“Eminence, we’ve got to open that passenger pod and analyze what’s inside!” Riomini insisted.
She whirled on him. “You idiot, as I’ve told you, the pod is one of their points of attack! They want us to open it, so that everyone on Sonjeera will be contaminated by the Xayan body inside. And once we are all possessed by alien organisms, they will sweep across the Crown Jewels—just as they must have done in the Deep Zone.”
Riomini seemed to wilt under her unrelenting glare. Commodore Hallholme, though, cleared his throat. “It is difficult to defend against something we do not understand.”
“Defend against it anyway!” Glaring, Michella stalked away. On the landing field behind her, hundreds of defeated Constellation soldiers began filing out of their landed ships.
* * *
Too many things were spinning out of control. Diadem Michella’s daughter had been lost to alien possession, and the entire Constellation was vulnerable. The weirdly powerful aliens that General Adolphus had awakened now threatened to overwhelm all of her planets.
Here at home, she could not forget about the two recent attempts to assassinate her. A bomb and poison! She was convinced that murderous rebel sympathizers were everywhere.…
When the Diadem returned to the palace, she fired her kitchen staff and most of the servants, and ordered that replacement personnel be brought in; Ishop Heer was responsible for vetting dozens of applicants. She didn’t know whom else she could trust.
He joined her for an evening meal, and she sat with him at an improvised dining table in her private suite. Ishop had personally watched every step of the meal’s preparation, but even so she made him taste each dish before she put it on her plate.
“You are one of the few people I can rely on,” Michella said, hearing the anxiety in her own voice. They had just finished a course of roast sonji pheasant, and were waiting while the plates were cleared and the next course was brought in from the kitchen.
“From now on, my food will be tested even more carefully than before, each item double-checked,” she said with a sigh. “The meals will probably be cold by the time I get to eat.” Michella squared her bony shoulders. “A stronger security force will accompany me on even the most trivial of outings. I will depend on you more than ever, Ishop, my good friend. You are worth so much more than one of those petty, selfish nobles. Don’t worry—I’ll see to it that you are richly rewarded.”
“You are safe with me,” he assured her, but she thought she caught a flicker in his eyes—a hint of hostility? She shivered and looked away, then felt ashamed of herself for seeing assassins and traitors everywhere! It was mere paranoia.
They continued their meal while studying an array of security screens. After Commodore Hallholme’s frightening news of the Xayan telemancy attack, and Riomini’s obsession with the alien contamination in the hangar, she now focused on a live surveillance image of the Sonjeera spaceport. Behind numerous security barriers, the resin-encased hangar formed a rounded profile against the night sky, illuminated by floodlights.
She scowled at it. “The alien presence is trapped inside there.”
“And it is neutralized,” Ishop said.
“How can we be sure?”
As they watched, the sealed hangar began to glow.
Appendix A
THE 20 CROWN JEWEL WORLDS
Aedl
Aeroc
Barassa
Cherby
Fleer
Indos
Jonn
Kappas
Klief
Machi
Marubi
Noab
Ogg
Orsini
Patel
Qiorfu
Sandusky
Sonjeera
Tanine
Vielinger
Appendix B
THE 54 DEEP ZONE PLANETS
Aimerej
Ankheny
Argyth
Astervillius
Atab Abas
Balkast
Bija’dom
Blythe System
Boj
Brevor
Brezane
Buchad
Buktu
Candela
Casagan
Cles
Cobalt
Darenthia
Ehemi
El Kuara
Enesi
Erebusal
Eviticu
Haiasi
Hallholme/Helhole
Hossetea
Karadakk
Karum and Kanes
Kirsi
Moloch
Nephilim
Nicles
Nielad
Nomolos
Ondor’s Gambit
Oshu
Osian
Qolme
Qotem
Ridgetop
Rinthi
Ronom
Salm
Setsai
Signik
Tehila
Teron
Theser
Thiop
Triol
Ueter
Umber
Vytr
Xodu
Consolidated Glossary
ADKINS, DUFF—retired sergeant in Army of the Constellation, served under Commodore Percival Hallholme during General Adolphus’s rebellion.
ADOLPHUS, GENERAL TIBER MAXIMILIAN—leader of a failed rebellion against the Constellation, now the exiled leader on the planet Hallholme. Commonly called the General.
ADOLPHUS, JACOB—father of Tiber Adolphus, patriarch of the Adolphus family on Qiorfu.
ADOLPHUS, STEFANO—brother of Tiber Adolphus, now dead.
AEROC—one of the Crown Jewels, ruled by Lord Selik Riomini, main headquarters of the Army of the Constellation.
ALA’RU—Xayan evolutionary and spiritual ascension. In translation, the Constellation word “soar” comes closest to the Xayan ala’ru, a word not easily expressible in other languages. Depending upon how ala’ru is pronounced (and to whom, and by whom), the word can mean various degrees of sacredness in the actions of the Xayan individual as he progresses toward a state of perfection and merges his psyche with those of his fellows. In its ultimate form, ala’ru refers to the ascension of the entire Xayan race, a word that is uttered with a great exhalation of passion, from the deepest portion of the alien soul.
ALLYF—one of the five preserved Xayans in the museum vault; he did not survive the long sleep.
ANDERLOS, ERIK—deputy administrator of Buktu.
ANKOR—launch center and spaceport on Hellhole, linked to the new DZ stringline hub.
ANQUI, ANTONIA—young Hellhole colonist, girlfriend of Devon Vence. A shadow-Xayan whose alien counterpart is Jhera.
ARMY OF THE CONSTELLATION—space navy and ground-based military that was consolidated during Adolphus’s rebellion, commanded by Lord Selik Riomini.
ATAB ABAS—Deep Zone planet.
BARASSA—Crown Jewel planet.
BATTLE OF SONJEERA—final space battle in General Adolphus’s first rebellion, in which he was defeated (some say tricked) by Commodore Percival Hallholme.
BIRZH—Xayan telemancer preserved in slickwater, lover of Jhera; became the counterpart of Devon Vence.
BLACK LORD—nickname for Lord Selik Riomini, based on his penchant for wearing black.
BOJ—Deep Zone planet.
BUKTU—isolated Deep Zone planet, administered by Ian Walfor; cold and frozen, previously cut off from the Constellation stringline network.
BUREAU OF DEEP ZONE AFFAIRS—government bureau administering the five territorial governors, located on Sonjeera.
CANDELA—Deep Zone planet administered by Tanja Hu. Secret source of iperion for the Deap Zone rebels.
CAREY, LUJAH—leader of the Children of Amadin group on Hellhole.
CARON, SERGEANT ARBIN—trailblazer pilot for Army of the Constellation.
CARRINGTON, GAIL—special attaché to Lord Riomini, former head of his bodyguards.
CARTER, ANDREW—one of Sophie Vence’s line managers.
CELANO GEESE—waterfowl native to Sonjeera.
CHERBY—Crown Jewel planet, original home of Franck Tello.
CHILDREN OF AMADIN—isolationist religious group from Barassa that has come to settle on Hellhole.
CIARLI, TANN—one of the victims on Ishop Heer’s list of noble descendants.
CIPPIQ—one of the Original Xayans, volunteered to be emissary to Sonjeera; he was murdered by Diadem Michella.
CLES—Deep Zone planet.
CLOVIS, RENNY—former Ankor site administrator, partner of Tel. He was killed in the collapse of a slickwater-filled sinkhole.
CLOVIS, TEL—former Ankor site administrator, partner of Renny; after Renny’s death, Tel immersed himself in slickwater and became a shadow-Xayan.
CODECALL SYSTEM—Encrypted communications system used throughout the Constellation.
CONSTELLATION—stellar empire of 74 planets, comprising 20 core worlds called the Crown Jewels and 54 frontier worlds in the Deep Zone. Capital is Sonjeera, ruled by the Diadem.
CONSTELLATION CHARTER—primary binding document that defines the government of the Constellation.
CORI, ELWAR—Vielinger physicist who discovered how to use processed iperion to mark a path in space, defining a constrained route that the new stardrives could use.
COTTAGE—private residence at the Pond of Birds used as a discreet retreat on the grounds of the Diadem’s Palace.
COUNCIL CITY—government center on Sonjeera.
CRAIS, ALBO—elder member of Crais family whose political ambitions were thwarted by Michella.
CRAIS, BOLTON—husband of Keana Duchenet, logistics officer in the Army of the Constellation, rank of silver major.
CRAIS, ILVAR—current head of the Crais noble family, father of Bolton.
CRAIS, NOK II—former Diadem, Bolton’s great-great-grandfather; the Council City Spaceport building was constructed during his reign.
CRISTAINE, LIEUTENANT AURA—first officer of the Diadem’s Glory.
CROWN JEWELS—twenty core planets in the Constellation, the most closely packed worlds and most civilized.
DAR, SURI—pilot of one of the Constellation’s military stringline haulers.
DARENTHIA—Deep Zone planet.
DE CARRE, CRISTOPH—exiled son of disgraced Lord Louis de Carre, now works for General Adolphus on Hellhole.
DE CARRE, LORD LOUIS—disgraced leader of Vielinger, lover of Keana Duchenet.
DEEP ZONE—the 54 frontier worlds in the Constellation, recently opened to settlement.
DEEP ZONE DEFENSE FORCE—the ships, veteran soldiers, and volunteers General Adolphus pulled together to defend the frontier worlds.
DEEZEE—derogatory term for a Deep Zone settler.
DELAYNE, MARIA—planetary administrator of Nephilim.
DESTINATION DAY—the completion date of the new DZ stringline transportation network.
DIADEM—the leader of the Constellation government.
DIADEM’S GLORY—flagship of the Constellation fleet sent against General Adolphus.
DOWNBOX—cargo boxes dropped from a stringline hauler down to the surface of a destination planet.
DOZER—large construction machine.
DUCHENET, DIADEM MICHELLA—leader of the Constellation.
DUCHENET, HAVEEDA—Michella’s younger sister, rumored to be a witness to the murder of their brother Jamos as a child; she has not been seen in public for many years.
DUCHENET, JAMOS—Michella’s older brother, murdered when he was young (Michella is rumored to be responsible).
DUCHENET, KEANA—only daughter of Diadem Michella, now on Hellhole, accompanied by Xayan presence Uroa.
DZ—Deep Zone.
EDWOND HOUSE—building where Edwond the First, the Warrior Diadem, held war cabinet meetings. Now Ishop Heer’s residence.
EDWOND THE FIRST—former diadem of the Constellation, also called the Warrior Diadem.
EKOVA, LUCINDA—operations officer for Lord Riomini’s strike force.
ELAKIS, BURUM—secret Adolphus supporter on Sonjeera, also connected to Enva Tazaar.
ELAKIS, WILLIS—brother of Burum Elakis, who died in prison.
ELBA—Adolphus’s estate outside of Michella Town.
ELBERT, WILL—one of Sophie Vence’s line managers.
ENCIX—female Xayan, leader of the three surviving Originals.
ENGERMANN, OLV—owner of a machine repair shop on Orsini, former boss of Vincent Jenet.
ERON—capital city on Theser, located in a deep crater.
FEN, ELDORA—planetary administrator of Cles.
FERNANDO-ZAIRIC—joined personalities of Fernando Neron and Zairic.
FIRTH, JACKSON—leader of diplomatic team accompanying the Constellation fleet against Hellhole; he is a historian of the General’s first rebellion.
FLEER—Crown Jewel planet where Tel and Renny Clovis served a prison term, homeworld of the Duchenets.
FRANKOV, SIA—planetary administrator of Theser, close friend of Tanja Hu.
GAXEN—draft animals native to Sonjeera.
GAVO—one of Tanja Hu’s cousins.
GOLDENWOOD—valuable trees native to Ridgetop.
GOLER, CARLSON—administrator of Ridgetop and territorial governor of eleven planets, including Hallholme and Candela.
GROWLER—colloquial term for a static storm on Hallholme.
HALEY—climbing goat Tanja Hu used to ride on Candela.
HALLHOLME (PLANET)—formal name for Hellhole.
HALLHOLME, CORAM—younger son of Escobar.
HALLHOLME, ELAINE—wife of Escobar, grandniece of Lord Selik Riomini.
HALLHOLME, EMIL—older son of Escobar.
HALLHOLME, RED COMMODORE ESCOBAR—son of Commodore Percival Hallholme, assigned to lead retaliatory strike against Hellhole.
HALLHOLME, COMMODORE PERCIVAL—retired leader of the Army of the Constellation; he defeated General Adolphus the first time and quashed his rebellion.
HEART SQUARE—central square in Sonjeera’s Council City.
HEER, ISHOP—Diadem Michella’s confidential aide, spy, and hatchet man.
HELLHOLE—hellish frontier world, considered the most inhospitable of the Deep Zone worlds, colloquial name for planet Hallholme.
HELLTOWN—colloquial name for Michella Town.
HERALD, PETER—former lieutenant in General Adolphus’s rebellion.
HESTON, LORA—leader of Lord Riomini’s bodyguards.
HIRDAN—noble family.
HIRDAN, TANIK—head of the Hirdan family.
HORP—Sonjeeran racing animal.
HU, QUINN—Tanja Hu’s uncle and mentor, killed in a mudslide caused by overmining on Candela.
HU, TANJA—administrator of Candela, one of the first coconspirators with General Adolphus on Hallholme.
IPERION—rare mineral used to mark stringline paths across space. The Constellation’s primary source of iperion is found on the planet Vielinger.
J-PALM—flammable, explosive fluid.
JACOB—General Adolphus’s flagship, named after his father.
JACQUE—adopted son of Bebe Nax.
JENET, DREW—Vincent’s ill father.
JENET, VINCENT—Hellhole colonist, sentenced by Enva Tazaar to live there as punishment after he was convicted of a crime; friend of Fernando-Zairic, killed with emissaries to Sonjeera.
JESSUP, ROLF—shadow-Xayan, originally from Ridgetop.
JHERA—Xayan telemancer preserved in slickwater, lover of Birzh; now the counterpart of Antonia Anqui.
JONN—Crown Jewel planet, ruled by the Hirdan family.
JORDAN, CRAIG—Adolphus’s chief of security, now managing part of the Hellhole defense forces.
KAPPAS—Crown Jewel planet, ruled by the Paternos family.
KEATS, HUME—worker on Buktu, as well as a pilot who flies with Ian Walfor.
KERRIS—linerunner ship operated by Turlo and Sunitha Urvancik, name
d after their dead son.
KIAFA—popular hot beverage.
KLIEF—Crown Jewel planet, former home of Sophie and Devon Vence.
KOMUN, GEORGE—planetary administrator of Umber.
KOUVET, CAPTAIN—security officer at Council City Spaceport.
LASSEN, OWEN—representative from Teron.
LINERUNNER—maintenance ship that travels along the stringline paths to check iperion integrity.
LODO—male Xayan, one of the three surviving Originals, assigned to studying the museum vault.
LUBIS PLAIN SHIPYARDS—large military shipyard on Qiorfu.
LUMINOUS GARDEN—one of the spectacular gardens on the grounds of the Diadem’s palace.
MACHI—Crown Jewel planet.
MAGEROS, LADY OPRA—noblewoman, descendant of one of the families that brought about the downfall of the Osheers.
MAIL DRONE—small automated packet that travels along the stringlines.
MALIBU, HENRY—deacon among the Children of Amadin, former doctor.
MARUBI—Crown Jewel planet.
MAYAK, TOBNER—scientist on Sonjeera.
MCLUHAN, EVA—a linerunner who committed suicide in deep space between destinations.
MERCIFULS—secular order of nurses.
MICHELLA TOWN—main colony town on Hallholme; referred to colloquially as Helltown.
MORAE, ELWYN—first administrator of Candela.
NARI—drilling supervisor on Hellhole.
NAX, BEBE—Tanja Hu’s administrative assistant on Candela, mother of Jacque.
NEHL—young orphaned girl, a member of the Children of Amadin.
NELL, LADERNA—assistant to Ishop Heer, also his lover.
NEPHILIM—Deep Zone planet, supposedly the site of a fountain of youth.
NERON, FERNANDO—Hellhole colonist, first man to immerse himself in slickwater and take on an alien personality, Zairic. Fernando-Zairic served as spokesman for the shadow-Xayans, until he was murdered on Sonjeera along with other emissaries.
NICLES—Deep Zone planet.
NOAB—Crown Jewel planet, home of the Crais family.
NOABY—valuable jewel mined on Noab.
NOMOLOS—Deep Zone planet.
NOORMAN, CAPTAIN FELIX—captain of a scout ship aboard the Constellation fleet.
OBERON, LANNY—supervisor in iperion mines on Vielinger.
OGG—Crown Jewel world where Osheer family was exiled.
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