Spacers: Empire Space by Scott Bartlett

Author:Scott Bartlett [Bartlett, Scott]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Mirth Publishing
Published: 2021-03-12T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Aboard the New Jersey

Juniper System, Lacuna Region

Earth Year 2291

“You certainly know how to make friends,” Emilio Garcia said as he entered the conference room off the Jersey’s CIC.

The man was five minutes late for the emergency meeting Thatcher had called—five minutes he’d spent making awkward conversation with the other captains present, from both Frontier and Anvil. They gazed out from holoscreens stacked so high around the conference table it was almost comical.

I should probably start letting only squadron leaders attend these things. But everyone in the fleet was nervous, and for this meeting at least, he’d wanted to include everyone.

“How do you mean?” he asked Garcia, already having second thoughts about inviting him, and also about letting him attend in-person. Then again, he could hardly afford to insult the man. His fleet’s situation was volatile enough as it was.

Garcia dropped into the only empty seat like a bag of cement. “I was being sarcastic. Tobias Vega has devoted what appears to be every last unit at his disposal to making sure you never leave Lacuna alive.” He shrugged. “Inspiring that level of animosity is…impressive.”

Thatcher’s mouth quirked. “I tend to doubt Vega’s going to such lengths solely to kill me. Frontier has been a thorn in DE’s side for—”

“Actually, you may want to give yourself a little more credit,” Commander Pearson of the Onyx put in. “If even half the rumors circulating amongst my crew are true, you’re the most important man in the Dawn Cluster.”

Thatcher froze. Billy Candle’s face materialized in his mind’s eye, paired with an urge to find the man and throttle him. “What rumors?”

Captain Duncombe spoke up from the holoscreen connected to the Minotaur. “Most Frontier employees now seem to think that, according to a certain four-star admiral, you’re destined to save the Dawn Cluster from the Xanthic. A few of them seem to believe you’re actually a time traveler from the future, come to help humanity in its hour of greatest need—but you can’t tell anyone, since it would mess up the timeline.” Duncombe sniffed. “Either way, the true believers view our retreat from Red River as a temporary setback. Because of your preordained path, you can’t help but escape Lacuna and go on to confront the Xanthic in a struggle to the death. They believe Tad Thatcher the Hammer will soon return to smash Degenerate Empire into bits.” She glanced at Pearson, whose holoscreen hung suspended across the table from her. “Does that about sum up the rumors that have been wafting up to you from your crew, Commander?”

Pearson nodded, a sardonic smile plastered across his thin lips. “It does indeed, Captain Duncombe.”

Thatcher cleared his throat. “I think we can all agree that the appropriate response would be to discourage such fanciful—”

“The hell you will,” Garcia said.

The entire room went silent, turning toward the Anvil CEO. For his part, Thatcher attempted to glare a hole through him. “Excuse me?”

“I’ve been surprised by just how well morale has been maintained, even though we’ve spent the last weeks fighting for our lives.

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