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Three Square Meals - Chapter 108 (Patreon)

Published:
2018-08-19 02:31:21
Edited:
2018-09-03 13:54:36
Imported:
2021-01

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Content

*** FINAL version (2nd Sept) ***

Hey everyone!

Here's the latest chapter, I hope you enjoy it!

I'll be launching straight into chapter 109, so I'll be aiming to get that finished by 28th August. After that I'm away on vacation for a few days, so I hope that will hold your cravings at bay until I return!

Cheers

Tefler

Comments

Jedi Khan

Glory glory hallelujah! Our prayers have been answered! More of Tefler's holy word has been given unto us! Crazy...just shut up and read.

CJ Mora

Noice!

Anonymous

Woohoo ty Tef!

Braw

cheers mr

Anonymous

Sweet, thank you Tefler

Anonymous

Thank you thank you thank you

Arrowglass

Thank you thank you thank you !!!!!!!

Anonymous

no way!! Thank you Tefler. I had lost hope, sorry for doubting you.

Anonymous

Thank you, Tefler!

rich ed

as Dana would say, your the best.

Cignal

Thanks Tefler

Anonymous

Teller has PROVIDED!!!!!!!!!

Anonymous

Praise the sweet maker

Anthony Kester

Thanks Tefler. Get some sleep!!!

B S

Yay.....

Anonymous

Yay, thank you good sir

Evan

Thank you, Tefler! Now go to sleep! :-)

NomNomWat

Thank you Tefler, go to bed!

Anonymous

Heh, Glad I checked back. Thanks Tefler!

Anonymous

No you aren't allowed to take a vacation 😜

Anonymous

ty tefler

Evan

"It was nerve-racking enough doing that speech Olympus" - It should be 'at Olympus' in this context.

Anonymous

Awesome! Thanks!

Evan

“The Invictus is a entirely different beast since Khalgron..." - It should be 'an entirely' and what/where is Khalgron? I don't recall that name being used in the story prior to this point.

Evan

'had ordered her to be evicted her from' - It should be 'to be evicted from' without the additional 'her' after 'evicted' in that phrase.

Anonymous

Excellent prep chapter!

B S

and now I want more.............lol the wait begins again!!

Evan

"ones who haven’t needed us to rush to their rescue is" - 'rescue are' rather than 'rescue is' since the subject is ones (plural).

DCM

Yeah! I think I’m 30. Been a long time since I was thirty!

Evan

'she feinted dead away' - should be 'fainted' rather than 'feinted' in this context.

Evan

Fabulous chapter leading up to a very interesting battle chapter! I *very* much enjoyed the entire thing! Thank you, Tefler!

Roethan
>>14774942

It was the world where they saved the Trankarans from the last Kirrix invasion. The one with the lava train where they rescued Niskera.

Roethan

Damn Tef, lots happened here! Apparently my "runes on skin" idea (if it even was my idea) has evolved! And what a place to end it! Ugh, what does that mean! I don't want to ruin anything for those that haven't read it though, so I'll stay quiet for now. I'm just curious why anyone would do anything before getting sucked in to the next chapter. Read and comment LATER!

Anonymous

When John went to grab a rifle at the end, wouldn’t it have been a quantum rifle instead of a Punisher rifle?

Dennis Banfield

Well written as always, fantastic world building keeps us all coming back for more! It’ll be interesting to see if John and the group meet the resistance (assuming there is one)!

Anonymous

Oh hell yeah! What a great chapter - lots of *interesting* things to consider...

Anonymous

Lock and load!

Anonymous

Lynette really rocks Charles's world, lol

Anonymous

Done! ...Wait... Uh, Oh...

Anonymous

I was thinking it would be cool if Tony and the girls do meet up with John and the lionesses to have Perl refuse Rachel's help and instead beg Dana make her something super cybernetic so she could be powerful instead of a victim.

LunarLilith

Fabulous chapter with a great cliffhanger (as we've all come to expect by now). :)

Anonymous

Oh hell ya!!!! Hell to the yeah ya, yeah!!!!

TF4EVA

sigh as usual you Tefler provided me with a very good way to spend my day. Some surprises some nods and as I've come to expect a 'saturday matinee cliff hanger' to angst over until the next installment. Happy reading and thinking everyone.

Jim lynch

I waited up till 03.31 knowing you wouldn’t let me down tefler it is now 06.40 I think it’s pointless trying to sleep now. It’s going to be a bloody long day with plenty yawns. But I must say I reall y enjoyed this chapter I like the story/character building chapters in between the big battles. I’m not saying I don’t like the battles because I love em too but I really enjoyed the catchup with calaras family. I’m hoping jack isn’t killed off so Maria can live forever like tash and ilirith’s mother is screwing John with her daughters in one big blue orgy (future episode I’m wishing like when they get back to marili space). Oh and please let Dana and Allisa find Tony pearl and Kelli on Karron and let Rachel regrow her arm as I’m sure they were once good friends in the past please please let that happen as I’ve grown to really like all three of them in these last few chapters. That tosser Archie better not have kidnapped Anna either she seems to be a very likeable character too my all these new characters you must have a massive book of notes to recap each time you bring them into new chapters. Thanks yet again for an unbelievable work of literature your yet to put out any chapters that I feel fall below your lofty talents.

Jim lynch
>>14774378

Blimey did you write this comment earlier then copy it so as soon as this chapter was posted all you had to do was paste it lol you must have dove as you were so fast for such a big comment cheeky Jedi/crazy.

Jim lynch
>>14774427

Or start on 109 lol only kidding you’ve earned your sleep tef.

Jim lynch
>>14774649

Unless you can fit all your equipment into your suitcase.

Anonymous

I have a feeling that Admiral Walker will not be long for this world if he ever meets Alyssa ;)

Anonymous
>>14776015

I have a bad feeling about this battle. The Invictus crew are all assuming that this will be a walkover. Tefler has something in store for us.... I'm sure of it.

Jim lynch
>>14776231

I think I would have proposed too after getting deep throated then told to expect it each morning wow what a woman I wish my wife would start to read this epic love story well that’s how I described it to her ha ha

Jim lynch
>>14777179

I thought her very same thing when her was starring off into space.

Jedi Khan

Nice build up chapter, Tefler. Charles and Lynette are certainly setting a world record for whirlwind romances. Isn't there some sort of reality TV show about people who have to get married within 90 days of the first time they meet or something equally absurd? Either way, I'm pretty sure Charles and Lynette will make 90 days look like a long time. Quick bit of advice, during the elevator scene on the Damocles, we kinda lose track of John. He's only mentioned once, I think, and then nothing until the a couple scenes later. I wasn't sure where he went, either up to the bridge with Calara or even just to wander the ship, until we saw him later with Alyssa and Mateo. Maybe add something to that scene so we can keep better track of John?

Anonymous

THAT CLIF HANGER IS MAKING ME INSANE I want to know more u teasing evil genius

Jedi Khan

So why is no one on the crew talking about how Alyssa managed to change not only her physical appearance but her DNA as well? Hasn't doing stuff like that been solely within John's capabilities? Now we have Alyssa doing it to herself, albeit powered by John's spunk? Surely someone should have noted how significant that is, especially Faye, since she's the one who pointed out that Niskera and Jade were linked to Alyssa on the first feeding when all the other girls needed three. Oh, and when are they going to get back to figuring out that little bombshell? Sure they've been a bit preoccupied, but still...

Jedi Khan
>>14777734

John will hopefully be able to get some answers from Athena in a couple of chapters.

Anonymous

how'd charls find out about Lynnette?

Tefler
>>14775618

You're welcome! Thanks a lot for letting me know about the typos, they should all be fixed now.

Jedi Khan

So that other admiral vying for Charles' affection...what's her name? Lina? Linda? Yeah, I'm looking forward to the moment she realizes she's got no chance. Will it be the ring that suddenly appears on his finger that tips her off, leaving her wondering who the mystery woman could possibly be? Will she spot the ring on Lynette's finger, putting two and two together, or maybe even denying the possibility that she lost so soon by thinking the ring on Lynette's finger is from someone else? Or perhaps she'll spot Charles and Lynette out ring shopping? Would Lynette be undisguised for that scene, again leaving Lina wondering who the mystery bombshell is? Whatever the case may be, I bet it'll be delicious to witness. *evil laugh*

Jedi Khan
>>14778682

Haha. I just imagined that admiral doing something out of an anime, where she spots Charles and Lynette (disguised or not) out shopping for a ring, and she tails them, hiding behind trash cans, trees, poster boards, as she tries to figure out what they're up to.

TF4EVA

Looks like we have to wait to see what the 'masters' weapon is - as opposed to the effective thralls weapon. Jade may well be right in which case should we be worried that Jade is growing and can we trust her? Is she starting to fulfil her initial role? If the new battle runned sword is better than the quantum rifle it will be really interesting. Will it use psychic energy from his 'wards' and thus potentially not be a sustainable resource in comparison to the quantum rifle.

Anonymous

wow nice one cant wait for next one

SpamSpamBacon&Spam

Nice chapter, lots of threads coming together, looking forward to this, it feels like once this gets sorted the gang can really start making some progress. Just one thing that seemed a bit odd was the conversation with Jack and Calara about being with all the lionesses, maybe it's just me, but it took me a minute to get the logic of "Oh you're in a relationship with 9 women? Cool," vs "Oh you're in a relationship with 9 women and 1 man? That's terrible, you're having to share the man with 9 other women!" Seemed a bit of an abrupt switch and I thought Calara could have said something like, "Well, John also has to share me with 9 other women, we all share, that's how it works. I also share Alyssa with 8 other women + John, I share Dana with 8 other women + John, etc." I see why Jack was thinking along those lines, he knew Calara's in love with John and now it seems like there are other girls competing with her, and as readers we do know that the relationship is a little John-centric - but there's no way Jack could know that, and it's not as bad as he seems to think It's not important and might just be me, just something that struck me as a little odd, still a great chapter :)

Crom

Jesus fucking Christ! Chapter 109. "Let's goooooo!!"

Anonymous

Does any one else have a sense of foreboding? The other progenitor did say he has a surprises for John, maybe he gave the bugs upgraded weapons or something similar.

Anonymous

Nice. Thanks Tefler another great chapter.

Evan

I wonder what Larn'kelnar will think when he observes John's vessel finally using almost Thrall-like weapons with the Tachyon Lances that Dana had them construct out of Crystal Alyssium. He'll surely take note of the fact that they're not yet constructed using Progenitor-derived materials and that John has still not yet constructed his Soul Forge, but will he be pleased that at last John seems to be making some progress?! Will he find the output from the Tachyon Lances of the Invictus to be superior or inferior to those of a true Thrall vessel? Will this cause him to take any actions as a consequence, or will he continue to just watch while setting up more obstacles for John to overcome?

Anonymous
>>14777067

perl certainly meets the criteria for wounded little birds

Anonymous

Hi Tefler sorry to bother you but i think that is something missing on this line "“We’re going great guns!” she replied, grinning at him over her shoulder. “So far my boys have installed 31 of the 40 Tachyon Lances and the girls have just finished upgrading the Valkyrie.”

Anonymous

we´re going great guns don´t sound right.....

TF4EVA
>>14780287

LK will also recognse the hard shell shield. He will take great interest in the fire teams (including Jade in dragon form no doubt) and Johns weapon and perhaps get more of an idea that John is more than the sum of the parts... John and his crew need to get the Kirrix out of the way so Dana, Tashana and Illirith can all get on with their important tasks. Also John can service the nymphs, Helene and Faye

Anonymous

I think it should be trillions not billions when talking to the admiral.

Anonymous

I know Edraele will be listening in but it might be nice for John to acknowledge to her that they're about to fight & to expect him to draw psychic power from her & her wards, & maybe for her to pass on their combined feelings for everyone to look out for themselves & each other - apart from anything else there's been no mention of them elsewhere in this chapter :)

Anonymous

Ah! Awesome way to wrap up very many dangling plot threads. 10 / 10 from me on this chapter, Tef!

Anonymous

DANG !!!!!!!!! waiting 10 days before.... and then he tells us he gets on vacation.. You are sure that is not a bit sadistic ???? it already hurts .. LOL...

Anonymous

Story sofar on a scal from 1 to 15 .. ??? approx 28 or more :-)

Anonymous
>>14780700

Going great guns is a standard response when things are working well. I think it's also another Tefler play on words similar to "i'm all ears" in the byplay between Edraele and Alyssa.

bigdawguw65
>>14778917

TF...in the pictographs the Ashanta had , it showed the Progenitor using physic powers , either with the his primitive staff or from his eyes( it seems John is planning to use his sword as a focus ) , Jade seemed to hint that as a Progenitor he didn't need to use mere artificial weapons .Remember Alyssa vision of MN in the Legacy , killing the yellow skinned thralls with the black tendrils from his finger tips . John has been practicing with force fields as an offensive tool already ( his plans to kill the Brimorian guards after the insult to his mother ) . It will be interesting to see how John uses his power in combat ., maybe a giant physic fly swatter ?

Dani Vega
>>14777379

That 90 days thing is the k1 visa in the US which allows a foreigner to marry their fiancé(e) within 90 days upon border entry, which in turn then allows application for a green card. But usually the engaged couple know each other before the 90 days. I know this, because my 90 days start in a few weeks ;)

Tefler
>>14780682

It's an expression originating from the 18th century British navy. It means to do something very successfully.

Tefler
>>14781105

Yeah good call. I might to put something like that in, but forgot last night. :-)

Anonymous

Wow Tefler! Gongrats by reaching the 4000 mark!

Anonymous

I have some concerns about this chapter. There are many things that make this story fun to read, but among them are the teamwork, advanced planning, and cautious approach since no one involved wants to see any of them hurt. Some of these are regularly violated, but it's frustrating to read. How much time would be lost if the space fleets were eliminated prior to landing on the planet? I recognize every second counts if you’re being eaten alive, but it seems most of the space battles are just a few minutes. Wouldn't it be better to eliminate the fleet as a team rather than splitting up? And sending the chief engineer to be a ground pounder? Wasn't there enough damage in the last battle to justify keep Dana available to repair the ship? And sending Jade off to fight by herself? What happened to the fun of teamwork? And the AI and Clara do all the space fighting? Just doesn't seem right. I hope I don't misunderstand the final few paragraphs of this story. Is Jade convincing John not to bring a rifle? His psychic skill is impressive, but we know psychic dampeners exist, and the only way the last one was neutralized was with a non-psychic rifle, so I hope he is not heading planet side without a rifle. I would rather see them victorious because of careful planning and execution of a strategy than successful in spite of poor decisions that cause them to be challenged. That's more fun for me.

Anonymous
>>14780049

There is currently no evidence that LK is working with the Bugs. Except maybe for the appearance of the jugernaught class bugs...

Anonymous

I loved this chapter. I was only disappointed (said with tongue in cheek) that there was no test firing of the new guns. I was looking for the excitement of the crew going nuts blowing shit up at long ranges thus allowing Calara to reset the computers and gain new knowledge of what works best and how to use them. Oh well Tef will make it all work out.

bigdawguw65

Tefler….thanks for another great chapter . I especially liked how you worked in a lot of our concerns about Alyssa's ability to identify the bad guys & how they seem to arbitrarily deal out their justice . Lynette showed a lot of trust in them & they are the good guys & always try to do the right thing. Even though Zelig had a lot of guilt about what happened (much like Maybridge) he was really doing what John has done so often , protecting his love against danger . I'm hoping that Fat Tony & the girls make it , he especially has gone through a lot of character changes & seems to becoming one of the good guys & the girls are another couple of wounded birds that need rescuing .

Anonymous

One phrase to check “I’m really sorry if we unsettled you,” John said, wrapping her up in her (his) arms. “I still love you just as much as ever.” And I say we have a tie for the "Tongue in Cheek" Award “We’re going great guns!” “It won’t take long.”

TF4EVA
>>14781951

Robster, maybe you should circulate a memo to the troops that all leave is cancelled until further notice due to the imminent hostilities. Indicate of course that once things have been settled down applications will be again processed as per normal....

Anonymous

You might not have much experience with tourniquets Tefler, which I guess is a good thing, but binding it around the bicep as Tony does to Perl would not stop the blood flow. It has to be as close to the arm pit as possible.

Tefler

Thanks very much for the feedback everyone, it's great to hear that you enjoyed the chapter! :-)

Tefler
>>14792865

You learn something new every day! Tony wouldn't have much medical training, so I'll leave it as it is. The med-kit would staunch the blood flow once Kelli applied it, so Perl shouldn't bleed out. :-)

Anonymous

I want to join Kin Asdi and others congratulating you on reaching the $4,000 milestone. If my memory serves shortly after you started this you said, about the time contributions were around $250 to $300 per chapter that if you could get to about $1,500 you would quit your job and write full time. I, along with so many others, are so glad that it did and you have continued to put out what I consider as excellent work. As I have said on previous occasions, Keep on Keepin On. May prosperity and further recognition of your talents bring good things to you and your family!

bigdawguw65

I do have a concern about the up coming battle . With the various Kirrix fleets connected by their hive mind , they would be aware of the attack of the Invictus & if they recognize it not only will they have time to prepare for the them as the move from one planet to another They might try to launch their hive ships & escape with their prisoners before they can stop them . They can't out run the Invictus but if they scatter it will take time that the prisoners don't have .

Anonymous

Tef, great chapter but i do wonder why none of the normals comment on Alyssa's new ears. Zelig, Mateo, Emily, Jake. Her being a Goddess and all would mean little changes would be noticed even if it was along the lines of "you have pointy ears too."

Evan
>>14795533

You raise a very valid concern, but there is an issue here. Does the species known as the Kirrix have a single Hive mind, or does each Hive Lord and/or Hive Mother contribute to a 'localized' Hive mind, and what communications are there between Hives? To date, it doesn't appear that the entire Kirrix species possesses a singular consciousness. However, that perception may be erroneous. If the Kirrix do possess a singular consciousness, then no matter what John does, they're not going to be able to save the infected, because as you say, the Kirrix will take what they have and disperse. If they do not, however, then it is possible that each Hive (ship? fleet? I've no idea of the size of the Hives...) may be dealt with on a somewhat individual basis. Or, there is the other alternative that I haven't considered...

Jedi Khan
>>14795644

I think Alyssa had her hair down, which hid her hears. It seems all the girls wear their hair down for the most part, with Alyssa's big reveal being the one time where it was specifically mentioned that she had her hair up.

Old Salt

Hey, Tef, in the planning for the fight with the Kirrix, you have Faye piloting the Raptor and the Invectus. Seems that heave talking would be at leasted mentioned.

Old Salt
>>14798265

Once again I hit return before I was ready to send this. It should be "tasking" not "talking" . Anyway, … At the beginning of the briefing John says, "...Meanwhile, Faye can assault the hive ships with the Raptor, knocking out their engines." Then in the discussion about Jade going down as the fifth assault team: "Faye cleared her throat, "I'm happy to fly the Invectus for you. …"

TF4EVA

The order of battle didn't really get sorted at the meeting with the admiral did it? John said they'd bring down destruction on the heathens and the Terran forces would clean up. There was no sense of how the two fleets (the TF and the Invictus) would interact should they need too e.g in 75 mins the TF forces would arrive and the Lion and his pride would just stop what they are doing and go? With the world where the TF are going to take prime responsibility how will they ommunicate if reinforcements are necessary. There was also no discussion about how the medics might interact. Some of this is behind the scenes chatter perhaps but a bit would demonstrate an integrated approach as opposed to two different fleets working together in the same space

Jedi Khan
>>14801320

I'm pretty sure John and Calara are confident that they'll have finished their tasks - destroy the Kirrix fleet in orbit, disable the hive ships, and eliminate most, if not all, of the Kirrix ground troops - by the time the TFed fleet arrives at the first planet. There wouldn't be any need to coordinate aside from John saying "There you go, all yours now" as they jump out of the system. As for the planet where the TFed fleet has been given prime responsibility, that was probably more of a pity decision. Sort of like John saying "You guys probably all feel like a bunch of heels for abandoning these people in the first place, so here's your chance to redeem yourselves even though I could do it myself." Besides, given the size of the TFed fleet, unless they find themselves severely outnumbered and outgunned the moment they arrive, it's possible that by the time they make the decision that they need help from John, the Invictus will already be on its way back to rendezvous with them. If the fleet does need help before then, they can just shout "Help!" at John and he'll come running. If the Invictus and the TFed fleet do end up having to fight together in the same battle, I would think it's a given that the Invictus will take the lead, with Calara coordinating the fleet. Especially after what happened at the Battle of Terra.

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

For the Physicists out there: This is really scary stuff. If found to be viable (it has already been recreated by three countries) it will have more significant economic and geopolitical ramifications than the mechanization of production back in the mid 20th century. The article at nasaspaceflight.com/2015/04/evaluating-nasas-futuristic-em-drive/ is very interesting reading. So where does warp drive come into all of this? The NASA engineers also reported on the forums that they'd fired lasers into the EM Drive's resonance chamber and that some of the laser beams had traveled faster than the speed of light, at around 300,000 kilometers per second... suggesting that the EM Drive may have produced a warp bubble like the kind that allows travel faster than the speed of light in Star Trek. "After consistent reports of thrust measurements from EM Drive experiments in the US, UK, and China - at thrust levels several thousand times in excess of a photon rocket, and now under hard vacuum conditions - the question of where the thrust is coming from deserves serious inquiry," the NASASpaceflight authors conclude. So to recap, we are within a decade of some serious Quantum computer capability (IBM already has small ones) and within a decade of EM drive space ships and we may have discovered warp bubbles in the process that will allow for FTL space flight. It is also anticipated that Quantum Computers will be able to figure out the mathematics (and therefore the Physics) of Quantum Space/particles and we are talking Interstellar travel within the lifetime of my Grandchildren and unlimited energy within my children's lifetimes. This is really scary stuff. Also, we may have disproved Einstein's Theory of Relativity and Newton's Laws of motion in the process...which throws modern Physics into a cocked hat to say the least.

Jedi Khan
>>14801969

Um...I'm pretty sure that news about the EM drive has been discredited. <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/05/23/the-emdrive-nasas-impossible-space-engine-really-is-impossible/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.forbes.com/sites/startswithabang/2018/05/23/the-emdrive-nasas-impossible-space-engine-really-is-impossible/</a>#229e9e0c3a00 <a href="https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/nasa-emdrive-impossible-physics-independent-tests-magnetic-space-science/" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://news.nationalgeographic.com/2018/05/nasa-emdrive-impossible-physics-independent-tests-magnetic-space-science/</a> <a href="https://www.space.com/40682-em-drive-impossible-space-thruster-test.html" rel="nofollow noopener" target="_blank">https://www.space.com/40682-em-drive-impossible-space-thruster-test.html</a>

ringill

Just a thought about Jade telling John to leave his thrall weapon behind, if she'd suggested that before the battle of Terra, when the psychic blocking device was activated in the fight against Baledranax, without his Quantum rifle John would have been deeply in the poo. It seems unlikely the Kirrix have such a device since it would block their comms as well but until Dana can get her hands on one and work out some countermeasures it does seem to be taking an unnecessary risk.

Anonymous

very true ring, but even stranger is the thought that although LK told the terran traitors not to harm John, no other foes, either before regulus or since, seem to have been given this instruction. john was almost killed by the Drakkar warchief, whose forces were dropped there in Ashanath territory and fitted with knock-off armour by LK, and LK just portalled out. LK also was also watching while John fought Baledranax, expecting him to die, before a lucky shot destroyed the psychic device. LK also did not intervene when Sakura killed Jade, kidnapped John, and Alyssa had to stage the rescue. Just seems odd.

Anonymous
>>14805113

I believe the progenitor runes are immune to the device, since they store psychic energy. Therefore John wouldn't be completely helpless like he was against baledranax

B S
>>14806796

LK has only been interested when it has involved events he has setup I think....

Anonymous

My favorite part of this chapter (and there were a lot of great parts) is that John is beginning to see Helene as part of his crew, and not a broken little bird to fix and leave in Maliri space. I get why he wanted to do that. Helene is an innocent soul who brings forth light and love to those around her. Her caring nature and love for others is something worth protecting, even more when their line of work is trudging through violence and death wherever they go. But that's exactly why Helene is needed on the Invictus. The light of life can begin to bitter when it's surrounded by so much death. "They're the bad guys, they deserved it." is a slippery slope that may not solve the heart of the issue. I hope that Helene can be that vision of peace, love, and care for the smallest that help the others combat the growing sense of superiority and nihilistic tendencies as they continue to enter the realm of immortality and godhood. What's one mortal life compared to theirs? 10? 100? That's the path of the progenitor, and it's a dangerous path to walk. So like Dana and Rachel, I hope that John awakens powers in her that heal and protect. The Lionesses don't have a defensive role at the moment. So Helene can still help with battles, but she can focus on protecting the ones she loves instead of lashing out at the ones she hates. That way, she can be there for John and the other girls when the weight of death weighs heavily on their shoulders.

Anonymous
>>14810665

I like this suggestion!! Maybe her powers will be the removal/ease of PTSD.

Scott Way

Great chapter as always

Nathaniel Wolf
>>14789755

If you added a test fire scene it would be cool if you did it from the perspective of the crew on one of the ships nearby, like right after they got done talking with Jack and his boy.

Anonymous

Tefler, another great chapter! Some suggested edits are as follows: Page 9: Unfortunately(,) several of the water bottles had cracked,; Page 14: knowing that (they) had a very busy day ahead.; Page 39: Now Jack (did) looked surprised and he pulled back to stare at her in astonishment.; Page 41: Unbuttoning his jacket(,) he placed it on his desk,; Page 44: “So(,) you’re still coming to the wedding then?” Alyssa asked hopefully.; Page 44: mistaking the shell(-)shocked expression on his face.; Page 48: which slid (closed) open with a quiet hiss.; Page 52: he surrender(ed) to the ecstasy,; Page 53: sucking hungrily as the(y) Nymph fed them all at once.; Page 55: she said with an apologetic fro(wn)m.; Tefler, you used Mateo’s nickname from Calara twice I believe, on page 46 it is capitalized; however, the other time I saw it, it was not capitalized and it needs to be, and for the life of me, I cannot locate it again, having looked twice. As far as Fat Tony’s slang and street language, I trust your judgement on how it looks, its beyond me. As always, if you disagree, I completely understand. Cheers!

Anonymous

For me getting 2 or 3 chapters a month is amazing. Other authors give only one a month. Also getting the whole story before it is released is great. The few other author I follow only get a few chapters before the book is released. So thanks Tefler. I will never mind if you have a life outside writing. The fact you also will take feed back on the book is very cool. You seem to care about your fans is remarkable. Great job. Keep it up. 😀

bigdawguw65

We have had an interesting puzzle , almost from the start of the story , on just what LK's intentions were as were regards to John . On one hand he instructed Lynton not to harm John Blake long before he came to her attention , while on the other hand he seemed disinterested in all the dangers he faced with the Pirates , Kirrix , Drakkar , Kintark etc. . A lot of people thought the instruction to Lynton meant that he was somehow protecting him or "teaching" John to be a Progenitor , but his disinterest in all the other dangers kind of put that in question . Also the question of when he arrived &amp; started his campaign of chaos , was he aware of John as a nascent Progenitor or did he only discover his existence after his first nightmare visit to the Astral plane , which seems to be months after he began his shenanigans . I always thought the instructions to Lynton were more that he was puzzled about John's origins &amp; wasn't sure what he was doing here &amp; wanted to protect his plans from a confrontation until he learned more about him &amp; the extent of his powers . Only after seeing he wasn't a full Progenitor did he relax &amp; just enjoy watching him dash around trying to stop his plans . It will be very interesting if the "family reunion" if it happens will answer these questions .

Anonymous
>>14857431

BigDawg, you are right again. the whole puzzle surrounding LK's arrival into the system is in the timing of it. The reason John could command such a high price for the ore he got at Karron was the escalation of tension in the Dragon March. He was aware of that before he liquidated all his assets and began his travels. A month getting there, and a month getting back, covers the time LK would need to bodysculpt Admiral Lynton, and prepare the Glowing Trankaran Queen. But LK would have picked his targets well before then, when John was just another lonely terran trader making small but steady profits in an unremarkable freighter. It was only because Alyssa stowed away in Karron that his latent abilities began to surface. but LK must have been in-system well before then. And why were only some of the Trankarans affected by the glowing queen? Niskera affected everyone who saw her! But the big question remains. "Exactly when did LK jump into Terran Space, and why?" He didn't come to set up an empire, or he could have done so without resistance. MN obliterated the Achonin when he came, and perhaps the Vulkat, set up the Maliri as his thrall race, created Nexus, the Ashanath, Trankarans and the Drakkar, and ignored the Enshunu. (Unless the enshunu are the descendants of Ranagon's thralls who survived the war with MN). Unless there is a code that prevents a progenitor enslaving or destroying another progenitor's creations, so LK needs to set them all against each other. Tefler Help!! :-)

bigdawguw65

The Enshunu Lords were talking like the Enshunu were around when around when MN &amp; the Maliri annihilated the Achonin &amp; Ranagon didn't arrive to challenge MN until thousands of years later so at least not his thralls , but did know about Progenitors(the Old Masters) &amp; seemed to know there was more than one , so where they fit in is still a mystery . . We know with the worm-hole drive LK can be commuting between his kingdom &amp; here at will (there is no indication he is living anywhere in this space between battles he sets up ) so maybe didn't realize about John at first but as things come to a head it will be interesting to see where he pops up .

Anonymous
>>14860122

you're right about them Bigdawg.It's all coming back to me now!! They did wonder how the maliri could defeat the Achonin when the Enshunu could not. That implies that they were around at the same time. We have no description of what is beyond the unclaimed wastes, so that maybe Enshenu Space. It would explain why they wanted the refinery, if they intend to use it as a refuelling/staging drop on the way to wage war on the maliri, or anyone else. And so we return to the one certainty we have. Only Tefler Knows!!

TF4EVA

With a portable work hole generator is it possible to perhaps also use it to travel in time?

Anonymous
>>14794469

I know tef, i might be asking too much but if you can, could you please upload 109 on 31st August your usual time. Because here in India it'll be 1st September which is my birthday so it'll become a birthday gift of sorts. Thanks if you are able to do so. I haven't paid much attention to the time you upload at because the day after whatever date you mention in status update, i wake up to find the email notification of your update. Again thank you if you are able to do so it'll be a really awesome birthday gift.

Anonymous
>>14862073

TF, I believe that in Tefler's universe, anything is possible. While we have had no obvious hint of time travel so far, john did manipulate time on the astral plane.

TF4EVA

The time space query I raised was stimulated by the bigdawgs comment about where does LK go between 'stuff'. In the rift, caused many of us believe by exploding worm hole generators, ships disappear - it could be possible progenitors who appear to be technological advanced and , able to manipulate time in the Astral plane, might be able to hide in time and space (or concepts to that effect). Agree Manfred few stories or authors do time well.

Anonymous

I suspect that once John and crew start kicking butt that the Krikixx will begin lifting off all the worlds to take what they have caught and run.

Anonymous

As John embraces more and more of his Progenitor legacy while avoiding the corruptible elements (Avoiding the influences of the Abomination Lord and Progenitor John), I hope we get to see him hearken back to the more self-assured persona from before. Alyssa is already trying to get him there, and I must admit the romance scenes had more of an edge to them when John was more dominant. I just hope that John can fully integrate PJ while dispensing with the corruption, so that he can be confident in the man he's becoming! Also, team #heleneforinvictusnannyorwetnurse

Evan

I want to point out two indisputable facts which may or may not have a causal relationship. First, Larn'kelnar's relationship with his Matriarch remained basically unchanged (or stagnant) for thousands of years. Meaning, the nature of their relationship was unchanging. Second, Larn'kelnar's relationship with his Matriarch has been changing as he's been watching John. The more Larn'kelnar has watched John, the more his relationship with his Matriarch has changed. Please note that, again, I'm not stating that there is a causal relationship between watching John and his relationship with his Matriarch, but the two events do coincide. Now, Progenitors powers are primarily psychic in nature. Is it possible that John is affecting Larn'kelnar via some sort of psychic feedback causing him to change the way in which he relates to his Matriarch? Is it possible that there won't be any 'battle' per se between John and Larn'kelnar, if John somehow makes Larn'kelnar 'see the light' to some extent? OTK. Food for thought. :-)

Anonymous

What was the Maliri meanings of both Mael'nerak's and LK's names again? I've forgotten. But have a niggling thought tugging at the back of my brain about those names and the subject of time travel...

Anonymous
>>14869705

Evan, I’ve been pondering exactly this point as well. However, you may have things focussed down a little too far in just noting John as a possible influence. Perhaps a little corny, but ‘The Power of Love’? He’s sensing the love between everyone in that group and reacting to it, as it has 2 Progenitors involved, so maybe that makes him unknowingly sensitive to picking it up. Not something he will readily recognise as its an emotion foreign to ‘normal’ progenitors. If in fact there is one prime focus of the ‘influence’ he is feeling, I’d favour Alyssa over John. If this hypothesis is anywhere near right, next time he gets near them now that Alyssa and John have spiritually united as a pair of progenitors, he may find himself nearly melting. Alianthia could be in for an interesting time....

bigdawguw65

We don't know the extent of LK's spying on John &amp; his girls once he took interest , we saw how easy it was for Irillith to tap into the Invictus' s recording system to watch the bedroom scenes in the beginning , so maybe LK did too &amp; found out how much more rewarding sex is when you actually care for the person your with . Might be the reason why the change in relationship between LK &amp; Ailanthia .Simple but you never know (until Tefler lets us in on the story)

Braw
>>14873080

Mael'nerak-The Evil Enslaver,Ranagon-The Despoiler and Larn'kelnar-The Soul Reaver

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.

A scene I would like to see is one of the bots to get hurt and go offline...and at the end of the battle the other bots bring it to the crew and ask for a funeral....but Faye and Dana save it instead and give it a medal of their making to signify its heroism...like it stepped in front of a bullet for one of the other bots or something.

TF4EVA

Just wondering why Dana didn't get a ping when she saw Nexus? I know it was Irillith who confronted Nexus and 'he' was a rebuilt entity when he tried to fulfil his mission. Just wondering if there had been opportunities even from the files which might have excited Dana and set off some progen schematics? It may be too late for Faye who of course will evolve when she gets a dose of John but the Invictus II might have a brother or sister AI for Faye and Irillith to work with. It might also advance Irillith's cyber capability and capacity.

TF4EVA

The LK chronicles the prequel would definitely be an interesting series - many of us would be able to see how close to the mark we were in guessing the back story...

Anonymous

I'm a reading fool but over the last few years, I've switched to audible which allows me to get my fix and do other tasks and then I discovered this 2 months ago and now I'm here as a supporter. Bought the kindle versions and into the Patreon. Great work! This would be an amazing audible epic!

Anonymous

My only regret is that Tefler can't write as fast as I read. Already starting to get the jitters, JK is Crazy around I may need a chat ;-)

Anonymous

Go, That's a very good thought. We are told that the Brimorians battled the Vukat, largely unsuccessfully, and they were both thought to be latecomers to this part of the galaxy, after MN and Ranagon disappeared. We saw remnants of thrall ships in Vulkat space, and the Vulkat had pictures of Thrall tech. So the Vulkat did do battle with a progenitor and were wiped out. but they also fought with the Brimorians, who were defeated. So we come to your theory. Were the Vulkat already a zombie species when they repulsed the Brimorians, or did a progenitor come along after and destroy them.

TF4EVA
>>14910825

I agree Sean. I'm sure we all have pictures and voices in our heads. How does it work for you to read something and then to hear it in audio - the potential mismatch?

TF4EVA
>>14911873

...and the Great Creator has indicated he's taking a holiday didn't he...

bigdawguw65

Thanks Jedi , missed that linkage .

Anonymous
>>14868656

I suspect that PJ will not be overly difficult to overcome but there will be surprises. PJ is no where near strong enough to beat John head on so he will have to fight using knowledge John doesn't have. The best way to use hidden knowledge is with preparation and I am not sure there will be time as he is locked up.

Anonymous

You might want to note some disadvantages to the new tech. For example: The solid shields could greatly increase the sensor signature making it impossible to use in covert situations. By replacing the energy boosters could need new cabling. Having only large cannons, they can't use precise targeting.

bigdawguw65

Wow..:-) I was just thinking about the pictograph of the destruction of the city of diminutive creatures . the Ashanta were our closest neighbors it seems(our first contact once we entered space travel) &amp; if there was an early progenitor battle , would it spill over to earth &amp; then was thinking of very early Indian legends of a war in the skies between the gods with flying ships &amp; beam weapons &amp; even evidence of nuclear weapons use kind of gave me a pause .

TF4EVA
>>14935369

Brad I think for all the sneaking (covert) that the Invictus does most of the time they end up going full throttle. I'm sure there is a solution and hopefully Tefler will let us know how having the 'hard shell shield' doesn't impact on their signature. In terms of the energy boosters I assumed from the conversation had, that by the time of engagement with the Kirrix all refit (including cabling) would be complete. I do wonder if the cabling they have is sufficient to meet the needs of the new kit but Dana would have sorted the comparability issue if there was one. In terms of your last point this is I think the bit I got stuck when Calara asked about refitting the new weapons. I can understand Calara and the Maliri going weird over hard shield as they have been brought up on fighters and torpedos but at the end of the day drones, fighters, shooting out engines and thrusters, communication arrays etc. is still part of the present and so there might still be a need for some precision shooting. I guess we might see Calara and Dana figuring out how to refine the beams but .... Also will this mean that Calara can now handle all the weapons or will she still release some to Faye?

TF4EVA
>>14937874

weren't some of those pictographs from New Eden? Wasn't the site described by the Ashanath as a recruiting centre? No reason to suspect some of the early traditions and stories aren't memories of actual events.

Jedi Khan

Does Athena have anyone else to talk to besides Alyssa? I'm not counting John, because that's only when he's asleep and visiting Alyssa's Astral domain. I'm wondering now that Athena is officially a citizen of the Astral realm rather than just a voice in Alyssa's head, can she communicate with the Ashanath who have their own Astral domain? How would the Ashanath react to Athena?

bigdawguw65

Jedi....not sure if she can talk to anyone else but was she the one the Ashanta saw as the "glowing one" which they thought was Alyssa? buAlso can she monitor what Alyssa hears &amp; sees , kind of like looking over her shoulder 24/7 ?

Jedi Khan
>>14946727

No, I don't think it was Athena they saw. The glow was from the amount of power Alyssa has. Anyone looking at Alyssa via psychic vision, such as the Ashanath, Bolons, or even Dana's psy-detector, would see Alyssa glowing like a star. It's possible that Athena would appear the same way, but since she doesn't have a body, the power likely would still be Alyssa's rather than her own. As for Athena effectively looking over Alyssa's shoulder 24/7, that was the case when Athena was still riding around in Alyssa's head, but I'm not sure if that is still true now that Athena has moved to Alyssa's Astral domain.

TF4EVA
>>14945338

JK, so far I don't think Athena can communicate with anyone but Alyssa and John - although I think talk and touch only with John. Would be interesting if she could communicate sub plane to sub plane with the Ashanath (perhaps fulfilling MNs dreams??). The Ashanath will go gaga when they next get a dose of progenitor Alyssa and when Athena lights up their space. When John makes love to Athena next will she be runed?

Braw

Can we have an update please Mr Tefler?

B S

I have started reading from the beginning again... I had a thought could Mad Jonah who gave John the tip about the Tyrenium ore on Karron been a progen in disguise (possibly John's father) sending him where he needed to go in order to kick start his development for the fight against LK who was already stirring up trouble....just an idea....lol

bigdawguw65
>>14951425

It's been discussed a few times but just how would he know a month in advance that a Diablo would try &amp; rape Alyssa &amp; she would pick John's ship to stow away aboard &amp; he not find her until it was too late to turn back? Just too many coincidences to have to happen &amp; you know what Tefler &amp; we think of coincidences . I think Mad Jonah was who he seemed to be , a harmless old spaceman would gave a tip to someone who treated him kindly by listening to his stories .

Anonymous

I want to see the cover of Faye's "Boys" blown off showing that they are true AI, by them being pivotal to the rescue of some random civilians or anti-boarding actions sometime soon. I just know she's made them sentient. I can't wait till they can reveal themselves now that John has relaxed a bit towards AI.

Evan
>>14958798

She couldn’t make them true AI’s without the assistance and contrivance of Dana and Irillith, as they would need the hardware and/or networking to support this. Additionally, the code to create a ‘true AI’ was lost when Faye overwrote that section of memory in her original housing. It would require Progenitor technology and knowledge to recreate it. Unless, of course, she’s sharing some space on her own server…

TF4EVA

Sorry folks a while back I suggested the Order of battle discussion between Zelig, Calara and John left much to be desired. Rereading as you do I discovered more depth than I initially saw - much happier now and I figure the writer magic will happen and the story will unfold so the transitions and interfaces will work as they should or as they are meant to be. My only niggle is Admiral Zelig with a fleet and seniority seemingly ceding command of the campaign to John without a word of acknowledgement - if only it was because the Fleet Admiral said to!

Anonymous
>>14960056

Given John and crews record up to now, wouldn't you. A smart commander knows when to lead and when to step aside. Each person has their strength.

Evan

I have an issue with one paragraph in this chapter: ‘Glowing motes of white light began to form around her shoulders, the radiance intensifying to the accompanying gasps from their audience. The overhead lighting flickered and dimmed dramatically as Alyssa gathered more psychic power, the aura swirling down her arms and gathering around her hands. When she’d harnessed enough energy, she crouched down and touched her clenched fists to the floor, a brilliant pulse of white light shooting out in a circle around her.’ Are Progenitors able to harness electricity and other forms of energy to empower their psychic abilities? If so, what need for Thralls and Matriarchs? Why not simply find an electromagnetic field in space or upon a planet and harness it directly?

TF4EVA
>>14960056

The issue isn't so much about admiral Blake and the Invictus taking command of the campaign but the formality of the transfer of command to him from the Admiral whose fleet it is and who in a structure like the Terran Force has seniority. An admiral who worries about principles and morals you would think might have some concern about the legitamcy of handing over his fleet without some formal acknowledgement that he is doing the right thing. Also at some stage it will be Zelig and the fleet left to patrol the border and work with the aftermath on the worlds in the system - and John and the Invictus have no experience of maintainance and clean up like that.

TF4EVA
>>14960692

definitely more dramatic than when she held court with the High Command but elements resonated with what she did at the underworld (Lights began to dim all around them, and he glanced around in alarm, watching the lighting in his freighter's cargo bay start to flicker erratically.). I dear say Alyssa as Matriarch was drawing on the pschic energy that the girls (John's wards/thralls) provide.

Braw
>>14960056

TF,Zelig didn't cede command of his fleet.He just agreed to Calaras plan for the purge.

TF4EVA
>>14960056

Technically you are correct Braw. The Invictus and the Fleet are thus just working together on an agreed plan. as Zelig says - “I suppose I’ll just have to trust you know what you’re doing.” Strategically Captain Fernadez is directing traffic and tactically both John and Zelig are doing their own thing. Again Zelig - “It sounds like a reasonable plan, as long as you’re absolutely certain you can handle the Kirrix fleets on your own?” So yes not ceding command just an agreement to work together on a common goal.

Jedi Khan
>>14960056

Were you expecting some sort of formal transfer of command ceremony or something? Sure, the military likes some formal pomp and circumstance every now and then, but the front line types like John and possibly Zelig know when such things are appropriate, and this isn't one of those times. Besides, as Braw pointed out, Zelig is still in command of his fleet. And he would remain in command even if the Invictus and his fleet were to team up on the same battlefield, the only difference being that Calara would likely have operational command, issuing tactical commands that Zelig would then disperse to his fleet. That is, of course, unless Zelig winds up dead before then, in which case John takes over the fleet as the highest ranking officer present. Then once the Kirrix are beaten and it's time for John to leave, he'll probably appoint someone else to lead the fleet in the interim until High Command can assign a new commander.

Jedi Khan
>>14960692

We saw a similar scene when Alyssa faced off against Edraele on their first visit to Valaden way back when. When Edraele was trying to probe John's mind shield, Alyssa intervened, displaying enough power to scare the bejesus out of Edraele. All John saw was the lights flicker. And I would agree with Lance's assessment. The flickering is likely the result of the building psychic power interfering with rather than absorbing the electricity.

TF4EVA
>>14960056

JK, John said to Alyssa that if they had to take out Zelig post hands up light show they would be obilged to ensure the next in line was someone they could work with (or words to that affect - with Lynettes approval to do so). After the light show I would have expected Zelig to say something like "I understand from the Fleet Admiral that we will be working together and I should heed your experience with the Kirrix and the advantage the Invictus gives us". and then at the end something like "In my briefing to my senior officers I'll let them know that there may be times when you or Captain Fernadez may need to take operational command of the fleet and or the marines on the ground and that you'll have my full support". I suspect should things will be recorded and so there can never be any misunderstanding about the nature of the relationship.

Evan
>>14960692

If it's interference from psychic powers, and I don't dismiss the possibility, then why is it only happening with Alyssa? Or have I missed it happening with the others? John (and Progenitor John) has more Psychic power than Alyssa, but his is shielded, so it doesn't radiate and doesn't impact electricity? What about the others? Is Alyssa always 'yelling' when she uses her psychic abilities in this fashion, at least to a psychic race? If so, how far away could they detect her? Will the fact that she doesn't appear to have shielding like normal Progenitors do cause her problems?

bigdawguw65
>>14960692

Evan...at first Alyssa had little or no control over her physic power , broadcasting at a shout to everyone , but as she learned to control it she can how filter to from who &amp; to who she wants . I think normal Progenitor naturally have a shield that blocks everyone but their Matriarch but I'm not sure how Alyssa's work because she is both Matriarch &amp; progenitor .

Jedi Khan
>>14960692

I don't think we've seen John gather power like Alyssa has, at least not in an enclosed area with electrical lighting and whatnot. The one time I can think of where John gathered power in a similar fashion to Alyssa and in a place where there was electrical lighting, was Sakura's old home. However, that was the middle of the day so the lights probably weren't on so there would have been nothing to interfere with. As for John's power being shielded, it's more accurate to say that the bulk of his power is locked away. John does not have access to his full power like Alyssa does with hers because PJ is holding him back. Alyssa could probably beat John in a power contest right now, but once he's free of PJ, it could potentially go either way. As for the other girls, we've seen no evidence that their powers have an impact on electricity except for Irillith, whose power is electricity. Of course, the powers for the girls all take different forms and are related to a specific medium: fire for Tashana, wind and ice for Sakura, metals and other solid materials for Dana, electricity for Irillith, life and organics for Rachel, time for Calara, and for Jade, her own body. Alyssa, however, seems to be pure energy that takes the form of light, so that may be why lights flicker when she builds up power. Can other psychic races detect Alyssa when she's charging up? Probably, especially if she is using an AOE ability or something massively powerful like her Nova Lance blast. How far away can others detect her from? Hard to say. Depends on the sensitivity of the person sensing her and just how powerful her "broadcast" is. On the crew's first trip to Ashana, Alyssa inadvertently created a psychic null zone that blocked all telepathic abilities within a 2km radius, and she didn't even realize she was maintaining it until the Ashanath councilor pointed it out to her. As she is now, she could probably envelope an entire planet in a null zone if she wanted to. However, if she were to use a targeted ability like Force Choke or something, chances are that another psychic probably wouldn't sense it unless she happened to be especially mad and was just radiating power in an "I'm pissed, don't mess with me" manner; of course, if she were doing that, a person wouldn't need to be psychic to get that message. So yeah, the detection range is likely to be massively variable.

Jedi Khan
>>14960056

TF, another perspective on this is to view things from Zelig's point of view. John is the Lion of the Federation. He's saved Terra twice, saved the fleets at the Battle of Regulus, wrought wholesale slaughter upon the Kirrix at Khalgorn (which was later broadcast on TFNN), fought and killed a massive 200m long dragon on Terra on live TV, and owns a ship that can outgun entire fleets. Not to mention he and his crew members have displayed supernatural powers. Knowing all that, would you or anyone of sound mind say no to John or any of the Lionesses when they take command? At this point, it's probably a given that if John or any one of his girls show up on the field, every friendly soldier - from the highest ranking officer to the lowliest grunt - will accept that the Lion and his girls are in command. The armchair generals might complain about it after the fact, but that's about all they can do about it. Zelig might take offense if command of the fleet was yanked out from under him by John and/or Calara, but I'm betting if it ever came to that, it's probably to save what is left of the fleet at that point from imminent destruction. In that case, Zelig won't be able to do much aside from nod in thanks and then think up some excuse as to why he lost so much of his fleet that the Lion was forced to seize command, provided of course that he lived long enough to submit an AAR.

Anonymous
>>14960692

Jedi, Your reminder of alyssa's "null zone" gave me pause. could her powers interfere with the Kirrix hive mind ability? it would make an enormous difference to a battle. When the Kirrix broodmother was slain, all the others still alive collapsed until another connection was made. Just imagine a whole planet full of Kirrix invaders rendered helpless and inactive. They would be able to board ships, free the captives and then move on to the next planet, leaving the terran forces to mop up. And no-one outside the zone would be aware of what happened. Is Alyssa powerful enough?

Jedi Khan
>>14960692

It's a possibility, provided of course that the Kirrix's hive mind is in fact psychic in nature and can therefore be affected by a null zone. As far as we know, the Kirrix hive mind could function in an entirely different manner from the telepathy that we've seen from the girls and the Ashanath, and is not psychic in nature. The only way to know for sure is for Alyssa to perhaps try diving into that hive mind via one of the Kirrix drones or a brood mother, and having a look around. Even then, it might not work.

Jedi Khan
>>14970404

Please try to limit yourself to once a day this time, okay?

Jedi Khan
>>14970404

Check that. Don't try. Just limit yourself. Period. Once a day.

TF4EVA

Thank you JFL. What are we expecting in 109? We no doubt will cheer at the power display of the new Tachyon Lances, breathe a sigh of relief whe the hard shell shield holds and be amazed at the new agility of the Invictus. Will the Kirrix withdraw or try and swarm the Invictus? What new aspect of the Kirrix invasion will we blame on LK's interference? Will Fat Tony and the girls be rescued? What will Jack Fernadez do to salve his guilt? How will the new fire teams work out? Will we see the Brimorians make their move? the Enshunu make their move? What cliff hanger will Tefler leave us with at the end this time?

Anonymous
>>14971379

About those Lances... This is one of the only times when totally new hardware is installed on the Invictus without a test firing. It is possible that these new tachyon Lances are faulty in some way, meaning the available firepower in the battle against the kirrix is significantly reduced. Would be an interesting development

Evan

The Tachyon Lances should be more powerful than the Nova Lances, no? So, if they replaced the Heavy Quantum Guns and Photon Lasers with Tachyon Lances, what - if anything - did they do with the previous 'primary weapons' of the Invictus, the Nova Lances? Will they even still be used, or not bothered with, since they have Tachyon Lances on turrets now? They weren't replaced, nor were they hardened via additional shaping to support the power of Tachyon Lances.

Jedi Khan
>>14972140

The Nova Lances are still there. They're 30 meter long weapons that are mounted inside the bow of the Invictus in a fixed forward firing position. The crew doesn't have anything else to put in the space the Nova Lances are in, so they might as well keep them. And if they're going to keep them, why not use them? They can still one-shot fully shielded battleships from outside the range of most every other weapon the other races use. It would be foolish to not use such potent weapons, even if the Invictus is now equipped with dozens of weapons on turrets that are better.

Jedi Khan
>>14971379

What do you mean without a test firing? Of course they're going to test fire the new Tachyon Lances. Only difference is the targets are Kirrix ships instead of asteroids. A much better and more realistic test than shooting up a bunch of defenseless rocks, if you ask me. :p

PLRus--Founding member of the TSM F5 club.
>>14972140

Also, the Nova lances are a 100 meter wide shot while the Tachyon Lances, while more powerful, have a much smaller diameter (what that is is unknown but based upon the descriptions is not nearly as wide). This means the Nova Lances are very useful against massed fighters...where the Tachyon Lances would require a great deal of aiming.

Evan
>>14972140

Fair enough, Jedi Khan. However, Calara and Faye will have a LOT more freedom of movement since they won't have to line up the ship in order to take such shots. Each of those turreted Tachyon Lances should be able to one-shot fully shielded dreadnoughts even when equipped with Brimorian shields and the black armour that the Drakkar vessels had, so they should be easily able to do the same to the Kirrix vessels from an even greater range than the Nova Lances had. Unless there are thousands of ships, the Invictus should be able to destroy them all within one to two minutes, with over 400 shots per minute from all Tachyon Lances combined, before they're even within range of the other ships' weapons, without even counting the Nova Lances, assuming a rate of fire of once per 5 seconds.

Evan
>>14972140

An interesting point, John. Will the Tachyon Lances have a shorter or longer 'burst' than the the Nova Lances? If, for example, they have a burst of 5 seconds, could that be directed in an arc on each turret to catch even more vessels per burst? Or, will they be continuous fire weapons, allowing them to simply be used as blotting out devices, with over 30 of them being swung through continuous arcing patterns around the ship? As a follow-up, if they are used in a burst mode, what will the interval be between bursts, as well as the duration of each one?

Anonymous

Just had an interesting thought. I'm once again re-reading the whole story and reach the point where the rescue of the kidnap victims of the Armoured Cobras are being interviewed. I wonder if "Ashcroft Lexington III, CEO: Viebecht Corporation (John rescued his kids)" and "Billionaire Industrialist Pierce Lincoln-Beaumont (John rescued his wife)" would think it's time to help the Lion of the Federation by kicking in some cash and resources to help the war-ravaged worlds that the Kirrix have attacked. Of course this would have to take place after the Lion and his team clear out the Kirrix. You could even have them reach out the Henry Voss to ask what they can do to help. It would make for a nice scene for Henry to either have as a conversation with Rachel or as a direct scene with Henry taking the call from those men.

Anonymous
>>14972140

The Nova lances may as well stay where they are - they do have some use, especially against diffused targets like a fighter cloud, as JFL points out. In addition, they are keeping a nice 30 metre space in the prime attack weapon poisition as placeholders - for the new primary armament when it becomes unveiled to the GEO...

Anonymous
>>14972140

I wonder if Dana can make a modified version of the Tachyon Lances that would fit the Nova Lance hardpoint. 30M long with a focusing element for a wider spread..........scratch that, a variable focusing element for wide and narrow spread. That could be an excellent scalpel or a broadsword for hitting a large single object or a swarm of smaller ships.

Anonymous
>>14972140

Well that interesting 30 metre space seems ripe for something worthwhile next time they’re at Gentheleas, surely... Maybe this, maybe something else, maybe even a proper projgenitor primary weapon..

bigdawguw65
>>14960056

TF...as to your OP , John is a member of HC now &amp; there (seemingly ) on Orders from the Fleet Admiral , so I would think that he is viewed as a co-commander with his own fleet to command , it's only his "fleet" is just the Invictus , Raptor. &amp; Valkyrie . Lynette's "suggestion " to Zelig about using John &amp; Calara's expertise is a face saving device to another Admiral but wouldn't be misunderstood for what she wants done .

TF4EVA
>>14972140

Given the Invictus may have to disable a bunch of Hive ships full of captives it will be a test to see whether the Tachyon lances can be used with any refinement to take out engines or thrusters so the Kirrix vessels can be boarded. Also, while using the new lances to blott out fighter or drone swarms you want to know that the blasts don't follow though and take out friendlies or ships you are trying to 'save' - kowning the blast range for the beams is important. Without them pesky rocks JK was worried about, Faye best be getting all the data she can so Calara can analyse for the best firing solutions for the future. To some extent the same unknowns exist for the Raptor and Valkyrie

Evan
>>14972140

A very good point! Photon Laser vs. Tachyon Lance might have an analogy of butane lighter vs. flamethrower! Who knows until one is fired?! The potential ‘Oops!’ that might result is as funny as it might be horrifying! Scenario: The drone ship is between the Invictus and the planet below. The Invictus fires upon the drone ship. The drone ship is gone. So is the small island in the sea on the planet below. The good news is that the upwelling of magma from the punctured continental plate will form a new, larger island in due time… So, all’s well that ends well, no?

TF4EVA
>>14960056

Good point bigdawg, forgot John got suckered by Lynette onto the HC and given that it can be assumed he is there on the Orders or with the support of the Fleet Commander. That being assumed then alot wouldn't have to be written up in the story. Thank you for that. I agree the Invictus is a separate fleet in its own right and I guess I was going for the face saving option not because I thought the Terran Fleet wouldn't work with Admiral Blake but to save the face of Zelig. admiral Zelig is a goody so I have not doubt he will not harbour ill will but it is also about ensuring the perception that the normal/natural flow of the command structure isn't suddenly being over thrown. We'll soon find out how the two fleets (including ground force) work together soon......

TF4EVA
>>14972140

Moving closer to that planet killer Evan. The other thought I had is that the worm hole generator will no doubt sit on the front of the Invictus somewhere and it's inner workings may well take up the 30m

TF4EVA
>>14974142

I'm sure some of these men and women are competitors of Henry Voss and they would have seen his new positioning and huge business gains. I'm sure they would want to support the war effort or contribute to making the world a better place as best as they can. If some of them know Henry then I'm sure a call would be in order. If not there is the lionesses' give a little page. Agree it would be a nice touch to work into the back story somewhere.

Evan
>>14972140

Remember, the Invictus is rather small in comparison to a Progenitor's vessel, and the primary weapon and/or the wormhole generator *may* require considerably more volume,, even with Progenitor technology, than the Invictus has without being significantly expanded, again. Also, remember that the Invictus is comprised of much, much weaker materials than a Progenitor vessel, so it may not be able to handle the requisite stresses that the use of such technology might engender. It is an interesting thought, but I don't know if it's likely to pan out at any time in the near future. OTK, so we'll just have to wait and see.

Jim lynch

Is it just me or dose that star forge the trankanans use sound like it could be a prodginator soul forge especially after they said malnarak used to use it too ?.

TF4EVA
>>14990084

Jim there seems to be ongoing debate as to whether or not it is a 'soul forge'. Of course after clearing out the Kirrix many of us want the invictus to swing past the star forge so Dana can get a look at it. Hopefully when Dana sees the forge or parts of it she will get insights if not schematics. Likewise the potential lessons from the Vulkat achives that Tashana and Irillith are looking to unravel might be helpful as well. It's really about having time and opportunity.

Jim lynch

Yes but shouldn’t Alisa have picked up on Niskera’s thoughts when she stood addressing the workers at the star forge. I’m sure it would have sent alarm bells ringing seen as they are both connected permanently now.

Anonymous
>>14990084

Jim, TF, I don't think that the Trankaran's Star forge is the progenitor's Soul Forge. LK has been to Trankara and would have known about their Star forge and it's capabilities, but he continually laments that John has not yet created a soul forge. LK is looking for some sign that would indicate another soul forge exists, (aside from LK's own,) and so far, it has not appeared. I don't believe it is the star forge, which appears to exist purely to smelt and refine crude ores into starships. If LK can detect the existence of a soul forge, It must be something psychically linked to John, perhaps, as others on this forum have speculated, somehow linked to the astral plane. As far as MN's use of the Star Forge in time past, he may have created his first thrall vessels there before Genthalas was established.

Jim lynch
>>14990084

But when LK was there it wasn’t turned on as it has only just been turned on now they are on a war footing. So LK might not have known it was there because it wasn’t switched on yet.

TF4EVA
>>14990084

Like Olympus and the Genthalas shipyards I suspect the Vulkamduhr Shipyards has been operating but only more recently moved to full working capacity ("All six are running at full capacity... a first in my lifetime," Onahm said). I think LK was probably aware of the forge but it was irrelevant to him. Maybe if Dana sees the forge and tweaks it LK might be more interested in it.

Anonymous
>>14960056

Yeah, TF, and even though neither bigdawg or anybody has used this term before, if your an Admiral and part of the High Command group, your actual technical rank would be something akin to an "Admiral of the Fleet", in formalspeak terms. Given that John was going to show up, and that Adm. Zelig both knew he was coming and that he was going to conduct his "purge test" of himself and possible his more senior officers at the behest of the actual "Fleet Admiral", then he was de-facto being placed, at least temporarily, in a more junior role, as would have also been the case were it Caldwell's fleet that was arriving. This is a far different thing from being relieved of command of his fleet or its ship assets, formally.

Anonymous
>>14990084

My thoughts on the souls forge, it is a method to convert many women into thralls without having to feed them and they have a 14 hour nap. Normal women go in, mindless thralls come out.

Anonymous
>>14990084

TF, I agree with your thoughts, I think the fact that there are six forges, not one, is the key. John is supposed to create A soul forge, not some soul forges.

bigdawguw65

Sean...your right on , Alyssa can only feel her emotions &amp; can communicate with her but she can't talk back . They left up in the air if she will get the full bond , but it wouldn't come until after the they confront LK at least .

bigdawguw65
>>14990084

Philip....2 points , one they aren't "mindless" they only lack the ability or will to disobey an order from their Progenitor &amp; second if it was for creating thralls why did Dana see mention of it in the schematics for building the machines they saw in the Vulkat files ?

Anonymous
>>14990084

The star forge in Trankaran space wasn’t at the home world. So LK wouldn’t have seen it anyways

Evan
>>14960692

The last time I recall a psychic null zone being used was by Edraele when she was about to be attacked by Alyssa when both were spirit walking. That caused Alyssa to lose consciousness, Edraele to be wracked by terrible pains, and it caused a slight fracture in John's subconsciously held mind shield, which allowed Progenitor John to emerge from his suppressed state at other than times of great duress. I wonder if it would impact the flow of psychic energies between John, Alyssa and the others. Would it prevent them from using their abilities? Perhaps... But I was also looking at the second encounter with Edraele, in which she made a fatal mistake. To wit: --- Cackling with glee, she approached his side and with a moment’s concentration, she rammed a mental shield breaker into the side of his glowing crown. She felt a brief chill again, which managed to make her body tremble even in spirit form, but this close to victory, she wasn’t going to let a few last minute jitters upset her plans. She grinned with excitement, and tugged with all her psychic might at the shield breaker, the gleaming crown breaking in half with a shrieking, tearing sound. John began to laugh, but it was deathly cold and humourless; the most chilling sound she had ever heard. She felt a surge of mind bending terror course through her, and with her concentration shattered, she was snapped back into her physical form. That low pitched, malevolent laughter echoed around her room, suddenly sounding deafeningly loud, now she was back in her body. She tried to flee, but with her body frozen rigid with fright, she could only back away slowly. With dreadful and shocking understanding, she finally realised that his mental barrier wasn’t to keep people out, it was to keep something in. Something dark, something powerful, and something altogether terrifying. The lights dimmed in the room, and she could feel power surging towards him like a maelstrom, whistling around her like a living possessed thing. He flexed his arms as black coils of ethereal madness began to gather around him, and the lashing black tendrils started to coalesce as they circled and shrouded his fists. She staggered back faster, and tripped over one of the chaise-lounge chairs, stumbling to her knees. The clatter drew his attention, and when he looked at her, she shrank away from that dreadful gaze, desperate to escape from the malevolent nightmare she had unleashed. --- Now, the reason I bring this section up is to point out what happened when Progenitor John was unleashed. He did NOT have any active connections to anyone else at that time, since he had cut them off and had not yet assumed control of the Maliri, but 'The lights dimmed in the room, and she could feel power surging towards him like a maelstrom' which clearly indicates that yes, a Progenitor *can* draw power from other things than their Thralls. Thoughts?

Anonymous
>>14990084

I don't think LK can psychically sense the presence of a soul forge - I think the sign John has one would be seen by thrall ships appearing in his fleet... as there are none LK can assume John hasn't yet got a soul forge. Maybe a soul forge is a star forge with the addition of some psychic power. That power usually comes from a progenitors thralls - hence a normal progenitor might sacrifice thralls for the required power... we know John &amp; Alyssa never would, but that doesn't mean they don't already have enough psychic power to get a soul forge up &amp; running... OTK!

TF4EVA
>>14996210

bigdawg if I remember rightly Niskera needed a couple more square meals to make three but John was worried that her body would change so much (to be more like John's perfect woman Alyssa) it would impact on the way her people see her and work with her. You are right though he left it up to her in the future (like Lynette and Jehana) as to whether she came and got the full dose and lived with him and the other lionesses. Alyssa would have felt the elation, sense of awe and satisfaction that Niskera felt at the star forge. Do you think this feeling would have been shared by Alyssa with Jade and Edraele?

Tefler

No, not yet. I've got all the edits in from my editors, but haven't had a chance to go through them all yet. I'll take a look when I get back from vacation, so you can expect the final version by about the 2nd September.

TF4EVA

Thanks for that Tefler. A final 108 and a partial 109 in the next week - definitely spoilt

Tefler

I just added the FINAL version. I didn't change much, just added a bit of banter with Edraele at the end. :-)

bob lakhanpal

not able to open this updated file in my PC. Says "Something went wrong and Word is unable to open this file" Is anyone else facing a similar problem??

Anonymous
>>15174499

Tefler, I noticed that you missed some of the edits that I submitted to you earlier. Some suggested edits are minor; however, I was wondering if there is an easier way for me to get these to you, versus hoping you see them in all the running comments following a new chapter posting? The ones missed are as follows: Page 9: Unfortunately(,) several of the water bottles had cracked,; Page 14: knowing that (they) had a very busy day ahead.; Page 41: Unbuttoning his jacket(,) he placed it on his desk,; Page 44: “So(,) you’re still coming to the wedding then?” Alyssa asked hopefully.; Page 55: she said with an apologetic fro(wn)m.; As always, if you disagree, I completely understand. Cheers!

Tefler
>>15174499

I'm not sure how I missed those, but thanks for the reminder! I've updated them now. :-)