Edge of Extinction

PRAISE FOR ROBERT J. SZMIDT “The Nomad’s Mission is an exciting beginning to an epic saga of space exploration. Morrisey and his crew of daring, corrupt rogues will hold you breathless as they loot the wrecks of spaceships—until they find the one that could change everything in the galaxy.” —Nancy Kress “The Fields of Long-Forgotten Battles series by Robert J. Szmidt shows a truly remarkable imagination, and is told with charm and originality. I highly recommend it.” —Mike Resnick “A fast-paced tale of a piratical salvage crew who find more than they expected when they discover an ancient Alien artifact. An engaging story.” —Jack Campbell “Robert J. Szmidt writes on a vast canvas. His stories are ambitious space opera that will capture your imagination.” —Kevin J. Anderson “With the right tech, it’s easy to be a god. But as Robert J. Szmidt points out in this impressive novel, to be a god for the right reasons, sometimes you have to spend a few years in Hell, first.” —David Weber AN ALIEN INVASION FORCES HUMANS TO RETREAT When the ruthless Aliens attack the outer reaches of the Federation, Humankind is forced to retreat haphazardly from dozens of conquered systems. The only chance to delay the advance of the enemy is to create hundreds of fake colonies. If that doesn’t work, the Fleet will be forced to face the ma’lahn in a series of open battles, which may lead to its annihilation. Politicians, however, do not care about consequences. Their goal is to preserve power, even at the cost of billions of lives. The headquarters of the third metasector must meet the requirements of the Council on the one hand, and prevent the destruction of the only force that is able to defend Humankind on the other. But this war has another—human and personal—dimension: Henryan Darski must fight to save the colonists that he left on Ulietta … Edge of Extinction is book three in the Fields of Long-Forgotten Battles series. EDGE OF EXTINCTION THE FIELDS OF LONG-FORGOTTEN BATTLES BOOK 3 ROBERT J. SZMIDT Edge of Extinction Copyright © 2023 Robert J. Szmidt Previously published by REBIS Publishing House, 2017 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage and retrieval system, without the express written permission of the copyright holder, except where permitted by law. This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either the product of the author’s imagination, or, if real, used fictitiously. The ebook edition of this book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. The ebook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share the ebook edition with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author. EBook ISBN: 978-1-68057-429-6 Trade Paperback ISBN: 978-1-68057-431-9 Library of Congress Control Number: 2022951420 Cover design by Janet McDonald Cover artwork images by Adobe Stock Kevin J. Anderson, Art Director Vellum layout by CJ Anaya Published by WordFire Press, LLC PO Box 1840 Monument CO 80132 Kevin J. Anderson & Rebecca Moesta, Publishers WordFire Press eBook Edition 2023 WordFire Press Trade Paperback Edition 2023 Printed in the USA Join our WordFire Press Readers Group for sneak previews, updates, new projects, and giveaways. Sign up at wordfirepress.com DEDICATION This one is dedicated to you, my dear readers. Wherever you are, Whenever you are, Whatever you are. Thank you for having been so supportive of me. Happy reading! CONTENTS Prologue I. A Crossroads Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3 Chapter 4 Chapter 5 Chapter 6 Chapter 7 Chapter 8 Chapter 9 II. Decision Time Chapter 10 Chapter 11 Chapter 12 Chapter 13 Chapter 14 Chapter 15 Chapter 16 Chapter 17 Chapter 18 Chapter 19 III. The Battle 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 Acknowledgments About the Author If You Liked … PROLOGUE THE ULIETTA SYSTEM, ZEBRA SECTOR 10/28/2354 “So you believe they’ll come back for us?” The antique binoculars—a primitive, fully mechanical device people had used in the era when the Earth’s atmosphere seemed to be the ultimate, impassable boundary—never reached Fitz’s eyes. The former head of the colony’s scientific department had to make do with such a simple instrument, characterized by basic optics and low magnification, because here, so close to the caves, he couldn’t allow himself to use any electronic equipment. Even though it had been almost four days since the attack, Olivernest wasn’t sure if the ma’lahn had left the system on completion of the destruction—as admittedly, was their habit. Both he and Captain Darski knew that the Ulietta System could be an exception. Never before had the alien liners struck a bustling oxygen-rich world, where it wasn’t enough to destroy the infrastructure to deprive humans of any chance of survival. For that reason, no one could guarantee the colonists who were hiding in the caves that this time wouldn’t be any different. It was equally probable that the Aliens would stay on: maybe land on Delta, maybe just monitor the planet by means of satellites and probes left in its orbit. That was why Fitz and Darski had drawn up an action plan. One of its key elements was getting rid of any devices whose electromagnetic radiation could reveal the location of the people in hiding; and there were still over eight thousand of them on Delta, including the staff of the underwater reactor. “He gave me his word,” Olivernest replied slowly, glancing at his former deputy, Paulisses Brin, a sixty-five-year-old, dark-skinned, slant-eyed geologist who was one of his closest associates before the attack, and who also stood behind the risky plan to move the rest of the colonists to the caves. “He won’t break it.” Yes, he believed Darski. He had no