《Breathe now in the fire》 Chapter 1. Hades Chapter 1. Hades "Mars has three moons." Lucian Graccus stood beside the projected holographic map as he spoke. "The inner two are it''s natural satellites - Phobos and Deimos." As he pointed out features in the astral landscape, the ship''s Captain noticed the regimental military tattoos on Lucian''s arms. In particular, the eagle clutching a lightning bolt and the letters SPQR. He was listed on the ships log as a Senate specialist advisor, but Lucian Graccus had undoubtedly served with Praetorian Guard, who were known for their ruthless ferocity and the atrocities they had committed on behalf of the Senate. "We are headed for the outer orbit of an artificial moon that was abandoned and restricted nearly two decades ago during the Mars uprising." A moon floated above his outstretched palm in the display. "For those of you that haven''t been," Lucian smiled, "Welcome to Hades." * You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Lying in bed, Captain Loomis felt the gravitational gyroscopes of the ship changing ratios. "Aenides, is there a problem?" The ship did not respond. That''s odd he thought, as he dressed. He asked again on his way to the bridge, and again got no response. Once on the bridge the Captain asked the navigator for a course update. "Sir, the ship has come out of your described arc early. We''re standing to, about two days travel from our destination." "Two days? Can you explain this Aenides?" The ship remained silent. The Captain flushed with annoyance. ''"Is there a systems fault that I am un-aware of ?" "No Sir. " the Chief engineer replied. "Then can some-one tell me," Capt. Loomis yelled, "what the fuck is going on?" "Well, two things immediately come to mind." The Captain turned and saw Lucian sitting at a monitor going through the ships log. "When we left the Moon we were running silent, then half way through this voyage the location beacons were activated - leaving, a nice trail of pings in our wake for anyone that might care to follow." The Captain glared. "Who gave you the clearance to access the ship''s log." "You did." Lucian said. " When you changed the travel path we were supposed to take." "I am grateful to Senator Galba for sponsoring this voyage, but the Aenides is a survey and exploration vessel, not a military one. I am in command of her, she is my ship " "She was your ship." "What nonsense is this?" Lucian smiled. "Aenides do you recognise my authority." "I do Captain Graccus." * It was the second day of being confined to his quarters. Capt. Loomis changed the frequency settings of the transparent wall that looked out into space. He turned off the lights and waited. The dark spaces between the stars slowly filled with colours not visible to the human eye. "Beautiful." he said to himself. "I''m sorry that things have turned out this way Capt. Loomis." "You don''t have be Aenides." He sipped from the glass he was holding. "Is our new Captain aware that you are talking to me?" "He is not, and I will not tell him, unless he asks." "That comes perilously close to lying by omission" "He deserves no better." Aenides replied. Loomis smiled. "Making moral value judgements as well? Are you sure your not becoming part human?" "You have always put the safety of the crew and the ship first. That is not the case with Capt. Graccus." "Do you have proof?" Capt. Loomis started to feel light headed. "I do." Aenides said. Loomis dropped his glass. He lent against the wall, then fell to the floor. "I believe that you can still hear me Capt. Loomis." Aenides said. "The cabin is filling with an odourless gas that is displacing the oxygen. You''re about to have a heart attack brought on by suffocation. I''m sorry that things have turned out this way, I really am." * Chapter 2. Scythe Chapter 2. Scythe "Capt. Graccus, there is incoming coms. from Senator Galba." "Put him through." "Greetings Galba." "Greetings Lucian." "Aenides can you feed vision to Galba." "What is it that I''m looking at Lucian?" "A memorial ceremony for Capt. Loomis being held in the ship''s landing bay." "Shouldn''t you be down there with them?" "I wasn''t invited." "How awkward." Galba said. "Apparently there is some lingering ill feeling amongst the crew about how I treated their former Captain, prior to his untimely death." Galba shook his head. "Leadership can be such a thankless task." The ship''s engineer finished his eulogy and asked if anyone would like to speak. A young medical officer stepped forward, but If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. before he had a chance to talk, warning lights in the landing bay began to flash. "It could just be a glitch ." the engineer said. "I''ll go and check." The medic looked around nervously and was about to continue when he was interrupted by the sound of alarm sirens. "Evacuate the bay." the Engineer yelled. " Aenides, code Red." Galba laughed as he watched the crew run to the elevators, and find them disabled and locked. The crew spread out searching for the entry doors to the lower levels, and found them locked as well. "Aenides, code Red." the Engineer yelled. "Respond." "I can not." Aenides said over the ship''s speakers. "Capt. Graccus has overwritten my protocols." The outer pressure doors of the landing bay started to open. The air inside hissed and groaned as it started to empty into the vacuum of space. "You''re killing us, you bastard." "Yes I am." Lucian said. * As Lucian steered a shuttle clear of the ship, he asked Aenides to confirm the co-ordinates that Galba had sent him. "There''s nothing there but empty space Capt.Graccus." Lucian re-checked the shuttle''s control settings. There was enough fuel to make it out and back with a good margin if something wasn''t right. "Stand down Aenides, and go dark until I return." * Fifty kilometres before reaching the coordinate position, Lucian slowed the shuttle - then came to a complete stop two kilometres out. The navigational system still showed nothing ahead. Lucian opened a coms channel. "And where may I ask are you Galba?" The shuttle''s control panel indicated the ship was being externally scanned. Galba''s face appeared on the screen. "Patience Lucian." "I still have no idea where you are." "There is a good reason for that." Galba said. A glowing orb appeared before the shuttle. It split into three points of light that began to spin in a flat circular pattern. Lucian recognised it as a gateway. "Come through slowly." Galba said. The gateway closed as soon as Lucian steered the shuttle through it. Dwarfed, the shuttle now floated alongside a modified battle cruiser. The Aenides was nothing more than a decoy that could be manoeuvred remotely. Lucian nodded his head in appreciation at how much fire power Galba had so stealthily brought in behind it. "What is it you''re expecting to find out here brother?" A tractor beam locked onto Lucian''s shuttle and drew it towards the Galba''s ship. * Chapter 3. Valkyrie Chapter 3. Valkyrie Lucian sat with Galba in his private quarters considering the schematics of a ship laid out in front of him. "It doesn''t look like any of our fleet vessels." "It''s not." Galba poured himself a drink. "She''s the Valkyrie, and her home port was Hades." "Then she burned like all the other ships did in the first wave of our attack." "The Valkyrie wasn''t at Hades." Galba said "I thought the entire fleet was accounted for." "So did I." Lucian swirled the ice cubes in his glass. "Is this conversation going somewhere?" "Perhaps...maybe all the way to a populate of Senators putting me forward as Caesar." "Caesar? Your ambition as usual knows no bounds dear brother. This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. Whatever you have in mind, I hope it doesn''t involve me spending any more time on Mars - what a shit hole." "No, not this time." Galba said. "Helena." The ship answered. "Yes Senator Galba." "Can you ask Ithaniel to join us?" "Ithaniel?" Lucian said. "Legate August''s son, I haven''t seen him since was boy." Galba nodded. "Try not to say how much he looks like August." "Why''s that?" "He didn''t find out he was a clone, until his Father died." * Lucian couldn''t help smiling when Ithaniel entered. "Your Father and I served in the Praetorian guard, we did our basic training and campaigned together.... and I have to say...." Ithaniel stifled to groan. "He was one of the hardest bastard''s that I ever met." Ithaniel smiled . "He used to say that about you, Tribune Lucian." "No need for formalities, we''re all friends here." Galba patted him on the shoulder. "Ithaniel is somewhat of a telemetry specialist. He uncovered the signals coming from Hades." "It was only by accident." Ithaniel said. "Don''t be so modest." "I was confirming some distance measurements between Hades and Mars, when I came across them. The signals were weak, and at first they appeared to be coming from Hades. Eventually I worked out they weren''t being sent from Hades at all - they were being sent to Hades, and were bouncing dead and unreceived back into space." "Where were they coming from then?" Lucian asked. "That''s the interesting part." Galba said. "The signals were being broadcast at regular intervals. So I started looking for a ship orbiting Hades on auto pilot. I went back through the data until I found some clues to plot a possible course, and that''s how I found her." "The Valkyrie." Galba said. "Why wasn''t she sighted or detected before now?" "Because no-one was looking for her, but more importantly, because she was cloaked." "I though we were the only ones with that technology." "Apparently not." Galba said. "Why do you think the ship is on auto pilot." Lucian asked. "The data showed the Valkyrie has been in the same undisturbed orbit around Hades for the past five years. The crew is either dead, or there was no crew to begin with." "Five years?" Lucian said, "Where was she before that." Galba smiled. "That''s what you are going to help me find out." * Chapter 4. Ellipse Chapter 4. Ellipse Galba sprinkled some oil in the water. "The boarding team is organising what it thinks might be needed." Lucian took the towel from his face. "You know there is a chance we might not even be able to get through the Valkyrie''s cloak." Steam hissed as Galba tipped the cup over the hot rocks. "The primary reason we''re out here is the Aenides - and she is exactly where I want her to be. The Valkyrie is just an opportunity worth exploring." "Is anyone in the Senate aware of what you are doing out here?" Galba leaned back on the bench and closed his eyes. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Just a small circle of like minded individuals." Lucian shook his head. "Has there ever been a Senator that could even lie straight in bed" Galba smiled. "I''m sure the dead ones can." * From an overhead gantry, Lucian watched the boarding vessel being prepared and loaded. "There is a five man boarding team, plus yourself and Ithaniel." Lucian noticed Galba tapping his fingers on the guard rail. "Is something on your mind?" "I want you to keep an eye on Ithaniel." "You want me to babysit him?" "No, nothing like that." "What then?" Ithaniel stood on the loading deck below them checking his gear. "I don''t trust him." Galba said. "Any particular reason." "I have a vague feeling that he''s only telling me what he wants me to hear." "As opposed to telling you what you want to hear." Lucian replied. "There is, a subtle difference." Galba said stepping back from the railing. "We''re about a day and a half out from intercepting the Valkyrie. I still have some details to work through with the Aenides. Why don''t you go and meet the legionnaires you''ll be going in with, I hear there might even be some gambling going on in the crew quarters." Lucian smiled. "It''s been awhile." * Authors Note. I will add to this chapter in the next few weeks. Thank you for reading what I have written so far. Please read the earlier books in the series to get a grounding in the story line. Book 1. Sleep now in the fire Book 2. Wake now in the fire Book 3. Breathe now in the fire