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Ndeki's Notes: Episode 2: FIGHT.
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MOBILIZATION NEWS

To one and all,

I hope you enjoyed a little fun and relaxation over Christmas and the New Year. In the Human Legion writing shack, the tinsel has been packed away for another year, the sneaky bottle of gin consumed, and the only lights are those burning into the night as the writing continues for our 2017 book releases.

We’ve got a lot of goodies coming for you this year. Currently, I’m writing Second Strike, the third Revenge Squad book, and JR Handley is writing Operation Breakout, the fourth Sleeping Legion book (if you count the prequel novella). The two new book series are steadily climbing the bestseller charts, and if you wanted to take advantage of the launch price of $0.99/99p, then do so soon as this will end shortly.

In this edition of the bulletin, the latest episode of Ndeki’s Notes takes a darker turn. The Revenge Squad books are lighter in tone than the original Human Legion novels (at least, they feel that way when I’m writing them, but maybe that's my new brand of coffee), but there are dark secrets in the world of Klin-Tula, and as the series progresses, we will see glimpses of that darkness growing.

Before we get to NJ McCall and his dubious pearls of wisdom, I know a lot of Legionaries like to try out new science fiction and fantasy series, so I wanted to share details of two events that are kicking off this weekend (BTW: I know one says it starts on the 9th, but it's ready to go now). They feature some great authors (and.. ahem... myself). Click or tap on the images to go to the event.
 
Dear Maite,

I hear you got into a fight last week. More to the point, you got into a fight and lost.

Don’t freak out, I’m not snooping around nearby in person. But I do have friends keeping an eye out for you when they can.

I’d hoped to start off giving you advice on girls, or boys, or drinking. Maybe a little rough and ready philosophy from an old soldier. And I’ve already made notes on the best ways to win at cards (without getting caught).

Instead, I find myself giving advice on how to win fights. I don’t mind. I just like to kid myself sometimes there’s more to me than violence.

I already know you can handle yourself with your fists. I’ve seen you in action.

But there’s more to fighting than skills. It’s only half of what you need to win a battle. The other half is in your heart and your mind.

I’ve fought battles of the official kind – you know, the sort that involves missile launchers, officers, and divisional artillery – but I’ve fought the other kind too, the kind of fight that comes at you unexpectedly in a dark alley. Maybe in your dorm, as happened with you.

I’ve learned that there are three ways to respond to a fight. And you’ve got to make your choice quickly, because if you don’t, you’ve already lost.

ONE: Run, hide, evade, deflect, avoid conflict in the first place.

TWO: Don’t fight back. Take a beating. Sometimes you get no choice on this. Once they’ve made the point, you’ll be surprised how quickly many people leave you alone.

THREE: Fight back. Now, here’s the thing. If you fight back, never hesitate. Escalate before your opponent does. Keep the initiative at all times. Never pick up a weapon unless you’re ready to use it without hesitation. Grab that weapon before your opponent grabs his and do not hold back.

The way I’ve heard it, that’s what you got wrong. You grabbed an ornament to use as a weapon but you hoped you wouldn’t have to use it. It’s a tough life, kid. Your enemies would have smelled your hesitation instantly, and they certainly punished you for it.

Learn from that.

I hate having to write this. I fought a war so crèchelings like you wouldn’t have to. We are not using the big guns right now, but I’d be letting you down if I didn’t warn you that there’s fighting ahead.

See, there’s a lot of unhappy folk on Klin-Tula. And a lot of them are in Port Zahir. Some of the people in charge here are very bad sorts. And the people who hold the real power in secret are even worse.

One day – maybe in a few years, maybe tomorrow – somebody’s gonna escalate the fighting onto another level on this planet, just like I told you to. They will reach for a bigger weapon, and they will wield it without restraint. Things will spiral into extreme violence within moments.

I hate having to suggest what I’m just about to, Maite, but I want you to think something over in your head. Play a mental game, if you like, to test out how you would act when the serious fighting comes to Port Zahir in real life.

IF it comes….

Things aren’t that bad yet.

Hell, who am I kidding? Armies are being recruited, weapons stockpiled. I’m only saying ‘if’ to stop you having nightmares. Sorry. Wishful thinking is the enemy of anybody who plans to stay alive through violent times.

I want you to imagine…

Oh, Maite. I couldn’t write what comes next. My heart grew too cold. For two days, I’ve looked at this and couldn’t write those words. I even talked it over with my wife to check I was doing the right thing. She has some weird ideas – I mean weirder than you can possibly imagine – but she’s… Let’s say she has a radically different perspective on life, and that makes her a wonderful sounding board.

Okay. She said I need to do this, so here goes.

Maite, I want you to imagine killing someone.

Imagine ending another person. Let’s make it another human being. A grown-up. Someone who is trying to hurt you and your friends.

Scratch that. I don’t want you to imagine any such thing. I was firing live rounds out of my training carbine when I was half your age. I was bred to fight and die in battle. I hoped for something better for your generation. What I want is for you to be so unable to conceive of such a thing as killing another being, that your mind recoils in horror at the thought.

Maybe that’s the life your grandkids can hope for, but we aren’t there yet. Not on Klin-Tula. Not by a long shot.

Not everyone has it in them to kill another person, and that’s a good thing. It gives me hope for our species. Thing is, if you don’t believe you can do that, then if things turned violent, that leaves you with only the first of my three options. Run and hide.

Learn from your beating, Maite, because the next time you lose a fight it might leave you with a lot more than just bruises. If you don’t know for sure that you’ll grab that weapon and use it, then when the fighting comes, run.

When that day comes, I’ll try to find you and keep you safe. But I have a feeling that if battle erupts in Port Zahir, I will be right at the very heart of it.

Think hard and choose well, Maite.

 
Yours sincerely,
The Betrayer.
Past editions of Ndeki’s Notes can be found on Humanlegion.com at: https://humanlegion.com/books/revenge-squad/ndekis-notes/
 

Want more info on The Sleeping Legion?

I know JR Handley’s debut series is attracting a lot of new readers. If you’re one of them, then you might be interested in learning more about the world of the Sleeping Legion not only on humanlegion.com, but also JRHandley.com, where the author blogs regularly. One of his regular features is Marine Monday, which most recently aimed to the spotlight on one of the more popular characters: Basil Treloar. You can read the Marine Monday entry here.
That’s it for this bulletin. I’ve copied below the download links for the free Legionary downloads. But if you’ve already seen them, there’s nothing new for you there.

Enjoy your reading,

Tim.

REVENGE SQUAD: HURT U BACK

2752AD. The first morning of NJ McCall’s posting to Port Zahir doesn’t start well. Revenge Squad Incorporated’s outpost is deserted, the police give him a serious shakedown, and a religious cult tries to recruit him. But Fate has decided to take things easy on NJ for his first day, because it’s not until the afternoon that people start trying to kill him.

REVENGE: it’s a tough job, but somebody’s gotta deliver it!

‘The Dresden Files’ meets ‘Firefly’ in Revenge Squad, the new urban fantasy/ space opera crossover series by bestselling author, Tim C. Taylor. Set in the worlds of the Human Legion, ‘Hurt U Back’ makes a great entry point for new readers.

Download Hurt U Back now

THE SLEEPING LEGION: THE DEMONS OF KOR-LIR

A lethal orbital defense platform.
A squad of green Marines.
A silent alien killer.
WHO DIES NEXT?

2441AD. A quarantine platform in the Rakasa system goes quiet and a squad of freshly minted Marines are sent to investigate. The blood soon flows, but there is one Marine who has the bravery and cunning to take on even the most lethal hidden foe. Set 125 years before the events on Tranquility that sparked the creation of the Human Legion, 'The Demons of Kor-Lir' is a standalone novella that is also an introduction to the Sleeping Legion novels.

Download Demons of Kor-Lir now

THE HUMAN LEGION: MARINE CADET

2565AD. Five centuries ago, a million children were sold as slaves to alien masters, the price for the continuation of the human race...

NOW THEIR DESCENDANTS WANT THEIR FREEDOM BACK!

Begin the military science fiction adventure to win freedom in the galaxy with this feature-length novel.

Download Marine Cadet now
This is Legion Bulletin #11, available exclusively to enlisted Legionaries. 
LEGIONARIES CAN ACCESS PAST ISSUES OF THE LEGION BULLETIN BY FOLLOWING THIS LINK: https://humanlegion.com/bulletin/
Copyright © 2017 Human Legion Publications, All rights reserved.


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