Three Square Meals Ch. 043

John smiled at the Maliri trader and said, "Hi Ceraden. Do you want to come here to talk to me? Or should I come to your offices?"

Ceraden said immediately, "It would be best if you came to visit me at my offices. I'd be delighted to offer you my hospitality once again, and it's only fair, as I'm dragging you away from your lovely companions."

John looked at Alyssa, who nodded, so he grinned as he said to Ceraden, "Don't worry, Alyssa will be keeping me company too."

Ceraden paused for a moment and then said carefully, "It would probably be best if I were able to discuss this with you alone. It's quite a delicate matter."

With an apologetic shrug, John said, "Sorry Ceraden, she knows literally everything I'm up to, and I have no secrets from her. Bringing Alyssa with me will simply save me a conversation later."

Ceraden sighed and sounded slightly annoyed, "Fine, bring her with you then. Can you be here by nine?"

John frowned, finding Ceraden's behaviour somewhat bizarre, but nodded as he said, "Sure, we'll be there shortly."

Ceraden ended the conversation with a curt nod, and the holograph floating above the watch disappeared.

"Well that was weird," John said, looked puzzled. "I've known Ceraden for years, and he's never taken that tone with me before."

Alyssa tilted her head to one side and said, "Could he be planning some kind of ambush? It seems odd that he wanted you there alone."

John looked dubious, and said, "Well you've just met him in person, and he's been exactly the same way with me every time we've met. He's the last person I'd suspect of some kind of treachery. It's best to be cautious though, so I think it's time to find out what the Maliri authorities think about merchants carrying sidearms."

Alyssa nodded to him in agreement, and they got up and walked out of the Officers' Lounge, and made their way to their room. They strolled into the walk-in wardrobe and stripped off to change outfits. John put on some combat trousers, his old boots, and a short sleeved shirt, then walked over to the weapons rack and picked up a heavy pistol.

"I really should have asked Dana about upgrading these handguns," he said regretfully, looking at the weapon he held in his hand. "With all the tech she's acquired recently, she must be able to give these much more stopping power."

Alyssa nodded as she walked over to join him. She had pulled on some close fitting trousers and knee high boots, and was wearing a shoulder harness over her long sleeve top. She picked up a heavy pistol, slapped in a clip and then slotted it in the harness.

"Well, we can't do much about it now," she said with a shrug, as she reached for a red leather jacket that was hanging in the wardrobe, and then put it on. "I've warned the girls, though. If there's any trouble, they'll gear up and come after us."

John glanced at her with a frown, as he handed her a couple of spare clips, and then put on a shoulder harness and his old flight jacket. "The Maliri will probably tolerate us carrying sidearms, but I don't think they'll be too happy about fully geared soldiers running around the starport," he said doubtfully.

"Let's just see what happens," Alyssa said with a smile. "We could be overreacting, and Ceraden just might want to talk to you about something sensitive."

John nodded as he tucked away the spare clips, and they strode out of their room, nearly crashing into Calara who was sprinting down the corridor to see them.

"Do you want me to come to?" she asked, sounding worried, as she walked along with them to the grav-tube.

John shook his head, and replied firmly, "As the next person in the chain of command, I want you here to keep the girls safe, and look after the ship. If we get in trouble, I trust you'll make the right call, and not put yourselves in undue danger."

Calara instinctively snapped to attention and said, "You can count on me Commodore!" before she relaxed her stance, and looked worried as she added, "But please be careful."

They gave her a quick hug, and she waved goodbye to them as they stepped into the red glow of the grav-tube, and descended to ground level. They exited the ship with the airlock spiralling closed behind them, and then strolled cautiously past the guards by the Docking Bay entrance. John tensed himself, ready in case warning sirens started, but the guards paid them no extra attention, so they were able to pass uninterrupted.

*So far, so good,* Alyssa thought to him, and he gave her a curt nod in agreement.

It was a relatively short walk to the Maliri Trading Commission, and it was a familiar one after their trip there earlier in the day. Still, it seemed to take an unnaturally long time, what with John and Alyssa both on edge, and waiting for trouble. They were able to stroll into the foyer in the Trading Commission unmolested by guards, or marauding ambushers, and they reached the reception area for Ceraden's offices without any trouble.

As they walked inside, a hologram of Ceraden appeared at the back of the room, and gave them a friendly wave. "I'm just tied up with another meeting at the moment," he said apologetically. "Please come on through to the lounge we were in before, and I'll join you shortly."

The moment the hologram stopped speaking, the double doors in the back wall started to open, and the hologram winked out. John glanced at Alyssa with a raised eyebrow, and then the two of them walked cautiously across the reception area, then through the doors. The corridor with the clear ceiling beyond was deserted, but as they stepped foot inside, the door to the lounge on the left opened invitingly.

John walked up to the doors, and then quickly glanced inside, but nothing seemed amiss, other than a golden armoured Maliri seated behind the desk. He realised at once that it wasn't Ceraden, and as he carefully entered the room with Alyssa following behind him, he suddenly recognised the figure in the armour. Irillith rose from her chair and walked around the desk to stand in front of it.

John looked at her curiously, and said, "Sorry to disturb you. We were contacted by Ceraden, who asked that we meet him here."

Irillith stood still, studying him for an awkwardly long moment, before she said, "My apologies for the subterfuge, but it was I that contacted you, not Ceraden. There's something important I wish to discuss with you."

John glanced at Alyssa, before looking back at the female Maliri once more. "I don't understand. We spoke to Ceraden on a comm channel," he said cautiously.

Irillith waved a hand dismissively and said, "Masking my true appearance, and masquerading as that fool was a trivial task. But please be seated, I would like to make you an offer."

*We might as well hear her out,* John thought to Alyssa.

*Yeah, I agree. I'm curious why she went to all this trouble to get us here,* Alyssa replied curiously.

They sat in the sofa opposite the Maliri woman, and then John inclined his head politely. "Please continue, I'm willing to hear your offer," he said politely.

Irillith nodded and paused for a moment before speaking, "I have a powerful contact in the Noble House that controls the primary Maliri shipyards. If you accompany me to my homeworld, I would be willing to facilitate a meeting with that contact, and assist you in arranging the purchase of Maliri Laser weaponry for your ship."

John frowned and said, "Ceraden told us that selling Maliri weaponry to non-Maliri was a capital crime amongst your people. How would your contact be able to sell us these weapons?"

Irillith crossed her arms over her chest, then leaned back against the desk confidently as she replied, "Because my contact rules her Noble House, and could make an exception."

"How do you know you can trust this contact?" Alyssa asked her curiously.

Irillith turned to look at the blonde girl, and seem to bristle with irritation for a moment before she replied curtly, "Because she's my mother."

John and Alyssa exchanged surprised glances, and began to discuss this intriguing offer by telepathy.

*Do you think we can trust her?* Alyssa asked him dubiously. *Ceraden doesn't think too highly of her, and I'm starting to dislike her already.*

*I'm not sure, but this could be our only shot at getting our hands on Maliri weaponry for the ship. You've seen 'the warning', just imagine having that kind of firepower at our disposal,* he replied eagerly.

*That's only if this offer is genuine. Why would she go out of her way to help us?* Alyssa asked him suspiciously.

John looked into her bright blue eyes for a moment, before replying, *Why don't we ask her?*

He then turned to the Maliri who was standing impassively before them, and asked, "Why would you do this for us? We've never even met before."

Irillith paused for a second and then replied tentatively, "Well, I'd get a great commission out of it."

John raised an eyebrow doubtfully, not believing the obvious lie for a moment. "I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I just don't believe you. If trading Maliri weaponry is so severely restricted, I can't believe you'd go to all this effort for a bit of cash," he said regretfully.

Irillith tensed and seemed to be staring at them angrily, for a very long protracted moment, before she blurted out, "Fine! I'll tell you the real reason."

With an exasperated sigh, she reached up her hands to her golden helmeted head, and activated something on her helmet. There was a hiss as the pressure seals were uncoupled, and as John and Alyssa looked on in amazement, the Maliri lifted the helmet from her head.

*Holy shit!* Alyssa swore in stunned surprise, as they stared at Irillith, shocked to the core.

"Because I know exactly what you are... 'Progenitor'," Irillith purred, with a calculating smile on her exquisitely beautiful blue-skinned face.