Josune touched her hand lightly. “No one has to decide immediately. We’ll be around awhile. There’s a lot to do to set this thing up.”
Nika tried to smile. She looked around at the faces. They should have been happy, but Carlos and Jacques were scowling. Snow was still biting his bottom lip. Even Roystan was frowning. “So it’s a plan?”
Gramps put a hand on Snow’s shoulder. “My boy doesn’t need to be tied to my lifeline. He needs to get out, explore the galaxy.”
Coming from a merc ship, Snow had probably seen a lot of the galaxy already. More than Nika had, anyway.
“Besides, what happens if Roystan gets sick again and you’re not around to fix him with our stolen Songyan?” Carlos asked.
“Borrowed Songyan, Carlos. Borrowed. We’ll return it once the Justice Department replaces ours that they had in their care.” Alistair could make that happen. They didn’t need to be involved.
The words came out shakier than she meant them to. This was stupid. She’d been on her own before. And she had an apprentice to train now.
She blinked, looked up to see Josune put her hand over Roystan’s, smile, and nod. Roystan smiled back.
“We’ll be around awhile,” Josune said. “After all, we’ve found the ultimate treasure. We plan to enjoy it for a time.”
“We don’t have to go exploring immediately,” Roystan said. “And you and Snow will want to visit Ort worlds. That’s new territory. We should be the ones to take you.”
They were explorers, both of them. “Don’t give up your dream just for us.”
“We’re not. But when you’ve lived as long as I have—and we all will, because we’ll have you and Snow around to make that happen—an apprenticeship isn’t all that long. And I can see a cargo route ripe for taking. Between Zell, Sassia, and Kitimat. We’ll make a fortune if we are the first ones in.”
They didn’t need the money anymore. Or the work. Even so, around the table, the frowns turned into smiles. Even Josune’s.
“We’ll make sure you get quality supplies, Nika,” Carlos said.
Nika would have thanked them if she thought she could get the words out. Instead she nodded.
Roystan sat back, rubbed his hands together. “Good. I think we have a plan.”
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Books are collaborations. With your writing partner, if you have one, but also with your agent and your editor.
This isn’t the first story we wrote as Stars Beyond. Our agent, Caitlin Blasdell, was honest enough to say the first versions weren’t good enough. Then she and our editor, Anne Sowards, helped us work through the new story, after which Anne gave us the time to make the changes.
So a huge thank-you to Caitlin and Anne. It’s a better story now.
Thanks also to our beta readers, Jenny and Arthur. For your patience, your feedback, and your willingness to read multiple versions of the same adventure.
Thanks to the Ace/Berkley team at Penguin Random House for all their work on the book. A special mention to Fred Gambino, the artist, and Judith Lagerman, for cover design. We love the cover of Stars Beyond.
As always, thanks to our family and friends for their support and encouragement. You are always there for us when we need you.
And finally, but definitely not least, thank you, our readers. For reading our stories and for the encouragement you give us.
S. K. Dunstall is the pseudonym for a writing team of two sisters. Together, they are the national bestselling authors of Stars Uncharted, Confluence, Alliance, and Linesman. They live in Melbourne, Australia.
CONNECT ONLINE
SKDunstall.com
What’s next on
your reading list?
Discover your next
great read!
Get personalized book picks and up-to-date news about this author.
Sign up now.
Stars Beyond Page 38