Three Square Meals Ch. 080

John pointed out slender columns sticking up out of the orange dirt around one particular raised floating rock. "That's a condenser farm, the planet is covered in them. Those columns pull water from the atmosphere and draw it down into subterranean reservoirs. Most of the vegetation on Ashana is below the planet's surface, grown in vast underground caves."

"What kind of plant-life do they have here?" Rachel asked him in fascination. "Are there any Terran species, or all indigenous to Ashana?"

"I've only seen one of the reservoirs once, I did some sightseeing about five years ago," he explained, thinking back to what he'd seen. "The Grey's are vegetarians and processed lichen makes up the bulk of their diet."

Jade wrinkled her nose and said, "That doesn't sound very appetising."

"They're culinary masters with Fungi and algae, but you're right, I think you have to be an Ashanath to appreciate the taste," he said with a smile.

The crevices in the surface of the planet began to get more pronounced, until they ran off into a huge series of canyons and ravines. Floating above the fractured ground was a colossal plateau, far bigger than any of the other floating islands. Its upper surface carried a shining silver city, with hundreds of towers reaching skyward and casting long shadows over the domes that formed the roofs of the building below.

Jade dipped the Invictus into that rocky canyon that led under Ashana's capital, slipping into the traffic flowing towards the hangars beneath the city. Now that the Drakkar invasion had been averted, Ashana was open to business once more and all the merchant vessels that had fled from the city were now flooding back. The Nymph stayed under the port speed limit, weaving between Bract merchantmen and Trankaran heavy traders as she neared the centre of the enormous facility.

The shipyard was in the northern sector of the city, so she peeled away from the main flow of civilian traffic, following the deep rents in the ground as she wove her way closer. When they got closer to the drydock area built into the underbelly of the city, they could see that every docking bay was filled with battered Ashanath discs except for one, near the centre of the drydock. It was a different hangar to the one they had landed in last time, the Invictus having grown too large with the refit.

A warning chime let them know they had reached their allocated landing area and Jade followed the green guide path up to the inverted drydock above them. Using retro-thrusters to slow their ascent, she lifted the battlecruiser into the welcoming embrace of a set of massive robotic arms. Each enormous limb ended in a broad docking clamp, with the magnets firmly affixing to the Invictus' hull. The arms raised the ship while rotating it through one-hundred-and-eighty degrees about the horizontal axis.

There were several Ashanath waiting for them in the hangar, one of them wearing distinctive white robes of a High Councillor. They appeared to be a welcoming committee and were waiting patiently beside covered trolleys.

"We better not keep our hosts waiting," John said, rising to his feet. He smiled at the purple girl who was perched on his Command Console and added, "Would you mind keeping an eye on the ship please, Faye? I'll leave a comm channel open on my watch, so you can listen to our discussion with the High Council."

She gazed at him with her big eyes and gave him a big smile. "Of course! I'll keep the ship safe. We have twenty-two dead Drakkar in the simulator room on Deck Three and a Drakkar dropship attached to the hull. Would you like me to begin the cleanup operation?"

"That would be very helpful, thanks Faye," he said, smiling at her in gratitude. He turned and offered Alyssa an arm and they glided down the illuminated steps of the Command Podium together, before following their excited shipmates into the grav-tube.

***

Faye watched them leave, the smile dying on her face as she switched to watching them on the ship's internal cameras. She began to nibble anxiously on a nail as they left the ship, while her secondary avatar reran the images of Dana in the Valkyrie being rammed by the Drakkar dropship. She flinched as she saw her friend bloodied and battered in the pilot's chair all over again, while not being able to do anything to save her. Her tertiary avatar was occupied reviewing the footage of Rachel getting shot in the shoulder, the brunette's beautiful face twisted in pain. Faye experienced that same acute feeling of helplessness all over again, a vicious feedback loop that ratcheted up her worry for her friends.

The galaxy was such a dangerous place and the girls meant so much to John. It had been unbearable to see him get injured and Faye knew how much he'd be hurt if anything happened to one of the crew. She hated the thought of them being away from the Invictus' protective shell, where she was unable to help protect them...

"It'll be alright, he'll keep them all safe," she murmured nervously to herself, a flicker of light rolling up her purple form.

***

"Sergeant Gibbons?!" Lieutenant Grace Wallis called out as she strode through the barracks.

One of the Port Medea troopers nodded towards the shower block. "He's takin' a shower Lieutenant, just got off the mornin' shift."

The young woman smiled at the trooper in gratitude, then strode purposefully towards the back of the barracks. "David, are you in there?" she called out loudly, so she could be heard over the splashing sound of running water.

"One second, I'll be right out!" he called back, the shower turning off a few seconds later.

The Terran Federation Lieutenant leaned against the wall while she waited, glancing out of the window at the blue-white light from the Iota-Leonis system's bright star. One of the border patrols was just returning to Port Medea, the distinctive predatory shape of the cruisers silhouetted against the glare from the sun. She watched them glide closer, their grey titanium hulls unmarred by plasma burns - it looked like another quiet patrol. Maybe the talk around Port Medea was right? Perhaps the Lion really had broken the Kintark at the Battle of Regulus...

"What can I do for you, Lieutenant?" Sergeant Gibbons asked, breaking her out of her reverie.

She turned to smile at the wet, bare-chested man, who had a towel wrapped around his waist. "I've got some great news, David! Your orders just came through!"

He laughed and shook his head in disbelief. "You're shitting me?!"

"No, I promise! Look..." She held out the holo-reader with the executive orders listed clearly for him to see.

There it was, right before his eyes: Immediate transfer authorised for Sergeant David Gibbons to Terra's elite ComGuard. "Holy shit!" he muttered, the reality finally starting to sink in.

"The finest unit in the Terran Federation..." the young woman marvelled. "Congratulations, David!"

He scratched the short stubble on his cheek self-consciously and muttered, "I don't feel like I earned it. I bet it was that commendation from the Lion that swung it."

Shaking her head, Grace was earnest as she replied, "Don't doubt yourself! I couldn't have asked for a finer Sergeant - I would've been lost without your guidance over the last few months. I was greener than Kintark plasma fire when I joined this unit, but you stopped me from fucking up too badly!"

He winked at her and said, "True, keeping you out of trouble was tougher than fighting off a dozen lizard marines singlehanded!" He smiled at her affectionately then added, "Take care, Ma'am. If I ever hear of a vacancy for a Lieutenant in the ComGuard I'll put in a good word for you."

"The guys with the biggest guns get the best girls?" she asked him with a laugh, quoting the unit's informal motto. "I'm not sure I'm the right fit, I'm a straight shooter!"

Sergeant Gibbons laughed along with her and said, "Yeah, those guys have quite the reputation."

She hesitated for a moment, then glanced to her right to make sure no one was nearby. When she saw the coast was clear she gave him a tight hug, not caring about the water dripping from his chest. "I'm going to miss you, Dave. Thanks for everything."

He patted her slightly awkwardly on the shoulder and whispered, "I'll miss you too, Grace."

Gazing out of the window behind the young woman, his mind raced as he watched the ships patrolling outside Port Medea. A transfer to Terra - he could hardly believe it.

***

John placed his hand on the DNA reader, and the green light swiped across the panel as it scanned his genetic code. The airlock door spiralled open and a gust of dry air swept into the corridor. After the pristine atmosphere aboard the Invictus, it felt dusty in his throat and briefly made him want to cough.

"After you, ladies," he said politely, ushering the girls through.

They left the airlock and walked out into the large docking bay, with the girls who had never visited the planet before looking around curiously. He saw Alyssa, Calara, Dana, and Jade grinning at him mischievously, while darting furtive glances at the new girls.

*Go on, you know you want to,* Alyssa said, trying to stifle a laugh.

He smiled back then turned to look at Rachel, Irillith, Tashana, and Sakura before he said, "Hey girls, what's that up there?!"

The four of them immediately looked upwards, then shrieked in alarm, crouching to the ground as though desperately trying to cling on for dear life. With the artificial gravity of the docking bay, they were now looking upside down at the surface of the planet, giving them the disconcerting feeling that they were about to fall towards Ashana.

Sakura's eyes flared with a white light, before the glow faded away just as quickly when she realised they weren't about to fall to their deaths. Rachel groaned as she realised he was playing a trick on them, while Tashana laughed good-naturedly. Irillith gave him a level stare of disapproval, although a smile teased at her luscious lips.

"He pulled that shit on us as well," Dana said with a grin, slipping her arm around her girlfriend.

"Consider it a rite of passage," Alyssa chuckled as she put her arms around the twins.

John held his hand out for Sakura, squeezing it gently as she stood straight once more. "Sorry, honey, I didn't mean to scare you."

"Yes, you did," she replied with a chuckle. The Asian girl looked thoughtful and added, "I wasn't scared though, just... ready."

"What do you mean?" he asked, as he stroked her hand with his thumb.

She shook her head and replied hesitantly, "I'm not sure. It was an odd feeling."

They were interrupted by the white robed Councillor gliding across the docking bay to greet them as he said in his eerie voice, "The High Council has gathered to meet with you, JohnBlake. We are eager to answer any questions that you might have." He turned to gaze at Alyssa and his telepathic voice throbbed with gratitude as he exclaimed, *It is wonderful to see you again, Alyssa! I am so grateful to all of you for saving my people from the depredations of the Drakkar!*

Immediately recognising the Grey's distinctive telepathic voice, Alyssa replied aloud, "It's fantastic to see you too, Talari! Thanks for coming to meet us."

Councillor Talari responded with a short bow, then said, "We have gathered the samples of Drakkar weaponry and armour that you requested, JohnBlake." He turned to face the covered grav-sled, before gesturing towards it with a hand.

Dana bounded over to the covered trolley and threw back the silver sheet that concealed the items beneath. With the cover thrown back, they saw a bulky black battlesuit, one of the sinister looking black rifles, an even more ferocious-looking rotary cannon, and one each of Vekrok's powered swords and maces.

"Awesome! I'll check them out when I get back," Dana said gratefully. She turned and pointed towards the Cargo Bay, adding, "Can you guys leave the gear in there, please?"

The moment she had finished speaking, the huge door into the Cargo Bay began to lift, Faye having overheard the entire conversation. The Ashanath ground crew accompanying Talari gave Dana a short bow, then started to move the grav-sled towards the ponderously rising door.

John met Talari's black-eyed stare and asked, "Shall we go and meet with the High Council?"

"Of course, JohnBlake," Talari replied. "If you would care to follow me, I shall lead you to the audience chamber now." He turned around and walked at a smooth pace towards the doors at the back of the hangar. There was an Ashanath-style gravity tunnel there and he rotated around in the anti-grav field, then disappeared out of sight, ascending up through the plateau at a slow pace.

John led Sakura into the base of the tunnel and they followed Talari's lead, turning in the artificial gravity before using the metal rungs in the walls to propel themselves after their Ashanath guide. The rest of their group fanned out so they wouldn't bump into each other, rising up through the tunnel towards the surface of the enormous city.

"Are the High Council meeting us in the same place as last time?" John asked, wondering if they had an air-car ride ahead of them to get to the lofty tower when they had first met Ularean.

"For your convenience, we are meeting at a much closer location this time," Talari explained, tilting his bulbous head down so that he could see John floating along the tunnel below him. "This location is also near the medical facility where Ularean was being kept for observation after RachelBlake's miraculous healing efforts."

"How is he today?" Rachel asked, her voice tinged with concern for her patient.

Talari turned to look in her direction. "Ularean was suffering from exhaustion, but he has fully recovered today. The Ashanath Collective owes you a considerable debt for saving him. He has served as a wise and capable Senior Councillor for seventeen years; his loss would have been felt keenly by the High Council."

"You're welcome, I was just glad I could help," Rachel replied, throwing John a warm look of gratitude.

John glanced through the long glass windows that flanked the tube and saw they were rising through a well-lit cavern in the centre of the city's landmass. Strange phosphorescent lighting was provided by the lichens surrounding the limpid pool in its centre, the light making a forest of Etherite crystal trees shimmer before his eyes. He watched glowing winged insects buzzing over that underground lake, the creatures darting around erratically as they hunted for food.

"Take a look at that cavern girls," he said quietly, bringing the otherworldly view to their attention.

They made appropriately impressed gasps as they turned to look through the windows themselves, pointing out the abundance of exotic animal life in the huge cave. Rachel was particularly animated, taking pictures of the alien flora and fauna to catalogue and research. John got distracted watching the fascinating subterranean scene, so before he knew it, they were nearing the surface and the cavern disappeared from view. Talari stepped out of the tube at the top level and they all followed, gathering on the pavement until the whole group had arrived. The road was covered in light swirls of red dust, a thin layer of it giving the silver road a bronze cast.

"We are to meet in that building," Talari informed them, pointing a thin, reedy arm at the imposing silver edifice a few hundred metres down the street.

There were several Ashanath civilians walking along the pavement beside the boulevard and they stopped to stare at John and the girls. Alyssa could hear their thoughts and she gave them a flirtatious wink and a put more sway in her hips as the Ashanath gazed in wonder at the gloriously shapely women. John ignored the gaping spectators and followed Talari across to the large domed building, then through a big arched door. Strange runes and Ashanath glyphs surrounded the curved doorframe and he couldn't help wondering what they meant as he strolled inside.

Silver-armoured Ashanath soldiers were on guard duty in the foyer area, but they took one look at the High Councillor accompanying the group and stayed at attention, making no attempt to halt their progress. John spotted a couple of them blinking as they watched the eclectic group pass through another set of doors, heading deeper into the building.

He'd been expecting a reception room or more corridors, so it came as a bit of a surprise when Talari guided them into a large, circular meeting room. The High Council were already there waiting for them, seated on eight of the nine chairs facing them in a semi-circle. Opposite were nine vacant, comfortable-looking chairs which had obviously been set out for John and the girls. The white robed Grey in the centre chair rose from his seat and bowed respectfully to them.

"I wish to offer a warm welcome to the saviours of Ashana," the Senior Councillor said, his impassive face not showing any hint of emotion. "Our species was facing extinction and if you had not intervened, we would have lost everything."

"I'm just glad we were able to make it in time to help," John said, smiling at the diminutive alien. He looked at the Senior Councillor curiously, noting that he seemed much more robust after a full night's rest. "Are you feeling better now, Ularean? Rachel was just asking after you a moment ago."

"Filled with a newfound zest for life," Ularean replied, his whispering voice and unexpressive face hardly conveying the vigour he proclaimed. "I will never forget what you have done for me RachelBlake."

Rachel gave him a kind smile and said, "It always feels wonderful to see a patient make a full recovery after surgery." Her full lips lifted into a grin as she added, "Although this is the first time I've done a post psychic-surgery consultation!"

"How are your people doing after the battle, Ularean?" John asked sympathetically. "We saw the state of the battlefield, it looked like the casualties your fleet sustained were horrendous."

"Our wounded number in the tens-of-thousands," the Senior Councillor replied. "Almost every medical centre on the planet is providing succour to those injured in the battle."

John studied Ularean for a moment, then said quietly, "There was no need for the battle to have been that close. Your forces sustained terrible losses, but that could have been prevented if you'd trusted us enough to tell us about the Legacy beforehand. We would have planned accordingly and integrated that ship and its weapon into the defence of your planet - the entire battle would have played out very differently."

"I am extremely sorry, JohnBlake," Ularean murmured, sounding full of remorse. "There was a culture of secrecy around the Legacy that stretched back thousands of years. At the time, the thought of revealing details about the vessel to you simply didn't occur to anyone in the High Council. I promise that we shall place our full trust in you from now on."

"That's good to hear," John said with a smile. "We're your allies Ularean and we'll need to work together to avoid such disasters in the future."

Ularean gave him a solemn nod. "It has become clear that you are a steadfast ally, JohnBlake. Thank you."

"I'd like to help with your wounded if you'd like some assistance?" Rachel volunteered, walking up to stand at John's side.

He gave her a worried look and said, "Psychic healing takes up a lot of energy. I'm not sure you'll be able to heal more than a handful, so be careful not to exhaust yourself."

The brunette smiled at him and said, "I'm still a doctor. I can try and help with conventional medicine too."

"We would certainly appreciate your assistance, RachelBlake. I am sure you must be curious to hear the extent of our knowledge on Progenitors , but we will gladly escort you to the nearest treatment centre after our discussion is complete," Ularean said, the voice module managing to convey his gratitude.