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Back Duel in the Dark Save as PDF
Chapters (44)
  1. The Crimson Worlds Series
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  3. Chapter One
  4. Chapter Two
  5. Chapter Three
  6. Chapter Four
  7. Chapter Five
  8. Chapter Six
  9. Chapter Seven
  10. Chapter Eight
  11. Chapter Nine
  12. Chapter Ten
  13. Chapter Eleven
  14. Chapter Twelve
  15. Chapter Thirteen
  16. Chapter Fourteen
  17. Chapter Fifteen
  18. Chapter Sixteen
  19. Chapter Seventeen
  20. Chapter Eighteen
  21. Chapter Nineteen
  22. Chapter Twenty
  23. Chapter Twenty-One
  24. Chapter Twenty-Two
  25. Chapter Twenty-Three
  26. Chapter Twenty-Four
  27. Chapter Twenty-Five
  28. Chapter Twenty-Six
  29. Chapter Twenty-Seven
  30. Chapter Twenty-Eight
  31. Chapter Twenty-Nine
  32. Chapter Thirty
  33. Chapter Thirty-One
  34. Chapter Thirty-Two
  35. Chapter Thirty-Three
  36. Chapter Thirty-Four
  37. Chapter Thirty-Five
  38. Chapter Thirty-Six
  39. Chapter Thirty-Seven
  40. Chapter Thirty-Eight
  41. Chapter Thirty-Nine
  42. Chapter Forty
  43. Chapter Forty-One
  44. Epilogue

The Federal Union is one, united, and we all stand together to face this grave threat. The need to support our forces as they prepare for war requires further austerity and sacrifices from all. Effective immediately, all weekly family rations will be reduced 7.5 percent. Residential electrical power to level three and level four sectors will be reduced from eighteen hours a day to fourteen.

We call upon all citizens to remain strong. We will never yield to Confederation aggression. No invader shall ever seize our worlds, conquer our sacred Union.

The Union forever.

Sector Nine Headquarters

Liberte City

Planet Montmirail, Ghassara IV,

Union Year 211 (307 AC)

“Greetings, Gaston. It’s good to see you, my old friend. It’s been a long time.”

Gaston Villieneuve had been standing at the entrance to the plush office, but now he walked inside, closing the door behind him.

“My way has been difficult. It’s a quite a distance to the Alliance, a path winding through the Confederation and then a backwater of independent systems you wouldn’t believe. And the Confeds are so worried about war, they’ve got their pathetic security ramped up to something effective. They almost caught me twice.”

The man behind the desk rose, walking over to the side of the room, where a small bar sat against the wall. Ricard Lille was clad in a civilian suit, clearly expensive and perfectly tailored. He turned toward his companion as he reached out and picked up a crystal decanter. “Wine? It’s from the last case of the 167 vintage. It’s really not to be missed, and we’ll not see its like again.”

Villieneuve nodded, walking across the floor, his heels clicking loudly on the polished wood floor, at least until he reached the area rug under the desk and the two chairs in front of it.

“By the Gods, yes, Ricard. Please. I thought Confederation wines were bad, but the Alliance? I swear they believe that if it tastes like cow piss it makes you stronger to drink it.” His eyes dropped to the rug. “This is new, isn’t it? Very nice. Must have cost you a fortune.”