Three Square Meals Ch. 096

"Of course, I can change it however you want," John said indulgently.

"Please could you slightly thicken the crossguard, but make it narrower, then make the grip just a little thinner and add that mass to the pommel," she requested, studying the white sword with her intense yellow eyes.

John gestured for her to hold up the sword. "Okay, let go and I'll make some tweaks."

She did as he asked and he made the changes she'd requested to the mental image he'd formed in his mind. Levitating the Invictium sword from her open palm, he melted the metal then reshaped it to match the new design. When he floated it over to her, she grasped the hilt and took a couple of experimental swings, then glanced at him again a question in her eyes.

"What next?" he asked, giving her an encouraging smile.

"Please could you take a millimetre of depth from the blade and lengthen it with the same mass of metal?"

When she held out the sword for him again, he updated the image in his mind and effortlessly reshaped the blade to her specifications. This time when she took the sword, she balanced it on a fingertip just before the crossguard, then nodded with satisfaction. Bouncing the blade up in the air, she snatched it in her gauntleted fist, then lunged forward, arm fully extended. When he saw the smile spreading across her face, John realised she was happy with the end result.

"Have fun, ladies," John said, backing away as Sakura drew her ninjato.

He began reshaping the crystal Alyssium sword as he walked across the dojo to join Valani, only forming a replica of the newly designed Invictium blade when he was up to deca-shaped. Satisfied with his handiwork, he placed the weapon on the ground, then sat with his back to the wall, resting against a teakwood beam even though it was merely a holograph. He glanced up at Valani then patted the space between his legs.

Valani stood before him and slowly sank to her knees, giving him a fascinating view of her statuesque figure as she descended to eye-level with him. She placed a delicate kiss on his lips, then turned to sit in front of him, leaning back against his chest. "Is that what you had in mind?" she asked coyly over her shoulder.

He took a firm grasp of her hips and smiled when he heard her sharp intake of breath. He guided her backwards, so she that she could feel the heat of his erection between her firm cheeks. "There, that's much better," he replied, releasing her hips and encircling her waist in his arms. "Is that comfortable for you?"

"Mmm hmm," she purred, shifting her weight slightly and tensing her buttocks to grip his shaft.

There was a ring of metal against metal and John glanced over Valani's shoulder at the two armoured women in the centre of the dojo. They hadn't started fighting yet, merely touched blades to draw his attention, with warm but very different smiles on their faces. He expected to see amusement from Sakura, but Luna's wistful smile tugged at his heartstrings.

Seeing that they had his full attention now, the two girls backed away, squaring off against one another. They shared identical builds and were wearing matching armour, but Sakura was dual-wielding her twin ninjato, while Luna favoured a longer single-edged Maliri blade. John had sparred with the Asian girl many times before, so he decided to focus his attention on the Maliri assassin.

Watching Ilyana move had been fascinating, her decades of expertise with Kerith'merane, the Maliri form of martial arts, giving her a deadly grace. Luna was something else entirely. She held her sword in a loose, casual grip, appearing almost nonchalant about facing her opponent, but her unsettling yellow-eyed gaze never wavered from Sakura. Something about her stance sent a shiver up John's spine. It was like watching a prowling great cat; she might have appeared indifferent to Sakura, but he knew that at any moment this predator could spring into instant action.

Sakura was the one who initiated the duel, as he expected she would. The Asian girl favoured a very aggressive fighting technique and while she wasn't using her psychic abilities, he'd literally pumped up her body to the very limits of Terran physical capabilities. She had an edge in speed, agility, and raw strength over her Maliri opponent, advantages she intended to make full use of.

Her initial onslaught came in a blistering flurry of strikes, the twin ninjato whipping around to stab and slash at Luna, but each one was blocked by a sweep of the Maliri's blade. Compared to the frenetic Asian girl, it seemed like the Maliri assassin was moving in slow motion, but her dancing blade always managed to parry just in time. The three swords moved in a blur, with the occasional trail of sparks accompanying the sharp ring of metal on metal. Luna stayed on the defensive, adjusting, watching, and waiting, her eyes never blinking as she blocked each pounding hit.

Twirling both swords around her wrists, Sakura swept in again, then pivoted at her waist and attacked with both blades in a double horizontal slash. Luna's eyes took in everything about her opponent, and while she couldn't move quite as fast as the Terran girl, she didn't have to. Ducking low in a move that seemed as easy as falling, she whipped her sword around and caught Sakura's lowest blade in a scything parry.

Swirling her longer blade over and across Sakura's forearm then tugging down, Luna used her opponent's momentum against her. Even though Sakura was the stronger of the two, the ninjato twisted awkwardly from her grasp and skittered across the dojo, before hitting the wall with a clang. Sakura lurched backwards, eyes wide in astonishment as she took up a defensive stance.

Luna straightened, then calmly approached the reeling girl, making several looping swipes that Sakura had no trouble parrying. John knew the result of this bout was now a foregone conclusion, as Sakura hated fighting defensively, particularly after being reduced to one-blade. It was still chilling to watch Luna ruthlessly close her opponent down, preventing Sakura from running to retrieve her second sword and attacking with lazy playful swings just to keep Sakura backing away.

Eventually she hemmed her into a corner using those wide slashes, before suddenly lunging forward and catching the Asian girl off-guard. Sakura reacted very quickly, but even with her lightning-fast reflexes she was unable to move quickly enough to stop Luna's long blade from stabbing her in the chest, a killing blow that won the match.

Sakura gaped at her in shock, then grinned as she shook her head in admiration. "I've never felt so outclassed by an opponent before! Your skill with a blade is incredible!"

Luna smiled back at her and inclined her head. "I've had a lot of time to practice."

Sakura bounded off to retrieve her fallen blade and the two women faced one another again, starting a second round. It quickly became apparent that despite the Asian girl's physical advantages, what she didn't have were six decades spent honing her swordmastery to perfection. John watched enthralled as they fought several matches, and while the subsequent bouts were closer, Luna eventually eviscerated Sakura in every single one. It was a joy to watch the Maliri girl in action, and he'd never seen a man nor woman more attuned with their blade.

Valani let out a very quiet sigh and John glanced down at her, seeing her watching him with a shadow of sadness in her eyes. "I'm so sorry!" he exclaimed, feeling mortified for ignoring her. "I just... I've never seen anyone..." He paused and took a deep breath. "That was very rude of me, I'm really sorry for not paying you the attention you deserve."

"That's okay," she said quietly, looking forlorn.

"No, it isn't," he insisted, standing up and helping her rise as well. He glanced over at Sakura and Luna who had paused their fight to watch their audience. "Luna, that was extremely impressive! Sakura, try and learn everything you can!"

Luna bowed her head to him, while Sakura gave him a sharp salute with her sword, but her rich brown eyes were watching his companion with concern. John walked with Valani out of the dojo and saw her visibly shake herself out of her sombre mood.

"I'm quite alright, there's nothing to worry about," she said brightly, clasping his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

John hesitated as they entered the equipping room, then turned and led the Maliri girl through to the bedroom, where he walked over to the comfortable chair set in the corner. Valani didn't resist as he guided her into the seat, only turning away from him for a second to place the colourful Tordove sculpture on the side-table, before giving John her full attention. Her eyes widened with surprise when he knelt before her.

"We have such a short time together this trip and I really wanted to make it special for you," John said, suddenly feeling embarrassed at the way he was seeing the Young Matriarchs one after the other. "I promise I didn't mean to ignore you like that, I just... I've always been fascinated by martial arts and recently, swordfighting's become a minor obsession of mine. It's no excuse, but I've never seen anyone fight like Luna before and I let myself get sucked in, when I should have been giving you my full attention. I really am sorry."

She brushed her fingers through his hair, an ambivalent smile on her face. "You're so earnest... I've never had anyone care about my feelings like this before."

He could see that flicker of sadness in her eyes again, so he said, "Let's just put this down to a really terrible first date. If you can forgive me for behaving that way, then perhaps I can make it up to you by giving you the whole day tomorrow instead?"

Valani shook her head, then leaned forward to give him a tender kiss. "Please stop apologising, I wasn't upset at you for being absorbed by the fight." She bit her lip anxiously, then admitted, "I just realised how much you admire these amazing warrior women you've surrounded yourself with. I was in awe when I saw all of you in action against the Kirrix, but now I can't help feeling sad because I know I could never be like them; I won't ever get to see that same look of admiration in your eyes."

John sat back on his heels and studied her for a long moment. "Do you know what I find so refreshing about being with you? Aside from the fact that you're a lovely, beautiful girl."

She shook her head, looking intrigued.

He blocked his matriarchs from his mind, then clasped her hands in his and said softly, "I can look at you without feeling any guilt. I still regret what happened to your family, but if it really was a choice between saving your life or theirs, I would have ordered Edraele to go ahead with those assassinations. That's the first time I've ever genuinely felt that."

Her brows furrowed in confusion. "Surely you don't feel any guilt towards Sakura, or the rest of those girls? I've seen how much you adore them and I know they feel the same way about you."

John gave her a sad smile. "You're right, I do love them... but... I've turned them into my soldiers. I know none of them have any reservations about the changes I've made, but it still doesn't alter the fact that I need them for the fights to come. They're a battle-hardened crew of combat veterans and half of those girls are still teenagers! I never wanted this life for any of them, Sakura least of all."

"What's different about Sakura?" Valani asked softly, her fingers stroking his head.

"She could have had a life away from all this relentless fighting and carnage," he said with regret. "I really tried to get her to consider a fresh start, sending her back to university with the memories of all the awful things that had happened to her erased. She was too absorbed with her grief for her parents and obsessed with revenge for me to get through to her, so I bowed to her wishes and honed her into the lethal weapon she is today..."

The Maliri girl studied him for a moment. "I've spent a lot of time with Sakura recently and we've been very open with each other. I don't think she has even the slightest feeling of regret about the path she's chosen. She even told me how proud she was of all the lives she's saved; that she's made more difference in the months she's been with you, than she ever could have done working for a lifetime as a lawyer. She trains so hard because she wants to be the best instrument of Justice she can be, and she does it all for you."

"I know..." John said, his expression filled with remorse.

Valani leaned forward, staring at him intently. "What is it, John? There's something you're not telling me..."

He wasn't able to meet her eyes and he looked away. "Sakura's unquestioningly loyal, it's one of the reasons I've made her so powerful... She's stronger than the others, except Alyssa and maybe Jade. If I order her to do what really needs to be done, I know I can count on her. Alyssa would try to save me, even if it was hopeless, and I'm Jade's Master... I don't know if she could even do it."

"What would you ask her to do?" Valani whispered, dreading the answer.

"When I challenge my Progenitor guide, there can only be one winner. Either I'll destroy him or he'll destroy me..." John clenched his hand into a fist and snarled, "I'll be damned if I let that bastard hurt any of you girls. If I lose, then Sakura will be my contingency plan. She'll finish him for me..."

Valani stared at him in horror, frantically shaking her head. "You can't... it'll destroy her! She loves you too much!"

"I know," John said, the black tide of guilt rising up and threatening to sweep him away. "But there's no other way. If he wins, I'll already be dead... she'll just be staking my corpse."

"Oh, John!" she cried, falling into his arms. "How can you even think like that?!"

He put his arms around her and stroked her back, a bemused smile on his face as he gazed unseeing into the distance. "You know, you're actually the only person I've spoken to about this. Not Alyssa, not Edraele... they know of course, they've heard me thinking about it, but they can't even face the idea. That's why it has to be Sakura... even knowing what it will cost her."

"I had no idea," she murmured in his ear, her tears wet against his cheeks. "I thought being a Matriarch was a burden, but you're trying to be the Maliri's Protector while you've got this hanging over your head!"

"If you've changed your mind about having a child with me, I totally understand. As much as I might wish otherwise, my promises of looking after you forever could end up being pretty hollow..."

She pulled back and stared intently into his eyes. "No, never! Edraele told us what we're doing for you; how these new connections make you stronger, giving you massive amounts of psychic energy to face our enemies. I finally understand... you need me as much as I want you!"

"It's not a question of need," John replied shaking his head. "You don't have to do anything out of any sense of obligation."

Valani lifted her chin, a look of firm resolve in her eyes. "I've loved you from the first moment I saw you... but it was like being infatuated with a god. For the first time, I feel like I can really help you." She shook with anger as she continued, "And I want to make you stronger, much stronger! You need to crush your Progenitor guide like a fucking bug! I want you to rip that bastard's head off, so you can have a future with me, our baby, all of us!"

John looked at her in surprise, startled by the ferocious vehemence in her voice and the sheer determination behind her words.

She blushed in return, suddenly feeling self-conscious. "I think I ended up channelling my mother for a moment there... I'm never that angry!"

He gave her a look of admiration. "I feel sorry for anyone who dares to cross you, Matriarch Valani of House Naestina. They'd be making a dreadful mistake."

Valani saw that look and swooned, hugging him tight. "I... I can't believe it..."

"Everyone has their part to play," John whispered in her ear. "You might not be swinging around a sword or shooting our enemies, but make no mistake... you're a very impressive woman. Not everyone could rise up to lead their House as you've done, especially at such a young-"

He wasn't able to finish his sentence as Valani smothered him with kisses. "We've wasted... enough... time..." she murmured between each kiss.

John rose to his feet with her in his arms and carried her to the bed. "I'm going to spend the rest of the evening making love to you, Valani. Then tonight, when you think you can't handle any more pleasure, we're going to make a baby together..."

Her teal eyes sparkled with passion, like sunlight reflecting off a flawless crystal-clear sea. "I'm going to make you mighty, my majestic Baen'thelas!"

***

Admiral Charles Harris strode along the bustling corridor, nodding to the junior officers he passed who threw him respectful salutes. He had an extra spring in his step and felt like some of the heavy burden of responsibility that John had given him had finally been lifted. Henry Voss had swept into Olympus Shipyard like a tornado, possessing almost supernatural vigour and drive for a man of his age. Backed by his army of technicians the refit had surged ahead at a phenomenal rate.

Charles strode through the double doors into Docking Bay Fourteen, the once under-resourced drydock having now become a furious hive of activity. Voss Corporation technicians were working in conjunction with military engineers and shipwrights, swarming over maintenance gantries as they installed state-of-the-art upgrades to the warship.

He paused to glance upwards at the huge imposing bulk of the battleship Nereus. Prior to the Battle of Regulus, it had previously sustained critical damage at the hands of the Kintark in the Dragon March, but you'd never have believed it looking at the vessel now. Its vast hull had been completely repaired, showing a flawless expanse of Titanium armour plating. All the gunports were currently open, while the turrets were deployed and exposed, making an impressive vessel look truly terrifying.

Walking over to the nearby maintenance lift, Charles climbed on, then nodded in gratitude to a handful of Navy engineers who had waited for him. They were standing around a grav-trolley stacked with long ship components, and not being an engineer himself, he glanced at the devices with interest.

Spotting his curious glance, one of the broad-shouldered men said with a grin, "They're top secret, Admiral, strictly need to know."

Charles smiled as he raised an eyebrow. "You could tell me, but then you'd have to kill me?"

The engineer laughed and nodded.

One of his fellow engineers elbowed the man in the ribs and said, "Sorry, Sir, don't mind Ratchins. These are the new heatsinks we reverse-engineered after Regulus; we're installing them in the starboard Beam Laser array."

Charles turned back towards the battleship as the lift brought them to the top of the gantry. "I saw the state the Nereus was in when they dragged her back here. You men are a credit to the Terran Federation; you should be very proud of yourselves for what you've accomplished here."

The engineers exchanged startled looks then saluted him sharply. "Thank you, Sir!" they replied, standing just a little bit taller.

"Carry on, men," Charles said, returning their salute.

The lift reached the uppermost level of the maintenance gantry and Charles walked across the metal decking, his boots ringing against steel. Just as he'd expected, Rear Admiral Richard Dacres was up on the gantry, surrounded by several engineers and one of the Voss senior technicians. Charles caught his eye, then turned to look out over the massive ship while he waited for his colleague to wrap up the numerous conversations he had going.