History Literature / TheEchoCaseFiles

The Echo Case Files is a series created by British author C.S. Stinton, set at an unspecified point in our future within the Orion Confederacy, a SpaceOpera setting.

The first volume in the series, Ragnarok, is set on the backwater world of Thor. A new terrorist group has emerged, protesting the Confederacy's increasingly militaristic policies while wielding weapons that should only have been in the hands of the military. Two Marshals, Commander Sara Ramirez and Lieutenant Maggie Tycho are sent to dismantle their operation, accompanied by a local guide who happens to be a smuggler and deserter from the [[SemperFi Confederate Marines]].

!! The Echo Case Files: Ragnarok contains examples of:

* LovelyAngels: Ramirez and Tycho, until [[spoiler:Tycho gets wounded]] and Harrigan is unofficially elevated to being the other half of the pairing (see TheyFightCrime, below).

* TheyFightCrime: Ramirez and Harrigan, after [[spoiler:Tycho gets injured]]. A ByTheBookCop and a [[SemperFi deserter]]/smuggler: TheyFightCrime!

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* TitleDrop: Ragnarok is the terrorist group.

* TheyFightCrime: Ramirez and Harrigan, after Tycho gets injured. A ByTheBookCop and a [[SemperFi deserter]]/smuggler: TheyFightCrime!

The Echo Case Files is a series created by British Author C.S. Stinton, set at an unspecified point in our future within the Orion Confederacy, a SpaceOpera setting.

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Null reanimate enemy (i.e. human) dead using nanotech, to create an ArtificialZombie. This is contagious as well, as the nano-machines leap into any corpses near a revenant, making it a PlagueZombie as well.

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Null reanimate enemy (i.e. human) dead using nanotech, to create an ArtificalZombie. This is contagious as well, as the nano-machines leap into any corpses near a revenant.

* SpaceHulk: The Null Frankenstein ships, cobbled together out of captured Confederate vessels.

* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Null reanimate enemy (i.e. human) dead using nanotech. This is contagious as well, as the nano-machines leap into any corpses near a revenant.

* BadassNormal: [[spoiler:Locke]]’s heroic, inaccurate but highly useful volley of gunfire, which saves both his and Ramirez’ life.

* CowboyCop: Navarro brings a SWAT team along on a Marshals operation without telling his superior. [[spoiler:Except, well, this is a subversion: he's only a maverick because he's acting like a proper police officer in a corrupt department. And then there's the double subversion when it turns out the 'proper police officer' part of it turns out to be a ruse.]]

* BadassNormal: Locke’s heroic, inaccurate but highly useful volley of gunfire, which saves both his and Ramirez’ life.

* CowboyCop: Navarro brings a SWAT team along on a Marshals operation without telling his superior. Except, well, this is a subversion: he's only a maverick because he's acting like a proper police officer in a corrupt department. And then there's the double subversion when it turns out the 'proper police officer' part of it turns out to be a ruse.
* DirtyCop: The HCPD, particularly Commissioner Beyer and Lieutenant Navarro. However, it should be noted that there are two types of corruption: those involved in the criminal underworld, and those involved in Ragnarok. The latter organisation has actually dismembered the former, leaving those corrupt cops on the gangland payroll somewhat disempowered lately.
* GoodCopBadCop: specifically referenced with Ramirez and Tycho. Oddly, Tycho, the friendly, cheery officer is the one that has restraint issues. Ramirez later repeats this, but accidentally switches role when she loses her temper, with Harrigan unexpectedly having to take the role of good cop.

* ImperialStormtrooperMarksmanshipAcademy: The HCPD. They raid a bar, guns blazing, and the patrons return fire, and yet there are only a few minor injuries.
* ImprobableAimingSkills: Ramirez takes out a sniper on a dark night while he's in cover. She later LampShades this while in a stand-off where the odds are desperately against her.

* LittleUselessGun: Ramirez lends one to Harrigan (at least, this is his opinion of it, as an ex-Marine), an even smaller ankle weapon another to Locke, and then takes it back for her confrontation with Vincente.
* LovelyAngels: Ramirez and Tycho, until Tycho gets wounded and Harrigan is unofficially elevated to being Ramirez's partner (see TheyFightCrime, below).

* MilitaryMaverick: When Harrigan reveals his backstory, it turns out he was one of these, with his actions costing the lives of his entire unit. Unfortunately, while his disobedience was actually based on necessity, he was branded a GlorySeeker and court martialed.
* OurZombiesAreDifferent: The Null reanimate enemy dead using nanotech. This is contagious as well, as the nano-machines leap into any corpses near a revenant.

* PrecisionFStrike: Semper Fi, by Harrigan. Also internally by Ramirez, when she realises how difficult it will be to thwart the assassination. Swearing in this book is otherwise mostly low-level.

* SemperFi: The US Marine Corps, although not explicitly named, appears to be a predecessor to the Marine element of the Confederate Fleet, due to the mention of this motto; also JAG. Fubar, Mark I Eyeball, ell-tee and so on.
* SlidingScaleOfLawEnforcement: The HCPD's down near the bottom end, being corrupt at every level, to the point of being ineffectual, while the Confederate Marshals are at the positive end, despite their
* TheBadGuysAreCops: Not all the cops, but enough of them are involved with Ragnarok that to suspend all the compromised ones would completely screw the local PD's ability to protect a local dignitary... from Ragnarok.

* TortureCellar: Sort of. When Ramirez hires mercenaries to arrest a HCPD officer, she realises with distaste that the cell her employees provide isn’t actually improvised, but a fully fitted out cell in a basement, complete with one-way glass. Ramirez then almost kneecaps the prisoner during interrogation.
* YourTerroristsAreOurFreedomFighters: Averted. Ragnarok doesn’t get much good press, even amongst the anti-confederate protest groups, possibly due to the civilian casualties whenever they attack police with their military rifles.

* LovelyAngels: Ramirez and Tycho, until Tycho gets wounded and Harrigan is unofficially elevated to being Ramirez's partner (see TheyFightCrime, below).

* JurisdictionFriction: The classic 'feds versus local cops', in which the (con)fed protagonists can technically steamroller through anything the local cops try and put in their way, but (initially at least) try and play nicely with them, to avoid making enemies.
* CowboyCop: Navarro brings a SWAT team along on a Marshals operation without telling his superior. Except, well, this is a subversion: he's only a maverick because he's acting like a proper police officer in a corrupt department. And then there's the double subversion when it turns out the 'proper police officer' part of it turns out to be a ruse.

* DirtyCop: The HCPD, particularly Commissioner Beyerand Lieutenant Navarro. However, it should be noted that there are two types of corruption: those involved in the criminal underworld, and those involved in Ragnarok. The latter organisation has actually dismembered the former, leaving those corrupt cops on the gangland payroll somewhat disempowered lately.

* MaverickCop: Navarro brings a SWAT team along on an operation without telling his superior. Except, well, this is a subversion: he's only a maverick because he's acting like a proper police officer in a corrupt department. And then there's the double subversion when it turns out the 'proper police officer' part of it turns out to be a ruse.