"Hang the prophecy then! Are you not the most qualified man to win an impossible fight?"
In command of a distant space station, war hero Jonathan Terynn wants to free his people from the galactic conquerors. Forming secret alliances, he conspires to revolt against the tyrannical Draconians. Hopelessly outmatched, Jonathan turns to an ancient prophecy that could bring them victory.
What Jonathan didn't expect was reuniting with his long-lost love. Ellyra, the daughter of royalty on her planet, seeks to rekindle their romance. Jonathan soon discovers that Ellyra might be the very key to fulfilling the prophecy, but it would mean exploiting the woman he loves.
When a political rival strikes hard, Jonathan's alliances begin to unravel. To save his crumbling conspiracy, he must make a desperate move. But now his relationship with Ellyra is strained as she fears she may only be a pawn in a political game.
If Jonathan loses her, a broken heart will be the least of his worries; his people will be annihilated.
Ellyra leaned toward Jonathan’s ear and whispered, “Is that not the Earthian man you met in the hangar?”
He nodded. “Matt Jaimess. Supervisor of Able Station and the new Senate Adjunct. He’s the one who wanted an alliance.”
“This may be worse than I thought,” she said.
“Somehow I’m not surprised.”
READ MORE“Jonathan, whoever that man is, regardless of his rank or station, he is the one making the decisions. You can see it in the way he moves and the way he looks. I’ve known several like him. They are the bureaucrats behind the bureaucrats.”
“I have a sick feeling that he is going to try to limit my ability to interfere with his plans.”
“I wish I had been able to warn you sooner.”
Jonathan glanced back at Xer. He had finished answering the committee’s follow-up questions. Xer sat down.
Chisss’Tah clicked in his native Chantell dialect and the man at the end of the table translated. “The account appears substantiated. Article Twenty-three is specific.”
Msmrthn pulsed a few colors and hummed a high note. “It would appear the treaty has been obeyed.”
Lord Vaux hissed and squawked. “This confession is most troubling indeed. The Earthians of Gamma Station have dragged the Euroo into their aggressive business.” A vile smirk crossed its lips, revealing its twisted, jagged teeth. “I’m afraid the Earthians are a bad influence on the Euroo and should be segregated.”
Lord Vaux’s remarks caused an instant commotion in the room. Xer protested while the committee members bickered back and forth. Jonathan stiffened in his seat. Panic shot through his veins. His heart pounded. He had just barely reunited with Ellyra. Losing that temporarily he could live with, but losing that permanently… He felt sick inside thinking of never again being able to be with Ellyra.
But that was not all, if the Scorpii could invent a way to separate him from Ellyra, the conspiracy would crumble. They only had a few short months to test the waters with the Chantell. They were counting on his relationship with Ellyra to traverse the gap with the Chantell.
Jonathan stood and raised his hand.
Gondesh pounded his rocky hand on the table several times, demanding order. The commotion fizzled out and all eyes returned to Gondesh who stared at Jonathan. “You have something to add, Earthian?”
“Affirmative. Any discussion regarding the Euroo and Earthian governments is not germane to the topic at hand. This hearing is specifically held to address the actions of one ship and one crew.”
Gondesh nodded. “Sustained.”
Lord Vaux squealed in delight. “Normally that would be true.” It glanced up to the uninterested Draconians high above. “But we have heard reports the Earthians of Gamma Station have acquired a Skorath weapon.”
The three Draconians animated upon hearing that name. They roared in their native language, smoke rising from their reptilian nostrils. The Draconian in the center reached out and pointed a clawed finger at Lord Vaux.
“The Skorath are forbidden! All mention, all stories, all technology is outlawed and punishable by extermination,” it decreed in its slow gravelly voice. “Explain!”
Jonathan shuddered. Earning the attention of the Draconians was never wise. So, why did Lord Vaux do it? What did he hope to gain? He could very easily lose his life just by mentioning the Skorath. Jonathan’s thought returned to Matt Jaimess. Whatever the Scorpii were attempting was cooked up by Matt, and Matt was no fool.
The third Draconian pointed a clawed finger at Jonathan. “In the interim,” it declared in its slothful, gravelly voice. “The Earthians of Gamma Station and the Euroo shall not associate.”
Jonathan stared at the Draconian with wide eyes. The blasted Scorpii had done it; they had invented a way to separate him from Ellyra. Or rather, Matt Jaimess had. He shouldn’t have dismissed Matt so easily. What Matt could not have known was how serious a blow he had delivered. Ellyra was the key to getting the conspiracy off the ground. And T’Kal was right. The political landscape was dramatically shifting under Scorpii ambition. They could not wait another ten years to try again. There would not be enough of a resistance left by then.
In a panic, he turned to Ellyra. “Is there any way we can stay together?”
She returned a startled expression. “Together?”
“Ellyra, I can’t afford to lose you. There’s too much at stake. Is there any way at all?”
Her hair color dulled into a frightened gray. She stared back, her lips parted and halted in mid-breath. Her blue within blue eyes searched his. Whatever she was contemplating had to be a big deal to her. But that couldn’t be helped right now. The guards were approaching and he was out of options.
“Ellyra, I need you.”
She took in a sudden breath...
COLLAPSE[5 Stars]
...I couldn’t stop turning the pages for fear that I would miss a vital piece of information. The unpredictable plot twists and turns with every decision each character makes. The Skorath Prophecy will appeal to science fiction fans who enjoy stories where creativity rules over logic.