Exasperated beyond reason, Jim Dayton threw his coffee mug at William Leer, the lead engineer of Station Five. The terrified man ducked and crossed his arms over his head. The ceramic missile bounced off his elbow, breaking into several pieces as it hit the wall next to him.

“Are you trying to get me killed?” Jim shouted. “Don’t you realize the Evonti will come for you right after they’ve murdered me? You promised you’d have the portal online by this morning.”

“We honestly thought we had it,” William protested, arms still covering his head. He peeked between his arms, likely to make sure Jim didn’t have anything else to throw at him, then cautiously lowered them to his sides.

“They don’t care about excuses. All they care about are results.” Jim closed his eyes and took a deep breath before opening them again. “I’ll be back at five. If this station isn’t operational, I’ll kill you myself!” He stormed from the basement room, slamming the door hard enough to make his hand sting. If it weren’t for the alloy reinforcements protecting the portal, the destructive power of the L.A. Massacre would have collapsed the underground level right along with the four-story office building that had once served as a decoy for Station Five. As it was, weeks of painstaking excavation had been necessary before Jim’s workers located the entrance to the lab. Now the engineers were struggling to repair the damage and Abaddon had run out of patience.

Like an automaton, Jim hiked through the piles of rubble until he reached the nearest street intact enough to accommodate automobiles. For a moment, he couldn’t remember which car was his. Not too surprising, considering he changed cars every few days. He opened the door and slid in behind the wheel. Frequently switching automobiles was essential if he wanted to stay ahead of the battle born, and until he figured out a way to remove the Evonti implants, he needed to make damn sure the battle born didn’t catch him. The Evonti surveillance of him was continual now. If the battle born found him, he’d be dead before they had time to slap him in restraints.

He rested his hands on the steering wheel and stared straight ahead, unseeing and unable to move. He’d had three seizures since Abaddon’s excruciating pulse the day before. Jim wasn’t sure if the damage was permanent, but he couldn’t seem to focus and his emotions had been erratic, or more erratic than normal. His moods had been volatile for years.

He couldn’t blame his personality on the Evonti. They merely manipulated and amplified his natural inclinations. He’d always had anger issues. Even as a child he’d thrown fits and smashed things until his mother took him to a shrink who put him on meds that made him feel like a zombie. As he approached his teens, he’d learned coping mechanisms and was finally mature enough to control the impulses so he could ween himself off the drugs.

Rebecca’s sweet image popped into his mind, adding shame to his misery. Rebecca was his one regret, a truly innocent victim in all this intrigue. He’d done everything in his power to protect her, but it hadn’t been enough.

Jim was nineteen when the Evonti spoke with him for the first time. He wasn’t sure if it had taken them that long to learn English or if they’d just never had anything to say before that night. They’d snatched him out of bed, their favorite place for his abductions, but they’d led him into the Evonti version of an office instead of the usual medical center.

The memory was so clear it could have happened hours, rather than nearly two decades ago. He wore only Metallica boxers, but the Evonti didn’t seem to care. When Jim emerged from the misty haze that always overcame him, he was walking down a narrow corridor and knew instinctively where to go. He still wasn’t sure if he’d been on a ship or in a building. With unadorned, slate-gray walls and nothing resembling a window, it was impossible to decide. Each Evonti he passed ignored him, so he just kept walking.

When he reached an intersection of passageways, he turned left, then knew he was meant to enter a room halfway down on the right. Two Evonti stood in the stark gray room, black eyes openly assessing. They hadn’t bothered with clothes at all, which made him feel overdressed. Even in memory, the thought made him smile. Their skin, or Evonti equivalent, was grayish green with a brown geometric pattern. They had no ears and a lipless slit served as a mouth. A rippled ridge ran from their foreheads to the nape of their necks and their bodies were thin and gangly. Compared to the rest of their featureless face, their eyes were enormous, almond shaped and black as pitch.

“What do you want with me?” Jim masked his fear with bravado.

They’d never spoken before, so he hadn’t expected an answer. But one of the aliens stepped forward and said, “Offspring.”

“We expect you to breed,” the other clarified.

Jim laughed, rubbing his hand over his stubbly jaw. “Dude, I’m a nineteen-year-old male. I ‘breed’ every chance I get.”

“Not with the chosen female,” the first one argued. His voice was so emotionless it sounded computerized.

“You’ve chosen a female for me to ‘breed’ with?” He accented the offensive word with finger quotes.

The more articulate Evonti stepped past his friend. “You can seduce her on your own or we will bring her here and supervise each of the sessions. The choice is yours, ambassador, but we expect offspring within the solar cycle.”

“Why did you call me ambassador?” It was an irrelevant detail, but Jim had to know.

“You are one of the chosen few. We watch over you and learn from you, so our other interactions with humans can be more meaningful.”

That was how they justified years of torture and experimentation? Unbelievable. “How do I resign from the position?”

The talkative one made a sound sort of like a laugh, but didn’t answer the question.

Jim’s soul mourned as he remembered what came next. They showed him an image of Rebecca, the sweet innocent girl he’d known most of his life. “She’s a child, much too young for breeding. Choose someone else.”

The Evonti looked at each other and fell silent, as if they were communicating telepathically.

“The female is physically mature,” chatty Evonti said. “She has started menstruating. She is fertile.”

“She’s only fifteen,” Jim sneered. “I’m way too old for her. Choose someone else.”

“What is the appropriate age for human breeding?”

Without thinking of all the possible ramifications, he blurted, “Eighteen.”

Chatty Evonti nodded. “You will breed her in three solar cycles or the punishment will be severe.”

They would rather wait three years than find another victim? What was so special about Rebecca? It didn’t make sense.

That was the first time they’d used the pulse on him. Jim’s entire body ached just thinking about the torturous spasms. And if the pain weren’t horrible enough, there was the humiliating loss of control. One pulse made him piss his pants like a child. A second affected his bowels.

So Jim ruthlessly seduced Rebecca as soon as she turned eighteen. He convinced her she was the love of his life, hoping the Evonti would leave her alone. But when it came to “breeding”, he made damn sure their sexual activities never resulted in offspring. He’d die a thousand times before he damned an innocent child to the hell he was enduring. So he snuck away one afternoon and had a vasectomy. Every time he was abducted after that, he prayed they would kill him for the betrayal. But they never noticed, or didn’t know enough about human anatomy to understand what he’d done. Or they were so arrogant that they believed he was broken and wouldn’t dare to challenge them.

Whatever the cause, it didn’t keep them from punishing him for his failure. They reserved the pulse for special occasions because it was so damaging. More often they relied on old-fashioned beatings or various forms of torture. But every broken bone, every gaping wound, was worth it as long as Rebecca was safe. Besides, each night when he woke up in his own bed, only a few minutes had elapsed on Earth and his injuries were mended. The only evidence of his punishments was a vivid memory of the pain. No wonder nobody believed him.

He thought he’d won, had outsmarted the Evonti. What a fool. He soon learned that he wasn’t the only one capable of creativity. When torturing him didn’t result in a child, they used his implants in ways Jim hadn’t realized they functioned. They spiked his emotions whenever he was with Rebecca, making him lash out in progressively more violent ways. He found himself hurting the one person he’d endured hell to protect. It still made him sick to think about the things he’d done to her while inside he was screaming.

If she hadn’t managed to escape, he’d be abusing her still.

With what little remained of his sanity, he pushed away the past and shook his head in an effort to clear it. Maybe if he intentionally failed, Abaddon would finally end this. Jim’s heart sank and hopelessness spread through his being. Abaddon was much too cruel for that, and much too desperate to please the guiding council. The Evonti didn’t tolerate failure from anyone. There was a device implanted in their wrist that instantaneously vaporized their body. It could be triggered remotely by any member of the guiding council. The Evonti operative was also expected to use the device if they were about to be captured. Their secrets must be protected at all costs.

Jim envied the option. The situation was different for him. If he failed now, Abaddon would doubtlessly kill him, make him suffer for days before he finally allowed him to breathe his last. Then Jim would have one blissful moment of peace believing it was over.

And then he would wake up unharmed in his bed.

* * * * *

Unwilling to be distracted by the attractiveness of her nemesis, Rebecca looked around the ship onto which Sedrik had carried her—over his shoulder like a sack of grain no less! She would never forgive him for that indignity. Who did he think he was anyway? She hadn’t asked for his protection, certainly hadn’t encouraged his ridiculous obsession. Memories flooded her mind, branding her a liar. She had encouraged him. She’d asked him to kiss her and she’d allowed an intimate mind-to-mind exchange that showed him areas of her life she’d never shared with anyone.

Worse, the transfer link had showed her the person hidden behind his “commander” face. Anyone could see he was a fierce warrior, but Sedrik was so much more. He was brave and loyal, caring and selfless. Family was extremely important to him. He would do anything for his brothers. Even Arton, who had rejected Sedrik and the rest of the Lux brood, would be defended and supported if the need arose. Sedrik longed for the rare and precious bond his parents shared. He’d grown up surrounded by affection and intimacy. Now he wanted to establish a similar relationship for himself. And who could blame him. His parents’ relationship appeared nearly ideal.

Now that she thought about it, Sedrik possessed many, if not most, of the characteristics she admired and longed for in a life partner. Basically, Sedrik was everything Jim was not. Sedrik would never intentionally hurt her and he would punish severely anyone foolish enough to attempt her harm. He promised to protect her, and they weren’t just hollow words. He would fight to the death rather than allow anyone to endanger her.

That includes you, her inner voice reminded.

Annoyed by the reprimand, she pushed all thoughts of Sedrik from her mind and tried to analyze her surroundings. This ship was larger than a shuttle, yet much smaller than most of the battle born ships. There were two Rodyte males in the cockpit and she’d seen several others pass by in an adjacent corridor. The area she and Sedrik occupied could seat eight, so she wasn’t sure how many people were on board, maybe ten or twelve.

The ship vibrated for a moment as it took off, then smoothed out and became virtually silent. How long would it take to reach the Triumphant? What sort of a ship did Sedrik command? Curiosity was killing her, but she refused to ask. She wasn’t speaking to her obnoxious potential mate right now. Why should she? He thought she was “irrational”.

“How long do you intend to pout?” A hint of amusement threaded through his deep voice. “I won’t bother trying to engage you until you’ve fully indulged this sulk.”

Her gaze shot back to him, even though she’d intended to ignore him. “I’m not sulking. I’m angry, and I have every right to be.”

“Fine. Be angry, but please explain your plan to me. You were heading north rather than west, so I presume you weren’t going to attempt to find the triangulated target on your own.”

“Well, you’d be wrong.” She raised her chin, more than happy to point out his misconception. “Transportation is a little more complicated when one is restricted by roads. I was heading north so I could connect with the interstate that would have taken me closest to my destination, which was the triangulated area, by the way.”

He nodded once acknowledging her answer, then asked, “Then what? You have no weapon and the transport disk won’t reset for many hours. What would you have done if you encountered Jim or his men, or worse yet, Abaddon?”

“First of all, I did have a weapon. I keep several hidden in the car, along with food and a change of clothing. It’s my primary getaway vehicle after all.”

“Are you aware that it’s shielded, likely by some sort of Evonti tech?”

“It’s not the car. It’s the transport disk, but yes I was aware of the effect. Why the hell do you think I wanted it back so badly?” She rolled her eyes, hating that he’d turned her into a sarcastic teen again. “Give me credit for a little foresight. How do you think I’ve avoided Jim and his goons all this time?”

“All right, you were better prepared for your ‘getaway’ than I’d first thought. Explain the rest. What would you have done when, and if, you found what they’re targeting?”

“That depends on what I found at the location. You’re a military man. Surely you’ve heard of reconnaissance.” His lips twitched until he pressed them together. Was he fighting back a smile? She looked into his purple-ringed eyes and confirmed her suspicion. He was laughing at her. “I’m glad you find it funny. This is only my life.”

He released his safety straps and moved across the aisle, sitting down beside her. “I don’t find any of this funny. I take your well-being very seriously. But you are utterly adorable when you’re angry. You make it impossible not to smile.”

The jerk reached over and took her hand, carefully entwining their fingers. She stared at their hands, captivated by the contrast. His skin was several shades darker than hers with a bronzish gold cast, and his fingers were so much longer, they nearly encompassed her hand.

“I don’t want to fight with you,” he said after a long pause. “And I don’t want to worry that you’re going to plot an escape every time I turn my back. Will you promise not to run away again, so I can treat you like a guest not a prisoner?”

Had he just admitted she was his prisoner? She looked into his eyes, searching their expressive depths. “Will you promise to release me if I ask you to?”

He tensed, his fingers subtly tightening around hers. “Are you asking?”

“Not right now, but it doesn’t really matter what you call me. If I’m not free to leave, if and when I want to, I am your prisoner.”

His eyes closed as he slowly exhaled. Did he really find her so exasperating? “Yes,” he finally said. He opened his eyes and looked at her, his voice entirely serious. “If you want to leave, I’ll let you go. However, I reserve the right to protect you.”

She yanked her hand out of his. “Which means what? You’ll turn from tyrant to stalker?”

His lips pressed into a disapproving line. “I am not a tyrant. I have been incredibly patient with you.”

“Patient?” Her voice naturally rose when her emotions escalated, so she forced her tone to come back down. “We’ve known each other less than twenty-four hours. Think back on all the things you pressured me to do. I wouldn’t call that patient.”

He turned his head and stared straight ahead as he spoke in a menacing growl. “As I recall, you asked what could be done to back off the urgency, so I showed you. I also remember you instigating our most recent kiss.”

“Yeah right, I pressured you.” She let out a harsh, hollow laugh. The truth in his words was seriously annoying. “Besides, I wasn’t just talking about all that. I meant the transfer link and—just forget I brought it up. It doesn’t matter.”

“Of course it matters. Everything about you matters.”

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against the chair back. If he started the “you’re my mate and I’ll take care of you” crap, she would scream. “So what’s your plan, Commander? If mine was so unacceptable, what do you intend to do with me?”

He made a sound somewhere between a laugh and a cough. “Those are two very different questions.”

The sensuality in his tone, revealed her error. She opened her eyes and shot him an impatient glower. “Is seduction the only strategy you have? What happens when the pull burns itself out? If passion is our only common ground, there is no hope for this relationship.”

He started to say something then shook his head and went back to staring straight ahead.

His reticence was fine with her. She had nothing to say to him anyway. She was tired of running and he offered a place to hide, to recharge and make new plans. That was all this was, a rest stop. She had no interest in anything else.

The thoughts sounded hollow and insincere, even in her own mind. She was interested in Sedrik. She was just too much of a coward to admit it. The fairytale ending he promised was the sort of thing she’d longed for in her youth. Then Jim entered her life and shattered all her illusions of happily ever after. Jim was cold, hard, hurtful reality. Sedrik was a dream, a sweet and passionate dream, but still a dream.

They sat in tense silence for a long time, Rebecca lost in thought.

Then Sedrik glanced into the cockpit and muttered, “We’re almost there.”

Rebecca leaned forward, looking past Sedrik. Their seats were separated from the cockpit by a half-wall, but they could still see the panoramic display. A massive spaceport or outpost filled the screen in front of the pilot and navigator. Row upon row of landing or maintenance bays were stacked one on top of the other. She could see at least six levels, but the facility extended far beyond the range of the display. Whatever this was, it was enormous.

“Is that Lunar Nine?” She’d heard that the Rodyte outpost was inside the moon, not floating in space.

“No.” He glanced at her, his expression unreadable. “That’s…something else.”

More Rodyte secrets? She refused to ask what he meant. She wouldn’t be here long enough to care. Instead, she asked, “How big is the outpost?”

The pilot must have heard the question because he said, “Let me see if I can zoom out far enough to show you.” The image on the screen smoothly decreased in magnification. More and more of the outpost became visible, but the image still filled the display. “Sorry, doll, that’s as far back as I can get.”

“Thanks for trying.” The decks blurred, there were so many. And the levels stretched off into the distance. Did the U.S. government know this thing was up here? It was easily larger than some U.S. cities. Had the Rodytes built this monstrosity here or flown it in from their star system?

The screen magnification returned to normal as the pilot maneuvered into one of the landing bays. Sedrik unfastened his safety restraints and stood.

It took Rebecca a moment to figure out how to release the buckles, but she stood as well.

The pilot walked out of the cockpit, a crooked smile bowing his lips. He was a few inches taller than Sedrik, with movie star perfect features and glittering silver phitons. “My brother would like an update as soon as possible.”

Sedrik nodded, seeming none too pleased by the request.

The pilot stuck out his hand, his silver-ringed gaze moving over her face. “Zilor Nox.”

“Rebecca Dayton.” She shook his hand. “Nice to meet you.”

Zilor walked past her and activated the hatch through which she and Sedrik had entered. Zilor motioned toward the opening. “Don’t mean to be rude, but Garin gave us another assignment.”

“Don’t go away mad, just go away?” She found herself smiling despite her brooding companion. Zilor’s boyish grin was hard to resist.

“Exactly.”

“After you.” Sedrik swept his arm toward the hatchway, then paused and looked back at Zilor. “I need those coordinates. Transmit them to my private workstation.”

“No problem.”

She climbed down the steep stairs and paused to look around. From outside, the bays appeared to be individual compartments, but actually the entire level was one open space. She was surrounded by ships of every size and shape imaginable. Uniformed workers walked along the center aisle, each seeming to have a specific purpose. Hover carts of tools and cargo floated beside, or in some cases, were pushed by workers creating a tangible buzz of activity.

Zilor closed the hatch and Sedrik led her toward the center walkway.

“Coordinates to what?” she asked. She didn’t really care. It just felt like they’d been telling secrets and she felt left out.

“The cave, hopefully.”

She looked up at him, but didn’t stop walking. “How did he get coordinates to the cave?”

He shot her a challenging look, but said nothing.

They headed for the exit at the far end of the cavernous room as Zilor flew off on his new mission.

“Which ship is yours?” She motioned to the assortment surrounding them.

Sedrik looked at her and a certain gleam came into his dark eyes.

Before he could respond, a tall, lanky man approached them and spoke to Sedrik in rapid Rodyte. At least, she presumed the language was Rodyte. Sedrik responded in the same language and the man departed.

She was about to repeat her question when she noticed that every worker they passed greeted Sedrik with obvious deference and used the same word. It sounded like fare-tor or fare-ee-tor.

They reached the exit and moved out into the corridor, which seemed strangely quiet after the bustling activity, and roaring engines. “What does fare-ee-tor mean?”

His gaze shot to hers and a smile lifted one corner of his mouth. “It’s my title, pferitor.”

Was Sedrik in charge of ships’ maintenance on this outpost? Why did every person they pass feel the need to acknowledge him?

When he said nothing more, it made her even more curious. “I thought you commanded one of the spaceships. Where is the Triumphant?”

His smile broadened, momentarily flashing even white teeth. “This is the Triumphant.” He made a bland gesture, indicating their surroundings. “This class of ship is known as a movable base or tactical outpost.”

“You command this entire outpost?” A facility so large it was almost impossible to see all at once? Tension knotted her stomach as the implications began to sink in. “What’s the human equivalent of your title?”

He kept walking, which only allowed her to see his rugged profile. “The computer translates it as general. I don’t command one ship. I command the entire Earth-space fleet. The Triumphant is my base of operations.”

Her steps faltered and she pressed her hand over her pounding heart. She’d attracted the attention of a freaking general? “How many ships are in Earth-space? How many soldiers?”

He paused, waiting for her to catch up. “Just like the cave’s coordinates, those are not facts I’m comfortable sharing with a potential enemy.”

She glared in response and they continued on their way. They took an elevator up several decks. The clear front wall gave her a spectacular view of the launch deck below. Unlike the arrival area, this section of the outpost housed identical ships arranged in precise rows. There had to be at least two hundred battle born fighters, and she suspected this launch deck was one of many.

They followed a wide corridor until it branched off in opposite directions. He indicated that they needed to go right and she silently complied. Now the hallway felt more like a hotel than a spaceport. Staggered doorways marched along on either side. The distance between the doors was consistent for a while, but grew farther apart as they progressed down the hallway.

“Where are you taking me?”

He glanced at her but said nothing. They reached another intersection and he pointed to the right. At the end of the short corridor was a double-doored entrance. This was the only room with two doors.

“What is this?” she persisted.

“My quarters. There are well over six thousand Rodyte males on this ship and you are as yet unclaimed. As with everything I do, this is for your protection.”

He’d only confirmed what she’d deduced, so she wasn’t surprised. That didn’t keep her from rebelling. “Fine. I’ll stay in your quarters, but where will you stay? I will not share a bedroom with you.”

He made an impatient sound and scanned open the door.

Knowing the fight had just begun, she moved past him and into the spacious suite of rooms. She looked around, trying to decide how vehemently she wanted to defend her position. She heard the door close and looked over her shoulder. Sedrik hadn’t even followed her into the room.

* * * * *

Fists clenched against his smoldering anger, Sedrik stalked down the corridor.

I will not share a bedroom with you. Rebecca’s hateful words echoed through his mind, mocking his attempts to deescalate the situation. Clearly, she was determined to fight with him, so it was better to give her some space. He’d paused long enough to set the lavatory’s door to motion detection and to lock the cabin’s outer doors before he headed for main medical. All of the technology in his quarters only responded to his voice, so she shouldn’t be able to cause too much trouble.

He expelled a frustrated sigh and sped his strides. Even after the memory transfer, Rebecca seemed reluctant to trust anything he said. Convincing her to cooperate was his best chance of locating Big Jim, and Big Jim was their only tangible connection to Abaddon. Maybe Rebecca would respond better to another human female. Indigo, Zilor’s mate, would have been Sedrik’s first choice. Unfortunately, Indigo supervised the in-depth orientation of volunteers for the transformation program, so she split her time between Lunar Nine and the Bunker, a human army base on Earth. Sedrik’s second choice was Dr. Lily Fontenot, a brilliant human geneticist. Lily was quiet, but likable, and her involvement with the transformation project gave her a unique perspective on battle born aspirations. She understood what was important to them, and the lengths they would go to as they fought to make those goals a reality.

A noticeable hush fell over main medical as Sedrik entered the large, circular room. The treatment tables were arranged along the outer wall, leaving the center area for medical staff. Lily wasn’t in the center area, so he looked in each treatment area, at least those not obscured by privacy fields.

“Who are you looking for, sir?” one of the medics asked.

“Dr. Fontenot,” he replied. “I need to speak with her.”

“I believe she’s in lab three. Across the hallway and two doors down.”

Sedrik thanked the medic then followed his directions to the largest laboratory on the ship. Unlike in the clinic, no one noticed when Sedrik entered the lab. Each scientist was engrossed in their research. Lily stood not far from the door locked in deep conversation with Dr. Mintell, director of the transformation project.

“But none of the other test subjects reacted the same way. It was a mild incompatibility in the subject’s genome.”

Lily’s eyes narrowed as she heard Mintell’s comment. “‘Mild incompatibility’? She was in a coma for eleven hours.”

“I could have brought her out moments after the symptom developed, but I wanted to figure out why it happened,” he countered.

“And have you?” She folded her arms over her chest, refusing to back down. “Why did the reaction develop and how do we prevent it from reoccurring?”

With an impatient growl, Mintell turned back toward his holo-display.

“Is this something of which I need to be aware?” Sedrik moved closer as he asked, “When did this complication arise?”

Lily tensed and unfolded her arms as she waited for Mintell to answer. When the doctor ignored the question, she explained. “We moved from processing four to six couples in each location this morning and—”

“That had nothing to do with it,” Mintell snapped. “The subject would have had the adverse reaction if she had been the only one transformed. It was an abnormality in her genome that resulted in the conflict.”

“Does the subject have a name?” Sedrik asked.

“Kendra,” Lily told him.

Sedrik didn’t recognize the name, but it bothered him when the female volunteers were objectified. “Is she all right?”

“She is fine,” Mintell insisted. “I have identified the chromosome containing the abnormality, but it is highly unlikely we’ll encounter another female with this obscure mutation.”

“Even so, I want a precautionary scan added to the protocol. If we lose even one of these females, others will be hesitant to volunteer.”

Mintell glared at Lily, then whispered, “Did you tell him to say that?”

She didn’t bother with a reply. Instead, she looked at Sedrik as she slipped her hands into the pocket of her grayish-blue lab coat. “Did you need something specific, or did you just drop by for a progress report?”

“I have a personal favor to ask of you, but it can wait if the timing is inconvenient.”

She blew her silky black bangs out of her eyes. “If it gets me out of this lab for a few minutes, I’ll do anything.”

Sedrik looked at the human with objective assessment. She was lovely, with sleek black hair that fell to her waist without any hint of curl. Her features revealed her Japanese heritage, yet her eyes were pale blue. He found the contrast striking and her intellect fascinated him. Still, she failed to stir the same sort of hunger he felt whenever he looked at Rebecca.

He motioned her out of the lab before beginning this explanation. The conflict brewing between Mintell and Lily was obvious. “I didn’t realize he was so territorial when I asked you to work with him.”

“At first I thought he didn’t like me, but I’m relatively sure now that he doesn’t like anyone.” She fell in step beside him, not even asking where they were bound.

Sedrik smiled. “He wasn’t recruited for his temperament. He’s the best geneticist on Rodymia, and we desperately needed the best.”

Lily nodded. “Despite the conversation you overheard, we have found a rhythm that allows us to accomplish our goals. I know how far I can push him and when to back off or redirect.”

“I’m glad. Your knowledge is invaluable, but I also know you advocate for the volunteers. I find both roles equally important.”

“So do I.”

“Good. Well, what I need from you today has nothing to do with the transformation program.” Her eyebrows lifted, but she waited for more information before reacting. “I brought a young woman on board. Her name is Rebecca and she has direct connections to a man I’m attempting to locate.”

“Do you mean Big Jim?”

“I do, but how did you know?”

She smiled, relaxing enough to free her hands from her pockets. “Even on a ship this large people talk. The rumors about Abaddon are varied, but everyone agrees that Big Jim is the key to finding out the truth about Abaddon.”

Surprised by the accuracy of ship’s gossip, he said, “I agree. At one time Rebecca was married to Big Jim. The relationship was not pleasant and it has made her leery of males in general and Rodyte males in particular. I have tried to convince Rebecca that we mean no harm to her or humans at large, but she doesn’t trust me.”

“You think she’ll trust me, just because I’m a human female?”

She made it sound hopeless and he wasn’t ready to give up. “I’m hoping she will listen long enough to determine whether or not she can believe anything you say. You have a unique perspective. All the other human females have been claimed by Rodyte males, which makes them biased in Rebecca’s eyes.”

“I’ll give it a go, but don’t expect miracles.”

“An honest attempt is all I ask.” He paused, ready to move on when some practical issues barged to the surface of his mind. “Except…”

“Yes?”

“I’m embarrassed to admit I didn’t think of this before, but Rebecca hasn’t eaten since yesterday and I’m sure she would appreciate a shower and clean clothes. Can you make sure she has everything she needs to be comfortable?”

“Of course, sir.” She inclined her head with a tentative smile. “I’ll take care of it.”

“She’ll also need the same vaccinations given to volunteers, as well as com-bots. Well, the com-bots are optional, the vaccinations are not.”

“Understood. Can we stop by main medical so I can gather what I’ll need?”

“Of course.”

He escorted Lily to main medical and silently stood by while she found the appropriate injectors. Then he led her to his quarters, but didn’t accompany her inside. The less time he spent with Rebecca, the better right now. They were both too sexually frustrated to think clearly.

Next he went to his office, overlooking the largest launch deck. Video surveillance allowed him to see any area on the ship with a voice command, but there was nothing like the rumble of a Stinger about to take off. He never tired of the explosive acceleration or the breath-stealing precision required of the pilots.

He slipped in behind his desk and opened the three-word message from Zilor. All it said was Here you go, but it listed the cave’s coordinates. One mystery solved. He knew the exact location of Rebecca’s favorite hiding place and would see to the portal’s destruction. Sedrik pulled up the coordinates on the ship’s mapping program and studied the area. The location was in the middle of nowhere on the border between Colorado and Kansas. There were no structures, nothing marking the location. How strange. And yet it made a certain sense if the cavern really was nothing more significant than an out-of-the-way place where the Evonti stashed their weapons.

But what about the wall markings, the portal, and the evidence of terraforming? It was too similar to what they’d found on Lunar Nine to be coincidental. And what about the other locations? Riverside and the office building in L.A. Did they house portals as well, or were they some sort of power source or signal relay? According to Rebecca, the L.A. location had been destroyed. But what should he do about the house in Riverside?

His lead investigator, Kaylar, would have the most up-to-date information, so Sedrik pinged him.

“This is Kaylar. How can I help you, sir?” Though Kaylar had served the Triumphant’s original commander, Sedrik was quickly learning to trust and depend on the shrewdly intelligent investigator. Kaylar was efficient, thorough, and creative enough to see beyond the obvious.

“I discovered another portal. I just sent you the coordinates to the cavern in which it’s housed.”

“I received them,” Kaylar told him. “Do you want this one destroyed as well? Our scientists are desperate to get their hands on a portal, preferably while it’s still operational.”

This wasn’t the first time Kaylar had mentioned the need to study the portals. Destroying them was the safest course of action, but information was power. “Take a science team with you. Tell them they have three hours to collect data, record images and run scans. There is some sort of drawing on the cave wall. I want detailed images of that as well. But after three hours, I want the portal destroyed and the cavern collapsed if possible.”

“Understood,” Kaylar assured him. “I’ll give them three hours and not a minute more.”

“Very good. Have you made any progress getting into the Riverside room?”

“No, sir, but we haven’t been very aggressive.”

“Well, it’s time to take the gloves off. It stands to reason that it’s another portal or some sort of relay. Blast your way in, if you must, but we need to know what’s in there. If it’s a portal, destroy it. If it’s anything else…”

“Collect data and then destroy it?” Kaylar suggested.

“Exactly.” He started to sign off, then added, “Keep me informed every step of the way.”

“Of course, sir.”

Next Sedrik pinged Garin Nox, requesting a person-to-person holo-com. Even though the request had come through Zilor, Sedrik knew an official directive when he heard one. He’d left his post for the better part of a day. Now his supervisor wanted to know why. Sedrik had known the apex general his entire life. They’d attended training together and often spent breaks at each other’s homes. He knew Garin had been largely instrumental in naming him the first battle born general. Still, it was hard to think of Garin as anything other than a good friend.

Garin accepted the ping, but when his holographic image appeared, he wasn’t alone.

Sedrik straightened in his chair, already feeling blindsided. Garin sat at a small round table with all three members of the newly elected Triad. The representative council had replaced Rodymia’s tyrannical ruler. The change had been a turning point for the battle born rebellion, allowing them to start implementing crucial changes. Bandar Nox represented the battle born, Letos, a powerful technomage represented the guilds and the elite, while Haven Tandori brought forth the concerns of Tandori Tribe and the other commoners. Garin headed the military, but he refused to be anything other than a trusted advisor to the council. He insisted that one Nox on the Triad was enough.

“Good evening,” Sedrik greeted. Even though he’d instigated the com, he’d done so at Garin’s request.

“Glad to see you’re still with us.” As usual Garin didn’t waste time with frivolities. “Care to explain why you left your ship?”

Sedrik tensed. He’d known this conversation was coming. He just didn’t expect to have it in front of the Triad. “Thea Cline told me how to find Rebecca Dayton, so I went after her.”

“You have thousands of trained soldiers at your command,” Letos reminded. There was no rancor in his voice, just confusion. “What skills do you possess that a tracker does not?”

“Three teams of trackers attempted to apprehend her and failed. I had an exact location and wanted to make damn sure she didn’t slip through our fingers again.”

“Zilor already told us you succeeded,” Haven told him.

“I did, and Rebecca was not happy about it.”

“Will she refute the video showing her ‘death’?” Garin asked. “It has been so long since the video went viral, I’m not sure how much impact a correction will have, but I think it’s worth a try.”

“I’ll ask her.” Sedrik straightened his back and cleared his throat, determined not to let his defensiveness show. “I see no reason why she won’t agree.”

“So what took you so long to return?” Haven prompted with a faint smile.

“She used an Evonti device that teleported us to a cavern. The device can only be activated every twelve hours, so we were stuck in the cave.”

“What about your panic button?”

As usual, Garin missed nothing. He was the most perceptive person Sedrik had ever met. “I chose not to use it. Sharing a semi-traumatic experience often creates a sense of camaraderie. I used this shared experience to earn Rebecca’s trust.”

Bandar snickered. “According to Zilor that’s not all you earned.”

Sedrik ignored the comment and focused on Garin. “There was a chamber in the cave similar to what we found on Lunar Nine, complete with a small portal.”

“Really?” Garin leaned forward, forearms resting on the tabletop. “Can you return to this cave? Do you have any idea where the device took you?”

“There was no indication on the device, but I activated my panic button and left it in the cave. Zilor picked up the signal and gave me the coordinates.” He went on before anyone could get too excited about the discovery. “The cave is in the middle of nowhere and Rebecca is relatively sure we have the only transport disk.”

“I see.” Garin sighed. “I’d still like the coordinates.”

“Of course.” Sedrik transmitted them to Garin. “There were also strange markings on one of the walls. They were obviously Evonti symbols, but Rebecca didn’t know what they signified and I’ve never seen the exact arrangement before.”

“Can your investigative team handle this, or shall I send you some experts?” Letos asked.

“Do the guilds have an expert in Evonti symbols?” Sedrik challenged.

Letos responded with a smile. “Point taken. Will you instruct your team to forward images of the symbols to me?”

“Of course.”

“Study the symbols all you like, but that portal must be destroyed,” Garin stressed.

“Already on it,” Sedrik assured him. “Though I did authorize a three hour investigation before its destruction. We’ll take every precaution, but we need more information about these portals.”

Garin didn’t look pleased, but he didn’t argue.

“Has Rebecca agreed to help us, or did her cooperation end once she was released from the cave?” Haven asked after a tense pause.

“She’s told me a couple of things that might be helpful, but I’m still working on full cooperation.” He tried not to sound as frustrated as he felt. Did he dare omit the discovery of their compatibility? It wasn’t really any of their business. And yet it was. “There is a complication.”

“You mean the fact that Rebecca is your potential mate?” Garin looked at Letos and smirked.

How had they found out he was compatible with Rebecca? He hadn’t told Zilor. “I won’t let it distract me and—”

“It’s an opportunity,” Haven cut in. “Just like your stay in the cave. You need to use it. I know that sounds cavalier, but we’re running out of options.”

Haven was mated with a harbinger, a powerful clairvoyant. Was that how these four had learned about the complication? “Did Danvier tell you about me and Rebecca?”

Garin waved his hand dismissively. “It didn’t take a psychic to spot the signs. Zilor said your scent was all over her. Seducing a prisoner isn’t only immoral, it’s illegal. Only the pull could have gotten you to bend the rules on anything.”

Sedrik hadn’t set out to mark her with his scent, hadn’t even been sure that the intimacies they shared were enough to make a lasting mark. Apparently, they had. “I’m not sure it matters. She is incredibly distrustful of men.”

“Good thing you thrive on challenges.” Garin arched his brow as if daring Sedrik to contradict him. “Finding out about another cavern is intriguing. However, your unauthorized adventure isn’t why we requested the com. The Outcasts are a bigger problem right now than Abaddon.”

Sedrik wasn’t sure he agreed, but he didn’t argue.

“Do you have a way to contact Arton?” Letos asked.

“My brother is dead,” Sedrik said sternly. This wasn’t the first time others had refused to believe that Arton was beyond their reach. Usually it was Garin. But Sedrik knew the cold hard facts. Arton Lux was dead, had been for many years. “There is no reason to contact the Heretic.”

“Answer the question,” Garin snapped just as vehemently.

“I don’t have a way to contact him, but I think my mother does. She’s sneaky like that.”

Garin smiled. “I can vouch for that. Skyla Lux is one of the most cunning females I’ve ever encountered. She has ways of twisting anyone to her will.”

“She would consider that a compliment,” Sedrik warned.

“It was meant as one.”

“We’re out of options, Sedrik,” Letos said. “Can you arrange a meeting with him?”

Using his name made this a personal favor, not an order, but Sedrik still felt uncomfortable. “It’s a waste of time.”

“That’s not the issue,” Garin stressed. “Will you do it?”

“I’ll ask my mother to contact Arton, but there is no guarantee he’ll respond. The Outcasts are blatantly stealing hundreds of females. Do you really think my displeasure will dissuade them?”

“We need to know why.” Garin persisted. “They’re targeting the sacred bonding grounds. Is it possible they’ve gotten their hands on the transformation protocols?”

“It takes more than the protocols,” Haven reminded. “They would need the formula too.”

Sedrik shook his head. “Every drop of the formula is meticulously inventoried. There is no way the Outcasts have the formula.”

“But launching their own transformation program could be their eventual goal,” Letos said.

“I’ve tried everything to entice Kage Razel into responding to my coms,” Garin explained. “He has no interest in communication with us.”

“Arton will likely be the same,” Sedrik warned. He and his older brother had been estranged for years. In fact, Arton no longer considered himself a Lux. That was why he’d taken on the moniker of Heretic.

“Even if he’d give you some idea of what they’re up to, the conversation will be worth it.” Garin took a deep breath and said firmly, “We need you to try.”

“I’ll com my mother as soon as we end this transmission.”

“Good.” Garin reached for his subdermal implant on the inside of his forearm, but Haven stopped him.

“I’m serious about Rebecca,” she stressed. “Don’t underestimate the power of the pull. We all know how pointless it is to resist nature’s plan. None of us are mated to the sort of person we would have chosen for ourselves. Yet each is bonded with exactly the person we needed most.”

“I’m not the one resisting,” he admitted with a sigh.

“Understood. Just don’t give up.” She encouraged him with a gentle smile, then Garin ended the transmission.