by M J Dees
*
Tori sat in the weapons chair, staring out the observation window. He was fiddling with a small piece of metal, it was the lump of shrapnel they had dug out of him after the accident at Trinculo. He placed it on the control panel and sighed.
It had been a long night, and it was time for Ay-ttho to relieve him. He thought Ay-ttho's obsession with security was unnecessary. Ron had looked after the Mastery of the Stars while they had been trying to turn around the rocket, so why the paranoia?
The Ocrex had spooked Ay-ttho. That could be the only explanation. There was nothing to fear from them, the cannons on the Mastery of the Stars could easily keep them at bay.
“Who’s there?” said Ay-ttho, entering the bridge.
“Identify yourself,” said Tori, seeing a purple figure approaching.
“Identify yourself.”
“Ay-ttho?”
“The same.”
“You are very prompt,” Tori checked the instruments on the control panel. “It’s exactly time for your watch.”
“Get some rest, Tori,” Ay-ttho slumped into the pilot’s chair, her antennae flopping over the side of her face
“Great, I’m fed up of this stupid watch business,” Tori grimaced with all three sets of his teeth.
“Nothing happened then?”
“Nothing.”
“Get some rest then. If you see Sevan, tell him to hurry up.”
“I can hear him now.”
Sevan sauntered onto the bridge.
“Morning Ron,” said Sevan, still half asleep.
“Good morning Sevan,” said Ron, the ship’s navigational computer.
“You’re not going to say good morning to us then?” asked Tori.
“Good morning Tori and Ay-ttho,” said Ron.
“Not you, Ron. Sevan.”
Sevan squinted at Tori.
“Is it just me who feels like this has happened before,” he asked.
“Oh, I’m off to bed.” Tori stomped off the bridge.
“Sleep well,” said Ron cheerily.
Sevan slumped in the weapons chair that Tori had only recently vacated and stared out of the observation window at the towering buildings which seemed to cover every available space on Future, the planet which served as capital for the Republic.
“Don’t let Tori see you there,” Ay-ttho warned.
“He doesn’t frighten me,” Sevan retorted.
Tori stomped back onto the bridge and Sevan leapt out of the chair. Tori marched towards him but stopped short, retrieving a small object from the control panel which he pocketed before turning about face and stomping off again. He stopped at the entrance to the bridge and turned.
“Yes, this feels familiar,” he said.
Sevan breathed a sigh before going to sit in another chair.
“What’s up with him?” asked Sevan, gesturing in the direction Tori had just left.
“I think he’s upset because he took the first watch.”
“I don’t blame him. I’m not entirely sure why you are so worried, Ay-ttho.”
“I don’t trust the ocrex,” Ay-ttho looked like she was fed up of explaining herself. “I don’t want to spend any longer on this planet than we absolutely have to. Once we have finished the repairs, we can leave.”
Sevan liked the sound of this. He was very keen to get back to his home, The Doomed Planet, and visit his aunt. Now that the jump point would have a Republic patrol guarding it, it might be more difficult to get through and so he was keen to get started as soon as possible.
*
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Swordsmen of Angetenar
Book Five in the Mastery of the Stars series
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR
M J Dees is the author of five novels ranging from psychological thrillers, to dystopia, to historical to humorous fiction, as well as the Mastery of the Stars sci-fi novella series. He makes his online home at www.mjdees.com.You can connect with M J on Twitter at @mjdeeswriter, on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mjdeeswriter and send him an email at [email protected] if the mood strikes you.
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DEDICATION
To the Bard, whose stories are timeless and spaceless.
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
I am indebted to the following for their help. My beta reading team and my advance review team, especially Chris Wells, Daryl Schumann and Carol Moon for spotting last minute changes.
COPYRIGHT
First published in 2020 by M J Dees
E-book first published in 2020 by M J Dees
Copyright M J Dees 2020
The moral right of M J Dees to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted by him in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988.
All the characters in this book are fictitious, and any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is coincidental.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of the publisher, nor to be otherwise circulated in any form of binding or cover other than that in which it is published without a similar condition, including this condition, being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Cover Design by James, GoOnWrite.com