Cain's Crusaders by T.R. Harris

Author:T.R. Harris [Harris, T.R.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Amazon: B00E8X2SEG
Publisher: Harris Publications
Published: 2013-08-07T00:00:00+00:00

Chapter 14

At the time of the ambush, the Phoenix had been traveling through the Siyvelan star system. It wasn’t much of a place: a typical second-tier Expansion system that had joined the Coalition about two hundred years ago, impressed by the miracles of the Speaker and the common-sense basis of her religion. Everyone could see the effects of electricity all around them, so why not worship it? It was as good as anything. And if the building of advanced electronics is what they had to do to appease the gods – well it sure beat the sacrificing of virgins! Besides, the Formilians’ had a living-god among them. What could be better than that?

There was one native world within the star system whose Prime race – called the Armplanese – had also settled a neighboring world with the help of Juirean and Formilian technology. This colony world was called Bor’on, and it came with a harsher existence then the Armplanese native world, with lighter-than-normal gravity and a much more severe environment, complete with higher surface temperatures and a near-perpetual cloud cover.

Because of this harsh environment, the settlers of Bor’on relied heavily on technology to keep them alive and flourishing, something that Adam – with the help of Arieel – could use to their advantage … if they could keep Arieel from being recognized.

Bor’on lie about forty million miles from their current location, and even coasting at one-third the speed of light, it would take them over ten hours to reach the planet. Adam concluded that this was acceptable, and remaining in dark mode for that long would give their pursuers more reason to believe that Adam had slipped through their net.

He changed course through a series of quick chemical burns and was soon lined up with the planet. Slowing down for the approach would be another matter; he would have to engage a shallow-well, if only for a moment, to break their speed. This was a risk he was willing to take. They just didn’t have time for any more precautions.

Even if they were able to hide the Phoenix and commandeer another ship, at normal transit speeds within star systems, it would take them six more days to reach Formil. Adding the ten hours it would take to get to Bor’on, plus the time of the surface securing a new ride, that didn’t leave much leeway if any unforeseen events occurred.

Then he had the added problem of not being able to simply show up in the space above Formil. It had been intimated that there may even be those on Formil who wished them dead; thirty million credits could counter even the most devote beliefs and loyalties. Announcing their presence in such an open manner would only invite an attack right on the doorsteps of the Temple.

So Adam would have sneak Arieel onto the planet and into the Temple, taking even more time off an ever-ticking clock.

And then to top it all off, Adam didn’t have a clue how he was going to do any of the things just mentioned.

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