Three Square Meals Ch. 099

Shock, horror, grief...

The planet Uxturo, a beautiful jewel in the Vulkat Empire... her home and birthplace. Nkkrrit returned to find it obliterated by a weapon so potent as to defy belief. What was once a haven of learning and culture, the home of billions, had been reduced to nothing more than cold broken rocks floating lifelessly in space.

The Vulkat strategy changed from fight to flight, in a frantic attempt to avoid total genocide. Nkkrrit spoke to the Empress herself and was commanded to retreat rather than continue to defend against the invaders... just long enough to weather the storm and to save as many as she could. Nkkrrit's fleet was filled with worthy citizens, the best and brightest, chosen to rebuild when it was safe and the terror had passed.

***

After long years spent in exile, the mounting fear amongst her people twisted inwards, turning to madness and despair. The citizens were falling to murder and cannibalism, the surviving Vulkat raging against their claustrophobic confinement. Desperate to restore hope to the surviving citizens, the decision was made to return to the Vulkat Empire.

But it turned out to be a false hope...

Everything was gone. The invaders had done a thorough job before they left, scouring all traces of the Vulkat from the galaxy, every ship wrecked, every planet destroyed. Suicide rates amongst the citizens aboard the fleet grew to terrifying levels, the last death-spasms of a broken, ruined people.

Desperation, revulsion, remorse...

Nkkrrit brought back the dead to help serve the living, using procedures once considered an abomination; but all the citizens that might have cared were long gone. She stabilised the crew numbers... leaving enough to run the fleet and keep the last of the living alive, but for what purpose? All their colonisable worlds had been destroyed, and even if they found a new home, there were too few left to rebuild... too much had been lost.

The centuries rolled by and Nkkrrit grew older, and weaker, her fertility long spent. One by one her people died out, until she was the last, the sole survivor of the catastrophe that had befallen the Vulkat. Submerged in grief, her ghostly fleet now haunted the bleached bones of what had been a proud and noble empire.

Loneliness, overwhelming sorrow, rage...

Nkkrrit was now a pathetic shadow of her former glory, a ragged Lich Queen leading her nightmarish undead children. All that was left was to seek vengeance against the living; to slaughter the shameless fish-men who sought to pick through the graveyard of the Vulkat, intent on looting the dead.

***

Alyssa let out a strangled sob, her heart filled with sympathy for Nkkrrit and the endless horrors she'd fought so hard to endure. Stepping forward, she embraced the startled arachnid, her ghostly ethereal tears rolling down her cheeks and splashing against the Vulkat's heavy head.

*I'm so sorry,* she whispered, struggling to imagine what it must have been like for Nkkrrit, with one series of terrible events after another dragging her down to ever lower depths of despair. *Ixxttranao, Uxturo, I'll remember them for you; help keep their memory alive.*

Nkkrrit raised one of her huge forelimbs then gently curled it around the weeping girl. In that moment of closeness there was peace, a touching of minds that the Vulkat Queen had missed so much. Alyssa's eyes widened at the contact and she suddenly gained a far deeper insight into Nkkrrit and her people.

The Vulkat were psychic, the largest of the females being the most powerful with that gift. Nkkrrit had once joined with millions of voices lifted up in exultation, all joining the hymn of the Vulkat. But that had been over ten-thousand years ago, the glorious song then turning into a terrifying lament, as one voice after another was brutally extinguished. Nkkrrit had abandoned the choir before the end, no longer able to stand the endless screams of grief and pain.

*I'm building a new choir,* Alyssa said softly, opening her mind to the ancient creature. *Sing with us once again...*

The voices were too faint at first and Nkkrrit strained desperately to hear, wanting to listen to that wonderful harmony with every fibre of her being. Alyssa sent soothing waves through her mind, calming the last of the Vulkat, and encouraging her to surrender herself to that connection. Nkkrrit balked at the level of trust that would entail, but with Alyssa's gentle telepathic caresses, she gradually relaxed, opening her mind the same way.

Nkkrrit listened in awe as the telepathic song grew louder and clearer, Alyssa's wards like beautiful echoes of their Matriarch's glorious voice. She began to sway to that gentle rhythm, her mind revelling in the loving notes. Throwing herself more fully into that connection, Nkkrrit suddenly became aware of the multitude of Maliri connected through Edraele. While their voices were far quieter, united together they provided a much broader depth to the shining stars in Alyssa's chorus.

The ancient arachnid began to sing, her voice unsteady at first after thousands of years of disuse, but growing stronger by the second. Alyssa had been the only one aware of Nkkrrit's presence at first, until that song flooded through the network, making all those connected to her pause in wonder. Acting by instinct, they followed Nkkrrit's lead, raising their voices to join the hymn of the Vulkat.

Gratitude, love, respect...

Alyssa smiled as she felt the flood of emotion from the last survivor of a terribly-wronged people. *You're welcome,* she murmured, caressing the Vulkat Queen. She hesitated for a second, then continued, *Would you like us to heal you? We could try to help you bring back the Vulkat and rebuild your empire?*

Regret, appreciation, but rejection...

Pausing for a moment, Alyssa gazed into Nkkrrit's sad eyes. *Do you want us to end your suffering instead? I promise it would be painless...*

Longing... then duty, loyalty, rejection...

Alyssa sighed as she nodded her understanding. As much as Nkkrrit wanted a release from her torment, she felt honour bound to defend what had once been Vulkat territory from the vultures that sought to pick over the carcass of an extinct civilisation.

*If you ever change your mind either way, reach out and speak to me,* Alyssa said gently. *We'll do whatever we can to help you.*

Nkkrrit gazed at her for a long moment, then broadcast a dazzling series of images into Alyssa's mind.

Blue eyes widening in shock, Alyssa gaped at her new friend. *Thank you so much! I promise we'll put your gifts to good use!*

The Vulkat Queen embraced the young woman, long black limbs curving around her in a gentle, protective gesture. Alyssa hugged her back tightly and with a final goodbye, they broke the telepathic connection.

***

John felt the veil of fear lifting and Sakura sagged into his arms. "You okay now, honey?" he asked with concern.

"So much better, thank you," the Asian girl replied, letting out a deep sigh.

When he met her startled gaze, much to his surprise he saw elation on her face, her fear long forgotten and replaced with a look of joy. Checking on the rest of the girls, he saw similar expressions of relief and happiness on their beautiful faces, as the oppressive sense of dread faded away. Looking down over the balcony to make sure Alyssa was alright, John only relaxed when she turned and waved up at her friends.

"Hey guys, get down here and meet Nkkrrit! She's got some amazing gifts for us!" she called out to them, a brilliant smile lighting up her face.

***

"What's happening now?" Kali Loraleth asked impatiently, sitting forward on the huge bed, her indigo eyes tense with worry. "Have they started fighting the Vulkat yet?!"

Edraele slowly shook her head as she listened to John's thoughts, wishing that she were still at his side rather than heading back to Genthalas. He had asked her to keep the Young Matriarchs safe and she would protect them and his four heirs with her life, but it was still difficult to be parted from him, especially after the visit to the Invictus had been so wonderful.

She gave the five anxious young women a reassuring smile and replied, "It seems like Alyssa managed to befriend the Vulkat Queen! Don't worry, my darlings, there won't be any fighting tonight."

The Young Matriarchs sighed with relief, finally relaxing and reclining on the bed as the tension eased in the bedroom. After Edraele's collapse a few weeks earlier, they had all insisted on staying with her whenever John was likely to be involved in a battle, each of them wanting to keep a wary eye on their Matriarch to make sure she didn't overexert herself. She was touched by their concern, but didn't like to see them worry.

Valani glanced around at her friends and asked tentatively, "Did any of you hear a beautiful, otherworldly voice a few moments ago? This might sound strange... but I thought I heard singing!"

The rest of the Maliri nodded, looking at each other with wide eyes. "I thought I must've just been hearing things," Leena admitted, with a shy smile.

"It was the Vulkat Queen," Edraele clarified, listening to Alyssa's telepathic explanation of events. "Her name is Nkkrrit and she's the last of her kind. Alyssa connected her to our psychic network to bring her some peace... she lost everyone she ever loved."

"That's so awful," Valani murmured, hugging Nyrelle.

Nyrelle nodded, her dark-blue eyes filled with sympathy. "I can't even imagine being separated from all of you now. I love you all so much!" She embraced the House Naestina Matriarch and they shared a gentle kiss.

Edraele turned to Luna, who was kneeling beside her, and brushed her hand through the assassins long-silky hair, the snowy tresses flowing over her blue fingers. "What would you say to an early night, my Angel?"

Luna met her gaze with hooded, lust-filled eyes and rose to her feet. "That sounds like a lovely idea, but I do have one proviso."

"You have the effrontery to make demands of your Matriarch?" Edraele replied playfully, while arching an eyebrow. Standing so that she was eye to eye with her lover, she continued, "And what might that be, my beautiful enchantress?"

Luna caressed her Matriarch's cheek with a gentle swirl of her fingers and whispered, "I just want you to make love to me tonight... no more trying to atone for what happened, let's put that behind us."

Edraele hesitated, flushing with embarrassment for the way she'd behaved after hearing the horrifying revelations about Tashana's past. She had promised John that she'd do her best to thank Luna on his behalf, and had been doing so vigorously, keeping her lover in a state of ecstasy, with every cry of pleasure a balm to her soul. Edraele was about to apologise again, but the yellow-eyed assassin embraced her and stifled her words with a tender kiss.

When they parted again, Edraele's eyes softened and she gently caressed Luna's back, feeling the supple, powerful muscles there. "I place myself in your strong hands, my love."

"Good girl," Luna murmured, the two of them sharing a knowing smile at the memories those words evoked.

Edraele turned back to the huge bed to see that the Young Matriarchs had already disrobed and were climbing under the covers. Tsarra and Leena lay cuddled in each other's arms, as they had done every night since they left the Invictus, the two slightly older girls talking softly together. Kali settled down between Nyrelle and Valani, the three younger women giggling as they whispered secrets to one another.

Taking Luna's hand, Edraele glided towards the bed, darting a coy smile at her lover, knowing full-well who was going to get to play at being "John" that night. They had only gone a couple of steps when a melodic chime echoed around the bedroom, originating from the comms interface.

"This is Edraele, is there a problem, Captain?" she asked, taking the call.

"Matriarch, we just received a high-priority message routed through to us from Geniya station," Captain Daeyra replied, sounding surprised. "They were contacted by a source originating from Federation Space and a Terran female asked to speak with you in person."

Edraele raised an eyebrow as she glanced at Luna and gave her an apologetic smile, but the assassin waved it away and shooed her on to take the call. The House Valaden Matriarch walked behind the desk, her eyes widening when she saw the name on the caller ID. "Give me a few moments please, Captain."

"Of course, Matriarch," Captain Daeyra said, her voice respectful.

The Young Matriarchs looked on in surprise as Edraele turned and left the bedroom, walking at a brisk pace towards the office she had commandeered aboard the Maliri battleship. Her golden armour was there, so she donned the jewel-encrusted chestplate, vambraces, and pauldrons first, then reluctantly pulled the ornate helmet over her head. She would have loved to have taken this call without her armour, but John wished to keep the appearance of the Maliri a secret and she had no intention of defying his wishes.

She sat gracefully in the chair behind the imposing desk, her elegant fingers tracing across the holo-interface to accept the secure call. "This is Edraele Valaden, Matriarch of House Valaden, my humblest apologies for keeping you waiting."

The attractive Latina sighed with relief, "Oh my goodness, I'm so glad I got through to you! Thank you for speaking with me, Queen Edraele!"

Smiling to herself for having forgotten about her new title, Edraele replied, "Please Mrs. Fernandez, call me Edraele. I've been longing to speak with you for quite some time now and I'm so glad you called. I must say that your daughter is an absolute delight! That lovely girl is a shining testimony to the wonderful way you raised her."

"Call me Maria, please," the Latina replied, flushing at the effusive compliments.

"I also see that Calara isn't the only stunning beauty in the Fernandez family..." Edraele added flirtatiously.

Although it was obvious Maria was intimidated by Edraele's title, she managed to shake that off, her face set in a determined expression. "I'd really love a chance to get to know you better, Edraele, but there's something extremely urgent I need to discuss with you first. Are you able to get a message to John?"

Edraele hesitated for a second, unsure what to say over a comm channel, no matter how secure it was. "That's correct, I will ensure he hears anything you tell me," she replied, her tone guarded.

Maria picked up on her reticence and gave the Maliri Queen a reassuring smile. "I understand your reluctance to speak openly, but this is a spoofed ultra-secure channel; I have an extensive network of old colleagues who work in Terran Federation communications. Nothing we say on this call will go further than the two of us -- not even the Fleet Admiral himself can listen in to this conversation and there are no logs being recorded."

Before Edraele could say anything, Maria leaned forward, her careful composure slipping as she blurted out, "We need John's help! The Terran Federation is in terrible danger! The Kintark have launched a massive invasion armada heading for Terra and High Command has recalled all the fleets from the borders!" Her brown eyes looked frantic as she continued, "They've stripped the defences from the outer rim! There's nothing protecting those worlds from the Kirrix!"

Edraele froze in horror, stunned by the news. As the shock wore off, she slowly reached up and removed her helmet, then shook out her snowy white mane. Meeting Maria's wide-eyed look of wonder, she said firmly. "Now start from the beginning and tell me everything you know. John isn't in Maliri Space, but I can get word of this to him immediately..."

Maria sagged with relief and began to tell the Maliri Queen everything she'd been able to piece together.

***

Dana stopped bouncing on her toes to point at the platform covered by a dense forest of Eternity Crystals, an excited grin on her face. "So all we have to do is build the psychic amplifiers and replicate the mineral composition of the growing agent, then either you or Alyssa can psychically shape as many as we need!"

"Do you reckon we can use them to upgrade our shield projectors? Are they as good as the Brimorians thought they'd be?" John asked, studying the beautiful crystals and the kaleidoscope of light they refracted around the room.

She nodded enthusiastically. "I thought the crystals the Maliri could make were amazing, but these things are fucking awesome! We'll totally be able to upgrade our shields and I can think of a few more uses for them too!"

John glanced back at the wizened arachnid then to his blonde Matriarch. "And you're sure Nkkrrit is okay with us taking these crystals?"

Alyssa gently stroked the Vulkat Queen's dried carapace. "She says we can have them all; they're her way of saying thanks for letting her join my chorus..."

John frowned in confusion, not entirely sure what chorus the blonde was referring to. Deciding to speak about it with her later, he turned to look at Irillith, who was crouched next to the dense network of cybernetics that made up Nkkrrit's black throne. "How's the data transfer going?"

"About half done I think," the Maliri hacker replied, studying the strange black device she held in her hand. "I'll start researching the Vulkat language when we get back to the ship. With a bit of luck and Faye's assistance, I should be able to decipher and translate all the data into a useable format that's compatible with our own network."

"How long until I can start checking out their schematics?" Dana asked, her blue eyes shining with excitement.

Irillith gave her a helpless shrug. "I'm afraid I've got no idea at the moment. I can only promise that I'll give it my undivided attention as soon as possible."

"Are you sure Nkkrrit won't let me heal her?" Rachel asked Alyssa, her grey eyes already glowing. "At least I can take away any pain..."

The blonde shook her head, a forlorn expression on her face. "She wants this nightmare to be over with, but she's got too much loyalty to her people to let me just end her suffering. If you heal her, she'll live even longer, and she doesn't want that either."

Tashana frowned in confusion, then glanced at the ancient arachnid. "Aren't those two conflicting things?"

"The Vulkat view suicide as a betrayal of their community," Alyssa replied, a troubled frown on her face. "Nkkrrit wants to keep defending Vulkat territory until her dying breath..."

"Would it be okay if I take a DNA sample?" Rachel asked, glancing at the Vulkat Queen's withered body. "I won't hurt her."

Alyssa smiled and nodded. "Nkkrrit doesn't mind, she says that's fine."

*John, I need to talk to you urgently!* Edraele blurted out, her thoughts rushing into his mind.

*What's the matter?* he asked in alarm. *Are you and your girls okay?*

*We're all fine, but I've just heard some shocking news from Maria Fernandez!* the Maliri Matriarch declared. *She just contacted me so that I could to pass on a message to you!*

*Calara's mother spoke with you?! What did she say?!*

*The Kintark have invaded! They swept through the Dragon March smashing all the defences there and are on their way towards Terra! The Kintark have been destroying all the comms beacons on their way to prevent word from getting out, but High Command knows they're coming. Buckingham ordered the recall of all the fleets to defend the Homeworld... but they stripped all the ships from the Kirrix borders!* Edraele informed him in a rush.

John could only gape in shock when he heard the news. *But the fleet on the outer rim is two weeks out! They'll never be able to get back to the Core Worlds in time to make a difference.*

*Maria says it's definitely happening, the Damocles had only just arrived at the border when the fleet received the recall order,* she continued, her tone bleak. *High Command has abandoned all the worlds in the outer rim!*