Empire Rising (56 page)

 

COMPLETE CAST OF CHARACTERS

CHINESE CHARACTERS

WEDDING PARTY (PROLOGUE)

B
AI
J
IAO
, prime minister's daughter

H
UANG
F
U
, Bai Jiao's fiancé

F
ENG
D
AI
, Bai Jiao's bodyguard

ADMINISTRATION

X
IANG
C
HENGLEI
, president 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 senior member (Huan Zhixin's uncle)

D
ENG
C
HUNG
, Politburo junior member

W
ANG
Q
UI
, national security advisor

X
IE
H
AI
, President Xiang's executive assistant

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

MILITARY

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

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

S
HI
C
HEN
(Admiral), Commander, North Sea Fleet

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

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

S
HAO
J
INHAI
(Vice Admiral), Admiral challenging plan during operations brief

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

L
IANG
A
IGUO
(First Lieutenant),
Xian
H-6F bomber pilot

J
IANG
Q
UI
, Chinese soldier landing on shore of Taiwan (Baishawan Beach)

X
IULAN
, Jiang Qui's girlfriend

F
ENG
, Jian Qui's best friend

CIVILIAN

P
ENG
Y
AOTING
, CIA agent in Beijing

T
IAN
A
IGUO
, CIA agent in Beijing

Y
UAN
G
UI
, driver who takes Christine and SEALs to the Great Hall of the People

P
ENG
W
EIJIE
, Baishawan Beach grandmother

X
IAOTIEN
, Baishawan Beach granddaughter

“
S
CARFACE”
, Ringleader of teenagers stopping Christine O'Connor in hutong

C
HRIS
S
TEVENSON
, Chinese agent in Panama

L
IJUAN
, President Xiang's mother (referenced only)

B
OHAI
, President Xiang's father (referenced only)

AMERICAN CHARACTERS

ADMINISTRATION

B
OB
T
OMPKINS
, vice president

K
EVIN
H
ARDISON
, chief of staff

C
HRISTINE
O
'
C
ONNOR
, national security advisor

N
ELSON
J
ENNINGS
, secretary of defense

L
INDSAY
R
OSS
, secretary of state

S
TEVE
B
RACKMAN
(Captain), senior military aide

L
ARS
S
IKES
, press secretary (referenced only)

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

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)

J
OHN
S
TANBURY
(Rear Admiral), Commander, Submarine Force Pacific (referenced only)

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

R
OBERTA
C
LARK
(Lieutenant Junior Grade), 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

S
AM
M
EADE
(Mess Specialist First Class), Night Baker

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

USS
LAKE ERIE
(TICONDEROGA CLASS GUIDED MISSILE CRUISER)

M
ARY
C
ORDEIRO
(Captain), Commanding Officer

S
HVETA
T
HAKRAR
(Lieutenant Commander), Tactical Action Officer

M
ARIO
C
AITI
(Senior Chief Fire Controlman), Combat Systems Coordinator

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), Rappeller

M
ARLON
C
RANE
(Special Warfare Operator Second Class), Replaced by Christine

OTHER CHARACTERS—MILITARY

L
ELAND
G
WENN
, call sign Vandal (Lieutenant), F/A-18 Pilot

L
IZ
M
ICHALSKI
, call sign Phoenix (Lieutenant), F/A-18 Pilot

S
TAN
B
ORUM
, call sign Shrek (Lieutenant Colonel), F-35B Pilot

J
ULIE
A
USTIN
(Lieutenant Commander), E-2C Combat Information Center Officer (CICO)

D
EBRA
D
RIZA
(Captain), Commander, Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard

OTHER CHARACTERS—CIVILIAN

M
ICHAEL
R
ICHARDSON
, U.S. Ambassador to China

D
ANIEL
D
E
V
OR
, Panama Canal Supervisor

C
ALEB
M
ALCOM
, Bluestone Security mercenary

A
LICE
L
OWEECEY
, Brandon County judge

T
INA
D
ILL
, Shemya Island Radar Operator

D
IMITRIOUS
L
OUPAS
, Shemya Island Radar Supervisor

C
INDY
P
ON
, Office of Naval Intelligence Analyst

J
INA
H
ONG
, Office of Naval Intelligence Analyst (night shift) (referenced only)

J
AY
W
OOD
, Office of Naval Intelligence Cryptologist

JAPANESE CHARACTERS

MILITARY

S
UZUKI
K
OKI
, Japanese Army Major

 

AUTHOR'S NOTE

I hope you enjoyed reading
Empire Rising
!

This was a more difficult book for me to write than
The Trident Deception
, for two reasons. The first was that it covered areas where I was not a subject matter expert and I had to rely heavily on the expertise of others. The second reason was the scenario itself—war with China and the potential outcome. Some of you will no doubt take exception to the way the U.S. Navy responded, and are convinced there is no way China could destroy virtually all of the Pacific Fleet. I offer you this in my defense—I think you're right!

My personal opinion is that an all-out naval war between the United States and China would be one-sided in the United States' favor and resolved rather quickly. Unfortunately, this would result in a pretty short book. So I “tweaked” a few things so China could go toe-to-toe with the Pacific Fleet, which hopefully made for more exciting reading. Although I try to keep things as grounded in reality as possible, there is no secret Chinese base at Yin Bishou, no sonar pulse that will dud our MK 48 torpedoes, and no malware in our Aegis Warfare System software. (At least, I hope not!) Additionally, I am aware of our war plans with respect to China and therefore cannot replicate them in
Empire Rising
. Or maybe I did. (Gotta keep 'em guessing, right?) Whether our carrier strike groups would actually swing inside the Taiwan Strait, for example, I leave for you to decide.

Also, some of the tactics described were generic and not accurate. For example, torpedo employment and evasion tactics are classified and cannot be accurately represented in this novel. The dialogue isn't 100% accurate either. If it were, much of it would be unintelligible to the average reader, the book filled with Navy acronyms and terms that even I had a hard time following, particularly in the aircraft carrier scenes. (Command and control aboard aircraft carriers is incredibly complicated compared to submarines, with multiple spaces—Combat Direction Center, Air Ops, ID Ops, the Tactical Flag Communication Center, Bridge, Tower—and it would take several chapters just to explain who does what to whom.) To help the story move along without getting bogged down in acronyms, weapon systems, and other Navy jargon, I simplified the dialogue and description of shipboard operations and weapon systems. Those of you who are sticklers for everything being 100% correct will hopefully forgive me.