All Comments on 'Starlight Gleaming Ch. 12'

Man, I love this story. Well done!

Stumbling along these days. One day off in the past four weeks, and the 10-12 hour days are wearing me down. But, it supposedly pays the bills. Unfortunately, makes finding time to write a tough proposition - do I write or do I sleep? A lot of times I go in on 4-5 hours of sleep. So if you hear me laughing quietly in the corner, pay no attention; I'm probably sleeping with my eyes open.

I do have about twenty pages for Ch 13 done, though I think I will toss most of it out and start over, as I don't like how it's going.

Comments welcome, and specific feedback considered helpful -- what did or did not work for you. Thanks!

When I first started reading this story I didn't think I could get into it. But the more I read the better it got. Keep it up. I'm looking forward to the next chapter.

I love where this is going, definitely underrated and I'm glad I've found it. I can see you've put an extraordinary amount of effort in the surrounding world and I thank you for it. However I feel like at times it's too lovey dovey and soppy. At times I have to roll my eyes and skim past it all.

Good luck with your long working hours!

Also am I right in thinking this story is set in the past? In the first chapter it was mentioned that Kandikan hadn't seen Janetta in years?

Except for the first half of the first chapter, yes, this is all flashback for him.

Women are second to men in the Empire of Chimorro. Nudity is not the taboo it is in our modern society. For Janetta and her Flight Crew, the chance at happiness is new and exciting. At this point, they've been together less than a year. Also, when life and death are more "in your face," people tend to be either more stoic or more open in their declarations.

There is a class barrier between most enlisted and their officers, like when Zinja wants sex but refuses to use her Captain's bed when her Captain is away. Enlisted depend upon their officer to protect them. Even when they are intimate, Zinja and Cholan call Ranji, 'sir.' The social boundary for them is that strong, even if they are also his lovers. The exception is Ixma, who loves Ranji and is beginning to see herself as his wife; for her, despite Zinja's admonitions, the class and social boundaries are growing very thin.

Janetta, being first generation Warrior officer, is very aware of the social divide, and her choice of women to fill her Flight Crew was a deliberate one.

Not sure why the map hasn't posted yet. Argh. I have to get for work in three hours. I'm glad some people are enjoying the series. Comments are appreciated!

I have loved every moment reading your masterful story, and just want to say keep up the great work. Thanks again for your time and energy

Seven days off since November. Ended up tossing out the story six or seven times, but finally got something I'm halfway happy with. Writing when I'm actually home and awake.

the waiting is tenous. got some hope that you are still in the project. please complete.

A question that popped into my head: why is it not allowed to have your own children, but it is allowed to adopt children? It would seem to me that both come with the same disadvantages.

Whenever religion intrudes, reason and logic don't always get invited along - and I say this as someone who does believe in a higher power. Religious belief systems are often full of idiosyncrasies; sometimes one tenet will contradict another, though pointing that out might be dangerous.

Warriors in Chimorro are not just the defenders of the nation and second tier nobility, they represent martial prowess, war and combat, and indirectly, are agents of death - preferably delivering death to enemies, but death nonetheless. At the opposite spectrum, a pregnant woman is the very image of life. It was this attitude about women -- and pregnant women being an affront to gods of war and death that forced the Chimorro women warriors to be celibate for so many years.

So to answer the question, it isn't about children, it's the image of pregnant woman wielding weapons that makes it sacrilege.

And I agree, it doesn't make sense - a nesting female of most species tend to be more dangerous than the male counterpart. The Hindus embraced that idea with Kali, with her belt of human heads, holding a bloody sword in one hand and an infant child in the other (giver and taker of life), and Kali has the reputation as being fiercer and more effective than Shiva or any of the other Hindu gods in their wars against demonkind.

Still, the predominant cultural policy around the world tends to encourage women to bear children and discourage them from bearing arms. A gravid woman most certainly has a hard time fighting - there's the changed center of gravity throwing things off, and the child to think of, impediments to speed, dexterity, even endurance. But a woman can kill you just as effectively as a man, and technology is a great equalizer. Despite attempts to squash their participation, women warriors keep popping up throughout history. Thanks to the Greeks, we even have an archetype - the amazon.

As of today, up to 22 pages for Chapter 14. Again, other stories are being worked on, but the focus is Starlight Gleaming until it is completed.

Personally, I find the excessive remarks about love incredibly tedious. I do very much enjoy the creativity and much of the character interaction besides the fixation on love. Each to their own, you do a far better job writing than I ever could, so thank you for that.

There are some interesting aspects to the underlying story but frankly the sex is partsare sick and petverted

So, he has two kids now. One with Zinja. The other with Ixma. So, one daughter (Sisi) is the sister of his other kid's (Mina) mom.

Just think if zinja and him got married. His stepdaughter would be his baby mamma.

Thinking about that made me chuckle.

Raven