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

Wil didn’t know what the big deal was, honestly. He knew firsthand that humans and Tarans were remarkably similar in their mannerisms and life outlooks. Sure, the planet was lacking technological sophistication, but so were many of the Outer Colony worlds. And humans were industrious and adaptable. Give them the tools, and they could turn Earth into a power to rival the influence of the Taran Middle Worlds in short order. So, he didn’t put a lot of stock in the objections. People resisted things that were new; eventually, they’d realize their complaints were ill-placed.

Given that outlook, Wil was concerned by Michael’s seriousness. He knew his friend to be cautious in his assessments—which made him a fantastic officer to have as a top advisor—but there must be something else going on to warrant the present level of pessimism.

“What about the unrest?” Wil asked.

Michael frowned. “There’s a developing… situation.”

“Meaning?” He braced for the worst. Whatever ‘developing situation’ might be, it couldn’t be good.

“That attack on Duronis seems to be part of a growing separatist movement.”

“Yes, old news. The Guard is handling that.”

Michael nodded. “Which is why I wasn’t going to say anything…”

“But…?

“We received a message sent to one of the TSS field offices near Duronis by a woman claiming to be a part of the movement who’s behind the uprising on the planet. She’s made assertions that they’re connected to something larger, and she’s looking for a friend who went missing after joining them. She doesn’t want to be a part of what they’re doing, but she’s afraid about what might happen if no one is watching from the inside.”

Is she a standup citizen or is this a trap? Wil met his friend’s gaze. “Do you have a copy of the message?”

“Yes.” Michael forwarded it to Wil’s account. “I know this is the Guard’s domain, but their response hasn’t been proportional to the magnitude of this potential threat. The rumblings are becoming louder and more persistent.”

Wil pinched the bridge of his nose. “I thought the recent approval ratings for the Taran High Council were favorable?”

“They are. And that joint statement from Dainetris and Sietinen has been getting positive press. So, it’s possible this may turn out to be nothing.”

It’s never ‘nothing’ once you have a seasoned Agent taking notice. Those whispers would turn to shouts sooner than later, if history was any indication. “What are our people in the field saying?”

“They’ve tried to ask around, but you know how it is around Agents—people see us coming and get far away.”

“Apparently, our presence is no longer deterrent enough.”

“The problem is, the events on Duronis have been timed to what’s going on with the Rift, tracing all the way back to the Andvari’s salvage contract. They seem to have a response ready for our every move.”

“Do they have an informant within the TSS or Guard?”

Michael shrugged. “I haven’t seen anything to suggest insider intel. They’re just smart.”

“That’s worse. It would be nice to know who is driving the message that the Outer Colonies are better off without Tararia. At least, I assume that’s what the separatists are calling for?”

“In a nutshell.”

“Well, pulling away from the Empire won’t get them in a better place, regardless of what some may think. Every time a planet has seceded, they’ve fallen into a Dark Age.”

Michael studied him. “Like Earth?”

“Of course—the Empire’s favorite cautionary tale.”

“I think there was a concerted effort to leave Taran technology behind, in that case.”

“Yes, but look where that got them—a divergent genetic branch with lost ability potential, technologically hamstrung, and barely able to look after the health of their planet. Yet, they were venturing out into the solar system and wanted to spread those problems. We’ll have a chance to guide them toward a better path now that we’re reunited, but it goes to show what’s possible. If we get too many rogue groups like that…” He didn’t need to complete the thought.

“Right.” Michael nodded. “So, that’s why I thought it prudent to follow up on the tip. See what you make of it.”

“Thank you for raising these concerns. I’ll go over the available information with Saera and figure out a plan.”

“I’ll be standing by.” Michael showed himself out.

Wil sent a telepathic summons to his wife, and she joined him in his office. Once she was seated, he played the video message received from the informant, who had identified herself as Lexi Karis. They listened to it three times to confirm the details.

“This isn’t good.” Saera frowned at the final frame of the video, showing the attractive brunette’s concerned face. “Wil, I’m worried. They have a case.”

“What do you mean?”

“The arguments about power dynamics in the Empire. After all, these protests directly impact your parents and our daughter, and we’re using our influence in the TSS to ‘monitor the situation’, and we’ll use that information to report back to them. The altruistic intentions don’t matter. There’s enough validity to the messaging that it may take hold.”

“I can’t deny being invested beyond an official capacity,” Wil admitted.

“What do we do about it? Step aside?”

“No. The truth is that anyone will have bias in their position. At least we’re aware of ours and openly acknowledge it. That’s why we’ve surrounded ourselves with good people who’ll make sure we don’t let those feelings factor into our decision-making.”

Saera nodded. “That’s true. But how do we convince the public of that?”

“With tensions running so high at the moment, we certainly can’t make any open move right now.”

“And covertly sending in an Agent to follow up on this lead is out of the question, because they won’t trust anyone with abilities.”

“Not to mention, after what happened the last time we sent someone in undercover, I’m hesitant to try again.”

She grimaced. “Yeah, that one is