On to book 2 of this series. Boy, that first book worn me out. So much fighting. The decision has now been made that this fleet of humans can no longer try and find a way home. To do so would lead the First Imperium right back to human space and that’s something Admiral Terrance Compton isn’t going to do. While that decision didn’t set well with everyone in the fleet, the sudden and vicious appearance of the First Imperium in X18 left no doubt that it was the correct decision. The First Imperium is bound and determined to kill all the humans invading its territory.
The Fleet fled the X2 system with the First Imperium hot on it’s tail. They had to send scouts out ahead to find if the next system was free of enemy before following behind. Fortunately, they found such systems and manage to delay the First Imperium just long enough to get the fleet through the next warp gate and the next after that. They finally felt a small reprieve when arriving in system X18. There were no First Imperium starships in the system and nothing else that appeared to be a threat. So, they orbited a gas giant while the engineers built a refinery to collect fuel for the fleet. Scouts were sent ahead to scout out then next potential systems for the fleet.
Then in system X20 they made a major discovery. A First Imperium warship, a Colossus was setting idle orbiting one of the planets. This definitely got the interest of Admiral Compton and his scientist. Dr. Hieronymus Cutter and Dr. Ana Zukov were the premier scientist on-board the Midway and probably in the entire fleet. Dr. Cutter laid out a convincing argument to Admiral Compton on why he needed to go see this First Imperium vessel. He felt that he had created a computer virus that could possible cause the on-board AI to respond directly to his commands.
Admiral Compton also wanted to see what kind of civilization might have inhabited First Imperium worlds. So he took Dr. Cutter and Dr. Zukov on a shuttle into X20 while the Midway stayed in X18 to be refueled. The shuttle was to take him and a Marine contingent to the planet so they could explore and see what remained of this ancient civilization. The two doctors were further escorted aboard the dead Colossus to see if they could gain any advanced technology out of it. Things didn’t turn out very well for either group or at least for Admiral Compton’s visit.
Back in X18, the some of the other nationalities weren’t so keen on going further into First Imperium space and really wanted to try and find a way home. Most of these people really didn’t care about the rest of humanity as long as they got home. One starship even threatened to destroy the refueling station if the fleet didn’t refuel their ships first and allow them to depart unmolested. Admiral Compton had previously stated that no ship of the fleet would be allowed to head for home.
So, now you’re going to have to read the book to find out how Admiral Compton keeps the human fleet together while he’s in another star system exploring. His timing couldn’t be worse. And, they aren’t done with the First Imperium, but they do find out something they didn’t know before. They make good on their escape in a very surprising way.
Ok, that’s it for book 2. Now on to book 3, “Revenge of the Ancients”. Lots of great reading.