Read Online Lost Planet 02 - The Stolen Moon by Rachel Searles - Free Book Online Page B

left the blanket.
    â€œIs everything okay?” asked Analora.
    â€œHow big is the interior maintenance area, the whole thing?” Chase asked. “Could we walk through it all right now?”
    â€œOh, no way. It’s huge, and not all the parts are connected. There are a bunch of different entry spots we used to use.”
    How would he find out where Lilli hid? There had to be a million places like this one. Chase looked down the long walkway in despair. Did she even come back to the same spot, or did she hide all over the place?
    â€œCome on.” Analora grabbed the metal rung of a ladder embedded in the wall. “Let me show you how to get to the conference level.”
    Watching Analora navigate the maintenance corridors and the randomly placed ladders that connected them, Chase grew more and more impressed with how well she knew the interior of the ship. “The best way to get up and down levels is in the rear of the ship, where the energy core is,” she told him. “The core cuts through from the lowest level up to, I think, the fifth? It’s inside an insulation chamber, but the outside of that chamber has entry points and ladders. We’re at the wrong part of the ship to get to it right now, though.”
    They climbed up to a level where Analora said the teleport chamber and conference rooms were located and walked along another musty corridor, this one longer and darker, until they reached another crawlspace with the end cut out.
    â€œDid you do this?” asked Chase as he pointed at the hole, although he already had half an idea what the answer would be.
    â€œIt was Dany. A couple have been found and patched, but most of his modifications are still here.”
    â€œDidn’t he get in trouble for cutting up the ship?”
    â€œDany didn’t like rules,” she said simply.
    They moved along the crawlspace, Analora leading the way this time. She paused in front of each group of ventilation slits, peering out to see where they were. At the third, she pulled her head back sharply, peered out again, and turned to Chase with wide eyes.
    Look , she mouthed.
    He squinted through the ventilation holes, at what appeared to be the entrance to a meeting room. Two armed MPs stood guard outside the room, but a third person stood there as well—a blond woman in a suit, adjusting her hair. Something about her looked very familiar, but Chase couldn’t immediately place her. She removed an item from her pocket and held it out at arm’s length from her face, where it hovered in the air, a flat disk that faced her. She cleared her throat, and that’s when Chase realized who she was.
    â€œThis is Parri Dietz, coming to you live from the IFF Kuyddestor , where tomorrow the first round of peace talks in the Storros/Werikos conflict will take place. Federation Ambassador Royben Corinthe is leading the process, with representatives from both parties seated at the table. More details as the story emerges. Back to you, Boris.”
    Parri Dietz paused a moment and then plucked the disk out of the air. “Did you get that? Okay. I’ll have something more for you in a few minutes. No, this isn’t going to take long—this one’s just a formality.” She stuffed the disk in her pocket and turned away, heading down the hall.
    Grinning excitedly, Analora motioned to Chase that he should head back the way they came. It wasn’t until they’d both climbed out of the crawlspace that she grabbed his arm and said, “Good stars, did you see who that was? We’re going to be on the Universal Newsfeed!”
    â€œNot us ,” said Chase cautiously. The last thing he needed was his face plastered on newsfeed screens across the galaxy.
    â€œWell, no, but the ship—and probably people we know. This is so exciting!”
    Having located the conference level—and being unable to top the excitement of seeing Parri Dietz on the