by M. D. Cooper
THE SCIPIO ALLIANCE
THE ORION WAR – BOOK 4
BY M. D. COOPER
SPECIAL THANKS
Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Reads
Lisa Richman
Jim Dean
David Wilson
Scott Reid
Timothy Van Oosterwyk Bruyn
Copyright © 2017 M. D. Cooper
Cover Art by Laércio Messias
Editing by Jen McDonnell
All rights reserved.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD
PREVIOUSLY IN THE ORION WAR…
SEEING HER OFF
EARTH
KHARDINE
THE HIGH GUARD
MORNING CLASS
PRISONER
CAPITOL
AGENT
AFTERMATH
ECUMENOPOLIS
THE PRESIDENT AND THE EMPRESS
SUSPICION
STEPPING OUT
RETROSPECTIVE
ALTERNATIVES
INVESTIGATION
THE UNSINKABLE RESTAURANT
EXPLANATIONS
LONG DISTANCE
MEET WITH THE PRELATE
THE IMPERIAL COSTUMER
THE SEVEN SUNS
INCITATION
CONFRONTATION
REMNANT
CAVALRY
DAUGHTERS
AEGEUS
A NEW ENEMY
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
FOREWORD
This book was an unexpected surprise. I initially had not intended to write the stories in which Tanis built up her alliances in the Inner Stars before taking the fight to Orion and Airtha—but as the story grew, I knew that it would be foolish not to.
This was influenced in part by the Perilous Alliance series, as well as Rika’s story, which have both built up the events in the Inner Stars to the point that it would not be possible to imagine these events occurring without Tanis becoming involved in some way.
In addition, no small number of you made it clear that, while you enjoy the other tales, you also want more of Tanis, Angela, and Bob.
Luckily, I’m a rather large fan of those three as well—plus the rest of the Intrepid/New Canaan crew and colony. What I decided to do (influenced in no small part by one of Aeon 14’s uber fans, John Piper) was to tell stories that were much more focused just on Tanis and her core team, and this “Alliances” phase of the Orion War.
This will make for some shorter books before we get to the major conflicts, but they’ll come out faster as well.
Writing this book was a load of fun, as I got to have more direct interplay with Tanis and Sera, explore Saanvi and Cary to a greater extent, and bring Tanis’s third daughter, Faleena into the group as well.
I sincerely hope you enjoy reading it as much as I did writing it. Now let’s see Tanis and Sera embark on their first mission in their new roles as President and Field Marshal.
Michael Cooper
Danvers, 2017
PREVIOUSLY IN THE ORION WAR…
A lot has gone on in the months since the Defense of Carthage. Tanis and Sera have learned that Airtha has produced her own President Sera, more wars have begun to spread across the Inner Stars, and AIs are beginning to rise up in some systems.
When last we saw Tanis and Sera, they were aboard the I2, headed through the jump gate that would take them to Khardine, the new center of government for Sera’s Transcend.
There, they plan to meet with Admiral Krissy, who is also Finaeus’s daughter. If you’ve read the Gate at the Grey Wolf Star, you’ll recall her and her efforts to help Sabrina and crew avoid being detained by the Grey Division.
Though Khardine is to be Sera’s new capital, they do not plan to stay long, because their first order of business is to forge an alliance with Empress Diana of Scipio.
Petra, an agent of The Hand, has been masquerading for the last thirty years as an ambassador to the Scipian Empire on behalf of the Miriam League—a proxy nation of the Transcend’s. Over this time, she has become the head of the Hand’s local field office, and directs much of the Transcend’s covert activity in that region of space.
The plan is to use Petra’s ‘in’ with Empress Diana to begin to forge an alliance with one of the most powerful political entities in the Inner Stars.
Of course, there’s the small problem of how Petra has lied to Diana for years about…well…everything.
Everything rests on this one lynchpin. If Tanis and Sera can secure Scipio as an ally of the Transcend, it will create an anchor in the Inner Stars and provide a forward position to bring the war to their enemies.
MAJOR CHARACTERS
ON THE I2/KHARDINE
- Angela: AI embedded in Tanis’s mind.
- Bob: Hypernodal AI embedded within the I2.
- Elena: Former Hand agent and Sera’s ex-lover. Double agent for Orion who attempted to kill Tanis.
- Finaeus Tomlinson: Brother of former Transcend President, father of Admiral Krissy, uncle of Sera Tomlinson. Finaeus is one of the Transcend’s leading scientists and has been involved in many of their inventions
- Flaherty: Sera’s personal protector who stayed with her during her exile.
- Greer: Admiral in the Transcend Space Force (TSF) who was with the former President during the negotiations with New Canaan, and supported Sera as the new president.
- Krissy Wrentham: Admiral in the TSF, formerly stationed at the Grey Wolf Star System. Led an advance team to Khardine to secure the system. Krissy is also Finaeus’s daughter and Sera’s cousin.
- Seraphina Tomlinson (Sera): President of the Transcend Interstellar Alliance.
- Tanis Richards: Head of New Canaan’s Military, and Field Marshal of the Transcend’s Military. Wife of Joe, mother of Cary, Saanvi, and Faleena.
- Valerie: Officer in the TSF who Tanis selected to lead Sera’s guard.
IN NEW CANAAN
- Cary Richards: Daughter of Joe and Tanis, enrolled in the Intrepid Space Force Academy (ISFA).
- Faleena: AI daughter of Joe, Tanis, and Angela, enrolled in the ISFA.
- Joseph Evans (Joe): Husband of Tanis Richards, admiral in the New Canaan Military, Commandant of the ISFA. Father of Cary, Saanvi, and Faleena.
- Nance: Former crewmember aboard Sabrina, now attending the ISFA
- Saanvi: Adopted daughter of Joe and Tanis, enrolled in the ISFA.
IN SCIPIO
- Empress Diana: Ruler of the Scipian Empire. Her capital is Alexandria and lies in the Bosporus System deep within the Empire.
- Petra: Transcend Hand agent who is operating as the Ambassador from the Miriam League (a proxy nation of the Transcend). Petra has made appearances in both the Orion War and the Perilous Alliance books.
ELSEWHERE
- Airtha: Name of the advanced AI who runs the Airtha Ring, and now controls much of the Transcend. Airtha used to be human (named Jelina), but was turned into an AI by the Ascended AI at the core of the galaxy.
Airtha is also Sera’s mother, and a shard of her (named Helen) resided in Sera’s mind for many years.
- (Evil) Sera: When Airtha failed to turn Sera to her side, she produced her own copy of Sera, who also purports to be the President of the Transcend, and rules from the Huygens System.
- Garza: General Garza has been instrumental in the Orion Guard’s expansion and control of interstellar nations in the Inner Stars. After witnessing the cloning and reintegration technology that President Uri
el used previously, he has begun to clone himself to further his efforts.
- Uriel: President of the Hegemony of Worlds (also known as the AST). Uriel has aligned herself with General Garza of the Transcend.
SEEING HER OFF
STELLAR DATE: 08.06.8948 (Adjusted Years)
LOCATION: Intrepid Space Force Academy
REGION: Orbiting Troy, New Canaan System
Joe strode through the corridors of the ISFA, nodding to students—all of whom stopped to salute him as he passed them by.
This year, the ISF Academy would see its highest enrollment ever, with fifty thousand human and ten thousand AI students.
The idea terrified him.
It was not the number of attendees that caused him such grave concern; it was the percentage of the colony’s population that was now in the military. There were only six million humans and one hundred thousand AIs in the New Canaan System. In the grand scheme of things, the star system was all but unpopulated.
Yet, all told, nearly a quarter of the people were now serving, and another quarter were actively involved in the war effort.
And everyone who had stepped foot on an ISF ship or put on a uniform had—with rare exception—passed through his academy. Either here, or at Victoria, he had been their commandant.
Which meant he was ultimately responsible for putting them in harm’s way.
Joe ran a hand through his hair as he walked into the Richards Atrium—homage that Tanis hated—pausing to stare out through the overhead dome, into space and the planet Troy beyond.
He knew it wasn’t really all his fault. The enemy—and there were many of those—shared the bulk of the blame. But that didn’t change how he felt whenever he saw a student’s name on a MIA/KIA list, or etched into the base of a memorial.
Joe squared his shoulders, and pushed the melancholy thoughts from his mind. He knew his mood was as much a function of Tanis leaving as anything else. More than at any other time, he felt like he may never see her again.
Enough, Joe, enough!
He turned his thoughts back to the academy, now situated in its new facility: The Palisades. The station had been in construction for several years before the recent attack on New Canaan. Afterward, Tanis had authorized the rapid completion of the station using picotech. Four months later, they were all moved in.
With the additional resources flowing in from the Transcend, the station had been made larger than originally planned. It was now an eleven-ringed toroid with a mean diameter of thirty kilometers. Altogether, it contained over twenty-five thousand square kilometers of living, training, and teaching space—ample room for the academy to grow.
The ISFA was Joe’s pride, and his sorrow. That New Canaan should have to become so military-focused, that they would be the ones to supply so many of the ships, shields, engineers, and soldiers for the war effort saddened him.
Despite his misgivings, he agreed with Tanis’s logic. A strong Transcend commanded by an ally such as Sera was vastly preferred to any other option. And so, the ISFA would train the men, women, and AIs who would fill the fleets and take the fight to the enemy.
He returned his attention to the dome, marveling once again at its complete transparency, unmarred by visible seams or supports. It was a single piece of carbon, fused together in a manufacturing process that rendered it both incredibly strong, and flexible enough to withstand the blast of a fusion bomb.
Beyond lay the myriad stars of the M25 Cluster. Hundreds of them, shining brightly, filled with people and resources.
Already, the Federal Legislature was considering the establishment of trade agreements with several nearby systems. Initially, Joe had opposed the idea. It ran counter to the long-term plan to move the New Canaan system, secreting it away from prying eyes.
However, President Andrews had proposed the creation of a base at Naland—a red dwarf, ten light years away. It was entirely uninhabited, and would be New Canaan’s public trade hub. The idea had gained traction, and Tanis had approved of the plan before she left.
Before she left.
He pulled his gaze away from the stars above and continued moving toward the administrative wing of the Academy.
A group of first year recruits rushed by, eager to get to their first class of the day. Their enthusiasm brought back memories of the ISFA’s early days on High Victoria, back when they operated out of a docking bay and several decks of the station, squeaking classrooms in wherever they could.
Since then, over two hundred thousand students had passed through boot, or earned their commissions at the academy—many doing both. No one donned an ISF uniform in service without first donning it at the academy.
That unifying training process was what made the ISF—in his experienced opinion—one of the finest fighting forces in the galaxy. If only its supply of recruits were not so small, and so precious.
Unbidden, Joe thought of his three daughters; all somewhere on The Palisades, all training to go into combat—possibly together, given their unique skillset—before leaving to fight in the war.
Joe was determined, when they graduated, to pass off the mantle of the ISFA to another, and leave as well. There was no way he’d remain behind while his entire family was off fighting in the war.
As he entered the Administrative wing, Joe resisted the urge to check on his daughters. Not that he needed to; after the many stern admonishments they’d received before enrollment, he knew they’d be in Light Attack Craft, Space to Surface Strategies and Tactics 101—‘LACS’, as the students often called it. Where the two ‘S’s and the final ‘T’ had disappeared to was a running joke among the instructors.
“Good morning, Commandant,” the officer standing behind the admin-wing’s front desk said in greeting as she delivered a sharp salute.
“Morning, Major Delma,” Joe replied, returning the salute.
Joe liked Delma. She had her finger on the pulse of the entire academy; she knew who was coming, who was going, what the lunch special was, what classes had moved due to an HVAC issue, everything.
The fact that she was an AI certainly helped, but even so, she was exceedingly proficient at her job. Especially considering that she manned the front desk and personally greeted everyone who passed by.
“Commandant Evans,” a voice called out from behind him. Joe turned to see Colonel Nelson of the Marine training division approaching.
“Good morning, Colonel,” Joe said as the officer neared. “What can I do for you?”
“I have my latest class undertaking a capture and control exercise on a Trisilieds cruiser at 0600 tomorrow. I was curious if you’d like to observe.”
Joe checked his schedule and saw that he had a meeting with the recruitment team at 0700. He weighed his options and decided he could attend the meeting remotely.
“I’d be delighted, Colonel Nelson. What sort of opposition will they be facing?”
“The crew of the Jove’s Fury has volunteered to give ‘em what-for, sir. A platoon of Marines from the 184th will be aboard, as well.”
Joe nodded appreciatively. “You’re not messing around. I’d very much like to see that. What is your anticipated outcome?”
Colonel Nelson chuckled. “Oh, I expect my class to lose, sir. But they’ll give ‘em their best, and be itching for a rematch.”
“I look forward to seeing what they can do,” Joe replied. “Jove’s Fury has an exceptional crew, and the 184th are no slouches either. I bet your class is a little apprehensive.”
“They’re studying everything that every member of the crew and company have ever done. I think they’re going to miss the forest for the trees, but we’ll see. You never know; they may just pull it off.”
“We’ll see how it goes. I’ll meet you aboard the observation pinnace at 0530, then.”
“Thank you, sir.”
Joe nodded. “Colonel.”
One benefit to having tens of thousands of hulls drifting throughout the New Canaan system was that they had no end of sh
ips upon which to perform exercises and drills.
Academy students also got to perform clearing exercises on derelicts, war games on real ships, and even live-fire exercises against AI-controlled enemy vessels.
All in a day’s work at the ISFA.
Joe had seven more conversations with various officers on the way to his office on the outer rim of the uppermost ring on The Palisades. Though his patience began to fray, he handled all of them with more grace and calm than he felt.
When he reached his office, a dozen more tasks and messages hung above his desk, highlighted with different colors to denote urgency.
He ignored them all, walked to the window behind his desk, and stared out into the endless night of space. Out beyond Roma, in orbit of the dwarf planet Normandy, was the jump gate.
He took command of the station’s sensor grid, and aimed optical scopes at the gate, overlaying the view on the window of his office.
The events he was seeing had transpired a few minutes previously, given the light lag, but he pretended they had not.
The scopes locked onto their target: the I2, its sleek, deadly form drifting toward the massive jump gate. The ring had a circumference of over sixty-two kilometers, one of the largest ever made. Over twice the circumference of the ore hauler’s ring at the Grey Wolf Star, or so he was told.
She was on that ship. His wife. Tanis.
He knew she’d be on the bridge. Stoic; thinking of all the tasks and duties that lay ahead of her, the alliances, the first places she would strike at the enemy.
He also knew that she would be thinking of what she left behind, and the time and space that would pass between them all.
Will she still be the same when she returns? Will she and Angela have drifted closer to one another? They’re still merging more and more. He could often see Angela in Tanis’s eyes, and hear Tanis in Angela’s thoughts. Every day, he wondered when the end of his time with her would come.
A nagging feeling warned him that it already had.