Chapter 113 - Home is where the heart is...

Rachel, Helene, and Irillith stood by the open hangar door, watching as the last of the colonists left the Invictus. Rather than returning to their homes, the townsfolk of Fernridge gathered in the grassy clearing on the outskirts of the settlement, clearly reluctant to turn away. There was a solemn intensity to those people as they waved goodbye, every one well aware what their fate would have been if the Lion and his Lionesses had not intervened.

Tashana tapped the controls on the wall and the huge hangar door began to slowly descend, signalling the completion of their mission to save the citizens of Brecken’s World. She walked over to join her fellow Lionesses and the four girls waved back at the colonists until the door locked into place on the deck with a secure clunk.

Now that they were alone again, the Maliri girl pulled off her helmet, then shook out her long white hair. “You two saved a lot of people,” she said, turning to look at Rachel and Helene with admiration. “I hope you feel very proud of everything you accomplished here.”

“I didn’t do much,” Helene said, shaking her head and smiling self-consciously. “Rachel was the one who healed their wounds, I just made the colonists feel a bit better ... if only for a little while.”

“Don’t undersell yourself,” Rachel said, stroking the teal-skinned girl’s back. “You gave them a sense of hope when they needed it the most ... that makes all the difference in the world.”

Helene gave her a look of gratitude before glancing over at the treatment area. “Faye and her robots worked non-stop for hours; we should thank her for all her hard work...”

Rachel turned to look at the maintenance bots, which hovered dormant by the Sonic Cannons, waiting for further instruction. “Where is our cute fairy anyway? All her avatars seemed to just vanish...”

“Faye’s definitely preoccupied with something,” Irillith replied with a frown. “I searched for her in the Cyber-Realm, but I couldn’t find her there either.”

They all heard the roar of retro-thrusters coming from the Secondary Hanger and turned around just in time to see the Raptor glide into the Invictus.

“I think I know what might have distracted Faye,” Rachel said with a knowing smile.

Irillith raised an eyebrow and smirked. “If she needed all twelve avatars, John must have had a very nice afternoon...”

The girls laughed as they walked over to the double doors, reaching them just as John and Faye walked arm-in-arm down the gunship’s loading ramp.

“Wow!” Tashana exclaimed, looking at Faye’s hugely rounded belly. “I guess there’s no need to ask if you two enjoyed your date.”

John smiled and gave the purple girl an affectionate one-armed hug. “Faye’s been spoiling me for hours; I’ve never felt so well looked after.”

Irillith brushed her fingers over the obscene bulge in Faye’s summer dress. “You kept him going for hours? Perhaps you should be giving us lessons, Faye.”

Faye blushed and gave them a dazzling smile. “We had a great time!”

The four girls took turns hugging her and whispering their congratulations, with Faye beaming at them as she returned their hugs.

“Any problems while we were away?” John enquired, looking around the quartet. “And where are Jade and her sisters?”

“Everything was under control; we actually treated 32,893 infested colonists in total,” Rachel replied with a note of satisfaction in her voice. “The Nymphs had been up for over 36 hours, so I sent them to bed when we landed at Fernridge.”

John looked at her quizzically. “Fernridge?”

“The last drop-off point on Brecken’s World,” the brunette explained. “There were only a few thousand colonists left by then; we’d returned the rest to their homes.”

“I haven’t heard anything from Alyssa, so I assume she’s still sleeping?” he asked, glancing at the girls.

Before the others could reply, Faye chimed in, “They’re all asleep in the bedroom. I think I’ll head up there and feed the Nymphs...” She cradled her swollen belly. “Unless there’s someone else you had in mind for this?”

Irillith saw John looking intrigued, so she quickly explained, “Dana gave her all sorts of useful functionality. We figured you wouldn’t be able to resist Faye for long and she wanted to be able to feed the girls the same way Jade can.”

Nodding his understanding he gave the petite girl an encouraging smile. “That would be great, Faye, thank you.”

“I’ve plotted a course for Karron. The journey will take ten hours, so we should arrive at 23:56 pm,” she said, giving John a hug before waving goodbye to the girls. “Just let me know if you need anything.”

They returned her wave and watched her depart, Faye’s hips swaying with the heavy weight at her midriff as she walked towards the express grav-tube.

John suddenly jogged to catch up to her, calling out, “Faye! Wait a second!”

Pausing, she turned to give him a cheery smile. “Yes, John?”

Putting his hands on her shoulders, he looked into her eyes with concern. “Are you sure you’re alright? You were quiet on the way back home and you seem a bit ... distracted.”

“I’m fine,” she replied, her smile never wavering. “I’ve just been processing lots of new data ... it’s my way of learning from an experience.”

Reassured by her explanation, he leaned in to give her a tender kiss. “Well I had an incredible date, thank you for going to so much effort.”

She crossed her wrists behind his neck and gave him a smouldering kiss to banish any remaining concerns he might have. Faye gave him a cheeky wave when they parted and stepped into the express grav-tube. John watched her disappear out of sight, still unable to shake the nagging feeling that she didn’t seem quite herself.

Tashana looked sympathetic as John returned to the four girls. “I’m not surprised if Faye’s feeling a bit dazed. You left a dramatic impression on me after our first time together.”

Irillith frowned and playfully wagged a finger at him. “You probably overloaded her circuits ... Rachel actually managed to shut Faye down when we were testing her sensitivity.”

“It’s not my fault I’m a spectacular kisser,” Rachel said with a grin, knowing the Maliri girl was only teasing.

Rolling her eyes at the brunette, Irillith gave John a reassuring smile. “I’ll check on Faye later and see if she needs any help with diagnostics.”

He nodded in gratitude, then looked around at the group. “Well, it seems like we have ten hours to kill before we arrive at Karron. Feel free to have a rest until then ... you’ve certainly earned it.”

“Actually, I’d like to perform that autopsy on the Kirrix cadavers. They were fascinating specimens!” Rachel said, unable to contain her excitement. “You’re all welcome to observe the dissection.”

Wrinkling her nose with distaste, Tashana said, “If it’s alright with you, I think I’ll just wait for the report on your findings. I’ve seen enough Kirrix corpses to last two lifetimes.”

Irillith raised an eyebrow and glanced at her sister. “We still have the Vulkat archive to translate. Fancy giving me a hand?”

“Sure! I’d love to find out what they have to say about Progenitors.”

John couldn’t help grimacing. “After what happened to their civilisation, I doubt any of it will be complimentary.”

“Any information could be helpful,” she said, her eyes bright and alert with professional curiosity. “At the very least, those files might give me a solid grounding in Vulkat swearwords and insults.”

“I’ll look forward to hearing you insult my parentage in Vulkat,” he said with a wry smile. “I’d offer to help, but I’m not great with languages. I only know how to speak Terran and Maliri, and one of those I learned subconsciously.”

“Don’t worry, you’d find it annoying working with Tashana,” Irillith said with an exaggerated sigh. “She insists on quoting old Terran movies at every opportunity ... it’s extremely distracting.

Tashana nudged her sister with an elbow. “Only because they make you laugh so hard.” She lowered her voice and said gruffly, “Freaky alien bastards ... they’re called Mal-eerie for a reason!”

Irillith covered her mouth with both hands as she burst into laughter. “I haven’t seen that one in years! Alien Menace III was a classic!”

John had never seen the movie, so he could sympathise with the look of bemusement on Helene’s pretty face.

She glanced in his direction. “John, would you like to join me for a swim?”

He nodded, smiling at the thought. “I’d love to.”

“The autopsy should only take me a couple of hours,” Rachel informed them. “I’ll ask Faye to let you know as soon as I’m finished.”

“Okay, see you then,” John agreed, enjoying a hug with the girls before they parted ways.

“Are you still planning on preparing a Maliri banquet?” Irillith reminded him as they embraced.

“If you’re willing to share your recipes?” he countered, cupping her ass and wishing she wasn’t wearing her Paragon suit. “We can get together after Rachel’s briefing and discuss ways I can make it worth your while...”

“Sounds like an equitable exchange to me,” she replied in a seductive purr.

Tashana wrinkled her nose. “I’m not sure listening to the results of a Kirrix autopsy will really set the right mood.”

Irillith grinned as she glanced at her twin. “I’m pretty sure I can handle John on my own ... but I guarantee you’ll change your tune once we get started...”

Tashana blushed, knowing she would share every mind-blowing orgasm. “I never imagined my sweet sister would grow up to be so naughty.”

“I was planning to talk to Alyssa just before we arrive at Karron,” John said, pulling the second twin into his arms. “Would you prefer to wait until later? You two can join us for the XO meeting.”

Irillith’s violet eyes sparkled with delight. “Oh, absolutely! Our beloved matriarch has a way of making everything feel so much more debauched!”

Tashana laughed and nodded. “Sounds like a date.”

Rachel and the twins left together, taking the express grav-tube up to the armoury, so that they could remove their Paragon suits. That left Helene with John and she slipped her hand into his as they walked through the double doors on the far side of the hangar.

She glanced at him curiously as they approached the blue anti-gravity field at the end of the corridor. “What did Tashana mean earlier, about the Mal-eerie?” Helene asked, with a puzzled look on her face at the strange pronunciation.

“It was a line from an old action movie,” he explained as they began to ascend through the decks. “I haven’t seen the one she’s quoting from, but the twins used to watch a lot of Terran shows when they were young. I think referring to those movies reminds them both of happier times when they were very close ... and helps brings them even closer together now.”

“Ah,” she replied, still looking mystified. “John ... what’s a ‘movie’?”

He chuckled and pulled her into his arms. “It’s like watching one of the camera recordings, but the people you see are only pretending it’s real to entertain people. I’m sure the twins would enjoy showing you what they consider to be the classics.”

Helene nodded, then looked around the grav-tube for security cameras. Not taking any chances, she moulded herself against him so that she could whisper in his ear, “I’m really glad your date with Faye went well. I spoke to her about your relationship yesterday ... and she got a bit upset.”

He pulled back to look at her in surprise. “She did?”

The aquatic girl nodded, gazing at him with her big blue eyes. Beckoning him closer, she continued whispering, “I was going to tell you about it today, but Faye invited you on a second date. She was very worried that you might reject her.” Helene gently kissed his ear, making him shiver at the breathy contact. “I told Faye that you loved and respected her, and would never turn away from her like that. Thank you for proving me right.”

John frowned and held her close. “I wonder if that’s why she was acting a little bit strange on the flight back.”

“Did anything bad happen on the date?” Helene asked him with concern.

He shook his head. “No, everything was perfect ... well at least I thought it was. The picnic spot she’d chosen was really beautiful and Faye brought me breakfast that was absolutely delicious. After that, we spent most of the morning talking and kissing, which she definitely seemed to enjoy. Then during lunch, I listened to Edraele describe the Maliri meeting with the Trankarans, and after that...” He gave her a coy smile. “Well, you saw the size of Faye’s tummy.”

“Spending all morning with you like that would be wonderful,” she agreed, stroking his chest. “I’m sure Faye would have loved having you all to herself.”

John frowned at a sudden thought. “Maybe she was upset at me being distracted by the meeting? Although, Faye certainly seemed happy for me to listen in, she knew how important it was.”

“I know she was longing to get closer to you ... perhaps Irillith was right and Faye was just overwhelmed by the experience. My life transformed for the better after we were together for the first time,” she said with a shy smile. “Maybe just give her a while to adjust, then talk to her about it?”

John stepped out of the grav-tube into the Deck Three corridor, pulling her with him. “Sounds like good advice to me. Thank you.”

They strolled into the Lagoon and stripped off their clothes by the bridge, the lake’s crystal-clear water enticing them in.

Before Helene could leap from the bridge, John slipped his arms around her waist. “We haven’t really had a chance to talk about you comforting the colonists yet. How are you feeling about your new abilities? Any regrets or worries?”

She gazed deep into his eyes and said solemnly, “For the first time in my life, I felt like I had a purpose beyond bearing children. I’ll never forget how it felt being able to help those poor people, or what it was like standing beside the girls as grateful colonists waved goodbye. Thank you for giving my life new meaning.”

Touched by the sincerity of her heartfelt reply, John was lost for words, only managing to murmur, “You’re welcome, Helene.”

The teal-skinned beauty smiled at him and wriggled out of his grasp. “Now, enough talking...” She giggled and dove off the bridge. “Catch me if you can!”

He watched her breach the surface of the lagoon with barely a splash, then Helene cut through the water like a knife, rolling onto her back to beckon him in. He took a running jump and dived in after her, delighting in the thrill of the chase as she squealed playfully and tried to escape his clutches.

Deep Lord Athgiloi stared in astonishment at the winged sword icon fading away on the holo-screen, unable to believe his incredible good fortune. Leaping from his throne, he raised both fists and roared in triumph.

Celphna was kneeling beside the throne and she gazed up at him in adoration. “Would Master like to celebrate with this one?”

“Most definitely, my beautiful jewel of the sea,” he said with relish, a wide toothy grin on his scaly face. “But first I have pressing business to attend to!”

She rose from her kneeling position and gave him a reverent bow. “As you wish, Master. This one shall eagerly await your return...”

Athgiloi watched her slink towards his bedroom, the seductive swish of her tail making her shimmering scales catch the light. Tempted as he was to lose himself in hours of pleasure with his stunning concubine, he couldn’t afford to waste a moment ... an opportunity like this came but once in a lifetime. Returning to his throne, he stabbed down on the scallop shell icons built into the armrest, bringing up a holographic list of the Brimorian lords serving in the Deep Pool. He selected Semord, Rilosash, Paotegh, Sibhaloi, Lithorag, and Baolleraz as the recipients for his secure broadcast, then watched as each one answered the call.

Ignoring their requests for information, he gave them a smug grin, revelling in the moment. “By the powers granted to me as Deep Lord, I summon the Deep Pool for an emergency gathering! Meet me in the audience chamber immediately!”

As much as he longed to rush to the audience chamber to share his news, Athgiloi wanted the other members of the Deep Pool to be left waiting for him, reminding them of their place. Closing the comm-channel and cutting off their startled exclamations, he searched through his list of contacts again. Swiping a clawed hand through the name of the shadowy dark holo-net group, he waited for the call to connect.

An armoured figure answered the call a few seconds later, her opaque helmet staring intently in his direction. “Deep Lord Athgiloi ... what brings the esteemed leader of the Brimorian Enclave knocking on the door of the Lahlenori?”

“It is time to call in that favour, Shanryl,” he replied, leaning forward and fixing her with an unwavering stare. “I find myself in need of your exceptional skills. Do this task for me ... and I will consider all debts paid in full.”

She tilted her head quizzically. “How intriguing ... and what exactly would you have me do?”

Athgiloi’s eyes gleamed with anticipation. “Set course for the Beta Crusis system. I have an urgent meeting to attend to, but I’ll send full details of your assignment within the hour.”

Shanryl glanced off-screen at a star map to locate the system, then her head snapped around to face the Brimorian. “What are you up to, Athgiloi?”

“All in good time,” he replied, his grin revealing more of his sharp teeth. “Compared to the risks I took giving you sanctuary in the Enclave, this will take you the barest minimum of effort.”

She gave him a respectful bow. “A debt I will be glad to repay. I look forward to hearing more about this mysterious task...”

Athgiloi nodded to her and ended the call, then rose from his throne and strode out of his private quarters. Avoiding the temptation to rub his hands together in glee, he walked at an unhurried pace towards the sacred meeting place of the Deep Pool. Guards snapped to attention as he passed, the stocky Brimorian heading deeper into the Palace on Sequathis. When he finally arrived at the audience chamber, he was pleased to see that six of the seven dais were occupied, the Brimorian lords muttering to each other as they speculated as to the cause of this meeting.

All conversation ceased as Athgiloi stood on the last dais, the Deep Lord taking his time to solemnly intone, “We commence this gathering, paying homage to the wild seas.”

The members of the Deep Pool bowed impatiently, eager to find out why he’d ordered an emergency meeting with no notice.

“I am ordering the recall of fleets Ibhechae and Braoimhi to the Callopean Shoals!” Athgiloi declared, his bold voice echoing around the chamber.

“But they are needed for the Kintark invasion!” Lord Lithorag balked, his black eyes staring incredulously at the Deep Lord.

“The Kintark Empire is defenceless,” Athgiloi gloated with a derisive sneer. “They shall be crushed by the might of our remaining fleets ... two more will not make the slightest difference.”

“Why the Callopean Shoals?” Lord Paotegh asked suspiciously. “What are you planning, Athgiloi?”

Throwing his brawny arms wide, the Deep Lord gave them a look of triumph. “My friends ... we shall see the accursed Terrans brought to ruin! They have a traitor in their midst who seeks revenge against the Federation!”

The six lords gaped at Athgiloi in shock, each and every one of them stunned into silence.

John lay beside Helene as they relaxed in the Observatory, his fingers interlaced with hers over her cum-filled stomach. “When we do eventually have a baby, have you decided whether you’d like to have a boy or girl?”

She looked up at him with a dreamy smile. “Oh, I can’t make up my mind. All I know is I want at least ten of each...”

“Only twenty kids?” he asked with a chuckle. “By Abandoned standards, that’s quite a modest-sized family isn’t it? Seems like we’ve got a busy couple of decades ahead of us...”

Helene laughed and nuzzled into him. “I can hardly wait...” Her smile faded a little and she glanced up at John, a troubled look in her eyes. “Bringing new life into the world is such a wonderful thing ... so why do I get the feeling you don’t approve of the Abandoned having large families?”

John paused for a moment to consider how to answer her question. “Other than the fact that the Brimorians are using your people to breed a slave race, having that many children leads to a massive population explosion. Eventually the worlds the Abandoned are settled on will be unable to sustain such huge numbers; there won’t be enough food grown to feed everyone and people will starve to death in their millions. The Brimorians must be planning to restrict the size of Abandoned families eventually, or they’ll end up being vastly outnumbered within their own empire.”

“How many children would be a sustainable number?” Helene asked in a hushed voice.

“Perhaps two per family?” he tentatively suggested, having a good idea how that would be received.

Her mouth fell open in shock. “Two?!”

John gave her a helpless shrug. “I’m not an expert on population management, but I’m pretty sure the Abandoned will have to drastically reduce the number of children they’re having. If they don’t, they’ll end up facing an awful future ... no matter what happens with the Brimorians.”

“Only two babies...” Helene murmured in a daze, looking appalled. “I just ... I don’t even know what to say.”

“It’s not as bad as it sounds,” he said, trying to lift her mood with an encouraging smile. “With smaller families, the parents can devote more time to caring for and educating each child. Ultimately, we’ll need to place a huge focus on education for the Abandoned, so that we can train them with lots of new skills other than just manual labour.”

Her eyes were wide as she gazed up at the stars through the clear-crystal ceiling. “I’m finally starting to see how much we’re going to impact my people ... their entire way of life will never be the same.”

He nodded, giving her a supportive hug. “When we free the Abandoned from slavery, they’ll be facing huge changes. I want to make this as easy for them as I can, but I must admit, I have no experience dealing with anything remotely like this.”

Faye appeared beside them in a flash, her wings fluttering pensively. Her luminous gaze lingered wistfully on Helene’s swollen belly for a second, before switching to John. “Hey! Sorry to interrupt, is this a bad time?”

He shook his head. “It’s alright, honey. What’s up?”

“I just wanted to let you know that Rachel’s finished the Kirrix autopsy and requests that you join her and the girls in the bedroom,” the purple sprite replied.

John glanced at the chronometer on the wall and was startled to see that it was 4:32 pm. “Wow, the last couple of hours flew by...” He glanced down at his teal-skinned bedmate and continued, “Do you want to come with me? Rachel’s going to tell us about the Kirrix Hive Queen and the Nest Guardians.”

“Would you mind if I stayed here a while?” she requested, sounding numb. “I’ve got a few things to think about...”

“I’m sorry I shocked you,” he said, studying her with concern. “Are you okay?”

She focused on John, a wan smile appearing on her forlorn face. “I feel so sad for my people. There are many terrible things that they need to know, but I’m worried that this knowledge will tear them apart.”

“I promise I’ll do whatever I can to help them,” he said, gazing into her eyes.

Helene caressed his cheek, her expression filled with gratitude. “I knew in my heart that you would. Baen’thelas, the righter of wrongs ... Tashana chose that name well.”

“Just remember that we’ll be fighting to give your people their freedom,” he reminded her. “That isn’t something to feel sad about; it’s an opportunity for the Abandoned to forge their own path.”

“I know ... it just feels like they’ll be losing their innocence, even if that means going on to lead a better life,” she said, before freezing and looking at John in shock.

“What’s the matter?” he asked, seeing her abrupt shift in expression.

“That’s what happened to me...” she whispered, sounding awestruck.

John thought about it for a second, then nodded. “You were a lovely girl when we first met, but you’re developing into an incredible woman. Change doesn’t have to be bad, sometimes the results can be very special...”

She blushed and gave him a fierce hug. “Thank you ... for everything.”

When they parted, John rose from the bed, watching Helene anxiously to make sure she was alright. She seemed calmer now and gave him a reassuring smile before shooing him on his way. With a final wave goodbye to the aquatic girl, he left the Observatory with Faye at his side.

“I’ll see you up in the bedroom, John,” Faye said, her wings fluttering anxiously as she hovered in the air.

“I’d like to talk to you for a moment before you disappear,” he said as he walked over the bridge. “Something’s obviously bothering you and I’d like to know what it is.”

“I-I’m not sure what you mean,” she stammered, her big eyes widening further.

“You’d normally jump at the chance to have one of your avatars keep me company; the fact that you didn’t is a dead giveaway that you’re upset about something and you’re avoiding me for some reason.” He paused half-way across the bridge and looked at the stricken purple girl. “I thought our date was amazing, but now I’m worried that I did something to offend you.”

“You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise!” she blurted out, sounding aghast. “I never meant for you to think that!”

John’s expression softened with concern. “Talk to me, honey. I know there’s something on your mind.”

Faye’s hologram wrung her hands together, unsure what to do. “You need to speak to Faye Primary!” she finally blurted out, her elfin face a mask of worry. “We’ll meet you in our room!”

She disappeared an instant later, leaving John staring at nothing. Are you awake, Alyssa?

Hey, John, the blonde replied. Rachel woke me up a few minutes ago. You were busy chatting with Helene and I didn’t want to interrupt.

He walked along the bridge and stooped to gather his clothes. Did you overhear me talking to Faye?

Yeah ... and she just rushed out of here with a weird smile plastered on her face, Alyssa replied, sounding completely bewildered. What the hell’s going on?

Faye seemed fine earlier, Jade informed them. She was quiet ... but gentle and loving with my sisters. They fed from her, then Faye stayed in bed cuddling with them.

Dressing quickly, John left the Lagoon. You girls just relax for a few minutes, I’ll go have a chat with Faye.

Sure. Just let us know if we can help, Alyssa said, her voice filled with concern.

John headed to the grav-tube, feeling confused more than anything else. Faye had been in great spirits during their morning together, but in the afternoon, she hadn’t been her bubbly vivacious self. The difference was subtle, but he’d got to know the purple sprite pretty well over the last few months, and thinking back on their time together, she obviously had something on her mind. Rising up in the glowing blue gravity field to Deck Two, he stepped out into the corridor lined by Officers’ Quarters, then came to a halt at the closest on the right. Raising a hand to press the chime, he was startled when the door slid open in front of him before he had a chance to hit the button.

“Come in,” Faye said quietly, her bright welcoming smile not quite what he was expecting.

John crossed the room and sat beside her on the bed, studying her elfin face with concern. “You’re worrying me, Faye. Everything about you has been a little off-kilter since this afternoon. Did I ... break you somehow?”

She looked at him in surprise, then laughed, but it sounded strained rather than happy. “No ... but believe it or not, I was actually hoping that you would.”

“You wanted me to break you?” he asked, brow furrowing in confusion as he stared at her fixed smile. “Are you sure you’re alright? Irillith offered to help run some diagnostic tests...”

Faye saw him studying her expression with concern and she slumped, her smile fading. “You and the girls make everything look so easy ... but you have no idea how much effort it takes pretending to be an organic. Did you know I have 57 different smiles? I copied the girls to cover all sorts of eventualities ... there’s cheerful, ecstatic, wry, playful, sardonic, teasing, flirtatious, smouldering, innocent-”

“You don’t need to list them all, honey. I believe you,” John interrupted, reaching out to hold her hand. “Now, why are you telling me about all your different smiles?”

“Because I’m always so happy with all of you and I wanted to portray each mood as accurately as I could ... but I never really spent any time practicing expressions for how I feel now,” she replied, sounding hopelessly lost.