Three Square Meals Ch. 074

"Everything's in the green, and I'm raring to go!" Faye chirped as she hopped off the server and bounded over. She grinned at her friend, and added, "Now, what can I help you with?"

Dana grinned back at her, and said, "Can you oversee the engineers working on replacing the power couplings and power relays in this section of the ship? It means I don't have to keep an eye on them, and I can get stuck in with building the first power core."

"I'll put all my available avatars on it!" Faye said exuberantly.

"Please could you also let Irillith know you're taking over? She'll swap over to upgrading the network instead, so watch out for service outages in the areas she's working on, okay?" the redhead asked, as she thought over the various steps in the upgrade they needed to complete.

Faye closed her eyes for a second, then replied, "I'm chatting to her now, and introducing myself to the engineering teams with nine other avatars. My secondary avatar is bringing the maintenance bots online, and I'll put the boys to work in the Core Room. They need to upgrade the power converter, the power conduits, and all the power regulators too, if we're going to avoid a burnout when you install the new Power Core."

Dana nodded and agreed, "Good thinking. That's the most complex part of the Power Core upgrade, and we can't afford any mistakes."

"You can trust me. I know just how you like everything, and I'll make sure it's all done to your high standards!" Faye said earnestly, her cute face set in a serious expression.

With a relieved laugh, Dana replied, "You don't know how awesome it is to have you back online, Faye. You were only shut down overnight, but I missed you loads already!"

"I'm just grateful to be part of the team!" Faye replied, giving Dana a sparkling smile.

***

John sat on the end of the bed, watching over Edraele and Alyssa with a look of concern on his face. Both women seemed peaceful enough, but they were still fast asleep, and it was now pushing into the afternoon. There was a polite knock on the door, which made him jump, before he relaxed and said, "Please come in!"

The door swung open revealing Rachel, who smiled at him in greeting, and he spotted Jade and Irillith waiting impatiently behind her. He could see the tension in Rachel's grey eyes when she looked his way, her pensive expression intensifying when she spotted Edraele and Alyssa slumbering on the bed. She walked over to them purposefully, while retrieving a medi-scanner from her belt, and wasted no time in checking on his sleeping Matriarchs.

Jade entered the room immediately after her, and walked straight over to him with a broad smile on her beautiful verdant face. He got off the bed to greet her, pulling her in for a hug, but before he could say anything, Irillith rushed over to him, looking distraught.

"What's the matter?!" he asked, embracing the Maliri girl as Jade made way for her.

"Tashana's gone!" she blurted out, only just managing to keep it together. "She assaulted some guards and stole a ship!"

"She did what?!" he exclaimed, looking at her in alarm.

Jade hugged Irillith from behind, and answered for her, "Two guards were injured when she knocked them out, so Rachel suggested bringing them here for you to heal." She glanced at the shaking Maliri girl in his arms, and added, "It seems as though Tashana stole Edraele's private shuttle, and jumped out of the system. Luna got Genthalas Flight Control to give us her exit vector - she was heading back towards the Unclaimed Wastes..."

"For fuck's sake..." John muttered, hugging Irillith tighter. He leaned down to kiss her, then said in a calm, reassuring voice, "We'll take the Raptor and go after Tashana. We can use the tracking device to follow her wherever she goes, and we'll be able to intercept her before she leaves Maliri Space."

"I should have tried harder to reach out to her!" Irillith sobbed, no longer able to hold back her tears. "There must have been something I could have done to make her understand!"

He stroked her back, and said, "You've already been trying your best, honey, it's not your fault. Tashana's just trying to deal with all the anger that's been pent up for thirteen years. I've seen how crazy she gets just laying eyes on you. We can't just expect her to get over that in a couple of days, no matter how much we want her to."

Irillith nodded, and lay her head against his chest, crying softly while John and Jade did their best to console her. Rachel had been leaning over the bed while she completed her scans, and when she came back to join them, she looked greatly relieved. After deftly returning the medi-scanner to her belt, she reached out and stroked Irillith's shoulder to comfort her.

"Please tell me you've got some good news?" John asked plaintively.

Rachel nodded as she replied, "Physically they're both fine, although I'm picking up greatly increased activity in their frontal cortices. I could probably wake them with a stimulant, if you want?"

He shook his head, and replied, "No, let them sleep. Whatever's going on, they obviously need the rest." Glancing over at the serene-looking women on the bed, he asked Rachel, "What's happening to them?"

She frowned for a moment, before replying, "Any theories I suggest would be pure speculation at this point."

"That's okay, give it your best shot. You've never failed to make uncannily accurate predictions before," he said, while hugging Irillith close.

Rachel looked thoughtful as she evaluated the circumstances, and the nature of the two sleeping women. She met his questioning gaze, and said, "I think what's happening is best explained by relational database theory. Do you know what that is?"

He shook his head, and replied, "No idea, but give me the layman's version."

She nodded, and replied, "I've heard Dana and Faye discussing it before, and I think it's a comparable metaphor." Taking a deep breath, she continued, "When Alyssa set up a bond with each of us, it's been a one-to-one relationship, where she connected her consciousness to mine, for example. She represents a central hub, with each of us linking only to her, and our combined strength augmenting you with psychic energy."

"Alright, I follow that. So, how's it different with Edraele?" he asked, looking down at the two women.

"As another Matriarch, her mind is designed to work in the same way. She's set up basic one-to-one connections with every Maliri in her network," Rachel explained patiently. She followed his gaze, and said, "They probably tried to set up a similar one-to-one relationship with each other, but each of them has their own network of girls linked to their mind. I'd posit that their minds are trying to set up a one-to-many relationship with every girl in each other's respective network. Whether they've succeeded or not, I've no idea, but it'll become clear when they wake up."

"Why's that, exactly?" Jade asked, looking at her curiously.

"If it worked, then Edraele will be able to communicate telepathically with each of us, and Alyssa will be able to communicate with all the Maliri. Whether or not we'll be able to reciprocate with Edraele, like we can with Alyssa, again, I've no idea," she said, giving Jade a helpless shrug and a smile.

Irillith sniffed, and lifted her head from John's chest as she turned to look at the brunette. She rubbed the tears from her face, and asked, "So what happens if they set up a many-to-many relationship instead?"

"Then we'll all be able to communicate telepathically with one another, rather than just with our Matriarchs," Rachel answered, intrigued by the idea. "It's a fascinating possibility, but I doubt it's viable. They're both powerful psychics in their own right, with their minds enhanced to deal with that level of intercommunication. Ours are not."

John smiled at her feeling enormously relieved, and said, "Alright, that doesn't seem so bad. Let's leave them in peace, and we can check in with them when they wake up." He sounded optimistic as he added, "I don't suppose you have any idea how long that's going to take, do you?"

She shook her head, and replied, "When Alyssa bonded with each of us, it took about an hour. However, there's six of us in Alyssa's network, and well over one-hundred-and-fifty Maliri in Edraele's. Are they each trying to bond with us? Or just establish an initial connection? There's too many unknowns to be able to make an estimation."

"Alright, that's fair enough, you've been a big help already," he replied, reaching out to brush her cheek affectionately.

Rachel smiled at him, and said, "Everyone at the Invictus knows what they're supposed to be doing with the refit. I'll stay here and keep an eye on Alyssa and Edraele, just to be on the safe side."

He gave her a grateful smile, then glanced down at Irillith, and said, "Let's leave them to sleep it off, okay?"

She nodded, and released him from her tight hug, as they walked out of the room, closing the door quietly behind them. Jade opened the door at the end of the corridor, and they all entered the lounge to find a cluster of unfamiliar Maliri talking quietly together, as well as two sitting on the chairs.

Luna stepped forward, an anxious look in her yellow eyes, and asked, "Is Edraele alright? What happened to her?"

"We think everything's going to be fine," he replied, his tone reassuring. He glanced at the unfamiliar Maliri, and continued, "Speak to me later for the specifics, or you can just wait until Edraele wakes up and ask her yourself, whatever you prefer, Luna."

She caught his questioning glance, and hastily explained, "When Rachel suggested bringing the two guards to visit you for healing, I thought it might be sensible to bring the young Matriarchs' bodyguards along too." She approached until she was standing right in front of him, and looked apprehensive for a moment, before she leaned in and added in a furtive whisper, "Edraele did something to their minds! She subverted their allegiance to their Houses, making them loyal to her instead. These eight assassins are the ones that eliminated the original Matriarchs. I know she was hoping you could 'undo' whatever it was she did to them."

John's eyes widened in surprise, and he glanced at the eight Maliri assassins. Unlike the two armoured guards and another woman in more ornate armour, who were all staring at him enraptured, the assassins were just watching him patiently. There was something off in the way the assassins held themselves; it was only very subtle, but there was definitely something unnatural in their bearing.

He turned back to Luna, and said, "You did well bringing them to me, thank you."

Jade brushed her fingers along his arm, and asked coyly, "How do you want to do this?"

"Are you up for a bit of nursing?" he asked her, looking at the guards with the severe mottled bruising on their throats. "I think that'll be easier for them."

"Of course, Master," she purred, smiling at her perspective kittens, and brushing her firm bust against his arm.

John nodded, then looked at Irillith, and asked, "Can you go and get the tracking device? Call me when you've found Tashana's location, then ask Almari or Ilyana to contact Luna and keep me updated. When Jade and I are done here, we'll head back to the drydock and take the Raptor to chase after her." He looked thoughtful for a moment, then added, "Are you able to give orders to House Valaden's fleets?"

Irillith paused as she considered her standing with the Fleet Officers, then replied, "As long as I'm not asking them to do anything outrageous, then yes, they should listen to me."

"Can you move any available forces to create a blockade and cut Tashana off? I don't want her heading into the Unclaimed Wastes again if I can help it, it's far too dangerous for her there," he explained.

"I'll arrange it immediately," she replied, then stepped close and gave him a brief, but heartfelt kiss. Her angular violet gazed into his, and she continued, "I'm so sorry for all this trouble, but thank you for trying to help her."

"She's your family, it's no problem," he said firmly, giving her a sympathetic smile.

He watched as she crossed the lounge, giving him a wave goodbye, before she disappeared into Edraele's study to contact the Valaden Fleet Commander. Turning to look at the assembled Maliri, he suddenly smiled at Luna, and asked, "I just had a thought: are there actually any more spare bedrooms? The young Matriarchs are sleeping in one, and Alyssa and Edraele are in the other."

Luna returned his smile, and said, "Yes, there's another in these quarters. Let me show you..."

***

Irillith hurried back to the drydock, her mind in a whirl as she worried about her sister. She'd had no trouble convincing the Valaden Fleet Commander to relocate a number of fleet assets from patrol routes, and from some of the safer borders with recently-allied Maliri Houses. Those ships were now spreading out to form a sensor web on the edge of Valaden territory, to make sure Tashana wasn't able to slip past and make her way back to the Unclaimed Wastes.

She felt so sorry for her sister, knowing that Tashana must be truly desperate to escape from her and John, if she was considering heading back to that horrible place. Irillith could feel a rising sense of guilt growing within her once again, and she hugged herself as she walked quickly along the corridors. Although John had been wonderful, and was bending over backwards to try and help her wayward twin, she knew he had more than enough to worry about without burdening him with this too. It was just one more thing to feel remorseful about, and she tried to think of ways to make it up to him.

Striding into the frenetic activity within the drydock, it was easy to spot her adoptive sisters amongst the sea of blue-skinned Maliri. She acknowledged Sakura's friendly wave with a smile, and exchanged a brief hug with Calara when the Latina jogged over to greet her, and spoke to her briefly to update her on Alyssa's status.

The huge hangar doors had been removed from the Invictus prior to it being sliced into pieces, so she simply walked straight through the hangar on her way up to the Command Deck. Temporary lighting festooned the corridors in the ship's stern, so she had no problem finding her way. The lower levels were fairly quiet, but she could hear lots of voices and the sounds of construction work as she rose past the mid-levels. Glancing down the corridors, the Titanium deck plates had been raised all along Decks Three to Six, with snaking power and data cables stacked in coils at regular intervals. The engineers were currently pulling out the now-redundant power lines that had linked the fore and aft of the ship, and were preparing to replace them with superior Maliri equivalents.

Faye was overseeing their work on every deck, and her avatars each turned to wave at Irillith as she ascended in the grav-tube. The one on Deck Three gave her a playful wink, then disappeared in a purple flash. When Irillith stepped out onto the Command Deck, the Stations were all dimmed and on minimal power, making the Bridge seem eerily subdued.

Faye was waiting for her just outside the grav-tube, and she gave her a cheerful grin as she said, "Hey, Irillith! Do you need any help with anything?"

Irillith smiled at her, and shook her head as she replied, "I'm fine, thanks, I just need to get the tracking device for Tashana's implant. Is it still in the Briefing Room?"

The purple sprite nodded enthusiastically, and replied, "Yes, it's still there, right on the table!" The AI gave her a quizzical look, and added, "Why do you need that? I thought Tashana was in her guest quarters here on Genthalas? Is she hiding somewhere?"

Shaking her head as she headed down the ramp towards the Briefing Room, Irillith replied, "She's stolen a ship and run away. I need to try and track her down."

Fluttering along beside the Maliri girl on her iridescent wings, Faye frowned and said, "Oh! I hope she'll be okay."

Irillith smiled at the purple girl for her kind sentiments, then hit the button to enter the Briefing Room and darted inside. The tracking device was on the table, just as Faye had described, and she hurried over to it, picking up the sophisticated piece of equipment. After hitting the button to activate the projected holo-map, she waited impatiently for the device to locate her twin, knowing it would display her current location in relation to the nearest star.

After a few seconds' wait, it flashed a red message across the map, which read, "Signal terminated."

Her heart lurched in her chest, her mind instantly leaping to the conclusion that her sister had been killed. Through the rising panic, a sudden thought flashed into her mind, and she gasped, "She destroyed it!" Her brow furrowed for a moment, before she added, "How could she have known?!"

Faye was standing beside her, and her pretty face fell as she whimpered, "I'm so sorry! I had no idea this would happen..."

Irillith managed to suppress her flare of anger, and she asked quietly, "What happened? I need to know everything."

***

"So then we think she burned out the tracking implant somehow, and fled in your shuttle," John said to Edraele, who was sitting up in bed, hugging her knees.

Alyssa put a comforting arm around the upset Maliri woman, and leaned into her as she said, "Don't worry, we'll bring her back home again."

"Couldn't we go after her?!" Edraele asked frantically.

He slowly shook his head as he replied, "By the time we realised what had happened, Tashana already had a twelve-hour head start. The Raptor is fast, and we could catch up to her if we knew exactly where she was, but without that data, we'd just be flying around aimlessly. We had her exit vector when she left the system, but she hasn't been picked up by monitoring stations or vessels in that direction."

"It was a ruse," Alyssa said, looking impressed. She glanced at Edraele, and smiled as she added, "She's wily, like her mother and sister."

Edraele gave her a half-hearted smile in return, then returned her attention to John, and said, "There must be something we can do? We can't just abandon the search!"

"We're not giving up on her, don't worry," John replied, trying to soothe the distressed woman. "We've repositioned some of your fleet to cover your border with the Unclaimed Wastes, and Leena has asked House Ghilwen forces to watch out for her too. If it was a double-bluff, and she actually is heading in that direction, the only way she can slip by them is if she takes a massive detour to avoid the sensor nets they have in place. If they pick her up, they're under orders to interdict her ship and capture her."

"What if she's seeking asylum with another Maliri house?" Edraele asked, sounding deeply worried. "The Edraele of old terrorised those Houses, and they might just execute her the moment she identifies herself as my daughter! At the very least they'll no doubt seek to use Tashana as a powerful bargaining chip."

"I sincerely doubt they'd just kill her, all the pressure you've put on their borders will have them frantic with worry. If they do capture Tashana and try to bargain for her life, I'll just have to go on a charm-offensive," John replied, trying to sound reassuring.

*I appreciate the effort, but I know when you're just trying to stop me from worrying,* Edraele thought to him, giving him a wan smile.

Alyssa's shared thoughts followed a moment later as she thought to them both, *He doesn't like to see you get upset. I don't like it either.*

The two blondes shared a hug, while John blinked at them in surprise, and said aloud, "That's going to take a bit of getting used to. How are you both feeling now, anyway?"

"My head's still ringing," Alyssa admitted, massaging her temple with her right hand. She glanced at Edraele, and added, "I'm sure it would have felt amazing, if she hadn't dragged half her bloody House with her into my head!"