by T. M. Catron
“What?” Rance could not imagine what caring, brave Solaris had done that would change her good opinion of him. She shook her head.
“Maybe we should leave it at that for tonight,” he said, standing.
Realizing how tired she was, Rance stood too and made for the door. Solaris followed her out of the galley. On their way out, she waved her hand at a panel near the door, and the lights turned off. Rows of green, glowing lights outlined the cargo hold and followed the stairs to the top deck. They cast a faint glow over their faces.
“You can get some sleep, Captain. I’m awake.”
Rance turned to Solaris. He was looking at her with the same warm expression he’d had earlier. She imagined how horrible it would be to hide her appearance because it made people uncomfortable. It didn’t make her pity him, but she had a newfound appreciation for his inner strength.
“Solaris.”
“Hmm?”
“Why do you get so tired after using your powers?” Rance refrained from calling it “magic” for now until he clarified that. Instead, she added it to the mental list that had grown, not shortened, since she’d walked into the galley a few minutes before.
“I’m not infallible.”
“But why?”
Solaris sighed. “Because I haven’t returned to the Temple Station. There, we recharge, so to speak. With regular visits, our powers are strengthened. It has something to do with the station itself. After being gone a while, my powers take longer to revive. I take longer to revive, especially after a particularly arduous task.”
Rance gasped. “But what will happen if you never return? Will you lose your powers completely?”
“Maybe.”
“But then you can’t…” She trailed off, not wanting to offend him about his appearance.
“I can’t change my face?” he asked, completing her question. “We’ll see.”
Solaris put his hand on the railing. The movement was subtle, but it brought him a little closer to Rance.
“Are you the first Galaxy Wizard to run away?” she asked.
“Others have left, or deserted, or turned traitor, but that was a long time ago.”
“Did they keep their powers?”
“I don’t know.”
“Don’t you think you should find out?”
Solaris rolled his eyes. “No, Rance, it never crossed my mind. Whatever would I do without your searing intellect?”
Rance narrowed her eyes. “If you keep rolling your eyes, they’ll get stuck like that.”
“Is that what happened to you?”
She swatted his arm.
Solaris laughed. “That’s a great comeback. Did you just want an excuse to touch me?”
Rance’s face warmed. Did he really think she was flirting with him? Was she?
No. She wasn’t. She thought of Solaris like she thought of James—a brother or a friend.
As Rance turned to climb the stairs, she wondered why she was trying to convince herself. She had a firm policy against flirting with fellow crew members. After all, Solaris had said he might leave. A knot clenched in Rance’s gut. Realizing she’d never addressed that possibility, she turned back.
Solaris still stood at the bottom of the stairs.
“Solaris.”
“What now?” he asked, although there was no hint of exasperation in his voice, merely friendly banter. In the dark, she couldn’t see his face at all anymore.
“If you go back to the Galaxy Wizards, I’ll have to look for another CO.”
“Yes, you will,” he said seriously.
“Would you… would you consider staying? I’d hate to go through all that again.”
“You can’t seem to keep a CO, can you?”
“What’s wrong with me?” she asked, feeling suddenly vulnerable.
“Nothing at all,” he murmured. Then he added, “I suspect it has something to do with all the trouble you get into, but that doesn’t account for the rest of your crew. They seem content to stay.”
“And you’re not?”
“I am. For now. I haven’t decided to leave.”
“Well, if you do, let me know in time to find a replacement.”
Rance turned away and climbed the last two stairs. The suggestion that Solaris might leave hurt her heart. Replacing him wouldn’t be easy. But she didn’t want to accidentally betray her thoughts to him. After all, if he thought leaving would be best, who was she to stand in his way?
“Goodnight,” he called up to her.
“Goodnight,” she said.
Rance’s foot brushed up against something soft.
Henry.
“Hello, fluffball,” she whispered.
The furry ginger blob held out four arms to her, his blue eyes looking sleepy and happy all at the same time. Abel was supposed to keep the cappatter in a box at night, but apparently, it had learned to escape that too.
Rance smiled, remembering how the creature had reminded her of Solaris. She sighed in resignation, picked up Henry, and looked up and down the hall. After making sure no one was watching, she cuddled Henry close to her head. She hadn’t forgotten he was the reason for her broken toe, but she had an overwhelming desire to hug something.
Henry nuzzled her, wrapping two skinny arms around her face. His soft fuzzy hair smelled like warm cinnamon, and he trilled contentedly. Rance carried him to her door.
“He’s a cute little thing, isn’t he, Captain?”
Startled, Rance spun around.
James had come out of his quarters and was leaning against the doorjamb. His look, even in the green glow of the lights, was triumphant and joyful.
“Don’t you tell anybody,” Rance whispered vehemently. “Or you’ll be scrubbing the lav for the next month.”
“We have automatic cleaning systems.”
“I’ll turn them off.” Rance glared at him. But she didn’t let go of Henry. She doubted she could, anyway. He had burrowed his arms into her hair.
James held up his hands and snorted. “Wouldn’t dream of telling anyone, Captain.”
And then he smiled.
Author Note
Hi again! You’ve reached the end of this adventure, but there’s more coming from the crew of the Star Streaker.
In the next few months, the Star Streaker crew has many more adventures in store! Rance’s mother, Jane, will be returning, with a whole new surprise of her own. And wouldn’t it be fun if Harrison McConnell ended up on the Star Streaker for a short time?
If you enjoyed this book, I could really use your help in getting the word out about the series. I rely heavily on social media, reviews, and word of mouth to find new readers. Every review is important, and I use them to find out what my readers want. They (you!) help me shape future stories.
In Prometheus Rescue, we see Rance grow a little. Although she’s a tough woman, she makes plenty of mistakes. But instead of dwelling on her failures, she moves forward and learns. She’s also her own worst critic, and hard on herself when she can’t protect those around her. The crew of the Star Streaker is her family, and she fiercely defends them even when she is about to collapse.
We see the same tenacity from Solaris, who doesn’t know how to give up. And also, he seems a bit protective about Rance in particular.
Do you wonder why Solaris is reluctant to talk about leaving the Galaxy Wizards? If you haven’t signed up for my newsletter yet, now is the perfect time. It’s non-spammy, and I only email you when I have new releases, free stories, or the occasional book recommendation.
As a bonus for signing up, you’ll get a free short story, “Live to Die,” told from Solaris’ perspective. It’s all about his fight to get away from the Galaxy Wizards, before he joined the crew of the Star Streaker. It has great backstory and action you won’t want to miss!
To join the crew, go to http://tmcatron.com/join
As always, thanks for reading! Turn the page for information on how to contact me. I love hearing from readers, and I answer ever
y email I get.
~T.M. Catron
Also by T.M. Catron
The Shadowmark Series:
Shadowmark, Book 1
Aether, Book 2
Book 3 Coming Summer 2017
Shadowmark Origins Series:
The Mine, a novella
The Star Streaker Series:
#1 Solaris
#2 The Deliverance Code
#3 Defiance
#4 Prometheus Rescue
The Star Streaker Boxset, Books 1-3 (Spring 2017)
As Wilhelmina Kirk:
Winter’s Goblin (Spring 2017)
Looking for more works by Phoenix Prime authors?
Here are a few other sci-fi/fantasy/techmage authors.
(ratings/content vary but are mostly clean)
Nicole Zoltack, Of Cinder and Madness
Spencer Pierson, The Glimmer Steel Saga
Kris Endicott, krisendicott.com
Naomi Muse, Fantasy author
Phillip B Dillon, Demons and Mages series
Ryland Thorn, The Fae-Born Narratives
Pamela Stewart, Frozen Hearts
Nonfiction:
Paul C. Middleton, Military Structures, a Writer’s Guide to Combat
Acknowledgments
A big shout out to the Phoenix Prime crew for their support, advice, feedback, editing, and occasional kick in the pants. Without them, I would not have finished this book when I did. Or even started the Star Streaker series this year.
Special thanks to Ana and Carina for being awesome beta readers, and Jeanne for editing Prometheus Rescue. And thanks to Ana for beta reading and Diane for editing “A Conversation.” You are awesome, and I don’t know what I would do without you.
As always, a huge thank you to my hubby, Eric, who puts up with me disappearing for long hours to get my writing done. He’s been my biggest supporter throughout this journey. I love you, baby!
About the Author
T.M. (Tiffany) Catron spent her childhood looking for hidden worlds in the back of her closet. When she didn’t find any, she decided to grow up already and write them into existence.
She’s the author of the post-apocalyptic sci-fi series, Shadowmark, and the space opera (with wizards!) series, Star Streaker. Her stories tend to include strong female characters (or those who want to be strong) and fun, twisty plots. Although Tiffany primarily writes sci-fi, she enjoys a good story in any genre.
If she’s not watching Doctor Who or putting together Star Wars Legos with her son, Tiffany is imagining what trouble her characters can get into next. She’s a coffee-fueled writer of science fiction who believes challenge and opportunity can be empowering. Her books are adventures in gaining strength from adversity, and wisdom from growth. She’s trying to make the world a better (and more fun) place, one book at a time.
Tiffany lives in Tennessee with her husband, son, and three spoiled dogs.
To connect with her, visit:
www.tmcatron.com
[email protected]
What is Phoenix Prime?
Phoenix Prime began as a Ph.D. level workshop for writers to come together to improve their craft and their businesses. However, since its creation, it has evolved into a tight-knit group of authors who encourage one another, collaborate with one another, learn together, and write together.
When you hear me mention Phoenix Prime, I’m speaking of a group of people I’m proud to know and work with. They are dedicated, supportive, and all-around fun. I’m honored to be a part of this team.