Vanehald
In which it’s not always true that old soldiers just fade away.
I said in the comments for last chapter that the emotional parts of these novels are just as important to why I love this series as the plot mechanics, but I’m not good at talking about them. This is a true thing.
So it should not be taken as any slighting of the emotional parts of this chapter that the only thing I have to say is to note that we’ve now been told Fern is female (but still no description of what she looks like or what her voice sounds like, apart from the self-evident fact that she moves like a pilot).
Sob. Such a sad yet glorious chapter. Our valiant hero. Boo hoo hoo. I actually teared up a little — even after reading it more than once, knowing what was coming.
Jela went down fighting, just as he had wanted, and Cantra went out fighting, using every J-4 she had.
Spiral Dance attacked the Illoheen here — or at least, she attacked the engineered soldiers commissioned by them. She attacked her original makers, proving herself free of Shereikas manipulation. Ever since Spiral Dance came roaring back in, at the end of Dragon’s Ship, I’ve been wondering what it will add to the final battle.
Jela chose to die fighting when Rool Tiazan gave him a choice. He got a funeral pyre when Cantra took out her grief on the enemy. But I wish his story went on longer.
Clan Korval has his gene map. Maybe they can resurrect him. 😉
Dulsey told Jela it would take 1800 years, common, to produce and mount the world shield / Shereika repeller. Jela thinks maybe the Tree would live long enough to see it happen. Could be prophetic. I wonder how common years equate with modern universe standard years.
I still wonder about Tree, rooted in timinium diggings, on Surebleak. Here Jela talks about timonium being the power source for all the Sherieka battle tech. It sounds like a radioactive element. Jela says, “The Sheriekas have an affinity for timonium.”
But maybe Tree will prove to have an even stronger — and more natural — affinity for timonium. That could be a great trick, if any Sheriekas actually slip through Wyrd Space. Or their dark tech.
Oh, goodness-me-gracious. Teared up! When Jela sighed a last sigh and the black dragon lay down beside him, I just totally lost it . . . and this was on my second read through! I think on my first read I must have been pushing so hard for the end, that I teared up briefly and powered through, but not this time. I had to put the book down (for an unspecified amount of time *ahem, cough, cough *sniffle*).
Once I recovered from the overwhelming emotions, I was kind of half-mad, half in admiration for how cleverly the authors had played us. First we come to know Jela is due to be decommissioned. We live with that information since chapter 2. Then the authors reveal Jela’s choice to die in battle rather than old age, which leads to the assumption that it will be a close thing. Then suddenly, and joyously, we are with Jela when he is told he has months left to live, and hope springs anew. Then it all comes crashing down. Gah! They’re good!
Tree is in a very odd position. I can’t imagine its roots getting much nourishment from timonium. On the other hand, maybe it will just have advance warning of an attack?
Well said, Ed8r. I tear up still, after a full read or six.
Just coming back to add something. I was skimming some chapters, looking for a specific piece of information and was almost sobbing again when I was caught by this: and if she didn’t have bruises on her arm the size and shape of Jela’s fingers . . . Whoo-boy. Overwhelmed by the knowledge that indeed she would end up cherishing those bruises, holding to them as a last trace of his presence (in spite of them being inconsequential next to the fact that she’s also carrying his child) . . . because this is how grief works.
Okay, third time through now. No diminishing of the power of this death to bring me to tears…even knowing, not forgetting, what was coming!
Regarding the Tree and timonium: we’re never told anything about the composition of the planet Tree was holding against the sheriekas. Now I wonder if it might have been *at least* as heavy with timonium as Surebleak is. With the authors’ continued health and interest in exploring their sub-created universe, maybe someday we’ll find out.
@Paul: every time I try to add a comment to the previous page, for chapter 20, I receive a message that the connection was reset. What is wrong there?
Ed8r, I’m not aware of any issue with that page, and when I tried to comment just now it went through without any error. Sorry I can’t give a more definite answer.