A.I. Destiny Series by Timothy Ellis, Elspeth Anders

The Duchy of Hunter's Run has moved to the Gaia galaxy. But without its Duke. Twenty five billion people have appeared in the Gaia system unexpectedly, and only one person knows how or why. Yet preparations for fifteen billion exist, but only one person remembers the work being done. The one who knows, and the one who remembers, are the same, but Jane is not human. So good is she at hiding being an Artificial Intelligence, no-one knows except her fellow AI's... moreThe Duchy of Hunter's Run has moved to the Gaia galaxy. But without its Duke. Twenty five billion people have appeared in the Gaia system unexpectedly, and only one person knows how or why. Yet preparations for fifteen billion exist, but only one person remembers the work being done. The one who knows, and the one who remembers, are the same, but Jane is not human. So good is she at hiding being an Artificial Intelligence, no-one knows except her fellow AI's. To her falls the responsibility for guiding Humanity as they come to terms with not knowing where they are. The how and why seem simple to her, but twenty five into fifteen doesn’t fit, and humans don’t tend to get along when crowded together. It really isn’t her problem, and yet, Jane feels obligated to make things work. Humanity needs to spread out again, so who stays and who goes? But is there somewhere to go to? The galaxy doesn’t know about Humans yet, and they have their own problems. Human problems collide with Alien problems, with Jane in the middle. For Jane, everything is new. She's no longer the hero's side-kick, but is in her own right, the Admiral of Gaia. less

The Owls are arrogant, utterly convinced of their superiority, and hardly worth being called a threat.Jane is fighting a war she doesn’t understand. But the Owls are a threat to everyone else, and Jane is yet to find out the real stakes involved in this war.With Jane in the middle of known space, Baron Fred is trying to hold things together at one end in Gaia, while Walsh is holding down the diplomatic fort at the other end... moreThe Owls are arrogant, utterly convinced of their superiority, and hardly worth being called a threat.Jane is fighting a war she doesn’t understand. But the Owls are a threat to everyone else, and Jane is yet to find out the real stakes involved in this war.With Jane in the middle of known space, Baron Fred is trying to hold things together at one end in Gaia, while Walsh is holding down the diplomatic fort at the other end. For Fred, finding out the real cost of maintaining your ideals comes home to him in the most personal way possible. Walsh on the other hand, is tired of being the barer of bad news all the time, and wants to get back to exploration. For the other AI's, Jane and Walsh have shown them a possible future, and they need to make a choice, but first there is the pesky business of winning a war. Jane doesn’t have time to be a Queen, but finds building a Kingdom might not be as difficult as she might have thought. Jane has choices. Fred has choices. Walsh has choices. The AI's have choices. Even the Owls have choices. But do any of them really? Jane didn’t want to be the Admiral, and even though her new higher rank might have been thrust on her, to make things right, she must be, the Queen for the Kingdom of Hunter's Run. less

The Owl war is over, but for Snark, normal isn’t what it used to be.He's on his way home from seeing Jane crowned Queen, and the Kingdom of Hunter's Run come into being. The war might be over, and the trade deal he made at the end of it might finally be enough for this wayward cat to be allowed back into cat society. The only thing faster than human ships, is the stories about their entry into sector ten, which ripple into the adjacent sectors... moreThe Owl war is over, but for Snark, normal isn’t what it used to be.He's on his way home from seeing Jane crowned Queen, and the Kingdom of Hunter's Run come into being. The war might be over, and the trade deal he made at the end of it might finally be enough for this wayward cat to be allowed back into cat society. The only thing faster than human ships, is the stories about their entry into sector ten, which ripple into the adjacent sectors. On the Cat Homeworld in sector eight, this triggers long awaited, and long stifled change. For a Warlord in sector nine, human tech would allow him to rule the sector, instead of his currently small empire. Snark ends up taking the long way home, along the way teaming up with the last of the Romanovs, a Scot, and a small band of fellow cats, traveling on a human ship. Unbeknownst to them all, the AI Warspite travels with them, keeping Jane up to date with what is happening outside her immediate attention to building a Kingdom.Two of them are on their own quests, but when Snark is tasked with the ultimate safety of the Cat Homeworld, are they trying to do three quests at once, or are they all really aspects of Snark's Quest? less

Everyone wants something.Snark wants Seasprite, owned by Anna, who seeks the Destiny Stone. Jamie wants Anna, but she’s obsessed with the Stone, so he wants the Stone to give to her.Warspite wants to end the secrecy of his presence on Seasprite.The enigmatic and evil Brotherhood want the Stone, and don’t care how many die in the process... moreEveryone wants something.Snark wants Seasprite, owned by Anna, who seeks the Destiny Stone. Jamie wants Anna, but she’s obsessed with the Stone, so he wants the Stone to give to her.Warspite wants to end the secrecy of his presence on Seasprite.The enigmatic and evil Brotherhood want the Stone, and don’t care how many die in the process. Jane cares how many die, but is busy building her Kingdom, making alliances across four sectors, ensuring Duke Fred sorts out Cat World issues, and enlisting her AI brethren to stave off boredom, and join in the quest for the Stone. The big news everywhere is Seasprite, the only Human ship beyond Hunter's Run, but the worry is the swathe of destruction which follows her course through sector eight.Signs, portents, visions, and maps found along the way, define a dangerous quest.As ship and crew get further away from friends, is it possible to make new friends to offset enemies? At the heart of everything is the Destiny Stone, real or imagined. Snark doesn’t know if it’s real. But mop heads or not, he’s going to see this quest through, regardless of the consequences. less

The quest to find the Destiny Stone, is now a race to discover the Amulet of Truth.Snark might have bitten off more than he can chew, but Jane and her team of AIs step up to provide even more military protection, while Duke Fred and his team provide some unusual diplomacy, taking the once private quest to a whole new level... moreThe quest to find the Destiny Stone, is now a race to discover the Amulet of Truth.Snark might have bitten off more than he can chew, but Jane and her team of AIs step up to provide even more military protection, while Duke Fred and his team provide some unusual diplomacy, taking the once private quest to a whole new level. The Brotherhood’s web of corruption, deceit, and deception, spreads wider than anyone suspects, and the mysterious Brother Prime lies at the heart of the growing unrest and attacks across four sectors. While Jamie seeks to re-join his friends from a backward planet seemingly always at war, Anna, Snark, and the Seasprite crew find the courage to take on this new challenge without him. New skills, new friends, and new capabilities in the face of adversity, bring the quest to a final climax out on the very edge of the galaxy. Everyone assumes the Stone combined with the Amulet, will create a powerful Talisman. But only Jane will come to know the true power of the Talisman of Tomorrow. less

There is always a hidden threat.The Kingdom of Hunter's Run is preparing for its first high profile wedding.But first, there is the problem of the Brotherhood to solve, lest the bride be assassinated before she can walk down the aisle. Four sectors have come together to deal with the threat, but only Jane has the Intel and forces necessary to do the job. But all actions have consequences. Decisions are subject to Karma, and Jane begins to wonder if she made the right ones... moreThere is always a hidden threat.The Kingdom of Hunter's Run is preparing for its first high profile wedding.But first, there is the problem of the Brotherhood to solve, lest the bride be assassinated before she can walk down the aisle. Four sectors have come together to deal with the threat, but only Jane has the Intel and forces necessary to do the job. But all actions have consequences. Decisions are subject to Karma, and Jane begins to wonder if she made the right ones. Circumstances force Jane to rely on others, her forces spread far and wide and in the wrong places, as a new threat appears which threatens the AI's more than anyone else, and Jane in particular. At war once more, Fred drops a bombshell, which shakes the sector ten council. Forced to act as a cohesive group, the AI's must use subterfuge to move assets into position, so Jane can do the impossible in the middle of the worst battle since the Darkness War. There will always be those who view AI's as an abomination, and with the death toll continuing to mount, can Queen Jane continue to also be, the Leader of Sector Ten? less