Книга: Renegade Union

J. N. Chaney

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This novel is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living, dead, or undead, is entirely coincidental.

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Books By J.N. Chaney

The Variant Saga:

The Amber Project

Transient Echoes

Hope Everlasting

The Vernal Memory

Renegade Star Series:

Renegade Star

Renegade Atlas

Renegade Moon

Renegade Lost

Renegade Fleet

Renegade Earth

Renegade Dawn

Renegade Children

Renegade Union

Renegade Empire (March 2019)

Renegade Star Universe:

Nameless

The Constable (Feb 2019)

Orion Colony

Orion Uncharted

Orion Awakened (Feb 2019)

The Last Reaper (Feb 2019)

Standalone Books:

Their Solitary Way

The Other Side of Nowhere

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Renegade Union

Book 9 in the Renegade Star Series

J.N. Chaney

Book Description

Renegade Union

Renegade Star Series #9

How did I get here?

After waking up on the floor of an unknown ship, and with no way of contacting his crew, Jace is forced to fight his way through a myriad of soldiers. With no memory of the battle or how he arrived, he has no choice but to act.

By shooting his way out.

Along the way, Jace must rescue survivors, fill in the missing gaps in his memory, and stop the enemy from completing their mission—a mission that could lead to the destruction of Earth and all its people.

But with most of his crew missing and no sign of reinforcements, there’s little hope to be had. To make matters worse, there’s a hostage on the ship, and the enemy will stop at nothing to defend their new prize.

Experience a sprawling galactic tale in this ninth entry to The Renegade Star series. If you’re a fan of Firefly, Battlestar Galactica, or Indiana Jones, you’ll love this epic, space opera adventure.

Contents

Important Characters and Terms

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Chapter 14

Chapter 15

Chapter 16

Chapter 17

Chapter 18

Chapter 19

Chapter 20

Chapter 21

Epilogue

Author Notes

Preview: The Amber Project

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About the Author

For Mom and Dad

Important Characters and Terms

Humans

Jace Hughes : Renegade, smuggler, gun-for-hire, former Captain of the Renegade Star, and the most wanted man in the galaxy.

Abigail Pryar (Abby) : Kidnapper, assassin, former nun, and Jace’s second-in-command. Abigail risked her life in order to rescue the albino child Lex from a Union laboratory, inciting a series of events that would lead her to encountering Jace on Taurus Station. She now helms the Galactic Dawn on a recruitment operation in the Deadlands, searching for new colonists to bring to Earth.

Frederick Tabernacle (Freddie) : Former priest and scholar. Frederick is an expert on the writings of Dr. Darius Clare, the founder of the Church of the Homeworld. Despite his obvious fear and anxiety under pressure, Freddie is consistently reliable in the face of danger, willing to do anything for the sake of his friends and allies.

Octavia Brie : Assistant archaeologist, brilliant pilot, combat expert, and former Union medic, Octavia remains an invaluable asset in the mission to rebuild Earth. After being shot by Fratley Oxanos, Octavia lost the use of her legs and believed she would never be able to walk again. That is, until the crew discovered Titan and restored power to its medical bay. When not on the job, Octavia can be found with her colleague and close friend, Dr. Hitchens, though the true nature of their relationship remains somewhat ambiguous.

Dr. Thadius Hitchens (The Professor) : Archaeologist with a focus on Ancient Earth Theory. After the discovery of a group of albino colonists, Hitchens has turned his focus to teaching. He remains optimistic and jolly, no matter the situation, and is always looking to the future.

Alphonse Malloy (Al) : Former Union Constable and spy, expert military strategist, and stoic thinker. During his time at the Red Tower—the Constable intelligence center—Alphonse discovered detailed information on the experiments that were being performed on Lex. Appalled at what he had found, Alphonse disguised himself as a soldier on a ship that had been tasked with pursuing the Renegade Star, allowing him to ultimately encounter Jace Hughes. After saving Lex and proving his loyalty, Alphonse has become a valued member of the crew and a trusted ally in the fight to rebuild Earth.

Dr. MaryAnn Dressler : A former Union scientist on Priscilla, Dressler was kidnapped by Jace Hughes when they stole a Tritium Core for Titan. While she was initially highly critical of Jace, she has since reversed her stance, especially after witnessing his protective loyalty for Lex and the other colonists. Always analytical and logical in her approach, she remains distant from most of the crew, the only exception being Alphonse Malloy, whom she has grown quite fond of in recent weeks.

Lex : Discovered in a small pod when she was just an infant, Lex spent most of her life in a Union lab, due to her unique physiology and strange tattoos. The Union correctly believed that Lex held the key to rediscovering the lost homeworld known as Earth. Due to her Eternal ancestry, Lex possesses advanced healing, a greatly extended lifespan, albino skin, white hair, and blue eyes. As far as she or anyone else knows, Lex is truly the last of her kind, being the only pureblood Eternal known to exist. Despite this, Lex remains cheerful, often shining a light in an otherwise dark or dire situation.

Bolin Abernathy : A former scrap dealer, he and his daughter were rescued by the crew after being kidnapped by the Sarkonians. Bolin is a skilled pilot and trusted friend to anyone who would have him.

Karin Braid : A young but highly capable leader. Karin’s mother Lucia taught her everything she knows. She and her people are descendants of a group of Eternals, though they do not possess all of their original abilities, such as immortality. Having spent a great deal of time with the Cognitive Janus, Karin is well-versed in ancient technology and remains a highly effective engineer, should the need arise.

Lucia : Over a century old, Lucia is still highly capable and one of the best hand-to-hand fighters on Titan. Her expertise with a staff makes her a valued asset on any mission.

Josef (Jo) : Karin’s father. He spent years living in a cave, far from his family, hoping to find a Tritium core to save his people. After so long in isolation, Josef has chosen to embrace his new life on Verdun, spending as much time with his friends and family as possible.

Admiral-General Marcus Brigham (deceased) : The former leader of the Union fleet tasked with hunting down the Renegade Star and capturing Lex. He was killed by Jace in one-on-one combat. Upon his death, he promised Jace that the Union would never stop hunting him, no matter how far he ran.

Cognitives

Athena : The Cognitive in charge of Titan, a seed colony moon-like ship. Originally from Earth, Athena is a fully sentient intelligence over two thousand years old. Using hard light technology, Athena can manifest a body in any room on Titan, often popping in out of nowhere, surprising the crew. Years ago, when Titan’s Tritium core failed, Athena sent her crew out into space to colonize the stars. In time, they forgot about Titan and the Cognitive who lived there, but Athena did not forget. She waited, remaining in low power, until the day she received a signal from Earth. The transmission said only one thing: “Earth is restored. Initiate Project Reclamation.” With that, she attempted to contact the descendants of her former crew, but no one responded. After decades of unanswered transmissions, Athena decided to awaken the only remaining crew member, a young Eternal infant who had been left behind and discarded by the other humans—a girl who would grow to be called Lex. Athena sent the child away, still asleep, and hoped that whoever found her would follow the trail back to Titan.

Sigmond (Siggy) : Originally, a standard artificial intelligence given to Jace upon his acquisition of the Renegade Star. After receiving a personality program and name, Sigmond became a valued asset and long-time companion to Jace. He was eventually given several additional upgrades by Athena, allowing him to become exceedingly more efficient and, shortly thereafter, caused him to show signs of cognition. During the final confrontation with the Cognitive Hephaestus, Sigmond sacrificed himself to save Jace and the rest of the crew. At this time, he was believed to be lost forever. Shortly thereafter, however, Sigmond reappeared on Titan, manifesting himself before Jace as a fully realized Cognitive whose appearance was unlike any other.

Janus (deceased): The Cognitive in charge of Karin and Lucia’s former home. He was originally created to oversee three facilities on the same planet, each with its own distinct assignment. After the facilities were overrun by an outbreak of Boneclaws (genetically modified Eternals), Janus lost all contact with Earth. He was left with only a few thousand survivors, whose lives became his only priority. It wasn’t until the arrival of the Union that Janus lost his life, defending the colonists during the evacuation to Titan. His final request was for Jace to look after his people and defend them against those who mean to use them. It is a request that has stayed with Jace, always in the back of his mind. After his death, Athena was able to salvage part of Janus’s shell, which she gave to Sigmond in order to give him additional functionality. This was the beginning of Sigmond’s Cognitive evolution.

Algaia (deceased): The Cognitive in charge of Tiche and several facilities across Earth space. She was killed and her shell absorbed by Hephaestus, granting him access to Algaia’s supply depots.

Hephaestus (deceased): The Cognitive in charge of the defense network and the drone factories. After two thousand years, Hephaestus is a shadow of his former self. His mind has deteriorated so much that he relies entirely on protocol, defending the Earth from all Transient vessels. After encountering Titan, Hephaestus shows aggression towards the ship, ultimately mounting a major assault against Jace and his crew. Thanks to the efforts of an upgraded artificial intelligence known as Sigmond, Hephaestus and his data storage Capsules are permanently destroyed.

Other Terms

Eternals : Advanced humans who have been genetically modified with advanced healing and extremely long lifespans. After a few centuries, an additional mutation caused the Eternals to develop albino features, giving them a distinct appearance. They are responsible for most of Earth’s advanced technology, including the seed colony ships, such as Titan, as well as Tritium cores, slipspace drives, and Cognitives.

Transients : Normal humans who do not possess the Eternal gene. After Eternals arose on Earth, Transient humans were delegated to the lower class, unable to accumulate wealth or obtain high-level positions in either business or politics. This stagnation led to a rebellion in which the Transients demanded equal opportunity. To satisfy this need, the Eternals offered them a deal: venture out into the far-flung reaches of the galaxy and colonize distant worlds, taking their lives into their own hands. The Transients agreed, and so began the greatest mass exodus in Earth’s history.

Slipspace : A dimension beneath our own in which faster-than-light travel is possible. While it is not fully understood, many theorize that slipspace tunnels are in a constant state of nuclear fusion and fission, destroying and creating atoms simultaneously at all times. It was believed that slip tunnels were a naturally occurring phenomenon, but this is incorrect. In truth, the slip tunnel network was created by ancient ships from Earth as they expanded across the galaxy. While some tunnels collapsed over time, many remained to this day, providing modern ships with a faster-than-light means of transportation. Since modern ships cannot create their own tunnels, they must continue to rely on the existing network to travel. Titan is the only known ship capable of forming new tunnels.

Slip Gap Point (S.G. Point) : The location between tunnels (i.e. the space between two tunnel entrances). Often the location of colonies and refueling stations, they serve as the intergalactic road stops of the slip tunnel network. While the busier S.G. Points are often heavily policed, the less active locations remain somewhat dangerous due to frequent attacks and surprise raids.

Turn-key : A special communications device created by the Eternals. Only those with the appropriate tattoos can operate them.

The Sarkonian Empire : A smaller, but still capable collection of planets. Located on the opposite side of the Deadlands from the Union, the Sarkonians are known to claim planets randomly and without warning. Recently, they struck a deal with the Union for the promise of more territory, should they deliver the Renegade Star.

The Union : The most powerful military force known to exist, the Union has control over dozens of star systems. They remain in pursuit of Titan, hoping to reacquire Lex so that they might use her genes to enhance their own soldiers. They claim to do this to protect their borders and their people, but all past actions show an empire whose only goal has been territorial expansion.

Earth : Often believed to be a myth, Earth is said to be the original cradle of humanity, home to lost, unparalleled technology, the likes of which have not been seen in nearly two thousand years. Unfortunately, not much is known about Earth’s history after the Great Transient Exodus, resulting in a massive gap in information, but that hasn’t stopped the Union from sending every available ship to find it. At the same time, Jace Hughes and his crew are determined to get there first to keep whatever awaits them out of the hands of their enemy.

Verdun : The first and only colony on Earth, built and occupied by Jace and his companions. It rests atop an elevated city, which is supported by heavy scaffolding. Not much is known about these platforms, except that they are the last remaining evidence of technology from a lost civilization. It is believed that these cities once housed the Eternals so that the Earth could be terraformed below them, though this remains only a theory.

Burning hair.

That was the smell I woke up to when I opened my eyes. It filled my lungs, and I coughed so hard I thought I was going to vomit.

Maybe I already had.

I lay against a metal grate, the cold steel pressed along my cheek. Some of the overhead lights had gone completely dark, and the whole room was a blur. Everything hurt, but my head was pounding worse than any hangover I’d ever had.

I touched my forehead, trying to steady myself as I sat up. A swell of pain rushed up from my neck and out through my temples. “Gods,” I whispered, my voice hoarse like I’d been screaming.

Except I couldn’t remember doing that, not to mention how I’d arrived here.

Oh, sure, I knew who I was: Captain Jace Hughes, leader of the united people of Earth. I was a Renegade, or I used to be, back before my life went off the rails and I ended up helming an ancient colony ship called Titan. I remembered fighting the Union, the Sarkonians, a rogue Cognitive named Hephaestus, and even a godsdamn Celestial.

Another thing I couldn’t seem to remember was how I’d come to be in this room. There was a gap and I was struggling to remember anything recent. It was all a haze. Where the hell am I?

I pushed myself off the floor, but it was too fast. I fell against the wall, light-headed and dizzy. As my shoulder accepted the weight and pressed against the metal, a stab of pain ran through my chest and I winced. Whatever had happened to me, I was a mess. I felt for the revolver at my hip and was relieved that it was still there. However I’d ended up here, the enemy probably didn’t know about it.

“Siggy,” I said, expecting the Cognitive to answer immediately. “You there? Siggy?”

No response.

I touched my ear, searching for the comm device nestled inside. It was still there.

“Siggy,” I said, trying again as I tapped my ear. “Godsdammit, say something.”

I waited for an answer, but nothing came. Wherever I was, I’d lost my connection to Sigmond. There was no way that if he could hear me or communicate that he wouldn’t. A hundred scenarios ran through my head as I tried to sort through the implications. If I couldn’t reach Sigmond, it meant he was either too far out of reach for the comm or there was something blocking the signal. But to know which, I’d have to figure out whose vessel I was on and where we were, where Sigmond was, and (if I had the time) maybe how the hell I’d wound up on this ship.

I blinked, finally taking notice of the room. There were small ceilings, removable tiles on the wall for easy access to the ship’s guts, and a deep metal grate beneath my feet. I knew this design. I knew this—

Voices came from down the hall, causing me pause. There were two doors to this room, one to the left and one to the right of me. I huddled close to the right side, eying a couple of soldiers as they made their way toward me. A quick study of the rumpled, dark gray and crimson accented uniforms told me they were Sarkonian.

The pair laughed and talked as they walked. I slid back inside and checked my gun’s cylinder, finding it empty. There was no time to load it. Not before they reached me.

I scanned the room in a quick second, noticing a table and a few chairs. It wasn’t much, but I’d have to make it work.

I raised one of the chairs and waited for the two men to pass by the first door.

“And then she says to him, you’re not my father,” said one of the two guards, letting out a wheeze of amusement.

The second man whooped and laughed. “No, she didn’t!”

“I’m telling you, she did,” assured the first.

“That’s the surest way to a guy’s—”

I tossed the chair behind them, ducking back inside the room. The noise filled the hall and caused both men to turn around in a panic.

I rushed to the other doorway and waited until they were facing the chair. They both snapped their rifles up, twitching between the chair and the open door.

“Who’s there?” yelled the first, edging closer to the entrance to the room.

I slid into the hallway behind the second man, my gun in my hand. As the first entered, I rushed and slammed the butt of my gun across the side of the second soldier’s neck. He choked from the impact, dazed and confused. Before he could react, I snagged his rifle from his hands, unhooked the strap, and swung it around.

The second soldier hurried back into the hall, stopping for only a brief second before I shot him three times in the chest. He fired wildly into the air, sweeping his rifle from the floor to the ceiling, scattering his shots. I felt a pinch in my side as he collapsed on the floor.

The first man was still struggling beneath me, clawing at my legs. I turned back and pressed my knee to his throat, finishing what my revolver had started. He gagged, spit building in his mouth, his eyes growing wide as they bulged from his skull.

When his breathing had finally stopped, I heard the other soldier moving behind me. I turned to see him scurrying along the grated floor, groaning lightly and trying to move.

The man wheezed, the sound of blood in his throat as he struggled for air. He clutched his left arm close to his chest and pulled himself along with the other. I took aim at his back, ready to finish the job, but then he slowed.

A soft moan left his throat, followed by a slow sigh as he stopped altogether, going still and quiet.

Blood pooled out from his body, all the life in him gone. I gave it a minute, waiting to see if maybe the poor bastard still had more to give, but there was nothing to him now.

I slid up along the wall and back to my feet but felt a hot burn in my stomach. I’d been shot, I quickly realized, and it hurt like fucking hell.

My eyes adjusted to the hall as I blinked, and now that I had a good look at it, I could see that this was obviously a Sarkonian vessel. For all their pillaging and territorial expansion, these ships had always looked a wreck. The Sarkonians were the last people I’d expected to find when I opened my eyes, but somehow, I’d ended up on one of their vessels.

And I couldn’t remember how or why.

I bent down to the first soldier and searched his pockets. He had a security badge, but nothing else. I reached for his earpiece, but blood covered most of it. I decided to leave it, taking only the badge.

The second soldier’s comm was clean, thankfully, and I snatched it from his ear. His pockets weren’t quite as empty as the first man’s. He had the same badge, of course, but there was also an unopened ration packet—dried chips and a sleeve of dehydrated cookie with some dipping cream. I pocketed the food, along with a water canteen he carried along his belt. I guessed he’d skipped breakfast and planned on making up for it on duty. I would’ve called that a lucky break for me, but considering the bullet I’d just taken, I found it hard to be thankful for anything right now.

The burn from the wound in my side caused me to flinch, so I stepped back into the room to give myself a moment. When I was out of the hall, I reached down and lifted my shirt to examine it. Slowly reaching around to my lower back, I felt the exit wound.

Seemed the bullet had found its way through, which was good. I wouldn’t have to worry about digging it out. I also didn’t seem to be coughing blood, either, which meant it probably hadn’t punctured my lungs. And I didn’t feel full, meaning the bullet had likely missed my stomach, too. All good things, I noted. Just straight through the ribs. If I could find a med-kit, I could patch myself up and I’d be fine, but I’d have to treat it soon.

I cursed under my breath.

The bruise from this would be intense, and I’d feel the ache soon if I didn’t find a painkiller.

“—not sure—”

I paused at the sound. It had come from the earpiece. I brought it closer and cupped my ear with my hand, trying to listen.

“—and move the Eternal to the holding cell. We need to ask her some questions,” said the voice. It was a man, probably the captain of this ship. The Sarkonians liked using automated ships, but for longer scouting missions they’d often send a small crew. Six to twelve was standard.

I glanced down at the two bodies in the hallway. “Two down,” I muttered, tossing the rifle onto their corpses.

I reached into my coat and drew out a handful of bullets, then I popped them into the revolver’s cylinder one at a time.

The stranger on the comm had mentioned an Eternal, but I wagered that could mean anyone, even a member of my own crew. Maybe Karin, although I couldn’t remember if I’d been on a job with her before arriving here.

I paused, recalling my personal shield and knowing I’d never dive into an enemy ship without it. Why hadn’t it protected me during the fight? Did I even have it with me?

I felt around my shoulder, touching the small device as it stuck to my shirt, weightless. It was deactivated, though, and there was no light or voice response to indicate it was working. I tried messing with the little panel on it but to no avail. Served me right for not taking the time to learn this tech when I had the chance. Athena had cautioned me to start studying up on the Earth tech, as had Abby.

Guess I’d just have to roll with it and do things the old-fashioned way. It wasn’t like I’d never been injured or without a personal shield before. Such was the life of a renegade.

I sighed, stepping back into the hall, then looked in both directions. It was unkempt, but empty. There were only two doors immediately to the left, followed by a series of airlocks. One of them had the emergency seal activated.

As I drew closer, something caught the corner of my eye. It was a leg on the floor, inside one of the other two rooms. I turned to see a body, but not a Sarkonian this time. No, this one had a more familiar uniform. It was one of mine.

More specifically, one of Bolin’s.

The body wasn’t small enough to be Lex’s and a feeling of dread washed over me as a picture of Abby flashed through my mind. It only took me a few seconds to turn the body over, and I recognized the man immediately. It was Felix, one of Bolin’s squamates.

I felt my throat close up at the sight of him.

His eyes were open and motionless, his cheeks cold and tinged blue. He must have come here the same way I had, maybe even on the same ship, but how had he died? It looked like asphyxiation from the popped blood vessels in his eyes, but how could he suffocate here? I was breathing just fine. There weren’t any visible wounds, and the how didn’t matter. He was dead either way.

I swallowed, knowing I couldn’t linger here for long. The rest of the crew would probably find those bodies in the hall soon, especially if they didn’t report back.

“I’ll get you out of here,” I told Felix, fully intending to keep my word. That was if I could remember how I’d gotten here in the first place. “And someone is going to godsdamn answer for this.”

“The Eternal is secure,” said the voice on the comm.

“Begin the interrogation,” ordered the man I had presumed to be the captain.

“And if she doesn’t talk, sir?”

“Use force, but don’t kill her,” said the man. “The Union won’t buy damaged goods.”

Those bastards had already killed one of my crew, and now they were threatening another.

Felix’s armor looked to be largely intact, which meant he might still have his med-kit. I hated myself for it but began rustling through his equipment. The pack was there, but the seal had somehow broken. Sure enough, the clot spray had busted, which meant it was no longer viable. Damn. I took a few of the wipes and sterilized the wound, then grabbed one of the bandages and wrapped it around my waist, tightening it to keep the pressure on.

I groaned as I made the knot then tossed the rest to the floor. It wasn’t the best field dressing I’d ever done, but it would have to do. The bandage was only a temporary fix and would hardly stop the bleed. If I didn’t get this taken care of within the next few hours, I’d have a bigger problem on my hands.

With one last look at Felix, I squeezed the grip of my weapon and struggled to my feet, wincing at the sharp stab of pain in my side.

No, I thought, pushing the sensation away. There was no time for distractions. I couldn’t let this wound become a handicap. There was still one of my people about to be interrogated. There could be even more of them on ship being held prisoner for all I knew.

Resolved to saving the Eternal, whoever it was, and figuring out how the hell this all happened, I turned to survey the room. The cheap bastards barely had any tech, and what tech they did have wasn’t functioning, at least not in here. A quick search yielded a rusty multitool and a penlight, which was better than nothing. Barely.

Not wanting to waste any more time, I turned back into the corridor and began the long walk toward the brig.

The ship was different from most of the Sarkonian vessels I’d been on, which admittedly wasn’t very many. Still, I’d made it a point to study them with Sigmond on the longer trips through slipspace. It gave me something to do. Besides, when you were a Renegade and sometimes crossed over into Union and Sarkonian space, it helped to know a thing or two about enemy ship layouts. You never knew when the Sarkonian fleet might show up and declare ownership over a planet in the Deadlands and you’d have to fight your way out while carrying a cargo hold of stolen goods

Not that I’d ever had to do such a thing.

Well, maybe just the once.

In any case, it didn’t take long for me to realize I’d never seen a ship like this before. Its layout was different, almost twisted in comparison to the standard Sarkonian mid-sized vessels. Novas, I think they called them. But this was something else. The brig was usually near the aft section, but this one had the airlocks there instead. Not your usual design, to say the least.

I decided not to worry about it. So I didn’t know where I was going or who was waiting for me. Fine. Add it to the list.

Story of my godsdamn life.

I tried my comm every few minutes as I made my way through the first few corridors, each of them empty. I wagered this section of the ship had fewer crew than the rest, especially since their focus had apparently been on an Eternal. Gods knew I had to do something about that. If the Sarkonians brought back a live Eternal to the Union, we’d have bigger problems on our hands than a single ship.

“Siggy, you there?” I asked again, hoping for a different result this time.

Dead silence.

“Figures,” I muttered, letting out a frustrated sigh.

“Commander-Weir,” said a voice over the second comm I’d acquired.

I stopped at the sound of the voice then stepped out of the hall and into a maintenance room. With my finger on the earpiece, I lowered my head to listen.

“What is it?” returned a voice—the same one I’d heard earlier issuing commands.

“It’s the Eternal, sir. She’s refusing to speak,” explained the first voice. “We’ve tried non-violent extraction methods, but she hasn’t said a word.”

“Elaborate, Ensign-Cardona,” said Weir.

“She has an empty expression, sir. Nothing we say seems to affect her. It’s unusual. I suggest we attempt a less—diplomatic—approach.”

“Out of the question!” snapped the commander. “I’ve already told you: The Union needs the girl intact. You’ll have to keep trying to get her to talk through some other method.”

“But sir, psychological extraction can take days,” explained the ensign.

“Then you’d better get started,” said the commander. “Command expects results. If they don’t get them, I’d hate to think what might become of you.”

“Y-yes, sir,” said the ensign.

The communicator clicked off, leaving me in silence. Who the hell did they have on this ship? More importantly, what sort of information were they hoping to extract? The location of Earth? Our military strength? Hardly anyone knew the whole picture, let alone how many drones we had at our disposal, but that wouldn’t stop a clever person with a keen eye. Gods only knew what a few hours of questions might reveal, even from a normal colonist. After all, everyone had witnessed the Celestial attack. They’d all seen the inside of Titan as well as Verdun.

Whatever the Sarkonians were after, it reeked of desperation—grasping at what little information they could find, no matter how miniscule or pointless, all so that they could return to their superiors with some sense of accomplishment.

I had to wonder if they even knew the prize they carried. If this person truly was an Eternal, the real prize was in her genetics. The ability to heal from nearly any wound would surely be an asset to them, the same as it would be for the Union. If the Sarkonians knew that, they’d probably be more focused on getting her back to their own scientists. I shuddered to think what either might do with the tech.

Which raised the question: did they even have the right kind of Eternal?

The people I’d picked up on my way to Earth certainly looked the part—white hair, pale skin, blue eyes—but they didn’t have the same healing abilities as their ancestors. They had the tattoos, though, which gave them the ability to interact with ancient Earth technology. Even without the advanced healing, access to the tattoos would be a problem. The last thing we needed was an army of Union and Sarkonian soldiers helming a fleet of recovered Earth battle ships.

On the other end of that, the Eternals who had arrived through the slip tunnel at the center of the planet had the ability to heal, but they didn’t have tattoos because we’d yet to give them any. There just hadn’t been enough time. At least, as far as I could remember. I had to admit my memory was pretty spotty right now. Gods only knew what I’d forgotten.

A flash of green light spread across the wall, catching my eye. It looked like waves dancing in the shadow, like lights reflecting off the water of a nearby pool. I turned around, already suspecting what I was about to find but not knowing completely if it was true.

The thick window was stained and blurred by carbon buildup—largely due to entering and exiting slipspace. Occasional maintenance would have cleared this up, but the Sarkonians did everything on a budget.

I pressed my palm against the glass, leaning closer to the window to see what was out there.

Flashes of lightning along the walls of the slip tunnel arced and danced in familiar beats before me. The emerald lights played in the all-too-familiar chaotic swirls I’d seen so many times, instantly revealing the harsh reality of my situation.

I was alone.

No wonder I couldn’t reach anyone on the comm outside of this ship. Sigmond, Abigail, and everyone else were probably a star system or more away by now. Worse still, even if I took control of the ship, I wouldn’t be able to contact them until I came out of slipspace and found my bearings. Gods only knew when the next slip gap point would be. This tunnel might go on for another day, or it could end in an hour. I had no way of knowing. I especially didn’t know how long this vessel had already been traveling through this particular tunnel or how many we’d already gone through to get here.

I balled my fist up and pulled it back, wanting to strike the wall, and I very nearly did before I forced myself to relax. “Easy, Jace,” I whispered. “Take a breath and think.”

I closed my eyes as the light from the tunnel swept over me and I tried to remember anything before I’d woken up in this place, but still there was nothing.

Only fragments. Pieces of thought scattered like a broken holo that had been split up and pieced back together again.

I shook my head. I didn’t have time to sit around and wait for my head to clear up. There was someone else on the ship. Someone who didn’t deserve to be here, and they needed help. I had an obligation to find them, because they were a part of my crew. Whatever the reality of my situation happened to be—no matter how I’d gotten myself into this mess or where this ship was going—my priority remained the same.

Find the Eternal. Take the godsdamn ship.

Whatever came after that—whatever gaps needed filling in my head—I’d just have to figure it out when I got there. Here we go, I thought as I eased back into the corridor. Just gotta take it one step at a time.

The one thing you had to remember about the Sarkonians was that they didn’t play nice with anyone. That included pretty much every colony in the Deadlands, regardless of loyalty, position, or influence. They treated them all the same. You could be the head of a high value medical mega-corporation importing rare goods from the other side of Union space and the Sarkonians would still come in and tear you down. There was little strategy to their conquests—hardly any forward thinking. They only cared about expanding the empire, which meant they only cared about land and resources. They didn’t have time to barter or deal in foreign politics—a stark contrast to the way the Union operated—which is why it came as a surprise to find out they were working directly with the Union government on a mission to capture a little girl and her band of rescuers.

As it went, their unprecedented partnership went a little deeper than we had initially thought. Aside from a few border worlds inside the Deadlands, an area of space that seemed to grow smaller with every passing year, the Sarkonians had been offered a very specific system known as the White Cross.

The White Cross was, according to Alphonse’s intelligence, a resource-rich system with two asteroid belts and ten planets, each of them full of precious metals and rare materials, the most important of which was something called N02-99, a metal used to reinforce Sarkonian hulls. It was highly durable, lighter than most other alloys, having almost no conductivity or magnetic susceptibility, and retaining low malleability. This meant metals as strong as tungsten and as light as aluminum, with the insulating potential and magnetic resistance of rubber, and all for a bargain price for the one in control of the White Cross. That was why the Union had seized it during an aggressive incursion into Sarkonian space nearly three decades ago. The Sarkonians had, ironically, taken the system from a corporate mining company several decades before that.

The problem was, the White Cross had become the sole provider of N02-99 after three other reserves had dried up. Now that it was gone, the Sarkonians had no other way to obtain the metal, except through trade or aggressive invasion.

After hearing this, it was easy to guess which option they’d chosen.

This was the moment that began the fast decline of the empire’s economy. It created a cascading effect, resulting in a wide range of changes and political reform. Their ships were weaker and less capable of holding their own in a one-on-one fight with a Union vessel, thanks to the lack of N02-99, which forced them to rely on numbers rather than technology. They began forcing their citizens to join the military, throwing them on half-completed ships, and sending them out to attack and lay claim to nearby worlds. Over time, approximately thirty years, the Sarkonian Empire went from being the Union’s equal to little more than a nuisance that could be largely ignored, except when it came to the Deadlands.

If there was one thing the Sarkonians wouldn’t allow—one thing they refused to step aside for—it was their once-rival to take even more of their territory. In this case, that meant the Deadlands, since the Sarkonians believed they had a right to it. They couldn’t play offensively the way they once had, but they could certainly hold the line and stop the Union from pressing its way deeper into unclaimed space.

Because of this new dynamic between the two, the Union and the Sarkonian Empire found themselves in constant skirmishes inside the Deadlands.

And every time one of them stole another world, it was always the people who suffered for it. The Union would arrest anyone with a record, take whatever reserves the colony had, and install a local militia. The Sarkonians would simply burn the colony to the ground, conscript the survivors, and build a new outpost.

It was a desperate attempt to stay relevant in a galaxy that was quickly being swallowed up by the Union. Still, the Sarkonians believed they were succeeding. Hell, maybe they were. I couldn’t really say.

And maybe they were right, in a way. Maybe this was the only card they had left to play. Gods knew none of us wanted the Union in charge of the entire galaxy.

The Sarkonians were the only thing keeping Union cruisers from going too deep into the Deadlands. The power dynamic was good. It kept us free in our little bubble of free space. But eventually, something was gonna give, and everyone knew the Union would get tired of all the fighting. They’d come in, conquer whatever remained of the Deadlands by that point, and there’d be nothing left for any of us.

None of that was to say that I liked the Sarkonians. Far from it. And when I found the rest of the crew on this ship, I’d have no qualms about putting every last one of them down. The Sarkonians and the Union were two sides of the same, twisted coin, forged in blood and greed. They’d stop at nothing for more, and the lust would never end—not until every scrap and grain of sand in all the Deadlands was claimed or glassed. Not until every free man, woman, and child was dead.

And that was something I could not abide. Not when I was a Renegade living between two borders, and certainly not now.

I slid the badge I’d stolen over the reader at the end of the hall near a large door. Based on my position in the ship—or where I thought my position might be—I guessed I was nearing the centermost area. That probably meant the lounge, crew quarters, and mess hall. Maybe the laundry room. It was hard to say without knowing the layout, but most Sarkonian ships this size handled those areas the same way. The only difference was the order.

This meant there was a chance I was about to walk in on a few crew members eating their afternoon sludge of a meal. If I was lucky, I’d catch them by surprise before they had a chance to call the bridge and report my ass. That was all a guess, though, so I’d have to play it cautious.

As the doors opened, I placed my back against the nearby wall and raised my gun.

“What’s that?” asked a faint voice from the other side.

“What’s what?” asked another.

The direction of the voices told me one was to the left and the other around the corner to the right. I wouldn’t be able to get them both at once, which meant I’d have to choose.

Without more than a few seconds’ pause, I swung around and tore into the open doorway, my gun extended at the nearest soldier—the taller man to my left—and fired.

His eyes widened, the look of confusion and faint realization overtaking him at the same time, and the bullet dug itself into his chest, straight through the center of the t-shirt he wore that resembled the logo from a famous old holo band called My Synthetic Brain. I’d seen them on the nets before and decided they were shit.

The man staggered back, clutching the fresh wound I’d just gifted him. At the same time, his friend—freckled and blonde—charged at me, apparently quick to react. He was shirtless, still holding his jacket and undershirt in his hand.

His shoulder slammed into my side, hitting me in my wound and sending a shockwave of pain through my entire body. I let out a short scream before biting down on the inside of my cheek so hard that I tasted blood. He pushed me into a wall, pinning my weapon hand at the wrist. The man lifted me into the air, with both of his arms wrapped around my waist.

He went for my armpit with his fingers, probably hoping to hit my nerve cluster. I reached across with my free hand and blocked him, then kneed him in the stomach, causing him to stagger. He refused to let go of my wrist, pulling me to the floor, and we fell together.

I ignored the impact and the pain that came with it, my wound still on fire from the commotion. We tossed on the floor and I went for his throat, slamming a fist into his neck. It wasn’t a strong blow, but it was enough to get him away from me. I hurried back, getting to my feet before he could process what had happened. As he looked at me, and right as our eyes met, I greeted him with the heel of my boot, straight across the jaw.

Spit flew from his mouth, but he didn’t waver. The first soldier I’d shot was there, his hand covering his wound while also grabbing at my wrist in a desperate attempt to disarm me.

But he was disoriented and bleeding out. There was hardly enough strength in him to stop me. I shoved him away with the same hand he was trying to hold, and he quickly let go and doubled over.

I pulled away, then kicked the wounded soldier in the knee, forcing him to bend and allowing me to move. The freckled one lunged at my gun as I attempted to aim with it, but he was too slow, his grip too weak to hold me. I twisted the weapon and fired. The blast of it tore through half his throat, popping the back of his head like a cherry under pressure.

The man fell on his shoulder, gripping his neck as he struggled to understand this new, horrifying reality I had just created for him. I turned into a prone position on the floor—good enough to get a clean shot at the one with the hole in his chest, and then I fired.

A bullet through the skull this time, two centimeters from the temple. Quick and easy.

He fell forward with a hard smack, his face and chest in the freshly made puddle of blood.

I was breathing hard, chest heaving as the pain in my belly returned. The air was suddenly freezing, like I was in the middle of a snowstorm. But I didn’t have time to think about that right now. Not until—

The door on the opposite side of the room slid open, revealing another Sarkonian soldier. This one with a few extra ranks on his coat. His gun had already been drawn, no doubt hearing the battlefield I’d created in this room. His eyes dropped to the massacre before him, momentarily stunned. “T-Trevar?” he sputtered in disbelief. He followed the blood to my half of the room, finally noticing me as I lay there with one hand on my side and the other on my gun.

“Pretty sure Trevar’s dead,” I said. “You ain’t the sort to follow, are you?”

He glanced back at his two friends, then again me, all without a word. His eyes flicked to his gun, and his hand twitched.

I pulled the trigger and sent him sprawling to the floor, motionless.

“Guess you are,” I exhaled.

I pushed myself up from the floor—first to my knees and then to my feet. It was hard to move now, the ache in my ribs growing more and more sharp with each passing breath. I had to find a patch, and soon, or risk—

I coughed, then edged my way toward the side corridor that I suspected led to the crew’s quarters. I placed my hand against the wall as I tried to catch my breath between coughs. The burn in my flesh continued to grow, and I wanted to curse. I couldn’t afford to keep doing this. If I didn’t slow things down or find a med kit, this whole ordeal was gonna end with me on that floor in a pool of my own godsdamn blood instead of theirs.

I had too much to do before I keeled over and died, especially on a Sarkonian ship this far from home.

I shook my head at the thought. I didn’t know how far this was from anything. Not really.

The only thing I knew with any certainty was that I was traveling through a slip tunnel, which meant I could be anywhere in the entire galaxy.

An image of Lex and Abigail flashed inside my mind, giving me pause as I stood there, hand against the wall propping me up. I blinked, teary-eyed from the strain of the fight, my bones aching and my gut burning, and all I wanted in that moment was to be home again. To be with them.

What the hell had possessed me to climb on board this ship with only Felix by my side? I must have been out of my mind.

Another rush of pain hit my waist. I covered it with my hand instinctively. When I pulled my palm away, I found more fresh blood.

Where was a healing pod when you needed it?

The brig couldn’t be far. I could almost sense it. Wandering this ship was like being lost in a cave, and I could feel the sunlight around the next corner.

“Commander-Weir,” called the voice in my ear. It was the one in the brig. What was his name?

“Yes, Cardona? Did you make any progress?” asked Weir, answering my unspoken question.

“I’m afraid not, sir. She still refuses to talk.”

I lowered the volume on the earpiece, but the voice remained. It was coming from down the hall, echoing through the walls. Whoever this Cardona was, he sure as shit didn’t know how to keep his voice down. Lucky for me.

The commander let out a short sigh. “I sincerely hope you didn’t just contact me to tell me that you’ve failed, because that’s the last thing I want to hear, Ensign.”

“No, sir. I think I have a way to get around leaving any marks on her—”

I followed the voice through the hall, slowly minding each corner as I passed them. In my current state I couldn’t deal with another surprise. One more and I might not last the hour.

As I thought about it, my abdomen flared. Every nerve screamed white-hot and I pressed an unsteady hand against my side to silence the pain. I clutched the wound before staying my hand then shook my head and tried to focus on what I had to do next. Namely, following that voice.

“You mean the shock collar?” asked the commander, his words interrupting my thoughts.

“That’s right, sir. The same one we used on the dog before it died,” confirmed the ensign. My blood was starting to go hot.

I stepped closer to one of the doors, leaning so that my ear was against the crack.

“She won’t be able to stand it, and I’ll keep the intensity low enough that it doesn’t burn.” He was so close now, so much that it felt like I could reach out and grab him, right on the other side of this door.

“Do it,” said the commander without hesitation. “The girl must know something. Whatever it is, get it out of her.”

I waited until the ensign signed off from the comm, ending the call, then took the badge I’d stolen earlier and swiped it across the scanner.

The light blinked green, and I raised my revolver.

The door slid open and I saw the back of the man I’d heard on the comm. He was my height, a little stalky, with black hair. I pointed my gun at him, noticing the metal collar in his hand. I’d gotten there just in time to stop him from using it. “Back up!” I growled at him, waiting for him to turn around.

As he did, I caught sight of a small chair with two little feet dangling off the front. Finally, I saw her face and the same familiar blue eyes I’d come to know so well. “Lex?” I choked out. The name left my throat in hesitation. I could barely say it. I could barely process any of this.

“Who the hell?!” shouted the ensign. He took a step in my direction, and I reacted by pulling the trigger. I didn’t even know I’d done it until it was over and the bullet had struck the soldier in his arm. He jerked and fell to the floor, dropping the collar as he landed with a heavy thud.

“Mr. Hughes!” yelled Lex, a wide smile across her face. For a girl about to be tortured, she seemed unconcerned. But Lex wasn’t just any kid. She’d been through more than most adults.

My heart continued to race so loud that I could feel it in my temples as I slowly raised the gun to meet the man in front of me. His eyes locked with the barrel.

“Please, gods. I wa—”

“Shut up,” I snapped, giving him a look that suggested if he spoke again, that would be the end of it. “Take your weapon out, slowly, along with the comm in your ear, and kick them both to me. I’ve already put down five of you so far, and I’m itching to make it six so, please, give me a reason.”

He gulped, slowly and carefully doing as I asked. It was possible he’d been drafted into the Sarkonian army, forced into this life against his will. Many Sarkonians volunteered for their service, but some had to be forced. I wondered briefly which kind of citizen this man had been? A loyal dog or a reluctant puppet? The thought gave me pause, but then the sight of the metal collar caught my eye again, and my fingers tensed around the revolver in my hand.

“The collar, too,” I said through gritted teeth. “Kick it over.” My trigger finger tightened; another hair and this asshole would be on the ground where he belonged.

But I needed information from him. I forced myself to breathe easy and calmed my mind.

I was too tired to do more than stand there, so instead of restraining him, I motioned for him to move the gun.

“Get her out of the restraints. Now,” I ordered, and he was smart enough to follow.

He took the keys out and fumbled with the cuffs until Lex was free. He dropped them and quickly bent down.

“Easy!” I barked, causing him to freeze, half-sunk to the floor.

His eyes slowly rose to me. “I’m just getting the—”

“Hands up,” I told him. “If they drop a centimeter, I drop you.”

His hands shot up, and they were shaking.

“Move to the far wall.”

The ensign did as I told him, maintaining a cautiously slow pace. He didn’t seem the sort to have a death wish, nor the arrogant kind to think himself a hero, which meant he stood a chance at surviving.

“Now, I’m going to ask you some questions. You answer me honestly and maybe you’ll live through the day.” He whimpered at that, but I ignored it. “If I think you’re lying, I’ll start shooting you in very sensitive places. Got it?”

He bobbed his head up and down.

“Good. Now, tell me exactly how many people are on this ship.”

“E-eleven,” he managed to say. “Including the commander.”

That was bad news. So much for the six I’d been hoping for. Five more to take down before the ship was ours.

“What’s the destination?” I asked.

“I’m not sure,” he said, simply.

I pointed the gun at his knees and cocked my brow.

“I-I’m telling the truth. The commander doesn’t share details with us, I swear! All I know is that we’re going to a rendezvous point to take her to the Union.” He looked at Lex.

I flicked my gun to get his attention back on me. “Are there any more prisoners on board?”

“No,” he said, emphatically shaking his head from side to side. “Just the Eternal. We thought it was just the girl. We didn’t realize you made it onto the ship.”

Finally, a piece of good news. If Lex was the only hostage, at least I wouldn’t have to worry about saving anyone else.

The pain in my side was getting worse with each passing minute. My gun hand faltered and dropped just a little, and it shook as I struggled to keep it level.

The ensign must have seen his chance and lunged for Lex. He grabbed at her, maybe hoping to use her as a human shield, but the girl bit down hard on his wrist. He yelped and retracted but readied himself to try again.

We caught eyes, and he looked at me, face pale with hands raised. “P-please. I wasn’t going to—”

I pulled the trigger, cutting him off. The bullet tore through his forehead, and his body fell limp on the floor.

Lex stared at the corpse. “Thanks, Mr. Hughes,” she said, a little too calm for someone who had just been interrogated and was about to be tortured. She had rarely cried, so I didn’t know why I expected this to be any different. She had always just rolled with it, never one to let fear take over the way it did for other people. I still wasn’t sure if that was a good thing.

“No problem, kid.” The wound was catching up to me, and I could feel myself fading fast. A quick glance told me it was bleeding again.

“Mr. Hughes, are you okay?” asked Lex. “You don’t look so good.” She eased over to me, but I held out a hand to stop her.

“I’m fine,” I said, then promptly slid to the floor. I was spent. “Ah, godsdammit. Sorry, kid, I just need a minute.” There was a loud pounding in my head and I just wanted it to stop.

No, not my head. It was something else. I must have blacked out for a second. There was someone at the door.

Lex crouched next to me, tugging at my sleeve. “Mr. Hughes, please wake up. Someone’s trying to get in,” she whispered. She glanced back at the door.

I groaned but sat up. The bullet wound was like a hot poker in my side, but I managed to stand, picking up my gun up from the floor on the way over to the door.

“Ensign-Cardona!” the voice yelled through the door. “The commander wants a progress report from you right away. Is your comm up? Mikhal? Did you hear me?”

“One second!” I shouted back.

I met Lex’s eyes and pointed to the chair. She nodded, understanding, and sat back where I’d found her earlier.

I positioned myself in front of the dead ensign’s body and opened the door. It slid open, and a crewman dressed in a bridge officer’s uniform appeared on the other side, fist raised mid-knock.

“Hey, you’re not—”

“Nope,” I said, “I’m not.” I pulled the soldier inside with us and shut the door behind him, while holding him by the throat. He struggled but calmed down when he felt the barrel of my weapon on his neck.

I pushed him to the floor beside his dead friend, dropping him to his knees and placing the gun to his skull. “Tell me where the nearest medkit is,” I ordered.

“Go to Hell,” he muttered.

I cocked the gun. “I won’t ask you again, pal.”

He swallowed.

Lex watched him from the side. “There,” she exclaimed, pointing to his hip.

“What?” I asked her.

“He looked at that spot when you asked him,” she said.

I pressed the barrel deeper into his hair. “Is she right?”

He fidgeted at the question but said nothing.

“Good enough,” I replied. “Open your pockets.”

He hesitated but looked over his shoulder to me. At that moment, I felt my legs weaken, and my head went foggy all at once. My hand dipped, bringing the gun away from his scalp for only a second, but it was all he needed to act. He took hold of my wrist with one hand while grabbing the barrel with the other. I fired into the far wall, missing him.

He flinched at the sound of it, but not so much that he loosened his grip.

I placed my foot between his shoulders, using the leverage to wrestle my weapon away. He twisted around, grabbing both my arms and pulling me forward. As I fell to the floor, he hurried for my gun, nearly stealing it from my grasp. I felt his fingernails dig into my wrist, drawing blood with a hard sting.

Another flush ran through my chest, and a loss of strength in my arms followed.

He grasped my weapon with both hands, but I curled up, ignoring the pain in my abdomen, and kicked the man in the jaw. He flew back, along with teeth and my own gun.

Taking a moment to recover, I found it was difficult to breathe. The kick had strained me more than expected. At the same time, the crewman moaned and righted himself, trying to stand.

We both looked at one another, hardly a pause to breathe, and then lunged together for the gun. I dogpiled onto him as his hand drew within a meter of the weapon, stopping him on the floor, then twisted on his back, wrapping my feet and arms around him.

I pulled my arm around his neck in a rear naked choke, gripping his throat and pulling. He gagged, and I only tightened my grip.

His back pressed into my wound, and it burned.

But I couldn’t let go. I couldn’t let him touch Lex.

He bashed his fist into my arm repeatedly, desperately kicking beneath us to get free. His hits grew softer, each one a sign of his fading strength. We were done.

He went limp soon and I dropped him beside his comrade.

Lex stared at him with wide eyes, resting on the balls of her feet.

“He’s not dead,” I told her. “Just asleep.”

It wasn’t a lie. He was still breathing, the lucky bastard. If I’d held onto him for much longer, that wouldn’t have been the case.

The girl said nothing of it. Instead, she motioned at my wound. “You’re bleeding more than before.”

The fight had pulled at the hole in my chest, and I grimaced, angling my view to inspect the damage. It was bleeding worse now, so I covered it with one hand.

I heard the chair scrape the floor. Lex stared at my wound intently, but not with fear or disgust. It was more like curiosity, as though she were studying it, trying to understand.

I touched her white hair with my palm—the one with the least amount of blood on it.

“Mr. Hughes,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone. “You need to take care of that.”

Despite her concern, I decided to shift my focus elsewhere. I turned to the guard I’d knocked out. “Hold on a sec.”

I grabbed the comm out of his ear.

“What are you doing?” asked Lex.

I pressed my finger to my lips, and she nodded.

“Commander-Weir,” I said, speaking into the comm and doing my best to disguise my voice. I rubbed the mic on my shirtsleeve as I talked, trying to distort the sound. “Cardona . . . down. Eternal escaped . . . headed toward airlock.”

“Don’t let it get away!” he bellowed.

I sighed in relief. At least he seemed to buy my act, which would grant us a little more time. Maybe not much, but I’d take what I could get.

There wasn’t enough strength in me to deal with moving the guard or restraining him.

I suddenly remembered the collar. Examining it now, it was cruder than expected. The mechanisms appeared simple and exactly like you’d expect from a dog collar. Rifling through the ensign’s pockets, I found the remote. The buttons were marked clearly, so all it took was a single try to get it unlocked. I put it around the sleeping guard’s neck, snapping it into place with a satisfied click, then stepped back.

Lex pulled the medkit from his pocket, much to both our relief.

It contained a few needed supplies, one of which was an analgesic. There were some clean bandages and more wipes, but I didn’t want to chance the guard waking up before I was prepared.

“We should fix you,” said Lex, motioning to my stomach.

“After we talk to this asshole,” I promised. “Think you’ll be okay to wait?”

“Yeah, Mr. Hughes,” she said, pausing for a moment. “And I didn’t say anything to them, I swear.”

“What?” I asked.

“You can trust me, Mr. Hughes. I wouldn’t tell them anything, even when they were mean to me and threatened to kill you and Abby. I promise.”

I stared at her and said, “Lex, you stop that now.” I cleared my throat. “I trust you no matter what, but if someone threatens you and asks you a question and we’re not here, you tell them whatever they want to know. You got that?” The words came out sharper than I intended.

“Yes, Mr. Hughes.” She turned away, like she was somehow embarrassed.

“Kid. Lex,” I said, and drew her into my arms, still careful to keep an eye on the guard.

I held her for a while, expecting her to cry, but nothing came.

“Sorry I wasn’t better,” she said, simply.

“You’ve got nothing to be sorry about,” I said, giving her an easy smile.

She quickly returned it, as though everything was fine.

She was always so full of joy and excitement. Even in those first few days, running from Fratley, she’d always kept her composure.

A memory of Lex covered in blood and sitting on Fratley’s shuttle entered my mind. Even then, she seemed oblivious to the horrors of the world, never one to break down or lose strength. Never the crying sort. How she’d found a way to stay so tender in a galaxy of horrors escaped me. I wanted to ask how she did, how she buried all of those emotions, if she felt them at all, because it seemed a rare sort of talent.

Instead, I turned my attention to the unconscious guard still lying on the floor. I needed answers before anyone else showed up to give me problems. “Time to wake him up,” I said to Lex.

“How?” she asked.

I reached for the medkit and retrieved some ammonia inhalant, otherwise known as smelling salts. “This’ll do,” I muttered, and placed the packet to his nose. “Time to wake up.”

The guard on the floor began to stir, moaning and rubbing the back of his head. He sat up and looked around, confused. His eyes widened when he saw Cardona lying next to him in a pool of blood, and again when he saw me as I sat in front of him with a gun aimed directly between his eyes.

His hand went to his weapon, his face filled with confusion. The next thing he noticed was the collar around his neck. He tried to tug it free, but I raised the gun for him to see.

“Don’t,” I said grimly.

He paused, lifting his hands in surrender, waiting for me to tell him what to do next.

“No sudden movements. Sit up. Do exactly what I tell you, answer my questions, because next time I’m not letting you live.”

The guard was young, but not nearly as fresh-faced as the ensign. Even in his current predicament, he seemed calmer. He’d probably been in a few scrapes, maybe a few combat drops. There was more meat on him too, and a stubbornness in his eyes.

Spreading his hands slightly outward, he used them to push himself into a sitting position. I followed his movements with the revolver, keeping it trained on his head. I let my hand shake a little, grimacing to make it look like I was in pain.

He noticed and smirked. “You’re injured, Renegade.”

“You’re the one with a dead friend on the floor and a barrel in your face,” I reminded him. “You should be more concerned about yourself.” I motioned at him, indicating his position, and smiled.

“What do you want?” he sneered at me, curling his lip in disgust. “You might as well kill me. I’m not going to tell you shit. Do you have any idea what they do to us if we give up intelligence to the enemy?”

“Nope. Don’t care either,” I countered. “How about we start with something easy?” I leaned in, making sure to keep my weapon aimed at him while still maintaining my distance. “Let’s start with this. What’s your name?”

He didn’t answer.

“If that’s the way you want to play it, I guess I’ve got no choice.” I tapped a button on the remote I was holding in my other hand.

He spasmed and grabbed the collar around his neck.

“Fuck . . . you!” he wheezed.

I zapped him again.

“Quiet. You don’t talk unless you’re answering my questions. Touch the collar and you get a jolt. I don’t believe the answer, you get a jolt. You do anything I don’t like? You get a jolt. Or a bullet.” I shrugged. “Your choice. Makes no difference to me. Understand?”

He glared at me, but he nodded.

“What is your name?” I asked again.

“Lieutenant-Eddar Ratchell.” He said it flatly, hints of anger behind each word.

“How did you find Lex?” I asked.

The question seemed to catch him off guard and he looked up at me in surprise. “Don’t you remember? It’s the whole reason you’re on this ship. The reason we all are.”

I stared at him and smiled, deciding to keep my memory loss to myself. Then, without looking at it, I lifted the remote and pressed the next button up.

He jerked and squirmed, a scream ripping from his throat as the electric current from the collar arced through him.

“Well, if you don’t want to talk to me, I’m sure we can find someone who will.” I let go of the button and he collapsed back, trembling, a thin dribble of spit trailing down his chin.

“Okay! I’ll tell you whatever you want to know, just stop, please,” he begged.

I sat back, the pressure on my side from leaning forward causing hot sparks of pain to shoot through me. The collar seemed more effective than the gun at the moment, so I holstered it and fixed a look on the lieutenant.

“Alright, Lieutenant-Ratchell. Start from the beginning.” I said it casually, but the truth was, I didn’t know how long I had before the pain came back and got the best of me.

He licked his lips nervously, then looked from me to Lex, then to Cardona’s lifeless body.

I cocked an eyebrow at him, waving the shock collar remote and forcing his attention back on me. “Well, what’s it gonna be?”

Ratchell cleared his throat and eyed the device in my hand. He swallowed hard. “After your meeting with the Union council, we received orders from Command to follow your ship. We—”

“What meeting?” I broke in.

He stiffened, blinking at me with a confused expression. “Vice Admiral Vick ordered us to follow The Galactic Dawn through slipspace. He couldn’t follow you himself because of your agreement, so he sent us.”

“What meeting and agreement?” I repeated, hovering my finger over the controls. My memory was still blank when it came to the events leading up to my arrival on this ship. I had no idea who Vice Admiral Vick was, or what I would have possibly agreed to. I wondered suddenly if the Celestials had finally found us and attacked. His answer only created more questions and it was starting to piss me off.

It must have shown on my face because the lieutenant paled a little, still looking at me like I’d lost my mind. “I don’t know the specifics,” he admitted. “All I know is that it was some kind of treaty between your people and theirs. Admiral Shaw sent us and a few others because he couldn’t go after you himself.”

I considered this. We had obviously met with the Union, but I couldn’t recall the details. Maybe something to do with the Celestial threat. It made sense. There was no way I would have agreed to the meet if it wasn’t absolutely necessary, and the Celestials certainly qualified as a legitimate threat. Hearing that the Union had gone back on their word was hardly surprising. Even with half the galaxy at stake, they still found a way to ruin my fucking day.

“So, you followed us to get your hands on Lex,” I guessed, watching him closely. I was surprised when he shook his head, a guilty look on his face.

“No, we were to ascertain Earth’s location, observe your defenses, then return without engaging. We were tracking you for some time after you left the Centaurus. When we finally made it to Earth, we nearly turned back but decided to get a closer look when we were certain you couldn’t detect us.”

“Yeah, about that,” I interrupted. “How did you do that and get by our defense network?”

His words had surprised me. The Galactic Dawn should have been able to see any ship using Union tech, even one of the sixth generation cloaks that we’d run into before. All cloaks were derived or stolen from existing Union technology, so by all accounts, there shouldn’t have been a problem. Yet, somehow, this ship had gone undetected by the Dawn, the drones, and Titan. If nothing else, it proved we’d been overconfident in our defense strategy.

The Union had used its sixth generation cloak to follow my ship, The Renegade Star, undetected for longer than I cared to say. We’d only found out from Alphonse, back before he switched sides. He and his crew had boarded us, taking me by complete surprise. It was a moment I didn’t care to repeat, and I’d taken every precaution I could to avoid it in the future. Apparently, I hadn’t gone far enough.

Ratchell’s lips twisted into a mocking smile, as though he’d momentarily forgotten the shock collar around his neck. “The Union gave us a next-gen cloak. Seventh, I think,” said the soldier. “Not only could we follow The Galactic Dawn through slipspace undetected, we were practically under your noses the whole time. Our commander decided to see what he could learn by getting closer. The rest of it was . . . unplanned.” He trailed off, his eyes taking on a faraway look.

My finger twitched at the thought of Felix lying dead in the room I’d found him in, and I wanted to use the remote to punish the man in front of me, but I wasn’t done with this Sarkonian just yet.

“What do you mean happened after?” I asked, dropping my voice a few octaves and leaning forward.

His eyes darted to the remote again, going wide when he saw my grip tightening.

“We stayed in high orbit, waiting to see if you would be able to detect us. When you didn’t, we attempted to land on the surface near one of your camps. The girl was spotted nearby, unprotected, playing with a few other children. A quick facial scan showed a match in the system. The Union is paying top credit for that girl, but you already know that. She’s the most wanted child in the galaxy. We couldn’t walk away from an opportunity like that. The commander knew that, and he ordered us to—”

“Abduct a little girl,” I finished for him, not bothering to hide the contempt in my voice. “Then what?”

It irked me to know that we had been so easily infiltrated, and by the Sarkonians, no less.

“We tried to take the other children, but there wasn’t time. Those drones of yours arrived in two or three minutes. There was only enough time to take her,” he said, glancing at Lex. He cleared his throat. “She fought us. You’ve got a real wild one here, you know. A regular—”

I pressed the button again and sent a shock through his body. He screamed as the electricity caused him to collapse. “G-godsdamn you,” he muttered, spit dripping from his mouth.

“What happened next?” I asked, my voice steady and uncaring.

“Y-your people were on us and we had to fight our way out. I don’t know how you . . .” He coughed, suddenly. “I don’t know how you got onto our ship without anyone noticing. Internal sensors never detected a breech. Whatever you did, you—”

“Does the Union know the location of Earth?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, our signal was too weak to reach them.”

That, I could believe. Earth was farther than any known system and the Sarkonians didn’t exactly have top of the line equipment. Except for access to a seventh gen cloak, it seemed.

I relaxed a fraction. “And you were just going to hand her over?” I said, gesturing at Lex, who had taken to standing in the corner. I knew that this was the agreement that the Sarkonians had with the Union, but I had to say I was surprised to see them following through with it. No Sarkonian that I’d ever made a deal with had held up their end. It was part of the reason I avoided their territory if I could help it.

When it came to these people, it was generally best to avoid any deals and just kill them outright. You know, handling your business the civilized way.

For the Sarkonians to give Lex willingly to the Union, they must not have known her actual value. The pieces were slowly coming together. The same couldn’t be said for my memory. The details of my treaty with the Union were still cloudy at best.

Ratchell continued, seemingly oblivious to how distracted I was at the moment. “What’s so special about this girl anyway? She doesn’t seem all that important, aside from being an Eternal. A skinny little brat with funny hair and tattoos. What makes her any different from those other kids, I wonder?”

The man screamed when the collar went off, kicking his feet and clawing at his neck trying to pry it off.

“Oops,” I said, releasing the button. “Finger slipped.”

He went limp, breathing hard, and glared at me.

I ignored it and continued the interrogation. “Next question. How far from Union space are we?”

“Close,” he gasped, not quite able to manage another cocky grin.

“What information were you trying to get out of Lex?” I held up the remote, indicating the shock collar.

He shrugged. “She’s important to the Union, important enough to offer us a deal if we’re the ones to bring her to them. They’ve been combing every system looking for her ever since you stole her. We wanted to know why.” He coughed again, then wiped his mouth with his sleeve and cleared his throat. “You want more than that, you’ll have to ask the commander.”

I’d had just about enough of Lieutenant-Ratchell, but before I could threaten him, another stab of pain lanced through my side and I couldn’t suppress the groan, so I closed my eyes for a split second.

It was all the window the Sarkonian needed. He sprang to his feet, quickly, as though the pain of the shocker had totally dissipated. He moved toward me, eyes on the remote. I pressed one of the buttons, but my reaction time was too slow. He was there the next second, fighting through the shocks battering his body, and knocked the control from my hand. Unlike before, the collar barely slowed him, as though something about it had changed. Or perhaps his display had all been for show.

I was still in the chair and at a disadvantage. He towered over me, swinging a wild punch at my face. I threw up an arm to block, but the force of it was enough to throw me out of the chair and hard onto the floor. I groaned from the impact, struggling to free my gun from the holster. Ratchell dove for my weapon, wrestling with me and driving an elbow into my side in the process.

On a normal day, the smaller man wouldn’t have even made it across the room to take a shot at me, but I was weak from the injury and it wouldn’t have taken much at this point to put me on my ass.

The lieutenant landed blow after blow to the side of my head, making the room swim. In a desperate effort to keep it from him, I tossed the gun to the other side of the room. Spent, my arms gave out and Ratchell pushed my face into the floor. He proceeded to thrash me with another blow to my cheek, following it with yet another.

“Stop it!” yelled Lex from the back of the room, although I couldn’t see her. Ratchell was between us and took up most of my line of sight.

That was when I heard the shot.

It hit the wall behind Ratchell and he reflexively ducked. It didn’t take him long to realize what had happened, and he quickly leapt off of me and lunged for Lex.

There was no way I could get to her, not before he did, but I was damn well gonna try. After struggling to get up, fighting the clawing agony, I threw myself in his direction.

Then I heard the second shot.

The lieutenant stumbled toward Lex, but tripped on his own feet, falling into the corner as Lex moved out of the way. His hand dropped to his side. Red bloomed from the hole in his chest where the bullet cleared through his body and left him empty.

He curled, fetal, on the floor, clutching himself as a soft groan left him.

I stared at all of this, not knowing what to do.

“Mr. Hughes?” Lex said. “Are you okay?”

She stood with her feet apart in a surprisingly good shooting stance, still holding the gun in her small hands. And while the question may have been for me, she continued to stare at the dying lieutenant.

I couldn’t believe what I’d just allowed. I’d only wanted the gun away from him, not for her to use it. Never for Lex to—

“Mr. Hughes?” she asked again.

“I’m good, Lex,” I said, taking a second to try and get my breath back. “Give me the gun, okay? It’s alright, kid. Just hand it here and get away from there.”

She nodded, slowly, but paused before she moved. “O-Okay,” she finally said, her feet shuffling small steps toward me.

I tried to sit up to go to her, but the room started to spin, and I sank back down.

“Mr. Hughes!” snapped Lex.

She ran the rest of the way to me as I collapsed against the door. The room was fading, and her along with it. I could barely keep my eyes open.

“I’m alright. I just gotta . . .” My words trailed off. I couldn’t fight it anymore.

The sound of Lex’s voice was the last thing I heard as the dark took me.

A warm body pressed into my back, arms encircling my waist, and a familiar scent washed over me.

“It’ll be fine, Jace,” a voice whispered in my ear.

I turned to face Abigail, then pulled her close and we tangled our limbs together. She was completely bare, stray locks of hair going this way and that. I enjoyed seeing her like this—sweet and vulnerable, a stark contrast from what she usually showed people. I leaned in close to kiss the top of her head.

“Mmm,” she said, smiling. “What was that for?”

I stared into her eyes, taking in a long breath of her. She darted her eyes to my lips. I smiled.

“I just wanted to—” Before I could finish, there was a discreet cough from a different part of the room.

“Sir, pardon the interruption,” said Sigmond. His voice caused both of us to nearly fall out of bed. “We are nearing our final destination.”

Abigail raised the sheet to cover her breasts.

“Siggy, how many times have I told you not to do that?” I groaned.

“My apologies, sir. Your orders were to inform you when we were close to our final destination. We are now two hours from our destination.”

“Thanks,” I said. “Now, get the hell out!”

“You are most welcome, sir,” Siggy responded with a cordial smile before vanishing into the air.

I glanced back at Abby. “Plenty of time to finish what we started,” I said, but she was already up and pulling on her clothes.

“Next time, Renegade,” she said coyly, emphasizing the last word. Without a backward glance, she sauntered out of my quarters.

I looked around my room. “If I didn’t know any better, Siggy, I’d say you did that on purpose.”

“I wouldn’t dream of it, sir.” Sigmond appeared next to me, glowing in his usual gold aura.

“Uh huh,” I grunted, pulling on my pants and boots. “Is the crew ready for arrival?”

“I believe so, sir. All personnel are standing by their respective stations. We have fifty strike ships ready to launch at a moment’s notice. The Union would be foolish to attack us.”

“I’m not ruling it out,” I muttered, flinging on my coat.

A tantalizing aroma suddenly filled the air and I inhaled deeply.

“Siggy, is that . . . ?”

“Your morning coffee is ready, sir. Again, my apologies for truly terrible timing.” He motioned to the personal coffee maker that had come with the room. One of many amenities to the captain’s quarters of The Galactic Dawn. “Shall I disable it?”

I didn’t respond, already up and sipping on the glorious cup of liquid life, moaning after each swallow.

“Siggy, what the hell did you do to this coffee?” I asked, surprised by the unexpected taste. It was better than yesterday’s batch. So rich and pure.

“I’m terribly sorry, sir. This one is a new recipe taken from Athena’s Old Earth records. Highly rated, she tells. I will remake it to your usual tastes,” he said gravely.

“No need for all that, pal. This is good as is.” I yanked the cup closer to protect it and took another greedy sip, my eyes sliding into the back of my skull in ecstasy. “This is . . .” I couldn’t come up with a word that fit.

“I’m thrilled you approve,” said Sigmond. “We’ve added pure cow’s milk and sweetener extracted from recently harvested plants.”

“Cow’s milk? You mean we can milk those things?” I asked, recalling the recently birthed animals the various domes around Earth had started delivering. Ancient beasts of all kind were coming back to life after thousands of years.

And now we were using them for our coffee.

“Just keep doing whatever it is that you did,” I told him.

“Of course, sir. I am delighted that it is to your liking.”

“Make sure I’m not disturbed unless it’s an emergency.” I was only half kidding, but we still had a couple hours before we arrived. I figured it’d do me well to relax a bit longer. Maybe think through what I was going to say when I met the Union representative.

“Understood,” said Sigmond, inclining his head and looking pleased, and with a flash he winked out of sight.

Two hours later, I was dressed and on the bridge, sipping on a third cup of coffee—decaf this time—and preparing to exit slipspace. I just hoped to gods that there wasn’t a fleet of ships waiting with weapons trained on us on the other side.

The opening formed before us as the ship’s slipspace engine activated the tear. The Galactic Dawn exited the tunnel and emerged through the rift, letting it close behind us.

“Targets appearing on sensors,” informed one of the crew. A woman named Chelanah. “Detecting a small fleet, but weapons are not charged.”

“Not that it would help them if they were,” commented Abigail.

She was right. The Galactic Dawn had already been outfitted with advanced Earth technology. Where there once had been quad cannons, now there were beam cannons four times as powerful. We’d also modified the ship to carry Titan’s strike ships, giving us unprecedented firepower. Previously, these smaller ships could only travel a certain distance from Titan without losing power, but with a modified Tritium Core at the center of the Dawn, Athena and Sigmond were able to create a new hub.

“If they decide to fight, they’ll be in for one hell of a surprise,” I commented.

“Let’s just hope it doesn’t come to that,” said Abby.

“Sir, one of the ships is hailing us,” announced Sigmond. “A Vice Admiral Vick.”

“Put him through,” I said.

A few seconds later, a voice came on the line.

“Captain Jace Hughes, this is Vice Admiral Vick of the USS Centaurus. We will be your escort to the station. Please be advised that any action perceived as hostile from you will result in the immediate use of deadly force.”

I cleared my throat and forced myself not to respond with something that might be considered hostile.

“Vice Admiral Vick, this is Hughes. Rest assured, we’re here to talk. However, if you fire on us, we’ll be forced to respond in kind, and no one wants that. Copy?”

The line was silent for a second. It was a bluff, but we did have enough drones to clear us a path back to slipspace and keep them busy while we hightailed it back to Earth.

“Captain Hughes, if you will accompany us, we will continue to Centaurus.” Vice Admiral Vick didn’t seem happy about the situation, but admittedly neither was I. Coming this far away from Earth to ask the Union to help in the fight against the Celestials didn’t sit well with me, but it was necessary. If it weren’t for the imminent threat of death hanging over our heads, I’d just as well have stayed on Earth and kept to me and mine. The less I saw of the Union, the better.

The line clicked off before I could respond. “Typical,” said Abigail, rolling her eyes. “Complete lack of decency.”

“To be fair, we’re talking to them from their former flagship,” I remarked. “Makes sense they’d be steamed.”

“Still, you’d think they would send a diplomat, not a Vice Admiral,” said Chelanah.

“The Union doesn’t work like that,” I said.

“Odd,” she said, leaving it at that.

Chelanah was, like so many others under my command, from a remote world far from known space. They were direct descendants of the Eternals, although they lacked the immortality of their ancestors. Living on a hostile world like theirs had taught her people to survive under conditions so inconceivable I almost didn’t believe it. The near constant threat of death meant every one of them living to adulthood was sharp, wary, and an invaluable asset to the team. I was lucky to have them.

The Centaurus became visible about an hour before we actually reached it, a blinking light in the distance. As we drew closer, I could see it was pretty damn big—maybe three times the size of the Dawn. It was a great, colossal thing, positioned at the edge of Union controlled space.

“Gods,” said Felix, clearly unable to contain his own astonishment.

Bolin whistled, Freddie babbled something unintelligibly, and even Abby seemed impressed. Only Alphonse remained unfazed, but he had likely seen the inside of a Union space station before, maybe even this one.

On that thought, I turned to him, ready to ask the question, but he answered before I could get the first word out.

“This space station is the largest in the Union, and their crown jewel. They wouldn’t bring us this far and start a fight,” he explained.

“Why’s that?” asked Freddie.

“They wouldn’t risk the station’s safety. It’s far too valuable,” he answered. “In fact, if they were going to do anything, it would have been during our arrival.”

“I hope you’re right,” said Freddie.

“He’s right,” I said, nodding to Alphonse. “Chances are, the Union has seen the holos of our last encounter. They know what they’re up against.”

“Besides,” continued Alphonse. “Commander Shaw gave me assurances that we’d be safe here.”

Shaw was an old friend of Alphonse’s, the way he told it, and he trusted him. I couldn’t say to what end, but I trusted Alphonse more than most folks, so I gave him the benefit.

As for Vice Admiral Vick, I had my doubts.

It took an hour to finally dock. When the airlock connected, the ship shuddered slightly, and I tried not to feel uneasy.

Abby put a hand on my arm. “Don’t worry,” she assured me. “Remember, we can always rip the airlocks off and take them with us if things get rough.”

I chuckled at the thought, recalling the last time we’d done that. It was back on Taurus Station and I’d only known Abby for a short time. The memory was cut short by another incoming transmission from Vick.

“Prepare to be boarded for inspection,” he directed. “The Union—”

“Hold it,” I interrupted. “You will not be boarding us. We are here to discuss an accord. The terms of this meeting were already laid out and agreed to. Do you intend to violate those terms?”

Another long pause. “An escort will meet you as you exit your vessel.”

“And the boarding party?” I asked.

“There will be none,” he replied.

I turned the comm off. “Siggy,” I said. “Are we all set?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Good.” I nodded and turned to Abby. “Alright, let’s go.”

It was silent as we entered the airlock and prepared to board the Centaurus. Between everyone fidgeting, and checking and rechecking their weapons, the anticipation and unease was palpable.

We made it through the airlock and were met by none other than Vice Admiral Vick himself, along with a small detachment behind him.

They were all armed to the teeth, and he regarded us with obvious distaste. Vick wasn’t a big man, but he was trim. His demeanor reminded me of General Brigham, which made me dislike him even more. The feeling was no doubt mutual.

“Captain Hughes,” he greeted in a bland voice. “You will not be permitted weapons aboard Centaurus.” He stared beadily at me, then eyed the rest of my crew

I stared right back at him. “Vice Admiral Vick, you don’t seem to understand. We will not be boarding Centaurus without means to defend ourselves.” I motioned toward the rest of the crew behind me. “Are you worried about a small group like this? There’s less than a dozen of us. Don’t tell me you find this intimidating.”

He puffed up and opened his mouth to snarl something back at me when a voice interjected.

“That is completely understandable, Captain Hughes.” A man stepped forward and held out his hand. An admiral, according to the insignia on his chest.

“And you are?” I asked, not taking it right away.

Unoffended by my rudeness, he smiled. “Of course, my apologies, Captain,” he said graciously. “I’m Admiral-General Patrick Shaw. You will be meeting with myself and a number of other Union officials to discuss your proposal.”

I took his offered hand and gave him a curt nod.

“If you attempt to access the Dawn while we attend this meeting, failsafes will be activated,” I said, casually.

“Failsafes?” asked Shaw.

“Better you don’t ask,” I said, walking past him and into the nearby corridor.

We set off deeper into the recesses of the space station, my group behind me, then Vick and his army bringing up the rear. It gave Shaw and me a few minutes alone, and he used it to talk candidly.

“You’ll have to excuse Vice Admiral Vick. He and General Brigham were close. He also believes your intentions to be somewhat—”

“I’m not here to start a fight,” I said.

He nodded. “I believe that, Captain, which is why you and I are speaking now. My correspondence with Alphonse has led me to believe you to be an honorable man in your own right, despite our disagreements.”

“Disagreements?” I asked, scoffing. “That’s one way to put it.”

“In any case, Vice Admiral Vick may take some time to adjust to whatever comes of this accord, but I believe him to be a rational and loyal soldier all the same.”

“Ah,” I said, nodding. “Brigham was a determined man. He would’ve chased us to the end of the galaxy if he had to. If Vick is as stubborn as him, I’m not sure he’ll ever accept us.”

Shaw looked thoughtful at this before looking at me sideways. “Are you here to destroy us under the guise of a peace treaty?”

“No,” I said honestly.

“Then I don’t believe you have anything to fear from Vice Admiral Vick or myself,” he replied, giving me a smile.

It wasn’t long before we found the meeting hall, a large room with an ostentatious table at the center of it. One side was already partially filled with Union officials. Shaw motioned for me and my crew to take the empty seats opposite the others.

Once we were all seated, he spoke. “Ladies and gentlemen, we are here to discuss a potential treaty with the former Renegade known as Captain Jace Hughes. We will allow him to speak”—he looked pointedly at Vice Admiral Vick—“then we will discuss the proposal. Captain, the floor is yours.” He tipped his head to me.

I was surprised at his civility and for the first time felt that this might end on a positive note.

“There’s not much love in this room. I’d be blind to think otherwise,” I said, looking around at the unfamiliar faces across from me. “But there’s been a discovery that threatens every man, woman, and child across the galaxy.”

A few of the officials shifted in their seats at the sound of that. It was exactly the uncomfortable reaction I’d hoped for.

“They’re called Celestials,” I said, emphatically. “And they are more powerful than you can imagine.” I slid a pad with the image of the one we had killed across the table toward Admiral-General Shaw.

He picked it up and studied it, maintaining his calm demeanor, then passed it to his left. He had, of course, already seen the image. Alphonse had sent it to him to press the importance of what we were dealing with. No doubt, the other men and women at this table had already seen the picture as well, but they were far less collected than Shaw, and their faces reflected that.

“It is an imposing creature,” conceded Shaw. “How many have you encountered?”

“Just the one,” I admitted.

His eyebrows shot up at this. “And this single instance compelled you to put all of your considerable contempt for the Union aside?”

“Yes. This particular Celestial was a scout. It had a natural ability to cloak itself and even conceal its own body heat.” I paused. “I don’t mean they used a cloak, either. I’m saying they could do it organically. As if that wasn’t enough, it could also phase through solid objects.”

“What does that mean?” asked Shaw.

Alphonse cleared his throat. “Simply put, this particular Celestial could pass through solid matter, be it stone, metal, or what have you. All except neutronium-based materials. This appears to be another biological-based ability, although we are still conducting tests to determine the full extent of it.”

Shaw blinked. “So, not only was it able to cloak itself, but it could also pass through anything it touched? Remarkable.”

“It is also highly intelligent,” continued Alphonse. “Alone and without aid, it managed to nearly destroy an entire colony by quickly deducing social dynamics within a foreign society of which it previously had little knowledge or insight, and exploit them in real-time, all without the aid of a distinguishable language translator. It managed to adapt and determine weaknesses in the colony’s design to enact a previously unknown process that ultimately resulted in the total destruction of said colony. Its power is truly magnificent.”

“Says the traitor,” said Vick.

Alphonse didn’t react.

“Watch the insults, pal,” I said, giving the vice admiral a cold stare. “Alphonse organized this meeting in the first place. He’s much more detail-oriented than I am, so you should thank him for taking the time to plan a sit-down. I probably would’ve just shown up unannounced. If not for him, today might’ve played out differently.”

There were more murmurs from the Union side of the table, but I ignored them.

“This creature was damn near indestructible,” I continued. “Bullets passed through it and we had an impossible time tracking it. There was only one weakness we found that allowed us to take it down, and that was neutronium.”

“When the Celestial came into contact with this substance, we discovered its abilities were hindered,” explained Alphonse. “Even knowing this, we were unable to prevent it from destroying buildings and infrastructure, not to mention the sheer loss of life that followed.”

Vick could no longer control himself and scoffed. “So that’s your game. You’re after our neutronium.”

“No,” I said bluntly. I briefly considered telling him that we had more neutronium than they’d ever seen buried beneath the Earth’s crust but decided against it. The less information they had about us, the better. “My people believe there are different variations of them, different classes of Celestials, each one specialized in its own skill set.”

“That sounds like speculation,” remarked one of the Union officers.

“It sure as hell is,” I said, snapping my head to look at him. “You think we know every detail about them after one encounter? Use your godsdamn brain.”

My tone made the man stiffen.

“My point is, there’s no telling what other variations of them there are out there or how powerful each one might be,” I said, shifting my eyes back to Shaw. “They aim to kill us all, human and Eternal alike. Best thing we can do is band together to fight them. Huddled rats and all that.”

“Huddled rats?” asked Shaw.

“Keeps the cat afraid,” I finished.

“In all likelihood, sirs, there’s an army out there right now trying to figure out how to find and kill every last one of us,” said Alphonse.

“So, then we should let them have you and stay out of their way,” derided Vick, cutting me off.

I spared him a glance, long enough that he knew I thought he was an idiot, then spoke again. “You could do that,” I agreed. “But do you really think they’re going to stop with us? To hear people tell it, they destroy anything that they come into contact with.”

“How do you know this?” A different man spoke up this time, another official.

“From the people who have been running from them for their whole lives,” I answered. “A group of Eternals.”

More murmurs came at the sound of this. As I’d expected, news of our pale friends had yet to reach their ears.

“And these friends of yours couldn’t give you any more information?” asked Vick.

I shook my head.

“Why?” asked a dark-haired woman.

“Because very few people that have had encounters with them have survived.”

The room fell silent as I let that sink in.

Vick shook his head. “This is nonsense. You expect us to believe something so ludicrous? No one has ever seen a so-called Celestial.” He picked up the pad with the image on it and tossed it in my direction. “This is clearly fake. I’ve seen better work on the holonet. We should arrest you now and charge you with treason.”

“Vice Admiral Vick.” Shaw gave him a look rife with disapproval, but I waved him off.

“You could do that,” I said agreeably. “Although that would be unwise.”

Vick scoffed. “You don’t actually believe that this little rag tag group of thieves, a nun, a historian, and a traitorous dog”—he paused to toss Alphonse a scathing look—“have any chance of leaving here alive unless we allow it, do you?”

“No, I don’t,” I said. “But you will.”

“If you think we won’t fire on one of our own ships, you’re mistaken. I would much rather it be destroyed if it means bringing you to justice.”

I took a slow, steady breath and leaned over the table, while staying seated. “At this moment, there are—let’s call them bombs, because that’s what they are—resting on your hull. If we don’t make it to our ship within the hour, or if I give the signal, my ship will automatically detonate every last explosive and leave this station in a mess of a situation.” I looked Vick square in the eyes. “And you along with it, I’d imagine.”

The room burst into chaos, but Shaw raised a hand, and within moments everyone had gone silent; although, I wagered their fear and anxiety remained.

“You have my word that you will be able to leave unharmed and uncontested,” said Shaw. “You’re free to leave, Captain. We’ll be in touch with our answer very soon, I assure you.”

I stood up, as did the rest of the crew. “And if you decide you’re not interested in my offer?”

“Beyond today, I can make no further guarantees,” he said. “I’m sure you understand.”

I looked at Vick. “I’m sure I do.”

I left them to debate and discuss the merits of my proposition, but I decided to expect the worst. Even the friendliest of them had been my enemy, so counting on any of them would be a mistake. I’d made my offer, best that I could, and now it was up to them. In the meantime, I wouldn’t spend my time waiting. I’d plan, coordinate, and prepare for whatever fight lay ahead of us.

“Let’s go, Siggy,” I said, taking a seat on the bridge of The Galactic Dawn. “Take us home.”

“Setting a course for Earth, sir,” Siggy replied.

As we moved away from the Centaurus, Abby stood by my side, staring into the dark.

“Do you think we got through to them?” she asked.

“I don’t know,” I said. “Admiral Shaw seems like a straight-shooter. I hope so, but I can’t say the same for Vice Admiral Vick. Let’s just pray they make the right decision.”

She smirked, placing her head on my shoulder. “Not that you’ve ever prayed.”

“Not to the gods, anyway,” I said.

I opened my eyes on the floor of the interrogation room. The ensign and Lieutenant-Ratchel were still where they’d fallen. My head was still pounding and even the dim light was too bright, making me squint, and my face throbbed from the hit I’d received.

But I was still alive.

My memory was coming back, too, thank the gods. The meeting aboard the Centaurus, going back to Earth, being ambushed by these Sarkonians. So much had returned to me about the last few days, but so many details were still hazy.

I groaned and sat up, careful of my side, but quickly found that it wasn’t all that bad. Surprised, I looked down at my shirt to see where the blood had stained it, and noticed it was no longer wet. The blood had dried, stiffening the fabric. In place of the dirty bandage I had haphazardly tied around myself was a fresh, clean one.

“Mr. Hughes, you’re awake!”

Lex was suddenly at my side, her eyes large and relieved.

“Did you . . . do this?” I asked

“I sure did, Mr. Hughes,” she replied, pride evident in her young voice. “How do you feel now? Is it better?”

Using the table to pull myself up, I looked around the room. Another medkit lay nearby on the countertop, some used dressings, wipes, and a can of the clotting spray piled neatly next to it.

“How about that,” I muttered, looking from her to my dressings. “Thanks, Lex.”

She smiled at me, all the prior fear wiped clean from her face, replaced by the same joyful expression I’d grown to adore in her. “You’re welcome, Mr. Hughes.”

I grinned. “How did you manage that? You did a damn good job.”

“Abby and Octavia taught me while I was helping out at the hospital,” she explained.

“Oh,” I replied. “That’s lucky for me.” Now that she mentioned it, I recalled how often I’d seen her there. It made sense she would have picked up a few things, always playing helper to the others. She was such a smart kid, quick to learn and eager to act.

“Um, now that you’re better, can we get out of here?” she asked, eying the two bodies on the floor with an unsettled look. “I want to go home.”

“Sure, kid,” I said, clearing my throat. “Just gotta find a way to turn this ship around. Think you can wait a little longer?”

She nodded.

I took a long breath, trying to think.

I still didn’t recall how exactly I’d gotten onto this ship. Then again, I wagered I could piece most of that together.

The more pressing concern was what to do about the rest of the crew and our current trajectory. If they reached their destination and sent their transmission to the Union or the Sarkonian Command, Earth’s location would be compromised. I grimaced at the thought.

If Lex had been the only priority, I would have been content to find a way off the ship and head home, but not now. I couldn’t risk the Union learning about this.

The truth was, while I felt well enough to walk, I didn’t know how I was going to do all of this with a hole in my side. In fact, I was pretty sure that the bullet had nicked a rib on its way out. Whatever Lex had done had helped the pain, but I wasn’t anywhere near full strength. I was light-headed, sluggish, and sloppy. An easy kill for a talented soldier.

One thing was certain. The only way to contain the problem was to kill every Sarkonian on this ship. Or at the very least, disable them.

There were now seven of the crew down. That meant if the ensign hadn’t been lying, I still had four to go. If he was bullshitting me . . . well, we were going to need a godsdamn miracle.

“You hungry?” I asked, remembering the food I’d pulled from one of the first soldiers I’d killed. It wasn’t much, but if we were going to take this ship, we’d need to keep our strength up.

She touched her stomach. “Starving.”

I produced the water, chips, and sleeve of cookies, which were a little smashed, having been in my pocket throughout all the fighting. I tried to give her the larger half, but she noticed and pushed the extra pieces back at me.

“Uh uh. You need it because you’re hurt, Mr. Hughes. Abby says that food helps you get better faster,” she said sternly.

There was no arguing with her, so I ate my half along with another of the pain blockers. When we were finished, she collected the leftover trash and placed it with the discarded bandages. I smiled at this, given that there were two dead bodies in the corner and blood all over the floor, and yet she still thought it best to dispose of our trash correctly.

I walked to the men and started going through their pockets. Lex decided to help, and I found myself watching her expression as she searched the ensign’s pack. She seemed unmoved by the fact that she’d just killed one of them, and I didn’t know how to feel about that. We lived in a cruel universe, full of death and things that meant to hurt us, but I never wanted this for her. I still didn’t.

I took the badge, an empty sidearm, and a sleeve of bullets from the ensign. These were good, but the first stroke of luck I had was finding the pad in his pocket. It was connected directly to the ship’s network, requiring a fingerprint to unlock the screen. I touched his print to the sensor and swiped. From there, I set the pad to remain unlocked at all times.

I headed for the door but paused when I realized Lex wasn’t beside me.

Turning, I found her standing over the dead lieutenant, looking down at him, her small shoulders hunched.

I stepped closer to her, uncertain of what to say. It was then that I noticed the collar remote in her hand and realized she was staring at the shock device still around the lieutenant’s neck.

“They were going to put it on me. I heard them,” she whispered. “It was for a dog, but they were going to give it to me.”

I placed a hand on her shoulder. “Yeah, they were, but we stopped them. Now we have to go out there and find the rest of them.”

“I didn’t do anything to them. Why can’t they just leave me alone?” she asked, balling her fists.

“Because you’re special, Lex, and they want what you have. But you know what? We’re not going to let them have it. Whatever happens, I’m gonna be right beside you. We’ll get home and you can see Abby and Octavia. Even Hitchens, if you want.” I paused, and she looked up at me with her bright, blue eyes. “I messed up, kid. I know that. They never should’ve been able to find you in the first place.”

“It’s not your fault, Mr. Hughes,” she said, smiling.

I held out my hand for the remote, and she handed it to me. It was cheaply made, and a good throw would likely have destroyed it, but I decided to stow it in my pocket for now, along with the collar. “Let’s take a look at the map and figure out where to head next,” I said.

The final four crew members were likely situated on the bridge. I noticed an armory along the way and included it in our route in hopes that one of the badges we’d confiscated would open it.

“Okay, Lex, your job is to stay in the rear. Let me lead the way. If something happens to me, or I get captured, you run. Got it?” I nodded to the medkit. “How are we looking with that?”

She opened the small box, studying its contents. “There’s not much left,” she said, coming up with a few unused bandages and a pressure syringe of some sort. “This is to make someone go to sleep, in case their pain is too bad.”

“Might come in handy,” I said. “Ready?”

Lex nodded, and I noticed some of her spunk seemed to be missing. Nothing I could do about it now, but it bothered me.

“Let me make sure it’s clear,” I told her, motioning for her to move away from the door. With a slow breath, I cracked it and eyed the hallway. It appeared to be empty, but I eased out just enough to be certain.

It was clear and quiet.

“Let’s move,” I told her.

The hallway was empty, but I kept my weapon at my side, ready in case one of those Sarkonian assholes took us by surprise. By now, they had to know that I was on the ship. With only four of them left, they could only cover so much ground, but I was surprised they hadn’t sent anyone else to check on Lex.

We moved down the hallway, keeping to one side, Lex close on my heels. We stopped at each junction so I could make sure the next one was clear. My injury slowed us down, but we still managed to reach the armory without running into anyone.

I retrieved the badges, swiping the first one over the reader. It beeped twice and blinked red, denying entry. None of the other badges had sufficient clearance, either. Damn. I wasn’t surprised, but I had been hopeful. Seconds after attempting the last one, a warning signal blared and the hallway was bathed in red light. The alarm sounded soon after, and I felt my heart began to race. “Shit,” I said, darting my eyes around the corridor. “Where the hell is Siggy when I need him?”

“Mr. Hughes, what’s this mean?” asked Lex, shouting to be heard over the noise of the alarm.

The Sarkonians would be here in seconds and we needed to get the hell out of this hallway. I thought for a second. “It means we’re in a pile of shit if we don’t move,” I told her, taking her hand. “Come on!”

“Where are we going?” she asked.

“Stick to the plan and head for the bridge,” I answered, pulling her down the hall. We’d have to do with what we had. A shame, considering I was quickly running out of rounds for my revolver. I had about twenty in my jacket, maybe fewer. On a good day, that would be enough, but today? Today I’d have to do it with alarms and bullet wounds.

Oh, and a ten-year-old beside me.

We were only halfway down the hall when the sound of shouts and pounding feet told me we were about to have company.

Lex tugged on my shirt. “Mr. Hughes,” she said in a whisper. “What now?”

The hallway was empty with nowhere to take cover, but I spotted a door and recalled from the map that it was a fitness room, so I pushed Lex toward it.

The door closed behind us and the lights popped on, revealing a small room with shitty looking lockers angled out from a corner. There was a threadbare curtain positioned between them and the wall, acting as a kind of changing room, giving only the most basic feeling of privacy. Other than that, there were a few pieces of old workout equipment and a few mismatched weights scattered near a bench. A running machine sat alone and dusty in one corner.

Not much, but maybe we could use something in here to our advantage.

Alarms were still sounding in the hall. I used them as cover to scatter the weights like little mines and pull Lex down behind the cover of the lockers.

By now, the footsteps had stopped at the armory and I could hear two muffled voices from outside the door.

“Cut that thing off! I can’t hear myself think!” yelled one of the men.

Mercifully, it went quiet, save for Lex’s and my breathing. I was bleeding sweat from the exertion, but I kept my arm steady, my weapon trained on the door.

There was a sliding sound, followed by more talk, but it was further muffled and too hard to discern. I guessed the two men were inside the armory, probably checking to see if we were inside.

“Nothing’s missing. They must not have gotten in,” said one of them.

“Or they just made it look that way. He’s a Renegade. They’re professional thieves,” argued the other.

So, that confirmed it. They knew I was here.

It probably wouldn’t take long before they began searching the nearby rooms or called the others to help find us.

I turned the only table on its side, giving us a little added cover. This was mostly for Lex’s benefit.

I had Lex get behind the desk and keep her head down, then proceeded to stand near the doorway with my weapon ready.

A few minutes later, the light in the fitness area flicked off. It was probably motion-controlled, and Lex and I had been standing completely still for several minutes.

I strained my ears, trying to make out what was happening in the corridor. The voices were receding, fading into the distance.

“Wait,” said a voice coming over the comm in my ear. It wasn’t Commander-Weir. Must be the fourth remaining soldier, I guessed. “I’ve got the holo recording. In there.”

“On it,” returned one of the others.

I cursed but raised my weapon again and the lights came back on.

“There!” snapped one of them men. “He’s in there!”

They were right outside now. I took a slow, steady breath, squatting down behind a desk while Lex remained at my feet.

I stared at the crack below the door, noticing movement.

The door slid open.

Here we go.

The first one came through and tripped over the weights, letting out a grunt as he struggled to stabilize himself. He lost his balance, falling backward into his friend.

I swung around and fired into his chest with three quick shots. The look on the second one’s face suggested that at least one of the bullets had left the first and found its way into him. Before either of them could react, I aimed higher and fired again. The first one’s face caved where the shot found his head. His body went limp and the two men fell backward onto the corridor floor.

The second soldier groaned but didn’t bother pushing his friend off of him. Instead, he raised his weapon and fired into the room, wild and desperate, his shots hitting everything but a live target.

I dropped to the floor behind the doorway, under his field of fire, and shot through his crotch and into his gut. He didn’t scream, but stopped shooting all the same, and a moment later dropped the gun.

The comm in my ear clicked on again. “Stop shooting, you idiot. If he has the Eternal, we need it alive!” Commander-Weir’s voice. I’d already grown to hate it.

“They’re both down, sir,” snapped another voice, the fourth soldier.

I took the access badges from the two fallen soldiers and ran across the hall to the armory. The first one worked, opening the door.

Lex shuffled behind me. “It worked?” she asked.

“Come on, we have to hurry,” I told her, heading inside.

The armory wasn’t exactly full, but there were a few valuable items. Combat knives, guns, and a locked compartment with a handful of grenades.

I debated giving Lex something to protect herself, but the kid didn’t have any training. She was just as likely to hurt herself as she was anyone else. Killing the Sarkonian lieutenant had been unexpected and was unlikely to be repeated. Besides, I could already picture how that conversation would go with Abigail.

In the end, I filled a pack with what I could carry and left the rest.

“Okay, kid. Ready to finish this?” I asked, slinging the bag over my shoulder.

“Sure, Mr. Hughes,” said Lex, her little legs jogging to catch up. “Can we find some more food after?”

The bridge door was locked when we arrived, and none of the badges seemed to work. I shouldn’t have been surprised. Now that they knew we were on the ship, our movements were likely being watched. We’d have a hard time getting through here.

A panel next to door blinked on and Commander-Weir’s face filled the screen.

“Captain Hughes, I presume?” he said in the same nasally voice I’d heard over the comms.

I tipped my gun to my forehead, then back toward him in a mock salute.

“Pleasure,” I said. “Are you going to open the door, or do I get to use the grenades I stole from your armory?”

His lips pursed. “You can’t do that. There’s not enough charges on this ship to blow through that door. All I have to do is sit here and wait until we reach Union space.” He chuckled.

Shrugging, I pushed Lex behind me. “If you say so.”

I raised my gun and rammed the butt of my revolver into the panel. A spider’s web of cracks spilled across it as the commander’s face disappeared and the screen went black. I pried the broken face of the panel free and inspected the wires behind it.

“Are you really going to blow it up, Mr. Hughes?” asked Lex.

I shook my head. “Nah, we don’t need to.” I paused, finding the wires I was looking for, then pulled the dipole casings off. “Instead, I’m going to open the door with a little finesse.”

Her eyebrows knitted together. “Abby says you don’t know what that is.” She paused. “What’s finesse mean anyway?”

“Doesn’t matter,” I told her, twisting two sets of wires together. “All you need to know is that Abby is wrong about everything and I’m always right. Got it?”

“Right!” she exclaimed.

“And with that—” I stepped back from the panel. As I did, the door’s light changed to green. “—we’re in.”

I took Lex by the hand and pulled her to the wall adjacent to the door. “What now?” she asked.

The manual override inside the console required that I turn a crank, so I reached inside, took hold of it, and began to turn. It would take a few minutes to get the door open, with each turn only giving an extra centimeter of space. I’d managed to get it halfway open when a bullet whizzed through and hit the wall on the opposite side of the corridor. A barrage soon followed, mostly hitting the nearly closed door.

“Hey assholes!” I called out when the shooting stopped. “You wanna stop this now and save me the hassle? I’d rather not kill the rest of you if I don’t have to.”

When no more shots rang out, I pulled a smoke charge out of the cache we’d gotten from the armory. It hit the ground inside the door and rolled. There were a few muffled shouts as the two men realized what I’d done.

“Stay here,” I ordered Lex, leaving her in the hall and opting to duck into the room, staying low.

The gas made visibility an issue, but I knew the same would be true for the commander and his friend. Inside, two figures were trying to wave away the smoke, coughing and spitting as it filled the air.

Unlike Lex, I didn’t have the luxury of a mask, but I’d make do. Just had to hold my breath and ignore the growing burn inside my eyes.

This had to be quick.

I squeezed the trigger and fired a shot at the first one, but I missed. The bullet hit the far end of the room and the two man jerked away from me. My next attempt put a bullet into the back of the first one I reached. The man fell forward and landed on his forearms, still breathing and coughing.

The smoke began to clear, the ships fans sucking it away, and the image of another man came into view—this one wearing the uniform of a ranking Sarkonian officer. There were stars on his shoulders, six in total. It was Weir, and he raised his gun to meet mine.

Snot and tears bled from his face, but he kept his arm steady all the same. “You should have stayed home, Renegade.”

“You should have left Earth without the girl,” I countered. “Now you’re going to die.”

“Think so?” he asked. “I’ve got you in my sights. You shoot, I shoot.”

“I’ve taken out ten of your crew,” I said. “What makes you think I can’t handle another?”

“Luck can only take you so far,” he told me. “You’re alone and I have you.”

“I’m not alone,” I said.

That made him pause for a moment, and he sneered. “I saw your partner. The cameras show he’s dead.”

“I wasn’t talking about Felix,” I said.

Lex poked her head out from the corner, the gas mask hiding her face, and she aimed a gun at him.

“If you want to live, drop your weapon,” I said calmly.

He glared at Lex with watery eyes. “Fuck the both of you.”

“Not sure you should talk that way in front of the kid, but I’m pretty sure I’ve done worse,” I commented, twisting my gun in front of him. “It’s two on one, boss, and Lex here has a mask on, unlike the two of us. The second you blink, she’ll fire. What’s it gonna be?”

He wavered for a few seconds, the strain in his eyes growing more severe. Spit dripped from his mouth as the sting of the gas lingered, and I knew his lungs were on fire the same as mine.

Finally, he lowered his weapon and began to cough.

I reached over and took the sidearm, grabbing his wrist and flinging it behind his waist. “Good man,” I said. “Now, keep following orders and you just might make it through the rest of this alive.”

After stripping Weir of his clothes and badge, then locking him in the smallest cell I could find, I dosed him with one of the injections from the medkit. The way Lex told it, these were sleeping meds and would keep him down for at least eight hours. Maybe longer, depending on his tolerance. Once Weir was asleep on the floor of his cell, Lex and I returned to the bridge and accessed the controls.

With only half an hour remaining before the next S.G. Point, we waited and went over the ship’s logs. Most of it had been cleared, probably in an effort to save whatever intelligence this vessel was carrying. Weir must have done this when he saw us breach the bridge doors. For all his bolster and arrogance, he knew when to follow procedure. Still, I was certain Sigmond could have a field day with this system if I could get it back home. He’d told me once that you could never delete data. Not entirely.

Before I knew it, we were out of the tunnel, free and finally clear, floating in empty space. In only a few short seconds, a communication came through, taking me by surprise. It had a Sarkonian identifier.

“Darkstar, come in. This is Lieutenant Cordelia West of the RFE Bright Promise. We’ve received vital information regarding your prisoners. Please respond.”

It was a higher ranking female officer. Her picture depicted an older woman with gray hair pulled back into a severe bun. Strange, since she sounded much younger.

There was something familiar about her voice, too, but I couldn’t quite place it. Then again, I was dead on my feet, and it could have been my own mother for all I knew.

Not that I remembered what she sounded like.

I was about to dismiss the transmission when Lex bounded over, an excited look on her face. She clasped my arm tightly and tugged on my shirt.

“Mr. Hughes, that’s Abby!”

“What?” I said, staring at her.

“It’s Abby!” Lex repeated bouncing on her toes.

“How do you know?” I asked.

“Because when she reads to me, she changes her voice for different people in the books. It’s her old lady voice!”

Another transmission was coming in and I listened more carefully this time.

“I repeat, Darkstar, we have obtained pertinent information regarding your prisoners. Please respond.” Damn if the kid wasn’t right. I could hear it now.

Still, I had to be certain this was real. One mistake and we’d have an entire fleet on our heels.

“Hey, Lex, what’s the name of one of her old lady characters?” I asked quickly.

“Miss Amalia Andromeda. She’s the grandmother of a superhero,” she told me.

I responded to the transmission, not bothering to disguise my voice. “Amalia Andromeda, what is your information?”

“Jace!” Abigail responded immediately, her voice back to normal but with a slight edge to it. “Is Lex with you?”

“Yes,” I confirmed. “And she’s okay, aren’t you, Lex?”

Lex leaned in close to the console. “We’re great, Abby!”

“Lex, oh, thank gods,” Abigail replied, relief flooding her voice.

Now that I knew it was her and not another Sarkonian, I switched from audio to video. Her face appeared on the holo, beautiful as always. There was a scrape down one cheek and some redness under her right eye.

“I take it you were able to take the ship,” said Abigail.

“We were,” I said. “Lex and I made quite the pair.”

“I saved Mr. Hughes,” said Lex, pride her voice. Her words tumbled out in an excited rush.

I winced, knowing Abigail would likely disapprove of letting the girl hold and use a gun.

“Oh really?” Abby’s gaze flicked to mine for a second, then back to Lex.

“Yep,” said Lex, oblivious to the fresh tension in the air. “And Mr. Hughes was hurt, so I treated him just like you taught me.”

“That’s great, Lex.” Abby was inspecting Lex, at least as well as she could over the holo.

“Is Bolin with you?” I broke in before Lex could dig my hole any deeper.

“No,” she said, her brow creasing at the mention of his name. “He’s with Freddie and Petra. They were fighting on a third ship when it took off through a different tunnel. Don’t you remember?”

“Would it shock you to hear that I don’t?” I asked, twisting my lips. “The details are scattered, and I can’t remember exactly how it happened. Must have hit my head pretty damn hard on entry.”

Her eyes widened. “Oh gods, are you alright?”

“I’m fine, but Felix is dead. Woke up to find him that way. My guess is that his suit malfunctioned and he suffocated.”

Abigail stared at me for a second, almost in shock, but then blinked.

I continued, deciding not to linger on that for too long. “Our next priority should be finding Freddie and Bolin.”

“Right, right, of course,” she muttered, clearing her throat. “All three ships separated into different paths. You and I are four systems apart, and since we can’t create our own tunnels, we’ll have to rely on the network. That means at least five hours travel time to get to you.”

“Smart,” I said, placing a thumb through my belt. “Divide and it’s easier to make their rendezvous. If that third ship makes it much farther, Earth’s location will be compromised.”

This wasn’t news I wanted to hear. Not only did we have to track down Freddie’s ship, but it likely meant one of us would arrive long before the other.

“Who’s with you?” I asked, scratching my jaw and stifling a yawn. Now that the initial danger had passed, the fatigue was setting in again.

“Alphonse and Octavia,” she replied, watching me with keen eyes. I knew I looked like hell, so I could only imagine what she was thinking. “They’re checking over the rest of the ship while you and I figure out what to do. We managed to take a few prisoners in the fight, so we’ve confined them for now.”

“Looks like you gave them hell,” I said, indicating the bruises on her face.

She smirked. “They gave us a hard time, but we handled it. What about you?”

I grimaced, the last few hours replaying in my head. “I took a hit, but the bullet went through clean. Might’ve hit a rib, but I can’t be sure. This ship is about as low-grade as it gets and the medkits are for shit,” I remarked.

“It’s crazy that these ships don’t have medbays,” she lamented.

“What do you expect from the Sarkonians? These things are built to be easily disposed of,” I said, letting out a short sigh. “I’m going to try and contact Freddie,” I said. “Maybe he and Bolin managed to take that ship.”

She nodded. “While you do that, I’ll figure out which route they may have taken. Based on the slip tunnel they went through, I’m guessing they’re still en route. In fact—” She paused. “Looks like Lex fell asleep.”

I looked at the girl, who was lightly snoring in one of the chairs, her head on her shoulder.

“It’s been a long one. I’ll take care of her,” I said.

Abigail hesitated, but I held a hand up. “I’ll fill you in on what happened later. Right now, let’s focus on finding the others,” I said.

She held eye contact for another long moment, her expression unreadable, then nodded. “I’ll send you the information as soon as I have it.”

We disconnected. Lex moaned a little but didn’t wake up. Poor kid needed the rest.

I pulled up the system logs and checked for the name of the other ship.

The last ship listed in the logs was a Union scout ship called the Nebula Prospect. This one, along with Abigail’s ship, made for all three Sarkonian vessels we’d need to recover. I activated a hail, waiting for a response from the crew. With any luck, I’d hear Freddie’s voice on the other side.

There was a hard click, followed by a string of broken words as the response came through.

“Under attack! Heavy . . . attacking the . . . three of them!”

“Prospect, this is Commander-Weir of the RFE Dark Star,” I said, adding some gruff to my voice. “Please give us your location so that we may assist you.”

“Too much damage . . . escape pods—” The line cut out, leaving nothing but static.

Dammit, I thought, staring at the holo. Sigmond would have been helpful right about now.

I tried calling the ship back but received no response. Luckily, the brief connection was enough to tell the system their current location and trajectory. It would be enough for us to follow and, if we were lucky, finish this fight.

“You’re closer than we are, so you’ll arrive several hours ahead,” said Alphonse. His shirt was torn in places, but he appeared otherwise fine.

“It’s in the Osiris system,” continued Abigail, sending me the information as she spoke. “There’s a habitable moon there, Z-28K. It has a thriving colony—oh, hold on.” She paused and her eyes narrowed on something I couldn’t see.

“What is it?” I asked.

“Ah,” said Alphonse, nodding along and tapping his chin. “The moon appears to be host to an orbital debris field, which by itself isn’t unusual, but you’ll need to approach with care and precision.”

Abigail continued. “The debris is orbiting around the moon at a dangerous speed, and at a low enough altitude that the mining colony had to build protection domes due to the falling asteroids.”

“Unfortunately, while most Union ships are fully capable of navigating something like that, these Sarkonian ships give me pause,” admitted Alphonse.

“Fantastic,” I said, leaning back in my seat. “Well, send me what you’ve got on it and I’ll head out. Should have a few hours to read it over before I get there.”

They both nodded.

“Incidentally, because of the debris, satellites are impossible, making long distance communication from the surface a nearly impossible feat,” explained Alphonse. “The colony has one station capable enough of sending such a signal, but nothing more. With any luck, the Nebula Prospect will have avoided landing there and you won’t need to pursue.”

“Won’t know until we get there,” I said. “Who owns the colony?”

“The Union,” replied Alphonse. “However, there’s hardly any military presence on the moon itself. You might call it a low priority asset.”

“At least there’s that,” I said, stretching back in my seat. “I’ll send a message once we’re there. Try not to take too long, would you?”

Alphonse gave me a half smile. “We’ll be right behind you, Captain.”

Eight hours had passed by the time I finally opened my eyes again. I sat up, taking a few seconds to orient myself, groaning at the stiffness. Surprisingly, I had clean bandages again, no doubt thanks to Lex, and the pain was a little less than it had been before.

I looked around but couldn’t find Lex. She wasn’t on the bridge, so I pushed up to my feet and went to check the cameras in the brig. Commander-Weir was still there, but there was no sign of the kid. A few seconds of scanning the feeds and I found her in the kitchen. I could certainly use a bite myself, now that I thought about it.

I decided to wash up before joining her.

In the bathroom, I rinsed my hands and face, filling the sink with blood and grime. My reflection showcased a colorful array of bruises, but the swelling wasn’t as bad as I’d expected. I pulled the torn and bloodstained shirt over my head, replacing it with a clean one stolen from one of the crew bunks. After a full ten minutes of scrubbing, I decided that was as good as I was going to get and opted to leave to catch up with Lex.

When I got to the kitchen area, I heard her laughing. I pushed the door open to see her sitting at the table, those skinny legs not quite touching the floor.

“Good morning, Mr. Hughes,” she said, taking her eyes off of something in her hands and offering me a wide, toothy grin. “I made you some breakfast. I was gonna bring it to the bridge for you, but—”

“That’s nice of you, kid,” I said, smiling back. Her statement distracted me from what she was holding, and I walked closer to inspect the plate on the table, half expecting to find more cookies or protein bars. Instead, there was a steaming bowl of honest to goodness eggs and sausage links. A quick glance at the counter told me the eggs were powdered and the sausage was made from some kind of engineered soy, but hell if it didn’t look like a feast to me.

“Did you eat already?” I asked, pulling the bowl toward me.

“Uh huh,” she replied, distracted. I could see a pad in her lap below the table, and she appeared to be watching some kind of show on it.

I tousled her hair and sat down across from her, finally shoveling the food into my mouth.

She laughed without looking up from the pad.

“Something funny?” I asked, biting into the sausage and eggs.

“There was a pad in here on the table,” she explained, holding it up for me to see. “It had some videos on it. One was a cartoon called The Earthers. It’s set on Earth, but it doesn’t look anything like it. Earth doesn’t have purple oceans!” She giggled. “There’s also dragons and monsters. I never saw any of those.”

I laughed. “No, I guess they got those parts wrong, didn’t they?”

I’d seen shows like The Earthers when I was her age. They always depicted the planet as some mythological place, often as a fantasy world but also the realm of the gods. I remembered a story about Decias, the god of valor, sailing through the sky on a golden ship called Thados, chasing after his brother Protias who’d stolen some kind of cup. The way the story went, this cup represented Decias’s birthright, and without it he would never become the head of his house.

Every story had its own twist on Earth, but some pushed the fantasy elements to almost comical extremes. From the images I’d seen on Titan, the planet had never looked so ridiculous. It was beautiful, vibrant, and full of all manner of exotic lifeforms, but nothing that stretched imagination. There were no wizards or gods to speak of.

Not unless you counted Cognitives or mechanised trilobites.

I went back to eating, polishing off the rest of my food within minutes while Lex continued to watch her show.

The kitchen didn’t have much else going for it, but I did find some water canteens, a few more protein bars, and a couple sleeves of food.

After breakfast Lex went through a few medkits, taking a small pack and filling it with things she thought might be useful. She’d proven herself more than capable over the last day, so I didn’t argue. Anything could be waiting for us on the other side of the tunnel exit, so we had to be ready.

We had an hour left before we arrived, so I decided to use the time to my advantage. Lex was on the bridge with her pack and the pad she’d commandeered from the kitchen.

“Stay put,” I ordered. “I’ll be right back.”

“What are you going to do? Why can’t I come?” she demanded.

“Because I said so, kid. Now sit. Just watch your show.”

“Okay,” she said, dropping back into the chair and picking up the pad.

I left the bridge and went straight for the brig.

Commander-Weir was awake, sulking in a corner with his arms wrapped around his torso. He snapped his head up when I entered the cell but said nothing. I pulled my gun from its holster and let it hang at my side.

“Going to kill me then?” he snickered. “I’m unarmed and no threat to you. It’s murder if you shoot me now.”

He wasn’t altogether wrong. Even when I was a Renegade, I’d never hasten to kill a man in cold blood.

Not unless I thought he was about to kill me.

Or rob me.

Or if I thought he was thinking about doing one or the other.

But Weir was here because of his own choices. Whatever bullet came his way, it wouldn’t give me a minute of pause.

I didn’t say anything, just loaded my revolver with a fresh round.

He looked me up and down, then nodded. “I guess the things I’ve heard about you are true, then. Is this why you didn’t bring the girl? You didn’t want her to see the real you? That’s it, isn’t it? You’re playing house like some kind of—”

“Shut up,” I said, opening his cell. “You’ve got nothing to bargain with. The other two ships are in our control and the Union still doesn’t have Earth’s location. The details of your mission are stored in the ship, so keeping you alive is pointless. All it would do is risk lives. Normally, I’d have let you go, given you an escape pod, left you with a beacon to get picked up, but you took the girl.”

I pressed the barrel into his forehead. “Turn around.”

Weir’s eyes were cold as they locked onto mine for a long moment. He sighed, finally turning and doing as I told him. “My superiors won’t let this go.”

“Maybe not, but you’ve seen Earth’s defenses,” I told him. “You know what we’re capable of. If your little empire comes knocking at my door, I’ll have a fleet of drones rain fire and blood on them with a trail so thick it leads all the way to Sarkon.”

“You mean to attack us?” he asked, raising his voice.

“I’ll do what needs to be done,” I said. “And you know what that’ll mean for your homeworld.”

He said nothing.

“But you know,” I continued, “there’s always another way out of these things. Something you could do to help the outcome and make things easier for all of us.”

“What’s that?” he asked in a low voice.

“I know Vice Admiral Vick had you follow us. What I want to know is why,” I said, thinking back to the meeting where I sat across from him on the Union station. “What do you know about him?”

Weir laughed. “What’s there to know?” he asked. “He had us follow you all the way from—”

I pressed the gun into the nape of his neck. “I already know that. I’m asking you why that asshole chose to do it in the first place. We had a ceasefire. Shaw and I agreed on it.”

“Shaw?” he asked. “Admiral Shaw?”

“That’s right,” I said.

“He had nothing to do with our assignment. The orders were from Sarkon, but at the request of Vice Admiral Vick.”

“Shaw wasn’t involved?” I asked.

“I don’t think so,” admitted Weir. “We were given as much information as we needed to know. Shaw wasn’t mentioned in the operation brief I received.”

“Second question,” I said, tapping the barrel against his for punctuation. “The man in charge of the Nebula Prospect. Tell me about him.”

“Why do you want to know?” asked Weir.

“Don’t worry about that. Just tell me everything,” I said.

“His name is Oda Gentre. He’s new to the job. Former armsman. I believe he has a wife.”

“And?” I asked.

Weird paused. “I heard he likes Swing Ball.”

“That’s it?” I asked.

“I don’t have time for gossip,” said Weir.

I lifted the gun from his neck and stepped back. “Let’s go.”

He turned around slowly. “What?”

“This way. Come on,” I said, motioning with my gun for him to move.

He stepped out of the cell and into the open brig. “Where are we—”

“I’m putting you on a shuttle,” I said.

His eyes widened, filling with both relief and confusion. “I see. Then you mean you’re just going to let me—”

“If I were you, pal, I’d shut up before I change my mind about this.”

He slammed his mouth closed.

We walked through the hall of the ship and I shoved him into an empty escape pod. Once the door was sealed, I activated the microphone. “Once we’re clear of this, you’ll be released. I’m disabling your transmitter, but we’ll send word of your location to the nearest Sarkonian ship. They’ll pick you up before you starve. You’ve got—what? —two days of food in there?”

“Three days,” he corrected.

“Even better,” I said.

“Whatever reason you have for doing this—”

“Ain’t for you,” I said. “I see you again, I’ll take back the life I just gave. You think on that and make sure it sticks, because there won’t be a second chance.”

He nodded.

I left him in the pod, the lights of slipspace passing through the nearby glass. We would arrive soon, and then the next fight would begin.

“You were gone a long time, Mr. Hughes,” said Lex, sitting up when I entered the bridge.

“Sorry, I had to take care of something, kid,” I said, and walked to the controls.

“It’s okay,” she said. “Are we almost there?”

“Yeah,” I answered, pointing to the screen. “See that number on the holo? Means we’re only a few minutes away. Best you go ahead and strap yourself in.”

She did, hurrying to snap the buckles in place so she could watch out the window as the tear opened.

I was relieved to find the other side clear.

Z-28K was straight ahead, not far from the tunnel entrance. This was Union space, but given the low asset priority of the moon, I hoped we wouldn’t run into any of theirs. The only ship I wanted to find was our target.

“Wow,” exclaimed Lex, staring at the moon with wide eyes.

“Ever see anything like that before?” I asked her.

“No way,” she said, transfixed.

The traffic around the moon was pretty light as this wasn’t listed as a refueling station. The Union must have decided it wasn’t worth the trouble because there wasn’t even a space station or an orbital docking platform.

The scanner blinked when it found the other Sarkonian ship, which was sweet relief to my eyes.

It was the only ship in the system aside from our own. A deeper scan showed some damage to both the interior as well as the exterior, along with multiple missing escape pods.

I tried sending a hail, but there was no response.

“What happened to it?” asked Lex, staring closely at the holo image.

“I’m not sure,” I admitted. I couldn’t imagine Freddie and the others doing this much damage to it.

“Mr. Hughes,” Lex said urgently, pointing outside. “How are we going to get through that?”

She was referring to the moon’s debris field, I guessed.

“Very carefully,” I said, a tight feeling in my chest at the thought of taking Lex with me through that mess. But there was no way I could leave her behind. Not alone.

The Darkstar, small as it was, was too big and slow to navigate the orbital debris, so we’d have to take the shuttle. Its shields weren’t as strong, but that was typical of Sarkonian technology. Still, they’d get the job done so long as I didn’t fly us into one of the larger rocks.

“Looks like we’re going on a trip, Lex,” I said, verifying that the pods had indeed landed on the surface of the moon. Their transponders lit up the holo with eleven green dots.

The girl looked at me, her eyes falling on the place where the bullet had pierced my stomach. “I’m ready if you are, Mr. Hughes.”

“Don’t worry about me, kid,” I told her, getting to my feet. “I ain’t dying just yet.”

We were doing well so far, having entered the debris field. I kept the shuttle to the outer perimeter and watched for an opening before taking us into the thick of it.

“This isn’t so bad,” said Lex.

I grunted, not wanting to lose focus as I tilted the controls to the left just a hair. The shuttle slid smoothly between two large rocks. Every move brought us closer to the moon, but navigating the ring was like maneuvering through a minefield. Had we been on a Union ship—hell, even the Renegade Star—our shields would be enough to handle most of the smaller debris, but the lackluster Sarkonian ships and their outdated shield technology had given me a healthy dose of unease. My entire body tensed as we passed one rock after the next, following the holo detection grid and avoiding every piece of debris that registered, whether it was the size of my fist or a class-3 warship.

After almost twenty minutes of painstaking dodging, rolling, and a few rocks that had been far too close for my taste, we were almost out of the thick of it. The shields had done their job with the micro-debris, and the little shuttle handled better than I thought.

“There’s another one, Mr. Hughes!” Lex said, bouncing a little in her seat, pointing to the holo grid. Of course, I saw the stray rock on the scanner and was already moving to correct our course.

The small rock hurtled toward us and I pulled up to avoid it. We watched as it sailed underneath us in a harmless trajectory.

I let out the breath I’d been holding. “Just about out of it, kid,” I said to Lex, grinning. “You’re right, this isn’t so—”

“Look out!” Lex screamed as another asteroid about half the size of the shuttle came within throwing distance of the hull. It had come from behind another, larger piece, which likely tricked the scanners into thinking there was nothing there. Another fine example of shoddy Sarkonian craftsmanship.

“Hold on!” I bellowed, wrenching the shuttle into a roll. The ship shook as the edge of the rock graced the shield, causing it to flicker in an orange glow. Lex grabbed the side of her chair, pressing her head into the seat. The vibrations rattled through my entire body as the ship settled back into its flight pattern. I began to breathe again.

Almost there. We just had to make it through the—

Another chunk of rock clipped the tail , causing the shields to falter, orange streaks of light scattering in the space around our ship. The impact sent us into a spin.

I tried desperately to correct our path, but the system refused to cooperate, filling the holo with a string of error messages. Another impact caused us to ricochet into the path of additional rocks—small enough that the shield could have stopped them, but not anymore.

Lex clutched her safety harness as we collided with several of the little asteroids. Our thrusters malfunctioned and the energy shield pulsed in response, making our movement more erratic. Our little craft pushed out of the swirling debris and took a nose dive toward the moon’s surface.

There was too much damage to the body of the shuttle for a clean landing, and I had little time to course correct. The signal from the downed pods appeared on the holo, still coming in clear. Using that area as a starting point, I did my best to locate a viable landing zone. All of this in a matter of seconds.

“It’s gonna be a rough landing!” I shouted as the surface rushed to meet us. I steered the little shuttle with everything I had, spitting a stream of curses as we dropped the last few thousand meters.

Something must have worked, because the thrusters came back online long enough to slow the shuttle, followed by the shields at 30% power. I felt the jerk beneath us as the engine reignited and our momentum slowed, but it was hardly enough to stop the inevitable.

“Hold on!” I shouted, looking at Lex for a brief second.

She closed her eyes and scrunched her lips, anticipation building through each moment.

As my eyes flicked from the instrument panel to the rapidly approaching terrain ahead, I gripped the control stick and pulled back as much as I—

We hit the dirt hard enough that the shields broke for the second time. The base of our hull skidded along the ground, shaking the shuttle violently as the nose dipped forward, digging into the earth.

Lex screamed as the glass beside her cracked. We rose slightly off the ground a few meters, only to finally sink back and slam down again. The thud was enough to knock my head sideways and make it hit the window beside me.

I opened my eyes to find Lex staring at me. “Mr. Hughes?” she said in a soft tone.

I groaned, shifting in my seat as I searched for the harness lock. My head hurt worse than a whiskey hangover.

“You were asleep,” said the girl.

“Must’ve . . . must’ve blacked out,” I said, licking my lips and finally finding the lock. The harness detached from the bottom of the seat and pulled apart, freeing my chest.

Lex offered me a rag. I took it but gave her a questioning look, then her eyes drifted to my forehead.

I wiped with the cloth and found a decent amount of blood when I pulled it away. “Oh,” I said, staring at it.

“Does it hurt?” she asked.

“I’ll be fine,” I said, forcing myself to my feet. It might’ve been a lie, but I didn’t have time to worry about another scrape. My head pounded from the crash, but it wasn’t a concussion. At least, I hoped it wasn’t.

Both Lex and I just sat there for a minute, gripping various parts of the pod with our chests heaving.

My own legs were a little unsteady, so I took it a little slower. There was enough discomfort in my side to be a bother but not enough that I felt the need to patch the wound again or take another pain blocker. I’d probably have some bruising tomorrow.

The hatch popped open and I went first, revolver drawn in case of an ambush.

The field was largely empty, no sign of any human activity. The mining colony wasn’t far from here, but further than the other pods would be.

Lex stood inside the ship, hugging the side of the entryway. I waved her outside when I was certain there was no one around. I withdrew a pad, which tied directly into the shuttle’s scanner and internal communication system. “Most of the pods landed in that direction,” I told her, pointing toward the rising sun. I guessed it was nearing midday, but I had no way of knowing the exact local time. “Crash site seems to be about a forty-five minute walk.”

“Okay,” said Lex, taking my hand. “Ready.”

“Did you get the food pack?” I asked.

She nodded, lifting a satchel to show me. “And the medicine stuff.”

“Good girl,” I said, nodding for her to follow. “Let’s get to walking.”

The land was barren here, largely dirt and stone. From what I’d read on the galnet, the moon was habitable insomuch as you could breathe the air, but good luck finding any water. Most of that had been forced underground into natural caves and tunnels, few of which ever surfaced. Only a handful of lifeforms made their home on the topsoil, while most stayed where the water flowed, surviving off the moon’s internal heat. Algae and some mild terraforming made the air breathable, but prolonged exposure to the air could cause long-term problems. I didn’t plan on staying here long enough for that to happen, though. Two large domes rose out of the ground to tower like mountains in the distance, the only colony on the entire planetoid.

“Look at that,” I said to Lex, pointing at the buildings.

Her gaze followed my finger to the horizon, and she gasped. “They’re even bigger than the ones on Earth,” she said in awe.

“That’s because people live in one and work in the other,” I explained. “They need a lot of space.”

“Why did they make them?” she asked.

I motioned to the orbital debris field, some of which could be seen all the way from the surface. “In case any of that falls down. Those domes protect them.”

“What about us?” asked Lex.

“Those rocks don’t fall very often,” I said. “Maybe once a year at the most.”

She nodded, seemingly relieved.

I didn’t bother mentioning that our arrival, along with the other Sarkonian pods, had likely de-orbited some of the debris. There was nothing we could do about that and I didn’t feel the need to worry her.

Broken pieces of the escape pods littered the ground. The crash site looked empty, with no sign of anyone, Sarkonian or otherwise. Exactly five pods had fallen in the same general place, footsteps in the sand.

“Stay behind me,” I whispered, moving closer to the wreckage. Most of the pods lay in various forms of disarray, windows shattered, and their top hatches open. All except one, which remained closed.

I approached it cautiously, clutching my revolver and slowly peering into the pod’s window.

I saw the helmet first, dropped forward on the man’s chest. A piece of metal protruded through his neck from behind, wet blood still lingering on it.

No coming back from that, I thought.

The symbol on his arm—Sarkonian military, three stripes and a blue circle. At least it wasn’t one of ours.

“What is it, Mr. Hughes?” asked Lex from behind me.

“Nothing, kid,” I said, turning around and taking her hand. “Let’s check the next one.”

“Where is everyone?” Lex asked.

“I’m not sure,” I answered. I tried to think of what Freddie and Bolin might do. There didn’t seem to be anything to indicate a firefight here, which probably meant Bolin, Freddie, and Petra were somewhere else.

I checked the pad. Another set of pods had dropped closer to the domes. Right outside, in fact. “Looks like this one was a bust. Ready to keep moving?” I asked Lex.

The girl let go of my hand and walked a few meters away. I kept my eyes on her in case she decided to sneak a peek inside that other pod.

I wondered how Freddie and the others were doing. They likely needed food and water, and probably would go looking for a way to reach the rest of us. Their crash site was on the other side of the dome, so I’d have to go through it to reach them. Maybe we’d get lucky and meet in the—

“Mr. Hughes?” called Lex.

I popped my eyes up. “What is it?”

“There are footprints leaving and going this way,” she said, pointing in the direction of the town.

I walked closer to her, finding some prints. More than one, by the look of it.

“You know how to track, Lex?” I said, impressed.

She shrugged, her cheeks going slightly pink. “Dr. Hitchens is teaching us how to recognize different animals and learn how they travel. We’re supposed to talk about camping and cooking next. He says this stuff is important sometimes.”

I crouched down to study the footprints. “So, it is.”

When we arrived at the dome, I was surprised by the total lack of security around the gate. Lex and I were able to walk straight through and into the dome without so much as a “hello there.” The landing platforms were set up along the western side of the shield, and I guessed most folks made their landings there instead of the wasteland surrounding this place.

The outpost was every bit as big as Taurus Station, and judging by the activity in the street, just as busy. People were out in droves, some shopping, others having a bite to eat. Nobody seemed to be in a hurry, except for a pack of kids running through the streets whooping and tossing some kind of ball around.

Lex held my hand as we went. I decided this was a good thing, since she was watching everything else around her except where she was going. I could hardly blame her, there were so many buildings and people.

I didn’t see how we were going to find Freddie and the rest of them in all of this commotion though.

The first place that caught my eye was a small bar in the back alley of a nearby street. It was seedy-looking place but might do well to ask around about outsiders. Locales like this were always a good start for getting information.

Walking in, the smell of whiskey touched my nose and sent a flush down my face, watering my mouth. This was the kind of establishment I’d have stopped for a drink at after completing a job in my former life. I looked at the bottles of cheap liquor behind the bar. It occurred to me that maybe it wasn’t such a good idea to bring Lex in here. A quick glance told me she was in the process of taking in her new surroundings with a keen and avid interest. Abigail was going to kill me.

“Stay close to me,” I told Lex, taking her hand and threading through the crowd of patrons. An older woman was tending the bar and I pulled out my personal pad, bringing up a handful of images, including one of Bolin. “Have you seen this guy around?” I asked, showing her the picture. “He and a few others arrived here sometime today but we haven’t been able to find them.”

She only stared at me.

“So?” I asked, leaning on the bartop.

“Sorry,” she said. “But I’ve heard there are some new people in town. Sarkonians, I think,” she said.

“Don’t like the type?” I asked.

She barked out a laugh. “That some kind of joke?”

“More of a Union gal?” I asked.

She laughed again. “They don’t do anything for us. Once they realized it would be more work for them to maintain this colony, they packed their people and left. Now they barely come to pick up the stuff we mine.”

I nodded. “The man in the picture,” I continued. “He ain’t Sarkonian or Union. He’s a former scrapper. Picked him up in a town just like this one.”

“That so?” she asked, cracking a wry grin. “Handsome fella, too, by the look of him.”

“I’ll pass that along,” I said.

“Here,” she said, taking the pad from me and typing something into it. “Go here and ask for Angus. If anyone knows where your friends are, it’s him. You can say Talia sent you.”

Talia winked and started picking up a few glasses, then shining them with a dirty rag.

“You take care now,” I said, turning away and heading to the door.

I turned to Lex, who’d been quiet, and found her watching that damn Earthers show again. “Let’s go, kid.”

She jammed the pad in her pack and hopped down from the stool with an eager look.

“Do we know where they are now?” she asked as we neared the door.

Her enthusiasm made me chuckle. “Not yet, kid. Got a lead though.”

“A . . . lead?” Lex repeated the word slowly, testing it out as we exited onto the street.

“Yeah,” I said, following the street and looking for the building the woman had given me. It was at the corner of 12th and Mark’s, wherever that was. “It means a piece of information that will lead me to what I’m looking for, which is Freddie and the others. It’s like a puzzle, and we just have to follow the clues.”

Her brow furrowed and she whipped her pad out again, typing rapidly.

“What are you doing?” I asked.

“Dr. Hitchens says if we learn something new that we should write it down so we remember it for later.” She finished her notes, then put the pad away again, looking at me for direction.

“That’s smart, Lex. Real smart,” I said, giving her an encouraging smile.

She grinned up at me and took my hand again.

The streets were no quieter than when we’d entered the bar.

“You there!” a voice called out.

Three Sarkonians in field gear were elbowing through the crowd, causing a stir as they began to approach us.

“Let’s go,” I said to Lex, walking faster and tugging her behind me. I pulled her pack open and put my pad inside it. “If something happens, get to Angus. Remember, tell him Talia sent you. No matter what, get to Freddie and Bolin, okay?”

“But Mr. Hughes, I—”

“Do what I say, kid!” I snapped.

Her eyes flinched at my voice, something I wasn’t used to seeing, and it gave me pause. I stared at her for a second, stifling my frustration and forcing it down like a half-chewed piece of candy.

“I’m sorry, Lex,” I said, staring at her. “Just take a second. Count to five. Promise me you’ll go where I told you. Can you do that for me?”

“Yeah,” she answered, slowly nodding. “I can do it, Mr. Hughes.”

“Good girl,” I said, giving her a pause to gather herself. After a few seconds, I squeezed her hand. “Ready?”

She nodded.

“Let’s go.”

I pointed to a small store. “Go in there and hide. Don’t come out until you know it’s safe.”

With a fierce nod, she turned and ran into the shop, not looking back until she was inside.

When I was confident that she was far enough away, I went back in the direction of the soldiers. One of the men had managed to get farther than the others, allowing me to deal with him before the rest could arrive.

Adrenaline pumped through me and my fingers itched, but I kept the gun holstered at my waist. The crowd around me was thick and would make it difficult to land a clean shot without risking lives.

I opted for the knife instead, holding it flat against my wrist as I came within spitting distance of the first soldier. He was around my height and weight, burly, with an eager look in his eyes.

“I knew it,” said the man, looking me up and down. “I knew I recognized you. You’re Jace Hughes.”

“And what if I am?” I asked.

He scanned the area, looking across the street and around my shoulder. “Then you’re coming with us. Every Sarkonian in the fleet knows to bring you in.”

“Can’t say I don’t appreciate the attention, but that’s not in the cards today,” I said, twisting the knife in my palm to show him. “I’ve made other plans.”

“Like rescuing your friends?” he asked, raising his brow. “We have our people scouring the city for them. You’re out of luck.”

“I doubt that,” I said, fanning my hand at him to come at me.

He went for the knife and grabbed my wrist. I let him have it, drawing my gun with the other hand. I shoved it under his chin and pulled the trigger.

The shot sent the crowd into a frenzy. The man fell to the ground, his head half gone, a pink mist washing over the confused throng all around us.

His friends were still on their way, trying to move through the mob.

I took the opportunity to duck inside the crowd, hoping to flank them. “Pierce is down!” one of the men bellowed. He raised his pistol, trying to fight through the crowd.

I stayed low, waiting for a gap to open. When it did and I caught sight of him, I came up from his left.

The knife slid between his armor paneling and into his side with ease, and I circled around behind him. He staggered at the blow, hardly enough time to understand what had just happened to him. He swung his gun around, trying to find me, but I was already where I needed to be.

I grabbed the rear of his head and pulled him backward into a reverse headlock, then fired into his chest.

He dropped to the ground and let go of the weapon, the crowd moving apart from us at long last.

The center of the street was open enough for me to come face-to-face with the last of the three, a woman in Sarkonian heavy armor. She had her finger on her earpiece, speaking words too soft to hear, but I already knew the message.

Jace Hughes was here, she’d no doubt told them. The kill order had been sent.

We locked eyes for a brief moment before she raised her weapon at me. I couldn’t take the risk of shooting someone else, so I charged.

I dropped my knife to free my hand.

The gun went off as I arrived, but I managed to grab the barrel before she could bring it high enough to matter. The shot hit the ground behind me.

The soldier grunted as we pressed into each other. I tried to lift my gun, but she caught it, keeping my arm away. She was strong for her size, so much that it surprised me.

“Why do you all . . . have to do things . . . the hard way?” I asked between short breaths.

She turned the gun so that the brass ejector faced me, then fired twice. Two bullet casings ejected into my face, forcing me to let go. As she brought the rifle to meet me, I twisted around her other arm, loosening her grip on my weapon.

I placed my gun to her throat the exact second she pressed hers to my head.

We stared at one another, both afraid to blink.

“Give up,” she wheezed.

“I was just about to tell you the same,” I countered.

“My people are almost here,” she said.

“I’ll deal with them, too.”

“You’ll—” She paused, a look of surprise falling over her face.

“Let go of Mr. Hughes right now,” said a tiny voice from behind the soldier.

I heard a hammer click.

“Or else.”

The woman hesitated, probably deciding what to do. After a few seconds, she let go of the grip, letting it hang free from her index finger. I grabbed it, thumbed the safety, and shoved it into my belt as she raised both hands.

She peeked over her shoulder to see Lex standing there, the gun still pressed into the small of the woman’s back. “So, you have the girl, too,” said the Sarkonian.

I checked her for any other weapons, found none, and looked at her. “Lady, I’d watch what I said next if I were you. Unless you wanna end up like your two friends over there.” I motioned to the bodies lying in the middle of the street. “Follow?”

She said nothing.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” I said, nodding for Lex to get away from her. “Best lesson you can take from this is to find a hole and bury yourself in it, then wait for the fleet to come find you.”

“We’re all trapped here,” said the woman. “You really think you’ll find a way off before the Empire comes? Or the Union? All it takes is a single stellar class ship with decent shields to land here, and the city will be beset by squads of—”

I shot her in the leg below the knee, and she yelped, falling to the ground. I gave her a second to understand before continuing.

“Warned you to stay quiet. That’s on you,” I said, then turned to Lex. “Ready to go?”

She nodded, putting her gun away.

I looked down at the Sarkonian woman. “Fair warning. You follow us again and it won’t just be the leg this time. You hear me?”

She moaned at the pain, too absorbed in it to say anything.

I took Lex by the hand and ran to the end of the now-empty street. With one last look at the Sarkonian woman, we were gone.

The chase had brought us a little closer to our destination. We hadn’t run into any other soldiers on the way, and I counted that as a good thing. I was beginning to slow down again. The strain of the fight had taken a toll on me—more than I’d expected. Despite Lex’s patchwork, my wound still ached, and so did my head. I needed to rest and get off my damn feet, but that wasn’t going to happen anytime soon.

Lex seemed to notice my fatigue and took it upon herself to retrieve more pain blockers. “Here,” she said, putting them in my hand. She followed them up with a bottle of water.

“Thanks, kid. You’re like a little grocery store, aren’t you?” I swallowed the meds and took a long gulp from the bottle.

“Just glad to help,” she said, smiling. “How much longer do you think it is?”

“We’re almost there,” I said. I needed to look at my wound, but it wasn’t safe to stop yet.

She took my hand again, and then the pad, and this time she was the one leading me as I struggled to keep up. The meds would take time to work and I needed to rest.

Before long, the subsequent streets had lost the activity of the shopping plaza and the many vendors. The crowds had dispersed, and most people had shut themselves inside their homes. Only a few remained in the open. I couldn’t blame them for being afraid, not after a gunfight had broken out and two men had died. Gods only knew what these people were thinking right now. All I knew was that I had to get out of here. Small as this colony might be, it had police—otherwise known as peacekeepers—around the city. It wouldn’t take long for them to arrive and discover the Sarkonians.

The end of the residential dome lay straight ahead of us, forcing the street into a dead-end. Beyond that, the mining dome rose even higher, connected by a large gate.

Between that point and ours, a single building stood alone and isolated, no sign of upkeep or activity.

“Let me see the pad,” I said, holding my hand out. She passed it to me, and I studied the directions the old woman had given us.

This was exactly where Talia had told us to go, unless I’d misread the note.

Red building. End of the East Block. Near Mine Gate.

“That’s got to be it,” I said. The place looked empty, but we stepped up to the door and knocked. There was no answer and not a single light on. I tried the handle. It opened, and with one final glance at the street, I ushered Lex inside.

It was dark, and I fumbled around for the penlight I’d found on the Darkstar.

With the door closed, I activated the pad’s light feature. It was so dark that I thought we might have the wrong building after all.

“Mr. Hughes,” Lex whispered. “Look over there.”

My vision finally adjusted, and I saw a dim glow coming from somewhere on the other side of the building. It was hardly noticeable at first, and I was surprised Lex had spotted it.

Strangely, the light had come from a small pad in the corner of the far room. I picked it up and examined the screen. There was nothing there but a white page.

I was starting to feel uneasy about this house. There was nothing here at all. Just a damp cave of a building with no one to help us. “She must’ve given me the wrong directions. Let’s go,” I said, putting the tablet down and reaching out for her.

The light from the pad turned off when it left my hand, and I tensed in the darkness.

Something touched my arm and shoulder, then there was a firm hand with a heavy grip. I tried to move and react, but someone’s wrist and bicep stretched around my neck. Whoever this was had just placed me in a rear naked choke, the same kind I’d used on the Sarkonian on the ship. Was this what that man had felt?

The pressure built as I struggled, clawing at the arm at my neck in the darkness. My face felt numb, my legs went cold, and then—

I didn’t know how much time had passed, but when I opened my eyes again, it was to the soft glow of a wall of holo monitors. A muscular man with bright red hair was watching them intently. I blinked to clear my vision and the scene came into focus. The man hadn’t noticed I was awake yet, so I watched him as I slowly tried to orient myself and fight the fog in my head. He occasionally made notations in a small pad, reversing the feed every few seconds and letting it play again.

It was hard to tell what he was looking at, but I quickly lost interest as I realized Lex wasn’t with me. I sat up slowly, trying not to make a sound.

I looked down at myself, noticing I had a new shirt on.

“Hello, Captain Hughes,” said the burly man with red hair. I looked up to see him facing me, arms crossed and leaning back in his chair. “About time you came to.”

He had a thick and heavy beard that matched his hair hanging to the middle of his chest like some kind of wildman. I opened my mouth to ask who he was when he held up a cup of something looked suspiciously like—

“Coffee?” he asked, offering the drink to me.

I ignored the question and pushed off from the couch to stand.

“Where’s the kid?” I asked, injecting as much steel into my voice as I could manage.

“Oh, you’re right. My apologies.” He touched his ear and spoke. “You can send the young one in now. Mr. Hughes is awake.”

Within seconds, the door opened, and Lex entered, followed by a younger woman with hair like the man in the chair.

“Mr. Hughes! You’re awake!” she said.

I gave her a quick once over. “You okay?” I asked.

“Uh huh.” She gave me that toothy grin again. “I didn’t want to leave you, but Mr. Angus said I should get some food. He promised to let me know when you woke up.” She looked at the redheaded man I’d woken up to. “You forgot.”

“I sure did,” said Angus with a hearty chuckle.

She sat next to me, as close as she could.

“What the hell is going on?” I asked, darting my eyes between the bearded fella and the woman.

“Sorry about all the theatrics,” replied Angus, handing me the mug of coffee.

Now that Lex was with me, I allowed myself to relax and took a cautious sip. It didn’t taste half bad, and I drained the rest of it quickly.

Angus fanned a hand at the monitors. “The Union is unaware of my activity here,” he said. “It needs to stay that way. No one comes here unless someone I trust sends them.”

“Is that why you choked me out, you lumberjack-looking fuck?” I asked, tossing the empty cup back at him.

He caught it, sending me a wry grin. “Can’t blame me for being cautious. I’ve got a whole operation to look after.”

“Oh, I can blame whoever I damn well please,” I said. “Have someone do that move on you sometime so you can appreciate the hangover.”

“Oh, I’ve been there,” said Angus. “Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. In fact, I had my girl here fix you up. Seems you’ve had yourself a busy day, if you don’t mind me saying.”

“It’s been interesting,” I said, glancing down at Lex.

“Am I right in thinking Talia sent you here?” he asked.

I nodded.

“I thought so. The house serves as a cover for all of this.” He motioned at the room with both hands. “She told me you two might show up, but I can’t trust a stranger that easily. You understand.”

“Sure,” I said, honestly. “Doesn’t mean I gotta like it.”

“Fair enough,” he remarked.

My pack was on the floor, and I pulled the pad out of it. “I’m looking for my crew,” I said, and handed it over.

“Ah, so I was told.” He studied their images before handing it back to me. “I might know where they are. What can you do for me, though?” He settled back into his chair.

“I don’t know that I have anything you want right now, but there’s a Sarkonian ship parked in high orbit. I might be willing to let you salvage some parts.”

He snorted. “I might trade for the ship itself.”

“You’re kidding,” I said, scoffing.

“I’m not,” he countered. “I expect you’ll have a ride off this planet soon, based on who you are and what I’ve heard. That is, if you really are the Renegade.”

“What exactly have you heard about me?” I asked.

He was quiet for a second. “Let me ask you something, Hughes. Is it true what they’re saying about Earth?”

“I don’t keep up with the tabloids,” I said. “How about we start with what you’ve heard and I’ll say if it’s true?”

He chuckled. “Well, people are saying you found it. They’re claiming you’re building the greatest army in the galaxy, but that can’t be right, seeing you in this condition, stranded and alone on this moon.”

“That’s what you think, is it?” I asked.

He paused, looking me up and down. “No, maybe I don’t,” he said. “I’ve seen the feeds. I know some of the stories are true.”

“Only some?” I asked.

He chuckled. “Unless you’re actually four meters tall and have the strength of four men.”

“If only,” I commented. I considered my options, deciding how much to reveal to him. “There’s another ship on its way. A Sarkonian vessel. We have control of it. You can have whatever cargo it’s carrying, so long as we don’t need it.”

Angus tilted his head, thoughtfully. “Interesting. How about instead of the cargo, you give me the ship?”

I scoffed. “Look I don’t have all damn day. I’ll just as soon find my people myself. Either be reasonable or I’ll walk the hell out of here.” I got to my feet. “Asking for an entire ship? Of all the shit I’ve heard today--”

“Just hold on a minute.” Angus gestured for me to sit back down. “Perhaps you would consider taking something off the planet.”

“Like what?” I asked.

“Us,” he said, nodding to the girl beside him. “We’ll take an escort to Earth instead of the ship. Fair enough for you?”

“You want to come to Earth?” I asked.

He nodded. “Safe passage for my daughters and a few more. Could that be arranged?”

“You’ve got more than one kid?” I asked. “Alright, fine, but the situation there is a little more complicated than you might be aware of.”

“Whatever problems you have, I’m sure they’re better than this moon,” he lamented.

“A war on three fronts,” I said, crossing my arms. “The Union, the Celestials, and apparently the Sarkonians.”

“Celestials?” he asked.

“It’s complicated,” I said again, fanning a hand at him. “Best we save that talk for later.”

Angus stood up and reached for my hand to shake it. “I just want a chance for me and mine, same as all the rest you’ve found and brought home with you,” he said. He reminded me a little bit of Bolin and the way he talked about his daughter, Camilla.

“What do you do here?” I asked looking up at the monitors.

“These feeds analyze activity from within the debris field,” he explained, pointing out a screen that was tracking various points in the ring.

“What for?” I asked.

“Every so often, one those rocks collides with another one, or an incoming ship nicks one and sends it flying to the surface.” He gave me a knowing look. “Sometimes the rocks only move around a little, but other times our little colony gets a beating. There’s a station inside the dome that runs continuous scans of the ring to monitor all orbital activity. I’m tapping into that.”

“Why?” asked Lex, beating me to it.

“Because sometimes we get visitors like yourselves,” explained Angus. “And because sometimes they’re not as nice.”

“Like the Sarkonians,” said Lex.

He nodded. “Or the Union. We’ve even seen our share of raiders, but most of the time they can’t break orbit.”

“So you’re the early warning system, is that it?” I asked.

“Not officially, as you might have figured out,” he answered. “The station announces when a ship arrives at the dock, but that only gives us so much time.”

“Why don’t they tell you before?” I asked.

He shook his head. “It’s operated by the city and we have a disagreement in how things should be around here. I keep an eye on the sky so we’re not caught off guard.”

I smirked. “Sounds like you might be a wanted man around here, Angus.”

He smiled. “Might be, Captain.”

I stared up at the screens, impressed by their ingenuity. “But you can’t get communications in or out because of the field?”

“Oh, we can receive, but without a long range satellite in orbit, sending messages can be tricky.”

“But not impossible,” I said, hoping there was more to it.

“You catch on quick,” he said with a nod. “We can signal ships in high orbit. So, if your friends show up, we can call them and tell them what’s going on. Give them our location.”

“Perfect,” I said, satisfied at the answer. If this was true, the Sarkonians wouldn’t be able to send for help. We’d be safe as long as we could get off this rock before anyone came to investigate.

“And where are my friends?” I asked, setting the coffee cup down. “You said you knew where they were. I’m all ears.”

“In the mining dome,” replied Angus. “I can have you there in no time, once you’re ready to go. I have a friend of ours watching them. They’re safe and waiting for you.” He leaned forward and cocked his brow. “So, do we have a deal? What do you say?”

“Start gathering your people,” I told him, giving a quick nod. “I need them ready to leave at a moment’s notice. The second my ship arrives, we’re gone.”

“They’ll be ready,” he said with a confident smile. “I’ll make sure of it.”

The mining dome was built into the side of a mountain. The mines themselves, according to Angus, had been built before the dome. The Union had invested little into the project, only putting in what was necessary to continue daily operations. I figured that was about typical for them, always focusing more on the resource than the people. It was no wonder Angus and his friends were fed up with the way things had gone down here. The trip to the mines didn’t take very long with the land transport. Angus warned us that the Union had established a small peacekeeper unit to look over the mines, most of them recruited through the mining crews. Their pay was higher, and they were given special privileges, their main priority being to look after the mines, rather than being simple peacekeepers. The way he told it, they sounded more like security guards than officers of the law.

This concerned me, but Angus dismissed it.

“They’re not well trained or equipped enough to handle a real fight. The Union gives them guns, but I don’t think most have ever used them, except to shoot cans off posts near the back of the dome,” he’d explained.

“Sounds like a bunch of kids,” I said.

“You’re not far from the truth on that,” he admitted. “I’d say the average age is twenty. Maybe twenty-one. But what they lack in skill, they make up for in stupidity. Try not to kill anyone if you can help it.”

“No promises,” I said.

Talia had come with us. This had been done against Angus’s will, but the old woman argued until he couldn’t stand it anymore. Now, she was sitting beside me in the cab, staring at the horizon as we passed through the gate between the two domes.

“There’s another bar near here,” said Angus as we entered the outer edge of the mining area. “Talk to Daxel. He’s the one who found your friends.”

“You didn’t bring them back to your cave?” I asked, referring to the basement I’d met him in. “Seems safer than a bar.”

“One of your people was injured. Leg had to be set. Figured it would be easier to take you there than to move them,” said Angus.

“Sure,” I said.

“The girl will draw attention, I think,” said Talia. She cocked her head in Lex’s direction. “The skin and hair are a dead giveaway. Really, child, you should dye that if you’re going to travel.”

Lex tilted her head. “Dye?” she asked, testing out the word. “What’s that?”

“Nothing you need to worry about,” I answered.

“Should she stay behind?” asked Angus. “She might be a problem for you in there.”

“No,” I said. “The kid stays with me.”

“In that case, here.” Talia took off her coat and handed it to Lex. “Put the top over your head so no one sees that hair.”

Lex looked at me, and I nodded.

“Try to be back in two hours,” said Talia. “If you’re not, we’ll have to leave you behind. There’s a curfew at night and they’ll dock rations if we’re out.”

“Not sure why you’d need them if you wanna leave,” I said.

“We’ll need them in case you die in there,” she replied, honestly.

I whistled. “Thanks for the confidence.”

The dome surrounding the mines was a little smaller than the one the colonists lived in, but it was still huge. Navigating it with Lex might prove difficult, but I’d rather have her with me than the alternative. She was my responsibility and I couldn’t rely on Angus or the old woman to protect her. Part of me wondered why I was so willing to believe these people at face value in the first place. Were my instincts growing dull? I didn’t think so, but then here I was, relying on a couple of strangers to keep me alive.

I pushed the thought out of my head. No sense letting myself get distracted. I was here with Lex and I’d have to do the job in front of me. That was the only thing that mattered.

My pad had the coordinates where Freddie and the others had gone. A bar called Dax’s Axel. Angus had deleted any footage the system had regarding their arrival into the dome and subsequent movements. He’d also done the same for me, but he couldn’t do much if someone saw us out in the open. I’d have to look out for myself.

Lex, wearing the cloak Talia had given her, walked beside me as I came to a stop inside an alleyway. The mines were nearby, surrounded by workers and a few peacekeepers. Down the street, closer to my position, the bar stood between two tall storage buildings.

“Captain Hughes, can you hear me?” Angus asked in my ear.

“I got you, Gus,” I responded.

“It looks clear for the moment,” he informed. “You should be good.”

Angus had parked near the far end of the dome, using his pad to link up with the local security system remotely.

There was already a stark difference in quality between this area and the residential dome. Most of these buildings appeared to be made of finer materials, suggesting that most of the Union’s investment had gone here. The mines were the entire reason this colony existed in the first place, so it made sense that a bunch of bureaucrats would weigh the scales like this.

We stepped into the street, leaving the alley and walking toward the bar. Hover carts passed beside us, carrying tools and various parts toward the supply buildings. Miners and personnel busily marched back and forth, only occasionally giving us a sideways glance.

The comm in my ear clicked as I reached the first corner. “Hold up, Hughes. I think there might be someone headed your way,” informed Angus. “The building immediately to your left is used for scrap. If you go in there you can exit out the back and circle around.”

Lex had a comm of her own and moved inside the building without being prompted. I followed, closing the door quietly behind me. She hurried to the rear of an almost empty bottom floor. “Over here,” she said with a quick wave.

We fled through the rear door and into another street, this one far less active than the last. There were only two people: a man and a woman, dressed in their brown and gray work uniforms. By the look of them, I guessed they must be part of the processing team inside these buildings. At the moment, though, they seemed more interested in each other than their jobs.

The man mumbled something to the girl, and she giggled, leaning in to kiss him. Lex made an audible groan.

We hugged a nearby fence, sticking to the direction that would lead us to the bar. The adjacent street had a few dozen people on it, none of them wearing a Sarkonian uniform. Still, I waited for Angus to give me the go-ahead.

“You’re clear,” he said, after a short pause.

We crossed the road and went straight into the bar, its doors painted an ugly shade of green.

It was the middle of the day, but the bar was already swarming with patrons. It was enough to unsettle me, at the very least. Lex clutched my hand tight as we stepped inside.

A man at the bar with spiky black hair watched his off-brand holo with passing attention. A shopping channel, by the look of it. I eased closer to the bar and tapped my finger on the counter.

He shot a glance at me and Lex, pausing briefly to consider us. “Not really a place for kids, ya know.”

“I’m not a kid,” protested Lex. “I’ve done all kinds of—” Before she could launch into details about her recent adventures, I squeezed her shoulder.

“Looking for Daxel,” I interrupted. The man locked eyes with me at the sound of the name. “Supposed to meet up with him and some friends.”

“That right?” he asked.

I nodded. “Know anyone by that name?”

“I might,” he said, a half-grin forming. “You’re in the right place. I’m Daxel, owner and operator of this fine establishment.”

“Angus says you’ve got a few guests in the back. Folks from out of town,” I said.

He snickered. “You cut straight to it, don’t you?” he asked. “Guess that’s fitting for a fella trying to avoid attention.” He looked over his shoulder. “Hey, Merril!”

A skinny kid in his late teens came hurrying from some back room, a dirty rag in one hand. “Yeah boss?”

“I gotta take five. Watch the bar.” Without waiting for an answer, he took off the apron he was wearing and motioned for us to follow him.

“You got it, boss,” said Merril, scurrying up to the counter.

Daxel motioned for us to head through the rear door. We followed him, but I kept one hand on Lex’s and the other on the gun inside my coat. I half expected someone to leap out and drug me, but instead he simply turned and locked the door behind us.

He moved to a set of shelves on the opposite side of the room, most of which held a small selection of wine and liquor.

Lex and I watched as he rolled one of the cabinets away from the wall. He placed his shoulder against the wall and pushed, moving a section of it inward like a door.

“Wow,” said Lex, stepping close enough to see the stairs leading into the hidden basement.

“Not too bad, huh?” asked Daxel. “The old owner used to hide contraband down here. I’ve never had to use it before your friends showed up.”

“Old owner?” I asked.

“My uncle,” explained Daxel. “Smart enough for this, but stupid enough to get caught.”

He walked a few steps down and paused, motioning for us to follow.

“Coming down,” he called as the wall closed behind us. “Brought some friends.”

The walls of the passageway only spanned about a meter across, making for a tight fit. It widened out at the bottom and we found ourselves in the antechamber.

“Captain Hughes!” I barely had time to register the voice before Freddie almost tackled me in a bear hug. “Gods, I can’t believe it’s really you,” he exclaimed. “And Lex!”

“I”m gonna need you to let go,” I said, muffled by his shoulder.

“Sorry, Captain,” he said sheepishly. “I knew you’d come for us.”

“Hi, Freddie,” Lex said with a cheery tone.

Freddie nearly tackled the poor girl with another hug, squeezing her so tight she wheezed.

Bolin and Petra were on the other side of the small room, sitting on a cot. “Good to see you, sir,” said Bolin. His leg had been bandaged, wrapped in a thick piece of cloth.

“Frederick said you’d show up soon,” said Petra, smiling at him.

Lex ran over and gave the woman a hug, and Petra embraced her, sliding her prosthetic arm around the girl’s back.

“It wasn’t easy to find you three,” I said.

“Blame the Sarkonians for choosing the worst colony in six systems to land on,” said Bolin. He looked at Daxel. “No offense.”

“None taken,” said the barkeep with a slight shrug. “Ask anyone here and they’ll tell you the same.”

“Looks like you took a fall there, Bolin,” I said, pointing to his leg. “That from a bullet or just clumsiness?”

“A little of both,” he answered, rubbing his thigh. “The patch is solid, though. I can walk, but not for too long.”

“It was chaos after we landed on the ship. Worse when the alarms went off,” explained Freddie.

“We managed to set off some explosives,” said Bolin. “We disabled the ship right out of slipspace, forcing everyone to evacuate. We made it to the pods first, but not before the crew showed up and tried to stop us. That was when I took the hit.”

“You made it out alive,” I said. “That’s the important part.”

Freddie laughed nervously. “I wasn’t so sure we’d make it. The debris field almost took us out, and then the landing was a little rough.”

“Ahem,” the voice in my ear startled me. I’d totally forgotten about Angus. “Sorry to interrupt your reunion, but you may want to collect your friends and leave. We don’t have long before we need to go.”

He was right. We could catch up later.

“You guys okay to move?” I asked. “Abby’s on her way with another ship. We need to get the hell off this rock and back to Earth.”

“We’re good, sir,” confirmed Bolin. “Is Felix with them?”

I wanted to wait before I told him the news, but now that he had asked, I would be direct with him. “I’m sorry. He didn’t make it. His suit malfunctioned and he suffocated, best I could tell.”

Bolin said nothing for a moment, then lowered his head. “Damnit,” he muttered.

“I’m sorry,” I said, placing a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s not your fault, sir,” said Bolin, shaking his head. The weight of the news was evident in his eyes, but I didn’t have the words to help him. Not right now. Not in this place.

“Can you move?” I asked him.

He got to his feet with Petra helping him.

“Good,” I said, turning back to Daxel. “Is it safe for us to leave?”

“Should be,” he replied. “I can’t speak to the activity outside, but the Sarkonians already checked the bar an hour ago and moved on. I wouldn’t expect them back here for a little while.”

“How many soldiers made it down?” I asked.

“Nine, if I remember right,” said Bolin.

“I already took care of two of them. Gave another a bullet in the leg. That leaves six walking, breathing grunts to deal with. If we can avoid them and get to a shuttle, we can—”

“You’re not getting any shuttles out of here,” said Daxel. “The only ships that come and go are monthly transport ships.”

“When’s the next one set to leave?” I asked.

“Two weeks,” he answered. “The only other ship is an emergency craft that the city controls. It’s locked up and under high security.”

“Guess that means we’re stealing a ship,” I said.

“But none of them are capable of slipspace travel,” said Daxel.

“Doesn’t matter. We just need something to get us in orbit so we can get picked up by Abigail’s ship when she arrives.”

“You make it sound easy,” said Freddie.

“From what I’ve seen, the only hurdles we’ve got are the peacekeepers and the Sarkonians, and Angus tells me the former are nothing but a bunch of teenagers.”

“Still, a gun is a gun,” said Daxel. “You’re talking about taking on thirty armed men.”

“I wouldn’t worry about the peacekeepers,” said Angus, speaking through the comm again. “If you can get rid of the Sarkonians, I can settle the rest.”

“How’s that?” I asked.

“It’s a small community, Captain. I know half their parents, and those parents want to leave, if you get my meaning.”

“I do,” I responded. “And now I think I know what we have to do.”

With the crew together, I decided it would be best to send Bolin back with Angus and Talia. He was a good soldier—one of our best, in fact—but with an injured leg and the news of Felix’s death weighing on him, I couldn’t risk bringing him along. Not when we were about to go after the remaining Sarkonians, no doubt now on alert.

There was something else, too: with them having gone to Earth, these Sarkonians were a liability I didn’t need right now. Outside of killing them, there wasn’t much I could do except check them for pads or data storage devices that might contain Earth’s coordinates. I’d probably have to interrogate one of them to find out for certain, but it was the only thing I could think to do.

To make everything worse, Abigail was late. She’d only been a few hours behind me, but here we were a full seven hours after landing and there was still no sign of her. My only guess was she ran into some trouble somewhere along the way. Either that, or she was farther out than she first thought.

Petra and Freddie filled in some of my gaps from the attack back home as we made our way through the streets, but they couldn’t give me a straight answer about why the Union had turned on us. The answer seemed clear to me, however, and I wagered they either didn’t believe me about the Celestials or they simply didn’t give a damn. Either way, we’d be on our own in the fight.

And I was fine with that.

I was more concerned with the cloaking technology that the Sarkonians had used to find us. It posed a whole new problem for when we made it back to Earth. How would we defend ourselves against something we couldn’t see? It was bad enough to know the Celestials could slip around undetected, but the Union and the Sarkonians? We’d have to adapt to a potential ambush from all three simultaneously. I only hoped our two stolen ships would be enough to backwards engineer the cloaks in time to see them coming.

“That could be a possibility,” said Freddie as he tapped a finger to his chin. “If the Union can track their own signal, I’m betting Sigmond and Athena can duplicate that tech.”

I had no doubt they could do it, but I did question the time it would take. There was also no telling how many other ships had followed us home from the meeting besides those three Sarkonian ones.

“You’re coming up on the building now,” said Angus. He and the others had gone back to the basement, but he could still give me directions with the comm. “The Sarkonians are inside.”

It was a tall, fat building with small windows. Angus had said this was where the administration staff worked. It had access to the mines where the workers clocked in and out every day. Given the time of day and the activity surrounding the building, I guessed it was the end of a shift.

“They’re around back,” said Angus. “Front entrance is open. You can walk right in.”

I kept my hand on my revolver inside my coat, never one to relax. I noticed Freddie doing the same.

“Shame we don’t have our shields,” I muttered.

Freddie looked up at me. “Shields?” he asked. “Oh, mine still works. It’s at 20%.”

“35%,” said Petra.

“You mean you both have a shield?” I asked, cocking my head. “I’ve been running around here exposed and you two have had those the entire time?”

Freddie raised his shoulder sleeve to show me a small device. “There’s not enough energy to use the disguise, but it’s still useful. Do you want it, Captain?”

I scoffed. “No, keep it,” I told him. “I think you’ll need it more than me.”

Inside, each kiosk had a line of tired workers in front of it. No one pushed or shoved, but they each wore the same empty expression on their faces. Hardly any of them talked to one another, like corpses waiting for their turn. I’d always been afraid of finding myself in a job like this. I was under the belief that folks just weren’t made to live like that. They were meant to be free, not working in the ground for decades at a time until their lungs went black with cancer.

I hated this place already, and we’d only been here a few seconds.

“In the back,” said Angus. “See them yet? They’re coming out with the Floor Chief.”

“I see them,” said Petra, holding the ear piece she’d borrowed from Lex.

“You two, make a scene,” I said, looking at Freddie and Petra. “I’ll step in when the time is right. We’ll take them before they know what’s happening.”

Petra glanced at Freddie. “I think we can handle that.”

“We can?” he asked.

I palmed my knife, then got into the line of a kiosk as four soldiers began their walk through the atrium.

The soldiers continued walking in our direction, weapons resting across their chests at patrol ready. The air in this place was thick with tension, the residents no doubt nervous at their foreign visitors, and I didn’t mean us. The Sarkonians and the Union might have an alliance, but it was one of convenience. The two would only work together for as long as it benefited them. These people were Union citizens, and while they might not have love for their own government, they had even less for the Sarkonians.

“How could you?” yelled Petra, glaring at Freddie.

“It was an accident,” he sputtered. He looked absolutely terrified as he shrank back.

“Of all the things you’ve done, this has to be the worst,” she said, making certain that the crowd could hear every last word.

I watched as the soldiers stopped what they were doing and focused on the couple.

Petra threw her head back in exaggerated laughter. “So, you just fell into the bar, is that it? Was that before or after you were already drunk?”

One of the soldiers walked closer to me, locking eyes. He paused, staring at me with some curiosity, while his two friends seemed more interested in the show.

I turned away, fumbling with one of the kiosk machines, pretending to have a hard time with the card reader. The mining crews only used these to clock in and out, and it would soon be obvious that I didn’t have any business using it.

I snarled and smacked the side of the box.

The soldier approached. “What’s wrong over here?” he asked, his voice a few octaves lower than his build suggested.

“Damn thing is acting up again,” I said.

He eyed the kiosk. “Try another one?”

“It just ate my card,” I said.

“I don’t give a damn about what you thought she said!” yelled Petra. “You don’t bring a random woman back to my house and—”

The soldier turned around, his attention drawn to the forming crowd.

When he did, I leaned in and pressed my revolver to his lower back. He instinctively stiffened and gripped his weapon, but I turned the barrel into his waist to let him know I had him. “Easy now,” I whispered.

“You’re him, aren’t you? The Renegade,” he said.

“Guilty,” I admitted. “Now, do yourself a favor and pull those hands away from the grip. There’s no reason this has to go a certain way. I’m tired of killing Sarkonians today.”

His hand paused, and out of the corner of my eye I saw the Floor Chief walk toward the arguing pair, an angry look on his face.

“You don’t need to die today,” I told the man in front of me. “Nobody does. I just want off this rock. Don’t you?”

He slowly nodded, a nervous shake in his chin.

“Good, then we’ve got something in common,” I said, placing my other hand on his arm. “You got a woman back home? Is there a Mrs. Sarkonian?”

“Yes,” he answered.

“That’s good, kid. It’s nice to have someone waiting for you to come home. I know how that is. Why don’t you ease those hands away from your gun now?” I asked him. “Do as I tell you and I promise you’ll make it out of here today.”

He nodded and moved his hands, palm out, away from the weapon.

“Smart man,” I said, then spun him around, repositioning my gun to press into his stomach. “What’s your name?”

“Rorick,” he said, nervously.

“Alright, Rorick, let’s you and me take a walk, and let’s not complicated things by signaling your friends.”

“What do you want?” he asked, turning back around as we started walking.

“Just to go home,” I said, nudging him. “Same as you, I’m sure.”

He took a step forward, my gun steady in his back.

We merged with the crowd as folks continued to move around the heated argument at the center of the atrium.

“Honey, please. I’m sor—” Before Freddie could finish, Petra hauled back and slapped him. It was a solid hit that made an audible crack as it landed.

“We’re done, you bastard. My mother was right about you. You’re nothing but a dog and I never want to see you again. Don’t even think of following me!”

The Floor Chief, with the other two soldiers in tow, had almost reached them when Petra stormed off.

The tunnel entrance stood in the rear of the building, with workers coming in and out. I moved quickly with the soldier, our backs to the others.

“We’ll be right behind you, Captain,” said Petra into her comm. “I’m walking out front for a few minutes and then I’ll double back inside.”

“Love, wait! Give me a second chance!” called Freddie, his voice echoing through the building.

As we entered, the crowd behind us blocked my line of sight with the other two soldiers. In a few minutes, we’d be inside and safely away from prying eyes and ears. Exactly what we needed to extract a bit of information.

“Take the next right, that tunnel is empty,” said Angus.

“Through there,” I told Rorick, urging him forward. He stumbled, and I grabbed the back of his uniform to steady him.

Freddie and Petra came running a few minutes later, trailing behind us. They arrived right as we reached the split Angus had indicated.

I paused and jerked the Sarkonian around to face me, digging the tip of the revolver into his jacket. The man flinched, but I tightened my grip. “Let’s see that earpiece,” I said, nodding to the comm.

He removed it and handed it to me. I tossed it on the floor and slammed my foot down on it.

Angus’s voice rolled in over the comm when we reached the next corridor. “Keep moving for another hundred meters and you’ll come to a long stretch. Isolated, mostly,” he explained.

The hall looked like a break area, a few beat up tables and chairs, with empty cups and plates sitting on the floor. We were the only people here at the moment, so I directed Rorick into the corner and had him take a seat. I made a show of checking to see how many rounds were in my weapon before slamming the magazine back in.

“I’m sorry about this, pal,” I told him. “Just answer a few of my questions and we’ll be on our way. You’ll be able to leave, and everything will be fine.”

Petra walked up to him before he could answer. “I saw you on the ship,” she said, looking him over. “You’re the one who shot Bolin.”

He stared up at her. “I followed orders. That’s what soldiers do.”

“We get it,” I said, giving Petra a look that suggested she ease off. Then I looked back at the soldier. “Just tell me what I want to know.”

He stared at petra for a few seconds, looking her over. “Fine, but nothing I tell you is going to help.”

I decided to ignore the arrogance. Sarkonians had always been a stubborn bunch. “Why haven’t your people taken this colony’s transport ship yet? Why spend your time looking for us?”

He turned his head at the question. “You mean the ship near the docks? The one for emergencies?”

I nodded.

“Our captain says there’s not much point in it since the Royal Frontier Expedition has an active patrol a few systems from here. It’s a better use of our time to”—he paused, studying my reaction—“to find and arrest you.”

“You think the R.F.E. is coming for you?” I asked, referring to the Sarkonian fleet by its proper name. “Why?”

“What do you mean?” he asked. “We contacted them, and they verified they were on their way.”

I tensed. “You did what?”

“The Captain spoke with Command before we left the ship. We only had a few minutes, but he sent a transmission before the ship was disabled.”

“You contacted Sarkon?” I asked.

“Not directly,” he admitted. “There was an imperial transport a few systems from here.”

I looked at both Freddie and Petra, then again at Rorick. “What did you send them?”

He stood steady at the question, unwavering.

“Answer me, Rorick,” I ordered, placing the gun to the side of his neck. “I’m not playing around with you.”

“We sent our complete logs,” he blurted out. “Earth’s location. Scans. Everything.”

I clenched my jaw at the sound of that, and my knuckles went white as my hand tensed, the trigger growing more tempting with each thought.

A hand touched my shoulder. “Captain,” said Freddie. I turned to see him looking at me.

“How long?” I asked Rorick.

“What?” asked the soldier.

“How long before they get here?”

“I-I don’t know,” he said.

“Guess.”

“A standard day, maybe? Twenty-four hours, but it could be sooner.” His eyes moved to the gun before flicking back to me. If I’d been another sort, I would have shot him then and there, left his corpse in this cave to fester and rot.

I motioned to Petra. “See if you can find something to tie Rorick up with.”

She nodded, quickly hurrying to the other side of the hall.

“What are you going to do to me?” asked the Sarkonian.

“Don’t worry,” I assured him. “I said I wouldn’t kill you and I meant it.”

Petra returned with some rope from one of the hover carts down the hall. She handed it to me, and together we wrapped it around Rorick, tying him in place.

“Let’s go,” I said.

“Hold,” said Angus. “I’ve got the other two Sarkonians moving again. They’re heading into the tunnel.”

“They must know he came back here,” I said, looking at Petra and Freddie. “We need to move.”

“There’s an exit inside the mine,” said Angus. “Comes out the western side. You’ll need to keep to your left as you go. Our connection’s already weak, so if I lose you, just stick to the path.” He paused. “Left, left, straight through the fork, and then right. Follow that, Hughes?”

“Follow,” I said.

I waved at the others to get moving, then gave Rorick a smack on the shoulder. “Now, I know you can’t lie to your friends. Go ahead and tell them we tied you up, questioned you, whatever you want,” I said, leaning close to him. “But do yourself a favor, kid, and don’t follow us. You do and I swear the next time we meet, it won’t go so well for you. You follow my meaning?”

He nodded.

“Good,” I said, stepping back from him. “Because trust me, we ain’t worth dying over.”

“Captain, do you know where we’re going?” asked Freddie, panting as he tried to keep up with Petra and me.

“Just keep running,” I said. The movement made my side sting, but we couldn’t stop now.

The comm had lost connection just as Angus had predicted. We were on our own, but if his instructions were accurate, we were almost clear.

We reached the fork that Angus had told us about. “There,” I said, motioning to a sign that read Outgoing.

“That must be it,” said Petra.

Shouts echoed in the tunnel behind us.

“That sounds like a lot more than a few Sarkonians, people,” remarked Petra.

“City police, I’d imagine,” I said, breaking into a jog. “Come on.”

We raced through the next corridor and found ourselves before a long metal walkway, ending with an inoperable loading platform. “This must be from the early mining days,” said Freddie. “Look over there, behind the rail. Is that a door?”

I leapt over the railing and an abandoned hover cart, going for the exit. The door was locked but loose enough that I might be able to force it. I braced myself and readied my shoulder to ram it.

“Wait,” said Freddie, hurrying up to my side. He reached to his shoulder and pinched off the shield device, sticking it to my arm.

“Shield activate,” the automated voice said, and a slight flicker washed over me.

“This should help,” said Freddie.

I nodded, then pulled out my gun and fired at the handle, hoping to break the lock. With that, I took a few steps back and leaned forward, ready to break the door.

Using my shoulder and the shield, I slammed into the metal. There was a hard crunch, but nothing moved.

“Shield at 12%,” said the voice.

I pulled back, ready to try again.

More shouts from behind us. “Did you hear that?” asked one of them.

I took a breath and charged again, this time slamming into the door and breaking it free of the lock. It swung open violently, and I tumbled through and into the clear light of the outdoors.

“Shield at 3%,” said the automated voice.

“So much for that,” I said, scrambling to my feet. “Let’s go!”

As we came out of the mine, we found ourselves standing in front of an empty landing pad. This had to be one of the areas where the transport ships came in and out.

“What now?” asked Freddie. “I don’t know where we are.”

“We’re on the other side of the mine, opposite from where the bar is,” said Petra, checking her device. “The map shows these pads, but I don’t think anyone uses them anymore. The main loading docks are—” She stopped, eyes on something in the distance.

“What’s wrong?” asked Freddie.

She pointed across the dock to a set of hover vehicles.

“Now we’re talking,” I said.

As we started moving, a loud pop sounded, and a bullet struck the dirt at my feet, shredding a few blades of grass.

The vehicles were about fifty meters away with only the hard and flat surface of the landing pad between. I caught sight of Petra’s shield flickering as we crossed the center of it.

“I’m okay,” she exclaimed, still running.

Freddie reached the vehicle first, jumping into the back seat as Petra and I arrived. Sitting in the driver’s seat, I took a moment to orient myself with the controls. This looked to be a basic ground transport vehicle, so it couldn’t hover more than a meter high, which meant we wouldn’t be flying out of here. I pressed the ignition switch, waiting for the cab to power up.

“Insert authorized user access card,” said the vehicle.

“That’s not good,” said Petra.

I looked up to see the Sarkonians and a small group of local peacekeepers hurrying to reach us from across the landing pad. “I don’t have any kind of card, godsdammit,” I barked. “Angus? Can you hear me? Is there some sort of—”

The transport roared to life, startling the three of us in the process. “I’ve got you, Hughes,” said Angus. “Sent the authorization code remotely.”

I pulled the handle up and the cab lifted off the ground.

A bullet hit the windshield, shattering it as we tore away. Both Freddie and Petra screamed as another five shots struck the cab in the side and rear.

The transport wailed as I pushed it to its limit, racing for the opening of the landing zone.

A handful of miners stood near the gap. I tried lifting the vehicle high enough to clear them, but it couldn’t go that high. Petra stood up and started waving and screaming for them to move. When they didn’t respond, she fired her weapon into the air. It got their attention.

We slid through the fleeing crowd and passed the gate. “We’ve got another problem,” announced Freddie.

A quick glance told me he was right. Two vehicles followed a short distance behind, each coming from different directions. One contained the Sarkonians who’d been following us from the mines; the other had only just arrived from another street. Peacekeepers, by the look of them.

“We need to get out of this dome!” shouted Petra. “There’s no room to go in here!”

She certainly had a point about that. There were pedestrians and mining equipment everywhere I looked. The streets weren’t meant for fast driving. Maybe in the residential dome, but not here.

“You’ll have a hard time getting back to us from there,” said Angus over the comm. “The gate is blocked right now. They’re working on establishing a barrier.”

“You saying we gotta hold up in this one?” I asked, swerving around a tight corner and entering a wide alley.

“No, you can leave through the north exit,” he explained.

“You want us to leave the dome? There’s nothing out there but sand and rocks,” said Petra.

“They’re not watching either of the exterior gates. You can leave through that one and come back through the residential dome from there. The peacekeepers don’t have the men to cover everything, and right now they’ve got most of their people in one place.”

Shots sounded behind us as the Sarkonians followed, one of the rounds hitting the rear panel of our vehicle. “Getting a little close!” yelled Freddie.

“We can’t risk someone getting shot by those idiots,” I said, turning down a larger street towards the northern side of the dome. “Better to have a shootout in the open than here!”

I sped up as we continued past the main entrance to the mine complex. Civilians scattered as we passed, screaming at the sound of gunfire.

Petra steadied her weapon on the back of the seat, trying to aim.

“Don’t!” snapped Freddie. “You’ll hit someone!”

“They’re getting too close,” she said, still looking down the handgun.

She hesitated but pulled away. “When we’re outside, I’m going to—”

The cab smacked into a raised section of the road, lifting the vehicle higher into the air. My ass came straight off the seat for two seconds and I felt my stomach twist before we hit the ground, the metal frame skidding against the concrete before bobbing back to a hover.

I swerved, trying to steady the craft. As I looked up, I spotted the gate ahead of us, a lone peacekeeper standing idly by the entrance.

I grabbed my revolver and fired into the air, trying to get his attention to get the hell out of my way. He noticed, but only stood there in confusion as we came barreling toward him. I shot again, this time in his direction at the dome wall. He finally reacted like someone who wanted to live and dove in the dirt, hands over his head.

We passed through the gate moments later, the Sarkonians close behind.

As soon as we were about thirty meters out, I craned my neck back and yelled over my shoulder. “Fire now!” I barked.

“Right!” exclaimed Freddie.

“Not you, Freddie,” I said waving for him to get in the front seat. “I need you to drive. I’ll handle the back.”

“But—”

“Drive, godsdammit!” I said.

He took the wheel and I squeezed out of the seat and into the back. I steadied the gun and took a quick breath while Petra fired hers beside me.

“Steady, steady,” I told myself aloud, lining up the shot and—

The bullet went through the Sarkonian’s windshield, leaving behind a hole so small it was almost invisible. It hit the soldier sitting in the passenger’s seat in the chest. The glass must have flattened the round because a fist-sized crater erupted from his ribcage on impact. Blood and bone spattered across the inside of the glass, and the driver, momentarily blinded, jerked the wheel.

The soldier in the back of the cab leaned to the side, keeping one leg inside the vehicle while taking aim with his rifle, and then fired. We ducked below the seat as the shots tore through the rear of the vehicle. A piece of the seat backing shredded apart and I heard Petra yelp in surprise.

I reached for her as she fell deeper into the seat, clutching her hand. “Are you alright?” I shouted, fighting the wind.

She turned her hand to show me. It was the prosthetic, and the bullet had torn through it, severing two fingers and exposing the wiring underneath the artificial skin.

The pain in her eyes told me she felt it, the nerve connections to the arm fulfilling their purpose.

“I’m fine,” she said, her flushed cheeks telling a different story. She reached up with her gun and repositioned herself, the chaotic wind violently whipping her hair. “Keep shooting!”

Petra fired, using her off hand to steady the gun. A few rounds managed to clip the back passenger, forcing him down. He continued firing at us, but he couldn’t aim with his head beneath the seat cushion.

The second pursuing vehicle, mostly full of peacekeepers, had slowed considerably after leaving the dome. I guessed they didn’t think their lives were worth the cost of catching a bunch of strangers who hadn’t taken anything.

Or maybe they hated the Sarkonians enough to let both sides fight it out.

“Freddie, get us to the gate!” I barked.

“On it, Captain,” he answered, turning the wheel so we changed directions. The domes stretched for nearly fifteen kilometers from one gate to the other. It would take a while for us to move that far, even at full speed. These transports weren’t built for speed, but they’d have to do.

“They’re getting closer!” shouted Petra. She tried to fire again, but the gun clicked empty. “I’m out!”

I only had two shots left, no more bullets in my coat, and I couldn’t decide whether to waste them here and now or hold onto them for when we were back in the city.

The soldier in the back seat got to his feet again, still wielding the rifle from before.

“Freddie, your gun,” I said, kicking his seat. “Toss it here!”

A barrage of gunfire swept across the cab, forcing all three of us to get down.

“Freddie, godsdammit!” I barked. “Give me your—”

A roar split the sky above us and interrupted my shout, and a beam of blue energy struck the vehicle behind us, creating a fireball of an explosion so powerful that it lifted the cab off the ground.

Petra’s mouth dropped.

I watched for the speeding vessel in the sky to circle around, but it quickly became clear what I was looking at as it headed back toward us.

It was a strike ship from, which could only mean one thing.

Freddie raised a fist and cheered at the sight, his eyes widened with shock and relief. I could hardly believe it myself.

We slowed our pace as the strike ship landed directly ahead of us, there in the flat field of the moon’s wilds, its kicking dust from the ground to form a cloud around it.

When Freddie had brought us to a stop, I leapt out and covered my mouth with my coat, shielding myself from the dust.

The ship’s hatch opened, and a figure appeared, her shape more familiar to me than any other.

“You’re late,” I said, walking up to the ramp.

“Sorry about that,” said Abigail, giving me a knowing smile. “I had to make a call.”

“This ship is unlike anything I’ve ever seen,” Angus remarked as we walked through Titan.

“It’s Earth tech,” Abigail replied, reaching out to touch a nearby panel. The moment her fingertips graced the console, her tattoos began to glow. She pulled it back a few seconds later and we continued down the hall.

Angus stared at the effect slackjawed. I chuckled, remembering the first time I’d seen Lex interact with that first artifact. “Those tattoos are basically access keys. Certain parts of the ship will be inaccessible without them,” I explained.

He was quiet for a beat. “I see. Is the rest of Earth outfitted similarly?”

“For the most part,” I said, coming to a stop in the corridor. “But don’t worry about your people, Gus. Once we get to Earth, if they’re trustworthy, we’ll get them integrated.”

“If that’s what you want,” added Abigail.

A couple of kids ran past us on their way to the cafeteria. We moved to let them through, watching as they playfully pushed each other in a race to get there.

“Of course, it will take some time,” continued Abigail. “The Union and Sarkonian problem is our first priority.” She paused. “And we still haven’t processed the Eternals.”

“Eternals?” asked Angus.

I gave him a pat on the back. “It’s complicated, but let’s just say you’re not the only folks to join our crew over the last few weeks.”

Angus shrugged at that, a sheepish look on his face.

“Father!” called a voice from the far end of the corridor. It was a young woman with bright red hair that matched Angus’s, and judging from the facial similarities, one of his daughters.

“Go ahead,” I said, nodding in her direction. “We’ll talk specifics later so you can tell your people what to expect.”

He thanked me and walked in her direction, leaving Abigail and me alone.

“He seems like a good man,” she said, once he was far enough away.

“Seems so,” I said with a nod.

“Is that why you let him come aboard with two hundred of his closest friends and family?” she asked.

“He did me a favor. What can I tell you?”

She laughed. “I’m sure they’ll fit right in.”

The sheer size of the group had taken me by surprise, too. I’d ordered Sigmond to send another strike ship from Titan, only expecting to pick up a few more passengers. When we’d arrived at the coordinates that Angus had provided, his people were there, ready and waiting, except there were more than he’d estimated. A lot more.

Part of me had wanted to say we couldn’t take them, but that wasn’t our way. Besides, anyone who’d been abandoned and overworked by the Union like these folks had—well, they deserved a better place to hang their hat.

While Sigmond had managed the evacuation, the rest of us brought the two Sarkonian vessels to Titan. My hope was that we could gather something from the cloaks, maybe find a way to see them coming in the future.

“Pardon me, sir,” said a familiar voice in my ear. Sigmond appeared next to me, his golden aura briefly filling the hallway walls before settling into a thin veil.

“What is it, Siggy?” I asked.

“I have been scanning the ship that you were on, the RFE Darkstar, as well as the vessel Miss Pryar arrived in, the RFE Bright Horizon.”

“And?” I waved a hand at him to hurry up and get to the point.

“All detailed records have been wiped from the drives, but I may be able to recover them with time. The same is true in regard to the cloaking technology. I shall need Athena’s assistance, of course, but I do believe we will be successful, perhaps within the month.”

“A month?” asked Abigail. “Why so long?”

“The technology is quite unique. While I would certainly be able to transfer the existing cloak to a new ship, replicating it is much more complicated.”

“Even for you?” she asked.

“Even for me,” he answered.

“Good work, Siggy,” I told him. “I knew I kept you around for a reason.”

“Indeed. I believe it also has something to do with the coffee, sir.”

“I’m not sure what you mean,” I said, feigning ignorance.

“There is—” He paused, briefly, and the gold aura flickered. “Oh, dear.”

“Something wrong?” asked Abigail.

“I am detecting incoming vessels,” said the Cognitive. “Eighteen total. They appear to be Sarkonian ships of multiple classes. Four cruisers, eleven novas, and at least fifteen centurions.”

“We get the picture, Siggy,” I said, taking a second to process. Each cruiser would be two-thirds the size of The Galactic Dawn, but with weaker hulls and shields, smaller guns, and slower propulsion speeds. Still, numbers mattered, and the Sarkonians had brought enough to warrant concern. The novas were roughly the size of The Renegade Star, each having access to flak bursts and torpedoes. Meanwhile, the centurions were closer to the strike ships in size, although their firepower was nowhere near the same. “Have the rest of the crew meet us at the strike ships. I want all available personnel ready to fight.”

Sigmond disappeared while Abigail and I raced to the nearest elevator. We stepped inside and she sent it down to the loading bay level. “You said the Sarkonian told you reinforcements were a day out,” she told me.

“Seems he was lying,” I said with a shrug.

“Seems,” she repeated, cocking an eye.

Octavia, Bolin, Petra, Freddie, and Alphonse were already there when we arrived, along with several other trained and seasoned fighters.

“Sigmond already filled us in,” said Alphonse. “What are your orders, Captain?”

“Depends on what Athena can do for us. I’d rather not fight if we don’t have to,” I said.

“I don’t think everyone is onboard yet,” said Octavia.

“Athena, how long until Titan can raise shields?” I asked, holding up a hand to the rest of the group.

The Cognitive’s face appeared on the nearby wall, her blue eyes looking directly at me. “I estimate that the last of the colonists will be aboard Titan within thirty minutes, Captain Hughes.” She brought up a holomap, highlighting three dots that were moving on our location.

“Can’t those strike ships move any faster?” I asked.

“Possibly, but the debris field is hindering movement considerably,” explained Athena.

“Do whatever you can to get those people here quickly,” I said, then turned to the rest of my crew. “Bolin and Petra, I want you to stay with the new colonists. They’ll need the guidance. The rest of you, ready your ships.”

“On it,” said Freddie, heading to one of the closest ships.

Alphonse, Abigail, and Octavia quickly followed, while Petra proceeded to the stairwell in the rear of the bay. Bolin, on the other hand, chose to linger, gesturing at me to hold a moment.

I nodded, staying back while the others boarded their strike ships.

“If this is about my leg,” he said, once they were out of ear shot, “there’s no need. The med-pod took care of it.”

“That’s not it,” I said. I had no doubt that Bolin was physically up for a fight, but that wasn’t what worried me.

“It’s about Felix, then,” he said, raising his voice to somewhere between respect and outrage.

“That’s part of it,” I agreed. After we’d stored the Sarkonian ships inside Titan, the first thing I made sure to do was move Felix to a cryo-pod in the medbay. Bolin had helped and I’d witnessed his grief firsthand. Even though the Sarkonians hadn’t killed him directly, they were still responsible in both our eyes. “I can’t have you out there when things are still fresh.”

Bolin opened his mouth to say something, but I raised a hand to stop him.

“I also need you on Titan in case something goes sideways out there,” I finished.

He was silent for a moment, then nodded. “Of course, Captain.”

I watched as he walked off without another word. I knew how it felt to want blood for blood, but I also cared too much about Bolin to let him risk his life over a memory.

Gods knew I’d done that enough for the both of us.

I’d almost made it to my ship when I heard my name from the other side of the bay.

“What now?” I asked, twisting around on the boarding ramp to see Lex barreling toward me at top speed. It only took her a few seconds to reach me, breaking out of a full sprint to a hard stop.

“Mr. Hughes,” she exclaimed, breathing heavily. “Where are you going now? I only just got back!”

“Damn, I’m sorry kid. I don’t have time to talk right now. Gotta handle something, but I’ll see you when I get back.”

“Does that mean I can’t come with you?” she asked, snagging my sleeve. “I can help, you know. Didn’t you see me before?”

I smiled. “I sure did, Lex. You were great down there, but right now I need you to stay back and help out around here.”

“Why?” she asked.

“There’s gonna be a lot of those folks from the planet coming up to leave with us. I need someone to show them around, keep them safe, and answer their questions. People get scared when they’re someplace new. You remember how scared you used to be?”

She took a moment, but slowly nodded.

“That’s why you’ll know what to say to them when they get here,” I said. “Right?”

“Okay,” she said, smiling at the thought. “Yeah, Mr. Hughes. I can do that.”

I took a step back and grabbed the handle inside the strike ship. “Now clear out, kid.” With a quick tap, the door began to raise. “I’ve got fightin’ to do.”

“If I never step foot on another Sarkonian ship again, it’ll be too soon,” I muttered as I passed the RFE Darkstar on my way out of Titan’s hull.

“Oh, it wasn’t so bad,” commented Octavia.

Abigail chimed in. “If you ever get tired of being the Renegade, you could go back to being a regular one. Maybe use that ship and call it the Renegade Star II.” She snickered at her own joke.

“Don’t you ever mention the Star in the same sentence as a Sarkonian ship again,” I said in a low voice.

She laughed.

“The captain has a point,” cut in Alphonse. “Say what you will about the Union, but they do have quality ships.”

Our small squadron left Titan and moved into open space. I ordered Freddie and a few others to stay near the ship to help defend the arriving colonists.

I wanted to leave Z-28K and this miserable region of space behind for good. More than that, I knew we had to make it back to Earth before any other unwanted guests arrived. Given the fact that the Sarkonians knew how to find it now, there was no telling how long it would take before one or both of the two empires would come knocking.

At the moment, only The Galactic Dawn and Sigmond’s drones were there to defend the colony. Hardly enough, depending on the size of the attacking fleet that might arrive.

I’d have to make this fight quick, gather the new colonists, and hightail it out of here.

“Renegade Hughes, this is Commander-Raes. Surrender yourself to the Empire or we will open fire,” announced a voice over the comms.

“Siggy, patch me through to him,” I said.

“At once, sir,” said Sigmond. “Go ahead.”

I cleared my throat. “Raes, was it? This is Hughes. I’m afraid there’ll be no surrendering today. Sorry to disappoint.”

“Renegade Hughes,” said Commander-Raes. “Why not save us both a bit of trouble and do as I ask? I’d hate to destroy that ship of yours. It’s quite the marvel.”

I chuckled loud enough that he could hear. “You seem like you’ve done your homework, pal. Did you see what happened to the last time your people came into contact with Titan? It didn’t go so well for them.”

“Perhaps not,” he said. “But there were fewer ships in that encounter, and we’ve had time to study the footage.”

“That so?” I asked.

“It is,” he replied. “Your Titan might be powerful, but it can’t withstand the full force of this fleet. Your drones are far removed from this system as well, which means—”

“It means nothing,” I interrupted. “But if you’d like to test that theory, I’m ready.”

“Very well,” said the admiral. “May Dheus bless you with a swift death.”

The comm line went dead. “A bit overconfident,” I said, right as another line opened.

“Enemy cruisers are raising shields,” informed Sigmond.

“Everyone do the same,” I ordered. “And Alphonse—”

“I’m on it, Captain,” said the Constable. “Sending attack patterns to team leaders. Prepare to engage.”

The enemy fleet opened fire at the exact moment our squadron broke ranks. I rolled sideways, igniting thrusters and moving toward the nearest ship. Although not as massive or intimidating as their Union counterparts, the cruisers had enough firepower to present a valid threat. Ragtag as the Sarkonians were, they’d come prepared.

Abigail and several fighters engaged multiple nova-class ships while Alphonse’s team sped toward one of the nearby cruisers.

I had eight other strike ships with me, our formation weaving through the growing chaos as I went for the largest ship I could find. The cruiser’s guns ran along its hull like legs on a centipede, and when they fired, the dark void filled with enough firepower to cause the holo to glitch momentarily.

“Focus attacks on the shield,” I told the other ships. “Target the same area. Bring it down then hit the guns.”

Nine blue beams collided with the cruiser’s orange shield, causing it to flash and glow as the pressure of the cannons intensified. Multiple novas moved to engage us, but Abigail’s team held them.

One came uncomfortably close to me, sniping the shield at my rear and rattling the hull. I was about cut the beam when Freddie came flying from my rear, firing at the nova and clipping its nose. The ship spun from the impact, righting itself for a brief moment before two other strike ships hit it from behind.

The Sarkonian vessel tore apart from the center, its shield falling immediately.

At the same time, my target’s shield had nearly fallen. “I estimate the flagship’s shield has decreased to 33%,” said Sigmond.

“Hold the line,” I ordered.

A blast struck my ship, causing the holo display to light up with a flash of red.

“Sir, I believe one of the enemies has made you a primary target,” explained Sigmond. The miniature version of him that stood on the dash waved at one of the Sarkonian dots. It was blinking rapidly and growing slightly. “They’ve launched six missiles. Incoming in five.”

“I see them,” I said, grunting as I sent the ship into another roll, speeding across the outer edge of the main cruiser’s shield. They were still on me. I cut into a drift, spun my ship around, and manually fired into the oncoming cluster.

The beam from my vessel slit through the bulk of the missiles, disabling or destroying most of them. A single projectile slipped through, however, continuing in my direction. “The remaining warhead’s guidance system appears to be disabled, sir,” said Sigmond.

Sure enough, the missile seemed to be drifting steadily toward the cruiser, paying no mind to my position. I followed it until the warhead was close enough to the enemy’s shield to matter, and then I fired.

Seconds before it collided with the invisible barrier, the missile ignited. As it did, the orange shield broke apart, shattering at last to reveal the exposed hull of the flagship cruiser.

“Thanks for the assist,” I muttered. “Everyone, focus your attention on the guns.”

“We’re with you, Captain,” said one of the pilots.

Seven fighters swept across the hull of the cruiser, taking out multiple turrets in rapid succession. The guns broke apart as a series of blue beams ran along the ship’s exterior, castrating the ship of its attack power, one weapon at a time.

I had Sigmond light up each of the guns, then tapped a series of nearby targets on the holo. This told the vessel where to strike. Once I was done, I willed the ship to fire.

A series of rapid shots struck the flagship, a burst of blue energy lighting up the dark.

“Sigmond, how much longer before we have the colonists?” I asked, sweeping around to target another nova that was fast approaching my position.

“Two ships remain inside the debris field,” he informed. “I estimate seven minutes before they arrive.”

“Just a bit longer, then,” I said.

The nova fired in my direction, releasing a burst of cluster munitions. I responded with a blast from my beam cannon, hitting the projectiles as they separated, causing them to engulf one another in a wild and consuming explosion.

As I did, something hit me from another side. The shield flashed, absorbing the blast. “Shields at 47%,” said Sigmond.

I checked the holo as I accelerated. I now had two other novas to contend with, which made for three.

Two red dots blinked—one directly behind me and another to the side—converging in what appeared to be an attempt at boxing me in. As I continued away from them, all three ships, including the one ahead of me, released their flak bursts.

With little time to think and trapped in what appeared to be a kill zone, I moved my ship into a scissor maneuver, shifting far to the left and then to the right. I repeated this movement while three groups of flak continued in my direction.

To my rear, the two groups of projectiles gathered in closer proximity to one another, gaining momentum as I continued swerving to each side. As I neared the forward cluster, I made a hard push to the left, avoiding most of the flak and letting it pass behind me.

The two groups converged into one another, causing them to explode. The swarm ate itself, giving me the chance to turn around and finish off the rest with a wide spread from my beam cannon.

I was about to call for an assist when one of the dots disappeared from my holo.

“You okay, Captain Hughes?” asked Freddie.

I scoffed at the question, hiding my relief. “I thought I told you to stay with Titan.”

“You did, but I broke off when I saw you being flanked,” he said, sheepishly.

I smirked. “I’ll let it go this time. No hard feelings if you help me clean up the rest.”

I accelerated and targeted the nearest nova. It was the same one I’d attacked previously, and its shields were already down.

I fired first, my beam hitting one of its thrusters. It continued in the direction it had been going, but without any control over its trajectory. “Enemy ship disabled,” said Sigmond.

“Targeting weapons,” I said, magnifying the holo with nothing but a thought.

Another burst struck the nova, breaking off the main cannon. The combination of attacks rendered the enemy ship entirely useless.

Freddie went after the last of the three, and I set my sights on the same. The ship was between us, allowing us to flank it. We fired together. Where the two beams met, the defense barrier shattered, continuing through to the hull and destroying the enemy vessel.

“Captain,” said Sigmond. “All passenger ships have been successfully docked aboard Titan.”

The words felt like sweet relief. “Siggy, open a channel to—” A sudden rumble hit my ship as something grazed the side of my shield.

A harpoon from a nearby centurion had struck my side.

“Shields at 20%,” said Sigmond.

I wouldn’t be able to take too many of those.

Activating my thrusters, I accelerated just in time to escape another two harpoons. The centurions withdrew their cables and repositioned themselves to try again, taking both my sides. They were faster than novas, more maneuverable, but also significantly weaker. It would only take a single clear shot from my beam cannon to take one down. They also had to be far closer than the novas to make a dent, which meant I just had to—

Another strike against my side. “Shield at 5%,” informed Sigmond.

I decided it was now or never, then turned the ship in a 360 degree motion, activating the beam cannon in a steady, short-distance attack. With only a thought, my ship turned the beam, lining it up with each of the two ships, sweeping through them both. The ships easily broke apart, exploding into chunks of steel and dust.

Without a second to spare, I reignited my thrusters and took off. “Like I was saying, get that asshole on the line,” I snapped. “Whatever the hell his name is.”

“Commander-Raes,” said Sigmond. “Opening now.”

I didn’t wait for the commander to answer. “Raes, this is Captain Hughes. I have all weapons trained on your vessel. I’m sure you can guess what’ll happen if you press me.”

It was quiet for a moment. “Renegade, if you plan on surrendering, I’m ready to accept.”

Typical Sarkonian, never one to back down. I guessed he’d stand his ground until the very end, if need be. These people never surrendered or knew when to walk away. “I’m leaving, Commander. You can either back off or take the hit. It’s your call. Last chance.”

“If you think you can intimidate this fleet, you do not know the sons and daughters of Sarkon,” he responded.

“Fine,” I said, flicking the channel off. “Athena, can you use Titan’s main cannon yet, now that everyone’s on board?”

“I can, Captain,” said the Cognitive.

“Fire it at 50% across their thrusters,” I said.

“Understood,” she replied.

“In the meantime, everybody form up and fall back,” I called out. “We’ve got somewhere else to be.”

Titan charged its main cannon as the rest of us retreated. Multiple smaller beams converged into one, erupting from Titan and blasting through Raes’s ship.

“Thrusters are disabled, sir,” informed Sigmond, right as I entered the docking bay.

“Shall I fire again?” asked Athena.

Normally, I might have stayed and fought this fight to the end, maybe send a message that the people of Earth were not to be trifled with, but right now I had larger concerns. This fleet knew Earth’s location. Hell, they’d probably already forwarded that information to Sarkon and the rest of the R.F.E.

There was a fair chance that the Union even knew.

“Open a tunnel and take us home,” I told the Cognitive. “Our people need protecting, and we’ve been gone for far too long.”

Before I returned to Titan, I set my strike ship into a slow drift and reached out to Alphonse. The former Constable’s face appeared on the holo in seconds.

“Captain,” he said with some surprise.

“Al, I need you to reach out to Shaw and find out exactly what happened after the meeting we had.”

“I’ve been trying, but I’m afraid I haven’t been able to reach him. My sources say he was relieved of command. Vice Admiral Vick is now overseeing the fleet,” he told me.

“Of course, he is,” I said, letting out a short sigh. “The Sarkonians said the contract came from Vick. Seems like he didn’t care much for my proposal.”

“It certainly does,” said Alphonse.

“Is Admiral Shaw alive?” I asked.

“Yes, he’s being forced into an early retirement. On paper, he left willingly, but unofficially—”

“He was forced out,” I finished.

Alphonse nodded. “Right, well, that leaves us in a mess.”

“I don’t believe all hope is necessarily lost,” said Alphonse. “We can still try to negotiate with Vice Admiral Vick. By all accounts, he is regarded as a reasonable man. If we can force him to look beyond his own grief over General Brigham, we may be able to sway him.”

“Even after all of this?” I asked.

“I believe so,” said Alphonse.

“I gotta tell you, Al, I’m not sure I even want the help at this point. Every time we try to reason with the Union or the Sarkonians, we wind up staring down the barrel of a gun.”

“It may seem hopeless at the moment, Captain, but you must not relent. The Union is arrogant, and the Sarkonians prideful, but they are still human, driven by fear and self-preservation. Show them why siding with us is better for their own survival and you will find yourself an eager ally.”

“You make it sound so easy,” I said, setting my ship down inside the bay.

“If only that were the case,” said Alphonse. “Unfortunately, these defining moments rarely are.”

The RFE Bright Horizon was in much better shape than the RFE Darkstar and boasted an AI instead of a standard ship’s computer, though Sigmond had already disabled it. I’d ordered both Cognitives to work on breaking down the cloaking devices with the hope of backwards-engineering it in the near future.

Now that I could relax a little, I decided I’d try to get some rest. I hit the bed and drifted off almost immediately, and I only briefly woke again when Abigail arrived to join me.

When the alarm rang, I found we were still twenty-six hours from the slip tunnel exit. Abigail was now gone, probably getting breakfast. I stretched, loosening up my stiff muscles, and got dressed. Abby’s scent lingered on the bed, a comforting familiarity that yesterday had lacked.

A knock sounded at the door as I strapped on my boots.

“Yeah,” I said, yawning deeply.

“Mr. Hughes, I brought you something,” said Lex, her muffled but familiar voice coming through the door.

“Come in,” I said.

The door slid open and Lex walked inside. She held a steaming mug of coffee in her hands, calmly and carefully guarding the brim so as not to spill a drop.

“Is that for me?” I asked, smiling as the scent graced me.

“Siggy says you like this kind,” she said. “I wanted to bring you some.”

“Thanks, kid.” I took the cup and had a sip. It was the same blend Sigmond had given me on our way to meet the Union. Perfection.

“Well, um, there was something,” muttered Lex, her voice trailing as she spoke the words. “Just, uh . . .”

“Hold on,” I said, giving her a look. “Did you bring me this coffee because you wanted something? Is this tainted coffee?”

She squirmed at the question. “Octavia said she would teach me some self-defense moves but I had to come ask you and Abby.” She spoke so quickly that the words seemed to tumble out of her.

“Did you say self-defense?” I paused at my own question. Given recent events, maybe having her train wouldn’t be so bad. “What did Abby say?” I asked.

“I didn’t ask her yet. Please, Mr. Hughes!” Lex rarely asked for anything, so this was certainly a new behavior. Still, I understood where it came from. I was there during the fight. I’d watched those men attack her. Hell, I’d even seen her kill a man. It was no wonder she wanted to take control of her own life, to find the strength to defend herself the same way the rest of us had.

I was quiet for a long while, letting the notion hang in the air. “Okay,” I finally said. “But have Octavia talk to us before you start. I want to see what sort of training she has in mind for you.”

“Thank you, Mr. Hughes!” she whooped, then took off in a mad dash for the door. She stopped halfway there and came back, then kissed me on the cheek before zooming out of the room again.

I couldn’t help but smile. It was probably a good thing that she’d at least learn a few basics, but I wondered if Abigail would want to be involved. She was a better fighter and more experienced than Octavia. She’d even trained Freddie. Both of the women were expert combatants and had a great relationship with the girl, but I’d always thought when the time came that Abigail would probably want to do it. Maybe she still would, once she learned about all of this.

I certainly wasn’t looking forward to that conversation.

Sigmond informed me that Abigail was on the bridge, so I grabbed a sandwich and quickly ate it on the way. When I entered, I also found Lex and Octavia there talking in the corner.

“Late as always,” said Octavia, right when she saw me. “I already talked to Abigail about Lex. She’s agreed with the training for now.”

“Did she?” I asked, glancing to Abigail, who was standing alone near the helm.

Octavia nodded. “I thought there might be enough time for a quick lesson. We’ll be in one of the training rooms if you need us.”

I shrugged. “Fine with me. Just basic defense though. We don’t want her running around and testing out her new skills on her friends.” It was a joke, but I was also half-serious.

“Don’t worry,” promised Octavia. “Proper skills take time to develop. Today, we start with the basics. Isn’t that right, Lex?”

The girl nodded, a wide smile forming as her excitement grew.

I watched the pair leave, headed to the elevator down the hall. As the doors slid shut, I turned to Abigail, noticing how quiet she’d been since I walked in.

“Something on your mind?” I asked, walking over to her. “You worried about Lex?”

“What? Oh, no, it’s not that,” she said, coming out of her daze. Her eyes shifted to the floor, a hint of nostalgia in her tone. “Well, not exactly.”

“So, what is it?” I asked, leaning on one of the nearby consoles. When she didn’t answer right away, I continued. “You know, I’m surprised you didn’t try to train her yourself. I always imagined you’d be the one to do that.” I studied her face, trying to glean insight into whatever she wasn’t saying. I knew more about Abigail than anyone else on this ship, but there were moments when she would disappear into herself, lost in her own head.

She hesitated to answer. “It’s just that all of the training I have . . . I learned it as a means to kill. Lex is almost as old I was when my training started, and I don’t know if that’s something I want to pass on to her. Looking back, it’s not a life I’d wish on anyone.”

Abigail rarely talked about her past—something I could personally appreciate—but I’d seen enough by now to know she had a painful history in her, and it ran deep enough to leave a mark.

I reached out and touched her wrist. “I get it,” I said in a soft voice. “You know I do, but that knowledge has kept you alive. Hell, it’s kept all of us alive. Whatever tragedies you’ve had, they’ve made you who you are, and you turned them into something valuable. You saved Lex. You saved me.”

She shook her head. “It was different, though. To be told to kill when you’re just a child. They give you a rifle and say fire, and you do it because they’re adults and you trust them. You don’t realize what you’re becoming until you’re already there, and when it’s all over you’ve lost who you were. The worst and best parts of me came from that place, and every day I wonder about how my life would have gone if I’d never done it.” She looked into my eyes. “I never want Lex to look back on her life and wonder if things would be better if Abby had never found me?”

“She’d be dead if not for you,” I reminded her. “A dozen times over, she’d be dead.”

Pulling her in close, I wrapped my arms around her waist. “If Lex turns out like you, the world will be better for it.”

“How can you be sure?” She pulled back to look up at me with wide, damp eyes.

“The only reason I’m here, the only reason the Earth has a colony on it, the only reason any of us are free”—I gave her a kiss on the cheek—“is because you couldn’t stand by and watch a little girl suffer. That single decision changed a thousand lives. You changed the whole godsdamn galaxy.”

I spent the next hour with Abigail on the bridge going over recent events. I ran her through what had happened on the surface of the moon. She explained how she and Alphonse had made the decision to put in a call to Titan to come assist. She’d considered asking for The Galactic Dawn as well, but Earth needed the extra defense, which meant one of the two ships would need to stay behind.

A good call, as it turned out, since the Sarkonians had succeeded in getting the word out about Earth’s location.

The door to the bridge slid open and Alphonse walked in. “Captain,” he said, nodding. “Do you have a minute?”

“Sure,” I answered, leaning up from where I was standing. “Got something for us?”

He brought up designs for what I soon realized were new cloaks, tapping a finger to one of them. “As you’re aware, I’ve been working with Sigmond and Athena on how we could copy this tech and use it to detect ships similar to the two we procured.”

“Siggy told me that would take at least a month,” I said, scratching my head. “Are you telling me you figured out how to do that already?”

“I’m saying I don’t believe it will take that long, and I also think we can replicate and modify this technology for our own purposes,” he admitted. “Sigmond is using most of his processing power now to work on it, but we are making considerable progress. It seems these cloaks aren’t as different from previous models as we first believed.”

I moved closer to the screen and motioned for him to continue.

“We’ve disabled the tracking modules in both cloaking devices, and we think we can transplant one from the ship you left in orbit,” said Alphonse. “Perhaps to a ship of equal size, although Sigmond would have to create it in one of his drone factories. We’re still discussing that option.”

“I’m sensing there’s something else,” I said.

He nodded. “This has little to do with the cloak, but I’ve been going over what we know about the Celestials, contemplating how to better combat them, should we find ourselves face-to-face with another in the immediate future.”

“Oh?” I asked.

“It sounds like you have an idea,” said Abigail.

“Indeed, I have several,” he agreed. “The only problem is that they all require neutronium.”

“How is that a problem?” I asked. “We’ve got a planet full of it back home.”

“We have an excess at the center of the Earth, certainly, but I would caution against its removal. There’s no knowing what effect harvesting it would have on the terraforming process.”

He was right about that. The Celestials had buried all of that metal below the surface for a reason—something none of us could fully understand. Not even Gaia had the full story, thanks to the gaps in her memory and the corrupted files in her system.

“What are you suggesting, then?” asked Abigail.

“We make our own,” he said, cocking a half-smile. “Of course, the materials required are quite rare, found only in small deposits, much of which has already been mined by the Union.”

“Which is why they’re the only people making it,” said Abigail.

“For now,” said Alphonse. “But there’s still a large operation occurring in a system near the Sarkonian border, inside Union territory. They call it the White Cross.”

“I’ve heard of that,” I said, straightening at the sound of the term. “It’s why the Sarkonian economy went under a few decades ago. Are you telling me that system is where the Union’s been getting the materials to make neutronium?”

“Most of them, yes,” said Alphonse.

“I’ve never heard of that being the case,” said Abigail.

He nodded. “Not even the Sarkonians are aware of it,” he explained. “They had no idea these materials could be used to make something so valuable. At the time, the Union had chosen to buy the materials from them in bulk, but when the opportunity came to seize the planet—”

“They jumped on it,” I finished.

“Indeed,” he said.

“So, are you suggesting we go in and take this system?” I asked.

He shook his head. “No, not at all,” he assured me. “If you can form an alliance with the Union, we can share our findings on the Celestials in exchange for their help with obtaining the necessary materials. The Union is slow to synthesize neutronium, but we can likely expedite the process. Sigmond’s factories could be modified to do the work in a fraction of the time.”

“You’re putting a lot of faith in people who want us all dead,” I said with a scoff.

He slipped a hand in his pocket and smirked. “On the contrary, Captain,” he said with a raised eyebrow. “You’re the one I’ve put my faith in, and I do believe you’ll find a way to prove me right.”

Titan arrived near Earth, and I was relieved to see the system free of Union or Sarkonian ships.

As soon as we’d left slipspace, I’d sent word ahead to prepare for the arrival of the new colonists and the impending Union attack. There was no telling when Vick would arrive with his fleet, and I had to make certain we were prepared for them.

“I’m afraid I can give no estimates,” said Sigmond, “having no knowledge of their departure time.”

“We’ll have to assume they’ll be here soon,” said Alphonse.

Abigail, Octavia, Angus, and Freddie stood in the room, saying nothing.

I didn’t have to look at the group to know what they were all thinking. Their concerns were written all over their faces.

“Angus, make sure your people are set. Have them bring only what they can carry, and easily. I don’t want to see anyone loaded down. We can sort belongings later.” I’d invited the red-headed man to join us so there’d be less explaining later.

“They’re ready to leave at a moment’s notice,” he replied. “Most didn’t bring much in the way of belongings. We’re all set.”

I nodded. “Good man. Athena, how long before we’re in orbit?”

“Titan is now on its final approach. We will begin transporting the mining colonists within the next twenty minutes,” informed the Cognitive, standing near the wall.

“Pilots are readying their strike ships as well,” said Alphonse.

“And the drones?” I asked, glancing at Sigmond, his golden glow filling the corner of the bridge.

“Deploying as we speak, sir,” informed the Cognitive.

As we neared the planet, I ordered all non-essential personnel to leave for the surface. From there, they would move to the central core of the Earth to hide inside the underground city. They’d be safe down there, even from an orbital bombardment. I only hoped it didn’t get that far.

The landing grounds were alive with activity when we finally arrived. Hundreds of colonists scurried about as they gathered their belongings and prepared to evacuate.

Between Angus’s people, the Eternals, and everyone else we’d brought from the Deadlands, it would take some time to move them all.

I heard a few complaints about leaving one hazard for another, but they were said in passing. Everyone seemed to know the cause of our grief, and if we had to hold up inside the planet for a few days, then that was what we’d do.

As Abigail and I sorted through a list of rations, I noticed Bolin walking alone, hands in his pockets and shoulders sunk—a stark contrast to his normal demeanor. I excused myself from Abigail and the others, then jogged after him.

“Hey,” I said, catching up. “Where are you coming from?”

“I just spoke with Felix’s family,” he said, nodding in the other direction. “Rough talk.”

We sat on a crate together, letting the silence speak for us in that moment.

I’d had the same talk with other families in recent months and it never got any easier. “You always feel responsible for it, even if you weren’t there,” I told him. “Hindsight is a powerful thing. It blinds us to the truth of the moment, and we get lost in it.”

“Felix wasn’t the first I’ve lost,” he said, taking a long breath. “And by the look of what’s about to happen, I don’t think he’ll be the last.”

“Bolin, if any of this ever gets too hard—”

“Don’t,” he said, looking up at me. “I’m here because I want to be. I don’t care how rough it gets out there, I’m not leaving.”

“What about your daughter?” I asked.

“She’s exactly why I have to stay,” he answered. “I saw what that Celestial could do. I know how dangerous they are. If I didn’t stay and fight with the rest of you, I’d regret it for the rest of my life.”

I glanced up at the sky. “Well, that’s saying something.”

Bolin leaned over and gave me a pat on the shoulder. “We’ve got ourselves a mess on our hands, that’s for sure.”

I smirked. “Ain’t that always the case?”

I took a shuttle to meet Dressler, who was still inside one of the domes. She’d set up shop there some time ago, working with her team to observe and study the animal birthing processes and try to uncover the next phase in the terraforming process, which remained a mystery.

That was when I saw the debris.

Metal and dirt piled up in an open field not far from the dome.

A flash of memory swept over me in a sudden, overwhelming moment.

The Sarkonians had found Lex in this place. This was the spot I had heard so much about.

I lowered the ship to rest about two hundred meters from the dome, close enough to the field to see what remained.

I had arrived here a few minutes after the attack happened, seconds before the nova ship had taken off. In the time leading up to that, I’d been with Alphonse discussing our recent meeting with Shaw, and he’d told me how concerned he was about Vice Admiral Vick’s behavior. A valid thought in hindsight, but one we’d yet to fully realize at the time.

To think how far a man would go to get his revenge, it made me wonder how I’d ever reach him. Would we find ourselves on another barren planet, fighting in the mud as we struggled to kill each other? Would I have to dig a piece of glass into his skull before he stopped his reckless pursuit, the same way I had Brigham?

The thought of it made my stomach turn.

There had to be a way to get through to him, to make him understand the cost of his hate.

Dressler was in one of the domes, which had luckily taken minimal damage.

“Hey, Doc,” I called out, crossing the room to meet her.

“Good afternoon, Captain,” she said, not bothering to look up from the pad she was working on. “I hope this is important. I’m quite occupied at the moment.”

“I need to know the extent of the damage from the Sarkonian attack on this dome of yours, and what we’re going to do in the event that all of this”—I gestured to the dome—“gets destroyed.”

“This facility remains fully operational, not to worry. As for the research itself, I am still cataloguing our findings as they occur. Every day brings new discoveries, Captain, as new flora and fauna return to the planet. However, to your point, Gaia and I have been working diligently to record all available data while looking at other, more complex solutions.”

“Other solutions?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Yes, but it’s far from certain. There’s a small chance that we could return the domes to the ground by delivering a retraction order, but Gaia’s access is still somewhat limited.

She finally turned to me. “Is that why you came all the way out here?” she asked.

“Not exactly,” I admitted. “Truth is, I need to know if the body of the Celestial is still here.”

“Why wouldn’t it be?”

“I know you’ve been studying it,” I told her. “And I know how much you enjoy dissecting things.”

“Ah, well, I’ve only taken pieces of the whole, and hardly any that were large enough to matter,” she said. “Although, the autopsy left me with more questions than answers.”

“Save it for another time. I just need to see the body. Think you can do that for me?”

The doctor finally stopped what she was doing and sat up. “Of course, I can,” she said, swiveling around in her chair. “But why in the world are you asking?”

“I don’t want to go to the core with everyone,” said Lex, but there was no whine in her voice. It was calmer than that, almost relaxed. “I want to stay with both of you.”

“It’s too dangerous,” Abigail replied, keeping her tone even. She knelt in front of the girl and took her hands.

“I can handle myself now,” said Lex, darting her eyes between us. “Can’t I, Mr. Hughes?”

“Yeah, you can,” I said, giving her a knowing smile. “But Abby’s right. We can’t have you up there or we’ll be too worried about you. Besides, I need someone I can trust down there, same as I did before. Those new arrivals still need you.”

“But—”

“Go get your pack,” interjected Abigail.

Lex frowned at the words but stopped arguing. She slowly left to gather her things, defeat on her face.

“Poor kid,” I said. “Probably doesn’t wanna be alone.”

“No, she’s just worried about us,” said Abigail, lowering her voice. “Watching you almost die in front of her was terrifying.”

“What? She seemed to handle it well.” I thought back to when I’d woken up on that ship.

A series of images flashed through my mind. Lex trying to wake; seeing her standing with a gun in her small hands; Lex watching as I passed out from the pain of my wound. That kind of stress had to have taken a heavy toll on her, to watch someone she was close to nearly die in front of her. I’d been a fool not to see it.

“She’s trying her best to be strong,” said Abigail.

“I get it, but she’ll be fine,” I assured her. “Lex has been through more than any kid her age. She can handle this.”

Lex came out of her room, carrying a small pack. “I’m ready,” she announced, no hint of fear or sadness.

I leapt up from my seat. “We’d best get going, then,” I said, glancing at Abigail. “The day’s wastin’.”

We met Hitchens at the evacuation site so he could take Lex to the core. By the time we arrived, nearly all of the colonists had already departed. Only a few remained, along with the last shuttle that would ferry them.

“See you soon, kiddo,” I said. “By the way, I stuck something inside your pack. Check the front pocket.”

She reached down and opened it, then pulled out a small figurine. “Foxy!” exclaimed the girl. “What is she doing here?”

“She can’t stay up here alone. She needs looking after. Think you can handle it?” I asked.

She nodded, emphatically. “’Course!”

“Thanks,” I said, grinning at her. “I knew I could count on you.”

She threw her small arms around my neck. Abigail joined us then, and Lex hugged her too.

“Hitchens,” I said, motioning to the doctor. “Let me know the second you make it down there.”

“Of course, Captain,” he said. “You can count on us. Isn’t that right, Lex?”

“Definitely,” she said.

I watched them load into the shuttle and wait for the hatch to close. As soon as the ship departed, a voice came over my comm.

“Sir,” said Sigmond.

There was an uneasy tone to his voice, and I knew exactly what he was going to say. The anticipation had been building up over the last few hours and it came to a head at Sigmond’s hail.

Abigail felt me stiffen next to her, and she laid a hand on my forearm.

“Go ahead, Siggy,” I said, locking eyes with her.

“A tear has begun to open, sir. I believe the time has come.”

“Get everyone on this channel, Siggy,” I ordered as Abigail and I rode inside a strike ship.

“Done, sir,” he said a few seconds later. “Speak when ready.”

“What’s going on?” asked Octavia.

“Whatever you’re doing, we’re out of time,” I said as our vessel lifted off the ground. “The Union is coming out of slipspace as we speak. I need everyone in a ship, ready to fight.”

“All pilots are at their stations,” informed Alphonse. “We’ll begin deployment operations now.”

“Good. Siggy, are the drones ready?” I asked.

“The defense network is operational and on standby, sir. Shall I have them surround the slip tunnel?” asked Sigmond.

“Not yet. Position them around Earth and any other strategic points in the system, but don’t engage.”

“Sounds like you have a plan,” said Bolin.

“It’s not much of one,” I said as our ship entered the stratosphere. “But I’d rather take a chance if we can prevent another war.”

“We trust you, Captain,” said Freddie.

“Gods know I don’t understand why, but I guess I’ll take it,” I said, glancing at Abigail. “Did you pack everything?”

“You know I did,” she said.

“Good,” I said, turning my eyes to the stars as the blue sky transitioned into night. “Let’s see how far Vick is willing to take this.”

An image of the dead Celestial covered the screen. “It’s for Vice Admiral Vick,” I explained to everyone present on the bridge of The Galactic Dawn.

“Didn’t we already try that?” asked Freddie. “Vick wasn’t very impressed last time.”

“No, he wasn’t,” I agreed. “That’s why I asked the doc here to put this together.”

“This is much more detailed than the last batch of images,” noted Abigail, studying the data. “There are at least fifty images of the Celestial’s ship, too.”

“We’ve also included a recording of the attack on one of the birthing domes,” confirmed Dressler, nodding at Abigail in approval.

“Why didn’t we show them this before?” asked Freddie.

“Giving the enemy a firsthand look into your operations felt like the wrong move at the time,” I said. “Alphonse and I agreed that showing them as little as possible would be the better approach, but given our situation I decided to go the full kilo.”

“Does Sigmond’s footage actually show the Celestial?” asked Freddie.

“Indeed, Mr. Tabernacle,” said Sigmond, his voice sounding from all around us. At that moment, the recording played on the holo, showing the invisible Celestial leaping through the field and leaving marks in the ground. Behind it, the decimated dome remained. This was the same recording we’d used to track it, not long ago.

Dressler swiped her hand, changing the screen to a detailed report from the autopsy, complete with notes and theories. “I’ve included some of my research, but not everything. What they’ll see will be enough to cause alarm.”

“So, are we giving them all of that now?” asked Petra.

“Not all. I removed any data that I thought could be used against us,” explained the doctor.

Octavia crossed her arms. “I agree that this is substantially more than we showed them before, but it’s still nothing more than pictures and reports.”

“This isn’t everything,” I replied, shifting my gaze back to Dressler. “For the rest, I’ll be delivering it myself.”

“In person?” asked Freddie.

I nodded. “If he doesn’t try to kill us before I get the chance.”

“Sir, please pardon the interruption,” announced Sigmond. “The Union ships will be arriving shortly.”

A cluster of dots appeared on a map of the system, finally arriving out of the tunnel. They began moving toward our location near Earth’s orbit. “Titan is at the ready, Captain, should you require it,” said Athena, her face popping up in the corner of the map.

“Looks like we’re out of time, folks,” I said, looking at everyone. “Get to your ships and be ready to fight. Target the lead ship with every available gun we have. That goes for both The Galactic Dawn and Titan, too. If I can’t stop Vick, we’ll have ourselves a war, and I don’t intend to lose it.”

“All available drones are deployed and ready, sir,” declared Sigmond.

Petra, Freddie, and Bolin left the bridge to board their individual strike ships while Abigail remained behind. She would helm The Galactic Dawn throughout the encounter, since I would be busy elsewhere. Our people had scattered, each to their own task, and each knowing the full weight of what we had to accomplish here. If I couldn’t convince Vick to join us, then we’d have to go to war over the future of Earth—perhaps even the galaxy itself.

Abigail and I watched as the Union armada arrived, pouring out of the black emptiness of space in a swarm. Their numbers were easily three times that of Brigham’s fleet, nearly matching our own. If a fight broke out, it would decimate both sides. Of this, I had no doubt.

I didn’t care to admit that the sight was sobering. Seven cruisers and countless support ships had been brought together to make an extraordinary display of force.

As the fleet approached, smaller ships flowed out of the cruisers, taking up rank in columns, forming a barrier between us and them.

It was clear that even with the combined power of Titan, the defense network, and The Galactic Dawn, we wouldn’t have an easy time of it should the fight escalate.

“Gods,” whispered Abby.

“You can say that again,” I agreed.

“That must be every available warship in the Union,” she said.

“By my records, that is inaccurate,” informed Sigmond. “While this is a sizable force, it is but two fleets. One belonging to Vice Admiral Vick, the other to Admiral Shaw.”

“Shaw is here?” I asked, confused since he was supposedly forced out by his leadership.

“It is more likely that Vice Admiral Vick has taken control of Admiral Shaw’s fleet,” said Sigmond.

I thought about Shaw and how my attempt at a truce had lost him his entire career. He’d taken a gamble that we were telling the truth about the Celestial . . . and gods only knew what would become of him now.

I swallowed hard. There was no time to think about that. My only concern right now was the fight in front of me and, with any luck, stopping that fight before it got going.

As the ships drew closer, their speed slowed, and they came to a final halt several thousand kilometers from the Dawn. We were now within firing range of one another, and the tension in the room was palpable.

The bridge fell into rigid silence, everyone waiting for something to happen.

“Incoming transmission,” announced Sigmond. “Vice Admiral Vick wishes to speak with you.”

I took a long and deep breath, looking once to Abigail. She returned it but said nothing. The next few hours would determine the fate of the galaxy at large, and it all came down to the man at the head of that armada. “Alright then,” I said, turning my eyes forward. “Let’s hear what he has to say.”

Epilogue

I entered through the airlock and stepped onto the UFS Valiant Horizon. Twelve Union marines waited to greet me, their weapons already raised. Each of them wore a set of armor, indicating special forces.

“What’s in the bag?” one of them asked.

“Like I told your boss, I’ve brought something to show him,” I said.

“We’ll have to see it. Open the sack and—”

I peeled back the bag and shoved it toward him, letting him have a look inside.

The man leaned forward while eleven rifles remained pointed on me at all times. The soldier in charge narrowed his eyes, contorting his face to show mild disgust, and then pulled away. “What is that?” he muttered, not bothering to look at me.

“An act of good faith,” I said.

The soldiers escorted me to the meeting room, then filed in and surrounded the table, their weapons trained. Vick was already there, and he gestured to the seat opposite him.

I strolled into the room, ignoring them completely. I was wearing a fully powered shield, but I wasn’t sure how many shots it could take, especially at such close range. If this didn’t work, I’d find myself in quite the bind.

I moved the table and took a seat, the bag sitting beside me. “Glad you agreed to see me, Vick,” I said.

“You mentioned you wanted to discuss terms,” he said, never one for small talk. “I expect your full surrender within the hour. If this occurs, I will pardon the refugees from our mining colony and offer citizenship to all those who have fled the Deadlands. However, you and your immediate command will be subject to scrutiny under the law.”

“What? Am I not enough for you, Vick?” I asked, cocking a brow. “You gotta go after the whole lot?”

“You’ve harbored murderers and traitors, including the Constable defector and the assassin responsible for the death of a Union senator. These crimes cannot be forgiven, nor can—”

I raised my hand. “I get it. You hate everyone.”

“My feelings have nothing to do with the law,” he snapped.

“Maybe,” I said, tilting my head as I stared at him. “But you’ve thrown away a potential partnership against a growing threat in favor of a war. You’ve ignored the evidence, even gone against your buddy Shaw.”

“Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. Admiral Shaw failed to see your motives. His personal history with Alphonse Malloy blinded him to the truth.”

“Personal history?” I repeated, tapping my chin. “That’s funny, coming from you.”

He clenched his jaw, straightening in his chair. “Is this why you’ve come here? To insult me?” he snapped. “Do you accept my terms or not?”

I heard a few of the soldiers behind me move, shifting their weight.

“I didn’t come here to surrender,” I said.

His eyes narrowed.

“I’m here because I need you to see the cost of your vendetta,” I told him, slowly standing. As I did, every weapon in the room raised simultaneously to match me.

I lifted the bag, turning it upside down and letting the contents spill out onto the table. The head of the dead Celestial weighed a good bit and landed with a hard thump before rolling toward Vick, stopping with its lifeless eyes staring at him.

He shoved his chair back, stepping away from the severed head and raising his arms over his mouth. “The smell! What in the gods’ names have you brought?”

“Proof,” I said, leaning forward on the table, letting my knuckles crack as they pressed into the wood. “The face of the only enemy that matters.”

Several of the guards leaned closer to see the head despite themselves.

“This was just one from an entire race. A whole species. How many of your soldiers would it take to bring this thing down? How many personnel are in the entire Union military? Millions more are coming, and their only goal is the extermination of the entire human race, down to every last man, woman, and child,” I said, staring at him without allowing myself to blink. “And they will not stop at Earth’s doorstep. They won’t care about borders or loyalties. All of us will fall, one at a time, until they are all that’s left. A galaxy of them.”

Vick’s eyes lingered on the Celestial, his mouth open and his feet unsteady.

“Ask yourself, Vice Admiral,” I said, calling him to lock eyes with me. “Are you willing to sacrifice your species to kill me?” I paused, glancing down at the Celestial between us. “Or should we sit and have ourselves a talk?”

Jace, Abigail, and Lex will return in Renegade Empire, coming in March 2019.

Read on for a special note from the author.

Author Notes

Hey there! I hope you’re enjoying The Renegade Star series so far. It’s a completely different kind of story than what I’m used to writing, but it’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while. I grew up watching a lot of space westerns as a kid (Cowboy Bebop, Trigun, etc.), so I’ve always had a deep love for that kind of story.

The great thing about scifi is that you can explore new ideas and unique settings, while still having characters that feel relatable. I’ll be doing plenty of that in this series, as our heroes traverse the unknown regions of the galaxy in search of Earth and all its many secrets. Of course, we’ll also learn about Lex and her mysterious origins, but hey, all in good time.

With my last series, The Variant Saga, it took me several months to write each entry (the second book took nearly 10 months!). That was a bit too slow for my tastes, so this time I’ll be aiming for a book every 4-6 weeks. It’s going to be a personal challenge for me, but with your help, I’m sure I can do it. I’m having such a blast with this story and I plan to keep it that way.

If you want to know when I’m releasing the next book, please sign up for updates by going ^here. I’ll give you a free book as a bonus and I’ll only send you emails when I release a new book.

Until next time, keep sailing, Renegades,

J.N. Chaney

PS. Amazon won’t tell you when the next Renegade book will come out, but there are several ways you can stay informed.

1) Fly on over to the Facebook group, ^{JN Chaney’s Renegade Readers}, and say hello. It’s a great place to hang with other sarcastic sci-fi readers who don’t mind a good laugh.

2) Follow me directly on Amazon. To do this, head to the ^{store page} for this book (or my Amazon author profile) and click the Follow button beneath my picture. That will prompt Amazon to notify you when I release a new book. You’ll just need to check your emails.

3) You can join my mailing list by clicking ^here. This will allow me to stay in touch with you directly, and you’ll also receive a free copy of The Amber Project.

Doing one of these or all three (for best results) will ensure you know every time a new entry in The Renegade Star series is published. Please take a moment to do one of these so you’ll be able to join Jace, Abigail, and Lex on their next galaxy-spanning adventure.

Preview: The Amber Project

Documents of Historical, Scientific, and Cultural Significance

Play Audio Transmission File 021

Recorded April 19, 2157

CARTWRIGHT: This is Lieutenant Colonel Felix Cartwright. It’s been a week since my last transmission and two months since the day we found the city…the day the world fell apart. If anyone can hear this, please respond.

If you’re out there, no doubt you know about the gas. You might think you’re all that’s left. But if you’re receiving this, let me assure you, you are not alone. There are people here. Hundreds, in fact, and for now, we’re safe. If you can make it here, you will be, too.

The city’s a few miles underground, not far from El Rico Air Force Base. That’s where my people came from. As always, the coordinates are attached. If anyone gets this, please respond. Let us know you’re there…that you’re still alive.

End Audio File

April 14, 2339

Maternity District

MILES BELOW THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH, deep within the walls of the last human city, a little boy named Terry played quietly with his sister in a small two-bedroom apartment.

Today was his very first birthday. He was turning seven.

“What’s a birthday?” his sister Janice asked, tugging at his shirt. She was only four years old and had recently taken to following her big brother everywhere he went. “What does it mean?”

Terry smiled, eager to explain. “Mom says when you turn seven, you get a birthday. It means you grow up and get to start school. It’s a pretty big deal.”

“When will I get a birthday?”

“You’re only four, so you have to wait.”

“I wish I was seven,” she said softly, her thin black hair hanging over her eyes. “I want to go with you.”

He got to his feet and began putting the toy blocks away. They had built a castle together on the floor, but Mother would yell if they left a mess. “I’ll tell you all about it when I get home. I promise, okay?”

“Okay!” she said cheerily and proceeded to help.

Right at that moment, the speaker next to the door let out a soft chime, followed by their mother’s voice. “Downstairs, children,” she said. “Hurry up now.”

Terry took his sister’s hand. “Come on, Jan,” he said.

She frowned, squeezing his fingers. “Okay.”

They arrived downstairs, their mother nowhere to be found.

“She’s in the kitchen,” Janice said, pointing at the farthest wall. “See the light-box?”

Terry looked at the locator board, although his sister’s name for it worked just as well. It was a map of the entire apartment, with small lights going on and off in different colors, depending on which person was in which room. There’s us, he thought, green for me and blue for Janice, and there’s Mother in red. Terry never understood why they needed something like that because of how small the apartment was, but every family got one, or so Mother had said.

As he entered the kitchen, his mother stood at the far counter sorting through some data on her pad. “What’s that?” he asked.

“Something for work,” she said. She tapped the front of the pad and placed it in her bag. “Come on, Terrance, we’ve got to get you ready and out the door. Today’s your first day, after all, and we have to make a good impression.”

“When will he be back?” asked Janice.

“Hurry up. Let’s go, Terrance,” she said, ignoring the question. She grabbed his hand and pulled him along. “We have about twenty minutes to get all the way to the education district. Hardly enough time at all.” Her voice was sour. He had noticed it more and more lately, as the weeks went on, ever since a few months ago when that man from the school came to visit. His name was Mr. Huxley, one of the few men who Terry ever had the chance to talk to, and from the way Mother acted—she was so agitated—he must have been important.

“Terrance.” His mother’s voice pulled him back. “Stop moping and let’s go.”

Janice ran and hugged him, wrapping her little arms as far around him as she could. “Love you,” she said.

“Love you too.”

“Bye,” she said shyly.

He kissed her forehead and walked to the door, where his mother stood talking with the babysitter, Ms. Cartwright. “I’ll only be a few hours,” Mother said. “If it takes any longer, I’ll message you.”

“Don’t worry about a thing, Mara,” Ms. Cartwright assured her. “You take all the time you need.”

Mother turned to him. “There you are,” she said, taking his hand. “Come on, or we’ll be late.”

As they left the apartment, Mother’s hand tugging him along, Terry tried to imagine what might happen at school today. Would it be like his home lessons? Would he be behind the other children, or was everything new? He enjoyed learning, but there was still a chance the school might be too hard for him. What would he do? Mother had taught him some things, like algebra and English, but who knew how far along the other kids were by now?

Terry walked quietly down the overcrowded corridors with an empty, troubled head. He hated this part of the district. So many people on the move, brushing against him, like clothes in an overstuffed closet.

He raised his head, nearly running into a woman and her baby. She had wrapped the child in a green and brown cloth, securing it against her chest. “Excuse me,” he said, but the lady ignored him.

His mother paused and looked around. “Terrance, what are you doing? I’m over here,” she said, spotting him.

“Sorry.”

They waited together for the train, which was running a few minutes behind today.

“I wish they’d hurry up,” said a nearby lady. She was young, about fifteen years old. “Do you think it’s because of the outbreak?”

“Of course,” said a much older woman. “Some of the trains are busy carrying contractors to the slums to patch the walls. It slows the others down because now they have to make more stops.”

“I heard fourteen workers died. Is it true?”

“You know how the gas is,” she said. “It’s very quick. Thank God for the quarantine barriers.”

Suddenly, there was a loud smashing sound, followed by three long beeps. It echoed through the platform for a moment, vibrating along the walls until it was gone. Terry flinched, squeezing his mother’s hand.

“Ouch,” she said. “Terrance, relax.”

“But the sound,” he said.

“It’s the contractors over there.” She pointed to the other side of the tracks, far away from them. It took a moment for Terry to spot them, but once he did, it felt obvious. Four of them stood together. Their clothes were orange, with no clear distinction between their shirts and their pants, and on each of their heads was a solid red plastic hat. Three of them were holding tools, huddled against a distant wall. They were reaching inside of it, exchanging tools every once in a while, until eventually the fourth one called them to back away. As they made some room, steam rose from the hole, with a puddle of dark liquid forming at the base. The fourth contractor handled a machine several feet from the others, which had three legs and rose to his chest. He waved the other four to stand near him and pressed the pad on the machine. Together, the contractors watched as the device flashed a series of small bright lights. It only lasted a few seconds. Once it was over, they gathered close to the wall again and resumed their work.

“What are they doing?” Terry asked.

His mother looked down at him. “What? Oh, they’re fixing the wall, that’s all.”

“Why?” he asked.

“Probably because there was a shift last night. Remember when the ground shook?”

Yeah, I remember, he thought. It woke me up. “So they’re fixing it?”

“Yes, right.” She sighed and looked around. “Where is that damned train?”

Terry tugged on her hand. “That lady over there said it’s late because of the gas.”

His mother looked at him. “What did you say?”

“The lady…the one right there.” He pointed to the younger girl a few feet away. “She said the gas came, so that’s why the trains are slow. It’s because of the slums.” He paused a minute. “No, wait. It’s because they’re going to the slums.”

His mother stared at the girl, turning back to the tracks and saying nothing.

“Mother?” he said.

“Be quiet for a moment, Terrance.”

Terry wanted to ask her what was wrong, or if he had done anything to upset her, but he knew when to stay silent. So he left it alone like she wanted. Just like a good little boy.

The sound of the arriving train filled the platform with such horrific noise that it made Terry’s ears hurt. The train, still vibrating as he stepped onboard, felt like it was alive.

After a short moment, the doors closed. The train was moving.

Terry didn’t know if the shaking was normal or not. Mother had taken him up to the medical wards on this train once when he was younger, but never again after that. He didn’t remember much about it, except that he liked it. The medical wards were pretty close to where he lived, a few stops before the labs, and several stops before the education district. After that, the train ran through Pepper Plaza, then the food farms and Housing Districts 04 through 07 and finally the outer ring factories and the farms. As Terry stared at the route map on the side of the train wall, memorizing what he could of it, he tried to imagine all the places he could go and the things he might see. What kind of shops did the shopping plaza have, for example, and what was it like to work on the farms? Maybe one day he could go and find out for himself—ride the train all day to see everything there was to see. Boy, wouldn’t that be something?

“Departure call: 22-10, education district,” erupted the com in its monotone voice. It took only a moment before the train began to slow.

“That’s us. Come on,” said Mother. She grasped his hand, pulling him through the doors before they were fully opened.

Almost to the school, Terry thought. He felt warm suddenly. Was he getting nervous? And why now? He’d known about this forever, and it was only hitting him now?

He kept taking shorter breaths. He wanted to pull away and return home, but Mother’s grasp was tight and firm, and the closer they got to the only major building in the area, the tighter and firmer it became.

Now that he was there, now that the time had finally come, a dozen questions ran through Terry’s mind. Would the other kids like him? What if he wasn’t as smart as everyone else? Would they make fun of him? He had no idea what to expect.

Terry swallowed, the lump in his throat nearly choking him.

An older man stood at the gate of the school’s entrance. He dressed in an outfit that didn’t resemble any of the clothes in Terry’s district or even on the trains. A gray uniform—the color of the pavement, the walls, and the streets—matched his silver hair to the point where it was difficult to tell where one ended and the other began. “Ah,” he said. “Mara, I see you’ve brought another student. I was wondering when we’d meet the next one. Glad to see you’re still producing. It’s been, what? Five or six years? Something like that, I think.”

“Yes, thank you, this is Terrance,” said Mother quickly. “I was told there would be an escort.” She paused, glancing over the man and through the windows. “Where’s Bishop? He assured me he’d be here for this.”

“The colonel,” he corrected, “is in his office, and the boy is to be taken directly to him as soon as I have registered his arrival.”

She let out a frustrated sigh. “He was supposed to meet me at the gate for this himself. I wanted to talk to him about a few things.”

“What’s wrong?” Terry asked.

She looked down at him. “Oh, it’s nothing, don’t worry. You have to go inside now, that’s all.”

“You’re not coming in?”

“I’m afraid not,” said the man. “She’s not permitted.”

“It’s all right,” Mother said, cupping her hand over his cheek. “They’ll take care of you in there.”

But it’s just school, Terry thought. “I’ll see you tonight, though, right?”

She bent down and embraced him tightly, more than she had in a long time. He couldn’t help but relax. “I’m sorry, Terrance. Please be careful up there. I know you don’t understand it now, but you will eventually. Everything will be fine.” She rose, releasing his hand for the first time since they left the train. “So that’s it?” Mother said to the man.

“Yes, ma’am.”

“Good.” She turned and walked away, pausing a moment as she reached the corner and continued until she was out of sight.

The man pulled out a board with a piece of paper on it. “When you go through here, head straight to the back of the hall. A guard there will take you to see Colonel Bishop. Just do what they say and answer everything with either ‘Yes, sir’ or ‘No, sir,’ and you’ll be fine. Understand?”

Terry didn’t understand, but he nodded anyway.

The man pushed open the door with his arm and leg, holding it there and waiting. “Right through here you go,” he said.

Terry entered, reluctantly, and the door closed quickly behind him.

The building, full of the same metal and shades of brown and gray that held together the rest of the city, rose higher than any other building Terry had ever been in. Around the room, perched walkways circled the walls, cluttered with doors and hallways that branched off into unknown regions. Along the walkways, dozens of people walked back and forth as busily as they had in the train station. More importantly, Terry quickly realized, most of them were men.

For so long, the only men he had seen were the maintenance workers who came and went or the occasional teacher who visited the children when they were nearing their birthdays. It was so rare to see any men at all, especially in such great numbers. Maybe they’re all teachers, he thought. They weren’t dressed like the workers: white coats and some with brown jackets—thick jackets with laced boots and bodies as stiff as the walls. Maybe that was what teachers wore. How could he know? He had never met one besides Mr. Huxley, and that was months ago.

“Well, don’t just stand there gawking,” said a voice from the other end of the room. It was another man, dressed the same as the others. “Go on in through here.” He pointed to another door, smaller than the one Terry had entered from. “Everyone today gets to meet the colonel. Go on now. Hurry up. You don’t want to keep him waiting.”

Terry did as the man said and stepped through the doorway, his footsteps clanking against the hard metal floor, echoing through what sounded like the entire building.

“Well, come in, why don’t you?” came a voice from inside.

Terry stepped cautiously into the room, which was much nicer than the entranceway. It was clean, at least compared to some of the other places Terry had been, including his own home. The walls held several shelves, none of which lacked for any company of things. Various ornaments caught Terry’s eye, like the little see-through globe on the shelf nearest to the door, which held a picture of a woman’s face inside, although some of it was faded and hard to make out. There was also a crack in it. What purpose could such a thing have? Terry couldn’t begin to guess. Next to it lay a frame with a small, round piece of metal inside of it. An inscription below the glass read, “U.S. Silver Dollar, circa 2064.” Terry could easily read the words, but he didn’t understand them. What was this thing? And why was it so important that it needed to be placed on a shelf for everyone to look at?

“I said come in,” said Bishop abruptly. He sat at the far end of the room behind a large brown desk. Terry had forgotten he was even there. “I didn’t mean for you to stop at the door. Come over here.”

Terry hurried closer, stopping a few feet in front of the desk.

“I’m Colonel Bishop. You must be Terrance,” said the man. “I’ve been wondering when you were going to show up.” He wore a pair of thin glasses and had one of the larger pads in his hand. “Already seven. Imagine that.”

“Yes, sir,” Terry said, remembering the doorman’s words.

The colonel was a stout man, a little wider than the others. He was older too, Terry guessed. He may have been tall, but it was difficult to tell without seeing his whole body. “I expect you’re hoping to begin your classes now,” said Bishop.

“Yes, sir,” he said.

“You say that, but you don’t really know what you’re saying yes to, do you?”

The question seemed more like a statement, so Terry didn’t answer. He only stood there. Who was this man? Was this how school was supposed to be?

“Terrance, let me ask you something,” said the colonel, taking a moment. “Did your mother tell you anything about this program you’re going into?”

Terry thought about the question for a moment. “Um, she said you come to school on your birthday,” he said. “And that it’s just like it is at home, except there’s more kids like me.”

Colonel Bishop blinked. “That’s right, I suppose. What else did she say?”

“That when it was over, I get to go back home,” he said.

“And when did she say that was?”

Terry didn’t answer.

Colonel Bishop cocked an eyebrow. “Well? Didn’t she say?”

“No, sir,” muttered Terry.

The man behind the desk started chuckling. “So you don’t know how long you’re here for?”

“No, sir.”

Colonel Bishop set the pad in his hand down. “Son, you’re here for the next ten years.”

A sudden rush swelled up in Terry’s chest and face. What was Bishop talking about? Of course Terry was going home. He couldn’t stay here. “But I promised my sister I’d be home today,” he said. “I have to go back.”

“Too bad,” said the colonel. “Your mother really did you a disservice by not telling you. But don’t worry. We just have to get you started.” He tapped the pad on his desk, and the door opened. A cluster of footsteps filled the hall before two large men appeared, each wearing the same brown coats as the rest. “Well, that was fast,” he said.

One of the men saluted. “Yes, sir. No crying with the last one. Took her right to her room without incident.”

Terry wanted to ask who the last one was, and why it should be a good thing that she didn’t cry. Did other kids cry when they came to this school? What kind of place was this?

“Well, hopefully, Terrence here will do the same,” said Bishop. He looked at Terry. “Right? You’re not going to give us any trouble, are you?”

Terry didn’t know what to do or what to say. All he could think about was getting far away from here. He didn’t want to go with the men. He didn’t want to behave. All he wanted to do was go home.

But he couldn’t, not anymore. He was here in this place with nowhere to go. No way out. He wanted to scream, to yell at the man behind the desk and his two friends, and tell them about how stupid it was for them to do what they were doing.

He opened his mouth to explain, to scream as loud as he could that he wouldn’t go. But in that moment, the memory of the doorman came back to him, and instead of yelling, he repeated the words he’d been told before. “No, sir,” he said softly.

Bishop smiled, nodding at the two men in the doorway. “Exactly what I like to hear.”

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