Tag Archives: Pilots Guild

Trader’s Leap – Chapter 4

Dutiful Passage
Approaching Jump

In which the Master Trader and his apprentice return to work.

According to my notes, this is the first substantial mention of Gordy — not counting a couple of times when people have mentioned him while running through the members of Clan Korval — since I Dare. I hadn’t realised it was that long.
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Accepting the Lance – Chapter 20

Surebleak Port
Office of the Road Boss

In which Delm Korval has visitors.

Well, there’s an answer to my question about how things would have gone if Emissary Twelve had done this on Liad, anyway.
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Shout of Honor – Chapter 2

In which Commander Vepal finds an ally.

The drinking establishment named “The Headless Yxtrang” echoes an established pattern on Earth — there have been, for example, several taverns that commemorated some soldier’s deeds in the Crusades by being named “The Saracen’s Head”. Vepal sees a more metaphorical resonance with his own situation: the problem he is trying to solve is that the Yxtrang are collectively headless, in the sense of lacking the leadership they need.
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Opportunity to Seize

[Note: This story was originally published in the chapbook Fortune’s Favors as an untitled fragment, but on being reprinted in A Liaden Universe Constellation, Volume 5 it was given the title “Opportunity to Seize”. Accordingly, I have renamed this blog entry, which was previously “Neogenesis – Outtake”.]


Surebleak
Dudley Lane and Farley Avenue

In which Daav, Aelliana, and Kamele embrace opportunity.

As I read the afterword, this chapter was left out of the novel only because there wasn’t a convenient place to put it without interrupting the flow of the story, not because the events it describes have been superceded. Therefore, unless and until there’s a more definite declaration (or Accepting the Lance comes out and blatantly contradicts it), I’m going to assume it’s canonical.
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Neogenesis – Chapter 20 part III

In which Val Con and Miri are not getting much sleep tonight.

Chapter 20 is shaping up to be a long chapter, to the point that I’m almost wondering if I need to subdivide the sections even further. Makes sense, though, since this is the chapter where a whole bunch of plot strands come together, not just from this book but from the four books preceding it.
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Neogenesis – Chapter 6 part II

In which Admiral Bunter and Tolly discuss necessary action and acceptable risk.

A nice piece of narrative judo, here. By having Tolly explain things to Admiral Bunter, the reader is informed of matters that will be relevant to the ongoing adventures of Inkirani and Tocohl, who couldn’t have handled that bit of exposition themselves without it coming down to them telling each other things they already know. As a bonus, there’s the little touch of irony that Tolly and the Admiral consider going to the place where they would have met again with their former companions, and then decide not to.

I also like the bit where Tolly is telling Admiral Bunter about the rumour regarding the Carresens-Denobli long-looper. He says that there is this rumour; he doesn’t say what he knows from his own experience of its accuracy. Of course that’s something he doesn’t need to be telling Admiral Bunter at this point in their relationship; all the Admiral needs to know is that there may be other people like him out there.

Neogenesis – Prologue

In which a ship arrives at Surebleak.

Well, that’s a good start. I was pretty convinced that Surebleak was going to be put aside for another book, and that all the people who have been travelling toward it would continue doing so until it was time for the big finale. Maybe we’re getting out of the setting-up stage, and all the different threads are starting to weave together.

Although it seems there’s still some more setting up to do (well, fair enough, it’s the beginning of the novel), as two characters we don’t recognise arrive in Surebleak orbit.
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Due Diligence – Chapter 5

In which Fer Gun begins to be introduced to people.

Fer Gun is still accepting things without thinking them through. But at least he remembered to scan it first, so that’s something.

I like the recurring thread of Fer Gun being bemused by houses that have names, “like ships”. It’s easy, after having spent so much time reading about people living in such houses, to forget what a strange idea it is to people who haven’t.

I find that I share Chi’s hope that she will have an opportunity to speak to the cousins.

Due Diligence – Chapter 4

In which Fer Gun pen’Uldra gets married.

And so here is the context for the things that had puzzled me about Chi’s behaviour.
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Due Diligence – Chapter 1

In which Fer Gun pen’Uldra is given an offer he can’t refuse.

I was right: I did know the protagonist’s name from somewhere. I was also right when I decided it would more entertaining trying to figure out where as the story went along than it would have been to just look up the answer.

In fact, I enjoyed having no idea where the first chapter was going so much that I’ve decided to do this novella a chapter at a time, to make the enjoyment last a bit longer.
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