Three Square Meals Ch. 104

Glancing up at him, she said softly, "I never forgot how wonderful this feels... but I'd given up all hope of ever feeling this way again."

"Come here, honey," John said, offering her a hand.

She let him pull her up so that she was sitting sideways across his lap, John putting one arm around her back, his other hand resting on her stomach. Alyssa moved too, sliding off the sofa to kneel in front of them, joining him in embracing the newest addition to their family.

"When we have a baby together, I'll be able to keep you both healthy and safe," John said, interlacing his fingers with Helene's over her tummy. "You won't have anything to worry about, I promise."

*And I'll be here for you too,* Alyssa said, her telepathic voice fluttering through Helene's mind for the first time. She placed her hand on top of theirs, lovingly stroking each of them in turn. *You're part of our family now. We'll all do whatever we can to make sure you're happy here with us.*

A tear rolled down Helene's cheek as her eyes welled up, an expression of pure joy and tremendous relief on her lovely face. "Thank you both so much."

John smiled at her and shook his head. "I should be the one thanking you. I couldn't be more honoured that you've chosen to make a life with me."

She gazed adoringly into his eyes. "It was the easiest decision I've ever made."

Alyssa hugged the couple as they kissed, smiling affectionately at Helene as she felt the girl's elation over their empathic bond.

***#

"They won't be long," Jade said, smiling at the brunette sitting on the sofa opposite. "John's just finished making the connection with Helene."

Lynette smiled, one hand on the gentle curve of her own cum-filled tummy. "That was her third time?"

The Nymph nodded, a gleam in her emerald eyes. "Yes, she's one of Master's mates now. It'll be your turn next, then my sisters..."

Trying not to dwell on the increasingly arousing idea of being with John, Lynette asked, "How are your sisters doing?"

Jade's smile wavered, a flicker of sadness in her eyes. "They're all in good health and long to be with their new master... but they have no memory of our lives on Lenarra. I hope that as John nurtures them as he did me, they will begin to regain those lost memories."

Rising from her seat, Lynette walked around to sit beside the Nymph. "I'm so sorry for what my people did to yours," she said earnestly, reaching out to stroke Jade's arm.

"It happened many centuries ago, long before your time," Jade replied with a gentle smile. "I appreciate the intent behind your apology, but you have nothing to be sorry for."

"Even so, I won't ever forget that you rescued me from Tartarus," Lynette said, gazing into those cat-like eyes. "If there's ever anything I can do that might help you find more Nymphs, you only have to ask."

Jade gave her a look filled with gratitude. "Thank you, I will." Her smile broadened as she continued, "Only a few months ago, I believed that I was the last of my kind, but now I've been reunited with four of my lost sisters. I think that's ample proof that you should never give up hope."

"Wise words indeed," Lynette said, smiling at the kind-hearted Nymph.

The double doors to the Officers' Lounge swished open and Lynette quickly turned that way, looking forward to seeing John and Alyssa again. They were accompanied by three more women, only one of whom Lynette recognised. She smiled back at Rachel as the tawny-haired girl gave her a friendly wave, but her eyes were immediately drawn to the incredibly exotic women heading her way. One was an exquisite blue-skinned beauty, with snowy-white hair and beguiling angular eyes, while the other was a stunning teal-hued girl, who gazed up at John in adoration, one hand resting on her hugely swollen belly.

Jade gave the Terran admiral a light kiss on the cheek, then rose to her feet. "I need to go and prepare lunch. It was lovely speaking with you again, Lynette."

"Likewise, Jade," the brunette replied, giving her a warm smile in return.

As Jade and Rachel disappeared into the kitchen, John, Alyssa, and the two mysterious girls walked over to join her on the sofas.

"Hello, Lynette," John said as he sat down, the two alien beauties sitting beside him. "I'd like to introduce you to two special women. This is Helene..." He put his arm around the teal girl, then he smiled at the taller, snowy-haired vixen. "And this is Tashana."

They exchanged smiles, then Lynette said, "It's very nice to meet you both." Unable to rein in her curiosity, she added, "I've never seen people with your colouring before... I hope you don't mind me asking what species you're from?"

Tashana glanced at John for confirmation and he stroked her shoulder as he said, "It's okay, you can tell her. I want to show Lynette the same trust she's placed in me."

Those enchanting violet orbs flicked to the brunette and Tashana's full lips curled up into a smile. "Revealing our true appearance is a capital offence amongst my people, so I hope you understand just how much I'm trusting you to keep this secret..." She took a deep breath, then continued, "My name is Tashana Valaden; I'm the daughter of Matriarch Edraele Valaden... Queen of the Maliri."

It took a second for that to sink in, then Lynette's jaw dropped open in shock. "You're a Maliri?! B-but... you're absolutely gorgeous!"

"You were expecting us to be deformed, plague-ridden monsters?" Tashana asked, with no small amount of amusement. "I'm afraid the lurid speculation by the Terran holo-movie industry has been far from the truth."

"I just don't understand why your people hide behind armour?" Lynette asked, staring at her in fascination.

"The Maliri were a Thrall species, Lynette," John said quietly. "They were slaves of the last Progenitor who ruled this part of space ten-thousand years ago. When Mael'nerak was killed fighting another Progenitor, the Maliri withdrew to their borders and hid their appearance to keep their true nature secret."

Tashana nodded, then brushed her hair back, revealing a pointed ear. "Look familiar?"

"The same shape as John's..." Lynette marvelled, shaking her head in amazement. "I can't believe it... I never thought I'd find out the truth about the Maliri!"

"Tashana wasn't exaggerating earlier; by Maliri law, telling you this should mean her death," John said, hugging Tashana closer. "So it goes without saying that you mustn't tell a soul..."

Lynette nodded, saying earnestly to the Maliri girl, "I swear that your secret is safe with me. Thank you for trusting me with this!"

Tashana nodded to her, then glanced at John with a twinkle in her violet eyes. "If I may be excused, Baen'thelas, I'll help Jade prepare lunch."

He smiled at her playfully deferential tone. "Sure, go ahead. Thanks, Tashana."

Lynette's hazel eyes widened even further as she watched Tashana walk towards the kitchen. "The Maliri aren't just your allies, are they?"

John slowly shook his head. "The Matriarchs of all their noble houses are connected to me... some more intimately than others."

"You rule the Maliri!" she gasped, staring at him in utter disbelief.

"My official title is Protector, which is exactly what I've tried to do," John quickly corrected her. "Protecting the Maliri from themselves as well as from outside threats. When the original Progenitor who ruled them was killed, their civilisation began to destabilise and collapse. Rachel can explain the details if you're interested, but the Maliri were facing eventual extinction, which I hope I've now managed to avert."

"So the Maliri fleet that helped defeat the Kintark at Terra...?"

"They were flying through Brimorian Space, on their way to assist the Trankarans against the Kirrix... until I diverted them to Terra to save the Federation," he replied, gazing intently into her eyes.

"Incredible..." she murmured, stunned by these revelations.

"I grew up in the Terran Federation and I've always been loyal to it," he said earnestly. "My relationship with the Maliri Protectorate hasn't changed those feelings."

Lynette's eyes flickered to the teal-skinned girl sitting beside him. "Are you Maliri too, Helene?"

She shook her head and smiled. "No, my people are called the Abandoned."

Startled by the bleak name, Lynette looked quizzically from her to John. "I've never heard of them before... who were you abandoned by?"

"The Terran Federation," John said quietly, his face turning grim. "Helene's people are the descendents of Terran colonists that were taken prisoner on the Callopean Shoals during the first Brimorian war. The Abandoned are a hybrid species created by the Brimorians... they were turned into an aquatic slave race, Lynette."

Her mouth fell open and she gaped at him in shock. "I would've heard something! That can't be true!"

Alyssa's cerulean eyes turned cold and hard. "It is. I scanned Baledranax's mind before John incinerated him and I saw it all. The Brimorians traded the male colonists to the Kintark to be used as slaves, in exchange for gene-splicing tech. Then they genetically modified those Terran women so that they could be cross-bred; hundreds-of-thousands were experimented on, then raped repeatedly by Brimorians for years..."

John hugged Helene closer, gently squeezing her shoulder. "Helene's from the fifth generation... From what she's told us of her people's birth rates, we suspect that there's billions of Abandoned living as slaves within the Brimorian Enclave."

Lynette looked appalled and sickened after hearing their terrible history. "My God... I had no idea. How was this kept quiet?!"

"Irillith found evidence of the cover-up when I asked her to scour the T-Fed military archives to find out more." His eyes narrowed as he continued, "High Command has a lot of dirty little secrets, Lynette. Things can't continue the way they've been going..."

She nodded slowly, her expression turning equally grim. "Things are going to change, you have my word."

***

Dana jumped onto the chevron-marked loading lift and hit the button, then grabbed a railing as the platform launched her up to the workshop in just a few seconds. The moment it came to a halt, she ran over to the vacant armour-equipping frame and stood in position so that the robotic arms could remove her Paragon suit. She glanced at the wall-mounted chronometer and winced, knowing she was already running late.

*It's almost as if you wanted to get a spanking,* Alyssa observed, with no small amount of amusement.

*That sounds like fun!* the redhead couldn't help grinning as she jogged over to her workbench. *I really was trying to be on time, I just got a bit distracted... When the power modulator exploded, it caused a shitload more damage than I originally thought. The superstructure will have to be cut away and rebuilt, and we'll need to replace all the power couplings for twenty-metres into the hull. It's a big fucked-up mess.*

*If you need help from me or John, we can take a look at it later this afternoon,* Alyssa said amiably. *We should only be gone for a few hours.*

*Perfect! I'll get the Mass Fabricators building the replacement parts while you're out.* Dana carefully scooped up a pair of tiny metallic devices, each one no larger than her thumb and a larger disc that was about the size of her palm. *Have you managed to make the changes to Lynette's uniform I asked for?*

*We're all set, just waiting for you to get here...* the blonde replied impatiently.

Sprinting down the corridor to the grav-tube, Dana dived in, then floated up to Deck Two. When she burst into the Officers' Lounge, she saw that everyone was just getting up from the dining table, having already finished lunch. John and Alyssa were wearing their Lion and Lioness outfits, while Lynette was wearing the grey dress uniform of a Terran Federation admiral.

"Shit! Sorry I'm so late!" Dana blurted out as she rushed across the lounge.

"Don't worry, I saved you some," Jade replied, gesturing towards the plate with a selection of cold-cuts and a mixed salad.

Dana gave her an apologetic look. "Thank you."

John smiled and asked, "Did you bring the holo-projectors?"

She nodded, walking over to join him. "Yep! They're all done."

Lynette stood at John's side, her hazel eyes drawn to the objects the redhead clutched in her hands. "How do they work exactly?"

Dana raised her left hand to show the brunette the two small metallic strips. "These containers house a swarm of microscopic holo-projectors which will rotate around your body, continuously projecting your old image on top of the real you." Stepping closer, she slid them into the slots that Alyssa had cleverly created in the jacket's epaulets. "They'll take about five seconds to all float into position, then they'll follow you around in close orbit... so try to avoid any physical contact with anyone."

"What was the charming phrase you used when you briefed us on ours?" Irillith asked, arching an eyebrow. "Ah, I remember... no fighting or fucking."

The redhead blushed and glanced sidelong at Lynette. "Yeah... try and avoid doing those."

"I'll bear that in mind," the admiral said, keeping a straight face while the others laughed. She glanced at the disc and added, "What does that device do?"

"This is what makes it all work," Dana said, looking proud of her creation. "This disc contains a tiny power generator, which creates a localised energy field around you. That powers the anti-grav motors in the floating projectors and keeps them orbiting at the correct distance. Faye also built in a Virtual Intelligence, which monitors your activities and alters the projected images to match."

The purple sprite nodded enthusiastically. "That way you can remove your hat and let your hair down, and the VI will adjust and compensate! I used the images we had of you when you boarded the Invictus last time as source material. I managed to cover most scenarios, but the VI will try to adapt to any really unusual circumstances."

"So try to avoid spilling drinks on myself, that kind of thing?" Lynette asked, fascinated by the devices.

"Actually, the VI should be able to cope with that," Faye replied, looking thoughtful. She smiled as she continued, "As long as you don't tip your drink all over the holo-projectors..."

Dana frowned and glanced at the golden epaulets. "Yeah, if the projectors get knocked out of the energy field, they'll drop like a stone. There's enough in those containers for three full sets, but once they're gone..."

Lynette nodded her understanding. "Will I be alright if I'm caught in the rain?"

"You might get a few static shocks, but you won't get fried," the redhead said with a grin. "Try and avoid getting caught in any hurricanes or torrential downpours though, the holo-projectors won't last in that." She slipped the disc into Lynette's grey jacket's pocket. "Want to give them a try?"

"How do I turn the device on?" Lynette asked glancing down at her pocket.

Dana reached for her hand then slipped it into the pocket. "Feel the indented button in the centre? Just press that twice."

"Why twice?" the admiral asked curiously.

"To make it less likely it'll get turned off by accident," the teenager replied with a wink.

Taking a deep breath, Lynette double-clicked the holo-control and John heard a barely-audible hum as the generator activated. After a short wait, her face seemed to flicker, then her appearance changed dramatically. The attractive woman who looked to be in her late-thirties was replaced by the much older and homelier face that had once belonged to Admiral Devereux.

"Oh, wow!" Helene gasped, staring at her in shock. "I can't believe how much you've changed!" She glanced at John with wonder in her eyes. "I know what you can do isn't magic... but it really seems like it!"

John met Lynette's pleading gaze and smiled as he pre-empted her request. "No mirrors, at least not until tomorrow."

She sighed and reluctantly nodded, before glancing down at her watch to check the time. "We better get going, the admirals should start arriving soon."

Rachel stepped forward and smiled at her. "John's rewriting your genetic code to make these changes to you, so you'll need to avoid using DNA scanners. When we leave Olympus, we'll need to take a final DNA sample from you once your body stabilises, then Irillith can use that to discreetly update the T-Fed records."

"There'll be no trace I was ever there," the Maliri hacker said with a confident smile.

Looking at the gathered girls, Lynette gave them a look of sincere gratitude. "Thank you all for everything you've done. I really appreciate all the hard work you've invested in me."

Alyssa hugged her, causing the holo-image to flicker for a second. "That's just what family does for each other."

When they pulled apart, Lynette swallowed the lump in her throat, then patted the blonde on the arm. "Thank you..."

Faye waved to get their attention. "Hey guys! Sorry to interrupt, but we've just received an urgent call from Senior Councillor Ularean!"

"Thanks, Faye. I'll take it in the bedroom," John said, turning to head for the door.

"Actually, I've reconfigured the projection suite in here to accept incoming calls." Pointing at one of the sofas, she continued, "If you'd like to take a seat over there, I'll route the call through." Faye hesitated for a second, before adding, "Unless you want it to be private?"

He gave her a grateful smile and walked over to the sofa. "No, I don't have any secrets from you ladies. Here is perfect, thank you."

As John sat down, a holographic projection of the Ashanath councillor appeared before him, Ularean's big black eyes staring intently.

"I have wonderful news, JohnBlake," Ularean murmured in his emotionless whispery voice.

"It's good to see you too, Ularean," John said with a wry smile. "What's the news?"

The Ashanath blinked a couple of times, revealing how excited he was. "We have found and retrieved the Quantum Flux Cannon..."

John looked bewildered as he replied, "The one on the Legacy? But we watched it get blown up!"

"We also believed it to be destroyed, but it survived unscathed," Ularean explained, his slim shoulders shrugging slightly. "How, I do not know, but the explosion threw it well clear of Ashana. It does not appear on our sensors, so we had no way of detecting it... a patrolling cruiser actually collided with the device quite by accident."

John nodded, lost in thought. "If it survived the explosion that destroyed the original ship, I can see why the Drakkar torpedoes didn't damage it."

"That was our conclusion as well, JohnBlake," Ularean quietly agreed. After a moment's pause, he continued, "Do you wish to return to Ashana to claim it? By rights, it belongs to you."

"Hang on a second," John replied, before glancing at Dana. "What do you think? Can you find out what you need to know remotely?"

Dana bounded over to join them, sitting on the seat beside John and greeting the grey alien with a broad grin. "Hey, Ularean! Can you take some detailed scans, then send us the data?"

Ularean surprised them both by shaking his head. "The black material has proven impervious to all our attempts at analysis. My apologies, Dana, we are unable to comply with your request."

She pouted in frustration, then gave John a regretful look. "Sorry, it looks like we'll need to head over to Ashana to pick it up..."

"Please can we have a look anyway, Ularean?" John asked politely. "I'm curious to see it again."

"Of course, JohnBlake," the Senior Councillor replied, his black eyes glancing to one side and making a gesture with one of his long-fingered hands.

A moment later, a second image appeared adjacent to Ularean's head. It was a picture of an underground hangar with what was clearly the Quantum Flux Cannon suspended in the air by grav-hoists. The massive jet-black weapon looked menacing as it floated before them and John found its very appearance deeply unsettling.