Three Square Meals Ch. 35

"A souvenir," Alyssa said with a smile at Dana. "You can use that to test the properties of double shaped Invictium."

She then focused her attention on the tiny white globe above her right palm. It flattened out into a bank disc before hardening, and once Alyssa was confident that it had been shaped three times, she melted it into a roiling ball once more. She narrowed her eyes this time, and gritted her teeth as she stared at the ball, and it grew longer into the shape of a tiny dagger, that bore more than a passing resemblance to John's sword.

"Just checking," she said as she floated that over to Dana as well. "Quadruple shaped Invictium for your tests," she added smugly.

John, Calara and Dana clapped after her impressive performance, and Alyssa took a theatrical bow with a broad smile on her lovely face.

"That was amazing!" Calara exclaimed, who had remained silently enthralled throughout the entire display. "It was like you were performing magic!"

"Why did you do the hand gestures?" John asked Alyssa curiously. "If this is done by using your psychic ability, surely they aren't necessary."

"A magician doesn't reveal her secrets," Alyssa said sanctimoniously, before her pious expression transformed into her usual warm and friendly one. "I don't know to be honest, but it felt instinctive somehow. I think it helps me focus," she added with a shrug.

"I think you just like the showmanship," Dana said teasingly.

"You're a fine one to talk," Alyssa laughed, "I've sat through a few of your presentations, remember!"

Chattering away happily, they left the hangar bay and headed back to the grav-tube. Dana promised she'd meet them for dinner, then stepped out of the blue glow on deck seven, so that she could start running tests on the various Invictium pieces she now had in her possession.

John, Calara and Alyssa rose up to the command deck, so that they could re-forge the armour plating on the Phalanx armour stored in the briefing room. As they were striding across the bridge, John glanced up at the sector map that was hovering above them and saw that the convoy of battered Terran Federation ships had appeared on the long range scans. With the incredible speed of their Tachyon drive, the Invictus had managed to catch up with the flotilla of damaged vessels despite the huge lead they had when they had passed them yesterday.

The girls continued on to the briefing room, but he stopped and watched the vessels for a while, pondering the troubling advice that Calara had given him earlier. He still found it hard to accept that someone would turn on the Terran Federation so heinously, but after experiencing Rupert Grant's betrayal, and the way he had literally sold out the lives of men under his command, he knew he shouldn't be surprised by anything any more. Besides, after watching Calara in action identifying the Drakkar base for the Ashanath, he felt certain she was correct. He just hoped that his old friend Charles had nothing to do with it, and the thought of confronting the man if that scenario came to pass, left his heart feeling heavy.

"Come on," Alyssa said to him gently, as she slid her arm around his, jolting him from his reverie. "We're finished with the armour up here."

Calara slipped her arm around his other one, and with a cheerful young woman on either side of him, his dark mood evaporated as quickly as it arrived.

"Let's finish off the rest of the armour, then we can wrap this up with the sword," he said eagerly.

They visited the firing range, the engineering bay where Dana was hard at work running tests on the Invictium samples, and then back up to the Commander's quarters to upgrade the plating of the his-and-hers body armour in the walk in wardrobe. They waved at Jade as they walked through the bedroom, and she grinned back at them from her place on the bed, where she was sitting protectively by the slumbering brunette. Once Alyssa had upgraded these two body armour suits, the only bit of gear left to enhance was John's sword, and he picked up the glimmering black blade in his right hand.

"Let's take it through to the bedroom, then Jade can watch you in action," John suggested considerately.

Alyssa nodded her agreement, and they walked back into the huge bedroom, bringing the sword with them. John removed the bands that worked as a scabbard in the magnetic fields surrounding his armour, and then placed the sword carefully in the big open area at the foot of the bed. Jade smoothly got off the bed, then glided around to join them, her face burning with curiosity.

"Alyssa has been able to upgrade our gear without having to use the Psi-shaper," John revealed to the Nymph. "She's just enhanced all our armour, so now she's going to do the sword too."

"I can't wait to see!" Jade said eagerly, watching with avidly with her sparkling green eyes.

The blonde girl smiled at the Nymph, and then concentrated on the glistening black blade that was lying on the floor. It rose smoothly into the air, rotating a couple of times before it melted into liquid Invictium, and coalesced into a sparkling black orb. White streaks began to appear, growing wider until they joined up, eventually obliterating all traces of darkness from the spinning globe.

She reached out with her hand as she formed the image in her mind that she wanted the Invictium to shape itself into; that of a five-foot-long sword, with the quillons on the crossguard curving back into dagger like claws that ran along each side of the razor-sharp blade. Taking a deep breath, she frowned in concentration and began to apply her will on the sphere, and sluggishly it began to stretch out and lengthen, slowly forming the shape that she had envisioned. After what seemed like an eternity, the psychic-shaping was finally complete, and the blinding white blade sparkled majestically, even in the dim lighting of the bedroom.

John reached out, and grasped the blade where it hovered in front of him, feeling it's reassuring weight, as his hand fit perfectly on the grip as if it was made for him. With a wry grin, he realised it obviously had been, his psychic-weaponsmith making sure the sword was customised specifically for him, even down to the grip, and a glance at Alyssa's indulgent smile confirmed it. He took a couple of tentative swings, and marvelled at the perfect balance of the blade, as though the weapon were a seamless extension of his arm.

"The craftsmanship on this sword is incredible," he said to Alyssa in awe. "You're not just getting more powerful, your technique is hugely improving too."

The blonde girl beamed up at him, delighted at his praise, and how thrilled he was with the weapon.

"Remember, you still need training," she cautioned him quietly, and beckoned him back into the walk in wardrobe so that they wouldn't awaken Rachel.

"Yeah I remember, I'll try and arrange something very soon," John promised her, as he re-attached the metal bands back onto the grip, and replaced his sword on the rack at the end of the room.

They walked out to rejoin the others, and watched Rachel sleeping for a quiet moment.

"Has she been okay?" Dana asked softly.

"She's been sleeping soundly and peacefully," Jade said reassuringly.

"Rachel should be asleep for several more hours yet," Alyssa said, glancing at the ship's chronometer, and noting it was nearly six o'clock. "We'll arrive at Olympus a little afterwards, at around eleven."

"Let's go and have dinner, and then we can have an early night," John suggested.

"Go and join them," Dana said considerately to Jade, "I can keep her company for the last part."

Jade smiled at the redhead and then fell into step beside John and the other girls, as they headed off to the officer's lounge to cook dinner. In a short while John had prepared a beef stroganoff for everyone, and they sat around the table enjoying the meat and mushroom dish, and savouring the delicious vegetables and thick cut chips he had made to accompany the meal. Everyone was curious how Rachel was going to react when she awoke, and they talked about little else during the meal. Calara took some food along to Dana, who tucked in hungrily, and when the Latina returned with the empty dishes, they all finished the clean-up before settling down to relax on the sofas together.

They explained everything that had happened with the Psi-shaper to Jade, and she was excited to see what the Raptor looked like, now that it was sporting a brand new look. After relaxing comfortably together for an hour, they decided to retire for an early night, eagerly looking forward to speaking to their newest recruit in only a few hours time.

Bedtime posed an interesting conundrum with the sleeping arrangements, and how to accommodate the tawny haired brunette who was still fast asleep in the centre. The bed was still big enough for them all to fit, but they were rapidly running out of spare space.

"I'll take the middle," John suggested, and the girls giggled quietly knowing that was obvious.

He cuddled in behind Rachel, slipping his hand around her instinctively to stroke her stomach, finding it slim and flat once more, her body having absorbed the heavy load he had fed her earlier. Dana lay down opposite him on the other side of Rachel, with Alyssa curled up behind her, and Jade snuggled in behind him, with Calara wrapped around her for a change.

"Thanks for a fun day ladies," John said appreciatively, having thoroughly enjoyed flirting with them all.

There was a quiet chorus of happy replies, and then they rested quietly together, awaiting the sweet embrace of sleep. John listened to the young women surrounding him with his sharp ears, smiling contentedly as one after another their breathing deepened and they began to slumber. Eventually only Alyssa was left awake, and her blue eyes sparkled at him even in the darkened bedroom, the only light coming from a soft nightlight in the bathroom.

*Making sure your flock are safely tucked away before letting yourself sleep?* she asked him playfully.

*That's what my beautiful shepherdess is for. My job is to protect her too,* John replied affectionately.

*I love you,* she told him sincerely, her surging emotions pouring over their empathic bond.

*I love you too,* he replied reflexively, before continuing to send his thoughts. *You were incredible today; kind and gentle with Rachel, so tender with Calara, a good friend to Dana and Jade, then powerful and impressive with your psychic gifts. You never cease to amaze me, you wonderful girl,* he told her lovingly.

He could almost feel her heart lifting with his praise, before she suddenly sat upright in the bed and stared at him apprehensively. *You heard the whole conversation with Calara?* she asked him, sounding a little nervous.

*It's okay, I'm not upset,* he calmed her soothingly. *In fact, I think it's incredibly sexy,* he added as he smiled lasciviously.

*You know I'm absolutely devoted to you, though, don't you?* she asked him, already sounding relieved.

*I know. You shared yourself completely with me, remember? Just relax and enjoy this growing relationship with Calara. I want to see you completely fulfilled and happy too, alright?* he told her supportively.

Alyssa nodded to him in the darkness and settled back down on the bed. He could feel the waves of delight and gratitude radiating off the beautiful blonde girl as she drifted off into sleep.

Happy that all his girls were at peace, John closed his own eyes, falling into a restful dreamless slumber himself.