P. E. Knapp

And here it is. The background for Book 2.

Thanks. Working on setting up the story space now.

Well. It's done! With much sadness I loaded the last chapter of The Westward Confederation Book 1: It All Started With A Shuttle Flight into the system and set the timer to drop it Thursday. I enjoyed this book, and I am sorry to see it end, but there are more stories of Marc to tell. As they say, the show must go on. 2 more books before Marc turns 18 and all hell breaks loose. And now I do what I always do when I load a chapter. I open Scrivener and choose a story to work on. I had thought about doing something for the upcoming Anthology but have decided against it. I have enough writing to do now with the eight different stories I am working on. The Westward Confederation Series. Book 2 has been named: Two for One I always have trouble naming a book and this was the best I could come up with that sort of covers what the book is about.

That just reminded me of how rusty my German is. Bedauerlicherweise But! I still have my Grinch boxers and hat I can regift. I'm ready!

So far in the 4 books only Marc has the fated mate. Janek will still be seen from time to time during the next few books. I have actually added him into book 4 and I have an idea that puts him in book 3 also. Most of the people in this book will be coming along to the next several books unless they get killed off. Does Janek find his mate. Yes, he will find his mate eventually. As for throuple. Not in this series. Marc is sort of a one mate man. I have another book that is in editing that will end with multiple children in the household with 6 parents. 4 male and 2 female. It's an internal debate on whether I am going to release it or not.

Anytime. I know I should have added more background, but when I try it seems to drag the story down. I need to work on it some more. That being said. Keep calling it out and I'll answer it and work it into the story somehow. 😀

@drsawzall Thanks! It has been a good run for this part of the story. Many more to go.

@ReaderPaul Now back to Hugo. He sort of came out of the woodwork in this book. I needed an answer, and he provided it. Never really had him in scenes except in book 4. That is changing, hence the rewrite and heavy editing of books 2, 3, and 4. As I find a little reason here and there to add him and others in. He has always been nothing more than a friend, even though he is about 16 months older. He went to the Silva Academy with Marc but did it later than normal. Which is 11 or 12 stanyears old. They have had basic sex together, no penetrations. Just hugs, kisses, hand jobs and blow jobs. Not lovers but love each other and really do consider each other brothers. They look the part as they look similar (Blond hair, similar build) and before the growth spurt, Hugo could have been the little brother. Growth spurt: This is do to the enhanced genetic changes that allow everyone to live to an average of 250 stanyears. It could happen a few times or all at once. In Marc's case, he went through it in a period of 2 months. Shooting up to his height of 6 foot at age 13. This requires medical monitoring daily and if you think kids eat a lot as teenagers, you haven't seen nothing yet. During the growth spurt it is not unusual for someone to eat 5, 6 or 8 times a day to fuel growth. During Marc's cycle he ate 6 times a day, very large meals or as when Marc and Hugo go down to the cafeteria during Hugo's growth spurt and he eats two full trays of food, that Marc teases him for.

Thanks @ReaderPaul for the comments! Hugo? I have no idea what his last name is... never wrote one in as he didn't have the larger part he had in this book. Possibly we should have a poll for that over in the forum? Two sisters. Caitlin (older) and Jessica (younger). I think this should work. 😀

@ReaderPaul I can try. Is there a certain way to do it? Not really up on all the techniques of posting my napkin scribblings yet, but working on it! Bingo! Figured it out. I think?!

Hello everyone, @centexhairysub asked a question about ch21 that I thought part of belonged here because the answer is rather long. If the Alexader family owns 57 percent and the other 43 is split between the Campbell and Armstrong families and both Marc and Jessica own 5 percent, that means that either the there is a whole lot of people with smaller percents or there just isn't that many people in the family. Yeah. This will be long. The three families own different amounts: The Alexander's end up with 57 percent stock ownership. The grandparents (Edna and Andrew Alexander) hold 10 percent. Andrew's sister Barbara holds 10 percent. Marc's father and his brother (Andrew Jr.) hold 5 percent each as do Caitlin, Marc, and Jessica. That brings us to 45%. The other 12 percent sits in the trust for all the other Alexander family line members and is controlled by the majority holders. aka the main holders in the Alexander family (those that own the shares not in the trust). The Campbell Family, by virtue of Joshua's mate Henry being a Campbell as well as one of the founders, are the next large holders of Alexander Industrials Stock. They control 35.5 percent, which is spread across the family. Francis and Gloria Campbell (Uncle/Aunt, an Honorary title) Their two daughters, Sarah, Laura and son Michael control 25 percent with 10.5 percent in trust for others in that family line. The Armstrong Family controls the remaining 7.5 percent. Grandpa Donald holds 3 percent. Grandma Barbara Alexander-Armstrong Bonded with him years after the death of his first mate and assisted in raising the kids, Dorothy (Marc's mother.) and Peter. She holds her own percentage as part of the Alexander family. The other 4.5 percent is in trust for the other members of the Armstrong family. The Trust's themselves are split according to the number of people in it. For example: If it's 100 people, the each get a share of the dividends paid. If the dividend for the stanyear is 1,000,000 credits. Then everyone gets 10,000 credits. Needless to say, all three families are large once you split off from the direct descendants of the original founders. Especially of Joshua and Henry, with aunts, uncles, cousins galore! As both came from large families with many brothers and sisters. The caveat for the shareholders is they don't get access to their shares/dividends until they reach the age of 25 stanyears. Just in case you thought Marc would be able to run right out and purchase his dream mining vessel once he hit's 16 stanyears and has aged into the right of contracts. 😈

Thanks @centexhairysub for the comment! Yeah, Marc has both the good and bad dreams. Marc loves Jessica to death. Even if she is a pain occasionally. The family percentage split. I think I'll drop that over in the Story Discussion Forum. That's one of those items that needs to be posted there too. The great grandfather, Joshua Alexander's mate was a Campbell. Hence how they are part of the family. The Armstrong's had always had close ties to Joshua Alexander and that was made even stronger by Bonding (Marriage). More gets explained in the next chapter.

Thanks @akascrubber for the comment! Marc has too much to do and not enough time to do it in for the next few weeks.

It will indeed. As it will give me a space to push out questions I have to the readers.

I'm sure I should have done this sooner, it just got lost in editing.

It took me an hour as we went over the group’s brief excursion through one of my favorite asteroid belts. In the end, I was happy with them. Probably pushed more because I would have time with one Ensign Janek Wojact for a few days. That made me happy. That made him happy. I was looking forward to tonight. The entire gang was going to join us at the Pizzeria. Holding hands with Janek surprised those unaware of our relationship. I was satisfied with Thorp taking the time to explain it to th

This will be the new home for discussions on the books in The Westward Confederation Series and The Westward Confederation Universe. Book 1- It All Started with a Shuttle Flight. - completed Book 2- Two for One - Completed Book 3- Love on the Rocks - Completed Book 4- Fates Mates & Pirates - In process

Thanks @centexhairysub! Yes. The company. I keep dropping tidbits along the way but should probably add a deep dive into it. I should use Jessica again for that. Janek is in his final days of seeing Marc as more than friends... then the real adventure begins for him and his new life away from Vol-Stadt Station.

Thanks @gmc! The next two are already in revision and editing. Should drop right on schedule on next Saturday, with this book ending Thursday.

Thanks @ReaderPaul! As I have said in earlier comments. While this Book may end in the next week, the next book continues the story of Marc. The first chapter should drop on the same schedule as these. Possibly being next Saturday as i believe the last chapter of this one will post Thursday. Old friends, new friends, new adventures in the rocks and elsewhere in book 2. His friends, exlovers, ect... set the stage for events in later books.

Thanks @akascrubber! Marc, as maybe you have already guessed, is a very sexually active teenager and everyone s figuring out that providing hotel rooms for privacy is a good carrot to get him to do things. As for command of the Corp. Well. That is answered in book 4. 😇

Sorry @drsawzall! Only two, possibly three more. Depends on if I split ch22 back in two and flesh out another angle. But fear not! A few days after the last chapter ends this book, the first chapter of Book2 and the continuing adventures of Marc with old friends, new friends and new challenges will be posted. Also, the prologue and Ch1 have been updated. I don't go by chapters but word counts. This book currently sits around 70,000 words as do the next two. Book 4 is over 200k and will most likely be split into two. Plenty more to read yet about Marc before the story shifts to other characters. (I'm trying very hard not to release too much information on the future books)

“OK. You think you have it under control?” I asked, doing a final check of the controls, as Jessica eagerly waited to take over piloting the shuttle. “Yes.” I could almost hear the addition of Brat under her breath, but I am taking her to Aris and letting her pilot most of the way. “Remember. If I get sited for an error on your part, young miss learners permit, there will be no stop on Aris for chocolates. You may take the helm.” I waited as she placed her feet on the pedals and her l

LOL.🤣 Thanks @drsawzall! I needed that laugh when I logged in. It's been a long day of writing and editing, but that last line caught me just right. All I will say is. It isn't a pooch that he was screwing and the mining is what becomes the beginning of the beginning of something beyond Marc. One thing I've found in writing. When I finished the fourth book (Which I thought was book 1) and realized I had so much to say about Marc, his past, his family and friends. It made it so much easier to write in reverse. Book 4 led to book three, Book 3 led to book 2 and ... you guessed it. Book 2 led to this one. After what I was tapping out today, there may very well be a book 1.5 or 2.5, neither large enough to be a full-sized book. Book four is over 200k words and still growing as I add items and people from books 1-3. I will probably split it into two books at a point I already have for that purpose. At the end of the day. Everything you stated above will be answered in the 4th book. Oh, I can't wait for those chapters to drop. 😉

Thanks for the comment @VBlew! Probes are stealthy enough that chances of them being spotted are low. Marc has and will continue to do what needs to be done, regardless of the cost to himself. That causes problems later in life but it works for him now. Janek fell under that umbrella and Marc charged off pull Janek out of that fighter.