Rise of Shadows by Vincent Trigili Read Free Book Online

are currently operating in this area will use the gravitational shadow of that star to set up an ambush, and I want to turn the tables on them,” I said.
    As we traveled towards our jump point I said, “Flame, Dusty, Spectra, Phoenix, we have run through countless simulations, and you have all done well in them, but this will be much different. The pirates will be highly experienced and able to think for themselves, unlike a computer running a premade script. They will be able to adapt on the fly to our tactics and respond in ways no computer could predict. Any time we come across a fight I do not think we can easily win, we will just sneak away. Operation Show of Force can only be a success if we win all of our fights; any loss will make it that much harder for those that come after us. Remember, our first goal is to make it to the primary trading hub while deliberately luring out pirates to eliminate along the route. By the time we link up with the navy we should have a solid reputation that will help things go smoother.”
    Each of them looked nervous but committed. I knew they would not back down, but I did not know how they would react under real combat situations. I would have to be extra cautious and ease them into this. “Flame, how long till we jump?”
    “About an hour,” she said.
    “Remember your training. You are wizards, and this first battle is with mere mundanes. Do not forget, stabilize your aura and you should be able to exit jump space with no post-jump hangover,” I said.
    The next hour seemed to take years to pass. I was anxious to get started on our mission, but looking over the route caused me a bit of concern. I knew we would have to fight through several obvious trap points before we reached the outer limits of the Aleeryon Navy’s reach. With a seasoned crew, it would be tough enough, but I did not have a seasoned crew.
    There were no pirate-free routes between Alpha Academy and Aleeryon. The Aleeryon Navy had retreated to defend the populated systems in their region and lacked the numbers to hold the trade routes open. They had contacted Alpha Academy several times asking for help, but we just did not have a navy to send.
    The pirates had been getting stronger and stronger in the area. It was really just a matter of time before they came gunning for one of the populated systems. They would not be likely be stupid enough to try to attack Alpha Academy, but there were several other systems in the area with much weaker defenses and much more desirable resources.
    As we approached our jump point, I reviewed the history of attacks in this area. The historical reports of the first hotspot we would hit showed that the pirates favored fast-attack light and medium cruisers. When we exited jump space we would look like easy pickings to them, but we should be able to easily overpower them. It would be a great confidence-building fight for my crew. Things would get tougher as we got closer to our destination. The pirates in those regions would have much greater firepower, as they would be used to fighting the advanced forces of the Aleeryon Navy’s patrols.

Chapter Nine
    Elsewhere in an ancient-looking office, a magus sat behind a large wooden desk that looked almost as if it had been grown in place. The room was softly lit by glowing orbs of light on the walls. A death-like silence filled the room as the magus studied a small bowl of viscous liquid on his desk. He wore thick, heavy robes that were so black they were nearly impossible to see, even in the best of lighting. It was as if all the light in the room fell into them and could not escape. His hood was an extremely deep red, so dark that without the contrast of the robes you might not have been able to tell it was anything other than black.
    While he stared into the small pool, another magus entered the room. This one was dressed almost identically to the one sitting at the desk except for his hood, which was a deep blue. As he approached the