Three Square Meals Ch. 118

What made Grakira's actions even more galling, was that her pursuit of the Lion was the catalyst for the Terran traitors to switch sides and rejoin the loyal forces. Their combined firepower under the tactical command of the Lion had left Grakira reeling, Admiral John Blake proving himself to be a gifted tactician as he obliterated her entire strike force. Then the traitor's trap had been turned on Zorlin's own fleet, the Interdiction Beacons preventing his escape from the debacle and forcing him to beg for surrender...

By Bhairmunax the Unjust, it was such a travesty!

The Kintark leader forced himself to unclench his claws and slowly exhaled to calm himself. Reviewing the battle and learning from his mistakes was an important exercise, but obsessing over the defeat would accomplish nothing. He stared at the Terran escort fleet with a weary look of resignation. The Terran Federation had won the war, inflicting such a devastating defeat on the Kintark Empire, Zorlin wasn't sure how his people would survive it. The Terran guards had delighted in showing footage of the climactic fleet engagement to their horrified prisoners, the Battle of Terra decisively ending the Kintark Empire as a major power in the galaxy.

"High Prelate, we are receiving an incoming call from the battlessship Dinlasss," his communications Sub-Prelate announced, the delivery flat and lifeless.

Zorlin turned to face him and gestured for the officer to proceed. "Thank you, comrade. Pleassse put him through."

The holo-screen crackled and the winged sword icon of the Terran Federation faded away, to be replaced by a high-ranking Terran officer, his tanned face set in a stern expression. "High Prelate Zorlin, as I'm sure you're aware, we're approaching the border."

"Thank you for providing sssafe passage through Terran territory, Admiral Ramosss," the Kintark officer replied, nodding to him politely.

Guilherme Ramos' eyes narrowed and he looked like he wanted to make a barbed comment. "Just following orders, High Prelate," he finally muttered, his face a stony mask. "Do not deviate from the predefined flight path until you cross over into Kintark territory."

Zorlin inclined his head to acknowledge the order. "We will avoid doing anything that could be consssidered provocation, Admiral."

The Terran Admiral nodded and said curtly, "That would be very wise."

Admiral Ramos ended the call before the High Prelate could respond, leaving Zorlin staring at the Terran Federation insignia. The Kintark leader bristled at the Admiral's discourteous attitude, then sighed as he realised the Terran had probably lost comrades in the Battle of Terra and must have deeply resented being given this escort duty.

The flotilla sailed onward and he watched his forces cross the new holographic border line between Kintark and Terran Space. Instead of that boundary line curving down for light years, following the historical perimeter of the Dragon March, it made an abrupt left turn, arcing deep into what used to be the middle of the Kintark Empire. Zorlin watched the Terran fleet make a slight course correction, then it sailed into the vast swathe of space recently annexed by the Federation.

Shaking his head, Zorlin turned away, feeling his heart sink in his chest. His people were paying a heavy price for the Emperor's hubris. "Ssset course for the Mar'Trinark Ssshipyard," he said quietly, his voice breaking the deathly silence on the Bridge. Glancing at his comms officer, he added, "Open a channel to the Imperial Palace on Kinta and requessst permisssion to ssspeak with the Empresss... I'll take the call in my command quartersss."

Zorlin turned and strode from the Bridge, trying not to let the crew see how anxious he was. Entering the High Prelate's suite, he strode over to his desk and slid into the chair. It took a minute to route the call through to Kinta, so he made it in plenty of time to see the imperial sigil appear. When it faded away, a terrifying draconic face stared at him, shiny red scales surrounding huge reptilian eyes.

"Empresss Tamolith, thank you for granting me an audience," Zorlin said, bowing respectfully.

The dragon's face shifted to one of delight. "High Prelate Zorlin! How wonderful it is to see you freed from captivity." Looking at him with sympathy, Tamolith added, "I hope you didn't suffer during your imprisonment?"

Shocked by her compassionate tone, Zorlin gaped at the Empress before he managed to compose himself. "Ah... thank you for your concern, Empresss. Assside from unending interrogationsss, I wasss treated asss well asss could be expected."

Tamolith looked greatly relieved, even breaking into a toothy smile. "I'm so glad to hear it. Knowing that heroes of the Kintark Empire were bound in Terran chains was keeping me awake at night. Negotiations for peace with the Terran Federation were long and gruelling, but I insisted that we would never agree to a treaty that did not call for the immediate release of the brave souls captured at Regulus."

Zorlin was even more astounded. "T-thank you, your Imperial Majesssty. I mussst admit, I wasss not sssure how welcome we would be on our return."

"I am not my vain and foolish predecessor," Tamolith said, shaking her head with distaste. "I know the value of a loyal and capable High Prelate. I have reviewed the Battle of Regulus... Despite being given inadequate fleet resources for such an ambitious objective, you might still have secured a glorious victory, if your plans hadn't been undermined by an impatient half-wit."

The High Prelate sagged with relief, bewildered but elated that the new Empress wasn't blaming him for the crushing defeat. "I wisssh only to ssserve the Empire to the bessst of my ability, Imperial Majesssty."

"Knowing your well-deserved reputation, I would have expected nothing less," Tamolith said graciously. Her expression turned sombre as she continued, "So it saddens me to inform you that Baledranax had your family imprisoned and shipped to the Xen-Nalbek mines... However, I have released them all and they are receiving the best medical treatment in the Empire."

A tear rolled down Zorlin's scaly cheek, unable to believe what he was hearing. "Oh, thank you, Empresss! Did they all sssurvive their imprisssonment?"

She nodded, giving him a fang-filled smile. "They did. Your family estate has also been restored and they will be able to return there once their treatment is complete."

He was lost for words, overwhelmed by the complete reversal of his family's disastrous fortunes.

"When you arrive at Kinta, you must come straight to the Imperial Palace. Your family are my honoured guests and are eager to welcome you home." Tamolith studied him as if trying to gauge his intentions. "In the meantime, Mar'Trinark Shipyard awaits the return of your fleet. We must refit all those vessels as quickly as possible and see that the Empire's borders are safeguarded against our enemies once again. Can we expect your arrival soon?"

"We have already ssset courssse for Kinta!" Zorlin exclaimed, an eager gleam in his eyes. "I am your loyal ssservant, Empresss! It will be an honour to help you rebuild the Kintark Empire and reclaim our rightful posssition in the galaxy!"

"Excellent," Tamolith said, her draconic maw curling up into a smile of satisfaction. "Welcome back to the Kintark Empire, High Prelate."

***

John stood at the tall window, watching the hive ship lift off the ground, retro-thrusters flaring along its hull as it departed from the planet. "And they're away," he said with satisfaction, turning back to look at the girls.

Behind him, the ochre-hued spires of the Kirrix starport began to disappear from sight, as the Invictus also took off and gained altitude. The hive ship had a head start, but the white battlecruiser had much more powerful retro-thrusters and engines, so they quickly pulled ahead and passed the colonists as they headed for the stars.

"Will they be safe travelling home on their own?" Helene asked with concern, watching John as he retook his seat at the head of the table.

"They should be fine," Alyssa replied, while subconsciously reaching out to clasp John's hand. "They'll be travelling at triple the speed of any vessel the Kirrix have got."

"The hive ship is programmed to evade any attempt at interception," Irillith added, steepling her fingers and smiling. "The Kirrix have no chance of catching it... unless they set up a substantial net of interdictors."

"I suspect there's only one Kirrix fleet left in this sector," Calara said thoughtfully. "The forces that attacked Carolus III, Brecken's World, Karron, and Menganus IV have all been obliterated, and we mauled the one that hit Tasmaris Prime. The only intact fleet they have left is the one that besieged Valia Gate, but those Kirrix returned the colonists, so I expect they'll give that hive ship a wide berth."

"The flightpath I gave them avoids the direct route back from Valia Gate," Alyssa informed them. "With a little luck, they won't even see each other."

"So... can we go over what we've been up to now?" Dana asked impatiently, flashing a grin at John.

Sakura raised a hand, catching his attention. "Before we do that, is there any chance we could see the helmet camera footage of you in action? Alyssa told us what happened... but I'd like to see for myself."

John smiled at the redhead's ensuing pout. "We'll get onto that in a minute, honey." Turning to Faye, he continued, "Would you be able to-"

"It's already queued up and ready!" the purple sprite exclaimed, nodding exuberantly. "As soon as we got in range, I downloaded the data from your Paragon suit and put together a video of the rescue."

John glanced at Helene and frowned. "Maybe you'd like to relax in the Lagoon with the Nymphs? The fighting got very... bloody... and I don't want you to get upset."

The aquatic girl considered it for a moment. "I think it's important that I see what you have to do to keep our family safe. Perhaps I could sit with you while we're watching? I know I'll feel a lot braver then..."

"Sounds like a good plan to me," John agreed with an indulgent smile. He opened his arms to Helene and wrapped them around her when she sat on his lap.

Dana recognised a clever move when she saw one and smirked at the teal-skinned beauty. "Very smooth..."

Faye waited for a nod from John, then she began the video. It began with him standing in the back of the gunship, a shimmering blue sphere of hexagons springing into existence around him, before he stepped out the back.

"You've progressed beyond those wrist shields," Sakura said, nodding her approval.

"It was instinctive," he replied, eyes locked on the holo-screen. "As was this next part apparently..."

As John dropped towards the Kirrix starport, it grew steadily larger in his field of view... then for a brief moment, it seemed to shrink as if he was flying away from it.

Tashana leaned forward watching in fascination. "And you had no idea you were growing?"

"None at all," he admitted, following his progress until he landed in the midst of the Kirrix defenders, his landing marked by a telekinetic blastwave that hurled them across the docking bay.

After clearing the area of soldiers, Jade landed in dragon form beside him, not having to lower her head much to gaze into John's eyes.

"And you didn't notice that Jade barely had to duck to look at you?" Tashana marvelled.

John hesitated, then shook his head. "The effect was subtle. At the time I was thinking how insignificant the Kirrix were... they seemed like pathetic insects that weren't a challenge anymore."

They watched in silence as he smashed four hive ships, read the psychic echoes around the starport, then chased after the abducted colonists.

"The Kirrix look tiny," Calara murmured as he carved his way through the Kirrix troopers. "It's no wonder your perception of them started to change."

Helene clung to John's arm as she watched him hacking the insectoid soldiers to pieces, her grip tightening when he fought the hulking juggernauts. He stroked her back to soothe her and she eventually calmed, although she still kept a firm hold of his arms that he'd wrapped around her waist. The rest of the girls watched the camera footage in fascination, transfixed by the massacre. John was moving in a blur, charging from one group to the next and slaughtering all the Kirrix in his path. Faye slowed the video's frame rate to counter John's accelerated speed, making the insectoids look like they were moving in slow motion as they tried to stop him.

Tashana gazed unblinking at the carnage on the screen. "Is that what psychic speed feels like to you?"

John and Sakura both nodded. "Yes."

They shared a smile, then John explained, "Rather than me speeding up, it feels like I've stayed the same, but everyone else has slowed down."

The Maliri pistoleer turned to look at him, a burning hunger in her eyes. "That's a very powerful ability, Baen'thelas..."

Alyssa raised an eyebrow and nodded. "There's several of us who see a lot of combat. Is there any chance you could share the love?"

"Unfortunately, I don't have that level of control over the abilities I've given to each of you," he admitted with a rueful frown. "I've just had a vague idea and shared some of my power with you to make it happen. I did ask Athena about it once and she was predictably enigmatic... but she discouraged me from delving too deeply into it."

Alyssa mulled that over for a moment. "Psychic speed is amazing, but I guess it does have its downsides."

Tashana gave her a curious look. "It does?"

"Sure, a few actually," the blonde replied. "It uses a ton of psychic energy, which is manageable when it's only John and Sakura doing it, but if all of you started rushing about all over the place, we'd get tapped out fast."

Rachel nodded, looking thoughtful. "And we know there's a cost to John's psychic strength when he grants us abilities. Giving all of us enhanced speed would result in a dramatic reduction of his own power potential."

"Which we definitely don't want," Jade agreed, sharing a smile with Alyssa.

"Plus, I'm not sure how well it would work with Pyrokinesis," Dana said, holding up her hand and making a fanning motion with the other. "Wouldn't the flames slow down as soon as they left Tashana's body? She'd have to be really careful not to accidentally immolate herself!"

"I rely heavily on my ninjato when I'm accelerated," Sakura said, nodding her agreement. "I use Cryokinesis to freeze the blades and for area-based effects, rather than directly attacking with ice lances."

"I tend to use my sword and telekinetic arcs," John said, thinking back on the battle. "I've never felt in any danger of running into a force projection, but they're very fast... and I've been creating them with my sword."

"Speaking of which," Dana said, gesturing towards the holo-video that showed his glowing runeblade caving in one juggernaut after another. "Where the hell did that come from?!"

"I was reshaping the sword Alyssa made for me and got a bit distracted. I ended up creating it subconsciously," he explained, staring at the elaborate design of the hilt. "It feels old... ancient even... a bit like the psychic armour I summoned in the Astral Plane. There's a pull from the blade... it feeds off power... hungers for it. You've seen what happened when I poured psychic energy into the runes."

"Is it some kind of special Progenitor gear?" the redhead asked, her curiosity piqued.

He shrugged helplessly. "Sorry, I don't know."

"Mael'nerak wielded a rune-inscribed staff," Jade murmured, her eyes unfocused.

"I remember that," Calara said, nodding thoughtfully. "We saw him using one on those stone monoliths in the Ashanath's Progenitor vault."

Alyssa shook her head, staring at her fellow matriarch. "You weren't referring to the pictures... were you, Jade?"

The Nymph slowly shook her head. "I remember the runes... they pulsed like a heartbeat..." Her green brow furrowed in concentration. "Psychic energy pouring over us... memories fading... my sisters standing still and silent... I copied them, wanted to be good for my Master."

John shot a started glance at Alyssa, then turned his attention to Jade again. "Where was this? When?"

"The Palace... on Kythshara..." Jade whispered.

"Mael'nerak's Throne World," John said in a hushed voice, remembering the unusual name.

Jade nodded, turning to look at him. "Before he released us on Lenarra."

Rachel studied the Nymph in fascination. "It sounds like he deliberately wiped out their memories. Do your sisters remember any of this, Jade?"

Jade shook her head. "No, they remember nothing before John became their new master."

"The Achonin runes..." Rachel murmured, lost in thought. "They must have something to do with it. It's the only differentiating factor between Jade and her sisters..."

"Wiping the Nymphs' memories before freeing them does make sense," Sakura mused out loud, before blushing and quickly adding, "At least from a security perspective. They must have seen incredibly advanced technology and overheard many private conversations while they were with Mael'nerak. I'm sure he wouldn't want his enemies to stumble across the Nymphs and effectively give them an archive of everything he'd been doing for thousands of years."

"Can you remember anything else, Jade?" John asked, looking at the pensive Nymph with concern.

She slowly shook her head. "Everything before that moment is still a big blank... After he wiped our memories, Mael'nerak thanked us for our service, then we were loaded aboard his ship. A short while later we arrived at Lenarra and were released onto the plains. The Nymphs were scattered after that, living a simple hunter-gather existence in small tribes. We existed like that for thousands of years until the Terrans discovered our world."

Calara put her arm around the Nymph. "I'm sorry, Jade."

"I never would have met all of you if that hadn't happened, so at least some good came of it," she replied, smiling at everyone seated around the table.

They were all touched by her sincerity, prompting a group hug that had the Nymph purring with contentment. After returning to his seat, John glanced at Faye, who restarted the holo-recording. The rest of the battle in the tunnel was a brutal affair, with juggernauts and troopers being butchered left and right. Everyone watched in amazement as John devastated the Kirrix army in the huge hall outside the nest, the sheer numbers involved leaving them awestruck. When John finally realised his size and turned to survey the carnage he had wrought, many of the girls were watching in open-mouthed wonder.

"Holy shit..." Dana muttered under her breath, eyes like saucers as she stared at the bloody battlefield.

Sakura shook her head in disbelief, then darted a smile at John. "I don't know why you bothered giving all of us powers, when you can do that."

"I never knew I had it in me," he said quietly, still shocked by the extent of the slaughter.

Helene turned away from the screen and buried her face in his shoulder, not able to watch any more. He stroked her reassuringly, whispering comforting words in her ear as he watched the end of the fight play out on the screen. The video continued, with John invading the nest, the girls on the edge of their seats when they saw him fighting the trio of hive queens. There were audible sighs of relief when he incinerated the last one, then cheers when Jade rushed into shot to give him a hug. The camera footage concluded with the elimination of the last Kirrix defenders and the confrontation with the ancient hive queen.

"So you decided to read that thing's mind, lobotomised the bitch, then got trapped in her head by your guide?" Dana asked, turning to look at John.