laughed.
“I think you and your men have earned a break. We’re stopping at Fatutu IV for resupply and refueling. It doesn’t have a lot in the way of bikini-clad women, but it offers a great stretch of beach. It’ll be a bit of a trip to get there, but your men will manage. When we’re done here, I’ll get the paperwork together to put all of you on leave once we arrive.” He turned away from the screen, his steely gray eyes on Vance. “Are you taking leave with them?”
Vance shrugged, telling the captain what he needed to know.
“You really need to take some time for yourself,” he said compassionately.
“Spending time with her is like taking time off for me.”
“I meant away from the ship. I’ll order you to leave if I have to.”
“It won’t do you any good. I’m as stubborn as my father.”
“I never met a more stubborn Seque of a man than him.” The captain laughed. “Fine. You win. Don’t spend your entire time cooped up in that room with her, either. At least make it up to some of the observation decks. The view of Fatutu IV’s surface from space is truly remarkable. You should check it out.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Vance said halfheartedly.
“I’ll take that as a solid no. Suit yourself, but don’t say this old man didn’t try.”
As the captain rose from his chair, Vance stood, knowing the meeting was over.
“As always, Captain, it’s been a pleasure.” Vance saluted.
“Get out of here before I throw you out.”
Vance collected his things and started climbing the steps.
As Vance neared the door, Captain Young called, “I’ll let you know when we’re approaching the planet. Until then, keep your kids out of trouble.”
“We’ll be waiting impatiently,” Vance called over his shoulder, as he left the room.
Once Vance was gone, the smile faded from the captain’s lips. His eyes went to the blinking red light in the bottom corner, and his frown deepened, as he looked toward the recently departed Pilgrim.
“You really shouldn’t have opened the disk, Vance.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The large civilian transport dipped through the wispy clouds over Arcendus and skimmed over the tips of the tall mountain range. As snow-capped mountains gave way to gently rolling foothills, Keryn watched the city of Arcendor rise from the artificially flattened plain. Resting in a valley, surrounded on all sides by towering mountain ranges, it sat like an oasis on an otherwise mountainous planet. Sitting between the sparkling blue waters of the city’s namesake lake, the city was the architectural equivalent of the Avalons’ soaring majesty.
Large, flowing spires rose sharply from the sunlit streets, supporting a litany of twisting turrets of smooth, white stone. Banners crackled above domed roofs on the spires, caught continually in the cool breeze pouring from the nearby mountains. Between the buildings, interlocking like an intricate web of capillaries spreading across the city’s majestic body, pedestrian walkways linked the spires’ peaks and wound down their length.
As Keryn watched, Avalons launched from the topmost balconies of the spires, spreading their wings and gliding from building to building on the warm updrafts generated from the streets below. Between catwalks buzzing with foot traffic and soaring Avalons in the air, the city seemed alive, like a constantly shifting, writhing organism. The Avalon home world
“I think you and your men have earned a break. We’re stopping at Fatutu IV for resupply and refueling. It doesn’t have a lot in the way of bikini-clad women, but it offers a great stretch of beach. It’ll be a bit of a trip to get there, but your men will manage. When we’re done here, I’ll get the paperwork together to put all of you on leave once we arrive.” He turned away from the screen, his steely gray eyes on Vance. “Are you taking leave with them?”
Vance shrugged, telling the captain what he needed to know.
“You really need to take some time for yourself,” he said compassionately.
“Spending time with her is like taking time off for me.”
“I meant away from the ship. I’ll order you to leave if I have to.”
“It won’t do you any good. I’m as stubborn as my father.”
“I never met a more stubborn Seque of a man than him.” The captain laughed. “Fine. You win. Don’t spend your entire time cooped up in that room with her, either. At least make it up to some of the observation decks. The view of Fatutu IV’s surface from space is truly remarkable. You should check it out.”
“I’ll see what I can do,” Vance said halfheartedly.
“I’ll take that as a solid no. Suit yourself, but don’t say this old man didn’t try.”
As the captain rose from his chair, Vance stood, knowing the meeting was over.
“As always, Captain, it’s been a pleasure.” Vance saluted.
“Get out of here before I throw you out.”
Vance collected his things and started climbing the steps.
As Vance neared the door, Captain Young called, “I’ll let you know when we’re approaching the planet. Until then, keep your kids out of trouble.”
“We’ll be waiting impatiently,” Vance called over his shoulder, as he left the room.
Once Vance was gone, the smile faded from the captain’s lips. His eyes went to the blinking red light in the bottom corner, and his frown deepened, as he looked toward the recently departed Pilgrim.
“You really shouldn’t have opened the disk, Vance.”
CHAPTER FIVE
The large civilian transport dipped through the wispy clouds over Arcendus and skimmed over the tips of the tall mountain range. As snow-capped mountains gave way to gently rolling foothills, Keryn watched the city of Arcendor rise from the artificially flattened plain. Resting in a valley, surrounded on all sides by towering mountain ranges, it sat like an oasis on an otherwise mountainous planet. Sitting between the sparkling blue waters of the city’s namesake lake, the city was the architectural equivalent of the Avalons’ soaring majesty.
Large, flowing spires rose sharply from the sunlit streets, supporting a litany of twisting turrets of smooth, white stone. Banners crackled above domed roofs on the spires, caught continually in the cool breeze pouring from the nearby mountains. Between the buildings, interlocking like an intricate web of capillaries spreading across the city’s majestic body, pedestrian walkways linked the spires’ peaks and wound down their length.
As Keryn watched, Avalons launched from the topmost balconies of the spires, spreading their wings and gliding from building to building on the warm updrafts generated from the streets below. Between catwalks buzzing with foot traffic and soaring Avalons in the air, the city seemed alive, like a constantly shifting, writhing organism. The Avalon home world
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