Galactic Empire Wars: Rebellion (The Galactic Empire Wars Book 3) by Raymond L. Weil

as
the warning about the impending attack from the Kleese they gave us years back.
Some of those races will surely see the wisdom of joining us. That’s why we’re
taking the fleet and making this final push to form the Alliance.”
    “We can only
hope they see the wisdom of joining,” Adamson said, drawing in a sharp breath.
“How long will it take to make the modifications to the Constellation’s missile
tubes?”
    “Six days,”
Marken answered. “A group of Kivean and Human technicians will start on it
later today.”
    “Ethan Hall
told me earlier that the three new battlecruisers will be ready for their
trials in three more days,” Wade added. “Their crews have already been selected
and gone through extensive training.”
    “Most of those
will be newbies,” groaned Shepherd, shaking her head.
    “We managed to
transfer some experienced people also,” Wade informed them. “Can you get them knocked
into shape in time for us to leave in four weeks?”
    “It’ll be
tough, but we can do additional training on the way to the nonaligned worlds,” Adamson
answered as he thought over what would be needed to bring the crews up to
acceptable operational levels. “I’ll schedule a meeting with their commanding
officers for later today.”
    -
    Later, Marken,
Beth, and Wade toured the cloning facility. Over the years, it had grown into a
massive complex as slightly over one hundred thousand clones a year were now
being produced and imprinted with basic Human knowledge. It was also heavily
guarded and admittance was restricted to authorized personnel only.
    They were in
an observation room where they could watch the new clones being awakened.
Medical personnel, both Human and Kivean were in the room below dressed in
sterile white gowns as they helped the new Humans take their first steps.
    A dozen
cloning chambers had been brought into the room and were in the process of
being opened. Each chamber contained a fully grown clone and was filled with a
gas that resembled a heavy fog. The gas was pumped out and then the top of the
chamber was opened.
    “They look so
helpless,” Beth murmured as she watched a female take her first hesitant steps and
then look at the attending nurse with a pleased and excited look.
    “I hate that
they miss out on their childhood,” added Wade, thinking about all of those
childhood memories he treasured. They had helped to make and mold him into the
person he was today. The clones missed out on that important aspect of life.
    “We implant
some basic memories about growing up,” Marken informed them as he watched the
awakening process going on in the room. He had lost track of how many
awakenings he had attended over the last six years. Each day, nearly two hundred
and seventy-five clones were awakened and processed.
    “What’s the
failure rate?” asked Wade, shifting his gaze to Marken. He knew that not all awakenings
were successful.
    “Less than two
percent,” Marken answered in a sad voice. “For some reason, a small percentage
of the clones won’t take the imprinting process and their bodies fail as soon
as we attempt the awakening process. Harnett is working on a solution, but
she’s still mystified by what’s causing the problem.”
    Wade nodded,
it was not common knowledge that nearly two thousand clones a year never awoke
and their bodies had to be disposed of. If it were, the public outcry against
the clones would only increase.
    “What is the
procedure once a clone has been successfully awakened?” Beth asked curiously,
looking over at Marken. This was the first time she'd been allowed to watch the
awakening process.
    “For the first
month, the clones stay with surrogate Human parents who help them with their
emotional development. After the first month, they’re transferred to a dormitory
with twenty other clones where they’re closely monitored. They go through
classes taught by Humans and their Human surrogate parents stop by periodically
to check up on