A/N: I realize that as Awakening progresses, there are quite a few plot threads to follow. As I do not update as regularly as I like, I sympathize with readers who may not remember all the plot points from chapters earlier in the story. Since I don't really want to dedicate a "previously" section to every chapter, I decided to post a companion piece that will be an updated synopsis of the story so far. Readers can come here to get a summary of the events in the story leading to the current chapter.
The story has three main plot lines - Bella, Alice, Rosalie.
Isabella Swan
Decorated US Air Force fighter pilot. Father is the commanding officer for the military base in Forks, Washington. Most of the world is under Volturi control after a surprise attack, with remnants of the military fighting a war for survival. They are able to slow the invasion through deploying a massive number of mines between the human controlled territories in the west and the vampire controlled territories in the east. In terms of military technology the two forces are about even, which is how the humans can hold their own in navel and air force battles.
Bella is given a top secret mission to pick up and deliver a bioweapon capable of killing vampires, which will tip the war back in their favor. While on the mission, she is shot down and captured by the Volturi. She sustains serious injuries in the process. The leader of the Volturi occupation force in North America, Jane, has a special interest in Bella as she had killed Jane's brother, Alec, in an earlier mission. Jane wants Bella healthy for the spectacle of a public trial and so she'll last longer for torture.
Edward is a reluctant member of the Volturi Guard and is fascinated that his power does not work on Bella. He goes undercover as Bella's physical therapist to study her, but falls for her in the process. Eventually, he helps her escape. During the journey back to human controlled territories, they encounter the Quileutes, who were stranded away from La Push when the war first broke out. The Quileutes have survived under the radar in the wild in the contested border because they can match vampires in speed and strength in their wolf forms. They take Bella and Edward to their base camp, where people who were unable to get past the minefield gathered together for survival. Edward gains the trust of the Quileutes after he saves the life of a little girl in the camp.
When Bella and Edward decide to move on, Jake, Seth, and Leah join them. The group is ambushed by James and Victoria, two hunters dispatched by Jane. In the ensuing battle, Jake, Leah, James, and Victoria are killed. Edward and Bella are injured. Bella, Seth, and Edward are found by an Air Force patrol and brought back to Forks. Bella is separated from Edward, and learns he has been taken to a research facility to be experimented on using the recovered bioweapon. She realizes that she cares about Edward, and plots to break him out of the facility. She manages to get in contact with him at the facility, and Edward uses Morse code to pass her an address and a message about allies.
Alice Brandon
Volturi Oracle who has no recollection of her human past. The Oracles suddenly lose their power of Sight, and she is tasked to discover why. During her mission, she recovers some of her memories when she mets Jasper, a vampire who used to be her human fiancé during the 1860s. They decide to renew their romance after they reunited.
Alice is called back to Volterra. She learns that she is to be offered up as a gift by her maker, Delphi, to Felix because he knew of the Oracles' lack of visions. He threatens to make the knowledge public, which meant the Oracles would've lost their position within the Volturi Guard. Alice decides to run away rather than be with Felix.
During her escape, she encounters Lucy, an extremely powerful member of the Volturi. Lucy offers to keep Alice safe out of her dislike for Delphi, though Alice is initially dubious of her reasons. Alice reaches out to Jasper for help, and he abandons his post with the Volturi army to come to her aid. He kills two hunters while on the run, bringing down the wrath of the leader of the Hunters, Demetri. He sends his best Hunters, the Furies, to hunt Jasper down.
Jasper and Alice meet in their old home town, where they recover Alice's diary from her human days. When they read the diary, they are surprised to discover what seems to be prophetic writings and drawings, including one of Isabella Swan. Alice has hazy memories of the period after Jasper went off to war, and does not know why she wrote those things in her journal. Jasper decodes some of the writing as time and coordinates, and they decide to follow the journal and see where it leads them.
Rosalie Hale
Volturi Siren who is close to the Cullen family. After Bella's escape, Carlisle, Esme, and Emmett are placed under house arrest for Edward's betrayal. Rosalie attempts to ease the Cullens' punishment by striking a deal with the Triumvirate, leaders of the Volturi, to be a spy in case Edward contacts Carlisle or Esme. The Triumvirate (Aro, Caius, Marcus) seems to have a special interest in Isabella Swan, and believes tracking down Edward would be the best way to bring her back into their custody.
Rosalie is friends with Eleanor Falcon, Lucy's daughter. Eleanor does not know her mother is still alive as a vampire. Rosalie is being blackmailed by Royce King, who threatens her charity for war orphans with a financial scandal if she does not agree to turn him into a vampire.
Royce comes from a wealthy and influential family that has a long history of service to the Volturi. He holds a public celebration to announce his intentions to be a vampire. The party is attacked by unknown forces, killing and injuring many civilians. Royce Senior and Margaret King, Royce's parents, are killed. Eleanor saves Riley's life by knocking him down when the shooting started, but is critically hurt. Rosalie struggles with the decision to turn Eleanor to save her, but Carlisle proposes an alternative. He has been working on a synthetic blood to meet the increasing demands of the growing vampire population. He believes if Eleanor's blood is replaced with the synthetic before injecting her with vampire venom, she can recover without becoming a vampire.
Rosalie remembers Royce had funded research on the vampire transformation process. She intends to obtain the data from him in the hopes that it will help ease Eleanor's pain once the venom is in her system.