Empire Ascensions (Exile Empire Book 2) by Joshua Done

Author:Joshua Done [Done, Joshua]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-03-23T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 18

Tom saluted and handed me a data pad with extradition information streaming across it—mostly sundries associated with placing a small battle fleet under arrest along with the son of one of the most powerful men in the empire.

“Alert,” Détente’s voice chimed in my head, which was surprising as I was on the Apocalypse’s bridge and the ship was in the hangar. “We have twelve cruiser-class vessels with battle fleet escorts. Duke Cosetti’s flagship is among them.”

“Tom, we’ve got incoming!” I said a moment before the Apocalypse’s sensors decided to kick in, triggering a series of ear-shattering alarms. Men began shouting and the Cosetti flagship appeared on the bridge’s central display.

“Breakdown?” I asked.

A tech behind me began listing statistics. “Twelve cruisers, nineteen escorts, twenty-two destroyers, ninety-eight frigates. It’s a true battle fleet sir, but with the McCollack and local lords we still have them outgunned.”

“Put me on to the fleet,” I commanded. “This is the Hammer. Prepare for battle but do not engage unless fired upon.” I paused and glanced over at Tom and Will. “If they open fire, however, wipe them from the sky.” I felt a slight vibration all the way from the floor and through my suit from the combined war yells of the thousands of men on the Apocalypse.

“Sir,” a light voice interrupted as the personnel doors to the bridge opened, revealing the entrance of a thin woman and Conner. The young boy was still bandaged and wrapped in half a dozen tissue regeneration packs, but he was walking with obvious determination despite the pain he was no doubt experiencing.

Good, I thought. The boy needs to stretch his legs and get his mind off of his family. “Conner, how are you doing?” I gave Tom the signal to prepare the fleet for battle.

“I’m okay,” he said in opposition to the obvious truth. “Is someone going to attack us?”

“Maybe,” I said.

“Will they kill us?”

“Maybe,” I said.

“What are you going to do?” he asked, unclenching his jaw again.

“My job.” The kid looked uncertain. Will came up and put a hand on the boy’s back as I went over to the display and began issuing commands while simultaneously sending signal orders through cyberlinks.

“He’s the Emperor’s Hammer, bud. What do you think he’s going to do?”

Conner’s eyes narrowed and the spark of the life I had seen in him at the camp came back, with a double helping of the cold violent determination he’d expressed by the cart. He began to speak. “He’d kick their…” Conner stopped himself and looked around as if expecting to be reprimanded, noticing again the absence of family.

“This is the Apocalypse, a place where no half-truth can stand. You’ve fought the ’Tal and lived to tell about it. Say what is on your mind and never let anyone tell you otherwise.”

“He’d kick their asses…sir.”

Will laughed. “Aye, I think so, bud. Shall we watch?”

Conner nodded and Will led him to the ring of chairs around the central holo display where they both took seats. Will connected to a cyberlink while Conner became transfixed by the swirling imagery in the display.

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