Chapter 61 - The Goddess of wisdom and war, patron of heroes.

“So, this is what I really look like?” Jade marvelled, turning one way and then the other as she looked at herself in the four mirrors.

John watched her from one side of the walk-in wardrobe, and smiled as he replied, “Still just as beautiful as ever, little catgirl.”

She turned to grin at him, her cute nose wrinkling as she did so, and revealing her pointed canines in her sparkling smile. Jade saw his gaze fall on her pointed teeth, and she giggled when she looked in the mirror and bared her fangs. “These won’t be practical at all,” she said, throwing him a naughty, mischievous smile.

The Nymph still looked like herself, or at least her facial features were still definitely all Jade, but the pointed cat ears, the tail, and the close coat of green fur were all definitely new. She turned to look at him studying her, and she did a little pirouette for him to show off her new physique, lashing her tail playfully before disappearing in a shimmering green haze. When the blur dissipated, she was back to her familiar Nymph-shape again, and she glided over to him and into his arms.

After he’d revived her, and the initial shock had worn off, Jade had been overjoyed to see him safe and well, positively brimming with energy in her enthusiasm. Now that she had shifted back to her normal Nymph form, it turned out to be quite literally true in her case, as the light viridian lines that emphasised her curves were glowing with an ethereal radiance.

“Aren’t you going to stay in your natural form?” he asked her in surprise.

She shook her head slightly, looking up at him with her emerald cat-like eyes, and replied in a soft whisper, “You fell in love with me looking like this. This is the ‘real’ me now.” She paused, looking away from him with a thoughtful look on her face, and she smiled to herself as she admitted, “This form actually feels more comfortable and satisfying than copying Alyssa now. I wouldn’t change it for the world.”

He wrapped the nude girl in his arms, and held her tight as she nuzzled her head against his chest, purring with contentment. “I love you, whatever shape you’re in,” he told her sincerely.

“So you’d like to go to bed with me looking like a big hairy spider?” she asked him, a teasing gleam in her eyes.

He chuckled and replied, “Let’s just say some forms are better suited for different activities than others.”

She giggled, and nodded, running her tongue over her Terran-like teeth, and said, “Those pointy teeth would never do. Not for what I like doing with you most.” She paused, and looking thoughtful, she mused, “My natural form is quite exotic though. Perhaps my Master would enjoy ravishing his fiancé as a petite catgirl for a change?”

John coughed and avoided her probing gaze but he couldn’t deny he found the thought intriguing. With Jade watching for the slightest shift in his expression, she caught the spark of interest, and gave him a knowing look. Her emerald eyes gleamed with excitement, and he could feel her smooth skin warm up beneath his fingers.

He smiled at her as he caressed her sleek body, and said, “As fun as it is flirting with you like this, we’d better get started if you’re going to start nursing Calara back to health.”

“I can’t wait,” she sighed looking up at him with several emotions playing across her beautiful face. He could see a burning lust in her eyes, intertwined with a look of love and adoration.

They walked back into the bedroom hand-in-hand, and Jade was gentle as she helped him strip off the training gear he was still wearing from his fight with Yamamoto. Rachel had bandaged the wicked cuts across his arms that he’d received fighting against the deadly ninja, so Jade was especially careful not to brush her hands against those wounds. When he was as naked as she was, she gave him a smouldering look and tugged his hand impatiently, leading him over to the bed. They passed the big comfortable chair, which he’d sometimes use to relax in while watching the girls playing together, and he quickly took a seat, pulling her back to him.

“Here,” he said, looking up into her eyes and placing his hands around her waist.

She nodded with excitement, and he lifted her effortlessly into the air, then brought her over his lap. Jade was agile and very limber, so she raised and spread her legs as he carried her over his thighs to straddle him. When he positioned her over his cock, she sank down his shaft in one long smooth motion. The Nymph linked her arms around his neck, then leaned forward, pressing her full breasts and svelte tummy against his torso.

“This is different,” she noted, her full lips twitching into a smile.

“More intimate,” he agreed, wrapping his arms around her, and holding her protectively against him.

Their faces were only inches away from each other, and as she gazed at him lovingly, he could see the cat-like irises in her emerald eyes grow big and round.

“You saved me,” she murmured in a soft whisper, her mood shifting as she stared at him in wonder.

Ever since he’d brought her back to life, she’d been perky and upbeat; but now, in this moment of quiet, she suddenly seemed overawed by what had just happened. She leaned into him and started placing small, tender kisses on his lips, repositioning herself slightly so she could cradle his face in her hands.

“I love you, Jade,” he replied. “I’m not going to let anyone take you from me like that.”

She whimpered with arousal, her kisses growing more passionate and full of desire. He placed his hands on her firm buttocks as she started to gyrate in his lap, and she began to massage his cock with her incredibly tactile internal muscles. She alternated from rubbing his cock with what felt like the soft hands of a gaggle of eager girls, to what seemed like a dozen questing tongues licking every inch of his shaft. He groaned as she rode him, stroking his length inside her with a variety of different sensual rhythms.

“I’m yours forever,” she whispered to him, giving him a smile of tremendous satisfaction as she watched him relish her talents.

He gasped as she picked up the pace, the tongues and soft hands vying with each other to see who could bring him to climax first. “I won’t last much longer if you keep that up,” he panted, staring at her beautiful face.

“I don’t want you to,” she purred, lowering her hands from his face and placing them on her slim stomach. Not interrupting that exciting rhythm for a moment, she tilted backwards to give herself plenty of room to expand, and he could clearly see the big bulge in her abdomen where his cock was fully impaled inside her. She sighed rapturously, and said, “Fill me, my love.”

“Calara?” he asked her through gritted teeth.

“Will be sharing your cum soon,” she reassured him, her hands massaging the head of his cock through her taut skin.

The wanton look of desire she gave him prevented him from holding out any longer, and he grabbed hold of her trim waist as he began shooting his load inside her. Jade cried out in ecstasy as she felt the heavy splashes of spunk filling up her womb, and her thighs began to tremble as she joined him in his climax. Her delicate fingers cupped her growing belly, her hands spreading further apart as her tummy rapidly expanded to carry everything his quad could give her.

Soon their stomachs were touching again, but hers was now bowed-out with several pints of cum filling her up. His quad gave up its last spurt, his balls now fully emptied inside her, and he sagged back into the chair with a disbelieving groan. They shared a happy grin, and he stroked the huge bump she was now carrying, her skin feeling soft and smooth where it had stretched to carry his load.

“Happy birthday,” he said with a playful smile.

Jade giggled, and said, “My favourite present, ever!”

He helped her up, and she gave him a gentle kiss when he stood up beside her. “Thank you,” she told him, her expression open and full of gratitude.

Giving her a warm smile, he replied, “You’re very welcome, but I’m going to be very unhappy with you if you let yourself get killed again.”

She sighed with contentment, and said, “I’ll be more careful, I promise.”

“Good girl,” he said to her, pulling her into his arms for another hug. When they eventually parted, he said, “You better get down to Medical, I’ll get dressed and join you in a moment.”

“Whatever you say,” she said with a dreamy smile, and she glided from the bedroom, humming a soft tune to herself.

He watched with a smile on his face as the nubile Nymph padded out of the room, then strolled into the bathroom to get cleaned up. Are you there, Edraele? he asked the House Valaden Matriarch.

I’m here, she replied, and he could hear the relief in her voice, although she sounded exhausted.

He turned on the shower, and said, I’m so sorry I haven’t been able to thank you properly since the rescue. Things have been non-stop crazy since I broke out.

There’s no need to apologise, she replied soothingly. I’m just so happy that you’re all safe and well. I was so worried when you were knocked out.

John felt a sharp pang of regret that he wasn’t on Valaden right now, and able to give the remarkable woman a heartfelt hug of thanks for saving his life. She was being so selfless and giving with him, and he wished there was some way he could repay her for all she’d done.

You already have, she told him quietly. You literally made me the person I am today, and I can’t tell you how rewarding it’s been, living this new life you created for me. I’m filled with a drive and sense of purpose I’ve never experienced before, and It’s been lovely growing closer to Luna and the girls. Irillith and I are rebuilding our relationship too, and my world is starting to feel complete for the first time in what seems like forever.

It’s great to hear you’re happy, he replied, as he washed himself under the warm sprays of water. I just wish I could do something more tangible for you to show my appreciation.

She laughed, sounding tired but happy, now that her worries about his safety had fallen away. Just stay safe, and return to me. Making love for the first time will be reward enough, she told him, her voice full of longing.

I’ll look forward to it, he said with a smile. He stopped washing himself under the splashing water for a moment, and his tone was earnest as he added, Thank you though, Edraele. You saved my life back there, and I’ll never forget what you did for me.

She didn’t reply, but he could feel the warm wellspring of positive emotions flooding from her as she basked in his praise. It was a lovely feeling, and his mind savoured the glorious sensation of her happiness washing over him. He finished his shower, and dried off quickly before going to get dressed, all the while enjoying the lovely connection he had with Edraele.

By the time he’d returned to the Medical Bay, Calara was now sporting an impressively curved abdomen, which he could see tenting the sheets. Jade was sitting in one of the comfortable visitor’s chairs with Dana cradled in her arms, the redhead sucking greedily at the Nymph’s slightly swollen breasts. Irillith licked her lips, a satisfied smile on her face, and her full lips spread into a gorgeous grin when she saw him arrive.

“Hello, John,” she greeted him warmly, stepping over to him for a hug. Alyssa and Rachel had lazy smiles on their faces, and he guessed they’d received similar tender care from Jade.

He smiled back at the Maliri girl in his arms, and noted, “You look much happier.”

She blushed, then smiled at him coyly as she replied, “You know why.”

“Mmm, I can guess,” he hummed, running his fingers over her slim stomach, and drawing a soft sigh from the exotic blue-skinned girl.

Rachel laughed, the sound both light and cheerful, and it brightened up the Medical Bay as it echoed around the room. “I’m glad I’ve been able to help you guys with research. You certainly don’t need me for my medical expertise, Doctor Jade seems to be taking excellent care of everyone,” she joked with a smile.

The Nymph’s emerald eyes gleamed as she turned to look at John, and she said breathily, “He’s grown so powerful, death isn’t even a problem any more.”

“I think you’re a special case, Jade,” John protested raising his hands in the air, urging caution. “Please don’t start getting complacent, everyone!”

Rachel pouted, and said, “It’s too late for that. Dana wouldn’t even let me splint her broken ankle! She said, and I quote: ‘Don’t waste your time, babes. John will stuff me full of spunk and I’ll be good as new’.”

Dana had emptied Jade’s breasts of their delicious, sweet-tasting contents, and she lifted up her shirt to run her hands over her slightly curved stomach. “It’s true though,” she said with a languid smile. “Now I’m carrying his cum, it’s almost like I can feel him looking after me.”

Alyssa put her arm around Rachel, and said to the frustrated brunette, “Don’t listen to Dana, she’s just cum-drunk. Calara was bleeding to death, and you saved her life. Please don’t think for one second, that I’m not eternally grateful for your medical expertise.”

John had walked over to join them and he placed his hands on Rachel’s hips as he looked down at her, and said, “Alyssa’s totally right, and thank you so much for what you did for Calara.” He sighed as he added, “As miraculous as this healing is, it’s not always exactly practical to just top you up. Besides, if anything happened to me, like this abduction attempt, then I need you to look after the girls.”

Rachel was listening to him attentively, and she smiled when he finished speaking, then said, “Of course, I’d rather no one got hurt in the first place, but I’ll always be there to help where I can.” She blushed but kept eye contact with him, as she added, “I’m being a hypocrite anyway. I was just as eager to be nursed by Jade as the others.”

Raising his left hand, he lifted her chin so he could get a better look at the numerous cuts and abrasions that she’d sealed over with a wound closure gel. His right hand slipped under her shirt, and began to gently caress the spot on her lower belly where the swallow tattoo had once been. “Good, I want to take care of you too,” he said protectively.

She gasped at his touch, then stared into his eyes while giving him an alluring smile.

“Talking of abduction attempts,” Alyssa said, glancing over at the occupied cryostasis pod. “What are we going to do with the deadly elephant in the room?”

John saw that the cryostasis pod was now banded in thick strips of Crystal Alyssium, and he knew even he would struggle to break out of there. “Nice precautions,” he noted when he turned back to Alyssa. She just raised an eyebrow, declining to comment. He heaved a sigh, and continued, “Despite the temporary high from Jade’s pick-me-up, I know you’re all still tired from being tapped for psychic energy. I’m worn out too, and I need some rest. I suggest we interrogate our prisoner after a nap, and we can try to find out what she knows.”

“I’ll be looking forward to that,” Dana said ominously, the smile dropping from her face as she glared at the captive ninja.

John looked at Alyssa and asked, “How long until we reach the Dragon March?”

“Just under twelve hours to go,” she replied immediately. “Despite all the shit with the assassination attempt we only lost about two hours from all that.”

“Alright, time for bed then, all of you. We’ll be able to get a good rest, and still have plenty of time afterwards to assess what just happened,” John said, his voice firm and authoritative. He turned to look at the slumbering Latina, and said to Alyssa, “Can you bring Calara with you, please? We’ll need to keep her topped up so I can continue healing her.”

The girls nodded obediently, and started filing out of the Medical Bay. As he watched Alyssa gliding over to Calara, he held out his hand to stop Rachel, and asked her, “Are you sure it’s safe leaving the assassin in cryostasis? She won’t be able to break out?”

Rachel stood still, and turned to look back at the cryo-pod. She stared at the bloodied and battered captive for a moment, then replied cautiously, “If she was an ordinary woman, then she’d be totally helpless until we bring her out of cryostasis. I gave her a full body scan when we put her in the pod, and she’s had dozens of invasive cybernetic enhancements. Until I analyse all her implants, I can’t give you any guarantees, but she’s probably safely contained in there.”

“Alright, thank you, Doctor,” he said to her with a grateful nod.

“Any time, Rear Admiral,” she replied with a teasing salute. With an amused chuckle she added, “Believe it or not, I’m actually a Second Lieutenant. Not that I really care much about ranks, but it’s amusing how much you outrank me now.”

He raised an eyebrow as he said, “And yet, according to Terran Federation regs, you’re still able to judge me unfit for command on medical grounds, and have me removed from active duty. Quite the responsibility you have there, Second Lieutenant.”

“You better be a good boy then, and do exactly what I want,” she replied flirtatiously.

He grinned at her as he asked, “And what might that be, young lady?”

“You’ll have to come and visit me in Medical some time to find out,” she teased him in reply.

He laughed, and swatted her on the rump, saying, “Off to bed, I’ll join you in a minute.”

She gave him a playful wave goodbye, and sashayed out of the Medical Bay. When she had gone, he turned to see Alyssa sitting beside Calara’s bed, gazing intently at the sleeping girl and gently brushing her fingers through her lover’s dark hair. When she realised she had his attention, her piercing blue eyes flicked to his, and a wry smile formed on her face. He strolled over to join her, and she raised an eyebrow, and asked, “So now it’s just us, are you going to tell me about ‘Radiant Alyssa’?”

“Ah, so you know about her then?” John asked hesitantly.

She frowned, and replied, “While you were spirit-walking, it was really difficult to hear what you were thinking. I did hear you bump into someone you referred to as Radiant Alyssa, and whoever she is, she shocked the hell out of you.”

John gently stroked her cheek as he said, “I don’t have any real answers for you yet. You’re right though, I did run into her when I was Sprit-walking, and she helped me bring Jade back. We were too busy to talk at the time, but she said that if I go back and see her, she’d tell me what I want to know.”

“Who or what do you think she is?” Alyssa asked him, her bright blue eyes looking huge as she stared at him, waiting breathlessly for his response.

He hesitated, then finally replied, “I think she’s been helping us for months, but that’s about all I’m certain of. I really want to find out more about her, but there’s a problem.” He looked troubled as he continued, “She wasn’t the only thing I saw there. There’s an echo of Progenitor John on the Astral Plane, and I’m guessing it’s probably got something to do with the ethereal prison I banished him to. Trying to peel myself from my body is probably ten times harder than it should be because of it, so I’ll need to be fully rested before I try another spirit-walk.”

The blonde girl smiled at him, and said, “Don’t worry, I can wait a few hours to find out more.” She turned to look at Calara, and then added, “I’ll take her back to the bedroom with me, but there’s someone you should see first before bed, if you’re not too tired.”

John nodded, and asked, “Faye? Yeah, I was planning on heading up to the Bridge in a moment.”

“Good,” Alyssa replied. She met his gaze, and said, “She watched Jade get killed and was powerless to prevent it. I think it hurt her a lot more than she’s let on.”

“Alright, I’ll speak to her about it,” he agreed, then leaned it to kiss her. Their kiss was gentle and intimate, and when they finally parted, he looked into her eyes and said, “Thank you for coming to rescue me.”

She grinned at him and said, “You seemed to be doing a fine job of rescuing yourself.”

He glanced over at the cyborg assassin they had taken captive, and her mono-edged matte black sword that lay on a gurney, then said, “Yeah, but I’d have been in trouble when she turned up again.”

“In that case, you’re welcome!” Alyssa said to him with a laugh, and he gave her a big hug before letting her go.

“I’ll meet you in the bedroom,” he said, as he turned to leave the room.

“I never get tired of hearing you say that,” she purred seductively, then waved him goodbye as he walked out of the Medical Bay.

Faye was up on the Bridge, sitting on the IntOps Console and staring at the Sector Map, but he could tell by the thousand-yard stare that she was thinking about something else entirely. John stepped out of the grav-tube onto the Command Deck, and when he spotted the purple sprite, he walked across the room to join her. She jumped with surprise when he sat down in the chair behind the IntOps Console, then looked at him guiltily.

“Some Watch Commander I am, when you can sneak up on me like that,” she said, looking downhearted.

John smiled at her apologetically and said, “Sorry about that, Faye, I should have said hello. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

She waved a hand at him, and sounded subdued as she said, “No problem. It’s okay.”

He leaned towards her, and said, “I came up here to check on you and make sure you were alright, but I can see you’re not.” Fairly sure he already knew the answer to his next question, he still asked it anyway, “What’s bothering you, Faye?”

The four-inch-tall pixie looked like she was going to wave away his concerns, but she changed her mind, and drew a shuddering breath. When she started speaking, her voice was quiet and she sounded deeply upset. “I saw it all happening...” she finally replied. “You fighting against the assassin, and then Jade being killed. I saw it all, and was powerless to stop any of it.”

“That wasn’t your fault though,” he said to her gently. “You couldn’t have stopped that assassin.”

Her little face shadowed with anger, and she protested, “But I could have stopped it all!”

John’s face twisted in confusion as he asked, “How, Faye? I don’t understand.”

“I activated the ship’s anti-personnel defences, and I could have shot that assassin with the Gatling Lasers! But...” she trailed off, stopping herself from continuing with a visible effort.

“But what? You can tell me ... what’s troubling you?” he asked her sympathetically.

“It was your fault!” she finally snapped. “Because of your paranoia about AI, I was locked out from the ship’s defences! I couldn’t fire them, so you were captured, and Jade got killed because of it!”

He was startled by her furious outburst, but he forced himself to think rationally about what she had just yelled at him. Settling back in the chair, he frowned, and said, “You’re right. I should have started trusting you much sooner, and I’m sorry.”

She nodded, but sounded despondent as she said, “I understand why you feel that way, what with Nexus and the Terran’s history of rogue AI. It just came as a shock when I couldn’t intervene to save you.”

“Like I said, I’m sorry, Faye. I promise it’ll be different from now on,” he replied, but he could see she was still upset by something else. She was looking down and away from him, so he crouched down so he could meet her gaze, and asked perceptively, “There’s something else bothering you. What is it?”

She looked at him, and he could see tears filling her eyes as she whispered, “I can’t get those images out of my head. I keep seeing it over and over again.”

“Seeing what? Jade being stabbed?” John asked her.

She nodded, a tiny fluorescent tear rolling down her digital cheek as she replied, “I’ve deleted the video file, but it keeps reappearing in my system memory. It’s like my central processing core can’t let it go.”

John looked concerned and said, “If you were Terran, I’d say you were suffering from PTSD. It’s something I’ve had a lot of experience with, and I’ve lost friends I served with who were haunted by memories from combat.”

“How do I make it go away?” she asked him plaintively.

He studied her a while, trying to think of some useful advice to help the troubled girl. “Well, Jade is completely recovered now, so seeing her laughing and smiling as she goes about the ship might make it easier to let that memory go. We’ve also captured the assassin who stabbed her, so seeing her eventual fate might make things easier too.”

“Are you going to kill her?” Faye asked him in a neutral voice.

He paused, thinking it over until he replied, “We’ll try and find out more about the man she was working for. We don’t want to have to deal with more assassination attempts if we can nip this in the bud.”

“That didn’t answer my question,” she persisted, with a small smile.

“No, it didn’t,” he agreed. He sighed, before he continued, “I don’t like the idea of killing her in cold blood, but she’s extremely dangerous. In all likelihood, we might have to. Would you have a problem with that?”

She shook her head, her cute little facing looking fierce as she replied, “No, definitely not.”

John nodded while watching her, then after another pause, he leaned over the IntOps console, and clicked on several buttons until a security interface appeared. It rose up above the sprite as a glowing blue holographic panel, listing the various security functions aboard the Invictus. He made some changes to the settings, then said, “I’ve just given you fire permission on the internal and external Anti-Personnel defences. We’ve taken the assassin prisoner, but now if you get in the same situation again, you won’t be powerless. Maybe knowing that might help you put this behind you?”

Faye looked surprised, but she smiled at him gratefully, and said, “You’ve been really kind, thank you.” She blushed a darker shade of purple, and added, “I’m sorry I yelled at you before.”

He laughed, and said, “Don’t worry about it, I deserved it.” He grinned at her playfully, and joked, “As far as homicidal AIs go, I think you’re a lovely girl.”

She giggled and beamed a sparkling smile at him as she replied, “Yeah? Well you aren’t too bad for a filthy organic.”

They both shared a good laugh, and when he rose from his chair, she looked much happier. He smiled at her, and said, “I’m worn out, and I need a good sleep. I’ll leave the ship and our prisoner in your capable hands, Watch Commander.”

She fluttered up to his face, carried on her shimmering gossamer wings, then leaned in to kiss him tenderly on the cheek. She smiled as she said, “Thanks for coming up here and trying to make me feel better. It really meant a lot.”

“Any time,” he replied as he waved her goodbye, and then stepped into the grav-tube, disappearing from sight.

Faye turned back to her vigilant watch over the Sector Map, while bringing up a cam-feed image of the Medical Bay. As she stared at the face of the beaten assassin through the clear viewport of the cryostasis pod, she activated the internal defences in the corridor on Deck Seven, bringing the Gatling Lasers online.

She found herself fervently hoping that the assassin would try to escape.

John found the girls already in bed waiting for him, so he stripped off his clothes and joined them. The quick boost from being fed by Jade was wearing off now, and all of them looked bone weary, having been heavily tapped of psychic energy to bring Jade back. The only exception was Jade herself, who was cuddling Calara protectively from behind.

“I’m not remotely tired,” she said with a warm smile. She glanced down at Calara, and placed her green hand on the Latina’s swollen tummy, then said earnestly, “I’ll keep an eye on this little kitten, and keep her safe.”

“Thanks, Jade,” John replied, struggling to stifle a yawn. “Wake me up when she’s absorbed the last lot.”

She nodded, her fingers moving in broad, gentle circles on Calara’s coffee-coloured stomach. The girls spread out to give Jade and her patient plenty of room, so the sleeping arrangements were somewhat disrupted. In the end, Dana and Rachel ended up drifting off to sleep in each other’s arms on the far side of the Nymph. Alyssa snuggled into John, holding him tightly, and she beckoned over Irillith, who gave her a grateful, if rather sleepy smile as she joined them. The blondes fell asleep almost immediately, and after giving Jade a final glance, John was soon slumbering peacefully too.

He awoke several hours later to feel the delightful sensation of several girls swirling eager tongues around his cock. He was still tired out, so he just sagged back in bed, and let the girls go to work, figuring Alyssa had arranged some kind of team effort to coax another load from his quad. Seeing no need to hold back, he let those velvety soft tongues tease and caress him to the edge, and he reached down to run his fingers through one of his fellatrix’s hair.