We are back this week with the conclusion to Nightlifers – On the Horizon, and we meet a particular Terran expat. This is also the 98th comic in the Silver Spiral Stories archive overall. This story was written by Deft Beck with illustrations by Footfoxxy (NSFW Twitter) and colored by myself. This won’t be the last of Tito, Henke, and the rest of the Nightlifers crew.
Last time, Tito managed to fend off water thieves, but we’re back in the present this week. In future installments, I hope we’ll see what the inside of the restaurant and makeshift club looks like. That is up to writer Deft Beck, however. We get introduced to Ellen Sagan on this final page as well, I’ll have a little more to say about her in a moment.
First of all, we have some notes from Deft Beck, who writes:
“Tito Nicor has a lot to be thankful for in his life; he has a boyfriend, he has two loving fathers, and he has a small business he can be proud of. But he is also in a tough spot. His boyfriend may be drafted to fight a war he doesn’t support. His fathers tear each other apart over their flaws. And their family business is on the verge of closing due to droughts. For Tito, a lot is over the horizon. And I hope you enjoy this glimpse into his life.”
If you have not checked out the 382nd Cosmic Dash update, well… what is keeping you?
You may have noticed I didn’t do any volume 2 updates this week. Between a nasty heatwave and a local, massive wildfire, I just couldn’t motivate myself enough to work on those pages. We’ll be updating next week for sure, however.
For now, let’s talk about the unusual presence of a Terran on Blassna.
A Human Expat on Blassna
First, we have this bit from Deft about Ellen and her role:
“Ellen Sagan is a young human woman, formerly of the Federation, on the run in the capital of the Blassnaught Empire. She is inquisitive and intelligent but impulsive. She yearns for a place where she can feel at home. With the rise of the rebel alliance, Ellen has a chance to help seize her new home’s freedom, but at the risk of her life and livelihood.”
It seems like some events will be set in motion in the near future. Might the water rationing play into this in some capacity? How deep does the unrest go? And what of the current leadership of the empire, Emperor Empharamus Zartul?
As for Ellen, a Terran expat on Blassna is a bit of an oddity. The Terran diaspora isn’t rare in the Imperial borders, but a Terran making their way to the heart of the Empire is unusual, especially given the tensions regarding The Dividing War. As for Ellen’s reasons for being in the territory, there may be a little history involving a controlling family back when she was a Federation citizen. We’ll need to wait and see where her story goes.
One thing that should be known is that it is hard for a Terran among the Blassnaught’s territory. Old grudges die hard.
Nightlifers – On The Horizon – Page 5 Transcript
This is the transcript for Nightlifers – On The Horizon – Page 5.
Panel One
Tito is still awake, resting his head against Henke lying on the couch.
Caption: “Back in the present…”
Tito (Caption): “Everything in the past half a year’s been lucky.”
Panel Two
A shot of the street in the canyon, the Nicor’s Noodles building, features a sign for Nightlifers.
Panel Three
Tito Nicor, Henke Rassqa, and Ellen Sagan are standing in front of the makeshift club in conversation.
Panel Four
Inset panel depicting the Nightlifers sign.
Panel Five
Tito kisses a sleeping Henke on the cheek.
Tito (Caption): “But whatever comes over the horizon…”
Panel Six
Inset panel depicting Tito from behind, smiling.
Tito (Caption): “I’m sure we can pull through.”
Caption: “The End”
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aand I’m done.