Shadow of Victory Snippet #1

Rincewind wrote:

Eagleeye wrote:1st - Thank you, David! Great snippet, by the way.

So, now we are a little bit back in time, before the tactical geniuses Josef Byng and Sandra Crandall appear on the stage ... I wonder, if we get some hint, how it was possible that Admiral Crandall apparently shot herself after the Battle of Spindle? The timeframe could be right that Mister Harahap was able to manage that job on Meyers and still be on Macintosh or Möbius in time for his appearances there, I think.

And I wonder, too, if Mr. Harahap will be able to discuss his actions in the Talbott-Cluster (or Möbius or Macintosh) with a certain Commodore (and/or a certain Ensign aka Flag Lieutenant) at the end of the book ... and if he survives this discussion.

Sandra Crandall 'apparently' shot herself whilst on her Flag Bridge on the SLNS Joseph Buckley after it had been crippled at the Battle of Spindle. So, unless he can teleport himself god knows how many light years, Damien Harahap could not have eliminated Sandra Crandall.

It would be nice to find out how she died though.

In this snippet, Crandall has not turned up at Meyers yet. Even if Harahap isn't involved, we might get some more details of how her demise came about, especially if nanotech or Mesan agents were involved.

Wow!

2 snippets today, Fantastic!

Thank you again, so very much RFC!

Wonders never cease, so I had assumed that the alignment had simply made Harahap an offer he $imply couldn't refu$e.

The odds seem high that this is really the alignment recruiting him while getting him off the Gendarme books by killing his one knowledgeable superior, while probably hacking her records to show he hasn't reported in and is feared 'lost' ie dead, somewhere in the Talbot sector, or perhaps a victim of a traffic accident while taking his accumulated vacation.

Given all the heat from the aftermath of the battle of Monica catastrophe coming down on the Madras OFS, the Malign evidently expects no followup checks in Talbot, so Damien may not realize just how 'black' and thus dependent upon the Malign he's become.

This is a couple thousand words of detail on what was a minor character, me thinks Damien is much more important than just as an example of Malign agents and provocateurs.

Could this foreshadow a future switch by Harahap to the good guys later in SoV, when he realizes the Malign has left Mesa and is eliminating loose ends again?

I expect more background, at least about the Allenby's on Swallow since RFC was apparently forced to cut those chapter(s) in SoF.

I'd also love to get closure on the details of Crandall's apparent nano-virus suicide [it was her pulsar in her hand] from her bridge crew or the FF intel officer, if RFC's in a particularly generous mood.

Are there other nominations for further backstory details?

L

munroburton wrote:
In this snippet, Crandall has not turned up at Meyers yet. Even if Harahap isn't involved, we might get some more details of how her demise came about, especially if nanotech or Mesan agents were involved.

Exactly. I wonder if Damien Harahap was one of those MAlignment operatives who organized the ... delivery of the nanotech? After all, remember how the attack on Honor was managed? And as far as I remember, the FF-officer in her staff (Hago Sharvashian or so) could play a role similar to that of the flag lieutenant of Honor. Because, somehow he wasn't mentioned at all in the aftermath of the Battle of Spindle, and I wonder why. A Frontier Fleet officer as member of a Battle Fleet staff should be worth mentioning in the manticoran discussions after that battle, don't you think?

Is Rufino Chernyshev a beta or gamma line? (I can't see an operative like that being alpha, too dangerous for the powers that are to allow near them)

It seems as though he changed the plan to eliminate Harahap based on the latter's performance against the hit squad, and only someone high up enough, or in the good books with the high ups, would have the authority/temerity(?) to change the plan.

Maybe he saw that Harahap could be an asset to the alignment in the near future stirring up trouble the verge.

Edited to replace incorrect character name.

I think quite a few of the first chapters of SoV are going to be filling in gaps in SoF and we are going to get more information on the people Harahap dealt with in the verge.

George J. Smith wrote:Is Brendon Grant a beta or gamma line? (I can't see an operative like that being alpha, too dangerous for the powers that are to allow near them)

It seems as though he changed the plan to eliminate Harahap based on the latter's performance against the hit squad, and only someone high up enough, or in the good books with the high ups, would have the authority/temerity(?) to change the plan.

Maybe he saw that Harahap could be an asset to the alignment in the near future stirring up trouble the verge.

Brendon Grant is neither nor, I'd say. If I read the scene correctly, he was the boss of the assassination team and was killed by MAlignment agent Rufino Chernyshev.

Eagleeye wrote:

George J. Smith wrote:Is Brendon Grant a beta or gamma line? (I can't see an operative like that being alpha, too dangerous for the powers that are to allow near them)

It seems as though he changed the plan to eliminate Harahap based on the latter's performance against the hit squad, and only someone high up enough, or in the good books with the high ups, would have the authority/temerity(?) to change the plan.

Maybe he saw that Harahap could be an asset to the alignment in the near future stirring up trouble the verge.

Brendon Grant is neither nor, I'd say. If I read the scene correctly, he was the boss of the assassination team and was killed by MAlignment agent Rufino Chernyshev.

My bad, I did mean of course to say Rufino Chernyshev.

Thank you, David.

-- BobG

Doubtful Harahap would be able to switch sides. He is probably on Montana's and Kornarti's Ten Most Wanted list for Insighting Terrorism, Providing Material Support for Terrorism, Conspiracy to Import Illegal Weapons, Conspiracy to Provide Monetary Support for Terrorism and probably Voluntary Manslaughter. The SEM probably wants him for 1-4 plus espionage. They might let him plead to a life plus forever sentence if he cooperated and sang like a canary.

runsforcelery wrote:And he's Damien in this book everywhere the voice recognition software din't mishear me.

I did mention the final manuscript hasn't been turned in, didn't I?

Which is interesting, since the Baen website says the first half of Shadow of Victory is going to be in the Baen monthly bundle that becomes available TOMORROW, August 15th.

So where are they getting it from?