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  “How are they expecting to win if they have such poor field awareness?” Stephen mused. He lifted his rifle to his shoulder, and allowed the HUD to track his aiming.

  Then he started shooting.

  “Beats the fuck out of me.” Bethany Anne kept walking determinedly toward the pyramid and the noises the mechanical tanks were making.

  “Where are you going?” Stephen asked over his shoulder.

  “I want one of those Gott Verdammt tanks!” she told him.

  Inbound G’laxix Sphaea-class Warship

  Lance looked at his helmet HUD. “Can you believe she and her team have destroyed over thirty-two percent of the tangos on this world?”

  “Yes.” Dan nodded toward a screen. “If it wasn’t for the miscommunication, she would probably have taken out all of the ones around her location.”

  Lance didn’t comment on that. He had seven ships with him, all of them loaded with Guardians, Guardian Marines and special tactical operatives. They were three minutes from her location.

  He opened a channel. “General Lance Reynolds to Empress Bethany Anne. The cavalry is about to arrive.”

  It took a second for Bethany Anne to reply. “Well, don’t shoot us when you get here, cause that will put an exclamation mark on a piss-poor day so far.”

  Lance pinpointed her location. “Bethany Anne, I’m showing you and your team at the bottom of the pyramid. Just what the hell are you doing?”

  “General, blowing these sonsabitches to kingdom-fucking-come,” she answered.

  “Well, I’ll be damned.” Dan sighed, exasperated. “Lance, you need to see this.”

  Lance turned to look where Dan was pointing.

  Down below, three Leath mechs were turning every which way, blasting the shit out of the tangos on the ground.

  “How the hell,” Dan asked, “did she and her team take over those mechanicals?”

  Lance shook his head. “I can imagine she used brute strength, force of will, and lots and lots of cheating by an AI and a Kurtherian,” he answered.

  Frank came up to the two men and looked out the window. “If you ain’t cheating.”

  Dan and Lance finished it. “You ain’t trying.”

  Epilogue

  Three weeks later - QBBS Meredith Reynolds

  Bethany Anne was holding John Michael and cooing. She smiled when the little guy reached up and grabbed her nose.

  “Ow…ow ow ow!” She pulled her head back. “He has a hell of a grip!” She smiled at Lance and Patricia as they walked into the Royal Suite. “What’s the latest, Dad?” she asked as the baby started to cry.

  “The gate has yet to return. Ricky Bobby has sent back two more reports, and frankly, we need to get our asses in gear,” he told her.

  Bethany Anne nodded. She handed John Michael to Patricia when she came over to her. There had never been a baby born Patricia couldn’t quiet down.

  “Bethany Anne!” Her dad got her attention. She moved closer. “I want to apologize for our part in the debacle on the planet. We knew you wanted in the fight, but we felt we knew how to protect you and deal with the planet by ourselves. You probably saved twice as many lives as our plan would have, by getting them to fight away from the cities.”

  Bethany Anne blew out a breath. “Yes, we all handled it poorly. I felt I needed to fight so badly that I wasn’t going to take any shit from anyone. Then I got most of our weapons and ammunition flattened, and had to call for help.” She chewed on her lip. “It was damned embarrassing.”

  Lance chuckled. “We found you and your team in stolen mechs shooting the hell out of the Leath.” He eyed his daughter a moment. “Did you release the drone videos?”

  Her eyes narrowed. “What videos?”

  Lance spoke louder. “Meredith?”

  “Yes, General Reynolds?”

  “Can you put the in-system network news videos related to Bethany Anne and the battles up on the wall?”

  The two of them turned to watch as Meredith played a series of seven videos detailing Bethany Anne and her team’s efforts to kill the Leath.

  “Who the hell authorized those to be released?” she asked.

  “Cheryl Lynn,” Meredith answered.

  Bethany Anne put a hand over her eyes. “Of course she did.”

  “For what it is worth,” Lance told her, “I approved it.”

  She never took her hand away from her eyes. “Of course you did.” She opened a space between her fingers and peeked at her dad. “Why?”

  “Because when you are able to negotiate from a position of strength, it helps, politically,” he admitted. “And too many were forgetting the reason the Etheric Empire was created in the first place. You have to warn those we will meet in the future that we have a history of doing stuff like this.” He pointed to the video.

  Lance turned back to the wall. “Reynolds, show us the latest Leath video.”

  Bethany Anne’s eyes widened when she saw the clips of the Leath planet, built up over time, and showing a city that stretched from horizon to horizon. Then she inhaled as massive space stations came into view around the planet. Moments later, warships could be seen in space, as well as many more under construction.

  She turned to her father. “That’s a lot of ships, Dad.”

  Lance agreed. “At last count, more than seventy-two had been completed and at least seven are under construction. And that is just those we can see, not counting the ships currently being used for invasions.” He nodded to the images. “That’s a lot of power, a lot of might.”

  “Do we have the location of their system?” she asked, her eyes focused on the video.

  “We do.”

  Bethany Anne nodded. “Well then, the Etheric Empire is about to start building the shit out of ships and everything else we need to crush them.”

  She turned to her father, who noticed tiny red embers in the centers of her eyes. “Because they might have faith in their gods, but that faith is built on Kurtherian lies.”

  “How are you planning on explaining that?” he asked.

  “Who needs to explain anything?” she replied. “They think might makes right, so I’m going to shove my size sevens up their asses until my toes tickle their tonsils and they understand what might really is.”

  Bethany Anne turned as Patricia came up to them. “But for tonight, Patricia and I have babysitting duty while Eric and Gabrielle enjoy their anniversary.”

  “And what do I have?” Lance asked.

  “Diaper duty!” the ladies chorused as Bethany Anne reached for John Michael.

  FINIS

  Author Notes - Michael Anderle

  Written July 1st, 2017

  Location location location…

  This year, our two youngest sons graduated high school. For their graduation present, and a last ‘hurrah’ as a family before they go off to college, we chose to take a very long vacation in Europe. The idea was to get them accustomed to different peoples, different countries and understand THEY can be on their own in strange places.

  The problem was the vacation was 19 days.

  Almost three weeks.

  And I was KILLED the last time it took me 8 weeks between books. Plus, the latest release was a Michael book which meant it was a LONG time between Bethany Anne books.

  Ok, that meant this vacation was going to be a working vacation. Which isn’t that big a deal, as I’ve been writing TKG books on trips since the beginning. I wrote parts of Death Becomes Her in a car trip from DFW to Lousiana (going to the Casino’s…shhhh!)

  I wrote parts of Queen Bitch on airplanes and in airports from DFW to Phoenix Arizona and back.

  I wrote parts of Love Lost in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico (and on the plane trips there and back.)

  However, this is the FIRST time I’ve written a book all over the world (sort of).

  So, I give you parts of my itenerary where this book was written. Maybe some of you will know of these locations (or maybe I’ll just go back in five years and think…was i
t room 1238 or room 1328???)

  Here are most of the locations FOREVER DEFEND was typed out.

  Chapter’s 1-3 include Las Vegas, Nevada, DFW, Texas, (USA)

  Then, I wrote a scene out of order…

  Chapter 23 (Beginning of the defending) - Starbucks and 7th floor room - Hotel Catalonia, Barcelona, Spain.

  Chapter 3 - Hotel Catelonia, 1st floor, balcony (next to the pool) #108, Barcelona, Spain.

  Chapter 4 - Seawall, Port of Barcelona (Mediterranian) & Speed Train from Barcelona, To Madrid, Spain (leaving Track 02, Car #3)

  Chapters 5-6 Madrid, Spain and Plane from Madrid to Roma, Italy.

  SIDE NOTE:

  Why The Bad Company? I was listening to the following song when it was time to name them: Five Finger Death Punch, The Wrong Side of Heaven, The Right Side of Hell Volume 01 Motherfuckers!

  “I was born with a shotgun…in my hand…”

  Chapters 7,8 - Rome & Train from Rome to Venice, Italy + Duodo Hotel, Venice (#604)

  Chapters 9 - Plane from Venice to Paris, France (lost voice)

  Chapter 10, 11, 12, 13 - Paris, France - (123 Hotel - Room 501)

  Sick as a dog the last couple of days. Slept a lot, trying to catch up.

  Chapter 14 - Eurostar between Paris and London

  (Shi-tan scene was partially written while speeding under the English Channel)

  Chapters 15,16 - Park Plaza Hotel, Westminster Bridge suite 1328

  Chapter 17 - (first part done in DFW, Texas in May

  later two scenes done in Taxi from London to Surrey, and trian from Surrey back to London

  Chapters 18-23

  Flight from London to DFW, Texas

  Chapters 24, 25 were both written at home on Monday, June 26th

  (while suffering a little bit from jet-lag. ;-)

  I want to take a moment and THANK THE HELL out of all of you who are writing reviews on any and all books (whether a Kurtherian Book or another author, anywhere and anytime.) We appreciate what you do! (Yes, we read them and weep sometimes, but that’s the way the cookie crumbles.)

  I want to think the Beta Readers, Editors and JIT team for their support, working in the background to help produce a book with WAY fewer mistakes. I keep the credit for any that are still in the story. If you find one, we take ‘oops’ at [email protected].

  If you have read the Ascension Series…You know this isn’t the final series for Bethany Anne - she has one more to go … just saying.

  Now, to get started on Might Makes Right - The Kurtherian Gambit #18!

  *** I haven’t said this in a while, but here goes: “Any and all shoe knowledge credit goes to my wife, because without her, I would be lost trying to explain anything about Bethany Anne and shoes…”

  Michael Anderle

  Kurtherian Gambit Series Titles Include:

  First Arc

  Death Becomes Her (01) - Queen Bitch (02) - Love Lost (03) - Bite This (04)

  Never Forsaken (05) - Under My Heel (06) Kneel Or Die (07)

  Second Arc

  We Will Build (08) - It’s Hell To Choose (09) - Release The Dogs of War (10)

  Sued For Peace (11) - We Have Contact (12) - My Ride is a Bitch (13)

  Don’t Cross This Line (14)

  Third Arc (Due 2017)

  Never Submit (15) - Never Surrender (16) - Forever Defend (17)

  Might Makes Right (18) - Ahead Full (19) - Capture Death (20)

  Life Goes On (21)

  **New Series**

  The Second Dark Ages

  The Dark Messiah (01)

  The Dark Knight (02)

  The Boris Chronicles

  * With Paul C. Middleton *

  Evacuation

  Retaliation

  Revelation

  Restitution 2017

  Reclaiming Honor

  * With JUSTIN SLOAN *

  Justice Is Calling (01)

  Claimed By Honor (02)

  Judgement Has Fallen (03)

  Angel of Reckoning (04)

  The Etheric Academy

  * With TS PAUL *

  ALPHA CLASS (01)

  ALPHA CLASS - Engineering (02)

  ALPHA CLASS (03) Coming soon

  Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles

  * With CRAIG MARTELLE *

  Nomad Found (01)

  Nomad Redeemed (02)

  Nomad Unleashed (03)

  Nomad Supreme (04)

  Nomad’s Fury (05)

  Nomad’s Justice (06)

  Nomad Avenged (07)

  Nomad Mortis (08)

  Trials and Tribulations

  * With Natalie Grey *

  Risk Be Damned (01)

  Damned to Hell (02)

  Hell’s Worst Nightmare (03) coming soon

  The Ascension Myth

  * With Ell Leigh Clarke *

  Awakened (01)

  Activated (02)

  Called (03)

  The Rise of Magic

  * With CM Raymond / LE Barbant *

  Restriction (01)

  Reawakening (02)

  Rebellion (03)

  Revolution (04)

  The Age of Magic

  The Hidden Magic Chronicles

  * With Justin Sloan *

  Shades of Light (01)

  Storms of Magic

  *With PT Hylton*

  Storms Raiders (01)

  SHORT STORIES

  Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 01 (7.5)

  You Don’t Mess with John’s Cousin

  Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (9.5)

  Bitch’s Night Out

  Frank Kurns Stories of the Unknownworld 02 (13.25)

  With Natalie Grey

  Bellatrix

  AudioBooks

  CLICK HERE TO SEE ALL LMPBN BOOKS ON AUDIBLE

  Available at Audible.com and iTunes

  The Kurtherian Gambit

  Death Becomes Her - Available Now

  Queen Bitch – Available Now

  Love Lost – Available Now

  Bite This - Available Now

  Never Forsaken - Available Now

  Under My Heel - Available Now

  Reclaiming Honor Series

  Justice Is Calling

  Claimed By Honor

  Judgment Has Fallen

  Angel of Reckoning

  Terry Henry “TH” Walton Chronicles

  Nomad Found

  Nomad Redeemed

  Nomad Unleashed

  The Etheric Academy

  Alpha Class

  Alpha Class 2

  Anthologies

  Glimpse

  Honor in Death

  (Michael’s First Few Days)

  Beyond the Stars: At Galaxy's Edge

  Tabitha’s Vacation