Remnants: Broken Galaxy Book Five
REMNANTS
Broken Galaxy Book Five
Phil Huddleston
Contents
Title Page
From Previous Books
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Chapter Thirty-One
Chapter Thirty-Two
Chapter Thirty-Three
Chapter Thirty-Four
Chapter Thirty-Five
Chapter Thirty-Six
Epilogue
Author Notes
Preview - Book Six (Late 2021)
About the Author
Broken Galaxy Book Five: Remnants
by Phil Huddleston
Copyright © 2021 by Phil Huddleston
THE AUTHOR RETAINS ALL RIGHTS FOR THIS BOOK
ISBN eBook: 978-1-7372142-0-5
ISBN Paperback: 978-1-7372142-1-2
Reproduction or transmission of this book, in whole or in part, by electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or by any other means is strictly prohibited, except with prior written permission from the author or the publisher. Inquiries may be directed to webmaster@philhuddleston.com
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This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, locations, organizations, and events portrayed are either products of the author’s creative imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual names, characters, events, businesses, locales, or persons is coincidental and not intended to infringe on any copyright or trademark.
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From Previous Books
Broken Galaxy - The name used to describe the state of affairs in the Orion Arm of the Milky Way. The ancient Golden Empire lasted for twenty thousand years; but two thousand years ago it collapsed, throwing the Arm into a Dark Age from which it is still recovering.
Goblins - Sentient AI lifeforms, usually androids, originating from the Stalingrad system 1,275 light years from Earth. Recently signed a Treaty of Alliance with Humans. As a result of the Treaty, Goblins obtained title to the planet Venus in the Sol System.
Jim Carter - U.S. Marine turned mercenary pilot turned semi-retired hermit turned space pilot. Fought in the African Wars on Earth. Fought at the Battle of Dutch Harbor. Fought in the Ashkelon War as CAG (Commander Attack Group) for the EDF (Earth Defense Force). After the Battle of Dekanna, left the EDF to care for his dying wife, Admiral Rita Page.
Bonnie Page - Ex-Air Force fighter pilot; first the lover of Jim Carter, later the lover of Rita Page. Fought in the Ashkelon War. After the capture of Rita Page by the Ashkelon, assumed command of the EDF as Fleet Admiral. Currently married to Luke Powell, captain of the destroyer Dragon.
Rita Page - A clone created by the renegade sentient starship Jade with the dual memories, knowledge, and feelings of both Jim Carter and Bonnie Page. As a result of her dual consciousness, she was in love with both Jim and Bonnie. Took Bonnie’s last name since she was not created with one of her own. Served as Fleet Admiral of the EDF until captured by the Ashkelon; poisoned herself to prevent military secrets from falling into the hands of the enemy. Unable to survive as a biological being, Rita was scanned into Goblin form after the Battle of Dekanna.
Tika - a Goblin who assisted Humans in the Ashkelon Wars, saving their fleet from destruction. As Rita Page was dying, Tika transferred Rita’s consciousness into a Goblin android body.
Rachel Gibson - former XO of the destroyer Dragon. Awarded the Navy Cross for her actions at the Battle of Dekanna. Promoted as Flag Aide to Admiral Bonnie Page.
Oliver “Ollie” Coston - Marine Major who penetrated the Ashkelon as an undercover operative during the Ashkelon Wars. After the surrender of the Ashkelon, Ollie was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel and assigned as Security Officer to the Human Embassy on Ashkelon.
Tatiana Powell - A half-English, half-Ukrainian woman arrested by the Ukrainian police for drug smuggling. During the Ashkelon invasion, she was handed over to them as they were filling their slave ships with Human prisoners. Imprisoned in a large wire cage on a slave ship sent to the planet Deriko along with 12,000 other Human prisoners. After arrival at Deriko, initiated a slave rebellion and pushed the Ashkelon off the planet. Recruited into the EDF as Admiral of Ground Forces.
Luke Powell - father of Tatiana Powell and husband of Admiral Bonnie Page. Saved the EDF flagship Merkkessa in the last minutes of the Battle of Dekanna by inserting his wrecked destroyer Dragon between the enemy and the Merkkessa. Awarded the Navy Cross.
Gillian Carter Rodgers - sister of Jim Carter. Currently acting as foster mother of Jim and Rita’s daughter Imogen.
Mark Rodgers - A former General in the U.S. Army. Husband of Jim Carter’s sister Gillian.
Prologue
Packet Boat Donkey
Enroute to Stalingrad System
Rita came back to herself. It was dark. She didn’t know where she was.
The last thing she remembered was sitting in the Ashkelon shuttle, on her way to be tortured and killed by the enemy.
The poison. I made Stephanie give me poison. Why am I alive?
She realized she had another hazy memory. Jim, standing over her in a hospital room. And another vague memory of waking in a shuttle, with Jim lying beside her, holding her.
How could that be?
She tried to speak. But something was wrong. She couldn’t feel her tongue. It was as if she had no tongue. She panicked.
I’m losing my mind!
Suddenly she felt a touch. A hand on her shoulder, then moving down to take her hand. She heard a voice.
“Easy, Rita. Take it easy. Everything is OK. You’re safe.”
Jim.
That’s Jim.
She tried to speak again. This time, somehow, it worked. She heard her voice.
“Where…”
But it wasn’t really her voice. It was close; it was almost her voice. But something was different. And she couldn’t feel her tongue.
“Where…”
“You’re safe, Rita. Everything is alright. We’re both safe. We’re going to Stalingrad right now - you’re going to need some rehabilitation. Then we’ll go to Earth to get Imogen. Then we’re going to explore the Universe together. Just relax. I’ll tell you all about it.”
Chapter One
/> Stree Prime
2,000 Lights from Stalingrad
“Right there,” said the kneeling Stree monk, Tarilli. He pointed in the holotank to a strange set of structures. The largest was a flat, ringlike structure that went completely around a K0-class star. Dozens of other smaller disk-like structures were also present in the system.
“Since our last war with the Goblins two hundred years ago, they’ve expanded their Dyson swarm significantly. You can see they’ve completed the Dyson Ring around the star and added another dozen habitat disks.”
Great Prophet Videlli stared at the holo, then turned to High Admiral Sojatta. Prostrated on the main floor below the throne, his head bowed, Sojatta waited for the Word that would lead him to Enlightenment.
“Life without the biology of Creation is blasphemy,” spoke Videlli. “It cannot be allowed to exist. We cannot let these Goblins continue to grow their population. We will wipe them from the Universe. It is the Word Ordained.”
High Admiral Sojatta nodded, being careful not to bring his head up high enough to meet the eyes of the Great Prophet. Only another priest or monk could meet the eyes of Great Prophet Videlli. For anyone else, it was a sentence of death.
“It is the Word Ordained,” Sojatta repeated. “Praise be to the Word.”
The monk Tarilli, kneeling on the floor, spoke again.
“There is a complication. The blasphemy of the Goblins is aided by several species of biologicals, who have allied with them. They call themselves variously Dariama, Human, Bagrami, and Taegu.”
Great Prophet Videlli looked at Tarilli kneeling before him.
“We cannot allow any biological species to exist which might help the blasphemers. Which are the most aggressive among these biologicals?”
“The Humans, O Word of Prophecy,” Tarilli responded. “They have just completed a war with two other species, the Ashkelon and the Nidarians. Although the Humans won the war, their fleet was devastated by their last battles. They have little capacity for resistance at this point.”
The monk switched the holotank to display a rather beautiful blue and white planet. “They reside on this planet, which they call Earth.”
Great Prophet Videlli turned back to his High Admiral.
“For two hundred years, we have prepared for the destruction of the Goblins. At last we are ready. We will destroy any who stand in our way. Wipe all of the biologicals who have allied with this blasphemy. And any others who might pose a threat to our war against the Goblins. It is the Word Ordained.”
High Admiral Sojatta nodded once more.
“It is the Word Ordained,” Sojatta repeated in the timeless mantra. “Praise be to the Word.”
Chapter Two
Stalingrad System
Dyson Ring
“Don’t be afraid,” said Tika. “You can do this.”
Rita closed her eyes. She tried to take a deep breath.
Then she remembered.
She was now an android.
And androids don’t breathe. Not really. Oh, they can make their chest move up and down. And it looks like they’re breathing.
But they’re not. She still had a lot to process about her new body.
“OK. I’ll try once more.”
She was in a training room, lying on her back in a bunk. Her eyes were closed.
She had been a Goblin for three weeks. She had a lot to learn.
With an effort, she tried once again to focus on switching. Tika had explained to her that she could move her consciousness from one form to another. She could switch between android bodies as she wished.
But she would have to learn to control it. And that was the problem. The entire concept scared the hell out of her.
Alternate bodies. Who could have imagined such a thing? This is scary.
But I have to learn how to do it.
“Let your mind float free. Try to perceive a doorway. You should be able to find it just by thinking about it. Reach out for it.”
Rita focused. She tried to imagine what Tika was saying.
A doorway. Close to me. All I have to do is find it.
This is crazy.
No, this is way, way beyond crazy.
Letting her mind float free, as Tika had suggested, she felt in her perceptive space for the door…
Slowly, she became aware of it. It seemed to be standing to her right side, a few yards away.
she transmitted to Tika, using her radio voice.
Rita concentrated. She willed the door to open. Slowly, with a creak, it began to move.
Rita opened her eyes, looked at the cool white ceiling, and pressed them tight shut again. She relaxed, letting her mind float free. She could see the door, standing open in her mind. Behind the door was a body. It stood waiting, inert.
All I have to do is imagine a pipe. Imagine water flowing down that pipe. I have to desire to move into that body.
Move, dammit!
No, that’s not the way. Getting upset won’t help.
Relax. Just imagine water flowing down the pipe.
There was a strange feeling. It felt as if someone had poured a bucket of warm water over her, covering her from head to toe. It wasn’t a bad feeling at all.
She opened her eyes.
She wasn’t in the training room anymore. She was in a large space, lying on a bunk. There were dozens of other android bodies lying in bunks all around her. All of them were inert, just lying there. She was the only one awake.
She called excitedly to Tika.
Portsmouth, UK
Sol System
“…and that’s the secret of life.”
The barman was a couple of yards away, wiping glasses. He turned and stared at Luke.
“What?”
“I said, that’s the secret of life,” Luke repeated.
“What’s the secret of life?” asked the barman.
“Move Your Ass.”
The barman gave Luke a sour smile. “That’s the secret of life? Move your ass?”
“Yep,” said Luke, slurring his words a bit.
“If you say so, Captain.”
Luke Powell nodded in satisfaction. He lifted his glass and knocked back another pint of dark. Putting the empty glass back on the bar with a thump, he pointed to it, and the barman refilled it.
“No, I’m serious, Tommy. Think about it. From the time you’re born until the day you die. Move your ass. That’s the secret. Those who get up off their ass and do something useful are happy. And those who sit around on their butts goofing off and wasting time are miserable. All you gotta do to be happy is get up off your butt and move your ass. Do something useful.”
Tommy nodded.
“You know, Captain, I’ve been tending bar a long time. I thought I’d heard all the secrets of life. But that’s a new one, even for me.”
Luke smiled crookedly. “I don’t care what anybody sa
ys, Tommy. You’re a good egg.”
“But, Captain,” mused Tommy, wiping a glass, his brow wrinkling as he thought about it. “You’re a destroyer captain. You go out and fight with the Fleet. So how does that work? Are you doing something useful for the world?”
Luke grinned. “Yep. I make sure the bad guys don’t blow up our capital ships by sticking my little destroyer in the way of the enemy, so it gets blown up instead. I call that useful.”
Tommy continued to wipe the glass, frowning.
“But…there aren’t any bad guys now, right? We beat the Ashkelon. We’ve got peace now, right?”
“Yeah. No more bad guys. I may have to find another job, Tommy. Not much call for destroyer captains these days.”
As Tommy left to attend to other duties, Luke gazed blearily around the pub. The locals were out, enjoying the warmer weather of southern England in springtime. He waved at an acquaintance, who waved back at him.
I am so fucking bored.
Luke heaved a large sigh.
I want Bonnie.
His inner voice spoke up.
So? Go see her!
No. She’s busy, sorting out the mess at Ashkelon.
But she’s going to be relieved by Shigeto. Just go! She’ll find time for you!
No. I’m trying to be a good husband. I’m giving her the space she needs to get her job done.
Yeah. Temporary Ambassador to Ashkelon. Who would have dreamed it?
Well. She’s the best qualified. Nobody knows more about those bastards than her and Ollie.
Yeah. Ollie. I’m not happy about that situation.
Ah, you worry for nothing. Ollie’s just a good friend. There’s nothing there. Nothing between them. And Ollie is still grieving Helen. You know that.
Yes. I do know that, actually.
Hmm. Here’s an idea. Shigeto’s leaving for Ashkelon on the Asiana to relieve Bonnie. Why don’t you hitch a ride with him? Then you and Bonnie can go see Jim and Rita at Stalingrad! Jim has to be feeling pretty lonely right now. He’s 1,275 lights from Earth. The only Human in the whole damn system. I bet he’d like to see you!
Good idea.
Luke slammed his glass back on the bar, empty.