The Star Cross Read Online Free PDF

others for more dangerous work. It’s a very lucrative market.”
    “Slaves!”
retorted Stroud with a deep frown. “Are you certain of that?”
    “Yes,” Raul
replied with a slight nod of his head. “In one of the star systems of the
Gothan Empire is a planet called Kubitz, where the slaves are sold. The planet
also operates a huge black market. Supposedly nearly anything you can imagine
is for sale on this world.”
    A moment of
silence prevailed. President Mayfield studied his trusted group of advisors. He
knew that several of them would like to see Admiral Vickers’s fleet stay in
orbit and defend the planet. However, to do so might doom Earth to be plundered
for generations by these Profiteers. Mayfield couldn’t allow this, not if there
was another option. This was one of those difficult decisions that had to be
made and would be highly unpopular, even with some of his Cabinet.
    “We need to
look at what sites we can make secure from enemy detection,” he announced. “We
need to have elite military units ready to attack targets of opportunity once
the Profiteers return.”
    “You’re sending
away the fleet,” croaked Marlen Stroud, his face turning livid. “You can’t do
that! I can’t believe you would leave our planet defenseless.”
    “We have no
choice,” Mayfield answered in a firm voice. “That fleet’s the only hope we have
for a future.”
    “Our remaining
fleet has to be preserved,” Tomalson said with General Braid nodding his head
in agreement.
    Stroud leaned
back in his chair with his shoulders drooping. He looked at the president, then
sighed heavily. When his gaze fell on Fleet Admiral Tomalson and General Braid,
he just shrugged.
    “Fleet Admiral
Tomalson, make immediate arrangements to get key people off Earth,” ordered
President Mayfield. “Get me a report as soon as possible of everything Admiral
Vickers might need to make his job easier. Now let’s discuss what other
measures to take before these Profiteers return.”
    “Newton only has eight million people,” muttered Stroud, shaking his head. “What can eight
million people do against a star empire?”
    “Give us
hope,” Mayfield answered without hesitation. “They can give our entire world
hope for a future.”
    Stroud slowly shook
his head in dismay.
    -
    Denise had
just put Bryan to bed and returned to the kitchen to prepare coffee for her and
Alex. Something about the smell of hot coffee helped her to relax.
    “Is he
asleep?” asked Alex, walking up behind Denise and putting his arms around her.
They had been married for eight years, and it had been the best time of his
life.
    “Finally,”
Denise said, wriggling from Alex’s arms so she could pour both of them a cup of
coffee. “He’s so excited about the possibility of Kurt coming to see him.”
    “Your brother
might not be able to,” replied Alex, reaching for his cup and taking a cautious
sip. “Maybe he can’t leave his ship with the crisis we’re currently in.”
    “I know.”
Denise sighed, holding her cup with both hands, allowing it to cool. “This
entire situation with these aliens scares me. I don’t know what we’ll do if
they come back.”
    “Claude said
some people were taken in a suburb on the eastern side of the city,” Alex informed
her. “He claims a handful of small ships came down, and the aliens rounded up several
hundred people, taking those people with them.”
    “I’m sure
that’s just a rumor. Why would they be here in Houston?” Denise replied with a
slight shiver. “Why would they want any of our people? The president said it
was just a rumor.”
    “Supposedly a
lot of people in this suburb work at the space complex. They took men, women,
and even children. I also don’t think the president’s telling us everything.
The rumor about the aliens abducting people really worries me.”
    Before Denise
could say anything else, her cell rang. Phone service had been erratic the past
few weeks since the alien attack, and