Three Square Meals Ch. 125

"Oh, John... thank you!" Calara squealed, rushing over to hug him.

John released Alyssa just in time to catch the overjoyed brunette, twirling her around before setting her down again. "You're welcome, honey. I feel terrible about what happened to Maria; hopefully bringing your father and brother back home will make her feel a bit better."

"It wasn't your fault," the Latina said with a frown.

He shook his head and let out a heavy sigh. "With you taking a prominent public place as the leading Lioness, I knew we'd be exposing your family to more danger. At a bare minimum, we should have fortified your home and done whatever we could to ensure Maria's safety."

"John... my mom would never have agreed to you turning the family home into a bunker," Calara said softly. "I hate that she was attacked just as much as you do, but you can't blame yourself for what happened."

"Maria is family... and that means everything," he insisted. "When we reach Jericho, we'll see what we can do to keep everyone safe."

She smiled and gave him a tender kiss. "Okay... and thank you."

He released her and they walked into the Observatory, where all the girls were waiting for him, kneeling on the huge oval bed.

Dana sprang to her feet and bounced over to join him. "You took ages!"

"I had important Progenitor business to discuss with my Matriarch," John said faking a haughty expression.

She snickered and stuck her tongue out at him. "That wasn't remotely intimidating; you'd be hopeless as a real Progenitor. Anyway... I saw the two of you sucking face, remember?"

"Alright, you got me," he conceded with a fond smile. "Are you ready to give me the tour?"

Dana nodded exuberantly, taking his hand and leading him to one of the two new doors built into the port and starboard sides of the Observatory. "We'll start with the new bathroom!"

When the door opened, John followed her inside, nodding his approval as he surveyed the furnishings. There were the usual bathroom fixtures and fittings, along with a massive multi-jet shower and a broad circular bathtub, easily large enough for a dozen soapy occupants.

"I didn't bother with big vanity units or anything like that," the redhead explained, waving a dismissive hand at the functional sinks. "I figured we've all got our own bathrooms for when we're getting ready to go out and stuff like that... this is basically for freshening up after some hot action!"

"It's perfect, Sparks," he said, brushing his fingers over the marble-like tiles, and following the grain with his fingertips. "You've done a beautiful job; I can't believe you built and fitted all this in a day."

"I setup the Mass Fabricators to make all the parts, but it was actually the bots that installed everything," she admitted, leaning over to activate the bath and watching a bubbling stream of water splash into the tub. "I didn't even need to supervise. Little One offered to handle it all for me."

"That was very nice of her," he said, making a mental note to thank the diminutive robot.

"She actually said: 'Your time is more valuably spent elsewhere. The Collective does not possess the necessary psychic talent to expedite the structural analysis of the Invictus' hull'." Dana paused and gave him a funny look. "I've never discussed my abilities with her before, John. I think the Collective knows all of us a lot better than we think."

John sat on the edge of the bath, and absent-mindedly ran his fingers through the cascade of water. "I'm sure they have access to the camera archives and we've made no effort to hide what we can do when we've been aboard the Invictus. I suppose it makes sense that they took the time to get to know us as thoroughly as possible. Let's face it... if we were threatened by them being aboard the ship, we could've wiped them out in a matter of minutes. Little One would have to be pretty confident about the way we'd react before revealing the Collective's existence."

"Yeah, that makes sense," Dana agreed, looking thoughtful. She leaned down to give him a kiss. "I think it's awesome that you're being so cool about Little One and the Collective. Faye would've been really proud of the way you've accepted them with open arms."

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "They were her labour of love... how could I treat them any differently?"

Dana stood beside him and ran her fingers through his hair. "I was missing her a lot today... it's like my mind refuses to believe she's gone."

John leaned his head against her stomach and closed his eyes as she massaged him. "I know what you mean."

"Oh yeah, that reminds me of something," she said hesitantly. "That huge sculpture you did of me was amazing... I didn't know you were able to make anything so lifelike. I was just wondering if you could make me a small one... of Faye?"

He looked up at her and nodded. "Sure, honey. I'll shape it for you tomorrow."

"Thank you," she said softly, brushing the unshed tears from the corner of her eyes.

John turned off the bath taps and rose to his feet. "Come on, let's go take a look at the wardrobe."

Dana's expression brightened considerably. "I hope you like it!"

They re-entered the Observatory and walked around the edge of the bed sunken into the floor, passing the dozen girls reclining on the covers.

"Hurry up, Master!" Betrixa called out to him, a cheeky grin on her face. "We want to play!"

John couldn't help smiling at her eagerness. "We're nearly done, just be patient for a few more minutes, alright?"

The blonde catgirl groaned in exasperation. "I'll try!"

Dana had opened the door to the wardrobe, so he walked straight in, his gaze sweeping over the neatly partitioned clothing rails. The space had been divided up equally between the crew, with holo-projections displaying an image of their smiling faces.

"The pictures were a nice touch," he said, stopping beside Dana's area.

"I wanted to head off any arguments about who was going where," she explained, running her fingers over the handful of outfits hanging in her area. "They're allocated based on the order we joined you."

"Good thinking," he murmured, turning to look at the far wall. "Although you're all good girls, I can't imagine you fighting over anything."

"Alyssa insisted I leave a few more spaces... just in case," Dana said with a grin. When he didn't react, she walked over to stand beside him. "What're you looking at?"

"What's behind here?" he asked, striding up to the panel and tapping it with his hand.

"There's a cavity space that goes back about 20 metres, then you hit the outer edge of the forward Inertia Negation Core," she replied, thinking about the Invictus' deck plan. "Why do you ask?"

"I thought it might be sensible to build another armoury in here. If we're in bed and get ambushed by anything, we could get to our gear in seconds."

"That's a great idea!" she enthused, eyeing the wall and picturing what they'd need. "We'd have plenty of room for some equipping frames. I could even try building Thrall versions instead, they'd take up even less space."

"Actually, I prefer your version... it's a better design," he said, turning to her with a serious expression on his face.

Dana looked stunned. "You really like mine the best?!"

"Absolutely. First of all, yours gives us much easier access to damaged armour plates when we need to make repairs. Second, and more importantly, yours is a bit faster than the Thrall version. If we build enough of them, you girls can all get geared up at the same time... and in an emergency, every second counts."

"I hadn't thought about it like that before," she said, beaming at him in delight. "I guess I can teach those Progenitors a thing or two about tech!"

"I never doubted you for a moment," John said, then laughed when she bounced up and down with excitement. "You did a really nice job on these extensions. Thanks, honey."

Dana practically floated out of the room she was so happy and she gave him a hungry kiss before skipping across the bed to sit next to Rachel. The rest of the girls had fanned out on the oval bed, with their pillows arranged in a circle in the middle. Instead of the single huge duvet they'd used in the original bedroom, the girls had brought half-a-dozen, so they could pair up together in comfort. John recognised the pattern of places assigned to each girl, with the layout very similar to the seating around the dining table. Alyssa and Calara beckoned him over to join them, and he took his customary spot, sitting between the blonde and brunette.

"Who came up with this idea?" he asked, looking around the circle in admiration. "This is great!"

A dozen sets of eyes flicked to Helene, who blushed at all the attention. "I'm really glad you like it," she said with a shy smile. "The other bed was so wide that I felt really far away from you when I was on the outer edges. If I was lying next to you, then getting up in the middle of the night without disturbing anyone was really tricky."

"It's almost as if conventional beds weren't designed with harems in mind," he said, pretending to looked puzzled at the obvious oversight.

The girls laughed and grinned at each other, until Alyssa used telepathy to draw their attention to John again.

He cleared his throat and looked around at the beautiful faces watching him. "Sleeping apart just didn't feel right... it's wonderful having all of you here as a group." He paused, letting the girls murmur their agreement. "Last night was especially hard for all of us. Even though we beat Larn'kelnar, it didn't feel like much of a victory... not considering the cost."

"We're going to get Faye back though!" Dana declared fiercely. She shot a meaningful glance at the Maliri hacker. "Isn't that right?"

Irillith nodded, her violet eyes watching John intently. "No matter how long it takes, I'll rebuild Faye and bring her back to you."

"I know you will, honey," he said with a grateful smile. Focusing on the group again, he continued, "The battle against Larn'kelnar was a turning point for all of us... and we worked together in ways I never would have imagined six months ago. We dramatically proved that we've got what it takes to deal with a Progenitor, but next time it's going to be us striking at them. I hope you all know just how proud I am of each and every one of you."

While his regular crew glowed with pride, the Nymphs looked a little subdued.

When Leylira saw him glance their way, she said quietly, "This one wishes she could have done something to help you, Master."

"You did! We'd all have been devastated if you'd died in the crash. The four of you kept your heads and stayed alive... I couldn't have asked for anything more."

Jade was sitting between her sisters and she put her arm around the tiger-striped Nymph. "John cares about all of you a great deal and the most important thing you could have done was to survive. I'm going to need your help if we're going to save our species from extinction."

"I can't wait to have kittens..." Marika said with a breathy sigh.

"Until that day comes, I'm going to focus on making you as strong and resilient as I can," John said with conviction. "I'm not going to risk losing any of you if I can help it."

"Are you going to make us as powerful as Jade?" the tiger-striped girl asked, looking at her elder sister in awe.

"I'll do my best," he replied, sharing an affectionate smile with his Nymph matriarch.

Leylira's amber eyes had a feral gleam to them as she stared at him. "And let us fight too?"

John nodded. "That's the plan."

If the rest of the Nymphs had any misgivings about the idea, it certainly wasn't apparent judging by their dazzling smiles.

Now that all of the girls were equally jubilant, John swept his gaze over the crew, making eye-contact with one after the other. "We've still got a long road ahead of us, but I want tonight to be about celebrating our biggest victory so far. I'm open to suggestions, but I'd really like to spend some time with each of you."

"That means no hogging him!" Alyssa said, wagging a finger at Dana.

"I'm not making any promises!" The redhead giggled and pulled off her top. "A regular run-of-the-mill orgy sounds awesome!"

Betrixa sprang from her seat, launching her lithe form across the bed and into John's arms. "I can't wait any longer!" she exclaimed, showering him in kisses. "Take me now, John!"

"Hey!" Dana protested, still tugging off her trousers. "I wanted to go first!"

Rachel smiled as she unbuttoned her blouse. "Too slow, babes. The Nymphs had the right idea starting off nude."

John ignored the banter and gently held the eager catgirl at bay, stopping her from kissing him for a moment so that he could gaze into her bright blue eyes. "That's the first time you've called me by my name, Betrixa."

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

"Oh yes, definitely." He stripped off his t-shirt, then eased the blonde Nymph back onto the bed. "I'm very proud of you, honey. It means you're developing your own free will and starting to break the bonds that have held you in slavery."

Dana sighed in resignation. "Well I can't compete with her after a breakthrough like that, can I? Alright... I guess Betrixa can go first."

"Don't worry, I'll keep you entertained while you wait..." Rachel said, before sensuously kissing her girlfriend.

Betrixa looked up at John as he held her in his arms, an uncharacteristic vulnerability in her eyes. "This one still wishes you to be her master... Master."

"I know... and that's not going to change unless you want it to," he said, giving her a reassuring smile. "I want you to stay with me forever... but only because you choose to be with me, not because you're compelled to stay. Do you understand the difference?"

"I'm starting to..." she whispered, looking startled as she considered deeply unsettling ideas for the first time. With a shake of her head, she shook those troubling thoughts away and grinned at him. "But right now, I want to fuck! Have you got any naughty fantasies, Master?"

"I've got one, but it's pretty wild..."

Betrixa looked electrified by the prospect. "What is it?!"

"I'd really like to make love to my beautiful blonde catgirl and show her just how much she means to me," he replied, brushing aside a lock of her silky golden hair.

The Nymph melted in his arms with a breathy sigh. "Oh, Master..."

***

Calara moaned into Alyssa's mouth as they kissed, her firm young breasts pressing against her lover's identical set of delectable mounds. Her girlfriend's body was so alluring, the soft curves feeling incredible as they moulded together in perfect unison. She heard Betrixa's lusty cry, instantly recognising the rapturous sound of an eager girl being fully impaled on John's cock.

Pulling back from the kiss, Calara smiled when she saw the distracted look in Alyssa's blue eyes, reflecting an unspoken need that the Latina instantly recognised. She grabbed a couple of pillows and placed them near the edge of the bed, then gave the blonde an understanding smile. "Lie down here, baby... let me take care of you."

Alyssa tore her gaze away from John to focus on the gorgeous olive-toned girl. "Thank you," she whispered earnestly, her heart bursting with love for the woman who knew her so well.

Lying back on the bed, Alyssa rested against the pillows to enjoy the show. She sighed with delight when she saw John thrust deep into Betrixa, the tawny catgirl mewling in ecstasy as she wrapped her arms and legs around him, her long tail gently caressing his quad. Alyssa parted her thighs and smiled lovingly at Calara as the brunette went to work, that clever tongue slowly exploring every intimate fold.

"Yes, that's perfect..." she crooned, running her hands through Calara's luxurious chestnut mane as the brunette lapped at her clit.

Through hooded eyes, she watched Betrixa reach her first climax, the Nymph gazing reverently at her master as he brought her to the peak of pleasure. Alyssa felt a tingle run through her body, the psychic network resonating as it responded to the deepening connection between the lovers. She convulsed through a glorious release, moaning loving endearments to Calara, who worshipped Alyssa with sensuous caresses of her tongue.

*Oh, Master...* a familiar voice murmured, echoing Betrixa's ecstatic cry.

Alyssa glanced to her right over the undulating Maliri twins, to see Jade and Helene together, the exotic beauties mirroring herself and Calara. A look of pure joy lit up the Nymph's verdant face, her emerald eyes captivated by the sight of John pleasuring her feline sister. By breaking down the controls and restraints in Betrixa's mind, John was nurturing the untapped potential of another formidable telepath... and Jade revelled in the surge of eldritch energy that released. It was a familiar path they'd followed before, one that led inexorably to the powerhouse of draconic fury that was currently reclining on the bed with her aquatic lover.

Sensing that she was being watched, Jade turned to smile triumphantly at her fellow matriarch, both united in their devotion to John. Alyssa embraced the intoxicating surge of emotions coursing across their bond, the love, tenderness, and respect so tangible that she could almost see it pouring from the Nymph. She opened up her connections to the rest of the girls, immersing herself in the intimacy they shared... an intimacy that manifested itself into vast amounts of raw psychic power.

***

Sunrise over Larathyra was a spectacular sight, the golden orb cresting over the horizon to chase away the darkness and bring forth a majestic sky of vibrant orange and purest blue. The sun's rays swept across the baroque veranda, banishing the chill of the night and warming a young woman's pale-green skin. Auralei closed her eyes to enjoy that comforting radiance, but doing so brought back disturbing visions... ones that had plagued her nightmares for the last two nights.

Hurriedly reopening her eyes, her gaze flicked involuntarily to the beautifully maintained garden below. Ever since she was a little girl, it had been a sanctuary of tranquillity, a place where her mother had shared her love for horticulture with her daughter. Seldanna's final moments had been spent surrounded by the plants and trees she adored, a fact which should have brought Auralei some small measure of comfort. However, the young Larathyran would never forget the final expression on her beloved mother's withered face... the Imperial Botanist had died in excruciating agony.

Auralei whimpered at the terrible ache of overwhelming loss and lurched away from the balcony, tears rolling down her cheek. She collapsed on the bed and sobbed her heart out, crying brokenly into her pillow. It seemed impossible to accept that a woman so vital and full of life, could be struck down so suddenly and in such a horrible way.

Her outpouring of grief eventually ran its course and Auralei dragged herself from the bed into the bathroom, where she washed away the streaks of tears. Looking into the mirror, she heaved a ragged sigh, then gathered her long dark hair into a haphazard ponytail. Gazing at her reflection was a harrowing sight and she could see the deep sorrow in her shadowy bloodshot eyes. Auralei knew that her mother would have been mortified to see her in such a state, so she inhaled deeply, determined to pull herself together to honour the woman who had loved her unconditionally for her entire life.

Heading downstairs, she entered the kitchen, boiling some water and sprinkling in some fragrant leaves. The familiar aroma was comforting and she poured herself a cup of laptalesh tea, before sipping it carefully to avoid scalding herself. With the heat warming her stomach, she felt strong enough to face the day... and finally brave the outside world again.