Prologue

The lithe shadows seemed to appear and disappear for no reason, darting between shadows that belonged. If the sentry had noticed, it would have looked to him as if they had been made by nothing at all. If the sentry had noticed, he would have been able to sound the alarm. If the sentry had noticed, he would not have been shot by a stunner in his neck.

He did not fall. He was caught, then eased gently down to the rooftop.

A second shadow, following behind its own translucent figure, glided up to the fallen sentry. It was smaller than the first, but just as silent. The figures’ limpid hands stripped him of his equipment. Smaller items disappeared into the shimmering translucence. A larger weapon was set off to the side. His head turned and a small oddly shaped object was plucked from his ear. Both figures disappeared for just a moment. Only their shadows darkening the moonlit rooftop around the sentry proved their continued existence. Then the larger one reached up, pulling at its neck — up and over — exposing a dark-haired head floating in midair.

The disembodied head looked toward his partner as he inserted the sentry’s comm into his own ear. Now they would know every move the enemy was making. His head disappeared again as he replaced the cowl of his stealth suit. Then, picking up the sentry’s blaster rifle, the two slunk to the edge of the roof, dropping silently down to the balcony below.

Using one of the small items taken from the sentry, they disengaged the security device and slipped through the dual glass-paneled doors into the darkened bedroom.

The man shifted the sentry’s weapon from off his back, holding it with two hands, the butt resting on his hip. The other moved quickly to the canopied bed where a young child lay sleeping and leaned over, examining the small limp body.

“She’s still drugged,” the woman whispered.

“Just as well — she won’t remember a thing,” the man answered over his shoulder, his eyes never leaving their vigil.

The woman opened a small satchel at her hip, pulled out a silken black cloth, wrapped the child in it, gathering it into her arms. The bundle flickered almost imperceptibly before it coalesced into her own translucent form. She turned back toward the balcony just as a sliver of light appeared under the door leading to the hallway.

“Move!” the man whispered to his partner as he swung the weapon at the door.

The woman now ran out the way they had come, leaping off the edge of the third-story balcony. Waiting only the space of a breath to give her a clear lead, the man then turned and followed, lunging into the night air. With a slight breeze at their backs, they sailed into the glistening moonlight, their momentum continuing unhindered thanks to their anti-gravity belts, dropping to the ground only long enough to push off again with ever-increasing speed.

Behind them, the bedroom lights cut through the night like a beacon. “She’s gone! The child is gone!” A woman’s screeching voice faded back into the hall where it was soon joined by other incoherent cries.

The alarm was sounded.

With the aid of their belts, the two intruders leaped effortlessly over the fence of the compound and continued quickly up the hill toward the forest’s edge.

Suddenly a siren pierced the air.

“Jazzlynn!” the man called out.

“I hear it!”

They were both in midair and reached for their belt controls to quicken their descent. He dropped to the ground first, but before she could land, the dampening field hit. Their skin tingled and every hair on their bodies stood on end as the first wave of offense pulsed out in all directions from an antenna on top of the sprawling three-story mansion. The belts shorted out, along with the rest of the equipment, and Jazzlynn slammed into the side of the hill, tumbling down several meters while clinging to the precious bundle in her arms, trying to protect it with her body.

“Is she all right?”

Flinging the now-useless night-vision visor from his face, the man ran to Jazzlynn’s side as she unwrapped the still-sleeping child, and together they inspected her from head to toe.

“Yes,” came the relieved answer, “she’s all right.”

Behind them now the sounds of shouts and barking dogs echoed through the darkness.

“Dogs!” She clutched at his arm as her eyes opened wide. “Zariyah! They have dogs! The shuttle, it’s too far! We’ll never make it!”

“Yes. We will!” he insisted, pulling her to her feet as she collected the delicate package back into her arms, and they fled together into the forest.

Without the night visors, the going was hard and slow. They crashed through the underbrush. Jazzlynn hunched over the child, clinging to her as limbs reached out from nowhere, stabbing at them like claws trying to snatch the treasure from her arms.

Zariyah wrapped an arm around her shoulders, using his rifle like a machete to break branches and beat a way clear. The dogs were still in the distance.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, ricocheting off a tree. Instinctively, they dropped to the ground as if they were one person, Zariyah shielding the other two with his own body. Looking back the way they had come, he could see old-fashioned fuel-burning lanterns bobbing in the distance. It was hard to tell exactly how far away they were in the dark, but whoever had fired that shot was either very lucky or very good. Like modern energy torches, phase-pistols were useless with the dampening field on, but their pursuers had old-fashioned projectile rifles.

“Zariyah,” Jazzlynn breathed as she shifted out from under him without letting go of the child, “the cliff — if we can get over the edge of the cliff, they will have to turn off the dampening field to find us.” He looked back at her as she grabbed at his shoulder. “Then we can turn the belts back on and float along the face far enough to make it back to the shuttle.”

Zariyah smiled, cupping a hand behind her neck. “I knew there was a reason why I married you,” he said, and gave his wife a kiss. “Come on. Let’s go.” Drawing her with him as he rose to his feet, they started running again, this time in a different direction. Just as they reached the top of the rise, another shot rang out.

Jazzlynn cried out as the bullet ripped through her leg, buckling it beneath her. Somehow, she managed to twist as she fell, landing on her back, to protect the child as she slid backward down the embankment.

“Jazzlynn!” Her husband charged after her, half stumbling after her, caring nothing for the branches whipping him as he went. He reached her side, skidding to a stop on his knees. “Talk to me!” His hands reached out, not daring to touch her for fear of what he might find.

“Zariyah,” she wheezed, struggling to regain the breath that had been knocked from her lungs. “Take her — go.”

“I’m not leaving you.” His heart pounded, but his voice was stern and steady with the strength of one used to wielding unquestioned authority. Then again, that never did work on his wife.

“You can’t carry us both, and I’ll never outrun them now!” She moved to sit up, and he reached out to steady her. “I’ll go on to the cliff, hopefully lead them away. I’ll try to stick to the same plan. You go to the shuttle and as soon as the dampening field is off, get her out of here.”

“No! I told you. I’m not leaving you!”

“Zariyah Daylic.” Her green eyes narrowed as she glared up at him. “If you don’t get our daughter out of here safe and sound because of me, I promise I will never forgive you. We cannot let her stay in the clutches of that madman no matter what the price! Do you understand me?”

He clenched his jaw, staring at her through the mist welling up in his eyes. She was right and he knew it. He must do everything in his power to get their daughter safely off this planet. Gazing down at the bundle in her arms, she uncovered the cherubic face and brushed back the black curly hair. Wishing she could see the eyes that were as green as her own behind the closed lids, she kissed her forehead and then held her out to her father. His heart wrenched in half as he reached out, separating the two most important people in his life.

“I swear I will come back for you.” He spoke barely above a whisper as he enfolded the child into his arms.

“Not until after you have raised her up right and she is old enough to take care of herself.”

He opened his mouth, but she raised a hand, cutting him off.

“We don’t have time to argue about this!” He helped her up as she stumbled to her feet gasping, willing the pain to the back of her mind.

The dogs were getting closer.

“The blanket…” She reached for it even as she spoke. “Senseney probably has the dogs following her scent. Between that and the smell of my blood you should be able to get away.” She clutched his arms with both hands. “Please, Zariyah. Don’t make her lose both her parents.”

With the child in one arm, he embraced his wife with the other, pressing his cheek against hers. “I love you,” he whispered in her ear and then leaned back, searching her face in the darkness. “You must stay alive. I will come back for you. I promise.” Then he kissed her with the aching dread that it would be for the last time.

“Go,” she whispered, barely able to speak — and with that, he turned and ran in the direction of the shuttle.

She watched him go with her heart aching for him to come back, to take her with him, to carry them all back to safety, and to punish the criminals that had done this to them. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath. When she opened them again, Zariyah was gone and Jazzlynn turned, limping off toward the cliff, dragging the blanket behind her.

It seemed like an eternity, but it could only have been a few minutes before the dogs paused in their pursuit.

“What’s happening?” A chill ran through her body at the familiar voice floating through the forest behind her, and instinctively she quickened her pace.

“Think they lost the trail, boss.”

Toward me! She wanted to scream at the top of her lungs. I’m over here! Looking behind, she could see lanterns glowing in the dark about twenty meters away. Her heart was pounding. She wanted to be found, but when they realized she was alone they would continue their search and Zariyah would lose any chance of escape. Letting herself fall to the ground, she spread open the blanket, filling it with branches, twigs and leaves. Then, wrapping it all into a child-sized bundle, she picked it up and limped onward as quickly as she could. She must reach the cliff’s edge before being caught if this was going to work.

“Look! Over here,” a third voice called. “There’s blood. You must’a hit one of ‘em.”

“I think the dogs agree,” the familiar voice shouted over the renewed din from the animals.

Come on, Jazzlynn, you can do it! She urged herself on, struggling to pick up speed. Finally, she broke through to a small clearing with the cliff’s edge just in front of her. The sky shimmered with color. The two moons had set and the atmosphere was dominated by the glowing spectacle of the nearby nebula. It reflected the light of the nearby stars, filling the air with a soft haze that danced around the mountain peaks.

Jazzlynn stumbled to an old leafless tree jutting out over the edge and waited. She tested the limb, checking for sturdiness as she peered down into the glowing shadows below. Seeing a ledge not too far down, she dropped the bundle onto it and then looked back the way she had come.

The dogs were almost there.

Filling her lungs as deeply as she could, she screamed with all her might. “ZARIYAH!!!! NO!!!” She continued looking down the cliff, but fear and anxiety were not something she would need to pretend.

The dogs broke through the underbrush, with their masters in tow. Other men broke through carrying lanterns; one had a rifle. Amongst them was yet another man, who carried nothing but an air of command. The man stepped out in front of his entourage, signaling for the dogs to be quiet, and then smiled as he considered the woman by the cliff.

Jazzlynn struggled to get up, blood oozing from her leg. Shifting her weight, she lost her footing, and screamed again, this time for real. Twisting as she fell backward, she grabbed the limb, clinging to it desperately.

“Well, this is quite an interesting dilemma,” the man said. Strolling over to the dead tree, he rested a foot on it, and it bent under his weight. “So, where’s the happy family?” Leaning farther onto the limb, he looked over the edge to the blanketed bundle below and his smile widened. “This is too perfect.” He straightened up with his arms spread wide. “Daylic takes my family, now I take his.”

“You think we took your family?” She scowled. “You never had a family! You had a household of slaves and concubines, lording it over them like some ancient king — King Senseney!” She tossed her head in emphasis. “I’m surprised you don’t have a crown and scepter.”

“Shut up!” His smile evaporated as he shook the tree with his foot. “You two tried to destroy my world.” He pointed a finger at her. “You stole my child and killed her mother. You take my daughter — I take yours.” Turning, he snapped his fingers at the men behind him. “Signal the house to turn off the emitter and get a shuttle up here to pick that child off the ledge.”

“Sure, boss.” The man with the rifle raised it into the air and shot three times, paused a moment and did it again. He then put his hand to his ear and waited.

“This is not your world,” Jazzlynn said, trying to keep him occupied, “and you are the one destroying it. These people had no idea of anything outside of these mountains, let alone other planets, but you enslave them. As for your daughter, she begged us to take her with us. Her mother begged us to take her with us, to get the girl away from you! And her mother was quite alive when we left. If she’s dead, then you must have killed her!”

“I said, SHUT UP!!!” The man slammed his foot on the dead limb. “Or you will join your man on the valley floor!” Jazzlynn clung ever tighter, wrapping her arms about it as the rotting roots started to give way. “My only regret is that death is too good for him. I wanted him to come to me because I had something of his.” The dead roots groaned. “I wanted to prove to that self-righteous snob that he’s no different from anyone else. I wanted to ruin the ‘Mighty Daylic.’ Destroy his reputation until he had nowhere to go, not a friend in the galaxy. Now I’ll just have to content myself with his wife instead.”

“Hey, boss.” Matlyn strolled toward them, smiling. “You want me to start?”

Jazzlynn could not understand how such a symmetrical smile could look so twisted.

The two men fixed their eyes on her. “I think that can be arranged.” Senseney smiled.

“Really?” Now it was Jazzlynn’s turn to smile. “I think not.” Then, letting go of the branch, she plunged into the swirling shadows below.

‍ ‍Chapter I ‍

Ever since her mother’s disappearance, she had tried hard to take care of her father. Of course, she knew he believed he was the one taking care of her, and she let him believe that. Lately, however, he had been especially pensive and jumpy, so she had worked hard to get him into the game room and she was going to make sure he enjoyed himself.

“The score is tied 21 to 21,” she said, pretending to be an announcer. “The clock has run out. The game has gone into sudden death overtime and Solina has the ball.” She bounced the ball for emphasis. “A hush comes over the crowd, waiting to see what she will do.”

Solina was slightly stooped, swaying faintly from side to side. Her father’s brown eyes locked on hers as she wondered how to fake him out on her next move. “Hey, Dad,” she said suddenly, standing up straight and tucking the ball under her arm. “How about if I win, I get to dock the ship when we reach port?”

Zariyah Daylic’s crooked smile revealed his lack of naiveté. “How about if I win, you get to install the new navigation system we just picked up, and if you win, you get to install the new navigation system we just picked up?”

“Aw, Dad. Come on, you know I can do it.” Solina shifted her slender frame onto one leg and moved the ball to the front, resting both hands on it.

“I’ll tell you what…” He relaxed his posture, moving toward her, and Solina’s green eyes widened just a little, betraying her glimmer of anticipation. “What if I…” Dragging out his sentence, he leaned down into his daughter’s hopeful face, “…steal the ball from you!” Snatching the ball from her hands, he spun on his heels and made a mad dash to her side of the enclosed court.

“Hey! Cheater!” She dropped into a crouch, set her anti‑gravity belt to zero, and launched upward. She hit the ceiling on all fours, catlike, then kicked off again, switching the belt to double‑speed. Ahead of her, her father sprang upward, stretching to drop the ball into the hoop.

They reached the basket at the same time. As he released the ball, she swept past and plucked it out of the air.

“Hey, you!” he barked, startled.

She hit the wall, fell, kicked off, and shot across the court. He floated helplessly for a moment—too much mass, too little momentum—before finally pushing off a surface.

Solina toggled her belt in rapid bursts, ricocheting back toward his side. Her skintight suit and aerodynamic helmet made her look like an orange‑and‑black rocket.

“Yesssss!” she hissed as she slammed the ball into the basket with one hand and grabbed the hoop with the other, stopping her headlong journey.

“Ha ha! I won!” She floated lightly to the ground, her arms raised in triumph.

“You cheated!” Zariyah touched down, pointing at her.

“You cheated first!” she said, pulling off her helmet.

“You should have kept your guard up.” He braced his hands on his knees, catching his breath.

“I get to dock the ship.” She sing-songed, twirling around the court. “I won. You lost. I get to dock the ship.”

“No.” He straightened, removing his helmet and cap. “I said you install the navigation system. Nothing else.” He ran a hand through his dark curls, the gray at his temples catching the light. That crooked smile lingered—he thought she looked childish, she knew—but he was smiling. That was what mattered most. She decided it was best to drop the subject.

“You should have seen the look on your face when I snatched that ball right out of the air.”

“Aha!” He stabbed a finger in the air. “Then you admit you cheated!”

“I admit you’re a slowpoke and I’m faster.” She moved toward him, grinning. It had been a long time since she’d seen him laugh. He’d been so preoccupied, so protective, so private. If he wouldn’t confide in her, she could at least help him relax.

“To that, I must acquiesce,” he said, giving her a sort of half bow. “I do not know how you can have so much control over that belt.”

“La’Kima says it’s because girls have their center of gravity in their hips—right where the belt sits. Boys have theirs in their shoulders, so you’ve got two axes working against each other. All that weight training is ruining your game.” She grabbed both sides of his belt. “You should wear it up around your chest.” She tugged. It didn’t budge. “If you can get it past those love handles.”

“You little brat!” He caught her in one arm and scrubbed his knuckles over her head.

“Ouch! Stop!” She tried to pry his hand away.

“Make me.” He grinned, applying just enough pressure to annoy.

“Stop!” she demanded again—and tickled him in retaliation.

“Hey!” He jerked, then recovered, holding her at arm’s length by the forehead while she flailed.

“That’s no fair. Your arms are longer than mine.”

“That’s because I’m bigger.” She finally gave up, leaning her head against his hand, her own hands clasped and dangling from his arm.

“This is pathetic,” he said. “With all the money I’m paying La’Kima, this is the best you can do? Hasn’t she taught you anything besides where your center of gravity is?”

“What? You want me to try on you what she’s been teaching me?”

“Yes. I want to know if I’m getting my money’s worth.”

“But, Dad, I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Don’t worry, you won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

“Yes. Show me.”

“Okay… but remember, you asked.”

In what seemed almost like a dance, Solina grabbed the hand he was holding her with and spun, pulling him off balance. Dropping into a half sit‑spin, she swept her leg behind his knees. He hit the mat hard. Before he could inhale, she dove onto his chest, knocking the rest of the air out of him with an oomph.

“So.” She grinned down at him. “Do you think you’re getting your money’s worth?”

“Yes,” he wheezed.

“Are you okay?” Her grin vanished. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. I’m fine,” he breathed. “I just have this overwhelming need to… TICKLE YOU!” His hands shot out and she shrieked as they commenced a war of silliness.

The overhead comm chimed and they both froze.

“Bridge to Captain Daylic.”

Zariyah held up his hand, motioning unnecessarily for silence. Solina had learned long ago, growing up on a cargo ship, that when the captain was called for ship’s business, everything else dropped away. Where you were, what you were doing—even being the captain’s daughter—didn’t matter; the ship always came first.

“Go ahead,” the Captain acknowledged.

“Approaching the outer edge of the Nadir system, Sir. About to leave hyper.”

“Very well, crewman. As soon as we reach the border, drop speed to .4 and continue on until we hit traffic space.”

“Aye, aye, Captain. ETA now ten hours.”

“Good enough. I’m retiring to quarters now. Notify me of anything unusual.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

“Daylic out.”

He looked down at Solina, her face still flushed from laughter. “Well, Kitten, I guess fun time is over,” he said to her, not in Galactic Common, which they had been speaking during the game, but in their ancestral tongue of Deandrian. “We’ve got a long day ahead of us tomorrow. We’d best be getting to bed.”

“Yes, Papa,” she answered in the same tongue.

As they stood, the engine hum shifted—barely perceptible, but familiar. Solina smiled. It was nice for things to actually feel normal again. Then, scooping up her helmet from off the floor, she followed her father out of the game room.

As they walked down the corridor, from around a corner appeared Mr. Talmage, the first mate. With him was Crewman Matlyn, who never seemed to be far away when Mr. Talmage was around. Captain Daylic’s hand, which had been resting lightly across Solina’s shoulders, now tightened, drawing her in toward him.

“Captain Daylic!” said Talmage, with disingenuous surprise. “What a pleasure to see you. I see you’ve been spending quality time with the child here.”

“What do you want, Talmage? I’m busy.”

“Oh, but never too busy for me, are you, old pal.”

“Crewman Daylic. You stay here,” the Captain said to his daughter as he put both hands on her shoulders and moved her back a step.

“Yes, Captain.” In front of the crew, they always addressed each other with the same formality that was expected of everyone else.

“Always such an obedient child, isn’t she?” was Talmage’s smug comment. Captain Daylic grabbed Talmage by the arm and “escorted” him a few steps away until his back was against the wall. “Captain Daylic, please…” Talmage raised his hands in the air. “And I thought we were all such good friends.”

“I’ve tried being friends with you, Talmage, but you never seem to get the ground rules straight.” The Captain spoke in a tone that Solina had never heard him use before; it was low, strong and menacing. He switched to a language she could not understand. Talmage answered back using that same pretentious manner he had been using. She could feel her face getting hot. She could not believe that anyone, even Talmage, would address the Captain, her Captain, like that.

She had never really liked Talmage, although at first he seemed to work out fine. He ran a tight ship. He was competent enough that, in time, her father had delegated practically the entire operation of the ship to him to him so he could spend more time with his daughter. Eventually, Talmage even took over hiring new crew members, until possibly half the crew consisted of people he had hired. Lately, however, there had been a great deal of tension between the two men and now it had culminated in this.

“I see someone’s been playing games with daddy.” The smarmy comment startled Solina out of her thoughts. “And don’t you look lovely in that gaming suit. Mmmmm, mmmmm.”

Solina had been watching her father, but Crewman Matlyn had been watching her. He moved in closer. His symmetrical smile seemed somehow twisted under his long straight nose. “I know a few games I’d like to play with you.” She stepped back, keeping her distance, but he continued advancing until she was backed up against the wall opposite her father and Talmage.

“Captain!” Her voice squeaked as Matlyn braced an arm against the wall and leaned in. Instantly her father closed the distance and stepped into the small space between them, causing Matlyn to lean back. Still, he did not yield.

“Can I help you with something?” Zariyah growled, looking down at Matlyn’s ruddy cheeks, their faces so close that his reddish-blond hair wafted under the force of the Captain’s breath.

“The lady and I were just having a conversation.”

“You have something to say, you say it to me!” He then switched back to the other language, his hands opening and closing agitatedly.

“Matlyn!” was Talmage’s one word. From around her father’s shoulder, she saw Matlyn look at Talmage, who shook his head and said something. Matlyn looked back at the Captain for a moment, snarling, and then stepped away. Talmage asked a question, and although Zariyah’s answer seemed defiant, Talmage was satisfied. He straightened his collar and smoothed back his light brown hair. Then, calling Matlyn, the two strolled confidently away down the corridor.

“Captain!” she said, coming out from behind her father. “What was that?”

The Captain turned, looking down at her. They were both wearing the same equipment: an aerodynamically designed tight-fitting gaming suit that covered from neck to ankle. As he studied her up and down, his eyes narrowed. “From now on, Solina, you are not to wear that suit in front of anyone except me or La’Kima. If you are on your way to training, then you wear something baggy over it. Do you understand? When you are with the crew you are to look like ‘just one of the boys.’”

“Yes, Papa,” she said, trying to switch to Deandrian, “…but…”

“No ‘buts,’ Crewman. Do you understand?”

Solina’s eyes widened at the sharpness in his tone. “Yes, Sir. Something baggy…” she repeated, hurt he would think she was trying to argue. “But, Captain, why did you let him talk to you like that?”

“Not a word, Solina, not now.” Turning her around, he led her quickly down the hallway to their private quarters. There would be no talking to him now, she knew. She would have to wait until the tension of the moment had passed.

Solina crossed the common room they shared in their two-bedroom suite. “Papa?” She knocked on the door he had left ajar. There was no answer. “Where’s the manual to the new navigation system?” She opened the door farther and looked in.

“I put it on the dresser for you,” came the answer from the washroom. They always spoke Deandrian in their private quarters. It was their own private language no one else knew. It wasn’t just calling each other Papa and Kitten; the whole language was like a pet name. It was a symbol of their special relationship.

Solina looked around, shaking her head, and walked over to where the gaming suit had been thrown onto the floor. She picked it up and put it in the cleaner, then moved to the dresser, closing a drawer that had been left open. The manual was lying on top in plain view, but it was the holo-pic sitting next to it she reached for. Her father looked very much the same, only the dark, tightly curled hair had no trace of gray. His face was slimmer, but with the same crooked smile and there was only a hint of the laugh lines to come. The biggest difference was in his eyes. They were full of life and joy. She had seen him laugh and have fun, even as they had done earlier in the game room, but there was always something in his eyes — something sad that would never go away, and she knew it had something to do with the other person in the holo-pic she was holding. The woman was laughing up at him with her green eyes twinkling and her hands on his chest as she leaned back into the arm he was wrapping around her. Her long black hair was piled high on her head in ringlet curls that spilled down around her shoulders like a bubbling fountain.

Solina let out a sigh and, putting the holo-pic down, picked up the manual, plopped down on the bed, and opened it up. She lay on her stomach, with her knees bent, twirling her feet back and forth while waiting for her father. She was dressed in a flannel nightgown that had once reached the floor but that she had long since begun to outgrow. Her shiny black hair was divided into two long thick braids on either side of her head. “Hey, Papa?”

“Yes, Kitten.”

“How about if next time, instead of playing g-ball, we have a target shooting contest, and if I win, then I get to dock the ship at the next port?” She sat up looking toward the washroom door.

Her father appeared at the entrance, wiping his hands on a towel, and leaned against the frame. “There are two things wrong with that one,” he said, crossing one ankle over the other. “First, any target shooting contest with you is no contest. You are sure to win.”

“…and second?”

“…and second.” He poked a finger in her direction. “You’re not docking this ship at any port until you’ve practiced more with the shuttles.”

“Yes, Papa.” She sighed. She didn’t really believe he’d agree, but it never hurt to try.

Her father stood for a moment watching her, shaking his head. “My stars! I can’t believe how much you are looking like your mother.”

“Really?” Her face lit up and, jumping off the bed, she reached for the picture on the dresser. “You two looked so happy in this picture.”

“We were very happy.”

“Here, Papa.” She pushed him backward until he landed in the big easy chair in the corner. “Tell me about her. Tell me about my mother.”

“Oomph,” he blurted as she landed in his lap, snuggling down as if waiting for a bedtime story. She always hesitated to bring up her mother because he would get so melancholy. She had tried in the past to ask her long-time tutor, Professor Kinthy, but she would always tell her to ask her father. This time, however, he had brought it up, and she was going to take advantage of it. “I think you’re getting a little too big for this.”

“Too big to hear about my mother?”

“No, too big to be sitting in my lap.”

“Tell me about mother,” she said, ignoring his objection and looking down at the picture. “Jazzlynn Avant Daylic. That is such a pretty name, and she was pretty too, wasn’t she?”

“Yes, she was very pretty. Her hair was black as space, and yet still glowed, mysteriously, like a dark nebula.”

“‘The Dark Nebula’! You named the ship after Mama’s hair! Oh, Papa, I bet she liked that.”

“Yes, she did,” he said, smiling.

“You miss her, don’t you?”

“Very much.” He nodded, and Solina hoped she wasn’t wrong to press him as his smile turned melancholy. “She was not just your mother. She was my wife, my partner, my first mate, and my confidante.” His eyes shifted from the holo-pic to his daughter, and he took a breath that added strength to his voice. “She would keep me out of trouble and from doing anything stupid.”

“Papa. You could never do anything stupid. You’re the Captain!”

“Believe me, Kitten, captains can do stupid things, very stupid things…” His voice trailed off, and his brow furrowed as his eyes wandered, focusing on nothing.

Solina watched him for a moment. He had been doing this kind of thing more and more lately, and she thought she knew why.

“Papa? Why have you kept Mr. Talmage on for so long? He has always been arrogant, but ever since we left the last port, he has been getting more so — almost mutinous.” She placed her fingers on his chin and gently turned his face toward hers. “I’ve seen what he’s done to you, and I don’t like it.”

His eyes opened wide. “What have you seen?”

“The tension, the worry, how protective you’ve become over me, hiring La’Kima to teach me fighting skills.”

“Ah, now La’Kima was a happy accident.” He raised a finger in the air. “She actually approached me.”

“That’s beside the point. Look, Papa, I’ve never questioned anything you’ve ever done or any order you’ve ever given… but, Papa, Mr. Talmage has been with us entirely too long. He should have been let go ports ago, and, well, I want to know why it didn’t happen.”

Zariyah Daylic’s jaw dropped as he looked at his daughter. “It has finally happened.”

“What’s happened?”

“You are growing up. Your Papa is no longer the all-knowing, perfect leader. I have fallen from my pedestal, never to rise again.” He waved his arm wildly, and his voice took on a theatrical flair. “There shall be no phoenix rising from the ashes…”

“Papa!” She slapped playfully at his chest with an open hand. “Stop being so dramatic! You’re trying to change the subject.”

“You do know what the phoenix is, don’t you?” he said, cocking an eyebrow to match his crooked smile.

“Of course I do. You think Professor Kinthy has taught me nothing as she’s waddled around all these years?”

Zariyah scowled. “Professor Kinthy is a wealth of knowledge and information. She knows more about anything than you and me put together. It’s only in the last few years she’s had problems walking. She didn’t have to sign on to be your tutor. You’d do well to speak more respectfully of her.”

“Yes, Papa,” she said quietly, looking down at her fingers. “I’m sorry.”

“Well, now…” He started to get up, but Solina stopped him.

“Wait, Papa, please, about Mr. Talmage… I’m not questioning your abilities or your authority. I just want to know. Why?”

Captain Daylic gazed at her, frowning. Then he clasped his arms around her and, letting out a sigh, settled back into the chair. “Sometimes, Kitten, we can make bad choices in life, and when we do, we have to do the best we can to fix the problem. Sometimes we might need to ask for help to do it. Sometimes it might seem that the cure is worse than the illness. But in the long run, what matters is that we do what we know is right.”

“So, you think it was right to keep Mr. Talmage on board?”

“There are things you don’t know about. Agreements have been made, and for a spacer who makes his living on agreements and contracts, it’s a matter of principle. It’s like your mother and me; we were so happy together because we were committed to each other. Our commitment was more than just a legal, binding contract. Our loyalty to each other involved our integrity to ourselves.” Solina found his explanation very cryptic, but now he was talking about her mother again, and she was loath to interrupt. “Remember, Solina, if a spacer won’t keep his word, then he is nothing.” He lifted her off his lap and went back into the washroom.

She put the picture back on the dresser and sat down on the bed. “But, Papa, what about those stories of cargo ships caught smuggling contraband?” Just then, something fell and clattered across the washroom floor.

“What about them?”

“Well, besides the fact that they broke the law, they would have to have lied to someone somewhere along the way.”

Captain Daylic came out into the room. He knelt down on one knee in front of her, with both hands on her shoulders, looking deep into her eyes. “Listen to me, Solina. I’ve tried hard to protect you from the bad things in this galaxy, and there are a lot of bad things out there. But there will come a time when I won’t be around anymore. There are a lot of people who think nothing of lying and cheating and using others for their own selfish gain. The most important thing that you can remember is that while you are trying not to be used and deceived by them, you do not become like them. Do you understand? Never let yourself become one of them, no matter what might happen.” He held her gaze a moment longer, something unreadable crossing his face. “And tomorrow — whatever I ask of you, however strange it seems — you do it without question.”

Solina stared back at her father. For the second time in one night, she had seen him speak in a way that she had never seen before. “Papa, now you’re scaring me. What do you think is going to happen?”

“I’m not saying anything is going to happen.” He wouldn’t quite meet her eyes. “I’m just saying — remember what I’ve taught you.” He rose from where he’d knelt, and for a moment the energy that had carried him through the last few minutes seemed to drain out of him all at once.

“You’re a good girl, Kitten.” He started to turn away, but now it was her turn to hold on to his arm.

“You said a minute ago that sometimes we might need to ask for help. Isn’t there anything that I can do to help you now?”

He smiled, raising a hand to her cheek. “You really are just like your mother, aren’t you?” Suddenly, his eyes widened. “Your mother!” he said excitedly. “That’s it!” Jumping up, he moved to the drawer Solina had closed earlier. Opening it back up, he took something out. “I was going to wait to give this to you, but I think you should have it now.” He reached toward her, letting a long, slender chain dangle from his fingers with a locket hanging from the end.

“Mama’s locket? I don’t understand.”

“See? Look,” he said, offering no explanation, only pointing at the flat-pics inside. “On this side is a picture of you when you were a baby — it was your mother’s favorite — and on this side is a picture of your mother.”

“I thought it had your picture in it.”

“It did, but I thought you would like your mother’s better.”

“If you were going to change a picture, you should have changed mine. I’d rather have one of you than me.”

He opened the chain and hung it around her neck. “Now, this is very important. You have to promise me that you will never lose this, never take it off. Keep this well guarded and don’t show it to anyone.” He waited until she looked up at him. “And whatever happens tomorrow — whatever I ask of you — you do it. No question, no hesitation. Promise me.”

“I promise, Papa.”

“Good girl, Kitten. Now it’s time for you to go to sleep.” He pulled the covers back for her.

“In here? Where are you going to sleep?”

“Right over there in that big chair.”

“But you can’t! We have to unload cargo tomorrow. You need your rest.”

“Solina.” He spoke with a strained patience, as if she were a newbie who was in danger of stepping out of line. “That’s enough. Now go to sleep.”

That should have been the end of it, she knew. She should have kept quiet, and if everything were normal, she would have. But everything was not normal, and the words were out before she realized it.

“There’s nothing extraordinary about Mama’s locket, is there? You just did that to make me feel like I’m doing something for you.”

He frowned at her with his sternest “captain’s face.” “Believe what you want. You’ll keep your promise regardless.”

“Why won’t you let me help you for real, instead of giving me a necklace to hold onto?”

“Because right now, the way you help me is by doing as you’re told.” His voice was sharper than she’d ever heard it. “This is not the night for it, Solina.”

She flinched, more from his tone than the words. This was a night of firsts — they had never argued before, and he had never spoken to her like that. “I’m sorry, Papa. I didn’t mean to make you angry.” Her eyes stung, and she looked down at her fingers twisting in her lap.

“I know.” His voice softened, and he pulled the covers up over her shoulder. “Go to sleep.”

“Yes, Papa… though I don’t know how,” she mumbled under her breath as she settled into the bed.

Her father nodded, then disappeared into the washroom. He returned a moment later with a glass of water in one hand and stretched out the other toward her. “Here, take these.”

She opened her hand, and he dropped two small pills into it. Her jaw dropped in disbelief. “What are these? You hate drugs of any kind. You won’t even take aspirin if you can help it.” She pursed her lips closed and glared up at the man in front of her. “Okay. Who are you, and what have you done with my father?”

Zariyah’s head dropped, and his hand rushed up to meet it as if to keep it from falling off completely. Then he closed his eyes, heaving a great sigh. “Look,” he said, opening his eyes again. “They’re non-habit-forming and won’t keep you from waking up if you should need to, but they will help you to sleep.” He held the water out to her again.

She took the glass and looked down at the two small, round objects in her palm for a moment, then closed her eyes and swallowed them. She handed the glass back to her father, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand.

“Now. I have some things I need to do.” He kissed her on the forehead. “You try to get some sleep, and I’ll see you in the morning. Computer… lights out. Begin sleep cycle.” The room went dark, and Zariyah left.

He never shuts the door, she thought as she stared for a moment at the shaft of light cutting through the darkness. Every other door in the entire ship slid open electronically, but her father insisted on installing these antiquated pieces of equipment as their bedroom doors for fear the others might somehow short out and prevent him from being able to get to her — in case of what, she didn’t know. She turned and faced the other way.

Now, with the lights out, she could see beyond the window on the far wall the soft, twinkling points of light stretching out across the Milky Way. She used to imagine that near one of those points of light was a planet where her mother was waiting for them to come and find her. She couldn’t remember much, but she could remember the day she woke up in a strange room and found her father slumped over in a big chair, much like the one now behind her. He held his face in his hands. She asked him what was wrong. He wouldn’t or couldn’t answer. She asked where her mother was. He looked at her with a red face and swollen eyes. When would she be back? Then she started to cry. As his only answer, he scooped her up in his arms and held her tight, sobbing, both of them sobbing, for how long she didn’t know. She couldn’t even remember how old she was when it happened.

From behind the door, she could hear the beep of the outgoing comm button. “Daylic to La’Kima.”

“La’Kima here.”

“I need to see you in my quarters right away.”

“Yes, Captain, on my way.” A moment later, her father came back into the room carrying a blanket and pillow and threw them on the chair.

“Why do you want to talk to La’Kima now?”

“You’re supposed to be sleeping.” She twitched her shoulders in a shrug.

“I guess the pills haven’t started working yet.”

“Here, I thought you might like this.” He held out a stuffed animal. The once-elongated nose was pushed sideways, and it could no longer sit up on its hind legs from years of being slept on. Its silky green and red fur had long since become so matted that it now more resembled wool. A tear had recently been sewn up, though she had not done the sewing. It was also missing an eye, and the twin set of horns on its head and tail had been frayed and torn until there was no more stuffing left in them.

“Squill?” She frowned. “Papa, I’m not a child anymore. I’ll be seventeen soon. I think you keep forgetting that.” Of course, she wasn’t going to tell him how hard it was for her to feel grown up, especially around him.

“Okay.” He shrugged. “I’ll just take it back.”

“No! Wait.” She reached out toward him. “You brought him. I might as well take him — but not because I need to sleep with him, you understand.”

“No, of course not.” His crooked smile appeared again.

“Mama gave him to me,” she explained. “I remember that.” She took the stuffed squilli monster into her arms and turned over to face the window. “It reminds me of her. How happy we all were together.” She was suddenly feeling very tired and wiped her face into the pillow, hoping he wouldn’t see the tear dripping down the side of her face.

Zariyah sat down on the bed next to his daughter, softly stroking her hair. “I know, Kitten, I know. I miss her too, but I promise you, if it’s within my power, one day we will know that kind of happiness again. Now, you go to sleep.” Just then, the compartment door chimed, and Zariyah patted her on the arm and left, this time closing the door all the way.

What did he mean by ‘we will know that kind of happiness again’? We are happy together, just the two of us, she thought, still looking at the stars going by. But to be happy that way again, we would need Mama.

From beyond the door, she could hear La’Kima’s voice float through as her father let her in. Surely, he didn’t mean that he wanted La’Kima to… She squeezed Squilli hard. No. She wouldn’t think about that. She wouldn’t think about anything. In fact, it was getting hard to think at all as the sleeping pills started to take effect. Suddenly, she was glad her father had given them to her, and she let herself relax and drift into a dream-filled sleep.

Chapter II

 Solina sensed, rather than saw, the lights slowly coming on just as they did at the end of every sleep cycle. With her eyes still closed, she snuggled hard into Squilli and beat her pillow, trying to catch just a few more winks of sleep. Her father was talking softly to someone in the other room, and she crinkled her face, rubbing it hard. Something wasn’t right. The voices were coming from the wrong direction. She opened her eyes and looked at the portal window. Only a few stars could still be seen through the soft light of the room reflecting off it.

“What’s that doing there?” she said out loud and blinked as she sat up, looking around her. “Papa’s room?!” Her forehead furrowed as she tried to think. Across the room, she could see the big easy chair with a crumpled pillow and blanket thrown across it. Her heart sank, and a knot appeared in the pit of her stomach as the events of the night before came flooding back to her.

Still holding Squilli, she slipped off the bed and tiptoed to the door, the locket swinging from her neck. As usual, the door had been left ajar, and she arrived just in time to see her father dismiss someone at the main entry leading to the corridor and the door slide shut. “Who was that, Papa?” She squinted at the bright light from the other room.

“You need to hurry up and get dressed. We’re running late.”

“What time is it?”

“Time to leave. Get a move on.”

Solina came out from behind the door and hurried into the main room. The large portal windows looked like a wall of mirrors with the inside light reflecting off them. She could see her father moving over to the computer terminal and herself scurrying across the floor, past the chairs and sofa, her hair slightly tufted from sleep. She could see the breakfast waiting on the table.

“Breakfast?” She stopped short. “What’s that doing here? Aren’t we going to eat in the mess hall? You always said you don’t want the crew to think that you believe you’re better than they are.”

“It will be all right this once,” he said, sitting down at the terminal. “I thought it would save some time and let you sleep in a little longer. Now hurry up, get dressed, and stop asking so many questions.”

“Yes, Papa.” She ran into her room. The bed was disheveled from her father taking the blanket and pillow the night before. She threw Squilli on it and found her flight suit in the closet. He wants me to look like one of the boys, but surely, he couldn’t object to this. There would be plenty of work today. She wanted to be ready for it, and the blue-gray uni-piece jumper was very functional. She zipped it up the front and, remembering her father’s instructions, tucked the locket underneath so no one would see it. Unbraiding her hair, she brushed it back into one long ponytail that rose out of the crown of her head, tumbling down in waves left over from the braids.

As she reached for the flight boots, she noticed her g-belt was still out. Kneeling down next to the wall, Solina pulled the grating from the air duct. She had found this loose grating years ago and used to go exploring through the ducts and maintenance tunnels when she was younger. She never told her father because she wasn’t sure he would approve. Even though she hadn’t done it in years, force of habit made her slip the belt back in the duct. She replaced the grating, pulled on her deck boots, and ran back out to gobble down the breakfast he had waiting for her. As she quickly shoveled the food into her mouth, she noticed the other plate on the table had not been touched.

“Papa, what about your breakfast?” she asked, realizing too late that she had too much food in her mouth to speak intelligibly, let alone politely.

“What was that, Kitten?” She turned to see her father looking intently at his computer screen and realized that he probably would not have heard her even if she hadn’t had her mouth full. She took a drink and swallowed the whole thing down, trying not to choke.

“Your breakfast, aren’t you going to eat it?” She faced the plate, pointing at it with her fork.

“I’m not hungry.”

“But, Papa, you need to eat something, and Cook went to all the trouble…”

“BLAST IT, SOLINA!”

Solina jumped in her chair as he slammed his fist down on the console. She turned, looking at him with eyes wide open.

“Stop it! Just stop it! Not today! No questions. No suggestions. Just obedience. For one day! That’s all I’m asking of you. Just for today. Do you think you can handle that?!”

“Yes, Captain,” she answered in Galactic Common, turning back to her plate. Why would he say that? Didn’t she always obey his orders? Last night was the first argument they had ever had. Slowly, she started picking through the food, looking for something that seemed appetizing. It’s my own fault. If only I had kept my mouth shut last night. Then her lips pursed tight. If only he would tell me what was going on instead of making me feel like a child! From behind, she could hear her father sigh deeply.

“Come here, Kitten… please.” His voice was soft and barely audible.

She pushed herself away from the table and stood up. Picking up the napkin, she wiped her mouth, set it back down, and walked over to him. Standing with her feet shoulder-width apart, she clasped her hands behind her, her eyes staring dutifully ahead. Her throat was tight. She swallowed hard.

“Yes, Captain?” she managed to say.

“Look, Kitten…” He looked up at her from his terminal. “No, don’t stand like that.” Taking her arms, he shook them loose and then held both of her hands in his. “Remember what you promised me last night? If I tell you to do something, even if it seems out of the ordinary or you don’t understand why, you must do it, whatever it is, without question or hesitation.”

She looked down at his hands as they played with her fingers.

“That starts right now — this instant. Do you understand?”

She nodded, still staring downward.

“Good. Then the first thing I want you to remember is that today you go nowhere alone. You’re to be with either me or La’Kima. Do you understand?”

She nodded again as her right ankle bounced up and down so that her foot tilted inward, causing her whole body to jerk slightly.

“Repeat it back to me.”

She looked over at the computer screen he had been so diligently studying. “Today I’m to go nowhere alone. I’m to be with either you or La’Kima.”

“Good girl, Solina. Now…” Whatever he was about to say was interrupted by the comm chime.

“La’Kima to Captain Daylic.”

“Hold on, I’m moving to the other room.” Solina watched as the Captain jumped to his feet and rushed into his room, closing the door behind him.

She looked down at the computer screen again, biting her lip. She had promised no questions, and she was going to keep her promise. As she looked longer at the screen, her eyes widened. I promised no questions, but I didn’t promise I wouldn’t look for answers. She bit her lip again, but this time there was a sly smile behind it. She looked back at the door. It was still closed. Sitting down at the terminal, she began studying the screen. It was a region of space she was not familiar with. There didn’t seem to be anything out of the ordinary about it. She touched the screen to get a broader view. Close by the system was a dark nebula, small by galactic standards. What was it that so engrossed him about this? She looked again toward the bedroom. Then, switching the screen back to where it was, she got up, moving stealthily to the door. Carefully, she leaned her ear against it.

“…that’s right, Solina does, but she doesn’t know it.” It was her father’s voice. “Get her away safely, and you should have everything you need.”

“Not everything, Daylic. We still need you…” The voice that answered back was not La’Kima’s, as she had expected. It was a man’s voice and one she did not recognize.

“No, Garrick. Who you need is Senseney.” Those were names she had never heard before.

Suddenly, she heard movement through the door. She slapped her hand over her mouth as her heart seemed to skip a beat. Spinning on her heels, she made a mad dash for the chair waiting in front of the abandoned plate of food. Sitting down quickly, she picked up the fork. She tried stabbing at a morsel, but the fork wouldn’t cooperate and made a horribly loud noise. She put it back down, certain the fork itself would somehow give her away and her father would know instantly that she had tried to listen in to his private conversation. She started playing with the napkin instead.

Her Papa came out of the room, strode to the computer, and turned it off. Just then, the comm chimed again.

“Bridge to Captain Daylic.”

“Daylic here,” he answered, marching back out to the middle of the room.

“We’re coming up on traffic space, Captain. ETA six minutes.”

Captain Daylic stopped his crossing halfway between the entry door and the breakfast table. He stood looking sideways at his daughter, who was sitting at the table, and frowned, clasping his hands behind him.

“Drop speed to point two, Mr. Elgendy.”

“Aye, aye, Captain, dropping speed to point two… ETA now at… twelve minutes.”

“Very good, Mr. Elgendy. Carry on until I arrive.”

“Aye, aye, Captain. Bridge out.”

The Captain pointed at Solina. “I just bought you six minutes,” he said in Deandrian. “You’d better hurry up and finish getting ready.”

“I’m ready now, Sir,” she replied in Galactic Common as she jumped to her feet and stood at attention.

“What about your breakfast?” he asked again in Deandrian.

“Begging the Captain’s pardon, Sir, I’m really not that hungry.” Solina raised her head, looking her father in the eye. She wanted to be strong. To show him she wasn’t a child, no matter how much she felt like one, but the frown on his face was too much for her. She looked down at her boots instead and tried to find her toes wiggling inside them.

“‘Begging the Captain’s pardon, Sir?’” He seemed to hold his breath for a moment and then, letting the air out through his nose, nodded his head. “I suppose I deserve that.” He finally gave up Deandrian and reverted to Galactic Common as he turned to face his daughter squarely.

Unable to see her toes wiggle, Solina decided to lean back on her heels and tap them together instead.

“Very well, then, Crewman Daylic, you’re with me.” He turned sharply in place and slapped the control panel to the main entry door. It slid open, and he marched out.

Almost losing her balance, Solina stumbled into a run and slipped through the door just before it slid shut. She caught up to her father and tried keeping pace, but his long legs were stretching out as far as he could make them, and Solina was forced to break into a trot now and then to keep up.

He marched on with purpose and authority, his boots beating out a rhythmic echo that was partly muted in the almost empty hallway. Was it truly an echo, or was it simply her own heart beating in her ears?

He looked straight ahead, saying nothing except to acknowledge the occasional greeting from a passing crewman. All the familiar faces were relaxed and friendly, but those who were new, hired by Mr. Talmage, were cool and reserved. Some of them even made her uncomfortable. She would steal a glance at her father when they passed those crewmen and catch him turning his head, checking to see if she was close behind.

Here and there, a door was left open, and if she looked inside as they passed, she could see the crewmen getting ready for shore leave. They hadn’t even reached port yet, let alone begun unloading the cargo. Why would half the crew be getting ready for leave? Every hand was needed on arrival. Why, even she had been known to use a cargo hover-lift at times.

So many strange things were happening all at once. The moodiness, the protectiveness, the many promises she had to make, the fragment of conversation she overheard with the mysterious voice, the unknown visitor that morning, the clandestine conversations with La’Kima, sleeping in his room while he took the chair, the locket, the incident with Talmage and Matlyn in the corridor. Matlyn — the thought sent a shiver down her spine. Unconsciously, she looked around, speeding up to move closer to her father.

The only time she could think of when her father’s actions had even come close to what they were now was once, long ago. She could remember a long haul deep in the galaxy when they had been attacked by raiders. Amazingly, the Galactic Rangers came to their rescue. Never again did he accept long hauls, only those in safer, well-populated areas.

The Captain’s stride changed so quickly that Solina almost ran into him. If she had been paying attention, she would have noticed they had reached the bridge and adjusted automatically when he paused to let the door slide open.

“Mr. Elgendy, report,” he barked, striding through the door. Mr. Elgendy, who had been sitting in the captain’s chair, got up and relieved the crewman at the helm, his tall, slender figure slipping easily into the chair. Captain Daylic took his seat, and Solina, following close behind, took up her usual spot as observer, out of the way, behind and to the right.

“Cruising speed is point two, Sir. Traffic space ETA seven minutes.”

“Is the Automated Identification System online and working?”

“Aye, Sir. All diagnostics check out normal. AIS is both transmitting and receiving data. Port Authority acknowledgment and holding coordinates have been confirmed. Shall we correct course to match, Captain?”

“You have the helm, Mr. Elgendy. Bring her in at your discretion.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.”

Captain Daylic picked up an electronic data log and studied it, while Solina looked longingly at the helm. Establishing a holding position was a lot easier than docking with a station, but she knew better than to say anything.

It was Jakob Elgendy and his team who were on watch. He was a good spacer and had been with the ship for many years. She was glad to see familiar, friendly faces as she looked around at the men and women on duty.

Mr. Elgendy made a few adjustments on the control panel. “Coming around. Correcting course for assigned holding coordinates zero-one-five, mark two-five-niner.” The scene on the view screen changed in response to Mr. Elgendy’s course correction. The large blue-and-gray marble moved off-center, and ribbons of shimmering lights from the traffic lanes leading up to the orbiting space station came into view. The occasional solitary point of light would break away or join the fluid ribbons as inbound and outbound ships came and went. There were no ships coming or going from the planet’s surface. Aside from its location as a central hub of trade and commerce connecting several well-populated areas of space, the planet itself held little attraction for the average voyager.

The original port had been planetside, but over time commerce shifted into orbit. The station grew into an independent society, while Nadir Three — with little trade, a damaged ecosystem, and only a semblance of government — became a breeding ground for greed and lawlessness. Solina never worried about that. Like so many other ships, they were just passing through; after a brief shore leave, they would take on new cargo and move on.

The bridge door slid open. The woman who entered carried herself with a confidence born not from arrogance, but from awareness — awareness of herself and everything around her. Her loose gold-and-black jacket cinched at the hips over dark trousers and boots, stylish but practical. Short bronze hair framed her glowing bronze complexion, and her light brown eyes flashed almost yellow. Solina knew that, in different clothing or lighting, the woman’s eyes, hair, and even her skin might appear to change. She possessed so many natural shades that she could alter her appearance almost like a chameleon.

“La’Kima, reporting as ordered, Sir,” the woman announced.

“Thank you, La’Kima. You’re right on time.” He set the data log down. “Crewman Daylic…”

“Yes, Captain.” Solina stepped forward, her eyes fixed straight ahead.

“I want you to take the small shuttle and ferry La’Kima and Professor Kinthy to the space station for their shore leave.”

“Sir?” Her eyes disobeyed her and looked at him. What about the cargo? We’re supposed to dock first, unload the cargo, then everyone gets shore leave.

“Is there something you don’t understand about your orders, Crewman?” He leaned toward her, bracing an elbow on the arm of his chair and looking her straight in the eyes.

No questions. No questions. Save yourself. How? Clarify orders! “When would you like us to disembark, Sir?” She ripped her eyes away and looked across the bridge, past La’Kima. She could see the bridge crew watching them, their eyes darting back and forth as if looking for some explanation for the unusual exchange between the Captain and his daughter.

The Captain nodded to himself, sat back in his chair, and returned to the data log. “As soon as they are ready, preferably by the time we reach holding coordinates.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” She moved toward the door. La’Kima turned to follow.

“Crewman Daylic, hold on.” Solina stopped. “Come here, please.” She closed her eyes briefly and took a deep breath. Now what had she done?

“Yes, Sir.” She turned back and stood next to him again.

Putting the data log down, he held out his hand. “Go on, take it,” he said, his voice low and soft. She hesitated for a split second and then took his hand. He put his other hand on top of hers and, looking down at them, held them silently for a moment. Then he spoke quietly in Deandrian. “I just want you to know that I think you’re a good pilot, a good spacer, and I’m very proud of you. And after I’m done here, I’ll meet you on the station, and you and I will have the best night on the town we have ever had.”

“Really, Papa?” Her eyes opened wide. “Thank you, Papa… I mean…” Clearing her throat, Solina switched back to Galactic Common. “Yes, Captain.”

“Yes… well.” He patted her hand, then let it go. “Dismissed.”

“Aye, aye, Sir.” She turned and started away again.

“Wait. I want you to hear this too.” He stood up, looking around. “Mr. Elgendy, in a few minutes, Mr. Talmage and his shift will be arriving. When that happens, I want you to make preparations to pilot the crew scheduled for shore leave in the DN2 to the space station. Since Crewman Daylic won’t be with you, I will leave choosing the copilot to your discretion. You are to be responsible for distributing this shipment’s pay to all those with you. You will have two hours to get what you need for this and to get everyone on the shuttle and accounted for.” He paused for a moment, considering his next statement. “I also want you all to know that this will be the last run Mr. Talmage and ‘his’ crew will be making on the Dark Nebula. When they are done unloading, they will be discharged from her service.” The normally dignified crew gave out a loud and boisterous cheer.

“Yes!” Solina found herself joining in the festivities. She looked at La’Kima and was surprised to see that she was not joining in. La’Kima stood with her weight back on one leg and her arms crossed, shaking her head. Surely, she could not approve of Mr. Talmage.

The Captain raised his hands, motioning for silence. “You are all loyal officers here, and I expect you to behave as such and not share this information with anyone until after those concerned have found out for themselves. Is that understood?”

“Yes, Captain.”

“Yes, Captain,” came the acknowledgments echoing from around the room.

“One more thing, Mr. Elgendy. I’m afraid your shore leave will have to be cut short this time around, as it is traditionally the duty of the First Mate to aid the Captain in acquiring new crew.” More cheers went up as Mr. Elgendy received congratulations and slaps on the back.

“Mr. Elgendy, time to holding coordinates?” The Captain’s voice rose above the din, bringing the bridge back to order as he sat down in his chair.

“Two minutes to traffic space and then another ten to HC under impulse power, Sir.”

“Thank you, Mr. Elgendy.” He pointed a finger at the two standing by the entrance. “You have twelve minutes to get her and Kinthy out of here.”

“Aye, aye, Captain.” La’Kima’s words did not fit her sarcastic tone, and her eyes glared at him even as she reached for her charge. “Come, Solina, we must go, and quickly.” She turned and led Solina by the arm out the door and down the corridor, which was already growing busier with the imminent watch change. Her face was hard and serious, and her eyes darted from side to side, taking in everything, missing nothing.

“You don’t think the Captain was right to say what he did, do you?”

“I do not think he should have said it just now. He should know not to trust anyone.” La’Kima spoke as one who had not grown up speaking Galactic Common. Her voice had an almost musical lilt to it, and she had never quite gotten used to using contractions.

“Why not? What’s going on?”

La’Kima shot a look down at Solina, then continued her surveillance. “He has told you nothing, has he?”

“I… just want to know if you know… that’s all.”

“If he has not seen fit to tell you, then it is not my place to do so.” They turned the corner into the corridor that led to Professor Kinthy’s quarters. Through it all, La’Kima’s hand never left Solina’s arm. “I cannot believe he has given me twelve minutes. I have an elderly woman who can barely walk, and he has given me twelve minutes.”

They reached Professor Kinthy’s door. La’Kima all but threw Solina against the wall, slapped the door chime, then turned around with her back to Solina, looking both ways down the corridor.

“Yes, come in,” came the invitation from the other side of the door.

“Professor Kinthy, it is La’Kima. It is time to go,” she called without opening the door or stopping her vigil.

“I’m not ready yet,” came the irritated voice from the other side, “and you don’t have to shout.” The door slid open, and a white-haired, wrinkled scowl sitting atop a short, round body poked itself out. “Well, hello, dear. I didn’t know you were out here too.” As Professor Kinthy’s pale blue eyes spotted Solina half-hidden behind La’Kima, the scowl transformed instantly into a large, brilliant smile, the wrinkles accentuating it like beams of light drawn in a comic strip. “Some people don’t have the manners to announce anyone but themselves.” The smile disappeared briefly as she shot a look at La’Kima, then reappeared just as quickly. “Why don’t you come in and help me with my things, dear?” Grabbing Solina by the arm, she started guiding her into the room.

“I am sorry, Professor, but we do not have time for this.” La’Kima grabbed Solina’s other arm, and they started playing a kind of tug-of-war with her. “Solina must get to the shuttle and warm it up so we can be ready to leave at the time her father has set for us.” Professor Kinthy stopped and looked at La’Kima, considering what had just been said.

“Oh, all right.” She let go of Solina. “But how am I going to get my things down there? I’ve already reserved a room, and I’m not leaving without them,” she said, shaking her cane for emphasis.

“A room? Why do you need…” Solina’s question was cut off as La’Kima dragged her out the door and across the hall to another open door, where a crewman was busy getting ready for shore leave.

“Crewman, you are scheduled for shore leave, no?” she asked, though she already knew the answer.

“Why, yes, ma’am.”

“And your roommate — is he too?”

“Yes, ma’am, he is.”

“The Captain needs a favor, please. If you would help Professor Kinthy bring her things to Shuttle Bay Two within the next five minutes, he would greatly appreciate it.”

“Of course, ma’am.” The crewman shot a glance over La’Kima’s shoulder and across the hall. “Not a problem,” he said with a frown.

“Thank you, crewman.” She shuffled Solina back across the hall. “Professor Kinthy, this young man will bring you to us. This is good, no?” Without waiting for an answer, she marched down the corridor to the turbo-lift, towing her charge behind her.

“Do you have to drag me every step of the way?” Solina gave a testing tug with her arm.

“Yes, I do.” La’Kima tightened her grip. They made it to the turbo-lift, and she slapped the door controls shut before anyone else could join them. “Shuttle Bay Two,” she announced to the air. The computer beeped, lights flashed, and the lift started to move.

Solina stood leaning against the wall with her arms folded across her chest and one foot propped up behind her. Her lips pursed together as she glared at La’Kima.

“Do not look at me that way. I can tell you nothing your father has not.”

“It seems there’re all kinds of things going on that I don’t know about.”

“And you do not think this to be at all your own fault, no?”

“My own fault?” Solina was interrupted by the arrival bell. La’Kima smacked the hold button and, grabbing the young girl, manhandled her into place behind the panel next to the door. She brought a finger to her lips, then held her palm out straight as she stood on the other side of the door by the control panel.

“Computer, are there any life signs in Shuttle Bay Two?”

“Negative,” came the metallic voice of the computer.

“Are there any life signs in the shuttle?”

“Negative.”

“Computer, are there any life signs within a two-meter radius of Shuttle Bay Two?”

“There are two life signs within a two-meter radius of Shuttle Bay Two.”

Solina’s heart sped up as she watched La’Kima stiffen at this information and put her hand inside her jacket.

“Where are these two life signs located?”

“There are two life signs located inside turbo-lift four, entering Shuttle Bay Two.”

Dropping her hand, La’Kima slumped back against the control panel, looking up at the ceiling.

“La’Kima, that’s us! We’re the two life signs!”

Her escort punched the open button on the door and continued dragging her toward the shuttle.

“Why do we have to act like we’re escaping from our own ship?”

“Tell me, Solina,” La’Kima said, reaching up to open the shuttle airlock. “Do you like Mr. Talmage?” she asked, waving her charge inside.

“No! Not at all.” Solina ignored the step, leaping past it into the shuttle, and headed directly through the small, four-seat cabin to the pilot’s chair. La’Kima followed and took her own place at the sensor console.

“And what of Mr. Matlyn?”

“Eww…” The girl’s face twisted as she shivered involuntarily.

“I need power, Solina.”

“Powering up.” She reached up and touched several switches above her head. Lights blinked, gauges flipped, alarms beeped, and data screens flashed as power pulsed through the control boards.

“And what of the crew that Mr. Talmage has hired? What do you think of them?”

“They make me… uncomfortable.”

“Yes. So, now you begin to see.”

“See what?”

“Running shield diagnostics and life support.” La’Kima pushed buttons of her own.

“The navigation system had been shut off during hyperspace. It needs to be recalibrated.”

“It will not take long, no?”

“No, we should be ready to go on time… So, what am I supposed to see?”

“Solina, you cannot wait to be told something so as to know it. Much of what people say is half-lies, and even those who do not lie often tell only half-truths. Do not listen to what people tell you; listen to what they say and watch what they do. Things slip out — clues and hints. Even more important is how they say it and what they do while they say it. Most everyone is hiding something. To find the truth, you must open your eyes and your mind and look beyond the obvious.”

“So, what are you hiding?” Solina smiled smugly as the older woman gave her a sideways glance.

“Why do we not talk instead about what you are hiding?”

“Me? I don’t have anything to hide.”

“There is not a child in this galaxy who does not have something to hide from their parents. Surely there has been something, at some time, that you knew your father would not approve of — or feared he would not approve of, no?”

Solina started to fidget with the gauges and control panels as she remembered her old jaunts through the air ducts.

“Ah, see there. Your silence says much, and your sudden interest in the gauges tells more.”

“It’s the pilot’s job to check the gauges.” Solina scowled.

“Let me see if I can find something most recent. Perhaps this morning, when I called your father, he made me wait until he went to the other room. This means you must have been with him at the time. He has told you nothing, but you want to know, so perhaps you decide to listen at the door. You probably hesitate at first, so you miss the beginning of the conversation. Your conscience would probably eat at you, so you would not be able to listen for long. You are still confused now, so you heard nothing you could understand, which most likely means it was toward the end of the conversation.”

Solina had stopped her fidgeting and sat entranced, staring, as La’Kima described the scene from that morning — a scene she would’ve had no way of knowing.

“Your reaction now says to me that I am correct. So, you see, the only thing I do not know is the exact words you heard. And, if I wait long enough, this, too, I may know.”

Solina opened her mouth, but nothing came out. How did La’Kima do that? So many questions — but did she dare ask? If she did, she would be admitting that La’Kima was right, and then — would La’Kima tell her father?

The decision was made for her as the turbo-lift door opened and Professor Kinthy came out, bagless, escorted by the crewman La’Kima had pressed into service.

La’Kima moved next to Solina, their cheeks almost touching as they peered out the side viewport together. “Look at Professor Kinthy.” Her voice was feathery soft. “Where are the many things that she would not leave without? What do you think has happened to them?”

“I don’t know.” Solina shrugged.

“Yes, you do. Think. The crewman had five minutes to get her down here. She is old and cannot walk very fast. He wants to finish preparing for his shore leave. What has happened to them?”

“They got left behind?”

“Can you imagine Professor Kinthy leaving behind the things she had determined to take to the room she has already reserved?”

“She can be very stubborn,” Solina conceded, “and no one can make her do anything she doesn’t want to.”

“So, what has happened to her things?”

“I don’t know!”

“Yes, you do.” La’Kima turned and looked at her. “Is this shuttle the only way for her to get her things to the station?”

Solina raised her eyebrows as her eyes lit up. “The DN2?”

“What about the DN2?”

She looked back at La’Kima. “Maybe the crewman promised to bring her things with him on the DN2!”

“Now you begin to see how it works. You are a smart girl, Solina. You have learned many things for one so young. But you have been fed all your life like a baby with a spoon. It is time you start learning how to think for yourself.”

“Oh, my, my, yes. Thank you, young man.” Professor Kinthy grunted and groaned as she heaved herself up the short flight of stairs into the shuttle.

“…and do not worry,” came the soft whisper. “I will not tell your father, hmm?” La’Kima smiled and winked, then slipped back into her chair and continued examining the sensor console.

“You two will never guess what this nice young man has offered to do for me. He is going to get several of his friends and carry my things with him on the other shuttle. Wasn’t that nice of him? Now we don’t have to worry about it. Thank you so much, dear,” she said, turning back to the young man.

“Don’t mention it, ma’am. It’s no problem.” The crewman shot La’Kima a sideways glance, and it was then that Solina realized she must have known from the beginning what was going to happen with the Professor’s things. She had set that crewman up on purpose. “Shall I close up for you?”

“Yes, dear, thank you.”

“Running AIS diagnostics,” La’Kima announced.

The crewman closed the portal door, locked it, and patted the hull twice before leaving.

“Yes, such a nice young man. Not like some people I know.” That scowl returned briefly as she, too, shot a look toward La’Kima. “Oh, these old bones just aren’t what they used to be. No, sir.” She eased herself into a chair, sighing noisily. “There was a time when I could have jumped up those stairs as if they weren’t even there.”

Solina tapped one of the gauges and frowned. “La’Kima, what does your EM screen say?” She moved over to look at the other control board.

“There was a time when the elderly got more respect than they do now.”

“Power is on and flowing normally.”

“Look, there.” Solina pointed over La’Kima’s shoulder. “Did you see that drop?”

“I remember when I was a little girl…”

“Yes, I see it. It seems it is coming from the maneuvering controls.”

“My grandmother would come to visit…”

“But the engines aren’t even on yet. There shouldn’t be any power drain coming from there.”

“Perhaps I can track it, yes?”

“My mother would make me sit and listen…” The professor’s tone sharpened slightly, with emphasis on the word listen.

“It looks like it’s coming from the vertical thrusters.”

“Let us check the schematics.”

Solina tapped a screen on the console. “There. It should be under that floor panel.”

“…because she would say it’s a matter of showing respect…”

The two younger women moved toward the back of the shuttle. “Excuse me, please, Professor Kinthy, but we are finding unusual EM readings. Solina and I need to get to the panel behind you.”

The professor glared at La’Kima, her wrinkled, puffy cheeks hanging down past her mouth like a stubborn bulldog.

“DN1 to DN3, do you read?” The Captain’s voice rang out over the comm.

Solina jumped back to the console and activated the comm. “DN3 to bridge, go ahead.”

“We’re approaching HC to establish synchronized orbit. Are you ready for launch?”

“We haven’t powered up the engines yet, Sir. We have some unusual EM readings coming from the vertical thrusters.” Solina’s attention was caught by La’Kima’s wildly waving arms as she mouthed the word no.

Solina flipped the switch back to mute. “What? You don’t want me to tell him?”

“What kind of EM readings?” the Captain asked.

“He has enough worries right now.” She wagged a finger in the air. “Do not dare add another. We can care for this ourselves.”

“DN3, do you read?”

The professor raised an eyebrow, looking sideways at the younger woman. “Would you have the child lie to her own father?”

“No, but she could say there is nothing to worry about, and we will have the problem fixed in a moment.”

“DN3, report!”

The anxiety in her father’s voice made Solina reach for the comm before she quite realized it. “DN3 here. Sorry, Captain.” Glancing back at her trainer, she made her decision. “La’Kima says it’s nothing to worry about, and she’ll have the problem fixed in a minute.” Even Professor Kinthy could not fault the truth of that statement.

“Would you like me to send an engineer down to help?” Relief now diluted the anxiety.

“No, thank you, Sir,” La’Kima answered quickly before anyone else could. “That will not be necessary.”

“Very well, then, as you were — except I want the comm left open.” La’Kima’s shoulders slumped while the professor pursed her thin lips and gave a sharp, smug nod.

“We’ve arrived at HC, Captain.”

With the comm open, the bridge could hear everything happening on the shuttle, and the shuttle could hear everything happening on the bridge.

“Establishing synchronized orbit.”

There was the sound of the bridge door sliding open.

La’Kima moved to the back of the cabin and pulled a toolbox from a utility board.

“Talmage and team reporting for duty, Captain.” The words floated through the comm system.

“Your people will have to wait until Mr. Elgendy has finished his maneuvers.”

Solina had already removed the floor plating and was peering inside. Attached to the side of the thruster regulator was a small, flat, metallic box. Wires connected it to the power grid, and a small blinking light flashed slowly in time with the irregularity she had found on the gauge.

“Your time is almost up, Captain.” Mr. Talmage spoke in a soft, low voice. No one on the bridge would have heard him unless they were standing directly next to him, but the comm piped it into the shuttle loud and clear.

“Stabilizing thrusters engaging.”

“What’s this thing? It doesn’t belong here.” Solina reached down to pull it out.

“Stop! Do not touch it!” La’Kima was on the floor opposite Solina, grasping the girl’s arm. “Monitor the sensor readings.” She pointed toward the sensor panel with a jerk of her head. “Tell me if anything changes… and turn on the perimeter shielding!” she added as Solina scrambled up and hurried to the panel.

“What is it?” The Captain’s voice had lost all emotion now, save for a tinge of cold, hard steel.

“I am not sure, Sir.” La’Kima looked up at the older woman. “Professor Kinthy, please. I think I may need your help with this.”

“Oh, I can’t get down there. My old bones would never get back up.”

“Professor, please! You know a great deal more of these things than I do. I would like your help. I do not wish to do it without you.”

The professor thought for a moment.

Now they heard the Captain whisper. “If anything happens to her, you will live to regret it. I promise you that.”

“Captain, I promise you,” Talmage whispered back. “I have no idea what you are talking about.”

“Don’t worry, dear. I can see it from here.”

“Yes, Professor. What must I do first?” La’Kima asked.

“First, we’ll have to power down again.”

“If we power down, then we must lose comm, yes?”

“No,” Solina volunteered. “I can reroute it through emergency backup and bypass the main systems.”

La’Kima glared at Solina.

“What?” She shrugged. “I can.”

“Very well, then,” the woman conceded with a sigh. “Do it.”

“Initiating power down…” The lights flickered briefly as the hum of white noise fell silent. “Accessing emergency backup… Dark Nebula, are you still there?”

“Reading you loud and clear, DN3.”

“Reestablishing perimeter shielding.”

“There’s no need for the shields, dear.”

“Professor?” Solina looked back at her, frowning.

“It was feeding off the main systems. You cut main power; now it’s dead. I’m surprised at you, La’Kima.” She turned to scowl at the woman still on her knees. “Any first-year tech student could have figured that one out. Just disconnect the thing and power back up.”

“What was it, Professor?”

“I wouldn’t even call it an explosive, Captain. It’s a small incendiary device intended only to disable whatever it’s attached to — in this case, the vertical thrusters. Someone didn’t want us to leave. At least not on this shuttle.”

The three women looked at each other in the long silence that followed. As they waited for a reply from the Captain, Solina wondered what kind of look was on her father’s face and whether that look was directed at Mr. Talmage. It was then that she realized the knot she had felt in her stomach earlier had returned. She spun around in her chair and stared blankly at the console in front of her.

“Very well, DN3,” her father said finally. “I’m of the opinion that there’s probably nothing else tampered with, but I want you to use your own judgment. Start the pre-flight checklist from the beginning and watch everything carefully. Good work, La’Kima.”

“Actually, Captain, it was Crewman Daylic who found the problem, not I.”

There was another short pause. “That’s good to know, Crewman Daylic. Very good to know.”

“Excuse me, Captain, but I believe we have established orbit.” Talmage’s arrogance was seeping through.

“Yes, you are quite right, Mr. Talmage. Mr. Elgendy, you have your orders. You and your team are dismissed.”

“Yes, Sir.” There was the sound of steps and shuffling, followed by the bridge door sliding open.

“Solina?” She jumped as La’Kima put her hand on her shoulder and spoke softly into her ear. “We need main power back online.”

“Yes, ma’am.” She moved back to the pilot’s chair, but it was not until she had to pry her hand from the locket that she realized she had been clutching it through her flight suit. “Reestablishing main power.”

The bridge door slid shut.

“All right, people, let’s get to work,” Talmage barked. “And somebody turn off that blasted comm! YOU have been dragging your feet ever since we entered this system, Daylic. You’d better not be—” The comm cut off.

Solina stopped what she was doing and stared at nothing as her eyes started to water. “I can’t do it. I can’t leave him like this.” Her voice cracked as she stood, and La’Kima quickly switched off their own comm.

“What are you talking about, dear?” Professor Kinthy had already moved in behind her and was standing in her way.

“I have to go back. I have to help him.” She wiped the tears from her face and took a deep breath as she moved to press her way through.

La’Kima pushed her back down into the chair. “You may help him best by doing what he told you.”

Solina closed her eyes, fighting back the tears. “That’s exactly what he said to me last night.” Then, covering her face with her hands, she drew a sharp breath and wiped her face dry. “Okay, so we’ve already gone through the pre-flight checklist up to starting the engines. How about we skip everything else and go right to that?”

The two older women looked at each other and relaxed.

“I think this is good. What do you think, Professor?”

“You two do what you want. I’m going to take a closer look at this device we’ve got here.” She picked up the little silver box with its now-dark indicator light and shuffled to the back corner, where a small science station was waiting. Then she pulled the folding seat out from the wall and settled into it.

Solina had to keep blinking to see the console in front of her. Don’t think. Don’t think. Just concentrate on the job at hand. She and La’Kima worked in silence, flipping switches and pushing buttons as everything was turned back on. Finally, there was a gentle vibration as the engines hummed back to life.

Deftly, she maneuvered the shuttle toward the now-open bay doors. Usually, she looked forward to the occasional jaunt in the shuttle, but this time the once-inviting passageway gave the impression of a large, gaping mouth waiting to swallow them into the great black emptiness beyond. Her heart pounded, and she closed her eyes as the shuttle moved through the environmental integrity shield and out into open space.

“You are doing just fine, Solina.” La’Kima’s gentle, soothing voice floated through the darkness. Solina suddenly realized she had been holding her breath. Letting it out gradually, she looked determinedly ahead. Then, maneuvering the shuttle into the flow of traffic, she merged with one of the great fluid ribbons leading toward the space station.

Enjoyed the sample?
The Captain’s Daughter is coming

October 16, 2026.