Astra Pt. 05

He walked out and had a sheathed katana. He looked at her and nodded. She went in. He drew the sword in one fluid motion and knocked her blade up and out of her hands spun. He stopped 2 cm from running her through. She went and got her sword. "Alright, I could use a few pointers."

Jack smiled called his blade and sliced through her six different ways before she could blink. "A PSI sword is a different weapon. I can tell it not to hurt you. To pass your blade and let it take off your head at the neck. There is always something to learn. Aiko. The only way to prevent it to go psi sword vs psi sword. One and a half speed."

She nodded and the 2 of them spared in a blur and they went at it she struck him with a hand pushing him back she came in and he took her out at the knees and drove his blade down as she deflected it away. She rolled away. They bowed to each other. She looked at them "You can go faster?"

Grace laughed, "Double that easily with those 2. They live for the sword. Every psi-blade has a name that describes the one wielding it."

She nodded, "His?" She leaned over and told her all of them in her ear. She looked at Grace, "Lady Justice?"

She nodded, "Also a lawyer and business manager. Colors reflect personalities. Ash and Aiko are your sisters in color. He can read them. He suspected I was like him. A justice."

She looked at her, "Then you are the first wife?" She shook her head, "Sprits has that honor. The first to agree unconditionally. Her girlfriend Holly and mine Danyelle are 2 of the 3 dead wives. We were together before we met Jack."

Jack thought, * Astra anything of concern? *

She sighed and the vid opened, "Sent it on to the President and the news via blind means. It hit an hour ago. She is scrambling at damage control. I kind of held off on letting you know because some of the stuff she said at the beginning."

He looked over and went back into the house. He brought up his vid for Terra News and saw the scandal of the recorded meeting with weapon manufacturers including the ones he canned. They were trying to find ways of discrediting him or kill him. She brought up the footage from the Terra-1 attack and told them, "That did not work then. Even with my delay."

Jack looked down and answered the call, "Hello Mr. President. Astra just contacted me and said I should look at the news. I am still in Ireland. I met a fiery redhead who is a part of the Irish Mills Mead family. We have been hitting it off and I am just as shocked as you are at seeing this. Apparently, she pissed off more than one person in her run-up."

The president nodded, "You had no idea about this?"

Jack looked at the President, "I knew she ran out of the interview. I knew she was not happy but this was the first I had seen of this. Else I would be flying over her with gun cameras aimed at her."

He nodded, "Alright, it was leaked to multiple media outlets and sent here anonymously. Not your style of doing things."

He shook his head, "When I know something Mr. President then you know it."

He nodded, "Alright thanks, Jack." He closed the vid. Grace looked at him, "You told Astra not to tell you just send it off like that?"

He nodded, "I did not want to know unless it threatened the President. Astra said she held off because of something she said early on."

Astra commented, "That idea was mentioned but shot down as it would be hard to do without you in the area at which point the Terra-1 situation was discussed again. She pointed out she thought about it and dismissed the idea. GBI is currently tracking her down. They got the other meeting participants."

He closed it down and looked at his hosts, "Terra-1 was a rogue military group. I did not know she had a hand in it. Another special election?"

Katlyn nodded, "You might get called in to testify."

Jack shook his head, "Doubtful. Show her what I did to the corrupt congress."

She looked, "You brought that congress down! That is where I saw your face before. Was fucking brilliant. How did you do that?"

He smiled, "Show her Astra."

Astra popped up on the screen and did her chest plate thing and explained her role. "He is actually over 18,000 children. Most are back on Geos and Meos. One of the reasons he wanted to find new wives back here. Less of a chance of grabbing a daughter or being a stepfather to his actual child.

Over 3,000 of the crew aboard his ships here are his children. He does not want specific numbers. They get that high and it freaks him out some."

He sighed, "Thanks, sexy lady."

He shut it off. As Grace explained there complicated and long history with Astra. He heard Astra, "We dropped off 32,854 samples back here for use. They went quickly."

He sighed, "People are still clamoring for my sperm."

Grace looked over, "She told me earlier." He nodded and looked at his messages and opened the hot damned folder. "A 24-year-old, bisexual Australia Doctor, Biologist, Marine biologist and likes to fence. Named Olivia Pence."

He showed her to Sprits who nodded, "I'd fuck her."

The blokes laughed and looked at what she was looking at. Katlyn came around and looked at the woman with the D-cups and a cushy ass in a thong bikini.

She sighed, "Not interested in me then?"

He smiled, "I lost 3 they wanted me to find at least 3 more. She is likely a blue sword. Most doctors are." She nodded. "Question is would you fuck her?"

Katlyn turned red and her mother had to laugh, "She has never had that conversation with us but we knew she liked the ladies."

Saddie looked, "Yes because I'd fuck her and I am not that into women."

The guys laughed at her. Katlyn was embarrassed and Jack walked over. He lifted her chin, "Part of being a hybrid is embracing who you are. You have a fiery determination, and gorgeous green eyes to go with your very red hair. You are a classic Irish beauty. Do not sell yourself short. He bent over and kissed her until her knees buckled and then helped her to a chair before she fell over.

She shook her head, "Your wife, Grace said what it was you did to your brides on each of the weddings or wedding nights. Very descriptive. He pulled up a video for Aiko and handed it to Aiko and she smiled and went between the two ladies and translated for them. They were both red by the time she was done. She kissed mother and daughter.

Aiko looked over, "You have not had a mother and daughter."

Jack smacked her on the ass, "Indirectly I did with Sprits mother and the boys. You talk to your father yet?"

She groaned, "Crap I will go to the shuttle."

He looked over, "Sprits and Ash's wedding night activates was one of the videos lost. As was the after-party for the brides that kept me waiting for months but we have the wedding video for that.

It made one of the celebrity porn sites and Astra was able to recover it. Lots of data got lost."

Katlyn looked at him, "Wedding on a porn site."

He walked over and set his vid down and threw it up on the wall for all of them. The boys had seen it and knew. They went to the shuttle anyway. Katlyn looked, "I am afraid I might disappoint."

Ash smiled, "He took Aiko and me as virgins. You adapt and enjoy yourself."

The mother nodded, "He has something you'd have to adapt too."

Grace laughed at her and nodded. "He does my ass and I turn into a gibbering fool. Holly was the same way. Constant climaxes."

The men at the table just shook their heads about the free talking women. Jack smiled, "Katlyn is that something you are interested in?"

She looked at her mother who kissed her on the check. "Take him up on it before I do." The girl ran off as Jack shut off his vid. Sprits walked in, "Met your sons, I mean my brothers. Anyway, my mothers want more children, because you are back. Astra said she can get some from you later. Same as last time more boys for the next generation.

They said that the 9 of them all did well in school and have been great as the business has expanded. All in college, getting in early even. Flight skills as well as the business stuff. Doing some airbreather fighters for Treven and Francine's engine. Found out one of them holds the record for Death Valley now. I told him I would have to pull my fighter and see how the course is."

Jack nodded, "Then I will fly my shuttle through it and take it from you."

She groaned, "You would too. Alright. We can leave it to the locals." He shook his head, "You want to play that is fine. We should get a window and take a couple of wings through the course. I can pull my fighter out."

She groaned, "Fuck that thing is a monster."

He nodded, "Baffled out to run at 2.9 in the atmosphere."

She nodded, "I know."

He smiled, "I would run it fully armed though. I would want to destroy the course." She nodded, "I could run mine empty. That would make it close." He nodded, "We could run stacked, "I always like to be on top."

She laughed at that. "Except you corkscrew it through."

He nodded, "True."

Katlyn looked at him "You fly that fast?"

He smiled, "We should go to Australia."

She asked, "What about my cycle?"

He looked at her, "Bring it. I could build it into something useful."

She looked at him, "Like what?"

He smiled at her and whispered in her ear, "Give it a vibration feel like the motorcycles of old so every time you go banking into a turn your climaxing from it as it fucks with your clit."

She went dark red, "That sounds dangerous."

He nodded, "That is why you ride it, right? The adrenalin?"

She sighed, "There is truth to that but I had not thought of taking it to that extreme of a ride."

He laughed, "No replacement for the real thing."

Sprits laughed at her and helped her walk to the shuttle. Saddie commented, "Two cases of mead for my daughter."

He smiled, "Also two pots of coffee."

She laughed, "Alright that is a fair trade."

She looked over, "Mother?!"

They got everyone on board and the cycle loaded as well. He watched the boys as Aiko took the second chair, "Sprits guide them to Montana. Get your eldest 2 to grab a shuttle and meet us there. They can take Timothy and Jacob. In fact, get Carolyn to fly the shuttle and have the boys ferry down our fighters. She looked over, "You get clearance."

Jack used his vid and had the Death Valley race coordinator come up. He looked at the man, "You got a race going today?"

He nodded, "One run winner takes all 10,000TC buy-in. You wanting in?"

Jack smiled, "I want 14 slots."

The man laughed, "You can only run once."

Jack smiled, "14 pilots, 14 planes, one right after the other."

The man shook his head, "Alright if you got the TC's only one can win."

Jack smiled, "I know that. This will be fun."

Sprits smiled, "I will get all of the eldest pilots ready."

He nodded, "The man asked, "Name?"

He laughed, "All the same last name, Grab tail numbers ask and they can give it to you. I will fly last in that group. Last name of Travus. Sprits Marina Travus will fly in front of me. The other 12 are 12 of my best 19-year-old pilots and sons. All fully armed fighters."

The man laughed, "You got 12 19-year old's in full armed fighters?"

Jack laughed back, "I got 16-year old in fully armed fighters. I am only bringing 12 19-year old's. Sprits Travus and myself Jack Travus, AKA Merlin."

The man groaned, "These the black ones that flew in at 6x speeds in space?"

Jack laughed, "Yes. They are all geared down to be safely below 3.0 speeds in the atmosphere. Mine is not black it is a very dark purple.

They also have FTL drives in them and system Travus 6x engines so they're not just air breather engines. They carry weight. I heard you tightened up the course. I want to see if you tightened it up enough."

The guy laughed, "It is your money."

Jack asked, "Are the Martina Brother flying in this?"

He laughed, "Yes they are."

Jack smiled. "Sprits is there Sister."

He passed the man over to Grace who paid the fees while Sprits arranged the rendezvous. Jack looked over the course data and nodded, "Only one change. Spin faster."

They arrived at Sprits family home and they were gone to the air races. Her twin was there and saw all the fighters coming into land,

She looked up, "What in the hell?" Sprits went and hugged her sister, "We are shuffling some people around and we entered 14 into the race down in Death Valley."

She looked, "Does mother know? She went down with the boys to root them on."

She smiled, "She can meet my two eldest then."

She smiled, "I will leave the surprise and watch it on the vid."

Jack waved at her and she smiled and shook her head. They walked over and got into their flight suits and helmets. Jack called out, "I got your wing Lover. Don't forget to give them your single name in the middle. Aiko, take them all so they can watch the big dogs play." Two squads formed up behind them. "You will peel off for the course.

Give them the last 3 of your ID and full name. Once you are out of the course aim up to the left or right. Check that it is clear and launch the Gatlin pulse lasers. I told them we were fully armed. I want them to know it is no joke. The first two up is Steve and Martin you got uncles flying in this so show there where you're from."

He heard back, "Understood Merlin." Followed by "Confirmed Merlin."

He called out, "Keep formations tight as we hide numbers until we approach."

Sprits called out the order having them all roll off the rear of her lead position, and then Jack's lead. Then she would go followed by Jack.

They circled high above the area and watched the racers run through the course. "DV Tower, CHGF Flying 14 are ready to enter the pattern. Call them in. We have assigned orders they will give names."

He heard, "Understood, you are the last entries and your timing is good. Only the current course record holder is in front of your group."

The man called them out and his pilots turned off one by one and ran the course. Jack listened to the announcer on the radio call out times. He heard him swear as the first fighter cleared and launched Gatling pulse lasers off after pulling out. The first two set a new course record by 1.5 seconds. They tied. The others with a full second off the other two until Sprits went in. he heard, "Sprits Martina Travus former course record holder." Followed by, "She reclaimed the record by another 1.3 seconds."

The man called up, "The last fighter." Jack smiled, "Jack MERLIN Travus is in the zone."

He tuned out the announcer and took it down the course. Used his corkscrew approach and used the bottom retros instead of banking in the turns. He kept it spinning and firing until he popped out at the other end and took it straight up and fired off Gatling pulse lasers before heading for the infield behind the others.

Sprits caught his attention. "You just had to take 2.1 seconds off my time."

Jack laughed. "Merlin has his magic still."

He heard her laugh, "Listen up, I want 6-man star parking, noses pointed out. Sprits you land in the center of your group and I will land in the center of mine. Aiko, meet us on the infield. Jacob, take the shuttle back to the carrier base." He heard, "Roger Merlin. Nice flying."

They all came down and landed in the formation he wanted. He brought his in last and set it down easy. Powered down and popped the canopy." He had news crews all over the place as he worked to get out of his plane. All his pilots were armed with pistols so they held back. 6 of them had PSI swords. Including Sprits's sons. Jack walked out of the group and over to the judge's stand where Sprits was talking with her younger brothers.

They shook their heads at the heavy ass fighters that schooled them. He smiled at Sprits's parents who hugged him. Her father looked at him, "Now they know what it is like to get schooled."

Jack laughed, "I have schooled many pilots." The announcer waved him forward, "Merlin that was an impressive display of flying."

Jack smiled, "The first 12 are all my sons who are 19 years old. The first 4 all Commander rank in the Ceti Home Guard with over 7,000 fighter hours for each one of the twelve. The first 2 are Sprits Martina's sons and the wing commander of their fighter units.

The next two are Ash's sons and battleship commanders. Ash who came in earlier is my other admiral over the second battleship. She had guests with her watching the show from my personal shuttle. Sprits is my Admiral overseeing all fighter pilot training and I am the Command Admiral of the group from the Ceti Home Guard. I have a shuttle, fighter, scout, and a battleship I like to fly.

I hope you did not mind the weapons fire but I told your people we would be coming in fully armed."

He nodded, "We heard you have FTL drives in your ships?"

He nodded, "Commander Zack pop the maintenance bay and show them. He nodded and showed them in his and then showed them Jack's FTL drive. He closed them as he went. The announcer asked, "How do you do it?"

Jack laughed, "Run the replay watch the bottom of my craft. They watched him fire the lower retros in rapid-fire on each 180-degree edge of the wing over. "Air breather pilots are all about the bank. Space pilots are all about the retros. If the retros are powerful enough there is no need to bank. Practice it in space on one rig.

Race it and practice it with another down here. You can do it with the light aircraft and lighter engines. I do not doubt for a second that you do not tweak them some. Your racers. I would like the prize to go to the previous course record holder. We came in after him and stole his thunder, but he is family and we respect family.

This was to demonstrate what our pilots out in Tau Ceti do, all craft must go from atmosphere to space. Except for the big guns. The destroyers on up. Just like here."

He shook hands with his 'son' who just shook his head and commented, "I was told I was good but I could not truly say I held this course record until I flew against Sprits and you.

Your team handed me my ass today and I understand how you did it now. We will be making some changes to add retros into the bottom of our air breather fighters with more kick to them and work with those more and less about the banking. I got schooled by Merlin."

Jack laughed, "I have schooled many fighter pilots in Terra when I introduced the first Lancers. These are all Lancer version V models. They are all fully armed including a massive rail gun that will not fire in the atmosphere. It would melt the barrel and through the frame without the vacuum of space. It has temp sensors so it has a safety function to it.

I want you to share some of that with your brothers so you have some competition for going after that record when we head out. I wanted my eldest children to get an idea as to what this event was about and to understand how the other half lives as we do not have this course set up. Ours is in space with moving targets that fire back at you."

The announcer shook Jack's hands, "This is the first time you stopped to do this. Any reason why?"

He smiled, "I heard about the changes you made after what my scout did to the course, let alone what Sprits and I did to it. I asked the man at the time if he wanted me to bring the Excalibur into the course and he laughed. The thing is I ran that ship through the models to determine the thrusters

I put those thrusters on everything below it to ensure it would handle well. Use that modeling software and you can save some time. I would also point out that all the plating on those ships is 2.5 cm thick as well. 7.5cm thick in some areas. We are not racers we are Home Guard pilots. We will leave the racing to you guys.

Just don't shorten up the course again just to get past our records, that is to the race organizers. You might give us a reason to come back again. I could still run my scout through that course, but not many could."