Empire Uprising (Taran Empire Saga Book 2): A Cadicle Space Opera

by A. K. DuBoff

  “I love the idea. You’re perfect for it.”

  “Just because I’m doing this, that doesn’t mean I don’t want a part in the investigation into the Coalition.”

  “I very much hope you’ll be involved,” Jason assured her.

  “I’m looking forward to working together.”

  “Me too. I hope you don’t get sick of seeing me all the time.”

  She smirked. “I don’t anticipate that happening.”

  He inched closer to her. “That’s good to hear, because I’d like to see what we can have together if we stop holding back.”

  Lexi met his gaze. “That’s a big step.”

  “I don’t want you to feel rushed or pressured. I just want you to know that I’m ready now, to share myself completely.” He’d thought about it a lot over the past week. What he’d had with Tiff was as close as he’d ever gotten, but that relationship was always missing that extra… something. With Lexi, it was all there—and it could become even more.

  “I keep waiting for this feeling of perfect bliss to subside,” Lexi said. “All I want is to be close to you. It’s been so short a time together, and yet I can’t imagine not having you in my life.”

  “Both of us are used to kind of being loners, it seems.”

  “I’d call it ‘self-sufficient’.”

  “Well put.”

  She bit her lip. “Except, I don’t want to be anymore. Not since meeting you.”

  “Me either.”

  Lexi was perfect for him in so many ways. Good-hearted and street smart. He looked at her not being highborn as a positive rather than a detractor. It was the makings of an exceptional partnership where they could learn from each other and grow.

  Lexi smiled and shook her head. “This still feels like a dream.”

  “There’ve been enough nightmares. I’ll take the change of pace.” The Coalition was still growing in the shadows. The Erebus were likely plotting a major assault. The coming months and years would no doubt hold the greatest challenges Jason had ever faced, but knowing he’d have someone by his side made it far less daunting.

  “Finding a place—or a person—where you can seek comfort when everything else around you is going to shite. I guess that’s what this is about, isn’t it?” Lexi mused.

  “Yes. And so much more.” He stroked the side of her face.

  She grasped his hand in hers. “I feel like I could take on anything with you.”

  “Good,” he kissed her, “because we’re in for a bomaxed big fight.”

  This is the end of Taran Empire Saga Book 2

  THE STORY CONTINUES IN EMPIRE DEFIED…

  — — —

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  — — —

  CONTINUE THE SAGA…

  Buy Book 3: smarturl.it/taranempire3

  Empire Defied (Taran Empire Saga Book 3)

  Some alliances were never intended to last…

  Dark forces are working in the shadows within the Taran Empire. When a series of attacks hit the Outer Colonies, it becomes clear a new war is brewing.

  As Jason and his family try to track down the perpetrators, they soon learn that their enemies pose a greater threat than they could have imagined. The Taran Empire’s fight for survival is about to begin.

  Continue the story!

  Buy Book 3: smarturl.it/taranempire3

  ALSO BY A.K. DUBOFF…

  The Taran Empire Saga is part of the broader Cadicle Universe, which includes epic space opera tales spread across thousands of years of history and lore.

  Learn more about the Cadicle Universe:

  www.cadicle.com

  Shadowed Space: A Cadicle Universe Space Opera

  The Shadowed Space series follows an undercover TSS Junior Agent as she investigates the mysterious disappearances in the Outer Colonies.

  Kali’s upcoming internship is her final test before becoming a TSS Agent—and her last chance to prove she’s worthy. When she’s assigned to investigate a series of abductions in the Outer Colonies, the mission seems simple. However, the disappearances are part of a larger rising threat, and the TSS has greatly underestimated the danger. With time running out for one captive woman, Kali must risk everything to confront the evil lurking in the shadows.

  Book 1: Shadow Behind the Stars - smarturl.it/shadowedspace1

  Mindspace: A Cadicle Space Opera

  The Mindspace series tells Kira’s story about how she came to be the unique officer she is today.

  Captain Kira Elsar, a telepath in the Tararian Guard, goes undercover to gather information about illegal nanotech research. Hints point to a brewing stellar civil war, but she needs to gather proof. Except, the mysterious forces behind the conflict already have their own plans for Kira that will change her life forever.

  Book 1: Infiltration - smarturl.it/mindspace1

  The Original Cadicle Series

  Read the series the launched the universe! The seven-volume original series tells the story of the Bakzen War and fall of the Priesthood.

  "Exciting space adventure" - Publisher's Weekly

  A secret war. An empire in crisis. One final hope for victory.

  Wil Sietinen is torn between two worlds. As a High Dynasty heir and the Tararian Selective Service’s most promising telekinetic Agent trainee, Wil is expected to be nothing short of exceptional in every way—even though the weight of responsibility is slowly crushing him.

  When Wil finds himself face-to-face with the Bakzen, a mysterious race skilled in advanced telekinesis, he’s forced to confront his destiny. His unique gifts can help end a secret war waging within a hidden dimensional rift, and time is running out.

  However, as the dire nature of the war and the truth about his own abilities begins to unfold, Wil realizes that he and his family are at the center of a generations-old galactic conspiracy. Enemies are not as they seem, and the future of the entire Taran Empire hangs in the balance.

  Wil holds the key to victory, but saving his people may come at the ultimate price.

  Get Book 1: Rumors of War (Cadicle Vols. 1-3) - Buy it now: smarturl.it/cadicle123

  In Darkness Dwells

  The standalone sci-fi thriller In Darkness Dwells chronicles the final days of the ill-fated salvage Andvari before Darin found his way to the TSS.

  Time is running out for salvage captain Hailey Suro. Desperate for a decent payday, she leads her small crew into a restricted zone. Several strange incidents soon spell disaster for everyone on the Andvari. Stranded and without hope of rescue, striking it rich no longer matters. It’s a fight for survival.

  Get In Darkness Dwells - smarturl.it/indarknessdwells

  More Books and Stories

  For a complete list of Amy’s writing:

  www.amyduboff.com/books

  AUTHOR’S NOTE

  Thank you for reading Empire Uprising! This was a fun but challenging book to write.

  Connecting this book (and series) to the broader Cadicle Universe is one of the biggest challenges I’ve faced as an author. It is so rewarding to see all the pieces come together, btu wow, it takes a lot to coordinate everything!

  In particular, this portion of the series connects closely to the Shadowed Space series written with Lucinda Pebre. The intersections will be most apparent in the next book, but I needed to make sure everything was set up properly in this volume. And I am so excited to have all the pieces come together!

  The other challenging aspect of this book was the science aspect of it, explaining the Erebus, aesen, and Gifted abilities in a way that is interesting and plausible. I’ve received a lot of questions over the years about how everything works, and it’s been wonderful finally expounding on those foundational ideas in this series.

  My amazing beta readers have been a critical part of getting this book ready. I so appreciate them looking over the drafts multiple times and being a sounding board fo
r ideas. Many thanks to John Ashmore, Gil Forbes, Charlie Obert, Jim Dean, Doug Burnham, Steve DeBacker, Heather Lewis, Marc Yergin, Leo Roars, David Frydrych, Kaj Fleischmann, Louise Bishop, and Liz Singleton.

  Thank you also to my proofreaders for helping to add the final polish. I appreciate everything you do!

  Special thanks to my husband, my parents, and the Fox family for all their love and support during the writing and editing process.

  Thank you again for reading this second novel in the Taran Empire Saga, and I hope you are enjoying this expansion of the Cadicle Universe. Until next time, happy reading!

  GLOSSARY

  Timeline of Key Events

  All dates are adjusted for the standard Earth calendar

  ~98,000 BC - Ancient war and signing of the peace treaty between Tarans, the Gatekeepers, and Erebus

  ~97,900 BC – Initial Taran intervention and colonization of Earth

  AD ~50 - Priesthood’s rise to power as a governing entity on Tararia

  AD ~1000 - Taran Revolution period, following the split of the Priesthood when the Aesir left Tararia

  AD 1587 - First skirmishes of the Bakzen War

  AD 2016 - Invention of the Independent Jump Drive

  AD 2025 - Official end of the Bakzen War; destruction of the Bakzen homeworld

  AD 2050 - Fall of the Priesthood; transition of Dynasty corporations into public entities

  AD 2054 - Reactivation of Gatekeeper tech

  AD 2055 - Reopening of the rift/tear and reappearance of the transdimensional aliens

  Key Terms

  Aesen (Ay-sen) - The foundational energy of the universe; pure energy capable of being shaped into any form. Aesen energy exists on in a higher dimension and can be drawn upon to perform feats of telekinesis.

  Aesir (Ay-seer) - A group of Tarans who broke away from the Empire around 1000 AD (Earth years) to engage in metaphysical pursuits, such as reading cosmic energy patterns. The founders of the Aesir were all former members of the Priesthood and possess strong telepathic and telekinetic abilities. The Aesir are isolationist and long-lived, possessing advanced technology lost to the rest of the Empire during the Priesthood’s corrupt reign.

  Agent - A class of officer within the TSS reserved for those with telekinetic and telepathic gifts. There are three levels of Agent based on level of ability: Primus, Sacon and Trion.

  Ateron (at-er-on) - An element that oscillates between normal space and subspace, facilitating high levels of telekinetic energy transfer.

  Baellas (bAy-las) - A corporation run by the Baellas Dynasty, producing housewares, clothing, furniture, and other textiles for use across the Taran civilization. Additional specialty lines managed by other smaller corporations are licensed to Baellas for distribution.

  Bakzen (Bak-zen) - A militaristic race that lived beyond the Outer Colonies. All Bakzen were clones and possesses varying levels of telekinetic capabilities.

  Bakzen War - A centuries-long conflict waged primarily in a secret spatial rift, with the TSS fighting on behalf of the Taran civilization.

  Cadicle (Kad-i-kl) - The definition of individual perfection in the Priesthood’s founding ideology, with the emergence of the Cadicle heralding the start to the next stage of evolution for the Taran race.

  Course Rank (CR) - The official measurement of an Agent’s ability level, taken at the end of their training immediately before graduation from Junior Agent to Agent. The Course Rank Test is a multi-phase examination, including direct focusing of telekinetic energy into a testing sphere. The magnitude of energy focused during the exercise is the primary factor dictating the Agent’s CR.

  Dainetris Dynasty (Dayn-ee-tris) - One of the seven High Dynasties, the Dainetris Dynasty was considered lost for nearly two hundred years. After members of the family spoke out against the Priesthood’s corruption, the Priesthood destroyed the family and buried the city that served as their seat of power. The Dynasty’s status was restored in 2050, and a new seat of power was established on the Priesthood’s former administrative island, renamed Morningstar Isle after the flower in the Dainetris crest.

  Earth - A planet occupied by humans, a divergent race of Tarans. Considered a “lost colony,” Earth is not recognized as part of the Taran government.

  Enforcers - The police force of the galaxy; a division of the Tararian Guard.

  Erebus (Ayr-eh-bus) - A race of transdimensional aliens capable of manipulating aesen at the foundational level to create and un-make matter within the spacetime dimension. The beings can reach down into spacetime through dimensional rifts and are capable of telepathic manipulation.

  Generation Cycle - Also known as the Twelve Generation Cycle. A genetic mutation in Tarans where seven generations will express no telepathic or telekinetic abilities, followed by five with those Gifts—the strongest expression being 10th Generation. It is believed that the genetic line descending from the Cadicle may hold the key to developing a genetic patch to fix the mutation. The Aesir left the Empire before the dissemination of the gene therapy that resulted in the Generation Cycle, so they do not suffer from the mutation; they do not intermingle with other Tarans for this reason.

  Gifts - The colloquial term used to describe a variety of telepathic and telekinetic abilities, ranging from simple mind-reading, to object levitation, to manipulating energy fields on small or large scales. These Gifts typically emerge between the age of sixteen to eighteen. Before the Priesthood’s fall, all but telepathy were illegal; since then, telekinesis has been legalized for non-violent applications. The TSS remains the foremost training institution for those with abilities.

  High Commander - The officer responsible for the administration of the TSS. Always an Agent from the Primus class.

  High Dynasties - Seven families on Tararia that control the corporations critical to the functioning of Taran society. Each have a designated Region on Tararia, which is the seat of their power. The Dynasties in aggregate form A High Council oligarchical government for the Taran Empire.

  Independent Jump Drive - A jump drive that does not rely on the SiNavTech beacon network for navigation, instead using a mathematical formula to calculate jump positions through normal space and the Rift.

  Initiate - The second stage of the TSS training program for Agents. A trainee will typically remain at the Initiate stage for two or three years.

  Jump Drive - The engine system for travel through subspace. Conventional jump drives require an interface with the SiNavTech navigation system and subspace navigation beacons.

  Junior Agent - The third stage of the TSS training program for Agents. A trainee will typically remain at the Junior Agent stage for three to five years.

  Lead Agent - The highest-ranking Agent and second-in-command to the High Commander. The Lead Agent is responsible for overseeing the Agent training program and frequently serves as a liaison for TSS business with Taran colonies.

  Lower Dynasties - There are 247 recognized Lower Dynasties in Taran society. Many of these families have a presence on Tararia, but some are residents of the other inner colonies.

  Makaris Corp (Mak-ayr-is) - A corporation run by the Makaris High Dynasty responsible for the distribution of food, water filters, and other necessary supplies to Taran colonies without diverse natural resources.

  Monsari Power Solutions (MPS) (Mon-sayr-ee) - A corporation run by the Monsari Dynasty, responsible for power generation systems for the Taran worlds, including geothermal generators, portable generators, and reactors to power spacecraft. Their foremost product are the Perpetual Energy Modules (PEMs) that function in the most critical systems.

  Rift - A habitable pocket between normal space and subspace. The largest rift—specifically known as the Rift—is located at the site of the former Bakzen homeworld, a wound left by the destruction of the planet at the end of the Bakzen War. It is thought to be a place where the veil between dimensions is thinner.

  Sacon (Sak-on) - The middle tier of TSS Agents. Typically, Sacon Agents will score a CR betw
een 6 and 7.9.

  Sietinen Dynasty (sIgh-tin-en) - High Dynasty overseeing the Third Region of Tararia, responsible for the SiNavTech navigation network. Considered the most influential of the Taran dynasties due to the family’s ties to the TSS and responsibility for the Empire’s transportation infrastructure.

  SiNavTech - A corporation run by the Sietinen High Dynasty, which controls and maintains the subspace navigation network used by Taran civilians and the TSS.

  Spatial Dislocation - The act of physically transitioning from normal space to the brink of subspace, either by means of a jump drive or telekinetic abilities.

  TalEx - A corporation run by the Talsari Dynasty, managing mining operations and ore processing across Taran territories.

  Tarans (tayr-ans) - The general term for all individuals with genetic relation to Tararian ancestry. Several divergent races are recognized by their planet or system. Humans are of Taran descent.

  Tararia (Tayr-ayr-ee-a) - The home planet for the Taran race and seat of the central government.