Who Is Snoke?

Since the day Star Wars:  The Force Awakens was released into theaters, people have been guessing and publicly theorizing on the true identity of the dark Supreme Leader Snoke.  Some claim to prove that Darth Vader survived his funeral pyre and became Snoke.  Others claim it to be Darth Sidious/Emperor Palpatine, wounded when he survived the destruction of the second Death Star.  More still offer up facts that support the despised Jar Jar Binks as the one behind the holographic projection of Snoke.

I have an idea of my own.  It is supported by as much evidence as any of the other theories floating around out there.  The true identity of Supreme Leader Snoke is none other than Gaston from Beauty and The Beast.  Below are the facts that lead me to think this.

Snoke's wounds.  Gaston could easily have received head wounds like those seen on Snoke as he fell from Beast's castle.  His pale coloring could also be explained by some time spent exposed to the snow and cold waters present after the battle at the castle.

The Force.  Gaston's inability to use The Force would not be a handicap.  Nowhere is it shown that Snoke is able to use The Force.  He leads those under him with a strong hand and a drive that gets them to willingly follow him blindly.  Gaston has shown a similar ability to get others to follow him without anyone considering their own actions.

Size.  Gaston has a huge ego and sense of entitlement.  If he were to use a holographic system to communicate with his underlings, that projection would certainly be of considerable size.  The immensity of Snoke's image would only be fitting for a self-image as large as Gaston has.  After one view of Gaston's arms collection in his hunting lodge, is a weapon the size of a planet powered by a sun really much of a stretch?

Getting around.  All the different worlds in Disney's universe are interconnected.  This can be seen with the occasional appearance of characters from one area in another.  The methods are further exploited by Sora and others in the Kingdom Hearts video games.  With the recent inclusion of the worlds of Star Wars into the enveloping arms of Disney, it's not impossible to imagine a manner of transportation from the village Belle and Gaston lived in to the planetary weapon in The Force Awakens.

Are there any connection between Gaston and Snoke I missed?  Do you have an issue with one of the reasons I listed?  Is there someone you think would fit the bill better?  Leave a comment and let me know.

Endings

When planning a road trip you look at where you are, where you are going, and any stops you may want to visit along the way.  Writing a novel is generally done in the same way.  Figure out where the characters start and who they are.  Then, put them into situations that challenge them along their journey to the end of the story.  That is how it's supposed to work anyway.

Sometimes the characters refuse to cooperate and decide they want to take a different route than originally planned.  They would rather go and see The Alamo instead of taking the northern route by Mount Rushmore. I am having trouble finishing off my current novel, the sequel to Dangerous Stars.  One of the characters wanted to be playful, so I wrote in a prank for him to pull off.  Now my cast of crew mates doesn't want the story to end.

Until I manage to get them in line, here is a sample scene from the as yet untitled novel.

In the space outside, the CARRION CRUISER reaches a distance from the KRENNET that would barely be considered safe for maneuvering by nearly any pilot in space. The captain of the CARRION CRUISER transmits a signal directly to the KRENNET that Crystal relays to Traylor.

“This is Gierness Johnson, captain of the CARRION CRUISER. Delivery has been completed and accepted. The cargo is alive and well in your possession. We will depart this system once payment has been made and your AI sends ours the deposit authorization code.”

“Captain Johnson, this is Traylor. I am the pilot of the KRENNET. We were not authorized to make any kind of payment or credit transfer at this time. That wasn't a part of the instructions we agreed to. The previous carriers didn't require anything before their departures. It is our understanding that payment will be arranged by the officer that dispatched you with your orders.”

“No! I refuse to split any more payments with a little rat of a middle man that risks nothing more serious than a sore on his ass from sitting in his chair too long. We take the chances with the authorities, we risk our lives handling these and transporting these scum. We deserve more than just a pittance to live on. Now, either pay us or give us all the slaves you have. We'll deliver them ourselves and get the big payday.”

As Captain Johnson spoke, a series of alarming indicators activate on Traylor's panels. Crystal confirms what Traylor is seeing. “The other ship is activating their weapons systems and they are targeting us.”

Traylor thumbs a switch that will broadcast her voice through the entire ship. “Attention all personnel. Passengers secure yourselves to your bunks. Crew to stations. The CARRION CRUISER has taken an aggressive stance and we expect to be attacked at any minute. All airlocks are being automatically sealed. Passengers, be aware all hatches between cargo bay decks are automatically secured as well. In case of injury, please remain where you are until the threat has passed and help will be dispatched to you.”

While I try to get everyone in line, feel free to get yourself a copy of Dangerous Stars and Post Exodus to enjoy.  Once you've read them, leave a comment here or a review on your favorite site saying what you thought.

Beginnings

Every story has a beginning.  From "Once upon a time..." to "It was a dark and stormy night..." the start of a story is how the mood is set and characters are introduced.  Sometimes the details of a characters history, or that of the world itself, may be revealed as the story develops.  Other times these details are explained in the opening chapter.  Regardless of when the background is mentioned, it is the opening of a story that grabs the reader.

Here is an opening that has been running around my noggin for some time.  I don't know if there will ever be more of a story to go with it, but that is beside the point.

The sun is nestled in the mountains of the distant horizon.  The blue of the sky had been washed away by reds and oranges The light on the opposite hills had darkened with the departure of the day.  The peaks above the hills still glowed with the last of the waning light.

The strip of a black road stretches through the valley between the glowing heights and the shrinking orb.  Strolling beside the darkened strip is a lone figure.  He walks towards the setting sun, his back in shadow as he moves.

The air cools as the colors in the sky fade to black.  The shadows cast by the small brush on the valley floor disappear completely as the light of the sun vanishes.  The lone figure continues to walk in the dark.  The faint light of the full moon allowing him to maintain his path along the road.  His past lay behind him, distant but not forgotten.  The uncertainty of his future lay beyond the horizon before him.  Between the two was just the here and now.

We are all on a journey from the past into the future.  What happens on that journey may not always be planned or desired.  However, which path is taken and how fast it's traveled is entirely up to each and every one of us.

The Noah Come Ashore

My story of the Noah has taken a firm seat in the back row as I worked on other stories and ideas.  I think it's time for these aliens from a world covered in oceans to continue their quest to save humanity.

With everyone else on the base running around packing, Darryl made his way into the communications room to see if he could ask the Noah to translate the unusual signal his cousin had found.  The equipment was still active, but the Private that usually operated it was nowhere to be seen.  That was very unusual since messages may come in from the Noah or governments at any time.  Darryl didn't dwell on the situation much as he takes the seat before the console and enters the commands to transmit a signal to the Noah.  He included the signal his cousin had detected and requested any additional information the Noah may have on its nature.  In all honesty, Darryl figured it was simply a relay signal from the Noah themselves.

The captain of the Noah ship initiates the final DNA scans and collection procedures to save the various species of Earth.  Collection systems and biological storage tanks are readied for the humans to occupy them while in suspension.  There are enough tanks and space for every human being on Earth, assuming they can all be evacuated before the Drag'kon arrive.

The communications officer on the Noah ship received the new signal from Earth.  The first part of the signal was simple enough.  The attached audio file did cause some alarm.  The communications officer quickly alerted the ship's captain and began reviewing earlier scans of the solar system.  There she finds the Drag'kon scout ship's ion trail.  More to her dismay, she sees the Drag'kon attack fleet as they emerge from the asteroid belt in full attack formation.

Small, swift attack craft surround the rest of the fleet.  Their energy weapons primed to harass any defenses the fleet might encounter.  Any major damage would be dealt by the disruptor arrays and missile launchers of the larger ships.  The single Noah ship, even a battlecruiser, would be hard pressed to defend itself against such numbers.  Keeping the Earth safe while evacuating the planet would be nearly impossible.

There are still some elements of the story I wish to use.  It's just a matter of figuring out how to get them to fit in naturally.

The Source of Sorcery

Magic has been a part of fantasy stories for as long as humanity has been telling them.  From tales of mysticism during the Dark Ages to magic being wielded by superheroes in comic books and movies.  While the source of all the different magics varies, the common thread is that the user controls and shapes the energies to their will.  What if the source took a human form?  Would that person have a will of their own or would it be the will of the energy itself?  Would it be influenced by the wishes and desires of all the magic users?  How would that person be viewed by other people?

While I can't come up with all the answers today, I will do my best to answer that last question.  I have long thought about the conversation two wizards might have when confronted with a sorcerer that is literally the source of their power.

"Jack, you see that guy over there?"

"Which one?"

"The one leaning against the tree looking relaxed."

"Yeah, I see him.  Now that I look and really See him, there is something odd about him."

"Are you telling me you don't know who he is?"

"I feel like I should, but I don't."

"He's the One.  The true sorcerer.  The one living person that has been in The Chamber of The Ancients."

"No!  It can't be.  That is just an urban legend.  Nobody knows where that is.  That's where all the magical energy in the world comes from.  Legend tells us that the Life Crystal down there is what lets us cast the spells we do."

"Exactly.  The Ancients discovered it centuries ago and they were able to manipulate the massive wild energies found in that cavern into a crystal that could be controlled and manipulated.  Generations later those same Ancients sealed the cavern and crystal."

"Right.  It's said they saw magic being used too much and feared the energies would be drained for no reason.  From that day on magic vanished from the world, the battery removed before it could be drained.  I even heard there are giant statues of The Ancients down there, although nobody's ever seen them."

"Nobody but that guy over there.  I heard he was called to the desert and he fell asleep in the dirt.  When he awoke, he was in The Cavern.  The statues of the Ancients spoke to him.  They asked about the state of the world and the people in it.  Without any fear in his heart, he told them of the struggles and difficulties humanity faced.  The Crystal before him started to glow and he instantly knew what had to be done to bring magic back to the world.  The Crystal gave itself to him completely.  That's what I heard anyway."

"That can't be the same guy though.  He's too young.  He looks like he's barely older than my daughter.  The schools of magic were established a couple of decades ago, and magic had been reappearing in isolated spots long before that."

"If you didn't just wield power, but were the embodiment of power itself, do you think you would age much?"

"Probably not.  I still don't think that's him.  I See that he is in control of quite a bit of power, but I don't think he has that much."

"That's just it.  He doesn't have the power, he IS the power.  It doesn't flow through him, it comes directly from him in the form he wants it to be,"

"I still don't think so.  There is too much legend behind what he is supposed to have done for him to be just leaning against a tree in the middle of our town.  Now that I think about it, I don't remember a tree ever being right there before."

"Well, I guess we'll never know if it's him or not.  He's leaving.  Off to some grand adventure I'm sure.  Besides, you're right.  There wasn't a tree there before.  If you look, there isn't one there now either."

Comment below and let me know if you think magic entering our modern world would solve many of the problems we have, or make them worse.

Another Generation of Serenity

I have been a fan of Joss Whedon's space Western Firefly for a long time.  I frequently mentally curse the executives at the Fox network that fouled up the shows episode order and then cancelled it entirely too quickly.

Many fans of the beloved crew of the Firefly-class transport ship have asked, begged, and pleaded for more episodes.  Unfortunately, the actors have all moved on to other series.  Bringing them back together would be extremely difficult, almost impossible.  There is also the fact that the performers have all aged in the decade since the movie Serenity was released.  Some of them may not be up to the kind of role another season of chases, shootouts, sword fights, and dances may demand of them.

There is a simple way around this problem.  A second generation of crew.  A new group on board the Serenity taking what jobs they can get paid for and avoiding the long reach of the Alliance government.  Children of the original crew and some new passengers travelling the 'Verse.

Chloe Washburne-- The daughter of Zoe and Wash.  After discussing her desire to start a family, Zoe unknowingly becomes pregnant a matter of days before Wash is killed by the Reapers.  Zoe's pregnancy becomes evident and continues during a rare extended period of legitimate business endeavors by the crew of the Serenity.  Chloe is born and raised on board the ship, tools becoming her toys and removable panels her hiding places.  By the time she reaches the age of fourteen, she knows the ship intimately enough to become the best pilot ever to fill Wash's vacated seat.

Jeremiah Reynolds-- One day a teenager is waiting outside the ship with a note in a sealed envelope.  The message simply reads "Mal, I have had my time with our child, now it is your turn.  Signed, your loving wife."  The young man is the son of Malcolm Reynolds and Yolanda/Saffron/Bridgette.  In the underground life they lead, the crew of the Serenity encounter this manipulative woman a number of times.  Not all of them end as successfully as the episodes we have seen.  During one particularly dark event, Yosafbridge knocks Mal out and manages to impregnate herself with his child.  Her exact reasoning and goals are unknown.  All that is certain is that he inherited his father's drive and sense of right along with his mother's flexible morals and sense of self-worth.  Some day he may fill his father's boots as captain, but only once he realizes the kind of man he is and wants to be.  For the time being, he struts his stuff as the intimidating muscle of the ship.

"Ambassador" Richardson-- Thomas Richardson is a political attache with a small planet.  The planet's position is just outside the Central Planets that make up the core of the Alliance government, but it provides an essential service the Alliance military requires.  This allows members of the planet's ruling family nearly as many privileges as high ranking members of the military.  Having seen the extremes the Alliance would go to and their lack of concern for their own people, Thomas is more than willing to undermine them whenever he can.  Like Inara, his presence on board gives the Serenity a degree of legitimacy and allows it to dock many places they would otherwise be denied.

Kaylee and Simon Tam-- The married couple retains their roles as engineer and ship's doctor.  Her wedding dress was a familiar poofy pink gown and their cake prominently featured strawberries on each layer.  Much of Kaylee's unique decorating style now adorns the couple's shared bunk and the infirmary as well as the engine room.  The two of them take care of the ship and crew like loving parents watching over an active and potentially dangerous family.

River Tam-- The youngest person on the original crew now leads the current personnel as Captain.  Her unique abilities earned her much respect from friends and foes alike.  As time passed, new abilities surfaced and her control of them has waxed and waned.  She has become comfortable with what was done to her, but still fears the pairs of individuals with "hands of blue."

The addition of a new crew does not mean the old crew is forgotten.  Malcolm could make occasional appearances as the operator of an out of the way station or settlement.  He would have legitimate and illegal missions for the crew to complete as well as fatherly advice for his son that may or may not be heeded, or even correct.  Jayne easily has a future as an arms dealer.  His beloved Vera mounted on the wall behind his desk as he gives the current crew access to specialized equipment, at a price.  While I can't think of a reason for Inara to appear, I do feel confident that Joss Whedon could if the situation demanded it.

What next generation character would you like to see in an extended Firefly series?  Is there a villain that you would like to reappear?  Am I completely wrong on all of my characters?  Let me know what you think in the comments.

The Ultimate Control

News headlines over the last few months have been filled with incidents involving guns.  Many politicians, including President Obama, have put forth suggestions for further regulations regarding gun purchases and ownership.  While I agree that there are some people that should not be allowed to own or wield a firearm, this does not mean the public at large should be prevented from having guns for their own personal use.

Executive orders and knee-jerk legislation are not a way to debate how to properly prevent these tragedies.  These regulations simply force the opinion of one side of the debate on the general public without allowing a differing view to express itself.  While the slope may not be very slippery, but it is a path that politicians like to walk down without considering what may lie at the other end.  As long as they have their power, lawmakers don't bother with the consequences of their words.

Once politicians have the power to dictate who can have what, where will civilization eventually lead?  When laws and privileges are based on political contributions, how will the lines between the elite and the common citizens be defined?

Life is good.  Sure, I have to perform the occasional patrol, but there are worse duties than strolling through some of the nicer residential neighborhoods.  I could have been assigned border patrol or forced to work shifts at one of the Allotment Centers.  Imagine spending eight hours a day having to deal with all of those lower classes.  I guess I balanced partying and studying during my six years at college.  With the government paying all my expenses, I could have stayed longer.  Unfortunately, my parents wanted me to graduate and start making appearances at the social events they frequented.

I pat the firearm on my hip.  I was off duty, but it was my right to carry one so I wore it everywhere.  I even had a fashionably decorated holster for it to rest in.  Maybe one day I will visit the firing range and become an accurate shooter, or maybe not.  It's not like I have to worry about ever using it.  None of the lower classes were allowed guns so it's not like I was going to be shot by any of them.  Of course they spent their entire lives slaving away at their menial jobs and living in their simple homes.  Having to pay for their own education meant they never learned anything important anyway.

 It's a good thing my family became Elites generations ago.  Their contributions to the Politicals back then really worked out for me.  I didn't even have to work hard to avoid serving in the military.  I just had to check a box on a form when I graduated high school.  Let the Commoners keep the country free.  That's what they are for anyway.

In this world I see Politicals as a ruling class, sitting in their mansions on high making decisions that impact the lives of the population at large.  The Elites are the families that have given to the campaigns of the Politicals.  These company owners and their descendants enjoy certain extra perks and a higher social status.  Their contributions allow then to influence the policies the Politicals create through their votes and their dollars.  The last group is the Commoners.  These people make up the bulk of the population.  They work the hardest of the three social classes.  Their power and influence is exerted the least despite their vastly more numerous population.

With this in mind, I have two questions.  Are there any other privileges the Elites or Politicals may have that the Commoners are denied?  If things continue they way they currently are, how long before our society begins to resemble this model?