Call of Duty

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Call of Duty
Product information
Type Novel
Author Blaine Lee Pardoe
Pages 271
Cover Artwork Ed Cox
Publication information
Publisher Roc Books
Product code LE5856
First published 10 October 2001
ISBN-10 0451458567
ISBN-13 978-0451458568
Content
Era Civil War era
Timeline 11 February 3063 – 10 May 3063
(3 February 3063 prologue)
Series Archer Christifori novels
Preceded by Measure of a Hero
Followed by Operation Audacity

Call of Duty, by Blaine Lee Pardoe, is the second novel about Archer Christifori's experiences during the Federated Commonwealth Civil War.

Archer Christifori's story is preceded by Measure of a Hero and concludes in Operation Audacity.

The novel was made available on BattleCorps on 27 February 2011 as a PDF file (text only, without cover, pictures, or any other interior artwork except for the usual BattleCorps frame graphics). The PDF copy includes a disclaimer stating that it was created from a pre-final edition text that might differ from the printed version and that canon-wise, the print edition trumps the PDF edition.

From the back cover[edit]

The planet of Odessa is caught between two adversaries whose personal antagonism may cost them much more than their lives.

On one side is Count Nicholas Fisk, ruler of Odessa and a staunch supporter of Katrina Steiner, the ruler of the Lyran Alliance. In an effort to help stamp out the rebellion against Katrina's rule that has sprouted up across dozens of Alliance worlds, Count Fisk hopes to lure one of the more successful rebels to ultimate destruction. On the other side of the conflict are Leftenant General Archer Christifori and his Archer's Avengers, who support Prince Victor and his bid to oust Katrina. Though he knows that Odessa is a trap, the possibility of winning over the famed mercenary unit Snord's Irregulars to the cause is too tempting to pass up.

But where peace is expected, battle ensues. And the black and white of friend and foe quickly turn to shades of gray while treachery abounds.

Summary[edit]

The novel tells another tale of internal strife from the FedCom Civil war, once again following the work of Archer Christifori as "Archer's Avengers" take the fight to another Katherine-held world.

The plot progresses with a single major plot line and two major viewpoints. Archer is tasked by Victor to recruit Snord's Irregulars to his cause, with the understanding that their existing, long-standing contract with the Lyran Alliance is coming to an end. The Irregulars are stationed on the world of Odessa, near Tharkad. It is the holding of Count Fisk, who's son Luther was responsible for the death of Archer's sister. For their part, the Irregulars have been holding to a clause in their contract that doesn't allow them to become involved in internal conflicts.

Fisk plans to use a false flag attack on the Irregulars and the Avengers to cause them to fight each other, ensuring neither side can be a threat to Katherine's reign over the Lyran Alliance. The attack catches both Rhonda Snord and Archer in the field as they attempt to make initial contact after the Avengers make planetfall. The attack pits a lance of the Wolverton's Highlanders against two of the Irregulars', and another lance against the single Rotunda transporting Archer. Archer and Rhonda survive the attack, but each loses a close friend to the assaults.

Command of the Irregulars temporarily falls to Rhonda's daughter, as she is rendered comatose by the attack. Alexandria Natasha Snord leads the Irregulars in multiple actions against the Avengers but ends up getting pushed back into the ruins of old Bealton.

Archer lays siege to Old Bealton, with multiple company-level actions occurring between the forces over time. In the interim, limited communications with the Irregulars leads the Avengers' intelligence officer Major Katya Chaffee to suspect that something is off with the Irregulars and the ambush on Archer that started the fighting. Chaffee is able to take advantage of a returning company's arrival and their spotting of the approach of the rest of the Wolverton's Highlanders forces making planetfall to get approval for further investigation. This investigation leads to the capture of the lances responsible for the false flag ambushes that instigated the conflict.

Armed with the information captured along with the Wolverton 'Mechs, Archer is able to get himself captured by the Irregulars just as Rhonda Snord regains consciousness. He is able to convince her and her daughter that the attack on them was caused by Fisk and the Highlanders. The two then join forces to defeat the Highlanders, going on to capture the Fisk family in a raid on their field command center.

Archer finishes his mission by convincing the Irregulars to Join Victor's side, not in fighting in the civil war directly, but by garrisoning the world of Tukayyid to prevent further attacks by the Clans while the Federated Commonwealth is busy fighting itself.

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Foreign-Language Editions[edit]

German[edit]

A German edition, translated by Reinhold H. Mai, was published by Heyne in 2002 as In die Pflicht genommen (ISBN 9783453213227).[1]

Hungarian[edit]

A Hungarian edition was published by Beholder in 2008 as A kötelesség szava. [2]

Covers[edit]

References[edit]

  1. Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Catalog entry for In die Pflicht genommen
  2. Beholder product page for A kötelesség szava