Three Square Meals Ch. 098

A low cry of horror made Luna whirl around and the expression on her lover's face made her heart sink in her chest. Filled with dread, Luna realised Alyssa must have told the same awful story to the House Valaden Matriarch. Edraele was overwhelmed with self-loathing, it was written quite plainly across her beautiful features.

"What have I done?!" she gasped, staggering to the sofa and leaning heavily against the armrest. "I'm a despicable monster!"

Luna darted to her side and tried to stop her from collapsing on the floor. "It's okay, Edraele. Everything will be fine..."

Edraele's eyes were wild. "You don't know, Luna! If you did, you wouldn't even be able to look at me!"

"I do know," Luna said softly, guiding her lover to the chaise lounge. "Alyssa told me everything."

Recoiling from her grip, Edraele lurched backwards, her face full of torment. "No! How could she?!"

Luna watched her with concern, Edraele's anguish like lances of pain in her heart. "Let's just sit and talk about it..."

Laughing maniacally, Edraele shook her head. "You want to talk?! How can I ever face Tashana again after what I've done? My daughter loved me and I betrayed her in the worst possible way!" Her face crumpled and she began to weep. "After everything I did to Irillith... beating her, whipping her, the mental tortures, I didn't think it could get any worse! But then all those years of torment Tashana went through and it was all because of me!" Her body shook with racking sobs. "My poor baby... she must hate me so much!"

"That was all in the past, things are very different now," Luna said gently, walking closer and opening her arms to pull Edraele into a hug.

"Don't touch me!" Edraele gasped, shrinking backwards. "I ruin everything I touch!"

"I love you, don't do this to yourself," Luna pleaded, her matriarch's behaviour starting to scare her now.

"The galaxy would be a better place without me in it!" Edraele blurted out, a desperate look in her frantic purple eyes. "I should just kill myself!"

Luna narrowed her own eyes in fury and slapped her matriarch across the face. "Don't you ever say that!" she raged. "Don't even think it!"

"You hit me!" Edraele exclaimed, eyes wide with shock as her hand went to her cheek.

"I'm done with you wallowing in self-pity, it was making me sick," Luna snarled, before pointing at the sofa. "Sit down."

Edraele stumbled to the chair and sat as her bodyguard ordered, never having seen this furious, authoritative side to Luna before. "You don't understand..." she started to mumble.

"Be quiet!" the assassin snapped, her voice cold and unsympathetic. "I don't want to hear any more of your lunacy."

Luna stalked over to her matriarch and looked down at her stunned face. "John's bent over backwards trying to give you a new life with everything a woman could ever dream of! Doting friends, a devoted fiancé, loving daughters... he's even made you Queen of the Maliri Protectorate! And you want to repay him for his kindness by killing yourself?!"

"But, I..."

"You had your chance to talk and now it's my turn," Luna growled. "John's told you over and over again, but you just won't listen... Well I'm telling you now and you'll listen to me! The old Edraele was an evil, vicious bitch. I should know, I've personally killed and tortured hundreds on her capricious whims."

Edraele's expression darkened. "Yes, I know what I ordered you to-"

"You did nothing!" Luna yelled, her strained voice a mix of fury and frustration. "The old Edraele's dead! John's progenitor-guide ripped her mind out of her body and turned her into a fucking vegetable! You - are - NOT - her!"

Edraele blinked at the assassin in shock, never having been spoken to like that before.

Luna continued relentlessly. "No one knew the old Edraele better than I did. You've spent more time talking to Tashana and Irillith in the last two days than the old Edraele did over the last forty years! But I was with her constantly during that time; her own personal bodyguard and pet assassin. She slaughtered thousands upon thousands in the murderous games she played with the other Matriarchs, which doesn't even include all those from House Valaden she slaughtered! I know she personally tortured, maimed, and killed hundreds by her own hand, often just to satisfy some sadistic impulse."

"I despised the old Edraele for the twisted psychopath I knew her to be, and I longed to drive a blade through her black heart, but I couldn't because I'd been conditioned to stay loyal. I had to stand back and watch as she terrorised her own people... her own daughters... into obedience."

Sinking to her knees before her matriarch, Luna gazed up into Edraele's eyes and clasped her hands. "Can you imagine yourself for one moment behaving as the old Edraele did? I know I've never seen so much as a hint of that monster, because you're an entirely different woman now. The Young Matriarchs follow you because they love and respect you, not because they're frightened for their lives."

"When John created you, he was inspired by all the personalities he loves and admires the most. He wanted you to be a loving mother to your daughters and a benevolent leader to our people. You don't ruin everything you touch, you make everything wonderful! The new Edraele Valaden is John's gift to the Maliri!"

Reeling backwards, Edraele's mouth dropped open in stunned amazement.

Luna lifted her lover's hand to her lips and gave her a tender kiss. "And you're his precious gift to me..."

There were fresh tears in Edraele's eyes now, but they were a very different kind. She sank to the floor beside her lover, wrapping her in a tight embrace. "I'm so sorry for the way I behaved, my love. You were right... about everything." In a soft voice, she asked tentatively. "Please tell me that you can forgive me..."

Sighing with relief, Luna hugged her back. "I forgive you, Edraele. I love you."

The two women held each other close, drawing comfort from and supporting each other as they felt the tension wash away.

*Thank you, Luna,* Alyssa whispered, her voice brimming with gratitude. *If there's ever anything I can do for you, just name it and I'll make it happen.*

Luna kissed Edraele on her tear-stained cheek and got a happy sigh in return. That was all the reward she needed.

***

John walked down the ramp from the Raptor into the Invictus' Secondary Hangar, exchanging smiles with Alyssa and Dana who were waiting to greet them.

"Welcome home!" they chorused together, delighted to have their wayward shipmates safely returned to the Invictus.

Rachel laughed as Dana rushed over to wrap her up in a huge hug. "Maybe I should visit undersea cities more often if this is the reception I get when I come back!"

"Don't even think about it!" the redhead said with a grin, squeezing her girlfriend tight.

"Miss me?" Alyssa asked John with a twinkle in her eyes, before pursing her lips for a kiss.

"Always," he agreed as he kissed her, surprised to see her looking so chipper.

The blonde fell into step beside him as they walked towards the double doors to exit the hangar. "Why don't you go up to your Ready Room so you can speak to Edraele without any distractions. I'll bring you some lunch once you've had a chance to speak with her."

"That would be amazing, thank you," John said, stepping into the grav-tube with the blonde.

All the girls except Faye stepped out of the blue anti-gravity field on Deck Two, the purple sprite accompanying him up to the Command Deck. When they walked out onto the Bridge, she rose up on tiptoe so she could plant a big kiss on his cheek. "I loved my first field trip away from the Invictus, thank you!"

"You're welcome, Faye," he replied, watching her as she skipped up the steps to the Command Podium.

Realising he couldn't put the conversation with his second Matriarch off any longer, John walked into his Ready Room, then slumped on one of the sofas. Dropping the mental barrier he'd put in place between himself and Edraele, he braced himself for her worried questions.

*Thank you for letting me back in again!* the Maliri Matriarch gushed, sounding exhilarated. *I really missed you!*

It was a shock to find Edraele in such a good mood and somehow that made it worse, knowing that he was going to bring her world crashing down around her. John knew how much she loved her daughters, so he could only imagine what news of Tashana's ordeal in the Unclaimed Wastes would do to her.

*Edraele, there are some things I need to talk to you about,* John began, trying to keep his tone calm and reassuring. *It might be painf-*

*I'm so sorry that I've been making you worry!* Edraele interjected, sounding more contrite than anxious. *I was being so foolish!*

*You don't have to apologise, honey. You haven't done anything wrong,* John said gently. *But I need to tell you about-*

*I already know!* Edraele blurted out, sounding eager rather than crushed. *Alyssa told me everything that happened to Tashana!*

*Alyssa...* John growled at his blonde matriarch. *What've you been up to?*

*Just listen to her and you'll find out,* Alyssa replied, sounding very happy with herself.

Edraele quickly spoke up again. *Please don't be upset with her! She told me what happened to Tashana in the Unclaimed Wastes and I was overwhelmed with guilt, but Luna was there for me... Alyssa told her everything too and Luna made me understand!*

*Luna...?* John mumbled in astonishment.

*She was wonderful!* Edraele gushed, then broke into a bout of her delightful uninhibited laughter. *Her methods of getting my attention came as a bit of a shock, but I really listened to what she had to say...*

John paused for a moment, then asked carefully, *And what was that exactly?*

*That I wasn't to blame for any of those terrible things that happened to my daughters... that was all the old Edraele's fault! Thirteen years ago I wasn't even a figment of your imagination, so how could I be responsible for what happened back then?* She let out a happy sigh. *You didn't bring that Edraele back to life, she's gone... forever! Instead, you made me to try and undo all the terrible things that she did. I might have access to all of Edraele's old memories, they're just a guide to let me know what she broke and what I can fix.*

*So you don't blame yourself for what happened to Irillith and Tashana any more?* John asked, feeling a surge of hope.

*How could I be to blame? Edraele died a couple of months ago; my mind's actually younger than Faye is!* Edraele exclaimed, seemingly filled with boundless enthusiasm. *All I can do, is try to be the best mother I can for my daughters in the future... and I will be, John, I promise!*

*That's such a relief to hear, Edraele,* John said, feeling all the tension drain out of him. *I've been so worried about you blaming yourself for everything... I could feel how much it was eating away at you.*

*I really am sorry, John,* she replied, filled with remorse. *After everything you've done for me, making you worry like that was unconscionable. I know you've been trying so hard to make me see reason for months now, but it was really helpful to hear Luna's perspective. She knew the old Edraele better than anyone and she knows the new me very intimately too; we've grown very close.*

*I'm very happy for you, honey,* John said with a smile.

A surge of loving emotions surged across their empathic bond as Edraele gushed, *From now on, you don't have to worry about a thing! I'm going to be the best mother, the best matriarch, the best Queen I can be; you deserve nothing less!*

*It sounds like you might need to be the best lover too,* John replied with a broad smile. *It'll be a while until I can thank Luna properly, so I hope you can stand in for me and show her just how grateful I am.*

*I'm afraid I won't be able to thank her on your behalf for a while,* Edraele replied with genuine regret.

*You can't?* John asked in confusion.

*No, not until tomorrow,* Edraele clarified, with a sultry undercurrent to her voice. *I've thanked her myself five times already and she's started to get tired. I just love the adorable way her expression turns all serious just before she climaxes!*

John laughed and shook his head in amusement. *I'll leave her in your capable hands then.* After a moment's pause, he added, *I'm delighted you finally understand the kind of life I want for you, Edraele. I just want you, your girls, and the Maliri to be happy; you're my best shot at making that happen.*

*I know,* she replied, her words filled with love. *And I'll always be eternally grateful to you for that opportunity.*

He left Edraele to have fun with her lover, enjoying feeling the surge of positive emotions from her over their empathic bond. After speaking to his Maliri matriarch, he was convinced that she'd finally seen the light, and it was like a huge weight had been lifted off her... and his... shoulders.

***

Irillith examined the large formation of military vessels in protective orbit around Brimor, her violet eyes drawn to the cluster of capital ships at the centre of the group. There were five huge vessels forming the core of the Brimorian's homeworld defence fleet, four of which were battleship-class vessels measuring fifteen-hundred metres in length. The last was well over two-kilometres and was the biggest Brimorian ship she had ever seen. Sharing the same purple and blue colouration as the rest of the fleet, the hull of the massive command ship was bedecked with weapon turrets and broad gun ports, making it a very intimidating presence.

Unfortunately, the tactical overlay revealed nothing about the identity of this mysterious vessel, as the Brimorians refused to use active transponders. Still, it was obvious this must be the Brimorian flagship and assuming it was the pride of their fleet, Irillith knew it would offer her the best chance of acquiring their most advanced technology.

"Is there anything I can do to help?" Faye asked, while nervously chewing her bottom lip.

The Maliri girl shook her head. "Just keep the Invictus in the same position. I can make the connection from this range and we don't want to do anything suspicious that might tip them off."

"What if you get in trouble?" the purple sprite persisted. "I'm not sure it's a good idea you going in there alone..."

Irillith gave her a confident smile. "Brimorian cyber-security is as bad as the Terrans; don't worry, I'll be fine. Besides, the only way you could come with me is if we established a remote connection from the Invictus' comm array and they'd definitely detect that."

"Okay, but please be careful," Faye requested, patting the Maliri girl's blue hand.

Glancing at her hand in surprise, Irillith shook her head and laughed at her own startled reaction to the touch. "I must have looked like John then!"

Faye giggled and nodded. "I think it'll take all of you a little while to adjust to my new body."

Irillith leaned forward and wrapped the petite girl in a hug and gave her a fond kiss on the cheek. "Not that long! You're far too huggable."

Blushing at Irillith's words, Faye watched as the Maliri hacker settled back in her chair and closed her eyes. Irillith's brow furrowed for a second and then her face relaxed as she peeled her spirit form away from her body and entered the cyber-realm.

Cyber-Faye was waiting for her in the central Bridge node and they raced off through the digital lanes that linked the data platforms together. It took a micro-second to traverse the Invictus' data network until they arrived at the swirling portal that marked the external connection point via the Invictus' Communication Relay. Rather than powering up the device to make a normal electronic connection to the Brimorian ships, Irillith focused her willpower and created a shimmering violet bridge linking the Invictus to the Brimorian capital ship.

"Wish me luck!" she said cheerfully to her small companion, before turning and entering the swirling portal.

"Good luck..." Faye replied, watching with mounting apprehension as her Creator departed.

Irillith raced across the psychic connection she had forged with the alien vessel, feeling that thrill of excitement as she began her hack. The Brimorian flagship was protected by a flimsy outer gateway depicted in the Cyber-Realm as a densely woven net, which she knew she'd be able slice through in seconds if she didn't have to cover her tracks.

She laughed and rolled her eyes at the Brimorian security officer's ineptitude, then summoned up a code-breaker to penetrate their defences. Turning that program loose, she shifted her attention to a new subroutine, writing her code quickly and efficiently. The code-breaker went to work, teasing out loose strands of the net, and after a minute, it had unravelled a section large enough for her to proceed inside. Irillith darted through the tear in the security net, then inserted her newly written backdoor program, which merged seamlessly with the security defences behind her. She reasoned that being able to instantly break into the Brimorian flagship in the future might well come in handy.

Once through the outer layer of defences, Irillith paused to study the Brimorian digital realm, fascinated by how uniquely alien it was. Rather than a series of interconnected data platforms like the Maliri or Terran networks she'd visited, the Brimorian Cyber-Realm was like a whirlpool, with data caught up in the swirling currents and rushed around the circular network. The various data repositories, processing centres, and internal security firewalls were set up in what looked like a large wheel around the centre of that maelstrom. One glance at the turbulent storm made her realise that flying wasn't practical, as she'd be buffeted around all over the place.

The Brimorian design seemed woefully inefficient at first glance, with data visiting every point in the network rather than simply being fired from point A to point B. However, there was a certain elegant simplicity to the solution; with no need to bother with routing information, all resources could be spent on simply providing enough bandwidth to keep all the data flowing at once.

It was an amusingly quirky take on network design, but she much preferred the way the Maliri and Terrans compartmentalised a network. In a sudden flash of insight, she realised that the way the two species thought must be far more similar than she'd previously realised - perhaps a nod to their shared Progenitor ancestry. That realisation made her feel closer to John and her adoptive Terran sisters, so she crossed the bridge into the Brimorian network with a smile on her face.

Irillith's first port of call was to a processing terminus to ascertain the specific layout of the local architecture. Her goal was the ship's Engineering Bay, as she knew that the Brimorian crew would need to have schematics on-hand to make repairs if the Shield Generators should ever get damaged. The platform was dark blue, interwoven with strange organic designs that looked like seashells, the whole area softly lit by turquoise lanterns.

The processing terminus was oval shaped with ringed circles on its upper surface, data scrolling around those concentric rings. She placed her hands on the processor and began to search for the Engineering Bay, her smile fading when she realised that she'd need to hack through half the firewalls in the network to reach the tech repository. Suddenly the Brimorian design didn't seem quite so amusing, now that she knew she'd have to slog through half-a-dozen security gates to get to her goal.

There were scores of hunter-killer programs running in the data streams, gliding around the network like watchful aquatic predators as they sought out intruders. Their sensor suites were not particularly efficient though, meaning that dodging them was easy, but with so many swirling around the network she had to keep a constant wary eye to avoid having one simply blunder into her. Gritting her teeth in irritation, Irillith went to work on the first internal security net.