Torna

Live
by
the
Sword . . .

An Adventure Novel of Swords and Space and Such by B W Canfield

 

Character & Photo Gallery

Welcome to Torna. The following places, names and characters are entirely fictional and the sole intellectual property of the author, and any names or events that resemble real persons or events are probably intentional.

The Map

This thumbnail is a link to a full-size hand-drawn map of the scenes and locations mentioned in the book. It is nearly 4MB. Be patient. If your browser automatically resizes it, be sure and zoom in for a close look.

click for a full size image

Bad Guys

Dr. General Anton Markovski, Ph. D

  • General officer in the Russian Air Force. Big wheel in Russian Space Program. One of the main men behind ISEG.
  • Early history somewhat vague, or controversial. 50 yrs. old, 5'10", 160 lbs., trim, athletic, handsome and charming. Dark hair and eyes, definitely Slavic, or East European, a natural, charismatic leader.
  • Head of Science Dept. of ISEG
  • A dirt bag at heart.

Dr. Adrian Kessel, Physicist and Engineer

  • A native of East Berlin. Met Markovski at Max Planck Institute of Mathematics, followed him to Moscow.
  • Second rung of Totem Pole, just below Markovski.
  • 5'10", 155 lbs. Light brown hair, blue eyes, 48 years old. Average looking, but charming and brilliant in a quiet, very non-threatening way; probably about a half a bubble off of plumb.

Admiral Richard Nagato, USN

  • Born and raised in L.A., CA
  • Naval Academy standout, well connected politically.
  • 5'10", 155 lbs. Asian good looks, 45 Years old.
  • An unusual medical phenomenon comes to the fore when under extreme duress; proves beyond shadow of doubt that one needs neither spinal column nor testicles to achieve rank of Admiral if your Mom has a 'special friend' in the Senate.

Capt. Alice Fordham, RAF

  • Security Maintenance
  • Born Birmingham, moved to Liverpool when 13.
  • 5'4", 125 lbs. 33 years old. Brown hair. Not necessarily ugly. Gets along with people because she has to. Secretly wants to be Arnold Schwarzenegger when she grows up.

Good Guys

Col. Allen Garfield Grant, USAF

  • Mission Liaison Officer, ISEG
  • Pilot, Historian
  • 6'2", 245 lbs. 38 Years old. Brn, Blu
  • Played linebacker for Air Force Falcons
  • European American. Born Wis. raised San Diego
  • Hiking, camping, outdoor kind of guy.
  • Best kept secret/idea of fun is to wait for Yosemite to close for the winter, then spent two weeks hiking around, camping, escaping and evading park rangers.

Col. Franklin Pierce Jones, USAF

  • Pilot, mathematician, computer programmer
  • 6'3", a trim 165 lbs. 37 yrs. Black nappy hair, worn short. Brown eyes, light brown skin.
  • Born ND, raised San Diego. Natural athlete, played guard for Falcons at Air Force Academy.
  • Met Grant playing high school football, they become good friends at Academy.
  • Also Hiking, camping, outdoors guy.
  • Best kept secret/idea of fun—calling Ranger Station at Yosemite to report escaped maniac one winter when denied leave to take hiking trip

Lt. Ben McCabee, USAF

  • Studied avionics and history at Academy
  • 6'1", 225 lbs. 28 years old. Blond and blue.
  • Born British Colombia, raised Oregon. Flew unmanned recon aircraft in Iraq. Assistant to Col. Grant
  • Likes to build things in spare time—a canoe, a surfboard, ultra-light aircraft.
  • Goal in life: to build and fly personal jet airplane from scratch.
  • Easy to get along with.

Lt. Pascualito Tanaka, USN

  • Studied electronics and navigation at Naval Academy
  • Born and raised in Orange County. Japanese-Philipino
  • 5'10" 155 lbs. Handsome, quiet, reserved. Intense, but likable.
  • Very into surfing, RC cars and planes
  • Wants to build personal submarine one day

Master Sgt. Orville 'Bucky' Buckminster, British Army

  • Career NCO, 33, Brown, Blu, 5'11", 155 lbs.
  • Hand to hand expert; instructor, trainer in survival techniques, part time history instructor
  • Expert in historical and ancient hand to hand weapons
  • Best kept secret: learned to shoot a long bow on the set of "All Creatures Great and Small" from Robert Hardy

Gunnery Sgt. Sean Matthews, USMC

  • 35 yrs. 6'0", 165, Blond and Blue
  • All Marine Corps, All the Way
  • Hand to hand combat instructor, martial arts expert.
  • Exceptionally well read, sees himself as a teacher.
  • Best kept secret: stunt double for Chuck Norris when Chuck Norris wimped out.
  • Chuck Norris wants to be Gunny Sean Matthews when he grows up.

Dr. Maj. Brenda Johnson, USAF

  • MD in charge of Med Dept. and Health Research Program on "International"
  • 28, 5'5", 125 lbs, Blond and blue, from Minnesota
  • Fitness chick—bike riding, swimming, surfing
  • Best kept secret—took up surfing because Lt. McCabe likes surfing

Major Jillian Fraser, USAF

  • Personnel mgmt. and morale officer
  • Majored in sociology and studied psychology at Academy.
  • 5'5", 130, Dark hair and eyes, beautiful, buxom, often mistaken for Liz Taylor or Demi Moore.
  • Raised on ranch in Montana, tough and capable, terrific sense of humor; plans to corral Frank Jones. Likely to do so, with or without the Col's cooperation.

Major Dr. (Ph. D) Maria Antonova, Russian Air Force

  • Life support systems engineer
  • Born and raised outside St. Petersburg
  • 30, 5'6", 135 lbs. Blond and brown.
  • Divorced, mechanically gifted, movie star good looks.
  • Very good at sculpting and modeling her own designs.
  • Wants to marry an American

Lt. Will Cornish, RAF

  • Pilot, Flew Tornadoes in Iraq.
  • 28, 6'1", 220 lbs. built like a tank
  • Rugby fanatic

Lt. Patrick Stuart, RAF

  • Pilot
  • 24, 5'9", 145 lbs. Brown and brown. Charming, in the school boy sort of way
  • Grew up on farm in Kent
  • One of those guys that's good at everything he tries

Dr. Rita Tamaya

  • Sociologist from UCLA
  • Born Japan, raised in Hawaii
  • 5'2", 125 lbs.
  • Freelance photographer, mad about fishing and camping
  • Best friends with Jillian Fraser. Pretty, in a petite, feminine way