Admiral Tranis and Rear Admiral Hobato are far from being on the same page.
* * * *
Kalquor
“But sir—” Tranis began a protest.
Rear Admiral Hobato held his hand up for silence. “I know how it appeared, but there have been no reports of trouble from our station orbiting Earth. No sign these Darks arrived there on Captain Kila’s vessel. I see no cause for alarm.”
He didn’t bother looking at Tranis as he spoke. The younger officer fought off a wave of anger to be summarily dismissed. It wasn’t as if Hobato spoke condescendingly. He simply wasn’t taking the situation seriously.
“I showed the same signs of those who’d been overcome by the Darks. The low blood sugar, absence of memory for a certain amount of time. Identical symptoms.”
“They are also symptoms of inadequate rest and eating.” Hobato finally gazed at him, his purple, slit-pupiled eyes meeting Tranis’. It was a friendly look, perhaps even paternal, but there was a flatness behind it, devoid of warmth. Tranis had witnessed too much of the emptiness there as of late.
Hobato’s lack of real concern when it came to the Darks baffled Tranis. Bi’is had been wiped out. Tranis had little sympathy for a race determined to destroy the Kalquorian Empire in its not-so-distant past, but it was still a horrifying final chapter. Bi’isils had been technologically advanced, a culture existing for nearly a million years. That they’d been eradicated so suddenly was terrifying.
“We have to know for sure,” he insisted through gritted teeth.
“How do you propose to do so? You’ve been subjected to every test the fleet can think of. Your Matara, a biogeneticist, acknowledged as among the best by her peers, has also run tests. Did she find anything amiss?”
“No, but it doesn’t mean—”
“We can’t cause a panic in the empire over a possibility for which we have no evidence, Admiral Tranis. If we do, we’ll be inundated by those promoting conspiracy and invasion theories. We’ll be accused of promoting them ourselves. The fleet needs to present hard facts rather than theories. Right now, theories are all we have.”
“The extermination of the entire Bi’isil population isn’t a theory, sir.”
“What proof do we have these ‘Darks’ did it? We only have the brief appearance of an unknown species and a traumatized ensign’s confused account of alien takeovers.” Hobato shook his head. “Bi’is was cut off from the rest of the Galactic Council of Planets after their attempt to destroy the Kalquorian Empire. They suffered horribly for their crime, deservedly so, but given how rigid and ritualistic their society was, would it be out of the question they’d decide to self-destruct?”
“Every last one of them? It’s impossible.” Tranis couldn’t believe he’d suggest it.
“It’s what we have proof of, however. Mass destruction, wholesale murder, then suicide by the perpetrators. How different is it from the course the original Earth’s leaders took?”
Tranis couldn’t find a clear argument for him, despite the two worlds Kalquor had warred against on separate occasions having taken different courses to annihilation.
“We have to be sure. A Galactic Council inspection team was on Bi’is just prior to its people dying.”
“I spoke to Secretary-General Mereta this morning. I’ve known him for decades, and he was the same as ever. If he’d noticed anything off, he would have told me.” Hobato continued to give Tranis his kind but blank regard. “We’ll continue to monitor the situation. If something comes up warranting real concern, we’ll act at once. For now, it’s all we can do. Dismissed, Admiral.”
“Sir—”
“Dismissed.”
* * * *
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Time
is running out to halt the Darks’ march to the Kalquorian Empire’s
annihilation.
Finally home on Kalquor, Dramok Ilid is haunted by his encounter with the Darks, which he barely survived. His struggle far from over, Ilid’s sanity and the empire’s existence hang on a quickly unraveling thread. When he learns the Darks have arrived on Kalquor, even his family’s love may not be able to keep him from an unthinkable end.
On Earth II, head of planetary security Nobek Kuran’s hands are full: meeting his potential in-laws, training his replacement, and keeping tabs on a rogue lieutenant governor with a secret agenda. His troubles are only beginning when a deadly attack on those he loves drives him to the brink of murder. Meanwhile, spy Nobek Selt finds himself growing far too close to his subject, reporter Blythe Nelson. Does his clan dare to romance a woman devoted to uncovering the truth, including their secret activities on her world?
Having wiped out the entire Bi’is civilization, the Darks have seized control of the Galactic Council of Planets and attempt to bring the Kalquorian Empire to its knees. Clans Tranis and Piras are desperate to stop the enemy from destroying Kalquor and its allies. Can Hope Nath and Chief Engineer Lokmi capture a lethal enemy capable of passing through all known barriers?
Releasing January 26
Pre-order now: Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, print
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