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

Jaxx fired three more missiles, aiming beneath Zara, predicting Taz’s future move, hoping he’d get it right.

Taz banked hard, then went into an unload extension, slipping into a steep, straight dive and applied full thrust in an attempt to end Zara before she landed.

An attempt Jaxx had guessed correctly.

Two missiles sunk between the Agadon’s cockpit and tail. The tail split, spiraling Taz out of control, plummeting him toward the forest below. It crashed through a canopy of trees and a whapom! shook the heavens, sending fire licking upwards.

“Thank you, Jaxx,” came Zara. “Maybe you’re worth your weight in stress after all?”

“No problem.” Jaxx swung his craft low. “I’m heading in for a landing. We’re doing good up here and holding these bastards off. This Taz character needs to be stopped.”

“That’s a negative. I advise against that, Jaxx.”

“I’ll be fine.” Jaxx eyed a meadow below.

“What are you going to do when you find him, Jaxx?”

“End him.”

“Not a good idea. I sense his power. He’s stronger than you.”

“There isn’t anyone stronger than me,” Jaxx replied.

“That statement says it all. Pull back and re-engage the fight.”

Jaxx’s consciousness lessened. He heard a pop and for a moment, he was dizzy. He shook his head and slapped his face to get his equilibrium back to balance. He was back in his tight, inflexible body again. He’d almost forgotten what it was like to be free and outside of his body, his consciousness expanded.

He let out a breath. “I know what I’m doing, Zara.” He pressed a few holographic buttons, readying his craft for a landing. “I’ll be back up before you know it.”

“Goddess-speed, Jaxx. I’ll send someone to watch you, to keep you safe. Out.”

39

Edge of J-Quadrant, Starship Atlantis (Slipping Further Away from Jupiter)

“Dear, you need to leave the room.” Senator Ken Furr sat at his desk and tapped a button. A secret compartment in his desk drawer opened. He pulled out some documents and a pistol, then set them on his desk.

His wife touched her chest, splaying her fingers just below her neck. “What are you doing?”

“Slade is on his way.”

She frowned. “You let him through? No, that’s not a good idea, Ken.”

“He was checked. No weapons on him. I need to talk with him.”

“I’m staying,” she demanded.

He stood, his face stern. “You’ll do no such thing.” He pointed to the door. For him, her safety was more important. Yes, Slade was checked, but he never knew. Perhaps the guy slipped something past security.

She opened the door, hurt in her eyes.

Slade stood outside the door, ready to ring himself in. He smiled and tipped his head. “Donna...it’s a pleasure to see you.”

She merely nodded and hurried out of the room.

The door shut behind Slade. “This is why you called me here? To threaten me with your little gun there?” There was an air of lightness with Slade, as if he was actually enjoying this. Was it the challenge? Was he that kind of guy?

“No, I’m not threatening you. I’m protecting myself, just like I’m attempting to protect the rest of this starship and crew from you turning us over to the Kelhoon. I intercepted yours and Kajka Okbak’s communication streams.”

Slade’s eyebrows drew low. “You idiot. This is what this mutiny is all about? We’re setting Okbak up. The Kelhoon leader wants to take over Callisto. We’re not going to allow it. And, you and your men are clogging shit up. Do you understand?” He threw his arm out wide. “Tell them to stop.”

Was Slade telling the truth? Ken pushed the thought away. “I’m steering us back to Earth. You convinced us to leave because of the coming Earth changes when we cross from global warming to an ice age. If that’s the case, then why you didn’t take Jaxx’s recommendations? When we go back to Earth, and I’m saying when, because we will, we’ll implement his recommendations.”

“Really? What are those recommendations, Ken?” Slade took a seat on a couch and crossed his legs. He draped his arms on top of the quilted backrest. He popped a piece of gum in his mouth and winked. “What ya’ gettin’ at, Ken-dog?”

“You didn’t even read his books, did you?”

Slade wiped his pants, as if wiping the question away. “Not a single page.”

“We didn’t need to leave the United States of America.”

Slade shrugged, jutting out his lower lip. He had an air of I don’t care.

Ken cocked his pistol and stood, pointing his gun at Slade. With his other hand, he picked up a mess of pages. “This was written by Kaden Jaxx. The pyramids on earth have more power than you can imagine, just like what we’re seeing on Callisto.”

“And you’re going to tell me that we could have built pyramids and or activated the old pyramids to slow down global warming and ease our descent into another ice age.” Slade shrugged a second time. “I have better things to do. Now, if you’ll excuse me.” Slade stood and turned to leave.

“Sit.”

Slade leaned back and put his hands up, smiling. “You’ve sabotaged our mission to Callisto, Ken. Our mission to save a tiny fraction of the human race; a race that will die when the Earth changes come, do you understand? Sustained three hundred mile per hour winds, gusting up to four hundred miles per hour. Tsunami’s on just about every coast. Earthquakes devastating every city, taking all electricity and internet offline, and destroying the infrastructure. In weeks, all stores will be out of food, people will starve. Death, everywhere. Mayhem. Every soul for themselves.”

“That’s—”

“You took us away from Callisto,” Slade interrupted. “Do you understand how much that pisses me off? It’s not going to go well for you. Now, I’ll give you and the rest of the government twenty-four hours to think it over and change your mind. If you don’t, there will be more blood, and it won’t be mine.”

“Yes, we turned the entire ship around. We’re going to ride out the coming storm, the climate change. There are safe places for us