When Shadows Fall

By Anna Patterson

As they looked around, it occurred to the soldier Ezecruis that he was having a moment which seemed as though he had lived this before. Everything about it became so crystal clear,he could tell everyone what was going to happen and when it would happen. He was wondering if this had been put in his head at birth or shortly thereafter.
He was watching the other crew members with such intensity, he could feel his mind copying details of this mission. And this time which would be forever a part of his brain cells if nothing happened to disturb them.
Meanwhile, after a nice sleep, Commander Timoth and Captain Thunder were dealing with a mess in the Master Ship. Commander Timoth had turned around to walk out the door and nearly fell over the thing on the floor.
When did the horror actually begin for all of them?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Anna Patterson
• Release date: Jun 5, 2011
• ISBN: 9781458051431

Anna Patterson

About the Author: Anna Patterson grew up in the Ozark Hills with a dream of becoming an archeologist. She was able as a young adult to put the desire to good use exploring the mountains and river line of the Ozarks for early artifacts from the past. Many times in her treks deep into the wilderness forests, she was able to seek out and see first hand abandoned cemeteries of pioneers and Indians there and Ghost towns which had been abandoned during an earlier time. But it was her desire to know more about the early civilizations which resulted in her entering into her studies in history, art, and especially ancient civilizations in college. Her life as a writer brought her to many years of work in Journalism from college papers to work as a reporter and at one point Society Editor. She is now pursuing her desire to write fiction novels and feels that this allows her to put to use her life’s study of antiquities. She and her husband live in a house over 100 years old with their two Yorkies and two cats.

Book preview

WHEN SHADOWS FALL

Outpost 7

By Romance Novelist Anna Patterson

By Anna Patterson SMASHWORDS EDITION

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Published by Smashwords

Copyright 2011 by Anna Patterson

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This e-book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This e-book may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please purchase an additional copy for each person you share it with. If you're reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your use only, then you should return to Smashwords.com and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the author's work.

If you enjoyed this book please return to Smashwords.com to discover other works by this author.

This book above all, is dedicated to my husband, Bill, who has always believed in me.

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WHEN SHADOWS FALL

Outpost 7

By Romance Novelist Anna Patterson

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Introduction: The beginning of all things

Outpost 7 was lost to the colonies for years and the Prime Minister had a last ditch plan to save it. So he had designated to recreate the colony, this time better with chosen men and women raised up on planets of different galaxies. These were chosen by hereditary blood with different qualities of valor. Such was one called, Econ Zecrius, EZ for a nickname.

Econ Zecrius had a humble birth in a small galaxy, but he was predestined for a role in the Chief Minister's plans. He had no way of knowing this at first, but even at a young age he was summoned time and time again for courses and special schools in military fields which would prepare him for the future. Because of this, he was taught from birth for this career and knew nothing of another way of life.

In spite of this, he found this life rewarding and challenging and he loved every minute of it. He had won many battles up to this point and was now at a moment of time when he was wanting something more in his life.

When the Chief Minister sent for him, he went willingly and was not surprised the leader wanted him to marry now. Prime Minister Srephenous was very old fashioned and E Zicrius found this new episode of his life perplexing, but pleasing at the same time. He was totally for the arranged marriage set for him and his bride-to-be Treureent.

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Chapter 1: Uncut

Sometime in the Future

Econ Zecrius, called EZ for short, always knew what to do. He was a man of valor, but this was not a war, or was it? He saw the little fracture lines of the street tearing lines in it. Soon these gigantic rips would reach their feet and they would be swallowed up in this earthquake he caused with depth charges. He had just one thing left to do. Grab his bride to be and run, but she was having none of this.

Treureent stood firm on the shaky ground and wanted to tell him in no uncertain terms to get lost. But the world was being blown apart before her very eyes. He seemed the enemy and someone who could save her at the same time. She felt torn apart. Meanwhile he held out his hand and she hesitated enrapt with hysteria as she saw the buildings blow up in the distance. The stars were out above them, but there were flames everywhere. When she saw the fissures grow in width just a few feet from her she knew she would have to think fast with a fog of emotions in her brain and torturing her senses. One of his crew men came closer to the man who was holding out his hand to her.

Come on, you have to do it.

No, I don’t even believe you were sent here for me E Zecrius.

He frowned watching the buildings topple just beyond them. Soon it would be the buildings near them and then they would be done for.

Don’t touch me, she said,

Beam us up, he shouted and for better or worse, they left all this in an instant.

The memo was titled with the code words: When Shadows Fall Outpost 7.

Subject: Explosion of a galaxy

The memo went to many people, but most specifically to Leader E Zicrius – Chosen by this chief minister to lead in one planet invasion after another. Before this he had been noticed but by the time the Shadows memo was sent down, everyone who met him fully realized EZicrius (called EZ for short), was already recognized as a man whose was destined for honor and fame.. He was singled out for help in his military studies and because of this; he is given the skill and cunning to conquer and to divide, hence to spill blood at will and with honor

The memo was about a girl named Treureent – A woman who felt to mate was to dishonor her own blood line and she would rather die than fall into the hands of a ruthless dictator. She herself did not ever see the memo although she was on it as a person of interest to be rescued from a dying planet.

Also involved was Captain Thunder – Thunder was developed with extreme prejudice against anything which stood in the way of the thinking of the superior realm which had designed him. This meant he fought against his boss and commander’s desire to encourage him to be like the others around him.

This was no crew of galaxy hunters poised to strike an innocent planet for conquest, but in a way this is what this mission was about. As their huge ship traveled through the dangerous regions of space, they knew that they and the ship were made as a killing machine.

The commander at the last briefing warned this elite crew, Remember, as elite soldiers, if we are mere dust, then we must be diamonds, and priceless ones at that. Throughout history man has fought for us, claimed us, lost us, and loved us. And when he has lost us, and truly knows we are lost forever, he will weep without being comforted and even die of want.

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Chapter 2: A birth

Econ Zicrius was just like all new born squalling infants at birth. He came out kicking and screaming and red-faced from his mothers tight birth canal and the doctor thought he would have to do a no no (the use of forceps) to get the baby to come out at all without tearing the mother limb from limb.

As it was she had endured hours of pain from the breaking of the egg sack and water and blood pouring over the nurse trying to prep the woman for delivery. That was many, many hours ago. Now the mother was obviously exhausted with effort and was dying.

Said mother was at this point unconscious anyway from the ordeal and had stood it far longer than the doctor thought she could before she fainted. Nonetheless, delivery spasms continued, but got the situation worse. The baby was not moving down the canal and the physician would have to force this and knew this from experience. He called in two experienced delivery nurses and they pressed on the enlarged abdomen mimicking the mother’s efforts if she was making any to help the baby come out into the world. All involved sweat now with fear and exertion.

The mother was barely breathing and a nurse was trying to bath her forehead. The doctor swore in anger, he planned this to be his last time to deliver a baby. He had had it, and it wasn’t going to go any way he wanted it. So he tried to help the baby come out and instructed the nurses to push at the same time. He hoped the waiting fathers-to-be did not hear any of this.

The father of the child and husband of the tortured woman was in the waiting room of the delivery room. He was a sullen man of rather large stature brooded in the waiting room and his fierce looks sent other timid first time fathers to other parts of the room where they whispered and talked nervously over coffee near a coffee machine.

He did not care. He lived to have this over with and then his part of the whole fiasco was done. The child was not his, never had he thought it was his, never had she one time tried to convince him it was his and if it were not for the witchcraft which had brought them together and the witchcraft which kept the two of them alive, he would be out of here and leave the other special forces to deal with this.

But he was sent on this one last duty. His head leader had both comforted him and warned him, for he was being put out of service here on earth and god only knew where he would turn up and what he would be called upon to do there. But right now he was baby sitting a timid, innocent young woman who had had relations with an unknown to him war lord and the result was even now squalling in birth at the delivery point of this ordeal. She would die he thought and he had no feelings, but a nurse was standing by and the babe would be actually raised by an old woman with hidden strength.

He remembered the frightened face of his wife in name only and thought, Yes, she will probably die from this. And he was right. She did just that. He could tell when the nurses started running here and there and the Code Blue emergency message came for other doctors to come to the delivery room. He knew it would be way, way too late whatever they did, so he did what he was supposed to do as a good soldier of the realm. He sat