All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 100'

You did it again! Thank you, we'll done, could hardly put it down..

Another great chapter

Congratulations again, a massive chapter with so much content, and written so brilliantly. Amazing !!

I believe that the Progenitor is closely related to John, but I'm unsure exactly how they are related.

As to his care for John, this can have several reasons:

1. He needs John to be the one who 'helps' him obliterate most of his opposition in the universe, so that he easily can take control of it at the end, when most military forces has been eviscerated. He knows John will end up being the ruler of most of it and only has to fight John in the end to take control.

2. He wants to be John's ally later on, but knows John has to develop as a progenitor a lot more before they can talk at the same level (however, it is obvious that the progenitor doesn't understand why John haven't enslaved the Maliri and made them into thralls, and doesn't understand the deeper connections and the power this unleashes...

3. He might just want to be the one who kills John, not anyone else...

4. "John, I am your father" (sorry, couldn't resist... but maybe we'll get Tefler's version of that famous Star Wars scene...)

And then you have Faye...

Faye is my favourite character in your stories, like I've seen many others comment on as well. The fact that her avatar went into basic mode shows that her servers is in need of a serious upgrade. And I mean serious as in increasing her capacity at least 100 times... And I'm sure that will lead to her getting many new abilities as well... I'm looking forward to see her next iteration development wise.

About the sex... There will always be an element of sex in this story due to the properties of John's cum, but I am also very happy that Tefler tones that down a lot. With writing as good as Tefler writes, sex scenes will get in the way of the story if there is too much of it. I'm happy with things they way they are now...

And finally: 28 pages, wow, and though I tried to read slowly to enjoy it - they all disappeared like magic... Only a truly talented writer can pull that off, and you Tefler are one of the very best, not only here, but amongst all writers.

Again congratulations - like others have commented, I wish I could give you more than five stars, you surely deserve it.

Whew.!.

Larn'kelnar ? Uncle, cousin, Father. Malar nec is or was his grandfather or father. Larn'kelnar was watching John for entertainment ? What a great game.

Thanks for 28 great pages. I wasn't going to complain but, John can travel from one end to the other, faster than this last chapter posted.

Thanks again.

I have to say i hated the wait but the chapter was amzing and totaly worth it.

And yet another amazing chapter. The waiting time is killer but its so worth it. Keepup the amazing work. Tha ks to your stories i have decided to try my hand at writing my own. Cant wait to read more of your amazong work

I wish i can wipe all my memories about this story and read this over and over again ;/

Oh mi gerd.... couldn't stop reading this chapter.... should of been sleeping for work but ya know.... that's why science made monsters! Great read and keep them coming you glorious bastard!

What a great work you have created.

This story has just sucked me right in and will not let go.

I can't wait for your next installment.

"That was totally wicked!!" What an amazing, epic story! I know I've said it before, but I'm SOOO glad that I've kept reading. This keeps getting better and better with each installment. You've done such a great job with the ships and in describing the combat that my mind's eye is still reviewing the tapes of the battles in my head. Well done!

Thank you very much for writing and especially for sharing this! I look forward to reading whatever you write, especially if it's more of this tale.

More solid gold from Tefler. Thanks for writing, and keep 'em coming!

On the 16th, where I'm at it's the 17th and already over a 100 comments. The battle chapters almost always draw a lot of comments but I think that this one is on it's way to set a record. Wish I could give higher scores but we can't, that said the writer should receive 5 stars. The story 5 stars, the quality of the saga as a whole should receive 5 stars. I can't say enough about how much I love this story and this left erotica behind many chapters ago. I read this for the storyline not the sex. Tefler you have created a set of characters and storyline that is phenomenal, Please continue. Thank you sir, mikecfl.

That was so worth the extra wait.

With the heavy damage the Invictus suffered, a shown need for more server processing capacity for Fay, a large number of future tech improvements to be made in the next month or so as Dana unlocks them, a ?200-ish? meter ship extension already added to the frame of the Invictus to house tech upgrades, a proven history of fighting larger and more dangerous threats as time progresses, a massive showdown with Evil Progenitor nearly guaranteed, the T-Fed military capability being decimated, and the guaranteed 100 percent unquestioned support for John by every surviving Terran such that any soldier would mutiny and every planet would revolt if any leader acted against him (and everone knows and approves of that fact)... ...

Isn't it about time that John built a bigger ship for himself and the Girls as well as a fleet of - Invictus Class - ships that are clones of the current Invictus, and have them staffed by mixed crews pulled from the races John has saved? The new fleet could be the foundation of a new Galactic Federation as the mixed crews come together to fight their common threat, and a brand new super-massive pain bringer that has room to install any future additional tech Dana would cook up would keep John and his Girls safe from future political shenanigans or rebel/pirate attacks, allow the Crew to increase, ... and provide a safe home for John, his wives, and their future children once the Evil Progenitor and all the other threats are dealt with. There are certainly less-safe places to raise a family and teach your children how to survive any threats thrown at them than the ship that has the fastest engines, the toughest defences, and deadliest weapons in the GALAXY... especially when that ship and its crew has SAVED the galaxy from death and slavery. Just thinking out loud.

At this point, I'm pretty sure that BSP, aka Larn'kelnar, is not John's father. Early in the chapter, Larn'kelnar and Ailanthia are with a still pregnant thrall that he bred shortly after jumping into this part of the Galaxy. During the argument between Larn'kelnar and Ailanthia at the end of the chapter, she says she's served him for over 4,000 years.

Based on what we were told, John's father seemingly spent the time between 10,000 before present and (at least) 41 years ago marooned on the planet where Mom and Dad met. (sorry, can't be bothered to dig through the 99 past chapters to find the planet's name). If he'd had active thralls during that span, it's unlikely that he would have still been in his busted up ship on some backwater planet deep in Kirrix territory, or placed the apparent value that he did on John's Mom.

Larn'kelnar said: "I was thinking that it's nearly time for a little family reunion..."

That sure implies he is related to John. And his interest in NOT killing John, while still messing with him and all the empires and species in that part of the galaxy speaks to some kind of personal interest.

Don’t think he could be dad. He has had Ailanthia as his matriarch for over 4000 years....which doesn’t fit with being on Arcadia with a crashed flagship 40 years ago when Jessica found ‘dad’.

What is family anyway? Back in chapter 76 they found Mael'nerak saying: "One of them has come for me. It was only a matter of time... One of my brothers... another Progenitor seeks to challenge my dominion." It isn’t really clear to me if he means literal sibling or any fellow Progenitor when he says brother.

He could be John’s uncle or much older half brother. The question remains, who is dad anyway? Pretty sure the Ashanath had half of Mael’nerak’s ship, and he didn’t survive that. Doubt Ranagon survived either, and if he did, would he just wait on Arcadia for 10,000 years? He should be able to at least jury rig or build a small ship and go someplace where he can enslave a race and start anew.

Also interesting is the slow transformation around falling in love with his matriarch. Mael’nerak did it. Larn'kelnar is starting to go down that path. (John is well ahead on that path, doing it immediately instead of taking millennia!)

Most mysterious. I can’t wait for Tefler to write the reunion!

Another great chapter!

Random thoughts:

Will Jade's sisters turn on her?

Is the "evil" Prognator really John's father?

TGK

Yeah, he isn't the baby daddy. So we are back to either Mael or Ranagon who survived the Quantum field generator explosion. Thing is, whomever it was is still out there in the background. They are not showing themselves for a reason. I cannot help but think Larn'kelnar may have more than one family reunion in store.

I checked for 100 probably about 45 minutes after it was posted. Next thing I know, the sun was coming up. Now the wait begins again. Tefler, take a mini vacation, then back to the salt mines. I need my fix.

I have a bad feeling that Jade is going to need to be rescued again. At least I hope so. I don't think John can resurrect her again. Too much spirit realm involved in the process, if memory serves.

I would love to see what form she takes when she finally kills Weber, though. Just so long as she doesn't turn into a T-Rex and try to eat him. I think he'd just give her indigestion.

I think it's time to start working on designs for the Invictus II. I know you have started on a ship to be carried inside the Invictus' larger hangar/cargo bay, but I think it's a little small scale for the battles ahead. Go ahead and add a destroyer, or whatever to the Invictus' "fleet", but also work on the Invictus II. Maybe continue the nesting doll theme and have the Invictus dock inside the Invictus II. lol

I'm thinking that, contrary to what the other Progenitor thinks John should do, I think that when he fully unlocks the knowledge of all Progenitor tech, he and Dana should be able to adapt it all to make a ship to suit them, the Lion and his Lionesses, not just blindly fall in line with his species' xerox reproduction of everything from ship to thralls to behavior. I wonder, given no restrictions on design other than what the technology itself imposes, what flight of fancy that Dana and John will come up with...with Alyssa doing the interior and exterior designs, of course.

I think that suppressing Progenitor John for so long will allow him much more free will and latitude for innovation, than any Progenitor since Mael'nerak.

BTW, I must have missed the introduction of the term, but what does BSP mean?

I am curious what the Brimorians could possibly be able to do with the power crystal tech, seeing as only the Maliri and Progenitors should still be able to make them.

Also, I think that the Deep Lords concubine isn't a nymph after all. Given that the abandoned are genetically modified humans, mixed with Brimorian tech via Kintark geneticists, and not nymphs, I have come to the conclusion that the Deep Lord's female is actually a genetically made-to-order female, programmed to be his ideal in every way.

How John is going to liberate billions of abandoned descendants, I have no idea. Maybe he will finally have to conquer or take over all the known regions and species after all. At least lay a beating down on the Kirrix and the Brimorians.

Tefler, I think that once the current to do list, Kill Weber, Save Jehenna and the nymphs, stop the Kirrix invasion and it's cleanup, help their allies rebuild and reclaim after their respective invasions, and maybe, just for fun, influence the changeover of leadership in the High Command to a more tolerable group of admirals who don't have their heads up their asses. Once all that is done, you need to work on John's progenitor side, which has been neglected to a large degree for a long time. I'll get back to that at the end of this comment/book.

Charles should be a member of the top three admirals, but I think that they should expand the High Command to include civilian authorities. Maybe Rachel's father could be one. Not sure of the number of admirals formerly in High Command, but maybe have one third of the old positions filled by civilian leaders of major worlds in the TF.

I am majorly pissed at you Tefler. Of all the red shirt admirals that you never named before that you just killed off, did you really have to kill Mishra? So much wasted potential.

And finally, for now, Tefler, it's time my friend, to take off the training wheels. John has been handicapped by Progenitor John long enough. Let the evil personality be defeated and absorbed, never to be heard from again, into John.

Before people say it's too soon, think of the plot points that this will open up. John will suddenly have access to so much knowledge and technology, but almost as important, his full Progenitor powers. But to keep it interesting, Dana tapping into the tech aside, the longest part of that will be designing all the new toys from scratch with all the opinions of the rest of the girls and John, John will have to learn how to control so much power all at once. He will be off center for a while to come as he comes to terms with the power, especially given his lingering "human" self-imposed resistance to even using those powers without "owning" them himself, one at a time like all the ones he uses now.

He can gain control little by little, and mastery even slower, probably angering his "cousin" by doing it so slowly.

Please, Tefler, 100 chapters in, has been long enough to drag on the Progenitor-John plot point. Time to put that horse to pasture.

I teased you about what I still consider to be mistakes in the early chapters of this saga, but you’ve improved so much that I was expecting something amazing for chapeter 100.

You certainly didn’t disappoint. This was epic and if there were some easy way to pay for a copy of this chapter right now, I’d do it.

Really good writing, all around. Thanks for sharing your story with us.

I was seriously going nuts waiting for 100... and it was WELL worth the wait...

The Brimorians are SO going to shit a brick when they realize the Kintark got their asses handed to them and that John will come looking for them soon...

Hopefully, Jade doesn't have to fight any of her sister nymphs during the Tarturus encounter...

BSP = Black Ship Progenitor = Larn'kelnar

It is the unofficial (if I recall correctly) name used since way, way back in comments discussions and speculation about the identity (and familial relation, if any, to John) of the owner of the mysterious black ship.

Most stories I read on this site are LESS than one of the chapters of this. This is quite possibly the best thing I've ever read. I remember back in the early chapters when it was only a few pages per chapter, and now i'm looking forward to the next chapter every time I finish reading. I'm probably going to go back and read from the beginning again just to hold me over until the next.

This is an exceptional chapter. I really loved the character development that you showed through this chapter (after 100 chapters, they're still growing - testament to your narrative ability). There were a few developments that made me laugh, and also step back from the tale for a moment and say 'whoa, well *done*'.

Please, please, please *don't* mess with Faye: Our humanity is shown through our faults, or or limitations. At the moment, the fact that we have seen her limitations is what makes her engaging, and not passe and boring. If Faye is openly scaleable, she's a God(dess); ultimate, eponymous, Deus ex Machina. ... and really i think the tale you want to tell of her is a sprite becoming humanesque (what does it mean to *be* human; is it the ability to love?).. not becoming an omnipotent godhead. Because that way lies transcendant self improvement rather than procreation.

But god damnit, it has to move beyond light flirting (Grumble grumble).

Very, very well done with Irilith. Again , it makes her stand out. I am 100% OK with the merciless justice dispensed on the bridge. Not all of John's Lioness' need to be conscience-hobbled wilting violets. Irilith is tough as nails, and now one of my favourites.

This is the first time I have commented on any of the stories on this website, but I love this storyarc.

I never anticipated Jade going rogue and putting her own interests before Johns. If my memory serves, that leaves Tashana as the last girl to have defied John in some way or jeopardize a mission. Sakura and Dana have done it a lot, Alyssa usually just does what she wants, Fey was going to steal the ship, Calara attacked the Kirrix fleet, Rachel got triggered when fighting pirates, Edraele cleaned house with the Maliri leadership. Im not sure if Irrilith defying PJ counts, so i guess she could be grouped with her sister...At least John has evidence that he didnt just create them as slaves with no free will lol

FYI:

"the gunship's twin shoulder-mounted weapons"

pg 23

As Dana and (?) are making their landmind-towing run on the Kintark, just before the mines are released.

(don't think the gunship has shoulders... lol...)

GeoD

Most of the positive praise has been mentioned so I’ll proceed with a few constructive observations. (Minor editing/grammar/typos will not be included)

—- your excessive use of the word “glide” is still prevalent when other adjectives are sitting on the bench just twiddling their thumbs. Ex. Walk/fly/rush/stalk etc...

— repetitive analogy/metaphors. “Scythe through wheat” and “like toddlers fighting in a sandbox” you’ve used those quite a bit. It’s more noticeable when you read the chapters back to back.

I hope your creativity continues to be an endless fountain.

- the Red barreN

I agree PussyLickersRus , my guess about BSP being john's dad doesn't fit with Ailinthia being his matriarch for 4k years. But i guess i jumped the gun with my clues , as they simply pointed to BSP being John's close family .... so now i m guessing half brother or Uncle ( as in brother to Maelnark who would in turn be John's father )

we know that John's father was abandoned on Arcadia with a broken ship ( since last progenitor conflict so over 10k years ). He definitely can't have a matriarch or he would have ordered her mentally to come get him . so it makes me think that maelnark who had severed his bond with his matriarch before fight , might end up abandoned on a planet with limited energy and no-one to call for help with telepathy.

As @PussyLickersRus and few others pointed out my mistake that Larn'kelnar cannot be John's dad , I am guessing he is related to Maelnark and wants the family reunion to ask John about his Father/brother whatever Maelnark is to Larn'kelnar , and where he could be (presumably still alive)

I am hoping this turns into 3 progenitor battle where Maelnark aka John's dad and his matriarch Christina aka John's mom join on his side to fight against Larn'kelnar and give him guidance that his evil progenitor guide has blocked from him .

more i think about it , more the theory that John is maelnark's son after he was abandoned on Arcadia without a matriarch makes sense to me . As i explained in previous comment this will help John with internal struggles he faces and also give him guidance that Evil Progenitor guide has denied him.

Also metaphorically the idea of son of god acting as saviour of his creations would be interesting too ( even though I am not christian :P )

I have been thinking that even though John is as virile as a Progenitor can ever hope to be , he cannot feed Helene , 4 nymphs and probably Jehanna too "three square meals" a day for 2 weeks.

Also nymphs don't have a master yet , or won't once Webber is killed ... which makes me doubt if John will choose to be master of 4 more nymphs ? it doesn't fit his personalty profile

I think Jade might abandon the invictus to lead her sisters , after they have been fed a few times to rebuild their personality . Now she might go to settle on some planet or might command a sister ship that flies around the world by the side of invictus.

since Jade already has a mental connection with John, she might act as pseudo matriarch for these 4 nymphs who won't join neither Alyssa nor Edraele's network of thralls

I hope Jade and the rescued nymphs will take command of the proposed destroyer. I can't see Jade leaving John and I think she ... really, really, very much wants John to fill her and her nymph squad full of babies.

I hope the destroyer has the micro missiles from the spider queen. Who knows for sure? We could be hitting the point of another level of progenitor tech release and a new version of dominator class battle ship pops out of Dana's mind. Making a new ship from scratch or cannibalize the fun parts of the Invictus.

It could be Dana revamping and up grading a progenitor ship and leaving the Invictus for Jade and the nymphs. The Invictus is damaged ... and a Frankenstein.

I'm very curious about Dana and Rachel recreating a psychic suppression machine like the dragon used. It could great for keeping the creatures of the astral plane out of our dimension.

Thanks Tefler for continuing the high level of excellence in your writing ... and for sharing with us.

albertajack

The sex was perfectly under played, get excited, get it started, and fade to black. A really good balance. And a very excellent story. Kept me in on a nice Sunday. Chapter 100 was an enjoyed read.

I love every chapter! It is awesome....keep it up please!

Starting to think that we have been wrong about the Progenitor "species". What if they aren't a species, but just a family. Like a grandfather or great grandfather was the one who figured out the ship designs and genetics and powers, then started conquering. After having a few (dozen) children he imposes a guide so they can continue the things he started and retires into the Astral plane to watch his decendants take up his "legacy", becoming the monster in John's dreams. The tendency of Progenitor's to fall in love with a Matriarch probably happens after the guide is finally gone and they can start truly thinking for themselves, wanting something more than just conquering over and over again.

Pointy ears. Quad.

Actually that theory is quite believable.

If Progenitors were a natural species they wouldn't have such heavily modified DNA themselves , and would have destroyed their society to oblivion soon enough leaving barely 1-2 progenitor survivors .

Terran were not slave species for a purpose like Trankarans or Ashanath , so it's quite possible that original Progenitor was of a humanoid species close to Terrans. that was used as based template and combined with Neanderthal to try to recreate their homeworld that original progenitor probably destroyed , and this was Maelnark's experiment.

Even the big Astral monster being the original Progenitor or combination of ancestral progenitors makes sense since they seem to be pissed with John for not following his legacy and loving his thralls and sharing energy with them. They also seem to have their own sub-plane which we have only heard of progenitors making so far.

I would also go so far as to guess that after Maelnark fell in love with Valada and stopped conquering , these nightmares might have haunted him too. Either that or these astral visits continues until guide takes over. Anyways Maelnark's experiment of Ashanath for collective sub-conscience might have been directed towards trying to solve this astral monster problem once and for all. As I remember Edraele had never heard of astral monsters inspite of being powerful psychic , but Ashanath were well aware of them and even had their own sub-plane made by Maelnark which they have maintained for 10k years.

all in all , that's a pretty good theory Yazvan and might explain a lot of things in current storyverse

Incredible. I think there should be a new category called Tefler!

F unbelievable. Been on tenterhooks since the last. pax

Just finished chapter 100 for the second time. What an incredible piece of work. Every time you have a battle scene you think the limits have been reached and then you go to another level altogether.

But John and the girls have gone beyond the point where it is even close to being fair for them to fight mere mortals. Bring on the Progenitor.

I have been thinking about this for a while now , but since i am throwing many theories on this chapter's comment I might add this one too. It's about a telepathic command web for invictus crew similar to Ashanath command web.

This telepathic star network around Alyssa is working well , but puts a lot of pressure on her , and fails if she is unconscious or otherwise unavailable . A p2p telapathic command web would solve a lot of problems . We have seen Alyssa open Calara and Sakura's mind directly to John when they were having sex after impregnating Maliri matriarchs , so their seems to be a possibility.

Since all the girl's have been twice pulled into Astral world during John's nightmare we know girls are capable of journeying to Astral world and sub-planes. Also since every girl on crew now has a third helix already and are psychics ( even if not telepaths) they should be able to do astral projections with some practice. Irillith already performs astral projection and Jade has started using telepathy even if only with John at the moment .

At very least if Calara can have direct thought transfer with other girls and Faye ( via Ashanth pychic-tech bridge devices ) the crew's response time to her bad premonitions will be much better. A worse compromise would be Jade having telepathic bond with Calara so atleast she's a better pilot than Alyssa combining strengths of both telepathy and faster body reflexes .

Also Ashanath seems to safe from Astral monsters when inside their sub-plane , so maybe John should start looking into ways to create his own sub-plane . Doubt that's possible with Evil PJ holding him back on astral projections , but let's see .

And may do so again. I have written several times how great this saga is so now I'm going to whine. I love the character Faye and I'm starting to feel like she is going to get short changed. Helene is in the process of joining the crew and there is the probable chance of 4 more nymphs. Faye hasn't had a first date or first real kiss with John and it looks like her needs may be kicked down the road, I hope that doesn't happen. Also, since I fish in my off time I'm just going to admit that when I think of Helene I think of how even fresh fish have a smell and yes I know it's FICTION but I am hoping that the base template make over will reset her to a terran body without the gills and the likely need to immerse herself in water for most of the day. In the past I've read comments asking for slime girls and spider girls and I really hope that doesn't happen, just does not work for me. All the thralls mentioned so far from the past are terran type beings that fall into the base template category and I hope it continues for the crew of the Invictus. I know it may be silly to other readers but I just can't get past the idea of a fish smell. Now that the whining is over,Tefler still the greatest story out there, Thanks mikecfl.

I think Helene might retain her gills , because most probably her ability would be Hydrokinesis . I don't know if she will be able to bring forth a lot of water with her powers to drown people simply , but her powers might play a big role in fight against Brimorians .

I am sure when that battle goes bad , Deep lorth will go hide in his underwater rooms , and then it will be Jade as some aquatic predator (eg. shark) and Helene with Hydrokinesis who will have to pull him out of his hole

That was well worth the wait.

Could not step away from the screen.

101, bring it on

The action was very evocative, the stakes as high as we've come to expect. I like that Dana and Calara don't just shrug it off that that they've blasted so many aliens, and that the crew sees destruction as a necessary evil, avoiding it when possible (loved the vulkat scene btw).

one criticism: It's becoming increasingly obvious that there's no black or middle eastern lioness. your kink is your kink, but it's an odd oversight when there are so many other shades/species. I dig that Faye's a different body type. Variety is the spice of life.

possible lioness skillsets that might be fun/useful in storytelling: videographer/photographer, sociologist/teacher, (space) architect, xenobotanist (chlorokinetic), ship designer, child care, fighter pilots, another gunner so Calara can command.

By this point enough characters have been introduced that you need some kind of guide for the minor terran ones. I see someone started a wiki, but maybe Tefler could refer people to it on the author page or patreon? It would really enrich the reading experience. I think there might be enough fans (144 comments in 3 days?) to add the names of side characters so I'm more invested in pov characters like Murphy or whatsismech.

(complete side tangent) Did you know George R.R. Martin refers to the Ice and Fire wiki when he's writing? Some other writers maintain it, even fleshing out thinly referenced historical events. It contains a lot of uncannon stuff, but so did the Star Wars extended universe, and now some of that's influenced the new movies. (tangent over)

Five Stars!

28 pages explains a lot! I was afraid that you were ill. Glad you are okay. This chapter clearly needed a bit (a lot?) more girth than usual for you. Excellent work!

One quibble: Jade needs a severe ass-beating for going off mission- again. She likely caused increased casualties and certainly caused the ship to get mangled. I hope that you include a reckoning in the next chapter. (Or the next hundred!)

Another excellent chapter tefler. Thank you so much for sharing it with us.

I feel there is some kind of major plot and character development being done regarding jade. Since her starting to be able to connect with John directly I feel she is going to be another matriarch, which is very unique for progenitors to be able to do. It makes John as an individual seem really weak as even this bsp ignored Alyssa and other girls and was just interested in John. But having three matriarch actually makes John really very much stronger. It might be a big surprise for bsp when John and the bsp come to a face off.

Another thing is I really dont think this face off with the bsp is going to happen. Atleast not in this series, maybe in sequel, as John is still very young. And John is still stuck in managing all his allies while bsp is playing them so easily. John really needs a few thralls in terran admiralty if he wants them to be ally. There might me a chance of coming to some kind of agreement between John and the kintark, kintark empire is very open and vulnerable to outside attacks right now. And brimorians are already waiting for that kind of opportunity, and even John is planning to pay the dark Lord a visit regarding the abandoned. The timing can't be more perfect.

What I am really excited about is Faye. In this chapter Faye was at her limit and she really needs an upgrade which I think is gonna happen after she fucks John and it is going to be a huge upgrade. Who knows what powers she gets.

Eagerly waiting for next chapter.

Regards

Mg

Now comes the hard part waiting for the next chapter don't care what other comments are I read them and take them with a grain of salt love the story

Paps

I discovered it yesterday afternoon, I wanted to stay up and finish, but my wife made me go to bed at 3 am :) Finished it today while getting my car fixed.

I have read them all and this is the best chapter yet. Well done Tef.

First about Jade, haven't you guys considered maybe Jade is already a matriarch? I mean when she took that 14 hour nap starting around chapter 90 that was out of the norm to get a simple increase in powers.

About Larnkel'nar I have to agree he doesn't feel like an evil father type to me. Though i am interested to see how the family reunion turns out because i think it will be like an epic starwars light versus darkside battle in comparison.

About Jehnna elani and the nymphs i think this could go in any direction. Yes they could all take up jobs on the ship but i can understand telfer being slow on adding new characters. Because i have read a few harem stories and i have concluded the terrible ones just continously add girls without any good story behind it. TSM adds girls with plenty of good story behind it.

Now sure i've made arguments that Invictus needs more crew because they're relying too heavily on their technological advantages and if they encounter an enemy like Larnkel'nar they are screwed if it becomes a ship to ship boarding action. But on the other hand with Jehnna yes she could take up residence on the Invictus but i think its too early for that yet. She could still go back to TTFN help rebuild it and resume being a reporter. With the nymphs they would likely have to join the crew when John rescues them, but them taking refuge in Maliri Territory isn't out of the question either.

It took me 2 weeks to reread first 10 chapters and the other 92 it was worth it. Loved the newest chapter, I know with the chapters being between 12 to 20 or so pages it takes a bit for them to be put up and the wait is worth it. Paitantly waiting for the next.

Is it on course for the predicted date of first week of next month?

Dang you Tefler!!!! Dang you and your cliffhangers!!!!

But on the other hand, wow. Just, wow. Holy ducking shite.

I'm out of words to describe.... The feels man.. wow 😶

Once again, you've created a masterpiece and I'm anxiously awaiting the next chapter. Thanks!

This has been one hell of a 'chapter' (more like a full novel from the length of it). You were spot on with the varying levels of tension, as always. This chapter alone would have made me a staunch fan, if I wasn't one already. I'm looking forward to seeing the action lull down for a bit as the aftermath of the battle gets wrapped up.

I think Jade already has a power she doesn't know about..being able to break the master bond of a Nymph. Instead they are bonded to her so she can easily collect them and add them to her line. At most it would just take a finger to their mouth to share a little progen DNA.

Okay, I don't really mean this as a debate about whether people are using a word correctly or not. I just wanted to point out that we could have it much worse with Tefler and cliffhangers.

For those that don't know, cliffhangers really came into their own during the Hollywood serial era. Before there was a television in every home, the cinema didn't just show feature length films. Before a feature, you would get some combination of news, cartoons and a serial or two. A serial would run about 20 minutes, and just like a tv series, last about weekly 14 episodes. Now, you can imagine getting paying customers into the theatre each week was a higher bar than getting folks to tune in at home. So, these serials often ended on a cliffhanger to get you back next week. Just like the term 'Jump the Shark' comes from a real episode of Happy Days where Fonzie jumped a shark while water skiing in his famous leather jacket, cliffhanger came into cinema via the film 'The Perils of Pauline' where the damsel in distress was literally shown hanging from a cliff. (The term is actually goes further back in literature, but Hollywood made it popular.)

A true cliffhanger ends in the middle of a climax. It's the moment when you think the villain has won and there is no way out for our hero. You can think of that climax moment like in a James Bond movie, just after the villain has departed leaving Bond tied to some overly complicated death machine. That's the moment a cliffhanger would end. As most of you sci-fi geeks know, one of the most famous of these was in Star Trek: The Next Generation in the season 3 finale episode 'Best of Both Worlds'. Riker, the first officer, gives the order to fire on his captain and the episode ends. There were rumours that the actor Patrick Stewart, the gallant captain, was not returning the following season -- leaving fans with a months long wait to find out what happened.

Now, compare that with what Tefler does, he tends to end a chapter just as one or all of our heros are heading into a battle. In this case, that's Jade. This is before a climax (and this time also after one) -- not in middle of it. It's like in 'The Lord of the Rings' -- 'The Fellowship of the Rings' ending with Frodo and Sam deciding they have to head into Mordor on their own. Ending in the middle of the climax would have been to end part one with Boromir fighting for the ring.

So, imagine this chapter ending with the Kintark Emperor activating the psychic energy dampener, the flame on John's sword dying and the dragon swooping in the for the killing stroke while Rachael and Alyssa stand with just their rifles before countless Kintark marines overwhelming the defences. THAT would have been a cliffhanger.

While recovering from an accident with 5 broken and displaced bones I have had a bit of spare time. So I have been re reading all the previous chapters. Obviously I am already a fan but reading them all again has been just as good as the 1st time. A real pleasure.

The story keeps getting better every chapter.

Thank you for sharing with us all.

Don't know if you are a Patron of Tefler or not: But back when we had the "Wounded Little Birds" chapter, Tefler split that chapter up with the death of Jade. We had a week or so of mourning as a group. Even after her resurrection, I could not read that chapter again for months. THAT was a brutal cliffhanger.

And finally there is an ambivalent character. Or at least I hope Larn'kelnar will be one when we get to know his motives.

Because so far I can't think of anybody who'd fit that description, they're either good or bad. And the bad ones are either abused women who can be saved or they die.

Greetings, G

Hope Jace can rescue her sisters. Glad that we finally got rid of the psychotic admiral - at least one of them. Fabulous series.

"And the bad ones are either abused women who can be saved or they die."

Athgiloi, Webber, Buckingham, Pirate Lord, most of the Drakker Warlords, Hades, the Kintark Dragons...are you really implying these are all good ones?????

This tale just keeps getting better and better. I wish I had a way with words to express how much this story is appreciated.

How did you read that out of my comment? I'm baffled. But okay, let me see:

Athgiloi: Will likely die if only because he has a Nymph and the Brimorians created the Abandoned. Plus he's as much of a villain as anybody so he won't stand down.

Weber: Not dead yet, but soon because Nymphs/Jehanna.

Buckingham: Killed, but his days were counted one way or the other - see Weber.

Pirate Lord: I don't know which one you mean, but if you're talkin about the one aboard the "Stalingrad": he's as dead as can be.

Drakkar Warlords: Those we know of died. Some soldiers have been taken as POW.

Hades: Executed.

Kintark Dragons: Kindralax and Baledranax are dead. Tamolith (the one that got away with her litter) might've become an interesting character, but I don't see that anymore. Plus calling her "bad" would be a stretch imo.

"And the bad ones are either abused women who can be saved or they die."

All dead, so option B. Statement still stands.

Greetings, G

That was amazing! I anxiously await every new chapter and you make it absolutely worth it every time. Thank you so much. I can't wait to find out what happens next.

Ahh, Okay. The way it was written it seemed (to me) you were saying only abused females.

& worth the wait 50 stars!!!

Cheers for this Tefler, it was a long ass wait but well worth it with a 28 page battle to satisfy us 3²M's addicts. As always looking forward to more to come so keep up the awesome work man!

Was getting nervous, as this was the longest u've taken to release the next chapter, but I finally under stand y. Can't wait for the next amazing 1. When u submit this script for the big screen (may have to tone down the sex scenes) make sure only the big name (MGM, PARAMOUNT, etc) guys produce it, I don't think anyone else will be able to fully capture this masterpieces.

Tx for a great read,

Can't wait for the next one.

I think tamolith is going to come back, as she is the only dragon left. And right now kintark empire is in desperate need of a new leadership as all its military strength is almost exhausted and there is an imminent threat from the brimorians. Maybe John and tamolith can come to some sort of agreement through which John can put a leash over Terran federation and malari can help protect kintark from external dangers.

But Terran federation has always been the bad guy, trying to grab other empire's planets like asanath, kintark, brimorians. John really needs to have a strong control over them, or who knows someday they might even try to infiltrate kirrix too.

Regards

Mg

Wonderful work. Can’t wait to read more. I have enjoyed reading this series and watching your style evolve and grow.

Totally awesome Space Opera story. Can't wait for Ch 101.

I am a wargamer and I like to create wargames. This story has inspired me to dig out an old unfinished game from the deep place it had gotten to in my computer's memory and work on it some more. With a little work it could be used to simulate the battles from the story. Although it would be best to reduce the number of ships in the battles in some cases. Hundreds of ships is just too many.

If anyone here is interested I would be glad to share it with you. PM me using the site Contact system. Click on my username to get to my page then click on “Contact” and send me an email. We can talk and go from there. Include a way for me to respond – either an email address or your username so I can use the Lit contact system. I think I can find your home page with just your username.

To give you a rough idea of the game I'll say – Each ship is given 5 numbers that describe it. W-S-s-#F-$; where W = weapon strength, S = shield str., s = speed, #F = # of Ftrs it can carry in its Fighter Bays, and $ is its cost (and also its mass or size which sets its speed). You calculate the Hit number with a simple formula = Hit# = W (of firing ship) minus S (of the target ship). Each ship is destroyed by 1 Hit. There are about 8 sizes of ships, plus 3 sizes of Fighters, 3 sizes of gun ships, and 4 sizes of Freighters. [Freighters also have a 6th number = the # of Holds it contains.] As of now there are no rules yet for drop ships and marine boarding actions.

There is a complicated formula that tells you the cost of any set of W+S+#F+#H. The original idea was to keep players from creating ship designs that were too good for the money, but let them create their own designs if they wanted to. The rules will need to be changed some to allow the Invictus to incorporate improved Tech. Also, to let the different races have differences in their Tech.

I hope a few of you respond.

A brilliant story and this is the best chapter yet. I only gave it five stars! it deserves at least ten.

From the unclaimed wastes by the Enshunu.

And the Brimorians are going to attack what is left of the T-Fed.

Yep, this was an easy 5 star rating on this auspicious chapter Tef, (Wow, "100" been a hell of a ride hey Tef?)..really enjoyed it and each time I think I have a favorite chapter, there you go and blow it away....well done Tef, well don and thank you again for all the work you obviously put forth for us to enjoy...keep ´em coming Tef, keep ´em coming...

PLR, it doesn't seem like a good time to attack the Miliri.

They just became united for the 1st time in many 1000s of years and just got a shot of new Tech.

It makes more sense to attack the TF because they just lost way over half their fleet.

However, I didn't get the idea that the Bimorians (sorry if I spelled it wrong) had that big of an empire. Seems like they also would be biting off more than they can chew.

But then, they are being pushed forward by the BSP. So, they are possible.

I don't really think the enshuu are going to be the ones to attack next. I mean there's just not enough information yet on them to speculate on their intentions. I would agree with the arguement they are on team Larnkel'nar but not much else. After our heroes wipe Tartarus out of existence and free Jehenna and the nymphs The Kirrix will more than likely be next on the fight list. Then when they repair and refit themselves they will turn their attention to the Brimorians.

Is there any status update for Christmas 101 on patreon. Looks like it's going to be a long wait this time too.

Thanks

I totally agree with John Blackhawks theory. Enshushu seems out of picture for now atleast. And brimorians are nowhere connected to the bsp (I am not able to remember his name) and it would be very sensible for brimorians to attack kintark rather than attack the recent winner of the biggest battle, and face the wrath of the legendary lion. But if they attack they kintark it's an easy win for them. Simple logistics, less resources required and bigger profit to gain. That is unless invictus and malari decides to meddle.

You keep us updated on 101 ? I'm sure Tefler is busy on the chapter trying to get it ready for patreon. Apparently Larn'kelnar is the name of the black ship progenitor ( this is where the BSP comes from for the commenter who asked. ) I don't feel John and the crew are ready for the confrontation with the BSP simply because of the psychic power eliminator field, that alone says to me they are still far behind in tech and knowledge and according to a post from Tefler sometime in the last 3 or 4 chapters he still has about a fifth more to go ( 25 or so chapters? ) before this part ends and the time jump sequel begins. So this gives the crew or I should say Dana time to suck the knowledge out of Johns quad that they still need. Plus it seems that the destruction of the Maliri and the Brimorians are on the table for Larn'kelnar. There are a lot of storyline tangents still to be brought to fruition such as ending the Kirrix threat to the Trankarans, the outer rim terran worlds, protecting the Ashanath and more that I'm sure I've forgotten not to mention some kind reasonable solution to bringing in the new nymphs to the story as well as Jehanna. This may not be popular with some fans but it doesn't seem reasonable to just keep adding more girls to the crew because it will just be adding more girls to the crew, no real reason to do so. I'm going to stop now because I'm tired of typing not because there isn't more I would Iike to discuss. Thanks Tefler for the great story you continue to provide. mikecfl.

Ok. Here is the hot skinny.

Tefler got a little burned out in writing such a complicated and extended battle scene (those are his words). As a result, he spent a week writing a different short story to get away from it for a while. He plans to release that one fairly soon on Patreon and I am sure he will eventually do so here as well...but it is a very different type of story for him.

He is planning on releasing Chapter 101 on Patreon about the 31st. So, all things being equal, that would put it available here between the 7th and the 14th...I am guessing you will be able to read it on the 10th...but maybe as early as the 8th.

Right now, I would suggest giving Tefler the time he needs to regain his mojo and to let him know we appreciate him and are happy he realized he needed a short break rather than force out the rest of the story. He is such a talented artist and this is such a wonderful epic that we do not want the ending to be rushed or spoiled because he feels pressured to release 'something'.

Just my two cents.

PLR, I appreciate the update and sorry for not thanking you in advance in my last comment. Tefler, after writing a battle scene from so many different perspectives I can see why you can feel drained and need some time for the enthusiasm and enjoyment for this saga to return. Do what it is that you need to recharge because your fans will be waiting. To some commenters that will remain nameless ( mostly because they post anonymously ) snide comments and pushing for faster times between chapters, I keep a list of authors that I read and though some of them are great in the genre they write in they do not approach in any way the amount of chapters that Tefler has produced in the just over 2 years he has been writing nor the consistent quality of a storyline he provides. I read A LOT and no one compares to Tefler in this way. This is a free site and he doesn't NEED to post here but he does. Tefler, you are my favorite author and I still love this story and hope you continue it for years to come and when you need a respite true fans will wait. So many many thanks for what you provide with your talent and imagination, THANK YOU, mikecfl.

I don't think the Enshunu will attack anytime soon. Instead, they'll spend the next however long figuring out the lost Achonin tech from Underworld, and whatever other sites they may have, and the sequel will open with them launching a surprise attack on the Maliri. And it will be the Maliri because Tashana was the one to rebel, bloodying their nose. Or at least bruising their pride.

And the out-of-universe reason is because that's where John's retiring to.

As for what comes in Ch. 101, John will rescue Jehana and the nymphs, and spend a few hours figuring out what to do with all of them. And while he's doing that--and maybe 'disciplining' Jade for going off alone--the rest of the crew will be building new engines, repairing/replacing damaged plating, and fixing whatever other battle damage I've forgotten. Shouldn't take more than a day, I'd guess. Then it's off tot he rim, to deal with the Kirrix.

The Maliri fleet will come with, for added firepower against the ships. They were headed that general direction anyways, so it shouldn't be too far out of their way. Maybe then, the Invictus crew will deal with the Brimorians.

On a related note, I'm not 100% convinced that the Deep Lord's concubine is a Nymph. At least, not like Jade. Bear with me a moment, here...

All progenitors seem to share a certain amount of knowledge, for their tech, at least. A while back, I started wondering if that included their knowledge of genetic manipulation, too. Maybe all progenitors naturally know how to create a shape-changing servant-race, but customize them for their own personal taste. (Mael's was feline-based, but maybe BSP's will be canine-based, instead, just for instance.) These might even be the "vats" Ailiantha mentioned several chapters back.

Or even, instead of canine-based, maybe lupine-based, because fox-girls are hot, and we all know that after the Brimorians are dealt with, this new Nymph will be joining the crew. And it would be interesting to see what effect, if any, this might have on the "recruitment" process, or other complications may arise down the line, if BSP thinks, or even does, hold some sway on her.

One last note, maybe they're lapine-based, instead, because why the hell not? Bunny-girls might be too overdone, but they're still hot, too. And I'm sure Tefler's good enough to keep this old cliche fresh.

Since it's gonna be a while before the next chapter's up let's occupy ourselves with something... I posit version/firepower change tracking for the Invictus!

Version 1.0: As purchased from Charles; v1.1 after a few refits at Olympus before first flight

Version 2.0: At the Ashanath: New power core and Tachyon drive, increased beam laser (+50%) & Mass driver power(?), New armour, Grav tubes

?Version 2.1: At Gravitus: Changed to alysium armour

Version 2.5: With tech stolen (requisitioned?) From the Maliri: New sensors, New air filtration system, New targeting system

Version 3.0: Official Maliri refit: Major firepower, speed and manoeuvrability upgrade: Maliri Beam Laser(+100%), Pulse Laser and Nova Lance weapon systems, Trankaran Engines and thrusters, Maliri electronics, Crystal Alysium armour, Crystal alysium bed

Version 4.0: Major refit: Stretched from ~500 to ~750m; Added Singularity drivers (over mass drivers), Heavy and Gauss cannons for ordinance weaponry, extended defence grid to 64 Pulse lasers, and installed Progenitor Power core and Tachyon Drive, Security redesign, Added 2 airlocks, Sonic rifles. new cargo bay and grav tube, Combat bridge at Centre

Version 4.1: Upgraded beam lasers to Photon Pulsed lasers, Runed the armour

Version 4.2: Upgraded Heavy cannon to heavy Quantum

Help?

A fan of the 🦁

Version 4.1: Upgraded beam lasers to Photon Pulsed lasers, Runed the armour

Version 4.2: Upgraded Heavy cannon to heavy Quantum

They did not rune the Invictus armor...just the Battlesuits, Raptor, and Valkyrie.

And they also have not upgraded the heavy cannons to Quantum cannons yet. Instead they used the Vulkat crystals to up the power of the Photon lasers, point defense lasers (which are now as powerful as a standard terran laser) and double the fire rate of the Nova Lances.

and they upgraded the shields on everything.

Tefler will finish his other mini-book (about 90k words) in a day or so. Unfortunately, that puts his chapter 101 for Patreon release up to about the 5th. And Lit and SOL then would be around the 15th.

Good news is he is probably going to put out the mini-book in about 10 days here and on SOL so you will have something to read....just be aware it is very different. Not going to spoil it for anyone so that is the limit of what I will say.

that John’s mom was the Acadiana progenitor’s matriarch, but you know what happens when you assume facts not in evidence! Perhaps Jessica is merely a thrall to Ranagon, or some other unknown progenitor. Can anyone remember any clues indicating that Jessica is a matriarch? Once Jessica returned with a ship, he, and any surviving matriarch and/or thralls could escape the planet.

I’m pretty sure the Deep Fish’s mate is a nymph. I think the mystery is who gave her to him. Her speech and mannerisms are duplicates of early Jade’s.

Since John has escaped his guide’s influence (for the most part) he has confounded the Stygian astral monsters and the BSP Larn’Kelnar is viewing John through the lens of his standard progenitor paradigm. What this implies for the future, only Tefler knows.

Thanks again Tef!! PLEASE keep’em coming!

Admiral Mishra Jayanti’s death shocked me too. She was my pick for Fleet Admiral.

I understand that Dana’s tech seems infallible, but the Invictus crew seems kind of blasé about approaching battles. I would expect more preparation, drills, and equipment checks than we see. Or at least a “Hey Faye, is the ship good to go?” At least they’ve learned the value of John charging everyone up so they’re actively linked during a battle. That is another advantage John has over the standard progenitor paradigm, that would not be practical with a crew of hundreds or thousands.

Some speculation in other comments that Jade might become a third matriarch is very interesting. Although the fact that Jade is already under Alyssa might preclude Jad becoming a third matriarch. Apparently John can allocate, consciously or subconsciously, which matriarch girls are linked to, that doesn’t mean he could reallocate Jade to matriarch status. Although she could possibly be a “submatriarch” for the other nymphs. Can you imagine the boost to John’s power having Jade and 5 other nymphs linked to him? (Jade, 4 nymphs on Ganymede, and Brimorian Deep Fish’s mate). Especially once they’ve received the full Jade empowerment steroid turbo upgrade.

By the way, Jade’s my favorite Lioness.

Thank you for this epic space opera. 5 out of 5 as always

I believe you forgot the two dead lenarrans that were mentioned in earlier chapters i think?

We know some have died.....but we have not read in this story about the death of any Lenarrans.

I would remember.

No, i'm pretty sure in an earlier chapter buckingham/weber mentioned two "dead" lenarran bodies they acquired.

Stumbled across this and read the 99 chapters in one go, ending in time to read the 100th chapter. Impatiently waiting for 101!! Quality science fiction story!!!

Recall the recovery of 2 dead nymphs bodies by Buckingham/Weber either but if correct I'm sure it would be addressed when Jehanna and the other nymphs are rescued. Other wise there would be no knowledge of them once Weber and the psychotic Doctor are killed in I hope a very very painful and karma like way. mikecfl.

Yes there was a mention of two dead lenarans which died in experiments. I don't remember the chapter but it was definitely there just 2-3 lines about it.

read 99 chapters in 1 go!

Tefler this is a great ride. Please take any time you need to get your head and your heart back in the right frame of mind to continue the awesome work you do. Tazmanusmc