Chapter 93: Getting to know you, getting to know all about you...

Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy pulled off his flight helmet and relaxed back in the seat of his Claymore fighter. Running through the shutdown routine, he powered off the engines, then deactivated the rest of the impressive new fighter’s systems. He’d just spent the last two hours on another test flight, this time shooting up agile target drones.

Although he was still in love with the highly advanced craft, which was a huge upgrade over his old rapier, the initial awe was wearing off and he’d started spotting quirks and idiosyncrasies of the converted gunship. Adjusting to the extra pair of Gatling Lasers in the loadout of six had been easy, but landing rounds on target with the Gauss Cannon built into the fighter’s fuselage was proving a trickier prospect.

The airlock popped open with a hiss and a deck engineer poked his helmeted head through the portal. “Leprechaun! The Captain wants to speak to you!”

“Hey, Garv,” Murphy replied, climbing out of his seat and heading for the airlock. “Could you take a look at the alignment of the Gauss Cannon’s sights. I’m still not convinced they’re properly calibrated.”

Garvy laughed and rolled his eyes. “I’ve told you before; you have to lead your targets! The projectiles are slower, it’s not like the Gatling Lasers.”

“I know you told me, but I’m sure it’s fucked up,” Murphy protested, before giving him his most endearing smile and clapping the engineer on the shoulder. “Indulge me, would you? There’s a six-pack of Trankaran ale in it for you...”

The Engineer sighed and nodded. “Alright, I’ll take a look.”

“Cheers, fella,” the young pilot said with a grin.

Murphy squeezed past the tech and climbed out onto the wing of his ship. Following his ritualistic habit, he placed two fingers to his lips, kissed them, then pressed the digits against the image of his lucky charm painted on the Claymore’s fuselage.

“Thanks, darlin’,” Murphy murmured under his breath, as the portrait of the beautiful dark-green lioness beamed a glittering smile back at him.

Sliding off the wing of his fighter, he jogged over to the maintenance gantry, then climbed the steps out of the hangar and joined the main concourse. The vast Flight Deck on the Terran Federation flagship, The Retribution of Zeus, was bustling with crews eager to get more practice with the new Claymores. He spotted Whiskey leading four young pilots towards the hangar and the two officers exchanged respectful nods. Murphy suppressed a smirk, not envying the experienced fighter-pilot the job of training up those rookies.

When he finally arrived at the Captain’s office, he saw two more familiar faces standing outside and he smiled at the two young recruits. “Hey, lads! Not in trouble already, are ya now?” he teased the two ensigns.

“No, Sir, Lieutenant Commander!” Ensign Halifax replied, snapping to attention.

Baker gave him a sharp salute, then smiled and shook his head. “Nothing like that, Leprechaun.”

“Catch me after I’ve seen the Captain, and I’ll give you those pointers on the Rapier I was talking about,” Murphy said with a good-natured smile.

The two ensigns exchanged nervous glances, unsure how to respond.

Before they could reply, the door beside them opened and Captain Lewis stepped out. “I thought I heard your Irish brogue, Leprechaun. Can I have a word?”

“Of course, Captain,” Murphy replied, following the older officer into the room and closing the door behind him.

“Take a seat,” Lewis said, gesturing to the chair as he sat behind his desk.

Relaxing into the chair, Murphy studied the Captain for a moment, not liking the way he brushed his finger across his moustache. That usually meant his old instructor was on edge. “What’s up, Gator?” he asked, figuring he might as well get to the point.

“I’m assigning you your own wing, Ryan,” Captain Lewis said, leaning forward and looking at him intently. “You think you’re up to it?”

Murphy blinked at him in surprise. Being offered command of five fighters was the last thing he expected his commanding officer to say. He couldn’t help grinning as he said, “Binary’s gonna be pissed!”

The Captain leaned back in his chair and shook his head. “I’ve already assigned him a wing of his own. You guys are the veterans now, you’ll need to train up the new replacements as your wingmen.”

Suddenly ensigns Baker and Halifax standing outside the Captain’s office began to make a dreadful kind of sense. “But they’re flying Rapiers, Gator!” Murphy protested. “They’ll never be able to keep up with my Claymore!”

Shaking his head, Captain Lewis replied, “I’m not mixing fighter classes in a wing, don’t be ridiculous. Your four wingmen will be assigned Claymores the same as you.”

Murphy hesitated for a moment, then said dubiously, “It’s a very powerful fighter, Captain. I’m not sure giving one to a rookie is a good idea.”

Lewis shrugged. “The entire squadron will be switching to Claymores when we get more from Olympus, so they’ll need to learn to fly them sooner rather than later. I’ve split the first batch of twenty into four wings and you’ll be leading the second.” He saw Murphy’s look of surprise and smiled. “You’ve logged fifty-percent more flight time in the Claymores than any other pilot on the Zeus ... Teach them all the tricks, Lieutenant Commander. You’re dismissed.”

Rising from his chair, Murphy saluted the Captain. “Thank you for this opportunity, Gator. I won’t let you down.”

Lewis nodded towards the door. “I don’t know what you said to Baker and Halifax, but they specifically requested they be assigned to your wing.”

Murphy grinned at him. “Is that right?”

Laughing, the Captain shooed him out, “Get out of here before I change my mind!”

Opening the door to the office, Murphy strode outside and found the two ensigns staring at him, wide-eyed with anticipation. The sudden weight of responsibility came crashing down on his shoulders and he froze, realising the lives of these two young men were in his hands. Memories of Angel, Snakebite, and Romeo flooded back, as did the feeling of guilt that he’d let his old wingmen down. If only he’d trained harder before Regulus, improving his piloting skills, practicing his shooting, maybe he could’ve saved them. He’d been trying to atone for that with all the hours he’d logged in the Claymore, hoping to be the best wingman he could be, but now he was going to be the Wing Commander it mattered more than ever...

Fighting down his doubts and fears, he put on an air of bold confidence. “Alright lads, let’s go!”

The two ensigns looked at him in surprise, then scurried to fall into step beside him. “Where are we going, Lieutenant Commander?” Halifax asked hesitantly.

“To the Flight Deck. It’s time you two popped your cherries on Claymores,” Murphy said with a grim smile.

“Oh yeah!” Baker crowed, pumping his fist in the air.

Murphy darted a frown at Ensign Halifax. “But cut that Lieutenant Commander shit out, alright? Every time I hear my rank, I keep expecting to get a bollocking from the Captain. Leprechaun is fine.”

“Yes, Sir!” the young ensign said, before sharing an eager grin with Baker.

Dinner aboard the Invictus was a great success and after praising Sakura for the delicious Italian food, the contented crew retired to the sofas to watch the stars racing by. Alyssa had redesigned the lounge with exactly this kind of thing in mind, so John and all the girls were able to sit in a comfortable semi-circle, chatting quietly together and sipping drinks.

John emptied his glass of whiskey, then set it down on the coffee table, waving away Calara’s offer to top it up. He put his arms around Sakura and Alyssa, then let out a happy sigh.

“You sound like I feel,” the Asian girl murmured, snuggling closer. “I can’t remember feeling this wonderful before.”

Alyssa smiled at her fondly, then glanced at John. “I think you might have to come up with a new punishment for our Head Chef. I don’t think she was supposed to be having the time of her life!”

“She’s a good girl, leave her be,” John said to the blonde, knowing Alyssa was only teasing. He drew Sakura closer and gave her a tender kiss.

The raven-haired beauty closed her eyes and had a blissful expression on her face by the time he pulled away. “I stand corrected. This is the happiest I’ve ever been.”

John squeezed her shoulder then turned to look at Alyssa. Thanks for all your work behind the scenes today. I really wanted to thank the girls and they all seemed to have a great time.

They really did, Alyssa replied earnestly, looking around at her smiling friends as they chatted quietly together. I might get a bit carried away and seem a bit manipulative sometimes, but it’s only because I know all of you so well. I just want to give you what you all need...

John studied her beautiful face for a moment. You don’t need to keep beating yourself up over what happened with Niskera. For what it’s worth, I think we did the right thing. I’ve been very impressed by her and I think she’ll be able to make a huge difference for the Trankarans. As for you being manipulative, we’ve discussed all that and it’s water under the bridge as far as I’m concerned.

Her expression softened and she tangled her fingers in his hair. I’m glad you’re not mad at me. I agree with you too, about Niskera. She paused looking undecided for a moment, then admitted, You asked earlier if you were missing something between me and Niskera. I was just-

Telling her she’d be welcome to join us on the Invictus in the future? John guessed, giving her a knowing smile. Don’t worry, I’m not mad about that, we did discuss the possibility after all. If Niskera isn’t happy settling down with the Trankarans after all the changes she’s been through to save them, there’s no question that we’re obligated to offer her a place here with us.

But would she make you happy? Alyssa asked softly. I could feel how impressed you were by her personality, but I know you have a certain ... type.

John frowned and said, It feels wrong to so casually talk about essentially changing Niskera’s species, even if that is what she wants.

Alyssa shook her head. If Niskera decided to join us properly, I don’t think right or wrong will come into it. The fact is, that if you keep loading her up, she’s bound to start changing. Her eyes darted off to the left to look at Jade’s lustrous dark-green skin. My gut tells me that if she went through the full Change, she’ll end up looking like a grey-skinned version of our lovely Nymph, but with the permanent lightshow. You told Niskera she was beautiful earlier, but I know you were thinking of her more like an exotic sculpture than a girl you wanted to fuck.

I wasn’t lying earlier, the glowing lines were beautiful, John protested. He hesitated when he saw the knowing look Alyssa gave him, then conceded, But you’re right ... I know it makes me seem ridiculously shallow, but I still don’t find her all that physically appealing.

You can’t help what you’re attracted to, Alyssa told him, stroking the side of his head. But more importantly, do you think you’d be attracted to her if she looked like a grey version of Jade?

John stopped to picture Niskera like that for a moment, but struggled to see the stocky, bald Trankaran woman changing appearance that radically. He found it easier to imagine how Jade would look with grey skin instead, her luscious nubile body covered in swirling, glowing lines. He had to admit, the image was quite intriguing...

Good to know... Alyssa said with a coy smile.

Hang on, John said with a cautionary look. There’s absolutely no guarantee Niskera would change to look like that; it’s pure speculation on our part. Let’s just say that I hope that Niskera finds happiness with the Trankarans, but if she doesn’t, I’m willing to offer her a home with us. Okay?

The blonde nodded, knowing not to push this any further. Understood. I promise I won’t try and persuade her to join us, subtly or otherwise. I’ll just focus on looking after her either way.

See, you’re a good girl too, John replied, sharing a smile with her.

Alyssa leaned in so her lips were almost brushing his. Do I deserve a kiss for being good?

Definitely, he agreed, pulling her closer.

The rest of the evening rolled on and they had started the day early so they decided to call it a night when it turned ten. Drifting out of the Officers’ Lounge in a group, John reached out to clasp Jade’s hand, then pulled the surprised Nymph into the red glow of the grav-tube.

“G’night, ladies, see you in the morning!” he called out to the rest of the girls, who grinned and waved back at him, all well-aware of his plans courtesy of Alyssa.

“We’re not sleeping with the others?” Jade asked him in surprise as they descended in the anti-gravity field.

John shook his head and guided her out onto Deck Three. “I thought it might be nice to spend the night in the Observatory, just you and me.”

She stroked his jawline, a soft smile on her face. “You didn’t need to single me out for special treatment.”

Turning as if to head back to the grav-tube, John said playfully, “Oh, okay. If you don’t fancy it, we can catch up to the others...”

The Nymph pulled him back and hugged him tight. “I never said that!”

“Well I’m all yours for the night, so wherever you want to spend it is entirely up to you,” John replied, stroking her back.

Her eyes lit up with excitement and she led him by the hand down the corridor towards the Lagoon. John laughed at her enthusiasm and followed behind the eager girl. When they entered the big room, Jade pulled her dress over her head, leaving it crumpled in a heap with her abandoned shoes.

She spun away from him, bounding ahead along the path that led over the softly-lit lagoon. “You’re wearing too many clothes!” the Nymph said with a grin, waiting for him at the apex of the bridge.

John quickly stripped off and walked over to join her, admiring Jade’s spectacular viridian body as she posed for him like some kind of wild forest sprite. “We’re going to get wet, aren’t we?” he asked wryly, already having a pretty good idea what the answer might be.

“I already am...” Jade replied, her emerald eyes glinting with arousal.

Turning to face the still dark waters of the lagoon, the strong muscles in her legs tensed and she launched herself off the bridge. Jackknifing in the air, she straightened as she dove into the pool, barely making a splash as she cut through the surface of the lake. The Nymph surfaced a few moments later, her feline eyes reflecting the light as she gazed his way.

John followed Jade’s example, leaping in after her with an impressive dive of his own. He plunged through the water, then breached the surface, to find Jade waiting for him. “Hello, beautiful,” he said, pulling her close.

Jade wrapped her arms around him, then looked into his eyes with a mysterious intensity behind that loving gaze. “There’s something special I’d like to do with you, Master.”

“What’s on your mind?” he asked, watching her curiously.

The Nymph gave him an enigmatic smile. “Your thoughts...” she murmured, stroking her fingers across his temple. “They’re quiet though, like whispers behind a closed door...”

John looked at her in surprise, his eyes widening as he felt a light flutter against his mind.

“You let me in once before, when we first met,” Jade purred, her velvety green skin warming up against him.

“When you shifted form into Alyssa,” John said in sudden understanding. “I must have let you in subconsciously ... I didn’t feel a thing that first time.”

“I had to read your mind to learn how I could best serve my handsome new Master,” she whispered, giving him a gentle kiss. “Perhaps you recognised my nature by instinct.”

He looked at her in confusion. “Don’t Nymphs normally just do that the once? So that they can find out what their master considers to be the perfect woman?”

“Many things have changed since then, with you and with me,” the Nymph murmured, her cat-like pupils widening as she gazed at him with longing. “Would you share your thoughts with me again?”

Doing as she asked, John opened a breach in his mental fortress for the fluttering presence waiting patiently outside. He felt Jade’s mind brushing against his, gentle and tentative at first, then growing bolder as she deepened the contact between them.

A look of wonder spread across her beautiful face and she gasped, “I’d forgotten what it was like ... your mind is glorious, Master!”

Jade mewled into his mouth, kissing him with abandon as she hugged him tighter, wrapping her legs around him too. They sank below the surface of the water and her kisses slowed as she started breathing for the pair of them, using a set of gills she formed on her neck. They slowly dropped to the bottom of the lagoon, Jade lying on the sandy floor with John resting on her supine form. He experienced a strange sensation of weightlessness being fully supported underwater like this, the disembodied sensation magnified by the Nymph embracing his mind too.

Just relax ... let me take care of you, she murmured, the pure joy in her telepathic voice tempered by the tenderness in her mental and physical touch.

Putting his full trust in her, John did as Jade asked, losing track of time as he enjoyed the pleasantly soothing embrace. She started asking him about his past; beginning with how he’d grown up with his grandparents, helping them run their restaurant. The Nymph seemed to delight in reading his thoughts and she began to ask about his time in the military, prompting him to talk about his friends and colleagues, the battles he’d fought in, and the reasons why he’d eventually retired. Then she moved on to his years as a trader, the deals he’d struck and all the exotic places he’d visited. Finally, she asked him to talk about each of the girls on his crew, while she purred in euphoric bliss.

John paused for a second and framed a question in his mind. Why did you ask me to talk about the girls? You know them all really well.

I can sense how you feel about each of them and all your fond fleeting thoughts, Jade explained, This must be what it’s like for Alyssa ... I feel like I’m finally getting to know the real you!

Not yet, John replied. We haven’t discussed how I feel about my beautiful Nymph...

Jade’s breath caught, her eyes filled with anticipation.

He shook his head. Not like this. Let’s go to the Observatory and I can show you properly. With that he closed the portal in his mind to stop her getting a sneak preview.

Jade was filled with a sense of profound loss and her eyes widened in shock, but she wasn’t able to communicate with him telepathically now to tell him of her anguish. They bobbed up to the surface, then swam to the edge of the water, padding out onto the sand. Jade had a deeply conflicted look on her face, her eagerness to hear more warring with disappointment at being shut from his mind. She looked at him and was about to say something, then faltered.

There were fresh towels on the sun-loungers, so John picked two up, passing one of them to the Nymph. “What is it, honey?” he asked gently.

She held the towel against her bust and looked at him with her big emerald eyes. “Being separated from your mind ... I already miss listening to your thoughts.”

John wrapped his towel around himself, then pulled her into his arms. “After tonight, I’ll give you permanent access as if you were one of my Matriarchs, like Alyssa and Edraele. Would you like that?”

Jade swooned in his arms, looking like she could scarcely believe her ears. She nuzzled into him as they walked up the slope and across the bridge towards the Observatory, seemingly wanting to stay as close to him as possible. They practically fell onto the bed together, both of them eager to physically consummate the intimacy of their new psychic connection.

The moment that Jade took him to the hilt inside her luscious body, John let her back into his mind again. They began to move together and he thought about all the little things he adored about the loving Nymph, from her glorious smile to her sweet, gentle nature. Jade sobbed with joy as she basked in his litany of praise for her countless virtues, eyes wide in awe as she clung to him as though never wanting to let him go. She heard his words of course, but now she was able to feel the heartfelt emotions behind them all too, trembling in ecstasy as he stroked inside her.

Jade crested through one rolling climax after another, whimpering with delight as John whispered in her ear and overwhelmed her mind with loving thoughts. When he told her how much he loved seeing her being caring and maternal with the girls, while thinking about how he couldn’t wait to see what an amazing mother she’d be to their children, Jade finally begged him to stop.

“It’s too much,” she finally gasped, lying limp in his arms in a state of blissful and exhausted astonishment. “I can’t cum any more!”

“One more, with me...” John urged her, cradling her head in his hands and moving with a different purpose now.

She bit her lip and nodded, moans of pleasure bursting from her as he ramped up the pace. John teetered on the edge, his quad trembling after being held in check for so long. He plunged up to the hilt inside her and finally surrendered to his release, joining her lusty cries as she climaxed with him. When he was spent, he carefully pulled out, then collapsed beside the insensate Nymph. The pair of them panted for breath, with John eventually spooning up behind Jade as he pulled the covers over them.

Light pulsed out from her curved midriff, the lines following the graceful curves of her lithe figure. John followed those lines with his fingertips, knowing that her body was responding to him, growing stronger with every pulse. Jade was lost in thought for a long time, her long hair spread across his arm that she was using as a pillow, her hand resting atop his as he cradled her swollen belly.

“Are you okay?” John asked, pulling her closer. “You’re very quiet.”

She turned slightly and gave him a wry smile. “I was just thinking how ironic this evening was...”

“Ironic? What do you mean?” he asked, leaning down to plant a tender kiss on her cheek.

“The day after you freed me in every possible way, you’ve made it so I’ll never leave you, not ever,” she said adamantly.

John looked at her in alarm. “What do you mean?! I wasn’t trying to-”

Jade stilled his worried words with a loving kiss, her telepathic thoughts as soothing as a lullaby. How could I ever leave you? Knowing you feel the same way about me as I do about you...

He relaxed as he understood what she meant, smiling with relief. The Nymph began to purr, a deep sound of contentment rumbling in her chest. He stroked her to sleep, hearing her rhythmic breathing deepen as she started to slip into a blissful slumber. John was getting drowsy himself and was about to join her, when Alyssa’s telepathic voice whispered through his mind.

And the lovely Nymph makes three, she told him, her gentle voice ringing with approval.

Smiling with satisfaction, he kissed Jade on the shoulder, then surrendered to sleep himself.

Good morning, beautiful...

Tashana heard Alyssa’s soft voice breezing through her dozing subconscious, rousing her from sleep. She opened her eyes to see Irillith lying asleep in front of her, long snowy-white hair framing her beautiful face. It was strange to feel so happy to see her twin’s exquisite features again, having spent over a decade desperately trying to erase that face from her memory. It hadn’t just been to hide from the pain of betrayal, but also to avoid the bitter sting of loss, after the mutilation of her own identical features. Tashana brushed a lock of hair away from Irillith’s forehead, feeling a surge of protectiveness as she watched over her slumbering sister.

Alyssa’s enchanting cerulean eyes appeared over Irillith’s blue shoulder and the blonde studied her for a moment. Tashana felt her Matriarch’s caring presence in her mind and she could almost see the gears whirring in the teenager’s head.

I woke you up early in case you wanted more time alone today? Alyssa asked kindly. I know you’re still figuring things out with Irillith.

Tashana hesitated as she glanced at her sleeping twin, then nodded, giving the blonde a grateful smile.

Go get a shower then, I won’t wake them for another half-hour, Alyssa said, her eyes flicking to the bathroom door.

Mouthing the words “Thank you,” to the blonde, Tashana climbed out of bed then padded across the bedroom. She closed the bathroom door behind her so as not to disturb the others, then turned on the shower and sighed as the hot water sluiced over her. Shutting her eyes, she relaxed under the streams, not missing the Maliri version of a shower for one moment. It might have been far more efficient, but it was much less enjoyable.

Feeling smooth arms encircling her from behind, Tashana opened her eyes to see a pair of slender bronzed limbs surrounding her waist, as a pair of full breasts pressed into her back. Unfortunately, that only narrowed down the identity of her shower companion to three possibilities; a blonde, brunette, or redhead.

“You can have time apart from Irillith without being alone,” Alyssa murmured in her ear and taking the opportunity to playfully nip at an earlobe. “Alone is boring...”

Tashana laughed and turned around, sharing a smile with the blonde girl. “Are you coming with me to the firing range?”

Alyssa wrinkled her delicate nose and shook her head. “We can find much more fun things to do while you decide if you love or hate Irillith...”

“I don’t hate her ... not exactly,” Tashana immediately replied. “It’s just ... complicated.”

“I know, I’m just teasing you,” the blonde replied, stroking her arm. “Things will work out, it’ll just take time.”

Tashana let out a sigh. “I know. Everything that happened to me in the Unclaimed Wastes is already starting to feel like a bad dream. The memories are fading and the sting isn’t so painful ... not any more.”

Alyssa’s full lips shifted into an affectionate smile. “I have to hand it to him, he really knows what he’s doing...”

The Maliri girl could only nod her agreement. She paused then, an unspoken question hanging on her lips.

“Go ahead, what’s up?” Alyssa asked, sensing her indecision.

“I just wanted to ask about John ... You’ve been with him much longer than I have; does that feeling of awe ever go away?” Tashana quietly replied. “I feel like I’ve been getting to know him better, but then he’ll do something that makes me feel like I’m only just starting to get an inkling of just how powerful he is. It’s thrilling and frightening at the same time ... Like when he lifted the shield that was suppressing my memories; I finally got an understanding of just how titanic his mind is. I’ve never felt so insignificant before.”

Alyssa’s expression shifted to one of unguarded honesty, something Tashana had never seen before in the blonde. “I know exactly what you mean,” the teenager said quietly, hugging her closer. “I can’t believe how powerful he is already and he’s not even unlocked his full potential yet. It sometimes feels like watching a god discover that he can just reshape the galaxy at will...”

They held each other as they stood under the water and Tashana felt a sudden surge of affection for the young Terran woman in her arms. It was times like these that she was suddenly reminded just how young Alyssa really was. Tashana was fifty-two and she’d been astonished at how quickly Terrans matured, with her teenage Matriarch normally so confident and composed, but she was still only eighteen-years-old. Stroking Alyssa’s toned back she embraced the blonde who had done so much for her.

Sensing the change in mood, Alyssa pulled back and gave her a warm smile. “You’re a sweetheart,” she said affectionately. “But let me look after you for now, okay?”

Tashana nodded, surprising herself with how easy it was to look to the younger woman for support. “So if we’re not going to the firing range, what are we up to?”

Alyssa’s hands drifted lower and she cupped Tashana’s shapely buttocks then gave them a suggestive squeeze. “I know what I’d really like to do, but I suppose we can’t spend the day in bed. Let’s finish our shower, then go and get changed, and we can do some more psychic training.”

The Maliri girl readily agreed, then soaped herself down with the blonde’s enthusiastic help. They parted ways in the bedroom, with Tashana retiring to her quarters to get a fresh change of clothes. She flicked through her wardrobe, trying to decide on what to wear, before finally choosing lacy underwear, a long dark-red dress and some heeled shoes, having been forewarned by Sakura. Quickly applying some make-up and artfully styling her hair, she glided over to the door and out into the corridor.