Three Square Meals

Kelli walked along the darkened tunnels with Tony and Perl, following after the intimidating white-armoured woman leading them back to her ship. The group were travelling in subdued silence, and she glanced to her left at Tony, worried about the big ganger. He hadn't said a word since the terrifying confrontation with Alyssa, his attention drawn to the ominous red glow that made his hands look like they were bathed in blood. Kelli's body was shrouded in white, as was Perl's, the three of them all having been highlighted in the eerie supernatural aura at the same time. Her curiosity finally overcame her wariness of the Lioness escorting them back to the starport and she quickened her pace to fall into step beside her.

"Excuse me," she asked politely, glancing up at the stunningly beautiful Asian girl. "Can I ask you a question?"

"Of course," the woman replied with a disarming smile that made Kelli feel like everything was going to be okay. "Kelli isn't it? My name's Sakura."

"Hey, Sakura," she said, returning her smile. Hesitating for a moment, she raised her hand. "What's this white glow mean?"

Gentle brown eyes flicked to Kelli's fingers. "That's how we were able to track the three of you down. The white glow means that you're an innocent... a good person."

Kelli lowered her voice to a barely audible whisper. "And the red?"

Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Tony, saw the object of his troubled stare, then returned her gaze to the petite brunette. Those almond-shaped eyes had hardened noticeably. "It identifies the guilty."

"Could you turn it off please?" Kelli asked, unswayed by the reply.

The Asian girl stared at her for a long moment, her jaw clenching as if resisting the urge to say something. When Kelli obstinately refused to look away, Sakura's gaze softened and her eyes became unfocused for a second. Moments later the glowing aura dissipated and when Kelli glanced furtively behind her, she saw that Tony was no longer staring at his hand, although the troubled look remained.

She reached out to touch Sakura's vambrace. "Thank you."

Sakura gave her a brief nod. "You're welcome."

Pausing for a moment to let the others catch up, Kelli walked beside Tony and slipped her hand into his. He flinched at the touch, but she held on tight and gave him a reassuring squeeze. She could feel him relax a little and when she glanced up at his face, he looked at her with gratitude. Feeling pleased with herself, she looked to her right, where Perl was staring at her own hand... but for very different reasons.

"You alright?" Kelli asked, stroking the blonde's bare arm.

Perl couldn't tear her eyes away from the regenerated limb, a look of dazed wonder still lingering on her pretty face. "Am I dreaming?" she asked, her voice suddenly tinged with fear.

"No, baby," the brunette replied, her voice kind and sympathetic. "It's all real, I promise. I know it sounds crazy, but that Lioness grew your arm back... and now we're actually getting out of here."

The blonde shook her head in disbelief. "I never thought we'd make it... not really."

"We would have died for sure..." Kelli replied, raising her voice slightly. "If Tony hadn't saved us."

Sakura knew the comment was for her benefit and she turned to look at Kelli with an unreadable expression on her face. She studied her for a long moment, before those full lips turned up into a conciliatory smile.

They carried on walking for a few more minutes, arriving at the starport then heading inside. Kelli's eyes widened when she saw the gleaming white starship parked in the docking bay and she couldn't help staring at it in awe. The pristine hull was jarringly out of place in the grubby confines of Karron, the flawless metal sparkling in the illumination from the vessel's floodlights. As they approached the vast warship, a huge door in the hull began to open and it almost felt like they were standing at the gates of heaven, waiting to be admitted.

The trio of angelic guardians stood to one side, their attention on the ship as the hull door continued to rise, slowly revealing a set of shapely purple legs. Kelli continued to watch in fascination, her eyes riveted to the exotic petite girl that suddenly ducked under the door and came bounding down the ramp.

"Hey! I'm Faye, welcome to the Invictus!" she gushed, a lovely smile spreading across her elfin face.

The Karron survivors murmured a greeting in return, not expecting this effervescent alien girl for one moment.

Faye turned to the three Lionesses. "John told me all about our guests. You can leave them with me, I'll make sure they're settled in okay."

"Thanks, Faye," one of the women concealed behind an opaque faceplate replied, her mellifluous voice tinged with an exotic accent that Kelli didn't recognise. "We'll head back to rejoin him."

"They're on their way to the Power Generator. Would you like me to try to create a map for you using active scans?" Faye offered, eager to help.

Sakura shook her head and smiled. "I can find our way back to them, don't worry."

The Lionesses waved goodbye and departed, leaving Faye with Tony, Kelli, and Perl.

Faye turned her beaming smile on the guests and beckoned them towards the ship. "If you'd like to follow me, I've got some nice rooms set up for you!"

They walked up the ramp after her, entering the huge Cargo Bay and heading towards some double doors on the right-hand-side. The anti-grav tube took the Karron survivors by surprise, but Faye coaxed them inside and they ascended to Deck Four, with Kelli exchanging a startled grin with Perl as they floated upwards in the glowing blue field.

Their purple guide stepped out and glanced at a shimmering force field to the right. "We used to have a big kitchen that way, but it got blown to bits in the Battle of Terra," Faye told them conversationally. "Your rooms are just along here to the left, so if you get hungry, just use the intercom in your bedroom to let me know and I'll make whatever you want."

She skipped along the corridor and turned to point at the first three bedrooms, their doors sliding open as if in welcome. "Make yourselves at home! If you need anything, just give me a call!"

Perl yawned and swayed unsteadily on her feet. "Wow... I feel wasted."

"That's an after-effect of the healing," Faye said, reaching out to prop the blonde up. "You just need a good sleep and you'll feel so much better!"

Nodding distractedly, Perl glanced in the bedroom and her eyes widened in surprise. "It's so clean!"

"If you want to take a shower, I've left you some bathrobes and there's a fresh set of clothes in your size in the wardrobe," Faye explained with a warm smile.

Perl thanked her with a weary nod and entered the bedroom, trying not to yawn again. As she disappeared from view, Tony approached the third room and took a wary glance inside.

"I'm gonna get some rest," he muttered, a melancholy note to his voice.

Kelli watched him with concern as he headed into the room, then she turned to their hostess. "Faye, I'm actually pretty hungry... Have you got anything we could eat?"

"Of course! What would you like?" the purple sprite asked, her smile never wavering for a moment.

The brunette hesitated, amazed that they had a choice, then shrugged. "Whatever you're good at making?"

"No problem, I'll cook something tasty and nutritious!" Faye enthused. "You must all be famished after everything you've just been through."

"Yeah, nutri-bars aren't the greatest," Kelli agreed. She glanced at the first bedroom then back at Faye. "Would it be alright if I shared with Perl?"

The purple sprite gave her an indulgent smile and patted her on the arm. "No problem at all! I'll bring your fresh nightclothes and bathrobe in for you."

Kelli felt overwhelmed by a sudden surge of relief towards the cheerful girl and she gave her a big hug. "Thank you for being so nice! The Lionesses scare the hell out of me..."

Faye rubbed her back and said softly, "You shouldn't be afraid of them, they're all lovely girls." She let out a quiet sigh and continued, "But they've suffered terrible experiences at the hands of some awful people, so they have very little tolerance of anyone they think has done bad things."

"Is that why Alyssa was so angry at Tony?" Kelli asked in a hushed voice.

Gazing at her with big luminous eyes, Faye slowly nodded. "John told me they knew each other before, from when Alyssa and Sparks still lived on Karron."

"Sparks is here too?!" Kelli gasped, her jaw dropping in surprise. "I heard she was killed trying to escape from the Diablos!"

Faye gave her a bright smile. "No, I'm happy to report that she's safe and well. Was she a close friend of yours?"

The brunette hesitated for a moment then blushed. "Me and Perl... we were owned by Pitbull, the Diablos' boss. He didn't like us talking to anyone, but I saw Sparks around a lot and we chatted a few times when she was building stuff around the base. She was always nice enough with me."

"I'm sure she'd be pleased to speak to you when she returns," the purple sprite said, then cocked her head to one side as she heard splashing water. "It sounds like Perl found the shower. Why don't you get freshened up and I'll bring you some food."

"Alright... and thanks," Kelli said gratefully.

"You're welcome!" Faye watched Kelli take one last lingering glance at Tony's closed door, before the pale young woman entered Perl's bedroom.

***

"And... there we go!" Dana said with a grin of satisfaction, glancing up at the ceiling as the flickering overhead lights chased away the shadows in the reactor control room.

"Why did it shut down?" John asked, staring at the banks of time-worn dials and instruments on the dusty console. "Is there any danger of a reactor breach?"

The redhead tapped an LED display, then turned a dial and watched as the bar graphs began to level out. "The power generator has an auto-shutoff that eventually kicks in if the plant isn't maintained on a regular basis." Jerking a thumb at a clipboard on the wall, she continued, "According to that, it was supposed to be checked five days ago... but the plant workers must have legged it when the Kirrix invaded."

"It's probably setup that way to prevent another reactor explosion like the one on Tasmaris Prime," John said, nodding thoughtfully. "So it'll just shut down again once we've left?"

"In a couple of weeks, yeah," Dana agreed, turning away from the console. She opened a comms channel to Faye using her Paragon suit's HUD, the purple sprite appearing a second later. "I'm all done here and power's up again. You should be able to connect to colony administration over the internal network."

"Yep, I'm in!" the elfin girl confirmed a moment later. "I'll let you know what I find out when you get back."

When Dana ended the call, John turned to face Alyssa, who waited nervously beside Calara. "Alright, beautiful, it's time."

Her cerulean gaze reflected the nervous mix of anticipation and trepidation she was feeling. "I definitely can't talk you out of this?"

John walked over to Alyssa and clasped both her hands in his. "Forget about the risks and everything else for the moment... Would you like a chance to speak to your parents one final time?"

Not trusting herself to speak, the blonde nodded, her eyes misting up.

"Then it's settled, we're doing this," he said with a sympathetic smile. "Do you remember where you lived with your father? Calara found the address, but you obviously know Karron far better than we do."

"I haven't been back there in a long time... but I know where it is," she said quietly.

"Can you show me where your parents grew up as well?" he asked, glancing at his helmet HUD to check the names. "Your mother lived at 47 Booker's Ravine and your father's family home was in what used to be the Gearson Mine, Unit 159."

Alyssa tilted her head to one side as she tried to place the locations. "They aren't far from each other... that must be how they met." Taking a deep breath to steady her nerves, she reached for his hand. "I guess it's time to take a trip down memory lane..."

***

Kelli giggled with delight as she rinsed through her hair. "Real shampoo... and conditioner too!"

"I think I've died and gone to heaven..." Perl said with a contented sigh, tilting her face up to let the hot water cascade over her.

They luxuriated in the shower, washing away what felt like years of dirt. "I think the last decent shower I had was at Trixie's," Kelli said, stepping out of the cubicle and picking up a white fluffy towel from the heated rail. Wrapping it around herself, she groaned in a state of sensual bliss. "Oh my God! These are so soft!"

Perl turned off the shower and joined the brunette, giving her a tired but grateful smile as Kelli wrapped her up in another huge towel. They were drying their hair when there was a light tap on the bathroom door, drawing their attention.

Faye called out, "Dinner's ready!"

Kelli padded outside and started salivating the moment she smelt the delicious aroma coming from the trays. "That smells amazing!"

"Sirloin steak, thick-cut chips and some mixed vegetables," Faye said, unveiling the lid with a proud flourish. "This is the first time I've cooked dinner for anyone, so I really hope you like it!"

The girls hurried over to the table, eagerly grabbing their cutlery and taking a seat.

Kelli paused, staring wide-eyed at her plate. "I've never tried steak before..."

Perl couldn't wait, having not eaten anything in two days, and sliced off a piece of meat then popped it in her mouth. She whimpered with bliss, too overcome for words. After watching her friend with breathless anticipation, Kelli took her own bite and couldn't help moaning in ecstasy as her taste buds rejoiced.

Faye looked at them both quizzically, hope and worry warring for supremacy on her features. "I can't tell what those noises you're making mean... do you like it? Or are you suffering?"

Kelli rushed over to give the purple sprite a huge hug. "That's the most delicious thing I've ever put in my mouth!"

Perl giggled and nodded. "And we've swallowed a lot of meat..."

Returning Kelli's hug, Faye looked at the blonde in confusion. "But I thought Kelli said she hadn't had steak befo-... oh, I see!" She smiled, blushing as she picked up on the double entendre. "I'm so glad you like it."

The brunette returned to her seat and began enthusiastically devouring her dinner, Perl doing likewise.

Faye poured them a couple of glasses of peach juice, then put down the bottle. "Well, I'll leave you to get some rest. Remember, you can call me at any time using the intercom in here, or just look at the cameras out in the corridor and give me a wave. The only thing I ask is that you stay on the Guest Deck for the moment, at least until John and the girls have returned."

"Will they be gone long?" Kelli asked, looking nervous.

"They should be back soon, but they'll probably head straight to bed when they return as they have a busy day ahead tomorrow," Faye replied, walking over to her and stroking her arm. "Please don't be afraid of them. They're all incredible people, really kind and friendly... it was just unfortunate what happened between Alyssa and Tony today."

"We better check on him after dinner," Kelli said, glancing at Perl. "He seemed pretty shaken up."

The blonde nodded then looked curiously at Faye. "You're not like the others, are you?"

Faye's elfin expression wavered, momentarily looking hurt. "Well, no... that's because I'm-"

Perl quickly interrupted her, waving a hand in alarm. "No, no! I didn't mean that in a bad way! You're just super nice and cheerful... but the others are way more serious."

Looking touched and relieved, Faye took the third seat at the table. "Thank you, that's very kind of you to say." She watched them eating, then continued quietly, "But you really have the wrong impression about John and the girls; they're under a lot of stress at the moment, so they're just a bit tense. A couple of days ago, we killed hundreds-of-thousands of Kirrix liberating Carolus III and Brecken's World, then spent yesterday treating over 30,000 colonists infested with Kirrix eggs, so there's a lot happening at the moment. If your friend was tagged as a bad guy, he probably did something... unpleasant. It's rare they let anyone like that live."

The girls were stunned at the overwhelming number of battle casualties that Faye described in such a blasé fashion, but their surprise quickly evaporated as their thoughts returned to Tony.

"Yeah, but he's different now!" Perl insisted. "When he was trying to get away from the Kirrix, we were slowing him down; he could've abandoned us at any time, but he didn't."

Kelli nodded. "And he had loads of opportunity to rape us or steal our shit, but he kept us safe instead... and never asked for anything in return."

"I'm sure you're a better judge of his character than I am," Faye said magnanimously. "You might want to wait until tomorrow to see him though. There was no answer at his door when I brought him dinner, so he might have gone to sleep already."

The girls exchanged a look, then hurried to finish their dinner.

Rising from her chair, Faye waved goodbye. "Sleep tight... and don't forget, call any time if you need anything."

Kelli watched her leave, then glugged down the peach juice, sighing in delight when she'd finished. "Come on, let's get dressed and go see him."

Perl finished too and did her best to stifle another big yawn as she followed the brunette to the bed, where Faye had laid out sets of nightclothes. Kelli dropped the towel on the floor and slipped on a set of soft cotton shorts and t-shirt, the hint of her bared midriff showing between the pastel pink fabric.

"They fit really well," she murmured in surprise, then pulled on a fluffy white bathrobe.

Her blonde companion copied her, shimmying into the shorts and giving Kelli a coy smile as the brunette watched her getting dressed. Once Perl was ready in her bathrobe, they headed out of the bedroom and walked the short distance to Tony's quarters.

Kelli tapped on the door and called out, "Tony, it's me and Perl..."

There was no answer, so after waiting for a minute, she tried knocking on the door again. "We want to talk to you... open up!"

Perl sagged against the wall and whispered, "What now?"

After giving it some thought, Kelli glanced up at the cameras and waved. "Hey, Faye! Can you open his door please?"

The camera bobbed in affirmative, then the door slid open with a quiet hum.

Kelli stooped to pick up the covered dinner tray that had been left outside the door, then padded inside the dimly-lit room. "Are you asleep, Tony?" she asked quietly, glancing at the bed, then frowning when she saw it was empty.

"Over here," Perl whispered, tugging on the brunette's sleeve.

Looking around the corner, Kelli saw Tony slumped in one of the chairs, a haunted expression on his face as he stared into the gloom.

"Hey, whatcha doing sitting here in the dark?" Perl asked, her voice kind and gentle as she walked over to join him.

Kelli put the tray on the table then knelt beside his chair. "We were worried about you, Tony."

He didn't speak for a long moment and when he did, his voice trembled with emotion as he replied in a hollow whisper, "I nearly died today... She was gonna do it, I could see it in her eyes..."

"Yeah, but she doesn't know you like we do," Perl said, placing her hand on his. "Alyssa made a mistake, you're not a bad guy anymore."

Tony shook his head. "I deserved it for all the shit I've done over the years... I wouldn't have blamed her..."

The girls exchanged a worried look, neither liking the sound of his despondent tone.

Perl turned and stroked him soothingly. "You shouldn't be thinking about this stuff right now. It's late, you've not eaten in days, and Faye said that being healed makes you even more tired."