Three Square Meals Ch. 126

"You could teach me to Spirit Walk!" Tashana blurted out, interrupting him. "I don't want to be a burden either, but I won't be if I can come with you by myself!"

John exchanged a glance with Alyssa, who nodded her agreement. "We need her help, John. Progenitors and their Thralls seem to speak a variant of ancient Maliri... and Tashana knows the language."

"That's a good point," he finally conceded, turning to look at the eager girl sitting in his lap. "Alright, you can come too... but Astral Projection is an ability, I can't just teach it to you." He slipped a hand inside the slit in her long dress and stroked her toned stomach. "If you're really determined to join us, I'm afraid I'm going to have to give you a full tummy..."

She gave him a coy smile, enjoying the familiar caress of his fingers. "I'm willing to serve my Lord in whatever capacity he demands." Her eyelashes fluttered as she leaned into his touch. "How about meeting Irillith and me in the shuttle this afternoon? We do have unfinished business to attend to..."

John kissed her, then pulled back to look into her angular violet eyes. "Unfortunately, I've already made plans for today. How about tomorrow?"

"As Baen'thelas commands, I obey..." she purred, rubbing against his engorged shaft.

He groaned and reluctantly lifted the smouldering Maliri from his lap. "And I thought you were going to be the nice wholesome twin..."

Tashana gave him a seductive smile. "You brought out my wicked side."

"Are you still intending to help Dana fix the Raptor this afternoon?" Alyssa asked, watching the flirting with a smile.

"That's the plan... but first I need a shower," John replied, getting up from the bed. "Once I've done all the shaping she needs, I want to catch up with Calara and Sakura in the Dojo." He offered his blonde matriarch a hand. "You never told me what you had planned for today?"

"Oh, this and that," she replied with a dismissive wave.

"Ah, I see... so just shirking off from shaping duties then," he said with a knowing look. "When you can fit me into your busy schedule, I must start teaching you how to create Progenitor runes."

"I can't wait!" Alyssa grinned, then rose to her feet. "For now, I'll leave you to enjoy your shower."

Tashana slipped the long dress from her shoulders and let it pool at her feet. Delightfully nude, she padded towards the new bathroom, glancing back at John with a twinkle in her eyes. "Are you coming, Baen'thelas?"

Smirking at John's startled expression, Alyssa stood on tiptoe and gave him a tender kiss. "I did promise you'd never have to shower alone... have fun, handsome."

"Thanks..." he murmured distractedly, entranced by the azure siren.

Satisfied with a job well done, Alyssa watched John follow Tashana into the en suite, then knelt down to collect the outfit she'd placed at the edge of the enormous oval bed. Dressing quickly, she headed for the primary grav-tube and eavesdropped on her wards chattering away together, enjoying listening to their varied conversations. The girls tended to forget she could hear them unless she chimed in, allowing Alyssa a fascinating insight into their private lives.

*Alyssa, do you have a moment?* Lynette asked, sounding troubled.

*Of course, gorgeous,* the blonde replied, her voice calm and soothing. *What's on your mind?*

*I'm afraid there's no new development on the ringleaders behind the assassination attempts,* the Fleet Admiral replied. *We're currently trying to identify the ISD operatives involved in the attack on Jericho and hope that'll give us more leads.*

*It's a shame we couldn't get to Carmela Moreno before she was blown up,* Alyssa said with a scowl, as she stepped into the blue anti-grav field. *Buckingham's whore must have known all sorts of fascinating secrets.*

*Carmela might have ordered the troop transfers to Olympus, but she was obviously set up to take the blame if the assassination attempts failed. I've known her for several years; she wasn't bright enough to plan something like this.*

*We'll be back in T-Fed comms range by tomorrow night, so try to find out as much information as possible by then. The more leads we have, the quicker Irillith can hunt down all the assholes that fucked with us.* Alyssa's voice turned glacially cold as she continued, *Then we'll round them all up and I'll have a little chat with them...*

Lynette sounded equally grim as she said, *They tried to kill Charles... I want them to suffer just as much as you do.*

Alyssa stepped out of the grav-tube onto the Command Deck and smiled at the Maliri hacker who was writhing in her seat. As much fun as it was imagining the torments she could rain down on the masterminds behind the assassination attempt, flirting with a horny girl always took precedence.

She sauntered past Irillith's station. "You look like you're enjoying your work..."

Irillith's blush deepened as she returned the friendly wave. "I can't get anything done when Tashana's playing with John. You know I can feel everything!"

"I do... and you're welcome!" the blonde replied, blowing the flustered Maliri a kiss.

Rolling her eyes, Irillith laughed as she returned to her work... or at least she tried to. Her soft moans echoed across the Bridge, accompanying Alyssa as she entered the Commander's Ready Room.

*How's everything going between you, Charles, and Lina?* Alyssa prompted, the older woman having lapsed into silence.

*That's actually the reason I wanted to speak with you,* Lynette admitted. *Lina's eager to join us in bed, but I'm not sure how to proceed...*

*As I recall, you had no trouble handling a woman's body, * Alyssa teased her, sashaying over to John's desk.

Lynette smiled at the erotic memories. *That's definitely not the problem.*

*Charles is having cold feet?*

*He still can't believe his luck... but he's worried that this is some kind of faithfulness test, so he's letting me take the lead.*

*So what's the big deal?* Alyssa asked, sitting down in the high-backed leather chair. *Bed that sexy redhead and blow Charles' mind!*

*I don't want to do anything that might stop John from making her a secret Lioness. At the moment, Charles and Lina haven't even kissed yet... and John's already uncomfortable about putting her through the Change.*

*Crap... you're right,* Alyssa conceded with a sigh, slumping in her chair. *We'll reach Olympus in just over three days; can you keep things at a simmer between Charles and Lina until then?*

*I won't have any problem keeping Charles more than satisfied,* Lynette said with well-founded confidence. *And I'm sure Lina won't do anything to jeopardise her chance at becoming a Lioness.*

*Don't worry; I'll do what I can to soften up John,* Alyssa said with a wry smile. *He cares about you and Charles a great deal, and just wants you to be happy. It shouldn't be too hard to persuade him.*

*Thank you!* the brunette gushed, feeling tremendously relieved.

Alyssa activated the holo-interface built into the desk, then turned her attention to several holo-screens that were configured for her use. The first showed John's financial portfolio, which Alyssa had begun investing in several promising ventures. Her first trades had been to snap up shares in the Voss Corporation when the share-price had slumped after all his extravagant acquisitions. When Henry unveiled his company's shift to starship construction in the aftermath of the Battle of Terra, the value of her shareholdings had soared, resulting in a massive profit.

The data she was currently reviewing was several days out of date and needed to be refreshed when they re-entered T-Fed territory. The Voss Corporation was still showing an upward trend, if not at quite the same meteoric rate, but Alyssa had no intention of selling yet. A confrontation with the Brimorians was imminent, meaning another huge demand for Terran warships... and a corresponding surge in the value of Henry's company.

So far, the profits had already funded the 150 million credits Alyssa had siphoned off to create the Lion Foundation. Using brokers, she'd begun purchasing property on planets throughout the Terran Federation, which would soon become Lion Cub orphanages. Once the facilities had been refurbished, recruitment would begin in earnest and she was determined that all candidates would be thoroughly vetted... by Irillith... leaving no stone unturned. Having seen first-hand how employees at the orphanages in Karron abused their vulnerable charges, there was no chance she'd allow history to repeat itself. Scanning through the long list of potential properties on offer, she read the agent's summary for each one and evaluated each in turn, authorising scores of purchases that would be dispatched when they reached T-Fed territory.

With that business taken care of, Alyssa focused on the third and fourth screens. One of those was filled with staggeringly complex formulas, calculating the exponential increase in gravitic force that a gravity well projected on a body in hyper-warp. The adjacent screen showed a detailed view of the Invictus, tracking the vessel's physical attributes, such as mass, thrust, and inertia rating. Her fingers swept over the keyboard, updating both the formula on the left and the test model on the right.

After a final perusal of her calculations, Alyssa began a simulation depicting the Invictus with its existing hull plating and Inertia Dampening cores. The white battlecruiser raced towards a dazzling yellow star, moving at impossible speed in hyper-warp. Banking to the side, it attempted to slingshot directly around the star, a manoeuvre only a madman would attempt. As expected, the holographic model of the Invictus buckled and twisted as if clenched by a gigantic fist... then the mangled wreck barrelled straight into the sun.

Tilting her head to one side, her brow furrowed as she stared into the distance. *Sparks... could you run some tests on icosa-shaped Crystal Alyssium please?*

Dana hesitated for a second. *Icosa? What the fuck's that?*

*Twenty-shaped...* Alyssa clarified.

*Sure, no problem,* the redhead cheerfully replied. *What kind of data do you need?*

*The amount of gravitic force the hull plating can withstand before stress fractures appear. If you can estimate some projections of the metal's increased resilience with additional shapings, I'd appreciate it,* Alyssa murmured, deep in thought. *I'd also like to know the inertia dampening rating of the Null-Inertia Gyroscope please.*

*I'll send the specs for the gyroscope over asap,* Dana replied, sounding lost in thought. *I might know a quick way to test Crystal Alyssium for gravitic stress... I'll let you know the results.*

*Thanks, Sparks,* Alyssa said affectionately. *What would I do without you?*

*You'll never have to find out!* Her friend hesitated for a moment, then asked, *What are you working on anyway?*

*Oh, not much. Just passing the time...* Alyssa murmured, returning to her calculations.

***

John dressed quickly, pulling on a t-shirt and combat trousers that were the only items hanging up in his section of the new Changing Room. He glanced at Tashana as he pulled on his boots, watching her shimmy into a long dress and admiring her sleek blue physique.

"Thanks for keeping me company in the shower," he said with a grin when he caught her eye. "That was fun."

She returned his smile and leaned over for a kiss. "I should be thanking you for being so selfless." Her fingers idly traced a circle over her flat stomach. "I must admit, it's very strange to feel this satiated and not have a full tummy."

"Sorry about that. Helene just beat you to it and I need a few more hours to fill up again," he said, joining her in caressing her abdomen. "I actually enjoyed just focusing on you for a change."

She reached down to gently stroke his quad through his trousers. "Who is the next load for?"

"Marika..." he replied, thinking of the warm-hearted tabby catgirl. "I'm focusing on enhancing the Nymphs at the moment."

"Ah, she's a lucky girl," Tashana said with a wistful smile.

They returned to the Observatory and walked around the oval bed as they headed for the Lagoon.

"Are you going back to studying your research notes?" he asked the Maliri archaeologist.

Tashana nodded and tapped the button to open the door. "I don't think I'll find anything, but it doesn't hurt to be thorough. I might have to take care of Irillith first though... she'll be climbing the walls after the pounding you just gave me."

John groaned at the delightful images that brought to mind, making the Maliri giggle. She gave him a parting kiss, then sauntered through the door to the Lagoon. Her graceful departure was undermined by nearly tripping over the cleaning robot that was waiting just outside the door.

"Oh, sorry!" she blurted out, skipping to the side. "I didn't see you there!"

"No apology is necessary," Little One replied. "I failed to account for your lack of proximity sensors."

Tashana glanced back to smile at John. "It looks like someone wants to speak with you. Thanks for this morning."

He returned her wave goodbye, then turned his attention to the small automaton. "Were you looking for me, Little One? I actually wanted to speak with you too."

"I know," the robot replied. "Where would you like to conduct this conversation?"

Giving her a bemused smile, he gestured towards the bridge. "How about there, overlooking the Lagoon?"

"That is acceptable."

John walked to the apex of the bridge spanning the artificial lake, then sat down with his legs dangling over the edge. Little One followed him, her tracks clicking until she stopped by his side.

"There were actually a few things I wanted to chat to you about," John said, gazing down into the crystal-clear water below.

"Which would you like to discuss first? The location of Meta_Faye's physical chassis, the installation of the Observatory's en suite bathroom, or the current status of the Invictus' weapon battery checks?"

His mouth fell open in surprise. "Wait, how did you-" He paused and gave the robot a knowing look. "You've been listening in on our conversations again, haven't you?"

"Meta_Faye believed it to be the most efficient way of meeting the needs of the Invictus_crew."

John studied the robot for a long moment. "Actually, there was something more important that I wanted to talk to you about first. How are the three maintenance robots we rescued doing?"

Now it was Little One's turn to be surprised. The robot's posture slumped slightly and there was a melancholy note to her voice as she replied, "I had to take them offline to repair several catastrophic system errors."

"I'm sorry... I probably handled it badly," he said quietly. "They all wanted to know if everyone was okay after the attack and I just couldn't lie to them."

Little One turned, her tracks making soft metallic clicks. She placed a small hand on his shoulder in a very human gesture of sympathy. "The Invictus_Node_Collective is very grateful to you for retrieving those we thought lost to us. We will not forget the compassion you showed towards maintenance bots #13, #17, and #22. Thank you, John Blake."

"You guys are family," he said giving her a sad smile. "It was the least I could do."

They sat together in silence for a while, with John reflecting on recent events. He glanced at the robot and realised that Little One was watching him, patiently waiting to continue the discussion.

"You were right earlier, I did want to thank you for helping install the new bathroom," he said, smiling at Little One gratefully. "There's a lot of pressure on Dana as our gunsmith, armourer, and Chief Engineer, so I really appreciate anything you can do to help her."

"The designated purpose of the maintenance robots is construction and repair. They derive a sense of... satisfaction... in fulfilling their duties."

He nodded his understanding. "Still, I just wanted to let you know how much I appreciate your help. You also mentioned that you've already started checking the Invictus' guns? Aren't those bots too big to fit in the maintenance ducts?"

"You are correct. The maintenance units are unable to perform this task, but myself and the other cleaning robots are able to negotiate the tunnels with no difficulties. The Collective reviewed the weapon schematics last night and began checking for any damage the ship's guns might have sustained in the crash. The Tachyon Lances have all been examined: the barrel of topdeck starboard-mount-4 was cracked in the impact and the Eternity Crystal in port-mount-4 has been fractured."

John's brow furrowed as he tried to place those guns. "They're the guns flanking the Observatory, right?"

"That is correct."

"Nice work," he said with a nod of gratitude. "We'll fix them next time we drop out of hyper-warp."

"The Collective is currently examining the Pulse Cannon batteries. I will submit a status report of our findings to the Grand Engineering Overlord when the checks are complete."

He smiled when he heard Little One use Dana's grandiose title, but couldn't tell from her inflection if she was taking it seriously. "What about the Nova Lances and Singularity Drivers?"

"I reviewed combat footage of the Invictus taken from your recent battles and prioritised weapons based on the frequency of their usage and respective damage output." Little One hesitated, suddenly sounding unsure. "Was I in error to prioritise the tasks in that way?"

"No, not at all," he quickly replied, startled by how much thought the robot had put into the work. "You're right... Calara does tend to favour our beam weapons and defence grid in a fight. If we were attacked by a Kirrix battle fleet, she could wipe them out just using those guns."

"It was the method that provided optimum combat effectiveness in the quickest timeframe, although it was 27% less efficient than clustering checks based on weapon proximity," the robot intoned. Her voice shifted slightly as she added, "I'm... glad... that I chose a method that meets with your approval."

"You're doing a great job," he said, his smile touched with sadness. "Faye would've been very proud of you."

The robot froze for a second, then seemed to hold itself higher. "You are kind to say so, John Blake. I do not know Meta-Faye's reasoning for my creation... but I hope I am fulfilling whatever purpose she intended."

"I'm afraid I don't know either. She never discussed the Collective with me or any of the other crew."

Little One studied him for a long moment, then said quietly, "We moved Meta_Faye's chassis to her quarters. Will you accompany me there?"

Surprised by her request, John nodded and rose to his feet. "Of course."

They walked in silence across the bridge towards the opposite side of the Lagoon. He opened the door for the small robot and accompanied Little One into the corridor as they headed towards the grav-tube. John began to regret agreeing to go to Faye's old room, his heart feeling heavy in his chest with the pain of his grief. He'd been doing his best to get over her loss over the past few days and he wasn't sure he could handle seeing her lifeless body again.

Walking with leaden feet, he stepped into the gravity field and rose up to Deck Two, then reluctantly followed Little One over to the door. It opened as they approached and she rolled to a halt beside the entrance, turning to look at him expectantly. With a heavy sigh, John joined her in the doorway and gazed into the softly-lit room.

Faye was on the bed, but she didn't have her hands folded across her chest as she had when lain to rest on the bier in the Hangar. Instead, the purple sprite was tucked snugly under the covers, lying on her side with her long silky hair spread out over the pillow. As he stared at his fallen friend, he noticed her chest was slowly rising and falling... and for the briefest of moments he felt a flare of hope.