INVERSION
RIVEN WORLDS BOOK TWO
(AMARANTHE ♦ 15)
G. S. JENNSEN
2020
INVERSION
Copyright © 2020 by G. S. Jennsen
Cover design by by Susan Gerardi (Susan Digital Designs) and G. S. Jennsen.
Cover typography by G. S. Jennsen
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Inversion / G. S. Jennsen.—1st ed.
LCCN 2020911180
978-1-7323977-9-8
AMARANTHE UNIVERSE
* * *
AURORA RHAPSODY
Aurora Rising
STARSHINE
VERTIGO
TRANSCENDENCE
Aurora Renegades
SIDESPACE
DISSONANCE
ABYSM
Aurora Resonant
RELATIVITY
RUBICON
REQUIEM
ASTERION NOIR
EXIN EX MACHINA
OF A DARKER VOID
THE STARS LIKE GODS
RIVEN WORLDS
CONTINUUM
INVERSION
ECHO RIFT
SHORT STORIES
Restless Vol. I • Restless Vol. II • Apogee • Solatium
Venatoris • Re/Genesis • Meridian • Fractals • Chrysalis
Learn more at gsjennsen.com/books or visit the Amaranthe Wiki
For everyone who’s longed for a second chance at life
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
* * *
HUMANS
Alexis ‘Alex’ Solovy Marano
Space scout and explorer. Prevo.
Spouse of Caleb Marano, daughter of Miriam and David Solovy.
Caleb Marano
Former intelligence agent; space scout and explorer.
Spouse of Alex Solovy.
Miriam Solovy (Commandant)
Leader, Concord Armed Forces. David Solovy
Professor, Concord SWTC.
Marlee Marano
Consulate Assistant. Malcolm Jenner (Admiral)
AEGIS Fleet Admiral.
Mia Requelme (Senator)
Head of Concord Consulate. Richard Navick
Concord Intelligence Director.
* * *
ASTERIONS
Nika Kirumase
External Relations Advisor, Asterion Dominion Advisor Committee. Former NOIR leader.
Dashiel Ridani
Industry Advisor, Asterion Dominion Advisor Committee.
Joaquim Lacese
Former NOIR Operations Director. Selene Panetier
Justice Advisor.
Grant Mesahle
Dominion Armed Forces Consultant. Lance Palmer
Military Advisor.
Parc Eshett
Omoikane Consultant. Perrin Benvenit
Omoikane Personnel Director.
* * *
OTHER MAJOR CHARACTERS
Eren Savitas asi-Idoni
CINT agent.
Species: Anaden
Mnemosyne (‘Mesme’)
Idryma Member. Former 1st Analystae of Aurora.
Species: Katasketousya
Abigail Canivon
Regenesis expert.
Species: Human Kuisk Jhountar
General, Savrakath military.
Species: Savrakath
Akeso
Sentient planet.
Species: Ekos Morgan Lekkas
Former IDCC Commander.
Species: Human
Casmir elasson-Machim
Leader, Anaden military.
Species: Anaden Nolan Bastian
AEGIS Field Marshal.
Species: Human
Danilo Nisi/Corradeo Praesidis
Former leader of anarch resistance.
Species: Anaden Nyx elasson-Praesidis
Former Inquisitor.
Species: Anaden
Devon Reynolds
Director, Concord Special Projects.
Species: Human Ryan Theroit
Former NOIR member.
Species: Asterion
Drae Shonen ela-Machim
CINT agent.
Species: Anaden Thomas
Concord Command Artificial.
Species: Artificial
Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern
Anaden Senator, Concord Senate.
Species: Anaden Torval elasson-Machim
Machim military commander.
Species: Anaden
Kennedy Rossi
CEO, Connova Interstellar.
Species: Human Valkyrie
Alex's Prevo counterpart.
Species: Artificial
Kiernan Phillips
Lieutenant, DAF Pilot.
Species: Asterion Xyche'ghael
Namino merchant.
Species: Taiyok
* * *
MINOR CHARACTERS
Adam Goodwin, AEGIS Flight Lieutenant (Human)
Adlai Weiss, Justice Advisor (Asterion)
Akhar Ghorek, Brigadier, Savrakath military (Savrakath)
Ava Zobel, former NOIR member (Asterion)
Carl Odaka, Colonel, AEGIS Special Forces (Human)
Cosime Rhomyhn, former CINT agent (deceased) (Naraida)
Emilio Rogers, Colonel, Dominion Armed Forces (Asterion)
Felzeor, CINT agent (Volucri)
Hannah elasson-Machim, Machim military commander (Anaden)
Ilgur Darhk, Savrakath Ambassador (Savrakath)
Isabela Marano, biochemistry professor, Caleb's sister (Human)
Janice ela-Kyvern , CINT Shift Supervisor (Anaden)
Katherine Colson, Administration Advisor (Asterion)
Klas Johansson, DAF Brigadier (Asterion)
Maris Debray, Culture Advisor (Asterion)
Meno, Mia Requelme's Prevo counterpart (Artificial)
Noah Terrage, COO, Connova Interstellar (Human)
Onai Veshnael, Dean, Novoloume Senator (Novoloume)
Otto elasson-Machim, Machim military commander (Anaden)
Phael Thisiame, Pointe-Amiral, Novoloume military (Novoloume)
Pinchutsenahn Niikha Qhiyane Kteh (“Pinchu”), Tokahe Naataan (Khokteh)
Taiv ela-Kyvern, CINT informant (Anaden)
Vaihe, refugee (Godjan)
Vance Greshe, Ridani Enterprises Manufacturing Director (Asterion)
William ‘Will’ Sutton, CINT Operations Director (Human)
CONCORD
* * *
MEMBER SPECIES
Human
Representative: Mia Requelme
Anaden
Representative: Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern
Novoloume
Naraida
Representative: Tasme Chareis
Khokteh
Representative: Pinchutsenahn Niikha Qhiyane Kteh
Barisan
Representative: Daayn Shahs-lan
Dankath
Representative: Bohlke’ban
Efkam
Representative: Ahhk~sae
* * *
ALLIED SPECIES
Asterion Taenarin
Katasketousya Volucri
Fylliot Yinhe
Ruda
* * *
PROTECTED SPECIES
Ekos Icksel
Faneros Pachrem
Galenai Vrachnas
Delve into the characters, maps and more at the Amaranthe Wiki.
THE STORY SO FAR
* * *
For a brief summary of the events of AMARANTHE #1-13, see the Appendix in the back of the book.
CONTINUUM
Fourteen years have passed since the events of REQUIEM.
Nika Kirumase joins Alex and Caleb for dinner at their home on Akeso. They share the story of how humanity ended up in Amaranthe and fill her in on Concord, the multi-species government that has taken the place of the deposed Anaden Directorate.
Marlee Marano, Caleb’s niece, is on the planet Savrak as part of her work for the Concord Consulate. The Savrakaths are a lizard-evolved species that originated in the Mosaic. Marlee discovers they are enslaving and mistreating the Godjans, a species they share Savrak with. While helping a Godjan girl, Vaihe, escape imminent torture, Marlee is arrested by local authorities. David Solovy and Caleb both arrive to come to her aid, and they are able to secure her release.
Elsewhere on Savrak, Eren asi-Idoni and his team (Cosime, Felzeor, Drae) surveil a Savrakath lab on behalf of Concord Intelligence (CINT). The team infiltrates the lab and acquires evidence the Savrakaths are secretly developing antimatter weapons.
Miriam Solovy, Concord’s military leader, receives a visit from Lakhes. The Kat conveys its opinion of the Asterions and a warning regarding the Rasu. Lakhes then returns home, where it confronts Mesme about the secrets it has been keeping regarding the Asterions.
Alex takes Nika to Concord HQ to meet humanity’s power players in Concord: her mother and father, Malcolm Jenner, Mia Requelme and Richard Navick. Nika fills them in on the Asterion’s experiences with the Rasu (see the summary of Asterion Noir in the Appendix).
Nika returns home to Mirai, and Dashiel Ridani introduces her to the Omoikane Initiative, a massive project spearheaded by the other Advisors to accelerate technology, warfare and logistical plans to combat the Rasu. She learns about the Vault, a project to store the psyche backups of all Asterions in a fortified spaceship, where they can be spirited away in the event of a Rasu invasion.
On Machimis, Casmir elasson-Machim struggles to exert authority over the other Machim elassons. Torval elasson-Machim learns about the Savrakaths’ antimatter development and, believing Concord is not doing enough to address it, decides to take matters into his own hands.
Alex, Caleb and Valkyrie travel to NGC 55, believed to be the closest Rasu-controlled galaxy to Concord space. They discover millions of Rasu vessels and platforms in thousands of star systems throughout the galaxy, as well as a Rasu artificial ring orbiting the galactic core.
Nika, Dashiel and Lance Palmer attend a formal meeting with Concord leaders to review what they know about the Rasu’s reach, their intentions, and ways to counter them. Conventional weapons have proved ineffective, and they discuss the use of negative energy, nuclear and antimatter weapons, as well as even more exotic weaponry. Nika fills the others in on the Rasu’s unique consciousness and their paranoid, controlling nature.
Miriam promises the Asterions military and scientific cooperation, information sharing and a steady supply of Reor/kyoseil, but stops short of providing them with adiamene. Alex asks Kennedy to secretly give the formula for adiamene to the Asterions. Kennedy and Noah decide if they can do so in such a way that protects their family, they will.
Vaihe unexpectedly contacts Marlee. She’s escaped capture but is alone in the Savrak wilderness. Marlee hacks a Caeles Prism to open at Vaihe’s location and gets her off Savrak. She takes Vaihe to meet Mia, and the Godjan relays the full extent of the Savrakaths’ mistreatment of her people. Marlee demands Mia do something to help the Godjans.
On Mirai, Adlai Weiss discovers his personal account has been hacked and his bank accounts emptied. When he goes home, he is attacked and knocked unconscious. He wakes up in an unknown location, strung up in a rack and being held captive by a strange man.
Perrin is determined to find Adlai. She breaks into the Justice server to find out what Justice knows about Adlai’s kidnapping. She and Parc Eshett review the data and discover Justice has a suspect named Ian Sevulch, but he has an alibi. Parc reveals that some Asterions have begun transforming themselves into “Plexes,” where a single consciousness occupies multiple physical bodies simultaneously. He believes Sevulch could be a Plex, and they decide to surveil the man.
Perrin tails Sevulch to an abandoned shop, where she discovers Adlai tied up in the basement. She shoots Sevulch in the head and rescues Adlai. She then keeps vigil at Adlai’s side while he recovers from his torture. Parc stops by, and Perrin reveals she’s figured out that he’s a Plex. He asks her to keep his secret, and she agrees.
Nika takes Maris Debray to visit their original homeworld, Asterion Prime, in the Milky Way. Maris tells Nika about the early days of the SAI Rebellion and about Nika’s family, including her brother, Loshi, who was killed during the rebellion.
Eren’s team receives authorization to destroy the Savrakath antimatter lab. However, while they’re placing explosives around the lab, Torval arrives in his Imperium and blasts the facility, killing Drae and Cosime.
Eren takes Cosime’s body to Alex and Caleb on Akeso and demands that they bring her back to life, much as Akeso did for Caleb fourteen years earlier. Caleb tries to explain how it’s beyond Akeso’s ability to renew life in someone the planet hasn’t previously bonded with. When a hysterical Eren insists, Caleb tries to open a connection to Cosime, only to be overwhelmed by darkness and death. Eren realizes Cosime is truly gone; he asks Alex and Caleb to take care of her for him and flees.
Miriam arrests Torval for disobeying orders and the murder of Concord personnel, then tells Casmir to bring the other Machim elassons in line. Miriam and Mia deliver an ultimatum to the Savrakaths, terminating their negotiations for a Concord alliance, demanding they cease all antimatter production and offering asylum to all Godjans.
Alex and Caleb attend Cosime’s funeral. Eren is absent, and no one knows where he’s gone. Caleb decides to try to find Eren and enlists Felzeor’s help to do so. Meanwhile, Eren travels to an underworld Anaden planet, Lethe, to acquire a dangerous black-market hypnol that will suppress his emotions and increase his reflexes. He takes the first dose, then begins planning his revenge for Cosime’s death.
In a skirmish between Savrakath ships and Casmir’s fleet, the Savrakaths deploy antimatter weapons to decimate the Machim ships. In response, Miriam issues a “red-flag” order, terminating all Concord relations with the Savrakaths and forbidding them from entering Concord territory.
Dashiel receives files from an anonymous source containing the details for adiamene production, and he begins making plans for its manufacture.
The Concord Senate approves a formal alliance with the Asterion Dominion, over the vehement objections of the Anaden senator, Ferdinand elasson-Kyvern.
During the Asterion’s battle against the Rasu in the Gennisi galaxy, an Asterion pilot, Kiernan Phillips, and a Taiyok, Toshke’phien, were pulled into a Rasu wormhole and spit out to crash land on an unknown planet. The planet is being subjected to a quantum b
lock, meaning they can’t call home for rescue. They’ve survived until now by staying out of sight of Rasu currently roving the planet, which appears to have been home to a primitive species until recently. The Rasu discover the wreck of Kiernan’s ship, however, and take it apart for information.
Despondent over what the Rasu might learn, Kiernan and Toshke return to Toshke’s ship ahead of the Rasu and burn it. They then seek refuge in the woods for the night; the next morning they spot a non-Rasu ship overhead, and race to meet up with it.
In a distant galaxy, Danilo Nisi/Corradeo Praesidis and his granddaughter, Nyx elasson-Praesidis, visit an advanced alien species Danilo previously encountered, the Ourankeli. On arriving, they find the Ourankeli’s habitats destroyed, including a solar halo ring, and the Ourankeli massacred. Next, they travel to the home system of the Hoan, the primitive species that sheltered Danilo after his son tried to murder him. They discover Rasu ships in orbit and a quantum block surrounding the planet. They descend to the surface, where they find villages of Hoan massacred. Danilo is lamenting their fate when Kiernan and Toshke rush out of the woods to meet them. After a tense encounter, Kiernan insists that they all leave immediately, before the Rasu discover them, and Danilo agrees.
Malcolm leads a special forces squad on a stealth raid of the Godjan prison on Savrak. They are able to rescue the imprisoned Godjans, but as the last of the captives are freed, Savrakath forces attack. Malcolm is caught in an explosion and loses consciousness.