“Understood sir, we’ve secured what could prove to be a vital facility for E.O.C.A, I just wish it was worth it, because we have more than paid for it in blood out there.”
“Aye captain, that we did.”
A few hours later Nikolai and Kathryn had joined Michael as he sat in the stations restaurant overlooking the various ships berthed in the shipyard beyond, just as he had done before the mission began.
“Have you given any more thought as to your next posting?” Michael asked Kathryn who sat opposite him.
“Apparently I’m being assigned to the Archimedes as it heads out to study an unusually bright star forming nebula near the Epsilon system,” she said with a sigh as she ran her hand through her long dark hair.
“But you don’t want to go, do you?”
“The Liberty is my real home, always has been.”
Michael nodded knowingly, “my voice carries some weight with the admiralty now, I’ll see if I can get you reassigned.”
“Would you!” She asked, her face brightened noticeably as a big grin began to play across it.
“I can’t promise, but I will speak to Admirals Mason and Montrose, see what they say.”
“Oh thank you!” She leaned over and gave him a tight bear hug.
Michael smiled, “hey what are friends for, right?”
Nikolai nodded approvingly, as he took a sip of synthetic vodka, the non alcoholic stuff was pitiful compared to the real Russian spirit, yet out here this was all there was. “My next stop is back to Alpha centauri for a full debriefing from General Mc’ree. The old bull is getting a little long in the tooth now, he’s considering retirement, when he does I guess I’ll finally be promoted to a full general myself and be bound to a desk for eternity. I suppose that’s where all old warhorses go to pasture.”
Michael smiled, and made a move to leave, he had pressing business to attend to. “Well I shall have to bid you all a fond farewell, I have a matter I need to discuss with a certain Solarian governor.”
They both nodded as Michael left the grizzled commando veteran, and his former medical officer turned geologist to their conversation, and made his way down to his personal quarters aboard the Liberty. It still looked dishevelled from the mauling the ship had taken, and he had to clear several pieces of broken cable and detritus from his cracked glass desk, yet his personal terminal was still functioning.
He contacted Kerulithar again, to update him on the unification process, or lack of to be correct.
“Ah Michael; good to see you again, any news since our last talk?”
“Actually there is, the four prisoners who I had intended for you to use in talks with the Dracos are dead. They hijacked one of our ships and crashed it into the surface of the planet, they were killed attacking myself and the rest of my team.”
“That is a shame, though not all that unexpected. It would have been an amazing thing if the Dracos and our own people could integrate as one again. It seems like they are just not ready to let go of their bloodthirsty instincts. We will keep monitoring the situation, and at least it is good to hear that our brothers and sisters were not completely wiped out all those years ago, perhaps one day the Dracos will be ready to embrace the galaxy once again.”
“Perhaps,” Michael said, though in truth he had no idea when that day would come. “Thank you for your time and patience with this Kerulithar.”
“It was my pleasure, old friend.”
With that, he ended the communication.
Maybe the Dracos could one day change their ways, maybe the Solarians could in future re-unify with a long lost part of themselves, the truth is who knows what the future really holds for any of us.
What he did know, was that slowly but surely mankind was becoming an ever-greater presence on the galactic stage, they had now proved that they were not a tiny, weak, backwater empire any more. Through blood, through sacrifice, through pain and hardship they had finally earned their place amongst the powerful races of the galaxy, and were finally respected amongst the elite, and Michael smiled with that thought.
The end.
About the author
Ian J. Smethurst is the author of the popular E.D.F chronicles series of novels, now in its third installment.
Even from his early years in primary school, and later in high school. Ian was always reading science fiction and fantasy novels, his reading age was often far above others in his class, and he possesses an almost boundless vocabulary which he uses to full effect in his novels.
The energy, and imagination that Ian uses in his works are almost without limit, and it is this sense of unceasing energy that is a factor in the success of his novels, although he likes to ground his characters in as realistic environments and scenarios as possible.
He is also a keen historian and was shortlisted for the 2008 writers reign short story contest, and longlisted in the 2011 science fiction review short story competition.
Having now completed the third novel in the E.D.F chronicles series, Eye of the Dracos. He is now working on the grand finale of his much beloved series, entitled The Cyberian menace, due for release in 2013.
Website http://www.wix.com/ian_smethurst/frontpage
Blog http://edfchronicles.wordpress.com/
Table of Contents
Title Page
E.D.F Chronicles : Eye of the Dracos
Copyright © Ian J.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Midpoint
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
About the author
E.D.F Chronicles : Eye of the Dracos Page 24