by Richard Fox
Eubulus snarled at Tiberian.
“Uncle’s search continues, Father,” Gustavus said. “I’ve learned much from him…and this,” he waved fingertips over his ruined face, “I might keep.”
“If you think I will waste more resources for your task, you are a fool, Tiberian,” Eubulus said.
“The Albians fled to New Madras.” Tiberian touched the slate-gray box hanging from his neck, reminding Eubulus just where Tiberian’s authority came from. Baroness Asaria set Tiberian to capture the last of Albion’s royal family, and her authority came with Tiberian. “That is your next objective, correct?”
“A more difficult world to conquer than this.” Eubulus scraped his heel over the projection from Malout. “New Madras promises some sport. Our specters have destroyed the slip network. The Albians will be there when we attack.”
“Then take your ships and your son back,” Tiberian said. “I and the Minotaur will join your assault.”
“You will serve under my command and follow my orders,” Eubulus said. “You are under my leash until I choose to set you loose. Is that understood?”
The two brothers stared each other down, then Tiberian lifted his chin slightly, signaling his submission by offering a bare throat to cut.
“Too much has been lost trying to capture the Prince,” Eubulus said. “We will destroy every Albion ship we find. If the boy dies, he dies.”
Chapter 29
Gage watched a timer in his holo tank count down to zero, then the Orion shifted out of slip space.
“Time to see if you’re right, Loussan,” Gage said.
“This is not my first rodeo. I know how to get into a system without being noticed,” the pirate said.
Data poured into the tank and the New Madras system unfolded. The system’s only inhabitable world, just on the outer edge of the Goldilocks Zone from the star, appeared. Large polar ice caps extended almost a quarter of the way to the equator. The Orion had emerged several hundred thousand kilometers away, between the orbits of Madras’ two large moons.
Star forts popped up around the planet. Icons for civilian ships and Indus naval vessels sprang up over the poles and in high orbit over New Madras City.
“XO?” Gage asked.
“System’s communication network is still intact. No unusual radiation in the atmosphere or sign of widespread fires,” Price said. “Looks like we got here before the Daegon.”
An error message beeped on her screens.
“Odd. No reading from the grav buoy,” she said.
“We’re being hailed,” Clarke said. “A Fleet Admiral Chadda.”
“Send it through.” Gage straightened his uniform.
“A hail, much better greeting than I ever got here,” Loussan said.
“Given your assistance, I’m willing to overlook your many Albion arrest warrants,” Gage said. “You have no such arrangement with New Madras, and if Admiral Chadda demands you and your crew, I’m hardly in a position to refuse.”
“You son of a…you brought me all this way just to throw me to the wolves now?”
“No, Loussan. I’m telling you to keep your damn mouth shut while I’m speaking with the Indus. I won’t advertise that you’re aboard if you don’t.” Gage hovered a finger over an icon to open the channel to Chadda.
Loussan ducked beneath the holo tank.
A dark-skinned man in a white turban and high-necked tunic with gold cord and braids appeared in the tank. The exhaustion in his eyes made Gage question if the gray hairs in the man’s beard were a recent occurrence.
“Sat sri akaal,” Admiral Chadda said as he pressed his hands together, his fingertips just ahead of his chin.
Gage nodded back.
“Admiral, I am Commodore Gage of the Albion 11th Fleet. The rest of my ships will exit slip space shortly. Please forgive our abrupt and…unusual arrival,” he said.
“A battleship appearing on our scopes through a nexus point leading to dead space…you gave me and my staff quite a stir. So long as you’re not Daegon, you’re most welcome here.” Chadda glanced to one side. “By the condition of your ship, I’d say you’ve dealt with the invaders…I do hope you burned all the bridges you took to get here. I barely have enough ships to cover the slip routes from known Daegon incursions.”
“We destroyed the grav buoys at our last three jumps. The path through the Kigeli Nebula is difficult enough, and we gave them a decent beating the last time we saw them.”
“Kigeli…the old pirate route?” Chadda raised an eyebrow.
“Needs must, Admiral. How far have the Daegon advanced?”
“Bengal fell two days ago. Tsing Yi is under siege. My scouts have seen Daegon in three neighboring systems…it is only a matter of time before they come to New Madras.”
“What of the League? Have they responded yet? The Reich, Cathay, even the Mechanix must respond to this,” Gage said.
Price sent a star map to the side of Chadda, showing the stars the Daegon now occupied. Gage swallowed hard. No belligerent had ever advanced so far and so fast in the history of interstellar warfare.
“The League meets on Vishuddha,” Chadda said. “Let us hope they move with unprecedented speed or the Daegon will reach Earth before the first meeting is finished.”
“We’ve fought them,” Gage said. “We’ve beaten them. I will take my ships to Vishuddha and share what we’ve learned to—”
“I’m afraid that won’t be possible.” Chadda shook his head. “Not for some time. Our grav buoys—and every single backup—were sabotaged. We tracked down the spies responsible, but that was a small victory. It will take weeks to replace the lost data.”
Gage’s jaw clenched. He’d led his fleet into an imminent war zone. The shadow of the Daegon still loomed over him and Prince Aidan.
“Albion and Indus are allies. We welcome your ships to join our line until you’re able to leave,” the admiral said. “Only a few ships have ever escaped the Daegon. Anything you can share will be most helpful.”
“We stand shoulder to shoulder. We threw back the Reich the last time our nations fought together. The Daegon will do no better.”
“We shall see…” Chadda’s face fell slightly and Gage’s hand clenched into a fist. This admiral did not carry himself with confidence. The air of defeat in a commander could poison any fighting force. The Indus military normally picked the best qualified men for key positions, and Gage began to wonder just how Chadda ended up as an admiral.
“You are our guests. Bring your ships into New Madras orbit,” Chadda said. “Albion vessels will receive the highest priority for repairs. I hope you and your staff will join me for a meal once conditions allow.”
“The Indus are gracious hosts as ever,” Gage said and the channel closed.
Loussan peeked over the side of the tank.
“Well, that’s that.” He stood up and brushed himself off. “I promised to get you here. Don’t blame me that you’ve come to a dead end—wait. Poor choice of words. Now, if you’ll be so kind as to loan me a slip-capable ship, I’ll be—”
“You think we have a spare warship just lying around to give you, pirate?” Price marched up the stairs to the command dais.
“Would you really miss one destroyer all that much? Let’s not pretend you want me around. That Genevan guard back there is constantly giving me the look. I’m not sure if he wants to kill me or buy me a drink,” Loussan said.
“I can answer that right now,” Thorvald said as his armor slid over his bare face and solidified into a visor.
“I may have a ship for you,” Gage said.
“Wait—what?” Price went pale.
“Tolan.” Gage waved the spy over from his spot next to the lift doors. “We—and every nation fighting the Daegon—are at a distinct disadvantage. We don’t know this enemy—what they want, the extent of their combat power…Where they even came from. You found us a clue from that Martian on Sicani, but it isn’t enough by far.”
“You’re the
regent.” Tolan gave Gage a mock bow. “What would you ask of me?”
“Take your ship, the Joaquim, back to wild space. Then slip into occupied territory and learn what you can. Given your…unique capabilities, you stand a good chance of success,” Gage said.
Tolan tugged at his bottom lip, then looked at Loussan.
“Is there another way back through the nebula?” the spy asked.
“Naturally,” said Loussan. “One more suited to a smaller ship than an entire damn fleet. Can you fit thirty of my crew into this Joaquim of yours? They’re rather anxious to get out of the brig.”
“No chance,” Tolan said.
“Who in your crew do you absolutely trust?” Gage asked.
“Besides Ruprecht, my Katar that’s hard wired to protect my life at all costs? Maybe Tatiana. She’s the only one that hasn’t been whispering for my blood. The rest are a bunch of ingrates. Sure, we lost our ship, but they’re all still alive, aren’t they?”
“Get Tolan back to Albion space,” Gage said. “Then bring him back to me once he’s gathered enough intelligence and you can have his ship.”
“That’s…that’s…”
“The only deal I will give you. I’ll hand over the rest of your crew to the Indus. Any not wanted by local law enforcement will go free. You go with Tolan or you take your chances with the Indus. Choose. Now.”
“Did I spy some Reich tech on that ship of yours?” Loussan asked Tolan.
“You can do this?” Gage asked his spy.
“Infiltrate into occupied territory and get back to you without being captured and tortured to death?” Tolan’s face fluttered, then went all black like Ja’war’s. “Challenge accepted.”
****
Prince Aidan held on to Gage’s hand as they watched crewmen load supplies and finish repairs on the Joaquim. Salis and Thorvald stood to either side of them. Through the open bay door, most of what was in view of New Madras was bathed in twilight.
“But I want to go back home,” Aidan said.
“Mr. Tolan has a special job to do there,” Gage said. “One not for young princes.”
“When can I go?” Aidan looked up at Gage. “I don’t like this place anymore.”
“Do you know what a consulate is, my Prince?” Gage asked.
Aidan shook his head.
“It’s a part of Albion on other planets. We have a consulate on New Madras City. It’s very well protected and the woman in charge, Lady Carruthers, is very excited to have you stay with her.” Gage forced a smile. The consulate was in the center of the planet’s largest city, which would be the focus of any Daegon attack. Still, it had a bomb shelter and an entire corps of Indus troops in and around the city, offering a better chance of survival than being aboard the Orion in a ship-to-ship fight.
“Will you come with me?” Aidan asked.
“No, I have to stay here. But Salis will go with you,” Gage said.
The Prince pouted.
“I want Mr. Bertram.” Aidan’s lip began quivering and he pointed to the steward standing behind them.
“Prince Aidan, I do need—”
“I want Mr. Bertram!” Aidan stomped a foot and began whining. Bertram stood stock-still, his eyes darting to the exit.
“Fine, he’ll go with you.” Gage took a deep breath as crew glanced over at the crying Prince. Salis slowly turned her head to Gage. “Until such time as the Prince is comfortable with the local staff,” he said to the Genevan.
Aidan’s sniffling subsided.
“How long?” Aidan asked.
“No more than—” Alert sirens cut Gage off as Prince Aidan hugged the side of Gage’s leg.
“Commodore,” Price sent through Gage’s earpiece, “Daegon ships just emerged from slip space. They came in just over the horizon and are attacking the star fort above Theni City.”
“Any instruction from Admiral Chadda?” Gage asked.
“Nothing yet. At least nothing coherent. The Indus command channels are chaos right now. The attacking force is anywhere from a dozen ships to fifty, might just be a reconnaissance in force.”
“Might be the beginning of a full-scale invasion,” Gage said. “Salis, take Prince Aidan and Bertram to the consulate. The alert fighters will escort you down to the spaceport.”
“Understood,” she said, reaching for the boy.
“No! I want to stay!” Aidan yelled.
Gage bent to one knee and looked the Prince in the eye.
“Prince Aidan,” the Commodore said evenly, “you are the light and the hope of Albion. I must keep you safe, and I can’t do that while you’re aboard the Orion. Will you be brave for me, for everyone on this ship, and go with Ms. Salis to the consulate?”
Aidan shook his head rapidly.
“My Prince,” Bertram said as he shuffled over, “I’m dreadfully scared. Would you protect me down there on the new planet?”
Aidan let go of his hold on Gage’s leg.
“For a grown-up, you aren’t very brave,” Aidan said.
“Well, the Commodore’s brave enough for me and everyone else,” Bertram said. “I just have to make sure he eats his dinner and washes up from time to time. Can we go now?”
“Yes, we can.” Aidan looked up at Gage with wide eyes. “Will you be okay?”
“The Orion is a strong ship. We’ll be fine.” Gage forced a smile, not knowing if that second part was a lie.
“Bay seven has a shuttle ready for us,” Salis said. She picked Aidan up and hurried away as Bertram followed.
The steward pointed at Thorvald and said, “Anything happens to the Commodore, you’ll answer to me. And don’t you dare shine his boots with the generic polish!”
Gage looked out beyond New Madras as explosions flashed over the horizon.
THE END
The story continues in Their Finest Hour!
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From the Author
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Also by Richard Fox:
The Ember War Saga
The Ember War
The Ruins of Anthalas
Blood of Heroes
Earth Defiant
The Gardens of Nibiru
The Battle of the Void
The Siege of Earth
The Crucible
The Xaros Reckoning
Terran Armor Corps
Iron Dragoons
The Ibarra Sanction (Coming Summer 2017!)
The Exiled Fleet
Albion Lost
The Long March
Their Finest Hour (Coming Fall 2017!)
The Ember War
The Earth is doomed. Humanity has a chance.
In the near future, an alien probe arrives on Earth with a pivotal mission—determine if humanity has what it takes to survive the impending invasion by a merciless armada.
The probe discovers Marc Ibarra, a young inventor, who holds the key to a daring gambit that could save a fraction of Earth's population. Humanity's only chance lies with Ibarra's ability to keep a terrible secret and engineer the planet down the narrow path to survival.
Earth will need a fleet. One with a hidden purpose. One strong enough to fight a battle against annihilation.
The Ember War is the first installment in an epic military sci-fi series. If you like A Hymn Before Battle by John Ringo and The Last Starship by Vaughn Heppner, then you'll love this explosive adven
ture with constant thrills and high stakes from cover to cover.
Sign up for my spam-free mailing list and read it for FREE (http://eepurl.com/czYmxH)
Here’s a sample for you:
CHAPTER 1
THE NEAR FUTURE
Humanity’s only hope of survival entered the solar system at nearly the speed of light. The probe slowed as the sun’s heliosphere disrupted the graviton wave it rode in on from the abyss of deep space. Awakened by the sudden deceleration, the probe absorbed the electromagnetic spectrum utilized by its target species and assessed the technological sophistication of the sole sentient species on Earth.
The probe adjusted its course to take it into the system’s star. If the humans couldn’t survive—with its help—what was to come, then the probe would annihilate itself. There would be no trace of it for the enemy, and no chance of humanity’s existence beyond the time it had until the enemy arrived. The probe analyzed filed patents, military expenditures, birth rates, mathematical advancement and space exploration.
The first assessment fell within the margin of error of survival and extinction for humanity. The probe’s programming allowed for limited autonomous decision making (choice being a rare luxury for the probe’s class of artificial intelligence). The probe found itself in a position to choose between ending its mission in the sun’s fire and a mathematically improbable defense of humanity—and the potential compromise of its much larger mission.
Given the rare opportunity to make its own decision, the probe opted to dither. In the week it took to pass into Jupiter’s orbit, the probe took in more data. It scoured the Internet for factors to add to the assessment, but the assessment remained the same: unlikely, but possible. By the time it shot past Mars, the probe still hadn’t made a decision.
As the time to adjust course for Earth or continue into the sun approached, the probe conducted a final scan of cloud storage servers for any new information…and found something interesting.