I know it stated in the book that the Jade Falcons would restart the programs and that it had been corrupted with virus's left. It also came across that the families of the scientists were going to be killed by the Falcons. Who is to say that the program that was put into place protecting the Fortress wasnt also currupted by the scientists who are getting back at the republic for getting there families killed. Were not told much detail about the program.

In the end chapters it says that the republic expanded and retook the areas that the withdrew from and possible more. It also implies that the Republic is not the same but something better or different.

It doesn't tell you if they had retaking the areas occupied by Jade Falcon. You dont know if there still there of not.

I think Levin already informed Redburn that Stone had already set aside some post-Jihad Technology that could help secure Fortress. More likely or not, The Repuhblic already has satelite defense technology, they just did not want The Jade Falcons replicating it or knowing its potential weaknesses.

most likely for the case on falcons, well they take skype b/c is only 2 jumps from terra and they still wanted to be ikan if i not mistaken
As for the jag returning to terra and grabing their birth right.......i dun think is possible as i think the jag are honorable ppl that will not stab republic/levin in the back as the republic/stone are the only ones who help them during the jihad where they are left to die and give them a home to live in and rebuild plus i think levin is not that dumb, i sure he have think through all possiblity b4 release them from the bondmanship.
wat i think the jag are gonna do wat wolf dragoon did......go to terra and announce they are smoke jaguar descentdent, also the jag are no longer clan like, if they are they would have grab terra long time ago. rem their home is on new earth and is one jump away from terra and their training is way superior to their republic counterparts.
lastly rem the last sentence "I will not fail u, Paul,. i will let the rest of the inner sphere know that the wayward children whom they have damed have returned to their doorstep as their saviors." A strong indication that the inner sphere is being attack from an unknown powerful faction and the fidelis are the one that they save them from it.

picked up the book friday and i cant put it down,its paper crack, the pulp fiction style that has keep me puzzled is even more exciting. its like a series of books in one. when i finish the book I am going to go back and read each mini series from 1-9, maybe i can reveal more secrets that way. the action is great, the fidelis are tough!!!

Sorry for the bump guys, but I just finished reading it, and I have to add my piece, since this is probably the best work of MW fiction yet (MW, not CBT).

- Blaine Pardoe is an excellent writer. I was a bit peeved with the way the story was meshed, and still am, but the way is was put leaves me with little room to actually be upset. Important information was provided throughout, and at no time was I lost, trying to decipher what came where, when.

- I'm quite sure some people, on reading the word 'Paul' thought up Paul Masters from KIS, as I did. I hope I'm right in now assuming (after reading this thread, and rethinking back to SJ history from TotC [Twilight of the Clans]) that Paul is actually Paul Moon, the Elemental.

- The WOW!!! factor was definitely there, especially with the revelation that the Jaguars survive. I also hope that I'm right in assuming the 'Unopened Book' is actually the Jaguar Rememberance.

- Agree with some on the revelation of Fortress + 21 years. Risky, but I believe the way it was put was very classy, and a bit emotional too, I'm sure. So we do know who survives, and that Redburn died, although the details on that will hopefully be in a (not too distant) future novel. Also, Fortress lasts about 2 decades, from what I read. Hopefully MW lasts that long, and longer, so we can find out what goes on in there. On the flip side, the revelation is risky, as now, stories which include the people, especially Levin, won't have a huge impact, since we know some semblance of the Republic lives on, as does Levin. No more cliffhangers that Levin might die.

- Ah, relationships. Saw the Crystal Synd/Boyne one come pretty fast. I do have a question, regarding Erbe and Hancock. Do they have something going on? :cheeky:

All in all, a magnificent book. As Blaine Pardoe mentioned, and this is probably what makes this book special and head and shoulders above many others, there were no good guys or bad guys, just people doing what they assume is necessary for their causes. People should definitely remember that, especially with regards to real life, because that is exactly what happens. From a quote I remember; "There are no evil people, only those who think they are doing good".

Hope to see more of this unravel, and kudos to all the writers in the MW universe. All of you do one heck of a job.

Probably not, since there are several references to the ceremony there having been in place for years. IIRC, Synd hadn't been to the last 3 ceremonies and it was implied that she had attended many before that.

Personally, the second-to-last chapter (Epilogue 1, I believe) was my least-favorite of the whole book. I found it kind of corny. Of the three main storylines - with about 9 main characters - two couples hook up? It takes the insane Ghost Knight 20 years to finally kill himself? Give me a break. I think the book would have been just fine without that chapter at all - just skip to the Jaguars' "return" as the Fidelis, and leave it at that.

As for the revelation that Levin will survive - I wasn't really expecting him to die anyway. It's not like he's on the field of battle very often anymore. He's a key Republic official. Getting to him would be harder than getting to the President of the US - which has happened before in our history, but not often, and mostly not with success. If Victor got to live to be over a hundred, why not Levin?

Yeah, but this is a universe with a tradition of leaders leading from the front on the battlefield. Victor's survival for that long is more of an anomaly than the trend.

Not to mention that Levin is a rather hands-on kind of guy and would be the type to hop in his 'Mech and head for the battlefield rather than allow others to fight for him. His aides would, of course, probably try to stop him, but would they be successful?

@Asbury,

I suppose it does come down to taste. I did say going that far forward was risky. I personally liked it.

As Rooster mentions, Victor was an anomaly. One of a kind, if you will, and thats coming from one of the few Fedders who didn't like him!!! I was half expecting Levin to go the way Redburn did, actually.

Ah, and the relationships thingy. Corny, but hey, the Lady Synd/Boyne thing was pretty obvious. I'm still wondering about Erbe/Hancock.

@Rooster,

I thought they'd had a few ceremonies, but not that many, which was why I said about. Maybe a decade and a half, or even slightly more than a decade would be closer, you think??

I finished the book last night and I loved it. It's the first book (especially an MW book) that I had an extremely hard time putting down. I cannot wait for another book by Blaine Pardoe and I hope we can have more books with Devlin Stone in them and I would also love to see more of the Fedelis (Clan Smoking Jaguar). By the way, is there a Clan Smoking Jaguar avatar out there somewhere?? I would love to use it here on the realms. :)

What BT novels have the Smoke Jaguars in them?

Read the Twilight of the Clans Series and it will give the lo -down and complete..(?) desruction of the "Chain" Smokn' Jaguars.

Impetus of War also has the Jaguars, IIRC. They were the bad guys, though :).

first off kudos (Custos) to Mr Pardoe for participating in the discussion and illuminating us with his prose. :classic: :classic:

i really enjoyed the book, the action scenes, dialogue, plot development and the characterisations were all, IMHO, excellent however the epilogue did leave me a little cold. the reason for this is that we now have a definite end to Fortress Republic and i know that a lot of posters and players happen to despise the impact that the RotS had on their vision of the BT universe and this will give them fuel to snipe at us. mind you, i suppose that this is something that we have become accustomed to over the last few years! :p

Combine the events of Blood Avatar and Surrender Your Dreams. Is it possible that the Fidelis were originally recruited by the Word of Blake? Hotspots of the Jihad makes several mentions of WoB operations in the Deep Periphery where the remains of Clan Smoke Jaguar probably would have fled. And the consistent use of Latin coincides with the WoB's and all the classical mythology references of the Rhodes Project.

And if you don't see the WoB connection to Latin, check out the Black Ghosts- White Death event on ClassicBattletech.com. Manei Domini? Opacus Venatori? Seraph? Preta? All of these are WoB military terms in Latin outlined in the new classic battletech event. I seriously suspect that the Fidelis are the allies of the WoB.


On another note, any guess as to the signifigance of the Callison mission?