Three Square Meals Ch. 075

"9," the deck counter displayed helpfully.

"'I think twins are hot!' he says," Alyssa grumbled, tapping her foot impatiently.

"10," the counter continued to increase, as the lift descended.

"'A threesome with Irillith and her twin would be amazing'," she parroted, as she recalled one of John's idle thoughts, clenching her teeth with frustration.

"11," the deck counter informed her, as she dropped down through the decks.

She rolled her eyes as she muttered, "There must be thousands of sexy Maliri twins who'd be begging to take his load, but no, that would be far too easy..."

"12," the lift let out a smug chime, and she could almost hear its sense of satisfaction at a job well done.

The lift finally opened, and Alyssa stalked outside, quite certain she deserved the 'Best Girlfriend in the Universe' award for her efforts.

She caught a flicker of movement a long way up the corridor, and she sprinted after Tashana, hexagonal shield bobbing in front of her. Alyssa felt a flicker of fear as she recognised the crystal portal up ahead, the design identical to the inner airlock door on Edraele's private shuttle. She skidded to a halt outside the sealed portal, and peered through the clear-crystal window into the small, pressurised airlock chamber.

Tashana was standing there, her hand trembling as it hovered over the button that would open the outer airlock door. She'd lost her cowl and mask when Alyssa had smacked her out of the Docking Bay, and the blue skin on the back of her shaven head was crisscrossed with a patchwork of ugly scars.

"Wait! Don't do it!" Alyssa called out, making a quick gesture with her right hand.

Tashana whirled around, her angular eyes widening with fear as she stared at her blonde pursuer. Not wasting any time, she slapped her hand down on the button, but her hand came up short, blocked from making contact by Alyssa's invisible wall of telekinetic force. Hammering away at it time and again, she finally realised it was futile. The terrible look of despair in those violet orbs was heartbreaking, and Alyssa felt a sharp pang of sympathy for the ravaged girl.

She pressed her hand on the button to open the inner airlock door, but Tashana had sealed it from the inside. Making a lifting motion with her left hand, she forced the door upwards with a tortured shriek of crystal.

Backing away into the corner of the airlock chamber, Tashana's violet eyes were wide with fear, as she blurted out, "You've already won! What more do you want from me?!"

Alyssa stepped inside the airlock, then lowered her left hand again, dropping the crystal door and sealing them inside. Her bright blue eyes narrowed, and she pointed at Tashana, the eldritch vortexes swirling ominously around her slender arm. "Sit down, we're going to have a little chat," she said firmly.

Shaking her head, Tashana replied, "No! I'm not listeni-"

Giving her a shrug, Alyssa said, "Either you sit down, or I'll make you. It's your choice."

Eyeing the white nimbus of power shrouding the Terran girl, Tashana reluctantly squatted down on the ground, watching the blonde like she was a poisonous snake.

Alyssa leaned against the opposite wall, then slid down so she was sitting on the floor. They sat staring at each other for a few seconds, until she said, "Despite everything you've done, I just want to help you."

"By helping him turn me into one of his indoctrinated thralls?!" Tashana snapped, her fear receding as her temper flared. "I've had enough of being raped for ten lifetimes!"

Shaking her head, Alyssa replied, "It's not like that at all." She smiled at the horribly scarred Maliri girl, and said, "He can undo everything that happened to you - put you back the way you were before the banishment."

Tashana snorted, and said, "If I become one of his mindless puppets?! I'd rather just space myself!"

"Progenitors do turn women into Thralls, but John is very different. There's no domination over our bond with him, he got rid of all that. If you decide to join us, you'll just be yourself," Alyssa explained patiently. She looked into Tashana's disbelieving eyes, and added, "Alternatively, he doesn't even have to be involved at all. Our doctor, Rachel, can help you instead. It won't be the same as if John heals you, and will take a lot longer, but at the very least she can save your life. You've been getting splitting headaches, haven't you?"

The Maliri girl subconsciously reached for her temple, then sounded more subdued as she murmured, "The brain tumour..."

Alyssa arched an eyebrow, and said, "I didn't realise you knew about it. You ran away before we could tell you."

Tashana nodded, and said, "The scanner in the Medical Bay. I saw the scan results when I was looking for the tracking implant."

Spotting the burn mark on her neck, Alyssa winced, and said, "That must have hurt like hell." She looked into Tashana's wary eyes, and continued sincerely, "Anyway, Rachel can operate to remove the tumour, which will stop the headaches and save your life. She'll be able to rebuild your nose with a synthetic version, and she's also developed enzymes that can regenerate scar tissue on burn victims - they'd work just as well to heal all your scars. She can't undo all the psychological trauma you've suffered, but there's no extra implications involving John, if you choose to go along that route."

Tashana didn't say anything for a long moment, before she asked in a quiet voice, "So your doctor could help me? Then I'd be free to leave?"

The blonde girl nodded, and replied, "Rachel tells me it'd take a few weeks to treat all your injuries." She smiled as she added, "We aren't going to hold you prisoner, you can go whenever you like. Hiding in our Medical Bay was your idea, we just wanted to check the extent of your injuries."

"Why are you trying so hard to help me?" Tashana asked, trying to decide if she was being manipulated.

Alyssa smiled at her, and replied, "Because John loves Irillith and Edraele, and wants to help them make amends. They both bitterly regret what happened to you, even though it wasn't their fault."

"Of course it was their fucking fault!" Tashana snarled, her eyes blazing with fury.

Shaking her head, Alyssa's voice was firm, when she replied, "No, it wasn't. The women that betrayed you no longer exist, not as they were, at least." She sighed, as she continued, "It's a long story, but Edraele fought a Progenitor, and had her mind wiped out when she lost. That vicious, heartless monster that was your mother, is dead. Her body was nothing but an empty shell when John and I found her. Her memories were intact, but everything that formed her personality was totally obliterated. He rebuilt Edraele's mind, shaping her into a kind woman, who's doing her best to lead and care for her people."

Despite how ludicrous it sounded, Tashana knew Alyssa was telling the truth. Her tale was too outlandish to be some half-baked lie. "What about Irillith?" she asked sullenly.

Alyssa laughed, tilting her head back as she stared at the ceiling, and replied, "Holy Christ! She was a real grade-A bitch when we first met her! Irillith was even more of a pain in the arse than you are!" Lowering her eyes to fix Tashana with her steady blue-eyed gaze, she continued in a sober voice, "She got shot, and would have died if she hadn't asked John to save her."

"So I suppose she's all 'kind' now, too?" Tashana asked, her voice full of scorn.

Ignoring the other girl's sarcasm, Alyssa replied quietly, "Trying to live in this fucked-up Maliri civilisation of yours warped your sister. The daily floggings with the neural whips, the mental and physical abuse from your mother; they all turned her into a woman that was bitterly jealous of Edraele's attention, and viewed you as a threat. John healed her mind, erasing all those torments, and she's simply not the same person any more. She's good and kind now, like you were, before you were betrayed."

Tashana looked haunted by those memories, filled with a fierce yearning for the days before all those years of pain and anguish. She didn't say anything, but the look she gave Alyssa spoke volumes.

Alyssa spoke softly now, and said, "You were always a good girl, just trying to keep your relationship going with your sister, while she pushed you away. What happened to you was horrible, and you never deserved any of it." She leaned forward, and said earnestly, "Let John help you. He can put things back to the way they should have been."

"So I'm supposed to believe he's some kind of white knight? He just rides in on his trusty steed, and magically fixes everything?" Tashana snapped, her ruined face twisting with her snide comment.

"Yes, pretty much. He did the same for me, and all the other girls on the Invictus. You had the intuition to realise the truth behind the 'Mael'nerak' fairytale, then spent decades researching it, and trying to convince everyone that you were right. I know it's going to be difficult for you, but you're simply going to have to trust me, and realise that I'm the one telling you the truth this time," Alyssa replied, her tone sincere.

Tashana faltered for a moment, then sounded suspicious as she asked, "How do I know this isn't some kind of trick?"

Alyssa glanced pointedly at the button that controlled the outer airlock door, and added, "Considering what you were planning to do, what have you got to lose?"

Hugging her knees, the troubled girl turned away from Alyssa's bright blue eyes, unable to face her piercing gaze. When Tashana eventually looked up again, Alyssa waved her hand at the telekinetic barrier over the button controlling the airlock door, and removed it with a brief surge of willpower.

Meeting Tashana's questioning look, Alyssa smiled, as she said, "There, I've removed the barrier. Now I'm placing my trust in you first, and putting both our lives in your hands."

Tashana stared at the airlock's emergency release valve with wide eyes. It had been several decades since anyone had placed that kind of blind faith in her, and it was shocking to experience it once again. She turned to look at the calm girl before her, and sounded tentative as she asked, "What do you want me to do, exactly?"

Alyssa rose to her feet, dismissing the white glow of power around herself, and replied, "I'm only asking you for one thing. You've spoken with Faye before, and you've probably realised that she's an innocent soul. She's honest and trusting, and I've never seen her act in a duplicitous way. She can show you cam footage of everything we've been doing on the Invictus. If you watch that, you'll be able to see that John isn't anything like Mael'nerak was. He genuinely wants to help you, just like he helped me and all the other girls."

Tashana was silent for a moment, moved by her sincerity, and she finally said, "Alright, I'll do as you ask."

With a bright smile on her face, Alyssa raised the internal airlock door with a slight gesture, and said, "Come on, let's get out of here." She frowned slightly, as she added, "I need to check on John, you really hurt him."

She opened the airlock door, and Tashana followed her out into the corridor. They walked together in silence, with the Maliri girl lost in her thoughts, while Alyssa caught up on events with her girls.

*John sustained severe third-degree burns across his back, which I've treated as best I can,* Rachel explained, her tone detached and professional to stop herself getting upset. *He's anaesthetised, and aboard the Raptor. We're just waiting for you before we depart.*

*Thank you, we won't be long,* Alyssa replied, stepping into the lift with Tashana at her side.

They rode up together, the lift chiming as it counted off the deck levels, until they finally reached Deck Seven. The corridor outside was a charred ruin, with billowing black smoke staining the ceiling after the fire had been extinguished. They walked past the emergency response teams who were starting the clean-up operation, and they glanced at Alyssa with curiosity, and Tashana with a mixture of pity and revulsion in their eyes.

The scarred girl flinched from those judgemental looks, until Alyssa reached out to take her hand, a sympathetic, supportive smile on her full lips. Tashana flinched at the contact, then smiled at her tentatively, letting the blonde girl lead her past the Maliri and into the Docking Bay. She stopped momentarily to scoop up her mask, the cowl torn where it had been ripped from her head.

Alyssa studied her for a moment, then said softly, "Whether you choose to let John or Rachel help you, you won't need to hide behind that mask any more." She gently squeezed her hand then released it, before walking over to Tsarra and the rest of the Matriarchs. They had gathered around the Raptor, and had looks of concern on their faces as they spoke to Sakura, who stood fully armed and armoured on the loading ramp.

Tashana lifted the golden mask with its mocking grin, turning it in the light as she studied it. Alyssa's telekinetic blow had smashed its features, and the heat from the fire had melted them, distorting the golden face even further. The mask looked strangely sad now, the grin distorted and downturned, and where the metal had melted around the eyes, it looked like it had been crying golden tears.

The mask had been the face of Malifica, the persona she'd hidden behind as an arena fighter first, then a freed slave, and finally, a smuggler. It had helped protect her from those pitying and horrified looks, letting her forget for brief moments everything that had been done to her. While it offered protection, she suddenly realised that it was also a golden cage, keeping her trapped behind its concealing embrace, and preventing her from having any real interaction with the world. While that had been a blessing in the Unclaimed Wastes, she realised she'd never be able to truly experience life while hiding behind it.

She let the mask fall from her fingers, then watched as it dropped to the deck with a metallic clang. When she turned away and followed Alyssa to the gunship, she didn't look back.

***

*The Matriarchs have sent their fleets back to their territories, and are all coming to Genthalas in their flagships,* Alyssa said to Edraele, as she walked towards the aft grav-tube. John was unconscious, and floating along beside her, cradled in her gentle telekinetic embrace.

*I'll arrange berths for the ships, and guest quarters for everyone,* Edraele replied, her tone distracted and perfunctory. She hesitated for a moment, then her voice trembled, as she added, *Thank you, for saving her.*

Alyssa glanced at Tashana, who walked along quietly beside her, and replied, *I'm hoping she'll make the right choice, but whatever happens, things will be better for her now.*

Edraele didn't reply, but opened her empathic bond wide, instead. She shared all her feelings of relief and gratitude, love for the daughter that had been so badly wronged, and for Alyssa herself, for rescuing Tashana from a cold, bleak end in the vacuum of space. It was a moving experience, one that was far more profound than words alone could convey.

Surreptitiously wiping away the welling tears in her eyes, Alyssa stopped in front of the blue anti-gravity field, then turned to Sakura, and asked, "Please could you take Tashana up to John's Ready Room? Faye's got some videos to show her."

Sakura nodded, then smiled at Tashana, and said, "If you'd like to follow me, I'll show you the way."

They stepped into the grav-tube, and once they were enveloped in the blue glow, they rose upwards and out of sight.

Contacting Sakura telepathically, Alyssa added, *You better stay geared up and wait in the Bridge. Faye will be with her, but I'm not willing to take any chances. I'll be with John, but just let me know if there's any problems, okay?*

*Don't worry, I'll keep everyone safe,* Sakura replied confidently.

Alyssa guided John into the grav-tube, then glanced at Rachel and asked, "How long will he be out for?"

"The sedative should keep him under for six hours," the brunette replied, studying John's gel-sealed wounds, his torso thoroughly wrapped by bandages. "I've never seen him heal himself before, so I'm not sure how long that'll take."

Stepping out onto Deck Two, Alyssa replied, "He was completely healed from a spike being driven through his gut in about the same time, and he's a lot stronger now. I guess we'll just have to see."

They walked through to the bedroom, where Dana was waiting for them, and Alyssa levitated John over the bed, before gently laying him down on his front.

"Fuck! She really toasted him!" Dana swore, scampering over the bed, and looking at the swathes of bandages covering John's entire back and left arm.

Rachel nodded, and said, "They were terrible burns. He was fortunate he was only exposed for a few seconds." She kicked off her shoes, then climbed on the bed, her professional composure cracking as she leaned in to plant a loving kiss on his cheek.

John's jacket and shirt had been burned or cut away, leaving him in just his trousers and shoes. Dana and Rachel quickly pulled them off, then covered his lower body with the bedsheet, before stripping off themselves and getting into bed beside him. Alyssa followed their lead, snuggling in behind Dana as they gazed at John in concern.

"It's bad enough seeing any of us get hurt, but it feels worse when it's John," Dana murmured, running her hand through his hair. "He's normally the one looking after us."

Alyssa nodded, then rested her chin on her friend's shoulder, and said, "He'll be alright, Sparks. I can feel him drawing energy from me to heal himself." She glanced at the redhead, pulling psychic energy from her to add to the stream she was feeding to their man.

"I feel it too," Dana murmured. She looked over her shoulder, then smiled as she added, "Thanks for letting me help."

Giving her a loving smile, Alyssa glanced over John to see Rachel watching them, that same desire to help etched clearly on her beautiful face. Even though it was unnecessary, as she had more than enough energy reserves to heal John herself, Alyssa gently drew power from Rachel. It was just enough for her to feel it, and the brunette nodded and smiled in gratitude, before lying down on the bed beside him. The three girls settled down to begin their vigil, knowing he was going to be alright, but worried for him all the same.

***

"Hi, Sakura!" Faye greeted the Asian girl as she stepped onto the Bridge. She waved at Tashana and added, "Hello again, Tashana! I've been reviewing all our cam-feed archives, and I've got lots to show you!"

Tashana responded with a curt nod, then followed after the chirpy purple girl as she skipped towards the Ready Room. The Command Deck was deserted, but only because Jade was piloting the Invictus from the Combat Bridge, instead. While the situation with the rival Matriarchs seemed to have been calmed, Calara wasn't willing to take any chances, so she was keeping her company at her Tactical Station, just in case she needed to spring into action. Although Irillith longed to see her sister, she was down there too, following Alyssa's request to keep out of sight. Neither of them wanted to risk sparking off Tashana's anger with her twin's presence, not at this delicate stage.

Sakura settled in to wait, sitting in the Comms Station chair to surreptitiously stand guard, while Faye closed the Ready Room door behind Tashana.

"So, what would you like to see first?" the chirpy AI asked, as she bounced over to John's desk, and sat on the end. "Alyssa told me to show you anything you like, but she thought it would be more useful to show you the transformation each of the girls underwent."

Tashana swept the unfamiliar room with a cautious glance, and seeing nothing threatening, followed Faye over to the desk. She slowly sat in the big leather chair, before turning it towards the glowing holographic interface that floated above the heavy desk. After thinking about Faye's question for a moment, a dark smile spread on her ravaged face, as she replied, "Start by showing me Irillith, when she got shot."