"Oh, Mac." Jen wrapped her arms around her friend and gave her a fierce hug. "You have nothing to be ashamed of. Absolutely nothing! I'm happy for you."
"But Todd…"
"You not being with Nikhil isn't going to bring Todd back. It isn't going to change anything except to make both you and Nikhil miserable. You've been given a gift, Mackenzie. Cherish it. Don't let anyone take it away from you."
"I won't."
• • • • • •
Gulzar stood just inside the door of the cool room, having gone in to retrieve the meat he needed for Last Meal. He hadn't meant to eavesdrop on the females' conversation, but once he'd realized what they were saying, he hadn't wanted to interrupt.
He had wondered himself why Jen’s scars hadn’t been repaired. To learn that they had, at least partially, gave him pause as did her reason. He’d never heard of a female not trying to attract a male, especially a female with no family and who was injured.
As the females continued to talk, he began to realize that they had a bond that was not unlike the one that existed between Warriors. It was an unusual thing to have among females. While there was no shortage of females in the Kaliszian Empire as there were in the Tornian Empire, Kaliszian females competed with one another for the male that would best provide them with food.
That didn't seem to be the case here. Jen was honestly happy that Mackenzie was Nikhil’s True Mate and Ashe, and didn't appear to want to be one herself. How strange. Jen had called Mackenzie her girlfriend. Was this the type of friendship Jen had been offering him? To be someone that would be there and stand by him even if it didn't benefit her?
He needed to think about this. Making sure they heard him coming, he pushed open the door.
• • • • • •
"I say we're done for the day," Mac said stepping away from Jen, watching as her eyes went to what Gulzar was carrying. "Let’s go to my quarters and relax for a while. That way you won't have to watch Gulzar massacre that hunk of meat."
"Yeah, that would probably be for the best." But even as she spoke, Jen found she was moving toward Gulzar. Tonight it was another large slab of meat, but this one still had the bones in it. "I see you defrosted that in the cool room."
"Yes, I put it in there last night. But it is still not as thawed out as it would be in the dry room."
"No, it won't be. Not with a piece of meat this large. But it's safer, and you'll still be able to cook it. Are you serving the meat on the bones?"
"On the bones? Of course not, you can't eat the bones. Once they fall off, I will discard them."
"Discard… Why not cut the meat from the bones first? The meat will cook faster."
"It will?" Gulzar frowned, looking at the meat.
"Yes, and then you can roast the bones and make stock."
"Stock? What is stock?" Gulzar asked.
"It’s a flavorful liquid you can make from bones and vegetables. You add it to other things, and it makes them taste better."
"And you can make it from these?" He gestured to the bones, disbelievingly.
"Yes," Jen frowned when Gulzar didn't move, just stared at the bones in confusion. Suddenly, she realized he didn't know how to debone the meat. "I can do it if you like. That way you can keep working on Last Meal."
"You would do that for me, even though I refused your… friendship?"
"Of course." Jen moved to where the knives were on a magnetic rack she'd discovered attached to the wall. It had surprised her, but she appreciated that, at one time, there were Kaliszians that thought about kitchen safety. Reaching into a drawer full of sharp knives was dangerous. She ignored the wide-eyed look Mac gave her, knowing what her friend was thinking.
Selecting a knife, she quickly made sure it had a sharp edge by expertly running it along the sharpening steel she'd also found. Moving to the table, she just as expertly began to remove the rib bones from the meat.
"What kind of meat is this?" Jen asked. It reminded her of beef, but it wasn't the red color she was used to.
"It is wild beast," Gulzar told her absently as he watched her blade skills with amazement. He wasn't sure that the most skilled Elite Warrior could use a blade that deftly. "It is from the Tornian planet of Betelgeuse, where their Warriors hone their skills by hunting and tracking it."
"That's what you call it? Beast? Would you grab a couple of those shallow pans for me?" She gestured with her head toward the pans stored a few feet away as she slid the meat around, removing the last of the connective tissue. "You only get one kind of meat?"
"Well, no. But what does it matter when they are all cooked the same way."
"You cook all meat the same way?" Jen didn't try to hide her dismay as she set the ribs in one of the pans then flipped the other one upside down to cover it.
"Of course," Gulzar said, closely watching everything she did.
"How?"
"I cut the meat into large chunks, and then put them in a pot with the allotted amount of vegetables. I then fill that pot with water and bring it to a boil."
"The vegetables that you don't peel or cut."
"Yes," he told her.
"And then?"
"Then I set it out and the Warriors scoop out their share and eat."
Jen understood what Gulzar was attempting, a boiled dinner, but it was typically prepared with a brisket that had already been corned, not just raw meat. You also couldn't add the vegetables at the beginning. Not if you wanted there to be anything left of them by the time the meat was done.
It was suddenly clear to her that the Great Infection had caused the Kaliszians to lose all but the most basic of cooking skills. She was going to have a huge job on her hands if she was going to show them that food could be something that was enjoyable.
"I...”
"Come on, Jen," Mac linked her arm through Jen's, then grabbed her cape as they passed it. She knew Jen would never leave unless she dragged her away. "Let's go so Gulzar can get to work. Bye, Gulzar."
"Ashe Mackenzie… Jen," Gulzar nodded then began to hack at the meat.
"That pan needs to be stored in the cool room!" Jen called out as Mac pulled her away.
Mac waited until the door closed behind them before she demanded. "Okay, spill."
"What?" Jen asked giving her a confused look.
"How did you get Gulzar to call you Jen and not Jennifer? And what was that about friendship?"
"I… I asked him to call me Jen. I thought we could be friends. I forgot what friendship meant for a Kaliszian when I suggested it and the poor guy about had a heart attack."
"What? Why?" Mac demanded.
"Come on, Mac, look at me." She gestured to her face. "You know why. Don't." Jen raised a finger cutting off what she knew her friend was going to say. "He didn't say or imply anything I didn't already know. He was nice about it."
"He was?" Mac asked hesitantly.
"Yes. Why does that surprise you?" Jen frowned when Mac wouldn't look her in the eye.
"Mac? What happened to you that I don't know?"
"Nothing!"
"I don't believe that."
"Look, it isn't that big of a deal."
"If it weren't, you wouldn't be keeping it from me."
Mac sighed heavily. "It's just that one of the Warriors has been bothering me. I mean he hasn’t done anything, but the way he looks at me makes my skin crawl.
"Why haven’t you told Nikhil?”
“Because he hasn’t done anything and if I told Nikhil…”
"Who?" Jen demanded. Mac was her friend, and after all they’d been through together, she trusted Mac's instincts.
"Spada."
"Spada! The Warrior originally in charge of the survivors?"
"Yes."
"God damn it, Mac! Why didn't you say anything?"
"Because I was worried if I said something he would find a way to take it out on you and the guys."
Jen closed her eyes and took a deep breath trying to calm herself. She understood why Mac ha
dn't told her. She would have done the same, but that didn't mean she had to like it. The injustice of it all bubbled up inside her. There'd been so much lately that she had just had to accept. She needed to get away before she blew.
"Look, Mac, I think I'm going to pass on going to your quarters. I didn't sleep very well last night, and I just need to call it a day."
"Jennifer…" Mac gave her a disbelieving look.
"I'm fine. Honest. Just tired." Giving Mac a quick hug, Jen stepped away. "I'll see you tomorrow?"
"Sure. I'll be here."
"Unless Nikhil keeps you in bed." With those teasing words, Jen wrapped her cape around her shoulders and walked away.
• • • • • •
Treyvon rose as the shuttle set down. They were returning later than he had planned, and he knew his Warriors were anxious to make Last Meal. A hot meal was a rare treat. One that they started receiving when the Emperor made the security of Pontus a priority. And assigned his Supreme Commander and the Elite Warriors serving under him to secure it.
Treyvon had understood Liron sending them to Pontus when the Tornian Emperor's shuttle had crashed. Liron wanted to send a strong message that he would not tolerate such actions occurring in his Empire. What Treyvon didn't understand was his order for them to remain.
For him to remain.
On Pontus of all places.
The one planet in all the Known Universes where Treyvon shouldn't be.
Liron didn't see it that way. He held no animosity for Treyvon because of what his ancestor, Chancellor Aadi, had done. He had once told Treyvon that if he did, he would have to have it for himself too, as they shared the same bloodline.
Others didn't see it that way, and Treyvon had spent his entire life trying to live down the shame that a member of his family had played a part in causing the Great Infection.
Since they were to remain on Pontus indefinitely, Treyvon established his Command Center in the only remaining structure on Pontus. He'd been surprised at its condition, as all the buildings surrounding it had succumbed to the ravages of time and the storms that plagued Pontus. But not the Education Center. While its outer walls had suffered and needed some repair, the building itself had been in the same condition as the day it had been abandoned, needing only new furnishings.
It had been a good decision because shortly after that, they began discovering the Zaludian mining sites and the survivors. They'd also started closely monitoring the ships that crossed the border between the two Empires near Pontus, making sure no Ganglian or Zaludian ships passed. Yet something had been bothering him lately. Even before the discovery of the human female.
Jennifer…
The name whispered through his mind.
He didn't know why he was so captivated with the female. She had deceived him, and that was something he didn't tolerate from anyone. With her, he found he could understand it. She had been treated harshly since being taken from Earth. She had been exposed to two of the worst species in all the Known Universes. There was no way she could have known the Kaliszians wouldn't be the same… or worse.
Leaving the shuttle, Treyvon thought about the cold meal he would be eating. He chose not to eat the hot Last Meal, even though he allowed his food allotment to be used. He preferred to eat the food they were given when they were in the field, so his Warriors would have more.
"General."
Treyvon didn't pause when Gryf walked up as he exited the shuttle. He'd left Gryf in charge while he'd been gone. "What is it, Gryf?"
"Did you find anything to account for your feeling of unease?"
Treyvon had confided in his friend why he had wanted to search the southern quadrant again. "No."
"But that feeling remains." Gryf trusted his friend and commander's instincts. They had saved them both on more than one occasion.
"Yes," he said shortly. "Anything here that needs my attention?"
"No. I sent the daily reports to your tablet along with some messages from the other Generals."
"Urgent?"
"No, the usual complaints."
Treyvon grunted his understanding. It was one of the few things Treyvon didn't like about his position, the handling of mundane requests. For the most part, his generals ran their areas and warriors well and efficiently. It was why he selected them. But there were times when one would feel another was getting better food stores or getting them faster. It was a testament to the generals’ commitment to their warriors. It was also a pain in Treyvon's ass.
"Who this time?"
"General Garrod. Their food stores arrived on Kuzbass two days after General Killam's arrived on Carrera."
"Kuzbass is a day farther away."
Gryf said nothing since they both knew that, as did the generals.
"Go get your Last Meal, Gryf."
• • • • • •
Jen didn't remember the corridor being so long that morning. Pausing, she leaned against the wall giving her throbbing ankle a rest. Mac's words haunted her. Just the thought of what Spada might have done… And the General wondered why they hadn't immediately informed him about her.
Pushing away from the wall, she continued down the corridor. A slight rustling sound had her looking ahead to see a folded piece of paper stuck in the jam of her door. Moving as quickly as she could toward it, she carefully unfolded it and let out a small cry.
It was a drawing.
Of her and Todd.
Todd's arms were around her. Her hand was on his chest, and she was smiling up at him as he leaned down to kiss her.
She knew when this moment was. It was the night before the Ganglians had taken them. They'd all been sitting around the fire, laughing and talking. It had been a great evening.
Looking at the bottom, she saw all the guys had signed it, but she knew it was Eric that had drawn it. Eric was the quiet one in their group, the artist. The one she hadn't thought would survive. He was a gentle soul, and their conditions had been so harsh. But it had been Eric that had been able to distract them by using his gift to draw pictures in the dirt on the floor. Reminding all of them, they had something to live for.
It’s what he was telling her now. That she still had something to live for, even if it was only to keep Todd's memory alive.
• • • • • •
Treyvon leaned back in his chair, rubbing his eyes after finally having read and signed the last of Gryf's reports. This was another aspect of his job that he disliked, the paperwork. He knew he had the authority to assign the majority of this work to his Second, but felt that would distance him from his Warriors, and that was something he didn't want. His position didn't make him better or more valuable than them. They were the ones securing the Empire. If reading the unending daily reports helped him know what they needed, then that is what he would do.
They hadn't found any new signs of either the Zaludians or the Ganglians as they'd searched the southern quadrant. He hadn't expected to, not with the increased surveillance from both Empires, but he had discovered something interesting.
Luciferins.
More than he'd ever seen in one place before. In the caves where Emperor Vasteri had taken refuge. It had made him remember Jennifer's words of how the use of the depleted luciferins had made their food go further. While he found it difficult to believe, he couldn't discount the fact that something had helped the humans survive. It was why he had gone deeper into the cave to retrieve the exhausted luciferins he knew would be there, even though it wasn't in the same quadrant where they had found Jennifer.
Luciferins lived off the energy crystals that had once been so prevalent on Pontus. When the crystal’s power had faded, so had most of the luciferins. But not there. In that cave, they seemed to be thriving, especially in the deeper cave where there was not one but two pools of water; one hot and the other cool.
He'd carefully retrieved several of the luciferins he found on the floor of the cave and placed them in a small bag. He needed to have Luol analyze them to see if ther
e was more to the luciferins than they had been led to believe.
Reaching down into the pocket along his thigh, he cursed when he saw the bag had broken, and it now held only a few specs of powdered luciferin. It wouldn't be enough for Luol to test. He'd have to retrieve more. Rising to throw the bag away, his thoughts turned back to Jennifer.
How had she fared in the kitchen after he'd left?
Why did he care so much?
He didn't know why, but he did. He felt pulled toward her. It came from that same place deep inside that was giving him that uneasy feeling lately. It was a place he trusted. Rising, he went to find her.
• • • • • •
The condition of the kitchen surprised Treyvon. Slowly, he took in the gleaming counters and how organized everything now was. He never thought it would have been possible, not without at least a dozen Warriors.
A sound coming from the back had him turning to see Gulzar coming out of the cold room carrying a large piece of meat in a deep pan.
"General…" Gulzar paused when he saw him.
"What are you doing, Gulzar?"
"I am moving the meat for tomorrow's Last Meal from the cold room to the cool room, so it will thaw, General."
"As Chef Jennifer suggested," Treyvon said.
"Yes, General. She… she seems knowledgeable."
"Did she help you prepare Last Meal?"
"No, General. She still refuses to do that until she has cleaned and organized the last two rooms." He opened the door to the cool room and slid the pan onto a shelf, then closed it.
"Last two?"
"Yes, General. She cleaned and organized the dry room today along with finishing the pots and pans."
"You did not assist her?" Treyvon gave him a hard look, moving to open the door to the dry room and was unable to believe what he was seeing. First, there was nothing on the floor. Second, everything was organized. It was an entirely different room from the one he'd entered yesterday.
"Of course, I did, General!" Gulzar followed him into the dry room. "We worked together until Midday meal. I carried the pans to her for cleaning, then dried and put them where she ordered."
"What about after Midday meal?" Treyvon demanded.
"Shortly after I returned, Ashe Mackenzie arrived, and I was delegated to just lifting and carrying the heavy pans while they alternated scrubbing them. I then began to prepare Last Meal."