Brilliant Starlight by Anna Carven

Author:Anna Carven [Carven, Anna]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2017-07-07T18:30:00+00:00

Chapter Fourteen

Abbey

“Hi, sweetie.” I wave at Ami’s holo-projection as we hurtle towards Xar. Silence is heading for Xar’s outer orbit, where it will lurk in cloaked invisibility as we ride a stealth-cruiser down to the surface of the mysterious planet. Tarak explained that speed and stealth are the key; no enemies should figure out what we’re trying to do, and therefore we shouldn’t get caught. Fast and simple. That’s the plan, but when it comes to all things Kordolian, nothing ever goes to plan. If Tarak he has to, he’ll summon his entire damn fleet to Xar.

I told him not to be silly, that the peacekeeping mission on Kythia is more important than me, but Tarak doesn’t pull any punches.

“It’s my war fleet, amina. I’ll command it as I please.”

Xar, it turns out, isn’t just some place. It’s actually a planet, complete with scary secrets and a sinister past. It’s where the First Division were created.

Hold that thought.

“Mamda.” Ami holds her arms out, reaching for me. Her projection—generated with the aid of mysterious Kordolian tech—is so realistic, so vivid, that I automatically lift my arms. For the last few weeks, it’s been our only method of communication. She doesn’t understand why she can’t be with me, and it’s breaking my heart.

This isolation is slowly driving me insane.

“Aww…” I choke back a sob. She doesn’t quite understand that the version of me she’s seeing is only a hologram. “Mama will be back. You be a good girl for your aunties. Behave yourself, and for the love of Jupiter, please don’t break anything until after I get back.” I push the tears away and summon a smile.

A gentle smile spreads across Ami’s face in response, breaking my heart all over again. All I want to do is put my arms around her and hold her close, but because of this stupid mutating, cell-eating virus, I can’t even do that.

Instead, I’m forced to stay in this horrible isolation.

It won’t be for long, though. Damn it, I’m going to beat this thing. Total exsanguifiltration sounds like the worst torture in the entire Universe, but I’ll gladly do it if it means I get to survive.

Ami coos and swats at my image. I blow her a kiss, and she blows me a raspberry in return. “I love you, Ami-tsunami.”

Her violet eyes are as wide and brilliant and mysterious as the Universe itself. I never get tired of gazing at her beautiful face, even now, as we speed towards the place where Tarak’s past is buried.

“There’s nothing good on that cursed hell-hole of a planet,” he said at one point. “The quicker we can get in and out of there, the better.”

Apparently, it’s an abandoned planet. Why the hell would anyone have to abandon an entire planet? What the hell have these mad Kordolians been doing in this sector of the Universe?

Ami’s image flickers slightly. “I have to go now, honey.” I should probably keep this short, otherwise I’ll turn into a complete mess.

Thankfully, Tarak is able to slip out now and then to spend some time with the Little Monster.

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