Bacon the Consu: A Character Analysis of Pawns, Betrayal, and Consu Civil War

Overview

Bacon is the second captive Consu introduced in John Scalzi’s The Shattering Peace, a fractured member of a faction that opposes Kitty’s splinter group. Unlike Kitty, who pursues a personal escape from Consu duty, Bacon remains fiercely loyal to its faction’s goal of forcing a new “cusp” through conflict. Its capture on Unity Station and subsequent imprisonment makes Bacon both a prisoner and a reluctant lever in the diplomatic struggle between humanity, the Obin, and the Consu. Its greatest revelation—that the colony was meant to be hurled into the path of Earth—exposes the terrifying ambitions behind the Consu civil war. For a full understanding of the novel’s stakes, see the ending explained.

Plot Role and Chronological Arc

Bacon first appears in Chapter Thirteen as an injured prisoner on Unity Station. It leads the attack on the relief ship, killing crew members and nearly capturing Kitty. Gretchen Trujillo confronts it, but Bacon refuses to cooperate, dismissing her as “unsanctified.” When Gretchen names it “Bacon,” the Consu says it does not care.

Imprisoned in the cargo hold beside Kitty, Bacon begins screaming translated arguments. Through surveillance, Gretchen learns that Bacon and Kitty were formerly close—speculated to be lovers—and that Kitty betrayed the faction Bacon serves. In Chapter Eighteen, under sustained questioning, Bacon reveals the colony’s intended fate: it would have been moved into Earth’s path to force a new conflict cusp.

Later, Bacon is transported inside Kitty’s command module when Gretchen and Ran skip back to Phoenix. There, Bacon is placed on the State Department lawn in its command module, given diplomatic immunity. Gretchen uses Bacon as a visible token to summon its parent, an incoming Consu with whom she must deliver a cobalt-blue disk. Bacon’s arc ends not in resolution but as a waiting pawn—its parent’s arrival is imminent, and its role in the Consu civil war remains unfinished.

Motivations and Traits

Bacon’s primary motivation is religious and racial duty. It believes the Consu are obligated to perfect other species through conflict. When Gretchen asks about Earth, Bacon says, “The Consu don’t care if you live or die.” This perspective discounts human life entirely. Bacon shows zero fear of death, claiming it “was sanctified and death is not a thing I fear.” Its actions demonstrate extreme contempt for non-Consu, a stubborn refusal to bargain, and a fanatical commitment to its faction’s interpretation of the cusp. Yet Bacon is not mindlessly aggressive—it calculates when to speak and when to remain silent, using silence as a weapon.

Relationships

With Kitty: A former ally, probably lover, now a bitter enemy. Bacon calls Kitty “traitor” and “heretic.” Surveillance transcripts show that their screaming matches carry personal betrayal, not just ideological difference. Kitty insists it was never truly one of Bacon’s faction.
With Gretchen: Adversarial and condescending. Bacon refuses to acknowledge her as an equal. It threatens to remove her head. Yet Gretchen uses Bacon’s very presence as a diplomatic signal, showing that even contempt can be weaponized.
With other Consu: Bacon is a pawn of its faction. Its parent is the one who matters; Bacon is merely a tool to summon that higher authority.
With humanity as a whole: Views humans as lesser species unworthy of Consu knowledge or respect. This aligns with broader themes of cultural conflict and understanding.

Key Decisions and Consequences

Bacon’s decision to attack the relief ship—invading Unity Station to retrieve Kitty—leads directly to its own capture. This failure costs its faction the new skip-drive knowledge that Kitty alone possesses.

When cornered in Chapter Eighteen, Bacon makes the tactical choice to reveal Earth’s intended destruction. Although it speaks with contempt, this information is pivotal for Gretchen and the Colonial Union. The consequence is twofold: humanity gains proof of Consu aggression, and Bacon deepens its own entrenchment as a tool of both sides.

Later, Bacon remains uncooperative when moved to Phoenix, refusing to leave its command module. Gretchen and Ran keep it on the lawn, and despite State Department and military desires to move it, Bacon’s potential lethality and diplomatic status force everyone to wait. This decision sets the stage for the arrival of Bacon’s parent, a cliffhanger that hangs over the novel’s end.

Symbolism and Thematic Connections

Bacon embodies the destructive potential of ideological extremism. Its devotion to the cusp—a period of violent decision-making in Consu history—mirrors the novel’s theme of the fragility of peace. The Consu peace, maintained “for longer than your people have traveled in the stars,” is shattered by internal factionalism. Bacon is both a symptom and a soldier of that fracture.

The name “Bacon” itself, given by Gretchen, symbolizes the human impulse to reduce the alien to the familiar—but Bacon remains anything but familiar. The name underlines the power imbalance between species: humans can name a Consu, but they cannot command its respect.

Bacon also serves the theme of sacrifice and duty. It is willing to die for its cause, referring to its missed “sanctified” death as an interruption. This selflessness is inverted—it is a fanaticism, not a virtue.

In the larger theme of Consu civilization and the cusp, Bacon represents the faction that rejects stasis and actively pushes for a new cusp, even if it destroys Earth. It is the opposite of Kitty, who wants to preserve her knowledge and avoid the cusp altogether. The conflict between them drives the plot.

Questions and Answers

Why does Bacon call humans “unsanctified”?
The Consu believe that only their own species is worthy of ritual and respect. Bacon considers Gretchen and all humans unworthy of direct speech, claiming that speaking to her “demeans me in a manner that threatens my soul.” This reflects the Consu’s ingrained superiority—they see non-Consu as spiritually and intellectually inferior.
What was the relationship between Bacon and Kitty before the novel’s events?
Surveillance of their arguments strongly suggests they were former lovers or at least had a bond deep enough for personal betrayal. Feruza Olimova interprets the “level of rage that can only be leveled against someone you’ve been fucking.” Bacon accuses Kitty of pretending to be part of its faction, and Kitty admits it never truly was. The relationship is one of deception and broken trust.
What did Bacon reveal about Unity Colony’s intended fate?
Under questioning, Bacon confirmed that its faction planned to move the colony asteroid into the path of a location with “cultural and strategic importance to both groups of humans” and of interest to the Conclave. When pressed, Bacon named that location: Earth. This revelation reframes the entire mission as a deliberate act of provocation intended to spark a galactic war.
Why does Bacon refuse to cooperate with Gretchen at first?
Bacon sees no reason to bargain with an inferior species. It has no fear of death and states that there is “nothing you can offer that I want or need.” It also expresses contempt for being named and questioned. Only when it sees strategic value—perhaps in using Gretchen to reach its parent—does it begin to speak.
How does Bacon function as a pawn in the larger Consu civil war?
Both factions see Bacon as expendable. Kitty uses its presence to negotiate indirectly, and Gretchen keeps Bacon visible to summon its parent. The Consu civil war is a conflict over whether to force a new cusp or maintain peace; Bacon is a soldier of the faction that wants the cusp, but after its failure to retrieve Kitty, it becomes a bargaining chip. Its fate is not resolved by the end—it remains a symbol of the unresolved conflict. For more, see the questions and answers page.