Darkness: Book One of the Oortian Wars by Iain Richmond

Author:Iain Richmond [Richmond, Iain]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Space Opera, Science Fiction, Sci-Fi, Galatic War
Publisher: Rogue Planet Publishing
Published: 2018-12-31T13:00:00+00:00

Even in his personal quarters in the stern of the Anam Cara, Falco couldn’t get a moment’s rest.

“Thank you for the heads-up, Commander Lee. Twenty Data-Pods en route. We will expect sensor contact in eighteen hours.”

“Your update for Admiral Chen?”

Falco thought hard on the orders he gave his officers an hour prior. “Preparations continue on Station Pluto and we are doing everything we can to turn her into Battle Station Pluto…” he exhaled, “with what we have, and Commander Lee, I am deeply sorry for the loss of the battle group’s crew.”

“Thank you, Captain. I will let the Admiral know you have things well in hand. Lee out.”

Falco swiped a tired hand across the COM box next to his bunk, barely missing the near empty glass of scotch next to it. The COMs green light faded. Falco closed his eyes, trying to embrace a brief moment of peace in what felt like years. His eyes fell to the bottle of scotch. A necessary drink was never a bad thing, but a bottle? That could change the situation.

Ensign Holts’s report was a wake-up call and then there was the autopsy findings. Falco swore under his breath. Holts did an exceptional job; the detail in her summary alone gave him confidence in his newfound knowledge of chemistry and biology. From the moment the United Nations named the civilization, the Oortians became a sobering realization. Humanity was sparring with something that lay hidden from their most advanced technologies. “Right on our fucking doorstep,” Falco whispered.

He had always held out hope that the Russian Federation had finally got their shit together and headed back into space or at least the Euro-Arab League had beaten them to Pluto.

“But Oortians lurking behind a black field at the edge of our solar system, hammering our ships to scrap... or letting them go.” Falco sat up, listing the casualties. “Captain Fei, the crews of the battle-group, my crewmen, this shit is real, this is happening.” The words sounded from another part of him, a darker side that had been held in check since – Falco swallowed hard – since he met his wife, Luciana.

His quarters loomed darker, shadows growing and he took another slow sip of scotch that reached the disappointing bottom. Falco looked away from the empty glass, his hand resting on the release of a drawer embedded in the hull near the head of his bunk. The drawer slid out and Falco stared at the photo of his murdered wife and daughter. The picture lay alone, entombed in the steel compartment. He refilled his glass, took another deep draw, ashamed of his need for liquid therapy.

Commander Lee’s call from 10th Fleet confirmed the worst. Captain Yue Fei and his battle-group were completely destroyed or in a serious shit storm. A brave captain always sends every shred of information on an enemy he can, before he can’t. Fei fit the description of a brave captain.

Falco reached for the glass and thought better of it. Again, his booze-clouded

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