The Ceph Sector (Shamans & Shifters Space Opera Book 5) by Jenny Schwartz

Author:Jenny Schwartz [Schwartz, Jenny]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2018-04-23T22:00:00+00:00

Vulf’s comms unit lit up with an incoming message from Ahab—just under an hour before we’d have portaled in to Station Elphame to provide back-up. As per our agreement with the anxious people waiting with us, I enclosed Vulf and me in a privacy bubble. If Ahab said something that it was better the others not know, I had a duty to keep everyone safe. Ignorance could be protective, at least, in legal terms.

“The children are safely aboard the Orion and we’ve left the station.”

The adrenaline wave I’d been riding crashed, and I slumped against Vulf.

He gave our silent watchers a thumbs up.

Their body language mirrored my relief, although they also moved closer to us. They wanted the details.

The comms unit showed the children moving stiffly through the Orion to the recreation cabin. They were scared, poor kids, but the food dispenser worked like magic to erase their fear. Dear heaven, they were starving.

Ahab’s transmission shifted from the recreation cabin’s table, crowded with happily eating children, to recorded images of Station Elphame.

“Looks like Ahab’s been busy,” Vulf murmured. Buildings had been destroyed. A trampship was minus its bridge. Vulf sounded amused and approving.

“I took the station hostage.” Ahab sounded tired, although an AI lacked the organic physical body to feel tiredness. This had to be emotional exhaustion, post-battle fatigue. “There was some determined resistance to surrendering the children to my care. I believe that Dr. Spenser—now deceased—considered them his special project. I’m going to concentrate on the children, but I’ll send you the footage of the rescue mission. I’m sorry, Vulf, Jaya. People won’t react well to my incursion here. All they’ll see is an AI attacking organic sentients. It’ll feed their paranoia.”

The time lag in transmissions due to the distance between us was an issue. I wanted to reassure Ahab right now. I did the best I could, sending my message immediately. “You did the right thing,” I said fiercely. Seeing the children under the clear lighting and in the familiar setting of the Orion threw into relief their suffering. They were under-nourished, frightened, and in Ollie’s case, obviously traumatized physically and emotionally. Spenser had even removed the little Sidhe boy’s eyes, replacing them with eyestalk horrors.

Vulf spoke into the comms unit, his back to the others in the room, even though my privacy bubble shielded us from lip readers. “Go directly to Corsairs. I’ve forwarded your report to Cyrus.” Cyrus was Corsairs chief information officer, head of their espionage network. He was smart, savvy, ruthless and protective of children. He was already working on how to spin this situation to keep the children safe—which in our minds meant keeping them on Corsairs, especially Ollie—and pull Ahab out of the political minefield he’d dived into.

I added, “I’ve let Nairo know to expect the children. He’ll meet you on Corsairs and provide what healing he can.” Nairo was an incredible shaman healer. If anyone could save Ollie, it would be him. Not only would he check the physical fusing of

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