Beyond Mars Crimson Fleet by RG Risch Page B

nutrients as well as being in the most optimum condition.
Remember Armon, it is me they're feeding. You wouldn't feast on a
piece of slimy fat gathered from the gutter of the street, would
you? Besides, it should be of little concern. You control
Administrator Arnett, and she controls the bureau," Ektos
defended.
    "How do you think I'm
managing this now?" Quinton argued. "Eventually both the parliament
and the council will press for an investigation with Blake will
leading the charge! And I won't be able to stop it!"
    Ektos laughed. "You take
things way too seriously, Armon. Opportunity knocks and you do not
hear it."
    "What do you mean?" the man
was puzzled.
    "Let me explain then,"
Ektos was confident. "I think it's apparent that the Martians had
help with their little rebellion. I would not be surprised if
Councilman Blake was one of these traitors. Perhaps, he had his own
daughter murdered for fear of being exposed by her. And who knows
what other traitors lay within the council and parliament as well.
A man of strength and vision would recognize this opportunity—and
seize it! What do you think, Armon?"
    Quinton's fears began to
abate as he thought about what Ektos suggested.
    "And all the others who
vanished?" Quinton asked.
    "As for the others, they probably had pro-Martian
sentiments as well. Knowing of this, it is safe to assume that they
fled from Earth with their Martian friends."
    A smile of relief slowly
formed on Quinton's mouth, and he nodded in agreement. Armon began
to surge with a newfound courage. "With the right spin, and a
little manufactured and well-placed evidence, it wouldn't be
difficult to prove that at all! You’re right, I can turn this to my
advantage!"
    Flashing a broad smile and
an assured look, Quinton quickly turned and vanished back through
the wall: a man with a mission not to be deterred.
    After Quinton left the
chamber, Logos sealed the entrance from within.
    "Why do we need to tolerate
this fool?" Logos questioned his master.
    "We do need him right now.
Although time is really inconsequential, his importance will end
shortly. However, do remember that he does provide the necessary
distractions we need to complete our work in secret."
    "Let him
war with the Martians and play the stupidity of politics with his
government. It is we who act decisively. In this hour, our
production facilities for the Mort-Hia have just conceived the first
batch. And we have secured a great quantity of meitnerium, lonsdaleite , and baryonic dark matter
for our dimensional gravitational accelerators and portal ships,
which are now under construction. When the moment is right, the
universe will bow to us and become our tool." Ektos chuckled. "Yes,
we do need him now—but only for a little while
longer."
    Logos smirked with his
vaporous features and hoped that he would be the one to slaughter
the human named Armon Quinton.
     
     
    * * * * *
     
     

Chapter 6: By
Storm
     
    Although
Commander Paladin stood before the Mariner's main viewer with his arms
folded in a confident stance, his mind, however, was distraught. As
he surveyed the vast collection of transport vessels assembling
amid the Martian warships, he was concerned with the amount of time
the entire process was taking. The deployment of his warships was
dictated by his convoy experiences to distant worlds, affording
maximum protection to the unarmed vessels. Yet, he knew it would
surely not be enough should any of Earth's main battle fleets
appear. Time was now his enemy.
    "Mr. Winslow, give the order for the fleet to get
under way immediately."
    "Sir, not all ships are in position yet," Winslow
excused with cautioned.
    "We've wasted too much time here already. They'll
just have to manage the best they can."
    "Aye, Sir," Winslow's face
betrayed a downcast look while his voice lacked any
eagerness.
    Paladin cast a suspicious
eye at his subordinate. "You seem a bit distressed, Mr. Winslow.
What's on your mind?"
    The junior officer just stood