The Spectrum Force Volume One by Heather Ray (novel24 txt) 📖

composed entirely of the heavy black metal Eurhtite. One hand twirled a stray lock of her curly forest green mane over her long, razor sharp nail, while the other clenched a jeweled goblet half filled with a thick, rich red liquid.

She heard the breeze-like sound of the sliding door opening, and through the reflection in the window she saw a form enter the room. Her cold smile only widened, and she gracefully turned around, pulling the long train of her fitted ebony and gold gown with her.

"Welcome, Celea, to the Citadel of Fesp," she said, raising her arms proudly, "Exactly like all the other scores of Citadels we've constructed, from which our Magistrate will rule this planet until it becomes a complete husk!"

Celea, a younger woman with matching coloring and a sleek black bodysuit, lowered herself to one knee, and bowed her head. "Beautiful, Mother, as all the other Citadels."

"Yes, I am quite proud of this accomplishment." The Empress Phaedra then reached her goblet to her daughter. "I've been told the blood of the Fespians is some of the sweetest in the galaxy."

The princess took hold of the goblet, and slowly sipped the contents. She whirled the liquid in her mouth thoughtfully, before finally swallowing.

"Not bad," she admitted, "A tad too sweet, for my taste, but excellent texture. Very smooth."

Phaedra smiled, leading her daughter towards the window. "Finish it. The blood of your victims is where their life is contained. Drink the blood, and feed on their life force. It is the most effective way of strengthening your own."

Celea swallowed the contents of the goblet, and followed her mother's gaze into the burning capitol of the fallen planet.

"Isn't it wonderful?" Phaedra commented.

"Simply breathtaking," Celea admitted, licking her moistened lips from the blood, "With Fesp destroyed, the Council will soon follow."

"Have the interrogations been successful?"

The princess frowned with hostility. "We've questioned the entire royal court, and all the senators that have survived... well, except for the King." She smiled slightly, gazing at the goblet once again. "But not a breath they released would betray the Council of Light's location! Even when threatened with the death of her youngest child, the queen refused to utter a single sound. They are a very disciplined race."

The empress shrugged off the disappointment easily enough. "It matters not. The Royals may not speak, but we have the Ohana'Kree Archive! It is famed for being the most complete index of star systems in the galaxy!"

"It would not have the Council's hiding place," Celea pointed out.

"But it does

have vital information about which planets in which sectors are ripe for conquest. We will know the technological as well as magical capabilities of every documented species, and with that knowledge we will decide whom to conquer, and how."

Celea watched with interest as her mother glided to her throne. Seated upon the plush velvet pillow was a sheet of yellowed paper, frayed at the edges. The queen carried the sheet to her daughter, who examined it with fascination.

"The Outskirts?" she whispered, a smile rising on her vermilion lips, "That is genius

, Mother! A base in the Outskirts would make the territory between an easy target!"

"You are indeed sharp, Celea. And... there is only one

inhabited planet."

Celea glanced up. "Only one?"

Phaedra nodded, her smile hinting at her wicked glee. "Look at the bottom."

Celea returned her attention to the sheet, and skimmed it quickly. "Earth. In the Sol system. A Yumani planet? Ha! Those infants cannot stop the Denebian Empire! It will take mere hours to destroy them!"

Phaedra nodded, casting her eyes to a folder seated on the table beside her throne. "I am making a study of Earth, and the Humans that populate it. I shall be leading the Delta-Squad of the G'hen Armada to conquer it, and establish a post."

Celea frowned slightly. "Why only the Delta-Squad? That consists of so few soldiers!"

Phaedra chuckled. "I'm certain a handful of Shadows will be enough to raze this Infant planet. I doubt I'll even need my new Yren spell to cripple Earth's technology. They'll be throwing spears at us."

She then took the sheet from Celea, and walked back to her throne to pick up the folder. "A single galaxy-class vessel will be much faster than bringing the entire Armada to Earth, and we'll be much more capable of slipping past the Council's sight. We'll have the base established before Luminus can even blink!"

"When shall we depart, Mother?"

"No, Celea... you must stay here with the Alpha, Beta, and Kappa fleets. Defend our rule of Fesp, and make sure to drain every last drop of life from the planet core. I want the Archives emptied, and the rest of this planet laid to waste."

Phaedra inserted the sheet into the folder, and walked towards the exit. "I shall prepare my Throneship for immediate departure. I leave this conquest in your hands."

Her gaze then fell again to the goblet. "Oh, and if you want more of His Highness Trenmór... there are two pints left in the gilded flask."

Celea watched her mother disappear through the circular door. Her eyebrows shrugged slightly with anticipation, and she walked towards the throne, taking a seat on the plush velvet.

She refilled her glass, savoring the sweet taste of victory.

To Be Continued In...

The Spectrum Force Volume Two

Genesis

Excerpt from The Spectrum Force: Genesis

Thursday, January 27, 2000

A young woman groaned as she blindly felt the space beneath her narrow bed. She then rose to her feet, sighing as she finished buttoning her white blouse. Once she fastened the cuffs, she hurried to her dresser, and pulled out a pair of tawny-toned stockings. After sliding the fine material onto her long legs, she quickly threw on a navy blue blazer and matching skirt, reaching several inches above her knee. She then rushed to her mirror, hanging against the wall just above her dresser, and pulled her dark brown locks into the confines of a barrette. Once she was satisfied with her hair, she stroked a light amount of makeup on her face, enhancing her naturally tan complexion, and emphasizing her large brown eyes with liner. Finally, a conservative spray of vanilla perfume completed the ritual.

She smiled nervously at her reflection, and looked down at her jewelry box. She selected a pair of silver hoop earrings, and a narrow silver band, with the design of leaves etched in its surface, and a sizable amethyst set in the center.

After a final appraisal, she left her small bedroom, and entered the common living room of the apartment.

"Jocelyn?" she called, glancing around the empty room. She then knocked on the door of the bedroom beside her own.

"Come in!" a voice called.

She walked into the room, still in frantic move-in disarray, and observed her roommate sitting at her computer, absently toying with a caramel-colored curl as she stared at the screen.

"Jocie, did you see my navy blue pumps? I can't find them anywhere."

Jocelyn Armand thought for a moment before shaking her head in the negative. "Your feet are two full sizes bigger than mine," she pointed out, "There's no way I'd borrow your shoes, Rachel!"

Rachel Castaneda frowned, folding her arms over her chest. "I hope Tammy gets back soon. She's probably got them."

She sighed inwardly, approaching Jocelyn. She peeked over her shoulder to the computer. "What are you working on? You can't possibly have an essay... we're four days into the semester!"

"Actually, I'm tweaking my schedule," the girl revealed, "I really hated the first lecture of Biology, but I need to take a Life Science course this term."

"Why this

term?" Rachel inquired, "You're a freshman! You don't have to worry about fulfilling the requirements yet."

"Yeah, but I figure if I take at least one course in every basic field, I'll know what field interests me," Jocelyn hypothesized, "And from there, I can figure out which major I'm best suited for."

Rachel nodded, glancing up at the sound of a key turning in the lock. She hurried out of Jocelyn's room, and saw her second roommate, Tamara Fox, stroll into the apartment, an Express garment bag tossed over her shoulder.

"Hey Ray!" she said with a smile, holding up her bag, "You've got to see the skirt I got! It's adorable!"

She noted the frown marring her best friend's face, and rolled her large chocolate brown eyes absently. "What did you lose?"

Rachel's frown turned into a wry smile. "Navy blue pumps. You know, the ones I bought specifically for this outfit, specifically for interviews!"

Tamara sat down on one of the high stools beside the kitchen counter, lying her bag in front of her. She tapped her chin in thought.

"Oh yeah... you know, they match perfectly

with the blue and gold tank dress I wore to the Thalia Theater Troupe dinner last night..."

"And what happened to them after

the party?"

Tamara smiled guiltily. "Last time I saw them, they were in the coat closet."

Rachel sighed, hurrying to the closet and searching the contents. Moments later, she pulled out her shoes, and slid them on her feet.

"Thanks," she breathed, grabbing her purse, "I'm running late!"

"Wait, Ray!" Tamara called urgently, "How long are you gonna be gone?"

Rachel shrugged. "Probably for two hours or so. If they do hire me, they'll probably want to show me around the office. I should be done at seven."

"But you're gonna miss Keith!" she protested, "His flight's coming in at six."

Rachel frowned pensively. "Right." She fished into her purse, and pulled out her car keys. She tossed them at Tamara. "You guys can take my car. I'll take the subway."

"You sure?"

Rachel nodded, opening the door. "Absolutely. And I'll definitely be back for dinner at Cosmos."

Tamara watched Rachel rush through the door, and then turned her gaze to the keys in her hand.

Then, Jocelyn emerged from her bedroom, leaning against the wall and raising her eyes to the ceiling tiredly.

"There's a Microbiology course offered Friday mornings," she announced, "It fits into my schedule."

Tamara frowned in disgust. "Didn't Matt take that course last term? He said it single-handedly ruined his GPA."

Jocelyn's brow wrinkled. "Oh yeah..."

Tamara rose from her stool, grabbing her bag. "Oh, I gotta show you my new outfit! Keith's eyes are gonna pop out of their sockets when he sees me in this!"

Jocelyn smiled in amusement. "Now isn't that a lovely mental picture?"