Dark Empire: Secret War - Chapter One, Section One

 

Dramok Mereta, secretary-general to the Galactic Council of Planets, is down but certainly not out.

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Galactic Councilspace, planet Jedver

Dramok Mereta,secretary-general of the Galactic Council of Planets, caught a glimmer of lightand welcomed it. As it grew larger and brighter, he sent waves of calming blissto the mind that had invaded his.

The alien presencewas heavy, suffocating as Mereta’s Kalquorian consciousness emerged. He felthis opponent stir, reacting to the soft blurring of focus he fed it. It knewsomething was wrong, but it had no idea what.

Mereta found itsache, its loneliness, its separation. He fed it warmth and a sense ofbelonging. It submerged into the sensation, hungry to be one with the alien Allagain, from which it had sprung.

Having successfullydistracted it for a few precious moments, Mereta looked out onto the world heknew only in bits and snatches nowadays.

He was in hisoffice, seated at his desk. His computer was on, a holographic screen hoveringover it. He read it over quickly, knowing control of his body was brief,counted in minutes. Perhaps seconds.

It was a disturbingmessage to the heads of member planets, not only from himself but from manymembers on the council, urging them to relax sanctions against the planet Trag.The Tragooms were a troublesome species, mere children in a spiritual sense butdestructive. Experience had taught most sentients the Tragooms were best keptto their own area of space.

There was littleMereta could do to keep such nonsense from being sent. Doing so would awakenthe creature riding him to the fact he was overcoming it on occasion. Hemarveled for an instant at how the tone and speech of the message it hadcomposed sounded just as he would…if he’d indeed supported such nonsense. Howcould anyone believe he’d want to ease the boundaries keeping the Tragooms apart of the rest of the galaxy’s society without allowing them to do too muchdamage?

He had no time toruminate on the matter. He opened a new document and typed a hurried message,the latest in several. He noted the date as he did so. Had he really beenlocked away in his own mind for so long? Apparently none of his earlierattempts to communicate had been discovered by the recipients.

Then again, hisactivities had yet to be discovered by the creature running his body, so therewas still hope. More hope since Kalquor had yet to be overcome.

“Send via com routelabeled Mereta Home Path,” he told the device when he was done.“Recipient, Nobek Emperor Bevau.”

The com beeped itscompliance in the nick of time. The room was fading from Mereta’s vision, hisdark passenger waking from the mists that turned their attention to Mereta’sconsciousness.

He returned to thequiet deep, where the true All awaited him instead of the territorialother-dimensional being his rider had emerged from. Mereta drifted in peace,waiting for the light to beckon him to his next chance to warn the galaxy ithad come under attack.

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Timeis running out to halt the Darks’ march to the Kalquorian Empire’sannihilation.

Finallyhome on Kalquor, Dramok Ilid is haunted by his encounter with the Darks, whichhe barely survived. His struggle far from over, Ilid’s sanity and the empire’sexistence hang on a quickly unraveling thread. When he learns the Darks havearrived on Kalquor, even his family’s love may not be able to keep him from anunthinkable end.

OnEarth II, head of planetary security Nobek Kuran’s hands are full: meeting hispotential in-laws, training his replacement, and keeping tabs on a roguelieutenant governor with a secret agenda. His troubles are only beginning whena 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, reporterBlythe Nelson. Does his clan dare to romance a woman devoted to uncovering thetruth, including their secret activities on her world?

Havingwiped out the entire Bi’is civilization, the Darks have seized control of theGalactic Council of Planets and attempt to bring the Kalquorian Empire to itsknees. Clans Tranis and Piras are desperate to stop the enemy from destroyingKalquor and its allies. Can Hope Nath and Chief Engineer Lokmi capture a lethalenemy capable of passing through all known barriers?

Releasing January 26.

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