Red Astrea (The Shadowstar Legacy Book 1) by Mara Amberly

Author:Mara Amberly [Amberly, Mara]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2020-12-18T22:00:00+00:00

Chapter 12

I paid upfront for a buffet breakfast for four and chose a table in the restaurant's corner, away from the other patrons.

At first some of the women seemed cautious, and I felt a bit uneasy myself, but we relaxed as we settled into breakfast. The food was unfamiliar until I tried it, as it was most likely Kovamoran, but it was good.

My main thought was how much I should tell them about my origins, in case the information reached the wrong person. I realised I wasn’t going to get very far if I didn’t speak about it. At least Sarys and I had our ship and we ought to be able to get off the station in a hurry if we had to.

“I’m wondering if there are any people here from Helios Prime. On the station, I mean.”

Two of the women exchanged glances, and I could tell from their tension that they knew something.

“What’s your interest in them?” the woman I’d first spoken to asked.

I’d since learned her name was Sylla.

“It’s my world,” I replied, throwing caution to the wind.

One of the other women winced. I could tell she was Phinean. Phinea Alpha was a dry, almost barren trading world, where I had most of my credits stashed.

“I’m so sorry,” she said, as she set down her glass. “I took you for a Spacefarer when I saw you, except for the—”

She indicated the remnants of the golden circles on my cheeks.

“I heard that some of our people escaped to Station Aelicon Five, but those of us on Concorra Alpha were targeted.”

“That explains the swirls,” Sylla said.

I nodded. I hadn’t intended to open up so much, but I needed these ladies to share what they knew.

“There are some of your people on the station, but they’re lying low,” a woman named Helane replied. “I can’t take you to them, but I can contact them and see if they’d be prepared to meet with you.”

“That’s all I ask. Thank you so much,” I said.

“There are rumours that have come out of the Acadian Cluster that people were rounded up on Station Aelicon Five and taken somewhere else. I’d advise you to stay away from Acadians, because I heard they had something to do with it. I don’t know if it’s true or not, but some guards on the station were talking about it and they seemed to think so.”

My heart broke at those words. I’d been hoping for the best that the enemy had only attacked the base on Concorra Alpha, but I already knew another attack was likely. I had to wonder where our people were and if they were still alive. I just didn’t know where to go from here. Acadian space was vast, and enough time had passed that there was no way of tracking their course now.

“Have you seen any sign of Helios military ships passing through here?” I asked.

The women shook their heads. At least I knew more than I had the day before.

“What about K’zerans?” I asked.

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