Read Online Falco Invictus: On the Forge of War by Rodney C. Johnson - Free Book Online Page A

entered
the galley during the evening meal.
    The Japanese crew deferred to the
Falcanian's traditions as Ch'Kran had been allowed to keep his
claw-boots on within the personal areas of the ship. This spoke so
much of the honor the Shogun held for his Falcanian allies.
    Most of the girls were somewhat intimidated
by Ch'Kran. It was hard not to be as he walked around, his wings
hidden in his gray cloak most of the time and appeared to look
through them with his sapphire eyes.
    “Excuse me.”
    Frederika turned to look at the girl who
spoke to Ch'Kran. Sabina, a Cuban girl who like the majority of the
women headed for Vanguard was a brunette with long curly black
hair, not to mention a well developed chest and creamy olive
complexion. It seemed Sharr preferred brunettes and Frederika was
one of the few exceptions.
    “Yes, Sabina?” Ch'Kran asked. Nothing
escaped the male's attention. He made it a point to memorize each
girl's name.
    “What exactly is Sharr’s, Hawk's proper form
of address? You have called him by a number of titles. 'Khan',
'Padishah', and ‘Shotar’,” Sabina asked. “Which title do we use and
how do we address him?”
    A grin curved his lips. Matters of protocol
were things he enjoyed to discuss. “Shotar is my Lord Sharr's
proper, inherited title. It means 'Star-King'. Khan becomes part of
our crowned ruler's proper name. It is appropriate to call him
Sharr Khan or Hawk as he wills it. You may also use the title
'Drak' -- Lord if the need arises.”
    “And Padishah?” Sabina pressed.
    “Padishah is used as an honorific for formal
introductions.”
    She bowed slightly. “Thank you.”
    Mia giggled at a story Frederika had told
her when the shadow of Ch'Kran loomed over their table. The two
girls slowly glanced up at the Falcanian. Mia noticeably shrunk in
her spot.
    “Yes Ch'Kran?” Frederika asked. Her tone was
slightly one of challenge as she looked up at the Falcanian who
lorded himself over them.
    The Falcanian once more grinned. “I simply
wished to see if you were enjoying your meal, my
Ch'Rahli-Valka.”
    “I am, we both are.” Frederika took a sip
from her steaming tea. “The chef is a master of his art.”
    “Good.” He nodded at them and left the women
to their meal.
    “'Radiant Falcon',” Mia remarked after
Ch'Kran had gone. “He offers you a great compliment. Ch'Rahli-Valka is a term of endearment that Falcanian
noblemen only ever apply to a favorite wife, prized concubine, or
their first born daughters. It is not given lightly to an
outsider.”
     
     
    [Unknown Space: Ten minutes to twelve,
Falcanian Standard Time]
    “What was that?” Trajan demanded.
    The sensor officer checked his scanners and
discovered a blip which had just begun to fade away out of sensor
range. No doubt because of quick thinking on the part of the
Falcanian crew which had pulled their vessel further out of scope
of the advanced DSV Excalibur .
    “It's gone.”
    “Widen the scan!” Trajan ordered. “Captain
Braden, I believe we have a shadow.”
    The Captain nodded and ordered his weapons
officer to ready the armaments.
    “Locking on,” the sensor officer said. Each
scanner had been calibrated to find the faintest reading in the dim
reaches of space. “A silhouette is coming up.”
    Trajan stood over the monitor, intently
watched as the computer checked its records for a match to the
silhouette which the sensors now targeted. At last, an oval shaped
ship with wings came up on the screen. Its outline was familiar to
the Centurion for he had seen such vessels streak across the red
skies of Mars. “A Falcanian FS-9 Raptor!” Trajan shouted. He moved
across the bridge to Braden in his command chair. “Close in!
Destroy them!”
    Braden pressed a button on his chair to give
an order for his gunners to close in on the FS-9 Raptor.
    Thrust control rockets flipped the vessel
over and rotated the FS-9 Raptor so it could face off against the DSV Excalibur that had just charged her defense grid