The Athena Operation Read Online Free Page B

Sadhis were shuffled through the security checkpoint by seythra guards. A flash of their military tags allowed them to pass through without incident.
    Senate election week meant the streets were jam packed with even more political business than usual. Seraph wove through the crowd, headed toward the military command center, and Sadhis followed, still lost in his own thoughts.
    They walked through the dark side of Vidron, past run-down buildings covered in graffiti, through alleyways full of homeless. As they came near the military command center, they passed the massive seythra military post. The size of seythra’s military rivaled all others in the galaxy combined. Every other species had relocated their primary military outposts to Vidron, but for the seythra, Vidron was merely a secondary outpost.
    “Should we let the chamber know about the seythra back on Torca?” Sadhis asked.
    “They'll get it all in debrief tomorrow,” Seraph said.
    The seythra had more of Seraph's respect than any other species. The othal's endgame was diplomacy, and they were good at it, but also arrogant. The fesar only cared about their own species and didn't hide the fact that they'd be pushing for independence soon. Seraph also wasn't particularly fond of humanity, despite being human himself, given how selfish they could be. The seythra stood their ground and commanded respect, but also earned it through their accomplishments. It was hard to dismiss them as anything but the best the universe had to offer.
    Seraph and Sadhis reached the military command center, fronted by three massive stone statues of each of the Confederate Chamber members. Their towering figures stood over 300 feet tall, watching over the city. Past them, gray pillars lined the front of the building as armed guards made sure everyone entering was on official Confederate business.
    Seraph and Sadhis nodded to the guards as they flashed their badges and entered. The lobby was bustling, despite the late hour. Seraph and Sadhis headed for the admission desk.
    Sadhis smiled to the receptionist, a female othal. The othal came in almost as much diversity as humans, with the females having soft, smooth light blue skin and the males with a rough, deeper blue skin. They lacked hair, though had small, round spikes sticking out of their head. Most stood seven or eight feet tall.
    “Lieutenant Sadhis Loxai, and . . .” Sadhis waited for Seraph to state his name and rank. “. . . Commander Seraph Aydrian, reporting for a debrief,” Sadhis said.
    The receptionist nodded, throwing a flirtatious glance at Sadhis. She began typing their information into her computer. After a moment, she handed them each an access card.
    “Your debrief is set for tomorrow. Your room tonight is floor forty-three, room four thirty-nine, it’ll be the last door on your right. Commander Aydrian, same, but yours is the second-to-last on the left. Room four twenty-eight.” She smiled.
    Sadhis nodded to her, and smiled back. “Thank you.” He turned to Seraph. “Alright, let’s go.”
    **
    Seraph sat on the stoop leading up to the military command building, a cigarette clasped between his lips. He stared out at the gigantic city before him. He was tired, but he had a few minutes to spare to take in the magnificent view. Vidron was truly a marvel, a diamond in the rough that was the rest of the universe.
    Seraph was about to crush his cigarette and head back inside when a woman screamed off to his far right. He stood up and ran toward the scream and found a man pressing a pistol to a woman’s head. The woman screamed again. A small crowd had gathered and was watching the scene, and the commotion had drawn half a dozen soldiers from the building. Seraph flashed his badge and signaled for the soldiers to fall back, not wanting the low-ranking security guards interfering. He studied the man. The human wore a black beanie, along with a leather jacket and fingerless gloves. A stand-out from the Vidron