New Fiction Idea #8

I made it this far without posting this idea? It's been my baby for a while. Be prepared for a lot of  information. I've written multiple pages on these things.

Title: Macbay Transportation Services (could be changed to Steamtruck, or something better)

Genre: Steampunk/Fantasy

Protagonist: Bartholomew Macbay, a 27-year-old truck driver (box handle “Haulin’ Thol”) who transports goods and people—usually illegal—across The Empire’s mainland. His main goal in life, at the moment, is to carry on with his job until he’s too old to keep up or the thrill wears off. His face is rather flat and not particularly attractive. He has a bad scar curving down the left side of his forehead, though it’s usually hidden under his shaggy, black hair. His right index finger’s tip was lost on a job. He’s fairly muscular and on the taller side but not particularly big overall. He’s spectacularly brave but also self-centered. He’s both stubborn and determined and is extremely good at what he does for a living.

Other Main Characters: Loretta May Franklin, a 24-year-old factory worker and robber. She is very determined and is an excellent fighter. She’s rather cynical and can be hostile, but she will hold tight to her virtues. Nothing upsets her much more than being denied things or put down based on her gender, and her ultimate goal is to show that’s she’s more—or at least as—competent as any man. She has chin-length, light brown hair and a tan face. She’s overall rather attractive, but she also has musculature, which is shown off in her usual skimpy attire. She’s on the tall side, a fact made more obvious by her habit of never slouching. She has a few light scars on her arms but doesn’t bother to cover them.
Additionally, though "she" probably doesn't count, Macbay's truck is named Lauren/Laurie and is fairly awesome, though not animate or a mecha.

Antagonist: Maximilian “Max” Webb, the 36-year-old Manager of Conscription for The Empire. He is manipulative, suave, and a bit of a coward. His goal is to continue accumulating wealth and power in the government, though he hasn’t settled on exactly how high on the totem pole he expects to get. He is of average height, with near-black brown hair that is kept straight and reaches to his chin. He’s missing part of his left eyebrow from his time in the army, and his face is rather plain otherwise. He has average musculature but is approaching the plump side.

Setting: Rinheart, the main isle of The Homeland. The Empire stretches around the world, and The Homeland is a thriving place, but everyone has military service.

Plot: Beyond the growth of The Empire, a war has begun. Off the books, Max has begun a special conscription of magic users, the existence of whom is generally disbelieved. From their shared time in the army, he knows Macbay is one and will stop at nothing to force him back into the army. Loretta May, fleeing Havil after an incomplete robbery, hitches a ride with Macbay at just the wrong time in all of this.

Point of View: Third person, limited to Macbay. Possibly a few chapters closer to Max.

This story is currently in the Whirlpool of Infinite World-Building, so I can't be sure when I'll feel ready to get started. I've been using Novelist's Boot Camp, but I totally blanked out at the plot outline (in NaNoWriMo terminology, I am a natural pantser), switched to more world-building, and got stuck there.