Three Square Meals Ch. 074

Edraele met his worried gaze, and trying not to wince, she replied, "It's not quite as bad as the migraines I used to get, but not far off. I'd rather not try and bond with another Matriarch, if that's alright with you." She glanced at Alyssa, and sounded astonished as she continued, "The intensity of the bonds you've built with your girls is mind-blowing! I've no idea how you managed to develop the connection between you to become so powerful!"

In a deadly-serious voice, Alyssa replied, "We fuck a lot, and I'm very good with my fingers." She wiggled her nimble digits at Edraele, and gave her a playfully flirtatious smile.

The Maliri laughed at that, then winced and clutched at her head.

John moved across the bed to reach out and gently caress them, as he said, "I'm just glad you're both alright. You had me worried there."

Alyssa leaned into his hand, and let out a sigh of relief as he stroked her. She smiled at him, and said, "I agree with Edraele. No more Matriarchs, please."

He chuckled, and replied, "Alright, I'll try and restrain myself."

Edraele looked at him intently then, doing her best to ignore her pounding headache for one moment, and said, "I realise now, that my actions towards the other House Matriarchs have put you in a terrible position. I ended up forcing on you the last thing you wanted, and I'm truly sorry."

He smiled at her, and said, "We can talk about it later, Edraele. Get some rest and let that headache clear, then we can go over my plans for the Maliri."

Her purple eyes widened as she stared at him and heard his thoughts, then she tumbled into his arms, hugging him fiercely. "That's so wonderful, John! I swear I'll do everything in my power to help you achieve this vision!" she gasped, sounding elated.

He held her tight, and shared a smile with Alyssa, whose cerulean eyes twinkled with... amusement? Or was it admiration? He couldn't quite tell.

*You do know how to show a girl an interesting time, Mister Blake,* she said, gazing at him enigmatically.

*I try my best, Miss Marant,* he replied, beckoning her over to join his hug with Edraele.

***

Alyssa and Edraele recovered quickly from their bonding session, and over the next several days, everyone fell into a familiar routine as they laboured on the Invictus' refit. Scores of Maliri got to sample John's marvellous hair tonic, with greater numbers of white-haired engineers working on the Invictus every day. The crystal lattice that would form the superstructure of the Invictus began to arrive at a faster rate as more of the fabrication plants came online, and what started as a trickle of deliveries, soon became a flood.

With such a vast number of engineers working on construction of the two-hundred-and-fifty metre mid-section of the lengthened assault cruiser, it began to take shape at an astounding pace. By the third day, the fore and aft sections were aligned with the primary load-bearing beams of the crystal framework, and carefully sealed together. Once they'd been secured in place, Alyssa and John strengthened the join with Crystal Alyssium support beams, much to the amazement of their Maliri audience.

Half the Maliri working on this area of the ship began to assemble the Invictus' new crystalline outer hull, which would eventually be sheathed in Crystal Alyssium armour plating. Dana had highlighted all the areas in the plans that were designated for weapon hardpoints, and there were dozens of alcoves set into the hull to make room for retractable turret bays. The smallest alcoves were only four metres long, but there were three huge holes on either side of the topdeck that left yawning gaps in the glittering crystal, each of them nearly fifty metres across.

The second group of engineers were tasked with building the internals of the Invictus' midsection. They worked at a blistering pace to construct the shells for all the new rooms - like the munitions rooms and the new Power Core Chambers - which would be required to support the vastly-expanded arsenal. First on the list, were the cross beams and cradles that would support the Singularity Drivers, and as soon as the superstructure was in place, Almari gave Rachel the all-clear that the massive rails could be lowered into position. The brunette watched from high up on the maintenance gantry, as Alyssa calmly approached the four-hundred-metre long barrels, which had been placed alongside the ship.

The Progenitor couple had worked tirelessly as a team to construct the shortened, four-hundred-metre long rails for Dana's enhanced version of the Terran Singularity Driver. It took two days in all, for them to laboriously shape enough of the Crystal Alyssium into the many quint-shaped rail sections, which were needed to form the complete barrels. Dana had spent hours checking the positioning of each section, as they were arrayed in a long line on purpose-built frames, and ordered slight adjustments until they were in perfect alignment. Alyssa and John had then sealed all those twenty-metre long pieces into two flawless tubes, which would channel the accelerated rounds towards their targets.

Rachel watched in fascination as Alyssa's eyes flared with a incandescent radiance, clearly visible despite being one-hundred metres away from her. The psychic blonde made an imperious gesture towards the first of the Singularity Driver rails, and it lifted smoothly off the ground in its hurry to obey her will. She brought it high up over the topdeck to the sound of enough shocked gasps, that Rachel could hear the breathy chorus from up on the gantry. John was waiting for it up there, and he raised his hand as he helped guide it into position. Dana was at one end of the enormous trench, on the starboard side of the topdeck, with Calara standing facing her at the other. Rachel knew they were giving Alyssa constant telepathic feedback, to ensure that the alignment was exactly to her redheaded lover's specifications.

It was a perfectly executed operation, followed immediately afterwards by the placement of the second barrel for the port Singularity Driver. After days spent preparing for that moment, it felt slightly anticlimactic that it was all over so quickly and efficiently, as dramatic a sight as it had been. Rachel looked across the topdeck at the adoring crowds of Maliri that were now surrounding John, and chuckled to herself. It seemed the majority of their audience agreed with her assessment, and were now seeking a more impressive climax.

*Very droll,* Alyssa thought to her, glancing up at the gantry from the deck of the drydock. The inner light illuminating her eyes was now beginning to fade, and she added whimsically, *Maybe I should look into getting a big strapon? The Maliri seemed to love watching me and John laying some pipe with two huge shafts...*

Rachel laughed aloud, shaking her head at the Karron girl's charming vernacular.

***

John finally managed to peel himself away from the breathless crowd of dark-haired Maliri, and gave them a friendly wave as he turned and jogged across the topdeck. Calara shared a jubilant grin with him as he passed by, and there were a few dozen white-haired engineers that smiled in amusement at their smitten colleagues. They still shot him admiring glances, of course, but now they were psychically linked to him via Edraele, the effects of the genetic modification was no longer quite so debilitating.

*I'll be there soon, Edraele,* John thought to the Maliri Matriarch.

*Take your time, there's no need to rush,* she replied soothingly. *I just thought you might appreciate a break from recruiting so many engineers with Jade.*

He sent her a grateful telepathic smile as he trotted along the maintenance gantry, and headed for the metal stairs that led down to ground level. *A change would be great, actually. Don't get me wrong; being with Jade feels absolutely incredible, but I'm starting to feel like I'm being milked like a prize bull!*

*I know,* Edraele said indulgently, fully aware of his every thought, no matter how fleeting.

John smiled to himself as he wondered what she had in store for him this time. Edraele had set up another of these different liaisons two days earlier, where he'd met half-a-dozen of her senior Fleet Officers. They had swooned at the sight of him, but he'd had an enjoyable time getting to know them and finding out about their careers in the military, before taking them to bed with him. A smaller group had felt much more intimate, and when he left them to sleep off their lunch, he felt refreshed rather than wrung out.

Turning his attention to his second Matriarch, he asked Alyssa, *Fancy coming along too? I know you like to watch...*

He could sense her indecision, before she finally replied, *I'd love to, but I better make a start on reinforcing the Power Core Chambers with Crystal Alyssium shells. It'll be easier to do it now, while we've still got big holes in the ship to float all the materials through.*

Pausing for a moment, half-way down the flight of steps, John said, *It feels like I'm slacking off, disappearing like this. Are you sure you don't want some help?*

*Nope, not at all,* she replied firmly. *None of us can help the Maliri like you can, and you know how important it is for the future of their species. You'll just have to try your best to cope with having adoring blue-skinned beauties kneeling for you and sucking down your cum.*

Continuing down the steps again, he chuckled as he replied, *Alright, but I'm only doing this for the greater good, remember?*

*Your stoicism in the face of such adversity is truly inspiring,* she replied, laying on the sarcasm nice and thick. *Now stop complaining, and go get some smoking-hot blue pussy!*

He smiled at the thought, but if Edraele had lined him up with some fresh Maliri to convert, it would have to be blowjobs only, until they'd adapted to take his size. Still, he could always see if the young Matriarchs would be up for something more intimate in a second session. He'd love to spend more time with Edraele's three assassin bodyguards too, but he'd already been with Luna, Ilyana, and Almari twice before. He needed to speak to Athena about setting up a psychic ward to prevent himself from being pulled into the Astral Plane, before he could risk feeding those girls again. A third time would obviously trigger one of his dreams, just as they had in the past, those horrifying nightmares occurring every time a new girl was connected to him permanently...

*Wait a minute! What the hell?!* he blurted out, nearly stumbling down the last few steps from the maintenance gantry in his surprise.

He could feel the shock from both his Matriarchs, and Alyssa exclaimed, *How the fuck did we miss that?!*

*You're right, John!* Edraele gasped, sounding stunned. *The rules regarding my connections to the Maliri are quite different to the rules that Alyssa seems to adhere to!*

John steadied himself, then walked across the drydock towards the double doors, as he asked, *But why are you able to establish empathic links with the Maliri after I've only been with them once? It takes three times before they're permanently bonded to Alyssa!*

*Because of our species? We Maliri were designed to serve you, after all,* Edraele replied thoughtfully. *Perhaps it's because we're more psychically responsive?*

*Nah, that can't be it,* Alyssa replied as she thought it over. *What about Irillith? She was hooked on John's cum after the first mouthful, but she wasn't permanently linked to us until the third time. That was when I saw an image of her in my mind, and I got the empathic connection with her. Also, Jade's latently psychic, but... wait! I had a link with her the first time too!*

They were all quiet for a moment as they mulled that over, until John exclaimed, *That's another thing that doesn't make any sense! Apart from Irillith, why are all the Maliri getting allocated to Edraele? How come they aren't shared out evenly between you? It can't be proximity-based, as Alyssa's been physically closer to me for nearly all the recent sessions in the Recruiting Room.*

*Irillith joined us before Edraele did, remember?* Alyssa prompted him. *Maybe all the Maliri just go to her by default, but Irillith was an exception simply because I was your only Matriarch at the time?*

*I'm sorry, I can't explain it,* Edraele replied sounding as flummoxed as John and Alyssa. *I'm not consciously making any decisions regarding any of the new Maliri. They just appear in my mind after the link is created.*

John strode along the corridors to her quarters, and said, *Alyssa, can you have a chat with Rachel about it? She usually seems to figure these kinds of things out pretty quickly.*

*I already am, handsome,* she replied, following up on his thoughts before he'd even had a chance to vocalise them - telepathically speaking, of course.

He walked the rest of the way to Edraele's quarters in silence, trying to puzzle out some of the strange quirks in something that he'd previously assumed they fully understood. He was so lost in thought, it came as somewhat of a surprise when he arrived by the guarded entrance, particularly when the sound of raised voices coming from inside reached his sensitive ears.

Glancing at the armed guards, he raised a quizzical eyebrow, and nodded towards the door. The two women smiled at him and rolled their eyes, before one of them stepped forward and whispered, "They've been bickering for at least an hour!"

That came as quite a surprise, as the last group of Fleet Officers had been quiet and full of nervous excitement while they waited to meet him. He smiled at the woman, and said, "I've stood guard duty before, I know what a chore it can be. Hang in there, soldier, I'll try and at least make it easier on your ears."

"We'd really appreciate that, thank you!" the second guard said, gazing at him with sincere gratitude in her eyes.

*Edraele, can you arrange a meeting with your guards, please,* he requested, as he winked at the lean, aquamarine-eyed guardswoman, and she blushed for him prettily.

*Of course, John, that won't be a problem,* she replied, sounding pleased. Her tone shifted then and she added, *I had some... pressing matters of state to attend to, so I'm afraid I won't be there to greet you in my quarters. Make yourself at home, though, and I'll catch up with you later.*

Something was slightly off in her voice, and he couldn't quite place what it was. As he was mulling it over, she remained suspiciously quiet, so he decided to speak to her about it that evening, when they planned to meet for dinner. The second guardswoman moved to open the door for him, and he reached out to hold her hand in place when the was door partially open, hearing her gasp at the light contact. He raised a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture, then stepped closer to overhear the heated conversation within the lounge.

"For the thousandth time, I've got nothing to do with it! I'm just as worried as the rest of you!" A woman's voice rang out, sounding deeply frustrated. Her voice dropped a few octaves, and she snapped, "With all the finger-pointing, Elinris, it sounds like you're trying to deflect attention from yourself!"

"Of course that's what you'd say, Laenya, if you were trying to hide your -own- complicity!" another young voice snarled.

"Be silent, you fools! We were summoned by Edraele Valaden! I don't believe for one second that any of you have enough influence to even speak with her, let alone involve her in one of your schemes," a different voice grated, sounding full of contempt for her companions. John could hear her anxiety as she added, "I'm more worried that one of you has inadvertently offended her, and now we're all to pay for your idiocy."

"Don't you dare take that superior tone with me, Dalesse," a fourth voice sneered. John could hear the malice dripping from her voice, as she added vindictively, "We all heard how you were ejected from your high-and-mighty position in the palace. Apparently, you were too incompetent to hold down a job as a glorified filing clerk!"

There were titters of laughter from the others, and John heard the sound of furniture being toppled over.

"How dare you, you fucking slut!" Dalesse shrieked indignantly. Her voice seethed with anger as she spat, "Yes, Ifene, I've heard how you're trying to get a transfer to the border stations! As if any of the men there would be interested in a spiteful little bitch like you, no matter how wantonly you spread your legs for them!"

That insult was met by a furious hiss from Ifene, and her string of profanities made John blink in surprise, as he listened to her creative suggestions as to what objects should be inserted into particular orifices. He realised he was still touching the guard's hand on the door, and she caressed him briefly when he released her fingers.

"I better get in there before things turn ugly!" he murmured to the guards, who giggled as he smiled at them.

Opening the door wider, he strolled inside the room, and was immediately glad he hadn't waited any longer. The sofas had been toppled over, and the young women's faces were contorted in anger as they swore at each other. One of the women had pulled off her belt to uncoil a concealed neural whip, and it crackled ominously as she lashed it in fury. Meanwhile, her adversary had picked up a vase from a table, and seemed fully intent on hurling it at the whip-wielding Maliri.

"Ladies, please!" John shouted loudly, his authoritative baritone voice battering through the shrieking sopranos that echoed around the room.

They all flinched and whirled around to face him, astounded to hear the sound of a male voice deep in Maliri Space. After one look at him, their mouths opened in shocked amazement, and Dalesse dropped the hefty vase to shatter on the floor, while the neural whip fell from Ifene's limp fingers.

John sighed, and thought to Edraele, *I know I was after a bit of a change, but this wasn't quite what I had in mind...*

***

Sakura walked across the maintenance gantry, returning the friendly smiles from two white-haired engineers from Houses Loraleth and Ghilwen, who had stepped aside to let her pass. She'd spent plenty of time chatting to the scores of House Aeberos Engineers that she was coordinating, and the subject of the Maliri Houses working on the refit had cropped up early on. They had started by pointing out which insignias represented each of the major noble Houses, and had then gone into detail about Maliri politics.

They had described an intricate web of precarious treaties and vicious feuds amongst the Maliri Houses, which reminded Sakura of the deadly games played by the Shoguns in feudal Japan on Terra. While Aeberos and Naestina were as close to allies as was practical in the Regency, Houses Valaden and Loraleth were viewed with fear, while Ghilwen was overlooked as a once-great player that was now on the decline. Sakura's engineers kept to themselves, and barely spoke to women from rival Houses, although they viewed them with constantly watchful suspicion. At least while John wasn't making an appearance, at which point productivity nosedived, until he disappeared from sight again.

The first group of white-haired Aeberos engineers that had actually been with John and Jade in the Recruitment Room, appeared to have a dramatically different outlook to their compatriots regarding Maliri inter-House politics. They greeted any white-haired Maliri like the very best of friends regardless of House affiliation, while being pleasant and courteous to any of the dark-haired girls from other Houses. By contrast, those Maliri viewed Edraele's wards with an air of reverence, and it was astonishing to see the calming effect the recent recruits had on any tensions between Houses.

Sakura had found the interplay between all the Maliri to be quite intriguing, and it had given her something interesting to observe over the last several days. After the intense training on the way to the Unclaimed Wastes and then the thrilling rescue from Underworld, playing babysitter to Maliri engineers wasn't her idea of fun. She put such thoughts aside when she finally approached Rachel, and she crept up behind her as silent as the grave, then suddenly goosed her friend, making the brunette squeal in surprise.