by T S Paul
The base itself was inside the mountain. Grandmother explained that this was the original base. The one they built over a century ago when the UN on Earth tried to take over the first time. They only moved it to Dilmun fifty years ago to be closer to the spaceport. Security was very heavy and we could see more troops arriving every few minutes. After the last attack Martian Security was taking no chances with the Primus’s safety.
We were quickly ushered from the ship into the base. Our way was blocked by a large security desk complete with scanners.
“Boys, they are with me,” was all it took from grandmother to make them leave us alone. A short lift ride took us straight to the Command Center. I could see why Amalie like the new one better. The room was multi-leveled with a large map table in the center of the room. Newer vid screens were bolted to the walls with wires and connectors spiraling up the walls. Each information section had its own level above with intel at the top level. Amalie’s quarters were in a separate section of the base.
My grandmother walked to the center of the room and yelled. “Report!”
Like rats uniformed security forces scrambled out of the various cubbies and offices in the surrounding walls. “Now that I have your attention,” she paused and looked around the room, “what is the status with the other command center?”
“Primus, the base is being cleared by special forces troops led by Major Payne.”
“I already knew that since I was just there. What new information do you have?”
They all stared at each other. Amalie turned toward Dar and I. “See why I hate this place? They are like children.”
She walked over to the wooden table in the center of the room. “Get this freaking thing out of here! I believe I ordered it to be removed more than fifty years ago!”
One brave man spoke up. “Primus, it is a piece of history. We can’t just destroy it!”
“And just who are you?”
The man straightened up. “Major Sandurz. I’m in charge of all external communications.”
“Who hired you for this position?”
“No one Primus. The position is hereditary.”
Amalie smirked. “Athena, does Wilson have a copy of the list handy?”
“That’s a good idea Grandmother.” I stepped over to one of the computer consoles.
“I do have them from time to time.”
The computer came to life without my touching it surprising the tech sitting at it. A large list began to run across the screens in the room. Names began to be highlighted in red.
“Is he on it?”
Wilson popped up on the big screen. “Surprisingly, no. But his aide is.” Dar drew her weapon and held it on the two men.
“What about all these other names?” The troops we brought with us began to draw weapons and train them on the various workers.
“They are all on the base right now. This place makes a good hideout.”
Dar looked up. She was cuffing the two officers to a pole. “So much for coming to a safe place. Out of the fire into the volcano.”
“I suspected Dar. I wondered why some members of the military were pushing so hard to get me here. At this moment there are three hundred Martian Militia troops landing to secure the base. Everyone will be checked against the list. No exceptions this time!”
“Primus, I protest this treatment! What is this list you are talking about?”
“Major, you are locked up because you are an idiot. The list is the one we obtained from inside the Earth ship we destroyed. It lists every Cabal member in the galaxy. The Cabal gave it to the Earthies. We sent it out to every base including this one, weeks ago. Every serviceman here was to be compared to the list. Obviously, it was never done. We will not have a repeat of yesterday.”
Clearing the base took over a full day. A hundred Cabal members were found stationed here. Many of them were family members unaware of their parents or siblings affiliations. While the snipe hunt went on here, another was taking place at the first command center. Major Payne and his men cleared the base down to the command center. What they found surprised them.
The room was blackened and blasted. Several large explosions appeared to have gone off obliterating much of the computer equipment on the far side of the room. A table was set up in the center of the room. Around the table were four men. One was an officer, the rest petty officers, and one corpsman. They were playing poker.
After Payne’s men searched them the whole story came out. After the Primus escaped Traviss and his men rushed the assassins. The bombs went off in the battle and they were all killed. Rather than risk running into more bad guys, they thought they would wait. Poker was mentioned and there it is. Major Payne found the story so funny he sat down and played a hand with them. He was interrupted by a large cat. She was sitting on the table looking smug. The men all claimed they had no idea where Bellona came from or how they didn’t see her.
No trace was found of Matthew Dorr. It was if he never existed.
Chapter 21
Cleaning up the aftermath of a battle is the hardest part for any leader. It was no different for Admiral Emily Kane. Two of her friends and a lot of officers she knew died in the battle. She overheard some of her crewmen call this battle the ‘sacrificial hope.’ It was a strange thing to call it, but it made a certain amount of sense. If those two ships had not attacked the way they did, the battle would have been lost. There was a reason that the Courageous was the ‘Former’ Imperial fleet's flagship. It was almost impossible to stop. But stop it we did. The Cabal will feel its loss.
The New Texas anti-pirate patrol ships arrived after the battle was over. Captain Albert Johnston the commander of the patrol was deeply saddened to hear of the James Cook’s sacrifice. The Cabal fleet would have just rolled over the New Texas defenses. The broken ships floated in silence. Records of the battle from Emily’s plots were made available to be sent back to Hong Kong. They were still picking up survivors. Very few came from the James Cook.
Emily took stock of what she had left. One carrier, her ship the Vindex. Captain Amy Wimberger’s two heavy cruisers also survived. They were battered and beaten but still functioned. Of the lighter units, only three of her destroyers survived. The patrol ship and frigate survivors had fled to New Texas as ordered. They were the ones who spread the story of the battle.
For now her small fleet would stay in New Texas space and lick their wounds. The Marine training vessel was indeed sitting in New Texas space. Its trainees would refill the ranks of her ships and give their small rebellion a fighting chance against the Cabal. From now on her ships would run no longer!
The Marine ship had no real name. Its former name was the Seeadler, after it was converted to a training vessel its official designation was changed to TR-1. Neither of those names would do for the ship that trains the future. By popular demand it would now be called Amy’s Sacrifice. Her fleet would never forget her.
~~~
The loss of the James Cook sent a shockwave through the Hong Kong Navy. Two of its icons gone in less than a week. Both destroyed by the Cabal.
Major Minerva Lee stood before the Assembly to giver her report. Much of the battle information came to her second hand from the New Texas fleet or Admiral Kane herself. Although the James Cook was destroyed, it was not the only ship in their navy. The Paney was in fighting form and the new shipyard was about to release the newly refurbished ships captured the last time Imperial ships darkened the planet’s sky at the Battle of the Rock. Hope had not been destroyed. But it was time for a decision.
It was Minerva who made the announcement. “We have been attacked. Our people have been killed. Ships have been destroyed. Our Ambassador is being hunted. But we are still here! We say this to both the Cabal and Earth forces. Bring it on! For we now formally declare war against you. To the Knife!”
Author Notes
I think a small bit of explanation is required for all the deaths in the last big battle. A few months ago while writing the
Martian Inheritance I needed character names. Many times I ask fellow authors to borrow a name so I can kill them off. Captain Wimberger is such a person. Another fellow author bites the dust. I killed author Xandrie Kovak off again too. She has a cool site called OMG they killed Xandrie! So, back to the big battle and my story. I asked members of the Facebook group Space Opera to give me some names. They did. Some are even their real names. I took my time but in the end I killed all of them off. It was fun in a twisted sort of way. We authors are like that. This was as my version of a Red Wedding. Everybody dies.
If you look up the definition of War to the Knife you get some interesting things. My favorite is the one from Websters dictionary. They define it as Mortal combat. Now I have that song in my head all day. I put it on my phone as the ring tone. It is inspiration for the next book. Book 10 - The war to the knife.
Checking my trusty calender that my wife updates for me I see that next on the list is book two of the new Universe series. We get to see what sort of trouble two cadets and a CATT can get into on a space station. Lots! After that one look for the next collection of books 7,8, and 9 in one volume.
Coming up in October is the paranormal series. It will be called The Federal Witch. I have been posting the covers on Goodreads on my author page. Check them out there.
I have an author page on Book Bub, if you like my books there they send out an email whenever a new one comes out.
My Blog is the ultimate place to go for new information. It is where Wilson hangs his hat and all the short stories live. Check it out every Wednesday for Wilson’s Wednesday.
I mention and have mentioned a good friend’s universe in conjunction with mine numerous times. He is a fellow Author and writes the Kutherian Gambit series. Michael Anderle is aware that I misuse his characters at times. He thinks it’s amusing. Just something to keep you on your toes if you are a fan of his too.
As always I can’t say enough good things about the Double D’s. They have been some of the biggest help that I get. Merlin and the CATTs birth and development owe them big time. Plenty of late night discussions evolved them.
Copyrights
This book is a work of fiction, All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.
Copyright (c) 2016 T S Paul
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the author.
Cover designed by Michael T. Anderle
Artwork is by Digital Artist Scott Richards
Editing by Diane Velasquez, Dorene Johnson, David Brims
These are special people that I could not do without.
And ProWriter Aid.
All writing was done on Scrivener and Google Docs
Special thanks to Michael and to my wife Heather who keeps me grounded and to Merlin the Cat, we are his minions.
The Series until now.
This is the Prequel for the Athena Lee Chronicles.
Before Athena Lee and the worlds that she knew there was an embattled Earth.
Earth was in turmoil before the first colony ship was launched. The Cyber Wars raged across the planet as country battled country. The war was fought until only the Major Powers were victorious. In the aftermath, the United Nations came into it's own. Warriors, trained and bred to be the best the world had ever seen emerged from the shadows, bringing order and control out of the chaos of the Cyber Wars. Sam was one such warrior. Born and bred to serve he followed his orders and became one of the best pilots in the service. The future of man lay in the stars. Colonization was a good way to rid society of the undesirables of Earth. He volunteered to start a new colony and spread Earth's power.
Now newly revised and re-edited!
Ensign Athena Lee was on her first engineering assignment. She was helping to build a secret space station. There was a war on and this new station was vital. When the engineering fleet was attacked and destroyed she was left lost and alone. When life gives you lemons, make lemonade. She was going to have to Engineer her way home.
Ensign Athena Lee has finally been rescued. The galaxy has changed over the last fifteen years. She finds herself arrested, her rights taken away, and tortured. Political corruption has taken over. Now someone is out to kill her. With assassins and bounty hunters at every corner what is an Engineer to do? Use the right tool for the right job and Fix it!
Athena Lee was is back in the Navy. Her own military forget about her, assassins tried to kill her, her government locked her up and treated her as if she were a terrorist. She is just trying to what she does best. Be the best Engineer in the Galaxy. Now pirates are a threat to her while she searches for the Ghost ships of Terra!
Athena Lee had returned home to her planet of birth. She is home to visit the family she has not seen for over 16 years. Her ship the James Cook is there to repair damage caused by the O'Malley pirates.
She finds that her once peaceful agrarian world is overrun with corruption and graft.
Her own family is wrapped up in a daily power play for control of the planet and its resources.
What was a nice family visit has become a trial of wills.
What about the marriage they arranged for her? Oh Hell No!
This engineer now has to fight her own family to survive.
A reckoning is approaching will she be ready for it?
Athena Lee and her planet are still reeling from the revolution that swept their part of the galaxy. The Space station has new management and Athena's ship has left without her on board. The Empire ship Paney is still on patrol and is being threatened by the Bad Penny Pirate clan. Mutiny, piracy and general mayhem seem to follow her as she discovers that a secret plot threatens the known galaxy.
The revolution is over and the corrupt government officials are in prison. A Secret Society called the Cabal has risen and has one goal, control of the Galaxy. Athena Lee and her family find themselves caught in the center of this new conflict when the Cabal tries to take over her planet. This secret group has subverted the military who believe if they can't have it no one can. War is on the horizon and Athena and her friends are the only ones who can prevent the ultimate destruction of her home.
Athena Lee and her sidekick Wilson return for this action packed adventure. Athena is sent to Mars on a secret mission to help capture a war criminal responsible for the deaths of thousands. He is hiding on the Planet Mars. Athena has family she had never met on the Red Planet. This is her chance to visit them. The Cabal has given the fugitive shelter and is plotting to rule. Mysteries and plots abound as Athena discovers the meaning of her inheritance.
Athena Lee is the new Martian Ambassador but she is at odds with the old one. So much so that she is in a jail cell on charges of insubordination and treason, again. Visions of torture and persecution have her worried. Outside the Embassy, Dar is frantic with worry and has put a team together to storm the Embassy and free her.
This comes of the Eve of change for the known Galaxy. A Massive Earth ship is on its way and Civil War is already breaking out in the Empire. The enemies of freedom, the Cabal, have come out of the shadows.
With everyone against her, how can Athena Lee survive?
This is a collection of Tales from the Athena Lee Universe.
Athena Lee's Quirky AI. Wilson has his origin story revealed at long last.
Discover why he wants a Cat.
Ever wonder why Hannibal Lee is afraid of the Farm?
Meet lots of new characters and visit a few of our friends.
Follow Wilson's adventures as he has fun at the expense of others. Taking advantage of Humans is too easy. Plotting Galaxy Domination is more fun. Prepare to Get down and Get Funky as the Hits just keep on coming!
An Exciting new Series Set in the Athena Lee Universe!
A
New Heroine steps up to join the battle against the Cabal and The Ships of Old Earth!
