Y & Z…END OF THE A TO Z CHALLENGE

My A to Z Challenge theme is (was): characters from my trilogy, From the Ashes.

Y is for…

Years

So many years have passed since the rise of computers in human society that it is sometimes referred to as The End of Ancient History. The story of how the Imperial Alliance rose to power goes something like this.

Ancient History – The beginning of civilization, lasting to the dawn of the age of technology

The End of Ancient History – Humans build a space station on the moon, which marks the end of ancient history.

World War III – The Earth and humanity plunge into the Third World War. This creates chaos. Nuclear weapons are used once again, and many people die, creating many areas that are inhospitable. The war is short.

Formation of The Global Alliance – Every independent nation on Earth decides to join a global senate. The nations become like individual states.

The Age of Terraform – Humans begin to colonize Mars, then venture out to moons of the gas giants. They learn to terraform. They also discover faster means of communication between planets and moons, and faster ways of traveling by experimenting with different sources of power.

The Second Age of Exploration – Humans discover the first signs of life on other worlds. The hyperfield is discovered, which is a faster means of transportation, similar to the idea of using a wormhole to travel.

The Great Flood – Back on Earth, the ice caps have been melting for centuries. Because of widespread ignorance, the people of Earth don't try to preserve the environment, which results in the ice caps melting completely down the permafrost. This creates a mass panic on Earth.

The Second Age of Enlightenment – Humans discover another race of intelligent life on another world. These intelligent "aliens" point humans in the direction of other intelligent or semi-intelligent races, spread here and there around other star systems.

The Treaty of Planets – Each planet with intelligent life on it signs a treaty with humans so that they do not declare war on each other. They all learn from each other and technology progresses quickly for everyone.

The Galactic Alliance is born – People (which is the term now used for all intelligent life) decide on creating a form of government for all of them to participate in. Yet after 400 years, the Galactic Alliance grows corrupt.

The Century of Darkness – Without a government, there is widespread panic and fear of war breaking out anywhere or everywhere.

The Great Stellar Wars – Groups of terrorism fight for power among cities, continents and even star systems. The group that won replaced the Galactic Alliance with the Imperial Alliance.

Every year in the Imperial Alliance is based off of a full 365 day Earth year. The years are measured in ASW (After the Stellar Wars).

***

Z is for…

Zorin Viraak

I am a lost soul. I died before I knew my son, Dezar too well. I was killed in a street fight. I had my own business, I ran from poverty and from the life my parents had. I wanted to do better. So I did my best.

I met Anya in a crash. Her transport had smashed into mine and injured me badly. She and her mother lived alone together, and over the few weeks, they took care of me. I fell in love with Anya very quickly. I married her, and we were so happy together. There is a lot I could tell you about, about how difficult my life was, but it was beautiful. Every moment was worth it because of Anya.

She made every day worthwhile.

My life was short, but complete.

***

I know I'm a day late, but HAPPY END OF THE A TO Z CHALLENGE!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE WHO MADE IT OR EVEN PARTICIPATED!!

Have a lovely day :)

–Jess

F is for…

My A to Z Challenge theme is: characters from my From the Ashes trilogy.

Since none of my characters in my book have a name that starts with the letter F, I have a good excerpt for today from my book.

F is for…

From the Ashes

"Read it," he orders.

"It's the spark that keeps you moving,

The final rope to which you hold,

Hope is a lie, because in the end,

There's only the dark and the cold.

Take from others all you prize,

Through fire you'll prevail,

The sacrifice for victory

Is the same, should you fail.

When lies have finally burned away,

For revenge the silence cries,

When flames of rage have torn us down,

From the ashes, we shall rise."

The words make me shiver. There's an uncomfortable silence after I finish. Azad touches my shoulder and helps me to my feet.

"You know what they're asking for?" Marco asks.

Azad nods. "There's only one thing it could be."

My worst fears are confirmed. My blood runs cold in my veins and I shake my head, backing away from Azad. "No," I say. "No, that's not what it means."

Azad raises an eyebrow. "That's all it could mean, Jaina. This is what the IA demands. We must show no mercy."

***

Thanks for stopping by today everyone! Yesterday I didn't get around to sharing my favorite posts for yesterday, so here we go today!

1. Bean Grower and other F names
2. Found
3. Stormy's Epic Adventurous Quest Journey – F

Comment and leave a link to your blog so that I can check it out! Don't forget to check out other A to Z Challenge Participants here, and make sure to stop by my new blog about life, love, history, science, and all sorts of random things, My Unofficial Guide To Everything.

Have a wonderful day :)

–Jess

D is for…

My A to Z Challenge theme is: Characters from my From the Ashes trilogy!

D is for…

Dragon

My name is Altair Kasev. My mother committed suicide before I can remember, my father never told me why. I lived with him for some time, and then I was transferred to the Gifted School of Virana. The first few years were a blur, but I remember being friends with Liam and Jaina. They were my best friends. When I was 8, I discovered I had a stranger power. I didn't know how to use it, it would just take control of me now and then, making a mess of things.

It was because of this and my nightmares that I was sent away. I don't know where it was, somewhere near Virana I presume. I missed my father, I missed Jaina and Liam. They gave me medicine, and used what I can only describe now as a torture device. When I was 11, my father came to free me, and he took me home.

I was moved to a new school where I met my best friend, who would later become my worst enemy. Azad Viraak. He helped me train to be the best warrior in the school, and in the end, he became jealous. His sister, Rasha, fell in love with me.

My father would bring me home from school each summer. I never trusted the Masters at the Gifted Schools, I never really agreed with anything the Imperial Alliance did either. When I found out my father was part of the Resistance, at first I felt slightly betrayed. Yet as time went on, I began to respect him for that. I joined him, and during each summer, I would carry out small missions for the Resistance.

My last year in school with Azad, I did something terrible. I cannot admit to it, not here, not now. It's what caused me to hide behind this name, Dragon. I know I was justified in doing what I did, I couldn't put the Resistance or my father or Jaina in danger. But there are times when I know I did wrong. I was so wrong. I fear that the Darkness has consumed my soul.

***

This is the story of Altair (Dragon) Kasev! Thank you for visiting!! Also, my favorite D posts of the day:

1. D is for Dream
2. Drive Through
3. Disease

I only picked three posts for today that I liked because today is super busy, but leave a comment and a link to your blog and I may highlight your post tomorrow! To visit more A to Z Participants click here! And don't forget to check out my new blog My Unofficial Guide To Everything. I hope you have a lovely day!

–Jess

A is for…

April 1st!

Happy April Fools Day, everyone! Not only is it April Fools Day, but it is the beginning of the A to Z Challenge. My theme for the A to Z Challenge is: characters from the From the Ashes series!

So, what is A for, you ask?

Azad Viraak

As of today, I still know very little of my early life. I was born in the year 405 After the Stellar Wars. I know my father's name was Dezar Viraak, but I hardly remember him. My mother was not my birth mother. Her name was Ana, but I can't recall her last name. She gave birth to my sister, Rasha.

Rasha and I were taken away from our parents when we were young, I must have only been four or five years old. We were taken to a gifted school, one of the best in the Alliance. Rasha was a few years younger than me, so I would always take care of her when I wasn't in class. I remember that a lot of the kids in my class would make fun of me, since I was older than most of them.

It was hard to make friends until I met Altair Kasev. The fact that I used to consider him a friend disgusts me now. Yet as much as I hate to admit it, once, we were friends. We trained together nearly every day for the glory of the Alliance, for the glory of the Emperor. That is until I discovered his secret. He was not and would never be true to our nation and our Emperor.

My sister fell in love with him. And that's what killed her in the end.

I don't know where he is, or how I will find him, but I will find him. I don't care about what happens after. Altair destroyed the only kindness, the only good I had in my life. And he must pay for that.

This is what I live for. It's what I'll die for, and I will fight forever for my revenge.

***

This is the story of Azad Viraak, thank you everyone! Check out more A to Z Challenge Participants here!

Leave your A to Z Challenge post links in the comments and I'll come to visit you! And don't forget to check out my new blog, My Unofficial Guide To Everything!

–Jess