Battle Cruiser Read Online Free PDF

one such moment. I felt I couldn’t just stand in the shadows while others whispered and plotted to remove me from the chamber. I had as much right to listen to my father’s words as any of these political hacks.
    “Rumbold,” I said, “let’s move closer to the speaker.”
    His mouth hung open. His bulging, bloodshot eyes, a sure sign of longevity-treatment overdoses, flapped wide.
    “Are you sure that’s a good idea, sir? There are camera spheres everywhere.”
    He was right. A half dozen drones, none of them more than two centimeters in diameter, floated around my father, capturing him from many angles at once.
    I smiled tightly. “That just means he plans on making an important announcement. I wish to hear it clearly.”
    “Ahem, sir…”
    But Rumbold was already talking to the cape on my back. I marched smartly through the crowd, which melted at my official approach.
    If my father saw me coming toward him, he never let on. He just kept talking as if everything was going exactly as he’d planned. His speech moved on from the mundane, and he now shifted to speaking eloquently about the future. He discussed the challenges that lie ahead. He lamented past failures and promised that future policy changes would be of critical import to the people.
    I soon managed to wend my way through the thickening crowd at the foot of the marble steps. Rumbold reluctantly joined me, looking out of place and uncomfortable. Seeking to strike a confident pose, I placed one boot on the polished bottom step of the dais and threw back my cape to reveal my saber.
    The crowd looked from my father to me and back again. The audience whispered among themselves in confusion and mild alarm. Word of my unexpected appearance had spread everywhere among the hundreds present, it seemed.
    This suited me just fine. I was no longer in the mood for hiding in shadows. I watched as my father pressed doggedly onward, chewing through his speech without glancing at me more than once or twice.
    Truthfully, I was impressed. I doubted I could have maintain such a determined performance if the roles had been reversed. My urge to embarrass him faded as my admiration for him grew—he was, after all, my father.
    I almost withdrew when he came to the crux of his message. I thought about retreating, certainly, and I would have done so if I could think of a way to withdraw gracefully—but I couldn’t. I’d walked up here, bold as brass and presented myself to the crowd. I couldn’t very well retreat now.
    Instead of slinking away, I decided to play a different part. When my father paused for a polite round of applause, I clapped my gloved hands together harder than anyone present. I grinned broadly, rather than giving him a wintery smile.
    It was at the point of this transition in my demeanor that I noticed another individual in the crowd near at hand. A flash of unmistakable sea-foam green captured my eye. Even more riveting were the rhythmic flashes of bare flesh the dress revealed as the girl approached.
    She was Lady Chloe of House Astra. Up close, her beauty was even more dramatic than it had appeared at a distance. I was mesmerized. She walked with such perfect steps. Each pace was exact, and she appeared to glide forward through the crowd in my direction.
    Staring, I watched as she passed me by and mounted the steps. Where was she going?
    My father had reached the climax of his speech at that moment. Most were hanging on his words by this time, but I barely heard them.
    “…and so it is with certainty of purpose that I will acquiesce to the call,” he said. “My duties are clear and immutable. I will accept the greatest of possible sacrifices, and enter my name humbly in the running for the high office of President. I want to thank you all personally for your relentless support!”
    The crowd began cheering then. Up until that point they’d applauded, but none had actually lowered themselves to the act of uttering a cry. Emotion finally overwhelmed