Splinter Faction, page 31
“Would that I could grant you peace, but I’m afraid the stars have other plans for you, Van.”
“Yeah, well, the stars—” I cut myself off. I was going to say, can go to hell, but I didn’t want to inflict my bitterness on their serene picnic lunch. “The stars don’t get the final say.”
“So what’s next, Van?” Miryam asked. “What do you, and not the stars, plan to do?”
I stared at my wine for a moment. “Finish what we started, that’s what. We’re going to put an end to the Stillness.”
“That means waging war over hundreds of light-years, doesn’t it? Out to the Pleiades?” Cataric asked, and I nodded
“Almost five hundred light-years, yeah. It’s going to be… challenging for sure.” I sighed. “But we have to do it. The Stillness have to go down, once and for all. We don’t have time to screw around fighting them over and over again.”
“You don’t? Why not? Is something else coming?” Miryam asked.
I brushed a bug off the lip of my glass. “No, it—it’s the casualties thing again, Miryam. That’s what I meant. I’m just tired of having to tell strangers that their loved ones are dead.”
She gave me a look. It was one I knew, one that made teenaged Van Tudor tense up. She knew I wasn’t being entirely truthful. Thankfully, she didn’t press the issue.
“Van? There you are.”
I turned to the voice. It was Funboy. I frowned at him. “Let me guess. Something’s going terribly wrong, and I have to come now and deal with it.”
He stopped. “Yes. That is it exactly.”
“It is? Well, shit.”
“It is the Swens. They are in Earth orbit and are clamoring to be allowed down to the surface.”
I blinked. Okay, this wasn’t where my mind had been going. “They are? Why? They’re intelligent spaceships. What could they possibly want down here—?” I stopped. “Wait. Is this about Swenson’s tailor shop?”
“It is. The Swens wish to perform a pilgrimage and visit the establishment as a matter of devotion.”
“What? All of them? There’re hundreds of them, Funboy.”
“I am aware of that. I have already informed them that parking is limited in downtown Cedar Rapids. But they are continuing to insist. I am unsure how to proceed.”
I sighed, drained my wine, and handed the empty glass back to Miryam. I stood. “Well, it’s been fun, folks, but duty calls.”
Cataric grinned. “Never a dull moment, eh, Van?”
I shook my head as I set off after Funboy. “I wouldn’t know what to do with a dull moment, Master. Wouldn’t mind giving it a try sometime, though.”
Amazon won’t always tell you about the next release. To stay updated on this series, be sure to sign up for our spam-free email list at jnchaney.com.
Van and the kids will return in Birds of Prey, available on Amazon.
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ABOUT THE AUTHORS
J. N. Chaney is a USA Today Bestselling author and has a Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. When he isn’t writing or gaming, you can find him online at www.jnchaney.com.
He migrates often, but was last seen in Las Vegas, NV. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.
Terry Maggert is left-handed, likes dragons, coffee, waffles, running, and giraffes; order unimportant. He’s also half of author Daniel Pierce, and half of the humor team at Cledus du Drizzle.
With thirty-one titles, he has something to thrill, entertain, or make you cringe in horror. Guaranteed.
Note: He doesn’t sleep. But you sort of guessed that already.
J.N. Chaney, Splinter Faction
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“Yeah, well, the stars—” I cut myself off. I was going to say, can go to hell, but I didn’t want to inflict my bitterness on their serene picnic lunch. “The stars don’t get the final say.”
“So what’s next, Van?” Miryam asked. “What do you, and not the stars, plan to do?”
I stared at my wine for a moment. “Finish what we started, that’s what. We’re going to put an end to the Stillness.”
“That means waging war over hundreds of light-years, doesn’t it? Out to the Pleiades?” Cataric asked, and I nodded
“Almost five hundred light-years, yeah. It’s going to be… challenging for sure.” I sighed. “But we have to do it. The Stillness have to go down, once and for all. We don’t have time to screw around fighting them over and over again.”
“You don’t? Why not? Is something else coming?” Miryam asked.
I brushed a bug off the lip of my glass. “No, it—it’s the casualties thing again, Miryam. That’s what I meant. I’m just tired of having to tell strangers that their loved ones are dead.”
She gave me a look. It was one I knew, one that made teenaged Van Tudor tense up. She knew I wasn’t being entirely truthful. Thankfully, she didn’t press the issue.
“Van? There you are.”
I turned to the voice. It was Funboy. I frowned at him. “Let me guess. Something’s going terribly wrong, and I have to come now and deal with it.”
He stopped. “Yes. That is it exactly.”
“It is? Well, shit.”
“It is the Swens. They are in Earth orbit and are clamoring to be allowed down to the surface.”
I blinked. Okay, this wasn’t where my mind had been going. “They are? Why? They’re intelligent spaceships. What could they possibly want down here—?” I stopped. “Wait. Is this about Swenson’s tailor shop?”
“It is. The Swens wish to perform a pilgrimage and visit the establishment as a matter of devotion.”
“What? All of them? There’re hundreds of them, Funboy.”
“I am aware of that. I have already informed them that parking is limited in downtown Cedar Rapids. But they are continuing to insist. I am unsure how to proceed.”
I sighed, drained my wine, and handed the empty glass back to Miryam. I stood. “Well, it’s been fun, folks, but duty calls.”
Cataric grinned. “Never a dull moment, eh, Van?”
I shook my head as I set off after Funboy. “I wouldn’t know what to do with a dull moment, Master. Wouldn’t mind giving it a try sometime, though.”
Amazon won’t always tell you about the next release. To stay updated on this series, be sure to sign up for our spam-free email list at jnchaney.com.
Van and the kids will return in Birds of Prey, available on Amazon.
Join the conversation and get updates on new and upcoming releases by following us on social media or joining one of our online communities where readers come together and share their lives and interests, discuss the series, and speak directly to J.N. Chaney and his co-authors. Our community is open to everyone and there’s no cover charge.
Join the Conversation
Don’t miss out on these exclusive perks:
Instant access to free short stories from series like The Messenger, Starcaster, and more.
Receive email updates for new releases and other news.
Get notified when we run special deals on books and audiobooks.
So, what are you waiting for? Enter your email address at the link below to stay in the loop.
Click Here
CONNECT WITH TERRY MAGGERT
Check out his Website
Connect on Facebook
Follow on Amazon
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
J. N. Chaney is a USA Today Bestselling author and has a Master's of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. He fancies himself quite the Super Mario Bros. fan. When he isn’t writing or gaming, you can find him online at www.jnchaney.com.
He migrates often, but was last seen in Las Vegas, NV. Any sightings should be reported, as they are rare.
Terry Maggert is left-handed, likes dragons, coffee, waffles, running, and giraffes; order unimportant. He’s also half of author Daniel Pierce, and half of the humor team at Cledus du Drizzle.
With thirty-one titles, he has something to thrill, entertain, or make you cringe in horror. Guaranteed.
Note: He doesn’t sleep. But you sort of guessed that already.
J.N. Chaney, Splinter Faction
