Three Square Meals Ch. 131

"Oh, I understand completely," Lina said, sipping her drink. "And I'm intrigued to know more."

"I guess we're having this conversation now then," John said, trying not to grimace as he took a big gulp from his drink.

Lina raised an eyebrow at his pensive tone. "It sounds like you don't approve, John?" she asked, unable to avoid sounding a little hurt. "Don't you want me to become a Lioness?"

Putting his glass down, he faced her directly. "Please don't be offended, Lina; it's nothing personal. The problem is that we've only recruited two 'Secret Lionesses' and there's been... unforeseen complications... in both cases."

"Complications?" Charles asked with concern as he clasped Lynette's hand. "What do you mean?"

John wrung his hands together, unsure how to reply.

Alyssa ran her hand over John's shoulder, then met Charles' worried gaze. "Don't be alarmed. We're a bit worried about Jehanna, but everything worked out pretty much perfectly with Lynette. She loves her new life with you and couldn't be happier."

"It's true," Lynette agreed, squeezing her fiancé's hand. "I feel like I have everything I ever dreamed of."

Charles threw a pointed glance in Lina's direction. "Not quite everything..."

The stunning brunette blushed and shook her head. "I never imagined being involved in that kind of relationship before, but I know you're attracted to Lina... and I freely admit that I am too. I just know in my heart that all our lives will be hugely improved with the three of us being together."

John leaned forward, focusing on the Fleet Admiral. "Why? How would this make your life better?"

Lynette took a deep breath and replied earnestly, "We all stand to gain so much!" She took the redhead's hand in hers and continued, "If Lina becomes a Lioness, you'll be able to restore her youth and she'll be able to have the family that she sacrificed for her career. Then there's the obvious health benefits Lina will gain from reversing decades of ageing, ending up with an incredibly athletic young body."

He waited patiently for Lynette to tell him how she would benefit from this arrangement, but before she got to that, Lina suddenly interrupted.

"That all sounds very tempting, particularly the part about being transformed into a nubile young temptress," the redhead noted, a coy smile teasing her lips. Her flirtatious expression faded and she studied John intently. "But there are downsides to becoming a Lioness, aren't there? Lynette dropped a few hints, but she hasn't told me any details."

"Not so much downsides," Alyssa interjected. "More like... eccentricities."

John frowned as he listened to Alyssa's reply, then shook his head. "We can't talk about this and beat around the bush. You need to have a frank discussion with Lina and tell her the specifics." He rose from his seat and made eye contact with Charles. "Join me in my Ready Room? There's a few things we need to discuss too."

Lynette gazed up at him with concern. "John?"

He paused and looked back at her. "Either we call this off entirely, or I tell Charles the truth about everything. Which do you want?"

She nibbled at her lip, her exquisitely beautiful face twisted with worry. John waited patiently for the conflicted young woman to make up her mind, until those enchanting hazel eyes met his and she gave him an almost imperceptible nod.

***

Calara led Jehanna down the steps to the Lagoon, then across the beach to the wicker sofas that looked out across the beach. A couple of tall drinks were ready and waiting for them on the table beside the chairs, moisture beading the surface of the glass in the steamy tropical heat.

"Virgin?" Calara asked, handing one of the fruit cocktails to Jehanna.

Startled out of her reverie, Jehanna looked at her in surprise. "What?"

"The Mojito," the Latina explained with a smile as they sat down. "These don't have alcohol in them, but I can fix that if you'd prefer a real drink?"

Reaching behind the sofa, Calara brandished a bottle of rum, her smile broadening into a grin.

Jehanna laughed and held out her glass. "Oh, definitely!"

After Calara added a splash of booze to both glasses, Jehanna took a long sip, then sighed with satisfaction. "God, I needed that..."

Calara gave her a look filled with sympathy. "Yes, I can imagine. Alyssa told me what happened between you and your parents."

Shoulders slumping, Jehanna bit her lip as she fought back tears. "I can't believe it all went so wrong so fast. I can normally talk my way out of any crisis, but I just froze. It was like watching a slow-motion car crash that I couldn't do anything to prevent."

"When I'm around my parents, I usually find myself getting tongue-tied as well," Calara said, reaching out to clasp the reporter's hand and give it a supportive squeeze. "I think I regress back to being a little girl every time I see them."

Jehanna nodded forlornly as she put down her glass. "Being outed as a Lioness had me on the back foot, then when my father showed me the video of John kissing you, I just didn't know what to say." She leaned forward and put her face in her hands. "Then I made it a million times worse by blowing up at my mom... I can't believe I admitted that I was sleeping with you as well as John! What the hell was I thinking?!"

"It was a very stressful situation and you just reacted to the pressure," Calara said, sipping her drink. "Don't blame yourself; I did exactly the same thing with my father."

"Oh no!" Jehanna said, her face falling. "Are you having problems with your parents too?"

Calara blushed and slowly shook her head. "Ah... no, nothing like that."

"So what did happen?" Jehanna pressed, seeing how uncomfortable the beautiful brunette had become.

With a sigh of resignation, Calara explained, "For the last six months I've been keeping secrets from my parents because I was worried they'd be disappointed in me and wouldn't understand. I finally told my father the truth about everything yesterday."

Jehanna's eyes widened in astonishment. "Everything?"

"Everything," Calara confirmed with a nod. "We talked about John sleeping with all of the Lionesses, me going through the Change, my psychic powers, the Progenitor War... all of it."

Wincing as she pictured herself in that nightmarish conversation, Jehanna looked at her with sympathy. "I can't even imagine talking to my parents about all that. Was it bad?"

"There were a few tense moments at first," the Latina replied hesitantly. "Then my father accepted me for who I'd become... and said how proud he was of me. It brought us closer together than we've ever been before."

Jehanna looked at her in surprise, then swallowed around the lump in her throat. "That must have been wonderful..."

"It really was," Calara agreed, putting her drink down and wrapping her arms around the forlorn young woman. "But I didn't tell you that to rub my happiness in your face. I spent months worrying about how my parents would react, but when I finally told them the truth they were both incredibly supportive. At the moment, your parents are operating on assumptions and misinformation; I'm sure we'll be able to find a way to explain the situation to them that they can accept."

"You don't know what my parents are like..." Jehanna muttered, shaking her head.

"Yes, but you do," the Latina countered, stroking her back. "I hope you also know that John won't rest until he helps you repair your relationship with them. The rest of us will also support you in any way we can."

"You can count on that!" Irillith declared, as she strode into the Lagoon with her sister at her side.

"Jehanna!" Tashana exclaimed, hurrying down the steps to their guest. "We were so worried about you!"

"I'm alright..." The Indian girl brushed the unshed tears from her dark brown eyes and rose from her seat to greet the Maliri twins with a strained smile. "I really missed you both."

Tashana wrapped her up in a tight hug, looking down at the smaller woman with concern. "You poor thing... first the attack on Olympus, then falling out with your parents! I'm so sorry we weren't there for you."

Before Jehanna could reply, she was hugged from behind by Irillith.

"But we're here now," the Maliri hacker said, soft blue lips kissing her cheek. "We'll look after you."

Tashana nodded, looking down into Jehanna's eyes. "Don't worry... Baen'thelas will fix everything."

Irillith slipped a hand inside the reporter's blouse and gently caressed her trim brown stomach. "You'll feel so much better when he gives you a full tummy."

Jehanna was intimately aware that she was sandwiched between two impressive sets of breasts, the twins pressing their ample busts into her back and chest. Her gaze was drawn inextricably to Tashana's spectacular cleavage and she blushed as she admired the alluring expanse of soft blue flesh.

"Would you like some cheering up now?" Tashana offered, her violet eyes twinkling.

Calara laughed and shook her head. "Do you two mind? We were in the middle of an important conversation."

Irillith raised an eyebrow. "You haven't persuaded her to join us yet?"

"John told us not to pressure her, remember?" Calara replied, wagging a finger.

Jehanna gave them all a look of regret. "Actually, that's all I've been thinking about since you left. I feel so torn between my life here with my career and family... and leaving everything behind to be with all of you."

"I understand," Calara said, before gesturing to the sofa again. "Perhaps talking about it might help?"

Irillith darted over to sit down first, taking a seat in the corner of the L-shaped sofa. She slid her long dress half-way up her sleek thighs, then parted her legs and patted the space between them. "Sit here, in front of me. I'll give you a nice relaxing massage while you chat with Calara."

"Okay," Jehanna replied, smiling shyly as she sat with her back to the Maliri. "Thank you."

Tashana knelt in front of her, then slipped off Jehanna's high heels. "We'll give you a nice relaxing massage," she corrected her sister.

Jehanna could only groan in bliss as one set of nimble blue fingers began to knead out the tension in her shoulders, while the other eased the soreness in her feet.

Calara watched in amusement as the dusky-hued beauty melted under their combined efforts. "Ladies... I'm not sure this is helping our discussion. I doubt our guest could tell me her name right now."

"Please accept our most sincere apologies," Tashana said, not looking remotely sincere as she shared a grin with her sister.

They ended their brief massage, letting a flustered Jehanna rest her head back against Irillith's pert bosom.

"That felt amazing..." Jehanna murmured, smiling at the twins in gratitude.

Irillith gently stroked her hair and whispered in her ear, "We can continue whenever you like. For now, just relax and listen to what Calara has to say..."

Calara held Jehanna's hand and waited until she had the reporter's full attention. "We promised John that we wouldn't pressure you to join him... but I think the reason you're finding this choice so difficult, is because you don't really know what a new life with us would be like."

"You've never even visited Maliri Space, let alone seen our homeworld," Tashana said with a sympathetic smile. "How can you make an informed decision without seeing your future home?"

"Valaden's a beautiful planet," Irillith murmured, her hand slipping down to caress Jehanna's stomach. "Why not see for yourself if it's somewhere you'd like to raise a family?"

Jehanna's eyes snapped open and she looked at the twins in surprise. "Really? I could come with you to the Maliri Protectorate?!"

Irillith gave her a wry smile. "I think we might be able to persuade the Queen to roll out the red carpet."

"It would be an exciting time to visit," Tashana added, a playful sparkle in her angular eyes. "You'd be witnessing history in the making..."

Hedonistic delights temporarily forgotten, Jehanna leaned forward, her professional curiosity piqued. "Why? What are you referring to?"

"A lot's happened in the last couple of weeks... the scale of the conflict has expanded exponentially," Calara explained, finishing off her drink and putting down her glass. "We'll soon be embarking on the Progenitor War and our base of operations will be Genthalas, not Olympus Shipyard. The Terran fleets have been decimated after the Kintark invasion... and the Federation is just not equipped to fight a Thrall force."

Tashana stroked the captivated reporter's thigh to get her attention. "If you truly wish to chronicle the events that will shape our galaxy, Baen'thelas should be the focus of your attention, not High Command."

Calara nodded and made eye contact with Jehanna. "Let me bring you up to speed..."

***

Fleet Admiral Devereux had done her best to keep the Invictus' presence at Olympus under wraps, but news of their arrival spread like wildfire throughout the shipyard. Within minutes of Rachel and Sakura departing the docking bay, crowds of personnel lined the corridors of Olympus, all eager to catch a glimpse of two of the legendary Lionesses. The Angel of Terra and the Saviour of Unity City were greeted with an unending round of applause, the jubilant cheers reverberating down the sweeping passageways and drawing in more curious onlookers.

Despite her concern for her father, Rachel managed to beam at the crowds and gave them a friendly wave. *If you told me that my life would be like this six months ago, I would've laughed and thought you were crazy.*

Sakura's cautious gaze swept along the throng of people, wary for any threats. She smiled as Alyssa telepathically relayed the brunette's message. *If you tried to tell me anything six months ago, Shinatobe would've gutted you like a fish.*

Rachel kept the smile plastered on her face, but flicked a troubled glance at the assassin. *I'm sorry... this was thoughtless of me.*

*What was?* the Asian girl asked in confusion.

*Bringing you with me to a cryo-stasis facility. I should've known it would stir up bad memories...* Rachel said with concern.

Relaxing her vigilant watch for a moment, Sakura laughed and patted her friend on the shoulder. *Don't worry, I'm fine. I hadn't even made that connection until you mentioned your life six months ago and it got me thinking about my own. Shinatobe is long gone... melted down into a dagger and impaled in Mikaboshi's brain. They're both part of my past and I'm concentrating on the future.*

Rachel studied her intently, surprised and pleased to see that her friend was sincere. She knew that the deadly confrontation with Mikaboshi had given Sakura closure, but she also knew that despite her positive new outlook, the former-assassin was bothered by something. The perceptive young doctor had a very good idea what that might be.

*Sakura, if you ever want to talk about... what John asked you to do... then I'm here for you,* Rachel said quietly, trying to keep the pained frown from her face.

*Nope, I'm not telling her that, Rachel,* Alyssa announced, abruptly ending the telepathic communication. *It was a nice sentiment, but now's not the time or place. You're welcome to speak to her about it in private on board the Invictus... but please tread very carefully if you do. Sakura's bearing a heavy burden for all of us... and she's doing it for John.*

While Rachel felt pleased that she'd been able to accurately deduce what had transpired between John and Sakura, she couldn't help feeling overwhelmed with sympathy for her friend. It was all she could do to keep walking towards her destination and wave at the oblivious crowd, while trying not to dwell on those dreadful thoughts.

***

John strode into his Ready Room and gestured towards the quadrangle of sofas. "Take a seat, Charles."

The admiral watched his old friend as he sat down, never having seen John this agitated before. "Okay, let's hear it. What's the big secret?"

Knocking back his drink in one shot, John placed the empty glass on the table. "Right. You already know that we're facing dozens of Progenitors and that I'm one of them as well?"

Charles nodded in confirmation.

"Well, there are a few differences between us. My father genetically engineered me to be a... Progenitor killer... for want of a better term. He wants me to hunt down and exterminate every last Progenitor in the galaxy."

Charles let out a low whistle and shook his head. "Damn... and I thought my father had high expectations."

John snorted his agreement. "Yeah... thanks, Dad," he muttered, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Frowning in confusion, Charles asked, "What does that have to do with Lynette?"

"I was just getting to that part," John replied, fidgeting with the empty glass. "Progenitors enslave huge numbers of genetically-enhanced alien women... enthralling them by the millions to fight in their armies. Progenitors don't give a shit about the welfare of those thralls and use them like disposable pawns in vast galactic wars. All Progenitors draw psychic energy from the women they're connected to; It makes them stronger and gives them incredible powers."

Charles' eyes widened as he made the connection. "Your Lionesses..."

"Yes... they're basically my thralls."

His friend stared at him in shock, lost for words.

John rose from his chair and walked over to the window. "I've never treated them that way though. I haven't enslaved my girls; they're independent and have free will... and actually seem to take delight in flouting my orders. They're also incredibly bright and exceptionally gifted, even more so after going through the Change... and I love them all very much."

"What about Lynette?" Charles pressed, his eyes narrowing.

"I want her to be happy and have a good life, but she's just a friend... that's all." John stared out through the broad window at the ships circling Olympus Shipyard, but his mind was elsewhere. "All I wanted to do was give Lynette her youth back... as a gift for everything she went through with Buckingham. The Change greatly enhances a Terran woman, making her stronger, faster, and fitter, giving her the perfect physique of a Thrall soldier. I thought I could just give Lynette the physical benefits without any of the side-effects... but I was wrong."

"Side effects?" his friend asked in a hushed voice. "What do you mean?"

John returned to his seat and looked Charles in the eyes. "You must be aware of them by now. The girls become more submissive in bed... and even if they were absolutely straight beforehand, they'll be attracted to other women. They also develop quite the obsession with oral sex."

Charles couldn't help blushing and coughed awkwardly. "Alright... I know what you're talking about."

"Yes, but it's not just an obsession," John continued. "The Change increases their lung capacity so they don't have to breathe for at least five minutes. They're basically enhanced so that they can give the perfect blowjob."

The older officer reddened further. "John... why are you telling me this?"

John grimaced, feeling incredibly uncomfortable discussing this with Charles. "Because... that's how they go through the Change."

Charles gaped at him, a rapid flurry of emotions crossing his face as everything clicked into place. Suddenly he understood why his fiancée had been so reluctant to discuss exactly what the Change entailed.

"But you told me you hadn't slept with her!" he protested, wounded by their deception. "She swore that nothing ever happened between you two!"

"Because that's the honest truth, Charles," John said quietly. "Do you remember Jade? My Nymph? She can hollow herself out and basically turn her body into a flask. I slept with Jade and then she... fed... Lynette. It's not the act that's important, but the end result... that the girl swallows... and ends up with it in her stomach. That's what establishes a psychic connection between the two of us and also makes a woman's body go through the Change."