"Assumptions Are Deadly"

Titles: Nagus, Renegade, Dan Gor Corte

Name: Narkre Victor

Age: 38

Family: If he ever had any he does not speak of them, save to his closest companions, although his salute of  "El'far'tha be with you" speaks of a past that stretches beyond the borders of the Dynasty.

Brief History: Narkre Victor burst on to the inter planetary scene with the force of a hurricane and with as much regard for the structure of power as  such a natural disaster.  What really made him terrifying to the Congress was that he quite deliberately attacked the planets that were at the bottom of the economic structure, disrupting the entire chain of commerce and taxation, denying essential supplies to the military of the era and pulling man power away from the most necessary industries.  What wasn't reported by the news channels of the period was that the slaves taken from the foundries and mining worlds were not used as valueless cannon fodder but were instead full members of Narkre Victor's force, fighting with both will and training.  Having been abandoned by those in authority to the most ghastly conditions imaginable, the slaves saw Narkre Victor not as a conqueror or monster but as their saviour who fought with them and for them.  As such, Narkre was riding rough shod over the defence of the Dynasty until Andrew Farsight's sword cut short his campaign.

Current Situation:  Having spent twenty years in the shadows following his 'death', Narkre Victor has generally gathered the man power needed to stage a grand entrance once more on the scene, once again pulling those that have been the most abused by those in authority to his cause.  As leader of the Cal Carum, he has built a small but elite trained force that can strike with little warning, destroy defences, take everything not bolted down (and even some things that are) and disappear again without trace.

Personality:  The Void between stars probably has more warmth than Narkre has in his heart. However, whether he is truly evil remains to be seen.  The Dynasty might assume that he is a monster but if Narkre Victor decides that you must die for his plans to succeed he will kill you without a second glance, let alone a second word.  However, if it is not necessary for you to die then he will not lay a finger on you, he may even save your life; after all you may be useful to him tomorrow and that usefulness would be rather nullified if you are already dead.

Skills: A master of the Black Panther style of the nimbus sword but he has not been idle in his years of hiding and has apparently invented a fighting style all his own.  He is also a good pilot, if not quite up to the standard of Harrison Felux and can put a bolt through a target at five hundred clicks.  He has also learnt an unarmed fighting style and can kill just as easily with those over long, four jointed fingers of his as he can with any other weapon.  There are also some rumours that he has received some instruction in the killing arts of the Stealth, although how he convinced the masters of Renegade and Rosinante murder to teach one of their prey their highly specialised skills, remains to be seen.

Chosen Actor: Classified (Spoiler Alert)

Is it Butterflies Or Hornets?

Decided to take a break from character profiles as people's interest seems to be waning and I have more important things on my mind at the moment.  Things like the up coming date with Diceni on the 3rd of May, hence the title as I'm not sure which species has moved into my stomach right now.

It has been nearly sixteen years in the making but my book launch is nearly here and I am becoming so nervous.  Not helped by the fact that I have had a whole bundle of jobs come up at home so my time to work on my career has been cut short, which makes any artist/writer witchy-twitchy.

Thankfully the book part of my stock has arrived safe and sold, all present and correct.  However, the same cannot be said of my art stock.  I order my prints through a company who will remain nameless as I'm not into naming and shaming, I dislike bitchiness, and the prints are of the highest quality, I cannot praise that side of the business enough.  This company does other merchandise however and that is where I have run into problems.  Having had a look at the item pictures and description I went ahead and order two jigsaws and ten T-shirts.

The jigsaws arrived first and they are brilliantly printed, good quality adhesive and good thick pieces so they will hold together well.  One problem - they do not come in a box.  At nearly seventeen pounds a pop I was expecting boxes and I'm pretty sure that my customers will be as well.  So I either need to source good quality blank boxes and order extra prints to be pasted on the lids, which will increase the prices and therefore decrease my likelihood of selling them or right them off as a loss.

I was hoping that the T-shirts would make up for the mess up but I was disappointed there too.  Instead of being a proper print it image has been laid on as a transfer and the care labels have been cut out, which means that the transfers are not up to the care standards of the Fruit of the Loom T-shirts on which they have been places.  To say I was not impressed is putting it mildly, especially as they did not take good car in cutting out the labels, which means I am going to have to spend time stitching the hems back down, time which I could have spent on my writing/painting.

All in all I think I'm going to have to sell them at price to shift them and at least make back the expenses.

I have managed to find another company that I can source my T-shirts through but this time I have ordered one as a sample so I can check the quality.  They say that you should learn from your mistakes and I guess I have but I do wish that my mistakes where not so darn expensive.

'If You Can Keep Your Head When All About Are Losing Theirs... Then You Truely Serve.'

Title: Rosinante Templar Master

Name: Matthew Nem'amer

Age: 55

Family: Before the Dark Wars Rosinante were taking from their birth families as young as possible so that they could be raised away from 'unfavourable influences'.  The records of the birth families were also often expunged to prevent the families from being traced by Renegades or others who would try and gain leverage over the Rosinante by threatening their blood relatives.  As such the Rosinante were and are the family of the members of their order.

Brief History: Master Matthew is an anomaly within the ranks of the Rosinante.  Despite being taken by the order at the time dictated by the Measure the conditioning of the Order more than slightly failed with Matthew, with him still questioning the Measure and the decisions of the Rosinante Council even after he became a Master.  However, he never acted in such a way that warranted him being proclaimed Renegade, often completing missions that were hazardous in the extreme with minimal casualties.  As such he was viewed with suspicion by many on the Council who could not comprehend that there was a different way of doing things to what was laid down in the guidelines of the Measure.

Current Situation: Rosinante Outlaw, member of the Rogues and guide of what is left of the Rosinante Council.  When the Measure failed so completely with Morgan Chandler actively using it to hobble the Rosinante's efforts to prevent him usurping the crown, it was ironically to Master Matthew that the survivors of the Order turned to find an alternative to the Measure.  He has spent the years since not only serving Vicereine Raquel but also trying to teach the Rosinante a level of independence that they have lost over a thousand years since the Measure was first put in place.

Personality: Peacemaker and Warrior.  He fights only when he has no other choice and would rather sacrifice himself than see another hurt.  Matthew would be the perfect one for brokering peace treaties, keeping calm when others are loosing themselves to the rage over old hurts.

Skills: Teacher, warrior, the leader who would rather not be.  Matthew tries to hold the calm in the centre of the storm.  When he has to fight, he doesn't fight as such but dances through the maelstrom of violence to find the point where he can cut it loose so that it dies; he is the first duellist the Rosinante have had in an age, moving with grace through the worst the galaxy can throw at him.

Chosen Actor: Dennis Quaid

"The Quiet Word Can Often Gain More Where Shouting Has Failed."

Title: Free Company Trader

Name: Crailco

Age: 37

Family:  Rufuses have a different concept of family to human's, with the clubs being communally raised by the women of a 'pride' and the men providing protection and material support under the leadership of the Big Fang.  The cubs' surname is derived from the name of the pride.

Brief History: Undersized and under developed, Crailco had been death marker by his Big Fang as a weakling of the pride and would have died if it wasn't for Harrison Felux.  Harrison bought him from the Big Fang, who called him a fool for buying such a weakling.  As it is, Harrison knew exactly what he was doing, as once you have a Rufus tied to you with a life debt, there is no shaking them.  Crailco would take the bolt first before he allowed harm to come to Harrison.  As Crailco is estranged from his pride he has no surname.

Current Situation: Harrison Felux's partner and extra pair of hands.  Crailco is utterly steady in a fight and his feline ways probably keep The Eagle cleaner than Harrison would ever maintain her.  Though Harrison hasn't noticed it, Crailco has, by way of well timed silences, encouraged his partner to think more of others first before he considers the profit margin.  Harrison always believes that there is a valid monetary reason for his choices but Crailco's counts that as a mark of how well he does his job.

Personality: Crailco is the quiet one out of this pairing but he is very good at what he does.  Having been spared death by the kindness of another (even if that kindness was self-motivated) he wishes to pay that kindness forward to others.  Harrison's self interest could have derailed that wish but Crailco is better at manipulating those around him than many realise.  Whether there is more to this than simply good people skills remains to be seen, Crailco may have a gift that even he doesn't realise is lurking in his head.

Skills: Good pilot, capable marksman, fast and quiet and has the benefit of in built hand-to-hand combat weapons.  Believe me you do not want to be on the receiving end of a Rufus' claws or teeth.  When together with Harrison Felux, he is half of a near unbeatable team.

Chosen Actor: Peter Facinelli

"What's it worth?"

Title: Free Company Trader

Name: Harrison Felux

Age: 41

Family: Son of Jayne O'Hare, a free company trader and Claudia Felux, a lady of easy affections.

Brief History: Harrison Felux grew up in a rough world and it didn't wear him down.  He shipped out with his father's crew the first chance he had and went from there.  He learnt to bargain as he learnt to read, learnt to smuggler as he learnt to maintain his ship and learnt to shoot even as he learnt to charm the ladies.  How he came to possess his ship, The Eagle', is a mystery best left unprobed but he bought his co-pilot and general sick kick, Crailco, from Crailco's Big Fang fair and square.  Having run into trouble with Imperial authorities full tilt, he wound up owing Andrew Farsight a life debt as it was Andrew who save both him and The Eagle and even most of his cargo.  Since then Harrison has developed a very quiet respect for the Rosinante, not that he admits that.

Current Situation: Free Company Trader with a sideline working for the Rosinante.  The Free Company Traders are smugglers and mercenaries to a man, or indeed woman.  The only thing is that they are the go-to option when those in authority have something that needs to be moved 'off the books'.  They are also the ones that will risk taking vital supplies into war zones so hot that the militaries don't want to risk their own people.  As such the various authorities turn a blind eye to their exploits, as long as none of them become over greedy.  How long this unspoken contract will last under the Emperor Morgan Chandler is any ones guess.

Personality: The devil may care but Harrison Felux doesn't.  Saying that, he has developed a little more of a conscience since teaming up with Andrew Farsight.  There is always a financial reason for it though.

Skills: You can't find a better pilot or a better marks man in a pistol fight.  Harrison isn't up to sniper standard but in a ship boarding or a city fight/brawl he can more than hold his own with the best of them.  Harrison knows just about every sneaky, low down, crotch kicking trick in the book, probably because he grew up with the men and women who wrote the book and then invented a few of his own just for good measure.  In short, if you need someone to get to you and out of the hornets nest alive then Harrison is your man, if you have the pay for it.

Chosen Actor: Chris O'Donnell

"Even If I fail, I Have Still Tried."

Title: Rosinante Minor

Name: Andrew Farsight

Age: 36

Family: Son of Alexander Farsight (human) and Arizona Korey(Dormer).  Both his parents died in a  boating accident when he was three and he barely remembers them.  He was raised in a State House on Dormer until he was detected by the Rosinante at the age of eleven.

Brief History: Technically Andrew was too old by the dictates of the Measure to be trained as a Rosinante but was also too talented for them to dismiss into the ranks of the Denied Zi'kka-ed.  He was fourteen at the out break of the Dark Wars and was sixteen at the end when he crossed blades with Narkre Victor in the Battle of Englansia and struck the Nagus down.

Current Situation: Hunted outlaw.  He and his teacher, Matthew Nemamer, were the first to defy Morgan Chandler and helped Vicereine Raquel to escape.  As the 'Nagus Slayer', Andrew is the poster boy for the Rogues and sees it not as a glory but a responsibility, knowing that next to Raquel, the moral of The Rogues is focused on him.

Personality: Quiet, reflective, Andrew is the sort that many people would miss standing at the back of the room.  As such people often say things in front of him that they wouldn't normally say in front of a Rosinante because they forget that he's there.

Skills: As a diplomat he is the sort that quietly encourages people in the direction they should go.  He would rather avoid a fight than risk the lives of others, holding to the tenant that 'the taking of a life does no one honor', but if there is no other way to protect the lives under his care he will steadfastly stand between them and the ones seeking their blood.  His Nimbus sword fighting style is closest to the 'Black Crane' a style that values grace and control over power.

Chosen actor: Kiowa Gordon (I figure Dormers age slower than humans and as most of his physical appearance comes from his Dormer mother, Andrew probably picked the trait up).

"You instil fear, you earn respect."

Title: Vicereine

Name:  Raquel Russan

Age: 43

Family:  Daughter of Empress Avril Russan and Her consort Obadiah Farlane.  Raquel's father died young of a brain haemorrhage and her mother was poisoned at the end of the Dark Wars.

Brief History:  Raquel was born and raised to inherit the united throne of the Dynasty, not a easy responsibility to bare as the members of the Congress appeared to argue for the sake of it, the High Families were constantly sticking their collective noses in and the Guilds were nearly snowed under with trying to keep the flow of goods and knowledge going. In short, the Empress didn't so much rule as rather prevent the Dynasty from flying apart.  Herding cats might have been easier.

Current Situation:  Hunted outlaw.  Raquel has been a thorn in the side of Emperor Morgan Chandler for twenty years, rallying the resistance known as 'The Rogues' around her.  She is a leader who bares her responsibilities more than her privileges.

Personality:  Stern, often grim.  Though she speaks to her followers with a greater familiarity than many leaders, often doing the small gestures of trust for even the lowest Ranker, there are few she would truly call her friend.  Trained to consider the interior motive of every passing comment, years of war have only added to her reluctance to let people in close to her heart.

Skills: She is better at diplomacy and organisation but she has gained a fair grasp of tactics and if needs must she is a good shot.  She might not be the fastest draw but she can hit the target hard enough to make it go down.

Chosen Actress: Scarlett Johansson

Character Profiles

Hello everybody, to celebrate the fact that I am now finally published and 'The Return of a Nagus' is now on sale at Drivethrufiction, I have decided to start doing a series of character profiles.  These will include basic data including age and a brief history as well as who I would cast to play the part if my book is ever turned into a TV series or film (personally I like the TV series idea).

So watch this space for introductions to all the characters of my books.  Starting with our main heroine and working through to the minor players, I'll be titling them with 'most likely to say' quotes.  I hope you enjoy and check out my sales web page for the link to Drivethrufiction.

'The Return of a Nagus' ON Sale Now!

It has finally come!  After nearly sixteen years of fuss and fight 'The Return of a Nagus' is on sale as on now!

Thank you every single one of you out there who have supported me, helped me through proofreading and admin and generally put up with me when things were falling apart.  You know who you are and Vicereine Raquel and the crew would not have made it this far without you.  Thank you so much for coming on this ride with me.  I truly hope that the best is yet before us.

For all you lovely people out there who have waited with me for this day here is the introduction to the start of what I hope to be a long and well loved series.


Twenty two years ago, the Nagus plunged the Dynasty into a devastating war.  Twenty years ago the Nagus died, struck down in his triumph but the war didn't end with its perpetrator.

Now Vicereine Raquel leads the resistance against the tyrant Morgan Chandler but just as the tide begins to turn in her favour the Nagus returns, seemingly from the grave.

At every turn the Nagus defies what is expected of him, leaving the resistance grasping at shadows and Raquel asking herself, "After twenty years in the shadows what does he possibly want from us."

If you wish to buy your copy, either visit the Sales page or go to:

http://www.drivethrufiction.com/browse/pub/7428/V-J-Bartlett