The Phoenix War Read Free Page A

Tamara
had to look away.
    She felt frozen in place, unable to do
anything. Hot tears drowned her eyes and, although it was
biologically impossible, she felt her heart beating in her
throat.
    And then, tight as a vice grip, a large hand
clamped down on her shoulder. She trembled and sobbed as she felt
herself pulled backwards suddenly.
    “Please…” she whispered meekly. “ Please
don’t …”
    “I am sorry human female,” the deep voice
said from behind. “The number of ways is but one. And this is it.
There is no other path.”
    “At least…” she fumbled for words. Realizing,
somewhat surreally, that she was about to die—about to stop
existing.
    “At least what ?” demanded the
Polarian.
    “At least tell me why,” she said, controlling
her sobs. “We only did what was asked of us.”
    “Indeed you did, human female. And now your
work is complete.”
     
    ***
     
    Calvin was with Kalila on the bridge of the
Black Swan when word reached them. And once the bad news started
pouring in, it didn’t stop. It seemed to only grow worse with each
further detail. He could do nothing but stand there, feeling
stupid—reeling in shock himself—and watch as the Princess’s entire
world collapsed around her.
    “It is certain, then?” she asked, forcing her
voice to remain strong even though her body was visually
trembling.
    “I’m afraid so, Your Grace,” replied Captain
Adiger, bowing his head respectfully. The man had personally
contacted his allies on the ground to determine what was
happening.
    “First Genjiro, and then Kanna and Azumi…”
Kalila spoke the names softly, barely above a whisper, seeming to
stare far beyond everyone. As if watching events a thousand
light-years away. “And now Father too…”
    Not long ago they’d received word that the
crown prince’s shuttle had been destroyed while attempting to leave
the system. It exploded during takeoff; cause unknown. And then,
hardly seconds afterward, news arrived that Kalila’s elder sisters
were similarly deceased. One died as her ship’s life support
failed, and the other was killed in a fatal car accident, while
trying to reach an Akiran stronghold on Capital World—her
bodyguards apparently had died with her, along with most of her
forty-eight person motorcade. Calvin thought either this was the
most spectacularly lethal accident of all time or, infinitely more
likely, not an accident at all.
    And now Kalila had just learned the reason
her father’s speech had been abruptly interrupted was that he was
dead. And Kalila looked almost too stunned to comprehend what it
all meant. While all Calvin could think was, they’re butchering
the crown and everyone in line to inherit it. Does that mean Kalila
is next? Is this ship rigged to explode too? Or lose life
support? He looked around at the many officers manning the many
stations of the bridge, whole teams of people relaying commands to
hundreds of crewmen all throughout the dreadnought. And he
realized, if this ship were timed to destroy itself, he had no
choice but to rely on these officers to keep him safe. There was
nothing he could do to help them.
    “None of this was an accident,” whispered
Rafael to Calvin. Calvin nodded. Rafael was right about that, this
was all planned. Someone wanted to create a vacuum of power… but
who? Not the Assembly… not unless those in power there, such as
Caerwyn Martel, had learned in advance that King Akira had intended
to cling to his throne, and Caerwyn and the others had axed him
before he could cry for the loyalist citizens to rally to his
cause. But that felt wrong to Calvin. Nothing about the King’s
speech, short as it’d been, gave him the impression that he was on
the verge of challenging the Assembly.
    His eyes automatically returned to Kalila. So
beautiful and so pitiable. Calvin’s heart stirred. More than
anything he wanted to reach out, to hold her, to try to comfort
her. But he knew it would be completely inappropriate, so