SERIAL NOVEL

Sidereal Dawn, Ch. 3

Gomorrah

New to Sidereal Dawn? Start with Chapter 1: Mote of Dust

Jaxen watched the beads of sweat forming on the ensign’s forehead. Fresh out of the Academy, he looked terrified as Admiral Kalikov hovered over him, waiting for a response. The microgravity offered the ensign no reprieve. The sweat continued to accumulate until, having reached critical mass, the globules detached one at a time, drifting into the recirculating air.

Poor kid, Daemian thought over a private channel.

Jaxen shot a disproving glance at his friend, careful not to draw Kalikov’s attention to his section of the table.

He looks like he’s waiting for a hole to open up in the shielding and pull him into space.

Don’t joke, Jaxen thought, Kalikov might actually throw him out an airlock. Isn’t this guy one of yours?

“We,” the ensign broke the silence, “don’t know.”

“That is unacceptable, Ensign Smith.” The vein on Kalikov’s forehead pulsed. “You had one job: answer a simple question. Who fired a nuclear warhead at Helios? We face the gravest threat to our existence since the war and you have nothing?”

Daemian cleared his throat. “Admiral, perhaps I can clarify what the ensign means.”