Chapter 130: Daddy Issues...

Calara pulled back from Jack and they shared a warm smile, revelling in the new sense of closeness between them. Feeling giddy with emotion, she rode a euphoric high of relief at finally being able to put aside months of worry. Out of all Calara’s family members, it had always been her father’s reaction to her amazing new life that she’d worried about the most, but that was all in the past now. She finally had the best of both worlds; the incredible intimacy she shared with John and the girls ... as well as the heart-warming surety that her beloved father was proud of her. Calara’s life had never felt more perfect and she had John and Alyssa to thank for it.

Glancing across to the adjacent sofa, Calara beamed a radiant smile at her lovers ... which faltered when she saw the dazzling light shining from Alyssa’s eyes. “Alyssa! What’s wrong?!”

“Nothing’s wrong ... everything’s wonderful!” the blonde gushed, giggling as she leaned against John.

Jack looked at her with concern. “Did she have too much to drink?”

“Uh huh,” Alyssa replied, bobbing her head exuberantly. “I’m drunk on love!”

“She’s not actually drunk,” John explained, propping up the wavering teenager. “She’ll be fine in a few minutes; Alyssa’s reacting like this because-”

Jack stared at her glowing eyes and held up a hand. “Let me stop you there, John. I think I’ve reached my limit for what I’m able to cope with tonight.”

Calara laughed and hugged her father. “I’m sorry, dad. This must have all been overwhelming ... but I’m really glad you know the truth now.”

“Me too,” he agreed, returning the embrace then rising to his feet. “I’m going to call it a night and let you deal with ... whatever’s happening to Alyssa.”

“I’ll show you to your room,” Calara offered, standing too.

Jack gave her a reassuring pat on the arm. “Deck Four, third room on the right. Don’t worry, I can make it there on my own.” He glanced at the beams of light shining from the blonde’s eyes. “You should look after your girlfriend ... maybe make her some psychic coffee or something?”

John and Calara both laughed at that, while Alyssa pouted playfully.

“Sleep well, Jack,” John said, nodding to him. “If you need anything during the night, head up to the Command Deck. The Nymphs will be rotating watch on the Bridge and they’ll be happy to help.”

He hesitated for a moment, then asked, “I’d like to call Maria, if that’s alright?”

“Of course,” John agreed.

“There’s a comms interface in your quarters,” Calara interjected. “You can call mom from there.”

Jack thanked them and wished them goodnight, then strode out of the Officers’ Lounge.

Calara sat down next to Alyssa and brushed a stray lock of golden hair from her face. “What happened, my love? I’ve never seen you react like this before.”

Alyssa let out a contented sigh. “You were so happy...” She drew a glowing pink heart in the air with her fingertip, then a dazzling set of stars sparkled around it. “Just like that!”

“I didn’t need telepathy to know how elated you were,” John said, smiling at the brunette. “Alyssa’s closest to you out of all the girls, so she must be really feeling it.”

Calara snuggled up on the sofa next to Alyssa and hugged her tight. “It was amazing. I’ve been worrying how my dad was going to react for so long, but he was just really proud of me. I don’t think I’ve ever felt so deeply at peace.”

“You shared everything with me ... and it felt so wonderful,” Alyssa said, her eyes suddenly filling with tears. She looked up at John and choked back a sob. “It was just like back on Karron with my dad...”

“Ah, honey...” he said with sympathy, wrapping his arms around both girls.

“I love both of you so much,” Alyssa whispered, trembling in their embrace. “My life before ... I know I’ve never really talked about it, but I don’t want you to look at me differently. It seemed like I was always scared, hungry ... and in pain.”

John stroked her abdomen where she’d been stabbed by a Kirrix nest guardian. “I’m sorry. I guess things haven’t changed all that much...”

She wiped away her tears and shook her head. “No, you changed everything! I’m never alone now and we can take anything life throws at us ... I’m always going to be there for you.”

“We know,” John said, holding her close.

Calara gave her a loving kiss on the cheek. “We’ll always be there for you too.”

Alyssa let out a happy sigh. “I know...”

They cuddled together for a few minutes, giving Alyssa time to recover after being overwhelmed by her emotions.

She eventually glanced up at John and gave him a sultry smile. “Actually, things haven’t changed all that much. I’m feeling pretty hungry; have you got anything tasty to fill up my tummy?”

“And she’s back,” John said with a chuckle.

Calara grinned at him. “You didn’t answer the question, John. I’m feeling pretty hungry too.”

“Poor girls, I didn’t mean to neglect you,” he said with sympathy, idly stroking their toned stomachs. “I was planning on filling up a smoky-eyed brunette when we go to bed; do you think that’ll keep your hunger pangs at bay?”

“Sounds like the perfect midnight snack,” Alyssa replied, licking her lips suggestively.

John rose from the sofa and offered the girls a hand. When they stood, he pulled them both close. “If you two need some attention after the day you’ve had, I’m sure Rachel would understand.”

Alyssa shook her head. “You’ve been looking forward to having some fun with her all evening. Don’t worry about us, I’m planning to show this gorgeous vixen a very good time. Besides, won’t it be difficult to look Jack in the eye tomorrow, if you spend all night fucking his daughter senseless?”

Calara blushed furiously. “Alyssa!”

“What? I didn’t think you’d want your dad to see you with a freshly-fucked glow in your cheeks.”

“I thought I’d reached a point where you couldn’t make me blush anymore,” the Latina said, faking a rueful sigh. “Clearly I was wrong.”

John laughed at their banter and set off towards the door with his arm around each of them. “Come on you two, time for bed.”

They hugged him back as they left the Officers’ Lounge, then the trio descended in the grav-tube to Deck Three. After the tense conversation with Jack, it was pleasant just to walk in companionable silence, enjoying the beautiful serenity of the Lagoon.

Pausing at the apex of the bridge, John looked out over the enchanting crystal-clear water. “We’re very lucky to have this place ... we should make more use of it.”

Alyssa nodded her agreement. “That’s true ... it’s been quite a while since we’ve all worn bikinis for you.”

“I wonder if there’s any nice beaches on Valaden,” Calara mused. “We should plan a summer holiday and invite the Young Matriarchs ... when they all start showing.”

John groaned at that thought. “I need a vacation to relax ... not give me a heart attack.”

The two girls giggled, flashing mischievous grins at each other.

“Where’s the fun in that?” Alyssa teased him, bumping John with her hip.

“It’ll be good practice,” Calara said archly, turning to kiss him tenderly on the cheek. “When we’re both six months pregnant, I want us to go on a babymoon together. I had a lovely dream about you oiling up our baby bumps with sun cream.”

“Were we pregnant or stuffed full of John’s cum?” the blonde asked, looking intrigued.

“Definitely pregnant,” Calara clarified. “Because he got so turned on, we had to alleviate the pressure in his quad afterwards ... You should have seen how huge we were then!”

“Alyssa’s a dreadful influence on you,” John said, squeezing Calara until she squeaked. He steered them towards the Observatory. “Let’s go ... I feel a sudden pressing need to see the Ship’s Doctor.”

Waving a hand at the door controls, Alyssa strode into their new bedroom. “Rachel, we need your help! It’s a medical emergency!”

The rest of the girls were lying naked on the bed, waiting for John’s arrival. They sat up and looked towards the trio in alarm as Alyssa led her companions into the Observatory.

“Can a case of blue balls be terminal?” Calara asked, her face a picture of concern.

Rachel blinked at her in surprise, then burst into laughter, her bedmates relaxing when they realised the mischievous pair were only joking. As Alyssa and Calara began eagerly undressing each other, the tawny-haired doctor rose from the bed and prowled over seductively to join John.

“I recommend immediately relieving the pressure, Admiral. I’m afraid you’ll have to remove your clothes before we can begin the procedure.”

“If that’s what it takes,” John said stoically. He raised an eyebrow as Rachel started unbuttoning his shirt. “What happened to your uniform, Doctor Voss?”

“I was conducting experiments on the average time it takes for a nineteen-year-old Terran female to achieve an orgasm. I observed that the time is shortened significantly with each additional erogenous zone being stimulated.”

Dana bounded over to help strip off John’s clothes, her nimble fingers deftly unbuckling his belt. “I was eating her out while Helene and Sakura sucked on her tits!” she declared cheerfully.

“That was very noble of you to volunteer yourself as the test subject, Doctor,” John said, feigning a look of admiration.

The brunette inclined her head modestly. “We must all be willing to make sacrifices for knowledge.”

John laughed as he scooped up both Rachel and Dana, placing them over his shoulders. He carried the giggling girls over to the centre of the oval bed, then made a point of turning around to examine the space between their audience. “Does this look like a good spot for the procedure?”

“Perfect,” Rachel agreed, as he placed them gently on the bed. She smiled coyly and lay back, spreading her thighs in invitation.

“Wait a second,” Dana exclaimed, placing a restraining hand on John’s chest. “I want to try something Perl suggested. How would you like to fuck both of us at the same time?”

Glancing down at his package, he raised an eyebrow, unable to see how what she was suggesting was feasible. He might have been extremely well hung, but he still only possessed one cock.

“Trust me,” the redhead said with a wink. “You’re going to love it!”

He knelt down beside them. “Okay, I’m all ears.”

“I had a feeling you might be,” she said with a cheeky grin. “Okay, you lie down right there. Leave everything to us.”

John did as the redhead asked, then watched curiously as Rachel threw a leg over his waist and straddled him. She rubbed herself against his rock-hard shaft, then wriggled forward to lay down on his chest. The brunette was higher up than normal, so he had to tilt his head back slightly to look her in the eyes.

“Hello, gorgeous,” he said, letting his fingers roam over her supple flanks, enjoying the feel of her silky-soft skin.

She was about to reply when Dana’s hand encircled his cock and nuzzled the head against her girlfriend’s sopping-wet pussy. Rachel let out a soft feminine moan of arousal, her eyelashes fluttering at the intimate contact.

Dana leaned around the brunette to smile at John. “Okay, now push inside, but don’t go in too deep! Stop before you go into her womb ... okay?”

John’s hands roamed lower until he took a firm grasp of Rachel’s curved hips. “Ready?” he asked, nudging her with the tip.

She bit her lip and nodded. “Uh huh...”

Rolling up with his hips, he pushed down on Rachel and watched her mouth open into a perfect oval as her pussy stretched wide to take his girth. She was already very wet after Dana’s enthusiastic attention, so he was able to slide inch after inch into her belly until he nudged her cervix.

“Fuck!” she gasped, panting at being suddenly stuffed full of his throbbing cock.

“Does that feel good, honey?” he asked, admiring the rapturous expression on her beautiful face.

“Feels so good...” she breathed, looking down on him through her long lashes.

John cupped his hand around the back of her neck and gently pulled her down for a kiss. Rachel returned it with passion, moaning wantonly into his mouth as she writhed against him. Her big full breasts felt soft and warm against his chest, while her snug inner folds gripped every inch of his shaft in a steamy furnace. Resting her forehead against his, she gazed into his eyes and rolled her hips, gyrating with barely perceptible movements.

Her tawny brown hair hung down around his face, acting like a sensually soft curtain that blocked out the outside world. It added to the intimacy, focusing his attention on Rachel’s soft grey eyes and her pupils that were flared with arousal. That was until the right drape was pulled back, revealing Dana’s sparkling blue eyes.

“Everything good so far?” the redhead asked enthusiastically.

John chuckled, the reverberation in his chest making Rachel moan. “This feels amazing, but I don’t see how I’m going to be able to have sex with both of you at the same time.”

Dana winked at him then glanced to her left. “Okay, go ahead!”

The bed shifted by his waist and John felt another slender female body straddling him. There was no mistaking the velvety softness of another slick pussy rubbing against the base of his cock, then someone’s deliciously pert bottom brushed against his quad.

“Oh my god...” John groaned, letting his hands roam lower to stroke the toned thighs of the second girl riding him.

Whoever the mystery woman was, she was gliding back and forth with a glorious sensual rhythm, dragging her clit along the thick vein on the underside of his shaft. The languid stroking felt amazing, especially when contrasted with Rachel squeezing the upper half of his cock with her rippling pussy.

“Who is that?” he asked, stroking the second cowgirl’s thighs in appreciation.

“Guess!” Dana urged him, her eyes twinkling.

“She’s got to be one of the dancers to move like that...” he muttered, appreciating the thrilling way the unknown woman was gyrating her body. “Not Jade ... she’d wait until the rest of you had your turn. Calara’s getting cosy with Alyssa, so it must be ... Sakura!”

“Very good,” the redhead said, looking suitably impressed. “You know your girls...”

Sakura leaned forward and snaked a hand around Rachel’s waist to reach her clit. She rubbed her insistently, while grinding against John’s cock to get herself off. The brunette whimpered with arousal, her eyes rolling back as she was overwhelmed by a shockingly fast climax, only to be joined moments later by the sexy pillion rider. John could feel Sakura’s thighs trembling as she bucked against him, her movements losing their fluid coordination in the midst of her ecstasy.

Dana had been watching with hungry eyes as the Asian girl climaxed and she darted a flushed grin at John. “Mind if I go next?”

“Hop on,” he replied with an indulgent smile.

Dana released her girlfriend’s hair, letting the brown curtain fall back into place.

John kissed the tip of Rachel’s nose. “Looked like a good one.”

“It was,” she breathed, her eyes hooded with lust. “When she was riding you, your cock pressed right against my g-spot. Then Sakura started rubbing my clit and ... oh!”

Her eyes widened as Dana switched places with Sakura, taking over from where the raven-haired beauty had left off. John could feel Dana’s hand slipping between his and Rachel’s stomachs, her fingers quickly going to work.

“Sit up a minute,” he requested, slapping Rachel’s deliciously rounded bottom.

She obeyed instantly, arching her back and holding herself upright with her arms outstretched. With Dana leaning forward, he could see the redhead’s eyes peeking over Rachel’s shoulder, their beautiful faces gazing down at him with alluring looks of arousal. John reached out to grasp Dana’s hips, holding her firmly in place, and gave them both a wicked grin as he drove upwards with pounding thrusts.

They gaped at him in surprise, their shocked gasps quickly turning into lusty cries. It really was like fucking them both at the same time, with Dana’s glistening pussy keeping the lower-half of his cock warm and wet, while her girlfriend wrapped the upper-half in a snug embrace. He soon had them both crying out in release, Dana slumping down onto her girlfriend’s back as they shared a powerful euphoric high. He kept going, wringing another climax out of the squealing pair, both of them powerless to resist as they wriggled on his shaft.

“How was that?” he asked, smiling with satisfaction and releasing his firm hold on Dana’s hips.

The redhead groaned as she tipped over to the side and sprawled on the bed. “I love it when you turbo-fuck me ... it’s like getting pounded by an industrial jackhammer!”

Rachel wasn’t able to respond, the brunette lying sprawled comatose across his chest.

“She’s out, handsome,” Alyssa said with pride. “Pleasure overload.”

John gently rolled Rachel off his chest and onto the bed next to Dana. The brunette’s bosom was heaving as she panted for breath, the dopey smile splashed across her face revealing Rachel’s opinion on being rendered unconscious from orgasming so hard. Glancing around the room, John saw the rest of the girls watching him with wide eyes ... and looks of longing in those beguiling gazes. He noticed that all the Nymphs were present, but the Valaden sisters were curiously absent.

“The twins are up on the Bridge keeping watch,” Alyssa explained. “We were all hoping this would turn into an orgy ... but they did break the bed with you earlier and didn’t want to be greedy.”

“An orgy?” John asked, holding out a hand towards Helene and Jade. “Now that sounds like an excellent idea.”

They beamed in delight as they crawled across the bed to join him, overjoyed at getting to be with John too. Jade urged Helene to take the top, while the Nymph rode the base of his shaft, moving with sinuous sensuality as she coaxed the Aquatic girl to orgasm, quickly following her to climax. The four catgirls paired off, and each couple took a turn drenching John’s cock, in a breathtaking procession of gorgeous women. Alyssa and Calara waited until last, with the blonde eye-to-eye with John as Calara demonstrated just how effective Jade’s dance lessons had been for improving her skills in the bedroom.

“Have we spoilt you now?” Alyssa panted, as she recovered from an intense orgasm. “Can you go back to just one girl, after fucking two girls senseless at the same time?”

John cupped her face in both hands and gave her a tender kiss. “If I have been spoilt, you’ll keep me up to my quad in eager young women, won’t you?”

Her gaze softened and she nodded. “Whatever you need, handsome.”

Calara kissed her girlfriend on the shoulder. “What he needs is to unload his balls.” She looked down at him with sympathy. “I can feel how full they are under my bottom. You must be aching, John...”

He groaned as she gently caressed his taut sack, the stimulation from so many girls leaving him desperate for release. Glancing to the side, he found Rachel and Dana watching him through heavy-lidded eyes. The redhead was spooned behind her girlfriend, squeezing and massaging the brunette’s breasts as they watched John in action.

“Have you recovered, gorgeous?” he asked Rachel, enjoying seeing the languid smile of sexual satisfaction on her face.

“I’m ready and willing.” She crooked a finger at John and beckoned him over. “It’s your turn now...”

Alyssa and Calara smoothly dismounted him, freeing John to kneel between Rachel’s splayed thighs.

Dana gave him a loving kiss on the cheek. “Can I lick your balls while you’re fucking Rach? I want to watch you pump her full of cum close up...”

“I’m hardly going to say no to that, am I?” he replied, with a fond smile.

Turning to the brunette, he lined himself up and slowly slid home inside her soaked pussy. Her pliant body had snapped back after the brief rest, so he had to stretch her out once again, to the sound of her breathy moans.

When John paused at her cervix, she encircled her arms and legs around him to pull him deeper. “I want all of you, John...”

Thrusting harder, he felt the entrance to her womb yield to his cock, admitting him into her innermost depths.

“Oh god, I needed that...” Rachel moaned, her hips rolling as she relished being fully-impaled. Looking up into his eyes, she gently pulled down on his shoulders. “You can rest on me ... I can support your weight.”

John tentatively lowered himself on her, but still kept some of the weight on his elbows as he cupped her head in his hands. “That feels good ... I love having you completely wrapped around me.”

She gently kissed him. “I can feel your balls on my ass ... they’re heavy ... full to the brim.”

“Ready to fill up a very sexy girl,” he agreed, pulling back an inch before hilting himself again.

“Thanks for choosing me to take your cum,” she said softly, looking up at him with adoring eyes. “Nothing beats having you filling up my womb ... I can practically feel my ovaries jumping for joy.”

“It’s so tempting, honey,” he murmured, lengthening his thrusts. “But then I’d need to get Dana pregnant too ... I’m definitely breeding you both at the same time.”

The redhead groaned from behind him, then he felt her pat his leg. He spread his thighs wider to make room for her, as Rachel drew back her legs so her knees were framing her breasts. A moment later, Dana’s warm wet tongue glided over his taut quad, lavishing loving attention on the hefty quartet. John and Rachel groaned at the same time as he thrust forward, the stimulation too much for him to hold off any longer.

“So deep...” the brunette moaned, arching her back. “So fucking good!”

John could only grunt his agreement, driven past the edge of control by the seductive beauty impaled on his cock. He started pistoning in and out of her in an insistent rhythm, Rachel letting out breathy whimpers of excitement as she felt him driving towards the finish. She watched him intently, urging him on with kisses and sexy whimpers as he pushed deep into her body. Looking into Rachel’s eyes as he climaxed, John felt like he was staring into her soul, the brunette screaming in ecstasy as she felt powerful spurts of cum being pumped deep into her belly.

Pinned down on the bed, she thrust back at him as best she could, her hungry pussy trying to milk his balls of every last drop of cum. It was a long, ferociously intense climax, with John having to raise himself up to allow her tummy room to swell. Rachel cradled the curved dome with her hands, a doe-eyed look of bliss on her face as she revelled in her womb being stretched to take his hot load.

Finally sated, John eased out of her and collapsed on the bed, panting to regain his breath after the intense orgasm. At some point one of the girls licked his cock clean, then judging by the enthusiastic lapping sounds and Rachel’s soft cries, he knew she was feeding her friends. Exhausted as he was, he couldn’t muster the energy to even open his eyes to check, but he gladly hugged the pair of luscious bedmates that eventually snuggled up against him. A second set of breasts pressed against his arms as two more girls spooned their lovers, but John let sleep take him, fading out to welcome darkness.

Deep Lord Athgiloi floated in his submersion chamber, enjoying a wonderful dream. He had vanquished the Kintark Empire and the Terran Federation, the subsequent influx of resources fuelling an unprecedented expansion in military research and shipbuilding. The Enclave fleets were so numerous they blotted out the stars and he launched the vast Brimorian armada against the Maliri Protectorate, his legions blasting golden-hulled starships and leaving a trail of unprecedented destruction in their wake. He had stormed the Maliri homeworld and Queen Edraele was left cowering on the floor of her throne room, begging him for mercy.

He sat on the vanquished Maliri throne, admired by the fawning members of the Deep Pool, who looked upon his magnificence in awe. As he preened in front of his subjects, Athgiloi waited for Celphna to proudly declare him Lord of the Galaxy, but she froze mid-pronouncement, her words coming out as a lilting chime. Athgiloi silently urged his devoted Nymph to announce his glorious new title, but she stood there making the oddly-familiar chiming noise. The dream began to fade, much to his chagrin, then he heard the comms interface chime again and burbled in frustration.

Celphna floated beside him in the tank, the beguiling scaly female watching him with her large black eyes. “May this one offer you pleasure, Master?”

“Later, my beautiful pearl. I have business to attend to,” he replied, reluctantly lashing his tail to propel him across the tank.

He saw that the call was from the Brimorian ambassador previously assigned to the Kintark Empire, who had been recalled from Kinta hours before war was declared. Athgiloi tapped the shell icons to accept the incoming priority call, wondering what could be so pressing.

“Ambassador Saogh, what news from Kinta?” Athgiloi asked the worried Brimorian.

“My apologies for disturbing you at this early hour, Deep Lord, I would not have done so if it wasn’t of the utmost urgency. I have been contacted by one of my spies in the Mar’Trinark Shipyard; he reported that hundreds of Kintark warships are undergoing refit in the drydocks.”

Athgiloi’s brow creased with concern. “That’s not possible. Baledranax threw every space-worthy craft he had at the Terran Federation.”

“Yes, but these warships were thought lost in the Battle of Regulus!” Saogh burbled nervously. “I’ve sent you a listing of the fleet assets my spy was able to identify by their transponder codes.”

Hurriedly scanning through the list, Athgiloi flexed his claws in irritation. “The Terran Federation must have captured those Kintark vessels after the battle. The Empress must have sold her soul to the Fleet Admiral to trade for those warships; I wonder what she offered Devereux to make that deal?”

“I’m afraid I do not know, Deep Lord,” the ambassador replied with regret. “My contacts were not privy to any treaty discussions.”

“Never mind,” Athgiloi muttered, his eyes narrowed in concentration. “You’ve served me well, Saogh. When you return to Brimor, you will be rewarded.”

The ambassador looked elated, his fins quivering as he bowed gratefully to his leader. Athgiloi ended the call, and before the ambassador’s face had disappeared from the holo-screen, the Deep lord was scrolling through the Fleet Command interface to contact the invasion armada. Requesting a status update, he waited for the interstellar communication to bounce between the comms beacons, crossing the vast amounts of space between Brimor and the Kintark Empire. Shoal Master Kaelotegh was quick to respond when the message finally reached his flagship, the Retribution from the Depths.

“The invasion is proceeding according to plan, Deep Lord,” Kaelotegh said, inclining his head respectfully towards the Brimorian leader. “Sixty-two systems have fallen under our control and we continue to sweep unopposed through Kintark territory. There has been no sign of Imperial warships and the planetary governors we interrogated have confirmed that system defence fleets departed weeks ago for the Terran invasion.”

“You will encounter no ships until you reach their homeworld. My spies on Kinta have reported that all the remaining Imperial forces are gathering there to mount a last stand,” Athgiloi calmly informed him.

The Shoal Master narrowed his black eyes. “How large a force will we be facing?”

“Not enough to be a threat,” Athgiloi replied, looking unconcerned. “Approximately 300 warships are being refitted at the Mar’Trinark Shipyard.”

“Enough for two fleets...” Kaelotegh mused. “Should I set course for Kinta to destroy them mid-refit?”

“Yes, proceed there immediately. This is an excellent opportunity for us to eliminate all the remaining Kintark warships in one decisive battle. I want you to split your forces and encircle Kinta, approaching their capital from multiple directions so you can interdict any ships that try to escape. If you attack en mass along the invasion corridor, the Imperial forces will realise how massively outnumbered they are and evacuate with the Empress.”

The Shoal Master bared his needle-like teeth in a predatory snarl. “They will not escape our nets, Deep Lord!”

Athgiloi nodded curtly, then gestured with a claw. “The Kintark will be forced to fight a last stand in their home system, so it’s highly likely they’ll attempt to rig the battlefield in their favour. Watch you do not blunder into any traps.”

“We shall remain vigilant for minefields or other hazards, Deep Lord.”

Athgiloi fins rippled in anticipation. “I shall look forward to seeing an end to Empress Tamolith’s short reign, Shoal Master.”

“Do you wish her slain?”

“Bowed and beaten to grovel before me,” Athgiloi corrected him, a sadistic gleam in his dark eyes.

Kaelotegh inclined his head respectfully. “As you command, Deep Lord.”

Ending the call with a tap of his scaly claw, Athgiloi scanned through the rest of the messages he’d received earlier that morning. One of them was from the Dock Master at Braoimdh Nautica and he scanned through the transmission, then opened a comms channel with the massive shipyard. The sigil for the Enclave rippled away, revealing the flustered features of the Brimorian officer.