Asen-Ger

Asen-Ger (real name Ansgar Asenger) is a Lodge Master, Summacum, and co-founder of the Terranauts. Appearing in 40 of the saga's 99 booklets, he stands as one of the most enduring figures in the series -- a mentor, strategist, and father figure to David terGorden. His true identity as the son of a Dragon Rider from the Sealed Land on Adzharis, and his connection to David terGorden's mother Myriam del Drago, places him at the nexus of the saga's deepest mythological threads.

Biography

Origins and the Founding of the Terranauts

Asen-Ger's origins lie far from the corridors of corporate power. Born as Ansgar Asenger, he is the son of a Dragon Rider from the Sealed Land on the planet Adzharis, making him kin to the ancient lineage of the del Drago clan. This heritage, concealed for decades, would only be revealed during his mission to the Sealed Land in 2502 (booklet 056), when he sought the dragon witches' aid to rescue David terGorden from Rorqual. His family connection to David's mother, Myriam del Drago, runs deep -- Asen-Ger was a friend and protector of Myriam long before her son was born, and it is this bond that would define the central axis of his life's purpose.

By approximately 2475, Asen-Ger had established himself within the power structures of the Terran corporate world, arriving at Biotroniks as a Terranaut operative working undercover within the Kaiser Corporation. He forged a relationship with Growan terGorden, David's father, becoming a trusted figure within the corporation while secretly building the network that would become the Terranauts -- a clandestine resistance movement among Drivers and Lodge Masters opposed to the Council of Corporations and its suppression of PSI powers and Driver autonomy.

The Heir of Power and the Early Rebellion (2499)

Asen-Ger's role in the saga begins in earnest in booklet 002, when Llewellyn 709 broadcasts a galaxy-wide PSI message declaring David terGorden as the "heir of power." Asen-Ger, then a prominent Lodge Master on Zoe, decides to investigate this claim personally. He commands the FENRISWOLF and maintains his own lodge of loyal Drivers, including Rollo, Greeny, Whity, Narda, and La Strega del Drago. However, the Gray Guards move to infiltrate his ranks: the Shadow agent Asi Caruga murders one of Asen-Ger's Drivers and takes his place, eventually sabotaging the FENRISWOLF to prevent Asen-Ger from following David to Terra.

Despite this setback, Asen-Ger's lodge saves David's life during a critical moment aboard the GDANSK, channeling a surge of PSI energy to rescue the young heir from a malfunctioning cargo lock. This act establishes the pattern that would define their relationship throughout the saga: Asen-Ger as the experienced protector intervening at moments of existential crisis.

When Max von Valdec uses the failed Kaiser Force demonstration to scapegoat the Drivers, inciting a galaxy-wide pogrom, Asen-Ger speaks out publicly against the persecution at Ultima Thule and is arrested and silenced (booklet 004). He is subsequently imprisoned in the Moon Dungeons, where the Kaiser Corporation subjects him to horrific experiments aimed at creating human robots. In booklet 006, he is freed by Kristan Percott, a Gray Lodge Master sent by Chan de Nouille to undermine Valdec. When Valdec remotely reprograms their escape ship to fly into the sun, Asen-Ger and Percott manage to launch a glider and crash-land near Ödrödir, where he reunites with David, Llewellyn 709, and Narda.

Defending Yggdrasil and the Fall of Zoe (2499-2500)

Following his escape, Asen-Ger takes a central role in the defense of Yggdrasil and the organization of the Terranauts as a fighting force. In booklet 007, he interrogates Percott, offering him asylum on Zoe in exchange for intelligence about the Gray Guard and Council operations. When the former Gray Guard deserter Flint attempts to sabotage peace negotiations in Blumenau, Asen-Ger is forced to kill him to prevent further bloodshed -- an act that reveals the moral weight he carries as a leader willing to make difficult choices. He also creates elaborate PSI illusions of fleeing Driver ships to draw the Gray Guards away from the Holy Valley, buying time for David to escape with the seeds of Yggdrasil.

Asen-Ger is freed from a second period of captivity in December 2499 and reunites with David aboard the MILAN en route to Zoe (booklet 011). On Zoe, he meets with the Summacums Jose Javage and Gram Ashmit to discuss the political situation and the possibility of negotiations with Pankaldi. He advocates for diplomatic engagement, believing that revealing the location of the Yggdrasil Seeds is necessary to secure a treaty -- a position that puts him at odds with David's more guarded instincts.

The destruction of Zoe by Valdec's Kaiser Force transmitter in booklet 012 represents one of the saga's darkest turning points. Asen-Ger travels to Earth to negotiate with the Council Assembly on behalf of the Drivers, only to be betrayed when Valdec stages a coup, declares a state of emergency, and reveals the MIDAS II. Milton Daut, who tried to help Asen-Ger escape, is killed by the Gray Guard. Asen-Ger himself is rescued only through the PSI intervention of Rollo and other Drivers, who teleport him to the VENEDIG. In the cataclysmic finale, as the Kaiser Force runs wild and Zoe's sun Spilter goes nova, Asen-Ger, David, Queen Mandorla, and a handful of Terranauts escape in a courier ship, detonating a nuclear bomb to slow the energy cascade.

Marooned on Rorqual (2500-2502)

The Terranauts' escape in the courier ship TASCA leads them to the mysterious planet Rorqual in Space II, a world that would become their home and base of operations for years. During the initial crash landing (booklet 016), Asen-Ger's lifeboat disappears, separating him from David and the others. He and his companions -- including Queen Mandorla and Abdullah Orving -- endure terrible hardship. By the time David's expedition finds them in booklet 018, Asen-Ger and his group are starving and ill in the frozen north, working as virtual slaves in Raghan's mine. Abdullah Orving has died, and Mandorla is gravely sick. David leads a forceful liberation, storming Raghan's fortress and taking the supplies needed for survival.

On Rorqual, Asen-Ger channels his energy into building a fortified settlement on Pitcairn, establishing the infrastructure the Terranauts need to survive and eventually strike back at the Council. However, this fortress-building obsession creates tension with David (booklet 029), who questions Asen-Ger's priorities and strategy. During a confrontation with Calen Cameron -- a Driver with uncontrolled PSI powers who attempts to kill David -- Asen-Ger intervenes and accidentally kills Cameron, an act that deepens the cracks in the leadership dynamic between himself, David, and Llewellyn 709.

The War Against the Council and the League of Free Worlds

As the Terranauts repair the TASCA and begin operations in normal space, Asen-Ger serves as the strategic mind behind many of their campaigns. In booklet 022, he leads the PSI efforts to extract intelligence from the captured Alpha courier Queen Ganshe, altering her orders to weaken Valdec's armada before the Battle of Ginger. In booklet 034, he and David discuss the strategic situation on Rorqual, and Asen-Ger expresses concern about David's psychological changes and the questions he brought back from his "glimpse into the past."

When Edison Tontor and the League of Free Worlds become allies of convenience, Asen-Ger serves aboard the LASSALLE during military operations, including the liberation of Oglallah (booklet 039). He grows increasingly alarmed by Tontor's ruthless methods and thirst for power, recognizing in the industrialist a potential mirror of Valdec's tyranny. His strategic instinct proves correct when Tontor's overreach -- and the malfunctioning Gravitron -- creates a catastrophic black hole, destroying Tontor and forcing the Terranauts to flee into Space II with sixteen salvaged Driver ships.

The Hate Plague and Return to Earth (2501-2502)

During the Hate Plague crisis (booklet 046), Asen-Ger is among the Terranaut leadership on Rorqual when Valhala 13, a double of Llewellyn 709, infiltrates their base and attacks. Asen-Ger recovers from a hate plague surge and discovers a dead Driver, while Mandorla warns him of Rorqual's changing landscape. The Terranauts ultimately arrive with the antidote, saving Asen-Ger and the others.

The pivotal booklet 050 shows Asen-Ger at his most diplomatically astute. When Cantos, the Genessaner, arrives on Rorqual to warn of an impending alien attack triggered by Kaiser Force's destruction of the planet Xaxon, Asen-Ger argues forcefully for compromise with the Council, contrasting with Llewellyn 709's refusal to negotiate. His pragmatic position -- that ending Kaiser Force matters more than punishing the corporations -- helps facilitate the alliance with Chan de Nouille that ultimately defeats the alien threat. After the crisis, Asen-Ger remains on Earth alongside Llewellyn, Narda, and Mandorla to track down Kormolan Jilith.

The Quest for David and the Dragon Witches (2502)

When David becomes trapped on Rorqual after the dimensional gate seals, Asen-Ger takes the initiative to mount a rescue. In booklet 056, he reveals his true identity as Ansgar Asenger, son of a Dragon Rider, and travels to the Sealed Land on Adzharis with Narda. He hires the guide Nell Ohara and navigates the dangers of the forbidden zone to reach Nayala del Drago's clan. His revelation that David is the son of Myriam del Drago -- and therefore kin to the dragon witches -- convinces the clan to help. A ritual transports Asen-Ger, Narda, and Nayala toward Rorqual, where they arrive with the dragon Sufnor (booklet 057) and rejoin David for the perilous journey to the Great Abyss and into the hollow world of Rorqual itself.

The Heart of Rorqual and the Second Driver Space Age

Inside Rorqual's hollow interior (booklet 058), Asen-Ger serves as David's advisor as they confront the Tau Ulema, the sentient World Tree controlling the planet's space trap. His knowledge of the Kaiser Force and the Intercosmological Anti-Entropy System proves invaluable as David negotiates with the Tau Ulema for the freedom of Rorqual's inhabitants and the lifting of the planet's isolation. In booklet 060, when the TASCA escapes into Space II, Asen-Ger experiences a vision of Kaiser Force's destructive nature -- a prophetic warning that reinforces his commitment to ending the technology.

On Adzharis, Asen-Ger helps defend the new Yggdrasil seedling against Queen Stella by Starlight and Valdec loyalists. When David successfully cultivates the seedling and produces the first new mistletoe, Asen-Ger recognizes this as the cornerstone of the Second Driver Space Age. He accompanies David to Earth to claim the Biotroniks Corporation inheritance (booklet 074), where they explore the Primeval Palace and are captured by robots -- only to be "rescued" by Chan de Nouille's Gray Guards, who inadvertently destroy the Book Myriam's secrets.

The Late Saga: Sarym, the War of the Castes, and Transformation (2503-2504)

In the later booklets, Asen-Ger transitions from field operative to elder statesman. On Sarym (booklet 070), he serves as deputy chairman of the Driver Council, managing the crisis of the Silent Drivers -- former PSI-gifted individuals whose surgically removed powers are causing a mysterious illness. During the War of the Castes on Earth (booklet 079), he stands with David as the old order is overthrown, the Council dissolved, and corporate assets transferred to worker control.

In the saga's penultimate and final booklets, Asen-Ger is present at the transformative moments: he is among the freed prisoners in Ultima Thule when Cosmic Spores transform the city into a jungle (booklet 099), witnessing David's announcement of Valdec's death and the dawn of a new ecological civilization. He remains "the towering leader of the Terranauts" to the end, his journey from undercover operative to revolutionary elder complete.

The Alternate Timeline

In booklet 025, David and Helena Koraischowa are transported to a future timeline set in 2597, where they encounter an aged Asen-Ger leading the last remnants of the Terranauts in a post-apocalyptic Earth. In this alternate reality -- where David died in 2500 -- Asen-Ger reveals that Valdec's Kaiser Force transmitter devastated the solar system. He provides David and Helena with a glider to stop Valdec and save this doomed reality, demonstrating that even across timelines, Asen-Ger's role remains that of the steadfast guide and protector.

Key Actions

• Saved David terGorden's life through a PSI energy surge from his lodge aboard the GDANSK (002)
• Arrested and imprisoned in the Moon Dungeons after publicly defending Drivers against Valdec's pogrom (004)
• Escaped the Moon Dungeons with Kristan Percott, surviving Valdec's attempt to fly their ship into the sun (006)
• Killed Flint to prevent sabotage of peace negotiations in Blumenau (007)
• Created PSI illusions of fleeing Driver ships to cover the Terranauts' escape from Greenland (007, 008)
• Negotiated with the Council Assembly on Earth on behalf of all Drivers, only to be betrayed by Valdec's coup (012)
• Escaped the destruction of Zoe with David and Mandorla in the TASCA (012)
• Survived months of starvation in Raghan's mine on Rorqual (018)
• Accidentally killed Calen Cameron while defending David from a PSI assassination attempt (029)
• Led PSI extraction of intelligence from captured Gray Guard courier Queen Ganshe (022)
• Built the Terranaut fortress on Pitcairn, establishing a permanent base on Rorqual (029)
• Revealed his true identity as Ansgar Asenger, son of a Dragon Rider, to the del Drago clan (056)
• Orchestrated the rescue mission to Rorqual via the Sealed Land and the dragon witches (056)
• Experienced a prophetic vision of Kaiser Force's destructive nature in Space II (060)
• Explored the Primeval Palace of Biotroniks with David, seeking the Book Myriam (074)
• Served as deputy chairman of the Driver Council on Sarym (070)
• Remained on Earth to track down Kormolan Jilith after the Xaxon crisis (050)

Relationships

Appearances (40 of 99 booklets)

Themes

The Pragmatic Idealist

Asen-Ger embodies the tension between idealism and pragmatism that runs throughout the saga. While Llewellyn 709 represents uncompromising resistance and David sometimes wavers between destiny and doubt, Asen-Ger consistently advocates for the strategic middle path: negotiation where possible, force where necessary. His willingness to engage with the Council, even after repeated betrayals, reflects not naivety but a calculated assessment that the Terranauts cannot win through militancy alone. His advocacy for abolishing Kaiser Force through diplomatic channels -- even allying with the morally ambiguous Chan de Nouille -- proves vindicated when the alien threat forces the Council's hand.

The Hidden Heritage

The revelation that Asen-Ger is Ansgar Asenger, son of a Dragon Rider, reframes his entire arc. His lifelong devotion to protecting David is not merely political or ideological but deeply personal -- rooted in kinship with the del Drago line and a sense of obligation to Myriam's legacy. His concealment of this identity mirrors the saga's broader theme of hidden connections between the human and cosmic orders.

The Father Figure

With Growan terGorden dead early in the saga and Merlin III sacrificing himself, Asen-Ger becomes the enduring paternal presence in David's life. He is the steady hand when David doubts himself, the voice of caution when David acts impulsively, and the strategist who turns David's visions into actionable plans. Their relationship evolves from mentor-student to co-equal partners as David matures, but Asen-Ger never stops protecting him -- from PSI assassinations, political betrayals, and his own darker impulses.

Endurance Through Suffering

Few characters in the saga endure as much physical suffering as Asen-Ger. Imprisoned and experimented upon in the Moon Dungeons, nearly flown into the sun, separated and starved on Rorqual, afflicted by the Hate Plague, captured by robots in the Primeval Palace -- his body bears the scars of decades of resistance. Yet he persists, rebuilding after each catastrophe, whether it is constructing a fortress on Pitcairn or organizing the Driver Council on Sarym. His endurance is the saga's testament to the idea that resistance is sustained not by single acts of heroism but by the stubborn refusal to stop.

The Bridge Between Worlds

Asen-Ger uniquely bridges the saga's multiple dimensions of conflict: the political struggle between Corporations and Drivers, the mystical connection between Yggdrasil and the Dragon Riders, and the cosmic battle against Kaiser Force and entropy. His Dragon Rider heritage connects him to the ancient PSI traditions of Adzharis; his Summacum status places him among the intellectual elite of Zoe; his Terranaut leadership ties him to the revolutionary underground. No other character spans as many of the saga's thematic layers.