The Gallant (Star Legend Book 3)

by J. J. Green

  “You brought the ship’s cat to Earth with you?”

  “He was never the ship’s cat. He was always my cat. I left him on the Fearless because I couldn’t look after him in West BI, but I got Abacha to have him transferred to the Gallant, and now he’s yours. You will take good care of him, won’t you?”

  “I...er...”

  “He’s very cuddly when he gets to know you, and he’s trying really hard to be house-trained.”

  Wright thought of his sparse cabin. “I’d be honored.”

  Taylan grinned. “I knew you would say yes.”

  She quickly became serious again. “You know what Abacha said once when we were playing xiangqi? He said we were like the pieces on the game board, to be defeated and discarded by the people playing the game. They never come to any harm, only us poor pieces. That’s how I feel about Merlin and the other alien who’s now controlling the EAC. They can’t be hurt, but they’ll happily see us die to achieve their aims.”

  “What are their aims, I wonder?” Wright asked.

  “I don’t know, and I don’t know how to find out.” She heaved a sigh.

  “What are you going to do now?”

  “What else can I do? I have to go back to West BI. But I have a new idea to follow up, a different approach to take. I hope I’m right this time.”

  “I hope so too, Taylan.”

  “Thank you.” She stood up. “I have to catch a flight to Ireland. Take care, Major T.J. Wright.”

  She bent down to kiss his cheek before leaving.

  Taylan and Wright’s story continues in

  THE RESOLUTE

  (Amazon.com link. For your country’s Amazon, scroll to the end of the book.)

  Author’s Notes

  Hello and welcome to the juicy tidbits of extra information at the end of the book. Many thanks for sticking with me thus far in the telling of the Star Legend, and thanks once more to my awesome shipmates, especially Liza Wood, Mike Phillips, Mike Paddick, and the Review Crew, who have all helped to make the series possible.

  When I was deciding what to include here I considered mentioning Lagrange Points, protocells, the block universe theory (Morgan’s explanation for her view that time doesn’t exist), and other nerdy stuff mentioned in The Gallant. But you’re a science fiction reader and you already know about that kind of thing, right? Instead, here are some equally interesting items to ponder.

  Ynys Mon and Bryn Celli Ddu

  Ynys Mon is the Welsh name for Anglesey, an island close to the north-west coast of Wales. If you love disappearing down rabbit holes and have a spare few months, I recommend reading up on Ynys Mon’s long and fascinating history. Associated from antiquity with druids, the island is rich in prehistoric sites, including Bryn Celli Ddu, which means “the mound in the dark grove”. This ancient passage tomb where the Crusaders hold their midsummer festival dates back to 4000 BC. In an excavation of the site, archaeologists found cremated human remains at the bases of some of the henge stones, and a single human ear bone was found under a flat slab. That’s right, a single human ear bone.

  Meilyr and His Brothers

  Fans of Arthurian legend have probably already guessed who Meilyr and his three brothers are based upon. If you don’t know, don’t worry as it doesn’t impact the story. However, if you think you know, I can confirm, yes, it’s those four brothers. If you want a clue, I am really looking forward to the release of the film The Green Knight later this year (2021).

  The Yew Circle

  The circle of yews surrounding the ruined chapel that Arthur wanted to visit was inspired by Llanfengan Yew Circle, possibly a remnant of a pre-Christian site. Yews were sacred to druids and Celts associated them with death, maybe due to the toxicity of their needles. This association continued into the Christian era, resulting in the tree being regularly planted in churchyards. For more information read Janis Fry’s books, one of which is called Warriors at the Edge of Time—as fine a name for a book as anyone could imagine.

  Arthur’s Worldview

  One of the most challenging aspects of fiction writing is to stay true to a character’s perspective of the world and their place within it. King Arthur is supposed to have lived around the fifth or sixth century, which makes portraying his worldview even harder. I have tried to incorporate into his point of view both his deep religiosity and his intimate association with nature, rather than being separated from it as most modern humans are. My understanding is derived from years of interest and research in this area, so it’s hard to recommend a single resource for more information, but you could start with Tristan Gooley’s The Natural Navigator.

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  Copyright © May 2021 J.J. Green

  All rights reserved.

  No part of this book may be reproduced in any written, electronic, recording, or photocopying without written permission of the publisher or author. The exception would be in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

  This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

  First Edition.