Chris Hechtl's Blog, page 37

Short Horizon! Multiverse 3 publishes... NOW!

First up, wow!

Okay, here we go again!

   Multiverse 3, another tour of short stories in fantasy and science fiction. See a new adventure for Princess Zara of Princess Rescue Inc begin to unfold. See new characters run through a brutal rite of passage in Afraid of the Dark, and explore a new point of view from the Bootstrap Colony universe. Eight stories in all, including 2 all new Federation stories.
The previous post has more about it I suppose.

I will post the usual links in a bit. I may also post one of the short stories here on the blog over the weekend, IDK yet. We'll see. It is the Christmas one and yes, it will have some impact on things in the Federation universe.

I'll post the links when they become available.

Multiverse 3

Multiverse 3 is on the horizon. :)
  There are 8 stories on the book, 4 of them are represented on the cover. Clockwise from the upper left is A Princess in a Strange Land (PRI), Omen of Change (BSC) Dragon King, and 6BO (Federation).
  The other stories include an AD story (End of the World) and 2 Scifi one off stories, as well as another Federation story, A Christmas Intervention.
  I had planned A Piece of the Pi as a part of MV3 but the stories grew so long I had to snip them out and throw them into their own book. I had considered stopping writing for the month to take my time off but I got into writing the last stories. I threw Omen of Change and A Christmas Intervention together in under 48 hours I think.

  In other news, the Reindeer Project has been put on hold for the holiday. I know I'm going to get razzed about that. >:( There is no way I can get it done this year, let alone by Christmas. I just ran into too many problems and ran out of time. The axles kept breaking, bits kept popping off, the motors keep getting stuck, and the skins turned out to be a 1/2inch too small...among other things. Even posing the set for a static display would be too hard. GRR.
  I'm disappointed too. I may need to re-engineer things. I might also need to make all new skins. Ugh.
  Since I can't make forward progress there I switched to a Christmas gift project, a couple other print projects, as well as doing some homework Wayne asked me to do. (Currently the Pi map update) I may do other homework projects in between everything else going on here. Or not, it depends on how crazy things get. Christmas Eve is fast approaching!

That's it for now. We'll see what Shelley at Goodlifeguide.com says about how soon we can see MV3 get published!

A Piece of the Pi is publishing NOW!

  Yup, Rea and Goodlifeguide pulled out all the stops and cleared the decks before the upcoming holiday. I just got it back from Goodlifeguide and immediately published it.

So, 4 stories of the Reborn Federation:

Hot off the virtual presses, four new short stories from the New Federation. In Hunter or Hunted, the crew of Io 11 and Fortuityexplore the Pi sector, confident in their ships and crews. But which are they, hunter or prey?
Second up is Molly's Madness, where the crew of the good ship Mollyfinally gets a chance to strike out on their own in the southern loop of Rho sector. Third, You've got to have Faith; Faith Meikle has to deal with the headaches of running the growing ETMI shipyards in a place as dangerous and corrupt as Epsilon Triangula...
And finally, Off to War, a group of Spacebees are sent to Nuevo to update the army a few months before all hell breaks loose...

I will post the links here when they become available.
EDIT: Thank you cwpick for being on the ball ahead of me:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B077NTR1PT/ref=sr_1_15?s=digital-text&ie=UTF8&qid=1511315870&sr=1-15&refinements=p_n_date%3A1249100011

Happy Thanksgiving Everyone!

A Piece of the Pi

A Piece of the Pie, aka Tales of the Reborn Federation 2, aka how plans change.

   Okay, that last part is me, not the title. And I bet a lot of you are wondering what the devil I'm talking about. Okay, here goes.
   I finished story 4 of the Federation contingent and realized I had 2 more stories to go (the PRI one, a Princess in a Strange Land and the Bootstrap story) but I was already over 300 pages for Multiverse 3. Oops? I didn't want to push it, since anthologies don't sell well, so I hemmed and hawed and then today decided to bite the bullet and toss the 4 stories into their own short book with a bit of extras and call it good. I'll dig out one of the other Fed story treatments to go with MV3.

   So, here we are. 4 stories, 3 of them with the gang from Io 11, and 1 story on Nuevo A. And a bunch of back matter to play with. It is all around 200+ pages. Yes it is short. I sent out a Beta blast about it. I don't know if we can get the manuscript published by the end of the month, but we are going to try.
I'll work on the cover art tomorrow. At the moment the only thing coming to me is Io 11's climax... no, I can't get into that. Or... no, I can't do that either. Or... no, not that either, though it would be cool... Grrr! Anyway, I'll think of something! (I hope!)

If any Betas want in, let me know ASAP! You've got until Saturday to get it back to me!

  In other news, I've been making slow progress with the Reindeer Project. It's coming down to the wire, I was honestly hoping I'd have the reindeers almost done by now, but nope. (like a lot of people, we put up our decorations the weekend after Thanksgiving. I wanted to have it done by then) Hopefully we'll see more progress soon. Once I get it all together I'll post the limited pictures and videos I've taken and do a blog post or two about it. It is pretty cool, in my own humble opinion. :)
  I've learned all sorts of things, like casting latex. I definitely need to learn a bit more soon though, like how to paint said latex with an airbrush. But first I need to learn how to close the latex seams and how to attach the latex to the legs and head. (not fun) Right now I'm getting teased because Rudolph my prototype looks like a skinned cow. :P

Despite the costs involved, (and yes they are high!) I'm already thinking of projects I want to do next for next year. Muhahaha >:D

Semper Fidelis is being published in 3...2...1... NOW!

I know I didn't drop the usual snippets this go around, sorry about that.
There are 9 stories in total in the book.
Shipping Out: Colonel Pendeckle's Division is leaving Protodon but with unfinished business...
Wrap Up: Colonel Harley's wrap up of the Destria mission.
Nuevo Madrid: Colonel Kodiak's people have their hands full with the invasion of Nuevo Madrid...
Good Training: General Forth is busy...
You can't go home again: Lewis and Clarke are learning that there isn't any such thing as a happily ever after.
Dog Days of Summer: Gunny Schultz is about to find out that recruiting can be hazardous to one's health...
Sky Dancer: Deja and the staff and students of the MAWTS-1 facility have to deal with problems of their own.
Duty and Honor: The crew of Ark Royal are going to get more than they bargained for!
...And finally...
No Laughing Matter: Lieutenant Quinn has a planet full of Horathians but only a hand full of Marines. When it comes to a Marine and a butterknife, the Horathians are outnumbered and outgunned... but try telling them that!

I'll post the links when they go live.

Edit: Here it is on Amazon thanks to Cwpick:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B076KM47Q4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1508447593&sr=8-1&keywords=chris+hechtl+kindle+books

Semper Fidelis

Sitrep:
I finished Semper Fidelis last Tuesday and passed it on to the betas. If any Betas want to have a go at it, let me know. It's open for the next 10 days. :)
Here is the cover:
  Yes this is the insignia of the Space Marines. I had the American continents overlaying the Milky Way but took it out. The ship is the Cutlass class, revised by me. The real model is a destroyer you can find on Renderosity.
  The eagle is a 3D scan I picked up from Thingiverse. I tried to contact the maker but I may have to leave a comment to do so. I've considered making my own version in Sculptris but I think I'll roll with this. I've cleaned it up, smoothed it, and tweaked it a bit.

About the book:

Semper Fidelis : Always faithful/loyal.
For the Space Marines of the Federation, it wasn't just a saying; it was a tradition of honor and courage going back centuries.For the Space Marines of the New Federation, it was something to live up to. Colonel Pendeckle has to deal with the frustrations of Shipping Out. Colonel Harley has similar issues, but she also has to deal with a Marine who has sullied his honor.Colonel Kodiak has to deal with his first planetary invasion against a tough opponent while also trying to win over the natives. Meanwhile on Agnosta, Captain Lewis and his wife Hanna Clarke learn that some battles do not end on the battlefield and that sometimes it seems easier to fight even when you are safe. The Marines and the crew of Ark Royal are going to get more than they bargained for when the planet they were sent to conquer sends of delegates to 'negotiate terms.'Lieutenant Quinn is given an impossible task, one she has no intention of walking away from. The honor of the corps demands blood. It won't be just from the Marines by the time she's done though! 
These and other stories explore the worlds of the New Federation as the Space Marines try to relearn old traditions and create new ones....

   I've been trying to catch up with my "Vacation To-Do List." I don't think I know how to take a break for long anymore. lol I'm making slow but steady progress on a few fronts. Most noticeably on my animatronic project, though things are going to come to a head tomorrow.
   I dunno if I'll get around to more figurine sanding and painting this week though. And the itch to write has already started in, I blocked out 2 more short stories for Multiverse 3 and I've dived into 1 of them. I keep getting drawn into it to add details and clean up what I've already roughed out. lol Like I told Wayne, I don't think I know how to take a break anymore, even writing it seems.
  I have been getting caught up with doctors stuff. I went in because I hurt my right arm in July and she's ordered everything but tests for it. (I have more blood work this morning too) You'll be happy to know I'm cancer free for the moment. What that and these new blood tests have to do with my arm I don't know. :P

TGS is publishing in 3...2...1...!

Yeah, that's right!
I checked my email and low and behold, there it was! Wow. I am having trouble getting B&N to upload the manuscript though. That might take a day or so. But it has been uploaded to Amazon.


About:
   Admiral Irons is sheparding the new Federation along the best he can. The pirates are on the run for the moment, the political situation is starting to jell, the Bek nexus is back in the fold, and the military branches are finally hitting their stride.
But, when all seems to be normal, that is when you tend to lower your guard...
I'll post the links when they become available.

I guess you'll have to meet Elvira on your own!

TGS snippet 6

Woops! I meant to post a snippet yesterday, but this sinus migraine has had me under the weather. It's down to a dull roar now (but by no means completely gone, grr) so I'm at least functional.

Anyway, sitrep, still piddling along with the second story in Semper Fidelis. The last Suqi test was nasty. I give up... for now.
   In other news, I am printing parts for my reindeer project. Common parts I can print, but my printer won't let me print trays as I'd planned. If I try to print more than 2 parts at a time it mucks it up. I'm peeved over that. It means printing 2 parts at a time, then plug the laptop in, and do it again over and over... There are 70+ parts in each of the 8 reindeer as of the latest version, printing 2 at a time... you do the math. And that's just the innards...

On to the snippet!:

  Note: Still in chapter 5. I want to get up to Elvira's introduction, but I dunno if we'll get there. We should be seeing TGS back from Goodlifeguide.com anytime now...


:::{)(}:::Captain Couglin set a tablet down as he read the latest situation report from his XO. His XO had his hands full dealing with Executioner'sdamage, but that didn't stop the captain from helping out here and there. After all, they needed everyone since they were shorthanded. He was bitterly unhappy but more or less resigned to seeing the damage and hasty repairs on his ship. He would never had accepted such repairs before leaving the home star system. No, they had no choice. He had never had a wounded ship to deal with before; it was a new and very unwanted experience to have to endure. Battle Fleet had never been in a proper battle after all, just endless simulations that never quite got it right it seemed. He snorted softly to himself. There was no reset, no slipped plans to read, no scripted battle to perform. Not only had they been in a real battle, but several, and they'd gotten their asses thoroughly chewed in the last one. All the while retreating, which was a humiliation all in itself. It was a harsh experience to have to deal with. Dealing with the damage was almost as bad as the logistics and morale issues. He couldn't bear to visit the wounded, though he'd seen it his duty to do so at least once. He'd kept his stomach strong as he walked through the rows, but by the end, even his resolution had wavered a bit. It was one thing to see such things on the VID screen or hear about them through second or third hand, quite another to see it in person. He'd seen sadism, sat through a couple of arena games, but it was quite appalling to see your own people hurt—people you served with, people who you needed. To see the shock and horror on their faces, the missing limbs, the lost looks … it was harsh.The smells alone clogged his sinuses enough to make him want to gag. The heart-tearing looks and soft sounds haunted him for days and nights afterward, making an already difficult task of sleeping almost impossible. Fortunately, the admiral had authorized all of their critically injured personnel to be shipped out in the worst of the crippled ships.Getting them out of the line of fire also got them out of sight and therefore, temporarily out of mind. There was too much to do, too many things to fix and not a lot of time, personnel, or resources to do it with.But, it had to be done. Another defeat was not an option in his book he vowed grimly.:::{)(}:::Commander Berney Yashanaka shook his head as he took stock. He was tired beyond belief, but there was some progress made. How much good it would do he wasn't certain.There were twelve warships left: six tin cans, two heavy cruisers, the two battle cruisers Demeantor and Unconquered, the carriers Nimitz, and Executioner. And every one of them had been damaged to varying degrees. They had two couriers, two tankers, two empty munitions ships, and two Marine transports in the fleet train, plus the resupply convoy of two freighter colliers and two escorting tin cans.Admiral De Gaulte had detached one courier to race ahead with the news of the disastrous battle. Berney had to admit, he wasn't certain he would have slavishly upheld his duty with that sort of news. But, he had to admit the empire needed to know and every moment was now precious. The fleet train had confirmed the little ship had passed through and jumped onward a week prior to their arrival.So, that was something at least. He knew his career was most likely toast, but for the moment, he didn't care.With the two fresh tin cans, their warship numbers had increased slightly. Their speed remained the same; they were moving at their best speed for the jump point while also simultaneously trying to make what repairs they could. Needless to say, things were a bit rushed in the heat of the moment.One of the two colliers had offloaded a single squadron of fighters onto Nimitz. That was it. They barely had enough pilots to man all of the planes. He had just finished polling the fleet for any additional fighters or pilots. None had been found.They had dealt with the dead in hyperspace, so he had one less chore to handle. He yawned and then stretched. He needed to get some sack time. He was punch drunk with fatigue, and he knew it. The admiral himself had ordered him to get a minimum of four hours rack time. Most of the staff were in the same boat he was in. Stress was taking its toll on everyone, and nerves and tempers were frayed.They were just about done cleaning out the fleet train, which was none too soon since they were a day away from jumping out. As soon as the ships were empty, he knew the admiral would detach them to race on ahead. There was no point keeping them with the fleet, and the sooner they got to where they could get fresh supplies, the sooner they could haul them back to the fleet. He fought the itch to check the fleet status. Instead he pulled his stinking shirt off and tossed it in the general vicinity of his hamper and then climbed into his rack with a groan. His thumb reached out blindly behind his head until it found the switch and then the lights blissfully went off. He sighed softly and then did his best to close his eyes and rest.:::{)(}:::Lieutenant Commander Sedrick Lovato had never been more tired in his life, nor unsure of the future, both for himself and his career as well as for the Empire. That bothered him a lot more than he was usually willing to admit or show.Berney, Catherine, and the admiral put on a good show for everyone else. But, as staff intelligence officer he knew just how big a crack they were in. If he didn't his last skull session with Lieutenant Myron Chekov, the staff tactical officer had confirmed it. They'd spent hours going over all of the sensor data that had been pulled from every ship in the fleet. They had poured over every byte to squeeze out as much as they could for the admiral. They hit the usual points he wanted to know, but he'd come up with more questions for them to answer.Hopefully, they'd answered some of them. Some he was fretfully aware he couldn't answer. Like how quickly the enemy could reinforce. Nor how fast they could repair the damaged ships. The Sword of Retribution Fleet, and wasn't that a laughable title now! He shook his head as a fresh wave of bitterness threatened to overwhelm him. He couldn't afford the luxury of wallowing in self-pity and anger. No, not when he had a job to do.The only member of the staff who was dithering as much as he and Myron were was Lieutenant Jeremy Herod, the staff navigator. He was focused on trying to squeeze as much efficiency out of the fleet as they could for their next trip in hyper, but he was well aware of the damage. Privately, Sedrick was certain they'd only pick up an octave at best. Some ships might even lose an octave as some of their engineers scared themselves with their damage assessments. He'd heard the stories of some of the jury rigging going on throughout the tattered fleet. He shuddered every time he wondered if such things were happening on Executioner. Hopefully not, his personal survival was riding on the safety of the ship in hyperspace.The battle had been a slaughter. Weeks had passed since it, and he had been over it many times. He had yet to find any fault in the decisions Cyrano had made. Oh, the man had made a few mistakes, as had the staff, but none critical. Nothing he could say they had overlooked or screwed up. They'd been caught in the works. Not that he expected the brass back home to care. They'd hang them all for failing anyway.That was not a thought conductive to sleep he knew.Nor had he found anything in monitoring the staff's discussions. He couldn't do it personally, not while he was swamped, but a cursory look at the word pattern search had yielded little to bring to his true lord and master's attention.He was also aware of political implications of the loss of Archangelwith Crown Prince Adam Ramichov, the battle cruiser's XO, as well as the loss of Star Mauler with Prince Mason Ramichov on board. Suddenly, the succession had changed drastically.Sedrick grimaced internally at the internal calculus that was entered into his own plans for the future. He was supposed to be watching Catherine for any signs of trouble or disloyalty. He had a healthy respect for the woman but hadn't seen much sign of her scheming. Now, he wasn't certain what to do or where his loyalties should ultimately lie. He realized he should put such considerations aside. After all, they had a wounded fleet to deal with and a victorious enemy bearing down on them.:::{)(}:::

TGS snippet 5

Sitrep: I did a render test yesterday, since I knew I wasn't going to get much writing done. I tried Suqi, both in Daz and in Cinema.
A picture may be worth a thousand words but dang, it's easier to write it!
   I wanted to get a benchline on how long the renders would be and what sort of detail for the final product while also figuring out the pipeline.
  I couldn't get Daz to cooperate at all. The set, the lights, the background, the hair, none of that worked. I even had to switch clothes since her first dress had arrows attached to it.
  The render times were horrible and the hair wouldn't show up! I had to cancel trying to render her with grass. Just low poly grass like in the scene (Don't get cute, we're talking real grass, not the stuff people smoke), but nope, 30 minutes in and it was still trying to calculate it all.
  When I ported her over to Cinema, I set fur up but it was nasty. I really should have went with hair and taken my time but by that time I was pretty sure the render times wouldn't be acceptable. Again, I couldn't get grass to work either. 30 minutes and I gave up.\
The 2 renders I did get in Daz each took 10 minutes. The 2 in Cinema each took 7:30. For 1 character, stock lighting and sky, GI, AO, Best AA, simple ground. That's with my 8 core machine.
I may try again here when I go to lunch in a minute or so.

   What does all this mean and have to do with stuff? Well, I've been wanting to do a comic, and now a graphic novel for some time. Mechmaster (my friend in the UK) has his Dalek comic and has been trying to get me to do one of the comics I pitched to him years ago. (Zoids, etc)
  I even have 5 Federation stories blocked out. One is a full treatment and script. I even mentioned that 1 in TGS! I have most of the content for 2 of the stories too! GRR.
  In Daz I have a better rendering engine. (Iray, newer at least then Cinema 11's.) I realized right off that I'd need a dedicated render machine though, I'd go bonkers trying to render each panel of a 20+ pages per comic.
  Now I get why Mechmaster went that route. (I'm having a deja vu moment, I may have discussed this before in a post. Definitely emails with the betas.) I also see why some graphic novelists take so long to do stuff and sometimes go the low poly route.

  Pipeline: If I tried to port everything over to Cinema I'd have to rig each model, import it, fix errors, hand set anything like fur, groom them, etc (and do that for each pose) pose them, etc. The sets would be basically the same for some panels, just moving the characters and stuff. But that's all a pain in the rump. It'd also create gigabyte copies of the same content, over and over and over.

Anyway, that project is back on a back burner, though I may put around with it as I said above. Darn. On to the snippet!


Chapter 4 
Retribution Fleet
It had taken eleven weeks for the tattered remains of the Horathian offensive to retreat to the empty B-97a star system. Admiral De Gaulte had no intention of remaining in the star system long. No sooner had the Retribution Fleet exited hyper and begun licking their wounds as they lumbered across the empty solar system, two light cruisers exited hyperspace near the jump point behind them.It was clear from their appearance that they had been sent to scout B-97a. Admiral Cyrano De Gaulte grimaced as he ordered his fleet to fall back on the jump point to B-97c at their best speed. He had no choice; the enemy was faster than him in hyperspace. His fleet had lumbered at their best speed in Beta while he was certain the enemy could hit the high octaves of Gamma band or even better. For all he knew, there was a fleet waiting in hyper for the message those two cruisers were going to deliver.Which meant he didn't want to be anywhere near the star system when the enemy appeared. But, that presented a problem. Each of the damaged ships had done their best to make what repairs they could in hyperspace, but they needed time in real space to make more, especially repairs on the outer hull. Several of his ships needed a yard to for a full refit.Making those repairs while underway was rough. Transferring logistic supplies from what was left of the fleet train and convoy that had lingered in the empty star system was even harder. He shook his head as the two cruisers were lost on their long-range scans. Judging from their headings, they were going to follow his force, but they were most likely smart enough to stay out of range.“How long do you think we've got, sir?” Captain Chase Couglin, Executioner'sflag captain asked carefully.The admiral grunted. “If they are following us I don't think the enemy is ready to jump in behind us just yet. They would have popped back in and whistled them up. I think they were hurt as well. In fact, I know they were. How much remains to be seen. The same for how fast they can get their damage repaired and their ships resupplied.”“But, they could drop out ahead of us. Or hell, they could already have passed us in hyper and those ships are chasing us into another trap,” Berney, his chief of staff, said with a shake of his head. There wasn't quite a note of panic in his voice so much as dread.More than one person inhaled sharply at that idea as it sank in.“He's right, sir,” Catherine murmured, turning to stare at the admiral. “If they figured out how to skip. Or they could have jumped direct to B-97c.”“It's possible,” the admiral replied with a nod to Berney and then to his staff OPS officer. “Have the screen out as far as we can safely push them. I know Nimitz and the fleet train have been here waiting, but we can't take any chances. We'll know more when we catch up with the convoy in B-97c.”“Aye aye, sir.”“I was going to send the worst of our damaged ships on ahead and try to hang on to the star system. I don't know if that is possible anymore. We may have reinforcements in hyperspace on the way. Then again, we may not. Or, we may not have enough. Politics and war,” the admiral mused with a shake of his head.Catherine bit her lip slightly but didn't say anything.“Lose them or lose the fleet. A tough decision, sir,” Captain Couglin murmured.“I know. We'll try to delay it as long as we can. But, I want the engineers to know we might have to drop everything and make a run for it at any time. So make sure they don't tear into anything they shouldn't.”“Aye aye, sir. Several of the ships have major frame damage. If we want to squeeze more speed in hyper or subspace, we're going to need to deal with it and other repairs. And they've made it clear it has to be done when we're not underway,” Catherine warned.“We've got frame damage as well,” Captain Couglin stated. “Our sublight drive has only lost about ten percent. We've patched the fuel leaks.”“Understood,” the admiral rumbled. “Tell your people to do their best internally and externally.”“We've got a lot of shuttles on SAR duty. It's putting a lot of time on their clocks,” Berney stated.“It can't be helped. I want everything we've got on a courier. Keep a running update and put the courier ahead of us with the screen.”Berney grimaced but then nodded. They had already sent a courier off ahead of them the moment they'd exited hyperspace. The little ship had departed the star system a bare day before their uninvited guests had appeared in an explosion of energy astern of the fleet.“I don't know what sort of reinforcements White will get. We have to be ready for anything. I want you to process as much as we have while we can on top of everything else,” the admiral said, turning to his staff. They nodded.:::{)(}:::Crown Princess Catherine Ramichov took a moment to take stock of her changed situation once things had begun to wind down in the fleet. She had a few moments before she needed to sleep. She had put off a lot of thought of the future to deal with the crisis of the moment, but it was beginning to nag at her hind brain and had finally bubbled out of her subconsciousness to make her face it at last.She was there, the new crown princess. There, she had thought it, she thought in amusement at herself. It had come to her when she had realized her brothers were most likely dead or captured. Either way, they were out of the running to succeed their father now, which firmly thrust herself into the spotlight.She wasn't certain she liked it. The spotlight was a dangerous place to be. It drew all the attention, she couldn't make a mistake, and everyone had their knives sharpened and ready in the shadows for her. A single mistake could mean her life.She should know; up until their jump, she had been one of those people waiting for her twin Adam to stumble. She'd even been ready to give him a handy push should he need it. But she'd been content to wait, to bide her time until their father fell.Now though, now it was a whole new game—a dangerous one. She was well aware that her younger siblings and their supporters, most notably her stepmother Irazabeth, would be eyeing her like sharks smelling blood in the water.And she would be eyeing them too, for she was the slightly larger shark and self-preservation was drilled into her.Marina might be a source of aide. Might she thought as she cataloged the woman in the maybe column. Marina's place and plans had been abruptly shaken by Adam's death. She would know she was on the way out so might grasp at any offer of token support she could get.As next in line, Joseph would be eyeing to replace her. But if he was smart, he'd hold his place in line and back her against Irazabeth, Kevin, and Khali.She shivered. She had shifted an unwanted betrothal to Khali, the youngest of their brood. She was certain her young half-sister despised her for it. There would be no help there, far from it.Her grandmother Jezebel, the dowager empress, would be of some help … unless she cut a deal with Irazabeth. She wouldn't put it past the bitch she thought with a curled lip.But, all that would be moot if she herself didn't survive to see the homeworld again. She grimaced as another realization came to her. She not only had to survive, to get there, but also survive the gauntlet of recriminations for the failure of Cyrano and the Retribution Fleet in its mission to crush the Federation. As the admiral's chief of staff, she was in the crosshairs right alongside him. Given her newfound and somewhat ironically unwanted position as crown princess, those who would see her fall would most likely do something to tarnish her while she was vulnerable.Her lips thinned. That was okay, many would identify themselves in the process. She would find allies as well, but she would need to be careful. The old saying, keep your friends close but your enemies closer, ran through her head. An enemy would cozen up to her, get her to lower her guard … she would have to be careful indeed.:::{)(}:::

TGS snippet 4

Sitrep: First up, I got TGS back from Rea so I finished assembling it and then sent it off to Goodlifeguide.com. So, the clock is ticking faster! We might see the manuscript by next week, if not sooner!

I'm skipping to another chapter:


Chapter 3
Horathian homeworld
 Emperor Ramichov stood before the House of Lords and performed his annual state of the empire speech with his usual flare, stage presence, and consummate perfectionism. The ceremony was both a means to give the public a situation report and make them feel as if they were contributing, but it was also a means to express his power and check the loyalty of the lords and others who were under his rule.He finished with his usual trademark closing remarks.“My family rose to power despite the persecution of my ancestors by aliens and Neos alike. All of our people have labored under their yoke, brought down under the guise of equality. “But, no more!” He thundered. He held up a clenched fist before him. “Today, we take our rightful place in galactic civilization. Today, we are on the upward path to dominance, to hold our own destiny in our hands, to shape it as our ancestors intended!” He held out his hand to the audience. “Join me! Join us as we forge a new future, together!”The applause and ovation was overpowering, pressing everyone into joining in. Many were well aware that proctors and intelligence officers were watching them like hawks and studying their reactions. The cream of the lords were consummate politicians, able to keep up appearances while other emotions seethed within.“He says it with such conviction,” the Praetor Admiral Malwin Cartwright, Baron of Dead Drop, murmured in an aside to those around him. “I almost believe it.” His lip movement was covered by a judicious twist of his head and fist to cover a feigned cough.Of course, he still had to worry about the woman he shared his viewing box with; Vice Admiral Sabina Newberry was the minister of intelligence and countess of Garth after all. But, he knew she wasn't keen about how the war had started either. She was getting slammed by the intelligence break that had come with the sudden resurgence of the Federation. That it had happened so close to home left a lot of people wondering if it was time she retired.So, she needed all the allies she could get at the moment. He knew he could trust her only to a certain degree; she'd willingly and gracefully feed him to the next in line if it was to her advantage. But, it was his navy that had taken it on the ear so often, so misery seemed to love company.And they made particularly strange bedfellows he thought as his fist dropped.“That's how it works,” Countess Newberry said. He glanced at her. She merely smiled. “It's psychology 101. You make people feel oppressed, picked on, that they are the victim. Then you point to someone they fear, do not understand, or hate and say they are why you are being held down. They convince the people that they only want what is just, and that these people are in the way. Couple it with herd mentality, the instinct for people to follow so they will fit in, and a few other tricks and you can move anyone to do anything you want.” She turned to show him a privacy screen. His eyebrows went up in surprise. It was a modern device. The air shimmered in front of them with a force field. It wouldn't be very effective for defense but it would distort their voices and hamper anyone trying to read their lips.“The masses are sheep. This allows us, allows him to control the Empire. And it is allowing him to get away with genocide,” the praetor ventured. Caution was ingrained in him despite her offer of an opening to vent in such a public venue.“Exactly. You'd be surprised how often it has worked over the centuries.”“Is any of it true?” he asked her.She eyed him. He continued to stare back. Finally, she grimaced.“I'm sure somewhere a Ramichov was oppressed somehow in some way—slighted, over looked, or some such. The resentment festered and was passed down from generation to generation. He's Russian, but he has Celtic genes too.”“I'm not following the last,” the praetor said, wrinkling his nose.“Celts are well known for holding a grudge well past an expatriation date. Even a minor slight can be blown out of proportions.”“So his genes helped to make him the way he is?” the praetor demanded.“If you mean this …,” she was careful not to say a sociopath and other things out loud even with the privacy screen. “No. I don't believe that genetics are the whole reason he or any of us for that matter turned out the way we did. Part of it is environment, our world, our family. They shape and guide our moral compass. They form our worldview. But, in the end, it comes down to a choice.” She nodded her chin to the emperor. “He made his.”“And we're along for the ride,” the praetor growled in disgust as he turned back to the venue as the emperor made the rounds with the lords.:::{)(}:::