It is twenty-five years after the events of Price of Vengeance. Deirdre and her sisters have returned to their home planet of Etrusci after completing their training with the Finnian Shock Forces. Their homecoming plans are disrupted when their mother, High Priestess Celinia, and other leaders of the clergy are taken hostage and their father, Colonel Liam O'Connor, disappears. In their desperate search for their father, they discover that the Rebellion is secretly building weapons that could end civilization as they know it.
Meanwhile, Liam has been befriended by a Rebel war criminal, a woman Deirdre has sworn to kill. Will Deirdre cast herself into the role of judge, jury, and execution, or will she discover the promise of mercy?
It is twenty-five years after the events of Price of Vengeance. Deirdre and her sisters have returned to their home planet of Etrusci after completing their training with the Finnian Shock Forces. Their homecoming plans are disrupted when their mother, High Priestess Celinia, and other leaders of the clergy are taken hostage and their father, Colonel Liam O'Connor, disappears. In their desperate search for their father, they discover that the Rebellion is secretly building weapons that could end civilization as they know it.
Meanwhile, Liam has been befriended by a Rebel war criminal, a woman Deirdre has sworn to kill. Will Deirdre cast herself into the role of judge, jury, and execution, or will she discover the promise of mercy?
PROLOGUE
Jarek poked at the fire. The experience of camping on a world like
Etrusci differed from when he camped on his home planet of
Gothow Prime in his youth. The subsonic vibrations of the Albina
Sea felt quite relaxing. While they sat in the grassy area of the yard,
the beach began only fifteen meters from where the back yard
ended. Etrusciâs moon was in its full phase and cast its reflection on
the surface of the sea.
Jarek smiled as he looked at his five charges. Three girls,
identical triplets, now eleven, resembled their Neo-Etruscan
motherâflaming red hair and green eyes. Their little brother,
Aidan, age four, also had his motherâs eyes but his Finnian fatherâs
dark brown, curly hair. Ted, a brown, furry bear-lizard around
Aidanâs age, cuddled next to his friend. The two lay on their backs,
staring at the stars.
Itâs the first time Neo-Etruscan and Finnian have mixed, Jarek mused.
Two genetically engineered groups of humans, the Neo-Etruscans stayed
isolated while the Finnian had reconnected with their Terran ancestors.
Ambassador Jarek of the Galactic Alliance officially had come to
Etrusci to meet with the High Council. When he volunteered to deal
with a slight problem with the OâConnor clan, he had saved himself
from boring, routine meetings.
Their father, Liam, was on deployment with the Alliance, and
their mother, Celinia, had to attend a closed council session at the Temple. So, âUncle Jarek,â an old family friend, had decided the
children needed a diversion.
He volunteered to go to the school to pick up the girls so their
mother could go to her meeting. He had found the triplets, Deirdre,
Aisling, and Bayvin, sitting in the headmasterâs office glaring at four
older boys. One boy had a black eye. Another had a bloody nose. The
rest nursed some spectacular bruises as well.
The weary headmaster had looked up. âThank the Creator Iâm
retiring soon. My replacement can have the joy of Liam, foster son
of Marcusâs children.â
Jarek had smiled sympathetically. The headmaster had to
maintain order, but the children had inherited the Finnianâs
contempt for bullies.
Jarek stared into the fire. âMaireann fĂłs an saol atĂĄ caite,â he
sighed, quoting a Finnian proverb.
One of the three, who sat protectively next to her little brother,
looked up. âUncle Jarek?â
Jarek smiled at the child. âIt means âThe past still lives on,â
Deirdre.â
Aisling looked up from the fire and smiled impishly. âHow do
you know sheâs Deirdre?â
âLetâs see.â Jarek smiled, enjoying the game. âSince you are the
one staring most intently at the fire, you can only be Aisling. Bayvin
is drawing intricate designs on the ground. Which leaves Deirdre,
whoâs hovering over your little brother like a protective mother
raaber.â
General Aisling OâConnor, Jarek mused, you would be proud of what
they are becoming.
General OâConnor had been the product of an experimental
program to create a warrior race. He looked at the sky, recalling the
three human geneticists from Earth (now called Old Terra). Their
names were Malcolm Roberts, his wife Emily, and their assistant,
Aidan Stevens. Dr. Stevens could not resist telling their âchildrenâ
tales from the folklore of his ancestors. Their creation eventually called themselves âFinnianâ after a group of ancient Irish heroes led
by, some say, a mythical Finn McCool.
I suspect the children needed an ancestry to identify with. Jarek
scratched his chin. Something their founders hadnât considered.
At the same time as the Roberts and Aidan Stevens had created
the Finnian, another group of geneticists were working on this
planet. Their names were Carl Black, Richard Jones, and Michael
Isaiah. They considered themselves Utopianists, seeking a perfect
society.
Jarek sighed wearily. A bad idea whose time, even then, had long
since passed. The Founders had not planned for some individuals,
particularly women, to possess strong telepathic and empathic abilities.
These abilities became the basis for the Priestessesâ healing powersâalmost
unique in the galaxy. The Founders disappeared before those powers
developed. The legend among certain groups has grown up declaring one
day the Founders will return.
Jarek looked at his charges again. Over time, some Finnian also
developed a strain of telepathic abilities such as dreamwalking and
stepping out of time. Abilities known to other species in the galaxy.
Liam and Celiniaâs children are showing signs of becoming quite
powerful, Jarek thought. Storm Cloud, a bear-lizard shaman, had been
instructing Liam.
Storm Cloud has a knowledge of dreamwalking even more extensive
than my own, he mused. Now the children are getting the shamanâs
attention. How far will they go? The girls have already become a force to be
reckoned with.
The children lay back to gaze at the stars. Jarek lay back with
them.
âI hope Daddy comes home soon,â Deirdre whispered.
Aisling stifled a sob. âI hope he comes home.â
âHeâs been going into danger since before you were born, child.â
Jarek tried to sound confident, for their sakes. âHeâll be back. Never
fear.â
They stared into the nighttime sky, trying to see into eternity.
CHAPTER 1
Eleven years later
On the Isle of Circe in the Arctic zone above the Northern Continent
of the planet Etrusci, long dead builders had placed a structure in a
secluded valley and left it to the elements to prevent thermal scans
from detecting it. The building, long neglected, had become the site
of activity once more.
Three aged humans, the Utopian Founders, rested in their stasis
chambers in a cold, dimly lit room. Within the stasis fields, time had
stopped for Carl Black, Richard Jones, and Michael Isaiah. Kergan, a
marshal in the Rebellion against the Galactic Alliance, debated if
this venture was worth the effort. His eyes, as did the eyes of his
technical staff, easily pierced the gloom. Natives of a planet which
circled a red dwarf star, the long-lived, black-scaled Gothowans had
evolved to survive colder, dimmer conditions.
âI still donât see the point of this mission, Marshal.â Teramiah,
his Gothowan aide, looked up from his terminal. âWe must have
more effective diversions we could useâwith less aggravation.â
Kergan smiled at his lead technician and aide.
âI was here nearly six hundred stellar years ago,â Kergan told
Teramiah. âMarisa and Azurius put them in these stasis chambers
with a promise to create new, youthful bodies for themâclones, but
with Utopian improvements. When they had the new bodies ready,
Marisa and Azurius promised to transfer their consciousnesses into
them.â
Teramiah frowned. âWe have no guarantee this procedure will
work.â
Kergan only nodded.
âBesides,â Teramiah continued, âany knowledge they have is
well over five hundred years out-of-date. Moreover, the Neo-
Etruscans have repudiated their utopian philosophies.â
âNot all the population,â Kergan corrected.
âEtrusciâs pro-Foundersâ Movement represents a tiny minority,â
Teramiah reminded him. âIâm doubtful they can turn the people to
our side.â
Kergan nodded again. âSome would still follow them. Grant you
most would not. They just need to draw the Allianceâs attention to
Etrusci long enough for us to complete our real purpose elsewhere.â
âReiterating what I said before, we must have more effective
methods of distracting the Alliance.â
âThe danger of Etrusci changing sides will cause a debate in the
Alliance Council,â Kergan predicted. âSome will argue for letting the
Neo-Etruscans sort it out for themselves. Others will want to
intervene, especially if it turns into a civil war. Whatâs more
important, this crisis will take Liam OâConnor out of the pictureâ
the one person who could disrupt our plans.â
Kergan grimaced as he spoke Liam OâConnorâs name and glanced
at Teramiah. Teramiah had been with him the longest. If Kergan
could call anyone his friend, it was Teramiah.
Eleven years ago, Major, now Colonel, OâConnor took a ragtag
composite force of humans of Terran, Neo-Etruscan, and Finnian origins
and pulled off a stunning victory.
OâConnorâs victory had denied Kergan the system of Beta
Proximus Four and killed their longtime friend, General Maranz.
Teramiah knew better than to reopen old wounds and changed
the subject. âMaking the clones wouldnât have taken this long. Why
didnât they do it six centuries ago?â
âNo time,â Kergan replied. âThe Alliance intervened in human
space, and the whole Rebellion changed. We started losing ground.â
âCouldnât Azurius have completed the process when he lived on
Etrusci? After all, he lived on the planet for nearly six decades.â
Kergan shook his head. âHe didnât want to bother with the
Founders. He wanted direct control of the planet. Events might have
gone differently for him if he had.â
âMarisa wasnât keen on this project,â Teramiah reminded him.
âShe hasnât been keen on much since she gave birth to her
daughter,â Kergan agreed sourly. âHowever, I helped her with
investigating the techniques back then. I have access to her
research. She already had the beginnings of the procedure worked
out. The Forerunner information we acquired filled in the blanks.
So, we donât need her.â
Technicians rolled in three more chambers containing the new
bodies. They seemed in their late twenties in human years.
âAh.â Kergan gestured with a laugh. âModified clones. They
wanted to walk among their children without being ashamed of
their lack of perfection.â
Teramiah laughed as well. âVain idiots.â
âUseful, vain idiots,â Kergan corrected.
The technicians connected each set of chambersâold body to
new.
âAlmost ready, Marshal,â Teramiah reported.
âVery good.â Kergan looked down at the six figures.
They made a few more adjustments.
Teramiah nodded.
âDo it,â Marshal Kergan ordered.
Technicians deactivated the stasis fields and started the
consciousness transfer. The machines hummed to life as chemical
and brainwave activity pulsed through the connections. The
monitors displayed the transfer of the Foundersâ consciousnesses to
their new bodies. Kergan watched as the process took place. All
seemed smooth until Richard Jonesâs bodies convulsed and warning
lights flashed.
Teramiah leaped into action. âCardiac arrest on the original
body!â
He pressed the release and forced open the lid of the old
chamber. Teramiah located the heart and used a centuries-old
compression technique common to most humanoid species.
âCardio-stimulatorânow!â
A technician threw open a box and elbowed Teramiah aside,
stepping out of time to attach the connections. Teramiah dropped
to his knees to complete the connections to the cardio-stimulator.
He brought it online as the technician completed the last
connection and started sending a stimulating current into the old
heart. Both bodies seemed to relax.
âWe have to be careful, Marshal.â He looked up at Kergan. âThe
stimulating charge could disrupt the brain processes. If we donât
risk it, he will die before we can complete the transfer.â
Kergan nodded. âUnderstood.â
Time seemed to slow to a crawl. Kergan could see beads of sweat
forming on Teramiahâs forehead as he focused on threading the
needle of keeping the old heart going while not disturbing the
transfer to the younger body.
âGet the other cardio-stimulators ready,â Kergan ordered, âjust
in case.â
Technicians began making connections and stood ready to
intervene. Fortunately, their precautions proved unnecessary.
Twenty minutes later, the process was complete.
âOur instruments say it worked.â Teramiah slumped in
exhaustion. âWe should know shortly.â
âTheir old bodies?â Kergan asked as three alarms sounded.
Teramiah glanced at the three monitors. All of them had
flatlined. âDead. The transfer machines have burned out, as
expected.â
âGet the blankets we have warming,â Kergan ordered. âHave
Gaius bring the thermal jumpsuits.â
Kergan studied the new bodies of the Founders. The rise and fall
of their chests seemed regular. A technician looked inquiringly at
Kergan, who nodded. Touching a button, the technicians broke the
seals on the new chambersâ lids and swung the lids open.
âIs there any danger in awakening them?â Kergan asked.
âEverything seems normal.â Teramiah checked the readings on
his terminal. âI suggest we keep them awake for no more than ten
minutes. Their minds may require time to adjust to their new
bodies.â
âDo it,â Kergan ordered. âI want to be off-planet before weâre
discovered.â
Technicians injected a special stimulant into the three men,
while a Neo-Etruscan human walked in carrying a stack of three
jumpsuits. Kergan turned to regard him.
âItâs true,â the man whispered in awe. âAfter all these centuries,
theyâre back.â
âIt may take time for them to acclimate themselves to the new
flesh they wear, Gaius,â Kergan warned, âbut yes, theyâre back.â
Slowly, the three men stirred. Their eyes fluttered open, and
they looked disoriented. Their eyes closed, and they breathed
deeply. Finally, one opened his eyes and sat up.
âIt... worked?â the man croaked.
âYes, Carl Black,â Kergan replied, âit worked.â
Kergan turned to Gaius. âGet the Founders the nutrient drinks.
It should help their parched throats.â
Gaius nodded, handed the suits to one of Kerganâs technicians,
and left the room.
Another Founder sat up as Carl swung his legs over the edge and
climbed out of the stasis tube. A technician caught him in a blanket
as he staggered and helped him to a chair. Gaius returned with three
glasses of a pale yellow liquid.
âThis drink will help you rehydrate and replenish your
electrolytes, Founder,â Gaius promised respectfully. âIt may not
taste like much, but youâll feel better immediately.â
Carl took the glass and drank it. He grimaced and handed it back.
âYou were right on both counts,â Carl replied. âThank you, my
son.â
When each man exited his chamber, Gaius and the technicians
guided him to a seat. They wrapped each one in a warm blanket and
gave them a glass of the liquid to drink. Then they helped them into
a thermal jumpsuit.
Carl looked up at Kergan. âYou kept your word.â
âIn the end,â Kergan agreed, âyes.â
âIn the end?â The Founder, named Richard Jones, looked up.
âIâm afraid so,â Kergan drawled. âShortly after we put you into
stasis, the Galactic Alliance found we were active in the area and
intervened. Their involvement led to many complications.
Eventually, Marisa resolved how to create clone bodies without an
independent mind developing and then how to transfer your minds
into those bodies. However, various problems, starting with the
Allianceâs interference, delayed us from completing our part of the
bargain promptly.â
âHow long?â Michael Isaiah asked.
âClose to six hundred of your years,â Kergan told them, âand
much has changed.â
All three men stared at the Gothowan.
âSix centuries,â Michael whispered.
Carl shrugged. âLonger than we expected, but weâre here. Now
we can guide our children again.â
Gaius grimaced. Richard picked up on his expression at once.
âWhatâs happened?â he demanded.
âWell,â Kergan replied casually, âyour children have been on
their own for almost six hundred years. That sect of the Creator you
invented acquired a life of its own.â
âItâs a travesty,â Gaius burst out. âThey even allowed a high
priestess to marry a misborn.â
Carl looked up sharply at this information.
âWhich brings me to that part of the story. Azurius didnât want
to wait to bring your children into the Rebellion. Since the Neo-
Etruscans, as they now call themselves, refused to take sides, he
tried to compel them with an invasion of chitin. He even enlisted a
councilor named Licinious to help him. You remember Malcolm and
Emily Roberts and their colleague Aidan Stevens?â
âI was in Aidanâs class at the University of Chicago,â Michael put
in.
âI remember.â Richard frowned. âDidnât their own creations
turn on them?â
âYes,â Kergan replied. âTheir creationsâcalled Finnian nowâ
became valued members of the Allianceâs military arm. They sent
some, uhâŠadvisors to assist when your children discovered the
chitin some seventy years ago.â
âThey let aliens on the planet?â Carl asked incredulously.
âOh, not at first.â Kergan made a casual gesture. âThey did some
trade with the Alliance, but otherwise, your children declared
themselves neutralânot knowing our agreement, of course. But the
chitin Azurius brought here caused the Alliance to worry. The
Alliance sent a few Finnian to monitor the chitin. However, over a
ten year period, Azurius and his chitin armies nearly wiped out your
childrenâs population. The chitin forced the Neo-Etruscans to
abandon their cities, and those remaining retreated to New
Olympia. Then Azurius, with Liciniousâs help, exterminated the
Finnian on the planet.â
âGood,â Carl breathed.
âHowever, many of your children felt indebted to the Finnian
for their selfless heroics,â Kergan went on. âA High Councilor,
named Marcus, rescued a Finnian baby and raised him as his own
son.â
âWhat?â Carl snapped.
âThereâs no point in getting mad at me.â Kergan made a
placating motion. âIt appears your children are more softhearted
than you intended. This chain of events might not have happened if
Azurius had kept his word and left the chitin at home.â
âWhat happened?â Michael asked curiously.
Kergan smiled. âLiam, the Finnian boy, joined the cityâs military
when he came of age. Naturally, the boy excelled in military
training. He fought some heroic battles, becoming instrumental in
the death of Azurius and the destruction of the chitin.â Just for
effect, Kergan sighed dramatically. âIt was worthy of those old tales
Aidan Stevens was so fond of. Liam and a high priestess, Celinia, got
married and now have four children.â
âWhat!â cried Carl. âOur creation is being polluted?â
âI suppose she couldnât resist becoming a heroâs wife.â Kergan
shrugged. âMy intelligence tells me their children have become
accomplished in their own right. The three oldest girls have joined
the Finnian military. Their son is likely to join too.â
âWhy didnât they join the local military?â Michael asked out of
curiosity.
âThe Utopian militaryâpardon meâthe Neo-Etruscan Self
Defense Force has no provision for female soldiers,â Kergan
informed him. âBut I believe they will soon come home on leave to
see their parents.â
The three Founders slumped.
âAh, I see Iâve tired you.â Kergan feigned concern. âI need to get
off-planet soon. Iâll leave Gaius to fill in the details.â
He turned to Gaius. âI suggest you let them rest for at least eight
hours. Once you get them to a civilized part of the planet, you can
continue the tale.â
He handed Gaius a large medical case. Gaius opened it and found
rows of hyposprays containing a clear, pale green liquid.
âThis drug will temporarily neutralize telepathic abilities,
including the ability to dreamwalk,â Kergan assured him. âYou may
find it useful. There is also an antidote.â Kergan pointed out a few
hyposprays containing a different liquid.
Gaius took Carlâs arm and other technicians assisted Richard and
Michael. Kergan grinned as they left the room. His aide joined him.
âMasterfully played, Marshal.â He suppressed a laugh.
âThank you, Teramiah,â Kergan replied. âIt is interesting how
one can manipulate people with the truth.â
Teramiah laughed out loud.
âWe leave within the hour,â Kergan commanded. âI want the
transfer mechanism dismantled. As we leave the system, dump
everything into the sun. It must not fall into Alliance hands.â
âBy your order, Marshal.â
. . . . .
Liam stood at the South Corinth Spaceport as a spaceship made its
approach. Celinia held his hand. It had been over eight months since
they had seen their three daughters.
âIs that the ship?â Aidan asked his parents.
âYes, son,â Liam replied.
Aidan examined it. âFinnian Lugh class battle transport.â
Liam smiled at his wife.
How do you know? The telepathic communication came from the
young bear-lizard, Ted, Aidanâs friend and constant companion. He
was the grandson of Swift Hunter, a bear-lizard who had saved
Liamâs life during the Azurian Invasion.
âRetractable star-drive nacelles.â Aidan pointed to the shipâs
engines. âItâs a new feature with the Lugh class. It has to get close to
an enemy-held planet, so itâs bristling with weapons like heavy rail
launchers, x-ray lasers, and plasma cannons. It needs to protect
itself and deliver close-in support.â
Oh, Ted replied.
âIf you applied the same diligence in school, young man,â his
mother scolded, âyou would have high-level grades.â
The fifteen-year-old tossed her his âOh, Momâ look and went
back to studying the ship.
Liam smiled at Celinia again as the ship touched down. He knew
she wished at least one girl had possessed the calling to be in the
service of the Creator. Nevertheless, her pride for them knew no
bounds. The three had just completed advanced military training on
Albain Nua or New Scotland to the rest of the Milky Way.
âBattle Transport Conn CĂ©tchathach, set to begin
disembarkation,â the loudspeaker announced.
âIt means Conn of One Hundred Battles,â Aidan told Ted. âAn
ancient Irish high king. Remember, Aunt GrĂĄinne told us about
him.â
Soon, uniformed troops exited the transport and assembled into
ranks. Two soldiers walked to the front of the group. One, a corporal
with a red curl peeking out from under her cap, shouted a
command, and the troops went into an at-ease stance. The senior
officer spoke briefly. Then the corporal gave a dismissal, and the
soldiers broke up. The two in front turned toward Liamâs family as
two more joined them. The four walked in step across the tarmac.
Liam grinned. His cousin, GrĂĄinne, had brought his little girls
home. Not so little anymore. The triplets were now twenty-two.
The same age I was when Azurius attacked New Olympia, Liam mused
to himself.
âWell, here ye go,â Colonel GrĂĄinne OâConnor announced as they
approached. âYer three wee cailĂnĂ, home safe and sound.â
Deirdre, Aisling, and Bayvin stood at attention, their faces a
disciplined mask until one saw their green eyes sparkle with
mischief. The three snapped their father a crisp salute. Then they
tossed military discipline to the winds, dropped their rucksacks,
and ran to throw their arms around him.
âWe missed you, Daddy,â Deirdre whispered into his ear with a
kiss.
Liam ran his finger along the Finnian corporalâs insignia on her
shoulders.
Sheâll have a tale recounted on how she earned them.
âCongratulations, Corporal.â He smiled proudly as she beamed back
at him.
The three then embraced their mother. Finally, they wrapped
their little brother and his friend in their arms.
âWe even missed you, baby brother.â Aisling laughed as she
hugged him.
Aidan returned the hug. âI missed you too.â
GrĂĄinne greeted her cousin and his wife.
Liam looked his daughters over. âSo, did these three behave
themselves?â
âOâConnor women, behave themselves? Donât be daft. If they
behaved themselves, weâd disown them.â
Celinia raised a stern eyebrow at her daughters.
âDonât let her fool you, Mom.â Bayvin threw her best disarming
smile at her mother. âWe didnât get into any more trouble than
anyone else.â
Deirdre gave her dad a mischievous grin. âAt least we didnât get
caught getting into any more trouble than anyone else.â
âWhat was the Conn CĂ©tchathach like?â
âWe didnât get to see her in action,â Aisling told their brother.
GrĂĄinne smiled at the boy. âI have. It and eight others like it took
my regiment right up to Epsilon Proximus Five. They put up such a
fierce barrage the Rebels didnât even notice my shock troops
landing. We were a little disappointed. The enemy surrendered by
the time our feet touched the surface.â
Aidan looked enthralled. GrĂĄinne leaned over and planted a kiss
on his cheek. âStill training to be a pilot?â
Aidan smiled. âJarek is having a friend of his, Tymier, teach me.â
âJust remind him not everyone has six arms,â GrĂĄinne told him.
The girls picked up their rucksacks and fell in with their family.
âYou have your assignments yet?â Liam asked.
âNot yet,â Deirdre replied. âWe know weâre going into separate
units,â she added, with disappointment in her voice.
âGood reason for that policy,â GrĂĄinne told her. âIf ye get into a
nasty scrape, we donât want to send three condolence messages.â
Celinia hugged herself at the thought.
âTed is learning about astrogation,â Aidan told GrĂĄinne.
GrĂĄinne studied the bear-lizard who had been quiet up to now.
Itâs fascinating, Ted told her. It applies a lot of advanced math.
Plotting courses to get to places, taking into account gravity wells by
planets, stars, and black holes.
âTymier has been teaching him as well,â Liam informed her. âHe
says Ted has talent.â
The crowd thinned as they left the spaceport.
. . . . .
The first leg of their journey home began with a trip through the
portal from the South Corinth Spaceport to the island city of New
Santorini. Then two automated transports took them to their village
just outside the city and let them off in front of their house. The girls
regaled them with stories from their training when Deirdre stopped
mid-sentence.
She saw an enormous banner across the front of their yard
which said: âWelcome Home Aisling, Bayvin, and Deirdre.â Inside
the yard was a throng of family and friends.
Deirdre jumped from the transport and into the arms of their
great-grandparents.
âSeanathair Patrick, SeanmhĂĄthair Maggie!â
Patrick and Margaret McGregor were Liamâs grandparents on
his fatherâs side. They had become building contractors when they
retired from the Finnian Military. When they learned their only
sonâs child had survived and gotten married, they came to Etrusci
to build a house for him and his wife. Then they stayed. Some of
their crew also stayed, making the seaside village of Aran a Finnian
enclave.
âArenât ye three a sight?â Margaret laughed through her tears.
âTaking yer place among the Finnian heroes.â
âHi, Uncle Randolf, Aunt Teresina,â Deirdre called. Her sisters
echoed her greeting.
They turned to their cousins. The oldest was Kia, now a novice
priestess. Her younger brother, Marcus, was several years older
than Aidan. With them stood Priestess Sylvia, a family friend who
had often looked after them when they were young.
âItâs great to see you all.â Aisling grinned as she remembered the
adventures they had had as kids.
âSylvia and I got a day off for your homecoming,â Kia said as she
greeted her cousins.
âArch Priestess Arria sends her love,â Sylvia added.
âHow about you, Marcus?â
âIâm heading for New Terra tomorrow morning,â he informed
them. âI start university soon. Iâm majoring in Mining Technology.â
A group of furry quadrupeds ambled over to the receiving line
along with Ambassador Jarek.
Well met. Swift Hunter opened his paws as the three embraced
him.
Great Heart came beside her mate. So like their father.
âThey inherited their motherâs looks, though,â Jarek of Gothow
added.
âAye that, Ambassador.â GrĂĄinne came up behind them. âThey
broke many hearts during training.â
Friends and family gathered to greet them as Ted and Aidan
moved to sit by the seashore and talk.
. . . . .
Liam went up to Swift Hunter. The party slid around them.
âItâs been a joy to watch how their friendship has blossomed.â
Liam looked after his son and Ted.
Ted will travel paths few of our kind have traveled. With Aidan at his
side, they will take on the universe together.
Liam smiled at the thought. âThe universe has a fight on its
hands.â
You dreamwalked with the Great Shaman Storm Cloud when he passed
into the next world.
Liam nodded. âJarek had mentioned it once. How select people,
at the end of their lives, can step into the dreamscape with their
physical bodies.â
That type of crossing is rare. Swift Hunter replied in awe. Even for
my people. Iâve not heard of it happening in many lifetimes. You witnessed
a magnificent thing.
âWe were dreamwalking when he did it,â Liam remembered.
âAll the burdens of his old body fell away. We talked a little more.
He named me âDream Warriorâ and passed me the mantel of
âshaman.ââ
You were helping him with the spirits, Swift Hunter pointed out.
âI donât know if Iâll ever be ready to do exorcisms myself.â
It seems that way with any new task. When you confront it, it will get
easier.
âAs youâre fond of saying,â Liam replied with a smile, ââmost
things do.ââ
Iâm fond of saying it because itâs true. Have you told Jarek?
Liam nodded. âJarek said there are things I could teach him.â
Liamâs grandmother came up to them. âI know yer conversation
is interesting, but we have guests.â
âSorry, Grandmother.â Liam grinned at his old friend. âSwift
Hunter, weâd better start mixing.â
Swift Hunter gave a growl which sounded like a chuckle.
. . . . .
The party wore on. After the meal, the people unpacked their
instruments. Ancient Irish and Finnian songs and dances filled the
air. Liam played the old uilleann pipes which he had inherited from
an uncle, and Aidan handed his sisters their instruments. The music
built. The Finnian from the village began dancing the distinctive
straight-armed dance which was a millennium old. The stark,
primitive beauty of the music startled those people who were not
Finnian.
Finally, they put the instruments away, and the party broke up.
âWeâve got to get back to South Corinth,â Randolf said.
âTomorrow, I head to New Olympia for a council meeting.â
âYou shouldnât have been such a naughty boy,â Liam teased his
foster brother. âNow youâve earned the worst punishment they
could giveâHigh Councilor.â
Randolf laughed and put an arm around Liamâs shoulder. Then
he turned to his nieces. âIâll see you again before youâre reassigned.â
âIâll see ye later,â GrĂĄinne broke in. âI promised Ephram Iâd call
him before I went to bed.â
âGive him my regards,â Liam told her. âTell him I wish him all
the best in his new position as an instructor for basic training on
Ăire Nua.â
âI also have to call on Dillon and his wife. They promised to visit
us,â she added. âIâve got to go to Thrace and remind them. Now I
must return to the ship.â
âGood night, Aunt GrĂĄinne.â
Even though GrĂĄinne was Liamâs first cousin, his children
followed the tradition of calling her âauntâ out of respect.
Weâll be going too, Swift Hunter called. Weâll be around, by and by.
Iâll see you tomorrow, Aidan. Ted joined his parents, Silent Shadow
and Plains Flowers, to walk back to their home, a hillside cavern
outside the village.
âAfter we help with the cleaning up tomorrow, we can look at
some of the astrogation manuals Uncle Jarek gave us.â
Iâve been wanting to look them over, the young bear-lizard said.
âOnce youâve finished helping,â Celinia reminded them.
âYes, Mother,â Aidan replied in resignation.
After the last guests had gone, Liam and Celinia herded their
children into the house.
âYouâve had a long day,â Celinia told them. âTime for you to get
to bed.â
âYes, Mother,â the four said in singsong unison, reminiscent of
their childhood.
Aidan headed to his bedroom. The triplets headed to the room
they had shared since they were children.
Liam put an arm around his wife, and she leaned her head into
his shoulder.
âTheyâve grown up too fast,â she observed with a sigh.
Liam kissed her on the cheek. When he pulled back, she turned
and kissed him soundly on the lips. They lingered that way for a
minute, then broke off and nodded their heads together.
âI think we should follow your advice as well,â Liam whispered
in her ear.
Arm in arm, they headed to their bedroom.
. . . . .
Carl Black looked out over the city of New Olympia. Richard Jones
and Michael Isaiah joined him on the balcony of the apartment
Gaius had provided for them. They had come out of stasis three
months ago. Once sufficiently recovered, they had traveled around,
visiting many of the cities.
âDifferent from what we planned,â Carl noted.
âThey kept our design for the Temple like the one in Visul,â
Richard observed. âThe priestesses have more power than we
intended. Iâm surprised at the ways they changed the religion.
Everything we put in about keeping the purity of the race and
Utopian philosophies has vanished. Itâs like some ancient clerics
came and reshuffled everything.â
âNow they follow a belief in a universal Creator, similar to Old
Earth and most of the galaxy,â Michael observed. âIt seems pretty
well established.â
âWeâll just have to unestablish it,â Carl replied. âWeâve been
away too long. The plan our faithful children have devised should
solve the problem. Everything is ready. We start as planned.â
Carl turned to look at his compatriots. âNow, whatâve you found
out?â
âMalcolm and Emilyâs Finnian âkidsâ are definitely here,â
Richard told him. âA ship full of commandos just landed for leave.
In fact, they brought home the big heroâs three girls.â
Carl grimaced.
âI overheard some of the Finnian talking,â Richard continued. âI
could hear Aidan Stevenâs influence. They sound more Irish than the
Irish used to.â
âI think the family is celebrating the girlsâ return this evening,â
Michael put in. âI looked at their training recordsâhigh marks.
They seem to favor their father in that regard.â
âObviously hybrids.â Carl waved his hand in dismissal. âWhat
was the word Gaius used? Misborn? That term applies even more to
them than to their father. Utopian women would never consider a
military career. That trait, at least, bred true.â
âItâs almost like the Creator planned for this to happen,â Michael
mused. âWe donât wake up for six hundred years, and she gets a free
hand with our children.â
âYou almost cheer me up,â Carl laughed. âYou sound like youâre
buying into this stuff.â
âWell, we certainly didnât give them the ESP powers at the level
they have them,â Michael countered. âIn fact, we didnât mess with
ESP at all. What about the empathic healing powers? That ability
isnât an ESP power Iâve heard of. Iâve only read about it in religious
texts and old myths.â
âAn anomaly?â Richard suggested. âIt may have been an
unintended consequence of our genetic conditioning. It was latent
when we went into stasis and became active afterward.â
âWhat about the Finnian?â Michael asked. âWhat if they
interfere? From what weâve seen, the pro-Foundersâ Movement is a
pretty small minority.â
âWe stick to our plan to strike at the power baseâthe Temple,â
Carl told them. âBut first, we have to neutralize the priestessesâ
biggest protector. This Liam OâConnor has got to go.â
Michael looked shocked. âCarl, he saved our children from utter
destruction. If we kill him, weâll face a backlash from everyone but
the pro-Foundersâ Movement.â
Richard laughed derisively. âYouâre going soft.â
âHe has a point,â Carl countered. âIf we kill the big hero and
display his broken body for the masses, the people wonât feel any
inclination to come over to our side.â
âNot you, too,â Richard complained. âWe created the epitome of
human perfection. We canât have themââ
âAnd we wonât,â Carl told him. âI said he has to go. I didnât say
we have to kill him.â
Carl turned to face them. âRemember the plan our loyal children
outlined for us. We will take the Temple. We get all the high-ranking
priestesses there, and then our forces move in and hold it. The
military wonât dare to attack, or there wonât be any priestesses.
Then we can level conditions such as non-Utopians and misborn
leave the planet.â
âWonderful,â Michael complained. âThen the security forces
storm the Temple and crush us.â
âThey arenât used to hostage situations,â Carl said.
âNeo-Etruscans might not be,â Michael countered, âbut I believe
the Finnian are. Donât forget, the Alliance considers the Finnian
Shock Forces elite troops. If they get involved, they can kill us and
stack our bodies like cordwood before we realize we have a
problem.â
âWe have spies at the portals leading to New Olympia and other
strategic places,â Carl informed them. âIf we see them moving
people into position, we warn them we know and threaten to kill
the priestesses.â
âWhat about the priestesses themselves?â Richard asked. âThe
aforementioned ESP powers could prove problematic.â
Carl hefted the case at his feet. âMarshal Kergan gave us a
present. We inject each of the priestesses with these drugs every
seventy-two hours, and they wonât be able to send anyone messages.
We can use this preparation on Colonel Liam OâConnor as well.â
âHow do you intend to deal with him?â Michael asked.
âRemember that interdimensional portal we found on the Isle of
Circe when we first arrived?â Carl asked.
âYeah,â Richard replied. âItâs supposed to be older than even the
Allianceâs portals.â
âWe just send him through that portal,â Carl told them. âWe
donât kill him. We just make him leave.â
âWe should make sure his kids donât interfere,â Richard
suggested. âIf they surrender, they can leave with the Finnian. If
notâŠâ
Michael turned to regard the city. Richard and Carl walked to
the room. This conversation left him uneasy.
. . . . .
Deirdre had eaten breakfast and was clearing off her dishes as her
father came into the kitchen. Liam wore Neo-Etruscan security
fatigues.
âHi, Dad.â Deirdre kissed him on the cheek. âWhere are you
heading at this early hour?â
Liam gave her a hug. âNew Athens. Major Leonardo sent an
urgent message saying he has a problem. Heâs sending a transport
to pick me up in South Corinth.â
âIâll walk with you as far as the portal in the city,â Deirdre
offered.
Aisling, Bayvin, and Aidan were just coming down the stairs.
âHey,â Aisling complained, âno fair.â
âYou chose to sleep late,â Deirdre replied with a laugh. âSorry.â
Like they were kids again, Aisling stuck her tongue out at her
sister. Deirdre just laughed and waved. She took her fatherâs arm,
and they walked through the gate and into the village lane.
âSo, what does Major Leo want now?â
Liam shrugged. âMessage didnât say. I wish heâd learn to do some
problem-solving on his own.â
âYou could retire,â Deirdre pointed out. âYouâve earned a rest.â
âWhat makes you think retirement is restful?â Liam asked.
âEveryone will think since Iâve got time on my hands, they can ask
me to do all sorts of things.â
Deirdre laughed. âPerhaps youâll become High Councilor.â
Liam pretended to suppress a shudder. âNo thanks. I saw what
that job did to my father and what itâs doing to my brother.â
Deirdre knew how her father felt about his brother and squeezed
his arm.
âI think bear-lizards would call on you for spiritual matters,â
Deirdre suggested. âSome lost spirit needing you to point the way
home.â
âDonât remind me.â Liam groaned. âI should be really annoyed
with Storm Cloud for making me his heir. At least it doesnât involve
paperwork.â
They waved to Ted as he jogged by on all fours. He tossed a wave
as he passed.
âWell, at least life isnât boring,â Deirdre said brightly.
Liam laughed. âWhen you get to be my age, my daughter, youâll
realize that there is a virtue to boring.â
Deirdre shared her fatherâs laugh as they approached the edge
of the town.
âWhen I was your age,â Liam observed. âI couldnât imagine
living in another city. I could barely even imagine another city.â
âNow you live in a Finnian village just outside another city.â
Deirdre smiled at him. âStorm Cloud once told us change is the only
constant in the universe.â
âThat, and the Creatorâs love.â Liam squeezed his daughterâs
arm. âI havenât had breakfast. Pastry? My treat?â
Deirdre grinned and nodded. They walked to their favorite
street vendor.
âTarpier.â Liam glanced at his daughter.
âMake mine treaten fruit.â
They accepted the flakey pastries, and Liam handed the man his
money.
âKeep the change,â Liam told him.
âItâs good to see you home, milady.â The man smiled at her.
Deirdre smiled back at the vendor. âIf only for a little while.â
âI confess,â the man said, âIâd be worried sick if my girl went off
to war.â
âI just keep telling myself the Rebels are the ones who need to
worry,â Liam told him.
âDoes it help?â the vendor asked.
âSometimes,â Liam replied.
He and his daughter walked on, eating their snack.
Liam smiled at her. âI hope with you three joining the fight, it
will be over soon.â
Deirdre took a thoughtful bite, chewed, and swallowed. âThen
we can consign the Rebellion to the dustbin of history along with
Azurius.â
âThe Rebels have skilled leadership now,â Liam pointed out.
âThe names Kergan and Marisa get floated around most often.
Marisa seems to have dropped off the grid. I heard a rumor she had
a child. Kergan, I remember from Beta Proximus.â
âIsnât Kergan some kind of protĂ©gĂ© of Azurius?â Deirdre asked,
remembering the intelligence briefings she had sat through. âA
formidable dreamwalker in his own right. Marisa is much the same,
except she helped create the chitin. Evil brizo, to use the Gothowan,
from what I hear.â
Her father raised an eyebrow. âWatch your language, young
lady.â
âI understand she was once Azuriusâs lover,â she added.
âI heard she dumped him,â Liam replied. âSo perhaps sheâs not
all bad.â
âDad, she is the butcher of Epsilon Vega Five. If I get a clear shot
at her, Iâll put her down like a mad felino.â
Liam looked at his daughter. âEpsilon Vega Five was centuries
ago.â He squeezed her shoulder. âI know youâre a soldier now, but
the Creator requires us to be merciful. I made that mistake once. I
donât want you to repeat it.â
âIf I get her,â Deirdre told him fiercely, âit wonât be a mistake.â
Liam decided not to argue.
Deirdre looked at her father. âDaddy, Aisling, Bayvin, and I, well,
we owe you a great deal. Mom kept us on the straight and narrow,
but you taught us to shoot. You taught us the Finnian martial art of
modhscĂĄthai. You taught me to keep my shots inside one minute of
angle. You made me one of the best snipers in the Finnian Shock
Forces. We, I, want you to know how much you mean to us.â
Deirdre leaned over and kissed her father on the cheek.
They made it to the portal station as they finished their snacks.
Liam handed her some money.
âGet your siblings some fruit pastries on your way back. I should
be home before dinner. Iâll call otherwise.â
Deirdre put the money in her pocket, threw her arms around her
father, and kissed him again.
âI love you, Daddy,â she whispered into his ear. âWeâll have
dinner cooking by the time you get home.â
Liam broke away from his daughter, waved, and disappeared
into the crowd. Deirdre felt a pang of uneasiness. She turned and
headed back home, stopping to get four pastries for her sisters,
brother, and Ted.
. . . . .
Liam walked to one portal and got in line. After twenty-five years,
New Santorini was coming to life.
âYou can go ahead of me, Colonel,â a man down the line offered.
âNo need,â he replied. âIâm not heading to anything Iâm looking
forward to.â
âIf it werenât for you and your brother,â the woman ahead of
him stated, âwe wouldnât be here.â
Liam sighed, not particularly wanting to remember of the past.
âSo, where are you headed?â
âTo Thrace,â she told him.
âIâve been there many times with my wife,â Liam informed her.
âItâs a lovely mountain village.â
âI hear your three girls just got back from Finnian space.â
âCompleted advanced tactical training,â Liam told her. âWeâre
very proud of them.â
The woman shivered. âIt would terrify me to let my daughters
go to war.â
âI wonât say it doesnât scare us,â Liam replied, âbut we realize itâs
a fear parents have had to live with since they started sending their
children to war.â
âIâll bet your three will shorten the war considerably,â the first
man chimed in. âWeâll see what happens when we mix Neo-Etruscan
with Finnian.â
Liam laughed. âIf the Rebels knew what they were in for, theyâd
surrender.â
âI wish it were that easy,â the woman said sadly. âI lost my father
in the Azurian Invasion.â
The first man spoke to the operator. He set the manâs
destination, and the man passed through the portal.
âFamily in Thrace?â Liam asked the woman.
âMy mother went to live there. After losing Dad, she wanted to
go somewhere quiet. You?â
âNew Athens,â Liam said. âThe local commander wants advice
on an unspecified problem. Probably something he could have
asked via comm.â
âDonât be too hard on him. I think he likes he can call on a hero
for help.â
âWell, he just pulled this âheroâ away from a reunion with his
daughters,â Liam complained. âIf he does it again, Iâll let them deal
with him.â
The woman laughed as the operator took her destination. She
stepped through the portal, off on the next step of her journey.
âWhere to, Colonel?â the operator asked.
âUltimately, New Athens,â Liam told him. âBut Iâm getting
picked up in South Corinth.â
The operator looked puzzled. âI can send you to New Athens
instantly. Why go the long way?â
âThe commanderâs message said a transport would pick me up
to fly me there,â Liam told him. âThatâs all I can tell you due to
security concerns.â
The agent laughed with him and punched the destination into
the portal.
âGood luck, sir.â
âThanks,â Liam stepped through.
He felt a moment of disorientation. Then he stepped clear of the
portal and into the South Corinth spaceport. A man in uniform
directed him to a waiting orbital transport craft.
âHope I didnât keep you waiting,â Liam said to the pilot.
âNot at all, Colonel. Just refueled.â
Liam looked over the unusual craft. âOne of the new Terran
Starlifter Elevens?â
âYes, sir.â The pilot opened the hatch.
Liam climbed in and sat down, wondering why the major sent
this craft. The pilot finished his preflight and followed suit.
âItâs a trainer, sir,â the pilot explained. âTerra just sent us
several.â
âI know. My son knows every craft which flies in or out of the
atmosphere. Heâs getting lessons from Tymier, a Movorian flight
and astrogation instructor.â
âHowâs he doing?â the man asked.
âTymier says heâs very good,â Liam replied, âconsidering he only
has two arms.â
âWeâre starting up, sir,â the pilot told him as the engines wound
up. âWeâre getting up high, so use your oxygen mask.â
Liam shrugged and strapped on the mask. He looked out at South
Corinth. Seeing the spaceport from the air was an experience. The
Conn CĂ©tchathach sat in her berth. He saw the port crew working on
her.
Suddenly he began to feel strange and felt something irritate his
throat. He reached for his mask, then felt consciousness fade away.
Satisfying ending to an exciting sci-fi story!
In Promise of Mercy by Kurt D. Springs, the stakes are higher than ever as the Foundersâpeople who genetically designed the beings to live in this utopian worldâawaken after centuries in stasis. What they discover upon their return is far from their ideal creation. The world has evolved beyond their control, and the Founders quickly devise a drastic plan to restore their vision. Their solution? Exile Liam OâConnor, abduct Celina and the high priestesses, and banish the entire Finnian race. Meanwhile, the malevolent Kergen seizes the chaos as an opportunity to plot the ultimate eradication of the OâConnor line.
Unbeknownst to the Founders, Liam and Celinaâs children, driven by the same unstoppable spirit as their parents, are determined to fight back. Aidan, now a bold 15-year-old, takes center stage with his breathtaking growth. One unforgettable scene features Aidan deftly piloting a fighter craft, wielding his gift to pull off an impossible maneuver that left me breathless. Springs also brings levity to the story, as Aidanâs mischievous antics in battle earn him a hilarious yet scolding reunion with his mother, Celina.
Aidanâs triplet older sistersâDeidre, Bayvin, and Aislingânever shy away from a fight, whether on the battlefield or in the dreamscape. At 22 years old and fully trained, the triplets leap into action the moment their family is in trouble. No worlds or galaxies can keep them from their goals. I especially appreciated how Springs portrays each triplet with a distinct personality while highlighting their uncanny bondââthat freaky twin thingâ where they communicate without words and move in perfect harmony. Their individuality and cohesion shine brilliantly on the battlefield, making them formidable and memorable characters.
While this installment offers slightly less worldbuilding and fewer intense battles than book two, it compensates with seamless story development and a compelling focus on character arcs. No one is left behind in this fast-paced narrative. A standout scene involves a multi-perspective explosion as Liam, Marisa, and Gayla are pinned downâa moment that feels vividly three-dimensional and immersive.
Springs skillfully threads explosive action with moral awareness, creating an enjoyably satisfying conclusion to this series. I highly recommend this series if youâre a fan of science fiction, heart-stopping action, and a dash of insanity.