TRAITOR - Book 1 Warlord and Multiverse Series

Chapter 9

Luscious Ladies

Jason spent an enjoyable late afternoon with Robert and Marie the Chefs in their kitchen, first preparing a menu and then helping to cook. Jason loved the cooking technology in the kitchen. All food preparation was automated and cooking had progressed a long way past microwaves. They could roast, fry, barbecue, and boil food in no time at all. Timing was done to the microsecond and food was weighed by each machine to fractions of an ounce or gram. They also had installed many of Earth's appliances of every type including ovens and cook tops to test food production and ensure that they produced authentic tastes.

They didn't use replicators at all. Robert had removed all the kitchen replicator units and even the snack replicators along the walls of every canteen.

"There will be no fast food poisonous garbage in my kitchen or my canteen or on this ship," was his war cry. His opposition to the machines had grown into hatred of food replicators, after he heard about the priest trying to poison Jason and their attempts to poison men throughout the Empire.

Malone and Harris arrived formally dressed, with their marine escort ahead of their seconds in command, saying that they would be late due to them assisting Connie who was short staffed in intelligence. Jason dressed in his formal suit with a black bow tie.

"Ladies you are looking luscious. I could only recognize you from your eyes! You did look fine in your armor but it's not the same thing as a lovely form fitting, but asymmetrical garment. I seem to see some fine shapes in front of me, could they be women, dangerous women?" Jason asked flirtatiously. "Tonight, Robert, and Marie have excelled themselves in the kitchen. There will be five courses with five different wines for you to try. Before we begin I've made up for you a cocktail called a 'Brandy Alexander'. I must warn you that these cocktails are lethal. Marie has prepared some pre-dinner snacks to help build up your appetites," said Jason signaling to Marie who had been watching them through the transparent wall from the kitchen.

Marie dressed in impeccable chef's green with a three-cornered chef's hat, brought out a beautifully decorated platter of seafood appetizers, caught that afternoon. Jason thanked her profusely. He moved to the small serving station next to his table and took out several cocktails for the table.

"Jason, you scrub up pretty well yourself. That Earth clothing looks interesting and very attractive. Tell us a little about yourself," said Phoebe.

"My spies tell me that you guys have already researched my background. You may even know more about my Empire family than I do. I'm happy to answer any of your questions but I'd suggest that we wait 'til the others join us so that I don't have to repeat everything. Tell me a bit about your own backgrounds while we wait," suggested Jason winking at them, "I'd also suggest that we move to first names. We can use titles when we conduct our professional business. I know you are Janet Malone and Phoebe Harris. Please call me Jason."

After a brief pause with the two women looking at each other and communicating in 'woman's secret code,' Janet Malone began to talk first. Her dress was a lovely shade of red with one sleeve and off the shoulder on the other side, long on one side and short on the other with a slit going up to the hip and white leggings. She was a tall woman with the usual Empire red complexion but yellow hair. It was the Empire equivalent of blonde. She was tall, and Jason guessed she was close to six feet. Her built was athletic and she looked fit and healthy. She smiled often but had a serious manner of speaking. He found her very attractive.

"I come from the most boring planet in the Empire. It's called Hesta. It's so boring there that it makes me sleepy thinking about it. It's an agricultural planet that produces food for the Empire. My father and mother are farmers as was my father's father and my mother's father, and it goes on for tens of thousands of years and longer. I've two brothers and a sister all of whom are farmers, and who married other farmers close to where we live.