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  The John Blake Chronicles – Volume 4

  The Dragon March

  By

  M Tefler

  (c) 2019 M Tefler

  Dedication

  This book is dedicated to Dan, my third editor.

  Thank you for helping me improve my written English over the last two years, I really appreciate the tremendous amount of effort you’ve put in. Your relentless elimination of extraneous commas made such a huge improvement to the later chapters, making them a much better read. I still remember deleting over 500 commas from one chapter!

  Foreword

  This is the fourth book in the John Blake Chronicles and is a direct continuation of Volume 3, covering chapters 31 to 37 of the story.

  After securing a spectacular victory over the Drakkar, the Ashanath Collective requested an alliance... but not with the Terran Federation, they wished to ally with John alone. The Greys revealed the shocking truth behind his Progenitor heritage, casting an unsettling light over his relationship with Alyssa, Calara, Dana, and Jade.

  Their business with the Ashanath concluded, John and his crew of beautiful young women are returning to Terran Federation territory for their most dangerous mission yet... Visiting Calara’s family, John’s future in laws!

  Table of Contents

  The John Blake Chronicles – Volume 4

  Dedication

  Foreword

  Table of Contents

  Three Square Meals Ch. 31 – Raunchy encounters on the way back home.

  Three Square Meals Ch. 32 – Meeting the future in-laws

  Three Square Meals Ch. 33 – What dangers await in the Dragon March?

  Three Square Meals Ch. 34 – Facing down the dragon

  Three Square Meals Ch. 35 – The hard sell

  Three Square Meals Ch. 36 – Debriefing at Olympus Shipyard

  Three Square Meals Ch. 37 – Pomp and Ceremony

  Author’s Note

  Three Square Meals Ch. 31 – Raunchy encounters on the way back home.

  John relaxed in his Command Chair and watched as Alyssa fed power to the Invictus’ retro-thrusters, the assault cruiser lifting off from the docking bay in a bright flare of orange. Although it looked like the black-hulled warship was gaining height, the docking bay in the Ashanath shipyard was actually inverted, so they dropped out from beneath the floating city upside down. Free of the anti-gravity field that made such an engineering feat possible, Alyssa rolled the Invictus and ramped up power to the engines, guiding them into the network of canyons underneath the vast shipyard.

  He took a moment to glance around the ship’s Bridge, his gaze lingering on the quartet of beautiful women that made up his crew. Alyssa Marant was sitting beside him at the Executive Officer’s station, concentrating on piloting the Invictus through the lanes of merchant traffic. The brilliant telepath could hear his every thought and knew he was watching her, so she brushed aside her golden-blonde hair to flash him a dazzling smile.

  Next, he turned his attention to the sultry olive-skinned brunette who sat at the Tactical Station on the right side of the Bridge. Lieutenant Calara Fernandez was the second member of his crew; a very bright and perceptive young woman, who had a real gift for strategy and tactics. Her primary combat role was manning the Invictus’ guns, which she did so to deadly effect. Despite her lethality in a ship battle, the gorgeous Latina had a kind and caring nature, making it incredibly easy to fall in love with her. She appeared lost in thought at that moment, something clearly weighing on her mind.

  Dana was the third girl to join him, a feisty, playful redhead, who also happened to be the most ingenious person he’d ever met. She had grown up as an orphan on a hollowed-out asteroid called Karron, just like her best friend Alyssa, where abject poverty and starvation were a fact of life on the desolate colony. Dana’s uncanny gifts with technology had brought her to the dubious attention of the Diablos gang, where she’d been forced to work as their gunsmith, fashioning high-quality weapons for sale on the black market. Rescued from servitude, the blue-eyed beauty was now the Invictus’ Chief Engineer and the mastermind behind all their weapons and equipment.

  The final member of their crew was an exotic alien, a shapeshifter from a species commonly known as Nymphs, who changed their appearance to match their Master’s perfect mate. Jade had assumed her natural form, with viridian lines marking the contours of her spectacular dark-green body. She leaned against Calara’s Tactical Station, her cat-like eyes watching in fascination as the Invictus banked around a slow-moving Trankaran ore-hauler. Once clear of the floating Ashanath city, Alyssa pulled up the assault cruiser’s bow and the ship soared away into the upper atmosphere of Ashana.

  A holographic display floated above the centre of the Bridge, showing the silver-spired capital city as it grew smaller behind them. When the Invictus left orbit, the Planetary Map was replaced by the System Map, which cast a soothing yellow glow over the Bridge from the representation of the Ashana star. The Invictus raced towards the edge of the system to escape from the pull of the local gravity wells, so they could make the jump to hyper-warp.

  "I got kind of used to having Ashana as our base of operations," Dana said wistfully, with a final look at the arid reddish-orange planet.

  "You appeared to be very popular amongst the Ashanath engineers," Jade observed, glancing at the redhead and offering a friendly wink.

  Calara cracked a smile, her brown eyes flicking to their Chief Engineer. "I think Dana got quite used to being followed around by adoring minions.”

  Alyssa glanced at John and asked innocently, "What's that like, handsome?"

  The girls erupted into laughter as they looked up at him, on the Command Podium overlooking the Bridge. "I enjoy it immensely," he noted archly, before his face lit up with a grin.

  "I'm sure you do," Alyssa said with an affectionate smile.

  "So XO, how long until we reach Epsilon-Eridani?" John asked, adeptly changing the subject. He met Calara’s inquisitive gaze. "I'm curious to meet the potential in-laws..."

  "Potential?!" the Latina gasped in mock horror. "I've given you my virtue and you don't have immediate plans for us to wed?"

  Alyssa laughed, the wonderful sound echoing around the bridge. "You loved every minute of it!”

  "Okay, that’s true enough," the brunette admitted, sharing a smile with John.

  Their blonde pilot activated the holographic Quadrant Map, displaying the flight path out of Grey Space back to Terran Federation territory. "To answer your earlier question, John, we should be there in just over two days’ time. We'll reach Jericho at around three in the afternoon in the timezone where Calara's family live."

  "How do you know that?" Calara asked curiously.

  "I reviewed your service records before I recruited you to the team. Your parents were listed as your next of kin, complete with contact details," the blonde explained, before activating the Tachyon drive and sending the Invictus leaping into hyper-warp.

  "Ah, I see. Well remembered," the brunette replied, surprised at the extent of Alyssa's background check.

  "Well, we have a few hours to kill before dinner," John began, looking at Calara and raising an eyebrow. "Do you want a rematch?"

  "Still smarting from losing the last round?" Jade teased him gently.

  He grinned with anticipation. "Oh yes, I need to re-establish who's the top dog once again."

  Calara shivered with excitement and nodded enthusiastically.

  "Any plans, Jade?" he asked, turning to the Nymph.

  "Actually, I'd like to borrow our lovely Nymph, if that's okay, Jade?" Alyssa interrupted, before the green skinned girl could reply. "I need her help for a little experiment...”

  "Sounds intriguing," the Nymph agreed with a grin. "I'm all yours!"

  "Let’s go then," John said springing up from his chair.

  Dana pouted at being left out. "Hey! Aren't you going to ask about my plans?"

  "No, I already have something in mind for you," John replied cryptically.

  She gave him a suspicious look. "As long as it doesn't involve the pool, I'm up for anything.”

  "Wonderful!" he answered back with a lopsided smile, not elaborating further.

  Laughing, they all left the bridge and returned to their quarters, eager to get changed out of the formal outfits they’d worn for the statue unveiling ceremony on Ashana. As John hung up his suit, he still found it difficult to believe that the Ashanath High Council had offered him an alliance... and not an alliance to the Terran Federation, but to him personally. Shaking his head, he got dressed in his sparring gear and left the walk-in-wardrobe to meet up with Calara, who was waiting in the corridor. He paused before he left, glancing back at Alyssa and Jade, who had stripped off their clothes and were cuddled together under the covers.

  He studied them with a raised eyebrow. "What kind of experiment involves you two being nude in bed?"

  "Important training, that's what," Alyssa said airily.

  John chuckled and waved goodbye. "Okay, have fun."

  "We intend to!" she called after him, followed by a round of playful giggles from the two bedmates.

  John strolled down the corridor, meeting up with the Latina who waited for him impatiently. She bounced lightly from one foot to the other, her eyes flashing with excitement as she watched him approach.

  "You look like you're going to be a handful today," he remarked, seeing her practically buzzing with energy.

  "If you want your prize, you're going to have to earn it!" she challenged him, fire in her eyes.


  John paused and took his time, openly admiring Calara’s luscious athletic body, her limber muscles flexing as she shifted her weight from one toned leg to another. "I want my prize alright, and I have every intention of claiming it.”

  "We'll see," she said in a low, throaty voice.

  John gestured for her to proceed down the corridor and Dana strolled out of her room to join them as they departed. The redhead watched John and Calara dart smouldering looks at one another as they walked, and she quivered as a thrill went down her spine.

  “Damn... You could cut the sexual tension in the air with a knife!" she exclaimed, biting her lower lip with lust.

  "Calara thinks she has what it takes to challenge me,” John said, looking relaxed and confident. “I'm planning to remind her of her place.”

  Dana grinned, rubbing her hands with glee. "I'm so glad you insisted I come along to watch this!"

  He looked her up and down and rumbled, "I have plans for you too, remember..."

  The auburn-haired girl nearly tripped over her feet and looked at him with wide eyes as they entered the grav-tube.

  ***

  Alyssa shivered with excitement as she listened to John's conversation with Dana and Calara; she found this new authoritative side to him to be absolutely thrilling! Rolling over, she gave Jade an alluring smile. “Now, where were we?”

  "Are you sure it's wise to encourage John's dominant side?" Jade interrupted, the Nymph's bewitching emerald eyes studying her curiously. "After everything we just found out about the Progenitors, we could be heading down a path that might not be much fun for any of us."

  The blonde paused for a long moment before replying. "He needs this," she said with certainty. "John's denied his true nature for so long, I think if we let him indulge himself a little, it will stop him from suddenly snapping and going off the deep end."

  "I believe you're doing the right thing, I just wanted to understand your reasoning," Jade said, looking calm and thoughtful. "Like you, I've seen what he's like during his rages... there's a raw power there that was frightening to witness."

  "I know what you mean, but I trust him," Alyssa replied without hesitation. "Both of those times he was just trying to protect me. I know what he's like, how he thinks... I just can't see him even thinking about hurting any of us."

  Jade nodded and her lips curved up in a teasing smile. "So, back to why you wanted me here in bed with you," she said coyly, brushing the back of her hand gently down Alyssa's arm. "Not that I object in the slightest...”

  Alyssa held her arms open for the Nymph. "I'd like to try something out; I have a feeling it could be important."

  Jade’s smile turned seductive as she straddled the blonde, then lowered herself so that their firm breasts pressed together with their erect nipples aligned. "I thought we tried out quite a few new things when we played at being twins..." she murmured in a sultry voice.

  Alyssa sighed happily at the raunchy memories and cupped Jade's beautiful face in her hands to tilt her down for a kiss. They locked lips sensually for a while, just enjoying each other's soft, luscious bodies, before they finally pulled apart.

  *That was lovely, but I actually wanted to test this,* Alyssa murmured, her thoughts echoing clearly in Jade's mind.

  "Well we already know I can hear your thoughts," Jade replied, remembering how Alyssa had prompted her with dialogue and guidance on how to keep John fooled, when pretending to be the blonde. "It worked brilliantly for keeping us in sync with John.”

  "Very true, and that was extremely hot, but I really wanted to see if it works the other way around," the psychic blonde girl explained.

  "How do you propose we do that exactly?" Jade asked, looking intrigued.

  "Well, reading your thoughts is slightly easier than with Calara and Dana, which I'm guessing might be because you're latently psychic as well. I can just tap into John's thoughts without even thinking about it and I'd like to try that with you too," Alyssa asked, her fingers tracing a gentle circle on the Nymph’s temple.

  Jade’s brow furrowed with concern. "You want completely unhindered access to my most personal thoughts?"

  "I'm sorry, we don't have to do this," Alyssa faltered, suddenly uncertain.

  The Nymph‘s frown lifted into a playful grin. "I was only teasing, I have no secrets from you. Of course we can try it!"

  The blonde sighed with relief. "You had me worried there for a minute!"

  Jade apologised with a quick kiss. "Sorry, I couldn’t resist. So, how do you want to do this?"

  "I usually feel closest to you when we're in bed together,” Alyssa explained with an alluring smile. “I thought it might be easier to create that connection when we're... like this."

  "You have my permission to penetrate my mind," Jade said breathily as she leaned in for another kiss.

  Their lips brushed against each other once more, but the Nymph kept her shining emerald eyes open, staring into Alyssa's bright blue orbs as though peering into her soul. Alyssa experienced an overwhelming surge of affection for her friend, relaxing in her embrace as they revelled in that intimacy. Their kisses were soft and sensual, reflecting the close bond between them, and suddenly Alyssa began to hear Jade's gentle voice in her mind.

  *I really hope this works,* the nymph thought longingly. *I'd love to be able to share myself with Alyssa...*

  *It's working, I hear you!* Alyssa exclaimed in delight. She felt a gradual change in the mosaic of small stones that represented Jade in her mind, the darkened background starting to brighten with a soft light, just as thoughts and feelings began pouring out of the image.

  *Oh, this is wonderful!* Jade gasped. *Your voice is so much clearer and I can feel your emotions too!*

  They continued to stare into one another's eyes, no longer kissing, but just communicating with one another silently and more profoundly than they ever had before. It was as though all barriers had come down between them and their souls were now speaking to one another unhindered.

  ***

  John narrowly dodged a spinning kick that was aimed at his head, then stepped closer to his opponent to attempt a counter punch with his right fist. Calara let the momentum of her kick spin her around and she skilfully blocked the punch, before dancing back out of reach. They had been sparring without pause for an hour and were both covered in a light sheen of perspiration from all that exertion.

  "Not bad, not bad at all," John said, before darting forward and trying to sweep her leg out from under her.

  Calara leapt in the air and kicked out, making John rush to deflect her attack, preventing him from carrying out his planned follow-up punch. She landed nimbly to the side and darted backwards, managing to avoid leaving herself open to attack.

  "Maybe I'll be able to teach you a thing or two," she said sassily, her face lighting up with a jubilant grin.

  John laughed at her fiery spirit, thoroughly enjoying the match. In truth she had improved remarkably over their training sessions, learning everything he could teach her at a very rapid pace. However, he still had one major advantage over the nimble brunette.