The Last Lion by Nicholas Sansbury Smith

Author:Nicholas Sansbury Smith [Smith, Nicholas Sansbury]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Galactic Empire, Exploration Science Fiction, Space Marine
Publisher: Great Wave Ink Publishing
Published: 2024-10-29T00:00:00+00:00

Axel knew he was lucky to be alive.

In his mind, he pictured the Wrath ship they had commandeered emerging from the portal in front of the Lion. Missiles had fired at them, but someone on the Juggernaut had seen the engravings on the hull of the alien vessel at the last moment and those missiles had adjusted, curving past the Thorn ship harmlessly.

After hours of decon and a full debriefing, Axel and Cricket were back together looking out over Jolia from an observatory on the crown of the Lion. There was no visible sign of war on the surface of the planet, but there was plenty of evidence in orbit. Waves of flotsam, charred wings, hulls, and frozen bodies drifted over the planet from the human vessels that had tried to flee when the first Thorns arrived.

A knock on the hatch pulled them away from the view.

“Axel, Cricket,” Captain Quinn said.

She entered the small observatory and stepped inside with a dire look on her face.

“Don’t sugarcoat it,” Axel said. “What news do you have?”

“It’s about Tor,” she said.

He looked in her in the eye.

“The colony was destroyed in another Wrath attack, and there’s no sign of your crew,” Quinn said ruefully. “I’m sorry, Axel. And Cricket.”

“Commendatore, what do we do?” Cricket chirped.

Axel couldn’t bear to look down at his friend right now as he tried to process this new information.

“I’m afraid there’s also no trace of your aunt either,” Quinn said. “She has evaded all my attempts to find her.”

Axel drew in a breath, his heart aching like he had just been stabbed by a fire sword. He tried to fight the absolute crushing news, but this was too much. He had agreed to send his crew to Tor thinking they would be safe, and he had failed them all. And he had failed his aunt.

“They could still be alive, Axel, and I will keep searching, but you must think of the mission,” she said. “I wish I had better news, but I didn’t want to keep this from you.”

“Thanks for the transparency.”

“I know this is the last thing you want to do right now, but the war council is meeting shortly, and General Jessup asked that we brief them on our mission.”

She looked at him and Cricket in turn.

“Take a few moments, I’ll be right outside,” Quinn said.

Axel nodded and turned away but stopped when she put a hand on his shoulder.

“Have faith,” she said. “We just survived the impossible, and your crew isn’t stupid, nor is your aunt. They are all survivors, like us.”

“That is true,” Cricket said.

Quinn stepped outside and Axel went to the viewport.

“She’s right, the crew’s probably out there, lying low.”

“Yeah,” Cricket chirped. “Your aunt is probably doing the same thing.”

Axel crouched in front of the Marka.

“I’m sorry for bringing you out here, but we’re gonna get through this.”

“There’s nothing to be sorry for, Commendatore.”

Cricket nestled his head up to Axel’s own. He held onto his pal for a few extra moments, then stood, and said, “Let’s go tell the council what’s really out there waiting.

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