Some Desperate Glory

This chapter includes a set of bulletins about different species. They discuss a revival of a zunimmer opera, a play about an alien and a human in love, Admiral Jole giving an interview about the Providence program, how people are wanted for Terran Expeditionary, and the political climate on Sinthara.

There is also an excerpt from Federation and Other Problems: An Introduction to Human Political Thought. In the Terran Federation, which includes Earth and its colonies, democracy is just for show. The outcomes of elections are known before they are held. The Terran Federation, also known as Magna Terra, is a “militarized technocratic oligarchy with elements of authoritarian populism” (254). Humans tend to argue among themselves, and the Federation may splinter.

In two universes, the protagonist (Kyr) is known as “Vallie.” In the universe where the Earth has not been destroyed, this nickname is short for Valerie Marston. She is called “Val” more often than “Vallie,” however. Val is with Cleo, who was just assigned to the Victrix. They are on Hymmer Station, shadowing at Secpol, which operates security and policing. This is their last Academy rotation as part of the Terran Expeditionary forces. Val says that she’ll buy Cleo a drink, and Cleo says that Val has to have two drinks.