![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 29 Dec 2020 13:36 Title: Episode 18.3: World on Fire - The Imperial Romulan Warship Fero
Oh wow, caught in the warp wake of a Battlegod. Not good. They were lucky to get out of that one alive.
Author's Response:
The design elements that make the ship naturally stealthy also make it fairly rugged. This is the Hunter's 2nd venture into the Romulan Empire...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 29 Dec 2020 13:35 Title: Episode 18.2: World on Fire - The Slaves of Saketh
Slaves are always tragic but this is a particularly sad first-person account. Although you can't put a price on great intel.
Author's Response:
Much of Episode 25 and parts of 27 take place on Saketh. In some places the hemra are abject slaves, in others they live with the romulans as equals in blended families.
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 29 Dec 2020 13:28 Title: Episode 18.1: World on Fire - Operation Hermit Crab
When a Battlestar is not enough, bring out the Battlegod.
A bit of hide and seek going on here. Hunter must seem like an ant compared to that Romulan behemoth.
Author's Response:
I tried to come up with something along the lines of Warbird... alas, Battlegod was the best I could manage.
The Hunter is a little smaller than the Escort class (Defiant). The I.R.W. Fero is about 1/4 the size of a Borg cube. The U.S.S. Milky Way is somewhat larger than a Warbird.
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 22 Dec 2020 20:36 Title: Episode 17.13: Terms of Surrender - The 14 Points of the Treaty of Yuri Gagarin Memorial Park
Okay, I guess that a compromise to this whole mess. If indeed all this was a scheme by the Federation to begin with than I suppose this is a crucial step towards the end goal. Still 2 years is a long time and a lot could go wrong.
Certainly a very much unforeseen development. Kudos.
Author's Response:
Glad you're enjoying my unpredictable story - thanks for the kind words!
Not so much a Federation scheme as a Section 31 scheme... The Federation Council is still up in arms..
Yeah - this will go smoothly. Just like the French Revolution. Well, maybe not that smoothly..
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 21 Dec 2020 16:21 Title: Episode 17.12: Terms of Surrender - The Rhythm of Change
That's some intense juxtaposition going on here or whatever the term is when you have four things happening at the same time.
But clearly the high-powered Klingon performance and the execution are by far the most dramatic events in this chapter.
At least one, I expect will have some serious consequences.
Great composition and vivid imagery in this one.
Author's Response:
Thanks for the kind words! I am rather proud of this montage..
Not to give too much away, but I suspect you will find an interesting surprise in 23.1...
Glad you enjoyed it - Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 19 Dec 2020 12:40 Title: Episode 17.11: Terms of Surrender - Planet of the Humans
"Where have all the vulcans gone?" sounds like the title of a number one hit song in the Federation charts.
But man, the notion that the Federation has planned a trap for the Romulans to invade Vulcan over decades is just nuts. I mean, I can believe it, but still nuts. That's some serious planning and foresight.
Also, now that you mention it, Sela. Humans are pretty great. At the risk of sounding xenophobic: Yay, for humans!
Author's Response:
Section 31 is frightfully good at what they do. You don't think that moon over Qo'noS, whose destruction ended the cold war between the Federation and the Klingon Empire (Star Trek VI) exploded all by itself, do you? And just who poisoned Odo so that he could contaminate the Founders and end the Dominion War?
As for Sela - you can imagine how the Neanderthals felt when they kept getting boxed in. "Why do these homo saps always seem to have the upper hand? And has anyone noticed how many hybrids there are these days?"
But trapping the Romulans on Vulcan is only the opening act for Section 31. Julian has much bigger fish to fry...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 16 Dec 2020 21:58 Title: Episode 17.10: Terms of Surrender - The Buzz
Okay, I could make a joke here about taking out of a certain body part but I'm not gonna ...
A lot of new information to absorb here.
Author's Response:
The ultimate form of butt dialing...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 15 Dec 2020 21:39 Title: Episode 17.9: Terms of Surrender - The Pitch
That's certainly one hell of a pitch. The tension between the Romulan Senate and its military is an interesting conflict one would consider to be fairly one sided. But clearly the Senate has some teeth of its own.
Are we about to witness the long rumored reunification of Vulcan and Romulan? Peacefully?
Author's Response:
I thought you might get a kick out of that one.
Well, they did allow the Senate to take the planet without firing a shot...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 14 Dec 2020 21:22 Title: Episode 17.8: Terms of Surrender - Implant
Looks as if the infiltration of Vulcan went off without a hitch, risky sky diving suit notwithstanding.
And Pivin clearly knows her trade the way she played that guard. The most challenging part of this mission may yet lie ahead.
Author's Response:
There are so many backstories that I could devote fairly long stories to. Pivin is one of them. Former IIC - which is kind of like the romulan version of the KGB on steroids...
For some reason I like casting elderly women as heroes. And anti-heroes.
Thanks for reading! Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 13 Dec 2020 10:34 Title: Episode 17.7: Terms of Surrender - The Commission
Well Ivonovich is as fiery as ever. Good thing Ushi Irons knows how to keep his cool.
Although admittedly, the man asks some rather poignant questions.
Committees are often one of the most boring aspects of democracy. But I'm really eager to learn the findings of this one.
Author's Response:
Glad you're finding the committee intriguing... One of the things I set out to do was explore the different government types - democracy, an imperial court, oligarchy and a military dictatorship. Making all that government work interesting is a bit of a challenge..
Thanks again for reading this sprawling tale...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 10 Dec 2020 20:53 Title: Episode 17.6: Terms of Surrender - Prodigal Sum
That's some low tech ship to ship transportation right there. Gues whatever works to remain inconspicuous.
The plan is certainly bold. I like it. Fairly sure there'll be complications.
Author's Response:
Well - who wouldn't want to zero-G zipline in an EVA suit?
Pivin has had an unusually long career for a spy. Really glad you're enjoying her bold plan...
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 10 Dec 2020 20:44 Title: Episode 17.5: Terms of Surrender - Battle Scars
Speaking of the devil. Should have guessed Dolphin would be his first call.
Interesting theories being proposed here. And some suprisingly comedic and very entertaining tones coming from the young Vulcan.
Author's Response:
T'Lon is part of a large new generation of terrestrial vulcans - emotionally disciplined but adroit at managing human relationships.
I didn't put the call between Dolphin and Ivonovic on screen, but a lot comes out of it...
Glad you found thier discussion intriguing and entertaining - Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 10 Dec 2020 20:34 Title: Episode 17.4: Terms of Surrender - Facing the Music
All right, more unexpected twists and turns. Honestly, not totally sure what to think here. Is the emperor an ally or a foe? And it looks like Ivonovich may still harbor some xenophobic tendencies after all. I guess people are complex.
I guess I'm not going to complain anymore when I forget my eight digit password. Yeesh.
Author's Response:
The blind emperor is a mystery shrouded in enigma and surrounded by Blue Oyster Cult album covers. He is so much fun to write...
And Emory, for all his popularity and cunning, is a man in need of a friend..
Glad you got a kick out of my passcode gag! Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 09 Dec 2020 20:48 Title: Episode 17.3: Terms of Surrender - Vulcana Reger
Well, that took an unexpected turn. Nicely done. This could be some sort of psychological warfare technique or it might be that Nikato is no Gul Dukat and understands the meaning of winning hearts and minds (or whatever the equivalent on Vulcan) which just may make this occupation even more scary.
Author's Response:
Like Krull, Nikato only pretends to be a big dumb brute.. Glad you're enjoying my unpredictable giants.
Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 09 Dec 2020 20:42 Title: Episode 17.2: Terms of Surrender - Saoron's Study
Ivonovic has a plan? Imagine my surprise. No clue yet what it is, but I'm sure it's going to be very interesting indeed.
Author's Response:
Ivonovic revealed his motto to Sin IV when they first met: "I adapt."
Glad you're intrigued... Thanks!! rbs
![Liked](images/like.gif)
Date: 07 Dec 2020 20:47 Title: Episode 17.1: Terms of Surrender - Sela
Very intriguing. Loving the perspective shift to Sela and the Romulans and the way they are so delightfully flummoxed by their easy victory on Vulcan.
Also thought you did a great job at capturing Sela's voice here.
Author's Response:
Glad you're enjoyig the opening of what will be a very intricate story of intrigue..
And I appreciate the compliment about Sela's voice. On those rare occasions I use franchise characters, I try very hard to get their speech patterns and behaviors as close as possible. The exception is Old Man Crusher, who has evolved a bit from the original Wesley.
Thanks!! rbs