The Vela is an original Realm sci-fi serialized fiction and audio drama written by Yoon Ha Lee, Becky Chambers, SL Huang, and Rivers Solomon for season 1 and Ashley Poston, Maura Milan, Nicole Givens Kurtz, and Sangu Mandanna for season 2 and cover art is made by Hector Mateo Pino for season 1 and Armin Rangani for season 2. It was released in March 2019. It has 2 seasons and 22 episodes.
Synopsis[]
In a dying star system, a soldier for hire uncovers a universe-shattering secret while hunting for a missing refugee ship.
Official synopsis
Premise[]
This serial is about Asala Sikou who is used to looking after number one while crisis reigns in her dying planetary system. But when she's hired to find a missing refugee ship, she discovers that this is no ordinary rescue mission, and she must play a role in deciding the fate of the whole universe.
Characters[]
- Asala Sikou, an ex-military operative trying to avoid her own refugee past
- Niko, a hacker from a privileged background who's trying to take a stand against the social injustices perpetrated by their home planet
Episodes[]
Season 1: The Vela[]
| # | Title | Reading length | Listening length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | A Leisurely Extinction | 50 minutes | 89 minutes |
|
Soldier-for-hire Asala Sikou grudgingly accepts a mission that will take her to the far reaches of the system. | |||
| 2 | The Third Passenger | 44 minutes | 83 minutes |
|
The mission is off to a rocky start. | |||
| 3 | The Death-Cold | 46 minutes | 82 minutes |
|
On an icy planet, the search for information brings new leads. | |||
| 4 | Camp Ghala | 45 minutes | 82 minutes |
|
When they arrive at the refugee camp, Asala and Niko make a startling discovery. | |||
| 5 | The Heart of the Web | 39 minutes | 71 minutes |
|
There's one key to survival—and they've stolen it. | |||
| 6 | Fortress World | 38 minutes | 72 minutes |
|
A crash landing leads to a discovery. | |||
| 7 | The Traitor | 42 minutes | 78 minutes |
|
A clandestine meeting leads to a clash. | |||
| 8 | Gravity | 38 minutes | 68 minutes |
|
A battle is brewing. | |||
| 9 | The Battle of Gan-De, Part 1 | 37 minutes | 69 minutes |
|
Asala finds what she’s been searching for. | |||
| 10 | The Battle of Gan-De, Part 2 | 40 minutes | 74 minutes |
|
The wormhole opens. All hell breaks out. | |||
Season 2: Salvation[]
| # | Title | Reading length | Listening length |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | The Guilty | 16 minutes | 32 minutes |
|
Six months after the wormhole closed, Niko and the others left behind race to find another way out of their dying solar system. | |||
| 2 | Faraway Star | 24 minutes | 44 minutes |
|
A daring escape and a new friend give Niko something they haven’t had in a long time: hope. | |||
| 3 | Orbit | 19 minutes | 36 minutes |
|
On the other side of the wormhole, Asala sets off to explore their new world while Hana looks for a way back. | |||
| 4 | Stranger in a Strange Land | 22 minutes | 39 minutes |
|
Asala reaches the ground colony, but Salvation might not be the perfect home she’s looking for. | |||
| 5 | A Modest Proposal | 31 minutes | 61 minutes |
|
Hana continues her search for a way home while Niko poses as a soldier to look for Asala. | |||
| 6 | Demons | 31 minutes | 55 minutes |
|
A trek through the wilderness, mysterious spores, and strange dreams. Is something wrong with Salvation? | |||
| 7 | Deliverance | 31 minutes | 58 minutes |
|
Niko gives 3D printing a body another try and learns the horrifying truth about what Uzochi plans to do with Salvation. | |||
| 8 | Things Fall Apart | 31 minutes | 57 minutes |
|
While Uzochi tells Hana about her plans to open a new wormhole, Asala runs into trouble with the raiders. | |||
| 9 | A Great Escape | 27 minutes | 51 minutes |
|
Reunited at last, Asala and Niko team up to escape from the raiders’ camp. | |||
| 10 | Onward | 37 minutes | 70 minutes |
|
Asala and Niko race to find Hana and convince her to join them in stopping Uzochi. | |||
| 11 | The Last Light in the Sky | 29 minutes | 56 minutes |
|
As Uzochi races to open a new wormhole, Niko realizes that they are the only one who can stop her. | |||
| 12 | Another Way | 25 minutes | 46 minutes |
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As the dust settles, Asala finally finds a way forward without leaving anyone behind. | |||