The Invictus pulled into the system of Ashana, heart of the Ashanath Collective. John looked at the holographic System Map of the familiar layout. He'd visited Ashana multiple times during his time on the Fool's Gold. A cheerful yellow sun, multiple space stations and orbital refineries befitting an advanced spacefaring empire's home system. Ashana was an arid red planet, not unlike a pre-terraformed Mars back in Sol, on the sixth orbital path.
John and his crew were dressed in their Sunday best, given they would be meeting with the Ashanath High Council. The government body had all but demanded John appear before them once Linnaeus had reported a Progenitor had appeared in their territory. John and Jonah were in suits, Alyssa and Dana were in skirt-suits, Calara had elected for her Terran military dress uniform, and Jade was in a fine dress with a tailored slit for her tail.
The Invictus and the 2 Ashanath saucers pulled into a geostationary orbit over Ashana's capital city. They received a hail request from their escort, and John put it through. Linnaeus, the Ashanath Leader in charge of the patrol accompanying them, appeared on the vid-screen. "JohnBlake, do you possess a dropship?" he asked, his voice robotic and computer generated as his Telepathy was translated.
"Yes, I do," John nodded.
"Please leave the Invictus here in orbit, where my crew will keep watch on it. Follow the provided flightpath down to the High Council Building. Your arrival is expected," Linnaeus instructed.
"Very well," John nodded.
Linnaeus seemed to hesitate. "My thanks for assisting during the Drakkar ambush," he finally said.
John grinned. "It was no problem, Linnaeus. But you're welcome."
Linnaeus gave a bow, and then the transmission ended.
*Ok, time to meet the guys in charge,* John said, standing and buttoning his suit jacket.
They went into the elevator, stepping out onto Deck 9. John had piled all the Drakkar corpses back into the aliens' dropship, and the cleaning robots had done their very best to clean up all the blood. Still, there was a bluish tinge to certain parts of the floor and wall, and a faint metallic odor clung to the air. John ignored it and went into the Hangar Bay, where their Raptor gunship rested.
They all entered the Raptor and went up to the cockpit. John hugged Jade and thought *You've been doing marvelous on the simulator. You can handle a simple taxi job. Take your seat, pilot.*
*Thank you, John!* the Nymph beamed before sitting in the pilot's chair. She activated all the systems and opened the Hangar Bay doors, an atmospheric force field raising automatically to avoid depressurization. Grasping the flight controls, Jade feathered the retro-thrusters and gently guided them out of the Invictus. When they were fully in outer space, Jade pulled up the flightpath Linnaeus had already uploaded to their computer. Keeping at port speed, even though it wasn't legally necessary until they were within the city limits, Jade flew them down to the Ashanath capital.
The surface of Ashana was mostly red rock and desert, plenty of mountains and plains. Rivers and lakes dotted the surface, and the polar regions were rather large, but otherwise it was a very dry world. As they followed the flightpath, their destination became clear. A massive city, filled with silvery towers, stood on an expansive hunk of rock floating in the air. White beams of anti-grav energy tethered it to the ground.
*A floating city. Interesting. Why is it floating, again?* Dana asked the chorus.
*Ashana naturally has very low gravity. The Grays use artificial gravity to keep living conditions in their cities in acceptable parameters for most Galactic League life. Part of me always wondered what they did before they cracked gravity tech. Now I know there might not have been a 'before', Mael'nerak could have handed it to them from the start,* John answered his Chief Engineer.
Jade stuck rigidly to their flightpath. As they neared the capital city, their destination became clear. It was the tallest building in the city, easily over 200 stories. A lean metal spire, topped with a rounded dome complete with landing platforms. Jade brought them in at a gentle speed to land on one of the landing platforms.
*Hmm, we weren't hailed by Flight Command,* John noted.
*They've probably been tracking the Raptor since it left the Invictus. They know who we are, and they're expecting us,* Calara thought confidently. *Just look there, if you don't believe me.*
Out of the sliding doors leading into the dome, 2 single-file lines of Ashanath military were jogging out towards the Raptor. They stopped in rank and file outside the airlock, all of them visibly armed and armored.
*They're afraid of us,* Alyssa stated the obvious.
*Mael'nerak wiped out the Achonin. Ranagon slaughtered who knows how many Trankarans and Maliri. Both blew up planets at some point. Can you blame them, sweetheart?* Jonah shrugged.
John set his shoulders. *Well, let's go out and meet them.*
John and his Angels stepped out the airlock a few minutes later. The atmosphere of Ashana was dry and slightly dusty, but there was a constant breeze to keep the air circulating. John nodded to the nearest Ashanath soldier. "I'm John Blake. My crew and I have been summoned before the High Council."
"Follow, honored guest," the Ashanath replied, turning and walking back towards the dome.
*If this is how they 'honor' their guests, they need lessons,* Dana griped, even as she curiously looked at all the gear on their escorts, trying to work out how it all functioned.
It was a relatively short walk from the landing pad to the entrance to the dome, but passing one blank-faced soldier after another made it feel much longer. John was confident that, if necessary, he and his crew could fight their way back to the Raptor and escape. He just was sad that they were getting such a cautious reception for the sheer fact of his species.
As they reached the entrance, the sliding doors opened. A single Ashanath was waiting on the other side. Unlike the armored soldiers, this one was wearing white robes. "Welcome, JohnBlake and guests," came out the Ashanath's mind-translator he wore around his neck.
"Thank you for having us," John nodded.
"I am High Councilor Talari. Please follow me to a reception area, to wait as the High Council gathers," Talari said, before turning and walking deeper into the building. John and his crew followed, the soldiers staying outside. Some sort of fan seemed built into the door to keep out all the red dust, and it was pleasantly cool and temperature controlled inside the building.
Talari led them through a wide open hall, which was even more striking because it was entirely devoid of people besides them. They reached a few couches with glass tables set between them. Talari hopped onto one and faced them. "Please, be seated. Enjoy some refreshment," he offered, gesturing at a tray with a decanter filled with a light pink wine.
"We can use Telepathy, if you prefer," John offered. He knew he'd feel more comfortable in such a situation if he wasn't essentially speaking a second language.
The robed Ashanath gave a slow blink, which John was starting to realize was a show of great emotion for the species. John felt a tentative knock on his mind-shield. John let in the presence. *Hello, Talari,* he greeted.
*Hello, JohnBlake,* spoke a light tenor voice, nothing like the robotic drone that came out the man's mind-translator. *It is my honor to welcome you to Ashana,* Talari added, giving a bow.
*The good kind or the bad kind of honor, though?* John thought back, trying for humor but it probably fell flat. Even as he carried the conversation with Talari, he leaned over to pour glasses of wine for himself and his crew. *Even a blind man could see you're all terrified of us. It seems my species' reputation precedes me.*
*I volunteered to be the one to meet you, if that provides any meaningful context,* Talari spoke up. *But with respect, JohnBlake, can you fault us for our trepidation? The Ashanath have only interacted with 2 Progenitors since our creation. Both had the blood of billions on their hands.*
*When you put it that way, I'm surprised you agreed to meet me and my crew alone, then,* John mused.
*You stated to Leader Linnaeus that you came without any hostile intent. The fact you warned us of your heritage from the moment you entered our territory is also telling. I am willing to give you the benefit of the doubt, as it were, and risk being alone with you on the chance you truly mean us no harm,* Talari explained.
*How am I doing so far?* John asked, passing out the flutes to his Angels. All of whom were paying close attention to this conversation through the chorus.
*You certainly are making a good impression so far,* Talari thought with the feeling of a weak smile. *But one of my gifts is the ability to sense psychic potential. On that front, I am quite ready to soil myself. You alone have enough power to kill every Ashanath in this building with comparative ease. To say nothing of your… companions. I feel like an ant carrying a conversation with a giant. A polite one, to be sure, and one who seems to bear no ill will. But a giant still, capable of squishing me by pure accident.*
*I haven't come to squish anyone,* John thought firmly. *I learned about the Progenitors less than 2 weeks ago. I have many questions, and I came to the Ashanath hoping to get answers. I'm willing to make any number of concessions to your caution, but how are we to get anything done if you're too afraid to behave rationally in regards to me?*
*A fair point, JohnBlake,* Talari nodded. *Would you consent to answer a few questions? Once I've addressed the major concerns of my people at having a Progenitor among us, we can proceed to a more formal negotiation of terms of an agreement.*
*Go ahead,* John prompted, taking a sip of the wine. It was dry and yet fruity, with notes of exotic berries probably native to Ashanath space.
*When, where, and how were you born? You claim to be from the Terran Federation. It would take rather extraordinary circumstances for one of your kind to appear in the heart of the Galactic League,* Talari got straight to the point.
*My mother was Jessica Blake, part of the crew of the research vessel Cora,* John answered readily. *The Cora set out from Olympus Shipyard in 2737, going out to survey planets past the Outer Rim. This was before the Kirrix expanded to their current borders, so there was less danger at the time. I'm very sketchy on details, but the Cora returned to Olympus in 2739. Jessica was heavily pregnant with me. She gave birth to me, and within 24 hours vanished and the Cora exploded with all hands aboard. My triple-helix DNA and… other differences from a Terran got a lot of attention, but I was eventually released to the custody of my grandparents.*
*I see,* Talari hummed. *You say you learned what species you are very recently. Does that mean you lived your life as if you were Terran?*
*I was a Marine for 12 years, and then an independent trader for 10. I had no idea I was psychic, or that I was anything special apart from having unusual genitalia and pointed ears. I made my first Connection and activated my powers purely by accident. I've been stumbling around in the dark, Talari. That's a big reason why I came here,* John told the alien man honestly.
*And how is it you learned what little you do know?* Talari asked.
*Our own observations of the Change and experimenting to discover our powers,* John began to list off. *We met a Bolon named Barya who gave us a few hints in the right direction. I apparently accidentally created psychic Guides for Jonah and Alyssa, and they have some instinctive knowledge I don't consciously realize. Most of it, though, came when we met Jade and read her memories. She's a Lenarran or Nymph, and she remembers her time as one of Mael'nerak's spies during the war with the Achonin.*
*A Lenarran, you say?* Talari blinked. He focused on Jade. *I presume she is the green goddess?*
*Yes, that's right,* John nodded, a bit amused at the use of such a word to describe his women. He certainly wouldn't disagree with that assessment.
*Though, on the topic of your crew… they all are your Thralls, yes?* Talari checked.
*I prefer the term 'Angels' personally. But they're part of my psychic network, if that's what you mean,* John nodded.
*I see. Including the Terran gentleman?* Talari asked, actually tilting his head as if such a concept was baffling.
*Yes, Jonah is part of my network. I'm bisexual. Jonah was actually my first Angel,* John replied.
*Curious. Both Mael'nerak and his enemy were women-only. But everyone is unique, so perhaps it was wrong of us to assume the same applied to the entire species based off only 2 examples,* Talari thought. *One final question, if you'll permit it. If the High Council should refuse to reveal any of our knowledge about the Progenitors to you, how will you react?*
John sighed. *Nothing. I'm asking you for knowledge, knowledge you've clearly kept and guarded from the rest of the Galactic League for generations. If you refuse to do business on that front, I'll respect your decision. I'd still hope to negotiate the sale of an FTL Drive and Power Core for the Invictus, and if you'll permit it maybe do some tourist activities. But if you asked me to leave Ashanath space with all haste and never return, I'd agree. I'm your guest, Talari. You make the rules here.*
Talari was silent for a full minute. He stood from the couch. *Please excuse me, I will go check on whether the High Council is ready to receive you. I ask that you remain in this area until I return.* With that, the Ashanath man walked away, the motion like gliding with how smooth his gait was and his trailing robes.
John and his Angels made small talk, mostly hashing over John's talk with Talari for a few minutes. When Talari returned, he was accompanied by another High Councilor. John felt a knock on his mind-shield and let in Talari again. *Yes, Talari?*
*JohnBlake, this is High Councilor Lirrash. She is one of our most accomplished psionicists, including the gift of Spirit-Walking. The High Council collectively asks if you will permit her to access your mind and determine beyond any shadow of a doubt your intentions.*
John felt a twinge of unease. Other John was locked up tight, John had only had time to layer the defenses around his alter ego. Still, to let a total stranger have unhindered access to his memories? To know his every secret, his entire soul laid bare? It was a disquieting notion. *Am I allowed to say no?* he asked.
*Of course. Just know, this gesture would go a long way to assuaging the fears of many on the Council. They may well offer more generous terms for any exchange or deal if you let Lirrash take a look at you,* Talari said. *For what it's worth, I voted against this measure, but the majority ruled.*
John turned to his Angels. *What do you think?* he posed to the chorus.
*It's your mind, John. We can't decide this for you,* Alyssa thought firmly.
*Though you don't really have anything to hide… right?* Calara checked.
*Of course not, but still…* John trailed off.
*It's not like they're asking you to Bond with this Lirrash chick. She's just going to take a stroll down memory lane,* Jonah piped up.
John firmed his resolve. He turned back to Talari and Lirrash. *Very well.* John consciously lowered all his mental defenses, leaving himself wide open to a passing Spirit-Walk.
Lirrash blinked. Before she could begin, though, she felt a knock on her mind-shield. She turned to one of the Terran goddesses, the one with golden hair, and saw eyes blazing with pure white light. *Hurt him, and I don't care that it would mean war; I'll break you then put you back together just to break you again. Am I clear?* asked a mind-voice ringing with more power than Lirrash had ever thought possible.
*Yes, goddess,* Lirrash answered, holding onto her composure by a millimeter. Once she had her wits back about her, Lirrash separated her Astral body from her Material one. She glided over towards the Progenitor, JohnBlake. With deliberation, she reached out to touch his head, sinking into the depths of his mind.
Lirrash had observed a variety of mindscapes, but she blinked when she found herself on the porch of what looked like a large Terran barnhouse. A look at her surroundings showed it was set in the clearing of what looked like a forest. Wildflowers in lovingly tended plots marked a path leading from the door out to the clearing's edge. She turned back to the door, which like the rest of the house she could see was painted a cheery shade of blue. She walked up and, falling back on manners, knocked on the door.
It opened, revealing JohnBlake. *Oh, hello. Lirrash, right? Come on in.*
Lirrash stepped in, her all-black eyes sweeping her surroundings. She, better than most, was aware that past the appearances of the mindscape, everything carried some metaphysical significance. She was in the 3D representation of JohnBlake's heart, mind, and personality after all. She was struck by how… light and open it was.
*Memories are over here,* JohnBlake said, striding with his long legs over to a reading nook in the corner. 4 bookshelves formed a corner around a comfy chair with a footrest and a side-table at the perfect height to set a mug of tea or some other drink while reading. Lirrash could spend the sum of JohnBlake's lifetime reviewing each memory in detail, but that wasn't necessary to get a general read of his character. Since she had to obey no laws of physics but those she consented to, Lirrash floated up off the ground. Reaching out a finger, she began to trace the spines of each book in the library.
*Can I get you anything from the kitchen?* JohnBlake asked after awkwardly standing to the side for a few minutes.
*Food and beverage have no meaning in this realm apart from sensation, a pure indulgence,* Lirrash replied, focused on what she was pretty sure was JohnBlake's adolescence. Plenty of embarrassment, sexual curiosity, and surging emotions characteristic of raging hormone levels.
*Well, true, but I'm kinda going crazy just standing here doing nothing while you go through all my memories. Please, can I get you anything at all?* JohnBlake asked her.
Lirrash turned, seeing the earnest expression on his face. *... Green tea, please,* she finally replied. She'd take this as a chance to learn more about him through how he went about the process in his mindscape.
JohnBlake nodded with a grin, and turned to go to the expansive kitchen on the other side of the open first floor. He filled a kettle with water and then went rummaging through a tin of tea bags while it began to boil.
Curious, Lirrash noted. He still stuck to the mundane process, even in this world of pure imagination. JohnBlake could have simply willed a cup of tea into existence with an effort of concentration. His conventional approach suggested a lifetime of conditioning without access to psychic powers, which supported his statement to Talari that he had only discovered his powers very recently. Turning back to the library, Lirrash continued to spend a second or two touching each book, each filled with a certain chapter of JohnBlake's lifetime. He seemed one of the types to unconsciously sort his memories chronologically rather than categorically.
JohnBlake returned just as she was finishing with the second bookshelf. *Here's your tea,* he said, offering a fine china cup filled with steaming greenish liquid.
Lirrash grabbed the cup with Telekinesis and brought it to her nose to absorb the aroma. It certainly smelled like a good cup of her preferred green tea. She chanced a sip, and it tasted like a perfectly steeped cup of Terran green tea. It was even at a comfortable drinking temperature already. *Thank you,* Lirrash said, setting the cup to float beside her as she returned to her work.
*How am I coming off so far?* John asked curiously as she was halfway through the third bookshelf.
Lirrash debated how honest to be. The truth was she was amazed. JohnBlake was a hero. It wasn't just what he was, but who he was. He defined his identity by helping people, offering a lending hand to those in need. He was willing to risk everything, even his life, to protect those who could not protect themselves. It was humbling, and certainly not what she'd expected from a brother of Mael'nerak. She decided to question him on something that had confused her. *You blamed yourself for the orbital bombardment of Ostigard City on Galon Prime. Why?*
JohnBlake's face darkened. *It was my idea to board the enemy flagship. I set the tone of complete and utter annihilation when I killed the rebel leaders. I didn't even offer surrender. I know it's stupid, I wasn't part of High Command, but part of me always believed if I'd done things different, maybe the Terran Federation wouldn't have leveled that city.*
*Our assessments of Fleet Admiral Sutton would suggest that he'd likely planned such a course of action since the start of the rebellion,* Lirrash decided to share. *He was the type to believe in security through the threat of overwhelming force. The moment Galon Prime decided to try and secede from the Terran Federation, the people sealed their fate in Sutton's mind. An example had to be made of why defying the will of High Command was not allowed. You breaking the siege may have been the excuse and given the Terran Federation the opportunity, but you in no way instigated the death of all those millions in the attack.*
JohnBlake blinked. *... Thanks, Lirrash. For some reason, I actually believe you.*
*You carry a great deal of guilt for things entirely beyond your control,* Lirrash observed.
*Industrial strength mother issues,* JohnBlake told her with a rueful chuckle. *Part of me is completely convinced there's something wrong with me, something that made Jessica take one look at me and decide I wasn't worth sticking around for. I know in my head that's bullshit, but in my heart… well, when shit goes wrong, I tend to assume it's all my fault somehow.*
*That sounds… miserable, really,* Lirrash couldn't help but say.
*I was, for a long time,* JohnBlake confirmed. Then his whole face lit up. *Then I met my Angels. I'm not fully fixed, won't be for a while yet, but I'm much better now that they're in my life.*
Lirrash nodded, finishing the third bookshelf. She looked at the fourth and was struck by an immediate impression. *These are your happiest memories,* Lirrash stated more than she asked.
*And they all happened this year,* JohnBlake chuckled.
Lirrash floated to the top shelf and continued her job of tracing each book. By the time she finished the last one, she was outright sobbing.
*Lirrash, what's wrong?!* JohnBl– John asked her with such concern.
Lirrash looked up at him, feeling something she could only call worship rise up inside her. *You love them. So much. You love every single one of them, pure and true, the kind of love that will outlast the stars. You'd die for them. More importantly, you live for them. It's… humbling to experience that kind of connection, even secondhand.*
John knelt down and went to wipe the tears from her cheeks. *Are you okay? I didn't hurt you somehow, right?* he asked with genuine worry for her well-being.
*I am not hurt,* Lirrash assured him, focusing on mastering her emotions. But she knew, in her very core, that she'd been indelibly changed by this experience. In all her life, she'd never come across anything half so powerful as the force of John's love. And a plan was beginning to form in her mind. *Thank you for consenting to this assessment, John. I shall show myself out.*
*Are you sure you're alright?* John checked, helping her to stand back to her feet.
*Never better, truly,* Lirrash managed an actual smile, which was much harder for an Ashanath to pull off with the lack of facial muscle. With that, Lirrash consciously pulled out of the mindscape, returning to her body to end the Spirit-Walk.
*Lirrash? Are you well? Did he do anything to you?* she heard her colleague Talari ask her.
*He did nothing to me I did not allow on some level,* she answered. *He is a good man. The best I've met, actually. Let us take him to the High Council.*
Talari eyed her, radiating confusion, but nodded. "Thank you, JohnBlake. Please follow us to the High Council Chamber," he said through his mind-translator.
John and his Angels stood up, following the diminutive Ashanath to a massive set of double doors. They opened at some unseen command, revealing a circular chamber, likely the heart of the dome. It was filled with natural daylight from a skylight at the crown, and subtle lighting ensured it was a bright room regardless. A long metal table with intricate scrollwork was placed in the center of the chamber, at which sat 7 other Ashanath in white robes. Talari and Lirrash both went to take the empty seats.
The Ashanath were silent for a few minutes, and John was sure Lirrash was telepathically reporting her deep dive into his mind to them all. He noticed more than a few facial twitches, blinks, and one member even turned towards Lirrash in clear surprise. Still, he kept silent, letting the government body deliberate. Finally, the Ashanath in the central seat stood. A thin chain was wrapped around his neck, probably ceremonial. John felt a knock on his mind-shield and let it in.
*Greetings, JohnBlake. We are the High Council of Ashana. I am Senior Councilor Ularean, and I speak for this august body and the Collective as a whole,* said a deep basso voice, carrying the weight of years. John was struck with the image of a wizened general or king.
*A pleasure and honor to meet you, Ularean,* John acknowledged with a nod. *So, Talari asked me a few questions, and Lirrash got a brief read of all my memories. Now that I'm as vetted as can be reasonably expected, shall we get to business?*
*Yes, we shall,* Ularean nodded. *The Ashanath offer you, JohnBlake, an alliance. A partnership between our species and you, your crew, and your future empire.*
John blinked, blown away. *I don't have an empire,* he protested, still reeling.
*Not yet. But even if you don't choose to claim the Maliri and all their considerable assets as your own, you are still a Progenitor. Merely reflect on how many resources and opportunities have come your way in a matter of months. Given eternity is ahead of you, should fortune favor you, it is a foregone conclusion that you will have a certain amount of influence on galactic affairs. The Ashanath wish to secure a treaty with you, even as you are now,* Ularean explained patiently.
*'Claim' the Maliri? What's he mean by that?* John asked the chorus.
*Why are you asking us, ask him!* Jonah fired back.
*What do you mean when you say I could choose to 'claim' the Maliri?* John asked.
Ularean regarded him with those all-black eyes. *As a gesture of good faith, we will reveal this knowledge to you,* he finally said. *The Maliri are a Thrall race, one of dozens of species seeded throughout the galaxy. They predate Mael'nerak, he was merely the most recent Progenitor to find them. Thrall races, at least the females, are genetically programmed to be subservient to any Progenitor they see. Should you visit a Maliri planet, you would find most of the populace would react to the mere sight of you with awe, respect, and obedience. As far as they would be concerned, you would be a living god coming from the heavens that it is their life purpose to serve. Given this genetic predisposition to follow the commands of Progenitors, it would prove rather simple for you to unite the warring Noble Houses and establish yourself as the Maliri King.*
John felt like he had to sit down. *Me, a king?* he thought, dazed at the very concept.
*Holy shit,* Dana thought.
*John, are you okay?* Jade asked, stepping forward to hold his hand.
*I'm… I don't even know,* John admitted. Focusing back on his link with Ularean, John asked *You said there's dozens of Thrall races in the galaxy. Where did they come from?*
*That knowledge is not known to us,* Ularean reported. *We have only what Mael'nerak deigned to disclose to our ancestors and have carefully preserved. What we do know for certain, is that there is a pattern to most Progenitors' lives. They are born, discover and claim the nearest Thrall race, are enslaved by the Devourer, and then wage war against each other in conflicts that span millennia. Lirrash informs us you are aware of what the Trankarans remember as the War of the Heavens. That is the scale of Progenitor warfare.*
John's blood had run cold. *The Devourer? You mean that monster in the Deep Astral?*
*That is the name Mael'nerak assigned to it,* Ularean confirmed. *He fell victim to it as a young man, agreeing to a binding agreement forged in the Astral. In exchange for great power and terrible knowledge, Mael'nerak and presumably every Progenitor becomes its slave. They are compelled to obey its commands much as your Thralls or Angels as you refer to them must obey your orders. And everytime a Progenitor's Thrall dies, her soul is ripped from her body and sent to the Astral to feed the Devourer. Given the sheer number of deaths that occur on a daily basis between one Progenitor war or another, it's safe to say the Devourer has feasted on trillions just since the Ashanath's creation some 62 thousand years ago.*
Fuck propriety, John had to lie down. He sank to the floor, sitting on the metal ground as he tried to process the sheer horror of what Ularean was telling him. *My God in heaven… it's diabolical. Progenitor makes a Connection. The Devourer mind rapes him. Progenitor claims a Thrall race and makes an empire. Every empire locked in war with the others, like pieces on its board. And with every casualty, it gets a snack and grows a bit stronger,* John thought. It was truly frightening, how cold and simple and efficient such a cycle was the more he thought about it.
*So we're very lucky that you haven't succumbed to that thing yet,* Calara reminded him, kneeling to wrap him in a comforting hug.
Jonah stepped forward, taking over the conversation while John took a minute. *Back to the original point. You want an alliance with us. What are the terms?*
Ularean turned his gaze to Jonah. *A mutual aid agreement, as it were. When the Ashanath require aid against our enemies, JohnBlake will intervene. If he is ever in need, we will come to his aid. The collective assets of the Collective would be at your disposal. In the short-term, we will furnish you with our most advanced Tachyon Drive, Power Core, and provide as many engineers as you could desire to make any repairs or upgrades to your ship you can think of. In exchange, we ask that you aid us against the troublesome group of Drakkar raiders, whom you unfortunately encountered enroute to this planet. In the long-term, it is our hope that JohnBlake will protect the Collective from any attacks by rival Progenitor empires from now into perpetuity.*
*Johnny boy, would you be interested in that?* Jonah asked his lover and leader.
John focused and got back to his feet. *How big of a force of Drakkar is bothering you? How many ships have that black armor?*
*They first appeared some 6 months ago. Our analysts predict anything from 3 to 6 Cruisers and at least 1 Battleship, all with the new type of armor that our Laser weaponry has proven woefully inadequate against,* Ularean reported.
John frowned, crunching the numbers. *Dana? You know what the Invictus can do better than any of us. If we went after them piecemeal, could we manage it?*
*Give me a few days with an unlimited budget, plenty of competent minions, and a chance to reverse-engineer that Onyxium armor for our own use? The Invictus will be in a whole new weight class. Add in Calara's scary good tactical planning and aim, we'll manage just fine,* the redhead thought with a grin.
John refocused on Ularean. *Very well, Ularean. I agree to this alliance. I will aid you against the Drakkar, and against any other threats that arise in the future. In return, I expect the Ashanath to be my staunchest allies. I'll need help, protecting the Galactic League from a galaxy of hostile Progenitors. Have we an accord?*
Ularean turned to regard his fellow Councilors. He turned back to John. *We do. May this partnership last for generations to come between the Collective and our new Champion, JohnBlake.* Ularean and the whole High Council bowed to John.
*Champion of the Ashanath… has a nice ring to it!* Alyssa thought brightly in the chorus.
John bowed back to the Council, trying to wrap his head around the fact he'd just made a treaty with an interstellar power as if he were a government unto himself. He felt a knock from Ularean to get his attention and looked back at the Senior Councilor. *As an addendum to this alliance, High Councilor Lirrash has volunteered herself to serve as Ambassador between our people and your crew. She asks that she have the privilege of joining your crew and, if you are amenable, becoming one of your Angels.*
John blinked. He turned to Lirrash. *Are you sure?* he asked her, reaching out to speak to her privately.
*As sure as I've ever been of anything, John,* the female Ashanath replied, her mind-voice steady and resolute. *On a personal level, I can imagine no better mate for myself than you, having met you and knowing exactly how exceptional a man you are. In the grander scheme, my presence on your crew will be a constant reminder of your agreement to protect the Ashanath. I will also be in a position to teach you and your crew all I know about psionics, the Progenitors, the Astral, and the history of Mael'nerak. This is a win-win for everyone, I assure you. The only question is whether you will accept my heartfelt request to be with you.*
John didn't even bother asking the chorus, knowing exactly how they all felt about expanding the family. *I'd be happy to have you with us, Lirrash,* John nodded with a grin.
*Excellent,* Lirrash grinned.
John turned back to Ularean. *I accept Lirrash as Ambassador, Ularean.*
*So be it,* Ularean nodded.
Getting into business mode, John started to rattle off commands. *Now, time is of the essence here. First off, my crew needs to head back to the Invictus. Please allocate us a drydock, and we'll get started on installing the Tachyon Drive, Power Core, and Dana will make use of every engineer you can spare to get us ready to go up against the Drakkar. Calara, my Tactical Officer, needs to meet with your analysts so we can determine the exact size of the Drakkar forces and their most likely base. My hope is to resolve this issue with the Drakkar as soon as possible.*
*Of course. Talari, our Head of Security, can lead the goddess Calara to our analysts. Your crew are free to return to your dropship and return to the Invictus. High Councilor Rathus will meet the Invictus at your assigned drydock with a team of over 100,* Ularean agreed easily.
*Well, what are we waiting for?* John grinned.
John bid Jonah and the girls goodbye for a minute, then accompanied Calara alongside Talari and Lirrash to an Ashanath shuttle. They loaded into the transport, going to a different city over a hundred miles away from the capital. They landed outside what was clearly a military center of some kind. Talari and Lirrash, their white robes getting them obvious deference from the passing Ashanath, guided John and Calara to a particular chamber in the building. A team of 3 Ashanath in silvery lab coats stood on the central platform of the sphere-shaped room, every inch of the walls filled with vid-screens displaying a wealth of data. A holographic Empire Map of the whole of Ashanath space floated above their heads.
Talari communicated quickly with the analysts and turned to Calara. *These analysts have been attempting to divine the location of the Drakkar base for over 3 months. They are skeptical you will succeed where they have failed,* he told the Latina.
"Boys, you are in for a treat," John chuckled out loud, well aware of how intelligent and perceptive his teenage gunner was.
Calara started by slowly walking around the room, reading and absorbing every single screen filled with data on the Drakkar attacks. Wreckage analysis, black box recordings, border sensor contacts, active scans of Drakkar vessels, everything. When she'd made a circuit of the chamber, she turned to the hologram over her head.
"Let's start with the basics. The Drakkar will be needing fuel to keep all their ships running, the operation's been going on too long for them to still be using the fuel stores they started with. There's been no increased activity at the border, which raises the question of how this warband got into the Collective in the first place, but it rules out conventional supply chains and fuel haulers to resupply," Calara thought aloud.
"Your data tells me that the Drakkar favor Helium-3-based fuel. If they were smart, they'd set up a base a bit away from an obvious fuel source. Based on all we know about Drakkar and their culture, though, let's assume they weren't that clever. Please eliminate every star system from this map that doesn't contain a gas giant with a high Helium-3 content," Calara requested of the analysts.
One Gray glanced at a console, and approximately half the stars vanished from the hologram.
"Now please display each Drakkar attack in sequential order, with provided timestamps," Calara ordered.
One point after another appeared on the map, marking the place and time of a Drakkar raid. "Faster," she asked after a few seconds. The speed of the dots' appearance doubled. As Calara watched, a pattern became obvious to her. "They're following a relatively simple attack pattern. One attack close to their base, another 2 farther away as misdirection before returning to their base. They started with just the Battleship and 1 Cruiser, and they've been getting a new Cruiser approximately every 9 weeks." By the time the last dot of the most recent attack against the Invictus appeared, Calara was certain.
"They're operating out of Kappa Indarran. They have 3 Cruisers at present, as we destroyed one already. If their established schedule of expansion holds, they'll have a new Cruiser this time next week, so we need to account for that," Calara declared with confidence.
"Excellent work, Callie!" John grinned, going to give her a hug.
"This is preposterous. This child, however pleasing her curves, has no idea what she's talking about," one of the Ashanath analysts said through his mind-translator in indignation.
Calara raised a brow. "Don't believe me? Highlight Kappa Indararn on the map."
The Ashanath complied, making that particular system glow with a white outline.
"Draw a line from it to attack sites 1, 4, and 6 in that order," Calara instructed. In strings of 3, Calara patiently had the Ashanath trace lines from Kappa Indaran and the attacks, showing the path each Drakkar ship had taken. At the end, Kappa Indarran was at the center of a web of lines radiating outward.
"My apologies. Your intellect is as staggering as your beauty," the Ashanath said with a bow.
"Well, that's that settled," John said with a nod. "Talari, if you'd be so kind as to escort us back to the Invictus?"
"Of course, JohnBlake," Talari nodded. John, Calara, and Lirrash followed the High Councilor out of the room. They exited the facility and got into the shuttle again. Talari input the destination, and they began to fly through the air back towards the capital. When they approached the floating city, the saucer dipped and went into the canyon between the underside of the city's bedrock and the actual surface of Ashana. Most of the vehicle traffic for the city used docking bays on the underside of the city, so they had to slow down to avoid collisions. They neared a particular artificial crater, where magnetic arms held the Invictus securely against gravity's pull to the drydock. With the familiar odd sense of perspective he always got when dealing with artificial gravity, the saucer rotated 180 degrees to be 'upside-down' while John didn't feel any different. The saucer landed in the drydock, and the 4 occupants walked out into the Invictus' temporary home.
John noticed Dana, easily spotted between her relative height compared to the 5'0 Ashanath and her vibrant red hair, already changed into her favorite overalls and tank top as she bent over some portable desk and holo-console. *Having fun, honey?* he projected at her.
*The time of my life!* Dana replied excitedly, her mind abuzz in the way only hers ever got as multiple complex streams of thought somehow coexisted inside her brain. *I've got 2 teams already working on disconnecting our current FTL Drive and Power Core, the new ones have already arrived. If these specs aren't a joke, then a state-of-the-art Ashanath Tachyon Drive is 3x stronger than a Terran military model and their best Power Core has almost 12x the juice of our old one! We'll be zipping around the League like lightning and have more power than we'll know what to do with!*
*Damn,* John blinked. *I knew they were better than the T-Fed, but that's unexpected.*
*These are bleeding edge models for them, reserved for their capital ships. They're really bending over backwards to keep us happy,* Dana explained. *In other news, I've got another team trying to work out how to make our own version of the Onyxium armor. That's a deliciously complicated problem all on its own, actually. Turns out the Ashanath favor an alloy of Aluminium and a psychically-reactive crystal called Etherite for their ships. You can use Telekinesis to mold it like clay, and the resultant shape is hardened to density and strength comparable to Titanium. You can even reshape it additional times, though supposedly the energy cost goes up exponentially, but double-shaped is double the strength of single-shaped, etcetera. I've been running a dozen different simulations trying to find a way to mix Etherite crystals with Onyxium for the protection factor and Titanium since that's the easiest base material for us to get our hands on. We already have a bunch of Titanium in storage for repairing the original armor plates. It's proving to be a bitch and a half, though, the 3 ingredients really don't want to mix together. But when I crack it, we'll have a supermaterial to play with. You and Alyssa will be able to create any shape I can show you, badass armor plates will be the tip of the iceberg in terms of applications!*
*I have faith you'll make your own mega compound with time to spare, Sparks,* John thought fondly. *Anything else to report?*
*Elevators are too damn slow and annoying. I've got a team gutting the shaft and replacing it with two grav-tubes, one to go up and another to go down based on the Ashanath artificial gravity tech. Another team is working on anti-boarding measures, I don't like how the Drakkar just broke down our door and let themselves in. Another team is fast-tracking the Railguns and equipping frames for all our gear, with them handling it the job will take barely more than a day. One more team is working on doing everything we're doing for the Invictus to the Raptor. And finally, I've got a personal consultant for Ashanath tech. His name is Zanthus, may I keep him? He's adorable and he's one of the only people I've ever met who can keep up with me,* Dana told him telepathically.
John nodded along, repressing a snort at the last bit. *If he's unmarried and doesn't mind pulling up stakes to join the crew, you can have him as your Assistant. You can even offer him the Change, whether as part of the harem or just feeding from Jade. I'll leave it up to you how hard you try to recruit him.*
*You're the BEST!* Dana gushed before her mind got lost in some kind of chemical equation that hurt John's head just brushing against it.
Talari knocked on John's mind-shield, drawing the Progenitor's attention. *I must return to the High Council. Councilor Rathus is present, should you have a need to communicate with us directly for any reason.* Talari waited a beat. *On a personal note, Lirrash is like a sister to me. If I learn you abused her, I don't care how powerful you are; I will make you pay for it.*
John grinned and reached out a hand to shake Talari's. *You have my word, I'll treat her like a goddess. It was a pleasure to meet you, Talari.*
*I have high hopes for you, JohnBlake, and what you and my people will accomplish together. Please don't disappoint me,* Talari thought to him. He gave Lirrash a hug, then went to enter the shuttle, taking off.