Might Makes Right (The Kurtherian Gambit Book 18) Read online

  CONTENTS

  Dedication

  Legal

  Social Links

  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

  Author's Notes

  Series List

  DEDICATION

  To Family, Friends and

  Those Who Love

  To Read.

  May We All Enjoy Grace

  To Live The Life We Are

  Called.

  MIGHT MAKES RIGHT

  The Kurtherian Gambit 18 Team

  Beta Editor / Readers

  Bree Buras (Aussie Awesomeness)

  Timothy Cox (The Myth)

  Tom Dickerson (The man)

  S Forbes (oh yeah!)

  Dorene Johnson (US Navy (Ret) & DD)

  Dorothy Lloyd (Teach you to ask…Teacher!)

  Diane Velasquez (Chinchilla lady & DD)

  JIT Beta Readers

  Erika Daly

  Paul Westman

  John Findlay

  James Caplan

  Kimberly Boyer

  Keith Verret

  Peter Manis

  Kelly ODonnell

  John Raisor

  Alex Wilson

  Sherry Foster

  Melissa OHanlon

  Mike Pendergrass

  Thomas Ogden

  Micky Cocker

  If I missed anyone, please let me know!

  Editors

  Stephen Russell

  Lynne Stiegler

  Thank you to the following Special Consultants

  for MIGHT MAKES RIGHT

  Jeff Morris - US Army - Asst Professor Cyber-Warfare, Nuclear Munitions (Active)

  MIGHT MAKES RIGHT (this book) is a work of fiction.

  All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Sometimes both.

  Copyright © 2017 Michael T. Anderle

  Cover by Jeff Brown (http://jeffbrowngraphics.com)

  Cover copyright © LMBPN Publishing

  Internal Artwork © 2017 Michael T. Anderle Drawn by Eric Quigley

  LMBPN Publishing supports the right to free expression and the value of copyright. The purpose of copyright is to encourage writers and artists to produce the creative works that enrich our culture.

  The distribution of this book without permission is a theft of the author’s intellectual property. If you would like permission to use material from the book (other than for review purposes), please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your support of the author’s rights.

  LMBPN Publishing

  PMB 196, 2540 South Maryland Pkwy

  Las Vegas, NV 89109

  First US edition, August 2017

  The Kurtherian Gambit (and what happens within / characters / situations / worlds) are copyright © 2017 by Michael T. Anderle.

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  I hope you enjoy the book!

  Michael Anderle - 2017.

  CHAPTER ONE

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Mark Billingsley, Four Months since First Battle of Karillia

  The two women set up near their favorite tree. It had grown in the years since they had first used it as a backdrop for their reports, but it was still recognizable.

  The woman in front of the camera ran a hand through her hair as the other winked at her from behind her HUD Reporting setup.

  Not that Giannini could see Sia’s wink.

  There were a total of five drone cameras around Sia, the one high overhead setting the shot. Giannini was always amazed at Sia’s ability to control so much.

  “Hello,” Giannini began. “My name is Giannini Oviedo, and I’m coming to you from Mark Billingsley Park located inside the QBBS Meredith Reynolds, currently on station within the Etheric Empire. This is our last report before additional Etheric Empire ships depart to support the Karillians in their fight with the Leath. You will remember that the Etheric Empire supported the Karillians efforts to stay free from the Kurtherian backed Leath.”

  Outside the range of the cameras, two men glided through the trees, their eyes searching everywhere for anyone or anything that might suggest the two women were in danger.

  Giannini continued speaking, her voice dubbed over video footage of a battle. “We will be conducting an interview with the Empress later today, but for now, we were able to confirm that the videos which have circulated of her on the Yaree or, more properly, the Karillian home world, are unaltered. Empress Bethany Anne, Stephen, Gabrielle, John Grimes, Eric Escobar, Darryl Jackson and Scott English are seen in these videos fighting the Leath from an odd pyramid structure in a jungle.”

  Sia cut back to Giannini only. "The following scenes were provided by Cheryl Lynn, and were taken from the HUDs of those fighting.” Giannini looked straight into the camera.

  “If you are bothered by graphic scenes of violence and death, please turn to a different channel right now.”

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Main Military Meeting Room

  “We are,” Admiral Thomas stated in answer to Bethany Anne’s question, “outmatched in numbers. Best estimate is they have us by fifty percent in new production and eighty percent on existing tonnage.”

  The Admiral listened to an update from his earpiece, thought about his response and added, “The Leath ships are, class by class, close but not equivalent to our capabilities. However, with their numbers and a bit of luck, they could take us in a major action so long as it is not here in our system. We are dropping puck defense satellites as quickly as we can right now.”

  “How many attacks,” Bethany Anne asked, “have we sustained on Karillia in the last four months?”

  “Three,” he answered. While both of them knew these numbers, the operations people in the large meeting room needed to be reminded of them again. They should have all this information as well, since the updates for each attack by the Leath into Karillian space were shared with all relevant personnel, but question sessions like these reminded everyone about the issues at hand.

  Bethany Anne raised an eyebrow. “Timing?”

  “Exactly twenty-two-point-four days apart.”

  “Another one coming in?” she asked.

  “Three days, four hours, twelve minutes.”

  Bethany Anne paused a moment.

  TOM, why are they so predictable?

  The Phraim-’Eh clan are very regimented in their belief system. However, that major clan is broken down into five smaller clans. One of them, the K’gurth, is regimented to a fault.

  That is a Kurtherian a
ssessment?

  No. That is a Kurtherian-with-years-and-years-of-working-with-humans assessment. Most Kurtherians would only see the symmetry of the math and revel in it. We would, perhaps, love the math and believe that it is sacrosanct, deciding that to mess with it would disparage its meaning.

  So they won’t change?

  We don’t know that it is the K’gurth clan. It might be one of the other four. Even so, it depends on how much the Leath themselves believe in the rightness of the plan before they contemplate changing it.

  Well, it’s annoying, they could change it at any time.

  Very.

  She spoke to the group. “TOM says that the clan of Kurtherians that is most likely behind the Leath revel in the symmetry of their math. However, we can’t absolutely depend on them remaining so regimented since the Leath themselves have some leeway with what they choose to do.

  “Well, that’s annoying,” General Lance Reynolds grumped.

  “Very,” Admiral Thomas agreed, to the general chuckles of the group. A dependable opponent was a godsend. A dependable opponent who could change when you most needed them to stay dependable was an invitation to have your ass handed to you at the worst possible moment.

  Hey. That’s what we said!

  Like father, like daughter, she replied.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Guardians' Workout Area

  Ashur dodged to his left, jaws clamping on the wolf’s hind leg. The two of them arrested their momentum as Ashur kept his jaws locked, and it felt like his teeth were about to be ripped out of his jaws.

  The two canine bodies slammed to the floor. Over at the side, Peter winced at the sound.

  “That had to hurt,” Todd commented, followed by Peter’s nod of agreement.

  “Hold!” Peter called. “Change, Tim,” he ordered the wolf. A moment later, a very large man replaced the wolf on the ground. The white German Shepherd barked.

  Tim turned towards Ashur. “No,” he told him. “I’m fine, but that was a hell of a grab.” He flexed his rapidly healing leg, stretching it out and back a couple of times. “See? Good as new, buddy!”

  Peter tossed a pair of sweatpants to Tim, who slid them on after he stood up. “For a dog, you're wicked fast.”

  Tim raised an eyebrow as Ashur barked to him, “Yeah? No fucking wonder. Glad it’s your ass that has to work out with the Empress, not mine!”

  Ashur’s chuff caused all of them to laugh in sympathy with the canine. With everyone having the latest updates and upgrades in their implants, they could understand both the parents and the pups easily, plus any other alien languages the Etheric Empire ran into.

  “Ok, Ashur.” Peter smiled evilly, looking at the German Shepherd.

  Ashur cocked his head sideways. OH, DAMN! he thought, that expression means trouble for me.

  Tim looked at Peter as he turned and yelled, “Jian!”

  Over on the far side of the workout gym, a Chinese man turned to look in their direction. “Cat time!” Peter called and Jian nodded, starting to jog over to their position.

  Ashur whined as both Peter and Tim chuckled.

  Someone please get me the body armor! Ashur chuffed.

  Peter smiled as he headed toward the wall. Bethany Anne had told him Ashur was trying to get away with working out without his armor, but he needed to learn that while it was constricting, it was necessary. It had taken Ashur exactly one match with Jian to learn he didn’t enjoy healing from cat claws ripping through his side.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Mark Billingsley Park

  Samuel walked over to the three adults standing by the tree. Richard turned to him, “Anything?”

  “Like there would be anything going on in the middle of the Meredith Reynolds!” Sia told the two of them.

  The brief flash of pain across Richard’s face caused Sia to remember. To Richard, Mark’s death hadn't been that long ago. The vampires remembered, and they still felt the pain.

  Especially Richard. Why, Sia had yet to understand. She had tried to talk with him about it, but he had been reticent. She then cornered Samuel instead and he admitted that Richard had seen a piece of himself in Mark and had liked him much more than any other normal human in a century or more.

  Plus, at his core Richard was a romantic and he had wanted to see the two of them hook up. Or Mark and Giannini; Richard wasn’t particular.

  “So,” she had asked Samuel, “he’s like a blood-drinking Cupid?”

  Samuel’s eyes had lit up at that, and Sia put her hands on his chest. “Don’t you dare tell Richard I said that!” She'd eyed his mischievous grin. “I swear I’ll think of something to cause you …” Here, Sia had to stop talking a moment and think the threat through. Samuel had been trading practical jokes with people for centuries.

  What the hell could you do to embarrass someone who wouldn’t care if he walked naked through a book-reading event held by a bunch of nuns?

  She'd narrowed her eyes. “I’ll tell Gabrielle a complete lie that will cause her to come looking for you.”

  That had caused Samuel’s smile to disappear. “Sia,” he sniffed, looking down at the young woman, “I applaud your Machiavellian ways. You have graduated to sophomore status.”

  At that he had turned and walked away, and Sia had realized she was proud of herself. That feeling lasted for about a second, until she realized he had never promised her he wouldn’t say anything to Richard.

  Dammit!

  Sia came back to the present and offered a smile to the two men. “We appreciate you signing up to help us with this project.

  “You aren’t just reporting here, are you?” Richard looked between the women.

  Giannini answered, “No, I think this is going to open everything up for the Etheric Empire. For the last few years everything has been about internal issues, specifically the Yollin assholes or the other governments which have attacked us. This time we are sending ships to another planet.”

  Samuel shrugged. “We’ve sent out our ships before,” he told her. “What’s different this time?”

  “Pirates,” Sia answered as she turned and started packing away the drones. “All those other times pirates caused the Empire’s military to leave our little area. Now those who feared we would start expanding are going to flail their arms.

  Sia paused, then clarified, “Or tentacles or claws or whatever sort of appendages they have.”

  Richard pursed his lips. “You two have experience with this?” He flicked his eyes to Samuel, who nodded

  “Humanity has,” Giannini told them. “Sia and I have spent a good while on Yoll and Straiphus tracking down stories, and we have come to realize that the universal glue that holds us together isn’t genetics.” She noticed the look that said, "Go on already" from her two friends. “It’s self-interest.”

  “Which,” Sia picked up her drone case and stood, “if it is a hive-mind-type alien, just means the self-interest is on a larger scale.”

  Samuel took a second to sweep his eyes through his sector. “Hope we don’t see any large creatures with a hive-mind attitude.”

  The two ladies stared at him. “You know,” Sia told him, “I had forgotten how you could take a somewhat normal thought and make it far worse.”

  Samuel shrugged. “When you live hundreds of years, you experience a lot of bad things.”

  “Only to have life demonstrate it really was fucking with you,” Richard finished. “Which is why we continue to watch for threats, even on the Meredith Reynolds."

  Sia and Giannini stepped toward the men, who were surprised when the girls gave them each a hug. “I wouldn’t feel any safer with John Grimes around, Richard,” Sia told him, her words muffled by his jacket.

  She could feel his body relax slightly, and then his arm pulled her tight as he hugged her back.

  QBBS Meredith Reynolds, Main Military Meeting Room

  Bethany Anne nodded to her advisors and stood. She turned to the audience, which was made up of second- and third-line management and op
erations personnel. “You have tasks, challenges and opportunities ahead. We came out here to find and stop the Kurtherians, if at all possible.” She stepped away from her chair and walked toward the front of the long table, looking up at the rows of faces gazing back at her.

  “Unfortunately the Leath are stronger than us, and frankly are on a better war footing. Right now, them being anal-retentive about timing is giving us a chance to restrict the fight to the Karillian System. The Yaree are pulling their people home, those they can take away from trade. That means we have the monumental task of training a race who needs to grow a little backbone. We are that backbone, for the moment.”

  Bethany Anne looked around. “It’s time to kick our efforts into overdrive, people. I encourage all of you to go back to your jobs, kick ass, and work with your staffs. We need you to come up with new ideas and new solutions. Find ways we can close the distance between our expected delivery times, and yesterday. Am I understood?"

  “YES, MA’AM!” the crowd yelled back.

  She smiled at them. “Dismissed!”

  She stood at the front and spoke to the few who came up to talk to her. She listened to a few ideas and smiled, sending them to the appropriate person in the organization who would be addressing that problem.

  Lance walked up to her. “Bethany Anne?”

  She turned to him. “Yes, Dad?”

  A couple of the people around her nodded and stepped back. They could tell when it was official business because the General would refer to her by her title, and she would reply in kind. They walked away with smiles on their face; just the little moment of the Empress calling the General her dad made her more human.

  Less of a figurehead.

  “Patricia was wondering if you would have time to stop by this week, maybe touch base on some of her thoughts about the war packages?”

  “Of course,” she told him. “Do we have the archives set up to print the books and comics?” She thought for a moment. “And the cards for the games?”