Thursday 11 September 2014

Approaching A Resolution

Desai speaks to Tanya who writes to the fugitive Ivar. The Companions of the Arena deliver the letter. Thus, indirectly, Desai conveys crucial intelligence to Ivar. The supposed Elder answers the description of a Merseian agent. This is the beginning of cooperation between High Commissioner Desai and future Firstman Ivar.

I find it inappropriate that Baen Books' The Technic Civilization Saga collects "Outpost of Empire" and The Day Of Their Return in an omnibus volume entitled Captain Flandry: Defender Of The Terran Empire. These two works are parts of the Technic History but not of the Flandry series. They deserve to appear in a volume entitled, e.g., Outposts Of The Terran Empire.

However, they are an important sequel to Young Flandry. When our hero saves a planet, defends the Empire, defeats a rebellion etc, his actions have consequences for entire populations and for many other individuals but we do not usually see the consequences. Here, we do. When Desai struggles to contact Ivar and Ivar struggles to decide, both of them address the consequences of Flandry's defeat of the McCormac Rebellion.

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