Echo Rift
Page 1
ECHO RIFT
RIVEN WORLDS BOOK THREE
(AMARANTHE ♦ 16)
G. S. JENNSEN
2021
ECHO RIFT
Copyright © 2021 by G. S. Jennsen
Cover design by Ikterna, Vandrage Artist and G. S. Jennsen.
Cover typography by G. S. Jennsen
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.
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Echo Rift / G. S. Jennsen.—1st ed.
LCCN 2020925370
978-1-7351784-1-7
AMARANTHE UNIVERSE
* * *
AURORA RHAPSODY
Aurora Rising
STARSHINE
VERTIGO
TRANSCENDENCE
Aurora Renegades
SIDESPACE
DISSONANCE
ABYSM
Aurora Resonant
RELATIVITY
RUBICON
REQUIEM
ASTERION NOIR
EXIN EX MACHINA
OF A DARKER VOID
THE STARS LIKE GODS
RIVEN WORLDS
CONTINUUM
INVERSION
ECHO RIFT
SHORT STORIES
Restless Vol. I • Restless Vol. II • Apogee • Solatium
Venatoris • Re/Genesis • Meridian • Fractals • Chrysalis
Learn more at gsjennsen.com/books or visit the Amaranthe Wiki
For the survivors
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
* * *
HUMANS
Alexis ‘Alex’ Solovy Marano
Space scout and explorer. Prevo.
Spouse of Caleb Marano, daughter of Miriam and David Solovy.
Caleb Marano
Former intelligence agent. Space scout and explorer.
Spouse of Alex Solovy, bonded to Akeso.
Miriam Solovy (Commandant) Mia Requelme
Leader, Concord Armed Forces. Former Concord Senator.
Marlee Marano Malcolm Jenner (Admiral)
Consulate Assistant. AEGIS Admiral.
Richard Navick David Solovy
Concord Intelligence Director. Professor, Concord SWTC.
* * *
ASTERIONS
Nika Kirumase
External Relations Advisor, Asterion Dominion Advisor Committee.
Former NOIR leader.
Dashiel Ridani
Industry Advisor, Asterion Dominion Advisor Committee.
Owner, Ridani Enterprises.
Lance Palmer (Commander) Parc Eshett
Military Advisor. Omoikane Consultant.
Joaquim Lacese Selene Panetier
Former NOIR Operations Director. Justice Advisor.
Adlai Weiss Perrin Benvenit
Justice Advisor. Omoikane Personnel Director.
* * *
OTHER MAJOR CHARACTERS
Eren Savitas asi-Idoni
Former CINT agent.
Species: Anaden
Mnemosyne (‘Mesme’)
Idryma Member. Former 1st Analystae of Aurora.
Species: Katasketousya
Nyx elasson-Praesidis
Inquisitor. Granddaughter of Corradeo Praesidis.
Species: Anaden
Akeso Lakhes
Sentient planet. Praetor, Idryma.
Species: Ekos Species: Katasketousya
Akhar Ghorek Meno
Brigadier, Savrakath military. Mia’s Prevo counterpart.
Species: Savrakath Species: Artificial
Casmir elasson-Machim Morgan Lekkas
Leader, Anaden military. Former IDCC Commander.
Species: Anaden Species: Human
Corradeo Praesidis/Danilo Nisi Nolan Bastian
Former anarch leader. AEGIS Fleet Admiral.
Species: Anaden Species: Human
Devon Reynolds Ryan Theroit
Concord Special Projects Director. Former NOIR member.
Species: Human Species: Asterion
Enzio Vilane Torval elasson-Machim
Owner, Vilane Properties. Machim military commander.
Species: Human Species: Anaden
Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern Valkyrie
Former Concord Senator. Alex’s Prevo counterpart.
Species: Anaden Species: Artificial
Kennedy Rossi Xyche’ghael
CEO, Connova Interstellar. Namino merchant.
Species: Human Species: Taiyok
* * *
MINOR CHARACTERS
Charles Gagnon, EA Prime Minister (Human)
Cliff, CINT Artificial (Artificial)
Drae Shonen, CINT agent (Anaden)
Enkro Khalik, scientist (Savrakath)
Felzeor, CINT agent (Volucri)
Graham Delavasi, former SF Intelligence Director (Human)
Grant Mesahle, DAF consultant (Asterion)
Hohlaak Ponla-min, interstellar merchant (Barisan)
Hoya Isao, Conceptual Research Director (Asterion)
Ildaite Llawhe, Confove Mission Project Director (Naraida)
Kolgo elasson-Praesidis, Inquisitor (Anaden)
Lontias elasson-Praesidis, Inquisitor (Anaden)
Miaon, former anarch agent (Yinhe)
Maris Debray, Culture Advisor (Asterion)
Noah Terrage, Connova Interstellar COO (Human)
Onai Veshnael, Dean, Concord Senator (Novoloume)
Pinchutsenahn Kteh (“Pinchu”), Tokahe Naataan (Khokteh)
Rolph Tremblay, Romane Governor (Human)
Solstan Sahlann, Purgatory manager (Novoloume)
Spencer Nimoet, Justice Advisor (Asterion)
Stanley, Morgan’s Prevo counterpart (Artificial)
Vaihe, refugee (Godjan)
William ‘Will’ Sutton, CINT Operations Director (Human)
Zhanre’khavet, Taiyok Elder (Taiyok)
Ziton elasson-Praesidis, Inquisitor (Anaden)
CONCORD
* * *
MEMBER SPECIES
Human
Representative: Vacant
Anaden
Representative: Vacant
Novoloume
Representative: Dean Onai Veshnael
Naraida
Representative: Tasme Chareis
Khokteh
Representative: Pinchutsenahn Niikha Qhiyane Kteh
Barisan
Representative: Daayn Shahs-lan
Dankath
Representative: Bohlke’ban
Efkam
Representative: Ahhk~sae
* * *
ALLIED SPECIES
Asterion Taenarin
Katasketousya Volucri
Fylliot Yinhe
Ruda
* * *
PROTECTED SPECIES
Ekos Icksel
Faneros Pachrem
Galenai Vrachnas
THE STORY SO FAR
* * *
For a brief summary of the events of AMARANTHE #1-13, see the Appendix in the back of the book.
CONTINUUM
Fourteen years have passed since the events of REQUIEM.
Nika Kirumase joins Alex and Caleb for dinner at their home on Akeso. They share the story of how humanity ended up in Amaranthe and fill her in on Concord, the multi-species government that has taken the place of the deposed Anaden Directorate.
Marlee Marano, Caleb’s niece, is on the planet Savrak as part of her work for the Concord Consulate. The Savrakaths are a lizard-evolved species that originated in the Mosaic. Marlee discovers they are enslaving and mistreating the Godjans, a species they share Savrak with. While helping a Godjan girl, Vaihe, escape imminent torture, Marlee is arrested by local authorities. David Solovy and Caleb both arrive to come to her aid, and they are able to secure her release.
Elsewhere on Savrak, Eren asi-Idoni and his team (Cosime, Felzeor, Drae) surveil a Savrakath lab on behalf of Concord Intelligence (CINT). The team infiltrates the lab and acquires evidence the Savrakaths are secretly developing antimatter weapons.
Miriam Solovy, Concord’s military leader, receives a visit from Lakhes. The Kat conveys its opinion of the Asterions and a warning regarding the Rasu. Lakhes then returns home, where it confronts Mesme about the secrets it has been keeping regarding the Asterions.
Alex takes Nika to Concord HQ to meet humanity’s power players in Concord: her mother and father, Malcolm Jenner, Mia Requelme and Richard Navick. Nika fills them in on the Asterion’s experiences with the Rasu (see the summary of Asterion Noir in the Appendix).
Nika returns home to Mirai, and Dashiel Ridani introduces her to the Omoikane Initiative, a massive project spearheaded by the other Advisors to accelerate technology, warfare and logistical plans to combat the Rasu. She learns about the Vault, a project to store the psyche backups of all Asterions in a fortified spaceship, where they can be spirited away in the event of a Rasu invasion.
On Machimis, Casmir elasson-Machim struggles to exert authority over the other Machim elassons. Torval elasson-Machim learns about the Savrakaths’ antimatter development and, believing Concord is not doing enough to address it, decides to take matters into his own hands.
Alex, Caleb and Valkyrie travel to NGC 55, believed to be the closest Rasu-controlled galaxy to Concord space. They discover millions of Rasu vessels and platforms in thousands of star systems throughout the galaxy, as well as a Rasu artificial ring orbiting the galactic core.
Nika, Dashiel and Lance Palmer attend a formal meeting with Concord leaders to review what they know about the Rasu’s reach, their intentions, and ways to counter them. Conventional weapons have proved ineffective, and they discuss the use of negative energy, nuclear and antimatter weapons, as well as even more exotic weaponry. Nika fills the others in on the Rasu’s unique consciousness and their paranoid, controlling nature.
Miriam promises the Asterions military and scientific cooperation, information sharing and a steady supply of Reor/kyoseil, but stops short of providing them with adiamene. Alex asks Kennedy to secretly give the formula for adiamene to the Asterions. Kennedy and Noah decide if they can do so in such a way that protects their family, they will.
Vaihe unexpectedly contacts Marlee. She’s escaped capture but is alone in the Savrak wilderness. Marlee hacks a Caeles Prism to open at Vaihe’s location and gets her off Savrak. She takes Vaihe to meet Mia, and the Godjan relays the full extent of the Savrakaths’ mistreatment of her people. Marlee demands Mia do something to help the Godjans.
On Mirai, Adlai Weiss discovers his personal account has been hacked and his bank accounts emptied. When he goes home, he is attacked and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in an unknown location, strung up in a rack and being held captive by a strange man.
Perrin is determined to find Adlai. She breaks into the Justice server to find out what Justice knows about Adlai’s kidnapping. She and Parc Eshett review the data and discover Justice has a suspect named Ian Sevulch, but he has an alibi. Parc reveals that some Asterions have begun transforming themselves into “Plexes,” where a single consciousness occupies multiple physical bodies simultaneously. He believes Sevulch could be a Plex, and they decide to surveil the man.
Perrin tails Sevulch to an abandoned shop, where she discovers Adlai tied up in the basement. She shoots Sevulch in the head and rescues Adlai. She then keeps vigil at Adlai’s side while he recovers from his torture. Parc stops by, and Perrin reveals she’s figured out that he’s a Plex. He asks her to keep his secret, and she agrees.
Nika takes Maris Debray to visit their original homeworld, Asterion Prime, in the Milky Way. Maris tells Nika about the early days of the SAI Rebellion and about Nika’s family, including her brother, Loshi, who was killed during the rebellion.
Eren’s team receives authorization to destroy the Savrakath antimatter lab. However, while they’re placing explosives around the lab, Torval arrives in his Imperium and blasts the facility, killing Drae and Cosime.
Eren takes Cosime’s body to Alex and Caleb on Akeso and demands that they bring her back to life, much as Akeso did for Caleb fourteen years earlier. Caleb tries to explain how it’s beyond Akeso’s ability to renew life in someone the planet hasn’t previously bonded with. When a hysterical Eren insists, Caleb tries to open a connection to Cosime, only to be overwhelmed by darkness and death. Eren realizes Cosime is truly gone; he asks Alex and Caleb to take care of her for him and flees.
Miriam arrests Torval for disobeying orders and the murder of Concord personnel, then tells Casmir to bring the other Machim elassons in line. Miriam and Mia deliver an ultimatum to the Savrakaths, terminating their negotiations for a Concord alliance, demanding they cease all antimatter production and offering asylum to all Godjans.
Alex and Caleb attend Cosime’s funeral. Eren is absent, and no one knows where he’s gone. Caleb decides to try to find Eren and enlists Felzeor’s help to do so. Meanwhile, Eren travels to an underworld Anaden planet, Lethe, to acquire a dangerous black-market hypnol that will suppress his emotions and increase his reflexes. He takes the first dose, then begins planning his revenge for Cosime’s death.
In a skirmish between Savrakath ships and Casmir’s fleet, the Savrakaths deploy antimatter weapons to decimate the Machim ships. In response, Miriam issues a “red-flag” order, terminating all Concord relations with the Savrakaths and forbidding them from entering Concord territory.
Dashiel receives files from an anonymous source containing the details for adiamene production, and he begins making plans for its manufacture.
The Concord Senate approves a formal alliance with the Asterion Dominion, over the vehement objections of the Anaden senator, Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern.
During the Asterion’s battle against the Rasu in the Gennisi galaxy, an Asterion pilot, Kiernan Phillips, and a Taiyok, Toshke’phien, were pulled into a Rasu wormhole and spit out to crash land on an unknown planet. The planet is being subjected to a quantum block, meaning they can’t call home for rescue. They’ve survived until now by staying out of sight of Rasu currently roving the planet, which appears to have been home to a primitive species until recently. The Rasu discover the wreck of Kiernan’s ship, however, and take it apart for information.
Despondent over what the Rasu might learn, Kiernan and Toshke return to Toshke’s ship ahead of the Rasu and burn it. They then seek refuge in the woods for the night; the next morning they spot a non-Rasu ship overhead, and race to meet up with it.
In a distant galaxy, Danilo Nisi/Corradeo Praesidis and his granddaughter, Nyx elasson-Praesidis, visit an advanced alien species Danilo previously encountered, the Ourankeli. On arriving, they find the Ourankeli’s habitats destroyed, including a solar
halo ring, and the Ourankeli massacred. Next, they travel to the home system of the Hoan, the primitive species that sheltered Danilo after his son tried to murder him. They discover Rasu ships in orbit and a quantum block surrounding the planet. They descend to the surface, where they find villages of Hoan massacred. Danilo is lamenting their fate when Kiernan and Toshke rush out of the woods to meet them. After a tense encounter, Kiernan insists that they all leave immediately, before the Rasu discover them, and Danilo agrees.
Malcolm leads a special forces squad on a stealth raid of the Godjan prison on Savrak. They are able to rescue the imprisoned Godjans, but as the last of the captives are freed, Savrakath forces attack. Malcolm is caught in an explosion and loses consciousness.
Marlee accompanies Mia to Mirai. Shortly after they arrive, word reaches Lance of Kiernan’s rescue, and of the fact that some Rasu may now know the location of Namino, where Kiernan’s ship was based. The Asterions begin preparations for the possibility of a Rasu attack, and Mia and Marlee go with Lance to DAF Command on Namino. There, Marlee meets Grant Mesahle and convinces him to take her into the city for a tour.
Caleb and Felzeor track Eren to Lethe, but Eren has already departed. Caleb searches the hotel room Eren had rented, finds evidence of the hypnol Eren had procured, and deduces what Eren is planning.