Warfare: Rise Of Mankind Book 2 by John Walker Read Free Book Online

time off, ladies and gentlemen. You’ve earned it.”
     
                  Gray returned home, spending time in the quiet of the country with his books and little technology. Two days of peace worked out well and when he returned to the Behemoth, he felt rested and ready to go. Some of the others spent their time a little less wisely and seemed exhausted from partying but no one showed up late to their duties.
                  At seventeen-hundred hours, the Behemoth and the Crystal Font linked up their communications and prepared for departure. Ensign Agatha White put them on speaker and Gray addressed the Anthar directly.
                  “Anthar Ru’Xin, we are showing the green light for departure, do you concur?”
                  “Captain Atwell,” Kale replied, “we are prepared. Our pulse engines are hot and we’ve plotted a course for a place to perform an optimal hyperjump. We’re sending them now. Follow our lead and we should be there inside of seven hours.”
                  “Behemoth confirms.” Gray turned to Timothy. “You got them?”
                  Tim nodded. “Aye, sir. Course plotted and ready. She’s all yours, Redding.”
                  “Okay, Crystal Font,” Gray said. “Let’s move out.”
                  As the engines fired up, the ship pulled out of orbit, moving alongside the Alliance ship. Gray stood and watched the view screen, hands clasped behind his back. Clea also stood nearby, far more tense than he’d seen her before. She fidgeted, which was uncharacteristic. Once they cleared Earth space and headed for the coordinates, somewhere away from any of the planets in the solar system, he turned to Adam.
                  “Commander Everly, you’ve got the bridge.”
                  “Yes, sir.”
                  “Vinthari An’Tufal, will you please come to my office?” Gray left the bridge and Clea followed close behind. Neither said a word before they were in private and Gray perched on his desk, gesturing to a chair. “Okay, what’s going on?”
                  “Sir?” She sat down. “I’m not sure what you mean.”
                  “I’ve known you long enough to recognize when you’ve got a problem,” he said. “You seem nervous…or something. So confide in me. What’s up?”
                  “It’s nothing to be concerned with. It won’t affect my performance on the ship.”
                  “I’m not sure I agree,” Gray replied. “But you can put my mind at ease. Come on, Clea. We’re friends…and friends talk.”
                  Clea sighed, averting her gaze to the floor. “I spent time aboard the Crystal Font for the last several days.”
                  “Was it nice to be amongst other Kielans?”
                  “Yes, absolutely…no regrets there at all but…well…I learned a bit about where we’re going. And the Anthar of the Font.”
                  “And those things worry you?”
                  “Anthar Ru’Xin is a stunning officer. I can’t believe he advanced in the ranks so quickly. He’s my junior in age and is… was my senior in rank.”
                  “Wait, was?”
                  “When we finish this mission, I’ve been promised a promotion,” Clea replied. “A new rank in the Kielan military for liaisons. Apparently, there are enough of us now to warrant such an honor. I’ll be known as Tathin, which would be the equivalent of Anthar without the responsibilities of running a ship. It will offer me operational priority over the standard military rank for purposes of cooperation.”
                  “Congratulations.”
                  “I’m not sure I take it as a benefit. The responsibility frightens me in one