Ascendant Saga Collection: Sci-Fi Fantasy Techno Thriller by Brandon Ellis (best novels to read in english .txt) 📗

Okbak gave him an odd look.

“The Kelhoon are very literal, Fox,” said Jaxx.

Fox frowned.

“You said he could ‘kiss his galactic credits goodbye.’ He thinks you mean it literally.”

Fox leaned in close, so his eyes were level with Okbak’s. “Give the order for your troops to cease fire or I will take all your credits and shove them up your ass.”

Jaxx turned in his seat to stare out the cockpit window. A city, glowing in the night, had come into view. Slade’s energy signature was there, meaning Slade was hunkered down in a nice-looking, newly-built city that was teaming with green trees that didn’t match the small, spindly trees on the rest of Callisto.

Fox rolled his eyes at Okbak. “What I’m saying is if you don’t give the order to halt all battles with all Humans, then I’ll shoot you and kill you. You will die. Yes, die, die, die. And because you’ll be dead, you won’t be able to spend the fortune that Taz, the ugly-ass Agadon, gave you. Does that make a lick of sense, prime jerk-face?”

“You won’t kill me,” hissed Okbak. “I’m your shield.”

“You’ll be a pile of rubble if you don’t tell your people to stand down when we fly to this here city,” reiterated Jaxx.

Okbak merely stared at him.

“What I’m saying is that we’ll be shot down by the Kelhoon in that city if you don’t tell them to not, and I repeat, to not shoot us down. Got it?”

“How many damned times do we have to say the same damned thing before you get it through your damned scaly hide?” yelled Fox.

Okbak twitched his nose, most likely not liking the prospects of being blown to bits. He tapped the back of his ear. “This is prime chieftain, Kajka Okbak, your leader. I’m flying in a Kelhoon transport and nearing Namuh Farms. Open the gates, stand the cannons down, and allow me safe passage into the city.” He held a hand over his ear, then nodded. “It is done.”

Fox got up and walked back to the co-pilot seat, and sat next to Kiyo-zan. He patted Kiyo-zan’s back. “We’re safe to fly through.”

Jaxx closed his eyes, concentrating on Slade’s energy. “Slade is underground someplace. It’s under the largest skyscraper.” He opened his eyes and strolled to the cockpit. “Somebody else is with him. It’s a male. Human.”

Fox glared out the window. “Who would be with him?”

“I don’t know.” Jaxx rested his hands on Fox’s headrest, and pointed. “There. You see it? Land this bird right next to that big-ass skyscraper.”

The building was massive, and there would be no way Kiyo-zan could miss that. Kiyo-zan dipped his head. “Hai, soo desu ne.”

“You have to go through the city gates first,” said Fox.

Kiyo-zan lowered the craft, heading toward two doors in the city walls that were the same size and width of the city walls. He tapped a few holographic buttons, and monitored his approach by staring at a screen in front of him, and then out the window, and again at the screen.

Jaxx leaned forward. “Glad we didn’t try to fly over the walls. You see that?” A slight haze domed the city.

“A shield,” responded Fox. “We’d be a sizzling pile of shit if we tried to go through that.” He grunted and massaged his fists.

Jaxx could tell that all Fox had in mind was screwing Slade’s face up, most likely ending the guy’s life. It would be harder than Fox could ever imagine.

The city doors opened outward. Several Kelhoon soldiers stood on platforms built into the doors’ city side. They worked on holo-computers. They all stood when they saw the ship flying into the city. They punched their chests, then raised a fist in the air. Their leader had arrived.

Fox turned in his chair. “Your soldiers are saluting you, Okbak. Brings a tear to my eye.” He smirked and turned back around.

They flew past the open door, and over domed buildings, and by skyscrapers that were lined by empty streets. A hover-train zipped down a road, perhaps carrying a load of Kelhoon warriors, then curled around a building, and down another side street. A large castle stood in the middle of the city, surrounded by dull-looking warehouses.

Help me, Jaxx.

Jaxx cocked his head to the side. He turned toward Zara and took a seat. Zara was watching Okbak, making sure he was staying in line.

Find me.

A strange sensation came over Jaxx. He buried his head in his hands, searching for the mysterious voice. It was weak. Injured. Most importantly, the source of the voice was nearby.

An energetic map of the city came to Jaxx’s mind. He moved from building to building, scanning for life forms that were in danger.

In his mind, he came upon a crowd of Kelhoon congregated at a building close to one of the city’s massive walls. A flash of red, huddled in a room on the third floor of a six-story building, blinked on and off, then vanished. His gut twisted. That precious flash of red was soon to be overrun by the Kelhoon amassing on that floor.

It was Rivkah. But where were Bogle and Abdu? They should be with her. And how did her energy vanish like that?

Jaxx swung around, viewing the city through the cockpit window. He rushed to the cockpit, surveying the buildings. “There,” he motioned toward a building next to one of the massive side walls. “Rivkah is in there. Change direction. We’re heading to that building. We hover next to a third-floor window. I’ll tell you exactly where when we get there.”

Kiyo-zan pulled a sharp right, changing direction.

Jaxx ran back to the ship’s aft ramp. “Let’s back in toward the window. I’ll open the ramp when ready.”

Fox unstrapped and stood. “The hell we will.” He pounded his fist on the seat. “You turn this bucket back around. We stay on course and get Slade.”

“That will come next,” replied Jaxx, his hand resting on