A Forest of Stars - Kevin J. Anderson [264]
Estarra gazed at Peter with her large, dark eyes. “With the increasing hydrogue attacks, and now the faeros leaving the worldforest in flames…all these people signing up to leave through the transportals seem like rats fleeing a sinking ship.” She looked up at the pinpricks of light in the night sky.
Peter held her close. “After our long string of setbacks, defeats, and failures, we need to accomplish something. Maybe it’s the only way for the human race to survive.”
Perhaps because of the crisis they had faced together, thrown into the fire by circumstances, or perhaps because they were genuinely meant for each other, he and Estarra had fallen in love. It was the two of them against the Hanseatic League in a secret power struggle that few other people would ever discover. Peter was grateful the universe had seen fit to give him Estarra as an ally.
“Out there,” she said, “so far away that we’ll never see it for years and years, the stars are winking out one by one.”
Before he could stop himself, Peter gave her a fierce hug. “And some of them are just being born.”
COMMAND STRUCTURE OF THE EARTH DEFENSE FORCES
Hansa Chairman Basil Wenceslas
(commander in chief of Earth Defense Forces)
Great King Peter
(ceremonial head)
General Kurt Lanyan
(primary commander)
Admiral Lev Stromo
(military and political liaison office, Grid 0 Operations—earth and vicinity)
Ten Grid Admirals, each with oversight of defined sections of space:
Grid 1 Admiral Peter Tabeguache
Grid 2 Admiral Zia San Luis
Grid 3 Admiral Crestone Wu-Lin
Grid 4 Admiral Zebulon Charles Pike
Grid 5 Admiral Kostas Eolus
Grid 6 Admiral Franklin W. Windom
Grid 7 Admiral Sheila Willis
Grid 8 Admiral Haki Antero
Grid 9 Admiral Esteban Diente
Grid 10 Admiral Tabitha Humboldt
SELECTED NOBLE-BORN CHILDREN OF PRIME DESIGNATE JORA’H
(DESIGNATES-IN-WAITING)
Zan’nh,oldest, half-breed with soldier kith*
Thor’h,oldest, purebred, future Prime Designate
Yazra’h,oldest noble daughter**
Daro’h,Dobro Designate-in-Waiting
Pery’h,Hyrillka Designate-in-Waiting
Cilar’h,Colusa Designate-in-Waiting
Rol’h,Scotia Designate-in-Waiting
Mir’h,Alturas Designate-in-Waiting
Quon’h,Galt Designate-in-Waiting
Andru’h,Kamin Designate-in-Waiting
Estry’h,Shonor Designate-in-Waiting
Theram’h,Heald Designate-in-Waiting
Shofa’h,Vondor Qe Designate-in-Waiting
Graci’h,Hrel-oro Designate-in-Waiting
Czir’h,Dzelluria Designate-in-Waiting
*Jora’h‘s firstborn should have been the offspring of a noble kithwoman, but the pregnancy resulted in miscarriage, after the Prime Designate had already impregnated a soldier kithwoman. Thus the first child actually sired by Jora’h was of mixed soldier-noble kith.
**When mixed with noble kithwomen, the Mage-Imperator’s bloodline is heavily skewed toward male offspring. However, noble-born daughters are not unknown.
THE RULING FAMILY OF THEROC
CLAN TAMBLYN
GLOSSARY OF CHARACTERS AND TERMINOLOGY
Abel-Wexler—one of the eleven generation ships from Earth, tenth to depart.
adar—highest military rank in Ildiran Solar Navy.
Aguerra, Raymond—streetwise young man from Earth, became King Peter.
Alexa, Mother—ruler of Theroc, wife of Father Idriss.
Almari—female green priest from Theron lakeside village.
Amundsen—one of the eleven generation ships from Earth, sixth to depart.
Andeker, William—human scientist, specialist in robotics, killed by Klikiss robot.
Arcas—green priest, killed at Rheindic Co.
Archfather—symbolic head of Unison religion on Earth.
armorglass—transparent protective material, heavily resistant to shock.
Aro’nh—Ildiran Solar Navy officer who led a surprisingly successful suicide defense against hydrogue warglobes on Qronha 3.
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