S.P.E.C.T.O.R

Chapter 648: All those I love

“How is she?” Adam asked as he entered the medical bay to find Lorelie sleeping peacefully.

“Still sleeping,” Rowena said with a sigh from a seat next to Lorelie’s bed.

It had been several days since Adam and Tephe had hunted down Beam and killed him. In that time, Lorelie had been moved from the medical pod in the hospital to Spector’s medical bay after it jumped back to the Ashes Galaxy so that she could be fully healed.

Naturally, Doctor Aurora had protested adamantly about Lorelie being taken from her care while she was still recovering, but Adam had just ignored her and taken her away.

Revi had later contacted Adam and explained that Aurora had called her to protest and demand that she return Lorelie to the hospital and her care.

Revi had spent over an hour trying to console her without success until she was forced to reveal to Aurora that Adam was, in fact, the pilot of the black knight.

After learning this, Aurora changed her tune entirely and no longer complained but instead asked to meet Adam again so that she could apologise and thank him for his actions back during the Siege of Fenix Nest.

“Any luck with the bastard’s consoles?” Stacey asked as she came up and leaned against Adam’s chest.

“Not yet,” Adam replied as he wrapped his arms around Stacey before continuing. “Spector is having to cross-reference all his activities on multiple different forums to try and find a connection.”

“We need to make sure we teach whatever organisation is responsible for this a harsh lesson,” Stacey stated angrily.

“I agree, however, we first need to learn more about them,” Rowena replied before adding. If it really is the same group behind the Terran Imperial Family incident, then they have somehow managed to gather people and resources while staying undetected from every major power.”

“Assuming that some of those powers are not in league with them or already controlled by them,” Aphrodite remarked from one of the chairs in the room where she sat.

“How is it possible for them to have remained so hidden until now?” Stacey asked.

“I don’t know and that worries me even more,” Rowena replied before everyone’s attention was drawn to Lorelie, who started mumbling.

“But how, why…. How…. Spector isn’t even on the planet… Collapse… Cheat, I would never… Fly away? No… but why… Punishment?”

“Is she ok?” Stacey asked in concern.

“I think she’s dreaming,” Adam remarked.

“That’s good, but what kind of dream do you suppose she’s having to say such things?” Aphrodite asked.

“Something about Spector flying away as punishment for her cheating?” Rowena speculated.

“You guessed all that just from what she mumbled?” Aphrodite asked in surprise.

“It’s just a guess,” Rowena replied while shrugging.

“Sounds more like a nightmare to me,” Stacey added.

“Wait, there’s more,” Adam remarked as Lorelie continued to mumble.

“Wouldn’t do that… no, no… what… no please… I don't know anything about… kettle of fish.”

“Kettle of fish? What does that mean?” Rowena asked in confusion.

“It’s an earth saying, though I have no idea how Lorelie learned it,” Adam replied as Lorelie continued to mumble.

“He really does love me then… that’s crazy, that will never work.”

Lorelie finally stopped mumbling before returning to her peaceful slumber.

“What do you suppose is crazy and will never work?” Stacey asked.

“I have no idea,” Rowena replied before adding, “But she finally seems to have calmed down.”

“We have returned, with snacks,” Tephe announced as Maya sat on her head and Eri followed behind her, with them both carrying armfuls of snacks.

“You were gone for quite a while,” Rowena remarked as she smiled at Tephe.

“Tephe couldn’t decide what to get for everyone, so in the end she just got a selection,” Eri replied while rolling her eyes.

“I’m sorry you had to suffer,” Rowena joked.

“Hey!” Tephe complained, causing the others to smile.

“Supreme Speaker Agilehand, with the next supreme speaker election close at hand, what do you believe your chances are for being one of the few people ever to get reelected for a second term?” A voice said from a holographic screen on one of the medical bay's walls.

It showed Viven Agilehand being interviewed by a USNN reporter.

“So that’s the current supreme speaker?” Adam asked as he looked at the holographic screen.

“Yeah,” Rowena replied before adding, “She’s actually quite popular with the other senators and is the favourite to win.”

“Empress Revi said that her Ashes Galaxy will be voting for her,” Eri remarked.

“That’s not really surprising, Revi is known to be an old friend of the Supreme Speaker's family,” Aphrodite remarked.

“What about the rest of your leaders? Any idea who they will vote for?” Adam asked.

“No idea, but if the progenitor repeats what they did six years ago, then they will vote for Viven,” Rowena remarked.

“Six years?” Adam asked in surprise before adding, “Your supreme speaker for six years?” 

“Unless you do something that gets you removed,” Rowena replied.

“No idea, I’ve never paid attention to politics,” Eri remarked with disinterest.

“Same,” Stacey stated in agreement.

“Senator Sciezasyi will probably vote for Senator Sedna of the Nerida,” Aphrodite replied.

“Nerda?” Adam asked.

“They are a species of sentient water that moves around on land using a force field to contain their form,” Aphrodite explained.

“Sentient water, that’s cool,” Adam remarked.

“Mother will also most likely vote for Viven,” Tephe stated while chewing on snacks.

“I see,” Adam replied while staring at Viven on the holographic screen before he asked, “So I have to ask, but what’s with her chest? I mean, how can they be that big? Doesn’t it affect her movement and cause her back pain?” 

“She’s a Holstaurs, all their women are like that, while all their men are big and muscular,” Rowena explained before adding, “Also, their bodies have adapted to cope with their oversized breasts.”

“Oversized?” Aphrodite repeated with a smirk before asking, “Am I sensing a hint of jealousy there?”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Aphrodite retorted.

“No need to feel jealous, babe, you still have the greatest ass in the universe,” Adam remarked while looking at Rowena.

“Naturally, and I wasn’t jealous,” Rowena pouted.

“I hope breasts that size aren't your thing, babe,” Lorelie’s weak voice said from the bed, causing them all to quickly turn and look at her.

“Lorelie,” Stacey said in relief before she rushed forward and hugged her while saying, “I was so worried.”

“I’m sorry,” Lorelie replied weakly.

“You have nothing to apologise for; if anyone should apologise, it’s me for not doing my job as your bodyguard properly,” Adam said apologetically.

“Don’t be silly, I only hired you in the first place so that I could get closer to you,” Lorelie replied weakly.

“I still should have been more attentive,” Adam replied.

“There is no use blaming yourself for what has already happened,” Rowena stated before adding, “If you truly regret what happened, you should work hard to improve yourself so that you can protect Lorelie better.”

“Not just Lorelie,” Adam replied before looking at Lorelie, Stacey and Rowena in turn before saying, “All those I love.”

Lorelie covered her mouth with her hands as tears welled up in her eyes after hearing Adams' words, while Rowena simply smiled lovingly at him.

Stacey, on the other hand, approached Adam again before playfully punching him while pouting and saying, “Took you long enough, idiot.”

“Boo, I’m jealous,” Tephe mumbled with a pout before eating another snack.

Aphrodite coughed slightly before looking at Lorelie and asking, “So what was your dream about?”

“Dream?” Lorelie asked in confusion.

“You were sleep-talking, we figured you had a dream,” Aphrodite explained.

“Really? I don’t remember dreaming,” Lorelie lied. 

After Liluth had explained her sub-harem plan to Lorelie, she had made her promise that she wouldn’t mention their meeting or discussion, since it was apparently too soon for Adam to know about Liluth’s involvement, though Lorelie wasn’t sure why that was.

“Hmm, not unsurprising; people often don’t remember their dreams,” Aphrodite remarked before adding, “Unless you're the oracle, of course.”

“They say that you actually dream every night, you just don’t remember most of them the next morning,” Adam stated.

“Who says?” Aphrodite asked.

“No one in particular, it’s just one of those things, they say,” Adam replied while shrugging.

“Uh-huh,” Aphrodite replied before indicating Viven on the holographic screen while asking with a smirk, “So are you into women with breasts that big?”

“I didn’t even know breasts could get that large in reality. The only time I saw some that size was when I watched some freaky hentai back before I had sex with Jenny,” Adam replied.

“Hentai?” Aphrodite asked.

“It’s animated porn,” Adam replied.

“Ah, ok,” Aphrodite replied in understanding and was about to say more when Lorelie spoke first.

“Would you girls mind stepping out for a bit? I need to speak privately with Adam, Stacey and Rowena.”