Three Square Meals Ch. 064

Jayanti rolled her eyes, and tutted as she said sarcastically, "How charming, Ricardo."

Edwin Caldwell was studying John with a watchful eye, and he'd noticed the silent exchange between John and Calara. He noted shrewdly, "You don't look surprised by this in the least. Why is Gabrielle's change in appearance significant?"

*Shit,* John swore, as he contacted his two Matriarchs. *What do I say here?*

*You could just lie your arse off,* Alyssa quickly replied. *Tell them she's been attacked by some kind of toxin that the Kintark developed. It makes her look younger, but allows them to control her mind.*

Edraele paused a moment, before she said, *It might be prudent to simply tell them the truth, or a limited form of it at least. I think you need to make a decision on how close an ally you want to be with the Terran Federation.*

John stood there for a long moment appraising the Fleet Admiral and four Admirals who were sitting and watching him silently. They felt like small children under that intense gaze, squirming to avoid such close scrutiny. Everyone in the room could feel that shift in perspective, and they stared up at him with wide eyes at the realisation.

"What are you?" Jayanti asked him with no small amount of trepidation. "I read your record, and I know you're not fully Terran, but I forgot about it until now."

"My mother was Terran," John replied in a calm voice. "My father wasn't."

Fleet Admiral Buckingham looked at him apprehensively, and asked, "You know a lot more about what's happening with Lynton and Norwood don't you?"

John looked at him, and nodded as he replied, "There's a lot of things happening that aren't all they appear to be on the surface." He gestured towards the corner of the office, and the holographic representations of the Kintark empire. Staring at the clearly marked invasion corridor he continued, "I'm starting to suspect you were being drawn into a trap with this invasion, but after Calara figured out Norwood's involvement, we disrupted their plans."

Admiral Weber shook his head and asked, "Why would Norwood and Lynton betray their own species to the Kintark though? It doesn't make any sense..."

"I'm not sure how Norwood's involved exactly, but Lynton's been coerced into this, and not by the Kintark," he replied.

"By who then?" Jayanti asked

John took a deep breath before exhaling, realising this was going to be a decisive moment for good or ill. He looked at them each in turn, and said, "There are many species out there in the galaxy, and I'm sure you realise that there are some that aren't yet known to humanity."

Fleet Admiral Buckingham nodded slowly, and said, "Yes, I'm sure that's true. The galaxy is vast, and we've only mapped part of it."

John then said, "Out of those species, it's only logical that there are older civilisations than ours, which predate the Terran Federation by millenia."

His audience nodded slowly, the tension in the room ratcheting up a few notches.

Fleet Admiral Buckingham looked deeply troubled as he asked, "You suspect an older, hostile species is threatening the Terran Federation?"

"One individual at least, and he seems to be stirring up trouble all over the place," John replied as he thought back over their recent experiences. "He was working with the Drakkar to disrupt the Ashanath, and was backing a rebellion amongst the Trankarans which would have led to civil war."

"Would have?" Edwin Caldwell asked, picking up on the past tense.

John nodded, and replied, "Yes, but I took steps to assist the Trankaran government, and helped them stop the rebellion before it got too much momentum."

The Admirals were stunned by these revelations, and were staring at John as though seeing him for the first time.

"Who is it that's attacking us and why?" Buckingham asked, his face creased with worry.

"The Ashanath know them as Progenitors, and they ruled this part of the galaxy before disappearing about ten thousand years ago. I don't know the name of the one causing all these problems, but they're a race of evil tyrants, who seem to have no qualms about exterminating civilisations. There was a Quantum Accelerator built into the moon, placed there to destroy humanity. The AI we destroyed was trying to activate it," he explained, causing a few gasps of shock.

After a long moment of deathly silence, Jayanti asked him perceptively, "Your father was one of these Progenitors?"

"Yes, I suspect so," John replied. "However, I grew up with Terran grandparents, and joined the military because I'm loyal to the Terran Federation."

"Are you?" Carl Weber asked him bluntly. There was no antagonism in his voice this time, it had been replaced by an undercurrent of fear.

John straightened himself, and said, "Believe me, I'm on your side; against the Kintark, and this Progenitor. If you want to just go it alone, I have other options, and I can pull out of Terran Space. I like humanity though, and I don't want to see you get wiped out or enslaved."

"What are you asking us to do?" Buckingham asked him, staring directly into John's eyes as if trying to gauge what kind of a person he was.

Glancing at the map again, John said in quiet voice, "Call off this invasion, and pull back to Terran Federation territory. Something feels terribly wrong about all of this, but I haven't been able to narrow it down yet."

"But we're finally getting the upper hand!" Ricardo Santini protested. "We just decisively won a major fleet engagement against the Kintark. We have them on the ropes!"

Slowly shaking his head, John replied, "When we hit the supply station in the Mar'Katrach nebula, there were over a hundred-thousand troops in invasion craft waiting there. We destroyed the fleet defending the nebula, but a massive armada was approaching. I think they were about to launch a counter-offensive."

"You wiped out an invasion fleet?" Santini asked, his eyes as big as saucers.

"We crippled the invasion craft, but we didn't slaughter the soldiers. The logistics of trying to rescue all those troops in the nebula will keep the Kintark Empire busy for days, if not weeks," John explained patiently. He turned to look directly at Buckingham, and added, "Besides that, if Admiral Lynton's working against you, which I suspect she is, then you've got an enemy threatening your rear."

Buckingham slumped back in his chair, his expression one of fear as he said, "You're right, we're massively exposed here. Until we get our house in order, we'll have to withdraw from Kintark territory."

Santini started to object, saying, "We just smashed the Kintark! I'm sure we can handle anything they try and throw at us. Give us a few more weeks, and we'll be toasting our victory on the surface of Kinta itself!"

Jayanti Mishra sat bolt upright, and exclaimed, "Didn't you listen to a goddamn word John just told us? If the Kintark hit our supply lines, we'd be totally fucked! There'd be no reinforcements, because GABRIELLE'S ON THEIR SIDE!"

Buckingham stood up abruptly, and said to his Admirals in a no-nonsense tone, "Get back to your ships, and make preparations for an immediate withdrawal. We'll make an orderly retreat to the Dragon March, and deal with Lynton, and any associates she might have."

The officers rose shakily to their feet, darting worried looks at one another, before they began to exit the room. Jayanti Mishra paused by John's side as she walked past him, and said quietly, "Thank you for warning us. I realise now that you didn't have to."

He smiled at her, and said, "I'm on your side, Jayanti. I don't want any harm to come to the Terran Federation."

She patted his arm, and smiled at him gratefully before she followed Admirals Weber and Santini out of the room. Soon it was just Admiral Caldwell left with Fleet Admiral Buckingham. The Fleet Admiral looked like he'd aged about ten years, and he looked at Caldwell with tired eyes as he said, "You better get the Zeus prepped for withdrawal, Edwin."

Caldwell nodded, and looking at John, he said, "I'll take you back to the hangar so you can return to your ship."

"One moment, there's a couple of things I wanted to ask before I head back," John replied, turning towards Buckingham. "Firstly, if you capture Gabrielle Lynton, can you hold off any executions until I've spoken with her. I need to find out more about the Progenitor threatening us, and she's the best lead I have at the moment."

"Don't worry, John, we can find out what she knows," Buckingham replied grimly.

Shaking his head, John said, "I know you want answers, but please leave the interrogation to me. I can find out everything she knows very quickly, and she won't be able to lie to us."

The older man studied him for a moment, then nodded, saying, "Alright, that seems like a reasonable request. As long as you conduct your interrogation in a Terran Federation facility and tell us everything she tells you, I have no problem with that. What else?"

Glancing at the Latina by his side, John went on, "Calara's father and brother are part of this invasion fleet. We've seen the Damocles, so I'm sure Captain Jack Fernandez is fine, but we haven't seen her brother's ship. Lieutenant Commander Mateo Fernandez is serving as a Navigator on the Hydra."

Buckingham's jaw clenched, and he glanced at Calara as he said, "I'm sorry, but your brother is a traitor. The Hydra was one of the ships that joined Norwood and turned on the loyal Federation ships in his fleet."

Calara gasped in shock, and shaking her head furiously, she balked, "No! Not Mateo! He loves the Terran Federation, I know he's loyal."

Turning away from them, the Fleet Admiral strode over to his desk, then hit several buttons on a keyboard, bringing up a list of the vessels attached to Norwood's Battlegroup. Sure enough, the Hydra was listed there in a bright green font.

"A couple of the destroyers making up the picket forces managed to escape the massacre," Buckingham informed them, his eyes like flint. "The Captain of the Rhode submitted an AAR, and he stated that it was bombers from the Hydra that crippled the battlecruiser Selene, preventing its escape from Norwood's dreadnought."

Calara shook her head in despair, still unwilling to believe her brother could turn on his comrades like that. John put his arm around the distraught young woman, then nodded to Admiral Caldwell to lead them out. As he turned to leave, Fleet Admiral Buckingham walked over to join them, and placed a hand on John's shoulder making him pause for a moment.

"I won't forget you coming to warn us like this, John," he said gratefully. "Thank you. Not just from me, but the thousands of Terran personnel in this fleet."

"You're welcome, Vincent," John replied. "I'm sorry we only got to meet under such dire circumstances."

The Fleet Admiral smiled at him, and said, "When we're back in the Dragon March, you and I must have a chat sometime."

John nodded to him courteously, and replied, "Agreed."

Buckingham turned back to his desk, leaving John and Calara to follow Admiral Caldwell from the room. Caldwell glanced at them as soon as he'd closed the door behind them, then looked over at Rear Admiral Carmela Morena who was sitting behind her desk.

"Carmela, please can you inform my XO that we'll be making preparations to leave Delta-Draconis. I'll be heading up to the Bridge in a few minutes to discuss our flight path," he requested politely.

She rose to her feet, and replied, "Certainly, Sir, I'll do so immediately." With a final glower at John, she sauntered out of the reception room, her heels clicking as she left.

As soon as she'd left, Admiral Caldwell turned to look at Calara, and his voice was kind as he said, "I've served with your father for nearly ten years, and he's an outstanding officer. I don't believe for one moment that any child of Jack Fernandez would ever turn on the Terran Federation."

She gave him a wan smile, but she sounded upset as she replied, "I saw the Hydra on the Fleet Admiral's list. I know Mateo wouldn't turn traitor, but they might have killed him and other loyal officers to prevent a mutiny against the captain!"

Admiral Caldwell's expression was bleak as he said, "That's very true, and probably what happened. There is a remote chance that they held the loyal officers captive, and handed them over to the Kintark as prisoners of war. Unfortunately that might be even worse..."

"If he's still alive, how could that be worse!" Calara exclaimed, her eyes full of hope. "Can't you arrange a prisoner exchange, and get him back?"

He shook his head sadly, and said, "The Kintark use prisoners as slave labour. The chance of being able to bring him safely home is non-existent."

Her face fell as her hopes were dashed once again, and she leaned into John for support. He held her close, then looked at Admiral Caldwell who had a pained expression on his face, feeling nothing but sympathy for the upset young woman.

Supporting her with a comforting arm, John said, "Don't worry honey, if he's still alive, we'll get him back." Turning to look at the Admiral, he continued, "Do you know where these slave labour camps are located? If Mateo's been captured, then we'll just bust him out."

Edwin shook his head, and replied, "It's far too dangerous, John. If he's still alive, he'll have been taken to the sulphur mines at Xen-Nuchek, but they're over a days' travel into Kintark Space! You heard the Admiral, the invasion fleet is withdrawing just as you asked. We can't launch a strike at Xen-Nuchek now!"

John shook his head, and replied, "No, the fleet needs to withdraw. I'll take the Invictus, and we'll go and free him."

The Admiral was shocked for a moment, then he chuckled as he said, "I'm not sure why I'm surprised, not after what you've pulled off already."

He walked over to Carmela's now vacant desk, and beckoned John and Calara over. His hands moved quickly over the keyboard as he stood behind the console, and after a few dozen clicks, he brought up the local sector map showing Kintark Space.

"We've had intel that Terran Federation prisoners are being taken there," he said, stabbing a finger down on a green planet some distance into Kintark Space. He frowned as he added, "It was a volcanic planet, but the Kintark partially terraformed it into one of their jungle worlds. It's a nasty place, John. Extended exposure to the sulphur is fatal, so the Lizards are always eager to get more slaves."

"Thanks for the help, Edwin, I appreciate it," John replied.

Admiral Caldwell frowned and said, "You've got balls going after him, but I don't want to send you off to your deaths. Are you sure I can't talk you out of this?"

John shook his head, and replied flippantly, "The girls haven't seen much of Kintark Space, and I promised my XO I'd show her around the galaxy. I'm afraid my mind's made up."

Caldwell laughed, and said, "I better take you back to your ship then."

He led them out of the reception room, and then back down the corridor to the elevators. The officers using the corridor stepped aside as they approached, their eyes flicking to the Lion roaring on John's chest, then standing to attention and giving him a respectful salute. John and Calara were both feeling mentally drained after their meeting with the Admiralty, so they no longer reacted with surprise, and just nodded courteously to the navy personnel.

It didn't take long for Caldwell to lead them back to the Raptor in the wide-open hangar, and by the time they'd returned, the crowds had dispersed quite some time ago. Jade had been watching for their return, and she spotted them through the cockpit canopy, then waved cheerily as she began lowering the loading ramp. They strolled over to the ramp, then stopped as they waited for it to drop to the titanium decking.

"Good luck, John," Caldwell said, his expression sombre. "I'd say 'I hope you don't need it', but I know you will."

John turned and saluted the older man, and said, "I appreciated your support today. It made the meeting with the other senior officers easier, knowing that you were fighting in my corner."

Caldwell stuck out his hand, and said, "It's been an honour." John shook his outstretched hand, and when they were done, Edwin turned to Calara and added, "I hope you find your brother."

She smiled at him gratefully, and said, "Thanks to you, Sir, we know where we can start looking."

Calara gave him a respectful salute, and then walked up the ramp with John at her side. He hit the button once they were safely inside, then took her hand as he started walking towards the door at the back of the room, intending to return to the cockpit. There was a soft hiss as the loading ramp sealed into place, restoring the atmospheric seal on the Raptor. After the somewhat stale air aboard the Zeus, filling their lungs with the crisp clean air they had got used to on the Invictus was a wonderful feeling.

She tugged gently on John's hand, stopping him for a moment. When he turned to face her with a curious look on his face, she flung her slender arms around his neck, and stood on tiptoe as she kissed him fiercely. "I never doubted for a moment that you'd offer to go after Mateo," she said, staring into his eyes. "What did I ever do to deserve someone like you?"

He smiled at her, and said, "Honey, I'm dragging you and the girls into the middle of hostile alien territory. You must have been a very naughty girl in a previous life to end up being stuck with me."

She laughed, then leaned in and kissed him again, but gently this time. "You can joke all you want, but I think you're amazing," she said earnestly.

"Likewise, gorgeous," he said to her, wrapping the beautiful girl in his arms.

When they finally parted, and headed back up to the cockpit, John thought to Alyssa, *Hey, beautiful. Can you gather the girls, please? I need to discuss going off on a dangerous rescue mission into Kintark Space.*

*Nah, there's no point,* she replied offhandedly. *I knew you'd want all the girls to pretend to think it over, before they all agreed to go and rescue Calara's brother. We've done that already to save time, and we're all raring to go. I've even plotted a course to Xen-Nuchek, so we can jump out as soon as you guys get back here. It'll take us just over nine hours until we arrive in the Zeta-Draconis system.*

He smiled as he sat down, wrapping an arm around Calara's shoulder, and said, *Thanks, honey, I appreciate the support from all of you.*

*No problem,* she replied with a telepathic smile. Her tone turned more gloomy as she added, *What are the chances Mateo is still alive though? Would they really have taken him prisoner rather than just kill him and anyone else who objected to turning traitor?*

John glanced out the cockpit canopy, and watched them sail clear of the Zeus' hangar, then replied, *I don't agree with Admiral Caldwell on this, I think it's more likely Mateo's alive than not. Convincing a crew to rebel against the Terran Federation is one thing, but getting them to slaughter any crewmates who object is something else. If I really thought he was dead, I wouldn't risk leading you and the girls into Kintark Space on a fool's errand.*

*Hurry back,* she replied simply. *I've missed you.*

***

It didn't seem to take long for them to return to the ship, and Jade landed the Raptor safely in the Hangar Bay. As the hull doors began to close behind them, she began the power down procedure for the gunship, both her hands flicking switches and pushing buttons as she shut down the Raptor. John and Calara waited patiently for her, and when she was done, they all dropped down in the grav-tube, then exited the Raptor via the front loading ramp.

"Shall we go up to the Bridge and contact the Damocles?" John asked Calara, thinking about her father.