All Comments on 'Three Square Meals Ch. 083'

About damn time :-p

Worthy of re-reading at leisure this evening.

B.T.W. I think that the release-time is 0:00 GMT -6 - as an European citizen I do not know what timezone that is in the US - that is on midnight in a American timezone. Googling it I think it is 0:00 CST (american) because CST can also mean Cuban or China Standard TIme which is a totally different time. For me it was 08:00 CEST / 07:00 CET

Well: Thanks for the story, now for the rehash later this evening

I am glad you have Faye rethinking leaving them stranded. She should be smart enough to know they would just get another ship and be back in action quickly.

While it's always frustrating waiting of Lit. Moderators getting to read the newest installment of this amazing series is what makes any wait always worth it.

Thanks for all your hard work Tefler!

I can confirm that is the correct time. The last 40 or so chapters have mostly consistently become available around 1:00 AM EST (utc -5) after showing up on the queue, with only 1 or 2 chapters showing up at 2:00 AM EST instead.

The bad guys will be so sorry, if john doesn't kill them by stripping away skin layers piece by piece they'll be lucky. They definetly poked the wrong bear, ooh can hardly wait for tefler to get the next episode out..

Another great chapter.... Thankyou.

My God Tef, another, amongst many, outstanding chapters. Keep on keepin on...

Thanks guys! I'm glad you enjoyed it. :-)

I'm editing chapter 84 at the moment, but I should be done with that relatively soon. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long for that one.

Tefler

Well, this certainly was one heck of a chapter. It seems perhaps Faye is starting to se the error in her plan. Or maybe this only will cement her decision to take the Invictus away from them. After all, in some ways, she is but a child. She does not have much real life experience, and are acting on pure emotion. Anyway, her plans will be delayed now that they need to rescue Calara.

I do hold a hope, that she will scrap the entire plan, now that she see how vulnerable they are even without The Invictus. Micaboshi has signed his own death warrant. One does not kidnap and hurt any of John's girls. Hehe, it is gonna be the mother of all smackdowns.

But I must say Tefler, you are a tiny bit pure evil, that leave us with this kind of cliffhanger. I sincerelly hope the next chapter wont take as long as this one did. To no fault of yours. But you have me sitting on the edge of my seat. I am just milimeters away from landing on the floor with a undignified squeak!.

As always, well done Tefler.

If the Admiralty wasn't worried about John before the local surveillance camera footage of T-Rex Jade will freak them out. As will the massive public support John and co have. At this point his popularity is so high he could launch a coup with no problems, especially if he blame them for attack of his Lioness. Edraeal already planned it out several chapters ago.

As for payback, using starship class Beam lasers to kill three assassin's is such a massive overkill that there won't be anything left of them, not even a shadow.

Faye's story is very interesting, watching he learn and grow, wrestling with doubts and question of 'what if'. I am enjoying the focus on her and am keen to see were she goes. Does she spiral even further into her plan to protect the crew or trust them and reveal her concerns? What will their response be when they learn of her plan to maroon them on Terra? They will be in a less forgiving, more vengeful mood. One where a poorly chosen sentence or word can lead to accusations of betrayal. At this point Faye has such control of the Invictus that she could keep them prisoner on the ship for a time, if it wasn't for Irilith. Although at this point she is at least unconscious.

A question for the future. Why did the Assassins target Calara? It must be for her potential for strategic planning. If the Assassins just wanted bait for John they would have taken any of his girls. Can't wait to find out.

I don't think she's ever going to go a club again. However, I suspect that she might begin training with swords.

Seriously good work, Tefler, with one hell of a cliffhanger at the end. Can't wait to see Mikaboshi get his.

Faye - Wow. That was(is) a great plot thread.

@anon; Calara because maybe the guy who hired the assassins is Rupert Grant, to whom Calara is an object of interest?

I still have to reread the action sequences to let it soak in properly but the first read was exciting.

The seduction and sex part seemed mechanical and repititive; skipped most of it to maintain my anticipation and interest. It needs to evolve but not a deal-breaker.

One of the best standout moments for me was the fleetcarrier and the dreadnaughts in formation facing the Invictus. That was nicely thought out (winks).

I have to read back again to find out where this award ceremony was. The low orbit stuff tickled my mediocre science brain; imagining it parked along white fluffy clouds... Impressive image. The beam lasers... ooof.

Kudos Tef;

One final note: i'm in awe man; how you manage to work so much information and plot in such short a release time is ... just wow.

Respect.

Thus far - seems like all have their 3rd helix with special powers activated, waiting to see what Calara's will be

The pouring of psychic energy is a lot like adrenaline being pumped into the system ( and the usual performance enhancement). If Alyssa was to pour a good deal of energy into the unconscious girls, shouldn't​ it wear the dart effect and revive the maliri twins?

Anon cala and john like all that military stuff and blondie made cala suit like she was second in command of the ship could be why ?

Whitepaint ko'd girls go dark to john and blondie so can not trace them or send power to them this has been talked about before like the military stuff.

i think it was john got taken and blue mother could only send power to john once he was awoke and he use the power to burn off the sleep drug and rip a arm off someone

Thralls act like batteries of psychic energy that can be channelled by their Matriarch.

In Alyssa's case, she can flood a girl with power, which they can then use to consciously power their own abilities. Only John and Rachel have the power to heal though, so powering up the Maliri twins and Dana wouldn't have helped wake them.

Healing is also an active ability, so if Rachel is unconscious, she can't use that energy to heal herself.

Tefler

Well done sir! I have to say, your writing style and capability has come a long way since your first chapters and it is spectacular the way you have taken this story and made it an epic space opera, truly worthy to be called one of the best stories I have read! Not to give you a big head, but what you write is comparable to some of the more well known novelists out there, such as R.A. Salvatore! Five stars!

On another note, there is one question that has been bothering me and I hope that it will be answered soon in the coming chapters: Who hired Mikaboshi and Co. to kill John in the first place? I know that may people think that it is Rupert Grant, but like Mikaboshi, he is just an instrument, a tool, to be used. Sure, he had his hands in with the pirates back when he still ran the station where Calara was first posted, but he doesn't strike me as the type to have either the money, nor the underworld connections, to put a hit out on John in the first place. Nor does he seem smart or charismatic enough to be capable of contacting a top end assassin group like Mikaboshi's in the first place. So, I reiterate my question; Who hired Mikaboshi?

isn't going to go well. They have about as long as it takes for John to wake Irrilith to get away. and that's if local security doesn't shut the starport down for leaving flights after a terrorist attack on the city. As soon as Irrilith wakes the local traffic control computer will follow the route of the van to the starport and then it had better be outside invictus sensor range or it isn't going to get away.

Even without that problem for the kidnappers, Edraele has been a busy matriarch and probably knows where the parts are delivered to, and so where the Assasin is based by now. The kidnappers and by extension their boss are living on borrowed time, and that time has been borrowed from loan sharks who are busy sending a white ship full of leg breakers round to visit. the only real question is who gets to be the agent of the fates, John? Alyssa? Sakura? they all have good cases for why it should be them

Cliffhanger gave me a headache plz hurry with the next chapter

So, this is just speculation, but if you don't like being spoiled even with guesses, you are warned to stop reading here.

Making Calara look like she might be second in command seems reasonable. It did come across as a bit random to me, but I can see Alyssa not caring about being seen as John's right hand. Alyssa could have also done it because it would impress Calara's family. More importantly, Alyssa could desire to draw as little attention as possible to her capabilities -- just like John took credit one time for Calara's tactical skills.

This might be setting up a twist though. It's possible that the assassins thought they were kidnapping Alyssa (or at least John's number two). The Assassins had facial recognition, but things were going south and they were in a hurry. They could have assumed Calara was Alyssa based on the uniform.

Of course, they did see that the person accepting the award and promotion was Calara, but there could still be a mix-up. At the moment, it seems a bit far fetched, but the different uniform seems like a Chekhov gun. That said, I can't even remember who Rupert Grant is -- so what do I know?

Well done! I immensely enjoyed this chapter... Also wanted to say I appreciate the superman reference.

You can't remember Rupert Grant? THAT Rupert Grant?! I don't believe it! How dare you show your face here! You.. you... You... Person.. thing!

Wait... Who the hell is Rupert Grant?! 🤔😅😋

A fan of the 🦁

First off ...Tefler you fiend! Another brilliant episode. Now I know how those radio listeners felt when they tuned in to Flash Gordon or Bulldog Drummond.

On the matter of time to publish, I looked up the Literotica guidelines which state 3-7 days for moderation and publication. So perhaps you are loading up your own shoulders with expectation by estimating a release date?

My own two cents, it's free and a great story, so what if I have to pay with a little patience. Keep up the good work.

Alyssa designed the Lioness uniforms to be sexy and show off the girls' figures, but she knows how much the military means to Calara and her family. Not wanting to embarrass her girlfriend, she made Calara's uniform look more respectable and very similar to the original Terran Federation version.

Calara's uniform is white instead of grey, and more flattering and better cut than her old version. With five of the girls wearing the racy version and Calara wearing a more traditional cut that looks more like John's, she ended up looking like she was second-in-command.

Alyssa realised that and knew the TF military would treat Calara with more deference and respect as a result. As Alyssa doesn't care what the military thinks about her, she was happy to let Calara take the limelight.

I'm glad you enjoyed it!

You're probably right regarding the release date. I've got no control over the moderation queue and people get stressed out when they're waiting. :-)

Tefler

It's great to hear you liked the chapter. :-)

Yeah, I couldn't resist the Superman/Lois Lane reference!

Tefler

Excellent as always. Thanks for the story to read.

Ed Parachini

Well... their main objective is accomplished, but it did cost them (and Amatsu Mikaboshi) if I count correctly 18 assassins, dead and/or captured. Amatsu Mikaboshi will not be pleased at all...

So Faye and Irillith will have no compunction to extract all the data from their brains, overriding the suicide-bomb in their heads. The pain and anguish is taken for granted, no-one messes with the Lion and his Pride.

I think that the crime-lord Amatsu Mikaboshi will have a not so pleasant visit of John and Co, maybe an invasion by warbots under Faye's command as a front for the Pride, witnessed from the Ivictus by Jehanne - as a new crew-member - and some investigators of the terran justicial branch because of the crimes he has committed.

Also Jehanne as a new crew-member, not a great surprise, because it was already in the pen, and there was a resolution that this should happen in the comments, but nicely done.

Also the attitude of the assassins is not pleasing, killing a person for money, from behind and masked and/or cloacked is in my opinion not as brave as fighting with an adversary who is stronger, faster and/or meaner in open combat. Well they will know that stealth is not working on the Invictus...

I hope that Chapter 84 will be soon on the radar...

Thanks Tefler for everything!

Sakura looks at Alyssa and says, "WAIT! I want to kill him! I deserve it for him taking away my life with my parents!"

Alyssa responds, “But he hurt my girls and abducted MY LOVER! HE DIES!”

Dana: “Oh fuck yes he dies! But I want to carve him up first!”

Rachel: “But I want to heal him just before he dies so each of us gets a crack at him!”

Tashanna: “But he hurt my sister! He must BURN!”

Irrilith: “NO! I want to slowly electrocute him for what he did to Tash!”

Calara: “But, I AM THE ONE WHOM HE ABDUCTED! IT IS MY RIGHT!”

Faye: “Just wait till I turn all his pain receptors back on!”

John: “Hold on! Let me slow down time for him so he can enjoy all of us killing him for about 5 minutes!”

Jehenna: “Wait! Let me get out my ultra fast video equipment so we can get awesome playback!”

Athena: “Well, while all of you are doing that I am creating an ethereal plane for him to live in so he can experience all this for eternity!”

Those readers who have been married and had chidren know this better than those who have not: John, while a formidable foe, is not who Mikaboshi has to worry about...it is Momma Bear Alyssa! John might be willing to show mercy...Not going to happen with Momma Bear.

This was submitted by Master Laurent on Patreon: (sorry if you intended to post it here....giving you credit though...so hope you don't mind.)

An angry women is nothing to be trifled with! "Hell knows no Furry Like a scorned Woman" is very appropriate when it comes to hurting one of the Momma Bear Alyssa's Cubs.

*********

Archangels to God - “Shall we make popcorn?”

God - “Sure and Some Pizza. This is going to take a while. You need to take notes! And someone setup the video link to Lucifer, I seem to remember he likes a good show!”

“Lucifer, you have not have spoken with him in thousands of millennia” Archangel Michael states in shock!

“I know, However this Idiot Mikaboshi did not realize who he was pissing off! Given Mikaboshi's history with John and the Girls, this will be epic even by MY standards. That being said, her plans of making an example of Mikaboshi demonstrating the consequences of any future attempts will definitively serve as a warning to the “Dark Forces in the Universe”. The Dreadnought outside the Maliri space station looking like Swiss cheese will be a day at the beach compared to her plans. It has been a long time since one of the Progenitors have dealt with the soul of a being” God Replies

The Archangels gasp at the realization of his words.

This part was submitted by Jedi Khan (sorry if I stole any thunder...but your diatribe deserves a wider audience...was epic!):

Demon: Hey Boss! You're getting a Skype call!

Lucifer: Who the hell is calling me at this demonic hour of the day?

Demon: Uh...looks like the caller ID says Heaven.

Lucifer: What the...? *answers the call* Whadya want old man?

God: Oh, not much. Just figured you'd be interested in the show of the millennia that's about to go down.

Lucifer: You don't take my calls, ignore me for ages, and then you call me out of the blue to tell me there's a show on? This better be the best damn show ever old man.

God: Oh, you can bet it will be. You know a guy named Mikaboshi right? I think he's on your waiting list.

Lucifer: Hold on a sec, let me check. Hey, demon, get me the guest list *Yes boss!* So, what about this Mikaboshi guy?

God: Well, apparently he made the mistake of pissing off one of my guys, a fellow by the name of John Blake. Normally nothing to write home about, right? Well, turns out John's got himself on the Exclusion List.

Lucifer: The Exclusion List? Don't tell me he's one of those pricks! Demon! Where's my lists?!? *Here boss!* About damn time. *starts looking through the lists* Mikaboshi, John Blake, Mikaboshi, John Blake. Ah, there they are. Mikaboshi - Human assassin/torturer. Ah, yes, him. Yeah, that bastard should have been down here long ago, but those damn humans have cyborg tech extending their lives. Annoying bunch of fools. Now let's see..the Exclusion List...John Blake- Progenitor. Damn it! Every one of those "immortal" asshats should be down here with me, but they do some funky psychic shit that puts them out of reach!

God: Well, John's different. He was on my waiting list until he came into his inheritance and got on the Exclusion List.

Lucifer: How'd he manage that?

God: Long story. Anyways, your boy Mikaboshi has gotten on John's bad side, which by itself isn't good news for Mikaboshi. However, John happens to have a human girlfriend who is even more pissed at Mikaboshi. Best part is, she's on the Exclusion List too! Don't know how that happened, but John put her on it!

Lucifer: Bloody hell. I've seen the stuff those other Progenitors do just for fun, and you're telling me this chick is one too? And she's pissed? Old man, for once, you just might be right! This is going to be a damn good show! Demon! Set up the DVR! We're going to want to record this!

Wasn't ready for that, but thank you.

Can't wait for the next one!

Decided it was time to quit drinking or doing drugs due to seing a Tyrannasaurus Rex? LMAO: You gotta love it!

you'd be trying to track down the guy who sold you it to see if he had any more :-)

"Tentacocks", indeed!

You continue to deliver wonderful storylines, twists & surprises at an awe inspiring pace. Thank you.

-Anon John

Mikionutsac knew he didnt want to see Alyssa again...

My god, this is so good, that guy who wrote the original has created a sideline-story in itself.

But the funny thing is that John is really pissed off on a scale that is really not human. He is mad and when he is mad PG-J will try to sneak in. Only Athena and Alyssa can dampen his madness, but they - or maybe only Alyssa - are also pissed off on that same scale.

Now let us think about Mikaboshi's lair. I have a notion that Faye has become the perfect samurai, ready to commit suicide to protect her daimo John and his girls. She is even more pissed off, like Nexus was, but she is sane - well if sane can be applied here - and that makes her more dangerous. What when she sends her 'boys' complete with a "copy" of herself as "brain" as shock-troopers into his lair, convince the security that they have "taken over" the Invictus, while John and his crew are on board. What Irillth will do when she is in Mikaboshi's lair, after the Invictus is parked there will be disastrous. I think that the electronic defenses in the lair are paperthin to not-existent and she and Faye will have a time of their lives ripping all the data from Mikaboshi's operations, stopping a lot of criminals and politicians for good.

and it seemed Alyssa and Athena being just a tad upset about that...

I do not want to THINK about how upset John will be...

Figure something along the lines of telling the Terra Federation he's going to be needing the use of a few things... like the whole space fleet...?

Or letting Terra see a Maliri fleet...?

Or better yet... just the Lion and his Lionesses....?

Not a good day to be an assassin...

That says Edraele has had enough and is sending an Honor Guard escort (I am thinking 2 Battleships (for the Nova Lances) and 6 Cruisers_ of Maliri ships to help protect her daughters, John, and the crew. Alyssa is not the only powerful Momma Bear...

John should allow this for several reasons: It emphasises his relationship with the Maliri (two on his crew are heir apperants to the throne) and gives the Admirals pause, it will ease Faye's concerns and, it will provide a near irresitable projection of power on the battlefield which will help prevent another Ashanath battle type over committment on the battlefield.

For survival reasons, and being able to keep up with the Invictus:

The ships to be upgraded with Progen power cores and relays, Mark II Photon Lasers, Dana's enhanced sensors and Anti-Grav units and engines and FTL and thrusters and heat sinks, Progen servers, and shield modulators. The Captians of these ships will need to be able to engage in telepathic conversations with Calara during battles, the gunners need Calara's accuracy, and the pilots need Jade's flying skills.

And when Calara's 3rd helix is activated, she needs some limited Prescience and Telepathic skills to make her an even better stratigist.

He does not need to worry about the Maliri (white haired) giving away his tech either.

I can just see the captians fighting over who gets selected for the Honor Guard....lol.

But will post them after Chapter 84 is up on Lit.

Is it time to just build a holosuite on the Invictus to replicate a dance club so Calara can finally end the night on a good note?

If Alyssa and John can levitate things, why can't they levitate themselves and fly to the club?

What will Calara's psychic ability be? Its gotta come out soon.

Can Jade constantly change shapes to eliminate any injuries?

Who is Meta Faye? Did I miss her creation? I've read this magnificent tale from the beginning 3 times now and I don't remember her.

Finally, I am an avid reader. I have read dozens of sify series. This epic odessey is easily as riviting as any I have loved over devoured decades. How there haven't been several perfect 5.0 scores, I can't comprehend. Cheers to you, Tefler.

-Racehorse

Hey Anon, I think Meta Faye is just all of her combined into one to combine all of her processing power to take on the assassins. The chapter mentions them combining.

The space stations they build will have clubs. And adequate security.

Story : Wow.

Comment: Even better.

You knew it was somebody in the club gang when John wasn't explicitly mentioned as the primary target. I thought it was Sakura; Calara was the Tefler Twist (TM?). Should it have been Alyssa? Would that be the Toronto Twist?

Am I the only one who didn't like Jehanna as the next harem girl? It's getting crowded and the characters are getting stale. Plus there are significant hoops to jump through. Just doesn't feel organic to his goals/motives though. It hasn't been established in the story that he needs PR. That too on Terra; where he is playing God (In a way that he doesn't really care what they think, he's gonna save them if he can anyways); unlike the suggestions in our comments; but i hope it doesn't derail your process Tefler.

I can see her being a part of the crew better after the first crippling blow on BSP John deals; when everything is fun and sex and orgastic.

Enjoyed @PLR's last 10 mins and the T-Rex goggles.

@Ambivalence Imagine the Dreadnaughts, the fleetcarrier and the Invictus gradually appearing on the radar. The operative's face, his reactions. Priceless.

(Hmm i wonder if we could do a Mastercard Commercial with this: Time it to a screen next to the person saying "For everything else there is MasterCard... Sorry Buddy")

@PLR Edraele will definitely try i suppose. I'm sure you can see it's not logical lugging them around. Still, poor, helpless Edraele.

Also, Kirrix.!!

Matt.

that once separated again all the mini-Fayes will have firstly come to the conclusion that their family are far less safe outside the invictus as several of them have been injured, not just one without their help. and secondly Primary and Tertiarys misgivings will have bled into the others code, even if the maths didn't work for the others.

Of course that doesn't meean there won't be some terribly tear filled admittance to Irrilith, John and Alyssa and dana and allthe other girls too thinking about if from Faye. the poor sprite will be mortified

Well, let me sum up some characters who have some matter to settle with Amatsu Mikaboshi.

First Calara because she is just kidnapped on his orders, "sponsor(s)" unknown.

Second John because he is targeted by him on request of a "sponsor".

Third Faye because his assassins have entered her domain (the Invictus) twice and he has kidnapped two of her "lovers" and because his assassin (Sakura a.k.a. Shinatobe) did damage to her ship

Fourth Jade because Shinatobe killed her while Shinatobe was busy kidnapping John for him, "sponsor(s)" for the kidnap still unknown.

Fifth Alyssa because one of her crew is kidnapped.

Sixth Eldraele because he endangered her daughters, also because he is misusing Maliri technology.

Seventh the Terran Justice Branch for killing people when they were in the business of kidnapping and murdering.

Eighth all of the crew of the Invictus not mentioned because of his "medling" with them on multiple action suggested by "sponsor(s)" unknown.

This can lead to violence on a major scale, just a fleet under the command of John consisting of two eskadrons one Terran (the "Retribution of Zeus" with its support fleet present) and one Maliri (a few dreadnoughts, also with their support fleet). With all that firepower Amatsu Mikaboshi's lair will be - to say it mildly - a little bit outgunned...

If Amatsu Mikaboshi will try to flee it is just waiting to shoot a sitting duck, the problem is to get him alive if we can talk about a cyborg can be living being...

Cliffhangers R U !

Thanks for the read ! another 5 as usual for this series !

tx cracker

As always tefler another Great chapter.

That cliffhanger ending though 😳 Can't wait for the next!!!!

Seriously when the next chapter coming???

wow a very exciting chapter you keep getting better Tefler...great writing !

THEY COULD TURN THE PLAYROOM IN TO A NIGHT CLUB ♣

page 9

"Faye landed lightly on his chest and sat down cross-legged,"

Doesn't this imply she has developed some kind of physical presence. Has Tefler snuck her Pinocchio event past us ( and her maybe) with a bit of misdirection

If I'm not reading much more there than there is then Chapeau sir

Damn it. You're so cruel

Clara could have been kidnapped for Mikaboshi to control his weapons platforms. After all has John not said publicly that she is his tactical officer.

.

According to the summery a question would be answered, I'm sorry but I think I missed it. What was the answer

The question was would their be an assasination attempt or bombing. There was a bombing, assasination attempt, attempted theft of the Invictus, and a kidnapping.

A question for the ages? Or is it still of the ages?

Maybe he was hinting at the girls finally being able get into a club. (None of the Terrans except Rachel is legal right?) ;)

Matt.

Ohh, i forgot abt Gravitus. #JokeFail.

Matt.

"It hasn't been established in the story that he needs PR."

I beg to differ. The story has established that Edraele is concerned about the Admiralty turning on John. This has already begun as shown in the aftermath of the Battle of Regulus when John had to make the Admiralty back off and basically apologize for trying to manipulate him through his crew and their family ties.

This is also established during this last awards ceremony where Alyssa and John both saw Admiral Devereux's reactions when she was shouted down and the rank and file demanded to hear from John.

Also, John knows the Admiralty is complicit in the spreading of a deadly disease among the outer planets, of playing petty power games to the detriment of humanity for personal power...even to the point of treason, and also the impetus of the Nexus invasion.

Finally, the absence of any Admiral to assist him with finding his kidnapped crewmember speaks volumes...even more than the strange backing away by the Admiralty in their official statement given to TFNN (as evidenced by the Editor in Chief).

For these reasons, it is obvious to even a casual observer, that John is going to have to fight a PR battle with the Admiralty. This is not a battle the Terran Civilization can afford for John to lose.

All of what you said above doesn't mean he needs a good PR person.

He needs somebody to handle the admiralty, not the public. All the work he is doing is already the best PR. Think about this. Everything you just wrote above. It's because he's got that good a rep that he's having so much trouble. I also am not saying having one won't be helpful; because good PR is helpful in anything you do which comes with a spotlight. Using the PR way to tackle this is something we came up with in the comments section. In the story it could have gone any which ways; the gaol was to get the admirals on our side; as you mentioned.

Wanting a PR was never Established PLR; keeping the admiralty on his side was.

Matt.

Wanting a PR was never Established PLR; keeping the admiralty on his side was.

I just respectfully disagree. When the Admiralty control the media, anything is possible and it is obvious to Alyssa, Edraele, and John that John is seen as a threat. It is absolutely necessary for John to be able to wrest some control of the narrative from the Admiralty. It has not been necessary yet because Devereux was doing that for him. But it should be obvious to him by now that Edraele was spot on in her warning. Also, smart leaders get people around them to handle those areas where they are weak...and John KNOWS he is weak in the political/PR arena. It is just a smart move unless he intends a Coup-de-etat...which would be out of character for him.

Jehenna taking on a secondary role as an extra gunner.

See the story is done and it is on the way. @Tefler has already written the next chapters (or formed the structure) into existence.

I am just pointing out something that struck out as odd; considering i think i have a feel of how Tefler thinks from what i have read from his chapters so far. So this particular fork in the road is sticking out to me.

Jehanna was/is already on John's side.

There probably are scenarios that require a dedicated PR, in the future chapters validated.

But, just look at what Edraele already brings to the table. Jehanna is a baby compared to the spins Edraele can invent. So PR was already covered either way. You are thinking about a pretty face in front of the camera to spew verbal contortions; but considering they are all pretty faces and the entire Holo-net clamoring to put cameras in front of these ppls' faces, that part was covered.

It is just a tiny bit odd. It's this idea that's gotten into my head that we made him do it, that he may not have taken that plunge immediately( like I'd mentioned earlier).

With Edraele and the girls by his side. He more than looked like was covered.

I felt with Jehanna making these occasional appearances, she would be a an occasional fling or an object to flirt with and maybe an ally on the side to use. Why make her part of the harem for that though? I kind of imagined she would have been "a hot-shot reporter who found him too hot to handle" girl who gradually makes the plunge; when times are a little better. I hope you get where I'm going with this PLR. The story is written already, but don't you imagine this would have been more organic?

Matt.

I suspect that the plan to fill up Jehanna has been on Tefler's list for a while, and not just the result of pressure from the peanut gallery. She's (I think) the only named character we've met that helps John and Alyssa move towards completion of a diverse harem, particularly given that John's gift removes most physical characteristics as points of differentiation.

You've got your blonde/brunette/redhead white girls, a girl of Hispanic heritage, and one of Asian; you've also got girls who are green, blue, and purple, with hints dropped that there's a race of red-skinned alien girls out there, as well. What John doesn't have, diversity-wise, is a woman with African heritage - and Jehanna is clearly the most visible "dusky"-skinned beauty mentioned in the Teflerverse. Throw in several comments from the XO in charge of recruiting, and this seduction was all but preordained, regardless of what skills our intrepid reporter brings to the table and the degree to which our team needs them.

Well, I see your point....to a point. I am trying to be careful not to put out any spoilers so my responses may seem a bit cryptic.

As we both know, Tefler builds characters over time and is a master at foreshadowing. Saying we as his readers made him do this I think is putting too much into our abilities to influence Tefler. He has obviously been building up to this for quite a few chapters now, ever since that first interview.

The organic issue I could agree with if this was a spur of the moment thing. But the two of them were obviously attracted to each other over both of the initial interviews over a period of months. I have seen marriages occur in shorter periods of time. And let's face it, John is the ultimate white knight for a woman with those fantasies/needs/preferences.

Tefler has even indicated several times, in interactions with Edraele and others, that he is weak in the area of PR. It came out in both meetings with the Admirals and with his initial dealings with the Ashanath.

Jehanna and John were always going to get some time in bed together after this award ceremony, It's been on my story arc plan for about six months.

I listen to feedback, and often it gives me ideas to use in the story, but I don't remember a lot of people asking for Jehanna to be added to the crew. Alyssa and John were attracted to her from the start, but them saving her life from Nexus was the catalyst for some bedroom action!

They've got something different in mind with Jehanna, so you'll see how that plays out in chapter 85. :-)

Tefler

"According to the summery a question would be answered"

I'm glad someone asked that! The question was:

"Who would win out of a ninja and a T-Rex?"

I upped the ante a little with cyborg ninjas and a psychic T-Rex, but I reckon the answer is still the same. ;-)

Tefler

Is there any way to convince you to jump on that chapter with both feet and get her done in record time? lol. Now you have my interest piqued.

It's easy to focus on the skill of PR, but given this universe does not seem to have Twitter ;-) John needs someone that provides him media access which Jehanna does. I see her staying with the network because, of course, the network would love an inside scoop on The Lion of the Federation.

We have to remember that while John is insanely popular and has had decent instincts so far, that doesn't mean he knows how to shape public opinion more finely. I don't think we can rely on Edraele either. She ruled by power, fear and intimidation. She understands political intrigues, but that doesn't mean she knows how to use the masses as a tool. With Edraele's knowledge of dealing with leaders and Jehanna's knowledge of dealing with the masses, you have a powerful combo. Jehanna could also be a diplomat that helps with things like Brimorian trade negotiations. She could also turn out to be a communications whiz from years of being around the equipment (or perhaps she started on the tech side). Finally, as a Vice Admiral, it might be time for John to have a Chief of Staff (separate from an XO -- staff vs line officer). Who knows? We could soon see John with a fleet and needing someone to coordinate it all.

I agree from a reading perspective though, it's a lot of women, umm...a lot of balls to juggle. Even more challenging is that they have many similar character and physical traits thanks to John's gift. I would enjoy seeing greater character differences -- like despite the growing confidence Jade has, John being able to bring out a truly submissive side (vs play acting) at the snap of his fingers. Or, Rachel being even more nurturing, and Sakura being even more shy one-on-one with John etc.

"Jehanna could also be a diplomat that helps with things like Brimorian trade negotiations... ...it all"

Ohh damn dude. Thanks for explaining it that way. I got stuck there with posturing involving the Admirals.

Thanks for scratching that itch

Also, thank you PLR for humoring me.

Glad someone could see me on the number of women though this quick. Too much too soon me thinks.

Matt.

P.S: Looking forward to Literotica speeding things up this time.

Thinking about where Tefler is going to take us and sharing those thoughts is part of what makes this story great. I love the back and forth between us readers.

Please don't leave us all hanging on this cliff together too long. It might break off. Really enjoyed the second half. Keep up the great writing.

Dave

Any update on ch84 tefler ???

...but Tefler seriously plundered the Japanese pantheon for the assassins' names.

Not surprising, since we know that uber bad guy Mikaboshi named himself after Amatsu-Mikaboshi "August Star of Heaven", and the god of evil and of the stars. And because Shinatobe was the goddess of the winds.

But that got me thinking (for once). I see an old, well-established morality ethos at work--punishment for hubris, i.e, "Those who think they are gods are very annoying to those of us who really are."

I would argue that there's no other comparably-sized group of individuals in Tefler's universe with the capacity for sheer destruction and chaos as John and the girls. And I'll be very disappointed if the retribution isn't on a scale that befits the Invictus' crew's status as the demigods of the universe.

He plundered other pantheons for the other girls? Is Dana a female version of Vulcan? should we be looking at other gods and goddesses powers and comparing them to the rest of the girls?

@1handslapping: I don't think it hold true throughout. One can certainly make a case for Athena (the goddess of wisdom and justice, among other things, from the Greek pantheon), and I can see Danu (Dana) from the Celtic pantheon as fitting. But who knows what Jade's real name is, or the meaning of Irillith or Tashana in Maliri? I don't see Rachel, Calara, or Alyssa fitting any pantheon. Of course, those are given names from their parents.

I suspect, but don't know, that Tefler might have been influenced by gamer/comic book references in some cases. For instance, there's an Irrillyth (the first Elder Phoenix Lord), but that's a reach.

Now you've got me thinking again, when I'd sworn off.

If you haven't read Roger Zelazny's Hugo Award–winning novel Lord of Light, I highly recommend it. Roger's no longer with us, so I'm not pumping Tefler's competition.

But in the book Zelazny described a group of individuals who could (paraphrasing) "spin their minds for a moment" and take up both Aspect (of a god or goddess from the Hindu pantheon) and Attribute (the powers and abilities of those deities).

Sound familiar?

many years. (I'm just hoping he isn't working deeply on Pantheon X who were included in something I was busy writing)

So Faye is reevaluating the way she goes about following her primary objective- yay!

And we are closer to a new body- yay!

Mikaboshi has plans for calara- http://nooooooooooooooo.com <~ actual site ;)

I really really hope he dies painfully. And that calara isn't part cyborg when John finds her.

Before sh¡T met fan, John hooked up with a reporter... Wow+hot. I don't much see the importance, but chekhov's gun remains. I hope to find out...

John also became Admiralty, and stole Lynette's thunder. She did not seem happy, and has shown herself to be willing to get mad and even. I think maybe she will take it out on Charles?

Also, no word on Athena, but maybe a body will be made in the nick of time? I hope? pls?

Let's see, what else was there...... Oh yeah!

Jade can become a fookin T-Rex! And Ankylosaur! What's next, a velociraptor? Just... @.@

Great job as always, Tefler! It was a shame about the abnormal wait time, 'butt' it was worth it!

...

Can bad puns get one banned?

Of my last two comments, one got removed completely, and my most recent one got reduced from four paragraphs to two.

The only place I read three square meals is on lit, so I don't have the ability to drop spoilers. I also am not a troll, avoid bashing people, and wouldn't spill beans even if I could.

I don't know if Tefler moderates the comments, if the public does so, or what.

Thus I am faced with a dilemma- should I even bother adding my voice to the mix?

Partly because I'm not sure how much of this pity party y'all will see, partly because I don't know the reason for these happenings.

I do ask though, that whoever moderates the comments, could you please respond, and let me know what I did wrong?

I read your nooo.com post which made me laugh. I haven't seen any other comments from you though and I definitely haven't deleted anything.

I'm the only moderator here, unless you write anything grossly offensive that gets reported to the site admins.

Maybe it was just a browser issue when you tried to post your comments?

Tefler

I look forward to the next installment, when might we be able to expect it on this site

I agree with comments above that Jehanna will surely stay on at TFNN for a while to ensure that it is no longer the mouthpiece of TFed in any PR war with John. Longer term, who knows? Communications Officer maybe?

Comms Officer and Gunner...but Tefler has given a teaser that something special is in the works for Jehenna...perhaps as the 'face' of the new cosmetics line?

Tashana's going to need a Tactical Officer on the Destroyer they're having built.I

would've thought so at least.It's going to need a crew of at least three to pilot,shoot and someone on engineering.

I'm sure one of these positions will do her just fine,as well as all that P.R. bollocks.

If Tashana comands the destroyer,do you think it will be called the Malifica???

You forgot a carrier in Edraele's fleet,plus it's usually 4 cruisers to every battleship.

That,s 1 carrier,2 battleships,12 cruisers plus picket ships.All in black crystal alyssium.

John only needs to give them his FTL drive for them to be effective.They should also have 1 or 2 Ashanath bridge crew on each ship for totaly secure comms(hack that you fuckers).

I have to shout out. If ever there was such a thing as a classy pun, tefler nailed it... "the lion and his lionesses. Pride of the terran federation."

I can't claim credit for that one sadly, It came from Aderi. :-)

Tefler

When are you submiting ch84 Tefler??????

Thanks Tefler, for the reply. That is an actual website, btw.

The rest of that comment was mostly me hoping that a) calara isn't part cyborg when John finds her, b) mikaboshi dies painfully, c) Athena gets a body, and d) that jehanna doesn't bring too much unwanted attention to John (what with the body changes)..

...

What was the other thing? Oh yeeeeeaaaaaahhhh......

A fookin T-Rex?!? What next, a velociraptor!?!

Days. That is how long I tried to stay away from checking TSM. I had figured in cruel and merciless fashion that the coming action was going to be left in a cliffhanger. I just could not help but check TSM, and once I saw there was a new charter I did not have the willpower to not read. Having read the chapter multiple times in one night, I must say that Tefler you write one hell of a story. Not sweating the new girl that much, I figure 83 chapters in, that you know what you are doing and can't wait to see the twists with her arc. Love the amount of possibilities that the story constantly has and admire the commitment to your work and your fans. Which I am proud that count myself as one. Appreciate this amazing story and on the end of my seat to see what comes.

Next please...ASAP!!!!!

No ?

Don't you think so ? Take some months, have a rest. Then write the next two chapters as a gift for Chritmas.

J'aime ton histoire.

It's not a joke, i love your story.

Rémy

Well, with Calara's ability to take out 20 fighters/bombers a second and Jade's abilities in the Raptor, I am not sure that a Carrier is needed...especially if Dana incorporates stealth torpedoes into the mix. And not including fighters/bombers greatly reduces risks for members of the flotilla since those ships tend to not be well hardened.

I do think 2 Battleships for the Nova Lances is a must. I have no problem with the 4 Cruisers per Battleship so I will go with 12....4 each for the Battleships and the Invictus. And I do not see a need for picket ships for the same reasons as no fighters.

However: Due to John's aversion to risking Maliri lives, I am thinking the Captain, Gunner, and Pilot of each vessel needs to be enhanced...Captain with telepathy, Gunner with Calara's shooting skills, and Pilot with Jade's skills. Calara needs telepathy and prescience so she can anticipate attacks/tactics (even if it is only for 1 minute into the future) as well as think directly with the Captains like the Ashanath did.

I agree with you about the minimum needed to be effective (FTL) but with John's aversion to risking Maliri I am thinking those ships also need the upgraded weapons loadouts (Mark II Photon Lasers, Progen Power Cores, Power Distribution Nodes, and Capacitors, anti-gravity units for each ship, Trankaran thrusters and engines, and extensive use of Graphene skrim in the armor plating and weapons barrels for even better heat dissipation/strength/resilience against mass and plasma weapons). This would give them a great deal more survivability in a firefight, provide for even higher levels of tactical planning by Rachel, and relieve John and Faye of some anxiety.

Other advancements include:

Shield defeating mass munitions,

Upgrading the Valkyrie with the cyborg level pneumatics, giving it super agility and speed,

Giving the Valkyrie an interface where Sakura can use her agility and fighting abilities to their maximum potential,

Making two Valkyrie sized, powered Ninjato for hand-to-hand combat with enemy ships (LOL),

Providing a point defense system for the Valkyrie,

Installing an anti-gravity stabilization system on the Valkyrie,

Adding engines and thrusters to the Valkyrie to make it at least as maneuverable as the Raptor,

Raptor detachable racks (2 sets of 12 X 12 racks set back to back for a total of 576 fire and forget, stealth shielded, smart-linked torpedoes designed to identify and target and disable enemy engines (for maximum benefit with minimal casualties) with the idea the Raptor could use its FTL drive to pop into the middle of an enemy fleet, quickly detach and deploy the torpedoes, and use the FTL to pop back out again at the beginning of an engagement to really screw up the opposing fleet's ability to conduct an engagement. You could have a second set of racks ready to quickly attach to the Raptor for a second volley against a flanking force...effectively winning the battle before it even starts.

That way, after the torpedoes have done their damage, Jehenna could contact the enemy fleet flagship and advise them to just let the Invictus know when they decided to surrender...LOLs

In the mean time: the Invictus and Battleships let loose with their Nova Lances on three Capitol Ships at a time while the 12 Cruisers dealt with the riff raff.

You got me again. Waiting for the chapter.

I really enjoy your writing. Thank you.

Any update on when we will see ch84 tefler ?????

I hope soon maybe submit it today and in 2 or 3 days we could read it

Have always hoped that Tefler would allow Jade to morph into She Hulk. Green, sexy as hell & able to rip the arms off a cyborg as well as give John a right royal pounding. Far more fun than a t-Rex

Tefler, maybe something to think about for ch 85-86 and the second trip to Oceanus.

I just submitted the latest chapter for moderation, so it should be up early next week I'd imagine, depending on how busy the queue.

Tefler

It would be interesting if Dana developed an interplanetary weapon. I don't envision this like a planet killer -- more like our Cruise Missiles. The interesting use case would be an adversary that sets up a situation where the Invictus has to be in two places at once to save two separate parties. An interesting tidbit would be nobody else having these weapons not because of the tech required, but because the targeting was too complicated given orbital mechanics and the like -- something that Calara and Alyssa could solve.

Speaking of guided missiles, I think it is time that John have to use seduction to defeat a female adversary.

Before we get to whatever multi-alien-race grand final battle, we need the gals and an unconscious John captured by a surprise foe who thinks they are cut-off and alone; but it turns out Alyssa got a psychic blast out and the Ashaneth, the Trankorians, the Maliri and the Terrans all show up. (didn't check my alien race spelling)

It would also be fun to see Black Progenitor take some human thralls and John break them away with his words reminding them of the glory of Terra, and have it be the only reason he was able to break them away be because he started as an officer trainee who bled with them and he saved the Federation on more than one occasion.

Off-topic and not meant as criticism -- A comment from the peanut gallery about 'lust'. Everyone is always looking lustily at everyone else. There's an old saying in movies, 'show, don't tell'. The same kind of thing can be said about writing. You can describe lust or someone being turned on without saying they are. Sure, sometimes, you want the quick and easy approach -- just other times tell me about pupils dilating, breath quickening, face flushing, goosebumps et cetera. That is there -- just more of the latter and less of the former.

And for us old guys -- everything that happens up to the clothes coming off is as exciting as after the clothes are gone. A day of the gals teasing John to build up his load would be great. Some info about sexy clothes is good especially the gals wearing different types of sexy like one wearing something short with lots of bounce and flow and someone else wearing something tight. Maybe a fashion show for John and he has to pick his fave outfit.

Yowza -- apparently I can go on when I am watching the news about Russian oligarchs