Trial by Fire

Dramatis Personae

The Humans

R. J. Astor-Smath: Vice President of CoDevCo and senior overseer of Indonesian operations

Alfredo Ayala: SEAL Lieutenant Commander

Matthew Barr: ex-Secret Service agent

Chris Berman: SEAL Commander

Matilda Brahen: Ensign, USSF

The “Captain”: Unnamed clone produced by Optigene Corp., subsidiary of CoDevCo

Elena Corcoran: anthropologist and IRIS operative

Nolan Corcoran: deceased Admiral, creator of IRIS and mastermind of Earth’s defense

Trevor Corcoran: SEAL captain and IRIS operative

Carlos Cruz: SEAL rating

Djoko: CoDevCo security guard

Richard Downing: head of IRIS

Etienne Gaspard: European Union Consul

John Garvin: SAAS private, sniper

Hadi: Indonesian resistance fighter

Lord Thomas Halifax: Admiral, Commonwealth Joint Command, RTF 1

Benjamin Hwang: Nobel-prize winning Chinese-Canadian exobiologist

Bill “Jonesy” Jones: Admiral, USN

Heather Kirkwood: reporter

Moerdani: KOPASSUS captain, Indonesian Army

Miles “Little Guy” O’Garran: SEAL noncom

Ong Wei: captain of bulk container ship, and operative of the Taiwanese National Security Bureau

Opal Patrone: Army major and IRIS operative

Martina Perduro: Admiral, USSF

Cesar Pinero: captain of freighter Maldive Reckoner

Gray Rinehart: IRIS coordinator and Richard Downing’s XO

Caine Riordan: IRIS operative, commander (USSF), and liaison to exosapients

Christopher “Tygg” Robin: SAAS captain

President-for-Life Ruap: President of Indonesia

Bannor Rulaine: Special Forces captain

Edward Schubert: Admiral, EUSF

Ira Silverstein: Admiral, USSF

Eimi Singh: corporate liaison for CoDevCo

Duncan Solsohn: CIA analyst

Vassily Sukhinin: Russlavic Federation Consul

Teguh: Indonesian resistance fighter

Sanjay Thandla: world-renowned computer expert

Mary Sue Tigner: captain and CO, SSBN Ohio, USN

Ulrike Visser: European Union Consul

Lemuel Wasserman: world-renowned physicist

Jacob “Jake” Winfield: SEAL lieutenant

Stanislaus “Stosh” Witkowski: SEAL chief petty officer

The Exosapients

Alnduul: Dornaani, Senior Mentor of the Custodians

Apt-Counsel-of-Lenses / Tlerek Sirn Shethkador: Ktoran ambassador/infiltrator

Darzhee Kut: Arat Kur of Ee’ar caste, Speaker to Nestless (exosapient liaison)

Graagkhruud, First Fist: Hkh’Rkh, field marshall

H’toor Qooiiz: Arat Kur, communications expert aboard flagship Greatvein

Hu’urs Khraam: Arat Kur, First Delegate

N’Erkversh, First Voice: Hkh’Rkh, overlord of the First Family

R’sudkaat: Arat Kur, Fleetmaster aboard flagship Greatvein

Tuxae Skhaas: Arat Kur, sensor operator and assistant shipmaster aboard flagship Greatvein

Urzueth Ragh: Arat Kur, Senior Administrator

Vrryngraar: Hkh’Rkh, great troop leader

Yaargraukh: Hkh’Rkh, Advocate (ambassador)