Three Square Meals Ch. 062

The assassin slumped over, unconscious once more, and Alyssa carefully levitated her out of the cryo-pod. Seeing Sakura's bloodied and beaten face up close, the blonde girl was filled with a profound feeling of regret, so she was very gentle as she floated her over to the operating area. The limp body passed through the force field surrounding the operating area that kept it sterile, and the psychic blonde girl settled her down on the table. Jade and Rachel followed the cyborg inside, the nude Nymph's body glowing when she passed through the force field as rogue particulates were scoured from her skin.

Rachel carefully stripped away the torn Nanoweave jumpsuit that covered the cyborg's body, revealing her pallid flesh to their curious eyes. Just as the scan had shown, her skin was in a terrible state, the cryo-frostbite causing significant damage, and the lack of sun exposure making her look unnaturally pale. Long surgical scars crisscrossed the poor girl's tortured body, making it quite apparent where implants had been inserted into her flesh.

"Alright, let's begin," Rachel stated calmly, as she picked up a laser-scalpel in her right hand. She placed her left over Sakura's stomach as her dexterous fingers probed for the subdermal plating that she knew lay hidden beneath the skin.

Irillith had ended her spirit-walk by this point, and she leaned heavily against John as he stood with Alyssa watching the surgery. Dana hurried over to one of the Medical consoles, and her hands raced over the keyboard as she began setting up inhibitor fields and a signal dampener around Sakura's head.

A clatter over by the operating table drew John's attention, and he saw that Rachel had placed the first of the abdominal plating on a tray. Her agile fingers moved quickly and methodically, making an incision with the laser-scalpel, then removing one piece of plating after another. She looked up at Jade when she was done, then nodded at the green alien girl, who walked around the table to Sakura's head.

The Nymph raised her slender fingers to the cyborg's mouth then gently pried her lips apart, so she could slip in her first two fingers. They began to pulse shortly afterwards, as Jade began to pump John's cum into their patient's belly, and they could all see Sakura's abdomen start to swell as her stomach expanded.

John closed his eyes so that he could focus on the compartments in his mind, immediately spotting the bright glow radiating from Jade. He watched in fascination as another compartment suddenly appeared in the row underneath Alyssa, but this one differed from the others, in that there was no link between the girl and his Matriarch. The figure representing Sakura started to glow as Jade filled her up, a warm nimbus of light emanating from the unconscious girl's rounded stomach.

Sakura's body was swathed in a riot of injuries, and now that he was actively linked to her, they were highlighted in bright red, bringing them to his attention. In addition to the decades old surgical wounds, she also had a series of nasty lacerations across her shoulder, made up of four parallel, jagged slashes into her flesh. The skin had been scorched and burned around the gouges in her flesh, further increasing the severity of the wound. Finally her face was a mangled mess, with a smashed nose, shattered cheekbones, a broken jaw, and fractured right eye socket. He remembered the savage beating that Alyssa had delivered, and he winced subconsciously as he examined the aftermath.

Surveying the extent of the damage to her body, he started to have doubts that he was going to be able to heal all her injuries in time. The last thing he wanted to do was to give her a third dose of cum, which would bind her to Alyssa and to him permanently. He could feel the gentle draw of power as he started healing Sakura, starting with the sallow frostbitten skin around her abdomen, as well as the neat incisions that Rachel had just made to remove the armour plating. He overheard Dana talking, so he opened his eyes, pulling out of his mind-space so he could listen to what she was saying.

"-to remove the plating around her head next," Dana was saying to Rachel from where she stood at the medical console. "If that bomb's still active, we can't risk fucking with it, not with those metal plates in the way. They'll interfere with the inhibitor field, and then Ka-blammo!"

Rachel was already examining the cyborg's head, her fingers gently probing for the edges of each metal plate. She glanced up at the holographical representation of the cyborg that floated a foot above Sakura's body, where each of the implants was highlighted in blue. Nodding as she confirmed the locations of each subdermal plate, she replied, "Alright, I'll remove the cranial plates next. Once they're out, let me know the strength of the inhibitor field, and if everything looks alright, I'll begin the cyber-lobotomy."

"I'm not sure I fancy hanging around for that," John whispered to Irillith. "You're looking tired, shall we go have a rest?"

She nodded, smiling at him gratefully, and with a sigh, she sagged against him. Scooping her up in his arms, he looked at Alyssa and said, "Sakura's injuries are extensive. I'll tap Edraele for power first, but I'm going to need some energy from you and the girls at some point."

Alyssa glanced at Irillith, then stepped over to her, and brushed her fingers through the Maliri girl's flowing white hair. "She's exhausted, bless her. That fight with the CPU defences must have been nasty," she said sympathetically. Looking up at him, she continued, "Irillith's tapped out, but the rest of us are fine. Just let me know, and I'll give you some more juice."

He leaned over to give her a brief kiss then smiled at her as he said, "Tell me if you run into any problems."

"Will do," she agreed, she waved her hand at the door, then stopped herself and accompanied him to the door instead so she could press the button to open it for him. She laughed lightly, as she added, "I've got so used to using telekinesis, I've started using it without thinking. I better save the energy though."

She waved him goodbye as he walked away from the bright glare of the operating lights, leaving Rachel to her delicate, painstaking work. Irillith had fallen asleep in his arms, resting her head against his chest, and he smiled as he looked down at her resting peacefully. Stepping out of the grav-tube, he walked down the corridor to their room, and then carried her over to the bed. She was wearing one of the long dresses she favoured, so he just slipped off her shoes and then tucked her under the covers.

*Edraele,* he called out to the Valaden Matriarch, *Are you there?*

*Hello John,* she replied after a long moment's pause. She sounded drowsy, and when he glanced at the ship's chronometer, he realised it must have been late on Valaden.

He sent her an apologetic smile, as he said, *I'm really sorry I woke you, but I'm healing a badly injured woman, and I'll need as much psychic energy as you can spare.*

*I'll be glad to assist,* she replied, stifling a yawn.

John immediately felt a surge of power flowing through him, and he began to direct it accordingly, mending Sakura's shattered face. He could sense Edraele had given him everything she could, so he wished her a good night, and she fell straight back to sleep. Sitting on the bed, he leaned over to stroke Irillith's long white mane, and she murmured something in Maliri under her breath as she slumbered.

He was about to lie down next to Irillith, intending to get some rest while he focused on healing the badly wounded girl on Deck Seven, when he suddenly sat bolt upright and cursed. With everything that had happened, he'd completely forgotten to call Yamamoto back and let him know he was alright. Without Eito's warning... well, he still would have ended up getting shot by the tranquiliser gun anyway, but that wasn't the point.

Walking quietly out of the room, he hurried along the corridor up to the grav-tube, then floated up to the Bridge. Faye was sitting up on the Command Podium, perched on his console, but she was alert this time, and greeted him with a friendly wave when he appeared on the Command Deck.

John returned the greeting, and said, "Sorry, Faye, I have to make an urgent call. Chat to you in a minute?"

She waved him away with a beaming smile on her face, and he was pleased to see her looking so much more at ease. He turned left, then walked briskly to his Ready Room, hitting the button to gain entry. The doors swished open quietly, and he dashed over to his big leather chair behind his desk, activating the comm interface before he'd sat down. He scrolled down through the list of contacts until he found the surly swordmaster, then quickly swiped his hand across the man's name; Eito Yamamoto.

The call didn't go through for several painfully long minutes, and John huffed, guessing he was being forced to play the patience game because of some perceived slight. He waited for just over ten minutes, and was about to hang up, when his call was finally answered.

"Whad'ya want?" Yamamoto slurred, as his dishevelled image appeared in the holographic vid-screen.

The man had obviously hit the bottle. Hard.

"It's me... John," he replied, not sure if his taciturn trainer had recognised him or not.

Yamamoto hiccupped, and grumbled, "Can't be... dead." He was weaving unsteadily on his feet, as he stared at the vid-cam for the comms interface.

"No, I'm fine," John persisted. "I just wanted to let you know, and to say thanks for the warning."

Yamamoto stared at him bleary eyed, then lifted a bottle of Saki to his lips and took an impressive swig. "Musht be a ghost," he blurted out, then giggled to himself, laughing at his own joke.

John could see he wasn't getting anywhere, and he decided to let the man sleep it off, resolving to call him the next morning. He said gently, "You might want to call it a night, but I'll call you in the evening, give you plenty of time to recover. You probably won't remember this tomorrow, but I really am alive."

He reached for the comm interface, about to close the call, but Yamamoto's forlorn expression made him pause. Considering the man had been laughing only moments before, it was a shocking shift in mood, but being absolutely hammered could do that to a man.

"They don' leave people alive," Yamamoto mumbled, his face shadowed with grief.

John stared at him in surprise, then leaned forward, and asked eagerly, "You know this group of assassins?!"

Yamamoto swayed as he nodded, mumbling, "Fought one. He was good... but I was better!" He tried to thump his own chest proudly, and the effort nearly knocked him over. He was obviously having trouble focusing as he glared at the camera on the comm interface, and said, "Saved target's life... for one night anyway, spared ashashin... let get away..."

John frowned as he tried to understand the other man's slurred speech, and asked, "You stopped an assassination attempt? You defeated the assassin, then let him live?"

"Yesh. Out trainin' late, heard fight..." Yamamoto replied, then his face crumpled, and he sobbed, "So they killed me instead..."

Shaking his head, John protested, "You're fine Yamamoto! You aren't dead."

He shook his head slowly, tears streaming down his face as he answered, "They came back... next night..." his words became too slurred to really understand, but John heard him whimper, "Tried to save them... Ayumi... my little Kimiko..."

John was stunned, and he blurted out, "They killed who? Your wife and daughter?"

Yamamoto sobbed brokenly, and replied, "... And Eito too..."

Finally understanding, John felt a lump in his throat as he stared at the heartbroken man. It finally all clicked into place, and he felt overwhelming sympathy when he saw him so consumed with grief. "I'm truly sorry, Eito," he said quietly. "I'm going to hunt them down and make them pay for what they've done."

The drunk man stared at the camera, and slurred, "Send them all to hell... they can join me!" He suddenly looked very queasy, and John looked away as Yamamoto vomited all over the console. The screen flickered and died out a moment later, the call cutting out abruptly.

John sighed as he stared at the 'Call ended' message. This group of assassins had clearly been operating for decades, leaving a trail of ruined lives in their wake, whether it was their targets or innocent bystanders caught in the crossfire. Yamamoto's obsession with killing suddenly became clear, and John was forced to agree with the drunken man's declaration that Eito Yamamoto had died that fateful night too.

It was yet one more reason to hunt the band of assassins down; at least, when they finally got an opportunity to do so. He still had the Dragon March Traitor to expose, Irillith's sister Tashana to rescue, and another visit to Maliri Space planned to refit the Invictus. John snorted with frustration, and recalled a time not that long ago when he was free to go where he wanted and do whatever he felt like.

Yamamoto's dark mood seemed to be infectious, so he decided to go and see Faye, knowing that the exuberantly happy sprite would cheer him up before he got too maudlin. He turned off the comm interface, and hauled himself out of his chair, then strode across the room, and out onto the Bridge. Faye looked up again when she heard the door open up, and she fluttered down off the Command Podium to greet him with a wide grin on her lovely face.

"Is everything alright?" she asked him, her happy expression turning to one of concern. "You look upset!"

He waved her worries away as he climbed the illuminated steps, and replied, "Just a bad call with a friend. He was dealing with some dark old memories."

She nodded soberly, her expression growing perplexed until she finally said, "Sorry, I'm hopeless at this! I've no idea what to say to make you feel better."

"Don't worry, I'll be alright," he replied with a weary smile. He glanced up at the Sector Map, and the long sweeping arcs displaying the Invictus' sensors. Turning to Faye, he asked, "Anything I need to worry about, Watch Commander?"

She shook her head as she hovered at his shoulder, and when he slumped in the Command Chair, she sat daintily on the top of his Command console. "There's been almost no traffic at all," she explained. "Nothing military, and only a couple of freighters."

He nodded in thanks for her report, then looked at her curiously before he said, "You seem a lot happier now. Are you still having trouble with that undeletable file?"

Faye gave him a warm, grateful smile as she exclaimed, "-I- might be rubbish at knowing what to say, but your advice was great!" She blushed a little, as she confessed, "I watched you and Jade in the bedroom earlier. She looked so happy, it helped make the memories a little less painful. I still can't delete the file, but I don't feel so tormented by it."

John was delighted his advice seemed to have helped her, at least a little, and he said, "That's great news! I'm glad it's been getting easier to deal with. Perhaps when Sakura has been healed, and all trace of the assassin is gone, that might be enough to give you some closure."

The purple sprite let out a soft sigh, and she murmured, "You're very kind. Thanks for helping me deal with this."

"You're part of my crew!" he said cheerfully. "It's my job to look after you."

She looked like she wanted to say something in return, but she bit her lip, and glided over to him instead. The tiny AI creature was only inches from his face when she stopped, hovering in place before him. Up this close he could see all the features of her lovely cute face, dominated by her huge, luminous eyes that stared at him intently. She didn't say anything, but leaned in and gave him a tender kiss on the cheek. He couldn't feel anything, but it was a sweet gesture nonetheless.

He smiled at her, as she gazed at him, but he started to yawn before he could say anything. "Sorry," he apologised looking a bit embarrassed, "The healing really takes it out of me."

"No need to apologise," she replied with a forgiving smile. "You should probably get to bed and rest while you can. We'll be nearing our destination in a few hours."

"Can you call me when we're say... thirty minutes out from Iota-Leonis?" he requested, glancing up at the map. "That's when we started seeing wrecks last time, so that's probably the furthest out the Kintark forces can strike. If they aren't all focused on repelling the invasion that is."

"Of course," Faye chirped, her tiny gossamer wings fluttering away as she returned to her perch on the console.

Rising from his chair, he strolled down the steps as he headed towards the grav-tube. He stopped to give the helpful digital fairy a wave goodbye, and found her staring after him with a wistful look in her eyes. She sat up straight when he waved at her, her expression brightening as she gave him a cheery wave in return. Stepping into the grav-tube, she disappeared from his sight, and now that he was alone, he felt free to have a huge yawn.

He trudged wearily down the corridor towards the bedroom, checking Sakura's status as he did so. Rachel had removed the implant from her head, leaving a gaping cavity in the poor girl's brain. Now that he knew what he'd need to focus his attention on next, he reached out to Alyssa, and said, *I've been tapping into my own energy reserves to maintain the healing. Could you start feeding me energy too please.*

*Sure,* she agreed immediately. *You get some rest, I'll wake you up if there's an emergency."

John stripped off his clothes, then flopped down on the bed, trying to be careful not to wake up Irillith. Crawling under the covers, he turned on his side so he could watch her, and he tried to match his breathing to her slow rhythmic cadence. He felt his eyes getting heavy, and before he knew it, he was fast asleep too.

***

Soft lips brushed against his own, and John slowly opened his eyes to stare into a pair of beautiful angular violet orbs. He knew he'd been asleep, but he had no idea for how long. At that point in time he hardly cared, and he pulled Irillith over him as he rolled from his side onto his back.

"Good morning," he said, as he smiled at the beautiful blue-skinned girl.

She smiled back at him as she rested comfortably on his chest, and replied, "It's a bit early, but strictly speaking you're right."

He peered around her long flowing white locks, and checked the ship's chronometer. It was now three in the morning, and he realised that he'd been asleep for several hours. "Do you feel better after a rest?" he asked her with concern. "Alyssa thought you'd overexerted yourself a bit against the CPU defences."

"Much, thank you," Irillith replied. She rested her chin on her hands, which she'd crossed over his chest, and gazed off into the distance for a moment. When she refocused on him, she added, "I was up against Maliri tech, and their programmed defences were much more sophisticated than anything I've faced before."

"Were they really that bad?" he asked her curiously.

She hesitated for a moment then nodded. "I assumed I was invulnerable in the cyber-realm after my other expeditions there, but after facing those Maliri sentinels..." she replied, trailing off with a worried expression on her face.

"That doesn't sound good," he agreed, sounding alarmed. "Could you really be harmed in the real world if you get badly hurt in the cyber-realm?"

"I'm not sure," she replied, looking shaken.

He wrapped her in his arms, and stroked her back comfortingly, so she lay her head down and snuggled in against him. They rested like that for a while, with him caressing the lean, sleek muscles in her back. He looked down at her, but he could only see her flowing white hair from this angle, and wasn't able to see her beautiful face.