Again the gasp. Sixty thousand mouths falling open at once in shock.
One man would be nearly silent. Sixty thousand was a pop of sound audible even down here on the pitch.
Uncle Em moved to Casey’s side and together they watched Jessica emerge from the tunnel, covered in a dark gray cloak that hung to her knees.
After the gasp, stunned silence.
Jessica’s face was unreadable as she walked, but Casey had come to understand that the woman held her emotions close.
Command face.
Casey had seen it on Father and Uncle Em occasionally, but precious few others.
Until Jessica.
Jessica came to rest and stared up at her.
Casey blinked in a moment of surprise, until she remembered that she had half a head of height on the woman.
Jessica Keller was so much larger in her memory.
“Wildgraf Keller,” Casey began, sounding as calm as she could, even as tears continued to pour down her face. “The Empire makes no special demands on you, beyond that which you have already given us, as an outsider willing to see that Justice be done. Will you stand ready to aide us again, in our time of need?”
“Lady Casey, Your Majesties, I will.”
“Then join us, Admiral Keller, and be welcome.”
Casey watched as Jessica let go of her cloak and shrugged her shoulders.
The cloth fell to the grass in a gray puddle.
The crowd blinked in a silent shock so profound that Casey thought she could hear hearts beating.
And then they erupted in joy.
Under the cloak, Jessica was wearing the uniform of an Imperial Admiral.
Crimson.
Emmerich Wachturm had become The Grand Admiral.
Jessica Keller would replace him.
As The Red Admiral.
FLIGHT OF THE BLACKBIRD: CAST LIST
Corynthe
Name
Rank
Position
Jessica Marie Keller (F)
Fleet Centurion
Queen of Corynthe
Marcelle Augustine Travere
Chief
Jessica’s Personal Aide
Willow Dolen
First Rate Spacer
Jessica’s Bodyguard
David Rodriguez
Vice Admiral
Regent to Queen Jessica
Desianna Indah-Rodriguez
Counsel to the Crown
First Minister of Corynthe
Uly Larionov (M)
Counsel to the Crown
Comptroller
Galen Estevan (M)
Captain
Commander, Marco Polo
Vo zu Arlo
Centurion / Ritter
Honorary Colonel, 3rd Regiment, 189th Div. Imperial Army
Moirrey zu Kermode
Centurion / Ritter
Engineer, detached duty
Nicolai Aoiki (M)
Master Chef
Master of the Wardroom
* * *
Kali-Ma
Name
Rank
Position
Wiley / Shiori Ness (F)
Command Centurion
Captain, Kali-ma
Yan Bedrov
Exec
Tactical Officer
Anders Himura
Science Officer
Command Sensors
Erik Doležal
Head Engineer
Rocket Frog / Saša Binici
Pilot
Light Strike Wing
Neon Pink / Asra Binici
Pilot
Light Strike Wing
Eel / Gustav Marquez
Flight Lead
Heavy Wing
* * *
Auberon
Name
Rank
Position
Denis Jež (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Auberon
Enej Zivkovic (M)
Centurion
Counsel to the Crown of Corynthe
Tamara Strnad (F)
Senior Centurion
First Officer
Tobias Brewster (M)
Tactical Centurion
Aleksander Afolayan(M)
Centurion
Gunner
Nina Vanek (F)
Senior Centurion
Defense
Nada Zupan (F)
Senior Centurion
Pilot
Daniel Giroux (M)
Senior Centurion
Science Officer
Vilis Ozolinsh (M)
Command Engineering Centurion
Chief Engineer
Phillip Navin Crncevic (M)
Command Marine Centurion
Dragoon
Nadine Orly
Yeoman
Flag Marine
Jackson Tawfeek
Chief
Marine
* * *
Pilots, Auberon
Name
Rank
Position
Iskra Vlahovic
Command Flight Centurion
Flight Deck Commander
Jouster / Milos Pavlovich
Command Flight Centurion
Flight Commander
Uller / Friedhelm Hannes Förstner
Flight Centurion
Jouster’s Wing
Vienna / Avril Bouchard
Flight Centurion
Jouster’s Wingmate
Bitter Kitten / Darya Lagunov
Senior Flight Centurion
Wing Commander
Hànchén / Murali Ma
Flight Centurion
Bitter Kitten’s Wingmate
Furious / Cho Ayaka Nakamura
Flight Centurion
Bitter Kitten’s Wingmate
da Vinci / Ainsley Barret
Senior Flight Centurion
Scout Pilot
Gaucho / Hollis Dyson
Senior Flight Centurion
Commander, Cayenne
Takouhi Taline Nazarian (F)
Chief
Loadmaster, Cayenne
Murphy Alexandru (M)
First-Rate Spacer
Tower Gunner, Cayenne
Branca Antía Rocha (F)
Flight Centurion
Commander, Petron
Anastazja Slusarczyk (F)
Senior Flight Centurion
Commander, Necromancer
Leila Ketevan (F)
Flight Centurion
Commander, Damocles
* * *
RAN Squadron
Name
Rank
Position
Tomas Kigali (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, CR-264
Alber d’Maine (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Shivaji
Robertson Aelieas (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Nyamboya
Doriane Matveev (F)
Command Centurion
Commander, Ishfahan
Kanda Lungu (F)
Command Centurion
Commander, Ballard
Elzbet Aukley (F)
Senior Centurion
First Officer/Science Officer, Ballard
Teuta Uzodimma (F)
Command Centurion
Yezekael Jarogniew (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Rubicon
“Siran” Akpabio (F)
Command Centurion
Commander, Vigilant
Tonći Östberg (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Andover
Calista Katsaros (F)
Command Centurion
Commander, Albena
Ionuț Yannic (M)
Command Centurion
Commander, Advocate
Waldemar Ihejirika (M)
; Command Centurion
Commander, Mendocino
* * *
The Republic
Name
Position
Indira (Chastain) Keller
Jessica’s mother
Miguel Keller
Jessica’s father
Petia Naoumov
First Centurion. Commander, Home Fleet
Nils Kasum
First Lord of the Fleet
Kamil Miloslav
Personal Aide to First Lord Kasum
Judit Margrét Chavarría
Premier, Republic Senate
Tadej Marko Horvat
Senator, Republic Senate, Chairman
Calina Szabolcsi
President of the Republic of Aquitaine
Seth
Bartender, the Marquette Room
Sigrún
Steward, the Marquette Room
* * *
The Fribourg Empire
Name
Rank
Position
Johannes Arend Wiegand
Emperor
Karl VII
Kasimira Ekaterina
Empress
Imperial Household
Karl Ekkehard Szczęsny
Crown Prince Ekke
Imperial Household
Ekaterina Stephanya
Princess Steffi
Imperial Household
Kasimira Helena
Princess Casey
Imperial Household
Emmerich Wachturm
Admiral
The Red Admiral
Freya Wachturm
Duchess
Wife of Emmerich Wachturm
Tiede Wachturm
Cmdr
Son of Emmerich Wachturm
Jeltje Voight
Burggraf
Daughter of Emmerich Wachturm
Carsten Voigt
Cmdr
Husband of Jeltje Voight
Henriette Annne Wachturm
“Lady Heike”
Daughter of Emmerich Wachturm
Bernard Hourani
Lt. Cmdr
Fiancé of Heike Wachturm
Hendrik Baumgärtner
Flag Captain
Aide to Admiral Wachturm
Sigmund Dittmar
Admiral
Eldest son of Prince Reinhart
Karya Dittmar
Wife of Sigmund Dittmar
Geoffrey Grundman
General
Imperial Security, Section Eleven
Karl Bakemann
Admiral
Flag, IFV Adler
Antoine Hauss
Cmdr
Imperial Security
Grantholm Safavid
Lt.
Imperial Security
Walter Fuchs
Hotelier
Frida Fuchs
Wife of Walter
Annette Fuchs
Daughter of Walter
Foster Calderin
Owner/Publican
The Maltese Cross
* * *
The Blackbird
Name
Rank
Position
Rafferty Saar
Captain
Commander, Amsel
Dieter Corbeil
Commander
Executive Officer
Guy Emshwiller
Lt. Cmdr
Flag Officer
* * *
M’hanii Frontier
Name
Rank
Position
Rodrigo Yamimura
Duke
Ruler of Osynth B'Udan, Sector Capital
Tito Garcia-Novarella
Merchant
* * *
Buran
Name
Rank
Position
Buran/ The Lord of Winter
God/Emperor
Ruler of Buran
Au Banop Dejha Quin (M)
Scholar
Ambassador
Xi Fezar Palu Dwan (M)
Scholar
Ambassador
Ro Kenzo Atep Vrain (M)
Scholar
Director – Dancer In Darkness
Xi Putaz Laro Otep
Technician
Aide to the Director – Dancer In Darkness
Ro Malar Arga Rues (M)
Soldier
War Advocate – Dancer In Darkness
Wa Veren Kulo Marz (F)
Technician
Entity Advocate – Dancer In Darkness
Ko Serek Evet Khan (M)
Scholar
Crew Advocate – Dancer In Darkness
AUTHOR’S NOTE
I’ll blame Owen. We were at a regular Bellevue Writer’s Lunch, and the topic of “literature” versus genre came up. The consensus was that so-called literature had to be a story about multi-generational dysfunction in an exotic (and usually ethnic) location. Whatever. But it got me to thinking about family as a topic. And that underlays this story you are about to (hopefully) enjoy.
Jessica Keller has no children. Won’t have. She has Slava’s family. She has her disciples. But there will be no next generation for her.
And I won’t ever write a set of prequels about a young Jessica Keller (sorry, Jenny). She was never young of soul, just of body. She was already something exotic, something special. It took the influence of Miguel and Indira, as much as Nils, to turn her into the creature that will be known as Jessica Keller, but they just showed her the door. She kicked it in and stormed the place.
So here we are. Book Five. There will be Nine and no more. There will be other stories in the Alexandria Station universe. Some in the present. Many in the past. A few in the future.
Auberon stands on its own. Would I rewrite it, knowing what I know about craft now? Probably not. Will I make corrections and clean things up when I do the nine-volume omnibus boxed set? Absolutely.
Queen of the Pirates and Last of the Immortals are a duology. They need to be read back to back. In a different universe, they might be one novel, but I want all of the Jessica books to be around the same length.
Goddess of War was the departure, but even that stands on its own. It serves to open us to the other six books.
Which brings us to Flight of the Blackbird. This opens a new trilogy, to be followed by The Red Admiral and Lord of Winter. That gets us through Seven.
Eight and Nine will be another duology that will close out Jessica Keller’s tale.
Understand that this is not all there is to write. Siren falls between 3 and 4. I’ve got another short piece planned that falls between 6 and 7. Like Siren, it will let me tell a compact novella that shouldn’t take up a big chunk of a larger novel.
There are dozens of other people I could follow, but Jessica barks at me the loudest. I love the woman, but I want to be done with her, so I can go tell other stories. I will die of old age with so many stories untold that it saddens me. But it also excites me, because there are so many stories that I will get to tell.
More Vo. More Moirrey. Interesting other people you will meet here and fall in love with, just as I have.
I have no children, but there are five lovely step-daughters who chose to claim me when their mother died. They keep me intact. One of my grandsons already loves reading my books. That fuels me to keep writing. I have an entire army of people in my head, patiently waiting their turn for a moment in the sun.
And I have you.
Readers. Fans. People who send me encouraging notes, or just smiles. Who tell their friends that I’m pretty good at this IMHO, and they should read my books. Making it possible for me to dream of a day when all I have to do is sit around and make shit up for a living.
This is a novel about family, yes. But it is also about dreams. About making the galaxy into a better place. I’m trying. Hopefully you are, too.
blaze
January 2017
West of the Mountains, WA
A
BOUT THE AUTHOR
Blaze Ward writes science fiction in the Alexandria Station universe: The Jessica Keller Chronicles, The Science Officer series, The Doyle Iwakuma Stories, and others. He also writes about The Collective as well as The Fairchild Stories and Modern Gods superhero myths. You can find out more at his website www.blazeward.com, as well as Facebook, Goodreads, and other places.
Blaze’s works are available as ebooks, paper, and audio, and can be found at a variety of online vendors (Kobo, Amazon, iBooks, and others). His newsletter comes out quarterly, and you can also follow his blog on his website. He really enjoys interacting with fans, and looks forward to any and all questions-even ones about his books!
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Knotted Road Press fiction specializes in dynamic writing set in mysterious, exotic locations.