All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 063'

Just wanted to leave some thoughts on the chapter. Like every other chapter, I have enjoyed it thoroughly. Not entirely sure how I feel about Sakura yet, she seems like a bit of a shoehorned character at this point in the tale. I realize there is still a ways to go so there I time to flush her out, but right now, just not feeling her. The revenge subplot has already been used in this story with Calara and the pirates so I'm hoping for something that'll make it 'pop' in terms of the Master Assassin.

Something I'm actually concerned about is Edraele. She seems to have taken on a fanatical fervor that wasn't overly present in previous chapters. It's a little concerning as to how things will work out once the Invictus arrives in Malari Space and discovers that she has literally begun conquering the Malari... Just like a certain alter ego was previously trying to do. I am starting to think that some programming in her new personality has a dead mans switch of some kind, that she may end up betraying John for his alter ego due to son failsafes that were left in place. Looking forward to seeing how THAT'S gonna work out.

No other suspicions or ideas at this point so I'll just wait and see... Of course if you wanted to tell me if I'm right I wouldn't be entirely adverse to the idea. Thanks again for sharing your story with us.

CrescentRose

Hi Tef,

Awesome, just bloody awesome. Next chapter please?

Space tea towels *giggle*

Stacey

Edraele's emerging fanaticism bears the hallmarks of religious nutcases. Maybe John SHOULD have had her once more before leaving - put finishing touches on the personality repair that he'd started. Just hoping that a good humping from John in a couple of weeks' time will rid her off it; though I'm not at all concerned about her "betraying" John knowingly. But that being said, a religious extremist in her position of power could do a lot of harm if left to her own devices.

What a great chapter. Very easily worth 5 stars. But now I have to wait again.

Good work

Once again, another really GREAT chapter.....

I'm pleased you enjoyed the chapter!

I'll get back to writing about the meeting with Fleet Admiral Buckingham. :-)

Tefler

You still manage to out do yourself Tefler. I feel like a crack addict waiting for his next score while I wait for your next chapter.

Keep them coming...

Good work tefler

Loved the chapter

I feel the same way don't miss me. Tefler another great chapter. Can't wait for the next chapter

Tefler, Thanks for another great chapter. Do the readership speculations help to keep the creative juices flowing?

I am, and have been since my early teens, an avid reader of sci-fi and fantasy. In my opinion, based on this storey, you are not far behind the likes of Isaac Asimov, Arthur C. Clarke or Robert Heinlein.

Just for the fun of it I decided to check on the total number of public comments posted and found the number, without this chapter, to be 3207.

Now for my bit of speculation :-

Calara's brother has infiltrated the traitors and wangled a transfer to their flagship with the intention of destroying it and all its crew, even though it will mean him sacrificing himself.

Draco9881

"Thanks for another great chapter. "

You're very welcome, I enjoyed writing it. :-)

Thanks for the kind comparison to those literary greats! I don't think I'm there yet, but I reread some of my earliest chapters yesterday, and was wincing at the sentence structure and grammar. I can confidently say I've definitely improved over the year!

"Do the readership speculations help to keep the creative juices flowing?"

Absolutely! It's fun to read them anyway, and it always amazes me when one of you guesses exactly what I've got in mind for upcoming chapters. Sometimes I use ideas directly (Irillith, Edraele, the camera snooping, Dana storing the schematics in her head.. etc), in which case I try and credit the people where possible. Other times, the discussions get me thinking of something else entirely, which all goes into the proverbial pot.

Tefler

On this lovely thanksgiving, one of the things I am thankful for is this series. This is already the best story on literotica I've ever read and it is only getting better and better as time goes on.

I loved the catgirl sex with jade, it kinda revitalized the sexy times and hopefully we will get to read more in the future. The whole battle scene was amazing, I really like reading the battle from the "enemy's" point of view. It makes the story seem "3D" if you ask me. I'm wondering when will John take Irilith's ass, I'm hoping that it's right after the big battle with Norwood and possibly the Kintark, and after the battle their is a big orgy with all of the girls and maybe Sakura as a voyeur.

I do have some questions though. Why is Edraele following "John's" supposed orders. I can remember if John said anything like that, all I remember is that he wished to unite the malari, could it be evil progen John subconsciously manipulating her? Also, I was wondering how big the Terran federation is in light years and how many systems it controls.

Finally some theories. I think that the kintark emperor could be under the control of John's dad and I think the assasin, mikabosi could of possible have been hired by his father too. I'm also secretly hoping that John adds some of the female admirals into his harem. It might not be as sexy as teenage girls, but hey I think it would be cool.

Best wishes and happy holidays, Lyon.

So far the comments basically have her going to dark side. I disagree as she is doing what he asked, unite the Malari. Think of it in cost analysis terms, kill a few family heads and the job is done, vs , even limited ship engagement and the cost may be thousands. remember they have spies and the attack was a go when they learned of the new engines.

John also did the same when considering the lives of the AI base over a planet of billions, in the end John may not have gone that path but he can live with it, he will just need to be more consise in his instructions if that is an issue, Remember Edraele tried to bring one over until she found she could not influence them the same as John, They also still refer to the assassins as, assassins, not bodyguards which sort of condones them as assassins.

Edraele also seems to have taken a page from her fellow Matriarch as she is strenghtening the bonds with the engineers,

Another assassin thought, I wonder how many were thinking Sakura was going to become the tough cyborg chief of security, I like that you surprise me with unexpected directions that the story takes, and have taken to reading just Telfers comment responses for the most part as many of the comments act as spoilers for me and am very much enjoying the story at my pace.

Canadain Wolf

I wonder how Ceraden's relationship with John will change if he discovers that John is behind the changes in the Maliri females...

Why a Terran Admiral would possibly defect - along with a sizable number of compatriots - to the Kintark? Some Terrans joining forces with a reptilian race?! It doesn't figure. There has to be a very good reason for this, and John hasn't even pondered this question as yet. I would wager that there is a serious plot twist coming as this question is explored and answered.

Also, John can not be through with the repercussions of rescuing Terra from the AI attack. The progenitor tech (or the remains thereof) left on the Moon alone will carry VAST impact - politically at the very least. That Invictus' rescue of Terra occurred before the eyes of 10 billion frightened humans on Terra will not be an ignorable political event. John could soon outrank the rest of the Terran Admiralty as a direct (or indirect) result. The timing of his Terra-system intervention juxtaposed with the defection of a senior-level Admiral along with a substantial fleet under his command in the Dragon March...will be guaranteed to have serious political ramifications within the Terran Federation. John and all the Invictus crew will be dragged into that fray also. How can it possibly be ignored that the Fleet didn't save Terra, but "the Lion of the Federation" did!

One bone to pick with the AI subject matter once again is that your storyline here implies that all Terran AI experiments sprang from some core technology derived from Progenitor AI tech. However, we are already at a point in our history where we're "home-brewing" the seeds of "native" AI tech of our own. So, there would seem to be more to that story to tell as well. ...but perhaps that's just me. It's not like you don't have enough threads to this saga going already. I'm just saying that intuitively I feel a discontinuity to this AI subject matter remains unresolved as well.

Also, there is that nagging issue of the Ashanath...and exactly what it is that they did NOT revel to John when they visited that hidden and way-too-well-defended base. What other Progenitor tech do they have hidden away there? John will need to find out at some point.

...and of course the hidden hands of both John's progenitor father and whatever horror it is that John (and Alyssa) see in those dreams are yet to be explored, let alone dealt with.

Ah , there so so much yet to be explored in this little universe you've made for us, Tefler! :-)

In this chapter, if I were John, in this battle with the Kintark supply depot... After the base was largely destroyed, I'd have waited for the arrival of the incoming fleet, looped around behind them as they all entered the supply base, and destroyed their navigation beacons...leaving that fleet stranded in the nebula for a good while, at least.

Tefler...

Large breasted tall Asian chicks rule!!!

good work as always

Scamander is a Greek river god. Is there some other reference I'm not aware of?

Nearly all the ships have the names of gods from a variety of mythologies.

Tefler

I hope with the new attitude Alyssa isn't going to the dark side.

I may be remembering incorrectly but I thought it was established that Jades kind were all female. And now cat boys have a barbed cock. Am I missing something?

Scamander is also the last name of the main character of the new harry potter spin-off fantastic beasts and where to find them.

I think that Sakura and Detective Walsh will get together for a spinoff story after Three Square Meals. They might become part of Sailing a Black Sea.

Lynton not having coms fixed? I doubt that. Something is fishy there, still. I am thinking the Norwood coming out of the closet was a ruse to see what John knows...And the attack by Norwood may or may not be real. Additionally, there is an undercurrent with Alyssa...the Progen influence is making itself felt I am thinking. And Edrale is doing what must be done. The lives of a few to save the lives of many. John could have done it better, but he would not have wanted to do what would have been necessary in changing their personalities...it is not his way.

As far as how Edrale is doing it: John gave no specific instructions...leaving her to her own devices. As she says, he will understand even though he may not condone. He will see the truth of what was required.

At this point I do not trust any of the three Admirals in charge of the Kintark conflict.

Did anyone notice the lack of emotions on john and Alyssa's face when sakura opened up about knowing he is a progenitor, his cum heals people(so far women only).

It's kinda weird I was looking for a strong reaction after her statement that how the hell she knows all of it? And if she knows then mikushubhi knows as well. So some people knows enough to draw tension lines on john's forehead but there weren't any!

The thing you are missing is that they are referring to actual male and female cats and inferring that Jade likes it rough. This has to be one of Jade's best scenes and I don't even have a furry fetish.

Wet_special is correct, Jade was just talking about cats in general, because she was encouraging him to be rough with her. As you correctly remembered Larry, all the Nymphs are female.

I'm glad you liked the scene wet_special. Im sure that won't be the last time John has some fun with her in that form!

Tefler

Ah right, well thats where she got that from then. He fought achillies a few times, so she's probably giving some kind of hint to the character progression.

Tefler

Sakura was repeating back to John what Alyssa had explained to Sakura's subconscious when they were getting permission to go ahead with the operation. He quirked an eyebrow at Alyssa when he heard that, in reaction to the wording of Sakura's description of what he does.

Alyssa didn't react because Sakura was parroting back to her everything she'd explained to 'ghost Sakura' fourteen hours earlier.

Hope that makes it clearer. Mikaboshi didn't know what John was, and was caught by surprise when John ripped himself free from the chains.

Tefler

To start: Edraele, In don't think she is going dark side, or left-over stuff from PJ. I believe, that she is doing things the only way she knows how. She still has her memories of how the Maliri society works. And as was pointed out, the way she went about it was "efficient". John's instructions were somewhat vague, and Edraele ran with it using all her knowedge, and new abilities. Granted, John won't be happy about the details when he finds out, and will give her a dressing down for how she accomplished things.

Sakura's future is in flux. There are many directions Tefler can take her. Joining the crew, staying as she is and hunting the master assassin, and who knows what.

Defection: As far as "Why a Terran would defect to a reptile species" There is a good chance that the admiral is under the influence of a progenitor (ID unknown). Similar to the, what was it? Golden Queen of the silicone people? I forget their name. It seems since terrans don't have mental abilities, they might be more susceptible to influence? It isn't like there hasn't been high profile defections right here on earth before, going to very different cultures. Granted a different species is a bit farther along even.

The AI question. Yeah we are close to AI, but in Tef's world, maybe TRUE AI has been beyond humans, till they come across the Progen tech. Tef will need to explain this one lol.

The "horror of the dreams? I been thinking about that one. I forget if it was explained or not. But, my thought, is that the entity of the dreams was probably PJ looking on from "his side of the curtain" and then trying to take over. At first, he thought it was "cute", and then as each member of the crew was added, and were not "formatted according to Progenitor standards", PJ got more and more upset, till he was able to truly take over as has been told already. At first, I thought it might have been dad, or a progen "collective consciousness", but as the story unfolded, it made more sense to me that it was probably PJ peeking through the "shroud".

Catboys. Yeah, all nymphs are female. There are no males of the species. However, the comment about male cat penii (?) having barbs, male cats have barbs... "google" it up lol. I have come across it in werecat stories, and had the check lol.

I repeated what other said. oops.

ANd I forgot about Sakura talking about Progenitors like she had knowledge. Tef, I don't remember Alyssa telling exactly what John was, maybe it was implied. I'll have to go back and reread it again lol. I thought it weird the way she said the stuff tho.

Here's the relevant section from chapter 62:

Alyssa nodded, and said, "Alright, we'll help you." She hesitated for a moment, then continued, "The way we'll be keeping you alive through the surgery is... unorthodox. John wants your permission before we proceed."

The ghostly spectre looked at her curiously, tilting its head slightly to one side in confusion.

"Alright, let me try to explain..." Alyssa said with a sigh, then began to clarify exactly who John was, and what they intended to do.

What happened to her eyes? I believe that she had bionic eyes before, were they replaced or not?

Ah, well spotted! Yes I forgot to mention them, but they were regrown too. I'll fix that in an edited version.

Tefler

another great chapter. so norwood turns traitor in battle and escapes, just as john is closing. adding a bit of doubt about edraele's methods. the kintark sure are stirred up now. haven't heard much of those plans of a gift for faye from earlier.

happy thanksgiving :)

Speaking on AI, we have been "close" for many decades now. I would argue that, with the complexity of a sentient brain, a truly sentient AI, rather than something like the VIs in Mass Effect, may be out of our reach for a long time to come. That's my two cents though, take it as you will.

After posting my comment, realized I didn't mention the story! Excellent work as usual!

After reading the most recent chapters, I can actually understand the angle that Edraele is covering. She is completing the mission that John set for her to the best of her understanding. The nearest comparison that I have seen is in Fallout 4's Automatron DLC. The robots are given the order to 'help' the people of the Commonwealth. The Commonwealth is a cruel and unforgiving place and to the best of their understanding to 'help' the people of the Commonwealth is to kill them. My point being that John gave Edraele the mission to 'rejuvinate' the Maliri empire or words to that effect.

Sakura's revenge is going to once again take us down the rabbit's hole of epic battles again and Tefler has done an incredible job of setting up her 'revenge' line to be very different from Calara's. Where as Calara's was more of a redemption mission, I see Sakura's being more of a spirit of Vengeance mission with her and John teaming up to take down her former 'Master' with her being the one to land the fatal blow. After her 'revenge', I see her taking on the role of security officer (still holding out for Lauren from Gravitus or Jehanna from the TFNN to become the ship's PR department).

What I find interesting is that we know that the Kintark resemble Lizard from the Spiderman comics. What would happen if a Kintark female seeking amnesty (sanctuary) from the war slept with John and ingested some of his cum? Would she change subtly (still mostly resemble her fellow Kintark) or would she lose some scales and gain some more Terran features (Hair, flatter face, plantigrade feet, softer hands)?

The question has arisen as to why Norwood would go over to the Kintark, the answer as I see it is - Lust for power.

Norwood is ambitious but his career has stalled, Kintark agents discovered this and made him believe that if he helped them to conquer the Terran Federation then he would be given control of that territory. Of course this belief is false because who would trust a traitor?

You said: "At first, I thought it might have been dad, or a progen "collective consciousness", but as the story unfolded, it made more sense to me that it was probably PJ peeking through the "shroud"."

Actually, with Alyssa we see that both the Progen and 'normal' personas cannot be present together in the etherial plane. Therefore the nightmare Progen persona cannot be Progen John. This, due to lack of assymilation at this point in the story, has also been manifest with both John and Alyssa in the physical realm as well...so it is consistent in Tefler's Universe.

The point has been made that Faye inadvertantly overwrote her programming to the point she cannot be re-made...making her unique.

However, I perceive that the genetic memory John has imparted to Dana, and/or Irillith, would/should have included said programing. Addititionally, Alyssa's Progen persona would also have it.

I notice Tefler is slowly and subtly revealing Faye's desires to be more included in all aspects of the crew...making the body built for her by Dana and Irrilith a major feel good/warm fuzzy reveal. I also expect there will be several upgrades as both of them grow in their understanding of the genetic memory John has imparted to them. Two major ones include a running backup of Faye's programming, incorporating her maturation, and a genetically engineered body as opposed to a mechanically ingineered one.

Terran research was just beginning to look into making AIs self aware when a progenitor solution was uncovered. The AI Genocidal trait is a result of deficiencies in the Progenitor programming. These flaws have not been addressed because no one has survived to tell the tale.

Faye is the manifestation of a later iteration of self awareness and also had the advantage of gaining the love and guidance of Dana and Rachel from an early stage.T

Faye learned that not all Organics are bad. The other AIs were treated like things that could be disposed of instead of beings to be nurtured. They were taught that Organics were out to get them and so a pre-emptive strike was needed to ensure the

AI's survival. This, naturally, will reinforce the idea that all Organics are bad.

I notice that Faye seems to be becoming more protective towards the Invictus' crew which make one wonder how she will behave if/when Progenitor John resurfaces.

The options that I see are, in order of probability :-

1) Faye works with the crew to defeat PJ.

2) Faye goes it alone and fries to kill John.

3) Faye goes rogue and tries to kill all everybody.

Page 2 of the comments section of chapter 62:

Was my extended diatribe on how modern string and M theories tell us that all energy in the Universe is interrelated and coexists in an interactive manner. That the same equations can be solved for either electromechanical or gravetonic energies...signifying that they are cooperative and interrelated types of energy and force. The main difficulty not yet completely understood is how matter relates to this. These theories exist in an 11 dimensional Universe (most of us only relate to 3 dimensions) and have begun to explain the math of all existence. What this means in layman's terms is this, all forms of energy work in unison with each other...this has far reaching implications for Tefler's Universe...especially since it incorporates Terran realities.

That being said, Body shields, please. Anti-grav and shielding do not interfere or the Invictus would not be able to have its shields up and jook and jive during a fight since the inertial stabalizer has an anti-grav technology base. And with the new understanding of the Progen power core and Dana's abilities to miniturize the same, it would seem the new mini-cores would have the necessary power. The added weight would be a non-issue since the same tech to lighten the new laser rifles through anti-grav ciclics could also be used to lighten/eliminate the miniturized shield modulator/generator.

Another innovation for Dana: The body shields could work in unison and provide a squad shield when in close proximity to share the power load/drain from laser/plasma/mass ordinance. Used as a backpack, Jade would also benefit...even in her other forms...just make the straps elastic. They could be introduced prior to the shield upgrades and made to be stronger over time...but the initial installment would provide not only the mass projectile protection of the mag shielding but also some laser and plasma shielding. And since the mag shielding interferes with the anti-grav...the new body shielding, as proven with the Invictus mentioned above, would be usable in personal flight mode.

Additionally, the creation of an M drive (do just a bit of research on String and M theories as well as Quantum particles to realize the possibilities) would allow the Invictus to 'magically' appear anywhere in the Universe as opposed to having to travel there.

As for the power requirements: I am sure the Ashanath had to enlarge the Progen power core to make their mechanical adjustments to the said core due to their non-understanding of the Physics of the device. So the power core's relative size would radically diminish....allowing for a more powerfully sized core in the same space....further enhancing the available power for such a drive system. Something Dana could have easily overlooked in her first blush when evaluating the new schematics.

In traveling to unknown space with such an M-drive: Just 'appear' at the edge of known space and do deep scans...then 'appear at the new edge of known space. Such 'quantum leaps' (pun intended) would prove extremely usefull when exploring.

Wouldn't it be fun to just 'magically' appear in the hanger bay of an enemy dreadnaught sized carrier and fire the beam lasers from INSIDE the ship??? LOL...Just imagine the looks on their faces and the feces in their shorts.

Talk about a major blow to the psycie of the enemy! How a single enemy cruiser and its one attack craft took out 2 carriers, their associated bombers and fighters, 4 state of the art cruisers, a battleship (with their war hero inside), dozens of personel carriers, and an entire supply base in the middle of a Quasar where long range scans were useless, in under 20 minutes! Along with the reveal of 'some' of the Invictus's capabilities (agility, sub-light speed, and laser power...not including the Nova Lances or the upcoming Singularity Drivers that Irillith 'procures'). The High Prelate and his/her military advisors are going to poop themselves.

First and foremost, as a programmer, we are nowhere near true ai. Our brains s are so co.plex when we think and make decisions it is unreal. Think about just moving your hand and all the programs that have to run to create the movement. Now think about consciously making a decision on to get out of bed. Whole operating systems don't have that much code. I had a class where we talked about trying to create ai but the best we can at this time is to create vi and have them follow along preprogrammed lines. Otherwise no one would win a computer game like mass effect or fallout.

As for the progens, I believe the Ashanath are harbouring John's dad and mom and that they are really up against a different progen. Remember the weapons were to keep something in. I believe that we will see this at the very end. I think this because a progen has to consciously get the female pregnant and then for her to want to return to him, I believe he wanted that to happen.

Now for Sakura, I believe she will join the crew as the legal defence team. Faye is already being lined up as security. She has been given control of the ship defences. As for Jehanna I believe is set up as pr. Sakura will end up advising John on legal ramifications about taking over the federation. I mean we are going to be uniting the entire galaxy against an evil progen. As for Edraele, she is doing as John wants. He should have been more specific in his instructions. As a military soldier I can tell you that I have to be very specific when I give privates a block of instructions. I told some one time to remove a wiring harness from a piece of equipment. I failed to tell them in one piece and sin e removing screws took too much time they did it efficiently to my horror.

Great job Tef and did you ever comment about red dwarf. I may have missed it.

A singularity has a massive gravitational field. One could interdict a whole fleet by firing a singularity in the flight path of the fleet...

The radius of effect for a singularity is dependant on its effective mass. A singularity with a solar mass would have a sun-sized gravity well and one with a lunar mass would only have a moon-sized well.

The boundary of the well would, I think, be determined by the local gravity gradient. This means that a singularity having the mass of the Invictus would have the same size gravity well as the Invictus. In order to get the effect from a singularity that you suggest it would have to have a mass several times that.

From this I posit that a practical singularity weapon would, in real life, be impractical, though I am prepared to suspend my belief for the sake of the storey

Well, I really want to read about the start of this war.

What happened really because Norwood must have taken some actions to make sure that the Kintark would attack commodore Walker.

So, John and the crew will have a new mission, to eliminate the Emperor of the Kintark as a last resort action, or maybe start a round of diplomacy, in which the captured Prelate Jarganth will attest to the Terran Federation statements. Problem is how John will get access to the highest level of the Kintark Government. And just how is the Kintark society organized? Like North-Korea with a very strict state-controlled propaganda bureau, or otherwise. The mentioning of the Emperor's Information Bureau suggest such an organization together with the ranking system suggest that. I just want to be a fly on the wall when John and Calara meet the Fleet-Admiral.

I think that Jade will help Sakura with her dreams about revenge, just because she is wiser, and older. A pity she cannot become a Matriarch, she would be a very good influence on John and Alyssa, and even Eldraede can learn a lot from her.

For new crewmembers I think Yamamoto should also be an option, training martial arts for the crew, also Sakura (Legal) and maybe Jehenna (PR).

I think that Mikaboshi will fail, because he is now out for revenge, not thinking about what has happened to him, and anger is always a bad sign, it locks the mind in an one-way path of thinking, something John has learned and really knows from his grandparents, and Progenitor-John does not. Also Yamamoto will have to train John in other styles of swordfighting, a one-trick swordsman can be defeated by a swordsman how can change mid-battle between a number of different ways to use the blade.

Herman Grootaers

You said: "The radius of effect for a singularity is dependant on its effective mass. A singularity with a solar mass would have a sun-sized gravity well and one with a lunar mass would only have a moon-sized well.

The boundary of the well would, I think, be determined by the local gravity gradient." And that would seem to be correct.

However: A sun-sized gravity well/mass in singularity form would be the size of a pin head. And with the current M-theory/superstring theory ideas mentioned above, energy can be converted to that mass. All that would be needed is a capsule of antigrav powerful enough to keep the ship from being engulphed (lols at the only part). Obviously, the T-Fed has figured out how to make this happen.

Soooo.....In Tefler's universe a singularity weapon is not only possible, but the mass creation/compaction and anti-grav shell have also been constructed/tested/found to be a formidable weapon in place of mass drivers.

I, therefore, stand behind my assertion that it could interdict a whole fleet.

I felt uneasy reading the battle with the Kintark. It was a completely one sided affair more akin to murder than a battle. I know that in war you take every legal advantage to keep yourself alive but reminded me more of PJ with the Trankarans than John verus the pirates. There didn't seem to be any risk to the crew to give the story tension, unlike the Battle of Port Medea against the Kintark previously.

Tefler were you inspired for the assassin's abilities and upgrades from Warhammer 40k's Eversor Assassin. Between the adrenal upgrade, the cyrosleep between missions and the dead man's explosion it seems very similar. Then again Sharks and dolphins both look alike so maybe not.

Norwood's fleet couldn't attack other T-Fed ships then defect if most of the bridge crew on his ships were more loyal to him than the Federation. The engine crew, marines etc may not have been told what's going on but at least a dozen per ship were ok with turning traitor against your species.

MORE. I'M ADDICTED

EPIC! Whereas at least one fan felt the battle against the Kintark fleet lopsided and dull, let's not forget we were given a look into the inner workings of this interstellar race for the first time, with their hierarchy and their perspective on the war. That was where the action was. Of course your average writer might decide "hmm, now it's time to fill in the reader on this alien race, cue narrator generated expository. (Boring!) Instead we had an epic rout of enemy forces, a laser plasma beam light show, John showing a mercy that the Kintark soldiers will eventually find out about and never forget. Despite that though, the true might of the Invictus on full display and it was glorious. Can we give the maestro some credit here? I loved every bit of it! EPIC! Let the Lion bring about a cessation of hostilities? Maybe this is the one thing that causes the Kintark to spare the lives of Calara's father or brothers, when their fates might have otherwise been sealed. That would be epic too! Oh by the way it brought back memories of when they fought those four armed aliens that were tearing it up in Ashanath space.

Again excellent work Tefler. Reading the comments here is nearly as enjoyable with all the supposition and theories of where the story is going next!

Now onto Norwoods defection, I have a couple of theories.

1. It has been the promise of power. When the kintark defeat the terrans then there has to be a recognisable figure to keep the terrans from rebelling against their new masters. If they have someone of their own species telling them that they are best just getting on with life under new rulers then less chance of rebellion.

2. Maybe Norwood does not like the terren ideology. Maybe the kintark treat their people better. Going back to the early chapters to the mining facilities that Alyssa and Dana came from a lot of terrens seem to just about exist. We have a new term for it here in the UK. They are called JAM's. Just about managing. If the kintark have a better quality of life then maybe it suits Norwoods thoughts on how everyone exists.

Hope that makes a bit of sense.

Keep those chapters flowing, and thanks

WD

Interesting that they weren't in a position to take out the Kintark beacon chain that was their way in and out of the system.

Their approach vector must have been such that it was a diversion from the attack route, but I'm surprised it wasn't at least mentioned as a way to bottle up the Kintark.

Although it would also have deprived the Federation of a way in, so without the Invictus leading them in they wouldn't be able to mop up.

I felt bad for the Kintark. The whole war was contrived and John knew that but he's still slaughtering their fleets. Disabling their warships would have still put them out of service for a while.

I wonder about the female Admiral, so far we've only seen the magic brainwashing work on females, and yet we're told that the male Admiral is the bad guy (although him being a patsy is a bit of a stretch). If she was the bad guy all along then she would know he's going to figure out the truth shortly. In that case it's going to take another day or so for John to catch up, assuming he even knows where her fleet is going.

"Tefler were you inspired for the assassin's abilities and upgrades from Warhammer 40k's Eversor Assassin."

Until you mentioned it, and I did a google search, I'd actually never read the Eversor Assassins' background story. Funnily enough, I think every Imperial player I fought when I was younger used Vindicare Assassins!

I was thinking more of Cyperpunk implants, but the overall result is similar. Shinatobe's explosives were there to hide evidence if someone tampered with the brain implant, rather than as a way of doing a bit more damage to an assassination target. The cryostasis in the Eversor's case was to stop it dying from all the combat drugs, instead of as an efficient way of keeping Shinatobe stored until needed for an assassination.

As Mark Twain says, "There's no such thing as a new idea". Apparently that's true!

Anon said: "Also, there is that nagging issue of the Ashanath...and exactly what it is that they did NOT revel to John when they visited that hidden and way-too-well-defended base. What other Progenitor tech do they have hidden away there? John will need to find out at some point."

That is rather moot at this point...with the 'unity' files in posession.

Not really. I think there is something massive to the plot hidden there. It could be an intact progen ship with wormhole tech that they can't unlock.

1. Why would Norwood defect so early in the campaign? Would it not be more devastating to defect at a critical point.

2. The damaged comm link is suspect considering they are in the same system as a major space port.. No parts available. No mass fabricators available?

3. Gabrielle says she talked directly with Fleet Admiral, so why didn't she do this before?

4. Sends John and crew to a location with in the Dragon Marsh chain of systems when it was said the Fleet Admiral was in Kintark territory.

I believe it is highly possible that Gabrielle is sending John and crew to Admiral Norwoods location. Readying a trap for the Invincit. The advantage goes to John considering the Admiralty is unaware of his ships true range of improved war equipment.

Gabrielle during her conversations with John hinted at some things that if cross checked would prove she is under some kind of duress. I have family on Terra. could mean she is doing what she is doing because of a real threat to her family. As well as if Claria check would find out she has no family on Terra. The other interesting thing was her quickly backing down on the disabling the transports instead of destroying them..

Just my vivid imagination at work. When you get a fabulous story presented to you in a serial fashion it triggers all sorts of what ifs and maybes.

Great story. Thanks Tefler

Roger

You speculated that Adm. Lynton is sending John and the Invictus to an ambush with Adm. Norwood...but the scene with John and Co. says that they are about to jump into the system and have identified the Fleet Adm.'s ship.

Not understanding where you got that from.

I've just finaih endearing everything over the last week or so and all I have to say and ask is that you please don't stop!!! Your writing honestly draws me in more than many so called "published" authors and I can't wait for the next installment.

Beacons: John didn't destroy the average "grunt" invasion ships because he has been in their position before. Mercy. Now, if he destroyed the beacons, the grunts can't be rescued from their disabled ships, and then they die anyway. That is my reasoning anyway.

Roger: 1 yeah, little strange to defect so early in this particular battle.

2 yup nagging comms failure. good point about the base, and repair capabilities. Dana has everything needed to fab parts, and it's a smaller ship. Granted very well funded and civilian....

4 actually, the nebula John and crew went to was inside Kintark territory, if I remember correctly.

The whole Adm Gabby convo was a little strange. Acted very familiar, with someone never met (as I recall). yes Adm to Adm, yet still a senior Adm to newly minted RADM. Very odd behavior, coupled with the vidcomms damage = red flag...

Hey what's the status of the next chapter we needs our fix man

I'm about half way through the next chapter at the moment. I've got a few hours now, so I hope to get a few more thousand words done.

Have a great weekend!

Tefler

Did they strongly warn Lynton about the fleet that was arriving just as Invictus left the Nebula?

They will not be able to re-arm and refuel so they are likely to retreat instead of push towards Port Medea. The stranded assault ship passengers also create a major problem for them.

The fleet will need to rescue a quarter million troops from wrecked carriers.

They will be stuck in that Nebula doing passenger collection rescues for at least a day or two and then be so overcrowded they will need to run a ferry service back to a Kintark planet.

Most likely that fleet is more at risk from Lynton than a risk to Port Medea.

You are over 450 now, but with that as a per chapter donation I am wondering if you have had enough donations to get your new computer?

I would hope you just get a basic keyboard terminal so that it does not distract you from the writing.

Rebuild to a decent tier of gaming system and I would need a few months off to test things out.

Quick series of questions for Tefler.

With the Terran Federation Military, do they only a Navy or do they also have an Army and Air Force? The reason I ask is because at the moment it seems weird that the only Terran Federation Military personnel that we've met have all been from either the Navy or Marine Corps.

Also with recruiting is the Military only open to humans or are various unnamed species within the bounds of the federation accepted as well? Again I raise this question because all of the personnel from the Terran Federation Military that we have met have all been humans.

The Army was mentioned back when they were dealing with the Armored Cobras. The Army had the mechs.

Army is scissors to the navy rock.

Army is a liability and a drain on resources.

Most planets would have national guard type militias for defense.

If you need army forces you have already won or lost.

The traitor: the most convincing hypothesis is that the Kintark promised him a job as the military governor of the occupied territories.

His task was to weaken the TF forces and to place them far away from the core territory of the TF. This goal achieved he was going to unite with the Kintark invasion fleet to conquer the TF. Unfortunately Mr. Blake put the kibosh on this plan in disabling said fleet.

In sparing the troops he proved to the Kintark emperor that he is a man of honor that could be trusted in negotiating a peace (supported by a Maliran matriarch with epic experience in negotiation).

Faye: We do have a, currently defunct, simulation studio on the Invictus. Should not the GEO ( Great Engineering Overlord) come up with a handy adaption of this tech to enhance the tactility of our beloved AI?

Edraele: Her vision for the Maliri Utopia is surely in sync with Johns goals. And, as she already reasoned you have to break an egg to make an omelet.

Sakura: It will be an interesting voyage from Nemesis to Justitia but I am sure Tefler will take us on the tour, brilliant as always.

The surprise and fear of the Kintark battle group as they were ambushed and subsequently ripped to shreds by the Invictus was almost palpable. Makes you wonder what kind of tale they'll spin for their almighty Emperor? Whatever the story, I'm betting the Kintark will have a few questions for Norwood about that ship, and unfortunately for him, he'll be rather short on answers. Probably.

On the other end of the spectrum is the scene with Sakura. That almost made me tear up, and that's saying something. Well done, Tef. Will be interesting to see how she progresses from here to her inevitable induction into the crew. I foresee a trip back to New Eden for Sakura as well, probably to have a chat with that lady officer from before so they can close out Sakura's cold case, and maybe claim any assets left by her parents that weren't turned over to the state or otherwise doled out in their wills.

Here's a funny thought: what would happen if John or any of the girls got summoned for jury duty (if that's still a thing in this universe)? I'm not sure where this thought came from; maybe it came as a byproduct of another thing I was thinking about, such as what the government structure of the Terran Federation was like.

So yeah, I'm not sure if this has been covered yet, but what is the government structure of the TFed like, Tefler? By it's very definition, a federation is a political entity that acts as sort of a central government for a number of separate states that retain control over their own internal affairs. So if the Terran Federation fits that definition, how many member states does it have? Do they have planetary or system governors, presidents, shoguns, what-have-you., or is everything run by the military, with like a captain rank running a planet while a commodore handles a system?

Good chapter as always. A more personal side of the girls in this chapter.

Not destroying the transports reminded me of Stormship Troopers, good fighters getting wasted before they get the chance to fight.

Always looking forward to your updates.....

Good story plot and all.....

Keep it up.....

MIKE: What if Norwood is in thrall to a progenitor? Or even a "matriarch" in a fashion? How else do we explain whole ships of people "defecting" seemingly without cause?

Just like the Trankarans had a progenitor activated person start leading people away, so could Norwood be that person. For that matter, the Kintarak emperor could also be in thrall to a progenitor.

Which leads me to my next theory...what if the other progenitor on the chessboard...is a female progenitor? Alyssa has shown it possible. Additionally, if we know the standard male progenitor tactic is "get a squad of super thralls and conquer", why couldnt a female progenitor's tactics be more of playing pieces on the chessboard and have indirect instead of direct action?

Firstly, I would like to voice my appreciation to you Tefler for the hard work and dedication to this epic saga and the subsequent journey that you have allowed us humble readers on to get to this point. I have followed you from the very beginning (along with many others) and have watched as you have grown as a storyteller and as you have woven your protagonists into our lives. I have left a few comments anonymously in past chapters but now that I support you on Patreon I decided to create an account here too. Again I would like to profess my utmost respect and appreciation to you and I look forward to hopefully many more chapters and any other contributions you make in the future.

In response to your question about sci-fi or fantasy... I would be happy with either. You have to decide the type of story you want to write, I would happily join you and that journey. If you (or any storyteller) don't have a passion for the story that you are telling than that is easily seen in the quality of the work, which is why this story is so popular and has such passionate followers (groupies :p). Although, I do have to be honest and say that I would like to see your vision of an epic fantasy.

Now to my contemplation...

In regards to Norwood's defection. I agree with a few previous speculations about the possible reasons for the defection, and knowing Tefler, it could be any one of those or all of them or none of them, with Telfer you never know but I look forward to the eventual reveal though :-)

I want to point to those that may have forgotten that Norwood may of have had his hand forced and defected sooner than he wanted to or intended to. You may ask why that may be. Let me remind you that not too long ago a certain server containing sensitive data on Norwood's activities was hacked and then subsequently fried. Now Norwood probably doesn't know who hacked that server or that information that may incriminate him was taken but I'm betting that a man that has gotten to where he is in TFed command or the atrocities that he's committed without being caught would be suspicious of that and may feel that someone is hot on his tail. The only reason why the defection may not have happened sooner is that Norwood had to wait for all his pieces to fall into place before he made his move or to see who was on his trail. He would definitely have heard that an unauthorised ship had passed through the picket line and that it was commanded by the 'Lion of the Federation' who had requested an audience with the Fleet Commander. If I was a betting man, I am sure that would have raised a few red flags for Norwood.

So there is my food for thought in regards to Norwood.

I look forward to Sakura's path to redemption. All the speculation so far are likely but only Tefler really knows and I look forward to the possible story arcs that it could take. Each path laid out in the previously mentioned speculations have their merits, some more than others.

There are a few other thoughts I have about some of the other speculations but I'll leave those for another time. Again thanks for this epic saga and I look forward to the next chapter :)

Can you give us an update tefler,,,,

With the advent of space fleets, the Terran Federation had to reorganise their military.

The Navy took over the capital ships, with the fighter pilots from the air force joining the Fleet Air Arm to provide strike craft crews. Marine divisions simply moved from being based on water bound ships to spaceships.

While the size and utilisation of Marine forces increased to deal with ship boarding actions, the army specialised in garrison duties and planetary invasions. Tanks and Mech divisions tend to be used when anti-air defences are too strong, or if bases are protected by planetary shielding which stops them from suffering orbital bombardment.

Tefler

Thanks for the long message, the Patreon support, and for your kind words! I've had a great time writing this story, and I think its awesome that so many people have enjoyed reading it!

To anyone confused about the scifi/fantasy discussion, I posed the question to my Patrons, asking which I should focus on when Three Square Meals is finished. I'm thinking of either continuing 'Black Sails', or starting up a High Fantasy epic. The decision is still some way away, but it was really good to hear everyone's thoughts.

I won't comment on everyone's speculation about the plot, but it was fun to read all the feedback!

I've written 18.5k of chapter 64 at the moment, and I'm hoping to finish it off tonight. Then another day or so for editing, and I'll probably submit it to Patreon and Literotica on Wednesday or Thursday. That means it'll most likely be up on the Literotica site by about Friday or Saturday.

Cheers

Tefler

Lynton is the defector? John and crew are disconnected from the fleet. There is no reason to believe one admiral over another at this point? And really the lack of visual communication is just too much to swallow (pun definitely intended)

Tefler, you´re good to go any way you want, we´ve got your back on anything you jot down....Thanks for all the scuttlebutt chatter guys (comments), I enjoy going through that, nice to see everyone stacking arms on Tefler´s swivel guide. Why restate the same...Thanks for making this septigenerion´s "Attaboy" so much easier MrRugg3D.

It seems like Lynton is definitely hiding something but not necessarily something sinister. It occurred to me that she might be trying to hide her identity from him but maybe for more personal reasons like he somehow knows her and seeing her face would give it away. And I was thinking that it would be interesting if she were his mom in hiding under a different identity and wanting to keep her distance to see how he turns out. And that she was probably the one who started the investigation into him. Anyway had the ideas and thought I'd share them.

Thanks

One problem with your theory.... They have met before, if I remember correctly..

I want to say they met after the last battle in that system where they rescued Rachel, and captured the Kintark battleship/carrier which ever it was. I might be mistaken on the timing, but I'm sure they have met.

They haven't met Admiral Lynton before. After the battle against the Kintark, where they rescued Rachel, it was Commodore Sasaki who met them after they captured the carrier.

Tefler

I think the only admiral John has meet in person is Admiral Devereux; he's meet her twice. Once at the award ceremony where she gave him the title "Lion of the Federation" for his actions in Iota-Leonus, and then again after the Battle of Terra.

Admiral Devereux was the highest ranking officer present, as well as the officer in charge, at the award ceremony, and I don't think any of the Dragon March admirals were present because they've been busy with the Kintark.

To all those concerned about Admiral Lynton not getting the comm's array on her dreadnaught fixed, it could be that the station at Iota-Leonus just doesn't have the capability to handle such repairs. Keep in mind, this is a dreadnaught we're talking about. It's an absolutely massive ship, quite possibly the same size as the Iota-Leonus station. Even if the dreadnaught wasn't the same size, there's no way the station would have the docking capability to handle the repairs of a ship that large. Well, why do they have to dock to repair? Why not just fabricate the parts and do the repairs while the ship floats in space? Because that seems to be the way the TFed operates, performing repairs and maintenance in dock, rather than going for spacewalks. Plus, if they were to perform repairs on the ship outside of dock, they might have to set up some scaffolding, like we saw the Trankarans do when they installed the new engines on the Invictus. However, scaffolding is not something you want attached to the hull of your ship in the middle of a war zone, especially when the enemy can jump in at any time to attack; scaffolding tends to get in the way of guns and stuff.

There's also the possibility that Iota-Leonus' repair capacity is being directed towards more immediate concerns, such as repairing engines, weapon controls, shields, hull breaches, and other critical systems on other ships, rather than a partially damaged comms array on a mostly unhurt, otherwise fully operational dreadnaught. Basically, they've determined what needs to be fixed first, and the comms array was not it.

I like this one a lot

As far magic jumping about seen it in grey space i.e. wormhole tech

if i was john i get dana to come up with a comm signal that none can pickup then have invisible sensor probes dotted around linked to a monitoring system

for clarifying. LOL Too many dang characters to keep track of Telfler LOL..... But that makes it a good story. :D

But not meeting, takes us back to Lynton's over familiarity when they talked the first time.... Sumtin' ain't right..... lol

They haven't been face to face or in contact with Lynton before. They have met Admiral Cartwright back in Ch.19 and had a run in with Vice Admiral Von Brandt who was in charge of R&D and on the Loki when the AI ambushed them back in Ch.38. Did he survive the Nexus?

It seems Tefler is using the UK Naval officer structure. A Commodore would be the equivalent of a one star but not considered a "flag" officer in the UK, two star and above are officially flag officers. A Rear Admiral would be a two star, Vice Admiral is a three star, and a Admiral is a four star. Then a Fleet Admiral or Admiral of the Fleet would be a five star.

In the US Naval rank structure there is no official Commodore rank. A one star is a Rear Admiral (lower half) and in the US one star and above are considered flag officers. A two star would be a Rear Admiral (upper half). In the US Navy the only time I have heard of the term Commodore being used is when a Captain is in charge of other Captains like a destroyer/escort group. Also when on the ship there is only one Captain. If another Captain is on board he is referred to as Commodore (if he is senior to the ships Captain) or Commander (if he is junior). A good example is on a Nimitz class carrier. There is the Captain of the ship and then there is the Commander, Air Group (CAG) which is also has the rank of Captain. The CAG is never referred to as Captain when on board except maybe in introductions. Since a Nimitz carrier usually leads a Carrier Strike Group there is usually a group commander which is a two star and a "flag staff" of 50-75 people and has a one star as a deputy commander (if the unit is commanded by a flag officer there are never XOs, always deputy commanders). If several groups are combined into a Task Force (TF) then the TF commander is usually a four star with a three star as deputy commander.

I'll submit the next chapter to Literotica and Patreon this evening, when I get back from work. I ran out of time this morning!

It's about 23k, so about the same size as the last chapter. I'm comfortable with this size for editing, so I'll probably aim for 20-25k chapters going forward (7-8 literotica pages).

Tefler

I submitted Chapter 64 to Literotica for moderation. All being well, it should be up on the site by about Saturday.

Tefler

I'm loving this story Tefller, read through all of it in about a week. Just want to toss out words of encouragement in the hopes you'll keep these... Cumming:P

I like (and hope you plan on expanding) the Maliri matriarch-pyramid. I also want to see John driven absolutely nuts by his lusty crew as he learns to use telepathy himself, should add TONS of fun right there!

Well done reading all 63 chapters so quickly!

I'm really pleased you enjoyed the story, and there's lots more to come!

Tefler

In greys space was the answer to that called wormhole tech/jump but if i that in i would have a rad problem that would cause sensor and comm trouble plus you dont want everyone knowing you have it so jump to a system or 2 away then warp in

The story is great, I can't stop reading it, I wish I could, really, really wish I could. You seriously need to look at the girls interaction with John, especially Alyssa. She's supposed to be closer to him than anyone, really? Why didn't Jade stay and watch Sakura, while Alyssa helped "her man" fix his own dinner? Why doesn't Alyssa see that it's hypocritical to be jealous of Calara and Illrith while she does the same to John? If I went back over the last oh say 10 chapters, I would probably find way more instances of sex between Alyssa and Calara, than Alyssa and John. Is that done on purpose? Is the loving relationship between Alyssa and Calara more than what John and Alyssa share, because that's the way you write it. All the little verbal terms of endearment between the girls, while nothing verbal with John. A knowing smirk, a flirty smile, she wiggles her ass, trolling him like a fish on the hook. Shit, come on dude, Alyssa was John's first love, write it that way, please, please.

John wanted time alone with Jade in the kitchen so he could talk to her about her returning memories. That seemed really obvious to me even if it wasn't spellled out. Couples that have been together for a while and have good communication can often know pretty much what's going on in the other person's mind with just a "look", and that's WITHOUT the benefit of telepathy. Alyssa and John are literally talking to each other ALL the time. I think the relationship has been well established to the point that Tefler doesn't feel the need to get bogged down with every interaction. As the number of characters in the story grows it's important to move the story and character development forward. Therefore a wink and smile between such connected characters can actually speak volumes. Also, John doesn't treat the women like they are his mommies or servants, he's a big boy who can actually take care of himself in the kitchen ;)

That scene with Sakura's parents... Oh....

Your imagination and creativity with the characters and storylines just blows me away. When I started reading this epic, I had no idea how complex it would become. Thank you for sharing this with us.

I am SO guilty of binge reading your wonderful work.

Love your writing.

Love your characters.

Love your cliffhangers. (Kinda )

Love your storylines.

Your imagination and creativity with the characters and storylines just blows me away. When I started reading this epic, I had no idea what to expect.

I love your writing.

I love your characters.

I love your storylines.

I love your cliffhangers. ( Kinda )

I am SO guilty of binge reading your wonderful work.

Thank you for sharing this with us.

I loved the random Kintark phrases, all I could think of was a lizard saying it in Ron Burgandy's voice instead of "Great Caeser's Ghost."