The Gathering Storm

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The Gathering Storm Page 86

by Chris Hechtl


  Joint Chief of Staff:

  Praetor of the Navy: -Malwin Cartwright Admiral and Baron male -Dead drop

  -vice admiral Lewis Post: Ops officer

  Praetor of the Army: -Robert Levot General of the armies Baron of TFP -1 eye.

  Consul of the Marquis: -Vice Admiral Ahab Grant Marquis

  Minister of Intelligence: -Vice Admiral, countess, female Sabina Newberry, countess of Garth

  Minister of Education: -Duchess Suri Pfeiffer of York (a continent on New Horizon)

  Minister of Energy: -Connor Mcloyd Earl of North Finagle

  Minister of Biosciences: -Doctor Lacie Mengla (black female) -disdains titles. Called Dame

  Advisor of Industry: (Vizer): -Elijah Deweter Baron of South Finagle (male)

  Quaestor: (Minister of the Treasury): -Anslem Knowles Duke of Marmoreal

  Chief Magistrate of Purity and Enlightenment: -Ilosovic Stayne Duke of Horus

  -Wears White Nazi like uniform

  Minister of Commerce and Transportation: -Lord Fernand Ascot Viscount

  Minister of Agriculture: -Cass Suzette Viscount

  First Lord of Law: -Lord Su

  Minister of Security: (secret police) -Baron Sadam Ghadaffi

  -Wears black Nazi like uniform

  Herald: (Public affairs): -Sakura Umeki

  House of Nobles/Conclave of Nobles/lords

  Senate (like Roman senate)

  Others:

  Doctor Nutell: Head of the Water dweller project. Chocolate skinned male human. Older.

  Jane: Nurse. Double chin, matron, stocky.

  Mara: Blue skinned genie. Has gills and lungs, long raven black hair, webbed fingers and toes. Wore a cobra insignia wet suit until it was taken away from her.

  Emory: Friend. Mate Anita captured. Daughter is also captured. Freed by Federation in Pirates Rage.

  Sydney: Daughter of Emory and Anita, captured.

  Ted Zane: Tall human doctor. Still wears wire rim glasses. Supportive of Helen and a reserve naval lieutenant. KIA

  Atlantia: Selkie cow mermaid. Mix of selkie and naga. Let go.

  Jamaica: Selkie bull merman, captured.

  Anita: Small fish lady, mate of Emory, mother to Sydney, captured.

  Paco: Selkie young, got bit by a Great White.

  Rear Admiral Linnaeus Von Berk: Horathian admiral.

  Commander Rick Roshou: Admiral Von Berk's chief of staff.

  Captain Bordou: Captain of Apache.

  Doctor Staten Milgram: Eugenics and brainwashing psychologist.

  Major Eichmann: Intelligence officer.

  Irma Algresi: Distant cousin to the Duke of Marmoreal. Mousy thin woman. Assistant Deputy IG accountant. Takes her job seriously.

  Trembling Timmy: LC

  Captain: Lamont Brown -married with wife and kids.

  Status: sent with a courier to Garth and from there south to scout the jump line and see where the Federation forces were.

  Silver Tongue Devil: LC -KIA

  Captain: Chen Nijing -gunhappy -KIA

  Status: sent with a courier to Finagle and from there south to scout the jump line and see where the Federation forces were.

  Courier -Captain Reynolds Male. Female engineering tech.

  Captain Elvira Varbossa: Engineering captain. Female human. Descendant of the Varbossa clan. Long black hair, 1 white lock.

  Captain Quinn: Engineering officer with Captain Varbossa at R&D.

  Garth:

  Duchess Glennis Tucket: Ruler of the star system. Wife of the Prime Minister. Schemer.

  Captain Agnes Ozman: Senior ranking officer in the star system.

  Dead Drop:

  Commander/Captain Magnus Abernly: System commander of Dead Drop. Fat, overlooked. Big time into being a petty obstructionalist bureaucrat. Heavy into graft. Finally promoted to Captain.

  Lieutenant Sri Savenan second command to Abernly.

  Retribution Fleet:

  Admiral Cyrano De Gaulte -Old dinosaur. One of the best strategists however. Above politics. Executioner is his flagship

  Princess Catherine Ramichov -ops officer -sent back to Horath.

  Berney -chief of staff CMDR Berney Yashanaka

  LCMDNR Sedrick Lovato -Intel officer

  Lieutenant Jeremy Herod staff navigator

  Lieutenant Myron Chekov -staff tactical officer

  Wilfred Penning: Admiral's Steward

  Captain Chase Couglin: Executioner's flag captain

  Commodore Antuan Rabideau -co of reinforcement cruiser group. By the books person. Stiff, formal. Male human. His brother had been burned by Duchess Tucket's mother's side 10 years ago. Known as Rabid by some for his desire for combat. KIA.

  LTCMDR Su Hito Commodore Rabideau's chief of staff. KIA.

  Captain Lovejoy -convoy commander

  Captain Connor Varbossa: Captain of the destroyer Widow's Playmate.

  Commodore Barbara Couglin: CO of 7th BC reinforcements. Stocky female. Not known for being bright. She got her position by politics.

  Nuevo Madrid:

  Colonel Bericus -Marine in command of ET forces -left on Nuevo Madrid

  Lieutenant Commander Dutch Lefou Former XO of Jean Bart. Arboth class DD destroyed. Left on Nuevo Madrid when the captain went to Horath.

  Lieutenant Commander Maya Gisborn: former CAG of Lingchi. Fighter pilot shot down on Nuevo Madrid. Meia clone.

  Commander Gisborn was a cold woman, 169 centimeters tall. She was lithe, with a fighter pilot's trim body. She had ice blue eyes that matched her blue hair. Both contrasted with her pale skin. She tended to wear a monocle over her left eye when she was on duty. The monocle projected a HUD into her field of vision on that side.

  One of the best pilots. Extremely arrogant.

  B-97a

  Captain Rick White of Mother-in-Law LC

  Captain Andrew Bates of Throat Slasher LC -senior officer

  Captain Demsi of Sleight of Hand (LC)

  Captain Set of the Medium class Cruiser Chainsaw

  4 Arboth and 4 cruisers, 1 tanker, 1 medium collier with Commodore Rabideau

  Rear Admiral Nioma 'wrong way Wong': Old dinosaur. Came up from the fighter community. Well respected there. The CFL Courageous is his flagship. Skull Squadron.

  Rear Admiral Scott Mueller: Mueller family. Commander of the DN squadron.

  Appendix

  My Blog:

  http://cyberforge3d.blogspot.com/

  The Facebook Fan group:

  https://www.facebook.com/groups/582559128466667/

  The Wiki:

  http://federation-datanet.wikia.com/wiki/Federation_AI_Historical_Datanet_Wiki

  Medical:

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/05/18/3d-printed-ovaries-mice/

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/03/27/mass-produced-artificial-blood-breakthrough/

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/01/23/stable-semi-synthetic-organism/

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/04/25/scientists-successfully-grew-fetal-lambs-inside-uterus-like-ba/

  Inspiring Artwork:

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3BbEo

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/38A32

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Be8E8

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/3QJkE

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/odN4J

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xPODY

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/G4aN

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/l5qwk

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/xKemY

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Y6AaP

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4vlgn

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/Bz3E4

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/dlmBJ

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/BLQwr

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/ARqmV

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/4qBLn

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/VkKNN

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/GL1OV
/>   https://www.artstation.com/artwork/QL59Z

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/kXyZ6

  https://www.artstation.com/artwork/nDaAX

  Manufacturing:

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RaHMDNf56W4

  (mind blown with that series!)

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bxjBaqSbaZI

  Other:

  https://gizmodo.com/a-new-look-at-proxima-bs-potential-climate-offers-hope-1795329308

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fggE3VI3NRg

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/06/21/nuclear-fusion-runaway-electron-problem-solved/

  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPW7ffUr81g

  https://www.engadget.com/2017/07/17/int-ball-camera-drone-international-space-station/

  Recommended Reading Order

  Time line of the Engineer Universe:

  Chronological reading order

  Founding Series:

  *First Steps

  Stepping Stones Founding Stories 1

  To Touch the Stars

  The Island of Moreau -Short Story Multiverse 2

  Bumper and Boomer -Short Story Multiverse 2

  The First AI War

  Cornerstone: Tales of the Founding of the Federation 2

  The First Terran Interstellar War 1 Desperate Defense

  The First Terran Interstellar War 2 Waking the Sleeping Giant

  The Good Ship UFSP Lollipop-Short Story Multiverse 2

  Higher for Higher -Short Story Multiverse 1

  Siren Call -Short Story Multiverse 1

  Ragnarok series:

  Wandering Engineer:

  *New Dawn

  Fools Gold

  Jethro Goes to War

  Destiny's Choice

  Ghost Station

  Jethro First to Fight

  Plague Planet

  13 Degrees of Separation

  Pirates Bane

  Lewis and Clarke -Short Story Multiverse 2

  Jethro No Place like Home

  Ghosts From the Past

  ---Federation Reborn----

  Bringer of Fire and Light -Short Story Multiverse 1

  Battle Lines

  Jethro Recruiting Drive

  Pirate Rage

  Tales of the Federation Reborn 1

  Retribution

  Horatio Logan Chronicles: 1 Enemy of my Enemy

  Jethro 5 Ares God of War

  Shelby Logan Chronicles: 1 Convoy

  Horatio Logan Chronicles 2 Court-Martial

  The Gathering Storm

  Sneak Peek

  The following is a raw excerpt from the short story "Dog Days" featuring Master Gunnery Sergeant Schultz.

  While he sat on the shuttle the gunny did his best to keep himself busy. It wasn't easy. There was only so much sleep one could use. Finally, he gave in and checked the local news to familiarize himself with the area.

  He sat up when he read about the police armories getting hit in news. He checked the status board and read a memo warning to keep an eye out for suspicious people scouting facilities. “Lovely. Domestic terrorism. That's all we need,” he growled.

  He'd heard a little about domestic terrorism in the news, like the attack on the Admiral a year or so before, but he had thought most of it had been routed out. Apparently not. He frowned and then did some digging in his implants when something tickled his curiosity.

  It finally came out into the open just as the shuttle began to make its final approach to the small airport turned spaceport. According to ONI, most of the domestic terrorists and insurrectionists might be backed by fifth column Horathians sowed behind the lines years prior. He frowned at that news. In a way it made sense. There weren't a lot of people unhappy with the change to their society, but enough who felt marginalized. And then there were the bigots.

  What bugged him were the reports that some of the insurrectionists were not human. A few were alien, a few Neos. That didn't add up to the Horathian angle. Unless something else was going on? Or, they were looking at different groups? He shook his head. He hated spook shit, half the time it was just guesswork.

  “Please fasten your seatbelts ladies and gentlemen. We will be making our final decent and there are thunderstorms on the horizon. We may experience some turbulence on the last kilometer or so of our drop,” the pilot said over the intercom.

  He grunted and checked his seat belt. When the stewardess came by he exposed his lap to show her the belt was fastened. She nodded, checked the sleeping guy next to him, and then went on to check the next row.

  ^

  The sullen teenager kept clenching and unclenching his hands as he walked. He thought he was doing a good job of hiding his nervousness, but to some it was a giveaway that he was up to something.

  Someone like his contact who pulled the truck up and opened the door. “Get in,” the man said gruffly.

  The kid climbed into the truck and then checked the area.

  “Don't look so nervous. And stop looking around, it's a dead giveaway. Just act casual,” the driver snarled under his breath.

  “Yeah, sure,” the kid replied.

  “You've got something for me?” the driver asked in exasperation.

  “Um, yeah,” the kid said as he fished out the papers and passed on the crudely drawn floor plan of the armory to the driver. “There is a barbecue tonight. After that everyone will clear out. There isn't going to be a storm for a while, the last one passed last night according to the weather forecast.”

  “I know. The party will be a good cover, no one will notice people coming and going, they'll just think people are getting beered up or cleaning up afterwards. We'll make our move then. Make sure you unlock the doors and disable the security system like we talked about.”

  The kid nodded. “Right. I've got the gum and stuff. I'm not going to cut the wires though; I found where I can just unplug them. If I do it right, I can wiggle the plug out so it looks like it's still plugged in but isn't.”

  “Smart kid,” the driver said in approval as he looked at the floor plan. “You can do it without triggering an alarm?” he asked as he continued to study the makeshift blueprint.

  “Please,” the kid drawled. “I know what I'm doing; I've done it plenty of times before. I do it at all the time at the school when we went there to fool around.”

  “Yeah, and didn't you get caught?” the driver demanded, turning to look at him fully.

  The kid slouched, suddenly genuinely sullen and surely. “Only because the deputy came around when we were leaving. Poor timing,” he muttered in disgust. “The bastards ratted on me, which is why I'm being babysat,” he practically spat.

  “Ah,” the driver said indifferently.

  “I wish he was there when you hit but he's going to take the others home.”

  “Good. Find some excuse to stick around. We'll pick you up,” the driver said, coming to a decision.

  “Um, I've got to be home before dark. Probation. Unless I'm with him,” the kid said with a grimace.

  “Then stall if you want out of this town,” the driver said pointedly as he put the map and notes away in the pocket in the driver's door.

  “You're serious about letting me join you for real?” the kid asked in growing excitement as skepticism and wariness gave way to the heat of the moment.

  “Of course. Our organization can use people like you,” the driver said as he passed over the payment they'd agreed on. He wasn't certain if that was true or not. What he did know was that the kid was a loose end and the boss hated loose ends. Normally he'd leave the kid and use him again but the kid talked too much. Best to either wrap him up or use him in some other way.

  He was almost tempted to do it here and now but had decided to wait. If he had offed the kid someone would have missed him at the party, the kid had mentioned. He couldn't have that.

  He lifted his chin and indicated he should get going as he started the truck. “Get going before they notice you are missing.”

  “Okay,” the kid repli
ed as he unlatched the door and climbed out. “See you.”

  “Yeah,” real soon,” the driver said as the kid shut the door.

  You can read the rest and the other stories when Semper Fidelis comes out in the fall of 2017!

 

 

 


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