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So, you've made it this far, have you? It takes dedication to find this page hidden deep within the Tagonist Knights Website.

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Congratulations! 

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The crew of the Sunfire consists of a group from across the Universe with Captain Lexia being the only human among them. Learn more about them through featured quotes. This fascinating universe is explored through a wide variety of Easter Eggs and hidden information found on this page. Be entertained by related memes and learn more about how the origins first book in what has developed into an ongoing series. The Sunfire Chronicles is influenced from a variety of science fiction, sci-fi, and historical space exploration. 

“If you measure yourself by the goals and accomplishments of someone else, your life will be defined by them, not by the unique individual that history should remember you as.” – Gold

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Fan Favorite

A scene selected from the book.

It is a gut-wrenching experience for an audience to deal with the loss of someone they've been reading about that they are emotionally invested in. Especially if that individual is innocent person or someone who is purely benevolent. That is what happens when a psychic attack harms those on board the Sunfire. Both Tedorn and Dryad are pushed to the edge of death, both having no escape from what is happening to them. It is a painful experience for someone to read about their suffering. The only relief to this is the wave of living energy that flows through the ship and rescues them their fate, reviving the pair. Not only that, but it forever changes the course of the series for multiple people.

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“Most of those in power are just as bad as the thugs that roam the streets. Half the time they are the thugs that roam the streets.” – Lexia

Relevant Images

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“Let death be merciful. For I will not.” – Rua'So'Nid

Origin Story:
Long ago...

Lexia's Legacy began as a dream that the author experienced involving a pair, male and female. One was of fire. The other was ice. In the dream they were brother and sister. Also, they were more so mutants, relatively normal humans with powers. There was a lizard creature named Mythos who was a dragon.

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Dryad was originally created for a fantasy story where someone from our reality who hated fairy tales, was transported to that type of reality. This plant woman peaks out from behind a talking tree who the man first encounters. In the story, the trees possessed human faces, and could use vocal communication. The story didn't work out, but the author loved the concept of a plant based humanoid person. Eventually when he began working on a sci-fi story, he remembered this failed attempt at a fantasy story and brought her back from this older idea.

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The dragon character became a more generic lizard warrior rather than a fantasy creature. It wasn't until he was writing the final draft and with Tagonist Knights Publishing was underway that Mythos as a dragon became one of the knights. With the name taken, that led to a new title for this lizard warrior and the name Rua'So'Nid was chosen using the reverse spelling of Dinosaur.

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The mutant siblings from his dream were developed into two races of beings of the same planet. The approach was a tragic love story of forbidden love, two people who cared deeply for one another but were unable to be together due the physical threat each could do to one another. How their species came into existence, aspects of their cultures, the roles each played, were developed during the writing process of the novel along with many other aspects of worldbuilding.

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Origin Story:
In a galaxy...

Tedorn was inspired by the author's love for gerbils. He grew up with them and wanted a character that was a large, talking version of them. He found the idea of this creature being an engineer with savant level capabilities as amusing so incorporated that idea into the story. Early on, he used a form of butchered English, poorly spoken and mispronounced words. On a whim, the writer decided he would have his own language and began working on a translation list so that he could learn his language. He had always been fascinated with alien languages in other series, such as Klingon, and wanted that in his sci-fi series. 

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With a crew established, a concept for a run down, beaten up, barely held together ship as a setting, all that was missing now was a captain. The author knew he wanted a female leader that was a little like Han Solo who was a bit of a rogue. Her origin story developed and he jumped into the story with a concept of, what happened long after the Empire in Star Wars was defeated? What if this is set in a future long after a great evil was defeated and she's going to be receiving special treatment as the descendant of this great hero? 

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Starting the novel, the author had no understanding of who was inside the container, beyond that there was a hidden connection to the ancient threat of the Blight. There was also no plan for where the novel was going as he wrote it, exploring this universe the same way as his audience would. He finished the first third of the story leading up to Lexia taking a vacation on the Vostok years before completing the rest of the novel. He would later pick it up again since there was a need for a sci-fi story for the launch of Tagonist Knights Publishing which also led to the creation of Prisoner of Silence for similar reasons. 

Origin Story:
Far Away...

The story first began with the scene between Brent explaining to Lexia the origins of her ancestor's fame. It wasn't until the author was listening to a song by Fallout Boy, that he had this vision of a scene to a movie based off the book. Then he thought, why didn't he include that in the story? The novel should begin the way the vision of the movie did, starting off on a high energy, fast paced, action scene. That's how it was added to the opening of the book.

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Where some authors create outlines, detailed backgrounds about the individuals involved in the story, and map out the main plot points before even beginning to write the book, there is another style that is described by the author of the Song of Ice and Fire series. Where the previous approach to writing is labeled as an architect, the author of the Sunfire Chronicles prefers the gardener approach. Planting seeds and experience the story as it reveals itself.

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The resolution to what the Blight struck like lightning without warning. The author had always been fascinated with the topic that explained its origins and how it was able to manipulate life throughout the Universe so easily. It was fun for the writer to explore this complex concept using the various viewpoints and levels of understanding of those gathered around to discuss the subject. 

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The series has provided the author an opportunity to let loose his inner fanboy and make a multitude of references to sci-fi, science fiction, and space exploration. It is because of this reason that there are sometimes subtle, others being obvious as to what they are referring to, Easter Eggs and hidden sources of inspiration that has helped the series grow and evolve with each book added.

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“I don't care if a newborn baby is put in charge, you better salute that infant and ask whether they want a new bottle or change of diapers.”  - Tinker

Easter Eggs and Inspiration

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A "rotation" is one year, inspired by the phrase "rotation of the galactic axis" from the movie: Galaxy Quest.

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The Cosmic Union was greatly inspired by the Star Trek Universe.

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Admiral Patton is named after General S. Patton.

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Brent is named after Brent Spiner, who played Data on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Lexia's father, Liam, is named after Liam Neeson, who played a role in Star Wars: Episode 1.

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The Starship Sunfire is named after the author's second car, a Pontiac Sunfire.

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Rua'So'Nid is the word Dinosaur spelled backwards and broken up into syllables to look more alien.

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Frea is inspired by the word "freeze" and her people, the Iozen: Ice + Frozen.

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Ferno is inspired by the word "Inferno" and his people, the Hegma: Heat + Magma.

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The Narktar, warrior race of lizards, is greatly inspired by Star Trek's Klingons.

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Tedorn gets his name from rearranging the letters in the word "Rodent".

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Tedorn's species, the Nimrev, is the word "Vermin" spelled backwards.

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Page 18, Tedorn says, "Boss, you're my only hope..." refering to Leia's distress call to Obi-Wan in Star Wars.

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Page 20, the Starship Sundance refers to the author's first car, a Plymoth Sundance.

Suburb Houses

Page 31, Section 601 refers to an address where the author used to live.

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The small machines that invade the Sunfire in Chapter 2 are inspired by the "spiders" from the movie: The Minority Report.

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The species "Trichex" is named after two cereals: Chex and Trix.

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Page 45, landing inside a giant worm in an astroid refers to Han Solo doing so in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

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Page 73, "...see what no one has before" refers to the catch phrase from the opening of Star Trek.

Private Property

Page 73, 653-46135-765, are local phone area codes and zip code of where the author grew up.

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The feline species, Grimalkin, is an old English word meaning "old female cat".

Green Eyed Cat

The home world of the Grimalkin (and Nimrev) is named Pintac. That is Catnip spelled backwards.

Grey Kitten

Lord Meevarock is named and modeled after Maverick, a cat owned by the author.

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Page 104, the elder man on the desert planet refers to Obi-Wan Kenobi from Star Wars.

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Nolyc is the word "Cylon" from Battlestar Galactica series spelled backwards and is visually inspired by these robots.

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Page 111, the D-S-9 district refers to Star Trek: Deep Space Nine TV series.

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Page 14, "Impressive. Most impressive" is a line spoken by Darth Vader in Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

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Captain Stewart is named after Patrick Stewart who played Captain Jean Luc Picard on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Page 138, Gomorrah was a "wicked" city destroyed by God in Hebrew mythology.

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Page 153, "The needs of the many..." is a quote from the Star Trek movie: Wrath of Khan.

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Page 171, "Resistence is futile" is something said by the Borg from the Star Trek Universe.

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Chapter 11, Slim is greatly inspired by the video game character: Earthworm Jim.

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Page 178, Grestle is a condensed version of the author's home town of Greencastle.

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Gene Douglas Lucas is named after: Gene Rodenberry, creator of Star Trek. Ray Douglas Bradbury, a sci-fi author. George Lucas, creator of Star Wars.

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Glen is named after the creator of Battlestar Galactica, Glen Larson, since he was once Nolyc.

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Page 214/215, the general's ship is a reference to the Death Star from Star Wars.

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Gold is inspired by Guinan from Star Trek: TNG who was played by Whoopie Goldberg.

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Glen losing his arms and legs, being burnt, then trapped in a suit of armor is a homage to the fate of Darth Vader.

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Homage to Star Wars: Glen gets revenge on his tormenter: Diarmid. Ian McDiarmid played Emperor Palpatine who is killed by Darth Vader.

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The Sikarra are giant worm riders. That is Arrakis, the desert planet featured in the DUNE series, spelled backwards.

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Page 227, the #1 rule mentioned refers to the Prime Directive of Starfleet from Star Trek.

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Page 260, encountering a being of unlimited power refers to the pilot episode of Star Trek: TNG and the encounter with Q.

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Page 266, removing navigational chips was inspired by a 1st season episode of Star Trek: TNG.

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Page 268, lontagitude chips is longitude and latitude combined. 

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Brent's use of the Falcon Nerve Grip refers to the Vulcan Nerve Pinch, used by Spock the original Star Trek series.

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Brent being shot was inspired by the scene from Galaxy Quest where Quellek says, "I've been shot" and suddenly collapses.

Fiery Sun

Page 269, Sol-Ra are references to the sun. Ra being an Egyptian Sun god.

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On page 271, the computer responds with "Compliance". A reference to the movie: Flight of the Navigator.

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In the final chapter, Dryad is reading a story that is the final scene from Back to the Future.

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The doctor of the Vostok is modeled after Doctor Beverly Crusher from Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Page 278, the Vostok mimicks the Enterprise in the episode of Star Trek: TNG "Remember Me", 1,014 people were on board.

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Rua'So'Nid refers to the place of the honored dead: All’Ah’Lav. This refers to Valhalla, from Norse Mythology.

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Tedorn howls in mourning, a reference to a Klingon ritual of howling shortly after death.

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Lexia considers a race of beings like Tinker, a group of cyborgs and a "cube". This refers to the Borg from Star Trek.

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A reference to alien species using pyramid shaped ships is a wink to the theory that Egyptians were helped by aliens.

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Daniel refers to his wife as his "evoltseraed", a term introduced in the novel: In a Heartbeat.

A potential daughter name is mentioned: Mataya. This is a feminized version of "Matt", the author of the book.

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The chess game between Rua'So'Nid and Parallax refers to a game between R2D2 and Chewbacca in Star Wars.

On page 294, Lexia mentions a time traveling doctor. This refers to the TV series: Dr. Who.

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Page 295, a synthetic being owning a pet refers to Data from Star Trek: TNG owning a cat.

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Avatar, Frea, and Ferno are observing the first moon landing that occurred in 1969.

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Page 296, Lexia says "Engage", what Captain Picard says often on Star Trek: The Next Generation.

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Tedorn refers to a "space elf" which is reference to Vulcans who may be thought of as having elf ears.

The Vostok is named after the first human spaceflight. It was done by Russian Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin, making him the first human to cross into outer space.

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“One way or the other, I'm going to get my ship back. If that means kicking in the teeth of my great, great, great whatever grandpa, then so be it.” - Lexia

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