Three Square Meals Ch. 132

John looked across the table at his green-skinned matriarch. "You think there's more Nymphs being held captive by the rich and powerful?"

She nodded. "I do."

"Yeah, that's my gut feeling as well," John said, his expression grim.

"Lynette just offered to make owning a Nymph illegal," Alyssa informed them, reaching over to stroke Ailita's arm. "She could offer an amnesty first, letting owners hand over their Nymphs without fear of repercussions."

John glanced at Jehanna. "When you ran that TFNN appeal for information about the Nymphs, were any of the people that came forward the actual owners of Jade's four sisters?"

Jehanna shook her head. "They were all whistleblowers; employees that were willing to turn on their employers for the reward money." She glanced at Ailita and watched the fawning catgirl with a sad smile. "It's not surprising really. A Nymph's master owns his perfect woman; she absolutely adores him and will eagerly do anything he desires. Would any man willingly give that up?"

There was silence around the table, everyone knowing the answer to her rhetorical question.

"I don't think outlawing Nymph ownership would make any difference," Sakura said, her voice solemn. "The kind of people who might own an exotic alien sex slave and keep her secret for decades are likely to be very wealthy and connected. The privileged elites tend to consider themselves above the law and would just ignore it."

Rachel nodded her agreement. "The one thing they'd resent more than being forced to give up a Nymph, would be any threat to their reputation. It's far more likely they would simply kill a captive Nymph, rather than hand her over and risk being tarnished by a tawdry sex scandal."

John ran his fingers through his hair. "So that means manually tracking down any surviving Nymphs and launching individual rescue missions?"

"I could try searching digitally," Irillith offered, but her expression revealed her doubts with that plan. "The problem we face is that Nymphs are incredibly convincing when they shapeshift and their owners aren't likely to be discussing their true nature. I scoured Khatri's personal files and security network, but there was no mention that Ailita was a Nymph. There were also no cameras in his dungeon, but even if I had seen her, she looked just like a beautiful Terran girl and I never would've suspected that she was a Lenarran."

"What about drawing up a list of the top 500 richest people?" Dana suggested. "We could visit where they live and Alyssa could check to see if they've got a Nymph. If we find one, we take out the bad guys and free her!"

Calara grimaced and shot a worried glance at John. "I hate the thought of any Nymphs being held captive and tortured like Ailita was, but we can't spare the time for this at the moment. Preparing for the Progenitor War has to take priority." She glanced at the Nymph matriarch. "I'm really sorry, Jade."

"There's no need to apologise, I understand the threat we're facing," Jade replied with a forgiving smile. She looked at John and continued, "My sisters will survive until we're in a position to help them. When you claim them as their new master, they'll instantly forget any abuses they've endured."

John considered their options for a moment, then reluctantly nodded his agreement. "It looks like our hands are tied for now, but if we do stumble across any Nymphs, it goes without saying that we'll free them immediately. Otherwise, we'll just have to wait until we resolve the Progenitor War, then we can deal with this situation properly."

He looked around the table and saw nods from everyone there, including Jade and her sisters.

"Speaking of Nymphs, I'm going to take Leylira's lunch up to her," he said, gently nudging Ailita, who slid off his lap to allow him to get up.

"I can do that for you, John," Jade volunteered.

He shook his head and went into the kitchen to retrieve the covered dish. "It's okay," he said over his shoulder. "I want to thank her for watching the Bridge."

When he emerged into the dining area again, Alyssa glided over to give him a kiss. "We'll get geared up and meet you in the hangar, handsome."

"See you soon," he said, before waving goodbye to everyone.

As he left the Officers' Lounge, John felt calmer than he had done in what felt like months. The time training with Sakura really had done wonders to relax him, especially when it was followed up by spending an hour enjoying a simple meal with his growing family. He felt like he'd done his best to encourage Jehanna to weigh all the pros and cons of abandoning her old life to join them, but if she was adamant in her decision, he wasn't going to deny her what she wanted.

After a short ride up in the grav-tube, he stepped out onto the Bridge, where Leylira was waiting for him up on the Command Podium. The Nymph was sitting in the XO chair and keeping a careful watch for civilian traffic roaming into their flight path, but she turned to greet him with a smile as he walked up the steps to join her.

"Hey, Leylira," John said, leaning over to give her a kiss. "Thanks for keeping an eye on things up here. I'm sorry you couldn't join us for lunch."

Her smiled turned sultry as she purred, "That's quite alright, Master. Jade said you were planning on filling me up..."

John laughed and showed her the covered tray. "I am. I brought you some lunch."

"I was hoping you'd take care of me personally," Leylira replied, affecting a moue of disappointment. She delicately sniffed the air and her expression brightened. "Although that does smell very good..."

He placed the tray on a level section of the console and removed the lid. "Bon appétit."

She gave him a grateful smile and edged forward to pick up the cutlery. Hesitating for a moment, she replaced the cover and turned to face him.

"John, may I speak with you for a moment?"

"Of course, honey," he replied, giving her an encouraging smile. "What's on your mind?"

"I wanted to thank you for rescuing Ailita... and for allowing me to be part of it," she replied, speaking carefully so that she didn't revert to her old speech patterns.

"You're welcome," he said, cupping her beautiful face and stroking her cheek with his thumb. "This won't be the last time that you'll be at my side when we free your sisters from slavery, Leylira."

She brushed her lips against his wrist, the kiss surprisingly tender. "John... seeing Ailita as she is now... I didn't really understand before, what you were trying to do for us... for me."

"Have I done the right thing?" he asked quietly.

Leylira nodded, her big amber eyes shining with gratitude.

John leaned over to give her a kiss. "I really love the person you've become."

She shivered with delight, then smiled self-consciously. "I'm glad, Master... We're going to be together for a long time."

"Very true," he agreed, straightening up. With a look of regret, he continued, "I'd like to stay and discuss this with you some more, but Tashana and Alyssa are waiting for me. Could we continue this conversation another time?"

"Perhaps this one could spar with you tomorrow, Master?" Leylira asked, falling back into her old habits, she was so excited at the prospect. "We could talk before... or afterwards."

"I'd really like that," he agreed, stroking her jet-black hair before reluctantly descending the illuminated steps. "Don't let your food get cold, honey."

She shook her head and waved goodbye. "I won't. Thank you for bringing me lunch."

They shared a smile and he stepped into the grav-tube, descending in the red anti-gravity field until the grateful tigress had disappeared from view.

*Leylira's doing well,* John noted to his Nymph matriarch. *She's starting to show real insight and self-awareness.*

*It was a rude shock for my sisters, seeing the way Ailita behaves and realising that they used to be just like her,* Jade replied, a strong undercurrent of emotion to her voice. *They're really starting to appreciate the changes you made to them and the way you've encouraged them to evolve.*

*When we rescued the four of them, I remember you going through the same thing,* John said with sympathy. *Was it easier this time?*

*I lack the eloquence to describe the difference, Master,* she said in a quiet murmur. *But it is profound.*

*Is this the secret you were keeping from me?* he asked curiously.

*In a manner of speaking,* she replied, a mixture of playfulness and elation in her voice.

He laughed, realising she wanted to hold onto it for a while longer. *Will you tell me tonight?*

*Perhaps we could schedule some time together this evening? I promise I'll bare my soul to you then, John,* she replied, sounding excited at the prospect.

*It's a date,* he immediately agreed, then started wracking his brain to plan something romantic for the Nymph.

*That's not necessary, Master,* she murmured, touched at his concern. *Simply being the focus of your attention is like a romantic moonlit stroll for me. Let me plan this one.*

He smiled with relief. *Thanks, Jade. I'll look forward to it.*

Reaching Deck Nine, he left the grav-tube and entered the Secondary Hangar, where Alyssa and Tashana were waiting for him.

"Hey ladies, sorry to keep you waiting," John said, jogging over to the Raptor. "I'll just get geared up and be right back."

Alyssa sighed in mock impatience. "Sure, take your time... it's not like we've got anything better to do."

Tashana pouted as she played along. "He never used to keep his thralls waiting around all day."

"Claiming the Maliri must have gone to his head," the blonde agreed, tutting in disapproval. "Such a rude Progenitor."

"Yeah, yeah, very funny," he said with a grin, bounding up the steps to the gunship.

It only took him a few seconds to be clad in his Lion armour and he was about to reach for a Tachyon rifle when he saw that his sword was propped up against the weapon racks. He sheathed it across his back, the magnets in the hilt locking it into place as he emerged from the Raptor.

"Thanks for carrying my sword down," he said to Alyssa as he joined the pair.

"Telekinesis has its uses," she said, wiggling her fingers at him. "I wasn't even going to try lifting that heavy old thing."

Tashana checked her twin pistols, then slotted them back in her holsters, ready for action in case anything went wrong. "Okay, I'm all set."

John glanced at the reinforced door to the Primary Hangar and remembered that the Progenitor shuttle was inside that room. After Alyssa's adverse reaction to the black metal, he didn't want to subject her to any further discomfort.

"I was going to suggest we practice in the other hangar... but we've got plenty of room here," he said gesturing towards a clear space away from the Raptor.

Alyssa gave him a grateful smile. "Thank you."

They moved away from the parked gunship and John turned to Tashana. "Alright then, we'll start by giving you a quick rundown of how to project yourself into the Astral Plane."

"Like this?" Tashana asked, her eyes starting to glow with an eerie violet light.

She took a deep breath and focused her willpower inwards, then carefully stepped out of her body in her spirit form.

John gaped at her open-mouthed, until Alyssa said, *You're not going to make us wait around on the Astral Plane as well are you?*

He glanced at the blonde and saw Alyssa was smiling at him, her eyes shining with a radiant light. Shaking his head, John followed suit, separating his consciousness from his body as he shifted to the Astral Plane. He instinctively braced himself for his guide's usual intransigence, but the move to his spirit form was effortless, his malignant alter-ego still safely locked away.

*That was easy,* Tashana said, pretending to frown in confusion. *What was all the fuss about?*

Now that her subconscious had shifted to the Astral Plane, the Maliri psychic was denuded of her Paragon suit, which left her critically vulnerable to a tickling attack. John was remorseless, reducing the mischievous girl to fits of giggles until she begged for mercy.

He let out an exaggerated sigh as he helped her up. *For the sake of my battered ego, please tell me that wasn't the first time you've tried to Spirit Walk?*

Tashana smiled and gave him a peck on the cheek. *I actually spent all morning practicing with Irillith. We think the same way, so it was relatively easy for her to guide me through the process.*

*I think it's safe to say that you've mastered the basics,* John said, giving her a smile of approval. *You know how to get here now, so we need to cover the most important lesson... protecting yourself.*

She listened attentively as he explained how the Astral Plane allowed her to shape reality with her thoughts. John demonstrated by garbing himself in an archaic suit of Kyth'faren armour, a replica of his ancient runesword appearing sheathed across his back.

*Why don't you try?* he suggested, gesturing for her to proceed.

Tashana closed her eyes and thought about protecting herself from harm. She blinked in surprise as her athletic body was swathed in compression-weave combat armour, her face concealed by a grinning golden mask. She tore off the mask and stared at its ghastly sneer in horror, recognising it immediately as the face of Malifica... her pit-fighting persona in the Unclaimed Wastes.

Alyssa slipped an arm around the shocked Maliri and said quietly, *Malifica protected you when you needed her the most. It makes sense that your mind would make that connection.*

*It feels like a lifetime ago,* Tashana murmured, hugging the blonde.

John removed his helmet and embraced her from behind. *Are you okay?*

Tashana nodded and smiled at him over her shoulder. *I am. It's just so strange to think of all those horrible things happening to me... it feels like they happened to someone else.*

Alyssa nodded in agreement. *I know exactly what you mean.*

They shared a brief group hug, then John said, *It was actually good you thought of Malifica; it was a useful lesson.*

*What do you mean?* she asked in confusion.

*The Astral Plane allows you to create whatever you can imagine, but the power behind it comes from you. You have to think very carefully about your actions here, because stray thoughts can have consequences.* He patted the fabric of her compression-weave jacket and smiled. *Do you want to try again?*

Tashana stepped away from them and focused her will again, this time concentrating intently on picturing herself in a Paragon suit. When she opened her eyes again, she was gazing at the couple through a clear Crystal Alyssium faceplate. Copying John, she removed her helmet and was about to tuck it under her arm, then grinned and let it vanish into thin air.

*Well done,* John praised her, patting the Maliri girl on the shoulder. They weren't in any immediate danger, so he dismissed his own set of wargear. *Now, let's move on to the runic alphabet. I'll need to teach you how to form phrases in Progenitor runes so that you can ward and conceal yourself. Alyssa, would you like to demonstrate?*

The blonde formed a glowing disc of hexagons before her attentive student, each six-sided tile containing a runic symbol. Tashana's eyes were drawn to a rune on the circumference, which looked like a pair of vertically curling wings.

*That represents fire, doesn't it?*

*Very good,* John replied, nodding in confirmation. *We all seem to have an instinctive affinity to particular runes in the Kyth'faren eldritch alphabet.*

*Those two are mine,* Alyssa noted, pointing to the runes denoting Force and the Mind. *I felt drawn to them, just like you were to Fire. They're used in Telekinesis and Telepathy, two abilities that we know your great-great-and-a-dozen-more-greats grandmother was also able to use.*

*Neither Alyssa or Valada were naturally psychic, so they were probably given those affinities by me and Mael'nerak when they became our matriarchs,* John explained, rubbing the blonde's back. *All matriarchs need to manage a Progenitor's psychic network, so it makes sense for them to have access to those runic abilities.*

Tashana had been listening to them in fascination. *So why am I attuned to Fire?*

*I'm sure you inherited your natural psychic abilities from Edraele, but both you and Irillith have different affinities to her. I don't know how that works exactly, but your grandmother was also attuned to Fire.*

*There isn't a rune for insanity is there?* Tashana asked, looking worried. *I never met my grandmother, but the stories about Falihna torturing people to death are horrifying.*

*No, you've got nothing to worry about there,* John replied, giving her a reassuring smile. *I don't think your grandmother's pyromania and sadistic outbursts had anything to do with her runic affinity. Don't forget that she was in constant pain due to a brain tumour and it's distinctly possible that it also affected her mental stability.*

Tashana gave him a tender kiss. *Thank you for healing mine. Those migraines were awful... I used to be in agony.*

*You're welcome.*

A flicker of concern crossed her beautiful azure face. *John, when we have children, will they inherit psychic powers... and brain tumours as well?*

He considered it for a moment. *The psychic powers are a distinct possibility, but I strongly doubt they'll get brain tumours. I healed you, Irillith, and Edraele personally and the changes I make usually go right down to your DNA. Besides, I'll be feeding the three of you throughout your pregnancies, so your babies are all going to be in perfect health.*

She gave him a lovely smile, her violet eyes softening. *That sounds wonderful...*

*It really does,* he agreed, brushing his fingers through her long snowy-white hair.

Tashana snuggled into John and kissed his cheek. Looking thoughtful, she glanced up at him and asked, *So if I'm attuned to Fire, I'm guessing that Sakura's attuned to Cold and Irillith's attuned to Lightning?*

*I haven't checked with them yet, but it seems highly likely,* he replied, nodding in agreement. He smiled and continued, *Don't ask me what Dana's runic affinity is; there doesn't seem to be a rune for the kind of things she can do.*

*How about you, Baen'thelas?* Tashana asked, looking up at him reverently. *What rune do you have a natural affinity for?*

John's gaze flicked to the glowing Kyth'faren alphabet, his eyes inextricably drawn to a rune on the periphery.

He hesitated for a moment, then pointed it out to her. *That one...*

Tashana studied the runic symbol, which looked like a downward facing blade. *What does that represent?*

She turned to look at him with a bright inquisitive smile... which faded when she saw the bleak expression on John's face.

*That's the rune for Destruction.*

***

The clank from Kintark machinery was oppressively loud, as missiles intended for Imperial warships were assembled in the munitions factory. The volatile plasma payload had been removed from the process, resulting in a hollow delivery system that posed no threat to an enemy vessel. However, thousands of workers had been gathered together and split into dozens of teams, each following instructions on how to make those missiles far more potent.

High Prelate Zorlin paused in his tour of the munitions factory, impressed by the speed with which the new EMP missiles were being constructed. "How did you bring the asssembly linesss up to thisss level of productivity ssso quickly?"

The Kintark Sub-Prelate beside him gestured to the workers. "We didn't have the time to modify the automation of our manufacturing facilitiesss, ssso the build processs hasss been broken down into sssimple ssstepsss, with jussst thisss kind of manual operation in mind. We already had huge numbersss of the required componentsss, which have all been repurposssed for thisss project."