Neptune's Massif by Ben Winston Read Free Book Online

of more assistance Commander. Good luck."
    Andreya told him that there was indeed another recorded message attached to this one.
    "Thanks Andreya. I was hoping that they could step in and order these guys to simply surrender, and we would repatriate them back to the Caldarians in the Alliance. I guess I should have known better. Nothing like this is ever easy," Alan replied.
    "Maybe not, but it was worth a try wasn't it?" she asked.
    "I suppose, now we just need to get the rest of our team together and get busy on this. Those Caldarians have to know we're on to them. The freighters know we're tracking them when they come and go. There is no way in hell they haven't seen our patrols; Intel believes that's what drew the Super Nova here to begin with. The longer we leave this alone, the higher the chances are that the Caldarians will simply evacuate and detonate that self-destruct."
    "If that were really an option for them, why haven't they done so already?" Andreya asked. "Intel also believes that this base is their only source of the petroleum they need as sustenance. The freighter we tagged prior to the arrival of the Super Nova has made a second trip. We believe we know the location of the main Caldarian base in the Sagittarius Dwarf Galaxy. I will grant that it is a very long hyperspace journey but would not the rogue Caldarian leader attempt to defend this base to ensure their food supply?"
    "Yes, they think they know the main Caldarian base’s location. They did act to defend the base; they sent that big honkin' ship to protect it. I doubt they believed it would fail its mission. However, by now they have to know it failed, since those same freighters witnessed the fight and the destruction of their ship.
    "Now, a few possibilities exist. One; the Caldarian leadership knows of the mission failure and is still analyzing the information before committing more assets to Earth; remember, they still think the Alliance is their enemy so they would have to be careful in their planning or they would lose their entire force. Which is probably the reason a Caldarian counter-offensive hasn't yet materialized.
    "Two, they finished their analysis and a new assault force is already on its way to Earth. Three, they have finished their analysis and have decided to wait to see if we leave the base alone. Lastly number four, they actually do have another source of petroleum and are not willing to risk their few remaining military assets defending this base," Alan finished. "There is simply no way for us to know for certain."

Chapter 3
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    C elestial Throne
    Palace of Universal Wisdom
    Planet Shapprel
    Canis Major Dwarf Galaxy
    ––––––––
    "B ring us Baron Hortes, the prisoner he had arrested and his two daughters, I would speak to the proprietress of the pleasure house in question as well," the figure on the throne ordered. He was not alone in the throne room as there were silent sentinels standing watch at each pillar. However, they were only there to prevent harm to him and nothing else. However, he knew that his words were being acted on.
    Two days ago, he had been given a very troubling report from the galaxy his forces were conquering. A single human warship had delayed an operation that should have secured the entire Benesian race without a shot ever being fired. As a result, the operation not only failed, but it had cost the Empire several warships and the opportunity to subdue that very important race.
    As a satellite sub-galaxy of the main galaxy the humans called the Milky Way, The Canis Major Overdensity was in the perfect position to conquer its parent. The dwarf galaxy had spawned an unusually large number of sentient races in relatively close proximity to one another. The Imperial race had reached technological supremacy first and had quickly taken control of the other races in the small galaxy through the development of the spatial transit gates.
    These gates used an artificial worm hole