Three Square Meals - Chapter 111

Maybe so Robert but assuming that position right now (trust me!) my feet are most certainly still pointing lower than horizontal... trying to arch them back to point up is gonna be excruciating! I'm not a biker but I didn't think they rode horizontally either - more angled with feet near horizontal on rests...

I was confused about that first, but imagine that her torso is horizontal to the ground, then her thighs to her knees are going down to the ground, but then at the knee the rest of her leg goes upwards (kinda like this •-\/ )

I notice in ch111 during Tashana's 'reinforcing her brains out' that you described her 'like she was riding one of the hover bikes' with 'dainty feet pointing up towards the ceiling', but in that position would her feet not be pointing more naturally down the way?

I saw your note about the incorrect name and had changed it before, so I'm not sure why that version wasn't showing here. I went through the discord edits and made a few other tweaks, so it should all be fixed now. :-)

Tefler

Tefler, I am really disappointed you did not look at the Discord edits, which include misspelling Zelkrixa's name. It is still misspelled Zelkriza twice in the final edit. It is much easier to list the edits on Discord rather than here.

Frostfyre

Sorry. "Sort of Legal".

You me like Sorta Legal? It's based in the same universe.

Jedi/Sajith ...an interesting questions , AI vs Organic , what does it mean "to be alive" . I am by no means a scientist or Dr. so these are just my own humble thoughts . Both organic brains & mechanical/electric one can "think" , we humans as organic creatures sort of look at it as we are "alive" & can make up our own minds what to do but machines can only "run" programs . But in reality we also are running programs , those that we have learn from surviving our evolution & those taught to us as we grow up . I think our "organic" brains are a combination of electrical & chemical processes that allow for more flexible & at times chaotic things to happen in there & we define this as being alive , while AI's as strictly electronic brains are more restricted & although very much faster & depending on storage size can be store vastly more information, we look at them as limited & not capable (at least not yet) of independent thought of their own . I personally think the main reason humans fear AI's is we view them as an alien (different from us) species that could be superior & threaten our control of our world & they might not value human like we do & even view us as a threat to them . In this story we had an AI, Nexus that became psychotic because of human tampering & wanted to kill all human because of it & Faye an AI raise per se by the crew , much as a human child would have been & is now acting more as a human than a machine & she really wants to be human , so she can interact physically & maybe even have a baby with John (something a "machine" wouldn't ever ponder ) I think we've taken Faye to our hearts & want her to be "one of us" & not one of them & so are looking for someway for her to do the Full Pinocchio & get a human/organic body . I have no idea if our wonderful Creator feels the same way or not & really don't have a personal preference , love Faye as she is but would love also to see her dreams come true .

bigdawguw65

I believe that Rachel & Irillith said the subjects of the experiments were killed to insure the secrecy of what they were up to , so doubt there much " family" out there to find . We still have no idea how Sparks/Dana survived & ended up on Karron , the butt end of the Terra Federation & , I doubt that if it was deliberate , that any records are there to find since that would defeat the whole reason to take her & hide her from the authorities in the first place . As to the Gov. doing or keeping any genetic data , we have no idea how their society feels about privacy rights , especially with a military "dictatorship" & I'm sure any chance that they might exisit at all , a fringe area like Karron would be far outside their area of concern .

bigdawguw65

Lynette was pretty clear that the T Fed would be reaching out to the outer worlds to help make life better for the citizens there . I'm hoping the benign neglect that allowed the gangs & lawlessness to exist will be a thing of the past & hopefully order will be restored . The core worlds will feel an obligation to help after the actions of the old high Command allowed the invasion to happen . I'm not sure about Alyssa doing a world wide scan , but maybe a check on those who assume power would be in order . Underworld wasn't a mining colony , it was a den of thieves , slavers & pirates , the innocent traders, slaves &others were spared but on a whole the society there was corrupt & although Karron was rough & destitute place the majority were just people trying to do what they could to survive .

bigdawguw65

For me this thought in itself is deserving of a sequel series. If the Master (Tef) doesn’t tire of this writing universe - he has created so many opportunities to explore both the universe and the human condition in many tangents and sequels. I think it’s really amazing what author has created.

DCM

What happens when a bully gets beaten up and later want to keep that a secret? Well he could initmidate and silence others who could tell his secret. He could also wish to grab/aquire the power the opponent had over him and prove himself again. Now when Kirrix took the gang in Karrom, they were to have no special status. They would be getting same eggs as others. But once released they would want same power structure. How will they attempt to get that? Another question will Alyssa be passing her judgement on the occupants of Karrom as she did on the occupants of old mine when they got Tashana?

I was just wondering whether the quest to know the ancestry of our two lionesses , Alyssa and Dana has died down? Fat Tony and the two girls could well be flies on wall or just witnesd when John and team land in Karrom to do some digging. They are in neighborhood, have opportunity and with current capabilities need small time to achieve what they want? I honestly wish they do it. Also with science progressing by 27th century wouldn't governments be mapping genetic data of each individual for health , security and monitoring purposes. Will it be difficult to find someone related. I always wish these girls with out family get a big one after their search. That big one would be those kids generated in lab over years as experiment and dumped in different parts of space Some born in test tube while some in womb but all result of experiment. Differently able from normal Terran but not identified or tagged as of limitation of Terran technology and ability to understand acheivement.

“Idea of bi-pedal humanoid superiority is very clear in the story.” I thought the Drakkar/Kintark/Kirrix were deliberately reminiscent of SF comic book stories of the 1950s, where most enemy alien species were nicknamed by fans as “BEMs” (bug-eyed monsters).

I was thinking about the conversation between John and crew about weapons LK had or his thralls might have. Everyone in John's crew miss the most obvious thing. Biggest weapon John have is his crew and they are not thralls. They exercise free will and fight for themselves, not of fear or manipulation or expectation of rewards. Again I like the approach where the effort is not to mimic LK and crew however it wouldn't be wise not to have the tech LK already has or defence against it. Psychic power blocker, Super power full shield, Super power full armour, Lasers with extra strength, Faster and nimble ship, Invisibility cloak, Higher scanning range, Network to influence any known species... John and crew appears lost in ocean on a dingy while LK is on a smooth sailing ship.

Also, it’s not entirely clear whether or not the Kirrix ship is just Cybernetic. It seems quite logical to me that they just stuck an extra Queen (and, therefore psychic too) into the ship to run it. It is more than likely that the ship is itself organic, and grown around the queen or mutated to be the queen ‘s body.

@bigdawguw65 what you are saying make them gods..a group of being above all...who simply play games with all others.. Yes, all of it is true but I think these beings were once subject of games played by their predecessors and ascended to current status on passing all tests thrown at them. The power , fight , women all being illusions which prevent them from attaining full potential. MK was not happy or satisfied despite being the strongest being in realm LK is still in search of fun or entertainment. Currently John's actions entertain him. Johns' rejection was of one such being and there could be others or say multiple path to divinity! Better than immortality!

Faye envy the perfection organic construct of life help her friends achieve. The passion , love all are logical constructs with rules and codes. She always want to be better. It is not whether all her friends consider her an equal or not, it is whether she believes in her self to occupy that space and come good. With an organic construct ti depend on she will get better and have more options.

Did Mael create life? I'm not so sure. The only time we saw the actual process rather than just the end result was with the Terrans, and they were the last ones Mael created. For them, Mael didn't start from scratch. He found a base life form, Neanderthals, which he then forcefully evolved to conform to the Progenitor template. We don't know if he did that with the Trankarans and Ashanath, but I'm inclined to think he did. This means that Mael didn't create life, just took what nature had already created and made it fit his desire. As for your statement regarding the team gaining "something even a Progenitor never had, an AI which is alive," do you not consider Faye "alive" as she is now?

Jedi Khan

Jedi, if illirith and dana can hack this tech then what they will get is something even a Progenitor never had, an AI which is alive. But thinking again Progenitor did create life forms, so was it living machines or tools which became a species through evolution!

No, there's been no discussion yet. The hack happened in this chapter and they haven't had a chance to do a debrief yet. As for the server being organic, maybe, but is the Kirrix's organic server tech better than the Progenitor server Faye is running on now? What would be the trade off of switching?

Jedi Khan

John has not had the opportunity to do all the "lead up steps" to war you mentioned in this story . He has been rushing from one crisis to another , all set up over months by LK . He's been more like a fireman ,putting out fires & saving lives than a policeman , keeping order & negotiating peaceful settlement of issues . In the earlier conflicts , before he started getting the massively superior weapons & abilities , they did do some scouting & hacking , but recently they have only been able to go in , guns blazing & I disagree , there has been danger , they have just been able to overcome it . I do agree before they face his Father & LK they need to know a lot more of what's going on & what dangers they will face ( but I can guarantee what ever they face , they wouldn't hesitate or back down)

bigdawguw65

Irillith has used stealth hacks in every battle to take over enemy ships & turn them against their friends , or in the case of Carolus to vent the crews , so they are using stealth , just when it comes to killing they deal in volume & that doesn't lend itself to stealth .

bigdawguw65

I have a different take Sajith ...I think just like Progenitors take a "seed race" for their thralls I believe that somewhere there exists a physically gifted race (male & female ) & that just like John wandered into the Astral plane , some males are sucked in &then amp; shown the scene John at first saw of power & woman & conquest & offered it to serve the Astral Lords in some way . If they agree & pass their tests , as the monster John destroyed hinted at , they are given their guide & the powers & tech , then loosed on an unsuspecting world .John rejected it & angered the monster & it determined to destroy him painfully as punishment .

bigdawguw65

Illirith did hack the Kirrix server, was there any discussion on what information she gathered from that server? Further said server was organic so can the technology be used to make Faye have an organic server, one which is alive, which an evolve and get John's nutrition?

@bigdawguw65 last stealthy operation was way back to get Brimorian data. From then on attack attack attack..

The last few operations didn't warrant stealth , other than to get into position on Carolus , they were more along the lines of search & destroy . Stealth is useful for information gathering (which they do use in the cyber realm ) & assassination , that's not really their cup of tea .they might be looking to use it for it when they get to Arcadia , dropping in on Mom & Pop unannounced might be hazardous , especially without knowing what's waiting for them & what's going on .

bigdawguw65

@Keigan that's the kind of arrogance every one wishes for. Now let's say Nikrit and her species were well and good, how would have John and team fared. Okay , think of an ambush by fully armed Thrall armada .. Plot which was changed where the psychic block was established in fight with Dragon king? Tefler has been giving one victory after another with out any need for avoiding danger. Now John and team like Faye says just rush into war, with out safety net. I feel effort on scouting, planning and logistics have all come down. Stealth is important asset here. In real world even the best army, warrior or fighter don't fight blind or prefer that option if possible. The feeling of invincibility and lack of vulnerability is boring. It makes fights look like a nut being cracked using a hammer. Not an effort with layers, one operation leading to another then to another. In real world, for a war we have.. 1. diplomatic effort to negotiate 2. public relations effort to destroy credibility 3. economic chocking of rival by sanctions, blockade etc 4. Minor skirmishes to show intent 5. Operation in certain key locations to gain advantages, moves -counter moves. 6. Engagement. The story currently talks of wiping a species away in a paragraph and just moved on... If that is the intent of John what different is John from other Progenitor? Alyssa considered Kirrix evil because she was human and considered she/her species being a feed to Kirrix was not okay. However human's a species already feed on other species and don't show any different behavior. By the way even plants 'feel' not necessarily as us. Idea of bi-pedal humanoid superiority is very clear in the story. Everything else is ugly or has failed. Stealth allow you to learn of an opponent who is afraid of you but is not talking to you with the assumption you might consider them weaker. They keep a macho posture thinking it will deter you. Stealth let you know what's going on. Knowing your opponent is half the war. Recently we have not seen that much... Now all of you might disagree..

Why even bother with stealth? Their ship and weapons are more powerful than anything else around.

It's not that we oppose the idea of the team using stealth, since we know they are capable of it, it just isn't their forte and they know that too. We have seen them often use stealth to sneak in and get the drop on an opponent, but never to escape as they always end up in a firefight before too long. Examples of this are the various raids on pirates, the Armored Cobras raid, the attack on the Drakkar Raider post during the first trip to Ashana, freeing Terran prisoners from the Kintark sulfur mines, the Battle of Khalgorn against the Kirrix, and most recently, the liberation of Carolus from the Kirrix. The team's visit to the Vulkat is the only time where they snuck in and then later left without getting into a fight, but again, they didn't sneak out.

Jedi Khan

Jalapeno pineapple pizza is way better.

Cody Strong

Another question, do you guys oppose John and team using stealth? When use speed and/or brute force you always have to be the one with best equipment. When you use stealth you can be slow, but still get away. In earlier chapters Invictus was just a junk old cruiser offered to John and his team always used stealth. Now suggestions for weapons or operation which are not fast but stealthy is just missing.

I really hope John could make all the species to let go of their own territory, cultural superiority mentality and create a common platform. This will allow these species to live and let others live. Probably by enforcing the lesson space faring capability considered advance is still primitive and all these species have to evolve as bigger competition exists else were.

And if I go by own theory for Astral plane and Progenitor then Mael is probably getting ready for an ascend to Astral plane. For the files on his mother, knowing the lab experiments which has happened and history of Terran Federation, all those details could be just a story. She probably could have killed her crew but to prevent herself from becoming a lab rat and give John a future, a chance to live a normal childhood.

My take on Astral plane is like this, every Progenitor gets sucked in to Astral plane, a world which makes them vulnerable. It is an equaliser, in physical world they rule and are tyrants. In Astral world they are subject to tyranny. Options for Progenitor is to : be a slave to circumstances in Astral plane , avoid being in Astral plane or Oppose the subjugation. I assume what Progenitor get in return will vary based on option he chooses. Also the way he chooses. Fighting subjugation for freedom or to establish a kingdom of own are different. John fought for freedom. Not to prove strength or rule Astral plane. A tendency all Progenitor could have as of huge egoes developed in physical world. I think masters of this dimension are also Progenitor but one who have ascended, beyond egoes and beyond attachment. John is ego less but not yet with out attachments. In immortal life terms he has a lot to learn. The ascended will give him a seat once he is ready but currently he is one of the best kids in nursery.

Progenitor decides the sex of their child, So his father wanted him to be there. Plot only has to clear the purpose of his creation. Now options are: 1. Revenge 2. Ensuring survival of skills and abilities by passing on from father to son 3. Protection to the realm created and managed by father 4. Survival , he needed a lesser version to keep rivals occupied.

My thanks also Cignal . it really helps to be able to go back & refresh our memories & recognize the little fore shadowing of things happening now.

bigdawguw65

David...as Mael's son & heir it was natural that John claimed them . All the Thralls that were connected to Mael went to battle with him against Ranagon & died in the battle & in his weakened state & without a Matriarch the Maliri (as the seed race ) were open to be claimed by John . The Maliri left behind weren't thralls yet (black hair) so John was able make them his thralls & Edraele their Matriarch , so Mael wouldn't have a connection to them now . I think Mael will be in for a shock when John does show up with a female Progenitor as his primary Martiarch & A Maliri & Nymph Matriarch & a crew of powerful physic warriors . It's bound to be a WTF moment . & when he discovers John killed the Astral being who tried to recruit him , there is going to be a lot of head shaking too. Hopefully we will finally get some insights as to just where progenitors come from & why they were created/altered by the Astral beings (if that's the case)

bigdawguw65

Thanks for the updated chapters Cignal...much appreciated.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Mainly what I did was add links in the first column to link to the page in Literotica.

Cignal

DarkStoryMaker has done most of the work, Cignal updated it to 109, though If you seen anything wrong or see something needs adding please pm Cignal... <a href="https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AA6REdk6PuVwfyhCBbuJ0HeXxO6ZeaMB" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://drive.google.com/open?id=1AA6REdk6PuVwfyhCBbuJ0HeXxO6ZeaMB</a>

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

So, Alyssa gave the six-month deadline at the end of chapter 86, day 178 by Darkstorymaker's reckoning. Chapter 103 ended late on day 192 with the Tartarus base cleaned out and nominated Devereaux. Since then (from my relatively poor memory), it seems we had 2 days of repairs, 2 days of flight time to the outer rim, and a day of fighting kirrix, so we should be on day 197 here in chapter 111. For a point of reference, we got the latest FTL (reducing the days of FTL flight between the fights) in chapter 75, day 167. So we've had 30 days of story since the FTL upgrade, and 38 chapters (counting 100 as 3 chapters). The six month ultimatum was given 19 days ago. Assuming John is just in the nick of time (as usual), and story pacing remains what it has for the last 38 chapters, we still have about 200 chapters to go before the deadline :)

Mael still had an army of Thralls connected to him even without Valada as his Matriarch. Valada mentioned in her video recordings later that he took all his Thralls with him when he went off to fight. He left Valada and the rest of the Maliri behind. If it was possible for those who were already Thralls (white hair treatment) to be turned against him after cutting off Valada, Mael wouldn't have taken them to battle. Of course, we don't know if Mael survived the battle or not, so it is possible that if he did die, his death was what ended his claim on the Maliri. If he is still alive, then he likely relinquished his claim when he left Valada.

Jedi Khan

Jedi, I believe Darkstorymaker is up to chapter 109 now. So he is pretty current. Yeah, I see your link is only up to 103...but Cignal sent me the updated version and it is up to 109. If you want it prolly should ask him to update the link here.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I am expecting about another 20 chapters +/- 5 before we hit the end of this tale....

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I thought mael just relinquished valada specifically, not the maliri as a whole like how john cut his connections to allysa and edraelle to stop the astral monster from draining them or how PJ cut the link the lionesses since he couldn't tap them for psychic power. If mael cut all connections to the maliri, I doubt he would have been able to fight his rival to a draw since 1: any maliri that saw the rival would be enthralled and would have revealed maels plans and 2: mael needed some reserve of psychic power for his final battle

David Shmilowitz

David, Mael supposedly relinquished his claim when he cut Valada off before going to face Raganon (or whatever his name was). If a Thrall race can be claimed, then logic dictates that the Progenitor who claimed them can unclaim them as well if he so desired.

Jedi Khan

wasn''t it established that mael has to be dead in order for john to be able to have "claimed" the maliri? since if mael was still alive, john, as another progenitor, could not have claimed them.

David Shmilowitz

Darkstorymaker has a timeline of events that they've made that shows how much times has passed since the start of the story, however they're quite behind, with the last entry being from chapter 103. Here's the link if you want to check it out. <a href="https://www.patreon.com/posts/dark-storymakers-11865270">https://www.patreon.com/posts/dark-storymakers-11865270</a>

Jedi Khan

Pineapple Pizza. Best plot twist EVER! :P

So has anyone worked out how much time has passed since the six-month "retirement" deadline? It seems like a lot has happened since then, but it was all racing from one conflict to the next, with little or no stops for ship building, R&amp;R, etc. My gut feeling is it's only been about 4 weeks in story time. There are so many big plot lines to wrap up, and we all know how Tefler loves to add in smaller story lines along the way. I could see us being just past the halfway point right now, and feel like Tefler could easily stretch it to 250-300 chapters. I dont see how he could wrap it up in 10 chapters without them feeling incredibly rushed compared to his usual pacing. Either way, I look forward to the rest of the journey and hope his sexy sci-fi muse sticks around for a long time.

And the Progens are gathered by their master and attack...John is forced to make the Maliri ships as strong as his...and they counter with better tech and tactics. John realizes he has to kill the Astral Plane Leviathan and the battle of ages begins. Oh: And the Lenarrans are the ship drivers for the Maliri and the Ashanath are their command web.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

All species get the low grade progen and Vulkat shielding and Progen power cores, Photon Lasers, Trankaran Engines, Kintark heat sinks, and Ashanath FTL drives, and Spider race's focusing crystals through open trade. The Maliri and Ashanath get the upgraded ship panels and the Malir get the upgraded Quantum Lances and Singularity Drivers, heat sinks, best power cores, and advanced ship avionics packages.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

The Brimorians get a species bitch slap and realize they are not and never will be the top predators in the quadrant. The Maliri Fleet in Trankaran Space moves to protect the Kintark along with a major portion of the upgraded Maliri Fleet at Ashana. John visits Brimor and settles accounts with the Deep Pool.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

John reunites with his father (Mael) and his mother on Acadia. Mael imparts his power and knowledge to John (he is so far gone that he cannot do otherwise) and his mother becomes a Ward of the Maliri Protectorate (Kingdom) and John gets his closure. The Enshunu run like scared rats and the Maliri become very, very powerful...stronger and faster than any other race by far with all of John's tech. Dana outstrips John's tech for the Invictus and armored suits and weapons (both ship based and squad based). 10% of the Maliri women get pregnant by John through Jade and the other nymphs and it results in a massive population explosion within 3 generations. Helene becomes a matriarch for her people and they settle on water/archipelago planets within the Maliri Kingdom....some of which John creates. The Lenarrans have 5 kittens each as a surprise and within a year and a half there are 186 Lenarrans...180 of them children...and the Maliri Matriarchs absolutely LOVE THEM...making them members of their families. John, when he receives his father's knowledge and strength, easily overcomes his spiritual advisor and then seeks out Larn...who forces him into a battle to the death (it is their way). John takes him to the brink...Sakura being able to block Larn's access to his Matriarch and Thralls...and through a spirit walk, he or Alyssa turn him into an ally. Buckies son attempts to bomb the Admiral's Ball...but John and the girls are invited and they scope it out and are able to protect/save everyone. John is asked to marry several couples already named and he performs 3 marriages. The Trankarans get their worlds remade and Nikritt gets her people back and a new lease on life. The wedding party basically takes over the whole freakin entertainment planet and is broadcast over the entire quadrant. And the Maliri get addicted to pineapple pizza.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Okay well everyone seems to be worried, let's all get together and make our own version of next chapter. Kind of a wish list as to what you want in next chapter or one after that or next ...I hope you get the idea...

I doubt LK doesn’t have a plan, he seems to have knowledge of John and he hasn’t killed him yet. We just don’t know what he plans for John yet.

I'm hoping for more of a showdown &amp; not a war . We don't know exactly what LK's intensions are in this space &amp; if intends to fight . So far he's stayed away from combat &amp; been happy stirring up trouble . Depending on what happens on Arcadia he might be looking at facing 3 unusual Progenitors with multiple Matriarchs , he might just think it better to go home &amp; come back after he's prepared better . Give us something to look forward to in sequel .

bigdawguw65

Good to know Tefler's still among the living considering he posted the final versions of both 110 and 111 the other day. Hopefully we'll see a status update post in the next few days letting us know what he's been up to.

Jedi Khan

im just excited for him to find or make a soul forge

Jeff

Go, talking about the next Progenitor 'war' I guess we are thinking about LK and John. To get to that point I suspect we still have to get our john and his inner PJ to face off. Once John comes more into his full power will that then mark the time when LK becomes more obvious? or will his route to fullness come from Acadia which empowers him to dimiss PJ without any conflict???? Do we also need to see (and I guess LK see) the alliance fleets look and feel more competitive for LK to bring his thralls into play - this probably means we solve the issue of the soul forge. And of course what do the Enshunu have to offer in all this or are they Great Creator red herrings or tasty bits leading us to the sequel??? So I suspect there is still some water to pass under the proverbial bridge before any confrontation or negotiation between LK and John (read John, Alyssa and their Pride). Where will the Astral Plane play in all this? What I think is clear is that some threads are being tied off or woven into the story so there are fewer loose ends - weddings, placement of characters, Faye becoming a real girl with a big nose etc. Rationale for what is to come is slowly being created and sorted. So all in all the end is nigh but it won't happen over night and we still have opportunities to wonder, guess, rationalise what will happen e.g. what will mark the turning point for LK - John beating PJ or activating Acadia? Will it be a high moon moment or a battle of waterloo moments for John and LK? Still a lot of energy in this wave to ride - then its about waiting for that next set to roll in....

TF4EVA

Bought the first three eBooks a couple days ago. Already finished reading the first. For $11.97, well worth the price. Hope others decode to support Tefler and buy a copy too.

thomas rodrian

Regarding the End is Nigh, Tefler made a comment I saw recently (around 2 weeks ago) in the comments section on SOL: read and weep: “We're getting towards the tail end of the story. I've got a sequel planned, but I won't start that for about... 6 months?” 😥 Ah well ......

Timbo

I..for one at least...am happy with whatever time he needs to continue to give us the quality product he continually puts out! Thanks Tefler!!!!

Arrowglass

What did I miss...who says/where did it say he is close to the end of TSM?

Arrowglass

Man I don’t want TSM to end... Ah well I can live. You make good work so I will follow whatever you put out.

Alphaonetango

Has anyone thought that maybe he's working on the next ebook + commissions? As he is closer to the end of TSM, wouldn't it be more likely that he can get writers block?

Forbsey

We are all here because we appreciate Tefler’s work and want to support him to continue his writing. I agree that for some, the whining is ridiculous. I personally am happy for him to be able to live his dream of writing for a living and the small part I play in helping that happen. The flip side of that is that he needs to produce in order to get paid and earn that living. I will trust him to know his family’s needs and make that happen. I will eagerly await the next chapter starting the instant I complete reading each chapter as it is posted. Since I have been following this story I have not found a writer that produces as much quantity of this quality writing. I also enjoy reading the insight and speculation of you other followers (for the most part lol). I’ll get off my soapbox now and find something else to read while I wait.

Quality not quantity....most of Tef's chapters are bigger than some of the stories on Literotica....

B S

JJ, I wholeheartedly agree. That's why I earlier wrote about telling the family what he does for a living. He doesn't make money if they take away from his writing time. Truth!

Big Dude

There is a simple reason not to be whiny: self-interest. Tefler started doing this because he loved writing this story more than his day job, and that is one reason why the story is so good. Now he gets paid for it. However, he only gets paid when he delivers chapters. I am totally cool with the fact that if Tefler doesn't write a chapter for a while, he doesn't get paid. Why add any additional pressure to that? Indeed, it is counterproductive, because it reduces the writing passion to its monetary value, diminishing the motivation for doing it in the first place. If you love this story, it is in your self-interest to motivate, not demotivate the author.

John Jameson

Anyone who is whinny has to double their chapter donation for a whole month.

Anthony Kester

PLR - I agree totally! Perhaps we ought to do something creative like introduce a Whinge Box (bit like a swear box) where next chapter whiners are obliged to make an involuntary donation to a suitable worthy cause (the Timbo/PLR Benevolent Fund springs to mind 😉).

Timbo

You said it perfectly Rus.

Anthony Kester

Ladies and Gentlemen. Please chill on all the stuff about wanting the next chapter. Please remember that past payments for services already rendered does not grant future bitch rights. It seems obvious at face value that some are just being silly and antsy and not having the maturity to deal with it. As an alternative, try something positive? Like how much you have enjoyed the story so far and how much you are anticipating being able to read the next one? That you understand good authors require time to put out the quality work he has and that you support his efforts?

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Thanks for the update. Hopefully 112 for the end of the month. If not enjoy the time off.

Hey everyone, I've just updated this post with a FINAL version of chapter 111. There weren't many changes, just a few word alterations.

Tefler

Any Tefler sightings??? Here or on discord?

@Tefler.... can we get an estimated update date on finished chapters and/or new ones sometime soon, please?

GrandPaM

hush Stardreamer - don't put such evil thinking into the mind of the Great Creator! I'm hanging out for ebook 4. Yes each new chapter is exciting and like so many I get withdrawals but the ebooks are exciting too as I look for those bits added, extended or clarified. There is something about having a 'book' rather than a collection of stories... So don't mind which comes next - I'll be happy

TF4EVA

?

just wondering wouldnt it be easier/less stressfull to finish the series first before working on the ebooks instead of doing them at the same time

I have offered and suggested. Tefler may not be ready for that step, yet.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

The issue is that there is only 1 Tefler trying to do too many things. One possible answer is for delegation. Can someone take over eBook publishing, another does Final editing of chapters and release, so Tefler can focus on Family, and put his remaining time in New Content creation?

Big Orca

finalising 111 too

TF4EVA

IIRC Tefler posted that the next thing on his plan was to work up E Book 4 and commission some artwork which will be required for the cover of EB 4 (assuming he cookie cutter award ceremony picture has failed to make the cut). He does tend to go into purdah when he’s working on an E-book, so don’t expect to hear much at all from him until he’s well on with it, nearly finished. When it’s done, he’ll then have to bear down on 112 which will have been on the back-burner. So don’t expect anything too soon - actually end of the month for 112 would be a real achievement IMHO. Cheers Tim

Timbo

So, we have a Tefler sighting?

GrandPaM

Also Jehanna, her family, and her work.

Roethan

Can’t wait to see what you got in store for us next Tefler man.

Alphaonetango

Tefler, added a couple of edits on Discord for ch. 111

Frostfyre

Patients everyone, I'm guessing Tefler is reluctant now to give time frames as to the recent responses by some to him slipping on what he said previously and we'll get it when he's finished writing it, I don't blame him if this is the case. I know i'll enjoy it when it does arrive and be thankful for it. Quality &gt; Quantity

Wozza

Over at Storiesonline.com you might try the Eric Olafson Sage by Vanessa Ravencroft. She has created an interesting universe and is pretty good at character development.

Old Salt

Docx are zip files by nature, but the extension should still be docx. I've had issues where I have to open the file using file manager, as it doesn't seem to associate Word with the files immediately as they're downloaded.

Jostikas

I'm having that problem again where the .Docx that i download to my Android is a .zip file and is not readable. Has something changed?

Chef Marco

a while ago some of you recomended some stories to follow unfortunately i have missplaced the list wondering if there are any soecific recomandations

Jedi...got any lucky numbers you'd like to share ?

bigdawguw65

I wonder what the odds are that Tefler has hopped on a plane to the States so he could buy some lottery tickets here? $1.6 billion USD is one helluva temptation.

Jedi Khan

Still no Teflersign?! OK, lets get some thumpers deployed...

GrandPaM

I hope it's just more unexpected family visits that are keeping him distracted rather than anything more insidious.

Jedi Khan

Tefler, I know you've been seeing a lot of posts here, not a few of them wondering as to the status of the next chapter. I hope that you are well and that you're taking your time getting the story the way you want it to be. I've noticed that you haven't updated the complete chapter with any edits, nor a final version of chapter 110, insofar as I've seen posted, so I don't know if you've received them back from your editors, or if they're holding things up for you, or if you're just reworking what you want in each chapter. Regardless, please know that we will (mostly) wait with as much patience as we can muster for your next release, but if you would be so kind as to just let us know that you're doing well, which we certainly hope you are, we'd appreciate it. The chapter can wait until you're ready, but we'd appreciate knowing that all else is well.

Evan

Initially, some of the changes in the ladies were mandated by the Progenitor genes, while other changes were mandated by John’s personal preferences. But some of those changes have not been verbally acknowledged yet, including melodic laughter and ticklishness. In real life some normal women have melodic laughter, but most women do not, and some have very annoying or obnoxious laughter. Some normal women aren’t ticklish. So is the total crew’s wonderful melodic laughter and ticklishness simply fun, or, since infused by John, has he made it something more? Perhaps Helene’s laughter builds to a melodious new level, and can now be used for tactical purposes to shield the crew’s psychic network. So when everybody else is focused on a big battle, meanwhile in the lagoon the new nymphs frolic with Helene, her melodic laughter performing wonders as her laughing voice sounds like a trio of beautiful surreal instruments, with echoes of laughing bells. This way Helene is greatly contributing as a crew member throughout a battle, but remains innocent of all the violence stuff. She’s just doing her part by having fun, laughing and having sexy play with the catgirls, while the rest of the crew must handle all the battle worries. Who’s a smart mermaid!

Things I want to continue: Tony and his girls, the former Fleet Admiral's daughter and her jilted ex-fiance, Charles and Lynette and how they deal with Admiral Van Der Broek (bring her in, screw her brains out and give Charles his own harem). Also, break the Deep Lord and free the nymph. And more pregnant Matriarchs.

Not yet.

Jedi Khan

Any news on Chapter 112?

yup, it was a great section of the chapter

B S

Did anyone else like the scene with the Terrans fighting the kirrix by themselves.

Might the Vulcat have some knowledge or experience with the Shroud? They ,as Frost said ,a non-humanoid telepathic race , are in the same general area ,but didn't have the same issue with their off spring. Would be at least be worth asking Nkkrrit .

bigdawguw65

Tefler, just a quick scene suggestion/modification: The Kirrix mentioned knowing of the Vulcat and their fate. Since Alyssa is connected to the Vulcat queen, that is a prime opportunity to bring that character back. The queen could have some sort of reaction to the Kirrix revelation. Also, an interesting plot idea, the Vulcat queen is used to dealing with an entire non-humanoid telepathic race, Alyssa is not (Ashanoth share a creator with Terrans). She could give Alyssa suggestions either before or after the latest confrontation on how they interact and possibly how to monitor the race. Perhaps even the queen could somehow be used to monitor them.

Frostfyre

No update since the 12th, I believe.

Jedi Khan

Dawg, I believe the TFed (and Tefler) has already taken a considerable amount of automated systems into account. Keep in mind, the Invictus was a 500 meter long warship with a Navy crew of just 42, which includes officers and regular enlisted. That's a very small crew for a ship of that size. The US Navy's Arleigh Burke-class destroyers are under 200 meters long and have a crew of nearly 300. The fact that Charles installed extra automation when John bought the Invictus indicates that the TFed is fully capable of automating their ships to the point that they only need two people to operate them, however they chose not to because that's not how the military does things. I'm not saying the new destroyer has to have a crew that large, but it needs to be able to support that size crew in case the other races don't automate their ships to the same degree as the Invictus.

Jedi Khan

What's our latest Tefler Watch status?

GrandPaM

Rick, other than the fact that photon-photon interaction is so negligible as to be almost nonexistent and the notion of combining beams of focused light in that fashion is purest fantasy? No, I can't think of anything stopping Calara, John and Dana from putting together such a weapon. If you aim a single high-power laser at an appropriately designed laser beam splitter to split the single laser beam into two beams and then reflect the two beams in such fashion that they will cross each other at 90º when they come back together, the beams will be unchanged from the moment before they intersect and the moment after they intersect. This has been done many times in simple (and less simple) physics class demonstrations for many years.

Evan

Something I was thinking about the other night while watching Return of the Jedi. Is there anything stopping Calara and John from using the Nova and Tachyon lances in concert as a miniature type super weapon? Think of the Death Star, the beams fire to a converging point to form one massively powerful blast.

How about 10 destroyers? Hear me out: Faye has 10(?) unique datastreams, primary secundary etc., and right now they are mostly babysitting the boys or manning the guns. They are capable of much more I think. So let's give them each a destroyer to pilot into battle! That way no precious psychic ground combat capability is wasted. But, you might say, the challenge was for a destroyer and it has to fit inside the hold of the Invictus. You're right, so we'll have to get creative. The classical role of a destroyer is easily fitted into a smaller form factor by using all the ingenious inventions of Sparks. So you make 10 of these. What are the characteristics? One tachyon Lance, a decently sized engine and as much of the new handguns as will fit. I believe the girls shot down the shields of a kirrix battle ship with that! Next, the design needs to be modular. The ten individual destroyers need to be able to assemble into one large destroyer. Angle all the engines right, position the guns optimally, and you have yourself a destroyer that can race out of the Invictus at a moment's notice, engage the enemy Frontline in a devastating first strike, only to then seemingly break down and disappear... Several seconds later 10 difficult enemy ships are under fire from every direction, chaos on the battlefield. Meanwhile the Invictus is sitting at a safe distance bathing large swaths of hostiles in novafire. Whatcha think?

And make a Lion robot for Faye with built in shields and Tachyon pistols. Super hearing, smell, super speed, CA fangs and talons.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

You know what would be awesome...when the nymphs can change into their tiger/chetah/cat forms...for the girls to go shopping with them. Reckon it would stop any cat fights???? Also, have them change into natural cat coloring....we know it can be done because Jade can change into an exact copy of the girls.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Ward

What is the better name then Thrall that they came up with?

PwdRacing

Jedi....not sure you need that big of a crew , with the advanced auto systems[even without AI] (which the original Invictus lacked ) you could have a much smaller crew for standard operations but stations for more during combat . so the need for three shifts of full crew would not be needed . Faye's auto pilot &amp; warning systems wouldn't need an AI to function as they did before John became comfortable with Faye as full crew member . Just my opinion .

bigdawguw65

name,,,the "Lion's Pride"...class...Devastator , also their new rifle /Tach Twin 78...Tach=Tachyon , Twin=double barrels , 78 =year 2078 , alternate class name Typhon /it wipes out any thing that stands in it's way.

bigdawguw65

PLRus/JFL and Dr. Dadd, this one's for you. Since I know the two of you like your ship fitting speculation, and that you're likely bored stiff at the moment, I'm going to pose a challenge to you. Do what you normally do for this topic, however I have some...restrictions...that you'll need to keep in mind. Honestly, they're pretty much things that should be taken into consideration anyways, but still. This challenge is not just limited to PLRus and Dadd, so anyone else who wants to give this a try is welcome to as well. Okay, first off is the goal: Design a new destroyer-class ship for the team. Now for the conditions to keep in mind. -Space is limited. Ship size is 200 meters long, 50 meters wide, and 30 meters tall, including the engines. It is not a perfect rectangle, so consider the internal volume to be about 20% less than if it was just a perfect rectangle. Of that internal volume, 10% is occupied by the internal structure of the ship, such as bulkheads, support beams, and access corridors, as well as wiring and cabling for critical systems. Remember to take this into consideration when thinking about weapons that are mounted internally, such as Singularity Drivers or Nova Lances, or have internal space requirements for operations, like ammo magazines. -While it can be controlled entirely by AI, the ship must be able to support a crew and some passengers so that the ship can be used by the other races or in situations where the AI is unavailable. While still in TFed service, the Invictus had a Navy crew of 42 (14 per eight hour shift). Since a destroyer is less than half the size the Invictus was, but still has all the same crew positions to fill, I'd say crew size of between 21 and 30 (7-10 per shift). -Like the internal volume, the surface area of the ship is also limited, which means that a ship that's a third of the size of the Invictus cannot have an equal or greater number of weapons. Also, there will be items taking up space on the hull as well, things that don't work so well with guns mounted on top of or next to them, such as two airlocks, comms array, engines, thrusters, shield emitters, and various sensors. Use the previous reductions to internal volume for calculating available surface space. -Use the tech that is currently available to the team. That means no wormhole drive, graphene scrim, mini missiles with Progenitor power core warheads, or miniaturized versions of existing tech (unless it has been confirmed in story that a mini version is available). -Ship is to be equally capable of working with the Invictus, i.e. using the primary hangar, as well as independent operations. This means that while it could be cool, stacking turrets and other externally mounted weapons on top of each other like dinner plates would make docking inside a confined space like the Invictus' hangar rather difficult. -Finally, come up with a name for the ship class, one befitting the team. Alright that should do it. Have at it. Who knows, maybe Tefler will consider it for the story?

Jedi Khan

Probably the 20th or 30th.

Alphaonetango

Yes indeed, the many laugh-out-loud moments are one of the best things about the story. Here's hoping that Tef never runs out of funny quips for the crew to utter. I think my favorite was "Curse you and your magic cum!"

Can we talk about times I laughed out loud while reading these chapters? One of the recent ones was Dana holding her breasts and John asking her is she was done talking about them, so we could get back to the guns. Any one else?

Wow, 1097 comments! The discussions we have between chapters keeps the Tefler universe alive. Do we have an ETA for the next, Tefler?

One of the engineers, Ioelena, was so distracted she fell over the edge of the platform , luckily Jade swopped in as a viridian stripped Hawk &amp; rescued her . I'm sure it was to show just how powerful even the sight of a Progenitor affected the Maliri females.

bigdawguw65

While the first 3 ebooks seem like they are 10 chapters, Tefler is actually basing it on word counts. So eventually each book will only cover 5-6 chapters if I recall the list he gave us ages ago. I could be incorrect on that though.

DemonHunterCole

I think the best run of TSM chapters so far is chapters 42-53 (introducing Irillith and the Maliri Regency, with 2 side missions), which ends with a great finish. I suggest you try to make the 4th e-book from 31-42 instead of the usual 10 chapters, so that 42-53 could be done as a single e-book for volume 5. Chapter 42 can easily be divided between volumes.

AIT, I'm wondering when the INvictus will go to Karron. They have rescued colonists and now are de-egging and triaging. How long will this take? Will they take them back to Brecken's world and leave them for the terran fleet? Will they race to where the infestation occurred first and offer aid before its too late or will they go to the next world first - Karron? Which ever option will mean time. So what will happen to Fat Tony and the Girls n the meantime? How will they reestablish the local pecking order while they wait?

TF4EVA

Can’t wait to see what’s next especially for Karron. The story started there and would love some more lore from Alyssa and Dana talk about life there. And rescue Fat Tony and crew back to the core worlds. Would love to see the reactions from Fat Tony, Pearl and (I forget the other woman’s name is) traveling with John on his ship.

Alphaonetango

If more Karron is on the horizon, then here's an idea: When Alyssa left Karron originally, it was "because Georgio tried to rape me and I stuck him with a knife!" So just to spite him, suppose Alyssa stole some little McGuffin of his just for spite. When she stowed away on the Fool's Gold, she hid it on the ship, not wanting to get caught with anything stolen. But after John found her and their adventures began, she forgot all about it, since it was worthless to her anyway. Back to the present: Alyssa and John suddenly realize how important the McGuffin is, and must find the Fool's Gold again in order to retrieve it. Of course, when revisiting the old freighter, the other girls will all want a tour, including a parody re-enactment of the first meeting, etc.

I just got finished reading chapter 111. I might be reading too much into it but Linnaeus and Batiri's exchange about wondrous globes affecting productivity, immediately reminded me of John being irresistible to the Maliri engineers. Productivity probably took a nose dive whenever John was moving large ship parts around (possibly without his shirt which would be a definite workplace health and safety violation). If Tefler is around anytime soon, I was wondering if this was intentional or complete coincidence. I know how carefully he has constructed the narrative with occasional callbacks to earlier chapters.

commatoes

D+17

Jacek Tyburski

Lynette is not a lover ("technically")

Hans Eriksson

John's Thralls by Age: Jade &amp; the 4 Nymphs: 11,000+ Edraele Valaden: 162 Sakura Honami: 95 Leena Ghilwen: 54 Lynette Devereaux: 52 Irillith Valaden: 52 Tashana Valaden: 52 Valani Naestina: 34 Nyrelle Aeberos: 33 Kali: Loraleth: 31 Jehanna Elani: 26 Helene: 22 Rachel Voss: 19 Calara Fernandez: 18 Alyssa Marant: 18 Dana: 18 Athena: A few months Faye: A few months Assassins: Unknown Niskera: Unknown Tsarra Perfarren: Unknown Good ol' John, Milf Hunter and Cradle Snatcher... :P

Very interesting ideas MSky … &amp; although they don't disprove it I have a couple things to point out . Jade was piloting the Invictus during the rescue of Tashana at Underworld , wouldn't seeing an Achonin facility trigger her memories ? The Enshunu Lord was still with Hades when he saw Jade &amp; Faye while trying to stop the slaughter of his troops , since the Enshunu where very interested in everything Achonin wouldn't he have recognized Jade as one ? After her 14 nap during the rescue of Niskera Jade said he had allowed her to lift all the restrictions on her . Shouldn't she know or remember all this now ? Also we've only speculated the runes are the reason Jade can remember more than her sisters &amp; we've seen so few Nymphs so far it would be foolish to think no others don't have the runes , &amp; that john just happened to stumble upon the one that does .

bigdawguw65

Here's my thought about the discussion of Jade's achonin runes: The earliest history of lenarrans that we know of is during the last stages of MNs reign. The achonin were destroyed by MN but we don't know a whole lot more than that. The simple solution combining these two seemingly separate facts is that the lenarrans ARE the achonin. Maelnerak conquered the achonin, a shapeshifter race in a display of progenitor power, but he didn't kill off everyone. A few hundred female achonin were abducted and 'adjusted' brainwashed and given specific orders. That totally explains why all lenarrans are incapable of picking up weapons. MN may have been paranoid and in fear of betrayal by his former enemies turned slaves and programmed an inability to hold a weapon in. The last peace of the puzzle is Jade's runes. The fact that they allow her to retain her memories suggest that it could have been a last ditch effort to preserve achonin rebellion. Maybe the runes were supposed to withstand MNs rework to lenarran slave and they failed in that task but not completely. Perhaps Jade is the last of the achonin, her knowledge and memories just waiting to be released from her mind

Did fat Tony and the girls find it or did it find them?

TF4EVA

When Tony found it , it seems to have broken through the celling into the chamber he was in , it would be interesting to see what is in the room above , maybe not just one machine , but a whole lab of interesting things .

bigdawguw65

Interesting comment madmax. That would take some work on her part to create and maintain that gravity well. But for speculation sake, a planet reforms. Wouldn't it be interesting if the same parts of the planet reform together to remake a specific planetoid? Maybe then something new could be learned in TeflerWorld!

Big Dude

Here is another sandbox thought, what if Dana maintains a gravity well in some of the asteroid belts in the Wastes? She would start reforming the planets that were distroyed. It is not something she would have to maintain for long, the process will continue on its own once she has formed a tiny planet. With an orbit speed 1% faster than the asteroids, the new planet would vacuum up everything in its path, in just a few years.

That sounds much too convenient, for whatever it was that Tony stumbled upon to be a Rosetta Stone of sorts, let alone to be of Achonin origin. Not sure why people are so convinced it is. It's entirely on the wrong side of space for that to be the case. It is hundreds of thousands of light years away from the Unclaimed Wastes, which is where the Achonin were. Considering that the Wastes don't have a single habitable planet because Mael blew them all up, but yet there are plenty of habitable planets outside the Wastes, my guess is that Achonin territory did not extend beyond that region of space. If it did, there would be a lot fewer habitable planets and more asteroid belts spread throughout what is now TFed space. However, I do agree that the Enshunu would be the best source of insight into the Achonin, considering that they are supposedly contemporaries of, and had contact with, the Achonin. Whether or not the slavers will play nice with John and the team is another matter altogether.

Jedi Khan

Commander Richards will oversee those operations.

The existence of Achonin runes on Jade's crystal heart suggests that they were in contact after she came into MN's ambit. As The Bigdawg notes, MN did not create life, so much as he modified existing species into his various slave races. Nymphs, as feline-dominant genetic polyglots, were modified using more than one species. I do not believe the pre-Nymph original(s) had crystal hearts. Rather, they were an artifact of MN's experimentation, to pump psychic energy to perform their designed roles. Maybe Nymphs participated in the destruction of Achonin civilization. Maybe during this episode, Jade, herself, came under Achonin control, when the Anchonin runes were inscribed on her crystal heart. Maybe after the war, MN and Jade were completely unaware that these runes existed. If the runes had a purpose, they do not know what it might be. Now, to learn more, the Eshunu would have the most insight into interpreting Achonin runes. Alternatively, maybe the Vulkat Archives can help find a solution to this mystery. What if the artifact on Karron is of Achonin origin, and it contained a Rosetta Stone of (Achonin/Progenitor) runes?

Referring to the engagement rings John gave the girls? Good idea, but I can see a Lord of the Rings thing happening with those. Granted John and Rachel can regrow the girls' fingers with no problems, but still...

Jedi Khan

I hope when the Kirrix do the captive transfer to Zelig's fleet, that some of Zelig's marines don't get itchy trigger fingers. I can just imagine some hothead having an "accidental" weapon discharge into the head of a Kirrix drone when he sees the haunted looks on the faces of the captives. Last thing anybody will want is a fire fight while trying to peacefully rescue people.

Jedi Khan

I am thinking progenitor rune ring upgrades to help the girls focus their psychic energy. The way they are never separated from them even when in public.

Dawg, maybe Alyssa and Helen can scan Fat Tony and recommend him to Commander Richards as a TF Marine recruit.

Good question. We may or may not find out eventually.

Jedi Khan

I'm wondering about the new rifle Dana developed. Is that really progenitor level gear or is that just what they give to their Honor Guard. You know, more than the basic thralls but less than what they might use.

Cody Strong

Another opportunity for Tony would be if Jehanna finds out about Tony &amp; the girls story &amp; and does a news story of his rescue of the girls &amp; their escape through the tunnels . I'm sure the girls would make Tony seem very heroic &amp; every one loves a story about an intrepid hero risking his life to save his women folk . If they are the only ones left I'm sure that it will come to light &amp; Lynette &amp; Jehanna would love to have a good news type story in the face of the disastrous mishandling of the Invasion by the Old High Command .

bigdawguw65

t Y Tefler over 1000 posts already WOW

Mjk154

MJH...Tef might have been positioning their fleets to deal with the treachery that the Brimorians are planning , it's hard to get a solid grasp of the three dimensions map , but we know that the Maliri fleet passed through Brimorian space to come to the Trankarian's aid . When the Brimorians move on the Kintark Empire the will have the combined fleets coming at them from 3 sides , Terran , Trankaran &amp; Maliri space .

bigdawguw65

Apologize is this has been brought up already. With Alyssa effectively ending the Kirrixx invasion. I feel somewhat unsatisfied. Don’t get me wrong, the battle with John and the lionesses was awesome. I am more than a little bummed that we missed the battle from the perspective of 5he Trankaran and Malari fleets. That starry line has been in development from many chapters. It seams such a waste to set all that up and not use it. I have my fingers crossed that Tefler will continue this storyline in the next chapter. I was really looking forward to seeing how the Trankarans and Malari worked together in combat.

MJHSharkbait365

I also like reading all the comments check them every day

Come back every day to read comments for all the speculations and just love it. Can’t wait for more explanations, adventure and adventures bone nocking.

Alphaonetango

What if that last paragraph sentence in Chapter 111 about Nkkrrit was Alyssa reading John's mind where he plans to allow Helene to somehow channel the Eternity Crystals with her psychic abilities? She becomes a psychic conduit and the eternity crystals become her antenna?

Big Dude

Remember ladies and gentlemen, Alyssa has become more powerful with her Progenitor skillset as she used it. Kind of like flexing your muscles and getting stronger. As Dana continues to make gravity wells and magnetic fields she will be able to make them with much less stress like Alyssa. Go back into the 80s chapters when Tashana was learning her elemental fire skills and Alyssa flicked them away? Now she is much more powerful. So has Sakura with her freeze drying ability using the Valkyrie gun barrels. We will see Helene become powerful in a little while too! She will be an adept psychic!

Big Dude

I've been thinking about the way I've been viewing the ships we've seen so far &amp; what would be best going forward . We have the Invictus , hero of the battles so far . I saw it as a smaller ship than it seem to be , powerful but agile in comparison to the other major Battle ships &amp; Dreadnaughts , but if can house thousands of refuges it's not very small at all . Does size matter in space battles? Is it better to be quick &amp; agile &amp; avoid being hit or bigger with capacity to carry more shield generators ? Most of the Invictus's early Victories were due to being as powerful &amp; shielded as their bigger foes but with the speed ,agility &amp; piloting to avoid the majority of hits , will this be the case against LK &amp; his thralls ? Should they try &amp; stay with their relative smaller size or blow up what's been working for them so far &amp; do what so many have suggested &amp; go full Black Dreadnaught size (in white as befits our Hero's ) with multiple Invictus sized ships inside to be piloted by their expanded crew &amp; does John continue to lead from the front or hold back &amp; ready himself for the final confrontation with LK . ?? So many ways to go

bigdawguw65

Dana was planning to send design specs to Genthalas for a gunned-up version of a Destroyer-class attack vessel so that construction could begin by Maliri engineers before they arrive. Their goal was to finish construction before the Invictus left Maliri space after the next Genthalas refit. It has been a while since this matter was discussed, but it is likely Sparks has made some progress, but may not yet have shared her design ideas. It is likely that her T+ design, hard shields, tachyon weapons and other upgrades will also be adapted by the Maliri. I am not sure that the Trankarans and Ashanath will follow suit, but may be influenced by Dana's ideas. The combined Allied Fleet, as currently configured, will be sorely tested by Thrall ships. The Maliri, after their fleets are upgraded, will carry the core of their combined capabilities, with the Invictus as vanguard. If a new assault craft is added, what additional capabilities will the Invictus be able to bring to the fight?

Probably was "shall we go to my room" before being edited to become "shall we go up to my room" and the insertion was "fat-fingered" by "up" getting inserted into the middle of "to" so a new t was appended to the o while the original one just kept hanging out by narrowly escaping deletion when its neighbor to the left took the deletion hit instead. :)

mark

You'll notice that Tefler has never described John's face. That was intentional for the very purpose of allowing the reader to envision themselves as John.

Jedi Khan

Also, when he saw that Kelli had taken out a Kirrix patrol with head shots, he said, "I didn't know you were a Lioness!"

When Fat Tony learned that the bugs had taken off like scared rabbits , he said "I don't want to even know what could scare the Bugs " imagine when he learns it was the skinny blond waif that use to tag along behind Sparks .

bigdawguw65

Tefler, I haven't seen anyone else note it but a small edit. When John and Helene have their chat, just after the Betrixa interlude ".....under control here, shall we got up to my room to chat?” - should that be go up?

TF4EVA

They're the paragraphs that start with "As John entered the huge room, "

ringill

Without a face we could better imagine ourselves as John?

DCM

Nkkrrit's memories showed Alyssa images of the Vulkat interacting with a wide range of alien species in peace. Some of these aliens were not recognizable or familiar to John, Jade and Tashana. The Desolation of Vulkat borders the Brimorians on one frontier. We do not know about its other borders. However, because of the antiquity of their civilization and its peaceful commerce and engagement with diverse others, their Archive might indeed contain information about various aliens, known and unknown, including the Achonin, Ashanath, Kintark, Trankarans and Eshunu.

The Nymp Sisters have had three feedings in five or six days. Jade said she can feel John making them stronger already. John's ability to focus his psychic interventions makes their enhancements occur more rapidly, as with Lynette and Helene, without the more extended 3SM treatment of the other Girls. John suggested that Jade is his template to model his enhancement of the Nymphs. Jade was able to begin shapeshifted within days of joining the Invictus. How will she train her Wards to explore their psychic potential?

For cover art on Book 4, I think there should be pulp-style action, but the faces of John and crew should never be clearly shown on any covers. Perhaps have a spoiler cover: the scene of John vs. the 4-armed Drakkar Overlord who has impaled John with his wrist blade and raised him high while holding John’s sword wrist with hand #2 while raising hands #3 and #4 holding a huge sword for the overhand death stroke, while Jade in tiger form has leaped through the air and is descending toward the Drakkar Overlord. If that’s too violent for the cover, our view could be from slightly behind John, so the blade exit would be visible in John’s back, but the blade entrance point could not be seen.

Btw, can someone tell me where the new paragraphs are for the edit?

Forbsey

Hey Tefler, where did you get the inspiration for the mindset of the Kirrix? My thoughts go to the ethics you decide in Stellaris, you can closely resemble the Kirrix by making a custom race, etc. Especially the new update coming 2.2

Forbsey

Just noticed a missing e Stepping into his equipping frame, the robotic arms whirred into plac, while he unlocked his armour to the sound of rippling clicks. Unless of course the robotic arms are actually heading into a Polish town square.

ringill

The Invictus is only capable of interdicting one vessel of equal or smaller size, and has to be in front of the target vessel, whereas the interdiction buoys can interdict entire fleets regardless of the numbers, ship size, or position (ahead of the target is preferable). However, while the interdiction buoys send out a signal that tricks FTL drives into thinking there's a gravity well in the way, Dana did one better and made a real gravity well. So yes, Dana is becoming powerful.

Jedi Khan

Dana's artificial singularity and the TF interdiction buoys served the same purpose, to inhibit Kirrix vessels from entering hyper warp. The Invictus also has interdiction capability, but did not use it at Brecken's World. The Kirrix carrier had already positioned itself at the jump point. The TF laid buoys in the path of fleeing enemy vessels to pull them out of warp. Dana is becoming very powerful.

To be clear, Jedi Khan, we just don't know how old the Kirrix and the Shroud are. Certainly, far older than 10K years, as you say, but that doesn't mean that they're older than the Maliri, as an example, nor even that they predate Mael'nerak's (first?) arrival in this section of this universe. They could be a mere 50K or 60K years old, or they could be millions of years old, and they may have dealt with Mael'nerak, or they might have dealt with another Progenitor before his advent upon the scene. It is worth noting, however, that they most assuredly did NOT prey upon the Trankarans, Terrans, Ashanath or Maliri DURING Mael'nerak's reign, so they either found their substitutes for breeding elsewhere during that timespan, or they did not require them, so were not under the Shroud during Mael'nerak's reign. Why do I say this? Because Mael'nerak would not have tolerated poaching nor encroachment upon his private reserves and experiments, based upon what we've seen of him. So, we know that they knew of the Vulkat of old (meaning what is certainly questionable), that they had encountered a Progenitor once before who they believe caused the Shroud upon their people, and that they did not encounter another Progenitor since that time, and that for, perhaps, the past 10K years (or mayhap a smidgeon less), they've been using Mael'nerak's (and others?) races for spawning. We know that they've never (successfully) penetrated Maliri space. We know that the Kintark, Brimorian, Terran, Ashanath, Trankaran and other races (perhaps excluding the Maliri) banded together to form the Galactic Council in large degree to address the incursions of the Kirrix. So, we know a lot, but we still don't know the precise picture, even of the timeline within which everything that took place occurred.

Evan

Dadd, regarding your earlier comments about the history between the Vulkat and Kirrix. The Progenitor war was 10k years ago, and from what the Kirrix have said, the Shroud predates that by a very long time, which means that the Kirrix have been using sentient beings as fodder long before the Progenitor showed up. The Kirrix and the Vulkat both knew the other existed, but I doubt they were on friendly terms, especially since the Kirrix said the Vulkat disapproved of the Kirrix's survival strategy. However, I have to wonder if either race knows the current state of the other. It's highly likely that contact was lost between the two when the Progenitor attacked, so neither knows if the other still exists. Although, Alyssa did mention to the Kirrix that she has the utmost respect for the Vulkat, so they at least now know that the Vulkat still live (sort of).

Jedi Khan

Do Kelli and Perl know Alyssa and Sparks? From the sound of it, the Diablos' boss kept his bedroom toys on a short leash. They may have heard Sparks' name given how important she was to the gang's power base, but they probably wouldn't have met her. They likely wouldn't know who Alyssa is considering she was pretty much a nobody besides being Sparks' gopher.

Jedi Khan

No. Still too soon. He had planned on working on ebook 4, as well as giving us two chapters this month, but all the delays in getting 111 done have likely forced him to reconsider. I don't expect 112 until closer to the end of the month.

Jedi Khan

Did Tefler mention when Chapter 112 would appear?

Big Dude

What if Nkkrrit has untapped information about the Enshunu? She be old enough to have it entered into their Vulkat archives. All Irillith will need to do is completely research the Vulkat archives now that the Kirrix are running away. Now that would be a story arc that would be veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery innnnnnnnnnnnnnteresting!

Big Dude

"It has begun," Jade told john with excitement after Betrixa referred to herself in the first person. John promised a session only with the Nymph sisters. Was that what happened with Jade and Helene in the Observatory -- or is something else planned for them?

Vamos a ver...

DD asked ... So, Helene will somehow be able to telepathically, from a distance, without John's psychic catalyst? DD, that's not what I suggested above. I said after John delivers his standard additional progenitor liquid refreshment to Helene, her DNA modifications will allow Helene to communicate back to the Abandoned because their Kintark DNA modification will be an antenna for her new special mind to receive. I think it will be a two way communication, upgraded from how Alyssa and the Trankaran Glowing Queen are more one way. I can see John giving her a full Nkkrrit upgrade. Remember the Kirrix know about Nkkrrit. Didn't Alyssa mention Nkkrrit too? I thought that was a special foreshadowing from Tefler.

Big Dude

When Alyssa recognizes Mortimer, she should read his mind. If he has larceny in his heart or other evil intent, she can have a nice threatening chat with him. She can then put him in the brig, or point him out to Sakura and Faye after a stern warning. He can sulk after that all he wants to.

There's a bit of telepathic speech that's terminated as normal speech: *I’m sorry, John,* Jade replied sombrely. *When I gathered the Nymphs .... Faye volunteered to watch over her and keep her safe.”

ringill

I have been wondering how the Big Tony story arch will inform John's reason to visit Karron -- to explore Alyssa and Dana's origins. The Worm Girls, who were property of the Diablos, remember their own pasts. They are older and have known Alyssa and Sparks for years. Maybe Terri or Perl know something important about this. I doubt the arch is just a device for Perl's arm to be restored.

Continuity error,'the 12 Tachyon Lances from the topdeck slicing the first drone carrier in half. The Nymph pulled the flightstick back then directly to the left, pushing the battlecruiser into a fast roll that brought the 28 Tachyon Lances on the underbelly to bear. ' Shouldn't it be 16 and 24?

Braw

I think so. Charles, Maria, the Young Matriarchs, Ceraden, Nyskera and Edraele's Assassins, too.

Outstanding. Your standard of quality is sustained. Thank you, Creator.

Dawg, I share your admiration for Nkkrrit and your hopes for the Vulkat. I recall that Nkkrrit became Queen during the exodus following destruction of Vulkat planets, including her own, by a progenitor. Since the Desolation, she has led the remnants of her civilization to protect their legacy from scavengers.

MC, can you define what you mean by "psionic." That is not a common term in 3SM.

I wonder if maybe Nkkrrit , isn't the last of the Vulkat . She wasn't their Queen , she mentioned taking orders from the Queen , only ,if they had the same structure as the Kirrix , a Brood mother . What if there are more Vulkat out there , Brood mothers ,hiding from the Progenitor ? What if Nkkrrit's song with Alyssa &amp; the Maliri was heard by them? Maybe the Kirrix know about them . I might just be hoping there is a way to save Nkkrrit &amp; the Vulkat , they seem very much deserving of it . Plus it would piss off the Brimorians &amp; I do enjoy the idea of Althgiloi being steamed (like a lobster :-) )

bigdawguw65

I did a bit of editing and uploaded a new version. No major changes, just a line or two added and fixed a bunch of typos!

Tefler

Yep, have tried several times. It starts but immediately stops. Download works on other pages though.

Anyone else unable to download?

Nkkrrit gave off an aura of despair that effected everyone when they got close. It seams likely that Tefler may give her the ability to project an aura that influences the emotional states of those around her.

Cody Strong

If the Invictus rescues the hive ship captives taken from Karron, Seb Mortimer might suddenly find himself on board the Invictus with a long-sought opportunity for revenge. (He’s bound to pop up sooner or later.)

Tefler, thanks for another great chapter, that stretches the mind and imagination of us (reader and loyal followers).

Johannes, Dr. Dadd, could be that Tefler might possible be leading us toward Nkkrrit being the new leader of the Kirrix's and nothing to do with Helene. Would add a new and positive outlook for Nkkrrit. Helene's powers may reach into the realm of psychology, this might not be to much of a stretch as she shows signs of a natural ability in this field. This is my guess, only Tefler the story master knows for sure.

Tefler wants us to think about Nkkrrit as we anticipate what psychic gifts John will give to Helene. Why is that? What association does he want us to see? Alyssa's "cute" quip was a throw away line, but focused our thoughts on the Vulkat. What do we know about Nkkrit and her role among the Vulkat? Nkkrrit, as the Vulkat Queen, is the last surviving member of her species that is still fundamentally organic, not a cyborg zombie. All of the Vulkat are her offspring, which are linked telepathically to her. She is a powerful psychic energy user with telepathic and telekinetic abilities that allows her to manipulate all of her "children" across interstellar distances. She is the living repository of the history and memory of the Vulkat, and contains their accumulated knowledge of science, technology and military strategy. She did not seem to have healing powers, as she used technology to make her remote cyborg minions function. Indeed, she refused healing from Rachel for herself, as well as any healing of her children. Tkkrrit was lonely and welcomed Alyssa's invitation to join her telepathic "chorus" with the Lionesses and Maliri in their networks. What other characteristics does Nkkrrit manifest that could be related to John's intent to give Helene new powers? Some Patrons seem keen that she should have an empathetic capacity to modify other people's mental and emotional states, in order to heal psychological pain and distress. I do not recall Nkkrrit demonstrating that ability. Others suggest that like Rachel, Helene should be able to somehow affect the minds of groups to resolve dissonance and improve states of mental health. Nkkrritt did not do that, either. Helene is not a telepath, empath, telekinetic, nor -- offensive or defensive -- psychic power user. What does Tefler want us to think?

Great chapter, now why am I somewhat shaken at the mention of Nkkrrrit? Is John going to top her off too? I'm no arachnofile but that is a tad too much? Otherwise masterly written, keep up the good work and don't mind us 3SM addicts. Even after a day we want a new shot. So take the time you need!

JTR soars

Yeah, Jedi. That is why I resisted rereading C111/1 because Tefler might change the narrative in some way. I am so glad I did.

Yet another fantastic chapter. I don’t think it will be long before John fights his dark proginator helper after watching just how powerful Alissa has become.

Jim lynch

Good thing I decided to have a look through the first part of the chapter as well, instead of just looking for the start of the second part. Would have missed the new scene with Tony and his girls. Was wondering if we would see them this chapter. Just wondering, when we last saw the spaceport, or at least the outskirts, on Karron, it was as Tony plowed through a surprised squad of Kirrix. It was mentioned then that the bugs were still marching prisoners to the hive ship (chapter 109, page 57). Did those prisoners manage to escape during the seizure fit the bugs had when Alyssa bitch slapped the Hive Mind? Or were they all loaded up by then? Just wondering if Tony, Kelli, and Perl are indeed the last people left on Karron. Also, how are the bugs going to return their captives from the other planets? There should be two or three more raid fleets left aside from the ones intercepted by John and the TFed fleet. How are the captives on those fleets going to be returned? Are the Kirrix just going to turn around and drop them back off at their respective worlds, or will they wait for either the TFed fleet or the Invictus to find them? How about for the Trankarans? Are they and the Maliri going to show up at their worlds, intent on a fight to liberate them, only to find their people left behind, confused but somewhat elated by the weird turn of events and the Kirrix no where in sight? Also, that was a neat trick Alyssa pulled. Very inspired. She certainly has developed quite a bit. And John too, using telekinesis to close the hangar doors without thinking about it. I saw how Dana noted his use of that particular ability when he was helping her, but she chose not to comment on it. Anyways, as usual, looking forward to the next chapter. Don't worry too much about struggling to get two in this month Tefler. After all the issues that got in the way of getting 111 done in time, I can understand if you want to take some time to focus on ebook 4 like you originally planned, then give us a complete 112 at the end of the month.

Jedi Khan

if the Kirrix are leaving infested behind does that mean some of the diablos and Mortimer might 'survive'? How will John and the crew decide to go to Karron - it's next but the further out planets have populations further along. Alyssa didn't mention Acadia i.e the invictus has the right to enter Kirrix space as and when they want. Also a little surprised Alyssa and Edraele didn't have a chat before the negotiation as she has lots of eperience negotiating....

TF4EVA

It's more likely that John knows what he's doing now, thus he can make changes more easily, rather than anything to do with her modified genetics.

Jedi Khan

Hey hey keep it up big man. Can’t wait for more!

Alphaonetango

Pleased to see Fat Tony and the girls are going to survive.

Thanks for the chapter Tefler.

John Teeter

Digging Helene's transformation. Keep it up with the sexy fun!

James Hârn

You just keep doing it...again and again....a story of wonder!!!!!

Arrowglass

Matriarchs are the connection between a Progenitor &amp; his thrall race , The Maliri were MN's original thralls , PJ created Edraele when he took control . Alyssa was John's original Matriarch &amp; humans were one of MN's created races but are different because he(MN) experimented by allowing them to develop without tinkering , but we've not seen the "white hair" linkage on one feeding , it took 3 to form a higher form of connection to Alyssa . Jade &amp; the Nymphs seem to be a special case ,an anomaly , they seem to be another experiment of MN , from what LK said to Deep Lord . &amp; seem to have a greater capacity for Eldrich power . Helene &amp; the Abandoned are not a MN created race , although based on humans we don't know what effect the Kintark tampering will have on their ability to become a true thrall race , able to connect to John &amp; contribute power to him , if so ,then Helene might become that connection/Matriarch but maybe that's not in the cards . Only Tefler knows .

bigdawguw65

Thanks Tefler! So Helene will be powered up in 6 hours. Is that because she's a genetically modified hybrid and is easier to tune her up with new powers?

Big Dude

Alyssa is Terran matriarch Jade is nymph matriarch edraele is maleri matriarch helene is lost people matriarch.

I was thinking something in her gaintlets on paragon suits (attachment so that the girls’ suits remain interchangeable)

Hmm - so Nkkrrit equals major psionic leader.....plus focus on psionic healing seems like a hint that Helene will be the Psychic Healer / connector that surpasses Alyssa

MrrC

Anybody else see Alyssa getting a staff with runes like John's sword to help her focus her power, maybe it can split in half, one for each hand?

Outstanding, Tefler. So gratifying. Goodness, indeed.

A dead progenitor

Anybody wonder if the shroud is hiding a certain progenitor's secret base?

Should Maria and Charles both get a set of the personal Shields and pistols?

What about the tachyon lances??? How about putting runes on the singularity driver ammo?

Now that all is quiet accept for the Brimorians, am I the only one waiting to find out what is the ancient weapon that the en... Are bringing back to life in the Maliri wastelands????

Always a good read.

Grimlakin

Yay!! 111 complete!! Can’t wait for the next installment 😂

David B

Not bad, after my previous comment, got it just before 2359h, IST......thanks!!

bob lakhanpal

Nkkrrit is the Vulkat Queen (the leader of the zombie cyborg spiders).

Tefler

I don't recognise whom " nikriiit" refers to at the end of the chapter, is it a new character or some mentioned earlier!!

Wahoo !!

As usual worth the wait. Thank you Tefler. Well done.

TF4EVA

Woot!

Sirloki

Same problem here

Post download, the file is opening with zip browser... Open it via word reader or via file manager, it's working fine.

I'm trying to download this on my phone, but I'm just getting an unhelpful zip file- am I missing something obvious here? Apologies, I'm on hour 7 of train travel and knackered ^^'

Thanks Tefler

Anthony Kester

Outstanding. Thanks, Tefler.

YESSSSSSS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Mark Hall

Thank you Tefler….no apologies needed , I'm sure it will be worth the wait

bigdawguw65

Thanks Tefler.

Cignal

Yabba dabba doo!

Nekronom

Hey everyone, I just uploaded the completed chapter. The entire chapter came in at 32.2k words, which is why I wasn't able to get it out for midday as I ended up writing 2k more than I originally planned. Apologies for the wait! :-)

Tefler

Yay

Muledrvr

Can I just point out the word tomorrow morning, the great master did not say this morning, so I think we may all be assuming the incorrect meaning of tomorrow that being after you go to sleep and wake up in the morning. This only works if you go to sleep before midnight!

Mac of Alden

F5. (Just to make it vxx an even 800 comments)

GrandPaM

Doesn’t seem like it’s gonna be today...at least not in IST

bob lakhanpal

Another day of productivity shot to hell.

Or noon today anywhere!

Old Cruiser

How about we all hope for Noon CST time.

We sure do!

Calvin Whitewood

Do the British consider midday as 12 Noon?

I use auto refresh

Sitting on the plane before going into flight mode smashing the refresh to get it for the flight.

depends on the keyboard but yes typically you can

Cody Strong

The F5 key is getting a good workout...... just a query, can one replace a single key on a keyboard if it gets worn out??

bob lakhanpal

one more sleep till christmas or should I stay up and try and catch the Great Creator delivering his pressie for me? If I stay up should I read the last couple of chapters again to refresh my memory, start from the start again to get in the mood, play in the sandbox or go to bed.... sigh

TF4EVA

I'm writing here to express my sadness that part 2 is not here yet. But considering that I'm still checking up on stories where the latest chapter was posted in 2016 or there is more than 8 months between chapters, a week or 10 days, or God forbid an entire month, is a perfectly acceptable timetable as well. @Tefler If you can't find the time write that's ok, and if your creative muse(s) are absent that is also ok, (for me it is sometimes just a matter of writing 50-100 words of horrible prose to get started again, and other times everything that accomplishes is to spawn another few thousand words of horrible prose). All this is just to say, some things can't be rushed, and considering your usual quality and quantity, it will come when it is ready, and if it only happens at the speed of a normal human :), that's ok.

Malthe Mørk Mejlby

The poor guy has pumped out more content than some ‘professional’ authors that are backed by companies and such. Cut him some slack, sit back and spam that refresh button. Keep up the good work Tefler, we’ll be here whenever you have content for us, and don’t rush it. Good things come to those who wait

There is no real reason to press Tefler for faster delivery. He is the most productive writer of high quality stories l know on Lit and Pat. Given the time others need to get their F***ine writing together Tefler is well above and beyond expectations!

Nekronom

I appreciate the selflessness expressed by so many Patrons regarding Tefler's productivity. I trust that he knows best how to gauge his efforts and output in light of his circumstances. He should make his best judgement of what is doable. I think he is gratified by the less is more expressions. I leave it to the Creator.

I think this will only get worse. The Holiday season is very hard to stay focused. I hate to say it but, one chapter a month should be the goal till next year

TranceR

I wonder if The Great Creator provides us with half (and these are substantial halves I might add) chapters to satisfy the baying for something to read that some of us engage in - rather than taking the time to provide the full chapter for his editors to pore over before giving it up for our merriment and scrunity. Some of us are happy with what we get because the quantity, quality and output is still better than some authors we have followed. I for one joined patreon so I could get hold of the story earlier than if I still followed it elsewhere, so I'm happy because as long as I wait here I'd still be waiting elsewhere.

TF4EVA

I edited what I originally wrote when I saw that. I still think Tefler needs to take the time and get ahead of the curve or tell the visiting family he writes for a living and needs the time to write to earn money!

Big Dude

You know Tefler is tired when he posts under the wrong chapter...this was posted 11min ago Tefler I'm nearly done, but it's getting quite late. I'll finish off the last thousand words or so tomorrow morning and hopefully it should be up by midday GMT. That was under chapter 110 comments

Cody Strong

Seems Tefler posted in the Chapter 110 thread ladies and gents!

Big Dude

I hope. Lol

Newnotsure

Please Tefler no more half chapters we can wait for the full one

Newnotsure

I thought it was how we pass on to Tefler that we're patiently awaiting the next installment of TSM. Was I mistaken? :P

ETNSosa

You know we are getting desperate when we spend 4 hrs discussing the deeper meaning of the F5 key :-)

bigdawguw65

Fn+F5 keys is the same as refreshing your screen.

By the Great Maker! What is this 😭 ... F5

ChrisW

My guy...

F5

GrandPaM

Nope, I’m pretty sure you are right there, Bob. Remember he’s hoping to reach out to artists as well - at the moment he hasn’t got any cover art for book 4, now that the cookie cutter award ceremony picture has been discreetly buried. He’s got a thousand and one things to do, what with being a house husband and all, so I’ll be delighted if he takes it nice and steady and gets one more good chapter out this month. If it comes in two halves that’s fine with me as well. Cheers

Timbo

DD...the male exclusion was probably a side effect of MN , he really had no use for men &amp; didn't want any around (John didn't seem receptive to any men on the Invictus too) . Once the roles were set , as you said in an earlier discussion , those in power tend to defend their positions &amp; with the heavily skewed numbers of woman fighting for the jobs the cut throat nature of Maliri society comes into focus . It will be awhile before the numbers in birth rate level out , so for now finding quality males to promote is the key to a balanced society .

bigdawguw65

Can always hope. OK, the first half of C113!!

Old Cruiser

C111-2 this evening, C112 on the 17th and then C113 on the 31st??

Old Cruiser

F5 ?

GrandPaM

Maliri men are still somewhat second class citizens in the Protectorate. The hold no high office in government or the military, and seem relegated to roles in economics and trade. Elevating Ceraden into her inner circle may signal Edraele's willingness to introduce more men into her strategies and plans to change Maliri society. In all of our glimpses into the activities of MK, Ranagon and LK, the pattern of female thralls with no same species males, is an obvious progenitor legacy. The advancement to positions of influence of capable Maliri males will go far toward correcting this skewed social situation. It would also begin to correct the gender estrangement that would otherwise contribute to their extinction.

I wonder if Tefler made significant edits to C111/1 as well as moved scenes from C111/2 to C112? I guess I have to wait some more hours to find out.

Bruce ??? just how is she suppose to orgasm while she's separated from her body?

bigdawguw65

Irilith should get into the impenetrable networks this way: Irilith lies next to Tashana while Tashana and John screw, with circling runes around all three. Focusing despite her sympathetic arousal, Irilith sends her cyber-self to the blocked gateway and pushes against it. When Tashana orgasms, so does Irilith and her orgasm melds her through the gateway. But she will need the same thing to get back out later!

I have been trying my damndest to wait for the whole thing to be done the wait is almost over just have to deal with the withdrawal a little while longer

Mark Hall

(sp) Small

Perhaps Smaqll Tacyon Rifle Of Kinetic Energy - Military Equipage yes ... STROKE ME

I was under the impression from earlier chapters that Dana had no problem naming stuff and in a charming unconventional way. Strike Ultra Valkarie USW_001, and then she got flustered when they thought it was too long.

Thanks for the update my dude. Love the work and can’t wait for more.

Alphaonetango

Thanks for the update

Thanks!

PwdRacing

Fantastic

Benj

I'm aiming to wrap up the second half of 111 on the 10th, so with a bit of luck it'll be finished by the evening. :-)

Tefler

I'll join the "Double your pledge in October" club.

PwdRacing

where is everyone waiting for newchatper is hopping with chat did I miss an update

Mjk154

will you match my pledge for one chapter

Mjk154

He deserves one.

Dawg! What if Nymphs can have litters of four to eight pups instead of just one? They can easily form the required number of mammaries at feeding time. Then, their goal of repopulating the Nymphs species could be accelerated.

sorry chapter 39

Mjk154

tefer i know you have a lot on your plate right now hope Little Tef is alright. waiting for 111 ihope you don't feel you have to pushyour self for two chapters this month i personaly would love one great chapter,than two rushed i'm going to up my pledge for this month to match .one great chapter two payments TSM lovers what do you think rereading TSM again, chapter 37 John and the girls take a vacation. i hate to think it but maybe Tef might need one

Mjk154

DD...I think it was discussed that Maliri had same term as Terran &amp; I would suspect Abandoned , since they started as Terran would be same . Since Nymphs were all female &amp; sterile before John came along I doubt any one around knows just what a Nymph pregnancy would entail ( unless John's father on Arcadia if he's MN) maybe LK but I don't see them pausing in their showdown to ask ..."excuse me before we destroy you , do you know how long nymphs carry their young ? " . If John thought battling Pirates , dealing with High Command , fighting a 100' Dragon &amp; thousand of Kirrix was scary , just imagine dealing with 7-10 pregnant women at once ? Hope his ready for lots of foot rubs &amp; stocks enough Pickles &amp; various flavors of Ice Cream . DD..like your ideas on their home base , sounds Ideal .

bigdawguw65

What the Hell... Another Blue Sky Sand Box Boredom Relief Exercise. None of the Invictus' Girls will get pregnant before they "retire" in six months. If any of them does, it will probably be Helene -- but I doubt it. The Young Matriarchs will be well advanced in their pregnancies by that time. Do we know how long it takes a Maliri to bring a child to term? What about Nymphs or Abandoned women? However long it takes, it will still be some time after they retire, maybe three or more months, before John's first born arrives. Then Jade, the Nymphs and Helene will likely be next, with Edraele being a good bet, too. It would be awesome if John then impregnated Alyssa and the other Lionesses similarly to with the Young Matriarchs, individual quality time over several days in a row. That would result in most of the Harem being pregnant at the same time. Luna, Ilyana and Almari can lead overall security while they train their successors. So, within a year's time, they could have maybe eleven or so kids on their hands -- with more pregnancies under way or imminent. They will not live on Genthalas. They can occupy a palace near Edraele's or -- my preference is that they build their own official compound, residence, and related facilities on Valadan around a coastal mountain. The Young Matriarchs will probably split their time between Valaden and their Home Planets. I can imagine John and Dana building a complex of hard shielded crystal domes -- with 80% of its space volume below ground -- with a sprawling, multi-level manse. The compound covers many acres of beach, lake, ponds, streams, hills, forest and fields. The compound would include individual residential domes, exercise rooms, medical bay, laboratory space, working rooms, training space, food production, educational spaces, data and library access, maintenance, recreational and child care facilities. In this context, Helene could truly become the "Mother Patrons Hope For". She could even invite Maria -- or her own Abandoned sisters and their mates -- to help her set things up. So, what do you think? Blue Sky for real...

sorry I just had that classic scene in Kelly's Heros go through my head where big Jo, Kelly and Oddball face the tiger tank.... In this case LK would face at least two progens and 5 lioneses and a Jade dragon..... meanwhile the might of the joint trankarran, terran and ashanath (armed with Drakkar marines and Pod Queens) fleets engage the thrall fleet...

TF4EVA

Three days ago, he posted this: Hey everyone, Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been working on chapter 111, but I moved some of the scenes I planned for this chapter to 112. Then with more visiting relatives, my son managing to get dust in his eyes and all the doctor hijinks that ensued (he's fine now), and the wife going away for a weekend with her mother, I've had precious little time for writing. I'm aware I owe you guys the end of the chapter, and I'll get it done asap! :-)

Jedi Khan

maybe Helene will become the modern version of Nanny McPhee or Mary Poppins to the Prides cubs? Helene and the Lenarrans should learn basic battle formations yes but most importantly defensive skills and patterns until such time as they are deemed ready to evolve. I don't think any of the lionesses (with the exception of Alyssa) came into or realised their advanced powers without some nudge - an event or emotion etc, and some training

TF4EVA

Several months ago I suggest a similar proposal: that the Oceanus Corp recruit Abandoned administrators, technicians and workers who would support the planet's tourism industry while colonizing archipelagic island groups. As amphibians, they can function in both under water and surface environments. They could build extensive rings of crystal towers and domes for habitats that included both surface and subsea extensions, linked by Crystal tube trains that hug the sea floor and with submersible surface platforms. That would make them ideal staff for Oceanus.

Another though has come whist musing over things. Sparks has created a very deep Gravity Well, is it just one step more for her to create a black hole and does this then mean she can create a worm hole in space time fabric. The science of TSM seems to be as we know it and Phycic power what about negative physics, We may have had some early on, with the new elements but it has not been developed, we could have a whole set of new laws of physics linking thought, time and space, lots of fun if we can have negative thoughts. :-)

Mac of Alden

One thing which is of concern to me and leading us all into panic, is the rate at which time is passing. We now need minutes for the spread sheet of events, for logging what each chapter contains, its all getting very nitty gritty with respect to how fast events are occurring. This is why the panic over Helene. Maybe our project manager is getting bogged down in to much detail. We need to stand back and take the big picture into view again, lets assume the six month time scale is correct, well we are heading for a 259 chapter epic currently.

Mac of Alden

Yeah mon, I would not want Helene to be the only one around without personal training. The Matriarchs and their assassins, will look after her, but she will also have to look after herself and others.

Helen will fall in love with Oceanus when they go to visit for the Wedding and then she will also charm the executives that show up to schmooze with Admiral Blake. Afterwards they will offer to allow her people to immigrate and set up a colony on the ocean floor. In return for help with maintenance and possible farming potential that will cover the costs of housing and re-education (or actually educate since they were kept ignorant) they will set up some islands for them to use to get used to life on the top side

Sirloki

Shinatobi took over when Sakura was 22; now she is 94. She wanted to join a combat team immediately, but John required her to learn Lioness tactics and weapons, and grow into her armor, before he allowed it. The same requirement applied to Calara, Dana, Rachel, and Teshana, regardless of their previous combat experience or lack of it. Train the Girl now! So right, too, Dawg, John/Tefler will determine what happens to Helene. I am anxious, like you, to finally learn what that might be!

If Dana can adapt the principals of her psy-analyzer, the Ashanath psy-shaper, and the Kirrix psy-transmitter, she might find a way to rune Eternity Crystals to focus and intensify their powers.

Don't remember ever being against her learning to protect herself &amp; defend "the nest" , sorry if you got that impression . It would be silly for her not to be able to protect those she loves , just think her talents &amp; personality is better suited mothering &amp; baby sitting than kickass warrior or intra world diplomate , the crew has many of those &amp; an entire race that will be dedicated to keeping them safe in Maliri territory . As always just MHO

bigdawguw65

Stress is unavoidable for the Invictus' crew. Even John and Faye are vulnerable to it. What matters is how they deal with it. Helene knows her mind. She is no teenager. She is a full grown woman with a history of her own. Remember how proud she was when she joined her friends to defend their plantation, even though she did not know how to fight with the weapon they gave her? She better understands now why John wanted to keep her from fighting, but she has not yet said that she no longer wants to fight for her new family. Since so many Patrons perceive her as being better suited to be a maternal care giver, why is it so hard to accept that protecting and defending are key aspects of that point of view.

DD...Sakura had 100 + years of Ninja assassin training , or at least her body did , she needed to unlearn more than to train &amp; it took awhile &amp; incremental steps to get to where she is now . John is more in control of HIS powers now , especially consciously directing the results he wants , so what happens with Helene is all up to him in the end . She will be what he (&amp; Tefler) decides is best for her &amp; the family .

bigdawguw65

Add to that DD what they can learn from the Kirrix antenna &amp; equipment , if they are using physical tools to increase &amp; focus physic power ,it might lead Dana to LK's nullifier tech &amp; how to use &amp; block it .

bigdawguw65

Since Rachel is now keen to better understand the dynamics and range of psychic shields, in order to learn their use, she should also use Dana's psy-monitor-analyzer to intensively study all of their psychic powers and their potentialities. If she can discerned the rules of psychic power projection, along with how to optimize their employment, they may learn more about their individual and collective strengths. This would allow them to practice as a team, using their personal powers to augment the others. As fire teams, they can better protect each other. This might add unique knowledge superior to LK's own experience. If that makes sense, imagine the whole crew facing LK at High Noon.

;-)

Been about two weeks I believe , a busy two weeks during which John has studiously tried to protect Helene from what they have to do . But it hasn't been that long since her 3rd feeding &amp; he was working on 7? girls &amp; their changes . You youngsters just have no patience :P

bigdawguw65

Yeah, Dawg, Rachel and Edrale worry about fighting thralls and have expressed their fears. Alyssa asked both of them to keep it to themselves for now, as she knows the other Girls share that concern. Alyssa wants to build their confidence that they are not heading for a war they cannot win. She reminded Edraele that they have overcome impossible odds before and can do so again. Dana's new innovations have brought them up to a T+ tech level. Alyssa wants them to believe they have more than a chance, especially with the potential advantage in P+ psychic powers.

Dawg, Helene has been on board for what -- two-three weeks? Less? Alyssa's first combat to save Calara was in her first weeks aboard. Calara's first combat came after couple of weeks, too. Dana and Calara's first combat occurred with the Pirates and Kirrix after the second ore run to Karron. Jade and Rachel were recruited during an intense period of combat. Sakura slept though her first combat, days after Rachel removed her implants and began training. The Twins were each fighting from the start, even while being healed and enhanced. I know what you will say -- those other hardened bitches are nothing like our sweet little Helene. Even if she chose to join them, she did so in ignorance, and she has to be protected from herself. Enough, already. Edraele asked John how long he would try to protect her from their reality?

Guys, Tefler is a little like a volcano.... you nearly always get some advanced warning and tremors before the next chapter (or in this case half chapter) erupts into our lives. Sorry - but no tremors yet! We can epect a 24 hr ‘nearly there’ type message from him first...... (So now he’ll prove me wrong, but that’s all part of the fun... 😉 )

Timbo

If you are looking for ransom, I can tell you I don't have money. But what I do have are a very particular set of skills, skills I have acquired over a very long career. Skills that make me a nightmare for people like you. If you post part 2 now, that'll be the end of it, if not....

I have to look at the bright side. I get to practice patience. Thank you creator for this gift.

When is the last time anyone has heard directly from Tefler, since he posted Part 1 on 9/30?

DD...I think we fans suffer from having too much time on our hands as we wait for the next chapter &amp; let our minds race ahead of the story , having seen the development of John's other wounded birds &amp; where they have evolved too &amp; we want Helene to be equal to them RIGHT NOW!

bigdawguw65

DD...remember awhile back we discussed how the girls would feel about facing LK's thrall's instead of pirates , lizards or bugs ? Just rereading 109 &amp; Rachel's mind went to that thought as she watched Dana crush the Kirrix , glad she wasn't suffering the moral ambiguity she suffered after Terra . but what would happen when they faced black armored possible distant cousins .

bigdawguw65

DD...yes but not overnight . Each of the girls took time &amp; steps/incidents to heal , I just think this is too soon for Helene , you can see how shocked &amp; upset the girls were in dealing with the prisoners . even with all they've been through .

bigdawguw65

Dawg, no other Wounded Bird was protected and isolated from the realities of life on the Invictus. Their traumas from before, and their reticence in the moment, was dealt with, not coddled and contained. Helene said John altered the mental reactions to violence by the Lionesses to protect them, not control them. Would not that be the same for her, allowing her to adapt, grow and participate?

I don't think Helene is far enough along in her growth to be taking such a part yet . John would think her to fragile to have to deal the horrendous tragedy the survivors are carrying . While she is working toward such power it's too soon , if he didn't want her to even watch the battle , why would he expose her to the misery of a possible suicidal mother or father , especially to learn that precious children where chopped up for food .Too Soon

bigdawguw65

On Genthlas, during the coming upgrade and refit, will they expand the secure Combat Brigde to add stations for the five new recruits? Or will they continue to frolick in the unsecured Lagoon during action? Everyone, but Jade, wears a Paragon suit on the CB during combat. Would Helene and the Nymph Sisters wear armor at CB stations? Should Helene be trained in Lioness combat tactics, skills and weapons?

That would be so nice.

No Care Bears!! Not My Little Pony!! No Heart Spinkles making everything pink and nice...

So nobody else sees our newest member moving among those who have been abused by the Kirrix and literally healing their minds? Giving them the emotional healing that they need like she will do for the crew. She's like a super powered councilor Troy.

Grimlakin

Tefler's 109 was just released on lit a little while ago , so hope springs eternal that part 2 will be up today :-)

bigdawguw65

Fingers crossed. Hope the second part is released today :)

Sid1712

Hmmmmmm, 70,000 word/month (2 x 35,000 word chapters). If Tef writes 24 days per month, then it is just on 2920 words per day. Then if he is writing say 10 hrs per day then it is 292 words per hour, 5 words a minute (which is hardly exceptional); a good typist (not that there are many of those these days as long gone are the days of the typist pool) expected to be at least 30 words a minute, and often up to 60-100 words a minute. One suspects that Tef can type at a modest 20 word/minute, then about 3/4 of his time is spent, planning, continuity tracking, plotting, hyperbolising, editing and drink Earl Grey :-)

Is it just me are there only three ways that any one chapter will go. #1 someone has an epiphany, they fight a battle then someone has an emotional brake down and we spend the last half of said chapter putting traumatized person back together in creative ways.

OK I just wanted to get this off my chest. sigh... moment of release. ok

or his boots

I would imagine that the brimorians are outnumbered 2 or 3 to 1.

Alphaonetango

The "conversations" tend to finish after a day or two, so if you expand to the point that you see posts older than 2 days, you can stop there. Otherwise, no, there is no easier way to keep track of all the comments.

Jedi Khan

Just going to say. Just dab on it and check in later for when it comes out. “John is killing space bugs right now and can’t get to the phone right now. So leave a message after the tone and John will get back to you as soon as he has hosed the bug guts off the girls.”

Alphaonetango

I’m afraid that is the only way to view the latest comments

As the comments in this post are now over 600, what is the easiest way to see the latest comments? Right now, since they are displayed chronologically by "conversation", if I want to be sure that I haven't missed any later additions to any conversation, I have to expand all of the comments and manually scroll through them all to see if there have been any new additions. Is there an easier way? This was not a problem when there were "only" a couple of hundred, but now it is becoming inconvenient. But I don't want to miss anything! Any suggestions or ideas?

Bp Hlpt

We are tracking on key principles and ideas, Dawg. Like in the discussion a while back regarding Kintsrk colonists who chose to stay on worlds ceded by the Dragon Empress. Similar questions were raised and ideas explored. Practically, several Patrons noted that integration would be difficult because it had to overcome legacies of politics, fear, ignorance and misunderstanding. I made the same case then -- if the state and officials do not pursue equal citizenship and justice, and mean it, no one else feels required to do so. If citizens do not support official policy regarding equal citizenship, it will never happen. As long as a despised, powerless, pariah community is sustainable, social discrimination, disruption and violence are predictable.

DD....one of the biggest problems for the former slaves was they were also seen as agents or spies for the Conquering North &amp; they inherited the hatred Southerners felt &amp; unfortunetly were easily identifiable . The KKK were only the shock troops , the political power &amp; wealth never left the hands of the privileged land &amp; former slave owners . The KKK never would have been able to intimidate &amp; kill without the at least tacit support of the political power structure . If in the TSM world if the Abandoned are a government controlled system &amp; not a part of the private , commercial world , the impact &amp; problems arising from their freeing not reverberated through Brimorian society as badly as we might fear .

bigdawguw65

Could today be the day?

I kind of doubt it. You can double check exactly what you were billed for. Click "Your Memberships" in the pull down under your icon in the top right corner. Then click "Billing History" on the next page. Then click the down arrow in about the middle of the page to the right of where it says "Supported xx posts". It will then show you exactly which chapters you were billed for and when you downloaded them. The billing only happens once a month, on the first of the month for downloads that occurred during the previous month, so you were probably charged for downloading 2 different things in September, rather than being charged twice for the same thing.

Bp Hlpt

It probably depends on how much you paid for the chapter. If you were paying $50 a chapter I would nearly agree, if its sub $5 per chapter then whats the issue? It seems the longer this space opera runs the less patient people become. Hope your not a Game of Thrones reader, how long have they been waiting for the next book? 5/6 years?

rich ed

Got charged twice for this chapter

I have no problem at all with the delay. Tefler delivers quicker and in higher quality than any other author I know on Patreon.

Nekronom

I think I figured out why the wait for the second half of China’s 111 is so hard this time. It’s because we paid for it. Tefler charged everyone when he released the first half with the assumption that the rest would follow in a few days. With a week going by and still no commitment of when we are going to get the rest of what we paid for. It just isn’t sitting well. Now I’m am intellectually honest enough to rationalize. That the math is the same wether we are charged with half a chapter or a full one. I get it. It’s the same. However there is something subconscious about paying for something and not getting it. Maybe it is because I am currently in despite with another vendor over an order than I was charged for and never received. All I know is that, this chapter feels different than the other times Tefler has charged for a partial chapter release. The delay of the deliver for the second half certainly is longer. And I would be surprised if I am the only one who feels this way.

MJHSharkbait365

That’s what I love about you Dude. Always the optimist. Personally, I believe chapter 111 and 112 being released together this month. Are slighly less than aliens landing on the earth.

MJHSharkbait365

That is ONE chapter per month.

PwdRacing

Just a thought... At 30,000 plus words per chapter that would be 1,385 words per day. Average for 5 days for 52 weeks per year. 173 per hour or about one word every 20 seconds...no planning, etc.

PwdRacing

I expect Tefler to release 111 and 112 together on the 15th based on what he said above with moving scenes to 112 from 111 with 113 before the end of the month. Then i think Tefler will get ahead by writing a six chapters in the October/November timeframe to get ahead to have when emergencies occur. They may be somewhat fluffy chapters but newnotsure in the community thread made an interesting point, extenuating circumstances aside. Some strange speculations above ladies and gentlemen.

Big Dude

Thanks. I looked, and the situation there seems to be the same as here. No problem if it's just a few things, but what it is 30 or more? To repeat from my above comment, I'm going through the 3 eBooks and am collecting any "errors" [sometimes just in my opinion :) ] I can find, and it looks like it will be more than can fit in a single post, and it doesn't seem to make sense to me to have 30, or however many, posts since it would really clutter up the thread. So I'm wondering if it would be better to send it to him privately via email, or if he has a "personal" channel, or a PM in forum speak, or whatever. I just want to get the info to him without being distracting here on the board, that is if he wants the info. Since these eBooks are already published, I don't know if he's still interested in "corrections".

Bp Hlpt

Here is a link. <a href="https://discordapp.com/channels/352559623724728339/352559623724728340" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://discordapp.com/channels/352559623724728339/352559623724728340</a>

Cignal

There’s a correction channel on the Discord

DemonHunterCole

Hey Tefler, while I'm waiting for the next installment I've gone back and am rereading the eBooks from the beginning. Are you interested in any comments/corrections I might have? If so, where would be the best place to post them? I don't want to clutter up this thread, for example. If not, I guess I'll just keep them to myself. :)

Bp Hlpt

Dawg. Don't kill Athgiloi too quickly. Not only does he know a great deal about the current state of play and power dynamics inside his government, economy and society, but he is the last person to have an encounter with LK. He also knows about the deal with the Kintark that genetically modified the Abandoned, and he negotiated the trick with the shields with Baledranax. Also, he was gifted with Celphna by the Dragon Emperor, and may know something of how she came into his custody. Athgiloi could be given over to Edraele's gentle persuasion to tell her whatever she wanted to know, and do it with a smile. Alternatively, Alyssa could spirit walk through his mind and note the most important memories. Celphna's fate may go as you suggest, Dawg. If it does, I hope she turns out to be unique and special in some was as is Jade.

I have only read C111/1 once. I have had to stop myself from rereading it again unti C111/2 is posted. I worry that any narrative changes would frustrate me once the second part drops. It has not been easy, I can tell you. I did re-read C110 as a sort of compensatory reward. I started biting my finger whenever temptation to read C111/1 again became too much. This morning, I had to change to a wooden tongue depressor because I had started to draw blood. Patience, Grasshopper. All will be well in the fullness of time.

Just re-read chapter 111 part 1 for the fourth time. I am suffering some very seveer withdrawl symptoms here and I am in need of a part 2 fix. Since that'a not available I may have to start a support group for TSM addicts. 😊😊

Sorry @AuroraMusisAmica couldn't let you upstage me....LOL

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Actually, I was just going to come on here and help set up a go fund me page to help pay for Tefler's funural arraingements, he passed away from a stress induced heart attack this week.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Don't worry, in chapter 183 Dana wakes up in the shower and realises the last 72 chapters were a dream.....

TF4EVA

Dawg. Good questions. I don't believe the Brimorisns on however many worlds are ignorant of the Abandoned. Since they are sequester on plantatios, the Brimorians have to know who grows their food and agricultural exports. Not themselves! When the Invictus visited Brimor, the kelp exports at the market seemed to be in high demand. We did not see Abandoned slaves in domestic, residential or commercial roles living among Brimorians. That suggest limited social interaction and familiarity among them. Politically and socially, segregation may be palatable. However, economically, disruptive pain and loss are inevitable, until alternative production processes are put in place.

Say what no freaking way she dies

Newnotsure

Cruel!

Nchalada

Tefler, I understand youre hesitant about posting part 2 in which Dana dies. Dont worry, we'll handle it well!

&amp; p.s....the fate of the Deep Lord Athogiloi &amp; his Nymph is pretty set in stone . He lied to John &amp; tried to kill his girls , whatever else happens , he is toast &amp; Celphna will be joining the Nymph family on the Invictus .

bigdawguw65

Do we know how integrated the Abandoned are into Brimorian society ? It seems from the small view we saw that they are completely separate , working on isolated farms growing &amp; harvesting the Kelp crop . Does the average citizen even know they're around ? Is the crop something the average Brimorian eats or is it only for the Abandoned's consumption ? If they aren't used as slaves in everyday Brimorian society , i.e. working in their homes , other businesses &amp; living among them , their separation might not be as problematic . If the Kelp product is a key industry &amp; vital , then freeing the Abandoned becomes much more troublesome .

bigdawguw65

Sounds like something the Brimorians won't do unless they have the big stick waving at them. Maybe a carrot for good behaviour? I mean John dealt with the Kintark with a better solution than without him, maybe the Brimorians can too?

Forbsey

Ok. Onward. Sand Box time. What to do with the Abandoned? Edraele is prepared to cede Maliri water worlds for relocating Abandoned colonists liberated from the Brimorians. John thought the Callopian Shoals in TF space might be a good relocation destination as well. They concurred that neither was a short term option because the infrastructure to sustain large amphibious colonies did not exist and would take time and lots of money to accomplish. Some time back, during that surge of posts Jedi mentioned, we went a few rounds speculating about competing theories, solutions and ideas. Well what about this one? After whatever resolution Tefler reveals to the Brimor political problem, John demands a change in the institutional, legal, and social patterns in the Enclave that makes the Abandoned equal citizens with their former Brimorian masters -- much like the TF's offer to Kintark colonists living on planets ceded by the Empress to the Lynette. Appropriate, but inadequate, infrastructure -- agricultural, industrial, commercial, residential, etc. -- already exists and would need to be expanded. Integration of Abandoned citizens into Brimorian society would be one difficult option. The other is to establish separate planets primarily for each species. The removal of a slave population and introduction of citizen workers will cause major economic and social disruptions. In the short to medium term, this option offers the best chance of success compared to distributing the massive Abandoned population across wide regions of the space of multiple empires.

Tefler's story is a wonderful work in progress. His approach to its production is evolving as well. He moved to the Patreon model some months ago, well after the adventure was at high rev. He has since been producing at a prodigeous rate. A few bumps below his own expectations had something to do with real life. I appreciate the Creator and the bounty of his gifts. His creation has become important to me.

Do you know the difference between email and love? The difference is that email is forever.

Robert, I'm sorry to say this and I'll do my best to be as polite as possible. Nowhere has there been an outline of when new chapters will be posted. This site is not a signing of some contract stating that if you pledge money a new chapter comes every 15 days. These are donations, they are given to get extra perks to a story that is literally and quite amazingly given away for free in the end. The key word in this situation being donations. It's like so many people have lost sight of that. This is money that we willingly give to another human being to help them continue to do something that benefits us as well. It is completely your choice. I for one am fine with the current status quo. And I know that alot of the others are as well. These obvious omissions you speak of just dont actually exist. Nowhere were we promised more. Speculation and hopeful projections yes. But no guarantee or promise. If that's the base you have been operating on then I'm sad to say you've only yourself to blame for your anger. Please enjoy the wait with the rest of us. We like the company

Roman Andrew Chalfant

How many are full time writers? Disclaimer: I'm not disagreeing with you.

Forbsey

Warren, valid comment except for the chill factor :-) I agree with you, however if that is the case don't promise more than you can deliver. Always leave yourself wriggle room. I'm trying to point out some obvious omissions which have precipitated my comments. Again thanks for using your full name. It's a courtesy not often used in this day and age.

Robert Jerram

Some people need to chill, Tefler has a huge output compared to some other authors and others ask way more for what little they do produce, I think we should be thankful for what he does put out and for me I think we getting good value, life gets in the way, that happens, family, sickness, writers block, I would prefer quality than something that's rushed.

Wozza

Roman at least you had the goodness to use your full name. At 65+ I think I have the experience to make the observation I have. If my comments help then I'm pleased. The alternative is always as you said there. Joe if happiness and family time pays the bills let me in on the secret. Your comment is valid but Fair basis only gets you so far.

Robert Jerram

Wow, less hostility please! Tefler, do whatever you need to keep yourself happy, and don't sacrifice family time, it's uniquely valuable.

Chef Marco

Guys. Calm down. We get posts and it's on a fair basis. Life happens to all of us. Snarky comments get you nowhere and in all honesty turn the tide against you. Take a deep breath and a step back. If you're that upset, unsub and the rest of us will be patient with or without you. Not an ultimatum, just an outline of your choices. We donate to get new chapters early guys. Not to force a person to crank them out at our whim. Keep your head on your shoulders and think before you type. Tef, as always thank you.

Roman Andrew Chalfant

Ok I wasn't going to comment. This has become a business unless I have completely missed the plot. The excuses are wearing thin to be quite honest. I will support an individual when they come up with a cause worth supporting but don't take the PISS. I have been on both sides of this coin and working for yourself takes more discipline than you realize. Time to have a rethink on how you plan your business. Sorry but truth is truth and be damned with the creative juices. You are not the first to write or the last. The platform you have now makes life a lot easier. Don't abuse it.

Robert Jerram

What do you mean, 'I'm aware I owe you guys the end of the chapter, and I'll get it done asap! :-)". Still very open ended, sounds like a couple more weeks by recent history?

As Soon As Possible

Alphaonetango

Hey hey that’s all we need is an update nothing more. Don’t have to promise the world my dude. Keep up the work you got me hooked for the long run.

Alphaonetango

Outstanding! ETA for drop?

Thanks for the update! Your end product is always worth the wait!!!!!

Arrowglass

Hey everyone, Sorry for the lack of updates. I've been working on chapter 111, but I moved some of the scenes I planned for this chapter to 112. Then with more visiting relatives, my son managing to get dust in his eyes and all the doctor hijinks that ensued (he's fine now), and the wife going away for a weekend with her mother, I've had precious little time for writing. I'm aware I owe you guys the end of the chapter, and I'll get it done asap! :-)

Tefler

And it’s really to early to tell if John will be a good or evil progenitor, he’s only been one for less than a year, kind of like trying to guess whether n 18-month toddler will be a good person when they are an adult. Besides maybe the other PJ’s are acting completely rationally when they destroy a nascent spacefaring species. Image you just spent an eon or two getting the backyard just the way you liked it, head off on vacation for a few millennium, come back and find, a bunch of colonies of spiders (in the Vulkat case) were in the process of spreading out and wrecking it all. Who wouldn’t whip out the spider and mite spray to exterminate them?

Dave2282

I think that is exactly where the Godlike mentality in (almost) all Progenators comes from. When you will literally create and destroy entire civilizations just because you were bored, isn’t that very much Godlike? To a Progenator a galaxy is nothing more then a massive game of chess, where you build up your area and place your pieces and make a move. In chess you may have to sacrifice all of your pawns to save your King, sometimes even the Queen. The thing with chess though is if your good enough you can get another queen later on and take the entire board.

Amathew2

John &amp; the girls might be immortal but it hasn’t sunk in yet. One of the interesting possibilities with immortal characters is it’s possible to play off immortal vs mortal perspectives. It would be interesting to see a future story in this universe to see how John and the girls relate to terrans and other mortals 500 or 5000 years from now. Currently all but Jade and to a lesser extent Sakura all are from the same cohort as the short lived people around them. Will they still be as concerned about them in even a couple of generations when friends like Charles have been dead for 50 years? In life spans that potentially match those of stars what constitutes an urgent priority? Do you really care if one of your brothers gets pissy and kicks over your sand castle/planet when you know you can come back in a few million years and it will have reformed through gravity. After a century or 10 wouldn’t the trials and tribulations of mortals start to be as interesting to them as one of their kid’s ant farm projects. Perhaps they’ll be one of their kids ant farm project.

Dave2282

Nope not yet but give him time. It’s probably one of the biggest plot parts of the story here. Speaking to the hive mind again will give a HUGE plot guide for the future. Or he’s just hung up on a small problem but he will come through.

Alphaonetango

The breeding fetish/drive in John and his wards is clearly mandated, by his genetics and magic cum. They should all realize that by now. So he should find a way to counter that effect and give all Lionesses two weeks unmandated, to consider other alternatives in a clear-headed manner. The sole exception would be Helene, since her breeding drive was already very strong, and the nymphs, who want to repopulate. To spare the other ladies from any emptiness caused by removal of the breeding fetish, it should be replaced by something else during that time-out. Then he should ask them if they still want to breed, or if they would rather defer domesticity for later while they focus on other pursuits. If they still want to breed, the fetish would be returned. Calara would not want to breed for years, based on her “before” attitude, so she could take command of the Invictus until a new crisis requires John to resume command. Everyone remaining on the Invictus could still meet John in Alyssa’s cottage in the astral plane for sex frolics.

any word on part two?

Mjk154

Evan, I have not suggested that Helene should become the Leader of the Abandoned. That is not my vision. Nor do I prefer that she be farmed out permanently to the care and protection of Edraele and the Young Matriarchs. I want Helene to be a fully trained and active Lioness. That would place her on the Invictus for the most dynamic benefit. I agree with John and Edraele that her unique understanding and insight into the Abandoned will make her a helpful partner as they seek solutions to this quagmire. More, to me, her Polymath function would allow for a tight focus on the conundrum of what to do with scores of millions of Abandoned and plotting a path to a better future for them. However, her utility as Polymath, Counselor, Negotiator and Arbiter would have much wider generalist and particular applications. Because Helene is a living being, her engagement with allies will be easier than for Faye, a mysterious unshackled AI. Nevertheless, Helene and Faye, working together, would be extremely advantageous. Their interventions would not be limited to considerations related to the Abandoned, alone, but to any other situation or problematic Gordian Knot that they might face among their allies, in war or peace.

In the spirit of aiding us poor 3SM addicts before part 2 graces us, what do you see the future being like in the 3SM universe after Alyssa's deadline? What will immortals like John &amp; the girls do to stop life stagnating like other progens have? How will they use their respective talents once things are 'safe'? Will the various races become more integrated? More importantly... how will we cope when there's no more???

I have a problem with Helene becoming the leader of her people. Yes, she could certainly do so, but is she going to become such and remain such, or is she going to retire with John and the others and remain immortal? Or, is she going to reveal her immortality to her people? My real issue is with the notion of any immortal being in a position of public authority within a race of mortals. I think it would cause numerous problems, including but not limited to: stagnation, apathy, jealousy, fear, hatred, ennui and mental blindness. Please note that these conditions could well afflict both the mortals and the immortal in this situation. I think it’s one of the issues that Progenitors have, and they’re not of the same species as those with whom they interact. Helene would be, purportedly.

Evan

Withdraws? I’ve got the shakes this morning, I’m not going to last much longer 😖

Can't fault the aspiration DD. How do you think Helene will react when she learns there is a fight with the Brimorians? I'm not sure I but has she been made aware of her people's history - abandoned by the Terrans and experimented on and enslaved by the Brimorians. Her reactions to one or both of these might give more of an indication of her future role.

TF4EVA

Ok, Community, here is something. Many of you know I have a fist full of fascinations that I bring up now and then -- i.e., a heavy package of three mechs, Faye's integral weapons/defenses, Dana's new products and Henry's interests, combat hover bike modifications, modular combat frames, yada yada yada. My most obnoxious fascination is my proposal for Helene to become a Polymath Broad Field Integrator. Since I do not have anything else to do, I want to make my case more fulsomely here. Helene is bright, resilient and sensitive. She is highly curious and is responding well to Faye's lessons. Her instinct is to be helpful and work in the interest of her friends. John does not want her to be a warrior, but she will become a trained Lioness. That transformation should enclude enhancement up to the template, with augmentation of genius level intelligence, mental flexibility and an ability to analyze multiple streams of data. She should be trained in the weapons of a Lioness with an emphasis of psychic defence support force effects. I do not concur with suggestions that she be able to mentally change the mood or emotions of others -- like a Care Bear with heart sprinkles -- but abilities as an empath and telepath would be advantageous. Her personal quarters should have installed computer access and holo projectors to access Faye's data and holo files about everything she wants and needs to know -- including sciences, comparative species studies, planetary geology, political economy, etc. Her goal would be to learn everything she can in six months to help her people, the Abandoned. An avatar of Faye can be dedicated to proctoring her self directed education. Members of the crew should mentor and teach what ever part of their expertise Helene is interested in. Jade can spend affectionate quiet time with her there and share perspectives gained over 9,000 years. Helene is uniquely placed to come up with novel solutions for her people in light of the prevailing strategic, political, economic and security context. Formally, she could become Ship's Counsellor, while serving as the alliance's Arbitrator.

Bp another victim of withdrawals me thinks...

TF4EVA

Not even close. There was one a few months ago that earned over a thousand comments. Here we go: chapter 99 - 1194 comments chapter 100-1 - 955 comments chapter 100-2 - 1321 comments

Jedi Khan

If nothing else, I believe that this is a record for number of comments to a post, at least for a Tefler post if not for all of Patreon. :) And all in about 5 days.

Bp Hlpt

Hopefully, at least twice per month.

BS I think what we are witnessing is TSM induced psychosis brought on by the rapid withdrawal of dopamine stimulating chapters. Prognosis is poor and we need to remember that this complex and debilitating condition is chronic relapsing ....

TF4EVA

Really? Creeping, you say? I think that word doesn't mean what you think it means. Rampant or already prevalent, perhaps... :-)

Evan

I think some insanity may be creeping in among the fan base......

B S

Crazy, your prayers and adulations have failed. Wha...? What do you mean? They haven't gotten us the rest of the chapter, have they? Well...no, not yet. These things take time, Brother Jedi. Good things come to those who wait. Exactly. We still don't have the full version of 111, which means your tent revival shtick isn't helping, so stop doing it. Never! The word of Tefler must continue to be praised, and the unenlightened must be made to know of the glory that is TSM! Come brothers and sisters! We must renew our efforts with even greater vigor! *starts singing loudly with a choir* Damn it.

Jedi Khan

We might be able to live with one good chapter this month (barely), but can Tefler? Unless the missus has a paying job, this is his only income and he's paid by the chapter each month. So if he only puts out one chapter this month, that effectively halves his pay. However, given the fact that he decided $1500 per chapter was enough for him to quit his job as a project manager, and he's now making over $4k per chapter, I'd say he would be doing alright as long as he releases two chapters in a month, while one might be a little tight.

Jedi Khan

Not quite sure how Tefler is going to square the circle without Burning out. He has to finish writing the current chapter 111, and then he has to produce two more this month. We know he has family and its half term in the UK at the end of the month so that will be another week out, plus he is attempting to get the next E-book sorted, then November is another short month and we then have Christmas which really eats lots of days up. Much as I want the next instalment I would prefer quality rather than quantity, so please Stand back a bit Tefler and take a few breaths we may well be able to live with one good chapter this month, and you finishing the last chapter. Maybe you ask us to pay extra to keep going.

Mac of Alden

Could be because he's got his nose to the grindstone, busily working on the rest of the chapter. Hopefully.

Jedi Khan

Teller why haven't you wrote a post.

Several days ago.

Jedi Khan

I think enhancing Edraele , especially defensively , would be a good idea &amp; also the assassins . John pretty much doesn't want to "weaponize" the Young Matriarch but you never know what will be necessary in the future .

bigdawguw65

While it might be a good idea , it would be like trying to slip cake &amp; ice cream by a room full of hungry kids . Doubt if the crew would vote for it .

bigdawguw65

When was Teflers last update?

ChrisW

Dawg, what do you think? Since the Invictus is always on the go, should John begin filling a cum vat at Genthalas for Edraele and her Wards? She can give them one shot glass of psychic catalyst per month for maintenance.

When we were introduced to Edraele, she was already a powerful telepath, telekinetic and Spirit Walker. Under John's influence, the Maliri Twins have become powerful telepaths, Irillith an electrokinetic Spirit Walker, and Tashana a pyrotechnic, like her grandmother. The Twins will be learning new psychic skills in time, including defensive hex shields and offensive force effects. John also enhanced the speed, strength and endurance of Edraele's assassins, Luna, Almari and Ilyana. John has shown no interest in conferring psychic powers on the Young Matriarchs or other House Matriarchs, yet. But Edraele is another matter. They have not discussed enhancing Edraele's third helix to manifest new psychic abilities. But I think that is worth considering. The ability to make hex shields, employ defensive and offensive psychic effects should be added to her abilities at a minimum. Thoughts?

Pretty please? With sugar on top?

Dating ourselves, are we, Dawg? I remember 1967. I was 13.

:-)...LOVE Conquers all !! , haven't seen Flower Power like this since the "Summer of Love" back in '67 . Now there are some happy memories

bigdawguw65

Pretty please nice Mr Tefler... it's been a stressful week at work on top of waiting for part 2... any chance it'll be published in the wee hours tonight... or tomorrow if you really must... so I can get a weekend fix?... :)

That glowing energy when John and Alyssa lovingly screw could be harnessed. The next time it happens, maybe Dana uses an energy meter and sees this is much stronger and more concentrated than normal Eldritch energy and has unique aspects, making it better than bad proggy’s energy. Possible scenario: John and Alyssa learn to increase and focus that dual-progenitor love screw energy. Dana rigs equipment able to funnel that love energy and redirect it to special weapons and shields, protecting them from psychic neutralizers. During the big showdown, John and Alyssa generate their lovesparkler in a marathon screw, while Calara takes ship command as the thrall fleet approaches. The leading thrall ship is struck with the energy, loses all power and floats helplessly in space. But that first bolt of energy keeps going, branching and leaping from ship to ship throughout the thrall fleet, targeting via the psychic energy link connecting bad proggy to his thralls, disabling their ships. Bad proggy, though his ship is visually cloaked, sees the rolling wave incapacitating his fleet and knows it will soon reach his own ship. He mentally severs his connection to all thralls in the other ships, freeing them and hoping to halt the wave in its tracks. But it continues through the thrall fleet toward his own ship, due to previous targeting. He barely has time to quickly generate a wormhole and move his ship to behind the Invictus, then opens fire. Now the battle is on. Obviously John will need to stop and take ship command at some point, but the other ladies can keep the lovesparkler going with Alyssa, by which time the battle odds are much better. Bad proggy can’t access similar energy because he doesn’t have a love engine with his matriarch. Nyah, nyah, nyah!

I seriously doubt that we are making a huge impact on the story here. We might be a spark to change things but I have faith that Tefler has his idea for the story and we just need to give Tefler time.

Alphaonetango

Maybe fewer and shorter comments might help?

PwdRacing

Maybe aspects of our intensively fannish debate and speculation, caused him to reconsider or augment some of the planned story line or narrative.

Thanks Jedi Khan! Just in time before the Grand Exodus. Tef maybe taking on too much too fast. He might want to simplify down too the story first and everything when it fits in with the time he has each month. Just my two cents worth...

Are we there yet?

TF4EVA

Barring any further unforeseen family visits or other distractions, I'm hoping that we'll see the rest of the chapter either in the next 4-5 hours or sometime tomorrow. I'm sure anyone can guess which is preferred.

Jedi Khan

I picture Tefler hunched over his keyboard, muttering to himself while surrounded by a variety of cups. Most of which still have a few milliliters of Earl Grey slowly forming rings as they evaporate. His walls adorned with sketches of the ships, characters, and plots yet to come

Weird cloak and dagger shit could be going down and this is small potatoes for John but hey he might just help save the day.

Alphaonetango

I would think that she is smarter then that. I would assume that the deluxe edition upgrade gives her some multi tasking. Sex and battle plans. Sounds like a good upgrade.

Alphaonetango

Soooooo about the Tom and Anna situation - I am getting the feeling that we are being led astray by only seeing the Tom perspective. So what if, instead of an affair, that dude Archie may be Anna's handler - if the gov eugenics program is still in the works, they probably all have some manner of oversight, if only to make sure they do not breed outside the program. With the death of Anna's father and Morgan being out in the fleet, they may be scrambling to keep that blood line from being killed off.

Sirloki

Speaking of the Brimorians , I hope Lynette isn't so busy with Charles , that she doesn't put the fleets on alert for any monkey business from them &gt; She knows they were involved with the Kintark invasion &amp; should realize that they would probably be tempted to take advantage of the weakened state of both Empires . They have been at an uneasy peace for a long time &amp; have no illusions that they would love to revenge themselves on the Terran Federation .

bigdawguw65

Yeah, Dawg. John likes cooperative yet situationally compliant; confident and capable without jealousy and envy; loving and kind but strong and brave. John knows what he likes, and it is far from Progen standard.

The Hive Mind almost was, if not for Alyssa's intervention. Remember, they were facing the entire power of the Kirrix Hive Mind even before Alyssa bitch slapped the Mind, and that power had John pinned to the wall with a beam of energy. However, if that is what LK had in mind for a distraction or whatever, I don't know. Given that LK believes to have been John's display of power at Terra, he probably is overestimating John at the moment, not realizing that most of that power came from the girls.

Jedi Khan

I am wondering if LK was calculating the Kirrix Hive Mind would be too much for the upstart John Blake.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I think it has to do with the speed of the object it would be bad if you had to drop shields every time a strike craft returned so as a counter anything below a certain speed is allowed to pass with the hope the point-defence systems will handle it. This is also why they put up the solid while after the team launched

Ok I’m bit confused about shielding, if someone could explain it to me I’d be grateful since it's kind of bugging me. Standard shields will not allow bullets/shells through until you strip the shields with energy weapons. BUT shields allow torpedo's "really a bigger projectile" through and drop ships can get through. So how come the standard ones stop bullets/projectiles but allow a torpedo and drop ships through? Heavy cannons are firing a shell at a shield it’s really just a big bullet, so it gets stopped, but a torpedo it just has a bigger bullet with a larger explosive payload then a shell and a drop ship is just a really big fast moving object that hits the hull and latches on. And when they flew through the asteroid belt they had concerns about being hit by the asteroids unless they dodged them, so those get through too. You need solid phased shields stop both. So I hope you see my confusion here? If I’m missing something please let me know.

I knew I read the name Fat Tony before!!!! In chapter 10, when John and Alyssa first go to Sparks' workshop on Karron, Sparks doesn't recognize Alyssa. She asks if "Choppy Bob" or "Fat Tony" put Alyssa up to fooling her!

Simorthelast

I was thinking about the shroud while patiently pressing f5 this morning, and what if it wasn't a progenitor but the astral monsters who placed it on the Kirrix? Zelkrixa did say that the Kirrix believed that only they were important in the grand scheme of things. Maybe they know that the grand scheme involves warfare with eldritch beings on the astral plane? Could the Kirrix have been creating pocket psychic dimensions and ventured into places they shouldn't have, which caused an astral being to send its servant progenitor to teach them a lesson?

BP...that brings up something that just occurred to me , John's cum doesn't really do anything but allow &amp; power the connection to John &amp; his physic powers &amp; mind .Remember he can only heal them &amp; up their powers etc when they are topped off so to speak. All the changes come from him &amp; whatever they are only are a reflection of him . He mentioned while growing up he hated the jealousy of the waitresses @ his grandparents restaurant ,so that little angle might be personal to him &amp; not any other Progenitor .

bigdawguw65

I am about to explode! Tefler! Help, before it's too late!!

Why not make DRAGON OR TIGER ARMOR!!!! Fucking armored tiger with a pulse laser (or what ever space magic Dana can fit up there) on her back.

Alphaonetango

Or he has atoned for his crimes by saving two people who he didn’t have to. In fact they would be a hindrance as we saw do to being slower and unable to fight. So who knows he might just get the savor treatment for doing what was the right thing to do in a really shit situation.

Alphaonetango

A while back somebody commented on the fact that Fat Tony created a sort of impossible scenario. Letting him get away with everything he did as a gang member is unacceptable. Yet punishing him for it would hurt Perl and ... drawing a blank on her name. Anyways, that would be equally unacceptable. I'm not sure how Tefler plans to deal with that but I have an idea that might work. Alyssa has discovered the ability to implant visions and already has the ability to read minds. She could give him a sort of "virtual" punishment. It could be as extreme as making him relive every bad thing he did but this time as the victim to a simple prison sentence. Have him FEEL like he served 20 years for his crime without costing the girls he's taking care of more than a day or two. Ideally, Tony should have to choose between Alyssa's form of justice or be placed into custody somewhere. Not sure if there even IS anywhere to place him, though. This would keep him seeing the big picture as opposed to just hating Alyssa. She could take it, but his anger wouldn't help the two girls he's with. Any reason that wouldn't work or does anybody have ideas for what would be fair?

Roethan

But Archie has an accident, ending up deformed, alive, but in constant agony.

Bp Hlpt

Kyle was the friend that Tom had checking up on Anna , if Tom goes to the bar to drown his sorrw , the cute bartender there already has a crush on him , might work out . He deserves better . Seems the apples didn't fall from the tree , son a traitorous drunk &amp; daughter cheating slut .

bigdawguw65

I really hope Anna ends up with an incurable STD.

Amathew2

Hope they can help Kyle and Murphy out. Especially Kyle because this shit could go south fast.

Alphaonetango

Oh this is gonna be goooooodddddd. Alyssa kicks ass LOL

Dragon

Those pesky kids...

DD...not sure she has thought that much about it , not like they've had a lot of time for philosophical rumination (especially for a teenager) more like it was possible to live the life they envisioned &amp; then begin another with John , sort of like a heaven on earth or Valaden .

bigdawguw65

So, Dawg, when Alyssa told Jehanna and Lynette that they had to learn to think like an immortal in order to imagine a life with John in the future, she was warning them that boredom and loss were their inevitable rewards?

Their seeming immortality might be the reason they are so cold &amp; aloof , when you know everyone around you will die , if you don't sustain them , do you want to get close to people &amp; care? John of course &amp; the girls come at it from a very different mind set , one universal human fear is of death &amp; I'm sure they haven't had time to really think about what exactly it means &amp; if their children &amp; grand kids etc will also be immortal &amp; how that would work.

bigdawguw65

That is really good, its a closeup and you can see wear on some of the surfaces. It looks like virtual reality. He put a lot of work into it.

We've not see Progen shields or FTL in use so I can't comment on those, but the resilience of the black armour has been seen on the Legacy, being unblemished despite taking a serious pounding, so I reckon we can assume it's still better than 15x CA until Dana makes another breakthrough...

Bigdawguw, you raise an interesting point. Would immortals be subject to such cycles? If the cycles are due to lost knowledge and thus the concomitant loss of advancement and power, how then would such cycles occur if knowledge is never lost, but only gained? Further, if the knowledge could be (and is) passed on to their progeny via genetic and psychic manipulations, how then would this impact such cyclical patterns? I submit that the Progenitors are not, in fact, impacted by such cycles, and further, that what we have seen so far is perhaps but a fraction of their total advancement. To date, John and the girls have still not yet reached true Progenitor-levels in ability, but they are getting closer. Certainly, none of them could create the shroud with which the Progenitor afflicted the Kirrix (and perhaps every other being within this region of space). Dana still can't even come close to replicating the capabilities of the black metal that makes up a Progenitor vessel. However, they have come up to approximately the level of strength of Thralls, and in some respects, exceeded it. In any case, I postulate that the Progenitors are not in such cycles, but rather, have reached a plateau within which they are largely stagnant in terms of advances, having already achieved the maximum strength possible within this universe in terms of material advancement, such as the creation of their black metal used in their ships, or the power of their primary weapons, or the power of their vessels to allow for almost instantaneous universal travel. They're almost omnipotent beings in many ways, but they're bored. It's that boredom that has caused them to spread out and to seek diversion in the creation and destruction of others, including, upon occasion, themselves. After all, what do you do when you can live forever and do anything that you wish to do for as long as you wish to do it? Research? Mael'nerak may have done that for eons. We just don't know. However, even while he was doing it, based upon the recordings that we saw, he was bored of it. How long would his love of Valada and the life that he had with her have lasted, as wonderful as it may have been? Tens of thousands of years? It already had. Would it have lasted hundreds of thousands of years? Millions? At what point would Valada have become unable to handle immortality, since she was not a Progenitor? Immortals are cursed to lose all in Time, since time consumes all things that are not immortal. An immortal can survive a cataclysmic event, such as the strike of a lightning bolt, the impact of a meteorite, or the explosion of a sun. Progenitors may, in this regard, be true immortals in their ability to survive such things IF they wish to do so, since their psychic and technological abilities would give them sufficient warning and ability to take action to counter and/or survive any of these events. The question then becomes, what is the single biggest cause of demise amongst Progenitors? I submit that it may be malaise. They simply lose the interest, if not the will, in continuation, or alternatively, they may seek out new dimensions, having lost interest in this one. However, circling back to my original point, none of that would cause Progenitors to be subject to such cycles of growth and decay, such as non-Immortals experience within the larger context of the societies created by such beings to further the progress within these societies beyond the lifespan of the members of them.

Evan

Spotted a decent artist via reddit, <a href="https://orig00.deviantart.net/ba97/f/2016/086/3/c/the_tomahawk_by_chrisofedf-d9wnboh.jpg" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://orig00.deviantart.net/ba97/f/2016/086/3/c/the_tomahawk_by_chrisofedf-d9wnboh.jpg</a>

Bp htpt...All great questions but to the main point about no further advancement of the tech or even regression , even in our own history on earth we see it . How did ancient man create Gobeki tobeki , the Great Pyramids , &amp; many other giant works ? During the "Dark Ages" of Western Civilization the Far east thrived with many advancements in science &amp; engineering only to regress . The Roman Empire thrived by adapting tech from enemies &amp; allies only to fall to seemingly primitive foes . It seems a natural course for societies to reach a certain level &amp; then fall back under the weight of their own success . With this stories immortal protagonist it only stretches out the time line , while a society/race is young &amp; vigorous it advances expands only to eventually slow &amp; then regress &amp; fall , sort of like a person . Time is one enemy no one defeats for long .

bigdawguw65

Since John's ears have never been commented on by any Terran, he always commented on them himself when he first talked to each of the girls, it doesn't seem that Terrans find ears worth mentioning for some reason. I guess they might in Alyssa's case since they've changed, we'll just have to wait and see, but between her helmet and her hairstyle most might not have noticed.

Bp Hlpt

LOL :)

Bp Hlpt

so kind of like microchiping your pet cat......lol

B S

We know for a fact that other Progenitors store their vast quantities of sperm to 'replenish' their legions we they return to their home bases. Remember the vats that were talked about in both LK and MK portions of the story. Judging by the MK portions of the story, the number of Thralls LK has is extremely small in this portion of space due the covert nature of his activities.

Progen standard inventory is superior to any other that they have encountered over the aeons. This experience proves to them that there is no percentage in changing perfection. They have no driving motivation or incentive to do so. John and his crew have a major incentive to push tech evolution to the wall. It's called survival.

Before proto-Faye, Irillith called into being hundreds of digital AI helpers as mere tools of her hacking career. As Edreale's heir, she felt nothing for them -- all she wanted from them was to do their job. She had no instructions on the protocols for managing these digital sprites. She threw Tashana's notes on that away, convinced they were useless. So Irillith was not able to use the progenitor artifact as it was designed. She called it a hacking deck -- and she accidentally learned to call forth digital agents on that device. The hacking deck was also ancient and unique, really one of a kind. So making digital agents was difficult. Maliri cyber tech was very advanced, but not necessarily in AI sci/tech. Faye's evolution was a serendipitous confluence of unlikely events, from getting lost in the Invictus' cyber systems, being nurtured by the crew as a precocious child, the slow adaptation towa d community and responsibility until she gained an identity as part of the crew. The science behind making digital agent AIs, like Faye, is still impossible for Dana and Irrilith, even with Faye's help, though they have been centrally involved all along.

Since MN disappeared, despite the knowledge and experience of that generation and of Maliri, his absence was a profound loss. Though their maintenance ethic allowed them to sustain a high level of scientific and technological knowledge and ability, their inspiration warped from progenitor dreams to internecine rivalry and warfare. I imagine, that as their civilization evolved, their energy was refocused on meeting those market, social, security and resource needs. Artifacts like their Star Fortresses were mothballed and replaced with trading stations. With these forces at work -- maintenance, redirection and destruction -- sci/tech levels would appear to atrophy. So, even with this prolonged civilizational transition, the Maliri remain the most powerful and dangerous players in the neighborhood.

Excellent posts and questions, Bp. On 1, we know too little to be confident. Do Progens create or "find" the thrall species that they claim. MN seemed like a creation kind of guy. If thralls are "found", like John found the Maliri, a former thrall species, can thralls claimed by one progenitor be from more than one species? Since MN disappeared, we know of no Progen activity in this region until LK showed up. Maybe more Progen creation and "progress" occurred elsewhere, while this fallow region of space is again becoming a fertile field for progenitor testing.

When Jade shapeshifts -- whether to Dragon, Tiger, Dino, Falcon, Brimorian, Aquatic, Spider, or whatever -- so far, she has not been able to take her clothes with her. That is one of the reasons she does not wear Paragon armor. So, when she reverts to her Nymph form, she is naked. It might seem like a small thing, but that means she cannot carry a mini-cam to capture imagery of her exploits. That is why Faye had to use satellite imagery at Carolus III to track her in combat. I have been thinking about that. Why can Jade make scale armor that can turn Reaper fire, but cannot make a summer dress? I think she has shown that she can pull mass from her psychic pool to shapeshift dragon armor, tiger fur, fish scales, avian feathers or whatever she wishes. So why can't she shape shift a small amount of mass into clothing? Maybe she can do some experimenting in this direction? In the interim, Dana could design a mini-holo-cam that can be affixed to Jade's forehead to capture line of sight images. This tiny device can be affixed by a removable organic glue, or by Jade holding it secure with a fold of flesh. Alternatively, Dana could design a subcutaneous implant, that a floating mini-cam orients toward and remains close by, as Jade flies and runs and jumps and bites and rends and tears and that kind of stuff. Then, they can make a holo record of Jade's battles and adventures.

7. We also do not know how many thralls the current progenitor has, nor what species they are. I think it was implied that the current progenitor is storing his sperm to possibly be used to create his thralls en masse when he is ready to do that, but that is my own opinion.

Bp Hlpt

6. There are other progenitor technologies that are unclear as to how they compare to Dana's versions, such as the black armour, shields, and FTL and normal space engines. We also don't know for sure if the current progenitor and his thralls use personal shields, but we assume they do. We also have not seen any indication of any current progenitor or thrall weapon usage besides the beam weapon mentioned above in (5), though again, we assume they exist.

Bp Hlpt

5. There are some progenitor technologies that still seem to be more advanced than what Dana has been able to create so far, such as the beam weapon used by the progenitor in the Battle of Alpha Leonis to destroy the Sword of Sif's shields and Singularity drivers with one brief shot, the ability for the progenitor ship to be invisible to allow the progenitor to watch what John and the girls are doing during a battle, planet annihilators, psychic nullification field generators, and the worm hole generator. It will be interesting to see when/where Dana/John are exposed to the schematics for these technologies.

Bp Hlpt

4. All of the progenitor weapons, such as the Reaper Cannon, are from 10,000 years ago. Even if Dana has made improvements, shouldn't the progenitor have made improvements since then as well?

Bp Hlpt

3. Faye is an incredibly advanced AI, but she is based on progenitor technology from 10,000 years ago. I think that Moore's Law isn't really completely valid any more today IRL, but if computer technology advanced at a small percentage of that rate in the TSM universe, then the entire TSM universe could be a simulation inside a screen saver app in a progenitor cell phone.

Bp Hlpt

2. Since the Malari were already space traveling over 10,000 years ago, and were exposed to and involved with Thrall, if not progenitor, technology, shouldn't they have advanced past that at least a little bit by the time of TSM?

Bp Hlpt

In case it wasn't already obvious, I'm a huge fan of Tefler and TSM. But while we're waiting for the next chapter in the TSM saga, I thought I'd throw out a few things about John and the girls vs. the progenitors that have been running around in my head and others might want to comment on. 1. Rachel's medical and healing skills are great, she can regenerate limbs for goodness sakes, and John brought Jade back from the dead, even if he did need to get all of the matriarchs to give him all of the enegy they could in order to get that to happen. But previous progenitors were able to create life -- new species, sentient beings, fully formed, walking out of the machine that made them, ready and able to be fruitful and multiply. And that was 10,000 years ago, and it was done as an experiment or because he was bored. Shouldn't even further advances have occurred by the time of TSM?

Bp Hlpt

Which Terrans have noticed Alyssa's ears? Will they modify her statue in the grey marketplace? There should be a news report soon.

Benj

Faye deserves more than to be used as an emergency storage unit for John’s cum, potential life saving physic catalyst or not.

MJHSharkbait365

The crew has hinted at it, but no one has just come out and said so. Dana's quip about the requirement to deal with large quantities of liquid being key to the total design, does not only refer to showers. We haven't gotten there yet, two more dates to go, but the signs are inevitable. When finally John and Faye make love, she will be able to deep throat him and take him into her womb, just like the other Girls. And when she uses her pussy muscles to happily squeeze and milk and drain John's quad, she will be well able to manage his large volume of liquid. Her tummy expansion program and simulation will get a real world test. Of course, she is inorganic and has no DNA nor third helix that can be affected by John's cum, but she can happily store and share it with the Girls, and become closer to them all as a result. When John learns to more easily spirit walk into the cyber realm, she and her avatars can experience this all over again in virtual space.

Mr Tefler, will we see the final full chapter by Friday? Then you have 10 days for the 112?

Big Dude

Chapter 53 -- Alyssa used psychic powers attacks and defenses that PJ did not expect. John fought to free himself from the psychic prison with Athena's help. Weakened from within and overwhelmed from without by Alyssa, John regained control of his mind and body, locking PJ in prison, and the girls rejoiced -- except Irillith because Edrael's mind was wiped.

That was Athena, she took over so she would have had all the powers john bestowed on Alyssa at her disposal.

rich ed

Another great chapter Tefler, well it definitely will be when finished. I just hope you can keep up with your workload, I would rather see one and a half chapters a month and you not burning out as you have so much more to do with this story. It is a classic and I so much want you to get to the end but the possibilities are endless and even if this ends up another year take the time needed for your family. We can wait.

Mick Peaper

Alyssa defeated PJ on Valaden. - Defeat? Dr Dadd, what chapter was that?

Big Dude

Dawg, Alyssa defeated PJ on Valaden. Her nascent Progen powers were just manifesting. She was unaware of the nature, character or extent of her psychic potential. When she confronted PJ in Edraele's palace, she was driven by anger and fear, acting on instinct, and unaware of her ignorance. Reflexively she fought, returning his attacks. PJ did not see her as a threat and was surprised by the raw power of her mind. Her fear-driven response surprised him, and led to his defeat. John may have helped somewhat as he fought to free himself from PJ's psychic prison. Nevertheless, Alyssa was able to defeat PJ even at that early stage. Now Alyssa is neither ignorant nor inexperienced regarding her psychic powers. Each use of her prowess exercises her potential to make her even stronger. Now that John and the Lionesses are systematically training, diversifying and strengthening their powers, they, too, are going from strength to psychic strength. John said the quest for a T+ tech edge is no longer important. However, the quest to become more psychically powerful (P+) has only begun. Consider a confrontation between LK, John and the Lionesses. I imagine that just like PJ, LK will be shocked and surprised to discover that John is not is only psychic adversary. What if he is overwhelmed by combined psychic attacks and defenses from Alyssa, Jade, Dana, Sakura, Irillith and Tashana? Would he survive? What if he begged for mercy and offered to surrender? What should they do?

Edraele's political and diplomatic acumen and experience should be used to decide what to do with the Kirrix. No doubt she has seen more tough bluff, real threat and nasty negotiation from a position of strength than all of the others combined. She ruled over an interstellar empire with alien enemies across multiple borders, and duplicitous rivals within the empire who actively sought her death. I wager that her diplomatic corps is full of smart and dangerous women. The Kirrix do not prey on the Maliri space and Irillith has never heard of such an attack. Edraele may know why that is. She would see power angles and degrees of threat that John and Alyssa may be unaware of. Edrarle is a prime specialized resource. Her experience, advice and guidance is unique. Deploy her to help solve this challenge.

That hypothetical link -- between the Kirrix and the Rogue Bolon -- to me seems a major unlikely stretch.

Now we know the Kirrix are Psychic we perhaps have the link to the rogue Bolon and the way the Kirrix had a relationship with the pirates. Again what if the rogue Bolon is Tashana's Bolon????

TF4EVA

After she woke from her nap on the Raptor, she said she believes she has become even stronger following her use of powers on Carolus III and Brecken's World. I wonder what her upper limit might be? In some sense she is as powerful as John already.

You might be right, Dawg. When John and the Dragon faced off on Terra, LK went for a strategic strike with the psychic nullifier. In a sense, he recognized psychic powers as a progenitor's forte, and by blocking John's acces to his powers, tested his ability to survive a purely physical fight.

It could be as simple as the timing. If the Kirrix were being attacked about the same time both Progens went at it?Oy could be like what happened to the tribe of the Seminoles in Florida. The North and South got so busy kickin each others butts that we forgot about them.

It was a great discussion about the relative lethalness of Lioness weapons &amp; Thrall weapons &amp; I think we can agree from what we know now that the Lioness's are getting stronger , but a few have asked if LK has given them "Progenitor" weapons , but I don't think Progenitor use "weapons" per se . In the pictographs the Progenitor was shown wielding a staff (used much like John uses his physic powered sword ) or shooting beams from his eyes , remember Jade questioning John about using a thrall weapon . I think LK would never stoop to using weapons only his physic power , just my 2cents .

bigdawguw65

Can't imagine just how powerful Alyssa is, she literally took on thousands if not millions of broodmothers, hivelords and hive queens connected to the hivemind, not counting the lower drones/shock troops. She pretty much forced the hivemind connection to stay open by shear force of will! That is just insane.

Each hive ship has one broodmother in it (I just focused on Zelkrixa). She was in control of her own hive ship (The Fertile Dream - 3000 crew: vented by Irillith), plus a drone carrier (10000 crew: the Invictus Nova Lanced it at the start of the battle).

Tefler

Thanks for all those edits! I've fixed them in the latest version. :-)

Tefler

Loki, it was those on her Hive ship Tefler was referring to.

Big Dude

I would check with your payout system and ask what's going on. PayPal in the US is responsive to my inquiries.

Big Dude

About the part where the brood mother screams about losing 13000 of her children in under 5 min. Shouldn't that number be more like 130000? If each drone carrier has upwards to 10000 each, the must have taken out way more than 13000.

Sirloki

got charged twice again.... i really like this story and i really want to support you i really do cause this is an amazing story i even signed up for the $10 a chapter cause i wanted to help out but it seems im always getting charged $20 for each chapter. im gonna stop down to the $1 one if this keeps happening. id hate to do it cause what youve created is amazing universe.

Michael

Guys, might I suggest that in the absence of egregious spelling issues, we let Tefler write the way he wants. Otherwise he'll be so busy 'correcting' things he'll never be able to write anything new!

andrew finlayson

"He could tell that it was a powerful one and she took a few moments to calm down afterwards" -- Might be better as "He could tell that it was a powerful one, so he let her have a few moments to calm down afterwards"?

Bp Hlpt

In that same passage, "Over 13000 of her precious children gone" -- Maybe change "children gone" to children were gone"? Or "children(,) gone".

Bp Hlpt

"Shrieking with grief, Zelkrixa’s mind threatening to break" -- Shouldn't "threatening to break" be " threatened to break"? Or, rewrite it as "Zelkrixa shrieked with grief, her mind threatening to break".

Bp Hlpt

"The Kirrix were only a minute’s fleet time from the jump point" -- Shouldn't "fleet time" be "flight time"?

Bp Hlpt

There may be more than one Valaden fleet in the Maliri Protectorate.

Big Dude

interesting point human, how did the Kirrix survive the progenitor? The Vulkat played the long game, what is the Kirrix secret?

TF4EVA

It's tough to top the battle for Terra but these chapters are actually doing that for me. I love the world building potential that Alyssa's interaction with Zelkrixa has. Since we know the war of the heavens happened when Ran attacked Mal and both the Vulkat and the Kirrix were also attacked by a progen at this time we can infer it was Ranagon. Alyssa needs to find out how the Kirrix were able to stall a fully powered progenitor to get an edge on Lan. Excited to see what kind of new powers the Twins will have since they are both restored now. I'd like to see a reunion with Edraele, but we really need to go to Kirrix space first to learn John's heritage. We need more character building with Helene and the Nymphs. They have great story lines to explore, but for the Nymphs at least their personalities and characters need fleshing out. Why is Jade the only one with Achonin runes on her heart? Thought the Ashanath interlude with the Maliri was funny. So back in the day whenever the two species had to work together I bet the Ashanath became incompetent voyeurs. Is fleet commander simply a rank like admiral in the Maliri navy? I was under the impression that there was only one fleet commander per house, and I know Lilyana is the Valaden fleet commander. Or is Amlaril from another house but just introducing herself as from Valaden because she was sent by Edraele?

Correct Dr Dadd, but if the Hive Mind is recalling all of their expeditionary fleets to protect the home world, will John and the Ladies attack Kirr-Inax? I can only see your supposition if John decides to eradicate the Kirrix. Does anyone see this differently?

Big Dude

When Alyssa was merging with the Hive Queen, the queen lamented the silencing of all her beautiful children. Since the pride had been killing mainly drones, I think that the Kirrix do care about their offspring.

The file downloaded and opened just fine for me.

Bp Hlpt

I think the "Hellooooooo Nurse" style will be wildly popular &amp; situation appropriate!

Sirloki

We thought Buckingham and Weber were xenophobes!!! The Kirrix are Species Supremacist, exclusivist who have no empathy for lesser folk.

The circle and sphere are ideal 2D and 3d shapes. They have infinite lines of symmetry and have a single measure of perimeter (2D) and a single measure of surface area in 3D. They are the set of all points a set distance from a single point in each dimension. To the techie engineers and scientist of the Ashanath, they are symbols of mathematical simplicity and elegance. And tits and ass. What's not to like?

commatoes

Rachel learned a great deal after each alien dissection and was able to accurately speculate about even more. Once she is done with the Hive Queen and Guardians, her insights into the Kirrix will augment Alyssa's understanding of their telepathic network and Irillith's comprehension of their organic telepathic computer system. These points of view, together, form an important strategic and tactical advantage.

Down in the comments, I suggested the PUlse TAchyon rifle or the PUTA rifle. It complements Tony Stark's Binarily Augmented Retro-Framing, better known by its acronym B.A.R.F.

commatoes

I look foward to seeing the distracting Nymph Sisters helping Jade and Rachel with the colonists. I wonder what fashion look Jade will choose? Helene will likely accompany them and cause her or ripples of interest. Distractions, indeed. You betcha.

Another great chapter (or part). As far as gun naming goes, would shortening the pulse tachyon rifle to PuTa rifle be too dirty for the Spanish speaking readers? And, I am glad to see that the Kirrix are not some mustache twirling caricature. The best villains think they are heroes or just doing what they must. To them, he fate of lesser species is of no consequence. They are indifferent and not malevolent. Wellington and his cronies were far worse than any of the other "villains" and especially the creepy ass doctor on Ganymede. Also, I really enjoyed the contrast in tone on the Kirrix ship with the tone on the Invictus.

commatoes

Opened with some debauched lewdness and had plenty of character development - that's what I like to see!

James Hârn

Jedi, C 111/1 helps clarify that they are on the cusp of achieving T+ combat capabilities based on Dana's creative adaptation of thrall tech along with her own innovative ideas. These adaptations are not constrained by progenitor standardization, so much so that John declares it no longer matters. This reinforces my long held idea that Dana's next gen T+ tech, including upgraded Nova Lances, represents a qualitive distinction without much quantitative difference versus thrall tech in terms of combat effectiveness.

Great half chapter can't wait for the rest but I had some thoughts. First when Alyssa goes and talks to the hivemind again she should talk to talk about the Trankarans as well and secondly can Dana upgrade the singularity drivers to be runic penetrators as well? That would giveJohn and the girls a big advantage.

Kalen Turner

For Edraele to become Matriarch all her older sisters would have had to be dead already. Since she told the other Young Matriarchs that she was also the youngest sibling . .

Sirloki

I was thinking this as well

Scott Way

This is really goood - looking so much forward to next half.

Kim Biel-Nielsen

She might take a spirit walk, insinuate herself into the thoughts of a Brood Mother, hijack her connection to the Hive Mind, force the aperture to stay open, and then make them an offer they cannot refuse.

So how does Alyssa plan on contacting the Kirrix hive mind again? I don't imagine she's going to politely knock on the door to one of the nesting chambers and say to the brood mother inside "Can I use your brain? I want to make a call." Although it would be hilarious if she did say that, in as polite and sweet a tone as possible, after ripping open the doors to the chamber and thoroughly terrifying the Kirrix inside.

Jedi Khan

So the new rifle gives me hope for an upgrade to the Invictus' Pulse Cannons, especially considering how powerful the rifles are. Seriously, they can take out capital ships?!? They're a hand-held personal firearm! I know the team's weaponry has been OP for awhile, especially compared to everyone else's weapons, but still...this is a whole new level of OP-ness. Use one of those weapons against an unshielded, light- or un- armored opponent, and you'll take out the five people behind them! Hell, if Dana can figure out a mounting system that includes a feed for the runic penetrator, she can do a direct replacement of the Pulse Cannons with the new rifle. And, since they're so small, she can probably put several of them on each mount point, or maybe even increase the number of mount points, exponentially increasing the firepower of the point defense grid! How good is the range on the new rifle, I wonder? That would probably be the only downside to doing a direct replacement, unless the rifle can match the range of the current Pulse Cannons. Now if Dana doesn't want to do a direct replacement, but instead scale the new rifle up to match the Pulse Cannons in size...hooollly...*drool* And how good are those runic pentrators against regular energy (non-psychic) shields? If they're anywhere as close as effective against shields as the old Quantum Rifles were, then I want to see a Gatling version of them stat! Something like the M134 minigun (<a href="https://youtu.be/ClEo2OfA2Zs" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/ClEo2OfA2Zs</a> ). If Rachel and Irillith want a big gun to hold instead of a "dinky" little rifle, give them that! Even the most hardened Drakkar warboss would soil themselves when the girls open up one of those monsters! It would open up the opportunity for Irillith to recreate the TSM version of this scene from the Terminator 2 movie: <a href="https://youtu.be/eWUwzFpodiA" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/eWUwzFpodiA</a> . It would be her counterpoint to Tashana's 80's movie one-liner from 109. And then scale it up to ship size weaponry. Considering how easily one of those rounds punched through a sample of the Invictus' armor that was fully runed out, any ship unlucky enough to get caught in the cross hairs of a ship-sized Gatling Runic Penetrator would be turned into Swiss cheese just as fast as it would if hit by the Nova Lances. To borrow Dana's phrase...gun porn please!

Jedi Khan

she may be able to learn more about the interaction with the progenitors and the shroud too

TF4EVA

Dude 10/10 keep the good work flowing when you can big man.

Alphaonetango

File opens fine on a computer but not on an android phone

Spartan 52

After Dana exhausted herself forming the mini-singularity and nearly collapsed, why didn't Rachel use her healing powers to rejuvenate Sparks and Alyssa?

I had to login again before I could access the content.

I believe Zelig has mentioned he only has two battleships, so I'd say in addition to those he probably has at most 30 ships, the bulk of which are likely cruiser class and below. He might have a couple carriers too, but that's about it. As for the Kirrix fleet, if it's anything like we see in this segment of 111, there's probably two dozen ships, split evenly between hive ships and drone carriers. Besides the dreadnought at Carolus, those are the only two Kirrix ship classes we've seen, and they outclass cruisers in size. I believe Zelig's fleet is completely stock tech, without any of the upgrades that Dacres fleet has. In fact, I believe Dacres' fleet is the only one that has been upgraded so far. Zelig doesn't even have a compliment of Claymores. So yeah, if Zelig does manage to catch the Kirrix fleet, it's going to be a slug fest for both sides. The Terrans might have a slight advantage in large-ship numbers, but the Kirrix have superior strike craft numbers to counter. To deal with the strike craft, the Terrans have their own fighters, but they'll be grossly outnumbered, so the Terrans' point defense grid consisting of Gatling Lasers will be doing most of the work, I think. While the Gatling Lasers have nowhere near the range or power of the Invictus' Pulse Cannons, they should be able to deal with a decent portion of the Kirrix's strike craft. I do think the Terrans have the advantage in firepower, though, with their combination of lasers and projectile weapons. Once the lasers strip the Kirrix ships of their shields, the Terran kinetic weapons will make short work of the ships themselves. Of all the non-Progenitor weapons, I believe the Terran kinetic weapons are by far the best at destroying unshielded ships; even the Maliri would struggle to match the raw destructive power of those weapons if not for their Nova Lances. By the way, Calara's strategy you mention is the same one the Terrans use, just with better weapons. However, the Kirrix have a trick up their sleeves, one that we saw at Khalgorn: EMP missiles. Those things would have been the death of the Invictus if not for Calara's ability to see into the future, so if the Kirrix decide to use them against the TFed fleet, they could quickly turn the tide of the fight in their favor. Although, even if the Kirrix manage to disable Zelig's fleet with those missiles, I don't think the bugs will use that advantage to destroy the Terrans; they'll use it to escape, leaving the Terrans floating in space until they can restore power.

Jedi Khan

The pool and gym is now the brig, so maybe somewhere else on the ship? Or maybe it would be better to put the museum on the new station they're building, as it would have more room.

Jedi Khan

I didn't see any indication that she wasn't in her armor, only that she wasn't wearing her helmet.

Jedi Khan

Because I like how Literotica structure their comments. So I was wondering, how many more chapters do you think this will last? I have been waiting for my fix since I caught up when you were up to chapter 60 or so. I say the longer the better. Live long &amp; prosper &amp; may the force be with you.

GBo

Wow! Every time I finish a chapter I am amazed how good the writing, storytelling, ideas, sex &amp; battles are. You are a genius Tefler. All you need now is a story that you can sell to kids &amp; adults alike &amp; you will be a billionaire like J.K. Rowling. I don't know how you can change this story to G rate the Gift, as it is integral to this story, but clearly - space is your domain. A Star Wars or Marvel version of the Tefler universe would be huge. I haven't read all of the comments on Patreon

GBo

Hey, tefler, homie, how you doing? Hope the kids are well, but listen, we got a problem. There's a glitch in the system, the link, it's broke - gives me a copy of your work just fine, but I can't read it. Heck, i can't even open it. Just a heads up, ya'know? A real СУКА БЛЯТЬ, if you catch my drift

Any idea what might be happening?

I cant seem to open it either

It's apparently "read protected" or something?

AMAZING...I love this series!

Arrowglass

Link doesn't seem to be working for me?

Jedi, do you know the size and complement of Admiral Zelig's fleet approaching Tasmaris Prime? Or the likely size of the Kirrix fleet waiting there? Without significant upgrades, the two fleets may be comparable in terms of speed and shields. However, the TF does not have upgraded beam weapons to adopt Calara's strategy to take down Kirrix shields with long range beam weapons before using quantum kinetic rounds to penetrate their armor. Nor does the TF fleet have high speed, close in defense beams, making them vulnerable to swarms of Kirix attack and boarding craft. This seems like a sticky wicket for the TF, if the Kirrix fleet is in any way comparable to the last two space battles.

Now that Irillith better understands the organic nature of the Kirrix psychically accessible computer network, maybe what she has learned could help Alyssa communicate with the Hive Mind. Since these negotiations will be telepathic, Irillith may be able to piggyback on that signal to manipulate Kirrix computer systems all the way to Kir-Inax.

I know that Dana can replicate any tech she has produced earlier, but I do have a sentimental streak. John's Phalanx armor was useful to demonstrate the capabilities of the Tachyon Rifle, but I would have kept it as an original key to the evolution of their design ethos for body armor. They should have a museum on the Invictus -- maybe where the pool used to be -- to catelogue and display the development and evolution of their weapons, armor, shielding, swords, uniforms, and other tech and artifacts from adversaries and allies, that are meaningful to their adventure.

Page 10: "When Krinava finally regained use of her faculties..." Isn't Krinava the one Alyssa killed? So how could she have regained use of her faculties if she on Rachel's autopsy table?

Jedi Khan

Dana's artificial singularity was a novel solution to blocking the Kirrix fleet's escape. Her powers are becoming formidable.

I was under the impression that there were no armor equipping frames on the Raptor. Is that still the case? If so, Alyssa had to manually remove her armor to take her nap on the gunship.

First we have heard about Edraele's father and four of five siblings that survived her mother. What happened to them? Did Edrarle take them down in one of her power games or did she let them live to today?

Thanks, Tefler. Great reveals. Dana's next gen tech is primed to be Thrall Plus (T+), designed to take down personal shields, armor and ship shields and hulls. The Tachyon Rifle and Runic Penetrator tech are decisive T+ combat edges.

Edit suggestion: Page 7, John responding to Edraele - "I’ll sure I can come up..." should be "I'm sure I can come up..."

Jedi Khan

Empty nest syndrome?

Jedi Khan

Oh my gosh! What a chapter. Well done.

Great read as usual

Rick Barker

There's still one reference to chapter 110 in the message to clean up. Now that I've confirmed it was not a reposting of 110, I will dig in to Chapter 111 part 1. I'm hoping there will be more about Tony and the girls.

MARK W TALBOT

2 comments. 1st, I really hope the Anna situation gets resolved because that is a horrible thing to deal with. Not sure what Archie is up to (besides the obvious), but hopefully it doesn't wind up being her fault as well. Blackmail is far easier to forgive than gullibility. Second, I love the interactions with the Ashanath. I wonder why they are so distracted by orbs? I mean, who isn't, right? But for them it's almost like hypnotism. You think that was a genetic marker Mael gave them in order to keep them obedient to his thralls? If so maybe John could find a way to remove the tampering and allow them to like curves without drooling on their weapons console. Once that is fixed then they could also be given curves themselves, though not necessarily to the degree of a thrall race. Loved this addition and can't wait for part 2!

Roethan

Wonderful, sir!

Big Dude

Thanks again. Great first half, can’t wait for the second half.

Old Cruiser

@Tef, Awesome, as always. :-)

GrandPaM

I would also like to throw the idea out there for letting us name Johns new weapon. Your thoughts? It might be fun to let us vote on it.

"now silent nest chamber"? "now empty nest chamber"?

GrandPaM

Hi Tefler, I’m thinking Helene would be a perfect candidate for a psychic influence ability. She could calm the survivors to lesson their grief. It would help with John and the girls too, when all the killing gets to them. Excellent first half, by the way.

or a nicely rounded 'booty'- I hate to see you go, but I love to watch you leave!

TF4EVA

"making the story more rounded"

Richard Longman

Tefler, did you catch my edits for Chapter 110, that I posted two hours after you posted the edited version on Sept. 21st?

Family comes first T. Hope everything is OK

I think it would be cool if John gave the Ashanath females little A cups.

"Zelkrixa threw back her head and screeched, a piercing cry of inhuman grief echoing around the now nest chamber. " Not a clue what you meant to say here ;) GREAT start to the chapter ... looking forward to the rest in a few days !

andrew finlayson

Thanks Tefler.

MJHSharkbait365

god damn tef

Nathos

Tefler I've just gone through the last edits and created the FINAL version of chapter 109. Sorry for the delay anyone waiting for those!

Tefler

Yippee

DCM

Thanks Tefler

Anthony Kester

thanks but now I want the rest of it..... Nice moves Tefler - making the characters more robust and the story more rounded too.

TF4EVA

That is a hell of a teaser. I can't wait for the chapter to be finished.

Sweeeeeet

Roman Andrew Chalfant

cool....breakfast reading!! YAY

B S

Working on Galaxy 8S with Polaris

Muledrvr

NEAT, NEAT, NEAT...

can't download

Thanks

Thank you Tefler

Thank you it has downloaded and opened up for me at least.

Nibbles

Me neither.

cheers mister

Braw

Not able to open the file

Woot!

Sirloki

Thanks Tefler.

Cignal

Thanks, been waiting for this!

Chris

Outstanding!

Thanks!

PwdRacing

That'll teach me to copy and paste a previous post title!

Tefler

Thanks Tefler!

Old Cruiser

Probably just a typo

Boranee Ja'haren

111?

111? Lol

Boranee Ja'haren

Yay

Muledrvr