Jack wasn't sure how much time had passed since they'd been imprisoned. To him, it either could have been a matter of hours or a matter of minutes. Time all felt the same in the darkened cell. As best as he could tell, the guards seemed to rotate every few hours and so far they were on their fourth set of guards.

"You still awake?" Jack asked, elbowing the major in the side.

"I am now," muttered Greg with a start. "How long have I been out?"

"No idea. I can't see your eyes in this darkness," said Jack with a simple shrug.

"Any idea how long we've been in here?"

"Too long," quipped Jack. "But I'm going to guess about half a day. I think it's probably around early morning."

"I could be in my comfortable bed right now," said Greg with a big sigh. "Or at very least be around people not covered in their own shit."

Jack let out a laugh. "I think that's war paint. Not shit."

"Does it matter? Either way, I doubt we're going to make it out of here alive."

"We're still alive—that's what matters. As long as we're alive, we've got a chance," said Jack.

Greg muttered something inaudibly and then fell silent. Jack resumed his previous activity of watching the guards until sleep took him once more.

He didn't know how long he was out but it couldn't have been very long. Jack could now hear the sounds of footsteps coming down the long walkway, each sound echoing off the walls around the passage. He sat up to watch the entranceway through the bars and found his adrenaline starting to run at seeing the elder from the day before appear at the prison gate.

The elder muttered something to the guard and suddenly that same guard produced a key, moving to unlock the iron bars.

"Let's go you two. You're done in here," said the elder, beckoning them from the cell.

Greg hopped up and promptly stretched his arms. "I figured it would be a little longer until we got executed. I didn't think it would happen this soon."

Strangely, the elder simply smiled. "No executions today. You both get to live a little longer."

Jack's brow furrowed. "What do you mean? What need can you have for us then?"

"All will be explained soon enough. I need you both to come with me for the time being."

Jack looked over to Greg to find the man already watching him. The marine shrugged at him and approached the prison door.

"Before you go any further, you should know who I am," said the elder. "My name is Vigo. I am a member of the senior council here in Lishkerra. It was I who led the attack yesterday on your positions although it was the council's decision collectively to attack you in the first place."

"Why are you telling us this?" asked Jack.

"Lishkerrans are honest people. You won't find many liars amongst our people as it's just not in our disposition. It is important that we start on the same footing especially with what we're going to ask of you in the coming day."

"What does that mean? What are you going to ask us?" asked Greg.

"That will be revealed in time. For now, I need you two to follow me. As long as you do as I tell you, you won't be in any harm."

Jack shrugged. "I guess it beats rotting away in this prison cell."

Vigo smiled. "I had a feeling you'd see it that way. Now follow me."

Vigo led them down the passageway that exited on the side of the massive palace in the middle of the city. This time, he led them up the giant staircase that dominated the front of the palace itself. Jack found himself staring up at the massive stone columns that held the entire structure aloft. Compared to the simple wooden hovels, the palace seemed to be the only thing built to last.

Once they reached the top of the staircase, both men inhaled deeply at seeing the grand hall in front of them. There had to have been close to thirty columns holding up the entire ceiling, each of them broader than ten men standing together. A long, wooden table lined the opposite end of the grand hall, and Jack could already see four other Lishkerrans sitting behind the table, apparently waiting for their approach. Vigo gestured them to follow him and for the first time, Jack could make out the features of those behind the table.

They all appeared to be quite aged like Vigo. Three elder women sat prominently at the middle of the table and one older man was sitting on the flank. Once they arrived, Vigo moved behind the table as well to sit on the other flank, leaving the three women in the middle. Each of the women carried long, dark hair spaced with enough silver to hint at their advanced age. They were short like the rest of the race and even from their seated position, Jack could tell they were similarly endowed like the other Lishkerran women.

The other man on the end appeared similar to Vigo except that he was much less in shape than the elder warrior. Time had rounded out his stomach to a significant degree and he chose to remain beardless as well. In all, their faces were mostly unreadable, and even though Vigo had promised them no further harm, Jack couldn't be sure of their intentions just based on body language alone.

Surprisingly, it was Greg who asked the first question. "Why are we here?"

The woman in the middle squinted at Greg and tilted her head. "I could ask the very same question of you. Why are you here, Javan? It's been a very long time since we've seen a Javan in Lishkerra."

Greg looked over at Jack, unsure of his answer. Sensing his apprehension, Jack took a step forward.

"We are here because we are on a mission. My name is Commander Jack Easterbrook. This man is Major Greg Vaughn, under my command. I am the commanding officer of Task Force 21 of the Imperial Javan Navy. Our emperor sent us into the Vector to find allies."

The woman's head craned over to Jack, confusion written into every contour. "You were sent directly to Lishkerra to form an alliance?"

"Well, into the Fourth Vector to be quite literal, ma'am," said Jack. "Lishkerra just happened to be our first destination."

The elder woman to the left of center leaned over to whisper something to the one questioning them. The woman in the center nodded and then resumed her line of interrogation.

"How do we know you're telling the truth? We have a history of bad relations with humans in general."

Jack's hands went to his pockets, looking for any type of identification he might have on him to confirm his identity. Unfortunately, most items had been left in his quarters aboard the Destiny and he mostly pulled out lint from his pockets. He pursed his lips trying to think of what to show them when a glance at his uniform gave him an idea.

"Do you see this emblem on my breast pocket? The dragon riding the waves? That's the symbol of the Javan Navy," said Jack, stepping closer to let them observe him. All five of them leaned closer to get a good look, finally sitting back down once they were satisfied with his response.

"Very well, that is acceptable," said the older woman. "Forgive us for being a doubtful bunch. With how little of us that are left, we have to be precautious."

"Not to worry," said Jack while nodding his head. "I completely understand. Vigo has explained your history to some degree."

The elder woman nodded in return. "Before we go any further, we will introduce ourselves to you. The man on the very end here is Crio. To my right is Reyna and to my left is Pooma. My name is Numa and I am the head of the council of Lishkerra."

"A pleasure to meet you, Councilor Numa," said Jack with a bow.

"Likewise," said Numa with a small smile. "Is this the first time you've been exposed to our people?"

"Yes, that's right. We thought this island to be uninhabited at first glance and only later found out that we just weren't able to see you."

Numa continued to smile. "You made quite the impression when you passed our city three days ago. All of Lishkerra came out to watch your ships go by. Such large vessels haven't ever been seen in this area of the world."

"If that's the case, why did you fire on us?" interrupted Greg. "We were peaceful from the beginning."

"As are most humans who come to our island," said Numa knowingly. "Most don't come with hate from the beginning. Only when they see what our people can offer them do they start becoming violent. Mostly when they see our women."

Numa gestured to her giant breasts, making both men nod in embarrassment.

"See what I mean? Even you two can infer that of which I speak. It's much better for our culture to shoot first and ask questions later."

"If that's the case, then why are we here in front of you?" asked Jack. "You could have killed us any number of times here. You know my role with the people in those large ships and you know if you kill me, they'll be effectively leaderless. What could you possibly want of us?"

"You seek a simple answer to your question but there is none," answered Numa. "Instead, I will answer your question with another question. How much do you know of the Lishkerrans?"

Jack shrugged. "Only what Councilor Vigo has told us so far which hasn't amounted to very much."

Numa nodded. "Did you know that Lishkerrans used to live side by side with humans?"

"I'm surprised to hear that," said Greg. "Since we're so bloodthirsty toward you and all."

"At one time, all the Lishkerrans used to live on another island. A much bigger island very far from here. Back then, our people were much smaller than they are now and remained completely covered in hair. Our people freely intermingled with humans and bred with them as well," said Numa.

"Wait a minute. When you say bred, do you mean . . ."

"That is correct, Jack. Our peoples have mated together," said Numa with a reserved smile.

Jack shot a glance over at Greg before the both of them resumed their attention to the council.

"Things worked well in harmony for quite a long time. After so many years of breeding together, Lishkerrans became taller like humans and our bodies became more humanlike, but it also had another genetic effect on our population. You see, there are much more Lishkerran women than there are men. For every ten babies, nine of them are female. With all these extra women around, the humans had their choice of whom to breed with. Of course, they picked those demonstrating the most obvious signs of fertility."

"So that's how you all got the . . . well, you know the huge . . ." Greg cupped his hands in front of his chest.

Numa chuckled. "Yes, that's how we all became so endowed. Eventually, all Lishkerran women became so well-endowed and our bodies adapted from the continual mating with humans, however it had an adverse effect on our men."

"Adverse effect? Like what?"

"You see, with all the Lishkerran women breeding with the human men, the Lishkerran men weren't really needed as much. Eventually, they stopped being part of the sexual hierarchy and even now, Lishkerran men are completely unable to impregnate a Lishkerran woman. They are effectively sterile."

Jack's eyes darted back and forth between Vigo and Crio but the two older men remained completely unreadable in their facial expression.

"So what happened then?" pressed Greg.

"A great plague was visited on our island and many deaths occurred between the humans and the Lishkerrans. Unfortunately, both groups were prone to blame the other for the pestilence and war broke out. Most of the Lishkerrans were hunted almost to extinction."

"But you survived. You're here now, so you must have gotten away," said Jack.

"That is correct. When only a small handful of Lishkerrans remained, we were taken aboard a mighty vessel and brought to our new home on this island away from the humans. Over the centuries, we have endured and multiplied with the help of captive human men. However, there have been times when humans have visited the island in force and that violence has forced us to lose many of our race."

"I'm sorry to hear that, Numa," started Jack. "But I'm not seeing how we can be of service to you."

Numa gave him a funny look. "It was just over ten years ago that men aboard sailing vessels came to Lishkerra, burning and raping and plundering. They destroyed most of our cities, leaving only this one as the single settlement on the entire island. Our numbers have plummeted. There are now just under two thousand Lishkerrans remaining. If we don't reverse those numbers, we will surely go extinct. And as you know, we cannot count on the Lishkerran men to impregnate us."

"Wait a second. So you mean you want us to . . . well, you know?" asked Greg with his mouth open.

"That is correct, Greg. Tonight is the beginning of our Festival of the Moon where we celebrate the fertility of our people. I think there's no more fitting way to begin the festival than by having our human guests lay with our fair maidens and help to replenish our numbers."

"You want us to have sex with your maidens? Just the maidens?" asked Jack.

Numa chuckled. "Yes, just the maidens, Jack. I'm afraid we on the council have long since passed childbearing age many centuries ago."

"Centuries? Just how old are you?"

"Lishkerrans live much longer than humans on average. Our lifespan lasts around five hundred years. I myself have seen the passing of four hundred and sixty-three years but I stopped being fertile two hundred years ago," said Numa with a slight smile. "We would have you mate with our granddaughters. Most of them are in the prime of their lives, only a hundred years old and ready for babies."

"So you just want us to breed with them? Nothing else?" asked Jack.

"That is correct. Lishkerran women are made to breed with human men. I think you'll find it surprisingly easy to impregnate them. It is the only thing we ask of you and afterwards, you are free to go as long as you go in peace."

"What if we don't do this? What if we choose not to lay with your maidens?" asked Greg.

Numa fixed him with a stare before answering. "Well, then we'll have to treat you as hostile. We will kill you both and then use our remaining strength to destroy what's left of your human friends. Your weapons have already caused much devastation to our warriors so we hope for our own sakes that you will take on our request."

"Not much of a secondary option there, is it?" Greg whispered in Jack's ear.

"If we do this for you, can we talk about an alliance?" asked Jack. "With that being my primary mission here, it would help us to talk about how our peoples can help each other. Perhaps come to each other's aid?"

Numa began to shake her head. "Lishkerrans don't get involved in human affairs, Jack. Our numbers are low enough as is. Yet, if you do help us, perhaps there are other ways we can show our thankfulness."

"Such as?"

The councilor thought for a few moments before answering. "Such as having our settlement here as a resupply point for your ships. The Fourth Vector is a large place and having our island as a point of supply could only help you from here forward. At this time, it is the best we can offer you."

Jack looked over at Greg and shrugged. To him, the deal seemed rather straightforward and one that they should take. After all, it would only be a little sex before they were on their way again. Yet it was Greg that brought up the next good point.

"Before we give you our answer, are we going to be in any danger by sleeping with your kind? Are there any adverse effects that we should know about?"

Instead of Numa answering, the woman on her right, Reyna, spoke up for her. "We've only seen one main side effect that occurs in human men during the mating process, and we aren't quite sure how it is caused. We think it has something to do with our genetic makeup but your refractory time in between each girl will dwindle down to nothing."

Greg frowned. "What do you mean by refractory time?"

It was Numa who responded. "That is the time between your orgasms. Once you begin the mating process, you'll find you'll be able to achieve orgasm much more frequently than you do now, which will allow you to sleep with all the girls and have a chance to impregnate all of them. You'll also notice that the quantity of your ejaculate will increase several times over."

"So we'll cum heavy and often. Is that the gist of it?" asked Jack.

Numa chuckled. "Precisely, Jack. We always tell the men upfront so they know what to expect. It can be rather . . . exciting for the men to figure it out the first time. But there is one more thing you should know. The decreased refractory time and increased ejaculate will only last during the sexual encounter. When this is all over, you'll be back to normal."

"You sure you don't have a way to prolong that? Just in case we wanted to show off later to a lady friend?" asked Greg, wearing a prominent smirk.

Several of the councilors began to laugh. "We hear that request most often from human men. That particular joke never gets old. Are all of you obsessed with your sexual performance?"

Jack ran his fingers through his hair. "You can say it's kind of hardwired within us to make sure our partners have a good time."

"If that is the case, then I'm sure our granddaughters will have a lovely time with you," said Numa with an amused smirk.

"I have to say, Numa, that this offer is very interesting. May we step to the side and have a moment of privacy just to discuss this?" asked Jack.

"Very well, you may have your time. Just don't keep us waiting too long," answered the councilor.

Jack nodded and reached to pull Greg by the arm to a spot just out of earshot from the table of councilors. Once he had put some distance between them and felt like he could talk without being overheard, Jack stopped and turned to face the marine commander. He nodded his head back toward their captors. "So, what do you think?"

Greg's eyes rolled up in mocking motion. "Well, if I have this straight, they want us to stay for an orgy, knock up all their granddaughters, and then let us go our own merry way. I'm not one to look a gift horse in the mouth, Jack, but have you ever heard of a better deal?"

Jack found himself chuckling at his friend's words. "It's a rather unique deal, that's for sure. I'm just wondering if there's a catch behind this."

"They already told us they won't ally with us," said Greg. "And I'm not sure we could still persuade them after the festival."

"Still, just getting out alive will be its own kind of accomplishment. We don't really have many options at this point," said Jack.

"I hope I'm not going to regret this," said Greg thoughtfully while rubbing his chin. "I mean, what if they hurt us during sex? Like what if their pussies are lined with teeth or something? I didn't sign up to lose my cock in all of this."

Jack found himself laughing. "We'll clear that with the council before we give our final agreement. They've been pretty forthcoming with us so far, and I don't think they would leave out a part like that."

"Let's hope not. If I lose my dick then I've lost my reason to live," said Greg with a heavy sigh.

"I'm in as long as you are. What do you say? Take one for the team?"

Greg nodded. "I always wanted to be in an orgy. Never thought this would be the way it would go down! By the way, when they say these granddaughters are a hundred years old, you don't think they look that old, do you?"

"I guess we'll find out," said Jack with a heavy chuckle. Both of them began to walk back to the council and suddenly five pairs of eyes were locked back on the two men as they came to an abrupt stop right in front of the table.

"Well? What do you say? Will you be attending our Moon Festival tonight?" asked Numa impatiently, while leaning heavily against the table.

"We will," said Jack with a grin. A quick glance and a nod from Greg told him that they were now fully committed to the task. "On one condition," he finished, earning an inquisitive look from the rest of the council. He watched their faces turn to curiosity as he explained his terms.

There could be no going back now.

*****

The rest of the day was spent in remarkably different fashion from when they had first arrived. Jack and Greg exchanged their damp, dark cell for more comfortable quarters, being settled into a guest room of the main palace. While still not sophisticated compared to common Eastern standards, the room did boast of natural light, comfortable beds, and a small army of Lishkerran servants to ensure they wanted for nothing.

However, it was only when the sun began to set did the festivities really start to take hold. As the main servants of the palace lit the evening candles, the sounds of loud music began to echo across the hollowed walls and drift into their chambers.

"Sounds like this moon festival is about to begin," said Greg while cracking his knuckles together in anticipation.

"At least they brought us some new clothes," said Jack, raising a tiny loincloth in his hand humorously. The tiny pieces of cloth had been dropped off by the servants a few hours prior. They were told that their uniforms wouldn't suffice for a Lishkerran event and that they needed to be clothed like the others.

"At least that prevents us from having to ask what to wear to an orgy," said Greg with a shrug. "By the way, do you really think this is going to go down the way they said? Are we going to fuck all their granddaughters right in front of them?"

"Greg, I don't know what to think anymore," said Jack before pursing his lips. "I figured we'd just play this one by ear and see what happens.

Greg snorted. "If anything, it will make one hell of a good story."

"That it will!"

It wasn't long after the music started that one of Numa's servants arrived at their chambers. A short, bald-headed Lishkerran, he stopped at their door and lowered his eyes. Both men found their hands crossed around the front side of their bodies, their modesty in full effect from wearing the simple cloth of fabric.

"Your presence is now requested. Please follow me," said the servant.

Wordlessly, they both followed the Lishkerran as he navigated his way through the palace. Most of the wings of the giant structure were empty, and as they moved further into the palace, the sounds of music continued to get louder. Finally, the view opened up onto a ledge that overlooked a giant courtyard and Jack saw a large crowd representing all of Lishkerra just below them.

Almost all of them were in the courtyard. There seemed to be well over a thousand people packed into the grounds below, surrounded by the walls of the palace on either side. Several great bonfires were already roaring, most of them taller than Jack in their size. In the center of the grounds stood a small grouping of middle-aged Lishkerran women, all playing what appeared to be wooden instruments and making the musical noise that was so apparent from inside the palace.

The servant stopped them while they were on the ledge, letting them look out at the assembled gathering of all the Lishkerrans.

"Amazing view, isn't it?"

Jack whirled around to find himself looking into the face of Numa once more. Or rather, looking down as the elderly councilor only reached to his chest once she was out from behind the great councilor's desk.

"It certainly is incredible. I've never seen anything like it in all my years," said Jack.

Numa nodded and grinned. "Nor will you after tonight. My people below will be in your debt. Come, let's start the festival."

She then raised her arms up over the ledge, signaling the assembled ranks below. In one loud yell, the combined masses of Lishkerrans began to roar in approval at their head councilor. In that next moment, Numa grabbed Jack's arm and raised it with her own, holding him aloft as some champion. The ranks simply roared louder.

Jack found himself not knowing what to do at seeing such an applause, especially knowing what was about to occur. He let slip a small smile and gave a tiny wave of the hand. Below, the great mass of people yelled their approval.

In the next moment, Numa led them down a grand staircase that dropped them into the central courtyard. At the bottom, they found a small honor guard of male Lishkerran warriors guarding the main entrance into the palace grounds. Jack surmised most of the city must have come in from this guarded entryway and even now looking back out to the rest of the city showed an empty darkness.

After walking past the guards, Jack and Greg were showered with attention from the main group of Lishkerrans. As they walked by, groups of them flung all kinds of adornments at their bodies. From a simple offering of water to various spices, the Lishkerrans threw what they had, offering their well-wishes for the ceremony to follow.

"You'd think we were gods for being here," Jack muttered to Greg as they passed by.

Greg shrugged. "To them, we kind of are. We're the only way they can breed so I'm guessing we're a big deal to them."

"It's an odd feeling regardless."

"I guess now we know how the emperor feels," said Greg with a smirk.

Numa finally led them to a small table in the center of the courtyard. On the table were two small cups, each filled with a liquid that appeared nearly black in color. The rest of the Lishkerrans gathered around and formed a circle around the two humans and their head councilor.

"The festival is about to begin. I need you both to drink this," said Numa, reaching out to offer the dark drink to them.

Jack took one look at the drink and then looked back at Numa. For them to ask to drink something unknown at this stage, when they were so willing to kill them just hours ago, was a big leap of faith.

Thankfully, Numa smiled reassuringly without any formal protest. "Relax, Jack. That potion in your hands will help you perform for the night ahead. You'll need plenty of stamina for the task ahead of you."

Jack looked down at the cup once more and swirled the contents around the rim. With one final shrug, he brought it to his lips and downed the contents. The taste was bitter, almost metallic in texture and had him rubbing his tongue along the roof of his mouth in an effort to remove the taste from his mouth. It was almost like he could feel the contents of the cup sink down into his stomach, warming his insides as it traveled through his body.

"You'll be happy once that stuff kicks in," said Numa with a laugh as she collected their cups. She gestured for them to sit at one of the many chairs around the table and they both did as indicated. Numa took a seat as well, and the remaining seats were filled with the rest of the councilors.

Once everyone was seated, silence filled the rest of the crowd. Everyone seemed to be waiting for some signal to resume the festivities. It was provided from the band once more just off to their right. Low percussion instruments provided the first break of the silence, the steady beating of drums indicating the resumption of the festival. The rest of the Lishkerran band followed suit and soon the entire crowd was dancing in a wide variety of moves, shaking their bodies to the beat of the music.

Around them the bonfires crackled and roared with heavy smoke as their plumes drifted up to the full moon up above. With such luminosity from the moon, Jack thought they scarcely needed the bonfires with all of this light.

The dancing and festivities went on for the next hour. All the while, Jack remained seated and watched from the councilor's table, both enjoying the sight of the dancing but also wondering when their portion of the performance would come into play. They wouldn't have to wait much longer.

"See over there, Jack? Here come our granddaughters," said Vigo while nudging the commander in his side. "That one is mine right there."

Jack raised an eyebrow. "Not to be rude, but how is that possible? I thought Lishkerran men were sterile?"

Vigo nodded. "We treat paternity as largely a spiritual matter, not biological. The children of my wife are mine and so on and so forth. It's been that way for a long time, Jack."

Jack nodded as his eyes swept up to the large balcony that they had descended from earlier in the night. A long line of short, long-haired Lishkerran women were arranged in single file along the front of the balcony. The entire congregation stopped their movements and looked up to the balcony before erupting in applause and whistles at the sight of the young maidens.

"Aren't they beautiful?" whispered Vigo as soon as they came into sight.

From not knowing what to expect, Jack had to agree with the elderly councilor. Once the young Lishkerran women came into view, they were most certainly attractive. While they all appeared to be short in statue, each of them had long, dark-brown hair that cascaded almost to their butts. Only one of them appeared to be any different from the others—one maiden who had a long, silver streak in her dark hair. Her eyes caught Jack's in that moment, and she looked away in embarrassment as his eyes drifted to the next most prominent portion of her body—her chest.

In what might have been considered obscene back in Java, each of the young Lishkerran women's breasts were fully bared and exposed for their viewing pleasure. Their tits took up their entire chests, stunning symbols of fertility that needed no further remarks. The women all had dark nipples, their areolas varying in size from the smallest coin to nearly covering their entire breast.

Jack's eyes drifted lower still, taking in their taut midsections and smooth stomachs until coming to rest on their pubic regions. For the ceremony, they must have already removed any clothing because all the women were as bare as the day they were born. Most of them were natural, sporting thick hair along their mound and obstructing the view between their legs, but two of the girls were fully shaven, showing not a single hair outside. Of those two girls, Jack caught a glimpse at their puffy lips between their legs and wondered of the night to come.

"So stunning," said Numa as each of the ladies presented themselves. "Truly the pride of all Lishkerra."

"Yes, indeed," agreed Jack, unable to take his eyes off the lovely presentation of flesh.

"Not bad for being over a hundred years old. Wouldn't you agree?" asked the elder councilor with a small smirk on her face.

"Not bad at all," agreed Jack with a chuckle.

Numa then promptly rose and spread out her arms in an attempt to catch the crowd's attention. Once the masses of Lishkerrans settled their focus on her, she opened up in speech. "Thankful are we all at the celebration of another Moon Festival. Honored are we the council at ruling such an incredible and beautiful people. Welcome are we all at the presence of our most esteemed guests."

"As we prepare to begin this festival, I want all of us to remember what is most at stake tonight. Our way of life, always tenuous and always threatened, must be protected at all costs. No matter what may happen in this world, the soul of Lishkerra must go onward and continue. It is the duty of each and every one of us to ensure our line continues from now until the setting of the great Warm God."

"To that end, I—Numa, daughter of Bomba—welcome you all to the festival. Let our celebration commence!"

The assembled masses of Lishkerra let out a mighty cheer. Once more, the music began to play and the people resumed their dancing. All those except the lovely granddaughters of the council who then approached the table and formed a semi-circle around Jack and Greg.

"I think a matter of introductions is now in order," said Numa while watching the nubile women surround the men. She then went to stand beside two of the women closest to her, putting her arms around their waists. "These are my granddaughters. The one on the left is Duka. The one on the right is Coiya. They are my pride and my spirit."

Jack nodded and smiled at both women. One of them blushed and looked away, the one that Numa had introduced as Duka. The other—Coiya—wore a confident smile and nodded back to him. Numa then moved on to the next three girls who were standing closely together.

"These three belong to our councilor, Crio. Meet Zena, Loopa, and Yenna," said Numa.

The three girls offered shy smiles and one of them even waved to Jack.

On and on Numa went introducing all the girls to the two men. Of the remaining councilors, both Reyna and Pooma only had one granddaughter each, named Woona and Pulla respectively. Lastly, Vigo had three of his own. Their names were Rewenna, Kassia, and Ventia. Jack noticed that it was Kassia that had the silver streak in her long mane of dark hair. She didn't seem to be phased by him at all with her confident look and her head unbowed.

The sight of so much bare flesh and shy smiles from the girls had Jack's body quickly responding. His loincloth, not covering much to begin with, soon formed a significant tent as his manhood throbbed at the sight of all the women. Jack's efforts to readjust himself didn't escape Numa's notice.

"I see that our little concoction is having its desired effect," said Numa while gesturing to his lap.

"It would seem that way," said Jack, trying to cover himself in some semblance of modesty.

Numa laughed at his wandering hands. "Now, now, Jack. It's no time to be shy. Let the girls see that for which they came for!"

Jack nearly jumped when the elderly councilor reached her hand into his lap and gripped his bare cock. Pushing the loincloth out of the way, her tiny hand seemed to make his cock look huge in comparison. In fact, looking at himself now, Jack realized he was a lot bigger than usual. The veiny shaft looked nearly twice as thick and almost a third as long.

"What in the world . . ." Jack mused out loud.

"Like I said. Our concoction was brewed to make you especially virile," said Numa with a laugh. "Go on—show the girls!"

Jack scarcely needed to stand up before five of them were surrounding him around the table, all trying to catch a glimpse of his manhood while the other five surrounded Greg. The girls that attended to him were the progeny of both Numa and Vigo. After Numa had released him, two of them let out a low squeal at seeing his size.

"Oh my stars, he's so huge!" cooed Kassia, the one with the silver streak in her hair.

Sure enough, all five of them were in a rush to grab at his manhood. Their tiny hands only served to make him look larger than before—all trying to stroke, caress, and even taste him. By now, most of the crowd had either resumed their dancing or stood near the front of the large circle, watching the events of the maidens and the humans.

"How will that thing ever fit in me?" asked Duka while gently teasing the tip.

"I hope it fills me so deeply. I can't wait to be pregnant," said Coiya with a contented sigh.

"You think he has enough potency to impregnate us all?" asked Ventia.

Jack couldn't even begin to respond to their questions. So enthralled was he at their treatment and their roving hands that all he could do was watch with bated breath.

"I bet you I can take at least half of it in my mouth," said Rewenna proudly while dropping to her knees in front of Jack.

"I know I can take more than that. He's almost as big as a full-size zucchini," said Coiya with a giggle.

"Well, put your money where your mouth is," challenged Rewenna while pulling the other girl down to her knees.

Coiya assumed a defiant look but soon both girls stared down the tip of his cock with mouths opened. Jack nearly gasped when Coiya was the first to move, slipping her tongue along the underside of his cock. The movement was enough to catch the attention of the other girls, and Jack watched as Ventia bit her lip and Duka squirmed slightly.

It wasn't much longer until Coiya slipped her tongue over the slit, teasing it for several moments until her mouth gently enveloped the tip. As soon as the head was in her mouth, she cast her sexy brown eyes up to his, watching him with a determined expression.

After several minutes of that treatment, Rewenna sighed loudly. "I can do much better than that! Let me have a turn!"

The anxious brunette grabbed Jack's cock roughly and pulled it away from Coiya's mouth, slipping out with an audible pop. Rewenna wasted no time, sliding her mouth down his throbbing shaft and taking a good third of his cock inside her. She began to work her mouth in a true sucking fashion, putting on more of a show than Coiya had before and earning a look of disapproval from the girl.

"It looks like he likes it," said Kassia with a grin while gently tracing her fingers along Jack's back.

Jack could only nod in agreement. Being sucked off by two arousing Lishkerrans while three other girls caressed his body was exciting enough. Having an audience of over a thousand others watching their moves took it to a whole new level. At one point, Jack even looked over to Greg who was in the middle of similar treatment, almost being deepthroated by one of his girls.

Jack hesitated to look over at the councilors, wondering how they could stand to watch their own granddaughters in sexual congress but they seemed to be the most enthused at watching the show, even cheering on their offspring in their competition for his erection, something that would be completely foreign and perverted back in Java.

"Both of you are doing it wrong," said Kassia finally, assuming a position on her knees between Coiya and Rewenna. Jack's cock slipped from Rewenna's slippery mouth and was captured by Kassia's slick hands. The silver-streaked brunette caught his eyes with a devious smile and without any further warning, she enveloped half of his cock in one smooth motion.

"Oh fuck," swore Jack, watching the tiny brunette work his cock. She pulled back to the tip but on her next plunge, she slipped well past the halfway point, her lips taking more of him deep inside. At one point, he felt he had to be sliding deep into her throat as the tightness felt all encompassing. Kassia even began to hum gently as she plunged on his cock, adding an extra pleasurable sensation to her sucking.

Pulling back, she released him as long strings of saliva stuck to his cock. "That's how you do it, girls."

The other four couldn't help but look on in awe, even though most of them looked disappointed at being showed up by the young woman. Even Rewenna, who had taken the most of him prior to Kassia, crossed her arms in a peevish manner.

It didn't take long for Kassia to release his cock after proving her point, giving turns to both Duka and Ventia as well. Neither of the girls came anywhere near being able to deepthroat as much as Kassia, even though Duka added a vigorous stroking of the portion of his cock that she couldn't fit into her mouth. Finally, Jack was about ready to explode.

"If you keep that up, I'm going to cum," he said with a pant, watching Duka work him expertly.

"That's not what we're here for," said Ventia with a smile, applying pressure to Duka's shoulder to get her to stop. "We need to have you fill us with your seed, Jack. We need you to give us babies."

With that, the tiny brunette gestured for Jack to sit back down in the chair provided. His cock pointed up to the moon as he sat, throbbing and angry with a deep purple color. Ventia then carefully straddled him, trapping his erection between her legs as her enormous tits pressed against his chest.

"You can suck on my nipples if you like. I know you haven't been able to take your eyes off of them," she said with a giggle as her hand reached behind her to grab his cock.

Jack didn't need to be told twice. He leaned forward and captured her pert nipple in his mouth, amazed at the sheer size of not only her breast, but her coin-sized nipple as well. The shape filled a large portion of his mouth, and he bit down on it gently to find out what she liked. Ventia sighed contently at the rough treatment, her hips squirming against his lap.

"Oh, I'm going to enjoy this very much," she said with a grin as she placed the tip of his cock at her entrance. She raising her hips and then pushed down very quickly.

Jack let her nipple slip out as a heavy groan filled his throat. Ventia's pussy swallowed him whole in one motion and her ass came to rest against his balls on the first stroke. Any doubt he must have felt about being able to fit inside the tiny women was quickly erased. Her pussy was tight enough to feel pleasurable but also loose enough to fit him in one try. Once inside, he felt the tingling sensation of her muscles squeezing his shaft, attempting to milk him dry without any thrusting of his own.

"I can't wait to have your seed inside me. We'll create many babies together, Jack," Ventia whispered against his ear.

Jack's brow furrowed when he looked up into her dark eyes. "Babies?"

The young woman giggled. "Didn't they tell you? Lishkerran women give birth to anywhere between three to five children per pregnancy. You very well could have over twenty children by the time we're done with you tonight."

Jack gulped hard, earning a silvery laugh from the Lishkerran as she began to ride him. Being with her was completely unlike being with a human female. While pleasurable in its own right, human women were just not able to move their hips in such a quick motion like the Lishkerrans. Jack watched as she rode him hard and quickly, her hips pistoning in a vigorous fashion. It was all he could do to grab her ass and hold on.

Ventia threw her head back, panting heavily as her hips milked his cock in quick succession. Beads of sweat began to slide down her bountiful tits, and Jack found himself buried once more into her exposed flesh, sucking on her nipples in even turns. The young Lishkerran groaned every time he bit her nipple which only prompted her to ride him harder. Soon, all that could be seen was a blur of activity as they continued to mate together.

"Fuck me, Jack. Fuck me so much harder. Give me your children please! I want you to fill me with so much cum," urged Ventia, riding him for all he was worth.

Jack couldn't take it anymore, and after several short thrusts from Ventia, he pulled her down tight against him and exploded inside her. The act of orgasm itself was even different from usual, bringing a greater sense of euphoria but also nearly doubling the amount of cum. Spurt after spurt of his seed filled the Lishkerran woman as she ground her hips tenderly against his own.

"Yes, I can feel it! It feels so wonderful! I can't wait to be pregnant for you, Jack!" cooed Ventia while coming to rest against his chest. Jack felt her sweat-slick hair rest against his body as she began to catch her breath.

"Okay, okay, you've had your turn, Ventia," said Duka with an annoyed expression. "It's time for the rest of us to have him!"

Ventia rolled her eyes and looked up at Jack. "That was marvelous, lover. Thank you for filling me."

Jack could barely squeak out a response before she dismounted him. Suddenly, a rush of cum slipped out of her pussy, splashing on the ground before she could cup her hands around her glazed, worn hole. Ventia then plopped down on the ground and angled her hips up, ensuring that as much of his cum as possible stayed inside her body.

She was scarcely off of him for a moment before Duka took her place, swiftly mounting him and slipping his cock deep into her velvety channel. Normally, Jack would have felt too sensitive for another round so quickly, but he found himself ready and raring to go once more. His cock was still achingly stiff and ready to cum once again.

"Tell me, Jack," purred Duka as she began to ride him. "Are my tits bigger than Ventia's?"

Jack looked down at her chest and carefully appraised her massive tits. They did appear to be much larger than Ventia's although he had no idea how that was possible. He could even trace various veins just under her flesh, all coming to a point next to her large areolas and eraser-sized nipples.

"I think they just might be," said Jack with a pant as his hands found her hips, helping to guide her as she rode him.

Duka giggled. "Are all humans as adorable as you?"

Before he could answer, Duka ground down on him hard, wiggling her hips in such a motion as to make his eyes roll to the back of his head. She repeated this motion several times before her hands slipped behind his head and pulled him in tight against her mammaries.

Jack could only kiss her tits so many times, still trying to focus on thrusting his cock upward into her tight, wet hole. All the while, Duka kept up a steady pistoning of her hips. Finally, with a heavy shudder, the well-endowed Lishkerran began to cum and her slick walls heavily squeezed his manhood over and over.

With a surprise grunt, Jack found himself to be cumming once again. This time, the pleasurable sensation was greatly heightened from his coupling with Ventia, and he found himself nearly seeing stars at the full force of his orgasm. Accordingly, the amount of cum was still greater and the young woman's hole was completely overflowing with his seed, spilling heavily back into his lap and running down both of their legs.

Duka giggled heartily at feeling his cum. "That will get me pregnant for sure. We're going to make such beautiful babies!"

Jack could only smile as she dismounted him and assumed the same position as Ventia—legs up on her back to contain as much cum as she could.

The rest of the girls took on much the same course as the first two. Coiya went next, swiftly mounting him as well and riding him to an earth-shattering orgasm much later. She wasn't much for dirty talking, only giving very adorable squeaks as she rode him to fruition. Jack filled her pussy with even more cum and her well-fucked hole slipped off his cock as she assumed the position next to the other two girls.

Rewenna was next although she didn't care to ride him. Instead, she assumed a position on her knees, wiggling her ass in front of him.

"Come on, Jack. I know you want to," she said invitingly.

He didn't need any further invitation. Springing from the chair like a man who didn't just fuck three other women, Jack dropped to his knees behind the tantalizing woman and roughly gripped her hips.

"Oh, I like that! Feel free to be a little rough with me," said Rewenna while looking back at him. She began to slam her ass back against him, forcing his cock between her ass cheeks. Jack gritted his teeth at the sexy sight below him, eager to slip inside her.

Grabbing his still cum-covered cock in one hand, he nudged it between her wet lips and pressed forward. Rewenna let out a low moan at being skewered and pushed back hard, driving him deeper inside. He felt the tip crush up against her cervix, filling her completely. Remembering what she said about liking it rough, Jack pulled his hand back and let slip a shattering smack against her cheek.

"Oh, fuck yes!" Rewenna screamed, rutting loudly as she began to work her hips. At seeing her sexy display, Jack continued to smack her ass much to her delight. Rewenna's moans soon attracted the attention of all the nearby watchers, including her grandfather, Vigo, who beamed with a deep smile at seeing her full of pleasure.

"Fuck me so deep. Keep going, Jack! Oh fuck, your cock feels so good. Keep fucking me! Knock me up, Jack, I need it!" Rewenna's dirty talking continued unabated as Jack slammed into her, his still heavy balls slapping against her clit with every powerful thrust. Soon enough, her legs began to shake and her ass lowered as her orgasm hit, sending an instinctual trigger through Jack to begin his own. He nearly collapsed on her, seeing black around the edges of his vision as his mighty orgasm pulsed through his body and filled the willing woman.

"Mmm, that's it, Jack. Fill me," cooed Rewenna, falling against the ground while her ass pushed up against his, milking his cock of every drop. Jack panted as he struggled to remain conscious, as each orgasm seemed to take more and more from him. He didn't know how much longer he could contain to fuck or how much longer he could continue to shoot massive loads but he soon found himself returning to the same state of heightened arousal.

Pulling off of Rewenna, and watching her pussy snap shut as his cock was withdrawn, he stood and looked around. Off to his right, Greg was balls deep inside Woona and the young woman was screaming in pleasure. The rest of the crowd was mixed between dancing and watching the incredible display.

It was at that moment that Vigo came to stand by his side, giving a firm clap to his back. "Magnificent performance, Jack. You still have one more to go. My firstborn granddaughter, Kassia, awaits you."

Jack turned to watch the young woman, looking at him with a mischievous smile on her face and twirling the lock of silver hair around her finger. The eroticism of her display had him thoroughly excited and ready to complete his task.

"Go get her, Jack," urged Vigo, pushing him in the direction of his last granddaughter.

As Jack started a slow trudge over to his last conquest of the evening, Kassia beckoned him forward with her finger. She had assumed the same position as the rest of the girls—on her back with legs spread. Her nipples were incredibly erect at her excitement and her bare pussy glistened with a heavy sheen. The only difference between her and the other girls was the lack of cum inside her wet, hot hole.

"I've been waiting for you, Jack," said Kassia with a grin as he reached her body.

"I hope I haven't kept you waiting long," he answered with a small smile.

Her highbrows jumped. "Too long. Watching you fuck my sisters was exciting but ultimately, I just wanted my own turn with your cock." Kassia reached out to grip him, sliding her hand along the shaft. She gathered a small amount of cum still left along the underside and gently squished it between her fingers.

"Does it turn you on knowing that all of us will soon be pregnant with your children?"

Jack thought about her question for a moment before nodding. "I have to admit that it does. Even knowing how many children you carry in one pregnancy is a little . . . thrilling."

Kassia giggled. "You won't have to wait long to see my pregnant belly. Pregnant with your babies. I can't wait any longer. Will you fill me, Jack? Put all of your cum inside me?"

Jack grunted his response as his hands quickly grabbed her ankles and pulled them apart. Kassia responded beautifully, arching her stomach toward him and giving him the perfect shot of her inviting, slick lips. She surprised him by being the one to grip him firmly, stroking him several times before placing the tip at her entrance. Once he was nestled in tight, she grabbed his ass from behind and pulled him into her.

The both of them groaned as he parted her silky folds, slipping deeper inside the stunning Lishkerran. Kassia waited until he was completely inside of her to lean up and kiss him, her tongue eagerly seeking his own. Pressing her body against his, her nipples dragged along his chest as he impaled her body.

Breaking the kiss, she fixed him with a firm gaze. "Knock me up, Jack. Fill me with cum. Please?"

Just her words alone were enough to nearly send him over the edge. "With pleasure, Kassia," Jack grunted, withdrawing his hips and thrusting back home once more. Kassia gave a yelp of approval as her hips began to respond to his own. Just like that, a smooth, yet thunderous rhythm was created as his throbbing manhood sawed back and forth through her tight hole. Jack leaned in and kissed every ounce of her exposed flesh, savoring the taste of her sweat-soaked body.

As they began to move together faster, rivers of sweat began to pour off his body, lubricating his chest and abs and then dripping onto her own flesh. Kassia mewled underneath him as he got deeper, all the while begging him to cum so deeply inside her womb.

"Please don't stop fucking me. Give me every drop, Jack. I need it so badly!" Kassia nearly cried out in pleasure as her first orgasm hit, her body shuddering in response as her legs wrapped tightly around his waist. Jack continued to thrust inside her body as she rode the waves of pleasure, and as she recovered, she fixed him with a serious gaze.

"I need it. Please, Jack. Cum so deep in me. Knock me up," urged Kassia, completely ensconced with her sexual being.

"I'm so close," grunted Jack, ramming into her body with every ounce of energy.

"Oh, yes, please! Cum for me, Jack! Cum for me," she squealed, earning the attention of all those around, including the other four well-fucked girls.

Jack was already beginning to see stars. Just like when he'd fucked Rewenna, his vision was beginning to obscure as his body squashed all thoughts unrelated to impregnating Kassia. There could be only one need at this point—performing his biological imperative. Kassia urged him on with dirty whispering, guttural panting, and sensual bodily movements all designed to quickly bring him over the edge.

Suddenly, that familiar feeling began to strike, and Jack quickly felt his balls begin to tighten as what felt like a gallon of cum began to travel up his shaft and exploded so deeply inside the silver-streaked Lishkerran girl. He nearly yelled as the first spurt landed deeply inside her, and Kassia gripped him tightly as she felt it land within her womb.

"Yes! Yes! Fill me, Jack!"

On and on, Jack squirted massive amounts of cum inside the shrieking girl. His body completely collapsed in the next instance, falling on top of her quivering body as the last amounts of his essence was released inside of her.

At that moment, time and space began to distort and what remained of his mind began to haze over. The last thing he saw was a heavily-panting Kassia, full of cum and grabbing her heaving breasts as his eyes closed quickly after. Darkness overtook his senses and the sounds of the festival around him began to drift away.

Before he knew it, he was completely passed out and unconscious.

*****

"Jack? Are you awake? Jack?"

The first thing he saw was a horizontal streak of light fill his vision. Obscure of any shapes or forms, only the light crossed his eyes as the rest of creation remained a bitter haze. Hearing his muttered name led Jack to turn his head toward the sound of noise and his eyes began to adjust once more. Finally letting in more light, he hazarded a glance at the sound of words.

He found himself face to face with the beaming smile of councilor Numa.

She carried in her hand a small cup of what appeared to be water. "Here, drink this. It'll make you feel better."

She brought the cup to his lips and let him drink. Jack eagerly gulped down the fresh taste of water and quickly finished the entire cup.

"How long? How long have I been out?" he croaked once the cup was empty.

"About a day," said Numa with a grin. "Not to worry. It's the usual side effect of the concoction you drank at the Moon Festival."

Jack's mind flashed back to scenes of the festival. Just like that, he was there again with all the dancing, arousal, and the visions of the girls on their backs, eagerly absorbing all of his cum from their vigorous mating.

"It feels like I just passed out," Jack muttered. "Did we do what we were supposed to do?"

Numa let out a heavy laugh. "You most certainly did, Jack. You kept your end of the bargain and your friend did as well." Numa pointed over to his opposite side to reveal a still sleeping Greg.

Jack brought his fingers to his eyes and wiped them clear. "That concoction was very potent. I've never had orgasms like that before."

"Nor will you ever again on your own. That potion is a special brew of Lishkerra. You see, my people can only breed during our Moon Festivals. While a few members of the council were adamant about killing you, the rest of us saw your arrival as a sign from the gods. You were meant to arrive during our Moon Festival, and therefore, you were meant to mate with our granddaughters."

"How will I know the mating was successful? I mean just because we had sex doesn't exactly mean they'll become pregnant," said Jack.

Numa smiled. "One of the side effects of that potion, besides the increased quantity of your ejaculate, is that your seed becomes much more potent. In actuality, it helps guide them to the wombs of our females. It is quite unlikely they won't become pregnant. We've been doing it this way for thousands of years, Jack. We've become quite good at breeding with humans."

Jack let slip a little chuckle. "I guess I'll have to take your word for it then."

"Now, I want you to relax a little longer. Once Greg wakes up, I'll have my servants dress you and have you appear before the council before we send you off. Please relax now and come see us when you're refreshed," said Numa while patting him on the shoulder. Before he could respond, she had turned tail and left the room.

Jack slumped back down back into the bed. Even though he intended to stay awake, as soon as his head hit the pillow, he began to feel quite drowsy once again. As soon as his eyes closed, Jack drifted back to sleep.

*****

"What do you think will happen now? You think they'll just let us go back to our ships?" asked Greg as they mulled around outside the councilor's hall.

Jack picked at his nail absentmindedly. "That was part of the deal. I mean we did our part."

Greg laughed. "That we did. Have you ever seen such a thing? I mean five girls just going at it? And then boom! Knocked out right at the last cum! That was intense!"

Jack found himself chuckling as well. "That it was. Hell of a good experience too. I never imagined that would be the outcome after we got caught."

"Perhaps coming out to the Fourth Vector won't be so bad after all," said Greg with another hearty laugh.

At that moment, one of the councilor's servants appeared and beckoned them to follow. It had been a full day since the Moon Festival and Jack was eager to get back to the Tiger and get her off those rocks. They just needed this one last meeting with the council to fulfill the request he had asked of them.

Approaching the long, majestic councilor's table, both Jack and Greg came to rest just before it, eagerly watching the expressions of the rulers of Lishkerra. To Jack's relief, all of them wore satisfied smiles, a welcome change from the first time he had met them.

"Welcome back, Jack. And you too, Greg. We trust you both have fully recuperated from our festival?" asked Vigo while peering down at them both.

"We feel completely refreshed," said Jack with a carefree smirk. "Ready to get back to our ships and onward with our mission."

"All business and no small talk?" asked Numa with a faint giggle.

"My apologies," said Jack while bowing slightly to the councilor. "I'm just worried about my men, and I'm sure they'll be eager to see us again."

"Quite understandable, Jack. I'm just teasing you," said Numa. "Now, we have one final piece of business left to discuss—that of your request."

The smile slowly dropped from Jack's face as he assumed a more serious look. "Hopefully, it's something you can help us with?"

Numa took a big sigh. "It's not a request we get often but I'm willing to help you due to the service you've rendered to us. I have already asked our custodian to fetch the only copy we have. We'll gladly make a copy for you as well for your journey. I have it here in front of me." Numa tapped a small piece of paper in front of her and beckoned them to come closer.

Jack carefully approached the table, his eyes searching the paper in front of him. The material seemed very old and weathered, having long since crumbled at the edges and turned yellow. Yet on the paper itself was the one thing he desired the most to see.

A map of the Fourth Vector.

"It's not complete and it's very old. I'm sure there will be lands that we've missed but it's all that we have. That map was made from our journey from our former homeland until we landed on this island. It's the only knowledge that we have of this area of the world."

Jack hunched over and studied the map, which was much more detailed than the poor one he had obtained from Commodore Lucas back in Quiller's Cove. In the center was marked their island, shaped long and skinny. There were no other lands to the west, east, or south, or at least as was marked on the map. The only other lands were north. To their immediate north was a huge, circular shaped island, as well as another triangular island just off the coast. Above those were two larger masses, each separated by a narrow straight. Smaller islands surrounded each land mass as well.

"Do you think this is close to the entire Vector?" Jack asked, raising his head to look at the councilor. "How much do you think you have mapped?"

All she could do was close her eyes and shrug. "To that, we have no answer, Jack. This is all that we know."

"I greatly appreciate you sharing this knowledge with me," said Jack with a warm smile. "We were sailing blind without any maps before, only knowing the general direction of the Vector. This will help us on our mission greatly."

Numa smiled. "I'm glad to hear that. Consider it a gift worthy of the help you've given us."

"Are you sure you won't reconsider an alliance with our nation of Java?" Jack asked. "There is much that our cultures can share with each other."

Numa's face turned to sadness. "Regrettably, we cannot. It's not our custom to interfere in the world of humans. However, I will say that you, Jack Easterbrook, will always be a friend of Lishkerra. You may stop here at any time with your crew for supplies. The only thing we ask is not to bring a war to our doorstep."

"That I think I can do," said Jack with a smile. He reached his hand out to shake the smaller, brown hand of the head councilor.

"We enjoyed your visit, Jack. As did our granddaughters as well."

"Well, we enjoyed them too," added Greg from his side, earning a round of laughter from the rest of the councilors.

"That was an especially virile display, gentlemen. It won't soon be forgotten here," said Vigo, offering his hand as well.

"And please come back anytime. You will always be welcome in Lishkerra," added Numa.

"Well as long as the offer is on the table, we could use your help as well. I could use the extra manpower to help free our ship," said Jack.

"Consider it done," said Numa with a large smile.

*****

It wasn't much longer until Jack and Greg, along with their Lishkerran escort of Vigo and the remaining warriors, nearly bumped into the marines on guard around the perimeter of the ship. Thankfully, the marine saw Greg first, which triggered him to lower his weapon and not fire at the movement just beyond the trees. While it took a little longer for them to trust the Lishkerrans, they were able to pass by unmolested after some comforting words from their commanding officers.

And so it was such that both men reappeared to their very thankful peers on the Valiant, where all the officers of the task force had gathered once word got out about Jack and Greg's reappearance.

"Oh, thank god," said a very relieved Abigail, rushing to embrace Jack as soon as he opened the door to the bridge.

Jack found himself chuckling at the response as her dark hair nuzzled under his chin. "And here I thought you all might leave without me."

"We'd never even considered the thought," said Anna with a beaming smile, patiently waiting her turn for her own hug after her sister was through with him.

"If it were me, I'd have left your ass behind," said a very cheeky Greg, following in his wake.

"Now you, we might have left you behind," announced Abigail's deputy, Brittany, with a mischievous little twinkle in her eye.

Greg promptly cleared his throat and fell silent, but not without going red in the cheeks.

"So what happened exactly? We searched the entire island. Multiple patrols crisscrossed all over the forests and the beaches and found nothing. Where were you?" asked Luke, his confusion written into every contour of his face.

Jack looked over at Greg, a small smile appearing on his face. "The real story is quite interesting."

"Very interesting," agreed the marine commander.

"Does it have anything to do with all of that?" asked Anna, gesturing out the bridge window at the sight below. Two entire Lishkerran ships had added their towing lines to the back of the Tiger, generating more tugging power than what was produced by just the Valiant alone. Likewise, squads of the tiny warriors joined the ship's crew in their tiny rowboats along the side, using giant tree trunks in a combined effort to nudge the destroyer.

"It just so happens that it does," said Jack amusingly. "But that story also has a really good outcome. It got us this." He waved the copy of the map given to him by the council. Now that they knew the direction to go, they would just need to get the ship free.

The added manpower seemed to work wonders. Steadily, the ship began to budge as its hull slid off the sand bank and started to drift back toward deeper waters. With one last final pull, the destroyer caught momentum and the boilers fired to life.

"We're free! Pull us back and let's get out of this damn channel," said a triumphant Vicky as the ship lurched steadily backward. Even though it was slower going to pull out, eventually the warship made its way to the mouth of the channel and back into open waters once more.

A few hours later, after Jack and Greg had shared the story of their time in Lishkerra with the rest of the officers, the task force prepared to begin the next leg of their journey. Before they set sail, Jack and his offers stood against the starboard railing as the assembled masses of Lishkerra appeared on the nearby beach. Many of them waved as the Javans started to pick up steam.

"I really can't believe you had sex with them," said Anna, elbowing Jack in the side of the ribs. "All of them!"

"We kind of had to. They wouldn't let us free if we didn't," said Jack with a sheepish look.

"Mm-hmm, that's some excuse you have there," she said while giving him a look of disbelief.

"Oh, it wasn't all that bad," said Greg from her other side. "And that little potion they gave us was some seriously great stuff. I wish I had about a few hundred more bottles of that stuff to sell."

"I think the world is bad enough with just one of you walking around, Greg," added Abigail.

"Just one? Oh, I think there's about to be many more," said Stephanie while pointing toward the beach.

She was right. In the front row of the waving Lishkerrans were many of the councilor's granddaughters. To Jack's utter amazement, they were already showing with great, pregnant stomachs. If they were human women, they'd be ready to give birth at just about any moment. Jack spied two of the maidens that Greg had mated with, Pulla and Woona, and they were waving and cheering from the front row.

"Well, would you look at that? Looks like you're going to be a father, Major," said Stephanie with a cheeky smile while nudging the marine in the stomach.

Greg simply gulped and managed a half-smile. "That was bloody fast!"

"What a remarkably fast pregnancy," agreed Abigail before turning to Jack with a small grin. "You sure you don't want to stay and get to know all your new children?"

Jack let out a heavy chuckle. "I'd love to but we have a mission to get back to. Now, let's set a course due north. We have some islands to explore!"