Three Square Meals Ch. 092

"Will do!" Faye enthusiastically replied. She glanced up at him and smiled. "I had something I wanted to ask you about, if you have a moment?"

John glanced at the sofas and said, "Sure, why don't we sit down and we can talk it through. I hadn't forgotten you had something on your mind, I promise."

"Actually, that was something else, but it would be lovely to talk about that too!" Her smile widened as she fluttered along at his side. Faye's iridescent wings moved in a blur, letting her keep pace with him as they crossed the lounge. "I wondered if you wanted me to have my boys start stripping the Invictus' damaged armour plating? It'll save time when you and Alyssa begin the repairs, but I didn't want to start removing armour without speaking to you first!"

"Good thinking," John replied, impressed by her initiative. "We're quite a way from the Kirrix invasion forces at the moment and we'll be able to pick up any approaching ships on the sensors long before they arrive. We should be safe with Thandrun's fleet for the next several hours at least." He paused to work out how long Niskera had been asleep for, estimating it would be about four more hours until she awoke. "Once I've finished these meetings, I'll make a start on fixing the armour, so I should be ready to go in about two hours. We'll just focus on repairing the damaged plates for now, we won't have time to completely reshape the ship's armour before Niskera wakes up."

"And you want to depart for the meeting with the Maliri as soon as possible?" Faye speculated, tilting her head to one side as she studied him.

He nodded, wondering how Edraele was doing, and how Luna was coping as interim Matriarch of House Valaden. "Yes, that's right. We'll give Niskera as much support as she needs to adjust to the Change, then once I'm sure she's happy and settled we'll make a move."

Alyssa appeared from the kitchen and she glided over to join them, leaning over the back of the sofa to give John a peck on the cheek. "Sorry to interrupt," she said, smiling at Faye. "I just wanted to let you know that I'm happy to start working on repairing our Paragon armour, unless you want me there for the meeting with the alien races?"

John hesitated, then said, "Would you mind keeping me company? I'd like to have a chat with the Bolon diplomat."

The blonde nodded, listening to his thoughts and knowing what he had on his mind. "Of course, I'll be glad to." She glanced at Faye and added, "Do you want some privacy for your talk with John?"

Faye glanced at John, then looked back at Alyssa and asked hesitantly, "Would you mind?"

"Of course not, don't be silly," the blonde said, giving the purple girl a kind and understanding smile. She glanced at the kitchen and added, "The girls have all got plenty to keep them busy this morning, so they'll be out soon. You might want to head up to the Ready Room to avoid any more interruptions."

John shrugged and rose to his feet. "I need to head up to the Bridge anyway. Meet you in the Ready Room, Faye?"

"See you there!" she exclaimed, waving goodbye and disappearing in a purple flash.

Alyssa linked arms with him and they left the Officers' Lounge, then stepped into the blue glow of the grav-tube and rose up to the Command Deck. They parted ways with a kiss, Alyssa walking over to the Briefing Room to wait for the diplomats, while John strolled over to the Ready Room to meet with Faye. She was inside waiting for him when the door opened, bouncing up and down nervously, her wings thrumming in the air.

Deciding to get straight to the point, John sat down on one of the sofas and gave the purple AI an encouraging smile. "Okay, you've got my undivided attention, honey. What's on your mind?"

Faye nibbled at her cupid-bow lips, clearly hesitant about voicing her thoughts. John was about to offer her more reassurance, when she blurted out, "I felt sorry for the Kirrix!"

He blinked at her in surprise, then relaxed in his chair as he studied her. "Okay... Do you think we did the wrong thing destroying their fleet?"

"I honestly don't know. I started feeling doubts during the battle while I was on the Invictus' Bridge with Alyssa and Calara. We'd just exterminated the first wave of Kirrix drone fighters and it was a massacre, we wiped them out to a ship..." Faye faltered and looked troubled as she continued, "The girls were delighted to have destroyed all the strike craft, but I couldn't help feeling pity for the Kirrix. It was such a one-sided slaughter!"

John gave her a wry smile. "It's ironic that an artificial lifeform has more respect for life than we organics do, especially after I was so paranoid about you turning on us."

"Was it right to feel that way though?" Faye asked, looking at him in confusion. "The Kirrix are evil, aren't they? If they're the bad guys, surely annihilating them is the right thing to do..."

John was quiet for a long moment, unsure how to answer her at first. He eventually said, "If we hadn't intervened to stop the Kirrix at Khalgron, they would have captured and infested every Trankaran on that planet. The grubs would have eaten their way out of their hosts from the inside, killing every single one of them. That would mean over a hundred-thousand civilians killed in just a couple of weeks, just to hatch more Kirrix young..."

Gazing away into the distance, he murmured, "Are the Kirrix deliberately evil? Or are they just following their natural instincts, using sentient life as hosts for their young, even though it means the deaths of any creature they impregnate?" His eyes narrowed and his voice grew firmer as he continued, "In my opinion, it doesn't matter whether it's instinct that drives them or if they're deliberately sadistic. The Kirrix are like parasites, selfishly killing millions of innocent people in their drive to procreate. If it was up to me, I'd wipe out every last one of the vermin!"

He faltered then and gave Faye a look of regret. "I'm sorry, Faye. I'm proud of you for developing a newfound respect for life, but I'm really not the best person to have this kind of philosophical discussion with."

Faye shook her head and said insistently, "I've always found your opinions to be well-considered and insightful. Why would you think you shouldn't be discussing this with me?"

John's expression turned bleak. "Because genocide is the family business. It looks like my father's either Mael'nerak, who exterminated the Achonin and who knows how many other species, or this Ranagon the Despoiler... and we know for a fact he was responsible for massacring billions of Maliri and Trankarans!"

The purple girl darted over to sit beside him on the sofa, a look of frustration on her lovely elfin face. "Oh drat! I wish I had that body... you look like you really need a hug." Her face brightened and she gasped, "I know! I could ask Jade to turn into a copy of me! Then it'd be like I could give you a hug through her!"

He smiled at the eager sprite and shook his head. "I appreciate the thought, but let's save our first hug for when it's really you, okay?"

Faye blushed and nodded, her luminous eyes growing softer as she gazed at him. "Okay, that would be lovely. But I am sorry for making you feel sad though..."

John frowned and shook his head. "Don't be, I didn't mean to turn this into a chat about me."

"I don't mind!" Faye quickly protested. "I really don't, honestly! You're always there to offer me and the girls a shoulder to cry on. I'm really grateful you trusted me enough to be honest about something that's bothering you."

John was about to make a joke about not needing to cry right then, but he slumped despondently in the chair instead. "It really does bother me..." he admitted with a grim frown. "I try to do the right thing, but am I just fighting a losing battle? Will I end up getting banished into my own mind by my Progenitor-half, then becoming as much of a monster as every other Progenitor we've heard of? Being a pitiless genocidal tyrant is in my blood... can I really fight against something so ingrained?"

Faye nodded exuberantly. "Of course you can! You've encouraged all of the girls to change for the better! It's something you feel passionately about and you've nurtured in all of us!" She reached out to brush her holographic fingers against his cheek, feeling a momentary surge of irritation that she couldn't comfort him by touch. "You're a good man, John. Just think of all the lives you've improved with your influence."

"Judge myself by my actions?" John said with a wry smile. "I think that's what I just advised you to do with the Kirrix."

"Very wise advice it was too," Faye told him sagely, before breaking into a grin. "Was it helpful?"

He nodded, the tension easing from his shoulders. "It was actually, thank you."

"Yay!" the sprite cheered, looking delighted. She placed her hand on top of his and continued, "Before you ask, your advice was useful for me too. I've spent the last eight hours helping to look after the Trankaran civilians we rescued. They're nice people... friendly, helpful, kind, and none of them deserved to be killed by the Kirrix. I agree with you; if it comes down to a choice over which species to save, I'd choose the Trankarans every time."

"For what it's worth, I agree completely," John said, relieved that she had found the discussion helpful.

Faye cocked her head to one side, then gave him a rueful look. "The Bolon diplomat has just arrived in the Briefing Room. It's been wonderful talking to you, but I better let you go."

He rose to his feet and gave her a grateful smile. "I enjoyed it too, thanks for the advice."

"You're welcome!" she exclaimed, bouncing over to the door beside him.

John crossed the Bridge and entered the Briefing Room, to find Alyssa facing the Bolon in what looked like a staring competition. There was a vaguely humanoid robot standing beside the dark-green gelatinous creature, which John knew the Bolons used as interpreters from his past experiences dealing with the strange telepathic species. The robot was a warm orange in colour, all curved lines with a cushiony texture to the outer casing; he couldn't imagine anything less threatening, which he realised was entirely the point.

"Hey," Alyssa said, turning and greeting John with a kiss on the cheek. "I've just been having a fascinating conversation with Vluwe, the Bolon ambassador."

The robot turned to face John and after a pause, it said in a grindingly dull monotone, "We are honoured... to speak with you... at last, Dark One... Our thanks for... granting an audience."

John gave the Bolon a startled frown. "Dark One?!"

"Our humblest... apologies, we did... not mean to cause... any offense," the robot stated laboriously, the flat delivery robbing it of its sincerity. "We were... only referring to the... void where your... aura should be."

"He usually just goes by, 'John'," Alyssa said with a smile. "He saves 'Dark One' for special occasions."

The robot turned to look at her and stated, "Our thanks... Radiant One."

The blonde winked at John and said, "I like my nickname much more!"

The Bolon's interpreter then turned back to John and began to slowly translate the creature's telepathic speech, "You saved our... life, John... for that we... are truly grateful. Please accept... our most...-"

"Hold on a second," John requested, raising a hand. "Firstly, you're welcome. Secondly, I'm sure Alyssa wouldn't mind translating for us telepathically, I'm sure that'll be a lot more efficient."

*We would find that much more convenient, thank you!* Alyssa thought to John, passing on the Bolon's thoughts.

"Thanks, honey," John said with a grateful smile. He turned to the Bolon and continued, *Thanks for arriving so promptly. I'm sorry I kept you waiting.*

*Bolons do not sleep as Terrans do, so we were already conscious. You do not have to apologise to us, it is quite understandable that you were weary after the battle,* Vluwe replied politely.

John paused for a moment and glanced at Alyssa, who shook her head, answering his unspoken question. He turned to look at the dark-green blob and said, *There's something I wanted to ask you about, regarding something that a Bolon did to one of the women on my crew.*

Vluwe shifted colours, turning a dull purple colour. *We suspect that we already know what you are about to ask, by the way you have framed your statement. Please accept our most sincere apologies for the activities of this deviant entity.*

Walking over to one of the chairs, John sat down and studied the gelatinous alien. *A Bolon paid a slaver to rape my friend in the most horrifying way possible. It then used her to... incubate and spawn its young.*

*Only the most depraved of Bolon would behave in such an appalling manner,* Vluwe replied, turning a sickly yellow. *Such practices are outlawed amongst my kind and deviancy like this is punished by nullification.*

John wasn't sure what 'nullification' meant, but it certainly sounded like a severe punishment. He studied the informative Bolon, not quite sure how to phrase the next question, before asking quietly, *If this has happened before, are there many half-Bolon hybrids out there?*

Vluwe paused for a moment, then replied, *The Bolon are not individual entities like a Terran, or a Trankaran. Vluwe is the name of the colony you see before you. Our species reproduce by a practice that Terrans would describe as akin to mitosis and there is no need for 'incubation' of a neophyte colony. The Bolon which assaulted your friend was tasting her fear, savouring it like a delicacy. That division occurred within her body was merely a way of heightening her terror. We are truly sorry that she was made to suffer in such a horrific way.*

*Can we can track down who did this to her?* John asked, his eyes narrowing. *It happened about six years ago, in the Unclaimed Wastes.*

The Bolon ambassador shifted colour to a very dark purple. *We are deeply sorry, but we suspect that tracking the guilty would be extremely difficult, if not impossible. The Bolon are nomadic and solitary by nature; we do not require the company of others when we share so many voices within an entity. There are many Bolon that roam far from the homeworld for decades at a time... Considering the penalty if such behaviour was discovered, we suspect the guilty party would probably remain far from the jurisdiction of Bolon territory.*

*Thanks for answering my questions, I appreciate it,* John said gratefully, leaning back in his chair.

*If any Bolon is found guilty of such activity in the future, we will request that an investigation is undertaken to verify if they are the specific entity that violated your crewwoman. If that turns out to be the case, they will be handed over to you for whatever punishment you deem appropriate,* Vluwe replied, changing colour to a deep maroon. *Such behaviour is an appalling blight on our reputation with all sentient species and will not be tolerated.*

Alyssa glanced at John then said to Vluwe, *I've seen her memories of the rape. I'll provide you all the details I can.*

There was a polite knock on the door, so John rose from his seat and called out, "Come in!"

The door swished open and the rest of the alien diplomats entered the room, with the yellow-eyed Slarmian leading the way.

John greeted them with a smile and said, "Welcome, all of you. Please make yourselves comfortable; I'd offer you a seat, but I'm afraid we're not exactly set up with non-humanoid lifeforms in mind."

The Bolon moved further back, allowing the other eleven diplomats to slither, stomp, and scuttle into the room. John noticed more than one of them stared at the weapon racks full of Quantum rifles and Justice Lasers with interest. The rest were either gazing at him, or focused on the racks of Paragon armour in the equipping frames lining the walls. He gave the group a minute to settle down, all the alien diplomats moving to stand around the table, with none of them capable of sitting in the chairs with their unusual physiologies.

All twelve of the diplomats stood watching him silently and John could only guess that they were feeling intimidated by his presence. He decided to start the meeting by saying, "Please accept my apologies for making you wait for this meeting, then for waking you up like this. I promise I wasn't trying to seem arrogant, but I believe you all asked to speak to me at the earliest opportunity."

"Crinx would not wish to speak for his fellow dignitaries, but he does not mind in the slightest," the Slarmian said, weaving his eel-like head from side to side. "Crinx wishes to offer his most profound thanks for the magnificent way in which John Blake rescued us from certain doom at the hands of the Kirrix..."

The quiet meeting suddenly erupted into a chorus of gratitude from the diverse array of alien creatures. Alyssa found it fascinating to watch their various mannerisms when they were expressing heartfelt thanks for their rescue. The Bolon shifted to a rich blue, while the rest gesticulated in various ways unique to their species. The Skerawk was wearing pale yellow robes now, but the diplomat's head plumage fanned out in an impressive display, while the Bract chattered and waved its antenna about frenetically.

"You're all quite welcome," John said with a warm smile. "I'm just glad we managed to get you all out of there safely."

The Ornalith raised one of its three stubby arms to get his attention. "What happened to Niskera?" the creature asked bluntly in a very deep voice, its concern quite apparent.

"She was exhausted after all the stress of the siege and needed some sleep," John replied, looking at the three-eyed, squat creature. "Sorry, I didn't catch your name?"

"Bhegguc of the Ornalith Dictorum," the marble-skinned creature replied. It paused for a moment before continuing, its sonorous voice ringing with admiration, "I'm not surprised Niskera was weary. She had to rally the defence of the fortress, help the civilians to escape, and call for our rescue!"

"The Chancellor is a credit to the Trankarans," the Elmoq stated in a strange, watery voice, its rubbery undulating skin reflecting the light. It turned to look at John and rippled for a moment before adding, "I am Lermohle of the Elmoq."

John nodded as he glanced at the mollusc-like alien. "I agree, Lermohle. Niskera deserved a good rest after everything she's done, but I'm sure she'll be up again in a few hours if you have pressing business with her." He cleared his throat and continued, "That brings me to something I wanted to discuss with all of you. Before Chancellor Niskera retired for the night, I offered the Trankaran Republic a place in an alliance with myself, the Maliri, and the Ashanath. I don't expect you to take my word for it, but Niskera accepted; you're welcome to discuss it with her when she awakes."

There was a sudden burst of excited chatter, with many of the exotic diplomats speaking to each other in their native tongues.

"Why would Crinx doubt your word?" the Slarmian asked over the hubbub, it's big unblinking yellow eyes staring at John intently. "After seeing you in action against the Kirrix, Crinx suspects that the other diplomats here are as desperate to ally themselves with you as the Grand Slarmian Dynasty is!"

"How much will it cost for the Bract Conglomerate to join such a venture?" the black-carapaced insectoid diplomat quickly interrupted. Its antennae quivered as it added, "We would be willing to pay significant sums for your protection from the Kirrix!"

There was consensus again amongst all the diplomats as they all practically begged him to let them join the rapidly expanding alliance.

Shaking his head, John replied, "I'm not expecting you to pay me anything. The main priority for me at the moment is protecting the Trankaran Republic and your empires from the Kirrix threat. If any of you are interested in joining that alliance, I'd like you to muster all the fleet assets you have available to assist the Trankarans. I'm planning on supporting that force with the aid of a Maliri fleet, but I'd expect all of you to pull your weight."