AllFreeNovel
Share Us
They each made a silent toast, then tossed back the rich, oak-aged liquid with groans of appreciation.
‘Was your materialising stunt necessary?’ The King asked drily after the glasses had been well emptied.
Kainan gave a slight smile. ‘Sometimes all it takes is a stunt to strike fear into the hearts of the enemy. They must believe we are stronger than The Klastsch could ever be.’
‘Is that true? Could you ever be stronger? Because right now, The Sable Group is all that stands between them and us.’
‘We have to be stronger. I dare say we are stronger. Why else do they keep coming after us?’
The King’s face turned even more severe. ‘Be careful, Riders. Our declarations and warnings today may have stirred the hornet’s nest. You may find it’s you watching your backs.’
Kainan turned to Kage. ‘Sounds like you need to multiply our surveillance systems, and include more sec upgrades to our nodes. Meanwhile, Zane will keep an eye out over all the System.’
The King looked puzzled at this last statement but let it pass with a shrug. ‘You Riders have secrets I won’t even try to fathom. Will you even tell me where you’re holding Emian and Torran?’
Kage shook his head. ‘Nada, Your Highness. The less you know, the better. As you requested, they are comfortable and well taken care of. I’ll share their holo feeds with your private comm tab, so you can see they are being handled humanely.’
‘Doesn’t excuse their treason.’
‘Nada, it does not,’ Zane said quietly.
The King sighed. ‘Hearing the phone calls you captured and the data you sent me of Emian and Torran plotting against me and also against The Sable Group was one of the saddest days of my life. Second only to the passing of Occaro, even though I’d authorised that action myself.’
Kainan nodded in understanding. ‘You did it for the country’s sake, your people and your family. Sometimes it’s the most ruthless of acts that bring the most effective justice.’
The King went on, his eyes bleak with sorrow. ‘Even though I knew of their treason, greed and envy, witnessing them sink their knives into my back over the years has been more painful than I ever imagined. Now all I have left is my queen and my children. May the gods be kind to us all.’
The Riders stayed silent, letting the King sit with his truth, ugly though it was.
Presently, he shook his head, clearing it of its crowding thoughts. ‘Anyone else for one more tot of whisky?’
There were eager takers all around.
Harlow, three months later
Excitement and anticipation packed the atmosphere at The Sable Group’s private launch pad west of Eden II’s spaceport. The gathered group of officials, media, dignitaries and even Eden II’s Elder Council had assembled to witness the unprecedented event.
In a control room nearby, the Proto-XE core team closely monitored a bank of holo screens. While outside, technicians swarmed over a parked, sleek corvette, preparing it for take-off.
Wearing a stunning sculpted midi dress and sexy pair of three inch heels, Harlow sat before a large station quietly while behind her, Kage, her team and the entire Sable Rider family stood, waiting for Mirage’s direction.
The holo screens flickered to the view of the corvette’s cockpit, where the ebony-skinned beauty was at the helm of the high-tech, upgraded craft.
‘Final countdown,’ Mirage warned, her fingers flying over her pilot’s console. ‘Prep Crew, please step away from the test craft.’
The technicians launched away from the corvette’s surface, landing on the spaceport and disappearing into its safe confines.
‘Countdown to launch begins now,’ Mirage announced as a sizeable holo ticker began the 30-second computation.
Harlow tensed up and stood to her feet. Kage stepped behind her and placed his hands on her shoulders, lending her his strength.
The suspense ratcheted as the countdown to launch approached zero. Harlow and her team held their breath, the tension palpable as the final seconds ticked away.
She clenched her hands as the ticker announced take off.
‘We are go,’ Mirage said from the helm of the sleek craft.
With a gentle lift and push from its thrusters, the corvette rose vertically into the air. Everyone held their breath as the sleek ship arced over the dome. When it was at a distance, its massive fusion engines ignited and blasted it off into space, leaving a trail of ionic blue flames behind it. Mouths gaped in wonder as the corvette angled away at a blistering speed.
