Holding The Line Chapter 162

It's been a few weeks since we've had a HTL chapter. Don't worry, it isn't finishing just yet! Here's Raptor with the latest chapter:

Hey all, Raptor here

When I and a handful of other writers began planning the HTL story over five years ago, we had no idea it would become the giant that it has. The original plan that I had in mind featured 50 or so chapters and maybe half a dozen writers, all wrapped in an year or two. What no-one expected was that over two dozen writers would join up, or that the ideas, characters and subplots they contributed would flesh out the bare bones of the story I had in mind so well. All good things come to an end though, and while it's not quite the end for HTL just yet, this story marks the beginning of the end.

That's because despite all the improvements and additions that have made to the story, the core plot has remained the same. The outnumbered fleet of Confed and Border Worlds vessels has been fighting to hold back the Nephilim tide long enough for the wormhole to be closed, slowly giving way before the enemy armada while making the Nephilim pay for each advance they make. Meanwhile, their reserves and support forces have been gathering to help them finish the battle once and for all. Now that the main fleet has linked up with the reserves, the defenders will be throwing all their resources in one final and cataclysmic battle, HTL's big and bloody finale.

A recurring complaint many characters have made throughout the story has been about the scarcity of those resources. Like most things in life though, it's not black and white. We kick the finale off with an interesting story called "The Other Side Of The Coin." This chapter is written by Brandon "Avatarr" Alspaugh, so please send any and all comments to him at avatarr@sprynet.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch162.htm

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 161

The Aces march on with HTL. Here's Raptor to tell you about the latest instalment:

Hey all, Raptor here.

Well, it's been a hell of a long road getting to this point. We've published a hundred and sixty chapters to date, sixty-five of them as part of the Loki battle alone. In that time, we've had stories about the Confed and Border Worlds fleet units fighting to hold the line against the Nephilim, the Third Fleet reserves and Union Militia troops that were detailed to reinforce the fleet, the Tanfen merchants who were caught up in the battle against their will, and the many bit players who've added their stories to the campaign.

This is where all those threads come together, as the Combined Fleet jumps into Nifelhiem to link up with the reserves, and prepare for the final showdown with the enemy. From here, we're headed straight into the big finale of the battle to hold the line. This chapter is written by yours truly, so please send any and all comments back to me.

The story is at: http://htl.solsector.net/loki66.htm

Holding The Line Chapter 160

You guys know the drill -- here's Chapter 160 of Holding the Line. Here's Raptor...

Hey all, Raptor here

HTL continues with the fourth and final chapter to Scraps Of Honour 12, "Pride Goes Before A Fall." As you saw in the last chapter, a group of the reserve pilots had engaged in a simulated duel in a planetary atmosphere. A lot more than pride is at stake, as the reserves will shortly be taking on the Nephilim forces that are sure to be following the retreating fleet, and the lessons learned in the duel may soon have to be applied for real. This chapter picks up from there, and is written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane. Please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://htl.solsector.net/loki65.htm

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 159

Right on time, here's the next HTL installment. As usual, here's Raptor to tell you about it.

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with the third chapter of "Pride Goes Before A Fall", part twelve of the Scraps Of Honour series. As you saw last time, the reserve pilots had met the main fleet as it fell back from Loki in preparation for the final phase of the battle to hold the line. Before then though, there are still preparations to be made, and training to be completed. This story picks up from there. It's written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane, so please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://htl.solsector.net/loki64.htm

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 158

HTL must be the only fan project that makes progress every week. Here's Raptor:

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with the second chapter of "Scraps Of Honour 12". As you saw in the last chapter, the reserve pilots were increasingly on edge as they waited for the main fleet to jump into Nifelhiem in preparation for the final battle. That tension was causing increasing friction among the pilots in the unit. This chapter picks up from there, and is written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane. Please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://htl.solsector.net/loki63.htm

Also, the HTL Archives have had a major update. In addition to standardising the appearance of all the pages used on the site, the Archives now have all stories up to the end of our Loki arc, including three as yet unpublished stories. The site also has downloadable zip files of all four completed arcs for the convenience of those who prefer to read the stories offline.

The Archives are at: http://htl.solsector.net

Best, Raptor

Holding the Line Chapters 156 and 157

Oops. Raptor forgot to send us a HTL chapter last week. The good news is you get two this week instead! Here's Raptor:

Hey all, Raptor here.

For some reason I can't fathom (except perhaps that I'm getting forgetful in my old age), I didn't get around to sending the last HTL chapter we published to the CIC. The good news though, is that you get a double header this week. We start the HTL marathon with Part 17 of the Tiger Hunt series, which follows the Border Worlds pilots who have been drawing the enemy fleet's fire in the Loki system. They escaped the debris field in the last chapter, but they can't afford to relax just yet. This story is written by yours truly, so please send any and all comments back to me.

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/...

HTL continues with Scraps of Honour 12, a four part story that follows the Border Worlds reserve units in Nifelhiem as they prepare for the big showdown. As you may remember, the reserve groups held a Valentine's day ball on February 14th, their last chance to cut loose before the expected arrival of the main fleet. This story picks up from there, and is written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane. Please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/...

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 155

If you've missed out on the other 154 chapters of Holding the Line, now is a good time to catch up since the archives are now up to date. Here's Raptor with the latest:

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with Part 16 of the Tiger Hunt series, which follows the Border Worlds carriers fighting a diversionary action in Loki. As you saw in the last chapter, the Valkyrie pilots were exhausted, running low on missiles, and quickly being worn down by enemy attacks. After nearly three days of constant fighting, they're badly in need of a reprieve. This chapter picks up from there. It's written buy yours truly, so please send any and comments back to me.

The story is at: http://htl.solsector.net/loki60.htm

Our archives at Solsector have finally had a badly needed update, and are now current with all our published stories, including this one. You can check them out at: http://htl.solsector.net/

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 154

You could probably read War & Peace several times in the time it would take you to read Holding the Line from the beginning. But then War & Peace isn't Wing Commander. Here's Raptor:

Hey all, Raptor here

HTL continues with the second half of "Calculated Risk", as the TCS Yorktown fights a Nephilim dreadnaught battlegroup. As you saw in the last chapter, the Yorktown's alpha strike had taken out the dreadnaught and its cruiser escort. On the way back to the ship though, part of the strike group stumbles on a Nephilim attack wing set to ambush the Yorktown. This chapter picks up from there. It's written by Joe "Wraith" Guida, so please send any and all comments to him at captpowell1@screaminet.com, not to me. The story is at:

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/...

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 153

How about a new Holding The Line chapter to brighten your day? Here's Raptor to tell you about it.

Hey all, Raptor here

You've been reading about the Valeria and Valley Forge battlegroups' fight against the Nephilim in the last few chapters, but they're not the only ones battling to hold the line. HTL continues with "Calculated Risk", the story of the TCS Yorktown's battle against a Nephilim dreadnaught and its escorts. This story is written Joe "Wraith" Guida, someone who has just joined HTL, and already looks set to be a valuable part of the team. Please send any and all comments to him at captpowell1@screaminet.com, not to me.

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/...

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 152

How's about a new Holding The Line chapter to brighten your day? Here's Raptor to tell you about it:

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with the third and concluding chapter to End Of The Spiral 1, Full Circle. As you saw previously, the former TCS Valley Forge BG had regrouped after the loss of their flagship, collected the survivours, and mourned the loss of so many comrades. Now they have to both prepare for the battles ahead, and find out who or what is *really* behind what happened. This story is jointly written by all the Valley Forge team, so please send any and all comments to them via the addresses at the top of the story, not to me.

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/...

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line: Chapter 151

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with the second chapter of "End Of The Spiral", Part 1. As you saw in the last chapter, the remaining ships of the Forge's battle had finished regrouping after the loss of their carrier, but the survivours still have long way to go in dealing with the deaths of so many crewmates. This chapter picks up from there and is jointly written by all the Valley Forge writers. Please send any and all comments to them via the addresses at the top of the story, not to me.

On another note, HTL marked it's fourth anniversary on the 28th of January, making it one of the longest running projects both in the WC Aces and in the WC community in general. It's been a heck of ride so far, and I hope our readers will stay with us as we head into the big finale. The best (and bloodiest) bits are still to come. ;-)

Holding The Line Turns Four

Holding The Line: Chapter 150

Here's Raptor with the introduction to chapter 150:

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with a story called "End Of The Spiral", a TCS Valley Forge story that follows on from the events of "The Downward Spiral" and "Further Down The Spiral." As you saw at the end of FTDS, the Valley Forge had been sacrificed in order to destroy a Nephilim dreadnaught. The survivors of the crew and the flight wing, as well as those on the other ships in the battlegroup, must now regroup and recover from that disaster. This story is jointly written by all the Valley Forge team, so please send any and all comments to them via the addresses at the top of the story.

Holding The Line: Chapter 149

Here's Raptor with the introduction to chapter 149:

Hey all, Raptor here.

After that interlude to look at what was happening elsewhere in the universe, we're now going back to the battle in the Loki system. HTL continues with part 15 of the Tiger Hunt series, "A Good Day To Die". When we left Loki, the Union's Battlegroup Valkyrie had been cornered in the Loki VI debris field by Nephilim forces. They had beaten off a massive attack, but their sister carrier had been lost in the fighting, along with several escorts and many dozens of fighter. This story picks up from there as the Border Worlders fight to survive. This chapter is written by yours truly, so please send any all comments back to me.

The story is at: ../ch149.htm

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 148

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with part six of the "Toeing The Line" series, which follows the Confed reserve pilots assembled in Nifelhiem to back up the main fleet. This chapter "Having A Ball", looks at the events leading up to, during, and after the ill-fated Valentine's Day ball with the Border Worlders from the point of view of the Confed pilots. As I'm sure you'll recall, there were a lot more bones broken than hearts at that party. This chapter is written by James Andrew "JAG" Greenhow, so please send any and all comments to him at Rambo.123uk@btinternet.com, not to me.

On another note, this'll be the last chapter posted here before the silly season, so I want to wish all you Wingnuts a merry Christmas and a happy new year. Look forward to a ton of HTL chapters in 2003. We might be getting close to the finale, but this story is still has a few twists and surprises in store for you.

Best,Raptor

You can find the story at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch148.htm

Holding The Line: Chapter 147

Here's Raptor with the introduction to a gory chapter 147:

Hey all, Raptor here

HTL continues with a gory chapter titled "War In Heaven." Those who prefer reading about ground combat and giblets getting splattered at close range to the space battles will love this one. This chapter was also originally planned as part of our Halloween special, but slipped a little in being posted here. The good news though, is that the chapters here at the CIC have just about caught up with the mailing list once again. This particular chapter is written by Kevin "Leeloo" Tan, so please send any and all comments to him at leeloo8@hotmail.com, not to me.

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line Chapter 146

Be afraid.. be very afraid. No, not of Raptor, the story.

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with a spooky little tale called "Harvest", featuring a Border Worlds pilots you might recognise, one Troy "Catscratch" Carter. This story was originally intended to be part of our Halloween special, and was sent out on the Aces list in time for the holiday. We might be a little late posting it here, but it should be no less blood curdling for all that. This story is written by Brandon "Avatarr" Alspaugh, so please send any and all comments to him at avatarr@sprynet.com, not to me.

Best, Raptor

The story is at: http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch146.htm

Holding The Line Chapter 145

Hey all, Raptor here.

HTL continues with the third and final chapter to Scraps Of Honour 11, "Till Death Do Us Party". As you saw in the last chapter, Colonel Onslow had put down the near riot at the Valentine's Day party with typical Border Worlds tact and subtlety, or rather the lack thereof. In addition to wrecking the surroundings, the brawl's left what was meant to be a friendly bonding exercise between the Confed and Border Worlds pilots in shambles. However, there are still a few people who are determined to salvage what they can from the party, their last chance to relax before the Nephilim arrive. This chapter picks up from there, and is written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane. Please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me. The story is at:

http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~theraj/archives/ch145.htm

Best, Raptor

Holding The Line: Chapter 144

Here's Raptor with the introduction to chapter 144:

As I said in my post on the HTL forum, we had to stop publishing HTL chapters on the CIC because the Archives hadn't been updated for a while. I *really* didn't want to end HTL's association with the CIC though, not after working with them to publish HTL chapters for over an year. After a little amateur web page building with the latest version of MS Word though (thank you, Mr Gates!), I've figured out a way to put together basic webpages for the chapters without taking too much time away from writing and co-ordinating. The pages are nothing fancy, but they get the job done. The upshot is that you'll be able to enjoy your regular dose of Border Worlds propaganda....er, HTL stories, at the CIC once again.

HTL continues with the second part of Scraps of Honour 11, "Till Death Do Us Party". In the last chapter, the Confederation and Border Worlds reserve forces had thrown a "getting to know ya" Valentine's Day party for their pilots and crews. Everyone is looking forward to a great time, all the more so because this will be their last chance to cut loose before the Nephilim jump in. This chapter is written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane, so please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

Holding The Line: Chapter 143

Here is Raptor with the introduction to the latest release:

Hey all, Raptor here.

Just to prove that a bloody, prolonged and possible futile battle against massively powerful and total ruthless alien invaders doesn't have to be all doom and gloom, we're going to be doing something a little different for the next few weeks. It's now Feb 14th 2681, Valentine's Day. The combat fleets might not have had much time to celebrate romance, but it's a different story away from the frontlines. HTL continues with the eleventh story in the Scraps of Honour series, which follows the Border Worlds reserve force. Like most in this series, it's a whopper, and has been split into three chapters. It's been written by Nick "Chaeronea" Deane, so please send any and all comments to him at chaeronea@bigpond.com, not to me.

Apart from that, there's good news and bad news. The chapters here on the CIC are now fully caught up with those on the Aces list, and this chapter is the same one that I'm mailing to the club. From now on, you'll get new chapters at the same time the Aces do, rather than settling for delayed coverage. The bad news is that you'll only get chapters every fortnight from now on, the same as the Aces do. We've got some great stuff coming up though, including this Valentine's Day special, a Halloween special and of course the conclusion to the Loki battle, so stay tuned.

Best, Raptor