Cats & Dragons

It's a little after four in the morning and I am sitting here writing about Cats & Dragons.
It's raining steady right now, after an early AM bout of light rain and sprinkles.
Showers blowing in off the Gulf of Mexico. I bet my buddies working offshore are getting some of this.
I'm up because the cats were outside. They've been spending most nights outside these days when the weather's good, although recently we've had quite a bit of rain in the area.
I woke up to the sound of thunder... how far off I sat and wondered... to quote Bob Segar.
I felt a little light headed, so I poured a small glass of orange juice.
That's not part of the song, that's just what I did.
I opened the front door and called the cats.
Baby Girl came running.
Took Big Boy about fifteen minutes to make his way to the door.
He's moving slower these days. We're not sure how old he is, but we reckon he's about fifteen or sixteen years old.
He's lost a lot of weight, down from his fighting trim of twenty pounds to about twelve.
Baby's down from a high of nine pounds to about seven. We think she's about nine or ten years old.
Neither one of them has very many teeth any more.
At any rate, they're both in, my blood sugar is back up, so I'm going to try and catch a couple of hours of sleep.
I'd rather stay here writing about Cats & Dragons, but I gotta get up in a couple of hours and write about ammonia.
It's pretty interesting, actually.
But I'd rather be writing about Cats & Dragons.

As always, thanks for reading!

Dave

I'm a Writer

I'm a Writer

I'm a Writer of space fantasy and adventure.  

I'm a designer of starships and space stations. 

I'm an anthropologist who studies peoples ancient and modern. 

I'm a political scientist who studies governments and the people who ruin them. 

I'm a biologist who studies the flora and fauna of strange and distant worlds. 

I'm a environmental scientist who studies the ecosystems of planets and star systems. 

I'm a storyteller, a weaver of tales of flight and fancy. Of tales of romance and adventure. 

I can make you laugh. 

I can make you cry. 

I can make you cheer for the good guys. 

I can make you jeer the bad guys. 

I can make you hold your breath in anticipation. 

I can make you scream in frustration. 

And in the end you'll hope the good guys win, but you won't know for sure...

Because happily ever after is never guaranteed!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Dragon Betrayal Chapter 1 The Tycho Pride

Merry Christmas from the DragonHawk Saga!

If you're looking for last minute Christmas presents, don't forget about Dragon Hunter and Dragon Heart, available at your favorite e-book store! In the meantime. Here's the first little bit of Dragon Betrayal for you!

Chapter 1: The Tycho Pride

“She’s so beautiful!” Lady Annie Hawkes gasped, as the shuttle Tycho Pride One slowly cruised past the spacedock where the Tycho Pride was moored. “I can’t believe its been ten seasons…”

“She looks good as new.” Lord Makala Hawkes said, his arm around his wife, Lady Mani Hawkes, as the shuttle slowly cruised past the massive hull.

“She’s better than new.” Lord Elias Hawkes said. “Every system as been upgraded with the best technology in the galaxy!”

Capella, Annie Hawkes’ Dragon Within rumbled, as she dabbed at her eyes with a tissue, fighting back her tears.

“Mommy, what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”

“It’s because of Corporal Jeanne, isn’t it?”

Capella purred, as Annie turned and looked down at her two daughters, Kiane and Liane. It was nine year old Liane who had asked her why she was crying, her young eyes filled with tears. She stood beside her older sister, who had her arm around her protectively. The eleven year old was almost on the verge of tears herself.

Elias, Makala and Mani Hawkes, looked on with pride as Annie knelt down beside the girls.

“That’s right. I was thinking about Corporal Jeanne and that horrible day the Dragon Hunters attacked the Tycho Pride.” Annie said, pulling her girls into a hug. “But I was also thinking about all of the other people who lost their lives that day. Corporal Jeanne and the other Family Guards. The Hawkkurs of Combat Team Seven and many of the Pride’s crew.”

Annie looked up and winked at her aide and bodyguard Sergeant Gabriel Giraud, who was fighting back her own tears, despite her own stubborn determination.

“You know girls, Sergeant Gabby and Corporal Jeanne were cousins.” Annie told her daughters, who turned to look at Sergeant Giraud.

Sergeant Giraud’s eyes grew wide. With a resigned sigh, she glanced at Captain Blom-Weisser before knealing down beside Lady Hawkes and her daughters.

Little Liane let go of her mother and threw herself into Sergeant Gabby’s arms.

“S’gent Gabby?” The little Drakkon Princess asked. “Do you miss Cor’prl Jeanne?”

“I miss her a lot, my little Princess.” Sergeant Giraud’s carefully replied, as Kiane let go of her mother and joined her sister in the Family Guard Sergeant’s arms.

“She and I were best friends.” She said, looking between her two charges. “Just like you two.”

“We’re coming up on the Main Landing Bay.” Lord Hawkes said, helping his wife to her feet. “Come over here to the viewport girls, where you can see!”

The Tycho Pride One slowed, the crew carefully turning the shuttle to line up on the Main Landing Bay, where the memorial service would be held.

Procyon rumbled, as Elias Hawkes stared at the brightly lit landing bay, thinking back to the desperate battle they had fought when the Dragon Hunters crashed the stolen starship, the Sulka Atma, into the Main Landing Bay, a mass suicide attack against the Tycho Drakkon.

We lost a lot of good people that day! He mused, as his Dragon WIthin growled. He glanced at his family, his parents and Annie talking to the girls, while their Family Guard Sergeants looked on. And we almost lost a lot more…

He looked up to see Captain Blom-Weisser watching him. The stoic Family Guard Captain nodded respectfully as the shuttle eased into the Main Landing Bay of the Tycho Pride.

He returned his attention to the Main Landing Bay, where two of the latest Dragon Class Assault Shuttles sat, across from one of the new prototype Tycho LightFighters being developed to replace the aging Tycho Hawk StarFighters which had been in service for over twenty seasons now.

The StarHawke Tycho glanced at his family, standing at the viewport beside him. The newly rebuilt Tycho Pride, the Dragon Shuttles, and the Light Fighters were all part of the StarHawke Tycho’s determination that his Family would be ready for the Return of the Great Dragon, the Drakkon that would restore the Star Empire and bring peace once and for all to the Thousand Galaxies of the Known Universe.

Welcome to the DragonHawk Saga!

Tonight I'd like to introduce you to the new look of the DragonHawk Saga. To celebrate this new look, I have released an extended version of Dragon Hunter and the brand new Book Two, Dragon Heart! Both are available from your favorite online bookstore. There are links below and links on my website: www.davetransou.com.

Dragon Hunter

Ten thousand seasons have passed since the end of the DragonHawk War and the collapse of the Star Empire. DragonHawks and Dragon Hunters have faded into obscurity. The Star Trader Galaxy is a shadow of the old Star Empire and its inhabitants, the Star Traders, a far cry from their Star Folk ancestors.

The InWorlds are entangled in a long and bloody war that will see the death of the Royal Republics and the rise of the Planetary Corporations. Their colonies in the OutWorlds, cut off from their royal masters by the war, have declared their own independence and struggle to organize their own Frontier Council.

The Star Traders walk a thin, dangerous line. Declaring their neutrality in the struggle of the Royal Republics, they nonetheless open their Trade Stations to the warring factions, making tremendous profits from the business of war. Meanwhile, Independent Traders from all of the Families are flocking to the OutWorlds to trade with the struggling colonies. As a backdrop to the unrest, the old legends of the Star Empire are coming back to haunt the Star Traders as rumors of DragonHawks and Dragon Hunters are whispered about the Trade.
A surprise attack on a neutral system, an attack by Dragon Hunters against the StarHawke Tycho, the discovery of a young female DragonHawk living among the Tolen Star Traders, and a dangerous Black Dragon in Conborine challenge the StarHawke Tycho, the formidable Lady Mani Hawkes, and their sons Elias Hawkes and Bane Sollar as the Drakkon of Tycho and their fierce Hawkkur Legion prepare for the Return of the Great Dragon, the DragonHawk who will restore the Star Empire and bring peace to the Thousand Universes of the Known Galaxy.

Dragon Heart

Ten thousand seasons have passed since the DragonHawk Wars and the collapse of the Star Empire. DragonHawks and Dragon Hunters have faded into obscurity. The Star Trader Galaxy is a shadow of the old Star Empire and its inhabitants, the Star Traders, a far cry from their Star Folk ancestors.

The Royal Republics War continues to slowly grind, as neither side can gain an advantage over the other. The once magnificent cities of the InWorlds lay in ruin, what’s left of their populations growing more and more desperate as an uneasy stalemate settles over the combatants. The black markets are flourishing, as smugglers fight among themselves for the best routes and markets.

In the aftermath of the Battle of Conborine, the Frontier Council is struggling to respond to what some called a “surprise attack” by the StarHawke Tycho’s Hawkkur Legion. Meanwhile, work on the repair facility has ground to a halt as the bruised and battered Star Traders from T&B Spaceyards anxiously await a desperately needed relief mission from Gaanard.

The Trade continues to struggle with a coherent trading policy towards the InWorlds and the OutWorlds. Trading with the Royal Republics has significantly decreased due to the war. Meanwhile, the Star Trader Council is divided on what to do about the StarHawke Tycho’s action on Conborine, as rumors about the battle run rife throughout the Trade.

Fresh from their victory over the Rahhol DragonHawk Nafiss Atou, the Tycho Star Traders are celebrating the growing romance between Lord Elias Hawkes and Lady Annie Tolen. Many seasons from now, Star Traders would tell their children the story about the evil Rahhol DragonHawk who sent his Dragon Hunters to kidnap a beautiful Drakkon Princess, knowing that the brave Drakkon Prince who loved her would not hesitate to come and rescue her.

Meanwhile, the Hawkkur Legion remains on a war footing, as Rahhol DragonHawks and Dragon Hunters come out of hiding to attack the Tycho Drakkon. Time grows short as they prepare for the Return of the Great Dragon, and the restoration of the Star Empire. The cost will be high, but all they can do is hope, that in the end, there will be peace among the Thousand Galaxies of the Known Universe.

You can find the DragonHawk Saga on Amazon here: The DragonHawk Saga on Amazon

You can find the DragonHawk Saga on Barnes & Noble here: The DragonHawk Saga on Barnes & Noble

You can find the DragonHawk Saga on Smashwords here: The DragonHawk Saga on Smashwords

I'll post additional links as they become available. The books are being processed by the Smashwords site, but should be up within 24 hours.

As always,

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Meanwhile, back at the Saga...

It's been a busy few days, here at the DragonHawk Saga. When I'm not working on my day job, I'm working on the mechanics of republishing Dragon Hunter with its new content and cover, as well as preparing Dragon Heart for its debut. In the meantime, I've also started editing Dragon Betrayal, book three of the DragonHawk Saga. It's completely written, just needs some editing to fit the current version of things. In the meantime, here's a sample. Hope you like it!

"Here we are." Lee announced as he pulled up to the rear of a battered class one assault shuttle.

Varla Riss eyed the shuttle with a critical eye, an amused smile working its way to her face, despite herself. Its battered sides were covered with scorch marks and there were a couple of large dents in the troop ramp. Despite its banged up appearance, the twin energy cannons protruding from the well worn blisters on either side of the command cabin appeared to be in good repair and there was no doubt in Riss' mind as to their lethality. Lee touched his scancomm and the troop ramp lowered smoothly from its belly. With a blip of the fan controls, he deftly slid the truck into the troop bay.

"Just leave your gear in the truck." Lee said, as they exited the passenger cab. "It will be unloaded when we get to Pandar."

She nodded without comment as she climbed out of the cab and watched Lee latch the truck to the troop deck. She shivered unconsciously as she glanced around the scarred interior. Memories of comrades lost and battles fought came flooding back as she followed Lee up the short ladder, emerging on the assault shuttle’s crowded command deck, sweeping the cockpit with a well-practiced gaze. Operating on memory and instinct, she climbed onto the raised platform behind the pilot, between the gunner positions, and dropped into the command chair, strapping in. Hearing a chuckle, she looked up to see Lee grinning at her from the pilot position.

“Sorry..,” Her voice trailed off, her face flush with embarrassment. She flashed him a quick smile. “Old habits…” Her voice trailed off.

“No problem, Captain Riss.” Lee replied with a grin, as he donned his headset. “It’s a nice ride and you will have a better view up there anyway.”

Varla Riss absently nodded, settling into the commander’s heavily padded chair as the memories continued to flood her consciousness. Konnr’s people were good; he always made sure they were properly briefed. And Lee was Royal Pride. He had known her since the war, when she attempted – unsuccesfully – to recruit Konnr and his crew for Bani Dermand’s Great Takeover.

She watched as Lee ran through the pilot’s preflight checklist, the sound of the shuttle’s auxiliary power unit spooling up with its familiar whine. She reached towards the commander’s console and paused, her fingers poised tentatively over the switches and selectors until she finally gave in to her memories and quickly powered up the station. Her hands moved with long mastered familiarity over the console as she brought her station to life. With a practiced motion she pushed the hood of her cloak back and slipped the headset into place.

“APU running.” Lee said over the command net, with a glance in her direction. “Main turbines coming on line.”

“Roger that!” Riss said with an unsupressed grin as the whine of the APU was lost in the twin growl of the powerful turbines.

“Tower, Kondor Seven.” Lee said as he bumped the throttles forward. “Coming out of the barn.”

The main turbines growled in response as Lee eased the big assault shuttle out of the hanger, polarized windscreens around them darkened as they emerged into the bright sunlight. Clear of the building, the shuttle’s sensors came alive, filling her console with contacts and information about their movement. She scanned them quickly, then returned her attention to the activity outside the shuttle.

The shuttle pad was busy, several smaller civilian shuttles were being serviced before they were moved to loading facilities, where they would load the anxious hunters for their flights to the lodges. Scattered over the spaceport were a number of smaller transports loading cargo or being serviced. Spacers and workers alike paused to watch the large military assault shuttle, with its ominous cannons and battered armored hull as Lee idled the craft towards the shuttle launch pad.

“Busy day.” She said over the intercom as she glanced out of the large viewports at the activity around them. In her ears, the comm channels buzzed with a steady stream of traffic moving back and forth to the huge starliners and transports orbiting overhead.

The orbiting starships operated on tight turnaround schedules and would not remain overhead any longer than necessary to deliver their passengers and cargo. Although it added to the confusion, the shuttles transporting arriving passengers to Pondalor, returned with departing passengers for the return trip. The departing passengers were usually routed to one or more of the starship’s lounges where they were fed and entertained until their quarters were ready. Despite the frantic pace, it reduced the cycle time by at least two days.

“Yeah, always is these days.” Lee agreed. “But we have a priority call sign, so we should not have any problems.”

“Kondor Seven ready to lift.” He called over the comm channel, as he eased the big shuttle onto the launch pad.

“Kondor Seven,” The tower controller’s voice came back almost immediately over the command net. “You are clear to lift, sir.”

“Mustn’t keep the boss and his lieutenants waiting…” Riss murmured over the intercom..

“Kondor Seven, roger.” Lee replied as he pushed the throttles forward.

“Or his favorite spy,” Lee replied glancing back at Riss, who shot him another thumbs up. “Ready to lift… Commander.”

“Roger, pilot.” She replied with a big smile. “Proceed with launch.”

The growl of the twin turbines grew to a roar as the shuttle’s engines came up to power. Despite her own best efforts, Varla Riss felt the adrenaline rushing through her, Bowder Lee’s laughter filling her headphones as he lifted the shuttle into a hover over the pad. Within a final check around, he hauled back on the controls, lifting the shuttle into a rapid climb. As they cleared the field, he pushed the throttles to full military power and banked the shuttle into a long sweeping turn to port, circling over the spaceport.

As always, thanks for reading!

Dave

The Saga Continues

The DragonHawk Saga continues, albeit at a slower pace that I would like.

Dragon Heart is finished. I hope to have it available for sale soon. I'm working on a new look for the saga and plan to release a new version of Dragon Hunter at the same time I release Dragon Heart. Dragon Betrayal, the third book in the saga, is virtually complete. I wrote it a long time ago and just have to edit it to fit with the current version of the books. 

I hope you like the new look.  I've been frustrated with cover designs and graphics. I don't have the funds to invest in a pro, so I'm going to do them myself. Here's a peak at the new look:

Dragon Heart picks up where Dragon Hunter left off. The main story follows the romance and wedding of Elias and Annie.  Meanwhile, there are a lot of Rahhol DragonHawks and Dragon Hunters coming out of hiding to attack the Drakkon, as the Return of the Great Dragon draws steadily closer.

Let me know what you think about the covers! And as always:

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Dragon Heart - getting close to the end.

“I have gathered you all together this morning because you represent the leadership of the Tycho Star Traders and the Hawkkur Legion. Our Family is what it is today because of all the hard work and long hours that you and your people have done to make it that way.”

“For the past forty seven seasons, it has been my honor and my privilege to serve our Family as the StarHawke Tycho.” He said. “Now, based on the recommendations of my doctors, I have decided to step down and turn the title and leadership of the Family over to my son, Elias Tycho Hawkes.”

Dragon Heart! Coming soon!

Thanks for reading!

Dave