Three Square Meals Ch. 095

"All of them are thrilled for Tsarra and loved watching you both together." She frowned and gave him a look filled with concern. "But you need to make sure you get lots of rest before we leave the Maliri. You made the girls very broody... when they finally get their hands on you again, you're going to be in for a wild night!"

He laughed, feeling greatly relieved. "I'll bear that in mind, thanks."

The blonde grinned at him, then leaned against his shoulder. "So why did you change your mind about contacting Ularean?"

John held Edraele closer as he shifted position slightly to make her more comfortable. "He knows how much influence I have with the Protectorate and that I'd arranged for a Maliri fleet to guard the Ashanath Collective. Just imagine how easily he might let something slip about any of that..."

"Yeah, that wouldn't be good," Alyssa agreed. "After Regulus, Terran High Command already know you're pals with the Maliri, but they'd freak out if they found out the full story."

He nodded, looking grim. "Exactly. So I was thinking perhaps Irillith might be able to create some kind of unbreakable encryption? I was also planning on asking Edraele how the Maliri previously communicated with the Ashanath, but it looks like we'll have to wait until she snaps out of this state."

"Through their ambassadors..." Edraele murmured, before snorting with laughter. "Funny little grey men... I always wondered how they had an answer straight away." She winked at John and tapped her temple. "But now we know!"

Alyssa looked at her in confusion for a second then her eyes widened. "The Ashanath Command network!"

"Got it in one!" Edraele exclaimed with a giddy smile. "They never needed the Terran comms beacons."

John gaped at her in surprise. "It can't be as simple as that, surely!"

"Why not?" Alyssa gasped, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Edraele told us before: there's no limit on range for telepathy... I'm sure the same must apply to Spirit Walking on the Astral Plane. I can probably just step into their sub-plane, like I did at Ashana!"

"But what about the Astral monsters?" John asked, his eyebrows climbing in alarm. "I can't let you risk exposing yourself to danger like that!"

The blonde hesitated for a moment, then slowly shook her head. "I don't think it'll be like last time. You went deep into the Astral plane to create that breach and the monster only attacked after that. The Ashanath's sub-plane is right on the surface; Athena agrees... it's not the same thing."

John was quiet for a moment, then he gave a decisive nod. "It's worth giving it a try, but not tonight. We'll get geared up tomorrow after everyone's well-rested. If something attacks us then, it'll wish it hadn't."

Alyssa cracked her knuckles, her eyes glowing white with a blazing intensity. "I really hope it does. Payback will be a really angry bitch..."

***

Captain Galen Skotari paced nervously in his Ready Room, waiting for a reply. He'd transmitted the transponder code data over to the blonde captain of the Hesperus, but it had been ten minutes and Camilla still hadn't got back to him.

As he turned back to face the window again, he paused and studied the Terran forces still stationed in the Iota Leonis system. Aside from the CAP fighter wings based on Port Medea and the newly-built Beam Laser turret network that surrounded the station, there weren't many ships left in attendance. The remaining ships included his and Captain Fowler's cruisers, Captain Tovaskaya's light carrier, and a partial squadron of three destroyers. They were pretty meagre defences compared to the huge fleet that had been assembled there only an hour earlier.

The chime from the comms interface made him jump and he dived behind his desk to answer the incoming call. He grinned when he saw the message was from the Hesperus and swiped across the interface to accept it.

"What did Meares say?" Galen asked in a rush.

Camilla shook her head, her pretty face filled with worry. "I tried contacting him, but couldn't get through!"

Galen paused for a moment, then gave her a resigned shrug. "Okay, I guess that can't be helped. We'll just have to try him again later; do you have any idea when he'll be back?"

"No, you don't understand! There's must be some kind of breakdown in the comms beacons... I couldn't reach anybody!"

"There haven't been any warnings about maintenance or repairs... but they'd never cut off the whole network anyway!" His expression reflected his sudden alarm. "It must be the lizards!"

The blonde captain nibbled nervously at her lower lip, then slowly shook her head. "It can't be the Kintark... There's no way they could get that deep into Terran Space, the Dragon March sensor grids would have picked them up."

Galen thought about it for a moment, then was forced to reluctantly agree. With all the sensor probes scattered along the border, it would be impossible for the Kintark to sneak any ships past the defensive forces in the Dragon March. Any intruders would have been detected and intercepted before they'd flown more than a couple of hours into Terran Federation territory.

Sagging in his chair with an anxious frown, he muttered, "So what now? We sit here with our thumbs up our butts and just hope the comms beacons get repaired?"

Camilla raised her hands in helpless frustration. "I don't think we have any choice, Galen. Normally I'd suggest we investigate the chain of beacons to find out what the problem is, but we've been ordered to hold position in Iota Leonis. We can't leave Port Medea undefended."

"Fucking Maddox!" Galen snapped, clenching his fist in anger.

The blonde nodded, then said quietly, "I'm going to cancel my crew's leave and have them return to the ship. I suggest you do the same, Captain Skotari."

He sat up straighter at her firm tone, then glanced out the window at Captain Fowler's cruiser, the Thanatos. "We better warn Andrew as well..."

"Let me do that," Camilla offered, giving him a wry look. "I think I know where he'll be."

"Thanks, Cam." Galen nodded to her in gratitude. "Let me know if you hear anything else."

"Likewise," the blonde replied, before giving him a reassuring smile. "It'll be okay, Galen. It's probably all just a coincidence and we're just being paranoid."

When he gazed into her eyes, he could see that her words sounded as hollow to her as they did to him. They shared a worried look, then closed the call.

Galen grimaced as he got ready to recall his crew. Lumbering them with back-to-back patrols, then cancelling all leave after less than a day; he strongly suspected he was going to be the most hated captain in the entire Terran Federation...

***

John awoke from his restful sleep, then carefully stretched, trying not to disturb the two Maliri women flanking him. Putting his arms around them again, Tsarra snuggled closer, a contented smile on her beautiful face. He was suddenly overwhelmed with feelings of protectiveness, remembering that this lovely girl was carrying his growing baby inside her. One of his big Progenitor sperm had penetrated her delicate Maliri egg, starting that miraculous nine-month process that would see her give them their first child.

As he stared at the sleeping girl in awe, he felt his second bedmate stirring beside him. Turning to Edraele, he studied her with concern. *I'm really sorry I woke you... busy thoughts again. How are you feeling this morning?*

Edraele blushed furiously, turning dark blue and burying her face in his shoulder. *I can't believe the way I behaved yesterday! I feel so embarrassed!*

*You've got nothing to be embarrassed about,* John said, stroking her back as he grinned at her, glad to see she was fully recovered. *You were a happy love-drunk.*

The Maliri Matriarch slowly lifted her face to make eye-contact again. *I don't know how Alyssa does it... having that much power at her fingertips, it was intoxicating!* Her purple eyes widened as she took in the other Young Matriarchs sleeping in the bed. *And there's still four more girls to go!*

*I spoke to Alyssa about it last night. She thinks it was just the shock of getting exposed to that much extra psychic energy at once,* he said, giving her a reassuring smile. *I don't think you'll have any problems coping.*

He could see the trust in her enchanting eyes as Edraele nodded and relaxed. After a moment's hesitation, she glanced at their beautiful bedmates and smiled with anticipation.

*Don't wake them just yet,* John said quickly, interrupting her before she could give the girls a wake-up call. *I need to tell you about the plans I've made with Alyssa...*

Edraele listened intently as he outlined the planned excursion into the Astral Plane, but her face fell when he insisted that she move to the Andresil Enkana with the rest of her girls.

*But I might be able to help you!* she objected strenuously. *I'm a powerful psychic in my own right!*

*That's true, but that's why I need you watching over the Young Matriarchs to keep them safe. If anything happens to us, you are to return to Genthalas and protect your girls,* he said, giving her a stern look. *Is that understood?*

She seemed like she would object again, then glanced at Tsarra and her expression shifted to one of gentle understanding. *I'll do as you ask, John.*

He leaned down to give her a grateful kiss. *Thank you.*

Her eyes flicked to the right and there were a series of yawns as she nudged the Young Matriarchs awake with a telepathic caress.

"Good morning," Tsarra said, giving John a bright smile.

As Edraele pulled away, John unhooked his arm and rolled Tsarra onto her back. "Good morning, beautiful. I hope you slept well?"

She bit her lower lip, then replied, "I slept like a baby..."

After they'd shared a kiss, he leaned down to place a second one on her slim tummy and whispered, "Good morning to you, too..." When he glanced up at the Maliri girl, she was gazing down at him lovingly.

Tsarra beckoned him up for a hug, letting out a happy sigh when he put his strong arms around her. "I could stay like this forever..." she said, giving him a quick kiss, before darting an affectionate smile at the Maliri on her left. "But I need to share with my lovely adoptive sisters."

Tsarra joined Edraele, Luna, and three of the remaining four Young Matriarchs as they headed to the shower, which left Leena Ghilwen sitting on the bed with him. The covers were gathered around her lap, leaving her entirely nude from the waist up. Rather than being shy as he might have expected, she sat there confidently, giving him an unrestricted view of her spectacular azure physique. He took a moment to admire her slender, graceful blue body, lingering on her mouth-watering feminine curves. When he looked up at Leena's gorgeous face, her light-green eyes crinkled with pleasure to see the open appreciation in his curious gaze.

"Hello, Leena," John said, grinning self-consciously at the Maliri girl.

She moved slowly towards him with a bold sensuality, which was as surprising as it was enticing. "Hello, John," she replied, her sultry smile not fading for a moment.

"You seem different," he said, letting the admiration fill his voice.

She swung a lithe leg over his thighs, covering his body with hers. "Calara's a wonderful girl. I've been paying very close attention to everything she told me," she murmured, letting her long white hair brush over his chest.

"Oh, really? And what was that exactly?" he asked, gazing up into her eyes and placing his hands on the soft curve of her hips.

"That you're as attracted to the Maliri as we are to you," she replied softly, brushing his cheek with a feathery soft kiss. "I thought that almost impossible to believe at first, but seeing the way you looked at me just now... I find myself daring to believe it's true."

"I do think you're an exceptionally beautiful girl," John agreed, his voice catching as she grazed his chest with her erect nipples. "But there's so much more to you than just stunning physical perfection... over the weeks we spent together on Genthalas, I got to see what a kind, thoughtful-"

She silenced him with a kiss, pressing herself down on his chest, so that her full breasts swelled against him. Pulling back a couple of inches, she gazed down at him and said, "You've complimented me before, but I'm worried you'll think I'm a narcissist when you realise how much I love hearing your lovely words. Would you like to hear what I think about you instead?"

Caught by surprise again, John hesitated, then slowly nodded.

Leena took a deep breath, then spoke in a quiet voice filled with sympathy, "I see a man in constant struggle with his heritage. Someone who strives with all his might not to follow the same dark path that his forefathers did before him. It's as if you're trying to atone for some dreadful crime that you never committed; carrying a heavy weight of guilt that was never your burden to begin with. It seems like the enemy that scares you the most is your very own nature."

John felt goosebumps ripple over his skin as he listened to her words, astonished at her perceptiveness.

"You're a man so appalled by the way your kin treat their women, that you worship the girls in your life like goddesses, terrified of even the slightest hint that you might succumb to the ways of a Progenitor. You lavish us with love and kindness, leaving us floating like blissful clouds in an endless sky of your heartfelt affection."

John was stunned by how deeply she seemed to know him. "That's quite the gift you have, Leena..."

"When we first met, I was just as overwhelmed by you as my Maliri sisters," she readily admitted, a wistful smile on her lips. "But once you filled my tummy with your cum, it got easier to simply watch you without constantly wanting to throw myself into your arms. I studied you whenever I could, listened to everything your girls or Edraele said about you, just trying to get an insight into who John Blake really was."

"You saw a lot," he admitted, gently stroking her back. "Even more than the other girls have."

"To be in your presence every day must be overwhelming," Leena said, studying his face intently.

"And what did you think, when you saw me struggling with my inner demons?" John asked, losing himself in her light green eyes, the colour reminding him of a fern dappled in sunlight.

"I felt admiration... and sympathy," she said gently. "I know that whatever I say now won't change the way you feel about yourself, or your species. I only want to tell you that being born the way you are wasn't your fault. You've risen far above those dreadful temptations, to become a man truly worthy of respect and love."

"Are you sure?" John asked, doubt heavy in his chest. "It would only take losing to my guide to ruin everything I've fought so hard to accomplish."

"Then we have to make sure that never happens," she said softly, moving closer again, her breath tickling his lips. "I need the kind, loving man I see before me. I want to be there to support him and help him stay strong, so he can defeat anyone that threatens our family."

Leena kissed him then, moaning into his mouth as the tip of her tongue sought out his. John held her in a firmer grip and shifted his weight to roll her onto her back.

She pulled back and shook her head. "No, not like that. Let me do the work, I want to reward you for everything you do for us." The Maliri girl shifted her hips to align him with her, then bit her lower lip as she wriggled down his shaft, her eyelids fluttering as he inched inside her. "I've wanted this for so long..."

John placed his hands on her hips and helped her slide down his cock. Working together, he was soon hilted inside her and Leena trembled, relishing the sensation of being so thoroughly filled for the first time. She sat up then, resting her soft slender hands on his chest as she began to ride him, gazing down at his face with an intense, serious expression on her face.

The sensuous rolling of her hips immediately reminded him of Calara and Leena nodded when she saw the spark of recognition in his eyes. "She's such a lovely girl," she whispered. "So generous and caring..."

It was obvious how aroused Leena was, but she held her orgasm at bay, concentrating intently on John instead. This wasn't how he'd planned her first time to be, but it seemed she delighted on confounding his expectations at every turn. He could see the glint of satisfaction in her eyes when he relaxed, letting her control the pace and tempo as she coaxed him towards his release. It felt liberating not having to lead the coupling for once and he made no attempt to suppress his orgasm when he felt his quad tensing in readiness. Leena's eyes flared as she felt that first jet of cum in her womb and she threw her head back with a wordless cry of ecstasy as she joined him in his climax.

When they were both spent, John spooned up behind her and wrapped her in his arms. "Well aren't you full of surprises," he said with a smile, kissing her azure shoulder.

She glanced down at his hand resting on her swollen belly and raised an eyebrow. "Actually, I think I'm full of your cum..."

He laughed and nodded. "You might be right."

Leena smiled with satisfaction to see him looking so happy. "I wanted our time together to be a bit different for you. It's hard for me to stand out in such an overwhelmingly beautiful crowd."

"Mission accomplished," he said, leaning down to kiss her. He frowned then and continued, "But this isn't about me, today is meant to be about you. Think of this as Leena's day, where I try to give you everything you want."

She interlaced her fingers with his and gently squeezed them. "Trust me, I'm getting exactly what I want."

They cuddled for a while, enjoying the intimate embrace, until John heard someone padding quietly into the room. When he glanced down the bed, he saw his nude Nymph prowling across the covers to join them.

"Hello, Jade," Leena said, greeting her with a smile as she rolled over onto her back and parted her thighs for the green girl. When she saw John's startled expression, she explained, "Edraele told me what you're planning later this morning. Jade's going to get your girls ready for combat..."

***

Captain Andrew Fowler's weary holographic face frowned at Galen from the centre of the Antaeus' Bridge. "Well, it's been six hours, Captain Skotari," he said, rubbing his tired eyes. "I don't see any rampaging Kintark hordes... Maybe they decided not to get up at the butt-crack of dawn after all? Perhaps they have nicer friends who let them stay in bed?"

There were disgruntled mutterings around the Bridge and Galen could feel the irritated glances his crew were giving him.

Galen sat up straight and said obstinately, "There's still been no word from Maddox or any of his fleet. I'm telling you, the lizards are planning something!"

Captain Tovaskaya nodded, her face tense with worry. "I haven't been able to route a call all morning. The Dragon March is under a total comms blackout..."

Fowler sighed and shook his head. "We've been over that already. Granted, losing comms is worrying, but there's no way the Kintark could get behind us..."

Galen hesitated for a moment, then said, "Let me call you back on a private channel."

The two captains both nodded and their holographic faces disappeared a second later. Galen glanced at his XO and said, "Commander Hoplander, you have the Bridge."

"Yes, Sir," she replied, trying her best to conceal her irritation with her young captain.

Ignoring the disapproving looks from his crew, Galen strode into his Ready Room, and called his two friends back. He could see behind their holographic faces that they had both retired to their Ready Rooms so that they could speak freely.