Rocket Fox – Chapter Eighteen
The Final Chapter!
The crew has boarded.
The mission is clear.
The Nighthawk prepares to launch.
To be continued in Pau Theta II
Rocket Fox: Chapter Seventeen
Graduation is finished, every student is now looking forward to their new assignments. For Captain Senia Felix and the crew of the Nighthawk, they already have an excellent idea. Now, they just have to board the ship they have studied through schematics and data pads for some time now. The Nighthawk awaits.
Rocket Fox – Chapter Seventeen
This weekend the final chapter!
Rocket Fox – Chapter Fourteen
The senior staff of the Nighthawk has been chosen. Graduation is only two days away. Senia has surrounded herself with trusted peers and each has put together a good team of engineers, scientists, doctors, and pilots. She’s even found that there are some colourful characters, what with the two Felanus barbers in Simon and Hector Longfur, and the veteran galley cook with Angus Longear.
But most importantly, the crew has learned just what the plot was that affected the academy. Fillias Stigian reveals there is indeed a nefarious plot at work.
Download Chapter Fourteen of the Rocket Fox adventure, or catch up with the entire series to date with Rocket Fox – Flight of the Nighthawk.
Rocket Fox: The next story
As I’m writing the last few chapters of Flight of the Nighthawk, I’m jotting down some notes and getting some ideas for the next story. It’ll definitely continue on from this first one, as the crew of the Nighthawk will try to uncover this nefarious plot to undermine the safety of the Vulpine Star System. But I’ll also add some to the next story.
This first story is what I would hope the future would look like for us (even though it’s with anthropomorphized foxes, cats and raccoons), where society has ridden itself of ills, accepted equality and made even more steps toward progress. War, disease, poverty, all eliminated in this future. Which is nice to think of that we’ll one day move past the aspects of segregation and bigotry that we face today. And yes, we are still facing that. All you have to do is watch the evening news and see it. Every. Single. Day.
Well, having a utopian type society to look forward to is nice, but it doesn’t really make for an overall story arc. There are obviously dangers that the Vulpinians recognize, otherwise they wouldn’t have a military to help protect their star system. Many of those dangers are outside forces like the Jackai raider and even the Raptory that has been hinted at. But there’s one danger within the star system itself.
Introducing Pau Theta II.
Pau Theta II will be an original Vulpine Colony, but many of the societal changes that happened on Vulpinia Prime did not take place on Pau Theta II. After Vulpinia Prime went through its Gender War (which will be explained in the second story) and went to a Matriarchal system, Pau Theta II gained her own independence and broke off most ties with Vulpinia Prime. Within the last three hundred years, the Royal Vulpine Policing Authority placed a base on Pau Theta II and a maximum security prison was also placed there, but they have no jurisdiction with the citizens of the planet, nor is their location close to the main city of Rondu.
Pau Theta II’s society will be a stark contract to the clean paradise of Vulpinia Prime, and this even though the planets are right next door to one another, both orbiting the Vulpine Sun. There is a decided difference in wealth, as Pau Theta II has kept her own currency system (whereas Vulpinia Prime has no banking system, and persay, but they do have a barter system). There are several different sections of Rondu, which include a more affluent section which resides on one side of the river, while the poor sections are right across the river, behind a forty foot wall (this is assumed to have been built so that anyone living in the more wealthy area wouldn’t have to look at the poverty on the other side). In this more poverty stricken area, disease, hunger, crime are all high. Females are treated as second class citizens, even though Vulpine and Felanus are not segregated. There is four different sections, however, which includes a Vulpine Section, a Felanus Section, a Critainian Section and a Lupine Section. Many of the Critainians and Lupine were merchants who would find their merchant hauling ships impounded for one infraction or another. Because Rondu and most of Pau Theta II broke off contact with Vulpinia Prime and the RVAF, a large number of those from Critainia and Lupinia found themselves in front of unfair judicial systems. Many were jailed and released after a few years, only to find their merchant haulers were confiscated to help pay for the fines levied against them. Usually this happened to the captain of a merchant hauler only. The crew (which in Lupinians’ case was the family or pack) were often pushed out into the streets, told they would have to await the final decisions. Most never heard from the judiciary body again.
During the time of the Great Lupine Land War, the “government” of Pau Theta II declared any RVAF ship found within her orbit would be considered an act of aggression. This was ratified to make accommodation for the Main Authority and the maximum security prison. While officers of the Main Authority can go to Rondu, they are not allowed to go into the more influential section. They are assigned an administrator of communication should they have any of their own issues, and that same administrator reviews all communications from the Main Authority before they are sent on to Starbase Omega One.
Many in Vulpinian society know that Pau Theta II has problems, and even the global government has been trying to help change things, offering suggestions how to make relations more friendly, but the ruling powers of Rondu don’t really care about changing at all.
None of this includes the conditions which the main indigenous population of Pau Theta II has endured.
Yes, there is a native population of the planet, though they aren’t as simple and backward as some might think. They are considered a threat by Rondu ruling class, and have branded them terrorists. This native population is called the Chiroptera, nicknamed the Flying Foxes. They have gained some sympathy and empathy from the poorer sections of Rondu, but the Flying Foxes have taken a longer time to feel sympathy for them. For many Flying Foxes, they still see any Vulpine or Felanus as an invading oppressor.
So that’s some of what the next story has in store. I realize I have a lot of work ahead of me.
Rocket Fox: Chapter Thirteen
When last we left our story, the cadets of Chattingham academy along with Colonel Tyrell and Captain Mallard were trying to track down Colonel Stigian. Stigian, it had been revealed was attempting to set a bomb at the faculty building, when discovered, he fainted and was taken to the academy medical facility. Meanwhile, Senia Felix has been informed by General Gerring she has been chosen to captain a new breed of starship in order to root out this conspiracy that could affect all of Vulpinia Prime. Why exactly did Stigian faint, and is he in dire medical need? And who will Senia recruit to join her as part of the crew of the latest ship in the fleet; the Nighthawk?
The latest chapter of Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk is now available. Download and read via pdf reader.
World Building: Rocket Fox and the Procylon
Holy crap, it’s a new world building section for Rocket Fox! Yes, I come up with ideas even in the midst of writing. Which will help come second draft. And third. Etc.
I’ve mentioned the Vulpine and Felanus being two species on Vulpinia Prime, the main planet of this interstellar story. But, there is another group and they’ll be featured in Chapter 13 of Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk. As a matter of fact, there will end up being five members that will join Captain Senia Felix and the crew of the Nighthawk. After all, a ship needs her medical staff, and needs someone to tend to the galley.
The Procylon
What exactly are the Procylon as a species? Just look below.
That’s a happy clapping raccoon. Raccoon’s are from the family Procyonidae, for which I coined the term Procylon. Procyonidae includes raccons, ringtails, and coatis among others. Raccoons go even further with the genus and species Procyon P. Iotor. The members of the Procyonidae family, like foxes, are omnivores. So there’s another creature you can use to dispel the argument “there are no such things as omnivores”.
For the story Rocket Fox, the Procylon are a rather secluded species that cover a large eastern continent of Vulpinia Prime. Rarely do they leave their home, and are just integrating themselves into other cultures after centuries of segregation. Originally, both the Vulpine and Felanus considered the Procylon untrustworthy and felt that any encounter with a member of the species would mean something would have gone missing. It was a long held stereotype that Procylon were, in fact, thieves.
Quite the contrary, actually, as for generations the Procylon had developed a very strict culture. After dealing with a solving their own societal problems, they came to realize that neither a patriarchal nor matriarchal system worked for them. Unlike the Vulpine and Felanus who have both embraced a matriarchal society, the Procylon have developed what has been dubbed a mated pair society. When Procylon mate, it’s of their own choosing, but they mate for life. And while together, both male and female hold the same position. If at some point in their lives one chooses to study astrophysics, the mated pair will discuss it and if both find it of interest both will enter that field of study. It’s not unusual to find a pair of Procylon working together in any vocation. This is even how their system of government works. Whereas The Ocata Nation still has a monarchy, and Foxburrow has a parliamentary system, the Procylon consider themselves a Republic, and elect members to a House and Senate. The noted thing is that citizens aren’t electing just one member to each seat in a district, but two. Procylon law states that any member of government must be involved in a mated pairing. Therefore, their system of government, right up to their co-Presidents, is split 50-50 male and female. Both sexes have an equal say in the day to day running of governmental affairs. Even their ambassadors are mated pairs.
From time to time, exceptional Procylon will seek positions among the Royal Vulpine Armed Forces deep space ships. Recently, it’s become very valuable having Procylon on board a deep space vessel, especially doctors. Procylonia has one of the finest medical academies in all the planet. Many ships in the fleet have full Procylon medical staff. Another aspect that the Procylon have done well in is diet and nutrition. And many of the finest chefs of Vulpinia Prime have come from Procylon.
Not all Procylon go into a career as a mated pair. Some remain single, choosing to work alone and find their own way in the world. Many find this easier, allowing them to choose careers without long discussions with a mate.
And there you have it. Chapter 13 of Rocket Fox will introduce this species along with four members to start, which will comprise the medical staff of the Nighthawk.
Writing: the next chapter
The Nighthawk in Squadron Mode.
I’m hoping this weekend I’ll have chapter 12 ready for download. The big news is coming for Lt. Senia Felix, and she’ll have to recruit her crew for the task she’ll be given.
Unlike the original writing, the Nighthawk is going to show up a lot earlier and it’s going to be showcased a great deal more for what she can do. There’s also going to be some growing pains for the crew as they move from school life and training sessions to actual combat situations. Which will bring up the difficult task of having characters die.
I’ll admit, I have my own favourites as I’ve been writing this. I’ve tried to have it so the reader will find their own as well. A lot more of that will be fleshed out in the second draft, so there can be more of an emotional attachment to the characters.
I’m also thinking of revealing a little bit more of the different cultures that are found on Vulpinia Prime in relation to the different characters, such as Senia, Aria, Mia, Clarfax and Hardy. Plus, I’m toying with the idea of having something special in the printed version of the book when it comes out. Oh yes, I fully plan on getting this published. The book will contain maps, ship designs, pictures of different characters, a bit of history of that sector of space, and a bit more. Basically an appendix for things that are mentioned in the book, like slang terms that are mentioned, ships such as the Barrow’s Revenge and the Dorgatha, and historical events like the Great Lupine Land War that gets mentioned a few times.
It’s going to be a lot of work, but in the end, it’ll be worth it.
Then I just have to start planning book two.
Special treat: here’s a mix tape of the soundtrack that I’ll sometimes listen to while I’m writing.
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Writing: The Introduction of the Nighthawk
It’s not very far away now.
The new Nighthawk in Rocket Fox will be unveiled, and oh the changes that ship has undergone. Originally, the ship itself was a single attack fighter that could separate into three individual fighter craft. But, as I introduced characters and rethought the story itself, I realized that these shouldn’t be just simple fighter craft. Oh, there will still be fighter craft involved, but they’ll be contained in the hangar bay of the new Nighthawk, which is much bigger, faster and more powerful than a mere fighter craft.
Oh, she’ll get her dings and dents in this first story. But she’ll also have a crew much bigger than three. She’ll eventually have fifty crew members. By the end of this story, she’ll have thirty, which will include many of those already introduced. Sadly, such characters as Claudia Whitefur, Robert Quickfoot and Gilbert Shortclaw will not join the crew. Nor will Jada Hawkspur. But Corporal Sparks, Corporal Talon, Corporal Ridgewell, Private Sharpspear, and a few others will be joining the crew of the Nighthawk. So Senia, Hardy and Clarfax won’t be alone. It’ll start with those three, but go from there.
The ship will also be making a stop, and revealing a new nation state along the way as they pick up doctor and nurses and a cook for the galley. All told with just this first story alone, there are over 45,000 words. And it’s only halfway done. I know that I’ll have a few edits and changes to make to the second draft, but I feel it’ll be worth it.
Besides, I owe it to my 12 year old self for starting all of this.
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Writing: Rocket Fox schematic times
I made schematics. As a reward for writing over three thousand words today, and two thousand yesterday (my NaNoWriMo has turned into a NaNoDecWriMo) I designed a couple of side view schematics for the new Nighthawk. It’s pretty self explanatory.
And, just because, a full figure image of Senia with feet. This is the standard of all Vulpine and Felanus (and soon to be explained in the story, the Prycelon). They don’t wear footwear, but do have boots made for space walk conditions.
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Writing: Changes galore
I have made a few changes to some things in the Rocket Fox story. Some will have to come with second draft edits, others are coming in the story. The Nighthawk is a small escort cruiser, and will have a crew compliment of 50. For now, this is the crew membership, starting with the highest ranking officers and moving down the ranks. Senia is in command of the vessel, Aria will be her first officer, Hardy in charge of engineering, Clarfax will be in charge of stellar cartography, and the latest character to become more than a background fixture is Mia Talon, who was revealed earlier in the book to be Senia’s flat mate in the House Ocelot barracks.
They will pick up new members from outside Chattingham at the direction of General Gerring, from the nation of Prycelon. Prycelon, as it will be explained, is an island nation, large in size, that keeps mostly to themselves. The people of this nation are neither Vulpine or Felanus. They are Prycelons, or as we might recognize them, humanoid raccoons. The doctor and his four nurses will all come from that nation, as will the cook. Because every ship needs a galley, and a good cook to fit in with it.
I’m toying with a running joke in the book, but I’m not sure about it. Having Senia call the Nighthawk “my ship” once they are underway, Hardy calling the engineering section “my engine room”, the doctor calling sick bay “my medical bay”, and the cook calling the galley “my kitchen”. I’m thinking of having it amuse some of the crew members as they undertake missions.
I’m hoping to have the layout and design of the new Nighthawk all sketched out soon, along with the Mavrick Mk XII fighter craft that will be in the Nighthawk’s hangar bays. Eight in total, which means I’ll need four more pilots on that list above. Which will come in time, because the Nighthawk has a crew compliment of 50, but currently has a crew of 30. The Mavrick Mk XII will also be getting a nickname. The pilots will end up calling them Mini Hawks.
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Writing: Even more changes to Rocket Fox
I think… that the Nighthawk, just got a bit bigger.
I’ve always imagined that the Nighthawk would be a small escort vessel with the ability to separate into three fighter craft. However, that has changed drastically as of late. I’ve been thinking about it as I’ve been writing this first book, because I am getting closer to revealing the Nighthawk. And now, I think that the Nighthawk will be a vessel about the size of the U.S.S. Defiant from Deep Space 9.
Two examples of the Defiant class starship from Star Trek Online. One of which is the U.S.S. Ocelot.
So, a vessel of three decks, with a crew of fifty (which means that Senia is going to have to go on a recruiting drive at some point), plus like almost all Vulpinian vessels, the Nighthawk will have a small hangar bay with room for three Maverick Mark X fighter craft. The Maverick Mark Xs will be dubbed the Mini Nighthawks, and look similar in style to the mothership.
And then there will also be a crew.
Bridge crew: Lt Commander Senia Felix (yes, she’ll get a promotion at the end of this book) commanding officer; Lt. Clarfax Billings, stellar cartography; Lt. Aria Sharpspear, communications/first officer; Crp. Mia Talon, chief of security/tactical officer; Crp. Mirri Ridgewell, helm officer; Lt. Hardy Maynard, chief of engineering.
This, plus three more that will be added in the second book (including a chief medical officer) will become the core group of characters in the series. Every member of the crew will be on a rotation to train with the Mini Nighthawks. The ship itself will look a lot like a fighter craft, only much bigger. She’ll have landing capabilities, thanks in part to her smaller size, but that will be used sparingly as the three Mini Nighthawks will be used to touchdown for planet side missions. Granted, the second book will have the Nighthawk touching down on Pau Theta II colony.
The RVA Nighthawk will basically be a large version of this.
The Mini Nighthawks will look more like this.
As the books progress, Senia will eventually be given the rank of captain, and other crew members will also see their ranks increase.
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Rocket Fox – Full Chapter Download
It’s been eleven chapters now posted, it’s the midway point of the story. This first book in the Rocket Fox series. If you’ve just joined the adventure, you can download all eleven chapters in a handy pdf format right from the Rocket Fox/Swift Fox page, or just download all eleven chapters as put together in this handy pdf.
Rocket Fox – Flight of the Nighthawk
Only eleven (or so) chapters to go in this first book. Things have changed from the original write up and plot outline, and soon all of that will be revealed.
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Rocket Fox – Chapter Eleven
There is a spy among the faculty of Chattingham Academy. And it’s drawn the attention of one of the top ranked members of the Royal Vulpine Armed Forces. Will Senia Felix b e able to discover evidence before General Natalie Gerring arrives from Starbase Omega One?
Writing: The Nighthawk
Over the course of the rewrites and sitting down to do plot designs, character designs and even ship designs, I came to realize the Nighthawk needs more than just three pilots.
As is already described by the Maverick Mk V in the chapter Training Grounds, the craft requires two pilots; one to fly the ship and fire weapons, the other for navigation and targetting. The Nighthawk is going to be a larger ship. As it will be described, technically it’s classed as a small escort vessel, will have two decks, and two “shuttles” on the wings so they can be launched to attack. When the ship isn’t in attack mode, the two shuttles will remain as a part of the ship, and will have power, engines and even life support integrated with the main ship.
Those shuttles might be able to be piloted by just one pilot, and even then it’s better if there are two in the cockpit. The main ship, however, will require more than just one, and even more than just two. The perfect crew compliment for the Nighthawk would be nine. Which means that the first members are going to be four, not three. Senia, who will be in command of the ship, Hardy, Clarfax and Aria Sharpspear. Over the course of the third and fourth book, Senia will request more crew members, being given one each time and bringing the number up to six by the sixth book.
The fourth crew member won’t be someone Senia knows, but is in fact a graduate of the Academy in Sandicia, the nation covering a section south and east of Foxburrow. The other crew member will be someone Senia knows, and graduated with at the Academy in Chattingham.
There’s going to be a number of characters “left behind” after the first book is done. That means they won’t appear in the second or third books. Those include Captain Mallard, Air Marshall Collinsworth, Reverend Rosewood, Lt. Philburt Collinsworth, Jada Hawkspur, Claudia Whitefur, Robert Quickfoot and Gilbert Shortclaw. They may, however, appear in future stories. Jada and Robert, for example, I’m planning on having in the fourth book.
The length of time I’ve been writing this, there’s been a large number of changes that have taken place. Which is fine, considering a book in it’s early life should evolve in some way. From characters to ships to the setting itself.
Writing: Rocket Fox and Gerring and Pitts
I’m sure that in the coming chapter of Rocket Fox there is going to be a huge parallel drawn from two of my characters, General Natalie Gerring and Colonel Reginald Pitts. This will be completely and totally on purpose.
That parallel is that the general and colonel are based on Captain Kathrine Janeway and Lt. Commander Tuvok.
When I made the characters of Gerring and Pitts almost a year ago, they were never meant to be main characters, and they still aren’t as I come closer to the midway point of the first Rocket Fox adventure. They are, however, meant to be very important characters that help out the main characters of Senia Felix, Hardy Maynard, Clarfax Billings and Aria Sharpspear. As I was writing them, however, I began imagining their personalities, and came to realize that they weren’t much different than Janeway and Tuvok and how those two interact with each other.
That is going to be evident in Chapter 11 when the pair are introduced for the first time. Gerring is a very passionate but pragmatic individual who grew up in a region of the Kanata interior that would either make or break any Vulpinian. While Pitts grew up in a more moderate area in the southern hemisphere of Vulpinia Prime, he did manage to learn to use logic as his guide. The two first met on the battlefield when Gerring was only a captain with the 102nd Infantry Division when they were deployed to Lupinia during the Great Lupine Land War. Pitts became Gerring’s go to for information and often council. He remained that way well after the war, becoming Gerring’s attache when she took command of Starbase Omega One.
During this first story, Gerring and Pitts are going to get to know Felix, and Felix is going to get to know those two. And (SPOILER) eventually Gerring is going to become Felix’s commanding officer once she graduates and takes up her placement.
All of that to come in time.
Rocket Fox – Chapter Ten
As the graduation ceremonies draw closer, the semi final for the championship rough ball begins. House Ocelot against House Fennec. As the cadets take the field, members of the faculty put a plan in motion to get some backup in bringing a betrayer out into the light.
Writing: a school fighting song
I actually have finished the tenth chapter in Rocket Fox: Flight of the Nighthawk. And in it, I had to come up with something, a fighting song for House Ocelot, the house that main character Left-tenant Senia Felix is a cadet in. It was pretty off the cuff, but here it is in all it’s glory.
When the long day is done
And the sun does set
Let us all call as one
And never forget
We’re all here together with our kind
And we hold our heads high
With courage in our eye
As we sing the praises of Ocelot
Hand in hand with our eye on the horizon
We’ll set our sites and never back down
There is nothing that can make us run
We’ll fight to the last
As we clear we clear the ramparts
And we prepare for our repast
We are House Ocelot
We are House Ocelot
We hold our heads up high
We are House Ocelot
We are House Ocelot
And our courage will never die
Tomorrow, expect a pdf download of chapter ten.
