Preface to Volume 2 of the Marshalship and the Void: Seron

This book comes as a follow-up to the questions I asked myself and others regarding the first volume of the Marshalship and the Void. It's in the time frame that is covered by this book, that many of the answers came to light.

"Why are these people fighting?" I received my answer, both from Marshal Aria Paixi and from Reven, the Space Lord. And nearly everyone else involved, from crewman on the Blaze of glory to the crew of the Freedom of Action

Once again this story and work is primarily about the people involved within this conflict, though it was a wider contact base than previously, including people like Verse, the Left hand of the Void, and Reven himself. Raven, er, declined to be interviewed, but I have included some ancillary research that was performed by Crono Arinborn and myself to fill in what gaps there are about her history.


As far as the individual members of the Blaze of Glory crew, the Freedom of action crew, Gatekeeper Personnel, and the Members of the Void I have transcribed their conversations unedited, except when requested by them to take part of their recollections of themselves or their battles off the record, so the voices you will be hearing are, undoubtedly, theirs, not my own.

This book has a far more somber tone than the first, but that is because the situation has taken a turn for the bloody. What was initially an examination of a nascent and undeclared war has become a full-on inter-dimensional conflict which cannot be ignored. Events overtake my history even as I write it, but this does not remove from me the obligation I taken onto myself to record it.

I would like to specifically thank a number of people who have assisted me in writing this book:

Juliette Opal d'Aubry, my Editor, for her insightful editing, and ability to load a rocket tube in a pinch Captain Ralf Derrison: Captain of the blaze of Glory, his personal kindness and consideration towards me. The Ziz, for saving my life in the penultimate engagement upon Seron. The medical staff of the blaze of glory as a group: for saving my arse repeatedly, I've spent more time in medbay working on my notes than I did out on the walls of Seron. Major Jackal Egret, and Major Tristan Cless, for questioning my actions and -ordering- me to try to live outside of my duty, difficult as that has become. All of my friends and companions on the blaze of glory and within the Marshalship, for providing the comradeship which has become such a strong theme in this book. And finally, I would like to thank Verse Swiftblade, this may be seen as an almost traitorous sentiment, but Verse is the reason for -any- diplomatic contact between the Void and the Marshalship. She was of great personal help arranging the meeting with Reven. If there is to be a peaceful end to this struggle, it will be through people like her.


Major James Mackenzie Foster, EFA
Blaze of Glory Lounge, Seron, date unknown due to temporal instability.


This book is dedicated to Field Marshal Evan Pryde, the crewers of the Freedom of action, and the colonists of Seron. You stories will not be forgotten or left untold.