Three Square Meals Ch. 112

"We're going for a picnic," she replied, nudging the wicker hamper with the toe of her tiny wedged sandal. "Deep in the uninhabited regions of Brecken's World."

John's stomach rumbled its hearty approval.

"It sounds like you've worked up an appetite," Faye said with a smile. "Don't worry, it won't take long to get to the spot."

He leaned down to plant a kiss on top of her head, Faye's voluminous purple hair tickling his nose. "I can't wait to see where you've picked out for us."

After several more minutes flight time, Faye rose from the pilot's chair and scooped up the picnic basket. "We're nearly there! Let's head down to the lower deck, so you're not tempted to peek as we begin our final approach."

John took her hand and accompanied her out of the cockpit as they headed down to the forward loading area. He deliberately turned away from the ramp when he heard the hydraulics start to whine, so that he wouldn't spoil her surprise. Gently taking the picnic basket from her unresisting fingers, he said, "Let me carry that for you."

Faye stood on tiptoe and gave him a tender kiss. "What a gentleman. Thank you for playing along."

The sound of well-maintained hydraulics came to an end and despite the soft purr of retro-thrusters on low power, John heard the distinctive babbling of a stream.

"Okay, you can look now," the purple girl said, her luminous eyes sparkling with anticipation.

Turning around, he gazed in wonder at the picturesque scene of natural beauty before him. The Raptor was hovering in the centre of a small glade, with sunlight streaming through the leafy forest canopy surrounding them. He followed Faye down the ramp onto the grass and turned to look at the rest of the clearing as the gunship lifted off. A stream ran through the grassy meadow, with tiny insects that looked a bit like dragonflies hovering above the water.

"This place is beautiful... how did you find it?" he asked, glancing at his petite companion.

She reached for the blanket folded on top of the hamper and unfurled it with a decisive flick of her wrists. "We started dropping off the colonists at the outlying towns while you were asleep. I used the Invictus' advanced sensors to perform a number of planetary scans until I found the ideal location. We're over 800 miles from the closest Terran settlement, so you're probably the first person to ever see this place."

"Our own private picnic spot... I love it," he said with a smile, helping her smooth out the blanket.

Faye let out a happy sigh as she sat down, then reached for the wicker basket and started pulling out plates and cutlery. "I brought some local delicacies for you to try," she explained, pulling out a bowl with a variety of exotic-looking fruit. "Apparently they're perfect with pancakes, so I made you some too."

John sat cross-legged facing her and could smell the delicious aromas as soon as she opened the heated container. Taking one of the pancakes from the pile, he sprinkled on some of the sliced fruit and took an experimental bite. "Wow! This tastes fantastic! You really made these yourself?"

She nodded, her eyes sparkling with delight. "I'm so glad you like them! It only took 57 iterations before I was satisfied with the result."

He laughed and shook his head. "57! You must have been cooking for hours!"

"It was worth it," she said fondly, stroking his thigh.

John paused between bites and gave her a grateful smile. "Thank you for going to so much effort. These really are excellent."

Faye grinned at him, then poured out a glass of fruit juice and handed it over. She was content to simply watch him eat, pleased to see John enjoying his breakfast. "I can see why you like cooking so much. It's incredibly satisfying seeing someone take pleasure from a meal you've prepared."

"That's what got me hooked," he agreed, sipping his drink and finishing off the pancake. He had two more, then reluctantly declined another. "I feel stuffed already. I think that's got to be one of my all-time favourite breakfasts."

"Really?" Faye asked in delight.

"Absolutely," he confirmed with a smile. Putting his plate and cutlery by the hamper, he stretched out on the blanket and looked around the meadow. "It's so peaceful here... especially after dealing with thousands of people in a crowded hangar."

She nodded, then patted her lap in invitation. "Why don't you lie down and have a rest while you digest your breakfast?"

"I can hardly say no to that, can I?" he replied with a grin, shifting on the rug so that his head was resting on her soft thigh.

Faye brushed her fingers through his hair and gently massaged his scalp. "Does that feel nice?"

"It feels amazing," he agreed, closing his eyes and savouring her skilled touch. It was almost like he could feel any remaining tension oozing out of him as he relaxed in that serene woodland glade. "You're really spoiling me, honey. Thank you."

"We're not in any rush," she murmured indulgently. "You had a long stressful day yesterday. If you want to take a nap, I'll watch over you."

John looked up at the beautiful petite girl and studied her caring expression. "The conversation in the shower this morning... I thought it was Alyssa pushing me to take a break, but this was all your idea, wasn't it?"

She nodded, looking down at him with concern. "I've never seen you looking more weary than when you met Helene and me in the bedroom yesterday evening. I started making preparations immediately, then asked Alyssa for her assistance while you were asleep. I was sure you'd want to stay with the girls to look after the colonists and I didn't think I'd be able to convince you to take the morning off without her help."

"She did a good job," he said, feeling a surge of gratitude towards his blonde matriarch. "Truthfully, it was quite a relief letting the girls handle the situation. It was awful seeing all those traumatised people, especially the grief-stricken parents. I felt powerless to help them, which made it even more upsetting."

Faye gazed into his eyes and nodded. "I'm sure it must have been uncomfortable for you. It's very rare that we stick around for the relief operations after a battle..."

"But that's usually because we're rushing to deal with the next disaster." John looked at her quizzically. "Do you think I deliberately avoid these kind of humanitarian operations?"

"I'm not judging you," she said gently, her soft fingers caressing the side of his face. "But there are certain situations you're comfortable with... and others that make you very uneasy."

His eyes widened in shock as he thought back over the dozens of combat encounters they'd had over the last 6 months. He lost count of the times they'd wiped out pirates, marauding aliens, or some other kind of unspeakable threat, then rushed to hand over any freed prisoners to the local authorities. "We sail in, slaughter any enemies, then I just dump the people we rescue in someone else's lap and run away..."

"I didn't mean to imply you're lacking in compassion... You've proven time after time how caring you can be with the girls," Faye reminded him.

John groaned and rubbed his hands over his face. "Great... So I'm only interested in fighting and women? I'm just a chip off the old block aren't I?"

She quickly shook her head. "No, I'm definitely not saying that. Rather than seeking conquest, you've focused on protecting people and saving lives... but I noticed a pattern and just thought you might be interested."

He was quiet for a long moment, staring up at the rays of golden sunlight shining through the verdant foliage high above them.

"I didn't upset you, did I?" Faye asked, the tense expression on her pretty elfin face reflecting her concern.

"No... everything you said was true, it just came as a bit of a shock," he admitted, turning to look at her. "I thought I was forging my own path and rejecting everything about being a Progenitor. Now I realise how fine a line I'm actually treading."

"You're not a bad person, John," she said anxiously, cradling his face in her hands. "I'm really sorry if I accidentally implied you were. You must know that's the last thing I ever meant to do."

He reached up to hold one of her hands and gave her a sad smile. "I know, honey. You haven't got a mean bone in your body. It's just that... with all the talk of the Kirrix and what to do about them, I remembered that this isn't the first time I've been involved in wiping out an alien species."

"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

"The Fulmanax..." he replied, his voice quiet and introspective.

Faye narrowed her eyes and said firmly, "That wasn't deliberate. It was Edraele's plan and Irillith tricked you into it."

"They would never have succeeded if I'd been more diligent. At the very least, I could have asked Dana to examine the Maliri bomb to check if the story about a sonic device checked out; if Irillith refused, then I should have just walked away." His eyes shadowed with shame as he continued, "And it's not like I've lost any sleep over what happened. It's been several months since we obliterated the Fulmanax and I've barely thought twice about them in all that time."

"But that's not your fault either!" she objected, circumventing her tact-verification sub-routine in her rush to console him. "You know you struggle to empathise with non-thrall-type species!"

John's face fell and Faye froze in horror.

"Oh fudge! Everything I'm saying is coming out wrong!" she wailed, looking mortified.

He sighed and gave her a sad smile. "It's alright, I'm not upset with you, honey. You were just being honest with me."

"But I didn't mean to imply you're some kind of xenophobic monster... that's not true at all! You've done so much to help the Ashanath and the Trankarans, and they look nothing like thralls!" Faye protested, her purple hair whipping around as she shook her head. Looking dejected, she whimpered, "All I've done is upset you. This is the worst date ever..."

John propped himself up onto an elbow and pulled her down into a hug. "It's okay, Faye, honestly. I'm just a bit sensitive about a few of these things... but it is helpful to talk about them. The more I understand my nature, the better I can try and rise above it."

She snuggled into him and caressed his cheek. "Please don't feel bad about yourself or the things you've done. You're a wonderful person and I know how hard you strive to do the right thing."

"Thank you, Faye," he said, rolling her over onto her back and giving her a gentle kiss. "I think you're pretty wonderful too."

Her face brightened with a warm smile and she put her arms around him to give him a tight hug. "You make it look so easy when you talk to the girls to make them feel better. It's actually a minefield of conversational mishaps that can quickly spiral into disaster!"

He laughed and nodded. "It can be a bit tricky sometimes, especially when the person you're speaking to takes everything the wrong way. I'm sorry about that, I just have a lot on my mind at the moment."

"Like the decision about what to do with the Kirrix?" she asked him with sympathy.

"Amongst other things, yes," he replied with a nod.

"Maybe talking about it might help?" she offered. "We discussed the Kirrix briefly a couple of weeks ago and that seemed to ease your mind. I promise I'll try not to say anything tactless this time."

"There's no need to tread on eggshells," he said affectionately. "But I'm more than happy to discuss it with you... the truth is that I've no idea how to handle this situation."

"What do your instincts tell you is the right thing to do?" she asked, giving him a perceptive look. She raised a hand defensively and added, "I know the answer already, but you feel the way you do for a reason... I don't think it's wrong to acknowledge that."

He drew in a deep breath, then let it out in a heavy sigh. "I think we should wipe them out. Every fibre of my being is repulsed by what they've done to millions of innocent people over the last god-knows-how-many thousands of years."

Faye's eyes sparkled with a sudden epiphany. "Oh, that's brilliant!"

"It is?" he asked her in bewilderment.

"Don't you see?" she asked, her excitement mounting. "You don't want to exterminate them just because they're big bugs! You're appalled by the way they've murdered sentient creatures! Does that sound like typical Progenitor behaviour to you?"

He paused and thought about it for a moment. "You're right; this isn't just about physical appearance at all. I've been uncomfortable around the minor empire species, but I didn't feel the slightest antipathy towards any of them."

"Exactly!" Faye enthused. "And the Bract, Nethrilla, and the Elmoq look about as far removed from the Maliri as any organic life we've encountered!"

He nodded, thinking about the beetle-like insects, the gas-filled fungoids, and the slime-coated molluscs. "Maybe I'm not such a slave to my nature after all..."

"So with that in mind, do you think the Kirrix's crimes justify a species-wide death sentence?" Faye asked him, keeping her expression deliberately neutral.

John lay down beside her, propping himself up on an elbow again and resting his other hand on her svelte stomach. "I feel a certain amount of sympathy for them, in that they've been forced to take drastic measures to save their species. But there's no way I can condone the horrific choices they've made." His eyes darkened with anger. "They rape people and their grubs chew their way out of their victims; I wouldn't wish that kind of agonising death on my worst enemy!"

"What they do to anyone unsuitable as a host is just as appalling," Faye quietly reminded him, thinking about the Terran and Trankaran children.

He nodded, his expression bleak. "I don't know how much self-awareness the Kirrix drones have, but from what Alyssa has told me, the Kirrix Hive Mind was unanimous in their decision to prey on other species. At the very least, their entire ruling cast is responsible for what they've been doing."

"What about the non-aggression treaty Alyssa negotiated with them?" Faye asked, studying his face. "If the Kirrix return the colonists they captured, then leave Terran and Trankaran territory... would you still want to destroy them?"

He frowned and mulled that over. "If they do stick to her terms and stop the raids, I don't want to break her agreement. But I don't feel the slightest inclination to help the Kirrix resolve this 'Shroud' problem. If the Ashanath were suddenly affected by something like that, I'd bend over backwards to help them deal with it... but the Kirrix? Those bastards can rot as far as I'm concerned."

"So the Kirrix deserve punishment, but you're reluctant to break the non-aggression treaty?" she summarised, bemused by the conundrum.

"That's about the size of it, yes," he agreed, pondering that for a moment. "Perhaps that's actually the answer to this situation..."

Faye raised an eyebrow. "Inaction is the answer?"

"If the Kirrix can't solve the problem with the Shroud themselves, they'll eventually face extinction," he said quietly, his eyes narrowing. "There's a certain karmic justice in that. It's the fate they've been trying to avoid for thousands of years... and they would have died out long ago if they hadn't sacrificed innocent creatures to survive."

"That means we don't need to actively destroy them or obliterate Kirr-Inax," Faye said, nodding her approval.

John smiled, feeling at peace with the decision. "Exactly. If the Kirrix start raiding again, we can intervene and wipe out their fleet capabilities, basically keeping them quarantined inside Kirrix Space."

She gave him a hug. "And it avoids putting you and the girls in a morally repugnant position! I think it's a perfect solution!"

"Maybe not perfect, but it's a decision I feel comfortable with," he said, feeling like a huge weight had lifted off his shoulders. "It was really helpful talking that through. Thanks, honey."

She quivered with joy, giving him a dazzling smile. "So not the worst date ever?"

He laughed and gave her a big hug. "Not even close."

Faye gave him an innocent look. "What would you like to do for the rest of our date? I was enjoying giving you a head massage until our conversation went off the rails, would you like me to continue?"

"That sounds lovely, but first, I'd like some kisses," he declared, leaning down and brushing his lips against hers.

"Oh, I was hoping you'd say that," she murmured with a breathy moan, kissing him back passionately.

***

Chancellor Niskera walked the vaulted halls of the palace on Trankara, the heavy thump of Fleet Warden Thandrun's boots providing a steady unwavering rhythm as they ascended through the upper levels. The guards they passed bowed reverently when they saw the glowing orange lines curving over Niskera's head, looks of adoration on their awestruck granite faces. She inclined her head politely to acknowledge them, but such deference made her uncomfortable, having done nothing that could possibly warrant it.

Sensing her discomfort, Fleet Warden Thandrun gave her a reassuring smile. "Be at ease, my Queen. The Maliri commander seemed to be both intelligent and reasonable, I am sure our meeting will be a productive one."

She glanced up at him and ruefully admitted, "I am not apprehensive about meeting with the Maliri... in truth I still find it unsettling to be treated with such adoration by our people."

"You are the prophet of the Great Protector... connected to one of the ancient gods; how else should your revered presence be acknowledged?" he asked, a flicker of amusement in his amber eyes.

"With a friendly smile?" she suggested, her expression troubled. "I used to feel that I had earned the respect of our people by my actions, be it by kind words or deeds, but to be revered in such an unwarranted manner makes me feel like a charlatan."

Thandrun placed a heavy hand on her shoulder and patted her gently. "Niskera... I cannot deny that your new appearance has a dramatic influence on our people, myself included. However, I believe that you have more than earned such displays of respect. I greatly admired your dedication to the citizens of the Republic long before you became the Glowing Queen... since then you have galvanised the Senate, uniting us to stand together against the Kirrix menace. For that act alone, you will always have my eternal loyalty and respect."

"You are a good friend, Thandrun," she said affectionately, linking arms with him. "I freely admit that I would be lost without your support."

He gave her a broad smile as they walked through a set of huge rune-inscribed doors, which led out of the palace onto a broad platform covered in landing pads. The view from up here was breathtaking, allowing them to see for miles over the volcanic surface of the Trankaran homeworld. Rivers of magma flowed languidly from seething volcanoes, the molten streams smouldering with a fierce orange glow as they spread out into bubbling lakes of lava.

"Here they come," Thandrun rumbled, drawing Niskera's attention away from the dramatic vista.

Sweeping through black ash clouds, a golden-hulled shuttle approached the palace, moving with an elegant grace that enchanted the eye. The slender nose of the Maliri vessel lifted at the last moment, a bright flare from the retro-thrusters making the metallic hull gleam as it touched down on the platform. A crystal door on the flank of the ship lifted up, allowing a trio of female figures to disembark.

Niskera recognised the bejewelled golden armour of the Maliri fleet commander at their forefront, but the two women who accompanied her were wearing sparkling white Paragon suits. She felt a flutter in her chest as she recognised that armour, her mind casting back to the terrifying escape through the tunnels underneath Khalgron. If it had not been for John and his Lionesses, she would have died an agonising death at the hands of the Kirrix, along with the diplomats from the neighbouring minor empires.