What's right is not always Easy
"My dear, don't ever be afraid of making mistakes. Be afraid of making the same mistake because you are too afraid or proud to admit it in the first place."
John Collins to his daughter Sarah
The Fight for Home is the second book in a two part Series that started with The Osmerian Conflict that concludes the tale of Sarah and her crew onboard the RAINE. The book picks up where the last one left off after jumping away from Osmerian Space. The crew now very weary are forced into deciding if they should confront their former allies the Silicians or head home and make a report. It is at that time they are offered a third option; rebel and unite their somewhat divided forces. Thus the crew completes their transformation into a rebel ship and calling upon their unusual allies from the first book use every bit of leverage they can to expose those who are gaining from the conflict.
Tropes present in this novel:
- Action Mom: Technically Qui Fen is this as she is still fighting. Unfortunately, she is fighting on the side opposing her own daughter and the two are enemies although the daughter for the most part is unaware of the family link.
- Anti-Human Alliance: Averted. The Silcians and Osmerians have been traditional enemies since as long as anyone remembers. When the Terrans arrived the two put aside their differences and worked with the Terrans as they were unaware of the military strength of the Terrans. Since then, the Silicians have been using the Terrans to advance their own ambitions. This leads to breaking the Silician-Terran alliance in favour of forming a new Osmerian-Terran Alliance.
- Arbitrary Weapon Range:
- In all the battles, but most noticeably during the battle in Saturn orbit it is mentioned that the short-mid range weapons all have ranges. The V-Cannon has no mentioned max range and at one point shoots through the entire Asteroid Belt.
- Averted with the Central Fleet in that it is mentioned at very close quarters the battleship weapons can not effectively fire due to their proximity.
- Strategy point during the Last Stand at UTSF HQ when a missile salvo from Earth is detected and the weapon's officer explains that missiles would keep going indefinately should they pass their target.
- Conflicting Loyalty: Aira as head medic on the RAINE goes back and forth between siding with the members of the RAINE or maintaining ties with the UTSF. She has a vow to both as she wants to unify the universe, but ultimately she chooses to remain with the RAINE after she hears about the order for Sarah to destroy her own ship and crew, proving once and for all that the UTSF had no limits to the amount of bloodshed they were willing to go through in order to maintain their power.
- Dawn of an Era: Sarah's tone in the Epilogue Letter would lead one believe this has occurred as the previously warring factions all start anew to work together for a brighter future.
- Death Equals Redemption: Averted. Aira attempts to evokes this trope when trying to assist Sarah and the RAINE against the UTSF to make up for all her past transgressions against humanity and Sarah herself. However Sarah saves her all three times, firstly returning for her on a colapsing colony, then convincing the Earthborns to give her a stay of execution and finally through sheer will in the final battle.
- Epilogue Letter: The novel ends with Sarah dictating a letter she is writing to an undisclosed recipient outlining the rebuilding effort that has taken place since the final battle.
- Evil Matriarch: Qui Fen. She spends a great deal of the series antagonizing Sarah and comes across to her as very cold. Initially it is assumed she is this way because she's Silician, but at the end she shows some remorse at her behaviour and comments she had to separate work from family. Unfortunately Sarah never hears it as she is largely unaware of the connection.
- Forgotten Superweapon: The Super Nova is this as most simply thought the project had been abandoned and forgotten. However the project was restarted and the Silicians save it as their trump card.
- Going Down with the Ship:
- Happens a few times at major battles as there are a lot of Space Navy action in the book.
- Averted when UTSF command removes Sarah from her ship before its planned destruction and instead allows her to initiate its destruction.
- Half-Human Hybrid: Sarah Collins has a Terran father and a Silician mother. She lives with her dad and is brought up unaware of her alien lineage.
- Humanoid Alien: The Generians, Silicians and Osmerians all look very humanoid to the point they are able to even mix with each other. The variance between them all comes from the primary element in their body composition as well as their body structure.
- So Proud of You: John says this to Sarah after she beats his Central Fleet.
- Last Stand: Averted. The crew of the RAINE face off against the UTSF Planet Defense Force having just broken out of captivity and having been separated from their allies. The plan was to hold on long enough until they killed enough of the upper chain of command to force a surrender. Even the gung-ho Marina comments that the mission is more suicidal than practical. They survive due to a large missile salvo fired from Earth and Sonluth successfully infiltrating Lunar HQ and killing the last Commanding Officer.
- Mama Bear: Arianna Blizzarin. When the Pluto Fleet show up to attack the secret quarry she not only is defending her blood son, but an entire battallion whom she has adopted as her children. It does not go well for the Pluto Commander.
- Sadistic Choice: When Sarah has to face the Central Fleet, her father gives her the option to either surrender or continue the fight, but only by going through him, as he is loyal to the UTSF and will not surrender even to his own flesh and blood.
- Taking You with Me: Arianna paraphrases this trope just before she unleashes her final attack on the Pluto Commander.
