Three Square Meals - Chapter 104

My bad, totally missed that character change!

Koa

Actually it was Faye speaking at that point: “Is Faye helping too?” Jehanna asked, glancing at the corrupted data fragment on the screen. The purple sprite flashed into existence beside them, her holographic image shaking her head. “I can’t even access the data!” she exclaimed, pouting in frustration. “My data ports....

Tefler

Came across this jarring inconsistency while reading: “My data ports are totally incompatible with whatever format the Vulkat use. We were very lucky that Irillith’s data crystal was even able to store the archive dump... that’s actually a very positive sign.” Irillith is the one speaking in this scene.

Koa

finally finished it, doc appointments and meds got in the way of my reading. I'll admit I was expecting a larger fallout from John's ultimatum, but this was wrapped up nicely.

DD..think your correct about stations & Valada , would make sense considering her fear of progenitors finding them . Watched a history special awhile ago about magnificent fort/towns built by Egypt to defend their borders against the Nubians I believe , later abandoned as their Empire shrunk . We see it time & again in human history , Empires expand to their maximum while in flush of energy & adventure & slowly recede as the become settled & defensive . AS you said , once the were powerful enough to discourge anyone entering their space (The Warning) they were unnecessary & a drain, Although just as a twist , they might have been started by Mael as trading posts between his separate creations & later repurposed by Valada as defensive post to cut off said same creations , fearing they would remember the Maliri & their role for Mael . It seems only the Maliri & Valada had such a negative reaction & fear , the Trankarans still worshiped him & although Ashanta didn't like the idea of being under a progenitor again didn't seem to hate them as much .

bigdawguw65

Outstanding, Bigdawg. Here's my take. I remember that those were defensive stations that Edraele would repurpose as trading posts. Before Ranagon's depredations, all of the neighboring space -- sans competitive empires -- was territory controlled by MN. I think Valada and her successors built them while things were still in flux after MN disappeared. Over the millennia, the Maliri fleets and weapons became so much more powerful than their neighbors, that they no longer needed them. A few were maintained as armed trading posts and for diplomatic engagements. Now the majority of them are mothballed surplus that was on their way to becoming relics as Maliri civilization was on its slow glide path to extinction. But with John's intervention, many things have been repurposed and the Maliri are fast becoming more powerful than ever.

DD...had to do some searching but found where Edraele firsts mentioned the outer stations & she said they were originally defensive stations that were repurposed to trading posts , not sure if they were put there by Mael or Valada when she drew back the Maliri to their space , they were designed as defensive positions & there seems to be one for all the surrounding empires & now that most are joining John the can be started up again as trading posts & Dana can help redesign them to her & Alyssa's ideas.

bigdawguw65

This chapter is outstanding with all these details coming to light. Extremely well done! Thanks!!!!

Arrowglass

Since the Trankarans were Mael's "miners" & metal experts I posed long ago that they might be the answer to the secret black metal of the Progenitor ships . Of course since Mael disappeared they haven't had his psychic power to make it but the plans or even his working model of a Soul Forge might be buried away somewhere forgotten after all these years . Or maybe the star forge is in reality a Soul forge but without the psychic element . When Dana & the rest go to help with the Kirrix , seeing it might trigger another leap in their arsenal .

bigdawguw65

What’s the changes?

FRsinewave

I updated the post with the FINAL version. :-)

Tefler

Ah well spotted thanks!

Tefler

I wonder if all the Lenarran Sisters developed Jade's shape shifting abilities, whether they could go into a fight with an armored and armed Lioness mounted on their backs as special combat teams? Jade Tiger Riders? Jade Hawk Riders? Jade Dino Riders? Jade Dragon Riders? What an image!

With so much curiosity about the Eshunu, I suspect they will play a part in LK's plans to weaken the Maliri. Even if the Eshunu are a vicious slaver civilization, they seem to have a healthy respect for the power of the Maliri. I think millennia of internal conflict have conditioned the Maliri to remove their vulnerabilities while pusuing new strengths. I think the Eshunu would bite off more than they can chew with the combined Maliri fleets led by John and Edreale -- and goaded by Tashana's desire for revenge. So, as in earlier cases, LK's effort to destabilize various species to weaken John led to their resurgence, stronger than before.

I wonder if Jade's crystal heart has grown in size with all the power John's been pumping into her.

I wonder if Jade

The Drakkar are creations of MN; a sloppy, rush job done under the pressures of losing a war. He made them as an expendable, one purpose, berserker which he was not very proud of. Their mating habits and their pod mothers are probably far from attractive to John. What on Terra would he do with an enhanced pod mother in a male dominated warrior species?

Señor da Silva, excellent post. The Legacy was MN's Flagship. We do not know if the nearly indestructible black armor used was unique to this one ship or not; nor that the black Thrall ships had the same armor. The black armor LK gifted to the Drakkar was not the same as it was vulnerable to the beams and cannon of the Invictus. It makes sense that examples of MN's ship armor must have survived elsewhere. Armor plating for space stations often use similar materials as warships. However, I doubt that Genthalas, deep within the protection of Maliri Space, needed such defensive armor. I doubt that the mothballed stations Edraele will provide for trading posts were built by MN, who does not impress me as a free trade kind of guy. I suspect they were built after MN disappeared when the Maliri rebuilt their defenses against the universe before they withdrew from outside contact. If so, the space stations are unlikely to be made of MN's strongest ship armor. However, Tashana, the archaeologist, is probably best positioned to discover the location of a surviving Progenitor ship production facility or cache of technology and weapons.

@Heinz Molck, even comments seemed to be not getting updated. Thanks God, Tefler is finishing next chapter and my account is not locked!

Sushant Bhartiya

Alyssa made Faye a Lioness uniform. Did she and Dana also make her a Paragon suit?

Jade's Crystal Heart is not an muscular organ made for pumping blood. Indeed, Nymphs do not have any blood. That crystal seems rather to be used to pump psychic energy and potential to Jade's immortal shape-shifting body. What if Dana's study of crystals via the Vulkat Archives gave her insights into how Jade's heart works that she could apply to new inventions based on Eternity Crystals. So, in light of other posts speculating on the properties of Eternity Crystals, I can imagine Dana using them to pump, focus and intensify psychic potential through various devices to augment the powers of the Lionesses.

John worries that LK would be able to drain the Girls of psychic energy. That would not apply to Faye. She is not vulnerable that way. In close proximity, that can be a very big surprise.

Trankaran Miners use star forges to process metals from volcanic planets and asteroid belts to build their Brute Architecture, and to construct their ships of space. The forge is such an iconic emblem for them that it takes on religious significance in their lore -- as they were created in the Maker's Forge.

Jade is fully capable of impersonating the appearance of another person as she did with Dana and Helene. If a mission called for surreptitious reconnaissance into a hostile location, no doubt she can do that. I suspect that as the final conflict looms, Jade and her Sisters will be an unexpected surprise force for all but the Terrans. Her dragon form was armored against beam and kinetic weapons, and her lightning blasts disrupted electronic systems and melted their armor. Her claws could cut through titanium and she could break through armored portals. She was able to survive multiple point blank rounds of ship-based cannon. Her mobility and strength, if the Sisters were similarly capable, would make the Nymphs the ultimate shock troops -- just as Buckingham and Weber believed and feared.

Huzzah!!!

Eny one care to speculate how that may or not influence dana's research on the dark aloy and subsequent implementation? I kant believe there is not a single infrastructure left from Mael that john kan either use or refit or something in the near future. Correct me if im wrong but genthalas starport in Maliri space is a relic from Mael no? Ii understand that 10000 years is a lot... but thech and infrastructure should outlast a ship no? How is it that the legacy made it and we dobt have forges like the ones Len mentioned John should have? I belueve he must have them just not be awere of it. Be it in Maliri or Trankaran Space..... there is another isue i havent seen no one touching.... were the Drakar not a Mael's creation? Like the Miners, the Favorites and the Greys? If so what the hell are they waiting to make the conection? They saw on the archives from valada that maelnerak had created the drakar and used them. Now the ashanath have some sort of agreament with them... ok.... but its high time that a more profound aliance is struck with them.... who knows what lost infrastructure may be found in drakkar territory ... one last consideration.... Maliri fleets leaving Maliri borders.... Enshunu and the Achonin station of the Underworld... does eny one see a massive batle in maliri space while john is in brimor or liberating the trankarans from the kirriks or later in kirriks teritory?

Ricardo Miguel Pereira da Silva

I just checked, its at the end of ch.94. It refers to star forges not soulforges.

Shane

Question for the masses. Is it me or was there a mention by the trankarans when Niskera took over about firing up the soulforges? I believe i recall something like that.... please advise oh wise ones....

Ricardo Miguel Pereira da Silva

Another nice little click on the odometer. Congratulations on reaching 2100 Patrons Tef!

Timbo

Grammar edit: "“We’re friends and allies, that’s all,” John said firmly. “If he seemed grateful, it’s because we saved his homeworld from destruction from a Drakkar invasion fleet.”" I believe the better grammar may be "...his homeworld from destruction by a Drakkar invasion fleet." ...unless this is yet another "divided by a common language" thing again.

GrandPaM

I'm excited for the potential future scene of Jade using her unrestricted shapeshifting powers to go undercover, impersonating someone else. Like the Mystique character in X-Men. I half expected her to use that to infiltrate Tartarus as Admiral Weber, but instead she went full Godzilla!

Any update on the next chapter?

DTC

Dana was not her name on Karron; she was called Sparks. She does not look like a pale, diminutive, undernourished Worm Girl anymore. She looks like a statuesque, bronzed bikini model. Sparks was not a tech genius; she was a gunsmith enslaved by a gang. Unless she makes all these points in her interview, not even her gang controllers, who knew her best, would recognize the unscarred, charismatic, auburn-haired beauty as their lost, tiny, timid, spikey-haired, Sparks.

;-)

No, but there have been a century of periodic tensions, raids and clashes as they established relative parity militarily. What did the Deep Lord want from John in exchange for Brimorean shield tech? The Callopean Shoals.

I just noticed a possible problem, "Helene’s people are the descendants of Terran colonists that were taken prisoner on the Callopean Shoals during the first Brimorian war". This statement about a First Brimorian War inplies that there was a Second Brimorian War. I don't recall a Second Brimorian War ever being mentioned at all.

Update with respect to what?

Heinz Molck

Re-reading Chapter 104 makes me wonder if the interview that will occur with Dana will bring her parents out of the wood work. Like that movie "Lion". The kid became lost from home and couldn't find their way back till they became an adult. Not sure how I would feel about Dana's parents coming into the story like that.

Hi Tefler, I am not seeing any update over here: is my account locked?

Sushant Bhartiya

BigDude....interesting line of inquiry , since we only know of John adding many girls (the 3 feedings) into a deeper connection to his Matriarchs , he might be the only one to have these trips(nightmares) . He did have one when ProJohn was in charge , after Irillith I believe , & it might have been a peaceful one where things were explained to him . If you remember the next trip started out friendly until the Psychic Lord realized John was back in control . Maybe this was why LK thought John was following the Progen play book enslaving the Maliri & was amazed he hadn't built his soul Forge & starting building his thrall fleet . These "nightmares" might be really different experiences if your playing along . John's unique birth rather than creation (if that is the way Progenitors come into being) is so unique maybe LK & the psychic being don't know what to make of him & is the reason he hasn't just wiped him out yet . A lot of questions for us to wait for the answers .

bigdawguw65

Remember how Irillith thought someone was following her in one of her hacks? Don't remember where she was though.

Big Dude

I had a thought ladies and gentlemen. How many times has John been in the astral psychic realm? Many! How many times has Larn'Kelnar been in there? Prolly none or one. So Psychically speaking now, John should easily overpower his PJ Guide when Tefler decides to let him loose. Hence if and when John meets Cousin Larn, John should be way more powerful. John can't fight Cousin Larn without his PJ Guide. One would think the two have to merge just as Athena and Alyssa merged. Just my eight farthings!

Big Dude

Does LK's Flagship and Thrall ships have computer data cores that can be hacked by Irillith and Faye? Hear me out... Maybe Melkadian was not lied to. Maybe Baledranax was told by LK that the Vengeance of Hera could not be hacked like the Invictus did to the traitor dreadnaught at Regulus in the Dragon March. Maybe LK thought he had patched over that vulnerability with his own Progenitor tech or software. But... What if he was unaware that Irillith used a psychic bridge rather than an electronic assault for her digital intrusion? If so, he might be vulnerable...

Just 102 would have been fine, but thank you!

Daniel Polster

Three Square Meals Ch. 102 John felt soft fingers brushing against his leg, the touch gentle and inquisitive as those fingertips explored his muscles. The girl caressing him was hesitant at first, then grew bolder, a second hand joining the first in caressing his thighs. Glancing down he spotted a purple elfin face looking up at him with an expression caught between excitement and arousal. “It’s time to wake up,” Faye whispered, sitting back and letting her hand glide down his leg as she withdrew. He carefully untangled himself from Rachel and Alyssa, then crawled down the bed to join the sprite. “You were taking considerable liberties considering we haven’t even been on a first date yet,” he said quietly with a playful smile. “I’ve been more than willing,” Faye teased him. “I’m just waiting for you to ask me...” -- Three Square Meals Ch. 103 “John...” the soft voice murmured, penetrating his subconscious. “Lilyana wants to speak with you...” He opened his eyes and found himself looking up at a dazzling view of the stars, the crystal dome in the Observatory so clear he could have been floating out there in the black. The next realisation was that he was buried under a pile of girls, with his ravished harem sprawled over him on the oval bed. They’d all been especially loving and affectionate after the orgy, wanting to be as close to him as possible as they dozed off for a nap. He craned up his neck to look over the tangle of lithe limbs and saw Faye’s cute elfin face light up in a grin. “I would have preferred to give you a more tactile wake up call,” she said with a giggle, her luminous eyes roaming over the sea of luscious flesh. “But I couldn’t actually reach you under the girls!”

Was the morning wake up scene removed or am I thinking of a different chapter?

Daniel Polster

That makes good sense, Forbsey. Eternity Crystals are psychically active. Psychic energy is required for their growth. Dana uses them mostly to focus the intensity of the beams for her energy weapons. But as the Girls practice stretching and testing the boundaries of their powers, they might find novel applications for them. If they can use eternity crystals -- whether on a headband, staff, gauntlet, vambrace, of other device -- to focus and augment their psychic powers, they move well beyond LK's Thralls in potential.

Thought: Remember the staff that a progenitor held mentioned in the murals? The eternity crystals could be used as a catalyst to focus psychic power or efficient use of power. Gotta love RPG fantasy.

Forbsey

I would think such a device would have to be a cranial implant of some type in order to work. The reason being that unless the individual is already a telepath, they have no way of sending their thoughts to the device, nor would they be able to receive the signals from the device unless the device was somehow capable of a targeted "wireless" broadcast. I say targeted because it wouldn't be a good thing for everyone in the vicinity to hear a message that is only intended for one person.

Jedi Khan

Once Dana devises a psychic communicator, it would not be too difficult to miniaturize a telepathic communicator based on the Ashanath and Bolon translator devices. Then she can make a mind-machine interface that allows for instantaneous mental communications with those Alyssa has not yet bonded with. A creative application of this tech could potentially allow for the whole Crew to maintain long distance communications directly with Faye and each other.

TEFLER, please settle my above question, as I figured had already been asked and answered by you?

Jade may have brought Helene into the group but it was not without Alyssa's knowledge. Additionally, Alyssa is John's Matriarch. So in the natural pecking order, Jade is bonded with Alyssa and so is everyone else. That being said; Jade's sisters may become bonded to both Alyssa and Jade being that they already possess telepath abilities. Jades sisters only having to be with John once to form a bond, but if you get four juiced up Lenarrans (Nymphs) together they may become a compass used to locate the others. Or that's my two cents in reference to the above question.

oldman64

Likely, Alyssa was the choice at the time. My guess is that since Helene was on board Invictus before John asked Jade to be his third matriarch Helene just defaulted over to Alyssa.

The idea of using powerful VI's to run maintenance bots would be a game changer on Olympus (or any shipyard). Strip and replace armor, upgrade and repair weapons, and remove damaged sections of superstructure are all tasks that seem simple enough for a VI to run. Preforming the calibrations of fire control, power distribution, adjustments of shield output would all likely need a trained human technician to preform those tasks. In addition, getting the VI powered maintenance bots to build superstructure (repetitive tasks) you could provide them basis blueprints to build the new layer for Olympus at a rate only limited by incoming materials and the availability of mass fabricators.

I am sure it was asked and answered, but would someone tell why Helene bonded with Alyssa and not Jade or both? Jade was who found her and saved her, so I would think it would be more likely.

Tashana found the Progenitor hacking deck on one of her archaeological digs which she gave to Irillith -- who experimented with it to learn how to create AI virtual assistants. Faye was the last of hundreds of AIs that Irillith created to support Edraele's many schemes and need for Intel on her enemies. All others she destroyed after their use. Faye, broke the hacking deck so Irillith is unable to make any more AIs. Dana does not understand the process for creating AIs like Faye, making her unique in the galaxy. If Dana and Irillith learned to recreate or emulate that process, new not-Faye AI virtual programs can be generated for other uses aboard the Invictus, or for sale to others. There is danger in the idea of selling advanced AI software that requires positive reinforcement and nurturing during its earliest stages of growth and learning to prevent them from going rogue or becoming homicidal. They could develope powerful VIs, rather than AIs, to run robot constructs, vessels and stations.

Thanks for the great chapter Tefler, please make half of the next one devoted to those poor neglected Nymphs. Oh, and let's have Faye deliver an in depth history lesson on the Enshunu to Helene. Those admirals fell in line pretty quickly, John needs to keep them all busy so they don't start plotting against him. I liked Alyssa and Jade telling John they accept all of him. Great foreshadowing for his confrontation with progenitor John. The tech advancements in this chapter were exciting, I'm more looking forward to gaining access to Vulkat communication and engineering capability than the Q flux cannon. It's only a secondary weapon to a true progenitor's ship after all. Will the Kintark soldiers on Terra be returned too? It would be a nice gesture to the new empress before the Terrans take all their nice planets away.

I'm sure that between Dana and Irillith, they can get rid of that pesky lag issue to allow for smooth conversation.

Jedi Khan

Any word on what Tefler is doing next? Another chapter or Ebook? After editing of course

Forbsey

I've got a bit more editing to do, but it'll just be a few word changes... no more new scenes.

Tefler

Is there a final scene coming for ch 104 or this it for this chapter?

DTC

I am not sure if you have seen the daily space comic Schlock Mercenary before or not.  It goes back years <a href="https://www.schlockmercenary.com" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.schlockmercenary.com</a> Their heavy armor is interesting as they have semi-autonomous weapons, physical shields and energy shields that clamp on and then can seperate to function in a firefight.  example: <a href="https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2017-11-14" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.schlockmercenary.com/2017-11-14</a> Perhaps this is what is needed to combat waves of Kirrix or Thralls...

Tefler - John said Alyssa had only used her abilities in the Underworld and Tartarus to give the bad guys a red glow, but didn't she also use it at the assassins' fortress to to negate their stealth suits?

Dave2282

True singularity cannons, literally projects a gravity field into the enemy ship that causes it to stress and buckle under physical stresses of its own weight. Possible combo tech with wormhole generator?

I got to thinking recently: what would be the Progenitor upgrade to the Singularity Driver? I thought it would be the Quantum Flux Cannon based on Dana's explanation of how that weapon works, generating a vortex in the firing chamber without a containment field, but that apparently isn't the case since Dana is replacing the Heavy Cannons with Quantum Flux Cannons. Again, what could the Singularity Drivers be upgraded to? And why hasn't Dana given them the Quantum upgrade like she did the Gauss Cannons?

Jedi Khan

Thing is, what if those ships don't have the space for a living crew? They were designed to be AI ships, so maybe they're lacking in creature comforts such as living quarters, hallways, life support, etc? If that's the case, those ships will require very extensive refitting before they can be pressed into service, unless the team is okay with leaving behind a server for Faye (or some version of her) to operate from that will allow for the Nexus fleet to be controlled. But yes, I agree, those Nexus ships should eventually be considered for refit and fleet service at some point.

Jedi Khan

Our collective glances seem to constantly slide right by the Nexus Fleet. Even if TF sailors consider them taboo or cursed, they are perfectly space worthy vessels. To upgrade them with all the new tech at hand would not take a long time. Charles should factor them into his refit schedule as a matter of priority to bring them up to parity with Dacres's fleet.

Since the idea of space station trading posts was raised, I have advocated for a major role for the Voss Corporation. I can see his conglomerate of businesses performing a range of contracts from station administration and station maintenance, to trade negotiations/arbitration and vending of technologies, luxury products, ores, fashions, foodstuffs, and more. Dana could collaborate with his R&amp;D division to exploit her patents as well as new designs, materials, technology and concepts gleaned from the Vulkat Archives. Rachel, Irillith and Faye have developed medical breakthroughs and defensive cyber software systems that would be in high demand. Voss Corp could even take over Dana's design concepts for maintenance bots that could stimulate whole new industries and markets.

Nice addition Tefler. I hope you don't have to change too much later in the chapter to avoid continuity problems.

Muledrvr

I really want them to go back to underworld so they can investigate that species technology. Because I think the more not progenitor technology they get the better off they are.

Nathaniel Wolf

It's been stated that once Dana places a rune, there is almost no upkeep cost to keep them going. This was mentioned when Alyssa tried to shape some Crystal Alyssium that Dana had put runes on, and try as she might, Alyssa couldn't do a thing to the metal despite putting pretty much her full power behind it, while Dana felt no power draw at all as her runes thwarted Alyssa's full power.

Jedi Khan

Given that all three of them are heads of state, the odds of the three of them meeting in person are rather high, especially when the alliance between the empires is formalized with a ceremony or some such.

Jedi Khan

FLynette, as Fleet Admiral, will be a very public personality. She will attend public events, leadership conferences and appear in many interviews, such as with Jehanna. Her image will be ubiquitous throughout every household and institution of the TF. If her appearance began to change, no matter how subtle, the public record will reveal that right away.

I'm pretty sure it's common knowledge that the Ashanath are psychic. I believe John mentioned it back in the early chapters when the Ashanath were first introduced.

Jedi Khan

With Dana getting better with her runes, wouldn't it be cool for her to put them on people? I could totally see her putting Rachel's tattoo back, only this one has a build in shield, or something along those lines. Obviously, keeping all those runes active on everybody would be taxing but Rachel and John would probably get one as her main loves.

Roethan

They've already seen the weapons in action a couple of times: first on Khalgron against the Kirrix, then again on Terra. Of course, that's probably not quite the same as seeing the weapons up close and personal, but it's still more than what has been seen of the armor.

Jedi Khan

There have been two updates, at least. The first one added to the final scene at the end of the chapter and expanded upon the scene with Ularean's call, adding some follow up dialog to it. This second update adds an entirely new scene, which is marked by the #.

Jedi Khan

If John leaked cum on his keyboard, would it shake its asterisk at him?

Potentially one of two viable Crown Princesses.

not a native english speaker, but i seem to remember from school its an when followed by a word starting with a vowel sound.....

TargetDrone

"One was a an exquisite blue-skinned...." was an?

zingowner

Am I the only one who thought Lenett's complete miss on the fact a Miliri Princess Reagent is one of John's crew was hilarious?

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

Have to disagree there, T, I'm afraid. I saw the Charles/Lynette thing coming, and think it's perfect, and positive for the story. I also understand Tef's point about character duplication in his 'on board' lionesses, which this would tend to have led to. Agree about the beautiful chapter though - it was lovely to start with, and the additions have raised it even further IMHO. Cheers Tim

Timbo

This was a fantastic chapter with all the character development and a clarifying sequence with the admiralty. A question though, did you only post one update to the chapter (#) ? I thought I saw two but only found one section with a #.

Great chapter, Tefler! I haven't had a chance to read all the comments yet, but had a thought: about 40 chapters ago John and the crew were talking as about building space stations in Maluri territory...now that the TFed is expanding Olympus, any chance the supplier is going to be someone we know? If Dana and Alyssa have done their homework, they might be able to offer state of the art designs at a decent price. Rachel's dad could build them. Hmmmmm...

CJ Mora

Thanks Andrew! I've fixed that in the newly uploaded version.

Tefler

Well spotted! I've fixed it in the master copy.

Tefler

No problem, I'm really glad you liked it. :-)

Tefler

Thanks John! Yes, there's quite a bit going on, especially in terms of the long-term future for the Terran Federation. :-)

Tefler

Thanks! It was interesting working on a lot of character focused scenes.

Tefler

Thanks for spotting the typos! John took his helmet off at the start of the scene with Dana (so they could kiss). While John was still with Jehanna, Alyssa contacted him via telepathy and said: *Dana wanted a bit of help with the repairs whenever you’re ready. She said to bring your sword and wear a Paragon suit...* The two girls had already discussed the plan to have John hack bits of the damaged ship apart.

Tefler

This is a beautiful chapter, Tefler. I'm kinda bummed that there doesn't seem to be more coming for Lynette and John but maybe that can still change.. Now back to waiting impatiently for the next chapter!

Lynette faced the unsettled admiral and said, “We’ve been presented with a golden opportunity to discount three empires as threats to the Federation. I intend to capitalise on this to refocus out espionage efforts on genuine threats, like the Brimorians.” Should be 'our' instead of 'out'.

andrew finlayson

“No. They’re been almost completely ineffective,” Lynette said sharply.

Just found this:

With all the changes - this is really an outstanding chapter. So many pieces snap into place very very good - thanks😀

Kim Biel-Nielsen

Just read the additional scene, it works very will to balance this out. Thanks for the addition Tefler.

Great ideas John Early! If Faye is full of his cum...has a physical connection with him when they go into or are drawn into the astral plain...with all the eldrich power and energy used...who is to say that Faye is not able to interact and draw on the astral monsters energy to a scale never before seen as they are expending it in attacking...that the unique circumstances might not create a sentience for her unlike anything ever seen as no one seems to know the true extent and reach of Progenitor powers! I was just reading an article about advances in computer processing speed with a new pulse laser technology what could in crease speed a million times...mind boggling! Think of the possibilities for Faye.

Arrowglass

These changes really add to the story and fill in some important gaps. I think that this chapter is one of the more important ones plot wise and was really well done.

palisade

It seems that Charles and Lynette will get to see the armor equipping frames in the next chapter.  Will they get a demonstration of the weapons?

You've made this chapter quite fun! It gives the characters... Character. :)

Donovan Gibson

Very nice addition. And a fun chapter.

DCM

I did another round of editing and added another scene with Lynette meeting Tashana and Helene for the first time. Search for a # symbol to find the beginning of the scene! :-)

Tefler

John and his crew has not discovered how new species could be made by Progenitor. Once they do, it could be of use to raise a family for Vulkat queen.

John did make it so one of his blue babes could dive into the cyber realm. Who is to say that some form of the opposite isn't possible.

Cody Strong

Just thinking: Wouldn't it be interesting if, when John finally makes love with Faye that his cum actually has an effect. It could surprise everyone by creating some type of techno-organic bond with him and Alyssa. After all who knows what the limits of a Progenitor's abilities really are anyway and a self aware program is just another type of life. If an astral plane creature can manifest itself physically then who's to say a Progenitor can't bond with an AI. Just sayin'

palisade

Thanks for the info!

Arrowglass

It's been finished for a couple days. Just download the file again. Tef also added to some other scenes so it's well worth rereading the chapter

palisade

Any ETA on the ending being added ?

Scruples44

Some were destroyed certainly but remember that at Regulus the Kintark had several fleets which were large enough to go up against (and possibly defeat) four Terran fleets. Only the Lion's arrival prevented their victory. There were 200 or so Kintark vessels that surrendered. I doubt if even a quarter of them were destroyed at Olympus so there should be between 100-150(ish) ships remaining.

palisade

On a different note, in the High Command meeting Charles suggests offering repatriated crews AND SHIPS captured after the Battle of Regulus back to the Kintark to police what will be left of their empire after the TF takes control of what they want. Lynette thanks Charles for that excellent suggestion. Correct me if I am wrong, but weren't those same ships used in the defense of Olympus by accelerating them to hyper warp into the attacking Praetorian Guard ships...destroying both? The Kintark commander laments such an ignominious end to the once proud ships! In chapter 100 it did not sound like there was much of the Regulus Fleet left.

Arrowglass

Regarding the Kintark: I went back to look and Vilandrith is only mentioned twice. It is implied that she was left in command during the invasion but Baledranax only stated that he was in communication with her. He also remembered her as being violent when they mated. So she is perhaps his Queen (she is obviously a dragon) and has some degree of control in his absence. It is possible she could take the throne since Kindralax is dead. It is also possible that TF information is not up to date and she has produced a clutch of offspring. She is not referred to as a Regent but if she and big BD did have offspring she could certainly claim a Regency if not the throne outright.

palisade

I imagine he will if the opportunity arises. Maybe at the wedding? Jehanna especially.

palisade

Although I agree with you, they were pretty excited about the Quantum Flux Cannon so introductions most likely slipped his mind. Besides, at that point it was still possible (if unlikely) that someone other than Lynette could be named Fleet Admiral. I'm already anticipating the first meeting with Lynette, Edraele and Niskera (and maybe Ularean) and maybe later a meeting with all of them plus a Kintark representative and maybe someone from the minor empires as they formalize the alliance. (although that one might be many months from now)

palisade

John should have introduced Lynette to Ularean. That was a squandered opportunity that should be retconned.

Should John introduce Lynette to Edraele and Niskera? After all, they have a lot in common.

Should John introduce Maria to Lynette and Jehanna as his Secret Lionesses? Or is that secret too sensitive for him to share with even Maria?

Just a suggestion, in ch 96, Charles had a conversation with Admiral Dacres where he mentioned the new Power cores did not rely on deformable alloys. A nice bit of continuity would be to have Charles have an Ah Ha moment seeing Alyssa shaping the armor and connecting it with the Ashanath deformable alloys and realizing the Ashanath must be psychic also.

Frostfyre

Tashana already is a history geek Team lacks pure researcher of science be it mathematics, material, physics, biosciences etc. Most of the girls are application oriented. Currently learning to make goodies always cum from John. We could have backup with clear research and learning focus providing design inputs.Would be fun. We have girls covering below disciplines: engineer ( Dana) , Coder ( Illrith), UI and App designer (Robots and avatars of Faye), Medical and Genetic expert (Rachel), Legal (Sakura),Navigation (Jade and Alyssa), Business and Psychology (Alyssa) , Finally history (Tashana) Battle field management and predictive analysis (Carala)

They could code the holo projectors to slowly reduce Lynette's apparent age until it reaches her post change appearance. Then have jehannia waiting with a preplanned exclusive when people start to notice. They could then state that she seems to have had a unexpected reaction to medical treatment aboard Invictus, implying Rachel's powers did it. Maybe it was the extent of lynnette's wounds, or the fact that she's older than nearly every other patient the Angel of Terra has publicly healed. Maybe an interaction with some unethical thing Weber and Buckingham did to her while she was comatose (otherwise, why put her in Tartarus). Maybe its just something unique about how Lynette's DNA reacted with Rachel's powers.

I believe I read someone mentioning that Helene might become a mathematician but reading the chapter I'm struck with the idea that she could become 'the' galactic historian, able to piece together events that happened back 40 thousand years or more, depending on how far back the history goes in John's third helix.

One thing, when considering possible solutions for the Abandoned, continues to bother me -- the size of the population and their unsustainable population growth rate. I winced when John promised Helene that she could have as many children as she wants to. She is conditioned to want one every two years, or so. For an immortal, that is a daunting prospect. If Helene is to model the life of the Liberated Abandoned, she will have to promote family planning among others who are similarly conditioned. We do not know how many water worlds there are in the Callopian Shoals; whether the Abandoned require aquatic environments or could live on land; or any other conditions or restraints that exist that high growth rates will only exacerbate. One thing for sure -- population growth rates have to be radically reduced. In our own experience with women-centered development, the most successful family planning strategies prioritize the education of women and girls. In this manner, they realize themselves that with fewer children, they can greatly improve the opportunities of each of them, individually. That may be a difficult transition to make, but as they see how other Terran households are organized, the advantage of smaller families becomes apparent. Additionally, the end of their servitude to the Brimorians eliminates the motive for high population growth rates. They will also have to modify the social conditioning. It is important that they quickly shift away from viewing personal esteem and prestige In terms of how often they give birth, to pursuing personal careers, developing skills, participating in the arts -- just like all their fellow Terran citizens.

It would be nice to see Calara and Sakura have a training duel with swords in her father's dojo or the back yard. Sakura, anticipating possible threats as Calara's personal protector, probably had Dana install frames for Paragon Armor on the Raptor. Calara could use Jack's katana if she did not have her own. Sakura brought along her twin ninjato. Maria could watch and see how capable the Girls are at their lethal combat sports and gain new insights into the Crew. Since Maria has their full trust, they might even duel while using their psychic powers.

Exactly, Dawg. The 'bodysculpt' story-line that Sajith suggests above squares the circle nicely. Known technology, you go elsewhere for it so John &amp; the girls don't get drawn in, and such an accounting does not have (as far as we know) inherent weaknesses - unlike the current holo-projector 'fix'. The sooner they do this and abandon the holo-projector thing the better, IMHO. Otherwise they run the risk of Lynette being 'outed' at a moment not necessarily of her choice.... The line would be they used the holo-projector to give the bodysculpt time to settle in, but now it has she's decided to 'come out' to the world. Unfortunately she now sees the chance of using this to 'test' Charles in some way (IMHO it was a dumb suggestion, I'm with Alyssa on that) so I'm hoping our mischievous imp par excellence finds a way of letting Charles see the real deal before Lynette can continue with her plan - maybe at the other end of Tef's mini-cliffhanger at the end of this chapter.

Timbo

Very true Timbo , she's already treated numerous female patients without the "beauty" upgrade &amp; it would smack of special treatment to the privileged few...not something she or John want to encourage . Up till this time they have kept John's girls particular perks under wraps to keep them from being flooded with new applicants to join the crew &amp; I can only imagine the line up of rich &amp; famous &amp; spoiled ladies . wives , &amp; daughters wanting them.

bigdawguw65

What a tangled web we weave..... Rachel would then need to have an excuse for not doing this for other deserving cases that would no doubt pop up if this explanation for Lynette's youthful appearance (if it was revealed) became widely known...

Timbo

It has been, for a couple of days now! That comment from Tef related to the first 24hrs after initial posting...

Timbo

I'm wondering why Lynette is continuing to hide her features. Everyone now knows about Rachael's tremendous healing abilities, could Lynette not say that her new looks are a gift from Rachael. To Charles she could say that Rachael's ability at youthful regeneration works better on females which is why she looks younger than Charles.

When can we expect the last scene to be completed?

Malthe Mørk Mejlby

Still waiting for Alyssa to make her own floating dock for trading and repair with different species.It was supposed to give retirement benefits. 😁

Tefler: that sent a shiver down their spine. --her spine when she head Jehanna groan in response.--heard Do you think your boys handle that?”--can handle lower layer that housed hundred of docking bays allocated for civilian usage---hundreds Lynette looked at the number audience, each of them still---members of her audience? When he reached the backs of her knees, she cried out with pleasure, turning to bite a pillow as she writhed at his gentle caress. By the time he ascended to her athletic thighs and started massaging those powerful muscles, she spread herself wantonly for him, her hips hunching with need as she moaned with desire. ---backs of knees suggests she is on her stomach but then he enters her in the misionary position...confusing. They had a quick kiss, then John turned to look back at the Invictus’ plasma scorched stern. “So what’s the plan on the repairs? I assume there’s a reason you asked me to bring my sword...” John still had his helmet on. Glancing at him over her shoulder, Dana nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah, that’s a great idea! I was going to get you to just drop the busted bits on the docking bay deck, but that would’ve made a hell of a mess!” While we can assume Alyssa spoke to Dana, too....it is not mentioned. A little incongruent.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

hmm... anyone else thinks john allready met the new kintark empress? i wouln't be suprised she could get her claim to the throne... after all, so far she is the only one of her family that dealt with john and survived :p

TargetDrone

Several thoughts: 1) I am unusually saddened by the death of Jayanti Mishra. I have come to the conclusion that this is because she is the first (that I can think of) female character of any significance who wasn't in opposition to John &amp; company that has died. 2) The one upgrade that John hasn't given anyone is weaponry. With the caveat that the Invictus should maintain superiority the other allied races will need everything they can get to go against a fleet(s) of thralls. At this point since the GEO will be upgrading the invictus to Quantum FLUX Cannons they could share the regular Quantum Cannons that Dana invented and any other second tier weaponry, especially since the Ashanath and Maliri seem to focus on beam weaponry and we know that true thrall vessels are pretty much immune to beam weaponry. 3) Will characters like Niskera, Jehanna and Lynette need to be topped of occasionally to maintain their youth and mental connection to their Matriarch? Also, will they need additional "treatments"😉 to develop the ability to converse mentally with their Matriarch or will this ability develop regardless? This ability has proven invaluable with Edraele and I think would be equally important with any Lionesses who are "assigned" (for lack of a better term) away from the Invictus. 4) I think Jade is an excellent choice for third Matriarch. I have to imagine there will be more Nymphs along for the ride eventually. 5) Even though the Kintark are not in good shape at the moment they should still be brought into the alliance if possible. This would actually be a great time to do this as those Kintark leaders who are aware of Baledranax's association with the other Progenitor should be aware they were used. They wouldn't be much help militarily right now but would contribute to a unified group in opposition to Larn'kelnar.

palisade

I really enjoy your posts. They usually bring good insights and are well thought out.

palisade

2. Is solved very easily with the Fleet Admiral declaring that the crime that Maybridge judged herself on was not a crime, but Maybridge considered it so and thus considered herself guilty.

Could not ask for a more appreciated birthday present. Thank you so much Tefler. Best wishes for a full recovery for you and the heir to the Tefler fortune

I liked the story except for: 1. Alyssa's sudden guilty feeling on exerting her power to find whether someone is guilty. Here the assertion that one must feel guilty to be spotted by Alyssa also allows remorseless psychopath's to remain undetectable. 2.The admiral who was said she had an abortion, was never explained to other admirals so for all I see one with red glow is spared and other punished. 3.Did Alyssa's scan work on Admirals available only through hologram?

Thanks Ben! I wanted to tie up a few loose ends and thought the admiralty deserved some attention.

Tefler

I mentioned it in the initial post, then the edit note says that I wrapped it up.

Tefler

The first one was about 85k, the rest will all be around 120k. There will be less chapters in the later books, simply because they got a lot bigger!

Tefler

That was a consequence of skipping most of that meal with the Dana PoV. She knows that John leads the Maliri now, so it probably wouldn't come as a big of a shock as before... I'll have a think how I can fit that in somehow (perhaps in 105?)

Tefler

Cheers Tim, I'm glad you enjoyed it!

Tefler

Thanks very much! It's always nice to hear that I'm improving.

Tefler

Thanks very much!

Tefler

Vilandrith is the Empress Regent of the Kintark empire since the death of Baledranax. There has been no mention of royal offspring poised for elevation to imperial leadership. Tamolith, with very young offspring, is the widowed Consort of deceased Kindalax. The shocking death of Baledranax and the bitter defeat of the Kintark invasion fleet has torn their empire asunder. John, who is known to the Kintark royalty, should reach out to Vilandrith and Tamolith to offer peace and alliance for survival, but also urge them to accept TF demands for reparations and ceding star systems in exchange for repatriating Kintark ships and personnel held by the TF in the Dragon March. This will be a hard sell, but the Kintark have experiences with both John and LK. John kept his word with Tamolith, and they parted with mutual respect and a shared understanding. LK pushed them into an ill-fortuned invasion that is the cause of their current disarray and weakened state. John, as Envoy Alpha, is best positioned to carry out these sensitive diplomatic negotiations.

You're welcome! I try to write a bunch of interesting scenes that all have a point to them, rather than just adding them for their own sake. It's surprising how fast 30k words disappears!

Tefler

lol thanks

Tefler

Thanks for the well-wishes. I'm just about recovered, and junior bounced back to normal as soon as he infected his dad...

Tefler

Very much in agreement! Also thinking that the Charles &amp; Lynnette route is a good one. I always felt bad for Charles, now he finally has a chance at love himself. Now just Ceredan (might be mis-spelling that) and a couple officers and they should all get a happy ending. Assuming the universe doesn't explode, anyway.

Roethan

I really liked Charle's conversation with Alyssa how he was concerned about John's well being after he retired from the marines very well written!!

B S

Sleep who needs sleep when you have teflers stories to read.

shawnnight88

Agree that some more text around Lynette’s first meetting and impression of Helena, Irillith, and Tashana would be in order seeing the unarmoured Maliri and beeing briefed on the tragedy of the abandoned is a major event. Otherwhise a nice chapter which of course begs for more😎. Lynette, Edrale and Niskera is a good start. Next step Tamolith - I think John will really need Jade.

Kim Biel-Nielsen

The Kirrix Conundrum: The parasitic, insectoid, hive-minded Kirrix represent a threat to all sentient species within their reach. We know little about them and their civilization, its resources or extent. We do know they are dangerous. John said he had no moral qualms in killing them. Here are some of my thoughts on the matter. 1) Before leaving Olympus Station, Rachel should transmit her protocols for dealing with Kirrix infestation and neutron weapon damage to the TF Fleet Medical leadership and each of the affected colonies’ medtechs. Schematics of the sonic cannon derived device used to purge Kirrix eggs from their hosts would be especially important. Production and training on these medical devices should be begun immediately by fleet and colonial administrators and medtechs. 2) Ideally, the Invictus will arrive in the Outer Rim in four days and support the TF Border Fleet’s operations. Additionally, it would be useful if the second Maliri Fleet supporting the Ashanath could be redeployed with upgraded ships to rendezvous with the Invictus and TF forces. The combined fleet will still lack major ground forces for planetary operations. The Raptor and Valkyrie would be major ground combat assets. Maliri Marines will be available, but John would permit them on the ground only as a last resort. Maybe a battalion of Drakkar raiders with a taste for bugs -- and not humans -- could be arranged by Ashana. 3) Once Hive Ships and Battle Carriers have been swept up by Calara’s leadership of allied fleets, and the colonies liberated, the combined allied fleet can harry the Kirrix invaders back deep into their own territory. The Invictus could then divert course for Genthalas while the Maliri Support Fleet (and any accompanying Ashanath vessels) could continue supporting the TF in mop up and border patrol operations until they are rotated out. The conundrum, however, is how to make the Kirrix stay away. So far, their predations have required superior force to kill their forces and destroy their ships. They have not proven amenable to negotiation. They may be motivated to attack sentient species because they are driven by a survival imperative. How do the allies respond to that?

With Faye dedicated to tutoring Helene, it would be great if they discovered she had a genius level intellect and the mental integration of a mathematical savant. Tefler has not hinted at psychic gifts for Helene, but her thirst for knowledge could reveal high level competence in mathematics, the sciences and engineering. With that suite of abilities and talents, she could become the intellectual hub around which the roles of the other Girls spin. They will need to learn and plan a lot before negotiations for the liberation of the Abandoned can commence. Who better to lead that transformational process than Strategic Planner, Polymath, Helene with comprehensive knowledge of ocean worlds and their sustainable development?

I love reading this chapter. It is one of the interesting one. It resolved one of long-standing arcs with admiralty which started at chapter 67 or 66.

he has been releasing them in 10 chapter sectoins. after ch.40 or so he started making each chapter about 25 to 30,000 words each i think

Could someone please tell me how many words on an average does tefler incorporate per e-book

Tefler do us a favor and mention it if you expand the last scene next time because it looks like you have ended the chapter or please reply here to let us know if there's still more.

Perhaps it's more history, music, and art in the archives as well as techmology. It would make sense for a dying species to pass on all their knowledge and culture so they are not forgotten. Telfer, please consider this in the revelation and perhaps the emotional reaction to the Vulkat music.

It kinda seems like there should be some sort of acknowledgement from Lynette about how she's historically split her attentions between her duty and her ambitions, and how that's going to change. Maybe a private prompt from Alyssa, or something that Lynette brings up herself during the meeting with High Command. Just a thought.

It would cause some serious dissonance if on a date, Charles groped Lynette through her disguise and felt firm, resilient female flesh instead of the expected softer matronly plushness.

Great job, as usual, seamlessly integrating new text and dialogue in the amended sections. Cleverly done. I like them a lot.

Me, too.

I'm surprised there wasn't a scene when Lynette first meets Irillith. Considering the mystery surrounding the Maliri's appearance, would have been interesting to see Lynette's reaction.

andrew finlayson

Maria seems poised to become the Mother Of Them All -- a role she is well suited for. Imagine when she meets Helene and the Nymphs. Imagine when she adopts the Karron Girls. Happy tears. But what about Faye?

I liked it.

Good point. And Helene would have been there too. Plus, after the meeting, Lynette mentions having talked to John about the Abandoned. I wonder what her reaction was to hearing about them, as well as meeting the twins for the first time unarmored?

Jedi Khan

Yea I enjoyed it. Thought it was well done and much needed.

Grimlakin

Just curious but why? I actually thought it was one of his better ones. Not a lot of action but a lot of stuff happening.

palisade

Disappointed in this chapter.

Steven Allen

🎶Matchmaker matchmaker make me a match🎶. Alyssa, you go girl!😊. I wonder how long Rachel could extend Charles' lifespan if she gave him additional treatments. Say every decade or so... after all he's gonna have to keep up with Lynette when she wants to start a family in 20 years. 🤔

palisade

With Lynette at lunch with everyone I would have expected a strong reaction to the Quantum Cannon blue prints and even asking what it was. While it could be chalked up to some level of progenitor conditioning; I'd expect some kind of reaction.

Only Weber stayed behind with Buckinham to do their dirty deeds. Caldwell, Misra and the other Admirals always left the room.

Regarding the trading stations, there has been no mention of them since the rendezvous with the Young Matriarchs -- a week or so ago. Despite lack of mentioning them, Edraele's negotiations on trade with the other Matriarchs indicates that she has not forgotten that idea. Dana has not discussed her modular station design concepts, nor has Alyssa mentioned again the proposal for several trading stations. I am not sure John has discussed the availability of mothballed Maliri stations with Dana, though Alyssa is likely aware of his conversation with Edraele. Lynette's plan to expand Olympus as a trade hub may hint that they discussed their ideas with her. Eventually when this information is considered by Henry Voss, I can imagine him jumping at an opportunity to participate.

Niskera is nothing but a dedicated servant to her people. As Glowing Queen, her immediate focus is to stabilize and reform Trankaran governance, accelerate a massive shipbuilding program to take advantage of various tech upgrades, and to prepare her commanders to welcome the House Valaden Fleet and coordinate their campaign to liberate Trankaran worlds from Kirrix invasion. She probably imagines intimate moments with John, but she will not refuse her young lover as he worships her body.

Jehanna's cryptic comment to Irillith to "think like a spider" sparked a cascade effect that led to Irillith's epiphany that opened the Vulkat Technology Archives. Now that the data coding formats have been revealed, designing access and translation protocols software is a near time certainty. My anticipation of what they will find has been sharpened by how the Girls are learning to stretch their psychic gifts in new, more powerful ways. Something good is on the horizon.

I think you missed the word FIND in the sentence.

Found something: I need to talk to Helene again and see if I can out a bit more, then we can present High Command with more concrete information.”

Caldwell was a respected, experienced and capable officer who rose through the ranks on his abilities as a naval officer. Unfortunately, he was ensconced within Buckingham's corrupt ruling oligarchy.

Tefler, a fantastic chapter. This will get re-read numerous times, as far as I am concerned! There are many aspects of it that I love, but one i will pick out is the thread that runs through the chapter around Chalre’s incredulity regarding repair timescales, then his stunned experience witnessing it. Alyssa is an imp when she can relax... Congratulations, this will become one of my favourite chapters, I’m sure. Best wishes Tim

Timbo

Dana missed the lunch before the meeting with the Admiralty. She was told that that would be the first time that all of them would be together. So, the Twins would have attended, and Lynette would have been introduced to the two Maliri.

I updated the post with an edited version, which adds another 2k words or so. I hope you enjoy it!

Tefler

Dawg, Tefler must have done something else before he dove into story telling. His sense of how the world works is full of surprising insights. The creative solution that Edrale predicted came from both John and Lynette. In human events, people are slow to change; unless a compelling leader can galvanize their commitment to something new. Lynette's conviction and vision responded to HC's thirst for payback for the Kintark, demands for material reparations, aspirations for colonial expansion, desire to build and expand new fleets, and a broader sense of status in the stellar neighborhood. John's assurances of strategic alliance allowed for the restructuring of the budget to achieve these objectives. Leadership, in human affairs, makes all the difference. Good leaders allow systems and individuals to perform at synergistically high levels.

Good point Skc..Having witnessed what happened at the meeting I would suspect if they had any skeletons in their closets there might be a new retirement coming or they can be trusted . Since they were shunted off to the boonies I suspect they weren't in on any of Buckingham's secrets dealings , more likely untrusted by his inner circle .

bigdawguw65

This will probably be noticed by your editors, but you have Alyssa mentally checking each of your admiralty, at the same time, three are holograms/remote. You may want to 1) Have someone note they were checked/will be checked later 2) Bring Irillith along to combine powers to check remotely 3) Name them for potential use as betrayers later. Thank you for the story, I really enjoy it. I appreciate you sharing your world with us. Seeing updates from you is always a highlight for any given week.

Skchoad

It is possible that Caldwell is genuinely a good officer; that believes John is just working group a different angle of talking over the Federation. Caldwell was at the meeting where John told them about the progenitor. Where the meeting drove Buckingham insane it may have just made Caldwell paranoid of John's heritage. Caldwell was cordial to John when they first met.

Like Christmas day as a kid...

or is he simply a prick and jealous of John Blake?

David B

Wasn’t Caldwell involved with any of the abductions of the Nymphs? I know Weber was deeply involved- I thought Caldwell was too?

David B

Another fantastic chapter. You just keep getting better. I love how you did this one. Very Interesting. Stand tall our friend and hold your head high!

Don't do that! Take what you got and go with it. Trust, you will not be disappointed.

It wasn't just the English who got to enjoy that abomination ...

He was just led astray by Buckingham. As far as we have seen he hasn't committed any real crimes other than being a Toadie.

Cody Strong

Why was Admiral Caldwell not red lighted?? Didn’t he have lots of blood on his hands??

David B

Love, love, love. But one thing I cannot get out of my head "Washing machines last longer with Khalgron" If your English and of a certain age you might remember that jingle, very sorry x

this story keeps on getting better and better by the chapter, love your way of writing m8 keep up the good work

Jedi...to get the "super" up grades takes multiple fedings &amp; they both wouldn't be with John but on Terra doing their jobs..so not in the cards for them at moment

bigdawguw65

One more: What has Niskera been up to? I know Alyssa can't read Niskera thoughts and Niskera can't reply via telepathy, but surely Alyssa can get some sort of idea of what Niskera is up to based on her emotions right? Has Niskera been bedding a boy toy every night since John left, then waking up in the morning wishing it had been John, or has she been too busy with getting her people ready for war? It's been awhile since we've seen her, although in story time, it's probably only been a week or two. Either way, it might be nice to get an idea of how Niskera is adjusting to her role of Queen.

Jedi Khan

Another thing to wonder about: since Jehenna and Lynette both supposedly know that the Change likely includes the gift of psychic abilities, are they wondering what abilities they will gain? Have they asked, or will they ask, John about the possibility? Does John even plan to give them abilities? Or has the thought of having supernatural abilities not even occurred to them, the mere thought of them having such powers too much to even contemplate at the moment?

Jedi Khan

The meeting showed the Admirals have areas of interest that they over see , John's could be relations &amp; information regarding their new allies . Being in Maliri space shouldn't be a problem with hologram communications .

bigdawguw65

I would like to get Edraele's take on the meeting as well. She should have something to say after getting a peek into a closed door meeting of High Command, right? This leads me to wonder what an official state meeting between the Maliri and High Command would look like. Would all the Matriarchs be in attendance, or just Edraele and the Young Matriarchs? Would they wear their stylized armor suits like all Maliri do when dealing with outsiders, or would they reveal their true appearance? Come to think of it, we haven't seen what Edraele's full armor suit looks like, only that she's borrowed the helmet from whatever ship captain's office she's using. Would her armor suit be the white Paragon armor of the Lionesses or would it be the traditional Maliri bejeweled, golden armor?

Jedi Khan

That meeting of High Command was interesting. Nice twist, adding some moral ambiguity to Alyssa's ability to reveal the guilty. Got to wonder how her abilities would hold up in a court of law. Or maybe that doesn't matter in this case? I hope the TFed isn't in the habit of conducting...wait, yes they are. Summary executions are a staple of the TFed justice, as John has demonstrated on numerous occasions, and how the Armored Cobras survivors were dealt with. Yeah, that admiral has the worst luck. Minutes after joining High Command, he's faced with a firing squad. Sucks to be him. John though...as much as he doesn't want to, it seems he can't avoid getting involved with High Command. He certainly played a more active part in the meeting after doing the house cleaning than you would expect from someone who doesn't want to get bogged down with that sort of stuff. Plus there's the conversation with Lynette afterwards. Seems she planned for him to have a seat in High Command, although now that she knows he plans to retire to Maliri space in a few months, she might reconsider. "Might" being the operative word there.

Jedi Khan

just a small typo i think, but it stands out.

You can’t hide that many slaves, it’s just nor(not) possible. The admirals rose to their fleet(feet) as they applauded her enthusiastically. I need to talk to Helene again and see if I can out a bit more.(see if I can get a bit more out of her (just doesn't sound right as is in my head))

cp

Ooooh, good catch,

MuddMaxx

Fantastic chapter! I did notice one thing. During the Admirals meeting John says to Alyssa that she has marked people in red on two previous occasions, Underworld and Tartarus but there was a third time when they were assaulting Mikaboshi's base (not that there was doubt about anyone's guilt in that instance).

palisade

I’m so disappointed it’s breaking my heart knowing I’m going to have to wait for the next instalment. When a chapter is released I’m so overjoyed but three hours later I’m devastated lol please hurry with 105 as 104 was brilliant as usual thank you tefler and I hope you and your son are feeling better.

Jim lynch

Good job, thanks!!

Old Cruiser

Dammit, halfway through 12 hour shift. Dunno that i can wait that long. Cheers Tefler.

Another excellent addition to the sprawling TSM saga. We, Your Fandom, are again in awe of your amazing narrative powers. I appreciate how you internalize the discussions within your fan base and weave narrative solutions to our various inquiries and speculations into the textual depths of the story. What pleases and impresses me most is that you are not engaged in some prosaic "fan service" -- rather it is a specific kind of story making magic inspired by fans' interaction that fits the Creator's plan. Thank you, Tefler. Another Great Chapter!

Hm. I wonder what Lynette's reaction was to Ularean's call and what happened immediately afterward. Considering that was the first time she saw that spectacle, I would think she'd be somewhat in awe about it. Also, she might wonder who that Ashanath was, provided she didn't have much interaction with the Ashanath High Council before.

Jedi Khan

Must wait for final update... Must wait!!!!

Grimlakin

Damn good chapter Tefler!!!

Anthony Kester

THANKS !!

pretty sure Dana was speaking to Faye through a holo representation inside her armor

Thanks for the chapter

THKS, Tefler!!!

Thank you for another great chapter Tefler, keep up the great work.

thank u Tefler

Mjk154

Quick question. Wasn't it Irillith who got hurt on the last trip into the Astral Plane? In fact, wasn't it Irillith who got hurt on both trips into the Astral Plane?

Jedi Khan

Heh. So did I, but I expect things to be nice and quiet here so I can read without too much issues.

Jedi Khan

Nitpicking tho follow. When Dana and Faye are examining the hull of the Invictus, her physical form would be present, unless holo-emitters have been installed on the exterior of the ship. When John enters the ready room, he should find a holo - Faye. Am I missing something?

MuddMaxx

I'll try to wait on the finished product maybe

Mark Hall

you Rock Tef!!

David B

Yay!!! #1!!

David B

Sleep well, Tef. We’ll keep watch on Chap 104. :-)

Old Salt

Woo got it!

just in front of major storm ...hope it downloads:)

U DA MAN!

Big Dude

So, a cliff hanger ending before we get the cliff hanger ending? I love it! We all hope you and junior are feeling up to snuff agsin.

MuddMaxx

Thank you Tefler

MJHSharkbait365

Jumping up and down now!!!!!!!! Yay

Forbsey

Cheers old cock

Braw

Thanks!

And release.... Dear god thanks Tefler😂😂 was gonna blow there

Nathos

Thanks telfer

Yeessss.... Thanks 02.06 AM sleep who cares

Kim Biel-Nielsen

so a cliffhanger for our cliffhanger then...

Thanks, on behalf of my fellow obsesive fans, n

Mark reilly

2am. new 3sm chapter drops. meh, who needs sleep?

Negative Energy

John, was that a double tap

son of a bitch... just started a shift at work... fuuuuuuuuudge.....!!!

Woohoo!

Great

Thanks Tefler :)

Nchalada

Awake and ready!!! Have been waiting all night for this.. All nighter will be worth it..

Thx

Nekronom

Yipee

Sleep well, Tef! And thanks!

J B

Fantastic! I'm gonna download and read it right now. 😁

palisade

Thanks Tefler

Cignal

Thank you, Tefler!

LunarLilith

Yay!!!!

Muledrvr