Battleslave [Paperback]

Ralph Askew (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 6, 2006

Chrisinda Balderack is a futuristic Joan of Arc who does not hear the voice of guidance, but is the voice of guidance for her fellow battleroids.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Ralph Askew was born in 1937 in Cleveland, Ohio. He spent a total of 10 years in the Ohio National Guard, the California National Guard and the United States Marine Corps where he developed an interest in military history. After graduating from UCLA, he joined the LAPD where he spent most of his patrol time at the Newton Street Patrol Division as a training officer. He retired from the police department after 21 years. Battleslave is his second novel. The first one is still unfinished. Mr. Askew currently lives in Hawaii as a retiree.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

     When Chrisinda entered the courtroom escorted by two guards from Camp Security, the press began to buzz. They were giving as much information about her to their viewers and listeners as possible in the shortest period of time. She was in her dress uniform, which made her appear much larger than she really was. Captain Bundie wanted her to stop exercising and lose weight to look smaller, but she could not. Exercising was as much a part of her life as anything else she had known.

     Chrisinda appeared to be very calm as she sat at the table next to Captain Bundie, and across the room was Major Dirkin and members of his staff. She looked at the nine generals sitting behind a long table at the end of the room and then at the audience, which comprised of news people only.

     Mihel and Anna were there because he was her Commanding Officer and father, and Anna because she was her mother. Chrisinda acknowledged them with her eyes, but she said nothing. The witnesses were not in the courtroom at that time, but sequestered elsewhere in the building. During the opening statements, Major Dirkin stated that he was going to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that the acts committed by the Accused were wanton and without any regard to reason or regard to regulations. "Her actions," he said, "where the result of a long term plan she formulated in her twisted mind years before.

     "The Accursed on numerous occasions, over the past two years, left the confines of the camp facilities against established regulations without the knowledge or permission of the camp's staff members.

     "The Accused illegally removed government property from the camp's property facility on numerous occasions without the permission of the Property Officer, and again against established regulations, took that property from the camp facility.

     "The Accused also engaged in an illegal liaison with a normal girl of Port Arthur and either coerced or tricked that poor normal girl into giving her, the Accused, information about normals which she hated for what she thought they had done to her, in exchange for a few lessons in courage, so stated by the Accused.

     "The Accused, using her illegal liaison and her facade of friendship with this normal girl, brought her onto the camp facility, illegally, to associate with the members of her class for the purpose of corrupting the morals and values of her fellow droids. I mean battledroids," Major Dirkin corrected looking at Mihel.

     "After this illegal liaison was established, which extended over a two year period of time, the Accused coerced the normal girl into taking her into the town of Port Arthur. This normal girl must have been forced by the Accused because everyone living in this Empire knows that a battledroid cannot be taken from any facility except to be transferred to another facility for training and eventually to Galaxy.

     "I am able to prove to the Court the extent of terror that the normal girl lived under being dominated and intimidated by the size and strength of the Accused and her fellow battledroids. Witnesses, who have observed, that the normal girl changed from a blossoming young woman into a psychologically disturbed little girl, who became a recluse.

     "After knowing the Accused, this normal girl stopped associating with her friends at school, and there were many, and spent most of her time alone. Not wanting to make any contact with them, at a time when friendships help develop the social mind.

     "The Accused, armed with an ah-bung, did attack a group of innocent boys and did her despicable and unconscionable deed costing the lives of seven of them and permanently disabling three others.

     "This attack was not enough for her mind, twisted by her hatred for normals and bloodthirsty by nature. She then turned on the normal girl and savagely attacked her with the ah-bung placing her in a hospital with very serious injuries. Injuries so severe that she was in a coma for more than two weeks and now she is unable to move or speak."

     Major Dirkin summarized with, "It sickens me, as I know it does you, that this battledroid who we created to defend us has taken it upon herself to turn on us with her anger, the very people she was created to protect."

Product Details

• Paperback: 408 pages
• Publisher: Trafford Publishing (July 6, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1553956281
• ISBN-13: 978-1553956280
• Product Dimensions: 8.5 x 5.6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #10,458,308 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars First review, May 13, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Battleslave (Paperback)

I just finished reading Battleslave by Ralph Askew. Just by looking at the cover, I wanted to know who this person is. The character, Chrisinda Balderack gave me an inside view of someone torn between serving her Galaxy, as she is being trained to do, and caring for the members of her regime, which is forbidden. It is interesting to read about how enemies eventually become friends, and how that friendship creates one of the best groups of battledroids the Galaxy has ever seen. The ending leaves the reader wondering what happened? This book is written for anyone. If you like science fiction, military history, or human relations, then this is definitely worth reading. I can't wait for the sequel.