Three Square Meals Ch. 073

How the fuck had it come to this?

***

Dana strolled through the set of ornate golden doors, and into the familiar curving control room for Genthalas' primary Fusion Reactor. She glanced around the monitoring stations, and grinned when she spotted the Lead Technician before calling out to her in greeting, "Hey, Alyndra! How's it going?"

The white-haired technician looked up in surprise, then gave the Terran girl a wide smile as she strode briskly over to greet her. "Dana! It's so wonderful to see you again!" she said cheerfully, sharing a hug with the redhead.

"You too," Dana said affectionately. She pulled back from their embrace, and smiled at the Maliri as she added, "Want to make some more elements?"

Alyndra's eyes twinkled at the prospect, and she replied with a playful smile, "Will you be firing anti-matter into my biggest Power Core again?"

"Yeah, we need some more of that shit, definitely," Dana replied in an off-handed manner. She leaned forward then and added in a whisper, "But how do you fancy learning some wild new physics as well?"

The Lead Technician's eyes widened at the prospect, and she nodded with enthusiasm. "What have you got in mind?" she asked, practically breathless with anticipation.

Dana gave her a mischievous wink, then looked around behind her, and beckoned Makaela over to join them. The Genthalas Station Commander had been following hot on her heels, under orders to supply her with anything and everything she could possibly need. The other technicians in the room looked intrigued, remembering full well what happened the last time that astonishing Terran girl had swooped into their lives. They quickly gathered around too, listening avidly as the redhead outlined her intricate plans in meticulous and terrifying detail.

"That's utter madness!" Alyndra balked, when she'd heard enough. "I thought your last stunt was crazy, but this is utterly insane!"

Dana grinned at her, and replied, "The last one worked didn't it?"

Alyndra fought down her mind's utter rejection of the Terran girl's plan, but seeing the resolute gleam in Dana's sky-blue eyes, she asked, "I'm not going to be able to talk you out of this, am I?"

"Nope, afraid not!" Dana replied with a wicked chuckle. Patting the appalled Maliri technician on her shoulder, she added consolingly, "We're just going to be accelerating particles to hyper-warp, then slamming them into beryllium bricks in a five-thousand-G gravitational field. What could possibly go wrong?"

The laughter from her audience sounded more hysterical than humorous, and the redhead gave them a disapproving frown for their lack of trust.

"I can gather the required components and materials, but shouldn't we evacuate this section of the Station first?" Makaela asked, sharing a worried glance with Alyndra.

Dana shook her head, and said, "Nah, don't worry about it, I know what I'm doing."

The Maliri gave her a reluctant nod, then Makaela contacted the appropriate teams via a comm device on her wrist, and begin gathering everything they needed.

***

Rachel smiled with satisfaction as she surveyed the scenes of organised chaos, looking down over the drydock from her vantage point high up on the maintenance gantry. Hundreds of Maliri engineers were swarming over the Invictus, either standing on the topdeck itself, or using grav-platforms to access the flanks and underbelly of the ship.

Glossy white armour plating was piled high in the anti-gravity fields that had been created on both sides of the vessel, as the engineering teams worked quickly and efficiently to denude the Invictus of armour. Where the assault cruiser had once been a sparkling white, now wide swathes of it were a dull grey, as the original Titanium superstructure beneath was exposed to view. The topdeck had already been completely stripped of plating, only leaving the lower half partially covered.

"My team's nearly done," Calara informed the tawny-haired girl, as she strode across the gantry to join her. "How's everyone else getting on?"

"It's a little bit slower going for those working on the lower areas of the ship," Rachel said, smiling at the Latina in greeting. She pointed to the scores of floating platforms, and continued, "Having to use the grav-platforms is a bit inconvenient, but we're nearly there. About half-an-hour to go, I'd imagine."

Calara looked up at the massive Cutting Lasers being manoeuvred into position, suspended from the ceiling by huge articulated arms that aimed and powered the laser array. She grimaced and said, "I'm not sure I'll be able to watch this. We're about to cut our home to pieces!"

"At least it's not a marauding enemy ship doing it," Rachel replied, smiling at the conflicted young woman.

"Yeah, that's true," the brunette agreed, returning her smile. She glanced around to make sure there were no Maliri in earshot, then asked in a whisper, "Any news from Alyssa on John? All I know is he's heading back here."

Rachel stroked her arm, and said, "You'd be the first one she'd tell." She paused for a second, then corrected herself as she added, "Actually, she'd inform all of us simultaneously, but you know what I mean."

Calara nodded, and said, "Yeah, it's just... what a bombshell! I feel so sorry for him, having to make that kind of momentous decision."

"You don't like the sound of 'Queen Calara', then?" Rachel asked airily.

The Latina flushed, and pointedly chose to ignore the question. She turned her attention to the broad bank of holographic projections in front of Rachel, and looked at the steps involved in each phase of the project. She pointed to one of the central images, and asked, "How's the crystal growing coming along? Will Makaela be able to make enough for us?"

"Her staff have made a start already, and brought some additional crystal fabrication plants online," Rachel replied with satisfaction. "Every facility in Genthalas will be producing different sections of the new crystal superstructure, and Sakura's engineers will assemble the new hull as soon as each piece arrives in the drydock. I've scheduled each section's arrival to match our construction team's capacity, to make sure we'll be working at optimum efficiency."

Calara nodded but seemed distracted, having just spotted several grav-sleds floating out of the Invictus' Cargo Bay. She knew exactly what was in the ore containers, and more importantly, what that ore was going to be used for. The Maliri engineers were carrying away their cargo of Tyrenium ore, so that it could be refined and processed to remove all impurities. The pure Tyrenium would then be forged into an intricate lattice that would power the Singularity Generator, harnessing the titanic forces of a black hole, and turning them into a devastatingly potent weapon.

Goosebumps prickled across her smooth, olive-toned skin, and she felt a shiver of excitement at the thought of adding a pair of Singularity Drivers to the Invictus' arsenal. Weapons that would normally be mounted on a dreadnought, would soon be hers to command.

***

Jade's attention drawn by a group of Maliri engineers who were busy stacking armour plating into neat piles. They had all stopped what they were doing, and had turned to stare at the man who'd just strolled into the Docking Bay.

"Hey, John!" she exclaimed happily, bounding over to greet him with a kiss. Her lips pressed against his, but she pulled back with a frown as she took in his tense expression, and added, "Are you alright?"

"Yeah, just big decisions to make," he replied, giving her an affectionate, if rather troubled smile.

The Nymph studied him for a moment, then stepping close enough to brush his ear with her lips, she whispered in a sultry purr, "Would you like me to distract you, Master?"

Guessing what she probably had in mind, he chuckled, and replied, "I could use some distracting right about now, thanks Jade."

Her cat-like eyes flared with arousal, and the vertical slits of her pupils expanded to deep black pools in moments. Jade held his gaze for a second, before turning to the group of Maliri women who were staring at John like rabbits in headlights. She beamed a sparkling smile at them, and said, "Come with me ladies, you're lucky enough to go first!"

She took his hand and started walking back the way he'd just arrived, leading him from the drydock and into the corridor beyond. Behind them they could hear nervous, but very eager whispers coming from the Maliri engineers, who were following close behind.

"Where are you taking me?" John asked her, his eyebrow arched quizzically. "The bedroom in the Invictus is back that way..."

Jade led him ten yards down the corridor to a set of double doors in the opposite wall, and grinned at him as she opened them and walked inside. "Edraele planned ahead," she replied, then laughed as she added, "for you to get lots of head."

John smiled when he got a look inside the room, which had obviously been carefully designed for a very specific and unusual set of requirements. In the centre of the room was a high-backed chair that looked very comfortable, and it was surrounded by piles of cushions. The floor was covered in some kind of very soft, springy kind of matting, which yielded to his weight like an exceedingly comfy bed.

The Nymph guided him over to the chair, and beckoned the Maliri after her, the blue-skinned women following inside obediently. When the last of the twenty-five engineers had entered the room, she pressed a button on the high back of the plush chair, and the doors swung closed behind them.

"Now, you sit there, Master," she said, pointing helpfully at the chair. Turning to the Maliri, she continued, "Please make yourselves comfortable, ladies."

John followed her instructions with some bemusement, then watched in fascination as the Maliri girls sat in close concentric circles in front of him, sitting shoulder to shoulder. It didn't take long for them to all take a seat, and he looked out across the sea of lovely flushed faces. He felt a pang of guilt at just taking those women for granted, and cleared his throat before he said with a smile, "My name's John, but I think I told all of you that already."

The girls tittered, but there was no malice or scorn in their laughter. They sat there, watching him, as though basking in his presence, like beautiful flowers turned up to face the warmth of the sun.

"I'd like to get to know each of you a little, as long as you don't mind indulging my curiosity?" he asked, his tone gentle and disarming. Turning to the closest girl on his right, he asked, "What's your name, beautiful stranger?"

The blue-skinned woman looked to be a little older than Irillith, but just like the rest of her species, it was extremely difficult to gauge her exact age. To John, she appeared to be in her late twenties, but he had enough experience with Maliri now, to know he was likely to be at least sixty years wide of the mark. The engineer blushed furiously at being the centre of his attention, but immediately replied, "My name's Tellathea, John."

He nodded and his voice was sombre as he replied, "A very pretty name for a very pretty girl." Glancing at the unfamiliar insignia on her jacket, he smiled as he added, "Have you been a House Valaden engineer for very long, Tellathea?"

She giggled and shook her head as she explained patiently, "I'm from House Aeberos! My Matriarch asked me to travel to Genthalas to assist you."

John feigned surprise, and leaned forward as he asked curiously, "I don't know anything about House Aeberos! Perhaps you could tell me a little about the planet you grew up on?"

As the Maliri woman nodded eagerly and began to describe her homeworld, Jade stepped out of her shoes, then slipped the dress off her shoulders and let it fall away to pool at her feet. Despite being entirely nude, none of the Maliri so much as glanced in her direction - they were that absorbed by John's gentle conversation with the Aeberos engineer.

Leaning down to John's pointed ear, Jade murmured, "Would you move forward a little please, Master?"

He wriggled forward as she requested, then started bringing more of the Maliri into the conversation, asking their names, and engaging in some playful teasing and flirting. Jade slid into the chair behind him, and began to massage his shoulders, frowning at the tension in his muscles as she probed him with her expert fingers.

"Shirt off as well, please," she requested politely.

John unbuttoned his shirt and pulled it off, exposing his muscular chest to twenty-five sets of very hungry eyes. There was a breathy gasp from the girls, and a momentary lull in the conversation before they began speaking again, responding to his subtle questioning designed to get them to open up about themselves, and reveal any injuries they might have. Jade started to knead the muscles in his back and shoulders, smiling with satisfaction as she felt the tension easing away with her skilful touch.

They spent an hour like that, with Jade gradually removing the rest of his clothing to allow her to continue her massage, while John got to know the entranced group of women. The Maliri were looking increasingly hot and flustered, and taking pity on them, the Nymph eventually suggested, "Why don't all of you get more comfortable, too?"

John was presented with the spectacular sight of a whole bevy of toned Maliri girls stripping off with eager abandon, and in very little time, they were all very naked. His cock throbbed at the mouth-watering sight, and Jade ran her cool fingers over his length, enjoying the lusty heat from his shaft. She smoothly sat astride him, while positioning his hot, hard head at the clenched knot of muscle between her firm cheeks.

"They're hungry for your cum, Master," she crooned to him. "Will you let them empty your balls for you?"

"You're such a good, horny little Nymph," he growled, grabbing her hips with both hands.

Knowing that she could easily accommodate his wide girth, John pulled her down onto his lap, enjoying hearing Jade's startled gasp. She had already lubricated herself in preparation for him, but her muscles gripped him like a fist, only letting him penetrate her inch by gloriously tight inch. He used his strength to fight against her inner muscles, spreading her wide to take him, and enjoying the challenging look in her gorgeous emerald eyes. He finally managed to overcome her teasing resistance, and was soon face-to-face with her as she settled in his lap, his entire length buried inside her.

"You've overpowered me, Master," she murmured in a hushed voice, her skin heating up as she got more turned on. "Now I'll have to reward you."

She closed her eyes as she concentrated, and John saw a flurry of movement from behind her, as over a score of undulating tentacles sprouted from her back to reach the kneeling Maliri. The end of each smooth limb was shaped into an exact replica of his cock, and he could feel the contact as the multitude of dark-green appendages nudged up against soft female lips. Each woman lapped eagerly at the phallic tentacle with a velvety tongue, and Jade transferred the sensation to his own throbbing tool.

"Fuck... I'd forgotten how amazing that feels," John groaned, holding on for dear life. He grabbed her hips to keep them still and tried to force more of his cock into her, which she matched by pushing into hot little Maliri mouths, spreading their flushed lips wide.

"They're desperate to serve you, Master," she crooned, while massaging him with her inhuman muscles. "I can't wait to feed them your cum, but you only have to say the word, and we can impregnate them too..."

Jade's body was feverishly hot with excitement, and she rolled her hips, making his eyes roll back in his head. John didn't give her that order, as she knew he wouldn't, but the thought of it was tremendously exciting to them both. Pressing her firm breasts against him, she leaned in to nibble at his earlobe, while keeping him fully impaled in her ass. There was no need to move, as her rippling internal muscles were simulating the feel of all those mouths worshiping his cock.

She tilted her head to one side, sweeping her long dark hair out of the way, so that he could see the Maliri girls sucking eagerly on the swaying green tentacles. Tellathea moaned with delight at the sweet taste of his pre-cum, then made eye contact with him as she visibly relaxed, letting Jade ease the pulsating viridian cock into her throat. John felt every inch of penetration, and let out a strangled cry as the Nymph pushed deeper into more willing mouths.

It was impossible to hold out against such intense stimulation, and he clung to Jade as he came, shooting out long bursts of cum from his throbbing quad. His four balls worked overtime to satisfy the relentless suction, and John writhed on his chair as he cried out in ecstasy. Jade funnelled his cum to each of the eagerly sucking Maliri, and their eyes glazed over as his spunk shot down their throats, into their welcoming stomachs.

John collapsed back in his chair, while Jade hugged him and murmured loving endearments in his ear, her curving tentacles slowly withdrawing into her viridian body. Unable to even think for a couple of minutes, John simply held the Nymph in his arms as he recovered his breath. When his eyes finally flickered open, he smiled as he saw the Maliri curled up together on the comfortable cushions and padded floor, all of them slumbering with contented smiles on their serene blue faces.

"You'll make a wonderful leader for the Maliri, Master," Jade said to him, breathing the words into his ear. "You're ideally suited to rule them."

That shocked him out of his blissful daze, and he pulled back a little to stare into her probing eyes. "That's why I should turn Edraele down flat," he replied adamantly, shaking his head. "I don't want to enslave them like the Mael'nerak did!"

Jade gave him a tender kiss, and whispered, "No, you misunderstand me. Your natural instinct is to protect and nurture them, not to enslave and dominate." She twisted slightly to look at the sleeping Maliri, and added, "You could have just taken them and used them for your pleasure, but you chose not to. Instead, you made the effort to get to know all of them first, and you're going to heal all their scars and injuries. What tyrant would bother to do that?"

Thinking back to the threesome with Edraele and Alyssa, he replied falteringly, "I'm not the saint you make me out to be, Jade. I enjoy submissive women far too much..."

Her pupils had expanded to almost fully eclipse the emerald green of her eyes, and she gazed at him intently as she said, "You play at being dominant with me and the girls, but there's never any maliciousness or sadistic intent. Your desire is always to bestow pleasure, and never to inflict pain."

"I don't know, Jade," he replied, a haunted look in his eyes. "I'm not sure I can trust myself with that kind of absolute power. It could be a terrible mistake..."

She gave him another loving kiss, and said earnestly, "You've given me free will, ambition, and my independence. Please believe me when I tell you that I've known some truly terrible men in my time, and if you were like them, I would refuse to serve you. I'd walk away, even though it would break my heart to do so."

"But I thought... your nature? You need a master, don't you?" John asked, stunned by Jade's sombre declaration.

"I've grown far beyond the simple creature you saved all those months ago, and it was you that encouraged and nurtured that growth. I'm with you now through choice, not because of some instinctive compulsion to obey," she replied, her finger tracing along his jawline in that familiar loving gesture of hers. She gazed at him adoringly as she continued, "You're my Master because I love you, and I know I could never find anyone more worthy."