Star kill stars end book.., p.22
Star Kill (Stars End Book 2),
p.22
She smiles. “Are you kidding? We’re still taking bids.”
“Care to name names?”
“Why? Do you think you have a chance to get out of here?”
“I have a reputation for a reason.”
“Yeah, we all saw what you did to those aliens. You have my respect, Odin. No bull.”
“Then maybe it’s just your priorities that are twisted. All the chrome in the Sphere won’t help you when the banshees come back. And they will.”
“There’s lots of planets out there. I’ll be long dead before I have to worry about that. And if not? Sorry, Odin. You caught them with their pants down. If they’re going to annihilate us, I want to live life to the fullest before they do.”
I sigh again, looking at Amelia. “Rozik’s on his way?”
“Yes. Back to the Commune on board Marette.”
Marette is the name of the cargo hauler that stuck around for the fight. I’m sure he paid a shipload of chrome to get her captain to provide the ride.
“And Yari?”
“She’s working for me. Don’t worry. She’s safe here.”
“Like I was supposed to be?”
“Come on, Odin. You knew this was coming.”
“I was fifty-fifty. I thought maybe you had some integrity.”
“That hurts.”
“Good. You know, Amelin’s widow told me you were going to stab me in the back. She suggested I kill you first.”
“Thank you for not killing me. I’d say I owe you another one, but…” She shrugs and points at me. “Take him.”
The guards start advancing, circling the fountain to get to me. They pause halfway, bringing up their pulse rifles, ready to stun me out.
I’m too far away to touch them, and while I have a sidearm of my own, I’ll never get it out in time. I’m about to close my eyes and accept what the fates have in store for me when the door to Geramin’s bedroom slides open.
Yari steps through, an ion blaster in her hand.
“What is she—” the smuggler says, cut off as an ion blast hits her in her unprotected chest. She chokes and collapses.
The guards turn to stop her, but Amelia pulls a pulse pistol and starts shooting, hitting each of them twice in the back. The soldiers drop to the ground, knocked out by the assault.
“I made promises,” Amelia says. “I can’t just let you walk away. But you’re Odin Longknife. Nobody will blame me when you escape.”
“Here,” Yari says. I turn her way and she tosses me the blaster. “Good hunting, Commander.” She comes to attention and salutes the way Kratz does.
I turn back to Amelia. “What now?”
“Now you take me hostage, and we go down to Sleipnir.”
“You’re giving me Geramin’s ship?”
“You’re going to need it. The Mandelbrot is up-to-date. It’ll get you to Bruxton in time for the sortie.” She steps over the guards and approaches me.
“This symbol,” I say, tapping the triangles. “What does it mean?”
“It’s called valknut. It’s a symbol of Odin. One that not many people will recognize or understand.”
“How do you know it?”
“Grandfather was always a fan of those myths. And I think he would have liked you. I wouldn’t let you take Grandmother’s virtual otherwise.”
“Thank you.”
“Don’t thank me. Grab me.”
“Amelia, I can’t...”
“...be rough with a woman?” she finishes for me. “I appreciate the sentiment, but you need to go and it needs to look convincing for both our sakes. So grab me.”
I hesitate another second, and then I lunge at her, taking her in a choke hold that leaves my arm wrapped around her neck, my body behind hers. She resists like she really wants to get free and I almost let her go before realizing it’s to make it look real on the security monitors. I grab her tighter, and then I put the ion blaster to her temple.
“Stop moving,” I growl. “Or I will kill you.”
She settles down. I glance over at Yari, making sure she knows it’s all an act. She smiles and waves at me as I guide Amelia out of the nearest door. There are guards waiting there to ambush me.
“Get back,” I say. “Get the hell back.”
The guards hesitate. “Do what he says!” Amelia chokes out. They back up, and I continue pushing Amelia until we’re in the elevator.
“You can leave me here,” she says.”
I look questioningly up at the security camera in the corner of the cab.
“I left the monitors offline so I could speak to you privately,” she explains. “You need to make a run for it. They’ll chase you, but they won’t catch up. Not to you.”
“If things get bad, can I count on you?” I ask, letting her go.
“Aren’t they already bad?”
“Worse then.”
She nods. “I need to hire some new crew for my ships, but yes. If you call on me, I’ll come. I’m not letting aliens destroy the Sphere without a fight.”
“I think you’re the smartest warlord out here.”
“Chairwoman,” she corrects. “And I’m probably the most pragmatic.” The elevator slows to a stop. Before I can say anything, she leans in and kisses me on my closed mouth.
“Sorry. I just always wanted to kiss a legend.”
The doors begin to open. She slumps back against the wall, feigning unconsciousness. There’s a guard right outside, and I take him by surprise, grabbing his rifle and using it against him. Then I do what she suggested.
I run.
Thank you for reading!
Thank you so much for reading Star Kill. I’m glad you came back for the second helping. You definitely don’t want to miss the third.
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Thank you again for reading.
Cheers!
Michael.
Other Books By M.R Forbes
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A desperate escape to the most dangerous planet in the universe... Earth.
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A lost starship...
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After an assassination attempt leaves Mitchell critically wounded, he begins to suffer from strange hallucinations that carry a chilling and oddly familiar warning:
They are coming. Find the Goliath or humankind will be destroyed.
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They may also be humanity’s last hope for survival in a war that has raged beyond eternity.
(War Eternal is also available in a box set of the first three books here: mrforbes.com/wareternalbox)
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The most powerful starships ever constructed are gone. Thousands are dead. A fleet is in ruins. The attackers are unknown. The orders are clear: Recover the ships. Bury the bastards who stole them.
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In the year 2280, an alien fleet attacked the Earth.
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About the Author
M.R. Forbes is the mind behind a growing number of Amazon best-selling science fiction series including Rebellion, War Eternal, Chaos of the Covenant, and the Forgotten Universe novels. He currently resides with his family and friends on the west cost of the United States, including a cat who thinks she’s a dog and a dog who thinks she’s a cat.
He maintains a true appreciation for his readers and is always happy to hear from them.
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M.R. Forbes, Star Kill (Stars End Book 2)
