Dark Empire Book One: Shadows Approach Chapter One Scene Two

 

 

In this section, I'm pleased to introduce a couple of members of Clan Selt. They won't make much of an impact on Book One, but you'll see much more of them later in the series.

Nobek Selt stepped off his shuttle ahead of the rest of histeam to find his Imdiko clanmate waiting for him in the spyship’s bay. “Awelcoming party for me, Doc? You’re too kind.”

Hadlez chuckled, rendering a beautiful, boyish face more so.“Command staff has been called in for a meeting. The shuttle bay was on my way,so I thought I’d swing by. We can walk together.”

Selt felt a warmth he wouldn’t show in front of his fellowNobeks, just as Hadlez wouldn’t embarrass him by saying out loud he’d missedhim during his mission. So much so, he’d shown up to grab an extra minute ortwo of reunion. “It was only five days.”

“Was that all? I guess it’s as Nath says: time flies whenyou’re having fun.”

Hadlez’s joke brought an instant of tension. Ever alert, theship’s head doctor caught it. “Selt?”

“No, it’s nothing. I’m tired is all. Come on, Doc, put thescanner away.” He tried to fend off the instrument Hadlez waved in front ofhim.

“Talk, or I’ll send you to Medical for a full workup.”

“I just had a lightheaded moment shortly before we werecalled back to the ship.”

“Lightheaded?”

“Like walking in a dream?” A member of the team waiting tobe dismissed, Dramok Ridret, spoke up.

“Yeah. Kind of hazy and disconnected,” Selt agreed. “Sorry,team. I didn’t mean to keep you hanging around. Dismissed.”

“Not so fast.” Hadlez’s scanner inspected Ridret, then eachman in turn. He frowned, shaking back waist-length black hair. “Did everyonehave this issue?”

The five men glanced at each other, answering in theaffirmative.

“We were in Bi’isil labs. We might have been exposed tosomething odd. What’s your scanner say?” Selt asked.

“Little of note. You all have lower-than-usual blood sugar.You can go, but eat within the hour.” Hadlez put his scanner in its pouch onhis belt as the team bowed and hurried away. “You’ve been skipping meals?”

“Like you said, time flies when you’re having fun. Let’s getto the meeting before the captain comes looking for us.” Selt made it apriority to not piss Kila off. His infamous grin hid a brute of a Nobek. He wasalmost as terrifying as Piras.

“The order to eat applies to you too.”

“Got it covered.” Selt pulled a ration pouch from his beltand squeezed its bland contents into his mouth as they strode from the bay.

“Anything interesting to report?” His duty done as far astreating crewmen, Hadlez was eager for gossip. He loved hearing the latestintel ahead of anyone else. The serious doctor transformed to a mischievous boywhen good chatter was to be had.

“We saw some anomalous reports coming in from Sector Cagain. Unreadable to me, no doubt coded messages.”

“Ah, the mysterious Sector C lab. I take it the scientistserased these reports as soon as they read them?”

“Naturally. But we have copies of the notes and our targets’replies. Also coded.” Selt sighed as they traveled the beige-walled corridorand its banks of computers. “It was a given they’d restart covert experimentsand studies. Erasing the entirety their former research and them having toendure regular Galactic Council inspections was merely an obstacle. They’retaking up their evil ways again.”

“The sort of evil that puts the rest of the known universein danger.” Hadlez offered him a sympathetic wince. “It isn’t Bi’is attemptingto misbehave putting a frown on your face.”

Selt chuckled and combed his fingers through hisshoulder-length curls. He wished he’d had an opportunity to clean up beforereporting to Admiral Piras and Captain Kila. He was a rough, tough Nobek, buteven a warrior wanted a shower and clean uniform after five days. “I’ll be gladto hand over what’s usually a boring posting to another crew, but yeah, I’mkind of miffed we won’t be the ones to catch the little gray bastards up to nogood.”

“Think of the compensation, though. Our next deploymentpromises to be exciting, in another fashion.”

Selt’s good humor was restored in an instant. “The newEarth. Hopefully soon to be heavily populated by lonely Earther Mataras.”

“Worth giving up stringing up Bi’isils?”

“Most definitely.”

* * * *

A new planet. A newenemy. Is the end coming for the Kalquorian Empire?

In the aftermath ofthe Kalquorian civil war and the defeat of the Bi’is invasion fleet, the empirehas enjoyed peace. A new Earth has been born. A Kalquorian leads the GalacticCouncil of Planets. An era of harmony seems assured.

However, new dangersarrive on the horizon. Governor Stacy Nichols finds herself at odds withpowerful opponents who want Earth II to return to the old ways that led to thedemise of their original planet. They’ll do anything to stop her, especiallywhen they discover her newfound romance with Clan Rihep of Kalquor.

After five years and aterrifying encounter with an unknown entity, Clan Piras is finally leavingtheir spy duties in Bi’is space. Now they must face enemies closer to home: thefamilies of those they sacrificed while on a secret mission during theKalquorian civil war.

A new threat to theexistence of Kalquor and the entire Galactic Council of Planets arrives in themidst of these challenges, a dark menace unlike anything faced before. Oneyoung, inexperienced spyship ensign is all that stands between the galaxy andutter destruction. Can he warn the empire in time…or is it already too late?

DarkEmpire 1: Shadows Approach releasesAugust 4. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, and print.