“You’re about as free and clear as you can be,” Doran said, smiling. Her smile soon faded. “Bracken and her crew have been helping sift through the ship logs, decrypting all public and private comm channels. They’ve helped me track down a ring of post-human collaborators on the ship, and all those individuals are now in custody. We’ve started investigating the crew members in the rest of the strike group. It’s going to be a long process, but I’m confident we will cleanse ourselves of all the traitors. Thankfully, there weren’t many of them here.”
Tag sensed a hidden “but” there. “Is it accurate to say that’s not the case with the rest of the SRE?”
“At this point, any civilian or government official with ties to Starinski is suspect,” she said. “That’s not to say the entire Starinski workforce and all their contractors are working for the Collectors, but I’m afraid the roots drive deep underground. I informed high command about the attempted assassination plot. They agreed that the post-humans pose a great danger. They were disappointed to hear that Captain Weber’s mission failed, but pleased to know that you’ve been carrying on with his directive.”
“Understood,” Tag said. “I take it the information we gathered on Orthod is useful.”
“Very. I’ll be sending scouts to other remote colonies as soon as possible. We’ll brief them based on your experiences. That being said, you and your crew are still the resident experts of navigating Collector-influenced space. Bracken informed me that her people have been unable to revive any of the Drone-Mechs or the humans you recovered from the Glory of Dawn. She said almost two-thirds of the Mechanic population are caught in what seems to be irreversible stasis. If the Collectors come down hard on us, we’ll need every last man and woman, human and Mechanic, to fight for our freedom. We need these people back. So I have another mission for you.”
“No rest for the weary,” Sofia said.
“Not when war is imminent, I’m afraid,” Doran said. “Although my techs tell me the Argo’s repairs are four days away from completion. Is that enough shore leave for you?”
“I’ll take it,” Sofia said.
As much as Tag wanted to decompress with his crew, he knew every spare minute would be needed to prepare for whatever came next. “What exactly does this mission entail?”
“Frankly,” Doran said, “you have already pulled off what most SRE strategists would consider impossible. Time and time again, you have proven yourselves a capable lot. That’s why you and your crew will lead this mission. Commander Tag Brewer, you will now be responsible for a strike group specialized for the directives I’ve set out. I’m confident you’re our best bet in this fight.”
“Yes, Admiral,” Tag said, saluting her.
Not long ago, Tag had been content in his position performing research and aiding the odd sick or injured crewmember. Now, he was leading a strike group into enemy territory. Once, Tag would have protested that he wasn’t ready to lead, that someone else should bear the mantle of responsibility. But he didn’t protest now. Not when the fate of humanity was at stake. He would rise to the occasion. He would give it everything he had.
Three words echoed through his mind.
Be the dragon.
The End of Book 4
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Also by Anthony J Melchiorri
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About the Author
Anthony J Melchiorri is a writer and biomedical scientist living in Texas. He spends most of his time researching and developing cellular therapies and artificial organs when he isn't writing or reading.
Read more at Anthony J Melchiorri’s site.
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