The Phoenix Requiem (The Phoenix Conspiracy Series Book 7) by Richard Sanders Page B

Your Highness.”
    “Very good. Make certain not to waste time. The enemy could be upon us at any moment,” said the queen. “We must stand vigilant.”
    “Indeed, we must. To a swift and decisive victory against the enemies of the Empire,” said Ravinder.
    “To a swift and decisive victory,” the queen said, agreeing. “You have your orders. Make haste.” And with that, the screen went black, the call terminated.
    Ravinder felt as though a kind of weight had lifted when the queen’s broadcast ended; it was a relief not to have to stand before such royalty and keep her conduct impeccable, and yet she now felt a new, different weight upon her shoulders. The weight of a commander who had just been ordered to lead the first charge into the trenches of warfare, to take to the front line, to essentially be killed in the line of duty. It was the highest and noblest honor a soldier could have, and a duty each soldier swore to uphold, and was keenly aware of the day he or she joined the Imperial Armed Forces. There may come a time , every instructor would say to every recruit, when you may be asked to give your life for the greater good, safety, and well-being of the Empire; if that time comes, do you have what it takes to answer in the affirmative?
    Ravinder, so many years ago, had, like everyone else, answered that she did have what it takes, and that she would not hesitate to sacrifice her own life, or even those under her command if necessary, to ensure the safety and well-being of the Empire. Now, however, that the moment was upon her, and the call had come, she found herself strangely melancholic. She did not waver; no part of her wanted to shrink from this new, morbid responsibility. She knew it was what she had to do. And, in a way, it felt like justice, considering the deaths at Centuria V, which she failed to prevent. It seemed only fitting that she too should fall to the very menace she had failed to protect others from, when the Empire had looked to her for protection. That, however, did not make it feel easy.
    She sat down and considered the weight of it all and took a moment to take stock of her life. She thought of her formative years, from childhood until this day, and decided that, although her life had not been so long as she had supposed it would be, nor had she completed everything she had hoped to, she was, in fact, ready to make the ultimate sacrifice, just as the queen had asked. And, she also reflected that she could not command and expect her subordinates to make that same sacrifice, under her orders, if she too was not willing herself to give her all, when those above her had commanded her to do so.
    “We shall charge into the storm,” she whispered, speaking only to herself. “The storm that cannot be stopped. And yet…we will not be moved. We shall not fold; we shall not break; we shall not fail to do our duty.”
    She was ripped from her thoughts by the sound of the alert going off. It repeated its shrill tone, and she sprinted to the bridge without another thought.
    “ Report! ” she demanded, as she took the command position from her XO.
    “Alteredspace exit signatures are beginning to form on the edge of the system,” said the Chief of Operations. “Starships inbound.”
    “Have they transmitted their identities?” asked Ravinder, even though the alert status strongly suggested they hadn’t.
    “Negative, Admiral,” said the Chief of Operations.
    “It’s hard to say how many exactly there are,” said the XO, standing next to her. “But we’re observing what has to be multiple jump signatures.”
    “Condition One alert,” said Ravinder. Her people sprang to action, the klaxon sounded, replacing the Deck One alert, the shields were raised, and weapons armed. “General order to all commanders belonging to the Third Fleet,” Ravinder turned to face her communications department chief. “Tell them to form up on us and stay close.”
    “Aye, aye, sir,” said the Comms Chief;