Three Square Meals Ch. 087

"Just be yourself, you'll win anyone over that way," she said with a faint smile.

He chuckled as they stepped into the red anti-gravity field. "I was hoping for something a little more concrete than that."

Rachel glanced at him, a troubled expression forming on her face as she faltered, "I-I'm not really sure. I've barely managed a civil conversation with my father in nearly ten years."

John was quiet for a moment as he studied her. "Was that all because of your anger towards him?"

"No! He's just as bad!" she replied hotly, then blushed in embarrassment.

"It's alright, beautiful," Alyssa murmured, flooding the brunette's subconscious with soothing waves of calm.

Rachel took a deep steadying breath, then nodded to the blonde in gratitude. "I'm going to need plenty more of that," she said, looking pensive.

They stepped out into the corridor on Deck Nine, with Alyssa waving her hand at the door controls, opening them as they approached. Faye grinned at them through the Raptor's clear-crystal canopy, giving them a cheerful wave as they walked across the Hangar and up the loading ramp. By the time they had reached the cockpit the eager purple sprite had taken off and they were heading towards New Eden.

John took a seat, with Rachel sitting next to him, Dana beside her. Alyssa sat opposite, watching the nervous brunette with a careful eye.

*I hadn't realised how difficult this was going to be for her,* John thought to Alyssa as he put his arm around Rachel. *I'd hoped that after we took out the Armoured Cobras, it might have changed things.*

*It did,* Alyssa replied, her voice quiet and thoughtful. *But she still misses her mother... more so with the recent talk of marriage and children. As much as we all love Calara and her family, seeing her happiness with them is a sharp reminder of what we've lost.*

John glanced at Dana who was murmuring loving words into Rachel's ear, occasionally pausing to give her a tender kiss. *I was impressed by Dana's attitude, but I can see it's still a painful subject for her. Was she sincere about just putting everything behind her?*

Alyssa gave him a slight nod, her piercing blue eyes flicking over to the redhead. *She's remarkably resilient, but she also loves her life with us. I think she's right... whatever she found out would either be deeply sad or disappointing.*

A chime on the console drew John's attention and Faye accepted the incoming call with a glance.

"Incoming vessel, this is restricted airspace. Please identify your name and business," the man requested, his voice firm and authoritative.

Before Faye could reply, Rachel spoke up, "This is Rachel Voss and my Father's expecting us."

"Please proceed, Miss Voss," the man replied immediately, his tone respectful.

A green guide path appeared in the Raptor's HUD as the flight control system at the Voss estate synced up with the Raptor's navigation computer. Faye followed that curving trail as they raced over carefully maintained grounds, approaching the imposing mansion on the hill that overlooked the massive country estate. It was a beautiful day on New Eden and the verdant grounds were bathed in bright sunlight. The view was spectacular, making the Voss estate look more like the carefully manipulated imagery of a holo-commercial than an actual real-life location.

"Fuck me!" Dana gasped as she glanced out the cockpit canopy. She slowly rose to her feet and walked over to the window, staring at the massive stately home in awe. Turning around to stare at Rachel in astonishment, she added, "Babes, you actually lived in that?!"

The brunette nodded, rising from her seat and slowly walking over to join the redhead. "Aside from the staff, it was just my father and me for years. At least until he remarried," she replied, her voice quiet and subdued. "My mother made it feel like home, but it was a very lonely place without her..."

John shot her a sympathetic look and went over to join Dana in hugging the brunette. They watched as Faye followed the gentle arc of the guide path as they circled the Voss mansion and approached the landing pad at the rear of the huge building. Following a text book approach, the purple sprite guided them down to the glowing platform below, touching down in the centre of the pad with barely a tremor.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Rachel said decisively, turning around and walking out of the cockpit.

John and Dana shared a look of concern, then joined Alyssa in following the brunette. When they reached the forward loading room, they saw that Faye had already lowered the access ramp and a smartly suited figure was waiting for them outside. John was expecting it to be Rachel's father, but the middle-aged man waiting for them in the three-piece suit was not Henry Voss.

"Miss Voss! How wonderful to see you again," he said, his eyes widening slightly as he looked at the statuesque brunette. He bowed and greeted her with a warm smile. "It's been far too long."

"Hello, Jennings," she said, returning the smile. "I hope you're well?"

"Absolutely radiant, miss. Thank you for asking," he replied, his eyes flickering towards the rest of the group as they walked down the ramp. "Might I enquire as to the names of your guests?"

She turned to look at her companions and replied, "This is John, Dana, and Alyssa. John's my fiancé, Dana's my girlfriend and Alyssa's my... other friend."

"Oh congratulations, sir!" Jennings exclaimed, not appearing ruffled for one moment as he offered his hand towards John. "Miss Voss is an absolutely charming young woman. You're very lucky!"

John shook his hand, fascinated by the man. "She certainly is and I certainly am."

Jennings turned to look at Dana and bowed "If I may be so bold; I didn't think it was possible for another young lady to rival Miss Voss' beauty, but it appears I was mistaken."

Dana blushed, rendered speechless by the man's flowery compliment and feeling completely out of her depth.

Rachel rolled her eyes as she put her arm around the redhead, grinning as she said, "Come on Jennings, stop embarrassing her. You're laying it on a bit thick." She sounded apprehensive as she added, "Is Meredith here?"

"The Lady of the house is out on a shopping excursion to New Avalon," Jennings explained, sharing a pointed look with Rachel. "Your father thought it prudent to meet you alone for luncheon."

Rachel couldn't help sighing with relief. She glanced up at the huge building and asked, "Where is he at the moment?"

"Mr. Voss had to take an urgent call. He sends his apologies and said he'd join you shortly in the Orangery," Jennings replied, half turning and gesturing to the building. "If you'd care to follow me."

Rachel nodded and he began to walk towards the enormous stately home. Jennings walked ahead of them at a comfortable, measured pace, the tails of his black jacket barely moving with his stiff-backed posture.

"Holy shit! You had a butler?!" Dana whispered furtively to the brunette.

Rachel looked at her in confusion and replied in a hushed voice, "Of course, didn't you?"

Dana looked at her in surprise, then laughed when she saw Rachel doing her best to stifle a smile. "You're so bad, teasing me like that."

Jennings led them up two flights of stone steps, until they reached a terrace that overlooked the grounds at the rear of the mansion. Passing the tables and chairs set up there, they headed inside the building. It took a moment for John's eyes to adjust to the darkened interior, after being exposed to the bright midday sunshine outside. The Voss mansion featured a lot of wood, the dark oak giving the place an air of sober antiquity, further enhanced by the marble sculptures that lined the hall. Although it was impressive to see as a guest, John could well imagine how unwelcoming this house must have felt to Rachel in her formative years.

They walked in silence as Jennings led them along one high-ceilinged hallway after another. Rachel was lost in thought, while the rest of the group tried not to gape at the decor. They ascended a sweeping flight of steps, then proceeded through the east wing of the house, passing six-foot-tall paintings that lined the walls of this upper hallway.

"Who are all these people?" Dana asked, glancing at the portraits which mostly consisted of smart men in suits.

"The Voss line dating back for the last five-hundred-years," Rachel said distractedly. "My father had them commissioned from holo-pictures, taking some artistic license with some of my more unorthodox ancestors. He's desperate to build the Voss family legacy and add a sense of respectability to our name. The Terran Federation aristocracy tend to look down on anyone they perceive to be the 'nouveau riche'."

Dana shook her head in muted disbelief. "Even with everything he's got, it's still not enough to make him happy..."

"Exactly," Rachel agreed, slipping her hand into her lover's and brushing her thumb against Dana's.

Jennings stopped at the end of the hallway and pushed open the double doors, then stood aside so that they could enter. The brick-built orangery had a plated glass roof and long, floor-to-ceiling windows, making the room feel light and airy, especially compared to rest of the sombre mansion. John guessed that they were up on the second floor of the east wing of the huge house, and the elevation gave them an unrestricted view of the breathtaking scenery surrounding the estate.

"My mother used to love it in here," Rachel said wistfully, leading Dana past the tables and out onto the veranda.

"I'll return in a moment with refreshments," Jennings said with a polite bow. "Mr. Voss should be here shortly."

"Thank you," John said, nodding to the man in gratitude.

The butler slipped out of the door, leaving the four of them alone in the room. Alyssa glanced around, a faint smile on her face as her bright blue eyes took in ethereal sights that only she could see. John could see she was distracted, so he turned to look at Rachel, who was leaning against Dana by the stone balustrade. John left Alyssa with the psychic imprints and walked out to join the others, placing a reassuring hand on Rachel's shoulder and drawing her attention to him.

"Jennings seems like a nice guy," he said, darting a look back at the entrance to the Orangery. "Has he been working for your father for long?"

"It must be fifteen years now," Rachel said, shaking her head at how quickly the time had flown.

"If you had servants like him around the house, it can't have been that bad growing up here?" Dana asked, eyes still wide with wonder as she stared at the plush luxury of the estate.

Rachel gave the redhead a sad smile. "He's paid to be obsequious to his employers and Jennings is very good at his job."

"Damn, that's fucked up," Dana muttered, giving the brunette a look of sympathy.

Loud footsteps echoed down the hallway drawing John's attention to the door, the gait of the approaching man very different from Jenning's well-measured tread. He recognised Henry Voss as he strode into the room, having seen him once before when they last visited the estate.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, I had to take an important call," Rachel's father said, his sharp eyes flicking first to Alyssa, then to the group out on the veranda. His face froze as he stared at his daughter, a look of happiness then regret flashing over his features.

"Hi, Dad," Rachel said hesitantly, walking up to him and giving him a slightly awkward hug.

Henry Voss patted her on the back. "You're nearly as tall as me now, Rachel," he muttered in surprise, studying his daughter with a strange expression on his face. "I didn't notice last time."

"I'm wearing higher heels today," she explained, glancing down at her shoes.

There was a moment of uncomfortable silence before her father turned to look curiously at his guests.

"We haven't been properly introduced, Mr. Voss," John said, extending his hand to the older, grey-haired man. "I'm pleased to meet you, my name's John Blake."

"I'd be surprised if anyone in the Terran Federation doesn't know who you are, Vice Admiral Blake," Rachel's father replied, shaking John's hand with a firm grip, while studying him with an appraising eye.

John gave him a friendly smile. "Call me John, please."

"Henry," Rachel's father replied, his grey eyes flicking across to the girls.

"This is Dana and Alyssa," Rachel said, hovering protectively beside the redhead. "They're my crewmates aboard our ship, the Invictus. Alyssa is John's Executive Officer and Dana is our Chief Engineer."

Henry nodded to them politely. "Welcome to you both."

"Dana's also my girlfriend," Rachel announced, a slight hint of defiance in her tone.

Henry's eyes narrowed as he glanced at his daughter. "I see. Is she a biker as well by any chance?"

Rachel bristled at that, but Alyssa eased the tension in her mind and managed to calm her down.

Dana looked very uncomfortable in the tense atmosphere and said quietly, "It's really nice to meet you, Mr. Voss."

He briefly glanced her way and looked like he was about to say something before changing his mind. Instead he turned to John and asked, "So, what brings my daughter's Commanding Officer to my humble abode? For the second time, no less..."

"I'm sorry we weren't able to talk the last time I was here. Considering the circumstances, I thought it best to leave you alone with Rachel," John explained, a look of sympathy on his face. He turned towards the young brunette and continued, "We were back in the Core Worlds for the Award Ceremony and Rachel wanted to take the opportunity to introduce us."

Henry Voss' eyes lit up with sudden understanding and he frowned in disapproval as he looked at his daughter. "Really, Rachel? Both of them? I thought you'd grown past these kinds of games."

"Games? I've no idea what you mean, father," Rachel replied hotly. "Would you care to elaborate?"

John could see the flare of anger in Henry Voss, but in fairness to the man, he managed to bite down his temper. Henry took a deep breath, then turned to look Rachel squarely in the eye. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to fight with you today. After your last visit, I thought things could be better between us."

"I really hoped so too," Rachel said, letting out a heavy sigh. Looking at him with a sheepish expression on her face, she continued, "I'm tired of all the arguments. I just want to go back to the way things used to be."

Henry brightened then, smiling as he said, "Any time you want to end this doctor nonsense, just say the word! You can come back to work for me and learn about my businesses while I mentor you to become my successor! I can pull some strings and get you out of the military without any trouble."

Rachel frowned in irritation. "No, that's not-"

He waved away her objection dismissively. "It's not a problem, I can always grease a few palms. With the right amount of money, anything's possible..."

"Except for saving my mother!" Rachel snarled, her temper exploding in a searing flash. "But you didn't even try to save her, did you? You were too fucking tight-fisted to pay her ransom!"

"How dare you speak to me like that!" Henry snapped, clenching his fists in anger.

"I'm just getting started!" Rachel screamed. "After getting my mother killed, you had ten fucking years to bring her killers to justice! We hunted the bastards down and exterminated them in less than three weeks!"

John glanced at Alyssa in alarm and she looked back at him helplessly. *She's too angry! I can't suppress that much rage...*

Henry faltered, his face wracked with guilt. "I tried, but the private investigators..."

"...were fucking useless, just like your goddamn money!" Rachel barked. "I'll NEVER come back and work for you! What we're fighting for makes your Voss legacy look like a pathetic joke!"

Her father's face twisted into a sneer. "Healing a few burn victims and getting dragged into a couple of battles? You can achieve so much more than that, Rachel! Don't you remember anything I taught you? Whoever controls an empire's finances holds the real power!"

She laughed in contempt. "You think you've got everything all figured out, but you haven't got a fucking clue what's really happening! The Terran Federation is being systematically attacked! Your precious money won't save you from what's coming!"

"What are you talking about?" Henry asked in confusion. "Attacked by what? The Kintark? That war's all but over with now."

"Ah, fuck this! I should never have bothered coming back here!" Rachel snapped, whirling towards the door. "We're leaving!"

"Don't you dare storm off, young lady!" Henry Voss yelled, furious at his daughter. "I'm not having you running wild around the galaxy! Have you any idea how your behaviour reflects on me?!"

Rachel cast a withering glare at him over her shoulder, grey eyes flashing dangerously as she flung open the doors to the Orangery with a crash.

"Rachel," John said, his voice quiet but firm. "Come back here, please."

She froze in her tracks, turning back with a guilty look on her face.

Henry Voss looked at John in surprise, having forgotten the others were there during the explosive argument. His expression darkened with anger. "You stay out of this! It's between me and my daughter! Just because you're sleeping with her doesn't give you, or this redheaded bim-"

"Be quiet, before you say something you'll regret," John said sternly, cutting off the older man and glaring at him in annoyance.

Henry Voss was about to snarl an indignant reply, but he met John's piercing gaze and for the first time in decades, he felt spine-chilling fear. "What are you?" he faltered, stumbling back a step.

"Just someone trying to make a difference." John replied, studying the man carefully before turning to Rachel. "If you want to try and salvage your relationship with your father, show him what you can do. He needs to understand before we can explain what's really happening and why what you're doing is so important."

Rachel watched her father for a long moment, then reached out a hand towards his arm, her eyes starting to glow with a soft nimbus of light.

"Rachel! What the hell?!" Henry Voss exclaimed, shrinking back from her in alarm.

She was quicker, stepping forward and touching his shoulder, the aura around her getting stronger now. "Species: Terran, condition serious; aggravated heart arrhythmia," she murmured, her expression softening as she looked at him with concern. "I didn't know you were sick..."

"It's nothing," he said defensively. "I'm being treated; the doctor said..." His voice trailed off and he looked at her in shock. "How did you know that? Is this some kind of trick? Did you bribe my doctor to access my medical records?!"

"Let me take care of it," Rachel said firmly, the misty aura around her spreading out to envelop her father.

Henry looked wide-eyed with fright at the glowing shroud that surrounded him. He was about to protest, but the gentle tingling sensation that coursed through his body left him speechless. He'd grown accustomed to the racing fluttering in his chest, but it abruptly faded away, leaving him feeling stronger and more vital than he had done in years.

He gaped at Rachel then John, looking shocked to the core. "Will someone please explain what the hell just happened!"

***

"I was out leading a search party in the woods," Jade murmured, her emerald eyes unfocused as she recalled events dating back three centuries. "Women from my tribe hadn't returned from picking berries that morning, so we went looking for them."

"Did you suspect they'd been abducted?" Calara asked, edging closer on the sofa and clasping the Nymph's hand.

"We had no idea..." she whispered, her voice full of sorrow.

Jade's voice fell into a steady rhythm as she began to describe what had happened on Lenarra so many years ago.