Three Square Meals Ch. 074

Shrugging to himself, he figured that bonding with Edraele must have taken more out of her than normal, and he closed the bathroom door so he wouldn't disturb them. He walked into the shower and stuck a pair of the filters into his nostrils, then activated the shower in the same way Edraele had done so in her quarters in her private shuttle. Fortunately, the shower controls were the same, and the cubicle quickly filled with the liquid cleaning solution, fully submerging him for several seconds as it did its work. The water drained away moments later, and he removed the nose plugs, before returning them to their place. Although he felt squeaky clean, and couldn't deny its efficiency of design, it just wasn't the same as a good old Terran shower.

He dried off quickly, then crept back into the bedroom to locate the clothes that the girls had stripped off him the night before. He dressed quickly, then considered taking a walk of shame back to the Invictus to get a fresh set of clothing. The girls were still snoozing though, and he didn't want to wander off too far until they'd awoken. He had a moment of indecision, before deciding that the first thing he needed to do, was to go and try to find them some breakfast.

He walked out of the bedroom, and glanced around to get his bearings. Taking a right, he walked down the corridor to the door at the end, fairly certain that it led into the lounge in Edraele's quarters. It only took a quick glance into the room to see that he'd remembered correctly, but he was surprised to find the ornate lounge occupied with the four beautiful young women that Edraele had introduced him to yesterday evening.

"Good morning, girls," he announced cheerfully, as he strode into the room.

John heard their sharp intake of breath as they whirled around to stare at him, wide-eyed in shock. The four young women appeared to have been rendered mute as they sat there gazing in awe, and he walked over to join them with an unthreatening smile on his face. He'd grown quite used to the debilitating effect the Maliri genetic modification had on these women, and for once, he wished they'd just snap out of it, so he could talk to them normally.

Going by past experience, asking questions seemed to temporarily suppress their entranced state, so he inquired politely, "I was wondering if you girls could help me? I'd like to get some breakfast this morning, but I've no idea where anything is. I'd rather not wander too far until Edraele's woken up, and I assume there must be some kind of kitchen nearby. Do any of you know where it is?"

Like that, the spell was broken, and all four girls rose to their feet, eager to help him with his vitally important breakfast mission.

"I know where it is, John!" one of the nubile girls replied exuberantly, looking at him with her big blue eyes. She blushed, and added falteringly, "Is it alright to call you that? Or do you want us to use a more formal title?"

"John is just fine, Nyrelle, wasn't it?" he asked, trying to remember their names from the brief introductions the previous evening. From the look of delight on her face, he was relieved to see that he'd been correct.

"We can show you where it is," a green-eyed beauty offered. She appeared to be the eldest of the four, and approximately Irillith's age if he guessed correctly, making her early-fifties if he was right.

He smiled at her in gratitude, and said, "That would be lovely. Thanks, Leena."

From the glowing smile he received in return, he figured he was two for two, and they walked towards the door he'd just arrived through, beckoning shyly for him to follow. He did exactly that, watching in amusement as they turned around to glance at him from time-to-time, the girls blushing as he met their inquisitive stares.

It was only a short walk to the kitchen, and the lovely teal-eyed girl opened the door for him with a shy smile. He murmured his thanks to Valani, then glanced inside, surveying the facilities with a professional eye. The large kitchen was spotlessly clean, but all the utensils, food, and cooking devices were safely stored away somewhere, leaving him with broad worktops and little else to work with.

They sensed his indecision, and one of the girls giggled, before saying breathlessly, "Would you like us to make breakfast for you?"

"I'd really appreciate that, thanks Kali," he replied, smiling at the last of the group, and meeting her inquisitive indigo-eyed gaze.

She let out a happy sigh, then asked, "What would you like?"

"Surprise me," he replied, with a flirtatious grin.

There were no table and chairs in the kitchen, so he moved out of their way, and leaned against the far wall as he watched the four young women spring into action. They gathered in a huddle to start with, and there were some frantic whispers, as they determined what to make him for breakfast. Once the decision had been made, they touched the wall and surfaces of the worktops, making cupboards and heating panels rise or swing into place. In a matter of seconds the spartan room had been transformed into an extremely well-stocked and functional kitchen, and he watched in fascination as they used unfamiliar Maliri utensils to begin preparing odd-shaped fruits and other items for him.

Nyrelle gave him a furtive glance, then looked at him in surprise, when she saw he was leaning against the wall. She hurried over to him, and sounded flustered as she said, "Sorry, John. Just look for the indentations on the wall, they operate the concealed furnishings."

She reached across him with her delicate fingers outstretched, as she caressed a slight depression in the wall. He caught movement to his right in his peripheral vision, and a table slid out of the wall, complete with padded benches on either side. Nyrelle gazed up at him, standing very close as she pulled back her hand. She bit her lip, then let her fingers graze over his left arm, following the curve of his muscular bicep.

"You're so much bigger than a Maliri male," she whispered breathlessly, her shyness forgotten as her wandering fingers trailed over his broad chest.

John tried not to laugh at her inadvertent double-entendre, and simply enjoyed her delicate touch. Nyrelle was gorgeous, just like her three Matriarch friends, and for that matter, every other Maliri woman he'd met so far. He marvelled that Mael'nerak's genetic tampering had been so rigidly efficient as to create an entire race of astoundingly beautiful, athletic women. Compared to the wildly different body shapes in the Terran Federation, it felt completely surreal to be surrounded by legions of girls that exactly matched the kind of figure he found most appealing.

Nyrelle started panting with lust, and judging by the delicious aromas coming from the kitchen, he realised he'd better do something quickly if he wanted to get his breakfast while it was still hot.

He smiled at her, and to break the spell, said very reluctantly, "We'll get to know each other over breakfast, Nyrelle. But, I'm really thirsty, and I'd love a drink, if that's okay?"

She took a deep breath to steady herself, then returned his smile, and said, "I'm sorry, I should have thought to ask. Natalla berry juice is my favourite, if you'd like to try that?"

"Absolutely," he agreed cheerfully.

It was a visible strain for Nyrelle to remove her hand from his chest, but she managed it, before turning to glide over to the kitchen. He watched her take a tall pitcher of juice from the concealed fridge on the left of the kitchen, and she smiled at him as she poured it into a glass and walked back to hand it to him. The drink was a strange mauve colour, but it smelled nice, and he tilted the big glass back to take an experimental sip. The taste was bizarre, reminding him a little of raspberries, but it left a refreshing tingle in his mouth, like mint.

"What do you think?" she asked him, looking at him expectantly.

He gave her an appreciative nod, and replied, "It's delicious, excellent choice!" He quickly drank the rest, and with the hungry look Nyrelle was giving him, he figured he should probably stay well-hydrated. He smiled at her, and added, "I'll get another, that was amazing."

She placed her hand on his chest, and took the glass with the other, as she purred, "Let me, you take a seat."

After a brief caress, she withdrew her hand, then sauntered away, fluttering her eyelashes at him as she returned to the fridge. He did as she asked, taking a seat on the long bench, and watched the four women in the kitchen. Their long dresses were form-fitting, and he admired their shapely figures as they finished the final touches to his breakfast.

Alyssa would normally make some kind of salacious remark at this point, but both her and Edraele were still ominously silent. John knew they'd greet him the moment they awoke, so he was starting to get worried at their uncharacteristically long lie-in. Just as he was about to get up to go and check on them again, the Maliri girls joined him at the kitchen table. They'd prepared a broad selection of food for him to choose from, with a splendid variety of fruits, some of which he recognised from his visits to Geniya station.

The aroma from the pancake-like dish in front of him was positively mouth-watering, and when Kali presented him with a knife and fork, he wasted no time tucking in. The pancake itself was soft, moist, and delicious, filled with some kind of delicate fruit, and he groaned in appreciation.

"My God, that's fantastic!" he exclaimed, when he'd swallowed down the mouthful. He grinned at Kali, and asked, "Did you prepare that?"

She nodded enthusiastically, and replied, "It's called a 'Luwynn surprise'. I'm so glad you enjoyed it!"

"What's the surprise part? That it makes you think you've died and gone to heaven?" he asked, with a playful grin.

She giggled cutely, and shook her head as she replied, "The cook chooses the contents, and there are dozens of regional variants. That was my own version with Hallen nuts in."

"I'd love to learn how to cook that sometime, if you don't mind sharing your recipes?" he asked her, his voice serious but hopeful.

"No, I don't mind!" she quickly replied, shaking her head and beaming at him.

He gave her a grateful smile, then tried the fruit, making appreciative noises as he sampled the exotic new flavours. He wasn't faking for their benefit, the food really was divine. Leena and Valani looked delighted as they watched him eat, enjoying the fruits they'd prepared.

"Are you sure you girls won't join me? This all tastes amazing, but there's loads here! I think I'll need help if you aren't going to have to roll me out of here when I'm done," he said, making them laugh.

Leena fetched them some forks, and they began to join him in eating breakfast. With conversation temporarily stalled, they began to look more aroused as they took pieces of the luscious fruit, and popped it into their full, sensual mouths. He watched Nyrelle make eye-contact with him, then swallow some fleshy orange fruit, and he shifted in his chair to reposition his growing length. They were sweet girls, and desperate to get his mind out of the gutter, he tried to think of something else to talk about while he finished breakfast.

"You're all from different Maliri Houses, aren't you?" he blurted out, clutching at straws. "Would you mind telling me a little bit about them?"

The girls glanced around at each other as they shook off the effect of his captivating presence, unsure who should speak first. Deferring to the highest-ranked House, their eyes fell on Kali expectantly.

"I'm from House Loraleth, the second-ranked House," she replied, looking self-conscious. "What did you want to know?"

John's ears pricked up at that, and he asked, "Second-ranked? It's House Valaden that's first, right?"

Kali nodded, and replied brightly, "Yes, that's correct! Edraele controls Genthalas Station, which means she's always had a significant advantage in the size of the fleets at her disposal."

He frowned then, and asked, "I'm assuming you don't just announce your fleet assets to each other, so how do you know who ranks where?"

"Each House has extensive spy networks, so Matriarchs have a very good idea of the number of ships at each House's disposal," Nyrelle explained patiently. "However, most Matriarchs make a lavish show of the forces at their command, to publically gain prestige, and hopefully climb the House rankings. It's rare that anyone would attempt to conceal the strength of their forces."

"So, House Loraleth is second, because you've got the second-biggest fleet, Kali?" he reasoned, before popping more of the pancake in his mouth.

Leena shook her head, and before Kali could reply, she interjected, "It's not quite as simple as that. The size of your territory and the number of worlds under your control are also a significant contributor." She hesitated for a moment before adding, "The strength and number of nobles ruling the House are a factor as well. My house, Ghilwen, was ranked six only a few months ago, before it dropped to rank seven after recent events."

"Really, what happened?" John asked, without picking up on the subtle implication of her words.

"Two of my sisters were assassinated," she replied, with a resigned expression on her youthful face.

John reached across the table to take her hand, and squeezed it gently as he said, "I'm so sorry for your loss. That's awful!"

She sighed, and gave him a sad smile as she replied, "Thank you, but we weren't close, not since we were young. Aradrea, my mother, encouraged us to treat each other as rivals, and played us off against one another. I didn't see it at the time, but she was foolish to antagonise Edraele, and my sisters paid the price for her ambition."

He frowned, and said, "Wait, you're from House Ghilwen aren't you? I think Irillith said that a fleet of your ships tried to intercept the Invictus the first time we arrived in Maliri Space."

Leena nodded, and replied, "Yes, that's correct. Edraele ordered the assassinations to punish my mother for her brazen attempt on Irillith's life. It was pure chance that you were caught up in that."

John looked around at each of them, and said in a quiet, sombre voice, "I just want to say how sorry I am for what happened recently to your families. I promise you that I didn't intentionally order the assassinations, but ultimately, what happened was my fault, so please don't blame Edraele for it."

Valani was sitting next to him, and she placed a soothing hand on his arm as she said softly, "We don't blame either of you. Political assassination is simply the Maliri way."

"Or at least it was," Kali added with a smile.

He faltered, and felt a huge sense of guilt as he looked at each of them, before he said in a hushed voice, "I don't know how you can be so forgiving. If I'd lost family members like that, I'd be desperate for revenge."

Kali was sitting to his left, and she put her arm around him, as she murmured, "We've all seen Terran entertainment shows, and seen how Terran families are. Bearing in mind that even the most obnoxious families are exaggerated for comedic purposes, please believe me when I tell you that the Maliri take family feuding to another level of vindictiveness and cruelty. I was the youngest of four sisters, and they tormented me for years. My oldest sister refused to even speak to me for over a decade."

"Faraine, my second-oldest sister, arranged for the eldest to be killed in a hovercar accident," Nyrelle said, making eye-contact with him across the table. "My mother was furious initially, because she feared a potential drop in House Ranking, but when we retained our rank, she praised Faraine for her ingenuity."

Valani stroked his arm, and said, "Edraele explained what you're trying to accomplish, and we're all completely behind you. We've outlawed political assassinations on all the worlds under our control."

John looked around at them all, and genuinely amazed, he said, "You're all quite remarkable girls. I'm amazed you're all so well-grounded, considering what you've been through."

Kali smiled at him, and said, "Edraele said that's why she reached out to us, instead of our mothers. As the youngest sisters, we were essentially ignored as being inconsequential in the lines of succession."

"And ironically enough, now you're helping to reshape Maliri society," he said, suitably impressed.

They blushed at his praise, and smiled at him happily. Their looks turned more intense after that moment of quiet reflection, and he watched Leena lick her lips as she gazed at him.

John glanced around at them, and asked hesitantly, "I know it's rude to ask a woman her age, but would you mind me asking how old each of you are? You all seem younger than most of the engineers I've been working with on the refit."

"I'm fifty-four," Leena replied, without pause.

Nyrelle looked at him lustily, then shook it off to reply, "I'm thirty-three."

"Thirty-four," Valani answered, smiling at him when he made eye-contact with her.

"I'm the youngest at thirty-one," Kali replied, gazing at him with her big indigo eyes. She tilted her head, and asked curiously, "How old are you, John?"

"Take a guess," he said, encouraging them with a playful smile.

Leena appraised him for a moment, then said, "I guess you're at least one-hundred-and-five."

"No, older! You seem very calm and wise, like Edraele," Kali insisted. "I would have said you were... one-hundred-and-forty!"

Valani shook her head, and said sagely, "Terran's aren't as long lived as the Maliri. I'm guessing eight-five!"

He laughed, and said, "Thanks, girls. I'm pleased to tell you you're miles out. I'm forty." When he heard their shocked gasps, he couldn't help but smile.

Leena gaped at him, and said, "I knew Terrans aged more quickly than Maliri, but I'd never have guessed you were younger than me!

Nyrelle hadn't spoken yet during this exchange, and she leaned forward, giving him a wonderful glimpse of her azure cleavage, as she asked him leadingly, "Why are you asking how old we are, John?"

He met her blue-eyed gaze, and didn't conceal his interest as he replied, "I think you know why."

Her chest flushed a dark blue, and she nodded, before glancing downwards. When she looked at him again, she did so through long lashes as she said, "Maliri are considered adults at twenty-five."

"What are you talkin- Oh..." Kali said, her voice trailing off, as she blushed furiously.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to embarrass you," he said, putting an arm around her.

Kali leaned into him, and breathed out as she said dreamily, "I don't mind at all."

Nyrelle's blue eyes flashed with arousal, and she purred, "Can we move somewhere more comfortable?"

John nodded, and the girls moved quickly from the benches, abandoning the remnants of breakfast for the servants to clear. Nyrelle offered him a hand, and led him out through the kitchen door, and across the corridor to an adjacent bedroom. John waited politely for the girls to enter before him, and they stood by the bed, watching his every move as he entered, closing the door behind them.

He approached them, but didn't make any move to initiate physical contact, as he asked, "Do all of you know what I am?"

"A Progenitor," Valani said, looking at him intently.

Leena nodded, and said, "Edraele explained that you're like the opposite of the Mael'nerak. You're seeking to help save us from extinction, rather than to enslave the Maliri like he did."

He raised an eyebrow, then nodded, and said, "Yes, that's basically right." Looking at each of them in turn, he continued, "You're all intelligent, well-informed girls. I'm sure you know what white hair on the Maliri signifies?"

"That they've been with you," Nyrelle said, breathless with anticipation.