The Ascendant Stars - Michael Cobley [4]
Theo Karlsson and the renegade Tygrans finally arrive at Darien and make contact with the anti-Brolturan resistance movement.
Back at the Garden of the Machines, the Construct is examining the dead body of Robert Horst. But when the real Robert comes to join him, we discover the expired corpse is that of a semiorganic simulacrum. The Construct now knows that the warpwell on Darien has been unlocked, and that the Godhead is behind most of the attacks coming from the depths of hyperspace. Once it has learned what Robert Horst has to say, direct action will have to be taken. For Darien, however, only hope and the uncertain power of fate can help the colonists now. The fleets and the stormclouds are gathering for the final showdown.
MAIN CHARACTERS
Greg Cameron – led the resistance against the Brolturan occupiers until the vital Zyradin mission took him to the forest moon, Nivyesta.
Catriona Macreadie – chosen by the biomass sentience Segrana as its Keeper, she received the Zyradin from Greg and was transformed by it.
Theo Karlsson – Greg’s uncle, former major in the Darien Volunteer Forces, became involved with renegade soldiers from another lost Human colony world, Tygra.
Cheluvahar, or Chel – a seer of the Uvovo and close friend of Greg Cameron.
Julia Bryce – she and her Enhanced team were coerced by Corazon Talavera into upgrading nuclear missiles for the Spiralist invasion. Now they are imprisoned in virtual prisons.
Kao Chih – after his time on Darien, he secretly went to Pyre then partnered a Roug in a rescue mission to retrieve the Human Sept elders captured by the Tygran’s pro-Hegemony military leader.
Franklyn Gideon – captain of the Stormlions commandery and protégé of veteran Tygran officer, Sam Rawlins. He and his men were persuaded by Theo Karlsson to throw in their lot with Darien.
Robert Horst – Earthsphere’s ambassador to Darien, he was sent down into hyperspace to meet the Construct, who sent him on a mission to track down the Godhead.
The Construct – a machine intelligence created by the Forerunners more than a hundred millennia ago to help fight the Legion of Avatars. It uses the mind-state patterns of Robert Horst and his daughter Rosa to create new kinds of sentient simulacra.
Reen – Mandator of the High Index of the Roug, commander of the warvaunt vessel, the Vyrk-Zoshel.
A Knight of the Legion of Avatars – an armoured, cyborg creature, a survivor from the war against the Forerunners. It has come to Darien and through guile and subterfuge has finally attained its long-desired goal, the unlocking of the warpwell.
Utavess Kuros – the Sendrukan Hegemony’s ambassador to Darien. The Spiralist invasion destroyed the Brolturan battleship while Kuros was taken over by his AI companion.
The Clarified Teshak – a senior Sendrukan official whose AI is in sole control. Although he was sent to Darien to oversee Kuros’ performance, he also has the agenda of the Clarified to promote.
The Godhead – ancient sentience of unknown origin. Rumours abound about its nature, some suggesting that it was once a machine intelligence.
MAIN SENTIENT SPECIES
IN HUMANITY’S FIRE
Humans – biped mammals, binocular vision, vestigial hair, restricted range in audio/visual senses, average height 1.7m
Sendruka – biped humanoid, binocular vision, minimal body hair, average height 2.8m
Bargalil – hexapedal, 20% body hair, average height 2m
Henkaya – biped with four arms, muscular upper body, average height 2.1m
Kiskashin – tailed, ornitho-reptilian biped, rough, pebbled skin, average height 1.8m
Makhori – amphibious octoped, mutiple tentacles, large eyes, average body length 1.5m
Achorga – insectoid, hiver, aggressively territorial, only Queens and specialised drones display intelligence, average height 1.2m
Uvovo – small bipedal humanoid, 70% body hair, binocular vision, excellent hearing, average height 1.3m
Gomedra – upright biped, furred, vaguely dog/wolf-like, average height 1.4m
Vusark – pseudo-insectoid, decapedal, compound eyes, average height 1m when walking on majority of legs,