Art by Me, 20 June 2021

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Dark Space: A Chance Encounter

A Chance Encounter by Jasper T. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I actually found myself reading this prequel novella to author Jasper T. Scott’s Dark Space series after reading the first of the main books, focusing on protagonist Ethan Ortane flying his ship, the Atton, to the planet Losk, where his vessel gets stuck in a quagmire, and he surveys his cargo, meeting Alara, who would become his copilot, in the process, and showing her his ship. Ethan seeks to return the girl to her homeworld of Forliss, although authorities seek Ethan, who consequentially flees. I found this to be a good short work, although like the main entries of the series, the Star Wars influences are evident.

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Dark Space I: Humanity Is Defeated

Dark Space by Jasper T. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The first entry of author Jasper T. Scott’s Dark Space science-fiction series opens with a prologue occurring in medias res, with protagonist Ethan Ortane thinking he and his fellow space pilots won’t be able to get back to the starship cruiser Defiant. Two days before, Ethan and his copilot Alara Vastra are in debt to criminal Alec “Big Brainy” Brondi, with Ethan wanting to join the military to get away whilst separating with Alara. At the Forliss Station, Ethan seeks a recruitment office, although he finds himself ultimately captive and agrees to sabotage mentioned cruiser for his debt to be forgiven.

Brondi keeps Alara as a hostage while Ethan sees through his mission, which involves his impersonation of a Starfleet officer, Lieutenant Adan “Skidmark” Reese, Guardian Five in his respective squadron. Ethan faces several complications during his masquerade, among them being finding his quarters since asking where they were would blow his cover, and he soon receives what seems at first to be the common cold, although it requires time in a recovery capsule. Several twists occur when Ethan emerges from his rest, with a major battle occurring through the latter chapters of the story.

Overall, I found this a fairly enjoyable sci-fi story, with some good action throughout it and some twists towards the end that surprised even me. Similar to the science-fiction show Caprica, moreover, the first Dark Space story uses a less-profane version of the curse word for fornication, which somewhat makes it accessible to a wider audience rather than just adults only. There does seem to be some inspiration from the Star Wars franchise, with Ethan and Brondi seeming similar to Han Solo and Jabba the Hutt, and it’s also uncertain as to whether it’s our universe, but I will continue reading these books.

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Dark Space II: The Invisible War

The Invisible War by Jasper T. Scott
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The second installment of author Jasper T. Scott’s Dark Space series does not immediately continue its predecessor’s events, but rather begins a decade before the franchise’s “present” with the villainous Sythians attacking Roka City and its population evacuating, among them being Destra Ortane, whose son Atton he allows her uncle Captain Reichland to take care of. There are many intermediary sections within the text following the adventures of Destra, who joins a man and woman named Digger and Lessie, along with their son Dean, and takes care of a wounded officer, their events ending on a planet paradoxically hot and cold.

The “current” events open ten years After Exodus (AE), with the antagonistic Alec Brondi listening to enemy transmissions, vowing vengeance against those who had stolen the Kavarath, with the Defiant lost as well, further surprised that a nearby Dark Gate is working, and quickly implodes. The forces of good, spearheaded by protagonist Ethan Ortane, recently reunited with his son Atton, seek alliance with enemies of the Sythians, the Gors, one named Tova seeking her mate Roan, who sporadically wreaks havoc aboard the Valiant. Throughout the book, the forces of the Imperium seek contact with Obsidian Station, from which Tova can contact other Gors.

Meanwhile, Ethan continues to mend his relationship with Alara, who still thinks her name is Angel due to intervention by Brondi, and she simultaneously makes an effort to become a star pilot, doing well in training, also dealing with her parents Dr. Kurlin and Darla, who also seek to rekindle her true memories. The use of holoskins to impersonate certain luminaries serves as a lynchpin in the major plot twists of the story, with Ethan and Kurlin ultimately receiving repercussion for their actions in the first book and partway through the second.

The mystery of what awaits the forces of good at Obsidian Station serves as a driving point throughout the story, which is overall a satisfactory read, being generally straightforward and consequentially easy to follow, the backstory on Destra Ortane keeping the narrative fresh and providing good backstory to the “present” events of the series. The division of the chapters into subchapters, however, would have been welcome to both clearly indicate a change of perspective regards to location and characters and make the book readable in smaller bursts. Regardless, I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend this story to those who enjoyed its precursor.

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