t Cybi. She seemed quite interested in them all, but was particularly interested in Erinn, who wasn't quite sure how to take it. He _really _didn't know how to take it when Cybi told him the truth about the Karinnes, that he was the result of a thousand years of genetic engineering and careful selective breeding, which gave him the ability to commune with biogenic computers. It was also the moment when the others learned the truth about Jason. The truth he wouldn't tell Jyslin, Tim, or Symone was revealed by Cybi, and now they knew the full extent of how different he was from the others, that he, Myleena, and Erinn were the descendents of genetically engineered beings who had been carefully produced through a millennia of selective breeding after that initial engineering.

After the revelation of the Karinnes was dropped on them all, Erinn was presented with his first gestalt. Erinn had seemed almost disbelieving of the tale... until he put on that gestalt. There was no denying that he could commune with biogenic systems once a gestalt imprinted to him. He was a bit scattered, trying to wrap his mind around it for a while, but seemed to take it well enough.

_"Since I have you here, let me say two things,"_ Cybi told them. _"First, Duchess Jyslin, my warmest congratulations. My sensors detect you are pregnant."_

"Yeah, and thanks," Jyslin told the hologram, putting her hand on her belly.

_"This leads me to the other matter. Jason, when are you bringing the others back to the house?"_

"The Kimdori are bringing them to me, Cybi," he told her. "Me and Miaari talked about that the other day, and we felt that bringing one back at a time would be prudent. Now that Erinn's been fully inducted, the Kimdori are going to be bringing another."

_"I see. Jason, I cannot stress enough how precarious the situation is with the Generations. The program will be halted, but the fruits of that labor are very small in number. You are an _endangered species_, my friend. Ensuring the continuation of the lines should be your top priority."_

"What do you mean?"

_"Jason, there are too few of you. You must increase your numbers."_

"We'll do that as the Kimdori bring more back to the house."

_"No, beyond that. There are only two hundred fifty-four of you if you count your unborn child, my friend. That is not enough. Each Generation should produce at least four children, each by a different partner, to broaden the gene pool and protect the lines. And you and Erinn, being males, should try to produce those children as quickly as possible, since you do not have to _carry_ the child."_

"I'm not sure we have to go that far."

_"I am, my friend. I know your personality and know you would not see it in a kind light. So understand that I only speak out of my concern for the Generations. It would be too easy to lose all of you when there are so few of you. You should produce at a bare minimum three more children by different mothers. I know you frown on the idea of selective breeding, but I would be gravely irresponsible if I did not suggest Yana as one of your partners. Her raw power merged with the abilities of a Generation would produce an amazing child."_

"Cybi!" Jason gasped.

_Well, Yana certainly wouldn't mind that idea,_ Jyslin mused privately to him.

_"Yana and the other Marines would be prime partners, Jason, for they are members of the house."_

"I just don't know about that, Cybi."

_"I know, my friend, but it is something that I had to tell you. It is a matter of the survival of the Karinnes."_

It was a preposterous idea. The only problem was, he was the _only_ one who thought it was preposterous. Miaari just shrugged and told him it seemed entirely logical to her, and was only smart. Jyslin laughed at him and told him that Cybi was just looking out for Jason's family, and she was right. Erinn seemed enthusiastic about the idea, but then again, he was a boy, and he'd be having all the fun without having to carry any the children. And the one person Jason thought would be on his side against it, Myleena, solidly shocked him by telling him she was already working on it.

_I knew we'd have to do this, Jayce. There aren't many of us, and just one outbreak of some new disease could wipe us out forever. We may have been created out of cold science, but we _are here_, and we have a duty to protect our line. Cybi said it best, babes, we're an endangered species. We have to increase our numbers, and do it fast. I've been at it hot and heavy with a friend of mine from Dracora. He's cute, and he's also a pretty strong telepath for a man, which I consider a necessary quality given that my kids will be nobles, and have to be strong. So, I've been trying to get pregnant. Once I do and have my baby, I'll go find another man that has attractive qualities and strong talent, and have _him_ get me pregnant. I already realized that to enrich our gene pool as much as we can and prevent inbreeding, my children couldn't have the same father. I'm aiming for six kids. Most Faey women can produce six kids in her lifetime, so I'm shooting for the average. I'd be overjoyed with nine, but I'll take three._

_I'm, shocked, you're okay with this idea._

_This isn't about _us_, Jason,_ she sent seriously to him. _This is about way more than _just us_. This is about protecting the Karinne family line, on both sides. The human telepaths should be doing the same thing we're doing on their side, breeding to increase their numbers, because they are the last identifiable members of the _other_ side of the house. Every human telepath should be required to have at least three children by different partners._

_But, it's like I'm cheating on Jyslin. She already has to share me with Dahnai. It's not fair to her._

_Jason, I talked about this with Jyslin a while ago, but I didn't go into specifics, just talked with her about me having kids to bolster the numbers of House Karinne. Just _ask_ her. See what she says._

He did so, after they got home, so he could ask in the privacy of their home, and when he did so, she just laughed at him. _Love, Cybi didn't say anything that's all that shocking. She's right. There's so few of you, you have to protect your legacy. If all of you vanished from the universe, it would be nearly as much a crime as it was when your ancestors were created. Cybi was being both practical and prudent. Now that I know the truth about you and the Karinnes, I'm siding with Cybi._

_Wow, I'm surprised you would._

_Why? Jason, you let your personal feelings interfere too much when you need to put them aside and look at things from the cold logic of a _Grand Duke_. Your emotions do you credit, but there comes a time when you have to look past what _you_ want or need and look at what the _house_ wants or needs. The house _needs_ more, what did she call you? Generations? There aren't enough of you. It wouldn't take much to wipe all of you out, since there are so few of you. That's a problem that must be addressed._

_It just seems..._

_I know, but I'm sure you won't mind that _dreadful_ chore too much. Just think, you'll be forced to have sex with girls that will certainly be horny about the idea of getting you in bed. Such a terrible thing,_ she sent with a sly smile. _I can imagine the torture you'd feel sliding your dick into a willing wet pussy. I don't know how you'll stand it. I never realized I was being so mean to you all this time,_ she sent airily, waving a hand noncommittally in the air. _I guess all that moaning when you come in me really is pain._

_Don't be nasty._

_You tell me not to be nasty?_ she sent with a laugh. _That's like telling me not to be Faey._

Jyslin was a woman of wise words, but, when the situation demanded it, she was also a woman of action. She had stated her case to Jason, and that was that. He knew where she stood. But she also knew her husband, and knew that since he wasn't too keen on Cybi's suggestion, that when he would say "I'll think about it," that usually meant "I'll just ignore it 'til everyone forgets about it and it goes away." Where Jason was concerned, about some things, some action would have to be taken.

That action was Yana.

Jason found her in their bedroom that night, laying on the bed, wearing nothing but combat boots. Jyslin told him she wanted to go out with Myleena and girl around New York for a while that night, so he hadn't expected anyone to be home when he got back from a trip to New York himself to meet with Kim, his Secretary General.

"Yana! What are you doing in here?" he demanded.

"Jyslin sent me," she purred, rolling over on her side. "She told me to wear these. She said it would mean something to you," she said, pointing at her boots.

He saw those boots, and he just had to laugh. "Yes, they mean something. Now get up and get dressed."

"Nuh-uh," she told him. "Jyslin gave me orders. And I have to say, they're the hottest orders I ever got from Sarge."

"Orders?"

"A while ago, before Jys went to Karis, we had a squad meeting, Jayce. It was right after you brought us into the house, when we talked about what we could do to help. I mean, none of us really have any skills, you know. We're Marines. We're trained to fight, we can operate ships when we have to, and we're all strong telepaths. We're not scientists, or engineers like you and Myleena and Jyslin. There wasn't really much we could do but do what you asked of us and try to find ways to contribute.

"Well, that was when Maya brought something up that I think all of us knew. We have one thing, Jayce, one thing we can bring to the house, and that's that all of us but Maya are unmarried and in our sexual prime, just coming into peak for childbearing. The one thing all of us could do for the house would be to have kids. That was something all of us thought about, but Maya pointed out that you're the _only_ one of your kind, Jayce. You're the only _human_ descendent of the Karinne nobles, you're the only human Generation. Just one accident, and poof, everything that you had to offer is gone from the universe. The same danger went for Jyslin and your kids. One accident involving all of you, like a skimmer crash, and that's it. Your whole splinter race is gone. We decided then that someone had to convince you and Jys to spread your line across more than one woman. It was needed to continue the human Generations, and it was needed for the house. That was when we decided that at _least _one of us had to be a second mother to your children. One at the minimum, all of us at maximum, and anywhere in between. We did decide that it was only right and proper to not say anything until after Jyslin had her first child. But after she got comfortably pregnant, we were going to approach her and tell her that at a bare minimum, one of us _had_ to bear another child, to protect your line.

"When you guys came back yesterday, Jys called us all together this morning and held a squad meeting and told us what Cybi said, that the Karinnes need more people, she was a little surprised to find out that we'd already had this discussion. We told her our plan, but she blew that off and told us hers. She told us about Cybi's call for four children from each of the Generations by different partners, and well, there's two male Generations here. So, we decided to take one for the house," she chuckled. "Each of us promised to have two children. One by you, and one by Erinn. Maya already has kids by Vell, and Jys is married to you, so it's gonna be four and four for now. Vell doesn't know about this yet, and Maya won't agree to it without talking to him. But I'll tell you this, when we had our own plan, she volunteered to be the mother," she told him. "She had a damn good argument. She's already married and has two daughters, so the baby would grow up in a family setting with two parents and sisters to play with. _That_ plan, Vell agreed to. But the new plan, he has to agree to it first before she'll take part."

"I don't fuckin' believe it," Jason breathed. "You really thought the only use you were to house was to have babies? Yana, that's just _stupid_!"

"I didn't say that was the _only_ thing we felt we could do, we felt it was the _best_ thing we could do," she told him. "And Jys agrees with us. She believes that Cybi is right, and that it's very important for the Generations to increase their numbers. And there's only one way you can do that," she told him, sliding her hand along her leg sensually. "So get over here."

"I'm gonna kill Jyslin," Jason growled.

"That's between you and her," Yana told him. "But in the meantime, I promised Jys I'd help, and I'll be honest, Jayce, the idea of having your baby is very appealing to me. You've been so good to us, you've given us so much, it would make me overjoyed to give birth to one of your children and feel that I've given back to you something too. It may be a duty, but we all _did_ agree to it willingly, and I have to say, enthusiastically. And Trelle's garland, is it gonna be a sweet duty." She patted the bed. "Right now, Sheleese has her legs wrapped around Erinn in the other wing, doing the same thing we're about to do. Protect the Karinne family line. So this isn't just about _you_. This is about the _Karinnes_."

"Get dressed, Yana."

"No. Jys told me not to leave this room until we fuck, and not just a quickie. Specifically, Jys told me to have you come in me three times, since I'm close to my period and I should be either in my fertile phase or right about to enter it. Besides, I thought we were _friends_, Jason. I know you know that in Faey society, it's perfectly acceptable for friends to fuck as long as the wife allows it. Well, Jys is allowing it. Hell, baby, she _ordered_ it. She wants her son to have four half-brothers and sisters as quick as possible, and it just reinforces the bonds of the squad. By the time this is over, each of us will be tied to you through the baby you gave us. That's true camaraderie. We'll all be the mothers of your children, and what's most important, the Karinne name will be protected, and the human side of the Generations will live on."

"I'm not okay with this."

"Jyslin told me you might not be, so here," she said, picking up a remote that was by her on the bed and pointing it at the vidlink monitor on the wall. Jason realized that it was his infamous one-button remote. She pressed the button, and a recorded image of Jyslin appeared. _"Jason, get over it,"_ the image said. _"Remember what we talked about? That sometimes what you need to do as Grand Duke matters more than what you feel as a person? Well, this is one of those times. Cybi is right. I don't care if you refuse to admit it, but she is. And I'm not going to let your stubbornness threaten your family name. So, I'm telling you this right here and now. One way or another, you're gonna end up in that bed with Yana. I've given her permission to use any means necessary, even if it means she has to use sending, even if she has to join your minds to do it. And if for some reason she doesn't manage it tonight, she's going to call me, I'm going to come home and use all _my_ arsenal on you, even if I have to get in that bed with the two of you and get you hard, then sit her on your cock. And that's probably gonna rightly piss Yana off, since she's your friend and you're so resistant to the idea of proving it to her. She'll think you're not the friend she thought you were._

_"This isn't going to be the same game we played when we met, lover,"_ she said with a wink. _"Because this isn't just about us anymore. This is about the _house_. You will lose this battle, because no matter how much you can say no to Yana, you can't say no to _me_. So admit defeat with grace right now and climb into that bed with Yana and do your duty."_ She held up three fingers. _"Three times, Jason. That's what you need to do tonight. This isn't about having fun, though I'm sure it will be. This is about getting Yana pregnant. She's close to her period, so she should be fertile. That means it's your job to give her the best chance possible to conceive, and one way to do that is to fill her with lots of semen. So you have to come in her three times. I'm sure Yana's going to enjoy the effort of getting you up and getting you off three times."_

"You bet your ass I will," Yana purred.

_"And it's not just going to be tonight. Tomorrow you two are going to be having sex again. You're going to have sex with her at least three times, once in the morning, once in the middle of the day, and again at night. Each time you have to come in her at _least_ once, but you have to come in her five times over the course of the day, so two of those sessions are going to be double-ups. Songa told me that that kind of constant infusion of fresh semen, spread out over time, gives her a very good chance at conception. After tomorrow, you two are done, though you might be having sex one more time the day after tomorrow, depending on what Songa says. So there's your schedule, love. And time's wasting, so get busy."_

The recording winked out, and Jason sighed. Jyslin was right on two counts. First, Yana would be really insulted if he said no, and second, he could not say no to Jyslin. If he resisted now, he knew she'd take much more direct, _personal_ action when she got home, and the idea of having Jyslin in bed while she basically watched to make sure he did the deed with Yana was not something he would want. He was comfortable having her in bed when he was with Symone, but it'd feel weird and unsettling to have her in the same bed while he was with some other woman.

"Alright, alright, I know when I'm beaten," he sighed.

"Don't make it sound like I'm twisting your arm!" Yana said indignantly. "I _agreed_ to this, Jason! I _want_ this! Show a little fucking courtesy, will ya?"

He shook his head. "I'm sorry, Yana, I really am. This isn't about you and me, really. Yes, you're very sexy and you're very appealing, and if the circumstances hadn't been like, this, well, I wouldn't be reacting the way I am now. I hope you can understand that."

"Yeah, I can see that."

"It's just that even though I know I'm in the Faey world, some part of me likes to keep myself for Jyslin, you know? Jyslin's so considerate and understanding. She doesn't mind sharing me with Symone, and she doesn't mind sharing me with Dahnai. Now she's going off on this tangent, basically sharing me with half her squad. It's just not fair to her."

Yana laughed. "Jason, she loves you, and she also loves the House Karinne. She's being like this because she wants to see the house flourish, and so do I, and we both can see that steps have to be taken to protect the Generations from extinction. And I'd be honored to help continue your line, Jason. I wouldn't be agreeing to have your baby if you weren't a Karinne, and you weren't who you are, the _only _Terran Generation. But I'm a Karinne, you're the last Terran Generation, I'm a woman, you're a man, and I know that we need _more_ Terran Generations to protect your bloodline. One way to get more Karinnes is to induct new members, but the only way to ensure the survival of your line is to make little baby Karinnes, the more the better and the faster the better. And even on the Faey side, there aren't many of _you_ left, only what, like two hundred and fifty, and that's way too small a number. This isn't just about you, Jayce, you need make sure to protect the other lines in the Generations. All of the Generations' main priority should be having kids, to protect your lines and also to increase the numbers of the house. And here's a news flash for you, but she _trusts_ you, hon. She knows that you always come back to her, and no matter where you stick your dick, your heart is hers. You're her husband."

"That's true."

"And you're not picking up a harem here, hon. This is about one thing, and that's getting me pregnant. That's why Jys was so fuckin' anal about how many times you come, because we only have maybe three days to get me pregnant. We're not gonna keep fucking after I get pregnant. Well, if you don't want to, that is," she added, licking her lips. "But I dunno about that. Jys would have to approve, and you already have an _amu dozei_ to fill in for Jyslin for when her pregnancy makes sex with her impractical. Maybe I can talk her into it. I've always been attracted to you, I was just too shy to admit it."

"You're certainly not being shy now," he said, looking at her in a way that made her blush a lovely shade of violet.

"I almost _died_ when we talked on the dropship going to Karis," she admitted with a laugh. "I didn't think about who was in the ship after I took my armor off, but then I realized you were there, and it was all I could do to keep from blushing. But then you started talking to me, and I realized I was being silly for being so shy with you. You were so nice. Then when you touched me, you were so kind and considerate when you saw my little, problem," she said with another blush.

"You _were_ very demure. Not like now."

"I was so scared. I didn't know what to talk about, and I kinda blurted out asking you about Jyslin. That was when I got comfortable with you, you know? You were willing to talk about that with me, and you could tell I was serious when I asked. It really made me feel comfortable." She patted the bed. "So, could you _please_ come here? I promise, I'll be careful. Jyslin told me to keep myself out of your head, but she did say we could go about halfway," she told him. "She told me to tell you to let me take it as far as you let Dahnai go. She said that's okay with her."

He laughed ruefully and came over to sit on the bed. She propped herself up on an arm, looking at him, and he could feel her warm breath on his neck and face. "I'm not too enthusiastic about the _idea_ of this, Yana," he admitted. "But it's not personal. It's not about you. It's about the situation."

"That's fine, Jason. But look at me, and tell me that I'm not sexy, and if you were single and I asked you out on a date, you wouldn't make love to me."

"That would be a lie."

"Then that's all that matters to me," she said in a throaty whisper, putting her hand on his shoulder and pulling him down into a kiss.

                                        * * *

Yana did in two days what Jyslin took nearly a year.

Get pregnant.

Songa announced the news about a week later, after Jason had had his first meeting with Ayuma and the Makati about the Academy. Jason was glad to hear it, but it had put a sincere strain on his relationship with Jyslin. They'd had an actual fight about it after it was over, because Jason didn't approve of how she had basically twisted his arm into it, where she told him that it had been necessary because she knew him and knew he would be very resistant to the solution, the only solution that was available to them. It had been the first fight they'd ever had like that, and it had surprised Jason quite a bit.

It wasn't that they fought, Jason had expected to have fights with Jyslin eventually, it was how intense it got. He never thought he'd be screaming at his wife, and it had honestly scared him that he could get so worked up to the point where he'd be shouting at the woman he loved. He didn't say anything hateful to her, but he was very vocal about how she had made up her mind on the matter and refused to listen to any alternatives.

That was basically the point of it, really. Jason thought there had to be another way, and Jyslin didn't. Jason couldn't deny the underlying problem, that there were very few Generations, and something had to be done to increase their numbers. And in Jason's case, he was a unique being in the universe, the _only_ human Generation, and he and Myleena were the last of the Ducal family, the last two direct descendents of Sora Karinne. The line had to be protected, and that could only be done with children. Both Jason and Myleena's primary focus should be with producing children, and while Jason had already gotten his wife pregnant, Myleena was still trying. But the point was, they _were_ trying.

Jason didn't feel that him being tossed about like a stud bull on a cattle ranch was the answer, but Jyslin did. It was an impasse that made her take direct action and got them into a fight, which lasted nearly two days. Jason slept on the couch over at Tim and Symone's place after his little tryst with Yana, because he was that angry.

After things calmed down enough between them to talk, the matter basically revealed itself. When Jason told her about alternative methods like artificial insemination and in vitro fertilization, she almost laughed herself off the couch. "Jason, if you even suggested that to any of the squad, they'd beat you!" she told him. "You don't understand Faey women, hon. To ask one to conceive a child _artificially_ is a _huge_ insult! You're telling her she's not woman enough to get pregnant the normal way!" She laughed and patted her chest. "Oh, Trelle's garland, I'm glad you _didn't_ say anything, or I'd have been trying to mend some fences. Really, Jason, that's about the _worst_ insult you could have laid down. Faey women don't do it any way but the natural way. If you want to have children with a Faey woman, you have to do it the way Trelle intended, having sex with her. Any other way is a huge insult to her womanhood, and if you even broached the subject with one, she'd either beat you or never talk to you again."

Things smoothed over at that point, they apologized to each other, and things got back to normal between Jason and Jyslin.

Songa came to him after the meeting, which went very well, and handed him a little pink ribbon.

"What's this?"

"For your coming daughter," she said with a smile. "Yana is pregnant. That high-intensity regimen you did with her really worked."

"Really? Already?"

"Already. Her fertilized egg is already secured to her uterus and has started a normal, healthy pregnancy. I'll be keeping a close eye on her for you, hon. Congratulations!"

He felt a little silly, hugging her when she leaned down and kissing her on the cheek. "Thank you, hon."

"She won't be the only one having a baby," Songa told him. "I'm pregnant too!"

"Really? That's wonderful, Songa! Have you told Luke yet?"

"No, not yet," she told him. "I want to marry him first. If I asked him, do you think he'd say yes?"

"He worships you, Songa. If you asked, he'd say yes before you could even get past the word _marry_."

Songa laughed, sitting on his lap. "What is it about you Terran males that get us Faey girls knocked up so fast, Jayce? You get Jyslin pregnant just a few months after you marry, and Yana pregnant on the first try, and Luke gets me pregnant after only two months! What do they feed you in high school?"

Jason laughed, patting her on the leg. "I have no idea, Songa. But the question is, does it make you happy that we can?"

"_Yes_!" she said immediately. "I'm going to have a baby, Jason! I can't tell you how wonderful that is!"

"Even knowing it's not a full-blooded Faey baby?"

_Like that ever mattered!_ she sent with sudden heat, slapping him on the shoulder. And she wasn't gentle. Sometimes, only sending could truly convey the emotion within a statement, and she was outraged at the idea he had put forth. _How dare you even suggest such a thing!_

"Easy, easy," he said placatingly, putting his hands up. "To _Terrans_, it would matter, Songa. Some Terrans are very racist. I wanted to make sure it _didn't _matter to you."

"Some Faey are too," she admitted. "But Jason, a Faey woman would never sleep with any man she wasn't willing to have a baby with. Even on a first date, when you sleep with your date, you know there's a chance he might get you pregnant. That's a responsibility you accept before you ever undo the first button on your blouse. When I finally lured Luke into bed, I knew that I might have his child. And that thought made me feel almost _ecstatic_. He's been so lonely since his wife and daughter died, and I knew I might have a chance to give him something new in his life. And he might bring me something my dear Rann didn't have the time to manage," she said with a sigh. "Oh, and Jason? Thank you."

"For?"

"For naming your first child after him. I was very touched, and he would have been honored."

"Hon, Jyslin was responsible for that, though I'm glad she did it. And Rann's name will never fade away," he told her, turning in the chair and accessing the data stick holding the plans for the Academy. He bought them up and zoomed in on the northern quadrant. There in big red letters, was the words _Rann Berylle Biological Sciences Academy_. "I had them name the new medical school and bioresearch center for him. Rann will always be part of House Karinne, Songa. I wouldn't have it any other way. Our son's name was Jyslin's gift to you. Naming part of the Academy after him was mine."

Songa looked at the blueprint, and her eyes misted over with tears. "Oh, Jason!" she said with a sob, throwing her arms around his neck and hugging him tightly.

"I'm glad you liked it. Now, would you like to come to Karis with me today? Cybi would like to see you. She asked about you the last time she talked to me."

"Me? Of course I'll come, why are we going?" she said, sniffling as she rose back up to look at him.

"Ayuma needs to be introduced to Cybi and inducted into the house," he told her. "She's a Generation, and the Kimdori told me they won't bring another until she's seated in the house. One at a time, they said, to keep things controlled. I'm inclined to agree with that idea, that way Kiaari only has to keep an eye on one potential security risk at a time. When Kiaari signs off on the newcomer, the Kimdori will bring a new one. I've decided that that's how new Generations the Kimdori bring to me will be inducted into the house, to go to Karis and meet Cybi, and receive their gestalt, where they are forever sealed to the house by learning its deepest secret."

"Why reveal that before you induct them into the house?"

"So they fully appreciate where they came from, who they are, and the stakes of the game," he answered. "To hear that you're a long-lost Karinne doesn't have the same impact as meeting Cybi and putting on a gestalt. That's when you _know_ what you are, because you can't deny it."

"Ah. Well, put that way, it makes sense. Show me more of the Academy, Jason, please?"

"Sure, I