by S. H. Jucha
“I’ll need the name of those witnesses, Captain,” Emerson stated officially.
“And you won’t receive them, Commandant. You’re not entitled to the Captain’s Court records.”
Aurelia, who was listening with Dingles on his comm unit, giggled, and the first mate smiled at her.
“Every witness detailed a personality that can only be described as sociopathic. In addition, the court has discovered that evidence procured at the Andropov home after the arrests was deemed unnecessary to present to the Review Board, prior to the hearing.”
“What evidence, Captain Harbour?” Stamerson demanded.
“Found in the nightstand of a room that was reserved exclusively for Dimitri Belosov’s meetings with Aurelia Garmenti were a collection of devices of the bondage type. Aurelia Garmenti testified to the nature and use of those items on her by Dimitri Belosov. In each and every encounter, Aurelia vocally protested Dimitri’s use of his bondage devices and his subsequent molestations. The court found Aurelia Garmenti’s testimony compelling, and the evidence points to a pattern of aggravated sexual assault by Dimitri Belosov on her person. In summary, it was the judgment of the Captain’s Court that Aurelia Garmenti acted in self-defense, which resulted in the accidental death of Dimitri Belosov by his own hand. Therefore, the charge of murder laid against Aurelia Garmenti by the previous governor has been set aside.”
“You won’t get away with this, Harbour,” Lise yelled, before throwing her comm unit across the salon, effectively ending her participation in the call.
“Captain, as commandant of the JOS, I can’t abide by your decision. If Aurelia Garmenti sets foot on the JOS, she will be arrested and tried for murder.”
“Aurelia Garmenti has no intention of visiting your foully governed station, Commandant, while you sit in that office, but I hope to remedy that one day, one day soon. And, while we’re threatening each other, be advised that if you send your people to collect Aurelia, I intend to deny them entry to the Belle, and I don’t care what orders they carry from you.”
Harbour’s comm unit indicated that Emerson had dropped off the call without replying, but Captain Stamerson remained online.
“For my part, Captain,” Stamerson said, “I look forward to reading the documents that you’ve sent, and, may I say, well done, Captain, absolutely well done.”
Harbour could hear the retired spacer captain chuckling, as he closed his end of the call.
* * *
Aurelia visited Harbour in her quarters after dinner.
“I take it nothing’s changed, Captain, regarding my freedom,” Aurelia said.
“I’m sorry to say that it hasn’t, Aurelia,” Harbour replied. “On this ship, I can defend your freedom, but my announcement today was only the opening in a long fight to correct what’s been done to our society. I’m afraid if you left this ship, you’d become a pawn in the struggle, and pawns are often sacrificed for the gains of those in power.”
Aurelia was crestfallen, and Harbour sensed her descending darkness.
“But you’re aware that Captain Cinders and I have decided to continue our agreement.”
“Aye, Captain.”
“Then there’s nothing to stop you from joining up with one of Captain Cinder’s ships when they leave the JOS for Emperion, but it will be incumbent on your part to rejoin the Belle before they make either station again. Understood?”
“Aye, Captain,” Aurelia said, her smile and pleasure beaming at Harbour.
— The Pyreans will return in Messinants in mid-2018. —
— BUT FIRST —
— Watch for the return of Alex and company in Vinium in early 2018. —
Glossary
Colony Ship
Arlene – Artisan leader
Beatrice “Birdie” Andrews – Comm operator on the Belle
Bryan Forshaw – Propulsion engineer on the Belle
Celia O’Riley – Former name of the current Harbour
Danny Thompson – Pilot on the Belle
Dingles – Nickname for Mitch Bassiter, first mate on the Belle
Harbour – Protector of the empaths, captain of the Belle, originally known as Celia O’Riley
Herbert McKinley – Medical spacer aboard the Belle
Lindsey Jabrook – Previous Harbour
Makana – Artisan who decorated Harbour’s skins
Nadine – Eldest active empath
Pete Jennings – Engineer and ex-spacer
Stacey Young – Medical spacer aboard the Belle
Yardley – Blind artisan, who works in metalcraft
Yasmin – Harbour’s closest friend, empath
Downsiders
Andrei Andropov – Founder of the Andropov dynasty
Aurelia – Eldest daughter of Helena, also known as Rules
Dimitri Belosov – Son of Liana Belosov and the governor’s nephew
Gerald – Tech at El landing pad
Giorgio Sestos – Governor’s head of security
Helena Garmenti – Kidnapped by the governor, mother of Aurelia and Sasha
Idrian Tuttle – Dome family head
Liana Belosov – Sister of Markos Andropov
Lise Panoy – Dome family head, later governor of domes
Markos Andropov – Governor of Pyre’s domes
Rufus Stewart – Dome family head
Sasha – Younger daughter of Helena, Aurelia’s sister
Spacers
Angelina “Angie” Mendoza – First mate on the Pearl
Belinda Kilmer – Third mate on the Pearl, later second mate on the Marianne
Buttons – Crew member aboard the Spryte
Claudia Manning – Spryte’s shuttle pilot
Corbin Rose – Captain of the Marianne, bequeathed his ship to Cinders
Darrin “Nose” Fitzgibbon – First mate on the Marianne
Hamoi – Assay tech on the Marianne
Ituau Tulafono – First mate aboard the Spryte
Jeremy Kinsman – Navigator aboard the Spryte
Jessie Cinders – Owner of a mining company and captain of the Spryte
Kasey – Tech aboard the Spryte
Leonard Hastings – Captain of the Pearl
Mitch Bassiter – Known as Dingles, first mate on the Belle
Nate Mikado – Second mate aboard the Spryte
Orson – Shelter tech on the Marianne
Oscar – Assay engineer on the Marianne
Schaefer – Second mate on the Marianne, then traded to the Pearl
Sima Madigan – Mining captain on the Dauntless
Tobias Samuels – Lead excavation engineer on the Marianne
Tully – Survey engineer on the Marianne
Yohlin Erring – Captain of the Marianne
Stationers or Topsiders
Bondi – Member of the Review Board
Bowden – Officer in station security
Cecilia Lindstrom – Corporal in station security, later promoted to sergeant
Devon Higgins – Lieutenant in station security
Emerson Strattleford – Commandant of the JOS
Evan Pendleton – YIPS manager
Gabriel – Latched On store owner
Henry Stamerson – Head of the Review Board, retired mining captain
JD – El car freight crewman
Liam Finian – Major in station security
Maggie – Hostess of the Miners’ Pit, ex-spacer
Miguel Rodriguez – Sergeant in station security
Nunez – Officer in station security
Pena – Young girl who Toby likes
Penelope – Terminal arm 2 manager
Phillip Borden – Groundskeeper employed by downsiders
Rules – Sasha’s nickname for Aurelia
Sam – Terminal arm 4 manager
Stephen Jenkels – Engineer and architect of the orbital station, the JOS
Terrell “Terror” McKenzie – Corporal in station security, and Giorgio Sestos’ asset
/> Toby – Boy in wheelchair awaiting BRC surgery
Vac Suits
Frances – Jeremy’s suit name
Jessie – Aurelia’s suit name
Spryte – Jessie’s suit name
Objects, Terms, and Cantinas
Bender – Slang for empath
BNNT – Tiny, nanotubes made of carbon, boron, and nitrogen, interspersed with hydrogen for insulation
BRC – Bone replacement copy, pronounced “brick”
Caf drink – A mix of artificially grown coffee and cocoa with a mild stimulant
Cap – Transportation capsule
C-chip ring – Coin carrying/transfer system housed on a ring
Coin – Reference to electronic currency
Coin-kat or coin-kitty – Male or female sex service provider
Comm-dot – Communications ear-wig that relays to a comm unit or trans-stick
DAD – DNA analysis device
DBs – Refers to the people who live in the domes
Deck shoes – Shoes with patterned bottoms, which allow people’s feet to adhere to decks
Downside – Refers to the domes on Pyre
E-cart – Electric cargo transport
El – Elevator car linked between the orbital station and Pyre’s domes
Empath – Person capable of sensing and manipulating the emotional states of others
E-trans – Electric passenger transport
Green – Replenishing drink for the empaths
Latched On – Spacer supply house
Mag-boots – Boots that hold vac suited spacers to ship decks
Miners’ Pit – Cantina owned by Jessie Cinders
Mist mask – Makeup mask
Mist wipe – Removes makeup
Normals – Individuals who have no empath capability
Ped-path – Walking and electric vehicle transport surface in the domes
Pull – Empaths term for reading the emotions of another
Push – Empath term for affecting the emotions of another
Review Board – Judicial body aboard the JOS
Rose’s Reward – Used in the negative to mean an unsuccessful trip
Sensitives – Preferred alternate name for empaths
Shock stick – Weapon carried by JOS security personnel
Skins – Preferred clothing of stationers and spacers
Sleepholds – Places for people to temporarily bunk
Slip boots – Used to protect the feet inside mag-boots
Starlight – Expensive JOS cantina
Stationers – People who live on the Jenkels Orbital Station
Trans-stick – Pyrean fashion, which function as a transmitter
Vac suit – Spacer’s vacuum work suit
Stars, Planets, and Moons
Crimsa – Star of the planet Pyre
Emperion – Pyre’s second moon
Minist – Pyre’s first and smallest moon
Pyre – New home world of Sol-NAC colonists
Triton – Pyre’s third and largest moon
Ships and Stations
Dauntless – Mining ship, Sima Madigan captain
Honora Belle – Colony ship, also known as the Belle
Jenkels Orbital Station – Station above Pyre and anchors the El car to downside, nicknamed the JOS, pronounced “joss.”
Marianne – Captain Jessie Cinders’ first ship, referred to as the Annie, willed to him by Corbin Rose
Spryte – Captain Jessie Cinders’ third ship
Unruly Pearl – Captain Jessie Cinders’ second ship, referred to as the Pearl, willed to him by Corbin Rose
Yellen-Inglehart Processing Station – Mineral and gas processing platform called the YIPS, pronounced “yips.”
My Books
Empath, the first novel in this new series, the Pyreans, is available in e-book and softcover editions. Please visit my website, http://scottjucha.com, for publication locations. You may register at my website to receive e-mail updates on the progress of my upcoming novels.
Pyrean Series
Empaths
Messinants (coming 2018)
The Silver Ships Series
The Silver Ships
Libre
Méridien
Haraken
Sol
Espero
Allora
Celus-5
Omnia
Vinium (coming 2018)
The Author
I’ve been enamored with fiction novels since the age of thirteen and long been a fan of great storytellers. I’ve lived in several countries overseas and in many of the US states, including Illinois, where I met my wonderful wife more than three decades ago. My careers have spanned a variety of industries in the visual and scientific fields of photography, biology, film/video, software, and information technology (IT).
My first attempt at a novel was titled The Lure and was a crime drama centered on the modern-day surfacing of a 110-carat yellow diamond lost during the French Revolution. In 1980, in preparation for the book, I spent two wonderful weeks researching the Brazilian people, their language, and the religious customs of Candomblé. The day I returned from Rio de Janeiro, I had my first date with my wife-to-be, Peggy Giels.
In the past, I’ve outlined dozens of novels, but a busy career limited my efforts to complete any of them. In early 2014, I chose to devote my efforts to writing full-time. My first novel, The Silver Ships, was released in February 2015. The series, with the release of Omnia, now numbers nine.
The new series, Pyreans, relates the tale of a third Earth colony ship and gives readers an opportunity to follow new characters, who struggle to overcome the obstacles of a world tortured by geologic upheaval. Humans are divided into camps — downsiders, stationers, spacers, and the Belle’s inhabitants, which consist of empaths and the discarded.
My deep appreciation goes out to the many readers who embraced the Silver Ships series and its characters. I hope you’ve enjoyed the start of the new series!
