Three Square Meals Ch. 074

John was firm as he replied, "The Invictus was never designed for the kind of knock-down brawls we've been getting involved with. We've been one lucky shot from disaster in more battles than I can count! I'm not going to put any of you at undue risk, if I can help it."

Calara smiled at her blonde lover as she said, "I agree with John, but there's other big benefits too. The new features to that room will make a tremendous difference in a fight, especially if I need to coordinate another fleet engagement, like we did in the Regulus system."

"Ah, I don't mind, really," Alyssa admitted. She winked at John, and added, "I just like seeing you get all protective."

He smiled at her, then looked down at Sakura and Jade, and seeing that they were nearly done, he asked, "How about you two, anything new to report?"

"Engines are done," Sakura managed between gasps. She struggled to add, "Retro-thrusters by tomorrow!" before tailing off in an orgasmic squeal, as she grabbed at the sheets with a white-knuckled grip.

Jade sat up with a satisfied smile on her face when she'd finished licking the raven-haired beauty to climax, and hefted her titanic, cum-inflated breasts. She shivered with delight as she stroked the engorged spheres, then looked at him with heavy-lidded eyes, and purred, "I've fed over four-hundred Maliri so far, Master." Her mouth turned up into a languid smile as she continued, "And I've loved every second of it..."

He chuckled at that, then looked at Irillith, and asked, "How're the network upgrades coming along?"

The Maliri girl had a far-away look in her eyes, and after a gentle telepathic nudge from Alyssa, she replied, "Oh! Sorry, John. We're proceeding according to plan, and nothing untoward to report."

"I think you need a distraction from Tashana," he said sympathetically, beckoning her over to him. Sakura moved aside to make room for her, and once he had his arms around Irillith, he continued, "How about keeping me company in the Recruiting Room? It's interesting getting to know all the engineers, and you can help switch them out when Jade's finished feeding each pair."

"That would be nice, thank you," she murmured, turning her head to give him an appreciative kiss.

"We'll get her back, don't worry," John said, as he stroked her silky white hair.

Irillith nodded, but couldn't help worrying about what her twin sister was doing, her heart skipping a beat at the thought of her being in danger.

***

"Alright, send her in, Renelle," Matriarch Tsarra Perfaren declared, using her most imperious voice, before closing the comm channel to her assistant and sitting up straight in her chair. She glanced nervously to her left, looking up at her Fleet Commander, and added, "We might get some answers at long last, Aadya!"

The older woman nodded grimly, and said, "I'd advise great caution, Matriarch. Bearing in mind her lineage, she shouldn't be trusted."

Before Tsarra could reply, the door to her grand study opened, and three figures entered the room. Two of them were House Perfaren guards in full armour, and they were flanking a woman wearing a black outfit with red leather boots and jacket. As if the woman's outfit wasn't garish enough, she also wore a bizarre golden mask which sported a sardonic, mocking smile embossed on its shiny surface.

"So you're Tashana Valaden?" Tsarra asked, studying the peculiar figure with great curiosity. She did her best to appear haughty as she continued, "Your choice of ensemble is certainly... unique."

Tashana performed a deep respectful bow, and said, "Thank you so much for agreeing to see me, Matriarch. I promise you, after you listen to what I have to tell you, that decision will be one you never regret for the rest of your life!"

"That certainly does sound dramatic," Tsarra noted, her voice calm as she glanced at her Fleet Commander, who nodded as she studied the Valaden noblewoman. Focusing on the unusual figure in front of her again, Tsarra's dark-green eyes narrowed as she added politely, "Before we talk about anything else, perhaps you could take a look at something for me?"

She stabbed a finger down on the console built into her desk, and a holo-projection appeared before them. It showed House Perfaren's territory, with fleets from House Valaden, Loraleth, Aeberos, and Naestina still sitting in the exact same place as they had been for nearly three weeks.

"Maybe you can shed some light on this fascinating situation, Tashana Valaden?" Tsarra snapped, her anger bubbling over after so long spent waiting for a decisive attack to come, which never actually did. Her face was contorted in anger as she snarled, "Your mother is poised to strike my territory with what appears to be an overwhelming alliance of enemies. Why shouldn't I just have my guards shoot you on the spot? Or better yet, dragged out of here and tortured, until you tell us everything you know?!"

"It's a bluff," Tashana said dismissively. "My mother would never risk damaging your fleets."

Hands balled into fists, Tsarra managed to suppress her fury long enough to ask through gritted teeth, "And why, pray tell, is that?!"

"Because she wants to take every ship you have, and give them as a gift to her Progenitor Master," Tashana explained, appearing unruffled by the young Matriarch's outburst.

"W-what?!" Tsarra stammered, gaping in shock at the masked woman, after hearing her bizarre response.

Aadya's eyes widened slightly at this pronouncement, but her features remained impassive as she studied the strange Valaden noblewoman.

"My mother's been enslaved by a Progenitor, as have my sister, and I suspect at least four other Matriarchs," Tashana replied, her voice full of conviction. In the deathly silence that now pervaded the room, her gravelly voice took on a darker edge as she added, "Edraele assassinated the old Matriarchs from Houses Loraleth, Aeberos, Naestina, and Ghilwen, and has replaced them with the youngest daughters of each ruling family. They are her pawns, and have almost certainly been enslaved as well by now."

After a moment of stunned inactivity, Tsarra abruptly rose from her chair, and yelled, "Progenitor?! Matriarchs enslaved?! What in the hell are you babbling about?!"

Tashana sounded eerily calm, as she replied, "The old legends about Mael'nerak were true. He was a Progenitor, just like the one now controlling my mother."

At the mention of the ancient children's nursery rhyme, the Perfaren Matriarch burst into disbelieving laughter, and snorted with relief, "You're completely insane!" Turning to the guards, she added, "Get her out of my sight. Throw her in prison while I decide if I'm going to have her executed, or use her to broker a bargain with her mother."

"No, wait!" Tashana protested, as the two guards grabbed her arms.

Tsarra sat back in her chair, and shook her head as she said to her Fleet Commander, "What's Edraele playing at, here? Is this some kind of elaborate insult that implies I'm so young and inexperienced, I'll believe in a child's fairy tale?"

Before Aadya could reply, Tashana begged, "I'm telling you the truth! You have to believe me!"

Tsarra glanced at her in irritation, and said, "Edraele might think I'm fresh out of the nursery, but I can assure you, I'm no fool. Why should I listen to a word out of your lying, Valaden mouth?"

Tashana shoved one of the guards backwards, and managed to tear her hand free from the woman's grasp, which she swiftly raised to her cowled head. "Because I hate her more than you do!" she snarled, tearing the mask free. "Because my cunt of a sister and vicious bitch of a mother took every -fucking- thing away from me! But I'll be damned before I let them destroy our whole civilisation!"

The House Perfaren Matriarch gaped in horror at the terrible ruin that was all that remained of Tashana's face. "Gods, I think I'm going to be sick..." she mumbled, turning her head away in revulsion.

Aadya had been perturbed by the sight of Tashana's ravaged features, but she watched her dispassionately as she tried to make an evaluation of the woman.

Both guards grappled with Tashana again, while she screamed, "Get the fuck off me!"

As Tsarra made an effort to compose herself, Aadya leaned in and said quietly, "As preposterous as it sounds, I believe she's telling the truth, Matriarch. Or at least, what she's convinced is the truth. You can't fake that level of conviction, or the extent of those injuries, for that matter."

Tsarra took a deep breath, and said to the guards, "Let her go." She purposefully avoided looking directly at Tashana's ravaged features, and added, "Please... put your mask on again."

After a moment's pause to straighten herself, Tashana pulled the cowl over her head once more, settling the mocking golden mask into place. Those wild purple eyes calmed again, and she said, "I have more evidence to back up my claims. I don't expect you to believe this on my word alone."

She produced the data-stick from her pocket, then with hands held up in an unthreatening manner, she approached the House Perfaren Matriarch and handed it over.

Tsarra studied it for a moment, then asked, "What's on here?"

"Proof, that what I'm telling you is the truth," Tashana said decisively. "Just insert the data-stick, and I'll show you."

After throwing her advisor a quick glance, which was met by a nod, Tsarra turned to the console in her desk and inserted the data-stick. She hit a glowing green button next to the device, and a holographic display sprung to life before them, showing them the files stored within.

"May I?" Tashana requested, gesturing towards the holo-display.

"Go ahead," the Matriarch replied, her curiosity piqued.

Tashana faced the display, and her nimble hands flickered through the files until she found what she was looking for. With a tap on the floating image, the picture expanded to show Irillith, as she was before she'd debased herself for the Progenitor. Her hair was short and dark, and she wore a long dress, looking cold and aloof.

"My sister..." Tashana muttered, glancing once at the picture and narrowing her eyes.

"I know all about Irillith," the youthful Matriarch replied, her tone grim. "I'm fully versed on your family, have no fear about tha-"

Her voice trailed off as Tashana flicked over to the second image. It showed Irillith with long, flowing white hair, and a broad sparkling smile on her face as she hugged one of the Terran girls. Tashana grimaced at the sight of her slutty sibling: her sister was laughing at some insipid joke, probably at her own expense, no doubt.

"She's so beautiful..." Tsarra murmured, her dark-green eyes widening, as she stared at the feathery mane that cascaded around Irillith's shoulders.

"That's quite enough," Tashana snapped, slashing down with her hand and dismissing the image.

Tsarra frowned, and protested, "Wait, I hadn't finished looking!"

The Fleet Commander at her side nodded, and said enthusiastically, "I'd always thought that wearing long hair would be scandalous, but she looked incredible!"

Tashana studied them for a moment, and her voice was chilling as she explained, "The Maliri are conditioned to respond that way to Thralls. The effect is far more dramatic with a Progenitor, so I didn't dare show you him."

"Conditioned?" Tsarra said dubiously. She shook her head, and protested, "That's absurd. I was just curious, that's all!"

With a pained sigh, Tashana replied, "You were so fixated, you didn't even notice Irillith was unarmoured around a Terran girl. John Blake and his crew all know of our secret. My mother and sister have made no attempt to conceal their appearance from him, but why would they? He's fucking them both."

Tsarra gaped at her, and muttered, "You can't possibly be serious..."

"Progenitors use Maliri women for breeding and as disposable soldiers, and Edraele and Irillith are far too valuable to be wasted on the battlefield..." Tashana clarified, her implication quite clear. "If I hadn't reached you in time, you'd eventually share the same fate."

"Why aren't you affected by this conditioning? You've seen this 'Progenitor', and his 'Thralls'," Aadya asked pointedly.

Tashana looked thoughtful for a moment, then replied, "I spent over twenty years studying the story of Mael'nerak. After everything I uncovered at dozens of dig sites, I recognised him on sight. Perhaps that foreknowledge protected me from the effects."

She turned, and clicked on another directory, bringing up a sprawl of images from her research archive. The other Maliri in the room watched her in fascination, wondering what she was about to reveal next. After selecting the one she had in mind, she turned to face Tsarra again as the picture was projected before her.

It showed dark-haired Maliri bowing on the floor, as a man stood before them, flanked by a white-haired, blue-skinned woman. There was a series of connected images that illustrated a sequence of events, with a number of the women then selected by the Mael'nerak. Although he had pointed ears like a Maliri, he had the colouration of a Terran, and even the sight of that picture was fiercely compelling to the Maliri audience. Tsarra inhaled sharply, her cheeks flushing a darker blue and her breathing quickening as she responded to the arousing sight.

"See how you react to a simple picture of a Progenitor?" Tashana said, her voice filled with worry. "You'd be rendered helpless if he was here in person."

Tsarra flushed with shame, just as the two guards and Aadya did too, all having reacted in the same way. Tashana quickly changed the image, showing the groups of now-white-haired Maliri heavy with child, the women smiling happily.

"Where did you get these?" Tsarra asked in a hushed voice.

"A Thrall facility on Epsilon Aquarii IV. I took these pictures from one of the rooms Mael'nerak used to breed his slaves," the Maliri archaeologist replied. "The ancient Maliri he used would have been docile and compliant as soon as they laid eyes on him."

She clicked through a few more images, until she found one that showed a group of fully armed and armoured white-haired Maliri, boarding a black-hulled spacecraft. The next few images showed them smiling as they mercilessly slaughtered a wide variety of races, while the Mael'nerak looked on.

"That was taken from the ruins of a military barracks on Valaden itself." Tashana explained, before shutting down the projection when she saw the effect it was having on her onlookers. Her voice was tinged with regret as she added, "I actually found an incredibly sophisticated recording device that contained testimony from Mael'nerak's original Matriarch. She warned of the threat the Progenitors posed, and was the one who ordered our people to hide our faces behind armour."

"Why?" Tsarra asked, thoroughly shaken by everything she'd just been shown.

"Because we've been engineered to be a perfect slave race!" Tashana snarled, her tone bitter and resentful. "By keeping ourselves hidden, she hoped to avoid attention from another Progenitor. It worked for nearly ten-thousand years, but the secret's out now, and John Blake's taking control!"

"Have you still got this recording device?" Aadya asked quietly.

Shaking her head, Tashana replied, "My sister has it. I was trying to warn her about the threat the Progenitors posed, but she framed me, and I was banished to the Unclaimed Wastes."

Tsarra slumped in her chair, sharing a deeply worried look with her Fleet Commander. She turned her green eyes back on Tashana, and said, "Alright, I believe you."

Tashana's shoulders sagged with relief, and she said, "Thank you, Matriarch. You may have just saved us from a terrible fate.

Aadya was tense with worry as she said, "If everything you say is true, and this Progenitor has subverted House Valaden and four Matriarchs from other Houses, what can we possibly do to stop him? House Valaden alone is big enough to defeat us, now that they don't have to keep forces in reserve to protect their borders with those Houses. If Edraele's allies join in the assault as well, we don't stand a chance!"

"That's right," Tashana nodded, her eyes burning with a fierce inner fire. "If you try to face them alone, you're doomed."