Three Square Meals Ch. 094

"Yeah, it was handy him showing you how to create a Glowing Queen," Alyssa agreed with a grin. "Now Niskera can properly unite the Trankarans and turn them into strong allies for us."

"It does seem like everything's going well," Edraele agreed. "If the Progenitor had struck against the Maliri immediately, we were so splintered as a species, we would have crumbled without much resistance. Now we're coordinated and working together in a way we haven't been for millennia. Given another few weeks, we should be able to fully refit all the existing fleets at Genthalas."

"We do need to talk about what to do with those forces," John said, lost in thought. "I don't want to leave the Protectorate vulnerable by any means, but the Ashanath and the Trankarans both need our help."

Edraele nodded and said, "I'm sure the Young Matriarchs will be interested in that discussion."

"Let's not keep them waiting any longer," John agreed.

They soaped each other down, with John only lingering briefly over their curved stomachs. He could feel the active connection he had with both his matriarchs and relished the sensation of close intimacy that brought with it, just as much as he enjoyed the feel of their soft skin. After drying off and dressing, they headed up to the Command Deck, exchanging a friendly wave with Faye in passing as they crossed the Bridge to the Briefing Room.

The room was the busiest John had ever seen it, with some additional chairs brought through so that everyone could sit. He took his place at the head of the table, with Alyssa and Edraele taking the empty seats beside him. Faye had moved from her usual spot and hovered to one side so that she wouldn't be in the way, as the twins and Edraele's bodyguards were all seated at the end of the table.

Greeting everyone with a smile, John said, "Sorry to keep you waiting; we had some important matters to deal with."

Edraele smiled and lifted her hand to show everyone her new engagement ring. It took a couple of minutes for the excited reaction to die down, with the group all offering her their warmest congratulations. While they were occupied, John took a moment to study the seating arrangements and see which of the Young Matriarchs had been paired up with the Terran girls from his crew. Calara was sitting next to Leena Ghilwen, the eldest of the original four Maliri Matriarchs, while Dana had been paired off with Kali Loraleth, the youngest. That left Sakura with Valani Naestina, and Rachel with Nyrelle Aeberos. Nyrelle saw him looking her way and her dark-blue eyes sparkled as she gave him a flirtatious grin.

John winked at her in return, then glanced around and saw that everyone had settled again. "It's great to see all of you here in one big group. I'm sure I was the last one to know about your Matriarch's plans for the next few days, so I won't go over that again." The excited glances between the girls confirmed that his suspicions were correct.

"There's a number of very important issues I wanted to speak to all of you about, but before we start, I wanted to make an announcement. I've chosen Edraele to be my Queen, so that she can provide decisive leadership for the Maliri Protectorate." There was another burst of excitement from the Matriarchs as they rushed to congratulate Edraele. John was relieved to see that they all seemed to be delighted, each one genuinely happy for the woman they all clearly saw as a close friend and loving mentor.

Edraele thanked the girls graciously, then smiled at John. "We can inform the rest of the Matriarchs in the next holo-conference. Perhaps you and I should discuss beforehand how we make the announcement to them?"

"Of course, I'm sure you'll have a much better idea of how to inform them without ruffling any feathers," John immediately agreed.

"I don't believe there's anything to be overly concerned about. I'm sure they'll be quite amenable to the decision," Edraele said, reaching across the table to clasp his hand. "They were already well aware of the shift in the status quo; their agreement to see you instated as our... Protector... essentially confirmed that."

"That's good to hear." John squeezed her hand in return, then turned to face the Maliri. "The next thing I want to discuss today is the Trankarans. As you know from seeing the footage of our battle with the Kirrix, the Trankaran Republic is in a desperate situation at the moment. They're trying to fight off an invasion, but they're still recovering from a hugely disruptive civil war. I've taken steps to help rally the Trankarans under Chancellor Niskera, who is now connected to Alyssa in much the same way as you are to Edraele, but they are still desperately in need of assistance."

There were looks of surprise at that and Tsarra asked, "Does that mean you can speak with her telepathically now, Alyssa?"

The blonde shook her head. "I can contact Niskera, but she's not able to use telepathy to talk back to me..." She smiled innocently at John. "...at least not yet."

He ignored her teasing and said, "Which has left me with a few serious problems. While Niskera should be able to quickly move the Trankarans onto a war footing, they've already lost a significant number of ships to the Kirrix. I know this fleet was originally intended to guard the Ashanath while they rebuild their forces, but I'd like to redirect it to assist the Trankarans instead."

Kali felt intimidated in the presence of all these amazing people, but she steeled herself to speak up, her voice quiet and full of concern. "My Queen, I know you said that you wanted all our forces to work as one, but this fleet is made up entirely of House Valaden ships. I wouldn't feel comfortable making any decisions regarding them." The rest of the Matriarchs turned to look at Edraele, nodding their agreement.

"There's no need for the title, Kali. Please continue to call me Edraele," their new monarch said to the shy young woman, giving her a warm disarming smile. She turned to look at John and continued, "As to decisions regarding Maliri forces; I'm happy to offer counsel, but we gave full control of our military assets to you, Protector. You may utilise them in whatever manner you deem most appropriate."

John leaned back in his chair a pensive frown on his face. "I've discussed this with my girls and they agreed that assisting the Trankarans is the wisest strategic decision, but that raised a number of questions. Firstly, how do we get this fleet to the Trankarans? There'd be an uproar in the Terran Federation Admiralty if I let a huge Maliri armada sail across Terran Space. I could probably bull my way through any objections, but the questions it would raise and the fallout that decision would generate would be a nightmare."

Edraele shook her head. "No, that wouldn't be a wise course of action. We have enough to deal with at the moment without creating more enemies." She smiled then and raised an eyebrow. "Why not simply send the fleet through the Brimorian Enclave?"

He blinked at her in surprise. "There's no way they'd allow that would they?"

"I don't see why not. They have a millennia-old treaty with the Maliri Regency granting us unopposed passage through their territory, in exchange for trade with us and a non-aggression pact," she replied with a shrug.

John laughed, the tension draining from his body. "Well that makes everything much simpler then!" He glanced at Irillith and added, "How come you never mentioned that earlier?"

Irillith looked just as surprised as he was. "I wasn't aware of it! As far as I know, the Maliri haven't left our territory in centuries, if not far longer."

Edraele gave her daughter a warm smile. "To be fair to Irillith, not many Maliri are aware of the ancient deals struck with our neighbours. I only investigated them because I was seeking alternative routes to attack belligerent Maliri houses bordering the Brimorians."

"Okay, so assuming the Brimorians don't try and refuse the fleet passage through their territory," John said, looking thoughtful. "The second problem is the question of communication with the fleet. Kirrix scout craft have destroyed the comms beacons around the outskirts of the invasion corridor into Trankaran territory. That means the fleet would be cut off from us when they engaged the Kirrix forces. We did think about using telepathy to get around that problem, but that raises the question of who to send with the fleet..."

Almari sat taller and declared, "I'd be proud to offer my assistance, John."

Ilyana smiled at Edraele and said, "I think it would be wise if I accompanied Almari. If either of us is incapacitated for any reason, the other will still be able to help communicate with the Fleet Commander. However, I think it very unwise to leave our Queen unprotected, so I suggest Luna stay with Edraele to ensure her safety."

Edraele gave her two bodyguards a grateful smile, knowing the real reason why they had suggested leaving Luna at her side. "I greatly appreciate it, thank you both."

Luna nodded, squeezing Almari's hand under the table. "I'll keep her out of trouble."

John looked startled and said, "I'd forgotten that you've all bonded with Edraele. That would be amazing, thank you! I thought we might have to try and quickly improve the connection with the Fleet Commander or something like that."

"While Lilyana would be overjoyed at the opportunity to be more intimate with you, and it would certainly be a very sensible long-term plan, I'm afraid that would take too long," Edraele said, looking thoughtful. "I suggest we dispatch the bulk of this fleet to aid the Trankarans as soon as possible. We can hold one battleship in reserve to transport us back to Genthalas."

Dana cleared her throat. "Don't forget that the fleet is hauling a crapload of materials for the Ashanath. They were going to use that stuff to start plating the Maliri ships in crystal Alyssium."

Edraele glanced at John. "There are three cruisers loaded with all the materials you requested for the Ashanath. Perhaps we should send those ships to rendezvous with a second fleet we route to Ashana? The vessels here in the Delta Arietis system have been pulled so far out of position, they'd only arrive in Ashana a few days earlier than a new fleet sent directly from Genthalas."

"Have you got a second fleet ready to go?" John asked Edraele. "I don't want to strip too many ships from the defence of Maliri Space, but I promised the Ashanath High Council that we'd help protect them until they can rebuild their own forces."

"And an opportunity to armour our ships in crystal Alyssium should not be wasted," Edraele agreed. She glanced at the Young Matriarchs and continued, "Unless there has been a change to the refit schedule while I was incapacitated, a second Valaden fleet should be fully refitted now, with the first of the House Loraleth fleets completed within days. I suggest we send my second fleet to the Ashanath, and Kali's forces can be tasked with patrolling the Protectorate's borders, at least until the House Aeberos and House Naestina fleets have completed their refit. We can re-evaluate fleet allocations in two weeks' time when they're both fully operational as well."

Kali laughed as she nodded. "Emalayne will be very upset with me when I tell her she has to protect the entirety of Maliri Space!"

"It seems like a sensible plan," Valani said, looking thoughtful. "I can't see any problems with it."

"I agree," Nyrelle said, sharing a smile with her fellow Matriarchs. "When Valani's fleet and mine are ready, we can help out Kali with border patrols."

"Actually, we should rotate out the fleets that are guarding the Ashanath as a high priority," Leena suggested. "By the time the next fleet arrives at Ashana, the House Valaden forces there should be fully upgraded with new armour. We can then send them on to reinforce the fleet aiding the Trankarans and keep sending more upgraded forces until the Kirrix have been dealt with."

Calara nodded her approval. "It'll be like a production line: Refits at Genthalas, armour upgrades with the Ashanath, then combat experience fighting as a unified force against the Kirrix. All of those will be invaluable when the wider battle with the Progenitor begins."

"Sounds like we have a plan then," John said with satisfaction. "The Invictus is full of ores we traded with the Trankarans, so that can be loaded into the battleship returning to Genthalas." He turned to face Edraele with concern. "But will you be safe travelling in a single unescorted vessel?"

Edraele nodded, looking surprisingly confident. "I highly doubt any of the Maliri Houses would turn on us at this point. Even if they did, all the ships in this fleet have been refitted with Tachyon Drives, so it would be extremely hard to intercept us. The only threat dangerous enough to cause a problem would be if the Progenitor ambushed us himself, but being brutally realistic, even if we sent the entire fleet back to Genthalas, I'm not sure it would be powerful enough to stop him."

John wasn't sure if he should feel relieved or even more worried as he realised she was right. Turning to look at the pair of assassins that would be accompanying the fleet, he said, "Talking of safety, I want to make sure you're both adequately equipped. I'd like Dana to give you whatever equipment she can assemble before you leave."

The redhead gave them a broad grin. "Don't worry, I'll get you geared up! Come down to Engineering after this meeting is finished and I'll see what I can find..."

"We have a lot of old weapons we aren't using any more," Sakura reminded them. "Now that we're using Reaper Cannons and Quantum rifles, why not give all the old Justice Laser rifles and Punisher rifles to the Maliri Marines in this fleet?"

"That's a great idea," John said, looking pleased. He turned to look at Almari and Ilyana. "I'd rather you didn't expose yourselves to ground combat with the Kirrix, but those guns should be a big help if it can't be avoided."

"Thank you for going to all this trouble," Almari said, nodding in gratitude to him and Dana.

Ilyana looked delighted. "That would be wonderful, thank you!"

He turned to Luna next and smiled as he said, "I want to make sure you have our best gear too when you return to Genthalas. We'll equip you in the same way before you leave."

Luna's yellow eyes flashed as she returned his smile. "I've seen how effective your equipment is. Having access to that gear will make it far easier to keep Edraele safe!"

Looking around at the group, John said, "I suggest the bulk of the fleet departs for the Trankaran Republic in say... four hours? That should give us plenty of time to transfer guns, ammo, and armour to the flagship." When there were no objections, he relaxed back in his seat. "That was everything I wanted to raise today, thanks very much for all your invaluable suggestions. Does anyone else have anything they wanted to talk about?"

Kali raised a tentative hand and when he looked in her direction, she replied, "It's probably nothing, but in the last couple of weeks, the Kintark along the Maliri border have been acting very strangely. House Loraleth controls a significant portion of our border with the Kintark, so we've tracked their behaviour for many centuries. They don't attempt to cross the border, except for traders visiting Genirath station, but they did something recently that my analysts have never seen before..."

John glanced at Edraele with concern. "I remember you mentioned this a few days before you were incapacitated."

"That's correct, but I'm not aware of any new developments," she replied, glancing at Kali and raising an eyebrow.

Nyrelle frowned in confusion. "What's the problem? I thought everything had calmed down now?"

Looking at Kali again, John asked, "Has something changed in the last week?"

"No, but that's the problem!" Kali exclaimed, looking worried.

John gave the House Loraleth Matriarch a reassuring smile. "It's okay, just tell me what happened."

"Well, after the Kintark withdrew all their regular forces from the patrol routes and garrison points along the border, they were quickly replaced by Elite units from the Emperor's Praetorian Guard Fleets," Kali explained. "When I raised it with Edraele, she didn't think the Emperor would risk committing them to battle, not after such a crushing defeat at the Battle of Regulus."

"It still seems highly unlikely," Edraele said after a moment's pause. "They could be massing more forces just outside our sensor range, but why tip their hand by replacing their border forces with elites? That would be like broadcasting an imminent invasion and the Emperor certainly isn't inept enough to make that kind of blunder."

Kali darted an anxious glance at John. "But we still haven't brought our defensive forces up to full strength yet, so the Kintark might be getting ready to attack!"

John shook his head, a doubtful expression on his face. "I thought the Maliri kept their forces far back from the border anyway? The Terran Federation has no idea what your ships are capable of because they've rarely seen any, except for a few patrol cruisers at Geniya. I assumed you adopted the same policy with the Kintark and if so, they would have no idea you've stripped your ships from the border for the refit."

"That's very true," Edraele confirmed with a smile. "We usually have an excellent idea of what opposing forces are up to with our extended range sensors, so I know I sometimes forget that they can't see us in return."

"Any idea what they're up to, Commander?" John asked Calara.

The Latina frowned in confusion. "I can't imagine for one moment that the Kintark would launch an assault on the Maliri, they must know that would be suicide. It sounds more like some kind of show of strength to me, to discourage Maliri encroachment into Kintark territory. But why would the Kintark move all their strongest forces to the Maliri border? If they are planning further action against the Terran Federation, surely they'd need those elite units to shore up their depleted forces?"

John turned to face the fluttering sprite. "Faye, has there been anything on the Holonet about any skirmishes in the Dragon March?"

She shook her head, looking at him with her big luminous eyes. "No, nothing! Quite the opposite actually, there's been several news reports discussing how quiet it's been. Most speculation is now about whether the Kintark Empire have been cowed into submission after such a humiliating loss at Regulus."

"I don't think that's particularly likely. We better keep a wary eye on things, just in case." John said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. He straightened and smiled at Kali. "Thanks for keeping me informed. Do let me know if there's any further changes, okay?"

"I will," she replied, looking greatly relieved.

"That just leaves our plans for the Invictus," John said, steepling his fingers. "I mentioned earlier about transferring all the materials we received from the Trankarans, over to the remaining battleship that will be taking Edraele and her girls back to Genthalas. I plan to stay here for a few days, getting to know our lovely guests. That should give Faye plenty of time for her maintenance bots to move our cargo."

"Sure, I'll get my boys on it as soon as they're done transferring the weapons and armour!" the purple sprite exclaimed, looking pleased to be given such an important task.

He gave her a grateful nod, then swept his gaze around the group. "When we eventually part ways, I intend to head into Brimorian territory and see if we can acquire some of their shield technology."

Dana rubbed her hands together in anticipation. "I've been waiting for that shit for ages! I can't wait!"

John smiled at her then rose to his feet. "Unless there's anything else, then we need to focus on getting Almari and Ilyana ready for their trip to Trankaran Space. If I'm not still banned from Engineering, I'll keep you ladies company."