by B. V. Larson
So, why hadn’t I done so? Why hadn’t I made the ultimate sacrifice, the sacrifice every soldier knows is in the contract when he signs on to defend his people?
It had been too galling, I decided. The idea of fighting for Crow as a patsy, as a chump set up to take the beating his fleet had earned. To die for Crow’s Empire, even though I didn’t want it to exist. I’d chosen not to do it, and that choice had caused untold damage to my homeworld.
I paced and stressed until Sandra showed up. She read the message, then put it down quietly. I half-expected her to begin scolding me. Maybe this time she would declare me unfit to be her lover.
But she didn’t. Instead, she came to me and put her head on my chest. “Crow is a horrible leader, Kyle. Don’t feel bad. It’s not your fault. Even if the only humans left right now were those out here on the frontier with you, all of us would be better off.”
I shook my head. “It doesn’t work like that. This is about extinction. The loss of millions hurts us all. We’re like a candle flame in this universe, Sandra. When the wind blows, we flicker and dance. A single drop of rain could make us hiss, sputter and waver. A storm would put us out for sure. We’re facing a storm right now, and in the end, we’re very likely to die out.”
She looked up at me, frowning. “What were we supposed to do? Stand in front of that fleet? We would have been mowed, Kyle. Destroyed. Crow wanted that, you realize. He figured he was on the safe side of you. He knew you were closest to the enemy, and expected them to go through you to get to him. Well, you showed him he wasn’t so safe. What matters now is Star Force is alive and still strong.”
I could hear a tremor in her voice. She wasn’t immune to the emotions that this letter would cause in everyone who read it. It was a brave rant by a General who was clearly all but broken after a terrible fight. He sounded to me like a commander who absurdly claims victory while wandering through lifeless streets full of ash.
Sandra hugged me tightly. I patted her with clumsy fingers. When women acted like this, I never knew exactly what to do. I wanted to tell her everything would be all right, and that I would kill the bad man in the morning. But I wasn’t sure if I could do it or not. I wasn’t even completely sure who the bad man really was. Had Kerr’s decisions killed millions? Had mine? Or was it Crow’s fault?
Worst of all, I didn’t know what the Macros would do next. Possibly, they had another monstrous fleet sailing toward us, only a week behind the last one. In that case, they would soon trash everything we’d built up. Earth had been weakened, and they might not survive another round like the last one. If the Macros did show up, I knew I was going to have to bite the bullet this time and stop them—or die trying.
“I know what you’re thinking,” Sandra said.
“You do?”
“Yes, and I agree with you. We should do it, Kyle. We should pull together every ship we have, fly to Earth, and take over. Crow must be removed from the throne. He doesn’t deserve to sit there.”
I stared at her, honestly shocked. “And I do?” I asked.
She blinked back at me. She slowly realized what her words had implied. Then her face hardened.
“Yes,” she said, nodding slowly. “Why not?”
I hugged her again and laughed. “Because I’m a soldier, not an emperor. I never wanted to rule anyone. I just wanted Earth to beat the machines. I want peace, and an easy life again.”
“I don’t know, Kyle,” she said. “I don’t know if you can ever retire and be a quiet farmer again. I think things have gone too far for that.”
I frowned and hugged her, but I didn’t answer. I didn’t know if any of us would ever see Earth again at all. That thought opened a hole in my heart, one I hadn’t known was there.
The End
From the Author: Thanks Reader! I hope you enjoyed EMPIRE. The Star Force series will continue with the seventh book. If you would like to see the series move forward as my next writing project, please put up some stars and a review. Let new readers know what’s in store for them!
-BVL
More Books by B. V. Larson:
STAR FORCE SERIES
Swarm
Extinction
Rebellion
Conquest
Battle Station
Empire
IMPERIUM SERIES
Mech Zero: The Dominant
Mech 1: The Parent
Mech 2: The Savant
Mech 3: The Empress
OTHER SF BOOKS
Shifting
Velocity
Visit BVLarson.com for more information.
