In the Shadow of the Rings by Frank Kennedy (grave mercy .txt) 📕

SY 4473: The Asian Sweep concludes, finalizing the migration to and colonization of Hokkaido.

SY 5311: The first successful attack of a colonial insurgency destroys the Ark Carrier Nephesian above the planet Hiebimini.

SY 5320: Catastrophic event destroys Hiebimini’s entire supply of brontinium, the galaxy’s strongest known ore and critical to Chancel or survival. Chancel ory is thrown into chaos. Insurgencies grow on many colony worlds.

SY 5330: Hiebimini’s final citizens are evacuated; system is blockaded.

Unification Guard silences last remaining insurgencies.

SY 5335-5349: Secret Chancel or experiments on Earth engineer hybrid human variants as wel as immortals incapable of reproduction.

SY 5341: On Hokkaido, Kara Syung is born to Perr and Li-Ann Syung.

SY 5346: Fetus No. 1977 reaches ful term in SkyTower production lab on Earth and is deemed a viable human. He is named Royal.

SY 5350: The child Royal is sold to Hosan and Muna Lin Jee of Hokkaido as part of a classified project to seed colonies with

engineered immortal children. Child is renamed Ryllen.

SY 5355: Terrorists led by hybrid humans and immortals destroy SkyTower on Earth, kil ing more than 130,000 humans.

SY 5357: Terrorist group known as Salvation destroys many Ark Carriers throughout the Collectorate, kil ing more than 2 mil ion Chancel ors. Under threat of further destruction, al Carriers return to Earth system. Salvation claims Hiebimini as its new home world.

SY 5358: Unification Guard loses 10,000 soldiers in calamitous attempt to destroy Salvation on Aeterna, the planet formerly known as Hiebimini. Battle is cal ed “The Last Day’s War.” Chancel ory’s hold on colonies col apses. Collectorate commerce halted. On Hokkaido, reprisals against Chancel or collaborators and threats of workers’

revolts destabilize economy. The People’s Legion – the central government – collapses. Provisional governments rise in its wake. A process of “social refinery” undermines power structure of the wealthiest families, especial y on The Lagos.

SY 5360: Aeterna’s population of immortals who survived The Last Day’s War begin diplomatic and technological outreach to the colonies.

Using new wormhole-driven method of transport, Aeternans begin recovery of immortals seeded throughout the Collectorate.

SY 5361: Earth Civil War begins between factions of the Chancel ory and groups affiliated with the Solomons, a servant class recently given equal citizenship standing.

SY 5362: Aeternans deliver bicomm technology to colonial partners.

On Hokkaido, Ryllen Jee turns 16 and joins Green Sun insurgency. Kara Syung, 20, joins Nantou Global’s Bio-research and Engineering Division.

SY 5363: Earth Civil War ends when final militant factions of the Chancel ory are defeated by the Warner Al iance. 90 mil ion dead.

Thirty light-years from Earth, the long-idle Artemis Station is secretly reactivated.

SY 5364: Aeterna introduces commercial Slope wormhole travel to its first three colonial partners. On Hokkaido, Ryllen Jee is kil ed but discovers the truth of his immortal origins. He is 18.

SY 5365: On Hokkaido, Kara Syung and Ryllen Jee cross paths for the first time. Sectarian violence explodes. The truth about the planet’s Kye-Do rings is revealed.

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Document Outline

THOSE LEFT BEHIND

KARA SYUNG

The Bullabast Tree

2

To be a Kohlna

3

Fallen of the Gentry

RYLLEN JEE

1

Idiot of The Lagos

2

The Idiot’s Mother

3

Death of the Idiot

TIMELINE