Cassandra's Challenge

Science Fiction Romance

Cassandra’s Challenge: The Imperial
Series

M.K. Eidem

Copy Right 2013 by Michelle K. Eidem

Smashwords Edition

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All characters, places, and events in this
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Synopsis

Cassandra Chamberlain has always stood out. It's
hard not too at 6’1” and 165 pounds with jet black hair and
sapphire blue eyes. And if that wasn’t enough she is also
brilliant, graduating from Harvard at fifteen, teaching at MIT at
nineteen and up for the prestigious Magellan Award at twenty five.
But she’s never really fit in. Not with her peers, not with her
contemporaries, only with her family. But everything changes when
the Earth is attacked and Cassandra and her niece Victoria are the
only survivors. Suddenly the smartest woman on the planet has to
relearn everything. Everything she’s believes to be true is
challenged and she has to learn to survive, not only for herself
but for Victoria, because someone wants them dead.

Admiral William Zafar is the youngest Admiral
ever in the Coalition fleet, the hero of the Battle of Fayal. At
7’1” he’s 325 pounds of Carinian male in his prime who is feared
and respected throughout the fleet. He is a royal from the House of
Protection, carrying its birthmark and considers its King one of
his oldest friends.

But when the Regulians destroy a previously
unknown planet leaving only two survivors he finds he's willing to
risk it all to protect the woman he loves from the Regulians and
the Carinian traitor that wants her dead.

“Admiral, sensors in the Relinquished zone are
tracking a Regulian battle fleet. They’ve stopped in an uncharted
solar system approximately 5000 light years away.” Senior Chief
Delondra Falco reports.

Admiral William Hale Zafar turns from his
command center. At 50 cycles he is the youngest Admiral ever in the
Carinian fleet and currently commands the Battle star Retribution
with an accompaniment of five battleships as they patrol the
border. He’s 7’1” and 325lbs of solid Carinian male, his lush dark
hair just starting to gray at the temples and while not long is not
cut militarily short. His startling violet eyes look to Falco.

“What intel do we have on that system?” He
demands.

“Only what the remote sensors scanned sir. It’s
seems to be a very small system with nine planets and one sun, if
the Regulians wrap signature hadn’t lead us to it, it would easily
have been missed.” Falco replies.

“Our systems aren’t supposed to
miss
anything, Falco!” The Admiral stares her down. “Are you getting any
data on the planets with
our
sensors? They must be there for
some reason.”

“No sir, sorry sir, too far away.”

The Admiral turns away. “What do you think
Quinn?” Colonel Quinn Tar is the second in command on the
Retribution and one of his oldest friends. At 52 he has some wear
and tear about him. He’s shorter than his commander by 3 inches but
weighs the same.

“I agree there has to be a reason they are
there, we should get closer, gather Intel.” The Admiral reaches his
decision.

“Falco set a course to get us in detail scan
range, warp six. I want to know what the Regulians are up too.
Communications contact High Command and relay that we are going
into the Relinquished zone. Connect me to the other
Commanders.”

“Yes sir.”

“Set the fleet to Alert Status Two I want all
eyes and ears open while we are in the Relinquished zone.”

“Yes sir.”

The Retribution travels through the Relinquished
Zone at warp six for over two days before finally getting within
long range scanning distance.

“Status Falco.”

“Sir, nine planets, one sun, only one considered
habitable, the third from the sun, scans show abundant life, the
majority seems to be humanoid, large mineral deposits, large
cities.”

“Can you ascertain level of advancement?”

“They have satellites orbiting the
plant…probably communications…all defenses seem to be terrestrial.
Sir
!!! The Regulians have just initiated an attack on the
planet, targeting major cities!”

“Fuck!!! How soon can we intercede?”

“Sir at current speed 23 hours.”

“Increase speed to warp nine point six, inform
the fleet. I want us there yesterday! What the fuck are they doing
Quinn? What’s on that planet they want so badly?”

“I don’t know but we’d better find out.”

“Falco, how many inhabitants on that
planet?”

“Sir if the scan is correct, just under seven
billion.”

“Damn! Go to Alert Status One!”

Two and a half hours later the Retribution is
closing in on the solar system, the Admiral standing in the command
center studying monitors. Remembering another time when the
Regulians had attacked a planet and help hadn’t arrived until in
time. His past wife had died in that attack.

“How long until we’re in range to launch
fighters?”

“Fifteen minutes sir.”

“Have all fighters in the launchers, reduce
speed to warp six get us in range to launch Falco.”

“Yes sir.”

The Admiral impatiently waits.

“We’re in range Commander.”

“Launch all fighters.”

“Launch fighters! I say again launch all
fighters!”

William looks at Quinn, “I hope there’s
something left to save.”

Lt. Lucas Zafar, call sign Hawk is a seven cycle
fighter pilot veteran in the CUP fleet. He’s currently engaging his
enemy in the atmosphere of a previously unknown planet. He and his
wingman are closing in on four Regulian Strikers.

“Shit Hotdog what are they looking for out
here.” He looks out his Blade at the remote mountainous terrain.
Suddenly the Strikers open fire on a small town. “Fuck, let’s get
in there and take them out.”

“I’m all over that Hawk.”

The two pilots methodically take out the first
three Strikers then chase the fourth into an even more unpopulated
area. Hawk lines up and takes his shot. Before the Striker explodes
it gets off a shot of its own clipping Hawk’s wing.

“SHIT!!! Hotdog I’m going down I’ve lost all
controls.”

“Eject! Eject!” His comm tells him.

As Hawk ejects from his crippled craft, Hotdog
circles to get his location. The Blades they fly only hold one, he
can’t pick him up and watches helplessly has Hawk’s parachute
disappears in the trees.

“Retribution…Hotdog! Retribution…Hotdog!”

“Go ahead Hotdog….”

“Hawk’s down. I repeat Hawk’s down….”

The Admiral goes still, the bridge quiet.
Picking up the headset he demands.

“What’s Hawk’s status?”

“He was able to eject, sir. He landed in a
heavily wooded area, I lost visual but have his last
coordinates.”

“Any danger detected.”

“No sir, all four strikers were taken out before
he went down.”

“Affirmative, get back to base Hotdog.”

“Sir…”

“Back to base!”

“Yes sir!” The Admiral rips off his headset.

“Quinn, you have Command.”

“Will, where are you going?” But he already
knows.

“I’m going to get my son back.”

“Admiral…”

“Colonel you have your orders.”

“Yes sir.” The Admiral heads to the flight
deck.

“Chief I’m going on the recovery mission.”

“Admiral.”

“I need a flight suit.”

“Yes sir, you’ll be with Dodge and Scratch.”

Hawk wakes to find he’s lying on a couch and
staring into the most amazing green eyes he’s ever seen. Blinking
he realizes they belong to a young girl, a young girl with flaming
red hair. Moving to sit up he gasps at the sharp pain. Looking down
he sees his right leg’s been treated.

“Easy, you’ll tear it open.”

Hawk assesses the man moving the girl aside.
He’s not very tall, only 6’3”, but appears solid. He’s older,
somewhere in his sixties, but fit, his eyes knowing.

“Where am I? Who are you?” He demands.

Cassandra watches her father talk to the large
man. She’d witnessed the dogfight, seen the two strange aircraft
destroy the four that had been attacking the town of Chester,
watched one eject. He’d landed not far from her in heavily wooded
area.

The branches he caught landing had injured his
leg. By the time she’d gotten to him he’d barely been conscious.
Getting him to his feet had been an experience, she’d never seen a
6’8” man before, and her 6’ 1” frame had trouble getting him back
to the family cabin.

“I’m Jacob Chamberlain,” he touches his chest.
“My son Peter, his wife Cyndy, their daughter Tori, my daughter
Cassandra.” He points to the people in the room, watching to see if
he understands. “Who you are?

Lucas is trying to understand the language the
older man is speaking. It seems similar to his….everyone waits…

“I’m Lieutenant Lucas Zafar of the Battle star
Retribution….do you understand what I’m saying?”

The five look at him. The woman he called
Cassandra steps up, putting her hand on the older man’s arm.

“Some…your Lucas?”

“Yes.”

“You have a leg injury.” She puts a hand on his
leg. “Do you understand?”

Lucas looks at her. “Yes.”

“Why are we being attacked?” Jacob demands.

“I was hoping you could tell me. The
Regulians…”

“Who?”

“The Regulians, the race that is attacking your
planet…”

“Earth.” The woman interrupts him.

“What?”

“We call it Earth.”

“Ok the Regulians are attacking the Earth. Why?
They were here at least several days before they attacked.”

“They showed up a week ago, talking to world
leaders… then all of a sudden they attacked. How do you know this?”
Jacob informs him.

Lucas sits up higher, “Two and a half days ago
on a routine patrol we discovered the Regulians warp signature in
the Relinquished zone and decided to investigate. We were still
almost three hours away when they attacked.”

The woman called Cassandra stared at him very
seriously. “Warp….”

“What do they want?” The man called Peter
demands.

”I don’t know, especially out here. The cities I
understand, but here? They’re looking for something.” Jacob jerks
and abruptly walks away.

“
Dad,” Cassandra gets up following him.
Lucas is watching the pair when the communicator on his flight suit
goes off all eyes turn to him.

“Hawk-Dodge…. Hawk-Dodge…”

“Dodge-Hawk.” Lucas replies.

“They’ll be able to track his signal!” Jacob
shouts.

“Give us coordinates and we’ll pick you up.”

Lucas pushes himself off the couch and sees five
sets of eyes watching him. “It’s a rescue ship, I need to get to an
open area so they can land and pick me up.” He tries to take a few
steps and stumbles.

Cassandra walks toward him, “There is a meadow
about a quarter mile southwest of here. I’ll help you get to it.”
Lucas relays the message.

“Cassandra!!”

“Dad someone has too. Peter can’t with his
shoulder and leg like that, the sooner they’re out of here the
sooner the,” She looks at the large man called Lucas, “Regulians
will leave too.” Lucas says nothing.

“Bend your arm and put it on this shoulder.” She
instructs him as she takes his large right arm and puts it on her
left shoulder.

“This isn’t going to work. You’re too
small.”

“It’s what got you here so it should get you
back.” Cassandra replies testily. “I won’t be long Dad. Let’s
go.”

“Cassandra,” She turns around looking at her
father, “I love you.” She smiles.

“I love you too Dad. Don’t burn anymore
pancakes.” The large man and small woman work their way out the
door.

Entering the forest his communicator goes off
again. “Hawk this is Falcon respond.”