Non-profit fan-fiction strikes back, as Louella Richardson and Neil Shearer (Vindictus) bring us the next instalment in the lives of the crew of the alien spaceship “Vindictus” and their fight to stop the oppressive rapid expansionist Federation. Vindictus, and Vindictus: Escape To Aristo are follow-ons from the BBC’s Blake’s 7 (1978-81). Now, decades later, a descendant of Roj Blake (Gareth Thomas. Torchwood (TV Series), Knights of God (TV Series)) have taken on the mantle to fight the Federation and liberate the many oppressed planets under its rule. But first…

“Only the dead have seen the end of the war, for everyone else the fight will go on.”

Following the events of the first novel, the crew of the Vindictus made it back on board, but they still face great danger as the Federation has found them. Looking back at them is Space Commanders Vordan and Ariq and hanging back in her command ship is Commissioner Lamia, Ariq’s bitter rival in the hierarchy of the Federation. But the matter at hand is the capture of the Vindictus, Orac and its rebel crew. “When in a pit of vipers, your only choice is to bite first.” Lou Blake has decisions to make, and those around her are just as anxious, as they look to her for leadership.

The firepower of the two flotillas of federation ships is enough to rip the Vindictus apart, and Koios, the ship’s computer, is not responding to them. But it is now responding to members of the ship’s original crew, the Alta’s, who want to get their Deep Space Vehicle back home, to the ‘System’.

What Vindictus: Escape to Aristo does is take the original story of the rebel fighters and bring it up to date, with lots of political intrigue on the Federation side, as Lamia and Ariq vie for control. Lamia on the side of politics and following the Supreme Imperator’s guidelines in expanding the Federations grip, using Pylene 74, to subdue the populace of each system they conquer.

Whereas Ariq favours quick decisive military operations, boots on the ground and people under the gun to get what they want. However, he also has to follow the SI’s directions, so he has to tread a tight line.

When Blake, Callan the Zadithian warrior, and Semele, the enhanced human known as a Mutoid, find themselves captives of the once dead but now regenerated Alta 45 and 23. It is left to the flighty streetwise Tavia to pull them out of their predicament, as the Alta’s use their innate connections to the ship and Koios to evade the Federation ships.

The Vindictus pulls off an audacious once in a lifetime manoeuvre.

Once the Federation and the Alta problems have been resolved, the ship’s crew have to find the Grandson of the creator of Orac, Zak Ensor, who is the reason the Alta’s were still onboard. He is a brilliant, self-centred, egotistical, computer genius who is only out for his own benefit, but events don’t always go his way.

The crew find him, close to death, after his failed experiments on the Alta’s. Most of the crew want to see him take that final step, due to his continued meddling and manipulation of those on board the Vindictus.

His only ally is the emotionally confused Semele. Who’s Mutoid programming is failing, and she is experiencing difficulty processing emotion after having had all of them removed when she underwent her conversion. This affection for Ensor grates Callan, who is constantly fighting his religious indoctrination, to accept this abomination in humanoid form. Blake struggles to mould those onboard into a functioning crew, and Tavia flips between her wise cracks and hiding in her quarters. Ensor tries to get the confidence of his possible executioners, he tells them that his grandfather was working on other projects other than the greatest AI in the galaxy, and that a prototype cloaking devise could make Blake’s dreams of taking the fight to the Federation come to fruition. During their expedition to Aristo, the Vindictus and the Federation, become aware of a new player in the galaxy, as they come across, but avoid a huge flotilla of war ships at a Federation shipyard, This is a new unknown. Whose side are they on, are they on any side, do they want to take over the Galaxy for themselves? These are the questions that will need answering in the future.

I guess that’s the downside of having the fastest ship in the galaxy, no time to relax and reflect.

Vindictus: Escape to Aristo, is a giant step forward in the fight for freedom and the oppression of the Federation. A must-read for the fans of the original TV series, and those that have read the first instalment of Vindictus. You just can’t put it down as we see the development of these very different characters evolving into a coherent crew.

bit.ly/vindictusweb

http://bit.ly/vindictusescape

Written by Louella Richardson and Neil Shearer

Edited by Martin Clothier

Vindictus logo and spacecraft design by Mark Harrison, www.markharrisonvfx.com

Typesetting and Cover art design by Grahame Robertson,

www.grahame.design