Three Square Meals Ch. 130

*I know Nyrelle is looking forward to pushing her boundaries with you,* Edraele said in agreement. *When the rest of the Young Matriarchs see how pleasurable it can be, I think you'll find them only too eager to experience it for themselves.*

*You've already taken their other virginities... why not reward them for giving you the trifecta?* Alyssa urged him.

Jade chose that moment to chime in too. *My sisters are also curious why you haven't taken them that way yet. I can assure you they'll be very willing participants...*

John couldn't help groaning at the thought of all those gorgeous posteriors ready to be plundered.

Caressing his thickening shaft, Rachel gave him a coy smile. "Are your matriarchs whispering naughty things in your ear?"

Dana giggled at his guilty expression. "You're totally thinking about breaking in the Young Matriarchs' asses, aren't you?"

"I was... until Jade told me her sisters are ready and willing," John admitted, closing his eyes as he savoured Rachel's delicate touch.

"Oh, you should totally do the catgirls!" the redhead gushed, nodding encouragingly. "They're going to love it!"

*I hate to interrupt this fascinating conversation, but breakfast is nearly ready,* Alyssa informed him, sounding genuinely apologetic.

*We'll be right there,* John replied, sharing a smile with Dana and Rachel.

The three of them quickly finished washing, then made thorough use of the auto-driers before heading to the wardrobe on the opposite side of the Observatory. John decided to go casual, picking out a t-shirt and combat trousers. The girls were still slipping on their clothes by the time he'd finished dressing, so he paused to openly admire their stunning figures, watching them pose for him when they noticed. Once they were all dressed, they left the Observatory and crossed the bridge over the Lagoon.

Slipping his hand into Dana's, John asked, "Have you had a chance to examine Larn'kelnar's sceptre?"

She nodded, turning to look at him with big innocent eyes. "It's got a hard shaft and is twelve inches long."

Rachel giggled and John couldn't help laughing. "Sparks!"

Dana bumped hips with him and grinned. "Sorry, I couldn't resist that one. Yeah, I studied it last night, after you went to see Calara. The first thing I noticed was that the rod is covered in progenitor runes for power amplification, so I think he was using it like a... focusing device."

"That makes sense," John said, looking thoughtful. "I've got the same runes inscribed on my sword."

"I also had a look at the sceptre under an atomic scanner. Its structure is far denser than the metal samples I took from the shattered bed, so there must be a difference in the way they're forged."

"The black psychic aura radiating from the sample was also much stronger," Rachel added, her expression turning bleak. "I'm pretty sure I won't want to know why that is..."

Dana looked at him with trepidation. "I don't think we're going to get any more answers until I can take a look at a Soul Forge. If I get a flash of the schematics, I'll be able to tell you exactly what it does to the metal."

"Let's hope it's still standing on Kythshara then," John said, nodding his understanding.

"Yeah... because we're kinda screwed if it isn't," Dana admitted, looking worried.

Rachel darted a surprised glance at her girlfriend. "I thought you were being optimistic about finding everything in working order?"

"I am... I just hate not being able to figure out what makes the black metal so resilient," the redhead growled in irritation. "It's so frustrating... until I can develop some kind of alternative material that's just as tough, we're locked out from all the coolest tech."

"Actually, there is one other way we can get our hands on those schematics," John said quietly. "If I can defeat my guide, we'll unlock everything the Progenitors know... then there won't be any more secrets."

"Okay, go kick his butt then!" Dana said, giving him an enthusiastic grin.

"I plan to," he replied as they stepped into the grav-tube.

She looked at him in surprise. "What? Today?!"

Shaking his head, he gave her a rueful smile. "Not while Jack's here. I've got some preparations to make, then I plan to confront my guide when we return to Genthalas."

"Awesome... that's not long!" Dana exclaimed, her eyes alight with anticipation. "The first thing I'm going to build is a Wormhole Generator! Plus the Invictus has got to have a Progenitor Shield Generator... and we need to upgrade her engines and thrusters asap! Oh, and the Heavy Cannons suck, so I've got to upgrade them to Quantum Flux Cannons... and while we're at it, we should totally strap a Quantum Annihilator to the topdeck..."

While the Grand Engineering Overlord listed all the devices she was eagerly looking forward to building, Rachel was studying John intently. "What kind of preparations?"

"Jade's been helping me to trust my instincts more..." he replied, trying not to sound too evasive. He led the two girls out of the grav-field on Deck Two. "I think it'll really help if it comes down to a psychic duel between me and my guide."

"You need every advantage you can get," Rachel agreed, her sharp eyes watching him curiously.

He darted a glance at the brunette, but she had already turned away, looking lost in thought.

They entered the Officers' Lounge and saw that Jack had already arrived and was sitting on the sofa with Sakura. They were watching TFNN, which showed the latest updates on the Kintark war crimes tribunal. Sakura leaned over to tell Jack that John had arrived, then rose from her seat to greet him.

"That was good timing," she said with a warm smile. "Calara just informed us that breakfast was nearly ready."

John's stomach grumbled in anticipation, provoking laughter from the girls.

Sakura patted his stomach affectionately. "I'll go and set the table."

"We'll help," Rachel volunteered, dragging Dana with her. She smiled at Calara's father. "Good morning!"

"Hey!" the redhead said cheerfully, waving as she passed. "Calara's cooking is awesome, you're in for a treat!"

"Good morning, ladies," he replied, acknowledging them with a polite nod.

John joined his guest on the sofas. "I hope you slept well, Jack."

"I slept like a log," his future father-in-law replied, looking self-conscious. "That was the best night's sleep I've had all week."

"I'm glad you were comfortable," John said, surprised but pleased. "After everything we told you, I thought you might be up all night worrying."

"You certainly gave me a lot to think about," Jack said with a wry smile. "But I was out like a light as soon as my head hit the pillow."

John looked at him with sympathy. "You must have had a lot of sleepless nights recently. The lack of sleep probably caught up with you."

Jack hesitated, then shook his head. "I don't think that was it." He paused, then corrected himself. "I actually haven't been sleeping well recently... what with worrying about the Kirrix invasion, then Maria being attacked... but I didn't pass out from exhaustion."

Listening with interest, John waited patiently for him to elaborate.

"I felt... safe..." Jack said, clearly troubled by that admission. "Being here on this ship, I felt safer than I have in years." He shot John a pensive frown. "My daughter's waging a war I can barely even comprehend and I should be horrified that Calara's involved... but I just feel glad that she's fighting at your side. Does that make me a bad father?"

Rather than reflexively replying in the negative, John seriously considered the question. "I think it comes down to trust. We showed you video footage of Calara achieving spectacular victories against impossible odds and I think you've come to realise just how truly remarkable she is. You trust your daughter... and with very good reason; there isn't anyone else in the Terran Federation that comes close to her tactical and strategic genius. Who wouldn't feel reassured that the best of the best is protecting them?"

"Watching her in action... it was breathtaking," Jack murmured, his expression filled with wonder. "I saw hints of her brilliance in the public videos that High Command released, but to see my little girl assuming command of the entire Terran Federation defence force..." His voice caught and he swallowed thickly.

"Calara's a credit to you and Maria," John said, patting him on the shoulder. "Do I think you're a bad father? Never in a million years. You have a wonderful daughter and three fine sons; I just hope that one day I can do half as good a job as you've done raising your kids."

Jack looked grateful and moved by John's sincerity. "Thank you... but I think Maria deserves most of the credit. She was always there for them when I was called away, serving on the Damocles for months at a time."

"They understood you were doing your duty," John disagreed. "All your children respect you... and you earned that by being a great father when you were home. Calara talks about you in glowing terms and it's easy to see that her brothers feel the same way. Trust me... I know what it's like to have a bad father."

Surprised by the sudden bitterness in John's voice, Jack looked at him with concern. "Maria mentioned that you were an orphan?"

"Yeah... I am," John muttered, clenching his fist.

"Breakfast is ready!" Alyssa announced, her breezy voice cutting through the moment of awkward silence.

John shrugged off his dark mood and looked at Jack with sincere regret. "I just wanted to say... I'm so sorry for what happened to Maria. If there was anything I could've done to prevent the attack, please believe me that I would have done it. I can't help feeling responsible for her being in danger; if we'd kept Calara's identity as a Lioness secret, this never would've happened."

Startled by the abrupt shift in conversation topic, Jack shook his head. "That wasn't your fault. Calara told her mother all about Devereux springing the Lion title on you and turning the medal ceremony into a huge PR exercise. I've heard the speeches you gave those crowds; you were just trying to raise their morale, not flaunt your victories for personal gain. I don't blame you for what happened and neither does my wife."

Breathing out a sigh of relief, John finally smiled. "I'm really glad you both feel that way."

Calara walked over to join them. "Is everything okay?"

"Everything's fine," Jack replied, hugging his daughter. "Mmm, something smells good."

"Feel free to get stuck in," she said, gesturing towards the table with a grin.

Jack walked over to the dining table, joining the girls in taking a seat. "This looks incredible, Callie..."

Turning to glance at John she whispered, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm good," he replied, greeting her with a kiss.

They walked over to the table that was covered in food, from pancakes, waffles, to everything needed for a traditional cooked breakfast. The normal seating order had been abandoned to accommodate their guests, except for Alyssa and Calara sitting to the right and left of John at the head of the table.

"Eat it while it's hot," Calara said, spearing a sausage and adding it to her plate.

Everyone was present from the crew except the Nymphs and the Maliri twins, but their last two guests were also late getting up.

John glanced at the two empty spaces mid-way down the table. "Did anyone tell Emily and Mateo that breakfast was ready?"

Alyssa nodded, pausing with a hash brown half-way to her mouth. "I asked the twins to give them a wake-up call. They're on their way."

He had just finished serving himself when the young couple hurried through the door looking flustered.

"Sorry we're late," Emily apologised. "We overslept."

"We didn't get much sleep last night," Mateo explained, before wincing at how that sounded.

Emily blushed furiously at the knowing looks from the girls. "We were just talking!"

Sakura took sympathy on the blonde and patted the chair beside her. "I saved you a spot, Emily. Help yourself to food... can I get you a drink?"

"Some orange juice would be lovely, thank you," she replied with a grateful smile.

As Mateo sat down, he looked quizzically at his host. "John, is the Invictus suffering from any structural instability?"

"No... or at least it shouldn't be," John replied. "We repaired the hull only a couple of days ago."

"Oh..." Mateo murmured with a frown.

"Why do you ask?"

"Late last night, we felt a... shipquake... two of them in fact," he explained, glancing at his girlfriend, who nodded in confirmation.

Calara smirked at her brother. "Two? Very impressive, Mateo... but I thought you were just up talking?"

Mateo rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to dignify that with a reply."

"I didn't notice anything," Jack interjected. "But I slept like the dead last night."

"Actually, what you felt was gravitational stress on the hull," Alyssa explained to Mateo, with an indulgent smile. "We were executing a slingshot manoeuvre inside a star's gravity well and it shakes things up a bit until harmonic resonance from a hyper-warp bow wave nullifies the gravitation pull."

"Inside the gravity well?!" Mateo blurted out, looking stunned.

She winked at him. "Head up to the Bridge later and I'll show you."

Everyone dug into breakfast, conversation coming to a temporary lull as they enjoyed their meal.

When John had finished, he got up to pour himself a coffee, and leaned down to kiss Calara on the cheek. "That was fantastic, honey. I couldn't have cooked that any better myself."

"The pancakes were delicious," Jack agreed, leaning back and patting his stomach with a contented sigh. "Don't tell your mother, but I prefer yours."

Calara beamed at them in delight. "I'm so glad you enjoyed it!"

"Coffee, Jack?" John asked, holding up the coffee pot.

"Yes please."

After serving Calara's father, John poured out coffee for anyone else who asked for it.

He returned to his seat and looked around the table. "So, what are you girls up to today?"

Calara spoke up first. "I thought I'd give my dad a tour of the Invictus, as long as that's alright by you?"

"Of course," he replied, giving her an indulgent smile.

"Could I join you?" Mateo requested, looking hopefully at his sister.

"The more the merrier," Calara readily agreed. "Emily, would you like to come along too?"

The blonde hesitated before answering, "I was hoping to see more of the Nymphs this morning. Are they coming for breakfast?"

"John fed them when we woke up," Sakura explained, keeping her expression neutral. "Jade wanted to get an early start; she's teaching her sisters how to improve their shape-shifting."

"I heard Nymphs could shape-shift... into their master's perfect woman," Emily said, darting a curious glance at John before focusing on the brunette again. "Is there any chance I could watch them practice? I'd love to see them transforming into different people."

"I don't think it's people they're changing into..." Jack said with a shudder.

Sakura glanced at John for his permission and when he granted it with a nod, she smiled at the blonde. "I'll take you to see the Nymphs after breakfast."

"Oh, thank you!" Emily gushed, looking thrilled.

"I'll come with you," Helene said, smiling at the thought. "It feels like ages since I had a good swim."

Mateo looked surprised. "You have a pool? How big is it?"

"It's a decent size," Calara replied, her brown eyes twinkling. "We'll finish the tour there, then you can have a splash around if you want."

"Sounds like fun," he said enthusiastically. "I brought some swimming shorts in my kit bag."

"I'll be up on the Command Deck," Alyssa said, when John looked her way. "I've got plenty of financial work to keep me occupied, then I'll be making course corrections when we get closer to the Core Worlds."

"I'm going to wrap up that robotics project with Rachel and Irillith," Dana said, grinning at John. "It won't take us long to finish. Do you want to head down to my Workshop after breakfast?"

"Definitely," he agreed, wondering how Little One was going to react to her new body. "I can help you with the present while I'm there too."

She nodded eagerly. "Awesome! I threw together some schematics last night, so you can start shaping whenever you're ready."

John finished his coffee, then started clearing the table. When Calara got up to help, he shooed her away. "You made breakfast for everyone. Go and enjoy some time with your family."

She turned to grin at her father and brother. "The Invictus tour is about to depart. Please keep your arms and legs inside the carriage at all times."

Mateo laughed as he joined his sister. "Do you remember when we went to that Safari Park for your 8th birthday?"

"Oh yeah!" Calara replied with a giggle. "Eduardo jumped out of the car and nearly got eaten by a scimitar cat!"

Jack groaned and shook his head. "I still don't know how he managed to disable the child locks. If Dylan hadn't managed to grab him in time, Eduardo really would've tried to stroke that beast. I think he nearly gave Maria a heart attack."

The three left the Officers' Lounge together, fondly recalling the Fernandez family vacations. Emily and Sakura followed them out, with the blonde asking her guide a flurry of questions about the Nymphs as they headed to the Lagoon. John watched their guests depart, then glanced at the girls accompanying him, seeing wistful looks on Alyssa's and Dana's faces. Rachel appeared equally moved, but there was a sadness in her grey eyes rather than longing.

"We'll have that one day... all our children reminiscing together," he said, slipping his arms around the brunette from behind and gently stroking her stomach. "You're going to be a great mother, Rachel, just like Catherine was."

The two Karron girls turned to embrace her, turning it into a group hug.

"Do you reckon our kids are all going to be best friends too?" Dana asked, looking at him with her big blue eyes.

"I guarantee it," John said with conviction. "With you three as their mothers, how can they not turn out to be amazing kids? They're going to love spending time together."

The three girls shared blissful smiles with each other.

"They're going to be nauseatingly happy, aren't they?" Rachel asked, leaning back against him. "With all of us watching over them, they're practically guaranteed an idyllic childhood."

He heard the hint of worry in Rachel's voice, her words actually a desperate plea for reassurance about the future. "There's no doubt about it," John said, beckoning Helene over to join them. "With a powerful empath on standby, there won't even be any squabbling."

The Terran teenagers welcomed Helene into their arms, kissing her affectionately.

"This is the first time I've thought about what it's really going to be like raising our children together," Alyssa said, a look of wonder in her eyes. "Our kids aren't going to have any worries or insecurities, because I'll be able to find out exactly what's bothering them, then Rachel and Helene can help them get through it."

Dana looked at him in admiration. "You really knew what you were doing when you enhanced everyone."

"We would've been fine even without psychic powers," John said, caressing the redhead. "The most important quality in a parent is that you love your children... and you girls are the most loving people I've ever met."

They let out a collective sigh of contentment, the quartet radiating happiness.

John smiled at them affectionately. "Come on, we can't stand around here hugging all day. I'll tidy up and meet you down in Engineering."

The Terran girls departed after kissing him goodbye, but Helene lingered behind. "I'm not doing anything important, I'd like to help."

"Thanks, honey," he said gratefully, before collecting up the plates.