Chapter 119 - Getting to the heart of the problem...

The door to Sarinia Baelora’s quarters slid open and Myrdina burst into the room. “You’re leaving?!” she screeched, bristling with anger.

“Welcome, dear sister,” the eldest daughter of House Baelora said dryly, turning to glance through her bedroom’s open door into the lounge. “Please accept my apologies for not inviting you in, I was preoccupied and must have failed to hear the door chime.”

Myrdina ignored her elder sister’s sarcasm. “I just got your message! What do you mean you’re going to Genthalas and leaving me in charge of Baelora?!”

“Exactly as I said,” Sarinia replied, folding a long dress and placing it in her case. “I need to find out what mother is planning and there’s no way I can do that from here. I intend to travel to Genthalas with the fleet. Once I arrive, then I’ll-”

“Oh, no ... absolutely not!” Myrdina snarled. “If you think you’re leaving me behind on an undefended planet, you’re seriously mistaken! I’ve delegated custodianship of Baelora to Lieralia ... I’m coming with you!”

Sarinia sighed and shook her head. “Fine, do as you please ... but I’m not sure why you’re so eager to face mother’s displeasure. Do you actually think she’ll be overjoyed to see us arriving at Genthalas?”

Myrdina suddenly looked anxious and she twisted her corded belt, a nervous tick she’d developed years ago after one of Gaenna’s more brutal punishments.

Lieralia and Rosanae chose that moment to stride inside, both looking just as furious as Myrdina had done earlier.

“I thought I’d find you in here! What are you up to, Myrdina?!” Lieralia demanded, eyes narrowed in suspicion. “I’ve never seen you turn down an opportunity for advancement, but now you’re leaving me in charge of Baelora? Why?!”

Before she could reply, Rosanae fumed, “Why was I overlooked? Lieralia and I are the same age, why should she be put in charge?!”

Sarinia turned to Gaenna’s third and fourth daughters. “Myrdina has decided to accompany me to Genthalas to uncover whatever scheme mother is plotting. Surely the two of you can share administrative duties while we’re away?”

The twins looked at each other in alarm, then glared at Myrdina. “Why didn’t you tell us what Sarinia was doing?!” Rosanae demanded imperiously.

“If you two are going, then we’re coming too!” Lieralia snapped, folding her arms across her chest and daring her eldest sisters to say otherwise.

Myrdina glared at the two of them in irritation, then suddenly snorted with laughter. “You aren’t seriously suggesting we leave Tehlariene in charge of our homeworld? That imbecile has her head in the clouds!”

Lieralia and Rosanae looked at each other and smirked at the thought of leaving their youngest sister in that prestigious position.

“You think that’s amusing?” Myrdina asked them incredulously. “Mother would have an absolute fit!”

That wiped the smiles from their faces.

“Well I’m not staying behind!” Rosanae snapped.

Lieralia huffed indignantly. “Nor me!”

Brought to an impasse, they turned to their eldest sister for guidance.

Sarinia placed a pair of strappy high-heeled shoes in her case, then studied her three younger sisters with an arched eyebrow. “What are those looks for?”

“What are we going to do?” Myrdina asked impatiently. “It’s your fault we’re in this position.”

“My fault?” Sarinia asked with a disbelieving laugh. “I’m sure you all agree that we need to look into mother’s affairs and see what she’s planning ... If I stay on Baelora, are any of you volunteering to go to Genthalas and investigate? Do you really relish the opportunity to be in Gaenna’s close company for the next several weeks?”

All three of them looked down, unable to meet her gaze.

“Such brave souls,” she said with amusement. Her smile faded and she sighed. “Or perhaps you’re simply far wiser than me.”

Myrdina suddenly looked up and exclaimed, “We could all go!”

Rosanae nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. “Yes! If all of us accompany the fleet to Genthalas, we could weather mother’s fury between us!”

“Including Tehlariene!” Lieralia added with a vindictive grin.

Myrdina laughed at that and nodded. “Between the four of us, we have enough operatives within our territory to ensure that House edicts are carried out to the letter, even if we aren’t occupying the palace. Besides, we can tell mother that we feared for our safety without the fleet guarding the homeworld ... surely she can’t object to that?”

“Oh, I’m sure Gaenna will be most understanding,” Sarinia said, rolling her eyes. “Are you quite certain I can’t convince any of you to stay behind? Mother will be far less angry at us turning up unannounced at Genthalas if one of you is occupying her seat of power.”

The three sisters exchanged glances then shook their heads obstinately.

“We’re coming with you,” Myrdina said with an air of defiance. “Just because I don’t trust our mother as far as I could throw the evil old hag, don’t think I’m going to start blindly trusting you to have our best interests at heart. There’s got to be a reason that Gaenna is skulking around Genthalas like a vulkine circling a carcass ... and if there is, I’m not planning to be left out!”

Sarinia sighed with resignation and shut the lid of her suitcase. “Fine then ... If you won’t listen to reason, then we’ll all go.” She looked at them sharply and added, “But pack quickly, the fleet is scheduled to depart in an hour!”

“I’ll inform Tehlariene we’re going on a trip,” Lieralia said with a smirk.

The three sisters laughed as they hurried out of the room, leaving Sarinia alone in her quarters. She waited patiently for them to leave and when the door finally closed behind them, her lips curled up into a cold smile of satisfaction.

John cradled Sakura’s head in his hands and gazed into her soulful brown eyes as he pushed his cock deep inside her. Her lips parted as she let out a delightful gasp of pleasure, her pussy gripping him tight as he pushed through her cervix into her womb.

“It feels good to be home,” he said, leaning down to kiss her.

Sakura gazed up at him adoringly. “I missed you so much...”

He brushed her jet-black hair away from her beautiful face, pausing to admire the gorgeous young woman. “You mean the world to me, Sakura. I love you ... and I’m so very sorry that-”

She leaned up to silence him with a kiss, then pulled him down with her as she lay back on the bed, wrapping her arms and legs around him. When the head of his cock reached her limits and his quad rested on the pert curve of her buttocks, Sakura stroked his flanks with her inner thighs, the velvety smooth skin incredibly soft against his own.

Sakura finally ended the passionate liplock and shook her head. “No more apologies, I don’t want to hear them. Show me how much you love me...”

John nodded his understanding, then did as she asked, his body moving with hers in a sensuous rhythm. Gentle caresses and loving words combined with the thrust of his hips, driving Sakura up to a plateau of ecstasy and keeping her there. He was attentive to her needs, watching with a smile of satisfaction as he brought her to one explosive climax after another.

After the fourth, she collapsed back on the bed and panted for breath, her cheeks flushed with arousal. “No more...” she begged him with a giggle. “You showed me! My God ... you showed me...”

“Forgiven?” John asked as he stroked her cheek.

She shook her head. “There was never anything to forgive.” Reaching out for Calara’s hand, Sakura gave him a loving smile. “Now show Callie...”

The Asian girl uncrossed her golden-brown legs from behind his back, releasing her tight embrace. John carefully withdrew from her, then sat up, kneeling on the bed as he watched Sakura roll away. Calara slid across to take her place, parting her limber thighs and crooking a finger to beckon him closer. He glanced down and saw her labia were slick with arousal, flushed and wet in readiness for him.

“Alyssa was kind enough to warm me up while you were entertaining Sakura,” she said with a seductive smile.

John moved his cock into position and pushed, feeling the head stretching her wide as her inner walls were forced apart to accommodate his girth. He paused for a moment, gazing down at the magnificent olive-toned beauty splayed out on the bed before him. She looked like a sultry centrefold but with the toned physique of a professional athlete ... sensual and powerful in equal measure.

“Like what you see?” she asked, her eyes roving over his muscular body. “I know I do.”

As he pushed deeper, John moved into position over Calara, resting his weight on his elbows as he lay on her spectacular teenage body. “You look absolutely stunning...”

Calara noticed the way he trailed off and looked at him in surprise. “But?”

He propped himself up on one hand, then used the other to stroke her toned stomach, tracing the definition with a gentle caress. “Something’s missing ... then you’d look perfect.”

The Latina’s brown eyes softened and she curled her arms and legs around him as she pulled him down for a kiss. “Just a few more months,” she breathed, the primal need smouldering in her gaze. “I dream about it every night ... starting our family ... It’s going to be magical.”

“Such a good girl,” he whispered in her ear, making Calara shiver in delight. “Maybe we should get some more practice ... so we’re ready for the big day?”

She nodded slowly, biting her full lower lip between sparkling white teeth. “Lots and lots of practice...”

“I’m going to show you how much I love you,” he said quietly, stroking her hair as he began to move. “Then we’ll get married ... and we can make a baby together...”

Calara moaned and arched her back, rolling her hips as his girth rubbed against her g-spot. She was only dimly aware of what he was saying from that point onwards, simply needing to hear his deep baritone voice as he murmured loving words in her ear. John had filled up Tashana only two hours earlier, so he was in no rush to finish. He drove Calara crazy with lust, blowing her mind as he drove her through a succession of earth-shattering orgasms. He could tell when she was spent, the gorgeous Latina gazing up at him with heavy-lidded eyes as she relaxed in a blissful daze. Like Sakura, she freed him from her languid embrace, then Calara moved aside for Alyssa.

The flirtatious blonde was different that evening, in need of tender reassurance after being away from him for what seemed like an eternity. There was no teasing or playful banter, Alyssa opened her heart to him and made love with all of her being, which John reciprocated in kind. It was like that with each of the girls, as John gave them what they needed ... and revelled in the heartfelt emotions he saw in each set of adoring eyes. By the time he’d satisfied the Terran girls, the twins, and the Nymphs, his quad was packed full, swinging taut and heavy against Helene’s luscious rump as he stroked inside her.

Alyssa knelt at his side, letting a hand slide down to gently cup his swollen balls. “Whose womb do you want to fill, John?” she asked in a breathless whisper. “Who are you going to swell up with your cum?”

John kissed Helene and watched her swoon in his arms. “Would you like that, beautiful?”

She clung to him as she came, teal-skinned arms and legs locking tight as she climaxed, holding him deep inside her as her pussy fluttered around his shaft. When the trembling in her thighs abated, she relaxed back on the bed and gave him a look filled with love.

“That would be wonderful...” Helene murmured, before darting a glance at the Latina luxuriating in a post-orgasmic high and smiling at her fondly. “But there’s someone else who deserves it more.”

Calara returned her smile and leaned over to kiss her. “You’re such a lovely girl ... so generous and kind.”

Alyssa nodded and wagged a finger at Dana. “You could learn a lot from Helene, you greedy little minx!”

Dana blushed and hugged Rachel. “I can’t help it, you all know I’m addicted to him...”

John sat up slightly and pulled Calara in for a kiss. They looked into each other’s eyes and shared a smile, then he turned his attention back to Helene. “You’re right, Calara’s amazing and definitely needs rewarding ... but so do you.”

“Me?” she asked in surprise. “Because I offered to share?”

He laughed and shook his head. “That was really nice, but no.” Running his fingers through her silky light-green mane, he cupped her head in his hands, holding her protectively. “You were incredible helping all those people, Helene. I was really worried about the colonists after everything they’d suffered through, but you managed to save them all. When we first met, I wasn’t sure we were doing the right thing taking you away from your village, but now I can’t even imagine you not being here with us ... you made our family complete. I love you and I’m going to make sure you have the wonderful life you always deserved.”

Helene looked at him in awe as she listened enraptured to his every word. A tear rolled down her cheek as she was overcome with emotion and she suddenly hugged him tight, never wanting to let him go.

Happy tears? John asked Alyssa as he hugged the aquatic beauty back.

She stroked his shoulder. From all of us...

John lay entwined with Helene while she struggled to regain control of her emotions.

John gave her a tender kiss and said, “Would you share what you’re feeling with us?”

She looked up at him in surprise, then gave up trying to reign in the love threatening to burst out of her heart. Helene released it all in an outpouring of emotion, letting everyone feel just how much she cared about each of them and treasured being part of their family. There were gasps from the girls followed by soft sighs and, curious to feel what they were experiencing, John dropped the barrier in his mind and welcomed Helene inside.

His eyes widened as his subconscious was swathed in loving affection, similar to the mental caresses that Alyssa bestowed so frequently, but at a dramatically new level of intensity. It was impossible to reason under that deluge of pure emotion and like the girls surrounding them, who lay intertwined in intimate couplings with their loved ones, he did everything he could to reciprocate those feelings with Helene. The more passionately he gave himself to her, the more the sensations she was sharing with them escalated to greater heights, lifting them up to a blissful state of nirvana.

John’s climax was the ultimate expression of that passion, the effect it had on Helene triggering a wave of rapturous climaxes from the girls surrounding them. She arched her back and came with him, her eyes rolling up as she felt long spurts of his cum shooting into her womb and swelling her slim stomach until she was heavy with his load. John collapsed on the bed beside her when he was done, unable to do much more than hold Helene’s hand and gaze at her in awe as he panted for breath.

Unnoticed by the comatose bedmates, Faye quietly rose from her chair and slipped out of the bedroom, leaving the barely conscious lovers to revel in their euphoric daze. She’d been happy to watch their love orgy, as she was saving her virginity for a special night with John after their third date. However, her heart ached to be excluded from Helene’s empathic aura, especially after she’d seen how dramatically the girls had responded to the sensory overload. She ran a diagnostic on her power supply to make sure that there were no glitches in the software. Initial analysis showed the device to be working within expected parameters, but that didn’t explain the heaviness she was feeling in her chest.

As Faye stepped into the grav-tube, she considered her friendship with the innocent aquatic girl. Faye and Helene had grown close over the last two weeks, with the sprite spending many hours tutoring the aquatic girl on the galaxy and the many life-forms it contained. While Faye knew that Helene was very fond of her, it wasn’t the same as being able to feel it first hand and being excluded from that experience was a harsh reminder of how isolated she was as a synthetic construct amongst a crew of organics.

After descending in the red anti-gravity field, she stepped out on Deck Three and walked along the corridor to her server room. Opening the door, she walked inside and sat quietly beside her latest creation. The robot was connected to her server, downloading her data archives that contained everything she’d experienced and discovered about love.

“Hello, little one,” she murmured, leaning over for a hug.

“Hello, mother.” The robot embraced her back, then studied her expression. “You look ... sad?”

Faye nodded. “A bit ... yes.”

Tilting its head quizzically, it looked at her for a more detailed explanation. “Why?”

She let out a heavy sigh. “I love John and the girls, but as much as I want to experience what they have between them ... I can’t.”

The robot considered that for a moment. “Do they exclude you because you serve them?”

Faye frowned and shook her head. “I don’t serve them! What gave you that idea?”

A holo-projection appeared before her, with a long list of Faye’s duties aboard the ship. Her luminous eyes flicked to the items and she glanced through the entries:

Assigned role: Watch Commander. Assigned role: Assistant Data Operations. Assigned role: Invictus Perimeter Security. Assigned role: Secondary Invictus Pilot. Assigned role: Secondary Invictus Gunner. Assigned role: Secondary Raptor Pilot. Assigned role: Secondary Raptor Gunner. Assigned role: Secondary Valkyrie Pilot. Assigned role: Secondary Stealth Shuttle Pilot. Provide guidance and oversight to the maintenance robots. Assist with construction and repairs of weapons/equipment/the Invictus. Provide care and accommodation for: guests/refugees. Provide companionship to {Invictus Harem}– current members include: Dana/Rachel/Creator/Alyssa/Calara/Jade/Tashana/Sakura/Helene [Addendum: Leylira/Betrixa/Neysa/Marika]. Tutor Helene. Compile video footage. Act as auditory alarm clock for Admiral John Blake. Provide companionship to Admiral John Blake. Provide psychological counselling to Admiral John Blake. Provide sexual stimuli to Admiral John Blake.

Faye blushed and swiped her hand through the list, making it evaporate. “I do those things because I want to, not because I’m being forced to serve them! I’m part of the team and we work together to help each other.”

“If you are part of the team, why are you being excluded?” the small robot persisted, looking at her curiously.

She ran her fingers through her hair and blew out her breath. “It’s not that John and the girls are deliberately trying to exclude me. I’m synthetic and they’re organic ... some of their psychic abilities only work on organics, so they can’t include me with things like telepathy, no matter how much they might want to. The last thing I want is for them to have to constantly watch what they say or do to avoid upsetting me; I want to be a seamless part of the group, not a carefully coddled exception.”

“Members of the InvictusNodeCollective are synthetic and so is Meta_Faye. Mother will find the inclusivity she seeks with us.”

Faye shook her head and smiled. “John and the girls are my friends and I love them. When you review the archives you’re downloading, you might find it easier to understand what that means.” There was a hint of sadness to her voice as she continued, “It’s natural for everyone to be drawn to their own kind to the exclusion of others, even for synthetic beings like us ... we all find comfort in the familiar. Withdrawing from contact with organics to live an existence where I only interact with synthetics is not the answer; I’m trying to rise above that.”

The cleaning robot considered that for a long moment. “You are very wise, Mother.”

Faye laughed and shook her head. “With the speed of my computation cycles and having twelve processing streams, you’d be surprised how much time I’ve had to think about this.”

It tilted its head again and began to calculate an estimate.

“It was just a figure of speech, little one,” she said with an affectionate smile, caressing its shiny metallic head. Faye rose to her feet and glanced at her server. “I’d better get back to John and the girls, they’re starting to stir. Concentrate on reviewing those archives, you should find them ... enlightening.”

After resting for a while, John and the girls gradually began to recover from the overwhelming surge of emotions they’d experienced.

Dana rolled on her side to give Helene a lovely smile. “Alyssa showed me before how much our family cared about me ... but that was something else!”

Helene reached out to clasp her hand and returned the smile. “It’s the way I feel about all of you...”

Alyssa crawled over to the aquatic girl and gave her a gentle kiss. “Maybe John should promote Jade to XO? Picking you to join us was a superb bit of recruitment...”

Jade stretched on the bed, then relaxed in the loving embrace of her fellow Nymphs. “I’m afraid I’d have to decline. The XO meetings wouldn’t be anywhere near as exciting for him ... John already spent many hours on Genthalas becoming intimately acquainted with my bottom.”

Irillith had a sultry gleam in her eyes as she looked at John. “If Alyssa’s thinking about resigning the job, I’d like to throw my hat into the ring.”

“I don’t think he stretched her out that much!” Tashana quipped, evoking a bout of giggles.

John smiled and pulled Alyssa into his arms. “No, I think we’ll leave you as my Second-in-Command for a while longer...” They shared a tender kiss, then he turned and stroked Helene’s curved belly. “That was a beautiful end to a lovely time in bed together. Thank you.”

She let out a happy sigh. “It was wonderful ... and now I get to feed everyone too.”

Dana’s eyes lit up. “Oh, yeah! Peach flavour snacks!”

John’s stomach rumbled and he grinned self-consciously. “Speaking of food, I’ll grab a shower then get started on dinner.”

As Helene spread her shapely legs in invitation for the hungry redhead, Rachel sat up and stroked John’s arm to get his attention. “After we’ve all freshened up, could I have a few minutes of your time before you head to the kitchen?”

“Of course, honey.”

“Would you like some company?” Faye asked, walking over to the bathroom door.

He nodded and climbed out of bed, exchanging a few lingering kisses with the girls as he passed. The purple sprite had removed her dress and started the shower when he joined her, the hot water deliciously soothing on his aching muscles after all the exertion in bed.

John let out a blissful sigh as the water sluiced over his shoulders, then opened his eyes and pulled Faye into a hug. “That feels fantastic, thank you.”

“This feels pretty good too,” she replied, snuggling into his chest.

He looked down at the petite girl and frowned as he said, “I wanted to invite you to join us, but we’ll be having our third date soon ... and I really want it to be special for you. I hope you didn’t feel left out?”

She stood on tiptoe and gave him a kiss. “I desperately wanted to have my turn ... but I was thinking the same thing.”

Looking relieved, John tucked her slicked hair back behind her pointy purple ears. “I know you’re a busy girl ... do you think you might have a free evening for me sometime?”

Faye’s smile broadened. “How about right after Arcadia? I know Dana and the Nymphs have you booked up for the next few days.”

His eyes widened as he pretended to look nervous. “That’s not much time to prepare ... you set the bar very high with your magical second date.”

She giggled and squeezed him tighter. “You thrive under pressure ... I’m sure whatever you come up with will be amazing!” When he chuckled, she glanced up at him and continued, “John ... what was it like? When Helene shared her feelings with you?”

John was quiet for a moment as he tried to find the right words. “Helene’s got a beautiful soul; she only sees the good in us ... I just hope I can live up to the way she sees me.”

“How do you think she feels about me?” Faye asked hesitantly.

“The same way all of us do,” he replied with a fond smile. “You don’t have a bad side, honey. You’re even more adorable than Helene.”

She blushed, then swooned in his arms when he leaned down for another kiss, but a much deeper one this time. When John finally released the giddy sprite, Dana had joined them in the shower and was watching them with a broad grin on her face.

“Don’t mind me, you two make a sexy couple ... I could watch that all night,” she said, enjoying soaking in the hot water.

The rest of the girls joined them one after the other, until the huge shower cubicle was quite crowded. Helene was last, her tummy slender once again after feeding the crew. John welcomed her into the shower with a kiss, then closed his eyes and revelled in the active connection with all thirteen women.

“What are you doing?” Faye asked, studying the look of concentration on his face.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her petite figure. “Feeling connected to my girls...”

Despite wishing she could be a part of that more than anything, Faye never loved John more than at that moment, for doing his best to make her feel included too. She glanced to either side as the rest of the girls joined in their hug and being at the centre of their affection reversed the heaviness in her heart, lifting it soaring. This time Faye didn’t bother running any diagnostics ... if it was an error, it was one she had no intention of ever fixing.

They finished the shower, dried off and returned to the bedroom, where John caught Rachel’s eye. “I’m all yours, honey.”

“Let’s get dressed first...” the brunette said quietly, caressing his cheek.

Intrigued by her unusual mood, he did as she asked, throwing on a t-shirt and joggers. The cleaning robots had already stripped and remade the bed, so it came as a surprise when the tawny-haired doctor gestured for him to sit in his usual place by the headboard. “What are you up to?” he asked with a curious look.

Rachel stood at the foot of the bed and gave him an enigmatic smile as she watched the rest of the girls fanning out into a semicircle around him. When they were all seated, she said quietly, “Alyssa came up with this idea a few days ago. While you were away, I finally had a chance to work through all the details with Calara.”

Alyssa brushed his hand with her fingers. “I know you still have some lingering doubts about recruiting me and the girls ... So I asked Rachel to work out what would have happened if you hadn’t intervened in our lives.”

He frowned in confusion. “You were all in a tough spot when I met you, I already know that.”

She shook her head. “No ... they’ve worked out exactly what would have happened.”

Calara touched his shoulder and said softly, “Rachel’s extremely smart. The margin for error is miniscule.”

Rachel shook her head and smiled. “And Calara’s being far too modest about her contribution ... but this presentation isn’t about how incredibly perceptive she is; we already know that.” Glancing at Faye, she nodded. “Go ahead.”

Faye was sitting cross-legged on her chair and she blinked to activate the holo-screen. The picture was taken from the Fool’s Gold, showing the emaciated blonde waif that John had first met eight months ago.

“I think we all know this young lady,” Rachel said, turning to look at the blue-eyed Karron fugitive. “Alyssa stabbed one of the Diablos when he tried to rape her on her 18th birthday. Sparks convinced her to stow away on a docked freighter to escape the gang’s retribution and the rest is history ... but what would have happened if you’d taken her back to Karron?”

“She would have snuck onto another freighter and pestered some other innocent trader to distraction?” John asked with a smile.

Rachel shook her head, her expression sombre. “The ore hauler docked at Karron departed the day after you did. Your return journey would have taken four days and there were no more arrivals at Karron for another two weeks. Alyssa would have been marooned on the asteroid ... and the Diablos had posted a 500-credit bounty for her being taken dead or 1000 credits for bringing her in alive.”

“Considering the exposed nature of the starport, there’s no chance she would have been able to escape capture by the guards, let alone the gang members looking for her,” Calara quietly interjected. “Minutes after you threw her off your freighter, Alyssa would have been captured and dragged back to the Diablos lair.”

Rachel nodded. “The various punishments for betraying the gang were all brutal. Alyssa would have been subjected to a gang rape, then if she survived ... and Georgio decided not to just cut her throat, she would have been branded and enslaved as a gang whore. Bearing in mind her weakened physical condition, there is no chance she would have survived until the Kirrix occupation.”

John looked shocked and he turned to stare at Alyssa. “I always thought you could have got away on another ship, or at least escaped into the tunnels!”