"...I can foresee that kind of affair leading to secession [of the human colony on Ishtar], like Eleutheria's and New Europe's except that Primavera [human beings on Ishtar] would join the Gathering [an Ishtarian alliance]. And next I can see Earth either losing us or having to send occupation troops it can ill afford..." (Fire Time, p. 226)
These are excellent future historical references to earlier events in the previous volume, New Europe, and to current events in the present volume, Eleutheria. Although we read a much shorter segment of the Star Time history, we know that it is as solid a fictitious history as the History of Technic Civilization - presenting major events, exotic environments and imaginative aliens.
In The People Of The Wind, Ythrians and human beings live on Avalon while there is interstellar war between the Terran Empire and the Domain of Ythri. In Fire Time, Ishtarians and human beings live on Ishtar while there is interstellar war between the World Federation and the Naqsan League. Some human beings have divided loyalties. Do these sound like the same book? That is only because I have summarized a few very general parallels while omitting all the details.
Anderson understands that generals send their men (or males) into action knowing that a large percentage will die. Hence questions like: how many lives is it worth to capture the city? Some fictitious military heroes survive every battle but, in The People Of The Wind, an Ythrian female loses her fiancee to friendly fire and, in Fire Time, a human woman loses her brother to the Naqsans and her Ishtarian friend to the barbarians. The barbarian leader dies also.
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