Three Square Meals

John stood by his chair at the head of the long Briefing Room table and waited for the girls to take their seats before sitting himself. "Alright then, ladies, bring me up to speed; what have you been up to for the last couple of days?"

"While you were balls-deep inside those sexy blue babes, enjoying your non-stop impregnathon you mean?" Dana asked, an innocent expression on her face.

He couldn't help flushing, the reddening of his cheeks enough to get all the girls laughing.

Raising his hands, he said, "I'm sure I deserve a bit of ribbing, but not right now, okay? I've fed Tsarra three times, so I'm due another visit with the astral monsters. We need to be sharp and alert for this, and the longer we put off sleeping the more tired we'll get. So let's have a quick catch-up, recap our plans, then go to bed..."

"For the first time, it's not exciting to hear you say that," Calara said, a worried frown on her olive-skinned face.

He reached to his left to clasp her hand, trying to reassure her with his firm hold. "Yeah, I know what you mean." Glancing around the group, he continued, "Okay then, anyone got anything new they want to update me on?"

"We've upgraded the Gauss Cannons," Calara said, her expression brightening.

"Really?" John asked in surprise. "To what?"

"Heavy Quantum Guns," Dana said with a satisfied grin. "They're like ten-metre-long versions of our rifles. Alyssa did the shaping yesterday and Faye had her boys install them today, while you were busy porking Nyrelle." She glanced at Faye, who tipped an imaginary hat, a broad grin on her face.

John rolled his eyes at the redhead, but couldn't help smiling. "How effective are the new guns?"

"Rapid firing with high armour penetration, but the quantum field wrapped around the slug gives them the ability to disrupt shielding. They're fucking hardcore!" Dana exclaimed, her eyes shining with pride.

Calara nodded, looking equally pleased. "The old Gauss Cannons were too restrictive in their usage, so the Heavy Quantum Guns will be a huge improvement. Previously we had to wait until we stripped a target's shields before we could bring those weapons to bear, but now we won't have to. I've been studying Dana's projections for their damage output and they should be extremely effective."

"Would you expect anything less?" the redhead asked airily.

John shook his head. "From you? Never."

Dana grinned at him, but her smile then faded into a rueful frown. "I'd love to upgrade the Heavy Cannons into Quantum Cannons, but it's a big job and we'll need some time in a drydock."

"Quantum Cannons?" John asked, his eyebrows climbing. "You mean we'll have six of those guns the Ashanath had on the Legacy?!"

"Ah... no, afraid not," Dana said, shaking her head. "That was a Quantum Flux Cannon which is pure Progenitor tech and something else entirely. The Quantum weapons we use are my own invention, based off the same kind of idea of wrapping up shells in an energy packet. My guns are very powerful, but not in the same league." She blushed and muttered, "Probably should have named them something different... sorry."

He shrugged and gave her a reassuring smile. "The Quantum weapons sound like they'll be a big upgrade, but they are still a temporary stepping stone, so it's not a big deal. You and I were going to work on unlocking more Progenitor tech from that wonderful mind of yours, remember?"

That turned Dana's frown upside down and she gave him a sparkling smile. "Oh yeah!"

Sakura raised a hand to get the distracted redhead's attention. "Did you upgrade the Punisher Gatling on the Valkyrie too?"

Dana shook her head. "Not yet, sorry. I've got something in mind, so once I've drawn up the schematics, it shouldn't take too long to put it together."

"Fantastic, thank you," the Asian girl said, nodding in gratitude. She glanced at John and continued, "I had a lovely time getting to know Valani, then I spent every available opportunity training with Luna." She shook her head in admiration. "Her skill with a blade was incredible. After you enhanced her physique to match mine, I had no chance against her... unless I cheated and used my powers."

"Was she a good instructor?" John asked, looking hopeful.

"Very. She taught me a lot," Sakura said, a lop-sided smile twitching her lips. "I don't think you'll stand a chance against me now, not until I share what I've learned with you."

"Bold words," John said, matching her smile. "I'll look forward to seeing what you can do..."

Sakura's brown eyes flashed with anticipation, then she turned to face Dana. "Luna absolutely loved the Paragon suit and the pistol you gave her."

"Another happy customer!" the redhead said with satisfaction, before giving John a cheeky grin. "Got to keep those hot little broodmares nice and safe... I reckon Luna's going be a handful!"

Rachel elbowed her lover and said, "He asked you to be good!"

"I can't help it!" Dana protested, giving John a plaintive look. "The Young Matriarchs were just adorable and watching you knock them up was so fucking sexy! Since then, I can barely think about anything else!"

Alyssa placed her hand on John's shoulder, her expression sombre. "As your XO, I think I should inform you that our Chief Engineer seems to be losing her mind. Only a good fucking can save her now."

"Yeah!" Dana exclaimed, looking thrilled. "You need to load us up before we kick some ass anyway. You can do me, then I'll feed the girls!"

John pretended to be mulling over the idea for a moment, then nodded. "It sounds like we have our last-minute battle prep covered." He winked at Dana, then looked around the table and continued, "Alright, anything else?"

"I finished reviewing my research notes," Tashana said quietly.

He could guess at the results by her downcast expression. "Nothing on the Astral monsters then?"

"Afraid not. I scoured everything we took from Valada's server and double-checked all the photographic evidence I gathered at the site, but there were no references of any kind. I did find pictures of those murals I discovered that showed Thralls carrying Reaper Cannons. It was like seeing stylised portraits of Irillith in action, which I must admit was more than a little unsettling." The twins shared a glance and a brief smile, before focusing on John once again.

John rubbed his chin and reasoned, "If it was some kind of Thrall recruitment centre like you guessed, it's unlikely they'd openly portray those monsters. They probably wouldn't want to scare off any new recruits."

Tashana shook her head. "Actually, that's not strictly true. With their genetic programming, the ancient Maliri would have probably been so excited at the chance to be with Mael'nerak, they would have been largely oblivious to their surroundings."

"Only as long as he was present," Rachel reminded her. "Otherwise Mael'nerak's Matriarch and Thralls would be relying on the effects of their white-haired appearance to lure in new recruits."

Irillith frowned and glanced at her sister. "From what we've seen of Valada, I just can't imagine her behaving that way..."

"She was enthralled by Mael'nerak and in the early days he wasn't the reformed character he eventually became," Rachel gently reminded them. "From everything I've seen of Valada, I'd be inclined to agree with you; she did seem to be a kind, caring woman. However, speculation about her early behaviour before Mael'nerak had his epiphany is pure conjecture at this point."

"It's a shame the Thrall site was so badly damaged," Tashana said, with a wistful sigh. "A significant portion of the facility had already collapsed due to seismic activity."

"Well it's still the best source of information we've found on Mael'nerak so far; perhaps we should just visit it again when we return to Maliri Space?" John suggested, looking around the room. "If there is anything left there to find, between all of us I'm sure we can dig it out."

"That's an excellent idea!" Tashana said, beaming at him. "With your strength, Alyssa's telekinesis, the maintenance bots and everyone else, we'll be able to fully excavate the entire facility in no time!"

Alyssa squeezed John's hand and gave him a look of sympathy. "I'm sorry, I know how much you hate having to return to Maliri Space... The locals are so demanding!"

He laughed and raised both hands in the air, gesturing for the girls to proceed. "Alright, everyone get it out of their system."

John chuckled as the girls did exactly that, giggling at each other's ribald jokes. He shared a smile with Alyssa and she leaned in to kiss him.

When she pulled away, she said softly, "We're all just excited, that's all. When we were watching you with the Maliri, everyone here was imagining it was themselves in bed with you."

He tensed, a flash of guilt crossing his face.

"You have nothing to feel guilty about," she said quickly, stroking his head. "You made five lovely girls blissfully happy and you did it for all the right reasons. None of us harbours the slightest resentment or jealousy towards the Young Matriarchs, far from it. Besides, we weren't being totally selfless. They were as good as their word and showed us what it would be like getting pregnant by you in several different positions... it gave us lots of intriguing ideas for the future."

"But, I thought..." he muttered in astonishment.

"That they all asked you to breed them in different ways by happy coincidence?" she asked, stroking his head affectionately. "We all got together and discussed it while you were re-bonding with Edraele. It was something they wanted to do for us, in exchange for borrowing 'our' man."

"Nyrelle also volunteered to play at being the 'Thrall' for you," Rachel confided, giving him a knowing smile. "It only took me a few minutes to realise she was already far too excited to remember any intricate role-play suggestions. In the end I realised you'd both have far more fun if I simply encouraged her to let go of all her inhibitions..."

"She was absolutely wild in the bedroom!" John marvelled. "That was your doing?!"

"You're welcome," Rachel said with a satisfied smirk. "I had a good chat with her afterwards; she couldn't stop talking about how you were a god in the bedroom. If you ever decide to become a fertility deity, you've found your first true believer."

Alyssa frowned, her full lips forming a playful pout. "I thought that was me, oh Divine One?"

"You'll always lead the faithful, honey," John replied, smiling as the blonde's pout turned into a radiant smile. He turned back to the brunette. "I'm not sure if I should be awed, shocked, or just overwhelmingly grateful. If it's alright with you, I think I'll settle with all three."

"You really loved being with a completely uninhibited girl like that, didn't you?" Rachel asked, giving him an enigmatic smile. "Perhaps I should give myself a good talking to?"

John looked at her in surprise, unable to tell if she was joking or not, but it was quite clear by the brunette's expression that she wasn't intending to elaborate. He coughed to clear his throat, then glanced around and asked, "Does anyone else want to raise anything, or shall we head to the bedroom. We can discuss the assault plan there."

The girls exchanged furtive glances and secret smiles, obviously up to something. John frowned, not sure what he was missing, but he was still flustered by Rachel's teasing and was distracted by his worries about the upcoming battle in the Astral plane.

When no one suggested anything else to discuss, he nodded and rose to his feet. "Okay then, let's go."

He waited for them to file out the door, waving goodbye to Faye as she disappeared in a purple flash. Leaving the Briefing Room, John strode up the ramp towards the grav-tube, smiling at Faye as he usually did when she gave him a friendly wave. She was sitting on his console up on the Command Podium as normal, but there was something slightly different about her, which he couldn't quite place.

"Hey, John," she said softly.

"Hey yourself, beautiful," he replied, but something in her voice made him pause at the bottom of the illuminated steps. When he glanced at the purple AI again, he blinked in surprise, realising what was different about her appearance. "What happened to your wings?!"

She slid off the console, then rearranged her short dress, before walking slowly down the steps towards him. "Do you really miss them?"

He smiled at her and replied, "You look adorable either way, I just got used to them, that's all."

Faye stopped on the third to last step, bringing herself to eye-level with him. "I know you need to make plans for tonight, but I just wondered if I could speak to you for a moment. It's personal..."

"Of course, honey," John replied, concern replacing his smile. "Want to go to my Ready Room?"

"Here is just fine," she murmured, reaching out to brush her slender fingers against his arm, in a simple gesture of affection.

John kept still so that he wouldn't break the contours of her holographic body and shatter the illusion of touch for her. He saw her luminous eyes going wide as she reached towards him, but thought nothing of it, as Faye's mannerisms had become very authentic now. It came as a huge shock when there was physical contact between them, her touch feathery soft against his skin.

"Your body!" he exclaimed, gaping at her in astonishment. "But... You look exactly the same!"

She giggled and looked at him incredulously. "You weren't expecting the white chassis were you?!"

John hesitated before giving her a reluctant nod, blushing as he did so. "When you showed me the design for your new body, I wasn't lying when I said I thought it looked beautiful. After that I just forgot it wasn't finished..." He chuckled self-consciously. "Alright, I'm an idiot, but in my defence, I have had a lot on my mind with the Maliri and I've been really distracted..."

"Faye!" Dana protested indignantly. "You were sworn to secrecy!"

"Sorry, I couldn't help myself!" the sprite replied with a grin.

John turned to look at the frowning redhead and saw that the rest of the crew were watching him with amusement. He brought his attention back to the purple-skinned girl standing before him and really took a moment to study her.

Faye was much shorter than the rest of the girls, barely reaching five-feet tall. He would have towered over her if not for the podium steps, and from her current vantage point they were able to stand eye-to-eye. She had the same elfin face he'd grown so fond of, with similar features to the Maliri, just slightly more pronounced. High cheekbones, a delicate nose above enticing cupid-bow lips and big luminous eyes that gazed back at him with equal fascination.

Her short aquamarine dress was similar in style to the longer ones worn by the Maliri, with slashes taken from the sides and front to reveal more of her flawless purple skin. The dress ended mid-thigh, revealing her lithe, shapely legs which were well proportioned for her petite frame. He would best describe them as dancer's legs, athletic with highly-toned muscles.

Faye's figure was lithe and slender, with a tiny waist and small pert breasts that sat high on her chest. Long flowing dark-purple hair tumbled around her shoulders and down her back, giving her a tousled, natural look. She looked more like some wild forest sprite that he'd caught capering through a moonlit meadow, than the immaculately groomed girls on his crew; but that striking difference also made her extremely appealing.

He reached out to touch her slender arm, before pausing just a few inches away. "May I?"

She bit her flushed lower lip then nodded. "Of course."

John let his fingertips brush against her forearm, feeling a comforting warmth to her body as his fingers glided across her velvety-smooth skin. "I can't believe I'm touching you at last," he murmured, taking his eyes from the trail of goosebumps he'd left on her arm to look at her face.

Faye was gaping at him in astonishment, lips slightly parted over dazzling white teeth as she let out a faint moan at his touch. "That feels indescribable..." she whispered.

John stepped closer as he gazed into her eyes. "I've wanted to do this for a really long time..."

He encircled her in his strong arms and Faye let out a squeak of shock, freezing in place. She was unresisting as John pulled her closer, wrapped her in a loving embrace.

"Oh my goodness!" Faye gasped, big eyes grown wide as saucers as her chest made contact with his. She let out a dreamy sigh, then relaxed and hugged him back, her hands gently stroking his back.

"Thanks for everything you've done for us," John whispered in her tiny pointed ear.

Faye pulled back and shook her head. "Thank you for everything you've done for me!"

He smiled at her, then said, "Consider us even."

Her mouth parted slightly as she gazed at him, lips looking soft and oh-so-inviting... John brushed his fingers through her hair, cupping the back of her head as he felt a strong urge to kiss her. Leaning forward he turned slightly, pressing his lips against her cheek at the corner of her mouth. Faye's long eyelashes fluttered as she let out another startled squeak, then melted in his arms.

"I'm really looking forward to our first date," he said quietly, smiling when he saw the look of eager anticipation fill her eyes.

A gentle round of applause started behind him and they both turned to see the girls watching them with affectionate smiles on their faces. Then they all gathered around, each waiting their turn to finally get to hug the ninth lioness on their crew.

John stepped back several paces to give them room, then beckoned Dana, Rachel, Alyssa, and Irillith over to him while Faye was getting an enthusiastic embrace from Jade. "You did an absolutely incredible job, thank you for the tremendous amount of effort you put in," he said softly.

Dana glanced at Faye, who had a glorious smile on her face as she hugged Calara for the first time. "Just look how happy she is... it was totally worth it."

The other three nodded, equally delighted to see their friend's pure joy. Once all the hugs were out the way, they headed down to Deck Two, where Alyssa stopped outside one of the officers' quarters on the right, adjacent to Tashana's bedroom.

"Now you've got your own body, you need your own bedroom," the blonde said, opening the door and grinning at Faye. She glanced at John and added, "Feel free to decorate it however you like, but please keep it tidy!"

He laughed, then put his arm around Faye's shoulder, the purple sprite gazing into her room in awe. "Go ahead, honey. It's all yours."

She entered the room with faltering steps, an awestruck expression on her elfin face. Faye's big eyes were brimming with emotion when she spotted the Paragon of Terra medal, which was now proudly displayed in a velvet-lined case on her desk.

Irillith walked in after her, carrying a wrapped present in her arms. "A little moving in gift for you, Faye."

Faye accepted the parcel and sat on the bed, her fingers trembling as she reached for the wrapping paper. She began to unwrap it, hesitant and careful at first as she gazed at the rectangular object in rapt fascination. With a final flourish, she tore away a large sheet of the paper, revealing the contents to everybody.

It was Irillith's old hacking deck, still active and hooked up to the hacking portal, all securely stored in a transparent crystal Alyssium cylinder. At the front was a plaque, which read:

"From humble beginnings come great things."

"Thank you for being our friend."

Faye let out a low cry, then wrapped her arms around Irillith, shiny crystal-clear tears rolling down her cheeks. "I love you so much, Creator. Thank you!"

John watched them embracing with a fond smile. His happiness was marred only by his irritation at the cleaning bots; they must have let the room get awfully dusty, because it felt like something was getting in his eyes. Faye smiled at him over Irillith's shoulder, a look of profound contentment on her blissfully happy face. Dana slipped her hand into John's and squeezed it gently to get his attention. He glanced down at her and saw that her eyes were filled with happy tears as she returned his curious gaze. She stepped out of the bedroom, leading him by the hand.