Knolan Cycle, Book II
Science Fiction
Date Published 11-01-2021
Publisher: PhoenixPhyre Publishing
After returning from a successful mission with the Knolan Shock Forces, Hāthar needs a break. With Arra his mate pregnant and he still recovering from his last mission, Hāthar has compelling reasons for sticking close to home. But newly developed stealth technology has enabled Knola’s enemies the Valdrōsians to ambush one of Knola’s Deep Space Fleets, inflicting heavy losses.
Intelligence has identified the facility from which the new technology originated. Developing countermeasures, however, will require a raid to steal the technology and abduct the stealth project managers. Having recently defeated just such a raid, Hāthar is asked to evaluate the feasability of the Knolan plan.
The plan is insanely risky, but Hāthar senses he is the best choice to lead it. With the fate of his adoptive home hinging on the success of the mission, he sets aside his personal preferences in favor of duty. Eryinath-5, The Dancer Nebula continues the chronicle of Knola’s thousand-year war with the Valdrōsians—and the coming climactic clash that will determine the fate of Earth and our corner of the galaxy.
Chapter 3—Ambush in the Orython
Sectar
“The Way is many things, but above all, it is eternal
vigilance.”
Khuurus, First Guardian of Knola
The Guardian felt the presence of
his daughter even before the door to the Command Center opened. He looked up
from the situation screen and the worry on her face mirrored his thoughts. He
looked at Amasadara.
“She’s heard, obviously,” his friend observed in High
Language.
“How much do you know already?” the Guardian asked.
“Know is too strong a word, father.” Lynyth frowned. “Rumors
have reached the Tower of the disappearance of half the fleet in the Orython
Sectar. Relayed to me by several of my Waykeepers with Admiral Sharnakith’s
fleet. Are they true?”
“As nearly as we can tell, yes.”
“There has clearly been a battle and we’ve lost.” Amasadara
shook his head. “What is less clear is how so many ships could be lost so
quickly. Without so much as a whisper of warning beforehand.”
A section of the inner circle of the Command Center
retracted as the Oracle approached. She took one of the seats inside the inner
circle of workstations and turned to face Amasadara. “Please continue, Uncle
Amasa.”
“Admiral Sharnakith has located a sizable debris field at
their last known, but it isn’t large enough to account for the loss of a whole
Sectar Defense Fleet. There are a lot of Val hulks floating among the Orython
DSF casualties, so Admiral Kendras’ fleet gave good account of itself. But we
still have no idea where the admiral is…or the rest of her fleet.” Amasadara
frowned. “Their continued silence is not promising.”
“I have feared something like this might happen ever since
the Rykynaar engagement,” the Guardian interjected. “It is rarely a good sign
when your enemy’s capabilities improve suddenly.”
“What insight have we gained from the shuttles we captured?”
Lynyth asked.
“Very little.” Amasadara shifted in his chair. “It’s utterly
new technology and superior to our own. Our technicians have no idea how it
works and have been unable to reverse engineer it.”
“That’s disappointing,” Lynyth observed.
The Guardian grunted. “It is. What has led them to this
breakthrough? Until now, the Valdrōsians have been skilled at adapting the
existing technology they’ve pirated from us. But developing their own?” He
shook his head.
“At the moment, however, I’m more concerned with locating
whatever might be left of Admiral Kendras’ fleet. They are Knolans, and we must
save as many as we can. It is also possible that a surviving Survey-Intercept
officer might provide insight into how to wash through their countermeasures.
If we can be ambushed and attrited as easily as apparently happened in the
Orython Sectar, we are in serious trouble.”
“In the meantime, your Eminence, we must send out a
Concordant-wide alert,” Amasadara suggested. “And have all Sectars prepare for
mobilization.”
“Not yet.” The Guardian picked up a briefing stylus, tapping
absently on the surface of the desk in front of him. “Mobilizing now will
provoke questions we can’t answer, not to mention encouraging way more
consternation...possibly even panic.” He stared at one of the displays in front
of him.
“True, your Eminence, but we can’t afford to have another
fleet taken by surprise like Admiral Kendra’s. Henceforth, our fleets need to
be on fifty percent alert until we figure this out.”
The Guardian sighed heavily. “Make it so.” He tossed the
briefing stylus on the desk and met his daughter’s eyes. “How is your newest
Seed from Kurrithäal doing? Paul, I think his name is?”
“Very well, father. He is now fluent in Knolan and seems
already to have found his Way. He is in training at the Academy. His previous
experiences on Kurrithäal as…a Marine, I think they call them…has prepared him
well for KSF duties. He seems perfectly at home with them. The Commandant at
the Academy informs me he will complete training early. He believes him to be
more promising than we originally guessed.”
“Given our current situation, that’s good news.” After a
long pause, he continued. “How is Hāthar doing? I haven’t seen him since his
return. Before I assigned him to the Rykynaar mission, I detected a strong
sense of responsibility. I’m guessing he’s taking his losses in his first battle personally? ”
“Yes.” The Oracle picked up the discarded briefing stylus
and slipped it into the retaining clip next to one of the displays. “But the
Syllamur assures me he will recover fully.”
“That’s good.” The Guardian glanced at Amasadara before continuing.
“Has he had his corrective eye surgery, yet?”
“Scheduled but not completed,” the Oracle noted. “Purandra
is in high demand.”
“Let me know when it is completed,” the Guardian ordered.
“And what the outcome is. I may have a mission for him.”
About the Author
Since then, Dirk has published West of Tomorrow, Best-Case Scenario, Act I of Nyra’s Journey, a collection of short fiction entitled, Through the Windshield and Tier Zero, Vol I of the Knolan Cycle. All are available from Amazon in paperback and Kindle. His latest work in progress is The Year of Maybe, Act II of Nyra’s Journey, due out in 2022.
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