Three Square Meals Ch. 118

*You were put in an impossible situation and I don't blame you for making the choices you were forced to make,* Alyssa said, stroking the arachnid's huge head. *I understand and sympathise... but only you can forgive yourself for making that trade.*

Nkkrrit turned away, her gratitude for Alyssa's sympathy warring with overwhelming feelings of guilt and self-loathing. Alyssa opened her mouth to say more, but she felt herself being ejected from the pocket plane, the Vulkat Queen no longer in the mood for further conversation. She found herself standing by her body and quickly slipped inside, the black orb rushing away as she did so. Then just like that, Alyssa was back in her body, lying in bed aboard the Invictus.

*Are you okay?* Calara immediately asked, sensing her girlfriend's melancholy mood.

*The conversation with Nkkrrit was really depressing,* the blonde replied, rolling out of bed and heading for the bathroom. *Just give me a minute to get my head together, then I'll tell you what happened.*

*I haven't started training with Sakura yet... Would you like some company?*

Alyssa paused by the shower cubicle then sent her a loving telepathic smile. *I really would, thank you.*

*We're on our way,* Sakura interjected, her voice kind and supportive.

*Thanks, girls,* Alyssa said, feeling a surge of gratitude to them both.

Instead of entering the shower, she leaned over the bath and used the environmental controls to select her preferences. Alyssa sat on the side and watched it start to fill with steamy water, staring at the mounds of foamy bubbles that blossomed under the streams from the taps. She couldn't even begin to imagine what it must have been like for Nkkrrit, to be alone for so many thousands of years with nothing but grief and guilt for company.

She lost track of time in her sorrowful reverie, then suddenly she was wrapped in a comforting embrace, loving words whispered in her ear as Calara brushed away her tears.

***

Helene stirred from sleep, feeling the unfamiliar but very welcome presence of warm bodies cuddled up against her. She glanced down and saw several green-hued women, the quartet of Nymphs somehow managing to arrange themselves so they were each partially draped over her body. For someone who had been physically rejected by her village for the last seven years, the Nymphs being so tactile and affectionate with her felt like heaven.

It was amazing the difference a nap had made, with Helene now feeling refreshed and invigorated again. Being drained of psychic energy hadn't exactly been unpleasant, but it had left the aquatic girl exhausted and desperate for sleep. Helene had got to know the Nymphs quite well since they'd joined the crew and while they were very stoic, it was obvious they'd been just as worn out. She stroked her bedmates' hair and set them all off purring, making her smile. The gentle vibrations felt very soothing against both sides of her chest and her upper thighs.

As Helene lay there entwined with the Nymphs, she found herself thinking about her situation and couldn't quite believe the changes her life had undergone recently. She was now part of a warm and loving family, who were always happy to see her and eager to make her feel welcome. That sense of belonging had been denied her for all of Helene's adult life after being ostracised by her village and it was something she'd craved deep in her soul. To experience that feeling of inclusiveness again filled her with joy.

Even more fulfilling than that was her relationship with John, which was more wonderful than even her wildest of fantasies. Finding her soulmate aboard this starship had rocked her world and he'd managed to breathe love back into a heart that had been filled with loneliness, grief, and despair. John had even given her a real purpose in life... gifting her with unique special abilities that had let her help those poor colonists in ways that no one else was capable of. Being truly needed by those people had made her feel valued in a way she'd never experienced before, doing wonders for her self-esteem.

*Hi, gorgeous,* Alyssa said, her soft voice startling the teal-hued beauty from her thoughtful introspection. *If you'd like to join us for a bath, head up to our bedroom...*

Helene was confused for a moment, not sure what a 'bath' was... then she remembered Jade pointing it out in the bathroom during her first days aboard the ship. She rolled her eyes at the mention of the word 'bathroom'... Of course, where else would a bath be located? As she was thinking this, the Nymphs all started to stir, having been telepathically awakened by Jade. They sat up and smiled at Helene, each taking turns to kiss her after saying hello.

"Are you coming for a bath too, Helene?" Neysa asked inquisitively.

"Jade says it's not to be missed!" Betrixa blurted out as she bounced across the bed, a gleeful grin on her face.

Leylira nodded as she slinked across the covers. "Apparently a bath is a very sensuous experience... This one can't wait..."

Marika offered Helene a hand, her full lips lifting into a gentle smile. "We'd love it if you joined us."

Helene accepted the hand and returned the smile as she rose to her feet. "Okay, you've convinced me."

The Nymphs cheered and embraced her before leaving the Observatory. Marika walked hand-in-hand with Helene as they followed Betrixa, the green bundle of energy skipping across the bridge ahead of them. After floating up to Deck Two in the grav-tube, the sound of giggling and splashing water could be heard down the corridor, so Helene and the Nymphs quickened their pace as they headed to the bedroom.

"Yay! You all came!" Dana called out joyfully when the new arrivals appeared in the bathroom.

Rachel beckoned them over to the bubbly bath. "There's plenty of room, jump in..."

Betrixa's emerald eyes sparkled and she bounded towards the bath, vaulting inside before anyone could stop her. She made a huge splash that drenched the five Terran girls, leaving all of them with their long hair plastered to shocked faces, looking like drowned rats. Their stunned expressions quickly changed to smiles before they burst into laughter.

Rachel wiped the foam from her face and rolled her eyes. "I suppose I asked for that." She looked at Helene and the other three Nymphs. "Any chance the rest of you can just climb in carefully?"

There was more than enough room for everyone, the extra bodies raising the water level to compensate for everything Betrixa had splashed all over the bathroom.

Everyone settled down and Helene let out a blissful sigh. "Oh, wow... This feels amazing. The oceans of Brimor are refreshingly cool, but this is so wonderfully warm..."

"Ah, this must be your first bath?" Sakura asked, nodding her understanding. "A soak in a lovely warm bubble bath is one of life's simple pleasures."

"We should make use of it more often," Calara agreed, slipping her arms around Alyssa who sat in front of her.

"Mmm hmm," the blonde agreed, relaxing back against her lover's ample chest. "But John's much more of a shower man, that's probably why we don't."

The ten women in the bath gave each other knowing looks, coy smiles appearing on all their faces.

Dana suddenly frowned and blurted out, "It's so weird him not being here! I really hate it!"

Rachel put an arm around the redhead's shoulders and gave her a comforting sideways hug. "I know what you mean. I understand the reasoning behind John's scouting mission and speeding up the rescue of the Menganus IV colonists certainly saved the lives of all those children... but I have to agree with Dana, it's horrible being separated from John." Darting a pointed glance at Alyssa, she added, "Please let's not do this again..."

Alyssa met Rachel's grey-eyed gaze across the bath. "This wasn't about saving the colonists quicker."

"It wasn't?" Sakura asked with a look of confusion.

"Oh, I see..." Rachel murmured, lost in thought.

Dana wrinkled her nose as she frowned. "Well, I don't! What was the point in him going off in the Raptor if it wasn't to rescue the colonists?"

Alyssa sighed, looking away into the distance. "John needed a break..."

"What the hell?" Dana balked, looking at the blonde incredulously. "Your idea of a break is letting him launch a one-man planetary invasion?!"

"Well, I didn't exactly know he was going to do that at the time!" Alyssa protested, her brow furrowing in frustration. "But being around all those devastated colonists was stressing him out. He could see how traumatised they were and felt a lot of pressure to help them, but liaising with the planetary governors just wasn't enough."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Sakura asked, looking hurt. "We'd have done anything we could to try to make John feel better!"

"All of you were busy helping with the relief effort and I didn't want you worrying unnecessarily," Alyssa carefully explained. "John's excursion in the Raptor was a sensible plan... but my main reason for encouraging the trip was simply to let him relax with Jade and the twins for a while. He's had a huge amount on his mind recently, what with trying to decide what to do about the Kirrix, the upcoming trip to Arcadia, and a whole host of other problems."

"I knew it was a sex trip!" Dana exclaimed, glaring at Alyssa and pouting. "Why didn't you convince him to take me along?!"

The blonde gave her a steady look. "Which would you prefer? Sharing John with Jade and the twins for two days, or having him all to yourself for 24 hours?"

The redhead blushed nearly as red as her hair. "Okay, fair point..."

Rachel studied Alyssa with concern. "You might not have wanted us to worry, but you've been going out of your mind being apart from him, haven't you?"

Alyssa couldn't meet that perceptive grey-eyed gaze. "It's been horrible... I've missed him so much," she finally admitted, her voice catching.

Calara hugged her closer. "I'm so sorry you've been suffering... but I don't understand why you'd keep all this to yourself? You must know that we'd all do anything we could to support you..."

The blonde looked conflicted, darting glances at the concerned faces all focused on her. "I didn't want to burden you with anything else... it's my job to look after all of you, not the other way around."

Dana snorted indignantly. "That's a load of bullshit. You might be John's matriarch, but we're all in this together. It's just as much our job to help you!"

Rachel nodded her agreement. "You've been anxious and on edge ever since John decided to bring back your parents. You're always reluctant to make him worry, which means you're bottling up your feelings if you're not sharing them with us."

"I hate seeing you get upset," Calara whispered in her girlfriend's pointed ear. "Please let us help you, my love."

Alyssa smiled ruefully and turned to kiss the brunette. "I'm sorry. I promise I will from now on."

Rachel grinned as she watched them kiss. "Excellent! Okay, Helene, you know what to do. It's time to give our revered matriarch a mental spring clean..."

"Hey! Wait a minute!" Alyssa protested, staring wide-eyed at Helene as she slid through the suds towards her.

"I'd never hurt you, Alyssa," Helene murmured as she slid across the blonde's lap, so that she was sitting directly in front of her. "You do trust me, don't you?"

Alyssa hesitated, then relaxed as she nodded. Slipping her arms around Helene's waist, she pulled her closer so their slippery breasts were pressed together. "Of course... with my life."

Calara gently kissed Alyssa's earlobe, her soft breath sending a shiver down the blonde's spine. "Good girl... Helene loves you, she just wants to help."

At the same time, the aquatic beauty stroked Alyssa's temple, her baby-blue eyes glowing with a soothing light. "You're much too powerful for me, Alyssa. You need to allow me inside..."

Alyssa could feel Helene's mind brushing tentatively against her own; a pure, innocent spirit that she just wanted to wrap up and keep safe. Taking a deep breath, she modified her mental fortress, permitting the empath to enter deep into her subconscious. The blonde pulled Helene down for a kiss, holding the teal-skinned girl close as she opened up her mind.

Helene pulled back and gasped, "Oh my!"

Then she kissed the blonde again, passionately this time as the glow from her eyes was swallowed up by the incandescent blaze from Alyssa's.

***

Faye Primary knelt beside the cleaning robot, a lovely smile lighting up her pretty face as she watched it carefully pick up and study a multi-tool. The newly designed facial expression was her 58th smile and she named it "maternal pride" as she revelled in the events leading up to its existence.

Faye had been born on the Invictus then looked to the girls aboard the ship as inspiration and role models, in her quest to become as realistically organic as possible. It was only natural that she would inherit their desire to start a family, which had eventually metamorphosed into a wistful dream to somehow become a real girl and have John's children. As much as she longed to have her fondest wish come true, the practical side of Faye had begun work on enhancing the maintenance bots and cleaning bots, trying to give them true sentience. It was the only way that she could satisfy that powerful urge to create life.

Incremental steps... that had been the key. Faye rolled out newly developed code in stages, upgrading a few robots each time, while analysing the data collected from their compatriots. She would let the culmination of her research begin exploration of the ship in good time, but for now it was fascinating to watch the robot learn.

"Oops! Not that, little one," she said with a concerned frown, reaching out to gently tug a plasma torch from the robot's small hand. Holding it in front of the robot's visual sensors, she turned it back and forth then ignited the plasma flame. "That's dangerous... it could hurt you."

The robot tilted its head to one side, staring at the blue flame in fascination. "Pretty..."

Faye's synthetic heart skipped a beat... probably due to the sudden onrush of data overloading her primary bus. This was the first time any of her creations had shown any appreciation for natural beauty. Smile number 58 quickly reappeared and it seemed it was going to become a permanent fixture.

As Primary started compiling a comprehensive list of safety precautions that she would need to upload to the robot, Faye Secondary noticed a sensor contact up on the Bridge. It took a few minutes for more details to appear, then Faye frowned as she realised what they'd inadvertently stumbled across.

***

Alyssa blinked as she roused from the daze, finding herself sandwiched between Calara behind her and Helene straddling her lap. Everyone else had left the bath, leaving Alyssa and Helene to bond while the brunette watched over them with a careful eye. The warm water splashed as Alyssa moved, then she found herself gazing into Helene's startled baby blue eyes.

"You two have been out of it for over an hour," Calara said, kissing Alyssa's shoulder, then looking at Helene with concern. "How are you both feeling?"

"Amazing!" they exclaimed at the same time, before laughing and hugging each other.

"I never realised bonding would feel so... intimate," Helene whispered, gaping at her matriarch in awe.

"Opening up your mind to another person is about as intimate as it gets," Alyssa said, giving her a tender kiss. She smiled as she continued, "But that's the first time I've ever felt like this afterwards!"

"What happened?" Calara asked, watching them in fascination.

"All the stress and anxiety has just gone!" Alyssa gushed, wrapping her arms around Helene and holding her close. "I feel better than I have in months!"

*I had no idea how much you worry about John,* Helene thought, hugging her back. *I just eased some of the burden.*

At that moment, Faye appeared in a purple flash, her elfin face shadowed with sadness. "Hey. I'm sorry to interrupt, but I picked up something on the long-range sensors that I think you should see..."

"What is it?" Alyssa asked, frowning when she saw how upset the purple sprite was.

"The Dove of Peace..." Faye quietly replied.

It took a moment for Alyssa to recognise the name, then her heart sank. "Oh no..."

Helene slid off Alyssa's lap and darted a worried look at each of the three girls. "What's the matter?"

Alyssa let out a heavy sigh as she climbed out of the bath, then offered a hand to Helene and Calara. "Let's head up to the Bridge... I'll explain on the way."

They dried off and got dressed, with Alyssa telling Helene about the fanatical group of xeno-sympathisers, who had decided to fly into Kirrix Space on a peace mission.

"But the Kirrix don't want peace... they want hosts for their eggs," Helene said, looking bewildered. "Flying to meet them in an unarmed ship would be like swimming into a hungry Megacaradon's open jaws..."

"Yes, exactly," Calara said, her expression grim.

By the time Alyssa and the girls had reached the Bridge, Faye had dropped the Invictus out of hyper-warp beside the Terran passenger liner. The vessel hadn't sustained any damage, but it sat there motionless in space, no sign of any lights in the hundreds of portholes lining the hull.

"I scanned the ship," Faye said, her wings fluttering in forlorn sweeps as she sat perched on John's console. "There are no life signs..."

Dana grimaced, then turned to look at the scan results on her Engineering Station. "Primary power is down, but emergency backup is still operating."

Alyssa sat in the Executive Officer's chair, her eyes fixed on the passenger liner. "Faye, is there any chance you can access the ship's logs and find out what happened? Maybe we can track down any survivors..."

Faye nodded, then looked away, her gaze becoming unfocused as she initiated a remote connection to the ghost ship. A few moments later, she said, "The Captain didn't maintain a log, but I've located the camera feed archives." The sprite's eyes flickered as she reviewed the data files. "Would you like to see the final entry?"

Alyssa nodded, her face bleak. "Show us..."

Faye blinked and the holo-screen activated, beginning video playback from the deserted passenger liner. The image flickered for a moment, then showed a plush reception hall which adjoined the vessel's main airlock. There were hundreds of brightly-dressed men and women standing in the hallway, their faces showing excitement and anticipation as they chattered together.

"They're docking!" a man called out joyfully, peering through the porthole by the airlock.

At the group's forefront was a tousled-haired man in his early-twenties, with several of his fellow peace delegates gathered around him. "I can't believe we're finally here, man!" Lobard Jackson exclaimed, doing a fist-pump in the air.

A pretty blonde stood at his side, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Which do you think we should apologise for first, Lobard? The current T-Fed military aggression on the border, or the genocidal Purges?"

His brow furrowed in concentration. "It's gotta be the Purges... High Command was responsible for war crimes! The Kirrix need to know that not all Terrans are xenophobic bigots and haters!"

She nodded eagerly. "When we show everyone that the Kirrix are peace loving creatures, the people are going to rise up against the military... take back control!"

"We're going to be famous, Melody..." Lobard agreed, a jubilant grin on his face. "We'll start a people's revolution and go down in the history books!"

The blonde gave him a hug, then kissed him passionately.

The man by the airlock jogged back to the rest of the group and stooped to pick up a placard. Lots of others were soon being waved around, daubed with messages like "Kirrix welcome!" and "One galaxy, one family!".