Three Square Meals Ch. 127

*Sarinia's coup certainly proved that...* he agreed with a rueful frown.

*John... could I make a request?* the Maliri Queen asked tentatively.

*You don't have to ask permission, Edraele. Just tell me what you need.*

*Can you return to Maliri Space as quickly as possible? The sooner you can meet with the new matriarchs and connect them to me, the less chance there will be of this situation escalating. There's never been so much upheaval amongst the Maliri nobility and with thirteen Houses likely to change matriarchs overnight, I have no idea what might happen next. Left free to run amok, they might even start fighting with each other, attempting to impress you by raising their House ranking. Sarinia discovered that you admired Tsarra Perfaren for leading Tashana's rebellion; I think that might have encouraged her to instigate this bloodbath to get your attention.*

John rubbed his hands over his face. *It seems like everything's backfiring on me at the moment...*

Edraele could hear the exhaustion in his defeated tone. *Go and get some rest, John. I'll try to find out exactly what's been happening in the noble Houses and what the casualties are. When you wake up, I'll give you as comprehensive an update as possible.*

*Thanks, honey,* he said with a weary sigh. Looking at Alyssa and the twins, he continued grimly, "We need to get back to Maliri Space as quickly as possible."

Irillith looked troubled as she nodded. "I agree with my mother, that would be wise."

When Alyssa saw John look startled at Irillith's lack of surprise, she stroked his hand and said, "I've been keeping the girls informed." Switching to telepathy, she added, *Not the part about Sakura, obviously.*

He acknowledged that with a grateful smile. "Thank you. So how quickly can we get back to Genthalas?"

Alyssa looked at him curiously. "Do you still want to go ahead with intercepting the Kirrix fleet?"

"We haven't got any choice, there are thousands of Trankaran lives at stake," he replied with a frown. "I still want to visit Olympus so that Rachel can do her healing... but we can't afford to hang around. We'll stay for as long as she needs, then leave as soon as she's done."

"So you're postponing any decision regarding Lina?" she asked, her cerulean eyes speculative.

"Alyssa..."

"Hey, I'm not pushing you for an answer either way, I'm just being practical," the blonde replied with a disarming smile. "Unless we take Lina with us to Genthalas, you're not going to have the time to push her through the Change."

"I want to discuss it with Charles, Lynette, and Lina, but that'll have to be it for now."

"Fair enough," she agreed with a nod. "What about hunting down the bastards who tried to kill Maria and everyone at Olympus?"

"Goddamn it..." John snarled, grinding his teeth in frustration. "We're going to have to postpone dealing with them for the moment too."

"I can start tracking them down as soon as we hit Terran Space," Irillith volunteered, a fierce gleam in her eyes. "If I can discover who was involved, I can make their lives a living hell without us needing to change course."

John hugged her in gratitude. "Do it. I want those assholes to suffer."

"And I assume we're still picking up Jack and Mateo?" Alyssa concluded.

"Yeah, definitely," John replied with a nod. "Bringing them home to Maria is the least we can do."

"It's not much of a diversion anyway, just a few extra hours," she agreed. "It'll also mean a lot to Calara; she's really looking forward to seeing them."

"So if we hit the Kirrix, visit the Terran border fleet to pick up Jack and Mateo, drop them off at Jericho, then briefly stop at Olympus, how soon can we be back at Genthalas?"

"It'll take us just under four days... but that's not including stoppage time," she replied, while stifling a yawn.

John rose to his feet and offered her a hand. "You're as tired as me. Come on, time to hit the hay."

The twins gave him a kiss, then waved goodbye to John and Alyssa as they left the Bridge.

With John lost in thought, the couple descended to Deck Three in silence. Alyssa glanced at John as they stepped out of the grav-tube, then slipped her hand into his and gave it a comforting squeeze.

"I know how upset you are about the Maliri. I wish we could have done something to prevent it," she said sincerely.

He interlaced his fingers with hers. "I just can't help wondering what I should have done differently," he said, with a dejected sigh. "I feel like I failed them... that maybe there was some way I could've resolved this matriarch situation without it turning into a massacre."

Alyssa flicked her fingers at the door controls, opening the way into the Lagoon. "John... please don't take this the wrong way, but I can't help feeling that you're looking at the Maliri through rose-tinted glasses."

"What do you mean?" he asked in confusion, as they crossed the bridge that arced over the aquamarine pool.

She stopped and turned to face him. "Just think about the Maliri you speak to every day. What have Edraele, Tashana, and Irillith all got in common?"

"They're related?" he guessed, rubbing his temple and grimacing. "Sorry, honey... I give up. I'm too tired for puzzles."

"They were all severely fucked up... until you healed all the trauma they'd been through and radically changed their personalities. Now the three of them are lovely... but you know what Maliri society is like, it's got a nasty way of twisting its noblewomen into really evil monsters. We probably would've ended up having to fight the old matriarchs if you hadn't 'claimed' their species."

"Alright, that's true enough," he conceded. "But I did claim the Maliri... so what's your point?"

"Basically, what Edraele was trying to tell you earlier: the older matriarchs were bad news... and most of their daughters were too. There was never going to be a quick fix for this. In the best-case scenario, you were going to have to fuck some sense into at least fifty cruel and sadistic bitches."

He rolled his eyes at her charming turn of phrase. "Alyssa..."

"Hey, I'm just being honest here," she said with a shrug. "You would have needed the matriarchs on their knees blowing you for weeks until you could sort them all out. Just think how much hassle it was trying to heal Irillith and Tashana, and they only had to endure Edraele's shit for fifty years. Those matriarchs had been tormented by their mothers for at least a century before they replaced them, then they spent another hundred years torturing their own daughters. They were all severely fucked up... and this wasn't fixable with a simple blow and go."

*Alyssa's quite correct,* Edraele said quietly. *If the matriarchs were ruling the Brimorian Enclave, we'd be celebrating their demise.*

"This doesn't feel like something I should be celebrating," John said, grimacing with distaste.

"We're not saying that," Alyssa said, caressing his cheek. "I just don't want you thinking of them as a bunch of doe-eyed damsels in distress. The matriarchs were evil... and they were training their daughters to be just as bad."

"What about their youngest daughters though?" he asked, thinking of the sweet-natured Young Matriarchs. "They definitely weren't all like that... Edraele specifically chose Kali and the rest because they hadn't been corrupted by Maliri politics."

"Like Edraele said, the only way to save them would've been a shitload of assassinations, which you never would have agreed to." She knew he was about to suggest changing their personalities instead, so she pressed a finger to his lips to let her continue without interruption. "John, we never had the time. We're talking about at least fifty women, each of them needing a couple of days of dedicated attention from you at the bare minimum. So basically, three months of you just sitting around Genthalas getting blowjobs... does that sound remotely plausible to you considering all the shit we've had to deal with recently?"

"We've barely had three days of downtime, let alone three months," he conceded, thinking about the relentless succession of battles they'd fought.

*Even if you had the time, there was still no guarantee of success,* Edraele said emphatically. *Bringing all the matriarchs' daughters to Genthalas would have entailed a huge risk. If just one of them had prematurely discovered their mother's plans for immortality, I'm quite certain we'd have been facing an almost identical scenario.*

John pulled Alyssa closer and held her in a tight hug. "I know you two are just trying to stop me feeling guilty... but thank you."

"Please don't blame yourself," she whispered in his ear. "This really wasn't your fault."

He nodded, realising she was right. Pulling back, he gave her a kiss. "Like I said... thank you."

She returned his smile, then walked with him across the rest of the bridge towards the Observatory. The door opened before them at the snap of her fingers and when they entered the oval chamber, John found Sakura, Calara, and Marika waiting naked on the bed.

Alyssa slipped off her shoes, then started to peel off her clothes. "Hi, ladies. Sorry to keep you waiting."

John gaped at the three kneeling women, then frowned at the stripping blonde. "Alyssa, I'm exhausted! I'm no use to anyone like this!"

She gave him a coy smile, her hand slipping down to caress his quad. "You're also full up again and you have a hungry pussy... cat to feed." Gazing into his eyes, she added, *I assume you'll want to top up all the girls before the battle, just in case you need to heal us in an emergency? If so, that means you need to feed Sakura now if you want to prepare her for the assault on the Hive Queen.*

He blinked in surprise that her reasoning was eminently practical rather than just playful, then nodded his agreement.

Alyssa gave him a tender kiss, then peeled away to pad across the bed. "Don't mind me, I'm just here for the show..."

John kicked off his shoes, then walked over to join the waiting trio, who were gazing up at him expectantly. "My brown-eyed girls," he murmured affectionately, caressing Marika's cheek as he smiled at each of them in turn.

Calara and Sakura grinned back at him and hugged the catgirl sitting between them.

"We thought you might like the three of us together," Calara explained.

Sakura kissed the Nymph on the cheek, then looked up at John again. "Marika's a sweetheart. She didn't mind sharing."

The tabby-striped Nymph looked absolutely thrilled to be part of the trio, her chocolate-coloured eyes sparkling with joy. "Will you let us take care of you, Master? You won't need to move a muscle!"

He chuckled and nodded. "I hope you're not expecting an athletic performance, I'm struggling to stay awake at the moment."

The three girls pulled him down to the bed, giggling together in anticipation as they swiftly removed his clothes. In less than a minute, John found himself lying on his back with his head resting in Marika's lap, the Nymph gently massaging his temples. Sakura and Calara draped themselves across him, with their breasts pressed against his chest, the soft warmth of their nubile bodies stirring a part of him that definitely wasn't tired.

"Alyssa said you wanted to talk to us?" Calara asked inquisitively, as she idly stroked his firm muscles.

John glanced to his right, where the blonde was curled up under the covers. Alyssa gave him a sleepy smile, then blew a kiss in his general direction.

Looking up into the girls' curious gazes again, he was struck by the similarities and contrasts between the three women. Marika's gentle feline eyes had the same vertically-slitted pupils as Jade's emerald orbs, the black centre currently eclipsing the brown irises with her arousal. Sakura's almond-shaped eyes were a richer, darker hue, like windows into her lovely soul. Finally, there was Calara, her soft brown gaze making him feel like he was being wrapped up in a loving hug. What they all shared was the way that looked at him with absolute devotion, a sight that warmed his heart and banished the weariness he'd been feeling.

"I'm sorry I wasn't able to join you in the Dojo this afternoon," he said, cupping Calara's and Sakura's faces as he looked up at them. "I really wanted to watch you train and spend some proper time with you, but today's been so busy with preparing the Invictus for battle."

Sakura gave him an amiable shrug. "That's quite alright, you can join us anytime."

Calara nodded. "We understand... you don't need to apologise."

He smiled at them gratefully, before focusing on the Latina. "I also wanted to talk to you about your father staying on the Invictus. Is there anything you think we should do to make his visit more enjoyable? I know you told him about our living arrangements, but I don't want him to feel uncomfortable while he's here."

Calara's gaze softened, her lips curling up into a tender smile. "You're adorable... you're more worried about my dad's visit than going into battle with a Hive Queen."

"I like Jack... and I don't want to disappoint him," John said self-consciously. "Besides, you'll always be his little girl, and I know he feels very protective towards you."

"Don't worry about a thing, just leave it with me," she insisted, her tender gaze full of gratitude. "I'll make sure my dad and Mateo enjoy their stay."

As John nodded, Sakura shot an anxious glance at the brunette. "If there's anything I can do to help, please let me know."

Calara looked surprised at the Asian girl's pensive tone, then her eyes widened in sudden understanding. "I will, big sister... I promise," she said, hugging the raven-haired beauty.

Sensing John's confusion at the exchange, Alyssa launched into a telepathic explanation. *Maria took care of Sakura on the last trip to Jericho and now she looks up to her as an adoptive mother. Sakura wasn't with us when we first met Calara's family, so she hasn't met Jack yet and wants to make a good impression.*

John watched the embracing girls with a fond smile, pleased to see how close they'd become.

Sakura realised they had his attention and laughed, brushing at the moisture in her eyes. "Sorry... I'm being silly."

"Not at all. I know Emiko would be overjoyed to see you opening up to Maria... she's a lovely woman and genuinely cares about you."

"Stop... or I'm going to end up in floods of tears," Sakura gushed, hugging him fiercely.

"Just as long as they're happy tears." John kissed the top of her head, while running his fingers through her silky black hair. "Sakura... I wanted to talk to you about something else. Something important."

"What is it?" she asked, wiping at her eyes again and lifting her head so she could look at him.

"I remember you saying that you sometimes feel like a fifth wheel around here," he replied, meeting her curious gaze. "Your skillset was always more combat-focused than the rest of the girls, so I can understand why you must find it frustrating between battles."

"I didn't want to seem like I was complaining," the Asian girl quickly replied. "I just wish there was more I could do to help outside of combat. Calara's in a similar position, but at least she's able to help you with strategic planning. All my skills and experience are focused on infiltration and assassinations."

"I was actually thinking about honing those skills..." John said, brushing his thumb across her cheek.

"You were?!" Sakura asked, looking astonished.

He nodded, trying to keep his expression neutral. "Out of all of us, you came closest to killing Larn'kelnar before we ground him down to the point of exhaustion. I don't want to ever fight a Progenitor that way again, so I'd like to start enhancing you so that you can help me take them out as quickly and efficiently as possible."

Sakura looked thrilled at the prospect. "John, that sounds amazing! Of course I'll assist you in whatever way I can!"

"I never doubted that for a moment, honey," he said quietly. "If it's alright with you, I'd like you to share this next load with Marika, then spend the evening training with Rachel to improve your hex-shields. If you've made good progress by tonight, then I think the two of us should storm the dreadnought together and assassinate that Hive Queen."

"Wow!" she exclaimed, her face lighting up with anticipation. "Count me in! I'd love to bring that vile monstrosity to justice!"

He couldn't help smiling at her enthusiastic reaction, then turned to look at Calara. "Sorry, gorgeous... I don't want you to feel excluded, but-"

She kissed him to silence his apology, then pulled back to give John a sultry look under her long lashes. "I've been with you a long time now, John. Aside from Alyssa and Jade, I think you've filled up my tummy more than anyone else. I'm not saying I wouldn't love some more, but I understand you need to enhance Sakura and make Marika stronger."

The catgirl had been listening attentively and she leaned over, looking at John upside down. "Jade's been teaching me all sorts of exciting new shapeshifting! Why don't we take it in turns making love to you, then you can finish inside Calara. After you've filled her womb with your cum, I can help feed Sakura... that way we can all enjoy having a full tummy."

"Now that sounds like a wonderful plan to me," the brunette purred, leaning down to kiss him.

Sakura bit her lower lip as she stroked John's stiffening cock. "Mmm, definitely..."

Marika ran her fingers through his hair, gently massaging his scalp. "Just relax, Master... let your brown-eyed girls take special care of you."

He did as she asked, losing himself in their loving embrace.

***

Irillith sat at the IntOps station on the Bridge and glanced at the chronometer on her holo-interface. "I think I'd better check on Little One," she said, turning her chair to face Tashana. "It's eight o'clock and she still hasn't responded to any of my status queries."

"What do you think's wrong with her?" Tashana asked, swiping her holographic research notes aside so she could focus on her sister. "Was she upset by what Dana said?"

After considering it for a moment, Irillith shook her head. "Little One isn't as sophisticated as Faye; I don't think she experiences synthetic emotions in the same way, or at least that was my impression after speaking to her a few times."

"So why did she just leave so abruptly then?" her sister asked curiously.

"She mentioned not being permitted to discuss Faye's memory archives with us, but something must have happened that triggered a change in access rights. Hopefully she'll let me study her code and find out what happened."

Tashana hesitated, her violet eyes flicking to the console. "If you're going into the cyber-realm to see her and Little One has malfunctioned, is there any chance you could be in danger?"

"I've never felt threatened by the Collective," the Maliri hacker replied, giving her sister a reassuring smile. "I don't think there's anything to worry about."

"Alyssa and John are still sleeping... wouldn't it be sensible to wait for them to wake up first?" Tashana asked, anxious to ensure her twin's safety.

Irillith waved away her concerns. "You saw how exhausted they both were. I'm sure they won't wake up until midnight at the earliest and I really need to check on Little One."

"Alright... but let me know if there's any trouble and I'll get help," Tashana said, nibbling pensively at a nail.

"I promise I'll be careful." Beckoning her over with a smile, Irillith hugged her sister. "After John enhances you so that you can Spirit Walk, I'll be able to start taking you with me."

Tashana brightened at the prospect, having not considered that before. "I'd love to see the Cyber Realm with you!"

"Next time, little sister," her twin said fondly.

After giving her a good luck kiss, Tashana pulled back and leaned against the IntOps console. "Let me know if there's any problems."