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Short Fiction · Character

Lieutenant John Laird

A lone Imperial Solar Navy lieutenant who lands on a dead world and finds something in its buried vault that could doom Earth.

supporting

Also known as Laird, John Laird

First appearance: star ship

As a supporting figure in Short Fiction, Lieutenant John Laird is not background color—the story leans on what they do once the chapter opens.

Narrator and protagonist; a haunted Solar Survey officer possessed by the Vwyrddan Daryesh, struggling to maintain his identity and save Earth.
In the storyLord of a Thousand SunsOpen this moment free

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Laird works alone, buried in the ruins of a ghost city on a bleak, moonlit planet, sifting through a labyrinth for a prize he barely understands. When a ship's hum returns to the sky, he faces the terror that his weeks…

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Character Web

13 connections

A slice of how Lieutenant John Laird sits in the book — open the reader for the full interactive map.

DODaryesh of Tol…MBMike BladesJCJimmy ChungSASimon ArchBJBo JonssonLJLieutenant John Laird

Relationship types

  • Other

Character groups

  • Imperial and alien fighters
  • Feudal lords and agents
  • Protagonist

+8 more in the full Character Web

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Narrative arc

Story tension across the book.

SetupEscalationAftermathClimax
  • Setup
  • Escalation
  • Breaking point
  • Aftermath
  • Closing

This excerpt marks the dramatic climax because Donovan reaches an emotional and psychological peak of grim rea…

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In the story

Lieutenant John Laird appears across 1 companion beat. Open any chapter in the free preview to see the notes beside the text.

Chapter companion notes

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See Lieutenant John Laird in star ship