by M. D. Cooper
Bob joined in their conversation.
“Uhh…no. You’re frightening enough as it is, without thinking that you could be lying to me,” Sera replied.
Sera nodded slowly. “That’s perfect, Bob. Thanks.”
“You’re a peach, Bob.” Finaeus chuckled and looked up at the sky, shaking his head. “You shouldn’t exist, but you’re a peach.”
“Guy’s unnerving,” Finaeus chuckled for a moment, then breathed a heavy sigh. “But stars in the black, I’m glad he’s on our side.”
“How did it all come to this, Uncle Fin?” Sera turned to look her uncle in the eyes. “How did my father not see all of this coming?”
“I imagine he must have seen some of it—but I think he hoped to have more time. Which is a pretty standard state of affairs. Live for thousands of years, but when things come down to the wire, there’s never enough time.”
Sera knew that all too well. “How does it work out like that?”
Finaeus harrumphed, and his lips twisted as he considered her question. “Probably because things unravel about as fast as we can manage to shore them up. More time just means more unraveling.”
“And more time for our enemies to build themselves up,” Sera added.
“That is the way of it,” Finaeus replied.
“I just wish that we weren’t fighting this war with Orion at the same time as everything else. The schism between my father and Praetor Kirkland was because of Airtha. We can all agree that Airtha is bad now, we should be working toward peace.”
“That’s an admirable goal.” Finaeus’s eyes locked with hers, and his expression became grim. “But you don’t know Kirkland. He’s just as pig-headed as your father was. He may not ally with us just because of our tech, not to mention our allegiance with Tanis and New Canaan.”
“Shouldn’t we at least try?” Sera asked. “You know, maybe talk to the man before we kick off a galactic war?”
Finaeus nodded and turned to look out over the sunset, his eyes distant. Sera joined him in gazing out over the tall grass.
She wondered at his resistance at talking to Praetor Kirkland. It could be that her uncle was right; that Kirkland was intractable and would not consider any compromises. But it also could be that millennia of past interactions had led her uncle—and likely her father, as well—to form an inaccurate view of the OFA’s praetor. One where their own preconceptions colored their thoughts on the matter.
Sera placed her hands on her thighs and looked down at her fingers, changing their color from a pale flesh tone to match the blue of the jacket she wore.
It reminded her that she was wearing clothing, and that bothered her all the more. Her proclivities to wear evocative clothing—and the eventual removal of her skin in favor of her new malleable epidermis—was one of the things she knew was distinctly her.
She knew that because Helen had always disapproved. The AI never tried to force Sera to change the way she dressed or behaved—at least not directly—but she certainly had disliked how Sera sexualized herself.
Was I rebelling against my mother all those years and not even knowing it? Sera thought with a laugh.
Either way, that behavior was something that she knew made her her, not what anyone else wanted her to be. Why did she think about it so much, anyway? In the grand scheme of things, no one should care about her fashion choices.
Maybe because I feel like it’s the one thing I should be able to control in my life, yet now I can’t even make that decision for myself.
“I suppose maybe we should.”
Finaeus’s words interrupted her thoughts, and for a moment she thought he was suggesting that no one wear clothing anymore, but then she recalled that he was responding to her question about trying to talk to Praetor Kirkland.
“Really? You seemed so opposed to it before.”
“Well, maybe fresh eyes are what we need on the situation. Your father hasn’t wavered in his approach for centuries; maybe Kirkland will consider your words more than he did Jeff’s.”
Sera pressed her palms together, lowering her lips toward her fingertips as she thought. “Well then, now we just have to figure out how to get someone in to meet with him. Someone that he’ll believe has my backing.”
“Surely you have agents at New Sol. You are the Director of the Hand.”
“Stars,” Sera laughed. “That’s a job and a half on its own…one that has gotten away from me these past few months. I should have established a new capital outside New Canaan right away.”
“You had no idea who you could trust. We had to seed Angela’s AI correction first, and then wait for confirmations.”
“True, yes. Well, what’s done is done, and we’re off to Khardine now. Regarding what you said before, I don’t think it can be a Hand agent. I need a diplomat.”
“What about your brother Serge?”
Sera had been thinking the same thing. Although, after Andrea had used Sera to try and kill Tanis, Serge had left the Transcend Diplomatic Corps. He’d remained in Airtha until after Sera’s trials, and then departed from the Huygens System.
Last Sera had heard, he was headed to the Swan Nebula in the Sagittarius Arm to aid in a new combine of systems being established out on the fringe of explored space.
“I’ll have to find him first—then see if I can convince him to go to New Sol. I got the feeling he wanted out of ‘the life’.”
“He’s a good kid,” Finaeus replied. “I think he’ll do what’s right. I think that’s why he left—not enough ‘right doing’ opportunities in Airtha for his liking.”
Sera considered that. It aligned with what she knew of her brother. That had also been over fifteen years ago. He could have had his fill of being on the frontier by now.
“I’ll send someone to hunt him down once we get to Khardine. I think it’s worth trying.”
“And as a backup option?” Finaeus asked.
“Well, certainly not you. I still think you should be president, not me.”
Finaeus rolled his eyes. “Enough with that. I want the job like I want a hole shot in my head.”
“How do you think I feel?
“From what Admiral Greer told me, you volunteered for it.”
Sera gave a short laugh. “It was me or Adrienne. What would you have done?”
“Point taken.”
“Honestly…the only person I can think of who is really qualified to be President of the Transcend is Tanis. But she won’t even hear of it. Shuts me down just like you do.”
“Sera,” Finaeus placed a hand on her shoulder. “You are going to make a fantastic president. You’re smart, a good tactician, tenacious, you can deal with minutia, and you don’t tolerate bullshit. You’re also far more connected to reality on the ground than your father ever was. Without a doubt, you’re just the woman we need for the job. Stop selling yourself short.”
Sera place her hand over her uncle’s. “Thanks, Uncle Fin. Just promise me you’re not going to run off again. A leader is only as good as those she surrounds herself with.”
Finaeus stood and stretched. “Well then, you’re going to be the best leader ever. You’ve got me, and Tanis, and even Bob. Tons of great people around you.”
“Just like you to turn it into something about yourself,” Sera said with a laugh.
Finaeus shrugged. “I included Bob and Tanis.” He placed a hand on her head and tousled her hair. “You’ll always be my sweet little niece, Seraphina. I still remember when you’d sneak into my lab and ask me ceaseless questions.”
Sera scowled at her uncle as she smoothed her hair out and stood. He winked at her, and she sighed and smiled.
“You’re incorrigible, Finaeus. But those
were some of my fondest childhood memories.”
“Good, they’re fond ones for me, too. But now I want you to put on your big girl pants…skin…whatever, and kick some ass. You’re the president of the Transcend, one of the most powerful people in the galaxy. Act like it.”
Sera laughed and gave him a light shove.
“Well then, if I’m the boss, it’s time for you to get to Engine. We jump in less than half an hour.”
“Sheesh, Seraphina, no need to be pushy.” A grin slipped onto Finaeus’s face, and he winked at her. “Besides, I don’t work for you. I work for Tanis.”
“Finaeus! Are you undermining me less than a minute after you told me to take the reins?”
Her uncle leaned in and gave her a light kiss on the cheek. “Good luck, President Tomlinson. Give ‘em hell.”
* * * * *
Bob watched Sera as she made her way to the maglev platform, and then the ship’s bridge.
Finaeus was right. She was a powerful woman, and bolstered Tanis tremendously. The events he needed to bring about would not happen while Sera was at Tanis’s side. They would need to be separated for his plan to work.
Though not just yet.
For now, Tanis needed her friend to lean on, and he needed Sera to be strong for what she would face at Airtha.
In time, the AI thought to himself as he watched a human woman with a piece of the enemy inside emerge from the grass in the Prairie Park, and follow Sera’s path.
In good time.
THE END
Thank you for reading Ignite the Stars, and taking a journey with these characters to learn a bit more about where they’re from, and where they’re going.
If you haven’t already read it, the next book in the grand adventure is The Scipio Alliance, where we follow Tanis and Sera as they travel into the Inner Stars to build up allies against Orion.
THE BOOKS OF AEON 14
Keep up to date with what is releasing in Aeon 14 with the free Aeon 14 Reading Guide.
The Intrepid Saga
- Book 1: Outsystem
- Book 2: A Path in the Darkness
- Book 3: Building Victoria
- The Intrepid Saga Omnibus – Also contains Destiny Lost, book 1 of the Orion War series
- Destiny Rising – Special Author’s Extended Edition comprised of both Outsystem and A Path in the Darkness with over 100 pages of new content.
The Orion War
- Book 1: Destiny Lost
- Book 2: New Canaan
- Book 3: Orion Rising
- Book 4: The Scipio Alliance
- Book 5: Attack on Thebes
- Book 6: The Thousand Front War (2018)
- Book 7: Fallen Empire (2018)
- Many more following
Tales of the Orion War
- Book 1: Set the Galaxy on Fire
- Book 2: Ignite the Stars (Feb 2018)
- Book 3: Burn the Galaxy to Ash (2018)
Perilous Alliance (Age of the Orion War - with Chris J. Pike)
- Book 1: Close Proximity
- Book 2: Strike Vector
- Book 3: Collision Course
- Book 4: Impact Imminent (April 2018)
Rika’s Marauders (Age of the Orion War)
- Prequel: Rika Mechanized
- Book 1: Rika Outcast
- Book 2: Rika Redeemed
- Book 3: Rika Triumphant
- Book 4: Rika Commander (April 2018)
- Book 5: Rika Unleashed (2018)
Perseus Gate (Age of the Orion War)
Season 1: Orion Space
- Episode 1: The Gate at the Grey Wolf Star
- Episode 2: The World at the Edge of Space
- Episode 3: The Dance on the Moons of Serenity
- Episode 4: The Last Bastion of Star City
- Episode 5: The Toll Road Between the Stars
- Episode 6: The Final Stroll on Perseus’s Arm
- Eps 1-3 Omnibus: The Trail Through the Stars
- Eps 4-6 Omnibus: The Path Amongst the Clouds
Season 2: The Inner Stars
- Episode 1: A Meeting of Bodies and Minds (Feb 2018)
- Episode 2: A Surreptitious Rescue of Friends and Foes (2018)
- More coming in 2018
The Warlord (Before the Age of the Orion War)
- Book 1: The Woman Without a World
- Book 2: The Woman Who Seized an Empire
- Book 3: The Woman Who Lost Everything (March 2018)
The Sentience Wars: Origins (With James S. Aaron)
- Book 1: Lyssa’s Dream
- Book 2: Lyssa’s Run
- Book 3: Lyssa’s Flight
- Book 4: Lyssa’s Call (2018)
- Book 5: Lyssa’s Flame (2018)
Machete System Bounty Hunter (Age of the Orion War - with Zen DiPietro)
- Book 1: Hired Gun (Feb 2018)
- Book 2: Gunning for Trouble (2018)
- Book 3: With Guns Blazing (2018)
The Empire (Age of the Orion War)
- The Empress and the Ambassador (2018)
- Consort of the Scorpion Empress (2018)
- By the Empress’s Command (2018)
Tanis Richards: Origins
- Prequel: Storming the Norse Wind (At the Helm Volume 3)
- Book 1: Shore Leave (June 2018)
- Book 2: The Command (June 2018)
- Book 3: Infiltrator (July 2018)
The Sol Dissolution
- The 242 - Venusian Uprising (The Expanding Universe 2 anthology)
- The 242 - Assault on Tarja (The Expanding Universe 3 anthology)
The Delta Team Chronicles (Expanded Orion War)
- A "Simple" Kidnapping (Pew! Pew! Volume 1)
- The Disknee World (Pew! Pew! Volume 2)
- It’s Hard Being a Girl (Pew! Pew! Volume 4)
- A Fool’s Gotta Feed (Pew! Pew! Volume 4)
- The Plot Thickens (Pew! Pew! Volume 5)
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Cooper likes to think of himself as a jack-of-all-trades (and hopes to become master of a few). When not writing, he can be found writing software, working in his shop at his latest carpentry project, or likely reading a book.
He shares his home with a precocious young girl, his wonderful wife (who also writes), two cats, a never-ending list of things he would like to build, and ideas…
Find out what’s coming next at http://www.aeon14.com
