This is just a simplistic look at the major story elements, almost like a summary.
- Miranda transfers to the Archigos. She picked the ship, but not the assignment; the Captain's making her Chief Ops Officer, to help her get better at people.
- Sean takes command of a his new ships, and starts preparing them for the attack on Tel'Erani.
- Mr. Zane gives the Lyndri proof of their past, to kick off a war with the NorAellians.
- Captain Rees and O'Farrell have a chat about things going to shit, and a fear that the Terrans might try something.
- Seleen, the no-longer-most-recent addition to the crew bonds with a few of the crew over Miranda's insecurity.
- A few months onboard and Miranda is doing ok at ops. With the help of the Chief Engineer, Daniels, she finds that Terrans are on their way to Tel'Erani.
- Archigos is preparing to head to Tel'Erani, Selene murders the bridge crew, Glyse saves her, Miranda is now Captain.
- Miranda decides to continue to take the ship to Tel'Erani, despite not having a captain, or backup.
- Sean and Miranda square off, epic battle, Miranda sacrifices her ship for the Colony.
- Sean and Selene escape, with her taking him hostage/to Mr. Zane.
- Miranda survives the ordeal and is offered to take command of the Rekonin, but only if she is willing to learn the truth. She does, and accepts it.
- Sean meets Mr. Zane, and becomes a monster.
- She takes command of the Rekonin, Sean takes command of the Grey.
- Sooni take out the governments, Sean starts burning worlds.
- The fleet is doing terribly, having to retreat from every battle, needing a rallying cry.
- Miranda vows not to retreat again, faces off against Sean and Selene.
- Rekonin gets boarded, Miranda and Selene face off, Daniels does a sacrifice thing, dies at Selene's hands, Miranda about looses it and Rekonin stops her from going too crazy, taking command and winning the day. No one knows it wasn't Miranda who did this.
- Sean decides, in retaliation for the murder of Seleen, he's going to burn earth to ash.
- Miranda regroups with McKenzie, they've scraped together everything and every one they can, and it might not be enough, but fuck it, this ends here.
- Miranda's fleet jumps in, and things DO NOT GO WELL.
- In hop Lyndri Dreadnaughts, Emelyn, and a bunch of Freelance ships.
- The tide turns, Sean is killed, and Earth is saved, opening the way for a final ending of The War.
These are the chapter outlines. I write them as I feel like it, but will go back and update them so that they're useful as an abbreviated overall look at where things are.
¶ Chapter 1: Shadow Play
- Establish Miranda
- New officer, gets given Ops as an assignment, feels very underprepared for it.
- She's smart, eager, and very good. But she struggles with the more jargon heavy, technical aspects.
- She's been assigned ops as a chance for her to grow; she needs to understand and appreciate it.
- She asked for this posting.
- Locker room Talk
- Camilla is in the ship's locker room, when Lopez start talking about how cute Miranda is, and all the guys she's going to get.
- Selene comes around and turns the conversation vulgar.
- Both women probe Camilla for information on Mir.
- Glyse shows up, disproving of the talk, and has an altercation with Selene.
- Selene "slips" (it was totally focus use) and breaks her nose
- Glyse warns Camilla about Selene, vague implication that neither Glyse nor Selene are human.
- Zane visits the Lyndri
- Establish that the Lyndri Embassies are brothels and slave markets.
- Explain who the Lyndri really are.
- Have Zane show a Lyndri artifact that proves they were once at way with the NorAellians
- The Ambassador vows war
- Captain's Chat about the Lyndri
- Miranda is called to the XO's office.
- Captain is there, a little light hazing of Miranda, who stands up to it.
- Captain makes O'Farrell give an evaluation of Miranda, and he turns it around on the Captain claiming he's being too hard on her.
- Eventually they get around to the real subject: Confirmation about the war with the Lyndri
- Miranda suggest the Terrans are helping them.
- Rees orders her to figure out possible Terran incursion points.
- Miranda suggests deploying sensors in places that'll let them.
- Sean takes command of his new ship.
- This is an intentional mirror to Miranda's arrival.
- We see Sean's an abusive sociopath
- Confirmation they're planning on attacking.
- Miranda is struggling with sensor data
- Lopez shows up and offers help.
- They get Daniels to come help, Steve tags along
- At some point, it's mentioned Daniels and Selene were sleeping together, but Daniels ended it.
- They spend hours on it till there's a breakthrough
- They realize the Terrans are about to try and take Tel'Erani.
- David and Emerwyn discuss
- We find out that David was sent here by McKenzie, to keep him safe and off the Sooni's radar.
- Emelyn has made him first mate because she trusts him.
- McKenzie sent a message through Liz; McKenzie wants Spring's Endeavour on station near Tel'Erani, in case they're needed; they can make it there quicker than the League. * David and Em talk about Liz, the Sooni, and the war, some decent exposition
- Miranda and the bridge crew prepare for the Terrans
- Things are going as well as can be expected
- Sensors confirm that it's two Bastions and a Shadow
- Glyse comes back from scouting, clearly wanted to be on the bridge
- Selene attacks, kills the Captain with a rigged pad
- Glyse fights back, but Selene manages to kill everyone else on the bridge
- Miranda takes a shot in the shoulder
- Selene toys with Mir, stabs her shoulder, Glyse keeps fighting her
- Miranda comes up with a rouse to convince Selene to leave the ship
- She calls general quarters, and makes the sensors thing the Terrans have arrived
- Selene leaves, and Glyse tells Miranda that she's the one in command.
- Selene returns to Sean
- More fucking with the XO
- Selene is overly sexual towards Sean, who doesn't give a shit
- Sean asks what happened, Selene explains in a maddeningly obtuse way
- Selene explains who Miranda is, her read on her, and basically how to dominate her.
- Sean looks forward to this.