by T. R. Harris
Adam did it.
Adam Cain always did it.
Sherri smiled.
217
Adam was alone on the observation deck of the Abraham Lincoln and looking out at a scene he thought he’d never live to see. Within visual range of the huge carrier were two of the gigantic Klin colony ships, along with a Juirean Class-Seven, a Class-Five and a smattering of Class-Four’s. The Union fleet was also represented.
As it turned out, the Klin had insisted on a whole array of legal documents to back up the promises Adam had made, and so far it had taken over a week just to iron out the basics. Nevertheless, they were making progress, and already the Klin were considering a dozen worlds—from within both the Union and the Expansion—as potential candidates for their new homeworld. With each new day, spirits brightened as the prospects for a lasting peace between the major players of the Milky Way Galaxy came closer to reality.
So far, of course, the Klin had yet to provide any real support for the effort against the on-going conflict with Sol-Kor, who it was learned still had a number of secret portal arrays under construction throughout the galaxy. In light of that fact, there would still be ample opportunity for the Klin to contribute in the coming years. Adam knew that all the events that had taken place recently were only a prelude to the real war that was coming. The Sol-Kor would not give up. They were in it for the long-haul.
And even if the Klin ended up not contributing much to the war effort itself, they would still make a positive impact on the galaxy. Adam could see a partnership between the Klin and the Formilians, one that would usher in a new era of scientific advancement for the Milky Way which would be beneficial to everyone.
All the galaxy had to do before that was survive the war with the Sol-Kor….
Adam? a voice said in his head.
Arieel! Where are you?
I am aboard my ship. We depart momentarily for Formil, and I wanted to say goodbye.
Thank you again for all you did for us. Without you, none of this could have happened.
I am glad I was able to help.
Stay in touch, will you? And say hello to Lila for me sometime?
The odd thing about telepathic communications is that one could also feel the emotions of the speaker as well as hear their thoughts. Adam sensed the fear in Arieel’s mind, followed by the shock of revelation.
You know!
It was hard to hide your feelings when you spoke of her that first time.
Now panic was evident in her thoughts. Don’t worry, Adam conveyed to her. It will remain our secret.
Adam…I.
It’s all right; I understand why. And I also want to thank you for…for making me whole again. Just knowing she’s out there will be enough.
Adam could feel Arieel’s tears, even if he couldn’t see them. I am at a loss for words.
That’s okay. Again, thanks. You truly saved my life.
A favor I owed for an equal event.
Adam laughed.
We are leaving now, Adam. Contact will soon be broken.
That, Arieel, can never happen. Not now.
And then a feeling of utter emptiness enveloped his mind, as the essence of Arieel Bol vanished from his mind.
Feeling all sappy and emotional, Adam was relieved when the door to the observation deck slid open and Sherri and Riyad entered, lifting him from his melancholy.
Sherri stepped past him and up to the huge observation window. “Who would have imaged we’d ever see this?” And then she turned to Adam and grinned. “I guess you were right after all: We really were embarking on a great and heroic adventure when this whole thing began. And like always, the galaxy will never be the same afterwards.”
Adam wrapped his strong arms around the necks of both Sherri and Riyad and pulled them in close. “The Three Stooges are back together again,” he announced.
“Don’t you mean The Three Musketeers?” Sherri corrected, amending her earlier reference to the trio.
“I like that a lot better,” Riyad said.
Adam squeezed them both even tighter. “I agree. And now—my best friends—what say we go home?”
Epilogue
The bartender eyed the customer and frowned. “Be sure to wear a lot of sunscreen outside, buddy. It can get really hot down here in the Keys.”
The customer grinned. “I thank you for your concern, but I’ll be all right; I have some very special skin.”
The bartender narrowed his eyes at the diminutive patron. “You’re not from around here, are you?”
“No, I come from very far away.”
The bartender snickered. “Don’t take this wrong, but you’re an alien, aren’t you?”
“That I am, and no offense taken.”
“We get quite a few aliens down here, you know. It seems Human music can be just as intoxicating as our alcohol. So what will you have?”
“This place is also known as Margaritaville, is it not? So I will have a margarita.”
The bartender laughed. “Actually Margaritaville is down the street, this is Sloppy Joe’s. But one Key West margarita coming right up.”
As he prepared the blender, the bartender looked around at the large open room and noticed that it was nearly empty. Most of the tourists were either out on fishing boats or sleeping off last night’s bender. He poured in a triple shot, before filling the wide, salt-rimmed glass with a third of the flask’s frozen concoction. The pale customer looked as though he’d be up for seconds, and maybe even thirds.
The patron smiled after sampling the drink. “So you are a professional bartender, in a resort city on the planet Earth. As a consequence, I would imagine you have many an entertaining story to tell?”
The laugh was hearty and sincere. “Stories! Hell, I’ve got a million of ’em.”
“I would love to hear them all.”
“All of ’em? That would take forever.”
“That’s all right, my friend. I have the time.”
The End of
Prelude to War
This concludes Boxset #2 of
The Human Chronicles Saga
Boxset #3 is coming soon.
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Website: bytrharris.com
Novels by T.R. Harris
The Human Chronicles Saga
The Fringe Worlds
Alien Assassin
The War of Pawns
The Tactics of Revenge
The Legend of Earth
Cain’s Crusaders
The Apex Predator
A Galaxy to Conquer
The Masters of War
Prelude to War
The Unreachable Stars
When Earth Reigned Supreme
A Clash of Aliens
Battlelines
The Copernicus Deception
Scorched Earth
Alien Games
The Cain Legacy
The Andromeda Mission
Last Species Standing
Invasion Force
Force of Gravity
Mission Critical
The Lost Universe
The Human Chronicles Book Bundles
Bundle #1 - Books 1 -5 in the series
Bundle #2 - Books 6-10 in the series
REV Warriors Series
REV
REV: Renegades
REV: Rebirth
Jason King – Agent to the Stars Series
The Enclaves of Sylox
Treasure of the Galactic Lights
The Drone Wars Series
Day of the Drone
In collaboration with George Wier…
The Liberation Series
&
nbsp; Captains Malicious
Available exclusively on Amazon.com
and Kindle Unlimited.