Into the Light

by David Weber

  Sarth orbits 61 Cygni A at approximately 56,155,000 kilometers (0.374 AU). Its orbital period is 106.39 Earth days (approximately .29 earth years) and its rotational period is 60 hours. Mean temperature is 18° Celsius (Earth’s current mean temperature is about 14.6° Celsius) and 82% of its surface is water/ice. Axial inclination is only about 8° (as opposed to Earth’s almost 24°), so seasonal variations are negligible (by human standards). The planet’s radius is 6,422 kilometers (44 kilometers greater than Earth’s), but its gravity is only 0.85 that of Earth, indicating a less dense planet. It has two moons, each about half the size of Luna.

  SARTHIAN TIMEKEEPING

  Sarthians divide their planetary year into triads, each 42.5 planetary days long, and each day is divided into day-halves (roughly 30 Earth hours long) and day-quarters (roughly 15 Earth hours long). Each day-quarter is further divided as below:

  SARTHIAN DISTANCE MEASUREMENT

  SARTHIAN GENDERS

  Sarthians have three biological genders, which are defined as male, female, and neutro. Parents are “sire,” “dam,” and “bearer,” and “bearer” is used interchangeably with “neutro” by Sarthians. The humans’ translator software uses masculine pronouns for males, feminine pronouns for females, and assigns pronouns to neutros as:

  He/she = ou

  His/her = ous (also the neutro plural possessive)

  Him/her = oum

  Them = oums

  Themselves = ouselves

  Sir/Ma’am = tysan

  SARTHIAN NAMING CONVENTIONS

  There are four main language families on Sarth: Sandian; Deltaran; Morantan; and Solahian. All of them have been influenced by most of the others—especially Diantian (and thus the Sandian language family)—but each of them also have a lot of dialects. The dialects are named after specific clans, but they are actually geographic in origin. They are simply named after the dominant clan in a given geographic location, although in a handful of cases, they are named after a clan which was defeated and absorbed into a successor.

  There are two main systems of naming. One of them originated in Sanda and is used in all Sandian nations and their daughter states and has been adopted in Morant. The second originated in either Solah or Deltar (no one is entirely sure which) and continues to be used in some southern areas of Morant and—very aggressively, as a form of defiance—by the indigenous states in Deltar.

  In both systems, the three adult members of any family unit are always designated numerically (first, second, and third), but the “surnames” and clan affiliation are constructed/denoted differently.

  In both systems, the full family name is always the first syllable (or the complete name, in the case of monosyllabic names) of each spouse in numerical order, although the neutro spouse’s first name always forms the first component of the full family name. In the Sandian system, the full family name is used by all three spouses of the triad. The complete family name is also borne by any offspring, but only until such time as they marry, at which point a new family surname is created for the new triad. In the case of a divorce (which does happen) the divorced spouse’s name is removed from the family name of the remaining spouses but any offspring shared with that individual retain the full original family name. Under the Sandian system, the neutro spouse is always first spouse, while the male and female may be either second or third, the order being determined by the order in which each of them joined the triad. If the entire triad forms simultaneously (which only happens 20%–30% of the time) then the order in which the wedding vows are taken determines which comes second or third in the full family name.

  In the Deltaran system, the full family name is constructed in the same manner, but each individual member of the triad uses only the first syllables of his spouses’ names, not the entire family name. Moreover, the order is always neutro, male, female regardless of the order in which the spouses joined the triad.

  In addition, any Sarthian’s full name also includes his clan designation. In the Sandian system, only the current clan designation is retained; in the Deltaran system, clan designation includes a genealogical catalog of the no longer extant clans from which the individual is descended. In the Sandian system the clan relationship is simply designated by “nor” (Dilanto) or “nar” (Qwern), the Sandian equivalent of “of,” while in the Deltaran system, the clan relationship was originally further parsed by a complex set of generational modifiers. Even the Deltarans, however, have abandoned that degree of complexity over the last three or four Sarthian generations (except on highly formal, legal occasions). They, however, use the word “shorak” (the Deltaran equivalent of “of”) instead of “nor” or “nar” (for the current generation) and “bekhar” (begotten of) for the ancestral clans.

  A PARTIAL SARTHIAN GLOSSARY

  bearer (1)—neutro parent.

  bearer (2)—priest.

  Chelth—chief deity of the Myrcos Pantheon and one time chief deity of the official Diantian Pantheon. Ou is now officially merely the head of one of several legally recognized pantheons, none of which are the Republic’s state religion.

  Chelthian—any Sarthian who worships Chelth. All priests of Chelth renounce their “worldly” surnames and “wed” Chelth. Even the neutros among them place Chelth, the supreme and holy neutro, first in their new surname, and all of them enter Clan Chelth. This doesn’t mean they are renouncing any triad they may have joined or swearing an oath of celibacy. It is simply a way of acknowledging Chelth’s supremacy in their lives. The proper title of address for any priest of Chelth, regardless of gender, is “Bearer.”

  Chelthist—a Sarthian who doesn’t merely worship Chelth but believes that Chelth should be/must be returned to Sarthian his rightful place as the true God of the Republic and, indeed, of all Sarth. The really hard-core Chelthists are perfectly prepared to embrace violence and even martyrdom in their deity’s name.

  Chelthite—sometimes used interchangeably with Chelthist, but properly an adjective describing Chelthists’ theology and political ideology.

  chyrn—the equivalent of a terrestrial owl. About the size of an owl, which would makes it much larger and rather more fearsome in comparison to the smaller Sarthians.

  dau—the generic term for the Sarthian equivalent of a terrestrial dog. Like dogs on Earth, there are a huge number of different breeds and types. All of them are prefaced with “dau,” however.

  daurysaki—the equivalent of a terrestrial pitbull.

  Deshkyr—a mythological Qwernian warrior hero revered as the founder of Clan Qwern.

  Dwomo—war god and chief deity of the Pantheon of Clan Qwern. Unlike the Republic, the Empire does have a “state religion,” and Dwomo is its head. Ecumenicalism is another thing the Qwernians don’t understand/like about Diantians.

  krat—a nuisance avian analogue of Sarth.

  krylith—the equivalent of a terrestrial pig. The krylith evolved in a swamp, so whereas a terrestrial pig wallows only to stay cool, krylyths actually live in muddy/swampy enclosures.

  Myrcosian—a member of the Band of Myrcos, a Chelthist organization whose avowed purpose is to restore Chelth to Ous position of primacy in the religious life of the Republic of Dianto. The Band exists as both a legal political organization, with half a dozen seats in the Sitting of Commons, but also as an extralegal terrorist organization. The terms Myrcosian and Band are used interchangeably to describe both the legal and extralegal aspects of the organization.

  nata—the neutro equivalent of son/daughter.

  ou/oum/ous—Sarthian neutro pronoun.

  Shaymork—Chelth’s mortal enemy. The agent and author of all evil in the world. I.e., the Devil of Chelthian theology.

  shyrmal—the equivalent of a terrestrial eagle. This is the apex aerial predator of Sarth. Also the Qwernian Army Air Force’s frontline single-engine fighter.

  sorqh—the equivalent of a terrestrial cow. They tend to be placid, have an even more pronounced “herd instinct” than terrestrial cattle, and are frequently us
ed as a metaphor for someone who is stupid and unable to or uninterested in thinking for him or herself.

  starth—4-limbed, saurian-looking creatures which are the equivalent of a terrestrial horse. About the size of a quarter horse, they, too, are toe-walkers (which gives them an … interesting gait). They are very fast; and they are omnivorous, which means they tend to come down on the predator side of the fight-or-flight equation and makes them especially suitable as mounts for warriors, and they have long snouts, powerful jaws and teeth, and crests which are raised and unfurled in battle. Deeply revered by Clan Qwern as part of the clan’s nomadic heritage.

  syldak—the equivalent of a terrestrial goose. They range in weight from 12 to 20 pounds (5.5–9 kilograms).

  Taysar—originally goddess of the storm and Rider of the Lightning in the Myrcos pantheon. She has changed and evolved over the centuries, especially since Chelth was dethroned as the Republic’s chief deity, and is now revered by the Chelthists as Chelth’s avenging angel.

  terahk—the equivalent of terrestrial coffee or very, very strong hot tea.

  title bearer—the (always) neutro holder of a transmittable title. The male and female members of the title bearer’s triad are referred to as [title] consorts and hold only life titles (although they can become the equivalent of queen mother or queen father).

  Tysan—the neutro equivalent of “sir” or “ma’am.”

  SARTHIAN TITLES OF NOBILITY

  SARTHIAN MILITARY RANKS*

  *Both the Republic of Dianto and the Qwernian Empire use the same ranks for both land and naval personnel.

  TOR BOOKS BY DAVID WEBER

  THE SAFEHOLD SERIES

  Off Armageddon Reef

  By Schism Rent Asunder

  By Heresies Distressed

  A Mighty Fortress

  How Firm a Foundation

  Midst Toil and Tribulation

  Like a Mighty Army

  Hell’s Foundations Quiver

  At the Sign of Triumph

  Through Fiery Trials

  Out of the Dark

  TOR BOOKS BY DAVID WEBER AND CHRIS KENNEDY

  Into the Light

  ABOUT THE AUTHORS

  DAVID WEBER is the most popular living author of military science fiction. Aside from the Safehold series beginning with Off Armageddon Reef (2007), he is also known for the New York Times bestselling Honor Harrington series, the most recent of which was Uncompromising Honor (2018). He lives in South Carolina. You can sign up for email updates here.

  CHRIS KENNEDY is a former school principal and naval aviator. His self-published novels include the Occupied Seattle military fiction duology, the Theogony and Codex Regius science fiction trilogies, and the War for Dominance fantasy trilogy. You can sign up for email updates here.

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  CONTENTS

  Title Page

  Copyright Notice

  Dedication

  Authors’ Note

  Map

  Year 1 of the Terran Empire

  I. Aurora, Minnesota, United States

  II. Widawa, Poland

  III. Cold Mountain, Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States

  IV. St. Johnsbury, Vermont, United States

  V. Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  VI. Key West, Florida, United States

  VII. Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  VIII. São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brazil

  IX. Aurora, Minnesota, United States

  X. Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  XI. Petty Building, UNC-G, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  XII. Doctor Fabienne Lewis’ Office, Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  XIII. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

  XIV. Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  XV. Dreadnought Târgoviște, Phase-Space, 1.5 LY from Earth

  XVI. Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan, Canada

  XVII. Cold Mountain, Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States

  XVIII. Space Platform Invictus, L5 Lagrange Point

  XIX. Near Monguno, Federal Republic of Nigeria

  XX. Regina, Saskatchewan, Canada

  XXI. Greensboro, North Carolina, United States

  XXII. Manzanillo, Colima, Mexico

  XXIII. Fort Sanders, North Carolina, United States

  XXIV. São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos, Bahia, Brazil

  Renaissance: Sol System: Year 15 of the Terran Empire

  I. Space Platform Bastion, L5 Lagrange Point

  II. Aurora, Minnesota, United States

  III. Fort Sanders, North Carolina, United States

  IV. Naya Islamabad, Capital Territory, Islamic Republic of Pakistan

  V. Presidential Briefing Room, Space Platform Bastion, L5 Lagrange Point

  VI. Villa Daciana, Arges Mountains, Romania

  VII. Aurora, Minnesota, United States

  VIII. Biolab Three, Space Platform Bastion, L5 Lagrange Point

  IX. Space Station Invictus, L5 Lagrange Point

  X. Space Platform Bastion, L5 Lagrange Point, and cold Mountain, Transylvania County, North Carolina, United States

  XI. Fort Sanders, North Carolina, United States

  XII. Naya Islamabad, Capital Territory, Islamic Republic of Pakistan

  XIII. Space Platform Bastion, L5 Lagrange Point

  XIV. Prometheus Platform, Ganymede Orbit, and Bastion Platform, L5 Lagrange Point

  Age of Exploration: Year 26 of the Terran Empire

  I. City of Dianzhyr, Republic of Dianto; and city of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire, Planet Sarth

  II. Puns Outreach, Sarth Planetary Orbit

  III. City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire, Planet Sarth

  IV. The Nonagon, City of Lyzan, Ryzak Island, Planet Sarth

  V. The Nonagon, City of Lyzan, Ryzak Island, Planet Sarth

  VI. Yerdaz Noryerdar Nar Qwern’s Office, The Nonagon, City of Lyzan, Ryzak Island Planet Sarth

  VII. City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire, Planet Sarth; and Puns Outreach, Sarth Orbit

  VIII. Sokyr Chelso’s Rectory, City of Myrcos, and Prime Director’s Office, City of Dianzhyr, Republic of Dianto

  IX. Puns Outreach, Sarth Planetary Orbit

  X. Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire, Planet Sarth

  XI. The Nonagon, City of Lyzan, Ryzak Island, Planet Sarth

  XII. Prime Director’s Office, and High Bearer Mykair’s Office, City of Dianzhyr, Republic of Dianto; City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire; and Sokyr Chelso’s Rectory, City of Myrcos, Republic of Dianto, Planet Sarth

  XIII. Puns Outreach, Sarth Orbit

  XIV. City of Dianzhyr, Republic of Dianto, Sarth; and Puns Vanguard, Sarth Orbit

  XV. City of Shaltar, Desqwer; City of Syrzhyr, Republic of New Dianto; City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire; and 50 Kilometers Northwest of The City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwern Empire, Planet Sarth

  XVI. Puns Vanguard, Sarth Orbit

  XVII. Puns Vanguard, Sarth Orbit, and Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwernian Empire, Planet Sarth

  XVIII. Puns Vanguard, Sarth Orbit; City of Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwernian Empire; and City of Dianzhyr, Republic of Dianto, Planet Sarth

  XIX. Abu Bakr’s Airaavatha, En Route to Kwyzo Nar Qwern; Cities of Razdyr, Tyrhaz, and Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwernian Empire, Sarth

  XX. Puns Troy, Sarth Orbit; Kwyzo Nar Qwern, Qwernian Empire, Sarth

  XXI. Puns Vanguard, Sarth Orbit

  Epilogue: Year 41 of the Terran Empire

  Dreadnought Târgoviște, Shong System, 2
41.5 LY from Earth

  Appendix

  Tor Books by David Weber

  About the Authors

  Copyright

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the authors’ imaginations or are used fictitiously.

  INTO THE LIGHT

  Copyright © 2020 by David Weber and Chris Kennedy

  All rights reserved.

  Cover art by Stephan Martiniere

  Map by Jennifer Hanover

  A Tor Book

  Published by Tom Doherty Associates

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  www.tor-forge.com

  Tor® is a registered trademark of Macmillan Publishing Group, LLC.

  The Library of Congress has cataloged the print edition as follows:

  Names: Weber, David, 1952- author. | Kennedy, Chris, 1965- author.

  Title: Into the light / David Weber, Chris Kennedy.

  Description: First edition. | New York: Tor, 2021.

  Identifiers: LCCN 2020042334 (print) | LCCN 2020042335 (ebook) | ISBN 9780765331458 (hardcover) | ISBN 9781250766953 (ebook)

  Subjects: GSAFD: Science fiction. | Fantasy fiction.

  Classification: LCC PS3573.E217 I58 2021 (print) | LCC PS3573.E217 (ebook) | DDC 813/.54—dc23

  LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2020042334

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  eISBN 9781250766953

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