plastiform crates of supplies and munitions up the five-story high boarding ramps of the warship. Giant fuel hoses snaked out from the aft section of the ship. Her standard gold dymium fuel was being pumped and replaced with the much rarer and more potent red dymium which would enable the Intrepid to fly nearly 10 times faster through superluminal space. They would be able to travel the almost 1,000 light years to the admiral’s Enclave in just over a week. Due to the extreme distances involved when travelling across the galaxy, red dymium fuel was necessary for any fleet operations outside of Dark Space. However, due to the scarcity of red dymium, ships within the sector were restricted to the use of the less potent gold variant. That restriction had almost spelled the end for the Imperium a few months ago when local crime lord, Alec “Big Brainy” Brondi had captured the Valiant and forced the surviving crew to flee aboard another venture-class cruiser, the Defiant . That cruiser had been fueled with nothing but gold dymium, and under-fueled at that. Under those circumstances they had barely managed to fly 30 light years away from Dark Space to get help from Admiral Hoff’s fleet. Atton sighed. At least this time they wouldn’t have to worry about fuel problems.
“Atty!”
Atton turned with a smile to see his little sister, Atta, running toward him. Walking at a more measured pace behind her were her parents, Admiral Hoff Heston and Atton’s own mother, Destra Ortane. Atta collided with Atton’s legs and he staggered back a step. She locked her arms around his waist for a breath-stealing hug. He smiled and tousled his sister’s dark hair. She looked up at him with Hoff’s gray eyes and their mother’s button nose.
“Take me with you!”
“I’m sorry, Atta, I can’t, but I won’t be gone long.”
“Promise?” She squeezed him harder, and he gasped, pretending to suffer.
“Okay, okay, I promise!”
“Good!” She let go of his waist, and he tousled her hair once more. Atta was his half sister. Not long ago he’d hated her for replacing him. He hadn’t seen his mother for ten years and then suddenly he’d found her married to the admiral with a daughter whose name sounded suspiciously like his.
“Atton!” Destra said as she drew near. “What is this Hoff tells me about you going on a secret mission in Sythian Space?”
Atton smiled. “It’s classified, Mom.”
“I don’t care.” She shot her husband a dark look. “I told Hoff no more secrets, and I meant it.”
Atton’s gaze slipped sideways to find the admiral. “What did you tell her . . . ?”
“She doesn’t know the details.”
“I know enough,” Destra said. “You can’t go, Atton. What if you don’t come back?”
“He’ll come back,” Hoff replied.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Hoi, guys, I thought you were coming to say goodbye, not convince me to stay.”
“He’ll be fine, Destra,” the admiral reassured. “With that Sythian Fleet here watching our every move, he’ll be safer than us.”
“Maybe we should all go, then,” Destra said.
“Are you suggesting we abandon everyone here and save ourselves?”
Destra frowned. “I suppose not.” She took another step toward her son and stopped within arms’ reach of him. She just stood there, her blue eyes staring into his green until he was forced to notice the sadness lurking in her gaze. “I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“I’ll miss you, too, Mom, but I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
His mother pulled him into a hug and whispered, “You be careful out there.”
“I will.”
“And don’t hesitate to call for help. Promise me, Atton.”
“I promise.”
“Good. If you don’t come back I’m going to go get you myself.”
“He won’t be in any danger, Des,” Hoff said. “I give you my word, if I thought they would harm him I wouldn’t send him.”
Destra pulled out of the hug to turn to her husband. “I know, because if
“Atty!”
Atton turned with a smile to see his little sister, Atta, running toward him. Walking at a more measured pace behind her were her parents, Admiral Hoff Heston and Atton’s own mother, Destra Ortane. Atta collided with Atton’s legs and he staggered back a step. She locked her arms around his waist for a breath-stealing hug. He smiled and tousled his sister’s dark hair. She looked up at him with Hoff’s gray eyes and their mother’s button nose.
“Take me with you!”
“I’m sorry, Atta, I can’t, but I won’t be gone long.”
“Promise?” She squeezed him harder, and he gasped, pretending to suffer.
“Okay, okay, I promise!”
“Good!” She let go of his waist, and he tousled her hair once more. Atta was his half sister. Not long ago he’d hated her for replacing him. He hadn’t seen his mother for ten years and then suddenly he’d found her married to the admiral with a daughter whose name sounded suspiciously like his.
“Atton!” Destra said as she drew near. “What is this Hoff tells me about you going on a secret mission in Sythian Space?”
Atton smiled. “It’s classified, Mom.”
“I don’t care.” She shot her husband a dark look. “I told Hoff no more secrets, and I meant it.”
Atton’s gaze slipped sideways to find the admiral. “What did you tell her . . . ?”
“She doesn’t know the details.”
“I know enough,” Destra said. “You can’t go, Atton. What if you don’t come back?”
“He’ll come back,” Hoff replied.
“How can you be so sure?”
“Hoi, guys, I thought you were coming to say goodbye, not convince me to stay.”
“He’ll be fine, Destra,” the admiral reassured. “With that Sythian Fleet here watching our every move, he’ll be safer than us.”
“Maybe we should all go, then,” Destra said.
“Are you suggesting we abandon everyone here and save ourselves?”
Destra frowned. “I suppose not.” She took another step toward her son and stopped within arms’ reach of him. She just stood there, her blue eyes staring into his green until he was forced to notice the sadness lurking in her gaze. “I’m going to miss you,” she said.
“I’ll miss you, too, Mom, but I’ll be back in a few weeks.”
His mother pulled him into a hug and whispered, “You be careful out there.”
“I will.”
“And don’t hesitate to call for help. Promise me, Atton.”
“I promise.”
“Good. If you don’t come back I’m going to go get you myself.”
“He won’t be in any danger, Des,” Hoff said. “I give you my word, if I thought they would harm him I wouldn’t send him.”
Destra pulled out of the hug to turn to her husband. “I know, because if
Similar Books
