Three Square Meals - Chapter 106

Not sure if you care, but on SoL chapter 106 is the only one without a title.

Frostfyre

Alyssa's thinks that as the seduction progresses, Lynette should be able to trust Charles with her Secret. The BigDawg is correct. She has to tell him. Much like Edraele with Ceredan, I think it is time for John's oldest friend, Charles, to be told everything.

& where people no longer think their God , whoever or whatever he/she or it is , wants them or needs them to kill people that don't share their beliefs . Would be a much nicer....& safer world to live in for everyone .

bigdawguw65

JFL I suspect in the future with multiple belief systems the point is some societies may well have invested big time in maintaining infra structures and principles. When these are challenged there is push back not so much because of the beliefs but because of the investments. THeses of course can contribute to civil unrest... In a world just rocked by an invasion and near destruction you don't need civil unrest as well.... Now that 107 is out it will be interesting to see how things evolve..

TF4EVA

I find it humorous that people get so upset about being descendant from 'apes' yet have no problem being made of dirt. (ashes to ashes, dust to dust and the creation of Adam story in Genesis).

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Eh...I consider myself Christian. But this whole creation v evolution thing to me is just silly hubris. There is nothing that says they cannot be the same thing....that evolutionary science is the mode the Creator used to create us. Big woop. I am here, I believe...nuf said.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

the treatment in the story suggests not a biggy. would be interesting to think about a world where we are no longer alone, and theire are a lot of different belief systems and faiths.

TF4EVA

I'm sure religion is still around but most regarded humans as the peak of creation & in the image of God/creator , I'm sure finding other intelligent life forms in the galaxy caused a major shift & upheaval in peoples beliefs . Considering the way some took even the idea of evolution way back when , finding out we are not alone probably opened up a new age of beliefs & religions .So in reality we know nothing about the beliefs systems in place & how they would view the story of the Progenitor .

bigdawguw65

seems to be

TF4EVA

works okay

TF4EVA

Although the reveal is done off screen one would expect some kind of reaction - currently there is none. How do you learn humans are an experiement and go to the High Command meeting not thinking some people maybe prove it is all true.... Even a wow would be good. Helenes reaction to the various creation stories and then the abandons start should warrant a reaction too

TF4EVA

I assume religion is still around and terrans still have hope and faith in a higher power. This kind of knowledge of creation and nudging creation could cause a raft of unrest.

TF4EVA

They took the scene off stage , so to speak , so we don't know what all transpired , maybe it will be addressed later , but really MN didn't create humans...just accelerated their evolution from Neanderthal to Cro-Magnon , if you want to split hairs . Neanderthals are considered human , it would be worse if it showed a monkey or gorilla instead , that would really get some up in arms .

bigdawguw65

I agree with you that such a huge reveal is treated fairly cosmetically. I can only hope the final version and or the ebook version does a better job

TF4EVA

Sorry, but I still really feel the scene where John reveals to Lynette that humans were created by Progenitors really needs to either be finished or that part of the scene (from the reveal to end with John offering to tell Lynette everything) needs to be deleted until its expanded in the e-book. Out of the entire story, that is the only part of a scene that feels painfully unfinished and out of place.

Frostfyre

now we are on the cusp of a new arrival in 107 I guess 1000 posts is definitely out....

TF4EVA

So, the final final version is as of July 14th.

Evan

Forgot about Buckingham and Carmela. I wonder where she has ended up or where she'll end up.

TF4EVA

Most organizations , esp military , have non-fraternization policies but seeing no one didn't know about Buckingham & Carmela it would seem that it's not to rigidly adhered to in the TFed

bigdawguw65

by definition cusp means a transition point , so for example a woman/man on cusp of adulthood would be 18-20 , thanks TF for clearing up the issue . Not that creepy is always a bad thing :-)

bigdawguw65

at the end of the day I think bigdawg is right - come clean and tell him. Next visit of the Invictus to Olympus Charles will need to be brought into the inner circle and learn more. Its a question I asked earlier about Commodore Ken Papados and his xo Valentina but might apply to Lynette and Charles. Do you think there are rules, policies and or procedures for commanding officiers being in a relationship with someone in their command?

TF4EVA

I fixed that to make it... not creepy!

Tefler

tantric sex maybe? maybe tie him down and blindfold him?I would hope I could tell the differece between a swelte 20 year old body and a 50 odd year olds wrinkles and slightly matured bits and pieces - there are some dead sexy 50-60year olds out there.....

TF4EVA

Unless Charles is drunk or high on something else , one would think a man smart & aware enough to rise to the rank of Admiral could feel the difference between a 50's something cubby , soft ( not to be rude ) woman & a twenty something super model . Lights out would only really hide the changes in her face not her body (& oh what a body) .At best he would think it was a practical joke , sneaking in a younger woman , at worse he might think it was an black mail attempt . Best just to come clean before starting any romance . I'm sure he would understand the reasons , giving what happened with Lynton & give her & John the benefit of doubt .

bigdawguw65

"On the cusp of..." is equivalent to "About to begin". So someone on the cusp of her second decade means she's about to turn 11.

Agreed on this.

A lit comment suggested John giving Lynette the psychic ability to change appearance. From what I've seen that's in my opinion the best solution someone came up wit so far.

Orthen

I can see Lynette playing a classic Eros and Psyche scenario wherein she's taking the part of Eros. "I don't want the lights on. We can see each other using our other senses, at least for now."

Evan

the real issue for Lynette as has been stated is how long she can go without being outed and then the reaction. Her next and probably related issue is the bedding of Charles.

TF4EVA

are we therenyet?

TF4EVA

Cusp does not mean beginning, but rather the point of transition, so the cusp of the second decade, as opposed to the first, would be the transition from the second decade of life into the third. The cusp of the first decade would be age 10 or perhaps 11.

Evan

My understanding of the word "cusp" may be incomplete, but that's how I read it

ncamferd

I may just be completely misunderstanding this, but one line from Lynette's change reveal just jumped out at me. It describes her as a woman on the cusp of her second decade. I know she looks 20, but wouldn't that be the cusp of her third decade? The way it's written now, it makes it sound like she looks... well... 10

ncamferd

Plus, England is preparing to play Belgium for third place in the World Cup. Not to mention the Wimbledon Women's Final. Give the man a break. He always comes through for us.

Would you guys stop speculating and asking when the next chapter will be out. It will be out when it's out. Keep in mind, Tefler has a family and has gotten ill in the past. His life takes priority over the time scale for the chapters.

ah but the quality of most of the posts to date...The next chapter will come when it comes and the story will flow as it flows....

TF4EVA

We’re not even at 1000 posts, yet. Why would there be an update if we haven’t had 1000 posts for this topic? ;-)

Evan

A bit optimistic

Benj

Tefler posted 5days ago, that he had written just over 15K. Was in the middle of a scene and he would finish that up and hand part 1over to the editors the next day. That would be 4 days ago. Tefler write 3k words a day. Add in a couple days for the editors. That will put the new chapter out on the 15th.

MJHSharkbait365

It is going to be the 16th.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

And we Rue the final my son.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

For all our ponderings, wonderings and imaginings its the cliff hangers and shared anticipation that we all come here for isn't it....

TF4EVA

so on their third date Faye loses her cherry and consumes some John cum. Can the Invictus handle being dark for 14 hours? What happens if Faye can't help herself and gets a taste before they get to the Kirrix?

TF4EVA

I will say that I disagree. While Jade will always have greater ability due to being their Matriarch, and being able to not only channel power to John from all of Jade's sisters, but also to use some of that power herself, I believe that as John feeds them over the days, weeks, months, years and millennia to come, not only will they attain all of her current abilities, but their abilities will come to exceed her own AT THIS TIME. Keep in mind that the 'big bad' Astral being who was *behind* all the terrors that John's been facing in the Astral Plane up until this point was just revealed to be as significant as an ant crawling upon one's palm and that Alyssa's sub-plane is extremely minuscule compared to that of much older and more powerful beings, which apparently can have sub-planes of their own sub-planes of the Astral Plane. My point is that John and his entire set of forces might enable him to be interacting on the 'game board' with other level 5 characters, but the level 1000 characters haven't, for the most part, noticed him, since he's quite literally beneath their notice. Yes, I'm making up the numbers, but the point is still valid. John is an infant playing in the sandbox with the other infants and toddlers as they play with their toys. People seem to think that Mael'nerak and his brethren are examples of the height of Progenitor ability. Why is that? We've been given no indication of that at all. So, by the same corollary, Jade is also in the same box, as are her sisters. Yes, they too will learn to walk and talk and chew gum, all at the same time. Which of them will grow to be able to shift into energy forms? Which of them will grow to be able to shift into living computers (or are they already)? Which of them will birth Faye's new body by shapeshifting a part of themselves into a new body for Faye to occupy? Which of them... well, who knows what they'll be able to do in the future? Not I! Perhaps Tefler has decided about this... perhaps he hasn't, yet. Only Tefler Knows!

Evan

O Tefler my Tefler! Any news on the next chapter?

andrew finlayson

So, I know there have been a couple of people that have commented on Jade's sisters and their upcoming shapechanging, including Tefler through John and some of the other characters, but I kind of feel like we're being set up for that to not be able to happen. We've already discovered that Jade is fundamentally different from the other Lenarrans, but we don't know the true extents of those differences, only what John and Alyssa have been able to work out and assume based on their limited study. Is it just me, or does anyone else think that the other Lenarrans’ shapeshifting abilities might not ever meet the extent of Jade’s abilities? I mean, from a story standpoint, how much of a cop-out would it be to just unleash a horde of dragons on John’s enemies every time there is a conflict? Doesn’t seem like it’s conducive to good plot management.

ETNSosa

I wonder if Faye will turn into a real girl or a new race. Progenitor's have made new faces before and we really don't know what they can and can't do. sure would be cool and he can make her anyway he wants give her wings back or something.

Tefler any update on the next chapter? Counting the days here.

I get you, Bigdawg. Tefler is driving this story. He can do what ever, when ever, why ever. Just bring on the new chapters. Can't wait.

Maybe he twisted as he fell?

Dennis Banfield

DD....of course he can , we've seen him do about anything he wants to , sometimes even not knowing how he's doing it . But just like I said personally I'd prefer that each girl was somewhat special in their own way . To steal a line from the villain in the Incredibles "if everyone is special then no one is. " It's all up to TF , just stating my preference is all.

bigdawguw65

Dawg, recall that MN created the nymphs as composite entities made from a various mix of genetic inputs, with feline characteristics dominant. Before the tiger claws and Jade Tiger form, she extruded tentacle-cocks to pass John's cum to multiple Girls. Neither of these three shapings were done consciously, suggesting to me that she had organic capabilities that John was able to reinforce.

I agree. No time loops, no multiple dimensions, and no clones.

Benj

while we are on powers. In the astral John manipulated time - obviously not well because his opponent called him on it. I hope this talent isn't made manifest in real time.

TF4EVA

DD...it seems the ability to spirit walk is reserved for Progenitors & their Matriarchs < John is limited for now because of interference from PJ , but while John might be able to give this to the others , I kind of prefer that there is some diversity in the girls & their powers & abilities . Also while Irillith can strip herself from her body to infiltrate computer systems has she done a strictly spirit walk into anyone else mind ? I can't remember that happening .

bigdawguw65

Speaking of colors ...Jade couldn't remember her original form at first but did become a green version of John's perfect woman , so she at least remember that small point at least subconsciously & her affinity for cats & feline shapes . It wasn't a coincidence her first major shape was a Tiger , she said at the time she remembered it from a former masters collection of alien life , but I'm sure he had many other predators in his private zoo .

bigdawguw65

mmm maybe MN put a governer on the eldritch powers - one he intended to remove if he returned. You have to wonder what his intention was if he thought he might not return...

TF4EVA

I was thinking that the eldritch powers in Valada's line was a parting gift from MN , but like the rush job he did on the Drakkar , it deteriorated into the fatal tumor , now John has cured them I agree with DD. Another question just popped up in my head , twins run in the line it seems , wonder if Edaraele had a sister & if it's possible she's still around . The way Maliri society was it's probable if there was a sister she didn't survive .

bigdawguw65

I suspect Faye's chassis already has a number of built in capabilities which we only have had glimpses of.

Nice DD nice. Do you think the tumour is related to Valada's powers or to not being fed down the generations? I know Rachel can probably fix any genetic predisposition but taking the tumour away doesn't change any possible causal factor for Valada's line. It will be interesting if John bestows powers on Jades sisters or whether they again sense what is needed and orient in that direction. Knowing John's obsession to keep the girls safe I suspect if any abilities to spread around it will be the defensive ones. Calara will develop a shield of some kind as she develops her melee skills and going. Dana too will devlop some kind of shield and kinetic force but Rachel move towards the spirit walking and telepathy. Of course alot of this will depend on each girl getting sufficient cum (and I suspect with the right ambiance). As interesting as these are my real wondering is still about Faye??

TF4EVA

I have raised this idea before, but have thought a lot about it since. John gifts the Girls with psychic powers that he decides would be useful enhancements. I think he should enhance each Girl to have a basic Valada set of powers -- spirit walking, telekinesis including hex shields, and telepathy. Valada's eldritch inheritance passed these powers down the generations to her children with MN and their progeny Edraele's mother was a pyrokinetic, spirit walker and telekinetic. Edraele is a powerful spirit walker, telepath and telekinetic. Tashana, like her grandmother is a pyrotechnic, telepath and telekinetic, while Irillith is a spirit walker, electrokinetic and telepath. The lionesses have even more diverse psychic powers, with Alyssa a burgeoning progenitor in her own right, spirit walker, telepath and telekinetic. Calara is prescient and highly focused, but cannot spirit walk, form hex shields, or project telekinetic force. Dana is a techno mage, with powers to influence molecular level inorganic materials and structures, but cannot spirit walk, form hex shields, nor project telekinetic force. Rachel has healing powers and high intelligence, but cannot spirit walk, form hex shields or project telekinetic force. Jade can shapeshift, is a telepath, but can not spirit walk or project telekinetic force. I think that all the Girls, including Helene, should have a basic set of powers that match Valada's abilities, as a minimum, as John enhances each of them with specialized enhanced psychic abilities. Rachel was frustrated that she could not project a hex shiel, like Tashana, to protect the other Lionesses from plasma bolts from Kintark tanks. In this way, John could make it possible for all of them to do that, as he can, now.

I think there is a specific list of traits needed to become a thrall race. The Maliri are one, along with whatever Ailantha (I know I'm spelling that wrong) is, and the red and yellow skinned versions we've seen. I think red was on the stone pictographs in Ashana and yellow were psychic echoes on the Legacy, but I might be wrong. I don't think we've seen any other races that are a true 'Thrall' species. Just being created isn't enough.

Roethan

Can the Lenarrans or Nymphs be claimed as a species? Just a thought in my head... They are a created species by Mael’nerak, are they not? Or are they only able to be claimed individually? If John can claim the species, does that take precedence over individual claims?

Evan

Do we have a date for the release of the next chapter yet?

DTC

I can see that getting out of hand real fast. "John, wouldn't you agree that being a "Rear" Admiral is too much fun?" (giggling)

Also gave her super powers, increased strength, agility and intelligence.

Roethan

Can't wait for Calara and Rachel to be promoted to 'Rear' Admirals. The rest of the Crew will never let them live that down.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

So, Capt. Jack has a daughter, Capt. Fernandez, who is engaged to an Admiral who is King of an entire species, and revered as a god by another. Who has orchestrated the salvation of 4 out of the 5 members of his family as well as the homeworld twice over. Who has healed his wife from a chronic injury, made his daughter the most accomplished and feared and admired field tactician and most accurate munitions expert in the history of the Federation. Who has given his daughter confidence in herself, made her a bad ass hand-to-hand combatant. Who put her in charge of the entire Terran Fleet in situ....3 times against all odds with a flawless victory record. Oh...and let's not forget she is the youngest ever to receive a Nova Burst as well as the rank of Captain in the history of the T-Fed. Yeah, there will be no, "He is not good enough for my daughter" BS. LOL

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Bit of water to pass under the bridge first. The Kirrix campaign may well grow Helene as well as the Nymphs in terms of their relationship with their respective matriach and any abilities. The Deep Lord and Deep Pool will be looking on because they will be feeling guilty about the shield deal and not expecting much more...... Won't they be surprised!

TF4EVA

So you're wondering if she can change to a target creature of a size other than the target creature's natural size? Hello, 20T kitty kat :P

Damian Wright

What if Jade can adjust her size, up and down the scale, as she shape shifts? She shrunk herself down to the size of a mackerel to make the old swimming pool feel larger. She took on the form of a snake to sneak onto Tartarus. She turned into a giant Jade Falcon after the nightclub bombing, to carry the Twins to safety in her talons. What if she could transform into a human-sized T-Rex? Or a Dino-sized Jade Tiger? That would be amazing!

I think Jade should look into the various forms of predators on Brimor , incase she needs to empress on the Deep Pole Lords the good sense in listening to reason . TF mentioned a few in conversations but most seemed to be too big to fit in the chamber they meet in . Got the impression it's deep below the ocean & it will be interesting if John goes to them or makes them come to meet him .

bigdawguw65

Tefler, a minor continuity point: after Betrixa pushes John into the Lagoon from behind, she makes a comment about the look on his face. How did she see it from behind?

ETNSosa

Something I havn't seen in a little while. Alyssa discribing the pictures of each girll in her minds eye. I wonder what Jehenna and the other girls plus all Miliri's look like.

The dialogue about "claiming" the Maliri iand John's response to Lynettes question about Terrans in 106 would support what you've said bigdawg.

TF4EVA

GO...it's been discussed , the Maliri were MN's thrall race which entails the link with a Matriarch & the power drawing link . The Trankarans & Ashanta & humans were created to fulfill roles , Trankarans to be MN's miners & metal workers , Ashanta , an experiment in physic communication & humans an experiment to ease MN's boredom . We've seen how the Maliri have an instant reaction to John that is lacking in the other races , so to me that shows the difference in the races .The Trankarans & Ashanta knew of the Progenitor & that he created them & recognize John as one , so they have allied with him , humans were left in the dark about MN as part of the experiment so don't have a cultural link that predisposed them to accept him but have come to recognize s a powerful ally & with Lynette a secret Lioness they will be happy to join the alliance .

bigdawguw65

I don't think there is any text stating that the Ashanath or the Tarkanians are actual thrall races. I suspect they may be created but not as militaristic as we have observed the Thrall races to be. Think about it. The Malari are a cut throat best of the best survive the rest are killed or abandoned. This leads me to believe that the Thrall races would be militaristic and secretive all at once.

Grimlakin

Do we have a date for the release of the next chapter yet?

DTC

It was mentioned and discussed, most likely right after the chapter posted and people finished reading it. I think nearly everyone is in agreement that she is a Nymph, and that Jade will be recovering another sister when John liberates the Abandoned. And yes, we can hardly wait to see what he comes up with for that plot arc. :)

I don’t know if someone else has mentioned it, because there is over 600 comments, but the way Tefler describes the Deep Lord’s companion as a gift and the perfect woman makes her sound like a nymph. I wonder if Jade will be getting another sister.

I can't claim credit for that one, it was a suggestion by an editor. Yeah, it made me laugh too. :-)

Tefler

Editing question for Tefler: This part of the exchange between Tefler and Faye: (quote)Faye blushed, her purple cheeks darkening. “I’m surprised at myself... but thank you for not reacting badly to anything. It was a tremendous relief that you were so understanding.”(/quote) Why the shift in tenses there? Her relief is not only in the past tense form during the mealtime, but extends to the present as well, does it not? I mean it would be just as reasonable for her to say "It is a tremendous relief that you are so understanding." (In fact, she'd probably choose to use the contraction: "it's" there as it is more casually conversational, and her language processing streams, in conjunction with her other personality stream directives would choose the more familiar language features during the course of an intimate dinner/date situation as it adds to the feelings of intimacy of the overall situation.) Another editing quibble - this one from the "mind-picture" side again... (quote)Jade was waiting for him on the bridge, watching her sisters and Helene playing exuberantly in the water.(/quote) Since they are actually in a warship, the phrase "on the bridge" is uniquely confusing here. The second phrase doesn't quite clear it up instantly, either (is she on the battle bridge for some reason and watching them on the security feeds? - being one possible interpretation of that wording). "on the bridge over the lagoon" or perhaps "playing exuberantly in the water just below." would also help solidify the mental image form the other possible interpretation(s).

GrandPaM

You know the nymphs are going to want to spar at some point in time...lol

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

I can't wait till we have the first Cat fight!

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Vet ... Catgirls...too funny Faye

DCM

I liked the scene where Jade made John comfortable, as he watched the Twins dominate Jehanna, by swallowing his cock to the root to give him a slow, half-hour-long, throat fluttering suckle, while keeping his quad at a sensuous simmer. I am almost jealous.

Dawg, I am still having trouble stringing together theories and suppositions that have no evidence in the TSM canon. I don't have a clue what a Soul Forge is, what it is for, how it works, or why John needs one. Our signals regarding the purpose of the Astral Beings are vague at best, and unknown in large part. Their relationship to Progenitors and their role in creating them is sketchy. I read all the post that explore these possibilities, but I have to confess, I still have no clue what's really going on in Tefler's head.

We're still at two a month. Both chapters 105 and 106 were released during the month of June, even if the *final* version of 106 came out in July. We can probably expect chapter 107 to come out within a week, with 108 by the end of the month. That's usually the timing for chapter releases.

Jedi Khan

owe and tefler really enjoying the series

hi have we changed to 1 chapter per month as i have gooten a job so can upp my thing per chapter so curious as to how many per month it is now

TF...I believe the "bend the knee" is accepting the Astral being as their master & to serve them in exchange for the Progenitor upgrade . I think the whole purpose of the Progenitors is to supply the Astral beings with power from this realm , maybe thru their conquests & deaths here . We saw that as powerful as they are in their realm they couldn't cross over to this one without John opening a link & then used his power to keep it open (incident by the lake ) & as soon as John cut off his link with his Matriarch it was thrust back into it's own realm . Of course this is only my interpretation of what Tefler shown so far .

bigdawguw65

we need a new girl asap!!!

TF4EVA

Tefler, a clarification, please. Dana thinks they will not be drawn into the Astral Plane again. Alyssa said John is safe from the nightmares now that her sub-plane allows for 24/7 TLC from her and Athena. So why were Calara and Sakura so anxious and fearful about a return to that place? Are John and the Girls now free from the threats of the Astral monsters? Will adding a new girl still have risks? Or has Alyssa's sub-plane provided them with a permanent sanctuary?

Just one type I noticed still in: “But... she’s alive now. how is that possible?” Helene whispered.

Did you do any updates and revisions between when this first went up and now, or is the final version it? The "Not much changed in this last update" makes it seem like there were other updates to this chapter, yet I don't recall them being mentioned.

Jedi Khan

I've updated this with the final version. Not much changed in this last update, it was just a few sentences and a couple of typo fixes.

Tefler

So...since chapter 107 is supposedly going to be a compilation of scenes featuring the various side characters of TSM and what they've been up to since we last saw them, is there any chance you might be able to give us a teaser Tefler? It's not like one little scene will give away future plot points, would it?

Jedi Khan

Was John's armor runed up by Dana? I don't recall. If Dana did apply runes to John's armor, and the runes were unaffected by the psionic jammer, the Belandranx must've been incredibly strong to overwhelm the runes and take chunks out of John's armor. If there were no runes, or they had been neutralized by the jammer, then the armor was a lot stronger than expected, preventing the dragon from taking off flesh along with the armor. Or are you talking about the non-runic hardening Dana can do by straightening and strengthening the molecular structure of the metal? If that's the case, then the jammer wouldn't have had an effect on the metal anyways, since the hardening had been set at the molecular level and was now part of the metal's characteristic, not maintained by Dana's power.

Jedi Khan

You know I just realized something. The armor and weapon John wielded against the dragon simply was not effected by the nullification field. Meaning Dana's hardening was immune. Perhaps the psychic nullification is more of a mental white noise.

Grimlakin

food porn? Yes the sex scenes might be arousing for some but they are mostly in-line with the context of the story to date. I think there is an element of emotional bonding in each scene which is important to the character development so the sex at least for me has become part of the story rather than being the story. I know it has been suggested before that John needs to diversify his activity but for me at least that might take away from the characters as they have developed and diminish the story. Definitely a personal view. The concept of food porn though...

TF4EVA

I am just wondering...were there no pieces (even small) of the Quantum Annihilator on the moon and the Psychic field damping weapon strapped to Baledranax's back...that just might give something to Dana if she could touch them? Perhaps even watching video of the weapon on the moon again since her powers seemed to be enhanced to the point of the visual of the Quantom Cannon sent by the Ashanath was enough?

Arrowglass

I think then Invictus is big enough for the crew but given the now high status of John, it may be worth waiting and continuing as is until they can get a GEO-Iified Progenitor ship, the guns and armor will prove invaluable for their family even into retirement because power attracts power, and when powers collide trouble stirs.

Some chapters back there was a lot of food porn? I am missing new items on the menu...

LK and his matriarch was talking among why John has not build a fleet and a soul forge during terran war. Now here are my questions- 1.Do you think John and crew should leave Invictus for a bigger ship? 2.Do you think John and crew should upgrade their ship to a bigger ship? 3.How big should the new Invictus (upgraded or built new) be? 4.Can the ship itself be made sentient or self aware? Somebody like Faye but more of a guardian or protector than a friend or play mate. 5.Do you think soul forge, involves forging of life as recorded by Maliri for MK? 6.Should the new ship or upgrade be based on Vulkat technology or Progenitor (including terran,Maliri,Ashanth etc) or Hybrid of both? 7.How many gun bays should new Invictus have and what new guns should be added?

Yes, the carriers definitely carry fighters and bombers, especially the carriers dedicated to fleet ops. The TFed might have carriers dedicated to drop ship deployment, for use during planetary assaults and the like. I don't think the border fleet would have any of those carriers, since the drop ships and marines carried on battleships and cruisers would be sufficient for most ship boarding actions. When it comes to combat roles, such as stripping shields and armor, the TFed seems to favor a mixed-bag approach. All their ships have energy weapons for stripping shields, but only the big ships, heavy cruisers and up, have projectile weapons that are used for ripping apart armor. Destroyers supposedly aren't used for ship-to-ship combat, given that they are somewhat lacking in long range beam lasers, so they're used mainly as a picket line, defending the big ships against enemy fighters, bombers, and missiles. We haven't seen mention of corvettes or frigates in fleet action, so I can't be sure if they're even used in fleets or are just too insignificant to warrant mention. In fact, the only mention of a frigate in the TSM universe that I can think of is the one in Truckstop Takedown. I think frigates and corvettes are more for patrolling the interior traffic lanes of the Federation, where the most dangerous ships they'd face are refitted pirate freighters, and older, decommissioned corvettes and frigates that pirates have bought. They'd be cannon fodder for anything tough enough to brave a hostile border crossing, let alone a full fleet action.

Jedi Khan

Considering it can one-shot fully shielded battleships, yeah, the Nova Lances are the most powerful weapon the Invictus has for now. Let's see if I can rank the Invictus' full complement of weapons: 1 - Nova Lances 2 - Singularity Drivers 3 - Heavy Cannons 4 - Photon Beam Lasers 5 - Heavy Quantum Guns 6 - Pulse Cannons Once Dana replaces the Heavy Cannons with her version of the Quantum Flux Cannons, it could be a tie between them and the Singularity Drivers. Maybe. The Quantum Flux Cannons might get the edge on the Singularity Drivers because they are effective against both shield and armor, whereas the Drivers are ineffective against shields. However, the Singularity Drivers likely have the advantage in range and rate of fire. We'll see.

Jedi Khan

do you think the carriers carry fighters, bombers and the drop ships (charles indicated a shift in policy to using dropships when talking about the decommissioning of the Invictus). Obviously some vessels are for stripping shields and others exploiting this. As the original mission in Kirrix space was Border control will the fleet include more destroyers, frigates and covettes etc..

TF4EVA

I've been re-reading TSM and have to admit I'm a bit weapons-drunk. As an example, I'm reading the Battle outside Olympus in chapter 100 when the following is written - "That was when the Invictus and its escorts closed to medium range and opened up with their Pulse Cannon batteries. The Maliri weapons that had originally been intended as potent anti-strikecraft guns had been upgraded beyond all reason, now hitting harder than a standard Terran Beam Laser." ------- I guess it would be helpful to have a list of weapons from the most powerful on down. I assume the Nova Lance is the most powerful weapon on the Invictus, or am I wrong?

Bigfoot

It seems to me that the Terran Federation has a standard for fleet organization. Or at least I like to think they do. For every battleship, there are at least two cruiser escorts. For every cruiser, there's at least two destroyer escorts. Carriers would have similar escort numbers, with the cruisers being replaced with battlecruisers or heavy cruisers to compensate for a carrier's lack of offensive weapons. So a standard fleet would consist of at least five battleships and perhaps three carriers, resulting in a fleet of around 50 ships. That's probably about the size of the fleet heading back to the Kirrix border. If the fleet had a dreadnought or a heavy carrier, that could potentially double the size of the fleet, as the dreadnought or heavy carrier would have several battleships as escorts in addition to the standard complement for a fleet. Of course, only Tefler truly knows how Terrans layout their fleets, and if the Battle of Terra is any indication, I'm probably grossly underestimating fleet sizes.

Jedi Khan

Each class of ship having a different role it seems. Be interesting to see the make up of the fleet heading to Kirrix space and how it integrates with the Invictus

TF4EVA

Criuser and above are the ones that seem to matter

In TSM what constitutes a capital ship in the battle fleets?

TF4EVA

He'd have to grow gills in order for that to work. Until then, Jade and/or Helene would have to breathe for him, like they did for Alyssa and Dana in this chapter.

Jedi Khan

Cheers

Braw

I've written just over 15k so far. I'll finish off the scene I'm working on, then hand over part 1 to my editors tomorrow!

Tefler

i thought i was Steve? But I dont remember asking this question...

tef -- would it be possible to add a 'next chapter eta' dialog somewhere. It might not make any difference but I'm sure lots of us are chomping-at-the-bit already. It might eliminate some posts to the thread. Maybe it also might make no difference. My dad's updates on a road trip never stopped my asking "are we there yet??"

Does 3 have a physical book already? Or was the dog earring a joke?

Roethan

ebook 4 would be good as my copies of 1,2 and 3 are dog earred from my reading.... But then reading 107 in July would be awfully good... Despite my eagerness hoping Tefler keeps himself warm and well...

TF4EVA

Only our super hero writer knows! Tefler??

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

What's the status for the next chapter?

DTC

Agreed. There should be a way of seeing recent posts and replies. Endless scrolling is a little annoying.

Roethan

Is it me or is it painfully obvious that Patreon really needs to improve the comment section? I mean over 500 comments in this post alone with a tedious method to read them all? Maybe they should take notes on what the Star Citizen developers are doing with their website?

Forbsey

When you are in love with someone, just knowing you let them down is punishment enough. John loves the girls and they love him. If they feel John is disappointed in them and feels he cannot trust them, they would be devastated beyond words. The key is he doesn't let the action go without communication and that helps define parameters. In a healthy relationship, that is key, not blind obedience.

Bigfoot

Something a lit commenter pointed out has been going through my head. They'd said that John's punishments for the girls disobeying him in combat situations has been mild to non-existent. They were the ones who said they respected his leadership and that they wouldn't have been able to pull through all the battles without his guidance. After rereading the story (which took a couple weeks!) I'm inclined to agree. I see it going one of two ways, although I'm sure there are others. The results of the girls going off on their own has been good, but they were lucky. So either he sees them as being better decision makers and starts doubting his leadership abilities, or he sees their luck running out and their immaturity leading to one or more of their deaths. If John quit the military because "friends" died, what would happen if one of the loves of his life did? He doesn't really need to punish them though. All he needs are a few fleeting doubts about their respect for him as a leader (for case 1) or thinking about leaving them behind on Valaden because they are too young to be trustworthy (for case 2). That would really drive the point home with Alyssa and then she would curb the rest of the girls thoughts when they wanted to go rogue. Open to comments. Anybody else see something like that happening?

Roethan

ETAs, Sequence (to help control our expectations and withdrawal) Ch. 106 with edits, Ch. 107, ebooks, paperback books?

PwdRacing

edraele would be monitoring at a number of levels and no doubt when the Invictus gets to have some R&R Rachel will be able to compare notes and confer with the local medical staff. Now John on the other hand I would expect will always want updates - but he has been a bit busy...

TF4EVA

Did Charles get the Fool's Gold to Mad Mike? The time between John going off to visit the worm girls now is 'relatively short'. More interesting is whether Mad Jonah who we think he is? Are we over thinking it? Maybe he is an Odin type figure out there arranging pieces in a bigger game they we currently recognise?

TF4EVA

I'm quite certain that's just Faye having a bit fun, teaching her bots all sort of quirks.

Orthen

Rias ...a possibility but Kythshara was a developed planet by the time MN finished (in recordings it started as lush planet but by last recording there was a sprawling metropolis outside the window . Jessica's survey party would have seen some signs I would think , just my opinion .

bigdawguw65

im more interested with whats going on with the "boys" sounds like they are developing into something more and will that be good or bad

Michael

Will John develop the ability to breathe underwater like Jade? Underwater sex has never worked well for me, but i don't have his strengths. A Helene-Jade-Faye aquatic orgy could be interesting.

Benj

Why has Rachael not check on the pregnancies of the Malari? I would think she would want daily updates.

Benj

Reverse shield tech to make a virtual glory hole... who needs rope when you can literally immobilize the girls while being tickled, spanked or pounded. Dana needs a treat after her last epiphany.

Benj

Adapt stealth tech to a customized drop/gunship, like a stealth Raptor. Get the stealth tech (improved by Dana ofc) mixed with all the tech they have/are waiting to make and have it be one hell of a cheap shot the next time they get in a fight

TF...had discussion awhile back about using something like the physic blocker LK gave to Baledranax to distrupt Kirrix commands , would be a way to stop them or give your own orders , like have fleet sail into the sun . We'll have to wait & see where Tefler takes us .

bigdawguw65

mmm and now that we know the 'hive' have some sort of centralised psychic leadership will they be able to design more surgical strike(s) to minimise the need to wade through so much 'blood, guts and carapace'....

TF4EVA

If sonic cannon are effective against cyborg ninja intruders, would they also be effective against Kirrix Warriors? Marines with hand held sonic -- or microwave -- cannons could potentially bring Kirrix mass attacks to a lurching halt, by liquefying their internal organs and exploding their carapaces from heat buildup.

A game of Paragon Flight Mode Tag, limited to Decks Seven to Nine. No landing. Must at least hover. One hour limit per session. Good practice.

That we know of. We know that a lot of the data from the experiments is gone (erased or concealed). What's not to say we don't encounter another Enhanced? We even spoke about the possibility of additional embryos could be out there. Possible brother or sisters that Dana has no idea about.

I would like more humor in the next two chapters if afforded. We just finished two wars, some serious development, and lots of transitions. We could use a few light hearted moments (like cat following cable scene). How about a game of tag or hide-and-seek? Something team building other than sex and tech. Maybe an obstacle course or a bit of theatre. Just a thought.

Benj

It is daunting to imagine that Dana may represent the pinnacle of human evolution in her era.

Speculation: Kythshara is Arcadia. Epic exploration opportunity.

any edits/xtras coming for 106??

B S

So in summary, Tefler reads all our comments, all our discussions no matter how inane, and he will incorporate those ideas into the story as long as they result in a better story that he can then give back to us. This level of interaction between author and reader, where the reader can actually influence the story to a degree, is just one of the many things that makes Tefler and TSM so great! All hail the glory of the almighty Tefler! May his story - begun by him, nourished by us - live on till the end of time! Praise be to Tefler!

Jedi Khan

"I want all here to ask whether Tefler had ever taken any idea input from discussion here?" Absolutely, lots of times in fact. There was the obvious ones like me asking for feedback on naming the mech, but I also read all the comments and often incorporate ideas from discussions. I don't weigh-in on those comments, because it's all plot speculation, so it's extremely hard to say anything that won't accidentally give away spoilers. The biggest plot arc from patrons was the search for and discovery of Jade's sisters, which I combined with my pre-planned Jehanna kidnap, culminating in the events at Tartarus. There's also been loads of minor scene changes based on patron feedback after the release of each chapter and in some cases, I've written a number of entirely new scenes. For example, in the Battle of Terra, I included several new scenes to cover Melkadian's reaction to the arrival of the Maliri.

Tefler

Yep! 107 will be a bunch of scenes from around the galaxy.

Tefler

some of it is purpose I guess. Starting life as a trading vessel (yes ex military but not special forces) the Invictus wasn't built for stealth and not meant to be used in that way. Up til now they have spent the time racing to and fro not needing cloaking devices to disguise their presence. So far the piloting skills of the crew has meant they have been steathful when needed. In terms of the Raptor and Mech again fir for purpose has meant no need to develop steath capability ala cloaking device. This all being said - detecting when there are cloaked vessels in the area before they use their worm hole generator or sneak off to secret lairs might be useful development

TF4EVA

Why don't team Invictus make their own invisibility cloak? When you try to make such a cloak you also learn how to reveal the one used by your opponent. Black surface of ship absorbs all radiation leaving no reflection but is designed such that it also emit a small amount of some ambient signal not to suggest there a black hole. Detection of a black hole would be easy. With their current technology Dana should be able to do with a little effort. She will have to add some impurities which give colour but enhance crystall Alyssium.Smaller version with light absorption tech already available with team.

Tefler reads every one of our posts. He confirmed that in a 105 post. He usually remains silent with his thoughts in the wings. He has occasionally stopped us from lemming-like heading over a erroneous plot cliff. He has stepped in on rare occasion to resolve tensions in the community with clarifying and calming comments. I believe, as a result of our discussions about what we would find in the Desolation of Vulkat -- e.g., organic v metal hull armor and magnetic boots; Sakura making ice in space without water; and the nature of Nkkrrit's cyborg zombie children, etc. -- some of our ideas were woven into the story narrative. Using the Boys as waiters was another posted suggestion that appeared in the story. Many wanted to see a father/daughter reconciliation between Henry and Rachel, which may have taken on more prominence than he might have planned otherwise. The duel between Baledranax and John, and the mystery of the psychic nullifier, was changed following community discussions about the initial text. For example, some thought it was too easy for LK to remotely destroy that device, because they thought John could win without his help -- and in the final draft, he did just that.

I saw real sarcastic comments on couple of suggested scenario. Happy to know it's all not in vain..

No...I joined with the battle of terra...

Were you here when he asked us to help mame the mech?

Oh yeah, Tefler has definitely drawn inspiration from our suggestions, and our back-and-forth discussions with each other. He usually adds his own twist to the ideas, but he definitely listens to us. I can't recall any specific examples off the top of my head, but it has happened. Of that I'm sure.

Jedi Khan

As their was some comments suggesting discussion in forum is waste of time.I want all here to ask whether Tefler had ever taken any idea input from discussion here? One I know is modification to psychic blocker scene after suggestions. Anything else? Will we will get to the futility of the exercise...

Celphna will not go with John unless Athgiloi is dead.

Nkkrrit's memories show examples of wide inter-species cooperation. It seemed that many alien species were welcome on her home world and throughout Vulkat Space. The staggering variety of alien wrecks in the Desolation is indicative of that signicant commerce. This region of influence could have overlapped or abutted MN's territorial frontier. As such, it is possible, even likely, that there were contacts and exchanges among them.

Whatever John & Lynette decide to do about Brimorians & Abandoned ...Deep Lord Athgiloi is toast , besides the possibility that Celphina is a nymph & John wouldn't leave her there & he wouldn't want to give her up , the trick with the kill switch on the shields threatened the girls life & John will not let that go unpunished .

bigdawguw65

If the Vulkat were close enough to draw Ranagon's attention , I wonder if they were allied or at least traded with MN in some way & that's where the 6 legged lurker in the Brimorians computers came from . There might be some more surprises in their archives than we anticipated .

bigdawguw65

Maybe, Bigdawg, Progenitors prefer lamb over mutton. That is, they want a relative young, but growing civilization on its way up, as their preferred target of conquest. Maybe they are hardwired to want to destroy any potential rival in the region of the stellar territory they claim. That doctrine drives them to conquer before their target civilization is able to stand against them. This may partly explain LK's strategy to undermine all the most capable civilizations in John's region of space that he considers his own domain. In essence, this suggests that the Trankarans were collateral damage in a Progenitor War of the Heavens. The Vulkat, on the other hand, were a vibrant, multi-species trading conglomerate centered on the Spider Queen's empire. Like MN did with the mighty and ancient Achonin, the Vulkat were targeted for destruction by Ranagon -- because they were there, and because he could.

There has been speculation on which Progenitor wiped out the Vulkat , it was unclear (at least to me ) just where their empire was located other than bordering on Brimorian space . In rereading Ch 99 I found where Alyssa set up the chorus of the Maliri to sing for Nkkrrit & it was mentioned that the Vulkat hymn hadn't been heard in 10 thousand years . That would make Ranagon the Dispoiler , MN's enemy the culprit . I wonder if the Vulkat had any connection/trade with the Trankarans or since they weren't a MN creation they just where in the wrong place at the wrong time .. Looking at Tefler's maps the Vulkat Desolation might be included in the current Brimorians' space . Gives you a hint about the character of Progenitors though , no real reason to attack & destroy the Vulkat

bigdawguw65

I assume Tef is gonna make Chap107 the catch-up chapter. If you are still planning on doing this Tef, could you go back to: -The Eshnu (sorry if this is spelt wrong) taking over the Underworld in the Maliri Wastelands -The Maliri arriving at Tankara -Just for shits and giggles, the old geezer from the first chapter who John befriended -Maybe the Ashanth and them allying with the Drakkar survivors -Larn and that 'Family reunion' There might be a few story lines still going on that I missed (i.e. Calara's melee training), but hopefully anyone can add to this list, cause these ones are burning away at the back of my mind right now.

Nathos

I have a vague recollection of Calara and Sakura training with the sword at some point. Regardless, the sword would be the obvious option given that both John and Sakura are quite proficient at using them.

JCFenton

Was rereading ch99, I had completely forgot about Calara wanting to learn to fight with a melee weapon. As far as I know, what type of weapon has yet to be decided correct? Didn’t Tefler say in a precision comment discussion that Calara would not be using a blade.

MJHSharkbait365

the Deep Lord also has the slight problem of giving him shilds with a kill switch to worry about. Did we decide whether Celphna was a nymph or not?

TF4EVA

that would also give more fuel for the Faye Avatar debrief - which is maybe where you could put the actual discription. It was a major milestone to be savoured and celebrated...

TF4EVA

I had a thought just before bed today, Tefler, regarding Faye's date and the scene in the cavern where she gets her first kiss from John. Considering how special and significant that scene is, it seems rather...bland. Maybe it needs some more visual description, like how the light plays across the walls, ceiling, and floor of the cavern, across Faye's skin, sparkles in her eyes, the flush of her skin from the kiss, etc. Pretty much anything that could help the reader better visualize the scene. Do the lights in the cavern fade in and out, create a sort of rippling, water/lava type of effect, roam about to cause the colors to shift as well, or are they just boring and static? Do the lights dominate the cavern, almost to the point of washing out any reflections from the gem stones, or is the lighting muted, the rays passing through the stones providing sufficient ambient lighting to see with? Are the lights along the base of the walls the only source of light, directed at the stones, or have they found a way to somehow backlight some of the gem stones, so that the stones seem to glow or shine on their own?

Jedi Khan

Any speculation on how Deep Lord Athgiloi will handle things from here. I am assuming that LK will continue to stir up trouble and Push the Brimorian’s on a self destructive path. Knowing how John has miraculously been front and center preventing empire after empire from total destruction. I have to wonder how open and willing Athgiloi will be to such advice. Witnessing John and his crew in action first hand. And with Brimorian being the last magor empire still standing so to speak. Athgiloi may decide to reject LK and ally himself with John. Or at least not do anything to incur John’s rath. How well will LK take to someone choosing John over him.

MJHSharkbait365

Check out Etaski. Just google her.

AF, I am as guilty as any other fan of piping up with my theories, ideas and suggestions. It was once suggested that I suffer an overactive imagination. The truth is, I am just a retired old codger with time on his hands. However, I truly don't expect Tefler to think I am trying to tell how his story must go. Nor do I expect my ideas to influence the scope of Tefler's vision. I admit to enjoying the interactive play, and the creative imaginations of others. I have learned a lot of specialist knowledge just by playing with friends in Tefler's Sand Box. Do I think Helene will become a Polymath? No, but I think it would be cool. Should Faye have laser eyes and flight mode? Not necessarily, but imagining it is exciting. Will Dana make combat hover bikes? Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't matter. I will simply enjoy how the Creator resolves issues like that. Don't get me wrong. I agree that our enthusiasm for TSM sometimes overflows its cup and spills from the table to the floor. But that mess is wiped clean as soon as Tefler posts a new chapter. Then we regroup and start running full tilt again to catch up with his vision. For me, it is all a matter of good fun.

I am looking for stories to read. I am to the point I think I have read everything on the internet and I know that is not true. I am open to suggestions. I read just about anything. I just finished ( as far as written) The god are assholes; which is pretty well written. I just want a decent story; sex killing and a humor are bonuses. Also include where the story is found if not on Lit

First off, this was an amazing chapter. The sex scenes were fantastic. This community has been discussing how the sex scenes ought to change as the series grows and evolves... My two cents are that there should be a split: Some sex scenes are meant for actual plot and character development, while others are more carefree and just mostly focus on the "sexual development" of the crew: Sex scenes have become more inventive and novel as time has gone on, mostly because of john becoming comfortable with his own nature, but Tefler also seems to be writing purely lesbian sex scenes with far greater ease nowadays. Maybe a stand alone scene of Dana and Sakura teaming up on a submissive Rachael? The idea that Beatrix has a fetish for being spanked is also on the table for a scene, i hope.

People, I'm as guilty as the next guy in suggesting new scenes but this has gotten a bit silly, Chapter 106 was 33.5K words, and in just the past few days we've seen suggestions for what, another 10 or more scenes? Let's accept what we are given, and maybe Tefler will incorporate some of the suggestions into the inevitable e-Book that will cover these chapters. We're on the home run here, about 18 chapters to go to the end ..... lets not put too much pressure on the author now ;)

andrew finlayson

Maybe it should be Tashana that gives Lynette (and Helene?) the history lesson - He clasped her hand and gave her a look of sympathy. “If you're interested I'll get Tashana to tell you what we’ve discovered so far. However, you should consider whether you need to know right now, you can always come back to this later. Personally, if you have any strong religious convictions... they might be in for a battering. As Fleet Commanader... this knowledge could be a slow burn towards major upheaval. Have a think on it and get back to me later”

TF4EVA

defnitely slip that last one in so there is an ongoing link to the foundation and setting up of a life/ credibility beyond the war years. ...

TF4EVA

TF, I asked about the existence of TF Marines and Special Forces, because they were not mentioned in the Battle of the Citadel. It was suggested at the time that they were deployed on ships or other distant planets with organic missions that inhibited their deployment to the battle. Since the TF defenders were easily routed and overrun by the Kintark, I was uncomfortable with those explanations.

Tefler, a few suggestions to fill out the chapter a bit more... * When Dana is talking about the personal shield and causally mentions they don't have the right elements..  Why not have Lynette look around questionably and have Alyssa boast that Dana had to invent new elements to build some of their gear.  Explain that the Terrans CAN'T make the gear because it is 100 years of years more more advanced than their current physics allows. * Have Lynette ask if Camera can look over the sensor readings and reports to offer some insights or advise * Have Lynette or Charles ask Dana to take a tour of the shipyards.  Possibly offer advise on some of the bottlenecks, basic improvements, perhaps their plans for recreating the heat sinks. * Have a mention of licensing agreements under highly favorable terms to get the medical advances, hover gear, sanitation / life support spread out quickly.

The first rifle we see John buy after getting the Invictus is the XR-75 assault rifle. According to John, it was an improvement over his old XR-73. Not sure if either is standard issue for TFed marines, but I imagine that's as close as you're going to get.

Jedi Khan

Quick question, can anyone recall what the standard T-Fed marine rifle was please? Working on Sort of Legal

"And we'd have to obey you... (Closing quote missing)

Frostfyre

There seems to be a huge scene missing in chapter 106. Namely, Lynette watching the Nexus files of the birth of mankind. Please add that scene! We never got to see Tashana's reaction, at least give us her's. The scene ends with John about to tell Lynette everything about the birth of the races but ends and the next scene with Lynette completely skips the reveal and her reaction, she just goes on like the scene never happened.

Frostfyre

Wessex and Gibbons are good characters. Their encounter with John, Alyssa and Rachel at the Citadel was very well done. Wessex has had a close personal brush with her idealized version of an elite team of armored Warriors. Her decision to maintain her role in command of the TF power armored company is bitter sweet. She knows her armor, weapons and equipment were not good enough for her to save the lives of her team. She observed armored Lionesses and Maliri Marines perform on the battlefield employing weapons and powers in ways she could only dream of. I would like for her to appeal to the Fleet Admiral to use her good offices for Wessex to meet with the Invictus' armorer and weaponssmith for consultations on rebuilding her company with personal shields and better armor and weapons. If she can't be a Lioness, she wants to be the next best thing. Gibbons? He will go where ever she goes. He feels guilty for not protecting her from harm at the Citadel. He is highly motivated.

No to the first, and I don't think John needs to claim the Ashanath, since they aren't a Thrall race. In fact, I don't think they have the genetic predisposition to serve a Progenitor like the Maliri and possibly Trankarans do.

Jedi Khan

Has John claimed the Ashanath by them making a statute of John and the girls, or does he need to convert a member of ther leadership like the other races?

Nickcap

lol Nice user name. As for your weapon suggestion, the Pulse Cannons (point defense) and Photon Lasers (primary beam weaponry) all have a three barrel configuration, with each barrel firing in sequence. With the Pulse Cannons, this results in pretty much a continuous stream of laser fire. For the Photon Lasers, there is still a cool-down period before they can be fired again, despite there being three barrels.

Jedi Khan

I have three ideas. I read about the gun barrels overheating and the importance of heat sinks. I know that with some weaponry they use multiple barrels and a Gatling style design to dissipate heat and allow for more rapid fire. I wonder if Dana could incorporate something like that into at least her cannons if not also the lance weaponry like they have with the Gatling lasers. Hopefully the Gatlin cannons and lances could be used on Faye’s ship because I think Faye should have her own ship. Because she’s not a filthy organic she wouldn’t need a lot of the volume and equipment that an ordinary spaceship would need for human occupation. That could radically change the design of the ship. If I remember correctly there are now 4 major weapons, 2 cannons and 2 laser based. (Now that they have the tachyon lance to build.) 1 design I thought of has a central long axis that the weapons rotate around. The axis would have many power cores to supply all of the weaponry. That way she would be able to rotate the weapons in a 360 degree Arc but have different weapons pointing at different targets. She could even have multiples of the same weapon stacked on top of one another so that she could target multiple targets with the same type of weapon. And of course all the weapons would be the most powerful iterations in Gatling style designs. It would also be cool if it had tentacles coming out of the ends that had the lances on them. A second design you look more like a sea anemone with Gatling Style weapons pointing outward from a central core and then she could spin the ship very fast targeting multiple targets. My third idea involves the Vulkat taking care of the Abandoned. I know that the Queen needs a reason to live again and maybe taking care of them would help her heal and have a full life. If Rachel used some kind of viral vector she could make all of the Abandoned have a third Helix and psychic powers making them able to communicate with each other and sing for the Queen. Of course there could be ethical considerations considering what’s already been done to the Abandoned.

What happened to Camilla and the Hesperus after they got word back? Will Valentina and her man tie the knot and wil they be allowed to work on the same ship? Hope Viv Grayson gets a hug from someone for being so clever with her message.Where are the special forces - they can't have all been kidnappers and jailors? Didn't they provide the template for the Raptor and original body armour in that these were designed for them? Are they deep space rangers boldly going, agent provocateurs or part of the inept intelligence department?

TF4EVA

TF...John has done a little of this , as you pointed out , but the problems is most of the girls powers & skills are based on their unique personalities & temperament . They do pitch in & help each other but the prime movers are unique & it isn't easy to replace them . We might see in the next generation a set of back ups being born & trained .

bigdawguw65

If Lynette's holo-disguise ever fails, and the townspeople come after her with torches and pitch forks, she can at least make a shielded run and shoot her way out with her laser pistol and go to ground until Alyssa can send her a rescue. ;-)

Thinking about Dana and what is to become of Helene and the four nymphs reminded me how vulnerable the invictus crew are. If for some reason Dana went down who would pick up the mantle (if only temporarily) of chief engineering overlord and mad inventor? If Rachel falls over who else has a first aid certificate? It doesn't mean doubling up on the specialty. It seems to me any officer worth their salt if not any coach and team manager looks to see who can cover more than one role, which weapons can be used in different contexts and what are the contigencies if... We sort have had this with Jade and Faye taking over pilot and some basic nav(?) and with Calara and Faye with the gunnery. Yes we have magic in this scenario where noone gets sick etc but again basic training surely must kick in somewhere and the conversation happen. It potentially opens up greater potential too...

TF4EVA

Evan, that is an important observation and distinction. But consider this. You note that aspects of standard Progen tech has not changed for thousands of years. In other chapters we noted how the Progen standard kit seems to permeate their tech design concepts. It is likely, then, that certain technologies and materials are used throughout their fleet -- onyx armor, power systems, defensive/offensive weapons, shield tech, sensor suites, etc. I think you are correct that LK's flagship is far superior to Thrall Destroyers or other (unseen) fighters, attack craft, cruisers or capital ships. However, they likely share many design features and tech systems in common. So, learning to defeat Thralls is well on the way to facing BSP, LK. My hope is that Dana will be up to the challenge and will find a technological edge that goes beyond parity.

It seems to me that John gained access to more of his mind and abilities when he last confronted PJ. Now, John is becoming aware of his new knowledge and abilities, but not all at once. He will have to conquer or absorb his dark side aspect to fully realize his potential.

Thank you, Tefler! Ward. (two thumbs up)

Dawg! I just woke up and here you are cluttering my morning mind with another TSM conundrum. Do I recall correctly that John said the Ashanath were the ones who created the murals depicting a Progenitor (MN?) and his Thralls in conquest mode? If so, they produced them when their civilization was at a more primitive stage and their understanding was insufficient to the facts. The Progenitor War of the Heavens that saw Ranagon destroying Trankaran Gaia Planets took place beyond the Ashanath's contemporaneous awareness at the time. They learned about aspects of that conflict some thousands of years later when their explorers found the Legacy -- which they still do not fully understand. I agree with your analogy about the limited value of preparing for war based on ancient strategic and tactical guidance. It has been my hope that the Vulkat experience with Thrall warfare would be more relavent for John and his allies, no matter how long ago. Interesting questions, indeed...

Going to try again. Please note that the technology revealed at the end of this last chapter was from a Thrall Tormentor Class vessel, not a Progenitor’s capital ship. This isn’t the technology that John needs for the Invictus, but rather, what his allies, such as the Maliri, need to have parity with other Thrall vessels that haven’t improved over the past ten millennia. Parity with the Black Ship will require a great deal more than this.

Evan

DD...We have been wondering for quite some time what LK was up to , that he didn't seem to be following the Progenitor "playbook" of conquest . I was thinking on it this afternoon while cleaning my dog's kennels when I realized that most of the information we've been shown was from the Ashanta collection of pictographs etc . Since the tablets the Ashanta have were taken from Thrall recrui& trainning t centers , also Tashanna search there too , we basically are getting the information from Progenitor propaganda & recruitment films . John might as well be planning his battles from watching "Patton" or WW2 army training films . The only other information we have is from the first hand account from Nkkrrit's description of the brutal unprovoked surprise assault on the Vulkat . John & the girls have seen the end results of the planet killer & heard Nkkrrit's telling of their attempts to fight back but even she was absent or the end . Makes for some interesting questions .

bigdawguw65

another question I have is are we gonna hear more from the Terrian Mech commander in the near future...?

I was somewhat confused by that scene. The both of them had already confronted and overcome their fears back when they were on vacation and went into the ocean with scuba gear.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

i am thinking that the scene of Alyssa and Danna confronting their fear of water will be a importiant factor soon...

Dagnabbit! Bloody Patreon ate my post again!

Evan

Ideally, if John was not on the verge of war with them over the Abandoned, he would have wanted to approach the Brimorians as potential allies. That may still be his ultimate goal, but predictable tension and conflict will be a barrier to achieving that. Ironically, LK's intention to undermine the BrimorIan Enclave may turn out to be the catalyst for pushing them in the direction of cooperation, if not alliance.

No, he hasn't. He has yet to fully claim her. If you recall, all the girls got a certain "experience" from John before he proposed to them, something that Jehenna has not gone through yet.

Jedi Khan

Has John actually proposed to Jehenna yet? Because you only got a lioness ring being engaged. And if so is he going to remake all the girls ring to add another lioness to the band?

rich ed

Each of the Lionesses is unique and powerful in her own way. Helene should be unique and powerful, too. Valada's known powers were spirit walking, telepathy and telekinesis. Why not Helene? She should be able to form hex shields, do force pushes, and move objects with her mind, like her Sisters. If she had psychic speed, she might be able to keep up with Jade and the Dolphins. So far, only John, Alyssa, Edraele and Irilith (?) can spirit walk. That would be a useful ability for Helene, for her to use a psychic pulse to know the minds and hearts of the Abandoned. Helene deserves her own magic.

Outstanding!

Thanks very much for all the feedback everyone! I'm glad you enjoyed Faye's date and the various new bits of Progenitor knowledge that John discovered. I promise we'll get back to some fighting in chapter 107. :-)

Tefler

We'll see where the story goes, but I'm definitely pulling for Helene to stick with the Invictus crew. Mainly for how badass it will be to have her roll in to liberate the Abandoned. Talk about character development

ncamferd

Hypersonic projectiles sounds really nice when you're dealing with planet-bound atmospheric operations, but in space, that's both meaningless as a measurement (no sound in space) and much too slow! The Invictus (and every other spaceship) already has an automatic target acquisition system. The problem is that the systems aren't as good as Calara is at predicting the movements of all those involved in the engagements. You have not just the current movements to address, but the unknown actions of those aboard the vessels, and all the intervening elements as well, and this is all taking place at distances that are greater than the eye can see, by far. Consider that the ships are in excess of several kilometers in size, potentially, and yet, unless they're clustered together for some reason, won't be visible to each other even when they're on the same side in formation. Try hitting a 5 cm target from 10 km distance with a projectile. Now add in that the target is under power and can move in such a fashion as to avoid your fire. Now add in that your projectile can be detected and fired upon in turn. Why do you think they use bombers to get within visual range rather than simply shoot missiles from a distance?

Evan

Why doesn't Invictus have an automatic target acquisition system which can identify and shoot with out any human intervention? If fighter planes of 21st century can use analytics to identify type of aircraft, vulnerability based on model and type of attack to be initiated only with authorisation required,is it not unreal when Carala has to take individual shot despite having a sentient AI. Why don't they just automate the process and create a computerised system to perform the task. This will allow Carala to focus on strategy and tactical layout rather than engage in one on one action. I would still love to have cruising hypersonic projectile, armed drones etc to give advantage to John and crew.

John had once said presence of two John in head was a psychosis and Progenitor John was only part of him which was suppressed.Last time when this wall which is used for suppressing unadulterated , addictive Progenitor power Erdale had her mind wiped and it was Athena who again is Alyssa's suppressed reserve/powerful fo who helped out. Now will there be a crack as we saw John getting informatIon previously not known to him from his other half to identify his association with Maliri.Not sure where it will lead us.

Will Brimorian's ally with another species as Kintark are over? Okay will.Brimorian's try to take Kintark world before Terran Federation can take them as Kintark are not in a position to defend? Galaxy wide broadcast of John killing the dragon should start defence preparation by Brimorian's.Is their deep sea lord going nuts?

John has given powers to most girls when they have went ahead and joined a fight by themselves or due to circumstances.Now Helena has to be part of the plans for Brimorian's so John saying I will not give you any skill is plain stupid in my opinion. Abandoned need a well educated leader, who can guide them , teach them and even fight for them. Now as we don't have any other abandoned in the story associated with John all these skills have to be taught to Helena. Fighting, self protection and some extra skill like what Sakura has for protecting abandoned has to come from John.She can be changed to something like a glowing queen for ensuring compliance by other abandoned. Erdale can train her to be a leader and be a teacher.Erdale will be a good mentor. Helena is already shown as a good student of Faye, an AI with unlimited access to information. If John was planning to relocate abandoned to Maliri world then Helena will also have to join the table of matriarchs except for her being of another hybrid species. So the acceptance has to come from other Matriarch who has not sampled John. Helena might not get the full package like main girls but she will need some skills for sure to ensure survival and emergence of abandoned as a civilisation or species on its own.

Dam Patreon site, Grrr. Back to what I was saying. Of doing impossible feet’s bordering on miraculous. How can someone be considered a Lioness and not have abilities. The Beauty and intelligence alone does not make a Lioness. You cannot be a Lioness and act like a sheep. Lynette and Jehanna have some more development need to be a real Lioness. I pray that Tefler will continue to develop Jehanna, abilities do not have to combat oriented. But abilities are needs. For now Lynette wields her own type of power, intelligence is enough for her, for now.

MJHSharkbait365

Forgive me if this has been discussed already, I looked through the posts and did not see one. So I’m gonna bring it up. Anyone else have thoughts on Helena question on wether or not John is going to grant her pyshic powers? I have been thinking that over for a day and my answer would have to ba absolutley she needs powers. For me being a “Lioness” is just as much about have extraordinary abilities as it does being connected to John. Personally I do not count the 1000 white haired Malari in Edraele network as lionesses. Wards,yes. BTW great job Tefler, ward is a much better word than Thrall. But a Lioness is on another level completely. The image of a “Lioness”, in Tefler,s world. Conjures up an image of a beautiful, intelligent, fierce women with extraordinary abilities capable of doing the

MJHSharkbait365

Thanks for letting me know. :-)

Tefler

Nice suggestions and well-spotted on the Nymph dialogue errors. I've fixed them now!

Tefler

SKS, With growing experience and continuous software improvements, the Boys were able to build three engines, a power regulator and to repair and rebuild the Valkyrie with minimal Avatar control of each unit. Indeed, they completely stripped and replated the Invictus armor with limited Avatar control. Their cumulative learning to date forms the basis of their management software's capacity to learn and grow. As the Boys become more capable of autonomous work, Faye's Avatars require less processing power to oversee and direct their performance. Furthermore, so far, during major combat, the Boys have not been used except in cases of hostile boarding (ninja assassins) or damage control responses (plasma fire on Deck Four). So, to me, adding twelve more increasingly autonomous maintence/repair Bots will be beneficial, not debilitating.

I comepletely agree. This deception seems unwise. The better course of action would have been to 'admit' her injuries were so close to death, the only way to save her was to "reverse the aging process" and make her younger. Rachel could take credit for enhancing her looks and claim it was a thank you to the woman responsible for getting the Invictus back in time to save Terra. Frankly, at this point, she has to be questioning if she'd rather be Fleet Admiral or simply remain a Lioness on board the Invictus.

Bigfoot

Though John is half-Terran, he does not see himself as their leader or representative. He likes to say he is just a guy who tries to do his part to do the right thing and to be helpful to the TF. He does feel loyalty to the TF based on his upbringing, military career and affection for Terrans, but he does not feel responsible for them and flinches at their overt adulation. He did not create the Lion persona for the TF. Lynette did that.

"...at him for turning off. "Hey, I was..." turning it off?

zingowner

Interesting theory. Jade's memory issues could be equivalent for nymphs as the Eldritch bloodline was for the Maliri. That would mean Jade was a matriarch as well as Valada, though. We know having more than one matriarch feels unnatural for progenitors, but MN was leaning away from tradition by the end, so who knows.

Roethan

Wedding dresses will probably be pink. Maroon and black won't set the right tone and everything else will clash, according to Calara and most likely Alyssa. Why was white out again? Cuz of the twins' hair? I don't think that would be so bad. But I'm a guy and fashion is not my strong suit.

Roethan

First, Olympus is a major military installation which constructs, repairs, and decommissions military craft. As such there are secure sections of Olympus that are there to keep civilians out (e.g. the Tyrenium ore processing plant). Since docking bay one is meant for Dreadnought class ship, it is highly likely that docking bay one is a restricted area to military personnel only. Second, while Olympus does allow civilian craft to dock and preform trades with the military and civilians it is highly likely that there are checkpoints between the sections. Since TFNN is a civilian organization they would need escort or proper credentials to enter those sections, like the first interview that John gave Jehanna after being given the Lions of the Federation medal. It is even pointed out that the press lesion to the Fleet Admiral needs to have special access set up to even enter the Citadel. Now in the public area that John, Alyssa, Rachel, and Faye were walking in post Battle of Terra, I see three possibilities. One, civilian traffic was restricted to allow for the nearby space to be cleared of debris. Two, everyone on station was too busy with repairs to approach the Lion for questions or thanks. Third, this larger than life hero just showed up on the station and people are intimidated to talk to him (I know I was the few times I've met actors...except Caroll Spinney he's cool).

That is a good point. As a formal marine himself, John would probably want to do more to protect the average soldier. So a slight boost to weapons and a significant boost to armor would be a good idea. Thinking weaker personal shields and a type of armor made from materials that don't require a psychic. Dana should be able to come up with some kind of alloy that's better than the original phalanx armor they used. Hell, he should have Alyssa and Dana get in contact with the armor and weapons he originally had. McCarran arms I think and I forgot the weapons company. More money for the orphan fund/trade station as well as improving the lives of grunts.

Roethan

Lynette using a hologram to hide reality is only a disaster waiting to happen. Things she can't do: Go out in rain,snow, smog etc. Laugh openly Make body contact with anyone Place herself in any place where there could be chances of electromagnetic or optical interferences.. Things I would like to know how she will manage; Clothes in her closet Visit to a doctor Sound based access Another question is just because Lynette looks old will Cladwell and other like him who fear Progenitor stop suspecting her intentions and not have his own faithfull men not keep watch on her. If they manage to prove the diception will it not cause irreversible damage to all done?

I would really like to know how Olympus does ensure there is no interaction of anyone on Olympus with Invictus and still all the material stocking and supply goes through. Think of today's celebrity situation!No paparazzi, hidden camera, exclusives? Also is the Terran holo network limited to TFNN ? Will no other news agency , Admiral's etc want to have an interaction with John and crew no matter how short the time spent on Olympus?

New Nymph's have been relegated to secondary role like Maliri women with the exception of Erdale, Tashana and Illirith.It makes sense as Tefler would have a difficult time developing their charector. By the way in her earlier memories Jade was the leader of her tribe and she was responsible for her girls.It was this guilt I think prompting Jade to look for remaining Nymph's and make them escape their masters at all cost. Jade was in a way trying to replace Nymph's master with John whom she found reliable. So was it that earlier when Progenitor who was master of Nymph's when he was alive Nymph's could manage their urges and when he was dead their psychic bond broke and became susceptible to human masters? Hmm I like that theory. Further Progenitor needed an evolved being to lead Nymph's so she was different from others.

Would love do be in for proof reading if it ever comes to it

MaydaysSin

Type faster!!!!

There is plan to increase robots managed by Faye however if she is constrained by tasks already as was proven in war on Terra how will that work?

In story all the tech transfer had been big guns,engines etc. However there has been no tech transfer done which will improve day to day life of an ordinary soldier or marine. Improved armour, trauma kit, communication equipment, target acquisition equipment etc the scope is big. Current items are toys for Admiral's to put on big ships, but for one on one combat soldiers will carry same equipment against thralls.Bizzare.

I am worried John is at a distance from the Terran's he represent.None of the Terran Federation soldiers who idolises him or his crew got to meet or interact with him.The kind of morale boost it would have given...Kind of like Terran Federation forgetting why Lion was made in the first place...

I noticed a couple of first-person pronoun uses by the new Nymphs, “Oh, lighten up, Helene,” Betrixa said rolling her eyes fondly. “Master’s a super guy, I knew he wouldn’t mind a bit of fun!” She hesitated and raised an eyebrow as she looked his way. Marika nodded, nuzzling into him affectionately. “I can’t wait until it’s this one’s turn, Master.” Don't know if it's deliberate or not as no-one seemed to comment on it so I'll leave it in your hands! Meanwhile on the first date, Claudine set the two plates down, her eyes darting to John. “Is the steak cooked to your satisfaction, Joh-... Sir?” I can't imagine the waitress using John's name like that, I'd have thought it much more likely to be his title, so Lio-. While on the subject of the meal, excellent though the whole date scene was, there was no mention of dessert or the bill being asked for. I feel pretty certain that on a normal first date not at least offering dessert would be a short cut to ensuring there was no second date!

ringill

Techomage like maybe??? I think the interesting element will be the melding of spirit which I sort of see as the link to the matriach network. Will Faye join the network or the choir and what if any power will she contribute to John?

TF4EVA

Oh and i would also love an update on how Jehanna is received back at work and how Charles and Lynette first date go in the next chapter.

Kalen Turner

Another great chapters Tefler, please keep up the great work. I have a wee request for you though, can we please see some serious bug stomping? I mean the close battles are fun in all but i would love to see John just fly in and kick ass without the Invictus being messed up. I just want a serious bug stomp. Let them build some better battle confidence, (no lone wolfs) and kick some bug ass. :) thank you

Kalen Turner

I was wondering what the affect of John's cum would be on electronics. The late, great Harlan Ellison said that for science fiction to be good it needed two things. First it had to have good science and second it had to be good fiction. So far Tefler has covered both bases. The organic/electronic joining will be the test of the science part.

Writer Mick

yes the avatar date debrief will be fun to listen into. When Faye tastes John's cum something will go 'wrong' then suddenly a whole new world will open up culminating in Fayes 'ring' ceremony and the opening up of new powers and personality.....

TF4EVA

I was hoping that there would be a little more between Faye and John on their date, or afterwards, I guess. Or is he waiting for her personality to develop to a greater depth?

Writer Mick

Smoke and mirrors - Lena to Henry (starts to solve his problem with the missus maybe) and in the distraction Lynette gets more of Charles' time and attention....

TF4EVA

Of course, Dawg. Tefler feeds us a steady diet of red herrings. I think I'm developing a taste for that delicacy.

Yeah, RE. I am sorry Henry did not make an appearance. Maybe next month.

Hi Telfer fantastic chapter as per usual. Wondering if there should be a short scene where Rachel says bye to her dad?

rich ed

A lot of fun in this episode. Still spent too much of it focusing on Lynette though... seemed to be wallowing in those emotions.

James Hârn

sorry can't resist.... sooooo many ideas that I agree with, want to happen and or stimulate my imagination. Then there are the questions....yes I agree Tef you are a good writer because you engage us. So what colour will the wedding dress be? What power(s) will Helene adopt? How is book 4 going? When will the Invictus Rex evolve? What will the name of the first baby be? Roll on the 107 catch up and scene setter....

TF4EVA

DD....the battle hymn might be significant or just a red herring , most people in a society know it's battle hymns , not just it's soldiers . I think it shows that Jade still has a lot to slowly revel teasing us with each discovery . The tape of the release of the nymphs had Jade way in the back of the room , I think if she had the significance you describe she would have been front & center , just my thoughts on that .

bigdawguw65

Great chapter cant wait till next one

Well, Dawg, if that is the Creator's strategy, it is working.

DD....lol..I think we must be having a mind meld or something :-) . If you remember she didn't seem to have these memories at first , they came as she settled in & was impowered by John , maybe the new additions will also recover theirs to once powered up by John .

bigdawguw65

I think something that has been glossed over with Jade's memory of Kythshara is why Jade has memories at all , unlike the other Nymphs . Is it a coincidence that the one nymph with memories ,especially of MN & Kythshara , "falls" into John's hands ? or is she the only one , maybe others exist out there somewhere scattered around by MN to led his heir back to his ancestrial home ? Was Jade like other nymphs before John claimed her ? only retaining her memories once she was found by a Progenitor ? Typical of our beloved (& hated..hehehe) Tefler a couple answers & hints & a ton more questions . I think he does it on purpose to keep us occupied until the next chapter .

bigdawguw65

Jade said she could remember everything from ten thousand years ago. Her first memory was the event when MN freed the Nymphs. She guessed that her memories before that event were erased by MN. She did not remember her original Cat Girl form, while the Sisters did, and could still shift into that form. But the Nymph Sisters only remember what has happened to them since they were claimed by John the night before -- all other memories of three centuries of slavery and sadistic masters, and eons living on Lenarra, are just gone. Why Jade is different and can remember MN, Lenarra, and each of her Terran masters, remains mysterious. John was shocked that she knows a Progen Battle Hymm. Maybe she used to join MN and his Thralls in combat, or she had a role in prepping Thralls for war. That she has a continuous thread of memory that extends to the present is quite fascinating. I wonder where this revelation will take Rachel's imagination?

I agree... he may well feel duped and misled in the long run

Looking at life as an immortal was a perspective I've not thought about. For that reason, I have a feeling Lynette will do just as Alyssa and she discussed (forge ahead with a life with Charles. Jehanna, not so much...). This brings up several questions - will Lynette need to inform Charles as to her immortality? Won't she have to turn off the holo-projectors when she is intimate with him? If so, how will she explain looking like a 20-year old supermodel? Will he be brought into the whole secret Lion situation? ----- I think John, Alyssa and Lynette should have sat Charles down and explained what was really going on with her change. At a minimum, they could have said it was the best way to heal her after her injuries but they should have prepared him. There is literally no reason to exclude Charles at this point.

Bigfoot

Doubling the number of Boys to twenty-four, and adding new routines to help build and maintain Dana's increasing range of tools and inventions will add deepening complexity to their roles. If their heuristic management software protocols are beginning to learn and behave in unprogrammed ways, will Faye recognize its potential to evolve into an independent AI?

Em the ship is the Invictus, not Invincible ... close but no cigar :)

Excellent chapter Tefler. Really well done character moments. Only thing that stuck out to me was that you didn't emphasize the goodbye between Jehanna, Irillith, and Tashanna at the end. Considering the hints at a connection between them, it might be worthwhile to add something there. Just and idea. Regardless, well done once again

ncamferd

Tefler, another great chapter, really enjoyed the last part! Their bond is becoming stronger all the time, and given another few months, they will truly be Invincible, like the name of their ship. Another good and more-subtle, break in the action. I used the just released Chapter 106 for this update on typos, minus a few already mentioned by others. Some of these are punctuation suggestions (i.e., the addition of comas), and if you disagree, then just disregard; I understand. They are as follows: page 4, third para from top; "From what we (learnt) from Nexus," (by changing this to "learned" you satisfy both American and UK English, otherwise it is only correct in UK English); page 27, third line from bottom, "(So,) Faye Primary runs your physical presence?"; page 45, second para from bottom, "then picked up an armour (plates) and began to carry it outside."; page 47, bottom half of page, "With a flick of her fingers she levitated the garment (bag ,)"; page 49, center para on page, "safe as riding a (kids) trike when I'm done."; page 64, third line, "then Alyssa rummaged (thought) one of her shelves"; page 70, bottom half of page, "who immediately pressed her lips against hers to stop her (panicing)"; page 70, next line down, "Cool, oxygen-rich air(,) filled Alyssa's lungs". Thanks for the great work, it made for a very enjoyable morning read. Cheers!

Secret Lionesses with potent personal shields that can stand against beams and slugs, with a DNA-locked, infinite repeater, compact laser pistol. Sparks Tech's best. What every Girl needs...

Lynette, but not Jehanna, is bonded with Alyssa (yet).

I do not think that the Boys, as discrete units, are becoming sentient or even self-aware. Individually, that capability was not built or programmed into them. Rather, it seems to me that the heuristic software coding that manages their routines and activities has become so complex that it is "learning" as well as exhibiting quirky unprogrammed responses to its experience and events. These responses seem to include a "sense of identity" and the concept of "play," as we saw in the friendly Alphonse and Gaston routine between the two bots at the hangar door. So, the maintenance software itself seems to be exhibiting patterns of responses that suggest burgeoning sentience of a nascent artificial intelligence and use of unprogrammed yet purposeful playful behavioral routines. While the Boys, despite their smiling faces, are still only tools, extremities, automatons.

What if the Zero-Point Regulator is a key component of a wormhole generator?

When Faye told John that she could levitate to the Shutlle instead of walking, was she joking or serious? This exchange piques my curiosity, again, about the yet-to-be revealed capabilities built into her chassis.

Bigdawg, John believes that MN is probably dead. That is how he was able to claim the Maliri -- his own creations.

Muninn, Dana will do a number on a Combat-capable Hover Bike design. She can change the cowling to CA armor, shaped more like an aerodynamic ovoid. Add heavy high-end shields, upgraded power core and engines, for speed and maneuverability. With high velocity, add gyroscopic controls and other safety features -- anti-crash and auto-evasion -- to enhance stability. Include air intakes to compress air to use as omni-directional thrusters controlled by multiple micro-processors, for high speed maneuvers, rapid changes of direction and vector. Install offensive pulse beam weapons recessed in the CA cowling for forward and rear target acquisition, target lock controlled by HUD. Crystal wind shield forms enclosed cockpit to blunt volatile wind impact at speed. Stabilizers with VI auto-pilot so that the driver can ride hands-free to use personal distance weapons and psychic powers. Flight mode to add high altitude capability -- for aerial targets -- to ground effect gravitics. An armored Lioness in control of a Combat Hover Bike will be more mobile, flexible and capable of rapid deployment on the battlefield. This system, with weapons recessed, can also be used as civilian personal transport.

fluffy chap :P love it

Good one, Tefler! Loved the ending and I'm excited to see what happens next! If John finds the "birthplace" homeworld, any plants to have him restore the Vulkat race using the soul forge? (Assuming that's what the genetic manipulation machine is called. ) Yeah...you're probably not going to respond to that question, but I'm still going to put it out there. :-) Thanks for another great read!

CJ Mora

annnnnnd now I'm waiting for 107......great chapter

B S

That was fun....

Muledrvr

Another great chapter!! just a couple of typos, apart from jade being spelt with two ee's, i found 3 more in the scenario of Alyssa, Helene and Jade underwater.

Nice chapter Tefler. I like all personal interactions between girls & John. I really wonder what path you will take about reveling all progenitor secrets. One question to you , Is Jehanna bonded with Alyssa?

Jedi...yes that last little revelation was great . I wonder if somewhere in the Vulkat fleet those relics still existed , we saw how resilient they were , couldn't be damaged by explosion or crashing into space ship , so they might still be floating around out there somewhere . Also the Vulkat archives might have any plans or conclusions reached by their scientists .

bigdawguw65

Fantastic chapter Tefler. Another masterpiece.

MJHSharkbait365

I really enjoyed the way Faye was so excited about all the new experiences on the date. That everything is new first time wow factor. I found myself trying to imagination what it must be like for her. Literally being unplugged from the ship for the first time.

MJHSharkbait365

Along with finding a wedding dress I wonder if they will follow the age old custom to make the bridesmaid dresses hideous to further make the bride more beautiful by contrast , don't think much could detract from their beauty . Also question of "Maid of Honor " guessing Alyssa & "Best man "guessing Charles but be hoot if Mad Johna made an appearance since he was the one who sent John on the path to his destiny & his woman .

bigdawguw65

Okay, that was good. Some very nice reveals, which of course raised even more questions in classic Tefler style. The end scene promises some very interesting developments in the future too. Looking forward to seeing them.

Jedi Khan

Very interesting revelation on the Maliri being John's Thrall race . I said a long time ago when it was discussed about LK trying to either take them away or forment a rebellion that it would be silly to have thralls changing sides in the middle of a battle to the nearest Progenitor & they must be lock into who ever created them . But this brings up a couple question mentioned in 106 . Is this proof Mael is dead ? or that by releasing Valada & not taking another Matriarch they were available or my favorite I've stated before , they reacted to John so strongly because he is Mael's heir ? Looking forward to the answer to that & so many other questions .

bigdawguw65

Yep, I was hoping for one of those.

MJHSharkbait365

That is a really great idea.

MJHSharkbait365

I found just a few spelling errors, and Jade's name spelled with 2 Es. Awesome chapter. The big date with Faye was awesome. Was a wedding dress found? You didn't really touch on that. If one was found then a bigger deal would have been made about it between the woman. I know that when my wife found her dress, she couldn't stop talking about it with her sisters. I would have to surmise that the same would be true among this crew of women as well. Just a thought for future reference. Keep up the good work. :-)

That ending was awesome! A great party and new upgrades! So what we should see is: Better maneuverability from the Null-Inertia Gyroscope Wayyyyyyyyyyyy more power from a Zero-Point Regulator Master level shields And a new BAMF BIG GUN Also, I love how the Bots are just casually becoming sentient in the background. I look forward to the Bot Bits and I'm hoping they become even more badass now that there are going to be more of them. Lastly, I think it's perfect that the Invictus will have a Med Bay instead of a Destroyer (even though that would have been fucking awesome lol). It really says a lot about what they stand for as opposed to Maelnerak.

That... was a very good chapter, thank you, Tefler.

Thanks Tef found this on page 3 John considered that for a moment. “I suppose he’d have to be... unless...." this should I think be * rather than " as he was in mind speak with Alyssa at the time.

Just need that immediate travel thing now to save time between destinations that would cut out much writing during travel time. I sound stupid but I couldn’t think of the name of the drive I was on about lol.

Jim lynch

I’m sure your just one of thousands Kim.

Jim lynch

Dedication that’s what you need. If you want to be the best. Lol.

Jim lynch

Now that’s unlucky buddy.

Jim lynch

Loved it all yet again and please read my comment below and answer my question if you can cheers tefler.

Jim lynch

Oh Christ that was one cracking chapter tef but you screwed up yet again by letting it end when will you ever learn that we all hate when they end can’t you just make them continuous please lol. I found the end very moving and emotional to say the least. You seem to have made leaps and bounds in your ability to write very believable moving scenes which I find fascinating your becoming a very accomplished author chapters seem to get better and better each time I read one. One last question I have I’m not sure it’s possible but can’t you get a computer program that coverts your voice into text making writing much faster ? I hope it’s possible it could cut down the wait between each new chapter. PLEASE REPLY TO EASE MY CURIOSITY TAHNKS TEFLER.

Jim lynch

Some sort of flying attack bike squad for the next fight? If that’s not already an anime of some sort it should be.

Muninn

Aah cliffhangers!!

Forbsey

You and those cliffhanger endings! lol always makin me estactic and impatient for the next chapter

Amount of info from just one picture! Vulcat queen has handed over a treasure trove. Happy Faye had her date. Carala's and Rachel's promotion was great too... Getting hoverbikes was nice can come handy later... I am greedy and wished more...😢 Need 107 fast.... Okay it is 5AM time to sleep...

A great, romantic tromp right after a major battle with major new insights to boot!

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

That ending... Damn, I do love Dana. :D

LunarLilith

Lovedit as always .... just one suggestion for the inevitable chapter reviews. It would be nice to see a scene where Faye has one of her 30 second meetings with her other avatars to reminisce about the date ;)

andrew finlayson

Once again you come through earlier than expected! THANKS!

Big Dude

Thank you ole Great One!

I haven't even read it yet i just know I'm going to love it.

Xantu Volo

Also, just finished reading, wow on so many levels.

Thanks! Perfect Friday night. Can't wait for the next chapter!

Kostas Koroneos

They're the best kind! ;-)

Tefler

A suggestion for the end of the chapter, have Admiral John Blake request orders from Fleet Admiral Lynette Deveraux. It will act as a final reminder that John does not have Puppet Leaders only allies. It will also pass on a note of confidence to the Fleet Admiral that she's in charge now.

Thanks for the tech porn cliffhanger you worthless bastard!!! (I mean that in a good way of course.)

Grimlakin

"You are on the edge of a breath-taking view..." An awesome location for a date with an AI.

John Jameson

Thanks a lot for those ones, fixed them now. :-)

Tefler

i mean this in a good way.... you bastard.... love the endiing

The last phrase of the last sentence. You're a damn bastard. You better already be working on 107. :P

I love, love, love this story! Did I mention that I love this story? You are a Master Tefler. Outstanding!

Hey Tefler, could you please check the message I've sent you on here a week or so ago? It is about a TSM translation to german. Thank you!

Dani Vega

Some more for you, Tefler. “You trust Helene don’t you, Alyssa?” Jadee teased -- should have only one 'e' in Jade. Also, this is awkward... 'Jade nodded to Helene and they swam up, the fins on their arms letting the quickly crest the surface.' -- Perhaps 'the' should have been 'them' although that still doesn't seem to flow as well as your usual prose. 'Jaded nodded, her expression serious.' -- Only one 'd' in Jade. :-) 'Alyssa said, rising unsteadily to her feed.' -- 'feet' rather than 'feed' in this case.

Evan

Can't remember where but you typed Jadee instead of Jade - a quick search will find it tho'. That chapter wraps up the latest Terra arc really nicely & we are getting to see lots of new Progenitor tech coming through at last ... great stuff Mr T :)

That is indeed what I meant, thank you!

Tefler

typo page 9: 'and slid the study, light-weight cylinder into his jacket pocket.' > sturdy (I think that's what you meant)

Good chapter

Steven Allen

Thank you Tefler!!! Now 107 is the catch up chapter, funny how the world works.

Thanks mate for such an awesome series. Digging in now to chapter 106.

thank you for all the hard work you do and for writing such an amazing saga

Thank you for all your hard work.

bigdawguw65

No. Or well, most likely not.

Sindre Bjørnhjell

Is this the final edited version?

Thanks

Can’t wait to get started - nowI will be lost to the world for some time. Thanks Tefler. 😎

Kim Biel-Nielsen

Thank Tef

More brains!

CharleyHorse

Finally! Thanks, Tefler. My blood pressure can return to normal, now.

Outstanding, just made my weekend!

Ooh-rah! Digging in now, thanks Tefler!

Thank you, Tefler, both for posting this up and for taking the time that you thought you should to make it the way you wanted to make it!

Evan

Awesome! Looking forward to that!

Dani Vega

cheers

Braw

Yahaaa..

Thanks Tefler.

Cignal

Who-hoo!!!

Timbo

Yay

Muledrvr

Third

Anthony Kester

Awesome

Second

Anthony Kester

Hell yeah! Thanks for the great work Tef!

First? Damn... beaten by Tef himself *sigh* lol

Oh, and sorry about the wait! I ended up writing a lot more than I thought to wrap up the final couple of scenes.

Tefler