Shadow Space Chronicles 1: The Fallen Race Read Free Page B

outside and continued down the corridor to his quarters.  The marine sentries outside came to attention as he moved past and Lucius gave them a nod, “Carry on.”
    He stepped into his quarters and levered the hatch closed.  Alone at last, he sagged against the bulkhead. “Oh, thank God.”  His breathing dissolved into a ragged pant and he stumbled over and toppled into a chair.
    Seven years , he thought, seven years since we haven’t been fighting non-stop .  There had been short leaves during that time on conquered planets or ones they defended, always far from home, far from the Nova Roman Empire’s core worlds.  Those brief respites had been short, tension-filled, clouded over by the threat of uprising or invasion, and all too often, cut too short by the same.
    For a moment, he saw the ranks of his dead as they paraded past in his mind.  He wondered if any of the other ships in the convoy had survived.
    ***
     
    There were times when Lucius praised the ability to instantly contact fleet headquarters or another ship using the ship’s ansible.  It provided amazing abilities at vessel coordination on both the tactical and strategic control.
    Most times Lucius cursed the damned thing.  It allowed senior officers, many of whom had not seen combat in over thirty years, to micromanage ship deployments and movements.  Furthermore, it took away the initiative of ship's captains and chained them to the whims and fantasies of senior flag officers.  Or in this case, Lucius amended, to their political masters' delusions.
    Lord Admiral Duke Stravatti's words were flat as he addressed Lucius and the remainder of the War Shrike' s officers.  “I understand your vessel has taken heavy damage, and that you are currently cut off from our forces.  That doesn’t change your orders.  The Emperor and Senate have spoken, we are to take the offensive against the Chxor, to push them back once and for all.”  The holographic image had enough detail for Lucius to watch a bead of sweat curl down the Admiral's forehead.
    “ Sir, as it is, we can‘t even make shadow intact.  There's no way we can fight the dreadnought squadron they have on our trail.”  Commander Anthony Doko responded.  “And we certainly cannot get through that much hostile space to support your forces.”
    Stravatti’s gaze flicked to the side.  His eyes focused on something or someone off screen.  “You have received your orders.  Lucius Giovanni is to be arrested and brought in for his negligence and cowardice in the face of the enemy.  He’s the son of a traitor and from his current actions is obviously a traitor himself.”
    Lucius closed his eyes, why did it always come back to this?   “Admiral, as soon as we make our repairs we will rejoin-”
    Stravatti's face paled and he shook his head,“Your ship is to rejoin the Fleet at once!  If you are not in formation with the rest of our forces when the time comes to launch our counteroffensive, you will be listed as renegade and declared pirate.”  The admiral nodded to someone off-screen and the transmission ended.
    Lucius sighed.  “That’s that.”  He rotated his chair to face down the table at his assembled officers.  He met the eyes of each of them in turn.  To his right sat Commander Anthony Doko, who'd been with him since Lucius had first come aboard the War Shrike as the Executive Officer.  The short, raven-haired officer met his gaze with a an unusually somber expression.  His captain, at the time, had told him that they could have passed for brothers.  Lucius's hair tended to curl if he let it grow out and his XO had straight hair that tended to grow out.  They'd worked together for fifteen years and Lucius trusted the man like family.  Tony will back me no matter what, Lucius thought .
    Lieutenant Cato Naevius had come aboard only three months earlier, a replacement from after the battle of New Berlin.  As the senior remaining flight officer, he commanded the ship's