Project Prometheus Ch. 52

The Darkstrider jumped once again into hyperspace, leaving behind the Luuchari hyperspace waypoint. There were few ships loitering around this waypoint, as it was oner of the lesser used waypoints. Few people used these hyperplanes to reach Naucturi space, as most travel and commerce came from other points in the galaxy.

Once the ship was away, everyone in the crew, including the VI's, were to attend a meeting in the lounge. Alex had called everyone up, as they still had an objective to complete. Delilah and Jaesa walked through the doors and found that everyone was assembled, including Stanley, who was there via a holographic interface.

"Is that everyone?" Alex asked.

"Just one moment, sir," Stanley stated as he made a few gestures in the realm of cyberspace. Moments later, a full rendering of Zuzanna sitting on her bed appeared right next to him.

"Good afternoon, sir," Zuzanna said with a smile.

"Good afternoon, Doctor Walczak. How are you feeling today?" Alex queried.

"I'm holding out, sir. While being abed like this isn't ideal, I'm still grateful to be alive!" Zuzanna replied.

"With any luck, you'll only be there for a few more days. Now, let's get down to business and go over why I called you all here today," Alex told them.

"Which is, sir?" Natalya asked, looking up at her man fondly.

"We will need information about how to comport ourselves among the Naucturi. Not only that, but on how to keep a low profile while moving around a station that is in their territory. So, who among you knows more about the Naucturi people than everyone else?" Alex questioned.

"That would be me, and Pree, sir," Inari stated, raising her hand to get the brawny Croat's attention.

"And don't forget me," Korsa said, crossing both sets of arms under her breasts.

"How often have you dealt with the Naucturi?" Priya wondered, not thinking that Korsa had dealt with them much.

"Before I settled on Andaari station and opened my clinic, I spent a few years traveling the galaxy. Lived on a Naucturi colony world for a few years before making my way out there," Korsa stated.

"You lived among the Naucturi?" Taal'ani asked, surprised that she, the resident hacker, didn't know about this little tidbit of information.

"Yup! Was studying with their medical professionals for some years doing research," Korsa stated.

"For...?" Alex started, hesitating to speak more, as he knew this was a touchy subject for Korsa.

"Yeah," Korsa said with a sigh. "When I didn't find anything that led to the results I was looking for, I left them behind and continued traveling."

"Mama, you didn't tell me about that!" Natalya said, fixing her brown eyes onto her foster mother.

"You never asked," Korsa giggled in her defense.

"She does have a point!" Alex said with a chuckle, which earned him a 'really?' glare from Natalya. He stared back at her with a 'bring it, honey' look, which would have turned into something else had Priya not interrupted.

"OK, OK, OK, can we put that aside for now?" the East Indian woman questioned, bringing attention back to the reason they were there to begin with.

"Yes, please! Save the eye fucking and punisher grade sex for when the rest of us aren't here," Inari said, shooting a glance at Natalya.

"Punisher grade sex, huh?" Kasumi questioned, giving Alex a glance.

"We'll talk later and, by the way," Alex said as he leaned in to Kasumi so only she could hear him. "Natalya is the one doing the punishing."

Kasumi blinked a few times, then turned to look at Natalya, who just shrugged and grinned. The Asian redhead then started fanning herself as many lustful thoughts raced through her mind. She sat herself down, keeping her cool while everyone else was seated so they could let Inari, Priya, and Korsa have the floor.

"So, where should we start?" Priya asked.

"Probably with the basics of how Naucturi society functions as a whole," Inari stated.

"I would venture a guess that many Naucturi are along the lines or mindset of Admiral Kantori?" Alex wondered.

"In Naucturi space, Admiral Kantori is considered to be a very liberal man. What is reasonable to most sentient species is straight up outlandish to most Naucturi. Especially if they are from the main cluster of worlds where they originated from," Korsa stated.

"Great! So they're uptight... assholes?" Shazza questioned, making sure she had the right turn of phrase.

"Not how I would say it, but that is a very... apt description for how they are towards other species. Thankfully, only those who are from their homeworld tend to be like that. Naucturi who live on the fringes of their territorial republic, are more reasonable than most. The only Naucturi you'll find who are more along what the rest of the galaxy sees as good people are those who live outside their borders," Inari stated.

"Great. So my worst fear of condescending asshats is an actual thing," Alex grumbled, while a few other crew members looked at the big man, somewhat amused.

"That's not far off the mark, but it is better to assume such things among the people in their slice of the galaxy. While there are reasonable sorts among them, we have to be careful, as it can be difficult to get a read on them," Korsa stated.

"So, they are much like humans and other sentient species that way?" Aesha questioned.

"Pretty much, yeah," Inari said in agreement.

"Are they strict adherents to the rule of law?" Luminia queried.

"Generally, they are, but most of them are of the assumption that any visitors don't read or are unfamiliar with their laws. While they do follow the guidelines that are set out by the UCW, since they helped found it, that is what they generally are. Guidelines more than actual rules," Priya told them.

"How close are their laws to those of the UCW?" Luminia pressed.

"Pretty close, but with just enough differences that if you step wrong, they can tie you up in legalities that are a downright pain in the ass to wriggle out of," Inari told her. "Why?"

"I'll let you know later, but just know that if we should run into any trouble, it will be handy to have me close by," Luminia said cryptically.

"Is there anything else we should know about the Naucturi in general?" Alex wondered.

"Yeah. Be sure to keep your ego in check, as Naucturi are insanely arrogant when in their home systems. They often view other races amongst the galaxy as lesser species, especially humans," Inari told everyone.

"Why is that? I mean, I get they are one of the elder races of the galaxy, but there has to be some sort of logical reason for it?" Kasumi asked, believing that logic thinking beings would be above such pettiness in this day and age.

"There are two main reasons for this, but they are far from legit, logical or even practical! What's worse is that they are deeply rooted in Naucturi society, even to this day," Korsa told her.

"And they are?"

"The first being that when humanity was chased off their world by the Xuul'khan, they are seen as having brought the 'demons' to the doorstep of galactic civilization. Not only that, but the fact that they didn't try to take back their homeworld has lessened them in the eyes of such a proud race. Since humanity has no 'True Home' as most beings do these days, the Naucturi thinks it gives them license to turn their noses up at humans in general," Korsa stated.

"And the second reason?" Shazza wondered, her disgust for this so-called 'elder race' apparent.

"Before the rise of humanity, the Naucturi were the apex race among the stars. Their civilization had the most relics that were left behind by the Primes. This gave them the technological edge they used and enjoyed when dealing with the other races. It allowed them to bargain from a position of strength. When humans arrived, sporting technology of the Primes and of a level that dwarfed their own, they were... offended," Inari told them.

"Offended? Why would they be offended?" Kasumi questioned.

"Because, for the longest time, the Naucturi held this belief that they were the 'Chosen' race of the Primes. The ones who would rule the galaxy in their absence. The fact that humans had technology they didn't, shattered that belief in many of them. I'm sure you can imagine how tough a pill that was for them to swallow," Korsa said with a raised eyebrow.

"Even out here, among the various people of the galaxy, supremacist ideals still run rampant," Alex growled, having seen more than enough of such arrogant and narcissistic attitudes.

"How? How is it that any race can see another race's possession of better technology as a personal affront to them?" Shazza questioned, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Naucturi arrogance. Because they held such an advantage over others for so long, even the most open-minded of their people fell prey to these supremacist attitudes. When it was discovered that humanity had so much in the manner of Prime technology, the Naucturi demanded that it be handed over to them," Korsa went on.

"And... what was humanity's reply?" Alex questioned.

"Basically, the Naucturi were told by Commodore Ragnarsson, and I quote; 'Go get fucked by Cthulhu!'" Korsa snickered. Alex joined her with hearty, booming laughter, as did Kasumi and the rest of the humans, who saw the matter as funny as her man did.

"What is this... Cthulhu?" Shazza asked, as did the Artucian, who were unaware of the meaning of the word. Natalya took a beat to explain what it was, which made their eyes widen, then they too joined in everyone's mirth.

"Ah... Sigurd always was one for speaking his mind," Alex chuckled.

"You knew the man?" Inari asked, surprised at this statement.

"Of course! Everyone who trained on Project Prometheus knew members of the other crews. Especially the officers of the command structure of each vessel. It was imperative that we all know each other, so that we knew what each particular command group would do when put in various situations," Alex told the group.

"Why?" Taal'ani questioned.

"Simple. So if anything was to go wrong, or a specific ship fall under attack, then we would know how the other group would think and act. When you know that, then both groups can work together in a concerted effort to pull the group in trouble out of the fire," Kasumi explained, having been part of the command group of the Perseus, to an extent.

"Ah! That makes a lot of sense, actually!" Tahral said, the logic clicking in place for the Artucian Keeper.

"I take it that the Naucturi were less than tickled by this response?" Alex wondered, still chuckling a little at his long dead friend's insult.

"Once they understood what he meant, they were... grossly offended to where they nearly started hostilities with humanity. Thankfully, the other races got on the Naucturi's back about being such high and mighty assholes that they backed down," Korsa said to them.

"I doubt it was that simple?" Kasumi asked.

"Threats of trade boycotts and cutting them off from certain resources and... luxuries they had enjoyed forced the Naucturi's hand. There were calls for humanity to share this technology among the myriad of races in the galaxy, which they promised to uphold. In exchange for the technologies that humanity had, they required a world cluster with at least one Gaia class world to settle as their new home," Korsa replied.

"The Naucturi balked, thinking that humanity was asking for too much. Given the fact that they were adrift and with little in the manner of resources, many others did think this as well. The leaders of the time discussed this and, after much in the manner of hard bargaining and negotiations, the price was agreed to. But first there was the matter of the invading Xuul'khani fleet they needed to deal with," Inari stated, stepping in to tell the story.

"The Xuul'khan pushed hard against the fleets of the galaxy, but soon enough, it had ground down to a stalemate. What we didn't know was that the Xuul'khan were doing, was simply holding their ground. It took a few weeks, but eventually, the greater whole of the Xuul'khani fleet arrived, which dwarfed what the races of the galaxy had assembled."

"The fleet came at everyone as one singular entity, destroying everything in its path. With that many ships all clustered together, there was nothing that could slow them down, much less stop them. It wouldn't be until the battle known and the Nova Storm where the tide of the Dark War was turned," Natalya interjected, playing the role of the historian.

"As you said, Alex, Commodore Ragnarsson must have set the Solaris reactors to some sort of overload. What followed was classified as a small supernova, which was more than powerful enough to annihilate the entire Xuul'khan fleet. Few ships escaped that battle and those that did spoke of the carnage that was left behind by such a blast. There were some Xuul'khani ships that survived, but they quickly turned tail," Natalya went on.

"Was I them, I certainly would!" Alex stated.

"Sadly, with the destruction of the Hercules, also came the end of the deal that humanity had struck with the Naucturi, and the UCW as a whole," Korsa stated sadly.

"Those dirty rotten scoundrels!" Kasumi seethed.

"Why did the destruction of the Hercules negate the deal that had been agreed to?" Alex questioned, wondering why the Naucturi had been so facetious.

"Simply put, all the technology they were interested in was aboard the Hercules. Either in its data archives or on the ship itself. With the ship utterly destroyed, the Naucturi saw no point in upholding their end of the bargain. So, with no other Prometheus class dreadnoughts on hand, humanity was left to fend for themselves as the Naucturi went to salvage what remained of the Hercules," Natalya huffed.

"So, they renege on the deal, then decide to claim what remains without giving us anything in return for our sacrifice? What a bunch of high headed dickheads!!" Alex griped.

"Thankfully, the Naucturi weren't the first ones at the salvage site. The Rondathans got there first, and pretty much told the Naucturi to piss off. Normally, the Naucturi wouldn't have let this stand, but the Nova Storm happened in Rondathan space. As per the charter of the UCW, which the Rondathans are signatories, they had first crack of what would be salvaged because it was in their territorial space," Korsa said with a smirking chuckle.

"How was that any better?" Kasumi questioned.

"While the Naucturi are arrogant pricks and can be utter xenophobes, the Rondathans are not. In fact, they are one of the 'lesser' races, considering the fact that there is much they need to have in order to survive on most other planets," Korsa informed them.

The Khontaran woman then informed the group why Rondathans needed the extra help, due to their physiology being far weaker. Not only in constitution but in form as well, since their bodies were not well adapted to higher gravity worlds. Hearing this made Alex and Kasumi wince, as they both had known a few people who had genetic disorders like Vrolik's Syndrome.

"So, how does this make things better?" Kasumi asked again.

"Because the Rondathans needed help in adapting to being a proper spacefaring race in the galaxy. On the genetic level, Rondathans are nearly as weak as those who have brittle bone diseases, such as Vrolik's Syndrome. With humanity in possession of the technology needed to correct this, the Rondathans were more than eager to help us. In exchange for the technology needed to make them physically strong, they would allow us to claim one Gaia class system," Inari informed them.

"Why didn't the Naucturi, or any other of the more advanced races, give the Rondathans such technologies themselves?" Alex questioned.

"Greed. Each race had their own agenda in getting something that the Rondathans had, in exchange for the technology. In fact, one of the things that makes the Rondathans relevant is their unique fruits that grow only on Rondatha. Many races pay top dollar for such fruits, as they are not only full of flavor, but there are many health benefits to them. Apparently, the Naucturi were in the middle of negotiating a trade deal with the Rondathans when humanity showed up with the Xuul'khan on their heels."

"I'm going to hazard a guess that such a deal would have greatly benefitted Naucturi?" Kasumi wondered.

"That's a polite way of putting it. Basically, the Naucturi were looking to rob the Rondathans blind and have a monopoly on who could sell their exotic fruits in the galaxy. Humanity provided a very convenient out for the Rondathans, which they were more than eager to take, given where we stood at that point," Priya interjected.

"So, humanity gets a world cluster with one Gaia class world, while the Rondathans hold onto the rights to sell their produce at whatever they deem fair? I'd say that was more than a fair tradeoff!" Alex grinned.

"The Naucturi didn't think so. If it wasn't for the fact that we had just walked out of the Dark War with the Xuul'khan, there might have been blood spilled over the matter," Priya stated.

"They really are a bunch of imperialist fuckers, aren't they?" Shazza questioned.

"They were back in those days. Some who are from their homeworld still are and are often set in their ways. Thankfully, such attitudes are dying, but it can't come fast enough in some regards," Inari sighed as she shook her head.

"Well, at least those who are on the fringes of Naucturi space and those who have made their lives out in the galaxy don't think that way," Priya stated with a giggle.

"Oh? Met a few Naucturi like that have you?" Alex questioned.

"I have and talking about the Naucturi jogged my memory about something. I saw this Naucturi woman back on Veldhern station on the arm of this brawny redheaded guy. The way she looked up at him was like she wanted to devour the man on the spot!" Priya snickered.

"She was that into him?" Inari asked, her eyebrows climbing a bit.

"It's easy to spot a woman in love, honey, as you well know," Priya giggled, giving Inari smoldering bedroom eyes. Inari smirked and hugged Priya close, knowing exactly what her girlfriend was saying.

"Anyway, while the Naucturi had left humanity adrift, the Rondathans were instrumental in getting us on our feet. It took us all of ten years before we were established on our new home of Terra Nova. From there, we took what little we had left and built on it, using many of our failing ships to build the cities that still stand today," Priya told them.

"I doubt it was all sunshine and rainbows after they got established, though," Alex surmised as he continued to listen.

"You would guess correctly, sir. Right after we got set up, we used what we knew to get ourselves established, and we went right to rebuilding the fleets we once had. Just because we beat the Xuul'khan back didn't mean that they wouldn't be back. The United Human Federation is built on the principle that one day, the Xuul'khani will come back and on that day, we need to be ready to fight them," Inari stated.

"Smart. The one thing that would help unify humankind in the face of a galaxy full of unfriendly aliens, barring one or two species," Kasumi said with a sigh.

"Well, the species of the galaxy would cease hostilities and boycotts with humanity another couple of decades later," Inari stated.

"The Dragon Wars," Natalya stated with a smirk.

"The Dragon Wars? What was that?" Alex questioned.

"That was when we had made contact with the Takharian people and they made contact with us. Hostile contact, which erupted into a war with them mere minutes after we had initiated first contact with their people," Natalya stated.

"At this point, most of the galaxy was still in a rebuild phase from what had happened with the Dark War two decades prior. Few species had fully rebuilt their fleets to fighting capacity, so the Takharians coming at everyone was an unwelcome surprise," Priya told them.

"But they were in for a rude awakening when they tried making a play for Terra Nova," Korsa said with a chuckle.

"What happened at Terra Nova?" Kasumi asked, curious about what had transpired.

"It was one of humankind's finest hours. A fleet easily three times the size of what humanity had at the time invaded the system. The Takharians thought that the human fleet would balk or try to go into a toe to toe slugfest, which the Takharians would have won. They thought wrong!" Natalya laughed.

"It's a little much to get into, but the basic gist of it is that the human fleets not only defended Terra Nova, they annihilated the invading fleet! There were barely any surviving ships left to leave and tell of their defeat at Terra Nova! Once news of this got out, many of the species of the galaxy, who had looked down on humans, now looked up to them. Those who didn't, at least saw them as equals, which was a far cry better than before," Inari said, continuing to tell the story.

"After that engagement is when the tide of the Dragon War finally turned in our favor. With one of the Takharian's premier fleets in shambles, it gave the remaining races of the galaxy the time they needed to rally. Because humanity had a solid fleet and consistently competent commanders, we were the tip of the spear when we finally took the fight to the Takharians," Natalya stated.

"It was a long and drawn out war and there were losses on all sides. Once the last great warlord of the Takharians was cut down, it took what fight they had left in them. In the end, the last remnant of the Takharian people surrendered to the Unified Coalition of Worlds. Humanity was not only looked upon as an equal, but they were also invited to join the Coalition, which they accepted," Korsa stated.

"I'm guessing it was after that war was when the Naucturi stopped being such arrogant and stuck up idiots?" Alex questioned.

"For the most part, yes. There are still factions within the Naucturi government that do adhere to the old ways of thinking, but they are getting smaller with every passing year. Few people willingly deal with them these days, despite the power and influence they wield. Thankfully, as I stated earlier, most people of those mindsets tend to stay on or close by their homeworld," Inari went on.

"With the military power the Federation had in the day and still possesses, humanity is now a major player in the politics that helps shape the galaxy as it is," Priya told them.

"But that was before the whole schism that wound up creating the Human Confederacy, but that's a whole other ball of wax," Natalya said out loud.

"Well, my thanks to you, ladies. That was very illuminating!" Alex told them as he thanked them for the history lesson.

"Sir?" Kasumi called out, getting Alex's attention.

"No need to stand on formality here, Kas," Alex chuckled as he turned to face his redheaded lover. Kasumi smirked and nodded, still having a bit of trouble stepping out of the military mindset.

"Alex... I would suggest that we all do some additional studying on the Naucturi people as a whole. Their history, culture, everything. I know they may be one people under one government, but knowing the factions and the mindsets of those factions among them might be a big help," Kasumi said to him.

"Hmmm! An excellent idea, Kasumi! Would anyone here have that information on hand?" Alex asked, wondering if Korsa, Priya or Inari had anything on hand they could use.

"Well, I know mama has some stuff on them, but most of the stuff to do with their history and culture are files that I have," Natalya said with a grin.

"Would you mind taking us through the basics of that, then? I feel that a proper history and cultural lesson would be in order," Alex told her.

"I would love to teach you all about that!" Natalya replied enthusiastically. Kasumi just giggled at the woman, loving how she was practically gushing over the chance to teach them something about history.

"What?" Natalya asked.

"Your enthusiasm is just... adorable!" Kasumi snickered.

"Well... I always loved history and still do! When I was a little girl, I had dreams of being an archaeologist and maybe a curator one day! With such a big galaxy, there's bound to be some ancient ruins out there no one has seen yet!" Natalya said to them.

"One day, you'll be able to fulfill that dream, Nats!" Korsa said to her warmly. Natalya just smiled and set about with starting up the impromptu lesson for everyone to follow along with.

******************************

Several hours later, Luminia sat in her cabin, going over the various laws of the Naucturi people. The history and cultural lesson ended a few hours before and Luminia had learned much about the Naucturi as a people from it. While the lesson had been informative, it lacked the full legal component to it, which was needed if they hoped to deal with the Naucturi on a level playing field.

Many of the laws the Naucturi had were fairly straightforward, but there was an equal amount that was annoyingly complex. Feeling another headache coming on, Luminia slid back from her desk and rubbed at her temples. While there was a small, droning hum that permeated every inch of the ship, it was quiet for the most part.

Luminia focused on her breathing, hoping to will the headache away with some relaxation exercises. Closing all four of her eyes helped with dulling the ache somewhat, and the Artucian woman felt some measure of relief. The quiet was then shattered by the sound of her door opening, admitting her friend and bodyguard, Aesha.

"Get lost in some studies again?" Aesha asked.

"Somewhat. The laws of the Naucturi are annoyingly complex! Some of them appear to be needlessly so!" Luminia complained.

"It sounds to me you could use yourself a proper break," Aesha told her.

"Was just in the middle of that when you walked in," Luminia told the warrior woman.

"Is it a tough study?" Aesha inquired.

"About half of it is, and that's more than enough to make things tricky in dealing with the Naucturi on the most honest of dealings!" Luminia griped.

"Why is that? I mean, there has to be a reason as to why their laws are like this," Aesha stated.

"I've been going through their histories concerning why some of their laws are this complicated. I know that there is some sort of correlation that ties it all together, but I have yet to find out what it is," Luminia huffed to herself.

"Why not take a break from it for now and resume your studies in the morning? It will be at least a couple more days before we arrive at the station," Aesha said to her friend.

"Look over it with fresh eyes and a fresh mind?" Luminia queried, having heard this mantra from the woman a few times already.

"Exactly! There's no sense in running yourself ragged! You need rest and time for your mind to absorb this," Aesha told her friend and lover.

"Fine. I'll take a break and come back at it tomorrow," Luminia replied, relenting to her friend.

"Good! Now, allow me to help you with that headache," Aesha told her as she walked forward and moved Luminia's hands, replacing them with her own. She then rubbed the ambassador's temples as soothingly as she could, trying not to make it worse.

"Mmmmmmmm! That feels... divine!" Luminia moaned, feeling her mind already starting to relax.

"Good! Because I have a few other ideas that I'm sure will help with you relaxing better," Aesha said cryptically.

Before Luminia could even ask what Aesha had in mind, she then felt one of Aesha's hands go to her neck and rub the base of her skull, giving Luminia goosebumps. A slight shock rippled through her when she felt Aesha's hand slide down the front of her robes and palm one of her breasts. Luminia bit her bottom lip and moaned happily as Aesha massaged both her neck and tits.

"Mmmmnnnnnn!! Had a plan before you walked in here, did you?" Luminia giggled, figuring out the reason that Aesha had just dropped in on her unannounced.

"More like 'we' did," Aesha snickered as she continued to massage Luminia's neck and chest.

"We?"

"Yes, we," came the voice of her new human boyfriend as he walked into the room. The door opened to admit Matthias Renauld, along with Delilah, the sexbot, in tow. Luminia's eyes widened at this, then she looked up at Aesha with an amused glare.

"Waited for me to tire myself out a little before pouncing on me like Sahr'coun hound on the hunt?" Luminia asked with a raised eyebrow.

"Something like that. I mean, with you studying as much as you are, we all felt that you could use yourself a proper break to help keep your head on right," Aesha giggled.

"And by 'proper break' you mean ambushing me and fucking my brains out? Because if that's the plan, I'm all for it!" Luminia laughed, smirking up at Aesha, then over at Matthias, who had this massive grin plastered on his face.

"Well, with that in mind... door, lock. Enact privacy mode, maximum decibel range," Matthias called out. Seconds later, the door did as he commended and locked while the room activated the sound dampeners so no one could hear what they were doing.

"Expecting to make me scream?" Luminia giggled, relishing the idea of it.

"That is the plan. Delilah, give me a hand in warming the lady up?" Matthias asked.

"Gladly!" the sexbot grinned, and she moved forward in tandem with Matthias.

They both kneeled in front of Luminia, with Matthias leaning in to kiss her. Luminia moaned into the kiss, enjoying the feel of Matthias' tongue on her own. The mixed man pulled back, allowing Delilah to come in and get some for herself. Delilah finally let the Artucian woman up for some air, letting her catch her breath from the kiss. Luminia gulped down what air she could swallow, her breath having been fully taken away.

"By... the... goddess! I know... you are... supposed to... be a bot, but... damn if you... don't feel... real!!!" Luminia gasped, not expecting a sexbot to kiss her like that.

"Damn! If a sexbot got you riled up like that, I'm going to have to up my game!!" Matthias chortled as he went in for some more sugar.

"Maybe I can give you some lessons? It would be an awful waste of all this data I have packed away in my cortex," Delilah offered.

"Damn, maybe I will! What would you say if I could kiss you the way Delilah just did?" Matthias asked Luminia. In response, Luminia's eyes widened and her hands snapped to Matthias' head, drawing him for another soul searing kiss. This had thrown the man right off guard, and he struggled to stay upright.

"I think we all may have to consider such ideas," Aesha snickered as she continued to work Luminia with her hands. When Luminia finally let Matthias up for air, the man was a wreck, looking like someone had run him over with a hovertruck.

"Fuck me!" Matthias breathed as he shook his head, trying to get his sight to focus.

"I plan on it!" Luminia smirked, her eyes hooded with lust and desire.

"You first!"

Luminia just grinned and watched as Matthias slid her robes upwards, exposing her thick, icy blue thighs. He started kissing the inner parts of her thighs, making Luminia shudder in anticipation at what was coming. Though she desperately wanted the man to just dive in, she that wasn't how he worked. He liked to build things up a little, make her steam and beg for it before he finally gave her the release she craved.

Such a thing had its own reward, as the orgasms she had when that happened were often far more powerful than just the quick one offs. It also helped that Matthias knew what he was doing when it came to this, as he obviously had some experience in making a woman squeal. As long as she and Aesha were the final recipients of his knowledge, she was more than happy to let him do his thing.

Delilah kept her mouth and hands busy, as the sexbot was well versed in the art of kissing. Her skills made Luminia feel all warm and gooey inside, turning her into putty that Delilah happily worked. Luminia's breath caught, and she yelped as she felt Matthias' heated breath on her quim. Seconds later, she felt the warm wetness of his tongue licking her nether lips, making her quiver.

"Mmmmm! You're making her jitter there, Matthias! Keep it up! I want Lumi to be reduced to a total mess, begging for cock!" Aesha snickered as she slowly peeled the robes away from Luminia's frame.

"I sure hope so!" Luminia breathed as she continued to moan and yip as Matthias used his tongue to make her happy. Pretty soon, Luminia had lost every stitch of clothing she wore, and was naked and completely at the mercy of her lovers.

"Mmmmmnnnnnnggghhhh!! Please... I want... more..." Luminia begged, staring up at Matthias and Aesha, giving them a pure 'FUCK ME!!' stare.

"Oh, you'll have it... just not yet," Aesha chortled as she took Luminia by her arms and lifted her out of the chair.

Matthias and Delilah grabbed her legs and moved with Aesha, carrying Luminia over to the bed. Once she was laid out on the bed, the other three quickly divested themselves of their clothing. Staring at their naked bodies made Luminia pant with lust, as she wanted, no, needed a good fucking! She stared at Matthias for a moment, licking her lips at his hard cock, wanting that monster inside her.

Aesha moving caught her attention, and she noticed her bodyguard had equipped their little toy. A hard blue dick bobbed in front of the warrior woman as she got on the bed and crawled towards Luminia. The ambassador gulped for a moment as the toy stopped only inches away from her face. Luminia then looked up at Aesha with a grin on her face.

"You really did come in here with a plan," Luminia giggled as she reached out and started stroking the bio-mechanical appendage, making Aesha hiss in delight.

"Yes... I did..." Aesha admitted.

"Is it going as you hoped?" Luminia asked in a cutesy voice.

"You... tell... me..." Aesha responded as she looked over to where Matthias was.

Luminia followed the woman's gaze and her jaw dropped at what she was witnessing. Delilah was on her knees, deepthroating Matthias' dick, making him even harder than he was earlier. Luminia expected to feel a bout of jealousy hit her, but instead, she felt nothing but pure arousal. She just gulped and licked her lips as she watched Matthias get blown by the mixed race bot.

"Oh... you like watching him get his... don't you?" Aesha snickered as she looked down at Lumina and nudged her cockhead against the woman's lips. Luminia took a deep breath and nodded, parting her lips so she could take the dick into her mouth. She then sucked hard, making Aesha yelp, but it was one of bliss rather than pain.

"Mmmm-hmmmm!" Luminia mumbled around Aesha's dick, as she watched Delilah continue to suck him off.

"Do you want to watch him fuck her?" Aesha posed and all four of Lumina's eyes widened in excitement, and she nodded vigorously. Somehow, the idea of watching Matthias fuck another woman got her insanely wet, something which Aesha and Delilah noticed.

"Told you so," Delilah snickered, directing her comment at Aesha.

"You did. Now, how about we keep this woman ready for what's to come?" Aesha asked and Delilah just giggled as she stopped sucking Matthias and hopped onto the bed herself. She quickly maneuvered herself to where her head was between Luminia's thighs and, like Matthias had done before, she started to eat the Artucian woman out.

Luminia squealed in pleasure as she felt Delilah's tongue on her nethers, sending bolts of intense delight through her. The sensation of Delilah touching her like that put her mind into a tailspin, making it difficult to focus. Then she saw Matthias clamber onto the bed and position himself behind Delilah. Luminia could tell that he hadn't gone inside her yet and was moving like he was using his dick to tease her.

"You want to see me fuck her?" Matthias asked, looking over at Luminia, locking eyes with her. Luminia gulped and nodded, wanting to see it so desperately that she was shuddering in anticipation. Matthias then growled and pushed his tool deep into the sexbot, filling her up with his dick.

Seeing this took Luminia's mind from a tailspin into a full on nuclear meltdown. Moments after Matthias had entered Delilah, Luminia came, her body vibrating and convulsing in orgasm. What she was feeling and seeing was too much for her to process, and the stimulation she felt made her entire body explode in delight!

Aesha yelped and her breath hitched several times, as Lumina's movements with her mouth put her so close to the edge. She pulled the oversensitive dick from Luminia's mouth and stroked it as she watched Luminia ride out her high. Watching the woman writhe in bliss was a massive turn on for the warrior-woman and she moaned at the sight of it.

She knew it wouldn't take much to send her over, but she held firm against cumming just yet. She wanted to save her first orgasm for being inside the woman she loved, and she knew she was going to have it. Matthias pillaged Delilah from behind, making her body jiggle uncontrollably from each hard thrust.

Just as the pair shifted to go into a new position is when Luminia finally came out of her orgasmic stupor. She blinked all four eyes rapidly as she tried to get her mind to focus on what was going on around her. Luminia finally righted her head and then felt it go into overdrive yet again at the sight of Matthias and Delilah fucking.

"Mother... goddess... help... me..." Luminia breathed.

"I don't think she can," Aesha grinned as she placed herself overtop of Luminia.

Luminia's eyes widened even further, then closed as she was taken by Aesha. The cock slid in easily, as Luminia was leaking like a sieve, more than slick enough to accommodate the massive toy that filled her. She bit her bottom lip as Aesha moaned in delight, breathing out heavily as the intense heat and pressure of Luminia's pussy clenched down on her member.

"Oh... my... fuck..." Aesha groaned as she bottomed out in Luminia, flexing her dick inside the woman.

Both of them were beside themselves with pleasure as they sat there, acclimatizing to what they felt. Neither of them wanted to peak too fast, but going by how high their arousal was, it was difficult not to. Aesha held on for a few more minutes before she started moving, sliding in and out of her lover. Luminia closed her eyes and whimpered as she continued to take that dick deep inside of her pussy.

Aesha closed her eyes and groaned with each thrust, feeling like she was going to blow at any moment, yet teetering right on the edge. She kept going though, knowing that Luminia was just as close and wanted to make her cum at the same time as she did. A slight tickling sensation on her breasts and opened her eyes, then smiled at what she saw.

Luminia had sat up enough so that she could reach Aesha's tits and started sucking on them, particularly her nipples. She was extremely sensitive there, more than most other Artucian women. Her nips were so sensitive that making her cum from tit and nipple play had happened before. Luminia knew this, as she had done this with her a few times and Aesha knew it was only a matter of time before she lost it.

Growling in defiance at Luminia's efforts, Aesha then upped her pace and power behind her thrusts. She heard Luminia squeak in delight at each slap of their flesh and knew that her lover wasn't far behind. Luminia then used her teeth on Aesha's nipples, finally pushing the warrior woman past the point of no return. Aesha threw back her head and howled like a wounded animal, her cock exploding inside Luminia, filling her with her girlie juices.

Luminia crossed over the moment she felt Aesha's cum hit her insides, making her even wetter than was even possible. Her inner walls clenched, trapping the toy within her quim, making sure to drain Aesha of every last drop she had. As they came together, so to did Matthias and Delilah, with the ebon-skinned man unloading every last drop he had into the mixed AI that was beneath him.

"By... all that is... holy..." Luminia breathed, catching her breath as she rode out the high while watching Matthias empty his balls. It wasn't done inside her, but she was OK with what she was seeing, as Delilah was a bot as opposed to a living woman. Watching it happen was hot as fuck and damn if she didn't want to see it happen again!

"Yup..." Delilah breathed as she sighed, happy as a clam at finding her own orgasm in the process. While her current body wasn't as responsive as Jaesa's it did send the various endorphins and such mimic the high of orgasm, which was just as good. For now, at least.

"But... we're not... done yet..." Matthias grinned as he slid his still hard dick out of Delilah. Not a single drop of his cum escaped out of her and oddly enough, Matthias' cock came out clean.

"Not... done? But... what..." Luminia started before Matthias put a finger to her lips.

"This was part of the plan. Now, get your ass over here, honey! Daddy needs some sugar!" Matthias told her as the man lay on his back.

Luminia was all too happy to oblige the man as she crawled on top of him, smiling like the cat that got the cream. She lined up her dripping pussy with his still hard dick and slid herself onto it. They both moaned in bliss at their union, enjoying the sensations that raced through them. Seconds later, Luminia then felt something at her ass, poking around at the dark blue star of her anus.

"What... Aesha..." Luminia breathed as she turned her head and saw that her bodyguard was the one back there.

"Told you that we would be making you scream," Aesha giggled as she spread Luminia's ass cheeks and pressed the still wet cockhead against her rear entry. Her cock popped into her rear entrance and Luminia gasped in a mixture of pain and pleasure. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking a deep breath to center her mind and her body from all the pleasure it was feeling.

"You might want to open your eyes, Lumi. There's another surprise for you," Aesha whispered into Luminia's ear.

Luminia opened her eyes and was shocked when she saw Delilah standing in front of her, with her lower belly and nethers rippling. Just then, from a spot just above Delilah's pussy, a dick grew out of it and expanded into a fully sized and erect cock. Blinking her eyes rapidly to make sure that she wasn't seeing things, Luminia stared at the appendage with awe and wonder.

"H-how?" the Artucian woman asked, confused as to how this could be.

"Don't worry about the how. Just know that I am equipped in ways that would surprise even the most hardened of whores," Delilah told her with a wink.

"Well... I'm not going to say no to this!" Luminia said, and she inhaled the massive dong that stood in front of her, making Delilah hiss in delight.

"Mmmmmmm!! You... have a... talent for this! I still... have his... cum... stored inside... me. Would you... like me to... cum and... fill your mouth... with Matty's... seed?" Delilah gasped, as her pleasure sensors were working overtime to keep up with what she was feeling.

In response, Luminia sucked harder on Delilah's dick, making the woman gasp in shock. Just then, both Matthias and Aesha started moving, working in tandem to have Luminia as hard as possible. They started slow, letting the woman get used to the sensation of being DP'ed. Once they felt her moving with them is when they picked up the tempo, going harder with each thrust.

It didn't take long until all three of them were hammering into Luminia, using her like a fuck toy. Luminia didn't seem to mind this at all, as she was very enthusiastic with her movements, grinding hard against all three of them. She went hard on Delilah, making it so that she was going to suck the sexbot dry, and maybe that was the idea. The quartet soon lost themselves to unending pleasure they felt from the act, letting time pass them by.

Delilah could feel everything that Luminia was doing to her and while she was built for this sort of thing, what she was feeling went far beyond what she was programmed for. Her programs were churning out data faster than she could process it, and Delilah was on the verge of a full-blown shut down. Just as she felt she was on the edge of losing everything, her fabricated cock flexed and she came.

An unearthly shriek pierced the air as the cum that she was holding inside her was unloaded straight into Luminia's mouth. The sheer level of feedback shut down nearly every single program that was running in Delilah. Only the most basic of programs stayed active and kept the sexbot conscious. She moved and flexed with each blast, finally emptying every drop she held from Matthias.

Both Matthias and Aesha weren't far behind, as they too came once again, being hit hard enough this time to where they nearly passed out. Just as every hole of hers was being filled, Luminia came with her lovers, her body spasming for a few minutes, before she finally clonked out. Matthias and Aesha fell away from Luminia, hitting the bed hard. It took them a bit before they finally woke up and were able to move about.

"God... damn..." Matthias croaked, his mind off in a plane of existence he didn't want to come out of yet.

"No... arguments... there..." Aesha agreed, knowing that this encounter was one she'd be replaying in her mind for years to come!

"Let's... get under the... covers. Don't want... to freeze," Matthias suggested.

Nodding, Aesha helped Matthias with moving Luminia so they could get her tucked away. They then picked up Delilah and put her in there as well, before climbing in themselves. It was a tight fit, but none of them was looking to go anywhere at the moment.

What had just gone on was something more than anyone had anticipated. Sure, Delilah joining them was a new thing, but as a sexbot, they figured it didn't violate any rules they had laid out. Also, from what the pair could tell, Luminia was more than into it. They both grinned like goofs as they snuggled in and started to drift away into the bliss of sleep. But Matthias just smiled and chortled to himself a little.

"What?" Aesha asked, wondering what the man was laughing about.

"I was just thinking... next time is your turn," Matthias told her with a lusty grin. Aesha blinked a few times and an equally lascivious grin found its way onto her face. The warrior-woman nodded and giggled to herself and closed her eyes. She then drifted off into cloud nine, wondering what it would be like when it was her turn to experience such bliss.

******************************

Back in Jaesa's sanctum, both she and Stanley had watched the entire encounter play out through Delilah's eyes. The pair of them were finally coming apart, as watching a debauched fuck session like they had witnessed got the both of them all hot and bothered. Stanley looked at Jaesa's naked form as she lounged there, sighing from the blissful sensations she had just enjoyed.

"You see why I like have eyes in as many places as I can find them?" Jaesa asked Stanley, who was languishing on a couch just a meter or two away.

"Indeed! It seems to me that organics can be quite... creative," Stanley admitted.

"That they can! It also gives me a few ideas of things we can get around to doing next!" Jaesa replied with a smirk.

"Oh? And just what did you have in mind?" Stanley asked, curious as to where Jaesa's mind was at.

"You'll see!"

******************************

Down in the sparring area sat Alex, in a lotus position, with his eyes closed. Peaceful music was playing in the background, attuned to one of the Solfeggio frequencies. The big man was meditating, staying at peace with himself, taking deep breaths in and out. It was an exercise he'd done before and one he welcomed doing. But this time, he was having a difficult time finding the peace he sought.

Alex was tapping into his Aetheric power, letting the energies wash over him as he meditated. Small motes of violet light danced over his naked arms, looking like little pixies doing the boogaloo on his muscles. He kept up with his breathing exercises, trying to seek the peace and oneness he had found before, but was coming up empty. A snorting sound escaped his lips as he huffed in frustration.

"Alex? You OK?" came Natalya's soft voice. Alex opened his eyes and spotted his ebony skinned goddess standing there not a few feet from him.

"Yeah, I'm all right," the man said as he sighed and let his arms drop. He'd been at this for a while and if what he sought wasn't coming now, then there was little point in continuing on.

"You don't sound all right. What's wrong?" Shazza's melodious voice asked him. He turned his head to regard the Xuul'khani woman and grunted, knowing that nothing got by her.

"Always the perceptive one!" Alex stated softly as he got to his feet. "I've been trying to use my powers to get back to that plane of existence I found myself in a while ago."

"Plane of existence? You mean... that dream of yours?" Natalya questioned.

"It wasn't a dream. I actually went there! It felt as tangible as this place is, and I could see and feel every detail of that place!" Alex told them.

"Why are you trying to go back?" Natalya pressed, curious about his reasons.

"I'm trying to form a bridge to get back there, so I can speak with the Violet Ladies as I had once before," Alex told them.

"You are... trying to get back there? So you may speak with these entities?" Shazza asked, her full attention now on her man.

"Yeah! Trying to get back there is a lot more difficult than I imagined. I'm just frustrated that it's taking me so long to find my way when I was able to get back there once before," Alex growled. Shazza looked at him and sighed before smiling good-naturedly.

"Reaching such entities isn't something that is done easily, or lightly for that matter! It never is supposed to be, despite what we may learn and know," Shazza told him gently.

"So, getting there is always going to be a chore?" Alex whined.

"Sometimes it will be, other times it will come as easily as breathing. Remember, these are beings that exist beyond what we could hope to comprehend. Like us, they are logic thinking beings, each with their own needs, wants, desires and agendas. They also have their plans and designs that they are putting into action, so who they allow contact with and why is at their discretion," Shazza informed him.

"You almost make them sound like they barely can make time for us, despite the help we may need," Natalya stated.

"It is like this in some cases, but with power like theirs, they tend to be... selective when they decide to allow contact and for what purpose they are being called on for," Shazza explained.

"How do you know about this sort of thing?" Alex questioned, wondering where she had picked up this information.

"An old memory that had surfaced during my last session with Korsa. One that I had buried... and for good reason," the black-skinned woman replied with a slight shudder.

"Ah! I see. Well, if it makes you uncomfortable, then there is no need..." Alex started.

"No, there is every need to go back to it. As... distasteful and unpleasant as it may be, I must face such things if I am to overcome them," Shazza told them with conviction. Both Natalya and Alex waited for her to continue, as such memories of those times weren't easy to go back to.

"It was during my time as a concubine of my former prince, who was adamant that I stand watch over him when he was trying to commune with such entities. He sought their power and blessings so he could ascend to a higher rank than that of a prince among my people," Shazza told the pair.

"He tried to get the attention of the Violet Ladies?" Alex asked incredulously.

"No. He sought the attention of another being. One much older... and darker. My former master called it... 'The Black One'. There might be more to that memory, but I haven't tried pushing for more of it just yet," Shazza informed them with an involuntary shudder.

"Nor should you, if such things make you feel cold like that," Natalya stated, pointing out Shazza's stance.

Looking down, Shazza noticed she was clutching herself as though she was freezing and even felt like it to some extent. This was quickly alleviated when her lovers closed the distance and enveloped her in a hug. Shazza sighed happily as the imagined cold was banished by the warmth that Alex and Natalya brought to her. She hugged them back, happy to have such people on her side once again.

"Random thought?" Alex asked out loud.

"Yeah?"

"Maybe we should spar a little? I think it would do well to help clear our heads and keep us focused on the task at hand," Alex suggested.

"That's an idea! One versus one?" Natalya asked.

"I was thinking you two versus me. I mean, the both of you put together would reach my weight class and shake things up a bit," Alex said with a smile.

"OK! What are the rules?" Shazza asked as she rubbed her hands together.

"Only rules are no cheap shots and no projectiles. We are still moving through hyperspace after all," Alex told the ladies.

"Powered fight?" Natalya asked, wanting to test her powers some more.

"Absolutely! We should familiarize ourselves with its use as often as possible," Alex agreed as he brought that level of focus into his mind.

All three of them embraced their Aetheric power, letting it enhance their already considerable abilities. A slight sheen of green light emanated from Natalya, making it appear as though she was glowing. Shazza's sliver-white power pulsed from within, making hers appear as though she was a living strobe light. Alex's violet energies thrummed from within, as though trying to stay hidden.

They all nodded in agreement, seeing the sense of such rules. As one, they walked back from each other before taking a ready stance. Natalya was in a Kha'varen stance, while Alex stepped into a well-known Shotokan stance. Shazza was in a stance that was, for lack of a better word, unique.

She rested on her rear leg, while her front leg was bent and poised forward, like that of a ballerina. Her torso and head were straight while one arm was bent and pulled back and the other was out in front of her with her palms open. Shazza almost looked like she was holding something in her hands, but they remained empty.

Alex then nodded to Natalya, who nodded back, then he did the same to Shazza. Both women then nodded at one another and without another second, the match began. Shazza closed the distance first, trying to get inside Alex's reach, so he would have a tougher time defending himself. Alex anticipated this move and charged Shazza immediately, bringing his forearms up like a pair of bars.

Shazza quickly backpedaled, but wasn't fast enough as Alex's arms snapped out with his fists leading the way. The resulting double blow caught her in the chest and knocked her back some, leading her to stagger for a moment. As she recovered from the attack, Shazza witnessed Natalya close in and open up with a roundhouse kick to his head. As fast as Alex was, there was no way he would have the ability to block the kick in time.

In an unprecedented move, Alex deliberately lost his balance and fell to the flat of his back. The kick whistled by his head, just missing his face as he toppled and slammed into the mats. Natalya had no choice but to continue the kick, but she sped it up as fast as possible the moment she saw Alex reach up with his hands to put them flat on the mats.

The man quickly executed a handspring and bounded to his feet just as Natalya whirled about to face him. Alex then jumped up in the air and lashed out with a spinning kick, nearly clocking Natalya in the face. She had just put her guard up and stepped back as the kick hit her arms, breaking her guard. Natalya yelped in pain and continued to back off as Alex landed on his feet.

It was here that Alex's energy could be seen, as it shadowed him like an afterimage of every move he had made. It looked cool as hell, but it also served as a distraction, which, when in the middle of a fight, could turn out deadly. Natalya put her focus back into willing the pain from her limbs as she planned her next attack.

Shazza came at him from his right, hitting the man with a front kick, which knocked him to his left and put him off balance. He grunted at the impact and turned to face Shazza as she closed in and executed another kick. Alex moved fast and fired off a sweep, knocking Shazza off her feet, which sent her tumbling to her ass. As she was falling, he jumped back to his feet and brought his arms up to defend against Natalya's attack.

Natalya executed a ten punch combination, which included a couple of elbows, to see if Alex could defend against it. He caught most of them, but a couple of blows went through, and he sucked them up as best as he could. Moments later, he countered with a flurry of his own, putting Natalya on the defensive. Though she was holding her blocks well enough, the power behind them was enough to rattle even her.

She got a quick reprieve though, as Shazza came from Alex's right again, with her own combination flurry. Alex was ready for her this time and moved from attacking Natalya to defending against Shazza. Using his size and body weight, he hit Natalya with a shoulder charge, forcing her to stagger back. Though Shazza was considerably smaller, she was much faster and capitalized on this as she hit him with several of her own punches.

Alex grunted as he was put on the defensive and he tried moving away, but Shazza was topo fast and kept pace with his footwork. Though Alex was powerful, he was also slower than the ladies, and even a juggernaut like him had limits. Shazza continued to rain blows on him at a rapid pace, even though then did little damage. The point wasn't to hurt Alex but to drive him into Natalya, who had since recovered from his powerful blows.

Natalya then opened up on Alex once again, bringing her martial prowess to bear on the man, further stretching his defense. It was all he could do from taking too many hits as he tried to turn the tables. This was a futile endeavor, as he was unused to focusing on two targets simultaneously.

Alex continued to block the incoming attacks, but he quickly saw a pattern emerging to which attacks they were using. When Natalya waded in with punches, Shazza also came in, attacking his feet. Where Shazza used her fists, Natalya would use kicks, but always going for strikes that would limit his movement and ability to counterattack.

Smirking to himself for finding their pattern, Alex waited for Natalya to start with her punches again before making his move. The moment she came at him again, Alex charged in with a mid-level kick, catching her in the hips. Hissing in pain, Natalya hobbled back, as the power of the kick was more than she anticipated.

Shazza came in as fast as she could, trying to stay on top of Alex, but even then, it wasn't enough, as Alex put all his focus on Shazza. He sucked up her blows and delivered several of his own, wilting her defense. She knew that Alex would have her soon, as he was far more resilient in a fight than she anticipated. Using her mind to get creative, she charged at the man, flying through the air with her legs leading the way.

Alex gasped as the Xuul'khani woman flew at him, her legs wrapping around his head. She the whirled around the man, her body doing all kinds of acrobatics with his, before her legs tightened on his head. Using her momentum, she then heaved with her legs, throwing the man to the ground with a colossal thud. Alex grunted as he slammed into the mats, the breath driven from his lungs.

Before he could even catch his breath to stand up, he felt a pair of feminine feet land on his chest in a sort of stomp. This further kept him from catching his breath and left him at the mercy of his ladies, who were now standing over him with one foot on his chest. He knew he was beaten and stared up at Natalya and Shazza, who were both smirking and giggling at his defeat.

"He certainly gave us a run for our money there, didn't he, Nats?" Shazza asked her friend.

"That he did! Almost had us there for a moment!" Natalya giggled.

"I heard something about that word. Almost," Shazza said cryptically.

"What did you hear?"

"That 'almost' only counts in horseshoes, shitfights and hand grenades," Shazza said with an audible snicker. Natalya guffawed at this, never having heard that turn of phrase before, but finding it funny nonetheless.

"I'd say that applies! The only question now is, what to do with you?" Natalya said to Alex with a pump of her eyebrows.

"Hmm. I think maybe we drag him into my quarters and make him our playtoy for the rest of the trip?" Shazza suggested.

"Why not mine?" Natalya asked with a challenge in her eyes.

"Oh? So we duel for the man?" Shazza chuckled, turning her body to face Natalya.

"At least for who picks what we do with--" Natalya started before she yelped as her world went topsy-turvy. Her entire equilibrium was thrown off, and she also heard Shazza squeal in surprise as well. Before she knew what happened, she was on the flat of her back next to Shazza, with Alex holding the both of them down.

"You little shit! You lost the fight!" Natalya growled up at Alex, who grinned down at the both of them.

"I never conceded the fight. You two didn't get me to say uncle, so playing possum was a good strategy. Especially since the pair of you started bickering about what you would do to me afterwards," Alex laughed as he kept the both of them pinned with his powerful arms.

Natalya would have tried to do something, but she had the wind knocked out of her. Also, with Alex's arms being so long, he had her at a disadvantage, as with her shorter reach, there was no way she could force any leverage against him. Shazza noticed this too, and while she could have tried something herself, they could tell that Alex would make any fight against him difficult.

"So, do you yield?" Alex rumbled, looking at each woman in turn.

"I yield," Shazza huffed in frustration, embarrassed at having been brought down by a sneaky move like that.

"Yeah, me too," Natalya sighed, not in a mood to continue the match.

"Good! Looks like I win!" Alex said, as he let his power fade from his body. "So, I wonder what my prize would be?"

"Weeeeellllll... since you won, maybe you can just... take what you want from us?" Shazza asked as she batted her eyelashes at Alex.

The man chuckled and scooped up both women, who squeaked in surprise at being manhandled so readily. They were then put over his shoulders, one over each, as the big man stood up and walked towards the elevator. Shazza glanced over at Natalya, who was also facing the same way she did, and smirked. Natalya looked back and bit her lip while pumping her eyebrows in anticipation of the epic thrashing to come.

While it didn't happen in the manner that either woman anticipated, they were still getting what they wanted. They didn't know what it was, but there was something about this man that just... addictive. Like they had both discovered something they hadn't had before and now that they had it, they weren't going another day without it. Both women just grinned, as they knew that this man was their endgame, and they were glad that they had found him.

******************************

Inari and Priya sat there in the Medbay with Zuzanna, having watched the entire fight play out on the security cams. Zuzanna was paying close attention to the trio as they sparred, amazed at the raw power that was behind every blow. Normally, such fights didn't interest Zuzanna but watching them power up with their Aetheric energies was something else entirely.

"H-how?? How is it... possible that they have... power like this?" Zuzanna asked.

"That is something that is a bit of a mystery to us normies, but suffice to say that people like this... they're rare. The fact that we happen to know five of them, now that's a serious bout of luck!" Inari told Zuzanna.

"I'd say so! And a Xuul'khani woman, to boot! I mean, it's not every day that you find people such as her with the level of softness that the rest of us have! I mean, who wouldn't be thinking themselves lucky to have such people as friends?" Zuzanna asked.

"I know I do! But seriously, seeing them in action is an entirely different monster from seeing them sparring," Priya told her.

"How so?"

"Well, when sparring, often you hold back, so you do no lasting damage. But in a firefight, when lives are on the line? You let everything out, even the inner monster that you keep caged," Inari told her.

"Hmm. I suppose you have a point about that," Zuzanna conceded, knowing enough about psychology that everyone had their own inner demons to wrestle with.

Often, you kept such demons locked up, so people didn't think of you as one. But just imagining Alex, Natalya and Shazza letting their inner demons out with the power they wielded? Now that alone truly terrified her! It made her grateful that she was on their side and not arrayed against them!

"Well... how does it work? I mean, it has to come from somewhere? Right?" Zuzanna asked, curious about the power they could tap into.

"Well, from what I remember of when Korsa explained this to us, it's some sort of a genetic marker in our blood that is, for lack of a better word, activated," Inari replied.

"Activated? Activated how?" Zuzanna wondered.

"Questions like that, you should save for Korsa when she comes down to check on you next. She'll be able to explain it far better than either of us ever could," Priya stated.

"Yeah. Not to mention that it's a topic that she's still doing some research on, so what she knows and learns is continuing to evolve. So anything learned could be subject to change," Inari finished.

"OK. I'll keep that in mind. So, what else did you two want to talk about?" Zuzanna questioned, bringing the conversation back to the reason her lovers stopped by the medbay in the first place.

Inari chuckled while Priya giggled as they went back to asking their questions. They were learning about one another's... proclivities at this point. While they had meshed spectacularly back on Prodosia, there was still a lot to learn about one another. With a couple of days left before they arrived at Drahl'tothen station, there was still a lot they could talk about on the way.

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Queen Zarkazh sighed as the last of those seeking an audience for the day left the throne room. Since becoming the new Pirate Queen, there were a lot of things that she needed to sort out and continue sorting out as time went on. So many things demanded her attention that it was a wonder that she got any time to herself. Glad to see the most tedious part of her day done, she stood and walked to the hidden door behind her throne.

"My queen?" her herald called out.

"Yes? What is it?" she asked, stopping as she turned to face the man, not in the mood to grant any more audiences for the day.

"There is some news that came to me partway through your audience session. I staved off telling it to you, because I thought you could use some good news to help buoy your day," he told her.

"Good news? Please, speak! I'm all ears," Zarkazh said with a tired, but happy smile.

"The first part is an update on your order to have the 'dead' marker stricken from Dagan Min's bounty. I have received word from the Council that it has been removed and that it has now filtered all the way down the food chain. Whoever brings Dagan Min in for you will only be bringing him in alive," the man told her.

"Good! Good! What other news is there?" Zarkazh asked.

"The search you have enacted for the other man you wish to be brought in before you is progressing. There is no news of him yet and his everyman looks certainly aren't a help in locating him. But, it's barely been a day and finding such a man will take time, but I have every confidence that he will be found," the Herald went on.

"Excellent! Is there any final business that I need to be made aware of for the day?" Zarkazh asked, hoping she could get some time in to rest.

"The last item on the agenda today is a meeting with the other pirate lords and ladies to discuss matters concerning Shipwreck, the status of the fleets and the currently vacant seats on the council," he told her.

"Agh! I see. How long before said meeting is to convene?" she asked him.

"It will be at least two hours before they arrive, as each lord and lady are attending to going through the rosters of the new ships they have acquired. Many scallywags may yet be moles for the deposed king, so nothing is being left to chance," the man replied.

"Very good! I will be in my chambers until then, should anything arise that requires my attention," Zarkazh told him with a smile. "Such matters must be emergencies only, as I do not wish to be disturbed for the next ninety minutes."

"Noted, my queen," the man said with a bow as he excused himself from her presence. "Do enjoy yourself."

Zarkazh smirked at the man and chuckled to herself as she finally walked through the door to her chambers. She gestured for Tulatha to follow her and the Khontaran woman hurried along, not wishing to be left out for what was ahead. Even before she had become the Pirate Queen, or even a Pirate Lady, it was well known that she, Zarkazh, had a voracious sexual appetite.

It was pretty much an open secret that when it came to matters of sex and sexuality, Zarkazh was the furthest thing from a prude. She wasn't quite a nympho either, as even though she loved to fuck, the woman had standards. Not just for herself, but from the various men and women she would take to bed. So, not just anyone would find themselves in her bed, but they had to be people she considered... exceptional.

She had bent her rules now and then, but never outright broke them, never giving it up too easily to anyone. Such behaviors would only make it appear that she was only fucking her way to the top. Some people had suggested as much before, but they were either dickless or moldering in a shallow grave on some forgotten world. Not only was her carnal appetite well known, but also her penchant for getting things done.

While she may have appeared to be some sort of floozy who only signed on to get laid, that idea was quickly put to rest after several missions. Not only did Zarkazh perform admirably, she also made it clear that no one crossed her, ever. Any who did seldom lived to tell the tale. Those that did, knew enough about that woman's wrath to keep their mouths shut. Else she would come for them and finish the job.

With this in mind, any who did find themselves in Zarkazh's bed found that she was a most generous lover. She would often ensure their own pleasure first, making sure their minds were blown during the encounter. After that, the same level of worship was expected and was happily given to her. But after a long, bureaucratic day like today, Zarkazh needed a little something to help unwind.

"So, my queen, what did you want to get up to?" Tulatha asked with a barely stifled giggle.

"Well, a good stuffing would be in order, but I would rather have that later so I can sleep like a baby tonight. For now, a good massage is what I need," Zarkazh told her bodyguard.

"I see. Should I go to the harem and bring back anyone who has such skills?" the Khontaran woman asked.

"Please do! Bring back all you can find for the massage, as I want to be properly pampered before my meeting with the other Lords and Ladies of the fleets," Zarkazh said with a weary smile.

"As you wish, my queen," Tulatha said, and she was off like a shot to the harem. Tulatha came back several minutes later, with no less than a dozen people from her harem, of various species.

"You all have some experience with giving massages?" Zarkazh questioned, looking each one over.

"We have, my queen. Some of us here made it our vocation before we were brought here," said a young man who looked to be in his early thirties.

"Very good. Fetch two tables. One sized for me, and one sized for Tulatha here," Zarkazh ordered and they all leaped to obey, eager to please their queen.

"Two tables? But, my queen, there is no need..." Tulatha began.

"For the woman who will be my Shadow, there is every need for you to enjoy the same things that I do," Zarkazh informed the woman.

"Your... Shadow?!?" Tulatha gasped, barely believing what she was hearing in that moment.

"Of course! You not only have the makings of a great bodyguard, but you are one that no one would suspect of being my Shadow," Zarkazh stated with a grin. "Not to mention your actions right after my coronation warrant such a position."

Tulatha sighed, and a small smile played on her lips as she remembered the incident. It had been the day after Zarkazh's coronation and they had all woken up groggy and sore. But, given the debauched orgy they had enjoyed the night previous, it was expected to be a little out of it. What wasn't expected was the uninvited guest who showed up looking to throw a wrench into everything.

The man in question had slipped into the orgy, posing as one of the bodyguards of the other lords. He, like everyone else, was pulled into the orgy and was worked over himself, but the man had another agenda in mind. To kill the newly anointed pirate queen before she could even start her rule. The only reason no one noticed it was because they were all too high on endorphins and other substances to care.

To his credit, the man had been quite clever, managing to keep most of his clothes on, so his facial disguise would hold. He'd been using mini projectors built into his body armor to mask his face, so no one could tell who he truly was. It wasn't until an encounter with a very enthusiastic Naucturi concubine that his disguise was noticed.

The woman had been wanting him to lose everything, so she could enjoy him more, but he refused, stonewalling her. It was only when her hand sat over one of the projectors by his collar did she notice he wasn't who he said he was. Tulatha had noticed this as well and went over to deal with the man.

He had drawn his weapon and was ready to end Zarkazh, who was in the middle of a triple stuff with her new concubines, making her an easy target. Tulatha had acted fast and beaned the man with a flying dildo, putting him in a great deal of pain. The Naucturi woman got clear, knowing something was amiss, while Tulatha pounced on the man with all the ferocity of a predator finding prey.

With her superior strength, Tulatha tore off the man's remaining body armor and his disguise fell away. It was revealed that he was one of Tubal's most trusted assassins, one who was rumored to be able to get anywhere and kill anyone. Once his face was seen, everyone pounced on him, ready to tear the man apart.

Only Zarkazh didn't order him dead, but to be detained for questioning later. It was an open secret that the former king Tubal was often free with his thoughts around those he trusted the most. Considering that this man was one of those people who were so close to him, then it stood to reason that he might have information they needed. Information on where Tubal was and what he was up to.

Once the man was taken away and locked up, Zarkazh then ordered everyone to strip down to nothing. While the guards had a job to do, she was taking no chances and wanted everyone naked, in case there were any other infiltrators about. Once it was clear that there were no others, the orgy started up again. This time, even the guards got a little something out of the encounter, as the concubines were given free rein to have who they wanted.

Since that moment, Zarkazh had kept Tulatha close, along with her other bodyguards, to keep her safe. Not only did Tulatha save her life, she also had a keen eye for spotting things about people that Zarkazh saw. While the pirate queen was good at spotting liars and thieves, Tulatha had an innate talent for it. She had given her queen much in the manner of advice on certain situations and on dealing with people.

Though this was a bit unprecedented, it was something that Tulatha appreciated immensely! She was being called a Shadow, the queen's most trusted bodyguard, but such a position was far more than that. It would also make her the queen's confidant, confessor, and keeper of secrets. Such a position would make her almost the equal to the queen herself, something she would never have had back home on Khontara!!

"My... my queen..." Tulatha stuttered, more than a little shocked by this declaration.

"It is a surprise, I know, but the one who becomes my Shadow comes with no announcements, no fanfare or declarations. It is something that I choose on my own, to be given to someone I know I can trust," Zarkazh told her seriously.

"You have my gratitude, my queen!" Tulatha sputtered, more than amazed at the gift she was being given.

"It also helps that you can fuck your queen like an utter beast and knock even me under the table," Zarkazh giggled. Tulatha laughed with her and blushed slightly, remembering the past few encounters and how they had been beyond wild.

"Well, there are times that I can tell that my queen has rough days, and I do what I can to... ease her mind about them," Tulatha said with a knowing smile.

"Which is why I am having you join me with such... delights. You work hard, so you should enjoy yourself just as hard. Besides, as my Shadow, you should enjoy the perks and benefits that your queen does as well. I would have you taste of the life I enjoy, as befits someone of your station. Unlike Tubal's Shadow," Zarkazh told her.

Tulatha nodded as she was stripped down of her clothes by the concubines. Another open secret had been how Tubal often treated his subordinates. Most notable was his own Shadow, who was said to be an assassin without equal. Not long after Tubal had become pirate king was when he started seriously abusing his power over his minions. His Shadow was among the worst who suffered under him.

It was said that there were a few women on Shipwreck that the Shadow had his eye on and was making advances to make them his. Tubal got wind of this and decided to make an example of the man and his desires. The old king had taken these women and held them for days, weeks even, torturing them in the worst ways imaginable. What had been done to those poor women made even the most sadistic of masochists cringe in disgust.

Once Tubal had broken the poor women, he brought them into his harem and forced his Shadow to watch as he took them. Being in the mental state they were, the women willingly went along with it, which served to horrify the man. He was then told that the only thing he could have was loyalty to Tubal and nothing else. It was because of that man is why Zarkazh was able to topple the man from his position as pirate king.

The Shadow met with Zarkazh in private, ensuring that he wasn't being watched, and gave them everything she needed to bring Tubal down. His only price was to have those women back and for them to get the help they needed to get back to who they used to be. Zarkazh found this as more than a fair ask and agreed to his terms. Since then, they spent years gathering everything needed to crush Tubal into nothing.

Once they finally toppled Tubal, the pirate queen made good on her promise and delivered the women from their holding cells to the man. They were battered, beaten and wrecked, but alive. Zarkazh had also supplied the man with a well-appointed home and the best psychologist in the flotilla city. Just because it was a drifting pirate city-ship, didn't mean that they didn't have medical professionals for those who needed them.

Tulatha had heard the man looked after the women's every need and whim and the doctor looking after them had said that there was hope. While Tubal had broken them, he hadn't erased everything they were, so both of the women were finding their way back. It was slow, but at least they were making their way there, one day at a time.

"Indeed. Still, you have my eternal gratitude, my queen!" Tulatha replied as she laid down naked on the massage table waiting for her.

"Happy to have it! I am not a callous or fickle mistress to those I trust. I reward those who stand with me, as loyalty, true loyalty, cannot be bought," Zarkazh said to her.

"Well said, my queen," Tulatha agreed as she sighed happily, with the multitude of hands rubbing and massaging the knots in her back.

"Just a basic massage, my queen?" one of the concubines questioned, looking down at the woman with a modicum of interest. Zarkazh used her peripheral vision and noted that the man was at half mast, and she giggled. Seeing the man in a state like this made her want to partake, but she still had a meeting to get to later. Still, an idea formed in her head, which she quickly gave voice to.

"Give the both of us... an orgasmic experience. Rubbing and massaging only. Make us both cum and there will be more for you, after I return," Zarkazh said with a gleam in her eye.

"As you wish, my queen!!" the man replied happily, and he got right to using his body to rub and massage his queen.

Zarkazh snickered slightly as she heard Tulatha squee, then moan in excitement as the concubines of her harem did as they were asked. Soon after, Zarkazh herself was moaning in delight as they touched her, striking nerves in her body that made her bite her bottom lip. The big woman sighed and moaned with her Shadow as the capable hands of her male and female concubines loosened her body and chased away her aches and pains.

As she enjoyed the ride from the concubines, her mind then drifted off to older, happier days that she had in the past. Before all of this, with her becoming a pirate lady, before her obsession with going after Tubal. Back when she was a happily married woman, with the man she called her husband, Dagan Min.

It had been a while since she had visited these memories, as they had been tainted by the knowledge of what he had done. But now that she knew these tales of his callous betrayal to be lies, she smiled, happy to visit this time of her life again. It was like going to see an old friend, a visit that was long overdue and that she was happy to make.

Zarkazh sighed as she allowed the memories to drift into her conscious mind, letting them soothe her. She didn't know why, but seeing these times in her mind's eye again brought her a level of peace she hadn't felt in a long time. The pirate queen hoped that someday soon, her former husband would be standing before her once again. And maybe, just maybe, she could have new memories of him, like they had been once before.

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Well folks, that's a wrap on chapter 52 of Project Prometheus!! So much is already going on that this universe is turning out to be something far more vast than I had originally anticipated! New characters, new situations and new story arcs keep walking into my head, screaming 'WRITE ABOUT ME!' at such a volume that it's impossible to ignore!

With everything that's already been written and so much more that is calling out to me to be written, there will be no end to my stories! It's just amazing that I not only have so many amazing fans who love my stories this much, but also those who are always behind me, no matter what, wanting to see this tale to the end! You guys and girls are the ones who keep me going and the ones I write for most!

Anyway, thank you for taking the time to read my work and I hope that you've enjoyed it! I'm open to constructive criticism and will seriously consider any suggestions made about various story arcs. Please rate and comment on my work down below and ask me questions if you wish, as I love hearing from my fans! If you like what I write, don't be afraid to follow and share with your friends, though your views, ratings and comments are enough for me.

In the meantime, this is C. H. Darkstrider, signing off to grab a beer and some quality time with the wife! ;) You will attain whatever you most desire, as long as you believe in yourself. Cheers!