Song of the Solitaire

[Von Acturus]

And just like that Trig signed up for a voyage to hell and back. Very nice beginning, the way you weave the world building inside the narrative makes the story have a proper "atmosphere" and depth without it feeling like a dump of information.

When it says that the starport was expanded to accommodate two star ships, are we talking stellaris size or Millenium Falcon size?

 

[Macavity116]

Very nice beginning, the way you weave the world building inside the narrative makes the story have a proper "atmosphere" and depth without it feeling like a dump of information.

Thanks! The soft limit on wordcount per chapter (about 1600 words) forced me to get a little creative with the exposition.

When it says that the starport was expanded to accommodate two star ships, are we talking stellaris size or Millenium Falcon size?

Well, Sutharian science vessels are able to land and takeoff here smoothly, and I always imagine science vessels to be a similar size to the Enterprise NX-01, so let's say Stellaris size.

 

[HistoryDude]

Now I'm curious about what's up with Tenna.

The indigo eyes mean Trig's psionic, right?

 

[Macavity116]

Now I'm curious about what's up with Tenna.

She's got her own story and I hope it turns out to be interesting. I'm trying to write her character to be halfway between being a "mysterious waif" and a "manic pixie dream girl."

At the moment she does kind of swing back and forth between the two archetypes, but I am smoothing out the rough edges the more I write.

The indigo eyes mean Trig's psionic, right?

Hmmm... I think you're making reference to a worldbuilding rule from the Stormbreaker Universe. (Purple eyes indicate psionic potential)

Do we have any reason to think those rules apply to Song of the Solitaire?

 

[Nikolai]

Do we have any reason to think those rules apply to Song of the Solitaire?

Well, it is written by the entity known for that universe. Might be.

 

[Macavity116]

The indigo eyes mean Trig's psionic, right?

Do we have any reason to think those rules apply to Song of the Solitaire?

Well, it is written by the entity known for that universe. Might be.

I see no reason to dismiss the theory under discussion.

 

[Macavity116]

<=== Previous (Chapter 1: Among the Ruins)

Next (Chapter 3: Dread) ===>​

Chapter 2
Totally Distracted​

Trig stumbled back to Pentwa’s house with Tenna leaning on his shoulder. His guardian was surprised to see him back so early in the day, doubly so when she realized he was not alone.

“Oh my!” Pentwa gasped. “I thought boys your age hung out with their girlfriends after school, not before.”

“No, not my girlfriend.” Trig panted. “She needs help. She’s sick, and I think she’s in trouble.”

Trig and Pentwa guided Tenna to the guest room. The young girl told them she felt very unwell, as though the whole world was crushing her. Pentwa guided Tenna to the bed and had her lay on her back. She had a grave expression on her face.

“Trig, you say you found her in the basement of the Overlook Temple?” She asked.

“Yes, I did.” Trig replied.

“Where am I?” Tenna groaned. “This place doesn’t look like Lightwater.”

“Lightwater?” Trig repeated, “No, that’s hundreds of light-years away from here. You’re in our Smallholding, just north of Eadleton.”

Tenna made a sound as though she was about to panic. Her eyes went wide and darted from Trig to Pentwa.

“Eadleton!?” Tenna gasped. “What!? How!?

“I think I know what happened.” Pentwa replied. “Tenna, sweetie, listen to me. You are suffering from Environmental Sickness. It will pass in a few hours and you’ll be fine. Lay still and drink sips of water, okay?”

“Thank you.” Tenna whispered. “You’re so nice and your bed is fluffy like a cloud.”

“What should I do?” Trig asked.

He was suddenly eager to help. Now that Tenna was lying on the bed in a well-lit room, he was starting to notice just how pretty she was. Just being around her made him feel lightheaded.

“There’s nothing you can do.” Pentwa told him. “She needs water and rest. You go to school. Don’t get distracted and let me take care of your friend here. I’ll see you back here this afternoon.”

Groaning in frustration, Trig went to retrieve his schoolbag from his bedroom. He paused in front of the small shrine in his closet, where a tiny statue of the Goddess Rey could be found.

“Did you send her?” Trig whispered to the statue. “If you did… wow. Thanks.”

…

Trig reluctantly left the house and walked to School. Pentwa told him not to be distracted, but that was a losing battle. No matter how hard Trig tried, he could not stop himself from thinking about something else.

Eadleton Secondary School did nothing to help Trig stay focused on his classwork. As usual, Valdemar students were given preferential treatment. They were allowed to sit at the front of the classrooms and given the newest textbooks. All other children occupied the rear of the class, working with outdated materials and frequently neglected by the teachers.

Unable to focus, Trig was in for a long day…

…

First period at was Astrogeography. Mr. Nelow gave the class a simple task:

“There are only seven worlds inhabited by our people. Please list all of the planets in the Galaxy where Sutharians reside.”

None of the students moved. Trig missed the question entirely. He was daydreaming about two of the girls on the other side of the classroom. Mr. Nelow smiled.

“So you all saw my trick question coming, eh?” The teacher said. “Very good, class. There are no Sutharians living on planets anywhere in the Galaxy. Now, then…”

Mr. Nelow wrote the names of seven worlds on the markerboard: Sutharia, Newis, Lightwater, Tyron, De Gorka, Eadleton, Naurier.

“Can anyone tell me which of these moons is not located in the Sutharian Empire?” Mr. Nelow said.

No one answered. After a moment, the teacher spotted Trig staring off into space.

“Mister Shepminter…” Mr. Nelow growled.

A Berken girl in the desk next to Trig jabbed him with her pen.

“Trig!” Lisvane hissed. “Trig!”

Trig woke up and looked around to see the rest of the class staring at him. Mr. Nelow glared at him.

“Mister Shepminter, you clearly need help staying awake during the daytime. So I’ll give you something to do: I expect a ten page essay about the history of Lightwater, the only Sutharian world outside of our Empire. I want it by the end of the week. Don’t let your classmates down.”

…

Somehow, Trig survived most of mathematics class, but just when he thought he was in the clear, Trig messed up Abinda’s Theorem. He was thinking about Tenna again and the teacher caught him failing to pay attention.

“A squared plus B squared is C squared!” Mrs. Thoso shouted in his face. “Everything we’re covering today is an expansion of this! Of course a Berken like you would forget something so basic.”

A Valdemar boy named Cosha latched onto this, almost gleeful to find something to tease Trig about.

“Do you remember?” Cosha asked in a singsong voice when he saw Trig in the hallway. “It’s so basic, Trig! Can’t you get anything through that thick Berkie skull of yours? Can any of your people do that?”

…

Trig suffered in history class. It was boring and tedious, trying to learn about people and events from another world. 90% of all Sutharians lived on the Homeworld, therefore, 90% all history happened there. Why bother? Trig had never set foot on the Homeworld and likely never would. As far as Trig was concerned, there was no point in learning about this subject.

Normally, Trig would entertain himself by looking at Lhanda, a Valdemar girl who sat near the front of the classroom. She was extremely pretty and always captivated Trig. Sometimes he would silently ask the Goddess Rey to cause Lhanda to fall for him.

Today was different. Not even Lhanda’s immaculate form could keep his thoughts away from the mysterious girl from the Overlook Temple. After a few minutes, Trig was staring off into space, wondering just how Tenna managed to trap herself in the temple basement.

Mr. Honslett did not appreciate this. He slammed his palm onto Trig’s desk, waking him up from his trance.

“You have got to be kidding me, Shepminter!” Mr. Honslett barked. “We’re talking about recent events, things that happened when you were a kid! Surely you remember something!? Now tell me, who ordered the Expulsion!?”

Trig shrugged his left shoulder. Lhanda raised her hand. Ignoring her, Mr. Honslett focused on Trig.

“How did our current ruler come to power?”

No answer.

“What is the new official language of the Sutharian Empire? Come on, Berkie! It was just changed last year! We’re all speaking it right now!”

Lhanda could not resist the temptation anymore. She spoke up:

“Sir! Our new Emperor, Canto the First, ordered the Expulsion of the Telepaths fifteen years ago. Back then, he was just President-for-Life. He got the job when he overthrew his older brother, and then he crowned himself Emperor last year. That was when the government’s official language was switched back to Olinbar.”

Mr. Honslett gazed at Lhanda, his expression softening.

“Well done, Miss Thoso.” He said. “Though I’ll remind you that out there in the real world, no one is going to reward you for helping a Berkie.”

Lhanda looked at Trig, then back at her books. She did not acknowledge him for the rest of class.

…

In the second-to-last class of the day, Trig could barely pay attention. The language teacher was focusing on Olinbar today, and Trig allowed his mind to wander. He spoke Berken as his first language, Valdem as his second, and he knew enough Olinbar to have a short conversation. Like many kids his age, Trig seemed to think that he knew enough.

Instead of following along with the class, Trig found himself staring at a mental image of Tenna, and he tried to guess how she ended up in the Overlook Temple…

<=== Previous (Chapter 1: Among the Ruins)

Next (Chapter 3: Dread) ===>​

 

[HistoryDude]

Trig is way too distracted here. I wonder if any of this information will be relevant later...

Also, given the distraction, it seems more like she's not his girlfriend yet.

 

[Nikolai]

First time I've listened to your reading instead of reading alone for myself. Your reading voice is very good!

 

[Von Acturus]

“Though I’ll remind you that out there in the real world, no one is going to reward you for helping a Berkie.”

I'm surprised the different ethnic groups are allowed to learn in the same schools, the level of prejudice at play seems reminiscent of segregation or apartheid, I can imagine there are more than one "concerned" parents who wouldn't want his immaculate Valdemar kid to play with Berken children.

Anyway, Trig is discovering the wonderful and bizarre effects of first love. Fortunately for him, his wish to spend more time with her may soon come true, though maybe not in the most pleasant circumstances.

 

[Macavity116]

Trig is way too distracted here. I wonder if any of this information will be relevant later...

Poor Trig got hit in the face by the full impact of puberty. I think he'll be getting badly distracted by the opposite sex until he's 19 or 20 at least.

Also, given the distraction, it seems more like she's not his girlfriend yet.

Trig has got a powerful first impression of Tenna. Question is, what was Tenna's first impression of him?

It's highly unlikely they'll break my record for "youngest romantic pairing"* but if Tenna starts off liking Trig then there's a chance.


*Current record-holder is Toa Mami/Eteka from Faith in Chaos. They were both 14 at their first kiss.

First time I've listened to your reading instead of reading alone for myself. Your reading voice is very good!

Thanks for listening! This is the third audiobook companion series I've done for one of my stories. I've gotten slightly better at this sort of thing since The Last Heroes.

I'm surprised the different ethnic groups are allowed to learn in the same schools, the level of prejudice at play seems reminiscent of segregation or apartheid, I can imagine there are more than one "concerned" parents who wouldn't want his immaculate Valdemar kid to play with Berken children.

We're starting off on easy street. It's worse on the Homeworld. Far worse. The Sutharian Government has an easier time enforcing straight-up racist policies there.

Anyway, Trig is discovering the wonderful and bizarre effects of first love. Fortunately for him, his wish to spend more time with her may soon come true, though maybe not in the most pleasant circumstances.

The circumstances are going to be rather... interesting. Remember in the Introductions page when I said that Trig has better knowledge of Valdemar traditions than Tenna? (He was raised by a Valdemar, Tenna is separated from her culture) That's going to create a very unusual dynamic once she learns about the customs of Athira and Sagri. What are they? You'll have to read upcoming chapters to find out.

 

[Macavity116]

<=== Previous (Chapter 2: Totally Distracted)

Next (Chapter 4: Major Disaster) ===>​

Chapter 3
Dread ​

There was only one hour left in the school day. Trig doubled back to his locker between classes and retrieved his economics textbook. He was starting to feel apprehensive.

Trig had gone for a full week without a strange or unusual event happening at school. For all other students, this was nothing noteworthy, but Trig was different.

Strange and unusual things tended to happen around him, regardless of whether or not he sought them out. Tenna’s appearance at the Overlook was the first odd occurrence in more than a week, and now that the shock had worn off, Trig was on his guard for the next one.

Lost in nervous thought, Trig spotted someone familiar. Lhanda, the pretty Valdemar girl who helped him in History class, departed one of the Astrogeography classrooms and started walking in Trig’s direction.

When Lhanda came his way, Trig and several non-Valdemar classmates instinctively moved aside, clearing a path through the middle of the hall.

As Lhanda drew level and walked past Trig, something happened.

Trig’s nostrils stung and his stomach heaved as he was suddenly overwhelmed by the smell of smoke. Trig retched, stepping to one side and putting his hand on the wall to steady himself.

Trig did not vomit, but he felt sick. He looked around.

Lhanda was still walking away, book bag under her arm. What Trig found alarming though, was that none of the students were reacting to her in any way. Students and staff carried on as though nothing was wrong, seemingly unaware of the fact that Lhanda smelled like a wildfire.

None of this made sense. Trig knew (through both gossip and occasionally getting close to her) that Lhanda was one of the few girls who wore perfume to school on a daily basis. She would be the first to know if something smelled off. He turned around and started walking toward Lhanda. Moving at a faster pace, Trig started to catch up with her… and then he felt it.

As he drew near to Lhanda, Trig felt an overwhelming sensation of dread. Every nerve in his body screamed at him, saying something terrible was about to happen. Something bad was going to happen to Lhanda.

“Not again!” Trig cursed.

It seemed he would be caught up in something strange after all.

He raised his voice. “Hey! Lhanda!”

She heard him and turned around. Several other students and a teacher heard the yell and paused to watch. Lhanda went pale when she realized Trig was talking to her.

“Hey… uh… where are you going?” Trig asked.

“Chemistry class.” Lhanda squeaked. “What’s the matter?”

The expression on Lhanda’s face gave away her feelings. She was terrified of Trig and already working up the courage to scream for help.

That sense of dread inside of Trig was rapidly turning into a feeling of impending doom. Trig had no idea what was about to happen. He only knew that this would be his only chance to get Lhanda away from whatever or whoever was going to hurt her.

“Don’t go.” Trig said. “Don’t go to class! Can you skip?”

Lhanda looked scandalized. Her glasses flashed as she tilted her head in confusion.

“What!? Are you kidding?” She gasped. “I’m not a delinquent, I can’t just skip classes!”

“Please!” Trig clasped his hands, his voice shaking. He was desperate. “You helped me earlier, now let me help you. You’ve got to come with me, now!”

Lhanda started to back away.

“Hey… uh… you know I’m Valdemar, right?” Lhanda said. “You can’t be my Athira or anything like that.”

Trig resisted the urge to say something profane.

Are you kidding me? He thought to himself. She thinks this is a stupid Valdemar courtship thing? How dumb is this girl?

He was rapidly losing patience, and spat out the first words that came into his mind:

“This isn’t anything like that!” He snapped. “You need to come with me or…”

But Trig never finished his sentence. A teacher clasped his hand around Trig’s shoulder and held him tight.

“Am I mishearing things… or did I hear the first half of a threat?” Said Mr. Honslett. “Let’s take a walk, Shepminter.”

Trig was pulled away from the scene, shouting at Lhanda until she was out of sight:

“Don’t go to chemistry class! Something bad’s going to happen if you do!”

…

About ten minute later, Trig was in the Headmaster’s office. Mr. Lugmere, a resplendent-looking Valdemar, sat behind his desk, pinching his nose in irritation.

“Why is it that whenever something happens, it’s always either you specifically or another Berken on the scene?” Mr. Lugmere began. “Will you stop fidgeting, Shepminter? Hold still and face me!”

Trig could not hold still. He was hyperaware of the fact that the final classes of the day were starting, that whatever horrible occurrence he was dreading was now only minutes away. He wanted to move.

“Can I change seats?” Trig asked. “That one there? Away from the window?”

Trig pointed at a chair across the office.

“No, stay where you are and listen to me!” Mr. Lugmere snapped. “Threatening your fellow students is intolerable! The way you behaved toward Ms. Thoso was unbecoming of an Eadleton Secondary student. I have half a mind to suspend you right now! We’re going to call your guardian and see what she has to say-”

The Headmaster never finished his sentence.

At that very moment, the window behind Trig shattered, spraying glass into the room. Trig threw himself forward as a loud blast echoed through the hallways. Hitting the floor, Mr. Lugmere shouted in alarm as the outside wall shifted and cracked.

Trig ran his hands along the back of his neck, checking for blood, and then he stood up and looked around. He peered out the gap in the wall where the window used to be.

About forty meters away, in another wing of the school, the chemistry classroom was reduced to rubble. Wreckage and debris was strewn all over the school grounds. Acrid black smoke billowed into the sky. High above it all, ribbons of green and purple light danced across the sky.

The daytime aurora billowed and danced across the sky for a few more minutes, then started to fade away, slipping out of view until the afternoon sky was blue once more.

<=== Previous (Chapter 2: Totally Distracted)

Next (Chapter 4: Major Disaster) ===>​

​

 

[CBR JGWRR]

On the bright side, he isn't going to be worrying about school any more now he's been discovered as Psionic.

 

[Macavity116]

On the bright side, he isn't going to be worrying about school any more now he's been discovered as Psionic.

It is kind of disturbing how many of my Gifted protagonists don't have a proper education.

 

[HistoryDude]

So... Trig's psionic powers apparently include seeing the future (or at least future danger). How will that help him later?

I'm interested in hearing about this courtship ritual.

Are the weird things happening around Trig related to his powers, racism, or just coincidence? Or some combination of the three?

 

[Von Acturus]

His gift is also a curse. If only he were a Valdemar... But then again psionic Valdemar don't seem to have it that much better.

It may be useful to anticipate the enemies' moves in battle, though. That may be a career path worth considering.

 

[Macavity116]

So... Trig's psionic powers apparently include seeing the future (or at least future danger). How will that help him later?

At the moment, I'd say the utility is limited. Simply having a strong sense of "something bad is going to happen" can't help Trig more than the additional readiness for said bad thing.

I'm interested in hearing about this courtship ritual.

The Valdemar traditions of Athira and Sagri are more relevant to Tenna's story. Trig knows the first one because of Pentwa, but even he doesn't know the full story of Sagri.

Are the weird things happening around Trig related to his powers, racism, or just coincidence? Or some combination of the three?

It's definitely some combination of the three. If Trig had been alive an experiencing premonitions a few years earlier, he would have been deported from the Sutharian Empire along with all of the other Psionics.

His gift is also a curse. If only he were a Valdemar... But then again psionic Valdemar don't seem to have it that much better.

Yeah, most Valdemar Psionics got exiled, so the situation is equally bad all around.

 

[Macavity116]

Author's notes: The starship name Resonance Cascade is a reused asset from a scrapped Stellaris story called "Voyage of the Resonance Cascade." In that tale, a teenager named Cali D'Kara and her friends steal a star yacht and head off into the galaxy in search of pirate treasure. Most of the characters would eventually be modified and re-used for Grand Theft Stellaris and its sequel Year of Hell.

<=== Previous (Chapter 3: Dread)

Next (Chapter 5: Legacy of Evil) ===>​

Chapter 4
Major Disaster​

A chemical explosion rocked Eadleton Secondary school. The blast ripped through the science lab, shattering a whole wing of the building. Five teachers and forty-seven students were injured.

Miraculously, no one was killed.

Trig and the other students gathered in the farm field next to the school, waiting for family to come and meet them. His guardian Pentwa had only just arrived on the scene and she was still pushing her way through the crowd, using her cane to move youngsters aside. Pentwa found Trig and hugged him, happy beyond words to see he was unharmed.

Police arrived on the scene after the firefighters and medics. They used white tape to cordon off the area of the explosion and mark a landing site in the neighboring field. Pentwa tried to pull Trig out of the group, to take him home, but that was when the Headmaster tapped an officer on the shoulder and pointed at Trig.

Both Trig and Pentwa groaned as they saw three police officers approach. The Valdemar officials folded their arms and looked down at Trig with judgmental expressions.

“Trig Shepminter, we need to talk.” Said one of the officers. “Did you confront Lhanda Thoso and tell her to avoid the chemistry classroom?”

“Yes…” Trig said cautiously. “Where’s Lhanda? Is she alright?”

One of the officers narrowed his eyes at Trig.

“Miss Thoso is seriously injured, but she is alive.” He explained. “She’s being stabilized right now.”

Trig had to grip Pentwa’s arm to stop himself falling down. The sense of relief made his legs feel like jelly.

A loud noise and rushing wind distracted Trig. There was a starship arriving on the scene. The vessel was a corvette, shaped not unlike a barbed arrow. It landed in the field nearby and powered down its engines. Trig spotted a name painted in red on the fuselage: Resonance Cascade.

“Team Arfor just arrived.” One of the police officers said into his radio. “Someone tell them we don’t need their help.”

“Too late for that, sir.” Another officer replied. “You know how those guys are.”

Pentwa sighed as the ship lowered its boarding ramp.

“Well, there goes the last of the colony’s money.”

Trig and Pentwa had met Team Arfor a couple of times before. Named after “Article Four,” the government shorthand for “military deserter,” Team Arfor was a group of seven mercenaries. For the past year, they had been defending Eadleton from Nagyari raiders; something the Sutharian government was incapable of doing.

Trig watched the team descend the ship’s ramp, looking around to see if they could help. All seven mercenaries were Sutharian:

Captain Kanter was a Valdemar, like Pentwa. He had a messy mop of hair that made him look wild. He kept a pulse rifle slung across his back and walked with a slight limp.

Tactical Officer Rulan still wore his Sutharian Navy uniform. His face was obscured by a half-helmet and visor, allowing him to see the world in computer-enhanced augmented reality. Rulan’s skin color had a yellow tinge, suggesting he was Tiess.

Selborne was the only woman on the team. Her pale Valdemar skin reflected the sunlight and she instinctively rolled down her sleeves to avoid being burned. She had two magnetic pistols, one strapped to each leg.

Bronley, another Valdemar, was the youngest member of the team. He was six years older than Trig at 19. Bronley was tall and thin, and reminded Trig of a tree sapling in a way.

Anfel, the medic, was of mixed ethnic ancestry. He had the narrow facial build of a Tiess but his skin was Berken brown. Instead of weapons, Anfel carried a heavy backpack laden with military-grade medical supplies.

Ponnico was the oldest member of the team, older than Captain Kanter, even. His white beard complimented his dark Berken skin. Ponnico kept a pistol strapped to his leg, but carried no other weapons. Unlike the other six mercenaries, Ponnico did not search for a way to help people. Instead, he turned his head upward, looking into the sky. Ponnico glanced around at the sun, clouds, and the planet high above. There was a deeply worried expression on his face.

Glossom was the seventh and final mercenary. He was the only member of Team Arfor who did not belong to one of the three dominant ethnic groups on Sutharia. Instead, he was part of the Olinbar-Kunde, a very small race of people created by intermingling with aliens. Glossom’s dark blue skin confirmed his ancestry.

Team Arfor joined the rescue and recovery efforts around the school. Meanwhile, Trig was asked to provide a statement to the police. He tried to explain his premonition to the officer, but kept getting distracted by the sight of Lhanda’s parents, who were trying push past a police barricade to see their daughter before the ambulance took her away. Pentwa lightly tapped Trig on the shoulder, reminding him to stay focused.

Once his explanation was complete, Trig fell silent, folding his hands nervously. The officer frowned.

“Look kid, I’m gonna level with you.” The officer said. “This is different from those incidents in the past. You’ve gotten into some crazy shit before… the Highway Incident comes to mind… but back then you weren’t hurting people and your explanations made sense. This…”

He tapped his notebook.

“This makes no sense. A girl suddenly smelling like the sulfur and no one notices? A feeling that something bad was going to happen? Aurora showing up in the middle of the daytime this far south? Kid… do you want to start your story again for me?”

Trig felt the bottom go out of his stomach. He had no idea what to say. He had already told the truth, what more did this man want?

“Excuse me!” Said another voice. “Can I barge in for a moment?”

Trig, Pentwa, and the officer turned to look. Ponnico, eldest of the Anfor mercenaries, was approaching with a quizzical look on his face.

“Did you say that you saw an aurora? An aurora in the daytime?” Ponnico asked. “This far south?”

“Yes… I did.” Trig replied.

“You believe him?” Pentwa asked.

“I do.” Ponnico replied. “Though explaining why would take some time.”

The officer suddenly looked very uncomfortable. Ponnico did not acknowledge him. Instead, Ponnico turned his gaze to the sky. The old man peered around as though he was looking for something.

“Speaking of time…” The officer said. “I know we’re running out of it. Will your team be able to stay for the whole investigation?”

Ponnico looked at the police officer and shook his head.

“I’m afraid not, sir.” Ponnico replied. “Unless your colonial government comes up with more funds, our team will leave at the end of the week. We’ll do what we can in the meantime.”

Then Ponnico turned back to Trig and Pentwa.

“If you don’t mind, I would like to talk to you about what you saw, young man. What’s your name?”

Trig felt an electric charge run through his body. He was simultaneously excited and nervous about getting a chance to talk one on one with one of the famed Arfor mercenaries.

“I’m Trig, sir. Trig Shepminter.”

“Well, Mister Shipminter, that officer said strange things have happened around you before.” Ponnico said. “I’m interested… tell me more.”

<=== Previous (Chapter 3: Dread)

Next (Chapter 5: Legacy of Evil) ===>​

​

 

[HistoryDude]

Yep, Ponnico definitely knows that Trig is psionic. This will be fun!

Why did Team Arfor name themselves after military deserters? Did someone accuse them of desertion? Did they desert?

 

[Macavity116]

Yep, Ponnico definitely knows that Trig is psionic. This will be fun!

Ponnico knows... a lot. This is going to be very fun.

Why did Team Arfor name themselves after military deserters? Did someone accuse them of desertion? Did they desert?

Team Arfor did not name themselves. The moniker was applied to them by the Eadleton Colonial government. As implied by the narration, Tactical Officer Rulan is a deserter at minimum. He's still wearing his uniform.