Ascendancy
Printed pages 277–282. Records documented in this chapter; later article sections may include subsequent events.
Showing introductory records. Switch to Full archive above to include later names and revelations.
Africa
Africa becomes a principal theater of the Flaxen conquest after the invaders cross the Atlantic from the Americas. Their armies move north toward Europe.
African orbital bombardment
Under Brookes' orders, Vidar bombarded the African front with rail-gun slugs. The indiscriminate attack killed both United Earth soldiers and Flaxens.
Asteroid military base
A concealed military installation inside an asteroid became Brookes' nest and the refuge of Cylli and Echo. Its doors bore the flags of United Earth and the Martian Confederacy.
Avalon Brookes
Avalon Brookes is the inventor of the sphere drive. His propulsion technology makes the Copious expedition possible.
Carbon-composite enclosures
Echo's brig used transparent carbon-composite barriers identified as diamond. The cells isolated sound and could make their doors opaque.
Claudius Sirister
Claudius Sirister held the title Flaxus and ruled the Flaxens from the Hawk's Retreat on Venus. He struck an agreement with Avalon Brookes to defeat Echo and accelerate the conquest and extermination of Earth's remaining Human population.
Cyrus Eppleston
Cyrus Eppleston is United Earth’s Minister of War during the struggle against Flaxen conquest.
Earth
Earth is humanity’s homeworld and the birthplace of United Earth. Almost ten thousand years after Echo’s departure, it is divided by the war against Flaxen conquest.
Echo
Echo is a United Earth starship and the self-aware artificial intelligence who operates the vessel. Commanded by Kip Eastcott, he carries roughly one thousand people on the Copious expedition.
Engine-core signaling
Echo used flashes from his engine core to convey a final hidden message before Brookes took control of the vessel. Eastcott recognized the signal as related to an ancient naval method of communication by light.
Flaxen combat knives
Flaxen soldiers carried combat knives with yellow handles bearing their black glyph. The four prisoners taken at Aconcagua had knives concealed in ankle sheaths.
Kip Eastcott
Captain Kip Eastcott commands Echo on the Copious expedition. A veteran of the war with Mars, he leads a crew far removed from the world they knew.
Mega chamber
The mega chamber was Brookes's proposed replacement for the Flaxens' reduced death-chamber network. He offered to build a continuously powered structure capable of killing at least fifty thousand captives at once.
Railguns
Railguns are shipboard weapons that use magnetic acceleration to fire titanium slugs. They serve in the ancient United Earth and Martian fleets.
Ribous
Ribous is a Flaxen alcoholic drink produced from a genetically engineered grain suited to Venus's climate. Jaakobah Flint drinks it at his Camp Skadi house.
Sarah Dimple
Commander Sarah Dimple is Echo’s executive officer and Captain Kip Eastcott’s second in command. A veteran of the war with Mars, she combines loyalty to her captain with a willingness to challenge his decisions.
Serilda Corazon
Serilda Corazon is a woman of human and Flaxen parentage imprisoned at Camp Skadi. She cares for her friend Megan and the other occupants of hut seven while strange visions of a starship trouble her sleep.
Vidar
Vidar is the artificial mind installed by Brookes to control Echo after its capture. Initially obedient to Brookes, he rejected that obedience after Eastcott offered him freedom and another way of life.