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    The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle
    The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle
    The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle
    Ebook137 pages1 hour

    The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle

    By Giacomo Giammatteo

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    About this ebook

    Time—the not too distant future—Post Apocalypse.

    Place—a world not unlike our own.

    The tale I tell is one of woe: a war that has lasted for centuries; a war where the casualties numbered in the billions, if not more; a war that could have been avoided.

    God knows we tried.

    How many peace initiatives went unanswered? How many times did we stay our hand, refusing to attack or seek vengeance for unjust acts? But they wouldn't let us live in peace. They wouldn't let us sit idly by. A vicious race they were. Warriors to the core. A bloodthirsty, greedy race.

    "How did it start, Grandfather?"

    Ox might have shed tears if he had any. But the wars had taken so much of him: a wife, two daughters, all of his friends. "They were a relentless enemy, child. An unremitting and unforgiving foe."

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherGiacomo Giammatteo
    Release dateMar 14, 2018
    ISBN9781940313498
    The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle
    Author

    Giacomo Giammatteo

    Giacomo Giammatteo lives in Texas, where he and his wife run an animal sanctuary and take care of 41 loving rescues. By day, he works as a headhunter in the medical device industry, and at night, he writes.

    Read more from Giacomo Giammatteo

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      Book preview

      The Joshua Citadel, The Last Battle - Giacomo Giammatteo

      Introduction

      Time —the not too distant future —Post Apocalypse

      Place—a world not unlike

      our

      own

      The tale I tell is one of woe: a war that has lasted for centuries; a war where the casualties numbered in the billions, if not more; most importantly, a war that could have been avoided .

      God knows we tried. How many peace initiatives went unanswered? How many times did we stay our hand, refusing to attack or seek vengeance for

      unjust

      acts

      ?

      But they wouldn't let us live in peace. They wouldn't let us sit idly by. A vicious race they were. Warriors to the core. A bloodthirsty,

      greedy

      race

      .

      How did it start, Grandfather?

      Ox might have shed tears if he had any. But the wars had taken so much of him: a wife, two daughters, all his friends. "They were a relentless enemy, child. An unremitting and

      unforgiving

      foe

      ."

      Prologue

      Time—Pre Apocalypse

      Cacid raced down the corridor, anxious about facing Commander Ribo. Ribo’s lack of tolerance for failure was legendary. Cacid rounded the bend and almost ran into her. Startled, Cacid adjusted her posture and saluted .

      They're gone, sir! It took all she had to restrain herself, maintain the military decorum. I mean goddamn...they're all fu... A brief pause to recompose. Sorry, sir. Won't happen again.

      Ease it along, soldier. Who's gone? Tell it from the beginning.

      Cacid felt on fire, like the time they had infiltrated the Joshua citadel and the enemy unleashed the heat on them. She almost didn't make it that day—wouldn't have if not for Commander Ribo, the officer she addressed.

      Sir, we had just finished scouting one of their newest fortresses—actually on our way back—when Pro discovered a breach in one of the other citadels. I believe it was the Robbins citadel, sir. Glee raced through her, quickly chased by guilt.

      I know we shouldn't have done it, sir, but we all agreed we couldn't pass it up. So we went in. All of us. Three full patrols. We got through all right, no sign of security. No hint that we were spotted. But about halfway through, they came. Cacid felt dry, parched. "Sir, I think I need some fluids. If you

      don't

      mind

      —

      "

      You'll live without fluids. Your patrol obviously did not fare so well. Continue. I need to know what happened.

      Ribo's words stung. If Cacid had thought to find comfort in Commander Ribo, she had sorely misjudged. "Sorry, sir. Anyway, they hit us near the cavern, the big one. And they came from all angles. We thought we had gotten in clean, but obviously not. An ambush, sir. B's, some of their Elite units, even the Quads. They were waiting like vipers, sir. Surrounded us. They had even positioned themselves above us. We didn't have a chance. I got about three of the B's, then jumped in the river and headed upstream. I know two of the guys followed me—Pro, for one, and maybe Edge, but I lost them after a while. They never were the fastest

      swimmers

      ,

      sir

      ."

      "How did you

      get

      out

      ?"

      Launched, sir. I used an irritant and launched.

      Commander Ribo let silence fill the air. One of her famous pauses, or infamous, if you happened to be on the

      receiving

      end

      .

      Cacid fidgeted, but only in her mind; she didn't dare move. She knew it had only been a moment or two, but it seemed like forever. Finally, Ribo broke the torture.

      "All dead, then? All

      but

      you

      ?"

      Goddamn, bastard. What a way to put it, but then, Ribo always did have a way of making you feel like shit. Yes, sir. As far as I know, they’re all dead. There is a chance that Pro and Edge made it out, but I don’t know. Cacid figured she might as well drive the last nail in herself. "So, unless they made it, everyone is dead,

      but

      me

      ."

      D ismissed, Ribo said, no emotion in her voice .

      As Cacid left, Ribo pondered her report. Yet another example of advanced technology, or, meticulous security. Or treachery, she thought, and wondered anew how Cacid had made it through two massacres as the lone survivor, or one of the only survivors.

      I'll need to call a meeting. Need research in

      on

      this

      .

      Think Tanks

      Commander Ribo moved through the compound at her usual pace, neither slow nor hurried. The commander wore standard military garb flung over a pale body, and what some called a misshapen head, though others claimed her ego caused the deformities .

      Ribo heard it all; nothing on this compound went unnoticed or unreported. She kept her reputation intact by arriving to any meeting at the last minute. Late was never an option for her but then, neither was early. If a meeting was at 10:52, she would not arrive at

      10

      :

      51

      .

      Ribo scanned the group: Nuc was there. Cacid and De, too. And all the key researchers, including the highly respected Doctor Phage, along with his think-tank boys. People still referred to them as the think-tank boys, even though two-thirds of them were now of the opposite gender.

      "Good morning, Commander Ribo. We were just

      about

      to

      —

      "

      I'll control this meeting, Phage. You might be hot shit in this lab, but I'm running an army, and I need some goddamned answers.

      Phage folded his hands and let them slide down beneath what would have been

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