War of Torment
Praise for
War of Torment
“An intricate tapestry of brilliant threads, War of Torment brings the Droseran Saga to a heart-pounding conclusion. Don’t blink. Don’t miss a word. The action is coming at you at a blinding pace, and in its midst are twists and turns you just won’t see coming.”
—James R. Hannibal, award-winning author of The Lightraider Academy trilogy
“A series as epic as The Droseran Saga demands a stunning conclusion—and War of Torment more than delivered. My expectations were high, but Ronie Kendig still managed to smash them in this satisfying final installment. Grab your tissues and get ready to lose some sleep!”
—Lindsay A. Franklin, award-winning author of The Story Peddler
“An epic conclusion to this stunning series! Strong themes of forgiveness, integrity, and unconditional love will draw the reader in, while alluring characters and masterful worldbuilding will keep them reading to the end!”
—Laura A. Zimmerman, author of the Banshee Song series
Praise for
The Droseran Saga
2020 ACFW Carol Award Winner, Speculative – Brand of Light
2020 Realm Award Winner, Science Fiction – Brand of Light
2020 Alliance Award Winner, Reader’s Choice – Brand of Light
“Kendig weaves suspenseful intergalactic intrigue in the entertaining . . . Droseran Saga series.”
—Publishers Weekly
“This Christian science fiction series is an epic story in the making . . . Readers will eagerly await future books after becoming engaged in Kersei’s redemptive arc.”
—Booklist
“Intricate worlds steeped in rich culture and twisted politics, broken treaties, secret prophecies, and heart-stopping revelations that will keep you turning pages long into the night. Kendig delivers a brilliant blend of pulse-punching action, heartache, and hope . . . A masterpiece.”
—Nadine Brandes, award-winning author of Wishtress
“Kingdoms at war. A galaxy full of intrigue. A heroine you can’t help but cheer for . . . An epic new saga!”
—Tosca Lee, New York Times bestselling author
“Ronie Kendig embodies the very heart of speculative fiction, taking important human issues and exploring them against a backdrop of the most extraordinary circumstances. Kendig’s talent as a writer shines not only in her worldbuilding skills, but also in her ability to craft characters I can connect with on a deep level.”
—Lani Forbes, award-winning author of the Age of the Seventh Sun series
“An adventure that will have readers flying through stars, unraveling conspiracies, and cheering for a diverse cast of characters.”
—Shannon Dittemore, author of Winter, White and Wicked
“Absolutely extraordinary! Kendig has once again proven herself a victor in the realm of the space opera—brilliantly returning readers to a galaxy as captivating as her characters.”
—Lauren H. Brandenburg, author of The Death of Mungo Blackwell and The Marriage of Innis Wilkinson
WAR OF
TORMENT
Books by Ronie Kendig
ABIASSA’S FIRE
Embers
Accelerant
Fierian
THE BOOK OF THE WARS
Storm Rising
Kings Falling
Soul Raging
THE TOX FILES
The Warrior’s Seal (Free Novella)
Conspiracy of Silence
Crown of Souls
Thirst of Steel
DISCARDED HEROES
Nightshade
Digitalis
Wolfsbane
Firethorn
Lygos (Novella)
A BREED APART
Trinity
Talon
Beowulf
THE QUIET PROFESSIONALS
Raptor 6
Hawk
Falcon
Titanis (Novella)
THE METCALFES
Stone
Willow
Range
Brooke
THE DROSERAN SAGA
Brand of Light
Dawn of Vengeance
Shadow of Honor
War of Torment
STANDALONE NOVELS
Operation Zulu Redemption
Dead Reckoning
WAR OF
TORMENT
THE DROSERAN SAGA
BOOK 4
Ronie Kendig
War of Torment
Copyright © 2023 by Ronie Kendig
EPUB Edition
Published by Enclave Publishing, an imprint of Oasis Family Media
Carol Stream, Illinois, USA.
www.enclavepublishing.com
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, digitally stored, or transmitted in any form without written permission from Oasis Family Media.
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any similarity to actual people, organizations, and/or events is purely coincidental.
ISBN: 979-8-88605-038-7 (printed hardback)
ISBN: 979-8-88605-039-4 (printed softcover)
ISBN: 979-8-88605-041-7 (ebook)
Cover design by Kirk DouPonce, www.DogEaredDesign.com
Interior design and typesetting by Jamie Foley, www.JamieFoley.com
Printed in the United States of America.
TO
KIMBERLY GRADELESS
Your friendship has been unexpected and fabulous. I so appreciate the way you (and Jim) came alongside Brian and me during a very difficult time in our lives. Out of that grew a beautiful friendship, filled with laughter and so many similarities we both got creeped out! LOL Truly, I am so grateful to the Lord for planting you in my life for companionship, Bible studying, book-buddy reading, Starbucks, all things green, and La Fogata. Thank you for the many times you have done a rapid-fire read of my book to make sure it wasn’t reclamation-worthy!
Love you, friend!
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Cover
Praise for War of Torment & The Droseran Saga
Half-Title
Books by Ronie Kendig
Title Page
Copyright Page
Dedication
Maps
Chapter 1
Chapter 2
Chapter 3
Chapter 4
Chapter 5
Chapter 6
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Chapter 11
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Chapter 14
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Chapter 17
Chapter 18
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Chapter 21
Chapter 22
Chapter 23
Chapter 24
Chapter 25
Chapter 26
Chapter 27
Chapter 28
Chapter 29
Chapter 30
Chapter 31
Chapter 32
Chapter 33
Chapter 34
Chapter 35
Chapter 36
Chapter 37
Chapter 38
Chapter 39
Chapter 40
Chapter 41
Chapter 42
Chapter 43
Chapter 44
Chapter 45
Chapter 46
Chapter 47
Chapter 48
Chapter 49
Chapter 50
Chapter 51
Chapter 52
Chapter 53
Chapter 54
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
The Droseran Saga
The Abiassa’s Fire Trilogy
Other Novels
01
FIVE DAYS AGO
TSC-C CRONUS, EN ROUTE TO DROSERO
Anticipation tremored in his veins—it had come. The Progenitor’s War had finally arrived.
“Admiral on the bridge!”
“What’s going on? What was that swarm of ships?” Amid grating claxons and pulsing orange lights running around the bulkheads of the Command deck, Fleet Admiral Domitas Deken strode past the offices and conference rooms to the central Command hub of the newly christened Cronus, the flagship of the Symmachian armada. He glared up at the array hovering in the air between him and his handpicked officers, who had been transferred from other ships in the fleet.
“A fleet, sir.” Grim-faced, Captain Lasson Pount stood with the executive officer.
“What fleet?” Domitas demanded. “We have the only fleet in the Quadrants!”
“Unknown, sir.” Commander Wellsey Dimar, onetime XO of the Macedon, recorded the images and waved them to Command. “None we have record of, and the ships are . . .” He frowned at what he saw. “They’re entirely foreign. Fast. Advanced—incredibly so.”
Domitas compared radar to the moments before the arrival of the new ships. “Where’d they come from?”
“As far as we can tell,” Pount said with a shake of his head, “the jumpgate at the Chryzanthe.”
“Can’t be. Baric reported it damaged by that spherical ship.” Never would Domitas forget watching that alien ship explode from the jumpgate and come around, firing. The relay vids of the incident had taken nearly a day to reach the Cronus on its route to Drosero.
>
“Maybe they slipped through in time?” The captain quirked a blond eyebrow.
“Baric said it was damaged beyond repair,” Dimar noted. “Perhaps the ship came through one of the other Sentinels.”
“They’re not operational yet. With Baric’s flair for the dramatic, it’s possible the Chryzanthe isn’t as damaged as he reported.” Probably wanted a way to keep anyone from nosing into whatever he and that alien were doing. Domitas indicated to the array, then flicked the screen, rolling back the time. “Those ships are moving fast.”
“Like we were standing still,” Dimar noted.
“Any idea where they’re headed?”
“I’ll calculate,” Pount said, tapping on a console, then nodding at the results that splashed through the air between them. “Course and speed suggest a trajectory for Drosero. In fact”—his fingers flew over the console—“the exact same course the first craft took.”
“We think,” Dimar added with a look to Domitas. “The engine signature of the first craft is so slight that, while we can confirm that fleet followed its course, we cannot say if they ended up at the same place.”
Not comforting. “Do we have a lock on the sphere’s final destination?”
“Speculation only, sir.”
Domitas waited for said speculation, and when neither officer expounded, he lifted his brows. “Is there a problem?”
Pount and Dimar exchanged glances before the XO sighed. “Long-range scans suggest it entered Droseran orbit, but since we have yet to hear from the Damocles, we don’t know if those projections are accurate.”
Drosero. This war sure was waking up the ’verse, wasn’t it?
Damocles had been running recon and made it farther into Herakles, so he’d tasked Vice Admiral Acrisius, a man he trusted and respected, to park over Drosero and wear them down with limited, focused engagements. The fighters and Eidolon had put out a solid effort in prep for the arrival of the Cronus with the rest of the fleet.
Still, Domitas needed more intel. “Lieutenant Loren, any comms chatter from those ships?”
“No, Admiral,” the petite brunette said from her station. “We’ve been poring over radars and pinging, but nothing. And I mean . . . nothing. It’s strange, sir.”
“Agreed.” Domitas reviewed radar and intelligence reports on this incursion by an unknown. “You don’t blow into the Quadrants with an entire fleet and not communicate your intent to the local armada.”
“Maybe they tried,” Pount suggested.
“Maybe.” Dimar jutted his jaw to the array. “Clearly, they’re advanced. I mean, with their speed and the long-range scans of weapons we don’t recognize. And with little to no engine signatures to track . . .”
“You’re not making me feel better.” Domitas tossed down a flex screen and glanced at Loren again. “What about subspace?”
“Same, sir. Dead silent.”
Voids. He again flicked his hand in the air, running through the minuscule intelligence they’d gathered. However much he hoped that ship was what he thought, carried who he thought, he had to refrain from betraying his hand. Decades toeing the line couldn’t be thrown away with a misplaced smile. “Keep looking, people. We have an entire ship-city depending on us to make reasoned decisions. XO, how long till we’re parked over that accursed planet?”
“Three days, sir.”
“Sir,” Loren spoke up. “Admiral Krissos is hailing you.”
Domitas straightened, eyeing the static screens hovering in the air. “Keep on it. Hundreds of ships can’t hide. I want to know where they went, and extra shore leave to whoever finds out where they came from. Engineering, boost our engines. I want to hit Droseran orbit tomorrow.”
The unrealistic command received the obligatory concession even as he stalked to his office. It was an impossibility, but maybe they’d find a way to speed it up. Anticipating why Krissos was waving him, he entered his codes to secure the room before opening the channel. A blue halo circled the bulkheads as he twitched a hand toward the wallvid, bringing to life not just Krissos, but in split screens across the feed other members of the Xenocouncil.
Ambush, huh? Rolling his shoulders, he tucked aside his irritation. “A surprise, friends.” He used that term loosely. Very loosely. “I must have missed the wave scheduling this meeting.” Which should’ve come since he was the admiral of the fleet. Who’d called this one? Were they trying to eliminate his voice?
Another square opened and a new face appeared. It took everything in Domitas not to snarl. “Baric.” He folded his hands behind his back. He hadn’t understood why Tascan Command had rolled over for Baric and that alien in their single-minded vendetta against Drosero, a backward planet bereft of tech, industry, or even desirable resources. Hadn’t understood until Baric’s revelation that Xisya, in her magnanimous genius, had discovered a power source on Drosero hitherto unknown in the Quadrants. Elefthanite, a mineral ore that, when refined, could power all seven new gates for a century or more. A convenient excuse that hid deeper motives. Darker ones.
It took a minute for the message to come through. “Admiral,” Baric drolled, “why are you surprised we would call a meeting? Clearly you’re aware of the ships that came through the gate less than an hour past. You wouldn’t be admiral of the fleet if you were slacking in your duties, Domitas.” Blond hair trimmed short, he bore a smug expression beneath his bulging eyes. “Now, what can you tell us?”
“Besides the fact you lied to us, Zoltan?” The lag times were digging into his thread-thin resolve not to cut the wave. “Are you not in charge of the Chryzanthe?” Domitas tilted his head. “You vowed there were measures in place to ensure the gates were only used by the TSC. Tascan Command spent more than three hundred billion soleris to build these things. Now we find out—what? They’re not secure? Whatever happens is on you, Baric. You swore no foreign species could use the gate.”
For the moment, Domitas was glad for the lag to get all his thoughts in before someone cut him off. “And yet, hundreds of ships just screamed past the Cronus like we were standing still! Now my fleet will face Pyres-know-what. You put all of us, our planets, these ships, our people at risk!” He leaned back, his heart running a little hot after that tirade.
“Come now, Admiral,” Baric replied in his patronizing tone. “Let’s not overreact. The ships did nothing to you or your precious armada.” The slimy captain was entirely too relaxed about the arrival of an alien force.
“What of the other gates?” Domitas challenged. “What if more come through?”
“You borrow trouble—”
“Borrow?” Domitas wasn’t waiting for the rest of that message. “Your apathy endangers us all, Captain. As it is, the Cronus is woefully behind that fleet that you let into the Quadrants. We’ll continue course to Drosero, while sweeping wide with our sensors to track that alien force down.”
“The admiral is right—it’s a potential threat we can’t ignore,” Admiral Waring said, finally inserting herself into the argument. As silence rattled through the feed, she straightened her uniform jacket. “But since Admiral Deken is already probing for the alien fleet while en route to Drosero, let’s return to the concerns on the agenda.”
“What concerns?” Domitas demanded. “Why was I not provided the agenda or notice? Maybe you’ve forgotten that as admiral of the slagging fleet, I am to be kept abreast of all council meetings and memorandums. And since I’m taking the Cronus and a dozen support ships to rendezvous with the Damocles over Drosero to lead the effort there, you would be remiss not to keep me informed of all changes in our plan.”
“How far out are you?” Krissos asked. “I’ve got the Argus a week out.”
“Seventy-six hours.”
“Can you get there faster?” A new voice spoke, one that did not match those queued in to the feed.
That’s when Domitas realized the square vidscreen on the right was not empty but simply blackened. It suddenly produced a white-robed iereas. “Theon.” A feral anger rose through him, one he had to rapidly suppress as he stared at the priest, who appeared to be aboard the Macedon. Behind him stood the thick-chested Droseran, Rufio. “Brought your lapdog, I see.”
“Cheap barbs show your weakness, Admiral,” Theon hissed, his feed coming through faster since they were both in Herakles. “I would hope you are as committed to our cause as Rufio. He has lost much.”