Stig McSobel
Names: Stig McSobelStig
First appears in Book 1: Pandora's Star, chapter 14 (THIRTEEN)
Appearances
What you know
Book 1: Pandora's Star
- Ch 14Stig is a strong, experienced Guardian who has traveled the Commonwealth and is assembling a small team to set up new routes for items needed on Far Away.
- Ch 22Stig travels by train from Seattle toward Los Angeles, checking for followers and paying cash; he has worked in the Commonwealth for some time.
- Ch 22Stig is a Guardian courier who spotted Gareth's gray-on-yellow dead-recovery signal and realised he was under navy surveillance.
- Ch 22Stig flushed a memory crystal with the collected software down a toilet, then bought cash items and retrieved an emergency-kit shoulder bag from a locker.
- Ch 22Stig collected software from an insider at the Shansorel Partnership; the partnership's signature in it made the courier link easy to trace.
- Ch 22Stig escaped the Venice marina by diving into the canal and swimming to Kazimir's safe house, nearly drowning and losing his flippers and shirt.
- Ch 22Stig was Kazimir's old tutor and taught him to swim. He had retrieved programs and wanted to know whether Adam obtained them.
Book 2: Judas Unchained
- Ch 3Stig was recalled by Bradley to Far Away and has become a good leader.
- Ch 4Stig watches Halgarth and Alwon arrive from Market Wall and believes the Governor's visible policing will not prevent unease turning into panic.
- Ch 4Stig is a clan member in Armstrong City who spent time in the Commonwealth, and he is watching the arrivals Mellanie and Dudley.
- Ch 4Stig uses Halkin Ironmongery as his Armstrong City headquarters and is organising reception for the Boongate blockade run and the force field generator teams.
- Ch 4Stig recognises Mellanie from the unisphere and, via ident program, identifies her companion as Dudley Bose; he finds himself jealous that she is with Dudley.
- Ch 4Stig leads the clan team in Armstrong City, watching Mellanie and Bose, the Institute, and preparing for a blockade run, but he lacks enough people.
- Ch 4Stig distrusts Mellanie, suspecting her reporter act is an elaborate front, but treats her as nonhostile until she does something radical.
- Ch 4Stig found at least three hostiles in the courthouse and went with reinforcements to the scene.
- Ch 4Stig is a Guardian who, despite suspicion of Mellanie, admires her and gives her a fallback unisphere address.
- Ch 11Stig leads Guardian teams in Armstrong City; his face was reprofiled, and his left arm is still hard to move.
- Ch 11Stig and Olwen are lovers and fight together on active duty.
- Ch 11Stig and Olwen believe the Institute's buildup means the Starflyer is coming to Far Away.
- Ch 11Stig orders his team to abandon their observation posts and regroup at fallback location three, admitting privately he does not know what to do next.
- Ch 11Stig fears the Starflyer's control of the only route onto the planet will trap Adam's blockade run, and considers attacking the Starflyer himself.
- Ch 14Stig infiltrates an abandoned aerodrome in a stealth coat, finds it deserted, and opens the gate for the Guardians' trucks.
- Ch 14Stig admits he gets nervous around bombs like the cylinders the Guardians are loading.
- Ch 15Stig commands the Guardians' defense in Armstrong City, controls the blimpbots, and sets up a command post in the Ballard Theater.
- Ch 15Stig believes a capsule-carrying truck in the Institute convoy holds the Starflyer and decides to proceed with the blimpbot attack despite knowing the wormhole may be cut.
- Ch 15Stig led the blimpbot attack on 3F Plaza, using a fuel-air bomb and Market Wall to deflect the blast upward and destroy the Institute force.
- Ch 15Stig feels guilt over the civilian devastation but insists another bomb may be needed if the Starflyer comes through.
- Ch 15Stig orders Muriden's and Hanna's teams to dig in on Market Wall with plasma rifles, while others form mobile units to stop Institute vehicles reaching 3F.
- Ch 15Stig leads the Guardians' chase through Armstrong City and blames himself for the failure to stop the Starflyer.
- Ch 16Stig leads a Guardian convoy pursuing the Starflyer's convoy and receives a radio call from Bradley and Adam, which he initially thinks impossible.
- Ch 16Stig is shocked to see Paula Myo and nearly shoots her before Adam stops him.
- Ch 18Drives the lead armored car in the Guardians' chase and is daunted by having Bradley Johansson beside him.
- Ch 18Sent a fuel air bomb into Armstrong City to stall the Starflyer on the other side of the gateway, and is haunted by the casualties.
- Ch 18Stig drives the armored car in the pursuit up Highway One and wants to personally take down the Starflyer after the 3F Plaza bombing.
- Ch 18Stig took part in his first act against the Starflyer by cutting the Highway One cable on the tablelands.
- Ch 19Stig insists on driving Bradley's armored car and Bradley agrees, warning him to take no more beezee.
- Ch 19Stig is a Guardian who drives the damaged armored car and escapes through its front hatch before it is destroyed.
Connections
- member ofGuardians of Selfhood
- related toKazimir McFostertrained him
- friend ofKazimir McFosterStig was his old tutor
- related toAdam Elvintrained Stig
- ally ofOlwen McOnna
- ally ofDr. Friland
- member ofAdam Elvinworks under Adam's direction
- ally ofMurdo McPeierls
- partner ofOlwen McOnna
- ally ofKeely McSobel
- has memberKeely McSobelworks in Stig's team
- leadsGuardians of Selfhood
- ally ofBradley Johanssondriver and follower
- related toHarveyHarvey was Stig's combat instructor
Key moments
- Book 1 · Ch 14Bruce's memorial and Stig's offer
The McFoster village holds a memorial for Bruce. Afterward Stig recruits Kazimir for a Commonwealth mission to set up routes for items needed on Far Away, pending Johansson's approval.
- Book 1 · Ch 22Stig tailed through Seattle station
Stig McSobel checks for followers on the way to a loop train while Hoshe Finn and Paula's team B shadow him.
- Book 1 · Ch 22Stig shakes the box and ditches the software
Warned by Gareth's signal, Stig evades the navy surveillance, flushes the memory crystal in a washroom, retrieves his emergency bag and takes a taxi.
- Book 1 · Ch 22Paula's team tracks Stig to Del Rey Marina
Paula arrives at LA Galactic and coordinates a CST, navy and LAPD team following Stig through LA to the Del Rey Marina, while Senator Burnelli calls with news.
- Book 1 · Ch 22Target escapes through Venice marina
Paula's target jumps into the water at the marina; the police launch a large search, but Stig later reaches Kazimir's house exhausted.
- Book 2 · Ch 4Arrivals watched
Stig McSobel and Olwen McOnna watch Halgarth and Alwon arrive and plan to alert the raiders.
- Book 2 · Ch 4Mellanie and Dudley arrive
Stig and Olwen watch Mellanie and Dudley arrive through the gateway and identify them. The two check into the Langford Towers.
- Book 2 · Ch 4Stig learns of the presence in the net
Stig bribes the barkeeper and learns of Mellanie's request. Dr. Friland senses a machine presence in the city net, and Stig concludes Mellanie sent it.
- Book 2 · Ch 4Mellanie calls the Guardian contact
Mellanie calls the Guardian leader's code. Stig, having received the call, parks near Franico's at 3F Plaza to meet her.
- Book 2 · Ch 4Mellanie meets the Guardians
At Franico's, Mellanie and Dudley meet Stig and Dr. Friland, seeking Guardian cooperation against the Starflyer. Stig gives her a onetime contact address and they depart for the Commonwealth.
- Book 2 · Ch 11Institute takes 3F Plaza
Stig learns the Governor signed 3F Plaza to the Institute; he and Olwen scout it, and he orders Keely to prepare a crash evacuation after suspicious watchers appear.
- Book 2 · Ch 11Institute seizes Armstrong City gateway
Stig and Olwen see Institute troops and Cruisers take control of the gateway and Plaza; Keely reports communications cut, so Stig orders his team to fall back.
- Book 2 · Ch 14Guardians seize the aerodrome
Stig enters the deserted aerodrome, loads software, opens the gate, and the Guardians begin fitting bombs to blimpbots for an attack on 3F Plaza.
- Book 2 · Ch 15Blimpbot attack on 3F Plaza
As the Institute escorts a capsule truck toward the gateway, Stig launches the blimpbot attack in the rain; the first blimpbot is shredded by Institute fire while releasing chaff and drones.
- Book 2 · Ch 15Blimpbot fuel-air bomb destroys 3F Plaza
Stig's blimpbots draw fire with flares; a bomb from blimpbot five detonates below Market Wall, annihilating the Institute force and vehicles at the Plaza while the wall channels the blast upward.
- Book 2 · Ch 15Institute breaks through 3F Plaza
Institute Cruisers and bulldozers cross the rubble of Market Wall, drive trucks through the gateway, and bring the Starflyer out and away. Guardians cannot stop them, leaving an ambush at the gateway to trap Adam.
- Book 2 · Ch 16Stig contacted by Bradley
After a failed pursuit of the Starflyer's convoy, Stig is startled to hear Bradley and Adam on the radio and is told to meet at rendezvous point four.
- Book 2 · Ch 16Stig meets the allies
Stig reunites with Adam and Bradley, is stunned to find Paula Myo and others allied with them, and nearly shoots her. Teams are divided for the Starflyer chase and the revenge project delivery.
- Book 2 · Ch 18Chase down Highway One and the sabotage warning
Stig's convoy races Cruisers south through Highway One's urban stretch while Bradley reassures him. Adam's garbled message reveals sabotage and a likely Starflyer agent in his group, prompting a debate over suspects.
- Book 2 · Ch 18Convoy smashes Institute blockade
Guardians' Loko trucks and the Cat ram through four Land Rover Cruisers blocking Highway One; Stig drives through the burning gap and the Cat survives.
- Book 2 · Ch 18Scorched towns along Highway One
Bradley's convoy passes Haville and other towns razed by the Starflyer, with every comms node masered to sever communications.
- Book 2 · Ch 18Harvey dies-bound at the Anculan ford
At the Anculan crossing the Guardians find the battlefield and the dying Harvey, who gives Bradley the Starflyer's eighty-seven-minute lead; Bradley takes him along.
- Book 2 · Ch 19Rob's sacrifice and the dash to the valley
Soldier motiles pin Rob, who detonates his power cells to cover the others. Morton, Cat and Alic ride the armored car to the Institute valley, but the second car is destroyed and the MANN truck reaches the starship first.
- Book 2 · Ch 19Retreat from soldier motiles and sudden darkness
The group's decoy attack on the soldier motiles fails and the second armored car is destroyed. The armor suits flee on foot as the sun suddenly goes dark over the Dessault Mountains.