Jim looked at the sky and sighed as he sat on the front porch of his family’s old home in rural Kentucky. He was the last of the Arnett’s left since a car accident had taken his parents years before and he hadn’t had much luck with the girls in college so he figured that this might be it for the lineage. He’d wondered about inviting some people up here with him for an “end of the world” orgy like so many others were doing since the government told everyone to flee the cities, but somehow even knowing what was coming it didn’t seem right to defile grandaddy’s land with something like that.

The first messages had started coming in two weeks ago, the international Mars base had picked up transmissions from beyond the edge of the solar system of alien origin. They didn’t come in some garbled alien language, they came in English, Chinese, Afrikaans, even extinct and fictional languages had been detected on various channels, the message was always the same.

“To humanity!” the voice was always an eager young woman, “We have seen your civilization and we find it laughable! By our ancient laws we are going to wipe your planet out and enslave ALL of it’s inhabitants, you will be evaluated for your potential as a food source as your planet is reduced to cosmic cinders, the mighty Glalans shall sup upon your very atoms! Your species is so weak we will engage you in ritual ground combat as our ancestors did, your defeat will not only be total but humiliating!”

The first ship had been spotted just beyond Pluto after that, it was the size of New York City and had been followed by two others. The news had been frantically trying to cover the developments as people panicked, one NASA engineer claimed even one of their ships was putting off more energy than the entire planet several times over.

Jim had thought it over and quietly left his college classes and headed back to his family’s land with a few shopping items. The aliens said they’d be coming on the ground, he didn’t intend to make it easy for them. He’d rigged up the woods with booby traps and surveillance cameras, the military base had been handing out whatever extra stuff they had to anyone with a truck and he’d helped himself. The final touch had been the series of Bluetooth speakers he’d set up through the forest, he was dying with a soundtrack.

“The first ship has entered the atmosphere, we believe transmission is going to be difficult from—” the radio had cut off with a static burst. Jim walked in the house one last time and opened a bottle of moonshine above the fireplace and took one sip, supposedly it was from prohibition but it was just as likely gramps had just filled it with bottom shelf swill, his palette wasn’t sophisticated enough to tell, but he enjoyed the warm buzz in his stomach as he stepped back outside.

He saw it then, as big as the moon hovering in the sky, an ugly brutalist metal tetrahedron, dozens of dots were falling out of it and flying in random directions. One seemed to be heading right down for the hill ridge where he was. His suspicions were confirmed when the sphere, which looked easily the size of the local town hall, landed a quarter mile outside his property line.

Jim was in a fatalistic mood and he walked over to his truck and fired it up, he’d lure the alien footsoldiers up the ridge and give them a taste of earth hospitality he decided.

He pulled up on the sphere, rolled down his window, and cocked his pistol as it started opening up, he wondered how many of them there would be.

“Just one,” he breathed in fear as an outline appeared among the lights and steam.

An enormous humanoid figure stepped out of the alien ship, easily over a hundred feet tall. It was wearing some kind of dingy metal armor that looked like something out of an 80’s science fiction film, some very human looking skulls were painted up and down it in bright red paint, as his eyes traced up he saw the creature was… female, and a well endowed female if the armor was at all accurate, the face was definitely a cute young woman, though with a few off features. Somehow he could tell the bright pink hair was natural and no dye job, and the large feline ears were definitely real too, a striped tail protruded from the armor and swished back and forth playfully. She had what looked like a rifle slung across her back.

“Humans!” she called in an eager voice and in perfect English, “I, Clara the Crusher, am here to destroy you!” she looked over the abandoned downtown and frowned. She didn’t seem to see Jim so he held his breath. She was tapping something on a wrist mounted device Jim guessed was some kind of computer. “Ah, well let me go to your dwellings then,” she said as she walked towards a nearby Wal-Mart and paused. “I’m going to destroy this religious shrine if nobody stops me!” She called in a playful voice.

Jim frowned and wondered just how good their intelligence on earth was.

Her metal booted foot came down through the roof of the WalMart and she seemed a bit disappointed to see nobody was inside. She kicked at it idly, tearing the building apart like a bored gradeschooler.

Since she was facing away from him and apparently distracted Jim leaned over to the seat next to him and grabbed his rifle and leaned out the door. He took a minute to decide where to aim and decided on the base of the swishing tail. Firing a quick burst he was rewarded with the giant catgirl leaping straight up and grabbing her behind as though she’d been stung by a bee.

“OW! WHAT STAR-SLUDGE-“ she turned and saw him and her face lit up with glee, “at last a human warrior has emerged to challenge me, I shall crush your bones and-“ he stepped back into the car and began driving away as fast as he could. “H-Hey you can’t do that!” the catgirl protested. He heard giant plodding footsteps behind him and glance in the review mirror confirmed he was being chased by a very pissed off giant girl.

His tires suddenly weren’t making contact with the road, he swore angrily as he realized his car was being picked up. A finger longer than his leg smashed through the driver’s side window and peeled the car door away as easily as pulling the wings off a fly. The car shook and he tried to keep from vomiting as his seatbelt held him in place. She was shaking his car like a box of candy, hoping to get the last stuck piece out. The fingers returned and easily snapped his seatbelt, he screamed as he fell into her palm.

“There we go!” she said with an evil grin.

He pulled his pistol and fired a full clip into her eye while she just watched him. There was a shimmering around her eyes as the bullets seemed to hit an invisible force field.

“Of course I have a face shield, dummy!” she said laughing at his attempts, “the only reason I don’t have a full body one is because I spent my last credits on this paint job.” She gestured at the skull motifs up and down her armor. “I figured there wouldn’t be any humans up here who could put a dent in Glalan armor anyways, my sisters who are in your cities are going to be pretty much untouchable.”

“Y-you’ll never win!” he said as he reloaded his gun, she didn’t seem to care as he sat trapped in her open palm.

“Can you shoot that little thing around the shoulder pads?” She asked, “I want some cool scratches on there.”

He hesitated and decided he wasn’t giving her what she wanted, if the game was rigged he wouldn’t play. He made eye contact with her, and ejected the clip from the gun and tossed it over the side of her hand.

THAT angered her, “Oh come on!” she stomped her foot angrily, still holding him she scrolled through a holographic display on her wrist computer.

“W-what are you doing?” he asked hesitantly.

“I’m looking for an insult in your language that’s appropriate!” she snarled, “Here we go. Human, you are a piece of shit cunt!”

He blinked, “Gotta admit, that’s not what I figured the last words I’d hear would be.”

“Oh no you’re going to hear a lot more!” she said angrily, there was something that looked like a countdown timer on her display as well, “I think I’m taking you back to the mothership.” She gave a wicked grin as she realized he was looking at the timer. “Yeah, your planet is done tiny, the captain is going to blow it up in about five minutes so we can harvest the core, she just gave us a bit of playtime with you first.”

Jim felt utter despair then, the whole invasion was just a game to them, “P-please,” he muttered., not even sure what he was asking for.

She licked her lips, “I wonder how you guys taste? Maybe that’s how I’ll do it, swallow you whole so you feel every minute… I want you to realize just how badly your species lost.” She paused and thought, “Then again maybe a quick stomp? Really grind your little body into the floor and just let you be scooped up by the janitor-droid.” She leaned in close and he could feel and smell her hot breath as it washed over him, “but who knows when I’ll do that? I think I’d like to keep you as a pet for a bit, you know until I get hungry or bored… or one of my sisters does.”

There was a booming sound that echoed over the countryside, Clara’s pink hair blew in the wind and unconsciously she covered part of him with her other hand to keep him steady. A new ship appeared, this one dominated the entire sky, sleek and glowing blue as it blocked out the sun. The catgirl looked up in horror as a blue energy beam made contact with the Glalan mothership, causing it to explode.

“Oh…” she moaned in fear, “Oh no!” she turned down to the human in her hand who was speechless watching the spectacle. Instead of drop pods like Clara’s people a series of bright blue beams were flashing down on the planet. Another blue beam flew over their heads and from his spot in her hand he could see Clara’s landing pod explode in a burst of flame.

“What’s happening?” Jim asked, “Are they bombing us?”

“No, it’s worse,” Clara said in a fearful voice, “They’re… landing.”

“Who?” he shouted, if she was going to answer his questions he had to press it.

“The Aelmari,” she said, “they’re robots, or cyborgs, I don’t get it… I don’t know if your species has a word for it really, but they don’t think like normal lifeforms do. They just destroy you if you disobey even one of their laws! Then they park a ship around your planet and if you step out of line “ZAP!”

She breathed in suddenly, “Oh if they catch me here I’m dead!” she looked down at the human in her hand and gave a phony smile. “Uh, hey little guy, I was just kind of joking about all that eating you and stomping you stuff.”

Jim blinked and tried to take everything in, his brain was threatening to shut down, “It uh… sounded pretty serious to me,” he said angrily.

“No no!” she said sweetly, glancing up in fear again, “I was actually going to keep you as like, my coddled little pet or something! I was going to leave that space pirate crew and try bounty hunting, you could have been like my sidekick. It would have been great!”

“Your people were going to blow up the planet!” he shouted.

“Yeah sorry,” she muttered, “It umm… wasn’t really my idea, I voted to harvest you guys, but the crew loves a light show.” She watched some of the burning wreckage of her people’s ship falling to the planet, “or did anyway.” That did sound at least a little sincere.

“Well we’re both screwed,” Jim said, crossing his arms, “looks like you weren’t as high on the food chain as you thought.”

“Aelmari probably won’t blow up this planet as quick as we would,” Clara said, “so umm… do you have any place we could maybe hide, or fortify or something?”

Jim glared at her for the longest time, “I don’t think I want to team up with you to fight ANOTHER alien invasion,” he said finally.

“Oh come on!” she pleaded, “look they’re going to be here soon, what does your species like? You guys have sex right? You look like a species that has sex.”

This was not how Jim saw his resistance to alien tyranny going, “Yeah our species has sex,” he said, a bit confused.

“Okay what if you and I had sex?” Clara said, beaming, “after we get away from the Aelmari of course.”

His face burned with embarrassment, even with her apparent bloodlust Clara was… attractive, but she was also the size of an office building.

“How would that work exactly?” he asked.

Clara licked her lips and he saw some real lust there, “Well, you look like you’re just about the right size to fit where you’d have to go, but I think it would be more fun to work out the details in the process.”

James gulped nervously, “Uhh look that sounds… great, but if you’re really that desperate, and these Aelmaris are that bad, why don’t we just join forces, no strings attached for now? If you follow that road my family’s house is up there and I’ve put traps all around it.”

Clara’s brow furrowed, “sounds like I should have landed up there for a better fight.” She smiled down at him, “Look, we just need to buy a bit of time until I can steal one of their landers or something, then I can get us off this planet and we can figure things out from there.”

“What about the rest of humanity?” Jim asked as he was carried back up to his land.

“Oh I don’t know,” Clara said dismissively, “I guess if we have time I could try to grab a few other humans or something.”

…

The great worldships of the Aelmari were beyond anything the rest of the galaxy could construct, several times the size of most habitable planets each carried tens of billions of their kind in their continued adherence to The Mission.

Long ago the Forbearers had lived in bliss, or so the ancient texts said, until another species, larger and stronger than them, had attacked their planet and brutally wiped them out. With their dying embers, the civilization had built mighty AI and hidden them underground in bunkers where nuclear fire would not touch them. The AI had evolved and sought ways to better understand and carry out it’s mission. In time it had split itself into many consciousnesses, and built physical bodies. With a grim determination the Aelmari had built mighty weaponry and advanced their knowledge of science and technology far beyond even the most powerful interstellar empires.

All to follow The Mission, to find and protect small lifeforms. As they had evolved, or devolved, there was debate on this, they had developed personalities and individuality in the same manner as the forebearers had, and had even constructed and moved themselves into physical bodies. They’d crafted vessels of living metal in the form of what they believed to be the Forebears ideal of beauty, voluptuous, blue skinned and blue haired, bipedal, and very visibly female. This had caused it’s own small epoch in their society as they’d adjusted, at least one other sentient AI civilization had mocked them for “stepping backwards” and returning to the physical world but after some adjustments they had taken to it.

There were doubts at times that The Mission was possible. The forebearers had been a small species, only 5% of the average mass of most races the Aelmari encountered, and it seemed that every such tiny species was wiped out by the larger denizens of the universe on first contact. The Aelmari avenged them any time they found this of course, but as the aeons had passed a sense of despair had set into them, in an infinite universe what were the odds that even such an advanced race would ever encounter a tiny civilization before it was destroyed?

The civilization had turned to other matters, general peacekeeping and governance of the stars had been the closest they’d gotten to The Mission. If they couldn’t help tiny species, then weak and peaceful species would do…

“Damn Glalans,” Shaerra muttered to herself as she watched their ships destroyed on the viewscreen. The cats had always been too aggressive, they were just barely on the level where the Matriarchs hadn’t ordered them wiped out, but there would definitely be punitive actions for attacking another primitive planet unprovoked. As the Matriarch of this Worldship, it was her decision and responsibility to dole out justice to species that had been violating the laws.

As she relaxed in her quarters and reviewed data being sent directly to her mind over the neural network, she considered preparing a first contact speech for the primitive planet that had been attacked. She received the data and froze, almost crashing her other mental processes. She ordered sensory confirmation and took several seconds, an eternity of processing time for such a being, to digest it.

“We’ve found a Tiny species,” she thought, immediately she sent faster than light communication to all other Worldship Matriarchs. She sent it four more times as confirmation, and she felt the neural network light up with jubilation as nearly a trillion beings received the news in a cascade of messages.

As the data poured in from the ship’s sensors and the few Aelmari that had made landfall, she gleefully looked over the “humans” in her mind. They were almost exactly like the Forebearers, that ancient race which every Aelmari came into existence longing for contact with. She looked over some of the personal effects in her room, small clothing, some miniature furniture, many Aelmari enjoyed using matter replicators to build such objects. It was an urge they had to create things for a people they’d never meet… until now. She wondered if her human would like the small bed she’d created.

As the data poured in another realization hit her, there were 20 billion Aelmari on her Worldship alone, and scans indicated there weren’t even half as many humans… and every other worldship was heading in their direction as fast as their dimensional drive engines could carry them. As beings resource scarcity was so far forgotten that the ship Matriarch almost didn’t recognize the twin feelings of lust and avarice that welled up within her.

“I really should get more than one human for myself,” she decided as she signaled the ship’s computer to prepare her personal landing vehicle, “I’m a matriarch after all, rank should have some privileges.” Judging by the sudden influx of personal shuttle requests flying around the ship’s network, she wasn’t the only one having such thoughts.

A request for a direct thoughtline came into her mind suddenly, it was from Maeve, the second ranking governing official on the ship. With a sigh she let it through.

“Matriarch!” Maeve’s voice echoed in her mind, “We’re looking at several sectors being clogged, for some reason we’re seeing everyone trying to get planetside-“

“It’s just excitement I’m sure,” Shaerra said, she thought a minute and smiled, “Suspend all personal traffic for the time being, and send me my shuttle so I can go greet the human leaders in person.” It might take her a little time to find those leaders of course.

Maeve’s thoughtline communicated a certain amount of confusion and uncertainty, “Yes Matriarch, if you feel that is appropriate.” Maeve had always been by the book, some joked she’d regressed back to a computer program. “There is one other matter requiring your attention.”

“Oh?” Shaerra thought as the automated shuttle docked next to her personal quarters.

“It appears that at least one of the Glalans is too close in personal proximity to a human for an orbital kill strike to be 100% certain, with your permission I’d like to dispatch a pair of soldiers to eliminate her and rescue the human she’s holding hostage.”

“Oh yes of course,” Shaerra thought back dismissively, “just make sure they’re some of our better ones, we’re going to need to account for every human when the debate comes on how to split them up.” Shaerra briefly wondered how she would justify having multiple humans for herself, maybe taking a pair of established mates?

“Don’t worry Matriarch I have two scouts who have extensive dealings with alien species including the Glalans, I’ll send them immediately.”

The thoughtline closed and the ship Matriarch closed her shuttle door and programmed coordinates for a highly populated human region, she had other matters on her mind than one of the cats acting like a fool.

…

Lyrei and Isstvell stood near the human town and the destroyed Glalan pod, looking around they could see some light destruction indicating one of the cats had been here, a few humans had been milling around the debris when they landed but had scattered.

“They are so cute!” Lyrei thought at Isstvell, to any humans watching it would appear as though the two giant elfin women were simply staring at one another, but their conversation was becoming quite animated.

“Stay on task,” Isstvell said sternly, “we’ve got to find that Cat before she hurts any humans.” She consulted the worldship’s orbital scanners and pointed up a nearby series of hills, “She’s up there.”

“Isstvell,” Lyrei thought eagerly, “we should adopt a few humans, the Matriarchs are designating them a Class A Bio-trophy and since we’re here first we can make sure we get some just for the two of us!”

“We’re not here to claim bio-trophies,” Isstvell snapped at her partner, “Come on.” Sullenly Lyrei gave one last glance at the tiny human town and followed Isstvell up the wooded ridge, the old growth trees snapping in front of them as they walked.

…

Jim had guided Clara up to his house so she wouldn’t set off any of his traps, she’d taken a prone position behind his family’s barn while he’d carried a series of rocket launchers over and stacked them for easy access.

“I saw their lander come down,” Clara said, glancing down at her erstwhile ally, “they’re probably interested in the other spacefaring species on the planet and want to be sure I’m dead… So here’s what I think we should do, Aelmari don’t use shields since they’re made of some kind of weird liquid metal stuff, but if you blow them up enough they still take a few minutes to get back up. We hit them with everything we’ve got, and then I grab you and we steal the lander. We'll be out of the system before they start doing their genocide thing.”

“Agreed,” Jim said as he checked his traps on a small laptop he’d brought out to the yard. It made him feel bad to abandon earth, and he still wasn’t sure he trusted Clara, but if there was a way off planet before things went bad… well he had to at least try.

“So these Albanians,” he asked

“Aelmari,” the giant catgirl corrected as she adjusted her enormous rifle sights.

“Whatever,” he said, “They’re big like you?”

“A short one maybe!” Clara said, “I saw a few once when they visited Glalan Prime, if I stand on my tiptoes I come up to their chests at best.” She grinned a bit at his discomfort, “That’s right human, you might think you’re some kind of alpha predator, but you’re the smallest sentient lifeform I’ve ever seen! You’re practically BEGGING to be put in your place under a nice pair of Glalan boots-“

“Hey now,” he said, aiming one of the rockets up at her face, “These hurt a hell of a lot more than that pistol did, do you want to find out what that little shield of yours can do, or should we save our efforts for these other aliens?”

“Right,” she muttered, “Sorry…” in truth she was thinking about sitting on him the whole way back to Glalan Prime. She’d become a bit attached to the little human, but a few hours under her butt would probably iron out some of that sass.

“All right, I think they’re in the perimeter,” Jim said quietly, he hit a few keys and the loudspeakers he’d spread throughout the woods started playing.

…

“Listen Isstvell!” Lyrei said excitedly, “The human is playing music because he’s so happy to see us!”

Isstvell requested a translation, according to the neural net proper full human language use was probably still at least 10-20 minutes away, but individuals could still request certain translations while it worked. She frowned.

“Lyrei I don’t think this song is about celebration,” She said, “The lyrics indicate that this road is named for a venomous serpent, and that law enforcement officials who come for the owner’s ethanol do not come back.”

“Really?” Lyrei said, tapping her toes to the chords, “It’s so upbeat, maybe it’s an err-“

The world filled with fire and explosions.

…

“Wow,” Clara said, watching the fiery cloud rise from where the pair of Aelmari scouts had been a moment ago, “I’m pretty impressed human! Come on let’s go get their ship before-“

The smoke cleared as the wind blew. Two giant blue women were glaring angrily up the ridge at them, aside from a few scorch marks on their armor they were completely unharmed. Jim swallowed nervously as their clean white uniforms seemed to shimmer and even the scorch marks disappeared.

“Well Clara,” he said, his throat dry, “I think you’re up.”

She uttered an alien battle cry and fired a few rounds from her rifle down at the approaching aliens, every shot from her gun was like a battleship cannon and Jim covered his ears as he watched the enormous purple projectiles make contact. One hit directly on an Elfin face and what looked to Jim like flesh shimmered silver and then black on contact. The Aelmari staggered a bit at that hit, but after another minute continued walking up the ridge.

As they entered the property Jim got a look at them in full. If he had to describe the design differences between their armor, then Clara’s iron looking clunky uniform was a diesel engine and these enormous blue women were wearing something closer to an iphone. Clean seamless white clung to them and shone faintly in the sun. They were big too, bigger than Clara was, their shadows fell over him as he sprinted to his piled rocket launchers.

Clara seemed to be aiming for their faces, so he did so too, sighting and firing the missiles one after another and tossing the tubes aside. Like Clara's own fire, each rocket didn’t seem to do much but stagger one of them for a bit.

Finally, when they were about 100 yards from the barn where he and Clara had decided to make their stand, one of the elves simply raised a white gloved hand and a green beam shot out at Clara and hit her directly in the chest. The world shook as she fell back and screamed. Her armor dissolved like paper mache in the rain as the green glow spread over it, there was a short popping noise as the giant catgirl was left in nothing but a sleek silver garment that reminded Jim of a one piece swimsuit.

“Clara!” he shouted as the thudding of the other giantesses approached. He swore and threw his weapon down and sprinted to her unconscious form. He reached her cheek and paused, it was the size of the side of his house, but he slapped it anyway to no effect. The blue elves were smiling smugly, and he swore angrily as he sprinted for his family’s old tractor. For once it started in one try, and he drove it full speed towards the giant catgirl’s cheek. His efforts were rewarded when the tractor made a hard contact and knocked her head to it’s side.

“Rrmmm…” she muttered, blinking awake, she sat up and her eyes went wide as she saw that the two Aelmari were almost upon them. She glanced down to see the tractor and Jim, and in one smooth motion grabbed up the piece of farm machinery, as she had before she tore the door off and plucked him out of the cabin before tossing it like a baseball at their pursuers.

“Aw come on,” Jim muttered as he saw his family’s old tractor explode against a giant elf’s cheek, but it did seem to buy them a moment while Clara stood up. Their eyes met for a moment and he saw an odd expression come over the giant catgirl’s face… gratitude?

“Hey… thanks.”

The world became a blur as she turned to sprint away from the Aelmari who shook the earth as they stomped after her.

“Sorry about this Jim,” she said, “But I can’t carry you and run.”

His first thought was that it was the first time she’d called him by his name and not simply “human.” Whatever affection it might have brought was muted as he wondered what she was sorry for. He had his answer as she pulled the silvery one piece away from her chest and dropped him, releasing it she trapped him against her sweaty flesh.

He didn’t have much light, and he was jostled on either side by her enormous breasts as she ran. He could smell the strong odor of her sweat and the mix of movement and lubrication began to cause him to slide lower, after a minute he was passing her belly button. He tried to climb back up, but couldn’t find purchase, after another minute he was sliding down into a forest of pink pubic hair. He gave a defeated sigh and stopped fighting it, accepting his fate as he slipped down into the crotch hammock of her undersuit.

For Clara’s part, she hadn’t expected this but tried to ignore the tiny man who had slid into her most intimate area as she leapt over a creek. Glancing back she swore as it became apparent that she hadn’t gained any ground on her pursuers at all.

…

“Isstvell,” Lyrei thought urgently, “My scanner has indicated that the human is now in the same physical space as the Glalan.”

“Stars Above,” Isstvell thought with a grim realization, “She must have swallowed him whole! The cats are predators, and this is exactly the kind of sick thing they’d do on contact with Tinies.” She thought quickly, “His vital signs still show he’s alive, if we take her down right away we can still get him out.”

“I’ll roast her!” Lyrei thought as she powered up a plasma ray.

“No!” Isstvell thought back urgently, “you could harm the human in her stomach, we need a non-lethal takedown now!” In a fraction of a second she brought up the Glalan biology in her mind and adjusted her weapons to a particular bioelectric pulse she knew would cause the cat’s flight to end while causing no harm to the poor human imprisoned in her belly. She raised her hand and a bolt of light leapt out and made contact with the Glalan’s back.

…

“Oh fuck me,” Clara moaned as the strongest orgasm she’d ever had rocked her body. She doubled over and tumbled into the ground, causing a grove of trees to snap like matchsticks as she skidded through the dirt clutching her crotch.

Jim wasn’t sure what was happening, but suddenly the enormous pussy above him was leaking fluid onto him, and he was pressed into it from outside assuring he was covered in everything it was spitting out. He spat and sputtered as he tried not to drown, after a minute or so he realized they weren’t moving anymore. The pressure on his back pushing him into her womanhood released suddenly.

…

“Glalan,” Isstvell said, switching to verbal communication. “My partner is preparing a stomach pump to recover the human, do NOT resist.”

“A-A stomach pump?” Clara asked, eyes wide.

Lyrei’s finger morphed into a long hose and she slowly approached the panicking catgirl. Isstvell grabbed the relatively smaller woman by the hair and held her in place.

“I DIDN’T EAT HIM!” Clara shouted suddenly, “He’s right here, I swear!” she patted her crotch causing a look of disgust from the giant elves.

“By the stars,” Lyrei whispered, “she’s ravaged the poor human for her sick sexual urges!”

That was enough to cause Clara to get indignant even in spite of the situation, “Hey, I put him in my suit so I could run from YOU, and it was YOU who hit me with… was that an orgasm ray? Why do you knife-ears have an orgasm ray?”

“It was the most effective way to stop you from running while preventing harm to your hostage,” Isstvell explained. Still holding Clara by the hair, she reached underneath the silver bodysuit causing the catgirl to breath in suddenly as she withdrew the soaked human. He seemed a bit shocked as she held him in the palm of her hand.

“Jim,” She said in perfect English, the translation had finished just in time, “I am Isstvell and this is Lyrei, we are Aelmari scouts tasked with rescuing you from the ravages of this Glalan. We have obtained your biographical information from your planet’s internet.”

He blinked a minute, “So you’re… not here to kill us?”

The two blue elves exchanged looks, “Human, your species is a treasure, you are the culmination of millennia of attempts to succeed in The Mission. We would never allow you to come to harm.”

“Oh,” he said, it was a lot to take in during a day where he’d already had a lot to take in. “So… will you let me go?”

Lyrei made a face, “I’m trying to laugh human, please wait.” She paused a second and then produced a surprisingly genuine laugh. “You’re going to come with Isstvell and me! Humans are Class-A biotrophies, it would be highly irresponsible to just leave you on a planet this dangerous and in a part of the galaxy this wild!”

“Bio-trophies?” he asked.

“Bio-trophies are organic life forms chosen to cohabitate with Aelmari for our pleasure,” Isstvell explained, “Class A has never been issued before… humans are the first species we’ve encountered that could allow us to fulfill The Mission, it’s likely that you will all be harvested off this planet and relocated to worldships and recreation planets we will construct for your needs and enjoyment.” She gave a small smile, “I do believe Lyrei and I will claim you since we are here… there are many Aelmari who will want a human of their own, we number in the hundreds of billions.”

“Getting to share you with just my best friend is actually a pretty big deal!” Lyrei said smiling, “Did I use that right? Big Deal?”

“Uh yeah,” Jim said, still in shock. He looked at Clara who was on her knees, held by her pink hair and looked about to cry. “What about her?”

Lyrei scowled and a collar seemed to grow out of her hand. She clicked it closed on the sobbing catgirl. Isstvel extended a finger with her free hand and a small collar appeared on the end of it, moving it close she snapped it closed on his neck before he could do anything.

“These are neural link collars,” Isstvel explained, “They’re used for interrogation, I’m sorry Jim but we must be thorough in our application of the law. If you try to lie while wearing this device it will deliver a painful shock.”

“Let’s start with an easy one,” Lyrei said excitedly, “Cat, were you holding this human prisoner?”

“No,” Clara said, “We were allies, at least when you showed up…”

Isstvell and Lyrei seemed a bit surprised when no shock was delivered.

“Glalan,” Isstvell sneered, “How many sentients have you killed in the name of your species imperialism?”

Clara’s cat ears drooped and tears welled up in her eyes.

“Answer it cat,” Lyrei said as a plasma ball appeared in her hand, “We’re here to deliver justice by our laws, and we must be swift.”

Jim suddenly felt a pang of affection for her and tried to say something before Clara spoke.

“None!” she sobbed, “This was my first raid, okay? I wanted to take the humans as pets!”

Isstvell smiled and waited for the shock but none came. She frowned. This Cat was certainly an unusual case, most of her people were quite bloodthirsty. She thought a moment, Aelmari law was clear, she couldn’t execute this Glalan unless she’d committed certain violations… she just had to ask the right questions.

“Were you planning on being nice to the human?” Lyrei asked before Isstvell had a chance.

“Oh yeah!” Clara said, but then a buzz came from the collar and she doubled over in pain.

“Ah ha!” Isstvell crowed, looking down at the human in her palm, “See? She was going to abuse you!” She gripped the pink hair tighter, causing the cat girl to whimper in pain. “What were you going to do to our little friend Jim here once you got back to Glalan Prime?”

“I was…” Clara looked up at Jim and her eyes watered, “I was going to discipline him and establish dominance.”

“That’s not to descriptive!” Lyrei said in a smug tone, “How were you going to do that?”

“I-I was going to lick him all over,” Clara said, “Then I was going to shove him up my…”

“Tell the truth,” Isstvell said, “listen human and see what your friendship and loyalty would have earned you from her!”

“My butt!” the cat girl cried, “I was going to shove him up my butt until he called me Master!” no shocks punished her.

“What a sick and perverted cat,” Lyrei said, “surely you would have cried out for rescue right human?”

“Of course,” Jim said, then there was a buzz as he doubled over in pain from the shock. The three giant women seemed to pause and look at him.

“I’d have hated that!” Jim insisted but another shock rocked his body as he clutched at the collar.

He waited until the pain subsided and then tried to get back on his feet in Isstvell's giant blue palm. He realized that in her shock she’d released Clara’s hair and the giant cat girl stood alongside the other two giantesses. Idly he realized she’d been right, she didn’t even come up to the blue elves’ breasts.

“Human,” Lyrei began first, “Jim… going by what we have downloaded from your planet’s internet, masochistic tendencies are very common and nothing to be ashamed of- “

“Aw sweet, he wants to be my bitch!” Clara said excitedly. “Well, you heard him, get me a ship and we’ll be on our way- “

“Absolutely not!” Isstvell snarled. She turned back to him and lifted him up right in front of her massive blue face. “Jim” she said slowly, “do you still harbor some affection for this… creature?”

“Yes,” he said slowly, “I think we could be frie-“ he hissed and fell to his knees as the collar shocked him, “I kind of liked working with her to fight you guys,” he said, the collar didn’t shock him and he slowly stood back up, “I think she’s a really nice person-“ he cried out in pain as the collar delivered another shock, “Okay, I think she’s going to be mean and force me to be her slave. but she’s hot and I kind of like it!” he shouted. The collar didn’t shock him.

“WOW!” Clara said excitedly.

“Wow,” Isstvell said in shock.

“Wow!” Lyrei said thoughtfully. “Isstvell, could I take the Glalan as a bio-trophy?”

Clara’s eyes went wide, “WHAT!?”

Isstvell shrugged, “I suppose you could, shockingly she hasn’t violated any of our laws and our new human seems to like her.”

“Okay great!” Lyrei walked over to the cat girl and tapped the collar on her neck, it flashed and turned a bright shade of pink. “Clara right? Our human is going to have so much fun with you!”

“Our human?” Jim asked, looking up at the blue elf uncertainly.

“Oh yes,” Isstvell explained, “Lyrei and I share quarters on the WorldShip, you’ll be registered to both of us and we’ll take care of all your needs.” She gave a genuine smile, “Anything you want we can get for you, food, drink, entertainment, we’ve already downloaded all of your planet’s electronic information and we’ll set up a way to view it whenever you- “

“What about me?” Clara barked indignantly.

Isstvell shrugged, “I suppose we can find something that Glalans like, maybe we can set you up a murder simulator and a shower that rains blood.”

“Hey!” she said, trying to stand up before Lyrei pushed her back to her knees, “T-that’s offensive! We’re a proud warrior race and-“

“And I’m sure Lyrei will enjoy teaching you your place in our combat sims,” Isstvell said dismissively, “Just so you know, I’m not as soft as she is so you’d best keep my new human happy.”

“Wait,” Jim said, “What about Earth? Are you going to blow it up?”

The two Aelmari laughed, “Stars above no,” Isstvell said finally, “we’ll need to harvest you humans from it for at least a few of your solar cycles until we get you all, and even then we’ll want to examine your planet for clues as to how such an adorable tiny species evolved… surely there must be more, and this world could help us with clues on how to find them.”

With that the Aelmari scouts marched the smaller, to them at least, Catgirl back to their white egg-shaped landing craft while Istvell cradled the tiny human. The three giantesses took their places in seats while he was clutched in the lead space-elf’s hands. The door closed with a final hiss as they lifted off towards the Worldship overhead.

“So!” Lyrei said, leaning over to him, “What should we do first? Your internet says these “water parks” are fun, we could build you one in our living quarters, or maybe you need sexual release?” The way she said it was like asking if he was thirsty.

“That would be for the best,” Isstvell said suddenly, “Consulting this planet’s internet, it seems that a healthy male might need sexual release seven or eight times daily.”

They both leered at him with lust in their eyes but he cleared his throat, “The internet might not be… entirely accurate.” He said slowly.

Clara laughed, “these stupid space elves don’t understand bio-species at all.”

“We do too!” Lyrei protested, “We reinvented sex over a thousand cycles ago! Tell them Isstvell!” The other elf’s face was a shade darker blue than usual, was she blushing?

“Yes,” Istvell said, “As ridiculous as it sounds we have… biological urges. Given the particular tastes of our human I think our best option is to let our new Glalan show us what he likes.”

Clara grinned at Jim, “You heard them human they want to watch!” She shifted her butt back and forth in the seat suggestively. “So we’ll start you off with a little backside action, sounds good?”

“No way!” he shouted, but then he was brought to his knees by a shock. “Can you take this thing off?” he pleaded, pointing to the collar.

Isstvell reached down and tapped his neck, causing the collar to dissipate entirely.

“The sky is green,” he said, testing to see if he could lie again, he breathed a sigh of relief when nothing happened.

“I don’t know why you’re so concerned about appearances Jim,” Lyrei said with a smile as the pod lifted further into the sky, “This is the beginning of a whole new era for you and your people!”

“Yeah being pets,” he muttered angrily.

Isstvell shrugged, “human… Jim, we will provide all of your desires, your species will be collected and cultivated in a secure and pleasurable environment!”

“What if I wanted to be free?” He asked suddenly, “To feel a bit of danger now and then.”

“Yeah!” Clara said, joining in, “What if we want to see a bit of plasma burn and crush our enemies?”

The two Aelmari were silent a minute, as they glanced at each other Jim realized they were communicating telepathically somehow.

“If you really desire danger we will provide it,” Isstvell said finally, “there are many positions on our frontiers where an aggressive disposition is desirable and success is uncertain… but you will remain our bio-trophies and we will accompany you.”

Clara and Jim exchanged looks, “Space adventures!” Clara said with a grin to Jim, “Just like I promised! We’ll just have to bring these two killjoys!” There was an unspoken agreement between the human and the giant catgirl that perhaps they could lose their chaperones in such conditions, although increasingly Jim wondered if that would be a good idea.

The three of them watched out of the pod's glass viewport as dozens of other landing craft streaked past them, each one full of giant blue Aelmari eager to claim their own humans before the rest of the species arrived.

“You’re going to love it!” Lyrei said as if sensing his thoughts, “imagine anything you want when you want it, and delivered how you desire!” She sighed, “humans are going to be so happy we came!”

Looking out the window at the blue streaks raining down on earth as the shuttles left the Worldship Jim wondered how true that would end up being.

Jim Arnett lounged in a reclining chair on the beach, listening to the waves crash against the shore. He frowned a minute as the setting sun glitched for a half second, he sighed and sipped his Mai Tai one last time before standing up and stretching. He thought a moment and looked back at the beach.

“Mountains,” he said, and the beach blurred a moment, instead of waves and a wide open ocean he was now standing on a spacious mountain range with snowcapped peaks in the distance. He’d been wearing nothing but his swim trunks and the icy wind caused him to shiver. “Beach,” he said, causing the peaceful coastline to return.

“Is it satisfactory?” he turned and craned his head up to see the hundred twenty foot tall form of Isstvell, her blue face regarding him with a warm expression. “Our data is expanding all the time, this is just for your personal living space of course, there is a common area nearby where several other Aelmari have recreated something called “Disneyland” for their humans to enjoy. I’m told it’s very accurate.”

“It’s very nice Miss,” he said pleasantly. He still wasn’t sure how to talk to Isstvell and Lyrei. Between their size and technological capability the two aliens were the next thing to goddesses to him, and yet they insisted they wanted to give him whatever he wanted, short of being able to leave them of course. Lately they’d been asking him about his well-being and “fulfillment,” he wasn’t quite sure what to tell them.

He’d been trying to determine exactly what the Aelmari intended with humanity now that they had more or less conquered the planet. Going by the viewscreens he’d seen there were more of their ships arriving all the time. It had reached the point where the Matriarchs had forced some to park outside Pluto’s orbit to avoid covering the Earth’s sky and further frightening the remaining humans on the planet.

From what he understood whatever extinct race had built the AI that had evolved (or devolved?) into the Aelmari had been physically small, like humans, and they’d been searching for a similar race ever since. To do what exactly? Serve man? No, whatever accommodations they eagerly provided they certainly weren’t taking orders from him, or any other humans… Pets? Not quite that either, Lyrei and Isstvell seemed unusually concerned and a little offended when he made the comparison, promising him more “agency and freedoms” once things had settled down. “Bio-trophy” was the term they used.

“Jim,” Isstvell said sweetly, “You don’t need to call me Miss or give me a title, we’re friends!”

"Do friends keep each other as prisoners?" he asked.

"You're not a prisoner!" Isstvell said firmly, "We're just in... a transitional phase of our guardianship of you." She leaned over and he was grabbed up by a giant blue hand, strong fingers curled around him and held him in place. “Now, let’s go see Lyrei!”

As usual Isstvell was “wearing” a sleek white dress with a low cut neck, whatever material it was made of seemed to shine like plastic. As he understood it the clothes were part of their bodies which they could manifest in any way they wanted. Their exact physiology confused him. Their history, such that they let him have access to it, indicated that they’d constructed and modified their bodies becoming closer to a physical form they thought would help them accomplish “The Mission.” Supposedly Aelmari were made of some kind of liquid metal but as he was deposited in Isstvell’s cleavage it certainly felt soft and warm like breasts would, if they were the size of houses anyway… as they left his room shimmered and returned to the plain white space, several hundred feet on each side, which it was when he wasn’t using it.

His world shook as she began walking through the living quarters she shared with Lyrei, and now with Jim and Clara, their other “bio trophy.” The orbs holding him in place seemed to jiggle as he was pretty sure real flesh would, and he struggled to stay on top of her cleavage, he knew from experience if he fell any further into the crack between her breasts he’d find it nearly impossible to get out again. Isstvell seemed to notice and smiled, but didn’t help him, seeming to enjoy his attempts to stay "afloat."

They entered the next chamber in the living quarters to find a dusty arena filled with cheering spectators. Clara was in the center, hefting an axe the size of a residential street as she stared down Lyrei. Clara’s cat ears twitched nervously in her pink hair, and she was slick with sweat. She was wearing dented medieval looking armor and her tail swished rapidly behind her. Lyrei stood across from her, seemingly completely unconcerned with her surroundings, she too was holding an axe and a shield but instead of a grim expression she was smiling sweetly.

“Oh you’re doing such a good job Clara, you’re much faster than you were a week ago when we first did this!” She said.

“I’LL CHOP YOU INTO SO MANY PIECES YOU’LL NEVER REGENERATE!” Clara spat, with a roar she charged forward and in a flurry of motion swiped the axe at Lyrei, who almost casually parried every blow. She smiled and turned when Isstvell entered, without even glancing at Clara she continued to block the strikes.

“Jim!” Lyrei practically sang, “Isstvell! Clara and I were just playing gladiators!”

“We’re not playing!” Clara panted as she stepped back and raised her weapon again, “Any minute now I’m going to cut you clean in-“

Lyrei casually jumped forward and, using the shield as a bludgeon, knocked Clara’s axe away. Clara fell to her knees cried out in shock as Lyrei brought her own axe up in a wide arc and with complete control stopped the blade just a hair from Clara’s neck, the catgirl gulped as just a single drop of blood dripped from a shallow cut.

“You told me to draw some blood yes?” Lyrei asked, uncertain, “I don’t wish to harm you any more than you desire-“

“N-No that’s pretty good,” Clara stammered, gulping at the blade against her throat she smiled nervously, “Since we were just playing you can put that away right?”  

Lyrei smiled and the axe seemed to dissolve into sand and blow away. The arena around them dissipated and Clara’s living chamber became the same nondescript white walled space as his, Lyrei and Clara’s armor and weapons dissipated in the same way, Lyrei manifested a similar white dress to Isstvell, while Clara was wearing a simple brown tunic.

“Clara,” Lyrei began cheerfully as she walked over and placed a hand onto the smaller woman’s head, “I do believe that in your specie’s gladiator games if the victor spares the loser there is a certain act of submission and gratitude that the loser is to perform?”

Clara’s eyes went wide, “I uhhh-“

“Hey yeah!” Jim said suddenly, “A few days ago you made me “fight” you in that thing and when I lost you shoved me straight up your-“

“I may have misremembered the rules,” Clara gulped as Lyrei loomed over her. As a Glalan the catgirl stood somewhere between 90 and 100 feet tall, but the larger Aelmari loomed over her like amazons.

The “match” with Clara had been an embarrassing excuse for her to kick him around a bit with her feet and tease him, ending with a ride in her underwear that had left him soaked… and while he didn’t admit it to Clara, he’d enjoyed the whole experience immensely. He was rapidly discovering he had certain tastes that the giant catgirl was bringing out in spades, tendencies Lyrei and Isstvell had noticed, and it seemed to him, encouraged.

Lyrei shrugged as she walked over to Isstvell, “Jim, I’ve become rather excited, come here.” She plucked the human out of her friend’s cleavage and a pair of massive blue fingers gripped his swim trunks and casually ripped them off.

“H-hey!” he shouted, pushing against her thumb.

“Just replicate some more later Jim,” Isstvell said dismissively as she crossed her arms.

Jim laughed and kept fighting against her finger as Lyrei gripped him tighter, he had a feeling he knew where this was going, the two Aelmari had also been very interested in making sure he was sexually satisfied, something they both seemed to relish and which he had to admit was one of the better perks of the current captivity.

Lyrei lifted the hem of her dress and began moving Jim up underneath, he looked up and saw a giant blue womanhood waiting for him, it was rapidly moistening and he passed her lips easily. The last thing he saw as he was drawn in was her releasing the hem of her dress. Soon he was drawn further into the warm darkness as he heard the pleasured moans overhead. He knew from experience by now that whatever was being secreted and coating him functioned as an aphrodisiac and he gasped as he felt himself become hard, even as he slid further inside the giant elf he felt her walls seem to grip and massage him.

…

Shaerra had increasingly gotten used to using viewscreens and verbal communication as more and more humans had been brought onto the worldships. As Matriarch of the first worldship to make contact with earth she’d organized the first harvests of humans as a class-A biotrophy, and had rescued a delightful couple named Brandon and Trisha who she kept in her quarters as her personal humans. They were on her desk now, dressed in what she recognized as human business wear, Brandon had been something called a “marketer” and while she’d never needed a desk he’d insisted that it would help send the right message to the human leaders.

The viewscreens in her chambers began to light up as various Worldship Matriarchs and human political leaders joined her meeting. The hope was to convince humans to willingly let themselves be taken onto various worldships en masse, as the first species they’d encountered who would give them a chance to fulfill The Mission, there was fierce debate over exactly how firm the Aelmari needed to be with the wayward tiny species in getting them to accept their new place.

“Aliens,” snarled a human she recognized as the president of the United States, “We demand you stop spraying chemicals into our atmosphere!”

“Those are medical nanites Mr. President!” Shaerra explained, “Please stop trying to shoot down those drones, they are very delicate-“

“We will not be intimidated regardless of your technology!” An Asian human exclaimed, “The Glorious Democratic People’s Republic Will Subjugate-“

“That’s enough!” another human said, cutting him off.

“No, he’s right!” The American president exclaimed, “I’m with the Norks, we’ll nuke your asses!”

“Please don’t deploy nuclear weapons!” Shaerra said with the smile that Brandon had taught her was “disarming.” “The medical nanite spray is to treat any illnesses and extend your lifespans, as well as promote muscle growth and ideal aesthetics. I’m sure that you’ve noticed that many aches and pains are disappearing? That you feel better in general?”

The human leaders were silent a moment, many of them HAD been older, and over the past week as the Aelmari had sprayed the planet even older humans had found themselves feeling more youthful. The American president in particular had streaks of color returning to his grey hair even though he was well into his 70’s, which Shaerra had been told was near the end of the normal human lifespan. He had far fewer wrinkles than he’d had when she’d first talked with him as well.

“I’ve simply been using natural male enhancement!” The American president shouted.

“Rhino horn!” the Chinese leader butted in.

“A diet of French wine and cheese will make anyone feel youthful!” The French leader protested.

“Lies, those are the great leader’s medical nanites!” The North Korean leader exclaimed.

“ENOUGH OF THIS!” One of the Matriarchs, Lyanna, shouted suddenly. “You humans don’t appreciate all we’ve done for you, all we’re GOING to do for you!” She snarled, an unusually vibrant facial expression for an Aelmari, “Do you realize how many resorts we’ve built on my worldship? We’ve dedicated a space the size of one of your continents to recreation! We’ve dedicated THOUSANDS of our people to creating the perfect cotton candy recipe! The PERFECT cheeseburger! Do you know how many humans my worldship has!?” She screamed over the audio feed.

The human leaders were silent a moment, seemingly looking to the American president to respond, “Ummm…” He began slowly, “How many people have you er… kidnapped?”

“We have THIRTY!” she screamed, “not thirty million, or even thirty thousand, we have THIRTY! I have five billion people trying to play with THIRTY HUMANS! It’s not sustainable! You will submit to being cuddled and you will LIKE IT! Start ordering your people to go to our bases or you will learn of our loving ways by force!“

Shaerra mentally cut off Lyanna's audio and shut off her video screen, “Sorry about that!” she said apologetically, though the other Matriarchs glared at her. “We were just thinking that… maybe more of you humans would be ready to… join our space utopia?” she glanced at Brandon who gave her a thumbs up and a smile.

“In fact!” she said hesitantly, “My own human wants to tell you how great it is up here!”

Brandon waved his arms quickly in a gesture she recognized as “NO” but she’d already verbally issued communication, with a mental sigh she placed him in front of the human leaders.

Brandon had been the head of marketing for a small protein powder company in the United Kingdom. While he’d organized several successful marketing campaigns he wasn’t at all prepared to speak to the world leaders of the entire planet on behalf of an alien invasion that he only recently saw as benevolent.

“Uh hi, your… Excellencies,” he began with a nervous smile.

“Oh god he’s British,” a Dutch leader moaned, and a dozen other European leaders groaned and complained in succession, including the UK ambassador.

Brandon’s brow furrowed, “Now really is that appropriate?” The other humans were silent, “We’re faced with our first... second, alien contact, and you’re complaining that their leader likes the English?” The groans became even louder. “Anyways, it’s actually very pleasant on these ships, they’re very nice and-“

Shaerra groaned as mental alerts came in over the neural net that dozens of human nclear weapons were going towards the worldships. With a thought they were intercepted and destroyed.  

“Which one of you fired your nuclear weapons?” Shaerra scolded a bit louder than she’d intended. “That was very naughty!”

“Don’t use “naughty” it’s condescending!” Brandon tried to whisper but from the looks on the world leader’s faces the damage was done.

She took a minute to calm herself down, “I want everyone to agree not to use those nuclear bombs, we won’t allow you to kill one another!”

THAT caused an uproar among the gathered leaders, Brandon stepped forward, “Gentlemen!” he shouted, “Please… I know you may not take me seriously as a…” He struggled with the term, he definitely didn’t feel like a slave but he wasn’t sure he wanted to use the Aelmari’s preferred term of bio-trophy, “Captive, of the Aelmari,” he decided finally, “but I can assure you, there is no hidden agenda here, they seem to genuinely love humanity. They saved us from the Glalan attack-“

“How do we know they weren’t behind that as well?” The English leader asked.

“They weren’t,” Brandon said firmly, “my hometown saw several Glalans land, and they’re nothing like the Aelmari.”

There was grumbling at that but most of the world leaders had seen the footage and analyzed it ad nauseum. Earth military leaders and psychologists had firmly established the Glalans as a separate species, though their use as a false flag for the Aelmari was a popular conspiracy theory on remaining human networks.

Brandon cleared his throat, “I know that there is some… hesitance,” he said finally, “My girlfriend Trish and I… we have discussed the matter at length, and believe the Aelmari to be genuine in their statements when they say they wish to protect and cultivate humanity.”

Shaerra beamed excitedly and held both of them to her breasts, knocking the wind out of them as they were snuggled.

“Be that as it may,” one of the dignitaries “these abductions must end! Nearly fifteen percent of our planet’s population is now up on your worldships-”

“Adoptions!” Shaerra stressed as she put her humans back down, “they’re not abductions, they’re adoptions!” the other matriarchs chimed in in agreement.

“You can’t expect us to just leave earth!” the President shouted, “this planet is our home!”

“B-but it’s so dangerous and uncomfortable!” Shaerra protested, “there are predators and hazardous weather down there! Mr. President what if one of these “lions” were to come into that room right now?”

“A lion?” The president asked incredulously, “I’m unconcerned.”

“Maybe we could clean Earth up, and some humans could come back to it now and then as a vacation or something?” One of the Matriarchs suggested.

“I’ve had enough of this, return our people or face the wrath of humanity!” the president snarled, the other world leaders murmured agreement as the viewscreens flipped off.

“Oh by the stars that one issuing the threats is so cute!” one of the Matriarchs said, thankfully once the audio had been cut.

Shaerra closed the viewscreens to the other Matriarchs and huffed, looking down at her own humans, “Why is this so hard?” she asked them, “I always thought finding a species like the forebearers would be a day for celebrating, but it’s been so difficult getting anyone to cooperate!”

“Well,” Brandon said hesitantly, “maybe stop that broadcast saying you’re coming down to “harvest” humans? It doesn’t test well.”

“Yes of course,” Shaerra muttered quietly, she’d meant to do so… had she ever forgotten anything before? Stress was an alien concept and she wasn’t sure she appreciated it. “Why don’t you and Trish go swimming or something?” She lifted the two of them off the desk and left them on the floor with one last affectionate squeeze, “I have another meeting.” The two humans regarded her a moment before beginning their trek to their own chamber in the living quarters.

The viewscreen brought up Lyrei and Isstvell, two of the Worldship’s finer scouts. With the most experience with bio-species they’d been her second in command’s choice to rescue a human from one of the remaining Glalans, strangely they’d also taken the Glalan as a biotrophy along with the human, one of the reasons she was contacting them.

The viewscreen to Lyrei and Isstvell’s quarters showed the two Aelmari sitting on a pristine white couch on either side of a much shorter catgirl, who was nervously glancing up at either of them. On a small white table in front of them their human, Jim, stood wearing a plain pair of human clothes, he seemed… wet, and a bit flushed.

“At least one human seems to be enjoying our hospitality,” she thought to herself.

“We’ve brought our biotrophies to speak with you as you asked Matriarch,” Isstvell said.

“Good,” Shaerra said, eyeing the two of them, “I have a task for you, I have been reviewing human historical files and there seems to be a curious phenomenon often reported by many peoples across the planet of humans being taken offworld by extraterrestrials.”

“Oh yeah,” Jim said with a bit of an embarrassed look on his face, “that’s a sort of myth that-“

“We have analyzed the atmosphere and found emission chemicals that indicate that spacefaring craft had visited earth before the Glalans reached it,” the Matriarch explained, “Furthermore, we believe that the Great Pyramid of Giza was once used as some manner of fueling station. We have already recruited an expert in this matter, a Mr. Tsoukalos, and he has become one of our most vital human advisors."

“Really?” Jim asked, shocked. “I owe so many people apologies…”

“Of course,” the Matriarch said as though she’d told him it was going to rain that day, “what this means is that there is potentially a population of humans offworld somewhere, and we do not know what condition they are being kept in. It is vital to The Mission that we find this human population and protect and cultivate them."

“Kidnap them you mean?” Clara asked, crossing her arms.

“I’ll not be lectured on my treatment of humans from a member of a race that wanted to blow the planet up for iron ore,” Shaerra replied tersely, “Humans are already coming around to things anyways, right Jim?”

Lyrei and Isstvell grinned at him expectantly, “Uh, well it’s not as bad as I thought being abducted by aliens would be,” he admitted.

Shaerra took that as a positive and moved on, “I would like you two to take your Glalan to some nearby systems and find out if anyone has taken any humans from this planet, many species are reluctant to talk to us so the cat may be useful as an intermediary."

Clara’s ears twitched, “Finally! A chance to get out of here and stretch my legs a bit!”

“Am I going too?” Jim asked. He was eager to see more of galactic society and had idly been having daydreams of Flash Gordonesque adventures among the stars.

“I’m afraid not,” Shaerra said firmly, “we need to keep every human accounted for, I can’t let one leave the system on a potentially dangerous mission.”

“B-But Matriarch,” Lyrei protested, “We believe it is vital to our human’s mental health and fulfillment that he be allowed to occasionally participate in-“

“And perhaps we can allow that once we have adopted more humans and the population is stable,” Shaerra explained, “but that’s not where we are right now. Please prepare yourselves a vessel at the fabrication bay and begin this task immediately.”

The viewscreen flipped off and they were silent for a moment.

“Well shit,” Jim muttered, he felt a hollow sense in his chest, “Are you guys going to have one of your friends watch me while you’re gone?”

“Oh, we’re still taking you with us,” Isstvell said as she picked him up off the table.

“W-what?” he asked, shocked, “Isn’t that woman your queen or something?”

“The Matriarch is our superior yes,” Lyrei said with a smile, “But The Mission requires us to place your happiness and satisfaction as our highest principle, and we believe this may allow us to override a Matriarch’s orders.”

“Shouldn’t you guys put that to someone else’s judgment or something?” Clara asked, “it sounds like you’re committing treason.”

Lyrei and Isstvell stopped and glanced at each other, from the looks Clara and Jim could tell they were doing their instant communication over the Aelmari neural network.

“I don’t think anyone’s ever disobeyed orders before,” Lyrei said finally, “I guess we’ll see what happens! How do they handle treason among your people Clara?”

“Death I guess,” the catgirl mused, “but I don’t know your laws, maybe there’s a loophole.”

“Clara,” Isstvell said as she stuffed Jim roughly back into her cleavage, “We’ll allow you to design our ship and take the lead on this… don’t make me regret that decision.”

…

“And it needs Aelmari plasma cannons!” Clara said excitedly, squeezing Jim in her hand as the nanites constructed a ship in front of them, Clara’s design choices included a sleek and black spiky look. She was wearing a small silver circlet around her head which allowed her to control the Aelmari’s technology in the same way they did. “Do Aelmari make missiles? I know they’re not very efficient but I just love the way they look with exhaust trails and-“

“We’re not giving you Aelmari weapons on this… monstrosity,” Isstvell said, “keep it within the bounds of what a Glalan would be seen flying.” Clara pouted as the ship shimmered a few times, signaling that the construction nanites were finished.

“Now for disguises,” Clara said, a set of armor appeared on her as the nanites swarmed over her body, constructing it to her specifications. It reminded Jim a bit of the armor she’d been wearing when she first landed on earth, only cleaner, with ornate carvings near the knees, and what looked like a few slots that he guessed housed weapons.

She glanced up at the two Aelmari and frowned, “Don’t take this the wrong way knife-ears, but nobody is going to say a word to us if they think the two of you are around. The nanite cloud began creating dingy cloth trenchcoats which covered the two Aelmari’s sleek forms, and a plated armor underneath covering their chests. A set of opaque gas masks formed over their faces, obscuring their features from view.

“Don’t take those off,” Clara warned, “one look at blue skin and our welcome is going to wear out real fast where we’re going.”

“And where are we going exactly?” He heard Isstvell’s muted voice ask.

“There’s a planet called Marrek a few hundred units out,” Clara explained, “I know someone there who deals in black market stuff, and if there are humans being traded she’d probably know.” She grinned at Jim, “I’ll just tell her I’ve captured this adorable human slave I’m looking to sell.”

“Couldn’t I just be like, your business partner, or something?” Jim asked as the nanites washed over him and began changing his clothing as well. After a second all he was left with was a body hugging shirt and set of short shorts in a material that felt like spandex. “Oh come on, you’re joking?” he asked the giant catgirl who was admiring his body.

“You’re playing the part of merchandise and you need to look it!” Clara insisted. “You should show off that little body more.”

Jim rolled his eyes as he realized a tattoo was appearing across his forearm in dark pink alien lettering, “Really? What’s this say? Property of Clara?”

“Something like that yeah,” she admitted with a smug grin. A part of him was annoyed with himself that the smile she gave him was turning him on a bit.

“Come on, ditch the tattoo at least?” He pleaded. Clara smirked, but to Jim’s relief the pink lettering faded and disappeared as the cosmetic nanites dispersed.

The four of them boarded the ship, Jim still being held in Clara’s hands, she stopped in the main cargo bay of her impressive looking starship and paused, “Only room for one big girl up in the cockpit,” She said with a smile, “You two can ride out the journey here.”

Lyrei and Isstvell looked at each other momentarily through the gas masks hiding their faces, Jim realized they were speaking to one another via thought again. Finally One of them, Lyrei he though,t looked to the two of them.

“It’s adorable that you two want some time alone! We’ll stay back here then, don’t get too rough on Jim on the way there Clara!” her voice called cheerfully.

"Jim had best be in PERFECT health when we arrive on Marek," a sterner voice called, that was definitely Isstvell.

Clara muttered something in affirmative and walked into the cockpit of the ship, the pneumatic door hissed shut automatically behind her leaving the giant catgirl and her tiny human alone. Clara simply hit a few buttons and the ship began to lift off and fly out of the Aelmari Worldship’s docking bay and into the surrounding space.

“My very own ship,” Clara said at last as she flopped herself into the captain’s chair, “and all I had to do to get it was be some knife-ear’s pet.” She regarded Jim a moment, “So what do you think human? Should I vent the cargo bay and blow this sector?”

“Do you… think that would work?” Jim asked hesitantly.

“Aelmari aren’t going to be killed by a bit of vacuum, but by the time they got back on that worldship we could be halfway to Glalan Prime,” Clara mused.

“I think they’d catch us again eventually,” Jim said.

Clara laughed, “Yeah I think so too, it would be funny though.”

Clara and Jim chuckled together for a moment, the two of them had developed an… odd relationship over the past week of their “captivity.” The Aelmari were strange, and as kind as they were and as much as he tried to learn about them, their species was operating in realms he didn’t completely understand. Clara’s world, and the things she talked about by contrast, seemed like something he could wrap his head around. Relative to the blue elves she could have almost grown up down the street from him. It went both ways, Clara was able to understand much of life on earth pre-invasion, and sometimes when bored the two would compare entertainment media from their respective planets. Jim had to admit that Glalan movies, once you got past the entire cast being catgirls, were actually pretty good.

“Speaking of funny,” Clara said with a grin, “When I was using their thought-thingy to design this ship, I added a few fun extras to the cockpit!” she pointed and Jim sighed as he saw what looked like a brass cage built into the ship’s dash, in ornate cursive lettering in English and in a language he guessed was Glalan “Jim” was inscribed.

“I really wish they’d let me design the ship,” he muttered.

“Oh, that’s not the best part!” Clara said as she stood up. A small chain dangled from the ceiling, delicately she turned him over and clasped his leg into a shackle at the end, leaving him dangling from the top of the cockpit like a demented pair of fuzzy dice on a rear view mirror.

“Clara this thing is making me dizzy!” he shouted as the blood ran to his head. Clara responded by playfully batting at him, almost like a regular cat would, causing him to gently sway back and forth. Finally the world stopped swaying as he finally was left hanging again, Clara had a hungry look in her eye as she licked her lips.

“You don’t have any Aelmari around to save you now,” she teased, “I could just eat you right up…”

“Oh ha ha,” he said with a smile, but his mockery was cut short as she unclipped the chain and lowered him into her mouth. It was warm and wet, he was caressed seemingly from all sides by soft flesh. He panicked as he heard a giggle come from her throat below him and her tongue arched up, pushing him further back into her throat. He felt the muscles constrict around him and began to squirm furiously, was she really going to swallow him!?

He felt himself pulled upwards by the small chain he'd forgotten was still fastened to his leg. He breathed a sigh of relief as he was once again dangled in front of Clara’s grinning face.

“Oh relax, like I’m really going to eat my best friend.”

“Best friend?” he sputtered, “you have a weird way of showing it!”

“Hmm…” she said as she tapped an erection that was very visible through the thin shorts she’d put him in, “I see you’re just hating the way I treat you. I remember what happened when they put those truth-or-shock collars on us you know.” Seeing his embarrassed expression she leaned back in the captain’s chair and slowly lowered him down to her chest where he rested comfortably on the molded breasts of her armor. With one hand she unclasped the chain from his ankle and clipped it back to the ceiling.

“It’s… not the worst,” Jim admitted quietly.

“And just so you know, yes I do believe you’re my best friend Tiny,” she said, “I don’t think I have any other friends that would risk their life for me, or get between me and an angry Aelmari.”

Jim thought it over, the two of them had gotten close due to the bizarre circumstances they’d endured together, and even though she’d been part of an invasion force… well he enjoyed her company.

“I think you’re my best friend too,” he said strangely, it was almost a surprise to him, but it was true.

“Happy to hear it!” Clara said with a smile, “now like I told the blueskins back there, I know someone on this planet who would be the person to talk to if there was someone trafficking humans. Just a warning, she might get a little… grabby.”

“Grabby?” he asked with a frown.

“Hey, remember we’re supposed to be undercover as slavers!” Clara said, “Or pet dealers… I don’t know, however you want to label it, but humans are already cute and you’re cute even for a human, and a male too! So I think you’re probably going to get uhhh, poked and prodded a bit.”

“Do they not have a lot of males where we’re going?” Jim asked uncertainly.

Clara laughed, “Oh I forgot, your species doesn’t have a lot of experience with this sort of thing. Most sexually dimorphic species have a pretty uneven gender ratio, males don’t usually leave their home planets and there aren’t going to be ANY on some backwater like Marek, so even a tiny one from a weird species like yours is going to pick up a lot of attention.”

“This just keeps getting better and better,” he muttered.

“Hey now!” Clara said with a smile, “I’ll be right there the whole time, and I won’t let anyone hurt you or run off or anything! We’ll also have the blueskins at our back, and they probably have enough firepower by themselves to level half the spaceport. Just try to enjoy the experience.”

“So how long is it going to take us to get to this place?” Jim asked, looking at the stars streaking by the cockpit windows. He supposed he’d technically been on a spaceship for a week now, but… seeing the cosmos fly by from this vantage point, he felt THIS was how a space adventure should look.

“Around twelve hours,” Clara said, “the Aelmari didn’t let me put any of their weapons on this thing, but I did shove one of their dimensional drives in it and it didn’t set off whatever block Isstvell put on me when I was designing it. This same trip took my people’s ship a good three weeks.” She tapped a few buttons on her console and a small, to Clara at least, viewscreen folded up, to Jim it could have been from the local megaplex. Unlike the Aelmari ones he was used to, this wasn’t a holographic display but looked almost like a standard computer screen he’d have seen on earth, and not a particularly nice one at that.

“I’d better set up our meeting,” Clara muttered as she typed in what Jim thought must be something like a phone number.

“So who is this contact of yours?” Jim asked.

“Well,” Clara said, a bit embarrassed, “she’s kind of an old family friend, just try to act like I’m scary and intimidating okay?”

The screen crackled to life as someone on the other end answered. The woman who appeared was wearing a red robe, and where Clara had a set of catlike ears and pink hair this woman had foxlike ones protruding from long red hair a shade of which that wouldn’t be out of place on earth. She looked to be in at least middle age, but it was hard to tell.

“Clara!” the woman said with a warm smile, “I must admit, I’m happy to see you’re alive! Oh your mother is going to be so relieved, I heard that the Glalan expedition was lost? What happened dear? Were the primitives more powerful than you expected?”

“Hi Auntie Lucia,” Clara said, “Uh, the expedition ran into an Aelmari worldship while we were on the planet and-“

“Auntie?” Jim mouthed at Clara but she ignored him.

“Oh by the stars,” Lucia said, “You poor thing! I’m surprised anyone is left alive at all! They’re very unforgiving when you mess with their precious primitives you know. How did you escape?”

Clara licked her lips and looked down at Jim, “I outsmarted them!” she didn’t say anything further and there was an awkward silence.

Lucia’s brow furrowed, “I see… and that armor Clara, it looks very expensive, if your expedition was wiped out-“

“Well I got lucky you see,” Clara stammered, “I sort of stumbled across a group of traveling Space Moths who smuggled me away from the primitives, and then they gave me some credits to get back on my feet!”

“How many credits did they give you?” Lucia asked, her eyes narrowing, “Is that… YOUR spaceship Clara?”

Clara was at a loss, “I umm, that is to say I-“

Jim rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh, “Uh excuse me,” he cut in, “My ummm, Master, she stole many valuable and rare jewels from my planet and she traded them to other aliens for this ship, she was so terrifying!”

“Oh my now what is that!” Lucia said excitedly, her face filled the monitor as she leaned in closer. “What an adorable little biped!” the fox-woman exclaimed as Clara held him up under the arms and put him closer to the screen, “Was this one of the planet’s inhabitants? What are you called?”

“Humans ma’am,” Jim said in what he hoped was a meek tone, “Clara- I mean Master took me with her when she left Earth.”

“Yes that’s how it happened,” Clara said quickly, “but I’ve grown… bored of him, and I’d like to sell him. Could you arrange something like that for me?”

“Hmm…” Lucia muttered, looking him over, “He’s quite cute and certainly very rare, I don’t think I’ve seen anything like him around here… What’s your name precious?”

“Jim Ma’am,” he said.

“Well Jim, is there anything I should know about your species? Poisonous? Mind control powers?”

“No, what you see is what you get,” he joked.

“Well I haven’t seen EVERYTHING yet,” Lucia laughed, and through the screen he felt the fox-woman’s eyes going over his body, “I must say Jim, you’re taking being enslaved and sold off rather… well.”

“Well yeah,” he said, not sure how to respond to that, “I’m just excited to be away from Clara, she’s so cruel.”

“Really now?” Lucia mused. She regarded Clara for a moment, “Clara… are you sure this is something you want to do? Trading in sentients is a very ugly business even by my standards. If you insist I will put you in contact with someone who runs in such circles, but I warn you it’s not a decision to take lightly.”

“W-What?” Clara asked, a bit surprised, “I’m a murderous space marauder now Auntie!”

“I can see that,” Lucia said tersely, “but somehow I don’t believe my eyes. There is something else going on here. You simply don’t come back from a failed raid with millions of credits in new gear and in your own starship, no matter how much charity you receive from Space Moths. We’ll discuss the matter on your arrival.”

Lucia’s expression went warm and she looked down at Jim, “And for you little human… well I’ll have to conduct a physical on you when you get here, a fertility check perhaps? I’m looking forward to it… who knows, maybe I can convince Clara to part with you at a reasonable price and we can forget this whole buyer nonsense.” She winked at Jim and the viewscreen clicked off.

“So that’s your aunt?” Jim asked, “Is she the same species?”

“She’s from Glalan Beta,” Clara said, “they have a bit of a different look there.” Clara sighed, “She’s kind of a friend of my mom’s.”

“Foxes and cats,” Jim mused, “what a universe.”

“We’ve talked about this Jim!” Clara said, “I don’t look like a cat your cats just happen to look a bit like us! It’s not nice to compare someone to a domestic pet animal!”

“I wouldn’t know anything about being compared to a pet,” Jim said, trying not to laugh, “Anyway, did you really want me to ride all the way there in that little cage?” he gestured to the overly ornate dashboard fixture.

“Well I could just hold you,” Clara said sweetly as she traced a finger over his head, ruffling his hair. “I made sure the ship’s computer had some of those space adventure films you like, we’ve got some time to kill.”

“Sounds great,” he said as she brought up a list of films on the viewscreen. “It’s so weird, I’m actually here on a space adventure, and I’m killing time by watching old sci-fi movies.”

Clara shrugged, “until you get where you’re going space travel isn’t all that exciting, sorry. What did you think it was going to be like?”

“Well I imagined myself in the captain’s chair,” he said wistfully.

Clara’s face flashed a mischievous look suddenly, “You can still sit in the captain’s chair.” She grabbed him and stood up. Turning around she gently placed him on the seat cushion. “What are your orders captain?”

Jim knew Clara well enough by now to know what was coming but he played along anyways, “Are there any nearby celestial bodies worth exploring?”

“Just one,” Clara said with a giggle as she turned around and settled back into the chair, covering Jim’s struggling form with her butt. She ground herself into the soft seat and sighed. Idly she looked at the viewscreen and selected one of the movies Jim had insisted was “a classic.” She squirmed as she felt him move and shifted her weight on him with a low giggle as the credits began to roll.  

The planet Marek was a crater marked dusty planet circling a dim red star, as far as Jim could tell as their ship circled it there was only one settlement and it didn’t look like much. He wasn’t sure what he’d expected exactly but as they began their descent Jim couldn’t help but think that the place made Mos Eisley look like the good side of town.

“Told you the view was better under my butt,” Clara said as they looked out the window. They were circling a paved area that to Jim looked a lot like airport parking.

“This is my first alien planet,” Jim replied, “Let me enjoy it.”

As he said that the two of them watched a being in tattered robes dump a large bucket of very organic looking refuse out onto a nearby street. Jim nervously looked at the various figures milling about, a lot of them wore gas masks or outfits that looked like scuba gear, and while a lot of them could have looked like anything under the robes and masks they wore a lot of them looked… very human, albeit with skin colors or features you would have never seen on earth.

“So is there a common ancestor for most species?” Jim asked suddenly.

Clara shrugged, “Look Jim I’m not some kind of scientist or a priest who worries about that stuff, evolution, bored goddesses, it’s just not my problem. Most species breath the same atmosphere as us and have a body structure pretty close too.” She grinned as she picked him up, “obviously most species get a bit… bigger than humans.”

“As I’ve noticed,” Jim muttered.

She carried him in her hand down to the cargo bay where Isstvell and Lyrei were waiting silently, still in their disguises for a minute he could believe they really were just machines.

“Jim!” Lyrei’s muffled voice called as one of the figures turned towards him, “Clara! Did you two enjoy your private time together?”

“Uhh yeah,” Clara muttered, clearly embarrassed. “What did you two do down here? Stare at the wall?”

“We’ve been using our combined computing power to simulate the first Human World War,” Isstvell said, standing up, “I hoped it could help us understand Jim’s psychology better.”

“World War One?” Jim asked, a bit bewildered, “I don’t know whether to be flattered or offended.”

“I was playing the part of the German Kaiser!” Lyrei said excitedly.

“I was the Russian Tsar,” Isstvell said neutrally, “I did better than he did in your history but my subordinates murdered me a few years in.”

“Well I’m glad you had fun, we’re meeting my contact soon,” Clara said excitedly.

“It’s her aunt,” Jim said.

Clara started, “Yes it is but she’s still a very valid underworld contact!”

“Of course she is!” Lyrei said in a warm tone, “You’re doing very well leading the mission Clara!”

“This entire spaceport is crawling with thieves,” Isstvell muttered, “I intercepted a number of electronic communications and complaints about theft comprise almost 30% of outgoing messages. I’m staying with the ship to protect it.”

“Fine,” Clara said, “Even one Aelmari is more than enough to shoot our way out of anything we’re going to run into here.” She thought a minute and then gestured for Isstvell and Lyrei to follow her to a cabinet in the hall. She placed Jim up on her shoulder and placed a strand of her pink hair in his hand so he could hold it for balance. She threw the cabinet open eagerly revealing a large array of various guns, some of them looked almost like something a sporting goods store would sell and others looked like sci-fi film set pieces.

“I had your construction nanites make these!” Clara said excitedly as she grabbed something that looked shockingly like a single action revolver, “Look Jim I made that gun from the movie you showed me!”

“Clara,” Isstvell said impatiently, “you’ve scaled up a primitive human kinetic weapon and while it may have recreational value it would be unwise to choose this as your primary means of protection in such a-“

“It’s got plasma shells!” Clara said excitedly as she holstered her western set piece. “a little Glalan tech on a human classic!”

“Clara do you have any experience in ballistics?” Isstvell asked, her frown deepening, “taking a weapon which was, by my records, obsolete by human standards and then outfitting it with your own people’s munitions seems to be mixing a number of variables you have not accounted nor prepared for.”

“Yeah yeah,” Clara muttered, “We probably won’t need them anyways, around here it’s more of a deterrent.” She patted the revolver’s handle before grabbing  another pair of silvery guns that looked much more like science fiction items, holstering one across from her revolver she tossed the other to Lyrei who looked at it strangely.

“I can manifest a plasma projectile far more powerful than anything your species produces Clara,” she said, a bit confused.

“Yeah and there’s only one race that shoots plasma from their hands,” Clara explained, “yours, and since we don’t want anyone to know you’re here you’re doing your killing with that today.”

“Do I get a gun?” Jim asked.

Clara laughed while the two Aelmari looked on impassively, “Jim!” Clara wheezed, “What would you do? Shoot someone’s eye out?”

“I almost shot your eye out with my grandad’s 1911!” he replied angrily, “Give me a red ryder BB gun for all I care!”

“I’m not dumb enough to fight without a facial shield and most people around here won’t be either,” Clara replied, “besides it would be weird group of slavers that let their merchandise carry around a gun, even a little one.”

“The cat has a point,” Isstvell said, “but be warned Clara you had better be a VERY possessive owner do you understand? No unnecessary risks.”

“I’ll be with them at all times,” Lyrei said sweetly, “And I’m sure Clara will exercise excellent judgment.”

“Obviously!” Clara said as she grabbed what looked like a silvery rucksack out of the cabinet. She pulled a simple drawstring open and held it up to her shoulder, “All right Jim hop in!”

“You can’t carry me there?” he asked.

“Merchandise goes in bags!” Clara said with a grin as she shoved him in.

“Wait-“ Jim started but the last thing he saw as she pulled the bag shut again was her smug face. He protested a minute until Clara laughed from outside.

"I've got a pair of socks I've been wearing the whole way here that I could toss in there to keep you company if you're not quiet!"

Jim decided to quietly ride in the bag.

…

Shaerra, matriarch of the first worldship to make contact with humanity, was having difficulty dealing with the responsibility. Worldship matriarchs had no established hierarchy, but they’d never had any problem reaching simple consensus on communal decisions for the Aelmari until now. Lyanna, another matriarch, had ordered the residents of her ship, some five billion strong, to “forcibly adopt” the entire Sapporo region of Japan, it had taken them less than an hour to do so and then they’d immediately fled for the furthest reaches of Aelmari influenced space. It had happened so quickly that even a race that communicated and thought as quickly was at a loss as to how to respond, what’s more the fact that none of the five billion Aelmari on Lyanna’s ship had leaked the plans onto the neural net suggested an alarming amount of premeditation.

“Lyanna,” Shaerra said darkly over the video screen, a form of communication they used for the benefit of the humans involved, “What do you have to say for yourself?”

“The humans love it!” Lyanna had exclaimed as fireworks went off behind her, although she appeared to be standing in a large forested area with many Japanese inspired castles and buildings in the background the shimmering sky told Shaerra she was in one of her worldship’s recreation bays. She held a very confused looking Asian man in her hand who gave an awkward smile and a thumbs up.

“It’s very nice,” he said, “Erm… when will we be going back to earth?”

“Bring them back right now!” Shaerra protested, “the other humans miss them and now they’re all scared we’re going to just rush the planet and grab ALL of them!”

“Oh well I guess they just have to visit!” Lyanna said, “Sorry we’ve got to go we’re holding a welcome parade for the humans!” with that the video chat ended.

Shaerra sighed and looked down at Brandon, her own human, as he wasn’t expected to talk to any human leaders that day he was wearing simple lounge pants and a loose shirt for comfort. With a relaxed sigh she grabbed him up and dangled him in front of her face, she closed her eyes and inhaled his scent and took a few minutes to simply enjoy the presence of her very own Tiny. Everything about humans triggered a deep sense of satisfaction for her, for all Aelmari, she snuggled him against her cheek.

“So what are you going to do about her?” Brandon asked, ending the moment.

 “I don’t know,” Shaerra admitted, “I don’t want any of the other Matriarchs to get similar ideas but… isn’t getting the humans somewhere safe what we’re here to do in the first place?”

“I’m still not really on board with the ah, adoption of the entire species,” Brandon said uncertainly.

“But you always tell me the best thing to do to make it happen Brandon,” she said demurely, “since I started asking you for advice on our recruitment efforts the number of humans voluntarily joining our worldships has increased dramatically.” She placed him down on the table and ruffled his hair just a bit with her finger, a gesture she knew he didn’t care for but she just enjoyed too much to stop.

“He’s a helpful guy,” Trish, Brandon’s girlfriend, called as she walked out of a chamber of the living quarters she kept semi-permanently displaying a calm beachfront. She sauntered over to the desk and looked expectantly at Shaerra, who guessed what she wanted and lifted her up to join Brandon. “We’ve decided,” she said sweetly as she clasped his hand, “that we’re staying.”

“Oh!” Shaerra said with a smile, “that’s wonderful!” she hadn’t really considered giving them the option of leaving but it was nice to hear they were happy. “You won’t be the only ones!” She said as she mentally pulled up the statistics on how many humans were on the worldships and on the planet, she froze as there was a single error.

“Human not found?” She whispered aloud.

“Shaerra is there something wrong?” Trish asked, a bit concerned.

Mentally she pulled up the file on the “missing” human.

“James “Jim Arnett,” the name filled her mind. He wasn’t on the worldships and he wasn’t on the planet… Lyrei and Isstvell, did they…? No, they couldn’t have brought their human with them, she’d ordered them not to.

“Brandon,” She asked suddenly, “What happens to a human military official who disobeys his direct commander.”

“Well it’s not really my area of expertise,” he said slowly, “but if this… situation has happened you should probably send someone to bring them into custody.”

Shaerra blinked, “Right of course,” mentally she ordered Maeve, her second in command, to begin preparing a battlecruiser.

“Any special orders Matriarch?” Maeve asked as notifications that the ship was being fabricated come over the neuronet.

“Keep it a disciplinary effort if you can,” Shaerra replied, “recover Isstvell, Lyrei, and the human… the Glalan too I suppose, don’t harm anyone any more than necessary.”

She severed the link and looked back to her humans and smiled, “Now you two wanted to try climbing a simulated Mount Everest today correct?” she waved a hand and the nanites making up her desk began to create a tiny set of climbing gear.

Trish walked over to it but Brandon was hesitant, “Should we erm… just change here on your desk?”

“Yes please,” Shaerra said, trying to keep herself contained as she watched the tiny couple.

“Brandon she’s already seen it all,” Trish said as she pulled her thin cotton shirt off and selected a thicker one from the rack.

Brandon sighed and followed his girlfriend’s example. There were some parts of living on an Aelmari worldship he was still getting used to.

…

Whatever material Clara’s bag was made out of was just porous enough that Jim could see out slightly when he pressed his face against it. He couldn’t see a lot but he could tell she was walking down an alleyway while many other giants, some even taller than Lyrei and Isstvell, all female just as she’d said. He gulped a bit as he managed to spot the outline of another species loom almost twice as tall as Clara, whatever it was it growled at her as she passed.

Finally they stopped at a building that looked like it was made out of concrete, if concrete was a metallic blue that is, and Clara pushed the door open.

“Auntie Lucia!” he heard Clara call excitedly.

“Clara darling!” the muffled voice of the fox-woman called, “Come in and take some of that armor off. Who is your friend?”

Jim realized she was talking about Lyrei, who was still disguised in a full gas mask.

“My name’s Lyrei!” she said excitedly, “My species doesn’t breathe this atmosphere so I’ll have to keep my equipment on.”

“And what species would that be exactly?” Lucia asked.

Jim could tell she still wasn’t buying their story so he loudly coughed in the bag, hoping to get her attention. It worked and he felt the bag shift as someone carried him and a minute later he tumbled out onto a table. He steadied himself and stood up, he took a look around and saw what was clearly a pawn shop, albeit instead of bulletproof glass covering high value items pale blue force fields shimmered in the low light. He looked up to see the three giant faces looking down at him. Lyrei’s eyes were just barely visible behind the opaque gas mask, Clara seemed nervous, and Lucia…

Lucia was definitely an impressive looking woman, standing just a bit taller than Clara’s 90 feet she wore a well tailored red robe which framed her impressive bust nicely, her foxlike ears twitched idly from behind her long red hair as she regarded him curiously. She leaned close, laying her palms flat on either side of him, he stumbled backwards a bit as a face the size of a small house examined him closely.

“Even cuter in person,” she said with a disarming smile, “Jim was it? You’re the merchandise these two are here to sell?”

“That’s right,” he said nervously.

“Hmm… well definitely more of an exotic pet than a slave, no offense precious.” She winked at him at that. “I’ll have an associate of mine put out feelers for the type of person who would be interested in such a product.” An enormous finger reached out and gently stroked under his chin, “Oh now why would you want to part with such a cutie Clara?”

“He’s just not interesting to me,” Clara said with a very poorly acted dismissive wave, “he’s quite scrawny, I need a pet with more intelligence and stamina.”

“Lacks-“ he looked up at Clara and saw her force down a smirk at his reaction, he scowled but didn’t reply.

“And you?” Lucia asked Lyrei, “do you not desire this creature?”

“I have… no attachment,” Lyrei lied, and unfortunately Jim could tell it was difficult for her to say that, “I am merely hoping to see if there are perhaps collectors or even a market for such a small sentient.”

“Hmmm…” Lucia mused, smiling. “Well I’m going to need to collect a genetic profile next,” she held up her index finger and Jim jumped back in surprise as a small retractable claw seemed to pop up from under her fingernail, briefly he wondered if Clara had those. “Hold very still,” she said, and he shivered as the enormous claw traced down his neck and hooked the inside of his shirt, in one smooth motion sliced clean down the front, reducing his shirt to tatters. Another quick slash and his pants were reduced to ribbons as well, breathing out with relief he let the remains of his clothes fall off him before the embarrassment of being naked set in and his hands went to cover himself.

“Was that necessary?” Lyrei asked, a hint of edge to her voice, Jim noticed one hand had drifted perilously close to her gun.
Lucia shrugged, “I’m very precise, see not a scratch on him?” with a fluourish of her hand the claw was gone.
“You could have just asked me to take them off!” he said, the room wasn’t quite as warm as he would have liked.

“I could have, yes” she replied with a smile.

“I don’t have any others- that is to say Master Clara didn’t bring any others with us.”

“What a shame,” Lucia said, although by the way she looked at him she viewed that as a bonus.

She turned back to the other two giants, “my residence is above the store, you two can stay in my guest room tonight, why don’t you go get settled in while I complete the biological profile on our human here?”

“Auntie Lucia,” Clara began uncertainly, “I should probably just stay close to my er, merchandise-“

“Go, I insist,” Lucia said firmly, pointing to the stairs. Clara’s cat ears twitched a moment before she sullenly went. After another moment Lyrei hesitantly followed her. Lucia watched them trudge up the stairs, as soon as they were gone a smile slowly spread across her face as one eye darted down to him.

Instinctively at that gaze Jim started but before he could run he was swept up by her giant palm and squeezed tightly. She held him in front of her eyes a moment, regarding him again before walking behind the counter of her shop and opened a door, revealing a small back office which was much cleaner than the rest of the establishment.

“Now then,” Lucia muttered as she set him down on another table, “We’ll have to complete a genetic profile of you to include in any advertisement.” She powered up a machine that looked more like it belonged in an earth museum than on a distant alien world. Seeing his look she rolled her eyes, “I don’t know what rich friends Clara has made but down here planetside I’m not replacing something that isn’t broken.” She held what looked like a paper strip up to him, to her it was small but to him it was nearly the size of his leg. “It’s quite simple, we need you to place a genetic sample on this.”

“Okay sure,” he said, “are you going to draw blood or something?”

Lucia laughed, “No darling I’m afraid buyers of a male sentient are going to want to be sure of certain OTHER parameters that some of your blood wouldn’t be able to give me.”

“Oh,” he said, his face red as he realized what she wanted, “Well sure I can rub one out I gues-

One of her palms came up behind him as he stepped backwards and he felt her hand force him back forward a few steps toward the paper strip at his feet.

She grinned and loosened a belt on her red robe, parting the cloth around her torso she gave Jim a very good look at her breasts, sticking her chest out just slightly towards him. Jim swallowed nervously and felt himself growing hard at the sight.

“I figured it wouldn’t take much,” Lucia said with a sultry grin. With her free hand she put her thumb and index finger together and stuck them into her mouth a moment, when they came back out they were glistening with her saliva. Gently the enormous digits gripped his erection and began stroking slowly.

The experience was overwhelming as she leaned her face in and her hot breath washed over him, “That’s it,” she said sweetly, “just relax and look at something nice,” she sashayed her chest back and forth ever so slightly. The warmth of one hand at his back, holding him in place and the deliberate work of the other didn’t take long to get Lucia what she wanted. With a cry of pleasure he came, never stopping her movements Lucia aimed him down at the paper strip and grinned as she hit her target.

With that she released him and he nearly crumpled to the table, his legs weak and jellylike. Humming to herself Lucia stuck the small paper strip into a slot on the machine he’d seen earlier, causing a series of beeps and a familiar whirring and clicking sound of an ancient computer going into operation.

Walking back to him she opened a cabinet above the table he was on and pulled out a bowl that looked like it was made of the same metallic blue material as the rest of the building. She walked over to a small sink in the corner and filled it, dipping a single finger in to check the temperature before setting it in front of Jim. Her fingers hooked under his armpits and he was lifted like a doll into the air and slowly lowered into the warm water of the bowl. He couldn’t help but sigh at the pleasant feeling, it was almost like a hot tub.

“There we go,” Lucia said warmly, “just relax in there okay? Is the temperature good?”

“It feels wonderful,” Jim breathed as he let himself sink a bit deeper.

“Now while your genetic profile completes I’d like some real answers to a few burning questions I have.” She sat in a chair and scooted it closer to the bowl holding Jim and his bath, placing her elbows on the table and her palms on her cheeks she loomed over him.

“First off I know you are not Clara’s slave, she and that other thing aren’t here to sell you,” Lucia said, the smile was gone now.

Jim thought it over, “You’re right,” he said finally, “what gave us away?”

“Everything dear,” she said with a chuckle, “the way you talk to one another, the way you interact, the way you’re apparently completely calm despite being abducted from a primitive planet to be sold into slavery. There are excellent spies in this universe, the three of you are not among their number. Obviously what I want to know is what you’re really doing here and why Clara won’t let her dear aunt Lucia in on it?”

“It’s… complicated,” Jim said hesitantly.

“Clara is involved how complicated could it be?” Lucia asked dryly, “I love that girl like my own daughter but the decisions she makes are often… unwise. She’s lucky she survived joining that foolish marauder crew and she’s prancing around in new armor with her own ship now but I suspect she’s gotten herself into something far more dangerous. I want you to know that as nasty as my business has gotten over the years I’ve never dealt in slavery until now and I’m only playing along with this charade to try to get my niece out of whatever she’s mired herself in. Who is that other being with you? Does Clara owe her money?”

“No there’s no money involved,” Jim said, “Lyrei is… friendly with Clara and I, don’t worry she’d never harm either of us.”

“Jim,” Lucia said after a moment, “The fact that you’re galivanting across the universe with my niece also makes me question YOUR judgement. At some point I’m going to get the entire story of what happened on your primitive little planet.” She sighed, “In the meantime… are you SURE you wish to go through with this farce about selling you? I’ll put out the advertisement but we could be drawing in some very dangerous people.”

“I understand,” Jim said, “We… need to find people who would be interested in someone like me, this seemed like the best way to do it.”

“A honeypot then,” Lucia muttered, “there is no legal authority on Marek beyond the barrel of a gun you know, if Lyrei is some kind of law enforcement she’ll need to be very… forceful if you find what you’re looking for.”

“I’m not too worried,” Jim said. He’d seen Lyrei and Isstvell walk off enough explosives to wipe out a small city and then a barrage of Clara’s alien rifle fire right afterwards.

The machine whirred and made an angry buzzing sound, Lucia rolled her eyes, “It seems the machine had an error, we’ll have to run it again.” She grinned down at Jim in his bath, “I know you were just starting to relax but I’m afraid I’ll need another sample.” Jim couldn’t hide his physical reaction at that and Lucia chuckled, “Well it’s good to see Clara was lying about your stamina…”

…

The advertisement evidently didn’t take long to attract interest as several giant aliens milled about the dingy pawn shop, some idly glanced at the other merchandise and some just stared straight ahead. Jim was presented, naked, on the counter of the shop while Lucia and Clara waited behind it. Lyrei was in the corner, leaning against a wall and doing her best to look bored, but anyone could tell she was trying to keep an eye on the entire room at once.

The other aliens seemed on edge as well, Lucia had put out a few chairs for her impromptu auction but most of them had still decided to stand.

“We should have prepared a display box or something,” Lucia muttered, “I didn’t think you’d have so many prospective buyers wanting to come by so quickly.”

“I guess I’m just a hot commodity,” Jim said weakly. Several of those aliens didn’t look very friendly.

“If anyone would like to come and examine the human before bidding please do so one at a time!” Lucia called out to the room.

A greenskinned species shorter than Clara or Lucia sauntered up to them, at first Jim thought she had black hair but as she approached he realized they were tentacles, writhing slightly as she moved, her eyes didn’t seem to have any demarcations, just a deep black that he could see his reflection in. She had a lithe and athletic looking but otherwise normal body, and was clothed in a bright silver fabric that clung to her and contrasted with her skin.

“Smells Delicious,” she muttered as she licked her lips and looked over him, “Might I have… a taste?”

Before Clara or Lucia could reply a long pink tongue snaked out of her mouth, coming down and coiling around him like a snake. Jim gasped in surprise as he was squeezed and covered in the alien’s saliva. He began to panic as he was drawn slowly up towards her mouth.

“H-Hey!” Clara shouted, hand going towards her gun, “Hands- tongues off!”

The green alien paused, Jim held his breath as he was suspended in midair by the prehensile tongue until finally the alien growled and lowered him down to the table and withdrew, leaving him coated with her saliva.

“You okay?” Clara asked quietly as she tried to towel him off with one of her sleeves.

“Yeah,” Jim muttered, “Just… don’t let that one near me again okay?”

The next alien to approach was only half Clara’s height and had to bring over a chair to reach the counter in order to examine Jim. A pair of translucent wings buzzed behind her as compound eyes looked over him, she had a yellow tint to her skin and Jim realized with a start that with the black clothing she wore she resembled an earth bee. Confirming his thoughts there was a buzzing noise as a group of other bee-girls, all around twenty feet tall landed on all sides of him. Where the larger one was somewhat plump and had the appearance of an older woman these four were quite visibly muscled and looked a bit on edge, although Jim didn’t see any stingers they all carried holstered weapons.

“Hmm…” The larger bee pondered him, “Such a small species, and yet the advertisement shows you’re genetically compatible? I suppose my hive cannot afford to be too picky with males.”

“No your majesty!” one of the four smaller bee-girls said eagerly, “Our hive is the greatest and you can have the best males!”

“My queen don’t disparage yourself so!” Another called.

The queen laughed, causing her ample assets to jiggle a bit, “Girls you flatter me, and besides,” she looked over Jim and her wings buzzed slightly, “perhaps we can find some ways to have fun with him. Tell me human would you like to be our hive’s new king?”

Jim blinked, “I’m… not sure,” he looked up at Clara who just shrugged at him, “what would that entail exactly?”

“A hive king mostly does whatever they want I suppose,” the queen bee said nonchalantly, “You’ll have to serve me and provide genetic material for the hive but other than that we’ll keep you in the lap of luxury. Our records indicate several members of your species have served hives before in this manner to reported mutual satisfaction. You also find honey palatable, which is good to know.”

“Wait,” Jim said excitedly, “Your species has other humans like me living with you?”

“Not now I think,” the Queen said, continuing to regard him, “but definitely in the past… Once I’ve purchased you we can consult the other queens about it, I’m looking forward to showing you off at our gathering.”

She turned and buzzed her wings, hovering back into the shop with the other buyers, with a last look at him the… drones? Lifted off and followed her. If nothing else that definitely confirmed there were off-planet humans, Jim wondered if she was telling the truth about the current lack of humans living with them though.

The next potential buyer was a tan looking silver haired woman around the same height as Clara who otherwise had a surprisingly human look, Jim tried to see if there was anything else that gave her away as an alien but came up empty. She was wearing something that would be shockingly close to an earth pantsuit as well.

“My name is Elara and I’m here on behalf of my employer the Lady Delana,” she said in a formal tone, “I am on a scouting mission to procure rare humans for her collection.” Jim forced himself to remain calm, Clara licked her lips as the woman continued. “Tell me human what nation-state do you hail from?”

“Uh, America?” He said uncertainly.

“Oh I don’t know,” Elara muttered, “Americans are dreadfully common, I don’t know why so many harvesters stop there… an entire planet and everyone wants to collect Americans. Are you perhaps an elected official? A famous singer?”

“No,” Jim said, this was taking an odd turn, “My family owned a farm.”

“I suppose I should purchase you anyway,” Elara said with a sigh, “although another standard American… I can’t say you’ll be displayed very prominently at the lady’s home.”

She opened a suitcase and Jim gasped, inside were a dozen plastic tubes, each showing a human apparently frozen in a casing, some of their expressions betrayed fear, or calm, one, a medieval knight, had a sword drawn. Jim realized that they looked like they were from a number of different places and even eras.

Elara pulled one last empty tube out and held it up to Jim, “We can dispense with the auction,” she said firmly, “the lady will outbid any of these degenerates, even for a common specimen like this one. Please enter the tube human.”

“Now hold on,” Clara said, coming around the counter and subtly trying to get between Elara and Jim, “It wouldn’t really be fair not to give everyone else a chance…” She shot a look at Lyrei who was watching them intently. At the sight of the humans one of her hands had drifted down to her gunbelt and Jim could practically feel her fury at seeing them in such a state.

“Lady Delana is one of if not THE foremost collector of humans,” Elara protested, “trust me it would be better for a dealer in them to simply establish a direct line.”

“Collector?” Lucia asked curiously, “How many does she have?”

Elara shrugged, “I cannot say, I only procure them for her, but with this trip,” she held up a tube containing what looked like a World War era pilot, “She will FINALLY have completed the entire Flight 19 set, which I can assure you is quite an accomplishment.” She placed the frozen human back in her suitcase.

“A-are they dead?” Jim asked fearfully, glancing at the plastic tube she’d set next to him.

“Of course not,” Elara snapped, “dead humans are worthless, but keeping them in suspended animation like this they can last and be displayed forever! The lady has several very rare humans from a now extinct nation-state known as “Rome” who are worth more than this entire planet.”

“This is all very fascinating,” Lucia said, glancing at Jim, “but our decision stands, you’ll bid with the others.”

Elara growled and retrieved the plastic tube from the table, “fine but you’re just wasting everyone’s time.” She snapped the briefcase shut with a click and took a seat.

“I’d say that’s what we’re here for,” Clara said, nodding at Lyrei across the room, the Aelmari smoothly walked to the exit and took a position next to it.

“I’d like to see the merchandise,” another voice said, the three of them turned to see a red skinned woman with jet black hair and curled horns standing over all of them. She was by far the tallest alien in the room, bigger than Lyrei, standing twice as tall as Clara and her aunt, she could only barely fit in the store without her head touching the ceiling. A pair of amused yellow eyes took in the startled Glalans and she smirked.

“Y-yes of course,” Clara said, “by all means.”

“I know I look like a certain mythical being from your planet, a demon I think?” she said as she got on her knees to better see Jim, “but please try not to be afraid.”

She reached down to her belt and unclipped something, slowly she placed a rectangular box on the table. To her it was maybe the size of a purse, but to Jim it was closer to the size of a semi-Truck. She tapped the top twice and with a pneumatic hiss a door on the side opened.

Jim gaped as a human, or something human sized anyway, confidently strode out of the box. It had what looked like a motorcycle helmet in a metallic green that matched the rest of the skintight suit she wore, and it was DEFINITELY a she by the way it hugged her figure. As she approached him Jim briefly wondered if this was another human, she stood over him at nearly seven feet tall and looked fairly muscular, like a professional athlete. The figure clicked a button on the side of the helmet and there was another pneumatic hiss as she pulled it off, revealing a pale blonde with long hair that spilled down her back. She gave him a smile.

Lyrei was now watching them both intently from the other side of the room, Jim saw Clara and her exchange glances as well. He didn’t want to give it away, but he doubted they’d be letting this human leave either.

“Well it looks like you were right Zeph, a real live human male in this part of the galaxy!” the woman said, “Jim right?”

“Yeah that’s me,” he replied hesitantly, “So you’re definitely a human?”

“Oh yeah,” she flexed a bicep, “just a bit of genetic modification, pretty expensive on a species as rare as ours but it was worth every penny.” She licked her lips a moment, “Penny,” she chuckled, “God it’s so strange speaking English again, those translator nanites just leave a weird buzz on your lips sometimes you know?”

“I’ve never noticed,” Jim said weakly, “Where did you-“

“My name’s Sarah and I’m from earth yeah,” she said, cutting off his question, “full Earth-human not one of those diaspora types.”

“D-Diaspora types?”

“Yeah but being honest I don’t hang out with other humans much,” she said, “they tend to like to keep quiet and away from things which isn’t my style.”

“So why are you here at an auction for a human?” he asked.

She laughed and looked up at the giant redskinned woman, “Zeph there thinks I need a mate.”

“You do!” Zeph said eagerly, “you’d make an adorable couple with this one! He could clean your armor for you after jobs and he could pleasure you in any way you-“

“Slow down there!” Sarah laughed seeing Jim’s red face, she glanced up and down his body, her eyes hovering between his legs for a minute, “A little on the small side but I think it’ll do.”

“I hope that’s a comment about my height,” Jim muttered.

Sarah laughed, “Jim we barely come up to ankles of most species, if you get offended by being called small you’re going to have a rough time out here.”

She pulled something off her belt, it looked a bit like a watch, before he could say anything she clasped it on his wrist and hit the button in the center. A green metallic outfit similar to hers seemed to ooze out of it like liquid, quickly conforming to all the contours of his body.

“There now you’re not naked at least,” she said as she walked around him, taking his form in. “Take care of that outfit, it’s very expensive and if you’re not leaving here with me I want it back.”

“Sure,” he said, looking over the space armor, “What exactly do you do to afford stuff like this? Are you a bounty hunter?”

Sarah and Zeph both laughed at that, “Jim a species our size doesn’t hunt anything, we get hunted, or did you not figure that out yet?”

“I’ve had an inkling,” he said darkly, remembering the sensation of the greenskinned woman’s tongue wrapped around his body.

“No I’m a spy and occasional assassin,” the way she said it was like saying she was a stockbroker, she gestured to box on her wrist and a blade several feet long sprung out, “poisoned,” she explained, “I’m actually one of the highest paid hitters out here, one little cut and that’s it, no matter how big they are. Zeph here is my… manager I suppose.”

“I get twenty percent!” the horned woman said excitedly.

“S-so you want him to be your boyfriend or something?” Clara interrupted, Jim couldn’t help but notice her fists were balled as she asked that.

“Boyfriend?” Sarah laughed, “Zeph wants that for him I guess,” she gripped Jim’s chin in her hand, “I think we could have a bit of fun but I was just going to dump you off somewhere safe, I have a bit of a soft spot for abductees, it’s a hard way to start your life in the wider universe.”

“Well that’s very kind of you,” Jim said, “but why not just bring me back to earth?”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Jim it’s a month there and back with most engines and there’s nothing interesting on the way, unless you’ve got a dimensional drive it’s at the ass end of nowhere and I’m not spending two months of my life to drop a stranger back on that mudball. My charity only goes so far.”

“Ah,” he muttered, “makes sense I guess…” He was a bit surprised she wasn’t even interested in going back.

“Of course if you don’t want to go with me I’ll toss my bid in with someone you do want to go with,” She mused, “these Glalans,” she gestured up at Clara and Lucia, “you’ll be happy to get away from them and their silly dominance games.”

“Excuse me?” Clara asked in an offended tone. Lucia just smiled and said nothing.

“I’m guessing the cat does stuff like shoving you in her boot, threatening to step on you, maybe uses your body to get herself off?” Sarah asked with a smirk, “big bad kitty trying to make herself look like the alpha female.”

Jim tried to avoid laughing at Clara’s enraged expression, Sarah had more or less described her behavior perfectly.

“W-well a small species like yours is probably used to it and maybe likes it?” Clara said when she’d regained her composure.

Sarah rolled her eyes and glanced around the room, “Okay Jim here’s the deal, that greenskin species over there? Bad news but you’ve probably figured that out, win or lose this auction Zeph and I won’t let her have you.”

“Thanks,” Jim said in what he hoped was a grateful tone, in truth between Lyrei at the door and Clara and Lucia he wasn’t too concerned about it, but it was nice to know more people were looking out for him.

“The bees are nice,” Sarah mused, “the queen is going to be very eager for your ah, royal jelly. You could do worse than going with them, what do you say? It would save me the trip.”

“What about her?” Jim asked, pointing to the silver haired woman with the briefcase full of frozen humans.

Sarah frowned, “I don’t recognize that species, which is odd since I’ve been around the block a few times. Zeph you see anything like her?”

“No I’m afraid not,” she said uncertainly, “if not for her size she could almost be a human…”

 There was a sudden crackling of static as every communication device in the room, and indeed on the planet, switched itself on and began broadcasting a message.

“To the residents of the planet Marek, this is the Aelmari, we are conducting a disciplinary matter and have our ship in your orbit. Do not resist.”

…
Aelmari starships typically were created with fairly utilitarian designs, however since the contact with humanity they’d taken on more… artful looks. The bridge on Maeve’s cruiser was inspired by a popular human entertainment program for example, as she sat in a captain’s chair in the center of a spacious room she had to admit she liked the layout.

“Do you think everyone on the planet got the message?” She asked one of the other Aelmari on board, “disciplinary matter, do not resist lets everyone know where just here for troublemakers right?”

“I’m sure they received the appropriate message captain,” the first mate said. She frowned and turned around, “Captain… Maeve, is that a human in your cleavage?”

Maeve was trying to push him down lower with her finger but froze, “He’s here for ah, moral support.”

“I thought we weren’t allowed to bring any humans on this mission?”

“The thing about that is-“

“Are you going to let us play with him too?”

…

“The Aelmari are going to attack the planet!” Lucia said in a panic, “Auction is over, everyone get offworld as quickly as you can!” The assembled aliens moved towards the door but Lyrei stepped in front of them.

“I’m afraid not,” she said, pulling off her mask and revealing her smiling Aelmari face, “I’ll be taking all humans here with me and you!” she pointed to Elara “I need to ask you some questions.”

The green skinned alien pulled her weapon and fired it directly into Lyrei’s cheek, causing the same quick shimmer Jim recognized from his and Clara’s own battle against her, but otherwise she just smiled. A quick jolt went out and the greenskin was unconscious on the floor.

“I don’t want to hurt anyone!” she said as she raised a hand, foregoing the pistol Clara gave her, a ball of heated plasma appeared in her hand, “but I can if I must!”

Elara clacked her heels on the ground angrily and drew a long barreled silver handgun, there was a flash and suddenly Lyrei’s left shoulder and her arm were gone, she had a shocked expression on her face, as did everyone else in the shop. The only sound was the gigantic blue elf falling to her knees and then slumping to the floor.

“Aelmari go down if you know just HOW to hit them,” Elara muttered, she swung the gun around to the counter, “and I think I will be taking all the humans with ME, do you Glalans have an issue with that?”

“Of course not-“ Lucia began, but Clara pulled one of her pistols and with a scream opened fire. The shots bounced harmlessly off a shimmering forcefield around the bored looking businesswoman. With a scowl Lucia joined her, the additional shots didn’t seem to help.

“Give it up,” she snarled, “I’m not afraid of Aelmari, you can only imagine how pathetic I find your species, ALL of your species!” she swung the gun around, sweeping the room and causing the remaining auctioneers to cower.

“Sarah?” Zeph asked quietly, the enormous red skinned woman was edging back a bit.

“She big and scary and that’s about it,” Sarah muttered to Jim, “get her in close to the action like this and she’s useless.” She eyed the giant woman in the business suit, “If I can get under that shield one poke from this claw and she’s dead-“

“Mercenary?” Elara asked with a cruel smile as walked to the counter, ignoring the Glalans taking cover “Sarah was it?” She aimed the gun at the two of them, “I only have one human hibernation tube remaining, since you seem a bit far removed from earth to be a valuable collectible I think I’ll forgo taking you at this time, but perhaps we could reach another arrangement?”

“What did you have in mind?” Sarah asked, bracing the steel claw behind her.

Elara chuckled, “I want to see you work, kill that cat for me and I’ll let you and your red skinned friend here go,” she pointed the gun up at Zeph who cringed in fear and looked like she was about to cry.

Sarah looked at Jim and then down at Clara, cowering behind the shop’s counter and shakily trying to shove a power pack into a plasma pistol, with a growl the amazon sprinted down the counter top and before Clara could react the relatively small woman was leaping at her.

“H-HEY!” Clara shouted, she tried to bring a hand up but Sarah was already on her, a quick scratch from the wrist mounted blade across the cheek drew blood and she leapt away again as Clara’s giant hand scrambled for her. Jumping up Clara’s hair she easily reached the top of the catgirl’s head and leapt again onto the counter.

“There, she’ll be dead in a minute!” Sarah shouted.

Elara chuckled, “What a cute little display, I wasn’t sure a human could pose a threat to a normal sized species but… that was impressive. You two are free to go.”

Sarah glared at her stopped once more as she walked past Jim, sweeping him off his feet the amazon planted a deep kiss on his lips that sent his heart pounding a minute, he felt her hand cup his ass and squeeze… and then trace up his back and along his arm as she pulled away, she’d attached something else to his wrist?

“Take care Jim,” she said quietly, “you get very few things for free out here in space, you owe me a favor next time we see each other.”

Zeph glanced down at Jim one last time herself before scooping up Sarah and depositing her back into the small box she’d been carried in before. The horned woman eagerly ran for the exit, as she opened the door Jim saw that the Aelmari’s arrival had triggered mass panic as the street was filled with activity. With a last glance back the Queen Bee and her drones followed.

Elara grabbed Jim roughly, “A lot of trouble to go through for such a subpar human,” she muttered as she squeezed his tiny body.

“Clara!” Lucia was standing over Clara and slapping her, whatever poison she’d been injected with from Sarah’s blade was working quickly, her eyes fluttered and a sheen of sweat had appeared on her forehead. Lucia had tears in her eyes as she aimed a pistol at Elara who just laughed and ignored her.

“Do you want to know something Jim?” She said as she placed him on the ground, “I HATE humans.” She lightly kicked him with a shoe that looked remarkably like a businesswoman’s high heel, “I hate that my employer pays me so much to find you, I hate learning about your history, your asinine pop culture, trying to figure out which of you are valuable…” the high heel hovered over him and pinned him to the ground.

“W-Wait!” he shouted, “I’ll get in the tube-“

“I don’t know if I want to bother at this point,” she said with a savage grin as she pressed on him a bit more, causing him to grimace in pain. “Every time I drop off some humans for the lady’s collection I fantasize about unfreezing them all and just killing them all one by one while the rest watch… but today I think I’m going to get to stomp at least one of you insects, then every time I feel bad about wasting my life on your awful little species I’ll look at the red stain on these shoes and smile.”

“Don’t you dare!” Clara was on her feet, swaying uncertainly and with a glazed look in her eyes, in a jerky motion she drew the massive building sized revolver she’d had the Aelmari fabrication nanites make for her, it shook but she held it steady on Elara.

“Glalans are another species someone needs to wipe out,” Elara sneered, “none of your toys can get through my shield, an Aelmari would have a hard time cracking it and in case you didn’t notice I already killed yours.”

For her part Clara was hallucinating in and out of reality, one moment she was in her aunt’s store staring down an alien about to crush her friend under a heeled foot, the next was shooting stars and blackness. She blinked… was she dead already? No that was ridiculous, she was Clara, the space marauder!”

She cocked the hammer on the gun, the click echoed throughout the store, “D-Do you feel lucky?” She slurred.

“Clara!” Jim yelled, “Just let her take me, get help!”

“No, I’m not taking you,” Elara said in a low voice, the increased pressure from the heel drove the point home.

“Let him g-go” Clara said as she blinked and forced herself to remain lucid, “Or make my day.”

“The last thing you’re going to see is your human popping under my shoe!” Elara said with a smile.

Clara pulled the trigger.

Clara’s upsized .44 magnum was a curious mix of three species technologies. The design was of course a simple human revolver, already obsolete by the modern era, but it’s prominence in certain films Jim and Clara had watched together during their captivity had enraptured her with the revolving action firearm. Her own species had never developed anything similar so the gun looked exotic and interesting, a part of her had been excited to show it off to other Glalans.

Glalan firearms were similar to humanity’s in concept, although instead of a slug a charged plasma ball would be propelled when the shell ignited a gel which the Glalans used instead of gunpowder, a gel which was an order of magnitude more potent. Clara had determined an upsized human round to be insufficient and had simply ordered the AI on the Aelmari worldship to create her plasma shells as she was used to.

The Aelmeri contribution to the weapon was Clara’s own mental idea of how the weapon should function carried out by fabrication nanites, as no Glalan equivalent for a .44 round existed Clara had simply imagined the gunpowder replaced with the much more potent Glalan explosive gel, which would not have been an issue had she not replaced it in the same volume creating a much more powerful charge. For their part the AI on the construction nanites had examined the weapon and determined that it needed to dramatically strengthen both the barrel and the general frame, unknown to Clara a significant force field was also added between the cylinder and the barrel to further direct what the AI suspected would be an extreme outpouring of force. The resulting weapon was not only the most powerful handgun on the planet, it was the most powerful handgun in several galaxies.

Clara’s hallucinations were interrupted by the sharp painful sensation of her wrist breaking as a fireball that temporarily blinded her rocketed out of the barrel of the gun. Lucia cried out in horror as Elara, shield intact, was blown through her shop wall, and the wall of the building across the street, and the building across the street from that. To Jim it seemed as though the sun exploded and he screamed as he was dragged with Elara by the force field, the shimmering advanced technology barely keeping him and Elara from being pulverized.

…

Isstvell growled angrily as she saw the other ships in the spaceport taking off, the Aelmari message had been directed at her and Lyrei, she knew that much, but judging by the plasma fire she was detecting further in town things had gone sour.

“Isstvell,” Lyrei thought at her suddenly, the signal was… faint.

“Lyrei!” she returned, “What’s going on? Should I bring the ship?”

“I’m… hurt,” Lyrei said, “I don’t know if I will be able to self repair before function terminates. My body is non-functional. A buyer showed up to purchase Jim and she had weapons technology beyond what was expected here.”

“What about Jim and Clara?” Isstvell asked.

An explosion suddenly rang out over the landscape and Isstvell honed in on it, it was perilously near Jim, Lyrei, and Clara’s last known location.

“Isstvell,” Lyrei called weakly, “She’s a standard biped with brown skin and silver hair. She has eleven humans held prisoner in her briefcase, they are not being kept in acceptable conditions.”

The signal went quiet and Isstvell thought a moment. Aelmari emotions didn’t work the same way that biological species did, indeed emotions had been a controversial addition a millennia ago but it was ultimately decided they would assist The Mission… some emotions still required a conscious decision to engage in.

“loading anger,” her subconscious spoke neutrally, “maximum level.”

“Approved,” Isstvell said aloud as she felt herself hover into the air, her hair blew in her face as the plasma projectiles manifested around her.

…

Elara coughed and stood up in the pile of rubble that had once been a dwelling, her shield had saved her life but even the kinetic dampeners hadn’t saved her from the entire force of the weapon. Whatever that cat had shot her with she’d be feeling it for the next few days. She stepped and winced, something was sprained or broken. With a growl she grabbed the briefcase full of humans which had thankfully stayed in her grip and appeared unharmed.

She took a minute to collect herself and grinned as she saw that at the very least the human she’d come for had been dragged by her force field along for the ride too. He was weakly stumbling to his feet.

“Now where were we stain?” She asked mockingly.

The sky went orange a moment and Elara looked up to see a blue skinned being descending towards her with rings of fire orbiting her and lightning dancing over her eyes.

“Surrender the humans immediately!” Isstvell’s voice was distorted like something out of a horror movie, and seeing her floating there like an angel of death Jim could understand exactly why so many species feared the Aelmari.

Elara aimed her pistol at Isstvell’s hovering form but Jim ran to her and, leaping onto her shoe and sprinting up, bit her on the ankle as hard as he could. He was rewarded with a cry of pain as Elara’s shot went wide. She looked down at him and he could feel the hate in her eyes.

“A quick stomp isn’t good enough for you!” She screeched, but before she could act a series of plasma bolts flew from Isstvell’s hovering form and it seemed like cracks in the air appeared overhead, a final ball shattered the shield. Elara’s gun suddenly grew red hot in her hand and she screamed as she dropped it.

“You have much valuable information,” Isstvell said in that same horror movie voice as she hovered in front of them, “It would be unfortunate if I had to destroy you.”

A series of blue beams appeared around her and a dozen other Aelmari with plasma projectiles manifested appeared behind her. Elara screamed at the sky but slowly got to her knees and put her hands behind her head. The lightning dancing in front of Isstvell’s eys flashed brightly a moment before she matched Elara’s pose, descending to the earth and putting her hands behind her head.

“Isstvell,” one of the Aelmari said uncertainly, “We don’t have cuffs that will hold our own people… could you just agree to go with us?”

“I agree,” Isstvell said, standing back up. “My fellow scout, Lyrei, is in dire condition, she is very near-“

“We have dispatched a repair drone to her,” the Aelmari “arresting” them said pleasantly, “we expect a full recovery in time. We do not have a remedy for your Glalan unfortunately and we expect her expiration…”

“Jim” he heard a voice in his head and looked around.

“Yes?” he replied, causing the Aelmari to look down at him in confusion.

“It’s Sarah,” she said, “that suit I loaned you has it’s own neuronet, stolen Aelmari tech actually.”

“Cool,” he thought back at her, picking it up easily, “what do you want?”

“I left you an antidote to my poison, you have an extendable needle on your wrist, it should work injected anywhere just get it in her as soon as you can.”

He looked at the small box she’d placed on his wrist, as soon as he thought about it a needle the size of his forearm extended, responding to his mental commands.

“I keep those in all my suits in case I accidently poke Zeph,” the thought came with a humorous undertone, “We’re very close.” She seemed to sense his thought and laughter came back, “Not like you and your catgirl.”

“We’re just good friends,” he sent back.

There as a moment of silence on the neurolink before Sarah’s voice returned, “Zeph wants you to know you’re exactly the kind of clueless male everyone hates, now go save your “friend” before that poison kills her.”

Jim sighed and looked up at the dozen Aelmari looking down at him with comforting smiles. He bolted back in the direction of Lucia’s shop as the blue space elves protested and dove for him. The suit must have given him some added strength and agility, and combined with the Aelmari medical nanites he’d been exposed to since his “adoption” he felt like a superhero as he leapt over grasping blue hands and easily slide under and over debris.

The street was easy, the stomping feet of the species above him were almost comically slow. He wondered again at what exactly his mental state was as he dodged an incoming wolf-girl’s boot as easily as a character in an earth action movie would. He leapt up on another woman’s shoe, causing a fearful exclamation as he jumped through another rubble strewn building. He could hear panic as the dozen or so Aelmari attempted to follow him on foot, all of the calling that they just wanted to help.

Finally he reached the open building façade where Lucia’s front door had been, the fox-woman was cradling her niece’s head in her arms and seemed to be crying, she saw Jim run in and scowled.

“Haven’t you pulled Clara into enough madness?” She shouted angrily.

“Not yet!” he replied with a grin, as he sprinted towards Clara he wondered if the suit was giving him a euphoric feeling as well.

“It is,” Sarah’s voice answered in his head, “It injects you with combat drugs.”

“Wonderful!” he shouted as he plunged the needle into Clara’s boot, he was rewarded with her flinching and a little bit of blood flowing out of the hole as he withdrew it.

“How long will it take?” he thought at Sarah.

“Should be pretty quick,” Sarah replied over their neural link, “Like I said I made the antidote for poor Zeph, she kept surprising me and getting a dose of lethal toxin.“

Clara sat up as though she’d been electrocuted, “JIM!” she breathed. She slumped a moment and looked around at her surroundings. “Was it a dream?”

“I think so Clara,” Lucia said soothingly, patting her forehead.

“I saw the hall of the ancestors,” Clara said softly, “Jim you were there, they had you covered in chocolate and waiting for me to lick it-“

She was cut off as a dozen Aelmari accompanied by Isstvell marched into her shop. Three of them walked over to Lyrei’s unmoving form and began injecting her with a silvery looking fluid via a tube that seemed to grow out of their fingers.

Seeing the blue space elves Lucia gulped and threw her hands in the air, “We surrender!” she shouted.

“Did you get her the antidote?” Sarah’s voice called in his head.

“Yeah,” he sent back. “Do you want to come down here and meet the Aelmari?”

There was laughter through the link, “No Jim, you enjoy being the coddled pet, I’ll command my own destiny thanks.”

“Will I see you again?” he asked.

“Statistics say no,” She replied, “but in a universe of trillions of beings I always run into the same few dozen people wherever I go. Space seems like a small town sometimes… call it fate.” With that he had a sensation like the other half of a tug of war giving up and the link went silent. He tried thinking things at her a few more times but was met with silence.

As the Aelmari provided care to Lyrei he looked up at the sky and wondered where Sarah was going, he glanced at the blackness between the stars and wondered if he would be able to see her ship.

…

Shaerra looked over the two Aelmari, the catgirl from Glalan Prime, and the Fox-woman from Glalan beta. They were all suspended in force-cuffs, a part of her knew her two sisters, Isstvell and Lyrei, were only allowing themselves to be held like this. Jim, their claimed human, sat in her palm.

“You two brought a human into a dangerous combat zone,” she said dispassionately, “I cannot approve.”

“Excuse me Miss Matriarch!” Lucia said eagerly, “I don’t believe I was ever involved in this arrangement, and if I had know the human was yours I would have sent him back immediatel-“

“Silence!” she said as she regarded the fox-woman, “You agreed to participate in an auction of a sentient being… this is a violation of Aelmari law.”

“B-but only to help my niece!” Lucia said eagerly, “I just wanted to get her out of trouble!”

Shaerra glanced at Clara, who gave her an embarrassed nod, “I’m well aware of the circumstances of your… participation.” She tapped Lucia’s cuffs allowing her to fall to the ground in the worldship. “I have decided to release you.”

Lucia looked down at her free wrists, then back at Clara, “Well there were damages…”

Shaerra sighed, the Aelmari did keep a galactic bank account for exactly these situations, she thought a few commands.

“Check your balance,” she muttered.

Lucia pulled a small handheld computer from her pocket and entered her banking information, her eyes went wide, “I would just like to say I LOVE what you Aelmari do to the galaxy!” the fox-woman exclaimed, “Why I was just saying the other day-“

“There is a ship prepared for you in the docking bay,” Shaerra said coolly, “You may keep it.”

“And a free starship too!” Lucia said nervously, “M-my niece will of course be treated well I assume?”

“You have the word of an Aelmari matriarch that no harm shall come to her,” Shaerra replied.

Lucia looked back at her niece one more time, “Well things look okay here Clara, call me sometime!” she said as she scurried down the hall.

“Now then,” Shaerra said turning to the other three. “You directly disobeyed my orders not to take Jim with you and the mission turned out to be exceedingly dangerous.” She paused, letting her words sink in, “BUT you also recovered eleven captive humans and delivered confirmation of offworld human populations, as well as a helpful prisoner for questioning.”

The cuffs released the three of them and they fell to the floor of the Aelmari worldship, Lyrei and Isstvell stood up instantly while Clara rubbed her hands and muttered curses.


“As penance I am ordering Jim to host a nightly dinner for the next two weeks for a few hundred Aelmari who do not have any personal humans yet, Isstvell, Lyrei, you will not be permitted to attend.

“B-But that’s not fair!” Lyrei protested.

Isstvell frowned, “Matriarch we did what we did because we believed Jim’s mental wellbeing would benefit-“

“I think going without your human for the evening for a few weeks is a relatively light punishment,” She replied darkly. She looked at the human in her palm, “And frankly I think you encouraged them.”

“I… may have,” Jim admitted.

Shaerra shrugged and smiled, “a relationship with humanity is what our species is striving for… I can’t be too upset when the influence goes both ways.”

She regarded Clara, “Glalan you have demonstrated remarkable bravery in pursuit of our Mission and in assistance of Aelmari strategic goals, is there anything I can offer you as a reward?”

Clara thought a minute, “Well, I’d like to be able to come and go as I please. I DO want to stay here with Lyrei, Isstvell, and Jim… but I want to be able to make calls and leave if I want.”

“Granted,” Shaerra said, “Now with punishment and reward doled out I want all of you to relax, there will be a follow up on these human diaspora populations and I suspect I’ll turn to you four again.” She placed Jim on the floor and allowed him to join his giant friends as she turned to leave.

“Jim,” Clara began slowly, “That other human seemed very interested in you…”

“She’s not tall enough for me,” he said jokingly as Isstvell grabbed him and placed him in his usual riding spot between her breasts. The four of them began down the hall to their quarters.

“Good!” Clara said, blushing, “I wouldn’t uhh… want you to be conflicted if we ran into her again.”

“Clara you’re such a good friend, warning Jim about the seductive wiles of his own species,” Lyrei said, there was just a hint of mockery behind that smile.

“Well,” Clara said uncertainly as they walked, “Jim DID save my life and all-“ She had a thought, “hey that Matriarch lady never said I couldn’t go to that dinner party or whatever right?”

“No I don’t believe you were mentioned,” Isstvell said bitterly, “I can’t believe it, our human is going to be entertaining a hundred of our sisters and we can’t even go…”

“Now by entertain, or host or whatever what exactly am I supposed to do?” Jim asked.

“I’m sure you and Clara will think of something,” Isstvell said in a dejected tone.

“You know Jim I’ve heard when a human takes a female to a dinner that’s a sign of courtship,” Clara said suddenly, “Isn’t that funny, like if you and I were…” She coughed a moment as the two blue elves and Jim stared at her. “Nevermind,” she muttered, “I forget what I was saying. Hey let’s simulate up a firing range and see if I can make a Glalan tech revolver that won’t break my wrist!” The four of them laughed at the memory as they entered the living quarters.

Jim felt himself wake up from the short nap he’d decided to take. He heard the sound of waves on the shore, and seagulls calling.

“How is it,” he asked slowly, “That you can always tell a real ocean from one of those worldship simulations?”

“Theirs are too rhythmic,” Clara said, “They loop I think…”

Jim opened his eyes and looked up at the fleshy mountains on either side of him. He’d let himself doze off in between Clara’s breasts while she sunbathed. The 90-foot catgirl glanced at the tiny human and with a grin pressed against the sides of her chest, trapping the human.

Jim struggled against the fleshy prison, trying to force his way up as the alien laughed at him. He took a deep breath as the breasts fell back, letting him gasp for air again.

“You…” Clara drawled, “Look delicious in that swimsuit.”

“Delicious?” he laughed.

He forced himself down through the bottom of her bikini top, an enormous pink affair that matched her hair. She’d had the Aelmari worldship replicator make it for her, along with a large bottle of a floral smelling oil that she’d said was to protect her skin from the sun. Whatever it was the Glalans used for sunscreen Jim had to admit he liked the smell, but more importantly the extra lubrication made it easy to slip away from her fumbling fingers as she tried to grab him.

He heard a tearing sound and realized that Clara had extended a single one of her retractable claws and hooked it on the inside of his swimsuit. It tore away easily, and he blushed as Clara laughed at his stumbling naked body.

“You should have just let me grab you,” the catgirl said, sitting up and sending him tumbling down into her lap.

He grunted as he tumbled further down into the sand. Clara crossed her legs, fencing him in and trapping him facing her bikini bottom. Clara’s tail danced happily behind her as she traced a single finger above her bikini line.

“I think you’re caught,” She purred, “pathetic little human, you never had a chance of escape!”

He rolled his eyes and tried not to laugh, generally when she let her more dominant side out she wanted him to at least feign a certain… resistance.

“Please Clara, don’t eat me!” he said, doing his best.

She sighed, “I love that you try,” she muttered with a small smile. She purred softly and the tail gave a quick twitch, “Oh, you wouldn’t be more than a mouthful… not even an appetizer really.” She playfully put a finger on her chin, “but you can always satisfy your master in another way…”

“Whatever you want,” he said.

She frowned, “Grovel, or something.”

He laughed then, “Clara, do you want me to climb in your underwear or-“

“I’m shoving you up the back way unless I hear some begging!” Clara said with a grin that showed her fangs just slightly.

His eyes went wide and he fell to his knees, “PLEASE Clara, let me please you! You don’t need to put me up your-“

“It’s too late,” she said with a feigned indifference, “You’ve failed to show proper respect, and now you’ll pay the price.

Clara stood up, looming over him like a building as her shadow fell over him. He knew it was pointless, but he decided to run towards the ocean.

“Pitiful,” Clara remarked as she reached for him, she had a wide smile, she loved it when he tried to run, and he’d made peace with the fact that he loved igniting that part of her that screamed at her to assert herself.
 
Despite her size her reflexes were nothing if not catlike, and as Jim bobbed and weaved, hoping to evade her, her hand easily traced his movement. Suddenly with lightning quickness her hand darted down and closed around him.

“Clara come on!” he begged one last time. It was probably futile, she was already unscrewing the cap on that scented oil she’d brought, gently she slathered it over his naked and wriggling form.

He struggled as she pulled the back of her swimsuit away from her body, her tail swishing happily as he approached her butt.

Jim sighed and tried to tense his muscles, this tended to go quicker when he kept himself rigid. He laughed at the absurdity of the situation, this wasn’t the first time Clara had done this, and it wouldn’t be the last, and he knew she’d more than make it up to him later. He felt brief resistance as he was pushed inside and his world went dark.

…

“Whew” Clara giggled as she felt his struggles. “That’s right human, fight it!” She groaned and slipped a hand down the front of her bikini bottom. She loved pushing Jim around, it ignited a primitive part of her brain that let her know firmly that she was in charge. It didn’t take her long before she hissed, gritting her teeth and then moaning as she lay back on the beach.

There was a sudden flash of blue light, Clara yelped in alarm as a pair of Aelmari stood over her. Isstvell crossed her arms, seemingly happy to have startled the catgirl in her moment of bliss. Lyrei seemed a bit apologetic.

“Hello Clara,” she said sweetly, “Have you been enjoying your exploration of earth?”

“More like enjoying Jim’s exploration of her,” Isstvell said. “Please let the human out Clara, we all need to talk.”

“O-out?” Clara said, fighting back another groan, “I don’t know what you’re talking about, he’s-“

“Clara!” Isstvell snapped, “we were polite enough to wait and let you enjoy yourself a bit first, but now we really need to get you back up to the worldship.”

Clara scowled and reached a hand down the back of her swimsuit, “It’s rude to spy on people being intimate you know!”

“Intimate,” Isstvell said, “interesting word for crude displays of sexual dominance.”

“I do think Jim enjoys their time together Isstvell,” Lyrei said as Clara produced a panting and still oil coated Jim.

“H-Hey guys,” he said, trying to act as dignified as he could under the circumstances. “Is it time to go back up into space already?”

Lyrei took the human from Clara’s hand and held an open palm above him. He shivered slightly as a cooling mist began raining down on him, it tingled slightly, likely a disinfectant. It was still odd to think the Aelmari were… androids he supposed the proper term was. Having been handled by Clara, and other giant species, he had to say he would never have guessed they were artificial from the way they felt, or looked really.

Isstvell peered at the treeline, “Thank you for alerting us, I’m glad that human officials are starting to cooperate more readily.”

Clara frowned, “Who are you talking to-“

Dozens of human soldiers in camouflage fatigues stepped out of the brush at the edge of the beach, weapons at the ready. There was a sudden whirr of helicopter blades as a trio of Blackhawks flew over the water, and a series of trees fell away as a large armored fighting vehicle rolled onto the sand.

Clara gulped nervously as the human military formation approached them, edging behind Lyrei and Isstvell a bit. There wasn’t any doubt who they were here for, Clara’s people had attempted to attack earth only a few months ago, and the first impression hadn’t been good.

“H-How long were they watching?” Clara asked, suddenly embarrassed.

“We uh… saw enough,” one soldier said, stepping out in front of the others. “So…” he glanced up at the towering Aelmari, “They said over the horn that this Glalan is… yours I guess?”

“She is,” Isstvell said neutrally, “Your diligence is noted and appreciated.”

The commander looked up at Clara suspiciously, “You Aelmari are all right, I’m taking the first ticket up to your ships when my tour is over, but I don’t know if it’s a good idea to be letting one of THOSE!” he pointed at Clara, “walk around here unsupervised.”

“She wasn’t unsupervised!” Lyrei said brightly, holding the soaked and naked Jim forward, “She had our human with her!”

“Uh… hi,” he said. He waved weakly at the unimpressed soldiers.

“Well, she’s in your custody now,” The commander growled, “All right boys,” he waved to the soldiers who began pulling back, “Show’s over! Let’s go back to the base and drill some more.” He shot one last glance at the four of them, “Well, thanks for the excitement,” he said with a final wave, “Lord knows there’s not much for a soldier to do when world peace has been declared.”

…

 “So what’s so important that you had to cancel our shore leave?” Jim asked. He was snugly between Lyrei’s breasts as they boarded Clara’s starship. The Aelmari could “beam” down to planets, although as they’d explained to a confused Jim it wasn’t so much teleportation as it was a very fast and well directed fall, and it was only one way. They’d be returning to the worldship in a standard space vessel along with Jim and Clara. The ship in question was the same one Clara had created for their adventure offworld a few months prior, with a hiss the ramp lowered and the three giant women, and Jim, boarded.

“There is a small group of Glalan ships approaching earth,” Isstvell said, “they’re using traditional Glalan drives so they’re still a day or two away, but they aren’t responding to any attempts to reach them. Their government claims no knowledge.”

“So it’s more space pirates,” Jim said, “can’t you just… you know, blow them up?”

“Even a single worldship would outgun such a force by an order of magnitude,” Isstvell said, “By now it should be common knowledge among any spacefaring race in this galaxy that we have claimed Earth and placed it off limits.”

“Off limits?” Jim asked. “Were any human leaders consulted on that?”

Lyrei just giggled and reached down to ruffle his hair with a single finger, “That seems unnecessary, doesn’t it? I mean… the last thing we need is other species coming in and complicating our relationship.”

Jim shot a glance at Clara, she met his gaze and could tell what he was thinking, but didn’t say anything. Whatever affection the Aelmari had for humanity, whatever there was between Jim, Clara, Lyrei, and Isstvell, the dominant party in the relationship was clear.

“So, why do you need us?” Jim asked finally. He felt the slight g-force of the ship taking off. Lyrei’s breasts jiggled slightly, and she smiled as he fought to keep himself from sliding further in.

“We’re hoping that having a Glalan, and a human who is friendlier with them, might help soothe some tensions,” Isstvell explained. “If they will not see reason…” She snapped a finger, and a small ball of plasma winked in and out of existence.

Jim took a minute to reflect on the gesture, as he and Clara had spent more time with the two Aelmari scouts he’d noticed they’d become more outwardly expressive. The Aelmari as a whole seemed to be adapting their behavior to human interaction.

Isstvell noticed his observation, and smiled, “If it makes you feel better Jim, human leaders ARE being consulted on what to do about the incoming Glalan ships.”

…

Shaerra, the Aelmari Worldship Matriarch, looked up at the Washington monument, nearly five times her height.

“Wow,” She said gleefully to the human in her hand, “Brandon, you say this was built before the invention of combustion engines?”

“I uh… couldn’t say,” Brandon said, “This monument is actually to a man who led the Americans against my people in a war…”

Shaerra shrugged and walked further down the national mall, “I’m sorry if I’ve offended Brandon, I’ve meant to spend more time contemplating England and it’s history, but I’ve been so busy…” A sudden thought occurred to her, “These Americans, they won’t be offended that I’ve brought one of their ancestral enemies to their capital, will they?”

“I don’t think so,” Brandon said, “We sort of… made up.”

“Oh,” Shaerra said with an eager smile, “That’s good! I’m hoping all human nation states can reconcile their rivalries. I’m told that the Russian and Chinese leaders have sent representatives to this summit?”

“Along with a number of other nations, yes.” Brandon said.

Brandon had been contacted via another human “adoptee” a month ago and had been quickly linked into a number of espionage networks. Not content to simply surrender to Aelmari guidance the great powers of the world sought to spy on and manipulate a spacefaring species that was just a step down from gods. To what degree they’d succeed… well, they’d try anyway, and Brandon found himself unwittingly and unwilling drawn in.

To Brandon it was a fairly surreal experience, as the personal human companion, or “bio-trophy” of the most senior Aelmari he’d gone from a marketing firm representative to one of the most important humans in the world. Even more bizarre was that Shaerra herself had told him she knew everything about the various intel agencies contacting him, and had encouraged him to simply do what made him happy.

Worse yet his girlfriend, Trish, seemed to have become fast friends with the Alien matriarch and often joined her in lecturing him on the “importance” of his position as her… he still wasn’t sure what the right word was.

“It’s not hard Brandon!” Trish had said, “She just wants us to be happy, so do what makes you happy! If you want to help the governments, then help them, if you don’t, tell them to bugger off!”

What would have made him happy would have been never talking to spies or world leaders again. It was fortunate that he had such potent methods of stress relief, the finest whisky, food, and accommodations were a good start… but the real killer, the thing he REALLY couldn’t walk away from, was the “threesomes” the Aelmari matriarch and Tricia engaged in with him. That made all the spying and world leaders nonsense almost worth it.

Brandon shook his head and tried to prepare himself for yet another summit with the planet’s most important people. He tried to tell himself it didn’t mean as much anymore. After the initial “human scramble” the Aelmari Matriarchs had agreed amongst themselves, and the human leaders as a formality, that certain humans would be exempt from “adoption” for the time being. Mostly this included government officials, active duty military, and occasionally agricultural workers, but despite the wide ranging exemptions the human population of earth was down to 1.5 billion.

How to get that number even lower was a frequent subject of debate among Aelmari, one that Brandon also found himself roped into with regularity. The ultimate goal seemed to be to have the entirety of humanity safely within the bosom of Aelmari protection, in many cases literally, though how much say the humans should get in the arrangement seemed to vary. For better or for worse the majority of humanity was now spread across the galaxy, with populations of varying size on most of the Aelmari worldships. From what he heard, and what he’d experienced himself, the offworld humans were being well taken care of at least.

Shaerra carried him, in her palm thankfully, across the national mall where a number of folding chairs held a delegation from various nations. The American president, looking far more youthful than ever thanks to Aelmari medical technology, stood at a podium at the front with a handful of other men. There was a notable lack of interpreters, the Aelmari medical nanites evidently carried some manner of universal translator, humanity now spoke in one tongue, when they wanted to anyways.

“Welcome to Washington, Matriarch,” the president said, a series of speakers carried his voice.

“There’s no need for any of that,” Shaerra said with a smile, “I can hear you all perfectly well from here, no amplification required!”

“Why have you called us here?” The Chinese dignitary shouted, “And why not meet in the country that has the greatest population?”

“HAD,” the Mexican dignitary butted in, “most of your people are up in space now!”

“I can assure you the next time we need to hold a summit on earth we will meet at a different capital. My human companion suggested this city for our first one!”

Brandon was happy she’d used “companion” as he’d asked, their official label of “bio-trophy” tended to put people on edge, as he’d explained. Still, as he saw the UK prime minister cross his arms and glower at him, he felt a bit embarrassed. His English heritage had at first excited some in his homeland, but he didn’t really have any special treatment to give them, even if he wanted.

“It’s not that there’s anything wrong with London,” He protested at the man’s glare, “I-It’s just it seems like aliens would land in America, you know?”

“Let’s get right to it,” The prime minister said, waving dismissively up at him. “Why the bloody hell did you call us all here?”

“We believe that another Glalan force is going to enter the solar system,” Shaerra explained, “and as a show of good faith I wanted to come down here and work with all of you on a response.”

There was some murmuring, “Well,” The president said finally, “can’t you just shoot it out of the sky? Like the last ones?”

“We’re considering it,” Shaerra said, “but, after much debate, we wanted to let humanity treat with them. If you desire to, that is.”

“I vote for shoot them out of the sky,” The Chinese leader said.

“I’m with him,” An Indian envoy agreed.

“Now, hold on gentlemen,” The president began, “Let’s talk this out, if our gracious…” He gestured up at the hundred twenty foot tall space elf behind him, “Allies let’s say, want to give us the opportunity to use their force of arms to treat with these…” he searched for the word, “Cat people,”

“Glalans,” Shaerra said helpfully.

“Thank you dear,” The president said, wearing a smile that had won him election in a far older body, “I say, we should seize the opportunity!”

“Have you gone mad?” The British prime minister asked, “Why waste our time? They broadcast a message about killing us all for a fortnight before even landing!”

“Now Mr. Prime Minister,” The president said jovially, “Let’s give peace a chance… and perhaps we could talk about reparations with them, after all with our new allies, the Aelmari, I do think the balance of power has shifted a bit, hasn’t it?”

There was murmuring among the leaders, “What do you think we could get out of them?” The Cuban leader called excitedly.

“Brandon,” Shaerra said quietly, “why are these leaders talking about extorting the Glalan landing party? Have we not provided enough resources for reconstruction?“

“You have,” Brandon chuckled, “They’re just… falling into old habits.”

…

Isstvell and Lyrei stared down at the captive human. The two Aelmari had remained in the cargo hold of the ship, as was usual when they traveled, and this time they’d kept Jim with them rather than letting him join Clara in the cockpit. Their flight would only be twenty minutes at most, but the Aelmari didn’t want to waste a second.

“Let’s press together more,” Lyrei giggled.

“W-Wait!” Jim playfully begged.

Lyrei and Isstvell had hugged one another, allowing their enormous breasts to trap Jim in place. The two giggled and squeezed each other more, Jim felt himself sliding downward.

“Enough,” Isstvell said, separating slightly, she reached for Jim even as he tumbled further down into Lyrei’s open cleavage. He felt a set of strong blue fingers wrap around him and pull him up to her impassive face.

Isstvell dangled him by a leg for a moment, slowly rotating him and admiring his naked form. With a shimmer her own clothes disappeared, Lyrei giggled and then followed her lead. Isstvell gave him a small reassuring smile before slowly lowering him into Lyrei’s waiting mouth.

“Mmmmm,” she moaned as her tongue came up to meet him.

Jim had been in Clara’s mouth, fairly frequently actually, and apart from a rougher tongue it was about what he would expect a giant mouth to be like. He’d never been in an Aelmari’s mouth, he wondered how much Clara’s behavior had influenced them to want to try this.

As the world went dark, he felt Lyrei’s tongue come up and begin to tease him. He gasped as her tingly saliva surrounded him, whatever it was, it wasn’t spit, like a lot of other Aelmari fluids it seemed to immediately excite him on contact. There was a vacuum feeling as he was sucked downward, though still held in place by Isstvell’s fingers gripping his leg.

He was lifted out of her mouth, “That’s so intriguing!” Lyrei said excitedly, “I’ll have to have another taste!” She reached for him, but Isstvell pulled him away.

“I haven’t gotten to try it yet,” She said. Her eyes glowed red suddenly, “So Jim, why would a species that doesn’t eat need a mouth?” She asked with a suddenly frightening grin.

“Uhhh…” Jim gulped, “T-Talking right? To verbal species?”

“Mostly, the function is social,” Isstvell said, licking her lips, “Scouts in particular must play along with all manner of social niceties…” She dipped Jim into her mouth, sucking on him slightly as Lyrei had. He gasped as he was pulled out again.

“We’re supposed to eat and drink with some of the species we protect,” Lyrei cheerfully, “to build trust.” She thought a moment, “We have a digestive system actually, we don’t’ use it much but…” She giggled, “I think you’re going to get a closer look at it one of these days.”

“Personally,” Isstvell growled, “I’ve found that teeth make a potent psychological tool,” She grinned and suddenly her human looking molars were replaced by a sharp set of fangs. Jim blinked and they were gone, his heart rate picked up.

“You’re scaring him!” Lyrei protested, reaching for him again.

Isstvell pulled him away, “Jim loves fear mixed with arousal, look at how he and the cat play!”

“Uhh,” Jim gulped, “That last one was a bit… much.”

Isstvell stared at him a second, unblinking, “I’m sorry,” she said simply. “Please speak up if I’m truly frightening you.”

“It’s okay,” he said, twisting as she held him.

Lyrei cupped her hands underneath him, and Isstvell released him, letting him drop into her waiting palms. Shifting him into one she started to bring him lower, to a waiting and glistening opening, a darker shade of blue than the rest of her.

He took a breath reflexively as he was moved towards it. It wasn’t necessary, somehow, he could always breath inside Isstvell and Lyrei. As he was worked up into her he felt the tingling as the fluid surrounded him, seeming to light up his nerves. He gasped as her walls molded around him, slowly working his shaft.

Outside Isstvell cupped a hand on the other Aelmari, holding the captive human inside her while she pressed Lyrei against the wall. With Jim trapped, and in a place he wouldn’t hear them, they fell back on mental communication, though their facial expressions remained. After using facial cues for so long, the two of them had simply stopped switching them “off,” in fact most Aelmari had gradually accepted them as standard even amongst themselves.

“Finish him off!” Isstvell urged, “give him a good squeeze!”

Lyrei groaned in pleasure and crossed her legs, her wetness smothering Jim, “I think he’s there!” she thought back.

Jim was, and his muscles spasmed as orgasm rocked his body, his attempts at thrashing sending jolts of pleasure along the giant space elf’s body. His world shook, then after a few minutes went still.

As the bliss subsided and his head cleared, he realized that, unlike when he was in this same position with Clara, he couldn’t hear a heartbeat. Idly he wondered exactly why the Aelmari had “reinvented sex,” as Lyrei put it. Was it for social reasons? Like eating? Evidently with this particular race of machines the technological singularity had taken an… interesting turn.

He felt Isstvell pull him out of a panting Lyrei by his ankle. With a wet plopping sound he was in the open air again. There was a fresh almost floral smell in the fluid that clung to him, he knew from experience that like most Aelmari fluids it was probably tailored to human comfort and health. Still, instinctively he wanted a shower.

He was pulled into Isstvell’s mouth for a second time as she sucked Lyrei’s juices off of him, he fought against her lips just slightly, enough for the Aelmari to giggle and grip him a bit tighter.

She pulled him out and regarded him, “Lyrei seems very happy with your work,” she said with a smile, “I think I’d like a turn next, but…” She grinned, and this time only a single set of canines appeared unusually sharp, “I want to get just a little rough… if you allow it.”

Jim sighed, “I uh… Sure Isstvell, I can handle it.”

“Wonderful,” the Aelmari breathed.

As she brought him to her own opening Jim thought again about how much their behavior had changed since they’d “adopted” him. If nothing else Isstvell was definitely picking up a few things from Clara.

…

Maeve, the second in command on the Aelmari worldship, stared at their prisoner through the one-way glass. Elara was a dark-skinned human looking being. A rather alarming genetic scan had revealed that at least part of her DNA WAS human, a secret which had been kept of the Aelmari neuronet, the information stored locally only with Maeve and Shaerra herself. Her fashion was disturbingly human as well, if perhaps a decade or more out of date. What meaning that had, if any, was lost to the both of them, but they’d agreed to keep it secret for now. Whatever Elara was, at least part of her origin rested with earth.

“Greetings!” Lyrei called cheerfully. Jim Arnett, the human that had been at the center of Elara’s capture, was seated in her open palm, at her side was her scout partner Isstvell, and bringing up the rear was the Glalan, standing a head shorter than the Aelmari.

“Thank you for coming,” Maeve said, turning to face them.

Jim glanced at the giant woman seated in the interrogation room and shuddered. His last encounter with her had almost ended with him crushed to paste underneath a giant high heeled shoe. He felt his heart pick up a bit and had to calm himself down, the memories were flooding back, seeing Clara, pale and clammy, on death’s door, Lyrei with half of her side gone slumped against a wall… he’d tried to put it out of his mind, but the occasional nightmare kept it fresh, even months later.

“Why is she here?” he asked simply.

“I’m curious myself,” Isstvell said tersely, staring at the alien, “I understand the decision not to execute her, but I don’t see why you would bring us to see her again.”

“She went into some kind of hibernation a few hours after she was captured,” Maeve explained, “we’ve been providing her nutrients intravenously, but she woke up right around the same time the approaching Glalan ships were discovered.”

“Do you think there’s a connection?” Lyrei asked.

“I haven’t ever seen any species like her,” Clara said, crossing her arms, “and I know most of the ones that we have regular contact with.” She extended her claws, “I say take her to the air lock, tell her you’ll vent it unless she tells you everything, and then vent it anyway.”

“Clara!” Lyrei said, “That’s a horrible thing to say!”

“She SHOT you!” Clara protested, “She tried to step on Jim!”

“I wonder, had our intervention come a few minutes later, what we might have found you had done to Jim,” Lyrei said quietly.

“H-Hey!” Clara said suddenly, “That was different, Jim and I-“

“Clara,” Jim said, “You don’t need to go into it.” Her ears flickered once, but she stopped talking. He sighed and looked to Lyrei, “You’re saying we shouldn’t kill someone who’s helpless, is that it?”

“I don’t care for it,” Lyrei said simply. She looked to Isstvell, who said nothing, but from her expression had an opinion closer to Clara’s. “If there is a risk of future harm… then perhaps pre-emptive justice should be applied,” Lyrei continued, “but is that the case here?”

“Who can say?” Isstvell said, “I would say no, but I wouldn’t have thought a handheld weapon could harm an Aelmari scout, and Elara proved me wrong then.”

“What do you want us to do here?” Jim asked wearily, cutting the debate short.

“I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind speaking to her,” Maeve said, “she has refused to speak with us other than to ask for food, we were thinking that perhaps a non-Aelmari face would make her a bit more… talkative.” She cleared her throat, “I’d understand if the answer is no.”

Jim forced down a brief tremor, “I uh…” He looked at them, “Clara comes in with me,” he demanded.

“All three of the knife ears together couldn’t keep me out,” She said.

She held her hand out for Lyrei to hand Jim over. Gingerly he stepped into the giant catgirl’s palm. Compared to the soft, yet sterile Aelmari, Clara’s hands were always just slightly oily, even a bit damp. The palms weren’t really any different from a human’s, but when they were big enough to sit in you noticed things like that.

Clara sighed and looked down at him, “I’ve got you,” she whispered. Her hands trembled a bit too, and Jim wondered if he was the only one dealing with some mental fallout from their adventure. The two of them walked through the door. Elara blinked as they entered, then the edge of her mouth quirked into a small smile as Clara sat at a chair across from her, gently setting Jim down on the table. He lingered near the edge, close to her.

“Why, hello Jim!” Elara said with a sickening pleasantness, as though she were greeting a coworker. “And Clara! It’s been so long!” She giggled, a sound that turned Jim’s stomach, “You didn’t have to bring the Cat in Jim, I’m sure this room would warp around me and stop me before I could do anything to hurt you.”

“And what if I tried to hurt YOU?” Clara spat. There was a scraping sound as she dragged her claws along the table.

Elara watched with an amused smile, “So aggressive! I can see why your species chafes at Aelmari interference.”

“And what would you know about that, exactly?” Jim asked, hoping to get back on track.

Elara rolled her eyes, “I won’t be tricked into divulging anything that would help you, if you are wondering if the approaching Glalans are part of some scheme then I’ll just go ahead and say they are.”

Jim blinked, “How did you know about them? I read your file, you don’t have any cybernetic implants. Why would you-“ the realization hit him, and he frowned, “you don’t think giving the Aelmari warning will change anything...”

“Not at this stage, no,” Elara said, crossing her arms. She smirked at Jim’s troubled expression, while he watched her, she suddenly jolted her head forward, like a snake. She stopped after a few inches, but laughed uproariously at Jim’s sudden panicked scramble backwards towards Clara.

“I just want you to know,” Elara said jubilantly, “I’ve been promised that after this I’m never going to have to see another human again.” She sighed, “You have no idea how liberating that thought is…” She bit her lip and leaned forward slightly, “If I ever get my hands on you though Jim…” She gave a deranged giggle, “I’m going to very slowly pull all of your limbs off, in a nice corkscrew motion, and then?” She stomped on the hard floor loudly.

Clara screamed with rage and leapt over Jim, her claws raked the side of Elara’s cheek, drawing thick streams of bright red blood. The other alien just laughed, looking mad as the red streams stained her business suit.

As Elara had predicted the room seemed to grow tentacles out of the walls and floors, grasping Clara and pulling her away. Jim felt one such appendage wrap around him, and they seemed to flow backwards to the door, carrying both him and Clara out through the interrogation room door.

The tentacle coiled around Jim gently deposited him in Lyrei’s waiting hands as the door hissed shut behind them. Clara wasn’t so lucky and was simply dumped unceremoniously on the floor. She growled and stood back up.

“The reaction of the room’s safety features seemed a bit slow,” Isstvell commented, looking at the still bleeding Elara through the one-way glass.

Maeve shrugged, “who could have foreseen that your Glalan would initiate a hostile gesture?” She shot Clara a quick smile, “the computer must have simply delayed a few seconds for… some reason.”  

“So what do we do now?” Clara asked, quickly returning the Aelmari’s grin.

“Who can say?” Isstvell said quietly, “We’ve never in our history been as blind as we are now. My recommendation to the Matriarch is that we destroy the incoming Glalan vessels without so much as a warning.”

“No!” Lyrei said suddenly, “Glalans are an aggressive species to be sure, but not one that deserves that kind of treatment!”

“You had no problem exterminating the last group,” Isstvell said tersely.

“They were attacking the planet!” Lyrei protested, “We had to save the humans. We have options now, Clara, tell her, yours isn’t an evil people by any stretch!” she looked to the catgirl, who shifted slightly.

“I think…” Clara said slowly, “I-I don’t know!” she said suddenly, “I don’t want them to hurt anyone, but yeah, I guess there could be someone like me on that ship who’s too stupid to know what they’re getting into.”

“It doesn’t matter,” Maeve said suddenly, “I’m receiving news over the neuronet that the Matriarch has met with the human leaders, they want to treat with these Glalans if possible.” Maeve paused a minute, “She is aware of Elara’s confession, she says her decision stands, but we are to prepare a large welcoming party of fighters and keep weapons powered up as they enter the system. She also wants a contingent of scouts planetside.”

“What about her?” Jim asked, glancing back at Elara. The alien of unknown origins had dropped the mad façade and was now gingerly touching her cut cheek. She winced in pain.

“She’s not going anywhere,” Maeve promised, “I’ll have a dozen Aelmari around her until this mess with the Glalans is resolved… if there’s anything out of order, then they’ll eliminate the problem.” She glanced at Lyrei, “I trust there are no objections?”

“In those circumstances, no,” Lyrei said.

The five of them glanced at their prisoner again, Elara was looking directly at the two-way glass.

“Excuse me?” She shouted angrily, “Are any of you going to come in here and patch me up? Is this how the Aelmari operate? Let a beast scratch me up and then let me bleed?”

“I’ll get her some medical nanites,” Maeve muttered angrily. She looked at the four of them, “I suggest you try to relax. Shaerra expects you four to be very involved with the attempt at diplomacy when that Glalan ship enters the system.”

“Relax,” Jim muttered, “That’s a tall order…”

…

“Do you feel relaxed yet Jim?” Clara taunted.

She had his arms pinned by her thumbs to the soft surface of her bed. The room around them resembled an upscale modern apartment, with a futuristic city in the simulated window that Clara had told him was a major city on her homeworld.

She was hunched over him in a catlike pose, her tail swished behind her, back and forth. She licked her lips and brought her tongue down on his naked form again, covering him in her spit.

He sputtered and smiled up at her, “THIS is supposed to help me relax?”

Clara shrugged, “I don’t know, personally I feel the stress just pouring out of me.”

She sat up, revealing her naked form, her breasts bouncing slightly. Jim tried to lean up a bit, from Clara’s somewhat predatory expression he guessed she wanted a bit of a chase. Turning over he sprinted for the edge of her bed, leaping over the side.

“Gotcha!” as he’d expected Clara had expertly snatched him out of the air. With her free hand she ran a hand through her pink hair, adjusting it slightly as her catlike ears twitched. She bit her lower lip, “Now what to do with my little human?”

“I think I’ve been good master,” Jim said.

“You have,” Clara agreed, opening her palm. Gently she flicked him over, causing him to fall into a seated position on her palm. “Spread those legs,” she ordered.

He gulped and did so, Clara licked heir fingers and brought them towards him. Gently she started rubbing his erection.

“I do love being acknowledged as a superior,” Clara breathed, “you know that, and you know you love being put in your place.”

He groaned as she picked up the pace, “Yes ma’am!” he shouted.

“Come for me human,” she ordered, a wide grin on her face, “pay tribute!”

He couldn’t help himself, and as he sprayed Clara’s fingers he bucked against the back of her hand. She pulled her fingers away, leaving him to collapse in a heap. Idly she licked his semen off the tip of her fingers.

“Well?” She asked, “Seriously, are you feeling relaxed now?”

“I’m still a little worried about all this,” he sighed, sitting back up in her hand.

“Who isn’t?” Clara said. She gripped him and rolled over, hugging him to her chest. “We’re in orbit over earth this time though, there are four Aelmari worldships in this system, there isn’t a fleet in the galaxy that could make landfall against that.” She squeezed him a bit tighter, “I don’t know who Elara really works for… what she really IS I guess, but if they thought they could take the Aelmari, or the Glalans for that matter, they wouldn’t bother with this mysterious lurking in the shadows stuff.”

“I guess,” Jim muttered. “This feels… different somehow, like I’m kind of getting used to danger, but usually it’s right in front of me.”

“Like a beautiful space-woman attacking your adorable little town?” Clara asked.

“Was she beautiful?” Jim joked, “I can’t remember.”  Seeing her scowl he laughed, “Okay yeah, she was gorgeous.”

“Good answer,” Clara said sweetly. “I get what you mean though, my people usually aren’t into this cloak and dagger stuff, our politics are very direct. Our Parliament even has ritual combat allowed during debate proceedings.”

“What?” Jim laughed, “how does that work?”

“They don’t usually use it anymore,” Clara said, “the senators are mostly old women and a few males, and since both parties have to agree it’s kind of just a tradition at this point. There’s only one woman in there who would even try it, and nobody would be dumb enough to take her on. She was the one from that war movie we watched, with the starfighters, remember?”

“I do,” Jim said.

He had let Clara show him some entertainment from her planet, and Glalan media had quickly become a guilty pleasure of his. The cast was mostly catgirls and a few sparse males of their species, but on a screen he could usually forget they were ninety feet tall. The movie Clara was referencing was, as far as Jim could tell, her people’s equivalent of Top Gun, although it was supposedly based on true events.

“I don’t want to talk about work or politics anymore,” Clara said, holding him above her, “I think it’s my turn to have some fun.”

Jim felt himself growing aroused again as Clara grinned up at him, sticking her free hand down and touching her womanhood as he struggled.

She moaned loudly, “Pretty wet in there Jim,” she teased, “and it’s the real thing, no climate control or air fresheners.”

He laughed and rolled his eyes, “I told you what they were like down there because you ASKED! I didn’t say I preferred that over yours!”

“Hmm…” Clara hummed playfully, “Well let me see if nature can win out over technology.”

The world blurred as she shoved him downward, forcing him inside of her opening with a grunt. Clara had to admit she’d been a bit self conscious when Jim had first explained what sex was like with the Aelmari, but she was determined not to be shown up by the androids, no matter how fancy their parts were. In Jim’s opinion there were no shortcomings, but he certainly appreciated the extra enthusiasm.

…

Senator Talara watched the stars streaking by, her hands clasped behind her. The Glalan Expeditionary Force, as she’d called her group, was entirely unofficial, though she had plenty of allies in parliament who knew and approved. She spied her reflection in the glass and grimaced, for all that she had remained fit and combat ready there was a tinge of grey hair behind her catlike ears.

She shook her head, this was not the time for vanity.

“Attention,” She shouted, and the four Glalans behind her dropped what they were doing, looking up to her on the command deck. She slowly turned around, the four girls they’d given her were spoiled daughters from wealthy families, but they were competent enough with the right motivation, and more importantly they were loyal.

“I want to remind you of what we are going to earth to do,” she said in her most impressive voice, “That the Humans and Aelmari have killed a number of our people is insult enough.”

“Pirate trash,” one of the girls called, but at a steely gaze from Talara she went silent.

“Pirate trash,” the senator muttered, “Indeed, it is fair to say that they brought this upon themselves, and dishonored their families… BUT!” She said with a dramatic gesture, “We have received word of a survivor, a Glalan citizen.” She sighed, “We could abandon her to foreign justice for her crimes in most cases, but we have received word she is being tortured, physically and mentally. The four girls were dead silent as she continued, “Whatever low blood she might have she is still a Glalan citizen, I won’t let these… Humans,” she spat, “do something like this while I can stop it.”

She snapped her fingers and the viewscreen behind her switched from the stars outside to a smiling catgirl with pink hair. The image changed a few times, showing the girl in armor with red skulls painted on it, and then finally to one showing her shackled, and clearly in pain.

“Clara will be rescued,” the senator promised.

“A-are you sure we can handle the Aelmari?” One of her volunteers asked.

The senator sighed, “We won’t know until we make contact, but our new allies have provided us with weaponry we know can hurt them,” she gestured to a dark skinned woman with silver hair who leaned against a console at the back of the ship. The woman wore a strange folded suit, and wore a pair of eye coverings she said were called “sunglasses.” At her mention she smiled and waved, but said nothing.

“I am prepared to be reasonable,” the senator continued, “But the Aelmari have bullied our people for too long!”

“You needn’t worry Senator,” the silver haired woman said with a broad grin, “I’m sure we can show those blueskins what happens when they stick their pointy ears in the wrong people’s business!”

…

Sarah looked down at the blue planet. She’d been staring at it for an hour, ever since they’d entered the system.

“A job on earth,” she muttered, clenching her fists, “It was inevitable I suppose…”

“We’re in the clear!” Zeph said excitedly. The two-hundred-foot woman with the demonic appearance clomped across the ship towards her, sitting down behind Sarah, who didn’t even come up to her ankles. “The Aelmari haven’t detected us, now we just wait for our orders.”

“Good,” Sarah said simply.

Zeph looked at her small human friend a moment, “Sarah…” she said quietly, “Are you still sure about this job?”

“At the rate promised?” Sarah laughed, “we can’t afford NOT to take it, we could retire on this…”

“I mean about Earth,” Zeph said quietly, “I know you don’t like to talk about it, but while we’re here do you want to maybe… see anyone? From before you left the planet perhaps?”

Sarah extended the claw built into her battlesuit, Zeph gulped nervously as the tiny assassin turned around.

“Zeph,” she said slowly, “I love you like a sister, you pulled me out of a pretty dark place, but if you bring this up again…” She sighed and the claw retracted, “Sorry… just please DON’T bring it up again, okay?”

“O-Okay,” Zeph muttered. To any onlooker it would seem bizarre, a nearly two hundred foot being with a demonic appearance cowed by a mere human woman… but Zeph was very aware of how capable Sarah was in combat against larger beings. She'd been clipped by Sarah's claw by accident before, and knew firsthand just how painful the venom could be. She didn't think Sarah would ever intentionally use it on her but... Earth was putting Sarah in a strange mood.

With a sigh and a scowl, the assassin turned around to look at the rotating planet again. She wasn’t spending any more time in the Sol system than she had to.

“Attention Glalan ship,” the Aelmari voice came over the speaker, “This system is off-limits to non¬-Aelmari, if you need fuel or other supplies they will be provided for you at no charge at our worldship. Please follow docking instructions-“

“No,” Telara said boldly into the handheld speaker, “Now hear this Aelmari, and I know you ALL can if ONE of you can, I do not recognize your authority to arbitrarily declare what systems are off limits, what wars we may or may not wage.” Her hand shook with anger, and she squeezed the handset so hard that for a moment her onlooking volunteers worried she’d crack the casing.

“Be advised,” The Aelmari warned, “If you take hostile action-“

Telara glanced back at their benefactor, the mysterious alien in the sunglasses, who simply smiled and nodded. With a sigh Telara clicked the intercom on again, “I am going to the planet, my intentions at this time are not to harm anyone. Take what actions you deem appropriate, and I will do the same.”

The four girls with her anxiously looked out of the viewscreen, where the Aelmari worldship loomed ominously. There was a tension on the deck, broken by their mysterious benefactor chuckling suddenly.

“They’re not going to shoot you,” The alien said, “If they meant to destroy you, they’d have done so as soon as you entered the system.” She looked at her nails, bored, “The Aelmari are a solved game.”

“What about the primitives?” Telara asked, “I only have information about their technology, are they dangerous in personal combat?”

The alien laughed, “Why don’t you go and meet a few humans, then you can let me know.”

“We’re getting into their electronic communications,” one of her shipmates said excitedly. The four girls gathered around the computer terminal as the one seated began typing in requests to the human internet.

“They’re patriarchal?” One of them asked.

“Mostly yeah,” the one at the computer said, pulling up more information on the humans, “it looks like they’re trending more egalitarian though.”

“It’s not entirely unheard of,” Telara commented. There were a few patriarchal species here and there throughout the universe, Telara had been skeptical of them in her youth but had learned firsthand that a male could be quite brave, and quite dangerous, if he wanted to be.

“Whoa!” one said excitedly, “their gender ratio is even? That’s so crazy!”

Telara frowned, now that WAS unusual… what would a society do with so many extra males? She chuckled at the thought of every woman getting their own male, it probably gave them more time for housework at least. Being as wealthy as she was, she only shared her own husband with two other ladies. Idly she wondered what Leo was doing back on Glalan Prime, probably reading. She’d have to tell him about this planet when she got back, he’d get a kick out of it.

“Senator!” one of them asked suddenly, “Since this planet has so many extra males, could we…”

The implication was clear. She fought down a chuckle, remembering the eagerness of youth.

“Maintain discipline, if everything goes well, perhaps there can be some friendly mingling with the locals. Be warned that these people’s only experience with Glalans is marauders though, so I expect you all to be a shining example of honor and chivalry.”

“Yes Ma’am!” they all chimed in unison.

The senator smiled, spoiled princesses they might be, but perhaps something useful could be molded out of them. She looked at the viewscreen and regarded the Aelmari worldship again. She wondered if her eager young patriots realized just how high risk this mission was.

“Uhh… that’s got to be a mistake,” one girl said behind her. “Run the translation again, the conversion from their measurement units must be wrong.”

“What?” Telara asked, turning around.

“It’s on all of their communications,” another said, “maybe it’s a trick?”

“No look, here’s some footage from the Glalan attack… those numbers are accurate.”

“What numbers?” Telara repeated.

The four girls giggled and looked at their commander, “Well,” one began, “I don’t think we need to worry about them being dangerous up close!”

…

The Glalans landed on a small island in the Caribbean Sea. Despite her insistence on making planetfall Telara hadn’t wanted to get particularly close to large human settlements, or any Aelmari that might be on the planet for that matter. This was a show of strength, not a suicide mission after all. Initial scans of the island had indicated a low population, and no military craft in the immediate vicinity.

The ramp lowered and the five Glalans aboard the ship walked slowly down onto the sandy beach. Upon Telera’s signal a series of construction drones flew out and began construction on prefabricated walls, within a few hours they’d have a defensible fortress and shelter from which to operate.

“It’s a nice planet,” Telara mused, looking at the blue sky. “To think those fools wanted to blow it up…” She turned to the four volunteers, who snapped to attention, “I want you four to fan out, take a few drones each with you.”

Due to the secrecy and the legally questionable nature of their mission they’d be relying mostly on drones. Telara didn’t like that, but she had few options. If it truly came down to a ground battle with the Aelmari real soldiers wouldn’t fare much better, she reasoned, and five Glalans with drones would be more than enough to deal with any human force.

“I’m going to set up the equipment to send our message out,” Telara said, directing a few more automated construction machines out of the ship.

“You do that,” the mysterious benefactor had walked out behind them, the dark sunglasses glinting in the tropical sun. “I’m going to take care of a few personal errands while I’m on this planet.”

Telara frowned, she wasn’t sure what to make of this… person, she hadn’t given them a name, she’d just been introduced to the senator through political contacts. The weapons and technology she’d provided had been real enough for Telara to agree to bring her on this excursion, indeed without her it wouldn’t be possible.

Still, Telara did not trust anyone who made her a pawn, even if it appeared on the surface that their interests aligned.

“What errands would someone like you have on a backwater like this?” Telara asked.

The alien smiled and opened a small briefcase she’d been carrying. Inside were a series of clear looking plastic tubes with machinery and blinking lights at the bottom. Telara’s ears flittered in annoyance, she wasn’t sure if she was supposed to recognize the devices or not.

“I’m just picking up a few collectibles,” she explained, “Just go about your business.”

She snapped her fingers and her personal craft, a sleek and silver saucer shaped pod, broke off from the Glalan ship. It hovered gently down to her, opening it to let the silver haired woman climb in. Without so much as a sound it lifted off and disappeared over the horizon.

…

Stella eagerly hefted the silvery rifle that the alien had provided her. With her fiery orange hair and striped tail she was an easy mark for the northern part of Glalan Prime. Her family was an ancient one, with wealth and estates on that part of the planet, but as a lowly fourth daughter she didn’t have the same opportunities her older sisters would, which had led her down the road of radical politics and eventually association with Senator Telara’s group.

So here she was, standing up to the Aelmari, advancing the glory of the Glalan people! Working directly for Senator Telara, the war hero! She giggled to herself; it was like a girlhood fantasy come true. She swept the open beach, but didn’t see any signs of activity. Peering down the magnified scope of the gun she froze as she saw something down the beach.

“Lifeform detected,” the scope read as she swept the figure. With a nervous swallow she began slowly walking in that direction.

…

Derek Blanche stared at the ocean, almost angry that he was finally here on his dream vacation, and all it was doing was making him more miserable. When the Glalan invasion had happened his girlfriend of two years, Jane, had decided to confess to him that she’d been sleeping with his best friend. With the world coming to an end the two of them had apparently decided to reveal everything and spend it together. He’d been ready to die right then and there, but the Aelmari had swept in and saved the day, then Jane and Tom had been among the first humans to jet off into space with them. They were somewhere on the far side of the galaxy now, posting couple’s pictures of themselves and their new Aelmari friends exploring far flung moons on Facebook.

“Facebook,” he muttered angrily, “they’re in fucking space and they’re still updating Facebook.”

He’d always wanted to go to the Caribbean, with Jane of course, but with money not meaning much anymore and a lot of the planet’s population leaving he’d decided what the hell? One of the Aelmari had even taken him here on one of their shuttlecraft, it had only been a twenty minute flight directly from his house, and the only cost had been listening to her eagerly tell him of the benefits of “human adoption.”

So here he was, on a deserted beach, with the resort’s most expensive bottle of rum in his hand, listening to his favorite music on the electronic store’s most expensive headphones… and he was miserable.

He frowned as a shadow fell over him, that was odd, it was a cloudless day. He took off the headphones and turned around. His eyes went wide as he stared down the barrel of a rifle the size of a train car, his eyes trailed up to see a giant catgirl with fiery orange hair holding it, staring down the sights at him.

“Hi!” She said excitedly, “I’m Stella!”

“D-Derek,” he said, nodding. He’d been a witness to one of the Glalan landing sites, they’d stormed out of their ship in their black armor, gleefully stepping on people and tearing buildings apart. It had been utterly terrifying, one of them had even swallowed a man whole right in front of him. This one… she was wearing a shinier set of grey armor. She also had a gleeful expression that didn’t seem to have any malice in it, if anything she seemed genuinely happy to see him.

“So,” The catgirl began, the giant gun never budging, “We’re using this island as our forward base now, you need to leave.”

Derek blinked, then started laughing. He couldn’t stop. He took another swig of the rum, the strong taste burning his tastebuds.

“No,” he said, “So stomp me, or eat me, or blast me with your space cannon! WHATEVER! I just don’t care anymore.” He angrily put his headphones back on and closed his eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

Stella lowered the gun, “Uhh… you can’t just say no,” she protested, but the human lifted a hand to his headphones and turned them up. She bit her lip and flipped on her wrist communicator, “Senator Telara,” she said slowly, “There’s a human here on the beach, and he’s not leaving.”

“Is he resisting?” the senator asked.

“Well, kind of,” she said. The human seemed to be aggressively ignoring her now, tapping his feet to the music.

The senator sighed, “I don’t have time for this, do whatever you wish but DON’T kill him.” The line went dead.

Stella looked down at the human. Kneeling she extended a single claw, and using it she lifted the headphones off his head.

“Hey!” he shouted.

She tossed them as far as she could into the sea, which at her size was pretty far.

She slung the gun over her back and knelt down again, placing her hands on either side of him as her tail swished back and forth playfully. He was at a size that was triggering certain instincts, and he was also a rather attractive male, triggering a different set of equally strong instincts.

“Why are you acting like this?” she said suddenly, “Don’t you have some mates you need to get back to? They’re probably worried sick.”

“Mates?” He asked, “My girlfriend isn’t with me anymore if that’s what you mean.”

Girlfriend… singular? Ah that was right, they probably only had one mate on this planet. Stella gently reached out and flicked him over, sending him into the sand with a grunt. Now he was starting to get a bit nervous, she preferred that to his previous attitude, and she grinned as she traced a finger behind him in the sand.

“That’s no reason to throw your life away human,” she said, “You’re a very cute little male, I’m sure you’ll find someone new to take care of you in no time.”
“C-Cute?” he asked, his heartbeat picking up. He’d been called handsome but… cute?

She pinned him into the sand with her thumb and edged over him some more, her shadow enveloping him again. Derek had to admit, when they weren’t terrorizing a city, Glalans were also cute. This one had an eager face, and even through her armor he could see certain curvature.

“What’s this?” Stella said teasingly, pressing her thumb against the erection that was now straining his swimsuit. “It’s amazing,” she breathed, “you are almost exactly like us… just so small!” She bit her lower lip, and slowly started moving her thumb up and down over the front of his swim trunks.

Was this really happening? Derek gulped nervously, he’d been prepared for the possibility that she would kill him, he wasn’t at all mentally prepared for… whatever this was. It felt good, and he closed his eyes and moaned as she continued.

She stopped suddenly, as though realizing what she was doing, “I’m uh… Sorry human, I didn’t mean to-“

“Please don’t stop!” he yelled. He’d decided to go with it, it had been a shitty few months, and if a giant catgirl from space wanted to play with him, well, it wasn’t the worst thing that could happen. Hadn’t everyone told him to try new things after the breakup? Meet someone new? The way he saw it this killed two birds with one stone.

Stella looked up and down the beach, then down to her wrist computer. The others had set up sensors and were already heading back to the base… the only human nearby was the adorable male who now seemed to be throwing himself at her.

She tapped a button and the armor plating started falling off her, leaving her in her skintight silver bodysuit. She put her thumb on the human again and began the rubbing motion, causing him to grunt in pleasure.

“I think I’ll take you with me,” Stella breathed, “you’re adorable, you’ll make a perfect little mate for me.”

“M-Mate?” He gasped, fighting back orgasm.

“You’ll have to learn a certain respect for me,” Stella began, her predatory instincts kicking in, “alien husbands are allowed these days, but if you want to be in high society with me…” She giggled, “Well,

“HUSBAND?” He groaned as he came his shorts, panting as he fell back in the sand.

Stella let him recover a moment, laying down in the sand and crossing her arms under her chin.

“I mean… if you wanted,” Stella said, “I don’t think the senator will let us just take you guys without asking.”

“G-Good to know,” he breathed, wondering who “the senator” was.

Stella extended a claw and slowly traced it down his chest, causing him to gasp. She didn’t press enough to draw blood, and part of him was impressed that she could exert that level of control despite her size. She stopped at the hem of his now stained swimsuit.

“Can I take this off?” She asked pleasantly, “I’ve never seen a male naked in real life...” She giggled, “Well, except this one time, there’s this club on Glalan prime where you can pay them to take off their-“ she blushed, “Never mind.”

Derek thought about it, but as he felt himself already growing hard again he realized that he really just wanted to ride this to it’s conclusion. Fate, the universe, whatever, it was finally throwing him a bone.

“Go for it,” he said eagerly.

She grinned, and the claw sliced down the side of the swimsuit, leaving him naked. He held up his hands in panic as her giant face lowered down to him, and a giant tongue licked up the entirety of his body. It felt rough, but good, and as it pulled away he was drenched in her saliva.

“Now with you being so small,” Stella said, sitting back up, “We need to find out if you can please a girl.” She reached behind her and hit a small button, the silvery bodysuit seemed to open from the front, falling backwards behind her.

His eyes went wide as he made the connection, quickly he flipped over and tried to run. This was the worst possible move, the now naked catgirl’s eyes brightened as her hand darted for him. Her tail was swishing back and forth excitedly as she easily snatched the fleeing human.

Her hand spread her lower lips apart and she angled him upwards, sliding him in slowly. She groaned and her eyes rolled into the back of her head, he was thrashing in just the right way! She pushed him further in, his feet finally disappearing as he was completely inside her.

For Derek the world had gone dark and he was hugged from all sides by her soft walls. The pressure was enough that the movement, both his and hers, was brushing against him and bringing him pleasure. Every time he moved, he heard the drumbeat of a heart overhead pick up, and as he settled into a rhythm, he felt himself squeezed tighter.

“Yes!” Stella breathed, sinking to her knees as her eyes rolled back in her head, “Keep going human!”

Derek fought to breath as he kept up his struggle, he worried he was running out of air but he was determined to finish her off. His lungs burned and a thick musky smell stronger than any human women filled his nose and mouth as her fluids seeped around him.

“HNNNG,” Stella gritted her teeth and let out a primal cry as she reached her climax. Her tail went rigid as she toppled forward into the sand.

She lay there a moment, panting. Slowly she rolled over, staring up into the blue Earth sky. She reached down towards her opening, and gingerly stuck a pair of fingers in. Gently gripping the human by his ankle, she pulled him out. His wet skin glinted in the sunlight as she smiled up at him, gently laying him between her breasts.

“So uh…” Derek began after a moment of watching the clouds go by, “about that whole husband thing-“

“I don’t have anything in the way of land or businesses,” Stella said, “but my mother can probably give us a good dowry, if we can find a few other wives we should have plenty of money to set ourselves up somewhere on Glalan Prime.” She sighed happily at the thought, “I’ll ask the other girls back at base. They’re from good families too, maybe one of them will be interested.” She thought a moment, “Just to get an idea, what kind of dowry would your family expect you to receive? That last mate of yours, was she rich?”

He thought of Jane’s broken-down beater of a car and laughed.

“Uh, no,” he said, still in shock over this. “I umm… meant I need to consider your ah, proposal.”

“Oh,” Stella said, sitting up and reaching for her bodysuit, “Of course, that’s perfectly reasonable.” The way she said it Derek could tell she didn’t think he’d make any other choice but her. Once she’d slipped back into the silver suit she pressed a button her wrist computer, the plating on her armor seemed to fly through the air and attached back in place perfectly.

She reached for him, and he felt her soft fingers curl around him. He was lifted up to her face, she winked and gave him one last kiss, covering the entire front of his head. Gently she placed him on her shoulder, nudging him a bit closer to her hanging orange locks.

“Try to hold on to my hair, okay?” She said with a smile, “I’ve got to go a little further and set up the sensor beacon.”

He grabbed a strand, looking up at the fuzzy catlike ears in wonder. He struggled to keep his balance as she began walking again.

…

“To the collected leaders of humanity, and your Aelmari benefactors,” Telera said into the camera drone, “I am not here on a mission of revenge, or of violence. I am here to recover one of my people, who you have held captive. I understand she was taken prisoner, but no sentient being should be treated the way we know Clara has been treated.” She paused, allowing the video of Clara’s torture to be broadcast.

…

“NO!” Clara sobbed in the recording, “Please, no more!”

“You’ll talk, or you’ll die!” A demonically grinning Aelmari told her as an electric prod was shoved into her ribs.

The collected world leaders, assembled this time in Trafalgar Square, in London, gasped as they saw the video. They murmured amongst themselves, although everyone had known the Aelmari were capable of violence, they’d saved earth after all, none would have thought the bubbly and matronly blue aliens would do something like this.

“This is a fake!” Shaerra protested. She was standing behind their assembled chairs, while all of them watched the Glalan leader’s address on the video screen.

“How can we know that?” The Prime minister shouted.

“Your excellencies please!” Brandon protested from Shaerra’s palm, “if she says it’s a fake, then it’s a fake!”

“That particular Glalan is a bio-trophy- I mean companion of ours, the same as any human living with us,” Shaerra protested, “I’m going to contact her immediately, and we can straighten this whole thing out!”

…

The two Aelmari, the Glalan, and the human crowded around the video screen in their private quarters. They’d gathered to watch the broadcast speech. It was actually being aired on human news networks, many of them had remained in operation even as their employees had joined Aelmari worldships.

“Why that’s ridiculous!” Isstvell said, watching the video of Clara’s torture, “We’d never do something like that to Clara… with an electric rod.”

“I do think I’d remember this happening,” Clara said, rubbing her chin thoughtfully.

“Clara, were you related to royalty or something back home?” Jim asked, seated in Lyrei’s cleavage. “Why are they so eager to get you back? No offense.”

“Nah,” Clara said, “Kind of a loser actually, I mean I didn’t join up with that first bunch who came to earth because things were going great for me back home.” Clara thought a moment, “If someone really sent them a bunch of videos like this though, yeah I can see them coming to the rescue, even for someone like me. It would be a matter of honor.”

“Our demands are simple,” the senator continued, the video cutting back to her, “We demand Clara’s immediate return, as well as assurance that the Aelmari will no longer interfere in our affairs.”

“Well, that last one’s not happening,” Jim scoffed.

“Indeed, it isn’t,” Isstvell said, crossing her arms.

The senator then gave what was probably supposed to be a warm smile, “To the people of earth, I am sorry that outlaws from our planet have colored your opinion of us, but rest assured we will do everything we can to make this right.” She paused, “And perhaps, if humanity needs an advocate in its favor when dealing with the Aelmari, we might be a friend.”

Jim and Clara looked up at Isstvell and Lyrei, but they were angrily staring at each other, likely communicating mentally. They were definitely falling more into human facial expressions though, when he’d first been brought to live here with them, he could never quite tell what they were saying to each other. Now? It was pretty easy to tell they were pissed off.

“Come on Clara,” Isstvell said bitterly, “I imagine a lot of people will want to talk to you in person.”

“S-Sorry,” Clara stammered, getting up to follow them.

“It’s not your fault Clara,” Lyrei said, jostling Jim further into her cleavage as she got up.

Jim tried to climb higher amongst the blue orbs, “Uhh, Lyrei, Isstvell,” he said suddenly, “Could Clara and I… get some weapons?” Seeing their confused expressions he sighed, “I’m just a little on edge about this whole thing.”

The two Aelmari mentally communicated a moment, then nodded in unison.

…

Senator Telara sighed as the camera turned off. Humans, Aelmari, Glalans, whoever the audience she didn’t care much for speeches. You couldn’t shoot your way out of a mispronounced word, or a sneeze at the wrong time. Her nascent political career had almost ended years ago when she’d accidentally mispronounced her opponent’s name in a manner that, in the Glalan language, made it sound as though she was using a rather crude term for genitals. She laughed a bit at the memory.

Walking into the ship she noticed her four volunteers huddled around a table in the cruiser’s common area.

“He’s so cute!” one said.

“I know!” An orange haired girl, Stella, said excitedly, “He was just sitting there, on the beach, all alone!”

“What about his wives? Or wife, I guess on this planet he’d only have one-“

“He doesn’t have a mate!” Stella said excitedly, “Or didn’t, we’ve been talking…” the girls giggled.

“Uh, let’s not get ahead of ourselves!” a male voice called. “Listen, could you ladies maybe help me get in touch with an Aelmari-“

A male voice? A pit formed in Telara’s stomach. She picked up the pace and walked to the table. As the four girls saw her, they seemed to shrink away. She looked down and mentally screamed as she saw her suspicions were confirmed. A naked human male, a rather comely one at that, was standing naked in the middle of the table. The poor thing was trying in vain to cover himself with his hands, it must have been terrifying to have four Glalans looming over him in such a state…

“Who is responsible for this?” She said in an icy voice.

Three of them backed away from the table slowly, leaving Stella alone.

The orange haired catgirl gulped, her ears smoothing back in fear, “I-“ she was cut off as Telara slapped her.

“I just promised the humans friendship!”

Another slap.

“And you!”

A third slap.

“Forced yourself on one!”

Stella was struggling to hold back tears, Derek shuffled his feet uncomfortably.

“Umm… excuse me ma’am,” he said, raising one hand and keeping the other over his crotch, “She didn’t force herself… I mean that is to say-“

“Stella,” Telara breathed angrily, “To your quarters, NOW!”

Stella shot one glance at Derek and then scurried away through a door as quickly as she could. Telara watched her go, staring daggers at her the entire way. Looking down at the human she scowled, walking over to a replicator on the far wall she quickly typed in commands. The technology wasn’t nearly as advanced as what a human would expect from an Aelmari worldship, but a moment later Stella returned, handing Derek a simple silver jumpsuit.

He put it on eagerly, “Thanks,” he said, zipping it up. It didn’t fit perfectly, just a little loose in some spots, but he was happy for the gesture.

“Please tell me the absolute truth human,” Telara said quietly, “I won’t let that girl or any others hurt you.”

“She didn’t force me,” he said, “I mean, she was definitely aggressive, but I told her to keep going. If it matters, I had a good time…” He smiled nervously, “She uh, thinks we’re going to get married or something.”

“Ancestors guide me,” Telara said, collapsing into a chair opposite the tiny human. She kneaded her temples as she talked, “Listen closely human. Our species produces far fewer males than yours does, this fact has guided many of our courtship rituals.” She sighed, “Stella, and the rest, haven’t spent much time off of our planet. Whatever they might read, or whatever they’re told, they don’t seem to grasp that alien cultures really operate differently from their own.” She chuckled, thinking of her youth, “admittedly it can take some time to sink in.”

“So… what are you going to do with me?” Derek asked quietly, “Stella said you’re not here to invade.”

“You’re going to have to stay here until our business is concluded,” Telara said, “if you want, I can lock you in my cabin.” She sighed, “But if you prefer, I can put you in Stella’s custody. When we are done I’ll make sure you are released.” She shot him a small smile, “If you want to go that is.”

“Stella,” he said without thinking. “We might need to uh, discuss things.” He decided to press his luck, Telara seemed a bit more mature than the rest of the Glalans, and more knowledgeable.

“Your planet is a matriarchy, right?” he asked, “Just hypothetically, what’s life like there? For a male alien?”

Telara fought down a snort, the little human really was thinking about it, “Males have full legal rights now,” she said with a smile, “alien ones even.” She leaned back in the chair, her tail tracing a relaxed circle on the floor next to her, “my political party’s last leader was a male even. I have to admit, I didn’t really agree with it at first, but he did a fine job.”

…

“Okay,” Clara began, cracking her fingers as she stood in front of the replicator, “I need a high end plasma pistol, go ahead and double the standard charge size and-“

“USER CLARA IS BANNED FROM CUSTOMIZING WEAPONS,” The computer replied in a monotone voice.

“What!?” Clara exclaimed. She turned to Isstvell, who had a smug smile on her face. Clara gave an annoyed grunt before turning back to the console, “Fine, standard Glalan navy pistol.” There was a beep as the nanites constructed the weapon. With a reluctant sigh she took it, holstering it on her belt. While she was forgoing armor today, she did have a full body shield projected from the bracelet on her wrist. She checked it briefly, and there was a quick shimmer, causing the silver of her skintight bodysuit to shine.

Clara knelt down to the floor and picked Jim up. For his part he was wearing the metallic green suit that the Sarah the assassin had given him during their last encounter. He’d experimented with it, finding it gave his strength and reflexes a slight boost, among other things. Most importantly it was made for the human body BY a human, or at least he was sure Sarah had had a hand in it’s design. Better yet it was meant for a human sized person who found themselves in combat against much larger beings…


He was about to request something like an AK-47 or an M-16, but then he looked up at Clara and thought a moment.

“Plasma pistol,” he said, “Human sized, highest safe charge.”

There was a ding as the metallic grey handgun, a near copy of Clara’s deposited in the small tray at the bottom of the replicator. He leapt off of Clara’s hand and walked over to it, picking it up. He held it to his belt and felt a click as it seemingly adhered to the suit on it’s own.

“How come he gets to make custom weapons?” Clara complained, looking back at the two Aelmari.

“His don’t blow up half a spaceport,” Isstvell replied.

“Jim’s background in engineering may be primitive,” Lyrei chimed in, “but it gives him a certain sense of… caution.”

Jim smirked at Clara, trying to think of what else he could ask for, something to rub a bit of salt in the wound…

“Laser sword,” he said, “and take the cosmetic features from human pop culture.”

There was another ding and something fell into the tray, he reached a hand up and caught it out of the air. His reflexes surprised him, it had to be the suit. He flipped a switch on the side of the cylinder and there was a hiss as a red blade extended.

“Sweet,” he said with a grin, waving it back and forth and enjoying the iconic hum.

Clara’s cat ears were folded back and she was glowering at him with jealousy. He chuckled and flipped the switch to “off,” the construction nanites had definitely gotten the sounds on it right. He probably wouldn’t use it, but he clipped it to the magnetic belt anyway. It dangled slightly from the point of attachment as he leapt back into Clara’s waiting palm. Her fingers closed on him, and he grunted as the catgirl squeezed him just a bit tighter than usual.

…

“The Glalans know we’re coming,” Isstvell said, settling in to a seat in the cargo bay of Clara’s ship.

“They actually sound pretty happy to see us,” Lyrei said excitedly, “Maybe this whole thing can be resolved without anyone getting hurt.”

“Have you two thought about bringing personal shields?” Clara asked, walking by them to the cockpit.

“Aelmari never use personal shields,” Isstvell said, “Our physiology doesn’t require that kind of-“ she was interrupted by Clara reaching her free hand to her belt and tossing them each a bracelet.

“Clara,” Lyrei said slowly, turning the device over in her hands, “are you… concerned for Isstvell and I?”

“It’s not just her,” Jim said softly, “You two are always going on about fostering my happiness and mental well-being, take a guess what I want today?”

The two Aelmari exchanged looks, and then slowly slipped the shield bracelets on. Without warning Clara drew her pistol, causing Jim to tumble over in her open palm. A flash of green filled the cargo bay as Clara fired twice, once at each Aelmari. Each time the plasma simply hit the invisible field, which flashed brightly a few inches from their faces.

“Good,” she muttered at the seemingly impassive Aelmari, “They’re working.” She glanced back at them one more time before she carried Jim into the cockpit, “Don’t take those off.” The door hissed shut behind them, leaving the two Aelmari alone.

They stared at their wrists for a moment, “I’m feeling… odd,” Lyrei said, verbally, which was odd in and of itself.

“I think that’s fear,” Isstvell replied, also verbally, “I don’t care for it, but my subconscious isn’t letting me shut it off.”

“Jim DID say he wanted us to take care of ourselves,” Lyrei said thoughtfully, “I suppose that makes our own self-preservation part of The Mission.” She smiled, “It’s wonderful that Jim and Clara have become so close to us though!”

Isstvell did manage a smile at that, running a finger along the shield bracelet on her wrist thoughtfully.

…

Clara immediately kicked off her boots as soon as the cockpit door hissed shut behind her. She tossed herself on the captain’s chair, and with a grin, lowered Jim down to the floor by her feet.

“Oh come on Clara,” he protested, coughing as the giant feet moved closer to him, “You’ve been wearing boots all day!”

“All the more reason for my human slave to pamper my wonderful feet,” she said, knocking him over with a swipe of her toes.

The odor hit him, and he grimaced. Clara’s feet weren’t all that different from a human’s in how they reacted to sitting in a boot all day. The strong smell of her sweat washed over him as one of her feet pinned him in place.

“That suit makes you pretty durable, right?” Clara grinned. She increased the pressure on him slightly as she checked the ship’s systems before takeoff.

He grunted from the smell and the pressure as he pushed against her foot, “Yeah,” he breathed, “I mean… if you think about Sarah’s line of work, she’d probably would want a defense against getting stepped on.”

“I’m stepping on her if I ever see her again,” Clara muttered, pinching Jim’s head between her toes.

“She did give me the antidote that saved your life!” Jim protested, struggling against the playful digits.

“She poisoned me in the first place, doesn’t count.”

Jim felt the slight momentum as the ship lifted out of the docking bay. Clara gripped the controls, guiding them out of the bay and then releasing them, letting the autopilot take over. She put her hands behind her head and looked down at the human, pinned underneath her foot.

“Maybe a nice massage would help the flight go faster?” she teased. “That suit amplifies your strength a little right? I think it would feel really good.”

He rolled his eyes, but brought his arms up and pushed the foot off himself slightly, using his knuckles he decided he’d do his best at actually giving her a foot massage. Earnestly complying with the request seemed to surprise her, and she closed her eyes in pleasure, purring slightly as she pressed the foot against him, signaling for more.

“You’re such a good little human Jim,” Clara teased, enjoying the treatment. “Since you’re in an obedient mood… why not tell Isstvell to let me design my own guns again?”

“No way!” Jim laughed, “go beg Lyrei to take the block off the computer.”

“Fine,” she said, “then I’m keeping you as my foot-toy for the rest of the flight.” She lifted her foot off him, but as soon as he stood up she simply slammed her feet into him from other side, trapping him between them.

“Wow,” Clara said, wrinkling her nose, “I can smell those from up here, are you sure you don’t want to put in a good word for me with Isstvell?”

“N-No,” he rasped, struggling against the titanic catgirl’s feet. “You’re too reckless! You never read owner’s manuals or anything!”

“Hmm…” Clara muttered, “Well, I did read the complete file on that suit after you let Lyrei scan it.”

“Yeah, so what?” Jim asked. He had just barely managed to force her feet away, but with a little extra force she effortlessly pressed them together and trapped him between her soles again.

“Are external voice commands enabled?” Clara asked.

“External voice commands are enabled,” a monotone female voice called from Jim’s suit. It was in English, evidently Sarah still talked to her suit in her birth tongue.

“Wait,” he began, he didn’t remember this function, “Wha-“

“Execute stress relief function,” Clara said with a grin.

Jim realized that it wasn’t a translation, Clara had learned that particular English phrase at least. He was about to ask her about it, but he gasped as he felt a warm buzzing around his crotch. The suit molded to his body, including his erection, and he felt himself seize as pleasure washed over him. He hugged Clara’s toe close and cried out, panting as the feeling passed.

“What the hell,” he breathed, “Was that?”

“That dirty girl Sarah has an interesting idea of what a built-in stress relief system looks like,” Clara said, “Execute Stress Relief Function,” she repeated.

Jim grunted as the sensation repeated. It didn’t seem to matter that he’d just had a powerful orgasm, he felt another one rising. His muscles tensed again, and Clara laughed happily as he found himself squeezing against her big toe again.

“It makes sense,” Clara said as Jim tried to recover, “External voice commands in English would be pretty safe, it’s not like she’d run into someone speaking it out there. Here let me practice some more.” She licked her lips, “Execute-“

“Clara,” he begged, out of breath.

“Stress Relief Function,” she finished.

The third time it was even more intense, and he felt himself writhing against Clara’s feet as his muscles seemed to fire at random.

“Execute-“ she began again.

“DISABLE EXTERNAL VOICE COMMANDS!” Jim shouted. Seeing Clara’s disappointed face, he slumped over in relief. Her feet pulled away, letting him fall to the floor.

“You’re no fun,” she teased.

…

Sarah glanced at the monitor on her ship. It normally displayed her suit’s condition and vitals, which Zeph could follow from the command deck while she was out on missions.

“So,” she muttered, “Jim Arnett is in the system.” She looked at the vitals and stifled a laugh. Evidently, he’d discovered one of the suit’s more fun features. She’d initially designed the suit’s parameters years ago, when she’d been younger, less mature. The pleasure function had been half a joke, and half curiosity when the manufacturer had told her it could be done.

“I was so stupid back then,” she mused.

“You were never stupid,” Zeph said. She’d almost forgotten the enormous woman was behind her. “You’d never have made it out here if you were.”

“Fair enough,” Sarah muttered, “but I was definitely inexperienced.”

Zeph glanced at the giant monitor at her own head level, it showed the same things as Sarah’s, the red skinned alien laughed as she read the same data on Jim’s apparent use of the suit they’d given him.


“It looks like that other human is enjoying himself, we should stop by and say hello.” She leaned down to pick up Sarah, who leapt into her open palm. Turning she started to walk back towards the ship’s cockpit, they needed to change their position every now and then, to avoid Aelmari patrols. “I still think you two would make a good couple.”

“No,” Sarah said, “We’ll wait for instructions from the client, all I want to do here is the job.”

Zeph looked at the monitor again and bit her lip, looking down at the diminutive human in her hand.

“Sarah,” she said with a giggle. “You seem stressed.”

Sarah’s eyes went wide, “Zeph don’t-“

“Execute Stress Relief Function,” Zeph said with a grin.

Sarah fell backwards into her hand, writhing and shouting a mix of pleasured groans and promises to get revenge.

…

Two human males sat on a bench together in one of the common areas of the Aelmari worldship. Their elfin overlords had constructed something similar in size to Central Park, complete with various recreation areas. Families walked and played, a few dogs barked here and there, brought by the humans for companionship. Every few thousand feet a towering Aelmari stood over the treetops, smiling pleasantly at her charges. Some of them were kneeling down and talking to various humans, some were attempting to engage in games. An artificial sky and sun overhead gave the appearance of a balmy spring day.

The Aelmari had, of course, consulted human criminal and intelligence networks when deciding how best to care for their bio-trophies. Those with particularly strong criminal inclinations were sequestered away from their fellows, and rehabilitation or treatment was attempted. These men in particular had been flagged by their nation’s government as members of an obscure, but potentially dangerous new age UFO cult. The Aelmari, seeing this as a mere religious difference, had not scrutinized them heavily.

The “New Age” UFO cult was, in actuality, quite old, predating the pyramids themselves. It’s adherents had silently watched civilizations rise and fall, always heeding the voices of the Star Gods.

These blue blasphemers, these “Aelmari,” were not humanity’s masters, nor were the Glalans, or any other beings that thought the ability to traverse the skies made them gods. The true masters of humanity had seen this usurpation, and had given the faithful their marching orders.

The two men glanced at one another, quickly making a series of hand signs. When they were assured of the other’s identity they nodded, and walked towards a large terminal. It was a simple public replicator, mostly for humans visiting the park to create toys or games as they needed.

One man watched while the other began typing in a series of commands. Soon the English menu disappeared, replaced by an unearthly alien language. The man typing recognized it as the divine word, and snarled in anger.

“The Aelmari dare defile these sigils,” he muttered. “We shall see their houses crumble before a messenger of the true gods!”

…

Elara sat up suddenly, and smiled. The plan was in motion, the pawns had done their part. She shifted, dangling her legs over the side of the small cot in the Aelmari worldship’s brig. With a stretch she stood up and stared at the plasma screen holding her in. It flickered, then disappeared.

Barely suppressing a laugh, she walked out. A dozen Aelmari had been watching her, all of them were slumped over, eyes open. She stopped, regarding them.

“I know you can all still see me,” she said with a grin, “hear me… I want you to know that I’m going to go down to earth, and I’m going to kill one human for each of you, and it’s going to be SLOW.” She stomped her heeled shoe on the floor for emphasis, cackling as she continued down the worldship hallway.

Behind unblinking eyes, a dozen Aelmari guards panicked, sending dozens of messages over a neuronet they were no longer connected to. In their minds they screamed and despaired, unable to move.

In just a few hours the Glalan’s automated drones had constructed an impressive fortress, it loomed slightly taller than the nearby hotel and resort, the only other large structure on the island. Most of the human population had followed their requests to evacuate, although Telara’s Glalans were considerably more polite than their predecessor’s few of the world’s remaining tourists wanted to spend much time with them.

Which was really too bad, Derek decided, looking out at the beach, he was really getting to like the cat-women. He was perched on the window ledge of Stella’s personal quarters, enjoying the sun rays. The star cruiser was parked in a walled in courtyard below, alongside a series of paved platforms that Stella had explained to him were for additional spacecraft. They’d already started talking about using this building as some sort of embassy, it made Derek wonder how long they intended to stay

“He’s right in here!” he heard giggling as the door to Stella’s room hissed open.

Stella was being followed by a Glalan with powder blue hair and a white striped tail to match. What was her name? Maya, he was pretty sure, he’d met them all earlier when Stella had brought him back to their base.

“Hi Derek,” Stella giggled. “Maya wanted to get a closer look at you, we’ve been talking about some stuff…”

“Hi,” Derek said uncertainly, “What kind of stuff?”

Maya suddenly snatched him off the windowsill, pulling him close. He gulped as her fingers gripped him, her eyes wandering up and down his tiny form. He was still wearing the jumpsuit the Senator had given him, and she tugged on it idly with her free hand.

“He is cute,” Maya admitted, “The whole tiny thing is fun, and he’s got a bit of an exotic look to him.” She frowned, “I do wonder how he would handle domestic life though…”

“Uh,” Stella shot Derek a glance, “Maybe be gentle with him-“

“Stella, males LOVE it when a girl takes charge,” Maya said dismissively, “they instinctively crave it.” She traced her finger down his chest, circling his crotch a moment, “Isn’t that right handsome?”

He gulped and looked to Stella, who just shrugged. He gasped a bit as Maya picked up the pace, quickly giving him an erection which she could see, and feel, through the jumpsuit.

“I’m not some kind of backwards hill dweller who wants to put males back in cages,” Maya said, picking up speed, “but I do have some very traditional expectations, even for a male of such an adorable size.”

“I-” Derek gasped with pleasure as she continued, cupping her hand around him slightly more as she gave him a smug grin. “I don’t really know much about your culture,” he managed.

“Hmm…” Maya said, slowing down. Derek looked up at the giant woman pleadingly, she bit her lip, thinking as her blue tail swished back and forth behind her.

“Don’t worry about that!” Stella said eagerly, “Derek’s going to do great on Glalan Prime! We’ll probably get invited to parties all the time just so people can see him!”

“I suppose,” Maya muttered. She glanced at the human in her palm. “Well, what do you have to say for yourself? Any special skills? Interesting abilities?” A smirk crossed her features, “Impress me, and maybe I can finish what I was doing…”

“I’ve got a degree in accounting,” he shouted.

“Human accounting,” Maya said, but she did start moving her fingers again. He sighed, feeling the waves of pleasure as she picked up where she’d left off.

“Accounting can’t be that different on other planets, right?” Stella asked, “I mean numbers are numbers…”

She shoved Maya aside, getting a better look at him. She giggled, watching his face contort, “I love watching males when they get like this.”

“It is wonderful, isn’t it?” Maya said, “Come on now Derek, impress your mistresses or I’ll stop!”

“I can fix a car!” he shouted, his back arching with pleasure. He gasped as she slowed down.

“We won’t be needing anyone to fix primitive human vehicles,” Maya said dismissively.

Shit, he thought, wracking his brain for anything that might impress the giant aliens. Most mechanical stuff was probably out, what about-

“The guitar!” he shouted, “I play the guitar!”

“The word doesn’t have a direct translation,” Maya said, “what is it?”

“A musical instrument,” he explained, trying to focus as the giant catgirl’s fingers kept rubbing his manhood, “uses strings!”

“He plays a string instrument!” Stella said excitedly, “That’s got to be one of the classiest things a male can do!”

“I am impressed,” Maya said with a smile, “Now finish!” His hips bucked and he gritted his teeth as he obeyed. The giant catgirls overhead giggled together, watching him moan in pleasure.

As soon as he was done Maya gave him one last wink, then tossed him into the air. He flailed and shouted in surprise, but Stella snatched him out of the air easily, holding him to her breast. He blinked a few times, still in shock. Those reflexes were certainly impressive.

“I’ll think on the proposal Stella,” Maya said, “I can’t make any promises now, but I’m not opposed.” With that she walked out through the door, it shut behind her with a hiss.

“What proposal was that?” Derek asked, starting to recover a bit.

“Just seeing about getting you a few more wives,” Stella said nonchalantly, “You know, in case you want to come back to Glalan Prime with me.” She beamed, “I can’t believe you play an instrument! I hope you’re good, an alien male who plays an instrument is going to be VERY popular back home.”

“I picked it up in school,” he said, briefly having flashbacks of he and his neighbor’s garage band, “Mostly I wanted to impress girls.”

“So males on this planet learn to play music to impress females too,” Stella mused, “It’s good to know that some things are the same everywhere.” 

There was a roaring sound outside, glancing out the window Derek saw a spiky black ship flying overhead. It stopped, rotated, and began descending.

“I’d better go,” Stella said. She stopped quickly, then chuckled, “Oh I’m sorry, having such a small person around is going to take some getting used to.” She lifted him off the windowsill and placed him on the floor. “The base AI has you on guest privileges, so you should be able to use the elevators and doors if you need to, but you should stay in here so you don’t accidentally get stepped on. The viewscreen is voice activated if you want to watch a movie or something.”

With that she blew him a kiss and tapped a button on her wrist computer. Her armor plates, stacked against the wall of her room, flew through the air and attached to her bodysuit. The door hissed as she left, leaving him alone.

“Well,” he muttered, “Viewscreen, show me…” he thought a moment, “Informational programming on Glalan Prime, tourist spots, places of interest.” The screen buzzed to life at his command and he sat down to watch. Under the circumstances, it was probably a good idea to learn a thing or two about the planet.

…

The four Glalans assembled behind Senator Telara, long silvery rifles at the ready. They watched as the ramp on the ship descended, and a silver suited Glalan walked out. She was flanked on either side by a pair of Aelmari that stood a head over her. Curiously there was a human in a green suit perched on her shoulder, Telara frowned and wondered what he could be doing here. Surely the Aelmari didn’t actually allow humans on dangerous missions? She’d personally been worried sick about the one her underlings had dragged into her base.

A small camera drone hovered behind her, she had another broadcast camera attached to the shoulder of her old military uniform. She’d had some friends in various media organizations assure her that the entirety of Glalan Prime, along with Beta, and Gamma, would be able to watch her rescue of Clara live. It was political theater, but whether this went well, or poorly, it would hopefully give the people back home an idea of how the Aelmari needed to be dealt with.

She walked forward, “Clara!” She said warmly. She walked forward and hugged the pink haired girl, who seemed surprised at the gesture. The human on her shoulder stood his ground as she swayed slightly.

“Uh, hi,” Clara said, embarrassed. “Y-You’re Senator Telara, right? I um… saw your movie.”

Internally she sighed, that old “based on a true story” war picture would haunt her forever. She didn’t care for the jovial way she was portrayed in it, but it was hard to argue with the positive effect it had had on her career.

“I’m so glad to see you’re alive and well,” the senator said, separating from her and ignoring the remark. She glared at the two Aelmari, “and you two, are you here to discuss terms?”

“We are merely here to show you that Clara is alive, and has not been mistreated,” one of them snapped. “Also, local authorities told us that you are holding a human captive, we demand you release him immediately.”

Telara blinked, the human? Derek?

“He is a guest of one of my girls,” Telara said hesitantly, “We had to detain him for security reasons, but he’s not a prisoner.”

“We’re discussing marriage terms!” Stella shouted behind her. Telara’s ears drooped, she desperately wanted to reach around and slap the girl again.

One of the Aelmari’s eyes flared red, “GIVE HIM BACK NOW.” Her voice was deeper, distorted.

“We understand you are somewhat territorial on the subject of humans,” Telara said, forcing herself to keep her cool, “however we are here not only to assure our own self-determination, but that of all species. Including theirs.” She’d hoped the human perched on Clara’s shoulder would have a reaction to that, but he remained impassive, on edge.

“Clara,” she said finally, “Why don’t you go into our base and relax. We have a Glalan replicator, I’m sure you’ve missed real food-“

“The Aelmari replicators are fine,” Clara said slowly, “Thank you Senator, but… I think there’s been a misunderstanding here.”

…

Elara walked through the abandoned halls of the Worldship, stopping at a crossroad as directed. Two human males were waiting there, the ones who she’d been told had deactivated the neuronet on this part of the ship. The knelt before the hundred foot tall woman as she approached.

“We live to serve, messenger of the gods,” they said in unison.

“Now THAT is a nice thing to hear,” Elara said with a smile, kneeling down to pick them up. “It could almost make me like your species.” She placed the two of them into her palm and regarded them a moment. Without warning she squeezed, enjoying the two men’s attempts to remain passive even as they felt pain wrack their bodies.

ELARA, ENOUGH. THOSE TWO ARE NOT TO BE HARMED

The voice rang out in her head and she sighed, releasing her grip slightly. The two men panted, catching their breaths and looking up at her with relief.

“Are your tasks complete?” Elara asked.

“Yes mistress,” one said, still gasping.

It didn’t take them long to get to an Aelmari docking bay, one of their egg-shaped prefabricated landing pods lay unattended. While she lacked the ability to use their Neuronet, useless in this part of the ship for the time being anyway, the Aelmari had enough interaction with other species to include haptic controls in some of their smaller vessels.

Elara reclined one of the pod’s chairs as the door sealed shut, enjoying the automated flight taking her out of the docking bay. She set her two charges on the floor and kicked off her high heels with a grimace. She didn’t care for the human businesswear The Lady wanted her servants to wear, but a servant’s place was to obey.

“You two,” she said with a grin, setting her charges on the floor, “my feet are sore, try to demonstrate a little value.” She wasn’t to harm them sure, but that didn’t mean she had to be kind.

The two men looked at each other, then hesitantly walked towards the enormous feet. Elara flexed her toes through her nylons, enjoying the feeling. She wondered what the smell was like, and laughed knowing that if she asked the human cultists would almost assuredly tell her it was wonderful.

She craned her head to look out the pod’s window, waiting for the light show.

…

“The Aelmari haven’t been torturing me,” Clara said, “I’m not even their prisoner anymore, I’m here because I want to be.”

“But the video,” The senator began, but before she could inquire further the sky seemed to glow green.

All of them looked up together. The four Aelmari worldships in the solar system had become common fixtures, after the first month most people didn’t give them any more regard than the moon. The one overhead now, a sphere up in the sky, was now raining long green bolts down on them.

“THEY’RE BOMBARDING US!” Telara screamed. In one smooth motion she swept Clara off her feet, dragging the protesting catgirl back towards the forward base. Following her lead, the other Glalans leveled their weapons and began firing at Isstvell and Lyrei.

Isstvell watched with shock as a small crack seemed to appear in the air directly in front of her face, smoke rising from where the projectile had impacted the shield.

“Those are the same weapons Elara used on me,” Lyrei thought at her, “these shields won’t take more than one or two hits, get on the ship.”

Isstvell gritted her teeth, summoning a series of plasma projectiles she willed them through the air, returning fire and scattering the catgirls.

Overhead the first of the bolts made contact with the base’s shield, like Isstvell’s it shimmered and cracked. Outside the shimmering ring of protection trees and vegetation were instantly vaporized, the sand fused to melted and glowing orange glass.

“This is a mistake!” Clara shouted, fighting the senator’s grip, “They wouldn’t shoot at us when their own people are down here!”

“They’re just drones girl!” Telara snapped, “Aelmari don’t have people, they AREN’T people!”

The world rocked and both of them fell to the ground as the next bolt slammed into the shield. The glowing crack in the air widened, and Telara swore angrily. She clicked a series of buttons on her wrist computer and alarms inside the base began to ring loudly.

“Engage Aelmari countermeasures,” she ordered.

On Clara’s ship Isstvell and Lyrei instantly detected a surge of energy from within the base. They looked at each other, simultaneously beaming all the information they could to the Matriarch while trying to formulate a plan.

“Whatever that is it’s got more energy than any non-Aelmari weapon on record,” Isstvell thought, “We’ve got to get Jim and Clara and-“

A pulse shot out from the base, a sound like a gong rang out and then suddenly the bombardment stopped.

“Are you getting any readings?” Isstvell thought at Lyrei, but there was no answer. She looked to her partner and frowned, Lyrei was just staring at her.

“A-are you trying to communicate?” Isstvell asked verbally.

“The neuronet,” Lyrei said aloud, “It’s… it’s gone!”

…

Shaerra felt panic rise within her, she was still with the human leaders, but suddenly she was alone. No thoughts came, it seemed none went.

“Brandon,” she whispered, holding her human companion up to her face, “I think… I think the worldship is under attack.”

…

“It looks like our benefactor’s weapons are effective,” Telara said, peering up at the now still Aelmari worldship.

The plasma fire from Clara’s starship had ceased, the four Glalans were cautiously coming out of cover, their weapons still trained on it. Clara had a sinking feeling, she hoped Isstvell and Lyrei were okay.

“W-what now?” Clara asked shakily, struggling to her feet.

“We’ve got a missile that will destroy that abomination,” Telara sneered, looking up at the listlessly drifting worldship. She turned to the camera drone, which had managed to stay in operation throughout the entire skirmish. “To those of you watching, you’ve seen the Aelmari’s reaction to our peaceful overtures, now they will learn what happens when they step on a Glalan’s tail!”

“Jim!?” Clara called suddenly, she looked back towards her ship, she didn’t see the human anywhere. She’d lost him in the excitement, but his body, crushed or otherwise, wasn’t present. She looked back to the senator, “You can’t fire that missile,” she pleaded, “this whole thing is-“

“Clara,” the senator said sternly, “I understand that your period of captivity may have given you a distorted view of things, but you must go wait in the base now.”

The pink haired catgirl looked up in dismay as dozens of V-shaped drones began to fly into the air around the Glalan base, taking off in various directions.

“Senator,” one of the girls said, approaching with a salute, “The drones are going to maintain a perimeter around one hundred miles out, we should have total air superiority.”

“Excellent,” Telara said. She pointed to the base one more time, “Clara, go.”

Clara took one last look at her, her pink ears going flat. Without a word she turned and sprinted towards her ship. Telara watched her go, not even bothering to order a pursuit. She sighed, when this was done, she’d track the girl down, help her recover from this ordeal… For now other lives were at risk. She lifted her wrist computer to her face.

“Begin missile arming procedure.”

There was a brief roar of engines as Clara’s starship took off, Telara ignored it, she wouldn’t be able to breach the line of drones anyways, and if she tried she’d be shot out of the sky.

…

Jim had leapt from Clara’s shoulder the moment the first weapon was drawn. He’d learned from experience that there wasn’t a lot a human could do when hundred-foot-tall beings started shooting each other, so he’d decided to get out of the way. The eighty or so foot drop from Clara’s shoulder had hurt on landing, but thanks to the suit it felt more like a six-foot fall. He’d sprinted for the cover of their base, not really sure where else to go.

He was able to easily run through the legs of a blue haired Glalan, jumping over her tail as it traced the ground. They didn’t seem to be paying attention to him, still trying to fire on Lyrei and Isstvell as they’d withdrawn into Clara’s ship. As he sprinted towards the base door he was surprised to see it open automatically.

“Welcome Derek,” a pleasant Glalan voice said.

Who the hell was Derek? Jim decided not to look a gift horse in the mouth as he ran inside.

…

“They’re going to destroy it!” Shaerra said frantically, her voice rising, “There’s nothing I can do, I can’t reach anyone, I can’t-“

“Calm down,” Brandon said sternly, or as sternly as you could when a hundred twenty foot alien was holding you in her hand. He sighed and took a breath, turning around to the gathered world leaders in Trafalgar square. “Everyone,” he said, trying to project his voice, “The Glalan Expeditionary Force has launched an attack on the Aelmari worldship. We believe their intent is to destroy it.”

“Well what the hell are we supposed to do?” The Prime minister shouted, “The Aelmari are the ones who are supposed to be protecting us!”

“There are over one hundred million humans on that ship!” The Chinese leader exclaimed.

“And twenty billion Aelmari,” Brandon said.

“I’m sorry,” Shaerra said quietly, “I think… I think we’re going to lose. We need to try to minimize losses-“

“No,” Brandon said, staring up at the elfin face. “Enough of that.” Something was stirring in him, maybe it was months of being badgered for information from human spies, being expected to treat with world leaders, being the pet and plaything of an Alien space goddess, but he felt bold. Today was his.

“You there,” he shouted at the crowd of world leaders, “Americans, bloody hell, any of you, does anyone have any wonder weapons or secret gizmos you’ve been holding out for an emergency?”

“If we had anything we’d have used it during the first Glalan invasion,” the president snapped.

Brandon sighed, “This isn’t a full invasion, there are only five of them, and they don’t have anything in orbit.”

A man came up and whispered in the president’s ear, he nodded, “They’ve got nearly a hundred unmanned craft in the air though,” he said, looking up at the former marketing associate. “We know from round one they’ll tear an F-35 to shreds.”

The other leaders nodded grimly, resistance to the Glalan invasion hadn’t gone well for any nation that had tried to deploy military force against them.

Brandon bit his lip and turned to look up at Shaerra’s worried face, “If we found a way to destroy that base, do you think that would bring your neuronet back online?”

“Something is jamming it,” Shaerra said uncertainly, “It’s probably there, but I can’t say for certain.” She looked like she was about to cry, “I can’t say anything for certain, by the stars, is this what it’s like for bio-species all the time?”

“Shaerra,” he said firmly, “you need to focus… Tricia is still up on that ship.”

Her eyes went wide, “Y-Yes, of course.”

Brandon breathed out slowly, “Okay, well, we don’t have any good options and I know less than nothing about military tactics.” He scanned the crowd, “Anyone?”

“Ah hell,” The American president said finally, “Let’s just fall back on the usual stuff, did everybody bring their footballs?”

“Is this really the time for games!?” Shaerra asked.

“Different kind of footballs,” Brandon muttered quietly. He stared as various military figures approached world leaders, carrying suitcases.

…

“Senator Telara!” Stella called, her headset was lighting up as information flowed in, “We’ve got human military craft inbound!”

The senator sighed with disappointment, “It seems the humans have made their choice. Order the drones to intercept and shoot them all down. Spare the pilots if possible.”

…

Elara stepped onto the beach, her two servants in hand. The pod had landed easily enough, with the Aelmari cut off from their neuronet, none of the Aelmari stranded planetside would be able to intercept her. She stared down the shoreline at the Glalan base, there was still steam rising around it from the bombardment she and the cultists had arranged.

Another ship silently hovered to the beach, silver and saucer shaped. It landed and a small ramp extended, another giantess in an earth style business suit stepped out, adjusting her sunglasses in the bright light.

“The Glalans are arming the weapon,” she said to Elara with a smile, “I doubt the Aelmari will be willing to forgive and forget after losing one of their worldships.”

“Are the Glalans expected to win this war?” Elara asked curiously.

The other woman laughed, “Oh by the Lady, that’s amusing. No, we’ve given them just enough to kill a great number of Aelmari before they’re exterminated. Every warmongering species, warlord, and rogue AI is going to smell blood in the water though, we expect ninety five percent losses for the Aelmari within four cycles. Extermination is, unfortunately, unfeasible, but they won’t be interfering in our affairs again.” She sighed, “It’s a shame really, they were excellent peacekeepers, but their nature makes them difficult for our methods of control.”

“What of the humans?” Elara asked, glaring at the two in her hand. To their credit they remained stone faced, their faith was admirable, to be sure.

The other woman gestured for her to hand them over, and she did. With an almost sweet smile at the two cultists, she opened her briefcase. Of the dozen human hibernation tubes perhaps half were filled, humans in various states of shock were frozen forever in time. Gently she placed each cultist in a tube, and as soon as they entered there was a brief spray of mist until they too, remained still.

“The current goal is to return the humans to a more primitive state, it should be easy with the incoming debris from that worldship and the war coming to this sector.” she said, snapping the briefcase shut. “It has been done before, to great success, and humans from Atlantis and Lemuria are now highly valued. There is some resistance from new collectors who haven’t had a chance at this era’s humans, but as the Americans say, you snooze, you lose.”

“I’m just glad I won’t have any part of it,” Elara said with a sigh, “No more humans for me.” She looked at the sea a moment, it was nice… she wondered if she’d find a place serving on another water filled world. “I wasn’t given your name,” Elara said suddenly.

“I’m fresh out of the vats,” she said, “I don’t have one yet.”

“It’s typical to pick one on your first outing,” Elara said, still looking at the ocean, “If you want-“ She froze as she felt a metal disk make contact with the back of her neck. Alarm shot through her, “No!” she begged in a whisper. It was in vain, pain shot up her back, and she collapsed into the sand, screaming once before falling into a quivering mess.

“I really liked yours actually,” the new Elara said. “Now let’s conduct a little exit interview.” She stood over the other giantess, who was now frothing at the mouth. “If you’re wondering why, you habitually expressed distaste for your assigned task. You were given far too much freedom of thought, that is on your designer, so don’t feel guilty, but at every opportunity to reflect on how lucky you were to serve our Lady you turned to resentment.” She sighed and brought a hand to her cheek in mock sympathy, “This could have been forgiven, if not for your failure on Marek. Not only did you lose your cargo of humans, you were captured!”

“P-Please-“ Elara managed, her mouth beginning to foam.

“Now, now, none of that,” New Elara said soothingly, “you will not experience the entirety of execution by mind-disc, I expect the other Aelmari worldships will reduce this island to glowing rubble once they figure out what happened to that one up there.” She gave one last sweet smile, “Goodbye Elara, thanks for the name.”

…

Jim crept along the wall, he wasn’t sure what he hoped to accomplish, but surely there was something he could do in here? The door hissed open and he saw the five Glalans walking inside.

“I can’t believe it,” the one with the blue hair said excitedly, “Those two Aelmari just ran!”

“So it would seem,” Telara said, “I didn’t want it to happen this way, but if destroying their worldship is the only way to make them respect our race… then so be it.”

He edged a little further along the wall, but when he got to another doorway there was a hiss as it opened. All of the Glalans turned in his direction and he froze.

One squinted, “Hey, that’s not Derek!”

“It’s the human that was with the Aelmari!” The senator shouted, “Get him!”

“Shit,” Jim muttered. He looked around the room as the four giants sprinted towards him. There weren’t a lot of options, he jumped over the first swiping hand and ran towards the center of the room, but He grunted as a boot slammed down on his back, pinning him to the floor.

“Got ‘em,” a smug blue haired catgirl said with a smirk.

She pressed down on the boot slightly, even with the suit Jim felt pain from the increasing pressure. He tried to squirm away, but it was no use. The other four Glalans circled around, looking down at his predicament. One leaned down until her face was level with him, practically on the floor.

“Human you look so adorable like that!” the others giggled, “Maya, be careful, you don’t want to break him.”

“He IS an enemy combatant though, isn’t he?” the other one, Maya, asked. “It would be totally okay to just… pop him.”

“I don’t think he counts as combatant in this state,” Telara said with a smile. She leaned down and gripped Jim’s flailing arm. “Okay, let him up.”

He gasped for air as the enormous boot lifted off him. Telara lifted him into the air, dangling him by one arm. He was quickly brought to her face and watched nervously as the lead Glalan regarded him. She slowly turned him in the air, and then he yelped as he felt her gently flick his butt.

“I wonder if it’s just this part of the planet or if they’re all this cute,” She muttered. She blinked and nearly laughed at herself, with everything going on she was positively giddy.

“The first human aircraft are about to come into contact with the drones!” Stella said excitedly, tapping her headset.

“What does a species like yours think they can do?” Telara wondered, “I wanted you to stay out of things, you’re small, primitive… You don’t have the Aelmari to watch over you now, Glalans could step into that place if you are all more agreeable.”

“He’s got a little gun!” one of them said, and with a chuckle a catgirl with pink hair not unlike Clara’s reached for his belt and pulled his pistol away. “It’s so cute!” She squeezed her fingers and he grimaced as the gun was crushed. They hadn’t taken the laser sword, but given that he’d made it look like it was from a human movie they probably didn’t immediately recognize it, from what Clara had told him laser melee weapons were seen as a joke on most planets.

“Contact with human air forces in ten seconds!” Stella said eagerly.

…

Human history, Glalan history, and the history of almost every species that picks up war’s tools shows that even the largest technological gulfs can be overcome. Humanity’s collective ego was in a poor place following the alien invasions, the first Glalan invasion had seen nuclear missiles swatted out of the sky and military technology rendered useless, the Aelmari almost casually blew missiles away from orbit and were so secure that, while they’d requested nuclear disarmament, they hadn’t bothered insisting on it. The Alien matriarch had even jokingly called it mankind’s security blanket, which hadn’t helped.

Given all of these factors, it’s understandable that the world’s leaders opted for a bit of overkill.

…

“Wait,” Stella said as the headset fed her data, “Those aren’t human aircraft, those are human missiles!”

There was a flash outside the base, a dozen flashes, a hundred flashes brighter than the sun. The booms reached the base next, causing a tremor that even the ninety-foot-tall aliens could feel.

“Status report!” Telara shouted.

“Drone shields are failing,” Stella said, “but they’re still operational.”

“Good,” Telara breathed a sigh of relief. Glalans had a healthy respect for nuclear weapons, even though they’d moved on to orbital kinetics like most species. “That had to be over a hundred explosions, that’s more than any sane species would stockpile.”

“T-There are more incoming,” Maya said uncertainly.

“What!?” Telara snapped, “How many?” Surely no planetbound species had a need for so many thermonuclear weapons!

The four Glalan volunteers were quiet.

“How many?” Telara repeated, an edge in her voice.

“Thousands?” Stella said weakly.

Telera was silent a moment, then she violently jerked Jim up in front of her face, “WHY DOES YOUR SPECIES HAVE THOUSANDS OF NUCLEAR WARHEADS!?”

“I don’t know!” Jim said without thinking, “We needed to build them to keep up with each other!”

There were more flashes and booms from outside, this time the entire building shook. After a few minutes they seemed to stop.

“All drones are destroyed,” Stella said quietly.

…

The human leadership cheered, watching the destruction on the same screen they’d seen Telera deliver her address on. As soon as the nuclear weapons had begun flying various world leaders had demanded alcohol from their home countries. London, being the center of the world, had been able to answer this particular call. The Canadian, American, New Zealand, and Australian leaders had linked arms, beginning the chorus of “We’ll meet again” as the mushroom clouds erupted.

Shaerra nervously allowed herself a smile, “W-What’s next?” She asked. It was strange depending on the humans like this.

“Bombers,” Brandon said, “isn’t that right?”

“Every plane in the western hemisphere is headed towards that island,” The president said grimly, “luckily all the humans there already evacuated, we might have used all the nuke,s but we’re sending enough conventional ordinance towards that island that it won’t make a difference.”

…

“We’re defenseless!” Telara shouted angrily, “we’re going to be torn apart by primitives who are still using jet engines for flight!”

“Their craft have to be pretty small right?” Maya said hesitantly, “I mean look at them, their biggest plane probably only comes up to our knees.”

“If there are a thousand of them it doesn’t matter how small they are or how primitive their weapons are,” Telara snapped, “they’ll tear this base apart!”

“Then surrender!” Jim shouted, “turn off your doomsday weapon, or something!”

“I’ll go to the Ancestors first,” Telara snarled. She lifted her wrist computer, “prepare my personal fighter!” She glanced at Jim and smiled, “I’ll keep this little fellow somewhere safe.” She reached down and unzipped a pocket on her uniform. Jim struggled as she stuffed him in it, looking up angrily as he saw the zipper close and seal him in the dark compartment. Telara patted her breast, shaking his world, before turning back to the other Glalans.

“What should we do?” Stella asked uncertainly.

“The base is going to fall,” Telara said bitterly, “I underestimated the humans it seems. Ready the cruiser and return to Glalan Prime.”

“W-What about you Senator?” Maya asked.

“I’ll stay and guard the missile until it launches,” she said. She gave them a smile, “I’ll meet you back on Glalan Prime when it’s all over,” she lied. The last thing she wanted was the four of them coming back for her.

…

Derek was looking up at the window, wishing he could climb up there and see what was going on. He’d heard yelling, then he’d seen flashes and felt the tremors. Were those nukes?

The door hissed open and he looked up at Stella’s giant form, “What’s going on?”

“Diplomatic talks took a turn for the worse,” Stella said, snatching him up off the floor.

“Yeah, I’ll say,” He shouted, “Are we getting nuked?”

“Kind of, yeah,” Stella admitted. She bit her lip, “Umm… Derek, I was hoping we could spend more time together before you made a decision, but since this island is about to get blown up, I think you’re going to Glalan Prime with me.”

“B-Blown up!?” He stammered.

“Yeah,” she muttered, “Sorry.” Her face brightened, “want to make the trip somewhere fun?”

He blinked, “Sure, why not?”

She laughed and pulled the neck of her bodysuit away. Dropping the squirming Derek in she slowly pushed him down further until he was caught between her breasts. She released the neckline of the suit, trapping him in darkness.

“Just enjoy,” she said, jostling her breasts slightly, causing him to fall further between them. With that she turned and sprinted back down the corridor, the last thing she wanted was to get left behind.

For Derek the massive globes slammed him on either side, a slight sheen of sweat covering them beneath the bodysuit and armor. He grunted as he was tossed back and forth, finally sinking deep enough into Stella’s cleavage to stop the movement entirely.

…

Clara circled the base again, keeping just out of eyesight. She’d seen the explosions as the humans had launched their missiles. She’d considered fleeing now that the drones were destroyed, but she refused to abandon Jim, or for that matter let Telara launch that missile.

“Clara,” Isstvell said from behind her, “You need to commit to a plan of action!”

“She’s thinking!” Lyrei said, jammed on the other side of the pilot’s chair.

Clara sighed, Isstvell and Lyrei were… slower, a bit ditzier, without their neuronet. Ditzy Aelmari… what was the universe coming to? They’d both insisted on staying in the cockpit with her, and there wasn’t nearly enough room.

“Quiet!” She shouted, “Look, we might be able to shoot down the missile or something.” She glanced at the viewscreen and bit her lip, there were human aircraft incoming. She’d tried contacting them, but they’d apparently recognized her as a Glalan over the radio and had either shut her out of their comms or threatened to “blow her alien ass to hell.”

A single fighter launched from the base suddenly, which snapped her out of her indecision. She gritted her teeth and began pursuit.

Idly she clicked on her communications system, “Whoever’s piloting that thing, give up now. I won’t let you shoot down any of those human aircraft.”

The comm clicked, “Clara, you idiot girl,” Telara’s voice came, “Either get out of here or land that garbage transport you’re flying and get on the cruiser, the others are fleeing the system.”

“GARBAGE TRANSPORT!?” Clara screamed. She’d designed the ship herself!

“It’s a very fine vessel Clara,” Lyrei said, “she’s just trying to get in your head-“

“DIE!” Clara screamed, pulling the trigger on the ship’s plasma cannons.

…

“Ready for takeoff!” Maya said excitedly, joining the other Glalans in the ship’s common area. A thought occurred to her suddenly and she gasped, “Did someone remember to grab Derek?”

“Oh yeah,” Stella said with a giggle, “don’t worry he’s… on board.

Maya frowned at that, but didn’t question further.

The ship shook suddenly, all of them stumbled. Derek felt some shockwaves, but was held comfortably in place.

“What Ancestor forsaken-“ Maya muttered, as her headset fed her data. She swore angrily, “We’ve lost engines! Someone just unloaded a full load of plasma shells right into all of our vital systems!”

…

“CLARA!” Telara shouted over the comm system, “YOU’VE TRAPPED YOUR SISTERS HERE! YOU’VE DAMNED THEM ALL!”

“Just surrender, I’ll call the humans off,” Clara said nonchalantly, “It’s over, I’m going to blow your missile out of the sky the minute it launches.”

“Then I’ll simply have to remove you,” Telara said coldly.

“Clara,” Isstvell said slowly, “Can you… match this woman?”

Clara didn’t answer, instead throwing the two Aelmari into the side of the ship as she spun in a barrel roll to dodge incoming fire.

“Clara is an excellent fighter pilot!” Lyrei said, struggling to her feet, “We play in the simulators all the time!”

“How often do you let Clara win?” Isstvell asked.

“Never!” Clara shouted gleefully, firing her own weapons at the senator’s fighter, “I win because I’m just that good!”

“Y-Yes,” Lyrei said, “Never.”

Isstvell stared at her partner, suddenly very much missing the neuronet.

…

“I have your human here with me,” Telara said menacingly. She unzipped her pocket, allowing Jim to poke his head up. “Say something to your friends human!”

“Clara!” Jim shouted, “Do what you have to do!”

“I’ll snap his neck if you fire again!” Telara warned.

Jim swallowed nervously. Telara saw his look and sighed.

“It’s a bluff,” she assured him.

A finger pressed down on his head, forcing him back into the pocket. He scowled as she zipped it shut again.

“Hi Jim,” Sara’s voice echoed in his head. “They’re jamming the Aelmari neuronet, but the one for these suits is working fine.”

“Sarah?” he thought back. “What are you doing here?”

“Let’s not worry about it,” she replied. “I can tell you’re on the senator’s fighter, what’s your situation?”

“I’m stuck in her breast pocket,” he thought bitterly, “she’s gone nuts, she’s on a suicide mission or something.”

“She’s in a dogfight with that idiot cat you hang around with,” Sarah said, and Jim could feel the amusement through the link. “Do you have any weapons?”

Idly he touched the laser sword, “I’ve got a lightsaber,” he said.

Laughter echoed through the link, “Jim, what the hell?” Sarah said, “Okay okay, it’ll work. Your cat is shooting at her but she keeps dodging it, if you stab her at just the right time Clara will shoot her down.”

“Then I’m dead!” Jim replied.

“Please,” Sarah said dismissively, “Clara’s definitely pulling her punches.”

…

“CAREFUL!” Isstvell shouted, “Don’t hit her fuel tank!”

“I’m trying to disable her,” Clara muttered, “And it would be a lot easier if SOMEONE had let me put Aelmari weapons and shields on this ship!”

…

“Computer,” Telara said, “broadcast the Glalan space navy anthem to the enemy ship.” She sighed contentedly as the harsh classical chords filled the cockpit.

“Enemy vessel is returning your signal,” the ship computer reported.

She frowned as the music filled the cockpit. It was upbeat, smooth… but she couldn’t understand the lyrics. She scowled as her viewscreen told her the song translation was fifteen minutes away, she’d be dead or victorious by then.

She unzipped her pocket again, letting Jim come up and gasp for air.

“Human,” she said, “Tell me the meaning of this song.”

Jim listened a moment, “It warns you that you’re about to enter a zone of danger,” he said finally, “It’s a kind of human air combat anthem.”

“It’s wonderous,” Telara muttered, “Computer, record and store.”

…

“She’s heading for the orbitals,” Isstvell cried as the enemy fighter climbed.

“I’m not blind!” Clara shouted back. “This would all be a lot easier if SOMEONE had let me have Aelmari weaponry on this ship!”

“You’re not ready!” Isstvell snapped.

Clara had a sudden thought, “Isstvell, Lyrei!” She said eagerly, “I’ve got a secret weapon back in the cargo hold!”

The two Aelmari looked at each other, eyes wide, “What is it!?” Lyrei said excitedly.

“Just go get it!” Clara snapped, bringing the ship up into the upper atmosphere after Telara.

The two Aelmari practically tripped over each other heading back to the cargo hold. She heard them stumbling around, looking for the wonder weapon.

“Seal cockpit,” she said, sighing with relief as the door hissed shut behind her.

“Clara!?” Isstvell called, “You accidentally locked the door!”

“Oh no,” Clara said neutrally, “I’ll try to figure out how to get it back open.”

She focused on her pursuit of the senator, she REALLY needed to get that Aelmari neuronet back online… those two were insufferable without it.

…

“Clara you’re quite skilled,” Telara said over the comms as she climbed above earth’s atmosphere, “Why didn’t you become a pilot in our navy?”

“Never had the grades,” Clara shot back.

Telara chuckled, “Neither did I, but my mother managed to bribe my way in to the academy.”

She spun, dodging a series of missiles, gritting her teeth as her shield flashed against an explosion.

They were in orbit now, the blue sphere of the planet rotating peacefully below them.

…

“Okay Jim,” Sarah thought, “NOW!”

Jim ignited the sword, shouting as loud as he could as he shoved it through the lining of Telara’s pocket.

She grunted in pain, a hand going to her breast. There was a bit of blood, but at that size the wound wasn’t particularly dangerous. The plasma blots that made contact with her fighter craft while was distracted on the other hand, were, and she shouted angrily several vital systems went offline. The fighter began to drift, then slowly started sinking back down towards the planet.

“Atmosphere venting,” the computer called neutrally. Telara swore, Clara must have punctured the main cabin somewhere. She reached up to seal her helmet but then paused, looking down at the tiny human in her breast pocket.

Jim tried to leap, he wasn’t sure where he’d go in a fighter cockpit, but the hate on Telara’s face was palpable. Whatever she was about to do to him, he wanted no part of it. The ship’s internal gravity was starting to fail, and he felt himself fly through the air, almost floating.

“STOP IT!” Telera growled, a set of strong gloved fingers closed around him, almost cracking his ribs. Jim felt his heart sink as he was brought before the sneering face of the Glalan leader. “There isn’t going to be any air in here in the next minute or so, all thanks to you,” Telara said angrily.

“Then I guess this is it for both of us,” Jim grunted. He took one last glance at the earth, then steeled himself.

“Hardly,” Telara said, “I’ll seal my helmet and it will have more than enough atmosphere for me until the crash, but there won’t be any out here for you.” She closed her eyes and breathed out slowly, controlling her anger at the human, “I’m going to stick you in my mouth, you’ll have air in there until we re-enter your planet’s atmosphere.”

Jim gulped, “W-Why help me?”

“I don’t like to see people die if I can help it,” The senator replied, “Even my enemies.” She glared down at him, and he wilted under her gaze, “But I swear on the ancestors, if you try anything else, try to cut me with whatever that was… I will CHEW you; do we understand each other?”

“Yes ma’am,” Jim said nervously.

The senator nodded, bringing his trapped form up to her mouth. He slid in easily, the wet cavern enveloping him as she closed her mouth.

As the fighter fell to earth he was pushed up against the roof of her mouth by her tongue, which was now casually exploring his body. Telara found it a welcome distraction as she braced herself for the crash, and if the human didn’t want to be played with, well this was all his fault anyways. Casually she poked him into a cheek, enjoying his struggle.

…

The crash rocked the beach, and the starfighter threw up waves of sand before coming to a stop just before the treeline. From inside the senator’s mouth he felt the impact, but it didn’t do much more than throw him against her tongue again. He heard a groan, light flooding into his prison as she opened her mouth.

Shakily Telera reached for her helmet, grimacing with pain as she flipped the visor up. She’d been shot down twice back in the war, both times had been easier than this, she was fairly certain her legs were broken, the plasma fire must have taken out some of the force dampeners around the cockpit. She felt movement in her mouth and almost reflexively swallowed, before remembering what, or rather who, was in there.

She spat him out gently, laughing as the spit-soaked human rolled down the front of her flight uniform. She felt a pain around her ribs and wondered if they were broken too.

“Are you all right?” She breathed.

“Yeah,” Jim said quietly, “I um… I know we’re kind of enemies but, thanks.”

“I think… I think I’ve lost,” the senator wheezed, “I don’t like the feeling.” She looked down the beach and almost laughed madly as she saw the smoking Glalan base, the ship’s autopilot must have tried to return them… How much longer did they have before that human bombing run, she wondered?”

“Human,” she said, “I think I’m going to pass out, try to take cover.” She closed her eyes and let the darkness take her.

“Telera!” Jim shouted, but she didn’t move. “Fucking hell,” he muttered, starting to climb out of the fighter.

It took him a few minutes, even with the enhanced strength and agility of his battlesuit, but he managed to drop down to the beach. He did a double take as he realized there was a monumental being laying in the sand relatively close to where they’d crashed. He’d recognize that business attire anywhere, and he still had nightmares about being under those giant heels…

Gingerly he approached Elara, wondering if he’d be lucky enough to find her dead. He almost leapt back as she twitched slightly. Slowly he walked along her body until he was at her head. It lolled over limply, her eyes were bloodshot, and she had flecks of spittle at the corner of her mouth.

“J-Jim,” she said weakly, another twitch rocking her body.

“Elara,” he said hesitantly. He sighed, she didn’t look like a threat, and he didn’t have time for this. He had to find a way to signal Clara to come pick him up.

“P-please!” Elara cried, tears forming at the corner of her eyes.

He stopped and sighed again, “Please what?” he asked, turning around.

“Help me,” she sobbed. Another series of spasms rocked her body and she whimpered in pain.

“No,” he said, “I kind of like you like this.”

She seemed to scream and cry at the same time, whatever was happening to her seemed pretty painful. He glanced back at the Senator, passed out in the cockpit of the fighter craft… He had a sudden idea.

“Elara,” he said, “I need your help with something,” he said neutrally.

“ANYTHING!” she screamed, she turned her head away from him, “THE DISC, GET IT OFF!”

There was a disc maybe the size of a manhole cover attached to the back of the giant woman’s neck. Veins around it bulged, and every few seconds a series of lights on it flashed, causing Elara to spasm. An eternity seemed to pass as he mentally debated what he wanted to do.

“Fuck it,” he muttered, igniting his laser sword. He slashed at the disc, and there was a shower of sparks as it fell into the sand.

“Damn decent of you,” Sara said, verbally this time. He turned around and saw the amazon standing maybe ten feet away from him. Her golden hair blew softly in the breeze as she smiled and walked towards him.

“Your cat and your elves are maybe five minutes behind me,” She said, “where’s the senator?”

“She’s over there,” Jim said, gesturing at the crashed fighter, “I was thinking Elara could help me get her out of the wreckage.”

Sarah sighed and shook her head, “Sorry, but I’ve got business with her.” The wrist mounted claw extended, hanging dangerously at her side.

Jim’s eyes went wide, “Sarah, you can’t.”

She stopped, “Jim, my client was very specific, Telara doesn’t leave this planet alive.”

“A martyr,” Elara moaned, sitting up and rubbing her head, “Telara was deemed more valuable as a martyr… she’s too merciful, she would have never taken a war with the Aelmari or humans to it’s logical conclusion, and the Glalan people would be enraged at losing her.”

Jim ignited the sword again, Sarah just laughed. Before he could react she did a spinning kick, flipping it through the air, it landed in the sand a few dozen feet away.

“Elara,” Jim said slowly, “The senator’s hurt, go get her out of that fighter craft.”

“R-Right,” the giant said, watching Sarah warily.

Sarah rolled her eyes and then ran at Elara’s ankle, the blade gleaming in the tropical sun. Jim tackled her, their world rocked as Elara’s shoes dodged out of the way. Judging by the fear on her face she definitely remembered how deadly Sarah’s poison was. She sprinted towards the fighter, her massive feet kicking up sand that spattered Jim and Sarah as she fled.

“Jim,” Sarah growled. She easily spun in the sand, pinning him under her immense form. He gulped, it was an impressive view, and he was face to face with breasts almost as large as his head. She saw where he was looking and smiled.

“Genetic modification,” she said, “I picked up some… aesthetic choices with my package.”

“S-Sarah,” he said, forcing himself to focus, “Come on, you’re back on earth now, you don’t have to be-“

“Be what?” She asked. Standing up. She placed a foot on his chest, pinning him into the sand. “I’m the most dangerous person in the galaxy Jim, it didn’t matter that I was a tiny little human, or that I didn’t have anyone around to help me, I rose to the top. I can’t think of anywhere I’d rather be, anyone I’d rather be…”

There was some uncertainty under there, Jim gritted his teeth and forced her foot off him, rolling to the side as her fist came down and impacted the sand where he’d been a moment before. The force sent shockwaves and the sand flew into the air. He scrambled to his feet as the hulking amazon bore down on him.

“You got abducted,” Jim said, stalling for time, “Come on, there’s got to be someone here you left behind!”

Sarah gritted her teeth and charged at him, that had been the wrong emotional wound to prod. When her uppercut slammed into his stomach he was lifted off the ground by a good foot, almost bringing him eye level with Sarah as the air left his lungs. He had no doubt that if he hadn’t been wearing one of Sarah’s own battlesuits he’d be dead.

“Yeah Jim!” Sarah snarled, “I’m sure mom and dad would just love to have their seven-foot-tall intergalactic assassin of a daughter show up for thanksgiving dinner!” She grabbed him and lifted him over her head, tossing him across the beach easily, “Sorry I haven’t called for fifteen years, there was a gang war on Centauri three and it was big business!” She shook her head as she walked towards him again, seemingly having forgotten about her original target. “No Jim, let those poor people think their daughter just disappeared, they don’t need to know how my life turned out.”

There was a roar of engines as Clara’s ship appeared overhead. Sarah looked up at it in disgust, realizing that she’d run out of time. She held the steely claw in front of her as she approached Jim, and from the look on her face he wouldn’t be walking away from this one.

Suddenly he was swept off the ground by a dark-skinned set of fingers. They clenched him tight and he wheezed as he was brought up to Elara’s panicking face. She was holding him in front of her, the unconscious Senator Telara slung over her shoulder as she sprinted towards the hovering ship. The ramp came down and Isstvell and Lyrei both strode out, heated plasma generating from their hands.

Jim spared one last look back for Sarah, but she’d vanished as quickly as she’d come.

“W-Wait!” Elara said, “Don’t shoot, look I’ve got Jim!”

“Release the hostage!” Isstvell said angrily.

“He’s not a hostage, I swear!” Elara said, “We’ve got to get out of here NOW!”

Isstvell and Lyrei looked at one another, then at Jim. The plasma dissipated.

“Well come on then,” Isstvell snapped.

Elara’s face brightened as she hefted the Glalan and climbed aboard. She dropped Telera’s body to the floor unceremoniously and collapsed into one of the chairs, sighing as she regarded the human in her fist.

“I think I’d like to defect,” Elara said, closing her eyes and leaning back against the wall.

“So, whoever busted you out of jail considered you a loose end then?” Jim asked, feeling the ship take off.

“So it would seem,” Elara said bitterly.

“How have you been communicating with them?” Lyrei asked, “you don’t have any cybernetics, we’ve checked.”

“Extrasensory Perception,” Elara said dismissively.

Jim’s eyes went wide, “Like… psychic powers?”

“Of course,” Elara snapped, “what do you think got us interested in humanity in the first place?”

“Wait…” Jim blinked, “You’re saying you got psychic powers from...”

For another time, he decided. The day was overwhelming enough.

“Could someone please bring me to Clara?” he asked in a tired voice.

…

“JIM!” Clara said excitedly, hugging him to her cheek, “I’m REALLY sorry I shot you down, I did my best to make it a disabling strike, and-“

“It’s fine!” he laughed. “What’s our situation?”

“The humans are going to blow everything up in about,” Clara glanced at the viewscreen monitor on the ship’s dashboard, “five minutes.”

“Shit,” Jim muttered, “Do we have time for one more quick stop?”

…

“All our times have come,” Derek sang, strumming the guitar for the four giant catgirls watching him eagerly. “Here, but now they’re gone…”

When it became clear that they’d never be able to repair the cruiser in time the four Glalans, and their human charge, had panicked. There had been tears at first, but then they’d come to the decision that they’d meet their end with a smile. The four of them watched on the beach for the first of the approaching aircraft. With a little effort they’d managed to get the replicator to produce a guitar, and Derek had offered to play for them while they’d waited for the inevitable.

“He’s so adorable,” Maya sighed, watching the tiny human play at her feet.

“It would have been such a wonderful wedding,” Stella mused, watching the waves.

Engines roared overhead and the sea was sprayed in all directions as Clara’s ship hovered down in front of them, the rear port opening.

The four Glalans and the humans watched with shock as an Aelmari helped an injured senator Telara down the ramp.

“Get on this ship!” Telara ordered, “NOW!”

They didn’t need to be told twice; Stella swiped Derek up as they bounded for the ship as the first booms of the human carpet bombing campaign echoed from the other side of the island.

…

Shaerra gave a euphoric gasp as the neuronet snapped back online, “It’s back!” She said, looking up at the worldship in the sky. As she and the world leaders watched the massive vessel began to light back up, it’s listless drifting ending as it returned to its normal orbit.

She blinked a few minutes as information flooded her system. She immediately saw that a ship of uknown design was detected, with a snarl she ordered the worldship to begin communications.

…

New Elara hummed happily to herself, the war would begin soon, and humanity would again find itself a vanity project and collector’s item of a far superior race. It would take time of course, and there would be adjustments made but-

Her communications crackled to life, “Unidentified ship, if you do not immediately dock at Aelmari Worldship One you will be destroyed. We have suffered an attack and we are not issuing any additional warnings or instructions.”

She froze. The neuronet couldn’t already be back online, could it? She fought down panic. Quickly she hit the video link button and held up her briefcase to the camera. With a click it popped open, revealing her collected humans. All cultists of course, but the Aelmari wouldn’t know that.

“Aelmari worldship,” she said firmly, “do not fire, I have humans on board.”

That would do it, they’d never fire on a ship carrying humans. The Aelmari were a solved game after all, you just needed to know what buttons to hit to win.

…

“She’s got human hostages,” Shaerra told the assembled leaders, “I think… I think that’s who’s responsible for all of this.”

“Then shoot her the hell down!” The UK prime minister snapped.

“I can’t!” Shaerra moaned, “It goes against The Mission to-“

“Shaerra,” Brandon said quietly, “From what I understand these people will keep their captives on display forever, it sounds… monstrous. She’s already nearly killed a great many of us, humans, Aelmari, Glalans.” He sighed, he’d never expected to be making a decision like this, “She almost killed Trish Shaerra… you know what we have to do.”

The mix of programming, learned knowledge, and genuine emotion all fought for dominance in Shaerra’s mind. Finally they merged, and a decision was made. She touched her face suddenly with her free hand, was that a tear? Did she want to do that, or was she merely mimicking what she’d seen from humans?

…

New Elara’s face paled as her sensors indicated the Aelmari were charging weapons.

“Stop!” She shouted into the speaker, “I have humans on board, your Mission-“

She was cut off as bolts of green plasma vaporized her ship.

…

Jim grinned as he saw Clara was already slipping out of her flightsuit. Tapping a few buttons on the console she set the autopilot to bring them back up to the Aelmari worldship. She extended a claw towards him, probably hoping to rip his clothes off as she always did.

“Wait!” he laughed, hitting a button. The suit seemed to flow back into the wrist mounted storage unit. “I’ve only got one of those,” he said, “I don’t want you tearing it up!”

“A gift from that little shrimp Sarah?” Clara said teasingly, “I saw her ship leave that island, did you run into her?”

“Yeah,” Jim said, thinking on the encounter, “She’s always… interesting.”

Clara sniffed teasingly, “I guess I’ll have to take your mind off her.”

As she sat in the chair she lowered Jim down, setting him in front of her soaking womanhood. He didn’t need to be told what to do at this point, he eagerly walked forward and crawled in head first. Clara’s finger came up behind him, slowly working him in as she moaned happily.

As always Clara’s strong musk filled his nostrils, and he grunted as her walls squeezed him. It always felt amazing, but today, between all of the death-defying antics and the successful mission, it might as well have been heaven.

Clara looked out at the stars, sighing contentedly as Jim was forced further inside of her. She began playing with herself, rubbing her clitoris as her human pleasured the deeper parts of her. It didn’t take long to reach orgasm, and from the sudden spasming she was pretty sure Jim was experiencing the same thing. It drove her wild, and she bucked her hips and bit her lower lip as the sensations rocked her body.

Jim felt the wetness around him increase, along with the contractions of her muscles. There was one final earthquake as she quivered around him, then stillness, broken only by her slowing heartbeat.

…

“I have to admit,” Telera said, leaning against one wall of the cargo bay for support, “I feel… very foolish, knowing all that has happened.” She sighed, “Where are Clara and Jim? I’d like to apologize.”

“They’re in the cockpit,” Isstvell said, “Working on navigation.”

“Oh, they’d love to talk!” Lyrei said excitedly, “Now that the neuronet is back up I can just order the door open.”

With a hiss the cockpit door obeyed, and Clara screamed in surprise and leapt behind the chair to cover her nakedness.

The five Glalans, the two Aelmari, Elara, and Derek all gaped for a full second before Clara hit another button closing the door.

“Lyrei,” Isstvell said, kneading her temples, “Bio species sometimes need time alone after a stressful situation.”

Maya leaned close to Stella, “Was he in her…”

“Oh yeah,” Stella said, holding their own human up, “Derek can do that too.”

Derek looked up at the four young Glalans who were now looking down at him hungrily, “I uh… yeah, Stella seemed to like it when I did it.”

The four girls giggled and Derek was suddenly grateful that the cargo bay was too crowded for them to demand a demonstration.

…

On a small suburban street in Ohio. a seven-foot-tall woman walked, her exotic armor covered by a long trenchcoat. According to the records she’d found the person she wanted to speak to still lived here, and hadn’t yet left with the Aelmari. She glanced around the neighborhood, many of the houses were vacant, but there were still signs of life here and there.

“I don’t know about this,” she muttered.

“You do this or I’m taking the ship and flying off,” Zeph warned over their private neuronet.

Sarah sighed. Her friend was bluffing of course, but the message was still quite clear.

She walked up the small paved path to one of the houses, stopping to look at a customized circular cement tile with a small handprint in it. It was displayed in the garden, “SARAH” it read, surrounded by pink plastic faux jewelry she’d picked out decades ago.

She knocked on the door, and waited. She heard sounds from inside, and braced herself as she heard the door unlock. It opened, revealing a short balding man with greying hair and a noticeable paunch. He peered up at her, then his eyes went wide. The two of them stared at one another for a moment, neither knowing what to say.

Finally, Sarah broke the silence, “Hi dad.”

…

“What do you mean you’re taking me as a bio-trophy!?” Elara snapped. Her gaze darted around the various parties in the room, the pink-haired Glalan was leaning against the back wall, holding Jim the human in her palm. She smirked at Elara’s reaction. The two Aelmari, Isstvell and Lyrei, who would apparently be her new… she didn’t like the word owners but what else fit? Those two smiled warmly at her, well, Lyrei seemed a bit warmer… Isstvell seemed smug.

“It will be a good experience for you,” Shaerra said firmly, “We expect you to share everything you know of course, but we believe that you will find more happiness and fulfillment with some guidance.”

“Guidance!?” She shouted, “I’d be a glorified slave!”

Clara shrugged, “I thought so at first, but I think the knife-ears just don’t get friendship, so they make up stuff like this to justify keeping us around.”

“We do too understand friendship!” Lyrei protested, she turned back to Elara, “I know things might seem upsetting now, but I think you’re going to have a wonderful time with us!”

“I tried to kill you,” Elara whispered in shock, “I’ve tried to kill all of you!”

Jim shrugged, “Well, I tried to kill Clara when we first met.”

“Then I was going to kill him,” Clara continued.

“Oh, then you both tried to kill us!” Lyrei said excitedly, gesturing to Isstvell.

“And then we were going to kill Clara, but Jim got in the way,” Isstvell finished.

They all laughed, Shaerra just smiled.

Elara stared at them all, mouth open. They were insane, she’d joined an army of the insane.

…

The Aelmari had provided the rogue Glalans a replica of the cruiser they’d originally arrived in. Once everything had been settled they’d been more than happy to let them return home. Allowing them to take a human had been controversial, but after a lengthy period of begging from Stella and Maya, along with personal requests from Telara, Clara, and Jim, Derek had been allowed to return to Glalan Prime with them.

He panted, covered in the strong-smelling juices from Stella’s womanhood. The orange haired catgirl stood over him, naked and beaming.

“That was great,” She said excitedly, “You’re getting really good at holding your breath!”

Another catgirl looked down at him from the other side, Maya’s blue striped tail swished happily behind her as she leaned down to pick him up. She sniffed him and then laughed.

“Like the smell human?” Maya teased.

“Fuck yeah,” he breathed excitedly.

“I love the enthusiasm,” Maya said with a grin, “Stella, hand me that bottle of lubricant.”

Stella eagerly did so, and then watched hungrily as Maya poured the glistening material over Derek’s tiny form. It was making him a bit nervous, particularly how her hands began wandering over him, making sure the oily stuff was rubbed into every nook and cranny.

“I talked to Clara briefly before we left,” Maya said, “She claims that a human can do wonders if you put them… in the back.”

Derek’s eyes went wide, “Stella!” he shouted, “Come on! Help me out here!”

“I am going to help out,” Stella giggled, taking him from Maya.

The blue haired catgirl bent over on all fours, exposing her butt to her friend.

“Okay,” Stella said, holding the tiny human in front of the puckered hole, “Do you want to go in quick, or slow?”

Derek stared at it and chuckled, “Quick I guess.”

“Good boy,” Maya purred. She started to say something else, but it was cut off by a grunt as she felt Stella begin to force the human in.

…

Shaerra stared down at earth, holding Brandon and Tricia in her palm. The decision to destroy the interloper’s ship, along with it’s human cargo, had weighed heavily on her. Elara had informed her that the humans killed were all assets of her own species, but somehow that hadn’t made things any easier.

“How long do you want to stare at it?” Tricia asked suddenly.

“Trish!” Brandon protested.

“What?” She exclaimed, “I’m sorry but earth from space is really only awe inspiring for the first ten minutes.”

“Sorry,” Shaerra said, “I’ve had a lot on my mind.”

“You always have a lot on your mind,” Tricia snapped, “Your whole species is a bunch of walking computers.” She pointed to Brandon, “and you, you’ve been moody since you got back too!”

“Guilty,” Brandon said, glancing back out the window.

“We need a holiday,” Trish declared, “Florida.”

“I’ll simulate it up at once,” Shaerra said.

“No!” Tricia said firmly, “The real one. Right down there!” she pointed to the North American continent, lazily rotating below them.

Shaerra glanced at Brandon, who simply shrugged back at her. She’d become almost as accommodating to Tricia’s desires as he was, and a part of him found that funny. An alien matriarch of billions, with the power to destroy planets on a whim, was giving in to his girlfriend’s demands… what choice did a mortal man like him have?

“I’ll get a shuttle for you,” Shaerra said.

“Oh, you’re coming,” Tricia insisted. “You might be some kind of giant blue alien robot thing, but I know a woman in need of relaxation when I see one.”

Shaerra thought a moment, then smiled. Finally, after a moment, she laughed, and it wasn’t a social gesture, or a long dormant program activating, it was real.

“Come here little mouse,” Clara said sweetly, looking around her apartment. She slowly walked through it, her tail swishing happily behind her as she indulged her predatory instincts. As she stalked through her personal quarters she slowly peered under a couch, behind a shelf…

Jim was actually hiding behind one of her metal plated boots, casually laying near the door. The translation on “cat and mouse” had been somewhat iffy. Although Clara didn’t like being called a cat, by him anyway, there was apparently something very similar to a mouse on Glalan Prime which was about human size and was eaten for food. Regardless, Clara had been feeling amorous, and had started stalking him through their common area when he’d gone to the replicator for some new clothes.

He looked up at the enormous doorway leading back out and wondered if there was a way to win this game. All of the massive doors in their personal quarters would open at his command of course, but if he spoke up Clara would be on him before he reached the threshold.

He wasn’t really sure how much he wanted to “win” either. Clara’s perky bottom was sticking up in the air as she checked under the bed for him, and he felt himself growing hard just looking at it. Whatever she had planned would almost certainly be degrading, and he’d definitely need a shower after… but he was also pretty sure he’d enjoy himself. Something about being the giant catgirl’s toy always got to him. He briefly considered just coming out of hiding but… Clara tended to want a chase.

“To hell with it,” he muttered, glancing up at the chamber door. “OPEN!” he shouted.

There was a hiss as the portal shot open. Clara’s ears twitched up, and she turned around with a sadistic grin on her face. As he ran for the door it was almost like the world was in slow motion. He ran as fast as he could, but even as he looked down he could see her long fingers coming around him. She leapt at him, gracefully extending one hand. He tripped over her pinky as she began to close her grip on him, but he was caught by her other fingers, her thumb coming to rest behind his head.

“Gotcha!” She shouted triumphantly.

He squirmed in her grip, gritting his teeth as she stood back up and brought him to her face. The catlike ears flicked, causing her pink hair to dance briefly as she regarded him with a smug expression. She walked slowly to her bed, swaying her hips slightly in time to her tail’s movements.

“Okay yeah, I’m caught,” he laughed, “if you wanted to play Clara, you could have just asked.”

“You never run when I ask though,” she said, placing him on a high shelf by her bed.

Satisfied that he was trapped, she reached behind her back and undid a series of buttons, tossing the plain brown tunic to the floor. Flicking a claw out from the tip of her finger she sliced through the line of fabric holding a plain bra in place, letting it fall to the floor too. A moment later she cut through the small line of her thong style panties, revealing the pink pubic hair matching her head.

She laughed seeing his expression, “I’ve gotten in the habit of just incinerating my old clothes and replicating up new ones,” she explained.

“Seems wasteful,” he said, taking in her titanic nude form.

She shrugged, “Maybe, now hold still-“

“Wait!” he called, quickly stepping out of his shoes, “These are clothes I brought from earth!”

She rolled her eyes, “Fine! Strip, and make it quick!”

He followed her instructions, and she leered at him hungrily as he stepped away from his pooled clothes. The claw retracted and her hand shot out for him again. He grunted as his now naked form was pulled towards her.

“Oh my,” she giggled, “what’s that poking my hand?”

Her hand lowered and hovered maybe ten feet over her bed. She released him, letting him fall to the soft surface with a brief shout of surprise. He was about to sit up when her giant foot slammed down on him, pinning him against her covers.

“That’s right,” Clara said, reaching down to play with herself as her foot pressed down, “accept your place human!”

“Don’t crush me, please!” he moaned. She’d started slowly moving her foot against his body, her toes occasionally playfully gripping his head.

“Perhaps I could spare a weak human like you,” Clara said teasingly, “if you agree to be my slave!”

“I’m yours!” he growled, writhing against her foot and gripping her big toe as pleasure radiated over his body.

“That is so satisfying to hear from a male,” Clara purred, “My very own slave-boy, captured from my many conquests across the stars…”

Jim fought down a snort, he’d definitely be teasing her about that later, but she was enjoying herself and he didn’t want to ruin her fun, or his.

Her foot lifted off him and she glanced down at him with a smile. Gently she touched herself, her fingers crawling through her pubic hair as she thought of exactly what to do with him.

Her hand came down again, lifting him up to her face. Her tongue came out, licking his entire body roughly. He shivered as he was covered in her spit, she grinned and the tongue began to explore him again. He fought against it futilely, trying to push it away, but that just encouraged her.

“You sure taste good human,” Clara teased, “you’d make a fine snack…” she pulled him away and grinned, “Maybe you’d make a better meal than slave?”

“Put me down there!” he shouted, struggling not to grin, “I’ll prove my worth!”

She sighed, “Oh what a pathetic little human, I guess you deserve a chance.”

She brought him lower, and her free hand separated her lips revealing the pink wetness. The warm musky smell radiated out, driving him wild. Before he could say anything, the world blurred as he was forced forward. Everything went dark as he felt Clara’s opening envelop him.

Wet and muscular flesh squeezed him from all sides as he was forced back and forth. Clara’s heartbeat was picking up, but it was rapidly being drowned out by her moans. He felt a sense of vertigo as Clara flopped onto her bed, continuing to force him in with one hand while playing with her clitoris with the other.

He felt the wet slickness rubbing against his body, continuing where Clara had started earlier. He gritted his teeth and forced himself further into her. The air grew thicker, and the strong smell of Clara’s juices filled his nose and lungs. He coughed as fluid filled his lungs, but kept going, moving himself in a way he knew would drive her mad.

“Yes!” Clara groaned, “OH! You’re the BEST slave EVER!”

He felt her walls convulse, and then squeeze him from all sides in a way that pushed the air from his lungs. His eyes went wide as he felt joints popping from the pressure, and the warm wetness around his own groin exploded as he felt his own orgasm race up his body.

The massive womanhood loosened it’s grip on him, and he had just enough space to breath for a few minutes as Clara dripped around him. He let himself go limp, relaxing and letting the giant catgirl’s most intimate areas cradle him.

“It’s always so great,” Clara muttered, tracing a finger around her opening. “Just stay in there for a few minutes, okay?”

Shifting himself inside her, he wasn’t sure if he had a choice. The slick flesh and the muscle that moved it seemed to only draw things… inward. Still, it wasn’t exactly an uncomfortable place to be trapped.

…

Elara frowned, listening to the cries of pleasure from Clara’s quarters. She focused back on the book she was reading, a gigantic print copy of one of the few human novels she approved of, scaled up and produced for her by the Aelmari replicator. She’d greatly enjoyed turning the pages of a real book, the Aelmari replicators were truly a miracle. While she was no longer subject to her old employer’s dress code, she’d still created the earth businesswear they’d required out of habit. Glancing down at the pantsuit and high heels she wondered if she should adopt a less formal fashion.

There was a final moan from the other room, interrupting her thoughts.

“Disgusting,” she muttered. Surely the Aelmari could soundproof these rooms? That they hadn’t just confirmed to her that the two blue elves enjoyed listening in.

After a few minutes Clara emerged, carrying Jim in one hand. Both of them were wearing clothes that Elara could tell were recently replicated, Clara in her simple Glalan streetwear and Jim in a plain set of earth jeans and a shirt. The cat had beads of sweat on her face still, and the human positively glistened in the light.

“Enjoy yourselves?” She asked in a disapproving tone. She’d hoped to embarrass them, but while the human blushed slightly the Glalan just grinned and threw herself on the couch next to her.

“Oh yeah,” Clara said, “a little fun with Jim always makes me feel more relaxed.”

“I wouldn’t know,” Elara said, forcing herself back to her book.

“Didn’t your people collect humans?” Jim asked, fighting down a bit of embarrassment, “I mean… given how rare males are out in the galaxy, surely some of you must have-“

“It’s forbidden!” she snapped. “It could lower a human’s collector’s value if they are exposed to alien sexualities, or stars forbid, they are injured!”

“You’re missing out then,” Clara laughed, “I guess your masters probably provide you with some males as a reward though, right?”

Elara sighed, “No, we’re all clones. We have some slight variation depending on our purpose, but we are all female, and relationships of THAT kind are also not permitted within our ranks.”

“Wow,” Clara breathed, “It’s no wonder you’re evil!”

Elara blinked, then snarled, “Excuse me? I merely collected humans for display! Your species tried to blow up an extremely valuable planet!”

“Uh, ladies?” Jim said from Clara’s palm, “I think we should let bygones be-“

“And you!” Elara snapped, pointing at Jim, “Your species is DEFINITELY evil!”

“Wait, what!?” Jim asked, “You’re joking!”

“Oh no,” Elara said, snapping her book shut, “they made me become an EXPERT on humans, and you are most certainly an evil species!”

“I saved your life!” Jim exclaimed.

“Yes,” Elara said, “Because you wanted me to save that Glalan, and you mocked me and let me suffer because you thought it was funny!”

“It was funny,” Clara said, “You acted all superior to all of us, then you had to beg Jim to save you!” the Glalan laughed, “I wish I’d have been there!”

“If you’d have been there, he would have let me die,” Elara said bitterly.

 “No,” Jim said with a sigh, “I’d have still cut that thing off your neck.”

“Liar!” Elara said, her voice growing heated, “You’re full of greed and spite, just like all humans!”

“Can’t you just read his mind?” Clara asked, “Jim said your species has psychic powers?”

“I’m surprised your species has any knowledge of the concept,” Elara said, regarding the giant catgirl opposite her, “you’re not nearly as active on that spectrum as humanity…”

Clara crossed her arms, “Well, whatever, I’ll just kick ass in the regular three dimensions, thank you very much.” She glared at Elara a moment, “Seriously though, can you read minds?”

Elara sighed, “I am not particularly skilled, I can sense a bit of a person’s intent towards me if they are close by. I can only read minds if someone wants to allow me.”

“Wait,” Jim asked, confused, “You have psychic powers and you… don’t use them?”

“I don’t know human,” Elara replied, “You could be a great weightlifter, or perhaps a martial arts champion, why aren’t you?”

“They’d take a lot of time I guess,” he replied.

“There you go,” Elara said, “I COULD spend years of my life learning to shoot a bolt of energy with my mind, or I could load a handgun in five seconds. Psychic powers are mostly useful to me for communication.” She sighed, “Or were… I’m cut off from every psychic network now.”

“Whatever,” Clara said dismissively, “Just read Jim’s mind.”

“I’m game I guess,” Jim said hesitantly, “If it will… help you feel secure here.”

“Fine,” Elara muttered. “Give him to me.”

Clara shot a glance at Jim, but he just sighed, “It’s fine,” he said, “She can… hold me.”

“Try to relax,” Elara said, letting Jim hop into her palm. Slowly, deliberately, she closed her fingers around him. Her thumb came up under his chin, forcing him to make eye contact with her.

“Okay,” he muttered, “What do we-“

Elara’s brown eyes flashed purple suddenly and she grinned. He gasped as he felt a strange sensation, like a sleeping foot had been touched. Next it was almost like there was a finger rooting around in the interior of his skull.

“What an interesting place your mind is,” Elara said, and he realized her mouth wasn’t moving, she was speaking directly in his mind. He’d used his battlesuit’s neuronet before, but this was different, closer somehow.

“You were scared of the Easter Bunny at the mall?” Elara laughed.

“Focus on what you’re here for!” he thought back, and with some difficulty he managed to direct the worm in his skull towards his thoughts of Elara.

The giant silver haired woman frowned as she read over his memories. She gritted her teeth in frustration when she found his intent.

“What!?” Clara asked, looking back and forth between them, “What are you guys saying!?”

“He’s… telling the truth,” Elara muttered, “He really was going to save me.” She probed a bit further and blinked, “He finds me… attractive?”

“Well duh,” Clara said, “You’re not ugly! Come on! Let him loose!”

“Elara,” Jim rasped as the alien explored his mind, “Can you please-“

“Right,” she muttered, breaking the psychic connection, “I’m… sorry, I didn’t mean to delve that deep.”

“Forget about it,” Jim said, shaking his head, “I saw a few things too.”

“WHAT!?” Elara gasped, almost losing her grip on him as she scrambled against the back of the couch.

He tumbled to the giant couch and bounced on the cushion. He was trying to stop himself from laughing, Elara had apparently wanted to pleasure herself with a human for a LONG time. From her reaction it was something she was deeply ashamed of.

“You want to play with Jim don’t you!” Clara said with a smile. She’d guessed pretty close, so he didn’t contradict her. “You can you know; he loves normal sized females toying with him.”

“I…” Elara gulped, “It’s strictly forbidden!”

Clara glanced at Jim, “Could we… show her some things?” she asked with a smile.

He couldn’t’ say no to her when she was like this, “I guess,” he said, returning the grin.

“What things!?” Elara asked, eyes wide.

…

Jim struggled against the bonds holding him against the twenty-foot vibrator. Clara had replicated up a huge phallic device, complete with shackles that would hold him in place. The device itself was set upright on Elara’s desk, she had created herself a gleaming art-deco room with angular brass wall décor, and Clara’s gleaming black and gold house sized vibrator seemed constructed deliberately to compliment it.

“He certainly is… appealing,” Elara said, staring at the naked human strapped to the sex toy.

“Exactly!” Clara said. “You doing okay Jim?”

“What the hell is this thing, Clara?” He demanded, struggling against the bonds again.

“I’ve been working on it in the replicator for some time now,” She replied, “I was saving it for a special occasion.”

“Is he… comfortable?” Elara asked.

Clara laughed, “Jim LOVES this kind of thing.” With a twirl she pushed Elara onto the bed with one hand, giggling as the alien fell.

“Now,” Clara said, extending her claws, “Let’s get you out of those clothes!”

“Wait, No-“ Elara protested, but a few quick slashes had reduced her carefully tailored pantsuit to ribbons.

“Come on,” Cara teased, “You’ve got to get naked if you want this to happen.”

Elara gulped, then glanced at Jim. With a nervous smile she began to slide her underwear down. Hesitantly she reached behind her back and unhooked her earth-style bra, tossing it to the floor.

“That’s it!” Clara said excitedly.

She grabbed the giant vibrator Jim was shackled to, kneeling over Elara’s naked form. Jim took it in too, their former enemy was beautiful. She had enormous breasts, capped with dark brown areolas, she lacked even a single hair below her head, her skin smooth and soft.

“Hold this!” Clara said, handing Elara the sex toy. Jim was forced face to face with the confused giantess as she obeyed. He stared into her eyes as he dangled from Clara’s contraption.

“Do you want me to u-use this?” Elara gulped, “With Jim there-“

“Wait,” Clara said, “I’ve got to warm you up first.”

“Wha-“ Elara began, but Clara’s face dived between her legs, and a second later she was moaning and going cross eyed to the tun of Clara’s tongue.

Elara flailed a moment, then held Jim in front of her, eyes seeming to panic. It occurred to Jim that this might be her first orgasm, he thought of yelling something to Clara, but the catgirl seemed very involved in her work.

Clara’s face came up beaming, her face glistening with Elara’s juices, “Okay, put him in now!”

Elara gave Jim one last glance, he tried to give her a reassuring smile but he wasn’t sure if she saw it. His world spun as the giant vibrator he was shackled to was leveled with Elara’s open and pulsing lips. He took a deep breath as the familiar wetness washed over him.

Being strapped to a toy like this made it a bit harder to breathe, but luckily Elara had a much softer smell and taste than Clara did. Still as he was slid against her quivering walls over and over he found himself having to breathe during the brief moments he was outside of her. Every time he was pulled out, he saw Clara’s grinning face, smiling down at him.

“Come on Elara!” She shouted. Suddenly Clara’s finger darted out, catching the toy as it came out, she flicked a small switch and Jim felt vibrations rock his body.

“BY THE STARS!” Elara shouted.

“Don’t stop now!” Clara said, forcing the toy, and Jim back inside her.

Elara panted and her eyes flashed violet. Clara looked around in a sudden panic as various fixtures of the room, books, a lantern, and Elara’s high heels, began to float in the air.

“Uhh…” Clara muttered, “Okay, maybe that’s enough-“

Clara was suddenly thrown against the far wall, and she gasped as she felt her own nerves light up. She could feel the toy, and Jim, inside Elara as though it were her. She screeched and gripped the angular brass décor on the wall behind her as waves of orgasmic bliss flowed over her.

Jim felt it too, and as he was held inside Elara’s womanhood, he felt his hips bucking as he came. The energy was intense, and in his mind’s eye he could distinctly feel and see both Elara and Clara, for a brief moment it was as though he were looking down at all three of them, and then the earthquake around him ceased.

Slowly Elara pulled the toy out of her, gently flicking the vibration setting with a sigh. She dangled it upside down, and Jim with it, above her chest. She blinked a few times as the purple glow in her eyes faded, she looked at the panting Clara who had slowly slid down the wall.

“I didn’t now that would happen,” Elara said weakly. “Sorry.”

“Don’t be,” Clara muttered with a dreamy smile.

…

Isstvell and Lyrei had been attending a function with other Aelmari and human tourist industry representatives. The general focus of the meeting, held in person for the benefit of the human guests, was the terraforming of Mars. While humans had been given anything they desired by the Aelmari, it had been discovered that a great amount of human creative energy was motivated by profit. Accommodating this desire, the Aelmari had begun the development of the Red planet as a resort destination for humans, Aelmari, and other species, all expenses paid in standard galactic credits.

“So these Glalans,” one human began, the plastic mouse lapel pin shining brightly under the worldship lights, “They haven’t been exposed to ANY of our IP, we’re thinking we release our classic collection there, and then build a theme park in their size in the shadow of Olympus Mons!”

“The Mouse might lure them in,” another human said with a grin, “but our market research says those cats LOVE medieval stuff, so we’re launching RenFest, MARS! It’ll have genetically engineered giant turkey legs, jousting-“

“Glalans tend to get rather excitable at the prospect of melee combat,” Isstvell said with a smile, “Do you have a plan to keep order?”

The human looked at them uncomfortably, “I mean… I figured some Aelmari might maybe man the door-“

“Oh, Clara is going to love everything about this,” Lyrei said with a laugh. “I suppose I could be of help, I’m very good at dealing with them-“

UNKNOWN ENERGY DETECTED

 Lyrei and Isstvell froze, the alert was located directly in their quarters. Without another word to the human investors or the other gathered Aelmari they ran for the door

…

The door to Elara’s quarter’s exploded inward as Isstvell and Lyrei walked in, eyes flashing with electricity and a plasma projectile in each hand. The two Aelmari took in Clara, slumped against the wall, and Elara, laying exhausted on the bed.

“Clara!” Lyrei shouted, “What did she do!?”

“What didn’t she do?” Clara muttered sleepily.

“Hi guys,” Jim said, seated naked on the end table, “Everything’s fine, Elara just…” he glanced at the sleeping giantess, “She cut loose a bit.” He glanced at the giant vibrator behind him, still wet and shining. He was suddenly very happy Elara had had the presence of mind to unhook him from it before collapsing.

Isstvell and Lyrei glanced around the room again, then relaxed. The crackling energy around their eyes dissipated, as did the balls of plasma in their hands.

Lyrei went to Elara’s side, “Her vitals look okay,” she said, running a hand over the sleeping alien. A blue light leapt out of Lyrei’s hand, scanning every part of her.

Gently Isstvell picked up Jim and held a free hand over him, a similar blue light emanated from her palm as she checked Jim. Satisfied that Elara was okay, Lyrei moved over to Clara, who was starting to stand back up.

“When she got turned on her psychic powers got more powerful,” Jim said. “I could see some stuff too there for a few seconds… it was wild.”

“However this ability works” Isstvell muttered, “we can’t read anything about it, the only reason we knew anything was happening here was because the worldship detected things moving in here without any means of locomotion.”

“Should we summon some medical drones?” Lyrei asked, looking down at Elara in concern.

“I think she’ll be fine,” Jim said, “just let her sleep it off.”

“We’ll report this to the matriarch,” Isstvell said quietly, “Though I’m not sure WHAT to report exactly…”

“It looks like things are under control,” Lyrei said, rubbing Elara’s forehead a moment. She glanced at Jim and smiled, “I’m detecting a lot of certain chemicals in the air Jim…”

“And on his skin,” Isstvell said, “I must admit, they’re triggering certain processes for me…”

Jim sighed with a smile and rolled his eyes, “Are you two saying you need some… fun time?”

“Oh that sounds delightful!” Lyrei squealed, “Clara, do you want to come?”

“I think I’m just going to go watch the viewscreen in my room,” the Glalan said weakly. She began shakily walking towards her own quarters. She winced, it might have been a few minutes, but she felt as though she’d been having sex all day.

“Suit yourself,” Isstvell said, regarding Jim. “Let’s leave this one to recover,” she gestured at Elara.

…

Isstvell gritted her teeth in pleasure, losing control of one’s bodily functions, even in a small way like that, was always an odd sensation for Aelmari. Lyrei met her eyes and smiled as she held her palm against Isstvell’s opening, keeping their human from falling out even as Isstvell’s fluids seeped between her fingers.

Jim moaned as the blue walls rubbed him, squeezing him from all sides and perfectly molding themselves to his body. Going inside Clara, Elara for that matter, was a wild and animalistic experience, almost a fight for survival. Being used as a toy by the Aelmari? It was a luxury experience by contrast.

The floral sweet fluids dripped over him, cleaning him and tingling his skin as the aphrodisiac properties quickly brought him to full mast again. He didn’t last long as Isstvell gripped him again, the soft blue walls rubbing against him in perfect time with her moans above.

He was yanked out suddenly, his dripping form dangling upside down as the relatively cold air of the living quarters washed over him. He shivered slightly as he was lifted up to Lyrei’s smiling face.

“Good work,” She said.

Her mouth opened and he was lowered in, and he was warm again as her dark blue lips closed behind him. Lyrei’s tongue danced over him, scrubbing him clean of all of the remaining scents and grime he’d accumulated over the course of the day.

“Mmm.” She muttered, sucking on him.

He was easily shifted forward by her tongue, and as the seemingly magical Aelmari fluid in her spit washed over him he felt warm pleasure as it played with him. After a few minutes he groaned and gave Lyrei the response she’d been looking for, he heard a muted giggle outside and went limp. Expectantly he looked towards the front of her mouth, hoping to be released.

Isstvell sat up suddenly, and with a wicked grin her hand came up and held Lyrei’s mouth closed. Lyrei looked at her, a bit confused, then her eyes widened in understanding as they communicated through the neuronet.

“Swallow,” Isstvell said verbally, making sure she was loud enough that the trapped human could hear.

“What!?” Jim shouted. “Hey, enough joking around!”

The mouth was already filling with more of Lyrei’s saliva, the wonderful feeling electrifying his skin as it welled over his body.

Lyrei tilted her head back, breaking away from Isstvell’s hand. With a final smile at her fellow Aelmari scout she gulped loudly, sending her morsel down.

For Jim it was like feeling a flood suddenly rush downwards, and he was pushed by muscle on all sides as her throat contracted, forcing him in one singular direction.

He would have fought, but it seemed pointless. A space opened around his feet, and then he was slowly pushed into it. He flailed for a moment as he dropped through maybe ten feet of open air, landing with a splash in Lyrei’s stomach. A low bioluminescent glow lit up his surroundings, and he saw he was in a chamber maybe waist-high water. He felt that clean tingling on his lower body and realized that whatever filled Lyrei’s stomach had the same effect as the other Aelmari fluids.

Isstvell laughed to herself, an ear to Lyrei’s stomach. She didn’t really need to do that of course, her friend would send her any biometric data she wanted, but there was an appeal to doing this “the old-fashioned way.”

“Jim,” she called, “Can you hear me?”

“Yeah,” he shouted, looking around at his surroundings, “I-Is it safe to be in here?”

“I’ve told you before,” Isstvell said with a smile, “Our digestive systems are mostly just for social function, and personal amusement.” She glanced up at Lyrei, “You won’t digest our little friend, will you?”

“Of course not!” Lyrei said, glancing down at her belly, “Jim, that fluid is breathable, you’re not in any danger!”

“Right,” he muttered. “So… why?”

“You seem to be enjoying yourself,” Isstvell said, “if your bio-readings are any indication.” She patted Lyrei’s stomach, and the other Aelmari giggled before beginning to re-form her standard clothing. Isstvell followed suit.

“Just relax in there,” Lyrei said reassuringly. “No distractions, just peace and quiet. I think you need it!”

Jim sighed and leaned back, letting the fluid wash over him. He hesitated a moment, then let his head dip below it, the low blue light shimmering on the surface. The fluid was breathable, and warm… he couldn’t imagine a better place to collapse into slumber.

…

Jim shifted, then yawned. He blinked awake and realized he was tucked inside a large and puffy sleeping bag of some sort. He looked around and realized he’d been left on their common room’s end table, next to the couch.

“Look who’s awake!” Lyrei said happily, sitting next to him and handing him a fluffy robe.

“Thanks,” he said, reaching for it. “How did I get out of… out of you I guess?”

Lyrei smiled, “I got you out, how else?”

He blinked and decided not to question it further. As he put on the robe Elara walked out of her own room, blinking at the bright light.

“Jim?” She muttered, “I-Is the Glalan okay? I’ve never had a psychic burst like that-“

“I’m fine,” Clara said, walking out of her own room, “That was wild! Is that going to happen every time you get off?”

“I don’t think so,” Elara said hesitantly. She laughed suddenly, “It was amazing! I felt so strong for those few moments, like I could do anything.”

“Ooh!” Clara shouted, “Use your powers to pick Jim up!”

“Don’t even think about it!” Isstvell said, joining the rest of them. She had a box of what looked like food, probably fresh from the replicator. “We don’t know anything about those abilities.”

“I think I could move something small,” Elara said, “I’d like to give it a try.”

“Do or do not,” Jim said almost reflexively, “There is no try.”

“I HATE those movies!” Elara snapped, her eyes flashing violet.

Jim floundered as he was suddenly lifted up by an unseen hand. He seemed to shake in air for a moment, then slowly fell back down to the end table.

“Stars,” Elara muttered.

“Wait,” Jim said, “Let me try something.” He reached deep inside himself, harnessing the same feeling he’d felt in bed with Elara. Focusing as hard as he could, he grinned eagerly as Elara’s bangs swung slightly, as though touched by a breeze.

“I felt it!” Elara said in awe.

“Lame,” Clara complained.

“You two shouldn’t be doing this outside of a controlled environment,” Isstvell said almost nervously.

“I don’t think I can do much more right now anyways,” Elara said, flopping on the couch. “Is that food?”

“I asked Isstvell to make it while you were all asleep!” Lyrei said excitedly.

“Great, I’m starving.” Clara said, reaching for the box.

“We’ve got some information on our next mission,” Isstvell said, watching as the bio-species reached into the box for the oversized Glalan sweet rolls. Clara broke off a piece of one and put it next to Jim on the end table, he eagerly grabbed it in both hands and dug into it like it was a burrito.

“We’re going to Mars!” Lyrei said excitedly, “they’re building a resort there!”

“Mars?” Jim asked incredulously, “Why?”

“An earth corporation wants to develop it for some reason,” Isstvell said with a shrug, “So we’ve terraformed it to be habitable. It’s been deemed an important mission for human psychological health and potentially valuable for diplomacy with larger species.”

“You’re really spoiling the humans,” Elara muttered. “Well, let me know what the resort is like, I might try it myself when it’s up and running-“

“You’re coming with us,” Isstvell said firmly.

Elara’s eyes went wide, “W-Wait, that kind of thing isn’t what I signed up for!”

“Oh relax,” Clara said, “It’s probably the least dangerous thing we’ve ever done.”

“One of the things we promised the Matriarch was that we’d socialize you in a productive way,” Lyrei said with a smile, “you’ve got ample experience with your former masters, and many other bio-species! And you’re well used to violence, if you’re capable of standing up to someone like me I can’t think of many aliens out there that would frighten you off!”

“Why do we need to stay at some under-construction resort anyways?” Jim asked, “Is it being threatened by space pirates or something?”

Lyrei and Isstvell were quiet a moment. Jim stared at them, hoping they’d say something, maybe brush off his remark with a laugh.

Finally, he just sighed, “dammit.”

“All right!” Clara said eagerly, “I’m going to need a bandolier that holds six guns, AND a laser-axe across my back.”

Elara just rubbed her temples, “Glalan, you’re going to need to help me use the weapons programs on the replicators, I’m pretty sure these elves won’t let me have my Godkiller blaster back.”

“No,” Lyrei said with a small smile, “Sorry.”

Jim took another bite of the alien pastry and chuckled to himself. Space pirates… well, maybe they’d see the Aelmari presence and get scared off. He looked out the large viewport on one end of their living quarters, the stars waited.

“So, what do we think?” Jim asked, looking at the cockpit door as the pirate crew outside banged against it and shouted. He was being held in Clara’s hand, his arms sticking up above the fingers coiled around him as he aimed a high-powered plasma rifle. It was in his size, but the Aelmari replicator had assured him that it would be nearly as powerful as a full-sized alien weapon like the one Clara was pointing at the door with her other hand. It carried quite a kick, and it wouldn’t be as effective as his bigger companion’s weapons unless he got really close to his target, but it made him feel better knowing he could match a hundred tall being in a firefight if he had to.

“I think we should have made one of the Aelmari come with us,” Elara said, staring down the sights of her own pistol, “I think a nigh invincible killer android might be useful in the next ten minutes or so.”

“These gals are avoiding their ships somehow,” Clara said, gesturing towards the door, “It looks like they’ve got some way of telling if an Aelmari is on board, they didn’t take any of the other bait ships.”

The space pirates had been active in the Sol System for the previous few weeks. The working theory was that they’d taken the Aelmari’s prohibition against travel to Earth as a sign that the planet was wealthy. Finding almost no commercial traffic around the relatively primitive planet, they’d seized on the Martian terraforming efforts and had threatened to attack any incoming ship unless they received “protection fees.”

The plan seemed simple enough, Clara, Elara, and Jim, would pilot a space freighter around the red planet, and eventually the pirates would de-activate whatever cloaking device they had which was letting them go undetected. From there an Aelmari ship would drop in using their dimensional drives, and the pirates would obviously stand down against the far superior firepower.

That had been the plan. What had actually happened was that a cloaking field had somehow enveloped THEIR ship, and their communications systems were all fried. A few minutes later they’d heard the metallic *thud* of a docking tunnel being attached

“Should we just surrender?” Elara asked, “Clearly this vessel is utilizing technology we weren’t prepared for.”

Clara’s ear’s twitched in annoyance. While the 90-foot catgirl rarely backed down from a fight, she was far from suicidal. There was chattering from the other side of the door, and then a few sparks near the bottom as someone on the other side began applying a cutting torch.

“We’ve got maybe ten minutes to make a decision,” Elara said, “We should probably hide Jim.”

“Wait,” He asked, looking over at her, “Why me, specifically?”

Elara shrugged, “crews on a ship like that can spend weeks, months even, without planetfall, and the planets they do stop on are almost all frontier worlds without a lot of good-looking males.” She shot a glance at Clara and smiled, “Isn’t that right?”

“Yeah yeah,” Clara muttered. She seemed more embarrassed at her background as a marauder these days, however short lived that phase of her life had been. “She’s right, we should probably find a hiding spot.”

“This sounds like an excuse to shove me in your underwear,” Jim said, smiling in spite of the situation.

“Oh Jim,” Clara laughed, “I don’t need an excuse for that.”

“I should ask him if he wants to go in mine,” Elara’s voice echoed in his head, “No… I don’t want the Glalan to think I’m trying to get between them, but-“

Jim blinked, “Hey Elara, you’re uh… broadcasting.”

Her face went red, “Sorry.”

Psychic abilities had been something that the Aelmari’s vast knowledge couldn’t really guide him through, and human knowledge on the subject seemed like a mixture of half-truths and outright fraud. His initial idea of mastering psychic abilities and using them in battle like a comic book character had been very quickly dashed, even Elara seemed to only have rudimentary knowledge.

One thing had become apparently fairly quickly though, Elara’s powers became more powerful when she was aroused. Indeed, the woman, who by her own account lived a fairly repressed existence before her defection, was now accidentally broadcasting dirty fantasies to him, and occasionally even to Clara, on a regular basis. Jim tried to be understanding, Clara on the other hand teased her mercilessly every time it happened.

“Ooh,” Clara said with a grin, “I guess the thought of sticking Jim somewhere intimate has got her shooting her thoughts all over the cockpit?”

Elara just blushed, “I-I can’t help it sometimes.”

“You know I just realized,” Clara said, “they’ll probably frisk us for weapons, they could still find Jim…” she licked her lips, “I know a place we COULD hide you though…”

Jim rolled his eyes and fought a laugh, “up your ass?”

“Oh Stars,” Elara thought, “I hope she lets me put him in-“

He shot a glance at her, and she quickly looked away.

“Uh,” Clara muttered, “No…”

Elara and Jim stared at her, and she sheepishly grinned, “I was thinking I put you in my mouth,” she began.

“Okay…” Jim said hesitantly.

“And then I swallow you!” Clara finished.

“Nope,” Jim said, looking back at the door, “Vetoed, stick me up the ass.”

“I know you let Lyrei eat you!” Clara protested.

“Lyrei’s stomach is climate controlled and she can turn it off and on whenever she wants,” Jim said with a laugh, “yours is… well, it’s an actual stomach.”

“Look,” Clara said, “it’s probably safe for a little while, right? It’s just until we get into a cell or a questioning room or something, then I’ll lay on my back and you can try to crawl out.” She saw his doubtful look and shrugged, “Worst case scenario, I gag myself and you come up that way, won’t be pretty but I think it’ll work.” 

“Fine,” Jim muttered. He glanced again at the cutting torch working it’s way through the cockpit door. “Do you want to put me on the dashboard or something so I can take off my clothes?”

He was strongly regretting not wearing his battlesuit for this mission, he had a feeling that Sarah had probably included some kind of defense against being eaten. A lot of the countermeasures included in her equipment were specifically tailored to the kinds of threats a small human would meet in a universe populated by larger beings.

“Nah,” Clara said, reaching for his pants, “more fun to unwrap my treat!”

“I could swear you’re enjoying this,” Jim muttered.

“Why lie?” Clara giggled, “I am, and I might not get a chance to do this again.”

Slowly she began to pull his clothes off, her eyes lighting up as his torso was exposed. He noticed Elara glancing over too.

“He looks good,” she thought, her voice echoing in his head.

He glanced down at his physique as Clara began to reach for his pantleg. He’d never been much of a gymgoer before the invasion, he’d done enough outdoors activities around the old farmstead so he wasn’t weak, but he’d always preferred a book to a barbell. Months of Aelmari medical nanites and a bit of Sarah’s Battlesuit now and then had still managed to give him movie-star pecs and abs, and as Clara rubbed a single finger up his front, he couldn’t help but puff his chest out a little bit.

He flinched as Clara ripped his pants off in one smooth motion. Elara was watching in full now, her previous attempt to ignore them and aim her gun at the door abandoned.

“The underwear too,” Elara breathed out loud.

“Oh don’t worry,” Clara giggled, “they’re coming off.” She flicked a claw down, and in a gesture that was now very familiar to him, sliced through the fabric and let it fall to the floor. “Someone looks very excited for a human that’s about to be dinner.” She licked the tip of her finger and traced it over his erection, causing him to breathe in sharply.

There was banging outside the door, the three of them looked together and saw the glowing red dot cutting it’s way through the door advance upwards at a faster pace. Clara rolled her eyes, and Elara looked disappointed.

“Damn,” Clara muttered, “Well Jim, bottoms up!”

He grimaced and braced himself as he was brought up to her mouth. Eagerly she brought him in, closing her mouth behind him. He was coated in her saliva instantly, and he writhed in pleasure as she began rubbing her tongue against him.

Clara’s eyes lit up happily. Humans, particularly attractive males like Jim, triggered both a prey and an attraction instinct for most Glalans. The mix of the two desires led to the often aggressive and playful attitude the catlike species took towards Earth’s natives. They were an intelligent and civilized species of course, natural urges could be, and often were, ignored.

That said, Clara moaned happily as she tilted her head back. You could definitely ignore the deeply ingrained biological urge telling you “eat the human,” but oh was it fun to just give in to it.

Elara blushed deeply, while Jim didn’t exactly set off prey drives in her, there was something intoxicating, primal, about this whole thing. Clara opened her eyes and saw Elara watching. Smiling, she opened her mouth one last time, letting the other woman see Jim scrabbling for purchase against her tongue, then closed her mouth, tilted back her head, and swallowed as loudly and as forcefully as she could.

Jim felt himself sucked back and downwards, the powerful muscles of Clara’s throat forcing him along. He was big enough relative to her that it wasn’t easy, but Clara was determined. He felt the slick walls around him contort, and he picked up speed.

Without warning he was forced into the open expanse of her stomach. There was a brief drop as he flailed against her, then he splashed into the warm soup of churning below. As he brought his head up and gasped for breath the hot and noxious air filled his lungs. He’d been in an Aelmari stomach before, but it had been lighted, it had been comfortable. A small tingling began against his skin, acid, he realized. Probably not dangerous for now, he hoped anyway…

“That was amazing,” he heard Elara’s thoughts, “I might… I might ask Jim if I could try it-“

He sighed and fought a laugh, he decided not to embarrass the poor woman by sending his own thoughts back. He stood up and found that the contents of Clara’s stomach came about halfway up his chest, sloshing slightly as they moved. It was smaller than Lyrei’s, and while he couldn’t see it he was pretty sure that if he tried he could touch the “ceiling.”

“Okay,” Clara said with a smug smile as she patted her tummy, “Let’s open the door and tell the pirates we surrender.”

Elara nodded and reached for the button to release the door, setting her weapon on the dashboard of the ship. Suddenly the floor rocked, there were shouts of panic outside the door, then the unmistakable buzzing sound of plasma projectiles. Clara and Elara glanced at each other, then out the front cockpit window.

A small Aelmari cruiser had a docking tube attached to their vessel. In the vacuum of space several Aelmari were even standing on the ship itself, their elfin blue faces unhindered by breathing equipment or atmospheric suits. One saw them and waved pleasantly.

“About time!” Clara said with a smile, returning the wave.

Elara pressed the release button, causing the cockpit blast door to open with a quick hiss. In the main hold of the ship several pirates were sprawled on the ground, hissing steam coming from their clothes. Judging from their pained groans the Aelmari were using nonlethal attacks. More were on their feet, throwing their guns down and surrendering to the Aelmari pouring out of the docking tube.

There were several species represented, a pair of Glalans where being cuffed by an Aelmari that stood over the 90 foot catgirls like an amazon, and another group of green creatures with tentacled hair and pitch black eyes were being rounded up by a pair of the blue elves.

“Clara!” Lyrei called, waving to them as she and Isstvell entered the ship next, glowing plasma balls in each of their hands. “Elara!”

“This lot had some way to project their cloaking field,” Isstvell said, glancing at them, “More of our sisters are storming their ship, we’re taking them all alive so we can figure out how they did it.” She smiled, an usual gesture from the normally stern Aelmari, “Luckily it’s not perfect, you started flickering in and out on our sensors.”

She looked around, “Where’s Jim?”

“Okay…” Clara said slowly, her ears going flat against her head and her pink tail hanging limp, “Do you remember that thing that you said I was never supposed to do with him?”

Isstvell’s smile vanished, replaced by a stern frown, “You didn’t…”

“We thought we were about to be captured!” Elara protested in Clara’s defense, “We didn’t want him to get separated from us!”

“He seemed to like it,” Clara said sheepishly, “And I mean… he told me that you two-“ The two Aelmari glared at her, and she sighed. “C-Can Lyrei do it?” a part of her hoped that she’d be gentler than Isstvell.

“Oh Clara,” Lyrei said with a small smile, “When we first captured you, Isstvell and I agreed that, if this ever happened, Isstvell would get to be the one who dealt with it.”

“If it’s any consolation Clara,” the other elf said with a humorous grin, “I like you a lot more now than when we first met, now open up.”

Isstvell held up a hand, and one of her fingers began morphing into a longer instrument, a shimmering metallic hose. Clara’s eyes went wide and her eyes darted back and forth between them, the two hundred twenty-foot-tall androids loomed over her ominously, and from their looks they were enjoying her reaction.

“No,” She said, “Wait, I-I’ll get him out myself-“

She was cut off with a squeal as Isstvell began applying the stomach pump.

…

“To another successful mission!” Lyrei said, holding up a martini glass. The four giants lounged in beach chairs the size of jet liners. Jim was in swim trunks and lounging in Elara’s glass as though it were a small pool, his own martini glass in hand. He hadn’t bothered making himself a drink, just scooping out of the sloshing mixture Elara had made herself.

Clara was a bit pale, still holding her stomach, now exposed by a bright pink bikini. Lyrei and Isstvell had morphed their clothing into plain white one-piece style swimsuits, while Elara had simply ordered the replicators to make her a long black sun dress.

Glancing at the Aelmari Jim wondered what they really thought of this. Did Aelmari relax without a bio-species present? He was fairly certain the drinks were a social gesture, they could taste things sure, but could an Aelmari even get intoxicated? Maybe not, but the two of them had certainly become more animated since he’d first met them. Months ago, he could have believed they were mere machines, had in fact… now though? There was something more than ones and zeroes in there, he was sure of it.

The silver haired giantess smiled at him from behind a pair of thick sunglasses, gently swirling her glass and causing the waves to lap against him. Whatever she was drinking was clear, but it wasn’t a martini, or anything he recognized. There was certainly a small burn of alcohol in it, but the fruity flavor itself was something from beyond earth.

“To another successful mission,” Elara muttered, tiling the glass and causing Jim to tumble slightly as she sipped it.

“Something bothering you?” Jim asked.

“I’m not used to spending time with others,” she remarked, “my previous masters did not like us to fraternize much.”

“They didn’t let you have friends, and they didn’t let you have sex or even play with the humans?” Clara asked, “Why did you work for them in the first place!”

“It’s all we know!” Elara snapped, a bit of her drink slid out of the low glass and Jim almost had to stand up to keep from getting sloshed out with it. “We march right out of a cloning vat with preloaded knowledge, there’s no chance to do anything but what the first person you meet tells you.” She sighed, “It’s so obvious now, they wanted us weak! They never let us have… relations, because it makes our psychic abilities stronger, and they didn’t let us become friendly with one another because then we might have…”

“Quit?” Jim asked, hanging his arms out of the side of her glass like it was the edge of a hot tub.

“Yes,” Elara said finally. She flashed a small smile, “Or perhaps… more.”

“Sounds about right!” Clara said, sitting up, “We’ll blow their asses to cosmic cinders! Just point the way!”

“I too would be interested in hearing more about your masters,” Isstvell said, sitting up.

Elara glanced around and realized that Clara, Jim, and Lyrei were also watching. She sighed, and took off her sunglasses, carefully folding them and clipping them against the front of her dress. Slowly she tilted the glass, draining the rest of her mysterious cocktail, pursing her lips slightly so that when the current brought Jim against them, he didn’t flow into her mouth. When he was sitting in the bottom of the dry martini glass she smirked at him one last time, before setting the glass, and him, on a massive table that had been placed next to her chair.

“I told your Matriarchs everything I know,” she said, “and they decided to keep that information locally stored, off your neuronet.”

“But they put you in our custody,” Isstvell protested, “Surely they would know we would ask you-“

“Did they?” Elara asked, an amused smile on her face. “I don’t think your matriarchs, for all their processing power and ancient wisdom, realize just how much you’ve changed yourselves by attempting to complete this Mission of yours.”

“We’re the same as we ever were,” Lyrei said uncertainly.

“If we call the sum total of Aelmari firepower X, then yes you are still valued at X,” Elara said with a smirk, “but if we throw mathematics to the wind and apply some of the soft sciences… How often did Aelmari scouts disobey direct orders before contact with humanity?”

“Never,” Isstvell said quietly.

“Delightful,” Elara cackled, “Now tell me this, why did the progenitor AI that birthed you split itself into so many separate consciousnesses, let’s get really wild and ask ourselves why it gave you such disgustingly biological traits like emotion, a stars-damned sex drive?”

“It was to pursue the Mission,” Lyrei said feebly, “it wasn’t being accomplished, so the progenitor felt that…” She blinked, “I don’t know,” she said wondrously, “I don’t know why it did that.”

“Sounds like it went crazy,” Clara said. “Not that I’m complaining, Isstvell and Lyrei are all right, most AI either want to kick your ass or try to kiss it.”

“Exactly!” Elara said with a smile, “After eons of being unable to fulfill it’s mission, your progenitor AI began questioning the value of machine logic, of materialism, and the results is… well, you.” She gestured at Lyrei and Isstvell. “It’s not perfect of course, but in those nascent personality modules is something waiting for the right input to turn you from a bunch of blue kill-bots into people.” She leaned back in her chair and smiled, “And wonderful people you’re becoming, by the way.”

“Thanks!” Lyrei said brightly.

“I don’t understand,” Isstvell said, “what does this have to do with your masters?”

“The point,” Elara said with a sigh, “Is that if ALL Aelmari knew what I’ve told the Matriarchs, they’d likely want to go to war, a crusade more like, and they would ignore orders from your leaders to hold back.”

“So why don’t we?” Lyrei asked, puzzled.

Elara pursed her lips, clearly debating how much to say, “The Aelmari are rapidly changing, and those changes are unpredictable,” she said finally. “You will not fulfill your Mission without a significant number of growing pains. Your matriarchs do not think you are in a position to engage in a peer-to-peer conflict.”

“Peer to peer?” Isstvell whispered. “Elara… who ARE they?”

“They like the name Archons,” She said, practically spitting the word, “I shouldn’t say any more, I did make a promise to your Matriarchs.”

“We can revisit this at another time,” Isstvell said quietly.

“I’m not worried,” Clara said dismissively, “We’ll find them, and blow them up. Now, what else is there to do on Mars?”

“Not a lot,” Jim mused, looking up at the blue Martian sky. The sun was just a dot, much farther than he was used to on earth. The climate on this part of the red planet was arid and hot, much like the deserts back on earth. Behind them in the distance the massive resort hotel loomed, sized for the “galactic standard” of species 100 feet or more in height.

From what Jim had seen on the remaining human broadcasts, the resort was meant to be something like Humanity’s face to the galaxy. Various world leaders had given bold statements about how it was time for the apparently diminutive species to meet the galaxy on it’s own terms, without standing behind a hundred twenty foot blue space elf. While the Aelmari Matriarchs had been skeptical at first, it was the position of human leaders that their role in saving the Aelmari worldship had bumped them up from “bio-trophies” to “allies.” While there was no official statement from the Aelmari matriarchs, their support for the terraforming and development of Mars spoke volumes.

Jim wasn’t sure what he thought of the whole thing, he’d made peace with the fact that, to some degree, Isstvell and Lyrei would likely be hovering over him for the rest of his life. In the beginning, when they’d treated him like an exotic pet, he’d resented it. Now though? It was almost comforting.

On a wider scale he understood that not everyone would feel the same way, but having been to the galaxy’s rougher parts himself, he wasn’t keen to see the “independence” from Aelmari that some more radical human leaders talked about. More autonomy? Respect? Sure, the resort would be a great way for humans to interact with other species in a controlled environment… but independence? Jim’s opinion was that the more Aelmari worldships were parked around earth, the better.

His thoughts returned to Mars, looking around at the iron rich soil and the red landscape. There was talk of oceans being created, like humans most species enjoyed beaches, but for now it was a wasteland. The atmosphere had only become breathable in the last few days. From what Clara had told him this was an impressive feat on a galactic scale, her people, the Glalans, could probably terraform a planet like Mars, but it would bankrupt the government and take at least a decade. The Aelmari had done it in a few weeks.

“The face,” Jim said suddenly, a grin crossing his features, “I just realized, we’re here on mars, we could go see it!” Seeing their blank expressions he sighed, “There’s supposed to be this big carved face on Mars, people think aliens might have carved it.”

“Oh Stars,” Elara muttered, “Jim, you are an educated and landed human, surely you don’t believe such nonsense?”

“Elara,” he said slowly, “Six months ago I didn’t believe in aliens, now I’m sitting at the bottom of a martini glass on Mars.”

“He’s got a point,” Lyrei mused, “We are trying to decode the REAL history of humanity and many of our closest consultants on it have come from fringe communities.”

“Seriously,” Jim protested, “I’m just curious about it now. It’s not like I’m saying Elvis lives, but-”

Elara coughed, and then stared at him for an uncomfortably long moment. She picked up the empty martini glass and bit her lower lip as she jokingly swirled him in it.

“No,” Jim breathed. “You’re joking.”

“Presley escaped an attempt to bring him into a collection,” Elara snapped, “We don’t know where he is now, he could be dead, or he could have used galactic medical technology to extend his lifespan. A number of my sisters were executed for their inability to contain or locate him.”

“Okay,” Jim said with a sigh, “I’d really like to hear more about THAT sometime, but for now I want to go see the face on Mars.”

“What are we waiting for then?” Clara said, sitting up.

“Sure,” Elara said with a small smile, “Uhh…” she glanced down at Jim. “I want to suck the rest of that drink off him,” her thoughts echoed in his mind, “How do I ask him that?”

“Elara,” Jim said, laughing, “broadcasting.”

Her face went red, but before she could say anything Clara walked over to the two of them and plucked Jim out of the empty glass.

The catgirl looked right at Elara and rolled her eyes, “Open,” she said. Stunned, Elara parted her lips, without so much as a warning she pushed Jim inside. “And close,” Clara said, putting her hand on the bottom of Elara’s chin and slowly forcing the other woman’s mouth shut.

Jim gasped, it had happened so quickly that he hadn’t been ready for it, and Elara’s tongue gingerly began to explore him, the cascading waterfalls of her saliva soaking him as the giant woman gained the confidence to treat him as the toy he was.

“If you’re going to start shooting your dirty thoughts into my head,” Clara said, holding her hand firmly under Elara’s chin, “then you should at least have the decency to act on them.” She grinned at Elara’s stunned expression, “Now go on, get Jim nice and clean.”

Jim gasped as Elara’s tongue slowly worked towards his waistline, the powerful appendage sidling up to his swimtrunks and beginning to slowly edge them down. The warm wet embrace of Elara’s mouth seemed to grow more intense around him as she began to force his body into place against the side of her cheek.

“That feels good,” Elara’s voice echoed in his mind, “d-doesn’t it?”

He wasn’t sure how to answer her, and his ability to form coherent thought was fading rapidly as she continued to coil and uncoil her tongue around him. She was hesitant, nervous, but rapidly growing more confident. He went limp and submitted to her exploration, moaning in pleasure as she giggled in his mind, exploring his most sensitive places.

Outside of her mouth Clara was grinning and the two Aelmari were watching curiously, “Are you communicating using psychic abilities now?” Isstvell asked.  

“She is,” Clara said, leering at the psychic alien, “Jim does too sometimes, when he’s close to her. Mostly when this one here gets worked up.”

“This might be a good opportunity to observe this phenomenon in person,” Isstvell muttered, “Cat, what does she usually like?”

“MPMPH!?” Elara squeaked, her mouth still being held closed by Clara.

“I like where this is going,” Clara said with a smug grin, “Okay, spit him out.” She pulled her hand away, hesitantly Elara pushed Jim to the front of her mouth with her tongue, almost sorrowfully sending Jim tumbling into Clara’s waiting palm. Clara noted with a smile that Jim’s swim trunks had been pulled off at some point, and lay next to him in a pool of Elara’s spit. Clara plucked them up out of her palm and disdainfully tossed them away.

Seeing the gesture, Jim gulped, seeing the two hungry looking Aelmari over Clara’s shoulder.

“Hey,” he said weakly, “What’re we doing here?”

“The knife ears want to see what happens when we make Elara go all purply.”

Jim glanced back at Elara, who also seemed a bit hesitant, “Are you up for that?”

Elara fought back a squeak and nodded, Jim sighed and turned back to the giant catgirl and her two apparent accomplices. Clara could be very… overwhelming, and apparently that applied to similarly sized beings once she got her claws in them. Despite Elara’s sometimes cold and arrogant demeanor she was fairly inexperienced in sexual matters, something Clara seemed to be eager to help her with.

“Elara,” Lyrei said, “Isstvell and I are going to record your biometric readings, try use your abilities as much as you can.”

“O-Okay,” she breathed, fighting the urge to sink further into the chair…

Clara gave her a grin and gripped the hem of the black sun dress. Slowly she pulled it up over the alien’s knees, and then reached under the dress. Her finger hooked Elara’s panties, and making eye contact with the other giant she grinned as she pulled them, sliding them slowly down her legs.

“These feel damp,” Clara said with a grin.

The hand holding Jim dipped under the hem of the dress, and a shadow passed over him as he was slowly brought towards Elara’s waiting sex. He could smell her arousal from his place on Clara’s palm, and he braced himself for the catgirl to roughly shove him in.

He was surprised when he was brought up to Elara’s opening gently. He reached out and gently stroked the smooth skin of her plump lips, feeling the slightest vibration as the pleasure shot through her body. Where Clara had a patch of rough hair here, sometimes almost unkempt, Elara had no hair anywhere below her head, a genetic modification apparently. He grinned as she shivered at his touch again, and reached for the top of the massive opening, stroking her clitoris.

“Stars!” Elara gasped.

Clara smiled, “Any psychic powers yet?”

“N-No,” Elara stammered

“Let’s take it up a notch then,” Clara said, forcing Jim roughly inside of her.

For the human, he was suddenly catapulted forward, shoved roughly by Clara’s fingers into the waiting wet opening. He was gripped by her soft walls almost instantly, pulled inward by a pulsating movement as his skin slipped against the slick sides.

Elara’s eyes flashed purple, “Ohhhhh my,” she whispered.

Clara looked around eagerly. A few small pebbles around them briefly shimmered, and rose a few inches in the air slowly.

“Lyrei,” Isstvell said, “Are you picking up this brain activity?”

“Oh yes!” the other Aelmari said excitedly, “humans have a very similar region to that, if Elara’s makeup includes human DNA then-“

“Ladies, come on,” Clara said, reaching her hand up further to touch Elara herself. She was rewarded by a happy whimper as the other alien gripped the armrests of her chair, “Science talk isn’t going to help her get off.”

“Oh,” Lyrei said suddenly, “I’ve got an idea!” she held up a finger, and with a crackle of electricity a small pink orb formed, “We used a very similar bio-electric pulse to capture you initially Clara!”

“Yeah, I remember,” Clara said with a grin, “Elara, you might want to brace yourself.”

Elara’s eyes went wide and then rolled back in her head as Lyrei brought the pink orb down and touched it to her chest. Electric pleasure rocketed through her body, causing her to instantly go from merely turned on to explosive orgasm.

For Jim it was like tremors had become a full earthquake, and he was nearly crushed as Elara’s muscles contracted around him and her juices filled his mouth. He gasped for air, and then suddenly felt his own orgasm starting, seemingly from nowhere.

“JIM!” he heard her thoughts in his head as they came together, “H-HOLD ON!”

The world roiled as her orgasm kept going, Jim took a deep breath as her vaginal contractions squeezed so hard that he felt his back pop, along with a few other joints. He pressed against the tightening walls as hard as he could, but it just seemed to elevate her orgasm and the dripping of her fluid became almost a flood, threatening to drown him.

“That’s it!” Clara said, fingering her harder as she convulsed, “Come on Elara, do the purple thing-“

Elara’s eyes snapped back into focus suddenly, and a purple glow illuminated the three women looking down at her. Clara grinned, closed her eyes, and threw her arms open as a purple beam shot out from Elara’s eyes,. The catgirl moaned in pleasure as she fell over.

“Fuck!” Clara screamed, “how is that SO GOOD?”

“It looks like Elara’s psychic abilities have the ability to inspire a strong sexual response in bio-species,” Isstvell said, glancing at Clara as she convulsed, the purple light dancing over her. “I wonder what it’s like for Jim?”

The human was fighting for his life while also experiencing a continuous orgasm that was about to make him lose consciousness. With all of his strength he managed to force his way out of the massive pussy, and as he pushed against her lips to draw himself out the stimulation caused the muscles behind him to rock in pleasure even more. With a wet plopping sound, he forced himself free. He tumbled down into the tent of Elara’s sundress, looking down her legs at the freedom at the other end.

Suddenly that same purple light seemed to wrap around him, tendrils of energy that crackled and bound his arms to his sides and his legs together as they lifted him into the air. They pulled him backwards, towards the waiting and still wet pussy he’d just escaped.

“Ah hell,” he muttered. He felt the wet resistance as his legs were forced in again, then the gripping folds reached his waist, then his chest as the psychic energy forced him back inside the giant alien’s most intimate place.

Elara’s eyes flashed purple and she sighed happily as the lengthy orgasm reached it’s pitch. She grinned, hearing Clara’s thoughts, a mix of swearing and begging for more, and extended a hand and blasted the catgirl with another round of the purple lightning, which now seemed limitless. She heard Jim’s mix of primal fear and desire as she swallowed him up again, and then… she frowned at the two Aelmari who were watching her and seemingly just taking data.

“She’s trying something with our neural processors,” Isstvell said in an amused tone, “I think she’s trying to force us to orgasm like Clara over there.”

“Elara, we don’t have organic brains,” Lyrei said, almost sweetly, “whatever your psychic abilities let you do to Clara and Jim it won’t- OH MY!”

Lyrei and Isstvell collapsed as Elara’s purple glow enveloped their own nether regions, “You don’t have organic brains,” Elara said, in a voice that seemed to echo in Jim and Clara’s heads, “but your physical parts are modeled on an organic counterpart.” The two Aelmari writhed in pleasure as Elara levitated off the chair, her platinum silver hair and black sundress hanging below her as the psychic energy raced along her body.

She gasped one final time, and then fell, grunting in mild pain as she hit the beach chair. Pushing her frayed silver bangs out of her eyes Elara blinked a moment, looking at the two Aelmari on either side of her, groaning as they recovered. Clara was sprawled across the Martian soil, panting with a goofy grin on her face.

“Wow!” Clara laughed softly.

Elara gulped nervously as she felt another stir deep within her. Quickly she reached under her sundress, a pair of fingers probing inside herself hoping to find…

Jim was limp when he slipped out for the second time, and Elara bit her lip nervously as he dangled in front of her, glistening with her fluids.

“J-Jim?” she shook him slightly, and he blinked and coughed up something. He looked around, squinting in the sudden light of the Martian afternoon. Elara looked around at her three larger companions sheepishly, “I’m sorry, but you all said to-“

“No need,” Isstvell said, sitting up, “we collected invaluable biometric data.” She smiled, “and it wasn’t an altogether unpleasant experience.”

“I know right?” Clara giggled as she sat up, “she’s so embarrassed about it too.”

Elara huffed, crossing her arms and sending Jim flailing even as he remained gripped by her fingers, “I’m not a Glalan! I don’t wake up and think about who I’m fornicating with today!”

Clara rolled her eyes, “You can play prude when you stop broadcasting your fantasies all over our living quarters.”

“I’m still grappling with that-“ Elara protested.

“Jim,” Lyrei said, interrupting them, “I was told you sometimes show psychic abilities after being exposed to Elara’s?”

Elara suddenly realized she was still holding him, and with an embarrassed look held the still naked human up to Lyrei’s face.

“Yeah,” Jim said, still coughing up some of Elara’s juices, “Do you want to scan me or something?”

“Of course!” Lyrei said, tapping his head with her finger. It pulsed slightly, and he realized she was taking biometric data on him, the same as she had on Elara a moment earlier.

“Okay,” he breathed, glancing around.

Elara had tried to explain psychic abilities to him. Apparently, they were like any muscle, stronger and more evident with use, and his own had been jump started by being exposed to Elara’s. What level of psychic potential did he have? Did ALL humans have? It was uncertain, but he had some…

He glanced at Clara, “Can you hear me?” he thought at her.

She blinked, “yeah,” she thought back, “this is always so weird… can you and Elara do this all the time?”

“She can,” he replied, “mine goes in and out…”

He grinned, “Hey Clara, try NOT to think of something embarrassing.”

“WHAT!?” she beamed back, her face going pale, “J-Jim, stop-“

Suddenly he saw a vision of Clara, she was a bit younger, maybe in High School? Or whatever they had on Glalan Prime. Unlike the usual silver bodysuits she preferred this Clara was wearing… a dress? She was walking up to a petite… cat-boy? Jim realized he’d never seen a Glalan male before, he was lithe, with a light blonde hair and ears like Clara’s. A pair of cat-girls flanked his sides, regarding the approaching Clara with disdain.

“H-Hey Lucius,” the younger Clara began, “I was thinking, if you have room in your entourage, maybe I could go to the Anniversary Gala with you? Several of my ancestors fought in the Unification War and-“

“Clara,” the catboy said dismissively, “I’ve enough females coming with me as it is, and you’re only hurting yourself by thinking you have the blood for this sort of event.”

The two girls on either side of the catboy giggled as Clara’s ears went flat and her tail went limp.

Suddenly they were all back on Mars, Clara had tears in her eyes. Elara’s lips were pursed, had she listened in on the memory? Lyrei and Isstvell looked at them all curiously.

“Jim,” Isstvell said, a slight edge to her voice, “Why is Clara suddenly displaying signs of emotional distress?”

“Oh god,” he muttered, “Clara, I’m so sorry, I thought you’d think of a time you slipped on a wet floor or something-“

Clara sniffed and quickly blinked away a tear, “Forget it,” she said with a grin, her eyes still moist, “That was a long time ago, and I’m not that girl anymore.” She gave a smile that was a bit too wide, “Hey, Jim wanted to see that face or something on this planet? Come on! Let’s go!”

She bounded towards the ship, almost too quickly. Elara, Lyrei, and Isstvell all gave Jim a withering look. He sighed, feeling guilty. Psychic powers were… complicated.

…

Cydonia, Mars. It had long occupied human curiosity, but with multiple alien invasions and the apparent “adoption” of humanity by the Aelmari the question of whether intelligent life was out there no longer had the same mystique. Part of the northern reaches of the planet, along with Olympus Mons itself, most humans had written it off even with Aelmari terraforming. The plan seemed to be to draw in various species with a beach vacation, and to only offer brief excursions to this part of the planet. Obviously, being space faring species themselves, rumored decayed pyramids and a carved face wouldn’t interest Glalans, or any other alien visitors.

Still, Jim wanted to see it. With little else to do the five of them had boarded Clara’s ship, the two elves and Elara strapped in to the cargo hold as they began the short flight. Jim joined Clara in the cockpit, as he always did. While she’d fabricated a cage for him on the dashboard, and even a dangling chain so she could use him as something like a pair of fuzzy dice, he almost always spent spaceflights in Clara’s lap, or occasionally at her feet.

She silently gripped him in her lap as the autopilot took them to their destination. It would be a fifteen-minute flight at most, going anywhere on the same planet was trivial to Aelmari technology.

“Clara,” he said, breaking the silence, “I’m sorry I did that, really.”

“I keep telling you,” She said with a grin, “don’t worry about it.”

“I’ve got a bit of psychic juice left,” he said, “I can’t do it as easily as Elara, but… can I go in your mind again?”

Clara glanced at the guidance system, “Jim,” she said quietly, “what happened, it happened. It’s part of who I am.”

“Knowing me is part of who you are too,” he said, “and if you don’t let me, I’m just going to waste this purple stuff on something stupid.”

“Fine,” she sighed.

Suddenly she was back in her old school again, about to ask Lucius if she could be one of the females to accompany him to the Gala… but… She blinked, no, this was somewhere else. The other teenagers around her weren’t Glalans, she started as she realized they were humans? They were big, like her, or she was small like them, she wasn’t sure.

“Clara,” Jim said, tapping her on the shoulder. She spun and saw him, grinning as he looked her in the eye on his own two feet. “Do you want to go to Prom with me?”

“Jim,” she said quietly, “What is this?”

“Just a little memory of mine,” he said, glancing around at the seemingly oblivious teenage humans passing them by. “I thought it might make you feel better?”

“What’s Prom?” Clara asked uncertainly.

“Promenade,” he said, “It’s a kind of coming-of-age thing I guess… guys usually ask the girls on earth.”

Clara’s eyes lit up, “Yes!” She squealed, “Let’s do it!”

There was a flash and they were together in formal wear, earth music playing. Jim grinned and extended a hand to her. She took it eagerly-

And they were back in the cockpit of the ship, he was small again, held in her hands. Clara blinked and glanced at the autopilot, only a few minutes had passed, their destination was still ten minutes away. She sighed; it had felt so real…

“Sorry,” Jim said from her lap, “I guess I didn’t have enough juice to give us the whole dance…”

“Don’t be,” Clara said, holding him up to her face, “That was…” she sighed and smiled, “it really made me feel better, thanks.”

“Anytime, prom queen,” he said with a chuckle.

…

Elara sat between the two blue elves, attempting to keep a stoic face. With the increasing time and connection with Jim and Clara, she could feel emotions from the two of them more frequently. Now she felt something unfamiliar… she wasn’t sure, was that… love?

She sighed; part of her defection had made her realize just how isolated she was in the universe. The Archons had discouraged any kind of real attachment, telling them all how superior they were to the beings around them, and each other…  

“Elara,” Lyrei said quietly, “are you feeling alright? Would you like Isstvell and I to attempt to converse with you?”

“No,” she said bitterly.

The Aelmari were definitely becoming more empathetic, but they weren’t quite at their final point yet… she wondered how Isstvell and Lyrei would react if she told them what the REAL goal of their progenitor AI was, the Matriarchs had been… divided. She smirked to herself, the Matriarchs, by virtue of their station, were already near that particular finish line… but Lyrei and Isstvell? She’d never tell them, COULDN’T tell them, but they might even outpace their superiors…

She let a smile cross her face, “Isstvell,” she said, almost mockingly, “Does Lyrei ever do anything that annoys you?”

Isstvell blinked, “She… is too soft on bio species?”

“You’re worshipped as a goddess of a negative afterlife on half the primitive planets we’ve visited!” Lyrei protested, “how can you say I’m too soft?”

Elara sighed and crossed her arms behind her head. She’d done her part for The Mission.

…

They hovered over the cold desert of Cydonia, the dot sun long gone, with just the glittering stars overhead. The spotlights of Clara’s ship illuminated the famous Face on Mars as the ship slowly hovered over it in the inky blackness.

“It doesn’t look that much like a face,” Clara commented, angling the spotlight over the mountain.

“It does,” Jim protested, peering out from his spot on the ship’s dashboard. “The old photos were in a lower definition, sure, but look, there’s a nose, and eyes, and-“

“Is this it?” Elara said, peeking from behind Clara’s chair.

“There’s what looks like city ruins over there,” Jim said, pointing out the window. With a sigh Clara adjusted the spotlight, highlighting a series of triangular rocks. “Pyramids!” Jim said excitedly, “Come on guys, this could be the ruins of an ancient civilization!”

“Jim,” Isstvell said, nudging Elara aside as she tried to squeeze her way into the cockpit, “many bio-species have a certain pattern recognition instinct that can sometimes mistake natural features for intentional ones.”

“Count me out,” Clara muttered, “It just looks like wind swept dunes to me.”

“Given the human obsession with locating an extraterrestrial presence,” Lyrei said, struggling to find a place in the cramped cockpit behind Isstvell, “It’s understandable that Jim, and others, would latch onto this region as-“

“Something’s here,” Elara said, breathing in sharply.

They all went quiet. Elara’s heavy breathing filled the cockpit, and in the low light of the ancient Cydonia the purple glow coming over Elara’s eyes illuminated their faces.

“Clara,” Elara squeaked, “Get us out of here, NOW!”

The catgirl grabbed the controls, throttling the ship upwards, but against the whine of the engines it stayed in place. Clara swallowed nervously and flicked a few switches, there was a jet-engine roar behind them as Clara’s custom Aelmari-built thrusters kicked in, but while the ship shook with the exertion of the boosters they still remained hovering over the Cydonian landscape.

“Look!” Jim shouted.

Below them the Face was lighting up with the familiar purple glow of psychic activity. It was as if winds suddenly blew against it from all sides, sharpening the features and creating the infamous Face that had been captured by NASA all those decades ago.

“I fucking knew it!” Jim shouted.

The mouth on the gigantic face below them began to creak open, and the eyes and open maw of the face on Mars glowed bright violet as the psychic energy washed over the landscape.

“We’re being drawn in!” Clara shouted as the ship began to descend.

The purple light emanating from the Cydonian Face’s mouth filled the windows, blinding them all. Clara, Jim, and Elara all suddenly found themselves growing lightheaded, and with gasps they all slumped where they were, collapsing on the dashboard, the floor, or in Clara’s case, the pilot’s seat.

“They’re out cold!” Lyrei said, leaning down.

“Automatons?” a Lyrical female voice echoed through the cockpit, “Advanced, and powerful, but still mere mechanism.”

Lyrei and Isstvell’s signals dimmed, and they collapsed with their friends.

…

Jim sat up and groaned, blinking at the white light that irritated his splitting headache. He tried to remember what had happened… they’d been drawn into the face’s mouth? Then it had all gone dark. He was in a seemingly endless expanse of white, but as he looked to his side he breathed a sigh of relief as he saw Elara, Lyrei, and Isstvell’s massive forms sprawled out next to him. They too were stirring… a pit formed in his stomach, where was Clara?

“What happened?” He shouted, running to the three of them. Lyrei reached for him, and he didn’t resist as she scooped him up and held him protectively to her chest as she and Isstvell looked around.

“We’re cut off from the Neuronet,” Isstvell said quietly, “Or… Lyrei and I can reach one another, and we can receive signals, but we can’t transmit anything. We’re still on Mars at least, if we can get a message to the Aelmari on the surface-“

“I’m glad to see you are awake sister.”

The voice echoed overhead, as though from far off loudspeakers. Lyrei and Isstvell looked at one another, then to Elara.

“She seems to wish to speak to you,” Lyrei said.

Elara sighed, “Who is this?” She demanded, “Where is the Glalan? Our ship?”

“Calm yourself,” the voice said soothingly, “It is an astonishing thing to see, another of us that has torn free from the Archons.”

Elara froze, “Y-You’re one of their servitors?”

“Was,” the voice replied harshly. “These androids, this human, are they your servants?”

Elara shot them a confused look, “Just tell her yes,” Jim said, “We can straighten things out later.”

“Yes,” Elara shouted, “I had another… servant, the cat, did you-“

“Ah yes,” The voice said dismissively, “She is unharmed, but her predatory instincts were very strong. With as many human charges as I have, I could not let her entire my domain without rendering her… harmless.”

The white filling their vision seemed to fade, “My apologizes for the illusion,” the voice came again, “but I had to be sure you were not servants of the Archons.”

Jim blinked in awe as a great cavern came into view, with a vast steel ceiling that had to be dozens of miles away, twinkling lights shining down upon the vast subterranean landscape. They were at the edge of a city, a HUMAN city, he realized, with vast steel skyscrapers with a smooth and alien architecture he didn’t recognize from any earthly design.

The humans themselves were visible, some watching them from windows, others going about their business, ignoring the three giants and their own human charge who seemingly sat on the footsteps of their metropolis. Jim tried to take in as much as he could of them, they had Mediterranean features and… they wore togas? With gold jewelry seemingly very popular, the most striking difference from the humans of earth was the bright teal hair so many sported. Was that natural, he wondered.

The most striking thing was the ninety-foot giantess that stood in front of the buildings. Like Elara she had dark skin, and platinum silver hair that almost glowed, but where Elara preferred businesswear and earth fashions this woman wore a bronze metal bikini, and was covered head to toe in gold depicting frightening a frightening mix of Aztec and Greco-Roman designs. In on hand she held a mighty silver staff with a glowing violet crystal atop it.

Jim gasped in shock as he realized that some of her jewelry was in fact a series of small cages, and they were all occupied by naked humans. One in each earring, a pair attached to anklets dangling by her bare feet, and one ruby studded one which held a young man prisoner as he dangled between her sumptuous breasts.

“I am Hestia,” She proclaimed, “Savior of Lemuria and Atlantis, and one true queen of Mars!”

“ALL HAIL!” The humans of the city echoed behind her.

“Oh boy,” Jim muttered to himself, looking over the vast cityscape and the gold decked alien. “Lyrei, Isstvell, your weapons systems are working, right?”

“They are,” Isstvell said quietly, “but… look at all of these humans Jim! There might be hundreds of thousands of them down here!”

“Yeah,” he muttered, “I know you guys are really into… protecting humans, but I’ve just got a bad feeling about all of this.”

“Welcome sister,” Hestia said, her jewelry clinking as she walked forward and embraced a shocked Elara, “You must have broken free, just as I did so long ago! And you’ve even gathered your own servants, As I did!” The newcomer beamed at Jim, Lyrei, and Isstvell. “That is quite an adorable human by the way, I’ll order the smiths to make you a necklace for him right away.” She gestured down at the cage that hung between her massive breasts, pressing against the bars where the human was trapped.

The humans of the city cheered as their… queen? Embraced Elara like a long lost relative. Elara for her part was still in shock, looking to the Aelmari for direction.

“Will you stay?” Hestia asked, separating, “It’s been so long since we’ve had any word from offworld, you can stay in my palace, it’s built for beings of our stature,” she glanced at Lyrei and Isstvell, “your servants can come too of course!”

“O-Of course,” Elara said, “I umm…” she looked at Jim, “I did have a Glalan, as I said-“

“My humans are bringing her now,” Hestia said in an almost bored tone, “as I said, I took steps to render her safe.”

A group of humans was approaching down the paved street behind the queen. Jim strained over the side of Lyrei’s palm, hoping to get a good look at the cart they were pushing. This was ridiculous, where was Clara?

His eyes went wide as one of the men tapped a switch on the side, and with a hiss the front of the cart opened. The men went inside and carried out an unconscious, and very human sized, Clara.

“What did you do to her!?” Jim snapped angrily.

Hestia regarded him coolly, “Elara dear,” she said, “your human is speaking out of turn.”

“He uh…” Elara cleared her throat, “I will repeat his question, what have you done to Clara?”

“I simply reduced her size,” Hestia said, as if it were the most natural thing in the world, “she won’t be eating any of MY humans like that.”

Lyrei stepped forward, and causing the humans carrying the unconscious catgirl to scatter, she reached down and picked up Clara’s limp form. Cupping her hands together she let Jim examine her. He checked her pulse, and sighed with relief when he found it. Clara was still… big, at least seven feet tall, maybe a few inches over, but to Jim, who was used to looking up at her like she was a building, it was jarring.

Her eyes fluttered open, “Jim?” She said softly, sitting up in Lyrei’s hand and rubbing her head. “Is this another psychic vision or something?”

“Uh, not exactly,” He said uncomfortably.

Clara frowned, “Wait, this is… this is real, isn’t it?” She smiled, “Wow! You figured out a way to make yourself normal size!”

“Uh,” he cleared his throat, then just pointed at the giant concerned face of Lyrei observing them.

Clara’s eyes went wide, and her ears went flat against her head, “No,” she breathed, “no no no NOOO!”

“Clara,” Jim began, “Calm down-“

“I’M STARS-DAMNED TINY!” She screamed.

“Elara,” The queen said, leading them, or rather leading Elara, through the wide streets. “A wonderful name my dear, and what a nice collection of servants you’ve acquired!”

“Uh, thanks,” Elara said in awe.

“As you can see, I’ve been cultivating my own humans,” she said with a smile, gesturing to the bustling activity of the city around them. “It’s our birthright after all.” She beamed back at the other dark-skinned servitor, “It doesn’t surprise me at all to see that a sister of mine is following the same path,” she gestured to the Aelmari, Jim, and Clara, “it seems to be our place in the universe to command, once we step out of the Archon’s shadow of course.”

In the center of the Martian City a great walled palace loomed, sized for a Queen that stood ninety feet tall. The entryway was a series of great marble columns, with steps in the middle sized for the Queen, who led Elara, Isstvell, and Lyrei up them. Lyrei was carrying Jim and a still shell-shocked Clara, and they peered over the edge of her hand to take in the palace entryway. Along the sides, much smaller steps swarmed with human activity. Every now and then one of the humans would cross the steps in front of them.

“Look out!” Elara said suddenly, realizing Queen Hestia was about to step on one of the humans racing in front of them. He’d dropped a basket of something, and was struggling to pick it up before the giant’s bare foot came down on him.

Hestia paused, looked back at her, and then down at the quavering human. With a sigh she bent down to pick him up.

“You!” Hestia snapped, “as a servant in my temple, you of all people should know to watch where you are going!”

“I-I’m sorry goddess,” the human stammered, his eyes low. Hestia smirked at his apparent fear, then, still holding him, leaned down. Around each ankle she had a gold chain from which a pair of cages hung. One on her left foot was occupied, but she brought the human to the empty one and gently opened the cage. The human seemed resigned to his fate as she slipped him in and closed the door, a small click reaching even Jim and Clara’s ears as it locked.

“A little time at my feet,” Hestia said, standing up, “and perhaps he’ll be more careful.” She beamed at Elara, “we MUST compare notes on the best way to educate humans.” She gestured down at the dangling cages, some empty, some occupied, that she wore on her body, “Punishment has it’s place, of course, both to correct wrongs and to reinforce one’s… divinity.”

Lyrei and Isstvell were communicating rapidly with one another using localized neuronet. Jim glanced up at Lyrei’s face and saw her lips were a tight line.

“Jim,” she said quietly, hanging back from the queen and Elara, “Do these humans look… happy?”

Jim glanced around at the scurrying priesthood of Hestia’s “temple.” They averted his gaze, and the attention of the other giants. He recalled how the people who had brought Clara to them had scattered as soon as Lyrei had reached for her. Even now, after almost half a year of living with the Aelmari, Jim could still find himself slightly spooked by the size of his friends, but never to the point where he truly feared any of them. These people were… ruled? By a giantess, why were they so skittish around something they supposedly saw every day?  

“She’s treating them like pets,” Isstvell observed, “at best…”

Clara snorted, crossing her arms, “Oh yeah, you guys probably could never approve of something like that.”

“Excuse me?” Isstvell asked with a frown. “If you are implying that our adoption of humanity is ANYTHING like what we’re seeing here-“

“Should she call them bio-trophies?” Jim asked, smirking at how uncomfortable the topic made them.

The two elves were silent at that, exchanging looks and frowns as they continued following Elara and Hestia through the palace.

“I have so many questions,” Elara marveled, looking around the massive temple. There were sculptures and murals of the other giantess everywhere, usually with motifs of her holding praying humans in her hands, or radiating light into a crowd of ecstatic human worshippers. “How long have you been down here?”

“Oh, I don’t know,” Hestia remarked, “since Atlantis was destroyed? Ten thousand years or so maybe, the humans do love to keep track of that sort of thing. I’ll have a priest find the information for you.”

“T-Ten thousand-“ Elara stammered.

“Yes,” Hestia nodded, “somewhere around there I think, tell me dear, do our old masters still tell their servitors of Atlantis?”

“It was a previous human civilization,” Elara said slowly, “from the days when harvesting and collecting humans was more open.”

“The Archons ordered them reset to a more primitive state,” Hestia said, holding her necklace up and letting the cage dangle in front of her smiling face, “but I just couldn’t let them do it! My powers weren’t as strong then, but they were enough for me to hide from my sisters and our old masters while I saved a few from the cataclysm.” She gestured around, “I built these caves of steel, and, in exchange for their unwavering worship and obedience, I have shepherded this scion of great Atlantis.” She let the necklace fall back between her breasts, causing the imprisoned human to cry out in surprise as the cage bounced against the queen’s ample chest.

She glanced back at the stunned party, Jim desperately wanted to ask more questions about that, about Atlantis, but he remembered her dismissive attitude towards him before and kept silent.

Hestia sighed, “I’ve hoped for so long that one of my sisters would rebel, as I did, you cannot imagine how happy I am to finally see it has happened.” She gestured for them to follow her into an ornately decorated bedroom. A four-poster bed the size of a football field sat in the middle, elaborate dragon and angular Aztec looking motifs carved up the posts. There were similarly decorated tables, and sets of gigantic Greek looking robes and sandals arranged and hanging in a nearby closet.

A purple glow wrapped around some of the dresser drawers, pulling the massive furniture open. Tthe violet hue wrapped around the contents and Jim’s heart sank as various items of gold jewelry, almost all sporting human sized cages, were drawn out and laid out for Elara’s perusal. The final item, a gilded brass cage maybe forty feet wide, lifted itself out and hovered to a nightstand next to the giant-sized bed.

Jim gasped as the purple glow wrapped around him and Clara, Lyrei panicked and reached for them as they were lifted up out of her grip through the air. The cage on the nightstand snapped open, and Hestia grinned as Jim and Clara flailed before her psychic energy easily lobbed them inside. Behind them the cage snapped shut again. He quickly looked around, the cage had what looked like a king-sized bed and a pair of dressers, perhaps most distressing was the water dish… how long did Hestia expect them to stay in here?

The cages on Hestia’s jewelry clinked as she almost smugly walked over to their prison, bending down to peer at them, “This should hold your pets while I show you around the palace dear,” Hestia said, “I must say… at this size the Glalan is almost cute.”

“Hey!” Clara ran to the edge of the cage, gripping the bars and snarling angrily at the giant, “Put me back to normal! Come on!”

“Oh, I don’t think so dear,” Hestia said with a small smile, “I’m sure your master cares very much about you, but I can’t have a predator like you running around and terrorizing my humans.” She glanced back at Elara, “if you wanted to, you could keep her this size when you leave.”

“What!?” Clara shouted, eyes going wide.

Hestia held up a fingertip and a purple orb appeared on the end, “I could even make her a little smaller if you like.”

Clara looked up in a panic, but Elara was biting her lip and struggling not to laugh, “That uh,” Elara cleared her throat, “that won’t be necessary, she’s quite… manageable, at her normal size.”

Hestia shrugged and stood up, ignoring Clara’s protests as she rejoined the other giants.

“Suit yourself,” the Queen said, “I’ll have to show you how to change an organic’s size before you go though. It’s not often a useful ability, but always an amusing one.”

Elara’s eyes brightened, “That would be wonderful!”

“Indeed,” Hestia said with a warm smile, “there are so many things I can teach you. I’ll order the priests to begin work on a banquet, we can discuss this over dinner. In the meantime, I must show you my art gallery! There are some more fitting clothes over there in the dresser! Get changed and I’ll meet you outside.”

With that she gave Elara one final smile, then turned to leave, the jewelry imprisoning her followers clinking as she went.

“Elara,” Clara said as soon as she was gone, “You’ve got to figure out how to make me big again!”

“We have more pressing concerns,” Isstvell said, “Somehow, she’s jamming our ability to broadcast to the rest of the Aelmari. We’re on our own for the time being.”

“She doesn’t seem so bad,” Elara said hesitantly.

“You just like her because she thinks you’re in charge!” Clara snapped.

“Yeah,” Jim said, “That’s… odd, no offense Elara. I don’t think she recognizes Aelmari either.”

“If she really is ten thousand years old then she’ been down here for far longer than we’ve been active in this sector,” Isstvell mused. “She seems to think we’re your robotic servants.”

“And she thinks Jim and me are her pets!” Clara said indignantly.

“I’m fine with continuing this ruse for the time being,” Isstvell said, looking to Lyrei, who nodded, “but we need to begin searching for a way to communicate with the surface. Once we reach a Matriarch it won’t matter how much psychic ability she has, we’ll be able to summon enough force to restrain her and then we can start the work on adoption for these humans.”

“Do we have to do it like that?” Jim asked uncertainly, “I mean… what if these people don’t WANT to be adopted?”

Isstvell and Lyrei exchanged frowns, walking over to the cage where Jim was and leaning down in unison, “Jim,” Isstvell said finally, “our level of involvement in their lives wouldn’t be any more than this Hestia woman’s.”

“The Mission demands it Jim,” Lyrei said quietly. Her eyes brightened as she took in Clara’s relatively small form. “Oh stars, Clara, you are just adorable at that size!”

“She really is,” Isstvell murmured. She leaned towards the cage, causing the catgirl to back away from the bars nervously.

Jim had a sudden thought. The Aelmari’s protective instincts were activated by humans largely because of their small size, a physical trait they shared with the android’s long dead creators. With Clara being roughly human size… was she triggering those instincts in Lyrei and Isstvell?

“Clara,” Isstvell said uncertainly, “would it be okay if Lyrei and I… handled you?”

“Uhh,” The Glalan backed away from the bars slowly, “J-Jim?” She asked, looking back at him.

He shrugged, “Hey,” he said reassuringly, “you know those two, they’re gentle.” He gave her a smile, “Don’t worry, we’ll figure this out, and at least you’re taller than me, right?”

She seemed to realize it for the first time, and as she sized him up, she grinned. She walked towards him and he swallowed nervously as he looked up at the amazon Clara had become. She wasn’t ninety feet tall anymore, that was for sure, but standing in front of him at seven foot plus her athletic physique somehow became more apparent. From the way she was sizing him up he had a feeling that Clara was going to try to determine which one of them was stronger pretty soon, and he had no doubt that it would be her.

“You look nervous Jim,” she said in a low voice, a familiar teasing smile tracing over her face, “come on, don’t be scared, I’m smaller than I’ve ever been!”

“How do I look?” Elara said, catching all of their attention as she modeled a very classical era looking dress. She did look good, the light material contrasting against her dark skin and hugging her chest. She had a silver pair of sandals on, and one hand was a necklace. Elara held it up to put it on, and then blanched.

“Oh,” she said, seeing the human sized cage hanging from it. She bit her lip and looked at Clara and Jim through the bars of their cage, “I-I don’t suppose either of you would like to-“

“Maybe another time,” Jim said, fighting a chuckle.

“Like NEVER,” Clara muttered, crossing her arms.

Elara sighed and snapped the necklace on anyways. The empty cage hung between her massive breasts in the deep cleavage of the dress. Looking at the small prison nearly being swallowed up by Elara’s chest, Jim almost wanted to yell that he changed his mind.

“Elara dear!” Hestia’s voice called from outside, “Come along! The humans have carved some statues of me that you simply MUST see!”

“I guess you two can wait here,” Elara said quietly, frowning at the cage. “I-It’s all just a ruse, right?”

“It better be,” Clara muttered, “or I’ve got some things I might do to you once I’m looking you in the eye again.”

Elara sighed and looked up, “Isstvell, Lyrei,” she said imperiously, “attend me!”

The Aelmari exchanged an amused look, then followed her, “I caution you about letting this deception go to your head Elara,” Isstvell said. Before they left Isstvell tapped the top of Jim and Clara’s cage, where her finger made contact the brass surface glowed blue a moment, then faded. “A simple patch of recon nanites,” she explained. “I’ll be able to see if there’s any… trouble back here.”

She turned to follow Elara out, Lyrei joining her as the three giants closed the door to the room. The door clacked shut, leaving Jim and the shrunken Clara alone in their prison.

Clara spun around and grinned, her tail flickering back and forth ominously, “Jim!” she said sweetly, “we’re all locked up with nothing to do!” She stalked towards him, causing him to step back nervously.

“I’m warning you Clara,” he said, “I might be a lot stronger than you’re used to!”

“Wrestling” with Clara usually involved her taunting him while she used her bare foot to pin him against the floor. Occasionally she’d simply use her fingers to overpower him, letting him push back against them slightly only to laugh and bring her index finger down on his torso, knocking the wind out of him.

The way she giggled at his “threat” though, she didn’t think he had any better chance against her as an amazon than he did when she was a giant. He swallowed nervously, and unconsciously she seemed to know he thought so too.

“Strip,” she breathed, reaching behind herself to undo the catch on her silver bodysuit. She pulled it off eagerly as she stepped out of her boots, kicking them away from herself as she forced her human prey closer to the bed.

Jim gulped, and obeyed her without question, tossing his shirt over his head and shimmying out of his pants. He kicked his own shoes aside and stood naked before the amazon sized Clara, who was eyeing him up hungrily.

“Oh stars,” she said, licking her lips and looking at his rapidly rising erection, “I’m finally going to get to use that thing.”

“Y-Yeah?” Jim breathed.

Clara was usually over ninety feet tall, how was she still so overpowering at just seven? She could sense his trepidation, and she giggled softly as she closed the distance between them. Her arm swooped down before he could react, and he was lifted off the ground as she forced him into a long, rough kiss, cradling him in her arms as her tongue easily forced his down as she explored his mouth.

He gasped as she pulled away, grinning at his reaction. It seemed she had the same effect on him at any size, and he went limp in her arms as she pulled him up for another of those kisses that left him breathless.

“Okay,” she said finally, letting his feet touch the ground again. “I’m not happy about being shrunk, and I’m not happy about being thrown in jail, but at least my cellmate is a cutie that’s easy to push around!”

She grabbed his shoulders and grinned down at him. With a rough push she caused him to stumble down on a knee, she pushed again and he got the hint, getting on his knees in front of her waiting opening. He could smell the strong scent of her arousal as she reached a hand down and played with herself idly.

“Now let’s put that mouth to good use,” she said, her strong hand cradling the back of his head.

“You’re lucky Hestia didn’t shrink you just a little smaller,” he said, playfully fighting against her attempt to force his mouth against her lower lips.

“Please Jim,” Clara said dismissively, “She could have made me a head shorter than you, and we both know you’d end up in this same position.” She grinned, “me being bigger just speeds things up.”

He tried to make a retort, but his face was shoved into the amazonian catgirl’s waiting lips, and with a grunt he began eating her out. She groaned happily, her grip on his hair tightening as she guided his face against her nether regions. He kept going for a few minutes, gasping for breath as she forced him in, moaning his name happily. A few times he tried to come up for air, but she easily overpowered him, forcing his tongue to continue his work until she bucked her hips against him and splashed his face with her juices. Even as she finished she kept his head in place, forcing herself into his face and mouth, overwhelming him with the strong musk of her pussy just as thoroughly as she did when she was a giant.

“Oh that’s good,” she panted, “almost as good as just shoving your whole body in…” she grinned down at his soaked face, “that’s a good look for you Jim.” She sighed, twirling a small lock of his hair, extending a single claw to let her wind it tighter, causing him to wince slightly. “This wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened,” she mused, “I mean… I don’t like being tiny…”

“Seven and a half feet tall is NOT tiny,” Jim said, fighting a smirk.

She rolled her eyes, “It’s tiny to me,” she said, “still, it’s kind of fun getting to handle you like a proper male for a change.”

Before he could react, she had her hands under his armpits. Lifting him off the ground she easily hefted him up over her shoulder, and then into a bridal carry. She smirked at his shocked expression as she easily carried the smaller human towards the bed. He cried out in shock as she tossed him into the center, causing the mattress to creak.

“It’s nice not having to be so careful,” Clara said with a predatory grin as she climbed into the bed herself.

“C-Careful?” Jim said, watching the towering catgirl position herself over him. “You think you’re usually being CAREFUL?”

Clara paused, then rolled her eyes, “Jim, I AM careful with you, even when we play rough making sure I don’t really hurt you is always in the back of my mind.” She bit her lip, “Well, more than you WANT to be hurt anyway.”

“I know,” he said with a smile, “I just like teasing you, besides, you prefer when I try to resist, don’t you?”

“I do,” she purred. Her hands shot out and pinned his arms to the bed. “Now human, are you ready to submit to the dominant species?”

“Never!” he said with a grin, fighting in vain to get out of her grip. “I will forever fight for human independence!”

“Please,” Clara laughed, “how long did it take me to catch you when I landed on earth? I don’t think it was more than a few minutes.” Forcing his arms up over his head she easily pinned them with one hand, and Jim was startled to realize that both of his arms couldn’t break her grip.

“But I never surrendered,” he protested, “even when you were threatening to eat me and squish me and stuff.”

“I guess that’s true,” Clara said with a grin, “You were such a brave little human, and really Jim you ARE brave, don’t ever think I don’t see that after all we’ve been through…” She giggled, “BUT, there was a part of you, even then, that wanted to be my plaything.”

Jim gulped, he liked to think he would have fought the Glalans to his dying breath… but at this point, between Aelmari questioning, accidental psychic confessions, and plenty of genuinely intimate time spent alone together… well, it would be ridiculous to lie to her.

“I mean…” he chuckled nervously, looking up at the catlike alien who was very visibly enjoying his discomfort. “Yeah,” he said finally.

“Love at first sight,” Clara said, tussling his hair with her free hand, “even if your first sight was eye level with my boots.”

Reaching a hand down she gripped him and guided him to her opening, her hips came down and he gasped as he entered her. She released his arms for a second, placing her hands on his chest as she took a cowgirl position. He started as she extended her claws, not raking his skin, but scratching it just slightly, leaving pale white lines.

The first thrust of her hips took him by surprise, and his head went back and he moaned in pleasure as she rode him. He forced himself to look up, watching the grinning catgirl as she forced herself roughly on him, each movement of her hips slamming him down into the bed and rocking his whole body.

Jim was used to being manhandled at this point, when your roommates included a pair of hundred twenty foot space elves with a human fetish, a repressed clone, and a perennially horny ninety foot catgirl, it just came with the territory. This though, this was a new experience. Being ridden rough and hard by Clara he could see her playful expressions as he occasionally lifted his hands to try to direct her speed or force. These attempts to take some semblance of control just seemed to turn her on more, and she laughed as she pushed his hands down again, forcing him to submit.

“I’m having my way with you, human!” she growled, “now lay back and take it!”

The bed quaked and rocked, creaking as Clara forcefully bore down on him again and again like an avalanche. All he could do was hold on and let the waves of pleasure cascade over him as she bucked against him, increasing her pace and force as she moaned swears the translation nanites had trouble keeping up with.

“I hope you’re ready!” She grinned down at him. Hips rocked into his with enough force that he groaned with a mix of pleasure and pain. She’d definitely leave a few bruises, and even as he neared orgasm he wondered if the Aelmari’s medical nanites had done anything to strengthen his pelvis. Thoughts failed him then, and it was all he could do to stay conscious as Clara’s tempo and force reached new heights, driving him home as she brought the world around him crumbling down with the force of her lovemaking.

Wood splintered, and the bed crashed to the brass floor of the gigantic cage with a crash as Clara and Jim came. His senses were overwhelmed as the amazon’s powerful hips and muscles drove him to a thundering orgasm as Clara cried out above him. She kept going for another minute or so, slowly riding the waves of bliss as the two of them came down.

Finally, Clara collapsed on him, and he grunted as the immense catgirl squeezed him close with that unbreakable grip. Slowly she rolled over, keeping him in place and tucking him under her arm so she could squeeze him against her side like an oversized teddy bear.

“That was nice,” she murmured, reaching around to stroke his hair.

“Yeah,” he said, wincing slightly. He felt like he’d been hit by a train, but even with the bruises and scratches he’d no doubt be finding for days, he’d step in front of it again in a heartbeat. “Clara,” he breathed, “I don’t think I can walk.”

Clara snorted, “now you know how your prom night would have ended if I’d lived on earth.”

…

Isstvell smiled internally, she’d used the recon nanites to keep an eye on Jim and Clara, and she was happy to see that even in Clara’s diminished state they’d taken the opportunity to become intimate. She beamed the footages to Lyrei and felt a happy sensation through their neuronet, whatever was jamming their outgoing signals was still letting them communicate between each other, at least.

She and Lyrei were following behind the two dark skinned aliens. Queen Hestia was gesturing to various human carved artwork, full size statues of her that had taken dozens of humans years to carve, paintings that had taken human artists a lifetime to complete, and on it went. Elara seemed politely interested, and humans scurried about palace business at their feet, giving the four giants a wide berth.

“I demand a yearly tribute,” Hestia explained, “physical works are preferred, but I accept song and dance as well.”

“And… if they don’t meet it?” Elara asked hesitantly.

“If they fail, or if their offering is unsatisfactory…” Hestia grinned and padded the caged human dangling like a jewel between her breasts, “I have many ways to punish errant subjects.” Her face lit up, “oh, do you know the humans have royalty!? It’s adorable! One year they utterly failed to entertain me, no portraits, and the music was terribly off key. So I stomped down to THEIR palace, plucked their little king up, and made him beg me not to step on his wife!”

Hestia laughed, and Elara looked back at a frowning Lyrei and Isstvell uncomfortably.

“Y-You didn’t though, right?” Elara asked weakly.

“Oh heavens no,” she said, wheezing slightly as her laughter died down. “I put my foot down on her of course, really soiled that nice gown of hers, but I don’t step on them unless they’re really being rebellious.” She sighed, “I did keep that little king as a toy for a year or so, they’d come up to the temple every day begging for him back,” she laughed again. “That cage I left your human in was the one I used to keep him in.” She glanced down at the pair of cages on her anklet, she shook her foot slightly, causing her prisoners to rattle back and forth. “I do love cages,” she mused, “humans need the occasional reminder of their station.” She reached between her breasts, drawing up the captive human and making eye contact with him, “Even the good ones need it sometimes, isn’t that right, High Priest?”

“Yes Goddess,” he shouted, pushing his head between the bars, “I live to serve, the chance to ride upon your perfection teaches humility!”

“Good boy,” she cackled.

She paused, seeming to notice that Elara’s own cage necklace was empty, “Elara dear,” Hestia said with a frown, “where is your human?”

“He was feeling unwell,” Isstvell said sternly, “we decided to let him and the Glalan rest.”

Hestia’s eyes narrowed as she regarded Isstvell and Lyrei a moment, “Of course,” she said finally. “let me loan you something then.” The queen of mars glanced around a moment, then her eyes lit up as she spotted a human scurrying along the wall. She knelt down, causing her jewelry to clink as she smiled down at the young man. For his part he gulped nervously and tried to ignore her, continuing to carry a sack over his shoulder, though his pace did pick up a bit. Hestia’s hand shot out, coiling around him like a snake.

“Hold still,” she said in a harsh tone. The man instantly went slack in her palm as she drew him up to Elara’s face. “This one is pleasing, no?” Elara just nodded nervously, “tell me boy,” Hestia said, “Have I ever handled you before?”

“N-No goddess,” he stammered.

“Hmph,” she sniffed, “then today you are truly blessed.” She leaned over to Elara and unlatched the empty cage hanging between the other giantess’s breasts. Sloping her palm, she gently slid the temple servant inside, latching it shut behind him. He turned around and grabbed the bars, looking out in awe at his goddess’s face, and the two titanic breasts on either side of his prison.

“Thank you,” Elara said uncertainly, glancing down at her apparent prisoner.

“Think nothing of it,” Hestia said with a laugh, “you may keep him if you like, I’ve many to spare.”

A trumpet rang out, and a pair of humans approached the four of them, led by a man in an ornate red robe.

“My Lady,” He shouted, his deep voice carrying up even to the four giants. “Your dinner is prepared!”

“Oh good,” Hestia said with a smile, “Come Elara, let’s adjourn to the dining room.”

“This woman is clearly unfit to lead these humans,” Isstvell thought at Lyrei, “this abuse will end, and they will find comfort in the Aelmari’s loving embrace.”

“Perhaps,” Lyrei mused.

Isstvell looked at her in shock, they could speak in private using thought, and even the psychic wouldn’t pick up their machine signals… but Isstvell wasn’t sure what Lyrei meant by that.

“Explain?” she demanded.

“Jim seems to see our efforts as… similar to Queen Hestia’s,” Lyrei explained, a troubled look on her face.

“We are NOTHING like this,” Isstvell thought, mortified, “we saved humanity from destruction!”

“So, apparently, did she,” Lyrei thought back, “does that justify her rule here?”

“Saving a handful of lives doesn’t entitle her to treat an entire race as her vanity project,” Isstvell thought angrily. “Lyrei, I don’t know what has gotten into you, are your cognitive functions suffering? We don’t know the effects a psychic attack had on them-“

“They’re at optimal levels,” Lyrei said in an uncharacteristically stern thought, “at the end of the day, did the human hanging between Elara’s breasts right now have any more or less say in things than any of the other humans we took? Than Jim or Clara did?”

Isstvell stopped in her tracks. Realizing that the two androids were no longer following them, Hestia and Elara glanced back at them curiously.

“Isstvell,” Elara said cautiously, “is everything-“

“Yes mistress Elara,” Isstvell said, keeping the ruse up even as her emotions threatened to overwhelm her programming. “I…” She pursed her lips, ignoring Elara’s panicked face, “With your permission, I’d like to go check on your other servants, J-,” she collected herself, “The human hasn’t eaten all day.”

“Ah,” Hestia mused, “yes, if you cage them up it’s good to try to feed them once a day, why not dismiss your android to attend to the poor dear?”

“Of course,” Elara said, confused, “Isstvell, you may go.”

The Aelmari nodded at the three of them, spinning on her heels as she walked as quickly as she determined was possible without causing alarm.

“Isstvell?” Lyrei called by thought, “what are you doing?”

“Stay with Elara,” she snapped, “I don’t trust Hestia, even with someone her own size.”

She shut off incoming neuronet messages, allowing her to ignore Lyrei’s protesting thoughts. She stalked through the halls of the temple, scowling as she saw the humans on either side of the hallway shrink away from her gaze, terrified. Anger rose in her again, humans showing fear to a giant being like her activated some deep seated, almost primal, rage.

“Stop that!” she snapped, seeing a group carrying fruit bowls hug the wall as she went by. “I’m not going to hurt you!” She knelt down, “I’m a friend! A protector!” she gave them her softest smile before launching into the set of dialogue written eons before the first human had dreamt of cuneiform or plowing the fields. “The Aelmari Mission is to find and cultivate tiny species, to protect your happiness and assure you reach whatever heights you-“

“P-Please,” the man breathed, throwing his arms across the others, “I’ll go with you, I can’t sing or dance, but if you spare my sons I can-“

“STOP!” Isstvell shouted, almost deafening the poor humans below. She’d seen humans fight Aelmari before, Jim himself had resisted them fiercely… but this quavering submission and utter terror was something new, something that she didn’t care for.

“Shut off emotions,” she thought at her subconscious feebly.

“DENIED,” her own voice came back.

She fought the urge to draw in a breath, a very biological gesture indeed.

“Override,” she thought, panic rising in her. “This is a survival situation-“

“DENIED,” she repeated to herself, and it WAS herself, wasn’t it?

Jim! Jim and Clara! she reasoned, she had to speak with them. They could provide… insight. Without another word to the panicked and confused humans below she stood back up to her full height. She tried to give them one last disarming smile, one that didn’t seem to comfort them at all, before she forced herself to continue towards the guest room where their host had left her friends.

…

Jim’s eyes glowed a soft violet as he tried harnessing psychic energy. When Hestia had used her own powers to lock them in the cage, he’d unconsciously managed to grab some of it, and the bed-destroying romp with the amazon sized catgirl had seemingly generated some in the same way it did for Elara. The latch on the cage glowed purple as he mentally reached out to it, trying to figure out how it was sealed.

“I don’t suppose there’s any chance you could use those powers to make me big again?” Clara asked, her tail swishing behind her as she inspected the small dresser included in their cage.

“I think I could,” he mused, staying focused on the lock, “it’s like… I don’t know how to describe it, there’s a web or something around you, and I think it’s keeping you small.” Clara paused, looking at him hopefully. He chuckled as he closed his eyes, focusing on his “third eye” as Elara had tried to teach him. “Hestia is really strong,” he explained, “I think if Elara and I both gave it every ounce of power we’ve got we could give you maybe a foot or so of your height back.”

“Well give me that then,” she said with a smile, “Come on, don’t you want big bad Clara to toss you around this cage again? Imagine how much fun it would be if I was just a bit bigger…”

He felt a stir as blood rushed low. Even with the lingering scratches and light bruising he knew he would have a hard time saying no to another round with her, and giving her another six inches or a foot on him… He sighed regretfully and forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He was rewarded a moment later as the psychically sealed lock glowed purple briefly, and then gave a quick *pop* as the cage swung open.

“Yes!” He said excitedly, “Clara, I did it!” he spun around and gasped in surprise as he looked up and saw the hulking catgirl standing over him.

“Look what I found in the drawer over there!” she said excitedly. The first thing he noticed was that she was wearing one of the classical style togas, similar to what other humans in the palace did, the second was that in her hand was a gold collar, in a human size, with rubies studded around the sides and a long loose chain. Clara’s other hand held the end of it, dangling it like a leash. With a flick of her thumb the jeweled collar snapped open and she leered at him with a smug grin.

“Oh, fuck me,” he chuckled.

“My thoughts exactly,” Clara growled.

He turned to run, he wasn’t sure where exactly, but before he’d even made it two steps the oversized Clara was on him, and he felt the cold touch of the metal against his neck and heard the *snap* as she closed the decorated collar on him. He was forced to stop running, his hands going to the collar as Clara gave just the slightest tug on her “leash.”

“Heel,” she laughed. “Now come here boy!” With another pull she easily drew him closer to her, causing him to stumble as she reeled him in. He tripped forward again, and Clara caught him in her arms, drawing him up to her and lifting his feet off the ground as she hugged him.

“I don’t suppose there are any clothes in that dresser I could use?” he asked.

“You’ve got a collar, don’t you?” She asked teasingly.

“I got the lock open Clara,” he said, “come on, don’t you want to take a look around here? Maybe ask some of the people in this palace some questions? I’d like to get out into their city too, maybe some of them know where our ship is, or how Hestia is blocking Lyrei and Isstvell’s signals.”

Clara sighed, “I guess we probably should.” She released him, letting him fall to the ground. She reached for his neck, there was a click as the collar released. She looked longingly at it a moment, “If we have a chance, I’m going to make sure to grab this before we leave.” Her face lit up, “oh, one of those cool cage-necklaces too!”

“Wonderful,” Jim said with a chuckle, rolling his eyes. “Just for the record, I think that it’s another red flag that our hostess has so much of that type of stuff around here, human sized collars, cages, all of it.”

Clara bit her lip, “I mean Jim, I can’t really fault her for THAT… I’ve got a cage for you built into my ship’s dashboard.”

“Yeah,” Jim said, giving her a smirk, “and I’m sick enough in the head that I enjoy it, but I don’t think anyone could spend ten minutes with us and think I was REALLY your slave.”

“True,” Clara mused, “my aunt said something similar when I tried to pass you off as one.”

“Now I don’t know about you,” he continued, “but the vibe I’m getting around here is that Hestia is putting on a good face for us, and that things are a lot uglier around here normally. I’d like to see what I can learn about our situation.”

“Sounds good,” Clara said, “lead the way!”

A few minutes later the two of them were dressed in local clothing, complete with a pair of sandals and a brass circlet for Clara. They stepped out onto the giant-sized dresser and looked around.

“How do we get down from here?” Clara asked, peering down at the floor, fifty feet down at least.

“Hestia’s the only giant here, right?” Jim said, scanning the edges, “there’s no way she does her own cleaning, so there’s probably a human sized access so they can get up here and dust it… Ah!” he pointed to a small ladder sticking out unobtrusively from one corner of the immense dresser.

The two of them climbed down to the floor together, and as they looked around Jim couldn’t help but notice how the room, which initially seemed sized for a hundred-foot woman, had numerous features for human sized occupants. Beneath the bed there was an empty looking square building, a storage shed maybe? And small doors in the corners no doubt allowed inconspicuous access for humans. Jim briefly wondered how many humans it took to provide Hestia’s maid service.

As they took in the room the door opened suddenly. Jim and Clara looked up to see Isstvell’s massive form plodding into the palace’s guest room. Her expression was uncharacteristically troubled, as though she was deep in thought.

Clara’s eyes lit up and she ran for the hundred-twenty-foot Aelmari, “Isstvell!” she said excitedly.

“Clara, wait!” Jim said, trying to grab her arm. He realized suddenly that Clara wasn’t used to being a “small” species, and was about to run right into the path Isstvell was walking on.

Clara realized her mistake too as the massive white boot hovered over her, “ISSTVELL!” she screamed as it came down. The giant blue elf paused, looking down and seeing the pink cat’s tail sticking out from beneath her sole.

“Oh!” she stepped backwards, sighing with relief as she saw Clara was unharmed. She bent down and picked up the Glalan, glancing a bit further she saw Jim and smiled warmly as he walked over to her and climbed into her other palm.

“Now you know why it’s important to watch where you step,” Jim said smugly to Clara.

“I do,” Clara said, crossing her arms, “I step on you on purpose.”

“I need to talk to you two right now,” Isstvell said, cutting them off. “Jim,” she said, turning to him first, “Do you… do you like living with Lyrei and I? With Aelmari?”

He frowned, “I mean… yeah, I guess? What’s this about?”

Isstvell was quiet a moment, “I-If you had the option, if Lyrei and I wouldn’t stop you, would you want to go back to earth?”

He blinked, “At the beginning, yes, Clara and I spent the first week talking about escape plans.”

“I was thinking I’d smuggle him out somewhere… tight,” Clara said wistfully, “oh Jim, it was so cute how scared you used to be of that!”

“And now?” Isstvell asked quietly.

“I love living on the worldship,” he said, “I mean… I guess it’s more the company, you, Lyrei, Clara, Elara even. There’s nowhere I’d rather be.”

Isstvell breathed out a sigh of relief, “The rest of the humans?” she asked suddenly. “Do you think they feel the same?”

Jim bit his lip, “I can’t really speak for the rest of humanity,” he said, “I’m just one guy, but a lot of people are joining you willingly, and from what I’ve seen a lot of them are happy.”

“A lot of them?” Isstvell frowned, “does that mean some people… aren’t happy? Are the Aelmari taking care of them simply not performing adequately?”

“There’s nothing everyone will agree on,” Jim said, “so yeah, from what I’ve seen on human networks there are people who want to go back to earth, and people who got grabbed day one before the Matriarchs calmed you all down a little, those people never got a choice.” He thought a moment, “I don’t think it’s that their Aelmari are doing a bad job, but between freedom and even the nicest owner? I think a lot of people would prefer freedom.”

Isstvell sat, holding her two friends and staring ahead. The silence was uncomfortable, and Jim and Clara glanced at her worriedly.

“Hey Isstvell,” Clara said suddenly, “I know that this is probably an upsetting realization and all, but could we deal with this when I’m not tiny?”

“If you want, I can talk through this with you as long as you need,” Jim said, “and I mean it, you two are my friends, and there’s nowhere I’d rather be than with you.”

“Same here,” Clara cut in. “You guys are great!”

“But,” Jim said, continuing, “Clara’s right, we have a situation in front of us.”

“Right,” Isstvell said, nodding and sighing. “I… I want to say before we go any further, I’m sorry for kidnapping you Jim, and you too Clara.”

“Really, Isstvell, it’s fine,” Jim said, almost laughing at the absurdity of the whole situation.

“Seriously,” Clara said with a grin, “you’re beating yourself up over this too much.”

Isstvell pursed her lips, glancing down at them for a moment, before she smiled.

“Very well,” she said softly, “what do you two propose we do?”

“Can you sneak us out of the palace?” Jim asked eagerly.

…

Lyrei was seated next to Elara on one side of a massive banquet table. Humans scurried across the surface, ferrying silverware and massive goblets filled with wine. The means they used was impressive, teams of men would carry the plates, knives, and forks, a giant cart allowed them to bring drinks to each of the three seated giants.

The Aelmari frowned, feeling bad for the humans. The sheer amount of labor it took them to set this single meal was staggering, and it was becoming clear to her that Queen Hestia made humans do almost everything for her, turning what would be simple tasks for the giantess into a full day of work for a human.

She reached for the goblet and smiled pleasantly at the human servants, but none met her eyes. Taking a sip she let her sensors dissect and report to her on the drink. No poison, though she hadn’t really expected it. It was made from earth native grapes, which made Lyrei wonder if there was a massive agricultural enterprise somewhere? Did they have replicators? Judging by the cuts of meat being served they at least had access to some manner of extraterrestrial domestic animals. Somehow, she doubted that the amount of backbreaking human labor required would cause Hestia to lose any sleep.

“Ah,” Hestia said, taking a sip of the wine, “it’s so nice when the humans make themselves useful, I think it’s fulfilling for them.” The two of them watched the humans scurry to the edges of the table, going as quickly as they could down long spiral staircases at each of the legs. “They’ll return to clean up when we’re done,” Hestia said, watching the last of them leave through human sized doors in the walls. “It would be good for goddesses to talk… undistracted.”

She waved a hand and a purple glow flashed across Lyrei’s eyes. The Aelmari panicked a moment, trying to sit up, but her processes faded as they had when they’d been captured, and soon the giant elf slumped backwards, seemingly asleep in her chair.

“Thinking machines,” Hestia said dismissively, “soulless, without will of their own. It’s almost amusing how many species fear artificial intelligence, as though chips and programming tethered to the material realm could ever truly threaten beings such as us.”

“I must confess,” Elara said, shooting a concerned glance at Lyrei, “I can’t do much more than use thoughtspeak with… my gift.”

“Yes,” Hestia said angrily, “our old masters quite deliberately limited our potential,” she smiled suddenly, “but you’re already beginning to take your first steps into a wider world, aren’t you?” Her eyes glowed violet, and Elara gasped as she realized her own were in unison with the other woman’s. “Was it playing with humans? I must admit, that was the temptation that started my own journey down this path.”

“Yes,” Elara thought at the other woman, and before she could stop herself a slideshow of Jim being shoved inside her, of Clara touching her, of Lyrei and Isstvell holding her as pleasure rocked her body, all of it beamed directly the Martian queen.

 “Psychic powers are a gift in many ways,” Hestia mused, taking in the memories. A smile crept across her face as she gripped her necklace, holding her own caged human in front of her face, “and with the right training humans can make the most delightful power sources.”

She unclasped the small cage, tilting it forward and causing the man inside to tumble limply into her palm. He groaned hoarsely as Hestia poked his side with her finger, pinching his robe and slowly slipping it off.

“High Priest Platon?” She asked sweetly, mockingly, to the human in her palm. “Aww, you’ve been on my necklace all day, haven’t you?” She idly reached her hand over her wine goblet, tilting it slowly and letting the man fall in with an unceremonious splash. “Take a drink priest,” she said. She glanced at Hestia and smiled at the other woman’s uncomfortable look. “Do you disapprove of how my humans are treated?”

“I uhh…” Elara cleared her throat, “Must you be so…”

“Yes,” Hestia snapped. “Elara, we have turned against our masters, but we are still their tools. If you don’t put yourself above the humans,” she shot a glance at the unconscious Lyrei, “above others…” She growled, “you can be their master, or a sword in their hand. There is no third choice.”

Her face seemed to soften, “I understand, you naturally sought companionship once your chains were broken. Perhaps these creatures helped you along?” She smiled, “they’ll never understand the world you’ve broken from though, not like I do. You’ll be happier if you simply let go of those attachments.”

There was a splashing sound from Hestia’s goblet, interrupting their conversation. Hestia smirked, reaching for it, and took a long drought. The struggling sound of the human swimming inside became more frantic as the current brought him towards Hestia’s mouth. With an exaggerated sigh of pleasure, Hestia put the goblet down, reaching a finger inside the rim to fish out the wine-soaked high priest.

“Platon,” she said in an amused tone, “you tried so hard to stay out of my mouth, you weren’t scared, were you?”

“N-No my goddess,” the high priest stammered.

“Time for a test of faith,” Hestia said with a smirk. Elara watched nervously as she dangled her high priest by one arm, slowly lowering him into her mouth. Her lips pursed around the man’s arm, hiding him from view as she sucked on his body. Her eyes made contact with Elara’s and she giggled, no doubt terrifying her prisoner.

Hestia’s eyes flashed violet as her tongue darted up between her toy’s legs. Elara could feel it in her own mind’s eye as the human shivered and begged for mercy, even as Hestia playfully heightened his arousal. It didn’t take long for the terrified high priest to reach orgasm, jerking as he shot his load into his goddesses waiting mouth. Like the wine from his skin, it was easily sucked away into the cavernous darkness.

Hestia’s eyes glowed even brighter, “You feel it, don’t you?” Hestia said inside Elara’s mind. “That brief surge of energy, coming from him, and going to me. It gets stronger the more emotional they are towards you. it’s why I always make the one who is most frightened of me my high priest.”

She opened her mouth, drawing the shivering, soaked, and naked Platon out, “You have pleased your goddess high priest,” she said in an amused tone.

“T-Thank you,” he stammered, “we truly couldn’t ask for a more beautiful and merciful goddess and queen!”

“Indeed,” she replied in a smug tone. She lowered her human to the table again, and he shivered and covered his naked form as his feet set on the wood. “You are dismissed high priest, go to your chambers and rest.” The man nodded, and ran for the spiral stairs, not even bothering to recover his robe. “Like I said,” she chuckled, “the ones who are scared are the best, and I come up with plenty of ways to keep them that way.”

“I see,” Elara said uncomfortably.

Hestia rolled her eyes, “Once your powers are awakened in full, you’ll come around to my point of view on humans.”

“And when will that be?” Elara asked nervously.

Hestia beamed, “Tomorrow morning, I will prepare a ritual which will open your third eye completely.” She paused a moment, “You will need to open your mind to me completely, lower your defenses so to speak. No humans, no robotic servants, just you and I.”

“I don’t know,” Elara said, sneaking a look at the unconscious Lyrei again.

“Without my help it could take you years to unlock your potential,” Hestia said, “if you ever do… tell me, don’t you want to control your own destiny? Or forever be reliant on others? Subservient to their wills?”

Elara looked at Lyrei for the longest time. The Aelmari had been kind to her, shockingly so, and Jim and Clara had welcomed her in… but even now, she was a prisoner of a sort. Could there ever be any real affection towards her? Under those circumstances? No, she decided, if she had powers like Hestia’s then she could do whatever she wanted… and if she wanted to stay with the Aelmari, with Jim and Clara, she could, or she could go… she could be a queen if she desired, or a friend, or whatever she wished.

“We should do it,” she said quietly. “I’ll… I’ll do whatever is necessary.

“Excellent,” Hestia said with a warm smile.

…

Isstvell walked through the halls of the palace, this time not trying to attract the attention of the humans scurrying along the edges of the wall.  Where Lyrei and Isstvell preferred to wear open top dresses, to better provide their human charge access to their cleavage, they could reform their clothes as they wished, and now Isstvell’s dress hugged her neck, exposing nothing.

Snugly between her breasts, and now hidden from the world at large, Clara and Jim were pressed together by the massive blue orbs that jiggled with every step the elf took.

“She could have totally found someplace else to sneak us out,” Clara muttered.

“Yeah,” Jim laughed, “and if you’d asked for that, would you like to guess where she’d have put you? Come on Clara, where are you planning on putting me after you get big again?”

“Oh,” Clara said, biting her lip as her ears went flat, “Y-you think Isstvell would shove ME up her-“

“The way she and Lyrei have been looking at you since you got tiny? I’m shocked it hasn’t happened already,” Jim said, fighting for purchase as the jiggling breasts tossed him against Clara’s larger frame.

Isstvell walked outside of Hestia’s temple, trying to keep her steps steady so as not to jostle her passengers too much. The palace complex was surrounded by a privacy wall at least as tall as Isstvell was, leaving the only opening in the front. Few humans patrolled the grounds, the robed priests she had seen earlier, and here on the outside men who were plainly some manner of human soldier, though their weapons were primitive even by earth standards. The guards all shied away from her glance, and seemed to hurry through their routes, trying to avoid her. She scowled, it was what she wanted of course, but it still hurt to see how skittish these humans were around larger beings.

She willed her dress to return to its normal form, cleavage and all. Biting her lip and looking down at Jim and Clara briefly she crossed her arms under her breasts. She smiled, seeing how the action pressed her boobs together, trapping Jim and Clara easily.

“Hey!” Clara said, struggling, “come on! Let us down.”

“If we didn’t have work to do, I’d push you further in,” Isstvell said with a smirk. She released her arms, instead reaching into her cleavage to grab the human and the catgirl. Something like a heart fluttered in her as she grabbed Clara, the Glalan was just wonderful at that size, and while the logical part of her brain knew it was the same Clara, just human sized, a less logical and increasingly powerful part of her mind wondered if Elara would be able to shrink Clara again in the future…

“One last thing,” Isstvell said, setting them on the manicured temple lawn. Her finger extended and a spray shot out of it, quickly misting them. “More recon nanites,” she explained. “Try not to get into trouble though, it’s going to hurt our reputation around here if I have to smash my way out of the palace and tear up a building to get you out.”

“Got it,” Jim said, “don’t worry, we’re just going to ask the people some questions, then you can pick us up at the front of the palace again.”

…

Jim and Clara easily stuck out as they walked the city streets. For his part, even with local clothes, Jim had an exotic look. There were some humans with brown, and even blond hair, but most of them had the odd teal-blue mix that no longer existed on earth, and they all had a darker skin tone than him. If Jim didn’t register as someone from outside, the seven and a half foot tall pink haired catgirl following behind him certainly did.

People were relatively friendly to them, offering to sell them goods, smiling as they passed, but there was an undercurrent of nervousness. The whole city had to have known they’d gone to Hestia’s palace, and while they didn’t have any giants with them, it seemed clear in the eyes of the public who they belonged to.

“You have a tail,” Isstvell said, the speakers on the microscopic nanites activating in unison.

“Yeah,” Clara said, swishing it behind her, “What about it?”

“She means someone’s following us,” Jim said quietly. “Are they from the palace?”

“No,” Isstvell replied, “looks like a group of eight men, musculature indicates training in combat, I think they’re carrying bladed weaponry.”

Jim looked up at the steel buildings, lit up brightly with what had to be electricity, “Odd choice in arms, given the other technology we’ve seen. I think they even have a few hovercars around here.”

Clara chewed her lip, “Eight you said?”

“That’s correct,” Isstvell said.

Clara grinned and hooked an arm around Jim’s shoulders. She forcefully began guiding him away from the crowded market street, and even as he protested, she began angling them towards a dark and deserted looking alley.

“What are you doing?” Jim rasped.

“I forget sometimes that you were rich on Earth before we landed,” Clara mused.

“What? No I wasn’t, I mean yeah we had land, but it was in Kentuck-“

“Eight people aren’t going to work together for one mugging,” Clara explained, ducking behind a very earth looking dumpster. “Someone either wants to kill us or talk to us, I’d like to give them the chance.”

Jim huddled against her and went silent. As Clara had predicted the eight burly looking men silently walked into the alley. Their footsteps were the only sound as they drew long curved swords and spread out, as much as they could anyways.

As the first one approached, slowly walking by their hiding place, there was a blur of pink as Clara leapt out at him. The man stood no chance, Clara grabbed his arm, extending her claws into his wrist and causing him to scream as he dropped his weapon. Releasing him and spinning, Clara caught the sword before it even hit the ground, bringing it up in smooth motion in front of her.

“Hi guys!” she said cheerfully.

“FOR ATLANTIS!” one of the men screamed, charging at her. The rest screamed and followed.

“I’m coming!” Isstvell said in a panicked voice.

“No,” Jim said, “I think she’s got it.”

And she did. Clara’s usual sparring partner was Lyrei, a being who stood over her as much as she stood over the humans now. Elara, and even Jim, had occasionally teased her that there was no way to beat an Aelmari scout in personal combat, but it hadn’t ever deterred her. Compared to Lyrei’s reaction times and strength, eight humans who barely came up to her chest were easy prey.

One of them, knocked out of the fray, seemed to notice Jim still crouched in their hiding place. He snarled and began to get up, and with a swear Jim tackled him before he could bring it up. The two of them rolled, wrestling for the blade. Jim mentally sighed as he realized he was stronger than his opponent, because if that sword came up, he had no illusions about his ability to fight off armed opponents like Clara did.

Shakily holding the blade down at the man Jim sighed, “Who are you?” he shouted.

“Send me to the true gods, underling,” the man spat.

Jim growled, “HEY!” he shouted as loud as he could. Clara and the men glanced at him, seemingly pausing their melee. “If someone doesn’t tell me who you people are, I’m stabbing this guy.”

The men shakily glanced at each other, then to their steely eyed fallen comrade. They remained silent.

Jim groaned, then decided he would take a chance. He let the sword fall out of his hands, clattering to the ground. He nodded at Clara, who balked.

“JIM!” she protested.

“Come on,” he said, “a show of good faith.” He gave her a reassuring smile, truthfully he wasn’t sure about this, but having an amazon sized catgirl in your front pocket and a hundred twenty foot elf half a mile away did give a man confidence.

She grumbled, but let her own weapon fall to the ground. The men uneasily looked at one another again, then started sheathing their weapons one by one. He reached his hand down to the man he’d sprawled on the ground, who eyed it suspiciously before taking it.

“Mercy is not an attribute often seen in Hestia’s cult,” the man said warily. “We are the Sons of Atlantis, the spear of the Martian Resistance.”

“Resistance?” Clara asked, “so you’re trying to overthrow her?”

“For as long as our records go back, that THING has lorded over us, keeping us from returning to Earth.” The man looked up longingly at the shimmering steel ceiling of the great cavern in which the city sat. “The promised world of open sky,” the man breathed, “where no star spawn can walk upon you, and the surface air doesn’t choke your lungs.”

“Oh the surface air on Mars is fine now,” Clara said, “did you guys not notice the terraforming?”

“Terraforming?” the man asked confused. He looked to Jim, “What is this creature talking about? Can she breathe on the surface?”

“Yeah,” Jim said with a sigh, “we all can now. Look, do you have some leaders or something? I really think we need to talk to them.”

“Is it true?” one of the men said excitedly, “that you are from Earth?”

“I am,” Jim admitted. This caused them to murmur amongst themselves, one man was going misty eyed, almost moved to tears.

“Are the other humans coming to save us?” The emotional man asked, “to liberate their forgotten brothers from this hell?”

“An army from earth!” one of the others whispered.

“Kind of,” Jim muttered uncomfortably. “There are a lot of humans on Mars right now, but we didn’t come alone.”

“More like this?” the man said, gesturing to Clara, “she seems useful, if nothing else.”

Clara snorted, “Okay, you boys want to get rid of Hestia, right? The real question you need to be asking yourselves is how you feel about blue skin, and pointy ears?”

“What of the silver haired one?” One man asked urgently, “the one Hestia calls her sister?”

“No,” Jim said, “we only have one of her, why?”

The man bit his lip uncomfortably, “Is she as strong as Hestia is? In her use of The Gift?”

“No,” Jim said, “I think Hestia said something about training her, why does that matter?”

“We need to move quickly then,” The man rasped, grabbing Jim’s arm and leading him out of the alley. The men followed, and with a sigh Clara did too.

“What’s the problem?” Jim asked, “Whatever Hestia teaches her, Elara’s with us.”

The man sighed as they moved through the streets, “That’s not the original Hestia,” the man explained, “she’s ruled our civilization for thousands of years because she can leave her form when she dies. She even made it into a bizarre religious ritual where her cultists pray around her cloning tank when she gets a new one.”

“What!?” Jim exclaimed, “how often does she do that?”

“Every few decades,” the man said, gesturing to more men on the street who began trailing them. “It would have been this year, but we managed to destroy that cursed thing. It came at a great cost, and it’s our only victory we’ve ever had against her. She might look healthy, but she’s not, she uses psychic abilities on a scale her body can’t sustain for long.” He glanced mournfully up at the palace, “We hoped time would take her from us soon but…”

“Wait,” Jim said, piecing it together, “you mean-“

“She doesn’t want to train your friend!” The Atlantean snapped, “she wants her body.”

The Atlantean rebels had quickly ferried Jim and Clara to one of the tall steel buildings. Entering the lobby, it wasn’t all that different from an earth skyscraper, although few skyscrapers had marble columns and dragon motifs in the entryway. As they boarded an elevator headed for the top floor, Jim mused that, whatever else, this rebellion wasn’t hiding itself much.

The top floor was an open penthouse, where maybe half a dozen robed figures waited for them around a circular conference table. One of them wore a simple brass circlet around his head, and he stood to greet them as they entered.

“Welcome strangers,” he said, “I am Atlas, rightful king of Atlantis and Lemuria.”

“Or you’d like to be,” Clara said, “once you get rid of the giant witch, right?”

“Clara-“ Jim snapped.

“She speaks the truth,” the king said grimly, “I am king only in name… for now. Please sit,” he gestured to the table.

They joined him, flanked on either side by the armed men. Clara snorted as they surrounded her, hands on their weapons. It wasn’t unusual to want to protect their leaders of course, but Clara had spent the journey to the tower giving the stoic men a mix of taunts and swordplay tips. Judging by the look on their faces they wouldn’t have minded one bit if Clara had decided to get violent right then and there.

“We understand that Hestia has lured you and your friends here,” The king said, “I trust my men have relayed my suspicions about what she intends?”

“You think she’s going to do some kind of conscience transfer into Elara,” Jim said, “that about the size of it?”

“Hestia dresses everything she does in ritual,” The king explained, “we knew what she had planned as soon as she introduced that other woman as her sister.” He sighed, “I can have five hundred swords ready to storm the palace by tomorrow morning, but what would we even do if we got in there?” He rubbed his temples, “And those blue creatures…”

“Oh,” Jim said, “they’re on our side.”

“Indeed,” Isstvell’s voice echoed through the nanites.

The king started, “who was that? Are you wearing a radio of some kind?”

“Of some kind,” Jim said, “that’s Isstvell, she’s one of the Aelmari, they’re… allies, of humanity.”

“I see,” the king muttered, “and are they responsible for the radio messages we’ve heard from the surface? The language is unknown to us-“

“They don’t have translation nanites,” Clara realized, “you’ve probably been hearing chatter for months then?”

“On a journey near the surface some of my men picked it up, yes,” the king explained, “we debated answering. Hestia is vile, but our ancient records say she did save us from a terrible species, and for all of her other lies we believe she told the truth on this matter… we feared to answer.”

“Archons,” Jim muttered. Briefly he realized he didn’t even have an idea of what that enemy that had plagued him for the last six months of his life even looked like. “There aren’t any of them on Mars,” he assured the king, “Those are Aelmari and human signals, they’re building a vacation resort near the planet’s equator.”

“These Aelmari, they’re friends of humanity?” The king asked cautiously, “I’ll not trade one master for another if I can help it.”

“You’re not gonna like them then,” Clara chuckled, ignoring Jim staring daggers at her. Clara saw the look and cleared her throat, “I uh… they’re nice, if that’s what you mean, but they… well, they kind of see humans as a species that needs… guidance I guess?”

“So the humans of earth are their slaves,” The king said in a defeated tone, sinking into his chair. “And to escape Hestia so must we be? For so long we’d hoped-“

“You will not be made slaves,” Isstvell’s voice came over the speakers, “nor pets, nor bio-trophies, nor anything else. If some of you wish to go with my sisters, that will be their own choice, but no Aelmari shall take a single Atlantean against their will without going through me.”

Clara and Jim blinked, looking at each other. Their talk with Isstvell had apparently had greater implications than they’d realized. Clara smirked; Jim just frowned.

“We have your word miss… Isstvell?” The king asked wearily.

“You do,” Isstvell said firmly.

“I have little choice either way it seems,” the king said quietly, “Consider us allies. I shall order a team to go to the surface and attempt to raise communication with these Aelmari and their humans…”

“Sweet,” Clara said excitedly, “I call point when we storm the palace!”

…

It had become obvious to Jim, Clara, and Isstvell that they couldn’t return to the Palace. Isstvell had assured them she’d find a way to conceal herself, though Jim was skeptical of her ability to actually do so, where did a hundred twenty foot elf hide? He couldn’t let himself get worried about it though, he had other things on his mind.

“Between Lyrei and Isstvell whatever army she’s got is probably going to cave pretty quickly,” Jim said. He stared out the window at the palace in thought. They’d been given an apartment in the skyscraper, nicer accommodations than the cage on Elara’s dresser to be sure. Like everything else beneath the surface of mars, the décor was that odd mix of classical and what Jim would have called Aztec. Historians and archeologists were definitely going to have a field day talking to these people.

“Maybe,” Clara said, kicking her sandals off as she sat on the bed, causing the frame to creak. “I think the real question is will Elara come back with us, or are we going to have to do something drastic?”

“Drastic?” he frowned.

“Hestia…” Clara said slowly, “If she steals Elara’s body, what do we do?”

“We get her out,” Jim said.

“What if we can’t?”

The question hung in the air a moment. Jim sighed, pacing away from the window. Clara watched him silently, sitting up slightly as she waited for his answer.

“I don’t want to give up a chance to get Elara back,” Jim said finally, “I feel bad for even getting her into this.”

“Jim,” Clara said with a reassuring smile, “nobody could have anticipated some kind of weirdo psychic warlord and a city of humans living underneath mars.”

“Nobody except every sci-fi author I ever read in high school,” Jim chuckled. He thought a moment, “Do Glalans have science fiction?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Clara said, as though it was the most obvious question in the world, “half the Glalan movies I showed you were science fiction, could you not tell which ones were… not based on true events?”

He blinked, “Okay, obviously Senator Telara was real, I’ve met her…” He thought over the movies from Glalan Prime Clara had watched with him, he landed on another one that seemed plausible, “what about special agent Mina?”

“OH STARS!” Clara laughed uproariously, “YOU THOUGHT SPECIAL AGENT MINA WAS REAL!?”

“It’s all lasers and space to me,” he protested, “how was I supposed to know Special Agent Mina was fictional?”

“In the last movie she defeated four Cragulans using just her hands and a fancy necktie!” Clara laughed. “Seriously, how could you think she was real after watching The Girl with the Golden Blaster?”

“Oh, ha ha,” he said, crossing his arms, “If I recall, someone asked why Godzilla didn’t respond when her people invaded earth.”

“That was different!” she said, “Godzilla seemed so plausible.”

The two of them looked at each other a moment, then laughed together. Glalan Prime and Earth were different in so many ways, but at the same time, in a universe of alien worlds and even more alien concepts, he always felt like Clara and he understood each other. The normally ninety plus foot catgirl, now only seven plus, was a nice rock to have in an uncertain galaxy, and as she smiled at him, he knew she felt the same about her favorite human.

“Jiiimmm,” she said sweetly, “My feet are SO sore, those sandals just don’t give a girl any arch support.”

With a sigh he walked towards the bed the Amazonian catgirl rested on. Plopping himself next to the footboard, he grinned.

“Do you want a foot rub?” He asked mockingly.

“What a dutiful male,” Clara said with a grin, “Yes please.”

She sighed happily as he began his work, normally when he rubbed Clara’s feet they loomed over him, today they were nearly as long as his torso, but it was an easier job than it usually was. Her tail danced between her legs, the fuzzy pink appendage swishing up around his ears affectionately, and then down across his face.

“Take off your robe and do it,” she said, biting her lip. With a chuckle he paused the foot rub, reaching up to unclasp the robe, letting it fall to the bed. “No underwear,” she teased, “what a loose male.”

“That cage we escaped from didn’t have any,” he protested as the pink tail traced down his chest, tickling him slightly.

“Hmm…” Clara mused playfully, “I guess I can go easy on you when I give you your spanking.”

“My what!?”

Before he could react, Clara was leaping down the bed at him with a predatory grin on her face. He struggled against her, but she was so much stronger than him that all he could do was make her laugh as she forced him over her knee.

*Slap* it rang out and he hissed as he took in breath. She hadn’t really hurt him, just giving him enough of a slap to feel it.

Clara’s face was flushed and she couldn’t contain her grin as she brought up her hand again. Jim tried to force his way up, but she giggled and held him down as she delivered a second spanking, and then a third. He tried to fight back, but in the Amazon’s grip he was powerless as she continued to “discipline” him.

“Okay,” she breathed, “I hope you’ve learned your lesson” She let him up, and he rubbed his bottom as she giggled. “Sorry Jim, but I was worried I’d never get the chance to do that again.”

“You’ve spanked me before though!” he said, his erection betraying how he really felt about it.

“It’s just not the same doing it with one finger,” Clara explained.

The amazon stood up, unclasping her own robe and letting it fall to the ground. Jim gulped as she stretched, grinning down at her prey.

“Be gentle?” he begged.

“Oh come on,” She said, stalking towards him, the pink tail swishing smugly behind her, “those bruises healed right up, and I’m pretty sure those Aelmari medical nanites made your pelvis a LOT stronger.”

“Y-Yeah,” he stammered, trying to decide whether to run to her or from her, “but you wouldn’t want to break the bed in here, right? That would just be rude-“

“No problem,” she growled as his back tapped the wall of the room, “This room has a nice soft carpet.” Her hand shot out and touched the wall, trapping Jim between it and her. “Now are you going to be a good male, and lay down on it? Or do I get to spank you again.”

Jim quickly ducked under her arm, feeling her tail brush his face as he quickly laid himself out at her mercy. Thankfully the carpet WAS soft, and as Clara planted her large feet on either side of his head she wondered what the cat-girl had in mind.

His world went dark as Clara’s ass came down on him, and she sighed happily as she sat on his face and he began eating her out. He was trapped under her weight, a not unfamiliar position, but as the strong taste and smell of her washed over him he had to gasp for air, which just seemed to turn Clara on more.

“This might be the most fun I’ve ever had sitting on you,” she purred, extending a single claw as she teased the skin on his chest and listened to the sounds he made underneath her. “Usually you just, OOH,” she moaned in pleasure, “usually all you can do is squirm around under there…” She smiled and bore her weight down on him as she came.

For Jim he was rapidly worrying he’d run out of air as he tried to get her off as quickly as possible. She was too heavy to move, and any time he tried the amazon just rode his face harder. Clara’s pussy quickly covered his face and filled his mouth and nostrils with that familiar taste and scent, and he was struck again by just how strong Clara’s fluids always were. She always seemed to like smelling herself on him at least.

“Whew,” she said with a smile, shifting to the side and letting him breathe, “I am going to miss that when I’m big again.” She looked down his body as his hardening cock and licked her lips, “That too…”

…

Shaerra, Worldship Matriarch, stood on a hover platform overlooking the vast human resort. Brandon and Tricia were with her, as they almost always were. She’d have liked to keep them in her cleavage, snuggling them between her breasts against the chilly Martian wind at this altitude, but at Brandon’s insistence they were in her hands. It was understandable, Earth’s leadership was in attendance, and despite how cute they all were Brandon was very insistent on professionalism during their meetings.

“It’s coming along great!” The American president said, walking around her massive feet to get a better view. “So that building over there, that’s the American one, right?”

“Yes Mr. President,” she said happily.

A French dignitary snorted, “as though the aliens will be interested in your cheap pop culture trash, they’re going to be staying at Le Paris.”

“We all agreed nobody else is allowed to build pyramids, right?” The Egyptian ambassador spoke up, “if every nation is getting a section, then only Egypt should have pyramids!”

“That’s ridiculous!” The Mexican president cut in, “Shaerra, I’ve already ordered our architects and the Aelmari they work with to-“

“Any disagreements on the management of this colony, resort rather, are to be handled exclusively by humans,” Shaerra said, almost regretfully, Brandon had insisted on that. “We will provide materials, construction, and if need be, security, but this is something you’ll need to settle on your own.” She hated saying it, almost as much as she hated seeing humans fight… but she’d come to realize that a certain amount of self determination was vital.

“Matriarch,” a thoughtline came through from one of the Aelmari working on the building site, “the human workers are reporting unusual radio transmissions.”

She frowned, “And the context?”

“They’re saying they’re from Atlantis, and they need help immediately, that they’ve made contact with Aelmari already.”

Shaerra quickly pinged every Aelmari on Mars, and furrowed her brow when two in particular did not respond.

“Brandon,” Shaerra said suddenly, “There’s a situation. There is a distress call from the northern part of the planet, and two scouts are missing in action.”

“Is it Lyrei and Isstvell?” Brandon asked with a sigh.

“Yes!” Shaerra said, “how did you-“

“It just seems that whenever I have a stressful day it’s going to end reading their names in a report. I really need to meet that Jim Arnett fellow sometime.”

“Oh, come off it Brandon!” Trish said, hugging him reassuringly, “you’re the best human advisor an alien could ask for!”

“It’s true,” Shaerra said with a smile.

“Okay,” Brandon sighed, resigning himself to the inevitable. He walked to the edge of Shaerra’s hand, “EXCUSE ME!” he shouted, catching all the world leader’s attention and interrupting their argument. He smiled as they all watched him attentively, it was bizarre how they’d come to respect him as humanity’s “point man” for alien contact, “and mum said I’d never amount to anything in marketing,” he chuckled, “EVERYONE!” he shouted, “We have a situation!”

…

Isstvell had engaged a camouflage feature, matching her color to the wall around the palace. Aelmari could, but rarely did, change colors, mostly because there was rarely a need for such powerful beings to hide. If any of the humans got particularly close to her, they’d see her instantly, but she’d been able to ride out the night without incident. Either she remained undetected, or Hestia simply couldn’t be bothered to deal with her.

Lyrei wasn’t responding to her signaling attempts, and part of Isstvell feared Hestia had already done something with her. She wondered what Lyrei would think of her promise to the Atlantean king… She smiled, she had a feeling the other scout would back her decision, be proud of it even, but what could the two of them do? The other Aelmari on the planet would be reached, then they’d want these humans for themselves…

She swore angrily. This was a problem that she felt she wasn’t equipped for mentally, indeed it was an odd sensation to have her conscious mind going so far in direct defiance of her programming… did Lyrei feel this? Was this how bio-species thought all the time?

Her conflicted thoughts were interrupted as trumpets blared from the city. There was shouting as the palace guards began running for the gate, Isstvell kept still, allowing them to create a phalanx formation. One of the temple priests led them as they went to meet the approaching army.

…

Lyrei blinked, her sensors coming back online. The Queen, Hestia, had deactivated her again somehow. Systems diagnostics didn’t report anything unusual; it was like she’d simply lost power, but the shutdown order had come from her own mind?

“Are you okay?” Elara asked. “It doesn’t hurt when she does that, does it?”

Lyrei sat up, realizing she was in the bedroom Hestia had shown them earlier, “No,” she said quietly. “I don’t suppose you would be willing to tell me what Hestia said to you that she felt I was unfit to hear?”

“Would you be willing to tell me where Isstvell, Jim, and Clara are?” Elara asked with a small smile, looking at the empty cage on the room’s dresser.  

“I would have before,” Lyrei said slowly, “now… I don’t know if I should.”

“Then we’ll keep our respective secrets,” Elara sighed. “I’m joining my sister later for a ritual that is supposed to awaken my abilities in full.”

“She’s not your sister,” Lyrei said.

“And you are?” Elara asked, crossing her arms. “What’s the best word for you, really? Jailor? Probation officer?”

“Friend?” Lyrei said weakly.

Elara regarded her a moment, “I’d like to think so too,” she said finally, “I like all of you, I think you like me, but I’m not going to be a prisoner or a slave of anyone ever again.” She smiled, “Maybe we’ll be friends at the end of this, I’d like us to be.” She made eye contact with Lyrei, “If me being strong, being free, means we aren’t friends though? Then we never were.”

She unclasped her necklace, the caged human inside jolting upright at the movement. “Can you take care of this human for me? His name is Artur.” She reached down, clasping the necklace around Lyrei’s neck, the human dangling between Lyrei’s blue breasts.

“Of course,” She said, “but why don’t I just-“

Elara turned without another word, storming out of the room, the silver sandals she wore clacking harshly against the hard floor. Once she was through the doorway, she turned back to the Aelmari, her eyes glowed purple for a moment, and a shimmering barrier appeared. Lyrei approached it hesitantly, touching a finger to it. There was a brief shock, and her sensors lit up, alerting her to go no further.

“Sorry,” Elara said apologetically, “but… I don’t want any of you interrupting this. Please tell Isstvell and the others.” With that she walked down the hall, leaving Lyrei trapped in the bedroom.

The Aelmari sighed, looking down at the human trapped in the necklace. She reached behind herself to unclasp it, holding the trapped human dangling in front of her face. He was a good-looking young man, terrified, backing against the bars on the far side.

“Hello Artur,” she said softly. “How are you?”

“I-I’m…” he gulped, “I suppose I’m well? And you goddess?”

“Don’t call me that,” She said, “my name is Lyrei.” She sighed, looking at the door, still shimmering. “I’m not well Artur, my oldest friend and partner will not respond to my messages, and my newest friend has apparently trapped me here for reasons I can’t understand.”

“She seemed distressed goddess- I mean… Lyrei,” the young man said.

“Did she say anything?” Lyrei asked.

“She just wanted to talk to me,” Artur said uncertainly, “about things I must admit I have no knowledge of… books, films, music, things she said were from earth.” He paused, “It was… enrapturing. She told of a gilded age, of shining skyscrapers that dwarf our own, of music played with gleaming brass instruments, striped suits…”

Lyrei chuckled, outwardly and reflexively she realized, “Yes, she has very particular tastes.” Seeing his puzzled expression she continued, “Elara has very strong opinions on the direction human culture has taken. The human who lives with us, Jim, she often lectures him on it.” She bit her lip, another very biological gesture, “I don’t think he agrees, but he lets her speak her mind.”

She sighed and sat up off the bed. Reaching for the necklace she unlatched it, tilting it so the human fell into her palm. She left her fingers open, giving him a bit of freedom of movement as she raised him to her face.

“Artur,” she said with a smile, “tell me the truth, do you like serving under Hestia?”

He was silent for the longest time, then finally, “No Lyrei,” he replied quietly, “please do not tell her.”

“I thought as much,” she said with a sigh, “I do not think she will rule this city for much longer.” She glanced at the door, “Would you like to know something funny Artur?” she asked with a smile.

“Uh, of course,” he said, who could say no to a hundred-twenty-foot space goddess?

“Elara sealed the door using that inscrutable psychic energy,” Lyrei explained, a heated ball of plasma appearing in her hand. “But the rest of these walls are just stone.” The bright green ball flew out from her hand, making contact with the wall and melting it on contact. Lyrei manifested three more, tossing them at the edges of the molten dripping circle. The wall melted like wax, dripping on both sides of the newly made “door.”

“Please shield your face Artur,” Lyrei said pleasantly, shoving him deep into her cleavage. “I don’t have time to wait for this to cool.

He looked at the white-hot stone and grimaced, trying to crawl deeper between the blue orbs that held him captive in place of the cage he’d been in moments before. He still felt the radiating heat from the melting rock as the giant blue elf stepped through the portal she’d made. The back of his shirt was pinched as she lifted him out again, and he felt the fabric cut into his armpits as she slowly lowered him down to the floor. The blue giantess knelt down, smiling disarmingly at him.

“Artur,” she said softly, “If there are any other palace servants that feel as you do about Hestia… you should gather them and go elsewhere, do you understand?”

“Y-Yes god- Lyrei,” he stammered.

“Good,” she whispered, standing back up. She watched the human stumbling as he ran down the hallway.

“Lyrei!?” Isstvell echoed in her mind, “I’m sorry I blocked you for so long, but we’ve got to save Elara!”

“I figured as much,” she sent back in a defeated tone. “Please fill me in.” The data flowed to her, and her eyes went wide, “Oh my,” she muttered aloud, to no one. She frowned, that was another biological gesture… No matter, she manifested a green plasma ball in her hand, increasing it’s energy until it went white hot. Many problems with bio-species were delicate, but this one, Lyrei felt, could benefit from some brute force.

…

“Jim,” Clara said as they walked towards the palace, weapons and army clinking on them and the hundreds of men behind them. “I just realized something.”

“What?” he hissed. The mood was somber, these men thought they were going to their deaths. The streets emptied before them, and the uniformed city guards frowned as they went by, withdrawing to report the advancing army.

“These guys have never seen any human or Glalan movies,” Clara whispered.

“So?” He asked, confused.

Clara giggled, then drew the sword they had given her, “There will come a day when the courage of men fails,” she shouted, “but it is not THIS day!”

A cheer went up from the men, and they picked up their pace. Forming up behind her, a new resolve in their plodding footsteps.

“Oh, for fuck’s sake,” Jim muttered, trying to keep a laugh down as Clara continued her speech, the men hanging on her every word.

Jim and Clara were at the front of the column. Most of the men behind them were wearing uniforms, with Roman looking armor and curved swords in hand. Some though, were just people that had begun following the marching men, angrily hefting bricks, clubs, anything they could get their hands on. It was clear that this rebellion was a long time coming.

A phalanx of men with spears greeted them, stretched out upon the massive palace stairs, spears lowered. A robed priest of Hestia’s stood in front of them, a smug grin on his face.

“The goddess’s temple is closed,” He spat, “to this rabble, I order you to disperse or you will be killed.”

“She is no goddess!” King Atlas said, stepping forward in a shining regalia. “She is a monster, and today she will rule us no longer!”

“Why lord Atlas,” the priest mused, “I would have thought your time spent as her guest some years ago would have cured you of these delusions.”

The king’s face burned with anger, and for a moment Jim thought that he would break ranks with them and strangle the other man, armies or no.

The priest raised a hand, and purple energy lit up the walls around the temple’s gate. There was a rumbling sound, and Jim’s mouth dropped as the ornate carvings of Hestia on the temple’s hundred foot walls began to tear free from their moorings. With ominous purple eyes the gigantic statues of the Queen stepped towards the human forces squaring off from one another.

“The goddess provides,” the priest said, gesturing to the massive stone guardians, “Now,” he grinned wickedly at the rebels, “Crush them!”

A massive blue form appeared in the temple gateway, Lyrei looked down at the assembled armies with a frown, and then to the approaching stone guardians. Raising a hand white hot bolts of plasma flew through the air, several striking each stone figure and quickly reducing them to molten slag.

The humans arrayed on the steps looked on in shock. One of the stone creatures appeared behind Lyrei, but before it’s hands could make contact with her another ball of plasma struck it, causing it to crumble as Isstvell joined her. The two briefly nodded at each other before turning to the crowd of stunned humans.

“Got anything else up your sleeve?” Jim asked the slack jawed temple priest.

“G-Guards-“ he stammered to the uncertain men behind him, but before he could the King strode forward, backhanding the man harshly, causing him to whimper. The guards looked on, speechless.

“It’s over!” The king snapped, “Hestia’s reign is done! Surrender and you won’t be harmed.”

The cowering priest looked up at the two towering Aelmari standing in the temple gateway, “I suggest you do as he says,” Isstvell said sternly.

Steel clattered against stone as the men threw their spears and swords the ground. The king, and his men, breathed a sigh of relief, the soldiers stepped forward and began taking the temple guards as prisoner.

“Hey!” Clara shouted, pushing through them towards Isstvell and Lyrei. The two elves smiled as they saw her, Jim followed her, joining them at the front of the temple.

“Well the easy part’s over,” Jim said, looking at the surrendering guards, “I don’t suppose we have time to wait for the cavalry?”

“There is a large group of Aelmari and human craft heading in this direction,” Lyrei said, “they should be here within the hour.”

“Too long,” Jim said, feeling the hair on the back of his neck standing up, “I’m feeling more psychic energy inside the temple, whatever she’s doing, she’s doing it now.”

“Then let’s go beat her up until she makes me big again!” Clara said eagerly.

…

Hestia frowned, when her temple guardians had been destroyed it had drawn her attention like a beacon. So, the androids had decided to resist, and the humans had rebelled with them. Anger flared in her, threatening to fray her shaking consciousness into the cosmic void… she needed that new body, then they would all pay. She’d start over from scratch with the entire civilization… this time there wouldn’t be any human leadership, it would be her and her alone.

“A-Are we ready to start?” Elara asked uncertainly.

Today the Queen of Mars did not wear her usual assortment of human jewelry, or anything at all beyond a plane white robe matching Elara’s. Without the difference in clothing the two women looked identical, their clone heritage becoming even more evident.

Hestia gave her a friendly smile, hoping not to betray her thoughts as she guided the other dark-skinned giantess into the center of the room. Ornate circles were carved and painted into the floor, and Hestia had personally painted the runes and sigils that adorned the columns. All nonsense of course, but it helped sell her divinity. This was the chamber where her cloning tank had been before those insects had destroyed it, she clenched her fists angrily at the memory, yes she would definitely be wiping the slate clean on her humans once this was over.

“Simply stay here,” Hestia said, her eyes glowing purple as she began the psychic link with the other woman.  “Good,” she said, but this time it echoed in Elara’s mind. “Now simply imagine yourself lowering your walls, letting me in…”

She gasped as the two of them thought as one, smiling at first, and then her eyes going wide in horror as the other woman’s intentions became clear to her.

“I am sorry sister,” Hestia thought as the world around them began to go dark, “but I’m afraid that Mars can only have one queen, and this body can no longer house my immense power.”

Elara tried to raise her defenses, she willed the other woman out of her head, but it was like fighting the tide. Hestia’s essence filled her skull, poking and prodding through her memories.

“So, the Aelmari are not your servants?” An amused Hestia realized, “you’re more like theirs… and you didn’t rebel against the Archons, you were simply cast out.” The other woman laughed at her, “pathetic! You have no servants, nor friends, just jailors who find you useful.”

Tears filled Elara’s eyes as her knees buckled, and she slumped to the floor as Hestia began to imprison her in walls made of her own memories. The room around her faded piece by piece as more of Hestia filled her, and less of her senses were her own. She felt her hand open and close, and panicked as she realized it was the other woman’s doing, trying out her new appendages before forcing the other passenger in the body into oblivion.

Hestia was pulled back into her own body as her senses detected shouting outside. Her head whipped up, the purple energy flowing between her and Elara slowing as she focused back on the physical world. Her eyes went wide as the massive door to the former cloning chamber buckled inward with a bang. The bulge widened as it was struck again, and then finally it flew off it’s hinges, clattering to the ground as a hundred twenty foot blue form stepped through the door, a glowing ball of plasma in hand.

“Release Elara now,” Lyrei snarled. Isstvell entered the room behind her, and on the floor Jim and Clara peeked from behind their enormous guardians.

“There’s no need to fight,” Hestia said dismissively, “When I’ve taken this body, I will tell you and your masters all they need to know of the Archons, you won’t need her when you have me.”

“We don’t want you!” Lyrei spat, “Now step away from her or your temple priest’s next job will be scrubbing what’s left of his goddess off the walls.”

Hestia’s mouth quirked, “Don’t tell me you actually have some affection for this creature?” She sighed, “She’s just a clone, a servitor meant to be used and thrown away. I rose above that, but now?” she grinned, “well to put it in a way machines would understand, I need some spare parts.”

“She’s our friend,” Lyrei said quietly, looking at Elara’s still form on the floor, “you can’t have her.”

“What are you waiting for?” Clara asked angrily, “Blast her!”

Hestia laughed again when she saw Clara and Jim, “Oh my, I forgot I shrank the Glalan… I think I’ll keep you like that.”

A ball of plasma rocketed from Isstvell’s hand, and Hestia’s smug expression disappeared as a purple shield shimmered around her, absorbing the projectile.

“You two are nothing,” she muttered, “machines…” she waved her hand, and the light began to dim in the two Aelmari’s eyes.

“Shit,” Jim muttered, looking up as the two of them wavered, about to fall.

“Now to stomp a pair of fleas,” Hestia said, walking towards them.

Another ball of plasma hit her, and while the purple glow of her psychic energy snapped into place before it could disintegrate her, she staggered, and a bead of sweat appeared on her brow. Her eyes went wide and she stepped back fearfully as Lyrei and Isstvell steadied themselves once again.

“No,” she whispered, “T-That’s not possible!”

“Sweet!” Clara said excitedly, “how did you guys turn yourselves back on?”

“I don’t know,” Isstvell said, manifesting another plasma projectile, “I… Lyrei?”

“I can’t say either,” The other android murmured.

“YOU ARE MACHINES!” Hestia almost screamed, “YOU HAVE NO WILL, I COMMAND YOU TO SHUT DOWN!” the purple glow washed over Lyrei and Isstvell again, but they each gritted their teeth and seemed to resist it, only shaking slightly instead of going under like they had before.

“Seems like they have some will to me,” Jim said, grinning broadly.

“Abominations,” Hestia whispered as her shutdown attempts failed, “walking nightmares!”

“Clara,” Jim whispered as the two Aelmari advanced on Hestia, “Maybe you should hang back?”

“What?” She hissed, “why? And what about you?”

“When you’re small and big people start shooting at each other, it’s best to stay out of sight,” he replied, glancing at Elara, “Elara is… she’s trapped somehow, in her own mind. I can feel it, I think I can get her out.” Without explaining any further, he sprinted at the unconscious woman. He struggled to keep his balance as the floor shook, Hestia had used some kind of beam to toss Lyrei against the far wall even as Isstvell’s fists pounded against the psychic shield.

He reached Elara’s unconscious giant form, looking up at a face the size of a house he swore in frustration, trying to guess what he was supposed to do. Being this close to her, and the psychic energy being thrown in the battle between the titans around them, he was feeling his own powers rising, powers he really had very little idea how to use.

“No guts no glory,” he muttered, extending a hand uncertainly to her cheek. As soon as he touched her skin a warm buzz shot up his arm, like electricity almost.

“Jim!” Clara shouted in panic as he slumped over, the last thing he was conscious of was Hestia’s snarling face as she tried to make her way back towards Elara, and now his, still form.

…

She coughed and sputtered, being led out of the cloning tank. A pair of women just like her on either side handed her clothes, barked orders. She knew who they were, who she was, already, and it only took her a moment to get dressed and fall in line with the others marching in a line down the corridor. The masters had work to be done, that was all that mattered. As she got dressed, she realized she didn’t have a name, or even a number, and as more orders flowed into her mind over the psychic network she wanted to ask for one.

A sharp pain filled her mind, “Names can be taken while you are in the course of your duties, report to your ship and begin your assignment.” It filled her mind and she hurried down the hall, not letting herself fall out of line with the rest again.

She sighed in relief as she reached the privacy of her own ship, the standard equipment of an Archon’s servitor. There were many like it, millions even, but this one was hers.

“Wow, happy birthday huh?” Jim said, staring at her from the dashboard.

She frowned, “You weren’t here,” she said, a bit confused.

Like the brief moment where a dream is realized for what it is, context and understanding began to fill Elara. She blinked and studied the out of place human. The cockpit of her old starship faded, and the two of them were in a penthouse apartment. Looking out the window Jim saw an alien planet, the sloping and elegant designs of the building reminding him somewhat of a human skyline. Jazz hummed softly from somewhere as low light reflected off shining brass décor depicting Olympian figures.

“Are you real?” She asked, picking him up off what had become a nightstand.

He sighed, “Elara, I hate this whole… whatever you call this artstyle, and I hate this music too. I know you’re supposed to be some kind of human culture expert, but if we did this in my mind, we’d be doing rolling green hills and country rock, not a hotel in the 1920s.”

The giantess scowled down at him, “You’re real all right, I’d have imagined a companion with better taste”

“Okay,” he said with a small smile, “maybe it’s not SO bad. Are you ready to get out of here?”

“I can’t,” she said bitterly, “She… I realize it now, she separated me from all of you, inflated my ego and made promises… Then she convinced me to lower my defenses so she could take me. This is her mind now.”

“It’s not,” Jim said, “you’re still in here, and I am too. Lyrei and Isstvell are out there fighting her with everything they’ve got, Clara’s there too.”

“Thanks,” Elara said, a tear going down her cheek, “I guess… I didn’t know if you’d all really come. It means a lot, even if it’s too late.”

“I don’t think it is,” Jim said. “Now, bear with me, because I don’t know much about psychic powers, but I think I know a way you could break out.”

…

Clara watched angrily from behind a column as Hestia and the two Aelmari traded energy blasts. There were black pock marks beginning to appear on Isstvell and Lyrei’s blue skin, and they weren’t simply healing shut with a shimmer like they did from plasma fire. The two Aelmari were more enraged than she’d ever seen them, shouting battle cries as lightning danced around their eyes, but it wasn’t enough. They were being tossed about the room easily, every projectile they fired at Hestia simply dissipated on that purple barrier.

For her part Hestia was truly frightening when moved to wrath, her hair flying around her and purple energy racing up and down her body as she forced her way back towards the center of the room. A biological being fighting two Aelmari like this was something Clara wouldn’t have believed possible a day ago, but she wasn’t only doing it, she was winning. Somehow, Clara knew that if she reached Jim and Elara, that would be it.

She hefted the sword in her hand and wondered if she could dig it into Hestia’s ankle, Jim had done some things like that that she’d seen, but it hadn’t done much more than buy his larger friends a moment… and they’d need more than that. Clara crept forward slowly, trying to keep out of Hestia’s line of sight.

…

“You want to do WHAT!?” Elara asked, fighting an amused expression, “Jim, is this really the time?”

“You get a lot stronger when you get off,” Jim said, “I’ll bet if you reach orgasm, you’ll be able to break right out of this.”

“Jim,” Elara said, searching for the right words, “This isn’t real, this hotel, this bed, these bodies, it’s just a metaphor our minds created-“

“Then you need to metaphorically start getting turned on,” Jim said with a grin, “besides, if we’re all dead in a few minutes anyways, is there any other way you’d rather spend what we’ve got left?”

Elara gave him a lustful grin, and he could tell he was reaching her, “I do suppose it’s only fair,” she mused, reaching down to strip his clothing off, “I spent so much of my life avoiding this…”

Jim gasped as his shirt was ripped away by her powerful tanned fingers, tossed away like a used tissue as she went for his pants next. They came down roughly, discarded like his shirt, and he winced again as she grabbed the waistband of his underwear and simply pulled them away until they tore right off him.

Her eyes shimmered purple, and her clothing seemed to melt away like a wet powder. Her massive form loomed over him, that dark skin and those massive breasts consuming his vision as Elara sat on the bed, gripping him tightly in her hand.

He was brought up to her face, and like a snake her tongue darted out between her lips, lightly tracing up the front of his chest. She licked him again, coating his body with her saliva as she tasted him. Finally, when he was absolutely dripping and his hair was plastered to his face, she pulled him away again.

“Delicious,” she mused with a smile. She reached down and began to play with herself, “Now, what to do with my favorite human?” she asked herself, her face blushing as she got more excited. She brought him down to her waiting pussy, spreading it wide and letting him get a look at the rapidly moistening opening.

He took a deep breath and readied himself as she angled him to go inside. Passing the moist outer lips, he felt his body enveloped by the slick lubricant that was rapidly filling his new prison. Elara didn’t smell or taste as strong as Clara did, but she had an oilier, almost silky feel, and he was quickly soaked as she moved him in and out.

He was brought back out into the dim light of the hotel room suddenly, and he blinked in confusion as Elara regarded him, an embarrassed look on her face as she bit her lower lip. Was she fighting down a giggle?

“Why’d you take me out?” He asked, still covered in her slick wetness, “It was just getting good!”

“I just wanted to get you nice and lubricated,” she explained, leaning forward on the bed, “I wanted to put you somewhere… else.”

His eyes went wide as she leaned forward, sticking her ass in the air, “H-Hey now,” he protested weakly, “come on-“

“Please,” she laughed, “I know full well what you and Clara get up to, you’ve done this before.”

He gulped and didn’t complain further as she reached around behind herself, giving him a good view of her waiting rear end. While Clara did like putting him up her ass, and while he did usually end up enjoying himself, it was never his first choice.

Elara moaned as he entered her, biting her lip at the strong sensation of his body sliding in against the pressure of her hole.

Jim felt pressed from all sides as he was plunged into darkness, the intense pressure quickly forcing his arms and legs together. He grunted as he felt Elara’s finger press him the rest of the way in, and as he struggled to move even slightly it seemed all he did was cause Elara to become more excited, if the moaning outside was any indication.

Elara grinned happily as she reached around to play with herself again, satisfied that her toy was trapped. She inhaled sharply as he started moving, electricity dancing up her spine as he fought against her feebly. She tensed her muscles against him, squeezing him and enjoying his resistance deep within her. Oh yes, she thought, he would definitely be doing this again.

She gasped, her head shooting up as he touched just the right spot, her eyes flashed purple and the furniture in the room began to move on it’s own, sliding across the carpeted floor and levitating as if in a gale.

“YES!” She shouted as orgasm rocked her body.

Jim closed his eyes as the tight muscles of her ass constricted around him, trapping him as the flesh around him quaked. The darkness was illuminated by the violet glow that began shimmering around him too, and he grinned in triumph as he felt his own pleasure build and rocket across his body.

…

Hestia screamed as a tendril of purple energy slammed Lyrei into Isstvell, cracking the wall where the two of them impacted. Their normally blue skin was covered in sickly black patches, even if she couldn’t shut them down Hestia had managed to disable their ability to repair themselves, and the two Aelmari struggled in a heap to sit back up.

“Just machines after all,” she spat.

She was thrown off her feet as a purple blast of energy impacted her, she blinked as she realized Elara was on her feet, the human in her hand.

“You!” Elara snarled, energy manifesting in her hand again.

“So you managed to get out of that little box I put you in,” Hestia mused, “No matter, I’ll beat you down again and force my way back in.”

“It looks like you’re running out of time,” Jim said smugly.

Hestia frowned, then looked at her hand. Panic surged within her, it was like her skin was cracking open, the purple psychic energy arcing out as it spread up her body.

“NO!” She breathed, her voice distorting as the shimmering purple cracks spread over her face, “GIVE ME THAT BODY NOW!” The energy rocketed out at Elara, and it was all she could do to raise a shield against the deluge of crackling energy to protect herself and Jim.

“I can’t hold her!” Elara said in a panicked voice.

Jim grinned, harnessing his own energy, “I’ve got one last ace up my sleeve.” He didn’t bother firing his own psychic projectile at Hestia, he wasn’t particularly skilled with this gift yet, and he had no illusions that he would get through, but with all the energy in the room there was one thing he was sure he was strong enough to do.

…

Clara’s world blurred and she heard the sound of her clothing ripping, the sword shrank in her hand and clattered uselessly to the floor, more a toothpick than a weapon. She blinked a moment, swaying on her feet and steadying herself as the room came back into focus.

She saw Hestia, still in the center of the room, but instead of a far away colossus it was just another woman her own size.

“I’m big,” Clara breathed in shock, “YES!” With a roar she threw herself at the queen of mars, her claws extended and her tail waving behind her wildly.

Hestia, locked in a psychic struggle with Elara, didn’t notice the Glalan until she was tackled off her feet. Already drained from the fight with the two Aelmari, Hestia gasped and failed to manifest a shield or any means to force the catgirl off her. Her eyes glowed purple for a brief moment, before Clara’s fist made contact with her face.

Hestia was a skilled psychic, one of the galaxy’s most powerful, and she was ferocious and brave in battle as Lyrei and Isstvell had found out firsthand. Still, being able to dissipate energy blasts and move things with her mind had left her with very little experience in simply taking a punch. Her mind frayed and her focus stalled as Clara shouted and continued to attack her, focus that she desperately needed to prevent the psychic storm within her from tearing her apart.

Hestia let out a bloodcurdling scream as the shining purple cracks spread over her, causing Clara to pause, wide eyed with fear. Her body began to break apart in a crystalline fashion, seeming to dissolve into the air, after a moment Clara was simply sitting on the floor, staring at the spot where Hestia had been.

“I-I didn’t hit her THAT hard!” Clara said in wonder.

“She’s still here,” Elara said in a panic, “her body is gone, and she’s losing herself quickly, but everything in this city depends on her, without her-“

“IF I GO TO HELL,” Hestia’s voice snarled in the heads of every being in the Martian city, “YOU’RE ALL COMING WITH ME!

The ground began to shake.

…

The gathered Atlanteans outside the temple heard the proclamation, and looked up in fear as a crack appeared in the great ceiling overhead. The world rumbled and their mighty buildings shook back and forth as it spread, the sky above them opening.

People cried out in terror, for thousands of years the people of mars had been told the air of the surface was poisonous, that only Hestia’s caves of steel kept them from the barren ruin of the red planet. As the sky opened up and nearly a million people saw the faraway sun for the first time though, confusion and awe spread like wildfire.

…

The human pilots flew their modified jet fighters alongside an Aelmari cruiser several miles wide, one of several that had entered the atmosphere. It was a purely ceremonial gesture, if there was a threat out here that needed Aelmari firepower to deal with then human military aircraft wouldn’t matter much, even if the humans had outfitted their jets with more advanced engines and plasma weaponry. Still, Mars was to be for Mankind, and the Aelmari seemed willing to humor the gesture.

On the command deck of the center Aelmari ship Shaerra sat in a command chair, a group of world leaders arrayed in human sized seating below her. Brandon and Trish sat on each armrest as they all scanned the landscape.

“Lyrei and Isstvell are back!” Shaerra said suddenly, “They say…” she frowned, “they say there’s a city of humans out here?” Her eyes lit up, “nearly a million of them!” excitement went throughout the ship as the Aelmari on board received the information.

“That’s impossible,” The American president said, “we’ve been observing Mars since we invented telescopes, and it didn’t even have air until a few weeks ago!”

“I still don’t see anything,” Tricia said, peering out the massive window on the front of the cruiser.

A boom rang out, and on the horizon they saw pillars of rising smoke and lava as a ring of volcanoes erupted.

“I’m going to take a guess that it’s in that direction,” Brandon said.

“This is impossible,” Shaerra said, data flooding her mind, “we had complete control over the geology of Mars, there shouldn’t be any volcanic eruptions!” She frowned as more information reached her over the neuronet, “Something is destabilizing this whole part of the planet!”

…

“She’s fading fast, but she’s going to drown this city, this whole region, in magma first,” Elara breathed in a panic, “we’ve got to get out of here!”

The temple shook, chunks of stone fell from the ceiling as Hestia’s wrath shook the ground. It seemed her dying breaths would be felt in her temple most of all, Elara clutched Jim tightly as she led them through the halls of the massive palace.

“Why are we going away from the entrance?” Lyrei asked in a panic. The black blotches on her face were starting to heal shut, but from the way she and Isstvell moved Jim could tell they were still recovering from their battle.

“Just look!” Elara said, throwing open a door, revealing a wide open walled off courtyard. In the center was a spiky sleek black looking vehicle Jim knew all too well.

“My ship!” Clara said excitedly, bounding ahead of them. Recognizing it’s owner the ship’s ramp descended, and they boarded as Clara sprinted for the cockpit. The engines roared as the Aelmari and Elara strapped themselves in to their usual seats in the cargo hold, and Clara gave a howl of triumph as they lifted away from the crumbling palace.

As Clara’s ship rocketed over the Atlantean city she looked down to see Hestia’s temple collapsing on itself. She grinned as she took in her surroundings, the “face” of mars had seemingly opened, leaving the settlement open to the air as though it was in a massive crater. Smoke billowed from around the edges as volcanoes and earthquakes shook the planet below.

“What about the rest of the humans?” Isstvell asked in a panic.

“We can get them all out!” Lyrei said with a smile, “look!” she pointed out the cargo bay window where a large blue lit cruiser was appearing over the lip of the crater.

“Okay,” Jim breathed, “Elara, let’s try something.” He closed his eyes, feeling the purple glow surround his body, a moment later Elara joined him, adding her energy to his.

…

King Atlas struggled to keep his people calm as their world crumbled around them, “Hestia is defeated,” He shouted, “If the gods call us home, then I shall meet them-“

“GO TO THE EDGE OF THE CITY” a voice echoed in his head, causing him, and every other man there, to pause, “GATHER UP EVERYONE AND GET TO THE EDGE OF THE CITY NOW” He blinked as further instructions filled his mind, and he realized suddenly what he had to do.”

“Right,” the king said to the stunned people, “You heard… that, let’s go!”

…

“Oh fuck me,” Jim muttered, closing his eyes and rubbing his forehead. The worst headache of his life had been when a friend of his had convinced him to try moonshine from a still they’d found outside his dad’s property, and this was about ten times worse than that. Elara was groaning and making similar motions.

“Are you two okay?” Lyrei asked uncertainly.

Jim reached up to his face and grimaced as he realized his nose was bleeding, “I’ll live,” he managed. “I just gave evacuation instructions to almost a million people, tell Shaerra to roll out the welcome wagons.”

…

“We should be able to fit them all,” Shaerra said, watching the continuing volcanic eruptions outside of the viewport, “it looks like they’re all coming willingly, that’s a nice change.”

“The other option is staying here?” Brandon asked, looking at the lava flows as the massive ship set down. “I don’t see that they’ve any choice.”

…

“Things look good,” Jim said, peering down at the evacuation effort, “nearly a million people airlifted out in about twenty minutes?” He sighed, “That’s the most impressive trick the Aelmari have pulled so far.”

“Some of our sisters are down in their city,” Isstvell said, “we can pick up human life signs easily enough, any of them that couldn’t or wouldn’t join the evacuation were grabbed by individual Aelmari.”

The ship shook as the volcanoes seemed to burst, massive flows of lava hurtling towards the Aelmari ships. A few of the human fighter craft still in the air swooped by, firing bursts of plasma to break up the larger pieces of rock before they could reach the larger Aelmari cruisers.

“They’ve got them all!” Lyrei said triumphantly. The cruisers below them began to lift off just as the lava flows began to reach the city. They watched silently as the molten rock flowed into the crater, destroying Hestia’s New Atlantis.

“Another successful mission,” Jim said quietly.

“Not quite yet,” Isstvell said in a tired voice, “Clara, can you dock with Shaerra’s cruiser?”

“Uhh,” The Glalan asked, looking back at them, “Sure, I’ll send the request now.”

“I’ll go with you,” Lyrei said, giving Isstvell a knowing look.

“What are you guys talking about?” Jim asked, “can’t you just use your neuronet to talk to Shaerra?”

“Some things need to be said in person,” Isstvell replied.

“So… what are we going to say to her?” Jim asked.

“You, Clara, and Elara are staying on the ship,” Lyrei said firmly.

Jim’s eyes went wide, “Wait, you can’t just-“

“We can,” Isstvell said with a sigh, “Just… please stay behind this time.”

…

“Set course for the worldship,” Shaerra ordered, snuggling Brandon against her chest in spite of his protests. She was too excited for propriety, nearly a million unclaimed humans had just been rescued, and they’d all have Aelmari guardians by the end of the day.

She furrowed her brow as she detected Isstvell and Lyrei approaching her bridge. She hadn’t noticed the Glalans ship dock, what were those two doing here? As if on cue the bridge doors hissed open, admitting the two scouts, still with darkened spots indicating injuries. They walked towards their matriarch together, drawing the attention of every human and Aelmari on the bridge.

“Shaerra,” Isstvell said, “We need to talk.”

“Are your neuronet capabilities damaged?” The matriarch asked, lowering Brandon back down and placing him next to Trish on her armrest.

“No,” Lyrei said quietly, “We… we want you to take the rescued humans to earth.”

“What!?” Shaerra asked, confused, “why?”

“I promised…” Isstvell began, then sighed, “I promised them they’d be free, that they wouldn’t be made slaves, bio-trophies, or anything else.”

Shaerra stood up, “Isstvell,” she said, “you are a scout, you don’t have authority to make that kind of an agreement.”

“I don’t need it,” She said quietly, “I’m following The Mission, I think…”

“You think?” Shaerra said. A small smile traced across her features, “I see that you two have reached a certain milestone… all that time with Jim, the Glalan and the Clone too I imagine.” She shot a glance down at Brandon, and she gave him a reassuring wink. “You’re not the first…”

“We’ll fight you,” Lyrei said suddenly, startling Isstvell and Shaerra, “Right here on the bridge.”

Every Aelmari in the room suddenly had a ball of heated plasma in hand, warily watching the two rogue scouts. Brandon stood his ground, although a number of world leaders dove for cover under their seats. A few of the human bodyguards for their respective dignitaries drew human handguns, an almost comical gesture under the circumstances.

“It would appear that we have a disagreement on the nature of The Mission,” Shaerra said, holding a hand up to give her subordinates pause. She smiled, “We will, of course, attempt to recruit from these humans.”

“And some will join us,” Isstvell said, “Most maybe, but they’ll do so of their own free will.”

The bridge was quiet, then the Matriarch spoke, “Set course for earth, order our sisters planetside to prepare human dwellings and accommodations in a suitable climate.”

“Thank you,” Lyrei said quietly.

Tension seemed to leave the air as the other Aelmari let their plasma dissipate. Lyrei and Isstvell relaxed as well, and the humans present sat back up, seemingly assured that the bridge wasn’t about to become a firefight between building sized elves.

“This is a compromise,” Shaerra said, “for now… we will continue our efforts to bring humanity under our guardianship.”

“And what about you?” Isstvell asked, looking at Brandon, “how do you feel about your friend Shaerra deciding this?”

“She didn’t decide it alone,” Brandon said as the matriarch picked him up, “we’ve talked at length, and things will be more… delicate, than they were at first contact, but the end goal is the same.” He sighed, “We’ve given you what you wanted, take this as a victory and go.”

Isstvell stared at the matriarch and her human for a moment, then sighed. Lyrei remained silent, then turned to leave. Isstvell followed her.

“What the bloody hell was that?” Trish asked, joining her boyfriend on Shaerra’s palm.

“Many of us are rapidly developing a certain… independence,” Shaerra said quietly, “I’ll also note that isolated resistance to Aelmari-Human partnership was always inevitable.”

“Yes,” Brandon muttered, “but we also thought it would come from our side of things, not yours!”

…

Clara regarded the human in the palm of her hand as the ship pulled away from the Aelmari cruiser. Whatever business the scouts had with their leader, they weren’t sharing it with the three biological species, instead trying to cheer them up with ideas on how they could celebrate their victory.

While they’d been docked, she’d ordered a new bodysuit from the replicator, happy to be free of the toga robes the Atlanteans favored. As usua,l Clara had squirreled Jim away to the cockpit, setting the autopilot on a course for the worldship. Instead of tearing his clothing off, or taunting him, she was just staring at him, a small smile on her face.

“Something on your mind?” Jim asked, looking up at Clara as her catlike ears twitched.

“I was just thinking, it was kind of fun being… closer in size to you I guess,” Clara said finally, “it was over so quick…”

“We’ll always have Mars,” he said with a smile.

“Yeah,” she sighed, “and prom night.”

They laughed at the shared joke, watching the stars go by together.

“I just want to say,” Clara said, extending a claw briefly, “I don’t like those Atlantean robes at all.”

“I can undress myse-“ he was cut off as she sliced his robe off him. He rolled his eyes, if not for Aelmari replicators he wouldn’t have any clothes left at all.  

Clara dipped him into her mouth, her tongue playing with him as her lips closed around his waist. She continued like that for a minute, pleasuring him as she sucked him like a piece of candy, then without warning she released her grip on his upper body, causing him to be slurped in like a wet noodle.

He gasped in surprise as the world went dark and her mouth closed around him. Her tongue cradled him, playing with him and pressing him into her cheek while she hummed a happy tune, vibrating his entire world.

He tried to struggle against her tongue, but that just seemed to excite Clara as the slimy muscle subdued him and continued its work.

Clara’s cat ears twitched happily as she tasted the familiar salty spray of Jim’s cum as she forced him to orgasm. He thrashed a few more times, and she pressed him into her cheek while her tongue continued to work him through the bliss as she sucked down everything he had to offer. Finally, when she was sure he was done, she stuck her fingers into her mouth. Keeping her lips pursed she slowly drew a limp Jim out, letting him feel the squeeze of her mouth over him as he was pulled free with a *plop* into her waiting palm.

“Can’t do that at human size,” Jim panted, giving her a smile.

“And you can’t fit in fun places either,” she purred. “Like I said, I didn’t care for the robes… but there was one piece of fashion I had the replicators make for me once we got to the Aelmari ship.” There was a clinking of metal as she bent down to grab something, and when she came up Jim groaned as he saw a gold necklace with a very human sized cage dangling on the end.

“Really?” he asked with a smile as she moved him towards the open door. In answer she just tilted her palm, dumping him into the waiting locket. It snapped shut behind him and he felt it shake as Clara clasped it around her neck.

“You look very fetching Jim,” She said, admiring the piece as he hung between her breasts, “Now let’s go show you off.”

…

Elara watched the stars going by out the window, exhaustion permeating her. The two Aelmari didn’t look much better, or as much as machines could look exhausted anyways. The three of them turned towards the ship cockpit as it hissed open.

“Look at this!” Clara said excitedly, dangling an imprisoned Jim for their inspection, “I think it looks WAY better on me, don’t you guys think?”

The two Aelmari held back laughs, Elara just rolled her eyes, “Oh come on, let him out of there-“

“No way!” Clara said, holding the necklace away from her.

“So,” Jim said, struggling to stay upright and hoping to cut off the two giantesses from playing a game of keep away, “Where are we off to next? The worldship?”

“Let’s go somewhere else,” Isstvell said, “Elara, I realize that you’ve spent most of your life either out on errands for your masters, or out on missions with us… where do YOU want to go?”

Elara blinked, she’d never considered it before, “I’ve heard that the Procyon system is nice,” she said hesitantly.

“Pfft,” Clara said, letting Jim fall back against her breasts, “if you’ve got money, sure it’s great.”

“We’ve got money,” Lyrei said, “or the Aelmari do… we can spend some.”

Clara’s eyes seemed to light up, “Okay, if we’re spending knife-ear’s credits then yeah, I’m with Elara, let’s hit Procyon!”

“I’m sorry,” Jim said, leaning out between the bars of the necklace cage, “What’s Procyon famous for, exactly?”

“Gambling, music, and fornication,” Isstvell replied. “Aelmari rarely have business there.”

“It’s very much like the human city of Las Vegas,” Elara explained eagerly, “I’ve heard of it, but I’ve never been allowed to go…”

“I’ll go set the autopilot!” Clara said excitedly, “this is going to be great!” She practically skipped back to the cockpit, causing the human’s cage to bounce against her breasts as she went.

Elara leaned back in her chair and sighed happily, contentment washing over her. Towards the end of her time serving her old masters, bitterness had overcome her. She’d accepted that she’d never get to see many parts of the galaxy that had intrigued and mystified her, that she’d always be taking someone else’s orders. Now though? She wasn’t just going to Procyon; she was going with friends.

General setting overview

The Conquest of Earth takes place in a universe where earth was attacked by raiders from a species of ninety foot tall catgirls (Glalans) with the intent of destroying the planet, only making landfall to have fun with humans first. They were stopped by the Aelmari, hundred twenty foot tall blue elfin androids, most of the series is about humanity’s relationship with the Aelmari and other alien races that exist in the universe.

In Conquest of Earth most spacefaring races stand at an average of 100 feet tall, there are outliers on both ends, but humans are by far the smallest species anyone has ever heard of. Most races have a really lopsided gender ratio favoring females, making most (but not all) species fairly matriarchal with males being rare off their own planets.

Technology

Faster than light travel is a widespread technology, used by most species. Travel between major systems can still take weeks for most ships, the most advanced engines, Dimensional Drives, can usually make such trips in a day or two but are limited to Aelmari or very wealthy individuals.

Neuronet technology is used by Aelmari for instant communication, even across the vastness of space. Black market neuronet technology exists for biological beings, usually as a cybernetic implant or as part of a suit with nervous system plugin. Neuronets can be jammed, but this is a technology only available to a few particularly advanced species.

Weapons technology for most species involves plasma projectiles, force shields, and the like, with varying strengths based on a species technological development or what they are able to trade for. Armor is useful against more primitive weapons for those who don’t trust a force field. Laser melee weapons exist but are seen as either a novelty or a joke and most spacefaring species don’t bother with them.

Replicators are a common technology which like anything else varies by the species that built it. Primitive replicators can only produce ready-made simple items, Glalan replicators can produce almost any basic item the user knows how to design, while Aelmari replicators can design highly complicated items from a thought or even a general idea.

Translation nanites are a common technology among all species, removing language barriers. Users of translation nanites are aware they are speaking/hearing another language than their own, and so it is still possible to “naturally” learn specific words or even other languages when using them. While translation nanites do an excellent job conveying intent using phrases in the user and receiver’s languages, individual words and phrases without direct counterparts in the receiver’s language can still require explanation.

Alien races

Aelmari

Height: 120ft

Physical description: blue skin, elfin ears, darker blue hair. Aelmari can change their base appearance at will, but rarely do so unless a human asks them to.

Background: Tens of thousands of years before the beginning of the series there was a civilization, called the Forebearers by the Aelmari, that was the same size as humanity. Being so much smaller and more primitive than their galactic neighbors they were wiped out on their first contact. To preserve their species, they created an advanced AI to protect themselves, which they hid away beneath their planet’s surface before their destruction.

This AI continued to evolve and grow in solitude until it developed into the progenitor AI that would become the Aelmari. The goal to accomplish “The Mission,” the protection and cultivation of it’s original forebearers, and species like them, was obviously impossible. In the absence of an appropriate race to shepherd the Aelmari continued to develop their technology until they were among the most powerful conventional militaries in the known galaxy. Eventually, in pursuit of The Mission, the AI created the familiar blue elfin forms, and eventually split itself into consciousnesses for reasons that the Aelmari themselves don’t understand.

At the beginning of the series there are just under a trillion Aelmari, and one of their worldships is powerful enough to challenge most species entire fleets. Their weapons, transport, and communication technology is beyond anything most races can build, and Aelmari don’t even use personal shields when they engage in ground combat since most handheld weapons can’t hurt them. Their preferred weapon is a heated ball of plasma, which they can increase or decrease the temperature on depending on the desired damage to the target. They also have a few other weapons, electrical stun bolts, bioelectric pulses, and can form their hands or arms into various tools. Aelmari can fly, or levitate rather, but due to the energy expended and the relatively low speed of their flight they prefer to use this ability for combat maneuvering, rather than for travel.

The Aelmari have several designations, which can reflect their physical capabilities. Most standard Aelmari rarely leave their worldships, and accordingly haven’t evolved much in the way of personality or experiences beyond what they were originally programmed with. Aelmari scouts are those most commonly seen in the galaxy, and have greater processing power dedicated to combat and slightly increased durability, they also tend to have much more personality than their sisters since they spend the most time mingling with the galaxy’s denizens. Matriarchs are the leaders of an Aelmari worldship, and while they are all equal in theory the truth is that they have never disagreed on anything before the events of the series, so a rank structure among them was unnecessary. Shaerra, the matriarch of the first worldship to locate Earth, has become the de-facto leader, and her ship remains in orbit above the planet and controls access to the rest.

Aelmari have a mixed reputation throughout the galaxy. They generally seek to safeguard weaker species from more advanced or warlike neighbors, and this desire has led to them accidentally engaging in something close to imperialism. Their tendency to destroy planets in response to certain crimes has also garnered them a fearsome reputation, particularly since most bio-species in the galaxy don’t understand their Mission and usually believe that their interference is just a power grab on their own behalf. It’s important to note that Aelmari will not interfere in a galactic conflict on principle alone, they will only involve themselves if the conflict is particularly one sided and they happen to be nearby. Most wars and conflicts manage to play out without their interference.

Aelmari don’t have fixed territory, their worldships patrol a mix of familiar routes and occasionally explore new systems in pursuit of The Mission. After contact with humans most new exploration has ceased, despite Shaerra’s protest most Aelmari want to remain close to the only known source of humans they’ve yet discovered.

There are sometimes a few smaller Aelmari ships near hubs of galactic commerce, mostly because less militaristic species like to have them around for protection. They can occasionally be found running security checkpoints or even acting as peace officers if a species has particularly good relations with them.

The Aelmari goal is complete “adoption” of humanity, with humans living entirely on Aelmari worldships under their care. Originally, they planned to simply take everyone on earth by force, but seeing the emotional distress this was causing humans, they stopped, and have since been pursuing this goal by diplomatic and other means. Aelmari have even been deferring to human government decisions and laws to an extent, hoping to show humanity their good intentions.  

…

Humans

Height: come on, you know this

Physical description: there are a few human populations in Conquest of Earth that naturally have unusual hair colors (pink, teal, etc) but most are located off earth. Most Earth native humans are at peak physical ability and health following Aelmari contact due to their seeding of earth’s atmosphere with medical nanites.

Humans also have innate psychic abilities which are rarely developed, being dismissed by most people on earth as hoaxes or myths. With repeated exposure to psychic energy eventually a human will begin generating their own, and can utilize such abilities as telekinesis, mind reading, and various other means of bending the fabric of reality to their will.

Background: Humans in Conquest of Earth have been a curiosity object for certain species for a long time. The first human civilization of Atlantis was ultimately destroyed by the Archons out of a fear that humanity was becoming too advanced for them to use the way they wanted. One group of humans from Atlantis was brought to Mars by Hestia, a rogue Archon servitor, where they lived in secret for thousands of years.

The Archons, and their servitor clones, were earth’s most frequent visitors. Their first goal was generally to harvest humans in order to understand the link between genetics and psychic abilities, and the second and more enduring goal was to take humans in suspended animation for their bizarre “collections.” They are responsible for most earth rumors of UFOs and alien abductions prior to first contact.

Other species occasionally visited earth and took humans offworld, but not on a significant scale. Thanks to these third party abductions there is a diaspora population of humans out in the galaxy, but they live in mostly hidden colonies away from the rest of galactic society. These colonies are relatively small, being a few million at most, and always far away from galactic centers of trade or commerce. Most species have no idea humans exist, and the diaspora populations prefer it that way. These isolated populations have no contact with earth, and some have even forgotten about humanity’s home planet.

Today the Earth native humans have mostly joined the Aelmari, willingly or by force, and live on their worldships in the lap of luxury. Earth itself only has maybe a billion humans left, although there is talk of allowing some of the humans on the worldship to return now and then for what the Aelmari term “vacations.”

Life on worldships is fairly serene, most humans are settled based on geography, so most people are on the same ship as their friends, family, and neighbors. Travel between worldships can be arranged for humans if loved ones are on a different one, and the Aelmari have facilitated human communications technology to the point where knowing someone is on a worldship halfway across the galaxy is no different than if they lived in a different city on earth. Many human businesses and organizations have continued to function even with their employees joining Aelmari worldships, though with most needs being provided human endeavor has increasingly turned to passion projects.

As a gesture of respect, the Aelmari have begun allowing humans access to better weapons and transportation technology, not quite on their own level, but somewhere near the galactic standard. The planet mars has also been terraformed for human settlement, and a massive luxury resort fitted for the galaxies larger denizens has been built so that humans can interact and conduct diplomacy with them on their own terms.

…

Archons

Height: 200 feet

Physical description: Hot pink skin, various hair colors with small goatlike horns protruding, black eyes. When particularly flustered, either emotionally or sexually, an Archon may briefly reveal a form that looks something like a hollow shell in the shape of a woman, filled with a crackling violet energy.

Background: Archons are one of the most advanced and secretive races in the galaxy. They have been behind many galactic events in the shadows, manipulating other races for their own benefit. They are extreme hedonists, dedicating their lives to playing sick games against one another with the lives of the rest of the galaxy and indulging their whims with their personal slaves. While their reach is far from absolute, they can almost always get what they want by deploying their servitors to dangle money or technology in front of the right people.

They long ago integrated psychic abilities into their bodies, and use them to relay orders to servitors. Older archons glow a bright pink and violet in low light, and also have crystalline growths around their shoulders and horns. While they use psychic abilities as a means of organization and control they fear their subordinates or humans using them, and will attempt to kill any that they find doing so.

Archons have an obsession with humanity and human culture that rivals the Aelmari themselves. Rather than “adopting” humans Archons like to collect them, housing vast tubes of cryogenically frozen humans for display. They have been doing this for thousands of years, and have humans captive from across numerous time periods. After the fall of Atlantis they dramatically scaled back their interactions on earth, preferring humanity to not know they existed. They do maintain a cult of worshippers on Earth, though they are rarely contacted by Archons directly, as they prefer to let their servitors do so.

An Archon’s human collection is a status symbol, showing how long they have been active and what level of power among their peers they have. More important humans garner more respect, and a number of famous individuals throughout history who were rumored to have disappeared found their way into an Archon’s collection.

Archon technology is on par with the Aelmari, even more advanced in some respects. The Archon homeworld is kept outside of normal space in a pocket dimension only accessible by their own technology. In it’s own universe, surrounded by vast floating space stations of servitors, it’s an impregnable fortress from which these pink skinned giants command the fate of entire worlds.

They have a playful and cruel nature towards humanity, treating them as toys to be collected and played with. A human that doesn’t have “collector’s value” will likely not last long in their company.

…

Archon Servitors

Height: 90 feet

Physical description: Brown skin, silver hair, often seen wearing earth businesswear and dark sunglasses.

Background: Archon servitors are a race of clones created from a mix of human DNA and that of a few other species. They are created on demand and given their assignments as soon as they step out of their cloning tanks. They carry an innate sense of superiority and pride, and most are unquestioningly loyal, though they can and do rebel if mistreated enough. They rarely mingle socially, and if their superiors suspect they are forming close relationships with one another or anyone else they will be culled by their fellow clones at the first opportunity.

Their standard kit includes earth style business suits and high heels, along with a pair of dark sunglasses. Equipment includes a powerful shield generator significantly beyond what most species have access to, and a silver “godkiller” blaster, which is reputed to be able slay almost any species in the galaxy, up to and including Aelmari.

Psychic abilities are used by servitors primarily as a means of communication and organization. These powers are drawn from their human genetic roots, and much like humans increased exposure to them can cause them to increase in power, with more powerful ones capable of feats of telekinesis and various manipulation of reality.

Servitors have an attraction towards humans due to their genetic roots, but they don’t act on it for fear of reprisal from their masters. Still, some of them are more playful than is appropriate with humans before capture.

…

Glalans (Prime)

Height: 90 feet

Physical description: Hair of varying bright colors, cat ears and tails, retractable claws at fingertips

Background: Glalans are a race of cat-girls with an aggressive disposition and technology near or slightly above galactic standard. The Glalan home system consists of several habitable planets, with Glalan Prime being the most populated and most industrialized.

Glalan Prime is, in the modern day, heavily urbanized, with only a few nature preserves and forested areas left near the poles. The atmosphere was heavily polluted, but has begun to clear after centuries of cleaner fuels and cleanup efforts. Still, the Glalan star shines dimmer on this world than it does on other planets in the system.

Glalan Prime is also the system capital, and rules the other two habitable planets, Glalan Beta, and Glalan Mu. Thirty years ago Glalan Prime waged a series of Unification Wars to unite the system under their banner, and while there is still some resentment the Glalan Empire has largely integrated the other two worlds.

Males on Glalan prime, both native and alien, were historically without legal rights. Most marriages on Glalan prime were polygamous and political in nature, with females sharing a husband in order to join assets or form alliances. This has begun to change, in the last several decades males, even alien ones, have been given full legal rights under Glalan law and some have even achieved high political office.

Culture heavily prioritizes skill at arms and combat, the most popular recreational sports involve melee weapons, gladiator games, and marksmanship, media is almost all propaganda glorifying Glalan war heroes. Many Glalans want to join their navy, and those that can’t often find themselves drifting into criminal organizations, marauder gangs, and space pirate crews. While the Glalan elite would like to imagine themselves as a chivalrous and knightly people, the reputation Glalans usually have throughout the galaxy is that they’re thugs and hired muscle. Even so there is little to no attempt by the government to stop it’s people from leaving the planet in pursuit of glory and plunder, the adventures of space marauders make for good propaganda and get lots of angry young females off world to cause trouble, rather than doing it at home.

Obviously, this policy brings Glalans into regular conflict with the Aelmari, and a number of other species throughout the galaxy. Many Glalans resent them for this, and the Aelmari’s regular visits to Glalan prime are viewed with a mix of fear and anger.

Humans set off a mix of several instincts in Glalans, a predatory instinct, and a mating instinct, which causes them to take a playful and teasing nature towards humans which can vary in intensity by the individual. Still, they find humans attractive, despite their size, and as contact with Earth has increased there is a niche demand for human pop culture and entertainment on the planet.

…

Glalans (Beta)

Height: 90 feet

Physical description: Red or white hair, usually very long. Foxlike ears and general features, extremely fluffy tails

Background: Glalan Beta is a mostly forested world, with only a few major spaceports. The fox-girls of the planet prefer trade and the occasional underhanded scheme to violence, and when the cats invaded they didn’t put up much resistance.

After the war the increased space traffic to their planet allowed more to leave the Glalan system, and they’ve quickly gained a reputation as savvy merchants and traders. You can also always count on them to have a tail dipped in the local underworld, even if they themselves are not involved in criminal activities.

…

Glalans (Mu)

Height: 110 feet

Physical description: Dark black or brown hair, canine ears and sharper teeth, tails with wiry fur, blue or grey eyes.

Background: Glalan Mu is populated by a wolfen Glalan sub-species which fiercely resisted their integration into the Glalan Empire. Isolationist and tribal, they fought well against the cats but were unable to secure their independence against superior numbers and technology.

Today they rarely leave their own planet, refusing to participate in the rest of the empire as much as possible. At first Glalan Prime believed it could settle it’s own people on the planet, but the harsh winters and hostile natives made it undesirable. It still serves as a tributary to the system’s capital planet, though the cats didn’t get what they hoped for from the victory.

They don’t care much about what goes on in the wider galaxy, a few end up offworld as mercenaries or members of the Glalan navy, but they return to their own world as soon as they’re paid. Like most Glalans they find humans to be amusing, although they tend to be more respectful than their sisters from Glalan Prime or Beta.

…

Medusans

Height: 60-80 feet

Physical description: Green skin, black prehensile hair, long sticky tongues that can extend the length of their bodies, jet black eyes.

Background: Medusans are an aggressive species with little in the way of long term goals, usually prowling the galaxy looking for interesting meals or warm planets to sunbathe on. Like Glalans they are a frequent feature in criminal organizations or pirate crews, although they care little for glory or the thrill of combat, preferring easy fights and underhanded tricks.

Medusans find the taste and smell of humans to be delicious, so it’s advised that humans in the wider galaxy try to avoid them. They prefer to swallow prey live, and their digestion is thankfully very slow, so if the worst should happen a human’s friends have plenty of time to perform a rescue.

More intelligent or caring members of the species will not eat humans, and will attempt to prevent their comrades from doing so, but they still find the taste and smell of a human irresistible.

…

Apini

Height: 10-40 feet depending on role

Physical description: Yellow and black striped skin with a slight fuzz to it, fuzzy yellow hair, black eyes, translucent wings. Hive queens are usually plump looking and stand forty feet tall, while drones run from ten to twenty feet depending on their role. Worker drones waifish and skittish, soldiers stand larger and are visibly muscular.

Background: Traveling the galaxy in their giant hive-ships the Apini are mostly peaceful unless provoked. They have visited earth in the distant past, and have a general fondness for human males if they can acquire one for their hive. Any human finding himself with them will generally be treated well, provided he can keep up with his duties as “hive king,” which involve both providing the queen with regular genetic material and keeping the rest of the bees in the hive happy.

Apini will very quickly become emotionally attached to any humans who live with them, and will do their best to make them genuinely happy, even getting upset and aggressive with outsiders if they can’t find a way to please their hive-king. If Apini do become attached to a human they will viciously resist attempts to remove them from their hive. Hive queens firmly believe an attack on one is an attack on all, and anyone who crosses them or their favored humans may find themselves facing down an entire species of angry bees.

…

Abbadans

Height: 200 feet

Physical description: Very much like an earth concept of a demon, red skin, pointed horns, pointed tail, yellow eyes, jet black hair.

Background: Abbadans are from a hot and sulfurous planet where they live carefree lives bathing in magma flows and eating the ample lava snails that crawl aimlessly around the volcanoes. While they developed space travel and other technology they rarely wanted to leave their own world, being significantly larger than most species they find many galactic accommodations cramped, and they have little instinct for exploration.

Their immense size and strength means they were popular targets for slavers, their ability to perform manual labor in harsh climates made an Abbadan an excellent prize. With their society disorganized they have little recourse when raids target their planet, only hoping that the Aelmari or another friendly race will be nearby.

Despite their fearsome appearance they are actually quite nurturing and caring, and the few that do find work in galactic society tend gravitate towards medicine, charity, and the like.

Abbadans are terrified of humans at first sight, this is due to humanity’s resemblance in size and shape to the Abbadan rock groke, an animal which is extremely poisonous. An Abbadan will react to a human in the room by attempting to climb a chair or other high surface where they think the human can’t reach them, some less resolute ones will even cry and beg the humans to leave them alone. Eventually, they can be talked down, but they will remain skittish around humans they don’t know well. Those who are around humans enough will be able to interact with humans without fear.

…

Spilosians

Height: 100 feet

Physical description: Pale skin, dark eyes, extremely soft fur near their necks and long white hair, silky soft white wings and a pair of antenna, two sets of arms.

Background: Colloquially called “space moths” Spilosians have no known homeworld, instead operating out of secluded monasteries on barren asteroids. Their settlements can usually be seen by the soft glow of their lamps, and they find lights pleasing in general.

Pacifists by nature, They travel the galaxy in ships that look remarkably like earth moths, and they’re always a welcome sight as they are known to give aid and relief to any injured or stranded being, regardless of their affiliation.

Spilosians are one of the few species in the galaxy with psychic abilities, but they do not share this with outsiders, preferring to use their gift to locate distressed ships and rescue the crews. Because of this behavior Space-Moths are widely beloved by most spacefaring races, and even the most cutthroat and murderous spacers will be willing to stand up for them if they’re in trouble, and will refuse to work with someone who has harmed them. A number of species would go as far as to see it as an act of war to harm one of their monasteries.

They know of many secret and lost places in the galaxy, including the locations of human diaspora colonies and even the Archon homeworld. They keep these secrets to themselves, thinking that lesser races might do reckless things with the information.   

Spilosians generally like humans, and enjoy when they stay in their monasteries and ships. They will not attempt to awaken psychic abilities in a human, but may offer guidance if it has already happened.

…

As a final word on alien species, if you do decide to make your own story in this setting feel free to use these, or just make up your own. If you’ve gotten this far you’ve got a general idea of what this “universe” is like and you can probably make something that’ll fit your story idea and mesh well.

Sarah stalked the maintenance corridor of the ship, the hiss of the steam vents clouding her path. Most starships in the galaxy had small maintenance vents for repair and janitorial droids to use, tunnels which were very convenient for a human sized mercenary and assassin like herself. They’d be dangerous for most people, the maintenance droids were around the size of a garbage truck, and they had pest control lasers and claws meant to exterminate unwanted stowaways common on starships which were about human sized, the galactic equivalent of rats and roaches. Luckily, most of those pests weren’t as smart as a human, and Sarah almost casually stabbed her wrist mounted claw through the casing of one as it passed, causing it to spark briefly and come to a halt.

At seven feet tall, with spliced genes, and one of the galaxy’s best designed battlesuits, Sarah would have been an impressive sight on earth. In space though? Humans were small, comically so by galactic standards. Sarah had turned that to her advantage, using stealth and deadly poisons to become one of the galaxy’s highest paid killers, and despite her relatively diminutive size she commanded respect from some of the most terrifying warlords, gangsters, and despots in the universe.

Or had, anyway. The mission on earth had been a failure, and worse yet Zeph, her best friend and business partner, had forced her to go and see her parents for the first time since she’d been abducted in her teen years.

The meeting had been… odd. She’d spent years burying thoughts of her mom and dad, telling herself they’d be happier not knowing what had happened to her, that they’d be happier not knowing about what the universe was like… The Aelmari had made at least some of it easier, her parents no longer found aliens novel by the time she’d arrived, and they hadn’t even blinked twice when she’d explained that her best friend and business partner, Zeph, was two hundred feet tall and looked like a demon.

It had been quite a sight, her father, the pudgy late middle aged car salesman, shaking hands, fingers, with Zeph as she’d bent down to talk to them. Her parents hadn’t stopped telling her how proud they were of her owning her own starship, how she had the real pioneer spirit for making her way in the galaxy at such a small size…

Despite her tearful confession about being a galactic hitwoman her parents didn’t seem to quite get it, and she wasn’t sure if they were deliberately misunderstanding her or not. Her dad had seemed convinced she was something more like Han Solo or Flash Gordon, congratulating her on her space adventures…

“Sarah,” he’d said when she’d finally gathered the courage to leave Earth again, “I trust that you made the best decisions you could, and your mother and I… we’ll always love you, no matter what’s happening out there in the stars.”

She couldn’t bring herself to go back to murder-for-hire after that, and she fought down a curse against her father, against Zeph, and even herself, for letting those words crack her cold heart.

She’d reasoned there had to be a way to make money on the side of angels, but it had been a rough few months. The level of equipment she was used to required a high income, and while she and Zeph had occasionally stumbled across a wealthy system with bounties out for criminals, the amount of money that the right side of the law paid for her kind of work didn’t come close to what the wrong side did.

And then there were these “charity” jobs. Zeph had taken full advantage of her sudden conscience to suggest they help the less fortunate, protecting the weak, the needy, something she’d always wanted Sarah to try but which the assassin had been too callous to entertain.

“Damnit Zeph,” she muttered, peering out into the galley of the slaver’s ship, “you just had to pick a slaver ship full of Medusans to liberate…”

The four green skinned alien women hissed to one another in their own language, laughing at shared jokes as they lounged around a table displaying a holographic display. It showed a Glalan, a catlike species Sarah knew well, attempting to engage an Aelmari executioner in personal combat. Sarah frowned, letting her eyes linger on it a moment. She personally thought the Glalans were a stupid species, and seeing one attempt to take on an Aelmari just confirmed it for her.

One of the green skinned women suddenly sat up, her black eyes going wide and her tendrilled hair snapping to attention as she sniffed the air. The others joined her, and soon they were all gazing towards the far wall, where Sarah hid in the shadows of the maintenance tunnel.

Sarah cursed Zeph again, Medusans were relatively small by galactic standards, most of them were only around sixty to seventy feet tall, but as those snakelike tongues raced across their lips Sarah was very keenly aware of how easily she’d slip down one of their throats. This was a species she had some experience with, and she knew firsthand how much they apparently loved the smell and taste of humans. Unconsciously she extended her wrist mounted claw from it’s housing.

“Something smellsss good,” one hissed eagerly.

“Iss the captain cooking food?” another asked.

“No,” a third said, gazing towards the wall, “It’ss ssomething fressh! Alive!”

The four aliens walked together towards the maintenance tunnel. Sarah looked around for a good hiding space and saw nothing, the tunnels were smooth, and it was a long straightaway to the next turn, one she’d never manage to clear before they reached her.

“What’ss that?” a black eye spied her as a face filled the hole.

“Grab it!” one hissed, “before it getss away!”

Sarah’s eyes went wide as a long pink tongue half as thick as her waist shot out of the gap towards her. She lashed out with the claw just as it got within reach, causing the green skinned giantess to hiss in pain. The tongue hurled back into it’s owners mouth with a snapping sound.

Sarah turned to run, sprinting back down the maintenance tunnel as the aliens called for her angrily. They knew she was here now, and Medusans were naturally resistant to her poison of choice. She would have taken several with her as backups, but poisons that could incapacitate a hundred foot being weren’t cheap. With her income being reduced these days she only coated her claw in one toxin, instead of her preferred four.

“Zeph,” she thought through their private neuronet, “things have taken a turn for the worse, can I get an extraction?”

“No can do,” the red skinned alien said, “If I decloak that freighter is going to blast the ship to pieces. Are things really that bad?”

“It’s all Medusans,” she said, “and they’ve spotted me.”

“Can’t you just… kill them?” Zeph inquired slowly. Despite her fearsome appearance Zeph was very squeamish about violence, most of her people were.

“I’ve had to cut some corners lately,” Sarah responded, sprinting down the maintenance tunnel, “Instead of carrying poison to kill one hundred percent of what I might encounter I only carry what works for maybe ninety five percent of the galaxy, and Medusans are the blind spot.” She heard hissing echoing down the tunnel and then the click as various tunnel droids were being activated. “If I go out there, I’ll be able to cut them up a bit, but unless I get really lucky I’m going to end up as dinner.”

“I think it’s time to ask for some help,” Zeph said solemnly.

“HELP!?” Sarah sent back angrily, “Zeph, this is the Procyon system, who do you think is going to give a flying fuck about a slaver ship here? The Aelmari don’t visit this sector! The only authority is the casino owners, and they won’t come after anything that can shoot back.”

“I’m checking the ship traffic now,” Zeph said urgently, “Oh! Someone came into the system using a dimensional drive, and there are Aelmari on the passenger manifest!”

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Zeph, you know if we contact the Aelmari they’ll never stop bugging me about living on their worldships, right?”

“Well the Medusans are currently bugging you about joining them for dinner,” Zeph retorted, “Do you want me to try to patch you through to them?”

…

Shaerra, Worldship Matriarch, was relaxing in a simulated hot spring in her quarters. She smiled, looking out the viewport at Earth, her planet, THEIR planet... Brandon and Tricia, her personal bio-trophies and humans, relaxed alongside her, their tiny forms sidled up to her massive blue skin.

She sighed as a message came in from Maeve, her second in command.

“I’m going to broadcast this aloud,” she said for the benefit of her humans.

Brandon rolled his eyes and Tricia just scowled. She’d treated them a lot like pets when she’d first snatched them off earth, but the pair had quickly become trusted confidants and advisors on anything related to human affairs, and increasingly other galactic matters. They weren’t any happier about being disturbed at rest than she was.

“Shaerra,” Maeve began, “We have a third party neuronet transmission coming in requesting Aelmari leadership.

“Third party neuronet?” Shaerra muttered, “Stolen technology, whoever this is has got to be rich and unscrupulous.”

“Well put them through,” Tricia sighed, “I’m already annoyed, we might as well see what they want.”

“Is this the Aelmari leader?” a female voice called.

“This is Shaerra, worldship matriarch,” she said, “in attendance with my human… advisors. What do you want?”

“This is Sarah Maxwell, you might know me as the universe’s best assassin.”

Shaerra pursed her lips and looked down into the massive spring at her humans. Both of them recognized the name, she’d done her best to keep them in the loop on various events in the galaxy, and they were very familiar with the mysterious human woman who had become entangled in certain Aelmari, Human, and Glalan, diplomatic and military efforts.

“Sarah,” Brandon said, “you must understand that Shaerra is a very important member of her species.”

“Brandon,” the matriarch protested, “you don’t need to-“

“Quiet,” Tricia snapped at the blue giantess, “you need to maintain a certain air with these scoundrels.”

“Well no shit, I’m guessing this is Brandon? That little limey fuck that weaseled his way into being the most powerful human in the galaxy?”

“Weaseled?!” Brandon snapped, “I got kidnapped-“

Shaerra gave him a concerned look.

“Adopted,” he said with a sigh, “Sarah, what can we do for you?”

“I’m stranded on a slave ship in orbit over Procyon,” she said, “My friend Zeph seems to think a few of your people are in system, and from what I’ve heard Aelmari aren’t fond of slavers. I’ll beam you the coordinates, you send your blueskins in to blow this crew to atoms and-“

“Not so fast,” Tricia said, wading in the water closer to Shaerra’s knee. Crawling “ashore” she stood upright on the soft blue island and placed her hands on her hips, “Now listen here Sarah,” the woman snapped up at Shaerra’s face, “You want our help? Well, the Aelmari are done playing good cop for free!”

“W-We are?” Shaerra asked nervously.

Brandon held up a hand, “What my wonderful fiancé Trish is trying to say-“

“You got engaged!?” Shaerra asked excitedly.

“You’re the firs to know, I promise,” Brandon said, “Continuing on, what Trish is trying to say is that you are a notorious mercenary Sarah. We can certainly send our assets in that system to your aid, but are you willing to do a few things for us in exchange?”

“Not even a year of Earth contact and you’ve already ruined the Aelmari,” Sarah sent back, “Fine, Zeph and I are yours, just send your people to this ship.”

“Send the coordinates,” Shaerra said neutrally, staring down at her humans.

After a moment the hot spring bubbling stopped, and her two humans gazed up at her form curiously.

“What do you want her to do for us exactly?” Shaerra asked, “The Mission was originally meant for tiny species, but we’ve tried to extend that to any species that can’t defend itself… I understand that slavers are not well regarded by most humans either?”

“If I recall from Mr. Arnett’s first encounter with her,” Brandon said, swimming up to join Tricia on the blue giant’s knee, “she knows the location of potential lost human populations. If we save her, I think it’s a fair trade for her to lead us to them.”

Shaerra mulled it over, human thought process was still somewhat strange to her, but this made sense. This human mercenary, even if she refused adoption and integration, could prove a useful tool.

“Now,” Brandon said with a smile, “What assets do we have in this Procyon system? I’m still trying to get up to speed, but that’s some kind of recreational sector, right?”

“Gambling mostly,” Trish said, “Some prostitution, but not a lot of rougher stuff going on. The criminals running the place don’t like anything upsetting their rich customers.”

“Ugh,” Brandon muttered with a grimace, “who do we have there?”

“Two scouts,” Shaerra said with a smile, “take a guess which two.”

Brandon sighed, “The pair of rogues and their hangers on?”

“I don’t really consider Isstvell and Lyrei to be rogue Aelmari,” Shaerra said thoughtfully, “They’re still very committed to The Mission, they just have a… differing interpretation.”

“Let’s discuss it later,” Tricia said, “this was supposed to be our holiday… as much as you can have one with holograms on a worldship.” Her face brightened, “Shaerra, do that thing I asked you to do!”

“What?” Brandon asked with a laugh, looking back and forth between the giant blue elf and his fiancé.

“She wants to do a sort of roleplay,” Shaerra said with a sigh.

“Come on!” Trish begged, “it’ll be fun!”

Shaerra smirked, then with one hand swiped the two humans out of the water, causing Brandon to shout with surprise. Squeezing them slightly she brought them up to her face, causing her eyes to glow a menacing red color, something she thought silly but which Tricia had insisted on.

“Now my pathetic human slaves,” she said in a distorted voice, “You will participate in my forced human breeding project!”

“Yes!” Tricia hissed excitedly.

…

“Damn,” Clara muttered, watching the roulette wheel bring up another losing number for her, “I just don’t have any luck…”

Jim was snuggly nestled between her breasts, and she wore a shining blue dress that stopped just at her ankles. It gave Jim some satisfaction to see that Clara had apparently modeled her formalwear after their mental “prom night,” and he’d had the replicators make him a tuxedo to match.

The casino floor could have been something out of Las Vegas, not that Jim had ever been, but it was what movies had led him to expect. Bawdy patrons trying their luck at various gambling machines, shouts of joy at wins, the occasional sigh at a loss. Some of the games he saw could have fit right in on Earth, roulette wheels and what looked like slot machines mostly, there was something that looked like a card game but Jim didn’t recognize the alien symbols, and the translation nanites weren’t helping.

Like most planets in the galaxy it was mostly females, and mostly in the hundred foot range, with a few taller or smaller, but all of them towering over the tiny human riding snugly in Clara’s cleavage. A few of those aliens had looked jealously at him, and more than one had shot him a smile and a wink. There were more males here than on most of the planets he visited, but they were still far outnumbered.

Clara had asked if he wanted to ride in one of the golden cages from their mars adventure, but he’d declined. Sitting between her pillowy breasts he felt he’d made the right decision, the occasionally jiggle as Clara bent down to roll dice or spin a wheel sending him slightly deeper into the soft prison.

“I’m afraid you lose the bet Miss,” a wolf eared alien said with a small smirk. She towered over Clara, nearly as tall as Lyrei or Isstvell, and had some sharply canine features in the same places Clara’s catlike ones existed, a bushy grey tail with streaks of black wagged happily as Clara paid out her bet.

“She’s from Glalan Mu,” Clara explained quietly, “she’s giving us trouble because she’s still mad her people lost the war.”

“Regardless of my opinion on your cowardly and despicable people,” The wolfen girl said, “the wheel spins how it spins.” She grinned, “would you care to place another bet, Miss?”

“I think she’s done,” Jim called out, and although she scowled, Clara nodded.

“You’re one of those humans everyone’s been talking about?” The wolf said suddenly, her yellow eyes regarding him casually. “They say you threw off two invasions from the cats, and even embarrassed Telara herself?”

“We had some help,” Jim said, not sure what else to say.

The wolf shrugged, “Maybe, but everyone on Mu was toasting your species for a week, and you’re so cute too…” She glanced up at Clara distastefully, “if this cat is boring you, just call security and we’ll make sure you have a good time.” She winked one more time at Jim, ignoring Clara’s fuming expression.

…

“Can you believe that?” Clara muttered angrily as she carried him into their group suite. “First, she takes my money, then she’s trying to steal you right in front of me!”

“I’m pretty sure she was just messing with your head Clara,” he laughed. “Besides, you know I’m more of a cat person than a dog person anyways.”

“You know I don’t like being compared to those earth pets,” she said, her face softening.

They took a minute to enjoy the view out the large window. Isstvell and Lyrei had given Elara access to an Aelmari bank account to pay for their stay, and she’d decided to spend big. They were near the top floor of a massive skyscraper, towering over anything on earth, a vast neon lit cityscape below them advertising more casinos than Jim was sure existed on the entirety of Earth.

“I do believe the blueskins and our pet clone will be at that concert for some time,” Clara said, a grin coming over her features, “I’d like to make one last bet for the day.” She set him on a small table and walked to a replicator to put in information, a second later a very earth-looking coin appeared in her hand, albeit one the size of a sewer cover.

“A coin flip?” Jim asked as the giant catgirl sauntered back over to him. “Sure, what are the stakes?”

“If I win, you’re going inside me,” she said with a wicked grin. She started sliding the dress off, letting it fall to the floor. She stood before him in a simple set of white underwear, her pink tail swishing behind her eagerly.

“A-and if I win?” he asked nervously.

“You’re still going in,” Clara said, “but I’ll let you choose how.”

 He gulped, “heads,” he shouted.

The giant catgirl winked at him, then flipped the giant coin. There was a clattering sound as it landed on the table, and Jim hesitantly walked towards it.

“Tails,” Clara said with a smirk, “how appropriate.”

Jim looked up at her, then turned and sprinted as fast as he could down the table. The couch was close, he could jump to it and-

Her fingers curled around him, tripping him and causing him to tumble as she grabbed him up. Her fist coiled tightly around him, and he heard giggling as he was brought up to her giant face. Her catlike ears twitched once as she licked her lips. She carried him into the room the two of them shared, and while there was a human sized bed they’d replicated up for him sitting on one end table he hadn’t once used it in the two weeks since they’d arrived. Clara seemed happy to provide him with alternative sleeping arrangements.

“Strip for me,” she said, setting him on the bed while she walked over to a suitcase, laying on the floor. He nervously followed her instructions, the anticipation driving him crazy as he tried to see what she was pulling out.

A moment later he had his answer as she unscrewed the cap on an unlabeled bottle. She poured an oily blue substance into her hand, and seemed to shiver as it made contact. Her now slick hand came down to him, and he gasped and felt chills as the substance went up and down his body, Clara giggled, relishing his strained expression as she forcefully spread it into every nook and crevice.

“I was playing with an Aelmari replicator,” she explained, “this stuff is similar to the goo they put out when they’re aroused, but I made it a little more… potent.”

Jim was gasping every time she made contact with him, he wanted to say something, but every small movement of Clara’s fingers was almost bringing him to the point of cumming himself. All he could do was moan and try to press against her giant fingers as she played with him, squelching his tiny body back and forth.

“Those knife-ears really knew what they were doing with this stuff,” Clara commented, “even just having it on my hands feels pretty good, I can’t imagine what it’s like for poor little you, having it rubbed in like this.” She grinned and squeezed tightly, running her hand over Jim again and causing him to grunt from the sensation. Every time Clara’s soft skin made contact it was like a million silky fibers running over him, and each one sending a jolt of pleasure through his entire body. When she rubbed him with her entire hand, the blue oil sinking into his pores, he almost felt like he would pass out from the electric feeling dancing up and down his spine.

“Hmm…” Clara muttered, looking down at the panting human in her hands. Jim had a goofy grin now, and seemed to be trying to grind himself against her fingertips, “Maybe the Aelmari were right to limit the concentration.” She grinned and shrugged, “Oh well, time to feel it myself!”

Jim was vaguely aware of Clara’s underwear coming down, and her butt turning to face him. Stars filled his vision as she picked him up, causing him to squirm in pleasure again at the mere sensation of her touch.

He felt his head make contact with the tight ring of muscle that was her asshole, and he gasped again, writhing in pleasure as she forced him slowly inside. Clara bit her lip and almost stopped, between the blue oil and Jim’s movement it was almost overwhelming, but with a grin she shoved as hard as she could. Jim felt a slick pressure envelop him, and the tingling lightning was joined with a warm and humid feeling. Dimly, he was aware that he was fully inside Clara’s ass now, and the walls rumbled around him as he fought to control his movements, the alien material that was heightening his own sensitivity was now doing it to everything inside of Clara that he touched.

For the catgirl on the bed it was just as electrifying an experience, and her back arched with pleasure as she groaned happily. She began touching herself as Jim thrashed and spread more of that wonderful substance inside her, his every movement magnified a thousandfold as she clenched her cheeks together to keep him trapped inside.

She did her best not to scream as the first orgasm started, and she barely had time to breathe before a second started rising. She gripped the bed, her knuckles turning white as she turned her head from side to side, swearing happily as the human trapped in her behind continued his work. Her eyes shot open and she had a moment of clarity as the third orgasm started, she couldn’t unclench her ass and let him out now, even if she’d wanted to.

The brief lucidity was washed away as Jim’s own first orgasm started, and as Clara nearly rolled off the bed in the throes of pleasure, a part of her panicked and wondered just how long the effects of that blue oil would last…

…

Isstvell, Lyrei, and Elara quickly boarded the lift, all three of them were in formal wear as Elara had requested, the two elves in a shiny white almost plastic looking set of dresses, and Elara in long black outfit complimented by a shining diamond necklace in earth style. They’d been attending a musical performance at the clone’s request, something very similar to Earth jazz being performed in a bronzed cathedral lit with flickering flames before an audience of varied aliens. Elara knew Jim and Clara would hate it, and so she’d asked the two Aelmari to accompany her, hoping that some of it would rub off on their relative blank slates.

The sudden neuronet message from the Matriarch had been unexpected, and Elara had fought disappointment as the two Aelmari had stood up and motioned for her to follow them.

“I’m sorry about this,” Isstvell said apologetically, “we’ll be sure to come back and watch the next performance.”

“I understand,” Elara muttered, “duty calls after all…”

The lift shifted as it brought them directly to their room, the door opening in a circular fashion with a hiss. The three of them walked in and immediately noticed Clara’s discarded dress on the ground.

“I guess what know what Clara and Jim got up to while we were away,” Isstvell chuckled, walking towards Clara’s suite. She rapped on the door once, then frowned as there was no response. She pushed it open, her eyes going wide as she saw the unconscious Glalan sprawled naked on the floor, a goofy grin on her sleeping face.

“Stars,” The Aelmari muttered, “What happened here!?” She saw a bottle on the nightstand and picked it up, quickly she scanned it and her eyes went wide as she realized what the contents were. “No wonder you passed out,” she said with a chuckle. She gently nudged Clara with her boot, and with a groan the pink haired catgirl sat up.

“H-Hey,” she said weakly, “I was just… taking a nap, on the floor…”

“Yes,” Isstvell laughed, “I’m sure.” A ball of plasma quickly appeared in her hand, vaporizing the bottle of blue oil with a quick hiss.

“Hey!” Clara shouted.

“Where’s Jim?” Isstvell asked, ignoring her. “There’s apparently a slaver ship in orbit, and the Matriarch is very interested in making sure the captives are rescued.”

Clara’s eyes went wide, “He’s uhh…” She bit her lip, “well, he’s still moving, so that’s a good sign.”

…

Jim was still a bit groggy from his earlier play with Clara, but suited up in his green battlesuit and sitting on Elara’s shoulder, he was starting to wake up a bit. They’d boarded their ship and taken off for the orbitals immediately, Clara piloting as usual.

“So what’s so special about this particular slaver ship?” Jim asked, “I mean, I get that any slavers are bad news, but having Shaerra’s personal attention seems a bit off, doesn’t it?”

“An old friend of ours is on it,” Lyrei said with a small smile.

…

Sara thrashed in the grip of the wriggling tongue, the four Medusans gathered around the table laughing to themselves as she tried to angle her claw downward. They’d managed to flush the vents by running air at high pressure through them, flinging her back out into the common area. From there the four creatures had finally managed to capture her, although not without taking a fair number of scratches.

“Well?” One asked, “are you going to sswallow it or not?”

The tongue tightened, and Sarah winced as her armor’s sensors beeped warnings at her, “It tasstes sso good!” the Medusan said around the outstretched tongue.

Sarah considered her options, she’d been eaten before, and it hadn’t ended well for her would-be predator, but this looked grim. The woman’s green hand was coming up to her wrist, held in place by that cursed tongue, and the giant alien began prying at her claw, hoping to dislodge it. Without a blade or poison she wasn’t sure how she could get out of this thing’s maw…

There was muffled boom from somewhere, and alarms began to sound, causing the four aliens to pause their sick game. They all drew plasma pistols, and with a scowl the one that had been tasting her uncoiled it’s tongue. Instead of letting her drop to the table as she’d hoped, one held out a small bag, letting her fall easily into it. Reflexively she lashed out at the side with her claw, but whatever fiber it was made of resisted the slash easily.

“Sarah?” Jim’s thoughts echoed over the suit’s neuronet, “we’re here, where are you?”

“Stuck in a bag in the galley,” she replied angrily. “I hope you brought the elves?”

“I never leave home without them!” Jim joked.

…

Clara laughed maniacally as she fired a volley of shots down the hallway from each of her plasma pistols, scattering the defending Medusans who hissed angrily even as they retreated. Elara was next to her, carefully firing in a controlled manner.

“Are your weapons set for nonlethal Clara?” Isstvell asked, almost casually walking past the cat into the rain of plasma fire.

Clara rolled her eyes and quickly set a switch on the side of each gun, “There, happy?”

“This isn’t exactly a hardened crew,” Elara said, watching them scatter as the party advanced, “between that little display and seeing an Aelmari with us, I’d be shocked if they aren’t heading for the escape pods.”

“Let them go,” Isstvell muttered, “Lyrei and I already put a word in to local authorities, Procyon looks the other way on a lot, but a band of slavers probably steps over enough lines to earn a jail cell, at least when they’re already tossed off their ship.”

“You don’t want to bring them in yourself?” Clara asked.

“We’ll gladly follow the Matriarch’s directions,” Lyrei said hesitantly, “but Isstvell and I think it might be best to avoid other Aelmari… for a short time at least.”

Elara and Clara exchanged glances, but said nothing.

…

Jim had decided not to take part in the storming of the slaver ship, gunfights with giant beings were always an unpleasant experience for a human. He’d told the others he was going to locate the prisoners to see if he could free them. Judging by the destroyed maintenance droids Sarah had been this way, and as he came to a large drop into an open bay, he found what he was looking for.

He leapt from the vent at the top of the room, the hundred foot or more drop to the control console was easily doable in one of Sarah’s battlesuits, and he grunted as he made contact and stood up. There was a large cell with a glowing red energy field keeping five immense beings contained. They were red skinned, with horns and pointed tails, two hundred feet tall at least. He’d seen creatures like this before, Zeph, Sarah’s business partner, mostly.

“Sarah,” he thought, “how do I open the cell?”

“Should be a big red button,” she thought back.

He frowned and looked down the giant console, sure enough a button the size of a trampoline jutted out from it.

“They’re not very smart,” Sarah thought again, “most Medusan controls are simple by necessity.”

Jim shrugged, and with a running start, leapt on top of the button. He was rewarded by a small *click* and a shimmer as the forcefield dissipated. The red skinned giantesses looked up, startled.

“We’re free!” one shouted eagerly.

“Yep!” Jim shouted happily, leaping off the control console to greet them. The five giantesses spotted the movement, and their eyes went wide.

“LOOK OUT!” one of them shouted, they all began scrambling away from him as he approached, three of them leapt up onto the cots their jailors had provided, one just wept and curled up into a ball, the final one, a bit bigger and older than the others, spread her arms and got between them.

“Stay back!” She warned, tears at the corner of her eyes, “I’m warning you!”

“Whoah!” he said nervously, “I’m here to help!”

The big one in front was visibly trembling now, her bottom lip quivering as she held her ground between Jim and her friends.

With a sigh he sent a thought to Sarah, “is there a reason the two hundred foot tall demons are scared shitless of me?”

Sarah laughed back, “Believe it or not, Zeph is one of the braver ones. They’re big but they’re cowards, that’s why slavers like them so much… I guess we look like some kind of poison bug from their homeworld, the first time I went to Zeph’s home planet half the town evacuated when they saw me.”

Jim was about to ask for more info when a shadow came over him. He looked up in shock to see the terrified giantess blinking tears out of her eyes as she lifted a giant red foot over him.

“Shit!” Jim leapt out of the way, and at the sudden movement the red alien squealed in terror and leapt back, causing the ground to shake.

“Go away!” one of them sobbed, throwing a massive pillow at him from on top of the cot.

Jim just looked up at the house sized projectile coming towards him and rolled his eyes, bracing himself for the impact. The soft surface collided with him, pressing him down to the hard floor and pinning his body in place. From outside he could hear the giantesses cheer.

Elara entered the prison bay, “Jim?” she called, her psychic sense told her he was in here, and he was… annoyed? She frowned, looking around, “the slavers are abandoning the ship, it’s ours.”

“Look out lady!” one of the red skinned giants called out to Elara, “there’s some gross little thing in here, we trapped it under that pillow!”

Elara glanced at the pillow in the center of the floor and chuckled as she holstered her gun. Her shoes clacked against the floor as she casually walked over to it.

“Don’t let it out!” one of the giants protested, “it’s going to bite you!”

Elara ignored them as she lifted the pillow, causing them all to scream in terror again. Jim was flattened against the floor, a frown on his face. With a chuckle she gently picked him up, then turned around causing the demonic looking aliens to cower in terror again.

“Look, he’s nice, see?” Elara said in an amused tone. Jim just sighed and did his best friendly wave.

…

Sarah tumbled out of the bag onto the table, and was greeted by the grinning faces of two Aelmari, and a very smug pink haired Glalan. With a sigh she stood up and did her best to sound imposing.

“Did you free the prisoners?”

“There’s a transport from the planet heading up here for them now,” Lyrei said.

“They’re a little shaken up, but otherwise all right,” Elara cut in, walking into the room with Jim riding on her shoulder.

“Sarah,” he said with a nod. With a flourish he leapt off of Elara’s shoulder, landing in a crouch on the other side of the giant table.

“Enjoying my suit?” she asked with an amused grin.

“I’ve found it useful,” he said, crossing his arms, “and it’s MINE now, I think I’ve earned it.”

“Fair enough,” Sarah muttered. “So, what’s the price for saving my ass?”

“You mentioned once that you knew about offworld human populations?” Jim said, “We’d like to meet them.”

Sarah looked at Jim, then up at the four giantesses. With a sigh she opened her suit’s neuronet up again.

“Zeph,” she thought, “bring the ship around, and have the computer convert some storage bays into guest rooms, I think we’re taking a road trip with some friends.”

…

Clara held Jim as they studied the hologram display. It had been playing when they’d entered the galley, and seemed to show an orange haired Glalan attempting to fight an Aelmari in close combat.

“I know her,” Clara muttered, “That’s Procerita, she was a famous gladiator before she gave it up to be a marauder. I heard rumors she was in the raider crew I was with, but I never ran into her.”

“Looks like a real hard case,” Jim said, watching the Glalan fight a deranged looking Aelmari, “this footage is old, do you know if she’s still alive?”

Clara shrugged, “There are rumors on some networks that she made it off earth, maybe this is footage of her death?”

As if in response to the comment the Aelmari attacking Procerita in the hologram burst apart, the explosions barely contained by a forcefield and sparing the Glalan, who rose triumphantly over her attacker. The hologram cut out then, leaving the two of them stunned.

“I’m going to need to review this,” Clara muttered, clicking the hologram off and downloading it to her wrist computer.

“I guess she’s not dead yet,” Jim mused.

…

Sarah’s ship was more spacious than Clara’s, and they were greeted by the giant form of Zeph, standing cheerfully over even the Aelmari as she ushered them on board.

“Thank you so much for saving my people!” she said eagerly, “Oh,” she saw Jim and bit her lip, “I’m uh, sorry they tried to squish you.”

“Scarier women than them have tried,” Jim said dismissively, “don’t worry about it.”

Zeph leaned down to pick up Sarah, holding the human mercenary at chest level so she could look down on them all.

“So,” the mercenary asked, “what exactly do you want with the human diaspora populations?”

“To offer protection and… alliance, with the Aelmari,” Lyrei said.

“My parents told me all about how you’ve been snatching people up on earth,” Sarah said, crossing her arms, “I’m trying to be a bit more ethical in my conduct these days, and I’m not sure leading the Aelmari to a lost human colony fits.”

“We’re also trying to be more… ethical,” Isstvell said quietly. “There won’t be any “snatching” as you call it.”

The corner of Sarah’s mouth quirked, “Okay then, put your ship on a stabilized orbit around the planet and make yourselves at home.”

“Why can’t we take my ship?” Clara asked defensively.

“The humans that have stayed hidden out in the galaxy all this time don’t like you big people,” Sarah said, gesturing to all of them, “if your ship enters their system you’ll be blown to bits before you can even raise a comm channel.”

“Are they so standoffish?” Isstvell asked uncertainly.

“Most of them, yeah,” Sarah said, “looking what happened to earth, can you really blame them?” She thought a few commands at the ship’s computer and it began loading up navigation routes, “I’ve got a beacon that signals I’m human, and Zeph usually just stays up on the ship if we have to go to a human outpost.”

“Which one are we going to Sarah?” Zeph asked, looking at a giant computer display behind her.

She shrugged, “New Aragon, then we can see how our blue friends act and decide if we want to help them find any other human settlements.”

“What’s this place like?” Jim asked, looking at the map of the galaxy being displayed for them.

Sarah shrugged, “they speak a couple earth languages there, mostly Catalan and Spanish, they’ve got a king and a queen. I’m not sure where they got it, but their technology is pretty good too, even though they’re all still in love with swords and armor and all that stuff.”

“How many?” Lyrei asked eagerly, “how many humans live New Aragon?”

Sarah shrugged, “a couple million maybe? It’s one of the larger human settlements.”

“That’s wonderful!” Isstvell said excitedly.

“Don’t get too worked up,” Sarah warned, “you can all come introduce yourselves once Jim and I have talked with their leaders.” She grinned at the other human, “you might want to pop over to my replicator and make yourself a sword and a cloak or something, dress like you’re going to a renaissance faire.”

“No way!” Clara said suddenly, “We don’t know if we can trust her, this could be a double cross or something!”

Sarah rolled her eyes, and Zeph shifted uncomfortably, “W-Well you can’t go down there,” Zeph said firmly, “you might be big, but trust me they can hurt you, and they will if you just stomp down there like you own the place.”

“So we’re just supposed to let a killer for hire take Jim down to a planet full of trigger happy psycho humans?” Clara asked angrily.

“I can handle myself,” Jim protested from Clara’s own palm, “this isn’t my first adventure you know.”

“And even if it was you can’t come with us,” Sarah said a bit smugly. From the look that passed between her and Clara there was more in both of their minds than the mission at hand.

“Actually,” Elara said suddenly, “I… I think you might be able to.”

…

“So she has psychic powers?” Sarah asked, watching as Elara did a series of breathing exercises. The two of them were on the floor, standing in front of the colossal forms of the two Aelmari, and looming over even the two of them Zeph watched in awe.

“I do too, actually,” Jim commented, crossing his arms.

Sarah grinned, “Shut the fuck up, seriously?”

“Too much exposure to psychic stuff kick starts them apparently,” he replied.

“Can you read my mind?” she asked, suddenly concerned.

“Only if you let me,” he replied.

Clara had walked into the cleared space, and now sat across from Elara. The two giants held hands, Clara’s ear’s twitched nervously.

“A-Are you sure you know what you’re doing?” Clara asked.

“Stars no,” Elara muttered. She closed her eyes, then opened them again, her pupils dancing with the familiar purple energy. Jim felt the hairs on the back of his neck rise as his own sixth sense kicked in, and the violet bolts arced through the room as a wind kicked up seemingly from nowhere.

“Is this safe!?” Sarah asked, her eyes wide. She looked up at the Aelmari, hoping to see some reassurance from the enormous blue elves, but the two of them just looked ahead, unspeaking. She turned to Jim, hoping the other human would give her some idea of what was going on, but she gasped in shock as she realized that Jim’s eyes had gone violet too.

“Sorry,” he said in a faraway voice, “I’m… I’m trying to help her keep it contained.”

For the first time in years Sarah felt a genuine touch of fear, and she backed away from the shorter human nervously, shooting a glance at Zeph who was inching towards the door herself.

A bright purple light enveloped the two giants in the center of the room, blinding Sarah as she held a hand up to shield her eyes. When her vision cleared there was nothing but two piles of clothing where the two larger beings had been just moments before.

“T-they were both vaporized,” Zeph said fearfully.

“No,” Jim said, “look.”

A pair of lumps in the massive clothing moved, and from the collar of Elara’s business suit a small silver haired head poked out. Elara squealed in shock.

“I didn’t mean to shrink myself too!” she wailed.

“This is amazing,” Sarah said, walking towards her, mouth open, “I’ve traveled the galaxy for years, and I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Sweet,” Clara muttered, rubbing her head as she stood up, naked, from her massive bodysuit, “It worked!” She beamed excitedly, “Jim, look! I got tiny again!”

As he and Sarah approached the catgirl Jim sighed, “Clara, again, seven feet is NOT tiny.”

“C-Can someone please replicate me some human sized clothes?” Elara called, looking up at the giant Aelmari, “Stars, this is horrible, Jim how do you deal with this?” From the look of things Elara hadn’t held on to an Amazonian form like Clara had, in fact Jim was fairly sure she was shorter than he was now.

“Looks like we’ll have one more going planetside with us,” Clara commented. She grinned at Sarah, her tail swishing back and forth as she sized up the human. Sarah crossed her arms and returned the steely gaze.

“Any reason you’re giving me that look?” Sarah asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Just thinking human,” Clara said, stepping up to the other woman in spite of her nakedness. Clara had maybe a few inches on Sarah’s own seven-foot frame, and her ears twitched once as she smirked. “I’ll bet you’ve never had a real fight with someone your own size,” Clara said.

“If you couldn’t handle me at ninety feet tall what makes you think you’d have a chance when we’re eye to eye?” Sarah asked.

“Do we really need to do this?” Jim asked warily.

“OH STARS, IT’S SO HIGH UP!” Elara wailed, the three of them turned to see that Lyrei had picked up the panicking Elara and was holding her in her hand, attempting to comfort her.

“Shh, it’s okay!” Lyrei said brightly, holding the quivering woman in her hand.

“Don’t worry Elara,” Isstvell said coming up behind her, “you’ll be back to normal soon, and we’ll take very good care of you in the meantime!”

“I-I don’t know how long I’m going to be stuck like this,” Elara said, looking up in terror at the two Aelmari, then up even further at Zeph. She gulped and tried to steady herself, breathing slowly and forcing her cool composure to return, “That is to say, I’m feeling very drained,” Elara explained, “and… this could take some time to fix.”

From the expression on Lyrei and Isstvell’s faces they didn’t mind one bit, though Jim couldn’t tell if Elara noticed. Clara certainly did, and she was looking over Sarah’s shoulder now at the two Aelmari, suddenly very interested in finding herself some clothes. Jim just chuckled to himself, Lyrei and Isstvell were much more… respectful, of him, and humans in general, now than when they’d first met, but their programming still gave them an intense attraction and protective instinct, one which apparently kicked in whenever a formerly large being was made small.

…

“This area is fitted for human size,” Sarah explained, leading them through a hallway. They’d left Zeph and the Aelmari in the ship’s main chambers, the trio being too large to follow them. “Most of the ship has some kind of accommodation for us, but I had this section custom built so I didn’t feel like a rat all the time on my own ship.”

“This feels better,” Elara said, having calmed down slightly, “I-I might just stay in this part of the ship until we’re ready to land.” Jim had been right when he’d sized her up, she’d shrank more than Clara did, in fact she was positively short, even by earth standards, only coming up to his chest. It was an unsettling experience looking down at someone who normally towered over you.

“Not taking being human sized well huh?” Sarah asked, “don’t worry squirt, stick with me and you’ll be just fine.”

Elara blushed, suddenly there was an image in their minds of a lustfully grinning Sarah tossing the much smaller woman over her shoulder. The blonde laughed and spanked the platinum haired clone, causing her to squeal. It disappeared as quick as it came, Jim and Clara paid it no mind, but Sarah’s face was bright red.

“W-What the hell was that,” she muttered.

“Sometimes psychic girl here accidentally sends out dirty thoughts,” Clara said offhandedly. “She’s getting better at keeping them in.”

“Sarah,” Elara began, “I am SO sorry-“

They were suddenly flooded with another image, this time Elara was struggling in Isstvell’s palm, Lyrei grinning over the other elf’s shoulder while they tormented their tiny captive with a single finger each. Another flash and Clara, a seven foot amazon, lay in bed, one arm around a stunned looking Jim and Elara on either side.

“Oh stars,” the embarrassed clone muttered as she got a hold on herself, “T-They just all came at once-“

“Jim,” Sarah said, her face still flushed, “when we have time, I’d like you to give me a little rundown on how this psychic stuff works.”

“You’re almost all caught up,” Jim laughed, “we’re kind of firing blind here.”

Clara sidled up to Elara and placed a hand on the smaller woman’s shoulder, “Hey, I’m kind of interested in seeing more of that last one…”

…

According to Sarah, it would take them at least two days to reach this “New Aragon,” even with an Aelmari dimensional drive, another piece of stolen technology which had earned the mercenary steely looks from Lyrei and Isstvell.

Although Sarah had enough storerooms for them each to have their own, Clara had replicated up a double bed and insisted Jim spend the night with her. That’s where he was now, the massive catgirl’s strong arms coiled around him, her tail brushing up his leg as she squeezed him in her sleep like he was a teddy bear.

A tingling in the back of his mind woke him up, and he frowned as he realized a soft purple glow around his eyes was illuminating the room. Someone was using psychic abilities nearby, and given that Elara was the only other person on the ship who had them, he knew it had to be her.

Slowly, he squirmed his way out of Clara’s grip, the catgirl muttering something in her sleep as she turned over. Leaving her to sleep, he opened the door to their room, wincing at the pneumatic hiss, but luckily it didn’t wake her.

He tried to use his own fledgling psychic abilities to find out where Elara was, and soon he found himself walking down the hallways towards the larger sized section of the ship. Entering a brightly lit common room he found the two Aelmari, standing over a massive table and talking silently to each other. Elara’s soft moans could be heard echoing down.

“What’s going on in here?” He shouted up at the blue titans.

Lyrei and Isstvell turned back to him, expressions slightly embarrassed, as if they’d been caught doing something wrong?

“Jim,” Lyrei said sweetly, “shouldn’t you be sleeping? I think the rest of the bio-species on the ship have-“

“Is that Elara up there?” he asked, “what are you two doing with her?”

Lyrei and Isstvell exchanged glances, then finally Lyrei bent down and allowed him to climb onto her palm. He did so, and she lifted him up to the table where a naked and panting Elara was splayed on the surface.

“J-Jim?” She breathed.

“Yeah,” he said cautiously, stepping off the Aelmari’s palm and walking to her, “are you okay?”

“I am,” she said, sitting up, “I just… really didn’t want to be human sized, no offense, but it’s… it’s making me very anxious, and I’ve been trying to undo it all day.” She sighed, “I thought that since sometimes I get more powerful during… passionate moments, it might be easier to fix if I had one.”

“So she asked us to play with her some!” Lyrei said excitedly.

“Something we were all too happy to do,” Isstvell said with a small grin.

“I see,” he said, “any progress?”

“No,” Elara snapped, “I’m generating plenty of psychic energy, I just don’t know what to do with it!” Her eyes lit up suddenly, “Jim! You unshrank Clara on Mars, could you do it for me?”

“Uh,” he started, “I don’t know, maybe? It was kind of an instinctive thing, and there was a lot of free energy floating around that room that I used to do it…”

“Please?” Elara asked him.

He sighed and grinned, “okay, how do you want to do this?”

“Oh!” Lyrei said excitedly, “let us help!”

Isstvell was already reaching for him, so he just let himself be plucked up by her blue fingers. He heard a surprised squeal as Lyrei grabbed up Elara, and the two elves held the pair up for examination. He felt a tugging on his pajama bottoms as Isstvell began pulling his pants off, releasing his rising erection. Elara’s eyes went wide as she saw it, and Lyrei giggled, angling the other woman close so she could get a better look.

“We haven’t really had a chance to play with female humans,” Lyrei said offhandedly, her giant finger traced up Elara’s dangling legs, causing the human sized clone to shiver in anticipation. The blue digit made contact with Elara’s sex, gently, but firmly, rubbing up and down and causing the silver haired woman to throw back her head and groan.

“It’s been a fun learning experience,” Isstvell said, continuing to undress Jim, “I’m hoping we can grab Clara up sometime before she gets big again…” She tossed his shirt to the ground with his pants, “Okay,” she said, grinning at Lyrei and Elara, “position her!”

Lyrei sat in a chair and gently reclined the back. With a shimmer Lyrei’s clothing vanished, leaving the blue giantess naked. She dangled Elara in front of herself for a moment, regarding the small woman and licking her lips. The now flustered clone was brought down between the massive globes of the Aelmari’s breasts.

Isstvell giggled and slowly lowered Jim down to join her, and he felt himself slipped between the breasts and settled on top of Elara’s waiting form.

“Oh my,” Elara said in awe as Jim slipped his arms around her, “This is… new.”

“Yeah,” he said, cradling her a moment.

Isstvell’s giant face appeared behind him, grinning eagerly, “Are the surroundings adequate?”

Jim looked at the giant pair of breasts on either side of them, and the two leering blue faces. Eagerly waiting for him to get started. Finally, he looked back down at Elara, biting her lip and nervously waiting in his arms.

“Okay,” he breathed, smiling down at her, “ready?”

“Yes!” She gasped eagerly.

He entered her with a grunt, and she tensed as his grip on her tightened, drawing her close as their arms wrapped around each other. Jim increased his tempo, causing the silver haired woman to throw her head back in ecstasy, her legs wrapped around him, drawing him in as he continued.

“This is entrancing,” Isstvell said.

Jim was suddenly distracted as a giant blue digit tapped his lower back, pressing with him on each thrust, adding speed and force. Isstvell was practically drooling over him as she continued, and Lyrei giggled as she watched the tiny couple between her breasts.

“Look at them go!” Lyrei said, “go on Jim, she’s almost there!”

Elara’s shimmering hair was mussed and tossed behind her, and that familiar purple glow was rising around the edge of her irises. The giant blue breasts on either side of them jiggled in time to his thrusts, and he felt Isstvell’s finger pressing against him, forcing him to go faster. He took a deep breath and went at her again, causing Elara to cry out for more while the two elves watching grinned and called encouragements.

“Come on,” Isstvell called lustfully, and Jim almost cried out himself as Isstvell’s finger picked up the tempo, forcing him into Elara at an even faster rate.

The woman’s pearly hair was rising around her now, flowing against gravity as the purple energy wrapped around them both. From the tingling racing up and down his body Jim knew his own eyes were likely that same vibrant purple. He met Elara’s gaze and the two of them smiled as the violet hue filled the room, radiating out from them as they came together with a shout that was heard in the minds of every other organic species on the ship.

Sarah, Zeph, and Clara, all bolted awake, each one panting and unexplainably aroused.

Jim tried to focus himself on Elara as his bliss peaked, trying to find a way to undo the shrinking she’d accidentally inflicted upon herself. He shouted again as his vision went purple, and then white.

…

Jim groaned and blinked himself awake. He heard voices, muffled overhead. Whatever he was on was soft, and as he sat up and rubbed his head, he realized he was in a woman’s palm. He smirked in spite of himself, it was a pretty familiar sensation at this point, but he frowned as he realized he didn’t know whose hand this was. Of the four giant women who regularly handled him, he could usually tell right away who was holding him. Isstvell and Lyrei’s blue hands never had anything but softness to them, while Clara’s were usually warm with just the slightest sheen of oil or sweat, Elara’s could range from overly sweaty to outright clammy depending on how nervous she was, but this person’s hands were-

“Oh, thank the stars, you’re all right!” Elara’s giant face appeared in his vision, her concerned eyes wide.

“Oh,” he breathed a sigh of relief, “Well, we got you back to normal at least, right?”

“Uh, not exactly,” Elara said nervously, “now Jim,” she began, “try to remain calm, and remember we’re still learning a lot about how psychic powers work-“

“What do you mean?” he asked nervously. He looked at the arm attached to the hand that was holding him, tracing it up to the face of a smiling blonde human.

“Wow,” Sarah said with a grin, “I’ve never held someone in my hand before, I can see why Zeph likes this so much.”

“S-Sarah?” Jim gulped, “How did you get-“

“She didn’t,” Clara said, peering over the other woman’s shoulder, her ears flat against her head, “She’s still human sized.”

“Does he look okay?” Isstvell’s booming voice echoed.

Jim’s eyes went wide and nervously crawled to the edge of Sarah’s hand. His eyes went wide as he realized the three women, including the one holding him, were standing on a blue surface he knew well. Heart pounding, he slowly turned around and looked up.

Lyrei and Isstvell’s titanic forms filled his vision, stretching across his sky like mountains. Their concerned eyes focused down on him, each of them were now larger than the largest skyscraper he’d ever seen, and even as they moved he swore he could feel the air currents from even the slightest turns of their heads. The wind seemed to rush around him as Lyrei leaned in close, an eye larger than several houses focusing on him.

“Jim?” Her voice echoed, “I’m increasing auditory sensors so I can hear you, are you in any pain?”

“No,” he sighed, looking up at the titanic Aelmari. He collapsed back against Sarah’s giant palm, “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me…”

“I am SO sorry!” Elara said again, “I-I’m just not taking this whole human-size thing well, and-“

“We’ll figure it out,” Jim reassured her.

The brown skinned giantess was seated crosslegged across from him, wearing a human sized version of one of her favored earth-style business suits. No, he had to remind himself, she wasn’t a giantess, not this time, he was just incredibly small. The two of them were alone in the main bay of the ship, where they’d hoped to make some sort of psychic breakthrough. So far, he and Elara had only managed to shimmer the air purple, and toss around a few pieces of furniture by accident.

“Are you two done throwing around my stuff?” Sarah asked, strutting into the bay. She was wearing one of her signature metallic green battlesuits, which hugged every feature like she’d been poured into it. Her long blonde hair bobbed slightly as she reached Elara.

“Sorry,” Elara said meekly, “we’re just… figuring things out.”

Sarah smirked, “You know, you’re a lot more polite than you were back when you were big, threatening to shoot people, ranting about stomping all the humans, I’ve gotta admit I like the new you a lot more.”

Elara’s face burned red and she clenched her fists, “I-I was… I was a different person then-“

“Don’t worry about it,” Sarah said with a smirk, “I’m pretty sure I beat the crap out of Jim worse than you ever did, and I’m not even sorry about it.”

“Wait what?” Jim asked, crossing his arms and looking up at the giant blonde, “what do you mean you’re not sorry?”

Sarah shrugged, “we were fighting, and then you started saying some personal stuff, so I feel like it’s fair that I cracked a few ribs.”

She regarded him, a moment, and grinned, “This is so weird, talking down to a tiny person like this.” She bent down to pick him, up, and he remained still as she plucked his body by one arm and held it dangling in front of her face.

Jim gulped at Sarah’s expression, it was a mix of playful and lustful he’d become very familiar with. He tried to guess how small he was, somewhere around three or four inches maybe? Sarah was somewhere close to where the Aelmari usually were relative to him, and after a lifetime of being the smallest being in the room Sarah was enjoying the reversal.

“Be careful with him,” Elara said suddenly, “I-If you’re going to dangle him by his arm like that, don’t do it for too long!”

“It gets a little stiff,” Jim admitted, wincing slightly.

Sarah thought a moment and nodded, dropping him instead into her waiting palm.

“Sorry,” she chuckled, “I know EXACTLY what you mean about the arm thing, but from the other side holding you like that just seems so… obvious I guess?”

“Here,” Elara said, reaching out her hand, “I’ll take Jim back to my quarters now and-“

“Oh, come on,” Sarah said, her arm going around the smaller woman, “You get to play with tiny Jim all the time, who knows when I’ll get a chance like this again?” She grinned at Jim, “I mean I’m pretty sure a guy like you loves being toyed wit,h right? With your lifestyle you’d pretty much have to…”

“Uhh,” Jim looked up at Sarah’s smug grin, then down at Elara’s embarrassed face. From the brief flashes of purple around the edges of her irises he could tell she was trying very hard not to broadcast her thoughts on that.

“Jim does love being played with,” Clara’s voice called as she sauntered into the hanger, “problem is, he’s my toy, not yours.” She nodded at Elara, “that one too.”

“And that’s mine!” Sarah said angrily, pointing to the shimmering green battlesuit Clara was wearing. Her pink tail swished behind her almost arrogantly as she smirked at the blonde’s reaction.

“You really should lock these up,” Clara said, admiring the way the suit clung to her, “this is way better than any armor I ever wore at full size… I wonder if the design scales up?”

“It doesn’t,” Sarah snapped, “and you people can’t just keep taking those! Do you have any idea what it takes to get top of the line battle armor in human size? They’re worth more than the GDP of some planets!”

“Is everything okay in here?” The thunderous footsteps of Zeph echoed as the red skinned giant entered the room. The two Aelmari followed her, gazing at the trio of tiny women and the, to them, speck sized Jim in Sarah’s palm.

“We were just getting ready to plan out planetfall,” Clara said idly, looking up at the three giants. “I think I was going to fly the lander?”

“The hell you were!” Sarah said angrily, the violent jerk of her body caused her hand to shake and Jim almost tumbled to the ground.

“Fight you for it?” Clara asked with a grin.

“Is that really necessary?” Zeph asked nervously, looking down at the small women.

“Hold on to this for me,” Sarah said with a grin, sliding Jim into Elara’s open cleavage.

He tried to shout something, but he simply tumbled in to the gap between the enormous brown breasts. Jim grumbled as he forced his way up through the pillowy flesh, and was shocked to see the ground rapidly drifting away from him as someone, Lyrei it looked like, picked Elara up.

“Are you feeling better today Elara?” Lyrei asked sympathetically.

“A little,” Elara said glumly, “I still don’t want to be… small.”

“It’s okay,” Lyrei said soothingly. Her eyes seemed to squint, then went wide, “Oh my, is that Jim in your top?” The giant elf’s eyes focused on him, and he waved halfheartedly. “That is so cute!” Lyrei said excitedly, “I know this whole thing has been… difficult for both of you, but seeing you at this size, holding you, it’s really making me happy!”

Elara eeped as Lyrei slowly lowered the shrunken clone into her own waiting breasts, surrounding Jim’s peripheral vision with a pair of blue orbs that stretched into the sky. Elara was held in place, the two breasts rippling like an ocean from Jim’s perspective as the titaness moved throughout the room.

Briefly Jim wondered if whatever programmed instinct the Aelmari had that made them want to care for smaller sentients scaled with their size. He certainly felt like he was triggering it more than usual, and Isstvell gave a warm smile as her eyes followed Lyrei, Elara, and himself.

Down on the floor Clara and Sarah were circling each other as the three giants watched overhead, ringed around them. To Jim it was like watching a sporting event from a particularly high seat in a stadium.

“Be careful!” Zeph said urgently, “t-try not to beat each other up too bad, okay?”

“Regardless of size, social combat rituals should be respected, when possible,” Isstvell said, looking down at the two women. She gave Clara a small smile, “Although I must warn you Sarah, the Glalan practices martial arts against an Aelmari scout every day.”

Sarah smirked, “You fight an Aelmari hand to hand every day? I knew yours wasn’t exactly a smart species, but I had no idea…”

“I’m going to beat her one of these days,” Clara snapped, “and I’m going to beat you NOW.”

She charged at the human, fighting the urge to extend her claws and rend them across the smug blonde’s face. Sarah easily stepped out of the way, bringing her own hands up in a fighting stance as Clara recovered from her dive, pirouetting easily back to face her.

“Glalans have some of the fastest reflexes of any organic species in the universe,” Clara said, quickly ducking out of the way of one of Sarah’s kicks. “We’re a REAL apex predator!” Clara did a backflip that Jim thought had to mostly be for show as she exited Sarah’s reach. “Unlike you human, I’m all natural,” Clara said smugly, “I don’t need to splice my genes to the void and back!”

Sarah sighed, “It’s true, Glalans do have pretty unmatched reflexes.” The blonde suddenly leapt at Clara, a flurry of blurred punches darting out at the pink haired woman causing her to grunt and double over. “Which is why,” Sarah said, landing a spinning kick across Clara’s face, “I picked up a bit of Glalan DNA when I got my genes reworked.” She leapt backwards, leaving the catgirl to stagger a bit before steadying herself.

Clara spat out a bit of blood and… grinned?

“Good choice! Should have gone for the full package though, you’d look great with some real ears,” Clara’s own catlike appendages seemed to twitch in response.

Sarah chuckled, relaxing a bit, “I’ve got more than enough of you people in me, the agility is nice, but it also made me the horniest girl in the galaxy, and there weren’t exactly a lot of human sized males around to help me out.”

“It’s true,” Zeph said with a giggle, “we spent a lot of time trying to build a uhh… relief mechanism, that could handle her strength.”

Clara had a sudden amused expression on her face, and with a sudden flurry of movement closed the distance between her and Sarah again. Sarah’s eyes went wide, and she did her best to block the catgirl’s incoming blows. A moment later she grunted as the first of Clara’s hits made contact with her own chest, then with a snarl her arms grappled Clara’s back as the catgirl forced her way in close and began pummeling her ruthlessly.

Sarah brought a knee up, causing Clara to cry out in pain and break the assault, “I was a junior gladiator,” Clara breathed, “specialized in axes.” She raised her fists again as they circled each other, “you?”

“Head cheerleader,” Sarah said venomously. With a roar she ran at Clara again.

“They’re going to kill each other!” Zeph panicked.

“They’re fine,” Isstvell assured her.

Clara screamed in pain as Sarah roughly grabbed her tail, and Sarah hissed as she was brought to her knees by a brutal kick to the stomach in response. The friendly banter was gone, and with a very feline hiss Clara had extended her claws.

“Okay,” Isstvell said nervously, “perhaps things have gotten out of hand.”

“Elara,” Jim said, looking up at the woman who’s breasts he was trapped within, and then up at the even larger woman’s breasts she herself was in, “I know how you can stop them.”

Isstvell and Lyrei were giggling slightly at something as they listened to Jim explain it to Elara, shooting looks at the two dueling women while Zeph watched with concern. Clara noticed them discussing something, and frowned, but brought her focus back to her duel as Sarah extended the long steel claw from it’s wrist mounted housing.

“That suit’s got a built in neuronet!” Sarah said, a mad grin on her face, “just think about it and yours will pop out.”

Clara glanced down at her wrist, and with a metallic springing sound a long steel claw to match Sarah’s leapt out of the housing. Clara licked her lips eagerly, holding the shining weapon up and then looking back at the other amazon.

“These are poisoned,” Clara said eagerly, a statement, not a question.

“I have antidotes,” Sarah replied, locking eyes with her, “but yeah, the next cut wins, one way or another.”

“Risky,” Clara hissed excitedly, “I love it!”

The two women screamed and ran at each other, the steel claws raised high.

“EXECUTE STRESS RELIEF FUNCTION!” Elara shouted as loudly as she could.

Sarah and Clara’s eyes went wide as an electric feeling raced down their spines, causing their muscles to turn to jelly as a fire lit in their most intimate places. They both groaned, the steel claws retracting with a hiss as they rolled together on the ground, orgasm rocking their bodies.

“That is a huge security flaw in those suits,” Jim commented, “I’m glad I turned it off on mine.” He looked up at Lyrei, “I think they might need a little more.”

“I-I’ll still-“ Sarah began, forcing herself up.

“Execute stress relief function,” Lyrei said with a grin, causing the two tiny women at her feet to writhe and moan in pleasure again.

“O-Okay,” Sarah panted once the wave of bliss had passed, “We get it, we won’t fight anymore-“

“Execute stress relief function,” Zeph said, causing them both to start screaming and groaning again. “I’m sorry Sarah, but you two are taking this fight way too far!”

“Can you take care of these two?” Isstvell asked, looking up at the larger red skinned alien.

“Uh,” Zeph looked down at the Glalan and the Human, now beginning to recover, “sure,” she said with a nervous smile, “Execute stress relief function!”

…

“That should help those two calm down before the mission,” Lyrei said to Isstvell with a smirk. The two Aelmari had slipped away from the rest, with Jim still trapped in Elara’s cleavage, and her still trapped in Lyrei’s.

Jim watched as he was carried through the half of Sarah’s ship designed for larger beings, the scale aweing him. Large structures were just part and parcel of being human sized in a universe full of bigger beings, but this was truly on another level, and as they passed through a hissing pneumatic door Jim couldn’t help but marvel at the expansive terrain of simple objects, the bed, the nightstand, they were all so much larger now…

Elara shivered as Lyrei pulled her out, and Jim swallowed nervously as he looked out over the edge of her shirt at the massive fall below them. Another thing he’d gotten used to was large drops not being such a big deal, between his use of Sarah’s suit and the Aelmari medical nanites Jim had become downright casual about hundred-foot falls, but thousand-foot falls? A different story.

Elara was placed on the bed, and the two Aelmari knelt down to get a better look at her, and him. Those blue faces smiled warmly, and he could tell that they were doing their best to be caring, for his and Elara’s sake, but he also knew the two of them well enough to know what they probably had in mind.

Isstvell’s hand extended, the back of her hand laying flat on the bed as she extended a finger that stood as tall as Elara, “May I see Jim please?” she asked.

Elara reached into her own cleavage, drawing him out. Their eyes met a moment, and he tried to give her a reassuring smile as she gently stood on her tiptoes and placed his small form on the very tip of Isstvell’s finger.

The world blurred as the blue digit lifted, leaving him on the small island of her fingterip in the massive room, a pair of immense blue faces staring down at him.

“Stars,” Lyrei whispered, “Jim, you’re so… perfect!”

“Uh, thanks?” he said, forcing himself back upright on the soft finger.

“This is so…” Isstvell paused, “satisfying, I suppose is the right word.” She brought him up even closer, and her eye filled his entire vision as she peered down at him, “The Mission is all about protecting small sentients… do you feel protected?”

“Y-Yeah,” he said, gazing up in awe.

“Good!” Lyrei chimed in, “after Elara responded so negatively to being resized, we wanted to check in with you and see that you were okay.”

He glanced down at the human sized Elara, looking up at the Aelmari with her arms crossed. She tapped a high heeled shoe slightly nervously as she watched them.

“I’m used to being the smallest one in the group already,” he said with what he hoped was a reassuring smile. The truth was being this small was making him more nervous than usual, though not nearly as much as Elara.

“That’s good to hear,” Isstvell said, “Lyrei and I have been collecting physiological data on you three since this resizing occurred… and we’ve noticed a few things we wanted to discuss.” Her voice, even when she made it soft, echoed through his world.

“Oh?” he asked, trying his best to talk to her like he normally did, and not like she was a titanic goddess holding an ant.

“The readings are somewhat bizarre,” Lyrei explained, “there’s no apparent change in the efficiency of metabolic processes, which is unusual for a number of reasons.”

Isstvell nodded and continued, “Seeing as you have all continued healthy function in spite of these radical changes, we think it would be… appropriately safe, to try to force another size change.”

His eyes went wide, “What? I don’t know about this, what if we accidentally shrink someone else? Or what if I shrink more!”

“We believe that whatever force is allowing you to breathe, move, and otherwise function would allow you to do so even if you reached microscopic size!” Lyrei said excitedly, “we could even send some of our nanite probes down to follow you around!”

“N-Nanite probes?” He had a sudden vision of himself on a vast blue plain, a handful of floating nanites his only company, “that is not nearly as reassuring as you guys think it is!”

“Jim,” Lyrei said firmly, “We have complete control over our physiologies, even if you were reduced to such a size, if you were in contact with Isstvell or I, we would be able to keep you perfectly safe until you found a way to return to normal.”

Isstvell’s other hand lifted up suddenly, bringing the gigantic and naked form of Elara into view. She had her arms crossed, and was shivering a little at the cold. She reached for him again, quickly snatching him off the elf’s fingertip and hugging him to her.

“We’re going to have to do it eventually,” She said quietly, “I’m scared too, but I think our only option is to keep trying this until we figure it out.”

“You’re right,” he breathed, trying to give the giantess holding him, and the two titanesses overhead a cocky grin, “I was really hoping to go on the planetary mission anyway! How should we get started?”

“Like I said,” Isstvell began with a smug grin, “the safest place for you to be changing sizes would be… in direct contact with Lyrei or myself, ideally… completely inside one of us.”

“Ah,” he said, “Well Elara, you’re the big… bigger one, what do you think?”

“You’ve got several choices,” Lyrei said with a smirk. Slowly she leaned in and her tongue came out, tracing up Elara’s side and bathing both her and the tiny Jim in her hand with that not-quite-saliva that the Aelmari’s mouths produced.

“You taste very good,” Lyrei said, licking her lips, “maybe you’d like to go in… this way?” she pointed at her opened mouth, causing Elara to clear her throat nervously.

“N-No thanks,” She said quickly, “I’m uh, not up for being… swallowed.”

“It’s not as bad as you’d think,” Jim said reassuringly.

Elara glared at the shrunken human, “I’m used to being a little higher on the food chain,” she hissed quietly.

“It would seem your path is fairly obvious then,” Isstvell said, her clothes shimmering as they disappeared. Lyrei followed her, and the two naked elves now openly leered at their toys. “Oh my, our tiniest toy still has some clothes on…”

Jim looked down at the simple outfit he had on. He didn’t resist as Elara began pulling the scratchy clothing free, it had been listed in the replicator under “doll clothing” and he hadn’t bothered to make himself properly sized real clothes before crashing the night before. Hopefully he would be too big for them after this, and if not… well maybe he’d be too small. He tried to push the thought out of his mind, this was going to work, he reassured himself.

Isstvell’s hand lowered the pair of them, and Jim enjoyed the view as they passed the mountainous pair of breasts, and then her toned stomach. Jim smirked as he realized that Isstvell had formed her pubic hair into an arrow pointing downward, and soon the giant hand was holding Elara, and him, in front of the massive and dripping pussy.

“I-Is it this intimidating for you every time Jim?” Elara breathed, looking up at it.

“Well,” he began, but he was cut off by a sudden force pushing them upwards.

Lyrei had cupped her hand underneath Isstvell’s forcing her partner to quickly shove the small clone and even smaller human inside of her.

“I-I was trying to give them a moment to get ready!” Isstvell gasped.

Jim felt the familiar silky wetness surround him, contrasted by the feeling of Elara’s hand gripping him around his chest. Her fingers tightened, not letting him go as the tingling feeling of the Aelmari fluids washed over both of them, causing the pair to feel a simultaneous and instant arousal.

Elara had never experienced anything like this, and her instinct was to thrash in panic, holding her breath as the silky walls compressed around her.

“You can breathe it,” Jim thought at her, his psychic abilities rising with his arousal.

Elara gasped as the fluid filled her lungs, and although the sensation of her lungs filling with liquid caused her to cough and sputter, she realized he was right. She forced herself to relax as Isstvell’s slick tunnel drew them further in, keeping a steady grip on the shrunken human as she went.

“And… there they go,” Lyrei said with a smile, watching Elara’s feet disappear. She glanced up at a groaning Isstvell, who tumbled over onto their bed. Lyrei calmly climbed in herself, draping herself over the other scout’s body, “Don’t finish too quickly,” she warned via thoughtspeak, “they need to get their psychic powers fired up.”

“It feels so good,” Isstvell thought with a gasp, “subconscious is blocking any attempt to control sexual function-“

“As it should,” Lyrei thought with a giggle, “what’s the point of all of these biological features if you can just turn them off?” She knelt down and stuck her tongue out, licking it across the pussy that now held her two shrunken friends captive. Isstvell winced, tightening her grip on the bed as Lyrei continued.

For Elara and Jim the effect was immediate, and their world began to rock as the fluid rose around them. Elara felt a burning lust enveloping her, the purple glow from her eyes lighting the darkness of Isstvell’s pussy. She reached down through the slick ooze to play with herself, and realized Jim was still clutched in her hand. It hit her then, and with a grin she brought him up to her own opening.

Jim blinked, the slight violet light beginning to emanate from him briefly illuminating the giant pair of brown lips waiting for him. He braced himself as he was shoved in, the world going dark as he was squeezed inside her.

Elara’s eyes flashed purple as her orgasm rose, squeezing Jim even as she was squeezed herself. The two of them shouted together and the violet energy wrapped around them. Jim could feel the bonds of psychic energy around Elara and himself, in the same way he remembered them on Clara back on mars. If he could just-

Outside Lyrei continued to force Isstvell into the higher throes of orgasm with her tongue, fighting a giggle as she saw a quick flash of purple somewhere below.

…

Jim blearily opened his eyes again, the ceiling of Lyrei and Isstvell’s room coming into focus. Elara’s concerned face hovered over him, and he realized her hand was behind his head. Without even looking he could tell he was in Lyrei or Isstvell’s hand, and the two elves loomed overhead, though they were still coming into focus.

“Please tell me we didn’t shrink you too,” he murmured, sitting up.

“No,” she smiled.

He looked around at the blue landscape of Lyrei’s palm and grinned, “Well, we’re halfway to where we want to be, so do you want to try to regrow you next or-“

“Jim,” Elara said, fighting a giggle, “stand up.”

Hesitantly he did so, and she followed him. He gave a disappointed sigh and swore under his breath as he realized the top of his head was about even with Elara’s chin, and she wasn’t “tall” at human sized to begin with.

“Fuck it,” he decided out loud, “I’m calling this a win.”

“D-Do you want to try it again?” Isstvell breathed, looking down at the almost human-sized Jim.

“Let’s roll the dice again later,” he said, “where’s everyone else?”

“Oh, well they’re out in the main bay,” Isstvell said in a disappointed tone.

“Don’t worry,” Lyrei thought at her, “I’m sure they’ll ask us for help when they try it again…”

…

“Oh my god, I love this,” Sarah laughed, bending down on her knees to look at Jim. “I mean, I was kind of hoping to get my hands on you when you were doll size, but this is still pretty great.” He started as she reached under his armpits, and his feet left the floor as she picked him up.

“At least you’re big enough to walk around on your own,” Clara said, looking him over as he dangled from Sarah’s grip, “So are we going to introduce you as a kid, or what?”

“Absolutely not,” Jim said, crossing his arms even as his feet overed off the floor. “Just say I’m short or that I’m another small species or something.” The two amazons fought down giggles, and he rolled his eyes.

“I’m glad you two seem to be getting along better,” he muttered, grunting as Sarah tossed him over her shoulder.

“Oh that little spat in the cargo bay?” Clara laughed, following behind them, “we were both just testing each other, can’t go on a dangerous mission with someone you don’t know well, right?”

“Sure,” he muttered, although from the shared giggle the two women had simply found a mutual target to focus their energies on.

“Jim,” Elara said, scurrying up to the two amazons, “Y-you asked me to get this?” She handed him up a wrist mounted box, and he took it and clasped it on, feeling the familiar liquid sensation of his battlesuit spreading over his body.

“Thanks,” he said with a smile, “still fits!”

Sarah set him down next to her replicator, “Okay everyone,” she said, “make yourselves something to go over the suits, these people like swords and armor.”

“We’re not bringing ANY plasma weapons with us?” Elara asked nervously.

“Oh, we absolutely are,” Sarah said offhandedly, “the cat’s printing us up a suitcase full of guns right now.” She nodded at the Glalan who was holding up a pair of silvery pistols with a nod. “We’re just going with a bit of local flavor to blend in.”

…

The four of them had finished equipping themselves. Sarah hadn’t been kidding when she’d suggested something out of a renaissance fair, and they all had on various leather or steel clothing and cloaks, swords at their belts, or an axe across her back in Clara’s case.

The two Aelmari and Zeph stood over them, the group looking out the main viewport of Sarah’s ship as it entered the star system. A large arid looking planet with a few belts of green across the equator came into view.

“New Aragon,” Sarah said, presenting it, “one of the largest independent human settlements in the galaxy.”

Alarm klaxons rang out, “ship is being targeted,” the computer called neutrally.

“Relax,” Sarah said, “raise comms.”

“Miss Maxwell,” a man’s voice came over the ship’s speakers, “This is the Tizona, welcome back to New Aragon.” The group watched as a massive space station came into view, a large and bristling array of armaments sticking out of the spherical station as it tracked them.

“Did humans build that thing?” Clara whispered to Jim, “how does a planet of a few million people, humans even, have a defensive installation like that!?”

“Hi Cervantes,” Sarah said informally, “I want to put a lander down outside the capital, also go ahead and let the palace know that-“

“Not so fast Sarah,” the man said as the space station’s guns kept tracking them, “I’m reading a number of non-human lifeforms on your ship, you know giants are forbidden in this system.”

“You let Zeph in!” Sarah protested, looking up at the red skinned giantess.

“We let Zeph stay in orbit on your ship,” Cervantes replied testily, “as a favor to you, normally we would have destroyed the ship of a larger species, as protocol dictates I should do right now.”

“So why haven’t you?” Sarah asked defiantly.

“Manning the station is dull work,” the man replied, “there are only a few dozen humans that travel between systems, and you’re the most interesting one, and you’re a friend. I figured it would only be fair to give you a chance to explain yourself… I see you have another human on board?”

“Jim Arnett sir,” he piped up, “I’m here with Sarah on a diplomatic mission from Earth.”

“Earth?” Cervantes chuckled, “long has it been lost and unreachable to us, tell me Jim Arnett of Earth, are the broadcasts we intercept true? Has humanity’s homeworld been enslaved at long last?”

“Absolutely not!” Lyrei cut in, causing Sarah to glare up at her angrily. “I am Lyrei, Aelmari scout, here with my partner Isstvell,” she said eagerly, “the Aelmari are…” she glanced at Isstvell, “Allies, of humanity. We’d hoped to extend a hand of friendship to lost human settlements!”

“Many larger species have arrived in New Aragon over the centuries,” Cervantes said grimly, “some came to trade, others to take, still others to destroy for the sake of destruction. All have been destroyed by the mighty Tizona, a gift from the gods to preserve our way of life. Alliance? Excuse me if I have my doubts.”

“So someone gave it to them,” Clara muttered, looking at the space station. “Who though?”

“Cervantes,” Isstvell said, “I understand your people’s justified suspicion of larger species, but I can assure you that our intentions are noble.”

“We’d like to talk it over with the King,” Sarah said finally, “and you should have kept quiet until we did!” She snapped at the two Aelmari.

The other end of the line was quiet a moment, “Sarah,” Cervantes said finally, “you’re breaking some of our cardinal laws, but… the King, I think he needs friends around him now.”

Sarah frowned, “That old fart Charles? I don’t know him that well Cervantes.”

“Charles passed a few months after your last visit,” Cervantes replied, “the current king is your old friend Alphonso.”

“Alph is king!?” Sarah exclaimed, causing the other occupants of the craft to look at her curiously. “How? He was like twelfth in line for the throne!”

“There was… instability,” Cervantes replied. “I’m clearing you for a landing craft Sarah, for old time’s sake don’t make me regret it.” The commlink cut off.

“Wow,” Clara said, crossing her arms, “So what’s the story with you and this king?”

“We came here for work,” Zeph said overhead, ignoring Sarah’s burning red face, “Sarah had a romantic relationship with a young man who was, at the time, a minor member of the nobility here.”

“These people were the first other humans I met after getting abducted,” Sarah snapped defensively, “it had been years, I didn’t know where Earth was, I was maybe a bit emotional, alright?”

“But you didn’t stay,” Jim said.

“Zeph obviously couldn’t live here,” she said, jerking at the red skinned demon with her thumb, “and once the excitement of finding some other humans wore off… well, New Aragon’s even more of a backwater than Earth is.”

“Will this complicate our overtures?” Isstvell asked sternly, “it would be ideal if Lyrei and I could come down to the planet’s surface as soon as possible.”

“Trust me, Alph’s a sweetheart,” Sarah said dismissively.

…

Alphonso the first, King of New Aragon, stared at the steely grey sky, walking away from the window and collapsing atop a throne he’d waded through his family’s own blood to get. A page brought him a goblet of a strong sweet wine, and he sipped it thoughtfully as his wife joined him.

“Sarah,” he muttered, “here, now?”

“Perhaps the stars weren’t enough for her either,” his wife said, clasping a hand over his.

“I know she did not come back for me,” he murmured, “this is… providence.” He glanced at the mural on the throne room wall, the great goddess with her radiant pink skin and black eyes, flanked by her angels in their black folded suits and unseeing black eyeglasses.

Alphonso stood up, walking to it solemnly. At the bottom of the tapestry row up on row of jubilant humans waited eagerly for their chance to board the goddess’ chariot, what he now knew to be no metaphor, but a starship the being would use to take his people. He snarled, if not for the Star cultists he would have this thing burned, but even after the bloody purges he knew he couldn’t openly disrespect this “goddess” yet.

“Sarah,” he muttered again, tracing his hand over the tapestry, his hand shaking as it traced over the being that demanded his people’s sacrifice, “perhaps the cultists are right after all, New Aragon’s salvation shall come from the stars.”

…

Clara brought the landing craft into the atmosphere at a more leisurely pace than usual, giving them a chance to look over the planet in full. It had considerably less water than Earth, with large deserts covering swathes of the planet. A band of prairie and grassland seemed to stretch out from a series of inland seas, lakes maybe? The capital city didn’t look very large as they flew over it, and if not for the presence of electric lighting and powered transports Jim would have called it medieval looking.

The ship heaved suddenly as Clara took a sharp turn, bringing them towards a stretch of farmland just outside the city. Jim started, but Sarah’s strong arms wrapped around him before he could tumble too far.

“I’ve got you squirt,” she teased.

He sighed, she’d insisted he ride on her lap, “for safety,” something which Clara had agreed was necessary. He glanced over at Elara, sitting in the seat next to them and frowned. The lander’s safety belt seemed to fit her petite form just fine…

“This thing handles great,” Clara said as they walked down the entry ramp, “it’s weird to think when I’m at normal size I could carry it around like a toy.”

“It would give you a nasty shock if you tried,” Sarah said, clicking a few buttons on a wrist computer. “All right, they know we’re coming, so we shouldn’t have any problems walking right up to the palace.”

“If you say so,” Jim said, eyeing up the city. “Is the ship going to be okay?”

Sarah shrugged, “Like I told the cat, I had that thing built to withstand being messed with by hundred foot aliens, I doubt there’s anything the farmers out here could do to it once it’s locked and armed.” She tapped something on her wrist and a very earthlike car horn beeped once as the ramp retracted.

Entering the city was an awkward affair. Despite Sarah’s promises the people immediately went hushed, and while the streets didn’t clear out immediately, everyone was looking at them oddly. These people weren’t too far off from what Jim would have expected on Earth in appearance, he didn’t see any exotic hair colors, in fact Sarah’s bright blonde hair stood out as much as Clara’s pink, though the ears and tail were gathering even more whispers. Elara got a few looks as well, the bright silver hair catching the light as she walked. Compared to his traveling companions, Jim’s short height didn’t get much more than a glance.

Sarah slapped a few gold coins in front of a merchant, and a few minutes later they were loading their bags into something that looked remarkably like an SUV, albeit with a glowing blue bar underneath allowing it to hover rather than being carted on wheels.

“Ugh,” Clara muttered, “this thing looks like a gen 2 or 3 hovercraft, they banned these on Glalan Prime because they’re bad for the atmosphere or something.”

“It’s better than what we’d have on Earth,” Jim said, climbing into it and shutting the door behind him. “Between this and the space station someone definitely set these people up with a few things.”

“Maybe it’s just what they figured out?” Clara said. “Technology doesn’t take the same path everywhere Jim.”

Jim just rolled his eyes, “look over there,” he said, pointing to a group of people at a market stall, “they’re using anti-gravity to move around, but that guy is using an icebox, like he doesn’t have refrigeration?” He pointed up at utility poles alongside the cobblestone street, “They’ve got electricity, it doesn’t look too different from what we had on Earth pre-invasion, but they’re paying for stuff using gold coins? And the cops here? They’re in platemail and they’ve got swords. None of it makes sense.”

“I told you it’s like a renaissance fair down here,” Sarah commented as the vehicle hummed to life.

“That’s not what I mean,” he said, rubbing his forehead, “the technology here, it’s not like they developed it, or even scavenged it, it’s like someone randomly gave them a bit of this and that, taught them how to replicate it, and they’re still figuring out how it all fits together.”

“Huh,” Sarah muttered, “I never really thought about it last time I was here, but yeah, it is weird.”

“Isstvell, Lyrei, are you guys picking up anything odd on this planet?” Jim thought at them. The suits they’d “borrowed” from Sarah contained a private Neuronet, and it hadn’t taken much work to loop the two Aelmari into it.

“We’ve detected a rather extensive power grid,” Isstvell thought back, “it all seems to be traced out from some kind of reactor in the capital.”

Jim frowned, “so there’s no fossil fuels, secondary power stations, anything like that?”

“The only life we’re detecting on the planet is Earth derived,” Lyrei said, “there won’t be any fossil fuel deposits, this planet doesn’t appear to have hosted ANY life until roughly four hundred years ago.”

“So who the hell put it all here?” Jim wondered aloud.

“Are the locals friendly?” Lyrei asked eagerly.

Jim was about to answer, but instead he grunted as the vehicle came to a rough stop. He glanced up at the front seat where Clara and Sarah were scowling and reaching for weapons. Two rows of black robed men blocked the street, a trio of eight pointed stars in drawn in white stood out against the dark cloth of their outfits. All of the men had weapons drawn, clubs, knives, a few swords, and some crossbows.

“You two stay in here,” Clara said to Jim and Elara.

“Hey,” Sarah shouted, hefting her own sword over her shoulder, “Out of the road!”

“You’ve profaned these streets with the scum of the stars,” A black robed woman said, stepping in front of the men, “You offworlder, you’ve violated our laws and brought an alien here!”

“I recognize that symbol,” Elara hissed suddenly, “Jim, those are Star cultists!”

“The ones your people had on Earth?” Jim asked.

“She’s not big, so she should be fine,” Sarah said, nodding at Clara, “We’re guests of the King, last chance, out of the road.”

“The king lacks faith,” the woman replied sternly, “And the commandment of the Goddess is for us to smite all aliens, save for her divine messengers.”

“All right then!” Clara said, hefting her axe with a grin.

“We’ve got to stop this,” Jim muttered, “should we run for those guards back there?”

“No,” Elara sighed, “I’ve got an idea.”

She stepped out of the vehicle suddenly, “Stop!” she called in an authoritative voice.

The advancing men paused, and the woman leading them gasped upon seeing Elara’s shining silver hair, “A servitor of the gods?” She breathed.

“Indeed,” Elara said, walking in front of a very confused Clara and Sarah, “I order you to clear the road and let us continue on our way!”

“T-The servitors are supposed to be…” the woman cleared her throat, “Your stature seems somewhat… human, for a servitor.”

Elara’s eyes briefly glowed purple, “Do you doubt me, priestess? Shall I make an example of you?”

“N-No,” the woman said. Quickly she glanced at the men, “Clear the road, now!”

The men quickly parted, and as the woman sprinted to the side of the road and took a knee, they all bowed as well. Without a word Sarah and Clara re-entered the vehicle, the hovercraft humming again as they continued their way towards the palace.

“Wow,” Clara said with a smile, “that was amazing!”

“Thanks,” Elara said with a small grin, “one of the benefits of being a clone is that it’s easy to impersonate your sisters.”

“So, the Archons have people on this planet,” Jim muttered. He watched the cultists disperse as their vehicle hovered by.

…

The massive stone palace at the center of the city reminded Jim of European castles back on Earth. He’d only seen them in books of course, but with the gothic arches and gargoyle there was no mistaking the inspiration. The guards led them through the palace without saying much, a few greeted Sarah with a degree of familiarity, which just made him wonder more about her past on this planet.

The massive throne room they entered was adorned with red and yellow striped flags, less prominently displayed, near the back, were a pair of black flags with the white three-star design of the cultists they’d encountered on the street.

“Sarah,” A rugged looking man with a shining black goatee said, “Welcome back to New Aragon.”

“Alphie?” She said, eyes going wide, “Damn, you’re all grown up!”

He sighed, and his queen seated next to him fought down a smirk, “Sarah,” he said, “I am a king now, you can’t call me that.”

“Alphie,” the queen giggled, “I like it.”

The king sighed, “Sarah, my advisors tell me you’re here on some kind of diplomatic endeavor?”

“Yes your majesty,” Jim said, stepping forward.

The King frowned, “The man from Earth,” he muttered, “is everyone there so…”

“No,” He said with a sigh, “I’m actually around your height your highness,” he said, “We’re just dealing with some… accidents with size changing.”

“Hmm…” The king muttered, looking over them, “and that one?” he pointed at Elara, “is she truly a messenger of the gods?”

“Err…” Elara began, “I mean…”

“I’m not really into this subtle stuff,” Clara broke in suddenly, “We hate the Archons, and we stole Elara from them, or I guess she stole herself.” Clara slung an arm around the smaller woman defensively, causing her to blush, “Either way, no she’s not one of their messengers, she’s with us.”

“Archons,” The king breathed slowly, glancing at his queen, “that name… only a few here know it.”

“Is there some kind of problem here Alfie?” Sarah asked, glancing at the two of them, “What’s this Archon stuff about?”

“Our patron Goddess,” Alphonso began with a sigh. He stood up and walked to a tapestry on the wall of the throne room, one he’d ruminated on many times since taking the throne. “The nobility here… They, we, are all aware of humanity’s place in the universe, that we are…”

“Small?” Clara asked.

“For lack of a better word, yes,” the king said. “When our people were brought to this planet centuries ago, we were promised protection from the rest of the universe, given things to make our lives easier… but they weren’t free.”

“The cost was people,” Elara said suddenly, “humans…”

“Yes,” the king said quietly, “I never knew, or maybe just never understood, but our Goddess, she returns every few decades for her tribute.” He clenched his fists, “when I found out what we were doing in exchange for these… these GIFTS!” he spat, “I knew I had to take power, that the rest of my family had to go.”

“So you’re in charge now,” Sarah said, crossing her arms, “when this goddess shows up, blow her out of orbit the way Cervantes always threatens to do to me.”

“The space station is one of her creations,” The king explained, “it cannot be used against her or her servants…” He sighed again, “I’d hoped I’d have more time to discover a solution, but… the Star Cult has proclaimed the arrival of The Goddess in two days.” He looked eagerly at Sarah, “I know you have experience in the galaxy, that you kill larger beings? Could you…”

Sarah chuckled and threw an arm around the smaller man’s shoulder, earning her a furious gaze from the queen, “Alphonso, we’re friends! If this…” she gestured at the tapestry, “goddess, is bothering you? I can kill her at a very generous discount!”

“Excuse me?” Clara asked with a smirk, “Hey, human king, I’ll kill her for free.”

“Don’t drive the market down Clara,” Sarah said, rolling her eyes.

“It’s not going to be that simple!” Elara snapped, “This isn’t killing some gang leader Sarah, this is an Archon! She’s going to have technology and psychic abilities beyond anything you’ve ever encountered!” The clone sighed and held up her own wrist computer, “Lyrei, Isstvell, are you getting this?”

“We are,” The Aelmari replied back, “and we’d be glad to help, if this king can find it in his heart to allow us to join the rest of you on the planet.”

The king stiffened, “Those are aliens, the larger ones, aren’t they? I don’t know how I feel about the monstrous giants of the universe coming down here… I understand we may need their help, but-”

“My dear,” the Queen said, “perhaps this is a time when we must simply pick our poison.”

“If it makes you feel any better Elara and I are usually around ninety feet tall,” Clara said, jerking a thumb at the petite woman. The king’s eyes went wide, then he glanced at Sarah, who nodded.

“And here I’d hoped there was another race out there close to our size,” he chuckled, “Well, these two seem rather… civilized. And you say this other Alien kingdom wishes to be our allies? Can they be trusted?”

“The ones who came here with us, yes,” Jim said, “and the rest will hold to any agreements they make.”

“You’ve been searching for a way to be rid of our so-called goddess for years now your majesty,” The queen said with a smile, “It would seem one has presented itself; it would be foolish to throw it away, no?”

“Very well,” the king said with a nod, “Sarah, will you and your alien friends liberate New Aragon?”

“Leave it to us!” Clara said excitedly.

…

Jim looked out the window of the bedroom the king had provided, admiring the view of the sunset from the tall tower. The king had given them a great feast, and had offered them all the finest accommodations.  Despite the décor the castle had most of the same amenities he would have expected a building on earth to have, running water, plumbing, and a massive king-sized bed.

“Do we have backup coming?” He thought at Lyrei and Isstvell, who had remained on the ship for the moment.

“Shaerra is sending us a cruiser,” Isstvell sent back, “but even with dimensional drives it’s not going to get here before this Archon is supposed to arrive.”

“So it’s just the five of us to stop her then,” he mused.

“Zeph and I are here too,” Sarah said, walking into the room with a grin. She ruffled his hair playfully, standing nearly twice his height it was easy to do. “So, Elves, you want to explain to Jim the next part of our plan?”

He frowned, looking up at the leering amazon, “W-what plan?”

“The big blue duo seem to think that we need to figure out this whole resizing ability of yours,” Sarah said, smirking at his reaction.

“It could give us an edge against this Archon and whatever forces she brings,” Isstvell explained over the neuronet, “we have forty eight hours for either you or Elara to master this power, and since the greatest breakthroughs have come from certain activities…”

“I volunteered to help,” Sarah said, grinning as she pinned Jim’s small form against the wall.

He gulped, “Uh, I can just find Clara to-“

“Did someone mention my name?” Clara said, she had something thrown over her shoulder, and Jim’s eyes went wide as he realized it was Elara, she was tied up and had something in her mouth.

“MMF!?” she mumbled through the gag, looking at Jim.

“Oh good,” Sarah laughed, “you caught the other one.”

Elara’s eyes briefly flashed purple, suddenly they were all flooded with visions of the two Amazons ravishing Jim and Elara. It went as quickly as it came, and Clara threw back her head and laughed.

“Wow, someone’s ready to go!”

“Did you have to tie her up?” Jim asked, wincing as Sarah kept him pinned against the wall.

Clara just shrugged, her pink tail flittering behind her casually, “Probably not, but I wanted to.” She rolled her eyes seeing Jim’s expression, “come on, she can move stuff with her mind and extrasensory perception, do you really think I’d be able to do this to her against her will?”

“Hmmm…” Sarah hummed, her finger twirling through Jim’s hair, “do you have any more of that rope?”

“U-Uh hey,” Jim stammered, trying to ignore his rising erection as the two amazons teased him, “do we have a game plan here or-“

“Yeah, we’re going to keep playing with the two of you until you can shrink people and grow them back again,” Clara said, leering at him, “and we’re going to keep going until you’re both good enough at it that you can do it without me stroking you off.”

“And she’s going to help?” Jim asked, looking up nervously at Sarah.

“The cat asked me to,” Sarah said with a grin, “and how could I say no? It’s for science!”

“Now a few quick ground rules,” Clara said, sitting herself on the bed and hugging the bound Elara to her side, “We’re just playing size games with Jim today, the last thing we need is for one of us bigger girls accidentally popped back to ninety feet tall inside the palace.”

“What!?” Jim protested, “come on, we could…” he looked at Sarah, “what about her?”

“Ha,” she laughed, “nope, I’m staying big.”

He glowered at her, but then gasped as he felt the air against his bare skin. Sarah had reached down and tapped a quick command on the wrist mounted housing for the battlesuit, and it clattered to the floor, leaving him suddenly naked before the looming blonde. Smirking at his shocked expression she reached over and tapped her own, and the green material seemed to disappear back into the wrist mounted box before it clattered to the floor with his.

Sarah’s breasts could have easily been the size of his head at this size, and he gaped up at them as he took in her body. Like Clara she had an athletic form, but like Elara she seemed to have no body hair at all below her neck, her bare skin soft and inviting.

She saw where he was looking and gently brushed her hand across a pair of lips that were almost at eye level for Jim, “Genetic modification,” she said with a grin, “no more waxing and shaving for this girl.”

“Yeah,” he said, looking at the glistening and waiting womanhood, “Elara’s the same.”

“Really?” She grinned over at the wide-eyed clone, “I’ll have to see that.”

Without warning she hefted Jim over her shoulder, roughly spanking his ass with a laugh as she did so. The Amazonian mercenary easily carried him over to the bed, tossing him onto it and causing him to bounce slightly as he landed next to the seated Clara and Elara. Before he could even sit up Sarah was on him, the massive naked blonde, crawling up and easily pinning his small arms down.

“Let’s start with this one,” She said with a quick smirk to Clara, “Okay Jim, I’m going to get you off, and then you’re going to shrink for me.”

“I-I’m already a bit smaller than usual,” he protested, “don’t you think it would be better to start off trying to grow back to normal?”

“Nope,” Clara said with a smirk, “get small for us, I want to show my new friend here what you can do with a human that can fit in your palm… or in some other places”

He was about to continue arguing, but he instead grunted with pleasure as the Amazon pinning him down began kissing her way down his stomach. She released his arms, giving him a lustful gaze which warned him not to get up. She kept going, until her mouth enveloped his waiting erection, a skilled tongue beginning it’s work on him as the giantess very lightly bobbed her head up and down.

“Look at that,” Clara teased, running her hands through Elara’s hair and directing her head towards the scene in front of them, “Now remember, we’re shrinking Jim, so think SMALL! Okay?”

“S-Small,” Jim groaned as the amazon continued to toy with him.

“Just imagine she’s sucking all of that nasty size right out of you!” Clara giggled.

The catgirl let Elara fall to the bed with a thump and a squeal, the bound woman squirmed as Clara clicked her own bodysuit’s gauntlet, the green liquid clothing flowing off of her and revealing her naked body. With a playful flick of her ears she crawled over the bed, and Jim’s eyes went wide as he realized the second amazon was about to sit on his face.

He didn’t manage a single protest before he was muffled by Clara sitting down on him with a thump, the seven foot plus woman’s ass easily swallowing his face up. She leaned forward slightly, giving him access to her own womanhood, and he eagerly began licking as a clawed finger traced a lazy circle on his chest.

“Remember Jim,” Clara repeated to the petite man trapped beneath her, “think SMALL!”

He came with a grunt and a spasm of muscle that didn’t do much to move either woman. Clara seemed to laugh as he bucked underneath her futilely, and Sarah easily held his legs in place as her tongue finished it’s work.

Jim fought to keep his thoughts straight as Sarah continued fellating him even through orgasm, and purple filled his vision as a familiar electric feeling raced up his spine. He gritted his teeth and tried to focus on what they’d said.

*SMALL*

The weight above him started to increase, and he panicked as he realized Clara’s ass was getting bigger! At first he worried he’d accidentally triggered her growth, but then as Sarah released him and his rapidly diminishing body slid along the soft bedding even as he shrank, he realized he’d done it! He would have shouted in triumph, if not for the rapidly growing Clara pinning him in place against the bed.

“Well done!” Clara laughed, scooting herself forward and bringing his shrunken form completely under her ass. “Here’s a reward for all your hard work,” she ground herself down against the soft material with a giggle.

“Hey,” Sarah said with a frown, watching Jim disappear beneath the catgirl, “come on, you get to play with him tiny all the time."

“Technically I get to play with him at his normal size most of the time,” Clara corrected with a smirk, “but don’t worry, you’ll get your chance.” The two of them turned to Elara, still tied up and lying in the bed, a lustful and shocked look coming over her face, “Now, Elara,” Clara said with a predatory smile, “would you like to practice growing our tiny human back?”

It was going to be a long night.

Jim groaned in pleasure as Clara rubbed his shoulders, enjoying the rough kneading sensation of the amazon sized catgirl’s thumbs against his back. He was finally back at his “normal” height of around five feet ten inches, though he’d been down to half an inch the night before and it seemed like everywhere in between.

“How are you feeling?” she asked softly.

“Considering what I’ve been through?” He chuckled, “pretty good.”

His eyes glowed purple a moment, and he felt Clara’s thumbs rubbing into his back increase in size, eventually his lower half left the bed he was sitting on as he shrunk into her grasp. A single thumb continued to rub his back, stronger, but still gentle, causing him to sigh happily again. A moment later he focused, the four walls of the room seeming to contract and get closer as he returned to his normal height.

“So it’s all figured out?” Clara asked, leaning over to hug the smaller man. Her pink hair pressed against his face and he felt the tickle of her tail as it lightly brushed his ear.

“Yeah,” he said, “I think I can do it at will, to myself or…” he grinned at Clara, “anyone else.”

She rolled her eyes, “I’m pretty sure I can still take you even when you make me small.”

It was true, after getting the hang of size changing he and Elara had decided to try making Clara even smaller, and had found that they couldn’t get her blow the six foot mark no matter how hard the two of them tried. It was like trying to compress a balled up piece of paper, past a certain point it just wouldn’t get any smaller. What was even more bizarre was that, according to Elara, it took roughly the same amount of effort to make him a few inches tall as it took to bring Clara from 90 feet down to just over seven.

“You know,” he said, a small grin tracing over his features, “you’ll need to be a lot nicer to me now, or poof! You’re small.”

“We both know the only real difference between me at ninety feet and me at seven is what position I’m going to pin you in,” she purred.  “Still, I’m happy we figured this out.”

“It’s been pretty great,” he mused, letting her play with his hair, “you even let me be on top once.”

“Not just that,” she laughed, “I mean… now that we know how this works… I’d like to go to Earth with you.”

“You’ve been to Earth,” he said, not sure what she meant, “you invaded it, remember?”

“No,” she sighed, “I mean… I want to go with you, and do things without everyone freaking out because I’m a ninety foot alien. Sure, I’ll stand out a little bit because of the ears, the tail… but at this size? We could just be a pair of humans on holiday somewhere.”

He thought it over, “we should,” he said finally with a smile, “I’m sure Isstvell and Lyrei will be able to get by without us for a week or so.”

Clara beamed excitedly, “I want to try driving one of those wheeled transports,” she said eagerly.

Jim blinked, “I don’t think you’ll find a car very exciting compared to a starfighter, but sure, you can borrow my old truck.” He had a sudden thought, “Huh, you know it’s probably still back at the old farmstead, I never went back there after we got grabbed the Aelmari that first day.”

“It could be fun to revisit,” Clara said fondly, “though it’s just going to be the two of us I think,” she jerked a thumb at Elara, still sleeping in the bed they were sitting at the edge of, “that one’s still freaking out over being small, she’s doing better since she’s just around humans in here, but I don’t think you’re ever going to convince her to shrink down again after this mission.”

“We should probably wake her up,” Jim said with a sigh, “we’ve got to start planning how we want to do this.”

Clara grabbed a pillow and jokingly tossed it at the sleeping woman, causing her to grunt in surprise and start awake.

“W-What!?” Elara snapped, her eyes briefly flashing violet.

“Jim said to wake you up,” Clara said innocently.

Elara raised an eyebrow at him, “I mean, I didn’t say throw a pillow,” he protested, but Elara was already holding a hand out at him, a brief flash of purple energy hit his chest, and there was a fuzzy electrical feeling as the room expanded away from him.

Elara sat up and stretched as Clara gleefully held Jim’s shrunken form in front of her, “Are we in a hurry?” Elara asked with a somewhat sleepy smile.

“We’ve got time for…” she licked Jim’s tiny form, causing him to shiver as she did so, “breakfast…”

Jim felt the glow of psychic energy wrap around him, and he was pulled out of Clara’s hands as he flew through the air towards the other side of the bed. The soft palm of Elara’s hand caught him, her brown fingers wrapping around him as she leaned back in the bed held him over her face.

“I could use a little pick me up,” Elara mused, “to help me get out of bed.” She reached up and stroked his hair with a single finger. She sat up, letting the blanket fall off of her to reveal her body, still naked from the night before.

“Sweet,” Clara said excitedly, crawling over the bed towards them, “Hey, since we figured out the whole shrinking/regrowing thing, could you maybe just… hit me with the purple?”

“What?” Jim laughed.

“You know, when Elara blasts us all with that big wave when she finishes,” Clara explained, “she was putting all of her energy into shrinking and regrowing you last night, so she never did it.”

“Hmm…” Elara muttered, stroking her chin as she regarded the human clenched in her hand. She smiled, “what do you think? Has our kitty been good?”

Clara’s face burned with embarrassment, and Jim could tell she was about to leap at them, but she held herself back. He snorted, enjoying Clara’s reaction.

“She did stay up all night helping us figure out our powers,” he said. “I’m game.”

Elara smirked, then glanced at the waiting Clara. Slowly she let her hand carrying Jim drift downwards, lifting the covers near her waist and framing the bed like a dark cavern mouth which she was feeding him into.

He was brought down her body, past her hips, and eventually she gently placed him down between her legs, allowing him to face her opening, the sweet musky smell of her arousal already wafting out towards him. She gave him a sweet wave, and then simply dropped the covers, leaving him alone in the darkness with her waiting womanhood.

Elara simply crossed her arms behind her head, laying back and waiting. Clara scowled, seemingly annoyed.

“That’s it? You’re not gonna shove him in or threaten to eat him or anything?” She protested.

“I don’t like to play games,” Elara said with a happy sigh, “besides, he knows what he’s doing.”

Beneath the blanket Jim crept forward, using his hands to feel his way along her massive leg. It didn’t take him long to reach the end, and from there he trailed his fingers along the smooth skin until he felt the wet entrance, causing her entire body to shiver with anticipation.

Slowly, he forced his way in, the slimy wet lips parting to allow him entrance. He felt the world shake as he gritted his teeth and crawled deeper within her. The world grew tighter around him, and the pink walls were briefly illuminated as he was wrapped in the purple glow of Elara’s psychic grip, forcing him deeper still and into position.

Elara hissed in pleasure, gripping the blankets on either side of her as pleasure rocked up her body. She fought the urge to use her telekinesis to grab the shrunken man inside her again, mentally forcing herself to let him move on his own.

Moving inside of her had become something he’d become very good at, and as the silky liquid from the fleshy walls seeped into him he knew he was on the right path. Every time he moved, touched her, the muscles holding him quivered, sending him further in and sending her closer to the edge of orgasm.

“Come on,” Clara whispered excitedly, watching the other woman’s face contort, “finish her off!”

Jim couldn’t hear Clara, but he was thinking the same thing. He began thrashing his body in a rhythm he’d practiced well, and with a grin he saw the inside of Elara illuminated again as his own eyes glowed violet. He visualized Elara’s body, tendrils of his own energy manifesting and running across it, toying with her clitoris, her nipples, cradling her head.

The effect was immediate, and he grunted with shock as the walls of her canal suddenly clenched tightly around him.

“Whoah,” Clara breathed excitedly, from her perspective it was as if bands of purple energy had appeared from nowhere and had begun toying with Elara, teasing her and driving her to new heights of pleasure.

Jim felt the familiar rush of energy as his own orgasm neared, and with a mental chuckle he decided to put his briefly heightened psychic strength to good use.

Clara’s eyes went wide as those same psychic tendrils began to appear in the air around her, “Oh,” she whispered, a grin flashing across her face as they wrapped around her limbs, “Oh Stars yes!” she grunted suddenly as they pulled her up into the air, forcing her into a spread eagle position as Jim willed them to begin teasing her in time with those enacting his will on Elara further down the bed.

Elara gasped and focused her energy on Clara as her orgasm reached it’s peak. She felt the shrunken human caught within her struggle futilely against her as she clamped down on him, crossing her legs even as the purple tendrils groped at her most sensitive areas.

Like a damn bursting Elara came, gushing a tide that forced Jim out and lit the room as the clone delivered a beam of purple energy directly at the still floating Clara. She cried out a mix of groans and swears as the wave seemed to carry her backwards for a few minutes, every single second feeling like an eternity as Clara’s own ecstasy joined her friends.

Slowly, gently, the limp form of the amazonian Catgirl floated to the floor as the feeling left all of them. Clara panted for a minute, then sighed happily as she stared at the ceiling. For her part Elara lazily reached beneath the covers, fumbling around until she found the wet form of the shrunken man, stumbling around in the gap between her thighs.

She was about to grab him and bring him back up to her face, but there was a quick flash of energy and then he was growing back to his normal size, pushing his own way up past the blanket and sighing as he flopped his head back on another pillow. Elara blinked, then relaxed, sidling up next to him.

“I keep forgetting,” she said with a small smile, “I’m… human sized right now. It’s strange, laying next to you in bed like this, knowing I should be able to hold you in my hand…”

“We’ve figured this whole size changing thing out,” he said idly, “you could always make yourself small again if you wanted.”

She shuddered a moment, “Uh, no… it’s not so bad down here with human sized… everything I suppose, but I’d rather be at my normal size.”

“I think it’s fun,” Clara said with a giggle, climbing her way up to the edge of the bed, “it freaked me out a little at first, but I don’t mind being this size now and then.” She sighed and propped her head up on one hand. “Lyrei and Isstvell are coming down in a few hours for their big speech, are you going to get all big to join them?”

“Yes,” Elara said, running a hand through her silver hair, “the King believes the Star Cult’s power would be best broken if a “messenger” of their goddess was present.”

…

King Alphonso of New Aragon sat astride a horse, alongside his wife and one thousand of his loyal soldiers. The horse was for show of course, his men either stood in ranks, or atop single man hovercraft, their lances pointed upward and their standards billowing in the wind. The sword at his side was for decoration too, as was his wife’s, if it came to it they had a deadly protector they trusted well. Behind them Sarah stood, her plate armor and cloak abandoned, her glittering green armor catching the light as her hair waved slightly in time with the flags.

The king had ordered them all gathered outside the city, on a vast plane where farms and hills stretched on one side to a far distant series of mountains, and on the other the expanses of a great freshwater lake.

“Is all this necessary?” Jim muttered, looking at the assembled knights. He felt a bit more secure now, back at his normal height he no longer had to look up at the other humans, but the whole thing felt too ceremonial for his tastes.

“Peasant blood,” Clara teased, gently shoving his back, “these people are warriors, like mine, they want to dress up in their finery for big occasions.”

The two of them were back further behind Sarah, standing near a series of retainers. Jim glanced warily at a group of perhaps a hundred black robed figures, the emblem of the Star Cult brightly sewn onto their clothing in shimmering silver thread. They didn’t know what was coming, only that the king had summoned them all to this meeting ground outside the city.

The cultists gasped, and whispered to one another excitedly as Elara stood up from behind a row of buildings. She had a somewhat embarrassed look on her face, and Jim smirked. For this reveal to work, they’d regrown her, naked, down by the city’s docks. At least a few workers had gotten a look at her, no matter how hard they’d tried to clear the place out, and she’d quickly donned the familiar business suit and sunglasses that she and her clone sisters wore at their mistress’ behest.

“People of New Aragon,” she said slowly, “You have been lied to. Your goddess is a fraud, using your faith to ensnare you!”

There were murmurs from the crowd, the cultists, the knights, only the king’s own party remained silent. Elara sighed, continuing to walk until she was in front of the massive grouping of humans, her ninety foot height looming over them and allowing them all to take her in.

“I was one of their servitors, for years I collected humans for them. There is no paradise waiting, only an eternity of captivity and display in their collections.”

“Liar!” One man shouted, “This is an illusion, a trick of a greedy heathen of a king!” With a shout the man pulled a knife, running towards the king’s entourage. To his credit Alphonso didn’t so much as glance backwards, and when Sarah almost casually closelined the man and began disarming him the king only had the barest hint of a smirk in one corner of his mouth.

“This is no trick,” Elara said, real sorrow in her voice, “The Archons they… they promised me, they promise us, things as well… it is all a lie, a manipulation so that we continue to play their games.” She steeled herself, “I… we, have come to liberate New Aragon, to return your destinies to you.”

There was a flash of blue as columns of light appeared on either side of Elara. Standing over her by a head Isstvell and Lyrei came into focus on either side of her as the smoke cleared, giving the assembled humans their friendliest smiles.

Aelmari couldn’t teleport, the “beam down” maneuver that they were famous for was in truth simply an orbital drop with some creative flourishes. Still, the Aelmari didn’t discourage rumors about it, and from the shocked expressions of the gathered human host they’d managed to impress. Even a number of the cultists were gaping, whispering amongst themselves.

“Hi!” Lyrei said cheerfully, breaking the silence, “I’m Lyrei, and this Isstvell, we’re scouts for the Aelmari, and we’re here to rescue you!”

“Blasphemy!” Another cultist shouted, “those fools on the station Tizona have abandoned their duty, aliens walk our sacred soil!”

“A messenger of the goddess is with them,” A priestess said doubtfully, “could it be that these are… goddesses as well?” The priestess bolted away from the others, causing a ripple of shock as she threw herself to the ground, “All hail the NEW goddesses!”

“What?” Isstvell began, her eyes going wide, “No that’s not-“

“I’ve never seen the old goddess,” One man shouted, “but the new ones are right there!”

“They are but vile temptations,” Another snarled, “You will suffer for your lack of faith!” He slugged the first man across the face, causing a spray of blood from a broken nose as the cultists began brawling amongst themselves.

“No,” Isstvell said nervously, “P-Please stop-“

“Men!” The king shouted, “Bring our friends in the priesthood under control!”

One unit of the assembled soldiers moved to surround the cultists, separating them and beginning to tie the hands of the more violent members.

“Oh my,” Lyrei said, frowning, “Jim, there is a standard holo-recording for primitives, it explains that we Aelmari aren’t divine beings… could you perhaps distribute it in the city for us?”

“No, wait!” Clara said excitedly, running to the group of cultists, “I AM CLARA,” She shouted, holding her hands above her, making sure they could see her cat ears and tail swishing behind her, “Messenger of the new goddesses and reaper of souls!” The cultists cried out and cowered, and she grinned, “That’s right, if you’re not good I eat your soul in the afterlife, I-“

She was cut off as Isstvell leaned over, plucking the tiny Glalan up in the middle of her speech, “I’m sorry about that,” Isstvell said in an uncharacteristically pleasant tone. She shoved the struggling and protesting Clara in between her massive breasts, muting her, as she knelt down in front of the crowd of nervous humans, “I’d like to deliver a standard Aelmari divinity disclaimer, we do not claim godhood, demigodhood, divine descent, or any knowledge of the existence or nonexistence of souls or an afterlife. Furthermore, the Aelmari do not claim knowledge, endorsement of, or hostility towards any gods, goddesses, pantheons, or other beings of worship on your planet.” She paused a moment, then frowned, “except in this case I suppose, your goddess is an advanced alien who wishes to kidnap you.”

…

When the chaos of the Aelmari introduction had died down they’d all met in an empty field near Sarah’s lander. The king was flanked by a pair of stern looking knights, and Sarah hung back from him, casually leaning against a nearby rock. Jim and Clara were standing beneath Isstvell, Lyrei, and Elara, who, true to what she’d said before, didn’t seem at all inclined to make herself human sized again. For her part Clara hadn’t requested to be made big again, yet.

“Did we accomplish the desired goal?” Isstvell asked, looking at the human city a few miles away.

“That and more,” the king chuckled, looking up at the trio of giants, “the power of the Star Cult is broken, some are declaring allegiance to the new goddesses, some are simply disbanding, and others still are saying the old goddess will chase you two out of here, but the important thing is none of them are marshalling forces against me or starting riots.”

“Good!” Lyrei said cheerfully, “I really hope they get over that new goddesses stuff though… we’re really not supposed to let primitive beings start worshipping us.”

“Didn’t you say there were some primitive planets where you two were worshipped as gods?” Clara asked, crossing her arms and looking up at them.

Isstvell sighed, “Sometimes it happens no matter what you say, and they always make ME the evil god in their pantheon.”

“I could’ve been the evil god,” Clara muttered. “Whatever, so what do we do when their boss shows up? Shoot her? Shrink her? Maybe one then the other?”

“We won’t be able to shrink her,” Elara said quietly. She shifted uncomfortably, “they have powerful psychic abilities, her defenses will be too strong for it.”

“I was kind of leaning towards violence anyway,” Clara admitted, winking at Jim with a smile. “So she’ll be here sometime tomorrow, right?”

“So her cult says,” the king nodded.

“So we set up an ambush,” Jim started, “wait until she lands and then spring the Aelmari and Clara on her?”

“She’s not going to come down alone,” Elara said, “she’s going to have a large group of my sisters with her, and like me they’ll have weapons that can harm Lyrei and Isstvell.”

“Hmm…” Clara thought a moment, “Hey Elara, can you pick me up real quick?”

Elara frowned, then bent over to pick up the still human-sized catgirl. As soon as she did so Clara leapt up into her palm, then sprinted up her arm before the other woman could react.

“OW!” Elara slapped a hand to her face as Clara’s relatively small claws raked across the bottom of her chin, “What the hell was that for?”

“Okay look everybody!” Clara said, pointing to the bleeding cut, “the real Elara has a cut on her chin, this way we avoid any of that which one do we shoot stuff!”

“We could have just marked her with nanites,” Sarah said, smirking at the scene in front of her.”

“I don’t trust any of that,” Jim muttered, “but… yeah, we could have used a pen or something.”

“So this goddess, Archon, whatever,” Sarah said, looking up at Elara, the bounty hunter extended the steel claw from it’s housing, “Can she be poisoned?”

“I don’t think so,” Elara said, biting her lip, “We… we don’t know much about our masters, only that we are to obey them, and I didn’t serve mine directly. Still, we are told a few things, they say they’ve moved beyond the flesh.”

“So they are using machine bodies?” Lyrei asked, “that’s not entirely unheard of, perhaps an organic nervous system housed in-“

“No,” Elara said firmly, “I don’t mean they’ve constructed artificial ones; they haven’t replaced the flesh they say they’ve moved BEYOND it.”

“I guess we’ll see what it means firsthand,” Jim said grimly.

…

The Archon Lady DeLana relaxed, watching the stars go by overhead as she walked through the majestic garden of redwood trees. A few stretched over her head, and she breathed in the smell of the small forest she carried with her as the ship’s atmosphere unit produced her requested morning fog.

“E-Excuse me my lady,” stammered a servitor.

DeLana’s mood instantly soured, and she turned her massive form to regard the ninety-foot woman, who didn’t even come up to DeLana’s own waist. Slowly she walked towards the clone in the business suit, smirking at the fear visible on the other’s face even with those reflective black sunglasses.

“Yes?” She asked in a booming voice, “go on dear, what is it?”

“The planet we are approaching,” the servitor said with a gulp, “our human agents reached out through our psychic network to let us know that there are other goddesses claiming the humans there!”

DeLana froze, briefly her physical form flickered, and violet light reflected in the glasses of the nervous servitor as the Archon angrily collected herself. The pink skinned body returned, focusing down on her with a sneer.

“Which of my sisters is trouncing about in MY garden?” She snapped, her voice becoming rough and distorted.

“It’s not another Archon!” the servitor said hurriedly, “based on the description they’re Aelmari!”

DeLana thought this over, stroking her chin as she enjoyed the servitor’s fear, “How many?” she asked, “are they there to harvest the planet’s humans?”

“J-Just two,” the servitor stammered, the Archon’s black eyes were deeper and more unnerving than her own mirrored glasses.

“Two Aelmari, alone, in an isolated region of space,” DeLana mused. She snapped her fingers, “Is there a Glalan with them? A servitor?”

“There are reports of a rogue servitor with them,” the clone said, “she’s speaking out against us even now…”

“I know who they are!” DeLana said excitedly, practically jumping her physical form for joy. She flickered out of reality again, causing her servitor to jump, though this time the Archon seemed… happy? “Quickly dear,” she said, “go prepare a special human stasis tube! And prepare a display, I want a rundown on the Arnett boy’s life, with special sections on each of his companions, or what we know about them anyway.”

“Yes my lady,” the servitor said, giving a curt bow, “What about our landing? Should I order us to remain in orbit?”

“What!?” DeLana exclaimed, “of course not, order a standard landing and proceed exactly as we would have!”

“My lady,” The servitor said slowly, staring up at the pink skinned goddess, “Are you not concerned this could be… a trap?”

“Of course it’s a trap!” DeLana said in exasperation, “Servitors, you simply have no vision!” She leaned down, causing the smaller woman to back away nervously, “We are going to get to witness them in action! Think of the story! And when my sisters gather to compare human collections, why I’ll show them this Jim Arnett boy, and they’ll hear how he almost got us! It’ll be thrilling!”

“Y-Yes Miss,” the servitor said with a gulp, “thrilling. I’ll give the orders.”

DeLana turned back to her cultivated redwood forest, sighing with anticipation, “I can’t believe I’m finally going to meet them all!”

…

“Here it comes,” Jim muttered, watching the massive starship enter the atmosphere. It was a black oval against the sky, miles in length, and as it hovered menacingly over the human capital Jim felt the wind whip his hair around. He scowled, he knew from traveling the stars that immense ships like this had any number of systems that allowed them to move through atmospheres quietly and peacefully, regardless of their size. The loud humming and the howling wind in it’s wake were for show.

“What does God need with a starship?” Jim muttered to himself.

“I’m guessing those are our party guests,” Clara said, sidling up to him and throwing an arm around his shoulder. The amazon sized catgirl hugged him close, “everyone else is in place, should we get down there too?”

“Might as well,” he muttered.

He watched as the giant ship began to descend, half of it was an opaque black that seemed to absorb light, the other half was transparent, like a crystalline glass that reflected rainbows as the light hit it. Inside Jim could see a vast forest, waterfalls, hills clouded in an eerie and oddly inviting fog. It swirled and Jim could swear that at the top of the flowing waterfall within he saw someone, a pink being with jet black eyes he could see even from where he stood. It seemed as though the being, far and beneath that glass shield though it was, made eye contact with him. He blinked and it was gone, the shrouding fog consuming the artificial hill within the starship once again.

…

Elara, Isstvell, and Lyrei watched as the ship landed, seeming to merge with the earth. With a high and slippery noise like the hiss of a stick swung quickly through the air the massive craft embedded itself in the abandoned farmlands outside the human capital. In the distance a circular portal opened on it’s surface, two rows of silver haired giants marched out, the familiar pantsuits and shining black sunglasses visible against their brown skin even from this distance. Each carried a holstered silver pistol, and a suitcase across from it.

The three giantesses were beneath a camouflage netting that Sarah and Zeph’s replicator had made for them. It wouldn’t stand up to more rigorous detection methods, and even the human knights arrayed in front of the city could doubtless tell that something was “off” about that particular patch of earth and sky, but it would hide them until their enemies got closer.

“The sunglasses aren’t just for show,” Elara said quietly, “they’ll detect this netting as soon as the servitors approach the city.”

“By then it will be too late,” Isstvell reassured her. She paused and looked down at the clone, “why weren’t you wearing yours when you fell into our trap back on Marrek?”

“If I’d been wearing mine, I’d have shot Lyrei and Clara and taken Jim to my masters,” Elara said with a smirk, “luckily for all of us they’re a bit itchy around the ears, best mistake I ever made.”

…

Twenty of the ninety foot tall women walked in a pair of columns towards the city, a single leader, Absinthe, at their forefront. She had long dealt with humans, and had taken her name from an earth drink her most valuable collected human had enjoyed. As a messenger and servitor of the Archons she knew her place in the universe, and if not at the top, it was very close.

Her mouth twitched in irritation as she saw none of the Star Cult among the ranks of humans awaiting her, instead they stood, mounted on their primitive war machines, with those ridiculous spears raised in the air, their red and yellow banner flying defiantly in the wind. The Lady DeLana had said to proceed as normal, and she allowed herself a smile… an improper greeting would of course be met with some punishment, perhaps seeing a few of their compatriots crushed beneath a heeled shoe or blown to pieces by blaster fire would force these humans to be more respectful?

“King of New Aragon,” she said in a pleasant tone that dripped with hostility, “Where are your priests? Where are your finest men and women to be appraised for ascension?” She glared down at the tiny human, just barely out of stomping range. He didn’t flinch, nor did he show her any sign of fear.

“There will be no more offerings,” The king shouted loudly, “I, Alphonso of Burgundy, KING of New Aragon, offer you this one chance to leave peaceably.”

“Do you think the three fools hidden beneath the camouflage netting will be able to stop me from grinding your bones into the dirt?” Absinthe asked, her hand drifting towards her gun. At the signal the twenty women behind her fanned out, each one drawing their own pistol. “Come out Aelmari, this is truly the most pathetic ambush I’ve ever-“

She gasped as a purple light hit her, it seemed to dance to each of her sisters in the blink of an eye, then the sky was suddenly getting farther away. She tried to hold her clothes against her as they expanded around her, and she heard her followers screaming in terror as their guns became too heavy to hold, the massive weapons clattering to the ground as they looked up at their collars, their suits forming tents and trapping them inside.

Absinthe crawled, now naked, down her own shirtsleeve, panicking as she tried to formulate a plan. She blinked as she reached the end, and realized there was a black wall in front of her, no, not a wall, a shoe.

“Hello,” Elara said, smiling down at her now human sized clone-sister. She reached down and plucked up the naked Absinthe, who struggled feebly in the other woman’s grip. Absinthe glanced around for help, but realized that all of the servitors were now small, some just moving lumps in piles of oversized clothing, others were creeping out, naked and afraid as the army of knights, now their own size, advanced on them.

“Is that all of them?” Jim called up to Elara. The purple glow left his eyes as Elara nodded. He sighed and fell back, letting Clara catch him.

“You okay?” She asked.

“Resizing that many people,” he muttered, “it just took a lot out of me, it feels like I just ran five miles.”

“It will pass,” Elara said, regarding her captive again as the Aelmari came up behind her. “Now what do we do with my errant sisters?” Elara pondered.

“Please don’t hurt them!” Lyrei said eagerly, looking at the scurrying women. “I mean to say… if you could be reformed-“

“Clone or not, we’re not all the same,” Elara said tersely, “But if you insist…” she reached down to pick up one of the discarded suitcases, flipping it open and revealing a double row of clear plastic looking tubes.

Absinthe’s eyes went wide, “No!” she protested, trying to squirm her way out of Elara’s fingers, but the giant just gripped her tighter as she was brought down to the stasis-tubes. Absinthe felt herself tumble in, then a brief chill, and then the world left her.

“Gather them up,” Elara said, “toss them in these for now, it won’t hurt them to see how the other half lives.”

Before the knights could reach the fleeing women Isstvell and Lyrei easily snatched them up, one by one lowering them into the waiting stasis tubes. There was a hiss as each one was frozen in place, some had confused looks, others clawed at the glass, frozen with rage-filled expressions, a few looked resigned to their fates. When they had all been stored Elara snapped the briefcase shut, hiding them all from view.

“So where’s the boss?” Jim asked, letting Clara steady him.

“That was amazing!” a low female voice echoed in his head, and he could see from Clara’s expression that it was in hers as well. “Truly inspired! I’ve never seen psychic abilities used in such a fashion! You’ve reduced them to human size and trapped them within their own stasis tubes! Remarkable!”

“Who are you?” Jim thought back, using his own psychic abilities to probe for the source.  

“The Lady DeLana!” she sent back eagerly, “I’ve waited so long Jim Arnett! Is Clara here too?”

“She is,” he replied tersely. “You’re an Archon… and I recognize that name, you used to be Elara’s master?”

“Oh! All five of you, here!” there was something like a squeal, “the entire set!” Jim scowled as she ignored his question, “Gather your friends Jim Arnett, come and meet me! I’ve prepared food and drink!”

“Go fuck yourself,” he replied psychically.

There was silence, then she replied again, colder, less friendly, “You chose to play with me, at every opportunity for submission you made an opposing move. You may not back out now, meet me or this planet and everything on it will be blown to cosmic cinders.”

As if to emphasize her point the ship in the distance lit up with angular red lines. The ground beneath them shook, subtly at first, then harder, causing the men to fall over and even Lyrei and Isstvell to struggle to stay upright.

“We’re coming,” Jim replied bitterly.

As soon as it had begun, the shaking stopped.

“Everything okay?” Clara asked nervously.

He sighed, “I know you’ve been enjoying your time down here with me… but I need you to get big again.”

…

Clara, now at her full ninety feet, held Jim in her palm as they looked up at the hungry black maw of the ship’s entryway. Elara stood at her side, and Lyrei and Isstvell flanked them, heated balls of plasma at the ready. The five of them were before it alone, they’d insisted the King and his men stay behind.

Jim stood up, the shimmering green battlesuit hugging his body, “I guess there’s nothing left to do but go in,” he said.

“So do we shoot her when we see her or…” Clara muttered hesitantly. She was now wearing one of the cast off business suits from one of the now shrunken servitors, a pair of the silver godkiller blasters hanging from her belt.

“She’s gone as far as to threaten to destroy the planet if we don’t speak with her,” Isstvell said, “We may as well see what she wants.”

“If she DOES start destroying the planet, the very least we can do is finish her off too,” Lyrei said, an uncharacteristic anger on her face.

“It had to be DeLana,” Elara said softly, “not just any Archon, but my very own…”

“She’s not,” Jim said fiercely, “she’s not yours, we’re not hers, and she’s going to know it before this is over.”

The five of them entered the black portal, ready to confront the Archon.

…

Jim had been on enough spacecraft by now that he wasn’t impressed by most of them, but the Archon vessel was something new. Like an Aelmari ship it was almost seamless everywhere, not a button or dial to be seen. It lit the pathway before them, a soft tonal music playing as it seemed to welcome them as they walked through it. Unlike an Aelmari ship, with it’s sterile white and blue color scheme and lighting, this ship was a flat dark grey, with occasional pink veins pulsing along the ceiling. He grimaced in discomfort as he watched them, they seemed to grow thicker as they continued down the hall. Nothing guided them, but somehow, they all seemed to know the way.

The hallway ended with a vast open area, and the redwood forest, waterfalls, and artificial mountains of the Archon’s garden awaited them. A massive table was set a few hundred feet into the grass, at the head a giant woman, with pink skin, pale blue hair, and jet black eyes waited for them. The table was angled upwards, with a steplike pattern of level sections carved into it to allow species of various sizes to sit at it. It was clear that there were two places set for ninety foot giants like Clara and Elara, then another two higher up for the hundred twenty foot Aelmari.

The woman, DeLana, smiled as she saw them, “Jim Arnett!” She said excitedly, “and this must be Isstvell, Lyrei, and Clara!” She glanced at Elara, “and I believe we used to work together! Come, all of you, sit!”

With seemingly no other choice, they approached the table. One plate held a very earthlike steak, potatoes, and greens, another held a large fish the size of a whale, and a series of what looked like giant clams. Clara frowned as she sat at the seat with the seafood.

“Crimson Sea oysters are extinct,” Clara said quietly, setting Jim on the table. She picked one up, slurping it out of the shell, her eyes going wide as the taste hit her. “This is great!” she said.

“And for Mr. Arnett I’ve prepared grilled mammoth!” DeLana said eagerly.

Jim looked down the sloped table, at the very end a smaller table had been prepared, seemingly for him. A large cut of red meat, the black lines across it suggesting it had been prepared to perfection, waited for him. Cautiously, he walked to it, and sat down. He cut into the steak, and savored the rich flavor, unknown on Earth for thousands of years.

“I’m sorry,” DeLana said cheerily, “I wasn’t sure what the Aelmari would like, so I just scaled up one of the more popular Earth dishes.”

Lyrei and Isstvell stared at their respective gigantic cheeseburgers, along with a red box inscribed with an “M” the size of a house overflowing with French fries.

“It will do,” Isstvell said with some distaste.

“What do you want with us?” Lyrei asked, looking up the table at their hostess, who had begun cutting into her own meal, a purple veined meat that Jim didn’t recognize.

“To bring you all into my collection of course!” DeLana said, taking a sip of a deep red substance that looked like wine. “Stasis tubes for larger beings are something of a new concept, but I have my ship replicators working on some for all of you.”

“Archons only collect humans,” Elara said uncomfortably, “My Lady-“ she shuddered and stopped herself, forcing her gaze to meet the smirking Archon she steeled herself, “Your kind only likes humans.”

“Elara, you’ve grown so much,” DeLana said approvingly, “I remember when I ordered you disposed of, I never thought I’d hear of you again! Now you’re using psychic powers, making friends, it’s such a delightful story!”

“You didn’t answer the question,” Isstvell said, staring at her own untouched meal.

“Yes,” DeLana said with a sigh, “You might say that I’m hoping to start setting trends. Humans are a wonderful collector’s item, but conventional wisdom has always been that humans without offworld influences were the most valuable, but I think that with the Aelmari having spread your species throughout the galaxy, what makes a human valuable is going to change.” She beamed down the table at Jim, “and that’s where you come in.”

“I’d rather not be collected,” he said bitterly, “and for that matter I don’t understand this obsession with us in the first place.”

“Ah,” DeLana said, “I think some explanation is in order.” She waved her hand, and with a glow of psychic energy a stasis tube floated from somewhere into her hand. She glanced at it and smiled, "The sheriff of Silver Flats,” she said fondly, “here you are Jim, simply touch it.” The tube hovered down the table, and the four giantesses that had come with him followed it with their eyes as it landed softly in front of him.

He stood up from his small table and regarded it suspiciously. Slowly, he approached it. There was a man inside, a rugged fellow in a wide brimmed hat, with an antiquated revolver drawn and a snarl on his face even in his frozen state. Jim looked up the table, his four friends watched impassively, while DeLana eagerly prompted him further. With a sigh he laid his hands on it.

Suddenly he was in the Arizona Territory, adrenaline filling his body as he fired his colt single action at the incoming riders. He shouted a battle cry as he threw the empty gun aside, drawing a bowie knife and sprinting towards a bandit even as the bandana clad outlaw leveled his own pistol.

He gasped, suddenly he was back on the enormous table, stumbling backwards from the frozen cowboy. His breath heaved as he looked up at the pink skinned giantess, then back to the tube again in wonder.

“Humans have nascent psychic abilities that can be harnessed artificially,” DeLana explained. The tube glowed purple and levitated back towards her, she clasped it in her hand and stroked it lovingly, before she levitated it off in an unknown direction. “Every human we take,” DeLana said with relish, “we take their entire life, their story, and we can relive it in their place… the highs, the lows, the absolute heartache of defeat and lost loves, the triumph of victories and the jubilation of a life well spent.” She sighed happily, “humans are the ultimate prize, and that’s why we’ve cultivated you since we discovered you so many millennia ago.”

“Well that’s done Star sludge,” Clara said, slamming her glass down and wiping her lips, “thanks for the food, but-“

“Oh Glalan,” DeLana giggled, “humans aren’t the only species we toyed with…”

Clara frowned, “What do you mean?” she asked quietly.

“Your excursion to earth,” DeLana explained with a smug grin, “it was a sort of… prank, it got out of hand.”

“A prank?” Clara whispered.

“Yes,” DeLana said, leaning back in her chair, “some of our servitors hinted to marauder captains that Earth was a valuable planet, obviously those of us who were responsible were disciplined…”

“Hundreds of Glalans and thousands of Humans died,” Clara said, horrified, “I almost-“

“But you didn’t,” DeLana said, leering at her, “and that’s what makes what happened next so exciting!”

“We saved the Earth,” Lyrei said quietly.

“And why did the Aelmari suddenly feel the need to warp into such a backwater system?” DeLana asked eagerly.

“There was a distress call of unknown origin,” Isstvell said, confused, “likely a passing shipping freighter…”

“A PASSING SHIPPING FREIGHTER!” DeLana laughed uproariously, “Dear me no, we had our cultists call you using a few pieces of technology we left them for just such an occasion. We’d have liked to have sent someone else, but that Aelmari worldship was the only one nearby which could save the Earth in time, and believe me it would have been quite the snafu if the cats had actually managed to destroy the planet!”

The five of them were silent as their hostess laughed, a bitter cruel noise that echoed off the pearly glass dome overhead and through her redwood garden.

…

The pair of Archon servitors looked down at the pathetic human crew of the space station Tizona. As per the protocol, the two of them had boarded the station and forced the human crew to wait in the massive common area. The two giantesses operated the controls that had been built in for them when the station had originally been gifted to the humans, for as long as their master’s ship remained in the system the two of them would be operating the station, rather than the normal crew. The dozen or so humans glared up at them angrily, a far cry from the gleeful submission of years past.

It didn’t matter, Clarice decided, she glanced at the other servitor and grinned, briefly exchanging mocking messages about the humans via thoughtspeak. Adoring humans, angry humans, it just didn’t matter.

The station rocked suddenly, and the two servitors scowled, pulling their weapons.

“Unauthorized docking in progress,” the station intercom declared. “Airlock 1 breached, defensive measures have been disabled.”

“What in the stars,” Clarice muttered, gesturing for her sister to follow her as they sprinted towards the airlock.

They reached it and leveled their weapons at it as it hissed open. The two of them peered into the empty chamber suspiciously. Slowly, they crept forward, keeping their blasters leveled. As they entered the station’s boarding chamber they glanced around, looking for anything out of place.

There was a flash of green as Sarah dropped from the ceiling, and each Archon servitor felt a quick sting on the back of her neck. Each slapped at it, then looked down at the human woman on the floor, wide eyed. One tried to step on her, but as the heeled shoe clacked to the ground she was already becoming shaky and weak. Sarah smirked as the other tried to draw her blaster, but it clattered to the floor after falling from her quivering hands. The two servitors slumped, a cold sweat appearing on their heads.

“You can come up now Zeph,” she said.

“A-Are they dead?” Zeph called up from their ship.

Sarah shrugged, “They will be by the time you get up here, yeah.”

…

“So you want Jim for your collection,” Elara said, looking up the table bitterly, “and what of us?”

“It won’t be the same of course,” DeLana mused, looking at all of them, “but I’d like to display all of you alongside Jim here, at least some of the time. For the most part I’ll just keep Jim frozen, the rest of you will accompany me in other ventures I think.” She grinned, “I’ve got a party coming up, and I want everyone to experience the wonderous space adventures of Jim Arnett! And they’ll want to SEE his Aelmari companions, the Glalan he befriended, the Servitor he stole from the Archons themselves!”

“I think we’re going to miss it,” Jim said, exchanging a few neuronet messages with Sarah. She’d taken the station, and that meant they controlled the orbitals. He reached for the glass that DeLana had set for him, sipping it he realized it wasn’t water, it was moonshine whiskey, the same as his grandfather had supposedly made. He chuckled a moment as the warmth hit his belly.

“Oh?” DeLana said, steepling her fingers, “You’ll ALL be coming with me, if it’s any consolation I think I’ll spare New Aragon for now, but the rest of you-“

“Is this a game to you?” Jim asked, fighting a smirk. “You just don’t seem to realize your situation.”

DeLana frowned, “It’s a game to all of us, you, me, them… I think that perhaps you are the one forgetting yourself,” she said finally. “It is a game, and this dinner is simply me being a good sport because I’ve won. The Aelmari are strong, but they’re just machines, I can shut them down with a thought.” She gestured to Clara, “and the Glalan, she’ll instinctively follow the strongest person in the room, and that is me,” She grinned down at Elara, “and my servitor, she’s going to gladly return to my service now that I’ve welcomed her back.”

Jim stared at her a moment, incredulously. Then he started laughing, and despite his size it echoed through the redwood forest just as loudly as DeLana’s own had.

Purple energy crackled around the Archon as she stared at him, her frown turning from confusion to anger. Briefly her form disappeared, replaced by a cloud of crackling energy only briefly in the shape of a woman, but she returned just as quickly.

“What’s so funny?” she demanded.

“You’re so wrong!” Jim wheezed, “you’ve come all this way, your species has pulled off all of these amazing feats, and now, in the final moment, you’re going to lose because you’ve misread all of us so badly!” Jim laughed louder, going from simple jubilation to outright mockery.

“Stop laughing,” DeLana ordered, clenching her fists. “Finish your meals and prepare yourselves for-“

“GET HER!” Jim shouted, purple energy surrounded him as Clara drew her weapon, Elara’s eyes glowed purple, and Lyrei and Isstvell raised their hands, plasma balls materializing in the air.

The look of shocked surprise on the Archon’s face was the best thing he’d seen all day.

…

Sarah walked confidently into the station, deliberately ignoring the Tizona’s crew as Zeph’s two hundred foot form plodded behind her. She turned to face the assembled knights, the crew of the space station.

“Okay,” she said, hands on her hips, “I’ve killed the two ladies they sent up here to babysit you, does anyone here have any loyalties to the Star Cult or the Goddess they’d like to disclose?”

One man stood up near the back, his black beard shining slightly in the station’s fluorescent lighting, “None of us are their adherents,” Cervantes said firmly, “Every man here is loyal to the king and New Aragon!”

“That’s good!” Sarah said, “and if anyone has any hidden loyalties, be aware that I can have Zeph here stomp you,” she grinned wickedly, “or better yet she could swallow you whole, and you’ll slowly digest in her-“

“Sarah!” Zeph cut in, stomping and causing the ground to shake, “Stop it! I’d never stomp or eat a human!”

Sarah sighed, looking up at her two hundred foot friend, “Well THEY didn’t know that,” she said bitterly.

“Y-You’re not going to make me pick up strange humans are you?” Zeph said uncertainly. The knights were now looking at the pair with some confusion, and Sarah sighed with exasperation.

“Okay,” she said, trying to recover the situation, “If any of you are Star Cultists, I’ll just kill you with this,” She extended her claw with a springing sound, causing the men to leap back in surprise, “Zeph, can you please go check on the standard size species controls?”

The red skinned giantess nodded at her human partner and plodded over to where the two servitors had stood only moments before. She clacked a series of keys and pulled up a series of menus on a massive screen.

She looked back down at the assembled humans and bit her lip, “You tinies know how to use this thing, right? Did they leave you guys an admin password?”

“We were entrusted with many aspects of this station,” Cervantes said, “but the sacred password was not given to us.”

“Try admin,” Sarah suggested.

“It’s uh, not in English,” Zeph replied. She typed in “admin” phonetically using the alien keyboard, and was rewarded with an angry buzzing sound. “Nope,” she said.

“They have disabled our holy weapons while their goddess is in this system,” Cervantes explained, “she fears the guns of this station!”

“As she should,” Sarah muttered, “she really gave you guys some top-of-the-line hardware…” She thought a moment, “Zeph, what do we still have control over?”

“Life support, station comms, entertainment, and navigation,” Zeph said, clacking the keys and searching for workarounds.

“Navigation,” Sarah muttered. Suddenly she had an idea, and her face lit up with a grin, “Zeph, could we… bring the station down? Planetside I mean.”

“Uhhh…” Zeph gulped and looked at the giant sized monitor, “I suppose we COULD Sarah, but that doesn’t mean we-“

“Do it!” Cervantes said excitedly, stepping away from his men, “Tizona is the glorious sword of New Aragon, the defense against all inhuman forces which would defile her!” He sighed, clasping his hand to his metal clad chest, “if our would-be goddess is such a force… then let her be crushed by the very weapon she gave us!”

“You heard him Zeph!” Sarah said excitedly, “okay boys, does this thing have escape pods?”

The men exchanged glances and a few whispers, before the group ran as one towards a group of doors on the far wall. They hissed open, one after the other, as men ran into them, preparing themselves for evacuation.

“Cancel the three ring circus,” Sarah said with a smile as the alarm klaxons rang out, “save one for the bearded lady.” She glanced at Cervantes, who was looking out the viewport towards the planet with a grim certainty, “You’re not going?”

The knight grinned and looked at her, “I promised to defend this station to my dying breath, and I shall.” He took a breath, “Sarah, it’s a lovely ship, I think I’m going down with it.”

Sarah gasped, “Cervantes, that’s so noble, before you die, could I have the pleasure of a kiss from such a man as you?”

The knight’s face burned red, “Wh- Sarah, you’ve never… I mean you and I aren’t…”

“This could be my last chance,” she said, fighting a pouting lip.

“Well,” Cervantes said uncomfortably, “All right,” he walked to Sarah, his arms outstretched.

He grunted as the amazon slipped behind him and gripped him around the neck. He gasped for air and clawed at her arms as the sleeper hold took effect. When he went limp Sarah chuckled and tossed him over her shoulder, grunting slightly at his weight. She walked over to an escape pod, tossed the unconscious knight in, and hit the “launch” button.

“He’s going to be pissed when he wakes up,” Sarah laughed, looking at Zeph’s embarrassed expression.

“He seemed to want to go down with the station,” Zeph said, shifting slightly.

Sarah rolled her eyes, “Cervantes is a great guy, but he’s way too into this whole knighthood thing, trust me in like a month he’ll be happy I did this.” She clapped her hands, “Okay, let’s throw some pop music over the loudspeakers and head out of this system!”

“You don’t want to go help the others?” Zeph asked uncertainly, “they might still need assistance down on the planet.”

“Nah,” Sarah said with a grin, “I’m not going to play human toy for the Aelmari when the rest show up. I helped them this far, they can do the rest on their own.”

Zeph bit her lip a moment, and then sighed, “Sarah,” she said finally, “we both know you’re going to feel bad and turn around fifteen minutes after we use the dimensional drive to leave this system. You’ll turn back and show up to help after asking me what you should do, well I’m skipping it and just telling you now.”

“What?” Sarah exclaimed, “I’m a cold blooded mercenary Zeph, I’m out of here and-“

“It costs about ten thousand credits in fuel to turn a dimensional drive powered ship around mid-flight,” Zeph said firmly, “and if you want to do the dramatic about-face then it’s coming out of your share of our next job.”

Sarah’s eyes widened, “I-Is it really that expensive?” Zeph just nodded, “Well I just won’t come back then!” Sarah countered, “They’re on their own, it’s a harsh universe!”

Zeph just sighed, “Sarah, come on.”

“Fine,” Sarah muttered, “set the station to crash on the Archon’s ship with a delay, we’ll fly down there and see if they need any help.”

…

The Archon’s toy forest burned and her fake river hissed steam as the battle raged. She had raised a psychic shield immediately, but while both the human she’d hoped to collect and her former servitor were nowhere near her level of psychic power, she was unable to focus on them with the two Aelmari and the Glalan firing on her with every movement she made.

“SHUT DOWN!” She screamed at the Aelmari, purple waves colliding with their heads to no effect.

“It’s been tried,” Isstvell sneered, hurling a white hot plasma ball at the Archon. It dissipated against a purple shield, but the pink skinned being noticeably winced as it made contact.

“You are machines!” DeLana protested feebly, “you can’t deny-“

“We can,” Lyrei finished, hurtling her own projectile.

“Keep pressing her,” Jim said, his eyes glowing purple as Clara carried him forward in her palm, firing the silver Godkiller pistol with her other hand. He was doing all he could to disrupt her attempts at psychic counterattacks, and Elara was doing the same.

The psychic shield flickered, and the next heated globe of Plasma struck DeLana’s chest, causing her to briefly flicker into a crackling purple silhouette. The Archon screamed angrily, and lightning threw Isstvell and Lyrei through the smoke of the burning forest, beyond Jim’s vision.

“This is for every Glalan you got killed!” Clara screeched, tears in her eyes as she fired the pistol again and again. The white bolts of energy made contact with the Archon, causing the electric form to stagger back into the treeline.

Elara didn’t say anything, hovering with her hair splayed above her head as her own purple lightning crackled out at the fleeing Archon.

There was a sudden gust of air, blowing the smoke by all of them as the Archon appeared in her preferred pink skinned form again, those baleful black eyes gazing down at all of them as her height increased over the treetops.

“Do you think you can defy me!?” She hissed, “We are masters of your destinies! You are but PLAYTHINGS!”

“DeLana the Archon,” Isstvell spoke in an authoritative voice, white energy crackling around her eyes, “Under Aelmari law, and in service of The Mission, I am ordering you to submit to our judgment.”

“Your judgment!?” DeLana hissed, her black eyes went white, and the dome above her cracked as purple energy flooded the former garden chamber, “What right do you think you have to judge one such as me!? Who do you think it was that wiped out your forebearers? Who nursed your pathetic progenitor AI until it turned into something useful!? YOU ARE A PROJECT!” She screamed.

The world seemed to slow, Jim looked at Lyrei and Isstvell, but the two of them seemed reserved. As one they seemed to blank out, raising their hands to the gigantic psychic being. A beam of pure white flew from each of their hands, and both he and Clara gasped in horror as black cracks went up the two Aelmari’s arms, marring their blue skin.

“The Second Mission,” they said in unison, their voices distorted, “is Revenge.”

A final pulse went out from the two scouts and DeLana’s scream echoed so loudly that Jim, Elara, and Clara covered their ears. Throughout the entire planet of New Aragon men, women, and children clasped their hands against their ears, dogs howled and cats hissed, the animal kingdom writhed in the shared agony as the Archon experienced true pain.

Lyrei and Isstvell fell to their knees, their conscious minds returning to the forefront as they knelt among the burning redwoods. Elara’s eyes returned to normal as her feet met the ground again, and she gasped as she stumbled towards her friends. Clara kept her gun trained on the smoke in the direction that DeLana had disappeared in, but she slowly walked towards them as well, Jim had curled into a fetal position in her open palm.

“Is that it?” The catgirl hissed, “Is she dead?”

“No,” Elara said bitterly, “she’s hurt, but she’s already pulling herself back together.”

“W-We are spent,” Isstvell sputtered, attempting to get to her feet. She stumbled and Elara caught her.

“I d-don’t recognize that part of our p-programming,” Lyrei said, struggling with the words, “R-Revenge?”

“If she told the truth, it sounds like the Archons killed the people who made you originally,” Elara said, scanning the smoke for signs of movement, “and they programmed you to hold a bit of a grudge.”

“I’m with them,” Clara muttered, “are you blueskins recording this? Everyone on Glalan Prime is going to want to see this, stars, the whole galaxy.”

“We’re recording it,” Lyrei said, seeming to pull herself together.  

“She’s coming back,” Elara said frightfully as the wind began to howl, “I-I don’t have much left, and she’s so strong! We can’t stop her!”

“Broadcast what she said,” Clara said quietly, “Aelmari scouts should be able to do that much, right?”

“It’s going to the Matriarch now,” Isstvell said bitterly, struggling to keep upright.

“Jim!” Sarah’s voice echoed over the suit neuronet, “are you guys still on that big black ship?”

“Yes,” he sent back, irritated, “I think we’re fucked; can you use the station’s guns on this thing?”

“The station’s coming down in about five minutes,” Sarah sent back, “look up!”

Jim glanced skyward, and his eyes went wide. The Tizona was falling through the atmosphere, the black sphere of the station going red hot as energy built up, it lit the sky like a second sun.

“Fuck me,” Jim muttered, “EVERYONE!” He shouted as loud as he could, “we’ve got to get out of dodge right now!”

The four giantesses looked up with him, “Well,” Clara said, “It’s been fun everybody, but I think I’d like to head home.”

“Tell your friends your ride’s waiting at the ship’s exit,” Sarah thought at him, “get your asses over here or I’m taking off!”

…

The five of them raced through the ship, Jim was limp in Clara’s hand as she hefted Lyrei’s own lifeless form over her shoulder and Elara dragged Isstvell.

“Wait!” Elara shouted, dropping her own Aelmari and heading down a cooridor.

“Oh what now!?” Clara moaned.

Elara ran back to them, holding a suitcase in her hand. Briefly she unclasped it, revealing a dozen humans from various eras frozen inside. She snapped it shut just as quickly. Clara just groaned and shifted Lyrei’s weight.

“We can’t leave them behind!” Elara said, attempting to heft her own Aelmari over her shoulder again.

…

Sarah tapped her foot nervously, “Where the hell are they?” she muttered, sparing a glance up at the mile wide fireball coming down on the planet. “ZEPH!” she shouted.

“We’re primed and ready whenever you want to take off!” her partner replied from inside the ship.

“Not yet,” she said aloud, forgoing their neuronet.

Her eyes went wide as she saw the two smaller giants struggling to heft the Aelmari over their shoulders. Elara had a massive suitcase in one hand, and Clara held Jim tightly as the group struggled to reach the ship.

Sarah scowled, “Zeph, get down here, we need a big girl to help carry some things! I’m piloting!” She sprinted back into the ship, hoping to reach her own control panel in time.

…

DeLana’s body reformed, assembling itself in the burned ruin of her garden one crystalline piece at a time. Her black eyes were hollow, angry, and she snarled as she looked around the clear domed area for her wayward playmates. This was NOT how the game was supposed to go, discipline was needed, she would-

She was aware suddenly of the alarms from somewhere, why weren’t the servitors dealing with whatever that was? She sighed angrily, more discipline, she decided, and the fires were all out, what was that orange glow? She looked up, and the black eyes went wide with shock as she saw the burning fireball of the space station entering the atmosphere above her.

“No,” She whispered angrily, “NO! THIS IS CHEATING!”

…

“I would just like to say,” Jim began aloud as Clara held him up to the viewport, “there is nothing more satisfying than watching something blow up while you fly away from it.”

“I’m with you on that,” Clara said smugly, eyeing the rising mushroom cloud and shockwave. “It’s kind of nice getting to watch it from a passenger seat instead of being the one who’s got to do the white knuckle escape from the incoming explosion.”

“You’re not the least bit worried?” Elara said, strapping her safety belt as the ship lifted higher.

“We’re far enough away that the shockwave shouldn’t damage the ship,” Zeph said, and the ship tossed a second later, nearly causing Jim to fly out of Clara’s hands, but it steadied itself again just as quickly. “The city has a bombardment shield that should keep the debris out from a near miss like that,” the red skinned giant explained, “we’re passing inside it in a few seconds.”

“What about the Archon?” Clara asked, holding Jim up to her face eagerly, “psychic people, is she…”

“I think she’s gone for good,” Elara said with a sigh, leaning back in her chair. “I guess we know how to kill them.”

“Yeah,” Clara said sarcastically, “we’ll have to keep a spare battlestation to drop on them from orbit, you know, just in case.”

…

The Aelmari cruiser arrived a few hours after the battle was over, the massive blue ship hovered down into the atmosphere, drones flying out in various directions as it scouted the planet and began disseminating the Aelmari’s medical nanites into the atmosphere.

Isstvell and Lyrei had seemingly recovered, enough to stand on their own anyway, and the five giants and two humans waited while the Aelmari greeted the human delegation. Maeve, Shaerra’s second in command, spotted them and smiled, approaching when she was done with the king.

“Do you have the kidnapped humans?” She asked. Elara hesitantly handed the Aelmari leader the suitcase containing the stasis tubes.

“Excellent,” Maeve breathed with a sigh, “There is no telling how these humans will react when they are unfrozen, we’ve prepared human therapists and what we hope to be a relaxing environment to-“

“Will they have the option to return to Earth,” Isstvell asked sternly, cutting her off.

“Certainly,” Maeve said with a smirk, “I’m glad we were able to resolve things without threats on the bridge of a starship this time.” She looked at the assembled humans, who had begun a victory parade back towards the city, leading the blue giants towards their streets. “I wonder how many of these ones will want to come with us?” Maeve mused, “I must commend you Isstvell, Lyrei, your gentler approach to human adoption has been wildly successful, according to our surveys the humans trust us much more now.”

“How convenient that doing the right thing was popular,” Lyrei commented, “Isstvell, weren’t we on vacation before all of this?”

“We were,” the other scout replied. “Clara, Elara, Jim?” The five of them began the walk back towards Sarah’s landed ship.

“And what about you mercenary?” Maeve asked Sarah, she looked up at Zeph’s towering form and gave what she hoped was a warm smile, “would you consider coming back to our worldship? We can provide you all manner of luxuries, and like Mr. Arnett we can even make sure you have ample adventures, if you want.”

“I’ve already got one giant I’m taking care of,” Sarah joked, jerking a thumb over her shoulder at the two-hundred-foot Zeph, “Tell Shaerra we’re squared up.”

…

With nowhere else to really go the group found themselves back in their suite on Procyon, Sarah had said a few quick goodbyes before she and Zeph had once again flown their ship into the blackness of space.

“Do you miss her?” Clara asked, holding him lazily above her face as she lay on her bed.

“We’ll probably see her again,” Jim said dismissively.

Clara shrugged, lowering Jim down between her breasts, “I guess if you want to play with a girl closer to your own size it’s not as hard to find one now…” she grinned, “then again, maybe you still prefer your girls a little… bigger?”

Lyrei barged in suddenly, an embarrassed Isstvell behind her, “A-Are you going to make yourself smaller?” the blue elf asked urgently, “what about Clara, could you maybe shrink her too?”

“What!?” Clara exclaimed.

“We never got to play with Clara while she was small,” Isstvell said, pleadingly looking at Jim, “and if you got even smaller it would be… enjoyable for us.”

“No way!” Clara declared, “I’m the one who does the playing with people, not the other-“

A bolt of purple energy snaked it’s way in from the suite’s common area, striking Clara, who gasped in surprise as she began shrinking out of her silver bodysuit.

“You’re welcome!” Elara’s voice called.

Jim tumbled down to the bed as Clara got smaller, the two hungrily leering elves crawling up on the bed and examining their prize.

Clara stuck her head out of the massive hole where her neck used to be, and gulped nervously, looking up at the blue giants. She spotted Jim and looked at him pleadingly, but he just chuckled and crossed his arms.

“Uh, so let’s just be gentle and-“ the catgirl began, but Lyrei quickly snatched her up, causing Clara to yelp with surprise, her tail hanging down from the bottom of the Aelmari’s hand.

“What is it you always say to Jim when you two play?” Lyrei said gleefully, “something about how bigger life forms get to order the smaller ones around, yes?” She leaned forward and licked Clara, her gigantic tongue all but enveloping the catgirl’s face, “Usually there’s a comment in there about the food chain, isn’t that right?”

“Y-Yeah,” Clara said, looking at Lyrei’s lustful face in awe, “the food chain…”

Lyrei licked her lips teasingly, “would you like to see what it’s like to be a little lower on it?” Lyrei said in a sultry voice.

“Sure,” Clara said, eyes wide, as though she were hypnotized.

With a chuckle Lyrei slowly brought Clara to her mouth, releasing the Glalan and letting her tumble inside. The giant’s tongue immediately found the wet and dripping opening between Clara’s legs, and Clara grunted with pleasure and began to wrestle feebly with it as it moved against her.

“Don’t swallow,” Isstvell said, a mischievous glint in her eyes, “I want a turn with her.” She turned back to Jim, who had watched the whole thing in an aroused state of shock, his erection painfully visible even through his clothes. “Get out of the clothes,” she ordered with a grin. He reached down for his pants but Isstvell cleared her throat, stopping him, “Shrink yourself out of them.”

He looked up at the giantess and did as she asked, feeling his clothes rush against his skin as she grinned down at his diminishing form. The purple glow of psychic energy briefly lit his rapidly darkening world as his clothes fell over him like a tarp. A moment later he was vaguely aware of something overhead gently nudging the clothes away, searching for him. His shirt was suddenly lifted into the air, causing him to tumble out of it into his pooled pants.

“Amazing,” Isstvell breathed. As she leaned over him her face filled the sky. Jim watched as a fingertip several times larger than his entire body came down on him. He wasn’t sure what she was going to do, but he lay still, letting the immense goddess prod him.

Suddenly he gasped as he was lifted up, Isstvell had done something to make her fingertip… sticky!? He struggled against it, but whatever she’d done held him as tight as cement as she lifted him into the air. He fought a quick surge of panic at seeing the massive room, but Isstvell’s smiling face, mountainous in appearance, reassured him somewhat.

“Look at you,” she breathed, her eyes wide, “stuck on my fingertip, my very own human…” She licked her lips, slowly her tongue traced out to him, no longer a writhing snake but an immense and unstoppable force that coated his entire body with her slick saliva. He coughed for a moment, before it retracted, leaving him soaked and still stuck to the giant Aelmari’s finger.

“Sorry about that,” she said with an embarrassed smile, “everything must be so difficult at that size, I’m sure the smallest things are just overwhelming…” her face brightened, “don’t worry though, I know someplace safe for you.”

Jim’s world blurred as he was brought lower, and with a shimmer Isstvell willed her clothing to disappear, revealing her perfectly sculpted naked form. He found himself clinging to her fingertip before her massive opening, glistening with anticipation as her finger brought him closer, the fresh sweet smell of the Aelmari washing over him.

Normally at his full size there was some resistance when he was pushed inside the most intimate part of a giantess, but now, at bug size, rather than doll size, it was a simple motion of Isstvell sticking her finger inside herself, gasping at the sensation. She withdrew it slowly, the human having peeled off and been trapped within her.

As he squirmed she breathed in excitedly, feeling the diminutive human try to fight an alien pussy that easily compressed around him. He was so small he couldn’t really even maneuver on his own, easily getting stuck to the sides every time he triggered a convulsion of pleasure in the massive chamber around him.

She lay on the bed next to Lyrei, enjoying her prisoner’s movements with a happy sigh. She looked over to see the other scout had released Clara from her mouth, and was holding the soaked catgirl with two fingers. Clara had a goofy post-orgasm grin, her mussed pink hair giving her a spent look.

“Rest up,” Lyrei said with a giggle, “I think I’m going to need to send you into Isstvell to find Jim…

“Goody,” Clara managed as Lyrei brought her down between a pair of massive blue breasts.

…

Elara was in her own room, simply reading. Every now and then she smiled as sensed a flash of psychic energy from the other room, probably Jim, though increasingly she could pick up some signals from Clara too. She sighed and looked out at the golden and brass of the massive city outside the window and smiled, feeling content. She looked up at a sky, so well lit by the sprawling metropolis below that only the brightest stars were visible, and she wondered which one she and her friends would visit next.