Crusade of Vengeance
Page 46
“You can take care of things, my friends, and well…you can make your own future.” He looked out for a moment, at each of them, and then he added, “As can my people.”
Epilogue Two
Super-Battleship Cutter
System DV-1122
Earth Two Date 07.10.35455
He sat down, feeling tired, even old. He was old, older than anyone had ever been, older at least than anyone save his own people, and even among them, he was the eldest, or at least on par with twenty-five others still alive from the first batch. He had wondered for years—thousands of years—whether his people were immortal, or whether they just had long lifespans. But he had aged, and now, at over 35,000 years, he was…old. All his people were.
He turned and looked out over the bridge, over all the mechanical devices in place, operating the ship, and directing the fleet. His people,64,123 at their maximum, were down to 12,411. The deaths of the others had occurred from a variety of accidents over such a long period of time, a constant reminder that dying, while long not a concern in terms of aging, would still occur, that even his…people…had a limit on their time. He had tried calculating how long it would be until they…the Mules, he recalled, though it had been a long, long time since he’d heard them called that…all died, whether by accident or by some ultimate old age, but in the end there were just too many variables.
His people had lived on a planet for a time, one where perhaps a thousand remained, but most of them had found it too difficult to stay in one place for a long time. A few hundred years was nothing, but as the time passed into millennia, his people found they were more comfortable onboard a ship…as long as they had plenty of room to themselves. He was sometimes resentful of the humans, who could work in groups for the long term. His own people found that ever more difficult, though he realized he was looking at massively different times. Perhaps the humans would tire of each other as well if they had thousands of years together.
He looked at the display, at the 3D setup that he knew existed solely for him. He was the only non-automated member of the regular crew…at least in the two thousand years since the accident that had cost Callisto’s life. His companion, his lover for more than 33,000 years was gone now, and he was even more serious than he’d been before. And more alone.
He stared at his position. He was the leader of his people, as he had been almost since birth. But that had become less than it was, as they had gone toward being more alone, less of a concerted force. He remembered the days at the beginning of his life, the adventures of working with, and sometimes against, the other humans. But he had to let them go, he knew that…and he had, mostly. The humans had gone back through the reopened warp point and engaged in a series of seemingly unending adventures…but the empire they had finally founded had lasted well beyond 10,000 years, and he had hoped it would continue.
But the reports he had received were disturbing, enough for him to come, and to call out to several other vessels. First, he had been told that the human empire was, indeed, about to fall. That alone would have upset him, but it wouldn’t have drawn him in. People had risen and fallen before, and it had not led to their destruction. If, in fact, they were going to lose much of what they had, if it would take centuries or millennia to return to the levels that had attained in their empire, than so be it. But the second report had disturbed him. It was unlike anything he had ever seen before.
There were reports of another force, one human…but not. That had shaken Achilles, like nothing had for his entire life. He had supervised the Mule’s existence, monitored human development, but for the first time, he faced something different than the humans. Something that sounded a lot like his own race.
This strange species had been defeated by the empire, which almost told him he didn’t have to worry about them, that they were nowhere near as strong as his own people. But the closer he looked, the more he had realized that the enemy had been small and disorganized when the empire had ejected them…but they had grown a great deal since, in a very short time. And that had struck at him, hit him hard. This enemy, less powerful individually than the Mules, perhaps, could reproduce in a manner of speaking, they could create more of themselves. That had been the goal of his own people for thousands of years, but it had proven to be pointless. Nothing had ever worked.
But if this new culture grew, if it took advantage of the fall of the empire…it could gain control of all mankind. And if that was true, he had to investigate. He had to determine whether they were acceptable, whether they were human enough…or whether they were a threat, a danger, to the humans…and perhaps even to the Mules.
He watched as his ship moved closer to the target, and he reached out, shut down the automated communications system, and activated the manual one. He was about to speak to a new species, and that required direct communication. He thought for an instant, wondered what to say. He was brilliant, the greatest intellect in known space, but it had been a long time since he had any communication that was remotely comparable.
Actually, he had never before experienced anything like this.
“Hello,” he said, realizing that his vessel would be dropping its cover when he communicated. “This is Achilles, and I wish to communicate with your senior officer. I repeat, I wish to speak with whoever is in charge.” He continued to stare, for perhaps another few seconds. Then he got his response.
The ship activated its systems, and suddenly, he knew what was about to happen. There was no response, none save a burst of energy coming toward him, a huge blast targeting his vessel.
He acted quickly, though he knew he didn’t have to do anything at all…his ship’s robots would handle it fine. The vessel vanished again, and its engines fired at full speed, moving it from the location the enemy shots were approaching.
Achilles just stood still, watching…and realizing that his own declining people had finally found a purpose, an obligation.
A war.
Books by Jay Allan
Crimson Worlds Series
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Marines (Crimson Worlds I)
The Cost of Victory (Crimson Worlds II)
A Little Rebellion (Crimson Worlds III)
The First Imperium (Crimson Worlds IV)
The Line Must Hold (Crimson Worlds V)
To Hell’s Heart (Crimson Worlds VI)
The Shadow Legions (Crimson Worlds VII)
Even Legends Die (Crimson Worlds VIII)
The Fall (Crimson Worlds IX)
Crimson Worlds Successors Trilogy
MERCS (Successors I)
The Prisoner of Eldaron (Successors II)
The Black Flag (Successors III)
Crimson Worlds Refugees Series
Into the Darkness (Refugees I)
Shadows of the Gods (Refugees II)
Revenge of the Ancients (Refugees III)
Winds of Vengeance (Refugees IV)
Storm of Vengeance (Refugees V)
Crusade of Vengeance (Refugees VI)
Crimson Worlds Prequels
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Tombstone (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)
Bitter Glory (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)
The Gates of Hell (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)
Red Team Alpha
(A New Crimson Worlds Novel)
Blood on the Stars Series
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Duel in the Dark (Blood on the Stars I)
Call to Arms (Blood on the Stars II)
Ruins of Empire (Blood on the Stars III)
Echoes of Glory (Blood on the Stars IV)
Cauldron of Fire (Blood on the Stars V)
Dauntless (Blood on the Stars VI)
The White Fleet (Blood on the Stars VII)
Black Dawn (Blood on the Stars VIII)
Invasion (Blood on the Stars IX)
Nightfall (Blood on the Stars X)
The Grand Alliance (Blood on the Stars XI)
The Colossus (Blood on the Stars XII)
The Others (Blood on the Stars XIII)
The Last Stand (Blood on the Stars XIV)
Empire’s Ashes (Blood on the Stars XV)
Attack Plan Alpha (Blood on the Stars XVI)
Descent into Darkness (Blood on the Stars XVII)
Empire Reborn – Coming Soon
Andromeda Chronicles
(Blood on the Stars Adventure Series)
Andromeda Rising (Andromeda Chronicles I)
Wings of Pegasus (Andromeda Chronicles II)
Into the Badlands (Andromeda Chronicles III) – Coming Soon
Flames of Rebellion Series
(Published by Harper Voyager)
Flames of Rebellion (Flames of Rebellion I)
Rebellion’s Fury (Flames of Rebellion II)
The Far Stars Series
Shadow of Empire (Fars Stars I)
Enemy in the Dark (Far Stars II)
Funeral Games (Far Stars III)
Far Stars Legends Series
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Blackhawk (Far Stars Legends I)
The Wolf’s Claw (Far Stars Legends II) – Coming Soon
Portal Wars Trilogy
(Available on Kindle Unlimited)
Gehenna Dawn (Portal Wars I)
The Ten Thousand (Portal Wars II)
Homefront (Portal Wars III)
Also By Jay Allan
The Dragon’s Banner (Pendragon Chronicles I)
Join my email list
at www.jayallanbooks.com
List members get publication announcements and special bonuses throughout the year (email addresses are never shared or used for any other purpose). Please feel free to email me with any questions at jayallanwrites@gmail.com. I answer all reader emails
For all things Sci-Fi, join my interactive Reader Group here:
facebook.com/groups/JayAllanReaders
Follow me on Twitter @jayallanwrites
Follow my blog at www.jayallanwrites.com
www.jayallanbooks.com
www.crimsonworlds.com
Table of Contents
The Crimson Worlds Series
Join my email list
Notes on Earth Two Society
Earth Two Genetic Groupings
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Chapter Thirty-Seven
Chapter Thirty-Eight
Chapter Thirty-Nine
Chapter Forty
Chapter Forty-One
Chapter Forty-Two
Chapter Forty-Three
Chapter Forty-Four
Chapter Forty-Five
Chapter Forty-Six
Chapter Forty-Seven
Chapter Forty-Eight
Chapter Forty-Nine
Chapter Fifty
Chapter Fifty-One
Chapter Fifty-Two
Chapter Fifty-Three
Chapter Fifty-Four
Chapter Fifty-Five
Chapter Fifty-Six
Chapter Fifty-Seven
Epilogue One
Epilogue Two
Books by Jay Allan