Three Square Meals Ch. 044

"It's always been that way my friend," Ceraden said in a melancholy voice, sipping his drink again. "The homeworlds are under absolute control of the women, and it's a dangerous place to be. Scheming, plotting, betrayals... political intrigue on a vast scale, and of a complexity so intricate, you could not even begin to imagine it."

John watched the depressed looking Maliri sympathetically, and then said, "It sounds completely dysfunctional. How can your species even survive and reproduce with the genders completely separated like that?"

Ceraden sighed heavily. "The women visit the border stations, alliances and bargains are made, and they then return to their homeworld when the deed is done. We Maliri live a long time compared to the Terrans, so that helps maintain the population," he said matter-of-factly, before looking up at John with a playful smile. "Have a guess as to my age."

John studied the youthful looking blue-skinned man, but the look of experience in those bright blue eyes made him add on another decade to his estimate. "If you were a Terran, and ignoring the blue skin of course, I'd say late thirties," he estimated conservatively.

The Maliri let out a dry chuckle, and replied, "I'm one hundred and twenty seven, using your Terran chronology."

John laughed, and shook his head in amazement, but then thought back to something the Maliri had said before. He asked the man tentatively, "Do you have any children, Ceraden?"

"I have five daughters," Ceraden replied with a smile, before a dark cloud of sadness overcame him. "Had, I should say. Maliri politics is a high stakes game, and my eldest, Sylmae, paid the price for her ambition."

"I'm very sorry, Ceraden," John said sympathetically.

Ceraden looked up at him and smiled. "It's alright, you weren't to know," but then his face took on a bitter cast and he said, "I hadn't spoken to her in over twenty years, so I barely knew her any more."

John was about to ask what happened to cause the rift, but bit his question back, figuring it was none of his business.

The Maliri merchant glanced at him sadly, and said, "I know what you must be thinking. What kind of a father would cut all ties with his daughter like that? I promise you, it was not by my doing. All my daughters were bright, lovely girls, when they were very young, and I used to visit them often. Maliri society has a way of breaking that kind of innocent spirit though, and a woman like Irillith is the end result."

John sipped his drink again, and said, "Which is why you're trying to warn me away now."

The Maliri nodded, and smiled at him. "We always got on well, you and I. It would have been a betrayal of those years of friendship to not forewarn you of the danger you now face."

John paused for a long moment as he pondered everything that Ceraden had told him. He then thought back on something that Irillith had said, and he leaned forward curiously as he said, "Irllith referred to me as Mael'nerak. Do you know what she was referring to?"

Ceraden snorted with derision, and said, "She's clearly as deranged as she is malicious. It would be like you telling me ghosts and goblins are real!"

John smiled at his friend and pushed again, "Indulge me. Who or what is a Mael'nerak?"

The Maliri rolled his eyes and lounged back in his chair, taking a hefty swig of his drink, then poured himself another. "They're a legend, used to scare misbehaving little Maliri girls. 'Be a good girl, or the Mael'nerak will get you!'," he said in a fake scary voice.

He looked at John, and saw that he was listening to him with interest, and with a laugh he waved a hand. "Alright, I'll tell you the story," he said with a chuckle. "I haven't told this one in decades." he added, and a look of sadness flashed across his face for a second.

He took a deep breath and then began the tale, as if telling a bedtime story to a small child, "A long time ago, the Maliri were happy and contented, and they all used to live very well together. But then the evil Mael'nerak saw the Maliri, and grew jealous. He flew down from the heavens and gathered up all the Maliri, telling them that he was going to be in charge from now on, and did terrible things to the poor people. The Mael'nerak left the men behind, telling them that they were no use to him, and disappeared with most of the women, who were never to be seen again. Every few years, the Mael'nerak would return and gather up any women who had been bad, before whisking them away to be punished for being naughty. So all the Maliri girls knew that they had to be good, or the Mael'nerak would come and take them away."

John listened to the man entranced, understanding the likely events that had occurred, and the deeper meaning behind the story.

Ceraden laughed and shook his head, then took another big swig of his drink. "Even our fairy tales are obsessed with gender," he said in a melancholy voice.

"Thanks for telling me the story," John said gratefully. "I'll remind my crew to be good," he added with a smile.

Ceraden laughed hard at that, and then looked at John enviously. "Terrans don't know how good they have it," he said, sounding depressed.

John smiled at him and then reached up and gestured to his pointed ears, "Well as you can see, I'm not exactly Terran."

The Maliri looked at him curiously and leaned forward, his eyes looking a bit glazed from the drinks he'd been downing. "You never brought it up, so I thought it would be rude to ask. What species are you exactly? I assumed you must be half-human, but only the Maliri have the same ears as you, and you don't look all that blue to me," he said with a grin.

John smiled wryly and said, "According to Irillith, I'm the Mael'nerak."

Ceraden laughed and rolled his eyes. "Okay, keep your secrets then," he said good naturedly.

"Honesty, I don't really know anything about my father, but my mother was Terran," John said openly.

"Well whatever species he was, he had the right idea. Terran women seem wonderful," Ceraden said longingly, as he took another drink.

Alyssa had padded quietly into the Lounge, wrapped up in a silk dressing gown, "Why thank you, Ceraden," she said to him playfully.

He sat bolt upright, looking panicked for a moment, and reached for his helmet.

"Relax," John said soothingly. "Alyssa would never reveal your secret, would you beautiful?" he asked her as she glided up to them.

"I promise, your secret is safe with me," she told him earnestly, and tucked herself up against John on the sofa. She then smiled at the Maliri disarmingly, and said, "I just thought I'd come and see what you boys were up to. I'll leave if I'm disturbing you."

Ceraden relaxed back against the sofa, shaking his head, and said with a smile, "No, stay please. I wouldn't dream of sending away such delightful company."

John didn't want to upset Ceraden again, but he realised now was as good a time as any to ask. "What can you tell us about Irillith? There seems to be no love lost between the two of you," he asked curiously.

Ceraden frowned with annoyance and said, "She's been here for a few weeks, overseeing negotiations between a group of women from her House, and men here on Geniya starport. Because my trading license was granted by her House, it means she's been my 'guest', and I've been obliged to provide accommodation for her on-station."

"I assume she was telling the truth about her mother ruling the House?" John asked him.

Ceraden narrowed his angular eyes suspiciously, and said, "You can't seriously be considering her offer, not after everything I told you?"

John shrugged nonchalantly, and replied, "It's just helpful to know as much as you can about anyone expressing an interest in your business. Forewarned is forearmed, right?"

The Maliri studied him for several long moments, then nodded reluctantly. "Alright, I'll tell you a bit about her. Yes, she's the House Matriarch's daughter, but her story sounds utterly implausible. Strictly speaking though, I suppose the House Matriarchs aren't really answerable to anyone, and her mother, Edraele, is the most powerful of the lot," he grudgingly conceded.

Alyssa was listening attentively, and she asked, "So Irillith could be telling the truth. Her mother, Edraele, could actually allow us to purchase Maliri weapons?"

Ceraden was about to reply sharply, but when he saw the genuine curiosity on Alyssa's face, he softened his tone as he replied, "Yes, it is possible, but please believe me, you don't want to meet Edraele. As caustic as Irillith is, Edraele is far worse, and if the stories about her are true, she's from one of the Eldritch bloodlines."

"That sounds exciting!" Alyssa said exuberantly, then winked at Ceraden playfully, letting him know she was joking.

He chuckled and shook his head at her teasing, before saying, "Exciting isn't the word I'd use; terrifying would be more appropriate. There's literally nothing you could offer me, that would make me willingly be in the same room as Edraele."

Ceraden glanced at his wrist, and when a small hologram appeared informing him of the time, he let out a big sigh. "It's getting late, and unfortunately I need to get back to my offices," he said ruefully as he stood up, and lifted his helmet from the table.

John rose to his feet as well, and said solemnly, "Thank you for coming here to tell me this Ceraden, I appreciate the risk you're taking. I swear that neither me, nor my crew, will put you in jeopardy because of it."

Alyssa nodded emphatically as she stood next to John, then said with a sparkling smile, "Besides, you're far too devilishly handsome to hide behind that shiny helmet. I'd love to have you drop by and visit us again sometime, and I'm sure the girls would be fascinated to meet you properly."

Ceraden laughed, and then leaned in to John, pretending to whisper conspiratorially, "Seriously John, I'd trade everything I have for her. Any chance she might be getting bored of you?"

John grinned and then looked down at Alyssa. "What do you say, beautiful? Are you getting bored of me yet?"

The stunning blonde looked up at him, pretending to ponder it for a moment. "You still manage to keep me entertained," she said, with a sparkle in her cerulean eyes.

John turned to look at Ceraden and shrugged. "Sorry, she's not interested," he said with a grin.

"For the moment!" Alyssa interjected, winking flirtatiously at Ceraden.

The Maliri's laughter was genuine, and the worry lines seemed to smooth out on his face. "Lady Luck's most favoured son indeed," he said wryly, and lifted his helmet to place it back on his head.

Alyssa stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, stopping him from donning the helmet. She then leaned forward, and placed a tender kiss on the surprised Maliri's cheek. "We really appreciate you coming to warn us like this. Thank you Ceraden," she told him softly.

He smiled at her warmly, and a sad look of loss briefly passed over his face, before he finally looked at John.

"I think you're a great guy, but I'm not kissing you," John said with a grin, raising his hands in the air.

Ceraden laughed and then held out his hand, which John shook firmly. "Good luck to you, my friend. I sincerely hope you heed my advice, but if you decide to recklessly proceed regardless, then my last words of warning to you are these: Intrigue piled upon lies, stacked with deception, await you deeper in Maliri Space. Take nothing at face value."

John nodded, acknowledging the warning, and then led Ceraden over to the grav-tube. Alyssa waved him goodbye and sashayed away to the bedroom, while John escorted the Maliri to the airlock, where he waved him farewell and sealed up the spiralling airlock behind him. He then headed back up to his bedroom, where the girls were all waiting for him, wide awake.

"I thought you were sleeping?" he asked them in amusement, and they smiled at him, shaking their heads.

Alyssa patted the bed, and so John stripped and climbed onto the bed to sit beside her. "I kept everyone informed on what Ceraden had to say. Rachel has a few interesting theories about the Mael'nerak," she told him in a sombre voice.

John nodded, and said, "Yeah, his story sounded worryingly familiar."

Rachel looked thoughtful and said, "I think there's quite a lot of information hidden in that 'fairy story'. It sounds like this Mael'nerak was a Progenitor, who was using the Maliri to supply him with women for his armies. That massively skewed gender ratio can't be natural either, and If I was a gambling woman, I'd bet big money that the Progenitor genetically altered the Maliri he left behind. That would explain the huge numbers of girls being born, to provide him plenty of women to use at a later date."

John nodded his agreement. "That all sounds logical to me. That titbit about the Maliri having 'Eldritch bloodlines' sounded ominous as well. This Edraele sounded like she could be some kind of psychic to me."

"That's what I was thinking too," Alyssa agreed.

"Oh!" Rachel suddenly exclaimed, before she asked John eagerly, "Have you washed the glass that Ceraden was drinking from yet?"

John thought for a moment, and then shook his head, and she got up and sprinted out of the room before he could ask her why. He looked at Alyssa in confusion, but Dana piped up, and explained, "She's after a sample of his DNA. He was drinking directly from the glass, so she can get a Maliri DNA sample for analysis!"

He looked impressed at her ingenuity, and when the tawny haired brunette returned five minutes later, she confirmed that Dana was right.

"I probably should have asked Ceraden's permission, but I thought I'd just 'requisition it' instead," she said, glancing at John with a grin.

Alyssa laughed with delight, and he groaned good naturedly, as their latest recruit relished the opportunity to get in on the act.

When the laughter had died down, Calara asked, "So have you made your mind up about whether to accept Irillith's offer?"

John shook his head in frustration, and said, "Unfortunately all the information from Ceraden makes the decision to go with Irillith even more complicated. We might be able to learn more about the Progenitors, or whatever the Maliri call them, as well as pick up some massive firepower for the Invictus. The downside is, that it all sounds even riskier than we initially thought."

He looked around, and the girls all nodded sympathetically with his conclusions.

Alyssa glanced at the ship's chronometer, and then suggested gently, "It's nearly one in the morning, we should probably get some sleep."

John and the girls all nodded, and then cuddled under the covers, thinking about everything Ceraden had told them. They began to get drowsy, and then one after another all fell asleep, until only John was left awake. He tossed and turned for a little while, mulling over the choices before him, while trying to be careful not to wake up Calara or Alyssa who were lying on either side of him. He eventually settled back down, and heaved a heavy sigh, resolving to think about it some more tomorrow, before he finally fell asleep.

Alyssa and Calara opened their eyes, and gazed into each other's as they lay against John's chest, his efforts not to disturb them not as effective as he hoped. They spoke silently via telepathy for a while before they made a decision, smiling at one another contentedly, before falling asleep.

***

John woke late the next morning, after the combination of having drunk a fair bit the previous night, and struggling to get to sleep. He stretched lazily, and then was surprised to see that there was only one girl in bed with him that morning. It was Calara, and she smiled up at him warmly. She sat up, and reached over to the side table, then passed him a big glass of chilled water.

"I thought you might be thirsty this morning, after your drinking last night," she explained considerately.

John smiled at her gratefully, and then drank the whole glass in a series of big gulps. He then relaxed back against the pillow, as Calara returned the empty glass to the side table.

"Where is everyone?" he asked her curiously.

The Latina smiled as she said, "It's actually nearly ten in the morning. They've made a start on installing the sensor arrays, while Dana has started working on the shield modulator."

"So Alyssa asked you to keep me company until I woke up?" John guessed with a smile.

Calara shook her head and smiled at him. "I requested some time alone with you actually," she explained, looking up at him with her big brown eyes.

"That sounds intriguing," John said playfully, and leaned on his side so that he could look down at her.

He reached out his hand and brushed it over her flat stomach, feeling the toned muscles underneath her coffee-coloured skin. She glanced at him coyly, and nodded eagerly, so he leaned over to kiss her tenderly on the lips. She kissed him back softly and he enjoyed the feel of her lovely body under his hand. He let his fingers roam higher, before cupping one of her pert breasts, and then began massaging the smooth pliant flesh with a confident touch.

After breaking away from her lips, he began to trail kisses down her throat, across her collarbone, and then over her chest. He glanced up to see she was staring at him with a hood look which was filled with arousal. He began to massage her right breast with his hand, while taking her dark nipple in his mouth and sucking on it gently, feeling it grow erect on his tongue. He switched to her other breast and repeated the same actions. As he began to suck harder, Calara moaned with excitement running her fingers through his hair, and holding his head tightly to her breast.

He let his fingers slip lower, back over her slender stomach, before seeking out her labia and feeling the wetness there. He began to stroke and caress her, while his lips moved from nipple to nipple, and she began to arch her back as she urged him to enter her. Grinning happily, he moved over her as she eagerly parted her legs for him, and within moments he was sinking into her beautiful tight young body.

"Oh God, that feels good!" Calara gasped, when he was finally buried deep inside her.

He paused to let her adjust to being stretched, and then began to move slowly, as she rocked gently underneath him.

"Is this why you wanted to stay in bed with me this morning?" he asked her playfully, leaning down to kiss her.

She kissed him back, and sighed with delight as she said, "I actually wanted to talk to you, but it can wait. This feels amazing!"

John laughed and paused for a moment, with her wrapped around him. "Why didn't you say something?" he asked her curiously.

"You distracted me with your moves," she admitted, blushing alluringly.

He grinned, and kissed her happily which she returned in equal measure. When they finally broke for air, he raised himself up a little so that he could clearly see her face, and asked, "Talk now, or later?"

Calara looked thoughtful, and held on to him tightly, while moving sensually underneath him. "Talk now, if that's alright with you? I like being wrapped around you like this, and it feels wonderfully naughty knowing that all the time we're talking, we'll be moving on to something else as soon as we're done. It's like you have me pinned in place, to make use of me when you're ready," she told him, her eyes flashing with arousal.

He smiled at her affectionately, and brushed a stray lock of dark brown hair from her face as he nodded. "That sounds like a splendid idea to me. Now what did you want to talk about?" he asked her, intrigued.

"You seem to be having a hard time with this decision about going into Maliri Space," she said to him perceptively.

He nodded and explained, "Well, there's lots of risks involved, and I wanted to make sure you girls are all on-board with whichever decision we make."