Three Square Meals Ch. 088

"It's only one-way telepathy, but it was a nice bonus perk after spending all that time bonding with Edraele. I'm just glad you didn't break my connection to her when you cut yourself off from us," Alyssa said, wincing at the thought. "I wouldn't want to go through all that again!"

John gave her a sympathetic look, then frowned with worry as he caught himself waiting for Edraele to make a telepathic comment.

*It won't be long. You'll have your two Matriarchs chattering away in your head again in no time...* Alyssa said to him, her voice soothing as it breezed through his mind.

He nodded to her, then glanced at Tashana and Irillith who both looked concerned. "I'll check in with Luna and see how Edraele's doing. She would have called if there'd been a problem."

They both smiled at him in gratitude, with Tashana hugging him tighter.

"We're back on the Invictus," Faye announced, wary about interrupting the conversation.

"I didn't even feel us land!" John said in surprise, looking through the cockpit canopy and seeing the grey titanium-plated walls of the Hangar Bay. "You're getting even better with your flying!"

"The time lapse is annoying, but I've adjusted to make accommodations for that," she replied, looking pleased at the praise.

Dana frowned in annoyance. "Shit! I'm sorry, Faye. With everything going on, I forgot all about that. I'll look into it, I promise."

"Maybe some kind of signal booster might help?" Irillith suggested.

The redhead tapped a finger on her chin as she mulled it over. "I was thinking about something along those lines. We could adjust the pulse generator that John and Yamamoto were using for that training simulator..."

Calara walked over to Tashana and gave her a coy smile. "Unless you particularly want to listen to all that tech talk, I know something much more fun we could be doing."

The Maliri girl turned and gave John a quick kiss, her violet eyes sparkling with excitement. "Thanks in advance for lunch!"

He laughed and watched the two girls leave the cockpit and head towards the cabin at the back of the Raptor.

Sakura gave him a squeeze, then smiled as she said, "I'll love you and leave you. I need to bring the Valkyrie around to the Primary Hangar."

"Don't forget the stealth shuttle is in there at the moment," Alyssa reminded John.

John mulled that over for a moment, considering what to do with the assassin's shuttle. "It's tempting just to dump it, but it might have some trade value. We'll need the room in that Hangar for ore from the Trankarans, so we'll have to do something with it then anyway."

"I could move it into the cargo bay to give Sakura more free space to practice?" she offered.

"That's a good idea," John agreed.

She smiled and nodded. "As soon as we've finished moving the shuttle and mech around, I'll set a course for Trankaran Space."

"Perfect! Thanks, beautiful," John said, giving her a grateful smile.

The rest of the crew followed him out of the cockpit then dispersed as they went about their business. John had decided to make his calls from his Ready Room, so he was accompanied to the grav-tube by Irillith, Dana and Jade. He waved the redhead and the Nymph goodbye when they stepped out onto Deck Seven, leaving him with the Maliri girl as they headed up to the Command Deck. Faye greeted them with a cheerful wave when they walked out onto the Bridge, which they both returned with a smile. Irillith began to walk towards her IntOps station but she halted mid-stride, then glanced over her shoulder at John, a question in her angular eyes.

John saw the look she darted his way, so he held out a hand for her. "I think I know what's on your mind. Let's go and talk in my Ready Room."

They walked down the ramp to the sealed door, with John pushing the button to open it, then standing aside to usher the Maliri girl through. Irillith didn't say a word until they were seated together on one of the sofas.

She turned to face him, hesitated for a moment, then said, "I'm just going to come right out and say it: You based Edraele's new personality on Calara's mother, didn't you?"

"In a large part, yes," John replied honestly. "My Progenitor guide wiped out Edraele's mind and left me with a completely blank slate. I wanted to give you the kind of mother you deserved and Maria was the best example I had. I'm sorry if I-"

Irillith leaned across, quickly silencing him with a tender kiss. "Thank you, from both me and Tashana. I know you didn't even know my sister back then, but she likes the new Edraele as much as I do." She had a wistful smile on her face as she murmured, "It was so heart-warming to see Calara and her mother together, but so foreign at the same time. I know it can never truly be like that between Tashana, Edraele, and me, but I really appreciate the sentiment."

"Can't it?" John asked, gazing into her grateful angular eyes.

"She isn't really our mother, not any more," Irillith said, with a hint of sadness. "The new Edraele is lovely, but our relationship doesn't feel genuine. The real Edraele never cared about us, not that way... or any way that wasn't completely self-serving."

John studied Irillith for a moment, seeing the pain in her eyes. "Edraele still remembers everything that she did to you. All I've done is give her a new... approach to dealing with the world. Her desire to make things up to you is absolutely genuine, as is her love for you as a mother. Would it really be so terrible to give her that chance? To genuinely have the same kind of relationship with her that Calara enjoys with Maria?"

Irillith looked startled, before a troubled shadow crossed her face. "I'm not sure I really deserve it. I'd become quite the monster myself."

John pulled her into his arms, brushing his fingers through her long white hair to comfort her. "You don't need me to tell you you're nothing like the woman I first met on Geniya Station. Actually, come to think of it, you, Tashana, and Edraele have a lot in common."

She tilted her head up to smile coyly at him, her slender blue hand trailing down over his stomach to the bulge in his trousers. "I can't disagree with you there."

He laughed and shook his head. "No, I don't mean that. All three of you are starting over in one way or another. I love the wonderful woman you've grown into over the last few months. Tashana's back to the girl she was, before she... ran into trouble. Edraele is trying to adjust to her new life as well, so there's been huge changes for all of you to get used to."

"I thought we weren't making innuendoes?" Irillith asked, while arching an eyebrow, the hint of a smile playing at her lips. When he rolled his eyes at her, she paused to think about what he'd just told her. "So, you're saying to just embrace the new family you've created for me? As we're all starting afresh anyway, just forget the past and move on?" She sounded sceptical, and the doubt was quite clear in her eyes.

"You're all amazing women and deserve to be happy," John said, stroking her back. He looked away for a moment, then added quietly, "In all honesty, Edraele is struggling... She's tormented by guilt for everything she did in her past life, especially where you and Tashana are concerned. I've tried to tell her that she shouldn't blame herself, but she's being stubbornly defiant about it. If I can't convince you that you deserve the same kind of loving relationship with Edraele that Calara shares with her mother, would you at least try for Edraele's sake?"

Irillith looked sombre then, staring into the distance as she gave his request serious thought. When her angular eyes lifted to meet his curious gaze, there was conflict in those beautiful violet orbs. "I didn't know she was having problems coping. I'll gladly make the effort to help Edraele, but... building that kind of mother/daughter relationship could be difficult. It might be a little awkward, considering your relationship with her, me, and Tashana."

John hesitated, fully aware of the intimacy between himself and his Maliri Matriarch. "I understand what you're asking, but I've grown very close to Edraele. I'm sorry, but I can't give her up like that, she means too much to me."

Irillith looked at him in surprise, then quickly shook her head. "I don't mean you should stop sleeping with her!" She blushed slightly, her cheeks turning a lovely dark blue. "With the way things are going between me and Tashana, I just assumed that you expected the three of us would eventually become intimate."

Feeling a surge of relief, John smiled and hugged her close. "Your long-term happiness is more important to me than some vicarious thrill I'd get from seeing all of you together. I've actually tried to avoid that kind of thing in the past, so as not to overly complicate your relationship with Edraele." He laughed self-consciously. "Not that it isn't already complicated enough as it is!"

"I hope you don't feel like I'm trying to force restrictions on you," Irillith said, looking at him with concern. "I just think it might be too difficult for her to build a maternal relationship with us if we're lovers as well."

"No, I don't feel restricted," John replied, leaning down to give her a kiss. He gazed into her eyes and added, "Are you worried about something similar between you and Tashana?"

Irillith kissed him back, sensually this time. "No, I think my blossoming relationship with her is something we're both very keen to explore. I love her so much and it feels so right. Besides, we've seen how much it excites you when we're together..."

"Good, we're all on the same page then," John said, between kisses. He paused for a second, a flicker of doubt in his mind as he thought of something... perplexing.

"What's wrong?" Irillith asked nervously, when she noticed the brief frown.

John let a hand slide down over her luscious body, before slipping his fingers through one of the slashes in her long dress to gently caress Irillith's slim, toned stomach. "When the three of you are pregnant, I was hoping I could see you together..."

Irillith realised at once what he had in mind and gave him an understanding smile. "You wanted to admire your handiwork when we're all starting to swell with your babies? Maybe even feed us together?" She planted a soft kiss on his lips, her violet eyes filled with promise. "I'm sure we can make exceptions when that time comes..."

He couldn't help grinning at her and she laughed at his eager expression, the lovely unrestrained sound of delight echoing around the Ready Room.

Giving the blue-skinned beauty a warm hug, he said, "I'm glad we had a chance to talk. It was good to clear the air."

"Me too," Irillith agreed, giving him a radiant smile. "I promise I'll work hard on building a relationship with Edraele. I'll speak to Tashana too and let her know that you're worried about our mother."

"That's very kind, thank you," John said, tilting up her chin and planting a loving kiss on her soft blue lips. "If you wanted proof of how much you've changed recently, there it is."

"I'll leave you to those calls then," the Maliri girl replied, glowing with his praise as she rose to her feet.

John watched her glide over to the door, entranced by the alluring sway of her hips and the taut round orbs of her perfect ass. Irillith glanced at him over her shoulder, the bewitching smile she gave him making it quite clear she knew the full effect her ravishing body was having on him. When she disappeared from view onto the Bridge, he blinked to clear his lust-fogged mind, but couldn't help smiling with anticipation, before walking over to his desk.

Taking a seat in the plush, high-backed leather chair, he pressed a button on his desk to activate the console. The holographic comm interface sprang to life and he scrolled through the list of contacts until he found the one he was looking for. Swiping his hand across the name "Kerhom's Anvil", he sat back in his chair, knowing it would take some time to connect the call. Turning slightly, he gazed out the window, seeing the multitude of stars that formed the Milky Way appearing as a faint blue vertical haze. He watched the closest stars flashing out of view as they raced through Terran Space in hyper-warp.

*You and Sakura were quick!* he thought to his blonde Matriarch.

*Time must have flown while you were chatting with Irillith. That turned out to be a fascinating conversation by the way, accompanied by plenty of intriguing imagery...* Alyssa replied, her lilting voice sounding playful.

He smiled to himself at her teasing, knowing full-well what she was referring to. Choosing to delicately side-step that subject for the moment, he asked, *What do you think of the plan to help Edraele?*

Alyssa's mournful sigh echoed through his mind. *I must admit I'm a little disappointed. I was looking forward to seeing some deliciously naughty mother/daughter action, with you triple-teamed by nubile Valaden women. I guess I'll just have to make do with enjoying your lusty thoughts as you plunder those oh-so-willing twins...*

*You know what I meant, you little vixen,* John said, chuckling at her lewd reply.

Her voice turned serious as she answered his original question. *Edraele needs this and I think it was sensible to discuss it with Irillith while she's not in your mind. The twins will benefit from building that kind of relationship with her, so it's a plan with no drawbacks for them... except for the one that affects you of course. I'm proud of you for being so selfless.*

*The crosses I have to bear...* John sent her a telepathic image of himself looking pious, much to Alyssa's amusement.

The comm interface let out a pleasant chime, alerting him that the call had been connected, so he turned back to look at the holographic screen. The image flickered for a moment, before solidifying into the dark-grey, slab-like features of Fleet Warden Thandrun. The Naval Commander was wearing bulky armour that made his hulking frame look even more imposing, the glowing red lines in the armour casting an ominous crimson sheen over his features.

In a voice that sounded like boulders crashing together, the Trankaran Fleet Warden boomed, "Ah, Vice Admiral Blake! This is a most welcome surprise! Congratulations on your recent promotion."

"Thank you, Fleet Warden. It's good to see you again too," John replied, inclining his head respectfully. "I hope you're well?"

"I'm in fine health, but the Republic is... deeply troubled." the Trankaran replied, his booming voice muted to a subdued rumble, his expression shadowed with worry.

John looked at the granite-faced Trankaran with concern. "I hope it's not more problems with rebels?"

"No, you successfully eliminated that threat. The rebels capitulated almost immediately and we've seen no further disturbance from splinter groups," the Fleet Warden replied, his deep voice full of gratitude despite his frown. Thandrun's expression darkened further, amber eyes starting to glow with fury. "But for the last month we've been beset by Kirrix incursions!"

"I've heard of similar attacks along the Terran Federation border," John replied, his expression grim. "I was actually hoping to speak to Chancellor Niskera. There's something I wanted to discuss with her that might help your situation."

"You're too late! The wretched insectoid vermin managed to-" Abruptly his furious rumble faded away, the Trankaran Fleet Warden forcing himself to silence with visible effort.

"What's the matter, Thandrun?" John asked, leaning forward in his chair. "What happened to Niskera?!"

Shaking his blocky head, the Fleet Warden rumbled, "Not over an open comm channel. Come to Trankaran Space and meet with my fleet, I'll supply you with the coordinates and we can discuss this in person."

"We'll see you soon, Thandrun," John said, nodding his understanding.

The Trankaran Naval Commander gave him a respectful bow, then closed the comm channel. As his dark-grey face disappeared from view, John saw the door to his Ready Room open and a statuesque figure appeared, silhouetted against the bright lights of the Bridge. He recognised Alyssa's confident strut before he made out her golden-blonde hair.

She strode purposefully towards his desk, a look of concern on her beautiful face. "That sounded ominous..."

"Yeah, didn't it just," John agreed, glancing at the comm interface as a follow-up message arrived from Thandrun. He opened it up and saw a long string of coordinates providing the exact location of the rendezvous point.

Leaning against his desk, Alyssa's bright blue eyes narrowed for a second as she pinpointed that location in her mind. "They've moved the fleet closer to the Kirrix border. It'll add another three hours, twenty-two minutes flight time to reach them."

John nodded distractedly, lost in thought. "It sounds like they're in trouble and I've got a fairly good hunch who they're going to ask for help." He met her penetrating gaze, knowing she was reading his mind. "Serious trouble like that usually means combat, but I've got no connection to Edraele..."

"So you'll be running on half a tank," Alyssa finished for him.

"Do we change course to revive her first? Or rush to the Trankarans?" he pondered out loud. "The first option is the cautious choice, but it's also in the opposite direction to the Trankaran Republic."

"If we fly straight to Thandrun, we can be there in just under two days," she informed him, trying to keep her voice impassive and simply provide him the facts. "Flying to Edraele first will delay our meeting with Thandrun by another six days, so eight days total for the round trip."

John grimaced, the choice obvious. "We can't afford to risk letting whatever's happening to the Trankarans escalate for another week. If this is trouble instigated by the other Progenitor, we need to act now."

Alyssa nodded her agreement as he made his decision. "I'll make the course corrections immediately." She smiled at him and leaned across the desk to give him a reassuring kiss. "If we get dragged into a fight, I've still got tons of power. We'll just have to be a little more cautious with our psychic abilities than normal."

"I can always count on you, beautiful," he said, his tone earnest.

She waved him goodbye with a sparkle in her eyes, then walked briskly towards the Bridge to change the Invictus' flight path. John watched her leave, then turned back to the comm interface, picking out Luna's name and swiping across it.

*Can you ask Luna to pick up as soon as the call connects, but just disable video comms?* John asked his blonde Matriarch, feeling a rush of impatience. *I can't see her face when she's armoured-up anyway, so putting on that suit is a waste of time.*

*She'll be able to see you though,* Alyssa reminded him gently. *You've put Luna in quite the position of authority; she might appreciate seeing a supportive face...*

Taking a deep breath to calm himself down, John nodded. *You're right, thank you.*

He turned and gazed out of the window again to admire the starscape flashing past, while waiting for the call to connect. He couldn't help focusing on a pair of yellow stars many light years away from his present position, the colour and intensity reminding him of the assassin's striking eyes. Distracted as he was, the crossed blades of House Valaden seemed to appear on the screen in no time at all, accompanied by a warning chime. The image was only there for a brief moment, before it disappeared, revealing Luna's distinctive suit of golden armour.

"It's so good to see you, John!" Luna exclaimed, her voice throbbing with relief. "I don't know how Edraele can handle all this responsibility!"

"I'm so sorry you've been burdened with it," John said sympathetically, while being guarded with his reply, aware that Terran Federation forces could be eavesdropping. "Any problems so far?"