Three Square Meals Ch. 053

Alyssa looked at him in alarm and said, "Chancellor Niskera asked us to minimise casualties. They aren't a threat to us now, we should just let them live."

John glared at her in annoyance, but after a quick glance at the other girls, he relented when he saw their worried expressions, saying curtly, "Fine, let's get out of here. Jump out at a two-twenty degree angle from Trankara so they won't get suspicious, then bring us around."

Doing as she was bid, Jade turned the Invictus to the heading he had requested, and once they were clear of any gravity wells, she engaged the Tachyon drive. Alyssa expanded the Sector Map, and began to rapidly plot a course in a looping arc that would bring them around to Trankara. With the enormous reach on the Invictus' sensors, they'd be able to see any incoming enemy ships whilst being far out of range of being spotted themselves. Nodding with satisfaction, she entered the course into the ship's Navigation computer. Once the Invictus was safely in hyper-warp, the girls sagged back in their seats, looking relieved.

John rose abruptly, and said without ceremony, "I'll be in my Ready Room. Let me know when we've arrived at Trankara." He walked down the illuminated steps, then opened up the door to the Commander's Ready Room and strode inside.

The girls had grown used to his glowing praise after a battle, and when he didn't so much as acknowledge their brilliant teamwork, his abrupt departure was all the more jarring. There was a hushed silence as they watched him leave, and after the door had closed behind him, Dana, Rachel, and Calara all looked up at Alyssa in alarm.

Dana was the first to speak to the blonde girl telepathically, and she asked, *What's up with John? He's acting really fucking weird!*

At the same time, Calara's worried thoughts appeared in her mind, and she exclaimed, *I've never seen John behave like that! He was totally ruthless!*

Rachel's eyes narrowed, and she asked, *He's losing control to the Progenitor version of himself, isn't he? He wasn't quite the same as when Progenitor-John took complete control against the Fulmanax, but he was disturbingly similar.*

Jade noted the shocked expressions on the other girls, then shared a long look with Alyssa, before finally saying, *You better fill them in, I'll take Irillith back to her quarters.*

When Alyssa nodded, the Nymph got up from her seat, and strode up the ramp to the unlit station at the rear and right of the Bridge. She smiled at the Maliri woman, and said in a kind voice, "Sorry, but I'll have to take you back to your quarters. Would you come with me please?"

Irillith was still staring at the door, feeling more than a little alarmed at the way John was behaving. He reminded her more of the Mael'nerak than ever, and she felt a deep chill of fear in her bones. Suddenly realising Jade had spoken to her, she looked up at the green-skinned girl, and nodded distractedly. Standing, she followed the Nymph over to the grav-tube, and stepped into the red glow that would take her down to Deck Four. She was more than relieved to be able to leave the Command Deck, putting as much distance between herself and John as possible.

Alyssa let out a long, forlorn sigh, and then began to explain her worries to the other three girls.

***

Jade rejoined them a while later, and there was a stunned silence on the Bridge, with all the girls wearing worried frowns on their faces. She walked down the ramp towards the debriefing room, paused by the door, and said, "Let's go and talk in here."

Nodding, the other girls got up, and followed her into the room, sitting down numbly in the chairs around the long table. Alyssa brought up a holographic representation of the Sector Map, and left it hovering above the table, so they could keep an eye on the long range scans.

"So, John's turning evil," Dana blurted out abruptly.

Alyssa and Jade glanced at each other, and the blonde said hesitantly, "I don't know for sure, but he seems to be under some kind of malevolent influence, probably his Progenitor nature, and it's making him act bizarrely. I thought it might be due to Irillith's presence on the ship, as he started behaving a bit oddly when we first encountered her."

The redhead started to rise out of her seat with a stony expression on her face, and she said, "Fine. So we kill her, and everything goes back to normal."

Alyssa was startled by the sudden fiery surge of anger in Dana's mind. Looking worried, and shaking her head in a wave of blonde locks, she replied, "I don't think it will make any difference. John started behaving really differently after we met Edraele. That's when he started blocking me from his thoughts a lot more, and acting really out of character."

Rachel looked sombre as she said, "I think you're right by the way. I agree with your theory that the Maliri are bringing out some darker side to him. The genetic behaviour modifications the Progenitors built into DNA are very powerful, and can have a dramatic effect. Jade has several overwhelming drivers that influence her behaviour, like her aversion to guns, or the need to have a master. The ones built into John are just as powerful, and this other side of him that appears in times of severe danger, seems to be an extreme manifestation of the Progenitors' skill at DNA coding."

Alyssa looked at her and asked, "Is there anything we can do to try and counter it?"

Rachel paused, looking troubled, and replied, "I'm not sure there's anything we can do. I think the damage might already be done. Although we all have a wonderful connection with John, Terrans are based off the standard genetic template the Progenitors designed, and our species wasn't primed beforehand. The Maliri were specifically designed to be receptive to domination by a Progenitor. If my behaviour modification theories are correct, once he's around female Maliri for long enough, they'll start throwing themselves at him, practically begging him to enslave them. For a Progenitor, whose species is designed to conquer slave races, that's got to be a powerful instinctive lure."

Calara looked forlorn as she said softly, "One of the things I love the most about him, is his desire to help people, and really bring some good to the galaxy. I don't know what I'll do if he loses that."

Dana frowned, looking angry, and blurted out, "I refuse to give up on him! There must be something we can do!"

Alyssa walked around the table and placed a comforting hand on each of their shoulders. She gave them a reassuring smile as she looked down at them, and said, "No one said we're giving up on John. We just need to try and come up with some kind of plan."

The five girls looked at each other around the table, until Calara said hesitantly, "How about we try and persuade him to drop Irillith off at Geniya trading post? Then we forget all about the Maliri, and fly off in the opposite direction? Maybe if he goes cold-turkey, it might shake him out of this."

Jade nodded and said, "Alyssa and I talked about the same thing, but the one problem is, what do we do if he says no? I don't think I'm capable of disobeying one of his direct orders. How about any of you?"

They all frowned and slowly shook their heads. Calara was about to say something, but paused, dreading bringing it up.

"Go ahead and say it," Alyssa said quietly. "We're all thinking the same thing."

The Latina stared at her for a moment, before she glanced at the others, and asked in a hushed voice, "What do we do if our John disappears forever? I don't want to serve an evil Progenitor version of the man I love."

There was a deathly quiet in the room, and Rachel looked deeply troubled as she replied, "We might not have any choice."

***

Their journey to Trankara was unopposed, with Dana and Rachel spending the two hours continuing with their research, while Alyssa, Calara, and Jade remained on the Bridge. The girls were all very worried after their conversation in the Debriefing Room, and even a loving group hug did little to raise their spirits.

They stayed well clear of any Trankaran vessels, and with the huge range on their long range scanners, they were able to watch the Trankaran ships whilst avoiding going anywhere near them. Sure enough, a big fleet of five cruisers, a dozen destroyers, and fifteen corvettes flew past them on a direct flight path to Demladuhr Station.

Calara watched the departing fleet, and thought to Alyssa, *John might be acting strangely, but that was a brilliant strategy of his, luring the picket ships out like that.*

Alyssa smiled at her wryly and said, *It was a close run thing. These Trankaran cruisers pack a heck of a punch, and it was just your incredible shooting that saved us.*

Giving her lover a grateful smile for the compliment, Calara replied, *Our problem going up against the Trankarans, is that the Invictus has the same design ethos as their ships do. Lots of big forward facing guns, with the idea being to use our good manoeuvrability to keep the Beam lasers and Mass drivers on target. They have a lot more armour, faster engines, and very powerful short range weaponry. If we fought a group of them, we'd be in really big trouble.*

*We'll keep our heads down. We don't want to risk another fight in the Invictus, especially with the armour torn up as it is,* Alyssa said, with no small degree of caution in her voice.

The doors to the Ready Room swished open, and John strode purposefully onto the Bridge. He jogged up the illuminated steps to the Command Podium, then sat down in his chair.

He glanced at Alyssa and asked, "How long until we reach Trankara?"

"We'll be arriving in-system shortly. It shouldn't be more than ten minutes," she replied in a calm voice, not wanting to reveal the gnawing worry she felt.

Looking up at the long range scan results on the Sector Map, John said, "It looks like there's only a minimal defensive force left at Trankara. Did they send out a fleet to assist that cruiser we crippled?"

Nodding, Alyssa replied, "Yes, we passed them a short while ago. Thirty-two ships in total, with the largest being five cruisers."

A smug grin spread on John's face, and he said, "Good. Bring us in on the far side of the planet from any defensive fleet, and we'll travel down to this 'Radiant Palace' in the Raptor."

After another minute, the long range scans began to pick up the distinctive signatures of Trankaran vessels, and a fleet of ships about the same size as the one they passed earlier began to appear on the holographic Sector Map. The ships were set up in clusters, consisting of a cruiser supported by destroyers and corvettes, and they ringed around their homeworld to pick up any encroaching vessels.

Alyssa brought up the system map, and the locations of the vessels were tagged on the holographic image. The Trankaran home system had a bright white sun, and Trankara itself was a large volcanic planet on the fifth orbital path around the sun. There were two other volcanic planets, a couple of gas giants, and numerous asteroid belts dotted around the system.

John studied the map for a minute, quickly changing his plans to allow for the Trankaran's fleet disposition, and said, "We'll use the asteroid belts to mask our approach to Trankara. Calara and Dana can stay on the Invictus in the cover of the asteroids, while the rest of us take the Raptor down to the planet. The data we received from the loyal Trankarans said that the asteroid belts aren't rigged with proximity mines, and have no sensor webs in place."

The girls on the bridge nodded warily, and Alyssa said, "I've informed Dana and Rachel. They'll come up and join us in a few minutes."

"Get them to bring Irillith, she's coming too," John said offhandedly, as he stared at the system map, watching the patrol routes of the Trankaran defensive fleet.

Alyssa stared at him a moment, then nodded, and passed on the message. "The three of them will be here shortly," she informed him quietly.

He didn't bother to reply, and continued his vigil of the Trankaran homeworld. They finally jumped into the system a few minutes later, and Jade powered down their systems as she coasted the Invictus in towards the closest belt of asteroids. Dana, Rachel, and Irillith stepped out of the grav-tube onto the Command Deck a moment later, and they spread out to take their seats.

John glanced at Rachel, and asked, "Any success in finding the Trankaran's weak spots?"

She frowned and said, "Their biology is quite the conundrum. It's bizarrely unique, yet familiar at the same time."

Looking displeased, John replied sharply, "Which means what exactly?"

Rachel looked a bit hurt at his impatient tone, and said, "Although they're silicon based lifeforms, and not carbon based like us, their bodies follow a very similar template to ours. Vital organs in the chest, and a brain in their cranium."

Nodding John said abruptly, "Right. Headshots and torso shots it is then."

Rachel had been about to continue before he cut her off. Alyssa frowned at him, then smiled at the brunette and asked, "Did you find out anything else?"

Nodding, their doctor continued hesitantly, "Trankaran skin is very dense, and the silicon in their bodies forms a tough, resilient shell. We're going to need to use high-powered rounds to be able to hurt them." She paused for a moment, looking thoughtful, and added, "I haven't been able to study their genetic code yet, as I'll need Dana's help to reconfigure my instruments. The fact they are bipedal and have a generally similar physiological to us, makes me wonder if the Progenitors had a hand in their evolution. I'll start looking into that when we get back from the mission."

Alyssa smiled at her, and said, "Thanks Rachel, that was very helpful." She then looked over at Dana and asked, "How are you getting on with your research?"

Dana looked a lot more subdued than normal, but her face brightened a bit at talk of new technology, and she said eagerly, "I've been working with Faye to create a holographic simulation for the new device I'm developing. It will replace our existing inertial dampeners, and should let us use the full power of the engines." Glancing up at John with a worried frown she added, "I'm still looking into it, but we might need to refit in a drydock for this upgrade. We'd need to build a super-strong central core vertically through the ship, and we can't do that in space."

John didn't seem particularly phased by this, and he said, "That shouldn't be a problem. As long as you have the schematics ready in the next week or so, we can take some time out for the refit."

Rising from his Command Chair, he said, "Alright, let's get geared up. Jade will be flying us to Trankara in the Raptor, and Alyssa, Rachel, and Irillith will be joining me."

At the mention of her name, Irillith coughed politely, and when all eyes turned to her she said, "I don't have a replacement vambrace. I'll need my armour back if I'm coming with you." Dana and Rachel both began to object at once, so the Maliri woman fought the urge to roll her eyes, and added, "I can unclip the hacking deck that powers the AI from the vambrace. 'Faye' will be perfectly safe."

Dana looked relieved, and as she walked up the ramp, she said to Irillith, "Let's go. You can show me how to disconnect the hacking deck from the vambrace, then you can have your armour back."

The girls going on the mission to Trankara got up and began walking from the Bridge to get equipped in their armour. John stood and was about to walk down the steps, when Alyssa placed a hand on his arm. He turned to look at her quizzically, and once Irillith had left the Bridge, Alyssa whispered to him, "Are you sure it's a good idea bringing her along? I've got a feeling she's hiding something from us."

John nodded confidently, and said, "She'll be fine. Her behaviour modification is kicking in, and she's already much more compliant and obedient."

Alyssa frowned, but she could see by the determined set of his features that his mind was already made up, so she decided not to push him any further. They walked down the steps to the grav-tube, then headed to the Commander's Quarters to get fully equipped for the mission. Her worries were coming back in spades now, after seeing John's behaviour during and after the fight with the Trankarans. She stepped into her plated boots in the armour equipping frame, then waited pensively as the robotic arms swung the armour into place over her body.

John had finished getting equipped first, and he strode over to the weapons racks. He reached for the gleaming white two-handed sword she had forged for him, and slid it into place in the magnetic fields that sheathed it across his back. Once it was held securely, he reached for a glossy white Punisher railgun, then slotted in a long magazine of saboted 20mm, and a stubbier mag of 25mm grenades for the underslung grenade launcher. After grabbing plenty of spare mags, and slotting them into his combat webbing, he strode out of the walk-in wardrobe without a second glance.

Alyssa's heart sank as she watched him leave, missing their private chats, and flirty exchanges more than ever. Heaving a big sigh, she reached for her own Punisher railgun, the small light on the grip flashing green as she picked it up. She checked the selector switches on the side of the rifle, and made sure the safety was on, and that the weapon was set to high-powered mode. She reached for some magazines, slotting them into place, then glanced at the GUI in her helmet, which showed the remaining loaded ammo, and noted that it read 10/50 as she was expecting. Taking some spare mags, and some clips to reload them with, if they got in a protracted firefight, she walked out in John's wake feeling a deep pervading sense of sadness.

***

Jade skilfully swung the Raptor around a massive asteroid with the barest usage of the retro-thrusters. Almost all their systems were powered down, but with access to the passive sensors, Jade had enough telemetry data to be able to plot a nice safe course for them through the asteroid field.

John, Alyssa, and Rachel were all geared up in Dana's variant of the Phalanx armour, fully protected by Alyssium plating on their body, and reinforced crystal for their clear faceplated helmets. Irillith was wearing her full set of golden armour, and carrying her laser rifle, but her eyes kept being drawn to the menacing new railguns the others were all carrying. This was the first time she had seen the new weapons, and with the broader, twenty millimetre muzzle, and the underslung grenade launchers, the Punisher railguns looked very deadly indeed.

John pointed to the middle of the red and black planet, and said, "The Radiant Palace is towards the equator on the biggest landmass. I can give you some more directions when we get closer."

The Raptor moved stealthily through the asteroid belt, in long, well-planned manoeuvres that used the barest touches of the retro-thrusters. The Trankarans seemed completely oblivious to their presence, and the vessels out on patrol sailed past without a clue as to the threat lurking in their midst. Jade brought them to a halt at the leading edge of the asteroid field, and once the latest patrol had cruised past, she gently powered up the engines, increasing their velocity to coast in towards Trankara.

There was a sensor net set up around the Trankarans homeworld, but with Jade's expert piloting, they were able to drift closer without warning them of their approach. She brought them into the upper atmosphere of Trankara, and the dark red and black planet loomed large ahead of them. They began their descent, using only periodic bursts from the retro-thrusters to arrest the speed of their fall, and while Jade stared intently at her controls, her passengers gazed out the cockpit canopy at the planet.