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.
The Heroic League: Third Wave
Yesterday was the second wave for this story idea, as it explored the 1990s. The day before was the first wave as it explored the 1970s. Welcome to the 21 Century. Lots of new characters to go over here. And, there’s even a couple of pictures to go with these ones.
The year is 2000
Ending the 1990s, a manhunt began for Raven Running Cloud as an Amber Alert was issued. Raven went missing after a house fire killed Miranda Running Cloud, wife of Maxwell Running Cloud. Together with a colleague at the University of Saskatchewan where Max was a professor, they developed a suit and wing harness. He dubbed himself The Hawk as he began his search for his daughter in his own way, and fought street crime and tried to get First Nations kids off the streets and into a better life.
In 2001, the world watched as terrorists crashed planes into the World Trade Centre. In Petawawa, Ontario, soldiers at the base watched the morning news in shock. It wasn’t soon after that Canada joined the United States in a large manhunt for the leader of the attacks, Osama bin Laden. Among those soldiers sent was Peter Simonson, captain in 2 Canadian Mechanized Brigade Unit, husband of Lieutenant Naomi Running Cloud. Together they have a son. Peter is ordered to join the operations in Afghanistan, while Naomi stays in Petawawa. Four months later, Peter is killed in action. Not long after, CSIS Paranormal Division approaches Naomi. She is given a suit and calls herself The Grey Kestrel.
CSIS Paranormal Division itself was an oddity. Officially, it didn’t exist. It was developed in the Second World War as a branch of a similar organization developed by the British Government. The reason why it officially didn’t exist was because only one operative within the agency was actually human; Naomi Running Cloud. The world she entered was one that was often thought to live in nightmare and fantasy. The director was a half vampire, the assistant director a Medusa, various goblins, trolls, half dragons, and other beings thought only to live in myth were among the in house agents, a few werewolves and half vampires were field agents. They even had mermaids among their ranks.
In 2002, Johnathon Tiberius Walker (known as Operative Violet Rose) sets in plan his and his unit’s escape from the underground paramilitary organization known as The Red Hand. Together with his operatives Omega Six, Crimson Luna, Indigo Beta, and Grey 6-2-6, Walker tries to deceive the deceivers during an op in Columbus, Ohio. It appears things may go wrong when Operative Pravda, a former KGB Agent named Dimitri Kovolenko, and members of a second secret organization called The Sisterhood. Filled with female assassins, the Sisterhood can lay claim to thousands of political assassinations over the last 100 years. They could, but they don’t. The Sisterhood is a ghost organization that The Red Hand has a loose alliance with. This group includes two operatives only known as Sister White and Sister Eventide. With the assistance of The Hawk and Grey Kestrel, Walker and his crew manage to part ways with The Red Hand, Dimitri Kovolenko is arrested, and Sister White breaks ties with the Sisterhood. Walker and Omega Six (also known as Malcolm Montgomery Watt) escape to the Mediterranean and are soon joined by Sister White. But not before she manages to stop an assassination attempt of Derek Stewart. Sadly, Maxine Wollcot, who has worked with the Stewart family for twenty years, is killed. Maxine’s sister, Marianne Wollcot was on hand to witness it. Marianne is also known as Sister White. (for complete details on the Columbus, Ohio incident, please see Canyons of Steel: A Modern Day Western). Kovolenko is taken to Siberia, where he is transferred to Major Lina Gregarin, a member of the Red Army who is also secretly known as the Russian hero, Soviet Wing.
In 2003, evidence comes to Max that points to a secret research facility in Northern Saskatchewan. It is suggested his daughter, Raven, is being held there. He contacts Naomi, she contacts her superior, Colonel Richard Adams. The three decide that it’s best to go in with a super team, and bring in Mariah, Tim and Tamara. What they don’t know is that the Mannekin also knows about this facility, and together with Black Bowman and recent operative, Moquette (who is, in fact, former Sisterhood agent, Sister Eventide, who killed Maxine Wollcot), are already aware of this facility. Donelda, who has finally woken from her coma, asks Melanie to look out for Derek. Melanie manages to talk to Regina, Jean Pierre and Richard, and convinces them all to come out of semi retirement to aid her. Their objective is to make sure Derek doesn’t do anything stupid. When the two groups meet, it’s Naomi and Melanie who manage to avert a superhero smack down (which was primarily instigated by Derek). The groups go into the facility, with Naomi’s group looking for Raven, and Melanie and Mannekin’s group gather information to implicate Mandrake.
Also, up to this point, Jean Pierre Turgeon discovers his daughter Dominique, has uncovered old newspaper clippings about his old heroics as Canadien. He believes it to be innocent, but it would turn out to be very different. In Windsor, Richard is pleased that his daughter Nikki has taken an interest in robotics, and feels a sense of pride when she wins a science fair award for her development of “Robbie”, a robot that is programmed to have a sensitive and emotional conversation with whomever it is talking to. Even to the point of stating to those who may interrupt the conversation “excuse me, but I am currently speaking with this person. I can talk to you once we are finished” in polite manners.
In Hamilton, Ontario, the Canadian Football League team, the Hamilton Tiger-Cats sign non import receiver Harold Mimms to a multi year contract. No one puts together the connection that once Mimms arrives in Hamilton, so to does a mysterious crime fighter known only as The Owl.
Generation 3
The Hawk: A.K.A Maxwell Running Cloud
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’3”
Weight: 215 lbs
Place of Birth: Outlook, Saskatchewan
Date of Birth: June 2, 1970
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: First Nation (Dakota)
Education: Native American history and Archaeology
Monetary Status: Middle Class
Marital status: widower
Base of Operations: Saskatoon, Saskatchewan
Grey Kestrel: A.K.A Naomi Simonson (nee Running Cloud)
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 195 lbs
Place of Birth: Silver Spring, Saskatchewan
Date of Birth: October 2, 1968
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: First Nation (Dakota)
Education: Military, political science, engineering
Monetary Status: Middle Class
Marital status: widow
Base of Operations: Petawawa, Ontario
Operative Violet Rose: A.K.A Derringer, A.K.A Johnathon Tiberius Walker
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 200 lbs
Place of Birth: San Antonio, Texas
Date of Birth: December 15, 1954
Hair: Grey
Eyes: Hazel
Racial Background: White
Education: Career Military
Monetary Status: inapplicable
Marital status: single
Base of Operations: inapplicable
Omega Six: A.K.A Monty, A.K.A Malcolm Montgomery Watt
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 220 lbs
Place of Birth: Sydney, Australia
Date of Birth: March 5, 1965
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Racial Background: White
Education: Career Military
Monetary Status: inapplicable
Marital status: single
Base of Operations: inapplicable
Sister White: A.K.A Marianne Wollcot
Physical Attributes
Height: 5’11”
Weight: 145 lbs
Place of Birth: Swansea, Wales
Date of Birth: February 27, 1963
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Racial Background: White
Education: inapplicable
Monetary Status: inapplicable
Marital status: single
Base of Operations: inapplicable
Sister Eventide: A.K.A Moquett, A.K.A Darla Drobsky
Physical Attributes
Height: 5’10”
Weight: 145 lbs
Place of Birth: Glasgow, Scotland
Date of Birth: December 1, 1967
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: White
Education: inapplicable
Monetary Status: inapplicable
Marital status: single
Base of Operations: inapplicable
The Owl: A.K.A Harold Mimms
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 235 lbs
Place of Birth: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Date of Birth: February 1, 1979
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: Black
Education: mathematician, English literature, astrophysics
Monetary Status: Upper Middle Class
Marital status: single
Base of Operations: Hamilton, Ontario
The Heroic League: Second Wave
Last time, I detailed the first wave of the Heroic League, during the 1970s. This time, fast forward 20 years. A lot has happened, and this is an outline. Unfortunately, there are no images I can put up.
The year is 1990.
By this time, Regina Morgan-Simms has retired from a life of a crime fighter, as has Donelda Stewart. Jean Pierre Turgeon has ended his costume crime fighting days as he and his wife now have a young daughter, and another soon on the way. Richard Hargrove is still Yellow Jacket, and has just finalized his third divorce after he finally admitted that he was gay. Adding to that, his young son came out saying he felt more like a girl. After a while, Richard has come to terms with this and has taken to calling his former son Nicolas, now his daughter, Nikki.
By the end of the 80s, beginning of the 90s, the world of sports changes. At least in Canada. Two individuals are given credit with helping the 1989 Saskatchewan Roughriders for winning that year’s Grey Cup; Inside Receiver Tim Andrews and Linebacker Lewis Morgan. Andrews retires from football in the mid 90s and eventually marries Tamara Wattly, a nurse in Overview, Saskatchewan. Lewis Morgan is hired shortly after his retirement from football in 1991, as chief of security for the main research building at Stewart Industries in Vancouver.
By the mid 90s, certain players begin to make themselves noticed. In a small town called Silver Spring, on the Whitecap Dakota First Nation in Saskatchewan, a woman accepts a position as doctor at the hospital. Dr. Fadra Englen, of Palestinian descent, was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Silver Spring is a small town, a population consisting of mostly those of Middle Eastern, Pakistani, Indian and Chinese descent. Silver Spring has the largest Muslim community in Saskatchewan. Maxwell Running Cloud, also from the Whitecap Dakota First Nation, graduates from the University of British Columbia with a degree in Native American History and Archaeology. His sister, Naomi Running Cloud, returns from her fourth tour with Canadian Armed Forces and international peace keeping missions.
Melanie Coopers is still active as Britannia, finding that the augmentation done to her has kept her aging process slowed down. She receives medical assistance from Donelda, who has focused more on science. Dr. Fadra Englen is also called in from time to time. During this time, Melanie is granted her full British citizenship back.
Toward the latter half of the 90s, a tragedy does finally occur. A bomb explodes in a Halifax hotel, killing Gerald Stewart, placing Donelda Stewart in critical condition in hospital where she’d be in a coma for a time, and also killing Elizabeth Mumford, fiance to Derek Stewart, Gerald and Donelda’s son. Derek is devastated, and the happy adult turned much much darker.
Four new heroes appear on the horizon in the 1990′s. Each is granted a special crystal that grants them incredible powers. All of these individuals are from Saskatchewan and together they are dubbed the Celestial Warriors by the media. Their real identities are secret, but due to the position of one of them, Colonel Richard Adams, the four are brought into a secret wing of CSIS dubbed The Paranormal Division.
Also in the 90s, Colonel Johnathon Tiberius Walker, United States Rangers, is given a dishonourable discharge from service. This was due to an incident from a mission that went horribly wrong while Rangers were deployed in Somalia. He is contacted by an organization called the Red Hand, and joins their ranks.
Toward the end of the decade, a rival bio-genetic company gives Stewart Industries a run of it’s money. Mandrake Bio-genetic Services comes on the scene. No one sees a coincidence between this company and those missing persons which suddenly crop up in what is described as an epidemic.
Generation 2
Emerald: A.K.A Richard Kyle Adams
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’2″
Weight: 215 lbs
Place of Birth: North Battleford, Saskatchewan
Date of Birth: April 10, 1960
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: Black
Marital status: married (to Mariah Boggotah)
Education: Military, political science
Monetary status: Middle Class
Base of Operations: CFB 15-Wing (Canadian Forces Base Moose Jaw), Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Hydro: A.K.A Mariah Boggotah-Adams
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 165 lbs
Place of Birth: Johannesburg, South Africa
Date of Birth: January 20, 1960
Hair: Black
Eyes: Green
Racial Background: Black
Marital status: married (to Richard Adams)
Education: Environmental protection, water purification
Monetary status: Middle Class
Base of Operations: Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan
Prairie Fire: A.K.A Tim Andrews
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’0”
Weight: 155 lbs
Place of Birth: Invermay, Saskatchewan
Date of Birth: June 9, 1965
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: White
Marital status: married (to Tamara Wattly)
Education: Physical trainer (former inside receiver for the Saskatchewan Roughriders)
Monetary status: Middle Class
Base of Operations: Overview, Saskatchewan
Tiger Lily: A.K.A Tamara Wattly
Physical Attributes
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 135 lbs
Place of Birth: Yorkton, Saskatchewan
Date of Birth: April 2, 1965
Hair: Red
Eyes: Green
Racial Background: White
Marital status: married (to Tim Andrews)
Education: Medicine, nursing
Monetary status: Middle Class
Base of Operations: Overview, Saskatchewan
Black Bowman: A.K.A Lewis Morgan
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’2”
Weight: 225 lbs
Place of Birth: New Orleans, Louisianna
Date of Birth: September 21, 1957
Hair: Black
Eyes: Brown
Racial Background: Black
Marital status: single
Education: Security and investigations (former linebacker for the Saskatchewan Roughriders)
Monetary status: Middle Class
Base of Operations: Regina, Saskatchewan; Vancouver, British Columbia
The Mannekin II: A.K.A Derek Stewart
Physical Attributes
Height: 6’1”
Weight: 200 lbs
Place of Birth: Vancouver, British Columbia
Hair: Blonde
Eyes: Blue
Racial Background: White
Education: Law, Commerce (self taught investigative abilities, martial arts training)
Monetary Status: Upper Class
Base of Operations: Vancouver, British Columbia
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.
Writing: Switching gears
A little voice in my head said that it would be a bit of a struggle going through NaNoWriMo this year. I hit a massive road block in my writing for Black Mask & Pale Rider, where all my thoughts and ideas drifted. I sort of know what I want to write, but it’s difficult because the will just isn’t there. As well, I keep having ideas that crop up that don’t take place on Earth in 1863, but in deep space on the other side of the galaxy. Which, may be a problem considering I’ve dreamed up two separate worlds.
So, after several days of procrastination and avoiding my stories altogether (combined with some self loathing and depression), I’ve decided that while it’s not part of Black Mask & Pale Rider, I’ll still write what I need to for the first book of Rocket Fox. I had some ideas spark with that work, and I’ve been neglecting it for a while now. So the remaining days will include flipping back and forth between stories. With 11 days left, I might get close to 50K, but I’m not too sure. There will, undoubtedly, have to be a couple of days where I put in a massive push to the finish. Force myself to write. We’ll have to see how it goes.
Related articles
- Writing: NaNoWriMo, November Rain, writing and stuff (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
Writing: every weapon needs a name
After a crappy weekend, where I spent most of it wrapped in a blanket and sneezing, I managed to pound out several words this morning in my push to 50,000 for November. I’m still in a good way to make it, but if I falter, I could find myself coming up short. Later this evening, I’ll have to put in an extra push.
As is common with most fantasy worlds, they have epic weapons with unique names. King Arthur had Excalibur. Drizzt Do’Urden had the Icingdeath & Twinkle Scimitar Swords. The names of weapons will be no different in Black Mask and Pale Rider. Pania will even have a rapier dubbed the Skaald’s Blade Song. And, soon she’ll have a pair of pistols dubbed the Skaald’s Twin Volcanics. One will be named Gaia, and the other will be named The Green. The names will become important and explained in the story. Eventually, even Shani’s pistols will get a name, and the name of her short blades will be revealed.
Names are important, as it’s been said before by someone other than me. Names give things power, in a way. And weapons do have power. Depending upon the hands that wield them that power can be incredibly honourable or incredibly terrible. I’ll try to put that on display in this story, and the coming stories surrounding the pair of elven gunslingers. But for now, suffice it to say that the adventures are coming along. Pania’s weapons have been named, and soon, Pania will get her moniker to add to her legend in the story of Black Mask and Pale Rider.
Related articles
- Writing: Pania Alow’s influences (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
- Writing: A long plan ahead (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
- Writing: The man comes around (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
- Writing: how to deal with cold iron (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
- Writing: A sample and a difficult word (taholtorf.wordpress.com)
Let the madness begin!
Well, at least let it begin tomorrow.
That madness will be thirty straight days in a month long marathon of worry, stressing, and writing. November is NaNoWriMo. National Novel Writing Month. I have my plan set, my novel is picked. I’ll be writing a sort of prequel to Black Mask & Pale Rider that leads into the events of the first book.
There’ll be new characters as Shani will meet Clayton “Slowhand” Johnson in this prequel. Pania will meet the women of Mistress Aurela Dorchester’s Boarding House for Girls and Women. Which also happens to be a front for a brothel. Shani starts the journey in Carrollton, Arkansas. Pania, in Chicago, Illinois. The explanation of cold iron affecting elves and how the two elven gunslingers can suddenly use such weapons will be revealed (hint, elven steel). As well, Shani and Pania will have constant companions that will be revealed. A wood pixie named Verit will always be at Pania’s side, and a pseudo dragon named Scales will never be far from Shani.
Sadly, I’m not going to post progression on the blog this year as I’ve done in years past. I’m going to keep everything a relative secret until it’s first draft is complete.
Guns, rapiers, magic. Let the tale of six gun and sorcery truly begin.
Tomorrow, that is.
Rocket Fox: Ship designs
I’ve been back at it again with ship designs to the Nighthawk, and came up with some major changes. The old design will still exist, but it will be the Maverick Class fighter craft.
Maverick Class fighters escorting the Barrow’s Revenge in Vulpinian space.
So those ships will remain, but they’ll get a bit of a face lift, seeing how they’ll mostly be used in the forthcoming Rocket Fox: The Barrow’s Revenge series, they’re colour scheme will change to black details with white and blue hulls for the markings of the Midnight Squadron. That’s the squadron lead by Lt. Colonel Artemis Dawkins and is attached to the Barrow’s Revenge.
The Nighthawk will have a sleeker design, and will appear a bit odd to look at. The entire ship will appear as though there are three pods attached to it.
The Nighthawk in escort mode.
That’s an early craft, without much detail.
Escort mode again, this time the ships have more detailing.
There’s still a bit of work that needs to be done on the ships, such as the main central ship needs a bit more detailing, and there could also be changes to the colour scheme, even creating a shader that might be better suited to the ships.
Eventually, the central ship will have running lights, registry name and number, along with forward phaser cannons. I’ve decided not to have torpedo launchers as the ship may be larger than a fighter craft, but it’s still a touch small. Combined, the Nighthawk is classed as a small escort ship, and can have a crew compliment of nine. Individually, once separated, they are classed as fighter craft and can have crew of three each. Landing gear will be concealed when in transit, and extend (obviously) when docked in a shuttle bay. Wheels on struts, so the craft can take off on a runway, or take off from a vertical position and just lift up.
The Nighthawk in Squadron Mode.
