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Tag: Ghost Corps

Stories and characters about Ghost Corps from the Bringer of Chaos series.

Ghosts have no name #SciFi #SpaceOpera Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire #MFRWhooks

Ghosts have no name #SciFi #SpaceOpera Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

Ghosts Have No Name

In this scene from Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, the not-quite-human Six offers water to the immortal king, Pietas. But the king wants what Six cannot give. Ghosts have no name...

 

Six slid their canteen off over his head and held it out to Pietas.

Accepting anything from a human, an altered one at that, had violated every instinct at first. To take from an enemy, yes. Always. Let one give you something as if you needed it? Admit a weakness before an enemy?

Never.

But this was Six.

Pietas took it.

Ultras could go days without water, but they consumed it when they had it. He wiped one dusty hand across his mouth. The satisfaction of assuaged thirst never failed to please. What simple things in life brought pleasure! In captivity, he'd dreamed of even a drop to cool his tongue. He'd sworn he'd never take water for granted again.

Six had offered it to their companions during the climb, but the entire lot refused anything a mortal's lips had touched. Yes, Six was a quasi-immortal. A dead human soldier who'd been resurrected and enhanced with Ultra blood. A "ghost." But to the others, that gave him even less status.

Pietas wavered on few things, but on this? Should he call the man human, mortal, quasi-immortal, or ghost? He'd elected to choose as the mood struck. But one in particular annoyed Six.

"Thanks, ghost." He thrust the canteen against Six's chest.

Staggering, he swore in Spanish. "Find another name for me."

"Tell me your mortal name then."

"You know I can't." Six scratched his cheek. "Ghosts have no name. Gotta protect my family. If your kind knew who they were, they'd slaughter them. You wouldn't, but them?"

Now they were getting somewhere. "So you do trust me?"

"Pi, there's more honor in your left big toe than your entire race combined." He tipped up the canteen but then paused. "No offense."

"None taken. But we're stranded, my friend. Unless a miracle happens, by the time we get off this world, your family will be long dead." He added, "No offense."

Six finished his drink and plugged the canteen. "None taken. Sorry. Can't do it." He lifted the strap back over his head and settled it onto his shoulder, the canteen at his back. "Seriously, Pi, your people hear you call me you-know-what, it'll give away I was Ghost Corps. If they do, we both know what they'll do to me."

Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire

Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever. Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire by Kayelle Allen #SciFi #SpaceOperaWhen the immortal Pietas is marooned on a barren world with no food and few survival tools, he knows it could be worse. He could be alone. But that's the problem.

He's not.

Half a million of his people sleep in cryostasis, trapped in their pods and it's up to Pietas to rescue them.

A human abandoned with him has become a trusted friend. But before Pietas can save his people, he must reconcile them to the human and take back command from a ruthless enemy he's fought for centuries. His brutal, merciless father.

Immortals may heal, but a wound of the heart lasts forever...

Universal book link https://books2read.com/u/bpW7Kg


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Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

The Spike by Nathan Mutch @Nathan_Mutch #SpaceOpera #SciFi

 
 

Read Lights Out in The Expanding Universe #SpaceOpera by @KayelleAllen

Three Things About Nathan Mutch

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

One.

It seems like forever ago that I decided I was going to write a novel. It also seems like it was only yesterday. That's how life works sometimes.

I was willing to give it a shot. I'd write on Tuesdays and Thursdays to begin with. I didn't know what I was doing—I'd written short pieces before, but never a full-length novel. The project gathered steam with every writing session, and before I knew it, I had a book. The Unity was published, and I immediately began work on the second book. I built the universe for my characters while I was also building a family.

Two.

It wasn't until I wrote The Spike that I truly appreciated universe building in fiction.

A character is born.

The universe is born.

The universe is broken down and reordered to suit the character.

Few things survive the reordering of the universe, so the character is reborn.

Repeat as needed.

It seems like only yesterday that I decided to write books and, in doing so, reordered my own universe.

I'm glad I survived.

Three.

The Spike is a story about the human mind. It's about the lengths a person will go to uncover the truth, but more so, it's about the addictive quality of that search.

Ultimately, we can never know why we decide against one thing in favor of another.

Is it desire or attraction?

Is it a chemically predetermined path in our synapses?

The truth beckons to us. It invigorates like the thrill of mortal danger.

The truth is a drug.

The Spike by Nathan Mutch

Here's an excerpt from The Spike:

"This part of the country seems to have all hell for a basement, and the only trap door appears to be Medicine Hat."

–Rudyard Kipling

"We were born to die."

John McCormack knew a thing or two about death. He also knew a thing or two about when to keep his mouth shut. We were born to die—those were the words he spoke aloud just after closing the door to his last session with the military-appointed psychologist.

John recalled what the psychologist had said during their first session—that survivor's guilt was a natural consequence, especially since he alone had survived. No one could have foreseen that their brief exposure to the crashed alien ship would be fatal—that their hazmat suits would offer no protection.

"We were born to live our lives," the shrink had said. "The other Marines lived to serve. They died performing their duty."

John shambled away from the stuffy, claustrophobic office and stayed close to the corridor wall as if he might suddenly need it to steady himself. The faces of the fallen haunted him.

John spoke the words again. He spoke as if talking to his ghosts would somehow make them sympathetic.

"We were all born to die."

A strange but familiar voice rose up from his chaotic thoughts. It was so clear that it drowned out the memories, yet the voice itself was like a memory. As odd as it seemed to have a voice in his head that John felt didn't belong to him, what happened next was stranger still. His mind made the words his own.

"You are wrong, John. You were born for a specific purpose."

John nearly turned around and marched back into the psychologist's office. He was sure he had cracked, but the thought of dealing with a headshrinker again was a great weight pressing on his chest. He kept walking and took his ghosts with him.

***

Soon after John was granted separation from the Marine Corps, he found work at an off-world mining operation with the same company that had shot down the alien spaceship—an irony few of his fellow miners failed to point out. But John didn't require reminders. He remembered perfectly.

The alien ship had entered Earth's orbit undetected by every space observation network on the planet. GISEC, the Goryeo Inter-Korean Space Exploration Conglomerate, detected the ship with an automated orbital salvage and reclamation platform and mistook it for space junk. The AI on the platform decided the ship was a danger to nearby satellites and attempted to disintegrate it. If it wasn't for GISEC, the ship might have come and gone unnoticed.

Of all the places in the world, the falling ship's trajectory sent it hurtling toward downtown Medicine Hat. In the blink of an eye, the city was leveled. The city that was built on a giant gas field—the city with hell for a basement—was destroyed by a fireball from the heavens.

Science Fiction by Nathan Mutch

When John McCormack emerges from the alien wreckage, only he knows what he leaves behind—and what he has brought with him.

The Spike
part of the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology
The Expanding Universe Vol 4

Edited by Craig Martelle
Exclusively on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

Nathan Mutch Social Media

Nathan Mutch's first novel, The Unity, is the first book of a planned three-part Science Fiction series. The second book in The Unity Empire Series, A Song for the Dead, was released June 2017.
His current projects include: A prequel to the Unity series about the origins of the Ash Stone character; two co-authored books; a stand-alone fantasy novel tentatively titled, Between Realms; and of course, the third installment of The Unity Empire Series.
The first of the two co-authored books is an experimental science fiction mind-bender written (so far) entirely by correspondence. The second co-authored book delves into the Fantasy genre.
Nathan Mutch currently lives in Northern Canada with his family.
Website https://nathanmutch.com

Daughters of Ayor by David R Bernstein @drbauthor #SciFi #SpaceOpera

 
 

Read Lights Out in The Expanding Universe #SpaceOpera by @KayelleAllen

Three Things About David R Bernstein

Please tell us three things you'd like us to know.

Originally this story was supposed to be a side story for a larger universe I’ve written, but it developed into its own concept. Now, I plan to build on this idea and turn it into a full series.

The hero in this story is a snarky science officer that is forced to command an irradiated ship with no crew. He gets a bit sarcastic due to his current lot in life!

Daughters of Ayor is actually a spin on the Daughters of Air from the Peter Pan books.

Science Fiction by David R Bernstein

The SalvationOne’s mission was to find a new home for a dying civilization, but a massive solar flare slowly kills all but one crew member.

Daughters of Ayor
part of the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology
The Expanding Universe Vol 4

Edited by Craig Martelle
Exclusively on Amazon and Kindle Unlimited

David R Bernstein Social Media

David R Bernstein is an author of sci-fi and young adult fiction. After several years in the Pacific Northwest, he recently returned to his native southern California to focus on writing. David has three wonderful children and has been happily married to his beautiful wife for over ten years. When he's not writing or researching his next story, you'll most likely find him
Website http://www.davidrbernstein.com

Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Define Stress: Not being allowed to throttle an idiot #Humor #MFRWhooks #SciFi

Define Stress? Working with idiots...

WordWeb says you can define stress as difficulty that causes worry or emotional tension. Such as having a boss who's a jerk, or a coworker who's lazy or... well, you get the idea.

In today's post, a snippet from Lights Out, the hero is having a bit of stress...

In this scene, Tornahdo has been chewed out for something that in the regular army would have gotten him a commendation. Even a medal. But Ghost Corps is not regular. Not one bit. He sits down to have a drink and calm himself down, but one thought leads to another.


Tornahdo's family believed him missing in action. He couldn't go out in public. Ghosts got call signs, not new identities. He'd earned his by the way he fought, which, according to those who'd been resurrected with him, was a tornado.

"No, he's Hispanic-Terran," one had said. "He'd pronounce it different. We'll call him Tornahdo."

To which he'd offered a sweeping bow. "Sí. Gracias."

If taken prisoner, the enemy wouldn't find out who his family was, or who other ghosts were. Like any cover story, the more you lived it, accepted and believed it, the more solid it became. He was Tornahdo. Every minute. Every day. Right now, he fought the urge to kick into full tornahdo rage and slam through a certain officer's quarters. On his desk, his former commander had a framed quote, hand-stitched by his wife.

"Stress: the body's reaction to not being allowed to throttle an idiot."

How many times had the man shouted that Tornahdo was stressing him out? More than he cared to admit.

But today, he knew exactly what that quote meant.

Lights Out by Kayelle Allen

Writing a fight scene with multiple fighters #Pietas #SpaceOpera #MFRWhooks He can save mankind. After he does one important thing. Die.
Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You'll live forever, they said. You'll save mankind, they said. They didn't say that to do it, first he had to die.
When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he's assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.
He's facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the corps exists.
Do they expect him to win? Fat chance. Tornahdo and his team are already dead and this mission is codenamed "Lights Out." No, there's more to this than he can see.
To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time--somehow--find a way to keep himself alive...
Lights Out is in the Science Fiction/Space Opera anthology The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle out Sept 17, 2018
https://kayelleallen.com/lights-out-save-mankind/



JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It's a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

 Meet the immortal king Pietas live on Instagram #SpaceOpera #Cosplay @nitsvetov #MFRWhooks

Photo shoot – Cosplay live on Instagram
with Nik Nitsvetov as Pietas

On September 1,  2018, Nik will portray Pietas, the immortal king from the Bringer of Chaos series by Kayelle Allen. The cosplay will be performed in a live feed from Russia.
To take part, follow Nik on Instagram.
The exact date is September 1, 2018.
It begins at 7:00 AM Eastern. The event runs for three hours (till 10:00 AM).
You can pop in at any time.

 Meet the immortal king Pietas live on Instagram #SpaceOpera #Cosplay @nitsvetov

 


About Nik

 Meet the immortal king Pietas live on Instagram #SpaceOpera #Cosplay @nitsvetov

Nik Nitsvetov is a photographer and award-winning cosplayer. A gamer and anime fan, he often cosplays characters from popular series.
He lives in Russia and is a strong supporter of Russian Cosplay. His personal photography ranges from cosplay to portraits and includes animals and nature.

 


JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

Charon’s Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooks

Charon's Blade and Watch Your Six #SpaceOpera #SciFi #MFRWhooksThere were surprises as I started putting together Bringer of Chaos: Watch Your Six. This is the final book of the Bringer of Chaos trilogy, so tying up loose ends is important. I went to great lengths to ensure everything was covered, right down to creating weapons like Charon’s Blade (shown here).

As I wrote, I got to thinking, what would humans need ghosts for with all the Ultras in exile? How many ghosts had there been? Would the Ultras who’d been captured be released? How many Ultras were there? What were the powers they imparted to the various ghosts? Why didn’t Six get much of those powers?

The biggest surprise to me was discovering Pietas’s real agenda for humans. I’d always known he wanted to destroy them, but why would he after coming to respect and love Six? And if he wanted to kill them, why hadn’t he already done it? After all, he holds the title Destroyer of Worlds. He could do it. What’s stopping him?

I wrote a spinoff short story about Ghost Corps. Lights Out will release in mid September inside The Expanding Universe Vol 4, edited by Craig Martelle. The anthology will feature multiple authors, all with stories in the sci fi and space opera genres. It’s going to be a real treat for fans of the genre.

Charon’s Blade

I hired an artist to create images of the Ghost Corps weapons. They were designed to kill Ultras, so they’re formidable (and nasty). Livius designs scifi weapons as art. I found him on DeviantArt.com. Having the images and the technical aspects of these helps me create the people who wield them.

What kind of person would carry a weapon called Charon’s Blade designed to stab and then inject the victim with poison? Why such an extreme weapon?

Considering it was designed to wound creatures who come back from the dead, it’s at least a little bit understandable. Even so, Charon was the mythical guide to the underworld in ancient mythology. This knife has quite a legacy just in its name.

I know the answers to all these questions and have the basics of the journey plotted. But as I write, this story reveals more and more. I plan many more books featuring Pietas, his family and fellow immortals.

To see all the art, join one of my reader groups. You’ll get four free books and news about books coming soon. I’ll be sharing a member-only first peek at the art, plus other inside secrets about the Ghost Corps.
Sci Fi, Space Opera and Fantasy ONLY
Sci Fi, Space Opera and Fantasy PLUS Romance
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JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

Do you love dragons? @Nano_Core #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks #SpaceOpera

Do You Love Dragons?

I love dragons. Funny thing, several of my characters love dragons too. Gee, how about that? *wink* How about you?

In the Bringer of Chaos series, the character Six has a dragon tattoo that covers his entire back. Pietas keeps dragon statues in his quarters, everything from small egg-sized ones to larger pieces. His sister wears a pendant with a blood-red dragon that has gold wings. The dragon symbol is throughout the story. After all, who wouldn’t love dragons?

The Drachensturm Dagger (dragon-storm) on the left belongs to Pietas. In the first Bringer of Chaos book, he performs a ritual with it. I wrote only that the dagger was new and that it had turquise stones the same color as his own eyes.  I decided to commission Nano-Core (aka Livius) on DeviantArt to create the dagger. He listened to my description, then spent nearly a day playing with designs. He would show me dragon pictures and get my feedback. Because he’s in Germany and I live in Georgia in the US, we had a time difference. Livius is a night owl, so it worked out well for us.

If you want something unique for your scifi world, from dragons to ships, I recommend him. He is super easy to work with. You can find him on this page: Nano-Core on DeviantArt.  While you’re there, check out other art Livius has done. This is the sixth sci fi weapon he’s created for me that show on his page. He’s creating a special weapon series for the Kin that will be revealed in my next newsletter. You won’t find them anywhere else until then. And wait till you hear the origin story of this dagger! Meanwhile… here’s a snippet for you.

Excerpt from Bringer of Chaos: Origin of Pietas
Pietas and his sister, Dessy, are about to complete a ritual using the dragon dagger pictured.

I’ve been dreaming about dragons.” His sister unzipped her leathers down to her rounded bosom, and pulled out a fine chain dangling a dragon charm. “In the dreams, yours are teal and silver. Mine are ruby and gold.”

He took the pendant in hand. The golden creature sparkled, its eyes glistening as if wet with blood. “Beautiful.” He rubbed a thumb over it, and the dragon warmed to his touch. He smiled into Dessy’s pale eyes. “How often do you dream them?”

“Every night. Tas, what does it mean?”

At hearing her childhood name for him, he dropped the pendant. “Dragons are primal protectors. They symbolize defeat of the beast within and show selfless courage.”

She tucked the chain back inside her top. “How do you know that?”

“How do you not?”

Dessy called him a rude name, and shoved him

 

 

Sneak peek: Lights Out (a Ghost Corps story) #SpaceOpera #MFRWauthor #MFRWhooks

I just signed a contract for Lights Out, a new short story set in the Bringer of Chaos series, to appear in The Expanding Universe (#4) edited by Craig Martelle. It will be out by the end of September 2018.  I loved the character Six in this series and thought it would be cool to show how he ended up guarding Pietas.


Sneak Peek at Lights Out

Sneak peek: Lights Out (a Ghost Corps story) #SpaceOpera #MFRWauthorJoin the Ghost Corps, they said. You’ll live forever, they said. You’ll save mankind, they said. They didn’t say that to do it, first you had to die.

When Tornahdo signs on the dotted line, he puts his life into the steady hands of the mighty Ghost Corps. Three grisly deaths and three agonizing resurrections later, he’s assigned duty on the space station Enderium Six.

He’s facing his most dangerous mission yet, the very reason the Ghost Corps exists.

Tornahdo and a team of ghosts must take out the man responsible for every war between humans and Ultras since the origin of the Ultra bloodline: the immortal king, Pietas.

If they succeed, the war is over.

If they don’t, the Ultras will rule mankind for another thousand years.

Pietas regenerates from every wound. He’s so fast, no human has ever laid a hand on him. As a precaution, they’re sending in Tornahdo’s squad only after evacuating the station and trapping the king in a chamber emptied of air. The immortal will have to fight in a vacuum.

So will Tornahdo and his crew.

Do they expect Tornahdo to win? Fat chance. He and his team are already dead men and this mission is codenamed “Lights Out.” No, there’s more to this than he can see.

To discover the truth, he must face an unbeatable, unkillable enemy, and this time–somehow–find a way to keep himself alive…

[bctt tweet=”Join the Ghost Corps, they said. You’ll live forever, they said. You’ll save mankind, they said. They didn’t say that to do it, first you had to die. #SpaceOpera” username=”kayelleallen”]

Fans of the Bringer of Chaos series will know that “Tornahdo” ends up with the name Six, once he meets Pietas. But who was he before then? You’ll discover his story in Lights Out. Come by next Wednesday for a chance to read snippets from the first chapter. Want advance notice when this book is out? Enter your email here.


JOIN US FOR BOOKHOOKS
Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover current works in progress or previously published books by possibly new-to-you authors. Thank you for stopping by. Please say hello or leave a note in the comments.

Hero Wanted: must be dark and dangerous. Insight into writing an antihero #Pietas #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor

Hero Wanted: must be dark and dangerous. Insight into writing an antihero #Pietas #MFRWhooks #MFRWauthor When I started writing Bringer of Chaos, it was supposed to be a book about Pietas, king of the immortal race called the Sempervians. About a third of the way in, I realized I needed more than one volume for my dark and dangerous hero. I changed the name to Bringer of Chaos: the Origin of Pietas. Book two was Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire, which came out in December last year. Currently, I’m working on Bringer of Chaos: Watch Your Six. I’ve written about 10k words so far. Pietas — who is a villain in books set in the far future — is descending into darkness.

Pietas is not a true villain. He’s a flawed hero and an antihero. He was a complex enigma when I began the first book. I know him now. My dark and dangeous hero suffers in the Chaos series. I’m not kind to my characters. I’m sure he would gladly throttle me if he could, but his story is richer and more layered because of his trials.

In Watch Your Six, he’s decided that his mortal friend, Six, must not be allowed to die. Pietas believes he can impart his own immortality to this “ghost” — a human warrior who has been resurrected with immortal blood. He refuses to part with this man he has come to trust, depend upon, and even love. He has never had a friend who treats him like he’s just another man. Though he doesn’t know how to deal with that at times, he loves their camaraderie. Anytime he interacts with Six, there is a thread of humor. Sometimes, it’s almost a rope!

In the part below, from my work in progress (subject to final editing), Pietas and Six have had a serious falling out over the imparted immortality. Six does not want it — Pietas refuses to accept that decision. Their disagreement has led to blows that both regret and Pietas, always the gentleman, has apologized.


“You’re only sorry I haven’t given in yet, but apology accepted.” Six offered his hand.

Pietas took it.

The mortal clasped his forearm. “Warrior to warrior, Pi.”

“Aye, my friend.” He could not say more without his voice breaking. How much longer would he have with this man at his side? This brother who reached him in ways no friend ever had? How would he ever survive on this world without Six? Pietas gave himself a moment, squeezed his friend’s arm. “Always. More than brothers. I should not have hit you.”

“Actually, you missed me completely.”

He jerked Six closer. “Rub it in, why don’t you?”

Deadpan, the man stood stock still, but then burst into a smile. “I just did.” He nudged Pietas with a shoulder. “Doesn’t mean this is over, Ultra.”

“I never thought it was.” He released his friend. “Ghost, I am sorry.”

“The minute you said the words, I knew you didn’t mean them.”

“Yet you punched me anyway.” He rubbed the tender spot on his chest. “That was a lucky hit.”

“Yeah, lucky. Here and on Enderium Six.” Six tossed up a dangerous hunting knife and caught it. “Where you surrendered.”

Stop saying that.”

“What? ‘Where you surrendered?’ You prefer ‘Where you were defeated’ instead?”

He narrowed his eyes in warning. “You caught me off guard. Both times.”

“The mighty Pietas, War Leader of the Ultras, Chancellor of the High Council. Caught off guard by a dead human.” He held up two fingers. “Twice. Wow.”

“Ghost!” Pietas tightened his fists. “Did you not hear me say I want you to live forever? Don’t make me kill you.”

[bctt tweet=”Hero Wanted: must be dark and dangerous #Pietas #SciFi #SpaceOpera” username=”kayelleallen”]

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Book Hooks is a weekly meme hosted by Marketing for Romance Writers as part of the MFRW Authors Blog. It’s a chance each week for you the reader to discover a current WIP or previously published books by new-to-you authors.

A ginormous, telepathic panther and an immortal king. What’s not to love? #FreeBook #SpaceOpera #SciFi

This book is free until 3/27/18

A ginormous, telepathic panther and an immortal king. What's not to love? #FreeBook #SpaceOpera #SciFiBringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire is free on Amazon until March 27, 2018  http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI
Coming soon to Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Kobo, and other resellers.
Science Fiction, Space Opera, Genetic Engineering, Colonization, SciFi Romance

In this scene, Pietas’ mother is critically ill and her immortal life is in danger. He’s been sitting beside the lifepod which double as a shelter, holding her hand. Pretosia, one of the sentient panthers, has adopted his mother and is lying alongside her in the pod. The telepathic panther, Tiklaus, pays a visit….

Telepathic Panther

Pietas shifted position to better see his mother. With her so gravely ill, nothing mattered more than healing her.

After a time, Pretosia’s ears flicked. The cat rose on its haunches, facing the cave entrance.

Turning to see why, Pietas found Tiklaus and two other cats approaching. He stood to greet them. “Good morning.”

Tiklaus continued alone, carrying something in its mouth. After reaching the end of the pod, the telepathic panther set down a dead rabbit.

Pretosia took a single leap and landed beside it, picked it up, and retreated deeper into the cave.

Tiklaus flicked its ears and another cat approached. After taking a rabbit from the cat’s mouth, Tiklaus flicked its ears and the other cat backed away. Tiklaus set the rabbit at the feet of Pietas and nudged it toward him.

He went down on one knee. “You hunted for me?”

The panther butted his chest, then looked back at the third cat. When it joined them, Tiklaus took the prey that cat carried and waited until it backed away. Once it had, Tiklaus swiped one massive paw at the pod and placed the second rabbit beside the first.

Gratitude swamped Pietas. It took a full minute before he trusted himself to speak. “And for my mother. Thank you. How you honor me!” He tapped a fist over his heart. “You have no idea how much I appreciate what you’ve done. I’d like to pet you, but I respect that you might not like to be touched. If I may, nudge my right hand. If not, please nudge the left.” He held them both out.

Tiklaus chose the right side and Pietas petted it.

Pretosia streaked past them and out of the cave.

While Pietas stroked the sleek back of the massive panther, the smaller Pretosia wandered back inside and sat down. It licked one paw and started cleaning its face.

“How was breakfast?” Pietas started to offer his palm to the little cat, but checked himself. A soldier did not interfere with the troops of a different commander. “Tiklaus, may I pet Pretosia?”

The panther sneezed, which Pietas took for a yes. He held out his hand to the other cat and when it nudged him, he petted it and rubbed its ears. The animal flopped down on its back with no more dignity than a housecat. He rubbed its belly.

After a few moments of indulgence, Tiklaus stepped between them.

Pretosia stood and shook itself. With one leap, it landed beside his mother. Not a whisker went too close. The panther stretched out again and curled that long tail around Helia’s head, then set one paw across her legs.

Tiklaus turned and the other cats backed away. Once they had, Tiklaus licked Pietas on the face and rubbed its nose under his chin.

“Thank you.” He scratched the cat’s ears.

Without a sound, the panther turned and lumbered off, the other cats in tow.

To read this story for free until March 27th click the link http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI

[bctt tweet=”Bringer of Chaos: Forged in Fire is a #FreeBook until Mar 27th #SciFi http://amzn.to/2ABIcCI ” username=”kayelleallen”]