In a fashion. Vin nodded once more.
Slade sighed and continued to stare. Vin’s shoulder blades started to itch. If anything, he expected Slade to be thrilled with another guinea pig to study in his pet project. Why was his handler reluctant?
“Then I guess I have no say in this. I hope like hell you never regret this, Vin.”
Ominous words, he didn’t feel like deciphering. Not bothering to reply, Vin got to his feet and prepared to leave.
“Michaels?”
Vin stopped at the door and turned.
“You’re a lucky bastard.”
Vin grinned for the first time since walking in the office. “I am, sir.”
***
“What did he say?” Helen jumped on Vin the moment he walked into his rooms. She’d paced back and forth during the thirty minutes he’d been gone to speak with his boss David Slade. The man gave her the willies but Vin seemed confident he’d agree to them staying together.
“He said yes.”
Vin’s arms lifted in welcome and Helen leaped into his embrace. “I love you.”
“You, too, hellcat.”
Epilogue
Six months earlier
“Commander Onei, I think you need to contact the Senior Commander.”
Rys paused from reading the data scrolling across his screen to eye his CA. “I assume there’s a reason you want me to reach out to your father, Anya.”
Blue eyes winced but the rest of her face remained stoic. “I believe Senior Commander Golden will be interested to know I’ve identified where the Rekabians headed when they escaped the fleet.”
With Anya’s words, every gaze on the deck turned in her direction. Rys rubbed his finger over his lips and contemplated this announcement. The fleet had been searching for the Rekabians for months since their ship never showed with its crew for sentencing. Their latest acts of treason warranted the death penalty but the Rekabians sought to avoid justice.
“Where are they, Anya?”
Her dark head tilted and she studied his expression before answering quietly. “In the unchartered quadrant, section 7.”
“On screen,” he ordered, straightening in his chair. All planets in the unchartered quadrant were to be left alone. Those worlds didn’t yet have contact with other life forms and their technology was desperately behind the planets of the Empire. Leave it to the Rekabians to find the one place they’d never think to search. Of course, they didn’t count on his CA’s diligence.
Anya’s fingers flew over the keypad on the right arm of her specialized high back chair. Her dainty form appeared childlike in the red leather seating but she was far from a child. A wire probe extended from the left arm of the chair to a port on her left temple connecting her to the communications and life support system on the cruiser. From that chair, Anya controlled any and everything on the Roman ZII. It also enabled her to use the energy from the Battle Cruiser as a power boost for her psychic talents.
Rys felt his lips soften with a smile. A dangerous position but Rys trusted her like he’d trusted no other Commander’s Assistant during his time serving as a Commander on a battle cruiser. Seeing her in her element, so comfortable with the controls, no one would ever know how Anya doubted herself behind closed doors. One of the strongest Psi Talents to graduate from the Academy and yet she possessed no arrogance.
“Here it is, sir.”
A blue and green planet filled the screen with several other planets in the same vicinity. “What’s that?” He used the controls on his own chair to zoom in.
Anya bowed her head and focused. When she faced Rys, her eyes glowed and he realized she’d accessed her talents. “We have no name in the computer files for this planet. It has one yellow sun and one moon.”
Rys propped his elbow on his knee and leaned forward. “Life forms?” He prayed she answered in the negative.
“Millions.”
An audible gasp went up among the crew.
“What’s the closest cruiser to Sector 7?”
Anya swiveled to face forward, hand flying once more. “None.” She typed again. “Ex-Commander Jakar Kirkwood can reach the planet in six to seven months if he travels at hyper speed.”
Six to seven months. There was no telling how much damage the Rekabians could create in that amount of time. Rys had no choice. “Hail Senior Commander Golden. He’ll want to get the Admiral’s approval to send Jakar.”
Rys rose to his feet, heart heavy at the lives the unknown world would lose while the Rekabians reined havoc. He hoped their defenses were up to a sustained battle and that his good friend and former colleague Jakar wouldn’t find a decimated planet in its wake.
“I’ll be in our room when you’re done, Anya.”
His wife blushed and Rys bit back his grin. “LT, you have the helm.”
Acknowledgements
This book was an adventure to write. I struggled, I hunched over the laptop daily and basically ripped Helen and Vin to pieces to get their story right. In the end, I can admit to being satisfied thanks to my editor, my sister and a good friend who wouldn’t let me cut corners.
Thanks to all the readers who eagerly awaited my next book and sent me emails of encouragement.
Thanks as always to the CWC-Crazy Writer Chick crew. Judy and Lori, I wouldn’t be here if not for you both including me in your circle of writer friendship a year ago.
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