Athena Lee Chronicles 7: The Martian Inheritance Read Online Free PDF

main directory how can I help you?”
     
    “I need to be put in contact with Senator Colman please. This is a matter of some urgency.”
     
    “Senator Colman? Sir, there is no Senator by that name registered here. Are you sure of the name?”
     
    “I was just talking to the man not six months ago. Senator Colman, the head of the Naval Appropriations sub -committee.”
     
    “I’m sorry sir. I was not here six months ago. However I can tell you that the current head took office around that time. I heard that the former head was killed in an air car accident. Him and his whole family. It was tragic. Shall I connect you with Senator Kovac, his replacement?”
     
    “No thank you. Forget that I called.” What in the nine hells was going on?
     
    “Major Niers? Can I speak to you please?”
     
    The large man left the stern of the ship and came forward. “Did you call me Sir?”
     
    “Yes, Peter, I tried contacting Senator Colman. His office is gone and according to the Senate Offices, the Senator and his family were killed in an air car crash! Do you know what is happening?”
     
    The big man had been the Commodore’s ‘minder and fixer’ for many years. Unlike the Commodore, Peter had been groomed and specially trained for his position. He had lived and breathed the Cabal his whole life. The Commodore had been brought in for a specific reason and although his family had been members, they had since fallen out of favor. People like the Commodore who seek revenge are easily manipulated.
     
    “Sir, I think that the ‘group’ may be cleaning house over this Hong Kong debacle. The Senator may have broken one of the primary rules. Only something like that causes complete erasure.”
     
    “Erasure? Do you mean they killed them all on purpose? The senator had been a member for ever, his own father was a founder!”
     
    “Sir, the rules are there for a reason. You should know that by now.”
     
    “What about us? Will they hunt us down too? Where can we go? I can try calling one of …”
     
    The Major grabbed him by his arms and shook him. “Calm the Frak down, Sir!” The Major just shook his head. This assignment was turning out to be a real cluster-frak.
     
    “Sir, if they wanted us dead, we would be dead. Now, stop calling the planet. Sergeant Pétursson?”
     
    “Sir!”
     
    “Contact orbital control and cancel our landing position. File a new flight plan to the Rus sector. Once we leave orbit and are beyond pursuit range, change coordinates and take us to the Mars Colony, Sol System, Sector 1.”
     
    “Sol System Sir? That is a long jump Sir!”
     
    “Yes, plot it now! We have supplies enough to get there, just barely.”
     
    “Major, Peter. Why the Mars colony?” The commodore looked puzzled.
     
    “Mars is the only place that we can run to with almost guaranteed safety. The Cabal has a mission base there too. We really are everywhere. It’s more of neutral ground than anything else. The local laws are very restrictive. Make sure you read the highlights before we get there. The best part is no extradition. Total freedom, just obey the local laws.”
     
    “OK, Peter. You’ve never steered me wrong yet.” The commodore leaned back in his chair and stared out the porthole into the nothingness of space.
     
     
     
     
     

Chapter 6
     
     
     
     
     
    As I approached the docking slip of the James Cook I realized that I’d been on Freedom Station for far too long. I belonged in space, not tied down as the engineer on a station. I stopped just inside the main hatch. “Permission to come aboard?” The ensign on duty was aware and watching me.
     
    “Permission granted. Your orders please, Ma’am?” He looked really young for an ensign.
     
    “Of, course Ensign…”
     
    “Ensign Tremblay, Ma’am.”
     
    I handed the hard copy of my orders to the ensign. He quickly checked them over and logged them into his system. He turned back to me and asked, “Ma’am, do you need