Three Square Meals Ch. 081

Tashana stared intently into his eyes and sounded troubled as she said, "The 'very bad things' that happened to me in the Unclaimed Wastes - I finally see why you and Alyssa didn't want to talk about them before. I was a slave, wasn't I? Raped and tortured by pirates? It explains why I was so badly injured before you healed me, as well as what just happened the first time we tried to make love."

John was quiet for a long moment, studying her beautiful blue face as he tried to decide how to answer. In the end, he was honest with her. "You suffered terrible abuse at their hands," he replied quietly. "I don't know how, but you managed to survive over a decade of some of the most horrific rapes and torture I can imagine. Alyssa's been inside your mind, she knows everything that happened to you." His eyes narrowing in anger, he added, "She identified everyone in the Underworld whose souls were tainted with the terrible things they'd done. We killed them all, but if I'd known what some of them had done to you... Retribution would have been a much more protracted affair."

"Why do you care so much about me?" Tashana asked softly, her fingers tracing his jaw as she gazed at him in wonder. "Everything you've done for me... Storming into the Underworld, saving me from Hades, healing my wounds, I just can't... How can I ever hope to repay you for all of it?"

"Seeing you happy here with us should cover it," John said, giving her a gentle smile. "You were a good person and you deserved a good life. Fate had different, awful plans for you, so I stepped in and thoroughly enjoyed making everything right again."

She returned his smile, but said perceptively, "The sentiments are lovely, but you're still not telling me everything. What are you hiding from me?"

John spotted a flash of movement at the door and turned to see Alyssa padding quietly into the room. She smiled at them both, then slipped off her dress and joined them under the covers. Greeting each of them with a kiss, she said, "Sorry to intrude, but I thought I might be able to help explain."

"That's quite alright," Tashana replied, giving the blonde girl a warm smile.

"You're always welcome," John agreed, pulling her in for another quick kiss.

Alyssa placed her hand on Tashana's tummy and started stroking her too, smiling when she saw the tremor of delight run through the gravid girl. She looked into Tashana's eyes and said, "It's probably easiest to start by talking about Edraele. You know that she's a very different woman now, from the one you grew up with?"

Tashana glanced at John as she replied, "You built up a new personality for her after the old one was destroyed." She looked away into the distance as she added thoughtfully, "She's a kind, lovely woman, compassionate and caring in a way that my mother never was. It's easy to believe that she's my mother though, because now she's the way I always wanted her to be."

Nodding slowly, Alyssa said, "The same is true of Irillith, but to a lesser extent. When we first met her several months ago, she was a vile woman: vicious, spiteful, and vindictive. You've seen the video, so you know what happened to her; how John had to heal her to save her life. After that, when Irillith joined the crew, he went about healing all the damage to her mind. Your sister was a horrible bitch, but she wasn't always that way."

"That's true," Tashana said quietly. "She was lovely when we were younger, but we grew apart because I threw myself into the Progenitor research."

"It wasn't you who drove her away," Alyssa said, her tone insistent. "Your mother was a cruel woman who tortured Irillith and turned her into the woman she became. I think you were saved from the worst of it by your off-planet research, simply by not being in the palace for Edraele to abuse."

Tashana nodded, looking forlorn now. "Why are you telling me all this?"

"To make it easier for you to understand that Irillith and Edraele aren't the same women they used to be... The Irillith on this ship isn't the one who framed you for colluding with House Loraleth and had you banished to the Unclaimed Wastes," Alyssa explained, the sympathy in her voice belying the dreadful truth of her words.

"Why would she do that?!" Tashana gasped, gaping at her in horror.

Alyssa let out a heavy sigh as she replied, "She was jealous of your mother's growing interest in you and your Progenitor Research. Edraele was obsessed with finding a way of healing her brain tumour before it killed her. Your research into Progenitor healing sparked your mother's interest."

As Tashana lay there stunned by her sister's betrayal, Alyssa continued, "Likewise, the Edraele back on Valaden isn't the same one who had you implanted with a tracking device, just in case she needed you as a test subject for any dangerous cures for her brain tumour. That's how we found you in the Unclaimed Wastes by the way. With you banished, Edraele ended up using Irillith as a test subject instead. She sent her off with us in the hope that John would turn her into a Thrall, healing her brain tumour in the process."

John brushed his fingers through Tashana's long white hair as he said, "Edraele planned to make a bargain with me and try to get me to heal her too. I don't think she understood how my healing works, but in any case, she got impatient and tried to break into my mind. She was probably trying to force my Progenitor Guide into doing whatever she wanted, but when she tried that, she completely freed him from his mental prison. They fought and he ended up destroying her."

"It's all just so awful," Tashana said, tears rolling down her cheeks. "How could they do that to me? To each other?"

"The brain tumour didn't help, it was making them act irrationally," Alyssa explained, gently wiping Tashana's tears away. "With the crippling pain Edraele was regularly experiencing, she was terrified of ending up like your grandmother."

"My grandmother shot herself," Tashana said, her voice bleak. "Edraele told me it was because she was pathetic and weak. I knew she suffered from agonising migraines, my grandmother must have been trying to escape from the pain."

"Edraele and Irillith were both monsters," John said firmly. "But they're not the same women any more. To all intents and purposes, those women both died."

Nodding slowly, Tashana replied, "And in their place are the women you've nurtured as their replacements - the loving sister and doting mother I always wanted..."

"Do you see why I didn't tell you before?" John asked hesitantly, his voice tinged with worry.

"You didn't want me to blame Irillith and Edraele for what happened, not when they weren't responsible - the new versions I mean," Tashana said softly. She stared into his eyes as she added, "And you wanted me to just accept Irillith and Edraele at face value. To be happy with the idyllic new family you've created for me..."

"Do you still blame them?" he asked quietly. "Can you accept them as the sister and mother they should have always been for you?"

Her expression was filled with awe as she stared at him. "All this effort, just to try and bring some happiness into our lives... What did any of us ever do to deserve you?"

Alyssa smiled at her affectionately and said, "How does that Mael'nerak story go? 'Be a good girl, or the Mael'nerak will get you!'." She glanced at John and added with a grin, "I guess your story will be: 'Be a good girl and John will come and help you!'."

"Maybe I should start calling you Baen'thelas instead," Tashana said to John with a look of adoration on her face.

"The righter of wrongs," John translated with a grin. "I've been called a lot worse."

Alyssa glanced at him in confusion and said, "I didn't know you could speak Maliri!"

Looking at her in surprise, John replied with a frown, "I can't! Or at least, I couldn't!"

Tashana pulled him down to her for a kiss, then murmured reverently, "To answer your question, I do forgive them both. If it wasn't for Irillith and Edraele, I'd never have met you. Anything I've been through pales in comparison to that gift."

He smiled at her for her loving words, then his smile faded as he admitted, "They don't know what happened. When I spoke to you before and you asked me to give you a fresh start, I knew Irillith and Edraele might end up accidentally saying something that would trigger your old memories. I talked to them about it and they agreed to let me wipe their memories. Neither of them know anything about your banishment to the Unclaimed Wastes or their part in it."

Nodding her understanding, Tashana smiled at him as she said, "I should have known you'd be that thorough. Let's just keep things the way they are - there's no point dredging up the past, so let it stay buried. I'm happy here with you and I know Irillith is as well. I don't want to do or say anything to upset her, not when I've just got my sister back."

"You're a truly remarkable girl," John said, shaking his head in amazement.

Alyssa nodded her agreement. "It's been wonderful having you here already. I'm so glad you wanted to join us."

Tashana blushed at their praise, then said earnestly, "Thank you both so much for everything you've done for me." She paused for a second, then a smile crept onto her face. "I'm really glad you told me the truth, but none of that explains how I can do this..."

She clicked her fingers and twisting tendrils of flame sprang into life, swirling playfully around her fingertips.

Alyssa smiled, then playfully blew at the flames shrouding Tashana's fingers. Tashana extinguished the flames, watching as they guttered out and died, then let Alyssa draw her into a hug so that they were lying on their sides facing each other. Alyssa beckoned John with a crooked finger, and he spooned up behind Tashana, wrapping his arms around her.

Staring into Tashana's curious violet eyes, Alyssa said in a sombre voice, "I don't know why, but my psychic abilities seem to develop in times of stress. It's been the same for the rest of the girls aboard the ship too. John's prepared us for it by feeding us and making us ready, but it's been in combat or when we're in danger that the abilities seem to manifest themselves." She caressed Tashana's rounded belly as she added, "You were different from us. You didn't get your abilities from John, although I've no doubt he's already started helping you get stronger."

"How did I get this power then?" she asked, glancing over her shoulder at John. "You said I'd burned you before I started... you know." She trailed off as she looked down at her cum-stuffed abdomen and smiled coyly.

"Your ability to summon and manipulate fire is innate, just as it was for your grandmother," Alyssa explained patiently.

"She was a horrible person!" Tashana exclaimed, a worried look in her eyes. "She used to use her psychic fire to slowly burn people to death!"

John kissed her shoulder and said, "You're not though. You're my good Maliri girl, remember?"

She smiled at him and nodded, relaxing back against his chest and snuggling into his arms.

Alyssa stroked her arm reassuringly as she said, "Everything you went through in the Unclaimed Wastes cultivated your psychic potential. In the end, your hatred for your torturers brought forth your abilities and you killed them, freeing yourself."

"I wasn't feeling angry when fire appeared on my hand just now. Far from it," Tashana said, before giving John a shy smile.

Alyssa reached down to gently caress the Maliri girl's sperm stuffed belly and said, "We wondered how and when your Pyrokinesis would reveal itself again. I must admit, I wasn't quite expecting this, but it's a very pleasant surprise."

"I'll do my best to help you grow your powers," John said, stroking her rounded stomach.

"Yeah, I bet you will!" Alyssa laughed, intertwining her fingers with his. She looked into Tashana's eyes and continued, "John will keep feeding you cum and I'll train you to help you develop your abilities. But only as long as that's something you want to pursue?"

Tashana's eyes burned with a fierce violet light as she said enthusiastically, "I'd love that! To be able to help all of you would be like a dream come true! After everything you've done for me, it's the least I can do!"

"You don't owe us anything, remember?" John said quietly, kissing her cheek. "Only do this if it's something you want to develop for yourself. If not, I'll stop enhancing your third helix."

Twisting slightly, so she could look at him over her shoulder, Tashana send solemnly, "No, don't stop. I've seen how powerful Irillith has become and I want to be able to help you as much as she can."

"Those are big boots to fill," Alyssa said with a smile. "Your sister is quite handy!"

Tashana smiled at her and replied, "I better be a good girl then and make sure the Baen'thelas keeps filling up my tummy."

"That's the spirit," Alyssa said approvingly, leaning in to give her a tender kiss.

Tashana let out a happy sigh, then closed her eyes as John and Alyssa held her between them. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep, a blissful expression on her beautiful face.

John smiled at Alyssa over Tashana's shoulder. *Thanks for helping to explain everything to her. I was worried everything was about to go terribly wrong for a moment.*

*You're quite welcome. She has a sweet nature and I didn't want to see her get upset,* Alyssa said, leaning in to kiss Tashana on the forehead. Her blue-eyed gaze lifted to meet his and she continued, *By the way, the Ashanath dropped off the two Psi-shapers Dana requested for us. We can leave for Terra whenever you like.*

*Let's get moving, XO,* he replied with a grin. *I can't wait to see Charles' face when we do the trade tomorrow!*

Alyssa reached across the sleeping girl between them to stroke his face. *Make sure you take some time to catch up with him. With so many girls aboard the ship, you're probably still missing some male company.*

*I know... I'm so spoilt,* he replied with a grin.

She gave him a loving smile as she said, *As long as you feel that way, then I'm looking after you properly.*

Sending out a telepathic summons, Alyssa called the rest of the girls to the bedroom to settle down for the night. Jade carefully plotted their course from Ashana to Terra, then left Faye in charge of flying the Invictus to the Nav Beacon and jumping them into hyper-warp. It had been a busy day for everyone and once everyone was in bed, it didn't take long for the whole crew to fall asleep, thinking about the upcoming award ceremony.

All except one.

She watched over her sleeping friends, a single translucent tear rolling down her purple cheek as she went over the final details of her plan.

***

The brooding figure sat on his gothic throne, his left index finger tapping away furiously on the black armrest. He glanced at it in anger and tried to will it to stop, but despite his best efforts it kept hammering away. Mikaboshi had tried running a complete diagnostic on the cybernetic limb, but the software couldn't seem to track down the glitch. As he was contemplating tearing off the artificial hand to give himself a moment's peace, the comm interface chimed, alerting him to the incoming call.

He hit the button to accept the call, barely allowing the holographic face to materialise before he snarled, "Report!"

"All units are in place, Idaina-sha," the golden-brown skinned man said, his almond-shaped eyes closing for a moment as he bowed his head respectfully. His grey hat bobbed into view as he did so, the gold Terran Federation insignia on the peak appearing for a second.

"Very good, Raijin," Mikaboshi replied. "Can I count on you to do what is necessary, for the honour of Yomi-no-kuni?"

"Hai! We will not fail you, Idaina-sha," Raijin replied, his steely eyes unblinking in their fervour.

Mikaboshi nodded, then closed the call, a smile starting to form on his lips. He glanced down at his left index finger and saw that it was still now, poised and ready to explode into action whenever needed.

"You will pay, John Blake," Mikaboshi snarled, his fury tightly controlled now. "I will visit on you the same pain you have inflicted on me..."

The cyborg's grim humourless laughter echoed down the shadowy corridors of his fortress, the impassive cyclopean stones unmoved by the chilling sound.