Doom Star: Book 06 - Star Fortress by Vaughn Heppner Read Free Book Online Page B

now. If the Doom Star targeted the Vladimir Lenin , they were all dead. It was madness fighting another warship at such close range, especially a warship with collapsium shielding. Collapsium was an incredible advantage.
    “Sir,” Kursk said. “An officer on the Julius Caesar is hailing us.”
    Blackstone tapped his screen, putting the picture onto his portion of the module. It showed an angry Highborn. They all looked alike to him, big and volatile. This one had a scar on his forehead that disappeared into his hairline. Had this Highborn died before?
    “I am Tribune Vulpus. You will lower your particle-shielding or face an immediate attack.”
    “I’m sorry to report that Supreme Commander James Hawthorne is dead and so is Grand Admiral Cassius,” Blackstone said. “I suggest we call an immediate ceasefire until we can figure out why this happened.”
    “You have broken the truce and caused the death of the greatest Highborn ever,” Vulpus said. “The penalty is death.”
    “I have not broken any truce,” Blackstone said, struggling for a calm voice. “You have already fired a laser, killing men, and you have activated a missile, destroying an orbital station. I ask that you refrain from further destruction.”
    “Highborn always act with swift assurance,” the tribune said. “We are unstoppable. You will immediately surrender your ship to me, preman.”
    “No sir, I will not,” Blackstone said.
    “Then you will die.”
    “Yes, you have the capacity to destroy my ship,” Blackstone said. “Or we can continue to work together under the terms of our agreement. United, we can destroy the cyborgs. Divided, we fall. The choice is yours, sir. Do you speak for all Highborn?”
    Tribune Vulpus glanced at someone off-screen. When he faced Blackstone again, he said, “You have acted treacherously, preman. You must surrender immediately or face annihilation.”
    “May I remind you, sir, that you are in range of our proton beams from Eurasia,” Blackstone said. “I am in command of a Zhukov -class Battleship. It will last long enough to allow our lasers and missiles to fire. Combined with the Earth’s proton beams, we can severely damage your ship. Maybe we can even destroy it. The destruction of the Julius Caesar , one third of your Doom Stars, will likely ensure a cyborg victory. Do you wish to risk that?”
    “You treacherously killed the Grand Admiral.”
    “You have monitored us throughout the proceedings,” Blackstone said. “We have done nothing of the kind. I think our two leaders killed each other. Now we’re both in disarray. Maybe now it is time for soldiers like us to forget our differences as we band together to destroy the cyborgs.”
    Tribune Vulpus stared at Blackstone. Then he glanced off-screen again.
    “The cyborgs are the greater enemy,” some unseen Highborn said.
    Vulpus glared at Blackstone. “I will maintain the temporary truce. The commanders will decide our next course of action. You have been spared.”
    The screen flickered off.
    Blackstone sagged as he leaned against the module.
    “The Supreme Commander has activated his thruster-pack again,” Kursk said, as she watched the monitor.
    “Radio him—” Blackstone said.
    “That would be a mistake,” Kursk said. “Until he’s aboard, we must maintain radio silence with him. Let’s hope he does the same. Otherwise, the Julius Caesar will open hostilities with us.”
    Blackstone nodded. What a mess. He was beginning to wonder if he should have gone back to Mars instead of returning to Earth.

-4-

    “It was a mistake our landing on Earth,” Marten whispered to Nadia.
    They walked through the second level of New Baghdad, hoping to speak personally with a transportation minister. From above sunlamps poured heat and light on them. Communal buildings towered seven stories high and small shops sold coffee and biscuits, provided one showed his ration card to the worker.
    The sidewalks were full of pedestrians wearing the new