Nya was in the baths aboard the Excalibur, enjoying a long soak in the hot spring. Her pale cheeks are tinted in a deep red blush as she tries to contain an orgasmic moan, a moment later, the head of Wes Loa rose out of the water from between her spread legs.
"Well, you do have some skill," Nya noted, coming down from her climax, "that was incredible."
"Do you know how many women I've had?" Wes boasts as he moves to sit by her left side, "After all that practice, I doubt you'll find anyone in this sector of space more experienced in pleasuring a woman than me."
"Well I can think of a few," Nya said as she grabbed hold of his member and stroked it skillfully, "The combined sexual knowledge of all of them now flows through my mind,"
"Hah… h-how are you d-doing that with j-just one ha-and?" he exclaims as he feels the pleasure building.
"Experience," Nya replies as she stops just before he reaches his own climax. She doesn't leave him in turmoil for long as she stands over him, straddling him, directing his throbbing manhood to her entrance, then she drops down and sits on him, driving him deep into her pussy.
"You are insatiable aren't you?" Wes asks as he thrusts
"The downside of having so many people in my head is that I also get their traits," Nya pants, "and a lot of them are fucking horny all the time."
"That must make it tough to concentrate?" Wes enquired
"I usually prefer my hook-ups with less conversation into my personal life," Nya replies
"So you want me to just shut up and fuck you?"
"It's why I brought you here, now get to –EEP!?" Nya yelped as Wes picked up the pace, thrusting into her with a furious vigor.
Hours later, after having sex several more times, Nya finally left the baths, her walk was a little skewed from the intense fucking. She and Wes had fucked each other into exhaustion, and after a quick rest, she sent him back to Avalon, they would be setting out for Vulcan soon.
As she walked, she did a mental review of her latest sexual adventure, Wes had proved to be well experienced and made for a more than adequate fuck-buddy, he seemed the right amount of dominant and submissive to sate her ever expanding sexual appetite for quite some time. She still wasn't sure why lust was the most prevalent trait she acquired from all her victims, maybe it had to do with her instinctual vampiric need for carnal indulgence, she wasn't sure, but it might be something to watch out for with Morgan.
* * *
After a quick shower, Nya went to the lounge where she found Kiva in Amara's lap as the two kissed passionately, Amara's hand was inside Kiva's shirt, playing with her breasts, while Kiva's hand was down Amara's pants.
"You are not shy anymore, I see," she commented,
"We were going to do it in the baths, but we found you and Wes there," Amara said, "and from the volume, you must've really liked what he did to you."
"I still can't believe you're actually okay with having sex with someone who kidnapped your children," Kiva commented
"Well that was before I brought him to my side." Nya said, "And he's honestly one of the best fucks I've had in a while."
"So I take it you're gonna be keeping him around?"
"Maybe," Nya said, "I still don't trust him enough to keep him on-board the Excalibur, especially when we're on our way to Vulcan."
"Soon, I can take my wife in the captain's suite of my own ship," Amara grinned, the two of them had been married for a while now, shortly after returning from the gala at Templar, they had a small event with just a few friends and Nya preceding.
Kiva giggled with a goofy smile on her face, "it still sounds so weird to hear you call me 'wife',"
"Well you're my wife now," Amara said kissing her on her nose, "and I'm your wife now."
"Is she going to be like this all the time now?" Nya asked Amara
"She gets a little love drunk when we're together." Amara explained
"Probably stems from an effort to reclaim some of the affection she was deprived of in her youth." Nya noted, the two of them looked at her, "I know the look of someone who suffered from a lack of filial love, everyone copes differently."
"Like you engage in meaningless sex with anyone you can find," Amara said,
"Good sex is good sex," Nya shrugged, "I don't really need to complicate it with needless emotions and attachments."
"So what's this new ship going to be like?" Kiva asked, shifting the conversation away from sex
"The Excalibur Red and Blue are both nearly identical to the Black Excalibur," Nya said, "Amara gets the Red, while I'm going to donate the Blue to Cerberus."
"Really?" Kiva asked, "You've been very selective about the Praxian tech you release to Avalon, why the sudden change?"
"It's part of my expansion plan," Nya explained as a projection appeared in the air, showing Avalon and its home system. "Right now, Avalon sits within free territory in Hyperion, this territory doesn't have much in the ways of prized resources, except for mythril, plus it's too far from the Hyperion center for the nobles to bother trying to annex us, but they can come here to exploit the resources they do want."
"We know this already," Amara said
"As it stands we have control over part of the solar system, but lack the means to go further. Well, I've been sending probes into the unclaimed territory, scanning for new resources."
"I'm guessing you've found something?" Kiva guesses
"I did, but that is for phase 3 of my expansion plan," Nya explained, "Phase 1 is where I bring in unstoppable warships to secure our new borders keep the nobles out. Then we can work on bringing all the worlds within the territory into the fold."
"You want to turn Avalon into a galactic superpower?" Kiva surmised, "Are you sure this doesn't have anything to do with what you learned from the Salvation?"
"You're like a stuck record, y'know that?" Nya sighed, "This isn't about establishing my galactic empire –that can come much later, when I feel like it— this is about ensuring that we are taken seriously, if we assimilate this territory, one of the largest unclaimed sectors in this galaxy will be ours. A new superpower that could contend with Providence, the elves and the surtr."
"But what about the other inhabited worlds in the territory?" Kiva asked
"We'd just have to work really hard to convince them that we're what's best for them," Nya said, "either by parley or… other means."
"Other means?" Amara said, "Like pointing a massive warship at them?"
Nya smirked, "If it comes to that."
"It's not gonna work," Kiva said, "the High Order wouldn't risk the repercussions of mobilizing a conquering force with the Paladins. And you can't conquer all this territory with just three Excaliburs, no matter how powerful they are."
"I know," Nya smirked, "but I figure fifty might do the trick."
Both Kiva and Amara looked dumbfounded, "What? You have forty-seven more?"
"Yeah," Nya said, "I have Vulcan assembling a fleet, the Blue and the Red are just the first along. There are a hundred constructor bays in that complex, only an idiot wastes that many assets."
"What are you going to do with fifty ships?" Amara asked
"Besides scare the shit out of a lot of people?" Kiva added
"Pretty soon things are going to be moving quickly," Nya said, "having this card in reserve is going to be a huge advantage."
"Well that's good," Kiva said, "for a second, I was scared you'd suggest gifting one to Ryla."
"That's idiotic?" Nya replied,
"She has a point," Amara said, "you have been sending her little gifts haven't you? If I didn't know any better I'd say you were trying to woo her."
"Have I?" Nya wonders aloud,
"What?" Kiva said, "don't tell me you're actually falling in love?"
"Are you mad?" Nya scoffed, "What we have is essentially a non-aggression pact between our courts. And with the whole kidnapping incident and the involvement of Providence operatives, even that is tenuous at best. Do I really look like the type of person that would let fleeting emotions cloud my judgement?"
"Well no," Kiva answers, sheepishly
"Hey I've been wondering, why have you been stringing her along?" Amara asked, "why don't you just fuck her? She obviously wants to sleep with you,"
"Not yet," Nya said, "I'm saving that for something big,"
"So you are going to have sex with her?"
"Sex is just another tool for business, but I haven't yet built the right scenario for its use."
"You know you sound insane, right?" Kiva said
"It's all a part of the great game," Nya explained, "every choice has its consequences and benefits, some more than others."
"How do you do this?" Kiva asked, "treat everything like a game?"
"When you have so many people in your head, seeing patterns in everything becomes annoyingly easy." Nya replies as she took a seat, "the mental and physical toll it takes on me is really something."
"Physical toll?" Amara asked, "Like that thing that happened to you on Adryn-V? MARS, right?"
"I once woke up with a horn, growing right here," Nya revealed tapping on her throat, "I didn't go to bed that way. My condition ebbs and flows, changing in ways I can't predict."
"Sounds hard," Kiva simpathized
"Sounds painful," Amara added
"You don't know the half of it," Nya sighed, "that's why I have to frequently meditate; to maintain my current equilibrium."
"What would you look like if you didn't do that?"
"I have no idea," Nya answered, she really didn't know the full limits to her evolution capabilities "and honestly, that scares me."
* * *
Thanks to the advanced technique known as warp-shifting, the trip from Avalon to Vulcan took almost no time at all.
The moment the Black Excalibur entered dropped back into real space, Merlin sensed something,
[Something is wrong.] she said, [I can't feel it.]
"Feel what?" Amara asked
[My sub-prime, as soon as I am within the same local system as it, we should be able to sync up automatically.] Merlin explained, [But all I'm getting is silence, it even missed its last ping.]
Nya looked at the view screen, the entirety of Vulcan was before her, and her kids looked at it with wonder.
"That's where you got the Excalibur from?" Astrid asked
"It's incredible." Eli said
"Something is really wrong here," Nya mused, "we should've been hailed by one of the Paladins stationed here. Scan the system."
A few moments later, one of the officers at the navigation station replied, "No active ship tags have been identified within the local system."
"That's not right," Amara said
"Grand Marshal," one of the communications officers spoke up, "We are receiving a scrambled transmission from Vulcan."
"Let's hear it," Nya ordered
"EMER-RGENCY! STATION COMP…ISED! SHIPS SCUT… CANNOT…CAPE…OVERRUN! UNKNOWN… IN NEED … RESCUE!" Came the static-filled message.
"It's on a loop," the communications officer added, "no way to tell how long its been going on."
"Without the Paladins to act as an FTL burst transmitter, no wonder we haven't received word," Kiva speculated
"Trace the source of that distress call." Nya ordered, "Amara, assemble a boarding team; we are taking back my complex."
"I want to help," Morgan said stepping forward
Nya's first instinct was to reject her request, but Morgan was now a Jaeger, she had earned the right to be there, and Nya had to respect that.
"Alright, you and your squad should get ready; they're about to enter a potentially hostile environment." Nya said,
"Alright," Morgan said as she ran out of the bridge.
"How can we help too?" Astrid asked
"By staying right here." Nya said, "The Excalibur is going to maintain a safe distance away from the station."
"But, Morgan gets to come," Astrid whines
"Morgan is a trained Jaeger, you're still an apprentice adept, and Eli is basically twelve." Nya snapped at her daughter, she then turned to Kiva, "watch them."
"Of course," Kiva said
"Mom, wait," Eli called out
"What is it sweetie?" Nya asked as she bent down to look him face to face
"Is everything really going to be okay?" he asked worriedly,
Nya smiled tenderly, "Everything's going to be just fine. Here," using her psychokinesis, she removed her command ring and gave it to Eli, "I'll be back for that, so hold onto it for me."
"Alright," Eli said gripping the ring like a secret, "I keep it safe for you,"
Nya smiled as she tussled his hair, then she turned around and her smile faded. She had work to do.
"Amara, Merlin, with me." she ordered as they walked off the bridge.
Half an hour later, five combat shuttles sped away from the hangar bay of the Excalibur, carrying Nya, Amara, and several squads of Jaegers, including Valla's squad 626. They had all donned their combat suits and were ready for an assault.
"I can't believe our first outing as official Jaegers is to board Vulcan." Valla excitedly said to Morgan as they sat next to each other on the shuttle,
Morgan didn't share her friend's enthusiasm. She saw how worried her mom was about the situation… a worried Grand Marshal is not a good thing, a worried mother is even worse.
"Grand Marshal, we've traced the distress call to the central pyramid." Came the report from the Excalibur, "The complex is shielded so we can't do a scan for life signs, but we were able to trace the ID of the caller to one of the stationed Jaegers. We also detected structural collapse along the west dome, we believe one of the Paladins may have crashed into it."
"Alright, shuttles 2 and 4 will investigate the damaged dome," Nya acknowledged, then she turned to her boarding party, "There's a small docking bay near the top section of the pyramid, so we'll dock there and work our way in."
"We don't know what to expect, so consider this station enemy territory." Amara added, "Our objectives are as follows; investigate the destruction of our ships; search and rescue for our people; search and destroy any enemy combatants; retake control of the station and its facilities, if recapture is impossible then Vulcan is to be destroyed as it posses too much of a threat in the wrong hands."
As they docked inside the ring around the tower. As soon as the shuttle touched down, all the Jaegers quickly disembarked, then the shuttle took off, retreating back to the Excalibur.
"Merlin, are you in?" Nya asked
[Yes, I was able to transfer over to the Genesis Cube as soon as you step foot on the station] the Prime said through the comms. [but something is definitely wrong.]
"What else is new?" Amara muttered
[There's something interfering with the internal network of the complex. I have next to no control.] Merlin said, [The internal atmosphere is stable, it's safe to breath.]
"Good," Amara said, "At least there's a chance our people aren't all dead."
"Can you tell us what's on the other side of this door?" Nya asked as they came to the door leading out of the docking bay
[My internal sensors are not responding, but I detect no life signs, it's clear.]
Nya hit the controls and the door hissed open, revealing a long dark corridor leading off in two opposite directions.
"This way leads to where the distress call came from," Nya pointed down one end, "but that way leads to the security station we set up,"
"Tagoni squad," Amara ordered, "go check the security station,"
Six of the veteran Jaegers went down the second corridor while the rest of them down the first.
As they continued on, the discovered that the walls were covered in thick gooey cobwebs.
"What made these?" Amara wondered
"I don't know," Nya said, "but when I find it I'm going to kill it,"
As they made their way down the corridor, they came across another branch in their path,
"Aphras squad, you go that way, that should lead to the main base camp," Nya ordered, "go and check if our people are there,"
The second set of veteran Jaegers branched off, leaving only Valla's squad left.
"Um, ma'am?" Valla called
"What is it, captain Valla?" Amara replied
"Why didn't you send my squad off?"
"Because someone doesn't want her little girl going out into the dark alone," Amara jeered at Nya
"Valla squad is still green," Nya replied, her voice not even wavering an inch, "best to keep you around us."
As they turned the next corner, they came across the aftermath of a fight. The walls were scorched with plasma burns, the floor was stained with blood and there were signs of bodies been dragged away.
"This really doesn't look good," Amara said as her internal radar alerted her to movement ahead, "Merlin I thought you said there were no life signs down this corridor?"
[There aren't.] Merlin replied, [you're the only thing in there that have a pulse.]
"Everyone, form up," Nya said as she sensed something coming ahead.
Everyone got into combat positions as the first newcomers came into view.
A group of five people charged at them, Nya instantly recognized them as part of the expedition team, their clothes were torn and bloody, and their veins were gloving under their skin the same sickly yellow as their eyes.
They released an inhuman wail as they got close, trying to claw at the Jaegers, so Nya unleashed her blood aura on them, tearing them apart.
Watching the Grand Marshal in actual combat for the first time, showed Valla and her squad just how easy she went on them during their final exam. If she wanted, they'd all be dead.
Amara went to check one of the remains, but was shocked to still find it moving.
"It's like they've been taken over," Amara said, "like there's something else controlling them."
[They have been taken over,] Merlin informed them, as Nya picked up an arm that was still trying to reach for her [It's some sort of invasive contaminant that has overwritten their biology.]
"Don't let them scratch you," Nya advised, noting the bloodied fingernails. She burnt the arm to ash in a flash of blood aura.
[Wait… this same contaminant is what's corrupted the system.] Merlin added, [I couldn't identify it at first but now… how the hell did it get into the software, its infected over seventy-nine percent of the complex.]
"Do you think you can do that absolute destruction wave you did back on Adryn-V?" Amara asked Nya, "cleanse the whole station?"
"The Red Purge? I could, I've gotten better at it so it doesn't destroy the place, but we'd need to clear out all of our people or they'd be vaporized too." Nya replied
"Tagoni squad come in," Amara said through the comm. "Hostiles confirmed. Friendlies may be infected. Repeat; friendlies may be infected."
The reply that came through was the sound of rapid gunfire and inhuman wailing
"Commander, hostile ambush. They got Bones, we're trying to engage but they won't stay down unless suppressed by heavy fire." reported captain Tagoni
"Fall back, Tagoni squad," Nya ordered, "rendezvous with Aphras squad by point alpha and make your way to us."
As Nya was giving these orders, Amara was getting in touch with Aphras squad to relay the orders
"Valla squad, we're moving out," Nya ordered as she and Amara took off down the corridor.
"R-right," Valla affirmed as she and her squad followed
They hurried towards the tower at a quickened pace, encountering more infected people but quickly dispatching them. When they finally got to the tower, they found the entrance to that section was sealed behind heavy blast doors, and the door controls had been blown out.
"Obviously someone didn't want this door to be opened again," Nya said as she used her telekinesis to force the doors apart. It was not quick and was definitely not silent, sending out loud echoes down the empty corridor.
"We gotta hurry and find our people," Amara said, "if they're still alive, or they're the other things, they'd have heard that noise so they'd be coming here, fast."
[This section isn't corrupted,] Merlin said as the lights inside the tower section turned themselves on, [I have full control here, I can guide you.]
"Good, cause we're on the clock." Amara said, noticing that some of that gooey cobwebs have started creeping towards the doorframe
With Merlin's guidance, they ventured to the top of the tower, where they discovered the small group of survivors, they had gathered at the top of pyramid. The survivors consisted of about two hundred or so scientists and engineers, they all looked dishevels and malnourished, most of them carried the weapons of the Jaegers.
"S-stay back!" one researcher yelled as she fired at them, the plasma bolt bouncing off the energy shield of Nya's Blood Aegis.
"We're here to help," Amara said as she took off her helmet, to show her face, "The Grand Marshal and I are here to get you home."
"Grand Marshal?" came the response as they approached cautiously. When they saw Nya they bowed their heads respectfully
"Don't bow to me; I failed you" Nya said, "I left you here to fend for yourselves. I should've come sooner." Nya bowed her head low in apology, assuming full responsibility
"N-no, Grand Marshal," one of the senior surviving researchers, who seemed to have become the leader of the survivors, said as she lifted Nya's head. "After we scuttled the ships, we had no way to call for help. The Maja had even somehow managed to disable the AI, so—"
"Did you just say Maja?" Nya interrupted
"Y-yes," the leader replied, "that's what whatever infected everyone called itself. It started unraveling some of the infected, turning them into some sort of fleshy web matrix that it used to hack the station somehow, but I don't think it worked as well as it hoped, we were still able to keep them out."
Nya turned to look at Amara who shared the same worried expression, "You don't think it's the same one?"
"Unfortunately I do," Nya said grimly, she then turned to the survivors, "we need to leave, now. The Excalibur is just outside of the planet's orbit, once we get everyone together they can teleport you all on-board."
"What about you?" Morgan asked
"I'm gonna stay behind," Nya said, "someone has to sterilize this place."
"Tagoni squad, Aphras squad, we have secured the friendlies, moving to rendezvous point beta." Amari said through the comm.
"This is Crux of Tagoni squad, the others are KIA. I'm the only one left; proceeding to rendezvous point beta." Came one reply
"This is Aphras squad, we've been cut off from point alpha by the hostiles. Be advised, Hostiles may be inbound." Came another reply
"Aphras squad, try to make your way around," Nya said through the comm., "I'm going to purge this place of all life, so I need my people off it before that happens."
"Negative ma'am," came the reply, "You get the chance to blow the enemy away, you take it. Don't worry about us."
"Merlin is there a way for them to meet us at point beta in time?" Nya demanded
[No, the Maja are already on their way, if we wait for them, we'll be overrun… I'm sorry.] Merlin knew how much Nya hated losing good people, it was why she spent so much effort into making sure her people were well protected.
"Alright Aphras squad," Nya said with a sigh, "As soon as we get these people out I'm blowing this place… and you along with it."
"It's been an honor, Grand Marshal,"
"Likewise, Captain Aphras. Enjoy the show."
They proceeded down the tower, to the heavy blast doors Nya had forced open,
"Crux, what's you ETA?" Amara demanded
"Nearing point beta now." Crux replied, "And I'm not alone, unfortunately."
Down the hall, they could hear the wailing of the Maja.
"Move your ass, Crux!" Nya ordered, "I'm not losing anymore good men today!"
"On the double Grand Marshal!" he replied
A lone Jaeger in bloodstained armor came running down the corridor, followed by a massive wave of infected. Upon closer inspection his left arm was cut at the wrist.
"Everybody stand back!" Nya ordered as she ran past Crux and pushed her hand out. In front of her, her blood aura materialized, forming into a solid burning wall, which repelled the oncoming horde.
"Good job getting here, Crux," Amara congratulated
"I had very good motivation, Commander," the Jaeger replied as he joined Valla's squad, where the medic started treating the wounded.
"Merlin, signal the Excalibur," Nya said, "give them our location and tell them to teleport everyone else over. Then you and I can purge the Maja out of existence."
[We cannot allow that to happen, Grand Marshal.] Crux said as Morgan was helping him remove his helmet, he suddenly lunged for her.
"What are you doing?" Amara demanded drawing her weapon and aiming it at him,
He collapsed her helmet, then wrapped his good arm around her neck as he hid behind her, though they could see he too had been infected, with bloodshot yellow eyes and yellow veins on his orc face. The other Jaegers immediately trained their weapons on him, then he placed his stump of his broken arm against Morgan's exposed neck, with a piece of jagged bone pressed into her skin.
[One scratch and she will become one of us.] Crux threatened.
"LET HER GO!" Nya bellowed, "YOU LET HER GO RIGHT NOW OR I SWEAR TO EVERY GOD OUT THERE, I WILL TEAR THIS WHOLE FUCKING PLACE APART!"
[Grand Marshal Nya Crimson. We have been looking for you.] the Maja said through Crux
"What do you want with me?"
[The Maja has grown this past year. But we still lack one thing; a hive brain.] Crux explained, [We know of you, the host of a Prime. We need you for our collective,]
"Mom, no!" Morgan choked, "Remember what L7 said."
[If you join us, we will let the child go.] Crux promised
"And everyone else here?" Nya demanded, "You let everyone go in exchange for me?"
[Nya, no!] Merlin said [I can't let them have you.]
[If you join us, they will live.] Crux promised
"Merlin… what's the status on the Excalibur Red?" Nya asked
[Functional, but not yet fully operational.] Merlin answered already sensing what Nya had planned
"Okay… launch the Red and have get my Excalibur ready."
[Your answer, Nya Crimson!] Crux demanded as he pushed his tainted bone deeper into Morgan's neck, millimeters from breaking the skin.
"Fine." Nya said as she dropped her Blood Aegis that was repelling the rest of the Maja. The horde did not advance, waiting for Crux to give the signal.
Nya held her hand out, "We have ourselves a deal."
Crux, channeling the collective of the Maja smiled, and he let Morgan go, who promptly retreats to the safety of her squad. Crux approached Nya to shake her hand, [Nya Crimson, welcome to the Maja.]
"Fuck you." Nya sneers, "Merlin, NOW!"
[Locked onto Maja bio-signature!] Merlin said
[NO!] the entire horde screamed at once as they were teleported off the station as a singular mass.
But before the process could be complete, Crux moves faster than anyone could anticipate and grabs onto Nya's outstretched arm, [The Maja will not be denied!]
As Nya was dragged along with the Maja, different things happen at the same time,
"MOM!" Morgan screams
"Merlin, reverse the transfer." Amara ordered
[It's too late, I can't bring her back.] Merlin replied, [It's already started.]
Outside the massive dome they could see everything unfold, as the Excalibur Red had just been launched into space. It looked very similar to the Black Excalibur, except the hull wasn't finished, there were still sections missing from the main chassis, leaving just the gutted skeletal husk of a massive warship. However, the engines were functioning and the ship started to pull away from the station, but then, the Black Excalibur trained its MACs on it and unleashed its full arsenal on its sister ship, tearing away at its unprotected hull.
"Mom!" Morgan wailed as the Excalibur Red was torn into. But then its engines glowed a different hue
"Merlin what's the Red doing?" Amara asked
[It's… no… it's preparing for a hyper-jump!] Merlin exclaimed
"But in its current condition…" Amara mused
[It'll be lost.] Merlin replied, [the engines will fail as soon as they jump and it'll be torn apart in the hyper-streams.]
With Merlin back in control, Amara could contact the ship again, "Lt. General Amara to Excalibur. Disable the Red; the Grand Marshal is on board!" she ordered, "Repeat; do not let the Red hyper-jump, the Grand Marshal is on board."
But it was too late, they watched helplessly as the Excalibur Red slipped into Hyperspace, taking with it the Maja, and Grand Marshal Nya Crimson.