[Report This]Date: 01 Jul 2022 02:15 Title: Chapter 12
Too bad for Juneau - she really came along. Looks like Lar'ragos analyzed Rameriz... too late... So the question is whether the Baron is actually dead or somehow survived the destruction of what appeared to be his body.
Quite a grim situation for Europa and Lar'ragos - although a surprisingly low body count considering.
Enjoying the political fallout of Jellico's disappearance. Turns out Rameriz is more dangerous than the entire migration Star Fleet came out to deal with.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 27 Jun 2022 16:54 Title: Chapter 11
Quite subtle work by Chalois - did not see that coming although I should have. Nicely played.
Also really enjoying Lar'ragos' growth - evidenced in his decision to reinstate the baned Sandhurst electronics, his decision on how to use the Baron and treatment of Juneau - not to mention the change in his quarters and personal habits.
Juneau remains a delightful and interesting character. So she might have a little crush on her new captain..
And Taiee dies the hero's death (shades of Dr. Carson Beckett, Stargate Atlantis - who also died in an inferno (only to later be reincarnated as a clone...))
That can't be the end of the Baron...
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 23 Jun 2022 19:03 Title: Chapter 10
Well - some brilliant moves from a no longer haunted Juneau and also from Lar'ragos. Did not see eitehr of those coming. Love the bit with simply frying romulans with a radiation burst. And now Star Fleet has two war birds to play with.
Chalois might yet prove workable - although hardly in a position to ever again command a ship, having lost one to a single, if legendary operative.
Fun chapter - Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 21 Jun 2022 23:42 Title: Chapter 9
And the romulans are being so... romulan... Apparently their plan is to have Star Fleet perceived as conducting sneak attacks on two migrant groups. Which will scuttle any further hopes of peaceful resettlement. Romulans never miss an opportunity to miss an opportunity.
Instead of focusing on the most effective protection of the empire, they're about to wither both their forces and the Federation ships in the Delta quadrant. Talk about FUBAR.
Classic tension ramp up! Thanks!! rbs
Author's Response:
Yes, typical Romulan short-sightedness, cloaked (he-he) in the guise of ultra-nationalism.
Thank you for the continuing patronage!
[Report This]Date: 17 Jun 2022 02:05 Title: Chapter 8
So Sandhurst is Amon, Liana is hesitent to recover the Baron, Jellicoe evidently vaporized, Verrick's ghost exposed and Lar'ragos effectively captain of the Europa. Can't say a lot of crap didn't go down in this installment!
It looks like Sandhurst is well placed for his showdown with the Baron - the emotional distance afforded by his newly resumed Amon identity probably the only thing that would keep Rameriz's reappearance from being devistating.
Enjoyed the backstory on A'lasha - good operative design.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 09 Jun 2022 17:45 Title: Chapter 7
Lucky Liu... Good choice. If dangerous right before the big game.
Seems like Sandhurst and Lar'ragos are of one mind in the attack on the En-Il-Que - couldn't have happened to a nicer bunch of guys. Not clear whether they had taken slaves or Quislings from the native population - most likley slaves.
And a nice sequence with Worf - particularly enjoyed his high level trash talk..
So a lot of people seem to think Sandhurst is unbalanced, unhinged or compromised. This will be an interesting story thread.
Quite enjoying the concept of projecting power to, as MacArthur put it, fight them over there instead of fighting them over here.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 07 Jun 2022 03:06 Title: Chapter 6
Lar'ragos and Sandhurst ride out again - seems kind of inevitable. Although I have to agree with Pell's sentiments - it's a dangerous combination. Especially with Lar'ragos' desperate desire to ride with Sandhurst again. It's an odd and interesting weakness in a very old character.
Have to hand it to Bernd - he has a strong instinct for preservation and a lot of lives to preserve.
Ah - so our mysterious S31 agent is a ghost. A vulcan ghost, no less. I had made the choice in STH to largely populate S31 with vulcans as the organization seems to operate on utilitarian ethics instead of consequentialist ethics - an ethos captured succinctly in the famous vulcan aphorism: The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.
An aphorism this story tests with massive numbers of refugees.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 03 Jun 2022 00:52 Title: Chapter 5
“As intended, bitch.”
I do love me some Jellico when he's in the mood, and Ronnie Cox would eat that line up. Sweet akido trick Sandhurst pulled on T'Ser - evidently vulcans aren't familiar with that discipline.
So, something akin to transwarp (which there are an infinite number of fan-theroies about. That's going to be interesting. And a new wave of critters with, no doubt, more interesting critter design to look forward to.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 27 May 2022 03:10 Title: Chapter 4
The Commodore rank has returned... Is there a pip sequence for that?
Quite enjoyed Sandhurst's analysis.
So Rameriz has become quite the nasty piece of work. I think it would be prudent for Sandhurst to disable the Baron's prosthetic, lest he be rescued in an attempt to restore him to some semblence of his former... um.. glory?
Alas for the Voranti - Darwin came to call at long last. Adapt or perish.
Nice to see some rapproachment between Lar'ragos and Sandhurst.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 24 May 2022 22:34 Title: Chapter 3
Continuing to enjoy the growth of Juneau and glad that you took the opportunity to have Pell note it.
Really glad to see the caution with which the Gallant approaches a potential Kobiashi-Moreau situation. Good use of technology and hints that the captain is set off by the carpeting without at first noticing it.
Speaking of, the bit about Lar'ragos drooling into the carpet is a great turn of phrase.
Fascinating to see the dynamic so completely reversed between Sandhurst and the Baron. And that Sandhurst is primarily pissed off because of the interruption - the Barron demoted to pest...
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 18 May 2022 01:58 Title: Chapter 2
Brilliant psychological ploy by T'Ser, and a fairly cold read on the cold reader.
I wonder if Sandhurst is up on what the Baron did to incite the issue with the Galaxy. I suspect not. Boy is he going to be thrilled... I particularly liked Jellicoe biting his nails to keep from storming onto the bridge.
Several fun little details - the observer taking Lar'ragos down, Juneau's ongoing develpment, and a civil war among the Amon.
Hopefully T'Ser's good deed helping the survivors of In'Drahn pays of and doesn't come back to bite them - no good deed goes unpunished...
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 13 May 2022 02:51 Title: Chapter 1
Really liking Liu in this moment. Great counseling session. Surprising that a vulcan has to hear it - but then their culture reflects a greater native issue with emotional stability than humans. It's not surprising I keep picturing B.D. Wong playing that role.
Love the trope of the suffering villain - and that Rameriz has become his legacy. That's a really interesting twist and a great image. So Rameriz has become an integral part of the Baron's villainy.
Really enjoying the critter design on the Amon. I'm suspecting this story is a tie-in to Galen's Inth story. Looks like the Amon might be a few inches lower on the power scale, providing an interesting range.
Lar'ragos is one cold cookie. Just waiting to see his reunion with Sandhurst - that's going to be a love-fest..
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 13 May 2022 02:25 Title: Prologue
A dark echo of the cold start to the 2nd of Jackson's Lord of the Rings movies. Always a fan of cold starts and this one is perfect.
Thanks!! rbs
[Report This]Date: 22 Jan 2017 01:10 Title: Prologue
I thoroughly enjoyed this, along with every twist and turn in it. Thoroughly sympathetic characters throughout, and the ending . . . wow, just wow.
Author's Response:
I'm very pleased you enjoyed the story! Thank you for the feedback.
Date: 05 Sep 2013 15:41 Title: Prologue
When I first found your stories on the UT website i must admit I was not overly enthusiastic about reading them mostly beacouse you were going to use an old Constitution class starship, so I thought you are just another author who cant escape the ST clichesh. But i gave it a try.... and wow I was proven so wrong! By no I can say you are so talented that you can teach Holywood a thing or three about making a good Star Trek story, instead of those... those things they try to shove down our throats.
I agree with some of the other readers, its a pity Doc and Olivia had to die, they were cute and two of my four favorite characters ( Ramirez and TSer being the two others ). But I guess that is what has to happen if one wants to write a dark realistic and at times grosome story.
I do have one small suggestion for the next instalment. As we have seen you dont shy away from showing gore blood and death, so is it possible that if somebody is to be tortured in the next part this character(s) to be female ? Personally I am curios to see how T'Ser or Sub Commander Chalois or both at the same time, will hold up under duress. Though i might sound like the Baron by giving this suggestion, I dont really want them to die infact it will be best if they are saved at the end. You can always use Ramirezes intent to hurt people close to Donald, just to make him suffer, so lets say she captures T'Ser and uses her as bait of her own ?
Well that was just my suggestion, in any case you do an outstanding work, of which I cant wait to read the next part(S) Thank you.
Author's Response:
Thank you for the terrific review of the story! There's plenty more danger to be had in Part III, but I can't give away whom it will be that finds themselves in harm's way.
If you're interested in a dramatic story that puts T'Ser through her paces, I'd strongly recommend CeJay's fantastic All The Sinners, Saints, which you can find here: http://www.stareagleadventures.com/stareagleadventures.com/Eagle_4.html
Date: 19 Aug 2013 13:16 Title: Chapter 12
...
Wow...I am...in shock. I feel sick to my stomach. I want to hug Pava (total man-to-man, bro hug, cause...yeah...it'd be weird otherwise). I want to curl up into a ball and cry. I need to go to sleep, cause I have to be up in 8ish hours, but I can't sleep now.
I had been waiting this whole story for Ramirez to meet the Europa crew, and of course it happens at the end, and in very wonderful Ramirez/Pava fashion. I didn't expect them to use the Baron the way they did, and killing Doc was just...well, at least it was heroic. But did you have to kill First? And like that? I about stopped right there and said "screw it, I'm done reading this," but I saw I was almost done and...yeah.
I get the feeling this is your last outing for the Gibraltar and her crew. I knew you excelled at killing people in incredible and spectacular fashion but...wow. I need something with rainbows and ponies and candy and singing to cheer me up to normal again.
Beyond all that, this story was very well written and a great continuation of the previous. The hopeless situation so far from home is very well captured, in a sense I feel Voyager seemed to always miss: the ship always seems to be in a state of disrepair, or very nearly repaired. Having the space station there to effect repairs certainly does help, but having it not exactly around the corner is refreshing. The amount of bloodshed (not this last chapter, mind you, I'm talking the first contact scenarios) definitely forces us to look at the situation the Federation has placed themselves in and ask, "Is Vanguard actually doing a service, or are they straddling that morally ambiguous line way too comfortably, or have they completely gone off the edge," doing things that I think would make even...well, nevermind, they'd actually make a Section 31 agent very proud.
I can't wait till part 3 is finished. Until then, I need to go find something less depressing, lol. As always, a fine piece of work!
Author's Response:
Thank you for reading and commenting! Yes, the Vanguard mission is straining the moral principles of the Federation to the breaking point, and the cost in both blood and treasure is already terribly high.
Date: 13 Aug 2013 06:30 Title: Chapter 4
You and your insane ways of killing people...uggh...
And if it's bad enough to make even Pava lose his lunch...this is just awful. I can't believe how far Liana has fallen. I keep hoping that, somehow, eventually, the crew rescues her and brings her back to her senses...but then there is this growing part of me that wants to go "no, she's the enemy now, she's the villain. She's turning into someone even colder and more ruthless and merciless than The Baron! There's no coming back from that now!"
Also good to see Sandhurst back in the mix and ready to step back up. I like T'Ser and she was definitely doing an awesome job; I almost wanted to see her keep Europa and Donald go to the Valiant, but this works, too.
The idea of sparking an Amon civil war is interesting, though I think when you introduced the "rogue" faction, I kinda saw it coming. It'd be interesting to see just how he plans on doing it, and what it will mean to his invitation to stay with them.
Date: 03 Aug 2013 19:10 Title: Prologue
well yeah, he survived, but holy crap!
Heart wrenching to go through this scene again. Even with the knowledge that she managed to survive, I think it's even more depressing now knowing that, at the end of the last part she was bat-scat crazy! Killing characters-beloved characters - is bad enough, but to bring them back as villains just twists the knife even deeper. *sigh*
Date: 28 May 2013 00:48 Title: Chapter 12
Outstanding work, start to finish, there wasn't a dull moment in this tale of revenge, loss and, in best Gibraltar fashion, going up against the odds.
Ramirez's return was a shocker early on but not the only one as we were forced to say goodbye to some familiar faces which we had grown fond of over the years.
If this is going to be a trilogy, then Scorched Earths was The Empire Strikes Back. A lot of pain and suffering here with a palpable mood of defeat towards the end.
Now to look forward to the next installment and hope that, just like in my analogy, the good guys come out on top. Considering the complexities in this twisted adventure, nothing can be taken for granted.
Author's Response:
I'm pleased the story resonated with you, CeJay. I'm hoping to take that momentum in to Part III.
Much obliged for the review!
Date: 10 Feb 2013 23:48 Title: Chapter 6
This story continues to be be absolutely excellent.
And now we actually get a little bit of quiet time while everyone adjusts to recent changes.
Sandhurst picking Pava as his XO is a big gamble, for sure. Let's see how that plays out.
Author's Response:
C'mon, you *know* there's gonna be tears, right? ;-)
Date: 30 Dec 2012 13:15 Title: Chapter 4
It has to be said. One of the most heinous and brutal attacks on a starship ever put to 'paper'. Difficult to read but without doubt, absolutely perfectly executed, it gave me chills.
And then there is Sandhurst's Story. The man is clearly changed from what he has once been, evidenced by his latest actions. The questions that remains: Changed for better or worse?
Date: 01 Dec 2012 22:44 Title: Prologue
I'm keeping my fingers crossed for both Sandhurst and Ramirez, but I have a nasty feeling things are going to get much worse for both of them before they get better. If they get better at all.
Every chapter, every scene brings new information. I've absolutely no idea how any of this is going to end.
Date: 05 Nov 2012 02:32 Title: Chapter 1
A lot of fascinating things are a foot here. Pava being a jerk (what's new?), evil Ramirez sleeping with the enemy and the great Amon perhaps not so great after all.
The epic tale continues!
Date: 05 Nov 2012 02:27 Title: Prologue
In Star Trek as well as in Gibraltar, death can never be taken for granted. Still, an amazingly unexpected twist to learn Ramirez has escaped her cruel fate.