Three Square Meals Ch. 100

In truth, Gibbons had only met John Blake very briefly on Port Medea. The Lion had saved him and his squad from Kintark marines, then the two men had exchanged a few words on a couple of occasions. He'd said as much to the obsessed Commander, telling her that he didn't know John Blake personally. However, his commendation from the Lion had convinced her that there was more to the story, so she pumped Gibbons for all the information he could give her.

Admittedly, he loved gazing into her eyes while she spoke animatedly about her various plans, but he was acutely aware that she had him pegged squarely in the friend zone. Madison's primary objective was to get John Blake's attention; to find some way of standing out amongst the throng of Terran women clamouring for a chance to be with the galaxy's most eligible bachelor.

Striding down the reverse slope of the artillery bank, his heart skipped a beat when he spotted Wessex's black suit of Sentinel armour as she jogged towards them. Turning towards Brannigan, he said, "I'll see you later, Clint. Maybe get a beer?"

"Only if she hasn't worn you out, Dave," the Staff Sergeant replied, then made obscene kissing noises as he bounded away.

Gibbons sighed and cut the laughing sergeant from his comm-network, before patching in with Wessex. "Good to see you, Commander."

She grinned at the holo-camera then gestured for him to follow. "Walk with me, Sergeant."

"Yes, Ma'am," he replied, striding over to fall into step beside her, his autocannon leading the way.

Madison appeared lost in thought for a moment, then her eyes met his as she asked, "What can you tell me about Alyssa? She was with the Lion on Port Medea, right?"

Gibbons nodded cautiously. Okay, this was a new angle...

***

John walked along the corridor with Helene on his arm, watching as Jade skipped ahead with a spring in her step. After the grim turn the conversation had taken during lunch, he wanted to try and cheer up their guest, to make up for scaring her earlier.

Jade hit the button at the end of the corridor, opening the double doors that led into the Lagoon. "You're going to love it!" she gushed, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Oh wow..." Helene murmured, her eyes big as saucers as she tried to look everywhere at once. "I don't think I've ever seen anything quite so wonderful!"

John guided her inside, smiling as his young companion gaped at the colourful plants and trees surrounding the artificial lake. The water was crystal clear, revealing the sandy bottom of the beautifully sculpted lagoon.

"We originally designed this for Jade," he explained, leading Helene along the path to the apex of the bridge. "She loves to swim and the pool we had before was much too small. You're free to use this room whenever you like."

The Nymph shimmied out of her dress, then gave John a cheeky smile as she dived gracefully into the water. She barely made a splash as she plunged beneath the surface, before bobbing up a few seconds later. "Come in!" she urged them.

Helene's eyes were on Jade's dress that she'd left discarded on the floor. She glanced down at her own aquamarine skirt and top, suddenly looking unsure.

"Clothing's entirely optional!" Jade called out, grinning at her new friend.

The aquatic girl blushed at first, then held herself boldly and reached behind her back to unclasp her top. Soon it and her skirt were lying in a crumpled pile at her feet, leaving her standing entirely nude.

"You're a very beautiful girl," John said, openly admiring her gorgeous teal-hued body.

After a brief hesitation, she lifted her shy gaze to meet his. "Would you like to touch me?" she asked softly.

"Very much," he agreed, imagining running his fingers over her well-defined curves.

Her baby-blue eyes flashed with mischief as she declared. "You'll have to catch me first!"

She turned and dived into the lake, her lithe body arcing through the water before she burst up above the surface. Her peal of laughter echoed around the lake, joined by Jade's as the Nymph surged through the water to join her. John was temporarily forgotten in their excitement and the two girls swirled in circles, laughing and playing with carefree abandon.

He squatted down on the bridge and just watched them having fun. It was lovely to see the two girls looking so relaxed and happy, and as much as he would have liked to have stripped off then plunged in after them, he was distracted with a lot on his mind. First and foremost was this disaster in the making within the Terran Federation. Assuming they even managed to survive what promised to be a titanic battle with the Kintark, and somehow helped the Terran Federation achieve victory, he then faced what seemed like an even bigger challenge. Just what was he supposed to do about High Command in the aftermath...

Buckingham and his cohort of Admirals had verged on being openly belligerent towards him the last time they spoke, making for a very tense encounter. Working with them cooperatively seemed to be untenable, but the current mess they were in was just the latest in a chain of disasters. The Dragon March conflict, the Nexus project, the failed attack on the Kintark Empire, their refusal to help the Trankarans, leaving the Kirrix borders exposed, and trying to conceal the Kintark invasion... Considering the pivotal role he imagined the Terran Federation was likely to play against the other Progenitor, John could not afford to let this debacle continue.

*I think you're quickly approaching the point where you have to make a decision,* Edraele said, her voice supportive but firm. *Do you keep trying to work with High Command, or do you impose your will on them to save the Terran Federation?*

*Wouldn't that make me a despot though?* he replied, lost in thought. *What right have I got to just arbitrarily sweep the Admiralty aside?*

*Do you think humanity would be best served with you ruling them or your Progenitor opponent?* Edraele asked, keeping her tone neutral.

*You're advocating 'might makes right' and suggesting a coup?* he asked, surprised at how little the idea shocked him. He would have been appalled at that thought a decade ago, but now it seemed like doing anything else was just postponing the inevitable.

There was a long pause before she answered. *As much as I'd love to be able to offer you some wise advice, we're entering an area where my experience is lacking. I believe that dealing with High Command will probably require some type of creative solution, of the kind that you usually excel at and which leave me shaking my head in admiration.*

*Well I'm stumped at the moment,* he admitted, watching as the two water nymphs competed to see who could leap the highest out of the water. *How would your predecessor handle this situation?*

*You're normally shocked when I elaborate further,* Edraele noted, her thoughts guarded. *Are you sure hearing her nefarious schemes won't alter your opinion of me?*

*Perhaps your lovely daughter was correct,* John replied, with a playful undercurrent to his voice. *Maybe I do have a thing for bad girls after all...*

Her laughter made him smile as it always did. *Alright, you've convinced me.* She paused for a moment to gather her thoughts. *Edraele would have gathered information on all the key players within the Admiralty to establish which factions were vying for dominance. Then she would have used bribes, blackmail, and murder to escalate the conflict between the two factions. Every time pawns were removed, she would scheme to insert one of her own, until the leaders were left isolated and alone, surrounded by puppets under her control. At that point the faction leaders could be easily disposed of and her stranglehold over the Admiralty would be complete, without once making her presence known.*

*Truly diabolical...* he said, sending her a telepathic smile. *I'll take that course of action under advisement.*

*Happy to be of service, My Lord,* Edraele replied, pleased to hear his mood lifting.

Helene and Jade swam underneath the bridge, blowing kisses at him as they frolicked in the water. He waved back, his gaze lingering on the teal-coloured girl as she splashed the Nymph. *Now we've established how we're dealing with the Terran Federation, what do we do about the Abandoned?* he asked drily.

*Unfortunately, liberating a poorly-educated slave-labour force is quite beyond my expertise,* Edraele said with a hint of humour, but tinged with plenty of regret. *A career as a vindictive tyrant furnished me with a fairly narrow skillset.*

*I can't leave the Abandoned to be abused by the Brimorians, but I'm not sure they'd fare that much better if we brought them back to the Terran Federation,* John murmured, feeling completely out of his depth. *Do we have any suitable planets within the Maliri Protectorate we could give them as a homeworld?*

*If you mean fully or mostly oceanic worlds? Yes, there's at least a dozen I can think of, but this won't be as simple as just handing over a planet, no matter how ideally-suited it is as a habitat. The main problem would be the total lack of infrastructure awaiting them. Depending on the numbers involved, preparing housing and even rudimentary facilities could be a major undertaking,* she replied, sounding troubled.

*So you're telling me I can't just ride in there, kill the badguys, and save the day?* he asked to lighten the mood.

*Sadly, I think the post-battle work will require a much lengthier investment of time and effort. We'll need to provide personnel for critical services like medical care, as well as establish some kind of leadership structure, unless you want to simply treat them as a vassal state. In all honesty, they're probably incapable of looking after their own interests at the moment, so it might be a prudent choice in the short term.*

John rubbed his forehead as he tried to envision the logistical nightmare ahead of him, if he tried to set up the Abandoned as an independent people.

*Alright, that's enough about that for now,* Alyssa said, her voice gentle but insistent. *We'll be going into battle tomorrow morning and we need you fully focused and alert. Now isn't the time to be dwelling on the Abandoned.*

He heard the click of heels and when he glanced their way, he saw Alyssa and Dana approaching.

"Time for more therapy!" the redhead declared, with a playful gleam in her eyes.

John straightened and looked around for Rachel, wondering what the imaginative brunette had in store for him that afternoon.

Dana shook her head and winked at him. "Nah, not with Miss Smarty-Pants. This time you get some good old-fashioned Karron-girl therapy instead..."

The two girls slid their hands into his and started leading him across the bridge, giving him a coy glance over their shoulders.

John turned back to look down into the Lagoon, where Helene was watching him with a look of disappointment on her face. He held back from Dana and Alyssa to speak with the aquatic girl, but Jade swam up beside her and whispered something in her ear. Whatever the Nymph said seemed to perk Helene up considerably and she giggled in delight as she waved him goodbye.

"Jade's taking our mermaid under her wing; she'll take really good care of her," Alyssa said quietly. "Trust us, we've all got your best interests at heart."

John stopped resisting the blonde and redhead, letting them guide him into the Observatory. It didn't come as much of a surprise when they both stripped, then had him equally naked less than a minute after they'd stepped foot through the door.

Dana pressed the button to peel back the armour plating that covered the Observatory's crystal dome, revealing a breath-taking vista of the stars. She bounded into the middle of the circular bed, then knelt patiently as she waited for him to join her. Alyssa took her time as she sashayed over to the pillows, rearranging them with some specific purpose in mind, before joining her friend in sitting on the bed.

"Okay, we're all set," she said with an alluring smile, patting the bed in front of her.

John followed her lead, sitting between the two teenagers. "What are you two up to?" he asked, glancing at each of them in turn.

Dana leaned in and gave him a tender kiss. "No tricks. You and me need to unlock lots of awesome Progenitor tech, remember?"

Alyssa snuggled in behind him, wrapping her arms around his body. "And I want you to relax, so you can give it your all tomorrow."

She lay backwards, pulling him with her so that his head was cushioned on her soft warm breasts. From this angle, he was gazing up at the stars, the spectacular view through the clear crystal window quite mesmerising. Amidst the sprawl of stars was a glorious nebula, consisting of extravagant swirls of orange reds and yellows, all that remained of a star that had gone supernova hundreds of thousands of years ago. He was suddenly struck by the almost incomprehensible age of the universe and couldn't help wondering what impact, if any, he was actually making on the future. Would stopping this other Progenitor make any real difference a thousand years from now, let alone even longer?

Dana's fingers encircled his shaft and before he knew it, she was engulfing him up to the hilt in her throat. He closed his eyes, focusing entirely on the snug warm grip as Dana lovingly worshipped his cock.

"There you go," Alyssa purred in his ear as she massaged his head with her nimble fingers. "Forget about everything else for the moment. You're surrounded by girls who love you, that's all that really matters."

He relaxed in her embrace, losing himself in their gentle caresses. His climax was slow to build, but powerful when he reached the point of release, and when he finally opened his eyes again he was seeing a new set of stars.

"Did you feel it?" Jade asked, an excited note to her voice.

John chuckled and was about to tell her, "Of course I did!", when another less familiar voice spoke instead.

"He was throbbing in her throat!" Helene exclaimed. "How did it even fit?!"

Glancing down towards his feet, he saw the aquatic beauty kneeling behind Dana, her slender fingers gently cupping the bulge he'd made in the redhead's throat.

Dana stopped suckling and eased back so that he slipped from her lips. "Just wait till you try it... you're going to love it!"

She sat up and stretched, purposefully turning to show off the rounded curve of her cum-packed belly.

Helene let out a strangled squeak, gaping in astonishment at Dana's swollen tummy. "W-what? H-how?" she stammered, while reaching out with a trembling hand, fingers drawn to the teenager's tautly-stretched abdomen.

"I heard you wanted to be surprised. Did you like this one?" the redhead asked with a mischievous grin.

Biting her flushed lower lip, the aquatic girl nodded, darting an excited look John's way. "Yes, I really did..."

***

Grand Prelate Melkadian rose from the intricately woven prayer mat in his quarters, having gratefully thanked the gods for their continued benevolence. He'd spent all afternoon working with the Traitor, calculating the fleet strengths the Terran Federation were likely to be able to field for the upcoming battle. To hear Admiral Norwood talk, tomorrow's battle would be a foregone conclusion. Of course Melkadian had been forced to put up with the idiotic Terran's ranting about High Command, and his idealistic talk of a new republic. Melkadian had made sure to thank Tergonoth the Tolerant, for giving him enough patience to deal with the delusional fool.

The comms interface rang with a loud chime and Melkadian hurried to his desk. "Imperial Majesssty! How fortuitousss, I wasss just about to contact you. We've been planting a trail of Commsss Beaconsss asss you requesssted, and I-"

The colossal draconic visage of the Kintark Emperor took up most of the holo-screen. "I KNOW, MELKADIAN... HOW ELSE WOULD VILANDRITH AND I STAY IN COMMUNICATION?" he rumbled, his bass voice muted to a dull roar by the comms interface. "TOMORROW WILL MARK A GLORIOUS DAY IN THE HISTORY OF THE EMPIRE. WE SHALL CUT THE HEAD OFF THE TERRAN FEDERATION SNAKE, FOR ALL OUR LOYAL CITIZENS TO SEE."

Melkadian bowed respectfully. "Thisss victory will sssee you immortalisssed in the legendsss of the Kintark... you will be revered asss a god made flesssh, Imperial Majesssty."

The Emperor's maw lifted into a dangerous smile, revealing rows of enormous fangs. "AND WHAT MONIKER WOULD YOU SEE ME ADOPT AS I JOIN THE PANTHEON OF THE GODS, MELKADIAN? BALEDRANAX THE WISE? BALEDRANAX THE CONQUEROR?"

"Isss there a way of incorporating both in the title, Imperial Majesssty?" Melkadian inquired respectfully. "They are equally fitting after all..."

Those huge reptilian eyes narrowed in disapproval. "YOUR DEFERENCE BORDERS ON OBSEQUIOUSNESS, GRAND PRELATE, AND I HAVE NO USE FOR SERVILE LACKEYS. YOU HOLD YOUR POSITION BECAUSE OF YOUR COMPETENCE, NOT BECAUSE I NEED MY EGO STROKED."

Melkadian bowed again. "Pleassse forgive me, Imperial Majesssty. I meant no disssressspect."

Baledranax sighed, his breath whistling through his teeth like wind howling through a mountain pass. "IT IS I WHO SHOULD APOLOGISE, MELKADIAN. I CHAFE WITH IMPATIENCE AS I AWAIT THE BATTLE TOMORROW."

The Grand Prelate straightened and shook his head. "There are no apologiesss necesssary, Imperial Majesssty. It isss ssstrange to think that tomorrow we will finally sssee the culmination of all our planning. I must confesss to being asss equally eager to sssee the battle commence, ssso I fully underssstand what you are feeling." He cocked his head to one side. "Have you had a chance to review the battle ssstrategy I drew up with the traitor?"

"INDEED I HAVE. I SAW YOUR ADDITIONAL NOTES ON YOUR PLANS FOR OLYMPUS SHIPYARD AND AGREE WHOLEHEARTEDLY," the Emperor stated, a glimmer of amusement in his huge eyes. "HOWEVER, I WISH TO MAKE SOME ALTERATIONS TO THE ATTACK ON TERRA ITSELF."

Melkadian nodded. "Of courssse, Imperial Majesssty. Name them and we will make the necesssary adaptationsss to our plansss."

Baledranax began to outline the corrections he wished to make and the Grand Prelate's eyes widened as he listened.

"That'sss inssspired, Imperial Majesty!" Melkadian gushed. When he saw the Emperor view him with suspicion, he quickly waved his hands. "No, I mean it, I ssswear! The psssychological ssshockwave this will sssend through the Terran Federation will crusssh their morale! Our sssuccesssful occupation will be a mere technicality!"

"I AM GLAD YOU APPROVE, MELKADIAN," the emperor boomed with a deep chuckle of amusement, his smile widening even further.

***

John settled into his Command Chair, as Alyssa took her place to his right at the Executive Officer's station. "How long until we reach the border?" he asked the purple sprite sitting on his console, while studying the Sector Map floating in the centre of the Bridge.

"Three minutes, John!" Faye replied, giving him a bright smile. "I've picked up the Terran defence fleet on our long-range sensors. We're in range to hail them."

"Are we close enough to the T-Fed comms beacons to pick up a signal yet?"

She shook her head, purple hair moving in a flowing wave as it framed her elfin face. "Not quite yet, but very soon. Going by past experiences, I suspect we'll receive a deluge of messages the moment we're in range. I'm allocating ten of my avatars to work on reviewing them to search for anything urgent, while the other two monitor the news networks."

"Excellent. Let me know if you find anything important," he replied, brow creasing with worry. "The main priority is finding out more information on the Kintark or the Kirrix threats."

"Of course, I've set my search parameters accordingly!" she replied, her dimples showing as she beamed at him.