Three Square Meals

The Invictus dropped out of hyper-warp at the edge of the Alpha Centauri system, its huge engines blazing to life before the tachyon particles even had a chance to dissipate. Following a familiar path, the battlecruiser roared towards Gravitus, a volcanic planet that had been terraformed by the Federation into a spectacular jewel of the Core Worlds. However, the warship's destination wasn't the planet itself, but Olympus Shipyard, the vast six-armed space station in high orbit above.

The space surrounding Olympus was packed with hundreds of grey-hulled warships, all arrayed in fleets that were still recovering their strength after the apocalyptic Battle of Terra. Largest amongst those imposing military vessels were a trio of Terran Federation dreadnoughts, their colossal hulls bristling with rows of deadly gun batteries. Those intimidating behemoths dwarfed the white battlecruiser that weaved between them, but appearances could be deceptive, and the Invictus carried enough firepower to effortlessly obliterate every warship in the system.

There was a strict port speed in place around Olympus shipyard, but such restrictions no longer applied to the Lion of the Federation. The Invictus thundered past long lines of civilian traffic waiting permission to dock, the crews of those freighters pointing excitedly at the shark-like predator that glided through their midst. Sweeping around to face one of the larger docking bays, the Invictus cruised into Olympus' welcoming embrace, returning to its birthplace like the prodigal son.

A small group waited patiently inside the enormous hangar, their eyes following the battlecruiser with eager anticipation as it glided in to land. Two of the women and the man were dressed in iron-grey uniforms, the epaulettes on their formal jackets and insignias on their peaked hats identifying them as Terran Federation Admirals. The last member of the group was an exceptionally attractive Indian woman, who wore a stylish burgundy dress that showcased her lovely figure. Despite her natural beauty, her heart-shaped face was drawn, dark eyes shadowed with emotion.

When the Invictus' airlock door spiralled open, John stepped outside, accompanied by Alyssa, Calara, Rachel, and Sakura. The Asian girl was armed with her twin ninjato and sheathed in a sparkling white Paragon suit. John opened his arms to Jehanna, who rushed into that protective embrace, desperate to be held by him again.

"I missed you so much!" she gasped, trembling with relief.

"I missed you too, honey," John replied, the rumble of his deep baritone voice sending a thrill through her body. "I'm here now and everything's going to be alright."

Jehanna let out a breathy sigh, drawing enormous comfort from her boyfriend's inspiring presence.

John looked over her shoulder and smiled at the approaching admirals. Before he could say a word in greeting, Rachel hugged the TFNN reporter from behind.

"Thank you for saving my father," she whispered in Jehanna's ear, her voice throbbing with emotion.

Lifting her head from John's chest, Jehanna turned to smile at the brunette over her shoulder. "It was the least I could do after everything you've done for me. Now that's one less I owe you."

"Lionesses don't keep score with each other," Rachel murmured, kissing her gently on the cheek. "But I'll show you my appreciation later..."

Pulling away from the blushing reporter, Rachel turned to face the trio of admirals who had walked over to join them. "It's good to see you again, Fleet Admiral. You too, Admiral Harris."

"Likewise, Doctor Voss. Abigail and your father are in Med-Centre Four," the Fleet Admiral informed her, knowing that the young woman would appreciate skipping the pleasantries. "Do you need an escort to the medical facility?"

The brunette shook her head. "Thank you, but no; I've been there before."

Rachel hurried away, with Sakura falling into step beside her. As they departed, both girls made brief eye-contact with Lynette, sharing a furtive smile with her and nodding respectfully.

John gestured towards the Invictus. "Come on in; we've got a lot to discuss."

They all filed through the airlock, with Calara waiting until everyone was safely inside before shutting the outer door behind them. The moment it had spiralled closed, Alyssa flung her arms around Lynette, disrupting the Fleet Admiral's holo-disguise.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Alyssa gushed as she gave the brunette a huge hug. "We were all so worried about you!"

John clapped Charles on the back in a manly hug. "You tough old bastard! I heard all about the gunfight in the Galleria; they should've sent an entire company to take you down!"

Charles broke into a broad smile, his moustache twitching. "It was Lynette that saved us. It turns out my fiancée had a few tricks up her sleeve."

Glancing at Lynette, John gave her a look filled with gratitude. "Nice work, Fleet Admiral."

She beamed at him in delight, John's earnest praise and Alyssa's heartfelt concern giving her a tremendous boost to her spirits. "I can't take all the credit either. If it wasn't for Dana's gifts, I'd never have been able to stop that ISD squad in time."

"She'll want all the gory details," John said, with a wry grin. "All the girls are looking forward to seeing you again."

Charles was listening to the exchange with particular interest, until Alyssa stepped over to him and planted a tender kiss on his cheek. "I was terrified we might have lost you, Charles. Please don't scare me like that again."

Touching his cheek where she kissed him, he stammered. "I-I won't... I promise."

He darted a guilty glance at Lynette and saw that she was watching him with a fond smile. Charles let out a sigh of relief and relaxed, realising that she wasn't in the slightest bit jealous.

Alyssa walked over to Jehanna and simply enfolded her in a loving embrace. She didn't say a word to the raven-maned beauty, but the three admirals could all see Jehanna leaning into her for support and nodding occasionally, as if listening to comforting words.

John watched with sympathy, then turned his attention to the third admiral in their midst and greeted her with a salute. "It's good to see you again, Admiral Van Den Broeck. I was very relieved to hear that you survived the attack on Olympus as well."

Lina had been watching the surprising outburst of exuberant greetings with bemusement. She managed to collect herself and gave John a coy smile. "Oh, I think by this point we can dispense with formalities and you can start calling me Lina. Would you mind extending me the same courtesy? Admiral John Blake, Lion of the Federation, is quite the mouthful..."

He raised an eyebrow at the subtle innuendo and glanced at Lynette, curious to know just how much the brunette had revealed to her. "Sure, feel free to call me John," he replied to the flirtatious redhead, not taking his eyes off his secret Lioness.

Lynette met his scrutiny with an innocent look. "It's good to see you again, John."

"You too," he replied, really meaning it. "As Alyssa said, it was a hell of a shock to hear Olympus was under attack. I'm just glad you're all okay."

Alyssa slipped her hand into Lina's and beckoned to Charles and Lynette. "Let's get you three a drink and we can all have a nice chat. He'll be along in a minute."

The three admirals nodded their agreement and followed Alyssa to the grav-tube. The blue gravity field only caused mild surprise to Lina, who was thoroughly fascinated by the charismatic and exceptionally beautiful blonde. Their departure meant that John was left alone in the corridor with Jehanna and Calara.

"Excuse me a moment," he said politely to the young Latina, before pulling the dusky-hued beauty into his arms.

"Don't mind me," Calara said with a grin.

When John kissed her, Jehanna moaned into his mouth, melting into that intimate embrace. It felt wonderful to hold her again, knowing how much she desperately needed that support, now that her life had imploded. After they separated, Jehanna looked up at him with dazed eyes, her fingers brushing her tingling lips.

"Wow..." she murmured, her long eyelashes fluttering.

"I need to speak to Charles and Lynette," John said, cradling Jehanna's head in his hand and gently stroking her silky black hair. "It's important, or I'd postpone the conversation to be with you. After I've talked to them, you'll have my undivided attention, I promise."

She nodded her understanding. "I know you're dealing with a lot at the moment. I swear I didn't mean to cause you any more problems."

"It's okay, honestly," he replied, his reassuring smile tinged with regret. "Alyssa said that your father saw the video of me kissing Calara after her speech. I didn't take your situation into account when I did that and I'm sorry I was so thoughtless. I'd have to be a real dick if I didn't help you sort out this mess, especially when I was the one who caused it."

Jehanna choked out a strained laugh, then caressed his cheek. "I don't think you're a dick... and it wasn't your fault. I just handled everything really badly; it caught me by surprise and I should have been prepared to answer questions about us."

Calara slipped an arm around Jehanna and stroked her back. "I'm sorry too. I got so used to being the only Lioness with a close family, I never even thought twice about the ramifications of kissing John so publicly. The rest of the girls pushed me into being his 'official' fiancée, but nothing is set in stone. If you want to-"

Silencing the troubled Latina with a quick kiss, Jehanna shook her head. "You two make the perfect couple; the conquering hero and his beautiful supportive heroine. When my father showed me the video of you two kissing, he expected me to be shocked and heartbroken. Instead I was thinking how gorgeous you looked together and..." Her voice trailed off and she couldn't help blushing.

"What were you thinking, honey?" John gently prompted her.

She darted a shy glance at the curious brunette. "I was wondering if Calara was going to be joining us in bed later..."

A warm smile broke out on Calara's face. "I hadn't intended to, but that was only because I wanted you to have some time alone with John."

John pulled both girls into a three-way hug. "Why don't the two of you head up to the Lagoon and you can chat in comfort. I'll join you as soon as I'm able to."

Calara raised an eyebrow, her full lips quirking into a playful grin. "Chat about me joining the two of you in bed?"

"The topics of discussion are entirely at your discretion," he replied, winking at Jehanna.

She laughed, looking more relaxed as some of her tension eased. "I feel so much better already and I've only been here five minutes. Thank you... I really needed this."

Calara was about to respond, then hesitated, her wary gaze flicking to John.

Jehanna noticed the furtive glance and turned to face her. "Did I say something wrong?"

"No, not at all," the Latina replied, shaking her head. "I was just going to say... I've always felt the same way whenever I go back home."

"Me too," Jehanna agreed, then her eyes widened in surprise. "Oh!"

John kissed the tip of her nose. "Calara was looking shifty because she promised not to give you the hard sell about joining us."

"Sorry, John," the brunette apologised, looking remorseful.

"There's nothing to forgive, you were just being honest," he said smiling at her fondly. Turning his attention to Jehanna, he continued, "Hopefully I won't be more than thirty minutes, okay?"

"Go," she urged him, returning the smile. "Take as much time as you need."

***

The glyphs on the holographic display cast a crimson pall over Rahn'hagon's face as he checked periodically for any sign of incoming danger. Satisfied that his cloaked dreadnought remained hidden from the vessels in the vicinity, he turned his attention to the new arrival that had thundered through the Alpha Centauri system. With his brow furrowed, he stared at the cluster of spacecraft gathered around the huge space station, quickly locating the only warship amongst the thousands in the sector that posed any kind of threat.

"John's ship appears to have docked," he said, turning to look at the brunette beside him. "You were correct; Olympus Shipyard was their destination."

Jessica Blake nibbled anxiously on a nail. "Are you sure you don't want to call him instead, Rahn? If you say you're sorry, maybe he'll forgive you?"

Rahn'hagon grimaced and shook his head. "This was your idea, Jess. You agreed that you'd be the one to initiate communication with our son. Any attempt I make to speak with John will end in us being forced to flee from the system. He has banished me from his territory on pain of death."

"I know..." she murmured, staring unblinking at the holographic map. "I'm just... not sure if I can do this."

He placed a hand on her shoulder and gave the pensive brunette a supportive smile. "We discussed this. You already know what you want to say to him." He turned and glanced at the chronometer. "We have another two hours to wait until the Wormhole Generator is recharged. Do not initiate contact until that time... if the Invictus appears to be leaving the system before then, inform me and I will return immediately."

She looked up at him in alarm. "Return? Where are you going?!"

"Calm yourself, Jessica," he replied, gently cupping her cheek. "I won't be disembarking from this vessel... physically at least. I have many questions about the mysteries surrounding John's psychic might and I need to seek answers from the Astral Plane."

"Alright," she reluctantly agreed. "I'll call you if anything changes."

Rahn'hagon leaned down to give her a kiss goodbye, then strode away from the Bridge, departing through the shattered doors. Jessica watched him leave, before shifting her gaze back to the holo-screen. Long-suppressed maternal instincts were warring with a large serving of guilt and self-loathing, leaving Jessica horribly conflicted. She couldn't help wondering what her son was doing at that precise moment and desperately wished that she could see him in person.

***

John stepped into the grav-tube, leaving Jehanna and Calara to meander their way to the Lagoon at a leisurely pace. As he ascended through the decks, John felt increasingly unsettled at the thought of the conversation to come. He was still trying to think of the best way to handle the situation when he realised he'd arrived at Deck Two and had to hurriedly step out of the grav-tube before he floated up past the corridor.

When John entered the Officers' Lounge, he found Alyssa sitting with their guests on the sofas, each of them sipping drinks from crystal tumblers. He walked over to join them and gratefully accepted the glass of whiskey the statuesque blonde had prepared for him.

"Sorry to keep you waiting," he said, taking a seat.

Lynette waved away his apology. "How's Jehanna doing? She was distraught earlier."

"Better," he replied, taking a long sip of his drink. "I told her we'd talk things through later. Calara will take good care of her until then."

The Fleet Admiral deflated and gave John a look of chagrin. "I feel personally responsible for Jehanna being outed as a Lioness. I should have taken more precautions to make sure that every single piece of footage showing her in action was deleted."

John slumped back in his chair and rubbed his neck. "Don't blame yourself for this. The truth is, I didn't do enough to keep my personal life out of the public eye. With hindsight, it was stupid to be so blasé about my relationships with the girls, especially when Calara, Rachel, and Jehanna all have family that I should have taken into consideration. It's only natural that a parent would hit the roof when they find out their daughter has basically joined a harem."

Lina was looking at him in fascination. "I hope you'll forgive me for asking a personal question, John, but how many of the Lionesses are you actually sleeping with?"

"All of them," he replied, tired of hiding the truth. John closed his eyes and tilted his head back as he did the headcount. "There are fourteen girls on the Invictus; another nine in the Maliri Protectorate."

"Twenty-three women?!" she balked, staring at him in wonder.

John slowly re-opened his eyes and nodded. "Yes... and four of the Maliri are expecting. I'm planning on getting a fifth matriarch pregnant when I return to Genthalas Shipyard."

This wasn't news to Lynette, but Charles and Lina were stunned by his blunt honesty.

It took a moment for Charles to pick up on something that John had just said. "All the Lionesses?" he asked sharply, narrowing his eyes as he glanced at his fiancée.

John downed his drink, then looked his oldest friend in the eye. "I've never slept with Lynette," he said adamantly. "We had a platonic kiss... once... but there's absolutely nothing going on between us. There never has been."

"He didn't even slip her the tongue," Alyssa interjected helpfully.

Charles looked at her in surprise, then barked a short laugh. Giving the gorgeous brunette a rueful frown of apology, he said, "I'm sorry, sweetheart. I shouldn't keep doubting you..."

"I understand," she said with a look of sympathy. "I don't blame you for having suspicions; I know all about your history, Charles."

Admiral Harris frowned and a flicker of regret flashed across his eyes when he thought about his ex-wife. "It's not fair to take out my insecurities on you, though. You don't deserve that."

She leaned over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You're forgiven."

Charles smiled at her, then raised his glass to John. "So you've got four children on the way? My goodness... I guess congratulations are in order!"

John broke into a self-conscious grin. "Thank you." He glanced down at his empty tumbler. "Looks like I need a refill..."

Alyssa rose from her seat and retrieved his glass. "Let me take care of that for you."

She glided past him, gently ruffling his hair before sashaying over to the bar. John watched the alluring sway of her hips and the way it made her glorious golden mane swish from side to side. Reminded of another young blonde, he turned to face the Fleet Admiral.

"Before I forget... is there any chance you can arrange a transfer for Lieutenant Emily Campbell to the Odin's Thunderbolt? She's Mateo Fernandez's girlfriend and they seem like they've got a future together. They were both serving on the Damocles and Mateo was reluctant to leave her behind."

Lynette's hazel eyes sparkled with amusement. "I authorised her transfer to the dreadnought's medical team earlier this afternoon."

He blinked in surprise, wondering how she could possibly have known to do that already.

Alyssa handed him a refilled glass of amber-coloured liquor before taking her seat again. "We don't just talk about fluffy kittens and pretty dresses, handsome."

"Thank you," he said, patting her on the thigh, before nodding to Lynette gratefully.

The Fleet Admiral shrugged and unbuttoned her dress uniform jacket. "There's no need to thank me. My primary objective was to eliminate any potential threat to the Fernandez family and make sure that Calara has no unwelcome distractions in the future. Ensuring the safety of a potential sister-in-law comes under that remit."

Lina swirled her vodka cocktail and studied her hosts in fascination. "Why do I feel that I'm missing multiple levels of subtext to this conversation?"

"We don't mean to be rude," Alyssa replied with a warm smile, demurely crossing her long shapely legs. "Lynette has told you some of what being a Lioness entails, but there's also a lot going on that she hasn't discussed with you yet. If you join us, we'll tell you everything... but until then, I'm afraid we'll have to keep a few secrets."