Warrior Chronicles 4: Warrior's Wrath Read Free

planet all those eons before and was now at an evolutionary stage which included a plethora of species. The land creatures ranged from palm-sized, mouse-like mammals, to all forms of dinosaurs.
    “I feel bad for Speral,” Kim said. “She had lost so much already. Now she has lost her world.”
    “You know I can understand that better than anyone can,” Cort said.
    “I didn’t mean it like that, baby,” Kim said. She hesitated a moment and continued. “I just meant that she, well, you’re right. You do know it better than anyone.”
    “Like me, she chose to leave her people.” Cort turned and faced Kim. After kissing her, he said, “And like me, she will find more now. I wouldn’t change the choices I made, and in a few years she will feel the same.”
    Cort held Kim tighter when she leaned against him. She herself had been a widow, but he knew she had only known this time and this reality. Cort’s past stretched across centuries to a time that prior to him, she had only known through history books. But history books don’t tell you about the smell of your own daughter’s charred body. Or about knowing that your entire world is gone. “I love you, Kim.”
    “I love you, too.”
    After a few minutes, they resumed their walk and talked about offering a few days at their retreat on the Isthmus to Jeff and Speral before the unusual couple went back to Mars. Cort said, “I’m still going to threaten the Nill with choosing Speral as my emissary to both them and the CG.”
    Kim smiled as she said, “Just be sure to record that conversation for me, baby.”
    The next morning, Heroc was with Cort in his office at the Marine Academy. He was teleconferencing with Dar Sike on Earth, Rand at Government World, and Admiral Jade “JJ” Jones, who was at the Phobos shipyard. Since Admiral Book was on medical leave, JJ was covering his job as well as her own.
    Looking at Rand’s image on his screen, Cort said, “No, I’m not replacing you with Speral. I just want the Nill to think I am.”
    “Just because they exiled her, sir?” Rand asked.
    “ Exactly because they exiled her. I’m not going to defend species that think they can be prejudiced against humans. We aren’t just their fighters.”
    “You do not want to push them too hard, sir,” JJ said. “We still rely on the transition system for travel, and they have full control over it.”
    “We have the Jonah Construct drives, JJ. They aren’t as fast, but they aren’t as vulnerable either. And I’m sure your eggheads will come up with something of our own, soon.”
    JJ smiled as she replied, “Thanks for that confidence, General, but we are a long way from that.”
    “I’ll talk to Speral. She might be willing to help you with that research,” Cort said.
    “I would appreciate that. Her knowledge might be very useful.”
    “Okay, moving on,” Dar said from his portion of the screen. He was one of the few people who could change a topic that Cort had settled on, so he exercised that freedom. “The transition of the military to Solitude is almost complete. There will still be a heavy defense net around Mars, but the traffic in our system is almost all trade now. We are moving thirty to forty freighters a week through the farms on Mars. Another ten are shipping goods out from Earth.”
    JJ spoke again. “Phobos production is winding down. I am going to keep a maintenance facility there and it will continue to produce system ships and civilian transports as well as satellite nets, but warship production is at full speed over Solitude. All Kalashnikovs are already being printed there. Oh, and for the time being, I am keeping the Coach Gun printers at Phobos as well.”
    Cort said, “I support the changes you are making to ship production, JJ, but I’ve thought more about it and I want every yard to be able to produce any ship class and any part for any ship. I know it’s a strain on your maintenance crews, but I’m not willing to risk losing a