There are several themes I'm looking to include as background material in my next NaNo story. Missional Living, Children being loved, and strong friendships. Please read the rough outline of the story (Tween Christian Sci-Fi) below and suggest other aspects of theology I can hint at or allude to.

Cast of Characters:

Al (F), Wilbur (M), Gray (F), Jo (F), and Mon (M) are 12-13 year olds and the recent Biter winning Sangrean Games team. In the start of Book 1 everyone on the planet, except Al, knew Wilbur liked Al as a girl. Naturally, Al punched Wilbur in the gut when he gave her a peck on the cheek. Wilbur and Gray are becoming friends but the audience is tween. Gray's family is rich, Al is a Noble, and the others are very poor. No one cares about socio-economics. Wilburs dad was lost in space several years ago, his mom works three jobs to support four kids, and his older sister just started working at the local grocery store.

Akil (M) is one of the older brothers Al found out she had last book. He's in the Naval Academy, sort of, and "not a spy. I've just gotten some of the same training." Sort of.

Book 1

Was about Al transforming from a poor, self-indulgent twelve year old snot to a young lady aware of how much her family and friends care about her. Of course, finding out she is a noble, she has adopted older kin including a niece in college, and her dad really is the inter planetary hero they learned about in school got mixed in.

Outline

Beginning
Show each team member in success
Jo, scholoarship to Naval architecture school.
Mon, dad has a better job and Mon is getting his energy out creativly.
Wilbur is the man of the house and the family is provided for so he can train.
Gray has several paths to take, all involving her good character and business skills.
Al is becoming more of a family person and a noble, like her dad.


The team has finished up the games at Steel, a few weeks after Book 1. They are at a busy starport, lots of people running around, and their parents and guards are a ways away. (Needs better explination)

Jo zooms in on a guy standing outside an older ship. “Hey, isn’t that Coach Akil?” Suddenly Akil is attacked and his limp form carried onto the ship. The team runs to see what is going on; the crew is gruff and the ship is preparing to launch.

They quickly get onto the ship without being seen, but the ship leaves port before they can notify any adults. (Don’t they carry trackers or comms? What prevents them calling for help?)

Decision: does the adventure take place during a jump, or during leaving the planet? Days, or just hours?

Each of the kids is captured, except Gray. She hides in Engineering and the crippled older chief engineer reveals that the ship uses slaves, and the are pirates.

Meanwhile the parents and guards are trying to find the ship in the host that has left the planet.

Akil is very beaten up and near death. A slave comes to check on Akil and the captured kids, and Akil says “Thank you Mister Lefron.” Both the slave and Wilbur respond. Akil was following clues to this particular slave, who is Wilbur’s dad.

The kids find a way to sabotage the ship using Jo’s knowledge, Mon’s small size, Wilbur’s willingness to stand up to a bigger opponent, and Gray turning the chief engineer to her side. As the system defense boats come on line to stop the pirates who are about to jump away (again? After sabotage?) Al challenges the pirate captain to a duel. Slaves ensure the other crew don’t interfere but the ship is heading into a dangerous place since it can’t jump due to the team’s sabotage.

Al defeats the pirate captain, Jo and Gray are able to pilot the ship enough to keep it safe, Wilbur gets the slaves and prisoners free, and Mon (?). Al claims the ship as prize as “Lady Alba Domici, daughter of <Baron?> Marco Domici.”

The comments below are shots in the dark. I have not read your prior book and really don't know your characters well enough to say, "Oh! With this guy's weakness, you could do such and such to so and so and allude to this." Hopefully, it helps generate more ideas for you or is at least somewhat beneficial!



Just within "missional living, children being loved, and strong friendships," you can allude to many many little aspects of theology. (See below)


You could display the power of forgiveness here if it were so written.



Just the fact that mom is working so much shows storge quite well (or it would seem so).
I don't know what happens to Mister Lefron after the pirate ship is claimed by Al, but love for children, here, definitely. xD He could have the chance to be with his child again! (I know.. not a new idea to go with, but I was excited) Is there potential to showing respect for parents (and all that surrounds that)?



Here is potential to show philia (Not that they are brothers, but it is close..., the exhortation of one sibling for the benefit of the one exhorted, forgiveness... et cetera.

There's good potential to show John 15:13 during the grand climax, even without someone actually dying - just being willing to. Al seems to be the primary character - so either her or her brother might be good choices there.

Grace, mercy, compassion - those can all be woven in, too, in the interactions with slaves, the engineer, or even toward the pirates at the end. Perhaps not killing the pirate captain during the duel. And/or choosing to not resent/hate the pirates for depriving Wilbur of his father but just being happy to have him back.

Sin - a character could struggle with some selfishness and see the ramifications of it later affecting either themself or a loved one. "An expression of human selfishness whereby we put our own interests ahead of others in the things we say or do. Sin is recognizable by its effects - the damage done by human action or inaction."

Which could segue into Kenton Long's suggestion of forgiveness - said character receiving it and then later having the opportunity to extend the same.

Thankfulness at the end, for this group of friends, for coming out alive, etc.

In Book 1 Wilbur liked Al. Everyone on the planet except Al knew it. During Book 1 Wilbur and Gray started becoming good friends. Gray knew Al so there is an issue with this, and some jealousy. In Al's dark moment she pushes Wilbur into the pool, knowing he can't swim.

In Book 1 Al's dad functions as Mentor figure. Through Book 1's end Al is accepted back with the team and she transforms. The team forgives her. In Book 2 most of the adults are not available so Al acts as very junior "Mentor" figure, mirroring her dad.



The working title of the book is "Dad". Wilbur starts the book as "man of the house", trying to be both strong and still submit to his mother. He and Gray are the Hero figures of the book. Wilbur demonstrates sacrificial love for others and Gray accepts humiliating circumstances.



If the parents were there the kids would show proper love and respect. They do in Book 1 and that was very intentional. However, between parents, aunts, uncles, and siblings, there are over half a dozen war heroes. It would be a much different story if the adults were present.

Wilbur. He's been trained in hand to hand combat by his aunt, and he goes into an unwinnable fight so the rest of the team has time to sabotage the ship.





In Book 1 Al was a selfish snot. In this book the team is doing more than twelve or thirteen year olds can normally do because they are helping each other and trusting the good available adults. In Book 1 Al was lost, in Book 2 she's at the forefront of the team. Not only has she gotten forgiveness but she is balancing humility with doing what's right.

Not all stories have a happy ending. Sometimes I write...no...often I write from pain. Not to glorify it or to draw pity, but to expose where I can do better. Where we can do better. The world is a broken place and I write to help fix it.

My wife wrote something for National Adoption Day. It is a story that does not end warm and fuzzy. It is a part of the story God wrote with us in it though, and I cannot but submit to the Master Author.

Happy National Adoption Day