Chapter 122: Losing something precious...

John stood in the doorway and stared at the destruction Larn’kelnar had wrought. When the energy beam had cut the Invictus in half, it had scythed through the bedroom, melting the titanium superstructure with ease. Where John’s massive bed had once rested against the wall, the room was now open to the elements, giving him a spectacular view of the Arcadian jungle. There was no longer any furniture left in his quarters, as it had all been sucked out into the upper atmosphere as the battlecruiser tumbled towards the planet. John loved that bed, connected as it was with so many wonderful memories ... but what he really missed the most was the high-backed chair.

It was so easy to picture Faye sitting cross-legged on the comfortable leather, the purple sprite either singing softly to him, or watching with sparkling eyes as the crew were intimate together. John and Faye never had a chance to consummate their own relationship, having postponed their third date one time too many. He glanced down at the hacking deck he still cradled in his arms and let out a melancholy sigh. John couldn’t help feeling like he was letting Faye down ... he was holding the essence of her personality in his hands, but he lacked the skills to bring her back from oblivion.

“Hey, handsome,” Alyssa said softly, running her hands over his shoulders. She hugged him from behind and whispered in his ear, “The girls are all falling asleep ... and you need some rest too.”

John nodded wearily and let the blonde lead him back out into the corridor, then into Calara’s quarters.

The brunette was waiting under the covers and greeted them with an inviting smile ... which faded as she studied the bloodstained couple. “You both look a mess. Let’s have a quick shower before bed.”

“A shower sounds good,” John agreed, reluctantly placing the hacking deck on her desk and stripping off his torn clothing.

Alyssa and Calara padded into the bathroom as he undressed, the sound of pattering water reaching his ears a few moments later. When he followed them inside, he saw the brunette lathering up Alyssa’s golden mane, the foamy bubbles turning pink as she washed the blood from her hair. John joined them under the hot water and grimaced as he remembered the blonde being hurled across the Bridge during the attack on the Invictus. She’d suffered a nasty head wound from the impact with the titanium wall and the jagged cut to her scalp had soaked her hair with blood.

He stroked Alyssa’s back, watching as Calara rinsed her off. “I nearly lost you today as well...”

“It was just a scratch,” Alyssa said with a lopsided smile, all trace of the injury healed by Rachel hours ago. “You should have seen the other guy...”

Both John and Calara chuckled, needing some light relief after the nightmarish morning they’d endured. When the Latina had finished with Alyssa’s hair, she turned her attention to John and frowned at the sight of him. Rahn’hagon had broken his nose with that first punch, and while John had healed himself, he was still covered in dried blood. She used a sponge to gently wash his skin, a tender look of sympathy on her beautiful face.

“There, good as new,” she said with satisfaction when she was done. “Now you two need some sleep ... you’re both on your last legs.”

“Yes, mom,” Alyssa said with a soft smile, as the brunette mothered the pair of them.

They stepped out of the shower and took it in turns using the bathroom’s auto-drier, with Calara directing operations. John watched her taking care of Alyssa, who was happy to be fussed over, then relaxed and let the Latina dry him off too. They retired to the bedroom, where Calara peeled back the covers so that Alyssa, then John could climb into bed. She turned out the light and joined them, snuggling up against John and resting her head on his shoulder.

He held both girls close and stroked Calara’s back. “You were right before ... I’ve got all the family I need right here. You’re going to be a wonderful mother when we have kids.”

Alyssa made eye-contact with Calara across John’s broad chest and smiled at her girlfriend. “I’ll be watching you like a hawk for pointers...”

Calara blushed, then gave John a tender kiss on the cheek. “Now Larn’kelnar’s gone, it won’t be long until we can finally settle down and start our family.”

John felt Alyssa tense, so he hugged the blonde closer. Don’t disappoint her ... I’ll talk to everyone when we’ve all had a chance to rest and recover.

Okay... Alyssa murmured in reply, trying not to get too despondent.

John kissed Calara on the forehead. “Get some sleep, honey. We’ll talk about the future this evening, after we’ve all had a rest.”

The brunette nodded and relaxed against him, sliding her silky-smooth thigh over his as she tried to get as close to John as possible. Alyssa did the same, but she yearned for that closeness for a very different reason. The two girls were asleep in a matter of seconds, and John kissed each of them on the top of their head as he felt himself getting drowsy. He hated the thought of disappointing Calara and the rest of the girls, but he had a new purpose now and they all needed to prepare for what was to come.

Admiral Charles Harris glanced at his watch and frowned. It had just turned 12:15, which meant Lynette was fifteen minutes late to this High Command meeting ... and Fleet Admiral Devereux was never late for anything.

Rising from his seat in the oval meeting room, he approached the podium, then turned to face the gathering of Admirals. “Sorry ladies and gentlemen, it looks like the Fleet Admiral’s indisposed. Might I suggest we postpone this meeting until later this evening?”

“We could just proceed without her,” Admiral Edwin Caldwell said, frowning as he leaned back in his chair. “I’m reviewing the repairs to the Zeus this afternoon.”

“8 pm instead then?” Charles suggested, glancing around at the members of High Command. “I know Lynette wanted to hear progress reports from everyone, particularly with regard to streamlining of departments.”

Admiral Hugo Chapman gave him a sour look, and pushed his wire-framed glasses up his nose. “I’m not sure that time will be convenient...”

Charles raised an eyebrow and tapped on the holo-interface built into the lectern, bringing up the admiral’s meeting schedule. There were a number of timeslots already booked, with Chapman meeting the various department heads within his Research and Development Division, but there was nothing earmarked from eight until midnight.

“Oh look, you’re completely free...” Charles said dryly. “If you did have something planned, it obviously wasn’t that important; after all, you neglected to enter it into the Admiralty scheduler. I’m sure whatever it was can be rearranged and you’ll be able to attend a priority High Command meeting.”

Chapman scowled, his lips pressed together into a thin line.

“Does anyone else have any concerns about scheduling?” Charles asked, looking at the rest of the admirals in attendance. He was relieved to see amused expressions rather than resentful ones as they all shook their heads. “That’ll be all then. I’ll see you this evening.”

As the admirals rose from their chairs, he turned and strode briskly for the door, worried about Lynette. He tapped on his comms device and contacted the Head of Internal security for Olympus Shipyard.

Colonel Fiske answered almost instantly. “What can I do for you, Admiral Harris?”

“I just wanted to check if the Fleet Admiral has left her quarters this morning?” Charles asked, trying not to sound alarmed.

Fiske’s eyes narrowed with concern. “Why? What’s the problem? Do you want me to send a team to check on her?”

Charles shook his head as he strode down the corridor. “No, no ... that’s quite alright. I just wanted to verify her location.”

Looking at him suspiciously for a moment, the blond-haired colonel turned and glanced at the security logs. “The Fleet Admiral is still in her quarters. Miss Elani arrived an hour ago, but neither of them have departed since then.”

“Ah, of course ... I forgot Lynette was giving an interview,” Charles hastily ad-libbed. “Sorry to waste your time, Colonel.”

Fiske looked like he was going to say something, but Charles ended the awkward conversation with a swipe across the holo-interface.

“Check out the Fleet Admiral’s favourite, throwing his seniority around...” a seductive female voice teased him.

Charles glanced to his right and saw that Admiral Lina Van Den Broeck had caught up after his hasty departure. “This isn’t a good time, Lina.”

The attractive redhead gave him a mock pout. “And I thought we were supposed to be friends, Charlie...”

“We are ... I just need to meet with Lynette,” he replied, trying not to sound flustered.

“I hope your fiancée is well?” she asked innocuously.

Even Charles, who was hardly an expert on women, knew a loaded statement when he heard one. He tried to figure out what she was really asking, then he suddenly realised with a grimace. “Ah ... the engagement...”

“I had to hear about your proposal from Aeri Malone!” Lina admonished him with a playful slap on the arm. Her green eyes sparkled with mischief as she added, “I must say I was surprised ... especially as you told me you were dating Lynette’s niece just a few days ago. Either your new fiancée got very jealous and made her move ... or she’s a remarkably accommodating woman ... I can’t help but wonder which?”

Charles stopped by the elevators and impatiently tapped the call button. “You can torment me later, Lina. This really isn’t a good time.”

“Oh Charlie, I was just having fun...” she said with an exaggerated pout. Turning on her heel, she sashayed away, before glancing back at him over her shoulder. “But consider that a date ... I can’t wait to hear about your whirlwind romance with the Fleet Admiral!”

He watched her leave and saw the smirk of satisfaction appear on Lina’s pretty face. There was a time, only a couple of weeks ago, when this much attention from the sultry and tactile redhead would have thrown him in a spin. That was in the days before Lynette though, and Charles had no intention of doing anything that might jeopardise his relationship with the stunning hazel-eyed goddess. He did need to come up with a sensible explanation for the whole Lynette/Marie scenario though, as Lina had been privy to his infatuation with the Fleet Admiral’s nubile alter-ego.

The elevator door opened with a ringing chime and he strode inside, then tapped the button for the Admiralty suites. He watched the deck counter as he rose through the levels, growing increasingly impatient at the wait. When the door chimed again, he hurried out, nodding brusquely to the armoured guards who gave him a sharp look until they registered the rank on his uniform and his identity. Charles made sure there were no security personnel near the Fleet Commander’s quarters, then opened the door and quickly entered.

“Lynette!” he called out as he walked through the foyer, but there was no answer, making him even more alarmed.

Bursting into the lounge, he saw Lynette lying on the sofa with Jehanna beside her, neither of them stirring. He rushed to their side and with his heart in his mouth, he checked Lynette’s pulse, then sagged with relief when he saw she was breathing.

Gently shaking his fiancée, he said urgently, “Lynette?! Are you alright? Wake up!”

She groaned and her eyes slowly opened. “I’m okay Charles ... just exhausted...”

He relaxed, then glanced down at Jehanna to check she was breathing too. The rhythmic rise and fall of her chest was a welcome sight, the beautiful reporter as sound asleep as Lynette had been.

Charles smiled at his fiancée. “We’ve only been engaged a week ... I didn’t expect to catch you sleeping with someone else this quickly.”

Lynette giggled, then stifled a yawn. “Just the really pretty girls ... I hope you don’t mind.”

He stroked her head and looked at her with concern. “What happened? Is this some Lioness thing?”

She nodded, giving him a strained smile. “Can I tell you about it later? I can barely keep my eyes open...”

“Of course, darling,” he said gently, scooping Lynette up. “Let me put you to bed, then you can sleep without getting a crick in your neck.”

Charles moved the brunette to her bedroom and lay her gently on the covers. Lynette kicked off her shoes and pulled off her uniform so that she was just in her underwear, then burrowed into the bed. Charles reappeared a minute later with Jehanna in his arms and placed her gently next to his fiancée. He watched Lynette carefully remove the beautiful reporter’s jacket and shoes, then quickly turned around as the hazel-eyed brunette took off more of Jehanna’s clothes.

“You can look again now,” Lynette said with a smile. “I’ve protected her modesty.”

Charles turned and saw that they were both under the covers, with Jehanna still in a very deep sleep.

“I love you, Charles,” Lynette said earnestly, looking up at him as he walked to her bedside. “You don’t know how good it feels, knowing you care about me.”

He leaned over and gave her a gentle kiss. “I love you too. Get some sleep; I’ll be waiting for you in the lounge, so just call if you need anything.”

She let out a contented sigh, then settled down with her head on the pillow. Lynette was asleep the second she’d closed her eyes.

Charles walked quietly out of the bedroom, then paused in the doorway to look back at his fiancée with a mixture of confusion and concern. He knew there were some things she was keeping to herself about her close relationship with John and Alyssa, although his instincts told him that it wasn’t anything sinister. Lynette had promised that she’d never lie to him again ... and Charles believed her, but he didn’t want to demand answers to a subject she clearly wasn’t comfortable discussing with him. After a quick glance at Jehanna to check she was alright, he left the bedroom to wait for them to awaken ... and to find out what had happened.

Sarinia Baelora sat behind the desk in her cabin aboard the Shandrass class battleship, watching its progress on the Sector Map as they sailed towards the Epsilon Aquarii system. The Ruven Lephyra was House Baelora’s flagship, leading the flotilla of vessels owned by the Noble House on their way to be refitted at Genthalas Shipyard. They still had two more days travel until they arrived and she’d been feeling increasingly nervous as they drew closer to Edraele Valaden’s seat of power. It wasn’t just sailing through Valaden territory that was making her anxious, but the thought of being reunited with Gaenna, the tyrannical leader of House Baelora ... and her less-than-loving mother.

The melodic door chime interrupted her train of thought and Sarinia sighed, knowing who was likely standing behind that door. The close proximity with her feuding sisters was trying her patience to its limit.

“Enter...” she called out, then watched as Tehlariene rushed into the office, tears running down her cheeks. “What happened this time, sister?”

“It was Myrdina!” the youngest of the Baelora sisters sobbed. “She spaced all my clothes!”

Sarinia rose from her chair and rounded the desk to comfort her sibling. “I’ll lend you some dresses until we reach Genthalas,” she said gently, stroking Tehlariene’s arm. “Myrdina wouldn’t dare touch my things.”

“Thank you so much,” Tehlariene said, looking at her with profound gratitude.

The eldest daughter of House Bealora gave her an indulgent smile. “Dry your eyes now ... don’t let them see that they upset you.”

“Why do they have to be so cruel?” Tehlariene asked as she brushed away her tears.

“Because they’re frightened of Gaenna and feel powerless,” Sarinia replied, looking at the young woman with sympathy. “By bullying you, they’re trying to bolster their wilting self-esteem. In truth, they are only revealing that they are weak and foolish ... and unworthy of respect.”

Tehlariene blinked in surprise, then looked forlorn. “That’s why they never bully you, Sarinia. You’re so smart, you’d cut them to the quick and have them running away in tears!”

“Perhaps I should anyway?” Sarinia asked playfully, her golden eyes twinkling. “After all, it is the eldest sister’s prerogative to torment her younger siblings...”

Tehlariene giggled at the thought. “I can just imagine it! Rosanae still trying her best to look haughty while blubbering like a scolded child...” She let out a wistful sigh. “That would be wonderful...”

“If they tease you again in my presence, I’ll take them to task,” Sarinia promised, patting her youngest sister on the shoulder. “Go on now, have a look through my wardrobe and pick out some dresses you like.”

“Thank you!” Tehlariene gushed, giving her sister a spontaneous but earnest hug. “I wish the others were like you, Sarinia...”

Sarinia smiled as she watched Tehlariene leave, but the warmth in that smile never reached her eyes.

John slowly woke, opening his eyes as he regained consciousness. His bedroom didn’t look quite right in the darkness and he felt a bit disorientated as he glanced at the chronometer on the wall. It was a lot closer than he anticipated, but the green display told him that it was 4:57 pm, which meant that he’d been asleep for nearly five hours.

“Faye?” he whispered, glancing down the bed as he looked for the purple sprite.

Then it hit him that she was gone ... and it felt like a steel gauntlet had clamped down on his heart. He shut his matriarchs out of his mind, not wanting to disturb them with his mournful thoughts, and lay there in silence for several minutes. He’d felt full of energy after waking, but being crushed by grief had left him feeling weary and depressed once more.

After taking a deep breath, he carefully untangled himself from Alyssa’s and Calara’s clinging grasp, then climbed over the brunette and used telekinesis to slide her into his spot. Drawn together, they snuggled in each other’s arms, neither stirring from their deep sleep. John climbed out of bed, and crept quietly out of the bedroom, stepping over the ripped and bloodied jumpsuit he’d worn earlier. The corridor outside was deserted, but he knew the girls were all sleeping in the Officers’ Quarters they’d been allocated when they joined the crew.

John headed towards his bedroom, still finding it a shocking sight when he opened the door to see the missing wall and the gaping space where the bed used to be. Deliberately avoiding looking at where the high-backed chair usually stood, he entered the walk-in-wardrobe, and stepped over the piles of clothes that had been thrown around when he rolled the ship. He found some cotton sweatpants and a t-shirt and pulled them on, seeking the reassuring comfort of those casual clothes.

As he turned to leave, he spotted a small black case amidst the clothes. He stooped to pick it up, recognising it at once as the jewellery case he’d been given by the Trankarans; a gift to show their gratitude for rescuing Chancellor Niskera. He flipped open the lid and looked at the beautiful amethyst set in an intricate Crystal Alyssium band, the jewel exquisitely cut by a Forge-master for the last of the Lioness engagement rings. He studied the pale purple gem, his gaze lingering on its inner luminescence; the colouring was a perfect match for Faye’s enchanting eyes. He’d planned to propose to the lovely elfin girl, but like so many things, he’d left it too late. With a heavy sigh, he closed the lid and carefully placed the case on a shelf.

Walking back along the corridor, he entered the Officers’ Lounge and was startled to find that it had survived the crash relatively unscathed. He’d expected to see the furniture in disarray and broken bottles from the bar scattered all around the room, but all the sofas were where they should be and aside from some stains on the floor, there was no sign of broken glass. A couple of maintenance bots floated quietly out of the kitchen and he realised who was responsible for cleaning up the mess.

“Thank you,” he said, giving the two hulking robots a grateful, if rather strained smile.

One of the automatons nodded to him with respect, its sorrowful face bobbing slightly. The other patted him on the shoulder as it passed, in a sincere gesture of solidarity.

John watched them leave, remembering the conversations he’d had with Faye about the increasingly lifelike mannerisms the robots had been displaying. Her evasive replies to his questions took on an entirely different light and he shook his head, wondering why she’d kept her tampering with the robots a secret. The obvious reason was that she didn’t trust him and the crew not to react badly to her work, and with a sad sigh, he realised she would have had good reason to feel that way.

Feeling himself being pulled down by increasingly depressing thoughts, he walked quickly into the kitchen and was relieved to see that the maintenance bots had tidied it too. He began cooking dinner for the girls, needing the distraction of that familiar routine. Deciding to make some comfort food, he started preparing spaghetti and meatballs, with servings of garlic bread and salad to accompany the meal.

John felt better as he worked on the meat and sauces, and he soon had several pans simmering away on the stove. Being immersed in the kitchen helped banish his maudlin thoughts, clearing his mind and letting him plan for the debriefing ahead. They had a lot to discuss, much of which would come as a very unpleasant surprise, so he wanted to make sure he had everything straight in his mind.

Stirring a pan, he unblocked Alyssa from his mental fortress. Hey, beautiful... he said softly, knowing she’d wake up now that she could hear his thoughts.

Hey, John... she murmured a few seconds later, sounding groggy. Where are you?

Just making dinner ... it’ll be ready in about half-an-hour.

You should have woken me, I’d have helped!

I know, honey, but you had a harrowing day ... and I had a lot to think about.

There was a long pause, then Alyssa said quietly, John ... I’m so sorry about Faye. You were closer to her than any of us.

John stirred the tomato sauce, watching the spoon bursting bubbles as the saucepan simmered away merrily. Alyssa ... would you mind asking Dana and Irillith to join me please?

Of course, handsome... she replied, her voice full of sympathy.

Thank you.

He busied himself with the spaghetti, tasting the pasta then adding a touch more salt. Turning to the worktop, he drew one of the long knives from the block, then began slicing the French bread without cutting completely through. He’d just finished mixing garlic with butter and spreading it in the slices when he heard the girls approaching, his sharp hearing picking up the sounds of their bare feet even through the door. After sliding the garlic bread into the oven, he washed his hands, then turned to smile at Dana and Irillith as they entered the kitchen.

“Hey, you two. I’m sorry if Alyssa woke you.”

They were each wearing one of his white shirts and from their drawn expressions, he could tell they’d chosen them because they needed to feel close to him.

“I woke up about half-an-hour ago,” Irillith said softly, toying with one of the buttons. “Bad dreams...”

“Me too...” Dana murmured, her eyes welling up as she looked away.

The redhead suddenly rushed over to him and flung herself into his open arms. He embraced her, then beckoned Irillith over, the Maliri gladly running to join him. John held them both and gently stroked their backs as they leaned into him for support.

“Shh ... I’m here now,” he murmured, feeling both girls trembling as he held them close. “I know how hard this hit both of you.”

“John...” Dana whispered, her voice shaky. “I’m so sorry I yelled at you...”

“It’s alright,” he said, his tone sympathetic. “We’d all been through a hell of an ordeal ... and I didn’t really understand what I was asking you to do. I realise it must be frustrating having to explain things sometimes ... it’s just one of the downsides of making you so much smarter than me.”

Dana cringed and shot Irillith a guilty look. “Shit ... I never meant you to feel like that.”

He pulled back a bit so he could look at their worried faces, then gently stroked their temples. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset ... it’s just the simple truth. You were both very intelligent and gifted before we met, but I’ve enhanced you way beyond that now.”

“John...” Irillith started to say, her expression pained.

He leaned down to give her a tender kiss. “Just give me a minute, beautiful; there’s something I want to say to both of you.” John took a deep breath and when he saw he had their full attention, he continued, “I didn’t understand what I was asking you to do before ... but I understand now. I refuse to give up on Faye ... I want you to bring her back.”

The two girls shot a troubled glance at each other, both thinking the exact same thing.

Dana’s sky blue eyes were full of pain as she said plaintively, “John ... we can’t-”

“Yes ... you can,” he interrupted, his voice firm and uncompromising. “The hacking deck has Faye’s personality, right? So all we’re missing are her memories?”

The redhead slumped, looking dejected. “Exactly. Even if we can bring Faye back, she won’t remember us...”

John shook his head. “You’re looking at this all wrong. Just think about it for a second ... we’ve still got all the files we need to restore Faye’s personality! She might have amnesia when we rebuild her, but that just means we get to make friends with her all over again.”

“But we can’t recreate Faye’s software,” Irillith said sadly. “Her AI was created by Mael’nerak and he was a genius. His skills vastly overshadow mine.”

He gave the Maliri a disapproving frown. “I refuse to believe that Mael’nerak was smarter than you. He might have had more knowledge, but given enough time, you can learn everything he knew. Besides, you’ve already got the files that make up Faye’s mind, so you must be at least ... half-way there already?”

Irillith gave him an indulgent smile. “It doesn’t work quite like that, but I see your point.”

Dana’s eyes shone a bit brighter as hope was rekindled once more. “Shit ... you’re right! It’ll suck that Faye doesn’t remember us, but we can still bring her back!”

John nodded, looking at each of them in turn. “It might take us years, but we’re going to live forever anyway. I know you girls can do this! No matter how long it takes, we’re definitely going to see Faye again!”

The Maliri laughed and wiped at her eyes. “You’re certainly in a glass-half-full mood this evening...” She stood on tiptoe to give him a loving kiss. “ ... and it seems to be infectious.”

“Honestly, honey, I don’t even think it’ll take you years to rebuild Faye.” He slowly unbuttoned Irillith’s shirt and brushed his fingers across her blue stomach, drawing a quiet sigh from the Maliri. “If I keep loading you up and Alyssa pumps you full of energy, you’ll be able to crack this in no time. You girls can do some amazing things when you’re supercharged like that and if we have to keep you in that state for weeks or even months ... that’s fine by me.”

Irillith’s violet eyes widened. “You’re really serious about this, aren’t you?”

“I love Faye ... and I want her back,” he said decisively. “I’d stop at nothing to save the rest of you and Faye deserves nothing less.”

“I really want to help too!” Dana gushed, looking excited now.

Irillith laughed and patted the redhead’s stomach. “I bet you do!”

Dana shook her head. “No, not because of that! Faye was my friend; we’ve got to save her!”

“That’s the spirit,” John said approvingly, brushing his fingers through her auburn hair. “I think rebuilding Faye’s software is mostly going to come down to Irillith, but out of all of us, you’ll be able to help her the most.”

“If we need more hardware, then I’ll definitely need your assistance,” Irillith said with a smile, putting her arm around the exuberant teenager.

“Totally! I’ll help however I can!” Dana immediately agreed.

John enjoyed seeing their faces lighting up with hope and smiled with satisfaction. “I’m really glad you’re both on board ... you’re our best shot at saving Faye.”

The two girls gave him fierce hugs, with Irillith just as keyed up as Dana. “I won’t let you down!” the Maliri promised him, her angular eyes sparkling in the light.

“I know, you’re a good girl,” he said with an affectionate smile. “Just tell me when you need some ... assistance ... and I’ll do whatever I can to help you.”

She licked her full lips so they looked moist and inviting, the excitement in her eyes turning to hunger.

John laughed and gave her a playful smack on the rump. “Not right now, it’s nearly dinner time. Can you two set the table please?”

They nodded and left the kitchen with a spring in their step, carrying plates out to the dining table.