Three Square Meals Ch. 131

He slapped his hand against the button beside the door into the Secondary Hangar, then Alyssa, Dana, and Rachel, marched with him across to the concealed express grav-tubes. Alyssa had informed all the girls about Jessica Blake's attempt to contact John, so they understood the reason behind his foul mood.

They rose up to the Armoury in silence, then stepped into the armour-equipping frames, robotic arms swinging down to plate them in Paragon suits. The rest of the crew were already gathered in the Combat Bridge, those that usually wore armour in combat fully-geared and ready for war.

Alyssa slid a Tachyon rifle into the holster beside her XO station, then her gauntleted fingers danced across the console. "I'm laying in a course for Ross 248. It's so close by that it's not worth attempting to slingshot around Terra, even if it wasn't for all the traffic."

John removed his helmet as he sat in the Command Chair, then glanced at the holographic Sector Map that hung motionless in the centre of the room. He watched a green line appear, linking Alpha Centauri with their destination in a short 10 light-year hop.

Sakura rose from her seat at the Security station. "John... can I make a suggestion?"

"Of course," he replied, acknowledging her with a nod.

"I could orbital drop into the estate, locate Arjun Khatri and extract him from the compound without anyone realising until he was long gone."

"A stealth mission?" Dana asked, darting a wry grin at the former assassin.

The Asian girl shrugged. "I felt obligated to suggest it."

John shook his head. "That's not going to send the right message. If Khatri's guilty, which I'm sure he is, we need to make an example of him."

"I want to be a part of this too," Jehanna requested, crossing her arms defiantly. "I was there on Olympus. I saw the thousands of bodybags for all those poor men and women blown up in their barracks, and I interviewed countless heartbroken relatives who had their families destroyed by the bastards that planned that atrocity."

He gave her a curt nod. "You've earned the right to be there."

"I'd like to be part of the drop team too," Calara requested, turning to face John. "They tried to kill my mom, destroyed my family's home... I want some payback."

John met her angry gaze. "You'll get to even the score... trust me."

Rachel's calculating grey-eyes were cold and hard. "I've been reviewing Khatri's files. Why don't we give the ex-Admiral a call... let him know we're coming."

He was about to reply, when he felt waves of calm wash over him, soothing the raging beast that wanted to vent its pain and fury.

John looked at Helene in surprise. "What're you doing, honey?"

She walked over to him and gently cupped his cheek. "You're angry because of your parents, John. If you take out your anger on this man, you're going to feel horribly guilty about it afterwards."

Sagging back in his chair, John reluctantly nodded... his expression troubled.

***

It was early evening on the Khatri estate, the elegant stately home built on a sweeping hill that overlooked Mazaya's capital city. The planet orbited Ross 248, an amber-hued star that had such poor luminosity that it was already pitch-black outside the mansion. In the east wing, a plush study was only illuminated by an ornate desk lamp, the soft glow bringing out the beautiful grain of the mahogany desk. Arjun Khatri liked the darkness. He felt safe in the gloom, hidden in the shadows and protected from danger. He also worried that feeling of safety was an illusion.

The retired admiral sipped from his crystal goblet, the red wine tasting like ashes in his mouth. Petran and Almada had been able to abandon everything and flee when the assassination attempt against Devereux failed, but Khatri was tied to his family, so running had never been an option. His co-conspirators only wanted revenge, but he'd gone all-in, gambling everything on a successful coup that would wipe out High Command in one fell stroke. With all those key figures dead, the Admiralty would have been desperate for a strong leader to step forward from retirement. Someone who knew how to get things done. Someone like him.

The plot had failed spectacularly. Thousands of marines had been killed, but they meant less than nothing to Arjun in the grand scheme of things. They were just a bunch of worthless pawns that had to be eliminated to strike at the kings and queens that really mattered; the admirals in High Command that ruled the Terran Federation. However, the attack on Olympus had been a catastrophic failure, with only one admiral hunted down and slain out of a score of targets.

If the disaster with the coup wasn't bad enough, the looks of recrimination from his family over Vihaan's death felt like they burned his skin. Arjun clenched his fist, his brows knitting together with an impotent rage that was fuelled by grief. How could a decorated ISD Major leading two hit teams have failed to kill that Fernandez bitch? How the fuck could Vihaan and his squads have been wiped out in what should have been a textbook execution?

There was a knock on the door to his study and he looked up to see his wife silhouetted by the landing light behind her. "Come to bed, Arjun," she urged him in a seductive purr. "I have a present for you..."

He looked longingly at his wife... the deliciously twisted woman who had stolen his heart all those years ago. His family had ruled Mazaya for over four centuries, the Khatri dynasty having supplied the Governors, Judges, Police Commissioners, and every other position of merit to be had on the planet. Meera had been starstruck when he proposed to her decades ago, but my goodness how that wide-eyed teenager had blossomed, given the right... encouragement.

"Not now, Meera. I'm not in the mood," he muttered, swirling his glass.

His wife strutted towards him, her silk gown fluttering around shapely legs. "But I've prepared her just how you like..." she pouted. "An energetic session will tire you out... cure your insomnia in a snap."

She clicked her fingers to punctuate the sentence, the sound reminding him of a paddle striking exposed flesh.

"Not tonight..." he replied, shaking his head.

Meera knelt beside him, the light cast by the downlit table lamp illuminating her face. She was still a remarkably beautiful woman, time hardly lining her features even after all these years. There was a wickedness in her eyes that hadn't been there when they first met... but that made her all the more alluring.

"You covered your tracks," she stated rather than asked. "Aside from the family connection to Vihaan, there's nothing tying you to the conspiracy against Devereux. How can we be blamed for a troubled man's misdeeds? We had no idea that Vihaan had become such a dangerous idealist..."

"But they will investigate that connection," he insisted, doubts gnawing at him. "Maybe I should've stayed away for a few more months, just to be safe. I'm putting you in danger by being here."

She stroked his hand to soothe him. "We're both safe here, Arjun. Our family has a great deal of power and influence; Devereux wouldn't dream of moving against you without conclusive proof that you were involved... and that doesn't exist."

"It might not matter. That blonde Lioness tortured Weber's secrets out of him... Blake's witch is the reason I had to quit the Admiralty in the first place!"

His wife looked at him sceptically. "I still don't understand how you let them scare you into resigning. Do you honestly believe that girl has magic powers?! I'm telling you, Arjun... it's bullshit. Devereux's people forged those videos using special effects. Wild rumours fuelled the legend of the Lion and his Lionesses... none of it was real... it couldn't be!"

"You didn't see what that girl did to Weber," he said with a shiver, remembering the blood-curdling screams.

Meera rose to her feet. "I'm not letting you shut yourself away in your study any longer. The rest of the family are starting to worry about you." She let her fingertips brush over his shirt, then viciously twisted his nipple. "I need my Master back..."

Arjun winced and caught her wrist, squeezing hard until she gasped and gave him a sly grin. Maybe he was worrying about nothing. Maybe he could use a little distraction after all... it was another two weeks until the next masquerade party.

"Alright, slave... you have my attention," he growled, rising from his chair.

They left his study and Arjun followed his wife along the sweeping hallway to the master bedroom, admiring the seductive sway of her hips. She led him inside the huge room and Arjun grinned when he saw what was waiting for him. Their pet was lashed to the bedposts, the beautiful smoky-eyed brunette turning to look at him in terror. Her desperate cries were muffled by the ballgag forced into her mouth as she fought in vain to free herself.

Meera gestured to the row of cruel implements set out on the dresser. "I got you something special for tonight..."

His eyes flicked past the familiar canes, crops, and studded paddles to a multi-tailed whip. "A cat o nine-tails?" he said with a wicked grin. "Meera... you naughty girl."

She laughed, delighted to see him back to his old self again.

As Arjun reached for the torture implement, a sharp chime from the comms interface built into a high-backed leather chair drew his attention. He sat down and tapped the console in the armrest to accept the call. A holo-screen appeared before him, his eldest son appearing in a flurry of pixels.

"Whatever it is can wait. I told you I didn't want to be disturbed," Arjun stated with a frown.

"Father, we just received a high priority message!" Balvan exclaimed. "It's from the Invictus! Admiral Blake wants to speak to you!"

He looked at his wife in panic. Meera froze, her flirtatious mood shattered in an instant.

"Father? Shall I put him through?"

Arjun took a deep breath, then gave his son a curt nod, not trusting himself to speak.

The holo-screen shifted to the Terran Federation insignia, then the winged sword was replaced by John Blake's stern visage. "Arjun Khatri, I need to ask you some questions for an ongoing investigation. I don't want to create a big scene, so I'm calling to forewarn you of my imminent arrival and we can handle this discreetly."

Before Arjun could say a word, the Lion abruptly terminated the call.

"Fuck!" he gasped, eyes wide with fright as he lurched out of the chair. "Oh fuck me!"

Meera grabbed his arm, her long manicured nails digging into his skin. "Get a hold of yourself, Arjun! You heard him... he doesn't want to create a big incident because he's got no proof you were involved! Call your brother! I'll contact your cousins! We'll gather everybody to the mansion!"

Arjun let out a shuddering breath and ran his fingers through his hair. "Alright... I'll call him from my study," he agreed, to reassure his wife. "You start making calls from here."

She gave him a quick nod and replaced him in the leather chair, her fingers furiously tapping buttons on the armrest.

***

The Invictus dropped out of hyper-warp at the edge of the Ross 248 system, the star casting a dim orange glow over the battlecruiser's white hull. Engines blazed to life and the warship set course for the second planet in orbit.

"We're being hailed by the Planetary Governor," Rachel informed John, glancing at him out of the corner of her eye. "Do you want to take the call?"

He nodded and turned to look at the holo-screen.

The Terran Federation insignia faded away, to be replaced by a heavy-set dark-skinned man, who greeted him with a broad but insincere smile. "Welcome to Mazaya, Admiral Blake. My name's Governor Pankaj Khatri... how can I be of service this pleasant evening?"

"You needn't trouble yourself, Governor," John replied. "This will only be a brief visit."

The Governor cleared his throat awkwardly. "I... err... heard you have business with my brother?"

"It's a confidential matter. Part of an ongoing investigation," John replied, sitting back in his chair.

"I'm afraid I'll need to see a warrant before I can authorise an interview with a Mazayan citizen," Pankaj declared, with all the authority he could muster.

"No you don't," John replied, keeping his voice neutral.

"What?!" the large man blurted out, taken aback by the blunt reply.

"A Terran Federation Commodore outranks a Planetary Governor and as I'm sure you're well aware, I'm an Admiral serving in High Command. That means I have the authority to pursue any lines of enquiry without interference. Thank you for the call and have a pleasant evening, Governor."

Pankaj's mouth fell open in disbelief, never having been so casually dismissed before. John glanced at Rachel, who cut off the comms channel before the shocked Governor could reply.

"Alright, let's go," John said, rising from his chair and tucking his Lion helmet under his arm.

Tashana and all the Terran girls collected their weapons and strode up the ramp behind him. They all wore Paragon suits except Jehanna, who was protected by her portable shielding device and had a portable camera active above her right shoulder.

"This is Jehanna Elani for TFNN, bringing you a special report into corruption and treason within the Terran Federation!" she exclaimed, with the camera aimed at her pretty face. "I'm speaking to you from the Invictus, where I'm about to join the Lion and his Lionesses on a mission to Mazaya... to interrogate a prime suspect behind the Olympus terrorist attack!"

They descended in the express grav-tube and Jehanna focused the camera on the Lionesses jogging across the hangar to the Raptor. The footage shifted to John, who had a Tachyon rifle slung over his shoulder.

"Admiral Blake, it looks like you're expecting trouble?" she remarked to John as they strode up the loading ramp.

He turned and shook his head. "I'm hoping it doesn't come to that, but it's always wise to take precautions. We have evidence that heavily implicates Arjun Khatri's involvement in both attacks."

"You're referring of course, to the recent murder of over 7000 marines on Olympus Shipyard... and I believe Arjun Khatri is also a suspect in the assassination attempt on Jericho that led to the murder of 17 law enforcement officers?"

John nodded, his expression grim. "His nephew, Major Vihaan Khatri, led the hit teams on Jericho. I hope Arjun will fully co-operate with our investigation and prove that he's innocent of any wrongdoing, but the Khatri family hold tremendous influence on Mazaya. It's possible that they may attempt to hinder this investigation."

When they were safely inside, John tapped the button on the wall and the ramp closed with the reassuring whine of well-maintained hydraulics.

Jehanna cut the feed and gave him a thumbs up. "Perfect! I'll record the confrontation on the estate and add a voice-over later. Could we have another interview in front of the mansion after we're done with Khatri?"

"Whatever you need, Miss Elani," John said with a lopsided smile.

"Thank you." She hesitated, then stepped closer and looked up into his eyes. "Are you doing okay, John? You were furious earlier... I've never seen you so angry."

"I'm alright now... Helene calmed me down," he replied, his smile wavering.

"Alyssa told us your mother tried to speak to you," she said quietly, her face full of sympathy. "What did she want?"

John clenched his jaw, then forced himself to slowly exhale. "Maybe we should talk about this later."

Jehanna gave him a soft kiss. "So you will talk to me about it? You promise?"

He deflated and gave her a rueful smile. "I made a big mistake turning a nosy journalist into a Lioness, didn't I?"

She laughed and nodded. "I'm afraid so... and it's too late to change me back."

John brushed his gauntleted fingers through her silky black hair. "Yes, it is... and I wouldn't want to."

Jehanna looked at him quizzically, but before she could say anything else, Alyssa interrupted. *We'll be landing in the Khatri estate in thirty seconds. Tashana's going to drop us off, then hold position.*

"It's showtime!" Jehanna exclaimed with a dazzling showbiz smile.

He chuckled and pulled on his helmet while Jehanna activated her shield belt, both finishing just as the rest of the Terran girls rejoined them. They all took their positions, with Dana and Rachel on John's left flank, Calara and Sakura on the right.

Alyssa stood a few steps back from John, alongside Jehanna, and she tapped him on the shoulder to get his attention. "We've got company. Tashana says that Arjun called in reinforcements."

Dana glanced at Rachel and grinned. "Doesn't it get boring being right all the time?"

"Not so far..." the brunette replied, smiling back.

There was a barely-noticeable tremor through the deck plates as the Raptor landed, the loading ramp dropping to reveal their first glimpse of the Khatri mansion. It was a huge stately home, with tasteful underlighting along the walls that gave the centuries-old building a dramatic facade. Rather less regal were the two-dozen hover-cars parked along the sweeping drive, including several police cruisers.

The vehicles had brought scores of Khatri clan members to the estate, who were now spread out in front of the mansion and scowling at the intruders. John could see that all of the men and women were brandishing firearms, in what must have been intended as a show of solidarity and intimidation. In the murky darkness, they reminded John of a torch-wielding mob.

John marched down the ramp with his Lionesses lock-step beside him, the clunk of Crystal Alyssium boots on titanium having a menacing ring to it.

"I'm here to speak with Arjun Khatri!" he announced, the speakers in his suit amplifying his voice. "Anyone interfering with this investigation may be charged as an accessory to treason and mass murder, then dealt with accordingly."

Governor Pankaj Khatri stepped forward, his hands spread wide in a conciliatory gesture. "There's no need to make threats, Admiral Blake. We're only here to vouch for the upstanding moral character of my dear brother. Do you have any evidence that justifies your heavy-handed approach to an innocent Mazayan citizen? I assure you that you will only find law-abiding citizens of the Federation here."

"Just give me a second... we'll find out who's guilty," Alyssa muttered under her breath.

Her eyes starting to glow as she drew from her formidable psychic strength and eldritch energy began to swirl around her.

John stayed where he was, his larger frame concealing the blonde from view. "I'm here to interview Arjun Khatri as part of an investigation ordered by Fleet Admiral Devereux. You don't have the security clearance to view any evidence."

Alyssa crouched down, the zephyrs of psychic energy reaching a fever pitch as they howled around her fists. The noise was starting to draw attention to her, but a moment later she punched the ground and gave everyone something far more pressing to worry about. A rippling pulse shot out across the estate, rolling over the crowd of men and women that had gathered to defend their relative. The psychic shockwave swept through the mansion, swathing the occupants within in an ethereal glow.

There were precious few white auras amongst the throng, the vast majority now staring at hands and arms that were bathed an unsettling blood-red. Centuries of undisputed Khatri lordship over Mazaya had convinced the clan members that they were untouchable and could do whatever they pleased. Alyssa's subconscious brushed past ugly minds, twisted by debauchery taken to horrific extremes or corrupted by the often-fatal abuse of power.

"Bad guys..." she hissed, her lip curling with distaste.

"Do you know what each of them did?" Jehanna asked in a hushed voice.