A Cat at Bay by Alma Boykin

Author:Alma Boykin [Boykin, Alma]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Science Fiction, human wave, military sci-fi
ISBN: 9781927967638
Amazon: B016LT2Y20
Goodreads: 27414174
Published: 2015-11-01T16:00:00+00:00

(AD 4170)

Rachel blinked as the translucent tank near the back wall of the Dark Hart wavered in and out of focus. “Stop that. You’re making me sick again.” She blinked again and the fuzz cleared from her eye. “Right. So much for the nap. And so much for a quiet vacation.”

An orange blob drifted by, brushing against the side of the tank before fading back into the depths of its habitat. The ’Hart’s psycho-symbiotic core let her know that it did not care for either her exhaustion or the timeship traces they’d encountered around Drakon IV. “Me either, but only an idiot would try and attack me on the throneworld,” she told the creature and herself. “And I don’t have the authority to ask the empire not to do business with them.”

Of course, if Commander Rada Lord Ni Drako, better known as Lord Reh-dakh, didn’t get “his” tail to the Imperial Palace on time, the King-Emperor would render the Traders’ desires for Rada’s head moot. Rada triple checked the correct temporal and spatial location, and entered the codes for the last leg of the trip. She’d left the Drachental in spring and would be arriving in early winter on Drakon IV. She hummed a fragment of melody to establish the link with the ’Hart, then sang the link. The ship matched her melody before spinning into a wild harmony. Together they set the course, riding a thread of time to the fourth world in the Drakon system, well inside the galaxy humans called the Milky Way, almost 2100 years in the future from when she’d left Ter Tri.

The Dark Hart landed on the far edge of the Imperial palace’s secure spaceport, far enough from the main traffic area that most guards and workers wouldn’t have to look at the twisting, shifting exterior of the scout ship. Rada stood, stretched, and buckled on her sword and blaster belt. She’d change into her Azdhag uniform once she got to her quarters. “Right. I’m Commander Rada Lord Ni Drako, Lord Defender of Drakon IV, called Lord Reh-dakh.” She ran a finger over the folded iron war fan of her name. “And I don’t have to look at another mammal for at least a sixt, thanks be to God.”

She opened the door and strode into the cold night.

Two days later King Emperor Huan-di summoned her to meet in the private imperial gardens. Rada looked at the talon-written invitation and felt her fur rising. What does he want? Nothing positive came to mind.

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