Abaddon’s Gate
“Violence is what people do when they run out of good ideas. It’s attractive because it’s simple, it’s direct, it’s almost always available as an option. When you can’t think of a good rebuttal for your opponent’s argument, you can always punch them in the face.”
~ James S.A. Corey
Bobbie Draper by Canadian artist Rita Fei
Exodus Conflict
“We don’t believe it was built here, like their other bases. We’re guessing that thing is one huge starship, and the Zull brought it with them to use as their main headquarters. But you’re right, that place is no joke. The fortress must be heavily armed at every corner, and we have absolutely no idea what’s in store for us inside there—no data, nothing. But we do know all of the Zull factions’ essential needs, from food to weapons, are made and distributed from there. That’s one reason why the Zull have an advantage over the EUF. We have to transport our food, vehicles, weaponry, and medical supplies from our current homeworld but they don’t. They can resupply those things in no time. We’ve also learned that the materials the Zull use to build their bases now come from there as well.” ~ By Michael J. Brooks
Unhidden: The Gatekeeper Chronicles
Around her neck, she wore an amulet that immediately drew my attention away from her appearance. Hanging from a heavy chain rested a circle of gold. It had nicks and dents around the edges that hinted at significant use across generations. The gold was etched with swirls and shapes that weren’t recognizable to me as anything more than elaborate decoration. They enrobed an aquiline gem, the deep greens and blues of a tropical sea. In its heart, I thought I saw movements as subtle as smoke and shadow. ~ by Dina Given
The Antpod Faction by Alex James
Mase and Trolik had thought of a lot of things and still didn’t know exactly what they needed to do. They wanted so many things. They wanted to start the communication industry and give power back to antpods. They wanted to stay alive and protect themselves from Command. They wanted to fight for antpods and make sure their kind were protected from any powerful interests. Then there was the Black Organisation in the midst of it all. How do we deal with them , if or after Command is dealt with? They didn’t know what to do. They couldn’t just waltz outside for fear that the Command Security Forces would identify them and arrest them as political enemies. They couldn’t stay in because Command would soon be here now that their spy drone had been destroyed. Mase had been thinking about all sorts, trying to see the end of every possibility and method. She started prioritising. We need to be safe first before we save our kind. ~ Alex James
November Seed by David Nadas
“My fellow Americans. Citizens of the world. Five minutes ago, the Chinese launched a series of intercontinental ballistic missiles at our International Space Station, claiming that the release of this bio-contagion was orchestrated by the United States and Russia. Our attempts to persuade them to the contrary fell upon deaf ears. Both the U.S. and Russia were unsuccessful at intercepting one of the three missiles. All aboard the Space Station, including three Russians, two Americans and one Japanese have been killed. Russia, in retaliation, has threatened China with a counterattack by launching tactical nuclear warheads at Beijing and Shanghai. If China exhibits any further aggression, Russia and the United States will have no choice but to retaliate, with extreme prejudice. I promise you, there will be accountability for this atrocity, but our primary focus at this time is to deal with this contagion. As President of the United States, I speak the truth to the world that this was not a military operation of any kind. The attack on the International Space Station is unforgivable. Invaluable resources and innocent lives were lost. This was the act of a paranoid and cowardly government.” ~ David Nadas