Three Square Meals Ch. 130

"I better go along and keep Sparks out of mischief," Alyssa said, with an exaggerated sigh. She glanced at Sakura, who nodded obediently and bounded after Rachel.

The Karron girls waved goodbye and departed with the captain, leaving John alone with Calara and her mother.

Maria looked at John with a twinkle in her eyes. "Permission to come aboard, Admiral?"

"Permission granted," he replied, offering her his arm.

Calara took the lead and strode through the airlock, with John and Maria following close behind. "I can't wait to show you around, mom," the Latina said, grinning with anticipation. "Dad and Mateo both wanted to join the crew after I gave them a tour!"

"I'd love to see where you live," Maria agreed, glancing up at John and studying him curiously.

As soon as they'd cleared the outer airlock, Maria reached over to tap the button to close the reinforced door.

"Now we have a sealed bulkhead between us and my husband, are you going to say hello to me properly?" Maria asked, raising an eyebrow.

John coughed in embarrassment. "I'm sorry, Maria... I wasn't sure what would be appropriate."

"I seem to recall straddling your lap in my home," she said with a coy smile. "I think it's fair to say that you're allowed a fair degree of latitude."

Calara rolled her eyes. "Mom! Are you going to flirt with him the entire time?"

"Shush, darling daughter," Maria replied. "I'm interested to hear why your fiancé is refusing to give his future mother-in-law a hug."

John opened his arms and carefully enveloped her in a warm embrace. "I'm so sorry you were attacked, Maria," he said quietly in her ear. "It was all my fault you were in danger; I should have kept Calara's identity a secret so you wouldn't be a target."

She pulled back, a look of sympathy in her eyes. "It wasn't your fault, John... please don't blame yourself."

He shook his head. "I always knew someone might target you. I warned Lynette to keep you safe, but we should have done much more to protect you... fortified your home at least. I never would've forgiven myself if you'd been badly hurt... or worse."

"Lynette... Devereux? You warned the Fleet Admiral she had to protect me?!" Maria asked, looking shocked. "So that's why the Epiphron was in orbit?"

Calara gave her a wry smile. "John told Lynette that if anything happened to you, he'd replace all the admirals in High Command with secret Lionesses. That was before she joined us though; now Lynette would love it if he did that, it would make running the Terran Federation so much easier."

Maria gaped at them both, for once completely lost for words.

"A lot's happened since we saw you last," John said, averting his eyes from her perceptive gaze.

Calara nodded her agreement. "I know I promised to keep you updated, mom... but these aren't the kind of things we can discuss over the comms network."

"Will you tell me now?" Maria asked, studying John's pensive expression.

"Can we introduce you to the rest of the crew first?" Calara requested, gesturing towards the grav-tube. "They're all eager to meet you."

Maria smiled and nodded. "Of course, I wouldn't want to keep them waiting."

They approached the blue anti-gravity field, which Maria stared at in fascination. She didn't need much coaxing to step inside, then gasped as she floated off the ground and into the air.

"It beats waiting for an elevator," John said, smiling at her reaction.

She laughed, a look of joy on her face. "It feels like I'm flying!"

"The grav-tubes were one of Dana's inventions," he explained. "She got the idea from the Ashanath; they use something similar in their ships, but theirs is a simpler design."

"Amazing..." Maria said, following them out into the Deck Three corridor.

They walked up to the double doors at the end of the corridor, with Calara bounding ahead, an eager grin on her face. "If you thought that was good, wait until you see this!"

She tapped the button and the doors opened, revealing the leafy green fronds that curved over the entrance to the Lagoon. Maria walked inside with mouth agape, her eyes like saucers as she stared at the tropical paradise within.

"Not bad, eh?" Calara said, walking inside with her arms spread wide.

"It's so beautiful..." Maria murmured in a hushed voice. "I'd never have believed you had something like this aboard the ship."

"Helene and the Nymphs love it here," John said, standing beside her.

"Nymphs plural? You mean other than Jade?" Maria asked curiously.

Calara clasped her mother's hand and gently tugged her. "Come on, they're all dying to meet you!"

They walked down the steps towards the beach, where the rest of the girls were waiting for her. The twins met them half-way down, the Maliri sisters greeting Maria with warm smiles.

"I'm so glad you're alright!" Tashana gushed, hugging their guest.

"We would've been devastated if anything happened to you," Irillith said a moment later, joining her sister in embracing Maria.

She patted the azure-skinned beauties on the back. "You're sweet to worry, but there's no need... I barely got a scratch."

"I'm still going after the vermin who dared to attack you," Irillith said, narrowing her eyes dangerously. "I'll make their lives a living hell!"

"I thought all the ISD agents were killed by the Epiphron?" Maria asked, startled by the Maliri hacker's vehemence.

John placed a hand on Maria's shoulder. "Irillith's hunting down the men who planned it."

Calara nodded, her brows furrowed in an angry scowl. "She's going to make them suffer."

"After what those traitors did to Faith and all those marines on Olympus, they deserve it," Maria said, her expression uncharacteristically grim.

When the twins released Maria from their hug, her curious gaze flicked to Helene and the quartet of catgirls standing next to Jade.

"I'm sure you remember this gorgeous girl," Calara said, walking down the last few steps with her mother.

"Hello, Maria," Jade said, smiling at her warmly as they hugged. "It's wonderful to see you again."

"Likewise, Jade," the older Latina said, giving her an affectionate squeeze. "And who is this lovely young lady?"

"This is Helene," Calara replied, clasping Helene's teal-hued hand and drawing her friend forward. "We rescued her from Brimor."

"Forgive me for saying so, but you're considerably more attractive than the Brimorians I remember," Maria noted, her curiosity piqued by the enchanting mermaid.

"My people are called the Abandoned," Helene explained. "Our ancestors were the Terran colonists that tried to settle in the Callopean Shoals."

Calara put her arm around Helene. "Those colonists were captured during the war, then the women were genetically modified by the Brimorians before being raped and impregnated. They were intent on breeding a slave race... and Helene's people were the result."

"My god..." Maria gasped, her hand going to her mouth. "That's horrific!"

"John's going to free everyone in my village," Helene said brightly, darting an adoring glance in his direction. "And the other billion Abandoned that the Brimorians have enslaved."

Maria's eyes widened in astonishment. "A billion people?!"

"That's a low estimate," Calara said bleakly. "The Abandoned have been encouraged to have huge families, with each woman giving birth to at least twenty children. Helene's from the fifth generation since the original colonists."

Her mother pulled Helene into a hug. "You poor girl. I can't even begin to imagine what you've been through."

"I lost my first baby and couldn't have any more..." Helene said quietly, closing her eyes as she leaned into the comforting embrace. "But John healed me and made me a real woman again."

Maria glanced at John, who slowly nodded in confirmation.

"I'm so happy for you," she said, sensing how much that meant to Helene. "Being a parent is a wonderful experience."

"It's obvious to see how much your husband loves Calara and Mateo," Helene said wistfully. "After seeing him with them, it makes me wish that I'd had more time with my own father."

John looked away, his emotions in turmoil. The sympathy he felt for Helene in sharp conflict with his bitter resentment towards Rahn'hagon. He lost track of the conversation as Maria consoled Helene, only picking it up again as they turned to the waiting catgirls.

Smiling at her feline companions, Jade said, "These are my sister Nymphs... Leylira, Neysa, Marika, and Betrixa."

He watched with trepidation as Jade introduced the four catgirls to Maria, wondering if any of them, particularly the mischievous cheetah Nymph, would do or say anything embarrassing. Instead they greeted Calara's mother with bright smiles and demure waves, their behaviour friendly but respectful. He was slightly unsettled to notice that despite their outwardly relaxed composure, four sets of feline eyes watched Maria's every move like a hawk, their ears twitching every time she spoke.

"You're all so beautiful," Maria murmured, studying their contrasting markings in fascination. She darted a sidelong glance at John. "I seem to recall Jade telling me that a Nymph changes shape to become their Master's perfect mate. You appear to have acquired a taste for the exotic, John..."

He flushed as she playfully teased him and stammered, "W-well.. I-I..."

Jade gave him a fond look as she intervened. "Our natural form is a petite bipedal feline, so John chose this shape for my sisters as a compromise. He wanted them to be true to their origins, while adopting the statuesque proportions of a thrall that he prefers."

"Could you show me?" Maria asked, her brown eyes alight with curiosity.

"My original form?" Jade replied, before glancing at John. "Is that okay with you, Master?"

"Sure, go ahead," he agreed, groaning inwardly as Maria's lips twitched into a smile at the Nymph's use of the honorific.

Jade slipped the dress from her shoulders, having no qualms about appearing nude before their guest. Her nubile body shifted in a verdant blur, then rapidly contracted as she adopted a much more petite figure. When the shimmering haze faded, she stood before them in her original Lenarran form, her slender body covered in a glossy coat of green fur.

"You look adorable!" Maria gushed, reaching out to stroke Jade's arm. She caught herself half-way and this time it was her turn to blush. "I can't believe I was about to pet you. I'm so sorry."

"That's quite alright," Jade replied, her elongated muzzle breaking into a smile. "Please feel free to touch me."

Maria brushed the backs of her fingers along the Nymph's arm. "You're so soft..."

Jade began to purr, responding to the gentle caress. "Unfortunately, the fur isn't very practical in the bedroom," she replied with a grin, revealing a pair of elongated canine teeth.

"Jade!" John protested over everyone's laughter.

Maria quirked an eyebrow at him. "I naturally assumed that you were sleeping with all of these lovely ladies. Is that not the case after all?"

He reddened again, not sure how to respond in his flustered state.

Calara slid an arm around John's waist and pouted at her mother. "Mom, stop tormenting him."

"I'm sorry," Maria apologised, a twinkle in her eyes. She turned back to Jade and continued, "Thank you for showing me."

Jade's body blurred and she reappeared in her normal form. "You're welcome."

As the Nymph reached for her dress, Maria asked hesitantly, "Please forgive me for asking this, but why do you look different from your sisters? You look like a Terran rather than a catgirl."

Jade picked up her discarded garment and twisted it nervously in her fingers. "Because John hasn't asked me to change..."

He looked at her in surprise. "Is that what you want? Why didn't you say something, honey?"

The Nymph's features twisted with indecision. "I want to be like my sisters... but this was the original form you chose for me and I'm very fond of it."

John traced his fingertips along her jawline. "Me too, but the change isn't permanent... unless we both really like it. Show me what you had in mind."

She nodded obediently, an excited gleam in her emerald eyes. Her form shimmered as she altered her appearance, then just as quickly she solidified into her new shape. Jade had retained her dark-green skin tone, with the viridian lines highlighting the definition of her sleek muscles, but she had added some new feline additions to her physique. The Nymph sported a couple of furry ears that pointed upwards from her thick dark mane, and a long tail now protruded from above the rounded cheeks of her ass, the sinuous appendage swaying back and forth in a bewitching pattern.

"What do you think?" she asked anxiously, waiting for his opinion.

"It's lucky I'm a cat person," John replied with an indulgent smile. "You're still you... but cuter."

Jade giggled in delight and leapt into his arms, showering him in kisses. "Oh, thank you, Master!"

He darted a pensive glance at Maria, unable to stop himself worrying how she might react to this exuberant display of affection. It was one thing to know that your daughter's fiancé was sleeping with a harem of other women, but actually seeing a nude catgirl fawning over him was something else entirely. Fortunately, he saw no sign of disapproval in Maria's eyes, her speculative gaze flicking to Calara to see how she would react.

"I'm definitely a cat person too," Calara gushed, leaning in to give the giddy Nymph a sizzling kiss. "I think you look gorgeous, Jade."

Jade gave her a big hug, then joined her sisters, who gathered around to admire her sexy new form.

"We'd love to stay and chat with you, Maria, but my sister and I have some pressing business to attend to," Irillith said, as they watched the celebrating Nymphs.

"I understand. Don't let me keep you from your work," Maria replied with a warm smile.

Tashana gave her a rueful look. "We'll come back to say goodbye before we depart though."

"I'll come with you; Alyssa wants to speak to me," Helene interjected, joining the twins.

Jade was about to pull on her dress, then held it up and frowned. "I love my tail, but now I'm going to need a whole new wardrobe." Turning to her sisters, she added, "Do any of you have something pretty you could lend me?"

Her request was met with excited chatter and offers of outfits, the catgirls all eager to help Jade find something suitable to wear. They bounded after Jade who accompanied the Maliri sisters up the steps, the group waving goodbye before they departed from the Lagoon.

"Peace at last," Calara said with a broad grin. "So what do you think, mom? They're lovely girls, aren't they?"

"They really are," Maria agreed. She glanced at John and continued in an airy tone, "How many young ladies do you have on the Invictus now?"

"Fourteen," he reluctantly admitted.

Her eyes sparkled with suppressed mirth. "That's quite an impressive number... and of course we mustn't forget the twins' mother."

"You're as bad as Alyssa for pushing his buttons," Calara said, rolling her eyes. "Now, why don't you two take a seat and John can start bringing you up to speed on everything that's happened over the last few weeks. I'll go get us some drinks... you'll need one after hearing what we've been through."

"I'm sorry for teasing you, John. I hope I didn't make you feel too uncomfortable," Maria apologised, gently touching his arm. "If I'm forgiven, I'd really like to hear all your news."

"Of course you're forgiven," he said with a cautious smile. "I just can't help bracing myself for an outburst of parental protectiveness at our living situation... which would be more than justified given the circumstances."

"What would I be protecting? My brazen daughter's rapidly diminishing sense of decorum?" Maria asked with amusement. "It appears that Calara's delighting in abandoning all propriety... and if that makes her happy, good for her."

Calara smiled and walked away to make the drinks, leaving John and her mother to sit on the wicker sofa that overlooked the beach.

John ran his fingers through his hair. "I don't even know where to begin. We've been through so much recently."

Maria nodded, studying him perceptively. "I can tell."

"You can?"

"There's so much sadness in your eyes," she said softly. Reaching out, she placed her hand on his. "What happened, John?"

He swallowed around the lump in his throat. "We lost Faye..." he replied in a hushed voice. "One moment she was there... and the next she was gone. I never even got to say goodbye."

"I'm so sorry," Maria murmured, her voice a soothing balm of sympathy and compassion. "She was such a sweet girl... so bright and full of life."

John nodded, feeling that melancholy weight hanging heavy in his chest. "We're going to get her back though... Irillith's going to rebuild Faye and she'll be as good as new."

Maria could hear the fervent hope in his voice and realised how desperately John was clinging to it. "Irillith's an exceptionally gifted woman... all your crew are. If anyone is capable of doing it, I'm sure she'll bring Faye back to you."

"Thank you," he said gratefully.

She gave him a moment to compose himself, then asked, "Were you able to rescue the border colonies? When Calara came home to Jericho, she said you were planning to launch a counter-offensive against the Kirrix?"

He gave her a self-conscious smile. "I did skip over a couple of weeks there. Yes, we managed to liberate those worlds and rescue most of the colonists... but first I better tell you about Lynette."

John went on to give Maria a summary of recent events, describing the rescue of Lynette Devereux, her promotion to Fleet Admiral and her recruitment as a secret Lioness. He then outlined the campaign against the Kirrix to liberate the besieged colonies and the confrontation with the Hive Queens that had plunged the parasitical species into civil war. Maria was an excellent listener, letting John recount his daring adventures without interruption, and only making the briefest of comments in the lulls to keep him talking. John was oblivious to the lights slowly dimming in the Lagoon as he told his tale, the torches surrounding the beach flickering to life to hold back the darkness. Nor did he notice that Calara hadn't returned, leaving him to pour his heart out to her perceptive mother.

The conversation turned to the visit to Arcadia and how thrilled he'd been to discover that his parents were still alive. Maria listened in silence as he described meeting Jessica for the first time, hearing the anguish in his voice as he described how utterly disinterested his mother had been in her long-lost son. Then he recounted the vicious ambush by Larn'kelnar that had cost Faye her life, the dreadful fight to the death with that deadly Progenitor, and the relief that had come with their hard-fought victory.

Maria smiled as John talked about finally meeting Rahn'hagon for the first time and how he'd grown to like his reclusive father. The trip into the Astral plane had her hanging on John's every word, her smile faltering when she heard how fatherly pride had transformed into bitter recriminations. John's face was a stony mask as he recalled the dreadful moment his guide had betrayed him one final time, his eyes staring blankly off into the distance as he talked about his father attempting to kill him. If he'd looked her way, he would have seen Maria's face twisted in horror at the appalling treatment he'd received from both his parents.

He talked in a dull monotone about banishing his parents from Federation territory, then his voice caught at the heartbreak the crew had suffered when they found out about Faye. The hits kept coming as he told Maria about his feelings of helplessness when he found out that the Brimorians slaughtered the Federation forces in the Callopean Shoals, then John's dread as Terran traitors attempted to assassinate his friends and extended family. John concluded his long monologue with a recap of Sarinia's brutal murders and how that had triggered the slaughter of the Maliri matriarchy, prompting his hasty return to Genthalas to avert further bloodshed.