"Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" is an unfinished science fiction/military/adventure novel by Bronzethumb, who should really get back to editing the damn thing. It's the first in an epic series.
Set in 2182, during an interstellar war between the military-oriented Empire and the commerce-oriented Cribari Colonies (both of these being human civilizations), Lt. Jonathan Black is a reluctant soldier in the Imperial Marine Corps who gets roped into a dangerous mission to rescue General Garcia, whose shuttle has crashed behind enemy lines on "E-Delta 4", a contested agricultural planet. Black is about as unwilling a soldier as you'll ever find, but when he finds out that The One That Got Away, Flight Lt. Abby Lawson, and her "flight" partner, Flight Lt. Eric Fleming, were Garcia's pilots and are now trapped with him, Black is determined to save them come hell or high water.
Of course, there's a bit more going on. Black's new boss, Mr. Warren, is playing some kind of game with him. There's a Cribari agent at work, with a plan that could wreak havoc on the Empire, and Jonathan Black and his companions are going to find themselves in the unenviable position of being the only ones who can do anything about it...
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Character Bios and Tropes:
Black
Jonathan Black, 1st Lieutenant, IMC. Born on the planet Macquarie (in the Australian sector of the Empire) in 2152. Was tricked into signing up for an officer's commission in the Marine Corps. Served on the front lines of the Imperial/Cribari war since its outbreak in 2173. Commanded 1st Platoon, Alpha Company, 402nd Regiment since 2175, and met Jonesy at that time. First met Abby and Eric in 2176 during shore leave on an extra-system station (a space station located between star systems).
- Action Survivor: Black is a half-decent soldier, but his main skill is simply surviving all the crazy situations he find himself in, usually at the bad guys' expense.
- Berserk Button: For Black, it's the idea of Abby being in danger. Mr. Warren capitalises on this, and so kicks off the story...
- The Captain (though not actually a captain) (until the end)
- Reluctant Warrior: Black only fights for the Empire because if he doesn't, they'll execute him as a deserter.
- Significant Monogram: His initials are J.B. for a reason.
Abby
Abigail Lawson, Flight Lieutenant, IN. She's a transport and shuttle pilot attached to the Hastings (the 402nd Regiment's carrier), with aspirations of becoming the captain of a starship. Extremely patriotic, she volunteered for the Navy in the earliest days of the war and has an immaculate service record. In a long-term relationship with her flight partner, Lt. Eric Fleming
- Patriotic Fervor: Of all the Imperials, Abby is the most die-hard patriot of the lot.
Bell
Christopher Bell, civilian contractor, Cribari Military Intelligence. The villain of the novel, he is developing an advanced radiological weapon and delivery system, and plans to use it against Imperial civilians en masse. He command a small battalion of Cribari soldiers and scientists, has commandeered a small town and hidden a workforce of civilians to use as slaves in accomplishing his ends.
- Badass in a Nice Suit: Sharp grey suit, always, with a black overcoat depending on the weather.
- Evil Overlord... sorta. While he is on assignment from the Cribari High Command, he uses his authority to turn the small town of Adamsville into a Mordor of sorts, complete with nigh-impenetrable (but not really) fortress. He's got a small army of Mooks, a burly and sinister second-in-command, dangerous Applied Phlebotinum and an Evil Plan plan to Take Over The Known Galaxy. For his bosses.
- Fake Defector
Jonesy
Franklin "Jonesy" Jones, 1st Sergeant, IMC. Black's closest friend, right-hand man and highest-ranking NCO in the unit. A career soldier who joined the Marine Corps right out of secondary school; he is 41 years old at the time of the story. Typically carries heavy weapons into combat, always has a cigar handy and is very fond of his greatcoat.
Eric
Eric Fleming, Flight Lieutenant, IN.
- Ace Pilot: He's one of the best in the Imperial Navy.
- Beatnik: He has an extraordinarily laid-back, care-free attitude. Lars thinks he's high for half the story.
- Bunny-Ears Lawyer: The Navy puts up with his Beatnik-ness because he's an Ace Pilot.
Sarge
Sarge, Staff Sergeant, IMC.
Lars
Matthew Lars, 2nd Lieutenant, IMC.
Mr. Warren
Mr. Warren, special operations officer, Imperial Intelligence Initiative.
The Unit
- Tommy Miller, Private, IMC.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: with Hastings
- Ian Hastings, Corporal, IMC.
- Heterosexual Life-Partners: see above.
- Lewis, Specialist, IMC.
- Eloise Bourque, Specialist, IMC.
- Jack Wright, Specialist, IMC.
- Bill Corby, Private, IMC.
Cribari
- Mark Navarro, Major, CA. The senior Cribari military officer in the battalion assigned to Bell; his second-in-command.
- Thomas, civilian scientist, CA. In charge of Bell's scientific team, tasked with adapting rare Azaezan technology into the Sigma Weapon.
Imperials
- George Garcia, Major General, IMC. Commanding officer of the 17th Expeditionary Force, charged with the infantry battle for E-Delta 4.
- Neva Sullenger, Lieutenant Colonel, IMC. Duty officer under General Garcia.
- Stephen Brown, 2nd Lieutenant, IMC. Aide to General Garcia.
- Andrew Archer, 2nd Lieutenant, IMC. Aide to General Garcia.
"Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye" will contain examples of:
- Absent Aliens: Everyone knows they exist, but no one's seen them in over a hundred years and they play no part in the story.
- Applied Phlebotinum: The adapted Azaezan technology that's used to make all the infantry weapons, the guns, artificial gravity and FTL on starships, and eventually the Sigma Weapon.
- Awesome, but Impractical: Lampshaded. The standard issue weapons for Imperial and Cribari soldiers are high-tech DeathRays, which look awesome but are about as functional as flintlock muskets.
- Batman Gambit: Mr. Warren is pulling one. Mr. Warren is always pulling one.
- Catchphrase: "We're in trouble." A Running Gag for Black and Jonesy that catches on with everyone by the end.
- Cool Ship: Imperial Regimental Carriers. One ship is a military base where an entire Marine Corps Regiment is trained and headquartered, inside a heavily armed spacefaring warship that's loaded to bear and can launch squadrons of fighter craft, military transports and shuttlecraft.
- The Cavalry
- Imperial Stormtrooper Marksmanship Academy: EVERYONE, because the guns aren't exactly the most accurate or quick-firing things. The only character who's able to regularly hit anything is Lewis, the sniper.
- MacGuffin: First its General Garcia, then the Sigma Weapon.
- Naval Gazing: Black is very prone to this at the beginning, when he doesn't want to be a soldier
- No-Holds-Barred Beatdown / How Much More Can He Take? / Punch! Punch! Punch! Uh Oh...: The epic brawl between Black and Navarro on the Hastings' bridge.
- Noodle Incident: The alien occupation that lasted about 40 years and saw humanity reduced to a serf race, only ending in 2077 after a bloody war of liberation.
- Only Known by Their Nickname: The Azaezans. Aliens whose real name is unknown, they were called after Biblical demons by the humans they conquered.
- Take a Third Option: Black chooses to destroy the Sigma Weapon prototypes and plans rather than allow the Imperials or Cribari to have it.
- Trapped Behind Enemy Lines: Abby, Eric and General Garcia's predicament.
- The Worf Effect: Bell reveals his true identity by beating the crap out of Lars, the unit's best hand-to-hand fighter, in seconds.
