Scott Sigler: The Rookie

Gatholi:Quyth equivalent of “craphead.”

Giving Day:The Purist Nation’s version of Christmas.

High One:The Purist Nation’s name for God.

high-G Human:A Human born and raised on a planet with 1.5 to 2 times the gravity of Earth. High-G Humans tend to be far stronger than normal Humans, and have thicker builds. Where an average Human male stands 6-feet tall and weighs 190 pounds, an average high-G human stands 6-foot-1 and weighs 260 pounds.

Hiropt’s Disease:Neurological disorder caused by bacteria carried in the saliva of roundbugs, an indigenous species of Mining Colony Six. Symptoms include constant shaking, uncontrollable muscle spasms and overall weakness.

Holy Man:A religious leader in of the Purist religion.

Mae gong ka olll:Quyth battle cry. Literal English translation: “Now we take the war to you.”

Medsled:Hovercart used by team medical staffers to move injured players off the field.

Messageboard:A flat screen about the size of a 8.5×11 piece of paper. Holds 50 terabytes of data.

Mesh:A cybernetic drug comprised of semi-intelligent bacteria. “Mesh bugs” measure and amplify neurotransmitters, as well as flock to active areas of the brain. Mesh acts as an “intensifier,” greatly increasing sensory response and causing highly realistic hallucinations.

Mission marks:Horizontal stripes enameled onto the arms of Quyth Warriors, signifying combat missions, battles or tours of duty.

Punch motor:Faster-than-light technology developed independently by Humans, The Givers, and other races. A zero-mass envelope field surrounds a microscopic singularity. This singularity is used to “punch” a hole in space/time.

Pyuli:Hallucinogenic drug that affects Humans, distilled from the Pyuli plant that grows on Ki and Ki-terraformed worlds. Causes intense hallucinations.

Referee’s Guild:The GFL’s official licensing body for officials. All officials must attend the annual Guild conference, held at Skygod Orbital Station off planet Shorah.

The Red Moon:A glowing red moon is the symbol of the Sklorno Dynasty. In 2391 ErT, the Sklorno traveled to their moon. Their moon had a flourishing ecosystem, complete with a primitive sentient species. The Sklorno exterminated that species, and took the Red Moon as the symbol for the Dynasty.

Roundbug:A native predator of Mining Colony Six. Roundbugs bite their prey, infecting them with a deadly bacteria, and wait several days for the prey to die. The bacteria are not fatal to Humans, but can cause permanent neurological damage to Human children (known as Hiropt’s Disease).

Salamander:Racial, derogatory term for a Ki.

Shamakath:Quyth word for “leader,” most commonly used in military terms or attributed to the main boss of a syndicate.

The Takeover:The three-year span during which the Creterak conquered the galaxy.

The Tri:Quyth Orbital Station III, called “The Tri” by Humans. A massive artificial structure, The Tri was created as a solution to overcrowding on the Quyth homeworld. It was built shortly before the Quyth Concordia achieved FTL technology, and was the last such massive engineering project before the government expansion strategy switched to colonizing “dead” worlds. The Tri is about 150 Earth years old and has a population of 112 million.

Wartimes:Cretarakian-approved phrase for all history prior to The Takeover.

Xerchit:Quyth word for lieutenant, most commonly attributed to the leader of a syndicate cell.

Yakochat:Quyth word for one who betrays so much he would murder his own mother.

Zoroastrian Guild:Subversive organization dedicated to ending Creterakian rule.

Zebe:A football official, a “zebra.”