Crossroads of Fate (Cadicle #5): An Epic Space Opera Series by Amy DuBoff Page A

with an incoming message. Wil opened the audio channel.
    “This is fleet command,” said a weary female voice. “What is your destination?”
    “This is Agent Wil Sietinen. I’m en route to see High Commander Taelis.”
    A pause. “One moment.” The comm channel muted.
    Wil rolled his eyes.
    Saera’s brow knit with exaggerated sympathy. “They need your logistical skills more desperately than we ever imagined,” she joked.
    The comm channel reconnected. “So sorry, sir. The docking coordinates have been sent to your nav computer. The High Commander will meet you at the gangway.”
    “Thank you.” Wil ended the transmission. “I wonder what all that was about.” They should be far more organized than this—something is definitely off.
    “We’ll find out soon enough.”
    Wil piloted the shuttle to the designated docking coordinates. They passed by dozens of vessels of various classifications. Some looked brand new, but others had charred sections, or were even missing components. He suppressed a wave of anxiety. We’re in a war zone now. This will be a common sight.
    When the clamps were securely on the hull, Wil powered down the shuttle and exited with Saera.
    They had walked half the distance down the gangway when Wil spotted Taelis and some of his officers coming to greet them. He recognized the Lead Agent, Connor Ramsen, and several of the other officers from his previous visits, but there were also some new faces. They all looked tired and distraught, but they smiled with genuine happiness at the sight of Wil.
    “Hi, Wil. It’s good to see you again,” Taelis said as they approached. 
    “Hello, sir. You, as well.” Wil placed his hand on the small of Saera’s back. “This is my wife, Saera.”
    “Yes, of course. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Taelis raised his hand in greeting, in the traditional Tararian custom. “You’re even lovelier in person.”
    Saera bobbed her head. “Thank you, sir.”
    Taelis sighed, deflating a little. “Please forgive the modest welcome for you and your men.”
    “Well, my men are still on the Vanquish,” Wil replied. “There didn’t seem to be a docking space for anything larger than our transport shuttle.”
    “Yes, sorry about that.” Taelis sighed again. “It’s been a tough few days.”
    Looking closer at the faces of Taelis and his officers, Wil noticed a deep weariness. Something definitely happened . “What’s going on?”
    Taelis hesitated and looked to Ramsen.
    “I’m here now. For you,” Wil reminded them.
    Taelis nodded. “Four days ago, there was an uprising on Kaldern, one of the border worlds we use as a TSS outpost. The planetary shield was disabled by the time the Bakzen attacked. We were completely outnumbered and had to retreat. A quarter of the vessels here are those that survived the attack, and we can barely accommodate the influx. We’ve been trying to reestablish our position, but resources are limited.”
    They didn’t want to reassign anything they had set aside for me , Wil realized. “I’ll assess the situation as soon as I’m briefed on the details.”
    Taelis nodded. “Well, we don’t have a lot of time. Let’s get you up to speed.” He gathered himself. “We have a lot to go over, but I’d like to start out with a bit of good news. We have a flagship for you.”
    “Oh?” I would have liked to be involved in the design.
    Taelis’ lips parted in a slight smile. “It’s easier if I just show you. The engineering team is very excited.”
    “All right, let’s see it.”
    “We’ll meet you in the War Room,” Taelis told his officers. “This way,” he said to Wil and Saera, leading them down the hall toward one of the elevators.
    They took the elevator up several levels and then followed the corridor around to another section of the spacedock. As they came around a bend in the hallway, a ship came into view. Wil immediately recognized the distinctive telekinetic relay band around the perimeter of the