Chaos Aternus (The Aternien Wars Book 10) by G J Ogden

Author:G J Ogden [Ogden, G J]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Ogden Media Ltd
Published: 2024-10-20T00:00:00+00:00

FOURTEEN

STRANGE DIPLOMACY

Carter strode onto the bridge of the Eclipse and dropped into the captain’s chair, JACAB by his side. The Gemini-class Corvette felt eerily quiet and empty without Lieutenant Chavez’s trooper squad on board, but he wouldn’t need the soldier’s help for this mission. This time, he intended to fight with words, not swords and guns.

“We’re clear to detach from the repair dock,” Amaya said from the compact navigation station.

“Detach and maneuver us to the jump co-ordinates,” Carter replied while configuring his captain’s console to a tactical readout.

“The taskforce is standing by,” Carina said from her temporary position at ops.

“Weapons are ready, Master G,” Brodie added.

Carter acknowledged his Master-at-Arms, but this was one occasion where he hoped to escape without firing a shot. The Eclipse was a venerable little ship, but it was no match for a squadron of Khopesh destroyers, let alone the Solar Barque Mesek-tet with its Nexus Shard-powered gamma burst weapon.

“We’ve received clearance to jump through the negation net,” Amaya reported. “The Soliton warp drive is spinning up.”

“It’s nice to be ‘official’ again,” Carina commented.

Amaya didn’t look convinced. “I prefer a challenge, which is why I like planet-to-planet jumps. They’re a lot more fun.”

“Maybe for you,” Carter grunted. The sensation of arriving inside a planet’s atmosphere and dropping like a stone was not his idea of fun. He enjoyed the smooth experience of jumping from one point in deep space to another. In nautical terms, it was like sailing a yacht through calm seas, enjoying the view and the wind in his hair, compared to piloting a raft through white-water rapids. Amaya, as an adrenaline junkie, naturally preferred the latter.

“The taskforce has formed up behind us and synchronized their jump clocks with ours,” Carina said. “The Dauntless, Vigilant, Queen Elizabeth, Stheno, Shannon, Freedom, and Fenrir are all standing by.”

“Remind the taskforce to remain beyond the effective weapons range of the Aterniens, and to keep their drives spun up,” Carter said. “We don’t know what to expect when we arrive at the diplomatic outpost, so everyone needs to stay alert.”

“Message sent and acknowledged,” Carina replied. “We’re all set.”

Carter nodded, then turned to Amaya. “Start the jump clock…”

“I wonder what kind of warp vision we’ll experience this time?” Carina said, to the background beat of the soliton warp drive spinning ever faster. “Maybe it’ll be nothing.”

“Unlikely,” Carter grunted, watching the countdown reach five. “I just hope that we’re both there. Together, we’re stronger.”

The Eclipse jumped. After a brief spell of blinding nothingness, Carter found himself inside Nathan Clynes’ hideout on Gliese 832-e, the planet where the scientist had gone into voluntary exile after the first war. He recognized the luxury living quarters that Nathan had built on the lowest level of his underground lair. The mastermind behind the Longsword program had spent over a century in the hideout, though he hadn’t exactly been alone.

Besides his gopher-like bots and HARPER, Clynes had built thousands of synthetic brains and bodies in an effort to perfect mind-transference and transcend his mortal form, as his rival, Markus Aternus, had done.

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