Three Square Meals Ch. 113

"She might have mocked my plan to make you both ecstatically happy, but I knew she'd be powerless to resist," John said playfully.

"How did I fall for such a diabolical Progenitor?" Tashana asked, crossing her wrists behind his neck. "Am I powerless to resist Baen'thelas' charms too?"

"Sorry, honey. There's no use fighting it," he said, pulling her in for a passionate kiss.

***

Warden Brokurlun stared at the Sector Map, his gauntleted fingers drumming nervously on the Command Table. Glancing across the Bridge of his battleship, the Forge of Ukolnir, he made eye contact with his communications officer who was patiently awaiting his orders. "Contact the Fleet Warden, while we still can."

"At once, Warden," the Trankaran officer replied, his amber gaze dropping to the communications console.

Brokurlun focused on the map again, watching as his fleet of warships raced away from the Yelneg Dominion towards Dun Gerluhr. While the vessels under his command might be the most powerful ships in the Trankaran defensive fleets, he was well aware just how heavily outnumbered he was against the Kirrix invaders. Fortunately, his orders were to simply reconnoitre the leading edge of the invasion corridor, rather than engage the insectoid menace in combat, much as he'd like to repulse them from Trankaran territory.

"I have Fleet Warden Thandrun ready to take your call," the communications officer announced.

Brokurlun looked up at the holo-screen. "Put him through."

Thandrun's blocky features appeared, his expression reflecting his concern. "All is well, Warden?"

"There has been no sign of the Kirrix yet. We are reaching the maximum range of the closest intact Comms Beacon and I wanted to make contact one last time before we are unable to communicate further," Brokurlun explained. "Any change to our orders?"

"Proceed as previously instructed," Thandrun replied, the tension easing from his face. He leaned forward and continued firmly, "Avoid becoming embroiled in combat unless absolutely necessary; we need current intelligence on the Kirrix menace so that we can better coordinate with the Maliri. Approach Dun Gerluhr, record the fleet composition of any enemy forces you see in the system, then return to Comms range to make your report."

Brokurlun bowed respectfully. "As you command, Fleet Warden."

***

John added the finishing touches to a delicate fruit pastry known as Daevyrath, then glanced at Irillith who nodded her approval. After enjoying watching her full lips tilt into a smile of satisfaction, he placed the pastry with the others he'd completed and began working on the next. Glancing to his left, he saw that Sakura was engrossed in her work, looping a braid of pastry around the pieces of Pirphal, a succulent fruit that tasted a bit like papaya.

"I've been meaning to talk to you about yesterday's battles," John said to the Asian girl.

She darted a smile at him. "If you're checking to see if I'm traumatised by the fighting, Alyssa already beat you to it. As I said to her, wiping out the Kirrix invaders felt tremendously rewarding. They're all guilty of unspeakable crimes and desperately needed bringing to justice. Freeing hundreds-of-thousands of colonists and saving them from an agonising fate made the victory all the sweeter."

John hesitated before replying, glancing at the Maliri sisters who were engrossed in preparing more of the same course.

Sakura realised the reason behind his caution and placed her hand on his arm. "I don't want to keep any secrets from the twins. Ask me whatever you like... no matter how personal."

He nodded, then asked quietly, "Did rescuing all those people help alleviate some of the guilt you felt about Shinatobe's actions?"

She knew a question like this was coming and turned to look at him, her brown eyes untroubled. "Yes, but not in the way you might suspect. After seeing those people restrained against their will and brutally traumatised... I began to realise that Mikaboshi did much the same to me. I might have witnessed Shinatobe's terrible crimes and felt like I was committing them, but I was bound in my own mind and helpless to prevent those murders. In effect, Mikaboshi tortured me with those horrific experiences."

"And any guilt you might have felt was misguided," John said with a nod. "I'm so relieved that you've changed your perspective... and I know that must have been hard to do."

Tashana was walking past to retrieve a frying pan, but she paused to hug the Asian girl and whispered quietly in her ear. Sakura shot her a grateful smile before turning to John again. "It was incredibly difficult to just let that go. Rationally I knew the truth all along, but the memories I had of doing those awful things were so sharp, the torture and murder so visceral that it was easy to believe I was a monster."

"I'm glad you don't need me to tell you that was never true," he said, caressing her cheek.

She leaned into his hand, closing her almond-shaped eyes for a moment as she savoured his caring touch. John held her for a long moment, studying her serene expression and feeling for the first time that she was truly at peace. When her long eyelashes finally lifted, she met his probing gaze and nodded, communicating wordlessly the depth of her gratitude to him.

"There's something else you want to ask..." she said perceptively, seeing his momentary flicker of indecision. "What's on your mind?"

"We've not really talked about it since it happened, but I wanted to ask you about visiting your family's house on New Eden," he replied, watching with concern in case she got upset.

She stepped close and slipped her arms around him. "What you did for me... letting me speak to my parents one last time... was the kindest, most thoughtful gift I've ever received. Being able to tell them all the things I regretted not saying before... and finally having a chance to say goodbye... I can't really put into words just how much that meant to me... and I'm sorry I haven't made that clearer."

Lifting her chin with his finger, he looked into her eyes and slowly shook his head. "That's not why I was asking, I promise." Checking his connection to Alyssa, he confirmed that she was still fast asleep in her lover's arms. "Sakura, I remember how you were when we rescued you. You were understandably furious and filled with a need for revenge after all the terrible things that Mikaboshi did to you. So, I just wanted to know... did speaking to your parents help soothe some of that anger?"

Sakura studied his face, looking at him with sudden understanding. "This is about Alyssa, isn't it? Because we're returning to Karron..."

John saw no point in denying the obvious. "Yes. I'm worried about her."

The Asian girl paused to consider his question for a moment. "Alyssa's family background and mine are very different. She's also harnessing vast amounts of power and under unbelievable pressure to perform; I can't even begin to imagine how stressful that must be." Noticing his flicker of guilt, she shook her head. "Self-imposed pressure, not from you."

"Would it make a difference?" he asked quietly. "There's big risks involved..."

"It was a life-changing moment for me," Sakura replied in a hushed voice, moving him with her sincerity. "If you can find a way... do that for her... she's earned it a thousand times over."

John pulled her into a fierce hug. "Thank you," he whispered in her ear.

They stood quietly for a long moment before separating, Sakura giving him a shy smile. John was about to return to preparing the meal, when he realised that the twins were staring at him with identical expressions of longing on their beautiful faces. He instantly knew what they wanted to know, but were both too scared to ask, fearing what the answer might be.

Beckoning them over, he gathered the Maliri sisters in his arms. "I've not spoken to either of you about this in the past because I didn't want to raise any false hopes... but I'd love to be able to bring your father back to you."

Irillith froze, a wild burst of hope appearing in those violet orbs. "Can you really do that for us?!"

Tashana's breath caught, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh, John, I'd give anything to be able to speak to our father again."

"It'll be much harder for me to bring him back than it was with Sakura's parents," he replied, his voice pensive and filled with sympathy. "Her family home had a lifetime of psychic imprints for me to draw from of them living together. Your father lived alone on Geniya Trading Post, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to even do the same thing. The other problem is that the Astral monsters are waiting for me to attempt it again... we triggered an ambush on New Eden when I tried to do this for Rachel."

"If you're considering another attempt for Alyssa, you must have a solution!" Tashana said in a rush, her excitement building.

John paused, then gave her a tentative nod. "Yes, but what I'm thinking about doing could be even more dangerous. That thing knocked Alyssa out and put Edraele in a coma last time we tried this, and I won't put them at risk again, not like that. I'm connected to Jade now too... so there's even more at stake if this goes wrong."

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Irillith asked quietly, putting an arm around her sister.

"When we arrive at Karron, I'll need all three of you geared up for war," he replied, glancing at the three girls and receiving firm nods of agreement in return.

***

Rachel sighed with contentment, revelling in the delicious afterglow of a deeply fulfilling climax. Making love to Dana couldn't quite match the raw physicality of being with John, but they shared a sensual intimacy that took her breath away every time. The redhead was so wonderfully vivacious that Rachel felt happier just being in the same room with her, and she rolled over, eager to see one of Dana's joyful grins. She was startled to find her girlfriend staring up at the ceiling, a pensive frown shadowing her lovely features.

Rachel cuddled into her nubile bedmate, looking at her with concern. "That was wonderful for me... didn't you enjoy it?"

"You're always smoking hot, babes," Dana replied quietly, turning to give her a strained smile. "It was great for me too."

"You don't exactly look like you're in a state of post-coital bliss," the brunette noted, studying her lover's pensive expression.

After a long pause, Dana let out her breath in a maudlin sigh. "I was lying here and it suddenly hit me... this'll be the first time I've been back to that shithole."

Rachel gently caressed Dana's beautiful face, hating to see her looking so troubled. "I know Karron dredges up a lot of terrible memories for both you and Alyssa. Is that what's bothering you now?"

"Yeah, I guess," the redhead said with a slight frown. "Maybe..."

Raising an eyebrow, the brunette reached for Dana's hand and kissed her fingertips. "It's not like you to be so uncertain. Just tell me whatever's on your mind and we'll see if we can find a way of alleviating that anxiety."

"Yes, Doctor," Dana replied, smiling at her fondly.

"Ah, so you don't want a consultation with Doctor Voss?" Rachel asked with a playful grin, as she propped herself up on an elbow. The brunette gently rolled Dana onto her back, then placed a hand on her girlfriend's svelte stomach and stroked those toned abdominal muscles with her fingertips. Adopting a deeper baritone, she continued, "What's the matter, honey? Be a good girl and tell me what's bothering you..."

Dana pretended to swoon. "Oh, John! Of course... I'll do whatever you say!"

They both laughed, the tension broken, with Rachel leaning down to give her lover a kiss. She didn't prompt Dana to continue, simply watching and waiting instead, but the concern on her face was quite obvious.

The silence stretched on between them until Dana finally rolled her eyes. "You're not going to let this drop, are you?"

Rachel shook her head and let her fingers brush over Dana's skin as she waited patiently for the redhead to relent.

Dana sighed with resignation, then sounded subdued as she reluctantly began to speak, "Karron was a shitty place to grow up, but it wasn't anywhere near as bad for me as it was for Alyssa. Yeah, I still went hungry more times than I could count, but I never had to... make deals... with men just to survive. Building and fixing shit kept me out of a lot of trouble, at least until I became the Diablos' pet gunsmith."

"I hate the thought of you being scared, hungry, and alone for so many years," Rachel whispered, unable to stem a rising tide of guilt. "I had an incredibly privileged upbringing by comparison... it's so unfair."

"You should never feel bad about that, babes. Your parents loved you and wanted you to have the best," Dana said, cupping her face and looking fondly into her troubled grey eyes. "Besides, your posh accent makes you even sexier and that shouldn't be physically possible. It's like you're defying a universal law and found a way to break the hotness barrier."

Rachel laughed then gave her a perceptive look. "Nice deflection, but let's not turn this into a conversation about me. You were talking about your life growing up on Karron?"

Dana shrugged, her expression conflicted. "The thought of going back there does stir up some bad memories... but that's not what's making me feel weird."

Rachel looked at her curiously, but didn't interrupt, letting the redhead elaborate on her own.

"Coming back to Karron is like getting bitch-slapped by reality. Back when I was stuck in that dump, my face was all fucked up and I was living a shitty existence with no end in sight," Dana murmured, her hand rising subconsciously to her face. She brushed her fingertips over her cheek, feeling flawless smooth skin instead of rough scar tissue, and remembered the explosion that had left her grotesquely disfigured. "Then John came along, fixed everything, and made my whole life awesome. You know what I mean... living on the Invictus is like a dream; half the time I find myself worrying I'm going to wake up."

"You're right... it definitely feels surreal at times," the brunette agreed. "We're leading an idyllic existence here."

"Aside from all the constant death and destruction," Dana said with a wry smile, which slowly faded as she thought about it. "Actually, even that's not a problem. I must admit, most of the time I'm not that bothered by all the combat... it feels like-"

"The fighting's not worth getting stressed about?" Rachel finished the sentence for her, sharing a meaningful look with her lover. "I know John's been torturing himself about making that change to us, but in all honesty, I consider it a blessing."

"Yeah, exactly! They were all bad guys and had it coming anyway; why focus on that when there's so much other fantastic stuff going on in our lives?" Dana replied, pleased that her girlfriend understood. "I mean, John's given me a state-of-the-art workshop, and everything I need to work on all these crazy cutting-edge science projects. I get to crank out totally badass weapons and build awesome special projects like the Valkyrie... it's all I ever wanted since I was a little girl and saw my first copy of the Engineers' Almanac."

Rachel nodded, finding herself in complete agreement. "That's very true. I feel incredibly fulfilled professionally... I studied medicine to be able to heal the sick and that's exactly what I've been doing, but on a grander scale than I ever thought possible."

A mischievous smile spread across Dana's face. "You are building quite the reputation, Angel of Terra."

The brunette felt a surge of pride, then blushed and looked contrite. "Sorry, I wasn't trying to steer this conversation onto me. I just meant to say that I really understand how you're feeling."

"Yeah, I know, you always get me," Dana said, giving her a hug. "That's another thing that feels so weird now we're headed back to Karron. When I was living there, I was surrounded by people who'd screw me over in a heartbeat, but everyone here would take a bullet for me."

"That sense of belonging... it's intoxicating isn't it?" Rachel whispered, gazing into her lover's sky-blue eyes.

Dana bit her lower lip and nodded, then lifted her head to give the brunette a tender kiss. "I'm living with the most awesome people in the galaxy and I've never felt more at home. John, Alyssa, the girls... you... you're all just the best." She hesitated for a moment, then continued softly, "I've heard Helene call John her soulmate... and that's kind of the way I feel about you. You're so beautiful, Rach, but you're also the smartest, kindest, most caring person I know. I'm totally in love with you."

"Oh, Dana..." Rachel said softly, touched by her earnest words. "I feel exactly the same way. My life felt so drab and empty before I met you..."

The redhead blushed, feeling self-conscious about baring her soul like this. "Us being together and being with John too... it should be complicated, but it doesn't feel that way at all."

"The two of us have grown incredibly close," Rachel murmured, giving her lover a knowing look. "But John owns us both... and that makes everything perfect."

Dana couldn't help letting out a lusty moan. "God... you know exactly what to say to turn me on! I don't know about you, but I'm so ready to have his baby..." She paused and frowned in frustration. "Actually, that's something else that's pissing me off! Whenever I think we're getting closer to being able to start a family, some new bad guys pop up and we have to waste time killing them. Sometimes I wish all the bad guys would just fuck off... it's like: 'Leave us alone, I wanna get knocked up!'."

Rachel laughed and nodded. "John's worried about us suffering from combat fatigue, but I'd have to disagree; my diagnosis is broodiness fatigue." She gave the redhead a wistful look. "The Young Matriarchs are so lucky... I can't wait until it's our turn."

"You'll make such a sexy broodmare," Dana purred, her fingers tracing a path from her lover's luscious cleavage down to her svelte belly.

Rachel's grey eyes turned smoky with lust. "Just imagine it... me and you... our tummies growing bigger every day..."

"So hot..." Dana agreed. She wriggled closer, pressing her large breasts against the brunette's and arching her back a little so that their stomachs brushed together.

Rachel slid a leg between her girlfriend's thighs, feeling the soft smooth skin then finding the delicious wet heat. "Mmm, you're all ready for his big hard cock, aren't you? That hot little pussy, desperate for a big load of cum... you're so eager to be a mummy..."

Dana groaned, rubbing herself against the brunette's toned leg. "You get me so revved up, babes..."

*Ahem,* Alyssa coughed. *I hate to interrupt a couple of horny little minxes, but you don't have time for another round. Dinner's nearly ready, so go grab a quick shower.*

Pouting in frustration, Dana flopped back on the bed. *Your timing sucks ass!*

*John's been preparing this Maliri banquet for the last two hours,* Alyssa gently admonished her. *You wouldn't want him to think you don't appreciate his hard work?*

Looking stricken, the redhead sprang out of bed and rushed towards the bathroom.

Rachel watched Dana with amusement, then slipped out of the covers and followed after her. *A guilt trip about disappointing John? You're pulling out the big guns.*

*He does so much for all of us,* Alyssa replied, with an odd catch to her voice. *Making sure everyone turns up for dinner on time is the least I can do to thank him.*

Coming to a halt outside the bathroom, Rachel asked quietly, *Is returning to Karron upsetting you too?*

Alyssa hesitated before replying, and when she did, her telepathic voice was tense with tightly-controlled emotions. *John's going to try and bring my parents back...*