Three Square Meals Ch. 103

He nodded, then clutched at his head, obviously wishing he hadn't. "Cya guys..."

They ended the call, then John and Calara laughed, sharing a smile.

"I can't even remember the last time I was that hung over," John said, a look of sympathy on his face.

Calara rolled her eyes affectionately. "Eduardo does like to party, but that must have been a wild night; I've never seen him in that state before." She raised the remote and started sorting through the contacts. "Ready to chat to my mother?"

"Sure," he replied, putting his arm around her.

This time the call went through almost immediately, Maria Fernandez appearing on the holo-screen seconds after Calara rang.

"Callie!" Maria exclaimed, her attractive face lighting up with joy. "I'm so glad you called!"

"Hey, Mom," Calara replied, smiling back at her. "I got your message, sorry I haven't been in contact for a few days. Things have been... hectic."

"Oh, sweetheart, you don't have to apologise for anything," her mother said, tears in her eyes. "I can't believe you saved my little boy... Eduardo told me what you did last night! I love you so much, Callie."

Calara flushed and swallowed the lump in her throat. "Mom... don't start crying, you'll set me off too. John would never let our family get hurt; protecting the Orion was always one of our highest priorities."

"John... I don't know what to say," Maria said, brushing away the tears rolling down her cheeks. "You're like my family's guardian angel..."

He hugged Calara closer and smiled at her mother. "It won't be long until you'll all be my family too. I'll never stop protecting them, Maria, I promise."

"Thank you, John," she said earnestly, looking at him with her big dark eyes. "From the bottom of my heart."

He shook his head. "I should be thanking you, Maria." His expression turned serious as he continued, "I got your message, Edraele passed it on to me. We were in Vulkat Space when she warned me, way beyond the borders of the Brimorian Enclave... if it wasn't for you, we'd never have got back to save Terra in time. I'm not exaggerating when I say that you helped save billions of lives."

Maria blinked rapidly, gaping at him in shock, for the first time completely lost for words.

Calara gave her a loving smile. "You were the heroine this time, Mom. Admiral Devereux tried to do the same thing as you, but she was shot trying to get a message to John. You rescued the entire Terran Federation by getting that call through to Edraele..."

"There's probably a promotion in there for you... and plenty of medals," John said affectionately. "Just say the word and I'll ask High Command to roll out the red carpet."

Maria blushed at their effusive praise and quickly shook her head. "I'll leave all the fame and glory to you two," she said modestly, but John could see she was glowing with pride. Looking hopeful, she added, "Will you be able to visit? I'd love to see you all again."

"I wish we could," Calara said with a sigh of regret. "But we're only staying at Olympus for a couple of days, then we'll be heading out to the border worlds... there's a Kirrix invasion to stop."

John paused and turned to look at her. "Actually, why don't you take the Raptor and visit Jericho? It's not far from here... you could spend some time with your mother, then return tomorrow before we have to leave."

"Oh, Callie! That would be wonderful!" Maria gushed, eyes lighting up with joy.

Calara threw her arms around John and hugged him tight. "You're amazing, thank you!"

John kissed the top of her head, then turned to look at Maria. "I wish we could all come and visit, but most of us are tied up with work we can't get out of. I'd like Sakura to accompany Calara though, if that's alright with you?"

"I'll make her very welcome," Maria replied, smiling at him gratefully. "Sakura's a lovely girl, I'll look forward to seeing her again."

John glanced down at Calara and raised an eyebrow. "What are you still doing here, honey? Go get packed, the clock's ticking!"

She grinned at him as she sprang from the bed then bounded out of the bedroom. Calara skidded to a halt out in the corridor, then poked her head through the door again. "I love you so much!"

"Love you too, gorgeous," John said, smiling at her before making a shooing motion with his hands.

Calara grinned and rushed to her room, eager to get ready for her trip to Jericho.

When John heard the door shut behind her, he turned back to Maria, who was now studying him with those amazingly perceptive eyes.

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" she asked quietly, frowning with concern.

He sighed heavily and nodded, realising he could keep nothing hidden from her. "Calara's an absolutely incredible woman... She took command of the entire Terran defence force and single-handedly rallied their fleets, turning what should have been a wholesale slaughter into a spectacular victory for our side. You'd have been so proud of her, Maria; over a dozen full battle groups each led by an admiral, all following her every order."

Maria's expression wavered, shifting between pride and worry. "But...?"

"It feels like we've been fighting almost non-stop for weeks, if not months" he said grimly. "The girls desperately need some time to unwind. We're going to get some R&R in Maliri Space in a couple of weeks, but we still need to fight the Kirrix before then. If you can help Calara relax and just forget about combat and battles, even for a couple of days, I'd really appreciate it."

She gave him a fond smile. "I'll bury her in so much wedding planning, she'll be begging you to rush off to fight again. I promise I'll take good care of my precious baby girl."

"I knew I could count on you," John replied, feeling the tension easing from his shoulders.

Maria leaned forward and said softly, "I knew you loved my daughter, but you keep showing me just how much you really care about her. Thank you... You have no idea what a relief it is, knowing that your little girl has found someone who truly loves her."

"She's wonderful, Maria. I freely admit to being absolutely smitten," he replied with a self-effacing smile.

"You remind me of my Jack," she said, with a wistful sigh.

"Any news from him?" John asked, sympathising with how much she obviously missed her husband.

She hesitated for a second, then replied, "We spoke yesterday. I know he's pleased at the recent... turn in events."

"We should arrive at the Outer Rim by the time the Terran fleets return and engage the Kirrix," John said thoughtfully. "We'll keep an eye on the Damocles while we're there."

Maria gazed into his eyes and nodded. "I know you'll keep them safe for me, John."

He rose from the bed and gave her a rueful smile. "I better let you go, Maria. I've got a meeting with High Command to prepare for..."

"And I'll be preparing lunch for my guests," she replied with a flicker of a smile. "I don't envy you, Lion of the Federation."

"Take care, I hope I'll see you soon," John said, giving her a playful salute.

She returned it, her smile widening. "Stay safe, John... and thank you."

They ended the call and John put the remote back on the bedside table.

*I don't want to undermine what you just did for Calara, because that was really thoughtful,* Alyssa said, a catch to her voice. *But aren't you forgetting something?*

*You mean sending away two of our strongest psychics just before our trip into the Astral Plane?* John replied with a grimace.

*Exactly...*