Three Square Meals Ch. 126

Carmela heard loud voices in the corridor outside and glanced nervously at the door to her suite. She had taken every precaution she could think of, to keep her identity a secret when checking into the hotel. She'd paid in cash and used an alias... there was no possible way Internal Security could be here. Could they?

The comms device on her wrist chirped, making her heart leap into her throat. When she realised it was just an incoming call, she took a deep breath to calm herself and glanced at the holo-panel to check for the caller ID. It was the same anonymous ident that Almada had used when speaking to her before. Sagging with relief, she swiped her hand across, opening the comms channel.

"Thank god you called, Benedito! I've been so worried!" she blurted out.

"They're coming for you, Carmela!" the retired admiral yelled in warning.

She froze, her eyes wide in terror. "T-that's impossible..." she stammered, desperately afraid.

"I've still got a contact with ISD... he saw the order for your immediate detention! If you're captured, you'll be facing torture and execution! You have to get out of there now!"

Whimpering with fear, Carmela lurched to the door and flung it open with a crash. The cleaning maids were outside and they all turned to stare at her. Could they be ISD operatives in disguise? Carmela backed away from them, then turned and fled down the corridor, cold sweat prickling her brow as she prayed they wouldn't just shoot her in the back. Rather than risking waiting for the elevators, she dived through the door to the emergency stairwell. Running down the staircase, she nearly fell several times, eventually losing a shoe as she stumbled on the steps. It skittered across the stairwell then fell through the gap by the slanted windows.

"Get to Maryland starport!" Almada said to her, from the open call she'd forgotten in her frantic haste to escape. "I've arranged a flight to the transit station at Jupiter. From there you can escape to the Outer Rim!"

"Thank you... thank you so much!" she sobbed, throwing open the firedoor into the underground carpark.

Kicking off her other shoe, she ran barefoot across the sparsely-lit parking facility, rushing to her black hover-sedan. For one gut-wrenching minute, Carmela thought she might have left the keyfob back in her room, but as she patted her pockets in a panic, she found the metallic device. Slumping against the car, she hit the button to unlock the door then collapsed inside. Cocooned inside the safety of the vehicle, she sighed with relief, no longer feeling quite so exposed.

"Nav route: Maryland starport," she said in a tremulous voice, watching as the auto navigation system mapped out the most efficient route.

"I should be the one thanking you, Carmela," Almada said, an odd tone to his voice. "Goodbye."

She looked at the comms device in confusion, unsettled by his final words. The whir of anti-grav cyclics reached her ears and the hover-sedan rose majestically into the air. As the drive system engaged, Carmela felt a queasy sense of dread... an instant before a thunderous explosion ripped the black sedan apart, hurling chunks of flaming wreckage across the underground carpark.

***

Sarinia furtively studied a trio of engineers as she walked in the opposite direction, trying not to draw attention to herself as she listened to their light-hearted chatter. It was just as her spy aboard the shipyard had said; hundreds of these white-haired women had recently appeared and were now a common sight on Genthalas. She noticed that instead of keeping a wary eye on each other, the engineers seemed to have developed a sense of cheerful camaraderie. She jumped in surprise when the three smiling Maliri, all from different Houses, suddenly burst into laughter at the punchline to a bawdy joke.

Their behaviour was unnatural and deeply disturbing.

She turned to watch them walk away down the corridor, then winced as the movement aggravated the fresh lacerations on her back. Matriarch Gaenna Baelora had decided that her daughters' disobedience warranted stern punishment, giving each of them several lashes from a neural whip. Such cruel torments had been recently outlawed, but who were the Baeloran sisters going to complain to? Matriarchs had always been the ultimate authority over their own Houses and such laws never applied to them.

Doing her best to ignore the stinging pain from her latest batch of scars, Sarinia glanced at the holo-signs floating above the next intersection. After scanning through the list, she spotted her destination and turned right. As she continued on her way, she tried to piece together exactly what the white hair signified. Despite how fanciful it sounded, she was convinced that Edraele Valaden had undergone some kind of miraculous rejuvenation process, dramatically reversing the onset of time. There was no mistaking the fact that the matriarch's appearance had changed from a woman midway through her second century, to a fresh-faced maiden in the full bloom of youth.

The existence of a wondrous elixir capable of such a transformation would explain her mother's astonishing decision to trade Vrysandral Spice with House Valaden. Sarinia knew that her mother would pay any price to reverse the ravages of time and the recent change to Gaenna's hair colour, would indicate that such a transaction had been made. The Matriarch of House Baelora still looked her age, although she was already showing increased vigour, the stinging slap a testimony to her returning strength.

However, that didn't explain why hundreds of engineers would be so similarly blessed; after all, they were at the opposite end of the social hierarchy. If this priceless gift had been bestowed on the poor and worthless, then why would her mother have to pay such an inordinately high price to receive the same benefits. This perplexing issue with the engineers cast a significant shadow of doubt over Sarinia's whole theory.

She also had no explanation for why several women, including Edraele Valaden and the youngest of the matriarchs gathered at Genthalas, had decided to grow their white hair to such scandalous lengths. From what her spy had been able to gather, only a very small number of the white-haired women had been brazen enough to flaunt tradition that way. That six of them were matriarchs would indicate it to be a mark of prestige, but why would Edraele Valaden's bodyguard be included in their number... especially when the other 13 matriarchs still had short hair. There were too many contradictions to establish any kind of meaningful explanation for what was happening.

Sarinia paused as she entered the huge arboretum, her golden eyed-gaze sweeping over the numerous women present in the verdant park. There were a disproportionate number of white-haired Maliri here, far more than she had previously encountered in Genthalas. Her arrival was noted by several of the closest women, who seemed to evaluate her as a potential threat before looking away, affirming her initial guess that they were bodyguards.

Security personnel being here was a very good sign, indicating the presence of the woman she dearly wished to engage in conversation. Sarinia wandered idly through the park, trying to appear as non-threatening as possible and it didn't take her long to find who she was looking for. She immediately recognised the five matriarchs sitting on the grass, chattering away to each other, having memorised their faces from the dossier her spy had provided. The youngest daughters of their Houses, they had all ascended to the title of matriarch in recent months.

Sitting on a bench in open view, but well out of earshot, Sarinia resisted the overwhelming urge to gape at the quintet of matriarchs in awe. She had been quite unprepared for just how astoundingly beautiful they looked when seen in person, their long white manes almost demanding her enraptured gaze. The five matriarchs were the leaders of rival Houses and should have been fierce enemies, but a quick glance revealed how friendly and at ease they were with one another.

Sarinia pretended to be absorbed by the plants and animals that lived in the arboretum, and tried to ignore the birds' insipid cheeping as she waited patiently for an opportunity. After waiting for nearly an hour, Sarinia's patience paid off. Four of the young women left the park, leaving Kali Loraleth to her own devices.

"It's lovely here, isn't it?" Kali asked, her lovely voice pleasant and without guile.

She turned to look at the stunning young woman standing a few metres away. "It really is. Watching the animals is so... relaxing."

Smiling warmly, the girl glanced at the bench. "Would you mind if I joined you?"

"Of course not," the House Baelora noblewoman replied, returning the smile. "My name's Sarinia... it's actually my first visit to Genthalas."

"I'm Kali," the youthful matriarch replied, being careful not to disclose her rank or House allegiance as she gracefully took a seat.

Sarinia finally allowed herself the opportunity to gaze at Kali's luxurious mane of white hair... or was unable to resist any longer, she wasn't quite sure which. "You look... breathtaking, Kali. I've never seen anyone with hair like yours before. It's so beautiful!"

Smiling self-consciously, Kali raised a hand to touch her silky locks. "Thank you. That's very kind of you to say," she said with a hint of pride. "I know how scandalous it is to wear my hair long like this, but someone I care about a great deal prefers it this way."

"You've almost inspired me to grow mine out too, but my mother would be... unimpressed."

Kali had a faraway look in her eyes and she suddenly giggled.

"Did I say something funny?" Sarinia asked with a smile, looking at her curiously.

Shaking her head, Kali replied, "You just made me think of my own mother. I was trying to imagine the look on her face if she could see me now... but I can't quite decide if she'd be furious or shocked beyond words."

Sarinia sighed. "Mine would be furious."

Looking at her with sympathy, Kali murmured, "I'm sorry, Sarinia. I know what it's like to have an overbearing mother with a foul temper."

"Would you mind if we talked about something else?" Sarinia asked with a rueful frown. "My relationship with my mother is quite... strained... at the moment. It's not a pleasant topic of conversation."

"No, I don't mind," the House Loraleth noblewoman replied. "What brings you to Genthalas?"

"My mother..." Sarinia replied, her lips twitching into a wry grin.

"Oh dear, sorry," Kali said, covering her mouth as she tried not to laugh. "Perhaps you'd like to change the subject instead?"

Sarinia nodded, studying her young companion with interest. "You mentioned that someone you care about a great deal likes your hair long like this. Would you tell me about... him?"

Kali blushed, her cheeks turning a dark indigo. "You're right, it is a man." She let out a wistful sigh. "And what a man he is..."

Leaning forward, Sarinia's ears pricked up. "Might I ask the name of this mysterious man?"

"He's called Baen'thelas," Kali whispered, a starry-eyed look on her face. "Oh, I miss him so much..."

The Righter of Wrongs. Something about the cadence of that formal name in ancient Maliri sent a shiver down Sarinia's spine. "Baen'thelas..." she murmured, liking the way it rolled off her tongue. "What's he like?"

"He's so brave, and kind, and impossibly handsome," Kali said breathlessly. Her hands went to her slim tummy. "I can still hardly believe it, but we're going to start a family together... as soon as he comes home."

"A male from the border stations... coming to Genthalas?!" Sarinia couldn't help blurting out in astonishment.

The young matriarch hesitated, suddenly cautious. "I did say he was brave."

Sarinia recognised a deflection when she heard one. "He does sound wonderful. You're very fortunate to have found such a man to start your family."

"Thank you," Kali replied, relaxing when it was apparent that her new friend wasn't going to press her for more details.

With a sigh of regret, Sarinia rose to her feet. "It was very nice to make your acquaintance, Kali. I really enjoyed speaking with you and I'd love to stay, but I wouldn't want to provoke my mother's ire by keeping her waiting. That would not be wise at all."

Kali looked at her with sympathy as she stood. "I understand completely." She leaned forward, giving her a friendly hug without even thinking about it. After spending so much time with the rest of the Young Matriarchs, tactile displays of affection with people she liked had become second nature. "It was lovely to meet you too, Sarinia. I hope I'll see you again."

Sarinia flinched as Kali accidentally brushed her hand over her latest set of scars.

"Oh, I'm sorry!" Kali blurted out, thinking she'd made her new acquaintance uncomfortable by being overly familiar. She suddenly froze and stared at the older woman with concern. "Wait... that wasn't embarrassment that made you pull away... you're hurt!"

"It's nothing," Sarinia said, backing away a few steps. "Please... forget it happened."

"I know wounds like that. Someone lashed you with a neural whip, didn't they?" Kali asked, her dark blue eyes flashing with indignant anger. She held herself taller and seemed to radiate authority. "Tell me, Sarinia. Who hurt you?"

Sarinia was shocked at the sudden change in the kind-hearted young woman's demeanour. Kali looked so young, she must have only just turned 30, but she now held herself with the regal bearing and commanding presence of a woman with a century of leadership behind her. It took every ounce of her willpower to resist the urge to tell Kali whatever she wanted to know.

"Please... I'll just get in more trouble," Sarinia said nervously, before turning and hurrying away.

"Wait, Sarinia! Come back!" Kali called after her, the concern and worry in her voice as unfamiliar as it was endearing.

Her two bodyguards moved to block Sarinia's hasty departure, but they paused when Kali waved them off, letting the House Baelora noblewoman leave unmolested. Sarinia darted one final regretful look back over her shoulder, making brief eye-contact with Kali before leaving the arboretum. As soon as she was safely out of line-of-sight, she relaxed, dropping her fearful act.

Sarinia allowed herself a furtive smile of satisfaction; that 'accidental' first meeting had gone even better than she could have ever imagined. She had established a rapport with Kali, and left on a high-note as she'd previously planned, but she never could have anticipated that final hug. Playing on the young woman's sympathy had been an act of pure improvisation, but it had worked like a charm. She could hardly wait to see Kali again and further worm her way into the matriarch's confidences.

That naive young woman was Sarinia's key to understanding what was happening at Genthalas... and her mother's insidious schemes.

***

John strode into the Officers' Lounge, trying to shake off his melancholy mood and focus on preparing for the evening with Helene. He smiled when he saw the two teenagers sitting together at the dining table, Dana leaning back in her chair and letting out a contented sigh.

"Are you sure I can't make you anything else?" Calara asked, looking at the redhead with motherly concern. "You missed lunch and dinner, so please don't feel shy if you're still hungry."

Dana groaned and stroked her rounded stomach. "I honestly couldn't eat another bite. That was awesome... thanks, Callie."

"You're very welcome," the Latina said, leaning over to give her an affectionate kiss on the cheek.

"Evening, ladies," John said, walking over to join them. "It looks like Calara's been taking good care of you, Sparks."

"Are you sure you didn't turn her into a Progenitor?" Dana asked, squinting at him suspiciously as she rose from her chair. "Because she's doing her damndest to give me a full tummy!"

"You do look cute with a food baby," Calara said, gently patting her friend's curved abdomen. She turned to greet John with a kiss. "Hey, John."

"Thanks for looking after her," he said gratefully.

"No problem at all," she replied, collecting the plates and cutlery. With a gleam in her dark brown eyes, she sashayed away. "I'll see you later tonight..."

He watched in confusion as she left, until the closing kitchen door blocked his view. "I thought everyone knew I had plans with Helene?" he asked the redhead standing beside him. "It was just going to be me, her, and Alyssa."

*I've been discussing things with Jade and she made some intriguing suggestions,* Alyssa interjected, sounding entirely too innocent.

*Alyssa...* he said, a warning note to his voice. *I want this to be a special evening for Helene.*

*So do we! Just trust us, okay?* she pleaded, trying and failing to contain her excitement.

Dana was suspiciously quiet, finding her fingernails of particular interest.

"Sparks, do you know what they're up to?" he asked, nudging her with an elbow.

She looked up at him and tried her best to suppress a smirk. "Maybe."

"Ah, so I just need to tickle you to find out?" he asked, nodding in understanding. He raised his hands, wiggling his fingers. "Okay, ready when you are..."

"No, don't! I'll barf for sure!" Dana protested, hurriedly backing away.

John shrugged amiably. "So you're just going to tell me instead? Sure, that works."

The redhead had a conflicted look on her face. "Alright, I'll tell you if you really want to know, but Alyssa's going to kill me..."

Jade's calm voice swept through John's subconscious before he could say anything more. *Master, this isn't about Alyssa trying to make things more kinky. My sisters and I have spent a great deal of time with Helene and we know her very well indeed. Will you let me help you make this very special for her?*

*Alright... but why can't you tell me what you're planning beforehand?*

*Because we want it to be a nice surprise for both of you!* the Nymph said with a mischievous lilt to her voice.

John sighed in resignation. *Alright you win, but she better love it.* He held out his hand for Dana. "Come on, let's go make an engagement ring."

"Sure!" she agreed, slipping her hand into his and bouncing along at his side as they left the Officers' Lounge.

As they stepped into the grav-tube, John pulled his young companion into a hug. "I just thought... have we actually got enough time to make the gemstone we need? I didn't really think about it until now, but I was hoping it would be ready by about midnight tonight."

"John... It usually takes at least a week to grow an artificial sapphire," Dana replied, her tone sombre. "You have to slowly and carefully cultivate them to avoid distortion or fractures in the crystal lattice."

"But you can do it faster?" he asked hopefully, noticing she hadn't told him it was impossible.

"Hmm... I have kind of become an expert on crystalline substrates over the last few months..." She winked at him and grinned. "Don't worry, you're in good hands. We are going to be very busy for the next several hours though. I've got a bunch of components to design, then I'll have to run a build through the mass fabricators so we can construct a super-powered pressure furnace. Even working at turbo speed, it's going to take some time to grow the jewel, then I'll have to cut it to your specifications."

"I'm all yours. I'll help however I can."

She gave him an affectionate squeeze. "Awesome! I love working with you on projects like this."

They reached Deck Seven and stepped out of the red anti-grav field, before walking hand-in-hand to her workshop. John opened the door, then stepped aside so Dana could enter first. She smiled at him playfully as she strolled into the Engineering Bay, then bounded up the steps to the computer consoles on the podium.