Chapter 42 - The crew of the Invictus finally reach the Maliri Regency!

Jade brought the Raptor in to land inside the Invictus, while John and Alyssa sat with Rachel. The young woman was still overcome with grief, the traumatic events of her past raked up once again due to their unfortunate recent encounter.

I’ve let Calara and Dana know what happened, Alyssa thought to him as she stroked Rachel’s light brown hair comfortingly.

John nodded approvingly. We could use their help getting the passengers settled. What’s the situation with the pirates? he asked her firmly.

Now the civilians are clear, Calara is just waiting for you to give the word, she replied, looking at him for his decision. The frigate tried to escape, but she disabled them. They aren’t going anywhere.

They knew the consequences when they turned to that kind of life, John replied grimly, an air of finality in his tone.

Alyssa nodded her understanding, and stared into his eyes for a long moment, studying his face intently. It’s done, she eventually said, marking the passing of the ill-fated Captain Farley.

“We’re landed and are secure,” Jade called to them having shut down the Raptor’s engines, and she rose from her chair, then walked over to join them.

John smiled at her gratefully. “Thanks, Jade. You did an amazing job today. Could I ask you to look after Rachel for a moment, while I get the civilians up to the spare quarters on Deck Four? When we’re clear, bring Rachel up to our room and get her settled.”

The Nymph smiled at him warmly and nodded, as she said, “Of course, I’d be happy to.”

He turned to look at Alyssa, and she rose immediately. “Sure, I’ll plot us a course. Port Cadmus is the nearest Terran Federation outpost to our current location, if I remember rightly,” she said, knowing full well it was, by 64.37 parsecs.

“Thanks, beautiful,” he said to her gratefully.

Do we want to let her grieve for a while, or bring her out of it? Alyssa asked him, glancing at Rachel before she left.

John looked up at the blonde, and asked, Bring her out of it?

A full tummy makes everything better. If we ask Jade to give her a feed, Rachel will be back to her normal happy self in no time, Alyssa explained sympathetically.

John looked down at Rachel, where she lay against him. As much as it pains me to see her this upset, she probably needs the release. I’m no psychologist, but she’s probably been suppressing these memories for years, he said, his voice ringing with concern.

The blonde girl smiled at him and nodded, then walked out of the bridge to carry out his orders.

“Let’s get her out of the armour,” John said to Jade.

They moved Rachel’s left thumb so that it was touching her palm, and there was a cascading ripple of clicks as the armour plates unlocked. They carefully removed the front layer of the Phalanx body armour, and then John picked up the girl in his arms and carried her through to the cabin at the back of the Raptor. He placed her gently on the bed, and Jade climbed on as well and snuggled in with her.

“I’ve got her now,” the Nymph told him confidently, and then began to murmur loving words in Rachel’s ear.

John nodded, and left the brunette in Jade’s capable hands, then walked back to the grav-tube to descend in a red glow to the floor below. He heaved a big sigh, and then pasted a welcoming smile on his face, before striding into the cargo compartment at the back of the gunship. The large room was packed full of the civilians that they had rescued from the clutches of the pirates, and a hushed silence fell over the room when he entered.

“We’ve landed on my ship, the Invictus. I’ll take you up to the guest quarters, and get you settled in, until we can return you to the safety of the nearest Terran Federation outpost,” he told them in a clear voice.

Three hours, Alyssa informed him, pre-empting the question he was about to ask her.

“It will take us approximately three hours to reach Port Cadmus, but for now, you can have a hot meal, and there’s plenty of beds if some of you want to rest,” he told them considerately.

One of the older men stepped forward and nodded to John, his face filled with gratitude as he said, “Thank you Commodore Blake, for everything you’ve done for us.”

As sincere statements of gratitude echoed around the room, John looked at the man in surprise, not having introduced himself to any of the rescued passengers yet.

“I recognised the Lion of the Terran Federation from the TFNN report, and the emblem on your shoulder confirmed it,” the man said with a wry smile. “When I saw your interview, I dismissed the stories of heroism as some fabrication for propaganda purposes. Somewhat ironic, considering you’d be rescuing me only a week later.”

John returned the man’s smile, and nodded in acknowledgement, before addressing the crowd once again, “If you’d care to follow me, I’ll lead you to the hot meals and beds I promised.”

He walked back through the Raptor until he reached the front loading area, the ramp already lowered when Alyssa had walked through. She had obviously mentioned he would be on his way, because the civilians here looked at him expectantly, and rose to follow him when he walked through into the room. He smiled at them, and repeated his invitation to use the guest rooms, and then strode purposefully down the ramp and into the Hangar Bay. Calara and Dana jogged into the room, and they ran over to join him.

John took one look at Dana and could immediately see the worry on her face. “Rachel’s in the cabin behind the cockpit, and Jade’s looking after her at the moment. Calara and I have got this though, so go ahead and keep her company,” he said to the redhead considerately.

Dana kissed him on the cheek, and murmured her heartfelt thanks, before sprinting up the ramp and into the Raptor. Calara looked up at him sombrely as she stood by his side.

“Let’s get these people settled in, then we can talk,” he said to the Latina, and she smiled at him and nodded.

The two of them then guided their guests out of the Raptor, where they assembled patiently in the Hangar Bay, before leading them through the double doors and over to the grav-tubes. Those caused quite a stir, but they were so simple to use that everybody quickly picked up the general idea, and soon they had everyone moved into the now packed crew quarters on Deck Four. Dana had powered up the whole level, so the Galley and accompanying kitchen were also fully functional now.

Realising that he wouldn’t be able to do much to help Rachel for the moment, John returned to the Bridge to remove his armour and stow away his gear, greeting Alyssa as he went. She confirmed that the grieving brunette was currently fast asleep, with Jade and Dana keeping a watchful eye on her, so John gave the blonde a kiss and packed away his battle gear. He then returned to the fourth floor where Calara was waiting for him. After a quick show of hands told him that most of his guests were hungry, he proceeded to cook up a large-scale stew to feed everyone. Calara helped him prepare and serve up the food, and at one point he watched her serving out portions to the civilians with a fond smile on his face, as she smiled and told jokes to help put them at ease.

The three hours flew by, until Alyssa contacted him by telepathy to let him know that they had arrived at Port Cadmus, and had been granted docking clearance. When she had landed the Invictus in the designated docking bay, she joined them on Deck Four, to help get the civilians disembarked. John went ahead of them to open up the hangar bay doors, making it easier for everyone to exit the ship, rather than expecting everyone to queue up to walk through the airlock.

There were a group of Terran Federation medics and soldiers waiting to look after the passengers, having been fully briefed about the nature of their arrival by Alyssa. John felt a strong sense of déjà vu, recalling a very similar scene on Port Heracles, as he nodded his greeting to the young officer in command of the Port Cadmus detachment. He was surprised when Rachel came down to join him, accompanied by an attentive Dana and Jade. The brunette was looking drawn after her raw outpouring of emotion, but she walked over to him and held his hand, as he smiled at her in greeting.

“Are you alright?” he asked her with concern, studying her face closely.

Rachel smiled at him bravely and nodded. “Can we talk later? I wanted to see the people we saved, but I’m only just keeping it together at the moment,” she explained with a heavy sigh.

John nodded his understanding, and they both turned to watch the passengers begin to disembark. The civilians smiled at him and the girls in gratitude, with Calara and Alyssa bringing up the rear of the stream of people. He recognised the blonde woman who had spoken to him back at the gas mining facility, and he realised with regret that he didn’t even know her name. She whispered something to her daughter who was walking along beside her, and the young woman looked his way, her pretty face lighting up with a grateful smile. They waved him goodbye, and he watched them leave, hoping that the girl wouldn’t be traumatised by the events she had suffered through.

His attention was drawn back to the remaining passengers when a haggard looking man in his early thirties approached them. He was carrying a young girl in his arms, who was currently fast asleep, and he walked towards them tentatively.

“Thank you for saving us.” he said to John and the girls earnestly, before turning to focus on Rachel.

John watched warily, unsure how the man was going to react. The man paused for a moment, his eyes filled with tears, before he finally managed to speak to the brunette.

“Thank you for avenging my wife. She was a wonderful woman, and didn’t deserve to die so young and in such a horrible way. At least I’ll know that the men who killed her, paid dearly for what they did,” he said to Rachel with a shuddering breath.

Rachel bit her lip to stop herself from crying, and she nodded to the man, before turning and walking away. He watched her leave the hangar, and then with a last grateful look towards John and the girls, carried his daughter off the ship.

The girls left to follow after the troubled brunette, while John walked after the last of the civilians, and over to the young officer in charge of the Port Cadmus soldiers.

“First Lieutenant Darren Crawford, Sir. It’s an honour to meet you, Commodore,” the man said respectfully, looking at him from under his peaked hat.

A quick glance at the man’s epaulets let John confirm his rank. “We were happy to assist, Lieutenant,” he said in an even tone. “We eliminated the pirates, but I’ll arrange for coordinates of their base, and the wreck of the Excelsior to be sent to you.”

“Thank you, Sir,” the young officer replied gratefully and saluted.

John nodded and then turned to walk back into his ship, closing up the huge hull doors into the Hangar Bay behind him.

I’ll set us on a course for Maliri Space again, and then meet you in our bedroom, Alyssa said to him, her voice echoing in his mind.

Thanks, honey, he replied gratefully as he strode inside.

Jade was waiting for him in the corridor, and she looked up at him nervously when he walked through the double doors. “I’m sorry!” she blurted out suddenly.

“What for?” John asked with a puzzled expression on his face, as he held out his arms for her.

The Nymph gladly accepted his invitation, and hugged him fiercely, before leaning back to look up at him once more. “I could have stopped Rachel from doing what she did, but she just looked so heartbroken, I wasn’t sure what to do,” she confessed with regret.

John smiled at her and pulled her in for another hug as he stroked her back soothingly. “You did the right thing, Jade. I’m sorry you were put in such a tough spot. Don’t worry though, everything will be alright,” he told her comfortingly, and just held her for a while, brushing his fingers through her long dark-green hair.

She looked up at him gratefully as she leaned her head against his chest. “Alyssa told me she thinks that Rachel needs distracting. If you want me to nurse her, just let me know,” she said, smiling coyly.

“I’ll bear that in mind,” John replied wryly, and then leaned down to give her a kiss, which she returned passionately. When they finally broke apart, he said, “Let’s go and rejoin the others.”

Jade nodded eagerly and took his hand as they stepped into the grav-tube. They floated up to Deck Two, and stepped out into the corridor that led to the officers’ quarters, before walking briskly to his room at the end. The other girls were waiting for them on the bed, and they all looked up at him when he arrived with the Nymph at his side, as the two of them walked over to join everyone.

Before he could say anything, Rachel spoke up suddenly. “I’m so sorry,” she began, in a tremulous voice. “I don’t know what came over me. You must think I’m some kind of merciless monster.”

John looked at her tormented expression and his heart went out to her. Dana made room for him and he climbed across the bed to take Rachel in his arms.

“Shh, don’t be silly,” he told her soothingly. “We don’t think anything of the kind,” he added gently.

Rachel heaved a huge sigh of relief as she leaned against him, and the other girls echoed his words in a kindly tone, leaning in to stroke her comfortingly.

“But I just slaughtered those men in cold blood,” she protested, her face showing her distress at the memory.

“Those ‘Pirates’ were rapists and murderers,” John corrected her, “They signed their own death warrant the moment they attacked the passenger liner. The penalty for piracy is death, with clemency only given if the local authority is feeling generous. I’m just sorry you ended up being the executioner.”

“It’s like wiping out vermin,” Calara said helpfully, recalling the phrase John had told her after her first encounter with pirates. “Just focus on the dozens of people you saved today instead.”

John smiled at the Latina and nodded, before turning back to the tawny haired girl in his arms. “I promise you I had no idea about your mother though, otherwise I never would have exposed you to that. Do you feel up to telling us what happened to her?” he asked gently.

Rachel looked up at him with eyes that were red from crying, and nodded tentatively.

Alyssa leaned out and placed a comforting hand on Rachel’s arm. “Before you start, would you like Jade to top you up first?” she asked considerately. “I know how much better I always feel when my tummy is nice and full,” she added with an encouraging smile.

Rachel laughed, sniffling slightly as she rubbed the back of her hand across her eyes. “That would help, thanks,” she said self-consciously as she nodded.

The girls all stripped off, with Dana and Alyssa moving across the bed to give Rachel a cuddle, while Jade looked up at John hungrily. He removed his clothes and then lay back on the bed, so that Jade could get to work. Calara came over to kneel beside him, and he pulled her into his arms for a kiss while Jade sank his cock down her throat, and then began to suck on him insistently.

“How are you doing, gorgeous?” he asked the Latina, as he cradled her in his arms.

She smiled up at him and then kissed him gently on the lips. “If you mean, am I having doubts about taking out the Frigate? Don’t worry, I’m fine,” she said emphatically, as she stared into his eyes. “As the person responsible for firing the Invictus’ main guns, my body count is in the thousands by now. They were bad guys and they needed eliminating, so what’s a few more added to the list? I’ve got plenty of space left,” she added fervently, her brown eyes sparkling with conviction.

“My fierce little warrior maiden,” he told her proudly, as he held her in his arms.

They kissed tenderly as Jade worshipped his length, her throat rippling around him and urging him to unload. Calara could see the increasing arousal in his eyes, so she quickly pulled back so that he could run his hands through the Nymph’s hair and hold her in place as his quad got ready for his release. He glanced to his left where Dana, Rachel and Alyssa were all watching him excitedly, and seeing the brunette licking her lips reflexively while the blonde stroked Rachel’s slim stomach suggestively, tipped him over the edge. He stared into Jade’s emerald eyes and she purred with contentment as he thrust against her soft lips, and began to pump his cum down her throat. Calara leaned in to kiss him lovingly, and he gazed into her deep brown eyes as he unloaded his balls into the kneeling Nymph. Finally he was done, and he sagged back against the pillows, with Calara snuggling up beside him.

Jade sat up and caught a few errant strands of cum from her lips with a delicate finger, before chasing them back into her mouth. She then glanced over at Rachel and smiled at her coyly, while raising an eyebrow. The brunette giggled, and then went over to join the green-skinned alien girl, eyeing her titanic tits hungrily.

John and the other girls sat back and watched as Jade cradled Rachel in her arms, and then leaned over so that the teenager could start suckling. The two of them stared into each other’s eyes as the brunette fed, while the Nymph stroked her rising tummy with a cool, soothing hand. They switched breasts when the left was emptied, and by the time Rachel had greedily sucked out the contents of the right one too, her stomach was hugely rounded and stuffed full of spunk. She sat upright with Jade’s assistance, and then let out a happy sigh as she cradled her heavily swollen belly.

“Feeling better?” Alyssa asked her with a knowing smile on her face.

Rachel beamed back at them happily, and nodded exuberantly, restored to her happy self once more.

John glanced at the blonde to his side. This feels like cheating, he said to her dubiously.

Wallowing in her grief isn’t going to help her in the long term. I have an idea what will, and I’ll suggest it, if she doesn’t think of it herself, she told him confidently.

John sat up, leaning back against the headboard, and spread his legs to make room for Rachel as she crawled over to join them. She moved cautiously, repositioning herself with the heavy weight she now carried in her belly, before leaning back against his chest. He rested his hands on her taut skin, stroking her gently as she snuggled into him with a contented sigh.

The other girls fanned out around them, and sat waiting attentively for Rachel to start her story. She looked out at their supportive faces, and taking strength from John’s arms that were wrapped protectively around her, she began.

“I was eight when it happened. We lived on New Eden in the Procyon system, and I had grown up on our family estate there. My mother had gone on a shopping trip to the capital, Avalon, which was just a short flight away from our home. She was protected by bodyguards of course, but on the way home, the hover-limo was ambushed, the guards killed, and she was kidnapped,” the brunette said as she let out a heavy sigh.

“She’d been targeted because they knew exactly who she was married to, and everyone knows how wealthy my father is. They demanded twenty million credits for her safe release, probably figuring it was such a drop in the ocean for him, he would pay up without a second thought. They had no idea what an arrogant and stubborn man the ‘great’ Henry Voss would turn out to be though,” she said, bristling with anger.

Alyssa looked at her sympathetically, and took her hand, squeezing it gently as she said, “He didn’t pay up I take it?”

Rachel shook her head sadly. “I heard him speaking to the police detective who had been investigating a spate of high profile kidnappings on New Eden, and he urged my father to pay. I didn’t understand what they were talking about at the time, but when my father refused to give in to their demands, I soon found out the hard way,” she replied bitterly.

John leaned over to one side so that he could see her face. “Did they catch the kidnappers?” he asked her gently.

The brunette frowned in anger, shaking her head. “It was bad enough that she was taken away from me like that, but to know that the people responsible were never brought to justice makes it even worse. They should have paid for what they did to my mother,” she said in a furious voice.

John was just about to respond, when Alyssa cut him off. I know what you’re about to offer her, but let Rachel ask instead. This needs to come from her, she told him firmly.

Heeding the blonde’s advice he sat quietly, watching and waiting patiently while Rachel was lost in thought. He glanced at the other girls around the bed, and he could see a fierce hunger in their eyes, as they ached to say the same thing as him, but had obviously been given the same warning. He could see the look of determination on the brunette’s face as she finally made up her mind, and then looked up at him hesitantly.

“I know it’s a lot to ask, but when we can spare some time, do you think we could look into my mother’s kidnapping? I feel bad dragging you all into it, but you have resources and skills that are way beyond me acting on my own,” she requested tentatively.

John nodded firmly and smiled at her. “We’ll start right away,” he replied, before glancing at Alyssa. “Change course for the Procyon System, please.”

Dana darted over to hug her friend. “Those fuckers are dead men walking!” she swore vehemently.

Jade stroked Rachel’s leg and said in a deadly voice, “We’ll hunt down everyone responsible and help you avenge your mother.”

Calara nodded at Alyssa as the pair of them moved to get up off the bed. “I’ll start investigating the old cases, see if there’s any connections tying them together, and look for clues,” the Latina said, looking thoughtful.

Rachel held her up hands and said loudly, “Wait a moment ... please!”

They all paused and turned to look at her, and she smiled at them all affectionately. “I appreciate your enthusiasm, truly, but we don’t have to drop everything immediately. We’re nearly at the Maliri border, and New Eden is right in the Core Worlds. If it’s alright with you, we can stop there and investigate my mother’s murder on our way to Trankaran Space. That’s on the way, right?” she asked, looking at Alyssa for confirmation.

The blonde girl sat back down on the bed. “Yes, you’re correct. A course from here to the Trankaran Republic would take us past the Core Worlds,” she agreed, with a smile.

The girls all settled down again and nodded their agreement with the plan.

Rachel stared at them all, a lump welling up in her throat. “Thank you all, it means so much to see how passionately you all want to help me,” she said with a gulp.

John hugged her tightly. “Of course, we’d do anything for you. You’re part of the family now,” he said sincerely.

The girls all agreed and moved in for a group hug with Rachel in the middle. She sighed blissfully as they gathered around her, feeling loved and supported. They all eventually separated and she smiled at them gratefully.

“You guys are so awesome. Thanks again for reminding me what a wonderful decision I made joining you,” she said passionately.

Alyssa frowned at her playfully. “Are you after another group hug?” she asked, as her face lit up with a mischievous grin.

Everyone laughed, and with the mood lightened, John suggested they get some dinner after a quick glance at the ship’s chronometer. They had a relaxing shower together, and then all strolled along as a group to go and prepare their meal. After working so well with Calara to serve food for their unexpected guests earlier, he asked if she wanted to work with him to prepare dinner for the others. She eagerly agreed, so John told the rest of the girls to just relax together, while he and the Latina got to work.

Calara suggested making one of her old favourites, Carbonara, and John nodded his agreement, letting her take the lead as he played sous chef for her. He smiled as he watched her humming happily to herself as she cooked, and they worked well as a team as he chopped up vegetables for her, and helped prepare the sauce.

“I was proud of you earlier today, when you helped me cook for those passengers,” he told her with a fond smile on his face. “You were lovely with them, very caring and considerate. I could see how much they appreciated it, especially after going through such an ordeal.”

The brunette smiled at him shyly as she gently stirred the pan in front of her as it simmered on the stove. “It felt good to be able to help them,” she said softly.

John walked over to her and wrapped her in his arms, whilst being careful not to knock her stirring hand. “I love you,” he whispered, then kissed her neck tenderly, and she leaned back against him as she let out a happy sigh.

“I better not distract you too much,” he said playfully. “It didn’t end well when Jade did the same to me,” he added with amusement.

Calara giggled and then turned to give him a quick peck on the lips before turning her attention back to their dinner. It didn’t take long to finish cooking, and John held the door to the kitchen open for her, as they walked out to join the others. The girls had been having great fun listening to Alyssa’s raunchy stories about her time alone with John, before the others had joined them, and they eyed him wistfully when he entered the room. As Calara began to serve up, Dana let out a melodramatic sigh as she gazed at Alyssa.

“I do envy you being able to spend weeks alone with John like that,” she said longingly.

Alyssa laughed as she glanced his way. “It was a lot of fun surviving on a high protein diet,” she said with a smirk.

“But then again, I love seeing you girls with him too. I think I’d miss that even more,” Dana admitted with a cute frown. Her face then lit up with an impish grin as she looked at John. “I must admit, making us all rampantly bi-sexual, and not even remotely jealous, was an inspired move.”

John waited until the giggling died down, and was just about to reply when Rachel suddenly swore animatedly.

“Crap!” she exclaimed with annoyance.

They all turned to look at her in surprise, and Alyssa put on a mock pout, then said teasingly, “You’re saying you don’t find us girls attractive any more?”

Rachel flushed with embarrassment at her outburst, and shook her head. “No, I still think you’re all absolutely gorgeous,” she said with a smile. “I just got so distracted with everything that happened with the pirates, I forgot that I’d found out some amazing new things about John and Jade!”

They all looked at her with bated breath, waiting for her to continue. She smiled at them in amusement and then shook her head. “I’ll need to show you the DNA strands, so it’ll have to wait until after dinner,” she said apologetically.

“Boo!” Dana blurted out energetically.

Alyssa laughed at the raucous redhead and then nodded, “We don’t want to wait!”

John grinned at the brunette, and said, “I wouldn’t understand the DNA images anyway, just summarise for us.”

Rachel raised her hands in surrender, and they all cheered as she admitted defeat. They began to tuck in to the Carbonara as they watched her, making appreciative noises and complimenting Calara on her excellent cooking. After looking thoughtful for a moment, unsure where to start, Rachel finally began.

“As you know, I said I was going to look into John and Jade’s DNA structures this morning. It turned out I managed to analyse their whole DNA chain just by sight in a couple of hours,” she said in astonishment, looking around at them all and awaiting their reaction.

She was met by blank looks by everyone, and John just said carefully, “I take it that’s a good thing? Well done?”

The brunette laughed and smiled at him affectionately. “Sorry, I forget that despite how smart you all are, you don’t have my medical background. There’s three billion pairs in a person’s genetic code, and it would normally take a powerful computer a day to analyse the entire code. I can’t even begin to describe how staggering it is that I could do it so fast by sight alone. I’m not trying to sound arrogant, I just wanted to let you know about something amazing that happened as a side-effect of the Gift,” she explained carefully, glancing at Alyssa as she used her new term for the change.

“Sorry we didn’t understand. That does sound incredible,” John said encouragingly. “I did warn you that with your intellect, you’d be just as gifted as the other girls,” he added with a slightly smug grin.

“So you did,” she replied with a warm smile.

John smiled back and then gestured for her to proceed, “I’m sidetracking you. Please continue.”

Rachel nodded and looked around at them all excitedly. “As I stared at his genetic code, looking at the DNA taken from him as an eighteen-year-old, and then as he is today, I noticed some amazing things!” she exclaimed eagerly.