Warlord Rising (The Great Insurrection Book 2) by David Beers & Michael Anderle

Author:David Beers & Michael Anderle [Beers, David]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781649713704
Publisher: LMBPN Publishing
Published: 2021-03-15T16:00:00+00:00

Chapter Seventeen

“I never served the Commonwealth. I always served myself. If I’d been worse at that, I’d be dead. Fortunately for me, I’m pretty good at it.”

–Hel vi Thraxus

“I didn’t die,” the AllMother said, “and even now, I’m not sure if it was my father’s genius or his luck that made such a thing possible. He had a fair amount of both throughout his life.”

Alistair was stunned, and at a time when being stunned probably wasn’t the best idea. His logical self couldn’t believe what he’d just heard. He’d been told of her mythical age, a person born at the beginning of the Commonwealth’s rule still alive today.

It wasn’t possible, yet Alistair didn’t think he could deny it.

He didn’t look at her as he spoke. “That’s the truth?”

“It’s what I remember,” she answered. “Truth is a difficult thing to capture. Memories are much easier.”

Alistair stared at the Commonwealth dreadnought. It was perhaps three kilometers away, and in mere minutes, they would be inside.

You’ve met someone who should be considered a universal treasure, he thought. Someone death can’t touch, despite its ability to grab everyone else. Can you protect her?

There wasn’t any choice. Somehow that story had changed things for Alistair. His desire to protect her had always been there, inspired by her importance to this insurrection.

Now, to him, she was much more.

“Stop,” she whispered. “Stop all that thinking about me. I know I’m old.”

He glanced at her, and she shook her head. “I’m not reading your mind, Kane. I’m looking at your face. Your concentration needs to be on that ship in front of us, not how I got here.”

Turning his head back toward the ship, Alistair closed his eyes. She was right, and he shoved away any thoughts besides those of the coming battle. He opened his eyes and reached down to feel Obs still at his feet. “Have you alerted the Myrmidons?”

“In a manner, yes,” she replied. “I don’t want them to understand why they’re perceiving me, so they’ll see it as more like an accidental beacon than a message.”

“You can do that? Disguise your purpose?”

The AllMother raised an eyebrow. “Those creatures called Myrmidons are gross caricatures of my bloodline. They’re a few steps above apes on the evolutionary ladder. I might not be able to drive them all the way into a star, but I could get them close.”

Alistair chuckled at the arrogance in her voice, though it died quickly.

The bay doors were opening in front of them.

No light shone out. Only darkness was there to greet them.

“How far away are the apes?” he asked.

“You’ll have to keep us alive for a bit, but they’re on the way, my liege.”

He turned to her, not liking the last two words. She gave him a wink and pointed at the front again. “Focus, Titan.”

“Then stop talking, Crone,” he shot back as he looked once more into the bay.

Their small ship went from the coldness of space into the coldness of the enemy’s embrace.

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