Empire Defied (Taran Empire Saga Book 3): A Cadicle Space Opera by A.K. DuBoff

Author:A.K. DuBoff [DuBoff, A.K.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Dawnrunner Press
Published: 2022-05-12T16:00:00+00:00

— — —

Mika had expected to feel relieved once he was back on his own ship, but the place wasn’t the same now. He sat on the Sepiantia’s flight deck watching the swirling light of subspace as they jumped between worlds, letting his mind wander.

The only reason he had this ship was because of Tregaren. Mika had designed it with his mother as a young boy, and it’d been built to spec. Now, it was the only thing he had left of both of them. The part connected to Tregaren, he wanted to destroy. Yet, he couldn’t do that without taking away his mother’s contribution. The entire situation made his head and heart hurt.

A soft hiss sounded behind him as the flight deck’s door opened. He turned to see Kali enter.

“Hey, how’s it going?” she greeted, the soft glow of her hazel eyes standing out in the dimmed lights.

“You know.” He shrugged.

“Yeah.” She looked at the spot where their friend had died during the final fight with Tregaren.

“You’re not supposed to be on the flight deck,” Mika muttered.

“I know. But I thought you might need the company.”

“Not your job.”

She looked around. “I don’t see others clamoring for the role.”

He stared straight ahead. “Suit yourself.”

Kali took a seat next to him. “I know it’s easy to feel alone, but I want you to know you’re not,” she said gently.

Mika swallowed. “How can you even look at me?”

“I know what it’s like to be used. I don’t think you’re a bad guy, you were just in a lousy situation. We can help each other, but that starts with trust.”

That’s bold, considering she holds my fate in her hands. He knew the only reason the TSS had let him go was so they could follow his moves, perhaps leading them to Tregaren’s secret collaborators. Kali was his watcher, plain and simple.

Yet, something about her helped set him at ease. As much as he guarded the flight deck as his domain, he was actually happy she’d stopped by. Nonetheless, he didn’t know her well yet, and he couldn’t be sure about her motivations.

He sank deeper into his seat. “Trusting someone isn’t like flipping a switch.”

“I’m not asking you to. Just that you try to keep an open mind.”

“About what?”

“That we could be friends.”

He chuckled. “You’re here to keep tabs on me.”

“Doesn’t mean that can’t be in a friendly way.”

Their eyes met, and he felt a warmth in her that he hadn’t fully registered before. “Yeah, okay,” he agreed.

“Good.” She smiled. “It’s a start.”

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.