by CH Gideon
“Are you sure you want to do this?” he asked her.
“Do what?” Jiya asked.
“This.” He gestured around the ship. “Be a part of the crew, fly off to random galaxies and hunt down Kurtherians? Is this what you see yourself doing?”
Jiya chuckled. “You trying to get rid of me already?”
Reynolds shook his head. “No, I just…” He paused for a moment, collecting his thoughts. “I just wonder if I’m needlessly putting you and the others at risk for my mission. Bethany Anne assigned this task to me, not to anyone else. Although she ordered me to get a crew, she doesn’t know I’ve recruited anyone. I’d hate to have to report back to her that I got a bunch of crew members killed in my zeal.”
Jiya hopped up and came over to stand in front of Reynolds. She set a hand on his metallic shoulder.
“We’re all here by choice, Reynolds,” she told him, meeting his gaze and not letting it drop. “While circumstances were a little questionable at the start,” she said, chuckling, “you know, all that kidnapping crap and whatnot, we’re all where we’re supposed to be, and I speak for the crew when I say that.”
“You don’t speak for me,” Ka’nak said as he trundled onto the bridge. “What are we talking about?”
“Whether we want to stay onboard as part of the crew,” Jiya clarified.
“Oh, that,” Ka’nak mumbled. “Sure. I thought you were discussing breakfast.”
“See?” Jiya asked Reynolds.
The AI grinned. “I guess that answers that, then.”
“Is that a no for breakfast?” Ka’nak pushed, grunting when no one answered him. “I’m off to the mess.”
Maddox walked onto the bridge then, a young woman Reynolds didn’t recognize coming in alongside him. Maddox took his position, and the young woman sat in Helm’s spot.
“Meet your new helm,” Maddox said, eyeing Jiya’s coffee all the while. “You got another one of those hidden around here somewhere? A carafe, maybe?”
Reynolds turned to the woman at the helm and offered her a smile. She returned it, along with a crisp salute.
“Your orders, sir?”
“Take us to the next system, please,” he answered, realizing then that he didn’t even know the woman’s name.
That’s okay, he thought, there’s plenty of time for that.
She was part of the crew, the same as Jiya and the others. He would learn everyone’s name in time because they would make this journey with him. They were his crew now.
They were his family.
“Ready to go at your order, sir,” the youngster at the helm replied.
There was no time like the present to get acquainted. “What’s your name, Helm?”
“Tanirika, sir.”
Reynolds thought for a moment. “In one of the Earth languages, that means ‘a flower.’ Apropos. If you would be so kind, Tanirika, activate the Gate drive and take us to the next stop on our search for the ever-elusive Kurtherians.”
The End
Epilogue
Jora’nal stood in front of the altar, praying.
He had much to be thankful for. Phraim-‘Eh had sent his messenger to him and had given him a path to follow, the path to ascension. Followers had gathered at the hem of his robes to serve him in his mission, spreading the word of the old god Phraim-‘Eh across the universe.
There was much to rejoice about in such a journey.
Word had been spread of the virulent Etheric Federation ship and its crew, and it would carry far ahead of their travels, assuring that Jora’nal’s master was satisfied. The Etheric Federation was an enemy of the old gods, of the beliefs Phraim-‘Eh stood for.
“You did well, Jora’nal,” a new Voice of Phraim-‘Eh told him from the shadows. “Our god is pleased.”
“Thank you, Messenger,” Jora’nal replied, keeping his head low as the Voice approached. “I wish only to serve.”
“And you shall get your chance,” the Voice said, coming up to stand before Jora’nal.
He reached down and raised Jora’nal’s chin so that their eyes met.
Jora’nal gasped at seeing the face of the Messenger so clearly.
The Messenger offered Jora’nal a broad grin, welcoming him to his feet.
“Phraim-‘Eh has another mission for you, child,” he told Jora’nal. “Do you accept?”
“Of course, Messenger.”
“Good,” the Voice said and then explained to Jora’nal the god’s new expectations.
Once the Thra’kali left to do the messenger’s bidding, the Voice pulled his hood from his head and stared out at the empty temple.
Commander Ast grinned as he imagined his plot playing out against the SD Reynolds and its pathetic crew.
Any Port In A War
If you liked this book, you might also enjoy Any Port In A War, by Tim Marquitz and Michael Anderle.
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Author Notes - Craig Martelle
Written October 8, 2018
Thank you for reading this book and you’re still reading! Oorah, hard chargers. I really hope you liked this story. I was invested in it as soon as Michael Anderle broached the idea. It works for me. It’s classic Star Trek with a twist and then some. I love the premise and the characters and all the good things that go into making a space opera great.
First and foremost, I want to thank Tim Marquitz for helping me get this off the ground. I had four other co-authors for this project which started back in March 2018, but each of them had quirks and issues that were insurmountable. I wanted this story to turn out a certain way and Tim helped me to realize that vision.
Micky Cocker, Kelly O’Donnell, and Dr. James Caplan all provided in process feedback to make sure that the story was sound. They came through. We tweaked some flow and subplots and have what I think is a solid story, but what I think doesn’t matter. It’s what you think, now that you’ve read it. If you would be so kind as to leave a review, I’d appreciate it.
Of course, we always have Michael Anderle, the one who made all of this possible, by broadening the universe that he created so that other authors can fill a galaxy-wide void with stories. It’s a cool thing and we all win, as long as the readers find our stories to be fulfilling, a journey away from everyday issues. Even better than all of the great stories, Michael is my friend and we do spend an inordinate amount of time on the phone.
I live in the sub-arctic and fall has come and gone (it was a long month). Winter is now upon us, but as I write this, we are distinctly lacking in snow, an odd occurrence, but the northern lights are out almost every night when it is clear, which is most nights. That’s the benefit of cool weather in the high desert. Clear skies for the win.
Peace fellow humans.
Books By Tim Marquitz
Also Available from Tim Marquitz
Enemy of My Enemy
(with Michael Anderle)
Any Port In A War (1)
Refuge In The Stars (2)
The Demon Squad Series
From Hell (Novella)
DS1 - Armageddon Bound
DS2 - Resurrection
Betrayal (Intro short to At the Gates)
DS3 - At the Gates
DS4 - Echoes of the Past
DS5 - Beyond the Veil
DS6 - The Best of Enemies
DS7 - Exit Wounds
DS8 - Collateral Damage
DS9 – Aftermath
DS10 – Institutionalized
To Hell and Back - A Demon Squad Collection (books 1-3)
The Blood War Trilogy
Dawn of War
Embers of an Age
Requiem
Clandestine Daze Series
Eyes Deep (novella)
Influx
Standalone Fantasy
Dirge
Witch Bane
War God Rising
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Excalibur
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Those Poor, Poor Bastards
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nbsp; The Ten Thousand Things
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Heir to the Blood Throne: Inheritance
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Memoirs of a Machine – w/John MACHINE Lober
Grunt Style: The Blue Collar Guide to Writing Genre Fiction
Anthologies
Blackguards (Ragnarok Publications)
Unbound (Grim Oak Press)
SNAFU: Survival of the Fittest (Cohesion Press)
SNAFU: Hunters (Cohesion Press)
SNAFU: Future Warfare (Cohesion Press)
SNAFU: Black Ops (Cohesion Press)
In the Shadow of the Towers (Night Shade)
Neverland’s Library (Ragnarok Publications)
At Hell’s Gates 1&3 (Charity)
American Nightmare (Kraken Press)
Corrupts Absolutely? (Ragnarok Publications)
Widowmakers (Charity)
That Hoodoo Voodoo, That You Do (Ragnarok Publications)
Books by Craig Martelle
Craig Martelle’s other books (listed by series)
Terry Henry Walton Chronicles (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a post-apocalyptic paranormal adventure
Gateway to the Universe (co-written with Justin Sloan & Michael Anderle) – this book transitions the characters from the Terry Henry Walton Chronicles to The Bad Company
The Bad Company (co-written with Michael Anderle) – a military science fiction space opera
End Times Alaska (also available in audio) – a Permuted Press publication – a post-apocalyptic survivalist adventure
The Free Trader – a Young Adult Science Fiction Action Adventure
Cygnus Space Opera – A Young Adult Space Opera (set in the Free Trader universe)
Darklanding (co-written with Scott Moon) – a Space Western
Judge, Jury, & Executioner – a space opera adventure legal thriller
Rick Banik – Spy & Terrorism Action Adventure
Become a Successful Indie Author – a non-fiction work
Metamorphosis Alpha – stories from the world’s first science fiction RPG
The Expanding Universe – science fiction anthologies
Shadow Vanguard – a Tom Dublin series
Uprise Saga – an Amy DuBoff series
Enemy of my Enemy (co-written with Tim Marquitz) – A galactic alien military space opera (coming late summer of 2018)
Superdreadnought (co-written with Tim Marquitz) – a military space opera (coming fall of 2018)
Books By Michael Anderle
For a complete list of books by Michael Anderle, please visit:
www.lmbpn.com/ma-books/
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About Tim Marquitz
Tim Marquitz is the author of the Demon Squad series, the Blood War Trilogy, co-author of the Dead West series, as well as several standalone books, and numerous anthology appearances. Tim also collaborated on Memoirs of a MACHINE, the story of MMA pioneer John Machine Lober.
Website: www.tmarquitz.com
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