SOLAR WHISPER By Cameron Cooper

Hammer Down 1.0

Space Opera Novel

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A city of peace. A whisper of chaos. A legacy at stake. 

Lyonesse is a beacon of unity in a fractured galaxy, a space-based city-state built on the dream of integration and peace. For Danny Andela, it’s not just home—it’s her mission. As a fierce advocate for dissolving old feuds, Danny has spent decades working to unite the Carinad, Terran, and Bai worlds. 
 
But something is wrong in Lyonesse. A series of weird malfunctions—some laughable, others deadly—hint at deeper troubles within the city’s core. As whispers of unease ripple through its gleaming domes, Danny battles growing paranoia, questioning allies, and doubting the systems she once championed. Her fight for peace becomes a desperate race to uncover the truth before a catastrophic failure silences Lyonesse forever.  
 
Or should she?  Is Lyonesse the shade of an old enemy?  Danny must confront ghosts—and the terrible echoes of the war she thought she’d left behind.  Will she stop the chaos in time, or will Lyonesse become the spark that reignites the galaxy’s divisions? 
 
Solar Whisper is the first book in the Hammer Down space opera science fiction series by award-winning SF author Cameron Cooper. Hammer Down is a spin off from the acclaimed Imperial Hammer series and the Iron Hammer series, and features many of the characters and situations from both series. 

The Hammer Down series: 
1.0 Solar Whisper 
2.0 Rogue Star 
3.0 Total Eclipse 
4.0 Dawn’s Crucible 
5.0 Hypernova 
 
Also (only from Stories Rule Press): 
Cameron Cooper’s Super-Bundle 
 
Space Opera Science Fiction Novel

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Excerpt

EXCERPT FROM SOLAR WHISPER
COPYRIGHT © CAMERON COOPER 2025
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

I stalked back into the central courtyard of the house, trailing steam, and went straight over to my office, and settled behind the terminal. It took a few minutes waiting in line for a connection, then the call went through, surprising me at it always did, for I was tapping on the shoulder of a Personage. Dalton had teased me about being one myself, yet Tidrick was the real deal. The Bai Committee for Policy had no head. Not officially. If there had been one, Tidrick would have been it. 

Tidrik’s face appeared, and I blinked, adjusting to his new, youthful appearance. Tidrik had clearly taken advantage of Carinad regeneration therapies recently. That was unusual among the Bai. Carinad Athanasia therapies and technologies weren’t proscribed by the Bai, although their culture made it awkward to use them. It was considered cheating, there, to use external therapies, when their own disciplined lifestyles could extend a human life almost as effectively. Almost. And sometimes the discipline and time needed to achieve that longevity wasn’t possible. 

If anyone could plead too many competing priorities to spend the time needed to restore and rebalance their health, it was Tidrik. 

It was also Tidrik’s open-mindedness about contact with the other worlds that had driven the Bai to reach out and make contact with me during the Terran-Carinad war. 

Tidrik was a fellow traveler. Philosophically, at least. 

I took in his dark, wavy hair, coppery-colored, unlined face, and the trimmed beard framing his sharp chin and clear jaw. “Wow.” 

Tidrik smiled briefly. “Thank you.” 

“Do the Committee pull their robes aside as you pass?” 

His smile this time was broader, as he ran a knuckle over his jawline. “I’ve had some interesting roundabout conversations with several of them. They try to express their dismay while also trying to learn more about the process.” His eyes twinkled. “Sometimes, you must force change.” 

“Your appearance will tap upon the vanity of many,” I told him. “Those who are feeling the draft of time running out will be easily swayed, too. Just walking among your people will crack the door open a few more centimeters.” 

“That is the exact and only reason I did it,” Tidrik assured me, his tone flat with false sincerity. 

I laughed. “At least you’re aware that you have human weaknesses, Tidrik. I can’t say that for some of the Bai.” 

“A step at a time, Danny,” Tidrik said. “We can’t drop from our lofty, isolated heights all at once. Not safely.” 

“Safe and slow is the only way to do it,” I agreed, for we had had this conversation in the past, more than once. “Fast is how revolutions and wars begin.” 

He nodded. “Are you not supposed to be in the council room, next door, for the planning meeting?” He pointed over his shoulder, to the room behind his office in the Committee building. 

“That’s why I’m calling,” I told him. “I tried to cross over about twenty minutes ago, only my visa has been revoked.” And I watched his face closely. 

A slight furrow appeared between his brows. “That cannot be.” 

I hid my relief. If Tidrik didn’t know about this, then it was likely just a system error somewhere. There wasn’t a conspiracy among the Bai who didn’t like me to stop me from completing what I had started. Although, if there was a conspiracy, would Tidrik be part of it? 

We didn’t advertise how closely we coordinated our efforts, he and I. His moderate and open policies caused enough dismay among the traditionalist Bai. Adding in a close association with me, the Carinad who had helped bring the Bai out of isolation after the war, might damage the considerable influence Tidrik had over the Committee. 

So, we stayed down low. Tidrik had not been part of the sub-committee who had bargained over the contract to hold their policy conference here on Lyonesse and had also declined to be part of the planning committee, too. 

As far as most Bai were concerned, we were nodding acquaintances only. If there was a get-Danny conspiracy out there, it was highly likely he would have caught wind of it. Tidrik heard everything of importance on Haven, sooner or later. 

“I told the travel agent it had to be a mistake,” I said. “Agents can’t override the bridge hardware, so…” I shrugged, trying to make it look like I wasn’t steamed about this, merely delayed. 

Tidrik knew me too well. He held up a hand. “I apologize for the disruption this has caused you, Danny. I will have an assistant inform the planning committee that you have been delayed and why. They might open the shields so that you can attend remotely, instead.” 

The shield preventing remote communications was a form of Faraday cage that the Bai had put around their Committee room, which was the reason I wasn’t talking to the committee chair, the far-too-polite Cassan. 

“Or delay the meeting until I can step across,” I said. “I think I would prefer that, than to try to read faces through a screen.” 

“Let me see what I can do,” Tidrik said. “I will have this visa matter investigated. It is a curious thing.” 

Curious wasn’t the word I would have used, yet it would do, if it was enough to get someone on Haven to restore my visa. 

“Who should I talk to about this, in future?” I asked. 

Tidrik didn’t question why I was asking for another contact. The less we directly communicated, the better. And Tidrik would not investigate himself. People might ask why Tidrik was interested in matters concerning Danny Andela, the Iron Hammer and pro-integration Carinad. He would direct someone he trusted to dig into it and fix it. That was the name I wanted now, because I had no intention of sitting around my courtyard waiting for the Bai to let me back into Haven. The Bai were good at passively stalling until you ran out of patience and gave up. I would hound them into fixing this. I had work to do. 

Tidrik rubbed his jaw again, this time thoughtfully. “Ask for Selis,” he said at last. 

“Ambitious?” The ambitious ones were eager to please Tidrik and impress him with their acumen. 

“Great-grandson.” He smiled. “So, very ambitious.” 

If Selis was Tidrik’s family, then ambition was in his DNA, along with the political savvy needed to service that ambition. 

“Selis,” I repeated. “Thank you.” 

“A pleasure as always, Danny.” Tidrik inclined his head in a seated bow—which revealed his true age. Younger Bai didn’t bow or nod at anyone, anymore. “We should find time to dine together, sometime soon.” 

I laughed, because I knew what he was not saying. He wanted to eat chocolate—the type of chocolate only Carinad food printers could produce anymore. Soil-grown carob beans just didn’t taste the same. “You have the metabolism to work off a pound of chocolate, now,” I pointed out. 

“A fact I would like to test. Thoroughly.” He lifted his hand in a wave and disconnected. 

I sat back. My relief had tamped down the seething frustration a little, yet I was still edgy. Who else could I reach out to and shake to get things moving to fix this? There was no one among the Bai I trusted, who had the connections or position to do anything to help me. I had to wait for Tidrik and Selis to get moving on this. 

Which meant I was going to miss the first meeting. I knew damn well that Cassan would not reschedule the meeting. He was in the I-hate-Danny camp, although he hid it well. 

Damn, damn, damn! 

The talk of chocolate had tapped upon my subconscious and stress did the rest. I went into the dining room and asked the food printer for a big cup of hot chocolate. While I waited for it to cool enough for me to drink, rather than sip and wince, I let the problem roll around in my mind. 

Was this just a mix-up? Had someone accidentally included my visa number among a batch they’d cancelled? Had an AI somewhere taken its orders literally and without question? 

Or was there more to it than that? Cassan was not the only Bai…or Terran or Carinad or Xavien, I guess…who would find it pleasing if I couldn’t step over to Haven anymore. Especially today, and also into the future. 

It wasn’t smart to say it aloud anymore, because most people didn’t like the old-fashioned bigotry, yet there were still many people out there who believed that the four races should remain on their own side of interstellar borders that existed only in their own minds. They couldn’t say so aloud, yet that didn’t stop them from acting upon those biases if they thought they could get away with it. 

And for them, I was a big fat target—a perfect symbol of everything they hated. 

Was someone trying to target me?