Another new Firefly chapter out this week - teaser included · 1:47am Jun 6th, 2022
Every once in a while, your muse kicks in, and then you get on this writing roll and can’t stop. Today was a such a day, as I took my new Firefly chapter from 1600 words all the way to draft complete at 9300 words. So at this point, you can expect it to launch by midweek and probably be in the neighborhood of 10.5k words after all prereads are in and all my editing passes are complete. As this is the fifth of six promised chapters by summer, this also means there should be no issue with finishing the sixth in time for me to go to Las Vegas on or around June 22. The World Series of Poker, here I come for the first time in three years!
In any event, once those chapters are in, I find myself with a strong desire to do clop again, so as stated before, I’ll be finishing off Harmonic Resonance after that and then attempting to complete Midnight Rising. That way, I can work on the climactic phase of Nightmare Night in the leadup to Halloween. There will be the occasional Firefly or Feathered Hearts main story chapter thrown in for good measure along the way when I need a break from penning purely carnal pursuits. I will also try to do at least a couple chapters of Eros as well.
But for now, Firefly remains the focus. So have a teaser for the coming entry, told through the eyes of Tailwind as we pick off from where he and Captain Shady left off last chapter:
The information Cutlass Cleave bore us that Thunderbolt had disappeared from sickbay was not received well by either the Captain or myself.
“You’re saying he escaped?” I stood up sharply and slammed my mug down hard on Flash Fix’s desk, causing half my remaining drink to slop out of it. “And how, by Luna’s sacred moon, were your sentries so unaware and incompetent as to allow that, Master Starpony?” I immediately demanded to know, given the Mare-at-Arms was responsible for the ship’s internal security. Thus, just as the Captain was responsible for everything that happened on board her ship, their failures became hers.
She held her rigid attention stance, unable to meet our gaze; methinks she knew full well how grave this betrayal of responsibility could be. “I regret I know not, sir—my sentries swear that he did not exit past them, and the on-duty unicorns sensed no teleportation! All I can tell you is that he is not in sickbay now, and nopony knows where he is! I can at least report that Gavian Ravenoff remains safe, sir. Be assured, Commander, that I have doubled his guard and begun a systematic search of the ship.”
If she wanted praise for taking the initiative, she was about to be sorely disappointed. “You’d better find him quickly,” I told her, “because if he takes Gavian’s head, I swear by Luna herself I’ll have yours next! Sound general quarters and lock down the ship! I want the entire crew searching for him! Equip all archers with electrical stun bolts and—”
“Belay that,” Shady said softly, setting down her drink and straightening her uniform. “The Nightborne are currently sleeping. We do not want to rouse them or alert the Lunar Council to this failure of security, or they might look even more ill upon us when we are trying to impress them,” she explained, causing me to blink and be chagrined—she was absolutely right.
“By my order, inform Captain Typhoon quietly of this event, and request he stand guard by Gavian, since I severely doubt our crew could stop Thunderbolt if he intends to kill your grandson,” she told Cutlass Gleave with a grave glance at me. “And as electrical stun bolts will only make him stronger, arm search parties with snares and sleeping draught from sickbay. Once he is found, entangle his limbs, hem him in with Still Way’s shield spells and then throw in draught to fill the corridor with sleeping gas.”
For those unaware, the brilliance of Still Way’s shield spells was that they were one-way, thus allowing objects like arrows or thrown blades to go out, but not in. Unfortunately, Still Way himself remained unavailable, still in deep sleep as his body slowly recharged his completely depleted magic.
“Aye-aye, ma’am! Orders understood. But if we are unable to restrain him or start taking casualties given his horrific combat abilities, do we have permission to use lethal force?”
Shady closed her eyes briefly as she considered the question, but in the end, methinks it took her naught but a second to decide. “Yes. If at all possible, he is to be taken alive, but if not…”
The Captain’s eyes turned cold. “If not, I’ll understand and accept the anger of Captain Typhoon. But regardless of outcome, that does not absolve you of responsibility for this breach of security, Master Starpony,” she further warned Cutlass Cleave, who visibly swallowed. “We will discuss this inexcusable failure later, but in the meantime, I expect you to act to your utmost in finding Thunderbolt. Are we clear?” Her voice stayed calm but icy.
“Crystal clear, ma’am,” she answered instantly, then turned on her heel and departed, taking two measured steps away before breaking into a gallop down the corridor.
I had to look away as the Captain completed her orders, realizing I had overlooked not one, but two important points in my own initial attempt to give them. For I had inexcusably forgot about not just the Lunar Council, but that Thunderbolt bore a well-developed lightning affinity we’d seen demonstrated all-too-clearly the previous night.
I realized then that I wasn’t thinking clearly, and thus, I thought it best to remove myself from the situation as much as possible. “Ma’am. I fear I am emotionally compromised again over the drink I have already had and fear for my grandson. As I feel myself to be unfit to direct the search, request permission to go to sickbay?”
I stood to attention as I asked her, deciding that for as emotional as I was again—methinks the alcohol already in my system did not help me on that score—all I could do was stand guard over Gavian myself. Methinks I was under no illusions that I could stop Thunderbolt, but Luna knew I would be there for him and die at his side in place of my imprisoned daughter.
“Granted. I will direct the effort myself and keep you informed as I can. Now go be at your grandson’s side, Commander.”
This is obviously just the start of the search, which will have a surprising conclusion, at which point things will shift back over to the Equestrian Army and Rock Biter’s brigade on the retreat from Harness Hill. The perspective employed is a surprise, but hopefully a welcome one. Expect the chapter no later than Wednesday night. In the meantime, welcome to June as we near the end of Into the Storm’s third book. The next two chapters will finish it, though we won’t conclude with a battle this time. The ending will be no less climactic than previous ones, though. 
Eight-thousand words in one day is phenomenal. The best I've managed so far is around four thousand.
I'm looking forward to the next chapter and the reveal of where Thunderbolt has gone too.