Solbidyum Wars Saga Book 1: Battle of the New Orleans (44 page)

Regeny once more took the podium and began.  “There is one more who must be recognized without
whose actions none of this would have happened at all.  Without this person, Tibby would have died, Corporal Luinella’s death would have been in vain, Captain Maxette never would have been able to get the gun and shoot Commander Thimas, and the Brotherhood would have won. What you are about to witness on the vid screens about the hall is gruesome, I must warn you, but it is necessary for you to see and understand the full gravity of the situation and the importance of this single individual in all that happened.”  On the vid screen appeared a split screen view as seen from the vid screen in the Bridge and in the hold where Lexmal had killed Lunnie and was torturing me.  The scene started at the point where Thimas was shouting “You fool… he’s dying, you bumbling fool… just when we were getting the upper hand you blow it again…,” on the view of the compartment where I am being held you can see, Lunnie’s lifeless body still handing on wall and me hanging on the wall with blood streaming from my wounds as Lexmal standing over me looking back with his head turned back looking at the vid screen over the door. Suddenly light from the hall door being opened appears on the floor along with the shadows of three people moving into the room as they get into the room you can see Kala, her arms firmly being held by two goonish rebels troopers.  Lexmal can be heard to say,  “Well, well, well… look what we have here,  and just in time for the party…, I think Captain Thimas that Tibby is about to tell us everything he knows!  Bring her up here boys, put her where her sister was!” On the screen you can see Kala stiffen and then suddenly she becomes a blur of motion as she performs a martial arts movement so fast that if you blink you miss in an instant she has broken free of the grips of both guards, has grabbed their knives from their scabbards, and while starting to move forward never taking her eyes off of Lexmal, flings her arms out cutting the throats of both her guards.   As she runs forward Screaming “YOU KILLED MY SISTER!”  The other two guards in the room step forward to stop her,  her arms cross over each other in and X and then sweep back again so fast it’s a blur and both guards drop to the floor throats cut as well, there was no pause in her motion, her gaze never leaving Lexmal who seemed frozen as Kala arms cross once more in and X and slashed back like scissors severing Lexmal’s head.  In the bridge view monitor you see and hear Thimas shout ”NOOOOOO!” behind him you see Captain Maxette freed from his bonds reach with his good hand and grab a gun from the holster of one of the guards and shoot Thimas in the back.  In the audience you hear a loud gasp as the vid screen goes blank.   Kala once more had buried her face in my sleeve and is sobbing and weeping. Admiral Regeny once more began speaking. 

“In order
for Major Kalana to get to Lexmal she had to deliberately allow herself to be captured, she did so knowing that she probably would be killed, but she triumphs by killing the escaped traitor Corporal Lexmal, and in so doing put into motion the events that leads to the death of the traitor and rebel ring leader Commander Thimas.  In recognition of her demonstration of skill and dedication to duty the Federation Space Force elevates Major Kalana to the rank of Lt. Commander.  Congratulations Lt. Commander Kalana.  I believe that Leader Rieam has something to say also.”

Leader Rieam rose and moved to the podium and said.  “Lt. Commander Kalana, for your selfless service to the Federation and placing yourself in harm’s way to prevent the
Solbidyum from falling into the hands of the enemy and for bring an end to the tyranny of Lexmal and aiding in the ending of life of the tyrant Thimas, the Federation is proud to bestows on you the Title of First Citizen and the Title of Kalana the Avenger.   Never before in the history of the Federation have there been two living persons holding the title of First Citizen at the same time, however, we cannot conceive that of one of these two individuals are less deserving than the other and so it was the will of the Senate that both be so named. There can be no persons more deserving of the title than you and Honored First Citizen Tibby the Recover, and with that announcement she walked over and kissed Kala on the forehead and then came and kissed me on the forehead for the second time in just a few weeks.  Kala and I turned to each other and in front of thousands of people embraced and kissed as all in attendance cheered and applauded.

And that, my children is how I came to be known as
First Citizen Tibby the Recoverer and how your mother came to be known as First Citizen Kalana the Avenger.

The end of Book 1- The Battle of the New Orleans
.  Look for Book 2- Sweet Home Alle Bamma.

About the author

Dale Musser was born in 1944 in a small rural community in Pennsylvania.  From 1967 until 2012 he was employed as a structural and piping designer in the marine and offshore industry, the cogeneration power industry and in hard rock metal mining.  His work at three shipyards and assignments with several engineering and naval architectural firms during his career in Virginia, Texas, and Maine took him to such places as London, U.K., Abu Dhabi, U.A.E., Scotland and Mexico.  During this time, he was responsible for the design of reactor compartments for nuclear aircraft carriers and submarines for the U.S. Navy and the structural designs of numerous offshore semisubmersible oil rigs, tanker ships, supply boats, and other vessels and equipment used in the offshore industry.  After the death of his wife in 1999, Mr. Musser changed careers and went to work in Arizona and Utah in the hard rock mining industry.  He retired in fall of 2012 and currently resides in Mesa, Arizona; however, his plans for the near future involve a move to New Mexico.

Dale enjoys rock hunting and lapidary work, gourmet cooking, writing, poetry, art, music, religions and philosophy in small doses, astronomy and the sciences in general, hiking, camping, the outdoors, and the gifts that nature provides.  Mr.
 Musser is a member of Mensa and avid reader, having lost count of all the books he has read after 3,000.

The greatest joy in his life is his daughter
, Heather; affectionately they call each other “BUBBY.”

Contact Information:

Those wishing to write him may do so at [email protected], although he attempts to answer all fan letters, due to heavy emails received daily you may not get a response.