Empire Reborn (Taran Empire Saga Book 1): A Cadicle Space Opera A.K. DuBoff (guided reading books TXT) 📖

Michael closed the door behind him and took a seat across from Wil. “I’m all ears.”

“This alien threat is going to test us in new ways,” Wil began. “We need to have a coordinated front to fight them.”

Michael scowled. “I’ve been dreading this conversation.”

“Why?”

“Because it’s confirmation that we’re facing another war.”

Wil nodded. “If we’re lucky, it won’t come to that.”

“I worry we used up all of our good fortune with the Gatekeepers. I wouldn’t count on that strategy working a second time.”

“Agreed, which is why preparations are in order.”

Michael looked down at his hands in his lap.

“Can I count on you to follow me again?”

“Always.” He looked up. “But stars, do the wars always need to have you at the center?”

Wil laughed. “Sorry.”

“All right, so what’s the plan? How do we protect against an enemy this powerful?”

“I’m not sure, but we certainly don’t have a chance to look out for worlds that don’t have any of their own defenses.”

“I hate to think of a planet being un-made as easily as they dispatched the Alkeer station.”

“We can’t rule out anything, but precautions are common sense.”

“Planetary shield, orbital fortifications…” Michael began listing off.

“Exactly—not that we can be sure conventional shields will be effective against this enemy.” He sighed. “Nonetheless, we need to do what we can. And, unfortunately, our very own TSS Headquarters is vulnerable at present. If anything happens to Earth, the base inside the moon would, obviously, be compromised.”

“Yeah, good luck installing a planetary shield in secret.”

“It would be impossible. There’s only one viable option.”

His friend gaped at him. “No, you can’t be suggesting—”

“We need to bring Earth into the Taran fold.”

Michael shook his head dismissively. “They’re not ready.”

“Will there ever be a good time?” Wil asked.

Humans had already moved beyond the confines of their planet. The year was now 2055 by Earth’s calendar, which was far longer than anyone had expected the secret about the Taran Empire to last. Wil had watched Earth’s technology evolve over the years, and while Taran shields could still hide the TSS’ presence, the sheer number of humans now roaming space was becoming an issue. Aside from that, he disliked secrets on principle, unless it was absolutely necessary. There was no reason for Earth to remain unaware.

“There’s still so much conflict—” Michael started to protest.

“I know.” Wil let out a long breath. “I watched it play out during the years I lived on Earth, and I’ve continued to watch from afar since. Those issues don’t change the fact that we can’t properly protect the planet until they’re aware that the rest of the Empire exists. And, moreover, that we aren’t the only space-faring race.”

“I worry that revealing ourselves might spark a world war.”

“I hate to be callous, but if it does, so be it.”

“How very diplomatic of you.”

“It’s a matter of adaptation and survival,” Wil stated.

“Rather cold to speak that way about the world that was your home for almost two decades.”

“I resided there, but that soil was never my real home. I care for Earth and its people, don’t get me wrong, but it’s one planet among fifteen hundred. And the humans… it’s interesting to see how petty people can be when they don’t have proper perspective about their place in the universe.”

“They’ve fought bloody wars over a difference in opinion about a few lines of scripture. I can’t imagine how they’d react to an alien race,” Michael pointed out.

“It’ll go one of two ways: either they tear each other apart in short order, or seeing that they are a mere drop in the cosmic ocean will unify Earth’s countries under a common banner. What greater test of humanity’s will to survive than to show them there are others roaming the stars?”

Michael drummed his fingers on the chair’s armrest. “All it would take is one politician getting twitchy, and the world could be lost to nuclear war.”

“That’s no different than everyday life. At least this way, there’s a chance to push the planet toward its next stage of evolution. Give Earth’s people a path ahead.”

“I get the impression that your thinking on the matter wasn’t solely altruistic.”

“Some of it is out of necessity,” Wil admitted. “It’s been a challenge over the last century to keep up with humanity’s expansion into the stars. Orbital stations, the moon, Mars. We’ve been diligent in our efforts to keep the local TSS presence need-to-know, but we’re rapidly approaching a point where we won’t be able to maintain secrecy.

“We’ve already had too many close calls with amateur astronomers and private astronauts. The civilian technology on the planet—as primitive as it is compared to ours—will soon outpace our countermeasures purely from a volume standpoint. Those resources we currently allocate to masking and scrubbing our presence would be much better spent elsewhere. Our focus should be on fortifying the Empire against outside threats, not keeping a rogue colony in the dark about their ancestry.”

Michael nodded. “I agree with the reasoning, but now? We don’t need more complications.”

“There’s another motivation that tips it over the edge,” Wil revealed. “I didn’t want to bother you with the details of the treaty text, but I should note that there were references to Earth.”

Michael’s eyes went wide. “What?”

“It’s confounding, I know. There’s no explanation about why the planet is important, but letting it get blown up because it doesn’t have a simple shield installed isn’t in our best interest.”

“No, you’re right. And we can’t get a shield in place without buy-in, which means open contact.” He groaned. “This is going to release a shitestorm.”

“In the short-term, yes. But it’s also an opportunity for the planet to come together. I’d like to believe that country borders and social divides will take on new perspective when compared to a civilization spanning