The Phoenix Reckoning (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 6) Read Free Page A

what I saw when I went into Alliance and then Rotham space, and what intelligence we discovered there, is that the scope of what we’re dealing with is so much greater than just the civil war back home. Yes, there is a major conflict between Kalila and Caerwyn and it is tearing our Empire apart, but we must look beyond that and recognize that the solution to all of this isn’t back that way; it’s out there. And I don’t want loyalties from the civil war to compromise what we need to do.”
    “And your solution is to hire a bunch of bar-trawling mercenaries yourself, out of your own pocket, and then give them access to the Nighthawk ?” asked Summers. “And you think they will have the mettle to stand up to whatever unspeakable evils lie in wait for us, out in Forbidden Space?”
    “No, don’t be ridiculous,” said Calvin. “I intend to fill our barracks full of Roscos.”
    At the mention of the name, he heard a sharp inhale come from the direction of the defense post.
    “Miles, are you all right?” asked Calvin.
    “Yes,” said the big man, in a higher pitched voice than usual. He even seemed to shudder for a moment.
    “Roscos?” asked Nimoux, sounding more curious than argumentative. “Aren’t they gangsters?”
    “You could say that,” said Calvin.
    “And you wish to bring them aboard the Nighthawk ?” asked Nimoux.
    “As I said, we all agree we need soldiers; I merely want those soldiers to be soldiers that we can control.”
    “Calvin, be straight with me,” said Summers with a raised eyebrow. “What makes you think you can control Rosco soldiers?”
    “Money.”
    “But whose money?” pressed Summers. “Surely you don’t have enough. Would you have the rest of us tap into our life savings? And even then, could you really be certain that that would be enough to sway the Roscos?”
    “No, our money will never be enough,” admitted Calvin.
    “Then what?” Summers looked eager for an answer. No doubt she had wondered all this time, from their very first visit to Aleator, just how exactly Calvin was connected with the Roscos.
    “I have connections,” said Calvin, hoping to leave it at that.
    “Obviously you have connections,” said Summers. “Last time we were there, you left Aleator One in a Rotham cargo ship that I know you didn’t buy.”
    “She’s got you there, Calvin,” said Miles.
    “Look, it’s not a sure thing,” said Calvin, “but I’m going to make every arrangement so that we can repair our ship in Aleator, take-on new supplies and armaments there, and leave with twenty Rosco soldiers, each loyal to my every command.”
    “That’s a tall order coming from someone who just admitted he didn’t have the money for such a thing,” said Summers.
    “The commander has a point,” said Nimoux. Unlike Summers, he didn’t seem hostile to the idea, merely skeptical of it. For that matter, Calvin was a little bit skeptical himself, since he’d already spent the favor that the Roscos owed him—or rather owed his father—Calvin wasn’t sure he could convince Grady to give him what he was about to ask for. Still, he had to try. If he could make this work, this would be the best solution to the problems at hand. The Roscos were the only ones he could trust not to have their own agenda—they kept a code of honor that bound them to their contracts, and their only beef was with the Khans. Not to mention that Aleator didn’t require them to divert very far off mission, minimizing the delay.
    “Without getting into the specifics now,” said Calvin, “I believe it can be done. And that is the decision I have made. If I am wrong, then we will leave Aleator and head for the nearest Imperial station and make port there.”
    “We defer to your judgment,” said Nimoux.
    “Yes, sir,” added Summers, sounding only half sincere.
    Good enough , thought Calvin. Now it was just a matter of convincing Grady Rosco that helping Calvin and the Nighthawk was in his best