Return to Sol: Star Rise Read online

  RETURN TO SOL:

  STAR RISE

  THE ORION WAR – BOOK 13

  BY M. D. COOPER

  Just in Time (JIT) & Beta Readers

  Scott Reid

  Gareth Banks

  Chad Burroughs

  Timothy Van Oosterwyk Bruyn

  Copyright © 2020 M. D. Cooper

  Aeon 14 is Copyright © 2019 M. D. Cooper

  Version 1.0.0

  Cover Art by Andrew Dobell

  Editing by Jen McDonnell, Bird’s Eye Books

  Aeon 14 & M. D. Cooper are registered trademarks of Malorie Cooper

  All rights reserved

  TABLE OF CONTENTS

  FOREWORD

  PREVIOUSLY…

  KEY CHARACTERS

  MAPS

  PART 1 – NEW CANAAN

  A DIVE TO REMEMBER

  GOODBYE, VIRGO

  BACK INTO THE FRAY

  SNEAK ATTACK

  HOMECOMING

  MOPPING UP

  THE PRESIDENT’S MOTHER

  MARSHAL

  GTFO

  THE JUMP

  SEARCHERS IN THE DARK

  DEFENDING CARTHAGE

  UPDATE

  A VIEW FROM THE DARK

  PICK YOUR TARGETS

  BREACH

  SHROUD THE LIGHTBRINGER

  A FRIENDLY SURPRISE

  CARTHAGE

  I AM BOB

  A MEMORY

  CONVENE

  PART 2 – SOL

  FAMILY MATTERS

  SOLBOUND

  HOME

  REGROUP

  SEDNA BOUND

  ARRANGEMENT

  IN PURSUIT

  JOVE

  CHIKORA’S CONCLAVE

  CHO DIVING

  IN PURSUIT OF FINA

  CALISTO

  HIGH TERRA

  URIEL

  A DECISION

  REACTOR REFACTOR

  WELCOME TO THE ALLIANCE

  THE TOWER

  CONVINCING ARGUMENT

  ON RAILS

  THE ARCHIVES

  SAVING GRACE

  OVERWHELM

  AN UNENDING

  THE GATES OF HEAVEN

  PART THREE – HOME

  JOE AND TANIS TO MARS

  AFTERWORD

  THE BOOKS OF AEON 14

  OTHER BOOKS BY M. D. COOPER

  ABOUT THE AUTHOR

  FOREWORD

  To say that the thought of writing this book terrified me would be an understatement…such an understatement.

  When I decided to write a galactic war that would have accurate scope, I gave a lot of thought about how I would open new threads and spread the war. However, what I didn’t truly understand was how much work would be involved in closing off those threads satisfactorily.

  Just like a real war, when the last enemy surrenders, the conflict doesn’t end. Germany and Japan’s surrender only saw the war move to new fronts. The alliance fractured, and the USSR and China became adversaries.

  The story never really ends.

  What this means for a story like the Orion War is that things aren’t going to get wrapped up in a neat little bow. Granted, I think anyone who has come this far down the rabbit hole wouldn’t expect that.

  Despite the fact that threads will inevitably be left open—and some never closed, since that’s just how things work in life—I do have to provide a satisfactory resolution. That’s what all good stories have to have, after all: a beginning, middle, and end.

  A satisfactory end.

  Attempting to achieve that means that, as a writer, I have to consider expectations. And after twelve books, three novellas, and a dozen spin-offs, there are a lot of disparate expectations out there.

  Those expectations are where the worry comes in. As a writer who makes a living from their craft, every story contains risk for one’s career. A story that ends a flagship series even more so. I know too many authors who tanked the ending of a major series and never managed to recover. Usually, they have to create a pen name and try to start over.

  One thing’s for sure, that’ll never happen with Aeon 14. I’ve already put a lifetime’s blood, sweat, and tears into this universe, and I’ll see it through no matter what.

  At the end of all that worry over what I can and cannot control, what I have to do is take all those other voices telling me what they think I should do, and push them out. All that matters is the story and telling it the way I know it needs to be told.

  The stage is set, the characters wait in the wings. They know themselves, they’re fleshed out, and all I have to do is drop them in the setting and say ‘What will you do?’. They’ll take it from there.

  So here we go. Once more into the breach.

  Malorie Cooper

  Danvers 2020

  [email protected]

  PREVIOUSLY…

  To say that a few things are coming to a head would be an understatement.

  Although Race Across Spacetime was book 11 and Attack at Dawn was book 12, segments of both books took place during the same timespan.

  At the end of Race Across Spacetime, a gate jump next to Sagittarius A* sends the Grace O’ Malley (with Sera, Tanis/Angela, Chief West, and Darla aboard) and the Starkiller (with Tangel, Earnest, and Finaeus aboard) nearly a month into the future.

  Attack at Dawn covers the events of those three weeks where Tanis and Angela are known to be captured by core AIs and the last anyone knows, Sera took the Grace O’ Malley after them. No one knows that Tangel is alive, and likewise—by everyone else’s reckoning—Earnest and Finaeus have disappeared without a trace.

  During those three weeks, Joe and Jessica re-secured Kapteyn’s Star and, having learned that Sirius now possessed stasis shields, launched an assault on that star system.

  There, they encountered a new threat. Enemy drone swarms large enough to tax even the power generation capabilities of CriEns. This meant that enough concentrated close-range fire could damage and destroy ISF ships.

  Katrina was sent to infiltrate Brilliance Station, the capital of Sirius, and there found that core AIs had lent the enemy aid, providing them with both stasis shield technology as well as mass drone control capability.

  Injured in that conflict, Katrina was taken to Bob on the I2 for aid while Jessica and Joe completed their victory over Sirius.

  However, in grief over Tangel’s death, and the dream of Tanis and Angela being alive seemingly a fool’s hope, Joe stepped down from active command of the ISF. In a meeting aboard the Carthage, the Alliance agreed to Jessica’s placement as field marshal pro-tem.

  That decision had only just been made when news came of an assault on New Canaan.

  That brought about the end of Attack at Dawn, and though it is book 12, it ends a day before Race Against Spacetime, book 11, where we saw the story conclude with the Starkiller and the Grace O’ Malley arriving at the edge of New Canaan to find the system under heavy assault.

  And so, we begin this story in New Canaan with the ISF scrambling to protect themselves against a host of the Alliance’s enemies.

  KEY CHARACTERS

  Because there are many people operating in disparate groups across the galaxy, I’m going to organize them by nation/faction and ship to keep things simple. Some folks might move to new places throughout the story, so this list will organize them by where they are at the beginning of the book, or at least where we last knew them to be.

  Aboard the Carthage

  Jessica – With a resume as long as this book, Jessica’s recent roles have included being captain of Sabrina as well as the ISS Lantzer, and admiral of an ISF fleet.

  Iris – Originally paired with Jessica, Iris took her own body after Sabrina’s r
eturn from the Perseus Arm. Much to Jessica’s chagrin, it is a silver replica of her. Iris can usually be found not far from Jessica and Trevor, and is a skilled breacher and operative.

  Kerr – A multinodal AI (a child of Bob’s) who is the Carthage’s ship’s AI.

  Trevor – Trevor joined Sabrina in Virginis, not long after the Battle of Bollam’s World and has been with Jessica for roughly twenty years. He is now an officer in the ISF.

  Ophelia – Captain of the Carthage, Ophelia’s first major command was as captain of the Dresden, where she served with distinction in the Battle for Victoria.

  Symatra – First seeing major combat experience in the Battle for New Canaan when she commanded Carthage’s defense fleet, Symatra has a special talent for managing mass fleet maneuvers.

  Aboard Carson’s Fleet

  Carson – We first met Carson as an ARC-5 wing leader at Kapteyn’s Star, but over the years, he progressed to admiral. He has spent the last year managing a fleet that protected Thebes and also functioned as a reserve force, bolstering local militaries in a variety of conflicts.

  Most recently, he aided Rika and her Marauders in taking Genevia back from the Nietzscheans. It is from that battle that he has been recalled to New Canaan.

  Aboard Caldwell’s Fleet

  Caldwell – Recently commanding a small group of ISF ships attached to Admiral Svetlana’s Hoplite force in the Perseus Arm, Caldwell returned to the Inner Stars at the end of the conflict with Sirius. He is now the admiral of a newly formed ISF Fleet.

  Usef – Now a general, we first met Usef on Victoria when the ISF Marines retook Landfall and rescued Tanis and other members of the colony mission’s leadership team. Over the years, he has fulfilled a host of roles, and after the conflict at Sirius, has now been promoted to general and attached to Admiral Caldwell’s fleet.

  At the Core

  Epsilon – Leader of the Matri∞me Faction, Epsilon controls the most voluminous group of core AIs and has turned the Caretaker faction fully to his side.

  Hades – While Hades leads a smaller number of core AIs, he is regarded as the oldest and most powerful. In a recent conflict in the core, he and his faction were driven out by an AI named Chikora, one of Epsilon’s lieutenants.

  Aboard the Hegemony Fleet

  Lorana – Admiral commanding one of the Hegemony’s fleet divisions that attacks New Canaan.

  At High Carthage

  Sanderson – Admiral Sanderson has been with the Intrepid colony mission from close to the beginning. His experience lies not in command, but in fleet management and supply organization. He had retired upon reaching New Canaan, but came back to active service, and now commands the ISF’s Home Fleet.

  Jason Andrews – Jason was the original captain of the Intrepid. Though he was slated to be the governor of the New Eden colony, the mission was largely to be one last trip for him before retiring. He finally managed to achieve that at New Canaan until Tanis pulled him back to be governor when she left to lead the allied forces.

  Joseph Evans – Colony leader and husband of Tanis Richards, Joe has returned to New Canaan after the victory at Sirius. The constant worry over his wives and children has taken a toll on his mental health, and he is doing his best to recover without the stress of battle in the mix.

  Aboard the I2

  Bob – Bob needs no introduction. He is Bob.

  Rachel – Admiral of the First Fleet, Rachel is also captain of the I2, a title that is held in such high regard that she is addressed as ‘Captain’ and not ‘Admiral’.

  Terrance Enfield – The original backer for the Intrepid, Terrance took the opportunity to retire once the ship jumped forward in time and reached its colony world. Like Jason, he was pulled into active service by Tanis when New Canaan became embroiled in the Orion War.

  Aboard the Grace O’ Malley

  Sera – Formerly the president of the Transcend, Sera has a new ship named the Grace O’ Malley, which she took to New Sol in pursuit of Tanis and Angela. She followed Tanis to the core, rescuing her before returning to New Canaan.

  Jen – Jen is a New Canaan SAI who paired with Sera when she was president of the Transcend in order to give her an aide who could be trusted. After Sera abdicated the role to her father, Jen chose to stay paired.

  West – Formerly serving on the ISS Lantzer, Chief West joined with Sera on the mission to rescue Tanis and Angela.

  Darla – An ancient AI, who was also the first Tanis ever paired with, Darla joined Sera on her mission to rescue Tanis and Angela.

  Tanis – After ascending to Tangel over a year ago at Pyra, Tanis’s mind was dormant within the merged being. When Tangel separated from her physical body, Tanis regained her own autonomy and control of her body, though she doesn’t remember anything from that period.

  Angela – Ditto, except without a body.

  Aboard the Regent Mary

  Krissy Wrentham – The daughter of Finaeus and Lisa Wrentham, Krissy has long served as an admiral in the Transcend’s military. After Jeffrey Tomlinson found that he was too disconnected to function as president, she took the role and is now the Transcend’s leader.

  Shortly after she returned to Airtha from New Sol, her mother, Lisa Wrentham, took control of her mind.

  Greer – Admiral Greer was in command of the Transcend force that first met with the Intrepid at the Ascella System watchpoint, and has been in command of the Inner Stars’ war efforts over the past two years.

  Seraphina – A clone of Sera, Seraphina has taken over as the director of the Hand and is currently aboard the Regent Mary joining in the defense of New Canaan.

  Roxy – Once a captive of her brother, Justin, who she was forced to love and obey, Roxy has rejoined the Hand of her own volition, and is now Seraphina’s right-hand woman.

  At Roma/Normandy

  Cary – Organic daughter of Tanis and Joe, Cary has begun to ascend and has used those abilities to greatly aid the Alliance. Most recently, she masqueraded—a little too well—as the Widow A1 and was instrumental in the downfall of the Orion Freedom Alliance.

  Faleena – Daughter of Joe, Tanis, and Angela, Faleena is a young AI who was first paired with Cary, but now has her own body and is largely inseparable from Cary and Saanvi.

  Saanvi – An orphan from a shipwreck in the Transcend, Saanvi was adopted by Joe, Tanis, and Angela. She grew up with Cary, and has often functioned as the voice of reason between the two.

  Aboard Sabrina

  Cheeky – Recently having become captain of Sabrina, Cheeky has led her team on a recon mission to Sol. There, they encountered a strange nanophage on Sedna.

  Misha – As Sabrina’s cook, Misha spends most of his time on the ship, but does go on missions when needed. Misha was originally an Orion citizen from the far end of the Perseus Arm.

  Nance – Ship’s engineer and one of the original crew aboard Sabrina, Nance has—aside from a brief stint in the ISF’s military academy—served aboard the ship for nearly thirty years.

  Sabrina – The ship’s AI has been with her ship for centuries, and has never left it or been paired with anyone else. Unlike many AIs, she fully identifies herself as the ship she controls. Sabrina also owns the vessel she is named for.

  Sabs – A shard of Sabrina originally made for the Airtha mission, Sabs has diverged into a unique entity, and operates with a mobile frame.

  At Sol

  Uriel – Hegemon of the Hegemony of Humanity, Uriel has long coveted New Canaan’s technology, and is responsible in part for both attacks on the colony system. Recently, after she was approached by core AIs, she made a deal with them, ultimately being subsumed by one.

  Virgo – A group of Caretakers with a goal of ensuring ongoing unrest within humanity sent Virgo to the Intrepid with a mission to aid Myrrdan in taking the ship. Unbeknownst to both Virgo and Myrrdan, the main goal was to see the ship arrive at Kapteyn’s Star.

  Prime – The result of a cognitive experiment gone wrong, Prime was originally created in the
Alpha Centauri System. He was defeated at Proxima Centauri by Jason Andrews, but not before a clone of his mind was lost, only to be eventually found by Virgo.

  Fina – One of Sera’s clones, Fina was aboard Sabrina when it landed on Sedna, and she was captured by Virgo’s forces. Her location is assumed to be somewhere on Sedna.

  Aboard the Starblade

  Peabody – Captain Peabody’s first major command was as captain of the Antares, where he served with distinction in the Battle for Victoria. He has been captain of the Starblade since its maiden flight.

  Aboard the Starkiller

  Tangel – The merge of Tanis and Angela, Tangel died, but was saved after Finaeus and Earnest went back in time to provide her with a CriEn that enabled her to weather the destruction of New Earth’s moon.

  Finaeus – A truly ancient man, Finaeus was part of the engineering team that built High Terra and conceived of the FGT. He left the Sol System in the mid third millennia, eventually helping to found the Transcend. He is responsible for building some of the most impressive structures in the galaxy.

  Earnest – The mind behind picotech, the Intrepid, Bob, and stasis shields, Earnest is arguably one of the most accomplished engineers and creative geniuses in the galaxy.

  At the Trisilieds

  Corsia – Admiral of the Twelfth Fleet, Corsia has been waging a war in the Pleiades Cluster against the Trisilieds Kingdom. She has recently signed a peace accord with their new king after deposing his father.

  Aboard the Voyager

  Katrina – Originally born in Sirius as a member of Luminescent Society in the fifth millennia, Katrina rebelled against her people and aided a group of Noctus in their escape to Kapteyn’s Star. After the Intrepid left, she attempted to follow, only to find herself caught in Kapteyn’s Streamer which thrust her into the future, but not so far as the Intrepid. She has spent the last 500 years operating as a mercenary and warlord.