Three Square Meals Ch. 120

She ran her hands over her body and bit her lower lip, gazing at John with barely restrained desire. "This one can feel your eyes all over her, Master..."

"You're gorgeous," he marvelled, astonished by the radical change to her appearance.

"If you want me..." Betrixa giggled and sprinted up the ramp. "You'll have to catch me first!"

Caught by surprise, John watched her bounding away.

She reached the upper level and whirled around, her blue eyes sparkling. "And no using powers! That's cheating!"

"Good luck!" Jade said with a broad grin, giving him a playful smack on the rump.

John shook his head in disbelief, then found himself grinning too as he set off after her. Betrixa's wild laughter echoed around the Lagoon as she ran full-tilt across the bridge, her lithe figure moving at impressive speed. He reached the top of the ramp and took a hard left, following her across the gentle arch to the far side of the steamy tropical paradise. Betrixa had already darted into the Observatory and he heard her peals of laughter as the door shut in front of him just before he could rush through after her.

Slapping his hand down on the wall button, John waited impatiently for it to open, the grin never leaving his face. When the Observatory door opened again, he expected the fleeing Nymph to be lounging on the oval bed like her sister, but she'd kept on running. Betrixa had opened the door opposite and he was just in time to spot her lashing tail as she disappeared headfirst down the grav-tube.

Bouncing across the springy bed, he reached the second door just before it closed, then dived into the grav-tube after her. There was no sight of Betrixa in the red anti-gravity field and he grabbed the wall at Deck Five to halt his descent and see if she'd run along that corridor. The blast doors were all sealed shut, so he let himself be pulled down by the gravity field to Deck Nine.

When he stepped clear of the grav-tube, John saw there was only one door open, which led into the Primary Hangar. Following the elusive Nymph's trail, he burst into the vast room and saw her high-tailing it across the deck. She was running with loping strides, her beautiful athletic figure perfect for this kind of physical activity.

"I should have turned you into a sloth-girl!" he called out as he resumed his pursuit.

Betrixa whirled around and stuck her tongue out at him, before giggling and running faster. She was quick, but John was in great shape and with his longer legs he started closing the gap. By the time they crossed the 200m Primary Hangar, he was only a dozen strides behind her and could taste victory, knowing she'd have to stop to open the doors. Suddenly, the reinforced doors slid apart in front of the Nymph, letting her rush through without pause.

"Hey! No helping out, Faye!" John protested, looking up at the overhead cameras as he charged into the Secondary Hangar.

The purple sprite popped into the air beside him, her wings fluttering wildly to keep up. "Sorry! Jade asked me to assist!"

Distracted by Faye's sudden appearance, he missed Betrixa bolting to the right and he was startled as she seemed to disappear. The Raptor was parked in the middle of the hangar, but the catgirl was nowhere to be seen. Whirling around, he spotted the hidden door to the express grav-tubes was open and he rushed in after her. He zoomed up in the accelerated gravity field, then leapt out, head whipping from side to side as he searched for his quarry. Betrixa's giggling was coming from the Combat Bridge, so he jogged down the ramp, smiling confidently now that he knew he'd cornered her.

A brief search behind the first few consoles proved fruitless, but as he was walking towards Dana's engineering station, he noticed that the reinforced blast doors behind it were open. He couldn't remember being in that part of the ship before, but as he entered, he saw the spherical framework for the Singularity Generator. Betrixa was inside waiting for him, prowling back and forth as she panted for breath, an impish smile on her beautiful face.

John crossed the room and squeezed himself through one of the gaps in the Tyrenium lattice. "Caught you," he said with a grin as he approached the Nymph.

"Maybe this one wanted to be caught?" she teased, striking a provocative pose.

"In the Singularity Drive Room?" he asked, glancing up at the gleaming metallic cage. "Why would you want to come in here?"

"Because it's exciting! This place powers the biggest weapon on the ship," she gushed, skipping over to join him. Her hand closed the distance between them and she caressed his growing cock. "Second biggest..."

He laughed as he gathered her in his arms for a kiss. John was surprised how fast his heart was beating, the thrill of the chase really getting his blood pumping.

Betrixa jerked back, a lustful gleam in her enchanting blue eyes. "Ever fucked anyone in here, Master?"

John shook his head and chuckled. "No, I can't say that I have."

"We better get started then..." she replied, kissing John fiercely and pulling him down to the floor.

***

Fleet Commander Amlaril waited in the shuttle bay of the Entheas Alari, accompanied by her senior officers, the entire contingent of Maliri wearing their ornate golden armour. She watched as the silvery disc-shaped shuttle glided around into view at the rear of her battleship, then coasted in to a gentle landing on the glowing pad in the centre of the hangar. A set of steps unfolded from the saucer and a moment later, an airlock door in the hull slid open, letting a robed Ashanath Councillor step out into the Maliri vessel. He was followed by a procession of similarly garbed aliens, until all nine members of the Ashanath High Council stood before the ten armoured Maliri.

One of the diminutive grey-skinned creatures stepped forward and bowed to Amlaril. "It is a pleasure to see you again, Fleet Commander Amlaril," Ularean said in his whispering voice.

"The pleasure is mine, Senior Councillor," she replied, giving him a sweeping bow in return. "Baen'thelas and Queen Edraele both send their warmest regards to their close friends and allies on the High Council."

Ularean's small mouth lifted into a smile. "That they view the Ashanath Collective in such a manner is wonderful to hear. If you could pass on my best wishes to them both, I would greatly appreciate it."

"I promise I will," Amlaril agreed. "On a personal note, I wanted to thank you for the incredible work your people have done in refitting my command ship. I've seen your engineers in action and they've been working tirelessly to complete the work on schedule. The results of the live-fire exercise this morning were beyond my wildest expectations."

With a brief glance at one of the robed Ashanath behind him, Ularean said, "Councillor Rathus will ensure that his personnel are commended for their diligent work. I am delighted that the refit is proceeding to your satisfaction."

"It really is." The Maliri Fleet Commander half-turned and gestured to the door beyond. "If you would like to accompany me, we can relax in a more congenial location."

"Of course." Ularean set off towards the doorway, and with his long robes covering his legs, he appeared to glide smoothly across the deck.

Amlaril nodded to her command staff, who parted to let their guests pass, then she accompanied Ularean into the corridor beyond. "Thank you for agreeing to meet on a Maliri warship," she said as they proceeded deeper into the vessel. "I appreciate that such a gesture shows considerable trust on the High Council's behalf... especially as you didn't so much as raise the subject of security."

Ularean reached out with one of his spindly hands and placed it on her bejewelled vambrace. "We are fully aware of the Maliri Protectorate's technological superiority to that of the Collective... but we did not make this gesture as an act of deference. Rather... we wished to display our trust and friendship."

"Which is exactly how I interpreted it," Amlaril replied, her tone full of warmth and understanding.

They proceeded down long corridors, the golden arches giving the Maliri vessel a sense of elegant grandeur. Double doors at the end of the corridor opened as Amlaril approached, admitting the Maliri Fleet Commander and her guests into a plush sitting room. There were ten luxurious chaise longues set up in a broad oval around the large room, each furnished with a side table, where a bottle of maroon wine waited next to a crystal goblet.

Standing beside one of the wide seats, Amlaril gestured to the others spaced around the room. "Please make yourselves at home... I can assure you that the wine is quite delicious."

The councillors fanned out to take their places, each of them pouring out the dark-red liquid into the glass and taking a sip.

"You are quite correct, Fleet Commander," Ularean murmured, inclining his head. "Terran wines are too rich for an Ashanath palate, but this is a fine vintage... I have never had better."

She deactivated the seals on her helmet and removed the golden armour with a faint hiss. Running her fingers through her short white hair, Amlaril smiled at the Ashanath leader. "I'm so glad it's to your taste. Now... if you'll excuse me for a few minutes, I'll make myself more comfortable."

Every member of the High Council watched her in fascination, nine sets of big unblinking black eyes fixed on her blue skin and white hair.

"Of course," Ularean replied. "We would like you to feel at ease in our company."

She nodded to him then strode out of one of the other doors, leaving the robed Ashanath in their own company.

Despite Ularean's diplomatic words of solidarity earlier, the councillors were feeling no small amount of trepidation about being aboard a Maliri vessel. While they had all previously seen Tashana and Irillith Valaden, and were well aware of the Maliri's true appearance, it was still somewhat unnerving to see one of JohnBlake's thralls in person. Their collective thought-cluster was alive with telepathic chatter, the Ashanath wary as they observed everything with a healthy degree of caution.

*Be calm, my friends,* Ularean urged his fellow councillors. *The Fleet Commander is unwaveringly loyal to JohnBlake. I do not sense any kind of duplicity on her behalf... quite the contrary in fact, she appears to be genuine in her desire to facilitate friendship between us.*

*I concur, Ularean,* Talari readily agreed. *Amlaril has been polite and respectful in our dealings.*

The Ashanath relaxed and sipped more of their wine as they waited for her return.

Only a couple of minutes later, their hostess re-entered the room wearing a long figure-hugging dress, with slashes revealing tantalising glimpses of her blue skin. "Ah, that's so much better," she said with a sigh of relief, walking over to her chair and reaching for her glass.

Amlaril poured herself a drink, then her slender fingers danced over glowing glyphs on the holo-interface projected from her table. Music filled the room, the beat slow and the melody soothing.

She took a sip, then glided over towards the Senior Councillor, her smile turning coy. "Do you like the music, Ularean?"

He blinked a couple of times, his eyes lingering on her impressive breasts. "It is a w-wonderful... round... err, I mean sound, F-fleet Commander" he stammered, his telepathic voice modulator struggling to articulate his scattered thoughts.

She smiled warmly at Ularean, then sat beside him on the chaise longue. "Please feel free to call me Amlaril. After all, the Ashanath have proven themselves to be friends of the Maliri... so there's no need for us to stand on ceremony."

"As you w-wish," he murmured, giving her a distracted smile. "I would not wish to... pert... err, I mean hurt your f-feelings."

Amlaril glanced around the room and saw that all the councillors were staring at her now. "Ularean..." she said, her voice playful. "My personnel have noticed something about your people. They seem to think that you find the Maliri... appealing. Is that true?"

He froze, his mouth falling open and his eyes blinking rapidly. "I... d-don't... w-want to offend-"

"No offence taken," she replied smoothly, her smile broadening.

She reached across him, watching as his big eyes got huge as he stared at her cleavage. With a couple of taps on the holo-interface built into the table, the tempo of the music changed, growing more sensuous. At the same time another door opened and nine lithe Maliri entered the room, their luscious figures covered in diaphanous silk that afforded them a certain amount of modesty, while showcasing all their mouth-watering curves.

"Oh my g-goodness!" Talari squeaked, his voice modulator crackling in protest.

The Maliri fanned out in front of the members of the High Council and began to dance seductively in time with the music. The Ashanath were transfixed, rapidly blinking as they gazed enraptured at the dancing Maliri women. The Senior Councillor gaped in awe at the breathtaking set of globes on display. Every time he tried to calculate their volume, a shimmy or a jiggle would scatter his thoughts.

The Maliri danced closer, gyrating her body to the sensual rhythm. She watched Ularean's huge eyes blink rapidly as he gazed in awe at her chest. "You like my curves, don't you?"

"Y-yes... you are m-magnificent!"

She bit her lip and smiled, enjoying the look of absolute wonder on his face. Moving to carefully straddle the diminutive alien's lap, she twisted her torso, gently brushing her spectacular breasts against the tip of his nose. The Senior Councillor's voice modulator let out a whimper, the device struggling to interpret his befuddled thoughts.

Ularean managed to tear his eyes away from the captivating dancer and gave the Fleet Commander a look of profound gratitude. "Thank you, Amlaril..."

"To our friendship," Amlaril said with a smile of satisfaction, raising her glass in toast to him. "Long may it continue, Ularean."

***

Betrixa stretched and let out a happy sigh. "You were incredible, Master... and I love my new body!"

John watched the blue pulses of light sweeping over her lusciously exotic figure. "I'm not sure how much I had to do with it... my first shape for you wasn't very creative."

"This was all you, Master," she purred, then broke into a grin. "Lucky for me you're a cat person!"

He laughed and ruffled her pointed ears. "Lucky for both of us..."

She trembled at his touch, her eyes rolling up in pleasure. "Oh, Master... that feels so good!"

John stroked her curved stomach with the other hand, making the Nymph writhe with delight. "I think your tummy has probably gone down enough for you to fit through the lattice."

Betrixa sat up and gave him a cheeky kiss. "Come on, let's get you some dinner!"

He rose to his feet and pulled on his joggers, then offered the Nymph a hand to help her up. It took a bit of careful manoeuvring to squeeze Betrixa through one of the holes in the Tyrenium framework, but after plenty of pushing and wriggling, she popped out and fell into his waiting arms.

"Maybe we should choose somewhere a bit more practical next time?" he suggested, setting her down before they left the room.

"Where's the fun in that? Besides, I bet you'll never look at firing the Singularity Drivers the same way again!" she said with a smirk, bumping hips with him.

John chuckled and nodded his agreement, then led her up to the express grav-tubes. After stepping out into his bedroom, he pulled her into the shower to freshen up, then dried her off afterwards in the auto-driers.

"I'm glad you decided to ditch all the fur, Master," Betrixa noted, glancing down at her curvy figure.

"It wasn't very practical... this won't be the last time we work up a sweat together," he replied with a smile, brushing his fingers over her smooth skin.

"Yeah and this one would've had to spend hours grooming afterwards," she said with a sigh of relief. Betrixa raised an eyebrow and added, "Although I must admit, I'm curious to see if I can still lick my own butt..."

John looked at her in surprise, then burst into laughter.

Betrixa grinned at him and flounced out of the bedroom. "When my cum-belly's gone down, I'll give it a try!"

He shook his head in amusement as he followed after her, then entered the walk-in-wardrobe for a fresh outfit.

While John was getting dressed, the blonde catgirl ran a slender finger along the rail of formal shirts. "Want me naked or in one of these?"

John tugged a t-shirt over his head, then took one of his white shirts and held it up for the Nymph to slip her arms inside. Betrixa looked up at him as he buttoned it up and behind her playfulness, he saw an insecure girl that desperately wanted to please him. He straightened the collar, then fluffed out her hair so that it tumbled around her shoulders and down her back.

"There... you look beautiful," he said quietly, looking into her sapphire eyes.

She blushed, then stood on tiptoe to give him a tender kiss.

John experienced an overwhelming sense of déjà vu and was suddenly reminded of the many young women who had joined his crew. He also remembered that despite her youthful appearance, Betrixa was not an inexperienced teenager... she was a self-assured shape shifter who was at least 62,000 years old.

*The way she feels is quite genuine, Master,* Jade said softly.

He caressed the wide-eyed catgirl's cheek. *So this isn't just some act?*

*Betrixa's behaving the way she does because she has the personality that you chose for her,* his matriarch explained. *In just the same way that I react to situations based on the personality you chose for me. You might decide to have her evolve as your relationship continues, but she has no control over that... it's entirely up to you.*

*At least until she has free will of her own,* he said in sudden understanding. He offered Betrixa his hand and gave her a warm smile. "Let's get some food, I could eat a horse!"

"How about a cat?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows.

"I do feel like having dessert today..." he mused, before sharing a grin with her.

Betrixa nuzzled into him affectionately as they walked along the corridor into the Officers' Lounge. They bantered back and forth as he grilled a thick juicy steak and baked a jacket potato, then the Nymph sat and watched him eat, making the occasional joke to keep him laughing between bites. When he finished his main course, he helped the giggling catgirl up onto the dining table and tucked into his dessert. He'd always liked the taste of blueberries, so licking Betrixa to climax was a very pleasant ending to an enjoyable meal.

*The second Eternity Crystal cultivation bed is ready to go,* Alyssa informed John as he sat with Betrixa on his lap. *If you haven't got anything planned after dinner, you might want to head down to the Engineering Bay. Dana wanted to chat with you about a couple of things.*

*Thanks, beautiful,* he replied, stroking Betrixa's hair as she purred against his chest. *Please could you let Sparks know that I'll be down in a few minutes.*

*Sure, she's expecting you.*

John helped the Nymph slide off his lap, then put his arm around her as they walked across the lounge. *What have you been up to this afternoon? Anything interesting?*

*More psychic training,* Alyssa replied, sounding a little tired. *Rachel and I were working with Sakura to improve her Cryokinetic shields. Now that Tashana's done with the Vulkat archive, she's getting some practice too.*

*Don't wear yourself out,* he said with concern, guiding his Nymph companion into the grav-tube.

*Don't worry, I'm fine. Spending all day using psychic powers was draining, but it felt good to really push myself. I'll call it a night in a few minutes and have dinner with the girls.*