Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (easy to read books for adults list txt) 📕

Okbak grumbled, then touched the back of his ear. “Get our Leaping Lizards in the air. Attack this transport ship. Jaxx and I are no longer needed. It’s a been a pleasure being your prime chieftain.”

Jaxx kneed Okbak in the face. The Kelhoon’s head went into the side of a seat. He hissed, pressing his hands on the floor, pushing himself up.

“No more,” roared Zara. She grabbed Okbak by the neck and flipped him on his back. She landed her foot on his chest, holding him in place. “You are not permitted to move. Now tell your soldiers to back off.”

Okbak shook his head, and hissed a laugh.

Kiyo-zan looked over his shoulder. “Tochu ze sutafaita no Kelhoon. Agadon mo shibara rete imasu.”

Jaxx crouched, pressing his gun into Okbak’s cheek, pushing hard, anger streaking through his veins. “Kiyo-zan here says Kelhoon starfighters are on their way. He also says we have Agadon craft in bound as well. The Agadon aren’t going to like you and your starfighters trying to kill me.”

Fox rushed to the cockpit, and sat in the co-pilot’s seat next to Kiyo-zan. “They’ll be here in a few minutes. The Agadon are also targeting us.” He pounded his fist in anger. “We’re sitting ducks.”

Zara leaned in, her face close to Okbak’s ear. “Taz gave you more galactic credits than you’ll know what to do with. You’ll be the richest individual in the galaxy. And you think you’re celebrated now? Imagine what you can do with all of those credits. You will rule the galaxy, and more.”

The craft banked right and Jaxx fell over the seat in front of him, tumbled off of it, and landed on his back.

Zara crashed into him a moment later.

“Get your restraining belts on,” yelled Fox. “This is going to be a rough ride.”

Jaxx stood, seeing Okbak struggling to get his leg out from in between two seats. Somehow, the big green guy had gotten stuck.

Jaxx jumped on one of the seats that had grabbed a hold of Okbak, and wrapped a restraining belt around the Kelhoon’s scaly lower leg several times, pulled tightly, then buckled the belt into place.

The ship veered right and Jaxx gripped the seat cover, holding on so he didn’t take another spill.

“They have us on weapon’s lock,” shouted Fox. “Pull up, Kiyo-zan, pull up, you dumb-ass.”

Kiyo-zan merely smiled. He straightened the craft, heading directly for a line of Kelhoon fighters. He was calm as can be, a tell-tail Taiyonian trait, especially when in combat.

Jaxx buckled in, noticing Zara had already done so several seats across from him.

The craft shuddered. A laser made its mark on the transport’s belly.

“I said, pull up,” ordered Fox.

“Ichi…” said Kiyo-zan, his eyes trained on the oncoming fighters.

“We have bogeys in front of us and behind us. Get us out of here,” demanded Fox, his face turning red.

“Ni…” continued Kiyo-zan.

“That’s it,” Fox went to unstrap and take over the controls.

Before Fox could unbuckle, Kiyo-zan pushed his control stick down, putting the craft in a sharp descent.

A few explosions above, and fire fell like rain. A Kelhoon and Agadon fighter had collided, mid-air.

Fox gave a squealy laugh. “Holy shit!” He threw his hands in the air. “This Japanese guy is a flyer.”

Kiyo-zan slapped his own chest, and narrowed his eyes. “Taiyo-zan.” He obviously wanted Fox to know he was from Taiyo, not Earth.

Kiyo-zan shifted the craft, zipping into a canyon. Several bandits closed in.

Zara unstrapped her restraints and made her way over to a seat next to Okbak’s leg. He was still stuck, trying to pull himself free.

She unclipped a knife from her chains. “He isn’t going to like this.” She jabbed the sharp blade an inch into the arch of his foot.

He hissed loudly in pain, grabbing his leg, and bringing his head up. His veins stuck out of his neck, green blood pulsing through them. “Get your paws off of me.”

She grabbed his big toe and dug in with her knife.

Okbak howled.

“Tell your fighters to withdraw.” She shook her head. “No, tell them that you are no longer allied with the Agadon and order them to attack the pursuing Agadon starfighters.”

“Don’t take my toe,” he said.

She pressed harder, slicing deeper into his toe. Blood oozed.

The craft moved and Okbak screamed.

“Oops, didn’t mean to cut more,” said Zara. “Another movement like that and your toe will come clean off. And then I’ll start with the next. Now, tell them your new orders, Okbak.”

The craft shuddered.

“Damn it to shit’s sake,” shouted Fox. “Direct hit. We’ve lost ion drive one.”

The craft vibrated again and the sound of debris dinging across the craft’s outer shell reverberated against the inner ship’s walls.

“Whoa, wait a minute,” stated Fox. “An Agadon fighter just went down.” A ball of fire erupted in front of the transport, and a flood of heat washed through the cabin. “And another. The Kelhoon are firing at the Agadon.” He turned in his chair. “What’s going on?”

Okbak sent out a heavy, loud hiss. He laughed. “My pilots and warriors do not wish to end my life. They are targeting the Agadon, not you. We are the most loyal of all races.”

Zara snorted. “Plus, he told them to back off. Okbak isn’t going to admit it, but I think he actually likes the idea of being the wealthiest in the galaxy.” Zara threw her knife in the air and caught it next to her torso. Not bothering to wipe the green blood from it, she clipped it back into the chains.

“They’re all disengaging us and engaging each other,” said Fox.

Jaxx gave Zara a look. “Now we find Bogle, Rivkah, and Abdu. And we close this pyramid network once and for all.”

“And, Mr. Genius, where are they?” asked Fox.

Zara glanced at Jaxx, her eyes and expression asking the same question. Her lips drew downward. “I lost internal communication with Abdu a few hours ago. I don’t know why he’s gone silent.”

Jaxx closed his eyes, searching the ethers for Rivkah and Bogle. He shook his head, not being