Three Square Meals Ch. 069

"I'd like to assist, but it's not wise for me to stay here," John admitted, glancing at his drinking companion. "The Admiralty are... intrigued, about the tech on my ship, and I don't want to escalate tensions by leaving the Invictus there as a temptation."

Jack looked at him in surprise, and said, "You honestly think they'd try and seize your ship from you?!"

John nodded grimly, and replied, "You've seen what the Invictus can do. They don't realise that half of its effectiveness is down to Calara, but it's still a prize they'd give their left arm for."

Laughing then, Jack shook his head as he said, "No, you misunderstand me. Of course they'd love to get their hands on the Invictus, but who are they going to order to take it from you? I'm about as loyal as it gets, but if they ordered me to attack the Lion, I'd tell them to go fuck themselves!" He winked then, and added, "Even if he wasn't about to become my son-in-law."

Blinking in surprise, John replied, "Yeah, but you knew me personally before all this 'Lion of the Federation' nonsense. I'd like to think I made a decent enough impression on you that you'd be a bit biased anyway."

Shrugging, Jack said, "That's true enough, and as I said back on Jericho, I think you're a nice guy." He turned then, gesturing towards the hundreds of Terran ships cleaning up the battle of Regulus, and continued, "But, your intervention just saved all our lives, John. You've served in the military, I don't have to tell you what something like that means to a man. There's over half a million Terran Federation personnel out there who're feeling that right now. They know they're only alive today, because the Lion sailed in here and handed the Kintark their ass."

John turned to stare out the window, looking at the hundreds of ships with fresh eyes. It was an astonishing and humbling thought, and the realisation that Jack was absolutely right lifted a heavy burden of worry from his mind.

Jack put a comforting hand on his shoulder, and said, "We all saw what you did for Terra. For the last few days, there's been wall-to-wall coverage from TFNN and all the other networks, of the Invictus shooting down the rogue AI ship that was attacking the Sol System. The 'Lion of the Federation' might have started out as some PR bullshit from the Admiralty, but it's grown far beyond that now." He smiled as he added, "I'm not saying to let your guard down, far from it, but you're not as vulnerable as you think."

*I-... I might have been very wrong,* Edraele faltered, and he could feel how shocked she was over their telepathic link. She seemed to collect herself then, but she sounded sad as she continued, *My experiences are drawn from ruling through fear, terrorising my subjects into obedience, and expecting betrayal at every turn. This legendary reputation that's developing around 'the Lion of the Federation' is far beyond anything I've ever witnessed before.*

*It's alright, Edraele,* John replied, his tone soothing. He sent her a warm smile as he added, *This is all new to me too.*

*Still, I'm so sorry I worried you unnecessarily,* she apologised, and he could feel how badly she felt for her overly pessimistic advice.

John's tone was firm as he replied, *Plan for the worst and hope for the best. Your advice was perfect, and I won't hear another word otherwise. Imagining the darkest betrayals possible and keeping me prepared for that eventuality is the greatest service you could do for me, alright?*

*I'll always be there to watch your back,* she told him vehemently.

The conversation with Edraele had only taken a couple of seconds, but John didn't want Jack to feel anything was amiss, so he turned to face him and said, "Thank you for telling me that, Jack, I really appreciate it. I've been so caught up in recent events, I haven't had a chance to just stop and get my bearings."

"No problem and I'm glad I could help," he said with a genuinely happy smile.

With a sigh of regret, John said, "I probably should get going. I've got over six-hundred freed prisoners on the Invictus, and I promised I'd get them safely to Port Medea." He smiled warmly as he added, "It's been a huge relief chatting with you though, for a number of reasons."

Jack grinned at him, and asked, "When are you thinking of popping the question?"

"Soon, I'll just need to find the right time," John replied.

Giving him a friendly wink, Jack said, "I think I know what Calara's answer will be. I doubt you have much to worry about on that front."

"I hope you're right!" John said with a smile, and the two men shook hands again before they parted ways.

***

Calara waved at her dad and brother one final time, before they closed the airlock on the Damocles. She let out a happy sigh, then pressed her hand to the DNA reader next to the Raptor's airlock to close the door.

"Unauthorised Access," the computer announced in its bland, emotionless voice.

She frowned, and placed her hand on the panel again, but it stubbornly repeated the same phrase. "Unauthorised Access," it declared, with what sounded like a hint of smugness.

Whirling around to stare at John in astonishment, Calara said, "Not this again! I thought my DNA had stabilised after I'd been through the Change?"

He held up his hands, and said, "It's not something I've done intentionally. Maybe the DNA reader is broken?" He reached around behind her, and pressed his hand on the panel. The light flashed across the scanner, then beeped quietly as it matched his genetic code to the record it had in its system, and the airlock door slid closed with a secure sounding "Thunk".

"I'll have to ask Rachel to check me over again, and see what's changed," Calara said thoughtfully.

*She's pretty busy at the moment, I'm afraid,* Alyssa thought to John, and by the look on Calara's face, he knew she'd just been sent the same message. *Come up to the Bridge and I'll explain.*

John and Calara raced through to the grav-tube, then stepped inside and floated up to the upper deck. They strode into the cockpit, where Faye greeted them with a warm smile. "Alyssa wanted to speak to you," she said, turning to glance towards the holographic viewscreen floating between the Pilot and Co-Pilot's chairs.

"Hey guys," the beautiful blonde said, greeting her lovers with one of her glorious smiles. "I'd ask if you enjoyed your trip to the Damocles, but I know it went well." Her eyes flicked to look at John, and she added, *We'll talk about that later, handsome.*

"What's got Rachel occupied? Are the prisoners going through some kind of relapse of something?" John asked, with concern.

Alyssa shook her head, and replied, "No, it's nothing like that, all the people we rescued from the Kintark are fine."

Calara breathed a sigh of relief, then looked at her curiously as she asked, "What's the problem then?"

Alyssa's sparkling smile turned into a sombre frown as she said, "We were contacted by a Commodore Michael Dawson, who was in command of the battleship Hyperion before it got burnt out by plasma fire. The medical facilities in the fleet are getting overwhelmed, and he's asked if we can evacuate the severely wounded to Port Medea. We've taken on over eight-hundred injured personnel from several ships, and we've split them between the Medical Bay, the Crew Quarters on Deck Four, and the Hangar Bay."

"So we can't land the Raptor," John said, nodding his understanding. "You did the right thing. Well done, honey."

She smiled at him, and said, "I've plotted us a course from here to Iota-Leonis, and I've sent it to Faye in the Raptor. It'll take us two and half hours to fly there."

John glanced at the purple sprite, who gave him an eager grin, and said, "Course plotted and ready to go!"

"Let's get moving then," he said with a smile.

Alyssa blew him a kiss before closing the comm channel, and Faye hummed a happy tune to herself as she disengaged the docking clamps from the Damocles. The Raptor pulled away from the grey-hulled cruiser, the Terran Federation ship's fearsome batteries of Heavy Cannon and Beam Lasers currently hidden behind smooth Titanium plating. As quick as the Invictus was, the gunship was even faster, so Faye pulled alongside the white assault cruiser as they flew clear from the system's gravity wells.

John glanced at Faye, and asked, "Will your remote connection be able to handle us flying at hyper-warp?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and replied, "Dana already planned for that when she set up the remote link. She says it won't be a problem!"

He watched quietly after that as the Invictus was swathed in blue particles and leapt into hyper-warp a few seconds later. Faye had activated the Raptor's Tachyon drive a moment afterwards, and soon their gunship was racing towards the Iota-Leonis system as it followed Alyssa's weaving path between the stars.

John felt a presence close behind him, and Calara stood on tiptoe as she leaned over his shoulder and kissed him on the tip of his ear. When he turned to face her, she had a tender expression on her face as she said, "I had a good idea how we could pass the time until we reached Port Medea..."

She slipped her hand through his, intertwining their fingers, then pulled him gently towards the door leading from the cockpit through to the cabin. He shared a brief smile with Faye before following after Calara as she sashayed alluringly from the cockpit.

***

Dana frowned as she stared at the slowly rotating holograph, trying to figure out what on Terra she was looking at. The colourful three-dimensional image was floating in the clear space in front of the Engineering Podium, but the bewildering array of chemical components had her completely lost as to its purpose. With all the carbon molecules it looked organic in nature, but she had no real idea what she was looking at. Fortunately she knew a girl who did.

"Hey babes, whatcha lookin' at?" she drawled, as she wrapped her arms around Rachel's waist and rested her chin on her lover's shoulder.

Rachel had been lost in thought as she gazed at the holographic image, and she jumped in surprise at the sudden physical contact. The brunette turned to look at the redhead, smiling as she said, "Sorry, I was miles away there. Did you just ask me something?"

Dana gave her a peck on the cheek, and said, "I should be the one saying sorry, I didn't mean to scare you." She nodded towards the staggeringly complex formula, and asked, "What's that you're working on?"

Rachel's eyes sparkled with excitement as she replied, "It's a synthetic enzyme that will act as a catalyst for cellular regeneration. Given the correct personalised stimulus, this should be able to reverse catastrophic cell necrosis on both the dermis and epidermis!"

Screwing her beautiful face up in a comedic depiction of confusion, Dana said, "I was with you all the way up to 'It's a synthetic...'. That means you made it, right?"

The brunette twisted in Dana's affectionate embrace until she was facing her, and smiled as she asked, "Do you want the layman's version?"

"I'm ready to be wowed!" Dana replied, her brow furrowing with concentration as she listened attentively.

Rachel glanced at the holograph, and said, "It's for the plasma burn victims we took on board. I just need to take a blood sample from each patient, then I can customise this enzyme for them. We can apply it to the burned areas of their body, and It'll help them re-grow damaged skin without leaving any scarring." She looked a bit forlorn as she admitted, "Unfortunately It can't regenerate muscles or sinews, so it won't be able to help the really severely injured."

Dana blinked at her in shock, lifting her hand self-consciously to touch the side of her face, which had once been horribly scarred. She'd been involved in a terrible accident as a child, when a generator she'd tried to repair had exploded in front of her, leaving her with gruesome burns across her face, arm, and chest.

"Would it have worked on me?" she asked quietly.

Brushing her fingers across Dana's beautiful face, Rachel nodded as she replied, "You were my inspiration. When John healed your scars, he helped you blossom into the wonderful girl you are today... but he can't help everyone like that. I didn't want anyone else to suffer the way you did."

Letting out a low cry, Dana wrapped her arms tightly around Rachel, and as tears ran down her face, she sobbed, "What you've done for those people... it means so much!"

Rachel hugged her overwhelmed friend, her full lips curving into a contented smile.

***

John finished getting dressed, then leaned over to pull the covers up around Calara's shoulders, leaving the slumbering girl tucked up snugly in bed. She had a serene expression on her lovely face as she slept, and he honestly couldn't remember seeing her look more beautiful. He crept quietly out of the room, then shut the door to the cabin behind him, wincing as it closed with a soft click. He stopped and listened for a moment, but Calara's deep, rhythmic breathing hadn't been interrupted.

Satisfied that she was still fast asleep, he walked down the corridor towards the cockpit, then smiled at Faye as she turned in her chair and greeted him with a wave. After closing the door behind him, he relaxed, feeling as though he could speak normally now, and he asked, "How's it going, Faye? Any trouble?"

"None whatsoever!" she replied exuberantly. Her cute purple face twisted in confusion as she added, "You could have stayed in bed if you wanted to. We won't arrive at Port Medea for another twenty minutes."

"I know, but I had something I wanted to do while Calara was asleep," John replied cryptically.

"Really? Is it a surprise for her?!" Faye asked, turning to kneel on the Pilot's chair, and staring at him in delight over the headrest.

He nodded, smiling as he replied, "Yes, and I hope she likes it." He leaned forward, and added in a conspiratorial whisper, "I'm going to ask her to marry me, but I'm calling her mother first to ask for her blessing."

Faye swooned as she gazed at him, biting her lip in excitement. She had a sudden thought, and announced considerately, "I'll give you some privacy for the call. I won't get in the way."

"You can watch the call from inside the Raptor's digital network if you'd like?" he asked her with a smile.

"Thank you so much!" Faye gasped, then disappeared in a purple flash.

John walked around the Pilot's Chair, then sank down into the comfortable seat. He tapped a button on the unfamiliar console in front of him, and with a quiet hum, the holographic comms interface appeared before him. He suddenly realised with a hint of embarrassment, that in all this time, he'd never actually flown the Raptor.

*We're definitely spoiling you, Mister 'I'm-too-good-to-fly-my-own-spaceship',* Alyssa said in wry amusement, although she sounded a little more subdued than normal.

*I've got other far more important duties to attend to,* he replied imperiously. He smiled then as he continued, *Like keeping my beautiful girls happy.*

*She's going to be thrilled,* Alyssa said with a wistful, ambivalent sigh.

He could feel just how delighted she was for Calara over their empathic bond, but her happiness was also tinged with a profound sense of sadness and loss. It only took him a second to realise why she was feeling so conflicted.

*I could really use a hug,* she said quietly as she listened to his thoughts.

*It's alright, I understand,* John replied. His voice was soothing as he added, *I'll be back soon, beautiful.*

*I love you,* she replied quietly, and her voice suddenly went silent.

He felt a curious absence from his mind then, as though she had deliberately pulled back her consciousness so she wasn't tuning into his inner voice any longer. He wasn't alarmed though, as her actions were perfectly understandable considering the circumstances.

He searched down the list of contacts on the comms interface until he found "Maria Fernandez - Jericho", and swiping his hand across her name, the call started to go through.

He didn't have to wait long until an attractive olive-skinned woman answered his call. The family resemblance between Maria and her daughter was striking, and although he knew she was a few years older than himself, he wouldn't have put her a day over thirty. Maria was an elegant, refined woman, possessed of a gentle self-assuredness which he found quite fascinating. It therefore came as quite a surprise to see her looking so flustered, her beautiful face reflecting how overcome she was with emotion.

"Hello, Maria, It's lovely to see you again," John said, as he greeted her with a warm smile.

"Oh, John! I'll never be able to thank you enough for saving my baby!" she exclaimed, and he couldn't help but be moved by the level of heartfelt relief and gratitude he saw in her dark-brown eyes. She choked up as she added, "Mateo was with Jack when they called me..."

"It was my pleasure, Maria," John said sincerely. "I love Calara very much, and I've grown quite fond of her family too. I'd never let anything happen to any of you if I can help it."

"Thank you John, you've done so much for us already. Calara, Mateo, Jack, I just don't have the words..." she replied, her voice trembling with emotion.

He smiled at her as he said light-heartedly, "I just hope that you, Dylan, and Eduardo keep out of trouble. I'd rather not make it a full house!"

She laughed at that, relaxing as she did so, with a broad smile lighting up her face. After a long moment's pause, she bit her lip nervously, and then blurted out, "Was there anything else you wanted to speak to me about?"

Shaking his head in amusement, he chuckled as he replied, "I can't believe Jack told you."

Maria blushed with embarrassment, and said, "Don't be upset with Jack, it wasn't his fault. I know him far too well, and when he called to tell me about Mateo, I realised immediately."

John smiled at her as he said, "He mentioned you'd predicted this months ago. Thanks for laying the groundwork for me, I'm sure it made the conversation -much- easier!"

"You're very welcome," she said, the hint of a smile teasing her lips.

He studied her face for a moment, and seeing the anticipation burning in her eyes, he asked, "It's not a surprise any longer, but would you still like to hear the speech I'd prepared?"

Her expression softened then, and she replied quietly, "Please do, I'd love to hear what you were going to say."

John took a deep breath and met her intense gaze. His voice was firm and full of conviction as he said, "Your daughter is the kindest, loveliest girl I've ever met, and I've fallen hopelessly in love with her. I never thought I'd be lucky enough to find someone so special, let alone have the incredible good fortune for her to actually like me too. I can't imagine Calara not being in my life, and I want to be with her forever. Before I propose to her, would you do me the incredible honour of giving me your blessing?"

Maria gave him a muffled squeak in affirmation as she nodded her head, her cheeks wet with happy tears. John missed that though, his attention drawn to the shocked gasp from the doorway behind him. He whirled in his chair, and saw Calara with the bedsheet gathered around her and held to her chest, staring at him in amazement. He realised at once that he'd been so wrapped up with speaking to Maria, he hadn't heard Calara's quiet, inopportune arrival.

He rose from his chair, crossing the floor to her in a several long strides, then sank to one knee as he asked, "Will you marry me, Calara? I love you with all my heart."

Through eyes filled with tears, she nodded as she stared at him, and managed to gasp, "Oh, I will!"

John rose to his feet with a wild grin on his face, then swept her into his arms, leaning her back as he kissed her. She returned the ardent kiss passionately, moaning into his mouth as he pulled her closer. He could feel her rounded tummy pressing against him, where she carried the huge load she'd coaxed from his quad into her willing womb. Fortunately his back was to the cockpit camera, so between the gathered sheets and his body blocking line of sight, Maria was oblivious to her daughter's hugely swollen belly.