The Phoenix Darkness Read Online Free PDF

had been
something new. A desert planet, and a relatively minor one in the
system, with a population of only ten-thousand, whose primary work
was the excavation of an ancient society which had once inhabited
what used to be a blissful, watery paradise. Now it was an
archeological wonder lost under thousands, if not millions, of
years of rust and sand. The bits visible from the excavation biome
had proven an enjoyable, and necessary, diversion for Raidan.
    But now that he was returning to his ship,
his home, and the fierce, monstrous warship had finally become
visible, he truly felt there wasn’t a sight more stirring, nor so
beautiful, in all the known galaxy.
    When he went aboard and found himself back
inside the Harbinger ’s spacious, grey corridors, bleak and
efficient, he was welcomed by some of his senior officers, most of
whom had reports to give and questions to ask. Raidan did his best
to assist them as the group made their way for the elevators and
ultimately the Bridge. It felt that, aside from the officer of the
watch, which in Raidan’s absence would be Commander Mason, nearly
every person of importance on the ship had been waiting to clamor
around him to get his attention. Can Mister Mason handle nothing
while I’m away?
    There was one notable absence, however. Mira
Pellew, who was not a member of the crew, but who cast a long
shadow on the ship notwithstanding, was nowhere to be seen. Whether
her refusal to greet Raidan upon his return had been intended as a
slight, or if she simply had forgotten, it made no difference.
Raidan would just as soon not see her either. Despite the number of
killers, murderers, and truly desperate people he’d known and
worked with over the years, only one person had actually given him
pause to fear, and that was Mira Pellew. Whenever his eyes met
hers, he didn’t see the “beautiful” amber irises which others
claimed to see; no, all Raidan saw was a cold, black void, and all
he could think was, danger . True, she was technically
beneath him in rank inside the Organization, but he also knew that
would never stop her from acting against him if it profited her.
And, unlike her brother, whose loyalty was easily purchased with
money, Mira’s loyalty was fickle and seemingly impossible to know
for certain at any given moment.
    By the time he arrived at the Bridge, he
stopped giving orders and instead took note of the fact that nearly
every screen on the Bridge was occupied with an image of Queen
Kalila Akira, dressed in a regal outfit, sitting at the command
position of her Black Swan flagship, like it was some sort
of military throne and, as she spoke, her tone and all her body
language seemed to convey a sense of absolute authority and
command. This is what we need in a monarch , thought Raidan, if the Empire is to survive . He hushed the officers next to
him so he could listen.
    “…and that is why I address each and every
one of you. Brothers and sisters; humans; citizens of the Empire.
We are in grave danger. For, while we fight amongst ourselves,
shedding the blood of our loved ones, family members, neighbors,
and fellowmen, we are only weakening ourselves to the point where
foreign militaries are now taking interest in us. Make no mistake,
they aim to seize our territory, as history has shown us time and
time before. They will take our worlds, enslave our children, burn
our homes, and even slaughter us by the billions.
    “If we do not stand together, united ,
as one people, I can promise us no hope. For even as we speak, a
Rotham invasion fleet is preparing to launch into our territory.
The Alliance is no more. If we do not stand now , together,
arms linked inside The Corridor, ready to repel the enemy, then no
one will stop them. Praxis shall fall, Thetican shall fall,
Korrivan shall fall, Brimm shall fall, and countless other worlds.
And don’t think their hunger will be sated there. The enemy will
push and capture all it can, including Capital World itself if