Chapter 8

the Mysaran Coalition three years prior, and they insisted there was no cause

for worry. All the same, the Tararian Guard was poised to step in covertly if

the situation continued to escalate—and it was undoubtedly trending in that

direction.

Kaen dialed President Elton Joris of the Elusian Alliance. Few

individuals had a direct line to someone in such a position, but Kaen’s task

demanded the utmost discretion, and that meant no intermediaries.

The president answered after ten seconds, his piercing blue eyes and

white hair contrasting against the dark background of the room. “Colonel, do

you have news?”

“The team was able to retrieve the data archive, sir. It’s not good.”

President Joris groaned. “What did you find?”

“They’ve completed their first live trials.”

“This is a nightmare.” He wiped his hands over his face. “Is the Guard

prepared to take action?”

“We’re standing by to assist, sir, but we’re in a tough spot so long as

Elusia isn’t officially in the Empire.”

“I know, I’m working on it.” The president paused. “They’ve built a new

lab on Valta. We need to get someone on the inside to find out what they’re

doing in there.”

Kaen nodded. “I know just the person.” THE FOLLOWING MORNING , the Raven arrived at Orion Station, the Tararian

Guard outpost where Kira was presently attached. SiNavTech’s network of

navigation beacons made interstellar subspace travel easy and quick,

especially with the Guard’s long-range jump drives.

“Are your mission reports filed?” she asked her team as they debarked

from the Raven .

“Yes, ma’am,” Ari replied. “There has been a full report of the mission.”

Kyle and Nia snickered.

That bomaxed video… Kira rolled her eyes. “I have to go meet with the

brass.”

Nia’s eyes sparked. “I wonder if Kaen has seen the video of your

dancing?”

“Hey, that mission is classified,” Kira reminded them. “If command

catches wind that you leaked classified documentation, don’t expect me to

save your necks.”

Momentary panic flashed across Ari’s face, then he relaxed. “You almost

had me for a second.”

Stars, she really did care about her team too much, and they knew it.

“Just… don’t push your luck. I’ll see you later.” She jogged away for her

scheduled meeting with Colonel Kaen.

Under normal circumstances, Kira would have cursed the stars for

needing to endure an audience with one of the most notoriously rigid,

domineering officers in the Guard. This time, though, she wanted answers. If

getting that information meant turning the charm up to eleven with the

hardass officer, she’d do it.

The administrative section of the Guard base was situated at the center of

the star-shaped space station, where it would be the most protected in the

unlikely event of an enemy assault. Each arm of the star configuration

contained a central concourse leading to starship berths and bays for the significant complement of fighter craft.

To expedite her trip to the center of the facility, Kira hopped in a car

along the maglev track running the length of the concourse. At the central

hub, she exited the car and jogged the rest of the way.

After pausing to make sure her shipsuit was in regulation compliance, she

knocked on Kaen’s office door.

“Enter,” a baritone voice called from within.

Kira plastered on her most professional smile and entered. “Hello, sir.

You wanted to see me?”

“Have a seat, Captain.” Kaen gestured toward a metal chair across from

his desk.

“Thank you, sir.” She sat down but didn’t bother to get comfortable. Prior

experience with that particular seat had revealed it was impossible.

“I understand that you ran into some trouble at the MTech lab.”

He has such a way with understatement. Kira nodded. “Yes, sir. Our intel

said the facility was abandoned, but we encountered armed guards and a

military assault mech.”

“A mech? Indoors?”

“Barely fit in the hallway, sir.”

Kaen frowned. “I’m glad your team was able to fulfill the mission

objective despite those setbacks.”

‘Setbacks’? That’s how he’s going to play it? Kira leaned forward in her

chair. “Sir, may I speak freely?”

He gave the hint of an exasperated sigh but quickly composed himself.

“Permission granted.”

“Someone doctored the mission brief.”

Kaen studied her. “What makes you say that?”

“The resistance we encountered wasn’t some new arrival that walked in

moments before us. They had been there, and there wasn’t any shielding

around the facility to have hidden the thermal outputs. Someone knew that

facility was occupied, but the Guard wouldn’t have received data retrieval

authorization for an active private lab. They wanted us to think it was

abandoned so we’d go in.” Kira crossed her arms.

“I can’t deny the possibility,” Kaen said after a ten-second pause. “Was it you, sir?”

The colonel’s eyes widened. “Why would I put one of my best teams at

risk like that?”

“Because you knew we could handle it, like we did.”

“Your team is quite skilled.” Kaen folded his hands on the desktop. “Few

others would have been able to access those files.”

That was a roundabout admission of guilt, if ever there was one. But

why? “Before we left, the man I… ‘interrogated’… indicated that there’s

something going on with the Mysarans, and potentially beyond that.”

The colonel gave a slow nod. “The Guard’s responsibility is to assess

threats and carry out orders in the best interest of the Taran Empire. You have

performed admirably in retrieving information to support those goals.”

If a career in the Guard hadn’t worked out, Kaen would have made a

bomaxed good politician. Kira flashed a prim smile. “Happy to do my part,

sir.”

Kaen steepled his fingers. “It’s been, what, nine years since you joined

the Guard?”

“Yes, sir. Coming up on ten in two months.”

He nodded. “I can tell you’ve been around long enough to know when a

superior officer is dodging your questions.”

No shite. Kira decided a shrug was the best response.

“Well, your observations at the MTech lab support a larger pool of

evidence we’ve gathered over the past eight months. We’re at the leading

edge of a crisis.”

That was surprisingly candid . Kira came to attention. “Sir…?”

“We’ve been tracking a group of researchers in MTech performing illegal

genetic experimentation,” Kaen explained. “The lab you infiltrated was one

of those facilities, and the data you retrieved is documentation of the

experiments.”

“What kind of experiments?”

“We believe they are trying to make a hybrid—bringing together the

traits of those with telekinetic abilities and some sort of unknown alien

physiology.”

Kira’s mouth involuntarily dropped open. “An… alien hybrid? I didn’t