The First Covenant (Dark Universe Series Book 2) Read online

  THE FIRST COVENANT

  Dark Universe Series

  ALEX SHEPPARD

  Contents

  Introduction to Dark Universe

  Glossary (who’s who and what’s what)

  Somenvaar

  1

  2

  3

  4

  5

  6

  7

  8

  9

  10

  11

  12

  13

  14

  15

  16

  17

  18

  19

  20

  21

  22

  23

  24

  What’s next?

  YOU can help spread the word

  An Excerpt from The Final Resistance

  About the Author

  My girls—brawn and brains, and everything else.

  Text copyright © 2017 Alex Sheppard

  Cover Design and art by Gergő Pocsai

  All rights reserved.

  All characters and elements in this book are trademarks of the author.

  No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or in part, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without written permission of the author.

  Introduction to Dark Universe

  PICKING up the second or third book in a series always gets me debating—should I re-read the previous book(s) or should I jump into the new one and try to recall things as I go? While writing this book, I’ve wondered how to best relieve my readers of a similar dilemma.

  After much thought, I settled on a super short re-cap. There’s also a glossary—a detailed compilation of people, places, and other terms present in The Last Stryker—to refer to as needed.

  IF YOU REMEMBER most events in The Last Stryker, simply skip to the first chapter: Somenvaar.

  FOR EVERYONE ELSE, The Story So Far . . .

  TEN YEARS HAVE PASSED since the Locusta-Vanga War. The invasion by the deadly Locustans had pushed the galaxy to the brink of extinction. It took a lot of valor and sacrifice to drive the Locustans away and finally the galaxy has settled back into a peaceful cadence.

  The Endeavor, a battleship-turned-freighter commanded by Terenze Milos, the hero of the Locusta-Vanga War and former member of the Confederate Space Fleet stumbles on a debris field in a remote star system. They find a lone surviving space-fighter and the crew hauls it in.

  A few days later, Ramya Kiroff, the seventeen-year-old heir of House Kiroff runs away from her educational institute, the CAWStrat, to avoid being forced into a marriage of convenience by her influential father, Trysten Kiroff.

  While running away from CAWStrat and the clutches of her father, Ramya comes across a mugging in a deserted alleyway of the nearest spaceport. She chases off the thugs beating a man who turns out to be someone from the Endeavor. Hiding her true identity, she offers to work in lieu of a spot on the ship and becomes an apprentice to the ship’s medic, Sosa.

  Ramya discovers the Endeavor’s crew is on its way to meet the leader of the Confederate Space Command to hand over a craft—a space fighter they call a Stryker—salvaged from a debris field. The man Ramya saved is actually the Stryker’s pilot, Habardein.

  Habardein recognizes Ramya as Trysten Kiroff’s daughter. He tells her that the Kiroffs had a factory in Sector 22 where they were secretly building the Strykers. However, something went wrong during the trials and of the five Strykers, four attacked the GSO space fleet protecting the area, destroyed them, and vanished. He chalks this up to a call from the Locustans. He warns of an impending Locustan invasion before falling back into a coma.

  Captain Milos suspects Trysten Kiroff was experimenting with alien technology of the Locustans. He is worried because Locustans had deadly ways of proliferating their genetics, which the Confederacy didn’t quite understand yet tinkered with. He wants to hand the Stryker to Confederate Space Command as soon as possible.

  On their way to meeting with Admiral Kanaa of Space Command at Alameda, a GSO ship intercepts the Endeavor. Lieutenant Gael Arlington of the GSO, who is evidently in the employ of Trysten Kiroff, commands it. Ramya also recognizes Gael as the man she danced with at the last gala at CAWStrat.

  Trysten Kiroff demands Captain Milos hand him the Stryker and not to Admiral Kanaa. When the captain refuses, Lieutenant Arlington tries to board the Endeavor and take the Stryker by force. However, the Endeavor is able to escape.

  Captain Milos rushes to meet the Admiral but in a roundabout way to give Trysten Kiroff the slip. In the meantime, the Stryker that had not allowed anyone inside it so far allows Ramya access after detecting her Kiroff genetics. Inside the craft, Ramya meets Dakrhaeth, the AI of the Stryker, a Locustan entity known as the Virikshi. Dakrhaeth warns her that the four missing Strykers are intent on weakening the galaxy from within while the Locustan forces prepare for the second invasion. He pleads her to not give the Stryker away to Admiral Kanaa and warns that the admiral will not spare the Endeavor or its crew when they try to hand the Stryker to her.

  Captain Milos changes his plan to meet the admiral at Alameda. Instead, he decides to drop the Stryker off at the adjoining star system of Totori and then inform the admiral of its location. However, Admiral Kanaa is already waiting with a powerful fleet when the Endeavor reaches Totori. Captain Milos tries to convince the admiral of the real threat—the impending second invasion by the Locustans.

  Admiral Kanaa ignores the captain’s warning and orders her fleet to attack the Endeavor. The captain orders Ramya to take off in the Stryker and save the Endeavor from the fleet’s attack. Piloting the Stryker, Ramya, with the help of Dakrhaeth and Commander Ross, fights the massive Drednots of the admiral’s fleet and wins.

  However, during the battle, the Stryker is separated from the Endeavor. Ross believes the captain will land the battered Endeavor on a nearby habitable planet; the most viable possibility is a Mwandan sanctuary, Morris II. Ramya steers the Stryker toward Morris II, a planet in the Kashiyap system.

  Glossary (who’s who and what’s what)

  THE CHARACTERS:

  RAMYA KIROFF — Protagonist of the Dark Universe. Seventeen-year-old Ramya has a life anyone in the galaxy would give anything to have. But only Ramya knows, it's far from perfect. Her father, Trysten Kiroff is the richest man in the galaxy and he has impossible expectations of her. All her life she tries to prove her worth to him, but fails. When she’s taken to task for dishonorable conduct at CAWStrat, her father terminates her education. Furthermore, he threatens her with a marriage to benefit his business and the family. With no way to avoid her father’s punishment, Ramya sneaks out of CAWStrat and hitches a ride on the Endeavor.

  CAPTAIN TERENZE MILOS — Veteran of the Confederate Space Fleet, Captain Milos is the legendary hero of the Locusta-Vanga War. His stand against the Locustans during the first Locustan invasion brought the galaxy back from the brink of extinction. He offers Ramya the job of the medic’s assistant when she rescues the Stryker’s pilot on Nikoor. She doesn’t reveal her true identity but it is revealed later that he knew she was Trysten Kiroff’s daughter. Captain Milos also served with Abelei Kiroff, Ramya’s grandfather and Trysten’s father, while in the Space Fleet.

  THE ENDEAVOR — Battlecruiser-turned-freighter commanded by Captain Terenze Milos. Home to our protagonists, the ship is a Class II battleship, from before the Locusta-Vanga War. One of many battered battleships discarded by the Space Fleet after the Locusta-Vanga War, it was salvaged from a junkyard by Captain Milos and
later repaired. The Endeavor is antiquated but has a sound frame and is well maintained. The crew of the Endeavor is fiercely loyal to the ship.

  COMMANDER ROSS PORNELL — Second-in-command of the Endeavor. He is at the helm when the Endeavor comes across the debris field of destroyed GSO spaceships. He changes course and orders the investigation of the beacon for help. Quiet but contentious at times, Ross wants to impress Captain Milos of his competence, more so because of his own newly hired status and the captain’s legendary stature. Ross is snappish to Ramya and suspicious about her from the beginning. However, he saves Ramya when a deadly Pterostrich chick attacks. He also accompanies her in the Stryker during the final showdown with Admiral Kanaa at Totori.

  FENNY — Navigator of the Endeavor. Foul-mouthed and opinionated, Ramya often describes Fenny as a pocket-sized powerhouse. She can navigate a spaceship, wield a cannon, or nurse a Pterostrich chick with equal ease. She befriends Ramya from the moment they meet, becoming more of a confidante to her as time passes.

  WIZ — Pilot of the Endeavor. He is a nervous sort of a person, easily worried over small matters.

  FLUX — Engineer of the Endeavor. He is seldom seen outside his cave, the Endeavor’s engineering bay. Although extremely skillful and smart, Flux is often overextended and has trouble keeping the old ship in top shape.

  SOSA — Norgoran medic of the Endeavor. Sosa is anything but ordinary. Eclectic to stir-crazy, she is fiercely loyal to Captain Milos, whom she has known for decades. She is also the only person on the ship who calls Captain Milos by his first name. Ramya addresses Sosa as Domina, which is a respectful title for a Norgoran of high birth, and what comes naturally to Ramya on seeing Sosa's regal bearing and age. Sosa is also the masterful maker and mixer of potent concoctions, particularly her signature “Pax.”

  HABARDEIN — Original pilot of the last Stryker. He is rescued when the Endeavor’s crew salvages the Stryker from the debris field in Sector 22. He wants to report the incident at Sector 22 to his employer Trysten Kiroff which goes against the directive of the Space Command. When stopped, he sneaks out of the Endeavor and is beaten up by a pair of thugs until Ramya rescues him. His injuries are grievous and he soon slips into a coma. He regains consciousness for a bit and recognizes Ramya as Trysten Kiroff's daughter. He tells Ramya about the Stryker before his condition worsens again.

  THE STRYKER — A space fighter designed by Kiroff Industries in Sector 22. It has imbedded Locustan technology, with a Locustan Virikshi (AI) controlling the major components of the craft. The Stryker is paired with a pilot who is the only person allowed control over the AI. Directives from the Kiroff family can override all other directives in a properly functional Stryker.

  DAKRHAETH — An AI aboard the last Stryker, or as Dakrhaeth likes to call himself, the soul of the ship. Dakrhaeth is smart as he is snarky. A Locustan Virikshi whose craft had crashed into Kyo-Sedra-5 along with its squadron lay buried for years in the frozen planet until Kiroff Industries discovered and resuscitated them. He considers Trysten Kiroff his creator and mistakes Ramya to be her father during the initial genetic scan. He addresses Ramya as “Mihaal” which means creator in Locustan tongue. He allows Ramya access into the Stryker and bonds with her.

  TRYSTEN KIROFF — Ramya’s father and the leader of House Kiroff is an enigma. During his time, House Kiroff has grown into a galactic powerhouse. He’s shrewd, ruthless, and indomitable. Even though the Confederate Senate is the seat of power in the galaxy, it is said, real power is in Trysten Kiroff's hands. To Ramya he’s always dismissive and cold. He holds her to impossibly high standards. Ramya believes that being a female firstborn, she has let down her father since the moment she was born.

  LYNDEN KIROFF — Lynden is the younger brother of Trysten and Ramya’s uncle. He currently holds a seat in the High Council of the Galactic Senate, a position Trysten Kiroff is said to have secured him.

  BRYNDEN KIROFF — Brynden is the youngest brother of Trysten and Ramya’s other uncle. He’s the black sheep of the Kiroff family who left CAWStrat before graduating and vanished. He’s supposed to have left for the Fringe to wrest the Kiroff family hearth from the usurper, Callen Moanu, and bring honor back to the family. However, he’s not been heard of since. Ramya has fond memories of Uncle Bryn and when she leaves CAWStrat, she wants to follow Brynden’s footsteps to the Fringe and complete his quest of regaining the Kiroff hearth.

  ABELEI KIROFF — Ramya’s grandfather and Trysten’s father. Abelei was a member of the Confederate Space Fleet and one of the first to face the Locustans during the first invasion and perish. Ramya’s memory of her grandfather is faded, but she remembers him as courageous and upright. Captain Milos served with Abelei Kiroff during his time in the Space Fleet.

  SONYA KIROFF — Ramya’s mother and Trysten's socialite wife. A famous beauty, she likes spending time with her galaxy-trotting friends more than with her family. To Ramya, Sonya’s presence is like a specter, she’s never really there, even when she's physically next her.

  ARMAND DANUKIS — Ramya’s classmate at CAWStrat, Armand is the scion of House Danukis and a staunch enemy of House Kiroff and Ramya. He insults Ramya's mother after he’s lost a duel to Ramya. This causes Ramya to lose her temper and she punches Armand in the face and draws blood. This is considered dishonorable conduct at the CAWStrat and Ramya is threatened with expulsion from CAWStrat.

  ISTAPOL MARONI — Trainer at CAWStrat who is present at the duel between Armand and Ramya. He is also a veteran of the Confederate Space Fleet.

  CALLEN MOANU — Usurper of the original Kiroff hearth. After losing the hearth to the Moanus, the Kiroffs were branded hearth-less vagrants as was custom during the time when the galaxy was settled. The mark has stayed on the family since, even though they are currently the richest and most powerful house in the galaxy. Over the centuries, many a Kiroff has tried to wrest the family hearth back from the Moanus but none have succeeded.

  LEONA CALIBE — Administrator at the CAWStrat. She’s fond of taking Ramya to task on the smallest of pretexts. Ramya suspects she likes to show her power over Ramya to take shots at Trysten Kiroff who is otherwise unsurmountable. Leona's threat to send Ramya packing for punching an offensive classmate makes Trysten pull Ramya out of CAWStrat.

  ISBET — Ramya’s best friend at CAWStrat. She is one of the younger daughters of a lesser noble family with insignificant standing in the galaxy. Isbet’s network of spies at CAWStrat ensures she’s on top of every breaking news in the galaxy. She also holds her year’s flying record, much to the annoyance of her male counterparts. Isbet has two dreams: join the GSO and marry Rownack, a handsome senior at CAWStrat.

  LIEUTENANT GAEL ARLINGTON/CSA Stevan Helves— Ramya bumps into a mysterious stranger in GSO uniform during her last gala at CAWStrat and dances the last Decosset with him. She lies about her identity and unknown to Ramya at the time, he does the same. Later, she finds out his real name, Gael Arlington. He belongs to one of House Kiroff’s major competitors, House Arlington. Gael serves as a Lieutenant of the GSO and commands a state-of-the-art Cutlass but is allied with Trysten Kiroff. He tries to secure the last Stryker but Captain Milos outmaneuvers him and the Endeavor escapes.

  WULTOPH ARISTIDE — A lesser lord and ally of Trysten Kiroff. Wultoph is a known spokesperson for Trysten.

  ADMIRAL KANAA — Admiral of the Confederate Space Fleet. She wants to destroy the last Stryker and the Endeavor along with it. She has known Captain Milos from his days in the Space Fleet.

  THE PLACES

  SECTOR 22 — A largely uninhabited sector where Kiroff Industries has a secret research center and factory for conducting experiments with Locustan technology. A large GSO fleet stationed in this sector is eviscerated by unknown forces with a lone survivor—the Stryker, a space fight imbedded with Locustan tech. This precipitates the event of the Dark Universe.

  KYO-SEDRA-5 — The fifth planet of the Kyo-Sedra star system where the secret Kiroff factory is located. This is where a squadron of Locus
tan spacecrafts had crashed during the first invasion.

  NIKOOR — Home planet of the Kiroffs and the location of CAWStrat. It is classified a prime planet because CAWStrat is situated on it.

  SOMENVAAR — Home estate of House Kiroff.

  THE FRINGE — A group of quasi-autonomous star systems at the northern outskirts of Confederacy space.

  TOTORI — Star system neighboring the system of Alameda, known for its mineral-rich asteroid belt.

  ALAMEDA — A prime planet and the seat of the GSO. It is also home to the Kiroffs’ staunchest rivals, the Arlingtons.

  NAB — Noxillian Asteroid Belt. It is a mineral-rich belt off the AP at Totori. Captain Milos plans to drop off the Stryker on one of the asteroids during the handover with Admiral Kanaa.

  KASHIYAP — Star system near Totori with one habitable planet, the Mwandan sanctuary Morris II.

  MORRIS II — A planet in the Kashiyap system, a Mwandan sanctuary.

  ANOMALY POINT — Anomaly Point is the gateway to the Locustan world. It is a wormhole that closed at the end of the Locusta-Vanga war. It has stayed closed since, but the worry remains that it could open again someday. Not knowing why it had opened and how to stop it in case it did again, the Confederacy has since erected stationary defenses in the area and positioned several Confederacy fleets around it.