Three Square Meals Ch. 089

"What do you mean?" John asked, puzzled by her vague reply.

She shrugged and gave him a look of apology. "They've gone hazy and started glowing... I can't really tell you much more than that."

John nodded, reaching down to give her a quick kiss to smooth away her frown. "How come you didn't bring this up before?" he asked pulling back to watch her face.

"During our last XO meeting you mean?" Alyssa asked, a coy smile teasing her lips. "Partly because we were very enthusiastic in our catching up and neither of us were feeling particularly talkative. I also wanted to wait until you'd seen each of the girls before I told you about the changes you were triggering in them. Calara getting her powers was another factor; I was curious to see if her portrait would change in the same way when her third helix was activated."

"There's no need to wait for a meeting next time, just let me know if anything significant changes in the girls that you think I should know about," John said gazing into her beguiling cerulean eyes.

"Will do," she agreed amiably, before turning her head to one side to glance at the twins. "They're getting sleepy... do you want to tuck them in? After you're done I'd like to take you up on your offer to leave me thoroughly satiated..."

He grinned at her, giving her a parting peck on the lips before moving across the bed to join the rest of the girls. The Maliri sisters had cuddled up with Jade, with the Nymph stroking their backs as they snuggled into her.

"I'll look after them until you come to bed," Jade said, giving him a lovely smile.

"Thanks, honey," John said, returning her smile with a grateful one of his own, before turning his attention to the twins. Placing his hands on their rounded cum-stuffed stomachs, he gently stroked the two girls, drawing soft sighs from them both.

"Love being here with you..." Tashana murmured, giving him a sleepy smile. He kissed her and stroked her hair for a few moments until she was out like a light, exhausted after experiencing such a relentless chain of climaxes.

Irillith was equally shattered, barely able to keep her eyes open. She looked up at John as he gently unclipped the grav-cuffs that he'd deactivated earlier from her wrists, an almost disbelieving look of gratitude on her face. He reached for the collar around her graceful neck and she bit her lip then shook her head slightly.

"You want to go to sleep with it on? Alright, I'll take it off later when I come to bed," he said indulgently, leaning in for a kiss.

"Thank you," she breathed, her heavy eyes falling to her slumbering twin as she fought to stay awake.

John ran his fingers through Irillith's luxurious mane of long white hair. "You're exhausted. Get some rest, we can talk about what sexy little vixens you and your sister are another time."

She laughed quietly then closed her eyes as he stroked her. In a matter of seconds, she was out like a light. He pulled the covers up over the three girls and waved goodbye to Jade as she hugged her sleeping wards protectively. A noise by the door drew his attention and when he turned to look, he saw Calara leaning against the frame sharing a kiss with her blonde lover. Alyssa flashed John a sultry come-hither look then padded out into the corridor with an extra sway to her hips.

"The others are waiting in my quarters," Calara said with a grin of anticipation. "Alyssa thought you might want some backup."

"Such a thoughtful girl," he said with a chuckle, climbing off the bed and following the delightfully nude Latina out of the bedroom.

***

"Beginning final approach, all passengers prepare for debarkation," the shuttle pilot said over the internal comm, her voice calm and professional.

Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy groaned, wincing against the glare as the lights in the shuttle's passenger cabin were brought up to full illumination. He'd been out drinking the night before, making the most of his final night of shore leave on Terra, but he was definitely suffering for it this morning. He felt more than a little worse-for-wear, having partied hard with the wonderful college girls he'd been very fortunate to befriend on his second day of leave.

There was nothing like your planet coming within seconds of being vaporised to give people a profound new appreciation for life. Tammy and Veronica had proven to be very appreciative, drawn to his navy uniform like moths to a flame. He'd seen his chance meeting with them as a stroke of incredible good fortune, an opportunity to forget his worries and just have some fun.

It had certainly started out that way, drinking for free in all the bars they visited, his uniform the only currency they needed. The girls helped him celebrate his recent promotion before tumbling into bed with him at the end of the evening. When he'd lurched awake at night, shaking with fear as he relived nightmares of the Battle of Regulus, he'd been profoundly grateful to them both. They'd held and comforted him as he told them about the horrors he'd seen and the friends he'd lost to the Kintark's terrible plasma fire...

"Wow! Look at the size of that thing!" a young man said, his voice bubbling with excitement and rousing Murphy from his reverie.

Murphy glanced to his right across the aisle and saw a couple of fresh-faced men leaning forward in their chairs to stare in wonder at the holo-screen displayed in the front of the cabin. They were both ensigns by the rank insignia on their new flight jackets and he guessed they must be straight out of the Academy. He didn't need to look to know what they were gaping at, but he turned anyway, eager to see his first glimpse of home. Watching along with them, he recognised the distinctive shape of the Retribution of Zeus and shared that same sense of awe they were feeling.

"I still can't believe we'll be flying fighters from the flagship!" the second teenager exclaimed. "We were so lucky to get this assignment!"

The vast grey hull of the biggest ship in the Terran Federation fleet soon filled most of their view, with the shuttle slowly approaching to dock with the colossal Fleet Carrier. Murphy knew the real reason why those cadets had been assigned to the Zeus and luck had nothing to do with it. Only nineteen fighters out of one-hundred-and-forty had survived the Battle of Regulus... these young men were there to replace the dead.

He let out a sad sigh, remembering the day nearly three years ago when he'd first arrived on the Zeus. Commander Summers had been there waiting in the docking bay, Angel greeting him with a warm smile as she took that raw recruit under her wing. That act of kindness had meant a lot to him, overwhelmed as he'd been. Murphy glanced at the cadets and shook off his maudlin mood.

"Welcome to the Zeus, lads! I couldn't help overhearing you're joining the flight crews," he said, keeping his tone friendly and open.

"Yes, Sir!" the closest ensign replied, snapping a nervous salute.

His companion was more relaxed and he grinned at Murphy proudly as he saluted too. "We'll be flying Rapiers!"

"It's a great fighter," Murphy said, nodding sagely. "You'll be faster and more agile than anything in the sky. Well, quicker than anything those bastard lizards have got anyway!" He couldn't help remembering that lightning-fast gunship that had appeared from out of nowhere and saved his ass. He'd enthusiastically joined in the toasts to the Lion and the Lionesses back on Terra, thinking only of that green goddess and her enchanting smile.

"You're a fighter pilot?!" the nervous ensign asked, eyes-widening in awe.

Green lights flashed by the exits, warning them that they'd touched down aboard the Fleet Carrier, although the shuttle coming to a shuddering halt had already given that away. Murphy rose from his seat and grabbed his bag from the adjacent locker as he did so. "Yeah, name's Lieutenant Commander Ryan Murphy, but you fellas can call me Leprechaun."

"I'm Ensign Baker, this is Ensign Halifax," the bolder one of the two said.

Murphy smiled at them as he walked towards the door. "Once you're settled in, come and find me. I'll give you lads some pointers."

"Thank you, Sir!" Halifax gasped, looking astonished and excited.

"Will do, Leprechaun!" Baker said with a cheerful grin.

Murphy winked at them, then left them to collect their kit-bags as he strolled out of the shuttle airlock and across the docking stanchion. He was surprised to see a familiar face waiting for him at the end of the platform, his friend standing at ease, although his rigid posture looked anything but. "Binary! How's it going?" Murphy asked, clapping his wingman on the shoulder.

The man's stern posture relaxed slightly, a brief smile flickering on his face. "Good to see you, Leprechaun. Did you enjoy your vacation?"

"You should have come with me," Murphy said, smiling at his fellow fighter pilot as they left the hangar. "The civvies are all over anyone in a uniform!"

Binary nodded thoughtfully. "I believe you experienced the 'Lion effect'. I've heard a number of other officers discussing the positive benefits of John Blake's recent defence of Terra. They seemed most enthused about their recent interactions with civilians."

"Yeah, I can imagine," Murphy said with a wry smile, striding down the corridor. He frowned as he glanced at Binary who was keeping pace beside him. "Have you met our new CO yet?"

"I have. He requested your presence on the flight deck the moment you landed," Binary informed him solemnly.

Murphy groaned in exasperation. "Right now? I wanted a shower and a nap! I'm not back on the roster until this afternoon..."

"He was most insistent," Binary replied, tapping his companion on the shoulder and taking a left fork in the corridor.

Looking wistfully down the right fork, which would have led to a steaming hot shower then six hours of blissful sleep, Murphy sighed and reluctantly followed Binary to the left instead. He could only imagine the kind of ball-busting hardass that would make him rush straight back on duty - didn't this new guy know that it was tradition to get blitzed on your last day of leave?

Murphy plodded along beside Binary as they passed more Hangars until they reached the scores of fighter launch bays, commonly known as the flight deck. There was a lot of activity here, far more than usual for this time of day in a non-combat situation. He could sense the excitement in the air as a couple of airmen jogged past, talking animatedly with each other.

"Nice of you to show your face, Leprechaun! Glad to see you didn't drink yourself into a coma!" a loud, cheerful voice shouted to him from the maintenance gantry overlooking the fighter bay.

"Gator?! What're you doing here?" Murphy exclaimed, astonished to see one of his flight instructors from the Academy and saluting reflexively.

The tall, moustachioed man strolled towards him with a wide grin on his face. "It's Captain Lewis to you! You weren't the only one to get promoted recently!"

Murphy blinked at him in surprise. "They gave you command of the whole squadron?! Congratulations!"

"We lost a lot of good men at Regulus. When they called and offered me the post, I leapt at the chance." He turned to Murphy's companion, nodding to him gratefully as he added, "Thanks for bringing him here, Binary."

"Happy to be of service, Captain," Binary replied. "If you have no further need of me, may I be dismissed?"

Captain Lewis looked at him in surprise. "Don't you want to check out the new fighters?"

"I requested the technical readouts for the new Claymore variants from one of the technicians. I intend to study them back in my quarters," Binary announced, in his flat unemotional voice.

"Be my guest," the bewildered officer said, gesturing back the way they'd arrived.

Murphy was used to his wingman's eccentricities, so he simply smiled at his friend before he walked away down the corridor. Turning back to look at his Commanding Officer, Murphy had a gleam in his eyes. "What's this about new fighters?"

"They're state of the art! Fresh out of the Shipyards at Olympus!" Gator replied sounding excited. He jerked a thumb back towards the fighter bay. "Come and have a look..."

They walked briskly towards the maintenance gantries that led down into the fighter bay. There were dozens of pilots gathered along the railings staring at the new fighter in awe.

"Holy shit!" Murphy cursed under his breath, his eyes widening as he stared at the brutal-looking piece of military hardware.

The Claymore had three multi-barrelled Gatling Lasers jutting out of each wing, along with a big blunt-nosed barrel built directly into the central fuselage. It was much bigger than the Rapier fighters that Murphy had flown since leaving the Academy, at least twenty-metres long with two huge engines on the back. Although it looked very intimidating, Murphy could only imagine what a gunship with that much mass would handle like.

Gator grinned at him. "Want to take one out for a spin? I can't wait to see what they can do!"

Murphy looked at the Captain in confusion. "The Claymore looks more like a gunship than a fighter. With all due respect, Sir, I'm a fighter pilot. That beast must handle like a slug in treacle!"

"I'll tell you what," Captain Lewis said reasonably. "Be my wingman for a test flight and if you don't like the handling, you can stick with the Rapiers, no questions asked. Sound fair?"

It was a reasonable enough request, but Gator had always been a reasonable man. "Sounds like a fair deal, Captain. I'll get suited up."

***

John yawned as he awoke, being careful as he stretched so that he wouldn't wake the Maliri twins who were draped over him. He smiled at the sleeping girls then glanced at the ship's chronometer. He did a double-take, surprised to see that it was nearly ten in the morning. That explained why it was just the three of them left in bed, the rest of the girls having obviously got up earlier.

*You earned a lie-in after last night's sterling performance,* Alyssa said, sounding particularly contented today.

John smiled as he remembered the loving orgy in Calara's room, with Alyssa squarely at the centre. It had been an energetic evening, but he'd slept-in for far longer than he'd intended to and he tried to recall the details of their flight path to work out their progress. *I better get up. We must be reaching the Trankaran border soon?*

*We'll cross into Trankaran Space in thirty-two minutes,* his blonde Matriarch informed him. *I'm up on the Bridge at the moment in case there's trouble.*

*Sensible precaution,* he agreed. *Alright, give me a few minutes to have a shower and I'll head straight there to join you.*

At that moment the Maliri girls began to stir, blinking drowsily as they stretched. *Oops,* Alyssa murmured, a playful undercurrent to her voice.

John rolled his eyes, knowing full-well that she'd just deliberately woken the girls up. Still, he did want to talk to both sisters and it was better to do it now, rather than leaving them alone in case they had any worries about last night's events.

"Good morning, my Maliri beauties," John said, smiling at the twins in greeting.

"Good morning, John," they replied simultaneously, their identical voices creating an affectionate, reverberating echo. They rolled over so that they could look at him properly, leaning their soft warm breasts against his chest.

He caught the embarrassed glances they were darting each other and he decided to nip that in the bud immediately. Reaching up to caress them both, he brushed his fingers against their cheeks before sliding his hands back to massage their heads. They both relaxed with his soothing touch, leaning into his hands as he stroked them.

"I've never seen either of you look that satisfied before," he told them both, before turning to look at Tashana. "It seemed like you had a great time. Did you enjoy everything that happened last night?"

Tashana blushed as she nodded. "I loved it! I've never experienced that much pleasure before... I didn't even know that was possible!"

"Good girl," John said, praising her for her honesty. Turning to look at Irillith he continued in a firm voice. "Your sister enjoyed everything about last night. Did you have a good time as well?"

Realising immediately that he was trying to reassure her, Irillith gave him a loving, grateful smile. Her embarrassment faded away as she realised Tashana hadn't changed her mind after her initial positive reaction to seeing John impaling her ass. She felt immensely relieved that her sister hadn't been overcome with revulsion and felt almost giddy at Tashana's calm and welcoming acceptance.

She leaned down to gently kiss John's wrist, lowering her eyes submissively for only a second... but it was enough to convey the message she intended. "I felt like I truly gave myself to you last night; it was absolutely wonderful. Thank you for being so thoughtful with all your prior preparations."

One of her slender blue hands drifted to her neck as she smiled at him coyly, but he already knew what she was referring to.

Looking at each of them in turn, he said quietly, "There's over a thousand Maliri linked to Edraele, but you two are special. I'm not planning to take any of those girls that way, but I would very much like a repeat performance with both of you sometime." He gazed into Tashana's eyes as he spoke, making his intentions quite clear.

Tashana nibbled at her lower lip, then smiled at Irillith. "When it's my turn, would you be there for me too? He's just so huge, I've no idea how it'll fit! I always feel bolder and braver when you're around."

Irillith leaned over John and gave her twin a tender kiss. "Of course. I promise I'll take good care of you."

"It seemed like there were some unforeseen side-effects at the end of the night," John reminded them quietly. "Do you remember being able to hear Irillith's thoughts, Tashana?"

She gasped, her violet eyes widening in awe. "I totally forgot about that!"

He smiled at her and pulled her down for a kiss. "I'm not surprised! You were both barely conscious by the time we finished."

Looking equally astonished Irillith blurted out, "I don't remember that at all! Are you sure that happened?"

John nodded as he replied, "Alyssa heard you speaking to your sister with telepathy. It definitely happened." He gave them a quizzical look and continued, "Can you try again this morning? I'd be interested to see if you can do that again."

Equally intrigued by the idea, the twins turned to gaze into each other's eyes, both concentrating on trying to send a telepathic message to her sister.

"I heard you!" Tashana exclaimed a second later. She smiled as she added, "You said: 'I love you, little sister'... I remember now, you told me the same thing last night!"

"I wonder why I can't hear you?" Irillith asked, frowning with disappointment. They both turned to look at John, two sets of angular violet eyes hopeful for an answer.

John shook his head. "I'm sorry girls, I've no idea why; it wasn't something I initiated. I discussed your telepathy with Alyssa last night, but she wasn't sure what triggered it either. It might be linked to Irillith being bonded with her, but neither she nor Athena was certain."

"Maybe it was a budding ability that was always there, but you nurtured it into something more substantial?" Irillith asked him, before glancing at Tashana. "Do you remember that tingling sensation when we were children? I've felt that a number of times since we rescued you."

"Me too!" Tashana exclaimed, beaming at her sister.

Irillith gave John a sultry smile. "Maybe you just need to feed Tashana a few more times, then she'll be able to speak to me with telepathy too..."

"Unless I'm already using telepathy with Irillith, but you need to feed her more so she can hear me?" Tashana replied, leaning down to plant a delicate kiss on John's chest.