Three Square Meals Ch. 108

Zelig's eyes narrowed. "Go on..."

"Up until recently, I avoided direct confrontation with High Command because of exactly the kind of ethical questions that you've just raised. Even if members of the Admiralty had been involved in flagrantly illegal activity, what right did I have to appoint myself their judge, jury, and executioner?"

He arched an eyebrow and added, "Just because I'm powerful enough to do something about it, doesn't mean I should. Wouldn't I just be advocating 'Might makes Right'?"

"What changed your mind?" Zelig asked, looking sceptical.

John leaned forward and replied earnestly, "If I had intervened after the Battle of Regulus and eliminated Buckingham and Weber, I'm sure the atrocities at Port Medea and Unity City could have been prevented. I chose to avoid the confrontation and possible accusations of being a tyrant, but millions of people have been killed as a result. Surely I have a moral obligation to protect billions of Terran Federation citizens from despotic leaders?"

Zelig paused, appearing lost in thought. "I must admit that if Devereux had been appointed Fleet Admiral two months ago, the war with the Kintark might have taken a very different turn."

"Exactly. So rather than just hoping that the right people are now running the Terran Federation, I'm actively checking to make sure that's the case," John said, studying the older man. "I'm sure you understand how reassuring it is, knowing that you can trust people in positions of authority... otherwise why else would you ask your senior officers to be present for Alyssa's test?"

The admiral flushed as he conceded the point. "I was under the impression that they were all upstanding officers... but I wanted to be certain."

"Which is just what we're doing," Alyssa said, leaning back against the table and crossing her arms over her chest.

Zelig frowned and shook his head. "You're going considerably further than that. I saw what happened to Weber..."

Alyssa gave him a cold smile. "He was guilty of multiple counts of murder... he would've been executed for his crimes regardless."

"The man clawed his own eyes out!" Zelig exclaimed, voice raised in indignation. "There's a huge difference between a judicial execution and sadistically torturing someone to death!"

"He brought all that on himself. He'd done a lot of truly horrific things over the last 20 years, so when I showed Weber visions of him doing all that to his loved ones, he lost his mind." She shrugged nonchalantly. "But it was relatively quick... Believe me, he deserved far worse after the years of abuse he'd inflicted on so many innocent people."

Looking deeply troubled, Zelig said, "I don't claim to understand how your abilities work, but I can't condone vigilantism. I urge you to consider a more measured approach and to utilise the judicial system to make sure that justice is carried out in a fair and impartial manner."

Alyssa gave him an apologetic smile. "Sorry, no can do. If a bad guy crosses us, we will fuck them up. We've got too much going on to waste our time with the Terran Federation judicial system."

"It's hardly a waste of time!" Zelig snapped indignantly. "Without the rule of law, you're basically condoning anarchy!"

Her eyes narrowed and she snarled, "Try growing up on the Outer Rim! Then you'll see how fair and impartial the law really is! Justice has nothing to do with it, the poor just get fucked over by the guys with all the credits!"

John placed a calming hand on her shoulder and said firmly, "That's enough, Alyssa." He looked at Zelig and continued, "I appreciate your concerns, Admiral. Unfortunately, circumstances often prevent us from being able to use the approach you suggest. I hope you can trust that we have the right motivations at heart and a method of determining guilt that is 100% reliable."

Zelig sighed and visibly deflated. "Which is a polite way of saying that you'll carry on as you have been, regardless of whatever argument I put forth."

Alyssa's eyes glowed with a brilliant inner radiance and she seemed to gaze off into the distance as she made contact with the Admiral's mind. *John, let me handle this...* she said, studying the demoralised admiral.

John glanced at her in surprise, then gave her a quick nod. *Sure, go ahead.*

Gazing at Zelig, Alyssa began to speak softly, "You first met Emilia at the Academy and thought she was the most beautiful girl you'd ever seen. She had hair like midnight, the brightest blue eyes, and was so full of life. You became close friends and the chemistry between you was wonderful... but she already had a boyfriend... Jason."

Zelig stared at her open-mouthed in shock, too stunned to interrupt.

"You loved her from the first day you saw her, but you're an honourable man, you would never go after a girl who was already spoken for. Emilia and Jason got engaged... it tore your heart out, but you pretended to be happy for her. Jason was jealous of your friendship and made her stop seeing you. Emilia cried as she said goodbye for the last time."

The admiral tried to speak, but it came out as a stuttering stammer.

"Three years passed, and you were a Lieutenant Commander now, back on Terra to visit your family. Your sister asked if you'd like to see Emilia again... something about the way she said it made you worry. Emilia was delighted to see you, it was just like old times... but she wasn't quite the vivacious girl you remembered, she'd lost some of that spark that had made her so wonderful. You noticed the bruises and she saw the concern in your eyes... then the excuses started: 'I was clumsy... I fell over.' Your heart broke again for your love... and she saw that you knew. She was ashamed and couldn't look at you as she wept. 'He loves me, but I make him so angry... it isn't his fault'..."

"Stop... please..." Zelig begged, tears in his eyes.

"The following night you followed Jason after he left the bar. He'd been drinking and was a mean drunk. 'I'm gonna teach the bitch some respect,' he slurred as he staggered home." Alyssa's voice was full of sympathy as she continued, "You only meant to confront him and get him to stop, but he laughed... about hurting that sweet, beautiful girl..."

Zelig was drawn in by her hypnotic voice, his face haunted by the memory of that terrible night. "I got in his way, told him to leave her alone. He recognised me, said he always knew we were having an affair... that he was going to kill me then kill her." His fists clenched involuntarily. "I had to protect Emilia, I couldn't let him hurt her again..."

Alyssa nodded, reaching for his arm and stroking it soothingly. "Then Jason attacked you... it wasn't your fault, Nathan."

He looked down at his hands, unclenching them and holding them palm up. "You know what happened to him... Why didn't my hands glow red?"

"Because you did the right thing," she said firmly, lifting his chin so she could look him in the eyes. "Jason had put Emilia in the hospital twice already... If you hadn't intervened, he would've killed her eventually, maybe even that night. We both know that's the truth."

"I should've gone to the police," Nathan said, his expression filled with regret.

Alyssa shook her head. "After three years of mental and physical abuse, he'd worn Emilia down, broken her spirit. You knew she wasn't strong enough to testify against Jason... you saw how terrified she was. She needed you to save her... and you did."

Nathan let out a heavy sigh and glanced at John. "You must think I'm such a hypocrite... but I just don't want anyone else to make the same mistakes I made."

John shook his head and said quietly, "You protected the woman you loved. I'd never condemn a man for doing that."

The admiral looked away into the distance. "It's been twenty-five years... but I still wish I could have found a better way."

"Don't feel any regrets about what happened," Alyssa said, her voice firm and uncompromising. "Jason was a real piece of shit... I would've killed him without giving it a second thought. You just have to ask yourself, who truly deserved to die? Jason or Emilia? You know he would have never left her alone... it was always going to come down to that choice."

Nathan straightened and there was gratitude in his eyes as he said, "You're right. Even if Jason had been sent to prison for abusing her, he would have been released eventually. The man was obsessed with Emilia and insanely jealous... she would never have had any peace." A weight seemed to fall from his shoulders as he slowly exhaled. "I hadn't really thought about it like that before. Thank you for making me look at it from a different perspective."

She gave him a warm smile. "I didn't tell you anything you didn't know already."

He nodded, then gave Calara an apologetic frown. "I know you came here to discuss strategy, Captain Fernandez. I'm sorry I've wasted your valuable time talking about my personal history."

She waved away his apology. "It sounds like Alyssa was able to help you; that's never a waste of time."

Nathan smiled at her, then composed himself and turned towards the holo-projector built into the conference table. Picking up the remote, he tapped a couple of buttons and the Sector Map appeared, showing the Outer rim systems contained within Sector 268. On the leftmost edge of the map was a green icon marking their current position on the outskirts of the Eta Aurigae system. He pressed an icon and the systems invaded by the Kirrix were highlighted in a murky brown, then overlays appeared, showing details of each of the colonised planets.

Gesturing at the map, he said, "I'm afraid we've got no idea what forces await us at each of these systems. Once the Kirrix sailed past the border satellites, we lost track of their ships; there's no sensor grid this far out into deep space." His eyes flicked to a giant blue star tagged as Pi Sagittarii. "I had planned on liberating Carolus III first... it's by far the most densely populated out of the affected worlds."

Calara's eyes darted between each of the systems. "Yes, that's why I asked for us to rendezvous at the Eta Aurigae system... it's en route to Pi Sagittarii."

"What're you thinking, Calara?" John asked, following her gaze to the map. "We sweep and clear, then let the Admiral's forces mop up afterwards?"

Her expression was troubled as she nodded. "The Invictus moves six times faster in hyper-warp than any ship in the T-Fed liberation fleet. To maximise our chances of rescuing as many civilians as possible, I think we'll need to perform a series of hit and run missions. We'll jump in-system, neutralise as much of the Kirrix fleet assets as possible, then cripple any hive ships on the ground to stop them escaping." She glanced at the admiral. "Then your ships can mop up any stragglers and handle the civilian relief efforts."

Zelig frowned as he looked at the Latina. "I know the Invictus is powerful, but I saw the TFNN video of your last fight with the Kirrix. You sustained considerable damage against their drone carriers... are you sure you aren't being overly ambitious?"

Calara shook her head, not taking her eyes from the map. "I think we can handle it."

"It's just a single ship..." the admiral said sceptically, glancing out the window at the white battlecruiser flanking the Porphyrion. "I struggle to believe that a lone vessel can outgun my entire fleet. It just seems... fundamentally wrong on principle."

John walked over to the window to stare down at the Invictus. Armour panels had been peeled back to expose the ship's complement of Photon Lasers and Heavy Quantum Guns, where two-dozen maintenance bots busied themselves with the refit. Tachyon Lances were being hauled into position by pairs of robots, while additional pairs worked to quickly remove the original weapon from each turret mount. The bright flare of their plasma torches illuminated the hull and made the Crystal Alyssium sparkle in the light.

"The Invictus is an entirely different beast since Khalgron... bigger guns, stronger shields..." he said quietly. "Calara's right... the Kirrix won't know what hit them."

The Latina glanced at Zelig. "Besides, if we're responsible for the bulk of the fighting, your fleet will be in good shape to defend the border once we liberate those worlds. The Kirrix might launch another wave of attacks and you'll need to be prepared to repulse another invasion."

The admiral nodded, his expression pensive. "I suppose I'll just have to trust you know what you're doing."

Calara smiled at him, then focused on the map once more. "Alright, here's the plan... We'll hit the Kirrix at Carolus III first; it's just over fifteen minutes flight time for us to get there and we'll destroy as much as we can before you arrive 75 minutes later. As soon as you jump in, we'll leave the civilians to you and we'll hit the next system." Her finger traced a route that passed dozens of systems, until she stopped at the furthest world on the extreme right edge of the map, near the border. "I want to head straight for Menganus IV next... It was the first world the Kirrix attacked, so if we have any chance of rescuing the colonists, we'll have to move fast."

Zelig frowned as he looked at a highlighted planet much closer to Carolus III. "Wouldn't it make sense for us to liberate Tasmaris Prime next? It's the second most populated of the systems conquered by the Kirrix."

"I'd like you to handle that one, Admiral. Drop your medical teams on Carolus III to treat infested civilians, then send your entire fleet to Tasmaris Prime to engage the Kirrix forces there. Meanwhile, we'll liberate Valia Gate, then Karron, and finish up on Brecken's World." She traced a line from Menganus IV returning through the relevant systems, her intended route bringing them back towards the Terran Federation fleet.

"What if the Kirrix have sent reinforcements towards Carolus III?" Zelig asked, looking at the map with apprehension. "If I sent my entire fleet to Tasmaris Prime, I'll be leaving the medical teams completely defenceless."

Calara gave him a reassuring smile. "The Invictus has massively upgraded sensors. As we head rimward, we'll pick up any Kirrix fleets trying to head deeper into Terran Space. If we do spot any of their forces, we'll make a diversion to wipe them out. The only way they could slip past us, would be if they take a big detour away from the invasion corridor, purely to avoid our counter-attack. That strikes me as highly unlikely... it would be quite out of character for them, they typically make a beeline for the closest populated worlds."

John returned to the conference table and faced the admiral. "The Kirrix made planetfall on Carolus III four days ago. They might have been able to capture significant numbers of civilians, but with a bit of luck they won't have been able to infest too many of them yet. As soon as your medical teams have finished treating Terran citizens there, you'll need to move them to Tasmaris Prime and help their population recover. Meanwhile, we'll do our best to aid civilians on the worlds we'll be visiting. We have two-dozen Sonic Cannon treatment bays set up in our hangar, so we should be able to handle substantial numbers of infested people."

Zelig looked thoughtful as he nodded his agreement. "It sounds like a reasonable plan, as long as you're absolutely certain you can handle the Kirrix fleets on your own?"

Calara smiled confidently. "We'll soon find out. The liberation of Carolus III should prove interesting."

"If we run into any trouble, we'll contact you and let you know if there's a change of plans," John said, reaching for his hat and placing it on his head. Holding out his hand for the older man he continued, "Best of luck to you, Admiral Zelig. Keep us informed if you need assistance."

They shook hands, then Zelig said, "It was an interesting meeting, Admiral Blake. You managed to confound all my expectations."

"Glad we didn't disappoint," John said with a lopsided grin.

Zelig exchanged a respectful salute with Calara, then gave Alyssa a grateful smile. "You've given me a lot to think about, young lady. It appears that I greatly misjudged you."

"The Lionesses were all wounded little birds, very much like Emilia," Alyssa said, before stepping forward and placing a soft kiss on his cheek. "You're a good man, Nathan."

Startled by the sudden display of affection, Zelig's hand went to his cheek as he watched the trio leave. Alyssa gave him a playful wave, then sashayed out of the meeting room beside John and Calara.

As they walked down the corridor back towards the elevator, John put his arm around the blonde. *What happened to Emilia in the end?*

*She's been happily married to Nathan for 23 years; they have four children together,* she replied, smiling as she recalled those loving memories.

***

Henry Voss woke from the best sleep he'd had in years. Late the previous evening he'd received final confirmation of the annulment of his marriage to Meredith, making him a free man at last. Although it felt like a huge weight off his shoulders, he couldn't help feeling a brief pang of loss over the disintegration of the relationship with his beautiful blonde ex-wife. She'd been truly phenomenal in bed, at least for the first few years, and he'd become quite infatuated with her.

If she'd shown him the barest minimum of respect and simply requested a divorce, he would have adhered to the terms of their pre-nup, albeit with some regrets. Unfortunately, Meredith had turned arrogant and contemptuous once she thought herself set for life - and she would have been, if she'd received the 10 million credit settlement. But after Henry watched a video of one of her weekly gangbangs, it had been more than enough to kill off any loving feelings he still had for the gold-digging whore.

Meredith should have known that a multi-billionaire with a vast legion of lawyers at his command, would find wriggling out of her 'unbreakable' pre-nup a mere triviality. She certainly appeared to have learned her lesson when she called him the previous night in tears, begging him for mercy. It seemed his over-zealous lawyers had ordered her to be evicted from his mansion with only the clothes on her back.

Henry heard the door to his en suite bathroom open, distracting him from his maudlin thoughts. A beautiful raven-haired young woman padded into the bedroom, dressed in a white silk robe that clung enticingly to her slender curves.

Abigail's blue eyes sparkled as she greeted him with a loving smile. "What's the difference between a good secretary and a great one?"

Henry shook his head. "I don't know, tell me."

"A good secretary says: 'Good morning, Sir!'," she explained, sounding bright and cheerful. Her voice then lowered into a sultry purr, "The great one says: "It's morning, Sir...'."

He laughed and pulled her onto the bed, enjoying her giggles as she rolled across the covers to join him. Abigail looked up at him as he gently brushed a stray lock of dark hair from her face, the gesture tender and affectionate.

"Any regrets about last night?" he asked, searching her expression for any sign of unhappiness.

She gave him a very satisfied smile. "When I said you had the energy of a man half your age, I was referring to you running your company... I had no idea it applied to the bedroom too."

"I've had something of a new lease on life recently," he said, returning her smile. It faded a moment later, as he continued with concern, "But I'm still old enough to be your father, Abigail. Are you really sure about this?"

Abigail's gaze softened and she quietly replied, "We've known each other for years, Henry. I'm sure you must be feeling some bitterness over Meredith after the annulment... but I promise you, I'm not like her."

He quickly shook his head. "That's not why I'm asking. I know what kind of woman you are... and I do love you, Abi. That's why I want you to be absolutely sure this is what you want."