Three Square Meals Ch. 067

"What's wrong?" Sakura asked him, as she sidled around the desk and glanced at his lap with a questioning eye.

John smiled at her, and opened his arms, welcoming her back again. When she was comfortably settled, he replied, "Eito Yamamoto lost his family to some of Mikaboshi's assassins. He intervened and prevented the assassination of one of their targets, so they came after him instead."

She was quiet for a moment, her face twisting with remorse as she flashed through her memories, but she looked relieved when she finally said, "Shinatobe wasn't involved."

"That's good to know," John said, certain that the earnest young woman would have tortured herself with guilt if her cyborg persona had taken part in the attack on Yamamoto. He looked down at her and continued, "Losing his wife and daughter destroyed him. His desire for revenge drove him into an obsession with killing, and he dropped his mastery of Kendo to take up Kenjutsu instead."

Sakura was startled by his reply, and when she looked up at John, she saw he was watching her response carefully. "That's why you tried to dissuade me from hunting Mikaboshi, wasn't it?" she asked, gazing into his eyes. "You were worried that I'd end up like Yamamoto."

He nodded, and said, "He's practically a recluse now, and you just saw what it's like, trying to talk to him." Giving her a gentle smile he added, "I didn't go to all the trouble of saving you, only for you to throw your life away."

She nodded soberly, then smiled back at him as she said, "You don't have to worry. I've got a new life here with you now, and besides, I don't think Alyssa would allow me to turn into a recluse!"

He chuckled, and said, "No, I don't think she would either."

*You're far too lovely to end up like that,* Alyssa thought to Sakura, her warm voice pouring through her mind like liquid honey. *I'm afraid, you're stuck with all of us looking out for you now, sorry.*

Sakura suspected that Alyssa wasn't particularly sincere with her apology, but she felt comforted by her telepathic voice, and found she didn't mind one bit. She snuggled into John's chest, feeling his strong arms surrounding her, and let out a contented sigh. He rested his chin on her silky black hair, and they sat there quietly, watching the stars drift by in the long window flanking the Ready Room.

After relishing the tranquil moment together, John reluctantly said, "We better head off to bed."

Sakura sat up in surprise, and asked, "Haven't you got all the girls waiting for you? You don't sound like a man about to enjoy the loving attention of his harem!"

He nodded, and replied, "It's not just them waiting for me. I need to speak to Athena, and I'm praying she's come up with a plan."

"Athena?" Sakura asked him with a puzzled frown. "I don't think I've met her yet. Who is she?"

John was about to help her off his lap, so that he could get up, but he sank back in his chair instead and replied, "We only found out about her recently. Before I talk about her, it's probably better if I start by explaining about the nightmares, and what triggers them..."

***

They arrived in the bedroom with Sakura still reeling from the thought that there was an Astral Plane, and that it was populated by horrible creatures capable of slaying them. Alyssa saw the look of shock on the young woman's face, one that Sakura had worn with distressing frequency over the last couple of days. The other girls were also there waiting for them, so when Alyssa gracefully climbed off the huge bed to go and comfort the Asian girl, Calara went with her to help.

They helped her shrug out of her clothes and join the others on the bed, while Dana and Rachel rushed to assist John in stripping off too. He was about to follow the redhead and brunette over to the bed, when a flash of purple caught his eye, and he spotted Faye sitting cross-legged on the big leather chair in the bedroom. She was still just as gloriously nude as before, and when he saw the acres of luscious purple flesh on display, he sorely wished she wasn't just a hologram. Faye caught his admiring glance, and she blushed furiously before flashing him a shy smile and sitting straighter, giving him a better view of her spectacular pixels.

He winked at her, then sat near the foot of the bed, facing Alyssa with the rest of the girls fanned out around him. He looked at each of them, and asked, "I'm sure Alyssa's filled you in on what we might be facing tonight?"

They all nodded, sombre expressions on their beautiful faces, and Jade asked him, "Are you really in danger from this nightmare creature?"

He hesitated, then replied, "The last time I got pulled into the dreamworld, Alyssa was sucked in with me, and we barely escaped with our lives. I'm just hoping that Athena has come up with some kind of plan..."

The Nymph didn't look particularly reassured, and with a worried frown on her face, she persisted, "What happens if she doesn't have any ideas?"

He smiled at her, and said with a confidence that he didn't feel, "That's when we get creative!"

Turning to face Alyssa, who was cuddled up with Sakura and Calara, he gave her a brief nod as they shared a meaningful look. He closed his eyes, then tried to blot out any distractions, focusing intently on drawing out his spirit form from his body. He still had to fight hard to separate himself from his physical form, but he was in no mood for delays, and the process of Astral Projection seemed a little easier this time. When he opened his eyes again, he was facing the radiant copy of Alyssa known as Athena, who gave him a warm smile in greeting.

"You look happy to see me," he noted, returning her smile. "Does that mean you have some good news?"

Athena's smile wavered, and she replied, "Sorry John, I was just glad to see you again. I'm afraid I don't have anything definitive for you yet."

John felt a heavy weight sink in his chest, and he said despondently, "Alyssa and I were practically helpless there last time, and we only just escaped with our lives because you intervened. I hate not knowing what the hell I'm doing!"

Athena approached him with her arms open, and her embrace felt comforting, soothing the fear and doubts in his mind. He could feel her lips brushing his ear as she whispered, "I only helped ward you from the debilitating fear the creature radiates. You were the one who saved us, pulling us from the Astral Plane."

He pulled back a little, but not enough to break her embrace. He stared into her glowing eyes only inches away from his, and said, "We can't just wing this, though. It's far too dangerous to just hope I'll know how to protect us by instinct alone."

She nodded, and said, "I know, I agree with you completely." She gave him one of her enigmatic smiles as she continued, "I only said that I had nothing definitive for you, but that doesn't mean I've been idle."

"What do you mean?" he asked her succinctly, his patience for her cryptic answers frayed by his fear for their safety.

Athena pulled away from him now, and gestured around her at the girls on the bed, who were frozen in a semicircle around him. "I suggest you harness their power," she said, her piercing gaze feeling like it was reading his soul. "I've been considering this at length, and I believe you can use them to become much stronger."

John frowned, his mouth twisting with distaste, and replied, "I don't like the sound of that. I love those girls, I don't want to use them."

She smiled at him, and said patiently, "Don't you see? That's what makes you so unique. A normal Progenitor gathers legions of female slaves and treats them like disposable tools, but you've focused on an elite group who you've nurtured and cared for. The closer their relationship with you, the more powerful the psychic connection you build with them, which in turn makes you both stronger. Progenitors are parasitical by nature, but you've twisted this process, and developed a symbiotic relationship with these girls instead."

John closed his eyes for a moment, viewing the compartments in his mind. Just as Athena had described, the eldritch power lines connecting the girls to Alyssa were surging with power, each one a blazing cable of light. The psychic connection between Alyssa and Sakura was the only exception, being considerably weaker than those from the other girls he'd known for months. He fully expected that, however, as the Asian girl was still new to their group, and hadn't yet "bonded" with Alyssa.

When he glanced at the compartments for the dozens of Maliri linked to Edraele, the connections from the eighty engineers appeared feeble by comparison. Those faint lines seemed pitifully frail even when compared against Sakura's link to Alyssa. There were three significant exceptions, the assassins whose fertility he'd restored, but even then, the connection with them was still weak.

"Given time, and enough care and attention, they could be equally powerful allies," Athena said to him, sharing Alyssa's telepathic ability and reading his thoughts. "They won't be able to assist you here though, you'll need to work with the girls on your ship."

"Work with them, how?" John asked her, feeling particularly obtuse. "What have you got in mind?"

Athena brushed her fingers across his chest, and replied, "Your psychic strength is fundamentally sexual by nature. Love those girls, and it will encourage them to open up to you even further, enhancing the strength of the eldritch power you can draw from them. Then have Jade assist you in feeding them all to create an active connection. I know you've seen the glow from them when they're open to your psychic manipulation."

He laughed, and shaking his head in disbelief, he said, "So you basically want me to have an orgy?"

"Yes, exactly," Athena replied, her tone deadly serious. "Once you've established an active connection with all of these women, we can attempt to create a ward."

"A ward? What's that?" he asked her curiously.

She shook her head, and replied, "We'll discuss it again later when you're ready. For now just concentrate on the task at hand."

He paused for a moment, before looking into her eyes again, and saying, "I still don't like the idea of 'using' the girls like this, it feels wrong."

Athena smiled at him, and said, "If you weren't in any danger tonight, what would you have done before going to sleep? Please be honest, this isn't a trick question."

John thought about it for a moment, then admitted, "At the very least, I'd have made love to Irillith and Dana, to show them how much I appreciate everything they've done for Faye. Calara's wanted to thank me for saving her brother, so almost certainly her too. Rachel looked like she was in the mood to celebrate being right about the Trankarans, and then Alyssa..." He trailed off, then smiled as he continued, "Alright, I get your point. The only real difference in what you're asking is that the girls 'share the load' so to speak, instead of filling up Sakura."

Athena nodded, and said, "She's developing nicely, but missing out on one session won't make any difference. This is far more important."

Remembering how much weaker Sakura's psychic link was, he asked, "Do we leave her out of this completely, then?"

"No, we need all the help we can get," Athena replied looking thoughtful. "Have Jade fill her stomach with your cum too."

"Alright, so we've got a plan," John agreed. "Shall I Spirit-Walk again later, so we can discuss this 'ward' idea?"

She shook her head, and replied, "No, I'll contact you, I don't want you wasting any more psychic energy than necessary."

He nodded, and said, "Alright, I'll head back to my body."

Athena looked pleased, and she replied, "Have fun, and I'll speak to you soon."

John was about to return to his physical presence, but he smiled instead, pulling Athena into his arms. "There's one other beautiful girl I know of aboard the Invictus. Is there anything I can do to strengthen her connection to me?" he asked her playfully.

She looked flustered for the first time since he'd known her, and when he saw the flicker of curiosity in her eyes, he leaned in and gave her a tender kiss. Athena moaned softly into his mouth, clinging to him as she returned his kiss with feeling. They'd kissed once before, when he'd saved Jade, but this was very different.

Athena looked just like Alyssa, although she glowed with a bright inner radiance, and his lips tingled where they met hers, feeling like a surge of electricity was passing between them. The ethereal guide was very new to kissing though, thus ending the similarities between her and her blonde counterpart, who had a wealth of experience in that regard.

When he finally pulled away from her, Athena stared at him in bewilderment, and she lifted her hand to gently brush against her lips.

"I'll speak to you later," he said with a smile, enjoying the look of amazement on her face.

When he stopped fighting the pull from his astral cord, he was snapped back into his body, and he steadied himself on the bed as he readjusted to the sudden swirling change in his surroundings. He glanced around, and saw that seven girls - eight, if you included Faye - were watching him intently. They hadn't moved position since he started his Spirit-Walk, reminding him of the time dilation effect on the Astral Plane.

"So what's the verdict?" Alyssa asked him, as soon as he was stable again.

He was about to open his mouth to explain Athena's plan, but Alyssa read his mind before he could say anything. She sat up, clapping her hands in delight, an excited gleam in her eyes. "Oh, this is going to be fun!" she squealed happily.

The other girls all moved off the bed, moving with disconcerting synchronicity as they sashayed into the walk-in wardrobe, with Alyssa following behind them. She looked over her shoulder at John and Sakura, who were watching the beautiful girls with bemusement, and flashed them a mischievous grin.

Sakura crawled over the bed to join him, and whispered "What's happening? Where are they going?"

He smiled at her and replied, "I've learnt to just go with it. Whatever Alyssa's planning is bound to be lots of fun, so just relax and enjoy yourself, okay?"

She giggled nervously, so he put his arm around her and gave her a reassuring kiss. She responded by kissing him back, and it was only when they heard the sound of clicking heels that they pulled away from each other to look back across the room. While they'd been distracted, someone had lowered the lighting, creating a sensual ambience in the bedroom. Alyssa and the girls paraded out wearing nothing but four-inch stiletto heels, which emphasised the lean muscles in their long athletic legs, and added extra lift to the compact roundness of their toned cheeks.

This reminded John of their trip to Oceanus, and Alyssa presenting the girls as enticing flavours for Rachel to try. He wasn't certain, but knowing Alyssa as he did, he was fairly sure this little scenario was intended for Sakura's benefit.

*Mmm, very good, handsome,* she purred to him, her bright blue eyes catching the light. *It looks like I'll have to work harder to surprise you...*

Turning to Sakura, Alyssa gave her a warm smile, and said, "I told all my sisters how good you taste, and they all begged me for a chance to go down on you. So it's up to you, gorgeous, take your pick. Who's the lucky girl?"

John chuckled at the bug-eyed expression of utter disbelief on the Sakura's face, and putting his arm around her shoulder he murmured, "Don't feel pressured. You don't have to do anything you don't feel comfortable with." He saw the flicker of desire in her dark-brown eyes, and he grinned at her when he realised she could hardly believe her luck, not that she objected to the idea.

Sakura gazed at the six stunning Amazons arrayed before her, and she couldn't help but feel intimidated by how astonishingly beautiful they were. Each girl had the body of an athlete in the peak of physical condition, but with full gravity-defying breasts, uncommon in professional athletes.

The high heels, and subtle application of makeup emphasised their incredible natural allure, making them by far the most beautiful girls Sakura had ever seen. She couldn't help but feel shy around them however, so she was tempted to pick Alyssa, who she was far more familiar with than the others. The blonde met her gaze, and correctly guessed what Sakura was thinking.

*I'd love to have you writhing on my tongue again, but why not pick someone else and let them enjoy you too?* she urged, giving her an affectionate smile.

Looking at each of the other girls in turn, Sakura's eyes eventually settled on the coffee-coloured Latina, and mustering up her courage, she asked in a faint voice, "Calara?"

A radiant smile lit up Calara's tanned face, and she stepped out of her high heels, then glided over to Sakura, before leaning in to give her a gentle kiss on the lips. "Thank you for choosing me, you won't regret it," she replied, with a lustful look in her sultry brown eyes.

"Damn! I was hoping she'd choose me," Dana pouted, as she watched Calara climb lithely onto the bed.

Rachel laughed and said, "You probably scared her off by swearing like a drunken sailor."

The redhead grinned, and replied, "It didn't put you off though, did it? Or is that because you're a well bred lady, who likes her bit of rough?" The two lovers shared a heated look, their pulses quickening with lust.

Alyssa shook her head, and sauntered over to join her girlfriend, then brushed her hand along the Latina's leg as she purred, "Calara's just irresistible, aren't you baby?"

Calara blew her a seductive kiss, then lay down on the bed, and gave Sakura a come-hither look. When Alyssa saw the confusion on the Asian girl's face, she beckoned her over, and said, "She wants you to sit on her face..."

Sakura's eyes looked like they were about to roll out of her head as Alyssa helped her swing a leg over the supine girl, but those eyes snapped shut, and she let out a low moan as she settled over Calara's mouth. "Oh my God!" she gasped, as she felt the wet, flickering touch of a hot tongue on her pussy.

John grinned at the lustful sounds filling his ears, and turning his gaze back to the lined up girls, he said, "Looks like you'll have to settle with me then, Red."

"Oh fuck yeah!" Dana crowed with delight, and she kicked off her heels, and dashed over to the bed in her haste.

John caught the excited girl mid-leap in his arms, then winked at Rachel and asked, "Could you warm Irillith up for me, please? She's next, then I plan to ravish you."

The smouldering look she shot him left him in no doubt that the tawny-haired girl would be a handful when it was her turn. He saw Jade move to couple with Alyssa, and he turned his attention back to Dana, laying her back on the bed. "It feels like ages since we've been together," he said, his tone apologetic.

She smiled at him, and said, "A new girl to enhance, and plenty of injuries to heal. Who's dipshit idea was it to link all that to your cum?"

He laughed as he leaned over her, then moved in for a passionate kiss, running his hands through her dark auburn hair. She gasped with excitement as he ran his hands over her body, taking his time to feel the firmness of her breasts, and the taut leanness of her toned belly. "You're a smoking hot piece of ass, you know that?" he said to the lusty redhead.

This close to her face, he could see the golden coronas flare around her pupils as they expanded with arousal, and she growled, "Fuck me hard, you big-dicked bastard."

His fingers dipped lower, moving between her thighs, and he shoved them apart roughly, making her gasp. He was gentle when he brushed his fingers over her pussy lips though, and found her soaking wet for him already. Not wasting any time, he covered her with his body, then pushed his way into her glistening channel, relishing the sound of her girlish whimpers as her pussy wrapped around his huge shaft. He knew by now that she'd easily stretch to take him, and he forced his way up to the hilt inside her. Her cheeks were flushed as she gazed at him, and she clung to him with her legs and arms, in anticipation of the pounding she'd demanded.