Empire Rising

 

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Table of Contents

About the Author

Copyright Page

 

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To mom and dad—I wish you were still here.

 

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

Many thanks are due to those who helped me write and publish this novel:

First and foremost, to my editor, Keith Kahla, for his exceptional insight and fantastic recommendations on how to make
Empire Rising
better. To others at St. Martin's Press—Hannah Braaten and Justin Velella—who helped me in numerous ways while I wrote and revised
Empire Rising
. And finally, thanks again to Sally Richardson and George Witte for making this book possible.

To those who helped me get the details in
Empire Rising
right: to U.S. Navy captains and former SSN and SSGN commanding officers Steve Harrison and Murray Gero for reviewing the submarine chapters and helping me with the SSGN scenes, to Navy Captain and former commander of Strike Fighter Wing Atlantic—Craig “Spot” Yager for assisting with the air combat scenarios, to Commander Rob Kurz for the aircraft carrier chapters, Commander Mike Wheeldreyer for the cruiser scenes, former Navy SEALs Matt Maasdam and Brandon Webb for the SEAL scenes, and to Lieutenant Colonel Billy Dubose and Major Joshua Roberts for imparting a basic understanding of Marine Expeditionary Force operations. Thanks also to Lisa Brackmann and Cindy Pon for helping with the scenes in China and the nuances of naming Chinese characters.

To my writer friends in Purgatory and The Pit, thank you for your support on this long journey and for your inspiration while writing
Empire Rising
.

And finally, to the men and women who have served in our armed services. My heart and thoughts will always be with you.

I hope you enjoy
Empire Rising
!

 

PRINCIPAL CHARACTERS

(A COMPLETE CAST OF CHARACTERS IS PROVIDED IN ADDENDUM.)

UNITED STATES ADMINISTRATION

K
EVIN
H
ARDISON
, chief of staff

C
HRISTINE
O
'
C
ONNOR,
national security advisor

N
ELSON
J
ENNINGS
, secretary of defense

S
TEVE
B
RACKMAN
(Captain), senior military aide

PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA ADMINISTRATION

X
IANG
C
HENGLEI
, president of China and general secretary of the Party

H
UAN
Z
HIXIN
, chairman, Central Military Commission

B
AI
T
AO
, prime minister

S
HEN
Y
I
, Politburo member

Y
ANG
M
INSHENG
, head of President Xiang's security detail

UNITED STATES JOINT CHIEFS OF STAFF

M
ARK
H
ODSON
(General), Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff

M
EL
G
ARRISON
(General), Chief of Staff, Air Force

G
RANT
H
EALEY
(Admiral), Chief of Naval Operations

E
LY
W
ILLIAMS
(General), Commandant of the Marine Corps

UNITES STATES MAJOR MILITARY COMMANDS

V
ANCE
G
ARBIN
(Admiral), Commander, Pacific Command

C
ARL
K
RAE
(Major General), Commander, Cyber Warfare Command

M
ICHAEL
W
ALKER
(Rear Admiral), Commander, Naval Special Warfare Command

T
IM
M
OSS
(Rear Admiral), Program Executive Officer (Submarines)

USS
MICHIGAN
(GUIDED MISSILE SUBMARINE)

M
URRAY
W
ILSON
(Captain), Commanding Officer

P
AUL
G
REENWOOD
(Lieutenant Commander), Executive Officer

K
ASEY
F
AUCHER
(Lieutenant Commander), Engineering Officer

K
ELLY
H
AAS
(Lieutenant Commander), Supply Officer

K
ARL
S
TEWART
(Lieutenant), Weapons Officer

S
TEVE
C
ORDERO
(Lieutenant), Junior Officer

K
RIS
H
ERNDON
(Lieutenant), Junior Officer

J
OE
A
LEO
(Commander), Medical Officer

J
EFF
W
ALKUP
(Chief Electronics Technician), Radioman

S
AM
W
ALSH
(Machinist Mate Second Class), Torpedoman

B
ILL
C
OATES
(Electronics Technician Second Class), Quartermaster

USS
NIMITZ
(AIRCRAFT CARRIER)

A
LEX
H
ARROW
(Captain), Commanding Officer

H
ELEN
C
ORCORAN
(Captain), Air Wing Commander

S
UE
L
AYBOURN
(Captain), Combat Direction Center (CDC) Operations Officer

M
ICHAEL
B
ERESFORD
(Lieutenant Commander), Officer of the Deck

N
ATHAN
R
EYNOLDS
(Lieutenant), Conning Officer

USS
RONALD REAGAN
(AIRCRAFT CARRIER)

C
HARLES “
CJ
”
B
ERGER
(Captain), Commanding Officer

E
MIL
J
ONES
(Captain), Air Wing Commander

T
IM
P
OWERS
(Captain), Executive Officer

D
EBBIE
K
ENT
(Captain), Combat Direction Center (CDC) Operations Officer

A
NDREW
F
ELLOWS
(Commander), Chief Engineer

USS
ANNAPOLIS
(LOS ANGELES CLASS FAST ATTACK SUBMARINE)

R
AMSEY
H
OOTMAN
(Commander), Commanding Officer

T
ED
W
INSOR
(Lieutenant Commander), Executive Officer

D
ON
M
ILLER
(Lieutenant), Weapons Officer

M
IKE
L
AND
(Lieutenant), Junior Officer

A
RMANDO
H
OGARTH
(Lieutenant), Junior Officer

USS
JACKSONVILLE
(LOS ANGELES CLASS FAST ATTACK SUBMARINE)

R
ANDY
B
AUGHMAN
(Commander), Commanding Officer

B
ECK
B
URRELL
(Lieutenant), Officer of the Deck

USS
TEXAS
(VIRGINIA CLASS FAST ATTACK SUBMARINE)

J
IM
L
ATHAM
(Commander), Commanding Officer

J
OHN
M
ILLIGAN
(Lieutenant Commander), Executive Officer

C
OLBY
M
ARSHALL
(Petty Officer First Class), Fire Control Technician

NAVY SEALS

J
OHN
M
C
N
EIL
(Commander), SEAL Team Commander

J
AKE
H
ARRISON
(Lieutenant), SEAL Platoon Officer in Charge (OIC)

D
AN
O
'
H
ARA
(Chief Special Warfare Operator), SEAL Platoon Chief

D
REW
G
ARRETSON
(Special Warfare Operator First Class), Communicator

T
RACEY
M
ARTIN
(Special Warfare Operator Second Class), Breacher

K
ELLY
A
NDREWS
(Special Warfare Operator Second Class), Rappeler

CHINESE MILITARY

T
SOU
D
ESHI
(Fleet Admiral), Commander, People's Liberation Army (PLA) Navy

G
UO
J
IAN
(Admiral), Commander, East Sea Fleet

C
AO
F
ENG
(General), Commander, Fourth Department

Z
HANG
A
NGUO
(General), Commander, Nanjing Military Region

Z
HOU
P
ENGFEI
(Captain), Commander, 34th
Hong Niao
Missile Battery

C
HENG
B
O
(Captain), Officer-in-Charge, East Sea Fleet Command Center

Z
ENG
Y
ONG
(Commander), Commanding Officer, submarine CNS
Chang Cheng

Z
HAO
W
EI
(Commander), Commanding Officer, submarine CNS
Jiaolong

 

PROLOGUE

BEIJING, CHINA

IT WOULD HAVE BEEN PERFECT.

Bai Jiao's pulse raced as she stood stiffly under the bright lights, her cold hands gripping the bouquet of flowers as tightly as the white gown squeezed her waist. The veil across her eyes partially obscured her vision, but she could see enough to make out the cavernous Grand Ballroom of the Pangu Hotel, an immense chandelier suspended from the center of the thirty-foot-high ceiling. The white carpet runway beneath her feet, passing by row after row of guests, stretched to infinity.

Feeling a nudge on her right arm, Jiao remembered she wasn't standing alone; she felt her father's arm intertwined with hers. Turning her head, she sought his wizened face. Tao was looking down at her. He smiled, and for a moment she was a little girl again, sitting in her father's lap as he imparted words of wisdom to his precious
qianjin
. He patted her arm, conveying his love and support. She knew that, even now, she could call it off. Even though the arrangements had cost over two million yuan, Tao would not think twice about the loss. The shame he would endure, however, if his daughter backed out on her wedding day …