“I can kill her, I can kill all of them. I’m not going to stop until I save you, and our galaxy.”
“Eye yah,” she said as she walked toward me. Her red eyes looked sad, and her arms opened to embrace me. I was still in my tiger-man form, and she felt incredibly small and fragile against my blood-soaked chest.
“It will be okay,” I said as I opened my eyes to stare down at the winged woman, but then I gasped as I realized I was holding onto my bed sheets.
I was back in my room on the ship, and I’d defeated that SAVO bitch in dreamland again. I didn’t know if my bite had actually killed the monster, but I knew one thing for sure:
I was getting way better at beating her at her own game.
My bed was empty, and I wondered how long I’d been asleep. The muscles of my body felt great, and the pain in my head was gone. I figured I must have gotten at least ten hours of rest, but I would have thought that either Sivaha, Madalena, Eve, or Zea would have been in the room when I awoke.
I swung my legs out of bed and walked into my bathroom. A moment later I was in the shower and washing. I actually expected Persephone to make one of her appearances since she seemed to visit me after I had a dream with her, but I finished the shower without her touching me.
I brushed my teeth, used the toilet, and then threw on one of my flight suits before walking out into the hallway. I found the bridge deserted except for Nikki, and the pilot stood from her chair as soon as I walked on deck.
“How long have I been asleep?” I asked.
“Some eighteen hours, I believe,” she replied.
“Damn, longer than I expected. Where is everyone?”
“I am unsure, Adam,” she asked. “I can pull up internal cameras if you want.”
“Yeah,” I said, and the pilot nodded before she pushed a few buttons on her terminal.
Some thirty-six views expanded to fit the front screen, and my eyes focused on the hold first. Zea, Paula, and Kasta had taken one of the knight drones apart, and the three women were sorting through a spaghetti-bowl looking nest of wires. On the other side of the hold, Hegeia, Uma, Waiola, Mikhael, Josefinna, and one of Kuroda’s ex-wives sat around a waist-high crate. The group looked like they were playing a game of poker, and I was a bit surprised to see that the woman from Wobbegong had the largest pile of chips.
I found Madalena, Sivaha, and Eve in the galley with my mother and sister. The five of them sat around the main table with wine glasses in their hands, and I figured that should be the place I headed first.
“Zea?” I said after I pressed the button for my transponder.
“Oh, hey Adam, you are awake.” I saw the blonde hacker step out of the mess of wires as she touched the transponder on her suit.
“My mom and sister are in the galley, and I’m going to go talk to them. Did you have a chance to meet my mother?”
“Uhhh, yeah,” the blonde woman said.
“Do you want to go with me?” I asked.
“You want me to go?” she asked.
“I just asked,” I said with a chuckle. “Are you being sarcastic?”
“No,” she said, and I saw lips upturn into a smile. “Just checking.”
“Okay,” I said. “Meet you there soon.”
I nodded to Nikki and then walked toward the elevator. As I passed the holographic map, I heard the doors to the lift open ahead, and Kuroda turned the corner.
“Ahh, Tiger,” he said with a friendly smile. “I was hoping to find you here.”
“Hey, Dragon,” I replied with a nod. “How are you taking to Persephone?”
“She is an excellent vessel with a wonderful soul,” he replied. “Sometimes I can feel her watching me, and I give thanks to her for carrying us across space and time.”
“She is our protector.” I shrugged.
“How was your mission on Ganymede?” he asked as he walked with me toward the elevator.
“It was good,” I replied. “I managed to get my mother and return. That was the point.”
“Did you feel your power grow?” he asked. “Did you try to think like Tiger?”
“I’m not sure,” I admitted. “I applied some of what you said, and I think it worked, but I don’t really know what my baseline is, so I’ll have to try it a few more times. Hell, I’m not even sure I’m doing it correctly. I’m just trying to attack more.”
“It is a start,” he said with a sage-like nod. “Was your transition back to human as taxing as it normally is?”
“It wasn’t,” I said. “I felt tired, but I was able to fight without the usual fatigue. I think that was an improvement.”
“Good,” he said as we entered the elevator. “I would like to spend more time with you. There are meditative exercises I can teach you that will help you grasp your rage and use it as a weapon. It will allow you to wield more power.”
“I’m interested,” I said, “but I’m still not quite understanding why you are helping me.”
“The simple answer is that you saved my life,” he said with a slow nod. “I have already told you this.”
“But I told you that you could just stay and rule your kingdom. I was fine to--”
“You have been chosen,” he interrupted me. “One of us was supposed to live. It would have been you. It should have been you, and I understand why you were chosen. This is the right path for Dragon, and it is now my place to lend Tiger the wisdom so that there is no question of victory.”
“Alright,” I said. “To be honest, I don’t have many male friends, so I’d be happy to spend some time with you.”
“Yes,” he said with a nod. “Who would have thought that the Tiger and Dragon would be friends? But dark and dangerous times are ahead, so this outcome makes the most sense. Tell me Tiger, have you met with your new wives yet?”
“You mean Rin, Yui, Kalan, and Vikana?” I asked as the door on the second floor opened.
“Yes,” he answered. “They need to be claimed by you if you have not already done so.”
“Uh,” I sighed. “What do you mean by ‘claimed?’ I haven’t really even met them, and I have four other women that I’m trying to juggle.”
“You must inseminate them,” he said. “They need to know they are yours. You should lay claim to all the women on this ship. It will grow your power.”
“It sounds like you are trying to get me to fuck your wives, Dragon.”
“They were Kuroda’s wives,” he said. “Dragon is a spirit who now serves Tiger.”
“Look,” I said with a sigh. We were in the middle of the hallway, and I stopped walking so that we wouldn’t be in the middle of this conversation when we entered the galley. “I’ve got a lot of shit going on. You know this. I’m okay with the four of them being on my ship as long as they pull their weight, but I’m stretched in a dozen different directions right now, and I don’t have time to become romantically involved with anyone else.”
“You confuse power with romance,” he said. “The women on this ship already crave your seed in their wombs. You would honor them by taking them.”
“You are starting to make this weird,” I laughed. “I doubt that is the case. Besides, Josefinna is married to Mikhael, so not every woman on this ship wants me.”
“The Nordar understand power and sex,” Kuroda said. “Josefinna is submitted to your wife, who is submitted to you. Her man is submitted to her. If you asked the redhead to sleep with you, she would welcome and enjoy your penetration, and her husband would be honored that you inseminated her.”
“I’m gonna stop you there,” I whispered as I saw Zea walk down the hallway toward me. “We’ll talk about it later.”
“Consider it,” he said with a bob of his head.
“Yeah,” I replied before I turned to Zea. “Hey.”
“Hey,” she replied as I pulled her into my arms and kissed her lips. When we parted, Kuroda was walking away from us, and I could hear him humming a slow melody.
“What were you talking about?” she as
ked as we turned toward the kitchen.
“Nothing important,” I said.
“Well, you looked mad. Did he say something to piss you off?”
“Naw,” I replied. “Have you talked to him at all? What do you think about him?”
“I’ve only spoken to him a little, and just in the last few days. He is very polite and always compliments me, so I’m finding it hard to dislike him. But then I remembered that he tried to kill you and intended to do… like creepy shit to us after he killed you, so I dunno if I trust him.”
“Yeah,” I agreed as we turned into the kitchen.
Everyone turned to face Zea and me when we entered, and I felt my heart quicken on galloping nerves. It was stressful enough to introduce a girl you were dating to your mom, but she’d just spent who knows how long talking to both of my wives and the other woman who was my lover.
I was sure their conversation was a bit complicated.
“Hey Mom,” I said as she stood up from her chair to embrace me.
“Shinta,” she gasped when my arms circled her. “I am happy you are awake. I was just speaking with your friends. They are all such lovely women.”
“They are my wives and lovers,” I corrected her as we parted. “They are more than just friends. Have you met Zea?”
“No, but I have heard Eve speak of her.”
“Nice to meet you,” Zea’s face was bright red, and she extended a trembling hand so that my mother could shake it.
“Nice to meet you also,” my mother said as she took the hacker’s hand.
“Sorry, I’m super nervous,” Zea gasped. “My hand is really sweaty right now.”
“It is fine,” the older woman said. “I am nervous too. I did not ever imagine this would happen. I dreamed I would see Shinta again, but when I woke up this morning, I had no idea it would be today, or that I would see my daughter again, or that I would come aboard his ship and meet such beautiful women.”
“Awww,” Zea smiled and then bit her lip as her face somehow turned even redder.
“On our world, it isn’t socially acceptable for people to have multiple wives or partners, but I have been speaking with everyone, and I can tell that they all love my son. It warms my heart, but I also have questions about the logistics of it all.”
“Questions?” I asked as the three of us sat down at the table.
“Yes,” she answered. “How are the sleeping arrangements? How do you all spend time together? What about childre--”
“Stop,” I said as I raised my hand. “You are my mother, and I love you with all my heart. I recall you working your ass off after dad left so you could take care of Hanekawa and me. Every part of me feels gratitude and respect for you, but how my love life works isn’t any of your business. All you need to know is that I love these four women, and I hope you come to love them too. They are each wonderful in their own unique way, and we all would die to protect each other.”
“Ohh,” my mother said. Both her and Hanekawa’s eyes had grown large at my words, but I could feel a tidal wave of pride and pleasure coming from Madalena and Sivaha.
“I will explain something else to you as well,” I said as I looked at both my mother and sister. “I am captain of this starship and King of a territory that spans thousands of solar systems and holds trillions of people. I have a mission to save the galaxy and not a lot of time to accomplish this mission. While you both are on my ship, you will do everything I tell you to do without question. I was once a boy. I was once your brother and son. I was once a Marine. I am still all of those things, but now I am more, and our relationship will need to be adjusted.”
“Yes, Shinta,” my mother said with a smile and quick nod. “I understand. Your wives have already told me that I will never need to worry or work again. I am looking forward to the future. Words cannot express how happy I am to be reunited with you both. I know what you do is dangerous, but you…” her voice trailed off as she wiped some tears from her eyes. “I am proud of you. When you went to jail, I know you did it for us, and I was always grateful. It just seems too wonderful and impossible. Your wives were telling me of your exploits, and I just can’t believe it.”
I moved across the table so that I could sit and wrap my arm around her shoulders. Her tears were pouring down her face now, and she pushed her nose into my chest so that she could cry. Sivaha, Madalena, Eve, and Zea all smiled, but Zea was also crying and the blonde hacker dabbed her blue eyes with her fingers. The seven of us sat in joyous silence for a few minutes while my mother got it out of her system, and then my sister cleared her throat.
“We need to talk about Calvin,” she said. Tears were also coming down her cheeks, but her jaw was set in a hard line.
“I’m not done questioning him,” I said as I fought against my anger.
“He has done nothing wrong,” she growled, moved to wipe her nose with her back of her hand, but instead took the handkerchief that Sivaha handed her.
“He’s done plenty wrong,” I said. “And I am not done questioning him.”
“He was just trying to help us,” she said as she shook her head.
“If I determine that, then I’ll let him go,” I replied.
“You will?” she asked with a bit of surprise.
“Yes,” I said. “That is why I still have questions for him.” I fought to keep my voice calm when I spoke with her. Arguing with my sister would only make us angry, and it wasn’t the time or place right now. As much as it disgusted me, I could tell she had feelings for the blond scientist. I just needed to show her how much of a snake he really was.
“Perhaps we should speak more of earlier lives,” Eve said, and we all turned to her. “Andrea, we would all love to hear stories of Adam growing up.”
“Shinta?” she asked as she turned to me. “Why do they call you Adam?”
“It’s the name I took,” I said. “It works.”
“What does Shinta mean?” Sivaha asked. “And why was he given that name? You three do not look Japanese.”
“Ganymede was colonized by people from Japan, Hawaii, the West Coast of North America, and a few other Pacific Islands,” I explained. “We speak both Japanese and English.”
“When Shinta was born, he was very big,” my mom said. “Almost seven kilograms.”
“Damn,” Zea hissed as she winced at my mom. “Pardon me for saying so Andrea, but that must have fucking hurt.”
“Yes,” my mother agreed. “Shinta means ‘large’ or ‘really large’ or ‘to grow large.’ His father thought it was a fitting name.”
“Yeah, it fits,” Zea said as she winked at me.
The conversation spun back to memories my mother had of Hanekawa and I growing up. She didn’t have many stories to tell, but my lovers all leaned forward when my mother spoke. Within thirty minutes the group was laughing together, and even my sister grinned from ear to ear when she told a story about once stealing my candy and blaming it on a neighbor.
I wanted to talk to my mother about the weretiger gene and about my sister’s belief that we weren’t actually human, but the group was having a great time talking, and I didn’t want to destroy the mood by bringing up the topic.
I wanted my mother to get to know my women better. I wanted her to love them like I loved them, and I wanted my sister to feel the same way. I knew it would take time, and I knew my time was limited, but at this moment everything seemed perfect.
I could almost forget that the beast was taking over my mind and that we might all die when we fought the SAVO.
The conversation moved to various stories about my sister, mother, Madalena, Sivaha, and Zea. Eve did not speak much of her past, but the four women all found a way to connect with my sister and mother. After about an hour of us talking, I called Kasta and Paula and asked them to come meet my mother. They came a few minutes after, covered in grease from their work, but they quickly made my mother laugh with an abbreviated story of how we all met.
Madalena and Sivaha moved into the kitch
en and began making a large meal for everyone, and the little gathering quickly turned into an ad hoc party. Soon I had the rest of the Nordar crew in the galley along with Kuroda and the four women he had once called his wives. Wine was flowing from bottle to glass, music was being played from the speaker system, and I even ordered Nikki to leave her station so that she could join in the festivities.
My two queens grilled dozens of steaks, fried potatoes, sauteed vegetables, and baked cornbread while they drank wine and chatted with each other. It was somewhat strange to have the two most powerful women in the Vaish Blood Overlord clan working in the kitchen, but neither of them allowed anyone else to help.
Lunch turned into dinner, and then dinner turned into late night. Eventually the party faded, and I found myself sitting at the table with Eve, Zea, Paula, Kasta, Sivaha, and Madalena. Hegeia, Uma, and Waiola had just finished cleaning up from the party and left, but everyone else onboard Persephone had either returned to their duties or turned in for the night.
“Your mom is nice,” Zea said to me as she lifted her wine glass to her lips. I had no idea how much any of us had enjoyed, but the only one I knew who wasn’t buzzed or drunk was Kasta.
“She really is,” Paula said. “She’s still a little shell-shocked, but I bet she is going to love endless spa days on Odin Geirr.”
“Ahhh, the spaaaaa,” Zea sighed.
“She will never have to work another day in her life,” Eve said. “It is good.”
“Yeah,” I said as I took a sip from my own wine glass. I must have had three or four bottles by myself, but my advanced healing kept me from getting too drunk.
“The best part of the night was when Vikana, Yui, Kalan, and Rin told your mom that they were also your wives, but you haven’t consummated the marriage yet.”
“They said that?” I sighed.
“I’m pretty sure she thought they were drunk, or she was drunk. Everyone was pretty drunk there for a few hours.”
“What are you going to do about them?” Zea asked as she fixed her blue eyes on me.
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