Chapter Fifteen

 

"We're gonna have to leave someone with the ship."

I shook my head. "Zenla, that was about as interesting as the past thirty times you've said it."

"Well, no one responded!" She let out an irritated huff. 

"You're basically stating the obvious," Kristern added. She turned to smirk at Zenla. "Are you volunteering?"

"No?" Zenla sighed. "I just wanted to make sure you guys were listening."

"Well, I was trying to focus." I turned back to the front and examined the looming ship. "I think Kristern should stay on the ship."

"Why?" She frowned at me.

"Because we'll probably need a good pilot if something goes awry." Reaga shrugged. "It probably will."

"Then why doesn't Winera stay behind? She was the one who was inconscience a few minutes ago. And, it's her ship and she's the better pilot." Kristern raised an eyebrow at me. 

"I need to go, so I can sense Reyjin if she's here."

"What if she isn't?"

"Well, we won't know that until we get there will we?" I gripped the control yoke tighter. 

"You can't sense her now?" Zenla moved to stand behind me, also studying the cruiser.

"I haven't been able to, because no one is letting me focus!" 

Reaga sighed. "Alright, I have an idea. Kristern, you'll stay with the ship. If anything goes really wrong, then we'll need some kind of diversion. That'll be you." She turned to me and Zenla. "We're gonna have to fast here, okay?"

I nodded and got up. "I'm ready." I turned to Kristern. "I suppose you can take us in."

She grinned and slid into the pilot seat. 

A few minutes later, she maneuvered us against an airlock. Reaga, Zenla, and I climbed out of the Silver Blade and into the ship. The hallway was silent, so we hurried along it without too much need for stealth. 

Reaga pointed to a small alcove. "Try to sense her."

I closed my eyes to focus and reached out with the Force. A second later, I felt something click.

Is that you, Winera?

It's me. Are you okay?

Not really, no. Where are you?

Looking for you. Are you on a cruiser?

So many questions. I don't think so. You got away? I thought you were in trouble.

I was. Reaga and Zenla found me.

Oh. Reyjin's voice grew quieter. I'm not on a cruiser, I'm not quite certain where I am, but I've learned that Aera is somewhere around Dantooine. Try and find her, then come get me please.

Bossy.

Hey, cut me some slack. I don't like being a prisoner very much.

I sighed. Alright, hold on a bit longer. I'll  find you sooner rather than later.

Pleeeease hurry. I can't pretend to be unconscious much longer.

I opened my eyes and met the gazes of Reaga and Zenla. "Reyjin isn't on this ship, but we think Aera is."

Reaga nodded slowly. "Alright then, here's what we're going to do, and you are not going to argue. We're going to find Aera and bring her back to Courascant. Then we'll grab a few more people and try to find Reyjin."

Zenla and I exchanged looks. We didn't like the idea of having to leave Reyjin behind, but we didn't really have a choice.

Finally, I nodded.

It might take a bit, Reyjin, but we ARE coming for you.

Know the Novel Tag part UNO

 

Yes, I know, it has been wayyyyyyy to long for me to show my face here again. I understand the mutual desire to murder me where I stand. Can it wait... a little longer???

Alright, so I hope you have your interest peaked a little bit. You're doing a tag? Wow... What is it? Well, another blogger I follow, Christine Smith, created this tag... five? years ago. I heard about it this year, and decided to go for a spin.

That's all good and dandy, but what is it? I'm very glad you asked.

Know the Novel is a 3-part linkup series for writers, one for each of these last three months of the year. Each part will feature ten questions you can answer on your own blog (or anywhere else on social media, if you’d like!). The questions will be focusing on different parts of your novel and how the writing is going.

This is Part One. I am terrifiedly excited.

And nowwwwww for the questions:

1. What first sparked the idea for this novel?

Well, this is actually book TWO in a series I started last year as a school project. I really adored the characters and the setting and the genre and all of it, so I decided to expand.

Technically, it started because one night I sat up in bed and thought, "What would it look like if in a few years Christianity is persecuted in the U.S.A?" Lovely bedtime ideas, I know... Anyhow, that was how the idea was born, and now it's my big story world...

2. Share a blurb (or just an overall summary)!

Okay blurbs.........

Sienna desperately wants to prove herself as a smuggler but can't seem to stop getting caught. With the famous Wilson Tomas gone, this is her time to shine. But Wilson returns, defeated and heart-broken, with two new companions. And when the foursome gets sent on a mission to the missing Christians in a recently destroyed town, Sienna might finally have her chance to prove herself.

Keith just wants life to go back to normal. He wants to know that his parents are safe at home, not part of the many missing citizens of their city. But with that fateful raid, he has to protect his twin sister- but can he, when he doubts himself? When he doubts his faith?

When an unexpected and shockingly calculating villain reveals herself, Sienna, Keith, and their companions are forced to trust each other to survive. But with two of their company doubting themselves, can they find their way to safety... and rescue their captured friend?

3. Where does the story take place? What are some of your favorite aspects of the setting?

Sienna, Wilson, and his friends start out in Montana, but the majority of the story is in a town I made-up called Lebanon in South Carolina. It's set about thirty or so years in the future, but I don't have any fancy extra tech or usual dystopian vibes. Except that a lot of people died...

MOVING ON

4. Tell us about your protagonist(s).

Yeah, there's five of them... Which compared to some of my books, isn't a lot, but it's still iffy at times. There was one chapter I completely forgot to mention Lyra in...

SIENNA WILDER

Sienna is very ambitious, loyal, a little too trusting at times, and reckless at times. She's fourteen yeas old, and she prides herself as one of the youngest smugglers. Her hope to be as good as the legendary Wilson Tomas makes her a little too quick to act at times, and she reeeeally hates admitting she needs help. Her simple training isn't enough to fully prepare her for the real world of smuggling.

KEITH NAKAMURA

Keith is very introverted, caring, and quiet, although he can lose his temper if provoked. He isn't the most trusting person around, but once you get his trust, he'll follow you to hell and back again. He doubts himself and the strength of his faith at times, but usually keeps up a strong facade. He's fifteen, but sometimes acts older or younger than his age, usually to annoy his twin.

WILSON TOMAS

Wilson is strong, brave, faithful, and broken. He used to be the best of the best smugglers, but every since what he considers to be his biggest failure, his confidence is shattered. He is sixteen, and has already lied more than some adults. Ever since his best friend died, he struggles with remembering not everyone is hurting like he is. The only thing pulling him through is that God is working all things for good. 

LYRA HALLOW

Lyra is fierce, a warrior, strong, and an actress. All her friends joke that she speaks with her fists, but only the very closest realize her snark is the best mask she knows to hide her pain. Not even the closest understand the amount of suffering she's experienced, and that doesn't include the bullet she currently has in her leg. She's sixteen, but has the eyes of an adult. After losing her dad, she has secretly vowed to never let anyone else die... no matter the cost.

 

ETHAN PACKER

Ethan is intelligent, tired, loyal, reserved, and not ready to commit. Ever since he defected from the army, he's been moving closer to accepting Jesus. But the cost still seems too high. There were too many people who died because of him, why would he be accepted? He is twenty-two, but hanging around with Wilson and the peanut gallery has aged him closer to thirty. He's ready to make amends, but scared of how they come around.

FELICITY NAKAMURA

Felicity is sassy, caring, joyful, and frightened. Around her twin, Keith, she turns into a fireball of snark and roasting, but with strangers, she is a weak ball of emotions. She understands that it is probably be too late for their parents, so she devotes herself to helping Keith. His newfound doubt scares her as much as these strangers who claim to be here to help. She's fifteen, but in this nerve wracking world of smuggling, she steps up to the job as mother of the pack. She doesn't want to die, but believes she's ready when the time comes.

That was fun...

5. Who (or what) is the antagonist?

Well, I kinda love my main villain. Yelina Archer, cold and calculating. I based her planning skills after Grand Admiral Thrawn, if there are any Star Wars Rebels fans out there reading this which there had BETTER be... although her personality is her own. I don't want to go too in depth on her, because last time I tried that, I scared myself into taking a hiatus from this book.

For the "stormtroopers" if I may call them that, I basically have a bunch of soldiers running amok making messes. 

6. What excites you the most about this novel?

Probably knowing that the last one felt like it drew me deeper into my faith, so hopefully this one will as well. Since I have a character who is doubting whether or not it's worth it, I've been forced to think a lot harder about what I believe.

Also, I reeeeeeeeeally love these characters....

7. Is this going to be a series? standalone? something else?

Okay, technically speaking, this should be book THREE in the series I've dubbed the Martyrs Saga. I wrote the first one, To Die is Gain, last year, although I guess it should be called book two. Also- I just realized I haven't even mentioned this one's title. Book three: Take Up your Cross. I'm planning on going back to the beginning to write the ACTUAL first one, To Live is Christ. It's very confusing, I know. It wasn't originally going to be a series, buuuuuuuuuuuuuuut... I LOVE MY CHARACTERS TOO MUCH.

8. Are you plotting? pantsing? plansting?

I just give myself a vague idea and let the book write itself. I don't know what that would be called... I don't think I've ever heard the term "pantsing" before...

9. Name a few unique elements in this story.

Well, as stated earlier, it's a dystopian U.S.A. with persecuted Christians but no real futurific... stuff. It's in Third Person POV and there are two POV characters. If you can guess which two, I'll give you a cookie.

10. Share some fun “extras” of the story (a song or full playlist, some aesthetics, a collage, a Pinterest board, a map you’ve made, a special theme you’re going to incorporate, ANYTHING you want to share!).

Alright, I don't make too many playlists for my books... but I do love collages... BECAUSE OF THAT, I'M GONNA ADD TWO, one from To Die is Gain, because WHY NOT?

The girl at the bottom is Ariel Johnson, the protagonist of TDiG.

And here's the one for TUyC.

So, that was Part One of the Know the Novel tag. If you want to see the original post here it is. I hope you enjoyed this post, and I will do my very best to post more here. I'll hopefully remember to get part two and three for this tag, but if I don't... PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. I AM A VERY BUSY, FORGETFUL BEAN. 

anyways, thank you for reading, and I hope to see you around here again soon. if you want, leave a comment, i'd love to hear from you, but i know i can't force you to do anything. i mean, i myself am not a Jedi. buuut i do know some Jedi around town....