Dark Empire: Secret War - Chapter One, Scene Two

 

Dramok Ilid's troubles are over...or are they?

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Captain Kila’sspyship

Ilid opened hiseyes, grateful to escape sleep and its horrors. He discovered greater terrorawaiting him in the waking world.

The Darks wereeverywhere, surrounding the sleeping mat in his quarters aboard Captain Kila’sspyship. Their shadow tentacles slithered across the sheets covering him,reaching for him.

How do you seeus? We will open your skull. We will cut your brain to pieces to find out,slice it and dice it until we know the secret.

Ilid screamed,pushing at tentacles his hands passed through, kicking at and through them aswell. He screamed as they crawled onto the mat, as they scuttled toward hishead where they’d claim control and hurt him…

He screamed and wokeup for real, flailing violently to escape the tangle of sweat-drenched sheets.He fell off the bed, landing on his ass on the narrow strip of floor betweensleeping mat and wall.

His gaze flew overthe room, which he kept fully illuminated as he slept, so when he woke therewouldn’t be shadows to frighten him. Unfortunately, his nightmares providedplenty of darkness.

The instant Ilidrecognized there were no Darks in his stark, undecorated room, it was safe tolet tears blur his vision. It was safe to cry the tears he should have beenashamed of, he, an adult Dramok.

He consoled himselfno one was there to witness his shame, Darks or Kalquorians. He hadn’t admittedto the nightly bouts of childish weeping to the psychologist on board thespyship. Only the nightmares, which refused to grant him peace.

He was beginning tobelieve the hell in his mind would never be over. He hadn’t escaped the Darks.Not truly.

Once the storm ofsobbing ended, Ilid dragged himself to his feet and dressed in his black fleetuniform. He had given the time a cursory glance and knew it was early yet, buthe’d never get back to sleep. He didn’t want to, though he’d been forbidden stimtabs to combat the two or three hours he was unable to avoid succumbing to eachnight…more when his exhaustion caught up to him after a week of sleep denial.

Being fully dressedhelped his mindset. It meant facing his nightmares was over for a little while.Coffee, the weak but still lovely Earther drink he used in place of stim tabs,would complete the transition. Until his daily therapy session, he’d be able topretend he was recovering from his ill-fated trip to the planet Bi’is.

Glancing outside theship, viewing the vast panorama of constellations on an endless field of blackspace, also helped. Ilid found comfort in no sign of Bi’is, a world now as deadas those on the ship he’d served aboard. He hadn’t yet really thought about anentire society being erased in a matter of days. His mind was already bucklingunder the strain of nearly being eradicated too. Adding the deaths of billionsof others was more than he could cope with, so his brain, in a supreme act ofself-preservation, refused to truly note the event.

The psychologist onboard the ship that had rescued him, the sole survivor of its twin vessel, toldhim it was perfectly normal to do so. “They’re beyond saving, Ilid. You aren’t.You have to concentrate on yourself and not feel guilty for doing so.”

He looked at themetal frame on the wall. He could have left it on to spot space at a glance,but its comfort often turned to another source of terror. Yes, it was wonderfulto no longer see he was in orbit around Bi’is, but it was awful when he thoughtof what lurked among the stars. Out there existed an unbelievable entity. Ithad sent its emissaries to torture him, take over his shipmates, and kill theresidents of an entire planet.

It was out there.Somewhere.

But not here. “Vid, show exterior view.”

He very nearlyscreamed at the planet that appeared, filling the vid transmission. Ilidstaggered back several steps before he realized it wasn’t Bi’is.

It was Kalquor andits green-tinged seas and greener lands. Kalquor and its five orbiting moons.Kalquor, where Captain Kila was dropping him off before the spyship moved on toits next destination.

Ilid was home atlast. Safe at last.

He reached atrembling hand to the vid, as if he could stroke the beautiful world itself.

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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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