Three Square Meals Ch. 125

Leaving the small townhouse was a stark reminder of the horrific tragedy that had befallen the Larathyran Empire. What should have been a bustling suburban street, was now as silent as the grave, the only activity from a dozen workers carrying heavy black bags to an awaiting hover-truck. The trailer at the rear was piled high... and Auralei knew exactly what each of those lumpy bags contained. Even more shocking than the corpse-strewn street, was the fact that all the Larathyrans collecting the atrophied cadavers were male. They had started their gruesome task two days ago, clearing the boulevards of the fallen... and taking away her mother's desiccated remains.

One of the grim-faced men was a new addition to the team. He spotted her leave the house and blurted out incredulously, "Auralei?!" Leaping down from the trunk, he ran over to join her. "I can't believe it... you're alive!"

"It's good to see you, Pellas," she said, giving him a wan smile.

He looked at her in disbelief for a moment, then hugged her fiercely. "I thought you were dead!"

"No... but my mother..." she trailed off, hugging him back.

He nodded, his expression a mask of grief. "I know... mine too."

"Your sisters?" she asked, before immediately wishing she could take back the question.

Pellas' face fell and he shook his head, a haunted look in his eyes. He was the youngest of four siblings... and the only son.

"I'm so sorry..." she murmured, squeezing his hand.

He swallowed around the lump in his throat, then stared at her curiously. "You're the only woman I've seen for days. You know... since it happened."

She looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"There's only young girls and men left... millions of women are dead!"

Auralei felt a shiver of dread run down her spine. Women vastly outnumbered men in the Larathyran Empire and if it was true that all the adult women had died, she couldn't imagine how dreadful the consequences for the survivors. "Media channels have all gone offline... How do you know for sure?"

"I've heard rumours... and two days ago, we drove through the city centre," he said in a hushed voice. "It was awful... like a vast mausoleum!"

She grabbed his arm, trying to fight back her fear. "What happened, Pellas?!"

The young man shrugged helplessly. "Perhaps it was a virus, or some kind of plague maybe?"

"What kind of disease only attacks adult women?" she asked, shaking her head and looking sceptical. "And the terrible way they died... a virus couldn't have done this!"

"I don't know..." he replied, his eyes welling up. "I'm sorry... I just don't know."

Aurelia could see how devastated her friend was and she felt a surge of sympathy for him. He was normally such a cheerful boy, always making their classmates at the Botanical Institute laugh with his off-colour jokes. To see him so stricken with grief was heartbreaking.

"It's alright..." she said gently. "You have nothing to apologise for."

One of the older men turned to frown in his direction. "Pellas! We need your strong arms!"

He grimaced at the prospect of continuing his macabre task. "One moment, I'll be right there!"

Auralei looked at him with concern. "How did you end up doing... this?"

"I volunteered," he replied stoically, but the hollow look in his eyes revealed that he'd already seen more than enough death for ten lifetimes. "Somebody had to do it..."

She gave him a supportive hug. "When will I see you back at the Institute?"

He gave her a funny look. "It's gone, Auralei. The staff, the girls from our senior class... they're all dead."

"Pellas!" the man by the truck yelled again, his voice turning angry.

"Take care of yourself... please?" her friend requested, gently patting her arm before turning to jog across the street.

She nodded in a shocked daze. "You too."

Fumbling for the keyfob to her mother's hovercar, she opened the gull-wing doors, then slumped into the plush seat. Auralei had been so consumed by grief since her mother's death, that she was only now beginning to understand the scale of the disaster. Despite her friend's warning, she knew she needed to see the Institute for herself. Easing the dark-blue vehicle out of her driveway, she accelerated away from her home, her departure watched by every member of the corpse disposal team.

The streets were strewn with crashed hovercars, the female drivers losing control of the vehicles as their life was cruelly extinguished. Pellas was right; even on the outskirts of the metropolis, it was like travelling through an enormous ghastly morgue. Death had stalked through the capital city, its pitiless touch laying waste to all the women of Larnorin. Auralei tried not to stare at the endless sprawl of corpses, each tortured body reminding her of her mother's dreadful fate. Instead, she focused on avoiding the abandoned and wrecked hover-vehicles that littered the road.

It didn't take long to reach the Botanical Institute and one glance at the darkened academy provided ample evidence that Pellas was correct. The building itself had lost power and where it had once been brightly-lit and inviting, it now looked forlorn, as if it were mourning the deceased faculty and pupils. Drifting into the car park, Auralei saw there was still life outside the building, with a gathering of young women talking together animatedly. She parked her compact hovercar, then quickly exited and ran over to join the chattering crowd.

Auralei recognised one of the much younger girls, a neophyte student that she'd been mentoring for a year, and touched her arm to get her attention. "I'm so glad you're alright, Kylantha!"

The young woman whirled around, her eyes like saucers. "Auralei!" She flung her arms around her mentor with relief. "I thought I'd lost you!"

Hugging her back, Auralei said quietly, "You're the second person that's told me that today. Why did you think I'd died?"

"No adults survived!" the shocked girl gasped. "No women at least... only the men appear to be unscathed."

"I'm still only 29..." Aurelia murmured, struggling to comprehend what could have wiped out all the adult women with such merciless efficiency. "My Ceremony of Allegiance is next month."

"We need more volunteers!" a deep voice called out from behind the wall of girls. "Are any of you willing to search the Palace?"

Aurelia shuddered at the thought of dragging all those twisted corpses from the Emperor's Palace.

"I'll volunteer!" Kylantha blurted out, raising her hand to get the man's attention. "And I know Aurelia will want to help too!"

Looking at her in horror, Aurelia whispered frantically, "I-I can't... not dead bodies!"

Kylantha turned to look at her friend and shook her head. "We're looking for children... babies! We have to act quickly, they don't have much time!"

***

John woke in an unfamiliar room, shafts of light filtering through what looked like cracks in the ceiling. It took a moment for his brain to catch up and realise he was looking at the battered armour plates covering the Observatory's crystal dome.

"Good morning, handsome," Alyssa whispered, leaning over to give him a kiss.

He stretched contentedly. "You're right... it's a very good morning."

"I take it you had fun last night?" she asked, her eyes sparkling even in the dim light.

He nodded, slipping an arm around her to stroke her back. "I really did. I needed to feel close to all of you again after everything we've just been through."

"You were magnificent, Master," Jade murmured, turning on his left so that she could gaze at him with a serene look of satisfaction.

"Well I know you definitely had a good time," he said with a fond smile, embracing his second matriarch. "I don't remember you ever being quite that excited before..."

Alyssa gave him a look filled with admiration. "You did quite a number on all the Nymphs last night."

Jade nodded, her feline eyes softening. "My sisters are all so eager to please you... they're embracing their self-awareness far faster than I was able to."

"That's because they're lucky enough to have a very special older sister," he said, caressing her delightful curves. "You did a wonderful job teaching me all about Nymphs... and what really stirs their soul."

She beamed back at him, but her radiant smile slowly faded into a look of thoughtful contemplation.

"What are you thinking about, honey?" he asked, concerned by her sudden shift in mood.

"John... do I actually have a soul?" she murmured, her brows furrowing into a pensive frown.

"Of course you do!" he replied, without even having to think about it. "You're thoughtful, kind, and compassionate... you must have a soul to be a good person like that."

"But Rachel said that the Nymphs were an artificial construct; that Mael'nerak created us. Can we be imbued with a soul if we aren't a natural species?"

Alyssa brushed her fingers down Jade's arm. "I like to think that I've got a soul... and Mael'nerak created Terrans too."

Jade thought about that for a moment, then her expression brightened into a glorious smile. "You're right! If he gave souls to the Terrans, Trankarans, and Ashanath, it would be silly not to give them to Nymphs as well."

"There's a way we can test that theory," John said, giving the green-skinned beauty a playful grin.

The Nymph giggled, then leaned down to kiss him. John released Alyssa so he could hold Jade with both arms, increasing the passion of their embrace as he caressed her nubile body. Jade's soft skin went from refreshingly cool to smouldering with renewed passion, and she moaned wantonly into his mouth. When they parted, she looked at him with starry-eyes, her pupils almost eclipsing the emerald irises.

"That certainly looked like a soul-searing kiss to me," Alyssa observed, keeping her voice neutral and impassive. "Wouldn't you agree, Jade?"

"Oh, yes..." she replied with a dreamy sigh. "My soul is definitely sizzling after that!"

John brushed his fingers through the Nymph's dark hair and enjoyed listening to her purr. "Well I'm glad that's settled then... conclusive proof that Nymphs have a soul."

Alyssa snuggled into John and joined him in stroking their blissfully happy bedmate. "Would you like me to wake up Sparks? Or do you want to load up this sexy little Nymph and have her feed Sparks instead?"

"Can you wake Dana up please," he requested, his shaft thickening at the prospect. "I'd like some more kisses from my matriarchs while I give her breakfast."

***

The dusky TFNN reporter gazed directly at the holo-camera, a sombre expression on her beautiful face. "This is Jehanna Elani, official Press Liaison with the Admiralty. I'm bringing you a special TFNN report from Olympus Shipyard and I'm honoured to have Fleet Admiral Devereux as my guest here today..." Turning, she nodded respectfully to the leader of the Terran Federation. "Thank you for joining us, Fleet Admiral."

Lynette inclined her head politely to the TFNN lead anchor. "I'm very glad to be here."

"I'm sure you're aware that distressing rumours have been spreading like wildfire," Jehanna said, her brow furrowing with concern. "There is worrying talk of conflict breaking out with the Brimorians... and I personally witnessed a harrowing act of terrorism on Olympus Shipyard. Can you elaborate on either of these stories?"

"In keeping with my policy of openness and transparency, I'm here to do exactly that for the citizens of the Federation," the Fleet Admiral said, her expression grim. "In the early hours of yesterday morning, the Brimorians launched a cowardly and completely unprovoked assault on our border fleet in the Callopean Shoals. With deepest regret, I am greatly saddened to inform you that the fleet was lost with all hands... bar one survivor."

Jehanna gasped, a look of horror on her face. "There must be some mistake, Fleet Admiral! Surely prisoners were taken? Can't we bargain with the Enclave for their release?"

Lynette's eyes glinted with tightly-suppressed anger as she turned to face the camera. "There is no mistake. The brave men and women who served under Admiral Morgan were murdered by the Brimorians. Flaunting conventions long established by the Galactic League, Enclave forces committed a bloody massacre, gunning down defenceless escape pods without mercy."

"How could they be so cruel?!" the reporter asked, shaking her head in disbelief.

"I don't understand it either, Miss Elani," Lynette said quietly. "I would say that such an act was a terrible war-crime, but the truth is... we are not currently at war with the Brimorians. They lack even the most basic form of honour; we were at peace when they committed this treacherous act against us."

Leaning forward in her chair, Jehanna's brown eyes narrowed with indignant fury. "And how will this atrocity be answered, Fleet Admiral?"

Lynette steepled her fingers, her expression cold and hard. "A decision to go to war is one that High Command treats with the greatest of respect. We must never forget the consequences such a declaration will have for the heroic men and women who serve in the military. While my every instinct urges me to throw the might of our warfleets against such a vile enemy and make them answer for their crimes... we must never make such a decision in an outburst of anger, no matter how righteous."

Jehanna sat back in her chair and nodded, a look of respect on her face. "I understand, Fleet Admiral. You're a stronger woman than me... to keep a cool head in the face of such horrific provocation."

"It is my duty as Fleet Admiral," Lynette said earnestly, her face showing her conflict at maintaining that restraint. Some of the tension in her expression eased and she continued, "Even in the darkest of times, there are moments that remind me that there is still light in the galaxy. We must take solace in the fact that not all alien empires are so cruel and inhuman; in fact, some of our neighbours were just as appalled by the Brimorian's actions..."

"The Trankarans? Or perhaps the Ashanath?" Jehanna prompted, her brown eyes alight with curiosity.

"Both empires have proved themselves to be good friends of the Federation in the past, but this time it was the Maliri Protectorate who contacted us with kind words of support and sympathy." Lynette glanced at the camera again. "Admiral John Blake has been working tirelessly on our behalf, working to improve diplomatic relations with those enigmatic people. He beseeched the Maliri for aid against the Kintark invasion and they sent a mighty warfleet to assist in the defence of Terra. The Maliri greatly admire and respect us... and I'm proud to announce that their reigning monarch, Queen Edraele Valaden, has requested a formal alliance."

Jehanna gasped, looking stunned. "Allies... with the Maliri?!"

"They have vowed to stand at our side in the face of alien aggression," Lynette replied, nodding in confirmation. "Another assault on our borders by the Brimorians will be met with overwhelming force."

"That's outstanding news, Fleet Admiral!" the TFNN reporter gushed with a smile of relief. "It feels incredibly reassuring to know that the Maliri are offering us the hand of friendship... and that the colonies along the border are safe from Enclave encroachment."

"A friend in need is a friend indeed," Lynette said, smiling in agreement. "And I'm pleased to announce that the Maliri intend to increase trade opportunities with the Terran Federation."

"Securing an alliance with the Maliri is an outstanding achievement, Fleet Admiral," Jehanna said, smiling at the older woman seated beside her. "In the aftermath of the Kintark conflict, it was very wise to extend diplomatic overtures to the Maliri."

"I can't claim credit for this astonishing feat of diplomacy," Lynette said magnanimously. "The Lion of the Federation strongly believes, as do I, that we should be much closer with our galactic neighbours. Perhaps some of the wars in our troubled past could have been averted with a kind word or deed."

"It's wonderful to see like-minded beings in the galaxy pulling together for the greater good."

Lynette nodded, but her smile faded. "Unfortunately, not everyone in the Federation shares that vision. As you mentioned earlier, at midday yesterday, a group of insurgents launched a horrific assault on Olympus Shipyard. In an appalling act of barbarity, they detonated bombs in the primary barracks, breaching the shipyard's outer hull."

"Do you have casualty estimates?" Jehanna asked, her expression full of concern.

"Casualties are still being counted, but initial estimates are that over 5000 marines were slain in the blast or in the subsequent atmospheric decompression." Shaking her head in sorrow, Lynette continued, "We believe the bombs were a diversion... that the real targets were the members of High Command stationed on Olympus. After the explosion, Admiral Dedric Schmidt was subsequently murdered by a team of assassins. The death toll could have been far higher, if not for loyal security forces who acted swiftly to deal with this band of cowardly scum."

"Have you identified the terrorist group responsible? Have they given any motive for their horrific act?"

"Rogue elements within the Internal Security Division planned and executed this coup. They intended to strike at the heart of the Terran Federation and wipe out High Command, thereby allowing them to assume control."

"It's hard to believe that monsters like that exist within the Terran Federation," Jehanna said, her expression one of shocked horror. "Have you identified the ringleaders?"

"I can give you my personal guarantee that those responsible will be-"

The holo-screen froze, cutting off the Fleet Admiral mid-sentence.

Governor Stefan Vaughn grimaced and tossed aside the remote in disgust. He turned to the computer on his desk and tapped a button to activate the comms interface, then searched through his list of contacts. Swiping his finger across the one he was looking for, he waited for the call to go through, while staring out the window at the lush forests that blanketed Brecken's World.

The forests had provided a safe haven for many of the colonists that had escaped capture by the Kirrix, a large number of which were children that the parents had spirited away. The aftermath of the invasion had been harrowing enough as it was, but he couldn't begin to imagine the suffering if those innocents had been captured by the inhuman beasts that had assaulted his people.

"So what brings you knockin' on my door, you cantankerous old bastard?" a gruff female voice enquired.

Vaughn turned to look at the blonde woman on the holo-screen. "Your daddy must have gone to his grave wishin' he'd sent you to charm school. Shame he wasted all his credits on booze."

"Nah... he didn't have no regrets. He was too busy screwin' your mamma!" she replied, breaking into a grin.

Shaking his head, Vaughn couldn't help chuckling. "It's good to see you, Luce. How's it goin' over there on Valia Gate?"

"We're gettin' by," she replied, glancing off screen and smiling warmly as someone handed her a steaming mug of coffee. "How about your people? They holdin' up okay?"

"Good days and bad... you know how it is."

A shadow crossed her face and she nodded, her expression turning bleak. "Yeah... I know."

Vaughn looked at her with sympathy, which she acknowledged with a nod of her head.

"Now, are you just callin' to waste my valuable time, or did you actually wanna ask me somethin'?" she enquired, sipping from her mug.

"Have you seen the interview with Devereux?" he asked, trying not to lose his temper.

She eased back in her seat. "Yeah... I saw it. Looks like war with the Brimorians now... and some kinda coup? Goddamn..."

"Sounds to me like we're already yesterday's news," he muttered, his eyes glittering with resentment. "A lot of people got a lot to say about the Admiralty around here."