“Walk with me, Lieutenant Commander,” he said, and we headed towards a vacant corner, leaving his AI behind. “Congratulations,” he added.
“Thank you, sir. Do I congratulate you as well?”
“You do. The meeting with the Imperator was not a pleasant one, but he watched the enquiry vid, and conceded what had been said made sense. Most of the argument was about making me a wing commander, but I finally made your argument work. We’re both the same rank now, and we can work together better like this. Can’t we?”
“I hope so. Although it makes no sense having thirteen squadrons led by a squadron leader. I think I agree you should have been made a wing commander.”
“That may happen, and I said I’d accept it when it was necessary. But it will either be when our respective commands part company, or when you get your oak leaf.”
I laughed.
“Then you’re safe for a good long time. I’m way too young to be promoted any further.”
“Age has nothing to do with it. The Imperator was an admiral at your age. And you could well be as well.”
“Perish the thought. I think I’m over promoted already.”
He chuckled.
“So did I, when they started booting me upwards. But I was already living the dream, and never wanted any more. You’re just getting started.”
“Do you mind me asking about the marshal?”
“What about him? You mean the tension between us?” I nodded. “We go back a long way. He was my first squadron commander, and I guess I was a sort of a protégé of his. But all I wanted to do was lead a squadron, and he had ambitions to run the British Sector military. We both achieved our goals, but when he wanted to promote me again, I resisted every time it came up. Finally, I had to quit the British military to avoid being forcibly promoted, my 266 squadron went with me, and we turned mercenary.”
He sighed.
“We had no contact after that, which was probably just as well, and I was down to just five of us in the squadron, when the Imperator almost blew us all away, and then hired us. Then the Midgard war began, and I found myself commanding a jump point defense of the Australian Sector in a civilian version of the Gunbus corvette, and then ever increasing sized ships during the Darkness War. About half way through that, Marshal Bigglesworth joined the fleet with Admiral Jedburgh and General Harriman, plus a couple of other four stars who went to Gaia when we all stayed behind with Jon. They made him wear five stars, and he was only a year older than you.”
He paused, and I waited for him.
“Ever since we met up again, we’ve both been too busy to resume our feud, and anyway, he got what he wanted to see me become, so he was happy.”
“How is he now?”
“Most likely plotting behind my back.”
He said it with a grin.
“Do you know where we go from here, sir?”
“No, but expect orders in the morning. And don’t call me sir anymore.”
“But you’re still vastly senior to me, just in terms of time in rank.”
“That time in rank is why I still command the wing, but between us, we need to be equals. Bud, look. Call me Algy in private. We need to build a working relationship. You’ve got the command smarts, I’ve got experience. Between us, we can get the jobs done. What?”
He must have seen my confused look, which I’d wiped off my face as soon as I felt it shift on.
“Isn’t Algy a form of fungus?”
He laughed.
“It’s short for Algernon, which I’m not fond of being called. Anyway, let me know when you get orders for us. Assuming we don’t get an early mission or a dawn patrol, we should meet and agree on some ground rules.”
“That we should. See you in the morning.”
“Later.”
He walked off, with his AI co-pilot moving to catch up with him. I went back to where my lot were talking to some infantry junior officers.
Serena came up next to me, and slipped her arm in mine. The Imperator was undoubtedly going to give us some sort of war based pep talk soon, and we had to stay for it, at the least. Woof was the first one to start dancing with a very pretty infantry lieutenant who towered over him, and who apparently didn’t notice the difference. Mel began dancing with a female navy Jig, and soon everyone was dancing with someone.
I took Serena by the arm and waist, and we began a slow dance together. She was finally looking like her normal self, but I was still worried the fungus had done something to her. Only time would tell if they had. In the meantime, slow dancing turned more into a hug with swaying movements.
Laughter came from the Imperator’s side of the room, but the two of us were lost in each other’s touch. The next challenge would be getting to sleep early enough to ensure whatever order we had in the morning wouldn’t see us looking like we had after the previous one of these parties we’d been to.
And after all, I was a junior-senior officer now, and was feeling the full weight of responsibility for a carrier force. This was no time to drink, or indulge in too much bed sport.
As if she knew what I was thinking, Serena pulled a little away from me.
And smiled.
Bud will return
in
Lieutenant Commander Spacemage.
Acknowledgements
Thanks to –Jeff- for the design of the Super-Gunbus based corvette on the cover, and Kalen O’Donnell for the mage ring.
Also thanks to Egosoft for the cover background, from their game X4: Foundations.
A Message to my Readers
As always, this was a lot of fun to write.
Most of my books are written with a reasonable idea of where they’re going, while deviating wildly on the way, as the characters do their thing.
But this book is different. One thing about books I love reading, is where during the first read something happens, and you say to yourself, “I didn’t see that coming”.
And now I’ve written a book where I can also say the same thing as the author. I really didn’t see a lot of what happened in this book coming.
And if anything, it made the writing process so much more satisfying.
If you’ve enjoyed this book, I hope you will take the time to leave a review on the Amazon site. All reviews are greatly appreciated, as they help assist purchasing decisions by other readers.
Sales and reviews help me to focus on my next challenge. I'm a full time novel writer and as such, sales and KU reads pay my bills, and my ability to continue writing is dependent on sales of this series, and what comes after.
As well as individual book reviews, I hope you will visit the Amazon series page, and leave a series review. The series page can be accessed from any book page.
I thank you for your support, and hope you will continue to read my next book.
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Timothy Ellis
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Read the series in this order
The Hunter Leg
acy Timeline
Approx. 3100 years before Hero to the End
Yesterday's Spacemage (chapter one)
Tomorrow's Spacemage
646 years before Hero to the End
The Long Road to Gaia
102 years before Hero to the End
One Last Battle (a short story)
82 years before Hero to the End
Yesterday's Spacemage
Today's Spacemage
Tomorrow's Spacemage
2 Years before Hero to the End
Hero at Large
Hunted Hero Hunting
Send in the Hero
Make or Break the Hero
Hail the Hero
Burnside's Killer
Hire a Hero
Jane's Christmas
Hero to the Rescue
Hero at the Gates
The Long Road to Gaia
1 Year before Hero to the End
Home is Where the Hero Is
Hero in Darkness
Hero to the End
Here be a time line shift.
Immediately after Hero to the End (Gaia galaxy)
Admiral of Gaia
Kingdom of Hunter's Run
Snark's Quest
Destiny Stone
Talisman of Tomorrow
Leader of Sector Ten
Immediately after Hero to the End (Earth galaxy)
Crossover
Hunter's Terminus
Reaper's Crossroad
Blind into the Breach
Legend of Dreamwalker
Imperium Knight Chaos Rising
Imperator
Midshipman Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage 1)
Ensign Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage 2)
Rogue Unit
Lieutenant Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage 3)
Lieutenant Commander Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage 4) *Forthcoming*
The Hunter Legacy Universe Series in the order written:
The Hunter Legacy
A.I. Destiny
The Spacemage Chronicle
The Hunter Imperium
Imperium Spacemage
Lieutenant Spacemage (Imperium Spacemage Book 3) Page 25