Three Square Meals Ch. 132

Jade's emerald eyes glinted in the darkness, reflecting the light shining from her sister. "Hello again, Master."

"It's going to be a squeeze tonight," John whispered with a smile, placing Jehanna on the double bed beside the pink-hued catgirl.

Jade rolled off the covers and walked around the bed to join him. She seemed much calmer now, having regained her composure. "I'll move out of the way and let the three of you share the bed."

"Hey, I wasn't chasing you out," he protested, pulling her into a hug.

"I know," she murmured, giving him a warm smile. "But tonight is special; Jehanna decided to join the crew and you became Ailita's new master, binding them both to you permanently. You should be alone with your two newest mates."

John decided not to dispute Jehanna's status, but darted a guilty glance at the resting catgirl. "Jade, the things I said to Ailita... about using her for pleasure..."

"Were perfect," Jade said solemnly, turning him to face her. "You told Ailita exactly what she needed to hear, in a way that she could easily understand. You couldn't have handled things with her any better, Master... I promise."

He brushed his fingers through her long dark-green hair and studied the Nymph matriarch. "I know you were overwhelmed by psychic energy afterwards. Did the way I handled her really make that much difference?"

"Yes... among other things," she replied, her loving smile turning playful.

John chuckled and rolled his eyes. "Which I assume you're not going to tell me?"

"I love you very much, Master... more than I can put into words. Do you trust me? Will you let me keep this secret from you for a short time?"

Moved by her sincerity, he nodded and gazed into her eyes. "You're my perfect mate, Jade. Of course I trust you."

She quivered with delight, her smile broadening. "No matter how much I've evolved and grown, some things are still nice to hear." Jade glanced at the sleeping girls, then continued, "Thank you, on Ailita's behalf. Someday soon, she'll be able to understand just how precious this gift is that you're giving her."

Slipping out of his arms, she blew him a kiss, then padded out of the bedroom as if she was floating on a cloud. John watched her leave, glad to see how happy and contented Jade seemed to be. She seemed particularly serene and he was quite certain that there was some special significance to rescuing Ailita.

John stripped off his clothes, then climbed onto the bed between the two sleeping girls. As if drawn to him like a magnet, Ailita rolled over and draped an arm across his chest, with Jehanna mirroring her actions a moment later. He relaxed at the comforting and familiar feeling of being flanked by two nubile women, and drifted off to sleep almost as soon as his head hit the pillow.

***

Tashana stood in front of the glowing holographic map, her angular eyes flicking from side to side as she studied Kintark territory. "There!" she called out, pointing to a sweeping band of asteroids. "That'll do nicely!"

Tapping a button on the tactical overlay, Calara displayed the most pessimistic forecast of the Enclave's advance towards Kinta. "It's cutting it close. I'll ask Irillith to send the deployment order immediately, or the mining craft won't reach the asteroid belt in time."

"That's it for this sector," the Maliri smuggler murmured, her eyes roving over the map. "Move on to the next and I'll search for a nebula we can use..."

Calara nodded and shifted the focus of the holo-map. Leaving Tashana to her careful scrutiny of Kintark territory, the Latina continued updating her combat simulation, issuing Kirrix EMP missiles to the two Kintark fleets.

*Alright, I have a few minutes to chat,* Alyssa announced, the relief in her voice palpable. *Everyone's finally getting out of the way.*

The Latina leaned back in her chair and mulled over how to frame her question. The awkward silence stretched on, until Calara finally blurted out, *We should talk to John about contacting his father.*

*Even if Rahn is still sneaking around out there, that's not a good idea,* Alyssa said quietly. *You saw how angry John was earlier and that was just from talking to his mother.*

*But with Rahn'hagon's help, we could arrive in Kinta tonight!* the brunette protested. *Larn'kelnar used the dreadnought's wormhole generator to jump a Drakkar battleship deep into Ashanath territory and that ship was much larger than the Invictus.*

Alyssa let out an exasperated sigh. *There's no way in hell John would go along with that. It was only last week that Rahn punched him in the face and tried to kill him, for fuck's sake!*

Calara grimaced at that dreadful thought, but she wasn't to be deterred. *If Jessica is trying to contact us, Rahn'hagon must've had a change of heart or he wouldn't have allowed her to make the call. We know Jessica regrets abandoning John now and you've shielded her mind to stop Rahn from dominating her again; what if they're calling to apologise?*

*So what if they are? Rahn'hagon's got his own agenda and I don't trust him. Besides, John has more than enough to deal with at the moment, without dredging up all his parents' shit all over again.* She let out an exasperated sigh. *They hurt him, Calara... worse than anything he's been through so far. Even if they do apologise, I'm not sure John is ready to forgive them... at least not yet. You saw him come apart at the seams with your mother.*

*But you set that up to help John,* Calara said in confusion.

*Yes and I'm sure it did, but it's much too soon to push John into reconciling with his parents. We'll give him another few weeks to let things cool down a bit first.*

The Latina shook her head. *The Kintark don't have three days, let alone a week!*

*I'm not willing to risk John getting hurt again just to save the Kintark,* Alyssa declared, her tone defiant and uncompromising. *Don't forget, it's their own fault they're in this mess.*

*It was Baledranax that ordered the invasion, not Tamolith,* Calara corrected her. *I'm not exactly overjoyed that we're helping her after what she did to Mateo and those T-Fed prisoners... but John's committed to protecting Kinta now. While the remnants of the Kintark Empire don't matter in the scope of the Progenitor War, I am worried about more delays before we return to Genthalas.*

*Me too,* Alyssa agreed. *But the most important thing is supporting John and helping him recover from having his heart stomped on, otherwise recovering Larn'kelnar's fleets won't mean a thing. You know what's coming... and John needs to stay focused and eliminate his guide before we face another Progenitor.*

Calara mulled it over, then nodded. *Alright, I won't say anything to him, but I think you should seriously consider telling John what you did to Jessica. It might help him to forgive her if he knows she's not under Rahn's thrall anymore.*

*I will... but not yet,* Alyssa said softly. *Not yet...*

***

The first thing to register on Tom Walker's befuddled senses was a quiet rhythmic beeping, the noise increasing in tempo as it got louder. He tried to open his eyes and winced against the white glare that felt like stabbing lances into his brain.

There was a sudden flurry of activity and he heard muffled voices, the noises droning around him but not making any sense. He desperately strained his ears to try to figure out what they were saying, but he could only make out a few words here and there.

"... brain activity... check... responsive?"

"... Walker... hear me?"

He fought to respond and the irritating beeps got louder and more obnoxious.

"... cardiac... sedation!"

As he struggled, Tom felt a soothing wave sweep over his body, lulling him into its gentle embrace.

***

John stretched as he woke, being careful not to disturb the two luscious girls draped over him. He'd spent a wonderful night with Athena in the Astral Plane, kept safe from Xar'aziuth's clutches despite having just added the Nymph to his network of girls. Jehanna's mass of dark hair didn't so much as move when he stirred, but Ailita lifted her head and greeted him with a dazzling smile.

"Good morning, Master!" she whispered, before darting a curious glance at the raven-haired beauty slumbering beside John. "Is this Terran female your mate?"

He nodded and stroked Ailita's long pink hair. "She is. Her name's Jehanna and she helped me to choose what you look like now. Jehanna showed me a picture of a woman that she thought was very beautiful... and I agreed."

Ailita's look of idle curiosity turned to fascination.

John lay back and relaxed for a moment, just enjoying their soft bodies pressed against him. He glanced at the chronometer on the wall and saw that it was 8:04 am.

*Are any of you awake?* he quietly asked his three matriarchs.

*Good morning, John,* Edraele replied, also keeping her voice to a low murmur. *Alyssa only went to bed an hour ago and Jade is still asleep. Calara asked that I let her know as soon as you were awake; I imagine she will be up to see you shortly.*

*Okay... thank you,* he replied awkwardly, feeling a sudden pang of guilt. *Edraele... I'm sorry there's going to be another delay before we get back to Genthalas. I know how much you and your girls were looking forward to our return.*

*There's no need to apologise. As soon as I heard what had happened, I knew you'd feel compelled to intervene.*

*How serious a problem are we facing with the new matriarchs?* he asked with concern. *They'll start arriving at Genthalas in a couple of days, won't they?*

*I honestly don't know; this is an unprecedented event in Maliri history. I'm hoping that the initial shock of meeting a Maliri Queen with long white hair will keep the new matriarchs suitably awed until you return. If they force my hand, I have no qualms about keeping all of them under house arrest to maintain the peace... but I urge you to hurry back as quickly as you can.*

*We'll set off for Genthalas as soon as we've dealt with the Brimorian invasion,* John said adamantly. He smiled as he continued, *Then you'll be stuck with me hanging around for the foreseeable future. I'm sure you'll get tired of me eventually, like a houseguest overstaying his welcome.*

*That's never going to happen,* she said with conviction. Her tone took on a lighter note as she added, *Besides, you're not a guest... it's your home!*

He chuckled at her joke, but it was comforting to know that he and the girls had a place where they'd always be welcome. The stifled laughter still sent reverberations through his chest and Jehanna let out a contented sigh as she stirred.

"I could get used to waking up in your arms," she murmured, stretching languidly and turning to greet him with a lovely smile.

Jehanna's eyes went wide with surprise when she spotted their pink-haired bedmate and let out a startled gasp.

John stroked her back, grinning at her reaction. "Jehanna, I'd like you to meet Ailita."

"This one is very pleased to meet you, Jehanna," the Nymph said, her tone respectful.

Shaking off her initial shock, Jehanna couldn't help staring in awe at the exotically beautiful catgirl.

"She looks just like her..." Jehanna murmured, before realising how rude she was being. "I'm sorry for staring, Ailita, you just caught me by surprise. I'm very pleased to meet you too."

"Master said that you thought this one was beautiful," Ailita stated, her aquamarine eyes sweeping over the dusky-hued girl lying opposite. The Nymph gave her a flirtatious smile. "This one thinks that you are very beautiful too, Jehanna..."

"I was explaining to Ailita how you helped me choose her appearance," John explained, hugging both girls closer.

Jehanna's blush deepened, but neither John nor the catgirl missed the flare of arousal in those lovely dark eyes. Ailita leaned forward and gently kissed the entranced reporter, flicking a quick glance at John as she did so, to check his reaction.

"Does Master approve of this one kissing his mate?" Ailita asked, the twinkle in her aquamarine orbs suggesting that she already knew the answer.

"I do... as long as you both enjoyed it," he replied, running his hands across their backs in gentle encouragement.

Ailita nodded enthusiastically. "She has very soft lips, Master. Perfect for kissing... and other things."

Jehanna broke out into a self-conscious giggle. "This is crazy! I've fantasised about that sexy catgirl for months... I can't believe she's actually here in the flesh!"

She couldn't fail to see John's swelling cock out of the corner of her eye and shared a grin with the Nymph. Ailita placed a hand on his thickening shaft, her fingers curling around his girth.

"This one would love another full tummy, Master," the horny Nymph purred, licking her lips in anticipation. "But it would be so much more fun to share with your lovely mate..."

John groaned his approval as they began to lick his shaft, dragging their tongues along his length. He lay back and closed his eyes in bliss, savouring every moment of their coordinated sensual assault.

***

Calara rubbed at her tired eyes and tapped the icon on the comms interface, dispatching her last set of orders. The encrypted message soared through space to the nearest beacon, then onwards across the communications network into Maliri Space before being routed down towards Kinta. With her work done for now, Calara rose from the Tactical Station and moaned with relief as she stretched tired muscles.

The Combat Bridge was silent and still as she walked up the ramp into the Armoury, Tashana having retired for the night several hours earlier. Stepping into the express grav-tube, Calara was whisked up to Deck Two, where she strolled along the corridor towards Jade's quarters. Without bothering to knock, she opened the door and entered, abruptly bumping into John who was about to leave.

"I was just on my way to see you," he said, catching her as they rebounded. "How are you doing?"

"Tired," Calara said with a weary smile. "I sent out the last set of orders to the Kintark. All our defensive measures will soon be in place." She handed him a holo-viewer. "Here... you can see the plans for yourself."

He took the device from her and glanced at the detailed defensive stratagem she'd devised. "Amazing, thank you. I'll review this in detail while I get some breakfast. Do you want to join me?"

"Mmm... a full tummy would be wonderful," Calara readily agreed, her hand reflexively stroking her stomach.

John gave her a rueful look. "Ah... I'm sorry, honey, I just meant regular food. I didn't think you'd be in the mood after staying up all night, so I just fed Ailita and Jehanna. They're sleeping off breakfast in bed right now."

She grinned at him, darting a glance past his shoulder. "Can I see?"

He nodded and stepped aside, then followed the brunette as she padded into the bedroom. Jehanna and Ailita were entwined in each other's arms, their rounded stomachs nestled together, with John's morning load split evenly between them. Swirls of light spread out across the Nymph's body, the soft pink bathing Jehanna in a muted glow.

"They look so sexy together..." Calara breathed, gazing at the nude girls. "I love the contrast in their skin tone... is that why you like seeing me with Alyssa so much?"

John hugged her from behind and kissed her shoulder. "One of the reasons, yes. The fact that the two of you love each other so much makes it even more exciting to watch."

She nodded and smiled to herself, then glanced at him over her shoulder, a look of confusion on her face. "This is the second time you've filled up Jehanna since she came aboard. Have you changed your mind about making her a permanent member of the crew?"

He shook his head. "They were only half loads. I don't want Jehanna rushing to join us as a knee-jerk reaction to the fight with her parents."

They backed out of the room to avoid waking the snoozing girls, then headed towards the Officers' Lounge. Calara leaned into him for a sideways hug, which John returned, putting his arm around her shoulders. It was obvious to him that she was exhausted.

"You should head off to bed, honey," John said, stopping by the door and looking at her with concern. "You can barely keep your eyes open."

Calara nodded and covered her mouth to stifle a yawn. "Yeah... maybe you're right."

"I'll make a nice lunch for you when you wake up," he promised, giving her a farewell kiss.

The Latina turned to leave, but hesitated and faced him again. "John... can I ask you a personal question?"

"Of course," he agreed with an accommodating smile.

"Why are you keeping Jehanna at arm's length?" Calara asked, giving John a perceptive look that reminded him so much of her mother. "It's obvious she really loves you and I know you feel the same way about her."

His smile faded into a pensive frown. "I do... but Jehanna also loves being a reporter for TFNN. I don't want her to have to choose between a life with me and her career."

"I did," the Latina said, giving him a tender kiss. "It was the best decision I've ever made."

John pulled back to look at her in surprise. "But you never left the military!"

She looked him in the eye. "A stint on a retired marine's civilian cruiser wasn't exactly a career-advancing role, John... or at least it shouldn't have been. I knew I was probably flushing my T-Fed career when Alyssa made me that offer, but I was so broken, I just clung desperately to the two of you for support. In the end, the choice cost me nothing and gave me everything. I became a Captain and the youngest Stellar Cluster recipient in Terran Federation history, but that was only thanks to you. I'm sure you'll be able to find a way to let Jehanna have everything she wants too."

"What about Jehanna's family? What are they going to say?" he objected, shaking his head. "She can't just turn up again after going through the Change!"

Calara grinned at him. "I did. My family made a few jokes at my expense, but they accepted me without too much difficulty."

"Jehanna's situation is quite a bit different," John said, looking sceptical. "She just had a huge fight with her parents and I don't want to make the situation worse."

The brunette shrugged. "You'll bring them together again sooner or later." She yawned again, then visibly wilted. "Anyway, I better hit the sack before I collapse. Goodnight!"

"Goodnight, honey," John murmured, lost in thought as he watched her leave.

***

"Hello? Can you hear me?" a crisp male voice asked, piercing Tom Walker's subconscious.

He roused from the haze of the sedative and slowly opened his eyes to see a dimly-lit hospital room. "Thirsty..." Tom muttered, his throat like sandpaper.

Gentle fingers brought an ice chip to his lips, a soft female voice murmuring, "Let this melt in your mouth."

Tom nodded his understanding and did as she asked, his eyes flicking from the dark-haired nurse on his right, to the man in a doctor's coat on his left.

"My name's Senior Consultant Fitzroy-Ferguson," the doctor announced, making eye-contact with him and studying Tom intently. "Can you tell me who you are?"

Swallowing the deliciously cool water, Tom replied in a gravelly voice, "Lieutenant Commander Tom Walker." He paused for a second to swallow again. "Where am I? What happened?"

"The Unity City Medical Institute. You've been in a coma for..."

Someone standing out of view cleared his throat and Fitzroy-Ferguson trailed off, not finishing his sentence.

The consultant glanced behind him, then returned his gaze to his patient. "Your vitals are strong and test results all show exceptional cognitive function. I'll continue to monitor your condition, but I'm very pleased with the speed of your recovery so far."

"Doctor... why was I in a coma?" Tom asked, growing increasingly alarmed by the medic's evasiveness. "Why am I here at Unity City instead of the fleet? What day is it? What date?!"