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

“As I just said, yes.”

“Can we see it?” she asked.

“Yeah!” others chimed in.

“It’s not a toy,” Jason stated.

“Of course not. It’s a tool. And we’re supposed to be learning about methods of focusing our abilities, aren’t we?” Paula tilted her head.

This one is nothing but trouble. He looked over the expectant faces.

Under normal circumstances, he would never cave to their pressure. However, a plan was starting to form in his mind.

The tour could offer an opportunity to see Tiff one more time without violating her wishes. Such tactics weren’t his usual style, but he needed to get re-centered and focused as quickly as possible. Nine years was too long to spend with someone and expect to turn off feelings with the flip of a switch. A final chance to reminisce, if only from a distance, would help him get closure. And, if he knew Tiff as well as he thought, her message wasn’t what it appeared on the surface.

“All right, just a quick tour,” he told the group.

Excited cheers erupted along the lineup of Junior Agents. Even a few short years ago, he would have joined them in celebrating such a simple thing. They no doubt took it as a fun field trip where they got to see a piece of history up close. In time, once they’d witnessed events like what Jason had seen over the last few years, they’d find the experience more sobering.

He ushered the students toward the central elevator lobby, and they split into two groups for the long ride up to the surface. Jason left the bench seat open for his students, opting to stand since he’d already warmed up for what was supposed to have been a combat training session.

He checked his handheld for the time stamp from his conversation with Tiff. She’s always hated formal goodbyes. I think this is what she secretly wants.

Even if he was wrong in his interpretation, it was too late to turn back now. They were on their way to the surface, and he couldn’t very well tell his students to forget about the tour.

Upon reaching the moon’s surface, they took the waiting shuttles up to the spaceport. Even from a distance, the Conquest stood out from the other berthed ships, equal parts beautiful and menacing in appearance.

The Conquest was arguably the most famous ship in the TSS fleet. Jason normally wouldn’t have agreed to give the students a tour, but it was actually relevant to the work they were doing. They needed to appreciate the magnitude of the power they would wield as Agents, and the best way to do that was to show them the TSS’ ultimate weapon.

Designed as a flagship for Jason’s father during the Bakzen War, the Conquest was equipped with a unique bioelectronic energy relay system. A team of Agents could work together to feed telekinetic energy into a sort of energy buffer in the ateron band around the ship’s perimeter, which could then be directed toward a specific target. Ateron was prized for its unique property of oscillating between normal space and subspace; the element’s incredible characteristic made it capable of facilitating high levels of telekinetic energy transfer. Since ateron was extremely rare and expensive, such designs weren’t possible for other full-scale ships, but a small number of fighters with telekinetic weapons had also been produced. If the conflict brewing in the Rift came to a head, then Jason’s students might find themselves piloting such a craft. The Conquest, though, could only be utilized to its full potential by Jason or his father. It’s why Jason had been left in command, and he was well aware of the implications.

As soon as the group exited their respective shuttles to the spaceport, Jason spotted the nearest terminal listing ship arrivals and departures. Since Tiff wasn’t going on a mission, there was no reason her transport ship’s itinerary wouldn’t be posted publicly. A holographic projection above the terminal displayed the recent departures and upcoming transits. He located the sole ship heading to Alkeer that day; it was scheduled to leave in twenty minutes.

Not too late. He checked the ship’s berth and saw that it would be possible to pass by it if they took the long way to the Conquest. It was worth whatever razzing he might get from his students if they realized what was going on.

Jason took the requisite route. When the berth for the transport ship came into view, he saw Tiff standing at the base of the gangway with a handful of her friends, chatting and laughing. They huddled close together, as though hugs had been exchanged and they hadn’t fully parted afterward.

Jason’s heart lifted at the sight of seeing her so happy. She was about to go on an adventure and couldn’t be more thrilled.

As he passed by with the group of students, Tiff looked up at the unexpected crowd. Her softly glowing eyes met his, and her lips parted in a smile just for him. He smiled back, and she nodded before slowly turning her attention back to her friends.

See you around. He didn’t send it as a direct telepathic message, but he had a feeling she understood all the same.

Jimmy, one of the older Junior Agents walking near Jason, seemed to notice the silent exchange. “Who’s that?” he asked.

“A friend.”

“Just a ‘friend’?”

Jason kept his gaze straight ahead along their path. “Before you continue with this line of questioning, you might consider the fact that I have the authority to add another set of wind sprints to your training regimen.”

“She’s a very lovely friend, sir.”

“Yes, she is.”

The weight that had been pressing on Jason for the past couple of days began to lift. Tiff was okay and he would be, too. They had their own adventures to live.

Another two hundred meters