Three Square Meals Ch. 080

"Sakura," John replied, watching Dana's face for her reaction. "She's not had any combat piloting experience, but I know she was into hoverbikes in a big way. I'm sure she'll pick it up very quickly."

"She should find it fairly easy to learn; piloting the mech isn't that difficult," Dana reluctantly agreed.

He nodded, continuing, "If you can greatly improve the control sensitivity and the mech's responsiveness, I think we could be looking at something pretty special. Sakura's also had far more combat experience than any of us, me included."

Dana frowned at that. "Hang on a minute, I thought you were a marine for ten years?"

John smiled at her and explained, "Most of that time was spent waiting around on ships. Training, giving orders, overseeing logistics as I climbed through the ranks, that kind of thing. Sakura spent almost two solid years in non-stop combat. It was spread out over seven decades because of the cryostasis, but that's not the point. Her combat instincts are extremely refined and I'm sure that'll translate just as well into ship battles."

She chuckled and said, "Alright, I don't feel so bad now. I can't really compete with that, can I?"

"That's the spirit," he said with a smile. "You're also in a much better position to help during ship combat as the Invictus' engineer, with handling repairs, using the tractor beam, rerouting power, that kind of thing. Sakura hasn't got much to do unless we get boarded and let's face it, with me and Alyssa around, anyone boarding has got no chance."

Nodding decisively now, Dana said, "That makes a lot of sense actually. I agree, I think she'll make an excellent pilot."

"Thanks for being so understanding," John said gratefully. "I meant what I said earlier, I wasn't just buttering you up. I consider you the lynchpin to the entire team."

She blushed and stroked his face as she said, "You're very sweet. Thanks for trying so hard not to hurt my feelings."

"You're welcome," he said, leaning down to give her a kiss.

"Time to get naked yet?" she asked eagerly, biting her lower lip with anticipation.

He laughed and replied, "Nearly, I just wanted to talk to you about one other thing."

"My new psychic abilities?" she asked, somehow managing to get even more excited. "I still can't believe I was able to just make the mech's fist and the gun's handle magnetic! That was totally crazy!"

John nodded in confirmation, giving her a broad grin. "Yeah, your ability is quite different from anything the other girls can do." He hesitated for a moment, then continued cautiously, "I'd like to be able to tell you the specifics, but I'm afraid I'm not entirely sure what they are."

"But you rewrote my genetic code! You must know what you did?" she marvelled, gazing up at him with a look of wonder on her beautiful face.

"It doesn't work like that. Or at least, Athena doesn't think I'm ready for that precise level of control. When I enhanced your third helix I just had a vague idea, I was clutching at straws for a way to try and help you."

Dana stroked his arm affectionately and asked, "What were you thinking about at the time?"

John looked away, his eyes unfocused as he tried to remember his exact thoughts. "I was trying to give you a way of grabbing the mech's gun; altering the metal to make it more magnetic was the only thing I could think of." He gave her an apologetic smile and added, "You might need to do some experimenting and find out more precisely what you can do."

"I can't wait to find out!" she gasped gleefully. "Shit! This is even more fun than if you'd just told me straight out - it's like the gift that keeps on giving!"

"No regrets then about joining the psychic club?" he joked, but his face was pensive as he gazed down at her, worried about the extent to which he'd enhanced her nubile body.

She saw the tension in his face and quickly sat up, moving to straddle his lap. She cupped his face with both hands and planted a gentle kiss on his lips, a warm smile appearing on her face. He started to speak, but she kissed him again to silence him.

"We've spoken about this before; how you enhance girls like I used to upgrade guns for the Diablos." She smiled as she leaned back and waved her hand over her lithe, athletic figure and continued, "Your normal handiwork is really fucking impressive, but that just made me look like a hot Maliri girl and there's millions of them." Her voice dropped a few octaves as she added intently, "My normal work was good too, but my favourite was the custom work I did. I used to put a little bit of my soul into each of those custom jobs - they were like a labour of love for me. Now you've made me like Alyssa, the special custom job that you devoted months to working on. So no, I've got absolutely no regrets whatsoever!"

John felt greatly relieved and replied, "Thanks, Sparks, I'm really glad you see it that way." He smiled as he added, "I appreciate the metaphor, although I'd really rather not think of you girls as weapons. I am glad you realise how special you are to me though, it's important you know that."

"Why don't you show me how special I am?" she asked him coyly, unclasping her bra and releasing her spectacular breasts. There was no sag whatsoever as she removed the lingerie, her perfect tits sitting high and pert on her chest.

They just stared into each other's eyes as they removed the rest of their clothing, until Dana lay back, drawing him with her. They maintained that intense eye contact as she spread her legs for him and he pushed his way inside her, her luscious young body yielding to his penetration. Her eyelids fluttered as he sank all the way up to his balls, her pliant flesh moulding around his shaft and squeezing him in encouragement as he fully impaled her.

"Am I yours?" she murmured, arms and legs wrapping around him like a limpet.

Cradling her head in his hands, he nodded, saying, "You're my special custom job that I've grown so attached to, I'm never going to let go. I've put too much of my soul into you."

"Oh, John..." she whispered breathlessly, eyes welling up as she gave him a loving kiss.

They were quiet as they moved together, staring into each other's eyes as he held her protectively. He'd never felt this level of connection to her before, it felt so much deeper and far more intense than normal. She felt it too, the golden coronas around her pupils flaring wide with her arousal. Dana was the first to climax, and the second, then the third, so she was practically sobbing with ecstasy when he finally held her still and drove all the way into her womb as he flooded her with cum.

She held onto him as long as she could, until her rapidly growing tummy made her relax her grip, letting him lean back and give her more room to expand. Dana didn't take her eyes from his as he filled her though, interlacing her slender fingers with his broader ones as he pumped her full of his sperm. The temptation for John to bring this act to its logical conclusion and have her carry his baby in her swollen belly was just as intense as it had been with Rachel. Dana could tell and the doe-eyed look of yearning didn't make it any easier for him to resist.

Finally, he was done, his quad drained dry and she drew up her right leg then rolled to the side, so that he could spoon with her without having to pull out. He gladly did so, wrapped his arms around her and placed a possessive hand on the heavy weight now rounding out her waist.

"It's never been like that before," Dana said quietly, placing her hand atop his. "You made me feel so special. Thank you."

He drew back her hair and placed a loving kiss on her cheek, using that simple gesture to silently convey his strength of feeling for her. She sighed with contentment, then snuggled into his arms, relaxed and deliriously happy.

***

Edraele groaned in agony as she finally awoke, cringing from the throbbing headache that made her feel every rhythmic pulse in her brain. This was worse than any hangover she'd ever experienced, more akin to the splitting migraines that her tumour used to trigger.

"Are you alright, Edraele?" someone asked, sounding deeply concerned but very far away.

"Painkillers, in my drawer," she mumbled desperately, her hands moving up to massage her temples.

She was vaguely aware that there were warm bodies nestled against her flanks, one of them shifting away and leaving her feeling suddenly vulnerable and exposed. When they returned a few moments later, she put her arm around that female form, hugging her fiercely as she held herself tense, still, and rigid to avoid jostling her pounding head. A short moment later, gentle hands moved hers away from her head and she felt the cool metal of the dispenser against her temple. The familiar waves of pain-relief swept through her body, soothing away the thumping in her brain and finally letting her relax.

"Thank you so much..." she said gratefully, still not daring to open her eyes.

"Shh, let us take care of you," someone murmured and Edraele felt movement on the bed as her companions shifted around her.

Caring hands lifted her gently, before settling her back into someone's warm embrace, a firm pair of breasts providing her a lovely pillow. Dexterous fingers began to massage her head, while many more sets of hands began to stroke her body, soothing away any remaining tension. She sighed with relief, her eyes fluttering open to find herself surrounded by Almari, Ilyana, and the Young Matriarchs, who all looked on with worried faces.

She smiled at them now and said, "Thank you, my darlings. I feel so much better now."

"What happened, Edraele?" a richly timbred voice asked from above her head, the question tinged with an undercurrent of worry. "I've never seen you in so much pain before."

Edraele glanced up and saw Luna's anxious yellow eyes staring down at her. Smiling at her bodyguard, she reached up to caress her cheek and said, "I think I overdid it, Luna. I'm alright now, the pain has subsided."

"You should still rest for a while to recover, so just lie back against me," Luna said, brushing a stray lock from Edraele's face before continuing to massage her temples. "What do you mean, you overdid it?"

Letting out a rueful sigh, Edraele glanced down at the concerned faces of the Maliri women who surrounded her on the bed. "John needed psychic energy to fuel his abilities - he was fighting Drakkar and trying to save the Ashanath from extinction. I exhausted my normal power reserves, so I was forced to pull some from each of you, too."

"I felt you draw energy from me," Kali murmured, staring at her with wide indigo eyes. She was lying on the bed beside Edraele, pressed against her left flank.

Edraele stroked her back and asked with concern, "I hope I didn't hurt you, my sweet girl?"

Shaking her head, Kali replied, "No, but it felt very strange, like a strong tugging sensation."

"Are the rest of you unharmed too?" Edraele asked, looking around anxiously at the cluster of women on the bed.

Leena smiled at her, cuddling her right flank and replied, "We're all fine, Edraele, just concerned about you. What happened? Why were you so badly affected?"

Edraele looked at them guiltily, reluctant to reply, but she could tell they weren't going to relent until they had an answer. "John still needed more energy, but I wasn't prepared to risk harming any of you by taking more than was safe - you're all far too precious to me for that. I... tapped into some of my own life-force to aid him instead."

There were shocked gasps from all around, the girls looking horrified. "Did he make you do that?" Tsarra asked in alarm.

"No, absolutely not!" Edraele exclaimed. She leaned forward to clasp the House Perfaren Matriarch's hand and begged her, "Please don't tell him! He'd be mortified!"

"I promise, I won't say a word," Tsarra said earnestly.

Edraele gave her a grateful smile. "You're a good girl, thank you so much."

"I feel like I've let you down," Valani murmured, looking abashed and glancing at the rest of the group.

"Of course you haven't, my darling. Why would you think that?" Edraele said reassuringly, reaching out to gently stroke the girl's smooth cheek.

Nyrelle nodded sombrely and said, "We all have Edraele. If we'd built stronger connections with you, you could have safely drawn more energy from us. Then you wouldn't have felt it necessary to harm yourself."

Shaking her head, Edraele replied, "You mustn't blame yourself for th-. Oh!"

She glanced down in surprise as two full sets of lips surrounded her nipples and began to lap and suck on them. Kali and Leena's smiling eyes looked up to meet her curious gaze as they gently started to nurse at her breasts. Edraele's only regret was that she had nothing to give them and she smiled back as she cupped their heads, stroking them affectionately.

"We need to work much harder to help you," Nyrelle said earnestly, placing her hands around Edraele's left thigh and slowly drawing it back. She darted a lusty glance at Valani, who did the same to the right.

Tsarra knelt between her splayed thighs and Edraele stared at her in surprise as the green-eyed girl nuzzled into her pussy for the first time. Her tongue was quick and eager as she followed Ilyana's and Almari's advice, the two former assassins stroking her short white hair affectionately as they murmured words of encouragement.

When Valani and Nyrelle began to suck on her toes, Edraele arched her back and cried out with pleasure at the sensory overload.

"Just let us know when you get too exhausted to continue. We'll play together until you recover, then we can start again," Luna said, giving her a loving smile. "By the time we're done, you'll have more energy than you know what to do with. You'll never have to put yourself in that position again."

"Oh! My beautiful angels!" Edraele screamed, bucking against Tsarra's probing tongue as she reached a thunderous climax.

***

John had dozed off with his arms around Dana, so it came as a shock when Edraele's distinctive voice suddenly filled his mind with her frantic cries.

*Edraele! Are you alright?!* John thought to her, sitting bolt upright in alarm.

A long keening cry of ecstasy reverberated through his thoughts, and he immediately relaxed, being extremely well versed with the sound of a woman mid-orgasm. He chuckled and Dana rolled onto her back, giving him a languid smile.

"Everything okay?" she asked, noting him sitting up on his haunches.

John placed a hand on her rounded tummy and stroked her as he smiled. "Edraele just gave me a rather vocal wake-up call. It seems like it's not just us having fun this morning."

The redhead giggled, then stuck out her hand for assistance. "Help me up, would you? That reminds me, I need to go and feed your load to her daughter..."

He did as she asked, then quickly dressed while Dana just gathered her clothes in a bundle and stood there wearing only a smile. Offering her an arm, they walked towards the door leading to the Lagoon, with John hitting the button to open the way for his curvaceous partner. Sounds of splashing water reached his ears and when they strolled out across the arching bridge, he spotted a bevy of exotic beauties in the clear aquamarine pool.

Jade leapt clear of the crystal surface as she raced around the lagoon, her aquatic form giving her plenty of propulsion to drive through the water. Meanwhile Irillith and Tashana were shrieking with laughter as they splashed each other in a frenetic water fight. John stopped at the top of the arch, admiring the twins in their matching white bikinis and enjoying hearing them have so much fun together.

*I'm sorry John,* Edraele panted as she tried to respond to him. *The Young Matriarchs and my bodyguards... they're trying to... Oh my...!* Her voice trailed off and he felt a rich surge of pleasure over their empathic bond.

*Tell me later, beautiful. I'm just glad you're okay,* he thought to her amiably, a relieved smile on his face.

"Oops!" Dana suddenly exclaimed, taking advantage of his distracted state and deliberately shoving him off the bridge.

The last thing he heard before he plunged headfirst into the water was the sound of her peals of raucous laughter. He'd barely had time to right himself to swim back up towards the surface, when he felt strong arms circling him and saw Jade's gorgeous face inches from his own. She smiled at him as she propelled him upwards, holding him safe in her arms as they broke the surface.

"Are you alright, John?" she asked, easily supporting his weight as she floated in front of him.

He laughed and looked up at the giggling redhead on the bridge, wagging a finger at her and said, "I'm going to get you back for that, you little imp!" Turning to look at Jade, he gave her a kiss and added, "I'm fine, she just caught me by surprise."

He stripped off in the water, throwing his clothes and boots over to the beach and waving at the other girls. Irillith returned his wave, until Tashana jumped on her back, ducking her sister under the water with a big splash. He smiled at their antics, then spotted Sakura and Rachel, who were lying on sun loungers watching the rest of the group. They waved back at him, beaming grins on their faces.

Jade slipped around behind him, her cool skin gliding across his as she kissed his neck. "When I said I wanted to try swimming in the Lagoon for the first time, everyone wanted to come along."

"Does it get my Nymph's seal of approval?" he asked, kicking lazily in the water to keep himself afloat. "Let me know if there's any improvements you'd like to make, Dana and I designed this Lagoon with you in mind."

"I absolutely love it," she purred in his ear, literally in her case as he could feel the reverberations in her throat. "It's large enough and the water's sufficiently deep for me to really stretch my fins."

"Perfect," he said, turning around to give her a kiss.

When their lips parted, she stared at him intently, emerald eyes gazing into his. "John, would you mind if I asked you a personal question?" she inquired politely, suddenly seeming unsure of herself.

"Of course," he agreed, twisting around so that she was facing him now.

She took a deep breath then asked, "Why do you treat me differently to the other girls?"

He shook his head and frowned as he replied, "I promise I don't mean to. Please don't think I don't care abo-"

Pressing her lips to his mouth, she silenced him with a tender kiss, her long tongue wrapping around his. It began stroking him reassuringly and he relaxed and enjoyed the strangely soothing caress, mainly concentrating on keeping them both afloat as he trod water. Jade wrapped her limbs around him and deliberately trapped his arms and legs, stopping him from swimming so that they sank silently below the smooth surface of the water.

John was a good swimmer and able to hold his breath for a long time, but his eyes widened after they'd been underwater for over a minute. The Nymph stroked his head soothingly as she continued to kiss him, but she exhaled into his mouth now. Cool, fresh oxygen filled his lungs and he blinked at her in surprise as she supplied him breathable air. She reached for his hand and brought it up to her neck, letting him feel the gills that were letting her breathe for them both. It was a disconcerting but strangely comforting feeling to be entirely dependent on her for survival and he relaxed, letting himself get used to the surreal experience.

Eventually he swam backwards, carrying the dark-green girl into one of the little grottos that was cleverly concealed around the edge of the Lagoon. They broke the surface and he sat down on a submerged rock shelf that was actually a comfortable seat, then placed his hands on her hips, feeling her cool skin beneath his fingertips.