Vertigo: Aurora Rising Book Two

VERTIGO

A
URORA
R
ISING: 
B
OOK
T
WO

G. S. Jennsen

2014

VERTIGO

Copyright © 2014 by G. S. Jennsen.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law. For permission requests, write to the publisher, addressed “Attention: Permissions Coordinator,” at the address below.

Hypernova Publishing

P.O. Box 2214

Parker, Colorado 80134

www.hypernovapublishing.com

Publisher’s Note: This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are a product of the author’s imagination. Locales and public names are sometimes used for atmospheric purposes. Any resemblance to actual people, living or dead, or to businesses, companies, events, institutions, or locales is completely coincidental.

The Hypernova Publishing name, colophon and logo are trademarks of Hypernova Publishing.

Ordering Information:

Hypernova Publishing books may be purchased for educational, business or sales promotional use. For details, contact the “Special Markets Department” at the address above.

Vertigo / G. S. Jennsen.—1st ed.

LCCN 2014950262

ISBN 978-0-9960141-3-7

For my readers

without whom Alex’s story would have

ended at the portal

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I am enormously thankful for the support and encouragement of a great many friends, family, readers and colleagues: Charles, Julie, Linda, Helen, John, Steve, Sunny, Maer, Cheryl, Jim, Whitney, Bill and Mark, to name but a few.

I owe a special debt of gratitude to Andy, Katie, Taylor, Jules, Sandy, Anne, Roman, Carole and Claire for their editorial assistance, opinions, critiques and invaluable ideas. You helped
Vertigo
become so much more than I could have done alone.

Finally, thank you to everyone who read
Starshine
, left a review on Amazon, Goodreads or other sites, sent me a personal email expressing how the book impacted you, or posted on social media to share how much you enjoyed it. You make this all worthwhile.

*

The Colonized Worlds Map can be viewed online at:
http://www.gsjennsen.com/map-vertigo
.

The Dramatis Personae can be viewed online at:
http://www.gsjennsen.com/characters-vertigo
.

AURORA RISING

SYNOPSIS

STARSHINE

B
Y THE YEAR 2322,
humanity has expanded into the stars to inhabit over 100 worlds spread across a third of the galaxy. Though thriving as never before, they have not discovered the key to utopia, and societal divisions and conflicts run as deep as ever.

Two decades ago a group of breakaway colonies rebelled to form the Senecan Federation. They fought the Earth Alliance, won their independence in the Crux War and began to rise in wealth and power.

Now a cabal of powerful individuals within both superpowers and the criminal underground set in motion a plot designed to incite renewed war between the Alliance and Federation. Olivia Montegreu, Liam O’Connell, Matei Uttara and others each foment war for their own reasons. One man, Marcus Aguirre, manipulates them all, for only he knows what awaits humanity if the plot fails.

*

Alexis Solovy is a starship pilot and explorer. Her father, a fallen war hero, gave his life in the Crux War. As Operations Director for Earth Alliance Strategic Command (EASC), her mother Miriam Solovy is an influential military leader. But Alex seeks only the freedom of space and has made a fortune by reading the patterns in the chaos to uncover the hidden wonders of the stars aboard her cutting-edge scout ship, the
Siyane
.

Caleb Marano is a special ops intelligence agent for the Senecan Federation. His trade is to become whatever the situation requires: to lie, deceive, outwit and if necessary use lethal force to bring his target to justice. Clever and enigmatic, he’s long enjoyed the thrill and danger his job brings, but now finds himself troubled by the death of his mentor.