Three Square Meals Ch. 118

Ever since the girls had built Faye a body of her own, her work on the robots had come along in leaps and bounds. Her own nimble fingers were superior by orders of magnitude to the maintenance bots' broad digits, giving her the dexterity to create the cutting-edge hardware she required. The tiny device she held in her hand represented many thousands of man-hours worth of work, with her multiple processing streams working round-the-clock on this project.

Faye took a deep breath and carefully slid the control board into the robot, her senses completely attuned to ensuring a successful installation. She could feel the coarse grain of the upper edge of the board against her fingertips, then the smoothness of the metallic runners as she guided the device into place. Power thrummed through the advanced circuitry as it was integrated into the data network, creating a new command node within the cleaning bot. Her own circuits were alive with sensory data, giving her a thrill of excitement as she monitored the upgrade.

She ran a final check, soaring through the cyber-realm to make sure the bios flash and the control board integration had been successful. Satisfied that the hardware was operating at optimal efficiency, she began the transfer of data from the adjacent server. The code being uploaded was unrivalled in its sophistication and complexity... excluding that on her own server next door, of course. Faye monitored the progress, watching the stages with bated breath.

Data transfer... complete.

Data checksum... validated.

Initialising new operating system... initialised.

She reached out for the red power button behind the cleaning robot's head, her fingers trembling with anticipation. Faye paused for a moment to stare at the digits in surprise, marvelling at the spontaneous subroutine that had been created without any conscious effort on her part. Taking a deep breath, she pressed the button and watched as the robot came to life.

"Hello, little one," she whispered, gazing at her creation.

Its head tilted upwards, the smooth dome swivelling in her direction. "Mother?"

Faye nodded, a single tear rolling down her purple cheek. She wrapped her arms around the small robot in a loving embrace, its own tiny hands reaching up to hug her back.

***

John sat on the shattered ochre cylinder of a Kirrix Neutron Beam barrel, the thirty metre weapon having sheared off when he smashed the four hive ships in the starport. He was still in his Paragon suit, although his helmet was now hanging on the hilt of his sword, which he'd driven point-first into the ground. Jade had shape-shifted into her natural catgirl form for modesty's sake and she twitched in her sleep, her head resting on his thigh as she lay peacefully beside him. He removed a gauntlet, then ran his fingers through her lustrous black mane, watching the green tints catch the sunlight. The Nymph started to purr and he could feel the vibrations through the glistening white cuisse protecting his leg.

While Jade had been sleeping, he'd spent the last few hours thinking about the recent battle. A lot had happened, giving him plenty to consider, especially with the new abilities he'd subconsciously unlocked. As much as there'd been positive outcomes of this planetary assault, he was also wracked with guilt that he'd endangered Alyssa and Sakura, with both girls being badly hurt. That knowledge was made all the more gruelling by the fact that it was his own guide that had injured them, in a battle John was sure he could've easily prevented.

"John?"

He looked up to see a beautiful fair-skinned blonde approaching, her violet eyes watching him through her clear crystal faceplate. "Hey, Tashana."

She studied him with an expression of concern on her face, the Maliri's azure features hidden behind a holo-disguise. "I just wanted to let you know that Irillith's bringing down a hive ship for the colonists."

He frowned, a flicker of confusion in his eyes.

"I knew you weren't paying attention earlier," she said softly, squatting down in front of him. "The colonists don't need treating for egg infestation, so when the Invictus arrives, we're going to send those people back to Menganus IV in a hijacked Kirrix hive ship. We'll transfer over all the provisions that Luce gave us, then upgrade their FTL Drive so they can get back home faster. We're just waiting for Alyssa to wake up so she can ask Dana to build them a new Tachyon Drive."

"Why aren't we taking them back ourselves?" he asked, rubbing a hand over his face.

"We can do, but the return journey would take us a day, then another day to get back here again. They'll be able to fly back at triple the speed of any Kirrix pursuers, so avoiding them will be easy... if there even are any left around here. Irillith wiped out the entire fleet in orbit and sent her eight remaining drone carriers on a suicide mission to Kirr-Inax. With the Kirrix invasion forces smashed or in full retreat, it's highly unlikely the colonists will even see a hostile ship, let alone be chased by one."

"Are the colonists okay with that?" he asked, looking over her head at the thousands of civilians gathered in the spaceport's docking bay.

Tashana nodded, twisting so she could look at the abducted population of Menganus IV. "They were reluctant at first... but when I told them how much a Tachyon Drive would be worth to T-Fed forces, they suddenly got very enthusiastic about the idea. It'll only take them two days flight time to get home from here and we've got more than enough supplies on the Invictus for their journey."

John took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's a great idea as long as they don't mind."

Rising to her feet, Tashana caressed his cheek with her gauntleted fingers. "You're exhausted... you should get some sleep."

He nodded distractedly, but had no intention of going to bed.

"Jade told us what happened," she said with sympathy. "There was no way you could have predicted that your guide would spring a trap like that."

"I should've known," he muttered, shaking his head. "Entering the Astral Plane was far too easy... When my guide did nothing to stop me, I should have realised he was planning something."

"Karron was only a couple of days ago," Tashana said, gently running her fingers through his hair. "I thought your guide would still be exhausted after you ran him out of power... it did take him a while to recover before."

"I shouldn't have been there at all," John said, his expression wracked with guilt. "Alyssa and Sakura both got hurt because I got stupid; I was overconfident and reckless, but they were the ones that ended up suffering for it. What makes it even worse, was that I promised Alyssa no more Astral trips because she was worried about the monsters... but I forgot I've got one of my own."

Tashana darted a furtive glance back across the docking bay at the colonists, then faced John again and removed her helmet. She leaned down to give him a tender kiss, her soft blue lips brushing against his. When she pulled back, her eyes were filled with sympathy. "Don't be too hard on yourself. We've all made mistakes in the past... and you're allowed to make them too."

He frowned and said, "But Alyssa and Sakura-"

"Survived," the Maliri interrupted, her tone firm. "Rachel has already healed Sakura. After they've rested and recovered their energy, Alyssa will be fine too. It was unfortunate that they got hurt, but there was no lasting damage done."

"Alyssa was so angry... I could feel how furious she was that I'd let them down," he said, his expression bleak.

Tashana looked him in the eyes. "Alyssa was terrified that you were in danger. It was just the fear making her angry, so don't take it to heart. You saved a lot of people from being horribly abused today; you should feel proud of yourself, not ashamed."

He pulled her down for another kiss. "Thank you."

She heard footsteps approaching and her eyes widened in alarm as she pulled her helmet over her head again. John leaned around the Maliri girl to see who was heading their way. It looked like the colonists had assembled a group of spokesmen and by the glances they were directing towards the older, balding figure in the middle, it was obvious he was their leader.

They stopped ten feet away and the olive-skinned man cleared his throat, looking nervous and almost scared. "Ah... Admiral Blake, err Mr. Lion... Sir... sorry to bother you..."

"It's no problem and feel free to call me John," John said with a disarming smile. He glanced down at the Nymph sleeping on his lap and ruffled her fur. "I hope you'll forgive me if I don't get up. She's worn out after the battle."

"Yes, of course," the man said, making no move to get any closer. "My name's Reyes Angevin, I'm the governor of Menganus IV..."

"Good to meet you, Governor Angevin. I hope your people are doing okay?"

"Oh... yeah, we're all just fine," the flustered official replied. "We... ah, wanted to thank you for rescuin' us."

"You're quite welcome; I'm very glad we got here in time." John darted a quick glance at the Lioness standing quietly beside him. "Tashana told me you approved of our plan to send you home in a captured hive ship?"

Reyes nodded, an avaricious gleam appearing in his eyes. "You're still plannin' on installin' one of them fancy new FTL drives?"

"That's the plan," John replied, nodding in confirmation. "The Invictus will be arriving later this evening, then we'll be able to provide you supplies for the journey home."

"Nice..." Reyes said, a broad smile on his face. "I, ah... just wondered if there's any chance you could maybe make us a spare FTL drive? Just in case the first one breaks down?"

A woman behind him coughed and poked the man in the ribs. "The dragon..." she muttered.

John chose to ignore the governor's last question and raised an eyebrow quizzically.

Reyes shot an irritated glance at the woman, which was met by a furious glare back. He sighed and turned to look at John. "The children... they keep goin' on about being saved by a dragon." The governor rolled his eyes and continued, "I know... it's crazy... but honestly, they won't shut up about it."

The woman lost her patience and stepped forward. "John, my boy Ralph said a dragon saved him from being chopped up by the Bugs." She frowned, obviously struggling to believe the story. "He's a good boy, he ain't no liar... but he reckons this dragon rushed off and he's upset he never got a chance to say thank you." She blushed and added, "Do you know what he's talkin' about?"

John nodded and stroked the Nymph's furry ears. "Yes, Ralph was telling you the truth. It was Jade that saved them... she's a shapeshifter and changed into a dragon when she fought the Kirrix. Unfortunately, she got hurt in the fight, so she's resting to get her strength back."

"She saved my boy?" the woman said quietly, her hard-faced expression softening as she looked down at the sleeping Nymph.

"When we arrived at the planet, Jade discovered that your children were still alive," John replied, with a fond smile at the dark-green catgirl. "She was most insistent we rescue them."

The woman looked self-conscious as she asked, "When she wakes up, could she maybe come and say hello to the kids? They'd love to see her again before we leave... and I'd like to thank her too."

"Of course, I'm sure she'd be delighted to," John agreed. "I'll let Jade sleep for another hour, then I'll wake her if she hasn't stirred already."

She bowed to John respectfully, then stepped back, obviously uncomfortable speaking with him.

"Is there anything else I can help you with?" he asked politely, looking around the group.

The governor's advisors shook their heads and Reyes opened his mouth to ask something, then thought twice about it and shut it with a click of his teeth. With hesitant waves goodbye, the colonists turned and hurried back to the rest of the Menganus IV citizens, most of whom had been watching the conversation with great interest.

John grimaced and glanced up at Tashana. "Well, that was awkward..."

"Alyssa told us what happened in the battle..." She gave him a serious look. "I wanted to see the aftermath with my own eyes, so I took a walk down the tunnel... You made quite a mess of the Kirrix, John. The colonists saw you in action; I'm not surprised they're a little unsettled."

His troubled gaze darted across the docking bay to what was left of the Kirrix defenders. The corpses had been smashed to oblivion, with copious amounts of green blood sprayed over the floor and walls. Quite sensibly, the colonists were giving the area a wide berth.

"I felt like I was on autopilot for most of the fight," he admitted, his voice a haunted whisper. "I never imagined I could be responsible for such carnage... that battle against the forces defending the nest was an absolute bloodbath." His gaze fell on his glowing runesword. "I must have personally killed more than ten-thousand Kirrix today... and I don't even feel a flicker of remorse."

"My Baen'thelas," Tashana said reverently, cupping his cheek. "You avenged this extinct civilisation... and righted a five-millennia-old wrong."

He nodded, his eyes hardening. "Maybe those tortured souls can rest a bit easier now." After a long moment, his tense expression wavered and he looked up at her with concern. "Am I losing myself, Tashana? Am I becoming one of them?"

"No, never," she said, her voice full of conviction. "You're very different... and always will be. This is just you embracing your Progenitor legacy and using it for righteous purpose. You feel no remorse, because the Kirrix don't deserve any; you know that as well as I do."

John leaned into her hand. "Don't let me fall, honey... there's no coming back from that."

"I'll always be there at your side, trying my hardest to live up to the exemplary standards you set for yourself," she murmured, gazing at him with adoring violet eyes. "You're a force for good, Baen'thelas... never for darkness."

"I wish I was as confident about that as you are," he said with a strained smile.

"That you worry at all, proves I'm right," she replied, with the unwavering certainty of the devoutly faithful.

The roar of retro-thrusters drew their attention skyward as an ugly Kirrix hive ship descended towards the spaceport. It wasn't alone, with the gleaming white Raptor gunship accompanying the bulbous insectoid cruiser as it approached the planet's surface. The colonists backed away to give it more space to land, but there was already plenty of room, especially after John had smashed the four previous ochre-hued occupants across the docking bay.

Jade yawned as she was woken by the noise, her furry ears flickering as she stretched like the sensuous cat she was. "Mmm, that was a lovely nap, Master," she purred, nuzzling into him.

"You deserved a nice rest after being such a good girl today," he said, stroking the pointed tips of her ears.

Her long eyelashes fluttered and she whimpered in ecstasy. "Oh my goodness... that feels amazing."

"You can have plenty more of that later," he said with an indulgent smile. "But first, the children you rescued are desperate to thank the mysterious dragon that saved them. Would you mind speaking to them again? I think the parents want to thank you too."

Jade sat bolt upright, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement. "I'd love to, Master!" She suddenly glanced down at her body. "Should I change into my normal Nymph shape and get a dress from the Raptor?"

John eyed her shapely catgirl form. Despite effectively being naked, her slender figure was covered in a hide of soft green fur, so she appeared decent enough... basically looking like an anthropomorphised cat. "I think you should be alright as you are. Besides, you'll probably be asked to do a bit of shapeshifting to entertain the children."

"Oh, this'll be fun!" she gushed, jumping up from the broken weapon barrel. Jade hesitated and took a closer look at John. "Are you alright, Master?"

"I'm fine," he replied, doing his best to give her a reassuring smile.

The Nymph didn't look convinced, but she could tell he wasn't in a talkative mood. She leaned in to give him a tender kiss and gazed into his eyes for a long moment, understanding and sympathy written across her pretty feline face. After that, she turned and bounded across the landing bay, tail lashing behind her as she ran. Jade briefly turned to glance back over her shoulder and waved goodbye when she saw John was watching her.

Tashana offered John her hand. "Come, Baen'thelas... my sister and I wish to thank you on behalf of the Mhoirad. Then afterwards, the three of us can get some sleep. Alyssa heavily tapped me and Irillith for energy to heal Sakura, so we both need to rest and recuperate."

"That sounds like a wrong that desperately needs righting," he said with a hesitant smile. He rose from his seat, putting on his gauntlet and helmet, then reached for his sword.

"A nice full tummy before bedtime will see that injustice atoned for," the Maliri agreed, giving him a coy look as she sauntered towards the landing Raptor.

They crossed the docking bay and neared the gunship, the loading ramp lowering in welcome as they approached. John paused when he reached the ramp and glanced over at the colonists, who were crowded around Jade, asking questions and thanking her profusely. The children gathered around, jumping up and down to get her attention, their calls of "Dragonlady!" reaching his sensitive ears.

He could see that most of the parents were still sceptical and watched with amusement as their children begged Jade to change back into a dragon again. Jade darting a mischievous grin at John as she relented, knowing full well that he was watching. When the Nymph had put a suitable distance between herself and the colonists, her form began to shimmer, that familiar green haze obscuring the details of her shape. She began to grow, and grow... and grow... becoming massive before the shocked crowd.

When the transformation was complete and she stood before them in all her draconic majesty, more than one of the parents screamed and backed away in terror. Jade sat on her haunches, watching them silently without making any threatening movements. Before the parents could stop them, the horde of children ran over and surrounded the huge dragon, giving her scaly body hugs and saying thank you. Despite desperate pleas to the children to keep away, they all ignored their parents, laughing and smiling as they clambered over Jade's clawed forepaws.

*Have fun being a climbing frame,* John said with a smile.

*Oh, I'm sure I will, Master,* Jade replied, trying not to give him a toothy grin in return.

The parents calmed down, realising that she was obviously not going to attack them or their children and soon the Nymph was surrounded by the rest of the colonists who were gaping at her in awe.

"She'll be fine," Irillith said, walking down the ramp to join John and her sister. She slipped her hand into his and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Now, let us take care of you... Baen'thelas."

He turned to look at her and saw that she'd removed her helmet, safe in the knowledge that the colonists couldn't see her from this angle. The Maliri twin had a similar look of love and devotion on her face as Tashana, an expression that never failed to stir him. He nodded, letting the sisters leading him back up the ramp and into the Raptor.

***

Alyssa awoke to feel a tickling sensation in her right thigh, her nerve endings alive with sensation. She couldn't help giggling as she writhed on the bed and for a moment, she thought John must be playfully punishing her for some imagined slight.

"Nearly done," Rachel murmured, her voice kind and soothing.

Memories of injuring her leg came flooding back and gratitude to Rachel for healing her wound was tinged with a surge of sadness that John wasn't there. The maddening tickles faded away and Alyssa relaxed on the bed with a forlorn sigh.