Category: creative writing

A Brunch of Words

Here in the US, it is a three-day weekend for Memorial Day.  One which, fortunately, I am not assigned to work for my DayJob.  So, besides a short honeydew list – and my own need to rebuild my rusty outdoor grille – it is a chance to write and write.

As I’ll be busy doing that, here’s a much longer update to the story.  Sit down with some coffee in the morning or a drink in the evening and look over the shoulders of President Dysart and Empress Faustina as they have their first, real, diplomatic exchange.  And it ends up being a doozy.  Hope to have more late Monday!

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Intelligence

As I suspected, Dysart gets the low-down on Faustina.  The Gulf Shore States may be 90% maritime but that does not mean their landward army cannot have a decent staff.  And it looks like they are blessed with a very capable intel officer in the form of Captain Alene, a careful and thorough man.  He gives his best summary of the empress and the imperium to his commander-and-chief, saving the worst for last.

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Show off

Knowing what we know, it is a little hard to not want to slap the top of Faustina’s head for being a smartass, here.  Not technically a lie, even by omission, but her blizzard of disinformation is not going to go done well once President Dysart understands what is going on.  And given how Fussy runs her mouth without her legates around, that will happen sooner rather than later.

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Generally speaking

So that’s who shows up… this time and so far.  The fact that in the last installment President Dysart saw drones in the air means to me that Faustina is at very least in live contact with her legions if not seeing into the Void, as well.

Allow me to preen over the touch that had Fausta’s simulacrum of her god-daughter not have any burn scarring.  It’s quite possible as a machine, Fausta is not even aware of her namesake’s permanent damage.

It looks as if the young general is trying very hard to be diplomatic for once.  I wonder if she can keep it together?

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Known Unknowns

Getting to know a little more about the current situation in and around GSS President Dysart.  I don’t see him in my head as a bad actor, per se.  I do wonder why his administration decided to choke off Louisiana’s trade… antagonizing Texas in the process.  When I need to know I suppose they will tell me.

This transition scene is rather brief.  I want to see what kind of fireworks – if any – there are once he meets Faustina Hartmann.  I wonder:  will he be meeting the General or the Empress?

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President Dysart

This is something I’ve never done before:  the next section of ‘Empress Crusade’ will be told from a different perspective.  Specifically, that of the President of the Gulf Shore States.  His internal voice is the one we shall hear and we will see Faustina and her army through his eyes.  I am very curious to see how she comes across… self-confident?  Pushy?  Crazy as a rat in a coffee can?

Let’s go see!

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Another scolding

From her personal mistake of going on recon nearly by herself in unknown territory, it is now pointed out to our genius that she has done the same thing to her entire command, putting thousands of lives at risk.

Her other family, in the form of her god-mother and her sister-in-law’s father, take Faustina to task on this point to make her older.  At least there is some good news at the end.

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Busted, pt2

Okay, she made it out without a slap or spanking.  Barely.  Still, Faustina got the dressing down she well deserved.  But will it take?  We’ll see.  In the mean time, they all realized they are scores of miles into unknown territory facing an unknown potential enemy.  What they need more than anything else is intel.  Senior Centurion Chesney then makes an ill-timed appearance.

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