Three Square Meals Ch. 128

"No, it was interesting," Helene insisted. "I'm just sorry I fell asleep. Did I miss much after you were talking about the Kyth'faren primary rune?"

John tried not to laugh. "No, not much. Did you enjoy your nap?" he asked kindly, stroking her wavy light-green hair.

She stifled a yawn and nodded. "I always sleep so wonderfully when I'm next to you. I'm very grateful to Jade for looking after me last night, but I didn't get much rest... I had too much on my mind."

He paused and looked at her with concern. "That must have been horrific, finding out what the Brimorians had done to your people. I'm sorry I didn't break it to you easier... I was in shock myself."

Helene cupped his cheek with her hand and stroked him tenderly. "Always so ready to apologise and shoulder any burden... even when you're not to blame."

John looked at her in surprise, but anything he was about to say was muffled by her soft lips pressing against his. He wisely stayed silent and concentrated on returning the kiss with equal affection.

Pulling back, she gave him a warm smile. "Thank you for caring... I know I can face anything with your love and support."

"I'll be there for you whenever you need me," he said earnestly. "Are you sure there's nothing I can do for you now?"

She shook her head. "Just being with you is more than enough. I feel so sad for all the people that were sacrificed to the Kirrix... but they weren't my family, not really. I'm closer to you and the girls than I ever was to anyone in Neptra village."

John hesitated, then asked quietly, "Helene... what about your mother and father?"

"I was sent away from my parents when I was eight-years-old," she reminded him, a wistful note to her voice. "Riva and Bruinen are faint memories now; I can only remember fragments of my childhood with them. They were kind and loving... good people... I just hope nothing bad has happened to them."

"I swear I'll do everything I can to save them... and the rest of the Abandoned," he said fervently. "Your people have suffered horribly under the Brimorians and I will end it."

"John... why are you so determined to make this your responsibility?" she asked with concern.

"Because I'm strong enough to actually do something about it. There's no way I could sit back and do nothing while the Brimorians continue to commit atrocities against the Abandoned." He looked at her curiously. "It almost sounds like you don't want me to help them?"

"I do!" she insisted, conflict in her baby-blue eyes. "I just... don't want you to end up doing something to the Brimorians that you'll regret. I've seen the burdens of guilt you force yourself to bear... and I don't want to add to that crushing weight."

"You're a good person, Helene," he said quietly, looking into her eyes. "You're kind and loving with a big heart."

"So are you!" she insisted.

"I try my best..." he murmured, struggling to meet her worried gaze. "But I'm starting to realise that I have other... gifts... to share."

"Like death and destruction?" she asked bleakly.

"Yes," he admitted, lifting his head to look her in the eye. "I can't deny I have an instinctive urge to annihilate my enemies... I always have."

"But you've always fought against those urges!" she pleaded with him, shaking her head. "Why give up now?"

"I'm not giving up," he said, tilting his head to one side. "I think I'm finally starting to accept that it's part of my nature... and that's not necessarily a bad thing."

Helene looked shocked. "How can you say that?"

"I killed that fleet of Kirrix in a heartbeat. You heard the girls... it saved tens-of-thousands of Trankarans from death and a million more from horrible trauma. I wanted to stun the Kirrix at first, putting them into hibernation so that Rachel could save the colonists from the eggs hatching... but I had no idea how to do it. When I followed my instincts, I found a lethal solution instead... which protected all the innocent Trankarans."

"That's true..." Helene conceded, remembering the girls praising him in the Observatory.

He took a deep breath, then held her hand. "The Brimorians are responsible for this entire invasion. They've murdered millions of innocent people, trading them as slaves to the Kirrix to be hosts to their eggs. Those newly-hatched grubs grew into a vast army of drones, some of which the hive queens sent into Terran and Trankaran territory to capture and kill even more people. The rest of the drones mined minerals to trade with the Brimorians for even more slaves. It's a monstrous cycle of carnage that has killed countless innocents... and I can finally put a stop to it all."

"By wiping out the Brimorians?" she asked, a pained look in her eyes.

"Yes... or at least killing enough of them to make them end the slave trade," he replied. "The blood of all those Abandoned, Terrans, and Trankarans is on Brimorian hands; is it really a bad thing to kill some truly evil people to save many more innocent lives?"

She faltered, suddenly looking unsure. "I... I don't know."

"I don't know either," he admitted. "But it feels right; just like wiping out every last Progenitor will save billions of lives. I'm not looking forward to it... but I'd gladly shoulder any burdens of guilt and regret to make the galaxy a much safer place."

Helene was quiet for a long moment. "I understand what you're saying, but please don't lose yourself in this war. You are a good person, John... and I worry that if you face too much darkness, it will change you forever."

"Luckily for me, I've got you and the rest of the girls making sure I don't get into too much trouble," he said with a reassuring smile.

"I'm serious," she said, looking up at him with her big blue eyes. "Please be careful."

Surprised by her earnest request, he nodded. "I will."

Helene relaxed, the worry that had plagued her fading away. "Thank you."

John stroked her back and smiled. "I better get ready to see the twins."

They separated and he started thumbing through the clothes hanging on the rails. John wasn't sure if his new Maliri suit was actually up in the old wardrobe, but he figured Alyssa would have told him if it wasn't right there. Sure enough, he found the same suit cover as before, and when he opened it, the new clothes were freshly cleaned and pressed.

As he got dressed, Helene watched him with a look of curiosity in her eyes. "John, why are you putting on that suit to meet the twins, when you're just going to take it off again?"

He smiled at her as he fastened the shirt. "Because they like it. They want to do a bit of roleplaying."

"What's that?" the aquatic girl asked him innocently.

John blushed, regretting mentioning it to the naive young woman. "Err... they want to pretend to be naughty matriarchs that need a stern Progenitor to make them behave."

"Oh... So how will you make them behave?" she asked, listening in fascination.

He swallowed awkwardly, feeling even more embarrassed. As he was struggling how to reply, he noticed a playful gleam in Helene's eyes. "You minx! You're just teasing me!"

She giggled, which turned into a peal of laughter as he started tickling her.

"And I thought you were the nice girl," John said, grinning as he released her.

"Am I going to get a smacked bottom too?" she asked flirtatiously, turning around and wiggling her hips at him.

He laughed and shook his head. "Not unless you've been very naughty." As he pulled on his trousers, he added, "I didn't know you were into that?"

"I'm not really, but the flirting and teasing is fun... I can see why Alyssa does it all the time."

John groaned and shook his head. "Don't remind me."

Helene watched him slip on his jacket, then said quietly, "Sometimes, the things she says... it makes me think she doesn't really want to be that way."

"This is Alyssa we're talking about, right?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "She's been a relentless tease for almost as long as I've known her."

"I'm probably wrong; I've only known her for a few weeks," Helene conceded.

After stepping into his shoes, John paused and smiled at her fondly. "It's bizarre to think that I haven't even known you a month. You've made a huge impact on my life in such a short time."

"Oh, I know exactly how you feel," she replied, giving him a lovely smile. Stepping closer, she tucked his collar behind the lapel of his jacket. "The twins are right... you look very handsome wearing this."

"Thank you," he said, giving her a kiss. "Now, we better not keep them waiting any longer."

Helene suddenly looked unsure of herself. "John... if you'd prefer privacy with the twins, I can stay here with Alyssa?"

"What would you like to do?" John asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'd like to stay with you... as long as you don't mind?"

He held out his hand. "Let's go then!"

She smiled at John gratefully, taking his hand and following him out through the Observatory. Alyssa was still fast asleep, so they crept out silently to avoid waking her.

"It seems strange not seeing all the Nymphs playing in the Lagoon," Helene noted as they walked across the bridge to the door opposite. "They kept me company here a lot during my first few weeks aboard the ship."

John frowned and looked at her with concern. "I hope you aren't upset with me about training the Nymphs as pilots and gunners. I promise it's not because I had any doubts in your capabilities."

She touched his arm with her free hand and smiled. "It's okay, I understand. You've been very firm about trying to keep me out of combat from the start... but the Nymphs aren't quite like the rest of us, are they?"

Looking relieved, he nodded. "Yes, exactly. They think differently from the rest of you girls... and I don't think we ever need to worry about them suffering from combat fatigue. Jade has never shown the slightest hint of stress from any of the fighting she's been involved in."

They stepped inside the grav-tubes and Helene turned to face him. "I was just speaking to Jade this morning. She loves you and she loves your girls... everything else just isn't that important to her."

"She's incredibly loyal," John said with a fond smile. "Despite everything I've done to try to give her as much freedom as possible, she's still my devoted little Nymph."

"I think you're just as devoted to her," Helene said, her eyes lighting up with happiness.

"I think you might be right," he willingly agreed, squeezing her hand as they continued their descent in the red anti-gravity field.

When they reached the bottom, they walked out onto Deck Nine, then through the Secondary Hangar to the huge Primary Hangar beyond. The Progenitor shuttle was parked there, the sleek black vessel looming over them like some malignant spectre. John tapped the rune beside the airlock and the door split apart, the jagged edges peeling apart like the fanged maw of some vicious beast.

Helene eyed the door warily as she stepped through. "This is a strange place to have a romantic tryst."

"I'm not sure Irillith is looking for romance this evening," John said with a wry smile.

They walked along the corridor, stopping beside a set of elevator doors. The black portal opened in a similar fashion to the airlock, serrated edges looking like they could slam shut and rip the unwary in half.

"You can really tell that whoever designed this ship wasn't a nice person," Helene observed, hurrying into the elevator.

"I think that's putting it mildly, honey," John agreed, tapping the rune that would take them up to the highest deck. "All the Progenitor ships seem to be identical, so it was probably Xar'aziuth himself that designed them."

The elevator opened again on the upper deck, revealing a gloomily-lit corridor that led to the shuttle's bedroom. They walked up to the door and John took a moment to get in character. He glanced at Helene, who beamed at him with excitement, her buoyant cheerfulness wreaking havoc with his attempt to masquerade as a cold-hearted Progenitor. He tried not to laugh as he tapped the rune to open the door, which split apart, revealing the sinister bedroom.

Tashana and Irillith were waiting for him there, both wearing long elegant dresses, Crystal Alyssium collars, and matching looks of disdain.

"Don't think us so easily cowed, Progenitor!" Irillith snapped, baring her teeth as she practically hissed at him.

"We'll never submit to you!" Tashana declared, a look of fierce defiance in her blazing violet eyes.

Helene stepped quietly into the room, moving aside to keep out of the way.

John studied the two gorgeous Maliri women, admiring their spectacular figures, beautiful blue faces, and their resplendent manes of long white hair. Something inside him just clicked; a dazzling moment of epiphany that made everything crystal clear. He walked towards the twins, noting their reaction as they became aware of his sudden change in demeanour. They watched him in fascination, all further declarations of defiance dying on their lips.

"I claimed the Maliri," John said as he slowly approached, taking his time so as to appear unthreatening. "I'm finally starting to understand what that really means."

The twins stared at him wide-eyed, not saying a word.

He raised his hands, gently cupping their flawless faces. "You belong to me... body and soul."

Tashana sucked in her breath, her pupils flaring. Irillith just stared at him enraptured.

"I never asked for this and neither did you," John continued, caressing their beautiful azure skin. "But it's something we can't change... it's who we are."

"I belong to you..." Tashana whispered.

"Body and soul..." Irillith echoed, trembling at his touch.

He trailed his fingers down their throats until he reached their collars, making the deft movements that unclasped the metal band from around their necks. "How could I ever abuse such beautiful girls, when you've given me such a wonderful gift?" he asked, letting the collars clatter to the ground. "I need to take care of you, nurture you, protect you... love you."

His fingers trailed lower, down across their luscious blue cleavage, then across the flat planes of their stomachs. He stroked their lower bellies above their wombs, both Maliri gasping at the intimate touch.

"Then you'll give me what I really want... not taken by force, but because you crave it... need it desperately."

"You've changed..." Tashana murmured, looking at him in wonder.

"I like it..." Irillith said in a hushed voice. "I like it a lot..."

"We're destined to be together," John said firmly, drawing both women into his arms and pulling them closer. He kissed each of them in turn, leaving the sisters staring at him starry-eyed. "My perfect Maliri princesses... just waiting until I give you what you really want..."

"Oh John..." Irillith sighed breathlessly, her eyes alight with desire.

"I need you, Baen'thelas..." Tashana begged him, panting with lust. "Please..."

He slipped the straps of their dresses off their shoulders, leaving them standing before him in all their naked glory. "I'm going to make love to you," he informed Tashana, gently caressing her trembling breast. Turning to Irillith, he let his hand slip lower from her waist to cup a deliciously pert ass cheek, making her groan. "Then I'm going to drive you insane..."

The twins were spellbound now, captivated by his every word and action.

"And then I'm going to feed that lovely tummy of yours," he said, focusing on Tashana again.

She whimpered with desire, fighting the urge to throw herself at him.

"Now, on to the bed and show me how much you love each other while I get ready," he said firmly, slipping his jacket from his shoulders.

Kicking off their shoes, the two Maliri girls crawled across the bed and into each other's arms, where they began to kiss passionately. Their sky-blue skin and dazzling white hair made for a striking contrast against the jet-black bed frame with its dark silken sheets.

John glanced at Helene and smiled. "Care to help me undress, honey?"

She bounded over, her eyes sparkling. "I love this!" she whispered in his ear, as she started unbuttoning his shirt. "Can you be like this with me sometime?"

"That depends..." he replied, stroking her back. "Do I own you body and soul too?"

Helene nodded enthusiastically. "Oh yes!" she gushed, her fingers fumbling with the buttons in her excitement.

Seeing her difficulty, John ripped his shirt off, sending the buttons flying and leaving Helene staring at him open-mouthed.

Stripping off the rest of his clothes, he offered the shocked teal-hued beauty a hand. "Would you like to join us, Helene?"

She bit her flushed lower lip and nodded, tearing off her dress in her haste to accept his proposal. They joined the writhing twins on the bed, with John parting Tashana's thighs and burying himself up to the quad in her steaming pussy. She screamed in ecstasy, climaxing before he'd even fully sheathed himself inside her, the first in what was to be a relentless chain of climaxes.

John held himself up above her, his hips driving the orgasming Maliri into the mattress with powerful thrusts. Irillith and Helene each had one of her breasts in their mouths, sucking and biting her painfully erect nipples, while Irillith's nimble fingers stroked her sister's clit. Tashana was helpless under their sensual onslaught, writhing and moaning before crying out John's name as he drove her to new peaks of pleasure.

Helene gave Tashana's nipple one more hard suck, then released her to look up at John. "Can I share what she's feeling? It's so beautiful..."

He nodded to grant his permission, too focused on making Tashana squeal with his pistoning thrusts to form an articulate reply. Then he was consumed by Helene's empathic aura, waves of bliss rolling over them as they shared in the Maliri girl's ecstasy. Unnoticed by the intertwined figures on the bed, thin streaks began to appear in the sinister black bed frame. They fanned outwards from the undulating bodies in the centre, inching across the practically indestructible metal. Each gentle kiss and loving caress sent more stark-white lines snaking across the bed, creating a spiderweb of hairline threads through the glistening onyx surface.

The lovers switched positions, with John lying down now, Irillith resting atop him in reverse cowgirl. She groaned in rapture as he parted her quivering cheeks and pushed deep into her ass, her snug anal ring sliding down inch after inch of his shaft until she'd taken everything he could give her. Tashana lay on top of her sister as Irillith lolled back across John's chest, the twins kissing sensually as her fingers matched the tempo of John's pistoning strokes. Helene focused her attention on Irillith's breasts now, while psychically sharing the Maliri's euphoria with her lovers. More jagged lines split the black metallic surface, every keening wail from Irillith marking her climax as well as the next fissure rippling across the frame.

By the time they'd shifted position again, with Irillith lapping at John's taut quad as her sister deep-throated him in a sixty-nine, more of the bed frame was white than black. Helene alternated between kissing John and licking Tashana's sopping pussy, making the twin convulse with pleasure. John's hips rolled up again and again as he tried to push his cock deeper, but he was already buried to the hilt inside the Maliri's throat. Irillith leaned forward to kiss Tashana's widely stretched lips, their tongues lapping both sides of his shaft in perfect synchronisation.

It was all too much stimulation for John and he exploded down Tashana's throat, his hands cupping her head as he allowed her to pull back to taste him but not withdraw completely. Both twins reacted with delirium the first time he pumped a huge mouthful into Tashana, their eyes rolling back as John ballooned out her cheeks with his load. She had just enough presence of mind to quickly swallow it down, before his cock surged again, filling her mouth for a second time.