Imperial Twilight
Page 35
“And you think Marta is this sister?”
“I can’t discount the possibility.” She looked down at the tarmac again. “Bassus said Marta might have the gift of prescience, as foreseen by the prophecy.”
Morane surprised himself when he didn’t automatically discount Gwenneth’s words as mere religious nonsense. Instead, he said, “I’m not sure what to make of that, Sister. Mysticism isn’t one of my strengths and belief is an on and off thing, depending on how the universe is treating me.”
Gwenneth smiled fondly at him.
“Few have the sort of faith that encompasses thousand-year-old visions, Jonas, even among the Brethren. You’re a good man, with a self-imposed mission that transcends space and time. Let it be sufficient. Whatever the Almighty intends for Marta is not ours to question. We should merely be aware she may have a purpose as well, one none of us can see for the moment, and leave it at that.”
Morane inclined his head.
“As always, I bow to your wisdom in these matters. I’m just a naval officer who reads too much history, not one of humanity’s great thinkers, let alone a philosopher.”
She shook her head with amused indulgence.
“You’re more than that, Jonas Morane, as you well know but refuse to admit.” She nodded toward the stairs. “Shall we?”
— Nightfall —
“What is it now?” Emma Reyes muttered as she turned the lights on. Then, in a louder voice, “Who’s calling?”
“Lannion Base Operations Center for Admiral Morane, Chancellor,” Carson, the butler AI replied in a smooth, almost affected tone.
Reyes nudged a half-asleep Morane.
“Wakey, wakey. Your office is looking for you, and if they’re doing it at two in the morning, it won’t be because Rorik wants to renegotiate some obscure part of the constitution.”
“Bugger Rorik,” he replied with visible irritation. “The man’s given me a piece of his mind so often, it’s a damn wonder he has anything left. At least with Downes on a timeout in the Windies, I can tolerate his presence again.”
“Something major is brewing if they reached out to you here, Jonas.”
Morane grumbled inaudibly but sat up and grimaced at Reyes.
“The night is ruined anyway since we’re both awake.”
She grinned at him.
“That’s the spirit, O Great Warrior. Carson, please accept the connection, audio only.”
“Yes, Chancellor.” A pause. “I have the Lannion Base Operations Center for the Admiral.”
“This is Morane.”
“Centurion Greff, sir. You asked to be informed at once when Dawn Trader showed up. She just transited through the wormhole. Captain Rinne would like to speak with you or, I quote, whichever lost soul is in charge nowadays.”
“He obviously didn’t check what time it was in Lannion,” Reyes grumbled.
Morane, now fully alert, shrugged.
“It doesn’t matter. I’m just glad he made it home. Centurion, please tell Captain Rinne I said welcome and to stand by.”
“Will do, sir. Does that mean you’re coming in?”
“I’ll be there in twenty minutes. Morane, out.”
“You can always return once you’ve spoken to him.” She gave Morane a seductive smile. “At best speed, he won’t arrive until late tomorrow, no?”
“What’s my inducement?”
“Breakfast.” She ran her fingers down his bare chest. “A two-course meal, starting with me.”
**
“Captain Rinne! Sister Gwenneth and I were wondering whether you’d come home. It’s been over a year.”
“Aye.” His voice had lost none of its gruff undertones. “I was wondering myself whether I’d ever make it back. Admiral, eh? Congratulations. That must mean your scheme is working.”
“So far, so good. But I get the feeling you’re about to inject my dreams with a dose of unwanted reality.”
“Things are dreadful out there, Morane. I can’t count the number of close scrapes we had evading rogue navy units, reivers, and assorted pirates. It’s to the point where you can barely tell those three species of scavenger apart. Word is Wyvern was devastated by rebel units that snuck in while most of 1st and 2nd Fleet’s remaining ships were away on one of Dendera’s genocidal retribution missions. Kinetic strikes from orbit.”
“You could almost call that punishment of biblical proportions.”
A bark of laughter came over the subspace link.
“Almost? An eye for an eye is biblical. No one knows whether Dendera survived or whether such a thing as an imperial government still exists. Wild rumors about Shrehari invading the Rim Sector seem to be running rampant, though with the boneheaded buggers caught up in their own version of Armageddon, I’d take that with a grain of salt. As you might expect, tales of woe are coming from every direction.”
“Sounds like the end of days has finally arrived.”
“If not that, then something close. Perhaps there’s still a functioning sector government in the Coalsack, though it’d be news to me. Mind you, we stuck to the backwaters of the wormhole network where there’s nothing but anarchy, piracy, and death. Perhaps Yotai still controls itself and a handful of nearby systems, but I wasn’t about to check.”
“Did you find many of your Brethren?”
“Enough to fill every spare bunk. We also rescued the survivors of a merchant ship left for dead by reivers a few wormhole transits back. Thirty-nine of them. They’ll need more care than we can manage, especially the little ones. If you could arrange for the Lannion hospital to take them when I land…”
“Of course. You’ll be glad to know four Galactic Dawn ships are in orbit. Between them, they brought over a thousand Brethren to Lyonesse. The abbey is busy establishing priories throughout the settlement area.”
“Thank the Almighty! Which ships?”
“Dawn Runner, Dawn Seeker, Dawn Glory, and Dawn Mercy. The last two showed up less than a month ago.”
“More than I expected but less than I hoped for in my heart of hearts. Still, we take what is given and do our best with it.”
“And that’s all anyone can ask of you, my friend. Welcome home.”
Ashes of Empire continues with
Imperial Night
About the Author
Eric Thomson is the pen name of a retired Canadian soldier with thirty-one years of service, both in the Regular Army and the Army Reserve. He spent his Regular Army career in the Infantry and his Reserve service in the Armoured Corps. He worked as an information technology specialist for a number of years before retiring to become a full-time author.
Eric has been a voracious reader of science fiction, military fiction, and history all his life. Several years ago, he put fingers to keyboard and started writing his own military sci-fi, with a definite space opera slant, using many of his own experiences as a soldier for inspiration.
When he is not writing fiction, Eric indulges in his other passions: photography, hiking, and scuba diving, all of which he shares with his wife.
Join Eric Thomson at: http://www.thomsonfiction.ca/
Where you will find news about upcoming books and more information about the universe in which his heroes fight for humanity’s survival.
Read his blog at: https://ericthomsonblog.wordpress.com
If you enjoyed this book, please consider leaving a review on Goodreads or with your favorite online retailer to help others discover it.
Also by Eric Thomson
Siobhan Dunmoore
No Honor in Death (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 1)
The Path of Duty (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 2)
Like Stars in Heaven (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 3)
Victory’s Bright Dawn (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 4)
Without Mercy (Siobhan Dunmoore Book 5)
Decker’s War
Death Comes But Once (Decker’s War Book 1)
Cold Comfort (Decker’s
War Book 2)
Fatal Blade (Decker’s War Book 3)
Howling Stars (Decker’s War Book 4)
Black Sword (Decker’s War Book 5)
No Remorse (Decker’s War Book 6)
Hard Strike (Decker’s War Book 7)
Quis Custodiet
The Warrior’s Knife (Quis Custodiet No 1)
Ashes of Empire
Imperial Sunset (Ashes of Empire #1)
Imperial Twilight (Ashes of Empire #2)
Table of Contents
— Lyonesse —
PART I – LAST LIGHT
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PART II - TAPS
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— Nightfall —
About the Author
Also by Eric Thomson
Table of Contents