Three Square Meals Ch. 120

Jade turned and walked out the door. "Okay, let's go."

Dana shook her head in disbelief. "I can't believe we're rushing to get this over with. This is the biggest haul of new tech we've ever had..."

Rachel put an arm around her shoulders and the couple walked despondently out of the room.

***

John lay on the bed, staring at the cabin ceiling. Over the years, he'd imagined all sorts of wildly different scenarios for how a reunion with his mother might play out. From Jessica crying tears of joy, elated at meeting her long-lost son, to her being disappointed at the choices he'd made, and more recently... disapproving of all the girls he'd recruited. However, he'd never once envisaged total disinterest and the fact that Jessica didn't seem to care about either him, or her parents, who'd been devastated at her disappearance, had cut him to the quick.

The door to the cabin slid open and Alyssa glided inside. She lay down on the bed beside him and put her arm over his chest to give him a gentle hug. "I'm so sorry, John."

He swallowed around the thick lump in his throat. "I was wrong before... not knowing was better than this."

She was resting her head on his shoulder, so Alyssa tilted back to look him in the eye. "You know that Jessica can't help the way she's behaving? She's been totally enthralled by Rahn'hagon."

John let out a heavy sigh. "Yeah, I know... but to see her like that and know that she never cared... it still hurts."

Alyssa gave him a tender kiss, trying to convey how much she cared about him as her lips pressed against his.

He started to kiss her back, then paused and pulled away. "Alyssa... did I do that to you and the girls? Turn you into blindly devoted servants?"

She propped herself up on an elbow and gazed down at him with sympathy. "You already know the answer to that, John. Think about it for a moment... why did I ask you to save Sparks from Karron?"

He paused, then looked relieved. "Because she was like your sister..."

"And our desperate missions to save the Fernandez men from disaster..." Alyssa said with an affectionate smile. "Which sultry Latina begged you to help her father and brothers?"

John relaxed and nodded. "Alright, you're not the same at all."

"Of course not," she whispered, kissing him again. "Family has always been incredibly important to you. Not just our own, but the family we're going to start in the future." She guided his hand to her trim stomach. "Could you even imagine asking me to abandon your baby?"

He pulled her into a fierce hug. "I'm so glad you're here. Thank you..."

"I love you, John," Alyssa said, hugging him back. "We all do... and not because you forced us to."

***

Faye's wings fluttered nervously as she sat opposite their guest. Alyssa had calmed the brunette down with promises of a swift rescue for Rahn'hagon and now Jessica was darting impatient glances at the cockpit door as she waited for their departure.

"They'll be back soon," she said, giving the young woman a reassuring smile.

Jessica nodded to her, then seemed to see Faye for the first time and studied her with professional curiosity. "I didn't see you earlier... what species are you? I don't recognise your xeno-type."

"I'm actually an A.I. and this is a hologram," Faye admitted, swiping her arm through the back of the chair to prove it. "But please don't be afraid, I promise I won't hurt you. I help John and the girls run their ship."

She frowned, looking confused. "I didn't mean to upset him earlier..."

Faye nodded. "I know. It's just that John's been desperately hoping to meet you all his life... and he's very sad that you don't feel the same way."

Her frown deepened. "I... I-I'm not..." she stammered, before her voice trailed away.

"Don't worry, he's not mad at you," Faye said, giving her a warm smile. "But we're all going to do everything we can to free Rahn'hagon from the Progenitor that captured him."

Jessica gave the compassionate sprite a look of sincere gratitude. "That would be wonderful, thank you."

Alyssa left the cabin and walked down the corridor to the cockpit. "Hello again," she said, sitting beside Jessica. "You must be exhausted after all the frights we gave you today. I'm really sorry we scared you."

"That's okay," the brunette replied, stifling a yawn.

Putting an arm around her, Alyssa said quietly, "The girls will be a little while longer; why don't you try to get a bit of rest? We'll be taking off as soon as they get back, then we'll get together with the rest of the crew and come up with a plan to rescue Rahn."

Jessica nodded, looking drowsy. "I haven't slept properly all week without him... You're right, I could really do with some rest."

"Just lean against me," Alyssa murmured, brushing her hair. "I'll look after you while you sleep."

"Thank you," the brunette murmured, closing her eyes. "You're very kind."

"It's the least I can do for a fellow matriarch. Besides, you're my future mother-in-law... I need to get on your good side."

Jessica's eyes snapped open and she looked at the blonde in surprise, then burst into laughter. "This has been such a strange day..." she said, settling down and closing her eyes again.

"I know," Alyssa murmured, her eyes starting to glow with a soft inner radiance. "Tomorrow will be much better..."

***

Jade bounded up the loading ramp and shifted into her normal form, then rushed through the door as she headed for the grav-tube.

Dana frowned and leaned against the wall, pulling off her Paragon helmet and rubbing at her temple. When the rest of the girls were safely inside, she slapped her hand down on the wall-mounted button, raising the loading ramp.

"Are you alright?" Rachel asked her, removing a gauntlet and stroking the redhead's brow. "Bad headache?"

"Yeah... we did storm through that last bit," Dana said with a rueful smile. "Don't get me wrong, learning all those schematics was awesome... but my head's pounding."

The brunette gently caressed Dana, enveloping her lover in a soft grey aura. "Your poor synapses..." she whispered, leaning over to kiss her. "That amazing brain of yours has been working on overdrive."

Letting out a blissful sigh, Dana murmured, "Babes... that feels so much better..."

*Don't bother coming up to the cockpit, we'll come down to you,* Alyssa informed all the girls in the forward loading area. *We'll be docking with the Invictus in a minute.*

"Hmm... what could we do to pass the time?" Rachel asked airily, sharing a look with her lover.

Dana giggled and they both reached for Sakura, with the redhead pulling off her helmet, so Rachel could give her a kiss.

"Hey!" the Asian girl exclaimed in surprise.

Her protestations died a second later as Rachel's lips brushed against her own.

"Now that is a good idea," Irillith purred, removing her own Paragon helmet.

The twins embraced too and for the next 60 seconds, the girls relaxed in each other's arms, releasing some of the tension they'd all been feeling. Their arrival on the Invictus was heralded by the loading ramp lowering once again and a moment later, John appeared with his arm around Jade. The girls broke apart and rushed to his side, their expressions full of concern.

"Thank you," he said, giving them all a look of profound gratitude as they offered him words of sympathy. "Let's get you out of your gear, then head up to the Briefing Room. We need to review the tech you found on the black ship, then discuss what we're going to do next about Jessica and Rahn'hagon. After that, I could really do with spending some time relaxing with all of you."

They nodded and accompanied him down the ramp into the hangar. The girls shot worried glances at each other, having never seen John looking so emotionally raw before. They headed up in the express grav-tube, with John, Jade, Alyssa, and Jessica all continuing up to Deck Two, while the rest of the girls removed their armour and weapons in the armoury. Calara was waiting up on the Command Deck for the ground team and when John stepped out of the grav-tube, she wrapped him in a comforting embrace.

"I'm sorry," she whispered in his ear, as she darted a curious glance over his shoulder at their guest.

When they separated, Faye waved at Jessica, then smiled at John from where she stood at the top of the Command Podium. "I'm taking us up to low orbit while you decide how you want to proceed."

"Thanks, honey." John turned to his mother and said quietly, "I'll introduce everyone in a minute when they all get here. We'll sit down together and discuss what we're going to do to rescue... my father."

Jessica had a troubled look in her eyes. "John... I-" she faltered, unsure how to continue.

After darting a glance at their companions, she was about to say more, when the rest of the girls left the grav-tube and joined them on the Bridge. It was quite crowded by the base of the Command Podium now, with the whole crew except Jade's sisters gathered to discuss the situation with John's parents.

"We can talk privately later if you want?" John asked the brunette, a weary look of resignation in his eyes.

She nodded, frowning and looking upset at his bleak expression.

Then the Invictus lurched violently, alarms blazing across the Command Deck as they were all hurled to the deck. The Bridge was suddenly lit up by a blazing purple light as a savage maelstrom of throbbing energy blasted the unsuspecting battlecruiser, a screeching roar building into a terrifying cacophony.

"What the fuck was that?!" John shouted in alarm.

Faye's expression contorted in horror as she clung to the Command Chair. "Oh God..."

John struggled to his feet, clutching at the Comms Station to steady himself. When he looked out through the windows, his mouth fell open in horrified disbelief.

"NOOOO!!" Jade screamed, watching as the front half of the Invictus spiralled away.

The bow and foredecks of their ship containing the Lagoon... and her four sisters, was now tumbling back towards Arcadia.

They all stood frozen in shock for a second, until Calara snapped out of it first. "Faye, get the shields up!"

"I can't!" she cried out, her face twisted in anguish. "They're not responding!"

Dana staggered upright in a daze. "We've lost the middle Power Core... it's gone!"

Jade scrambled towards the grav-tube, desperate to get to her sisters, her sobs of fear making John's heart lurch.

Before anyone could say another word, the Invictus slammed to the right, knocking them all down a second time. The lights winked out, plunging the Bridge into darkness, the only illumination from starlight. The view through the windows shifted, casting a green light across the Bridge as their ship lost its fight with gravity. Without any power being supplied to the retro-thrusters, the rear half of the Invictus began to drop towards the planet.

"John-" Faye gasped, before falling silent.

There was a metallic clatter as she tumbled down the stairs.

"Faye!" John shouted in shock, reaching for her.

Dana grabbed his arm and shook her head frantically. "Faye's the server, not the chassis! All power's down!"

John felt himself being pressed against the deck as Arcadia's gravity started to make itself felt. "Abandon ship! Get to the Raptor!"

"The Valkyrie!" Sakura protested, eyes wide in fright.

"There's no time! Prep the Raptor for take-off!"

She nodded curtly, accelerating psychic speed and diving into the grav-tube, whistling winds carrying her down the deactivated shaft.

John glanced around and saw one of the girls lying crumpled on the ground next to the wall, a mop of bloody blonde hair obscuring her face. "Alyssa!"

Jade was scrambling to the grav-tube and John knew she was going after the Nymphs, desperate to save her sisters from the doomed ship.

*Jade...* John called out to her, as he reached for Alyssa to stop her sliding away from the grav-tube.

The Nymph whirled around, her expression one of anguish as she realised he needed her help to rescue the girls. A crystal tear rolled down her cheek.

*Yes, Master...* Jade whispered, her voice laden with grief.

John dragged Alyssa over to Rachel, then started pulling them over to the grav-tube. "Heal her!"

The brunette nodded, her grey eyes like saucers as she reached for her matriarch.

Jade began sprouting tentacles from her back, which whipped out to coil around the girls. *I've got them... pull me down the grav-tube!*

The Invictus had started a lazy roll as it tumbled toward the planet and John felt himself sliding across the deck. Accelerating himself with psychic speed, he leaped to grab Jade, then hauled her towards the grav-tube. He watched them sliding as the ship listed to one side, then taking a deep breath, he dove down the lift shaft, pulling Jade with him. Dana, Rachel, Alyssa, Calara, Helene, Jessica, and the twins were all dragged in after them, their faces twisted with fear. They began to fall, dropping down the shaft, until the roll upended gravity, slowing their descent. John scrabbled at the tunnel entrance on Deck Nine, grabbing hold of the edge and hauling the girls up until they were standing on the ceiling of the lower corridor.

"Move!" he yelled. "Get to the Hangar before we roll again!"

The girls staggered to their feet, and ran for the double doors into the Secondary Hangar. Sakura had frozen the reinforced doors solid, then shattered the brittle metal, leaving a jagged hole for them to climb through. When John climbed through, he saw the Raptor was upside down, lying on the hangar's ceiling. They were starting to slide again, as the Invictus tipped over, so he clasped Jade's hand and pulled her towards the upended gunship.

He managed to tug them through the open hatchway just as the Raptor dropped to the deck with a clang. They all tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain.

Alyssa waved her hand at the button on the wall and the loading ramp started to swing shut. *Go!* she screamed at Sakura.

John heard the high-pitched squeal of twin Tachyon Lances being fired and the Raptor blasted the hull doors, carving incandescent blue beams through the massive portal. A piercing shriek filled the hangar as the Invictus' hull was breached, the atmosphere being sucked out of the gaping hole in the side of the ship. Fortunately, the loading ramp sealed shut a split-second later, saving them from being depressurised with the hangar.

With all systems now online in the gunship, the Raptor had artificial gravity again. John rushed for the grav-tube, with the rest of the girls following close behind. He paused by the armoury and darted inside, rushing over to the closest armour-equipping frame where his lion-embossed Paragon suit awaited him. Alyssa joined him a second later, her face pale with fear and blood loss, the robotic arms quickly garbing her in armour. He grabbed his sword and raced to the grav-tube, then floated up to the cockpit, where Sakura was fighting with the gunship's controls as the Invictus tumbled around them.

Jade slid into the co-pilot's seat. "Let me!" she exclaimed, ramming the throttle forward.

The Raptor seemed to pirouette as it thundered across the hangar, perfectly matching the rotation of the Invictus' nauseating rolling. The gunship roared clear, escaping the dying embrace of the white battlecruiser as it plunged towards the lush jungle below.

Dana lurched over to the window and stared at the rear half of the Invictus, watching as it rolled towards the planet. Her eyes got huge as she saw the ugly blackened scars across the port flank, below the Fire Control Tower.

"Oh, God... no..." she whispered in horror.

The Raptor suddenly juddered to a halt, the Inertial Negation device the only thing saving John and the girls from being splattered over the cockpit canopy.

"The controls aren't responding!" Jade exclaimed, desperately trying to manoeuvre.

"We're caught in a tractor beam..." Calara whispered, her face filled with dread.

Dana glanced up and she went ashen. "Holy fuck..."

A glowing purple field had snared the helpless gunship and it dragged them towards a yawning portal in the side of the vast Progenitor dreadnought. As they approached, the Raptor lost power, the consoles fading to black with a mournful whine. John and the girls could only watch in despair as they were pulled inexorably inside the sinister behemoth. The hangar was enormous, dwarfing the 40-metre gunship, and making the legion of black-armoured thralls awaiting them look tiny in comparison.

***

Amidst the hundreds of female soldiers stood one man. Larn'kelnar watched his prize being pulled into his ship, his lips curled up into a victorious smirk. He raised a short black rod, no more than a metre long, glyphs glowing ominously along its length. The Raptor was clutched by a pair of huge telekinetic hands, then shaken violently, the crew thrown around inside as the Progenitor proceeded to knock them senseless. He summoned a glowing axe and slashed down at the front of the cockpit, then blinked in surprise when runes across the hull flared with a dazzling golden light, the axe dissipating harmlessly.

Glancing at the woman standing beside him, he said, "Ailanthia? I'm in need of a door..."

"Of course, my Lord," she replied with a loving smile, before glancing at the closest squad of thralls.

They opened fire with their underslung cannons, sending streams of purple bolts blasting into the front of the Raptor. The crystal canopy shattered under the onslaught, the thralls ceasing fire as soon as the hull was breached. Larn'kelnar reached inside with a telekinetic fist and pulled John's unconscious body from the ravaged gunship. He waved a dismissive hand at the Raptor and it tumbled towards the hangar door, then through the atmospheric shielding, exposing the handful of Blake's thralls within to the vacuum of space.

Larn'kelnar turned on his heel, with John floating behind him. "Well, that was amusing," he said to his matriarch as they left the hangar.

"Two in one week? Surely that's a record that's never been bested, my Lord?" Ailanthia said, her eyes twinkling as she followed her lover.

He put an arm around her shoulders. "Perhaps I should start a collection?"

Their laughter echoed around the hangar, competing with the noisy thump of boots as hundreds of armoured thralls trooped out after their master.