Book Read Free

Flight of the Blackbird (The Jessica Keller Chronicles Book 5)

Page 32

by Blaze Ward


  Again the gasp. Sixty thousand mouths falling open at once in shock.

  One man would be nearly silent. Sixty thousand was a pop of sound audible even down here on the pitch.

  Uncle Em moved to Casey’s side and together they watched Jessica emerge from the tunnel, covered in a dark gray cloak that hung to her knees.

  After the gasp, stunned silence.

  Jessica’s face was unreadable as she walked, but Casey had come to understand that the woman held her emotions close.

  Command face.

  Casey had seen it on Father and Uncle Em occasionally, but precious few others.

  Until Jessica.

  Jessica came to rest and stared up at her.

  Casey blinked in a moment of surprise, until she remembered that she had half a head of height on the woman.

  Jessica Keller was so much larger in her memory.

  “Wildgraf Keller,” Casey began, sounding as calm as she could, even as tears continued to pour down her face. “The Empire makes no special demands on you, beyond that which you have already given us, as an outsider willing to see that Justice be done. Will you stand ready to aide us again, in our time of need?”

  “Lady Casey, Your Majesties, I will.”

  “Then join us, Admiral Keller, and be welcome.”

  Casey watched as Jessica let go of her cloak and shrugged her shoulders.

  The cloth fell to the grass in a gray puddle.

  The crowd blinked in a silent shock so profound that Casey thought she could hear hearts beating.

  And then they erupted in joy.

  Under the cloak, Jessica was wearing the uniform of an Imperial Admiral.

  Crimson.

  Emmerich Wachturm had become The Grand Admiral.

  Jessica Keller would replace him.

  As The Red Admiral.

  FLIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD: CAST LIST

  Corynthe

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Jessica Marie Keller (F)

  Fleet Centurion

  Queen of Corynthe

  Marcelle Augustine Travere

  Chief

  Jessica’s Personal Aide

  Willow Dolen

  First Rate Spacer

  Jessica’s Bodyguard

  David Rodriguez

  Vice Admiral

  Regent to Queen Jessica

  Desianna Indah-Rodriguez

  Counsel to the Crown

  First Minister of Corynthe

  Uly Larionov (M)

  Counsel to the Crown

  Comptroller

  Galen Estevan (M)

  Captain

  Commander, Marco Polo

  Vo zu Arlo

  Centurion / Ritter

  Honorary Colonel, 3rd Regiment, 189th Div. Imperial Army

  Moirrey zu Kermode

  Centurion / Ritter

  Engineer, detached duty

  Nicolai Aoiki (M)

  Master Chef

  Master of the Wardroom

  * * *

  Kali-Ma

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Wiley / Shiori Ness (F)

  Command Centurion

  Captain, Kali-ma

  Yan Bedrov

  Exec

  Tactical Officer

  Anders Himura

  Science Officer

  Command Sensors

  Erik Doležal

  Head Engineer

  Rocket Frog / Saša Binici

  Pilot

  Light Strike Wing

  Neon Pink / Asra Binici

  Pilot

  Light Strike Wing

  Eel / Gustav Marquez

  Flight Lead

  Heavy Wing

  * * *

  Auberon

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Denis Jež (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Auberon

  Enej Zivkovic (M)

  Centurion

  Counsel to the Crown of Corynthe

  Tamara Strnad (F)

  Senior Centurion

  First Officer

  Tobias Brewster (M)

  Senior Centurion

  Tactical Centurion

  Aleksander Afolayan(M)

  Centurion

  Gunner

  Nina Vanek (F)

  Senior Centurion

  Defense

  Nada Zupan (F)

  Senior Centurion

  Pilot

  Daniel Giroux (M)

  Senior Centurion

  Science Officer

  Vilis Ozolinsh (M)

  Command Engineering Centurion

  Chief Engineer

  Phillip Navin Crncevic (M)

  Command Marine Centurion

  Dragoon

  Nadine Orly

  Yeoman

  Flag Marine

  Jackson Tawfeek

  Chief

  Marine

  * * *

  Pilots, Auberon

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Iskra Vlahovic

  Command Flight Centurion

  Flight Deck Commander

  Jouster / Milos Pavlovich

  Command Flight Centurion

  Flight Commander

  Uller / Friedhelm Hannes Förstner

  Flight Centurion

  Jouster’s Wing

  Vienna / Avril Bouchard

  Flight Centurion

  Jouster’s Wingmate

  Bitter Kitten / Darya Lagunov

  Senior Flight Centurion

  Wing Commander

  Hànchén / Murali Ma

  Flight Centurion

  Bitter Kitten’s Wingmate

  Furious / Cho Ayaka Nakamura

  Flight Centurion

  Bitter Kitten’s Wingmate

  da Vinci / Ainsley Barret

  Senior Flight Centurion

  Scout Pilot

  Gaucho / Hollis Dyson

  Senior Flight Centurion

  Commander, Cayenne

  Takouhi Taline Nazarian (F)

  Chief

  Loadmaster, Cayenne

  Murphy Alexandru (M)

  First-Rate Spacer

  Tower Gunner, Cayenne

  Branca Antía Rocha (F)

  Flight Centurion

  Commander, Petron

  Anastazja Slusarczyk (F)

  Senior Flight Centurion

  Commander, Necromancer

  Leila Ketevan (F)

  Flight Centurion

  Commander, Damocles

  * * *

  RAN Squadron

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Tomas Kigali (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, CR-264

  Alber d’Maine (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Shivaji

  Robertson Aelieas (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Nyamboya

  Doriane Matveev (F)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Ishfahan

  Kanda Lungu (F)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Ballard

  Elzbet Aukley (F)

  Senior Centurion

  First Officer/Science Officer, Ballard

  Teuta Uzodimma (F)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, BrightOak

  Yezekael Jarogniew (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Rubicon

  “Siran” Akpabio (F)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Vigilant

  Tonći Östberg (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Andover

  Calista Katsaros (F)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Albena

  Ionuț Yannic (M)

  Command Centurion

  Commander, Advocate

  Waldemar Ihejirika (M)

 
; Command Centurion

  Commander, Mendocino

  * * *

  The Republic

  Name

  Position

  Indira (Chastain) Keller

  Jessica’s mother

  Miguel Keller

  Jessica’s father

  Petia Naoumov

  First Centurion. Commander, Home Fleet

  Nils Kasum

  First Lord of the Fleet

  Kamil Miloslav

  Personal Aide to First Lord Kasum

  Judit Margrét Chavarría

  Premier, Republic Senate

  Tadej Marko Horvat

  Senator, Republic Senate, Chairman

  Calina Szabolcsi

  President of the Republic of Aquitaine

  Seth

  Bartender, the Marquette Room

  Sigrún

  Steward, the Marquette Room

  * * *

  The Fribourg Empire

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Johannes Arend Wiegand

  Emperor

  Karl VII

  Kasimira Ekaterina

  Empress

  Imperial Household

  Karl Ekkehard Szczęsny

  Crown Prince Ekke

  Imperial Household

  Ekaterina Stephanya

  Princess Steffi

  Imperial Household

  Kasimira Helena

  Princess Casey

  Imperial Household

  Emmerich Wachturm

  Admiral

  The Red Admiral

  Freya Wachturm

  Duchess

  Wife of Emmerich Wachturm

  Tiede Wachturm

  Cmdr

  Son of Emmerich Wachturm

  Jeltje Voight

  Burggraf

  Daughter of Emmerich Wachturm

  Carsten Voigt

  Cmdr

  Husband of Jeltje Voight

  Henriette Annne Wachturm

  “Lady Heike”

  Daughter of Emmerich Wachturm

  Bernard Hourani

  Lt. Cmdr

  Fiancé of Heike Wachturm

  Hendrik Baumgärtner

  Flag Captain

  Aide to Admiral Wachturm

  Sigmund Dittmar

  Admiral

  Eldest son of Prince Reinhart

  Karya Dittmar

  Wife of Sigmund Dittmar

  Geoffrey Grundman

  General

  Imperial Security, Section Eleven

  Karl Bakemann

  Admiral

  Flag, IFV Adler

  Antoine Hauss

  Cmdr

  Imperial Security

  Grantholm Safavid

  Lt.

  Imperial Security

  Walter Fuchs

  Hotelier

  Frida Fuchs

  Wife of Walter

  Annette Fuchs

  Daughter of Walter

  Foster Calderin

  Owner/Publican

  The Maltese Cross

  * * *

  The Blackbird

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Rafferty Saar

  Captain

  Commander, Amsel

  Dieter Corbeil

  Commander

  Executive Officer

  Guy Emshwiller

  Lt. Cmdr

  Flag Officer

  * * *

  M’hanii Frontier

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Rodrigo Yamimura

  Duke

  Ruler of Osynth B'Udan, Sector Capital

  Tito Garcia-Novarella

  Merchant

  * * *

  Buran

  Name

  Rank

  Position

  Buran/ The Lord of Winter

  God/Emperor

  Ruler of Buran

  Au Banop Dejha Quin (M)

  Scholar

  Ambassador

  Xi Fezar Palu Dwan (M)

  Scholar

  Ambassador

  Ro Kenzo Atep Vrain (M)

  Scholar

  Director – Dancer In Darkness

  Xi Putaz Laro Otep

  Technician

  Aide to the Director – Dancer In Darkness

  Ro Malar Arga Rues (M)

  Soldier

  War Advocate – Dancer In Darkness

  Wa Veren Kulo Marz (F)

  Technician

  Entity Advocate – Dancer In Darkness

  Ko Serek Evet Khan (M)

  Scholar

  Crew Advocate – Dancer In Darkness

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  I’ll blame Owen. We were at a regular Bellevue Writer’s Lunch, and the topic of “literature” versus genre came up. The consensus was that so-called literature had to be a story about multi-generational dysfunction in an exotic (and usually ethnic) location. Whatever. But it got me to thinking about family as a topic. And that underlays this story you are about to (hopefully) enjoy.

  Jessica Keller has no children. Won’t have. She has Slava’s family. She has her disciples. But there will be no next generation for her.

  And I won’t ever write a set of prequels about a young Jessica Keller (sorry, Jenny). She was never young of soul, just of body. She was already something exotic, something special. It took the influence of Miguel and Indira, as much as Nils, to turn her into the creature that will be known as Jessica Keller, but they just showed her the door. She kicked it in and stormed the place.

  So here we are. Book Five. There will be Nine and no more. There will be other stories in the Alexandria Station universe. Some in the present. Many in the past. A few in the future.

  Auberon stands on its own. Would I rewrite it, knowing what I know about craft now? Probably not. Will I make corrections and clean things up when I do the nine-volume omnibus boxed set? Absolutely.

  Queen of the Pirates and Last of the Immortals are a duology. They need to be read back to back. In a different universe, they might be one novel, but I want all of the Jessica books to be around the same length.

  Goddess of War was the departure, but even that stands on its own. It serves to open us to the other six books.

  Which brings us to Flight of the Blackbird. This opens a new trilogy, to be followed by The Red Admiral and Lord of Winter. That gets us through Seven.

  Eight and Nine will be another duology that will close out Jessica Keller’s tale.

  Understand that this is not all there is to write. Siren falls between 3 and 4. I’ve got another short piece planned that falls between 6 and 7. Like Siren, it will let me tell a compact novella that shouldn’t take up a big chunk of a larger novel.

  There are dozens of other people I could follow, but Jessica barks at me the loudest. I love the woman, but I want to be done with her, so I can go tell other stories. I will die of old age with so many stories untold that it saddens me. But it also excites me, because there are so many stories that I will get to tell.

  More Vo. More Moirrey. Interesting other people you will meet here and fall in love with, just as I have.

  I have no children, but there are five lovely step-daughters who chose to claim me when their mother died. They keep me intact. One of my grandsons already loves reading my books. That fuels me to keep writing. I have an entire army of people in my head, patiently waiting their turn for a moment in the sun.

  And I have you.

  Readers. Fans. People who send me encouraging notes, or just smiles. Who tell their friends that I’m pretty good at this IMHO, and they should read my books. Making it possible for me to dream of a day when all I have to do is sit around and make shit up for a living.

  This is a novel about family, yes. But it is also about dreams. About making the galaxy into a better place. I’m trying. Hopefully you are, too.

  blaze

  January 2017

  West of the Mountains, WA

  A
BOUT THE AUTHOR

  Blaze Ward writes science fiction in the Alexandria Station universe: The Jessica Keller Chronicles, The Science Officer series, The Doyle Iwakuma Stories, and others. He also writes about The Collective as well as The Fairchild Stories and Modern Gods superhero myths. You can find out more at his website www.blazeward.com, as well as Facebook, Goodreads, and other places.

  Blaze’s works are available as ebooks, paper, and audio, and can be found at a variety of online vendors (Kobo, Amazon, iBooks, and others). His newsletter comes out quarterly, and you can also follow his blog on his website. He really enjoys interacting with fans, and looks forward to any and all questions-even ones about his books!

  Never miss a release!

  If you’d like to be notified of new releases, sign up for my newsletter.

  I only send out newsletters once a quarter, will never spam you, or use your email for nefarious purposes. You can also unsubscribe at any time. http://www.blazeward.com/newsletter/

  ABOUT KNOTTED ROAD PRESS

  Knotted Road Press fiction specializes in dynamic writing set in mysterious, exotic locations.

 

‹ Prev