I knelt down next the woman crying at my feet and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she jerked away from me. She didn’t make any attempt to move, she just didn’t want to be touched. I motioned Rhia over to keep an eye her, then made my way over to the unconscious guard with Persia at my side. After healing the injuries Persia inflicted, which were considerable but not life threatening, I woke him up with a snap.

“Hey there, guy, you with me?” I asked. He let out a groan as the world reformed around him and he rolled over on to his back. Looking up from the floor, he saw me kneeling next to him and Persia standing behind me. He immediately flipped on to his feet and backed off, assuming a defensive stance, never taking his eyes off my feline goddess.

“Keep her away from me! She’s not natural!” he growled.

“Easy there, big guy. That’s my wife you’re talking about, you know,” I said, raising an eyebrow at him. A look of confusion crossed his face as his eyes shifted back and forth between Persia and me.

“What is ‘wife?’” he asked.

Persia draped an arm over my shoulder as I stood up and hooked my arm around her waist as an uncharacteristically smug look crossed her face. “I am his mate, and he is mine.”

A look of disgust crossed the large alien’s face, a lip pulling up in a snarl. “Why would anyone wish for a corrupted mate? You are no longer a pure Junaian and have turned from Kamiki’s favor…” his words trailed off as he looked around the room and saw the Oracle sobbing on her knees while Rhia stood over her. Coming to the wrong conclusion, I’m sure, he roared with rage and leapt at the flaxen haired beauty, who simply held out a hand, freezing him in midair. The three of us started walking toward the suspended man, but the Oracle suddenly grabbed on to Rhia’s ankle.

“No! Please don’t hurt him!” she pleaded. Rhia stopped and looked over at me. I gave her a nod and moved to kneel next to the crying woman. Persia moved and stood in front of the guard, saying nothing, but staring in to his eyes.

“It’s okay. We’re not going to hurt anyone. We came here specifically to avoid that,” I reassured the distraught woman. “I’m curious as to why he’s the only one in here though. I imagined us being swamped with guards by this point.”

“He’s the only one allowed. The only one with access to my chambers. He has protected me for hundreds of cycles as we journeyed here. He is my most loyal companion.”

I nodded at her words. “Loyalty is to be commended. I need you to use that loyalty to convince him we’re not a threat. We can’t very leave him hanging there, can we?”

Silver eyes examined me above the veil. “How do I know you’re not a threat? And what does it matter? Without the blessings of Kamiki, we’re doomed anyway.”

“I just saved you from suffering a long and drawn out death thanks to her blessings, you know that right? I can help you find new purposes in life beyond following an absent goddess’ will.” The eyes squinted at me, not believing what I had to say.

“It’s true,” said Persia as she approached. “With my lord and husband’s help, I’ve surpassed my old limitations and beliefs.” She flapped her golden wings a couple times for emphasis. “It’s also true that I am no longer recognizable as a Junaian, but then again, for someone who judged me as filth, you yourself never were one.” Before anyone could stop her, Persia’s hand shot out yanked the veil off the Oracle’s face. Her hands shot up to cover her face, but it was too late. We’d seen the scarring that crisscrossed the left side and across her nose, which may as well have not existed anymore. Her lips started out full on the right, but as your eyes followed them to her left, the lips became thinner and cracked, the corner of her mouth reaching further back than was natural. Her cheek was unnaturally flat where her cheekbone should’ve been and her left eyebrow was just gone. I couldn’t see more as her headwrap covered the rest of her head, but I wouldn’t have been surprised if the damage extended to her ear and hairline. A lock of emerald green hair had worked its way loose and was hanging in front of her right eye. Overall, I thought she looked like the Orion Slave Girl equivalent to Two-Face.

“Oh my,” Rhia breathed as she took in the sight. The Oracle buried her face in her hands and started crying again. Persia at least had the dignity to look like she felt guilty for her actions, and the emotions coming through our link confirmed it. She dropped the veil and brought her hands to her mouth.

“I- I’m sorry,” she said before retreating to the bed and sitting on the edge, her head in her hands. I heard her start to cry and was torn on what to do until Rhia sent me a thought saying she’d go to her. I looked over at the guard. He was still hanging there, but I could see tears falling down his furry cheeks. I released him from Rhia’s hold and waved him over, not that he needed any encouragement. He was at the Oracle’s side in a flash and had wrapped a protective arm over her shoulders, glaring at me.

Sighing, I flopped from my kneeling position to sitting on the floor. I looked over the scene. Two women with their faces buried in their hands, crying, two of their closest friends or whatever he was consoling them, and me, sitting on the floor like grade schooler.

“This is not how I wanted things to go,” I muttered.

“You should’ve just destroyed us if you were so powerful. It would’ve been far less shameful than what you’re subjecting her to now,” the man growled.

“What are your names?” I asked.

“I am Drake. She is the Oracle.”

“Uh, ok. Drake, I didn’t want anyone to die. Not my people, and not yours. I’m not here to spread suffering, but to help those that need it.”

“Help?” The Oracle said, looking up from her hands, not bothering to hide her face in her anger. “And just how do you think you’ve helped us?! We no longer have the blessings of our goddess! We can never return home, nor can we build one here like we were supposed to! Hundreds of cycles spent travelling and we failed within sight of our destination because of YOU!”

I held up my hands in a placating gesture. “Whoa, first of all, it’s not my fault you were sent to a protected world. Second, it was your goddess’ decision to cast you aside, not mine. Third, who the fuck said you can’t build a home here? I’m sure as hell not going to push you out into space to die! Who do you think I am?”

Confusion crossed both of their faces before the Oracle spoke up. “You are a god. Those who are not useful to gods and goddesses are cast out, as the teachings tell us.”

“That’s pretty fucked up. I may have driven some assholes out of office because they were dicks and deserved it, but I’d never send anyone to their death because of a stupid reason like that.”

“But, the teachings say all deities are like this,” said Drake, not believing what I was telling them.

“Look, who are you going to believe? Some dusty old teachings that only serve to support Kamiki’s conquering nature, or the god sitting right in front of you? I’m telling you, I don’t ask anyone to worship me, and people are free to do and believe what they want within the bounds of the laws of their nation.”

The Oracle lifted a hand and stroked it over the left side of her face. “Such beliefs may have saved me much pain,” she muttered.

I looked beyond them to see how Rhia and Persia were doing. They were talking softly to each other as Rhia held Persia about the shoulders. I saw Persia give a small smile and nod, decided they were doing alright, and focused back on the two in front of me.

“Listen, I’m not going to ask you to trust me right away. That would be ridiculous considering everything that just happened. But I would like to ask for just enough faith in my promise to help you guys settle in to a new home. Our first step will be helping the crew understand the new situation and reassuring them that all is not lost. There is life after Kamiki, I promise you that. Persia is the perfect example.”

At the mention of Persia, Drake’s lip started to lift into a snarl again, but then he relaxed it. Heaving a sigh od resignation, he looked me in the eye and nodded. “Very well. I do not wish for my sister to suffer any longer. If you can help us find a home, you will have my support.”

“Great!” I said happily. “Uh, I’m going to need to get that support on credit though, because before we can get you settled, we need to get the crew sorted.”

He nodded. “Understood. I will begin speaking with them. I will leave her here with you. Should anything happen to her while I’m gone, no power in the universe will stop me from taking your head.”

I raised my right hand. “My word as a god, no harm shall come to her, physical, mental, or otherwise by my hand.”

He stood, nodded at my oath, and left the room. Before I could speak with the Oracle one on one, Rhia and Persia made their way over and joined us on the floor. The Oracle eyed Persia warily, but looked shocked when Persia prostrated herself before her.

“Um, Miss Oracle, I just want to apologize for my actions and attitude earlier. I’m still working through a lot of personal issues regarding Kamiki and her followers, but I shouldn’t have taken it out on you like that.”

The Oracle looked back and forth between Persia and me, but then her face softened. “As her Oracle, I am a logical target for such aggression. If they treated you like she just treated me, and I sense it was far worse than that, then I think I understand. If what your mate says is true and that he can help us, then I forgive you your anger.”

I wasn’t a fan of conditional forgiveness, but it seemed good enough for Persia, so Rhia and I exchanged shrugs and stayed out of it.

“Thank you,” Persia said, a look of relief on her face. She then made things awkward again by closely examining the Oracle’s face, who self-consciously brought a hand up to cover her scarred half. “You’re Tandori, aren’t you? I thought you were extinct.” Rhia’s eyebrows shot up at the name. It meant nothing to me, however.

The Oracle nodded sadly. “I am one of the last. A survivor found by one of Kamiki’s clerics during the conquering of our homeworld. Where I gained these scars.”

“If I may ask, why all the robes? Why hide yourself from view? Is it because of the scarring?” I asked, earning me dirty looks from Rhia and Persia. “What? I’d like to know how extensive the damage is if I’m ever going to fix it.”

The Oracle’s eyes seemed to be perpetually stuck wide open at everything we said and did, so instead she dropped her jaw. “Traditional robes for Kamiki’s Oracles so none but the most trusted may look upon us. Can you really fix this?” she asked, gesturing to her face.

“Maybe,” I said. “I’m not familiar with your race, but from what I’ve seen so far, the gods and goddesses responsible for seeding life throughout the galaxy have used the same basic template as far as body structure goes. It may even be that each race can interbreed, although I confess to having no knowledge of that yet.” At the mention of interbreeding, all three women blushed, and I realized that comment may come back to haunt me in the near future. “Anyway, what I’m saying is if you follow the pattern, fixing you up shouldn’t be too much of an issue.”

The Oracle looked lost in thought for a moment. Rhia was looking at something on a far wall, studiously not meeting my gaze, while Persia was blushing and giggling to herself. Yeah, it’s gonna bite me in the ass in the very near future, I suspect. Rhia looked at me and opened her mouth to say something but stopped when the Oracle stood up. As we stared at her, she pulled on the mass of fabric, attempting to pull it off over her head. Her legs came into view, the same shade of green as her face. They looked overly thin, like someone who hasn’t had too many opportunities to exercise them. I wasn’t sure if that was just her natural body shape, or if she had spent the few hundred cycle trip in this room with little chance to exercise. In a swift motion, the fabric was piled on the floor next to her and, oh. She was naked under the robes. I looked away quickly out of courtesy.

“What are you doing, God Zekken?” the Oracle asked.

“Uh, you’re naked,” I dumbly pointed out.

“Of course I am. You cannot fix what you cannot see, correct?” I heard the confusion in her voice, and, naturally, it was logic I couldn’t refute. I turned my head and looked at her, taking in just how extensive the damage was. Overall, based on my limited knowledge of other races, I guessed she was too thin. Her hip bones were far too noticeable, as were her ribs. Her breasts, or rather, breast, as she only had the one, looked half deflated. I imagined it would probably have filled my hand nicely were it full and healthy. Where her left breast would’ve been there was a mass of scar tissue that ran up her collar bone, up her neck, and over the side of her head to just below the crown. Her left ear was gone, a simple hole in its place. Ragged green hair covered the right side of her head, while the left was bare and scarred.

Persia stood and approached her, examining the woman, getting uncomfortably close, but the Oracle withstood it. “May I try?” Persia asked. I wasn’t sure if she was asking me or the Oracle, but I nodded anyway, as did the Oracle, so it was moot. Persia laid her hands on the woman’s scarred shoulder and closed her eyes.

Persia’s hands started to glow, very reminiscent of Rhia healing of Ryo when she found us. The Oracle let out a cry as the damage done to her started to reverse, reliving the pain of whatever it was that caused the injuries. Drake, naturally, chose that moment to return, half a dozen other Junaians on his tail. Upon seeing the Oracle cry out in pain while Persia was touching her, he automatically assumed the worst and started bolting forward.

“What are you doing?!” he bellowed but stopped in his tracks when I held a hand up.

“She’s healing her,” I said. “It can get painful sometimes, depending on the injuries. The Oracle is simply reliving the pain of the initial injury.”

The crowd stared in wonder, watching as skin regrew under Persia’s touch. The Oracle still cried out in pain, and tears were falling like a waterfall, but she remained standing, fists clenched. It was remarkable to watch, and my respect for the woman skyrocketed. Drake slowly approached until he was standing next to me.

“My goddess,” he whispered.

“Persia is much more than what she was. You called her filth, yet here she is, using her impure status to help. You guys have no idea the hell her life was, or the journey she took to where she is now. I believe you’ll owe her an apology when she’s done.”

Drake nodded mutely, never taking his eyes off the two women. Slowly, the Oracle’s injuries faded. Her ear regrew, as did her hair. The scarring on her face faded. Her mouth regained its shape. Her body started to fill out, legs strengthening, abs forming, arms thickening. Before long a woman stood before us, full figured with two perfectly perky tits, long glossy hair, and a beautiful smile that she turned on Persia before grasping her and pulling her into a tight hug. They broke apart and Persia gave her a once over before snapping her fingers. A green floor length strapless dress appeared on the Oracle, trimmed in silver that matched her eyes.

I wasn’t even aware that my jaw had dropped open until Rhia walked over and pushed it closed with a smirk. She’s pretty, she thought at me.

Exquisite, I replied, earning me a broad smile from Persia, who gave a small bow like an actor who’d just ended their performance. I smiled, then heard some rustling from the Junaians. Turning, I saw that they had all taken a knee, their forearms planted on the raised knee and their heads lowered. I blinked in surprise and saw similar expressions on my girls. The Oracle still had a broad smile on her face as she too knelt in a similar fashion. Persia’s eyes widened as she realized every single one of them was facing her.

“Goddess Persia!” Drake said. “We have insulted you and treated you poorly since your arrival, yet you healed our Oracle in spite of that. We are not worthy of it, but we beg your forgiveness.”

“You have my eternal gratitude, Goddess Persia,” said the Oracle. “You have managed what many healers could not and healed the scars of my youth. If you would oblige me, us, we would serve you as devoted followers and worshippers.”

Persia squeaked, then quickly reached down to pull the Oracle to her feet. “No no no no no! I’ve only had these powers less than a day! I don’t even know if I am a goddess, and if you want to worship anyone it should be Jo- er, Zekken! He’s the one that gave me this ability!”

“Actually,” I said as Persia continued dragging the poor woman to her feet, “that was one of Rhia’s gifts. My healing works differently. However, I agree with her sentiment. Oracle… actually, do you have a name? Calling you Oracle all the time may get a little confusing in the future, especially since I seem to have five of my own.”

She shook her head. “If I had one, it was so long ago in my past that I can no longer remember it. Even the man who’s the closest thing I have to a brother has only ever called me Oracle.” She indicated Drake, who was still kneeling next to me, steadfastly keeping his head down.

“What do you think, Drake? You know her better than anyone. Can you think of a name befitting your sister?”

Without looking up he shook his head. “I am unworthy to name her. I will protect her and drive off those that seek to do her harm, as a brother should, but my station is not worthy of such an honor as naming her.” The Oracle smiled down at the big guy, eyes full of affection. These two had been together a long time. That kind of time usually either leads to a romantic relationship or a familial one. They apparently went the latter route. I wondered if there was something wrong with me, since most of the time extended contact with a woman leads to me sticking my dick in her. Rhia attempted to choke down a laugh, clearly reading my mind again, but she only half succeeded and turned her back to me. I grimaced as I watched her shoulders shake as she giggled silently.

“Alright, screw it. Would you mind if I thought of a name for you?”

The Oracle looked between Persia and me, indecision on her face. Persia leaned in and whispered something. The Oracle looked up in shock and asked “You?” To which Persia responded by smiling and nodding her head. The Oracle looked back at me and, after a second of self-deliberation, nodded.

Having her approval, I studied her, attempting to see if any names came to mind. I immediately tossed out the idea of calling her Emerald. Green hair, green skin, green dress, green name? Come on, John. You can do better than that, I berated myself. I looked again, really trying to take in the details I missed before. She was tall, equal to my height, and held herself in a proud fashion. Her emerald hair fell in waves over her shoulders, framing her slender neck. Her face was narrow and symmetrical. Most everyone had a slight imbalance to their features, but not her. Her left and right sides perfectly reflected each other. Now that I was paying attention, I could see pointed tips sticking out from her hair. Her ears. She had ears like a Vulcan, or an elf. Let’s go with elf. The smile belied the Vulcan comparison. Her silver eyes watched me curiously over her sharp nose. My eyes continued tracing down, taking in those slender shoulders and arms, across her plentiful chest that was enticingly pushed up by the dress Persia had created for her.

The dress hugged her midriff, only hinting at the tight stomach held within, then flared out at her hips. The Oracle adjust her stance and one long green leg slipped out of a slit I hadn’t noticed before that ran up to the top of her thigh. My eye flicked over to Persia, who was whispering in the Oracle’s ear while keeping an eye on me. She saw me looking and winked at me. I glanced at the Oracle’s face and noticed her cheeks had turned a darker green and she inhaled deeper when we made eye contact.

What on Earth are you telling her? I thought to Persia. Don’t I have enough women to keep happy?

Hush, dear. I’m working, came the response.

You know what, screw it. The ears did it for me. Yeah, she’s not a dark elf princess, but I like the name and character.

“How about Aura?” I suggested. Rhia rolled her eyes, knowing what I was thinking, while Persia clapped her hands excitedly, because she also knew what I was thinking. However, it wasn’t their opinions that mattered. The Oracle looked thoughtful, and didn’t seem to hate it, but she still glanced at Drake.

“What do you think, Drake? Can you see me as Aura, and not the Oracle? It’s really not too much of a change.”

Nice, I thought. I hadn’t even realized that!

You got lucky, Rhia thought. We’re going to talk about your naming conventions when we get out of here.

I waved her off, waiting for Drake’s response. The man looked up and smiled. “Aura is a good name.”

She beamed at him, her radiant smile dazzling every male in the room. I was no exception and almost missed it when she thanked me.

“Oh, uh, yeah. It was my pleasure. Anyway, where were we before I sidetracked us all? Oh, right! I’d like you guys to wait a little before deciding if you want to worship anyone. For so long you’ve lived under Kamiki’s yoke, and I’d like you guys to take some time finding yourselves before finding a rebound god or goddess. Find out what you want.”

Aura tilted in confusion. “What we want?”

“Yes! What do you want to do? What do you want to be? What do you want to believe? Not half an hour ago you were ready to lay waste to an entire planet full of people just because Kamiki told you to. You traveled hundreds of cycles, however long that is, and she tossed you aside right at the end because I said no. Now I do apologize for that, but at the same time I’m not sorry at all. Now you have a chance to be free! To be who you want to be. Persia had her rebirth. Now it’s your turn if you’re willing to take the chance. I won’t force anyone to do anything. Soon I’ll have to send this ship back out of the system so Kamiki can send someone to get it, but I doubt it’ll be picked up until long after whatever fuel source it has dries up, so anyone still on board will die before seeing rescue.”

My little speech seemed to overwhelm her for a second, then she nodded. “I understand. Persia, I apologize for making you uncomfortable.”

Persia smiled. “Please, don’t worry about it.”

Aura returned the smile, then looked at me. “We will need some time to think about this. I assume you won’t be sending the ship back too soon?”

I shook my head. “I still need to find a home for those that choose to stay, so you’re welcome to remain here for now. I will need you to move the ship again, though. Can’t leave it parked here. It’ll attract too much attention on Earth, and I’ve already got enough damage control to manage from this. Just park it on the far side of the moon from Earth, okay?”

Aura nodded. “We’ll see it done. Drake?”

Drake stood and turned to the soldiers behind him and directed them to hide the ship, then turned to me. “Will you be leaving now?”

“I think we’ve accomplished what we came here to do. Rhia, Persia?”

“I didn’t do much of anything, so I’m good,” said Rhia.

“Can I come back to visit later?” Persia asked Aura, who nodded and smiled.

“I would like that. I owe you so much for what you’ve done for me.”

“We can discuss that later,” Persia said conspiratorially, shooting me a mischievous wink. Aura blushed again but didn’t say anything else. I rolled my eyes and turned to Drake.

“I apologize ahead of time if my wife proves to be a bad influence on Aura.”

The big man laughed. “I’m not worried. She could use some of that if we truly aren’t beholden to the will of Kamiki anymore. I’ve only ever wished for her happiness and comfort, and I think your mate will ensure that happens.” For a second, I thought I saw a twinkle in his eye as he looked over my shoulder, but when I glanced back, Persia whipped her head back to Aura and continued her goodbyes. Rhia was already waiting by the hatch for us.

“Mind escorting us back to the front door, Drake?”

“Gladly.”

“Persia! Time to go!”

“Coming, Husband,” she said before turning back to Aura. “Just trust me, okay? It’ll be fine, I promise. We’ll talk more, right?”

“Right,” said Aura. “We’ll talk more.”

-

As we departed the ship, I turned and watched it angle away to tuck itself behind the moon. Some satellites were about to have fatal malfunctions in couple minutes. Gee darn. Looks like no one will be able to get any pretty pictures of the far side of the moon.

You think they’ll be alright? I thought.

It’ll take some time, but with Aura and Drake leading them, they should be fine, Rhia responded.

Oracle’s word is law, thought Persia. What Aura tells them will dictate how most of them will react. They’re soldiers, My Husband. If there’s one thing they know, it’s following orders.

I looked over at the two women and decided that I’d like to fly back home. Our main task completed, we could’ve popped back instantly, but I wanted to stretch my legs, so to speak. Turning to face the moon, we started on our way.

So, thought Rhia, Aura?

I think it’s a pretty name, thought Persia. A pretty name for a pretty woman. You thought she was pretty, right John?

You know damn well what I thought of her, I replied. Looks aren’t everything, you know? I know nothing about her.

You knew nothing about me and still married me, Persia pointed out.

That’s not fair to John, Persia. You tricked him.

Trick?! Such an evil word! she protested. I went with the moment and followed my heart.

Well I’m happy you did, I replied. As for you, Rhia, I seem to recall someone bonding with me and then telling me what it was. If she could have whistled while trying to look innocent, I’m sure she would have. Since we were in space, however, she elected to not make eye contact and pretended to stare at something interesting. I turned my attention back to Persia. So, what nefarious plans are you devising with our newly unemployed oracle?

I’m thinking she can prove helpful once you’ve collected all your oracles. Explain what she did as an oracle and help them decide how they wish to represent you.

I sense you’ve got more in mind than that, hun. Women don’t generally blush or show that much leg when considering a teaching position. What is it with you attempting to collect women you had a beef with for me? First Lily and now Aura?

I just wish to see you happy. A little variety keeps thing fresh. I looked over and saw her smiling.

Christ, I thought. At this rate I may as well change my last name to Masaki and just roll with it.

Speaking of which, Zekken, owner of Ryo, husband to Persia and friend of Aura, thought Rhia, I’d like to talk about where you get your ideas for names from…