Three Square Meals Ch. 111

"You're welcome," Zelig said, ending the call with a respectful salute.

Returning it, John watched as the admiral's face disappeared in a scattering of pixels, quickly replaced by the winged sword icon of the Terran Federation.

***

Navigator Cadimus turned in his seat to stare at the commander of the Ashanath cruiser. *Leader, we are picking up multiple contacts on our long-range sensors. They are approaching from Maliri Space.*

Leader Linnaeus gazed at the holographic Sector Map, feeling a flood of relief as he watched the incoming fleet. *Hail them as soon as we are in range to do so,* he instructed the young Ashanath officer.

Engineer Batiri's huge black eyes were transfixed by the host of contacts and she sounded ambivalent as she said, *The Maliri seem to have improved their mastery of hyper-warp drives. Their fleet is travelling at a speed only achievable by our most sophisticated devices.*

*We are truly fortunate that they are allies then,* Leader Linnaeus stated without recrimination. *With the Maliri to help protect us, we can focus on refitting our own fleets. You must be aware of the new technology gifted to us by JohnBlake?*

Batiri inclined her head to him respectfully. *Forgive me, Leader. I thought only with respect to the preservation of our technical edge in aspects of hyper-warp travel. It seems that I must adjust my thinking to take into account our dramatic change in circumstances.*

*Beware a closed mind, for it shuts away new ideas,* Linnaeus said, quoting a well-known Ashanath expression. *But there is no forgiveness needed Batiri; we are experiencing an unprecedented shift in the status quo, with new alliances enabling many unique opportunities. We must all undergo a period of adjustment before we become accustomed to this new state of affairs.*

*We are being hailed,* Cadimus announced, his spindly grey hand hovering over the holo-interface. *Should I connect the call, Leader?*

*At once, Cadimus, at once!* Linnaeus declared, shifting in his seat.

The holo-screen shifted to display twin curved blades, which were quickly replaced by a figure in a resplendent suit of golden armour, complete with a dazzling array of glittering jewels. Linnaeus had once been assigned to escort a diplomat to Geniya Trading Post, so he was familiar with the Maliri's fondness for ostentatious battlesuits. The Maliri he encountered in Geniya had all worn androgynous armour, but there was no mistaking that this Maliri was female, even if her features were hidden from view.

Linnaeus stared in wonder at the spectacular curves of her breastplate, trying to calculate the impressive circumference of those glorious orbs. He had only once before seen such perfection... on the resplendent females that accompanied JohnBlake. Managing to tear his eyes from the Maliri leader, he saw that the other crewmembers visible on the screen were also female, with the magnificent curves that entailed.

"I am Leader Linnaeus of the Ashanath Navy Border Force," he murmured, his speech computer reproducing his voice as an awed whisper. "Welcome to the Ashanath Collective, revered guests."

"It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance, Leader Linnaeus," the Maliri replied, her tone one of slight amusement. "I am Fleet Commander Amlaril of House Valaden. I believe we are to be working very closely with each other for the foreseeable future..."

"Please proceed directly to Ashana, Fleet Commander Amlaril," he said politely bowing his head. "Preparations have already been made to begin the upgrades to your vessels. The refit will commence at your convenience."

Amlaril sounded delighted as she replied, "That is a surprise, but a very pleasant one. We're also carrying substantial cargoes of ore to assist with the upgrades; I assume you'd like those delivered directly to Ashana?"

"That would be ideal, thank you," Linnaeus replied, trying not to let himself get too distracted. It was extremely difficult though... he could only imagine how those spectacular globes might look without the armour.

The Maliri Fleet Commander glanced at a subordinate, who quietly informed her that they would arrive at the Ashanath homeworld in eight hours. Turning back to the patrol leader, she smiled as she said, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Linnaeus. Thank you for the warm welcome to the Ashanath Collective."

Linnaeus blinked several times. "The pleasure was all mine."

They ended the call and Linnaeus slumped back in his Command Chair.

*Oh, my goodness!* Navigator Cadimus gasped, turning to look at him in amazement, his eyelids fluttering rapidly.

*I know... she was magnificent,* Leader Linnaeus agreed, a faraway look in his eyes.

Engineer Batiri glanced down at her own tiny chest and let out a wistful sigh. *If only...*

Linnaeus turned to look at her, his expression sombre. *Such endowments would make you absurdly popular, but your mere presence would destroy all productivity aboard the ship. Could you live with yourself if you were such a debilitating influence?*

*You are wise indeed, Linnaeus. If I looked like Fleet Commander Amlaril, one glance at the mirror in the morning would render me utterly ineffective for the entire day.* Batiri's small mouth lifted into a smile. *But what a day that would be!*

The Ashanath laughed and Linnaeus smiled affectionately at the earnest engineer.

***

John watched as hundreds more colonists filed into the Invictus' massive Primary Hangar, joining the thousands they'd already rescued from immobilised hive ships. Many of the civilians were infested with Kirrix eggs, their faces reflecting the shock and trauma they'd experienced since their capture. Dana and Calara stood by the entrance to the hangar, greeting the freed prisoners with friendly smiles as they looked for any wounds. Those that had also been shot by the invaders were guided over to Rachel's temporary triage centre, where she was using her psychic abilities to heal the worst of the injured.

Following Rachel's directions, one of the infested colonists walked in a daze from the triage area, staring in shock at his miraculously healed arm. John watched the man pause and look suspiciously at one of the treatment tables, wary eyes flicking to the grinning maintenance robot standing beside it. Knowing how disconcerting the floating bots could be, John walked over to reassure the unsettled civilian.

"This'll all be over soon. Just hop on here and we can get started," he said, giving the colonist a sympathetic smile. Glancing up at the Sonic Cannon that loomed overhead, he continued, "I promise it won't hurt a bit. We'll use that to destroy those eggs and you'll be absolutely fine."

The man was older, mid-sixties if John had to guess, and he gripped his gauntleted hand with surprising strength as John helped him onto the treatment table. "God bless you, son. I won't ever forget what you've done for me."

John swallowed hard and said gruffly, "Just doing my part, Sir. If you'll excuse me, I need to help evacuate the rest of the prisoners."

The colonist nodded to him gratefully, then lay back on the treatment table as Rachel hurried over. "Hello there. My name's Doctor Voss and I'm overseeing treatment for all patients today." She turned and patted the maintenance bot on the arm. "Please forgive my trusty assistant's terrifying smile. He means well."

Looking up at the bot's rictus grin, the man smiled and nodded. "That's a relief."

Seeing that the man was in good hands, John turned and quickly walked away, aware that the brunette's grey eyes were watching him with concern. It was easy to spot the rest of the girls in their white Paragon armour and he saw them all glance in his direction, no mistaking the worry on their faces. Not wanting to disturb them any further, he headed purposefully towards the Secondary Hangar.

"Are you alright, John?" Jade asked gently, falling into step beside him.

"Yeah, I'm fine..." he muttered, striding across the deck and acknowledging the grateful crowds of colonists with distracted nods.

The Nymph hesitated, knowing that he really wasn't. Realising that he didn't want to talk about it, she decided to change tack. "Is it alright if my sisters help out here? I'm sure they'd prove to be a helpful distraction for the colonists while those people are being treated."

"Sure, that's a nice idea," John agreed after giving it a moment's thought. "As long as you're sure they won't get upset."

"I'm quite certain they won't suffer any distress. They aren't... sophisticated enough... to feel that level of empathy yet," Jade assured him. She glanced up at John and smiled. "I'm assuming clothing isn't optional?"

He actually had to stifle a laugh. "Just how distracting were you hoping they'd be?"

"Perhaps not quite that much," she replied with a playful wink.

John came to a halt and brushed his fingers against her cheek. "Thanks for making me laugh... I needed it."

"Talk to Edraele..." she suggested, nuzzling into his gauntlet. Then before he could reply, she turned and left, her luscious figure drawing many an admiring glance as she flounced across the hangar.

*I didn't want to join a procession of concerned women pestering you to see what was wrong,* Edraele murmured, her voice sympathetic. *I'm well aware of the level of trust you show me in letting me listen to your thoughts, so I didn't want to abuse it... but of course I'm happy to listen if you want to talk.*

John glanced across the temporary umbilical that linked the Invictus to the hive ship. *The colonists...*

*Are being well taken care of,* she assured him. *You've had an intense morning, John. Even superhumans are allowed to take a break sometimes.*

He hesitated, then walked towards the double doors leading to the Cargo Bay. *Alright, just five minutes.*

Hitting the button, he strode into the huge deserted room, pulling off his Paragon helmet and running his fingers through his hair. He placed it on top of an ore crate, propped his sword against the container, then sat down with a heavy sigh. Edraele stayed quiet, letting him order his thoughts without any prompting.

*My grandfather never called me 'son',* John finally said, gazing into the distance. *It wasn't done out of malice, I think he just didn't want to be presumptuous.* He laughed and shook his head. *As if I'd begrudge the man something like that after everything he did for me.*

*Did that colonist remind you of your grandfather?* Edraele asked softly, already knowing the answer.

*No,* John replied with a sad smile. *But if my actual father was Terran, he would've been about the same age... When he called me 'son', it felt like a hammer blow to the chest.* Shaking his head, he continued, *I don't understand why I'm still so desperate to find out about my mother and father... it's like I need to know. They took no interest in me for the last forty years and my obsession with finding out about my parents feels like I'm betraying my grandparents' memory. They were there for me... they actually cared...*

*You're close to Kirrix Space,* Edraele reminded him. *Your thoughts turned to your parents the last time you were near the border. We're often reflections of our parents' personalities and traits, so I'd imagine it's only natural to have questions when you know so little about them.*

He nodded as he mulled that over. *What were your parents like Edraele?*

*I know you're not comfortable talking about yourself, but that has to be a new record before you steered the conversation onto me,* she replied fondly, sending him an indulgent telepathic smile.

John blushed and chose not to reply, knowing she could hear everything anyway.

*My mother was a gifted psychic, her natural affinity for fire making her a powerful pyrokinetic,* Edraele said, lost in thought. *But as you know, the Valaden bloodline is a double-edged sword; it gives the gift of psychic powers and the curse of an agonising tumour. Falihna abused her powers on a daily basis, until the pain got too much for her to bear and she killed herself to escape the agony.*

*What was she like as a parent though?* he asked curiously.

*She liked to burn people to death, John,* Edraele replied, her tone grim. *'Sharing the pain', she liked to call it, but in reality she was just a sadistic monster. I was simply fortunate that she never turned her malignant gaze towards me for her entertainment. Ityria did not share my luck. I don't even remember why Falihna incinerated my eldest sister, but she made us all watch while she did it...*

*My god...* John muttered, appalled at the barbarity.

*I suppose it's no wonder I turned out the way I did,* she mused, quietly introspective. *Well, my predecessor at least.*

*What about your father?* he asked, shaking his head. *How could he allow something like that to happen?*

*I believe his name was Hydan, but I never met him. Considering my mother's temperament, it's not surprising he never left the border stations to visit us on Valaden,* Edraele replied, a hint of sadness to her voice. *He sired all five of my sisters as well, which is quite rare amongst Maliri noble couplings, so perhaps there's some truth in that old Terran saying...*

John frowned. *What saying is that?*

*The crazy ones are the best lovers...* she replied airily.

He burst out laughing and shook his head. *You're bad... I can't believe you're joking about that.*

She blew him a kiss. *It was worth it, just to hear you laugh.*

*Thanks, Edraele, I do feel better after talking to you,* John admitted as he rose from his seat.

*I know you're thinking about taking a detour to Arcadia,* she said, turning serious. *Don't be surprised if you end up thinking more about your parents if you do decide to go. I think you're close to the answers you've been seeking... and that's going to dredge up those old feelings.*

*Resentment at being abandoned, worrying what I did to make them cast me aside, scared that I didn't live up to their expectations... those kinds of feelings?* John asked, clenching his jaw in anger.

*Those are the ones,* she agreed, full of sympathy. *I wish I could be there to support you through this, John. If you decide to return to Maliri Space first, I'll gladly accompany you to Arcadia.*

He was reaching for his Paragon helmet and paused, touched by her sincerity. *You're always there supporting me, Edraele. But thank you, I really appreciate it.*

*It's always a pleasure to be able to give a little back,* she said quietly. *You do so much for all the girls on that ship, but you're always reluctant to lean on them for support. All of them would gladly listen to your problems and help you work through them. You should never feel like you need to bear your burdens alone.*

John ran his fingers over the golden edging to his Paragon helmet. *They've all been through so much, Edraele. I hate the idea of falling apart in front of them, because I want them to feel like I'm always there for them to rely on. The last thing I want is for the girls to start feeling insecure.*

*I understand that, but they're much stronger than you think,* she gently reminded him.

He sheathed his sword across his back and scooped up his helmet. *I'll remember that next time,* he conceded. *Thanks for the chat, it's always enjoyable speaking with you.*

Edraele smiled and said with a playful lilt, *Always your humble servant, My Lord.*

Trying not to dwell on all the wonderful things he longed to do with his humble servant, John strode from the Cargo Bay back into the Secondary Hangar. The Raptor was parked there and he walked up the ramp and into the forward loading area, then took the grav-tube to the upper level. Quietly opening the door to the cabin at the rear, he peeked inside and saw a trail of Paragon armour plates scattered across the floor. They led to Alyssa curled up fast asleep on the bed, her face obscured by a veil of golden hair.

His blonde matriarch had been sleeping for the last several hours, regaining her strength after the unprecedented expenditure of psychic energy that morning. He couldn't resist brushing her hair away from her face so that he could see her beautiful features and uncovered a serene smile on her full lips. "Only eighteen-years-old, but already the most powerful woman in the galaxy," he pondered to himself, gazing down at the sleeping teenager. Alyssa had been through more combat in six months than a whole battalion of marines, yet it all rolled off her like water off a duck's back. He still hadn't quite decided whether that was a good or bad thing.

"Your head's full of busy thoughts today," she purred, opening those enchanting cerulean eyes and stretching like a cat.

"Yeah, a lot on my mind at the moment," he agreed, brushing his armoured fingers through her hair.

She glanced at his gauntlet and smiled. "I appreciate the thought, but it feels much nicer when it's just your fingers, not deca-shaped Crystal Alyssium..."

He pulled his hand back and frowned. "Sorry, I didn't realise it was unpleasant."

Alyssa quickly straddled his lap and crossed her wrists behind his neck. "I didn't say it was unpleasant." She leaned in and gave him a tender kiss. "I was just saying that I like skin-to-skin a lot more..."

"Funnily enough, so do I," he agreed with a smile, placing his hands on her hips. "But I didn't want to strip out of this armour just to put it back on again. You've been asleep for nearly four hours and we've evacuated eight of the twelve hive ships. If you're feeling rested enough, I wondered if you still wanted to attempt to contact the Hive Mind?"

She nodded eagerly. "I feel so much better after a rest!" Holding her slender hand in front of her, she flexed it, then clenched her fingers into a fist. "I'm feeling stronger, John. I've been pushing myself hard today... it's paying off."

He studied her determined expression and nodded. "I can see the difference." Gently stroking her back, he continued, "So what's your plan? How are you going to speak to the Hive Mind without a Hive Queen there?"

Alyssa gave him a grim smile. "There's no guarantees, but if the Hive Mind can contact the lower-tier creatures and they can respond, I don't see why I can't. It'll be just like making a reverse charge holo-call." Her smile turned wicked. "I just won't give them the option to decline the call..."

***

The tracks on the Kirrix cart made a quiet whirring noise as it drove along the tarmac, the sound oddly hypnotic as it rumbled towards the starport. Kelli had been forced to stop several times to make detours around the burnt-out wrecks that littered the streets, so it was a relief to be able to drive uninterrupted for a few minutes. They weren't travelling too fast, with the vehicle's top speed no more than 10 mph, but it was considerably easier than walking, especially in their bedraggled state.

"You guys alright back there?" Kelli called over her shoulder.

"I'm okay, but Perl's still out," Tony replied, looking at the blonde with concern.

Kelli glanced back at her ghostly-pale friend. "We just have to get her to the medical centre... then she'll be fine."

Tony frowned, not so sure he agreed, but he saw no point in dashing the brunette's hopes. Perl had lost her arm at the elbow and he guessed that at the very least, she needed surgery on that ragged stump and a trained doctor to take proper care of her.

"Which way now, Tony?" Kelli asked when they reached a junction, one tunnel heading up, the other staying level.

"Go up," he replied, looking at her askance as she made the turn. "How come you don't know where the starport is?"

She caught the look and shrugged. "It's not like anyone ever let me wander around. Pitbull had me and Perl locked up for the last couple of years, then before that I was kept at Madame Trixie's House of Pleasure."