Three Square Meals Ch. 123

The Gladiatora stepped aside to dodge the thrust, then moving as fast as a striking snake, her knife flicked out at the gauntleted hand holding the pole.

Phedrina hissed with pain and stumbled backwards, a severed finger dropping to the arena floor in spurts of blood. "Ahh! You lucky bitch!"

"Oh look, you dropped something!" the reigning champion exclaimed, dropping low and scooping up the dismembered digit with the blade of her dagger. She offered the bloody finger with a broad smile. "How clumsy of you."

With a roar of defiance, Phedrina hacked down with her glaive, trying to cleave her slippery opponent in half from head to toe. The Gladiatora darted forwards, her twin daggers bracing the glaive's shaft and slicing down with a whistling shriek. That was followed a second later by an agonised scream as Phedrina lost the remaining digits on her left hand. Spinning around, the Gladiatora lashed out at her opponent as she cartwheeled past, leaving behind a dagger buried to the hilt in Phedrina's stomach.

Turning to face the throne, the Gladiatora ignored the anguished cries from her wounded adversary. She gave their master a quizzical look, curious to see if he was satisfied. She could sense his amusement, having been entertained by her impressive display of weapon mastery.

"FINISH HER..."

Phedrina stumbled backwards, trying to raise her glaive in a desperate defence. She dropped the upper end of the pole on her forearm, wincing in agony as blood continued to pour from the ragged stumps where her fingers used to be.

Whistling a jaunty tune, the Gladiatora pranced closer, taunting her severely wounded opponent with a mocking grin. "You really spent forty years training for this? Are you sure you didn't train to be a concubine? Because you look thoroughly fucked..."

"I'll kill you!" Phedrina roared, bracing the glaive in the crook of her arm and charging forward.

The Gladiatora pirouetted to the side, then slammed her second dagger into her opponent's stomach. Phedrina groaned, blood frothing at her mouth as she stumbled to a halt.

Sauntering closer, the champion stood beside the challenger as she dropped the glaive from her trembling grasp. "He chooses who I fight... I have no say in it," she whispered softly. "Each and every one thought they had what it took to defeat me... they were the very best the Empire could offer."

"Please... have mercy," Phedrina whimpered, wobbling unsteadily on her feet.

Grasping the twin hilts, the Gladiatora ripped them to the side, brutally disembowelling her opponent. The crowd roared its approval, the sight of gore splattering the arena floor slating their thirst for blood.

Turning to face the throne, the victor tossed her daggers aside and sauntered towards her master, following a path she'd followed countless times before. A set of steps clicked out of the arena wall, but these were a new addition to the Dralzash Colosseum, constructed from a glistening black metal. She sashayed up the steps, making eye contact with her master as she approached, butterflies fluttering in her stomach. When she stood before his throne, she gazed in rapture at his exquisitely handsome face... entranced by this beautiful paragon of masculinity.

He reached out to grasp her leather jacket and effortlessly ripped it from her body, leaving her chest nude before him. Her pert breasts heaved with excitement, the flawless scarlet flesh darkening as she flushed with arousal.

"Claim your prize, Valeria," he said, looking deep into her eyes.

She fumbled at his trousers with trembling fingers, the adrenalin coursing through her veins making her giddy with excitement. A hushed silence fell on the crowd as she sank to her knees before her lord, soft lips lovingly worshipping the head of his cock before engulfing his glorious heat. All she could think of was that thick shaft stretching her throat as she nestled in his groin, her nose brushing against his stomach. He ran his fingers through her coal-black hair, then held her in place as he began to thrust, taking his pleasure from her gorgeous body.

Valeria whimpered in ecstasy, her hands gently caressing her master's quad. That her debasement was being broadcast to millions throughout the empire was an added thrill, throwing her triumph in the face of all those thralls. She felt him throb in her throat, then thick spurts of cum splashed in her stomach, quickly filling her taut tummy. Her hands caressed her belly as it started to swell, cradling the rounded curves as he pumped her full of an impressive load. She sank back in a daze when he was done, a beatific smile on her face as she relished the reward for her latest victory.

"The Wormhole-Generator is charged and the dreadnought prepared for our voyage," her master said, tucking himself in and rising from his throne, leaving her on her knees as he walked away. "We leave immediately."

"Yes, my Lord," she murmured obediently, savouring the weight of his essence in her rounded belly as she stood and followed him from the arena.

***

John pushed his chair back from the dining table, then smiled at Neysa as he offered her a hand. She gladly accepted, then rose gracefully from where she'd knelt before him, her stomach now swollen with his morning load.

"That was amazing. Thank you, honey," he said, gently stroking her impressive curves.

"I love giving you pleasure... John," she said hesitantly, with a self-conscious smile.

He looked at her in surprise, then his face lit up in delight. "Neysa! That's the first time you've called me by my name!"

"Is that okay, Master?" she asked, suddenly looking nervous.

"Of course," he replied, his voice soothing as he leaned in to give her a reassuring kiss. "I'm very proud of you."

The blissfully happy catgirl sighed with contentment as he pulled her into a hug.

"I can't wait until it's my turn!" Betrixa gushed, her sapphire eyes sparkling with anticipation.

"We'll get together soon. I really want to focus on you and your sisters for the next week or two," John said, glancing around at the joyful Nymphs. "Jade's also going to teach you as much as she can about shape-shifting."

As the catgirls celebrated, their verdant matriarch returned from the kitchen, having deposited her stack of dirty plates in the washer. "If it's alright with the Grand Engineering Overlord, I thought I'd also train my sisters to help as her assistants."

Dana smiled at the jubilant Nymphs. "That's fine by me. If they're anywhere near as strong and dexterous as you, they'll be perfect for the job."

Alyssa hugged Neysa from behind and gently caressed her tummy. "Do we want to teach these sexy girls how to fly the Raptor too?"

John looked into Neysa's hazel eyes. "It's a very important job and we really need your help. Would you like to learn?"

"Oh, yes please!" she gushed, swooning in his arms.

He held her close then looked at the rest of the Nymphs and was relieved to see that each of them was equally thrilled at the prospect.

Jade smiled as she slipped her arms around Marika and Leylira. "You really are following in my footsteps."

John locked eyes with Alyssa over Neysa's shoulder. *Replacements for the combat roles Faye covered?*

She nodded imperceptibly. *She did so much, it's going to be a real struggle without her. We desperately need someone to fly the Raptor and the Invictus, otherwise Jade or I will be stuck behind a flightstick. I think we've both proven how useful we can be in the field.*

*I agree. You're both far too powerful to be sitting on the sidelines. With the Nymphs' heightened reflexes they'll make excellent pilots and it might be sensible to also train them as gun crews for the Invictus, to take some of the pressure off Calara.*

Alyssa looked pleased and stood on tiptoe so that she could kiss him over the catgirl's shoulder. *I thought you might be stubborn about exposing the Nymphs to combat.*

John stroked Neysa's back and smiled as she began to purr. *I don't want them dogfighting in the Raptor if we can help it, but they should be safe enough ferrying us to combat drops. I'm also going to make them as strong and resilient as I can over the next few weeks; Jade's already proven just how tough Nymphs can be with the right encouragement.*

Jade walked over to join them and ran her hand over his shoulder, caressing him affectionately. *Thank you so much for this, Master. My sisters are thrilled... just as I was when I realised I could really be of use to you.*

*They're part of the family now, Jade,* he said, pulling her into the three-way hug. *It was a mistake to keep your sisters separate before. Giving them a valuable role on the ship will help them build up some confidence and sense of self-worth; I want them to feel respected as well as loved.*

Her emerald eyes gazed at him in adoration as she traced his jawline with a finger. *They're so lucky to have you as their master, John. I hope one day in the future, they can truly appreciate how fortunate they are.*

*That's certainly how I feel to have met all of you,* he said, giving her a kiss.

Rachel was waiting patiently to the side and watching John interacting with Alyssa and Jade. "Are the three of you still having a private conversation?" she asked politely. "If not, I'd like to go over the list of tasks needed to repair the Invictus... if that's alright with you?"

John released Neysa and nodded to the brunette. "Sorry about that, we were just discussing our training plans."

"Matriarch business... I understand," Rachel said, giving him a reassuring smile.

The twins and Sakura returned from the kitchen, having cleared up the last of the plates, cutlery and glasses from breakfast.

John looked around and saw that he already had all the girls' attention. "Ladies, let's head up to the Briefing Room. Rachel wants to review her task list and there's also a few things I wanted to discuss with you before we start work today."

Everyone started to make their way out of the Officers' Lounge, and after giving Neysa a parting kiss, John fell into step beside Helene. "I'm sorry we were interrupted earlier. I promise I'll make it up to you this evening."

"That's quite alright," she replied, giving him a loving smile as she slipped her hand into his. "I understand how important it is for you to help the Nymphs become more like Jade. She's such a lovely person and her sisters deserve the chance to truly be free."

John stopped, bringing the aquatic girl to a halt too. "Honey, that's not the reason I asked if you minded waiting. I don't want to rush the first time we get together that way... I want to savour the experience and make it as special for you as possible."

Helene let out a happy sigh as she embraced him. "I love you so much."

He smiled as he held her close. "I love you too."

Calara and Alyssa were waiting for them by the door, both girls watching John closely.

*He seems so much happier!* the Latina marvelled, idly stroking her girlfriend's arm. *I thought John was going to be depressed for weeks after everything that happened with his parents and Faye.*

*Dana's talk last night really helped put things in perspective,* Alyssa said softly. *She's amazing at connecting with him over things like that... and of course she's been heavily coached by Rachel.* Her eyes flicked to the Teal-hued beauty in his arms. *And Helene's helping out too.*

*What?* Calara asked in surprise.

*Helene's being subtle, but she's stabilising his emotions to help him deal with his grief for Faye and all the hurt from being rejected by his parents,* Alyssa explained, watching John with concern.

The brunette moved to deliberately block her girlfriend's view. *Does he know she's doing that?*

*John let her help him last night,* Alyssa replied evasively. *He just didn't kick her out of his mind this morning...*

*Alyssa...* Calara said, her eyes narrowing.

The blonde refused to back down, her steely cerulean gaze meeting the Latina's. *He was crushed yesterday... I've never seen John so heartbroken. He's too stubborn to ask for help on his own, because he thinks he's got to be all stoic in front of us girls, but I refuse to let a couple of asshole Progenitors push him into depression. I'm going to do anything and everything I can to help him deal with all the shit that just got dumped on him.*

*Don't you think he should be given a choice?* Calara asked gently.

*All Helene's doing is muting some of the grief and self-doubt,* Alyssa said, refusing to back down. *If John really wanted her out of his mind, he could instantly block her.*

Calara stared at her girlfriend for a long moment, then said loudly, "John! Alyssa wants to tell you something!"

The blonde gaped at her in shock. "Why would you do that?!"

"Talk to him... and tell him the truth," the brunette whispered.

John strolled over to join them, his arm around Helene. "Hey. What's up?"

Alyssa turned to face him, but struggled to meet his curious gaze. "I err... just wanted to say..."

He smiled and reached out to lift her chin. "It's not like you to be indecisive, beautiful. What's on your mind?"

She swallowed, then darted an apprehensive glance at Helene, before looking at John again. "I... asked Helene to help you."

John gave the aquatic girl an affectionate squeeze. "I know. She was amazing last night; so gentle and loving... it felt like I had this huge weight lifted off my shoulders. I really needed that, if only for a couple of hours... I felt so much better this morning."

"She's still helping..." Alyssa admitted, looking down guiltily.

"Wait... What?!"

"You didn't block Helene from your mind this morning, so I asked her to keep helping you deal with all the grief over Faye... and everything that happened with your mom and dad."

John went quiet and looked away into the distance.

Helene shared an anxious glance with Alyssa, then said quietly, "Please don't be angry... we just wanted to make things a bit easier for you."

He let out a heavy sigh. "No, honey, I'm not angry... just disappointed that I wasn't coping as well as I thought I was."

"Do you want me to stop?" she asked, looking at him with sympathy.

John slowly shook his head. "I'll have to deal with everything eventually... but I can't afford to fall apart right now."

Alyssa looked at him in astonishment. "You'll actually let us help you?!"

"You don't have to sound quite so surprised," he said with a self-deprecating laugh. "I know I can be stubborn about that sometimes, but I really do appreciate you looking after me. Besides, I promised Dana that if I was feeling down, I'd ask one of you for some TLC... I guess I just forgot to tell Helene to stop."

Alyssa flung her arms around him in a fierce hug. "It was awful seeing you so devastated yesterday... I felt so helpless."

He kissed her forehead and stroked her back. "Thanks for telling me the truth."

She blushed and sheepishly admitted, "Calara basically forced me into it. I was worried you'd be furious and refuse to let us help anymore."

"I used psychic powers to help heal Tashana's mind," he said, looking thoughtful. "I'd be a bit of a hypocrite to get annoyed at you for trying to do the same thing for me."

Helene stroked his arm and said, "You're stronger than you think. I'm not doing much, just smoothing out some of the pain. Your love for Faye was a beautiful thing... I'm so sorry she was taken from you."

He swallowed around the sudden lump in his throat and put his arm around Helene. "It still feels like I'm being punched in the gut every time I think about her."

"I know," she whispered, giving him a gentle kiss. "I'll try to help you deal with the grief... at least until we leave Arcadia."

John gave her a mournful smile. "Thank you... I really need it."

They embraced for a long moment, before finally separating.

"We better get going... the girls will be wondering where we are," John said with a self-conscious smile.

Alyssa stroked his cheek with her thumb. "They know. You don't have to worry about them."

He nodded and they left the room, stepping into the grav-tube to ascend to the Command Deck. It was still painful to walk out onto the Bridge and not be greeted by Faye's cheerful grin, but he no longer felt the crushing despair he'd experienced yesterday. John glanced at Helene to give her an appreciative smile and she gently squeezed his hand in return. They followed the ramp down to the Briefing Room, then walked inside to take their places around the long meeting table.

John took his seat at the head of the table and looked around at the thirteen beautiful women who were all waiting for him to speak. "I'll hand over to Rachel in a moment to start going through all the work needed to repair the Invictus. First, I just wanted to say that we need to fix the sleeping arrangements. I don't like us all sleeping apart, so I suggest we make the Observatory our new bedroom until we return to Genthalas. Does anyone have any objections... or suggestions?"

"That's a brilliant idea," Tashana said with a look of relief. "I hated being apart from you last night!"

There were lots of nods around the table... from everyone in fact.

"We can install a new en suite bathroom to make it more like the old bedroom," Dana said, tapping a finger on her chin. "Plus, if you or Alyssa knock out some holes in the Lagoon walls, we can get quick access to the express grav-tubes down to the Combat Bridge."

"Good thinking," John agreed, nodding his approval. "Let's get that done today, so it's ready for tonight."

"No problem," the redhead said with a grin.

"The second thing I wanted to discuss was rescuing the missing bots. Have we got a plan for retrieving them?"

"We can configure the Progenitor shuttle's sensors to search for Crystal Alyssium," Dana replied, with a look of satisfaction. "It'll be a bit like looking for three needles in a haystack... with a massive magnet!"

John laughed and looked relieved. "It'll be great to get them back. I'm sure the AI collective will be-"

A massive boom made the Invictus tremble beneath their feet and John's voice trailed off, the crew all staring at each other in surprise.

"What the fuck was that?!" Dana blurted out, her eyes wide.

"I saw a purple flash, Master!" Leylira exclaimed, pointing at the broad window. "It was in that direction and lasted for a couple of seconds before it disappeared!"

Alyssa turned to look at John in alarm. "That's where Rahn'hagon's ship crashed!"

"A purple beam maybe? Perhaps a Quantum Disintegrator?" Calara suggested, rising from her chair and rushing over to the window.

There was a sudden burst of more lights on the horizon, consisting of a dozen bright flashes followed by more thunderous retorts.

"I think those were impacts from a Quantum Flux Cannon barrage!" Dana blurted out, staring intently into the distance.

Sakura moved to stand by John and tucked her arm around his. "You were right..." she said in a hushed voice. "It's another Progenitor."