Free The Last Praetorian by Mike Smith

duty demanded of them and bought the Eternal Light the few
minutes that it needed to escape.  Just as he was about to bring the FTL
engines on-line, the Commander recognised an incoming communication from the Imperial
Star.  Tempted to just ignore it, he instead activated the channel.
    The Commodore was no longer smiling and the smirk had long
since left his expression.  Instead the Commodore was complete enraged,
obviously his careful planning and preparation had come to nothing.
    “There is nowhere for you to run to Radec, nobody to help
you!  Give-up and I promise to kill you quickly.  I’ll even promise not to harm
Marcus’s daughter, as you seem to have a soft spot for her,” the Commodore
shrugged.  “I had plans for her, she was to become the first Empress in five
generations, a symbol of a new Empire, a better Empire.”
    “Your Empire?”  Jon added scornfully, “I think not!”
    “You run Radec and I will hunt you down, I’ll hunt you both
down like dogs and I’ll collect your head, Radec!” Harkov bellowed.
    Radec just observed the contemptible officer for a moment,
before making a vow to himself.  Remembering the promise that Elsie made before
her death he vowed to find this disgusting animal; he would hunt for him for
the rest of his days if necessary, and he would kill him.
    With a final glance towards the view-screen, Jon simply
replied. “I’ll be waiting for you.”  As he engaged the FTL engines Jon gave one
final long glance at the aft scanner it reported that the 58 th was
no more.  Jon was all that remained of the squadron, The Last Praetorian.
    *****
    As the Eternal Light disappeared into FTL a hush fell across
the command deck of the Imperial Star.  Every eye was on the Commodore to see
what his reaction would be, but all he did was to swivel around and walk
towards the exit of the command deck.  Half way across the deck he stopped and
turned back towards Captain Pendleton.
    “Captain,” he ordered crisply.  “I want them found.  I’m not
interested in how many resources it takes or the cost, I want them found and I
want them dead.”  Pausing for a moment as if something suddenly occurred to him
he added, “and I want Radec’s head.  He once threatened me that he would behead
me personally, so I will re-pay the favour.  Bring me his head!”  With that the
Commodore left the command deck, leaving only silence in his wake.

Chapter Three
     
    Present Day ( Five Years later)
    Terra Nova, Zeta Aquilae System
     
    The stars shined brightly, with a pure cleansing white light
that seemed to banish the dark and cold of the vastness of space.   Sometimes
Jon could close his eyes and almost feel the stars reaching out to him. Bidding
him to join them, with just one small step his worries would vanish, forever. 
He felt that if he could only reach out, if only for a brief moment and be able
to grasp that light in the palm of his hands, to bring it into his body to let
the light cleanse him maybe he could escape this reality.
    Should a person be forgiven for mistakes made in the
past? Jon mused to himself.  Do I even deserve forgiveness?
    A polite cough interrupted his reverie, reminding him that
he had a guest and that guest was still waiting for his answer.  Jon sighed to
himself, once again wishing that the light could reach out to him and take him
back, back to when he had a purpose and a family....
    Wrenching his thoughts back to the here and now, Jon turned
his back to the stars that he spent so much time lost in and viewed his guest.  The
Magistratus sitting across his desk had not moved in the intervening time; long
past his middling years – his grey hair was showing just a hint of white and he
was leaning heavily on his cane.  An ugly scar marred the right side of his
cheek and the pronounced limp in his right leg was noticeable, as he had
shuffled into the room.
    I wonder what happened to you?  I doubt that you got
those falling out of bed one morning Jon