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Libre, A Silver Ships Novel (The Silver Ships Book 2)

Page 31

by S. H. Jucha


  As the flotilla made its way past the ice fields, Alex sat on the Rêveur’s bridge reviewing his summary message to President McMorris when Julien interrupted.

  “Admiral, I’m receiving a comm from Sharius. I detect an FTL station in orbit around New Terra with relays on your system’s outposts.”

  “Interesting,” Alex said, “it appears that President McMorris has been very busy with Méridien tech. Alright, Julien, open a vid to Colonel Stearns.”

  “Negative, Admiral. It’s a Colonel Marshall.”

  “I don’t know a Colonel Marshall,” Alex said, “but open the vid, Julien.”

  “Captain Racine,” the Colonel began without preamble.

  Andrea, who was standing next to Alex, interrupted him: “That would be Admiral Racine, Colonel.”

  The Colonel paused, but his stern expression didn’t change. If anything, it hardened. “Have it your way … Admiral, then. By order of President Downing, you are to halt your convoy outside our system. If you proceed past Seda’s orbit, you will be disregarding a lawful Presidential order and violating the sovereign space of Oistos. The President is prepared to employ force against you. That is all.” The Colonel cut the comm.

  The Colonel’s insubordinate tone had outraged Andrea, and her anger was evident as she exclaimed: “President Downing? Who put that idiot in charge?”

  Glossary

  New Terra:

  Alex Racine – Admiral of the Libran flotilla, Co-Leader of House Alexander

  Andrea Bonnard – Senior Captain of the Libran flotilla, Captain of the Rêveur

  Arthur McMorris – ex-President, resided at Prima’s Government House

  Barren Island – New Terra’s Dagger training facility

  Bobbie Singh – New Terran who saves Amelia on board the Freedom

  Clayton Downing XIV – ex-Assemblyman, now the new President

  Christie Racine – Alex Racine’s thirteen-year-old sister

  Damon Stearns – TSF Colonel and ex-outpost Commander on Sharius

  Duggan Racine – Alex Racine’s father

  Eli Roth – Rêveur’s starboard bay Flight Crew Chief

  Gary Giordano – Dagger-9 pilot lost during Libran exodus

  Hatsuto Tanaka – Dagger pilot, brother of Miko Tanaka, Sheila Reynard’s second

  House Alexander – Méridien House created by Alex and Renée

  Jason “Jase” Willard – Dagger pilot killed by a silver ship

  Levinson – New Terran engineer

  Lyle Stamford – Outward Bound engineering tech

  Marshall – TSF Colonel and new outpost Commander on Sharius

  Michael “Mickey” Brandon – Rêveur’s Chief Engineer

  Miko Tanaka – Copilot of Outward Bound, sister to Hatsuto Tanaka

  Robert Dorian – Dagger pilot who trains the Independent volunteers

  Sean McCrery – Dagger-10 pilot

  Sheila Reynard – Dagger Squadron Leader, promoted to Commander

  Stanley Peterson – Rêveur’s port bay Flight Crew Chief

  Tatia Tachenko – Commander and XO of the Rêveur, ex-Terran Security Forces Major

  Terran Security Forces (TSF) – New Terran system police force

  Zeke Krausman – Outward Bound engineering tech

  Confederation:

  Ahmed Durak – Libran ex-First Mate of freighters

  Alain de Long – Rêveur security escort for Renée, twin and crèche-mate to Étienne

  Albert de Guirnon – Leader of House de Guirnon, brother of Renée

  Alia – Bergfalk tech treated by Terese

  Amelia – Independent young girl, organizer of the runners

  Angelina Monti – daughter of the Independent Leader, Tomas Monti

  Asu Azasdau – Captain of the Stern Vagabund

  Bertram Coulter – an engineer and Independent on Libre

  Clarion Seas – ocean waters on Libre

  Claude Dupuis – Rêveur engineering tech

  Cordelia – SADE (self-aware digital entity) of the Freedom

  Dane – SADE of the Stern Licht

  Darius Gaumata – Libran Dagger pilot trainee, ex-shuttle pilot

  Deirdre Canaan – Libran Dagger pilot trainee, ex-shuttle pilot

  Edouard Manet – Rêveur navigation specialist

  Elizabeth – SADE of the Stern Reisende

  Ellie Thompson – Libran Dagger pilot trainee, raced atmo-ships

  Eloise Haraken – twelve-year-old great-granddaughter of Fiona Haraken

  Eric Stroheim – House Bergfalk Leader, responsible for Libre Colony

  Étienne de Long – Rêveur security escort for Renée, twin and crèche-mate to Alain

  Fabrice – Libran implant engineer

  Fiona Haraken – Libran sky-tower building engineer and Elder of Libre’s Independents

  Gratuito – Libre’s only city

  Geneviève Laroque – Rêveur passenger

  Giovanni Tetra – Libre’s Elder prior to Fiona Haraken

  Gregorio – an elder left on Libre

  Guillermo De Laurent – father of young man at Libran town meeting

  Heinrich – young tech aboard the Unser Menschen, who dies fixing jets on the hull

  Helena Bartlett – Libran weaver and friend of Cordelia

  House Bergfalk – House responsible for the Independents on Libre

  House Brixton – House responsible for the design and creation of SADEs

  House de Guirnon – House responsible for building and operating passenger liner transport

  Jason Haraken – great-grandson of Fiona Haraken

  José Cordova – Captain of the Freedom

  Julien – Rêveur’s SADE

  Karl Beckert – Station Director on Orbital Station Ein over Libre

  Karl Schmidt – Captain of the Stern Licht

  Lazlo Menlo – new Captain of the Geld Hersteller (aka Money Maker)

  Leeson Darden – Captain of the Lange Strecken

  Lillian Hauser – Captain of the Stern Reisende

  Lucia Bellardo – Libran ex-Captain, now a shuttle pilot

  Marcel Lechaux – Terese’s brother and an Independent on Libre

  Mütter – SADE of the Geld Hersteller (aka Money Maker)

  Patrice – Fiona Haraken’s close friend

  Pia Sabine – Rêveur passenger

  Rayland – psychopathic SADE left behind on Libre

  Renée de Guirnon – Co-Leader of House Alexander

  Reinhold – Captain of the Unser Menschen

  Rosette – SADE of the Stern Vagabund

  SADE – Méridien AIs (self-aware digital entity)

  Sawalie – Elder singer on Libre

  Sergio De Laurent – young man at Libran town hall meeting

  Sleuth – Julien’s alter ego gained from ancient Terran novels of Sherlock Holmes

  Sophie Sabine – Pia’s niece and an Independent on Libre

  Tomas Monti – Leader of the Independents of Libre

  Terese Lechaux – Rêveur medical specialist

  Willem – SADE on the Lange Strecken

  Z – SADE of the Unser Menschen

  Ships and Stations:

  Bau Ein – Libran construction station for the Unser Menschen

  Bau Zwei – Libran construction station for the Freedom

  Freedom – Libran city-ship headed by Leader Monti

  Geld Hersteller – the Money Maker, a House Bergfalk freighter

  Lange Strecken – the Long Haul, a House Bergfalk freighter

  New Terra – colony ship from Earth; survivors named their new planet after the ship

  Outward Bound – explorer-tug owned by Alex Racine

  Rêveur – Méridien House de Guirnon passenger liner; Jacques de Guirnon was the prior Captain

  Stern Licht – House Bergfalk passenger liner

  Stern Reisende – House Bergfalk passenger liner

  Stern Vagabund – House Bergfalk passenger liner

  Unser Menschen – the Our People, a
Libran city-ship headed by Leader Stroheim

  Planets, Colonies, and Moons:

  Bellamonde – sixth and latest Confederation planet to be attacked by the silver ships

  Cetus – last Confederation colony established, first colony attacked by the silver ships

  Cressida – New Terra’s metal-rich moon circling Ganymede

  Ganymede – New Terra’s sixth planet outward, a gas giant with metal-rich moons

  Libre – Independent’s colony in Arno system

  Méridien – home world of Confederation in the Oikos system

  New Terra – home world of New Terrans, fourth planet outward of Oistos

  Niomedes – New Terra’s fifth planet outward and site of the habitat experiments

  Seda – New Terra’s ninth and last planet outward, a gas giant with several moons

  Sharius – moon circling Seda and TSF support outpost for explorer-tugs

  Stars:

  Arno – star of the planet Libre, home of the Independents

  Cepheus – original star destination for the New Terra

  Hellébore – star of the planet Cetus, location of the first Confederation colony attacked by silver ships

  Mane – original name of Oikos

  Oikos – star of the Méridien home planet

  Oistos – star of the planet New Terra, Alex Racine’s home world

  My Books

  The Silver Ships, the first book in this series, is available as an e-book, a softcover version, and an audiobook. Please visit my website, http://scottjucha.com, for publication locations. You may also register at my website to receive email updates on the progress on my upcoming novels.

  The Silver Ships Series:

  The Silver Ships

  Libre

  Méridien (early 2016)

  Hellébore (mid 2016)

  The Author

  It’s been an eventful journey from Anchorage, Alaska, where I was born over six decades ago, to San Diego, California, where I currently reside with my wife.

  Between these two destinations, I’ve spent years overseas, earned two college degrees, held many jobs, and found a wonderful marriage partner.

  My first attempt at a novel was entitled The Lure. It was a crime drama centered on the modern-day surfacing of a 110-carat yellow diamond that had been 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, I had my first date with my wife-to-be, Peggy Giels.

  Over the past thirty-four years, I’ve outlined dozens of novels, but a busy career limited my efforts to complete any of them. Now the time has come, and I’ve thoroughly enjoyed planning, researching, and writing this second novel—in fact, the entire series.

  I was a young teenager when I discovered the joy of reading. Today I hope, through my stories, I’m sharing that joy.

  Table of Contents

  Acknowledgments

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  Glossary

  My Books

  The Author

 

 

 


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