I've finished the outline of War Core book 2, Expeditionary Force and here is the introduction. I also have an illustration of Hugh's new tier five light mechs that we'll see later in the story. The fist image is a standard tier five mech and the second is one with upgrades (secondary weapons, improved armor, and grenade/smoke launchers).
Introduction.
He could feel it, the rage s...
2021-05-12 15:09:04 +0000 UTC View PostHere we go, the cats are back. I will need some more named kitties for Florence's newest dungeon, so if you would like to see your pets join the ranks of the dungeon defenders, leave me a comment with your cat's name and a description of them. I can't guarantee they will be used, but I will do my best to include those that volunteer for duty.
Introduction.
“My m...
2021-05-11 13:47:39 +0000 UTC View PostThis is as far as I have written on this story. We get a glimpse of the necromancer that Gub was battling against. The story, and this chapter in particular, are a bit more grim than my usual work and a bit crunchier in terms of stats, let me know what you think. Chapters for Cat Core 2 will be going up in a couple of days and we'll also have our first installment of War Core Wednesday with the...
2021-05-10 13:07:44 +0000 UTC View PostHere's the next chapter in the orc series as well as an illustration of a Krixnas from War Core. The War Core 2 outline is going well and I should have the first chapter of it ready next week for War Core Wednesday. Cat core is also starting and the cover art in production now.
Chapter 2.
Gub was no coward, he would defeat this creature, confident that the gods of the system w...
2021-05-06 14:49:26 +0000 UTC View PostThis week, in addition to fighting off a cold, I'm working to get the War Core manuscript ready for the editor. I won't have a whole lot of time to write this week, as I'll be outlining the next Cat Core and War Core novels. To give you something to read, I'll post a couple of chapters of something new.
While I work on my main fiction, I often need to take a break for a day or two and w...
This chapter wraps up book 1 for War Core. I have to switch gears to Cat Core 2 to have it ready in time for the narrator I really wanted for the series to do both books at once. War Core isn't over, though, and this weekend I'll finish up the outline for book 2 and start posting War Core chapters at least once a week. Look for War Core Wednesdays to be a thing. As an extra treat, I've attached...
2021-05-01 13:30:51 +0000 UTC View PostWhen they returned to the command post, the remainder of Hugh’s forces were built and ready to go, along with replacements for the casualties he had taken while securing the bonus objective. He had fifty infantry mechs, a machinegun team, eight T-7 light mechs, and four of the AI-controlled M4 Sherman medium mechs. It was an impressive force; the only question now was what...
2021-04-29 13:29:54 +0000 UTC View PostDo you wish to assume control over the command post? Yes/No.
Hugh hit yes as the second infantry mech arrived in a flash. His point of view shifted to the command post, and as he settled into his new home, Hugh could feel automated processes beginning as they did at the start of a normal battle. Five construction drones began to be produced on the asse...
2021-04-27 13:30:36 +0000 UTC View Post“It looks like the Krixnas have stopped feeding their units in piecemeal, sir” Captain Tran observed. Hugh continued to push his troops north through the Makonar tunnels. At first, the Krixnas had continued to send pairs of infantry into the tunnels every few minutes, but that stopped after his troops easily wiped out more than a few of the groups.
“I think our o...
2021-04-25 17:51:46 +0000 UTC View PostIt took some time for the scouts to do their work. At least as a war core, Hugh could easily monitor their progress. To the south, just as he suspected, they found a rock giant mech. This must have been the one they had encountered earlier given the shattered infantry mech stuffed in the tunnel with it. Hugh ordered a squad supported by a light mech to take it out, no reason...
2021-04-23 14:08:09 +0000 UTC View PostBy the time the last of Hugh’s light mechs walked off the assembly line, he had a hundred and twelve resources remaining. His drones and picked clean the debris fields and there was nothing else in this little valley for them to exploit. The question now became whether he should focus on upgrades or on expanding his forces. He really wanted the secondary machinegun for the...
2021-04-21 13:15:40 +0000 UTC View PostHugh accepted command, noting that there were four buildings in various states of destruction under the control of his command post. There were also no resources, which would delay any repairs of the structures or his existing units. Taking stock of the damage, Hugh tried to decide where to focus his efforts.
Command Post, Level 3. Unit points n/a. There is no ...
2021-04-19 13:35:50 +0000 UTC View PostI've got another chapter ready today, but this will be a busy weekend so I won't get anything else posted until Monday.
Chapter 30.
This battle will be a checkpoint assault. As the instigator of this conflict, the Krixnas core will be allowed to choose whether they wish to be the attacker or the defender for this battle.
The Krixnas core has chosen t...
2021-04-16 18:14:32 +0000 UTC View PostHugh had a good understanding of tactics based on his previous Army work, but things with these infantry mechs and combat pods ran a bit differently than live troops did. Captain Tran had Hugh ran through several scenarios, learning what to do with his troops in various terrain and how to counter the mechs of known adversaries. Ambush, advance to contact, static defense, and...
2021-04-16 14:22:01 +0000 UTC View PostLimitless Seas went live on audio today. Let me know if you'd like a promo code for this one. Please specify US or UK.
2021-04-16 13:44:55 +0000 UTC View Post“I hope that you enjoyed your leave, Major Logan. The GCA doesn’t tell us what happens when you’re given leave, but I understand it’s a good experience,” the admiral said. Hugh tried to talk about Harmony Station and the body that had been created for him, but when he started to, nothing came out of the speakers on the table. Very well, they wanted to censor him, b...
2021-04-14 13:19:42 +0000 UTC View PostHugh wasn’t sure what to do next, he didn’t feel comfortable jumping into any of the games. The entry fee would eat into his few remaining points, and he had a good idea that the results would be embarrassing given his inexperience. He left the restaurant, a bit sad that he was full, the act of eating made him feel human. A less pleasant reminder of his humanity was the ...
2021-04-12 14:13:10 +0000 UTC View PostThe new sector of space that Hugh found himself in wasn’t quite as empty as the previous one. His preset course would lead the fleet through a small asteroid belt that was brimming with mining activity and was an obvious location for an ambush. Further along the path, not too far from the jump point, a small cluster of asteroids that were marked as hostile territory. A new...
2021-04-10 14:20:46 +0000 UTC View PostHugh found the pod cramped and dark, only a few indicator lights blinked as the lid sealed over him. The musty interior was distracting, and he hoped the discomfort wouldn’t throw him off his game. Once sealed inside, he could feel his mind link with the pod and his vision changed, the interior of the pod was gone, and he was greeted with a welcome screen.
We...
2021-04-08 14:39:03 +0000 UTC View PostHugh was led out of the restaurant, Valery kindly picking up the tab. He hadn’t noticed the prices on the menu, being too excited to eat, and his meal had cost Valery five reward points. Not a lot, but Hugh could see how the small charges could add up during his leave. He would need to be frugal with his points, not wanting to waste them on too many luxuries if a burger an...
2021-04-06 13:51:20 +0000 UTC View Post“Now, before you ask, yes, this is your real body. The GCA reconstructs us when we win a campaign and are granted leave. You should also know you don’t get to keep it. When your leave is over, back into the War Core blender you will go,” the man who called himself Valery said.
“Where are we?” Hugh asked. There were so many questions, he didn’t know where to...
2021-04-04 17:01:14 +0000 UTC View PostThis chapter finishes up Derelict 3. I'll continue on with War Core full time now, at least until book 1 is finished. There may be more Derelict in the future, but other projects will take priority as I work on some stories I've been wanting to dig into for a while.
Chapter 36.
“Here they come, kill them all, marines!” Diaz shouted as the hatchway to the rifle range collap...
2021-04-02 13:22:35 +0000 UTC View PostThe waves of Krixnas closed in, but the flying units of the Madrix were overtaking them, this time they weren’t keeping pace with their strange walking ships. Captain Tremaine led his two fighters toward the foe, the second unit just now joining the fight. On the ground, Hugh’s forces occupied the final defense line, conceding the beach and secondary lines to the superio...
2021-03-31 14:40:08 +0000 UTC View PostCasting aside the now lifeless hulks of the human ships it had captured, the Gargonth began its attack. Plasma bolts fired from strange orifices in the Gargonth body. The rounds weren’t the most accurate, but there were enough of them that Slater started taking hits. He could feel the energy burn into his hull a bit deeper with each blow. This monster was more than it seem...
2021-03-29 13:17:50 +0000 UTC View PostWe're closing in on the end of Derelict 3, a couple more chapters to go.
Chapter 34.
“Jump complete, sensor readings coming in,” sensors announced. Slater watched along with the bridge crew as the system they were in resolved on the screen. If the SAC forces tried to engage them here, Slater would have little choice in the matter, there were too many defenders to allow him...
2021-03-27 17:22:20 +0000 UTC View PostI needed to take a break from Derelict 3, so I thought you might like another War Core Chapter. I want to keep up with the story and plan to do at least one chapter on War Core each week, in addition to whichever main book I'm focused on.
Chapter 21
The main guns on the T-7’s boomed as they began to engage the ships approaching the northern beach, somehow, those vessels had pull...
2021-03-25 19:55:16 +0000 UTC View PostSlater grumbled at the delay as messages were sent to SAC command. Guzman exhorted him to keep his patience, fighting his way through human space to get to Earth would be worse than counterproductive. After twenty-four hours had passed, Slater was ready to go it alone when Guzman finally called in.
“Commodore Slater, I apologize again for the delay. Sadly, the admira...
2021-03-24 15:24:37 +0000 UTC View PostSo I was doing research on an introduction quote for Derelict 3 , and came across a pretty amazing story from World War 2. The quote I chose is from the captain of the USS Johnston, a Fletcher Class destroyer that served in the pacific.
“This is going to be a fighting ship. I intend to go into harm’s way and anyone who doesn’t want to go along had better get off right now.” Captai...
2021-03-22 13:54:47 +0000 UTC View PostSlater reviewed the information on the Gargonth that Hixrax had supplied. It was as collection of sensor logs and direct transmissions that took him some time to organize in a chronological order. The Gargonth had appeared unexpectedly, and the Chixturax took some time to organize a resistance. In an attempt to keep it from their colonies, ships were thrown at it piecemeal, ...
2021-03-21 13:58:53 +0000 UTC View Post“Hixrax, I need you to move your people aboard your ship,” Slater said.
“Yes, I will begin immediately, but it may take some time to move everyone,” Hixrax replied. A pressurized boarding tube had been connected to the airlock, allowing the unsuited Chixturax access to their ship. With over three hundred of them, the large Chixturax would be forced to board sin...
2021-03-19 14:12:07 +0000 UTC View Post