Infiltration: Chapter Four Scene One

 

 Goodbyes are the worst.

Alpha Space Station

Captain Kila stood at the bottom of the ramp leading to the umbilical connected to his spyship, glancing from Piras to their clanmate Hope and back. He pretended time wasn’t wasting, or that he was already behind schedule.

“We’ll be fine,” Piras assured him for the millionth time. It sounded no more truthful than when he’d first uttered it.

“The stationmaster and Nobek Kuran are working together to make sure we have protection. Especially Piras,” Hope added.

Their Imdiko Lokmi stayed silent. He was leaving too, and Kila thought he probably wasn’t enthralled by the situation either.

The difference was, Kila was the Nobek, the clan protector. As loyal as he was to Kalquor, his clanmates were his personal responsibility. He’d be unable to do his duty by Piras and Hope while on the mission of discovering what had happened to the spyship orbiting Bi’is.

There were those who’d love to get their hands on Piras. Certain people believed he owed them his life in exchange for those he’d allowed to be taken.

“We need to know what happened to the other ship, my Nobek. You need to learn if Bi’is possesses some sort of weaponry to use against us. Or if the shadow vessel we encountered there returned and harmed our people.” Piras spoke softly. Not as Kila’s commanding officer, nor as his Dramok. He spoke as someone who intuited Kila’s heart and the war waging within it.

“I know. It doesn’t make this shit easier.” His com beeped, the display showing it to be the first officer’s frequency. He snapped, “On my way.”

“Acknowledged, Captain.” Dramok Deram’s tone was official, betraying no sign he’d noted Kila’s temper. Smart man.

“Don’t put yourself in stupid situations,” Kila snarled to Piras. “So help me, if you do, when I get back—”

“I’ll miss you too.” Piras glanced between him and Lokmi. “Please don’t kill each other over those damned engines, Chief.”

“All our captain has to do is keep his big, clumsy paws off them.” Lokmi hugged Piras and Hope in turn. Kila heard him whisper in their Matara’s ear, “Keep an eye on him, okay?”

“Be careful out there,” she urged, blinking to keep tears at bay. Throughout their clanship, she hadn’t been separated from any of them.

Her hug for Kila was strong for such a small woman. He buried his face in her dark hair, inhaling as much of her scent as he could. Depending on what he found, he could be gone months.

The thought churned his stomach. When he and Hope separated, he glared at Piras once more. “Promise me.”

“I’ll be fine. I won’t run through the station shouting, ‘I’m Dramok Piras, I gave up Laro Station to the Basma, so come kill me.’”

“Asshole.” Kila hugged him briefly, then turned away. He stormed onto the ship, Lokmi on his heels.

If anything happened to his Dramok while he was gone, he’d tear the station to pieces. What had happened on Laro wouldn’t compare to his wrath.

* * * *

The alien force dubbed the Darks has grabbed control of key positions on Kalquor and the Galactic Council of Planets. Other leaders are still unaware of the threat among them. The galaxy is wide open for destruction by an unfathomable enemy.

Former emperor Nobek Yuder has suspicions, but due to restrictions placed on him after his prison sentence, he can only stand by and watch helplessly. A renegade Royal Councilman has designs to bring him back to the political arena, but doing so could destabilize the Kalquorian Empire, leaving it vulnerable to invasion.

Meanwhile, one man on the brink of death, the only man who can detect the nearly invisible Darks, is pulled from a lifeless shuttle by Captains Kila and Nako. His incredible story tells them they’re in a race against time to save not only the empire but the whole galaxy…but are they already too late?

On Earth II, Governor Stacy Nichol’s relationship with Clan Rihep continues to grow. So does the danger, as opponents make deadly moves against her and the orbiting Kalquorian station where the clan lives. Nobek Kuran is determined to keep his clanmates and would-be lifemate safe, but how can he stop a faceless enemy?

Relationships, old and new, are strained to the breaking point at a time when Earthers and Kalquorians need each other more than ever. The Darks are closing in, and no one is ready to oppose them.

Releasing November 3. Pre-order now at Amazon, Amazon UK, Nook, Smashwords, Kobo, Apple, and print.