Three Square Meals Ch. 130

The elder Nymph turned to look at John, a playful gleam in her emerald eyes. "Is that alright with you, Master?"

He smiled at her indulgently. "Alright, go ahead."

***

"And that's one of our spare armouries," Calara said, letting the door close without entering. "We need to restock it with the latest versions of our guns and armour, but we've been upgrading our gear so quickly, we haven't had the time."

"You've got stashes of equipment everywhere," Mateo marvelled, following his sister to the forward grav-tube.

Jack nodded, a thoughtful look on his face. "I've served on Federation warships for the last thirty years, but I've never been on a ship that's so purpose-fitted for warfare."

Calara stepped into the soft blue luminescence of the anti-gravity field. "We've been in almost non-stop combat for the last six months and the Invictus was never designed for such relentless fighting, especially with so small a crew. We had to make some extensive modifications to customise the ship to better suit our needs... but not all the changes we made were combat-focused."

"Like the swimming pool?" Mateo asked with interest.

She smiled and nodded. "The Invictus actually came with a fully-furnished gym and a pool, but we had to get rid of them to build another brig. The new pool is much better though and John installed a magnificent dojo... which I'll show you after lunch."

"I can't wait to see that!" Mateo enthused, sharing a smile with his father.

Looking upwards at the exits from the grav-tube, Calara pondered aloud, "I think we can skip the Power Cores and Magazines on Deck Five, so I'll take you through the Observatory to show you the pool, then we can stop for lunch." She glanced at Mateo and added, "If you still want to take a look at the Invictus' main Bridge, you can head up to the Command Deck this afternoon. Alyssa will be up there for the rest of the day and she'll be happy to show you the navigation systems."

"I definitely want to see that," he said enthusiastically, his brown eyes alight with anticipation. "Touring the Invictus is like getting a glimpse of the future; I'll be able to see what Federation ships will be using decades from now!"

His comment made Calara pause in surprise. "That's an interesting way of looking at it. I've got so used to the rapid pace of all these upgrades that I forget what it must be like seeing the Invictus with fresh eyes."

"I really appreciate you showing us around," Mateo said gratefully. "I understand that almost everything we've seen is incredibly classified. It means a lot that you'd trust me with top secret technology like this."

"I love you, big brother... of course I trust you." Calara said with a fond smile, before giving him a hug. "Not even the Fleet Admiral has had a personal tour of the Invictus."

"I'll try not to gloat the next time she phones me for a chat," Mateo joked, hugging her back.

Calara laughed and pulled away from him, then gestured towards the next exit. "Okay, jump out here."

Jack and Mateo followed her into the short corridor that led through to the Observatory. Calara darted ahead and crouched down by the console beside the oval bed, pressing a couple of buttons to open up the roof. The Crystal Alyssium armour plating peeled back, giving them a spectacular view of space through the huge transparent dome overhead.

"Wow..." Mateo murmured, gazing up at the glittering stars in amazement. "The view from here is incredible!"

"Stargazing's a lovely way to relax," Calara agreed, tilting her head back to enjoy the breathtaking view. "The Invictus went through a major refit when we lengthened her to accommodate the Singularity Drivers and the Heavy Cannon battery. We had loads of spare space on the lower decks, so we included the Observatory to make the ship feel more like a home."

She noticed that her father was suspiciously quiet and glanced in his direction. Jack was studying the huge bed with a raised eyebrow and it was quite clear from just counting the pillows that the entire crew all slept together there.

When he saw her pensive expression, Jack gave her a reassuring smile and gently patted her shoulder. "You're very lucky to have this, Callie. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, dad," she whispered, giving him a fierce hug.

"What's through these doors?" Mateo asked, blissfully unaware of the important exchange between father and daughter.

Calara smiled at Jack as they separated, then she walked over to her brother. "That one over there leads to a bathroom and this one's our walk-in-wardrobe and emergency armoury."

Mateo smiled in amusement. "How very convenient. Get out of bed, brush your teeth, then get dressed for another day in the office?"

She laughed and nodded. "Yeah, something like that."

"So what's through here?" he asked, walking over to the door on the far side of the Observatory. "Is this the way to the swimming pool?"

"That's right," Calara said, gesturing for him to proceed.

Her brother tapped the button on the wall, opening the double doors and giving him his first glimpse of the Lagoon.

And the colossal green dragon that turned to study him with inquisitive emerald eyes.

"Holy fuck!" Mateo gasped, staggering backwards in fear.

Jack realised at once who it was, having recognised Jade's colouration from her shapeshift into a tiger the previous evening and the video he'd seen of her in action. That knowledge was the only thing that stopped him fleeing in terror from the enormous draconic behemoth that dominated the cavernous room.

"Mateo, stop!" Calara said firmly, grabbing his wrist to stop him from running, her grip surprisingly strong. "It's just Jade."

"W-what?" he stammered, fear numbing his brain into insensibility.

"She's not going to hurt you," his sister said, her voice calm and soothing. "Jade's a Nymph... a shape-shifter, remember? She can turn into a dragon."

The enormous reptilian monster blurred in a verdant haze, rapidly shrinking until Jade reappeared in humanoid form. She bounded across the bridge to join them, a look of contrition on her beautiful face.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to scare you!"

The Nymph was entirely nude and the alluring bounce of her gravity-defying breasts did a lot to help Mateo recover from his fright.

"That was a hell of a shock," he admitted, taking a big breath to steady his pounding heart. "Sorry I overreacted... I don't have a good history with dragons."

"Of course... you were captured by Tamolith," Jade said with sympathy. "I really am sorry I frightened you, I was just showing Emily what I could do."

Mateo looked at her in bewilderment. "She asked you to change into that?!"

Jade nodded, then glanced over her shoulder at the blonde who was hurrying across the bridge.

"Mateo!" Emily gushed, running into his open arms. She gave him a big kiss, her eyes sparkling with joy. "Isn't Jade amazing? Thank you so much for bringing me with you! This trip has been so exciting!"

He struggled valiantly to regain his composure. "I'm glad you've been having a good time."

"Oh I have, the Nymphs have been wonderful! They spent the morning changing into all sorts of different creatures for me!"

Mateo glanced at Jade with a flicker of trepidation. "All of you can turn into dragons?"

Jade shook her head. "Only me at the moment." She caught his eyes flicking down to admire her bounteous cleavage and her full lips curved into a knowing smile. "I can see you're feeling better already. I'll let you enjoy your lunch without worrying about scary dragons trying to steal your sandwiches."

Turning away, she shifted in a verdant blur and reappeared as a green falcon, lifting into the air with rapid beats of her wings. Jade swooped across the Lagoon to rejoin her sisters, where she returned to her normal shape and slipped on the dress that Neysa handed over. The five Nymphs waved goodbye, then left through the door opposite.

"Imagine being able to just change into anything you want," Emily said with a dreamy sigh.

"Yeah, you changing into a dragon would be great," Mateo said with considerably less enthusiasm.

Calara smiled and clasped his hand. "You must be starving after being dragged around the ship all morning. Let's go have some lunch."

John met them half-way across the bridge. "Are you alright, Mateo? I can't apologise enough for you getting a scare like that. I'll have to have a stern word with Alyssa."

*I'm really sorry about that, handsome,* Alyssa said quickly. *I'm a bit distracted at the moment and wasn't paying attention.*

*Are you alright?* he asked with concern.

*I'm fine. I'll explain why later.*

"Why would you blame Alyssa?" Mateo asked in confusion, sweeping his gaze over the beach to look for the statuesque blonde. "I can't see her. Is she joining us for lunch?"

"Ah... no, she needs to stay up on the Command Deck to make sure we don't crash into anything," John replied, covering his accidental slip. He plucked at his damp t-shirt. "I just got drenched, so I'm going to get changed into some beach-wear before the picnic. Feel free to do the same and have a swim before we eat if you want."

"Can we swim first?" Emily pleaded with her boyfriend. "The water looks so good, but I wanted to wait until you got here before I went in."

"Sure, I'll go get changed," Mateo agreed, gladly accepting her grateful kiss.

The couple set off, leaving John with Calara and her father. Standing at the apex of the bridge offered the best view of the Lagoon and Jack paused to survey the breathtaking tropical paradise. He was astounded that such outstanding natural beauty could be hidden within the most powerful warship in Terran Federation history.

Calara slipped her hand into his. "What do you think, dad?"

He turned to smile at his daughter. "You mentioned that the Invictus doesn't have a night shift for the Bridge... I can hold my own at Tactical and my wife's one hell of a Comms Officer."

She laughed, then hesitated and turned to look quizzically at John.

*Oh my...* Alyssa said softly. *Can you imagine living with Maria?*

Clearing his throat awkwardly, John had absolutely no idea how he was going to respond to that.

Before he could say anything, Jack held up his hand. "Relax, I'm only joking." He broke into a lopsided smile. "Mostly..."

John chuckled and tried not to sigh with relief. "I really respect you as an officer, Jack. It's just that..."

Jack clapped him on the shoulder. "It's okay, I understand. You already explained why you have an all-female crew."

"I know this must be incredibly difficult for you," John said to him, before glancing meaningfully at Calara. "This can't be the life you ever envisaged for your daughter."

"It's not, but who am I to judge?" Jack smiled at his youngest child. "I can see how happy you are, Callie, living here with John and the girls. It took me a while to get there, but you both have my blessing... and apparently my wife already knows all about your living situation and approves wholeheartedly."

"Mom's been very supportive," Calara said with a broad grin.

"Yes, I bet she has," he said, giving her a wry smile. His expression turned serious as he continued, "All joking aside, I know you're about to embark on a war with the Progenitors. That thought terrifies me and I'm not even involved in the fighting. Your crew has skills and abilities that I can barely comprehend... and I know that I'm just not capable of being able to fight beside you."

Calara opened her mouth to protest, but her father shushed her with his hand in the air.

"Just let me get this off my chest, sweetheart, then you can talk to your heart's content. After our conversation last night, I thought long and hard about how I could help you in the upcoming war. I realised this morning that the best way I can support you is to keep Maria and my boys out of danger. Devereux was right. You don't need the distraction, Calara, you've got far bigger problems to deal with."

"You're not a distraction!" she protested.

He nodded, his expression solemn. "Yes, we are. You can't keep running back to save us all the time. You've got to focus all your attention on taking down this group of tyrannical demigods. Whenever you need to visit your family for some love and support, then we'll welcome you home with open arms... I think that's the best way we can help you."

Calara flung her arms around him. "You're amazing, dad! I love you so much."

Touched by his future father-in-law's unreserved support, John gave him a look filled with gratitude. "I can't tell you how much this means to us, Jack. Thank you."

Jack kissed Calara on the cheek, then smiled at John. "I'd wish you good luck... but I don't think you'll need it, not with my daughter at your side."

John gently rubbed her back. "You're absolutely right. She's the finest Tactician in the galaxy."

Alyssa felt Calara's burst of joy across her network... accompanied by another surge of previously untapped psychic potential. *Not again!* she groaned, riding that wave of bliss.

***

The Bridge of the vast Progenitor dreadnought was dark and gloomy, illuminated only by the sinister crimson lights set into the floor and the muted glow from the scarlet icon hurtling across the map.

"How are they travelling so fast?" Jessica asked in an awed whisper, watching the Invictus cruise effortlessly between the stars.

Rahn'hagon shook his head, unable to believe his eyes. "They're moving even quicker than before... I've never seen anything reach that hyper-warp velocity!"

"Are they actually flying through that gravity well?!" the brunette balked, knowing such a feat was impossible.

Her Progenitor lover increased the magnification, then watched as the Invictus swept majestically around the system, the star bathing the ship in a warm golden glow.

"That can't be..." he muttered under his breath. "How are you doing that, John?!"

Jessica leaned back, then studied the map in confusion. "We're hundreds of light years away... how can we still be picking up the tracking beacon?"

"It's a psychic emitter," he answered distractedly, never taking his eyes from the rune. "It sends locator pulses across the Astral shallows."

She turned to look at him askance. "Could you explain that again in English please?"

He gave her a contrite smile. "My apologies... I forgot you're not well-versed in the subtleties of the Eldritch dimension."

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "If you're trying to make me feel stupid, you're succeeding beyond your wildest dreams."

"That was not my intent, Jess," he said earnestly, stroking her cheek. "I hold you in the highest regard... and would never do anything to belittle you."

"Alright, you're forgiven," she said, clasping his hand and kissing his fingers.

Suddenly the Progenitor rune began to dim, the radiance oscillating wildly in spikes of red light before winking out.

"What the hell was that?!" Jessica asked, squinting against the flaring light. "Is it broken?"

Rahn'hagon shook his head in bewilderment. "I don't know, I've never seen one of those devices fail before. They might have found the tracking device... or there could be some kind of background interference."

"We need to jump ahead of that ship!" Jessica said urgently. "This might be our only chance to make contact before we lose them!"

"Have you decided what you're going to say to John?" Rahn'hagon asked, looking intrigued.

"Me?" she asked apprehensively. "Aren't you going to talk to him first?"

"Absolutely not," he declared, a determined set to his jaw. "He banished me from his presence on pain of death. I have no wish to further antagonise him."

"But you promised!" Jessica pleaded, looking up at him with big eyes.

"Your feminine wiles won't work on me, Jess," Rahn'hagon said stubbornly, turning away and shielding his gaze with a hand. "Besides, I only promised to help you atone with our son. I didn't agree to make first contact with him... or speak to him in any fashion for that matter."

She slumped dejectedly and leaned against the nearest console. "What the hell am I going to say to him, Rahn? Sorry I dumped you with my parents and didn't think about you again for forty years? It's no wonder he hates me... I'm the worst mother in the galaxy."

Rahn'hagon lowered his hand and looked at her with sympathy. "I was the one at fault, not you. All you were doing was following my instructions... and truthfully, you were powerless to resist. Blame me for forcing you to abandon your son... my relationship with John is already beyond redemption."

"But you're his father," she said softly. "I don't want to make things any worse between the two of you."

He sighed with regret. "It's too late for that."

Jessica hugged him, sharing his melancholy mood. "I don't think I'm ready to speak to John... not yet. I need some time to plan what I'm going to say." She looked at the holographic map over Rahn'hagon's shoulder. "It looks like they're heading into the Core Worlds. Can we jump to Alpha Centauri? I bet they'll stop at Olympus shipyard... if it's still standing after all these years."

Rahn'hagon twisted around to reach the map interface, then shifted the location to the blue star in question. He cycled through the glyphs for that system, then selected one for the shipyard, bringing it into sharp focus.

"That's it!" Jessica exclaimed, flashing an excited grin at her lover.

"This sensor data was collated only two weeks ago," he said, reading the runic script. "Olympus shipyard appears to be fully functional."

"Can we jump there, Rahn? Please?" Jessica begged him. "You can leave all the talking to me. I promise I won't try to push you into doing anything you're not comfortable with."

He studied the map pensively for a long moment. "Alright... but when you make contact with John, we're staying cloaked on the periphery of the system. If he makes any aggressive moves in our direction, we'll leave immediately."

"Sure, that's totally fine," she agreed, nibbling nervously at a nail as she stared at the map.

The thought that she could be speaking to her son again in just a matter of hours sent a host of butterflies fluttering in Jessica's stomach. She felt drastically worse when Rahn'hagon activated the wormhole generator, the Progenitor dreadnought hurtling through the rip in space, and leaving her fighting to stop herself throwing up. As she choked down the wave of bile, Jessica stared out through the sweeping windows, her heart skipping a beat when she saw the huge six-armed battle station.

The titanium grey superstructure made Olympus look bleak and forbidding, the ominous feeling reinforced by the hundreds of Terran warships lined up in formation surrounding the shipyard. It was forty years since she'd last been here. Forty years since she'd sabotaged the Cora, murdered its crew, then fled from Federation territory in a stolen corvette. Jessica eyed the Terran forces with trepidation, wondering if she was still a wanted criminal, a death sentence hovering over her head.

As terrifying as that was, the thought of being sternly rejected by her son was far worse.

***

John stripped off his sodden shirt and dropped it on the floor of the walk-in-wardrobe with a squelch. He started unbuttoning his trousers, then hesitated, unsure if he actually had a pair of suitable shorts he could change into. The swimming trunks he usually wore in the Lagoon didn't leave much to the imagination.

*Third shelf down. I picked you up something suitable on our last shopping extravaganza,* Alyssa informed him affectionately.

Glancing through the shelves of neatly folded clothing, he found a pair of blue board shorts and a t-shirt. *These are perfect. Thanks, honey.*

*Of course, you could show Emily what she's missing...* Alyssa teased him.