The Oort Perimeter
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| Title: | The Oort Perimeter |
| Cover Artist: | Don Semora |
| Genre: | Military, Sci-Fi |
| Series: | The Earthfleet Saga |
| Publication Date: | August 2009 |
| Media Types: | Ebook |
| ISBN: | 978-1476416465 |
| Followed By: | Destiny's Mission |
The Oort Perimeter is the first in the four part series The Earthfleet Saga and introduces the universe of Earthfleet, and all of the political turmoil that both exists around Sol Space, and across the universe at large.
Back Cover Blurb
Born of a need to protect their homeworld, Earthfleet, the military arm of the Society, struggles continuously to insure the safety of Earth and all who live on it. But a dark force moves within the galaxy, one who wishes to use Earth as a pawn in its quest for power. In a struggle for survival, the Society, Earthfleet and their allies must race against time to uncover the identity of this dark force, before it can destroy Earth, and the nine races. Failure means extinction of the human race.
Summary
The story begins in a Yib monastery on the Yib homeworld around prayer time. In one of the primary towers of the monastery, the Order of 9 gathers to pray, chant, and then eventually hear a prophecy given by a Varnok prophet within their ranks. He tells the others that the Chappagi are becoming a major threat to the galaxy, and especially The Nine Ancient Races, and should be exterminated. However, a Gayik'Von monk within their midst confronts the Varnok prophet and refutes his prophecy. This then leads to a disagreement and a quarrel between the monks, eventually resulting in a nearly equal division of the Order of 9, with four of the members standing with the Gayik'Von monk, and three of them with the Varnok prophet. This creates a type of foreshadowing for events to come.
The story then shifts to Sol Space and begins to look at the daily lives and struggles of the Society's most important people, including Chancellor Nordham, Grand Admiral Mike Clayton, the crew of the Sergenious, as well as several other organizations. This strange series of events, played out from two viewpoints (civilian and military) gives a good introduction to what it's like being the little guy in a galaxy of giants, and all of the careful political maneuverings required just to survive. This also provides the reader an introduction to the Serians and Adjutant President V'sin of the Gayik'Von. The storyline develops quickly and provides a good introduction to life within the Society, as well as Earthfleet. The capabilities of the fleet, and most especially the Sergenious and her crew, as well as Sarah, the ship's AI, are demonstrated as well in this introductory plot arc, the details of which will play an important roll later on. The crew of the Sergenious even pay a visit to the famous, and sometimes infamous Pluto Station, and provide the reader an introduction to this unique home away from home for many races.
There's even a brief introduction to the shadier, darker, covert side of Earthfleet and the Society through the introduction of the highly skilled spy and intelligence operative Lars Nordic. Not long after the events of the introduction wrap up, Lars is called in by his boss and sent out, along with three other spies, on a reconnaissance mission to investigate some strange goings on in the galaxy near their home system. Elsewhere, the Varnok prophet, who was seen in the introduction, meets with Licinius Magnus to give a report and receive new instructions, revealing the true reasons for why he gave his prophecy to the others in the Order of 9. Meanwhile, out on Sebius, Earth's own Ambassador Phyland is seen being busy about his daily political duties as ambassador for Earth amidst the dirty politics and rampant corruption that is common to the UGW homeworld. While going about his work, he runs across his friend, and fellow ambassador, a G'Fondo'Nah (or just "Fondo" for short) named Finch as he is returning from a diplomatic meeting of his own. The two talk for a time, showing the depths of their friendship, despite their distinctly different species, before going on about their ways.
Back on the Gayik'Von homeworld, V'sin is greeted by the president of the Gayik'Von republic and given the assignment to head out to Sebius on both a diplomatic mission, as well as an information gathering one, with the intention of unraveling a growing mystery that appears to threaten Sol Sector and everyone in it. Back in Sol Space, in one of the arboretums, the devious and malevolent character known as Zoahn, lures Sarah to his side only to brag about his plans for Mike, while also revealing that both he and Sarah are not actually computer programs, but rather beings made of living energy known as the Benoi. This is also the first hint that Sarah might have more than just a platonic, professional interest in Mike. The intrigue then continues to grow as Lars and his partner work in one area, V'sin, Phyland and Finch in another, and Mike and Nordham back home in Sol to try and unravel the mystery and the truth behind all of the strange, unexplained animosity towards Earth, and the seemingly growing, mysterious threat to its existence that grows more and more perilous every day.
Elsewhere, while three groups are trying to unravel the mysteries of the hatred towards Earth, others are going about what they do best, and what makes the Society great. Namely, helping others through science and technology, and not warmongering like so many in the galaxy think and believe they do, or intend to do. As things continue on Sebius, and V'sin continues to dig deeper, old, bitter rivalries, hatreds and prejudices being revealed with the Gin being often referred to as the Chappagi, or the Nordmer, both galactic slag names for Sol, Earth and Humans in general. Over in Lars's section of the galaxy, while scouting a remote and somewhat dystopian commerce station, he and his partner Vlad are attacked by mercenaries, but later saved by a Nyuishian Red Paladin operative and his Sevedith partner, after which they race back to the Appalachia, their command ship on this mission, and then escape into the stars.
Meanwhile, as this is happening, the Varnok prophet is sent by his master to the Varnok fleet admiral Mobeic with orders to attack Earth and exterminate all of its inhabitants. When Mobeic questions if he can do this safely, the prophet tells him that his master has already put things in place to tie the hands of the Gayik'Von so that they are unable to protect Earth as they are sworn to do. So the admiral agrees to go, and in fact is somewhat pleased with the idea, as he's been looking forward to this. At the same time, Phillip Agustus, the mysterious master of the Varnok prophet, a man who is the leader of a race known as the Crassians, sends a team of Transform assassins against Phyland in hopes of killing him as well. However, their efforts fail as V'sin's own body guards, along with, surprisingly enough, Phyland himself, dispatch the assassins with ease. Back on the Appalachia, Lars, along with Captain Toby, Vlad, and Trent begin to analyze a dagger captured by Lars during the previous fight back at the merchant space station, slowly narrowing down the list of possible sources to only a few, and then ultimately down to only one choice: That their chief enemy is a group of fellow humans.
While trying to unravel this mystery, they stumble onto a Yandian library ship and take advantage of the shard that is aboard it to help their efforts to locate the answers they're looking for. Back in Sol space, Grand Admiral Mike, Chancellor Nordham, and several others, continue their efforts to help others by assisting the G'Fondo'Nah in advancing some of their technology related to universal translator technology. In another part of Sol space, Sarah encounters the ever infamous Zoahn once again, who teases her and questions her commitment to live among the humans, despite who she is. Back on Sebius, Phyland receives a rumor that the Varnok black fleet is in motion, with the intention of attacking and destroying Earth. However, at first he doesn't believe Julius, thinking this to be just a random and baseless rumor. However, upon hearing that this was learned from two Sevedith guards, Finch encourages Phyland to accept the rumor as true, which he then does after learning that Sevedith don't lie, as it's part of their blood oath.
Phyland then takes this news to V'sin who confronts the Varnok ambassador about this. The Varnok ambassador, though, downplays this as merely a training exercise. But V'sin suspects that it's something more and is suspicious of the ambassador's claims. Meanwhile, back in Sol space, as the Varnok fleet stealthily approaches, a weakness in the shield array that makes up the Oort Perimeter is revealed, and efforts are made to begin finding a solution to this issue. It's soon revealed that the Juinah have also spotted this weakness, which they in turn have relayed back to the Crassians, who then relay it to Mobeic.
(this summary is a work in progress, so please be patient)
