[Report This]Date: 13 Jan 2021 16:08 Title: Part I - The Elusive Peace: 4
A little levity with the lieutenant general - and I have a suspicious Lam isn't going to turn out to have remained the general that Wasco and Nora recall. The set up is just too classic...
Really nice character development with Nora and Star. And more than a little Spock/McCoy banter in this episode.
Thanks!! rbs
Author's Response: I think the crew feels pretty good about itself at this stage, the war is finally over and everyone is able to breathe a big sigh of relief. And that is manifesting itself in different ways. Things won't stay quite as light-hearted going forward.
Date: 21 Oct 2014 03:49 Title: Part I - The Elusive Peace: 4
I LOVED the scene with the senior staff quoting lines from Pirates of Penzance in the middle of a mission briefing! It was an obviously cathartic release of wartime tension, coupled with a giddy sense of relief.
Gods but Owens seemed saddled with the ghost of Leonard McCoy in the obstinate and opinionated Dr. Katanga. He needs to keep Star around just to cut the old codger off when he gets on a tear!
This mission brings back the heady days following the end of the war, before anyone had an idea of how high a cost peace would come at. I have a nagging feeling that what awaits the crew at their destination will bring the horrors of the war home fully.
Oh, and I don’t know if I’ve ever mentioned it, but of all the UT starships past and present, Michael Owens’ Eagle is the ship I’d have wanted to serve aboard.
Author's Response: Yeah, there is a palpable sense of relief in the air, now that the war is over and things are getting a little lighter on Eagle. At least for now. We'll have to see how long this lasts. As you correctly pointed out, things won't stay like this for long Katanga is indeed modeled after McCoy a little bit and I suppose it becomes noticeable here. He is his own man though and, to me at least, an important moral compass for this crew and for Owens. Also, I always liked characters who say just what they mean, consequences be damned. No doubt he's going to create quite a bit of a headache for the captain. High praise about serving on Eagle, thank you. In part that might be because of the camaraderie between the crew, which is not too different I suppose to TNG, but hopefully with its own, unique flavor.
Date: 13 Oct 2014 23:35 Title: Part I - The Elusive Peace: 4
Oh man, I have always wanted to somehow incorporate Pirates of Penzance into a piece of Trek fiction, and I am so glad that you had an optimal opportunity to do so.
I'm glad that Nora made the right decision and told Star. Hopefully Star is able to get out of this mess more or less unscathed.
Author's Response: Yeah that was a fun little interlude for me as well. Besides lightening up the proceedings a bit, it also highlights the general positive mood the crew is experiencing since the peace declaration.
Date: 12 Oct 2014 18:49 Title: Part I - The Elusive Peace: 4
The party mood is over, let’s get down to business. So, it appears that communications have not improved very much by the 24th century. Still, I wonder whether it is a matter of communication breakdown or someone is too trigger-happy and wants to lead a Volkssturm-kind of no-surrender battle, driven by their own grudges, avenging their fallen comrades, refusing to surrender because of too much pride and bitterness. Katanga is a treasure – too old and experienced to cherish illusions and to pay homage to sheer stupidity dressed up as administrative procedures. It was very professional of Laas to warn Star about the journalist sniffing around. Preventing a gutter-press intruder from ruining the life of a colleague should take precedence over personal likes and dislikes. A very interesting chapter that sets several plotlines in motion.
Author's Response: Nora and Star really didn't not get along well in the last two stories, so this is a big step for her. Ultimately Nora understands that her loyalties have to be to her own. Thanks for reading and reviewing.