she was in constant Telepathic contact with him as his Matriarch, she couldn't have called for help and he couldn't have used Psychic Alacrity to catch up with her within minutes?* John countered. *For that matter, even if he couldn't have reached her or chased after her before the Cora was already enroute for Olympus, he still would have been able to communicate with her no matter how far she was. Which means the only reason she abandoned me to be raised by my grandparents was because he just didn't care about me… or he wanted me to be born and stay in the Terran Federation.*
*Why in the universe would he want that?* Dana asked.
*The Terran Federation is significantly closer to the Maliri Regency, or the nearest Thrall race, than wherever Rahn'hagon ended up,* Calara mused, her strategic mind trying to calculate the value of John's birth if it had been a deliberate move on Rahn'hagon's part. *And the Kirrix did expand not too long afterwards. Without knowing exactly how many systems on his Dreadnought survived the explosion, I'll go out on a limb and assume his sensors, which are naturally more advanced than anything in the League, were still functioning. He knew a spacefaring, rapidly reproducing species was nearby. With all we know, my first thought is that Rahn'hagon intended for John to grow up, claim the Maliri, create and expand his own empire, and eventually find him and Jessica and rescue them from being stranded on whatever planet they're on.*
*But wait… Jessica had to take a ship to return to Rahn'hagon, assuming he didn't have her just suicide to cover his tracks. Why not just take that ship and go claim the Maliri himself?* Jade wondered.
*Crap, that's a good point,* Calara sighed as her theory seemed ready to fall apart.
Lirrash unexpectedly spoke up. *No, Calara, I believe you are correct. Remember, every Progenitor bar John sold their soul to the Devourer. Upon their death in the Material Plane, each Progenitor simply becomes a slave for the Devourer in the Astral. It is safe to presume that there is nothing Rahn'hagon fears more than dying and becoming just another Fallen Progenitor, one of countless minions of the Devourer that roams the Deep Astral. In that case, the whole circumstances of John's birth could have been orchestrated. Rahn'hagon got Jessica pregnant on purpose. He let her crew find and take her back to the Terran Federation. He made her leave him behind like a dropped parcel and return to him. All with the ultimate goal of John claiming the Maliri and getting into a position to both find his parents and protect them from other Progenitors or any other threat. Meanwhile, Rahn'hagon stays safe wherever he is, with the added bonus of a willing sex partner to keep him company until such time as John finds them.*
John was ready to break a building or set it on fire, quite literally, as he processed what Lirrash was suggesting. *You really think he impregnated my mom and had her give birth to me close enough to reach the Maliri, claim them, and build a Progenitor empire, all so he wouldn't have to risk his life doing it himself? That while I grew up an orphan, he was relaxing on a planet somewhere waiting for me to get on with it while my mother was busy slobbering on his cock?*
*Johnny boy…* Jonah said, actually backing away from his Commander. Whose eyes were glowing like stars with pure power, a cheery blue that was still utterly terrifying to behold.
*John, calm down,* Alyssa said, both gentle and firm.
*DON'T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN! THIS IS SUCH BULLSHIT! HE USED MY MOM AS AN INCUBATOR AND COURIER AND PLANNED FOR ME TO BE HIS SHIELD AND EVENTUAL TAXI!* John mentally roared, so loud it gave everyone headaches at the sheer eldritch volume.
Alyssa didn't have to fake the emotional pain she felt, but she may have amped it up a little. *John, did you just scream at me? That hurts. I didn't think you were that kind of guy.*
John's fiery rage cooled like a flood choking a blaze. His heart dropped into his shoes and he felt like an utter wretch as he realized what he'd just done. He ran out of the Kitchen to fall to his knees at Alyssa's feet. He wrapped his hands around her waist and buried his face in her lap. *Honey, I'm so sorry. Please forgive me, I'm begging you. I wasn't thinking, I was mad and I lashed out and I know that's no excuse but please don't leave me, I couldn't survive it if you did.*
*Oh, relax, drama king, I'm not leaving you,* Alyssa sighed, carding her hands through John's hair. *But this is your one free pass. Yell at me or any of us like that again, and you're in the doghouse for a week. I'd say a month, but I honestly don't think any of us can last that long without stretching around your cock or a bellyful of cum.*
*Well if you're joking, then I guess you can't really be as devastated as all that,* John managed, but he still felt very bad for his loss of control. *I swear, I will never speak out of anger at any of you ever again. And if I ever hit any of you outside a light spanking or a spar, I order you to do your best to kill me, for I'll have gone off the deep end to do such a thing.*
Alyssa frowned, even as she felt the obedience compulsion take effect. *Fine, Mr. Prone-To-Extremes. But that'll never happen, so there's no point worrying about it. Now give me a smile. Can you manage that?*
John looked up and managed a caricature of a grin at his Matriarch. *I really am sorry,* he told her and the whole chorus.
*Apology accepted. Now go make sure you don't burn dinner,* Alyssa said, leaning down to give him a kiss full of love to assure him her feelings hadn't changed.
John rejoined Jonah in the Kitchen, his rational mind returning to the fore once his emotions were back under control. *Okay, in summary, we think Rahn'hagon survived the Niryean Rift explosion, was teleported somewhere in what's now Kirrix Space, and is waiting for the day I with my legion of Maliri Thralls discover his planet and we're reunited to spend the rest of eternity pretending to be one happy family or something. Even saying it, it sounds crazy.*
*Well, Rahn'hagon did spend a full 10 thousand years essentially in solitary confinement,* Jonah spoke up. *He might not be all there, if he ever was after the Devourer was done working him over and who knows how long in the Progenitor wars. He could be completely crazy, even if he was crafty enough to come up with this demented scheme. Keep that in mind, John.*
*So he may be excused by means of insanity, fine. It's still a complete dick move if that's really how I ended up being born in the Terran Federation,* John grumbled.
*No arguments here,* Calara thought supportively.
*Though speaking of the Devourer, remember you'll have an Astral dream tonight because of Lirrash and Zanthus,* Jade spoke up, always thinking of her master's safety.
*Thanks for reminding me. Now that I know what'll happen if that thing ever gets its claws in me, I'm extra motivated to stay off its radar,* John thought grimly.
*Okay, mood alert. New topic. Any chance I can take a look at this Legacy? I'd cheerfully commit murder to get my hands on actual Progenitor tech, if it's as advanced as Jade remembers and you've implied,* Dana directed at Lirrash.
*Eliminate the Drakkar, and I think the High Council will happily allow you a guided tour in gratitude,* Lirrash replied.
*Sweet!* Dana beamed.
The conversation remained light for the rest of the time it took for the casserole to bake. Once John and Jonah had plated everyone's portion, Lirrash already full from John's load in the shower, they gathered at the dinner table and began to tuck in.
Alyssa finished a bite, washing it down with a sip of white wine. *Lirrash, as the expert on psionics in the room, what's your take on Other John?*
Lirrash hummed in thought. *There is an aspect to the energy system that I did not yet disclose. The Ashanath refer to it as the Primal Coil. If opening all 7 nexuses is the first step in one's journey towards psychic mastery, unlocking the Primal Coil is the next and one very few ever successfully accomplish. So far as we can tell, it represents one's full genetic potential, the infinite power locked away in every nucleus. In every psychic, it lies tied in a knot within the Root Nexus. With a great deal of meditation, Soul Stretching, and reaching a certain competency in psionics in general, one may slowly unravel the Primal Coil and lead it up through every Nexus, activating them to the absolute max. In all Ashanath history, less than a dozen managed to lead the Primal Coil all the way up to the Crown Nexus. They were our best leaders, warriors, scientists, and psionicists though. Our name for them translates as 'the Enlightened'.*
Lirrash turned towards John. *I have examined your energy system extensively over the course of the day. Where your Primal Coil's knot should be, there is instead a void not unlike a black hole, a pit of infinite darkness. My guess is when you accidentally sectioned your mind as a teenager, you blocked off your Primal Coil and the instincts inherent to it. Given the sheer power of a Progenitor's mind and energy, your Primal Coil took on a life of its own and became the entity you think of as 'Other John'. And for all your amazing power, you will never reach even half your total reserves or peak efficiency until such time as you vanquish or integrate with Other John. And if I'm right in my hunch, simply joining back with him will only return your Primal Coil to its proper place inside your Root Nexus. Unlocking the Coil and guiding it up to your Crown Nexus afterwards will result in an exponential increase of power on top of that.*
John nodded. *So, what I'm hearing is that I'm fighting blindfolded with both arms behind my back until I can kick Other John's ass and either kill him or force him to play nice. Perfect. I just checked, I'm still less than a third of his strength. I actually think the bastard is leeching off my half to get stronger as I get stronger, albeit not at the same rate but it's still a fucking pain in the ass.*
*You'll be stronger than him one day,* Jade thought with utter confidence. *And when you do, you will do what you must and go on to achieve your full potential. I believe you will reach your Primal Coil to your Crown Nexus within a century, John.*
*Can't decide if that's gratuitously generous or a very strict deadline at this point, given the whole eternal youth thing and how freaking strong Other John is,* Dana snorted.
*Thanks, honey,* John projected at Jade with a smile.
They finished the food, and John decided they all needed to let off some steam. He went to pick Lirrash up in a bridal carry, taking her completely by surprise. *I've recharged enough. I'm going to fill Lirrash's womb to overflowing, enjoy the show of you all getting a share out of her, then I'll get ready for the Astral dream before we all catch some shut-eye. Any complaints?*
John had never seen his crew clean up after a meal so quickly.
Over an hour later, John laid his head back on his pillow, savoring the feel of an active Connection with all his Angels. Even Zanthus, he was still digesting the last of his own load. His psychic invisibility field, a series of hexagons inscribed with Progenitor runes, was locked into place. *Night, everyone,* he wished the chorus.
*Night, John,* was the universal reply.
John closed his eyes and sank into sleep.
As he'd expected, John felt like he woke up in a cold mist, floating in a massive fog. Determined to spend no more time in the Deep Astral than absolutely necessary, John tried to leave…
And ran into a wall. Unlike last time, there seemed to be something blocking access back to the Material Plane. John, to his horror, realized he'd been pulled into a trap and it had locked behind him.
Trying not to panic, John decided it was best to stay still and trust in his invisibility cloak.
And then the monsters started to call out to each other.
John, like a rabbit in its burrow, froze and tried his best to not even breathe as he sensed massive creatures, all manner of demented shapes and sounding like rabid animals flavored with the essence of pure evil, hunting for him. He heard them, and even saw shadows of them moving through the mists. Twisted things, forms that hurt his eyes just looking at them. Monsters, plain and simple. John, through his terror, that these must be Fallen Progenitors. His forefathers, their souls mangled and warped by the Devourer into its pets, now sent to find the troublesome Progenitor it had yet to enslave.
Every second felt like a year, and relative hours went by. But John remained unfound, the Fallen Progenitors seemingly unable to find him short of stepping on him. Finally, an eternity later, John felt the barrier blocking him from the Material vanish. He couldn't wake up fast enough.
Gasping out of sleep, John eventually calmed his racing heart, shifting as the unpleasant sensation of being soaked in cold sweat hit him. He immediately blocked off his Connections so he wouldn't wake anyone up with his thoughts. Moving quietly to avoid waking his Angels, John went to get a shower, almost scalding in its heat. He checked the chronometer and saw it was 0330. Last Astral Dream, he'd woken up after 90 minutes. This time he'd been in there for over 5 hours.
Remembering he'd fed Zanthus around 1400, John figured he'd just stay awake at this point. The male Ashanath would wake from the typical 14-hour nap in less than an hour. John went to sit in one of the high-backed chairs set near the bed and tried to calm himself down from easily the scariest nightmare he'd ever experienced.
Around 0412, John saw Zanthus start to stir. John removed the blocks from his mind, letting his conscious mind reach out to his sleeping lovers. As he expected, like a ripple they all began to stir as his waking thoughts disturbed their slumber. John got up and walked over to the bed. He noted amusedly that Dana was cuddling her new Assistant like a teddy bear.
Zanthus opened his all-black eyes and got an up close and personal look at Dana's 32D chest. Ashanath didn't have vocal chords, so he made no sounds, but John was very sure he saw the alien man start drooling.
John reached out a tendril of thought to make Telepathic contact with Zanthus. *Welcome to our family, Zanthus. How do you feel?*
*Is this Heaven?* Zanthus asked in all seriousness, his eyes still locked on the way Dana's chest kept rising and falling barely an inch from his eyes.
*Feels like it at times,* John chuckled, getting back in good spirits after his Astral dream. *But you're not dead, you've just woken up from your first dose of my cum. The next one will knock you out for 4 hours.*
Zanthus managed to drag his eyes away from Dana's chest to look at John. His eyes maintained their wide-eyed wonder, though. *Oh, wow… how did I never see the majesty of the male form? And surely only a god such as yourself would be worthy of these goddesses.*
*No need to flatter,* John blushed at the effusive praise.
*I am being totally honest,* Zanthus insisted.
*Well, in that case, feel like sucking this god's cock?* John posed.
In short order, the other Angels were dressed for the day and Zanthus was knocked out until about 0820. *So, bit early for breakfast but I don't think we're going back to sleep. I say we have a long session of Soul Stretching and meditation in the Gym until about 0700. Then we'll shower, eat, and plan the day from there,* John decided on everyone's behalf.
No one raised any objections. As they walked down the stairs to Deck 7, John explained how this Astral dream had been different. Jade had a frown by the time they entered the Gym. *I don't like how you had to hide like a mouse. You should be the cat on the hunt, not the prey trembling in fear.*
*Trust me, I agree, honey. But I'm a long way away from going on the offense against those… things,* John replied with an involuntary shudder. *Even the smallest one I could sense was a good 10x stronger than us all put together.*
*Then we'll get 100x stronger than we are now, and after that 1000x times and so on,* Jade said as if it were simple as 2 + 2.
*Good to have goals,* Alyssa thought with her usual optimism.
They soon focused on Lirrash, who after they were all warmed up led them through an hour-long Soul Stretching practice and then another hour of guided meditation, spending about 9 minutes on each energy nexus. Once the chronometer read 0700, they all stood and went to return to their quarters. *Lirrash, not that I'm not willing to put in the work, but is there any way to speed up or accelerate what we're already doing?* John asked as they were climbing the stairwell.
Lirrash gave it serious thought. *There is a beverage, a blend of spices and fermented fruit and vegetable juices. We call it Transcendent Tea, a bit of a misnomer but it stuck. It frankly tastes horrible, but it has a pronounced effect on keeping all 7 nexuses open and aligned without conscious effort on the drinker's part. I myself have the habit of drinking a full cup every morning after I wake and again before I go to sleep. The plants which produce the ingredients have more specialized effects on individual nexuses. I could easily procure a year's supply of Transcendent Tea and a good amount of each spice, fruit, and vegetable for us to integrate into our daily diets.*
*Psychically-reactive nutrients… I'll buy that,* John nodded. *Anything else?*
*Certain frequencies of sound, we've found, seem to stimulate each nexus when heard for a prolonged period. We could set the speakers in the bedroom to play one at a volume quiet enough to let us fall asleep but still take effect, a different frequency for each night of the week. This is less proven as effective, but some Ashanath have created videos they believe can stimulate the energy system through sight. Other than that, the only thing I can think of is energy massage,* Lirrash continued.
*Which is what, exactly?* Jonah posed to the Ashanath Ambassador.
*It takes extensive training, which I have received but I am hardly an expert. Energy massage involves the masseur or masseuse sending their own energy into the recipient's energy system to help stimulate flow and undo blockages. I get a 2-hour session once a month, and I can swear by its benefits. I'd be willing to perform it regularly on each member of the crew to help each of you progress to my level of mastery and beyond,* Lirrash explained.
*You're just full of surprises, honey,* John grinned, stopping to kiss Lirrash on her surprised lips.
They reached their quarters, took a quick shower, and then they all went to the Lounge. Alyssa instructed John to just sit down and focus on feeding Lirrash her own 'breakfast' while the rest of the Angels made food. By the time the crew came out with stacks of pancakes and waffles and a variety of fresh fruit, John had a contented smile and Lirrash was blown up like a balloon.
*So, what's the plan for today?* John posed to the family once they'd started eating.
*I cracked the formula for Invictium, as I decided to call it, just before dinner last night. The Ashanath should have produced the amount I requested and transported it to this drydock by now,* Dana reported. *I need you or Alyssa, as our resident Telekinetics, to come with me to shape it all into armor plates for the Invictus. Once that's done, I'll go back to supervising the upgrades and refit. You all can do your own thing for the rest of the day.*
John turned over thoughts on the agenda. *I know of this beautiful waterfall on Ashana. We could pack a picnic, make a day of swimming and just enjoying the scenery.*
*Outdoor sex… kinky!* Alyssa giggled.
John was about to protest, before he had to concede they probably would end up fucking at some point unless they purposely decided not to. *Anyway, that's the plan. And how about you get me AND Alyssa to work on the armor plates? Two heads are better than one, after all.*
*I suppose we'll just relax up here while you're busy doing that. I volunteer to check in on Zanthus and help ease him into harem life when he wakes up still round,* Jonah chimed in.
Once they finished the meal and everything was put away in the dishwasher, John and Alyssa followed Dana down the stairs and out the airlock into the drydock. Given the difference between Ashana's day/night cycle and Terran Naval Time, it looked closer to midday than early morning. The industrious Ashanath engineers were already working all over the Invictus.
Asking the nearest Ashanath for directions, Dana led John and Alyssa to a collection of mag-locked ore crates. She pulled up a model of an Invictium molecule on the holo-console she'd grabbed before they left the Lounge. *I had to cram 17 other elements into the mix to make them stick, but I did it! The psychic shaping power of Etherite crystals, the hardiness and light weight of Titanium, and the reflective, energy-absorbing nature of Onyxium. I already have the Ashanath installing capacitors like the ones the Drakkar use on every exterior surface of the Invictus. If my math is right, and it always is, then any laser hitting an Invictium plate will be reflected by 35%, absorbed by 60%, and a mere 5% of the total energy will go through to cause any damage! To put a cherry on top of my genius sundae, single-shaped Invictium is already twice as tough as Titanium. Double-shaped will be 3x as tough, triple-shaped will be 4x, and so on ad infinitum… in theory. There might be an absolute ceiling of durability if the shaping reaches a certain number,* Dana explained in her usual energetic rush.
*Outstanding work as per usual, Sparks,* John grinned, beyond proud of his Chief Engineer.
*Well, let's see if it lives up to the hype,* Alyssa chuckled.
Dana went and opened the lid of one of the ore crates. Inside rested a cube of shiny black metal, unlike anything John had ever seen in nature.
*Me first!* Alyssa said, reaching out with Telekinesis to lift the cube out of its housing. *What shape do you want me to make it again?* Alyssa projected at Dana.
Before the redhead could answer, she gasped. The Invictium had softened, as Dana expected from what the Ashanath had told her about their Etherite-Aluminium alloy called Etherium. However, most unexpectedly, the black orb of liquid metal had gained a streak of purest white. As she and the equally surprised John and Alyssa watched, the white spread like paint dripping down a balloon, until the whole orb was white as snow and about as glittery due to the Etherite crystals in the supermaterial.
*Was that supposed to happen?* Alyssa asked hesitantly.
*Nope, but I have absolutely no fucking clue why it did. Pull out a drop's worth to harden for me to run some tests. As for the rest, might as well do what we planned and make an armor plate for the Invictus.* Dana swiped her holo-console and pulled up a detailed sketch of the intended shape.
Alyssa memorized the schematic in a second's worth of looking, a perk of the Change boosting her brain. Focusing on the orb of Invictium, Alyssa drew out a fist's worth and guided the hardening orb to land in Dana's palm. The rest she separated into 8 chunks and slowly shaped each one into an armor plate for the Invictus.
Dana checked each plate with a scanner off her toolbelt to check for flaws. *Practically perfect, as expected of our gorgeous Matriarch.* Dana tossed the white Invictium ball in the air and caught it again. *It's white like your power, it's beautiful, it's tougher than old boots. Name change, we're calling this stuff Alyssium instead.*
*Oh, Sparks!* Alyssa squealed, going to hug her sister from another mister at the sweet gesture.
John let the two asteroid colonists have their moment, then he did his own try and psychic shaping. The number of armor plates doubled. Working patiently to avoid making any mistakes, John and Alyssa steadily worked through all the Invictium until every cube had been shaped. *Is that enough for the whole Invictus?* John asked Dana.
*With maybe 3 or 4 left over, we can use them as replacements if one gets permanently damaged,* Dana sighed. *Onyxium is damn useful, but unfortunately it's also one of the rarest elements in the Galactic League. The Ashanath gave us every ounce they had and almost all of it went just into making this much Alyssium. We don't even have enough to plate the Raptor. When we make a move on the Drakkar base in Kappa Indarran, I strongly recommend we go looking for any Onyxium reserves they have and 'requisition' them.*
John rolled his eyes at the joking use of his preferred alternative to the word 'stealing' and nodded his agreement. *Solid plan. Now, we'll leave you to work on the Invictus until she's a polished gem. Can we take the Raptor out or is it still getting worked on?*
*Give me till noon and she'll be ready,* Dana promised after some calculations, striding over to her workbench provided by the Ashanath and beginning to bark orders at her perfectly obedient Ashanath minions.
John and Alyssa reentered the Invictus and began the long climb back up to Deck 2. They reached the Lounge, a check of the chronometer showing it was just past 0900. Zanthus was seated next to Jonah on the couch, seemingly going on a virtual tour of the Invictus on a holo-console. The other Angels were also on the couches, apparently engaging in 'girl talk'.
*Settling in well, Zanthus?* John projected to Dana's new Assistant Engineer.
The Gray male looked up, a hand resting on his still-rounded belly. *You truly are a god, John of House Blake. For only a god could have such energy to so casually impart on my humble self. And only a benevolent one would do something so generous. I already felt I would do anything for Dana, and I now understand why she would do anything for you. Consider me your faithful servant,* Zanthus projected, actually bowing his head.
John tried to work through his knee-jerk urge to deny the effusive praise. He'd had a major breakthrough yesterday, but old habits die hard. It would take a while for him to not automatically shoot down any compliment. *I can only promise to be a good master for you, Zanthus. Is there anything you need?* John checked. In joining the psychic network and crew, Zanthus had tacitly agreed to joining the family and being John's husband someday. While they were still essentially strangers, John saw no reason not to be an attentive significant other from day 1.
*Jonah is being a dutiful Patriarch. He explained the exact dynamics of this family unit and now he is helping to familiarize me with my new home,* Zanthus replied.
*Well, continue about it,* John nodded in approval. He turned from Zanthus to Lirrash, who seemed wedged between Calara and Jade. *What are you ladies up to?*
*Culture exchange!* Calara answered brightly. *I'm answering all Lirrash's questions about Terrans and she's returning the favor for the Ashanath. Jade's doing her part with Nymph culture as well.*
John tilted his head in confusion. *Um, there isn't a Nymph culture. Each one is just a mindless sex slave utterly devoted to their male master. Unless you've started being able to remember your time on Lenarra, honey?*
*You were closer with the first part, John,* Jade giggled. *I'm teaching Lirrash some tips and tricks to turn you into a rutting beast desperate for release.*
John felt a shiver go down his spine and some weight added to his cock. *Um, carry on,* he finally managed, moving past the guffawing trio of women.
*You walked right into that one,* Alyssa teased him. *So, how you want to pass the time?*
*Want to work on my defensive Telepathy? I've had some ideas since our last session,* John suggested.
*You better be locked up tighter than the Citadel during an invasion of Terra, because I'm not pulling any punches,* Alyssa warned him before going for a Spirit-Walk without warning. To John's credit, it took her 40 minutes in the Material to break through to his inner mindscape, but the fact she succeeded at all was a sign John had some work to do as far as she was concerned.
The crew passed the time until Dana spoke up in the chorus. *Raptor's ready, enjoy your outing. And don't worry about me, I'm having the time of my life out here. We're about to start hooking up the new Power Core and I'm about to vibrate out my pants, I'm so excited!*
Chuckling at Dana's enthusiasm for all things scientific, John had his Angels help him load a filling lunch into an actual wicker basket. Covering their meal with a blanket, and not-so-secretly enjoying how domestic this felt, John led his crew of lovers down the stairs and into the Hangar Bay. They entered the Raptor, and noted the first upgrade very soon. Rather than elevator doors, they found two cylindrical hollow tubes. The one on the right glowed with blue lighting, the left with red.
*Blue means up, red means down. Dark means out of order and going splat if you're not paying attention,* Dana quickly explained.
They all stepped into the blue tube and enjoyed the novel sensation of floating through the air until each stepped out onto the upper deck of the dropship. Jade, as the Raptor's official pilot, went to do preflight checks. John pulled up the navigation program and input their destination to provide the Nymph with a flightpath. Soon enough, they coasted out of the Hangar Bay on the retro-thrusters and then were flying through the Ashanath sky towards the waterfall John remembered.
It was a very pleasant way to spend an afternoon. They enjoyed about an hour of just frolicking on the beach or under the waterfall in the water, then went to eat the packed lunch. Jade had a bright idea and decided her breast hollowing needed a field test. She expertly blew John, the fact they were doing it outside an extra thrill, until John's quad gave up their load and both of Jade's boobs inflated to a J cup. Zanthus seemed truly convinced he was in paradise as he nursed from the Nymph, and Lirrash wasn't much better when her turn came. They waited an hour to finish digesting, then returned to their swimming or just sunbathing and talking on the blanket.
The Raptor returned to the Invictus around 1900. John blinked when he got a good look at his Assault Cruiser. Instead of titanium-gray, it now gleamed like a snowflake, white and glittering in the fading light of the Ashanath sunset. *A tad ostentatious, don't you think?* John thought along his Connection to Dana.
*Oh please, visibility on sensors is down to energy signatures, not actual visual data. And we're over twice as tough against ballistics and exponentially better defended against lasers and other energy-based weapons, so you have no right to complain even if we could be seen from outer space,* Dana snorted.
*I know better than to argue with a genius like you,* John chuckled. *Really, though, she's beautiful, Sparks. Like her Chief Engineer, but less so.*
*Charmer. I'm in the shower, feel free to join me,* the redhead purred in his head.
Jade landed the Raptor in the Invictus' Hangar Bay. The grav-tubes for the Invictus were still being worked on, so they had to take the stairs. John had a certain urgency to his step, and managed to reach the bathroom of his quarters before Dana finished her shower. He was about ready to rip out of his bathing suit and shirt when he noticed something. *Why are you literally black with filth?* John asked, thrown for a loop.
*I had this badass idea on how to upgrade the Mass Drivers, but I had to crawl through dingy maintenance tunnels to make sure it was viable,* Dana grumbled. *I've spent half an hour cleaning all the gunk out of my hair. Feel free to work on my skin. Lirrash and Zanthus can get their dinner 'flavored'.*
*Excellent idea, per the norm,* John growled before stripping at lightning speed.
John officially owned Zanthus after he gave his explicit permission to feast on Dana's pussy, and Lirrash enjoyed her share with similar aplomb. Once they were all clean and dry, they threw on casual clothes and walked to the Lounge to make dinner for the non-Ashanath of the family.
*Power Core and Tachyon Drive are fully installed, green lights across the board,* Dana reported once dinner was on the table. *With how fucking strong the Power Core is, we can keep every system at full function and not even use up half our total juice. That means passive sensors at peak sensitivity, active scans happen faster, Shields and Lasers recharge fast as the heatsinks will allow, and we should be able to fire the Mass Drivers every 10 seconds instead of 30. On the flip side, we'll go through our ammo for the Drivers 3x as fast, if there's ever a glitch or we're sabotaged the explosion from the overload will take out a good 1000 miles in every direction, and the lowest possible setting for 'stealth' mode is still significantly higher than the old model so we'll have to be even sneakier to compensate. The last of the grav-tubes and the anti-boarding measures should be installed overnight. We're good to go come morning.*
*Far as I see, the pros outweigh the cons,* John decided with a firm nod. *You did excellent work, Dana, I'm so proud of you.*
*I just cracked Alyssium and coordinated the rest. You should be thanking the Ashanath engineers,* Dana blushed.
*Probably, but that would take too long. So I'll settle for giving you all the credit in the name of expediency,* John joked.
They finished dinner and relaxed with drinks on the couches. Once Lirrash and Zanthus both had flat bellies, both visibly different than they'd been that morning, John decided to enjoy a double blowjob. Both Ashanath fed a nightcap, a sleepy John led everyone to their shared quarters. The bed, despite its grand size, was starting to feel a bit cramped. Deciding to worry about that at a later date, John passed out as soon as head touched the pillow. He was worn out between his early start and the full day.