Exodus: Empires at War: Book 2
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Authors: Doug Dandridge
Exodus:
Empires At War
Book 2
By
Doug
Dandridge
Dedication
This novel is dedicated
to writer Poul Anderson. You transported me to world of wonder across the
Universe. From Galactic Empires at war, to future spies striving for king and
country, I enjoyed your stories of the Polesotechnic League and the Terran
Empire. Thanks for the memories.
Contact me at
[email protected]
Follow my Blog at
http://dougdandridge.com
Follow me at
@BrotherofCats
Copyright © 2012 Doug
Dandridge
All rights reserved.
Please respect the hard
work of this author. If you found this book for free on a pirate site, please
visit Amazon and buy a copy of your own. I feel that I charge a reasonable
price for this work.
For more information on
the Exodus Universe, visit
http://dougdandridge.net
for maps, sketches and other details of this work.
Books by Doug Dandridge
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Author Page at Amazon
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Exodus: Empires at War:
Book 3: The Rising Storm (Coming Spring 2013).
The Deep Dark Well
Series
Deeper and Darker
(coming Summer/Fall 2013)
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Doppelganger:
A Novel of Refuge
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“Missiles firing,” said
the tactical officer.
Captain Dame Mei Lei
sat in her command chair, battle armored with helmet nearby. The
Jean de
Arc
bucked slightly as she released a spread of missiles from the starboard
tubes. The port threat had been taken care of by the remnants of the fighter
force that had originally struck the enemy fleet. They had continued on,
accelerating away from the action. Two hundred fighters had swarmed over the
enemy force, taking out the three cruisers and the super destroyer pair of that
force.
The battle cruiser was
now firing on the other force, which was more distant than was thought at
first. They had fired as well, and the battle cruiser's fighters were forming
a screen between their mother ship and the enemy, waiting for the incoming
missiles.
“Missile ETA in fifteen
minutes,” said the tactical officer, his voice cracking with tension.
We’ve all been under
too much tension for far too long
, she thought, watching the holo display.
“I wonder why they
haven't thrown their fighters at us,” said Commander Jackson from CIC.
“We don't know enough
about the capabilities of those platforms,” said the tactical officer. “They
may be too short ranged to be employed against us.”
“Ours could chase us
three times around the system,” said Jackson. “I wouldn't assume theirs were
any less capable.”
“Maybe they just didn't
think of it,” said Sean, his voice flat.
“What did you say, your
Majesty?” asked the Captain, wondering if he was being sarcastic.
“What if they didn't
think of it,” said Sean, his voice coming alive. “What if they don't think as
well as we do? After all, we are the most powerful race in this region of
space, able to out think most of the dozens of other sentients in this region.
Maybe we are smarter on the average than the Ca’cadasans. Maybe we are better
at strategy and tactics than they are.”
“They are more advanced
than we are, your Majesty,” said the tactical officer.
“By what,” said Sean.
“Maybe a couple of decades. Maybe less. I can tell you that some of the
advanced tech I have seen from these demons from our past is similar to what we
have on the drawing boards right now. Hell, some of it is in predeployment
trials right now.”
“And they were
thousands of years ahead of us, thousands of years ago,” said the Captain,
nodding her head. “And that time includes a thousand years in transit, without
a lot of advancement going on. Now they are only decades ahead of us, if
that.”
“They are too big,”
said Sean, smiling into the link. “They have rolled over everyone they have
ever come in contact with. There was no pressure to advance, while we were
involved in the fight of our lives against other powers that were more or less
technologically equal to us. In some cases superior. And we continued to
advance so we could continue to win.”
“And we learned from
those who had ruled this space before us,” said Jackson. “We picked up their
tricks, and tech from our friends.”
“They are still really
big,” said the tactical officer. “Even if we catch up with them. I think it
was Stalin who said quantity has a quality all its own.”
“You know your history,
Lt. Commander,” said the Emperor, his eyes glowing. “It will be a fight. But
we may have the advantage in smarts. As long as we keep those dumb asses in
Parliament out of the way.”
He's coming back to us
, thought the Captain,
a smile breaking out on her face
. He can see hope in the future, and that
is lifting him up.
“We have translation
ahead,” called out the tactical officer. “Something big.”
The Captain's eyes
narrowed. Of course there was so much going on in the near hyperspace to this
system that they were having trouble tracking individual ships. But it
couldn't be coincidence that the ship was coming in right here, right now. And
they were so close to the hyper limit themselves.
“Can you tell whose it
is?” she asked the tactical officer, feeling her chest tighten.
“It could be one of our
super battleships from the size of it,” said Jackson hopefully. “Or it could
be...”
“One of theirs,” said
the tactical officer. “Thirty light seconds ahead on our present bearing.”
Cast of Characters
The
Exodus III
Admiral Quong Lee:
Commander of the Exodus
III
Lt. Commander Deborah Blake:
com officer
Admiral Molotov:
Commander of covering
force
Lieutenant Krishnamurta:
helm
High Captain Mrrashatana Zzrathrasensi:
Commander of Ca’cada
pursuit force
Admiral Chang Lee:
Fourth grandson of
Quong
Chief Engineer Sandra Stoops-Lee:
Chang's wife
Science Officer
Horace Mgumba
Chief of Security
, Jamal Streeter
Head Councilwoman
Elizabeth Hampton
The Capital
Emperor Augustine Ogden Lee Romanov I
: 31
st
ruler of the Empire of New Terra. Born Year 933 (67 years old). Crowned in
Year 994, after the death of the Emperor Justinian I.
Empress Annastasia Romanov
: Wife of Augustine
.
Crown Prince Dimetre Ogden Lee Romanov
Princess Amanda:
wife of Dimetre
Prime Minister Count Mejoris Jeraviki:
Leader of the Lords and
Opposition to the Emperor.
Archduke Frederich Mgana:
political affiliate of
PM
Grand High Admiral Gabriel Len Lenkowski:
the Chief of Naval
Operations
Field Marshal Betty Parker:
Commandant of the
Imperial Marine Corps
Grand Marshal Mishori Yamakuri:
Army Chief of Staff.
Prince Henry:
The Spare.
HIMS Duke Roger Sergiov
II (BB 1458)
Chief Petty Officer First Jana Gorbachev:
Chief of Laser Ring B.
Petty Officer Martinez
Lt SG “Count” Jasper Bettencourt:
Son of a count and
friends with Sean.
Lt. Constance Salvatore
Ensign Connie Caldwell
Lt. Commander Bryson Popodopolous
Captain Sebastian Ngano:
Captain of the
Sergiov.
Lieutenant SG Prince Sean Ogden Lee Romanov
: Born Year 971 (29
years old). Fifth child and the third son of the Emperor Augustine Romanov,
serving as a weapons officer on HIMS Duke Roger Sergiov II (BB 1458)
HIMS Joan de Arc (HBC
2984)
Captain Dame Mye Lei:
Commander of HIMS Joan
de Arc (HBC 2984). Member Fourth Fleet Scout Force. Born Year 936 (64 years
old).
Commander Xavier Jackson:
XO
.
HIMS Johann Peterson
(DD 26575)/
Dot McArthur, DDF 63587
Lt Commander Maurice von Rittersdorf:
Commander HIMS Johann
Peterson (DD 26575). Born Year 962 (38 years old). then Commander H VII
Destroyer
Dot MacArthur.
Lt. SG Katherine Schuler:
XO, then commander
,
Johann Peterson.
Ensign Lasardo:
tactical officer
HIMS Seastag
(Stealth/Attack 421)
Commander Bryce Suttler
: Commander HIMS
Seastag (Stealth Attack 421). One of new generation of wormhole sink stealth
attacks. Born Year 955 (45 years old).
Lieutenant SG Walter Ngovic.
Tactical
The Donut
Doctor Lucille Yu, PhD
: Assistant Chief
Scientist and engineer of the
Donut
Project. Born Year 928 (72 years
old).
Dr. Rafael Gomez:
Negative Matter
Engineer.
Dr. Baxter:
Chief of Administration
.