Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller Brandon Ellis (ebook reader for comics txt) 📖

Jaxx ducked as another starfighter flew through the fireball, ions blasting out of its wings. He lifted his sword jabbing through the starfighter’s belly just as it flew overhead, and flung the starfighter across the field, lucky to hit another Agadon mech heading his way.

He stood, letting loose everything he had, blanketing its chest with blaster fire and dozens of missiles.

Fire splintered outward from the opposing mech and Jaxx ran forward, lifted his sword over his shoulder and threw it at an immense speed, digging the tip into the Mech’s cockpit where it glided through to the other side, cutting the Agadon cockpit in half.

The mech went lifeless and fell over. Steam puffed outward in all directions.

Jaxx continued to race forward, dodging enemy fire until he reached his sword. He pulled it out of the enemy and swung it over his shoulder, magnetizing it to his back.

Jaxx took a breath and gathered himself. The battlefield—which only minutes before had been full of grain fields, huts, and barren land—was ablaze. Smoke billowed. Fallen Leonian soldiers carpeted the ground, along with enemy and friendly mechs. Those still standing were dodging and firing, puncturing through mech armor, evading starfighter strafing, and throwing everything they had.

The ground rumbled and a large craft the size of a star carrier with a lion’s head at its bow lifted out of the ground on the horizon. Jaxx’s mouth opened as he eyed a starfighter battle raging in the sky, pitting Leonian starfighters—thin craft with two small wings that lined both sides—against Agadon starfighters.

The heavens thundered.

The large Leonian star carrier rotated its turrets, targeting an inbound Agadon ship the size of a destroyer. The star carrier sent purple energy bursts its way. The Agadon ship turned, exposing its side, just as the Leonian ship’s blasts tore through the Agadon’s starboard. Fire spewed and the ship tilted and dipped, righting itself seconds later.

“Get to battle, peach-face!” demanded Zara.

“Right.” Jaxx spun, seeing two Agadon mech’s with their backs to him a hundred yards away, fighting with a Leonian mech.

He pressed his mech forward and catapulted himself into the air. He pointed his feet toward the center of each of the enemy mech’s and slammed his feet into their armor, fracturing one mech, pushing him face down into the ground.

His foot impacted the other mech, though only managing to push it aside.

A sword plunged into the Agadon’s chest armor. The enemy mech lost power and fell to its knees. The Leonian mech pulled the sword out and dipped its head to Jaxx. “Thanks for the assist.”

It was Zara.

“No proble—” His mech’s feet were swiped out from under him and his cockpit shivered as Jaxx’s mech landed on its back. An Agadon mech loomed and pointed a blaster cannon at Jaxx’s cockpit. The cannon’s barrel reddened and a sizzling hot energy charge expelled.

9 E-Quadrant, Earth - Lookout Mountain, Tennessee

Drew opened a door onto a barrage of flickering computer lights and rows upon rows of people working at computers stations. Some had their feet on their desks, leaning back against their chairs, others were hunched over their keyboards, watching two or three monitors at a time.

This was Anderle’s family, his crusaders of the Dark Net, his hackers. And there was a shitload of them.

A screen covered the entire south wall. Smack in the center of the screen was Mya’s picture. She was in the arms of a man in camo, his face excited, as if he hadn’t seen her for some time. They had the same skin tone, tan, Puerto Rican. She leaned on his arm like a comfortable child with a parent.

In the corner of the screen was a map of North Carolina, a dot hovering over the words Marine Corp Base Camp. Data streamed across the screen, tabulating United States military movements. They were tracking someone or a group of people, perhaps an entire brigade. That was a shit ton of manpower to dedicate to track a military group.

Drew studied the data as it streamed by. Little by little, a picture emerged. It wasn’t a platoon. It was a single individual, code name, 'Arecibo'. It was the name of Puerto Rico’s most famous observatory. Did that mean he was the observer or the observed? It didn’t add up. Mya was at the center of something.

Drew pressed his brain, but nothing popped.

A young guy twirled around in his chair and nodded. He couldn’t have been more than fifteen-years-old. “Hey, sailor. Whatcha’ in for?” He chewed gum, smiling just a tad.

“I’m Michael Anderle’s friend. I’m just visiting.” He didn’t know if he could call Anderle a friend anymore, but maybe it would work in here, a place he could get some answers—he hoped.

The guy cocked his head, his mouth straightening, eyes serious. “You’re not a patriot hat?” He dropped his feet off his desk. “You’re that Drew guy.” He quickly typed on his computer and the main screen shut off. Commotion filled the room. He pointed to the door. “Get out.”

“A patriot hat?”

“A hacker for the New United States of America. We protect our country. Now, go.”

“I was told—”

“Whoever told you anything about being in this room told you shit. Now get your ass out or we’ll throw you out.” He flicked his nose, then wiped his finger on his shirt. “Guards!”

“Why was Mya on the screen?”

“Tā shì shénme?” said a bulky Chinese man in a camouflage uniform and cap. He strode up the aisle, past dead screens and gaping hackers. He walked swiftly by Drew and opened the double doors. “Chūqù!”

Drew shrugged, obeying, and walked outside. The doors shut and Drew stood staring. Why was he ushered out so quickly, even after mentioning Anderle’s name?

Jefferson Kennedy, the new President of the United States, walked around the corner with a smile on his face, looking presidential in his perfectly ironed and US flag tie. He started doing the robot, a dance almost everyone knew, singing the national anthem at the same time.

“What the…” Drew stopped in his tracks.