Part 804: Let's Read Warrior: En Garde - Part 14
Let’s Read Warrior: En Garde (part 14)Book 3
Chapter 40
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rhaneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
6 May 3027
Tsen Sheng wakes up Justin with a gun to the temple. No, he doesn’t shoot Justin, and yes he’s stupid enough to hold a pistol close enough where it can be knocked away rather than threatening Justin from across the room. He wants to buy the Silver Eagle’s passenger manifest, but Justin tells him he destroyed it because Noton was secretly a CID agent setting Tsen up to get a bunch of Capellans killed.
Justin spins a bullshit story and Tsen buys it wholesale. Justin then smugs about how he’s going to kill Phillip Capet and the chapter ends.
Book 3
Chapter 41
Formalhaut
Draconis March, Federated Suns
11 May 3027
Clovis Holstein and his mother sabotage another Jumpship so they can steal the Silver Eagle! OH NO! Clovis has doubts but his mother Danica and they talk openly about being members of the super-secretive Heimdall. They do so as if neither of them has ever heard of Heimdall before even though it’s been explained to us once already. Nothing else happens this chapter.
Book 3
Chapter 42
Formalhaut
Draconis March, Federated Suns
21 May 3027
DANICA AND CLOVIS HAVE SUCCESSFULLY STOLEN THE SILVER EAGLE OH SHIT!
This chapter is from Andy and Melissa’s perspective, is three pages long, and Melissa “realizes that something is very, very wrong” because they jumped to the wrong planet. How the FUCK can she tell? Can she identify the stars at the nadir points of every star system in the Inner Sphere? Is that required coursework at the Nagelring?
Oh wait, it’s because the Bifrost jumped to an asteroid in Draconis Combine space. THAT’S NOT OBVIOUS AT ALL, DANICA.
Book 3
Chapter 43
Luthien
Pesht Military District, Draconis Combine
23 May 3027
Subhash Indrahar knows that Melissa Steiner is now in the Draconis Combine. Don’t ask me how, it doesn’t matter. He’s fucking Subhash Indrahar. If it happens in the Draconis Combat, he knows.
Don’t believe me?
En Garde posted:
“One person—Joanna Barker—matches Melissa Steiner in certain physical characteristics such as height, weight, and proportional limb measurements. Medical histories also match in crucial items such as medical allergies.” Indrahar opened his eyes and stared at Kurita. “In addition, I know Joanna Barker to be Melissa Steiner.”
Subhash Indrahar, you creepy bastard, you are the best villain in this book. He’s the best villain in every book (even the ones where he’s one of the heroes. No, scratch that, ESPECIALLY the ones where he’s one of the heroes). Sorry, Andy, your three-page chapters feel like three pages of eternity; while Subhash has managed to make three pages of exposition feel tense and exciting!
I wish there were more chapters with Subhash Indrahar in them, three pages isn’t enough of him being awesome. Sorry, Gray Noton. You are no longer the best character in this book.
Book 3
Chapter 43
Solaris VII (The Game World)
Rahneshire, Lyran Commonwealth
22 May 3027
Yup, we’ve moved one day into the past so Justin Xiang can antagonize Phillip Capet in a two page chapter that serves no purpose except to establish that Justin is an asshole (we know) and Phillip is an idiot (we know). The fish in that barrel have been thoroughly killed by the Stackpole’s literary shotgun this chapter.