by S. H. Jucha
Alex looked to his left where Julien stood. The SADE shrugged his shoulders, dipped his head in apology, and walked over to stand beside Ophelia and Perrin.
“In this moment, consider where we stand as neutral territory, Sers,” Julien announced firmly, making it clear that he wouldn’t take sides in this contest of wills.
Alex considered the alignment of his people. Gone were the days when he would have been annoyed, if not angry, at such brazen insubordination. Now, he worked to keep the smile off his face.
“If everyone is done voting with their feet,” Alex said without rancor, “perhaps someone would like to ask my opinion.”
Julien raised his hand to indicate he volunteered.
“Thank you, Julien,” Alex said, amiably, but then shifted to a harder tone to address the group standing across from him. “Had anyone cared to ask, I would have suggested to you, Admiral, that we organize a rescue party of warships and asked if you concurred. As that already seems to be your opinion, I’m wondering why you and your people are uselessly standing around here instead of getting your butts in gear.”
“You heard the man, people,” Tatia ordered in her command voice. “Commodore, wake the Trident captains. Have them recall crew to their ships. We launch the squadron in …” Tatia paused to regard Alex, who had been watching her carefully.
“Twelve hours, Admiral, if not sooner.”
“You heard the man. Twelve hours, if not sooner. Jump to it, people.”
Everyone, except Renée, Tatia, Julien, Cordelia, and OP, deserted the bridge in a run. Those remaining waited quietly for Alex to speak.
As the twins exited the bridge, Alain sent to his crèche-mate,
Alain caught the pun and sent back,
Étienne regarded his brother’s determined expression and purposeful stride, deciding he’d contact Z and ensure the SADE brought them more than one spare crystal for their new weapons.
“Cordelia, have crew support Renée with the transfer of some of our personal things to the admiral’s flagship,” Alex ordered.
“That would be the Liberator, Captain Cordelia,” Tatia added. “Tell Captain Valenko to bump —”
“Negative, Admiral,” Alex interrupted. “Renée and I will take a crew member’s cabin. I don’t want officers reshuffled, at this critical time.”
“Cordelia and Tatia exchanged a quick, private comm, and Cordelia sent a message to Svetlana to make the necessary arrangements and to notify Cordelia of any amenities required to better furnish the cabin.
“Cordelia inform your captains that the Our People and the Rêveur will remain behind,” Alex ordered. “Perrin, Ophelia, inform the Council of these developments. Play them Killian’s recordings,” Alex said, continuing his rapid-fire instructions. “Let them know the squadron is leaving and headed to …”
Alex checked his star chart, but Julien was ahead of him. “STV-163,” Julien commented quietly.
“The important message to stress,” Alex said, focusing on the pair, and they could feel their implants warm, “is that Omnia is in no danger, and what the Vivian has discovered is not the Nua’ll home world. Any questions?”
When Ophelia and Perrin shook their heads in negation, Alex continued to stare at them. Ophelia understood Alex’s unstated message, and she gently shoved her partner, who was waiting for further directions, toward the bridge accessway. “Good fortune to you, Dassata,” she said, as she ushered Perrin along.
The Council that Alex referred to was Omnia’s temporary governing body, composed of two humans, two Dischnya, two Swei Swee, and one SADE. They were Ophelia, Perrin, Nyslara, Sissya, Wave Skimmer, Long Eyes, and Trixie.
Tatia regarded Alex. Having issued his immediate directives, he was lost in thought.
— Alex and friends will return in Vinium. —
— BUT FIRST —
— Watch for the release of Empaths, the initial story in the new sci-fi series, Pyreans. —
Glossary
Celus-5 Sentients and Creatures
Dives Deep – Member of Wave Skimmer’s Swei Swee hive
Long Eyes – Member of Wave Skimmer’s Swei Swee hive
Nascosto – Camouflaged creatures of the forest
Wave Skimmer – Swei Swee Hive First
Dischnya from Sawa Messa
Chafwa – Former queen of Mawas Soma nest, now deceased
Choslora – Heir queen of Mossnos Soma
Cysmana – Nyslara’s attendant
Foomas – Chafwa’s wasat, now deceased
Fossem Soma – Posnossa’s nest, the nest that killed Haffas at the previous Fissla
Haffas – Emissary from Tawas Soma, killed
Hessan – Young warrior from Tawas Soma
Hessmas – Wasat of Mossnos Soma nest
Homsaff – Queen of Mawas Soma nest, heir after Chafwa
Mawas Soma –Homsaff, Woosala, and Messlan’s nest
Messlan – Homsaff’s new wasat
Mossnos Soma – Seelam, Choslora, and Hessma’s nest
Nafalla – Tawas Soma midwife
Nyslara – Queen of the Tawas Soma nest
Offwa – Sissya’s wasat
Ossnos Soma – Sissya and Offwa’s nest
Posnossa – Queen of the Fossem Soma nest
Pussiro – Nyslara’s wasat
Seelam – Elderly queen of Mossnos Soma
Simlan – Older warrior from Tawas Soma
Sissya – Queen of Ossnos Soma nest, near Tawas Soma
Tawas Soma – Nyslara, Pussiro, Nafalla, Hessan, Simlan’s nest
Woosala – Homsaff’s aging wasat
Dischnya from Sawa
Ceefan – Queen of Tamassa Soma nest
Falwass – Wasat of Tamassa Soma
Tamassa Soma – Ceefan, Falwass, and Waffala’s nest
Waffala – Sub-commander of the Tamassa Soma
Dischnya Language
Ceena – Dischnya term for the Celus-5 Swei Swee
Chona – Nest queen
Dassata – Peacemaker
Dischnya – Dog-like species on Celus-5 and Celus-4
Ené – Pronunciation of Renée
Feedwa – Queen’s dogs
Fellum – Pronunciation of Willem
Fissla – Council of queens
Hira – Pronunciation of Keira
Nessila – Dischnya name for Celus
Sawa – Celus-4, Dischnya home world
Sawa Messa – Celus-5, Dischnya’s second world
Wasat – Warrior commander
Zhinni – Pronunciation of Ginny
Harakens
Alain de Long – Director of security, twin and crèche-mate to Alain, partner to Tatia Tachenko
Alex Racine – Partner to Renée de Guirnon, Star Hunter First (Swei Swee name)
Asu Azasdau – Captain of the Sojourn
Bartlett – SADE from a rescue ship
Benjamin, “Little Ben” Diaz – New Terran Rainmaker, former Minister of Mining
Boris Gorenko – Sol native, friend of Olawale Wombo, medical expert
Cedric Broussard – Z’s New Terran avatar
Central Exchange – Haraken financial
system
Christie Racine – Alex Racine’s sister
Claude Dupuis – Engineering tech, program manager for SADE avatars
Cordelia – SADE, Julien’s partner
Darius Gaumata – Commander, promoted to Trident captain
Deirdre Canaan – Commander, promoted to Trident captain
Durly Pederson – Captain of the Into The Dark
Edmas – Young engineer, works with Emile Billings and Mickey Brandon, boyfriend of Jodlyne
Edward Sardi – Earther physicist and mathematician, deceased during first contact with Sawa Messa
Ellie Thompson – Wing commander promoted to Trident captain
Emile Billings – Biochemist, who emigrated from New Terra
Espero – Haraken city
Étienne de Long – Director of Security, twin and crèche-mate to Alain, partner to Ellie Thompson
First – Leader of the Swei Swee hives
Francis Lumley – Captain of the Rêveur
Franz Cohen – Wing commander
Frederick – Confederation SADE, employed by the New Terra Assembly
Ginny – Little Singer to the Swei Swee, junior crew member
Jodlyne – Journey crew member, girlfriend of Edmas
Julien – SADE, Cordelia’s partner, Alex’s best friend
Keira Daubner – Security escort, corporal, Méridien
Lucia Bellardo – Commander, promoted to Trident captain
Mickey Brandon – Senior engineer, partner to Pia Sabine
Millicent “Millie” Vane – Méridien partner of Tilda Hennessey
Miranda – SADE, Z’s partner
Mutter – SADE, Hive Singer to the Swei Swee
Nema – Sol native, friend of Olawale Wombo
Nua’ll – Aliens who imprisoned the Swei Swee
Olawale Wombo – Sol native and senior professor
Orly Saadner – Traveler pilot, New Terran
People – Manner in which the Swei Swee refer to their collective
Pia Sabine – Medical specialist and partner to Mickey Brandon
Priita Ranta – Sol native, friend of Olawale Wombo
Reiko Shimada – Captain of the Tanaka, a sting ship, later promoted to Trident commodore
Renée de Guirnon – Partner to Alex Racine
Rosette – SADE
Simone Turin – Méridien, partner of Ben Diaz
Sky Waters – Trixie’s Swei Swee name
Star Hunter First – Swei Swee name for Alex Racine
Storen – Sol native, friend of Olawale Wombo, xenobiologist
Svetlana Valenko – Wing commander promoted to Trident captain
Swei Swee – Six-legged, friendly alien
Tatia Tachenko – Admiral, ex-Terran Security Forces major, partner to Alain de Long
Teague – Sixteen-year-old son of Alex and Renée
Tilda “Tildie” Hennessey – First Mate aboard the Into The Dark, partner of Millicent “Millie” Vane
Tomas Monti – Haraken president
Trixie – Confederation SADE, original ID is Lenora, relationship with Hector
Ullie Tallen – Senior scientist, died during first contact on Sawa Messa
Willem – SADE
Xavier Escobar – Security escort, captain, ex-TSF officer
Yoram Penzig – Sol native, friend of Olawale Wombo, philosopher
Z – SADE
Méridien
Bethley – Scout SADE teamed with Killian
Confederation – Collection of Méridien worlds
Galania – Vivian’s mother
Glenn – Daelon bay control manager
Gino Diamanté – Council Leader, replaced Mahima Ganesh
Hector – Acting captain of Our People, former SIF director, relationship with Trixie
Independents – Confederation outcasts, originally exiled to Libre, rescued by Alex Racine, also used to refer to the exiles on the Daelon moon
Jensen – Daelon comms operator
Killian – Plaid-skinned SADE, friend of Vivian, terminal construction director
Lemoyne – Leader
Mahima Ganesh – former Council Leader, cruel former owner of Hector
Maynard Scullers – Daelon orbital platform manager
Miriam – Confederation SADE
Ophelia Sooth – Co-Leader of Independents on Daelon, partner to Perrin
Perrin Keller – Co-Leader of Independents on Daelon, partner to Ophelia
SADE – Self-aware digital entity, artificial intelligence being
SIF – Strategic Investment Fund of the Confederation SADEs
Trium – Scout SADE teamed with Killian
Vivian – Independent child
Winston – SIF director, ex-Council SADE
New Terrans
Bertram Hardingsgale – Captain of the Rover
Darryl Jaya – Minister of Space Exploration
Harold Grumley – President replacing Will Drake
Maria Gonzalez – Special envoy from President Will Drake
Myron McTavish – Retired TSF sergeant major
Will Drake – President of New Terra
Planets, Colonies, Moons, and Stars
Arno – Star of the Libre system
Celus – Star the Sojourn visited
Celus-4 – Fourth planet outward from Celus
Celus-5 – Fifth planet outward from Celus
Daelon – Moon orbiting sixth planet of an unnamed system
Haraken – New name of Cetus colony in Hellébore system, home of the Harakens
Hellébore – Star of the planet Cetus, which was renamed Haraken
Libre – Planet invaded by Nua’ll, Alex Racine rescued Independents
Méridien – Home world of Confederation
New Terra – Home world of New Terrans, fourth planet outward of Oistos
Oistos – Star of the planet, New Terra, Alex Racine’s home world
Sol – Star of United Earth system
STV-163 – Star of the plant people
Ships and Stations
Allora – Confederation SADEs’ SIF liner
Freedom – Alex’s primary city-ship
Into The Dark – Haraken freighter also known as the Dark
Liberator – Svetlana’s Trident-class warship
Our People – Alex’s second city-ship
Rêveur – Haraken passenger liner
Rover – New Terran passenger liner
Sardi-Tallen Orbital Platform – Station over Omnia
Sojourn – Haraken explorer ship
Tanaka – Haraken sting ship
Travelers – Shuttles and fighters built by the Harakens based on the Swei Swee silver ships
Trident – Class of new warship built with new faux Swei Swee technology
Vivian – First scout ship
My Books
The Silver Ships series is available in e-book, softcover print, and audiobook versions. Please visit my website, http://scottjucha.com, for publication locations. You may also register at my website to receive email notification about the publish dates of my novels.
If you’ve been enjoying this series, please consider posting a review on Amazon, even a short one. Reviews attract other readers and help indie authors, such as me.
Alex and friends will return in Vinium, but my next release is the story of a third Earth colony ship. Empaths is the first novel in the new Pyrean series.
The Silver Ships Series
The Silver Ships
Libre
Méridien
Haraken
Sol
Espero
Allora
Celus-5
Omnia
Vinium (coming 2018)
The Pyreans
Empaths (coming 2017)
The Author
I’ve been enamored with fiction novels since the age of thirteen and long been a fan of great storytellers. I’ve lived in several countries overseas and in many of the US states, including
Illinois, where I met my wonderful wife thirty-seven years ago. My careers have spanned a variety of industries in the visual and scientific fields of photography, biology, film/video, software, and information technology (IT).
My first attempt at a novel, titled The Lure, was a crime drama centered on the modern-day surfacing of a 110-carat yellow diamond lost during the French Revolution. In 1980, in preparation for the book, I spent two wonderful weeks researching the Brazilian people, their language, and the religious customs of Candomblé. The day I returned from Rio de Janeiro, I had my first date with my wife-to-be, Peggy Giels.
In the past, I’ve outlined dozens of novels, but a busy career limited my efforts to complete any of them. In early 2014, I chose to devote my efforts to writing fulltime. My first novel, The Silver Ships, was released in February 2015. The series, with the release of Omnia, now numbers nine.
The new series, Pyreans, relates the tale of a third Earth colony ship and gives readers an opportunity to follow new characters, who struggle to overcome the obstacles of a world tortured by geologic upheaval. Humans are divided into camps — downsiders, stationers, spacers, and the Belle’s inhabitants of empaths and the discarded.
My deep appreciation goes out to the many readers who embraced the Silver Ships series and its characters. I hope you enjoy the new series. Thank you!