The insectoids had taken the second explorers’ intrusion as a sign of things to come. They’d exploded off their planet to occupy as many domes as they were prepared to defend.
“You realize,” Jessie murmured, as Harbour lay across his chest, “that by the time we organize a response, the Colony will probably have occupied more domes.”
“We can expect them to have improved armament and traps,” Harbour added. “They’ll probably have started more construction projects to conquer the planets. That would give them stronger footholds in those systems.”
“I’m not sure those will be our greatest challenges,” Jessie replied.
“Why not?” Harbour asked, snuggling closer.
“We made one exploration, and the Colony expanded their footprint, constructed weapons, and built traps in response,” Jessie explained. “If we think they’ve done more of the same after our second intrusion, we’re deluding ourselves.”
Harbour sat up. Jessie’s emotions, generated by the sight of her naked torso, inundated Harbour, and she reveled in them.
“What do you think they’ll be doing?” Harbour asked.
“Hmm,” Jessie murmured.
Harbour laughed, tapped his chest, and said, “Focus! What might they do?”
“That’s where we have to use our imagination,” Jessie managed to reply. “The Colony members will certainly be using theirs.”
“Well, all isn’t bad news,” Harbour said.
“No?” Jessie inquired. “I’d love some good news.”
“I’m pregnant,” Harbour replied, and Jessie grinned.
— Pyre’s descendants join the Omnians
in Alliance, a Silver Ships novel —
Glossary
Colony Ship (Honora Belle)
Beatrice “Birdie” Andrews – Comm operator on the Belle
Bryan Forshaw – Propulsion engineer on the Belle, Assembly delegate
Claudia Manning – Shuttle copilot, partner of Danny Thompson
Danny Thompson – Pilot of the Belle, copilot of its shuttle, partner of Claudia Manning
Dingles – Nickname for Mitch Bassiter, captain of the Belle, partner of Nadine
Harbour – Envoy to the Jatouche, empath, Assembly delegate
Helena Garmenti – Mother of Aurelia and Sasha
Lindsey Jabrook – Previous Harbour, empath, Assembly delegate
Makana – Artisan who decorates skins
Mitch “Dingles” Bassiter – Captain of the Belle, partner of Nadine
Nadine – Older empath, partner of Dingles
Pete Jennings – Engineer, ex-spacer, Assembly delegate
Sasha Garmenti – Younger daughter of Helena, Aurelia’s sister, empath, Imian’s friend
Crocian (crow-she-un) – Alien race
Dorgatha – Final lifecycle of the Crocians
Gartora of the Borthar – Norloth member
Hangor of the Logar – Clutch mate to Mangoth
Mangoth of the Logar – Clutch mate to Hangor
Mortara of the Gortha. – Norloth member
Norloth – Supreme Crocian body
Pantar of the Hagetha – Senior member of the Norloth
Downsiders (domes)
Caitie Gunderson – Leader of underground agri-dome group, wife of Noel
Delmond – Leader of underground dome maintenance group
Dorelyn Gaylan – Matriarch of Gaylan clan, council leader
Eaton – Dorelyn’s security chief
Gerry Grayson – Recycler foreman, second-in-command to Valeria, Assembly delegate
Idrian Tuttle – Dome family head
Imian Tuttle – Idrian Tuttle’s injured son, repaired, Sasha’s friend
Lise Panoy – Governor of Pyre’s domes
Luna – Alias of Sika
Markos Andropov – Former governor of Pyre’s domes, in jail
Rufus Stewart – Dome family head
Sika – Dorelyn’s hired assassin, alias Luna
Thomas – Department head responsible for the domes’ electric vehicle programming
Valeria – Leader of underground recycler group, alias Scarlet
Jatouche (jaw-toosh) – Alien race
Drigtik (drig-tick) – Chief engineer
Jaktook (jack-took) – Master advisor to Tacticnok
Kractik (crack-tick) – Dome console operator
Pickcit (pick-sit) – Master economist
Rictook – Former Jatouche ruler, His Excellency, father of Tacticnok
Ristick – Emergency medical director
Roknick – Master strategist
Tacticnok (tack-tick-nock) – New Jatouche ruler, Her Excellency, daughter of Rictook
Tiknock – Master scientist, representative to the Tsargit
Loopah – Simian race, possesses needle-launcher weapons
Eggess – Elderly scientist
Semgess – Security head
Other Aliens
Colony – Insectoid entities, identified as reds and grays, spreading through non-alliance domes
Gasnarians – Original race on Pyre, extinct
Latormus – Leather-skinned, tall alien engineer at work on Triton dome
Messinants – Ancient race that genetically tinkered with species and built the Q-gate domes
Norsitch – Alien race with dome connecting to the Colony, Norsitchians
Tsargit (tzar-git) – Alliance governing body
Spacers
Aurelia Garmenti – Older daughter of Helena, Sasha’s sister, partner of Devon
Dillon Shaver – Brother to Tracy, explorer, killed by the Colony in previous journey
Ituau Tulafono – Captain of the Spryte, Afato’s older sister
Jessie Cinders – Owner of a mining company, the Miner’s Pit, the Unruly Pearl, the Annie, and the Spryte; Harbour’s advisor and partner
Tracy Shaver – Sister to Dillon, explorer
Stationers or Topsiders (the JOS and the YIPS)
Afato Tulafono – Security sergeant, Ituau’s younger brother
Brody – Ex-spacer
Cecilia Lindstrom – Lieutenant in station security, promoted to major
Devon Higgins – Ex-security lieutenant, explorer, partner of Aurelia
Dottie Franks – Investor, Assembly delegate
Emerson Strattleford – Ex-commandant of the JOS, murdered by Sika
Everett – Ex-spacer, guide to Gerry Grayson
Henry Stamerson – Head of the Review Board, retired mining captain, presidential candidate
Janice – Assembly delegate
Kevin Sorenson – Security guard in third shift
Liam Finian – Commandant in station security
Lori – Security corporal, assists Cecilia
Maggie May – Hostess and manager of the Miner’s Pit, ex-spacer
Miguel Rodriguez – Lieutenant in station security, promoted to major
Olivia Harden – YIPS engineer
Randall “RJ” Jordan – Review Board member working with the downsiders
Roby – Murder victim, killed by Sika
Rosa – Ex-spacer, guide to Noel Gunderson
Sylians – Cat-like race
Shevena (sha-vena) – Dome administrator
Solseena (soul-seena) – Tsargit committee administrator
Tsargit – Alliance Governing Body
Fessen – Hyronzy Station director
Illiamus – Senior councilor
Ulgart – Council head
Veklocks – Alien race, with dome connecting to the Colony
Opalus – Female of triumvirate, xeno-sociologist
Patrus – Male of triumvirate, leader, administrator
Pesart – Male of triumvirate, scientist
Triumvirate – Mating of two males and a female
Objects, Terms, and Cantinas
&nbs
p; Agri-dome – Dome dedicated exclusively to agriculture
Alliance – Group of races to which the Jatouche belong
BRC – Bone replacement copy, pronounced “brick”
Caf – Drink of artificially grown coffee and cocoa with a mild stimulant
Cap – Transportation capsule
Coin – Reference to electronic currency
Coin-kat or coin-kitty – Male or female sex service provider
DAD – DNA analysis device
Deck shoes – Shoes with patterned bottoms, which allow people’s feet to adhere to decks
Downside – Refers to the domes on Pyre
Dreeson oil – External medical ointment but toxic if taken internally, killed Emerson Strattleford
E-cart – Electric cargo transport
E-trans – Electric passenger 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
Green – Replenishing drink of herbs and vegetables for empaths
Hook on – Expression that means pay attention now, response is “Aye, latched on.”
Miner’s Pit – Cantina owned by Jessie Cinders
Mist mask – Makeup mask
Normals – Individuals who have no empath capability
Ped-path – Walking and electric vehicle transport surface in the domes
Q-gate – Quantum-coupled gates of the Messinants
Review Board – Judicial body aboard the JOS
Skins – Preferred clothing of stationers and spacers
Slush – Generic term for frozen gases
Starlight – Expensive JOS cantina
Stationers – People who live on the Jenkels Orbital Station, called the JOS
Stun stick – Weapon used by security personnel
Vac suit – Spacer’s vacuum work suit
Stars, Planets, and Moons
Crimsa – Star of the planet Pyre
Crocia – Crocian home world
Dantagar – Crocian moon
Emperion – Pyre’s second moon
Loomas – Loopah moon
Minist – Pyre’s first and smallest moon
Na-Tikkook – Jatouche home world
Pyre – Home world of human colonists
Rissness – Jatouche moon, Messinants dome located here
Triton – Pyre’s third, outermost moon
Ships and Stations
Annie – Third ship of Captain Jessie Cinders, officially the Marianne
Hyronzy Station – Home to the Tsargit, the alliance’s governing body
Honora Belle – Pyrean colony ship, also known as the Belle
Jenkels Orbital Station – Station above Pyre, called the JOS, pronounced “joss.” Anchors the El car to downside.
Rissness Medical Station – Jatouche hospital, aka Rissness Station
Spryte – First ship of Captain Jessie Cinders
Triton Medical Station – Jatouche-run station off Pyre’s third moon
Unruly Pearl – Second ship of Captain Jessie Cinders, referred to as the Pearl
Yellen-Inglehart Processing Station – Pyrean mineral and gas-processing platform, called the YIPS, pronounced “yips.”
My Books
Veklocks, the fourth novel in the Pyrean series, is available in e-book, softcover, and audiobook versions. Please visit my website, http://scottjucha.com, for publication locations and dates. You may register at my website to receive email notifications of my soon-to-be-released novels.
Pyreans Series
Empaths
Messinants
Jatouche
Veklocks
The Silver Ships Series
The Silver Ships
Libre
Méridien
Haraken
Sol
Espero
Allora
Celus-5
Omnia
Vinium
Nua’ll
Artifice
Sojourn
Alliance (forthcoming)
The Author
From my early years to the present, books have been a refuge. They’ve fueled my imagination. I’ve traveled to faraway places and met aliens with Asimov, Heinlein, Clarke, Herbert, and Le Guin. I’ve explored historical events with Michener and Clavell, and I played spy with Ludlum and Fleming.
There’s no doubt that the early sci-fi masters influenced the writing of my first two series, The Silver Ships and Pyreans. I crafted my stories to give readers intimate views of my characters, who wrestle with the challenges of living in space and inhabiting alien worlds.
Life is rarely easy for these characters, who encounter aliens and calamities, but they persist and flourish. I revel in examining humankind’s will to survive. Not everyone plays fair or exhibits concern for other beings, but that’s another aspect of humans and aliens that I investigate.
My stories offer hope for humans today about what they might accomplish tomorrow far from our home world. Throughout my books, humans exhibit a will to persevere, without detriment to the vast majority of others.
Readers have been generous with their comments, which they’ve left on Amazon and Goodreads for others to review. I truly enjoy what I do, and I’m pleased to read how my stories have positively affected many readers’ lives.
If you’ve read my books, please consider posting a review on Amazon and Goodreads for every book, even a short one. Reviews attract other readers and are a great help to indie authors, such as me.
The Silver Ships novels have reached Amazon’s coveted #1 and #2 Best-Selling Sci-Fi book, multiple times, in the science fiction categories of first contact, space exploration, alien invasion, and space opera.