Empire Reborn (Taran Empire Saga Book 1): A Cadicle Space Opera by A.K. DuBoff (jenna bush book club TXT) 📕

“Multiple Gates were open for days, at great cost to us. That is why we have come.”

Realization dawned on Jason. “The Gatekeepers set us up,” he said to the group. “They opened those Gates not to destroy our planets, but because they knew it would anger these guys. They wanted them to come deal with us so they didn’t have to.”

Saera paled. “So, that whole standoff with the Gatekeepers before was just a ploy?”

“It’s sounding that way,” Raena replied.

“Devious alien fokers,” Wil grumbled.

Jason tuned out his mental curses as he desperately tried to think of what to suggest for how they could proceed. Diplomacy was Raena’s wheelhouse, not his. Even she looked at a loss for what to say.

“We know the others as the ‘Gatekeepers’,” he said. “They were the ones to open those other Gates.”

The representative stared at him with unblinking eyes, like looking into the depths of the cosmos itself. “We will deal with them. But it was the actions of Tarans that prompted their involvement.”

“Yes, one group of Tarans used a Gate, and we’ll own up to that,” Jason continued. “But the punishment you intend to deal doesn’t fit that singular crime. We aren’t like you—we aren’t eternal. It is unjust to condemn us for perpetrating the war tens of thousands of years ago. We had no part in it. Our race isn’t the same as it was then.”

Raena took a step forward. “Jason is right. To destroy us now is to close off any possibility of us becoming better. You gave our ancestors the chance to evolve by setting the treaty. Please, give us that same chance.”

“Your ancestors evolved into you. And you broke their vows to uphold the treaty. Why should it be any different in another hundred thousand years?”

That’s a fair question. Jason didn’t have an answer. He looked at his parents and Raena.

“We can’t offer any guarantees,” Wil stated. “I wish we could, but you’re right. Information is lost. People change. All that we can control is the here and now. The decision you have to make is if you can live for eternity knowing you wiped out trillions of people across a galaxy because a handful of individuals acted selfishly.”

The representative stared at him, intense and unwavering. “Your race is in trouble, regardless of the sentence we levy.”

“Perhaps. But we adapt and overcome. It is our way.”

“That is to say, you would not go quietly.”

Wil shook his head. “Not a chance. The question would become, how much hardship could we inflict on you before you destroyed all of us?”

“You no longer have the Gates.”

“No, but we have a record of their energy field. You are aware of this ship and its capabilities. There are others like it, and now we know how to use them against you, if needed. The fact that we are still having this conversation suggests you might be open to taking an alternative approach.”

“You are bold to threaten us.”

“A proportional response to your threat to us. However, we don’t seek violence. We stand at a crossroads, and there is a path of peace open to us.”

“With all of you? You said it was a rogue faction that used the Gates.”

“I can speak for the Taran leaders on that matter,” Raena said. “We are striving to improve relations across the Taran worlds. Give us the opportunity to unite.”

“Do you share things across these worlds?” the Erebus asked with a curious tilt of its head.

“Of course,” Wil replied. “We are one Empire. We offer the tools for prosperity and protection to all.”

The Erebus representative evaluated him. “We have considered your words and agree to a stay of your sentence, for now.”

Jason breathed a sigh of relief but didn’t relax. They still stood on a knife’s edge. That was too easy…

“We now offer you this… gift,” the representative stated.

A device materialized on the deck in front of them. It was no larger than his head and had smooth metal finishes around its cylindrical frame. At first glance, it reminded Jason of a power distribution cell.

Why in the stars are they giving us a gift? Jason also sensed confusion and wariness from the others in the Command Center.

“Thank you. But… what is it?” Raena asked.

“A power core, constructed using materials easy and plentiful to harvest.”

Jason’s jaw went slack. “Do they know about MPS’ issues?” he questioned Raena and his parents.

“They may have surmised the need based on the experience with the Andvari,” Saera suggested. “Rather convenient. Suspiciously so.”

“I know. Something isn’t right,” Wil agreed. “But we have to play along.”

“This is quite the gift,” Raena said to the Erebus. “You honor us.”

“Your previous power source was reaching the end of its supply, correct? This is what you need most across your civilization?”

“How do you know?” She glanced at Jason and their parents. “This turnaround doesn’t make any sense.”

“We have studied you and determined this need,” the representative stated.

“I believe you were right about the Andvari being an experiment, Jason,” his father said. “I don’t know how they drew that conclusion from the events, but they did.”

“Maybe they studied the salvage contract?” Jason suggested.

“If that’s the case, then they might have access to all of the classified information on this ship.”

Jason tensed at the thought, but he wasn’t about to back down now. “Is this item even what they claim it is?”

“If I may conduct an analysis?” Wil asked out loud.

“Of course,” the Erebus consented.

Jason looked over the results of the scan in real-time on the viewscreen as the Conquest’s onboard AI evaluated the mysterious device. It was, in fact, everything that they needed to replace the current MPS power cores. Too perfectly, in fact.

“Why are you helping us?” Wil asked.

“As you stated, Tarans