by Finn Gray
Chapter 33
Southgull Island
Hyperion
Jude Vatcher sat back, feet propped up on his mahogany desk, and watched the world burn. He sipped sherry as he marveled at the feed coming in on his private vid stream. Communications were out all over the world, but many of his satellites were still active, and were providing footage to his safe haven on Southgull Island, far from the chaos that was tearing Hyperion apart.
Every thirty seconds, the image switched to a different location, showing the devastation wrought by the wave of attacks.
Borlan was a blackened ruin.
Flick.
Azata, a pile of rubble.
Flick
The Peacock Islands drowning in the flood waters of the tsunami set off by tectonic bombs.
Flick
Nothing but churning sea where the entire peninsula upon the city of New Soria once stood.
Flick
And the piece de resistance—the imperial compound in Vatome City was now a smoking crater. Utterly obliterated, along with the imperial family and the senators and all the nobility of Aurora. Well, almost all of the nobles.
“A thing of beauty,” he marveled.
The door behind him opened and Magda entered. She moved to stand behind him, gently placed her hands on his shoulders.
“Is the carnage to your liking, dear?” There was a note of playfulness in her voice, but not a hint of disapproval. She understood as well as he the need to remake this world.
“The plan has been executed almost flawlessly.” He held up his glass in a mock-toast.
“Almost?”
“A few things didn’t go quite as planned. Still, we softened the worlds up and caused sufficient chaos to be getting on with.”
“I’m sorry your wargames were not perfectly executed. I know you always strive for perfection.” She began gently massaging his neck and shoulders, her thumbs exerting just the right amount of pressure. “Just remember, this is your first time destroying an entire civilization. I’m sure you’ll do even better next time.”
He chuckled. He’d married her for her looks and familial connections, but her sardonic humor had been a welcome bonus.
She leaned down, gave him a gentle kiss on the neck, just where he liked it. Helping herself to a glass of sherry, she took a seat in one of the leather chairs facing his desk. Despite his fascination with the disasters playing out onscreen, he couldn’t help but take a moment to drink in her beauty. Her fair skin, big hazel eyes, chestnut hair, and luscious figure.
“Darling, I have to say, you do not look like a woman of fifty cycles,” he said. “Especially in that.” She wore a tight silk cocktail dress with nothing underneath. “Aren’t you cold?”
A fleeting upturn at the corners of her mouth was her only reply.
“I know you don’t enjoy the weather on our tiny island.” He tipped his chin toward the picture window that looked out on the snow-covered landscape and the ice-choked bay beyond. “But we’re safe here until the world can be set right again.”
“I understand,” she said. “But I refuse to dress like one of those Norwinder cows. Unless the heat goes out, of course.”
“We’d have to make our own warmth, in that event,” he said.
“Promises, promises. You know you’ll be watching these vids for days.” She took a drink of sherry, her expression suddenly grave. “Any word about Thetis, or the fleet?”
Jude knew what she was asking. “Little word from Thetis, but considering how deep the Memnon roots run there, I am not concerned.” He paused. “Our plans for the fleet did not come to fruition as I had hoped, but we managed to damage or destroy several dreadnoughts. That’s a good start.”
Magda took another drink. “What about...” She was always hesitant to mention Simon’s name. Relations between Jude and his son were frosty at the best of times.
“The last I heard, our people on board Osprey had managed to capture him without harming him. They will bring him here as soon as it’s safe.”
The lines of tension in Magda’s face smoothed. “He won’t thank us for it.”
“He doesn’t see things the way we do, but he’s no fool. He’ll see there’s no longer an empire to serve. His oaths are dissolved. The Senate is gone and soon the Navarres will be also. When this is all over, Aurora will be rebuilt from the ground up, with the Vatchers at the fore. He won’t pass up the opportunity. If he’s anything, he’s ambitious.”
“Sometimes I wonder if we should have implanted him.” Magda stared down at the half-empty glass in her hands. “If he won’t see reason, if he puts himself in harm’s way...”
“We did the right thing. He must be his own person, free to choose. I know he will make the right choice in the end.”
Smiling sadly, Magda stood, rounded the desk, and settled into Jude’s lap. He wrapped his arms around her, enjoying her closeness. “I’m proud of you,” she whispered.’
“Thank you.”
She let out a little sigh and leaned her head against his.
“I must confess, I find the dénouement of your little drama oddly fascinating.”
Jude turned toward her, their noses almost touching, and smiled.
“Dénouement? My dear, this is only the opening act.”
The End
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Coming soon! Aurora Burning, book two of the Aurora Fleet Series!
About the Author
Finn Gray is the author of the AURORA series. His literary inspirations include Starship Troopers, Ender's Game, Crystal Rain, and many more. On the screen, he loves Firefly, Battlestar Galactica (original and reboot), and Blade Runner. When not writing, he enjoys eating waffles, shooting at random objects with his old-school, single-shot .22 rifle, and shouting at strangers to "get off his land." Don't send him any letters or packages because no one will deliver to him any more. Finn lives in the American Southwest with his wife, children, and dogs.
