"Far above them, the first of the descending Imperial ships glittered in heaven like a falling star." (p. 276)
That does not read like a victory. Why is a conquering Imperial ship compared to a falling star? Flandry has just reflected that the Terran Empire is not just in a bad state but in an even worse state than Gunli can realize. The threat from Scotha has been neutralized but the Empire continues to decline. It, not just one of its ships, resembles a falling star.
Later in the Dominic Flandry sub-series of the Technic History series, the Empire will oppress subject planets, wage civil war, lose legitimacy and fail to respond decisively to the threat from Merseia - although, fortunately, the Merseians meanwhile will be fatally demoralized by a succession of defeats. Neither the Terran Empire nor the Merseian Roidhunate will survive millennia later.
Flandry will remain at his post:
"'I have my work,' he said." (ibid.)
- but he knows that it is a post on a sinking ship.
2 comments:
Kaor, Paul!
But I did not think that line: "...the first of the descending Imperial ships glittered in heaven like a falling star" was defeatist! First, these were NAVAL ships landing on a planet which only a year or before would have fought the Terrans tooth and nail. So being able to land unopposed on Scotha was TRIUMPHANT. Second, persons on the surface of a planet, like Flandry and Queen Gunli, had to look up to see those Imperial ships descending.
And the pattern you summarized of Imperial decline reminded me all too well of what is happening in the US! Oppression, corruption, and abuses of power by the left, acting thru the puppet masters manipulating "Josip." That, plus their bungling and incompetence makes me fear the US will lose its own legitimacy if matters are not rectified fairly soon.
And the way "Josip" and those behind him are already appeasing enemies of the US like China and Iran reminds me too well of Lord Hauksberg, and those who thought like him in the Empire, were all too anxious to appease Merseia!
Ad astra! Sean
Kaor, Paul!
I think there are times when the only cause worthy of being served is a doomed one. The Empire was declining, yes, but I can believe it was right of Flandry to serve it.
Ad astra! Sean
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