Cauldron of Fire (Blood on the Stars Book 5) Read online

  Vennius had been a committed ally anyway, of course, but the return of the children had seemed to energize him, to hold back the despair and exhaustion that had grown heavy on him. He’d given his word he would send every ship he could spare, and Barron didn’t doubt it at all.

  “I just wish we could have been with you, Admiral…at the Bottleneck…”

  “That would have served nothing, Commodore. The Bottleneck was a trap, one Striker and his people were forced to walk into.”

  Barron turned abruptly, startled, as Gary Holsten walked into the room.

  “He managed to get the fleet out of there, though. His quick action saved thousands of spacers. It saved the Confederation.”

  “Mr. Holsten, I didn’t…”

  “Please…I’m Gary. There’s no rank insignia on my shoulder, no need for formality between us.”

  Barron nodded. “Gary…I don’t doubt he saved the fleet. Nor am I surprised that he was there in the rearguard, holding the line while everyone else escaped. That was…is…him, through and through.”

  “He’s an admirable man…may I call you Tyler?”

  Barron nodded.

  “Tyler. He’s one of the few in my life I have truly called a friend.” Holsten paused, and Barron only then realized the pain in the intelligence chief’s voice. “I think you might understand that to some extent. You know what it’s like.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “Oh, you have friends…certainly Atara Travis. And you are close with your crew. But that’s not the same thing, is it? However much affection they have for you, and you for them, you’re their leader. They look to you, draw from you. It’s not quite the same thing as a true friend, is it?”

  Barron didn’t answer, but Holsten’s words were hitting close to home.

  “You’re the heir of the greatest hero in the Confederation’s history. You’ve carried that burden your entire life. It insulates you, isolates you. It makes it hard to truly share anything with someone else, doesn’t it?”

  Barron looked over at Holsten, fishing for something to say. He’d never thought about it in the abrupt terms Holsten was using, but the spymaster was right. However close he was to anyone else, in some ways he always felt alone.

  “I understand, Tyler, at least on some level. I’m also the scion of one of the most well-known families in the Confederation, though I’m at least spared the shadow of any ancestors quite as revered as your grandfather. I live a false life, I do a job few know about. It is difficult.” He looked back toward the pod. “I was able to talk about things with Van, things I couldn’t share with anyone else. I don’t want to lose him.”

  Barron could sense a vulnerability in Holsten he’d never seen before. He wasn’t one for false optimism or invented hope, but perhaps there was a time for everything. “He’ll make it, Gary. I know he will.”

  Holsten looked up. Barron could feel that his companion sensed his uncertainty, but he could also see the words had helped. “I hope so,” Holsten said softly.

  The two men stood, staring at the canister for a moment. “You know, people like us, so singular, so alone…we have to try to recognize those few people who are truly special to us, truly close. The war still rages, and the enemy has gained a massive advantage with their new weapon. We have no idea what to expect…so, we do not have time to waste.”

  Barron just nodded.

  The two stood silent for a few moments. Then, Holsten said, “Did you know that Captain Lafarge is on Grimaldi, Tyler?”

  Barron held his head where it was, trying not to react. “Is she?” he asked, as casually as he could manage.

  “Yes. She and her people found an artifact of significant value, a stealth generator. While it is not a match for the enemy’s new weapon, it has considerable military potential.” He paused. “She is quite a woman, Andi Lafarge…” He looked over at Barron.

  “Yes, she is,” he replied.

  “I believe she’s staying in Blue section. Room 2707, if I remember correctly.” He turned toward Barron. “I think I’ll stay with Van for a while. There is no need for both of us to stand here…”

  Barron nodded, realizing how utterly useless his nonchalance was around Holsten. “Perhaps I will go and say hello then…”

  Holsten nodded and smiled. “Yes, why don’t you do that?”

  * * *

  “Tyler Barron is at the door.”

  Lafarge looked up, startled at the AI’s words. She paused, feeling uncharacteristically flustered. She’d faced countless dangers, stared down some of the most notorious scum on the frontier, and yet the mere mention of Barron’s name unsettled her.

  “Let him in.”

  The door slid open, and Tyler Barron stepped in. “Hello,” he said, clearly trying to appear calm.

  “Hello,” she replied. “I had heard you’d docked. I hear congratulations are in order. They’re calling you the hero of the Rim.”

  He frowned. “Are they?” He sounded more concerned about it than glad. “You as well. Gary Holsten told me about your discovery…” Barron hesitated, then he stepped toward her. “Andi, I’m sorry about everything. I didn’t want you out there. We were so outnumbered, the odds so against us. And Pegasus is such a small ship. I couldn’t put you in that danger…and I knew there would be no way to keep you out of it if you stayed.” A wave of emotion poured out with his words. “I am sorry if I hurt you, if I seemed callous. I wasn’t sure you’d listen to me any other way.”

  She stood, trying to stay firm, cool, even as she realized how much she wanted to hear what he was saying. “You didn’t hurt me,” she lied. “You had work to do, and so did I.” But even as she faced him, trying to maintain her façade, a smile broke through. “It is good to see you, Tyler. I was worried about you.”

  He returned the smile. “And if I’d had any idea what you were up to, I’d have been more than worried. From what Gary tells me, you and your people really made a find…one that may be hugely important.”

  “It looks like. I figured one day one of these leads would amount to something.”

  Barron took a step forward. “It’s some kind of stealth device?”

  She looked at him and smiled. “I’m not sure I can divulge that, Commodore. The entire project is highly classified.”

  “Oh, is it?” He returned her smile, looking right at her. “Perhaps I should show you my security clearance then?”

  She returned his gaze. “Yes…I think you should.”

  Epilogue

  “You’ve done well, Colonel. I commend you.” Gaston Villieneuve looked out over the massive structure, a complex web of metal girders with a series of compartments attached. It had cost a fortune, one Villieneuve had somehow managed to extract from the Union’s collapsing finances, and now it was ready.

  “Thank you, Minister.” The engineer nodded respectfully, clearly nervous to be in the presence of a member of the Presidium…not to mention, the dreaded leader of Sector Nine. “My entire team is grateful for the opportunity, sir.”

  “You have served the state well, and you will be suitably rewarded.” Villieneuve held his gaze. The thing was ugly. It was clumsy in design, and it was pig slow. Worse, it had to be split into ten sections to get it through transwarp points. But it moved, and when it did, it carried the Pulsar with it, along with the almost endless series of fusion plants that powered it.

  Villieneuve knew he was looking at victory itself. The lumbering monster would be vulnerable to attack…but the massive gun it carried could destroy anything that came at it, from ranges far beyond that of any other know weapon. It wasn’t elegant, nor was it quick…but it could more forward, steadily, unstoppably. It would engage whatever forces the Confederation put in its way, blast their vaunted Grimaldi base to radioactive debris…destroy everything in its path, until it reached Megara itself, and he dictated his peace terms in the rubble of the Confederation Senate House.

  The war had been long, hard…a far greater struggle than he’d envision
ed at its outset. But now victory was finally his for the taking. The economy was about to fall into the abyss, and Ricard Lille’s efforts had not only failed, it had brought the Alliance in the war on the Confederation’s side. But none of that mattered, not now. Confederation, Alliance…none of their ships could face the Pulsar. None could stop it.

  “It is ready then, Colonel? Fully operational?”

  “Yes, sir.”

  Villieneuve smiled. “Then the invasion will begin at once. And it will not stop until the victory is won.”

  Blood on the Stars Will Continue With

  Dauntless

  January, 2018

  The Crimson Worlds Series

  (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

  Marines (Crimson Worlds I)

  The Cost of Victory (Crimson Worlds II)

  A Little Rebellion (Crimson Worlds III)

  The First Imperium (Crimson Worlds IV)

  The Line Must Hold (Crimson Worlds V)

  To Hell’s Heart (Crimson Worlds VI)

  The Shadow Legions (Crimson Worlds VII)

  Even Legends Die (Crimson Worlds VIII)

  The Fall (Crimson Worlds IX)

  Crimson Worlds Successors Trilogy

  MERCS (Successors I)

  The Prisoner of Eldaron (Successors II)

  The Black Flag (Successors III) – March 2017

  Crimson Worlds Refugees Series

  Into the Darkness (Refugees I)

  Shadows of the Gods (Refugees II)

  Revenge of the Ancients (Refugees III)

  Winds of Vengeance (Refugees IV)

  Storm of Vengeance (Refugees V) – May 2017

  Crimson Worlds Prequels

  (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

  Tombstone (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)

  Bitter Glory (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)

  The Gates of Hell (A Crimson Worlds Prequel)

  Red Team Alpha

  (A New Crimson Worlds Novel)

  Blood on the Stars Series

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  Duel in the Dark (Blood on the Stars I)

  Call to Arms (Blood on the Stars II)

  Ruins of Empire (Blood on the Stars III)

  Echoes of Glory (Blood on the Stars IV)

  Flames of Rebellion Series

  (Published by Harper Voyager)

  Flames of Rebellion (Book I)

  Rebellion’s Fury (Book II) – Fall 2017

  The Far Stars Series

  Shadow of Empire (Fars Stars I)

  Enemy in the Dark (Far Stars II)

  Funeral Games (Far Stars III)

  Far Stars Legends Series

  (Available on Kindle Unlimited)

  Blackhawk (Far Stars Legends I)

  The Wolf’s Claw (Far Stars Legends II) – Summer 2017

  Portal Wars Trilogy

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  Gehenna Dawn (Portal Worlds I)

  The Ten Thousand (Portal Wars II)

  Homefront (Portal Wars III)

  Also By Jay Allan

  The Dragon’s Banner (Pendragon Chronicles I)

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  Table of Contents

  Blood on the Stars Series

  Join my email list

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Chapter Twenty-Eight

  Chapter Twenty-Nine

  Chapter Thirty

  Chapter Thirty-One

  Chapter Thirty-Two

  Chapter Thirty-Three

  Chapter Thirty-Four

  Chapter Thirty-Five

  Chapter Thirty-Six

  Chapter Thirty-Seven

  Chapter Thirty-Eight

  Chapter Thirty-Nine

  Chapter Forty

  Chapter Forty-One

  Chapter Forty-Two

  Chapter Forty-Three

  Chapter Forty-Four

  Chapter Forty-Five

  Chapter Forty-Six

  Chapter Forty-Seven

  Chapter Forty-Eight

  Chapter Forty-Nine

  Epilogue

  The Crimson Worlds Series