Three Square Meals Ch. 107

Brecken's World was a large forested moon, with fertile soil and a pleasant climate. The local governor had designated the planet as an agro-world, intending to grow enough crops there to support the surrounding systems. While not densely populated, the nature of the planet made it valuable and one that Flintlock knew High Command would be eager to quickly recapture.

Tasmaris Prime had been colonised for over a century, making it the de facto capital of the lawless colonies in this sector, far away from Terran Federation control. Despite the colony being established so long ago, it was now in a rapid state of decline. A Fission reactor explosion a decade earlier had obliterated the planet's largest city and rendered a large portion of the arid continent uninhabitable. The veteran officer scowled, well aware of the corruption between the planetary governor and the shady corporations he'd contracted for maintenance that had led to this catastrophe.

The final world attacked by the insectoid menace was Carolus III, which was by far the most densely populated world in the sector. The Kirrix must have been well-versed on the nature of the worlds in the Outer Rim, because they'd ignored several other inconsequential planets to launch their attack on this far more lucrative target. While not quite a Terra-quality planet, it would only take a few years of terraforming to transform Carolus III into an ideal habitat for human colonisation, so citizens had been flocking there to take advantage of cheap land before the predicted property boom.

Flintlock couldn't help pitying the tragic colonists on each of those worlds. The invasions had already been in progress for days and the longer the delay in rescuing them, the more people would be infested by Kirrix eggs. The brutal reality was that they couldn't save all those colonists and some were going to have be sacrificed to save the rest. Not for the first time, he was glad he wasn't faced with making that kind of decision.

His communications officer cleared his throat. "Sir, incoming call from Admiral Zelig."

Flintlock rose from his chair and walked down the steps from the Command Podium. "I'll take it in my Ready Room, Lieutenant."

Striding into his office, he took a seat behind his ornate wooden desk. One of the disadvantages of using an antique like this was that it didn't have a comms interface built in, but he considered the luxurious feel of the beautiful mahogany to be worth the minor inconvenience. The holo-interface was projected from a black box that sat in the corner of his desk, so he hit the red button and watched as the holograph was projected in front of him.

The incoming call from the battleship Porphyrion flashed on the interface and a swipe across the name connected him to the conference call. The winged sword icon appeared briefly, only to be replaced by a man with a closely-cropped beard, wearing the uniform of a Terran Federation admiral.

"Thank you for attending this briefing everyone," Admiral Zelig said, his voice quiet and sombre. "As I'm sure you're aware, we'll be entering Sector 268 at 07:15 tomorrow. My original intention was to launch an immediate relief effort to liberate Carolus III, but Admiral John Blake has requested a rendezvous to coordinate our counter-offensive against the Kirrix. We'll drop out of hyper-warp near Nav-beacon F5739 adjacent to the Eta Aurigae system at 08:10."

"How long will we be in local space, Sir?" Captain Fernandez asked, his handsome olive-skinned face highlighted in the group interface.

"I'm expecting the meeting to be brief," Zelig replied with the hint of a wry smile. "I've seen the Lion address High Command and he tends to get to the point rather quickly. We'll aim to get underway at 09:30, but I'll keep you informed if there are any delays."

Fernandez nodded his thanks but stayed quiet, his expression troubled.

Flintlock cleared his throat. "Admiral, I've had a request from my marine Commander to make use of the new Sonic Cannons when we engage the Kirrix on the ground. He reports that they would make an excellent squad support weapon against lightly-armoured troops."

The admiral considered it for a moment, then shook his head. "Stick to conventional weapons for the ground assault. Constructing new Sonic Cannons is too time consuming to risk losing the few we've made; our medical teams will need as many as we can build to neutralise infestations in the civilian populace."

"Understood, Sir," Flintlock replied with a respectful nod. "Commander Richards is delighted with the new med-kits, so I think he'll take the bad news stoically."

There was polite laughter amongst the other attending captains and Zelig smiled as he said, "Please pass on my apologies to Commander Richards." Glancing at the images of the attending officers, he continued, "Unless there are any more questions, I'll speak to you again at 09:30 and brief you on the new strategy for our counter-offensive." When no one else spoke up, he finished by saying, "Get a good night's sleep everyone, tomorrow is likely to be a long day."

Admiral Zelig ended the call and the Terran Federation insignia appeared on the screen. Flintlock sat back in his chair and looked off into the distance as he remembered the horrors he'd seen aboard that Kirrix hive ship several months ago. He'd suffered through terrible nightmares for weeks afterwards, the atrocities he'd witnessed preying on his mind. The admiral was right, it was likely to be a gruelling day tomorrow, but Flintlock didn't think he was going to get much sleep.

***

Councillor Talari watched from a porthole window as his shuttle plunged through the low cloud cover over the planet Clodonus. The shroud of white was replaced by murky greens and browns, the view that of brackish swampland for as far as the eye could see.

*Councillor, we will be making planetfall in 67 seconds,* the pilot informed him, as the shuttle began its final approach to the makeshift starport.

Talari rose from his seat, confident that the shuttle's inertial dampening system would eliminate the unpleasant side-effects of rapid deceleration. Just over a minute later, the door in the silvery hull slid open, a set of Etherium steps unfolding down to the landing pad below. His first impression of Clodonus was revulsion, as he was met by the awful stench of rotting vegetation. Talari wavered for a moment, fighting down the urge to vomit.

"Snacksize! About time you turned up!" a deep but cheerful voice rumbled, originating across the landing pad.

Talari steadied himself then walked down the steps as a phalanx of silver-armoured Ashanath troopers formed a protective cordon around him. Towering above the five-foot-tall security detail, a huge four-armed Drakkar was waiting for him, his toothy jaws twisted into a terrifying grin.

"Warboss Nugrok, a pleasure to see you once again," Talari replied, his voice modulator making his speech sound like an eerie whisper. "Is there any chance I can convince you to call me by my actual name?"

The hulking Drakkar shook his head, his fanged smile widening. "Grey names sound stupid... you're called Snacksize now!"

"If you insist," Talari replied, trying not to sigh. He glanced out at the foul-smelling swamp from his vantage point on the raised platform. "Are your people experiencing any difficulties acclimatising to Clodonus?"

"Nah, it's just like home here," the brutish Drakkar said, turning and beckoning with one of his four hugely-muscled arms. "C'mon I'll give you the tour."

Talari followed the enormous creature as it stomped along the raised bridge that led towards the starport. Even from here, the Councillor was able to see what looked like extensive earthworks beyond the silvery Ashanath buildings. Although Talari was used to the heat after spending most of his life on Ashana, his homeworld was a very dry planet, while Clodonus was incredibly humid. All the moisture in the air made it feel like he was drowning and his breathing was laboured as they walked. One of the troopers handed him a rebreather and Talari quickly attached it over his mouth and nose, sighing with relief as he was able to inhale normally once again.

By contrast, Nugrok seemed completely unfazed by the humidity, striding along without a care in the world. The big Drakkar glanced down at his guest and said, "You don't need all these little Grey men to protect you. I'm right here... none of my boys would dare even think about eating you!"

Talari turned his black-eyed gaze towards the four-armed putrid-green alien. "I am sure that is quite true, Warboss Nugrok. However, who would save me from ending up on your toothpick?"

The Drakkar threw his hammer-shaped head back and guffawed, his jaw snapping open and closed. "You always were a smart one, Snacksize!"

Not feeling particularly confident that the Warboss was joking, Talari decided it might be prudent to retain his Ashanath honour guard for a while longer. He followed the big Drakkar into the starport, which was thronging with silver-garbed Ashanath. Some were easily identifiable as soldiers by their laser weapons and body armour, but there were also dozens of scientists here too. Talari had granted numerous requests from research teams, who had thrilled at the opportunity to observe the Drakkar in a close facsimile of their natural habitat.

Crossing the broad silver lobby, they reached a long gallery that provided an unobstructed view of the Drakkar compound. Talari paused and stared in astonishment at the elaborate stone and earth construction laid out before him. The Drakkar had drained this section of the swamp, then shifted thousands of tonnes of dirt to expose the bedrock below. An enormous embankment surrounded the dig site, which seemed robust enough to keep the swamp from seeping through. There were also dozens of raised platforms, with silver-coloured Ashanath buildings sitting on those foundations.

"Not bad, eh?" Nugrok chortled. "Better to keep the boys occupied hauling dirt than leave them to kill each other."

"Your people are extremely industrious, Nugrok. I must confess to being astounded that you were able to make such dramatic progress in so short a time."

The warboss shrugged. "It was something to do."

"And how about your dietary requirements?" Talari asked with concern. "Are they being met to your satisfaction? I requested that constant shipments of Bhatana-elk be provided and we've released tens-of-thousands of live specimens into the local habitat."

"Yeah, you lot have been great! I don't think any of us have had so much to fill our bellies before." His bulging eyes swung around to the councillor. "So... when can we start killing things for you?"

"At present the Ashanath Collective is not under direct attack, but we are considering assembling a relief force to assist the Terrans against a Kirrix invasion," the councillor carefully explained.

Nugrok's fang-filled maw twisted with disgust. "Bugs taste like shit!" He grimaced, then let out a rueful sigh. "But I guess we owe you one... for not wiping us out."

"I will let you know when we might require your services," Talari murmured, turning to face the big creature that loomed above him. "We have also been attempting to make contact with your females known as the Pod Queens to try and broker a truce, but to no avail so far."

Nugrok froze and his lime-green face turned a peculiar shade of pale-green, somewhat like a pistachio shell. "Err, that's not so smart, Snacksize."

"Why ever not?" Talari asked in confusion. "We assumed that you would request the presence of Drakkar females if we are to make this settlement permanent."

"Nah, we're good!" Nugrok exclaimed in a hurry, waving all four hands at him frantically.

***

Charles sat behind his desk, reviewing his recommendations for promotions. Satisfied that he had made a convincing case for both officers, he added his digital signature to each document and forwarded it for review by the Admiralty Selection Board. He had little doubt that they would be approved, as Commodore Kuan Ming and Rear Admiral Dacres had both performed exceptionally well during the Battle of Terra. Their promotions to Rear Admiral and Vice Admiral respectively had been well earned.

The intercom on his desk buzzed, and his assistant sounded a little distracted as he said, "Sir, Admiral Van Den Broeck is here to see you."

"Send her in, Victor," Charles said, shaking his head in despair at his adjutant, who always seemed to fall to pieces in the presence of a pretty face. "And you can call it a night, I'll be leaving in a few minutes."

"Thank you, Sir," the young lieutenant said gratefully.

The door to his office opened and Lina sauntered inside, an extra swing to her hips. "I can't believe you're still on duty!" She wagged a finger at him disapprovingly. "All work and no play makes Charlie a dull boy..."

He chuckled as he rose from his seat. "You might have a point there, Lina. I'm actually just finished for the day, but you can schedule a meeting with Victor first thing in the morning."

"It looks like I timed this perfectly then," Lina purred, her green eyes flashing as she flicked her scarlet locks over a shoulder. "It's too late to be working... but just the right time for playing..."

"I'd love to go for a drink with you again," Charles said amiably, much to her delight. "But unfortunately, I've already made plans this evening."

Lina's pretty face fell in disappointment, but she quickly recovered. "Are you sure you can't cancel whatever you had planned?" She stepped closer and trailed a finger along his arm. "I'm sure we could find something much more entertaining to do than spend all night drinking..."

Charles hesitated, then reached for her hand and gave it a gentle squeeze. "Lina, I think you're a very beautiful woman and I've thoroughly enjoyed getting to know you over the last couple of days. However, I think it's only fair to let you know that I'm meeting someone for a date this evening."

The redhead looked at him incredulously. "It's Lynette, isn't it? I can't believe you're blowing me off for her!"

Shaking his head, Charles quickly replied, "No, it's not Lynette."

Lina's momentary burst of anger turned into amusement. "Oh, really? The Fleet Admiral's not going to be happy to hear that... you do know she's interested in you, right?"

Charles made no attempt to hide his dubious frown. "No, we're just very good friends."

She laughed and patted his cheek. "Oh, Charlie... I hope for your sake Lynette's not the jealous type." Tilting her head to one side coquettishly, she continued, "So who is the lucky lady?"

"Her name's Marie," Charles replied with a wistful smile, as he thought about the hazel-eyed goddess. "I think she's Lynette's niece."

Lina gaped at him in shock, then her deep throaty laughter echoed around the room. "Oh, Charlie, you bad boy!" She glanced around his office and continued, "When the Fleet Admiral has you flayed alive, would you be upset if I asked for your office? It's so much nicer than mine."

Charles briefly considered telling her that Lynette approved of him dating Marie, but he was running late and wanted to wrap this conversation up quickly.

Unfortunately, Lina had no intention of ending their chat just yet. She raised an eyebrow and asked with a teasing smile, "So... how old is this little Devereux temptress then?"

He blushed furiously and couldn't meet her eyes as he quietly admitted, "I think she's early twenties..."

Lina smirked at him and shook her head. "You really are a dark horse." Leaning closer, she brushed her lips against his ear and whispered, "Come and see me when you get tired of little girls... I'll show you what a real woman can do."

Charles gaped at her in astonishment as she twirled around and sashayed out of his office, blowing him a flirtatious kiss over her shoulder.

A minute later, Victor poked his head around the door, trying not to smile. "Have a good night, Sir."

Closing his mouth, Charles frowned at his assistant. "How much of that did you overhear?"

"Enough to know that tomorrow I want to ask you for some tips," Victor replied, with a broad grin.

Charles couldn't help laughing and waved him away. "Get out of here..."

Victor gave him a sharp salute, but his grin never left his face. "Yes, Sir!"

Glancing at his watch, Charles frowned as he realised he needed to get moving too. He strode out of his office and nearly caught up with Victor, who turned left in the corridor outside. The Senior Officers' Quarters were to the right, which meant Charles would be able to avoid any more ribbing from his assistant, much to his relief.

As he walked along the corridor towards the Fleet Admiral's suite, Charles couldn't help remembering what Lina had just told him. He still didn't believe the redhead's claim that Lynette was interested in him romantically, but then again, he'd always found women to be quite the enigma. As he thought about his meetings with the Fleet Admiral over the last couple of days, he felt a chill run down his spine. Lynette had invited him to her quarters and cooked lunch for him... how the hell could he have misinterpreted that?! Suddenly all her seemingly innocent remarks took on an entirely different light and he realised that Lina was absolutely correct... It now seemed quite obvious that Lynette had been gently flirting with him all along.

Charles paused for a moment and ran his hands over his face. He felt like a total heel; he'd ignored Lynette's tentative advances then cheerfully announced that he wanted to date her niece. She must think he was a complete ass! He groaned and pinched the bridge of his nose. His big date with Marie was actually starting in Lynette's quarters! He couldn't think of a worse way to rub the poor woman's nose in his oblivious rejection than he'd done already.

The worst part was that he genuinely liked Lynette. As he'd got to know her better over the last several days, he'd come to realise that his first impressions of the woman had been way off base. She wasn't a self-centred political schemer, Lynette was actually a deeply compassionate person, who was doing whatever she could to improve the lives of billions of Terran citizens. It was clear that she also possessed a sharp intelligence, a great sense of humour, and a practical approach to problem solving which he found quite refreshing. She'd been nothing but kind and supportive with him too, and he'd thoroughly enjoyed her company.

It was a sobering thought that he'd completely overlooked Lynette as a romantic interest based solely on looks alone. He'd never thought of himself as being that shallow, but it had only taken a flirtatious smile from a beautiful young woman to have him behaving like a lovestruck teenager. He realised he was standing aimlessly in the middle of the corridor and starting to get funny looks from people walking past. Setting off again, he headed for Lynette's quarters, determined to apologise for the thoughtless way he'd been behaving.

Charles almost turned around when he reached the door to her suite, cringing at the thought of the awkward conversation to come. Speaking to Lynette about this was the last thing he wanted to do, but he knew he owed her an apology at the very least. For the first time, he found himself tremendously relieved that he wasn't attempting to follow in John's footsteps. Charles had managed to get himself in a fine pickle with only three women flirting with him, God only knew how John somehow juggled - what was it now? - nine Lionesses? He shook his head in disbelief and pressed the door chime before he could talk himself out of it.

He didn't have to wait long and Lynette was there at the door, smiling as she gestured for him to come in.

"It's lovely to see you again, Charles," she said with a lopsided smile. Her hazel eyes had a wicked gleam to them as she teased him, "And what, pray tell, brings you to my quarters at this hour?"