Next Firefly chapter underway · 4:05pm Jul 21st, 2021
After a work-enforced two weeks away from writing, I’m finally on a weeklong vacation, and the result has been rapid progress on the next Firefly chapter, now at 6500 words and growing quickly. Though I’m uncertain of its final length, there’s a very good chance you’re going to see it launched on or before the weekend. Prereaders, stand by.
So what’s it about, you ask? Well, after the big battle of the last entry, we’re going to back off now and do something I’ve been meaning to for a while: revisit the thestrals. It’s time to return to Thestralslovakia for some very tense negotiations between Captain Typhoon and the Lunar Council regarding the potential (read: certain) Nightborne entry into the war.
Against that will need to be shown the side of the Highborne, which I’ll likely save for another chapter at this point given the growing length of this one. That will be guest-written by master of thestral lore AJ_Aficionado, whose headcanon is too good not to use. For those unaware, he invented the whole idea of the Highborne/Nightborne dichotomy as well as developed most of their backstories.
So while you’re waiting... have a teaser. The Nightborne perspective will, once again, be told through the eyes of future-Viceroy Europa Universalis IVth, who, while he was not playing popular historical faction games, was the aide to then-Viceroy Chardonnay.
Word of Captain Typhoon’s appearance at Cloudsdale and coming visit had been received by the Lunar Council with no little consternation.
‘Twas coming on the wingbeats of several pieces of unwelcome news, from the fact that the aim of the latest Imperial operation appeared to be one of gradual encirclement if not outright invasion to word that our most senior and trusted division commander, Major General Muscadine, had been slain by one of his immediate subordinates for subverting the will of the Lunar Council, attempting to provoke conflict by denying the sky city ordered aid.
We knew not at that point all he had done or how grave his betrayal was, but the ongoing investigation of his actions and search for possible collaborators amongst his staff was put aside in the face of far more immediate concerns. For ‘twas nearly time to receive the Captain of Celestia’s Royal Guard, and what ‘twas certain to be less a request than outright order that we go to war on Equestria’s behalf.
Even as he was enroute to Hollow Shades from Cloudsdale, the Councilbats were still heatedly arguing what our response to his expected demands would be, causing my wingfingers to cramp as I continually took the minutes of the meeting, forcing me to fall back on using my muzzle more than once.
Methinks the battle lines of the debate had been sharply drawn on the first night of the war and had not budged since, with three equally intractable factions presenting themselves. Minister of State Small Talk backed by a few Councilors advocated siding with Equestria whilst Minister of Agriculture Lord Shiraz and Councilor Corvis of the Everfree territory wanted to ally with the Imperials, in exchange for offers of independence and territorial guarantees.
Then there was General Starry Skies, who believed the Nightborne Army was strong enough to enforce our neutrality and defend our borders from either side. His overconfidence led the remaining third of the council to believe--foalishly, in my unspoken opinion, even then--‘twas possible to stay out of the conflict entirely regardless of any prior agreements or diplomatic pressure applied.
As any course of action away from our presently peaceful posture from simply signing a treaty to an outright declaration of war would require two-thirds of the Councilbats to vote aye, the result of the three-way split was political paralysis within the Lunar Council, with continued neutrality as the default result.
At that point, I was but a lowly aide to the Viceroy who was little more than a glorified gofer--a term I would later learn from the ponies. ‘Twas my duty to take the minutes of meetings, pass messages or retrieve desired documentation; ‘twas not my place to speak up in an arena where only elected or appointed leaders had a say.
But strong and increasingly angry opinions on the matter I certainly had; I couldn’t help but note that as the fifth day of war approached, we had accomplished nothing but agree to shelter and aid Cloudsdale. And even that had been less out of compassion for their plight than in hopes of keeping them there long enough to attain some military and diplomatic advantage over the two sides, regardless of whatever decision was reached.
Yes, Captain Shady’s guess that we were trying to gain leverage with the two sides in the earlier volume was correct when she confronted Colonel Aegir Ale on the foredeck of her ship. We needed bargaining chips, and though we did not know of the Loyalty’s approach given that fact was hidden from us by Major General Muscadine, an airship would be but another prize we could trade for a pact or peace.
‘Tis no way to say what the Lunar Council would have decided had the news of the Loyalty’s arrival reached them so long after the fact. But I suspect that had they known, Colonel Ale and the entire 3rd division would have been instructed not to board them, but instead to let them arrive at Cloudsdale but then not allow them to leave. For the sky city was our biggest bargaining chip just then, to use the cardplaying term, and with some deft diplomacy, perchance both it and the Loyalty could be traded for neutrality or even outright independence.
But deft diplomacy was not something that seemed possible to me just then as I listened to the debate degenerate into displays of jingoism and demands to duel. The Council was deadlocked, and I admit to feeling both dread and hope that Captain Typhoon might be the one to break the stalemate in either direction.
I was neither appointed nor elected official. I took orders; I did not give them. And yet, methinks I sensed even then that neutrality was impossible regardless of the wishful thinking of the General and others--that the conflict would come for us whether we wished it or not. And as a trumpet sounded to announce the arrival of Captain Typhoon in the Council’s chambers for what promised to be some unwelcome orders to aid Equestria, I wondered what the next few hours would bring.
I expect chapter release within five days at this point. After that, it’s back to Feathered Hearts, where I’ve decided to write one more original transition chapter before resuming the editing of the old chapters. As always, watch this blog for updates on both stories.
I look forward to writing it after I've written my emergency second entry to the Summer Sin Celebration. Buddy of mine bowed out right on DIscord so I sent Shakespearacles a PM and scooped it up. Imagine my luck when the request happened to be on a subject I had not on debut two blueprints to serve as a foundation for it.
I'm glad my thestral headcanon is finding good use in your stories. The bare outline was crafted for A Gentleman's Price and was expanded upon greatly during the nationalist uprisings of 2016 in the US and UK. It died tragically in Foolers Rush In when too much World of Warcraft seeped in and turned it into a radioactive ruin. But thanks to you, it can be done properly guided by someone with far more skill at handling epic fiction than myself. I am honored to be a part of your universe.