Three Square Meals Ch. 097

With no answers to the dozens of questions swirling around his mind, he glanced at the next message in the list, eyes narrowing when he saw who it was from.

Charles,

I've decided to perform a detailed review of operational efficiency at Olympus Shipyard. I would like to see your recent efforts in person, so make yourself available for a guided tour around the dry-dock this afternoon. I'll be arriving on Olympus at 13:00.

Regards,

Admiral Lynette Devereux

He bristled at her brusque request, both surprised and irritated that she would still treat him as a subordinate despite them now sharing the same rank. As Charles started to write the bluntest reply he thought he could get away with, he paused and reread her message. His frown deepened and he realised there was something off in her tone.

Devereux had never been that impolite with him before and it almost seemed like she was being deliberately obnoxious. Not only that, but in all the many years she had been his commanding officer, he had never seen her express any interest in the logistics of Olympus Shipyard. Devereux was a political officer and was far more concerned with making allies inside High Command than the minutiae of refit operations. Now that he was a member of High Command himself, he knew that he would be far more valuable to Devereux as a friend than an enemy, so her curt tone seemed very counter-productive and extremely out of character.

"What are you up to, Lynette?" he wondered, while staring at the screen.

As unsettling as the secure messages had been, it was Devereux's request for a personal tour that had him really on edge.

***

The Invictus dropped out of hyper-warp at the edge of the Theta Columbae system, tachyon particles scattering in the solar wind. It was impossible to see the blue field dispersing as the entire system was bathed in bright blue light from the huge star at its centre. The battlecruiser's six massive Trankaran engines burst into life and the Invictus began to accelerate to half-speed, following a flight path towards the second planet in the system.

John watched the System Map as they approached Brimor, the beautiful blue planet looking like a flawless turquoise jewel glittering on a black velvet cloth. As they drew closer, he was able to make out the defensive stations in orbit around the planet, as well as the sizeable fleet of Brimorian military vessels protecting their homeworld.

"Are you sure you won't come with us?" John asked Alyssa as he rose from his chair.

The blonde shook her head and shivered involuntarily, fear plainly etched across her beautiful face. "You know I'd love to keep you company, but I don't think I could handle it..."

John squatted down beside her and gave her a sympathetic kiss on the cheek, feeling protective of the anxious young woman. "Don't worry, I understand. Besides, it's probably best if we have as few Terrans down on Brimor as possible, we don't want to get them agitated. You just relax up here and keep an eye on things, we'll only be a few hours."

She gave him a fierce hug. "Stay safe, okay?"

"We'll be fine," he replied, giving his blonde Matriarch a reassuring smile. Standing again, he walked down the steps from the Command Podium where the rest of the girls had gathered by the grav-tube. He raised an eyebrow in surprise when he saw Dana heading their way. "Changed your mind, Sparks?"

"Diving to an undersea city below millions of tons of water?! Fuck that!" she snorted, shaking her head. "I'm heading to Engineering to write up schematics for the Quantum Cannons and the Valkyrie's new gun."

John could see how anxious the redhead was, so he placed his hand on her cum-filled belly to distract her. "Thanks for a fantastic wake-up call this morning."

She let out a contented sigh as he stroked her rounded tummy, relaxing in his embrace. "Any time..."

They waved goodbye to Alyssa then stepped into the red anti-gravity field, dropping down the levels until they reached Deck Seven.

Rachel hugged her lover from behind and gave her a peck on the cheek. "See you later, scaredy-cat!"

Dana kissed her back, then stepped out of the grav-tube and into the corridor. "Please be careful..." she said, turning back with a worried look on her face.

"I've visited Sequathis before, it's perfectly safe," John said with a smile. "No worrying now, Sparks, that's an order! You just concentrate on discovering lots of awesome Progenitor tech for us."

The redhead leaned into the grav-tube to watch them descend to Deck Nine, her expression already brightening at the prospect of new technology. "I'll do my best!"

Faye had already started powering up the Raptor by the time they entered the Secondary Hangar and the group walked up the loading ramp into the front of the gunship.

Calara slipped her hand into John's and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It's so strange to see Alyssa get scared like that," she said, a worried frown on her face. "She's usually so brave."

"They were both terrified of the pool when I first took them swimming," John said, following her up in the grav-tube before strolling into the cockpit. "It's understandable that Alyssa and Dana would balk at visiting an underwater city."

"Normally phobias are entirely irrational," Rachel murmured, taking a seat to his right. "But I must admit that the thought of being under all that water is a little disconcerting..."

"Not you too! What happened to my fearless crew of warrior-maidens?" John teased, putting his arm around the brunette and giving her a comforting hug.

"I'm looking forward to it!" Jade exclaimed, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

He grinned at her and remarked, "I thought you might, honey."

Faye knelt on the pilot's chair and folded her arms on the headrest so she could prop up her chin. Behind her, the Raptor lifted off the deck before pivoting smoothly towards the open hangar door. "Do you want me to handle Brimor Traffic Control, or would you like to speak to them yourself, John?"

He glanced her way and couldn't help wincing as the apparently pilotless gunship rocketed out of the hangar.

She smiled at his pained expression in amusement. "I've always piloted the Raptor remotely from the Invictus. Would you feel better if I hold the flightstick and pretend to be controlling the ship?"

"No, don't bother, I'll just have to get my head around it," John replied with a shrug. He glanced at the flashing light on the console as Faye raced towards Brimor. "I'm happy to speak to them if you're not sure what to say."

The purple girl shook her head. "It's okay! I look the least Terran out of all of us, so it makes sense for me to do it. I'll just tell them we're here to do some sightseeing and trading!"

"Sounds perfect. Thanks, Faye," John said, giving her a grateful smile. He glanced across the cockpit at the twins, who were both looking a bit anxious. "Don't tell me you ladies are scared too?"

Irillith glanced at Tashana, then replied, "Are you really sure it's wise us coming along without our armour?"

"Or weapons..." Sakura added, looking just as apprehensive.

"Well like I said earlier, the Brimorians have no idea what a Maliri looks like so it should be fine as long as you don't tell anyone your species. Besides, full body-armour is banned in Sequathis for non-Brimorians, as are all hand weapons," John said with a shrug. "If we do get in any trouble it's not like we'll be completely helpless."

The Maliri twins and the Asian girl seemed placated by his answer, so John rose from his seat and walked over to stand behind the pilot's chair to watch their approach to the planet. Brimor had no land-masses, but there were surface cities, their multi-hued fluorescent lights shining brightly on the dark-side of the planet. Faye dropped through the upper atmosphere as they partially orbited the surface, the Raptor staying dead-centre on their guide path, as she brought them around to the landing platforms above Sequathis.

The upper-city on the surface was fairly flat, the tallest construction being the protective walls lining the outside of the massive floating platform. The sea was rough that day, with waves cresting up and crashing into the defensive sea-wall. As water splashed alarmingly high, John spotted the sprays of water held back by a shining green shield that flickered briefly into view as it repelled the water, before becoming invisible once again.

Little more than an entryway to the main part of the city, the huge floating structure primarily consisted of scores of landing pads, the majority of which were now occupied. John recognised a silvery Ashanath disc on one, parked amidst a half-dozen rust-red Trankaran freighters and a couple of bold Terran merchantmen. There were also many ships from the minor Empires here and while he expected to see several Bract clippers, he was surprised to see just how many of the other species were represented as well.

"That doesn't look like a merchant vessel," Calara said softly, pointing to the iridescent green Kintark cruiser that had landed in the corner of the platform. "I thought the Brimorians didn't like warships entering Enclave territory..."

"It looks like the same rules don't apply to the Kintark," John replied, studying the cruiser.

Faye followed the guide path to one of the smaller empty landing pads, bringing the gunship down to land with a flare of retro-thrusters. The Raptor didn't so much as tremble as it settled to a halt, a testimony to the purple sprites excellent piloting skills.

John patted her on the shoulder and said, "Nice flying, honey. Ready for your first excursion?"

She bounced out of her seat, a gleeful grin on her face. "I can't wait!"

He escorted the eager girl out of the cockpit, glancing back at the flight systems and engines that were still powered up. "Don't you need to shut everything down first?"

There was a purple flash and Faye reappeared in the cockpit, her holographic avatar giving him a friendly wave. "Don't worry, I'll take care of it!" Faye Tertiary announced, her iridescent wings shimmering as she spoke.

John stepped into the grav-tube with Faye's physical presence and glanced at her back. While the view of her supple skin beneath her mane of long purple hair was quite enticing, he was more curious about her lack of wings.

"Dana couldn't replicate them," Faye explained, carefully watching his face. "She tried making a few different variants, but they were too fragile. Do you mind?"

He brushed his fingers across her smooth skin, before wrapping her in a hug. "No, of course not. It's actually handy... now I can tell which of you is the real Faye!"

She grinned and hugged him back as they entered the forward loading room. The loading ramp was already being lowered and John could smell the salty spray of the sea on the fresh gusts of air that rushed to greet them. He walked arm-in-arm with Faye down the ramp to the landing pad, then glanced around to get his bearings.

"We've got a choice now, ladies," he said a moment later, once he'd spotted his destination. "We can either take one of the loading lifts down to Sequathis' Cargo Dock, or catch a ride in a submersible down to the trade district. Anyone have any preferences?"

"Which has the best view of the city?" Rachel asked eagerly, her earlier trepidation forgotten.

"They're both good, just different," John replied enigmatically. "How about we take a submersible down, then come back up on a loading lift?"

"Lead on, Mister tour guide," the brunette replied, gesturing for him to proceed.

John pointed out a squat building a few hundred metres away. "That's the sub-pen. Let's go."

They walked across the landing platform, then followed a series of raised gantries that surrounded the loading areas. Despite most of the docking bays containing a parked spacecraft, there weren't many people around, aside from the occasional patrol of alert Brimorian guards.

"Where is everybody?" Calara asked, looking at the assorted freighters for any signs of life.

"The merchants like to get down to the Trade Bazaar early and we just missed the rush," John explained, waving his hand at the dozens of ships surrounding them. "This place will be heaving this afternoon, once all the haggling's been done and cargos are brought back to the surface."

Jade watched as a squad of five Brimorians walked towards a set of steps leading down into an oval pool, the soldiers plunging into the water and disappearing from sight with a splash of their tails. The Nymph looked at the water with longing, then glanced back at John. "Would it be alright if I went off exploring?"

"Stick with us for the journey down, then you can have a look around," he replied with an indulgent smile.

Jade's emerald eyes sparkled with excitement and she led the way towards the sub-pen. Outside the squat building was a security checkpoint with a dozen armoured Brimorian soldiers lounging around and taking advantage in the lull after the morning rush. They straightened and stood alert as John and the girls approached, their black eyes watching the group suspiciously.

One of them stepped forward, his more ornate armour marking him as the leader. His liquid voice was stern as he said, "No weapons allowed in Sequathis. Be prepared for body scans."

John nodded and gave him an amiable smile. "That's no problem, I've visited your city before, I know the drill."

The Brimorians waved them towards a set of archways with one of them moving to a console, his clawed hand turning a dial as he stared at an oval screen. John strolled through and raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the guard manning the scanner. The Brimorian frowned but grudgingly nodded to the leader of the security team.

The girls followed next with Jade and the Maliri twins waved through without issue. Faye caused the Brimorian operator to blink in shock as he stared at the oval display, causing his leader to walk over and see for himself. He looked equally amazed by Faye's robotic body, but then shrugged and waved her through. As Rachel, Calara, and Sakura passed through the scanner, one of the Brimorians muttered something under his breath. Several of the guards responded with the same clicking laughter that John had heard from the Shoal Commander on the border, making the nature of the guard's sly comment very obvious.

He narrowed his eyes and was about to say something, when Irillith spoke loudly, clearly, and at length in Brimorian, her expression and tone one of pity. The guard gaped at her in stunned surprise, looking like she'd just slapped him. The rest of the guards all turned and looked at that guard in shock, then they began to laugh, leaving the mortified Brimorian writhing in discomfort, his scales shimmering with his embarrassment.

"You are free to descend to the city," the leader said, suppressing a smile as he glanced at Irillith.

John led the group down a ramp to an enclosed pool that was surrounded by waist-high barriers, three purple submersibles nestled up against the boarding dock. He veered towards Irillith who raised an eyebrow and tried to look innocent.

"So what happened there?" he asked, looking at her in fascination. "I've never seen a Brimorian react like that before."

"I told him I felt sorry for him," she replied cagily.

"Sorry for him?" John asked in surprise. "Didn't he just insult us?"

"Yes, he did. What he said about Calara, Rachel, and Sakura wasn't very nice," Irillith conceded with a frown.

John saw she was having far too much fun dragging this out, so he smiled at her and said, "Alright out with it, what did you say exactly?"

Irillith couldn't help smirking. "I said that if his mother raised him to be so disrespectful, then she must be the lowest of gutter whores, grown bitter after getting gang-banged nightly by norkfish. I expressed my sympathy that he probably didn't know who his father was, out of the thousands of bottom-feeders that had run a train on her."

Tashana snorted with laughter then grinned at her sister in admiration. "Ouch!"

Tipping an imaginary hat in her direction, Irillith turned back to look at John and the rest of the girls and saw their surprise and obvious confusion.

"What's a 'norkfish'?" Faye asked, gazing at her creator with wide eyes.

Irillith grinned as she replied, "It's a very ugly, semi-intelligent fish that lives off carrion that falls to the seabed. They taste absolutely vile and are the butt of lots of Brimorian jokes. Brimorians are quite conservative in nature and very proud of their family bloodlines and heritage, so insulting their mother just isn't done." Her smile turned wicked as she added, "He'll probably never hear the end of that little jibe, but he started it, so fuck him."

John laughed and gave her a hug. "Remind me not to piss you off, okay?"

She gave him a tender kiss on the cheek and gave him a coy smile. "I'll let you know."

They had circled the oval pool and reached the loading dock now, so John nodded to the pair of guards on duty and stepped across to the submersible taxi. There was an open hatchway that led into a softly-lit interior and he waited at the top of the staircase to offer a hand to the girls as they boarded the bobbing craft. They descended down the dozen steps into the interior of the ship, to find that it was quite roomy inside. There was space for at least twenty passengers on the padded seats, with large oval windows surrounding the bowl-like base of the submarine.

John pressed a glowing turquoise button between the windows, then leaned towards the intercom. "We're eager to depart immediately. I'll pay double the fee if you leave right away."

"Double for a full complement of passengers?" the Brimorian helmsman asked hopefully.

"Triple if you make sure we get a good view of the city," John confirmed, glancing up at the window where the scaly pilot could be seen at the controls. "This is the first time the girls have been to Sequathis."

The Brimorian gave John a toothy grin and nodded, pressing a number of buttons on the dashboard in front of him. The hatchway began to close and lights flickered on around the outer hull, casting a soft neon illumination around the submarine. A quiet throbbing echoed through the cabin and the sub began to drift forward, before angling down and sinking below the sea. They were in a submerged docking area, so it took a few moments before they cleared the structure of the base and were finally able to get a glimpse of the city below.

John smiled when he saw the girls' excitement, watching as they turned to look through the windows at the spectacular view. The Brimorian's capital city was spread out before them, with a multitude of slender towers reaching up from the depths, illuminated by bright cyan and magenta lights. A central structure seemingly of living coral dominated the breathtaking underwater city, consisting of a broad tower that linked the undercity to the platform at sea level. Large oval platforms could be seen rising up through that partially-transparent building, with a ribbed spiral tube circling the outside, which descended all the way down to the base.

"I've never seen anything so beautiful," Jade whispered in awe. She turned and glanced at John, blushing as she was momentarily distracted by his thoughts. "You're too kind, Master."

John walked across the sub to sit near the twins, enjoying seeing the look of delight on their faces. It took a few minutes before Tashana realised he was watching them and they both tore their eyes away from the incredible vista of Sequathis to glance at each other, then give him a self-conscious smile.

"Did you want to speak to us?" Tashana asked curiously.

"There's no rush," John replied, his eyes falling on Irillith. "Enjoy the sights, we can talk later."