by L M Lacee
PRICE OF POWER
By L.M. Lacee
To believe in a possible future starts with a belief in oneself.
— Melody James.
Copyright
Daughter of Ethos
Book 3 PRICE OF POWER
By L.M. Lacee
Copyright © 2019 L.M. Lacee.
All rights reserved. Published by PrivotelConcepts
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Ant resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is coincidental.
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Table of Contents
PRICE OF POWER
Copyright
ONE:
TWO:
THREE:
FOUR:
FIVE:
SIX:
SEVEN:
EIGHT:
NINE:
TEN:
ELEVEN:
TWELVE:
THIRTEEN:
FOURTEEN:
FIFTEEN:
SIXTEEN:
SEVENTEEN:
EIGHTEEN:
NINETEEN:
TWENTY:
TWENTY-ONE:
TWENTY-TWO:
TWENTY-THREE:
TWENTY-FOUR:
TWENTY-FIVE:
TWENTY-SIX:
TWENTY-SEVEN:
TWENTY-EIGHT:
TWENTY-NINE:
THIRTY:
THIRTY-ONE:
THIRTY-TWO:
THIRTY-THREE:
THIRTY-FOUR:
THIRTY-FIVE:
THIRTY-SIX:
THIRTY-SEVEN:
THIRTY-EIGHT:
THIRTY-NINE:
FORTY:
TRANSLATION:
ONE:
Netta looked out the window of her cabin. It had been eight luneras since they had left Earth and five since she had found out she was an Elite. Life had changed dramatically for her, probably more than for many of the other females who had come from Earth, which she thought was saying something.
Now she was training every day with either Hawk or Dinas and was holding her own against the Commanders. For some reason her Rie never felt a threat when she sparred with the Elites, but when it came to Kerol or any of the other Warriors her Rie perceived them as a threat.
Hawk felt it was the unpredictability of Kerol and the Warriors and her reaction to this style of fighting that stimulated her Rie to defend her. Still, she enjoyed her bouts, especially with Kerol; he never pulled his punches just because she was a female and he let her try out new holds and ways to dump him on the mat. She still trained often with Melody in the blaster, which was always fun. As of the first of this lunera Melody was the highest competition scorer with Hawk a close second, this not only amazed the Terran Warriors but surprised the Jenersar Warriors.
The only difference in the Warriors attitude to her since it was discovered she was an Elite was just a touch more respect. In truth, everyone just treated her as they always did, which suited her. She liked the idea that she was thought of as a Warrior first and an Elite second.
Once when she had asked Kerol if the attitude of respect was really justified. He told her Elites had always warranted respect and not just because there were so few of them; it was because an Elite would and could turn a battle. It was something she thought about quite often.
She was not the only one who had adjusted well to working with the Warriors, after eight luneras the male and female Warriors were working together as if they had being doing it for yentas. She missed Trina, who had decided to resign after they returned from Porquiel and becoming mated to Jarrod, although she was invaluable as a linguist teacher. They still got to hang out together when she was planet side, and Trina was always at girl’s night.
Netta smiled and stretched her back. She had been sitting too long, but she was happy being on board ship again and on a mission with Peyton. Even Kerol was here as opposed to the last time Peyton had left home and they remained behind. Although, to be fair, Peyton had barely left Prime after returning with the Turqualls. Heather was still missed by everyone, even with the comm they indulged in every lunera, which usually coincided with girl’s night, her leaving had left a gaping hole in their lives. Netta thought Peyton was feeling the effects of her absence more than any of them, even Darby.
She would often find her sitting on her balcony quietly looking out on the vista when she asked her what she was thinking about she would smile and say she was just thinking of Heather. Netta had stopped telling her to comm her, because she always refused, saying Heather needed time to live her own life.
Sighing, she shook off those thoughts and closed down the report Darby had sent her about the planet they were orbiting and were getting ready to shuttle down to. They were here to find out what had happened to the four hundred and fifty Warriors on mission, and why they had not answered the health check.
Hawk many luneras ago had sent out a request to all the worlds which they knew had been sent Warriors. Darby and her people had done a great job of searching out information about the planets where Warriors were meant to be. So far most worlds had either allowed the highest ranking Warrior to answer the comm or answered themselves, assuring Hawk that his Warriors were well. Those worlds where a Warrior was not spoken to, were followed up with a physical visit in the form of a Warship.
It seemed that in the last eight luneras the Emperor of Jenersar had not contacted any world to demand the return of his Warriors. Harmara and his Uncle Klune stated the Emperor was in a bad situation he could not recall the Warriors for fear of making himself look weak to the Coalition. It seemed that any hint that he had lost control of his Warriors, and his home world, could be invaded. Peyton and Hawk came to the same conclusion as the Solverea’s. The Warriors were safe for now.
Harmara had also reported the Empresses family was quietly trying to trace what had happened to the Emperor’s brother Sether. This was hindered by an apparent cataclysmic event that had wiped their vacationing world from the Galaxy. In his last report, he stated the world of Jenersar was in mourning.
Peyton was still waiting to be contacted by the Coalition, Netta thought she would be waiting forever. Like Melody, she believed that the Coalition was giving Peyton enough rope to hang herself with. Hawk and Dinas believed they were frightened of her and were keeping a low profile, like the Emperor of Jenersar, in the hopes she would forget about them.
Knock… Knock!
‘Yes.’
‘Get out here. I am not waiting for you knife girl.’ Netta grinned as Melody snarled at her and grabbed her jacket before opening the door. ‘I am coming, hold your horses.’
‘Oh new one, did you see that on a vid?’
‘No, I read it in a book.’
‘I suppose that as good as a vid.’
Netta smiled, Melody did not s
ound like she really believed reading was as good as watching a vid. She said as she walked out of her cabin. ‘You are addicted to those western vids.’
Melody rolled her eyes. ‘Of course, they are the best form of entertainment ever made. Now why are you late?’
‘Had to finish the report.’
‘Oh okay.’
‘Did you read it?’
‘Of course.’
Netta grinned as they raced for the lifts and entered with Kerol, who smiled. ‘Greetings this morn.’
They both returned the greeting. Melody asked him. ‘How you doing?’
‘Good, we are early I see.’
Netta growled at Melody. ‘So, not late.’
‘We could have been, you took so long.’
Netta’s spluttering response was lost as they arrived at the shuttle bay where Melody hurried from the lift, calling back over her shoulder. ‘See you later knife girl, stay safe.’
‘You too cowgirl.’
‘She is quick.’ Observed Kerol as Netta grimaced and snarled. ‘Especially, when she is wrong.’
He laughed, then said. ‘Take care Netta, see you for eve-meal.’
‘You to Kerol, do not get dead. Penny will kill us, and I am too young to die.’
He saluted her, grinning as he entered his shuttle. She looked after him and muttered. ‘I meant that my friend.’
Darby waved Netta over to where she stood just inside the cruisers door. ‘Netta, we are on this one.’
‘Greetings Darby.’
‘Greetings Netta, are you alright?’
‘Yep, you?’
‘Yes, hate going planet side.’
‘It will be fine, why are we on a cruiser and not a shuttle?’
‘I have no idea, I was just told to be on this one, Nikolas is piloting.’ She looked at Netta nervously.
‘We aren’t going to fight, are we?’
Netta hugged her reassuringly. ‘No, just a fact finding mission.’
‘I wish I believed you, oh is that her coming?’
Netta looked behind her just as Peyton stepped off the lift with Hawk and Rage. ‘Yes.’
Darby hurried inside, Netta followed more slowly as she looked around at all the Warriors and Turqualls streaming into the shuttle bay. She could see what Darby meant. To her as well, it looked like they were going into battle, instead of looking for some missing Warriors. She let her eyes travel over Peyton and noted how she and Hawk were dressed in combat gear. Maybe battle was an apt description. She walked into the cruiser which was very different to a shuttle which in truth was just a flying box with seats.
This ship was like a small Battlecruiser, as Jean often said. ‘Think of a really classy airliner from Earth and then step it up several notches and that was a cruiser.’
As she moved through the entrance, she could see what she meant, this one was all new shiny paint and fittings. She met Patty as she moved along a passage way. ‘Greetings Patty.’
‘Greetings Netta. Isn’t this great?’
‘It’s all shiny and new.’
Laughing, she agreed. ‘Although don’t mention shiny and new to Darby, she is still annoyed with all the outdated technology they have to work with, and apparently if she has to do any fine tuning whatever that is, she will pull her hair out.’
Netta grinned. ‘Huh, the same complaint she has about the Warbird good to know. At least she is consistent.’
Patty grinned. ‘There is that, well, I have to go.’
‘You are not coming with us?’
‘No, I just wanted to check that medical was equipped, in case it was needed.’
‘Okay, see you when we return.’
‘Let’s do eve-meal?’
Netta grinned and remembered she was to have eve- meal with Kerol. ‘Good idea, Kerol will be eating with us.’
‘Okay, take care Netta.’
‘Will do.’ Within mins of Patty leaving, she could feel the cruiser powering up she kept walking, looking for the war room where the briefing would take place.
TWO:
'Welcome to Planet Oraintarre.’ Darby read from her tablet as they came into land. ‘This world has three suns and seven moons, why I do not know, and apparently I am not meant to care, because I cannot change how our universe was originally organized. Even though it does not make sense most of the time.’
No one commented on what was becoming a typical Darby tirade on the number of moons and suns a planet needed whenever a world was discovered to have more than one or two of each. The fact Prime, her home world, had more than two suns and moons did not seem to equate with her annoyance on this topic. Her complaint was heard repeatedly and still no one had any idea why this fact seemed to either confuse her or offend her.
Peyton and the others were slightly wary of asking her to explain. The truth was, as Hawk was heard quoting. If they did ask, would they understand the answer?
Darby scowled when no one made a sound, and harrumphed, then stated. ‘Now, this is a Matriarchal society with a population of one million inhabitants and has a breathable atmosphere, the world is primer medium which for those of you who did not or refused to read my reports, means medium technology.’
‘Was she talking about me?’ Peyton asked no one in particular.
Netta shrugged. ‘I would say yes, as I read my reports.’
‘See, now you are just showing off.’
‘Why is that showing off? I really do read them.’ Netta asked, confused with her statement.
‘Enough.’ Hawk insisted. ‘Now Darby, you were saying?’
‘Yes.’ She gave Peyton and Netta a narrowed eyed stare. ‘As I was saying the planet is mainly mining, they import just about all their tech and products and have one mineral that is the driving force behind their economy. A substance that can be used in incubation tubes. When planets clone their citizens, this mineral makes the clones produced hardier and more durable. The mineral allows the geneticists to create a body to endure just about any environment; most of the mining planets have brought or traded for the mineral now in use.’
Peyton asked as she looked out the window of the war room. ‘What color is it?’
‘Why?’
‘Because from orbit the planet looked red, and I was wondering if the substance is red?’
‘Why does that matter?’
She shrugged. ‘I don’t know. Sheesh, it was just a question Darby, if you don’t know, just say so?’
‘I do know as you should, because once again this was answered in my report.’
‘You know what you can do with your report…’
Janet asked a little louder than normal. ‘I wonder if that is why all the people are red.’
‘What now?’ Peyton asked as she stared at her.
‘Oh sorry, did I say that out loud?’
Netta murmured. ‘Good one.’
‘Are they?’
‘Are they what?’
‘So the planet is red and the people are red and the mineral is red. Is the whole planet made up of this red substance?’ Peyton asked Darby, who shrugged and frowned as she asked. ‘How would I know?’
Feigning shock, Peyton opened her eyes wide. ‘You don’t know.’
Darby’s frowned deepened. ‘You know, you are sort of being a pain now.’
‘Am I really, or are you sort of being a science snob?’
‘Is that even a thing?’ Janet asked Netta.
She replied with a serious tone. ‘It could be, she did say it.’
Janet grinned as she said. ‘I see your point.’
Hawk drawled. ‘Ladies may we continue. Melody is going to be annoyed if we make her wait, and if I can avoid listening to her yell today, it would make my yenta.’
‘He has a point too.’ Darby stated to everyone’s agreement. Janet asked thoughtfully. ‘I wonder if the planet is sentient, that would be so cool?’
Peyton grinned as she told her. ‘Oh, it is.’
‘It is what now?’ Demanded Darby.
/> Hawk sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. ‘Really, Warrior Janet.’
‘I am sorry Commander Hawk.’
‘Yes, I am sure you are. Darby, please continue, let us not upset Melody.’
‘Fine but we will discuss this later.’ She told Peyton, who waved her hand around. ‘Yeah... yeah.’
Darby gave her a hard look and said. ‘So this mineral...’
‘Wait!’ Peyton halted her. ‘Can it be used by every species?’
Darby shook her head. ‘No, which makes it very valuable, it can only be used on specific species.’
Netta asked. ‘Is this the only planet that mines it?’
Peyton snarked. ‘I thought you read your report.’
Netta retorted. ‘It wasn’t in there.’
‘Oh really.’
They both looked at Darby, who shrugged and refused to answer the unasked question. Hawk said with an eye on both females, daring them to speak again.
‘So those worlds who import it are now able to introduce a populace to an environment most beings would be unable to survive in.’
‘Yes.’ Darby answered. ‘Our Warriors were initially used as guards for the mineral shipments but some, if not all, have been made to stay planet side, for the last two yentas. From what I can gather from the data stream and bits and pieces of chatter. It is rumored that the new Matriarch who has only been in power for the last three yentas, and is not on the planet, and has not been for the last five luneras, was the one who instigated this policy.’
Hawk said. ‘That explains why our request for information on our Warriors has gone unanswered.’
Darby disagreed. ‘Not necessarily, even though she is not here, she maintains control. She should have known of the contact; her sisters do nothing without her confirmation, or so it seems. It appears that she and her sisters and selected family members have taken some Warriors as personal guards. What they are doing or have done with the remainder I cannot say and I cannot find out, I am still looking.’
Hawk nodded. ‘So a clear violation of the agreement. The Warriors assignment was to guard the shipments only.’