T-minus 1 week to Flight of Firefly launch... · 5:17pm Aug 26th, 2017
Prologue plus four full chapters are ready as well as two bonus chapters containing the Gryphon War Declaration and Celestia’s War Proclamation. I’ve also started work on the battle and campaign maps, which are admittedly in a pretty rough state right now. Remaining is a single bonus chapter to be posted at the end of the original Rise of Firefly detailing Equestrian and Gryphon rank structure, song selections, and the completion the battle and campaign maps followed by their incorporation into the story.
In short, we’re on track for a September 1st release. I’m not sure yet whether I’ll launch in the morning or evening, but right now the plan is to release the Prologue plus chapter 1 on the first day, then publish one chapter a day after that until I run out to keep the heat level up. I’m also going to launch an advertising blitz to see if I can’t break this into the featured list.
A teaser, you ask? I suppose I could be persuaded...
Outpost Epsilon
Pony/Gryphon Border
September 1st, 1139 AE
1220 hours
I awoke not long after noon.
I had decided to rest in the barracks with my first platoon. While ‘tis certain the cloud in my stateroom would be more comfortable, I didn't want to sleep so deeply I'd fail to wake up at a moment's notice. Wars could be decided by which commander reacts quickest, after all. And yet, as I’d been allowed a full five hours of sleep without being rousted or additional alarms sounding, ‘twas apparent the gryphons had not returned.
My hopes rose a bit at the realization, but any thought of good news on my awakening was dashed as I flew to the watchtower and found Fell Flight and Blindside waiting inside, the former commanding patrols and the latter functioning as watch officer, monitoring communications as the leader of the alert platoon should. The grim look on their faces spoke volumes, and my heart sank to see it. "How bad?" I asked as I returned their salutes.
“Bad,” my cat-eyed friend said simply. “The gryphons have made no further appearances aside from a few high-altitude overflights, but we’ve only had sporadic contact with Division Headquarters and the other border bases. Outposts Alpha and Beta have fallen silent and division believes them lost. Delta is fighting but faltering; at last report they've suffered severe casualties and don’t know how much longer they can hold. Omega has beaten off the first wave but lost nearly a third of their force. They're uncertain if they can survive a second strike.” My second closed her eyes tightly at that, perchance remembering the friends she had there.
“And Gamma…?” I inquired as to the status of our biggest border base located midpoint of the frontier, home to 5th Division headquarters and an entire brigade of troops. ‘Twas our only possible source of reinforcements at this point, and should it have fallen...
“Gamma has not yet been directly struck but is under siege; as our largest and best-defended base, the gryphons have surrounded it and methinks intend to simply make it impossible to leave,” Fell Flight answered. “Methinks it makes sense, actually. With Captain Sirocco and the bulk of the 5th Division's ready forces pinned, ‘tis certain the gryphons can take their sweet time cleaning up the other outposts before focusing their full efforts on crushing Gamma."
"In other words, we've fared the best of all the Corps bases," I said with no small dismay, sitting back heavily as I dispatched an orderly for food, intending to eat where I could keep watch. "And what of the Equestrian Army?"
"Methinks they fare no better than the Corps," Fell Flight said, consulting a report scroll we’d received via the dragonfire crystal network we used to pass missives between our gems and headquarters, giving it another glance before passing it to me. "Their bases and outposts have been hit hard by both Talons and Knights. Smaller garrisons have been crushed and the larger ones are pinned like Gamma, being ground down slowly. Those that survive are begging for Corps support, but…"
"But we can't provide it," I finished for her, grumbling as our food arrived, a simple meal of carrots and hay as the mess hall kept its cooking quick and portions light. We had enough food for a fortnight, or perchance a month if we rationed it, though methinks I sensed even then we weren’t going to be here much longer. “Methinks what we have is barely enough to defend our own base, let alone relieve others,” I said as I took a plate.
Blindside followed suit. "Methinks you are right. We're in a gale without our primaries for certain, ma'am,” she said solemnly, then hesitated. “With respect, ma’am... methinks if we remain here we risk destruction as well. As we have no explicit orders to stay, and we are out of contact with enemy forces, could we not attempt to make a break for Outpost Blue? 'Tis the closest major Army base and at last report was still fighting…" she suggested hopefully.
“Said last report was over two hours ago and ‘tis over eighty miles away," Fell Flight replied for me, echoing my own thoughts as I’d already considered and discarded the idea some time earlier. “I do not think it wise, ma’am.”
"Unfortunately, I must agree. If we were to arrive to find the outpost fallen, then we'll find ourselves on the run, constantly hounded by the gryphons and not knowing where or how far we must fly to reach friendly forces. No, Sergeant, we cannot leave. Far better to make our stand here with our backs to our own base than to engage in a running battle with the superior numbers and stamina of the gryphons. Better, too, for our wounded to not have to move. We also have no way of transporting our unicorn and earth pony friends,” I reminded her in some reproach, as her suggestion would necessitate abandoning them.
She fell silent at that, but Fell Flight spoke up again. “The bad news doesn’t end there, ma'am. Division reports they’re unable to contact Corps Headquarters in Canterlot," she added. "It hasn't been struck, we're certain of that, which means there's something interrupting our communications."
I frowned. That in itself was more worrying than the idea of being surrounded by gryphons. If we couldn't contact Corps Headquarters or Canterlot, then we couldn't receive orders or request reinforcements from high command. They might have already ordered our withdrawal or some other action but we never received it. And just how were our supposedly secure crystal communications being blocked? They operated off dragonfire, which was supposed to be unbreachable except to actual dragons. I thought of several answers, none of them good...
And as it turned out, the truth was worse than any scenario we’d dreamed of.
I'll signal boost it as much as I can since the last one didn't get the love it deserved.
I am quite excited for this release.
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I can't think of any sequels that ever got more likes than their predecessors, but it can't hurt to try. I'll signal boost as well.