Empire of Ashes: An Epic Space Opera Series (The Augmented Book 1) by Ben Hale

Author:Ben Hale [Hale, Ben]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Aethon Books
Published: 2021-05-03T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Five

From the bridge of Nova, Ero watched the stars streak by, his thoughts on Brand. In just three days, the girl had thrown herself into training, spending every waking minute in the holo chamber.

He glanced to the bridge door, but Skorn was talking to Dragorn again, so he activated a vid crystal in the holochamber, allowing him to secretly watch what the girl was doing.

The girl wielded a blade against a single opponent, repeating swings, blocks, and strikes. She clearly had a gift, and her rate of improvement would have been astonishing even among the krey. Ero recalled his own slow progress when he’d begun training and experienced a touch of jealousy.

He leaned back in the pilot’s seat, watching her. When Skorn was around, she did all the right things, dropping her gaze and keeping her voice demure. But in the holochamber, a fire blazed in her eyes.

Ero wondered as to the source of her courage. She’d spent her life beaten and degraded, but unlike most slaves, she’d not been broken. Instead, she had thrived. Why?

The door whisked open, and Ero hastily extinguished the vid. Skorn ducked inside and claimed the second seat. He reached for the controls and activated the star map, a hologram materializing above the panel.

“Dragorn agrees with our plan,” Skorn said. “It might take a few extra days, but taking the deep space route will avoid exposure. I’m still uncertain if Hellina spoke the truth, but it’s better to be cautious than dead.”

“Anything else?”

“He thinks we need to get our dakorians now.”

“Why?” Ero asked. “We don’t even know where we’re getting a population of slaves.”

“True, but we need to ensure the newly hired soldiers aren’t going to betray us at the first opportunity. So hiring them now gives us a chance to ensure their loyalty.”

“And where are we supposed to find loyal dakorians for cheap?”

“Where else?” Skorn pointed to the star map. “The Bone Crucible.”

“Do you think we take life for granted?”

Skorn frowned and swiveled to face him. “What are you talking about?”

“Just wondering.” He shrugged. “We’ve lived for tens of thousands of years, but at what point does life lose its meaning?”

“What’s brought this on?” he asked. “Does this have to do with the slave girl training with an energy blade in our holochamber?”

Ero shrugged in chagrin. “When did you figure that out?”

“Did you really think I wouldn’t know?” Skorn grunted in irritation. “You should know me better than that.”

“You’re not angry?”

“Why would I be angry? You’ve always had your pointless interests.”

“It’s not pointless.” Heat crept into Ero’s voice. “She’s going to help me practice with a blade in case a Bloodblade comes after us.”

Skorn’s look of pity made Ero flush. “You think a slave can help you with that? A Bloodblade is an assassin capable of killing Bloodwalls. A blade in your hands isn’t going to stop him.”

“I’m not going to sit back and let them come for me.”

“Do you remember the last time you trained with a blade? It lasted a few years, and then you got tired of the hobby, just like all your other pursuits.

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