Karl allowed Lacy to lead him over to the large, king-sized bed. He was extremely glad that a rescue shuttle had found them after the battle before their air ran out. As Lacy undid the buttons on his shirt, he wondered where this new relationship would lead.
Six Months Later
Jeremy and Kelsey stood in front of a small house on Careth in the suburbs of the capital city. It was located in a new neighborhood built by the bears for their Human benefactors.
“It’s beautiful,” Kelsey said as she looked around. It was close to the spaceport and she could easily take a shuttle up to the space station where she was currently assigned.
“I hear that Kevin and Katie are finally talking about getting married,” Jeremy said with a grin. “They’re looking at a house a few blocks over.”
“It’s going to take some getting used to,” responded Kelsey, taking Jeremy’s hand. “You, Kevin, and Angela will be on the Avenger fighting the war against the Hocklyns. There will be months when we won’t be able to see one another.”
“I'll send you a com message every day,” Jeremy promised. He knew it was going to be difficult for them to be apart.
“I heard that Grayseth’s people have finished their first warships in the new shipyard.”
“Yes,” Jeremy answered. “He’s spending a lot of time in his new battleship, training the crew and getting ready to take the war to the Hocklyns. When we go out, he'll be going with us.”
“How soon?” asked Kelsey. She knew plans were being made. Every day, new warships arrived from the Federation and their allies and then after a day or two, were sent on to Admiral Streth.
“Probably another six months yet,” Jeremy responded with a sigh. “The Federation Senate is demanding all of our losses from the battle here at Careth be replaced by new construction before we take on the Hocklyn home worlds. They are also building up the home fleets.”
Kelsey nodded. At least they still had some time to spend together, and she planned to make the most of it. “Let’s go inside and see our new home.” It would be the first time since they had gotten married that they actually had a place to call home. A few moments later, the door shut behind them; for a while, they could actually be like a normal married couple.
-
Amanda and Richard were in the Command Center of the WarStorm. The battleship was currently in orbit around New Providence along with the rest of Second Fleet. They were in the star system ensuring its safety as new and powerful defenses were put in place. Strangely enough, they'd encountered no Hocklyn resistance at all. It almost seemed as if the Hocklyns had pulled back from this area of space.
Between Careth and the old Human Federation of Worlds, they'd found very few Hocklyn ships. Many of the slave worlds had been abandoned and left on their own. Already, the Federation was making plans to contact a number of them and see if they could be brought into the alliance.
“It’s hard to believe that so many people survived on New Providence,” Richard said as they watched an Alton battle station being assembled on one of the viewscreens.
“General Allister succeeded beyond his wildest dreams,” responded Amanda, recalling those days so many years ago when the original underground bunkers had been built.
“Yes, he did,” answered Richard nodding his head.
Amanda turned to look at her husband. He would be working with the New Providence military setting up the new defenses for the planet. There was little doubt in Amanda’s mind that they would be making New Providence their new home. “When we get the chance, I'd like to take a quick trip to Aquaria,” she said. “I want to see what Krall Island looks like.”
“I doubt after all this time if your parent’s vacation home is still there,” Richard said, glancing at his wife. “Too much time has passed.”
“I know,” responded Amanda, feeling sad knowing that the family vacation home she'd been raised in as a child was probably gone. “But someday, when this war is over, I'd like to rebuild it.”
Richard nodded. He could well understand why Amanda wanted to return there. Its pristine white beaches and nearby coral reefs had been sensational the two times he'd visited.
“When this war is over, we shall,” promised Richard, taking Amanda’s hand. “But we still have a war to finish first.”
“I know,” Amanda replied with a heavy sigh. “I spoke to Admiral Streth before he left for Maken. He already has a tentative plan for taking the Hocklyn home worlds. It’s daring and risky, but it just might work.”
“Admiral Andrews, Senator Arden is requesting your presence down on the planet,” Lieutenant Angela Trask informed him from Communications. “They want you to meet with several of their military leaders to discuss the deployment of the defensive satellites they've built over the years.”
“Go,” said Amanda with an understanding smile.
They still had a war to win with the Hocklyns and eventually a final confrontation with the AIs at the center of the galaxy. There was no way to know if they'd ever be able to rebuild the family home on Aquaria, all Amanda could do was hope.
-
Hedon looked out over the lake on Maken. It was much smaller than he remembered. With a heavy sigh, he turned and walked back to the site where Taylor and Lendle’s cabin had once stood. All that was left was a cracked foundation and a few rotting timbers.
“It’s beautiful here,” Janice said as she looked out over the calm waters of the lake, watching several brightly colored birds skimming the water looking for an evening meal.
“The dam has eroded in several places,” responded Hedon, coming to stand next to her. “I’ve assigned a number of work robots to begin repairs. In a few years, the water level should be as I remember it.”
“I’m sure it will be,” Janice replied with a nod. Looking around, she continued. “I can see why your brother and his wife built their cabin here; the three of you must have had some great times.”
“We did,” confessed Hedon, recalling the fishing Taylor and he had enjoyed on the shores of the lake. Those were memories he would always treasure.
Janice reached out and took Hedon’s hand. “What’s next for us?”
“We have to finish the war,” he replied evenly. He would love to rebuild the cabin and settle down here and not have to worry about the safety of the Federation, perhaps even with Janice. Taking a deep breath, he turned to face her. “Our biggest battles are still ahead of us; the Hocklyn home worlds and the AIs. We have to find a way to defeat both or the galaxy is doomed.”
“I have faith in you,” Janice responded.
Hedon nodded. “Let’s get back to the StarStrike; we have a war to win.”
Janice nodded; there was no doubt in her mind that Hedon would find a way. He always did. After all, everyone had been taught as a child that someday the great Fleet Admiral Hedon Streth would arise from cryosleep and lead the Human race to victory. Who was she to doubt a legend?
The End
If you enjoyed Galactic Conflict and would like to see the series continue, please post a review with some stars. Good reviews encourage an author to write and help books to sell. Reviews can be just a few short sentences describing what you liked about the book. If you have suggestions, please contact me at my website listed on the following page. Thank you for reading Galactic Conflict and being so supportive.
The Slaver Wars: Endgame will be out in October. It is the planned ending to the series. For those that would like to see the series continue, there will be a special announcement at the end of the story.
For updates on current writing projects and future publications go to my author website. Sign up for future notifications when new books come out on Amazon.
Website: http://raymondlweil.com/
Other Books by Raymond L. Weil
Available at Amazon
Moon Wreck (The Slaver Wars Book 1)
The Slaver Wars: Alien Contact (The Slaver Wars Book 2)
Moon Wreck: Fleet Academy (The Slaver Wars Book
3)
The Slaver Wars: First Strike (The Slaver Wars Book 4)
The Slaver Wars: Retaliation (The Slaver Wars Book 5)
The Slaver Wars: Galactic Conflict (The Slaver Wars Book 6)
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Dragon Dreams: Dragon Wars
Dragon Dreams: Gilmreth the Awakening
Dragon Dreams: Snowden the White Dragon
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Star One: Tycho City: Survival
Star One: Neutron Star
Star One: Dark Star
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Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction
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The Slaver Wars: Endgame!
Coming October 2014
Galactic Empire Wars: Emergence
Coming August 2014
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Turn the page for a brief introduction to Galactic Empire Wars: Destruction
Galactic Empire Wars
Destruction
Chapter One
Mason Randle gazed out of the cockpit window at the approaching mass of gray rock. Vesta was one of the larger planetoids in the ring of asteroids that existed between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The asteroid was approximately 326 miles in diameter and contained the headquarters for the Smithfield Mining Corporation. Mason was the current CEO and majority stockholder in the company originally founded by his grandfather.
“We will be landing in ten more minutes, Sir,” the pilot commented as he reached forward and turned on several instruments on the complicated control panel. His copilot mirrored his movements as they prepared to land.
“It will be good to get back home,” Mason responded as he leaned back in his acceleration couch and stretched. He had come up and taken a seat in the cockpit to watch the approach and landing.
They were in an interplanetary cargo ship that normally traveled between Earth and Vesta. The Smithfield Mining Corporation owned twenty-seven of the versatile three hundred-meter ships carrying refined metals to the company’s large space station in orbit around Earth. From there they were sold to various Earth companies for a very lucrative profit.
“I know how you miss Vesta,” Captain Sanders replied with a smile as he made several minor adjustments to the controls. “Smithfield will be a welcome relief after spending the last two weeks at Holbrook Station.”
Mason nodded; he was thirty-four years old and had gone to Earth to sign several important contracts with a number of companies wanting metals from the company. Smithfield was the only corporation currently with the money and the resources to mine the asteroid field and make money doing it. Several others had tried and failed, losing nearly everything in the attempt.
“Airlocks are opening,” Captain Sanders reported as the ship’s LIDAR system scanned the asteroid, giving real time data to the flight computer as the ship dropped steadily down toward the asteroid’s pockmarked surface. It was large enough to generate a slight gravity field of its own, but the powerful engines of the cargo ship had no trouble compensating for it.
Mason looked ahead at the asteroid, feeling glad to be home. He had been raised inside Vesta in the artificial world his grandfather had created and his father and he had added to. He could see the flashing lights on the surface, which designated the location of the main airlock.
The massive airlock doors slid open and the cargo ship flew smoothly inside, finding itself in a long and brightly lit tunnel two hundred meters in diameter. For another twenty-five kilometers the ship flew, passing through several more massive airlocks as it descended deeper and deeper into the asteroid. It finally entered a large chamber nearly two kilometers across and half a kilometer high. There were a number of berthing docks on the floor and the cargo ship dropped down smoothly toward an empty one, settling gently down on its landing struts. Moments later, the engines shut off and the ship became quiet.
“Good flight and landing, Captain,” spoke Mason, feeling anxious to leave the ship. His quarters on the ship had been comfortable, but Vesta was special. He knew that Captain Sanders was one of the best pilots in the company and had gone out of his way to accommodate him on this trip.
“It was a pleasure to have you aboard, Sir,” Sanders replied with a friendly nod.
Mason left the cockpit and made his way to the hatch, finding the docking tube already connected to the ship. Walking through it, he went into a smaller airlock and then exited to find two people waiting for him. One was his close friend, Drake Thomason, and the other was his secretary, Adrienne Lynn.
“Mason, it’s good to have you back,” spoke Drake, reaching out and shaking Mason’s hand. “How was your trip to Earth?” Drake was an expert mining engineer and second in command behind Mason.
“Very good,” Mason responded with a pleased smile. “I signed several lucrative contracts for the delivery of ruthenium, rhodium, palladium, osmium, iridium, and platinum with our two biggest rare metal contractors.”
“Wow!” exclaimed Drake, feeling excited that Mason had managed to sign contracts for the precious metals. “How did you accomplish that?” Drake knew they would make some good money for the delivery of the rare metals. It would also please a number of the prospectors.
“It’s becoming increasingly more difficult to find the metals on Earth, and they have finally had to turn to us,” Mason replied with a satisfied smile. “We stand to make a good bundle off the new contracts.”
“Enough to pay for your new exploration cruiser?” teased Adrienne, referring to the unfinished hulk of the five hundred-meter Phoenix that was in the landing bay. Adrienne had blonde hair and deep blue eyes that made most men swoon.
“Perhaps,” Mason responded with a grin. She was always teasing him about all the money he was putting into the new ship. It was a big investment, but he knew in his heart that someday it would pay off.
Adrienne was the most efficient secretary he had ever had; things seemed to run very smoothly with her around. She was twenty-eight years old, extremely attractive, and somehow still managed to stay single. She also kept good track of the work being done on his pet project, the Phoenix.
The Phoenix was supposed to be the first interstellar exploration ship to leave the solar system. The ship would be the largest and most modern spacecraft ever built once it was finished. The only problem was the star drive. The scientists had still not managed to come up with a workable star drive that could break the speed of light barrier. Until that happened, the ship would remain unfinished. Even so, other systems were being installed and tested. Her new sublight drive would be the fastest one ever placed in a spaceship. Mason couldn’t wait to test it out and see if they could break the system speed records. There was no doubt in his mind that they could do so easily.
The three walked down several corridors until they reached a large transit station. Once again, they passed through an airlock to find themselves upon a large platform, similar to a subway station back on Earth. A number of other people were present as they were going to and from work. They made their way to a waiting transit car and sat down. The cars could hold up to twenty people at a time, ran on electricity, and were extremely comfortable.
“How are Larcy and Madison?” asked Mason, looking over at Drake as they waited for the car to begin moving. There were still a few people taking their seats. Larcy was Drake’s wife, and Madison was their twelve-year-old daughter.
“They’re doing great,” Drake responded, pleased that Mason had asked. “Madison is doing excellent in school. They’re supposed to be interviewing someone for a school project and I believe she has chosen you as her victim.”
Mason laughed. He loved kids, his sister had two of them, and he never got tired of being around them. “Tell her to come by the office and we can do it; have her check with Adrienne first to make sure I’m there.”
The car began moving, rapidly accelerating to its top speed of sixty kilometers per hour, and entered a narrow tunnel. After traveling twelve kilometers, the car began to slow and finally pulled into another transit station.
“We’re he
re,” spoke Adrienne, smiling. “Are you going to the office or the Control Center?” She knew that Mason would want to check on everything to see how things had run during his absence.
“The Control Center,” Mason replied after a moment of thought. “I want to check on several of our current mining operations as well as what our stock levels are on the precious metals I just signed contracts for.”
“Your sister wants you to come over for supper tonight,” Adrienne added. She knew being around his sister’s two young children was something Mason really enjoyed.
“Tell her I’ll be there,” Mason responded with a smile. Just thinking about his sister’s cooking make him feel hungry. Susan was a good cook, and her husband Michael was one of the top asteroid prospectors in the company. A home cooked meal sounded great after eating the MREs on the cargo ship.
“Don’t be late,” warned Adrienne, folding her arms across her more than ample chest. “You know how your sister gets if her food gets cold.”
“I won’t,” Mason promised, as he didn’t want to upset Susan. “Is Michael home, or is he out prospecting?”
“I believe he’s out at one of the mining operations,” answered Adrienne, recalling one of the reports she had read earlier in the day that detailed the current status of the prospectors. She tried to stay up to date on everything just in case Mason asked.
“He is,” Drake confirmed as the three stepped out of the transit car and onto the brightly lit platform. “He left yesterday and will be gone for three days. He took some new mining equipment out to one of his newer claims.”
Mason nodded. Over one hundred licensed prospectors worked for the Smithfield Mining Cooperation out of Vesta and were responsible for setting up mining operations on any asteroid they filed a claim on. The minerals were mined and sent back to Vesta to be refined, and each prospector received a lucrative paycheck, which he used to pay for his mining operation and deposit in his bank account. Most of the miners worked numerous claims to bring in as much cash as possible.
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