by Wayne Basta
“We won an important victory today,” Lahkaba said somberly. “We have sent a message to the Alliance.”
“Yeah, don’t mess with Ronids,” Lohcja quipped.
“A righteous cause will always be victorious,” Solyss added.
“And no matter the odds, the people of the Kreogh Sector will stand up for their rights,” Lahkaba concluded.
Maarkean nodded in reply to his friends’ sentiments. He agreed with all of them, though he knew the Alliance would not interpret things the same way. To them, the message would be to bring more firepower.
Stepping away from his friends as they discussed the battle, Maarkean looked over the scene again. How much had changed for him in just a few short months. Before, he had been a slightly disillusioned, but still loyal, Alliance citizen. Now, he was fully committed to seeing their power broken.
But things had not changed only for him. In the corner of the command center, he saw Saracasi sitting by herself. She had a blank and distant expression on her face, and Maarkean felt his heart go out to her. The fight against the Alliance she had always wanted was now here. And the reality of what that meant was starting to sink in for her. As much as he wanted to, he knew there was nothing he could do to protect his sister from that now.
He could only work to make sure they won.
Acknowledgements
This book would not be a reality without the help and support of many people:
First, without the support and faith of my wife and parents I never would have taken this chance at pursuing my dream.
I owe a debt to all of my friends and family: Dad, Coleen, Dave, Erik, Charles, Yvonne, Everett, who were willing to read the early incoherent drafts.
My editor, Hilary, for her hard work in correcting my many grammatical mistakes and identifying where the story needed to improve.
And to Jason at Grey Gecko for taking a chance on an unknown author.
About the Author
Wayne currently lives in Houston with his wife, dog and soon-to-be-born son. He remains a fan of geek culture, board games, video games, fantasy, science fiction and all around silliness.
Connect with Wayne
Email
[email protected]
Blog
www.waynebasta.com
