everyone. If anyone could find them, he probably could.”
Tyden grimaced. “Fine. We’ll find Loic and see if he wants the job,” he said with a surrendering breath. “But we only grant him a boarding pass if he agrees to follow our rules.”
“Agreed,” Gaelan and Zaric said in sync.
We headed back to the ship with everyone seemingly excited about our newest strategy, except Tyden. He didn’t say one word on the way back. The only sound he made was the occasional sigh. It made me think he was sorry for giving in. At that moment, I wished I could read his mind. How bad could this Loic be?
CHAPTER 5
DALINOVA
Happily back onboard, I sat beside Gaelan on the command deck while our ship approached Dalinova. The pale gray planet came into sight on the main viewer. Its size looked small compared to Earth and appeared lifeless, like a moon, without the glow of blue oceans or shades of green.
“Can this place really support life?” I asked.
“Yes, it has a thin atmosphere. It’s safe, only you don’t want to be caught here during a meteor shower,” Gaelan explained. “See that?” he said, pointing to some dust clouds passing over the surface. “It looks like someone is running the old mines. I’m heading in for a closer look.”
I watched silently as he and the crew operated the ship remotely with their minds. It looked so hard. I couldn’t forget Gaelan’s desire for me to learn how to fly. I wondered if he was aware of how I had purposely avoided bringing up the subject, hoping he’d soon forget.
“Scan the surface for Katarian vessels and life-forms,” Tyden ordered Pascal.
Pascal enlarged the holographic monitor in front of him with the touch of his finger in order to share it with the room. Pascal Saunders was second in command and took care of the details. Whenever one of the commanders needed assistance, he was the go-to man. He appeared to love his work and seemed to be happily consumed by it all hours of the day. I thought of him as a nerdy Marine, if there was such a thing. He was a big guy, probably in his mid-twenties, had short spiky brown hair, overdeveloped muscles that made his chair look small, and was obsessed with everything technical.
“The mines are awake, sir,” Pascal said, pointing to the floating screen. “There, right there. There’s activity on the rigs. They’re drilling alright. But where are the people? The place looks deserted. Wait, look, one parked Katarian starship. It’s a Sulo Montaro model. Aren’t those retired?” He turned from his console to face us.
Tyden approached the screen. “Yes, they’re old, although they’ll fly. Several were purchased and refurbished by a few wealthy voyagers some fifty years back.”
“Let’s hail the ship,” Gaelan suggested. “Speaker only,” he said, making a control panel appear out of thin air. “This is the Katarian Starship Thirty-three. Please state your current command and mission.”
We listened with attention for a reply. There was only silence.
“Do you think it’s abandoned?” I asked.
“Could be, but why is the equipment still going?” Gaelan sighed with a perplexed look on his face while he listened intently to the open communication line.
We all looked at each other with disappointment. Our trip to Dalinova had been a complete waste of time. But then, we heard something. A rustling sound from the speaker like something or someone was moving around the old, worn-out Spacecraft.
“Starship Thirty-three, I’m a Katarian as well,” replied a man panting breathlessly on the overhead communicator. “I operate a civilian Starship, registration number 562-049. You got here in the nick of time. I’m in desperate need of assistance. My ship has been incapacitated. I came here on a mining expedition, and was rudely interrupted when a group of Grulanti invaded my site. They came in six days ago and took out our defenses and blew up the bloody mine with my crew still inside. I’m the only
Tyden grimaced. “Fine. We’ll find Loic and see if he wants the job,” he said with a surrendering breath. “But we only grant him a boarding pass if he agrees to follow our rules.”
“Agreed,” Gaelan and Zaric said in sync.
We headed back to the ship with everyone seemingly excited about our newest strategy, except Tyden. He didn’t say one word on the way back. The only sound he made was the occasional sigh. It made me think he was sorry for giving in. At that moment, I wished I could read his mind. How bad could this Loic be?
CHAPTER 5
DALINOVA
Happily back onboard, I sat beside Gaelan on the command deck while our ship approached Dalinova. The pale gray planet came into sight on the main viewer. Its size looked small compared to Earth and appeared lifeless, like a moon, without the glow of blue oceans or shades of green.
“Can this place really support life?” I asked.
“Yes, it has a thin atmosphere. It’s safe, only you don’t want to be caught here during a meteor shower,” Gaelan explained. “See that?” he said, pointing to some dust clouds passing over the surface. “It looks like someone is running the old mines. I’m heading in for a closer look.”
I watched silently as he and the crew operated the ship remotely with their minds. It looked so hard. I couldn’t forget Gaelan’s desire for me to learn how to fly. I wondered if he was aware of how I had purposely avoided bringing up the subject, hoping he’d soon forget.
“Scan the surface for Katarian vessels and life-forms,” Tyden ordered Pascal.
Pascal enlarged the holographic monitor in front of him with the touch of his finger in order to share it with the room. Pascal Saunders was second in command and took care of the details. Whenever one of the commanders needed assistance, he was the go-to man. He appeared to love his work and seemed to be happily consumed by it all hours of the day. I thought of him as a nerdy Marine, if there was such a thing. He was a big guy, probably in his mid-twenties, had short spiky brown hair, overdeveloped muscles that made his chair look small, and was obsessed with everything technical.
“The mines are awake, sir,” Pascal said, pointing to the floating screen. “There, right there. There’s activity on the rigs. They’re drilling alright. But where are the people? The place looks deserted. Wait, look, one parked Katarian starship. It’s a Sulo Montaro model. Aren’t those retired?” He turned from his console to face us.
Tyden approached the screen. “Yes, they’re old, although they’ll fly. Several were purchased and refurbished by a few wealthy voyagers some fifty years back.”
“Let’s hail the ship,” Gaelan suggested. “Speaker only,” he said, making a control panel appear out of thin air. “This is the Katarian Starship Thirty-three. Please state your current command and mission.”
We listened with attention for a reply. There was only silence.
“Do you think it’s abandoned?” I asked.
“Could be, but why is the equipment still going?” Gaelan sighed with a perplexed look on his face while he listened intently to the open communication line.
We all looked at each other with disappointment. Our trip to Dalinova had been a complete waste of time. But then, we heard something. A rustling sound from the speaker like something or someone was moving around the old, worn-out Spacecraft.
“Starship Thirty-three, I’m a Katarian as well,” replied a man panting breathlessly on the overhead communicator. “I operate a civilian Starship, registration number 562-049. You got here in the nick of time. I’m in desperate need of assistance. My ship has been incapacitated. I came here on a mining expedition, and was rudely interrupted when a group of Grulanti invaded my site. They came in six days ago and took out our defenses and blew up the bloody mine with my crew still inside. I’m the only
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