This is a Space Opera series by Michael Martinez, consisting so far of The Daedalus Incident and The Enceladus Crisis. The story follows two naval officers in two very different space navies whose worlds and fates are mysteriously intertwined. Lieutenant Shaila Jain, of the U.S/E.U. Joint Space Command, lives in the 22nd century, with mining stations and scientific outposts throughout much of the Solar System. Grounded from piloting after a disaster on a previous mission, she is now at McAuliffe Base on Mars, surveying for minerals and science. All is normal until an impossible quake on a tectonically dead planet nearly kills her. Investigation leads to more mysteries, as the laws of nature seem temporarily suspended in the area.Lieutenant Thomas Weatherby, of His Britannic Majesty's Navy, lives in the 18th century. He is third officer on the frigate Daedalus, which sails the seas and the Void alike, with the aid of mysterious alchemical preparations. En route to subdue the rebellious colonies calling themselves the United States of Ganymede, he and his ship become embroiled in a desperate chase across the Known Worlds after a rogue alchemist who seek to perform some great working using the essences of all the worlds.As both Jain and Weatherby strive to learn what's happening, an ancient Martian warlord schemes to be released from his prison, while factions among the peaceful alien Xan seek to return to their ancestor's violent ways.
This series contains examples of the following tropes:
- Allohistorical Allusion: Admiral Nelson, commenting on the alchemical prosthetic replacing his right arm, remarks how silly he would look with his coat sleeve pinned to his chest or some such.
- Dying as Yourself: St. Germain asks Weatherby to kill him when he's possessed by the ghost of Rathemas.
- Historical Badass Upgrade: Ben Franklin is a reknowned alchemist as well as a scientist, statesman, revolutionary, and all the other things he was in reality.
- Historical Domain Character: Cagliostro, Benjamin Franklin, John Paul Jones, the Count of St. Germain and others make appearances at various points in Weatherby's story. The Daedalus was also a real ship, historically as described in the book (except for the space travel bits) as is the Bonhomme Richard
- Sealed Evil in a Can: The Martian warlord Althoas, who was locked between worlds by the Xan.
- Space Sailing: The principal difference between Weatherby's world and our own.
- Time Skip: 2 years pass for Lt. Jain between books, while Captain Weatherby has lived 19 years.
- Wooden Ships and Iron Men: The Daedalus is this In Space! Not Recycled, just In Space.
- Young Future Famous People: Lieutenant Horatio Nelson, Post-Captain of the 12-gun sloop The Badger, makes an appearance in The Daedalus Incident.
