Three Square Meals Ch. 115

"I was so scared back there," she murmured, between passion-filled kisses. "But I knew you'd keep me safe. I never want to leave you, Tony... please let me stay."

Tony wrapped his arms around her in a protective embrace. "You're not goin' anywhere. It's you, me, and Kelli now, baby."

Perl paused her heated kissing to listen to him, then she let out a soft moan and renewed the sensual assault. She began to undulate her hips, making his cock slide back an inch before being fully enveloped in her steamy folds again. When he bottomed out at the end of her snug passage, she clenched her inner muscles, giving him a loving squeeze.

Tony had never experienced sex like this before, having grown accustomed to frantic couplings with girls shrieking about the size of his cock. Perl was in a whole different league, riding him with accomplished skill and moving her nubile body in a sensual dance that made him want to possess her completely. All the while, she gazed lovingly into his eyes with a dreamy look of adoration that was as intimate as it was erotic.

He could feel his arousal building, starting small in the pit of his stomach, then the feeling spreading out over his entire body as she fanned his passions up to an inevitable climax. Perl had been coasting through a wave of rolling orgasms, the gentle bumping against her cervix stirring something almost primal inside her. When she tipped him over the edge, her toes curled at the feeling of his hot load spurting into her womb and joined him in a powerful release. Her strength gave out and she sagged against him, her slender body coated with perspiration from her exertions.

Perl sighed in bliss, then whispered breathily in his ear, "I love you, Tony."

Her heartfelt words managed to pierce his post-coital daze and he turned to look at her in shock. The blonde had closed her eyes, a serene look of contentment on her pretty face. Glancing up, he saw Kelli was watching them with tears in her eyes, her mouth lifted into a lopsided smile. When she realised he was looking up at her, Kelli leaned over to kiss her girlfriend on the shoulder, before kissing him too.

"Yeah, me too," she murmured, gently ruffling his hair, then snuggling in beside him.

Tony held the girls in his arms as they drifted off to sleep, both of them looking content and happy. By contrast, his own head was in turmoil, stunned by how serious their feelings for him were. He'd never let a woman get that close before and the stifling sense of commitment was overwhelming. As that burst of panic faded, he glanced down at the blonde and brunette, then realised the feelings of responsibility and protectiveness he felt towards them weren't exactly new.

After they had fled from the Diablos' base, the fraught days with the girls were the longest he'd ever really spent in female company. His history with women mostly consisted of fucking a bunch of hoodrats and whores, but they were just pump and dump encounters that rarely involved much in the way of interesting conversation. He had become accustomed to feeling like he had to protect Kelli and Perl from the Kirrix, but more than that... he'd actually grown to like them both. Was that the same as being in love though?

Tony always thought that "being in love" was a bunch of bullshit that losers used as an excuse for being pussywhipped. In his experience, telling a girl you loved her was really just a way of getting into her pants faster. It had worked pretty well for him in the past, apart from dealing with the pouting and tantrums when he kicked the sluts to the kerb afterwards. However, the thought of doing that to Kelli and Perl made his chest tighten; the last thing he ever wanted to do was hurt either of them, especially after the way they'd risked their own lives to save him too.

Kissing each girl on top of her head, he smiled as the softness of their hair tickled his nose, then relaxed back on the bed and pulled them both closer. The way the girls responded with quiet murmurs as they cuddled into him made Tony smile with resignation. Apparently, he wasn't just a dumbass who put his life on the line for a couple of whores, he was also a pussywhipped loser who had fallen in love. The escape from Karron had sure been enlightening...

With that thought in mind, he closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep, the contented smile on his face matching Kelli's and Perl's.

***

Governor Novitsky waited nervously outside the entrance to the bathroom stalls, butterflies fluttering in her chest as she waited for her husband. Lucyna had felt incredibly guilty when she was picked out to be amongst the first to be treated, convinced that thousands of eyes were watching with resentment. If there were any complaints about preferential treatment, they evaporated when her staff brought in grav-carts loaded with food and drink, all generously paid for by the Lion. After that, no one raised an objection when her husband had been brought forward to have his clutch of eggs liquidated, especially as he'd been one of the first to be assaulted.

Another colonist emerged from the bathroom, a look of incredible relief on the young woman's face. She saw the Valia Gate governor and rushed to hug Lucyna, bursting into tears as she thanked her over and over again. Although Lucyna didn't feel like she'd done anything to deserve such gratitude, she patted the colonist on the back, knowing exactly how it felt to have that death sentence lifted.

"Luce..."

Releasing the young woman, Lucyna turned back to see her husband emerging from the bathroom. He looked quite different now; Theo still had bags under his eyes, but he'd lost that disconcerting hollow-eyed stare.

"Theo!" Lucyna gasped as she rushed to her husband, clinging to him desperately.

He wrapped her up in his strong arms and she trembled with relief to be held in that protective embrace once more.

"Luce... I-I..." he stammered, the shame in his voice painful to hear.

Shaking her head, she looked up at him pleadingly. "Please just forget it all happened! I don't want to even think about that ever again!"

He hesitated, then nodded, the couple tightening their hug and doing their best to comfort each other. When they parted, Lucyna realised that they had company, with Doctor Voss watching them sympathetically from a respectful distance away.

"Would you be able to spare a few minutes to talk, Governor Novitsky?" Rachel asked, her refined well-spoken voice polite and respectful.

"Of course, Doc," Lucyna replied, before turning to look up at her husband. "Why don't you grab something to eat and drink, Theo? You'll feel a lot better."

He nodded and bowed awkwardly to the girl in white armour, intimidated by her beauty, class, and profession. Lucyna watched him leave, her husband meandering back towards the grav-carts stacked high with provisions, his shoulders slumped and his back stooped. It saddened her to see that he hadn't regained the confident strut that had always made her tingle and she couldn't help wondering if she'd ever see it again.

Rachel smiled at the older woman and gestured with her hand. "I'd like to speak to you in private, if that's okay?"

"Sure," the older blonde agreed. "Hardly gonna begrudge you that after what you've done for us."

They walked towards the big double doors leading into another hangar and another of the Lionesses fell into step beside them. Unlike the tawny-haired brunette, this girl was a golden-maned blonde... and Lucyna couldn't help staring in awe at the most breathtakingly beautiful women she'd ever seen in her life.

"Alyssa, this is Governor Lucyna Novitsky," Doctor Voss said, greeting the new arrival with a lovely smile. "Luce, I'd like to introduce you to Alyssa; she's John's Executive Officer."

"Ah, so this is your boss?" Lucyna asked, nudging the brunette with an elbow.

Rachel's lips twitched into a grin as she pretended to mishear the question. "Is she bossy? Absolutely."

Alyssa's melodic laughter echoed around the hangar. "Oh, I wouldn't say that, I just like to run a tight ship. It's a pleasure to meet you, Governor."

They took a detour to avoid a couple of maintenance bots, which were carrying big metallic frames up the ramp into the Raptor gunship.

"Call me, Luce," the older woman said distractedly, studying the blonde goddess in fascination. "Mind if I ask you a question, boss lady?"

"Ask away," Alyssa replied with a disarming smile.

"How the hell are you all so beautiful?" Lucyna blurted out incredulously. "You, the doc here, that Asian girl, those alien nurses... Jeezus! Even when I was a hot twenty-something, I'd look like a troll compared to you lot."

"I suppose it's all in the genes," Alyssa replied softly, sharing a brief glance with Rachel. Those enchanting cerulean eyes flicked back to the Governor. "I'm sorry if we're making you feel intimidated; that's the last thing any of us want."

Lucyna looked mortified and quickly shook her head. "Shit... I wasn't trying to make you feel bad, sweetheart, especially after everything you've done for us. I swear I'm not normally this tactless."

"You've been under an incredible amount of stress," the blonde said with sympathy, patting the older woman on the arm. She winked at her reassuringly. "And don't worry, it takes a lot more to piss me off than telling me I'm beautiful."

The governor laughed as she followed the two armoured women into the Cargo Bay. "Before I put my foot in my mouth again... what did you want to talk to me about?"

Alyssa's fingers twitched and the reinforced door shut behind them. "I'm sorry if this is a painful subject, but I need to find out more information about the Kirrix that abducted you."

Lucyna's jaw clenched and she nodded. "Those bastards need to pay for all the people they hurt." She hesitated as her anger faded and humiliation took its place. "S-should I start telling you what happened... from when they... c-captured us?"

"Shh, don't think about that," Alyssa said soothingly, removing her gauntlet and lifting her fingers towards the Governor's temple. "Is it okay to touch you?"

"Y-yes," the older woman stammered, glancing at the blonde's hand and finding herself fascinated by the flawless perfection of her skin.

Alyssa brushed her fingertips against Lucyna's temple, massaging her gently. "You don't need to tell me anything. If you relax and let me look into your mind, I can see exactly what happened."

Jerking her head back in surprise, the Governor looked at her incredulously. "You're fucking with me!"

"I'm a telepath, I can read people's minds," Alyssa said, her voice soothing. "I promise I'm being completely honest with you."

Rachel stepped forward and gave the older woman a reassuring smile. "The Lionesses all have gifts, Luce. I started healing wounded colonists after treating your egg infestation; I'm just surprised no one has said anything to you about it yet."

"I was busy looking after my husb-" Lucyna's bewildered voice trailed off and she gaped at the brunette's grey eyes in astonishment as they started to glow. "What the hell?!"

"This won't hurt a bit," the brunette said softly, as a misty grey aura spread out to envelop the governor. "Let me prove we're telling you the truth..."

Lucyna gasped at the tickling sensation that flooded her body and couldn't help a startled laugh as Rachel went to work. In less than a minute, the doctor was done and the older woman blinked in shock, her gaze darting to each girl in turn.

"How are the hand and ankle?" Rachel asked with a hint of a smile.

Lifting her right hand and staring at it, Lucyna let out a startled cry. "The smelting burn! It's gone!" Looking down next, she bounced on her toes and her eyes widened. "Holy shit! My ankle doesn't hurt either! I thought all the rumours on the holo-net about the Lionesses was just PR bullshit, but you're the real deal!"

"She's the genuine article," Alyssa agreed, smiling appreciatively at Rachel. "Believe us now?"

Lucyna stared at them both wide-eyed and gave them a tentative nod. "I'd have to be a complete dumbass not to. So what happens now?"

Alyssa brushed a tendril of grey-streaked hair away from Lucyna's face. "You don't have to do a thing except relax. I'll be able to look directly into your mind and view your memories of the Kirrix." She felt the older woman tense with embarrassment and continued quietly, "I won't look at that one, I promise. I need to know more about what happened later... when the Kirrix decided to bring you and the rest of the colonists back to Valia Gate."

Reaching up to place her hand atop Alyssa's, Lucyna met the blonde's sympathetic gaze. "I trust you," she whispered, despite feeling incredibly vulnerable.

The psychic blonde gave her a grateful smile, then her eyes began to shine with an inner radiance. "Just relax... you're perfectly safe," she murmured, her voice mesmerising.

***

Alyssa peeled off her spirit form and found herself standing beside the Valia Gate governor, who was gazing at her in wonder. Reaching up to touch her temple, she made tentative contact with Lucyna's mind and was pleased to find that the older woman had thrown open her innate mental defences in invitation. Alyssa could have broken her way in effortlessly, but to have complete and unabridged access to another person's mind was such an intimate experience, she would never dream of doing that to someone without their consent. Except bad guys of course... but they didn't count.

Lucyna's mind was laid out in much the same way as the other Terran subconsciouses that Alyssa had previously explored. Glowing orbs represented memories and were clustered together in a way that made sense to that person. Leading up to each memory sphere were multi-coloured trails, the various hues indicating the emotions associated with those specific events.

A glance at the closest set showed flickering images of an elderly gentleman with a distinctive handlebar moustache, and further back were hundreds more, the same man looking much younger. She saw the familial resemblance immediately and the warm pinks of the paths leading to those orbs spoke of the loving memories this woman had of her father. As fascinating as it was to get an insight into the hidden depths of a person, Alyssa reminded herself that she wasn't here for a spot of metaphysical sightseeing, she had a job to do.

Gliding through the vast collection of remembrances that combined to form Lucyna's mind, Alyssa honed in on the more recent ones. They weren't difficult to find, sticking out from the rest of the woman's memories like the equivalent of a mental sore thumb. Lucyna had led a hard, but largely fulfilling life, which was filled with love for her family, friends, and husband. Amongst those warm pastel tones were a cluster of some very ugly greens and browns, the colours representing disgust and humiliation.

Alyssa approached them cautiously, mentally preparing herself for the horrific experiences the woman had suffered at the hands of the Kirrix. Lucyna had organised those memories chronologically, so remaining faithful to her promise, the psychic blonde walked past the earlier ones. A glimpse at the surface of each one revealed a vague hint of what was contained within and she shuddered in revulsion as she found the horrific memory of being raped by a hivelord.

Walking past, Alyssa paused and turned back to look at that memory, seeing the lurid greens and browns representing the deep-seated trauma the woman had suffered. It would only take a focusing of her will to blast that orb into oblivion, completely removing all recollection of that horrific assault... and for a long moment, Alyssa stood with her hand upraised, poised to do exactly that.

But she forced herself to stop.

Lucyna's memory of that event was connected to many more horrible recollections, the fleeting snippets showing the abuses her friends had suffered at the hands of the Kirrix. Knowing exactly what they had gone through gave Lucyna a special insight into those people, a shared empathy they would all need to survive this trauma. Deleting that specific set of memories from all 17,000 minds was the only way to do the job properly; doing it piecemeal would cause no end of confusion and chaos. Alyssa had seen the tangled mess that John had snared himself in just trying to juggle Edraele and the twins... she dreaded to think what it would be like undoing memories in thousands of people.

That's not to say that there was nothing Alyssa could do. She threw an obfuscating aura over the repugnant memory, taking the sickening edge off and leaving it more of a distant recollection. When she was done, the colours had muted considerably, reminding her of memories that time had allowed to fade. Eventually it would no longer cause Lucyna any pain at all, allowing her to put it entirely behind her.

With that good deed done, Alyssa began hunting through the more recent memories of the governor's time on the Kirrix hive ship. Finding the right one actually proved to be incredibly easy. The path to this particular memory was streaked with a bright orange stripe, which made it glaringly conspicuous amongst the ugly greens and browns. Bracing herself for the experience to come, she placed her hand on the swirling orb and let her mind be drawn into the memory...

~~~

Alyssa's surroundings shifted to the interior of a hive ship, the muted glow from the hexagonal walls pulsating like a heartbeat. Lucyna was locked in a cage, surrounded by a dozen other despondent Valia Gate colonists, who sat propped up against the bars. The heavy weight in her belly filled her with revulsion, an expression shared by her fellow captives... except for those still in shock after being brutally traumatised by their assault.

Lucyna's husband was one of those people. To see her proud, confident man be reduced to a quivering shell made her heart ache with sympathy for him. When they were first captured, Theo had been so brave and comforting, doing all he could to make sure she didn't give up hope... but he'd barely spoken a word since he was abused. She stroked his arm and her aching heart sank like a stone when he flinched to her touch.

The hive lord's lair echoed with the distressing sounds of weeping colonists, a feeling of melancholy and despair filling the huge room. As depressing as that was, Lucyna was just glad she didn't have to listen to tortured screams any longer... now that the hive lord had finished with all the colonists. That subdued quiet was suddenly shattered by a booming crash, the ship shaking violently and jostling her where she sat. After a few startled shrieks, the colonists went deathly silent, listening to the eerie chittering as squads of Kirrix soldiers rushed past.

Lucyna strained to listen for more sounds to find out what was happening, but there was a lull in the unsettling noises, a sullen silence descending once more. The minutes ticked by, then she jumped when she heard another thumping boom. It was followed by the high-pitched shriek of neutron rifles being fired, the awful sound sending shivers down her spine and bringing back terrible memories of the Kirrix invasion on Valia Gate.

The noises from the gunfight intensified, as did the piercing screeches of Kirrix soldiers being shot, the sound of combat drawing closer. She flinched as the hive lord stomped by, the hulking creature twitching and looking agitated as it glanced backwards, moving away from the fighting. It froze, mandibles clicking as it let out a high-pitched cry that almost sounded like anguish. That was when squads of Kirrix drones entered the nest chamber from the rear, neutron rifles raised and ready for combat.

Lucyna could only wonder what had boarded the ship and cut down the Kirrix troops. She was desperately praying that it was a Federation rescue force, but she hadn't heard any assault rifles being fired or shouts from Terran marines. She watched in confusion as the hive lord backed away from the Kirrix reinforcements, wondering why it wasn't seeking protection behind the drones. Her mouth fell open in shocked disbelief when the drones suddenly opened fire, sickly-green energy bolts striking the Kirrix monstrosity.