Writing Colonies XLVII: A New Chapter

"What?  You published these books months ago!  What do you mean 'new chapter?'"

Yes, yes.  That's all true.  There was, however, an unfinished chapter in Volume Two that I left on the shelf when I published it last April.  I had the germ of a good idea but I couldn't make it grow ... until I had another good idea a month or two later and knew they would go great together (like chocolate and peanut butter, I suppose).  Too late to write and publish a chapter once the book it goes in has already been released, right?

Well, I decided to go ahead and write it anyway.  I believe I'll save it for the Special Edition of Colonies, still slated to be released in March 2024.

"So what is it about?"

The first story germ I had was that this chapter would be a old timey spy tale centered around the production of the first battlestar-like space vessel.  That sounds all well and good but I couldn't get into the characters' heads until I had the second idea a while later: this takes place at the time of Virgo's "Catholic/Protestant" split, if you will.  If you're familiar with the English Reformation, you know that a key player in that split was Henry VIII and his desire to marry again and again.  The queen of Virgo is a key player in this chapter, too, but her desire is just for more power ("just").  With the political backdrop in place, I felt I had plenty on which to build the story.  I finished over the weekend and it's another fifty pages in the epic that is Colonies of Kobol.

You can read the whole thing next year, but I'll give you the first look at this proto-battlestar after the JUMP.  (Well, not so much "look" as it's a bunch of words from the scene.  It's a sample, everyone.  And, no, it doesn't look like that Ralph McQuarrie concept art above.  I just thought that painting was cool.)

"For four centuries," Warrin began, "both Virgo and Leo have traded upon the memory of the first ship-of-battle of its type, the Dreadnought.  A great engine core with long spires of cannon and rockets that face toward the enemy.  They have become larger, more powerful, and, accordingly, more expensive.  Their victories, however, have grown too few."  Again, the other generals grumbled and protested but Braddocke continued, "Stalemate after stalemate as we meet the Lions in battle.  As their craft have come to par with our own and ours cannot improve, save by making them larger and more powerful still."

"Rubbish," the earl marshal said.

"It is not, general."  Warrin shook his head, "It is not.  A stalemate above Taurus when we lost that world forty years ago.  Again above Pisces.  Above Sagittarius.  Most recently, above Capricorn."  The other generals looked away.  "There were a great many losses in each engagement and far too few gains."

"Very well, general," Clifford said.  "Allow me to inquire, with what would you replace what has been the very backbone of our space-faring fleetes?"

"Hear, hear," another general said.

Haige stood and opened the leather portfolio she had been carrying.  Braddocke took one of the large pages and held it aloft.  "A new type of ship-of-battle, my lord.  From a design brought to me by the great shipmaster of Excester, Sir Henry Pett."  He gave it to the earl marshal on his left who studied the drawing as he slowly passed it on.  "It is large, certainly, but with a long, singular hull, and therefore less complex than the Dreadnought-type vessels we have been building."  The page finally reached the lord general and Warrin continued, "Its engines are at the rear and its sides teem with cannon and rockets, naturally, but it is the dorsal surface that is of interest." 

Baines raised the sheet toward his face and said, "It is flat."

"Indeed.  Upon that surface will be bracketed a host of small, one-man battle skiffs."  The lord general whipped his head up and saw the general of the fleetes removing another design from the portfolio.  "These are not aeroplanes and thus they do not require wings.  Only fuel for their engines and gases for maneuvering."  The plan was passed along.  "A simple craft in appearance and the ability to carry both rockets and a cartridge-fed cannon."  

Clifford took the design of the fighter in hand.  "How many?"

Warrin knew what he was asking.  "Upon its deck, it can carry thirty of these skiffs."  Someone gasped.  "With another thirty below the deck, which can be raised into place by way of two lifts, fore and aft."  In the silence that followed, the general felt the need to keep speaking, so he added, "They are called Amazons, after Lord Mars' children."

The lord general appeared stunned.  He lowered the plan for the fighter and looked again at the design for the carrier.  "I … Lord Warrin, when did you come upon these designs?"

"Only in the last week, lord general.  Sir Henry came to me of his own accord and presented his revelation to me."  Braddocke flashed a brief grin and said, "Sir Henry told me he had been inspired by the sight of a bird alighting upon the back of a tortoise."

Thank you for reading.