Page 2

There’s always time for that though, I guess. I pick up the small cup with my medication and supplements and knock the pills back, swallowing them with several large gulps of water. A transport leaves from the docking station heading down to the surface, and I smile to myself thinking about Torre going down there for a night of raucous fun.

She deserves it. We’ve been on the station for the same amount of time, although she was about ten years older than me when her parents sent her for schooling and discipline. Little did they know that she’d grow to love it so much she’d release her citizenship to her home planet in lieu of becoming an Oculoun Order guard.

After eating and cleaning my dishes, I sit down in front of the entertainment screen in my living room. Scrolling through an endless library of media from Earth, I finally settle on a nature documentary. Being in a star system so far from Earth means I’ll likely never see the planet of my origin with my own eyes. This is the best I can do.

I lose myself to hours of footage about the planet’s vast oceans and the centuries it took to right all the wrongs humanity wrought on the ecosystem. Sometimes I wish Calindrea had an ocean. What would it be like to walk along a sandy shore? Would the sound of waves crashing on rocks lull me to sleep at night? Perhaps someday I’ll find the answers, just not any time soon.

I watch until I can barely keep my eyes open and then turn off all the lights and walk into my bedroom. Once I’ve brushed my teeth and put my hair in a loose plait, I roll out my meditation mat with the intention of taking ten minutes for some quiet reflection. But as I sit, I find it difficult to silence my brain. Whispered thoughts echo in the back of my mind.

The older I get the more common this occurrence has become. It’s unsettling when it happens because I don’t know what the thoughts are, it’s like a scratch inside my skull that I can never itch. With a deep sigh, I push to my feet and set my mat aside for the morning. Maybe I just need a good night of sleep.

* * *

The sound of glass shattering jolts me from my sleep. I blink bleary, sleep-ridden eyes as I try to see what’s going on. Three huge figures move quickly through my room, two coming toward me, and one rifling through my belongings.

“Take whatever you want,” I cry out, voice wobbling. “There’s not much, but I won’t stop you.”

The one closest to me lunges, and while I try to roll out of their grasp, I’m nowhere near fast enough. They move with incredible speed and stealth. I can’t see a single glimpse of their flesh or features. Every inch of them is covered in black clothing and large helmets.

I open my mouth to scream, but one of them slams their hand over my mouth. It’s a huge hand. I try to bite it, but the glove is too thick. So I begin to thrash underneath the intruder as they lift me into their arms.

My instinct to fight only becomes stronger as I see where he’s carrying me. Toward the window that’s broken. There’s no screaming wind or suction out into space, though, and that’s when I see it. A small transport ship sits attached to my apartment.

They’re taking me away.

My thrashing becomes even more intense as I fight for my life. My elbow smacks into the helmet of whoever is carrying me. They nearly drop me when I land a kick to their thigh.

I feel a hard pressure on my neck just below my ear, and everything goes black.

CHAPTER2

RAIZ

* * *

The human female in my arms made an impressive effort to free herself. The fact that I had to use my gift to subdue her says a lot about her will. Especially when she is so slight, barely larger than a child.

The front door to her quarters opens just as I begin running through the tunnel back to our transport. My second, Altis, stays behind firing stun rounds as I run with the human and our pilot on my heels. Vynia runs to the cockpit and begins engaging the engines and pulling our docking tunnel back into the transport.

A cushioned bench will have to do for the human for now. After making sure she won’t fall onto the floor, I run back to help provide cover while Altis makes his run and Vynia starts the transport.

Two of the guards appear at the broken window and watch as we fly away. Both of them half-dressed, as if they just heard the alarm and ran from their beds. I wish the high priestess had simply agreed to allow us to bring Neev Kaesong to Zeahiri just long enough to translate one of our ancient texts.

But no.

They refused.

The only way they would have allowed it is if we brought the text to them. Even more insulting is the fact that the text wouldn’t have been given back to us. It would have been added to their own vast library.

I can barely restrain my snarl at the thought even as we speed away from Oculus Nine and to my ship hiding behind one of the Calindrean moons. The Order purports to hold the knowledge of the galaxies they’re stationed within, but it’s hard to trust such a secretive group. Especially one that hoards knowledge like a dragon does riches.

Seeing how quickly the guards came for her, I know any minute now we’ll have one of their cruisers tailing us. Once we get to the ship, it won’t be a problem, we can make a jump before they’ll be able to track us. But in this transport? We’re sitting ducks.

Having the girl on board with us should mean they won’t fire at us. I’m not worried once we reach my ship, a first class Zeahirian warship is not an easy mark. As soon as we take off, I walk back up to the front of the transport and stand behind Vynia.

“Two cruisers just exited Oculus Nine heading right for us.” She flips a few switches while I grab one of the bars and brace my body for evasive maneuvers. “Is the human secured?”

“Yes. Strapped to the bench. Do whatever you need to lose them.”