Three Square Meals Ch. 070

Her face flushed with arousal, Sakura smiled at the green-skinned alien, and replied, "Oh yes, definitely."

Sakura's tanned tummy was flat again now, her body having greedily devoured lunch over the last several hours. After the Medical Bay check-up, She'd been having such a great time with Dana and Rachel, that she hadn't wanted to leave their easy-going company. Dana had invited her to the Engineering Bay to check the sizing for her new training gear, which is where they'd met Jade, who was building the modified Paragon body armour. The Nymph had been delighted to have the company, and she'd listened avidly as the other three girls chattered away together.

The Asian girl was only a few inches shorter than her adoptive sisters, but wasn't quite as athletic or busty enough to match their Amazonian physiques. Dana had looked her over with an appraising eye, as they spent some time checking the fit of the training body armour. This seemed to involve plenty of cup-size verification, and Dana's warm hands and busy fingers were the perfect measuring implements - according to the enthusiastic redhead at least. Sakura hadn't minded one bit, growing very turned on with all the stimulation.

Jade took the smaller girl's hand, and said, "We'd better head off then, Alyssa says they're nearly there."

Sakura waved the brunette and redhead goodbye, then followed the Nymph as she led her by the hand down the corridor to the gym. Jade pushed the button to open the door, and loud feminine cries of pleasure drifted from the room. Biting her lip in excitement, Sakura followed Jade into the gym, and her eyes widened as she saw John and Calara together.

The pair looked primal together, as John roughly fucked the kneeling brunette. She was on her knees in front of him, but sitting back in his lap as he pulled her back against his chest with a fist full of her hair. The couple were completely oblivious to the new arrivals, entirely focused on one another, as they drew closer to their release.

Jade coaxed Sakura across the mat, then shrugged her dress off her shoulders so she was standing naked beside her. The petite raven-haired beauty was transfixed by the erotic coupling before them, so she was almost oblivious to her companion helping her out of her jumpsuit. Sakura had started to grow used to walking around naked or wearing little more than one of John's shirts, so she was completely unperturbed at being divested of clothes.

She knelt down obediently as she watched John ravishing Calara, and the Nymph knelt directly behind her, pressing her cool breasts against the golden-brown skin of Sakura's back. "He's taking her in the ass," Jade whispered in Sakura's ear.

Sakura's head whipped around sharply, looking at the Nymph over her shoulder as she said, "But I thought..."

Jade kissed her on the cheek, then wrapped her arms around the smaller girl, one hand caressing her slim stomach, the other gently slipping between Sakura's thighs. "We can still fill your tummy, as long as you have an open mind," she purred as her probing fingers found her target.

Letting out a low moan, Sakura leaned back against the Nymph, spreading her legs a little wider to give those adept green fingers more room to work. She seemed to realise what Jade was implying though, and looked a bit green herself as she faltered, "I... I don't know if I can..."

Shaking her head, Jade smiled at her, and replied, "No, that's why I'm here. You trust me, don't you?"

Her breath was growing more uneven, and between gasps, Sakura managed to pant, "Yes, I trust you!"

John pinned Calara in place, then thrust deep inside her, roaring out his lust as he filled her hugely stretched ass. The Latina came with him as his cum surged inside her, crying out her pleasure as he packed her belly full of spunk.

"Good girl," Jade said approvingly, as she squeezed Sakura's small pert breasts with one hand, while stroking her clit with an expert touch. "I've been really looking forward to feeding you again."

The confusion in the Asian girl's face disappeared as she was wracked with pleasure, and when her orgasm finally abated, she stared at Jade with lustful eyes. "God I needed that!" she gasped, revelling in the afterglow.

"Now little kitten, time to fill that hungry tummy," Jade said, her cat-like eyes glinting in the light.

***

Alyssa smiled at John when he arrived in his Ready Room, and she arose from his chair before gliding across the room to meet him halfway for a kiss. "Been having fun?" she asked, as he held her in his arms.

"Of course," he replied, a cheerful grin on his face.

She traced a finger over his happy, upturned lips, and said, "I'll go and organise dinner, and leave you to make your call."

"I didn't mean to turf you out," he apologised as he glanced over at his desk. "What were you working on?"

"My Master's degree in Finance," she replied nonchalantly. "I got a lot done today, so I'll sit the exam tomorrow."

He blinked at her in astonishment, then smiled at her as he joked, "You're taking your time aren't you? I'd have thought you'd have that and your Economics degree already!"

She shook her head, and pouted as she replied, "My Master's in Economics is the day after. I got a bit distracted listening to all of you getting raunchy."

Grinning at his surprise, she gave him another kiss, then sashayed out of the room, knowing he was mesmerised by the provocative sway of her hips.

John shook his head to clear his bewildered thoughts, then chuckled to himself as he strolled over to his desk and sank down into his chair. He closed out the dozens of open holographic panels, not even trying to make heads or tails of the confusing research articles that Alyssa had been reviewing. He opened the comms interface, then searched down the list until he found the name he was looking for.

Swiping across the entry with his finger, he had to wait for a few minutes before the dour face of Eito Yamamoto appeared in the holographic viewscreen. The older man was fully recovered from both his drinking binge, and his subsequent embarrassment at what he'd considered to be a shameful display.

Yamamoto seemed uncharacteristically eager as he asked, "Are you ready to fight?"

Shaking his head, John replied amiably, "I can't at the moment, but I wanted to see if you were available tomorrow at three o'clock, if that works for you?"

Yamamoto's eyes narrowed with irritation, but he grunted his acknowledgement and said, "I'll be there."

John was about to reply when Yamamoto leaned forward and ended the call abruptly. Left staring at the blank viewscreen, he shook his head at the man's rudeness, finding his behaviour more mystifying than ever.

*I've had to deal with plenty of cantankerous old matriarchs in my time,* Edraele said to him as she sensed his frustration. *There could be lots of reasons behind Yamamoto's behaviour.*

*I thought we'd had a bit of a breakthrough when he opened up to me about his family,* John replied with a sad sigh. *What do you think upset him?*

*He might resent losing to you in that duel. You did manage to beat him after he devoted his life to swordfighting; that has to be a bitter pill to swallow,* she suggested cautiously.

John frowned, and said, *That could well be true. Yamamoto was an Aikido champion before he quit the sport. After being that successful, he probably doesn't like to lose.*

*From what I've read from your thoughts, the man's practically a hermit. He probably isn't used to dealing with people any more,* Edraele said gently. *I doubt he's able to handle all the traumatic emotions resurfacing after seeing Shinatobe attack you, especially considering that he lost his family in similar circumstances. That could well be why he's lashing out at you instead. He might even be blaming you for him losing control and getting drunk.*

John gazed out the window in his Ready Room, catching glimpses of the colourful nebulas that were prevalent around Maliri Space. They were still a few days from the border, but he could still see the swirling reds and green stretching for light years in the far distance.

With a resigned expression on his face, he thought to her, *I suppose I was looking for some kind of friendship that just wasn't there.*

After a moment's pause, Edraele asked curiously, *Why was befriending Yamamoto important to you? I know you're constantly surrounded by far more appealing company.*

He laughed at that, and replied, *Yeah, I know, the girls are all lovely.* With a self-conscious smile, he admitted, *I guess I just miss a bit of male company.*

*Perhaps you should make time to visit Ceraden when you return to Maliri Space. The two of you are friends I believe?* the Maliri matriarch asked him.

*That's a nice idea actually, I'd enjoy catching up with that rogue,* John agreed, smiling as he thought about having a drink with the friendly Maliri trader. *Thanks Edraele, you've given me something else to look forward to in Maliri Space.*

She sounded pleased as she replied, *I love the idea of you setting up your home here at Valaden. I'll do my best to make it as appealing a prospect as possible.*

He rose from his chair, and sent her a grateful telepathic smile as he strolled from the room to join the girls for dinner then wind down for the evening.

***

"Brrt!" the assault rifle chattered angrily, jerking in Sakura's hands.

The firing range echoed with the sound of gunfire for the first time that morning, as Sakura fired a burst at the target dummy. She lowered the rifle, and stared down the range to check where her shots had landed, then frowned when she saw the results. One of the three ten-millimetre caseless rounds had left a blackened entry hole in the dummy's polycarbonate shoulder, but the other two had sailed harmlessly overhead.

"Yeah, the XR75's got a bit of a kick to it," John noted, after observing her first shot with the bullpup rifle. "As you get stronger it'll be easier for you to control the barrel climb. Until then, you'll just have to compensate as best you can."

Sakura glanced over at the Punisher railgun on the weapon rack, taking in the heavy-looking frame, and broad muzzle of the terrifying weapon. She looked at John as she said, "I'm not sure how the girls can handle something so massive."

He winked at her, and said, "They seem to enjoy getting to grips with a big weapon." She giggled at his joke, and he smiled, enjoying hearing her laugh. Walking over to pick up the glossy white Punisher railgun, he added, "Dana did a hell of a job with this rifle. It has less kick than the XR75 due to the recoil dampeners, and although the frame is bigger, it's actually lighter too."

Looking down at the smaller but heavier XR75 rifle, Sakura frowned in confusion as she asked, "So why am I training with this rifle instead of the ones you normally use?"

Picking up a magazine of twenty-millimetre Crystal Alyssium tipped rounds from the racks, John walked over to the range to stand beside her at the next lane. "I'll show you," he replied, as he slapped the mag into place.

He pressed a button on a panel beside him, which raised a new dummy into place down the lane, then made sure the power mode selector on the side of the rifle was set to low-power mode. After taking aim at the fresh target, he squeezed the trigger and the sparkling white rifle murmured, "Prrkaow" as he fired a three-round burst.

The effect on the target dummy was devastating, as three fist-sized holes were blasted out of its chest in a shower of polycarbonate chunks. The torso was torn in half by the impact, the upper section tipping backwards and then falling down to hang by the tattered remnants of its eviscerated body.

"Wow," Sakura breathed, staring in shock at the brutal devastation inflicted on John's target.

"Yeah, I know. That was on low-power mode as well," John said with a grin. He nodded towards the mangled dummy, and continued, "You'll be firing thousands of rounds to practice, and we'd run out of things for you to shoot at if you used a Punisher rifle."

"Can I have a go later?" she asked, giving him an endearing smile.

He ejected the magazine into his hand, and replied, "I want to see you master the XR75 first." He smiled at her indulgently, as he added, "When you can show me you're an expert marksman, then I'll let you fire the Punisher."

Giving him a brief nod to show her understanding, she turned down the range, and did her best to support the weight of the XR75 rifle in her arms. Holding her breath, she took careful aim, and squeezed the trigger.

***

"No fucking way!" Rachel swore angrily, shaking her head in disgust.

Dana tore her eyes away from the modifications she was making to the weapon schematic, and looking at the brunette in alarm, she asked, "What is it?!"

Rachel gestured towards the rotating holographic representation of a virus, and explained, "Rogan's Rot. It's not a naturally occurring virus, this is a genetically engineered bio-weapon!"

Dana shivered at the mention of the horrible wasting disease, which had popped up sporadically along the western frontier of Terran Federation space. It could spread like wildfire amongst a planet's population, and even rumours of it could lead to wild panic amongst civilians. When she was a young girl, there'd been talk of one of the ore traders on Karron coming down with alarmingly similar symptoms. The man had eventually been forced to flee the asteroid on a transport, as his home had been burnt to the ground by an angry mob.

"How can you tell?" the redhead asked, stepping away from her Engineering console to look at the round purple sphere, which was covered in raised stalks ending in nodules.

Rachel grimaced as she replied, "Just by looking at it. The structure is far too uniform for something like this to have occurred naturally. Someone gene-spliced the common cold with chronic wasting disease, and amplified its lethality."

Shivering at the thought, Dana glanced at her friend, and asked, "What cold-blooded fucker would mess with something like that? Rogan's Rot has killed millions."

Shrugging helplessly, Rachel replied, "I've no way of knowing for sure, but I'd guess the military? Maybe the Terran Federation intended it for use against the Kirrix, but accidentally infected patient zero; in this case Sam Rogan. I'd have to look up more about his background, but he might have had some military connections."

"Can you develop a cure for it?" Dana asked, glancing at the sinister holographic representation of the virus.

Narrowing her stormy grey eyes, Rachel replied, "I can create a gene-therapy which will prevent it from using someone's cells to replicate itself." She glanced at Dana, and added, "It might be prudent to keep the origins of the virus to ourselves though, especially if it does turn out the Terran Federation was behind it."

Shaking her head, Dana blurted out angrily, "Those fuckers should pay for what they did!"

Rachel frowned, and said soberly, "Humanity's been at war with the Kirrix for centuries. If I'm right, the people behind this could be long dead. There could be quite a backlash if people find out the Terran Federation was behind it."

*Keep working on the cure, and I'll run it by John,* Alyssa thought to them both, her anger and disgust palpable over their connection, having overheard the entire discussion.

***

A gentle breeze fluttered through the wooden Dojo, causing the cherry blossom trees to rustle in the garden outside. As convincingly real as the holo-simulation seemed, it wasn't able to replicate the feeling of wind teasing the hairs on the backs of John's arms. He wasn't consciously aware of that however, as he was busy parrying a frenzied flurry of attacks by the Katana wielding swordmaster.

John gave ground before the storm of blows, and as he fell back a step, his Odachi swished through the air as he countered each wicked slash. Yamamoto had lost his normally calm composure, and his face was contorted with anger as he lashed out with one relentless attack after another. The simulated ringing of steel on steel echoed through the Dojo, the sharp notes abrasively loud against the tranquil backdrop of the wooden building and its peaceful surroundings.

Sakura knelt in the corner of the room, thrilled by the unfolding battle, her eyes flickering from side to side as she watched John and his opponent. Her slender hands were folded in her lap, but they twitched from time to time, as she saw a thrust coming for John's chest, or a scything cut aimed at his legs. She'd been enthralled by the intensity of the melee combat, and had studied both swordsmen with fascination for the last three hours.

John stepped back again, keeping his posture defensive, and drawing Yamamoto forward in a reckless pursuit. The older man was raining down blows against John's blocking sword, but as the swordmaster drew his arms back to take another strike, he left himself vulnerable by slightly overextending. This was just what John had been waiting for, and he abruptly reversed direction as he rushed forward. With a quick-stepped lunge and a slight flick of his wrist, his long blade slashed across Yamamoto's throat, instantly ending the fight.

As the computer simulated Yamamoto's head being neatly cleaved from his body, the older man screamed indignantly, "Again!"

John lowered his sword, and quietly replied, "That's the sixth one in a row, Yamamoto. Perhaps we should schedule another session when you've calmed down a bit."

"How dare you talk down to me!" Yamamoto barked. "Don't you know who I am?!"

The man was furious now, and he hurled his training blade away, before whirling around and stomping across the Dojo. His Hakama swished with his long strides, and the floorboards creaked as he marched across the room, his normal light-footed step abandoned in his anger.

"Eito, wait!" John called after him.

Yamamoto flinched for a moment at the use of his first name, then disappeared in a flash of light as he abruptly ended the simulation. The room returned to its normal state, leaving John staring at a grey featureless wall. He sighed in disappointment, then turned around to look at Sakura who was kneeling patiently at the far side of the room.

She rose gracefully to her feet, and with a worried frown on her face, she asked, "I hope that wasn't my fault?"

John shook his head as he walked towards her, and replied, "No, he didn't seem bothered by you spectating. There's something else upsetting Yamamoto..."

"What's the matter with him?" she asked, falling into step beside John as he walked over to the weapon rack.

He shrugged, and replied, "Honestly, I don't know him well enough to answer that. I was discussing it with Edraele yesterday, and it could be any one of a host of reasons."

Sakura nodded, but her attention had been drawn to the weapon rack, or more specifically, the Katana and Wakizashi resting below the empty space where John's Odachi normally lay.

Spotting her interest in the training weapons, John smiled as he said, "Why don't you try them out for size? I need to create swords for both of us to train together, so you might as well see what you're comfortable with."

She smiled at him, and reached for the blades, taking the Katana in her right and the Wakizashi in her left. The well balanced weight of each training sword felt comforting in her hands, like shaking hands with old friends dearly missed. A memory stirred within her, and she found herself being drawn into the fragment from her past.

***

"You will soon go on your first mission for me," Mikaboshi said, his cold eyes watching her intently as he handed her the twin black swords. He smiled wickedly as he added, "These will be your tools, Shinatobe."

The matching weapons felt cold and strange in her hands, her young fingers used to holding a pen rather than lethally sharp blades. Sakura was trapped within the shell of Shinatobe though, and the datachips plugged into the dataports in her brain immediately kicked in, flooding her mind with fighting styles and techniques.