otectorate-a new novel by John F. Carr & Mark Moeser-is the bridge between Jerry Pournelle's The Mercenary and Prince of Mercenaries. John Christian Falkenberg III was created by Jerry E. Pournelle and made his first appearance in Analog Science Fiction and Fact in 1972. That and other Falkenberg stories appeared in his fix-up novel, The Mercenary, Colonel Falkenberg and his 42nd Marine Regiment serve as the last line of defense of the CoDominium and its many colonial words. The book will be released in September 2023.

After the 42nd Regiment was disbanded, Falkenberg created Falkenberg's Legion, which acted as an unofficial arm of the CoDominium, sponsored and supported by both Grand Admiral Lermontov and the Grant family. The Legion fought throughout CoDominium space on worlds as far-flung as Sparta and Haven-otherwise known as War World-in an attempt to strengthen the fragile coalition and contain break-away worlds. This book continues the Falkenberg story, detailing his adventures and those of Falkenberg's Legion on the twin worlds of Franklin and New Washington, where he creates the Falkenberg Protectorate, as a base of operations as well as a home for the Legion. This novel chronicles Falkenberg's military adventures as the Legion attempts to assert its control over the two worlds. In addition, the Legion is faced with an attack from a CoDominium fleet sent by the Bronson Family to disrupt and, if possible, eradicate Falkenberg's Legion. This is the last gasp of the CoDominium as it falls apart after the nuclear war, which kills most of Earth's diverse human population.

The Falkenberg Protectorate is once again dedicated to my old friend and mentor, Jerry Pournelle, who died in his sleep on September 8, 2017. Jerry was one of the Grand Old Men of science fiction and will be missed. We worked together at Chaos Manor for over 20 years and put out over 30 anthologies and short story collections. Wikipedia, in their piece on Military Science Fiction, states: "The series of anthologies with the group title There Will Be War edited by Pournelle and John F. Carr (nine volumes from 1983 through 1990) helped keep the category active, and encouraged new writers to add to it."